Into the light...

The past week or so has been a pretty darn good for running.  The biggest change has been the time.  It has been SO nice to get up in the mornings and start running as the sun starts to rise, rather than in complete darkness.  It makes a surprising difference in my outlook.  Yesterday, I was able to find a great trail between the park and the high school for some intense hill repeats.  I never would have run back there in the dark.


I finally feel like I am back in the groove.  I have a training plan I like and my legs have that constant feeling of just a little soreness.  You know that feeling?  The good soreness after a good workout.  It feels like a perfect balance of working hard enough to get stronger without getting injured.  Yesterday's hill repeats were hard and was definitely feeling it going up the stairs.  Today's run felt a bit full of lead, but afterward I had that delicious soreness.  I love it!


There area couple of things that marred this great running week.  The first was finding out that my friend is injured and can't run.  We were going to run the Santa Barbara Half Marathon next weekend.  I am bummed because it would be the first time that she and I would be running together.  I feel horrible for her because I know that not being able to run is killing her.  This was to be her first half marathon.  She is already a triathlon stud, so I suspected that she would have given me quite a run for my money to keep up with her.  I am not running the race; I can't see doing it without her.  There will be plenty of other races.


The other thing was finding out that the Carlsbad Half Marathon is sold out.  That was my favorite race and my half marathon PR.  Last year it sold out in early December.  I never would have guessed that it would sell out the last week of October.  I am sure that I can find a bib on Craigslist or the Carlsbad Half Marathon facebook page,* but then I have to pay a twenty dollar transfer fee, in addition to a somewhat high priced race fee.  I am already spending a lot of money on race fees with two marathons on the horizon.  In addition, I seemed to have moved to a racing mecca**.  I know that I am going to be spending more money in race fees.  I feel bad because so many of my Rockin' Mamas are running it.  The AFC race was so much fun and I would love to hang with everyone again.  I almost feel like I am letting them down.


Despite a few bits of bad news, I feel like things are so much better than they were a month ago.  I feel like I have left a period of darkness and it is gradually getting lighter and lighter.





*There are already several dozen requests for bibs on the page.  It seems to be an incredibly popular race this year.  I bet they could have sold out a race double the size.
**The Greater Los Angeles area.

Running IS a lot like life

I have often read different blogs comparing running and life. Lately, I have keenly felt the comparison. The other day , I was running from my house down past the schools. I felt completely in a groove; running felt effortless. Then the road flattened out and the run felt tougher. I hadn't even realized I was running downhill until it flattened out.

It hit me that one minute you're cruising along in life and everything is good and then it levels out and it seems just that much harder. Even when life is going along without too many ups and downs, it can seem tough, especially after a particularly easy time (i.e. vacation).

Once you get your rhythm on the flats, you eventually hit the uphill (because what goes down must come up). We all know how hard the hills can be. Your legs burn, your lungs burn. All you really want to do is turn around or stop completely. And hills, up or down, really work those leg muscles.

Often, when you run up hills, as much as it hurts, there is a certain kind of satisfaction in getting to the top. You climb and climb and the feeling when you crest the top is sometimes even euphoric. One of my favorite races was the La Jolla Half Marathon, which is known for its hilly course, in particular, the Torrey Pines hill. When I reached the top of Torrey Pines, I let out a cheer with other runners around me. I heard of one runner, on the other hand, who hailed the ditch bus as soon as she reached the top. It was all too much. For me, I am very proud of that race and how well I did on the hills. I am proud of the metaphorical hills I have climbed in life, as well. Getting my Master's Degree, climbing the corporate ladder and motherhood are examples of some of the hills in my life that I am proud of.

Sometimes, however, there are hills that are really, really tough. When you get to the top, you don't feel pride, you just feel relief. There is no ditch bus and there is no one you can call to pick you up. I found such a hill Sunday. I started running up the hill thinking, "holy cow... this is one steep hill." I thought the top was at the next traffic light. When I got to the light, it leveled for that street and then headed up again. It seemed to have no end! When I finally reached the top and was able to run downhill, there was no "groove" or fun in the run. I just needed to put one foot in front of the other to make it home. When the road headed up again, it was tougher than before. The hill wouldn't have been so hard if I hadn't just run over seven miles (most of which were flat or gradual uphill). The good news is that I did make it home and was no worse for the wear afterward.

That is how my life has seemed for much of this year. My family has struggled quite a bit. Just when we thought that things were leveling off, the road continued upward. It didn't seem to have an end. When the hard part ended, I didn't feel triumph, only relief. There was no payoff of a downhill section, just a leveling off of the road. And now I move forward tentatively... waiting for that next hill to take the wind out of my sails.

Throughout my life, I have had long stretches of downhill and flat terrain. An occasionally roller only helps you to get the momentum for the downhills. My very favorite race was the Carlsbad Half Marathon (which happens to be my PR). It is not super flat, but a series of rollers. In that race, the uphill portions didn't slow me down. In fact, they helped my determination and focus. The downhills gave me "free speed." Short downhills are actually easier than the long ones-- they don't kill your quads. I hope that this next chapter of my life is full of rolling hills, just like that race. It keeps the scenery changing and the run more fun.

May you all have a life of gentle rolling hills with some fun "free speed" along the way. *wink*

I want my mojo back...

It is a good thing that I didn't take up running this month because I don't think I would have stuck with it. I am getting out for runs (albeit very few of them) because I think I should rather because I really want to. I am afraid of losing my running completely, so I am running. Running has been my escape and my "me" time. But not lately. Where did my love of running go?? Where is that runner's high??

I went out for a run on Monday*. I was going to get up early, but slept in**. I didn't get down to the the bay/beach until 9 a.m. Thankfully, our weather has cooled off considerably. It would have been even nicer a couple of hours earlier. I was hoping to have a great run. Maybe my expectations were too high. It wasn't as though it was a bad run. In fact, my pace was pretty good--9:06 average. I ran the fourth mile in 8:06 and the two miles after that under 9 minutes. The rest were closer to 9:30. Those splits should make me happy. I was hoping to have an effortless run. Do those even exist?

I think that since I am only getting one real quality run a week, I am trying to put too much into it. I think I would have had more fun if I would have just run a nice easy pace. Why do I insist on going so much faster than my training pace and throwing in tempo miles and feeling spent? Next week I really need to slow down and enjoy myself.

There are a few things going on that are affecting my runs. Actually, my lack of runs might be affecting those things. It is like the chicken and the egg. I haven't been eating well. The more I run, the better I eat. But the crappier I eat, the less I want to run. See the cycle? It doesn't help that I am not making "grown up" food for dinner. Most of the time, I make something for the kids that I know they'll eat and I just snack. Also, I am getting back into a dangerous soda habit. When I am running four or five days a week, I don't drink (much) soda. These days, I'm drinking way too much. So am I having crappy runs because I am eating/drinking crap? Or am I eating/drinking crap because of a lack of quality runs?

Unfortunately, right now I can't increase the amount of time spent running due to the fact that my husband is working two hours away. One quality run a week is all I can really count on. I can usually squeeze in a second run during the week. That should be tomorrow, but I have a garage sale to get ready for and a potential renter coming to look at my house. I need my precious hours without the kids to get stuff done.

