Grateful Mama

To Half-Iron or not to Half Iron?

2013-06-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today the registration opens for the Ironman 70.3 California Oceanside. After I completed my first (and so far, only) half-ironman (HIM) event last September, Superfrog, I had set my sights to do this Ironman-branded event in 2014. Of course, my best friend, who was at the finish line at Superfrog, keeps reminding me that as soon as I crossed the finish line I said "never again". But soon after, I was hungry for more. I have no interest at all in ever doing a full Ironman, but at the time I really wanted to try another HIM.

Why? Well, although the event was one of the hardest things I have ever done, the sense of pride I felt was unbeatable. More than that, I loved the training, and how fit I felt during it. The sense that that I was so dedicated to my training, and making progress toward accomplishing such a big goal, was intoxicating to me. I thought nothing of getting up early on weekends to get my long rides and runs in. It felt GOOD. I knew that regardless of my finish time, I had done the necessary training and would be proud of how I performed. And I was proud of how I finished; I had felt strong on the swim and bike, and the run sucked the life out of me. But I finished, and received my medal, and was able to get my finisher's t-shirt, and will forever be a half-ironman, even if that is the only one I ever do. Just like I did my one and only full marathon in 2003---I am a marathoner. No one can ever take that away from me.

However, my motivation dropped soon after Superfrog. Not that I lost my drive to work out, but life got in the way. Just 2 weeks after completing the 70.3, my daughter broke her neck. My life got put on hold. I was able to squeeze in a few short swims and short runs, but that was it. That was mostly for stress release. I had NO time to do a long swim, long run, or get on the bike at all. I quickly lost whatever long endurance I had, but it was ok....family always comes first, and my daughter needed me. Two weeks in the hospital, and then home with a halo screwed to her head---that was my priority.

After a while, I was able to start training again. I got back in the pool on a more regular basis, amped up my runs for my plethora of half marathons I had on the 2013 docket (I did 3 half marathons in January alone!) and started biking again. The bike was my big focus, as I was training for my first century ride in June. I didn't get to go out as often as I would have liked, but I did go out a lot, and conquered hills I NEVER would have considered attempting had I not been signed up for the century ride. I was so proud of myself and knew if I could get through the century, I would be able to handle the hills in the Ironman Oceanside 70.3 event.

All things came to a head at the end of April. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know I had to stop running and biking in April. The injury (sciatic nerve) that I've felt during almost every run, and some bike rides, since November 2011, the pain that I've stupidly kept training through, came to a head. I did the La Jolla Half Marathon and was in pain the entire way. During that race, I made the decision not to run again until I was healed; the pain had become so intense that it wasn't fun anymore. And running is supposed to be fun. I've been seeing a chiropractor and going to physical therapy. I'm in the process of trying to schedule an MRI. We think it's a disc issue, compression at L5/S1, but we want to make sure. I just got clearance this week to try running again, but not for more than 1-2 miles. I need to work on my form, which isn't great and contributing to the problem. I'm trying. I ran my first mile last night and was in pain. Not awful pain, but pain nonetheless.

Which brings me to today.

I have to consider....do I really want to do another 70.3 anyway? What's wrong with sticking with sprint triathlons, or even another Olympic? The truth is, I don't LOVE triathlons. What I really enjoy is the training I do for them. When I'm doing the races, I have fun, and am always proud of myself, but I don't look forward to them the way I look forward to my running races. But...I think I have one more 70.3 in me. I really think I'd like to do at least one more.

Hence, my dilemma. I can't, in good conscience, register for the Oceanside HIM today. It's $310, which is a lot of money. If I am not healed enough in time to train properly, I can't do the race, will lose an awful lot of money. So I am holding tight until I'm better. By that time, the race may be sold out, which is the risk I need to take. I guess I can always do Oceanside in 2015, or even Superfrog again in 2014 if I want. I am also looking at other locations....like the Soma 70.3 in Arizona next October. One thing I've learned from this injury, and having to cancel events I've signed up for like the century and an aquathlon, is that there is always another race to do. The important thing right now is to heal properly. I'm in this for the long haul, and want to be able to run for decades to come.

So today, when triathletes all over the world are hitting the register button for Oceanside, I will stay off the computer. Time will tell which, if any, 70.3 I sign up for in the future.

Patriots Run 5k Race Recap

2013-05-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I participated in a 5k, the 2nd annual Patriots Run. I actually participated with my whole family. Originally, I had planned to run the 5k with my son, D. My husband, J, was going to walk with our daughter, A---he would push her in the jogging stroller. Up until about a month ago, I had been going on some training runs with D. I love running 5ks with him, but he doesn't yet have the endurance to go the whole way without complaining. I signed us up for this race because I wanted him to actually train for a race for once. As a bonus, all finishers received medals, which is rare for 5ks. With my injury, I decided to still participate in the race, but to switch places with my husband.

