It's All Happening

2012-01-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

When I sit down to blog, I can't get my fingers to dance on the keys like they used to.

I still read your blogs. I just can't put myself out there anymore. It feels unnatural. Forced.

Blogging sometimes scares me because I am not sure if it is reflection of who I want to be or is it a mask projecting what I wish I was but haven't become. Putting your hopes, dreams, aspirations out there is so risky, so final. People change. But the internet is forever.

I think I am going to take a step back and use the blog just as a recap for races so I have something to preserve milestone memories. I am doing a lot of reflection, trying to figure out this whole life thing, and for a while I think it is best to be alone in my own thoughts instead of trying to be witty or "follow-able".

The thing is, I met someone who is kinda awesome, and I just don't want my personal life out there anymore.

Is he my wonderful wonderful? It remains to be seen. He just showed up out of nowhere, when I least expected it. It's time to just be present, to live in the moment and let life take me where I am meant to go. No forcing, no anticipating, no worrying about the future.

For now, I am going to just live.

Santa Barbara International Marathon!

2011-11-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

(Let's just pretend I haven't neglected my blog for the past 2 months)

So, this weekend was the Santa Barbara International Marathon. I registered for this race back in May or June as my "Plan B", kinda like Nike Women's Marathon. The thought was that if I didn't get hired back or find work over the summer, I would have something to focus on so I didn't get too down on myself. A goal to keep my positive. Well, it turned out I didn't need any "distractions" and this marathon proved to be a serious training nightmare.

Although I was pretty excited to get a good deal on some new diggs when I moved back up north and got my job back, I didn't anticipate the huge hit commuting would take on my fitness/running/personal life in general. The commute has been destroying me, and it destroyed my workout routine. Boo.

But I really can't blame it all on the commute. I was sneaking in treadmill time after work, even though I was exhausted. I was just too tired on the weekends to get good long runs in. Every time I tried to get a couple hours in, they always fizzled short. And then, after a couple trips to Vegas, the real bad news happened.

After Vegas trip #1 (September) I got a nasty case of Bronchitis. The verdict was that I had illness induced Asthma (so they thought) and I was put on a breathing regiment. I got some runs in to keep in shape for the bridesmaid dress, but all the long runs went out the window. I was back to training runs of 9 miles and less.

After Vegas trip #2 (October), the asthma took a turn for the worse. Apparently I am allergic to Vegas, as well as where I work/live, and was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Disease (whatever the heck that is...guess they couldn't decided it it was seasonal allergies of cigarette smoke). The weeks leading up to the marathon involved multiple trips to the doctor for emergency breathing treatments, chest x-rays, and physical therapy to fix the 3rd rib that popped out of place during one of the asthma attacks. Awesome.

The good news is that I am getting my breathing under control. And the rib is back where it belongs. When I am away from my triggers (smoke filled casinos and Napa Valley), my asthma disappears. I am still learning how to catch asthma before it flares up and adjusting medications so I can do what I love (run) without killing myself (seriously). This is my excuse for not blogging. So much has been going on, I have been in survival mode and haven't felt like sharing my struggles. Mostly because I was still figuring out how to make the best of them.

As you can imagine, my expectations for SBIM were pretty low the week leading up. On Wednesday, I was not sure if I would be running because my asthma was seriously flaring up. But once I got in the car and made the trip down to Santa Barbara, the mood changed and I knew it was going to be a great race.

SBIM is by far the best race I have ever run, and it has everything to do with the people who were supporting me. I got the most amazing text messages the nights and day leading up the race, it did so much to get me pumped up. Being there with my mom, aunt, and dearest friend gave me the confidence that life had sucked out of me the weeks leading up to the race. I went from not knowing if I would toe the line to setting a very serious sub 5 goal in a matter of hours. Marathons are mental games, and without all the love and good energy sent my way, I don't think I would have had as happy an ending.

The Good:

My support team was awesome. I had people cheering me at at least 8 different locations on the route, which was an extreme morale booster. Every time I saw them I got so excited, my garmin went crazy telling me to slow down. The energy they fed me made the miles fly by.
The volunteers were AMAZING. Everything was enthusiastic, kind, and caring. They made you so happy to be there, even though the miles were torture. Best volunteers of any race I have ever run, hands down.
I met Skinny Runner and Once Upon A Lime at the start line (You can see my 5 seconds of fame here). I was just standing there, and I look over and recognize these two pretty ladies, and realize that they are my favorite bloggers. They were so nice, so positive, it just added to my already fabulous mood.
The race was small, which made it easy. No corrals to bother with, no pushy crowds. Everyone was relaxed and it had a small town feel. Big races have lots of nervous energy, which can be very stressful. Instead, people were kind and generous, making it a very pleasant place to be.
No bleeding, chafing, crying, or blisters. Yay!

The Ugly:

Although I was on pace to finish sub-5 for the first 20 miles, I hit the wall bad on mile 21 and completely lost my pace. I never got it back. Better than Boston (I think I fizzled out at mile 16?), but still kinda bummed I was so much closer and couldn't pull out any more gusto to get me through the last 6 miles. I blame it on the lack of training and think this is totally fixable. I did a really good job of monitoring my pace, and having the pace tat on my arm really helped out.
Got a NASTY cramp at mile 23 in the left quad, right after I got to the top of the ugly hill from hell (it was TERRIBLE). It was the weirdest feeling ever. I think I had too much to drink on the course and not enough salt. I ate 2 packs of margarita show bloks, but I don't think it was enough. I was disappointed that the medical tents didn't have salt tablets or that skin numbing spray they had in Boston. Are these unreasonable requests? Next time, I am totally packing salt tabs and equiping my support team with the numbing spray. I don't think it would have made a difference for my sub-5 time, but it might have made my time a little better.
People were texting while running. Seriously. People can't put their iPhones away for 5 hours to run a race. What is our society becoming? I think one lady might have been playing angry birds while running. No joke. This was just bothersome.

When things fell apart at mile 21, I thought a lot about Boston and how it was really hard for me to be happy with my results. I made the conscious decision to make this race a good memory, shooting to PR without tearing down my body and spirit. I decided to walk/run the final 5 miles, and it made a huge difference. I was still able to shave 10 minutes off my previous PR in Boston, and crossed the finish line feeling FANTASTIC. I was strong, happy, and proud. It felt good and reminded me of why I started running: to feel the overwhelming wave of accomplishment and personal satisfaction of becoming a better person than who I started out as.

The biggest thing I bring away from this race is the power each of us has to be in control of ourselves and our experiences. I pulled a lot of strength from a Zen quote by Shunryu Suzuki, "You yourself make the waves in your mind." We alone shape the reality of our experiences. We decide how to process the sensations of the body and soul; the body and soul do not shape them for us. It is a very powerful when you realize that pain is only as agonizing as you allow it to be. Instead of beating myself up for not being able to make sub 5 a reality, I immediately set a new goal. I did not allow disappointment to make waves. I chose happiness and made it happen. I managed and minimized my pain (and there was PLENTY of it) instead of using it to punish myself for falling short of my goals. I think we have a tendency to do this often, and I am beginning to believe that it may be the root of much of our suffering.

Next steps? I have found a new place to live so I only commute 10 minutes instead of an hour and 10 minutes. This should give me more time to train for the Napa Valley Marathon (March 4th), where I have SERIOUS goals of running a sub-5 marathon. I am going to work more on pacing and getting some longer runs in before the race. Most of all, I am going to keep working on breathing and making sure that asthma doesn't define who I am or keep me from doing the things I love to do!

She's something-seven

2011-09-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE birthdays. They help you set mental milestones where you can let go of the old and welcome in the new. Birthdays are also a good time for reflection and setting a tone for the next 365 days. If you can look back on the past year and say with confidence that you are a better person than you were a year ago, then you know you are living your life right. They should not be about feeling old or freaking out about what you have or haven't done. They should be a celebration of the good, a focus on what you have going for you and what is yet to be.

A month ago, I was worried that this was going to be the first birthday that I wasn't going to look back and feel like I had grown as a person and become a better version of myself. How could I overlook the amazing things 26 had to offer????? 26 was very good to me. Here is my year in review.

Not only did I run my first marathon, but I ran 2 marathons and one of them was BOSTON. That in itself just blows my mind now when I look back on it. I think these marathons are my proudest accomplishments. They are the hardest thing I have ever done, have had the most positive effect on my personality, and have changed me the most. This is HUGE.
I took my first BIG vacation and went to Tahiti. I never thought that this dream would become a reality, and now the travel bug has bit me hard. It gave me the confidence to hop on planes and travel the globe. I did tons of traveling this year, including 2 trips to Boston, Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Diego, and of course French Polynesia. I can't wait to continue my travels, with Boston again next month, Santa Barbara, and maybe even Vegas again at the end of the month (for a conference). I hope I can convince someone to go with me to Thailand and maybe even knock some other outdoor adventures off my bucket list.
I became the first person in my family to get an advanced degree when I got my MA this spring. I always knew I would do this, but having it done feels so good and I am so proud that I can share it with my family; I never would have been able to do it without them.
I got my first full time teaching job and was asked back for a second year. I am very confident my calling in life is education, and it feels good to do something that helps others elevate their status in life, even if they do not realize it. Teaching is rough and some days I find myself questioning my choice of HS (darn teenagers!), but ultimately I know there is no other job I could feel more fulfilled in.

27, 27, 27. I feel good about the person I am become and where the next year will take me. 27 is going to be about me and my family. Not about trying to live some idea of perfection gathered from other people's experiences. People I love having babies? That's cool, but that doesn't mean I need one soon. Houses, nice cars, husbands? This year I am not going to let myself feel pressured because I decided to take a different route and focus on work and school. In the past fews years I have met some amazing people, and I think what is going to make 27 great is just focusing on making those relationships flourish.

After all, I have decided that my Wonderful, Wonderful (thanks Xaarlin, I love this term) will be someone who is revealed when I least expect it, someone who is more than a lover or boyfriend but a best friend I can't live without. The best relationships are ones that are not forced, so here's to a year of just taking it easy and letting the world show me all the wonderful things it has it store. 27 is going to be the best version of me BABY!

Las Vegas!

2011-09-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

One of the top 10 best weekends of my life, and it happened at exactly the right time. Comparable to the "We Still Got It" weekend with the bestie in NYC 2008. Although it is going to take several days to recover from Amanda's Ultimate Bachelorette Party, it was worth loosing my voice, unexplained bruises, and the cute little dent it put in my wallet.

Just to recap, the past months have consisted of getting myself rehired, moving multiple times, teaching new classes, and how to get comfortable with myself in my new social situation. Vegas made me feel like a million bucks again, reminded me how much I have to offer, showed me that there is a "wonderful, wonderful" waiting for me somewhere out there, and empowered me to just love life and let the details work themselves out.

The girls were amazing. Amazing does not give them credit for how fantastic they really are. We had so much fun, no drama, just lots of screaming good times. I wish they didn't live on the other side of the continent. Even though we met a few unsavory individuals (ND fan in the casino, boundary crosser in Toby Keith's), we met so many super fun, super enjoyable people. Doctors, Engineers, Marines, Sailors, Surfers. We got VIP treatments and were constantly reminded of how truly awesome we are. Everyone needs a shot of self-esteem boost every once and a while!

How did I loose sight of the awesomeness? Not sure, but I have had a bad case of life burnout. Too much focus on everything that didn't go my way, and not enough focus on all the great things that are waiting to be seized. We start a new year this week, and 27 is going to be FANTASTIC. A year to bounce back and return to becoming the better version of myself. I am so excited for what this next year will have in store!

New Digs

2011-08-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I will be getting keys to some new digs in the next 48 hours. I am super excited because there is some good running and wide open country to explore!!!!! Between the gym and the pools, I am hoping that I am get into a more respectable level of fitness. In fact, I think I am going to run 13 miles this weekend just because I can. Hollar!

The stress of finding a place to live is entirely overwhelming. When you are staying with someone you work with, it is particularly important not to overstay your welcome. Let's just say Danielle is getting a pretty nice baby shower gift as a "thank you" for putting a roof over mine and Gunther's heads. It is going to feel so good to have the keys in my hand. I am not thrilled about having to commute now (30 minutes...wahhhhh!) but I am totally stoked about the money I am saving (like HUNDREDS of dollars) because I am not in Napa. Woohoo! Maybe the distance will help me manage my workload and not spend so many late nights at work. But then again, I have NO FURNITURE for my apartment, and can't even think beyond purchasing a mattress, so maybe I will be staying at work. Mom, if you read this, I think I need a living room for Christmas.

I can't wait to tell you all about my upcoming run... I have been scoping this route for a year and now I am going to be living near it! And, now I live only a half marathon away from the Bestie (a whole different run!), so you better bet I am going to run to her house and beg for a ride home!

Ah, stability is just around the corner....

Freeway fruit

2011-08-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

10 miles/ 2:04:00

Instability has allowed me to fall into a training funk, but today was the exception. With so much on my mind as a look for a place to live and get ready for a new school year, I have been prone to just wander aimlessly in my thoughts, sometimes while walking around a store, driving around town, or just sitting/lying around. This morning I decided it would be best to try to get my head organized by getting out for a run. No music, no gadgets, just 2 gels and a bottle of water.

Lately running has felt like a chore or a task on a to do list, and I have been really envious of people who get out and run/bike/swim/spin for the shear joy of it. I decided that my training needs a drastic makeover. I am abandoning my training plan (for the most part) and running based on feeling. I had no idea how far I ran today until I got home and mapped it (I had a feeling it was around 10 or 11). I was pretty impressed with my pace, considering I stopped to stretch at mile 2, stopped to eat a pear off a tree on the side of the trail by the freeway at mile 5 (awesome, right?), and stopped to ask for a water refill at mile 7 (which they didn't have. Well water is one of the few downsides of country running). Even with all those stops, my time tells me I am running around the pace I want to be to finish my next marathon under 5 hours. That, my friends, feels GREAT.

I absolutely love country running. Today I ran past a ton of different crops: summer wheat, walnuts, sorghum, alfalfa, corn, squash, grapes, pears, apples, and sunflowers. I saw some great metal sculpture art in from of a farm house. People don't mind sharing the road when the shoulder is narrow and overgrown. Cute cyclists tell you hello. There was a refreshing breeze blowing off the delta and the sun was shining. It was the perfect day for a run.

Life is full of restart buttons and chances for re-dos. Sometimes it is difficult to see it as such. Yeah, my training is in the crapper and I haven't felt my best, but today seems like a pretty good day to press that restart button... again. I'm off to go have a chicken & roasted beet salad. I decided yesterday to reintroduce vegetables back into my diet :)

It's that time again...

2011-08-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'll be hitting the road in 6 hours to move back up for 10 more months of work. No furniture, no place to live, but at least I have a decorating scheme planned! I'm thinking geometric print accents in Navy/Royal blue and grey, with tan and/or white as base colors, depending on what color the walls/doors/cabinets are in the new place. I've been walking around a lot of model homes lately...

OK, maybe not that much blue patterned crap, but you get the idea.

In the meantime, my homelessness might interfere with blogging, as well as running, healthy eating, and general sanity. So you might not hear from me, but don't loose sleep over it :)

I hope to return sooner than later with good news about not being homeless, starting the new school year, new training routines, and all the awesome things that must be awaiting me.

Chao!

4 good things

2011-08-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

4 little things that have brought me small pleasures so far this week:

1) Starbuck's cool lime refresher. Tastes like a mojito, minus the rum. 100 calories for the trenta size (but I got smaller). A nice treat in this nasty hot weather. It's my new craveable (move over popsicles!)

2) TIGI Bed Head Moisture Maniac shampoo. Smells like white gummy bears. Makes we want to take more showers. Everyone wins with this one.

3) My mom. When we are together, we laugh so much. She is my number one fan and makes me feel so good about myself. I'm so incredibly grateful we are so very close. I'd put a picture up of use being silly, but she would kill me if she ever read this!

4) My new classroom. Now I am officially in the Math building, I feel like I am in the cool teacher's club. Being in the same building as the refrigerator is going to be dangerous! Maybe pictures will come when I finally get my keys!

Why I keep slacking on the good things posts, I don't know. Even when things are bad, there are always good things to smile about, and I need not forget that!

What's putting a smile on your face this week?

Monsoon Moisture YUCK!!!!!

2011-08-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Like a good girl, I set the alarm and got up at the weee crack of dawn so I could do my 12 miles. Even when the alarm went off and I was laying in bed, I was ALREADY covered in sweat. Big nasty monsoonal moisture clouds have been attacking the region, making it terribly uncomfortable to be outside and flash flooding some areas. Beautiful but scary. Where did my friendly marine layer go? WAHHHHHHH!

So, because it was already in the 80's and 80% humidity, I did not go out for a run. The last thing I need is to pass out and die alone on some country back road, found only when some hillbilly looking for roadkill follows the vultures circling my dead body. Instead, I kicked out some amazing work for the next school year, working on a classroom webpage as well as researching some alternative grade books.

I am not a big fan of the educational system and a lot of the decisions that are being made way above my head, but I do love teaching. Even though the state of public education is quickly spinning down the crapper, I am so excited to get back in the classroom and try to make a small difference. I have a new classroom in the main building (yay!) an have a new class (geometry), and I am very excited to take my Standards Based Grading to the next level. I think this is going to be a very good year.

So, as far as training goes, this is probably going to be a pitiful week. I missed last week's long run (the 12 miles) and MOVING AGAIN, I doubt I am going to be getting in a lot of miles. But, I do want to make the gym membership a priority, so no matter where I am living for the first few weeks of transition, I can at least get my fitness on after/before work. I am hoping I can hit a really good streak once I get back north; if I don't I am probably going to fall a little short of my 5 hour goal (but still PR).

Most importantly, I need to get back into shape and get ready for vegas. I really hope my work clothes still fit me when school starts, yikes. So, once I get back up in Northern California, all this indulgent eating is going to have to come to an end! Fitness is a mindset, so for the 8 hours I am driving back, I am going to program my brain into a fitness and healthy eating machine!

Barrel Tasting Recap

2011-07-31T01:27:00.000-07:00

The good:
Unlimited wine, catered food, and GREAT company made this an excellent night. And, I didn't spend any money because I decided to hold out until my purchases from last summer become available. Which I couldn't get a solid timeframe on, hence my apprehension. Will it be really really good or is it so bad they are afraid to release it? This years Cab Franc will only spend 6 more months in the barrel before it is bottled. WTF?

The bad:
I accidently threw a glass of wine on my mom. Doused her in the most expensive wine they were serving. I wish I could blame it on the alcohol, but pretty sure it was a result of being silly and would have happened even if I was sober. Made sure to stain treat it as soon as I got home to be a better daughter. I also will be her slave for the next week to make it up to her. Whoops. Not looking forward to tomorrow morning.

The ugly:
Drinking a cup of coffee when we got home, staying up late putting cheddar mohawks on Pringles with a can of easy cheese. I tried to convince someone to stay up with me and get biscuits & gravy at 2 am, but no one was having it. This is why no matter how much I run I will never loose weight.

Wine futures are expensive. And they are risky. Until I know ho my first gamble turned out, I am not ready to make future investments. I do know I need to further develop my palate and take advantage of all the tasting opportunities Napa has to offer. After reading this, don' you miss you could hang out with me so I could douse you in wine and make cheddar mohawks together at 1 am?

Whining, wine-ing, and winning

2011-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

6 miles/ 1:09:26

Hot and humid, this run had it's ups and downs. I probably made it harder than it should have been by changing course mid run and opting for a more hilly 3 miles back. Had to stop to cool down a few times, which might have been avoided if I had left the house before 8 am. Whoops. But, with an average pace of 11:35/mile, I am happy that even with major hills I am still improving. That's 15 seconds/mile faster than my 5 mile run last week. The best part is, I am just running what feels god and not pushing it. I never really know how I did until I check the Garmin stats when I get home.

On a side note, I am getting a pesky ache in my hip. It isn't there when I run, but if definitely bothering me when I am standing around the house or in the kitchen. I am not sure if being in flip flops all day is helping. I should probably start looking into icing and stretching because I am 90% sure it is a hip flexor thing.

Tonight I'm looking forward to picking up some wine futures! We'll be heading up to a local winery for their annual barrel tasting event where they bring out a barrel of the each of the 10 varieties they plan on bottling at the end of the summer, with food pairing for EVERY ONE. Seriously, it is like I have died and gone to heaven because there is so much good food. And they serve the wine directly from the barrel, all you can drink. AMAZING!!!!

Last year I had such a good time and my parents had to drag me home when I wanted to stay until the last employee left. I also bought half case of their white Field Blend (Riesling/Viognier/Muscat blend...a sweet little treat!) and a half case of Cabernet Franc, which is aging so well they still haven't released it from the barrels! Usually the longer it stays in the barrel, the more expensive and tasty it is when they release it. I think I paid around $12 a bottle (futures and DEEPLY discounted because you are taking a gamble), and anticipate it going for AT LEAST $50 a bottle when released. In the past we have gotten deals where we paid $25/bottle and when the wine was released it went for $125. WOWZA!!!!! I was the only one who took a gamble on the Cab Franc. Maybe I know more about wine futures than I lead on ;)

Until then, I am off to the Nike Outlet to spend a gift card given to me by my fabulous Boston Bride at the Boston Marathon. Mama needs some spandex! Maybe there will be other back to school treasures at the outlets as well!

A good morning to run

2011-07-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

3 miles/ 33:03

Todays short little easy run was FANTASTIC. Contributing factors:

After a full day of not feeling sick anymore, I went to bed looking forward to my AM run. Alarm set, went to sleep early, I was prepared!
Left the tunes at home. Even though I though ahead to make sure the shuffle was charged, I was so excited to run I didn't want the distraction. First time running without music this training cycle, I was super focused on how I felt instead of just getting through it. A VERY good sign that more good things are to come.
Cool thick marine layer. I love running on grey mornings. This is typical of regions where wine grapes are grown, so I am glad that the regions I do most of my training are both known as wine country!

