Let's try this again...

2 years off. No marathons, only causal running. And now I'm back :)

The marathon has always been a lifeline for me. When times get tough, training gives me focus, determination, progress, and results. Long runs turn my mind outward in. There is something to be said about the meditative powers of two and three hour runs. Thoughts tumble around in your head, worries and anxieties slowly grind away until you get to the polished kernel of truth in the matter. 

A lot has changed in the past few years. I learned what real love feels like. I learned a lot about the meaning of unconditional, and what it means to love someone as they are and not who you want them to become. I know what it takes to raise a family. I know about losing people, and moving forward without moving on. I always worried I didn't have it in me to love with everything. Life is amazing, how you can always expand your body, heart and mind to places you never dreamed possible.

I'm excited to recreate this blog to represent more of the things I love. Cooking and running have always been passions of mine that I love to share with whoever will listen. As I mature as a teacher, I have more ideas an successes I want to share with others, and the wisdom to know the difference between ranting and reflecting. And Zen Meditation has become a big part of how I navigate each day, trying to become a better version of myself. Moving forward, I want to the blog to incorporate all these things. 

So what have I been up to? Marathon training, of course! Santa Barbara is in 14 days and I'll immediately start training for Napa Valley Marathon a week after. I'm much faster than I was 2 years ago and I've got my fingers crossed for a BIG PR :) Every time I lace up my shoes I'm getting one step closer to Boston. Now that my taper starts, I'll have a lot more time on my hands to blog ;)

I'm also teaching Geometry & the Math exit exam course, and I am trying out a lot of new ideas and materials that I am eager to share. Hopefully I can figure out some labeling system to help sort this all out on the blog. I'm very open to suggestions, please share ideas!

Tomorrow I will hopefully make some homemade tomato sauce... I will be sharing more of my culinary adventures as well!

Really Big Free Marathon

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!

Same thing, different year

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.

Boston in Pictures

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

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!

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

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

"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!

Welcome to my big, fat pity party

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

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!)

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

100th post: February Recap

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

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!

8 Weeks Until Boston

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!

Things Just Got Serious

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? ;)

New Year, New Goals

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!

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!

Verdict: New Shoes ASAP

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

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?