The race took place at Lake Murray, a local lake I'd never been to before. I have to say, it was very nice and I would like to go back and run it once I'm healed. The 5k started at 8:15, so we were out the door by 7:00---no small feat for us, being the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend! Once at the lake, we easily checked in and got our bibs. No t-shirts for this no-frills race, but I was happy it was chip-timed and that we would get medals. So many people were dressed in red, white and blue---including my own kids. I myself wore my new Boston Wicked Strong tank top from Raw Threads; I got this in the mail a few weeks ago, but as I'm not running yet I hadn't had a chance to wear it. We listened to an amazing rendition of the national anthem--one of the best I've ever heard--and, after the 10kers left, it was our turn.

Now, I am not a walker, and was not sure how I'd do walking 3.1 miles. I get bored with walking easily, and while I normally would have used my iPod to pass the time, I didn't bring it because I wanted to be able to talk to my daughter. As it turned out, the time passed pretty quickly. I was so proud of A, as she walked quite a bit of the race. She has a hard time walking far. Between her low muscle tone and her lack of semicircular canals, which causes major balance issues, I was prepared to push her the entire way. But she would walk for a while, then tell me she wanted a ride, then after while she'd have me stop so she could walk again. She was a rock star! It was an out-and-back, so it was fun to see J and D running past us after the turn-around.

The course was well supported, with one water station the 5kers hit twice (I can't speak for the aid on the 10k course) and a well-marked sign for the 5kers to turn around. Once the finish line was in sight, I made A get out of the stroller so she could "run" it in. I told her, "go get it, A!" and she replied "go get it, Mama!" That's my girl! She determinedly strode over the finish line, so proud of herself. My personal goal was to get in under an hour, which we did, even with the multiple stops for her to get in and out of the stroller and her slow walking. Yay!

After we crossed the finish line, not only were were given medals, but also American flags! This is a very cool, very patriotic race to do. I see there is another race in this series in August, which I'll look into if I'm healed. It was a fun family activity, and a great way to kick off Memorial Day weekend! For me, though, the best part was simply participating. Even though I wasn't running, it felt good to pin a bib on my shirt and soak in the atmosphere of the runners around me. I can't wait until I'm back running with them.

I Miss Running

2013-05-24T14:42:00.002-07:00

I miss running.

This Sunday will mark four weeks since my last run, when I ran (or hobbled) the La Jolla Half Marathon. I wish I could report that I am feeling better by now, but unfortunately I have had no improvement at all.

As I wrote in my last post, I had been seeing a chiropractor for the intense pains in my glute and leg that I'd been having for a year and a half. They (it was a husband/wife team) were convinced it was my hamstrings, and that by stretching and chiropractic treatment I would heal. The truth is, my hamstrings ARE inflamed and sore and hurting, but I always felt it was more. I wrote in numerous blog posts over the the last year and a half, in most of my race recaps, that my sciatic nerve hurt----because that's what it felt like, more nerve than muscle.

I ended up getting a second opinion by a chiropractor highly recommended to my by several running friends. This man is a running specialist who has worked magic in every single person I talked to in just a few sessions. He told me he gets 90 new referrals a month; he's very in demand. Of course, I have to be a special case as we are still trying to figure out what's wrong. I've seen him twice now. He sent me for an x-ray, and while the radiologist report reported "normal" he said he may see something at L5/S1. After a visit to my primary doctor, I now have a referral for physical therapy (PT), and will start next Friday. My chiropractor wants me to go to PT for two weeks and then see him; he said hopefully the PT will loosen me up enough for him to do the right adjustment.

Unlike my old chiropractor, this running specialist told me NOT to stretch, that it will just aggravate the muscle. So, I'm not stretching. And still not running or biking. This means no century ride next week, not even downgrading to the 25-mile ride option. Oh well...I can do a century another time if I want to tackle it. I am swimming and running in the pool, using my flotation belt. The other day I took part of a deep-water aerobics class, and may be back for that again. Just trying to find things to do that will keep up my cardio without hurting my leg.

But my god, I miss running. I miss all my running clothes....I miss my Garmin....I miss planning out what route I will take....I miss filling my fuel belt and bottles....I miss pushing myself......I miss sorting out my problems in my head....I miss grinding out any negative emotions into the pavement....I miss the zen-state I get into....I miss coming home sweaty and exhausted and endorphin-filled and happy. I miss the old me.

I know I will run again----seems like it will not be as soon as I'd hoped but I will. I may miss some fun races I have planned, but that's ok. I need to heal so I can run pain-free in the future. I am looking forward to starting PT so I can get the process underway---and hopefully the right adjustment will fix whatever is wrong with me. Otherwise, I may need a referral to an orthopedist, and have an even longer road ahead of me.

In the meantime, I'm just missing running....

Injured, Down and Out

2013-05-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

As I alluded to in my last post, I am injured, and under doctor's orders not to run right now.