I am super stoked about the 11:00/mi pace. Today I felt like a runner and not someone slogging around imitating jogging. I know that many people still consider 11:00 miles "jogging" but for me it is definitely running. I didn't struggle with the running blahs I usually have to battle through for the first 3 miles of my run. I get a different mindset with shorter runs, non of the mental struggle of knowing you are going to be ~~suffering~~ running for 2-3 hours instead of 30ish minutes.

I doubt my 6 mile tempo will average 11:00/mile pace but I do think it is going to be a good run. I am getting excited about training again. Yay!

Running Blahs

2011-07-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is the second time this week I have taken a day off because I feel puny the day after a run. No fever, but achy, sneezy, congestion, and a faint sore throat. Two thoughts on why this might be:

1). I am fighting off a cold and since running can temporarily bring down the immune system, the cold is flaring up the next day.

2). I am not doing something right in the recovery phase, such as not drinking enough water or eating enough/the right things after the run, so my body is turning on me.

It really could be either, as I tend to not really eat much after a run and have to force food down my throat because I am not hungry. I doesn't help that I also don't eat much when I am feeling icky. I wish that it was the other way around: when I don't run, I don't shove food down the hatch at an alarming rate.

Needless to say, no 5 mile run today. Instead, naps and fluids. I had this problem in 2008 when I was first starting training for races. It might be too much training too quick, but I really don't want to admit that yet. Not until I start getting the knee & hip problems back will I give in. I am on a plan and I am doing an OK job of following it (I am certainly not doing more than the plan calls for!), so I am still hopeful. I'll hope for 5 miles tomorrow morning before we go to the beach to celebrate birthdays, eat fried chicken, and bask in the sunshine!

Anyone else deal with this? Anyone have an easy fix? I am such a baby and just won't run when I feel like crap. It DOES NOT make me feel better.

Getting a little bit faster...

2011-07-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

5 miles/ 59:08

Folks, thats about a whole minute faster than my last 5 miler. And this one had a doozy of a hill in the middle, HOLLAR!!!!!!! Needless to say I am pretty stoked about todays 11:49 average pace. Short runs are getting easier, which os good because they are supposed to be easy runs. I procrastinated/got busy/didn't feel great so I have to cram all my runs into the end of the week. Good week it is an easy week, only 2 more 5 milers. I might just try to see if I can beat 11:49! To put things into perspective, my pace for a sub 5 marathon needs to be 11:26/mi. Although 5 miles is nothing compared to 26.2, I am getting closer to my goal pace, and that is a great start!!!!!!

Today is a big day, my SPAM lovin' Dad's birthday, so I made an AMAZING ice cream pie. If death by chocolate exists, that sinful tin of dark chocolate terror is sitting in our freezer. I'll make sure to post pictures & recipe once we cut into the little devil.

To celebrate his birthday, mom and I went and got our toes done. OK, we are actually taking him to a pub in town, but we wanted to look good for him, yes? While they were grinding off the calluses and blisters from miles of running, I got to thinking about if lady runners get their toes done or if I am just wasting money. I get french tips, and they usually they look pretty haggard after a week, but I know how to touch them up at home. Does getting rid of the dead skin get rid of precious cushioning? I always have them cut them short so they don't put holes in my socks as fast. Then I got to thinking about black toenails. I have been blessed; 2 marathons and I've never had toenail issues. I have decided that if that day did come, I would just polish it dark red so no one would know. But I think I would do it at home instead of submitting some poor vietnamese man to that level of nasty.

Foot hygiene: as a runner, do you just keep them blister free or do you try to keep them pretty too?

Just Rip and Tear your way to CRAZY TASTY TOWN!

2011-07-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Living most of my life in California, spam has never been a dietary staple. In fact, we never had it in the house until my mom married a Marine. My only memory of Spam is a camping trip where an aunt who grew up in Arkansas tried to pass it off as bacon. OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!

But, needless to say, my step dad grew up on a ranch and was a career Marine so he has an affinity for this peculiar processed pork product. Which means we ALWAYS have spam in the house. In spam's defense, the ingredient list is more simple than most things people eat in a typical day (only 7 items) and I can pronounce everyone and have a vague idea of why it is on the list.

I wasn't looking to mock the meat wonder, I just wanted to look at the Spam Single package because it was so foreign and interesting to me. I was not prepared for the poetry of the packaging. You are in for quiet a treat. Behold, the Spam Single Pouch!

Source

That's right... destination Crazy Tasty Town.

If it was a foreign product, I would think that this poetic packaging is just bad Engrish or something lost in translation. But it's not. It is made by Hormel in the good ol' USA.

The back of the packaging is where the real gems lie. At the top of the package is the dotted line where you rip and tear your way to tasty town with insightful instructions:

"A solid line would say 'NO! DO NOT CROSS!' but this one is dotted. Feel free to enter"

Alright, enter we will! Thanks for the clarification

Not sure how to prepare this pre-cooked gourmet masterpiece? I wasn't sure either because the baking instructions read:

"TO BAKE: Use your oven, turn the appropriate knobs, and bake at 475 for 10 minutes"

Crap! Our oven doesn't have knobs! I guess I will just have to use the microwave to "Nuke it until SPAM is good and hot"

I didn't bother reading the nutritional information because someone in my family actually eats this stuff and I don't want to be seriously concerned for their health.

Source

Now this is where the best stuff lies. introducing the SPAM Idea o'Wheel. Not sure what to do with your SPAM single? Hormel suggests you "make a necklace" by threading a ribbon through the hole at the top of package and wearing it around you neck, like flava-flav. Our packages at home also suggest that you buy the larger can of SPAM because "4x the SPAM means quadruple the flavor". The judges are still out on that one.

And for the grand finale, I saved the best for last. Here is the insightful prose to the left of the Idea o'Wheel, the "Meaning of SPAM singles":

"Isn't this the most easy and convenient SPAM ever? SPAM singles are already cooked. This might just blow your mind. For your own safety, stop thinking about how easy SPAM Singles will make your life. It's time to enjoy. Take another bite and throw your head back and think wonderful thoughts of faraway places while you chew. Like a magical SPAM castle in the sky and what a delicious and convenient visit you'd have. This is the meaning of SPAM singles."

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Now go buy a SPAM single and put it on your coffee table as a conversation piece.

At Last!

2011-07-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

10 miles/2:02:13

FANTASTIC long run yesterday! My average pace of 12:13/mi was ahead of the 13:12 pace on my training schedule, but I just kept a pace that felt good. I really did feel great and didn't struggle with the hills as much, so it was a huge step forward. This week is an easy week, three 5 mile easy runs, which will have plenty of hills and hopefully I can keep a 13:08 pace.

Not going to lie, I was SORE and TIRED today. Naps and extra strength tylenol helped, as well as all you can eat sushi buffet. I am a glutton, it is no secret. Even with the pain today, it still felt good to get a double digit run in and not feel like I was going to die. I am very optimistic about my 12 mile long run at the end of the month. I might just finish this marathon sub 5 hours after all...

A couple of things probably made this run better:

New shoes. Well, same model, but fresh pair. More shock absorption, it was time for a new pair.
Hydration Belt. Brought along fuel and had gatorade in one bottle, filled the other with water and refilled both along the way. It is H-O-T even when I leave at 7:15, so I am going through a lot of fluids.
Garmin. Beeps at me when I fall below pace and helps me keep track of distance because I ALWAYS take wrong turns and end up somewhere I didn't plan of being.
iPod Nano radio. I am sick of my play lists so radio adds some much needed variety.
Country Roads. Ran a lot on undeveloped country roads, so I didn't have much traffic or pounding of pavement.
Nice people. Runners in the area keep hoses outside of the gates of their properties so runner can refill. Super important when the only thing around are sprawling horse ranches and gated estates. This kept me from drinking reclaimed water from a sprinkler at mile 6.

and one more little thing.....

Having a job. I was rehired back at the High School, so I will be doing another year of math, definitely with a better course load (some non-remedial classes!!!!!) and hopefully with a better classroom.

This means moving back up to northern California and finding furniture and a room mate because I sold nearly everything when I moved. This will be quite the daunting task, but I am so thankful to have work in this education-unfriendly economy. I was seriously getting worried, which is probably why my runs were so sucky. Running is a mental sport. If my mind is not in the right place, my body isn't either. People think I exaggerate when I tell them that the marathon is 80% mental, but for me, it is all about if I can get my head in the game.

Impossible

2011-07-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

5 miles/ 1 hour exactly

When did running become so difficult? Today's run was dismal, even though I took a bunch of precautions to make it better than Tuesday's atrocity. I ate an english muffin with jelly to give myself some fuel before I went out, I carefully monitored my water intake, I did some little stretches, and most importantly, made it out when the marine layer was still nice and thick. I even had garmin on me so I could monitor my pace and make sure I wasn't pushing myself too hard (although I knew that probably wasn't the case).

I am so stiff and sore. I think that the problem is the hills. There is nothing flat out here, it is all hills. Less than a mile in I wanted to stop, I felt like I was going to drop dead. If another runner hadn't passed me by I think I would have just walked home. Trying to do a tempo run on hills is impossible for me right now. I was supposed to maintain 11:33 but the stupid garmin just yelled at me the whole time. Average pace was 12:00/mi. The good thing is that if I can keep my chin up and stick with the training, all these hills are really going to help my improve my time for SBIM. Pretty sure the screaming beeps of the garmin are going to haunt me in my sleep.

I'm trying to channel positive running memories, but it isn't easy. I keep flashing back to Boston and the 4 miles I cried as I ran because I was in sooooo much pain. Thank goodness for this blog allowing me to look at past entries where I was celebrating running instead of complaining about it. I used to love the challenge of hills, and now I LOATHE them. I think I still have a lot more work to do to get my mind back into the right place for training. I think a job offer would help ;)

One more long run scheduled for Sunday but will likely be Monday morning due to travel. Supposed to be 10 miles. I might have to drive out to find a flat place for this one, not sure I can do 10 miles of hills at this point.

Hardest Easy Run EVER.

2011-07-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

The lucky winners of the training books are K who will be getting the Marathon/Half Marathon Training Guide and Steph (aka Anonymous) who is getting the Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women. Steph, I am bringing your book to Vegas and K I will be contacting this you for an address this week.

I would be a fool to think I could hide the fact I took last week off from training due to the physical/emotional stress of moving, so I won't pretend I did anything related to training over the past 7 days. oops. Looks like I am taking these PR's really seriously...

I am officially temporarily relocated indefinitely (read: no job, living with parents). It is true that you love your parents (and that your parents love you) so much more easily as you get older. So far I still can not see why I was so afraid of moving back home for so long. The running is (potentially) great, I have someone to rip on The Bachelorette with, we take turns making dinner, and I get to relax with a glass of wine and good conversation every night. Why get married when I can just live it up with my mom?????

Speaking of potentially great running....

Today I tried to get back into the training plan with a 4 mile easy run, which ended out being the hardest 4 mile run I have run in a really long time. This training tragedy is brought to you by sloth and procrastination!

What made it so difficult? Instead of getting out the door by 7 am when the marine layer is still cool and thick, I got out around 10:30 am when the fires of Satan are sweeping across the land. No problem, I thought, I'll just plan a route around parks with water fountains, bring a bottle, and drink plenty of water. Can you suffer from hyponatremia on a 4 mile run? The answer to that question feels like "YES!!!" at this moment.

So after slothing around the house, not eating breakfast or doing anything to help this run be a good one, I took off. About mile 2 I learned the dotted line on map my run meant "dry river bed trail" and proceeded to run in the sand with full sun exposure. Not the nice sand by the water at the beach, but the ankle twisting shoe filling sand by the beach parking lot. I got lost and had to backtrack at least 3 times to find the trail that didn't dead end in a rattle snake death pit. I could see the rich people sitting in their air conditioned mansions looking down on the stupid girl running in death canyon and laughing as I kept getting lost, but I was still trying to be positive and kept running in the sand even though it was ridiculously hard. At mile 3 I had to stop regularly in the shade to cool off, I was already through about 24 ounces of water. By the end of a very hilly mile 4 I stopped because my chest was hurting and I felt dizzy, so I used the last half mile as a cool off and walked home.

I didn't bring the Garmin because I want my easy runs to be easy running: no paying attention to pace and just enjoying the miles. I have no idea what miserable pace I kept, and I am just happy to be alive. Upon my return I battled the potential hyponatremia with the saltiest thing I could find in the pantry: beef jerky, mini saltines, and easy cheese (cheese in a can). And a glass of chocolate milk. Within about 10 minutes the weird headache/pain behind my eyes has pretty much gone away and I don't feel like vomiting and passing out.

Next time I am going in the AM and bringing a camera so you can see the new sights!

Moving makes me SICK!

2011-07-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

There is something about packing and moving that is physically revolting to me. I hate doing it, and have done it nearly every year for the past 10 years straight. Packing boxes and making moving arrangements makes me sick to my stomach, literally nauseous and sucking the life out of me. At first I thought it was dehydration and now I am quite certain it is stress. It just isn't my time to become settled yet. Boo.

The only way I can escape it is to get out of the house and see people. So once a day I try to plan a little something to keep me from feeling like puking my brains out all day long. Get out and chat with people who make me smile and help me forget the stress of sorting through past memories and dealing with the aftermath of a really long year.

Moving the training schedule back a day this week and dropping a cross-training day. There were not enough hours in the day to get in my 4 miles, so I have set my alarm to rise bright and early for my easy run. Hopefully it will help me prepare for a little more packing and make it all a little less sickening.

Am I weird? Does moving/packing/major changes make anyone else sick? Like food poisoning feeling, stomach sitting in your throat, extreme yuckiness?

Free Book Giveaway!!!!

2011-07-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

So, as many of you know, I am moving. Part of this process is getting rid of stuff I don't need, which includes 2 books on marathon training for beginners. Which means free books for you.

The Books:

Don't click to look inside, I am "borrowing" the picture from Amazon.

The NonRunner's Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais. This book is hilarious and is written by a young woman who is training to run a race for charity. She views herself as an unlikely runner and tells her tale while giving you training tips in a very comical way. The first book I read when I decided I was going to run a marathon. You'll love it.

The click to look inside arrow is point to the guy's shorts. Gross.

Marathon and Half-Marathon The Beginners Guide complete 26 week training program by Marnie Caron and The Sports Medicine Council of British Columbia. This book is very informative and much more structured than the other book in the give away and has information on everything from nutrition to information and also includes a very detailed training plan. Great for someone who has never ran or is really intimidated by running and wants solid information about how to be successful without feeling pressure to be a super fast runner.

I am a big believer in reading books and passing them on for other's to enjoy, so if you want either/both books leave a comment for me by Wednesday at midnight telling me why you want the book (I don't care if you make up an elaborate lie, just tell me something). I bought the books myself so there is no sponsorship or anything involved. No one is paying me to get rid of them, I am only motivated by the need to minimize the amount of junk I am hauling into storage until a job comes around, which means liquidating nearly all 400+ books in my collection. I'll figure out some way to choose a "winner" if more than one person wants one. The odds are in your favor since only 18 people read this blog. Heck, if you know someone who you think might want them, enter for them. Since it is a give away, I'll even ship the books to you if you or the person you want to have them are in the US. Sweet deal, no?

A Covey of Quail!

2011-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Masters of camouflage, surprised I saw them!

Seen on my long run, a covey of quail! Tiny quail are so cute, they just bop around like little feather balls. No wonder everyone wants to eat them up!

A day delayed, today ends my first week of training for SBIM. I approached it as a "get your life together and just get out there week" and it went over quite nicely. Getting back into a training rhythm is a little challenging, but it is turning out to be very rewarding, as always.

Week in Review: 15.5 miles run

Models make it look easy.

Monday: Crosstraining. Paddleboarding on the American River. Awesome core workout, you gotta try it! Made me want to learn to surf and windsurf.

Tuesday: Easy run. 2 miles on treadmill, supposed to be 3 but I pulled up the wrong training plan. whoopsie!

Wednesday: Rest. Had to save my energy for the DMV.

Thursday: 5 mile tempo. Warm up, 3 miles @ 11:32/mi pace, cool down. Had to break it in half because there was a dude hovering near the treadmill only 15 minutes into my run (HATE THAT). Of course, I stick to the time limit (30 minutes) and when it is his turn he totally goes over. After 40 minutes, I started to hover to give him a taste of his own medicine. It felt kinda dirty, but it worked. Did 20 minutes weights, 10 minutes core, 5 minutes stretching while I waited for Mr. Hoversby.

Friday: Rest. It's week 1, so I needed to not get too excited and over-exert myself. Especially since I crammed in weights and core with my tempo run Thursday. However, I did play some frisbee at the park, which got my heart rate up for a few minutes. Any activity counts for something, right???

Saturday: Epic hike. Palomarin trailhead to Alamere falls, 7.5 miles 600 ft elevation gain. Waterfall goes right into the ocean. Anyone in the bay area MUST do this hike. You can even lay out on the beach after. We were a fast moving bunch, practically trail-running, so it was a really good workout.

Sunday: Rest. My legs and butt were hurtin' from the hike, which is how I knew it was a good one. Planned to run 8, but my running buddy was too sun burned from the hike so we just ate pancakes her husband made instead. After a beautiful drive up the coast and over the Golden Gate bridge to get home, it was too hot to make up the run. So I took a nap instead!

Monday: 8.5 miles. Supposed to be 8 but took a detour to stop by a school to refill water bottle and soak my hat. Running hats are terribly dorky, but they sure get the job done! It took me 2 years to break down and wear the goofy thing, and it has changed my life (or at least my body temperature). Supposed to be run at a 13:21 pace, but I didn't bring the garmin. With water stops and breaks in the shade to cool down (I slept in too late and had to run in the heat), the average was 14:07/mi. Which means my actual pace when running was probably around 13:00/mi.

Today wasn't about hitting the paces, but committing to the miles so I can get into my training plan. I know that if I want to hit my goal of a 5 hour marathon I am going to have to really pay attention to my times, but for the first week I think i am off to a promising start. I was not in a good mental place for my Boston training cycle, it is really affected my ability to log good miles. Now I am in a much better place. I could immediately feel the difference today on the long run. Of course the first few miles were really crappy, but I fell into a great rhythm and really enjoyed the miles logged. Best of all, the past week I really feel like I have returned to my old self again, and it feels great!

Week 2 training plan:

Tuesday: Easy run 4 miles @13:17

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 4 miles speedwork including warmup, 2x1600 in 10:58 w/800 jogs, cool down

Friday: Crosstraining (probably pool with some core & weights)

Saturday: Moving day, so lots of lifting!

Sunday: Long run 9 miles @3:17

Excited for speedwork (although 10:58 isn't really speedy at all) and I am loving crosstraining. My final week in Napa so I am going to have to take advantage of the beautiful scenery!

Next Marathon Stop: Santa Barbara!

2011-07-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

After weighing the pros and cons, I have registered to run the Santa Barbara International Marathon (SBIM) November 12, 2011. This is my last shot to fulfill my 2011 goal to complete a marathon without having to stop and walk. After knocking 20 minutes off my last race time, as well as choosing a course that is less challenging than San Francisco and Boston, I think I have a really good chance of getting this done! I also have a secondary goal, which is to finish in 5 hours or less (a VERY tall order!).

Thats 3 races lined up for the fall, September-October-November. Heartbreak Ridge Half, Temecula Half, and SBMI. I have never had such an intense line-up! There is something about actually being registered for a race that YOU have to pay for that makes training easier. Call me cheap, but I don't want to see that entry fee go to waste!

I think the biggest difference between this training cycle and Boston's training cycle is stress. I am much less stressed in the summer (school is out) and I have less financial stress since I'll be packing up and moving home with the parents. Finishing grad school also is a huge burden removed. The past 2 weeks I have felt so much like my old self, nothing like the I have the past 9 months. I find myself smiling when driving, laughing out loud at TV shows, excited to see people and go places. You never really realize how crummy you felt until you start feeling better. I am really looking forward to my first long(ish) run of the training plan (8 miles) which had to me moved to tomorrow AM due to heat. I bet it is going to feel GREAT.

Hard Corps!

2011-07-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

So, I talked to mi madre a day after I told her about the 13.1 heartbreak ridge race. She thinks I am crazy.
Race website course description (no map or elevation profile available): 13.1-mile course, 90% gravel off-road through the breathtaking rolling hills of Camp Pendleton in the 43 area. Course is on packed fire-roads. This course offers a little bit of everything - it’s an out and back course, including rolling hills and some flat and fast stretches intermixed throughout.
Not so scary sounding, right? Maybe a little challenging, but no western states endurance challege.

Mom's description (has a vague idea of where it takes place, more than I do at least): I talked to a guy I work with who does triathlons and ironmans. He was talking about that race. There is a reason they call it heartbreak. Marines train there. It is not going to be easy (imagine it a tone of intimidation).

My response: It's only a half marathon so it can't be as difficult as a full marathon. Boston had a hill called "heartbreak" hill, so if I could do that, I should be ok.

Mom's response: But that was a hill. This is heartbreak ridge.
(awkward pause)

My response: ...so you are saying I probably won't PR?
(awkward pause)

Mom's response: Well, I'll be there to cheer you on anyway. Maybe after we can go down to the beach and I can lay you out on a stretcher next to me while I lay out. First we can put you in the water and see what you attract. Go shark fishing.

My response: You need to have a fishing license for that.

I am so lucky to have family that supports me in my running endeavors, even though they don't really fully understand why anyone would want to be a distance runner. And knowing my mom, she was probably using some reverse psychology on me to make me train harder so I do PR at the race. She knows how competitive I am, and knows that anytime someone doubts my ability to do something it pretty much guarantees that I will get the job done. After all, if people hadn't expressed doubt about my ability to run a marathon, I probably never would have stepped up to the plate and got it done. Call it the Type A in me, but I am a goal/challenge oriented person who has a controlling desire to prove that I can do anything.