I want to get some fun back into my running. So until I move north and establish a new routine, I am going to slow down and enjoy San Diego. Several of my friends have asked about group runs. I stopped doing them after we stopped training for the half marathon. I really enjoyed them as I know the other women did. I am going to try to set something up for this weekend. It will accomplish a couple of goals: spend quality time with my friends, make sure I get up and out early (before it gets hot) and slow down and relax while running.

Once we move*** I will start training for a race. I have a November half marathon where I am pacing a friend and the Ragnar relay in February. I am also seriously considering P.F. Chang's Rock-N-Roll Arizona in January, Carlsbad Half Marathon in January and Surf City Half Marathon in February. Training for a race gives me focus. Maybe some focus is what I need right now.



*I didn't go for my normal Sunday run because it was my son's 6th birthday and I love being there when he wakes up. It is so exciting to wake up and be a year older!
**The birthday celebration the evening before took it out of me.
***I wish I knew when that will be. We are trying to rent out our house and minimize paying double. Living in limbo is tough.

America's Finest City Half Marathon Race Report

All in all, it was a great day!! I had fun with my friends and reached my GOLD goal.

Pre-Race
It started VERY early. I woke up at 3:10 a.m. YIKES. I was meeting Lisa, Heather and Lyn at 4:30 to drive down to the park together. Even getting up an hour before leaving the house, I didn't quite "take care of business" like I wanted to. Damn. That means ppp*

After last year's traffic hassle, we drove a different way to the park. It was easy peasy to get to the park and find parking. We met the other Rockin' Mamas near the bus pick up. Everyone was in great spirits. I was in the best mood. A combination of caffeine on very little sleep** combined with excitement of all my friends running this race made me a tad manic.

Most of us were wearing a matching Stroller Strides tank top. It was great having matching shirts. HOWEVER, we had no idea that the race shirts would be the same color. Seriously?? How jacked up is that? Do you know how hard it is to find cranberry tank tops during the out-and-back portion of the race when thousands of people are wearing the cranberry race jersey? Next time, I need to talk everyone into wearing day-go like Alice and the Heffers.

Lisa F is ready to go!!

The other Rockin' Mamas started showing up

There were ten of us, but we couldn't manage to get a picture of all of us (my friend Pham was in the bathroom when we took the big group pic).





























We got on a bus to Cabrillo Monument, where the race began, which was a piece of cake. We arrived at the starting area well before 6 a.m. and used the porta potties several times.

It was chilly in the morning (chilly for Southern California standards) Heather, Lisa and Lyn shivered while Alicia danced.















The Start
We were in line for the porta potties for one last time. The line was painfully slow. After last year's debacle, I didn't want to chance it. When we got back to the rest of the group, several of them had already gone to the front. I never heard the gun go off, but suddenly the crowd started moving. I ended up crossing the starting line around seven minutes after the gun.

The first mile started out fine. I looked down at my Garmin and saw an 8:30 pace. I saw that Anne and Pham were almost at that pace. I slowed down to join them and told them how fast they were going. I didn't want them to start out too fast. I knew that Pham was much more comfortable closer to ten-minute-miles. Anne can easily do 8:30, but her goal was sub two hours and I wanted her to make that goal and not die on the hill. Then I remembered that I was running a race and not in "coach" mode. I wished them good luck and sped up a bit.

Sometime during that mile, I saw the day-glo top of AKA Alice. She looked great! Really strong. I tapped her on the shoulder and said, "hi!" I thought for a moment that she might not recognize me and would wonder who this strange woman with the manic smile was running alongside her. She smiled and said hi. I asked how she was feeling and she said she was great. She is definitely back from her injury. She ran a great race and you can read her race report here.

By the second mile, I knew that a PR was probably not in the cards. I ended up running the first mile in 8:50, between weaving around runners and "coaching" my friends. To PR, I'd have to make up that time. To PR, an 8:30 pace should feel pretty effortless. It wasn't. In fact, I was falling comfortably into around an 8:35 pace. To go faster than that would have been pushing myself. I didn't want to push too hard too early, since there is a pretty decent hill at the end. I was still on pace for a pretty decent race, however, so I wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

As I approached the first aid station, I ran right through. Afterward, I realized that I completely forgot to look for Irene. D'oh! It was crazy. The entire field was so crowded. I swear I was weaving around runners the entire race. I probably should have lined up closer to the front, but I don't have any regrets. I spent some quality time with my friends (ah... porta potty lines) instead of pushing my way up through the crowd.

The fourth mile is pretty much all downhill. I had my fastest mile of the race (8:00). I was feeling good, but not great. After that mile I thought, "maybe?" But alas...I wouldn't see another split that fast until the very end.

Miles 5 through 10--
These are the flat miles. I was feeling tired, but I enjoyed them so much more than I did last year. Harbor Island is a little spit of land that we run around. It is a bit of an out and back. Last year, it felt like it was 100 degrees. This year, while sweating like a pig, I did not feel overly hot. I looked at the crowd as I passed, hoping to find my friend, Laura. We had run this stretch during a couple of training runs. During those runs, we ran all the way to the end of Harbor Island. Imagine my delight when we turned around well before the end. I enjoyed the gorgeous view of the city and really appreciated the beauty of San Diego.

After Harbor Island, past the rental car return lot---the most boring part of the entire race-- I settled into a nice easy pace. Right around mile 10, I saw my friend Linda cheering from the sidelines. She is 36 weeks pregnant and getting to the uncomfortable stage of her pregnancy. It was so sweet of her to come out and cheer for her fellow Rockin' Mamas. She ran the race last year and I vividly remember her passing me on 6th street, looking fresh as a daisy with a spring in her step.

Miles 10-13.1 (or 13.34 if you are terrible at running tangents and weaving around slower runners)--
Here is where the hills start. I was just thrilled to death that I didn't feel as bad as I did last year at this point. I looked at the porta potties that saved me last year, thankful that I didn't need them again. The aid station right past mile 10 is a fun one. They had music blasting and were handing out cheeseburgers. They didn't sound too appetizing at the time.

By the time I turned onto A street to head uphill, the sun was out and beating full force. This was really starting to feel like work. We had run these hills several times in training and this felt the most difficult. I was already passing quite a few people, however. I wondered if they knew that it was going to get even harder. As I turned onto 6th street, I knew that I was almost done. I also knew that I had some work to do to get there.

Right before mile 12 is my friend, Anne's building. That is where we had our after-party. Several of the dads got together early to walk down to 6th street to cheer us on. I saw Kenny about a half a block before I got there. I waved at him and he gathered up the kids to be ready for me. I took the opportunity to stop for a few seconds to hug them, catch my breath and go on my way. It was great!

I found out later that my sweet hubby stayed out there and waited for all the Rockin' Mamas. He really wanted to cheer for Heather, who was about 45 minutes behind me. What a guy! Heather's husband missed her by a few minutes due to technical difficulties***, so I am so glad for her that she had friendly faces cheering for her during the hardest part of the race. She told me that it meant a lot to her to see them.

The hill was tough. I had run that hill so many times. In fact, during training runs I would run it several times. I ran with one friend and then ran back down to run up it with another friend. The hill didn't scare me at all. Maybe it should have. Where I could easily run up it near the end of fifteen miles at a 9:30 pace, on race day I ran it well over a 10 minute pace. Hmmm...