Really, I'm embarrassed, because I should have gotten treatment for this almost a year and a half ago. Back in November 2011, I ran in the Silver Strand Half Marathon. During this race, I got a pain in my left leg that I wrote was in my glute. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it never went away. For my next race, the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, I ended up buying compression shorts at the expo, and have worn them for most of my long runs since. Looking back over my blog, I wrote about this very issue on December 1, 2011...again, almost a year and a half ago. Why haven't I gotten better? Well, I've run through it. In fact, I've run about 1000 miles since that injury, each time in pain. Sometimes the pain wasn't too bad, other times it was excruciating, but it was always there, during every run. I thought it was sciatic nerve pain.

Finally, last week, I went to a new chiropractor. I went in thinking it was sciatic nerve pain and wanted to explore nerve flossing with him. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather with what he said: it wasn't the sciatic nerve. Yes, my sciatic nerve was affected, but I was having hamstring issues. This was also affecting my hip and glutes. He wanted me stop running to properly heal. I agreed, but said there was a half marathon that weekend that I wanted run. He said he was afraid of that (he treats a lot of runners and knows us well!) and said I could run it, but then I'd have to stop running and let myself heal.

So last week I didn't run at all until the La Jolla Half Marathon on Sunday. As I wrote in my recap, I was in pain with almost every step. As that race has a LOT of uphill, my injury was aggravated more than ever. At around mile 10, I made a hard decision---that I would listen to my doctors (I am seeing a husband/wife team). I would not run and take the time to heal properly, however long that would take. I need to get better. It's awful running in pain--and the worst part is that it's not fun anymore. Yes, I just wrote that: running isn't fun anymore. I love it, but it's too painful. I need to heal and be able to run pain-free again.

When I went in this week, after the race, they found I'm in even worse shape. Now my connector (hamstrings to knee) is also affected, in addition to my hamstring, glute and hip. And my right leg, which is my good leg, is looking a bit sore, since it's compensating so much. As of this week, I'm also restricted from biking, in addition to running. I asked this morning if I could bike this weekend (I had a very hilly 50 miler mapped out, in preparation for my first century ride in a few weeks). The conversation didn't go very well:

Me: Can I bike this weekend?
Doctor: No. Why, what did you have in mind?
Me: A very hilly 50 mile ride.
Doctor: {laughing} No. No way.
Me: Why? Biking really just affects my quads.
Doctor: Do you clip in? Well, then you're also working your hamstrings.

He agreed I could try a short, flat ride this weekend....I will bike the local lake,which is 5 miles and mostly flat. I asked if I could do two loops....he said try one and see how I feel, but not to press my luck.

So, that's where I stand right now. I'm under orders to not to run or bike. I AM allowed to swim and aqua jog, as long as it doesn't hurt. Yesterday I went to the pool and strapped on my flotation belt and ran in the water. When I did it really hard, it hurt, so I did it nice and easy--not sure what fitness I got out of it, but it felt good to move my legs in a running motion. I'm also supposed to be using my foam roller, icing, and stretching. Additionally, I got a massage in their clinic yesterday, and plan on more to come.

I may have to adjust my race schedule, too, which sucks, because not only have I paid the money for these races but I've been looking forward to them. Here's my tentative plan:

Patriot Run 5k: This is a 5k I signed up to do with my son in a few weeks. My husband also signed up with our daughter; the plan was for me to run with our son while my husband walked with our daughter and pushed her in the jogging stroller when necessary. It looks like I'll be the one walking and pushing our daughter, which is sad because I really enjoy running races with my 9-year old. But, there are many more 5ks to do with him someday.

San Diego Century: This was going to be my first century ride (103 miles), and it's coming up on June 1. While I haven't put in as much training for it as I would have liked (life and family have had bigger priorities on recent weekends) I HAVE been training for it. I signed up for this race to do something on the bike that scared me. Well, even without doing the ride I have already done this---I have biked Scripps Poway Parkway, a local MOUNTAIN in San Diego that is included in the century, and that has always been a monster in my head. I have biked this part 3 times so far. It's steep, it's long, and it's hard, but I've done it. And I'm enjoying the bike more. With my injury, and the fact that I haven't been able to train as much recently, it looks like I won't be doing the full century. The ride also includes a 25-mile, a 37-mile, and 66-mile option. I'm hoping I can at least do the 25 miler, if not the 37 or the 66. We'll see how I heal in the next few weeks and what my doctor says. I'd like to do SOMETHING, as I've been looking forward to it and have paid for it. I can do another full century another time if need be.

Jump! Aquathlon: This race, at which I would jump off a boat, swim, and then run, is at the end of June. I guess worst case scenario I just jump and swim, and DNF (do not finish) the rest of the race. I wonder if I can walk the 10k, or maybe even just walk one of the 3 laps. I will write to the race directors about this in June if it looks like I won't be able to run 10k (6.2 miles) at that point. But if I can only jump and swim, that will still be the fun (and scary!) part of the race.

America's Finest City Half Marathon: This is the last race I am concerned about. It's the last half marathon in a series of 3 (along with Carlsbad and La Jolla) and completing it would earn me an extra "Triple Crown" medal. But if I can't run it, I won't do it at all. I can always do Carlsbad (a race I love and want to run again regardless) and La Jolla (a race I didn't love but KNOW I can do better at--I need redemption!) again next year and earn the Triple Crown in 2014.