...and then I found this race picture. Maybe mom is on to something...

So, gotta train harder to make sure I PR on this breathtaking hilly/flat course that I now have a reason to be very afraid of. Good thing my new training ground is crazy hilly!

The Bucket List

2011-06-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a while back that I was working on a bucket list. Now that I have it rounded off to an even 55, I am happy to post it and hear if anyone has any tips for completing any of this list. I was originally shooting for a number more glorious, like 101, but nearly 8 moths have gone by and 55 was the best I could do. Let's just consider it a work in progress? Some are much easier (and cheaper) than others. I hope to get the first 55 done by the time I am 55, although I hope I continue to add a ton more to the list and make it impossible to get everything done before then. Life is short, so I better hop to it! Bold italic items have been completed.

55 by 55

1. See Dave Matthews Band in Concert

2. Go on Wheel of Fortune

3. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

4. Ride in A Helicopter

5. Hike the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim

6. Hike the Narrows in Zion National Park

7. Visit Acadia National Park

8. See icebergs and glaciers

9. Complete a through hike (PCT or AMT?)

10. Backpack to Machu Picchu

11. Learn to trail run

12. Complete the Dipsea

13. Complete a Triathlon

14. Complete an Ultra Marathon

15. Complete the Boston Marathon

16. Run a half marathon under 2 hours

17. Run a marathon in 3 hours 30 minutes

18. Learn to kiteboard

19. Learn to surf

20. Learn to windsurf

21. Go whitewater kayaking

22. Go Canyoneering

23. Do a zipline through the jungle

24. Get 6 pack abs to rock a bikini in

25. Travel to Costa Rica

26. Travel to Morrocco

27. Travel to Thailand

28. Travel to Tahiti

29. Travel to Hong Kong

30. Travel to Japan

31. Go on a cruise

32. Go on a trip outside the country, just Mom & I

33. Visit all 50 states

34. Learn a second language

35. Obtain a Master’s Degree

36. Teach Elementary School

37. Become a certified Sommelier

38. Volunteer to teach adult literacy

39. Get published in a scholarly journal

40. Donate blood on a regular basis

41. Be married to the love of my life

42. Give Birth

43. Own a small ranch

44. Have a gourmet Kitchen

45. Cultivate a large vegetable garden

46. Learn to compost

47. Own a goat.

48. Own chickens.

49. Learn how to fish.

50. Make Turducken

51. Make homemade cheese

52. Make my own wine, from vine to bottle

53. Knit a blanket

54. Win an award for something at the fair, like crafts or photography.

55. Be completely debt free

It's moving season

2011-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

A year ago today, I was offered the position at VHS and accepted my first teaching job. I was so excited to have a job, after 40+ applications and tons of rejection letters, it was the peace I had been desperately praying for. I was headed down south to wait out the interviews and low and behold, the offer came when I was on the road. Two offers, actually. Within an hour of each other. I felt so blessed!

365 days, 15 applications, and 1 pink slip later, it's moving time! A week from tomorrow the parents come up and i'll try to cram all my stuff into the back of the truck so I can move back down south and play the waiting game. Although I have had an offer, the salary was much too low for me to support myself on, so I had to say no. Now to cross my fingers and patiently wait for an interview.

To occupy myself in the interim, I registered for the 13.1 Heartbreak Ridge on Camp Pendleton early September. I hope there are lots of handsome Marines there to cheer me on! Having my marathon training plan really helped me get through the stress of job applications, moving, and starting a new job. Although it also caused me to spread myself a little thin last year, I think the absence of grad school will make it a little easier to meet the goals I am setting for myself. Being that my stepdad is a Marine, it would be cool to do a race on his own training grounds. Plus, a goal of 2011 was to set a new PR for the half, which I think I might be able to do with some training. However, this is a hard course so we'll have to see how that goes. My other half marathons were flat, so I am really setting myself up for a challenge!

I also was able to convince my mom to do a 5k in Temecula in late October! I am not sure if I am going to do a 5k or half, but I am really excited to do another race with my mom :)

I still haven't selected a Marathon. One of my goals for the year was to run a marathon without having to stop and walk part of it. I am also going to try to PR again, hopefully with a sub 5 hours time! I have narrowed it down to Mailbu International Marathon or the Santa Barbara International Marathon, both the weekend of November 12. There really aren't a lot of races to choose from in the late fall, I am guessing it is because of all the holidays. Here are the pros and cons of each, and maybe you can help me decide:

Malibu International Marathon
Pros:
Only 2 hours from my parent's house
Runs along the coast
Pace team
Beach towel instead of shirt
Coconut water and other hippie stuff on course and at finish
Potential Groupon? (They had one last year around September)

Cons:
Expensive ($145 entry fee)
Pay to park ($8)
Inclines in the end (eerily similar to Boston)
Heard the first half near Camarillo is boring farm land, but flat
Sunday means no rest day before going back to work (if I have a job)

Santa Barbara International Marathon
Pros:
In Santa Barbara, which is amazing and beautiful
On a Saturday, so more rest time after race
Gu on the course, which is my gel of choice
hills are more rolling, less challenging than Malibu
Cheaper than Malibu ($115 Entry Fee)
Cheaper hotel rates for the night before
Cons:
3 hours from the house means Friday night hotel (cha-ching)
Course is difficult to understand

Obviously I am leaning towards Santa Barbara. If anyone wants to run it, we can split a super cheap hotel room from Friday and Saturday nights (I do believe it is a holiday weekend). Whatcha think???

OK, enough typing about running. It's time to get outside and start doing some. I forgot how to like running and need to train myself to like it more than being lazy. Time for some tempo miles!

Everything Else Moorea

2011-06-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

Beside tempt fate with shark and raw fish, we did a less risky tourist things as well.

Sunset from the overwater bungalows at the Hilton.

Unlike everyone else who lives in California, I have never been to Hawaii or other tropical island, so of course I had to do a polynesian dinner show! We chose the Fire dancing show at the Hilton because a) it was about $50 cheaper than the tiki village show, b) bbq dinner with a menu we both could agree on for the price (probably around $70pp), and c) it was at the Hilton and we wanted to crash a 5 star party. It was a really good choice. The food was amazing and the dessert bar made me feel like I had died and gone to heaven!!!! The pastry chef there was amazing. I had 5 little bite sized desserts, including a 3 bite creme brulee and a weird vanilla foam thing. I didn't have one thing I didn't love.

I bet these guys are a ton of fun to party with!

After all that good food, we were front row for an amazing show! These people love to perform. After the show they let you come up and take pictures with you. They are so happy, laughing and having a great time. I wish I spoke french so I could have had an intelligent conversation.

They asked me to come up and being the awkward tourist trying to shake my hips, but since I had on really tall shoes that I had never worn before, I passed. Good thing, because they picked the lady sitting behind us and she could dance really well.

Not sure I would be down with this

They did the fire part of the show outside, and it was pretty awesome too. Hard to see because I didn't bring my glasses and had to stand on a chair to see over all the cameras people were holding up, but still awesome.

Another night we did happy hour at Hotel Hibiscus, where they had a great singer/guitar pair. It started with Tahitian music, but then she started taking requests and did popular french songs. Everyone was having such a good time they started doing audience participation songs, some of which I remembered from French 1 my freshman year of high school. Win! She even sang a song in English and dedicated it to us. Such a fun night!

If you ever make your way to Moorea, make sure to go to the lookout. We rented a car one rainy day so I could go buy my pearls, we go go to a dinner show, and to see the island. The views are amazing, especially on a clear day. On the way home from the lookout, we stopped at the juice factory. Probably the biggest inside joke on the island. Thinking we are going to get to try all these yummy juice drinks made fresh, it ended out they only wanted to serve us alcoholic drinks. Pre-mixed cocktails, rums, liqueur, and something that tasted like moonshine. Only one taste of pineapple juice at the end. Fun, but definitely not what were were expecting. No one wants a DUI in a foreign country.

View from a trail just above our resort

Before we left we took a hike to get an overview of the private Motu where we had been snorkeling and to capture the breathtaking beauty of the island. I would totally come back here!

Why my Bestie is the best

2011-06-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Bestie's Bachelorette 3 years ago. Strangely we have few picture together, especially since college.

Seeing the Bestie with her little one made me cry. It took everything I had to hold back the tears, but the dam just broke loose when I went to say goodbye. After I left the hospital, I cried some more. I have never cried like this before. Is this normal? Is it cliche to keep saying how amazingly beautiful a new baby and his mother are?

She is everything I hope I can one day be. She is a wonderful wife, wonderful hostess, great employee, and amazing friend. After seeing her with Trent, motherhood is just so natural to her. She makes it look so easy. 36 hours after his birth she is full of grace and charm. Like 18 hours of labor is no big deal. And now I can add fantastic mother to the list of everything she does so well.

When something amazing happens to really good people, especially really good people you love, you just become overwhelmed with joy. I am not a big fan of crying or being overly emotional in general, but I wish I could feel as insanely happy as I do today EVERYDAY.

Congrats Raquel. Sorry if the goodbye was awkward today. I just love you guys so much!!!!!

UPDATE! You can see Trent's birth story here. It is pretty much a scene from a made for TV movie. If you love babies, then this is for you. The pictures of this little guy will MELT YOUR HEART.

Sharks, Rays, and Reefs, oh my!

2011-06-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

After watching Ali and Roberto's date to a heart shaped island last summer where they swam with Rays, I have made it my life mission that I will cuddle up with those majestic creatures. This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. The rays are so beautiful. So curious and graceful. Not the type that killed Steve Irwin, btw. Apparently those rays aren't the ones that are safe to swim with.

Rays off the side of the boat. I'm told rays are flat sharks.

"My mom is gonna freak out when she see this!"

Locals thought it was hilarious I could not tan. Serge was so awesome the picture goes up anyways.

While visiting the rays, a shiver of black tip reef sharks gave us a visit. Sharks seem more afraid of people than we are of them. Our guide, Serge, was absolutely amazing, a local fisherman/marine biologist who works to preserve the reef and maintain the marine sanctuary that provided us with amazing snorkeling. The reef is so pristine, it is like you are swimming in an aquarium! In addition to the ray experience, he also taught us a lot about the reef and everything living in it. He runs his operation through Hotel Hibiscus, only does small groups (ours was private because we went early in the AM before anyone else has signed up), and is very reasonably priced. Just in case you ever find yourself in Moorea looking for a ray guy.

Clockwise from top right: tuna tartar, tuna sashimi, poission cru, and Moorea salad

Hotel Hibiscus ended up being a surprise gem. I enjoyed the food, and they had a lot to offer people with a variety of tastes. I pretty much ate fish the whole time, and my favorite was a appetizer that had the local speciality "Poisson Cru", tuna tartar, tuna sashimi, and Moorea Salad (fruit, shrimp, coconut milk). The bar manager Hoania was super hospitable and fun. We ended up going to the beach with his wife Eve and daughter and inviting them back to the villa for Jacuzzi, dinner and drinks. They were so much fun! It is amazing the people you meet on vacation, and I hope they can come visit one day! The hotel restaurant also does wood-oven pizza, which we had on the beach for lunch one day.

Moorea is a such an amazing place. The snorkeling off the motu (little island) was amazing; we saw more rays, tons of super friendly and colorful fish, and even an eel. The fish came right up to your mask and were vibrant and plentiful. I can't imagine a more perfect island to vacation on.

Only one more post about Moorea. Then we can move on to less exotic things, like 60 day bachelorette shape-up and the bucket list!

OK Trent, we're cool

2011-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

More vacation posts (like swimming with sharks!!!) coming soon.

Today is kind of a big deal. It's the birthdate of Trent Vincenzo Nelepovitz. You probably don't know his name now, but let me tell you, this kid is going to be something BIG. Trent, this post is for you.

I've had kinda a hard time accepting you, although I tried hard not to show it. I really love your mom, she is my best friend and pretty much the sister I never had. We have laughed and cried, got to business and caused some trouble together. And then you, little blessing and bundle of joy, just show up and everything is going to change.

Change for the better.

I was so worried that I would be loosing my Bestie, that our lives would be so different because she would be 100% mommy, something I have no idea how to relate to. I didn't expect that I would be obsessing over your arrival as the date approached, anxiously wondering if you would be born on the Tahiti vacation your parents were originally planned to be on until the wonderful news of your pending arrival. Driving to the hospital in Vallejo when I stopped getting updates, worried about you and your mama. Checking my phone and computer like a mad woman to make sure I didn't miss a thing.

Driving to the hospital you were planned to be born at, I started thinking about you and how great you are going to make your family. I pictured you with your daddy playing ball as you start to learn to walk, you with your mommy giving her big hugs and melting her heart every time you walked in the room. It took everything I had to hold back the tears of joy while thinking about how beautiful you are going to make life to two of the most important people in my life.

I felt like a kid who is getting a little brother. Why was I so worried about you crashing the party? I should have know all along that your genetics are going to make you the life of the party, the guy everyone loves and craves to have around.

Now I see how amazing you are, all 8 pounds 12 ounces of you. Knowing the sheer pleasure and delight you bring to your Mother and Father brings me to my knees. I am probably going to cry the first time I hold you because I know how special you are.

Trent, you have shown me the importance of family and being close to the people you love. Your mom and dad couldn't have done this without your grandmas and grandpas. You are a lucky kid, you have so many amazing people just waiting to love on you.

I am glad we worked this out before you got here. And I am sad to say that now you're here and the party has started, I have to go. Your mom and dad have shown me so much about love and life, and I really hope I can find someone so I can have a little one as amazing as you someday. We both have new chapters of our lives to start, and I need to start mine with a solid safety net of family close by.

Don't worry kid. I am ALWAYS here for you, ALWAYS rooting for you, and ALWAYS believing in your potential. Even if I am 700 miles away.

Love Always,

Auntie Stephanie

Bit by the travel bug: Moorea

2011-06-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that my travel destinations/aspirations are strongly influenced by The Bachelorette, hence the trip to French Polynesia. Although Ali whisked her men away to Tahiti and Bora Bora, I settled for Moorea, which come to find out from the locals, is considered to be the best island and much preferred to Bora Bora. If you are going to French Polynesia, Moorea is the bee's knees. It definitely beats out Tahiti and is much easier to get to than Bora Bora. I really can't find one bad thing to say about the island.

We stayed at the Legends Resort Moorea, a 4 star highly rated resort on the island. It was beautiful. Each villa has a private deck (ours had a partial ocean view), a private hot tub, and covered seating/eating area. PLUS, there was air-conditioning, which made the tropical heat/humidity much easier at night. We figured out that if you keep the bedroom cold the critters won't come in. Better to keep the lizards, millipedes, mosquitos, ants, and other polypedal creatures in the living room and kitchen, where they belong.

Our partial ocean view off the master bedroom

Probably should have taken photos before we spent a week not picking up after ourselves

The only channel in English was world CNN. Plus: being able to follow Weinergate!

Out kitchen had less food, way more ants, and a little more booze.

The resort also had an amazing infinity pool where I captured some decent sunset photos:

to the west, with the private island in the background

to the east, towards Tahiti

I liked the resort, but next time I am going to go for an overwater bungalow so I can just snorkel off the back patio. These villas are pretty pricey and they are only slightly less expensive than the overwater bungalows. I didn't really cook much because groceries were so expensive (and I was LAZY), so I really didn't need the kitchen. And, it is on a hill (rather, the side of the mountain), which got old really fast since we walked everywhere. This resort is a best bet for locals coming from Tahiti on holiday and families who would be making meals for kids anyways.

Biggest thing I realized in my first 24 hours in French Polynesia: I LOVE to travel. This was my first big trip outside of the US (not counting Canada), and I had no idea that traveling abroad would make me feel so liberated and hungry for more. Seeing new places and meeting new people turned out to be more exciting than it was scary. Extreme lifestyle makeover #1: Go somewhere new, outside of the US, once a year. I am considering setting up a separate savings account just for traveling adventures.

Just go with the flow: Tahiti

2011-06-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Getting to Moorea was no simple task. It takes about 24 hours travel time to get from home to Paradise. From parking fiascos (thank goodness there was no traffic!) to delayed flights to SPRINTING through my least favorite airport (LAX) to find the mystery terminal and barely make our flight, we definitely started vacation out on our toes.

finally on the Tahiti flight!

With all this, we knew that the luggage was not going to make it on the flight. After all, luggage can't sprint to it's terminal. We were right. I was cursing United as we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, not knowing that this was actually a blessing in disguise.

Catholic Church in Papeete

Once in Tahiti, lack of luggage allowed us to wander the island without bags in tow. We walked from the airport to Papeete (about 2.7 mi) and saw some local color. I probably wouldn't recommend this (my mother would be less than pleased to hear about this), as it might not have been the safest idea, but it was a ton of fun and we didn't encounter one malicious person. Even the stray dogs were friendly. It was 5:30 am after all.

We were able to walk around town before all the hustle and bustle began. It would have been nice to have some local currency, but our home bank and LAX were out of French Polynesian Francs and all the local banks were closed. Maybe we could have seen this movie in French:

Sunrise from runway overlook

Watching the sunrise over the Pacific was awe-inspiring. The goal of the trip was to just roll with the punches and leave everything behind. I had been waiting 5 years for this trip, and finally I was there. Everything felt surreal, it was happening so fast and each moment was hard to hold onto. I could feel myself changing and for the first time in a VERY long time, I felt like I was in control of my life and my destiny.

The Great Escape

2011-06-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

View from the pool at the Legends Resort Moorea, where I had my great escape.

You know you have made it when people at the airport say they want to come back as you in their next life.

I walked away from this amazing trip with a new understanding of what I want my life to look like and how I want to live it. Extreme Life Makeover French Polynesia edition?

New attitude, new bucket list items, and new beginnings this summer. Stayed tuned for a best of Moorea trip post this week!

Twitter makes me feel like a celebrity

2011-05-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today kicks off the 100 days of summer challenge, which I am optimistically embarking on. I am challenging myself to 30 minutes of purposeful activity a day for the next 100 days. 20 laps in the pool, breast and freestyle taught me two things: first, my form is terrible and my college swim instructor would be terribly upset if she was watching, and second, salt water pools rock. How did I not know that the pool at my apartment was salt water? And heated? If only it was olympic sized, it would be HEAVEN.

This all started last night. I had a dream about swimming laps in a pool, which I haven't done regularly for 2 years (almost to the day). I had a few outings last year, but my aquatic fitness has really gone by the wayside. I love to swim but have never considered myself a swimmer. Someday I would like to change that, just like how I changed the whole "runner" thing. In my dream, it was perfect, gliding through the water for thousands of yards. Every part of me felt good. I knew I had to get in a pool today, and I am glad I did. I hope I can find time to do it more.

I confess, I haven't been exercising at all for the past 3 weeks (I am shamed, hence the lack of blogging). I have been using every ounce of energy just to get through my daily routine. I have worried that I will never run again (not likely) and be stuck in this funk forever. My batteries have needed a major recharge. Big changes are coming my way: I will be moving back to Southern California soon to look for work. The district has laid off so many teachers I have given up hope of being reinstated. The private school was a dream job, except the salary was not high enough for me to pay off my student loans and afford to buy my weekly ramen allotment. I am taking this as an opportunity to return to my roots and have a fresh start. I have been deeply homesick and I am very excited to be able to see my family again on a regular basis instead of just on the major holidays. I had a great training routine last summer, doing speed work on the middle school track and long runs with killer hills. Most of all, my family is looking forward to having me as their personal chef, which makes me feel incredibly special and excited to try out some new ideas on them, including another round of sorbets and ice creams. Everybody needs something that makes them feel incredibly special!

Which brings us back around to the title of this post. I consider myself a mediocre runner who runs slow miles and has yet to finish a marathon without having to take walk breaks in the last 8 miles. Despite the fact I know that there are so many better runners out there, running still makes me feel special. Being a runner attracted my first celebrity follower on Twitter (Bart Yasso), which was the highlight of my month. Running coaches re-tweeting and responding to my tweets makes me feel like a million bucks. Making friends at races and feeling like their insider follower on twitter makes running relationships magical. But what makes me feel the most special, the most important, is friends and family who have experienced my tortoise-like approach while waiting hours at the finish that make me feel special by bragging about accomplishments for me and always cheering me on like I am Kara Goucher or something.

I'll close with a senior quote from a student in the dance department, which I think really hits on why life is bringing me back home:

"We're not here to impress those who judge us, we're here to make those who will never judge us proud"

Really Big Free Marathon

2011-05-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Part of the bummer I will face being unemployed is not being able to pay entry fees for races. Super big boo! Marathons are typically super expensive and it seems hard to find a cheap one. Well, here is the cheapest marathon you will find!

It's the Really Big Free Marathon. For people not from the Southwest, it isn't actually in Vegas, but in a suburb outside of the city called Henderson. If you want to run down the strip, you probably need to run the Rock n' Roll marathon for that. I'm not sure if you can pick up a hooker in Henderson, but I imagine this more where they live and not where they work. I don't know if you noticed from the name, but it is free. It costs nothing except a $50 deposit that is funded when you toe the line. And you get the usual stuff: tech shirt, goodies, medal, aid stations, etc.

Best part: you have 18 months to start training for the race, so no excuses not to PR. Too long for you to run? Don't worry, there is a half and I have a non-runners guide to running marathons that I will give you to jump start your training. Have plans November 3, 2012? It's a Saturday, and the race is in the morning, so you can go down to the strip to celebrate. I plan of eating twice my weight at a buffet, drinking anything and everything with a lime in it, and falling asleep in a party dress and a pair of Brooks at a slot machine. (If that doesn't convince you, I am not sure what will). These people figured out how to get the sponsors to foot the entire cost of the race as long as you show up to run. Thanks to Adam at The Boring Runner for posting this!