Once I got up to the top of the hill, I caught my breath and charged forward for the final portion of the race. I hit "lap" on my Garmin, so I would know how fast I ran the last part. I ended up running it at an 8:04 pace. Yeah! I just kept gaining speed and passing people like crazy. I knew exactly where the course turned and headed downhill (I know Balboa Park like the back of my hand). I knew that if I made it to the turn, I could sprint down the hill. About a hundred yards from the finish, I saw/heard my friend Vickie cheering me in.

I heard the announcer and really wanted to hear my name. I have yet to hear my name finishing a race. I took my headphones off as I sprinted into the finish. Nope. No name. I think you have to be old, young or from far away. I thought that maybe since I had a Triple Crown bib on, it might get a nod. Oh well... someday.

I finished in 1:56:13. It is eight minutes faster than I ran the same race last year. It is also 25 seconds faster than I ran La Jolla in April. I think this race felt harder. I'm not sure why, since La Jolla has the KILLER hill. Who knows why you run better one day than the other. I am thrilled that I am in a place where even when I don't have a fantastic day, I can finish with a good time. I am happy with my time, especially considering how hard the race felt. That PR is pretty close. I just need a day when I am "on." Maybe once we are settled in a new place and I am actually living in the same county as my husband, I will be able to focus on training and speedwork again. It will happen.

After the race--
I went to join Vickie to cheer in a few of the Rockin' Mamas. I found out that Anne came in a couple of minutes behind me. Had I known that, I think I would have slowed down to finish with her. It would have made that hill so much easier. I would have felt pretty much the same with a 1:58 as I did with 1:56. But there was no way of knowing that she was so close to me. I am SO impressed with her. She had a baby in April. OF. THIS. YEAR. Yup... this woman ran a sub-two hour half marathon four months after giving birth. That is awesome!!!

After a bit, we wandered down to the finish festival area. I picked up my Triple Crown medal. They give you these if you complete the Carlsbad, La Jolla and America's Finest City Half Marathons in a calendar year. Honestly, it was a big factor in deciding to sign up for this race. It is some nice bling!! It is big and heavy. I think it is a brilliant marketing scheme. For a few dollars per medal, they create a goal for runners. After seeing mine, most of my friends decided to go for it next year. Heather is kicking herself for not running Carlsbad this year, since she did the other two.

We then all went back across the park to Anne's for a wonderful after party. We had quiche, casserole, fruit, bagels and MIMOSAS. It was my first time having a post run mimosa. Now I know why the Heffers enjoy them so much! Yummy. They (yes, I had more than one) hit the spot! The kids all ran around the community house and had a grand ol' time, while the moms and dads socialized. I think everyone was celebrating an accomplishment that day****. It was really the perfect way to cap off a great day.

We took some pictures at the after party, but unfortunately, got the cameras out after some of the girls had already left. We definitely need to do it again!
























*porta potty pooping *blush*
** I haven't slept well in over a week. SIGH.
***getting two young girls fed, dressed and out the door in a timely fashion.
****a few shout outs to my Rockin' Mamas: Alicia, Pham, and Lisa completed their first half marathons. Heather took 10 minutes off her time from La Jolla. Jenna and Christina (and Anne, previously mentioned) were doing their first race since having a baby. My marathon training partner, Laura, ran an impressive 1:50. Vickie, our veteran runner, killed it with a 1:43!

Goals for America's Finest City

I don't think I have shared my goals for my upcoming half marathon. I wasn't even sure I wanted to run it. After the marathon, I couldn't imagine training again so soon. But, I had raced two-thirds of the Triple Crown and it would be silly for me to give up that extra medal! When I signed up, my goal was to just run it. Then I started training and my competitive juices started flowing.

So here are my various time goals for this race:
Platinum- A PR! I ran the Carlsbad Half in 1:52:46, so a PR is a tall order. That is what I have been training for. [my double secret platinum goal is to get 1:50.... sssshhhhh]
Gold- Under 1:56:39. This was my time for the La Jolla Half. That is the hardest race of the three half marathons, so I figure I should be able to run AFC faster than La Jolla.
Silver- Under two hours. My goal last year for this race was to break two. I came close, but didn't quite make it. I know that I have the ability to finish this race well under two hours. I feel like I need to get a little redemption for last year. We'll see...
Bronze- Finishing with my friends and trainees. I have decided that if the wheels fall off and it looks like I am not going to make it under two hours, I am going to wait for my friends and finish with them. This is my last San Diego race for a while and I want to have positive memories. I would rather think of this race as a race where I finished with friends (a couple are doing their first half) than the one where I finished a few minutes shy of my goal. I have actually gone back and forth as to whether or not I want to just run the entire race with them. The reason I decided not to is because this is my first race since my certification training and I want to see my training through until the end, so I can better coach my clients. This last goal gives me a win-win outcome. In this case, missing my goal by a half an hour is way better than missing it by a few minutes.

I am really excited about the race. There are so many of my friends running it this year. As I mentioned before, some of them are running their first half marathon. Two of them are running their first 5K on Sunday. One is running four months after having a baby. And another is looking to get a PR by 10-15 minutes. It will be a big deal for everyone. It will be a fun day.


********************************************************************
Update on my running:
First of all, I want to thank everyone for the virtual slap about my whine yesterday. You are right. I am tapering. I should be taking it easy. Obsessing about one run is not going to help anything. Thanks for snapping some sense into me!

I took the kids to the track last night. After wasting a bit of their window of attention by talking with my husband on the phone, I tried to run a bit. I should have planned better. They both wanted to run with me (and both were wearing some sort of summer shoe not conducive to running). My first lap was very slow, shuffling with a three- and a five-year-old. My five-year-old experienced his very first side stitch (awww) and it was cute watching him run with his arm laying on his head (that is what works for me). That lap was my warm up. It tired the kids out enough for them to play a bit with some toys we brought.

I was able to get in a mile at an 8:05 pace. Ah, redemption! It was hard, but I didn't feel the overwhelming need to sit down afterward. I was able to get my legs moving without my lungs ending up in my throat. I ended up doing a little more than two and a half miles total. I was hoping to get in a little over three, but when kids are done, they are done. They were bored and hungry. At least I was able to run a little and it was fun!

The best news of the evening was that my five-year-old ran pretty close to a mile (with a few breaks in the middle). He did the two last laps in a row with very little stopping. He officially wants to find a one mile kids' race. I told him that he would have to train for it so that he could run a mile without stopping*. He is excited to do it!

*I am not going to push my child to run without stopping. I need him to realize that in order to run a race, he needs to practice. By telling him he needs to do it without stopping, he knows it isn't super easy.

A better run

Why is it that my short runs have been crap lately and my long runs are fine? I suppose that is a good thing when I have a marathon in two weeks. I haven't been getting into a groove until the fourth mile or so.

I ran the sixteen mile run somewhat close to my original plan, which was: warm up for two miles, run twelve miles at race pace, cool down for two miles. I ended up warming up for one mile and then running at race pace for fifteen. I should know that I never do cool down miles... maybe that is why my shins/calves hurt today.

I woke up yesterday morning really not in the mood to go for a long run. I was super worried about my shins. I have been icing the heck out of them and abusing my calves with my foam roller and stick. I felt a little aching/throbbing on my shin yesterday morning. I popped a couple Ibuprofen* and tried to stretch out my shins and calves as much as possible. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to run well and might have to quit or slow down considerably. This was probably not the day for a point-to-point shuttle run, but it was our last long run and we wanted it to be a good one.