Everything else on my race schedule after that is either a non-issue (ie I have a swim race in September) or so far in the future that my doctors assure me I should be able to run (ie the Divas Half Marathon in December).

I'm looking at this long-term....yes, it's awful not to be able to do what I want to do right now, but I want to be able to run (and bike and swim) far in the future. Most runners get injured at some point, and this is my time. Rest now will hopefully make me better in the long run (pun intended). That being said, I'm already feeling grumpy and cranky from not getting my usual fix of runner's high and endorphins, so hopefully the healing will be quick!

La Jolla Half Marathon Race Recap

2013-04-30T16:23:00.002-07:00

This past weekend I ran in my 19th half marathon, the La Jolla Half Marathon. Truth be told, I've been dreading this race. Although it's a local one, I'd yet to do it. There is a huge hill in the middle that always scared me off, and I know that other parts of the course were hilly as well. However, this race is part of San Diego's Triple Crown Series: if you complete the Carlsbad Half Marathon, La Jolla Half Marathon, and the America's Finest City Half Marathon (AFC) all in the same calendar year, you get an extra medal after the AFC called the Triple Crown. I've done AFC and Carlsbad each twice, and this year vowed to get my Triple Crown.

a monster of a hill at mile 6

I was extra nervous about this race because I've been injured, and going uphill hurts my injury the most. The injury deserves it's own post, so I'll write about that later on this week, but suffice to say that I am under my new chiropractor's orders not to run, although he did know and give me the go-ahead to run this race. It was also my first race to run after the Boston bombings, and that weighed heavily on my mind. It was not going to stop me from running, but I did give extra thoughts and worries to the runners and spectators.

Two days before the race I went to Road Runner Sports for packet pickup. It was a very small expo, and I was able to get in and out quickly. The only thing I was bummed about was that the shirt was really small! I ordered a medium, as always, but it looked tiny. When I asked if I could exchange it I was told I could on Sunday. I had heard in past years that the shirt was cotton, so I was happy this was a technical shirt, but if I couldn't wear it, what's the point? I did notice one change that was made in response to the Boston bombings: gear check. This year a flyer was given to each runner explaining the new rules, that runners would have to put their gear in a bag given to them AT gear check. The bags would be clear. The fact that they wanted to see what was in each bag made me feel a bit safer. A small, but really big, move on the race director's part. The night before the race I set out my gear for the next day, as I would be leaving the house at 4 in the morning. I settled on a shirt I bought when I was in Boston 2 years ago...a simple grey cotton t-shirt that said "Boston, MA" on it. While I never run in cotton, this year I really wanted to honor Boston. The "Boston Strong" shirt I recently ordered from Raw Threads hadn't arrived yet, and this was the only Boston-related shirt I had.

Now, this race is a point-to-point race, going from the Del Mar Race Track to La Jolla Cove. Runners have a choice of parking at the race track, running to the finish, and taking a shuttle back to the start....OR parking in La Jolla and taking a shuttle to the start. I drove with my friend, E, who has run this race the past two years. She highly recommended the latter, as after the race the line to get on the shuttle is long. So the morning of the race, I got up at 3:00 (ugh), was out the door by 4:00, and picked E up at 4:15. We made our way to La Jolla in the dark, and hit absolutely no traffic getting there. We easily found parking and walked the two blocks over to where the shuttles were loading. I think we got on the second shuttle! Very easy, very relaxing. We shuttled up to the race track where it was still virtually empty. That is the great thing about getting up extra early to go to a race; yes, it sucks to lose a bit of sleep, but it's wonderful not having the stress of traffic and parking. I assume that a bit later the traffic getting into both Del Mar and La Jolla was heinous.

Of course, now we were really early. We got off the shuttle at the race track at 5:15, and the race didn't start until 7:30! That gave us plenty of time to hurry up and wait. I used the port-o-potty (no line!), talked to E,used the port-o-potty a second time (again, no line!), chatted with the runners next to me, and posed for pictures.

pre-race

Oh, and froze. It was very cold down by the coast. I was glad I had a throw-away jacket with me, but I would have paid good money for a blanket! Finally, it was time to think about getting into our corrals, so we used the port-o-potties one last time (this time a huge line) and wandered back. I was supposed to be in corral 6, but stopped in #5. Because I was so far back, I didn't realize that at the front they were having a moment of silence for Boston, and then singing "Sweet Caroline", a song beloved by Boston Red Sox fans. I found out about that part after the race. I randomly ran into a few people I knew and chatted happily until it was my turn to cross the start line.

And suddenly, I was running.

