The Year Of...

At the end of the year I tend to drive myself crazy and think about what I did or did not accomplish over the year. For once I feel really good about what I have done this year! I am not a one to set a "New Year's Resolution" mostly because I can never stick to all the things I set out to do (eat better, drink less, cross train more, build a bigger nest egg).

One thing that I can follow thru with is my training schedule. Right now I am focused on planning out my race schedule for next year. I have a few ideas on the docket but I am not sure where this years road will lead me. I have thought about adding trail running.
Here is what last years schedule panned out to be:

March 12, 2011: Saint Patrick's 5K (1/5 of the Grand Prix)
May 7, 2011: Take 5 in the Garden (2/5 of the Grand Prix)
May 23, 2011: 100th Bay to Breakers in San Fransisco
June 18, 2011: Sailin' Shoes 5K (3/5 of the Grand Prix)
July 16, 2011: Alex Hoag Run for Sunshine 5K (came in 7th for my age group)
July 23, 2011: Classic 10K (4/5 of the Grand Prix)
August 13, 2011: Starlight 5k at the AFA
October 1, 2011: Great Pumpkin 5k run (5/5 of the Grand Prix)
October 9, 2011: Denver Rock and Roll Marathon
December 3, 2011: Rock Canyon Half Marathon

Last year turned out to be busier than I thought it would be. I had only planned to do the Grand Prix and the Bay to Breakers, but the "bug" bit me and I kept going. This next year I have planned just a few races:
Grand Prix of Running (Short Series May-October)
Sprint Triathlon (April 2012)
Bolder Boulder 10K (May 28, 2012)
Georgetown to Idaho Springs (August 11, 2012)

I know that I want to do another Marathon in there somewhere. Denver sounds good to do again, but then there is the Xterra Marathon, which would get me trail running, but again no to thrilled about it. I would love to do the Colorado Marathon, but $250 for an entry fee is a little steep! There is the Big Sur Half Marathon which I could stay at my parents so I would just have to pay for a flight. But as you can see I already have a bit on my plate, and I should see what falls on it next.

What are your race goals/schedule for 2012?

Do you like to make "New Year's Resolutions"?

Miracles Do Happen Every Now & Then

I generally don't blog much about my Mom and her condition.  Mostly because I don't want to give incorrect information and also, if I write it, that means it is real.  However, today is an exception.

I have been hesitant to write this blog and have been sitting on it since early October.  I thought about how to write this and believe in what I am saying.  Perhaps this will help me believe that this is real, and miracles can happen.  We have been given so many bad answers, when something is good happens, it is hard to believe that it is real.

But first the history.....


May 2010
Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer (EC) and would have to undergo triple round chemo for six months. This means she would be taking chemo pills two times a day and every few weeks she would get a chemo transfusion. The oncologist advised the family that Mom would get very sick, very fast.....and she did.



December 2010
I made the trip back to California for Christmas, because I didn't know where this roller coaster was going to take us. If I didn't and something happened to her I would never be able to forgive myself for not making the time to be with her. When our plan landed in SJO I was so nervous I though that I would throw up!  I had not seen her since May and not knowing what she would look like scared me. I would not let her see that I was scared or worried. I felt that I needed  to be strong for her. She had been strong for our family at the hard times and we needed to be strong for her.  She had just finished her six months of Chemo and had gotten the news that even with all they had done, she was still not a candidate for surgery and every three months they would monitor her tumor(s) with Positron Emission Tomography Scans (P.E.T.). 

March 2011
Three month check up went well.  The P.E.T. scan showed that the tumor(s) had not spread, grown or shrunk.  She was still not a candidate and that things were still just "statis quo".  Mom was regaining her strength and had returned to work. She works at an Elementary School with children that have special needs.

June 2011
With the one year mark behind us, things started to return to normal. Mom was getting stronger and with summer on the way things started to look brighter.  In May, I flew out to San Jose, to celebrate her birthday with diner at her favorite restaurant in San Fransisco. To commemorate her one year mark, I ran the Bay to Breakers in her honor.