We did the infamous** "train run." Ironically, one of the coolest things about the train run is riding the train and well... it doesn't run on Sundays***. Bummer. So we drove. It is a great run and worth the drive, but it is pretty darn far from where we live, so we don't do it often. In fact, I missed it last year when the girls ran it, so today was the first time for me. It didn't disappoint. The weather was perfect (low 60's and a marine layer that didn't burn off****). My legs felt fine. Not perfect, but nothing too noticeable.

For me, it was a little run down memory lane. Not far into the run, we were in Carlsbad. We ran several miles of the Carlsbad Half Marathon, my favorite race. Later, as we ran into Cardiff, I saw a restaurant, Ki's, where I used to meet a friend before walking on the beach when my son was a baby. A little ways down the road I saw another restaurant where I met another long-time friend when she came to visit. As I ran into Solana Beach, I recognized the road as the route for the Iron Girl race from two years ago. That was my very first race. Good times!

At mile ten, I rolled my ankle. What a SCARY feeling! Immediately, I thought that I would be sidelined. I limped a few feet and then realized that I could run just fine. I was getting tired and got careless and didn't watch my footing. I stepped on a small chunk of asphalt. I need to be more careful! Last night I elevated it and iced it, just to be safe. It is a little tender today, but it'll be fine.

At this point, Laura started going a bit faster. Where my plan was to keep each mile between 9:00 and 9:10 to practice my pacing, she wanted to average 9:00 for the entire thing (including the warm up). That is when I let her go on ahead. I really wanted to run nice and easy and keep it in that pace range. I am glad I did. I feel like I am getting a really nice feel for that pace.

Can I keep that pace up for another ten miles? I don't know. I averaged 9:07 for all sixteen miles (including the warm up mile). I had several miles that were under 9:00 and one or two that were right at or over 9:10. I am sure going to give it a shot.

I am going to take it easy over the next two weeks. Bring on the taper!



*I know that you are not supposed to take Ibuprofen before a run due to risks to the kidneys. I only took 400mg and wasn't planning on running hard. I felt that I wasn't in any danger.
**Infamous is a relative term, of course. It is pretty well-known in San Diego running circles. AKA Alice and Irene both wrote about their "train run" experiences. It runs down the coast from Oceanside to Solana Beach through great little beach communities and along the Pacific Ocean.
*** The Coaster is a commuter train that goes from downtown to North County. Amtrak runs on Sundays, but it is more expensive.
****Please, Oh PLEASE let the weather be exactly like that in two weeks. Today (Monday) the marine layer burned off by 9:00, just like last year's marathon. NOT good for a four hour race.

Some thoughts on my marathon goals...

First of all... THANK YOU! I really appreciate the supportive comments on my last post. I am happy that anyone read such a whiny thing. Your words of encouragement really mean a lot. I would never have been able to objectively think about my marathon goals the way I was feeling the other day.

I am stealing an idea from a blog I read. However, for the life of me, I can't remember whose blog it was. *blush* If it was you, please let me know in the comments so I can give you plenty of credit. I have been mentally categorizing my goals. I am ready to...gulp...share them with the world. I am not sure if this will motivate me more or just make me more disappointed if I don't achieve them. Stating my goals here worked for Carlsbad and La Jolla, so I am going to give it a shot. Here goes:

Finisher's Medal-- A PR (4:30-4:53). I ran the Rock-n-Roll Marathon last year in 4:54:23. It was close to a half an hour slower than my goal of 4:30.* I ran it a full minute per mile slower than any of my training runs. No matter what, I need to finish faster than last year. Anything slower will feel almost like a DNF.**
Bronze-- 4:15-4:29 This would represent right around the ten-minute-mile pace. I wouldn't be super thrilled, but it is a huge improvement over last year.
Silver--4:00-4:14 This is not my goal, but I will be happy if this is my time. In fact, when I started this training cycle, this was my goal. It wasn't until I started having faster and faster workouts that I started believing that I can do a sub-four. This goal is probably the likeliest scenario. This time represents my pace on the vast majority of my long runs. I would make it my initial goal, but there is something in me that wants to strive for the gold. In my corporate life, this result would be equivalent to hitting bonus targets-- always a good thing. Anything better than your target puts you into "stretch" bonus. Obviously, we always wanted to hit stretch, but were very happy to hit our target goals.
Gold-- 3:51-3:59 Finishing under four hours would be AWESOME. Just thinking about it makes me giddy. Icing on the cake would be if I saw a three on the finish line clock. But even if my gun time is over four, a chip time under four would make me ecstatic. The ultimate would be if I could finish in 3:54:23, taking an hour off last year's time. Can you imagine a one hour PR??? Ah... to dream. I know that I am able to achieve a sub-four marathon. HOWEVER, it has to be one of those days when everything clicks.
Platinum (pie in the sky)-- 3:50:59 (BQ). This is one of those things that I can't really even hope for. It would be a very, very unlikely thing to happen. In fact, I don't think it is possible to achieve such a strong finish without setting out to do so. I won't let myself go out fast enough to average the right pace. However, it is fun to think that if the stars aligned, I could have some serious negative splits. Heck, I was over seven minutes faster than my goal at Carlsbad, who knows what could happen. Yeah right. I felt that my list of possible scenarios wouldn't be complete without listing the ultimate goal. Maybe next marathon??


* Ultimately, my goal was to finish and that was what I told everyone. However, deep down I had hopes of running it in 4:30.
**I know that a five hour marathon is a perfectly good time. I should be happy to finish at all. I just know myself and I know that I will be devastated to run slower than last year, after these past few months of training.

I ran THE HILL.

The La Jolla Half is in less than three weeks. It is known in the area as being a killer. Particularly, the hill at mile 6 is a killer. I had never been to Torrey Pines, so I thought I should check out that hill for myself. Well... it is every bit as steep as people say. I actually had thought that some had exaggerated. Not so. This is a hill that walkers struggle with. I saw people leaning over as they went up the hill for a leisurely walk. There is no way to maintain a good pace up this thing. You just have to hope only to lose a few minutes.

I found a few pictures online that demonstrate the pitch of this monster hill that goes up for over a mile.

Here is the elevation profile from my Garmin*. At one point the grade is over 15%. Yikes! What sadist put this in the middle of a half marathon. There is also a short but very steep hill around mile 12. I have heard that it is harder because it is so late in the race.

Why, you may ask, am I putting myself through such a grueling race**? Well, why do we ever run these things? But one big incentive, however, is a brilliant marketing scheme called the "Triple Crown." If you run the Carlsbad, La Jolla and America's Finest City half marathons you get an additional Triple Crown medal. Seriously, how much can those medals cost? A few bucks? There are a TON of people that wouldn't be running La Jolla if it weren't for that silly little medal. I am pretty sure that AKA Alice is one of them. It is also has spectacularly beautiful views. Much of the race is along the Pacific Ocean. I hope I can enjoy the view.

I ran with my friend, Heather, who is training for her very first half marathon. That is some hutzpah, my friends, to chose such a difficult race for your first one. I am excited for her. We started out together for about a half mile or so. The hill was at the beginning of our run and she didn't want to burn out too early, so she slowed down to conserve her energy. I wanted to see if I could run the entire thing, so I kept going. We both knew I wouldn't be running the entire thing with her anyway, since our pace is so different. I am happy to say that I ran the entire hill without stopping.