I hadn't run since the week before, as I was under orders not to run. As soon as I started running, the pain in my hamstrings started. I knew it was going to be a long and painful race for me, and decided just to grit down and get it done. I stayed with the 2:30 pace group for a few miles, as we ran around the race track and out into Del Mar. We ran through the neighborhoods of Del Mar and it was really nice. There were some rolling hills, nothing major. I walked when I needed to, which was when the pain got too much to bear. But overall, I was having fun and enjoying myself.

running views don't get better than this

A few miles in (4? 5?) we were running along the ocean, by Torrey Pines State Beach. Ah, now this was gorgeous. There is nothing like running by the ocean. I ran into another friend around this point, and walked with her for a while. Looming at ahead, however, at around mile 5.5 was The Hill. Torrey Pines. The hill I've been dreading. Right before I started up the hill I noticed Joe, from the Marathon Show. I've seen him during other races, running with a microphone and an "on air" sign. At the Carlsbad Half Marathon in January he interviewed two women running right next to me, and I later saw the footage--you could see me running---but I'd never been interviewed myself. But this time, he saw my Boston t-shirt, and ran over to me and started interviewing! It was really cool. He said "it's no mistake when you see people running with Boston shirts on" and proceeded to ask me a few questions related to Boston. Although he spoke to me for a few minutes, only a tiny clip made it onto a montage he made that he is dedicating to the people of Boston. You can see me at 2:49 in the following clip by clicking here. That interview gave me a mental lift and I actually ran up the first part of the big hill.

I should mention that there were lots of people, both running and spectating, in Boston gear. Anyone who had previously run the Boston Marathon wore their shirts, and I saw lots of other shirts that paid homage. Some people had signs on their backs saying "we are all Boston marathoner" and some people simply had blue and yellow hair ribbons, or blue and yellow shoelaces. I myself got lots of comments on my shirt, not from other runners but from the spectators. A lot of people I ran by yelled out "Boston!" to me as I passed.

just one of the views

So, onto The Hill. I'd never done Torrey Pines hill before, and it is pretty long and steep. I ended up walking most of it, although I had periods of running. At that point, I just wanted to get up the hill as painlessly as possible. It was a scary hill in my head, but really, once I was on it, it wasn't bad. It kept going and going, and there were several switchbacks so I couldn't see where it ended, but I've done other races where I did hills just as steep--or steeper. The Hollywood Half Marathon last year had an unbelievable hill at the end; last month's San Diego Half Marathon had a killer hill in the middle; and I did that Xterra Mission Gorge 15k in February with steep hill after steep hill. So Torrey Pines, while long and steep, wasn't any worse than ones I've already done, which was reassuring in my mind.

The Hill from a distance

Nevertheless, when I got up to the summit at about mile 8 or so, I was hurting, and in a really bad way. My leg was on fire and my mind started to go to really dark places. I just wanted to be done. Even though those next miles were flat or even downhill, I couldn't pick up the pace. It was just too painful. At mile 8 "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond came on my iPod. I don't usually listen to Neil Diamond while running, but I added this song, and a few others, after the bombings as it was played a lot and I forgot how much I loved the song. When the song came on, I immediately thought of my dad, who is a huge Neil Diamond fan and I used to sing this song with him when I was little while he played it on the guitar. One thing my dad always tell me is that when I'm feeling scared, or nervous, or afraid, to look down at my hand and I'll see his hand in mine (meaning that he's always with me). So when Neil sang the lyric "hands touching hands" I completely lost it and started sobbing. For that mile all I wanted was my daddy, and I wanted him to stop the pain. We ran past UCSD, where I went to undergraduate school a million years ago, and I tried to concentrate on that for distraction.

by UCSD

At mile 10 we started a steep downhill down La Jolla Shores drive. I stopped to use a port-o-potty here (I had seen very few along the course and when I did there were always long lines; there was no line for this one). I didn't really HAVE to go, but I knew if I went I would finish the race in more comfort...and at this point I didn't care about my finishing time. After going, I felt better and just started chugging downhill. Around mile 11 I saw a dad and two little boys, holding signs for their wife/mother. Right when I passed them, I heard the dad say "there she is!" and the little boys starting jumping up and down, cheering for their mother. When I turned back, they were running with her. When I turned back again, one boy had fallen---I hope he was ok! This scene, of a father and sons waiting for their wife/mother, made me cry again. It was such a beautiful scene, and at that moment I all I wanted was to hug my husband and kids.

Running right next to the beach

Mile 12 brought us to La Jolla Shores, a local beach, and we literally ran on the sidewalk next to the beach. The sidewalk was covered in sand, and it was nice to look at the people playing beach volleyball and enjoying themselves. A few turns and a bit later we were at La Jolla Cove. This part was downhill, and on cobblestone, so I ran it carefully. Ahead of me was the finish line and I decided to sprint it in, pain be damned. There were several spectators there and everyone was yelling "Go Boston!" because of my shirt. I crossed the finish line in immense pain and relief. My friend, Andrea, was there to hand out medals and I was in such a daze that I took a medal from someone else. When I realized my mistake, I handed the medal back to the girl and insisted that Andrea give me mine. All I remember is her hugging me and asking if I was ok and I kept saying no, I wasn't ok. I really wasn't (and still am not). My finishing time was 2:55, which is one of my worst times ever. However, my goal was under 3:00 (they have a 3:00 hour cutoff base on chiptime) and I'm happy I made that, given my injury and The Hill.