Good Things: Monday Edition

2011-05-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

I devoured Dean Karnazes Ultra Marathon Man, gobbling it up in less than 24 hours. That man is a running machine. I am confident I will never reach his level of insanity when running, but I am inspired to continue to push myself and challenge my mind and body to see how much I have to give. The prospect of this is very exciting. And Amanda at Runninghood has pointed me toward some more reading to get me one more step out of my mental slump. Yay! She is an amazing, reflective, introspective runner/mom/teacher so I have a feeling these books are going to be good. I just love blogging. It opens up so many connections and possibilities I would otherwise be without.

More good news, the ol' running buddy wants to do another race! It only took her 7 months to stop hating me for Nike Women's Marathon. Pending my employment status, we may be running the California International Marathon this winter. I really prefer racing with a someone rather than flying solo. This alone is helping me change my mental state.

In addition to thing running, I am so lucky to have friends and family outside of my running world who are so understanding and supportive, even if they don't get why I want to keep running races and (temporarily) destroying my body. Without Mags and the Bestie, I would be a complete mess. You ladies build me up when I am down, bring me back to earth when I am getting over the top, and unknowingly make me smile when I least expect it and need it the most. I can't imagine my life without them in it. I am lucky to be a woman because I just don't see guys having such rich relationships like this. Love Love Love.

Life is a crazy roller coaster right now, and I have definitely let it get the best of me. Reading my posts for this same time last year, when I was still stressed and feeling lost in life, I noticed I was still upbeat and full of hope. That's the Stephanie I want to return to. When times got tough, I started to do the "Good Things" post to fuel optimism and maintain a humor about things. So, I am going to resume this tradition and get back to the lighter side.

I have an Interview!

2011-05-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

The job search officially began about a month ago, but now it is officially official now that I have an interview. Nervous because it is uncharted territory: Middle school and some science teaching responsibilities. The idea of working at a private school is exciting; having met some of the parents at this school already, I know that I will not face the same struggles as I have this year working with at-risk population. I also have applications with other schools closer to my family, which I am eagerly awaiting a response. I was never good at this waiting game.

I really underestimated how difficult my first year of teaching would be. Was it because it was my first year teaching high school? That I had never taught single-subject before? That I was the minority in each of my class periods? All of the above? I am ending this school year utterly exhausted from trying to be the best teacher possible for these kids, constantly having to defend my students, my career and my profession, and end back at square one without employment secured for next year. I knew that I would most likely be pink slipped for the first 5 years. I knew it would be long hours making lesson plans and trying to figure out the best practices. I never once doubted if I had it in me to be an amazing teacher (I really believe I was born for this profession). But I would be lying if I didn't think to myself at least once or twice the past few weeks if I had what it takes to get past the next 4 years so I am not a statistic (Most teacher quit within 5 years of entering the profession).

With so many changes and things consuming my mental capacity, I have decided not to keep jumping into races. I am going to avoid setting myself up for failure and/or injury by committing the race without adequate training. Instead, I am working on my mental game. I have been a reading machine, finishing the book The Female Brain by Louanne Brizendine (fantastic read for both men and women) and started Dean Karnazes Ultra Marathon Man. Reading about how other people use running to become better at living is like soul food. I just eat it up.

When you hear about injury set backs in training, you mostly hear about physical injuries. There is overwhelming information about how to prevent and recover from IT band issues, nasty blisters, and muscle strains. But rarely do you read about how to overcome mental injuries. When life hits you like a bus and you just can't get back out to do what you love best. Anything that is of the mind is taboo for discussion in our culture. In a sport so devoted to mental endurance and fitness of the mind, I am surprised there are not as many resources focused on treating injuries of the mind and spirit. If you fracture your hip, you can water run. Stretching, cross training, and rest all help us prevent and treat the physical things keep us from logging our best miles. But when the great motivator in our head breaks down, where do we turn to? How does a runner learn to heal? How do you prevent injuries of the mind/spirit in the first place?

For now I am sticking to small stuff, mostly 30 minute cross training sessions, some treadmill, and a lot of reading and research to get my mental game back. I have lost the mental fortitude I went into my Nike Women's Marathon training with (Boston sucked the runner's life out of me?), and I am desperately seeking it back. Now I am trying to figure how to just shut up about all the bad stuff and get out for a nice, long run.

Same thing, different year

2011-04-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

2.6 miles, 26:00 on treadmill

Supposed to be a much grander run. Apparently a double-double and milkshake for lunch= disaster on the treadmill. That unpleasant gurgle turned into a scream of terror as I ran out of that place. So, mileage cut short.

This time last year, I registered for my first marathon. It was my plan b, just in case I couldn't find a teaching job. I wanted to have something I could work towards, something I could accomplish to feel like I was still moving forward in life. And it worked.

In the past 12 months, I have completed my credential, earned my Master's degree, nearly completed my BTSA, and ran 2 marathons, improving my PR by nearly 20 minutes. I have already completed two of my goals for the new year: set new marathon PR and donate blood. I have had a very accomplished year. The new challenge is not to let my new life complications get in the way of my sense of accomplishment and my ability to see that I am not failing in life. I'm not going to let these grey clouds rain on my parade!

So, I have been thinking to myself tonight, hours after I received my final reduction in force notice (pink slip) if I should register for my 3rd marathon to help get me through the next couple months and give me something to focus on.

There is something about the marathon, a comfort that other races do not hold. Maybe it is my personality, the desire to always be striving towards something big, that helps me feel better in my own skin. To feel like I am still doing my best, living life to it's fullest, despite other things that seem to be falling apart. But I have realized that I am in a place in my training where, if I want to continue to enjoy a sense of accomplishment in a race, I need to step up training. This means learning to manage my stress and all the nasty things that come with it so I can stick to a training plan. How do I overcome all the anxiety, worry, and depression that so often accompanies a major life change? This is the question I need to answer if I am going to break 5 hours and really grow into the runner I have the potential to become. Is it a good idea to register for next race?

I am glad I didn't register for NWM. I need to register for a race that won't put financial strain on me if I am out of work. Maybe something flat so I can feel confident going in and increase the likelihood that I will get that feeling of accomplishment that, given the current state of the economy and education, I might really need.

This weekend will help me kick start the positive thinking train, help me get back on track and keep my spirits up: Tomorrow the fabulous, gorgeous, and intelligent Maggie will be coming over to cook dinner and elliptical. Friday I get to see a crazy fun old HS/college friend from out of state for a really yummy dinner. And Saturday my absolute favorite, glowing, mama-to-be is coming over for elliptical/breakfast/and hopefully some treats (hopefully baby likes sweetie pies!). The universe has surely aligned quite a posse of ladies to make sure there are no pity parties this weekend.

Good Things: Easter Edition

2011-04-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

3 miles on treadmill, 10:00 pace

I will admit, I was a little nervous to get my run on. I was really worried that I might have a lingering injury like after NWM in October, when I erroneously thought I had a stress fracture in my foot. But, 3 miles at 10:00 pace with minimal pain was FANTASTIC! My back gave me some troubles by the end (I've had a huge knot in my lower back since the race) and my knee was a little sassy for the first quarter mile, but running felt amazing and I hope it fuels me to get out more this week. After all, if I am ever going to break 5 hours I need to log more miles!

Good Things:

My awesome mom sent me bunny flowers for Easter since I wouldn't be doing anything celebratory. The wonderful Maggie invited me to church, which I considered but ultimately was too intimated because it was Catholic church. I am glad she did because it has me more serious about finding a congregation of my own. I hope she reads this so she doesn't think I completely blew her off and can see how much I appreciated her gesture even though I am too lame to show her or text her back. These two things pretty much make my Easter. That, and knowing later I will get to talk to all my family peeps on the phone.

This week, I also hope to get back on with the running club and train with real, live people. Thursday will be my first group run. I am nervous about being fast enough but excited because I know running with faster people will ultimately make me faster and get me faster to my sub-5 goal. And a group run next Saturday as well. This is getting serious folks.

My final BTSA document check is Friday, which means that the bulk of the work for the first year of clearing my teaching credential will be behind me. Although I have yet to actually complete all the documents, I have pretty much figured out how all of it is going to go in my head, have all the my documents and materials gathered. One that is done, I can celebrate when a long time friend is in town. We should also be celebrating a job offer for JF, which means this is going to be a very champagne week!

What will you be celebrating this week? Do you attend religious services anywhere? How did you pick your congregation?

Not missing a beat...

2011-04-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Cross Train 30 min Elliptical

It took about 2 days for the race endorphins to kick in. Or maybe it took 2 days for the pain to wear off enough to feel the endorphins. Either way, I am definitely ready for my next race and ready to take my training to the next level.

After reading Xaarlin's (Pain is Nothing) tweets, I decided to follow her lead and get back into marathon shape by jumping on the elliptical. The BF thinks I am insane for working out so quickly after the marathon, but it felt SO GOOD. My hips aren't quite back to normal, but my back already feels better, as do my knees. I think a good shake out is exactly what I needed. You could have never convinced me that working out when sore could make you feel better, but now I am a believer.

So, here is the moment of insanity. While at the expo in Boston, I stopped by the Big Sur International Marathon table, and they told me they had some spots they needed to fill for the Boston to Big Sur challenge next weekend. Yes, that would mean running another marathon 8 days from now. Since I can finally sit down and get up without crying out in pain, I thought I should send them an email and tell them I am in if they still have a space.

Last time I did something crazy like this, I landed myself in Boston. Is this crazy? Kinda. Stupid? Most likely. A once and a life time opportunity? OH BABY! I don't count on getting an email back confirming they will take me (said the same thing about Boston), but I am still waiting anxiously. I mean, seriously, how cool would this be? (I know what you are thinking... I have a mental illness... you are probably right).

Big Sur or not, I really want to start training for a my next marathon and half marathon. I don't think I am going to do Nike Women's Marathon after all, I am a little bothered by their lack of organization. I would much rather spend my entry fees on a race I haven't done that is better organized. The search for the next challenge is officially on!

UPDATE: THEY DID NOT HAVE SPACE. Too bad, but probably for the better :) I would have probably just injured myself anyways

Boston in Pictures

2011-04-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh Boston. I am still in immense amounts of pain. Looking back through the pictures, I realized my Garmin was a little off (maybe it paused when I was running slower? IDK) so I only PR'd by about 20 minutes, not 30. NBD. That is still a huge PR.

I realized that I have a lot of potential (look at my early splits here bib #26525) and with some convincing have accepted the fact that if I had proper training (ie a trainer) I could BQ if I put in the time and effort. I just need someone to help me develop discipline. I am going to toot my own horn here: 2 marathons in 6 months. Not too shabby for a chick who couldn't run a mile 3 years ago.

Boston was short notice: 8 weeks to train, in a time where training was not ideal (finish MA, pink slips at work, blah blah blah). I didn't get the training miles in I wanted, I lost track of my fuel intake during the race and under-fueled, SUNBURNED (I did have sunscreen on fyi), and was not disciplined enough to take it slower (although I did slow myself down). Despite all this, I still got a PR. Did I mention I got a PR? Still pretty stoked on my PR (ok, I am done).

Now, as promised by the title of this post, the best of Boston, in pictures:

Waiting in line for the bus with Charlyn, who also won an entry

I have always wanted to meet up with another blogger/runner. So happy I was able to meet Charlyn, who is just plain amazing, as is her dad. Talk about good people :)

Like a kid in field trip mode, super excited to be on the bus

So many people waiting to start.

Waiting for our turn to start

Fast food. Well, faster than me. Not Charlyn.

Boston is all about the fans. Everyone is so supportive.

If I would line my classroom with people like this, all my kids would feel like winners.

Not sure who these ladies were, but they were awesome.

Haven't tried the number yet. Wonder if she has changed it by now.

...before the hill kills you.

I loved these guys. They gave me extra push when I needed it.

Drinking on the roof. Good thing there were tons of medics everywhere. Boston Marathon=just another reason to tailgate. But on your roof.

If my legs and back weren't busy breaking, I am sure heart would have been too

Don't tease me.

yeah right girlfriend.

Wellesley was overwhelming, but in a good way. So much love.

if you like making love at midnight....

Smiling, because I had no idea how miserable I would be the next time I stood in that place.

Me at the finish the day before. I was a hot mess at the finish, so I am glad I took these shots before the race.

Boston

2011-04-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

They weren't joking when they said Boston was wicked hard. Although I estimate I pr'd by about 30 minutes, this race felt impossibly hard. Every moved so fast at the start it was terribly difficult to follow my pacing guide. Even checking the Garmin every 30 seconds and slowing myself down, my splits for the first half were way too fast...some even 90 seconds faster than they should have been, and that was after slowing down. Had I done a better job with my splits, I may have finished under 5 hours. My next race WILL be sub 5!!!

Good things: the support on the course and from the communities is wonderful. It overwhelms you with joy. People are so kind, strangers cheer you like you are family. The volunteers are top notch and the race is run like a well organized machine. It really is a first class race. This is one of my favorite towns in America. It is so easy to navigate, great dining and a ton of fun.

Bad things: this is the course from hell. The first half is down hill and it is really hard to run conservatively with such an elite crowd. Boston is an expensive town so this is a very expensive race to run. I am in an insane amount of pain and for a minute I considered quitting running altogether (like that would really happen).

Someday, when I earn a BQ, I will come back give this course a swift kick in butt. I think I am going to look for a flat marathon to boost my confidence and looking into doing half marathons to improve my time and pacing. I am pretty sure that if I can conjure up some discipline, I could make huge gains in no time at all. Which, let's face it, I might be slow but I did shave a HUGE amount of time off my pr while running a notoriously difficult course. It that doesn't scream potential, I don't know what does!

More pictures and details to come once I am back on the best coast. Thanks for all your support!

2011-04-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

Being on the plane surrounded by other marathoners is already curing the anxiety. That, and all the love and well wishes being sent my way. I am officially transitioned from nervous back to really really excited.

Early this week I resolved to give marathons a break. They are a lot of work both physically and emotionally. But seated amongst finishers jackets and eager racers, the bug is reminding me I probably couldn't stop racing if I tried.

I can't wait to do a race update. Yay for happy race endorphin times!

Race Weekend

2011-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal:

Boston anxiety has consumed me. I am freaking out about being alone during the race and in the hotel.

The culprits:

* I feel like I don't deserve to be racing. I feel like a cheater for running without qualifying or raising money for a charity. Because of this, I feel awkward talking about the race and explaining to people that I am not fast. Especially people who ran it in the past and worked really hard to qualify.

* I am super paranoid about injuries. Last marathon I had to walk and hard terrible pain in my knee and hip. My knee has felt weird all week. Probably just my imagination, but it is still freaking me out. I want to run. I know I can have a great PR if I can just run and not walk.

* I am afraid of not finishing and disappointing my Boston peeps, and mom, who really helped fund some of the travel expenses to make this a reality. I know they wouldn't be disappointed, and that the only disappointed person will be myself, but as much as I try to convince myself of the logic, I still am freaking out.

Hence no posts, no mileage updates, and pretty much going dark for the past few weeks. I realize I did the same thing before NWM in October. How do other runners deal with the pre-race jitters with so much grace?

HOWEVER, I promise the next post will be exciting and full of positive news, a hopefully a new marathon PR, perhaps a sub 5 hour finish, and tons of great pictures.

24 hours until I leave for the airport. 72 hours until I am drinking to my victory.

Favorite Marathon T-Shirts

2011-03-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

"Not high maintenance, just high mileage"
"My sport is your sport's punishment"
"All marathons are 26.2 miles"
"It's that damn .2 that really kicks your ass"
"Find your happy pace"
"The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die" (Steve Prefontaine)
"If you can read this, I'm not last!"
"Any idiot can run. It takes a special idiot to run a marathon"
"If your going to run cross country, start with a small country"
"If I don't get a runner's high, there's always plan Beer"
"Not tonight honey, I have a race in the morning"
"26.2 pass the weak, hurdle the dead"
"Ultra Running: Because Oprah killed the marathon"
"I have a run track mind"

All of them can be found at Cafe Press. I obviously couldn't sleep tonight due to sunburn and sore legs. Someday they will all apply to me. Enjoy!

3 weeks until Boston!

2011-03-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

32 miles of training this week (wow)
17.5 mi long run @ 11:05/mi, lotsa hills, no music

2 of the last 4 runs were in the rain. Today was the first sunny day. Forgot to wear sunscreen, which is going to make recovery even more pleasurable. With Boston only 21 days away, there is no time for nonsense. Only one more long run between now and the race, and I feel really good about it. No pain or numbness, no chafffing or blisters, no urge to barf. However, this run might take a day or two to bounce back from. Planning a good run Wednesday morning before the long drive to Southern California for Me and the Mags Disney Adventure.

Today I practiced running with the camera to get used to holding it in Boston, where I am going to want to take TONS of pics. I thought I would share how AMAZING the scenery is on my runs. I love Northern California:

OKD, home of world class Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot.

Luna, one of the wineries I run by in the OKD

Why they call it Oak Knoll District

Silverado Country Club, one of the golf courses I loop around

Where the wine comes from

Mustard in the spring makes the vineyards breathtaking

My future residence

Rain + Sun means vines will bud soon

Pretty much what we are all about up here: Wine, Cheese, Art

A friend I made along the way

I didn't run down the street with all the pigs and goats and sheep because I had to widen my loop to add miles. I was kinda sad not to see as many different animals. I also saw deer and a cow, and heard a couple roosters. Best part of the run? When a guy who I passed by an hour earlier passed by me on his bike again and told me I was doing a good job. The kindness of strangers is the best fuel on a run. When I got home, had a huge glass of chocolate milk and a ham and egg sandwich. Oh, and a little treat to reward myself for not giving up: Godiva Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel. I didn't even have a full serving; 2 squares was satisfying enough this stuff is so rich.

Training this week:

Tuesday: MAYBE an easy 2.5 miles, if my hips feel up to it

Wednesday: 4 miles, easy

Thursday: lots of walking (DISNEYLAND!)

Friday: MAYBE an easy 5 miles, if I don't have shin splints from Disneyland

Saturday: REST, travel day

Sunday: 20 miles

After this week, it's taper time!

You look fit. What was your BQ time?

2011-03-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I feel really guilty running the Boston Marathon without a BQ time. I didn't expect to feel this way, and I feel shameful when I have to explain that my last marathon was nearly 6 hours. Boston is an elite race, and I am not sure if I deserve the bib, but I have it and I am going to run it. And try to break 5 hours. Not only that, but it is a serious goal to get a BQ time and EARN my bib. Thats what this is all about, right? Working the race inspired me to be a runner, and running the race is going to inspire me to be a FAST runner. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

This morning was my first run with the local running club, The Vinerunners. Because of the rain and another race that was going on in the valley, only 3 members showed up. I swear, these are the nicest people I have ever met. They ran with me and filled my ~~ego~~ head with all sorts of word of encouragement. They cut the distance down to 4 miles for me (keeping it short to stay fresh for tomorrow's long run) and kept an easy pace as well. 4 miles in 39 minutes. Although this is not fast, it is much faster than I have been running, and it felt GREAT. It reminds me of the faster paces I would run when I had a running buddy.

After the fantastic run with the club, we went and got coffee. What we talked about:
Physics of light (seriously)
Plight of American schools
Alaska
How I can run a 3:30 marathon in no time at all (double serious!)

A running club is exactly what the doctor ordered to get my out of my funk. Despite the funk, March will still be my highest mileage month of 2011. Excited for my long run tomorrow!

NWM 2011 Group?

2011-03-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

No miles this week. I totally suck.

Why? I am having a really hard time coping with work and life stress. I thought that once my Master's work passed committee, I would be free and happy, but the vacuum was immediately filled with other challenges. So is life.

Last year I had to prepare for not having a job in the fall. Part of being a teacher. Well, I find myself potentially in the same position again, and I am not dealing with it with as much grace as I did in the past. Nothing is more frightening than failure. And it seems at the moment failure is confronting me from MANY different angles.

To help myself cope and give myself a distraction, I registered for my first marathon. Training for the Nike Women's Marathon gave me something to focus on when the going got tough and a goal to work towards if I found myself unemployed. Seeing myself in a similar place as last March, it makes sense to register for the race again and hope it helps carry me through a potentially anxious summer. Maybe it will be the good luck charm that helps me keep my job for another year.

So, I am going to make a group for the NWM 2011 and get a group of people together to run the race. I have a guaranteed entry, and I hope that if I use a group ID it will mean my group will have an entry as well. No matter where you are or if we have met before, if you follow my blog I would LOVE it if you would consider getting together to run this race! If this sounds good, leave a comment and we can figure out how to make this happen. I plan on getting the group ID in the next few weeks and I will post more about it when I get it.

This race was a ton of fun. The course was challenging, and I liked that there is a half marathon option than that your team can be a mix of half and full runners. Even in the rain, I had a great time. My goal this year is to not hit the wall and limp around the lake miles 18-22, as well as set a new course record, hopefully sub 5 hours. I am slow, I know.

On a final note, I was reading the McRunner's blog (the guy who ran the LA Marathon after eating a diet of McDonalds for 30 days), and a quote really stuck out to me:

"At 4:16 I ran 3-4 days per week, for a peak of about 35 miles. To run 2:36:54 last year, I put in 10-13 runs per week (ran 7 days per week) and hit 105 miles. While the numbers are just for reference, I have seen everyone around me improve with additional mileage. Arthur Lydiard hit on something when he said, 'Miles make champions.' "

I am a slow runner. But I am a new runner. I have no formal training. Everything I know about running is from reading 2 books, my subscriptions to Runner's World, Google, and the blogs I follow. I am running 2-3 days a week and will peak below 30 miles. I never played sports. I hardly worked out before I started running 2 years ago. He is well on his was to cutting is time in half. If I cut my time in half, I could EARN a BQ. My new Mantra is "Miles Make Champions". It make take me a while to put the words into action (I need to learn some stress management first), but I am determined to make it happen.