October 2011

I had just gotten news two days before my Marathon that her third three month check up brought back new results.  The P.E.T. scan showed the tumor(s) were not prevalent. This means that when she was injected intravenously with contrast, the tumor(s) would "glow".  In her case, there were no masses glowing on her scan. So a few weeks later she was scheduled for an endoscope . The endoscope results showed that her esophagus was inflamed and that there are a few lesions.  She needed to go on medication for a few weeks to help her esophagus become uninflamed and then the endoscope would be repeated.

December 2011

Six weeks passed and the endoscope was repeated.  Her results showed that there was no cancer.  Yes you read that right, there is NO cancer! However results show that Barrett's Disease is present.  This is not a life of death disease, but this does mean that she will need to be aware of what she eats as not to inflame her esophagus.  At this time, she will continue to get P.E.T scans every three to four months and endoscope's biannually.

My opening for this blog reads:

If you have cancer, if someone you love has it, even if you are a grunt like me-it's a long march. It's not going to be over in a day. During the toughest miles, you find out you're all alone, but at the same time, you feel incredibly connected. You learn that you're capable of doing things you never could have imagined. Running makes you try, in it's way, cancer makes you try too.

Running makes you try, makes you fight thru the pain, teaches you not to give up, pushes your body to its limits, but most of all it makes me feel connected to Mom.  She is half of me and when I run I can feel her pumping thru my veins, so I feel like she is with me.  Mom and I reached our destinations that we set out to do.  Her's to kick Cancers Ass and mine, to finish the Marathon. It was not easy and it was hard, sometimes you feel alone and lost, but somewhere deep down inside of you, "it" finds you.  "It" gives you strength when you have none, gives you courage when you are scared, and when you need it most, "it" is there. We all have it, but only when you are pushed to your limits is when you will find it. It's then you realize that you have done something that you never thought you could do.

Rock Canyon Half Marathon

KOAA News forecast predicted Saturday's run to be cold. The high for Pueblo, CO was 26 and at 9am it was only 20 degrees with winds at 17mph which made it feel like 13 degrees! Talk about cold! 

This race was a very low key run so there was no chip timing, but what do you expect when the entry was only $35 bucks.  I didn't hear a got star so I think it was just a 1-2-3 off you go start.  everyone started off slow since the pavement was quite icy!  Kim and I started out of the gate a little faster than we normally do so we lost valuable energy.  Also, with the ice, you are using different muscles and watching where you are stepping.

Here is a map of the route:

We did two laps around the city park and then headed out to the trail.  The first right turn into the
trail was a paved downhill.  It was very steep! This run is an out and back trail run with gradual rolling hills. There are a few open areas where the wind came ripping thru and made it feel like my face was going to fall off!

I finished with a time of 2:51:00 give or take a few.  I am waiting for the vendor to post the finishers photo's so I will add them later.

Here are a few photos that we got from the race:

Kim and I at Mile 2.5 as you can see we are having alot of fun. Seeing other crazy people out there fighting the cold made it more motivating to run.

Kim and I after the finish! We had just gotten out medals, so it's time to wear them proud!

                                                                                                                        

Grand Prix of Running Awards Ceremony

Runners gathered downtown Thursday, December 1st at Jack Quinn's for the annual Grand Prix of Running awards ceremony.

Overall winners and age-group leaders were honored at Jack Quinn's.

 I was excited to go and see all the other runners and see the series all the way to the end.  I hadn't decided if I was going to do it again, but after sitting there it felt good to a member of a select group of people, I changed my mind.

I finished 6th overall  in the short series for my age group with a total time of 3:33:34.  Here I am with the announcer on the left and the owner of Jack Quinn's on the right.  I must say I am looking slimmer in each photo!

I have a base line to start with. Next year I will push it harder and hopefully place better.  There are three other ladies that will bump age groups with me so I will be running with them again.

I am excited to say that Kim will be joining me this next year.  I am planning to do the short series again, which starts in March!