I got a bottle of water, a bag with a banana, Clif Bar and pretzels in it, and found my friend E. She had tried to exchange my shirt for me (she finished way ahead of me) but they were out of larger sizes. Bummer! After resting on the grass for a bit, we made our way to the car, bypassing a LONG line of tired runners waiting for the shuttle to take them back to their cars at the start line.

All in all, although I myself had a bad race, the race itself was nice. The weather was overcast the entire time and I never even needed my sunglasses. Perfect running weather. It was a beautiful course, as you can see from the pictures. And I thought it was well organized. My friend told me that in years past it was a very unorganized race, and that this year it was much better, so I'm happy about that. My only complaint was that there should have been more bathrooms along the way, although I'm sure they were limited by restrictions put on them at Torrey Pines. Now I'm hoping to heal myself enough to be able to run AFC in August and complete my Triple Crown---but if I'm not healed and unable to run, I will commit to doing this again next year. I know I can do better on this course if I'm pain-free.

Peace-Love-Run 10k Race Recap

2013-04-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

A week ago I ran the inaugural Peace Love Run. I meant to do my recap this week, but I was too preoccupied with news of Boston. It seemed trivial and inconsequential to write about a little race when I was glued to the TV every day trying to get the latest on bringing the scum who bombed the Boston Marathon to justice. I'm so happy the nightmare is over, and I hope the second suspect recovers enough to be put away in jail forever.

Now, onto my recap!

As I mentioned, this race was the inaugural running. There was a 5k and 10k option; I chose the 10k. It was only my second-ever 10k, with my first being the 80's themed race I did in November. This race was 60's themed, and truly the only reason did it was because I had to have the medal! I usually don't do a race just because of what the medal looks like (I did that Awesome 80's 10k for the adorable cassette-tape medal they offered, too) but this one was adorable---a 60's themed VW bus medal. The inner hippie and Deadhead in me just couldn't resist.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a costume, but really wanted to dress up. I ended up going to Target and buying a pajama top with a peace sign on it, and wearing a 60's themed headband which I already had. It wasn't the full-on tie-dye get-up I had envisioned, but it would have to do. One thing I was happy about was packet pickup. Although there was a small expo the day before, they also offered packet pickup the morning of the race, at no extra charge. I don't know how it is in other pars of the country, but in San Diego most races, even 5ks, require a bib pickup the day before. Often you CAN get your stuff the morning of the race, but they charge a fee. I didn't really have time to go to the expo the day before, as it was my son's birthday party (he's 9 now!) And, there really wasn't much to pick up! Just the bib. There was no race shirt included in the cost. You COULD buy a cute shirt for $15, but I didn't want to spend an additional $15 to commemorate a 10k, no matter how cute it was. (To be fair, the race organizers wrote that as it was their first year, and they didn't know how many runners would register, they made a choice between medals and shirts).

I got to the race really early. The 10k started at 8:05, but I left the house at 6:30 and was there by 7:00. As a result, I got an amazing parking spot, just a stone's throw away from the start line. I got my bib, but then hurried back to my car. It was COLD!!!! Very cold. At that point I was regretting what I was wearing, which was only a thin t-shirt and a running skirt! I would have loved pants or a long-sleeved shirt or arm warmers. Alas, I didn't have anything else with me, so I settled for waiting in my warm car. Soon I was joined by some friends, Ingrid and her son, and then Kelly and her daughter. All four of them were doing the 5k. It was Kelly's daughter's first-ever race, and I was so excited for her! Finally, at about 7:55, we ventured out of my car and walked the few yards to the start line. After running into another friend of mine, who was also doing her first-ever race (she did the 5k!) we posed for pictures, then I left them and headed for the 10k-ers.

Peace, man!

After a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, we were off! I was in a sea of 60's-dressed runners. Lots of tie-dye, fringe, and headbands. While lots of people were dressed up, however, I was surprised at how many weren't. Maybe it was the weather? As I said, it was cold. In fact, right before we started a man mentioned that I could win an award for the most goosebumps. Thanks, man.


Groovy Start Line

The course itself was pretty flat, except for one overpass we had to run over twice. The 10k ran by the water for a good portion, which was so pretty, then down by the airport, which wasn't so pretty. A lot of the run course I had already run during my first-ever Olympic-distance triathlon a year and a half ago. I spent much of the time thinking of that run, and how proud of myself I was for completing what had been the longest distance distance triathlon up to that point.

My view for part of the race

After a mile or so, I was really warmed up. I was actually feeling a bit hot, and wished I had a tank top on! Many of the runners around me were peeling off layers, tying jackets around their waists. This is why you should always dress for the second mile, not the first.

Once back toward the finish area, the 10k route followed a winding snake-like pattern up and down the a field. Suddenly it was over---actually, tiny bit short according to my Garmin, which read 6.07, but that's close enough to 6.2 for me not to complain. I didn't PR, it was a pretty slow run compared to my previous 10k, but I still had a great time. And this medal was worth it.