Not only will I break 5 hours for a marathon, but I will someday break 3:30. And I am going to do it one mile at a time.

Welcome to my big, fat pity party

2011-03-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

5 weeks until Boston

14 miles of training this week

3 easy runs, rest week

This has been a bummer week and I have let it get the best of me. I am in a TERRIBLE funk. Luckily all my favorite blogs posted great weeks, and this is helping me put things into perspective. I am not there yet, but I am starting to turn this frown upside down.

Because I am in a funk, I haven't felt like blogging or running. Thankfully I did more running than blogging, but fell short of my mileage goals. My mind is just not in the right place to marathon train. I need to change this fast. So I am going to try to take this advice, posted by one of my favorite bloggers (the blogger I won my Boston entry through). Man, does she come through when I need it the most. Straight from SUAR's blog:

"Whatever you are battling, patience is your friend. When we’re in the thick of hard times (and I’m not just talking about running) we think it will always be this way. It won’t."

Right now I am feeling like I can't get a break, but that is just my pity party talking. I did get a break: I got an entry to Boston, I have the means to get myself there and the physical ability to get myself over the finish line. That's big. I also just finished my Master's Degree. That is huge. I am the first person in my family to obtain a Master's Degree, and that is an accomplishment for all of us. I have to remind myself of this every day.

"The wonder of life is that there is ebb and flow. Highs and lows. Just as much as you can count on the low points, you can count on things turning around and heading up. Your “normal” might be different, but so be it. The only true thing we can count on in this life is that there will be change."

Whenever things get tough, I always cry and complain that I just want things to be normal and constant. I am not sure when I am going to realize that this is just not reality, but I need to get a better grip on that. Without the lows, we would never appreciate the highs. Instead of bumming, I need to embrace them to make myself stronger. That is the person I want to be. So I need to just suck it up and do it!

"Don’t waste energy comparing yourself to the next guy/gal/transvestite. Use all of your energy to keep moving forward with your goals. It’s overstated, but true: there will always be someone faster, stronger, thinner, richer, fitter, less constipated whatever. There will also always be someone slower, weaker, fatter, poorer, more out of shape, more constipated. The only way you can truly win is when you exceed your expectations for yourself. However that looks."

This week's training schedule:

3 miles Easy

6 miles Tempo

16 miles Long Run

My new diet plan requires that I exercise at least 30 minutes a day. This being a crazy week where I have to work late, I am not sure that is going to happen, but when I can do it, it is going to be great for cross training. Hopefully I can slim down and drop a few to make Boston easier.

Sugar-Busting Goal

2011-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

My goal this week: no sugar after dinner. Godiva will go into hiding and I am going to be STRONG. When I get to Boston, I want to look like a runner. All this hard work should be paying off in the form of a hard body. As much as I would LOVE to eat back the 1500 somewhat calories I am going to burn today on my run (which I am SUPER good at... eating... not running). I think I can do it, and I am going to take it one day at a time. I'm going to tell JF and I know will keep me accountable. I am thinking he is going to rejoice in the opportunity to tell me no and deprive me of my most favorite thing :)

This morning was a coffee morning since we had guests for breakfast. I made french toast with a baguette, topped with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar. It is my favorite breakfast I have made in a long time, it was so pretty! What I love about coffee is that it makes me feel like I am wearing a jet pack. I can just go and go and go! And studies have shown caffeine to be good for distance running. I love the euphoric feeling it gives me without the side effects of a cocaine addiction.

There are three things that are totally therapeutic for me: reading, cooking, and running. I am such a geek, I would much rather read a book than watch TV (except when The Bachelor is on, of course). Cooking, especially for the enjoyment of others, just makes me feel grounded. I think this might be redeeming factor in motherhood. And running helps keep my self-esteem balanced and my eating habits in check. Running is the only thing that keeps me healthy. It is my lifeline to a healthy lifestyle. If I couldn't run, I seriously don't know what I would do. This is one of the big reasons I am easily frightened by injuries. It is the one thing I have some control over. Until I can learn to control my eating habits, I have to be able to run.

6 Weeks until Boston (Holy Crap!)

2011-03-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

21.75 mi of training this week
14 mi long run @ 11:16/mi, with HILLS and NO MUSIC!

I seriously got lost today when I was running. Who does that!?!?!?! Took a wrong turn on some country back road and went a mile out of my way. I didn't mind because this was the most beautiful run I have ever been on. I saw goats, sheep, pigs, cows, roosters, chickens and horses. All the daffodils are in bloom and there was a light rain, which to my surprise was very refreshing. The birds were super chirpy and the creeks were high and bubbly. I felt really good on this run, no numb feet or pain in the knees or calves. I spent 2 hours and 37 minutes on the go, not including the mile cool down because I got lost. I have to say, this run was a 10!

The best part of this run was how little traffic there was on the roads (I practically ran in the center of the road most of the time) and all the unexpected hills. This was the PERFECT training run. Logging more than a half marathon, having plenty of hills, and having it be a great run is exactly what I need 6 weeks out from Boston. This week I feel really really good.

This week's training (Easy Recover Week):
Tuesday: 6 miles Easy
Thursday: 6 miles Easy
Sunday: 7 miles Easy

Still Learning....and some Good Things

2011-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Truths of the morning:

I am still a rookie making rookie mistakes.
Icepacks are cold and the burn reminds you to make better decisions
Fast miles are only fast if they don't injure you for your next run

So, I cut the 6 miles run short after a three quarter mile jog irritated my calf. After I sprinted 1.2 miles at a pace a minute faster than my usual, my right calf started feeling strained. Not tight like usual; this was a completely different feeling. I think the sacrifice of 1.5 miles towards my weekly training goal will be worth the RICE that will get me back out for 14 miles Sunday.

So enough of my stupid runner habits. Time for some Good Things!

Perhaps the best thing of 2011 is that today I present my research and hopefully get the thumbs up for my Masters Degree. WooHoo! FedexOffice processed my poster wrong, and mistakenly gave me the deluxe package, so my research poster looks AMAZING! It seriously look professional, which gives me a huge confidence boost. I feel really good about today, and so happy I am almost finished!

Second good thing is that we will have our first guests for the new apartment tomorrow night. An old college roommate will be in town for dinner and drinks so I will get to wine and dine. I LOVE entertaining and can't wait to see her!

Lastly, I am going to do a little shopping this afternoon to help ease my anxiety before my presentation. Nothing like a little retail therapy. I wish I could tell you what I am looking for, but I don't want to spoil any surprises. I have been wanting to buy presents so bad recently, so this is going to be fun!

On a side note, I am trying to find someone to help me make a financial plan for myself and figure out how to manage upcoming student loans, set up retirement, and begin saving for a home. I want to focus more on paying off debt and saving for big ticket items. Any advice on finding a financial planner who can help me reach these goals?

Decisions, Decisions

2011-03-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

Today I was given the opportunity to apply for a grant that would allow me to get my general science credential for free. Which would be awesome if I end up teaching a physics/algebra block class. Only trouble is that it would start as soon as I got back from Tahiti and I would have to spend a lot of time studying for the general science examinations. I haven't even finished my Masters and I am already thinking about going back to school... thats a real teacher for you.

I had hoped to step up my running big time and do a ton of experimenting in the kitchen this summer. Scheduling more classes is totally going to ruin that. On one hand it is free, and I bet I am going to get bored just running and cooking; on the other hand, I have NEVER had a summer in my adult life where I wasn't insanely busy. Will I be foolishly missing out on a great opportunity or do I just need to relax? I have until the end of the month to decide.

100th post: February Recap

2011-03-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

I have finally reached my 100th post. Hooray!

I am so happy that I made it to 100, especially after Google temporarily deleted my account earlier this week. And what better way to celebrate my centennial post than with a training recap!

My 2011 training journey has brought me all the they across the bay area to Cupertino, home of the aforementioned company that almost destroyed my blogging dreams and email archives. This is also how far JF drives once a week to go to school. If I had to drive 90.75 miles to school once I week, I don't think I would be getting my Masters this month. What a trooper!

February racked up 49.25 miles. I wish I didn't miss the training run that would have brought me past 50 miles, but I am just going to use that as motivation in March. February brought good things: Boston Marathon entry, more miles, and double digit long runs. Unfortunately, it also brought on weight gain, half of what I lost in January gained back. I think the stress of work/school is leading me to develop TERRIBLE eating habits, and I am looking for a diet that will make me a better, healthier runner. I am a terrible dieter, but I am in need of an intervention for my hamburger and sugar addiction.

Ever had success with a diet? Know anyone who has found a healthy diet that supports a marathon training schedule? Got any advice on how to break my sugar addiction?

Off for more Godiva to celebrate my 3 miles run in March. Lol.

7 weeks until Boston

2011-02-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

12.75 miles of training this week; 30 minutes of cross-training
12 mile long run @ 2:13:29 (weak, I know)

Week 2 of training and the reality of meshing training and the rest of my life has reared it's ugly head. Had to skip speed training this week because of my little blood donation incident and didn't quite make my full 3 miles on Tuesday morning's early am run. The good news is that I didn't let it keep me from doing 12 miles today. Not my best 12, but 12 none the less.

Today was a little slower than usual, and I had to take breaks to stretch and let my body catch up with me. The nurse said that the shock of my blood donation fiasco would make running difficult (less oxygen delivered in my blood=less efficiency), so I am not surprised today was such a crappy run. But I did it, I feel good, had a great stretching session when I got home (man, will I be sore tomorrow, I can already feel it!), and I am going into the third of training with a positive, can do, gonna kick some butt attitude.

I was pretty nervous about passing out/getting ill because I had been pretty light headed and easily sick since the donation, so I chose to do a short route along the river near my house and just do laps (5 to be exact). Kinda boring, but safe because I was never more than 1.2 miles from the house. It was a good choice because there were lots of people around, just in case.

Good news, no tightness in the right hip today. Still having the left foot go numb in the first 8 miles (part of the reason I had to stop a lot), and my left knee and hip got a little irritated after mile 10. I am going to take pain as progress, because I had no troubles until I passed the distance I had covered in a previous long run. I think this is a message that it is going to be super important to get at least 20 miles before the marathon so my knee can get comfortable with the distance and not give me troubles on heartbreak hill.

This week's schedule:
Tuesday: Easy Run 3 miles
Thursday or Friday: Speed work 6 miles
Sunday: Long Run 14 miles

We are going to hopefully make up the speed work this week. I present for my MA Friday, so I think the speed work in the AM will be a good way to ease the nerves, build up my confidence, and make me feel good before I go before the panel. I am curious to see how I do tacking another 2 miles onto my long run, and excited to pass the half-marathon point in training. Maybe I will be ready for Boston after all!

And a final thought, thanks for all the kind wishes and support. Life seems crazy (almost too crazy right now), and the fact that people I have never met in my life care enough to say something to help me feel good about my training, well, it means so much. I am so thankful that the blogging community can bring you together with people you otherwise would have never had the pleasure of having in your life. Someday I want to meet you all!

First goal for 2011 met!

2011-02-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

I case you missed it, my goals for the new year are here. In summary, they are to donate blood at least once (needle phobia), run an entire marathon (not walk parts due to poor training), and set new PR's for 5k, 10k, half and full marathons.

The good news: I donated blood and fulfilled one of my three goals for the new year. I didn't get much feedback on my blood donation post so I assumed marathon runners don't give blood or it was just one of those lazy weeks where people don't feel like posting. Or my post was just super crappy. But probably not ;)

Now I know that people training for marathons probably aren't blood donors because it really screws up your training. The goals was to donate Friday and maybe become a regular blood donor. I hear that giving blood saves the lives of a million babies per pint, saves the world, and pretty much makes you everyone's hero. Who wouldn't want to save a million babies in 30 minutes? Instead we relived the "let's pass out in front of the students" and see the light/speak to God" experience of 2008. I believe the technical term I overheard them use as I drifted off to that mansion in the sky was "code light blue". Aren't I dramatic? Or is it just the over-use of "quotation marks"?

Long story short, they got the blood so the goal was met. Bad news is that the kind head nurse explained that some people are just not blood donors, and that I shouldn't come back for another donation. The jury is out on whether I should get a second opinion. My painfully stiff arm and my dear mother say no, the jolly phlebotomist who nursed me back to life says yes. I think we might wait 3 more years for a verdict.

Oh, and I can't do any moderate to strenuous activity for 2 days. At least I will be in the clear for my long run Sunday. I might be a bad patient and try an easy 2 miles today so I am only 4 miles behind instead of 6. Boo.

The bright side is that I am sooooo close to being done with UC Davis. My research poster looks AMAZING and it is over 50% done. Once I present on Friday (6 days!!!!!) I will pretty much be done with my Master's Degree. Sweet relief!

Next goal: run the Boston Marathon, no injuries, no walking breaks!

Anatomy of an early morning run

2011-02-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

I have always considered myself a morning person. Sleeping in typically makes me cranky because I don't get to tear into that To-Do list as much as I would hope to. Today I learned there is a distinction between morning people and early morning people. They are not cut from the same cloth. I think you will figure out which one I am NOT in my breakdown of the early morning run(similar to my breakdown of a long run).

Anatomy of an Early Morning Run:

The Wake-Up

Alarm goes off at 4:45 am. You have to snooze it twice to be able to convince yourself that you have to get up and run if you am going to run (not walk) across the finish line in Boston. Even though you rationalized in my brain what time to set the alarm the night before, you still have this little mental battle at o-dark-thirty. Tonight you have to submit two documents for your Master's and you have seriously procrastinated. You will have to stay after school to tutor the kiddos, as well as make lesson plans and an assessment. You know that if you don't run now, today's run does not happen. Finally, you get out of bed.

The Suit-Up

Of course, you did not have the foresight the night before to situate keys/headphones/water bottle/shoes so you can sneak out of the house without disturbing anyone. Even if you did, you are sure they would get moved around after you went to bed or the cats would haul them off in the night (they like to do that with headphones and then chew through the wires. Little angels). Once you rattle the entire house looking for my keys, you give up on the headphones and settle for lip-reading the morning news. Entertaining when you are trying creatively to make a treadmill session fun in the afternoon. Not so entertaining at 5am when you just don't give a....

Warming-Up

Already it is 5:15 am, and you know you have to be in the shower by 6:00 am if you are going to be ready in time to get to work, make copies, update the whiteboards, blah blah blah. So, warm-ups and stretching are cut short. You know this is probably where the morning workout goes to hell, but you can't get there any faster or wake-up any earlier. You have to make the training schedule!!!!! So you do a little jog without stretching, because, after all, it's only 3 miles, right? No big deal?

The Big Deal

Ok, after a quarter of a mile of jogging, you try to step it up and get your run on. At first it feels absurdly fast, even though you usually start at the same pace when you run in the afternoons. You can kinda feel your feet going off the back of the treadmill, and hustle the pace because you don't want this morning to be the first time you fall off the treadmill. Talk about ruining the rest of your day!

Then the intestinal system wakes up. You feel sick. Time to run to the bathroom. Get back on. Run another three quarter miles. Run to the bathroom. Continue in this pattern until it is 10 after 6, you still haven't run your full 3 miles, and know you are going to be late for work. But at least you didn't fall off the treadmill.

The Hangover

Rush through the shower process, throw your hair up wet so you look like a sick gremlin. Manage some make-up, grab a protein shake for breakfast, throw together a lunch so you don't have to eat what the kids eat, and then rush out the door. As you wait for the car to defrost because it is covered in a sheet of ice, puke in the parking lot. You didn't need that protein shake anyways.

The Deal Breaker

In the staff room, copy room, office, people ask if you are feeling OK. Which you don't because your body has found a new way to punish you for punishing it with a 5 am run. You look terrible. You feel terrible. How are you going to manage 160 high school students in remedial math? This is where you throw in the towel, ask for a sub, and take your sick butt home. After laying fetal with a gurgling belly for 3 hours, you finally can emerge for a meager lunch of toast.

Some people can run in the morning. 5 am is exhilarating for them. Me? I need time to wake up. I can run at 7, after getting up at 6:00 am to eat my toast and go through a wake-up routine. But bed to tread at 5 am? Not for me. So today I put the early morning workouts to rest, thankful that I am almost finished with my Master's and know that early morning runs just aren't necessary. I'd rather run at midnight, thank you very much.

Here's a Rodale artilcle I recently read about morning running, and it sheds more light/supports some of my concerns. Are you an early morning runner? How do you do it? Doesn't it screw up your stomach for the rest of the day? And no, I am not pregnant.

8 Weeks Until Boston

2011-02-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

19 miles of training this week
10 miles long run @ 1:47:22

Not too bad for week 1 of training, especially considering I am less than two weeks from presenting my work for my Master's degree, progress report grades were due, and wicked migraines kept trying to keep me down. Very proud of how I am making it happen and super excited to see all this hard work pay off! In the next 8 weeks I will have a Masters of Arts in Education and a Boston finishers medal.

Oak Knoll District: I'm down with OKD (ya you know me)

Today's run was great. I usually weave through the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley on cute country back roads. I couldn't feel my hands until mile 2 because it was a little chilly this morning, but it was incredibly beautiful outside. I love running the morning after a long rain, everything is so fresh. I saw horses and sheep, lots of walkers and cyclist, and even a hot air balloon landing outside of a winery (super cool). Everything was sparkling with dew and the asphalt was steaming from the warm sun. It was surreal.

What wasn't surreal was the tightness in my knee and the tightness in my right hip. While stretching before my run, I put a lot of time into stretching out my calves (since they have been giving me the most trouble lately) and forgot to do the hip flexors. Ooops. Maybe I need to make a pre-run stretching checklist.

This weeks schedule:

Tuesday: 3 miles easy
Thursday or Friday: 6 mile speed work
Sunday: 12 mile long run

I am VERY much looking forward to speed work this week. I am also going to start some strength and core training 2 days a week. The focus is to build up stamina so my body doesn't decide to quit on me when the miles pile up. Miles 18-24 were the hardest in San Francisco, and they are also the hardest in Boston (Heartbreak Hill anyone?).

After all, I have some awesome people coming out to see me. Within hours of my Boston announcement, they sent messages of support, telling me they were going to take the day off work to cheer me on. I feel so loved!

Donating Blood

2011-02-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

via

One of my goals for the year is to donate blood (read my goals for 2011 here), and I am VERY excited to say I signed up for a blood drive on February 25th and plan of pumping out a pint. Not sure how this is going to play out for the rest of my day because I am donating in the middle of the school day, but I am hoping since I am more fit/healthy than last time I gave blood, I won't have the same experience. I am also going to be very conscious of what I eat before I go so hopefully I won't wake up on the floor surrounded by students.

Has anyone donated blood while training for a marathon? Not literally while training, but maybe on an easy run, cross train, or rest day? I am probably going to take it easy the day I donate (or take the day off from training entirely), but wanted to see what blogger land had to say.

For many people, donating blood is not a big deal. But it is really hard for me to be in the same room where a needle is in someone's arm, so this is HUGE for me to go back and try this again. Sitting in the room with JF when he donated stem cells for the marrow donor program was extremely difficult. I had to get up and almost had to take a step outside. My mom was so proud of me for not letting my phobia trump my role as cheerleader/supporter. Here's hoping we can take the next step towards beating this irrational fear by becoming a regular blood donor!

(as far as Boston Training goes, today is an off day. Terrible migraine and to make sure I don't push it too far, I am going to have today be pure rest, tomorrow hill repeats on the elliptical, and Sunday the long run 10 miles. Let's keep those knees and feet happy for April 18th!)

And the training begins!

2011-02-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

Since I have a marathon to run in 61 days, I have gone and found myself a training plan. My goal for Boston: Run a sub-5 hour marathon. Super ambitious, especially since Nike Women's Marathon found me walking towards the end due to pain in my knee. But this time I am going to train hard, train smart, and run injury free. Let's just hope it isn't raining or snowing on race day. Or blowing cold winds either.

I made my training plan using the Smart Coach at Runner's World. I had to play with the intensity and weekly mileage a bit to get something that would work for me, and I feel pretty optimistic. So far I have run an easy 3 miles and a 6 mile tempo run at a 10:31 pace. I'll run 10 miles Sunday weekend as well. All this will prime me to finish under 5 hours.

People watching in the little gym today: the guy on the elliptical next to me checking out his guns. Fawning over himself. It amazes me how self-absorbed people can be in a public place. At least it helped the time go by on the dreadmill. I was afraid to run outside because I heard there might be thunderstorms tonight I am not in the mood to be struck by lightning. Ever.

This week I have felt so clear-headed. Even though the 5 am run was tough, I felt fast today on the treadmill. I found that happy place where your feet like light, your strides make you feel like you are gliding on clouds, and you never want to stop running. It took me 4.5 miles to get there, but the last 1.5 miles were fantastic. I hope I feel this good when I do some speed intervals next week.

This week everything seems to be coming together perfectly. My kids, even some of my lowest achievers, are making excellent gains, the cats are fighting less, more cuddles, my running is fantastic, and I feel in control. I hope that getting back into a running routine has brought back the peace I had back in August.

Things Just Got Serious

2011-02-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently calling your Mom on Valentines Day and starting the conversation with " I have really REALLY big news" is inappropriate unless you are telling her about an engagement. But, there was HUGE news to be shared, monumental, life changing news.

