Race Weekend

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.

Pain Free is the Way to Be!

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.

Doctor's Orders

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

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!

I'm back!

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 :)

Good Things: Friends, Goals, and Positive Attitudes

Today just feels better. Maybe the allergies have called down or I have found a better medication. Good things coming up: Loop the Lagoon 5k with the bestie, 10 miles of marathon training with my team member (maybe we can come up with a team name or even a moto!), my University of Phoenix class is done, and more time with bf now he is a proud city dweller.

I am inspired by the bestie's Friday I am thankful posts. Maybe this will be the first of many Friday "Good Things" posts for me. It might bring some good juju to get in a postitive frame of mind.

Goal for the upcoming week: Happy, Positive Thoughts. Maybe even no complaining (or maybe just less complaining... lol).