Far-out medal!

I really enjoyed the race. It was a nice course, and I loved the 60's theme. I didn't bring a fuel belt with me, and was pleased to see there were two water stops on the course (making for 4 on the out-and-back). It was a very low-key, relaxed race.

After I crossed the finish line, I headed back to my car to put away my medal and had to run 4 more miles---I had 10 miles on the docket that day! I was NOT motivated to run 4 more miles after running a 10k but I got it done.

I would do this race again, especially if they offer another groovy medal design!

Boston

2013-04-17T17:20:00.002-07:00

I know the world doesn't need yet another blogger weighing in on the Boston tragedy, but as I use this blog as a journal, too, I am going to indulge myself.

It's only a few days post-Boston, and I'm still in shock. I can't believe what happened. It's tragic, it's horrific, and it really hits home for me. My emotions vacillate between sadness, grief and anger. I don't have a lot of personal connection to the city itself---the last time I was there was exactly two years ago, the same weekend as the marathon, actually, and I enjoyed a great running tour of the city. But I am highly connected to the runners that ran there. I knew several people who ran the race on Monday, and thank God each and every one of them is ok.

There are always tragic events that happen worldwide on a daily basis. Most of them seem so far removed to me. 9/11 was the first time that I could recall feeling the impact. Even though I was in San Diego, not in New York, those events made me feel very unsafe and very scared. It took a long time for me to get over that; I guess in some ways I never did. How can you? But most other tragic events that happen don't have the same PERSONAL impact for me. I sobbed for days over the shootings in Columbine, and grieved over the death of Caylee Anthony, and was shocked at the shootings at the Aurora movie theater.....and all the events in between. But rarely was there a personal connection. I was get upset at those events on a human level.

The shootings at Sandy Hook in December were different. Those hit me hard, and in fact I still think about those children, and those families directly affected, quite often. It hit me on a personal level, not just a human level, because now I am a mom. I drop my kids off at their elementary school every day. And my daughter is the age of most of the murdered children. Sandy Hook was one of those moments where I thought "there but for the grace of God go I" because that's how much I related to it.

The Boston Marathon bombings hit me in a similar way. I am a runner. Yes, I am a triathlete too; I bike and swim as well. But really, I'm a runner. That's my identity. Not only do I run, but I have very close ties with the running community. I have written here before, and I'll say it again, the running community is the best community I know. They are amazing. I've yet to meet someone who is truly awful only to find out they are a runner. I'm sure there are bad people out there who run, but I've yet to meet them.

I've never run the Boston Marathon. I never will---I am not a marathoner (well, I did run one full a long time ago and never again!) and I'm too slow to qualify even if I was. But it doesn't matter. The attack could have been on a local 5k race and I'd feel the same. Running----is so pure. It's so peaceful. It's from the heart and soul. How could anyone want to mar that?

The running community is not only made up of runners, but of their loved ones who support them. When I'm training for a race, I'm gone for hours at a time. I talk about my races, my gear, my injuries, and my hopes all the time. I mean, all the time. My poor husband. But he loves me, adores me, and knows this makes me happy so he happily indulges me. This is true of all loved ones of runners. And they are the ones who spectate, who get up early to come cheer their runner on. Who make signs of support and signs to make the runners laugh. They are the ones who bring their kids to give the runners high-fives on the race course. They are the ones who offer bowls of orange slices and pretzel and shout out encouragement, using the person's name on the bib if it's on there. I have only had my family come to a few half marathons and triathlons, but let me tell you, when they are there, my heart soars when I see them. I've had a few friends come spectate here and there and nothing lifts me up more. It gives a mental boost, and can carry me for miles, way more than drinking an energy drink or taking a shot of Gu can.

I am horrified and disgusted that the runners---and their beloved spectators--were singled out in this act of terror.

And I can't get 8-year old Martin Richard and his family out of my mind. This family! The 8-year old son is dead. To my knowledge, his younger sister, in 1st grade, has lost a leg, and may possibly lose the other. His mother underwent emergency brain surgery to save her life. This hits home. My son, D, just turned 9 last week. He's the same age as Martin. They were both in 3rd grade. My daughter, A, is almost 7, and while she's in kindergarten she should be in 1st grade (she's doing a 2-year kindergarten program) and is basically the same age as the sister. This could be my family. I can't stop thinking about this family, how the father and other sister are coping. How CAN they cope?

I know one thing...I'm not going to stop running. I may never run another full marathon, and I certainly won't run Boston, but I won't stop running. And I won't stop cheering my community on. Terror will not win this time.

Breakthrough on the Bike

2013-04-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've always said that of the the triathlon disciplines, biking has always been my "nemesis". I am slow, painfully slow, and that can be discouraging to me while racing. It's hard biking when all I hear is other cyclists yelling "on your left" as they pass me! I've definitely gotten better over the years, though. I only started biking-for-triathlon in July of 2010, and back then a long ride for me was 10 miles. Now, I've completed several rides of 50 miles or more when training for my half-Ironman, and am currently in training for my first century ride in June (part of my "do something in each sport that scares me in 2103" plan). This 103 mile ride is scaring the hell of out of me; I've been training, but not as much as I should be.