My splits were all over the place***. I ran with Heather for a while and then would run ahead on my own. In the seventh mile, I decided to push the pace a bit. It was nice to know that I could take it to a higher gear in the middle of a tough, hilly run. My pace going back down the HILL was pretty slow. Running down is almost as hard as running up. It doesn't make me feel like my lungs are going to explode, but I felt like I had to put it in a lower gear to keep from careening down and sliding on loose gravel.

I did close to ten miles. I felt good. It was freezing when we started (freezing for us...around 46 degrees) and hot when we ended, but I think it was similar to what it might be like on race day. My left shin started hurting. I had shin issues last year, so I am going to pay attention and ice, ice, ice. My friend, Heather, ran nine miles, which is the farthest she has ever run. Woo hoo!! The best news is that she felt great!

So while I had a good hill run on Sunday, yesterday I felt sluggish. As I was struggling along in my neighborhood, thinking I was kicking it into gear, I looked down at my Garmin only to see my pace hovering around 10 minutes. I put off my run until the afternoon and it was hot. I hadn't really drank much during the day, so I was thirsty throughout the entire 4.5 miles. It was the first run in a while that I didn't enjoy. It wasn't the worst run I have had, but it was definitely something that I only did because it was on the schedule. I know, by now, that I will have mediocre runs now and then. I hope that my tempo run tomorrow feels better.

*I ran an out and back (more like up and back), but the reason that the ascent and descent are not mirrored is because I ran back several times to check on my friend.

**In addition to the elevation profile, it is often hot during April here. Last year, there was record heat (temps in the 80's) and they ran out of water. Once you get in the park, you lose the ocean breeze and it is a long, hot climb.

***splits
mile 1--10:58
mile 2--9:50
mile 3--9:24
mile 4--9:48
mile 5--10:10
mile 6--9:57
mile 7--8:50
mile 8--10:13
mile 9--9:15
.90--10 minute pace

Pictures from the half marathon (edited with actual pictures)

Wow. I am impressed with the quick turnaround by Brightroom Photography. Here is a link to some pictures from the race. Thanks to advice from AKA Alice, I have been able to post the pictures from the race. I might actually buy a picture this time... I do look like I am having a good time.

You've got to love the ocean in the background!

Hey look! I "chicked" that guy in the yellow! Oops, maybe it's not the same guy. I'm sure I "chicked" somebody *wink*

Terri, do you see the guy next to me with the long sleeve warm-up top and gloves?

I think that this one is on the home stretch. It makes me realize that a hat is probably a good idea on these runs. LOL.

In the interest of respecting the photographer's copyright, here is the website where all the pictures are: http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=44647&BIB=5096&S=230&PWD=

For those who are asking...yes, I am still walking on a cloud :-)

Carlsbad Half Marathon Race Report

As I stated before, the stars aligned yesterday. I am still feeling pretty darn happy. I am going to enjoy this for a few days.

Here is my very long race report. Please pardon me while I gush with the details *wink*

The day started out VERY early. I discovered last year that in order for me to be able to fully awake before an important run, I need to get up an hour before I leave the house. That way my body has time to react to caffeine so I can use the bathroom in peace in my own home. I woke up around 3:45 (yikes) because I had agreed to pick up Coleen* at 5 a.m. because Carlsbad is at least 45 minutes to an hour away. The website said that there would be traffic delays and to give ourselves an extra 45 minutes (the race started at 7:30). Coleen still had to pick up her bib and neither of us knew how crowded it would be. If you remember my traffic experience at the AFC half, you will understand why we left so early. We ended up with no traffic, a breeze to park and a lot of time before the race. We stretched, warmed up a bit and I used the potty three times before the lines started forming. The potty usage may have been a key in avoiding problems that I faced in both the marathon and my last half.

It felt chilly, but not too cold. Any of you in a cold climate would have laughed at us Southern Californians. We were rubbing our arms and shivering in the 53 degree morning. There were people with tights, hats and gloves. At one point I had wished I had my gloves (my hands get really cold), but probably would have thrown them away within the first couple of miles. I decided to wear a running skirt. It was a good choice because my legs were never cold. I wore a short sleeved running top and my arm warmers. I figured I could take them off and shove them in my fuel belt if I got too warm. I didn't. It was perfect.

They used a wave start. It was my first time with a wave start and I really liked it. There was none of that first shuffling that you get with corral starting or no time differentiation at all. They started wave 1 and then asked wave 2 to move up to the start line and so on. I was in wave 3. I saw the two-hour pacer standing just outside of wave 3 (somewhat between wave 2 and 3). I went over and joined his group. I asked him if his goal was two hours or under two hours. He told me he would have the group in at 1:59. I decided to start with him. We actually started with wave 2. No one seemed to mind if you moved up a wave.

I knew I needed to start out slow. I had a lot of adrenaline and would have sprinted out from the starting line. Instead, I ran next to the pacer. I figured that he would be able to keep me where I needed to be. I ran that first mile pretty much with the pace group. I ran that first mile in just under 9 minutes. Check. I was a bit worried during that first mile. My feet were feeling a bit numb. I have horrible circulation and I guess standing around in chilly weather waiting for the start wasn't the best. Despite the numbness near my toes, I could feel my shoe rubbing a little. I was hoping that wouldn't last the entire race. Also, my calves were feeling pretty tight even though I warmed up, stretched and rubbed them with my stick.

I am not sure what happened after that. I started speeding up a little. I figured I would keep the pacer just behind me to give me some space. Well... I never saw him again. There was a girl with a pink shirt with a sign on her back from the 2 hour pace team. I don't know if she was official or just someone who signed up at the expo. I decided to follow her. Well... she was faster than the pacer. That second mile was a screamin' 8:17. Oops. According to Garmin, the elevation change that mile was only 7 feet, so it wasn't hills that sped me up.

The next few miles were rolling hills and my pace was feeling good. I felt good. As we ran onto Carlsbad Blvd along the ocean, there was a slight breeze. I was glad to have my arm warmers. I wasn't cold at all. I was in a great mood and actually chatted with a few runners. As we were running along the Pacific ocean I said to one guy, "well... we could be in Iowa." He replied that it was probably 70 degrees warmer here. "Yep. It doesn't get much better than this."

The rest of the race was a bit of a blur. I think I was smiling the entire time. I knew that I was on pace to have a great finish time. The miles seem to fly by. I hit the half-way point and literally skipped across the mat. I knew that I just needed to run smart and finish the race. My original plan was to stay conservative in the first half (I wasn't entirely successful at that) and turn it on for the second half. I am extremely pleased to say that I ran negative splits in the second half of the race!! My pace for the first 6.6 miles was 8:45. My pace for the entire race was 8:37!

The race and course were the best! It was not quite as flat as I was led to believe. It was rolling hills. You could definitely feel the hills. I think, however, that I ran faster because of the hills. I tried not to slow down too much while running up them. But I did take advantage of "free speed**" while going down. While some of the hills a little tough, for the most part it was an easy course. In fact, according to my Garmin, almost 56% of the course was flat. There were water stops everywhere. They had two spots where you could get Gu. There were several bands along the way as well as a lot of spectator support. The post-race snack was pretty nice.

I was loving my new playlist! It accomplished everything I wanted it to. It was a bit slower in the beginning and had heavier beat songs in the second half. I think that my negative second half split might be partially due to the music. I think I might write a separate post on some of my surprising running songs. As I was heading up the last major (if you can call it major) hill, Avril Levigne's "Girlfriend"*** came on which was the perfect beat to pound up the hill.