I won an entry into the Boston Marathon! Seriously. I checked the blog and my email again to make sure it wasn't an elaborate dream. In 9 weeks, I will be running the most iconic marathon in America, the place where my steamy love affair with running got started. When the Bestie said big things were coming my way, she was right. Pregnant ladies are always right (or so I have been told). Check out Beth's blog Shut Up And Run and you can see how it all went down. I also had more page hits yesterday than I usually get in an entire week thanks to her post (aka me rechecking my blogs obsessively to see if someone is going to leave a comment. Almost an internet celebrity. I am SO thankful to Beth and the committee for choosing my entry. This means more than they could imagine, and more than I can even understand myself. It feels big, it is big, but my mind just can't wrap itself around how big this really is!

Serious race mean serious training. My first 5 am run today. I am determined to log lots of miles between now and then. Lots of short runs to up my fitness as well as the long runs I have been doing since the new year (thank goodness I started a training schedule before I had a race to run!). This 5 am thing is going to have to workout, because that is the ONLY time I have time to run right now. It's nice because my body is still too sleepy to revolt, so it feels better than an afternoon run. It's bad because it is worse than 3 cups of coffee on the intestines.

I AM GOING TO BOSTON!!!!! I am in my mid twenties and checking stuff off my bucket list left and right. How did I get this lucky? (I better remind myself of how lucky I am next week when the agony of finishing my masters/marathon training on crack/prepping kids for state tests sets in). The past 48 hours have given me a clarity that I had lost, given me a shot of excitement and optimism, and revived my old self that was already ready for more challenge. I can do this, I am so excited to get it done! This feeling of empowerment is what has kept me running. The timing is perfect. ITS ALL HAPPENING!

The neatest part of all this? My two FAVORITE bloggers are running Boston. I am dead set on meeting them both! This is better than being able to go to the Grammys or Oscars.

If any of my Boston peeps are reading this, I need a room for the weekend. Can you put me up? ;)

Attack of the Allergies

2011-02-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

So, while running yesterday I thought about all the cute little flowers and pretty little trees all abloom, and wondered when I would be under full allergy assault. It only took a few hours to find out the answer of that question. After a night of fever sweats and a super groggy am, it become clear my sinuses are in a loosing battle. Every spring, we go through the same thing. They say if you've never had allergies, move to Northern California, and then you will. Never had them in LA or Boston, but man, do I get them here! Typically, I try to tough it out, and usually get a sinus infection that knocks me out BAD. Last year earned me chest x-rays, allergic reactions to medications, and almost a trip to the ER, so this year my goals is to play it safe. The year before that I was chronically sick for the entire spring season. No good.

So, no 10 miles today. Sad to already start missing long runs. But maybe I'll make it up midweek. I need to beat 15.5 miles this week! (Hear that dreadmill? I'm coming for you!)

Instead, I decided to sleep it off. And go grocery shopping while there was still bread and milk on the shelves. Gotta love a Sunday.

A few years back I was pretty stoked to create my quick fish tacos recipe from breaded fish fillets in the freezer section. Recently, I am proud of my recent creation of BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Although I am an avid reader of Food and Wine and love to get down with all my Cuisinart and Kitchen-Aid gadgets to create moments of culinary bliss, I can't get my cook on as much as I'd like because I'm a workin' girl doing grad school on the side. So although that recipe to make gnocchi with homemade ricotta sounds heavenly, it just isn't in the schedule. (who has time to make homemade ricotta? Seriously!).

It started as a solution for a leftover rotisserie chicken special. I had half a chicken and wanted to do something tasty with it. It took about 5 minutes to shred the chicken off the bone, and another ten to reheat it in a skillet with some BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Sauté some onions on the side and throw it on a sandwich roll, and you've got something as good as the local BBQ joint can whip up. You really don't need cheese on them like the photo above, there is already enough flavor. Now I buy chickens solely for this purpose. You could probably make 3 sandwiches with half a chicken, although we have no concept of portion control and just use all the meat on two. The sandwiches are always too big, but I will never learn. Making this at home instead of buying the tub of Lloyd's bbq chicken from the deli section has less sodium, no preservatives, and less fat because it using both white and dark meat.

I love cooking and miss having time to tool around in the kitchen. I already have my first culinary endeavors planned: The weekend I finish my masters I am going to make a grasshopper pie (with homemade mint dark-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookie crust, and chocolate ganache topping) and Guinness Ice Cream on St. Patty's day. The pie is to celebrate Pi day March 14 (I'm such a math geek). The weekend after that, I'll be making seared ahi for my Mom and some other asian fusion dish. I'll probably make her some homemade orange juice and omelets for breakfast. I have been really into fresh squeezed orange juice lately, even though I have never been a big fan in the past. Maybe I'll make a lemon sorbet as well. Just thinking of all the yummy things I am going to make makes me excited. I wish I had more people to eat up my creations!

Good Things to help pull me through another week

2011-02-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

When the going gets tough, you have to find some good things to hold onto. Now I have gained back a small bit of sanity, I need to give myself something solid to hold onto so I don't fall to pieces between now and my Master's symposium.

Good Thing #1: Despite the craziness, I am still getting in 3 runs/workouts a week. This week, which has been the hardest in a while, was the highest mileage week of 2011 with 15.5 miles run (4 runs: 6mi, 2mi, 5mi, 2.5mi). Nothing compared to the miles I was logging last summer, but not bad considering limited daylight hours, overwhelming workload, and school responsibilities. I am very excited to keep upping my long run mileage and hit 10 miles tomorrow. Hooray!

Good Thing #2: I finally am getting my grad school work under control. After much anguish, i feel like my plan is clear, I know exactly what I need to get done, and how I am going to do it. This makes me feel a lot less overwhelmed, and happy I might actually be able to take a night off for Valentines Day. In two weeks everything will be submitted, in four weeks I will be completely done. Everything is happening so fast!

Good Thing #3: Some of my classroom interventions are finally starting to show positive effects. Some of my students who failed last semester are making a comeback in a great way. They are seeing the fruition of hard work and perseverance and their self-efficacy is on the rise. There is nothing more rewarding for a teacher. I am hoping that the careful planning of polynomials and factoring unit is going to have positive effects on learning and produce lots of proficient kids. It helps that my department chair is impressed with my work and tells me that my kids are lucky to be receiving such instruction. These are all the little things that keep my going and make me consider staying in secondary education.

I can't wait to have my life back. I want to train more, cook more, and see friends more. I want to dream about making sorbet instead of have nightmares about drowning in research and forgetting to go into work. Yikes!

Running Blues

2011-02-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today is a school holiday, so thankfully I have time to get caught up with grad school stuff and put in a run. A terrible, slow, sad run, but 5 miles is 5 miles, so I'll take it. My goal is to get in one more short run tomorrow (3 miles) so I can make this the highest mileage week for 2011. I also hope to log a nice long run of 10 miles on Sunday, which will help keep me on pace to get to Mexico before the end of the year. Maybe I should showcase the towns I could have run to with my miles each month. That might be humorous. I need humor right now.

Today was the first time I was actually sad during my run. After 2.5 miles I just wasn't getting the exhilaration that pounding pavement gives me. There is just so much going on with work, home, and school, I feel like I am going to shut down at any moment. Being sad when running is scary. Running is supposed to beat the blues. I am hoping that a longer run will produce different results. The first few miles are always a struggle for me. Today it was a little better for mile 5, but nothing like the thrills I have gotten before. I think that is why my pace was so slow and I just couldn't kick it into high gear. I am in a rut and I have to figure out how to get out of it. Maybe winning an entry to the Boston Marathon this year would help perk me up? I put in an entry on a whim, we'll see what happens :)

4 Stages of a Run

2011-02-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Stage 1: Excitement. I lay in bed and think about how much I love running and how I want to run forever. I have to give myself a pep talk to not go too far too fast so I don't get injured like last year. I envision myself running an ultra-marathon on a whim. I feel that ~~delusional~~ good. This stage continues as I put on my favorite running capris (don't I look cute!) and get everything lined up: ipod, gels, water bottle (too cute today for a dorky hydration belt), house key. Even as I stretch, I am already congratulating myself on a run well done. And I haven't even set foot out the door yet.

Stage 2: Reality. About half a mile in my body overpowers all those silly little thoughts I had before I walked out the door. Usually my calves talk first, and then the feet and back chime in. Today the stomach even had something to say.

Calves: Whoa Whoa Whoa. What happened to Sunday Funday? I'm not trying to be all uptight, but this is not what I signed up for on the weekends.
Back: Yeah, I was much happier in bed. All this pavement pounding is making me irritable. Knot what I want on my day off.
Calves: Why does she always do this?
Back: I hate her.
Calves: I hate her too.
Stomach: She makes me sick. So selfish. Where are my bacon and hash browns? I am about to throw this toast right back at her and send her back home.

As they go on like this, I am trying to turn the iPod up to drown out/motivate myself to just stick through it. But they just won't shut up. This is where I get the usually reminder: RUNNING IS HARD.

Stage 3: Battle. The mind is sick of the body whining and complaining. I mean, we just ran a marathon in October for heaven's sake, just suck it up and do the 7 miles! You did 9 last weekend, what's the big deal? This is where we pull out the big guns: mental images of my head of the body of a kenyan running really really fast, the Kool-Aid man bursting through the wall shouting "Oh Yeah", qualifying for the Boston Marathon, running the Boston Marathon, me at my physical worst, me at my physical best last August, the girls with tight abs in Runner's World magazine, my head on Heidi Klum's body as I relax on the beach in Tahiti. This is some powerful stuff. One more block... one more step... don't be a quitter... you can't go to Boston/wear a bikini unless you put the sweat equity in now.
Every time I run, I fight this battle between miles .5 and 2.99. I takes me 3 miles to convince my body that it is a runner's body now and there is no going back. I have been running since 2007. I am a marathon finisher. Why do I still have to convince my body it is a runner's body every time I run?

Stage 4: Victory. Somewhere shortly after mile 3, my body usually gives in. My pace picks up, there's more bounce in my step. When I look at my shadow on the road a see a lean runner, not an awkward chubby girl with too much gear on. Now we have the endorphins, I can convince myself to do one more mile instead of one more block. This is what I run for. The feeling that I am unstoppable. That I won't have to put my face on a Kenyan or Heidi Klum. I am going to have great splits and a rockin bikini body. I can do it. Oddly enough, an inspirational song will usually come on my iPod right when I need it so my mind gets the upper-hand and wins the battle. Today's song was "How you ever gonna know" by Garth Brooks. This is what stoked the coals this morning:

Anything in life worth havin'

Lord, it has its sacrifice

But the gift that you're receiving
Is worth more than a price

Someone I know quotes someone who is probably famous in saying "nothing in life worth doing is easy". Aristotle said, " Excellence is not an act, it is a habit" and the list can go on. You have to fill you mind with this stuff so you have a fully loaded arsenal against those lazy calves, back and stomach. If they keep acting up, I might just punish then with some core training. I bet that will shut them up ;)

I am no longer a beginner runner. I am so far from being elite or even a good runner. I just run. At times, not very well. I have big dreams. I want to be fast. I want to run far. Some days I am not sure how to get there. but then I remember how crazy it is that I was able to get myself this far. For all those bloggers out there who just run, thanks for inspiring me to stay in the game. 2011 is going to be a great year for running!

Good Things on a Thursday

2011-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

I think getting my hair done make me more appreciative of the good things. Or the bleach on my scalp makes me dumber and think everything is good. Either way, my hair looks good, I am happy, the world keeps turning.

January brought a double digit weight loss! Hooray! I am sure it is all water weight, but it make the runs even more sweet. This week has been terrible as far as running/cross-training (February is Hell Month for the MA) but seeing the results read-out on he scale is helping to motivate me to get out on the treadmill at least once before saturday and try to get an outside done on saturday morning, even though I have grad school. The most amazing part is that this happened with 3 tons of Godiva in the house (I hid it from myself, btw). All this running might look like dedication, but really, it is just a form of self hatred ;) I am a glutton for punishment.

Also a good thing: I get to see the bestie tonight. Even though we only live 30 minutes apart, schedules just don't allow us to be up in each other's business as much as we would like (not that my business is worth being all up in). I think I am going to bring her a treat. Who doesn't love treats, right?

I am almost caught up with lesson planning, getting good reviews from administrators and my department chair, and life hasn't been so hectic I've had to miss the Bachelor. And, tomorrow is treat day at work, and Ron is in charge. I bet he brings homemade cookies! Since today is going to be a good day, I think I'll tell JF to just book the Havasu trip. I mean, why not? (btw, I won't be wearing pasties....more on that at a later time!)

January Totals

2011-01-31T22:01:00.000-08:00

First month of the year is off to a good start. 41.5 miles run, and I am really getting back into my long run and training. This is the equivalent of running from my home in Napa to Berkeley. Last year I attempted to track my run across the country, but that fizzled (just way too far). So, this year I am going to try a more reasonable goal, running from my house in Northern California to my parent's house in Southern California, which is 493 miles away. Let's see if I can get there before Christmas!

41.5 miles down, 451.5 to go. I think I am going to destroy this goal and keep running right on down to Mexico!

The best/worst run of the new year

2011-01-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today's run was terrible. Someone from work saw me stretching with my geek-gear: Garmin, Hydration belt, iPod. Now they know how truly uncool I am. Calves were unbearably tight after mile 1. Stopped to stretch them out. My energy level was incredibly low. At mile 2.5 I broke down and took a gel. At mile 2.65 I stopped and gave myself a pep-talk. I was considering walking home because I felt so tired. Decided to run to the next stop sign and then take a slow jog back. This took a lot of convincing. Entire foot painfully numb at mile 3... like, I could not feel anything below that weird ankle bone. Loosened the laces on the left shoe. Still have no feeling, kept running until mile 4. Stopped, walked/stretched, and the feeling came back in my foot, started running again. Mile 5: foot almost entirely numb again. Took off show to investigate. Adjusted sock, numbness might be attributed to placement of padding. Started running, most feeling is back but a little numb. Mile 5.75: I FINALLY get into a nice groove, right when I am almost home. This is where it changes from worst run ever to best run ever.

Decided to just go a quarter of a mile and see how I feel. The I just kept going, down the street and back up the creek path. Miles 6 and 7 had great splits. I finally felt like a runner. I logged a total of 9 miles today, the longest run of the year. I am not sure why it was such a temper-mental run. I stretched before I ran. I drank water. I took Gu. I have been pacing my training better. Perhaps it is because I graded tests for 5 hours before I ran, and that is just mentally exhausting. But overcoming such a crappy start and making that triumphant finish happen is what this sport is all about. A sport made for the stubborn who won't take "crappy run" for an answer.

Except for the first week of the year when we were in Washington DC, I have run or cross-trained at least 3 days a week. I am so proud of myself. I am starting to plateau in weight loss, so now I started rethinking my hamburger and truffle diet (major bummer). I hope February is equally as motivating. That would be impressive considering I will be finishing up my Masters (scary) and teaching some of the hardest materials to the kids that they will encounter all year. The type of stuff that separates who will go on with math and who will be forever remedial (super scary). If all else fails, hopefully I will have my training to look forward to!

How do you deal with your worst runs? Does your foot ever go numb? Does any of this keep you from running?

Dreadmill, I am taking you down

2011-01-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

Time is slipping away in a black hole today, I tell ya. Late night at work so another round on the treadmill that went amazingly well, despite the initial nausea from eating truffles as I walked over to the gym. I decided to do my speed intervals on the treadmill since it was dark outside, and it made the time fly! I did 3 miles and then some upper body weights, and broke the intervals down like so (1 lap=quarter mile):

Lap 1: Walk warm-up

Lap 2: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 3: Faster Jog (6 mph) (Wanting to barf up Truffles)

Lap 4: Jog (5 mph) (Still wanting to up chuck expensive chocolate)

Lap 5: Run (6.5 mph) )Ok...stomache pains are passing)

Lap 6: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 7: Run (6.5 mph) (I was scared of getting tired. What a baby I am)

Lap 8: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 9: Run (7 mph) (Less scared)

Lap 10: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 11: Run (7 mph) (Realized it wasn't scary at all)

Lap 12: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 13: Run (8 mph) (Getting ballsy!)

Lap 14: Jog/Cool Down (exhausted)

Pretty much the best treadmill workout. Ever. Although, I am starting to question the brilliance of eating chocolates on the way to the gym for energy. What is a girl to do when Godiva doesn't make energy bars? Don't say chocolate Clif-shots or other gels. NASTY!!!!!!! It simply isn't the same. Perhaps I have a sugar dependancy? (Godiva, are you reading this? Make me an energy bar! Stop sending my boyfriend crates of chocolates! I can only run so far!)

Have you had any good treadmill workouts? How do you make the great indoors work for you? Have you ever seen a Godiva energy bar?

The power of positive thinking

2011-01-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today almost ended in me picking up teenagers and through them through the windows. Which would be amazing, because many of them are twice my size. I was at wit's end and seriously considering whether or not I had chosen the right profession. Thank goodness my department chair took me aside and told me my worries over their success (or lack of) are bringing bad energy into the classroom. I thought the world was going to end, that hell had opened up in the center of my classroom and all Satan's demons had come to torture me. That could be why they are so reluctant and combative, because they are sensing their potential failure, and it is scaring them. So for 6th period, my rowdiest little devils, I took every ounce of energy, started with a smile, and didn't let the lack of homework turned in, gross amount of tardies, or blatant electronic violations bother me. Like a miracle, the kids actually suited up and got some work done. Not as much as I would have liked, but way more than my other classes. The biggest difference was me, and that is why it went well.

So, I made a point to log some miles. Since I got home late, I jumped on the treadmill and tried this whole positive thinking thing. I decided that today I was going to run 4 miles on the treadmill (I have never been able to tolerate more than 3). Of course, the TV was broken and I had ipod difficulties, but I made it through. I am still shocked I was able to run indoors for that long without letting my thoughts drive me crazy. I am so proud of myself! I even did some upper body weights to make a point to myself that I am back in the swing of things!!!!! Today could have just been up there as my top 5 crappiest days of teaching, but in the end, I made it an OK day.

I am going to be in marathon shape before the summer is here. Hello Tahiti!

Week in review

2011-01-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

Last week's total: 8.5 miles
Today's workout: 8 miles/ 1:26:12, average pace: 10:46/mi

Today was a great run with some hills here and there. I am not sure why it takes 3 miles for my body to be convinced that we are actually doing the running thing, but as soon as I hit 3 miles, my body just turned into a running machine and everything felt great. My body needs to run. I am very surprised at how quickly I am getting my fitness back. I was only going to run 7 but my legs just wanted to run that extra mile. Let's hope I don't regret that tomorrow! Looks like I need to start looking for a half to set a new PR!

The best thing about running: that deep burn in the butt/back of the legs when you are running up to the crest of a hill. Love it! Already looking forward to a little speed training this week and setting new mileage record for the new year.

Good Things are Back!

2011-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't done goo things for a long time, but waking up feeling great after a crummy night, I thought I should should put these warm fuzzy feelings down before I gets the grumps again.

The first good thing is that this week I taught to the top of class, and I feel really good about it. Usually I teach to the middle/low middle because majority of my students are low achievers (this class is kinda remedial). Now realize that I have really high expectations for all my students, regardless of "achievement level", and this has earned me the reputation of being a really hard teacher. But this week, I stuck to my guns, assigned a lot of really hard problems, and had real surprises on who stepped up to plate. C students from last semester really ate up the properties of radicals, which just tickled my fancy. Higher homework attempt rate, more questions about difficult problems. Although we bomb the formative assessment on radicals miserably yesterday, I am really proud of the effort that some of my students are putting in.

The second good thing is kinda shallow, but I love my new eyeliner. It is the best eyeliner I have ever worn. Goes on beautifully, doesn't have to be sharpened, has a little smudger on the end, and wears amazingly. Thanks Dad for always giving the perfect Christmas presents (I am sure with a little help from Mom).

Also good: the copiuos amounts of Godiva chocolate sitting on my kitchen counter. Hundreds of dollars worth. Godiva stopped by JF's winery this week and gave him a ton of treats to show their appreciation. Chocolate bars, truffles, cookies, belgian chocolates, and tons of other stuff. I have been really good to not devour it all in one day. I fact, I am still feeling great about my new workout plan and can already start to feel and see the results. Mom's advice: get the chocolate out of the house. It is only going to make me sad when it is time to go to Tahiti. Too bad I don't have a more popular blog...I could be giving this stuff away as give-a-ways!

The final good thing is seeing friends two weeks in a row. I am so tired/stressed out from Grad school, but it is so worth it to see my lady Maggie. Only 7 more weeks of Grad School. Maybe the longest 7 weeks of my life, but it is less than 2 months, which is fantastic.

Here's hoping you have a fantastic weekend. Although I am not a very religious person, I would appreciate you keep friends of mine in your thoughts and prayers. Their pup is pretty sick and we want to send him on the path of speedy recovery. What a good thing it will be to post about his recovery :)

A lil' bit o speed training

2011-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Home before the sun went down, a very rare occurrence, so I headed outside for a run. And because I want to be faster, I decided to do a little out and back on the short river trail by my place. It is 1.2 miles, which I like because I can shoot for mile times and trick myself into be faster because I am running a little farther than I let myself realize ( I am really good at tricking myself). So, 11 minutes out, which wasn't bad because most of my paces have been in the high 10:00/ low 11:00. But, since it was 1.2 miles, it was actually a 9:12 minute pace. Yay! For an extra challenge, I worked on beating my time on the way back. Made it back to the start in 10:40 seconds, setting the new pace at 8:28/mi. Needless to say, I am super stoked. I also stopped and did some upper body weights after I checked the mail. Sir Grunts-A-Lot was there. I know he knows how ridiculous he sounds because he wears headphones to tune himself out. I checked the seat of the machine to make sure he didn't push one out with ll the heaving and huffing. Nasty. At least this guy I work with was there on the bike so we can laugh about this before school tomorrow. Gotta love community gyms.