At mile 9, I was at 1:17. I realized that I had over four minutes to spare and realized that I could slow down to ten minute miles and still get there under two hours. This was an incredible realization. It took so much pressure off. I didn't slow down, but it was nice to know that I could.

The only low spot during the race was mile 11. For the first time all day, I was feeling a bit sluggish. My legs felt very heavy. I was beginning to wonder if the Gu and sport beans were a smart idea because I could feel them in my stomach. I started to worry that I went out too fast and I was hitting a wall. It was one of my slowest miles of the race. Ironically, six months ago I couldn't have dreamed of running that fast. I was thrilled if I got anywhere close to nine minutes.

Once I hit the 11 mile marker, I felt a new energy knowing that there were only two miles left. I picked it up. By the end of the twelfth mile I was feeling strong. The last mile is mostly downhill. I gave it all I had. At one point, there was a girl stretching on the side of the road. I almost yelled at her that she could walk and still make it under two hours. But I kept that thought to myself. As I was about 3/4 of a mile from the end, I looked at my watch. It said 1:47. I knew then that my time was going to be far faster than I had thought I could do. I was so excited. That last mile was my fastest mile of the day. In fact, it was one of my fastest miles EVER. I ran the last mile in 7:58!!!****

When I crossed the finish line, I was filled with emotion. I was crying with my relief and joy. I didn't feel this kind of emotion at the end of the marathon. I think I was so glad to have it over that the rush of emotion didn't hit me quite as strong. I am actually nervous to see my finish line photo because it might be one of those ugly crying faces. LOL.

The only bummer was that I never saw Penny or AKA Alice. Alice was supposed to be in day-glo green with her friends. How did I miss that?? Since we all live pretty close (especially Alice and I), I am sure we will see each other in future races.

All in all, it was GREAT. I officially LOVE this distance. I always suspected that it would be my favorite distance, but now I know. Thank you all for the well-wishes and congratulations. I am not sure if I will have a race when I felt such a huge sense of triumph (unless of course I go for that sub-four-hour marathon.... but the pressure was so much, I am not sure I want to do that to myself again).

Before and After Pictures with Coleen

*My friend, Coleen, completed her first half marathon with a GREAT performance. She ran it in 2:16, which is a 10:23 pace!! Other than some pains in her knee and foot, she felt great. I am SO proud of her. I really encouraged her to do this race and had she hated it, I would feel terrible. I am so happy that she did well.

**My friend and fellow blogger, Terri, wrote about how her brother taught her about "free speed" while you run down hills. I thought of her while I was cruising down the short hills.

***I actually think this is a pretty horrible song. I am NOT a fan of pop. This song actually reminds me a lot of an 80's song "Mickey" by Toni Basil (another pretty horrible song). There is something about this style of song that is perfect for running fast.

****My only faster miles were during my two 5K races. I was actually excited while typing that time! Holy cow... who knew?

Stats:

Time- 1:52:46

Pace- 8:37

Place- 1746/7148

Gender- 581/4284

Division (F 40-44)- 79/584

6.6 mile split- 57:39

6.6 mile pace- 8:45

Splits:

Mile 1- 8:54

Mile 2- 8:17

Mile 3- 8:35

Mile 4- 8:25

Mile 5- 8:46

Mile 6- 8:26

Mile 7- 8:37

Mile 8- 8:25

Mile 9- 8:35

Mile 10- 8:35

Mile 11- 8:46

Mile 12- 8:25

Mile 13- 7:58

.28- 7:50 pace

Shattered...

...my PR, that is!!!!!!!! I am still shocked how the stars aligned and I ran my best race EVER.

1:52:46!!!!!!!!

Not only did I crush my goal by over seven minutes, I bested my PR by almost twelve minutes! When I envisioned today's race, I had my goal of two hours. I would have been happy with 1:59:59. I was hoping for around 1:57 or 1:58. I thought that best case scenario would be 1:55. I never dreamed of running this fast.

I was more emotional finishing today than I was at the end of the marathon. I am thrilled beyond words.

I will post a full race report later on.

random thoughts on race eve...

Attention cyber-stalkers out there: My bib number is 5096. I have no idea if they have instant results and splits but here is the website for the race: http://www.carlsbadmarathon.com/Home_28.htm

I went to the expo yesterday. Since dear hubby is currently without a job, I am able to leave my little one with him while I wander aimlessly through the expo instead of grabbing my bib and chasing an almost-three-year-old through a crowd of people. There are some benefits to unemployment, right?

It was a nice relaxing way to spend and hour or so. I love going to booths of cool races and fantasize about doing them. I talked to the guy from Big Sur. He confirmed that it is, indeed, a very difficult course. BUT... it is exceptionally beautiful. He said to add 30-40 minutes on to my time to run it. No thank you. I don't think I could stay on my feet that long. They have a two mile hill in the middle of the course that nearly everyone WALKS. But it is nice to fantasize that someday I might be strong enough to run this race. I also talked to the woman at Elite about the San Diego Rock-n-Roll. I was tempted to sign up then and there to get a really cool t-shirt, but I didn't. The woman was trying to talk me into running both the San Diego AND the Seattle RNR. Seattle is three weeks after San Diego. THAT would be truly crazy. I am actually considering it! That is one thing about a race expo... it makes you believe you are a real runner who can do things like that.

Today, after taking my kids to a birthday party, I am going to try to relax. I need to stretch quite a bit today. I taught a Stroller Strides class yesterday and kicked my own butt. I did some killer power squats. If I am sore, I feel sorry for some of my clients. They may not be moving so well today. Oh well... isn't that what they are paying for? *evil grin* I am going to try to eat my big meal as early as possible and try to avoid my tummy issues that haunted me in both the marathon and the AFC half. Then I am going to bed early.

The weather report is fantastic for tomorrow! Here is what it says right now

Hi: 60°
Mostly cloudy in the morning...becoming
partly cloudy.
Slight chance of showers. Highs 56 to 61. Light winds. Chance
of measurable
precipitation 20 percent.

I would say that is perfect running weather! Now I just have to figure out what I am wearing. I was hoping to wear a running skirt, but I think I may be opting for capris. My only issue is that I have never run a long run in these capris. I am not sure I want to risk it. Hmmmm....

Sorry for the random, disjointed post. I started out just posting my bib number and then the rambling ensued.

Have a great weekend and happy running....

p.s. Good luck to my blogging buddies AKA Alice and Penny. I hope to see them at the race!

Half Marathon Countdown

It is so appropriate that this week's Take It and Run (TIaRT) topic is the half marathon. I am running a half marathon on Sunday that I trained pretty hard for. I didn't run miles and miles (only about twenty miles a week), but I think I trained pretty smart adding tempo runs and speedwork.

What I like best about half marathons is the fact that it is long enough to feel like I have really accomplished something that most people would not or could not do. I feel proud just finishing it. I love getting comments like, "you ran 13.1 miles..... in a ROW?" On the flip side, it doesn't overtake your life while training for it. The long runs are a couple of hours on the weekend and some hour-long runs or shorter mid-week. I don't have to pay a babysitter, my husband still has a wife and I feel like my life is not really affected negatively.