I can already feel the positive effects of the new schedule. We are eating better proprotioned meals at home more often. Clothes are already fitting better. The scale had gone down almost double digits in the past 20 days. I have more energy and feel so much better, despite the fact I am sleeping poorly due to the math nightmares I am having every night. It really messes with your head to be consumed by your students' failures in your dreams and then to have your dreams come reality the next day at work. I have to stop grading papers and preparing lesson plans right before I go to sleep, or else I am seriously going to loose my mind. If you can't escape work in your dreams, then how do you escape?

142 days until we leave for Tahiti...

Socks! Socks! Socks!

2011-01-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with shots, of course. Todays workout: 6 miles in 1:03:33, with a best pace of 7:43 and average pace of 10:36. Not too shabby for beginning of training!

Today I looked ridiculous. My running clothes don't fit because I packed a few on since the marathon, so I looked like and overstuffed sausage. Add a hydration belt (very cool) and a garmin (the big, even cooler one) and an iPod, and you bet people were lining up to be my friend/running buddy. No wonder I run alone. Not sure if getting dressed to run and discovering nothing fits motivates me to get out of discourages me because I look like a fool. Let's hope I tighten up quick before I make up my mind on this one!

So, as promised, I wanted to give a review of my new Thorlo Experia socks. My mom got me a few pairs for Christmas, and I am already in love. Before I was running in Zulu socks, which the overpriced running store peeps said would reduce my blisters at the best value. And they were right. But they didn't hold up for long, lost their elasticity, and now they do nothing for me.

These fancy pants socks are padded in all the right places (toe, heel, back of foot) have a snug fit on the arch, stay in place, and breathe really nicely. I have them in pink and blue, but they come in a ton of different colors. They are not too bulky and make your feet super happy. They are considerably more expensive than my Zulu's, but since they were a gift I am not going to think much about the fact my mom probably spent around $14.00 a pair. I hope they were on sale. I am following the instructions to wash inside out to keep the padding fluffy and use fabric softener to lubricate the fibers so they last longer (who knew?). Oh, and they are some official sock of Runner's World (or so the package says) if that means anything to you (which it probably doesn't).

If you are looking for new socks and take your socks very seriously, I would highly recommend these! (Maybe they will send me a free pair, lol).

I want to be fast

2011-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

Reading other blogs is motivating. You read other people's accomplishments, their awesome PR's and hear about all the struggles it took to get there. Marathons become human feats, not just milestones reserved for the super elite. I am pretty sure I wouldn't be the runner I am today if I never stumbled upon other runner's blogs. The virtual running community keeps me going.

This blog in particular makes me want to be fast. New PR and sub 8:00 miles, I am so impressed. Can I be this some day? I sure hope so. I know I need to get out more and make work less of a priority, but as long as school is in session, I find it hard to tear myself away. But today is MLK day, a school holiday, so I gotta get out and log some miles!

One big mileage logger is going to be a goal I forgot to post: run to the top of Atlas Peak. 23.2 miles round trip, 2200 ft elevation gain. Last summer I made it half way up to about 1,000 ft for a 14 mile run. Going back to read that post, the endorphin rush I got from pushing myself that far was an out of this world experience. I had never been so proud of myself. It is my biggest non-race accomplishment as a runner. It was so difficult and took so much discipline to keep myself going, but everything felt right. I realized that ever since I let running take a back seat, I've had less and less of these moments of clarity and balance when everything in life just feels right. I'm loving the map feature on Map my Run, which shows elevation gain and percent incline per half mile. It really puts this beast into perspective. It is going to make my next marathon super fast. I am going to be super fast. Yay!

Off to put in 6 miles and conjure up a gear review of my new marathoner socks.

Don't stop running!
-Steph

Cravings

2011-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

Workouts: Cross-training hike: 8 miles/1000 ft elevation gain. 3:11 with breaks. Lots of trail runners out there, bless them!

Today I am craving this:

and this:

Probably because they both remind me of our recent DC trip when I ate oysters and drank Irish coffees, and had the most amazing time with JF. Having neither at home, I decided on a hot chocolate with Baileys to go with my chocolate fro-yo dinner. Yes, I plan of logging 6 miles tomorrow if my legs don't hurt in the AM from the hike. Hopefully the Bailey's will help me loosen up from stretching.

Is there any advice out there about stretching under the influence? Do you stretch better after a drink or two? Or is it a recipe for disaster. All you MD's who follow my blog can weigh in any time ;)

I'll leave you with this image, brought to you because the lovely Maggie brought it to me for our post hike feast of tuna melts, grapes, and the finest cheese in northern California, and maybe the world. Humboldt Fog, my absolute favorite and a must buy if you are a lover of cheese:

What are you craving?

2011-01-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

This weeks workouts:
Sunday: Treadmill 3 miles/30 min (10/mi), Elliptical 30 min, Upper Body Weights
Monday: Treadmill 2 miles/25 min (12:30/mi), Upper body Weights
Saturday: Treadmill 4 miles/43 min (10:45/mi), Upper Body Weights
Total Mileage for the new year: 9 miles.

The first week back is crazy: parents mad about report card grades, gearing up for spring testing madness (exit exams, CST, district benchmarks). I am dreaming about properties of exponents. Although the fitness kinda fell apart in the middle of the week because of headaches and JF's company banquet (I won a case of wine!), I feel it is a good start. With the three day weekend, I should get some good runs in, maybe even my first long run since the injury.

Every time I go to the little gym, I never know what I am going to get. Today there was a guy who was spewing sweat... like puddles, over all the equipment. There was a huge wet spot on the carpet in front of each weight machine, like someone had peed. Even though he had a towel, he was still soaking the place. And, of course, the hand sanitizer and towel dispenser were both empty. So gross. I turned my music way up so I didn't have to hear him grunt. That might have just sent me over the edge.

Being from California, I am entitled to complain when the temperature drops below 60. Which means this week I complained ALOT. Monday morning it was 35 degrees in my classroom. Seriously. The cold is keeping me inside on the treadmill because I am too big of baby to run in the cold. I just don't know how people in the rest of the country do it. it has me wondering if I am really cut out for Northern California. I hear it is really nice in San Diego right now....

This week I plan to up the mileage and increase pace on the treadmill, logging at least 12 miles and running more miles at faster paces. Today I ran my last half mile at 9:00/mi pace, which felt FANTASTIC. I'll also keep up the upper body weights and add in some work on the balance ball. I think it is going to be a good week :)

Jello Mousse

2011-01-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

I dedicate this post to yummy Jello mousse. While in DC, I saw tons of commercials for these tasty little things, so I promised myself I would pick up a pack to treat myself when I got back to Cali. I love chocolate. I love pudding. And now I love Jello mousse. And, they are only 60 calories, so they are my new after dinner treat to break the candy feast that occurs after dinner every night. Let's just see how well that works, because right now I am about to break into the See's candy I hid in the freezer. What can I say, I am weak. (Jello, send me an endorsement check at any time. A case of chocolate jello will call it even).

Speaking of DC, it really threw a wrench into the training schedule. We walked nearly everywhere, some days covering well over 10 miles. Some days my legs were so sore, I didn't make it up to the little hotel gym that did not have a treadmill. But, they had an elliptical and nice free weights, so one day I took advantage of that. After this trip, I really admire people who make their fitness happen when they are traveling. For me, travel + exercise = epic fail. Poor garmin... gathering dust already.

I have decided to start the week off right with 3 miles on the treadmill (30:00 min), 30 minutes on the elliptical (it told me I "ran" another 3 miles) and upper body weights. I am a baby and will not run outside when it is cold. I HATE being cold. As I pumped away on the elliptical, trying to work off some stress, I wondered what the miles you log on an elliptical are really worth. I always feel like I work harder on the elliptical, even though I log the same time and distance as the treadmill.

Oh, and I saw someone fall off a treadmill for the first time today. Even funnier in real life than it is on TV. (Don't worry, the only thing he hurt was his pride).

Things to look forward to this week: the official end of college football season, a professional development day at work to help me get back into the swing of things, and hopefully logging some modest miles and cross training. I hope to do a recap of the week to be proud of! Now the house is organized and my healthy meals/lunches are packed neatly in the fridge, I have high hopes for being good this week.

New Year, New Goals

2011-01-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, here are the big goals for 2011. This is going to be an amazing year full of big milestones and travels. The challenge: making realistic goals that are attainable but challenging. 2010 I met 2 of my 3 goals, which I am VERY proud of. I ran my marathon and got my teaching job, both of which I thought would be the harder of the three goals. So, 3 more goals to help make me a better athlete/person in the new year:

1) Donate Blood. When I first donated, I had a terrible experience, passing out on the floor at work and making a huge scene. The Red Cross says that less than 30% of first time donors return for a future donation. I don't want to be that person, so I am going to give it another shot and donate at least one time this year. One in 3 people have my same blood type (O+) so I am sure it will go to good use :) January is National Blood Donation month, btw.

2) Improve my PR's across the board. That means a faster 5k, 10k (not sure I have a PR for this), half and full marathons. If I am a good girl and run regularly, this should be attainable. More interval/speed training is also gonna make this one a reality. Setting a time just wasn't realistic last year, and I don't think it will be this year either. So progress, no matter how small the amount, is the focus of having an injury-free year. I also thought about running a minimum of 3 times a week every week, but travel is going to make that prohibitive. I am still going to try to run at least 3 times a week, but not going to sweat the weeks where this isn't possible.

3) Run (not walk) a full marathon. No stopping and walking like Nike Women's Marathon. This means making sure I don't get injured in the race by training longer and smarter. When I go back to San Francisco in October, I am going to bring it! And, my Marathon PR should improve if I am not walking around the lake.

Writing goals down is the first step to making them a reality. Help me out and hold me accountable folks! When I am not blogging, it usually is because I am not running and ashamed to show my face in bloggyland. Here's to more miles, more posts, and more pints in 2011!

So in Love...

2010-12-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Todays Workout: 3.5 miles @ 10:39 pace. My first run with the garmin. The second half of my run was faster probably because I eventually focused on running and not checking my wrist every 5 seconds to check my pace and distance. This thing rocks. I am in love.

Good news: the Garmin is already helping me run faster by making me more aware of my pace. I also think my paces will be more accurate now I am not basing it off google maps. I've run more in the last week than I did in all of November!

Bad news: I am slow, lazy, and out of shape. I finally got on a scale and discovered I have packed on 10 pounds since I started teaching. Pretty sure most of it was done in the last 2 months since the marathon. Yikes. I am way slower and my stamina is way down. Better take these lemons and make some new years resolutions out of them (or limoncello, whatever works). And stop eating cookies and gravy with every meal. Sad news, I know.

Although I was tasked with thinking of a name for the Garmin during today's run, I was too busy messing around with the settings, adjusting the wrist so it wasn't so annoy (still annoyed, btw), or thinking about those 10 lbs. I knew I was packing them on, estimated it was around 10, but I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by only seeing a difference of 8 on the scale this morning. I have passed the point I swore I would stay under unless I was pregnant or something (I am NOT pregnant, btw), so I am very disappointed with myself today. This makes for a lot of work before Tahiti. Sigh.

Weight gain is a slippery slope. A pound here, a few pounds there, and before you know it your doctor is telling you that you are medically overweight and pre-obesity. People tell you it isn't a big deal and that you look fine. Many people won't say anything to someone when they are starting to put weight on because they do not want to impose society's bias about what is a healthy body type. We combat the pressure to be ultra-thin by looking away when someone is starting to stray away from a healthy body type. I am not about to tell anyone they look like they are gaining weight. I am afraid to hurt their feelings, send them into a spiral of depression, etc. I will try my best not to enable poor choices and try to make it easier for them to make healthy choices when they are around me, but let's face it, these are the same people that are enabling me to indulge in my guilty pleasures, so most of the time I am of no help to them or to myself. Long story short, you are the only person who can be on top of this, you can't blame others for your unhealthy habits, and you can't depend on anyone but yourself to make change happen.

I originally wanted to write a post about why boyfriends make you fat. But then I realized he could just change "boyfriends" to "girlfriends" to make it about what I do to him. I can't blame the BF for the past 6 months of weight gain (although, I had never had a double stack from Wendy's until I met him). As I ran today and thought about those 10 little devils jiggling all over, I thought about sitting on that exam table, hearing the words "pre-obesity" and promised myself to make better choices. Not in 2011, but now. I know my blood sugar counts are wacky and put me at risk for diabetes, and I really need to stay on top of my fitness. So, off to sushi I go with my mama to get the most out of the 414 calories garmin told me I burned today. That goes a long way on a sashimi platter!

I was on the good list

2010-12-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

Guess who is officially part of the Garmin cult!!!!!!!! Training just got a little more intense. I'll need that to balance all the baked goodies I am going to be making with my new kitchen gadgets (omg, they are so amazing....I can't believe what my mother bought me!). Looks like last summer cooking for the family is going is getting me a fully stocked gourmet chef's kitchen in no time. Summer is going to be dangerous folks!

I can't wait to post my first run with the Garmin (pet name for this little sucker coming soon) and inundate you with over-analysis of every step I take outside the house. You know you are excited (or about to stop following me, it can go either way).

Here's hoping that santa brought you lovely goodies and that your day with blessed with the love of family and friends. Merry Christmas!

4th quarter comeback

2010-12-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

Workouts: Wednesday 30 minutes hill climb on the elliptical (my favorite inside workout) that really made me sweat, today a mile and a half with a nice hill. Keeping the runs short to help condition the foot and using lots of low impact alternatives, like weights and elliptical. Yay for not screwing my foot up! I'll be really proud if I can get 2.5 miles in Christmas Day. If Santa brings a Garmin, I am totally hitting the pavement. If not, I am hitting the tray of cookies.

Being with old friends reminds of how much I have changed since my adolescence. At one time of my life, I was the alpha personality in my social circle. Now, I am so far from that and my social circle has shrunk considerably. Is this just part of getting older? It felt good to feel confident and laugh and have a good time. 2011 is going to focus more on feeling confident about being me and less about worrying about pleasing other people. It's time to reestablish some solid roots. Having a good talk with my marathon training buddy reminded me of the riches good friends bring to life. The past few years have been about establishing a career for myself. 2011 is going to be about building strong relationships.

On an exciting note, I bought my first dress for the Tahiti trip on clearance at Nordstrom's rack. I am so excited for everything this next year is going to bring!

I remember thinking midyear that 2010 was not the year I hoped it was going to be. I should have never given up at halftime. I have so many things to be thankful for and so fortunate for everything this past year has brought, especially the very special people in my life. Good people and new beginnings. Oh, what a wonderful year!

Dreadmills

2010-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Workout: 5 miles OUTSIDE. UNDER 1 HOUR. WOOT!!!!! Last time I ran this route I decided it was time to go to the doctor because it felt like I had a metatarsal stress fracture. Luckily, I just have jacked up hooves and nothing was broken. Five pain free miles today, I am so stinkin' excited!

Last night I was soooo excited about my blog award I did an extra 20 on the elliptical after my 30 on the dreadmill. Thats minutes, not miles in case you are confused. Forgot my headphones, so I had to make up the dialog for the TV in my head, which actually made the time fly by. And, it led me to start my top 5 ways to make dreadmill less dreadful:

Source (Check Mark Parisi out, he has some funny stuff!)

* Watch TV without the sound on and make up the dialog as you go along. I imagine this works really well if you have a gym buddy and you can roll play. Especially if your gym gets Univision. I am sure the people on the dreadmills around you will not be annoyed or offended by this in any way shape or form.

* Pick a ridiculously hard workout what is broken into intervals. That way, as you are cursing the dreadmill's existence, you know you have only 30 more seconds of 8 mph pace and 7.0 incline. People will be really impressed with your 4 letter vocabulary, as well as with how fast your legs can move on an impossible incline (note: don't try this with wet shoes... you will fall off the dreadmill).

* Run when there are super macho guys on the weight machines right next to the dreadmills. I use the gym at my apartment complex, and it is pretty small, so this is not difficult. The harder you run, the harder they have to grunt and increase their weights/rep so they can keep up with you. If you can get past how gross it is to hear guttural grunting and moaning from someone you don't know, it is extremely entertaining to mess around with these types. There is this guy who every time I increase my pace or incline, he grunts a little louder. It sounds like he is trying to pinch one off. One time there was another woman in the gym with me and we could barely contain out laughter as this was happening.

* Run like you are rocky. And get really into it. Shadow box like you are in the fight of your life. Maybe say the names of co-workers, ex boyfriends, or neighbors who you would love to sock it to them. If you are alone, it will entertain you until your arms get tired. If there are people around, they will be entertained/frighten of you, which is awesome. They will probably wish they were your friend. And, you will be working your upper body and core. Sweet.

* Run when there are other people around. They you can eavesdrop on their conversations. I used to feel bad at first for doing this, but when I realized that most the time these people are gossiping about other people at the gym, I felt entitled to listen. For instance, these neighbors (and older couple) hired a physical trainer to come in and do session in the common gym. Thats cool. But the trainer was super loud and the people were super awkward, it took everything not to stare (and not join in, she had an awesome routine). Once they left, the other two ladies on the dreadmills next to me went off about how annoying it was to have that super perky lady in there. They didn't realize she was the personal trainer, just a super perky red head, so they pretty much came across like idiots. So entertaining.

Ok, I am a shallow, insecure person who gets joy from making others uncomfortable and laughing at the idiocy of those around me. But I assure you, I am not the type to pass gas in an elevator or intentionally trip a stranger for a good laugh. I think people are amusing enough to make me laugh without being provoked. The grunting guy was something I just accidently stumbled upon and has been a gem ever since. And to be honest, I haven't done the rocky in front of people because I am a pansy, but I will do it when I am alone. Tomorrow I am probably just going to work on form on the dreadmill. The way my feet were just flopping around on the pavement this morning was pitiful. I probably looked like Pinnochio.

On a final note, the Bachelor starts January 3rd. So stoked for the new season and the snarky recaps at Daydream Believer. JF said he would watch with me as long as it isn't The Bachelorette. Something about not wanting to watch a bunch of guys go after one girl. If I didn't get to just make fun of the girls on the Bachelor, I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to watch it either. without the humor, that show makes me feel super insecure. Little does JF know, I am pretty much basing our Tahiti trip on the season finale of The Bachelorette (well, he probably knows now because I am pretty sure he reads this). If I don't swim with sting rays, I might throw a huge fit. Maybe I am going to have to school him on the Ali season. Is that on Netflix yet? Is this too much pressure on a guy? Lol. I mean, I missed the season finale because he came over with a bottle wine to hang out, and I couldn't say no. I was going to apply to be on the Bachelor before I got my job in Napa. I totally thought I could be the next Ali. I'm just saying..... Tahiti better be all I am building it up to be. I know, I am totally unreasonable and delusion :)

O-M-G!!!!!!!

2010-12-20T19:46:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been good progress getting back into the swing of things. I still need to get gel inserts, but since mileage is low still I don't feel any rush to visit Dr. Schols. 2 miles on the dreadmill Thursday, 30 minutes on the elliptical Friday and today, and hopefully 3 miles tonight once I get done with this post. I can't wait for it to stop raining so I can start building miles again...I just can't do more than 30 minutes on the dreadmill... it is sooooo boring! Maybe my next post will devoted to researching the top 10 things to make the dreadmill less boring, lol.

So, guess who wasn't going to run tonight because she is cold, it is raining, and the dreadmill sucks? Me. But then I got a Blogger Award from Jes at Self Motivation , so I have to go back into the cold so I can keep up my good progress ;) Thanks Jes for kicking my butt and helping me keep my eyes on the prize!

Now, there is little about me that is stylish. I wear jeans, t-shirts, and Chuck Taylors. My boyfriend's furniture matches better than mine. To give myself some credit, I am getting my hair done tomorrow, which makes me look more stylish than I really am for a couple weeks. I am just style challenged. But I admire people with style, so that must count towards something as well.

I have been told I do write with style. In fact, I have been told my writing is identical to the way I talk. And sometimes I do have a way with words. So when my blog is whiny, can you imagine how whiny I must be in real life. Be thankful you don't live with me. But enough of me justifying an award I have already won. The deets of the award:

The Award’s Rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award.

Tell 7 facts about yourself.

Give the award to 7 bloggers you just love.

Leave the 7 bloggers a comment telling them they won.

So, it is kinda like a blog version of a chain letter. Except it doesn't make you mad because it is an award and it doesn't threaten to ruin your life if you don't pass it on. I am not sure if 7 people even allow me to stalk follow their blogs, so hopefully my first child won't be cursed if I can only pass it on to 6.

7 Things About Me:

I have really weird and awkward anxieties. Like, I hate to say positive things about myself without following them up with something negative. How annoying is that! I think they call it low self-esteem....I call it breaking yourself down so people feel too awkward to say mean things to you. Lol.

I love to read. Nothing is more relaxing than a good book. My love overflows into book hoarding. I feel like if I get rid of a book I am also getting rid of the story. Physical possession of the book means I still have the knowledge. Not sure where I picked up this delusion. No one else in my family does this. Or reads as much I do. Maybe one day i'll have to bee one of those tragic ladies on TLC where they have to save her from here own self-destructive book hoarding behavior.

I sincerely believe that there is nothing I can't learn or do, besides learning a foreign language. I have a cocky confidence that I could learn any job and probably do it better than anyone else. I think that is how I ended up being a high school Math teacher, even though I studied to be an elementary school teacher and have a Religious Studies degree. That's also how I ended up a runner... someone once told me I would probably never be able to run a marathon because I was not an athlete. WHO IS THE REAL ATHLETE NOW MY FRIEND?!?!?!?!?! BOOYAH!!!!!! As for the foreign language thing, I think I lost that part of my brain when I got that concussion in college. Just slammed it right out of the ol' noggin.

I've always been fascinated by religion but in the last 10 years have really struggled to find a faith/faith community that speaks to me. Our spare bedroom is full of books on nearly every religion. I love bits and pieces of them all. Recently I have been feeling the tug to re-explore spirituality but have been too stressed to deal with it. I think it is important to raise children with some religious guidance. Faith communities can do a lot to help families raise morally sound children, and I really want to provide the sanctuary and structure of religion to my family. Not that I am in the family way, married, or even engaged...

I love to cook and I love to eat. Someday I want to sell my ice cream and food at a farmer's market or something just for fun. Not to make money, but just to see people enjoy the food I can make. I love watching people eat what I have made. Nothing is more satisfying that preparing an excellent meal for people that you love. Favorite recipes: Crab Rangoon and Lemon Sorbet (not together, of course). I can send them to you if you want em!

I have crazy vivid dreams. They can ruin my day if I wake up and I have trouble separating dream from reality. They often make me mad, sad, or make me scared, and sometimes I get really upset with people for things they do in my dreams, even though they didn't really happen. I dream often and usually multiple times a night. I typically can remember them in a ridiculous amount of detail and remember them for many years after they happen.

I hate to be alone, yet I am not a very social person. I was so bored today on my first day of winter vacation because I didn't have anyone to talk with until JF came home from work. Really hard coming down from seeing some of my favorite people thins weekend an being super social. It will help to be home and be around family. I am already making a list of things to talk about with my new hairdresser tomorrow so I can fulfill my social cravings. And, JF is taking me to Mustards tomorrow, which is supposed to be way yummy, so I have that to look forward to as well. I think teaching is good for me because I get to interact with so many different people through the course of the day while regulating how social I want to be.

So, enough about me. Time to pass this sweet award on to some deserving bloggers. Here are some ladies who's writing style and sense of humor I just adore. I highly recommend you check them out!

Beth at Shut Up And Run: She has like a million of these things, so this is probably just another drop in her bucket of awesomeness. She is inspiring as an athlete, offensive in the funniest of ways, and just a good hearted person. Her blog always raises my spirits (but sometimes turns my stomach) and has inspired the shirts for a friend's Bachelorette Party in Vegas this year (Pussy Posse 2011). Yay Beth!

Devon at Love Notes: Devon just started blogging (maybe this week?) but I know her blog is going to be fabulous. She has a beautiful family, a great sense of humor, and tells it like it is. She might just be the cutest military mom you'll ever read. I hope this encourages her to keep blogging!

Skinny Runner: This is, by definition, what a stylish running blog is. I pretty much want to be her and plan on race stalking her if I ever move back to Southern California. I am pretty sure she has a ton of blogging awards as well because she is fabulous.

Raquel at Nelepovitz Family: Raquel (aka bestie) is the most stylish person I know, and she can do it on a dime. I can't wait till that little bun pops out of the oven because she is going to post some awesome DIY baby stuff. And, she pretty much is the one that got me into blogging.

Joanna at Joanna Runs: Another one of the people who found me randomly and still follows my blog, even through the darkest times. She is funny. I am not. She is such a great follower because she leaves the best messages and is so encouraging. I stole the term "dreadmill" from her, which I plan to overuse as much as possible until spring.

Jamie at Daydream Believer: I love her new(ish) custom blog and think she is at her best when doing the weekly review of The Bachelorette, which is my guilty pleasure and why I started following her in the first place. Super cute, super funny.

Getting back into the swing of things

2010-12-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Now that the semester is winding down, I am finally regaining control of my life, albeit a temporary return of control. Today I did a short run on my favorite treadmill (NOT!!!) but was proud of myself for getting my fitness on. 20 minutes at 5.5 mph (I know, underwhelming right?). It was more about getting out than how many miles I got in. I am hoping to get some miles in this weekend and next week as well.

Work has destroyed my training over the last 3 months. The obscene amount of stress I am going through is sucking the life and humor out of me. I remember being a light hearted, playful person. Now I feel like I am turning into a tired, whiny, back down the chubby road person. I realized today this is on of those moments where I need to regain control now or I will slip into a nasty spiral and won't come back until I hit rock bottom. Like 2005-2008.

So, my solution is to restart my training calendar and put it in a place where I will see it every day. I am going to eat more salads and vegetables. I need to figure out a way to curb emotional eating (which I am doing way too much of now). I am planning ahead for next semester (I am nearly done planning my units for January!) so maybe I can wake up early/get home from work earlier to go to the gym and get my mileage back up. It is a vicious cycle: Life gets busy so you have less time to run, then you have less energy because you are not running, which makes it even harder to get out and run. If I could only figure out how to balance everything so the stress never gets the chance to take over. I'd feel better about myself, manage stress better, and be an overall happier person. If I put on all the weight I have lost over the past 2 years, I am NEVER going to forgive myself. That might be the biggest disappointment ever.

As the year winds down, I am practicing the new habit I am going to make in the new year. Let's hope for more blogging, more funny stories, and hard bod for Tahiti. I've done it before and now it's time to convince myself I can do it again!

Pain Free is the Way to Be!

2010-12-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

2 miles this morning, no pain. First run since the doctor's visit 2 weeks ago. I will say, I am very pleased. Now to get some cushy inserts for my new shoes. I am so relieved that the stress of injury is gone. Now I just have to find the patience to build mileage gradually and not mess up the ol' hoof again.

Today I went to register for the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon... and at the check out, it ended up costing over $130. For a half marathon. Thats more than it cost to run the Nike Women's Marathon in SF, and that included a Tiffany's necklace, tech shirt, backpack, and reusable bag. Needless to say, we are scratching that overpriced half marathon off the list. I am thinking about replacing it with the Moonlight half Marathon in Davis...It might be run to run at night with a bunch of other glowstick-clad runners.

Running is supposed to be a cheap sport. But racing is a whole other beast. Between the money I spend on shoes so I don't have foot problems, gels and chews to fuel myself on long runs, and registration fees, This is turning out to be just as expensive as any other sport. I say cut the frills and make races cheaper.... and start by cutting the shirts to cut costs. I have never gotten a race shirt that I actually liked. Even a tech one.

Gravy Pooch

2010-11-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Guys make it so hard to get in shape/stay in shape. I need no encouragement when it comes to putting down a Chipotle burrito or a superstar with cheese. At the holidays, my idea of helping clear the table is to sit after everyone has left and keep eating until every serving dish is empty. After holidays with the fam, I usually need to do a gravy detox to wean myself off of the 3 gravy meals a day habit I pick up courtesy of my loving family. It nearly killed me yesterday to order the boring BBQ chicken sandwich at Carls (380 calories, 7 grams of fat) when the BF (not to be confused with the bestie...I don't think she would torture me like this) orders a double bacon western cheeseburger (962 calories, 52 grams of fat). How is it that men just don't store fat like women do? I had burger envy like whoa. At least he shared some of his fries. Way to be a pal....

So, per doctor's orders, I am on low impact cross training until next Monday, when I am allowed to run a whopping 2 miles. This. Is. Killing. Me. I have no idea how runners do even crazier things like water running. So boring. This morning I did 30 on the elliptical and 15 doing arm/back weights. I will say, I am very happy that I don't have to use the Superfeet insoles. They just felt weird.

Also, no more Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks. They really need to stop putting crack in them. And no more impulse buys at the supermarket. How the hell do I come home with Bolani and Afghani spread, crab and brie mac and cheese, and a dark porter stout. No one runs enough to justify that dinner.

Doctor's Orders

2010-11-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

It is almost worth it to have my first first running injury because I love it when the doctor refers to me as a marathoner. I had to hold back my giddiness every time he said it, especially since he is a big marathon director and all. So, now that I am an official Marathoner (tee hee), I have to deal with my first real injuries. After a few x-rays, poking, and prodding I got the good news: No stress fractures!!!!!! After researching my injuries on the internets, of course I self diagnosed my painfully swollen foot and decided my course of treatment before I even set foot in his office. The problem may likely be a combination of my super high arches and my Superfeet inserts, as well as the fact I have a nasty bunion that is putting the joint of my first metatarsal all out of alignment. Thank goodness my doctor and the podiatrist he consulted are both runners. They understand that foot surgery is going to take me out of the race for possibly a year, crushing all my dreams to set new PR's in 2011.

So, the plan is to rest, do low impact training for 2 weeks (he suggested biking), and try a SHORT run to see if I am pain-free. He really emphasized that the key to recovery is patience and not logging log runs before I am all healed. So 2-3 mile runs 3 times a week after my first pain-free run on a rubberized track, minimize running on hard surfaces (i.e. cambered asphalt roads), and then gradual build up a few weeks after that. He says february is going to be too soon to run a half (boo), and that I need to run less races next year unless I want to be on the injured list forever.

So, after much consideration of the doctor's advice, here is the first draft of the 2011-2012 race calendar:

Davis Stampede 10k February 6, 2011

Loop the Lagoon (Vacaville) 5k April 30, 2011

Windsor Half Marathon May 22, 2011

Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon July 17, 2011

American Canyon 10k August 8, 2011

Nike Women's Marathon (SF) October 16, 2011

Walnut Creek Half Marathon December 10, 2011

Bidwell Classic Half Marathon (Chico, CA) February 4, 2012

Napa Valley Marathon March 4, 2012

Cool Running

2010-11-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

Although it technically isn't winter, it is officially "California Winter" because I had to get out the fleece lined leggings for this morning little run through the vineyards. No, California winter is nothing like winter in other parts of the country. And that is one of the many reason I had to move back. Seriously, who likes running in the snow? I sure as heck didn't!

"California winter" just means cool weather running, which isn't that bad besides the added bulk of fleece lined leggings and windbreakers. I hate running in layers. In fact, I hate running with clothes on. If I was a dude, I would run naked, or maybe just with a tiny sling on to hold the little guys in place. As soon as I get my Tahiti body, I plan on running as close to naked as possible. Keep your children at home, folks, Pull the shades, cover their eyes.

Another debut today is the Tahiti diet. Thats right folks, I am going to French Polynesia in June to celebrate my survival as a first year teacher and live my dream of being Ali from the Bachelorette, swimming with the manta rays. Because I want my photos to look like a bangin' Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition photo shoot (see photo right), I have a lot to do in the next 6 months. Luckily, my other goal of setting new PRs for 5k/10k/half/full marathon coincides with my goal to look like a swimsuit model, so I am just goign to run my little heart out in 2011! Except, lets be realistic, I will never look like this chick because I love to eat. I am probably going to buy a bag of cheetos puffs after this blog to reward myself for my run and not buying them last night after drinking a couple beers (the other reason I will never look like her...although at that size, you probably only need one beer to do the trick...hmmmm)

My goal this week is to get a race schedule planned for 2011. I think I want to run 1-2 marathons (if they are close and I can get the dates to work out), 2-3 half marathons, 3-4 10k races and a 5k or two. Ambitious, I know! Is anyone running any races in California? Have any recommendations? I'd like to do some smaller races this year and I am going to try to do most in Northern California but might venture to southern california for a spring break/summer run. So far it looks like SF NWM in October again (this year I am going to run the whole thing... no knee problems!) and the SF Kaiser Half Marathon February 6th. It is time to start whittling away at my times so I can qualify for Boston some time before I die! Give your races, your dates, and maybe we can run together!

New Shoes!!!!

2010-11-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up my fabulous, beautiful new shoes from overpriced running shoe store. These babies better feel like I am running on clouds, because they set a new bar for money spent on a pair of shoes. Justification: money spent on good shoes is money saved in injury prevention. The man I marry some day better believe that, or I am totally going to be screwed when it comes to buying new shoes! If I ever have to choose between new purse or shoes, I am going to be torn. I still can't believe my coach purse cost less than my Brooks. Yikes.

There is something about new gear that makes you want to get out there and run. If I didn't need an inhaler right now to do any slight physical activity, I would be logging 13 miles instead of whining about bronchitis in my blog. Heck, I can't even get excited or it hurts to breathe. No fun at all. Still, I can't wait to try out my new kicks, and I can't wait to start training for something. I feel so gross since the marathon and feel myself quickly going out of shape. I need to figure out how to get back to a 4 day a week training schedule. Sundays are good for long runs, but running during the week has turned out to be impossible with the time change. Looks like I am going to have to log miles on the treadmill and elliptical. I also tried to get started on P90X but looks like that is going to take a back seat to Reactive Airways Disease (which is apparently what I have in addition to bronchitis). Boo. Oh, how I am looking forward to the holiday breaks so I can resume my morning runs.

Looking forward to the holidays, I am investigating GPS running watch thingies. I want something to track my run and help me log my times and splits, as well as maybe support interval training. I still can't believe how expensive these little suckers are, but I am totally lusting over GPS run devices. Anyone have any input/advice? Right now I am looking into the Garmin Forerunner series, trying to keep the price under $200.

The one good thing about bronchitis? You don't need an excuse to take naps throughout the day. Doing laundry isn't so bad when you take naps between dryer cycles!

Verdict: New Shoes ASAP

2010-10-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

When I bought my Saucony's to motivate my marathon training, the saleslady predicted that I would need a new pair shortly after the marathon. Boy, was she right! I think the shows were probably shot going into the marathon, which might be why I was having so many knee/foot problems during the race. Today on my first post-marathon run, I got a blister in the same stinkin' place (arch of the foot) and had this crazy pain in my foot, which turned into a shin splint, which turned into an achy breaky knee.

Needless to say, it was enough to motivate me to hustle over to the overpriced running shoe store for a new pair of kicks. I think my next pair is going to be Brooks Glycerin 8, which pretty much felt like running on clouds. I am pretty stoked for them to come in next week!

It felt really good to get out there and run, even though everything was so freakin tight and I had to stop 3 times to stretch out. I proudly logged 7.25 miles and I am super motivated to get back on a training schedule and start setting some new PR's. I think 2011 I am going to set new PR's for EVERYTHING!!!! That will mean running a 5k, 10k, half, and full. Very very excited.

It was a beautiful morning. It has been raining for the past few days and the sun finally came out this morning right before my run. Running past the vineyards was amazing. The vines were still covered in raindrops, which reflected the sun like crystals. It was one of those moments that is so pretty, your brain makes a mental snapshot and you know you will remember that moment forever. Everything was so clean and crisp, and I even got a little sun. Although I was little achy breaky, it was a fantastic run.

I am still struggling with whether or not I should register for the Napa Valley Marathon. I know I will be able to set a new marathon PR because the course is easier and I am familiar with it. I really really want to sign up for a race so I can motivate myself to get on a training schedule. I need to make a decision by the end of November so I can have 3 solid months of training. But the month of the marathon is going to be insanely busy, I am afraid I am going to slack on my training and have some of the same mistakes as the Nike Women's Marathon. I am also kinda sad that I haven't been able to convince anyone to run with me. I can't imagine running without someone to talk to. Fellow marathoners, how do you do it? Maybe I can make a marathon friend between now and then...

I am already craving another marathon like whoa. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have created a running monster.

Dying to Run

2010-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, I have been reading that post marathon, you need to take 4 weeks to get back into training shape, the first week being little to no running at all, and then gradually building up to long runs on the fourth week. Last week was supposed to be lots of rest and some very light weight/cross training. This week I can start with some very short jogs... like 10 minutes on the treadmill.

After the marathon, when I could barely use the toilet my legs were so far from proper function, I didn't think I would want to be back hitting the pavement. But boy how I want to get out there an log some miles. It is going to take EVERYTHING to keep myself from taking a nice 7 mile run tomorrow. And unless I have unforeseen long term damage to my knee as a result of the marathon, I think I am really going to set some new personal bests in the future. I can't wait to run my next race!

So fellow marathoners... how do you recover after a marathon?

Bucket Lists

2010-10-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

The other night I started compiling my bucket list. Back in 2008, I told myself I would run a marathon some time before I die. Only 2 and a half years later, I made that dream a reality, and this has me thinking about other things I could put my mind to and experience sooner than later. Although I have some things down, I know I am forgetting a ton of stuff I swore I would do sometime in my life. Opening up my backpacker magazine reminded me that I wanted to hike the Narrows in Zion National Park, so I added it to my list. So, I ask you, what is on your bucket list? What do you feel you need to do before you die so you can leave this world satisfied, knowing you lived life well? So far my themes have been travel, athletic accomplishments, family/personal goals, property/things, and events. Do you have different themes on your list? What things on your lists have you already accomplished?

In the next couple weeks, I am thinking about posting my list. I want to get it up to 101 or some other fun number so I can give it a kitchy title like "101 things to before I am dead". So far I can only think of 20 things, and I can't decide if that means I am a blank slate/free spirit or if I just don't expect more out of life. Help inspire me!

I'm back!

2010-10-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

It has been 6 weeks since my last blog post. Yikes! I went back to read some old blog posts, and I can't believe I went MIA for so long. Once training went down the toilet due to the new job, grad school, and travel, I was too ashamed to show my face around these parts. But now I have something I am super stoked to brag blog about...MY FIRST MARATHON FINISH!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. After 5 hours 51 minutes and 46 seconds of joy that faded into excruciating pain, I managed to drag my sad sad body over the finish line. And I am so excited to do it again!!!!

Despite the rain and my poor month of training leading up to the marathon, I was pretty impressed with myself. It took me a lot longer to finish than I expected (I was shooting for 5:15-5:30), and I wasn't anticipating having to power walk 4 miles between miles 18 and 22 (although I did jog small amounts during that stretch) due to shooting pains in my knees. The hills were no problem. Training on Atlas Peak was a smart move in September and I am really glad I logged a thousand foot elevation gain. I know that if I can be better motivated to stick to a training schedule, I can drastically reduce my finish time.

I couldn't have done it without my support people. Seeing people who care about you along the route is so energizing and motivating, I don't think they truly realize how much a difference it makes. My mom was an angel for replenishing my gatorade so I could avoid the crowds at the refreshment stations, stowing rain gear, fueling me before and after the race, and enduring a flawed shuttle system and cold rain. Mike and Raquel put themselves at the perfect place in the race, the part where I was starting to really struggle to enjoy myself (miles 18-21), and found me after to make sure I didn't die. And Jeff really impressed the heck out of me by being by my side for the second half of the race, on bike and 6 miles on foot. He ran and power-walked beside me up hills and around the lake to make sure that I didn't get down and angry. What an amazing man. He was there when I started to feel pain unlike anything I have ever experienced while running and helped me get through it so I could get over the finish line.

What Went Well:

* Power-glide is amazing, and NOT optional. I had absolutely no chafing and only 1 real blister, despite running 13 miles in soaking wet shoes.
* I managed my fuel/water consumption beautifully. I never felt out of energy (in fact, I was so pumped during so parts I thought I would explode.
* Margarita shot blocks are a must have. 3x sodium cramp busters worked to get rid of cramps immediately, I was really really impressed.
* I didn't use my ipod once. Good company is so much better than good music (Thanks Jeff and Denise!)
* Lucky jacket came in handy and did a great job of keeping me warm when the rain really started coming down. I can't wait until I actually get to run Boston one day!
* Hill training is critical. Do bigger hills than your race requires. Then it just feels like a walk in the park.

Things To Learn From:

* Don't stop training. Log at least 21 training miles. Adrenaline only really carried me the last 4 miles.
* Put Power-glide EVERYWHERE. Cover your entire foot. Just in case.

New Training Goals:

* Short Term: Run another marathon. I am so excited to reduce my time. I am thinking about running the Napa Valley Marathon in March. I could get some good training in over the holidays, and it would be an excellent way to celebrate completing my Master's Degree the day before! Yay! Best part is, the marathon ends at my school, so I can just keep stuff in my classroom for after the race. I have until December to make up my mind :)
* Longer Term: Improve my half marathon time. I really want to get it down to 2:00:00, but I don't think I am going to met my goal of getting down that low before the end of the year. Maybe if it was on a really flat course. Hmmm.
* Really Long Term: Qualify for the Boston Marathon. Volunteering for the Boston Marathon is what inspired me to complete a marathon. I never thought I would complete that goal so soon in my life. I want to take it back to where it all started. I know I can make it up heartbreak hill. I know I can finish that race. And someday, I WILL. All it takes is a 3:40 qualifying time :)

The countdown begins...

2010-09-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Exactly 6 weeks from today, I am supposedly running 26.2 miles. Last weekend I could only muster 7 because I felt like I was getting sick, and this weekend I am definitely sick, sleeping all day and feeling too lethargic to do anything productive. Obviously, this is the point in my training where I start freaking out.

How I am going to gain 10 more miles in training is beyond me. I am at least thankful I've gotten some good hill training in. I know I am built for hills. But am I built to go the distance? I don't think we will know until race day. The new teaching job has me working 12-14 hour days, running on barely enough sleep to function, and infinitely exhausted. This was the first week I did NOTHING for training... not even weights or elliptical.

Some people might say to just skip this race and play in safe. But $120 registration fee, a sexy firefighter wearing a tuxedo waiting for me at the finish line with a Tiffany's necklace, and free chocolate and socks along the way, well, I am not going to give all that up. I've told too many people. The expectations to finish are so high. I want to prove to myself that I can do this. That I can be an athlete. But seriously, I am starting to get a little scared about what the outcomes might be!

Monumental Turning Points

2010-08-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

When you build a fortress to protect yourself from the heartache others have caused you, you tend to block EVERYBODY out. Once again Mom, you were right. I thought I was being independent, doing right by myself in efforts to make sure I would never have to depend on a man for anything. Men can't be depended on anyway, right? I couldn't see that I was setting up my life to have to do things alone.

Historically, I have never been one for teamwork. I hold true to the mantra "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." So if I really want to transition into the next phase of life, to find someone to spend the rest of my days with and start a family with, I suppose today is the day I am going to have to learn to be a team player. Folks, this is not going to be easy.

Aren't relationships about sharing and doing this as partners, together? Not just watching someone achieve their dreams and hoping that they mesh well with your own achievements? I am quite positive there is no good man who wants to sit back and watch as I buy my own house and plan my own trips while he just tags along. A good man will want to buy a house with me, plan trips with me. My problem? I haven't been properly schooled in what a man who is good for me looks like.