I have only run one half marathon and it was hard. I actually ran a marathon before running a half. During my marathon training there was only one half marathon that I could have done. The La Jolla Half Marathon was in April and we considered it. We decided against it for two reasons 1) it is difficult and hilly and none of us wanted to get injured and 2) it is difficult and hilly and none of us wanted to lose our confidence. When I ran the AFC in August, I think I was relying a lot on my residual fitness from the marathon. The Carlsbad this weekend is a race I trained specifically for and I am looking forward to it.

Since I am relatively new to this distance (although I am pretty sure it will be my favorite in the long run), I don't have a ton of advice. I will share my approach to Sunday's race: train smart and try to have fun. In the end, it isn't worth it if I don't enjoy myself.*


*I have been sort of obsessing over my sub-two-hour goal and I am trying to focus these last days on having fun. I need to trust in my fitness and training... :-)

paranoia

I am starting to get a little paranoid. I need the race karma gods to be with me this week.

I woke up a little beat up after my ride yesterday. My calf was a bit tight, I have the beginnings of a blister (biking shoes are not designed for much walking, which includes pushing a bike up a hill) and my hips are a little sore. I didn't think much of it until some of my running buddies starting getting injured.

AKA Alice wrote about a popping sound and a "weird" feeling during her run on Saturday. I am hoping that a little rest and ice will fix her right up. This morning Coleen showed up to our run with a sore knee. It has all the markings of an IT band issue. yikes. She wanted to give it a try to see how she felt. I was looking forward to a nice easy run after yesterday's workout so we took it slow. We started on the run and she did ok for a few miles. We walked for a bit around three and a half miles and then again just after four. Around seven miles she was done. :-( We walked the remaining three miles back to the cars. She is planning on resting a lot this week. She has worked hard for Carlsbad too and hates the idea of being sidelined next weekend. I am thinking healing thoughts for her as well.

Then this afternoon, I found out that yet another blogger buddies was not smiled upon by the running gods. Jill did a faceplant during the P.F. Chang's Rock-n-Roll Marathon earlier today and needed stitches!!! Poor thing. I can't imagine how awful she feels (physically and mentally).

So there is something going around. I can't drink any of this proverbial water. It almost makes me want to skip my runs this week. But now I am just being paranoid.....

What's in store for 2009?

I don't do resolutions. I am of the mind that if I want to change something, I shouldn't wait until January 1. I don't want to resolve to make a change, I just do it. That said, the beginning of the year is a good time to look forward to the year and think about what might be in store.


I am obsessed with getting a PR every time I run a race. I am pretty sure that this next year I will get as fast as I am going to get. Most people get slower as they get older, don't they? We'll see. Obviously, I would like to break the two hour mark in the half. That is my number one running goal of the year. I would also like to run the marathon faster than 4:30. Other than that I haven't thought that much about the other distances. I suppose a 24-minute 5K would be nice.


I have also toyed around with the idea of running in a race every month. I think it is pretty achievable. This year the cost of all those races is actually a factor.* I don't get massages or pedicures (much), so this can be my splurge.


Here are some of the races I am thinking about:

• January-- Carlsbad Half Marathon. I am already registered for this one. That is good since it sold out the first week of December. goal: sub-2 hours.
• February-- Xterra Trail Race at Mission Gorge. There is a 5K or 15K option. I haven't decided which one I will do. The problem is that the 15K course looks REALLY hard while the 5K course looks relatively easy. I don't want to come in last in the 15K. Kenny thinks I should do the hard one. Hmmmm... goal: to finish
• March--There is another trail race at Black Mountain. They don't have the maps posted yet, but just knowing the area I would say that the first one is more challenging. There is also a St. Patrick's Day 10K, but that is the weekend before my daughter's birthday and I am not sure when her party will be. goal: ?
• April-- La Jolla Half Marathon. This is the granddaddy of local half marathons. Everyone says how difficult it is. It is the second leg of the Triple Crown (Carlsbad, La Jolla and America's Finest City). That is a medal I definitely want! goal: to finish feeling strong.
• May-- The Rock-n-Roll Marathon part deux! I am going to run it again! Laura and Jen have both said they want to do it with me. We are going to train smarter this time. Rather than just getting the miles in, each run will have specific purpose (speed training, hills etc.) goal: 4:30
• June-- Camp Pendleton's World Famous Mud Run. This one looks like a BLAST. I just hope I have recovered from the marathon by then. goal: to get a team together and have as much fun as possible.
• July-- I will probably do the Coronado 15K again. goal: 1:20??
• August-- The third leg of the half marathon Triple Crown, America's Finest City. goal: to break 2 hours, but not necessarity PR (depending on how I do at Carlsbad)
• September-- ?
• October-- ?
• November-- Father Joe's 5K and/or Race for the Cure 5K
• December-- ?

It is definitely a different year in terms of my running. A year ago, I never would have dreamed that I would have completed a marathon. Heck, the furthest I had run a year ago was 10K. The idea of a half marathon was a vague idea that I discussed with friends. I definitely didn't consider myself a "runner." I am definitely a runner this year. I need to make sure I maintain a balance between my training and my roles other than running (wife, mother, friend...).

It should be a good year. Happy running!

*The economy has hit our household and my dear hubby is facing a salary cut. I will be looking for additional income. Anyone who knows of part time work that I can do at night or during preschool hours let me know. I am not ready to go back to being an executive with the long hours that comes with it.

Resolution Run 2009

It was my first race of 2009 and I feel GREAT! I not only took three minutes off my PR, but I shaved eight minutes off the same race last year.* It is a small, casual race around Mission Bay where I often run. The weather was chilly and misty, but I was dressed perfectly and was never uncomfortable.

Here is what I learned this morning from this race:

• I REALLY need to focus on starting out slower. I took off with the pack and felt great. It is so hard to judge sometimes and the Garmin doesn't seem to register pace in real time (although a very friendly runner told me afterward about looking at a different screen... we'll see if that helps). When my autolap told me my first split of 8:11, I got a little nervous. That was too fast!
• I need to learn to run the tangents. A 15K is 9.3 miles, but my Garmin (and Nike+) say that I ran 9.48 miles.
• I love running with my Nathan Hydration Belt. I forgot how much I prefer taking small sips while I am running as opposed to taking gulps from a dixie cup. I never had to stop.
• Runners are nice people. OK, I already knew this, but when you go to a race by yourself it is much easier to chat with strangers. Everyone I talked to was running Carlsbad at the end of this month. I enjoyed chatting with Lisa, Monica, Paul and Karen. Paul, who has run over 50 half marathons, gave me a lot of great advice. His insight into Carlsbad should help me a lot. It definitely helped my confidence.
• Fiesta Island is no party. The back side of Fiesta Island is long and desolate. On a cold grey day the bay doesn't look so pretty. At this point in the race (between miles five and seven or so), people had spread out quite a bit so I felt like I was running by myself. At one point I felt a wicked headwind. Those were my slowest miles of the day. The memories that Fiesta Island brought back were bitter sweet. The last time I had run there was during my seventeen mile run last spring. Unfortunately, that was when Jen had to hobble back to the car with an achilles injury. She insisted that I go on and I ended up having a fabulous run (following up my horrible 16 mile run the week previous). Jen missed the next several weeks of training, which was a real bummer.
• It feels good to pass people. Even if I know I will never win a race, I still have those competitive urges during them. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I pass people. I thought about Kristin several times when I passed a guy. She referred to a blog of a guy who referred to being "chicked" when a girl passed him. I giggled to myself as I "chicked" several macho looking guys. Kristin, you and I will have to run together one of these days!
• If today were a 10K, I would have blown away that PR as well. My 10K PR is 55 and change. My 10K split, according to Garmin, was 53:36.
• I don't think placing in my age/division is in the cards. Last year, after looking at the results, I discovered that I placed third in my division (women 40-49). Laura was 2nd. Since we didn't run it particularly fast, we didn't stay to hear our names. I don't even know if they had medals. I decided to stick around this year. I thought I might have a chance at one of those cheesy little medals. I think a lot more good runners came out this year. Third place for women 40-49 ran it in 1:16. I was nowhere close. Bummer.
• Despite the fast first mile, I think I ran a pretty smart race. I still had some juice in the tank at the end. Ironically, my ninth mile was just as fast as my first.**
• If I stay healthy and continue to train the way I have been, I am on course for a sub-two hour half marathon!

Happy running everyone!! And happy 2009!!!

*The Resolution Run was in March last year for some reason. It was my second race ever and my first race since embarking on the marathon training program. I ran it in 1:29.
** Splits for today's run:
mile 1-- 8:11
mile 2-- 8:25
mile 3-- 8:45
mile 4-- 8:39
mile 5-- 8:50
mile 6-- 8:55
mile 7-- 8:52
mile 8-- 8:37
mile 9-- 8:12
.48 at 7:46 pace

congratulations to all the 3-Day Walkers over the weekend!

I wanted to shout out to all those women (and men) who walked sixty miles over the weekend here in San Diego. Laura and I saw the group on their final leg on Sunday and everyone looked to be in good spirits. As we ran past them we smiled and said "way to go" and "good job." That is definitely something I want to do someday. The fundraising is the only thing that gives me pause. I see how much some of you TNT runners struggled to raise money. It would have been easier when I was working-- more contacts with disposable money. Hmmm.... we'll see. I am definitely impressed by all those people out there making that kind of commitment to fight breast cancer. Hopefully, my daughter won't have to worry about it...


Laura and I ran eight on Sunday down at Mission Bay. We started right as the 3-Day'ers were getting going for the day and quickly ran ahead of them. At the end of the loop, we had to run on Mission Bay road instead of the path, since there was a sea of pink that would have been difficult to navigate through. Thank goodness I had a running partner yesterday. I felt pretty darn sluggish. My time was pretty good for feeling so heavy and slow. It really helped having Laura there to keep me from slowing down (she offered, but my ego wouldn't let me). Also, it was so nice to chat. The time flew by. Neither of us touched our iPods. Even though I felt like my legs were lead, I looked at our splits and we ran much faster than I thought. The overall pace was around 9:20 (there is some question because I had to switch the Garmin from cycling to running after 1.3 miles *oops*). That is faster than last week's run and I was chatting the entire time. Plus, the very last 3/4 mile was run under a 9-minute mile pace. Woo hoo!


So... I have pretty much decided NOT to go to Las Vegas. :-( It is not good timing. We have a lot going on in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Plus, spending extra money right now is not the wisest decision. We spent a freakin' fortune on plane tickets flying up to Portland for Christmas; not to mention the floors.... It is time to be responsible. If I was in tip-top shape and poised for a big PR, however, I think I would be sure to justify running the half marathon. But alas... I don't think it is in the cards (ha ha).


So... I registered for the Carlsbad Half Marathon here in San Diego in January. I have printed up a training schedule from Runnersworld and am promising myself to actually run more than once a week. I really want to get the Triple Crown medal this year. It means running Carlsbad, La Jolla and AFC.


Question: When a training plan tells you to run at a slower pace than you normally do, how important is it to follow the plan. On my RW plan, the tempo runs are suggested between 8:53 and 8:59, so it looks like it is prepping me for a sub-two-hour half. The suggestion for long runs is a 10:23 pace. If I run faster than that am I risking over-training?? Do you all follow those training plans closely or do you use them as a general guideline??

Thanks! And everyone have a GREAT Thanksgiving! I know there are a lot of us running races (I am running a 5K myself). Good luck and happy running!!!

Since I am not running much right now....

I thought I would share some of my cross training exercises. I will start out with some basic ones (that most of you probably already know) and when I get the hang of writing them out, I'll post more involved ones. The great thing about these are that you don't need to go to the gym to do them.

Today, I did my fourth team teaching for Stroller Strides. It was at Sea World, so it was a treat for the kids (although they love Stroller Strides, too) and me too! We went and hung out with Shamu after class! Did I mention how much I love living in San Diego?? The class and my teaching went well and I have a good start on my new endeavor.



Here are the stations I taught today:
*biceps-- [I use resistance bands, but you can use small dumbells too. Resistance bands are super convenient and you can bring them anywhere. You can buy them for less than $10 a piece]

• Stand on the band with your feet shoulder distance apart holding each handle. Do a standard bicep curl. Do at least twelve repetitions or until you start to feel it. Keep the contraction going through the entire range of motion (UP and DOWN).
• Keep your shoulders back and down (away from your ears) and pull your belly button into your spine. Posture is important!
• If you stand on the band with one foot, lifting the other foot, you engage your core, getting more of a full-body workout.
• At any time, add the lower half of the body by doing squats. Make sure your knees are over your ankles and you stick your butt out behind you (like you're sitting on a porta-potty, something I am much too familiar with. LOL) Your back should be straight and shoulders back. Do the bicep curl on the way up.
• Change your grip to a hammer grip (just like you are holding a hammer with your knuckles verticle instead of horizontal). Do a few sets with this grip.
• To really burn those biceps try a two-step bicep curl, pausing when your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Then continue upward to a full range of motion.
• Lastly, put your elbows at a 90 degree angle and move your hands holding the band in and out across your body on a level plane. There is no full curl here, just an extended contration of the bicep. You'll feel this burn quickly.

*triceps-- [using a bench or chair] *do not do if you have wrist issues

• Sit on a bench with your hands next to your hips. Your fingers are over the bench.
• Scoot forward a bit so your bum is hanging over the edge of the bench.
• Bend your elbows straight back, lowering your bum (sorry... habit with talking to little kids). Keep your derriere (is that more grown-up?) as close to the bench as possible.
• Make sure your shoulders are back and away from your ears.
• The further your feet are from your body, the harder the exercise. To add even more intensity, stack one foot on top of the other with your legs straight out in front of you.
• Do this for several sets.

****Thanks to all your comments regarding my running hiatus. I appreciate the kicks in the behind (yet another euphemism for booty *wink*) as well as those telling me to give myself a break. For the next week or two, running just doesn't fit with my schedule. My husband is leaving for nine days and it will be close to impossible to get out and run anything longer than three or four miles since I'll have a 2-year-old in a stroller.

I have decided not to worry about it. I will get back out there running once he gets back. I will have plenty of time before the Mud Run in November. I am pretty sure that I will be running the Las Vegas Half Marathon in December. I think that Jill and Kristin both talked about being there and it will be fun to meet. I will also be running the Carlsbad Half in January. So there is plenty to train for to keep my motivation back up there.

I am also thinking that my second marathon will be a reprise of the Rock-n-Roll Marathon here in San Diego. With two small children, a husband who works long hours and a new "job," one marathon per year is MORE than enough.

*As with any exercise, please consult a physician before beginning any workout program.