The truth is, though, that I've been enjoying biking. To say biking is my nemesis is wrong. When I'm out there biking, for the most part I enjoy it. Yes, there are times it's tortuous---when it's too cold, or too hot, or my legs are burning at the sight of yet another hill to climb--but by and large, being out there in the fresh air, conquering hill I never thought I'd be able to do, can be fun and even exhilarating.

Why, then, do I dread each and every bike workout? Unlike running, where I might initially drag my feet getting out of bed but am ultimately looking forward to, biking I have to talk myself into. (Swimming is the same way, for that matter....I seldom WANT to swim, but once I've done a few laps I enjoy it). I've really been thinking about it, and I think I have found the answer:

I fear the pain.

Yes, the pain. The pain that comes in my quads, which burn with lactic acid at each and every uphill. Unlike running, where if I have pain (ie my sciatic nerve acts up or my plantar fasciitis screams) I can take a walk break and still move forward, with biking there is no "rest" without stopping. You can "rest" in running by taking a walk break, and you can rest in swimming by doing the breast stroke or side stroke---in both running and swimming, these are ways of cutting back the intensity and still move forward. And I'm all about moving forward. Heck, when I did my half-Ironman in September, and was dry-heaving and retching in the middle of the run, I was still shuffling forward. Had I actually thrown up, I would have done it walking. The only times I've ever STOPPED in a race have been potty breaks, or to re-tie my shoes, or, in the case of my half-Ironman, to dump sand from the beach out of my shoes. (I did stop in Dodgers Stadium during the New Year's Race Los Angeles to take pictures, but at that point my mind was fried and I was not really racing). With biking, there really is no downtime. Yes, if you're going downhill you can stop pedaling and coast, and if you're on flat ground you can put it into a very low gear and spin your legs out. But if you're going uphill, if you stop pedaling, you fall over. On many of my training rides I end up stopping to rest, and I hate doing that.

I've recently reframed my thinking with the biking pain. Why am I dreading it so much? I don't fear pain while running, and I can tell you that I have some discomfort on most runs, especially recently with my sciatica. I don't fear it. I run through it, or walk through it, or put my mind someplace else, but I don't fear it. Why should cycling be any different? Maybe when I'm faced with a steep hill I can EMBRACE the pain, expect it, and in that I can control it. Famed triathlete Macca says to "embrace the suck", to expect the pain so that when it comes--and it will--you're not surprised. I am going to try doing that---to know that when faced with a big hill the pain will be there, but that I can get through it. No hill lasts forever, and the beauty of going uphill is the thrill of going down after.

Another thing that happened recently to change my views on biking was that I got to witness a group of women starting on a cross-country bike ride. My cousin's girlfriend's aunt (you got that?) raised a ton of money for Alzheimer's research and the opportunity to ride from San Diego to Florida with a group of women, all over age 40. Since they started in San Diego, I went to see them off. I watched them dip their wheels into the Pacific Ocean and go on their way. Most of the women seemed really fit and decked out in biking gear, but a few of the women were heavier. One was even wearing jeans, not biking shorts, and had regular pedals, not clipless, or even cages! It was really inspiring to me, to think that these women, most of them older than me and in all shapes and sizes, were going to bike over 3000 miles in 3 months. (On a sad note, a few hours into the first day my friend fell on the wet streets, as it was raining, and separated her shoulder. She had to fly home, but will try again next year).

Both of these events---seeing the courage of these everyday women, and realizing I need to embrace the pain---have changed my views of cycling. And---I just got a new-to-me bike, which I'll write about later. Hopefully my views will translate into even more enjoyment on the road!

San Diego Half Marathon Race Recap

2013-03-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I ran the San Diego Half Marathon. Last year was the inaugural running of this race, but as I had too many other races going on last year, I did not do it. I heard it was an exceptional race, though, and was very excited to be running it this year. The only thing I was bummed about was that last year the finish line was in Petco Park, and this year it wasn't. I love running through baseball stadiums (I ran through Angels Stadium during the Disneyland Half Marathon and Dodgers Stadium during the New Year's Race Los Angeles) but this year it wasn't meant to be for the San Diego stadium. Oh well. I also heard that this course was very PR-friendly---that despite there being a huge hill at mile 9, the last few miles were downhill making it easy to negative split (that is, run the second half faster than the first half) and PR. My hopes were up.

The Friday before the race I picked the kids up from school and headed down to the expo. It was far for me----downtown on the harbor. I got lost, but finally found the building. I have to say the expo was weird---a long, narrow building, making all the booths seem really claustophobic. After I got my bib, shirt and goody bag I wandered around a bit. I stopped by the Run Like A Diva Half Marathon booth, where I got information (and signed up that night!) for their December race. I also stopped by Jeff Galloway's table. He was standing by himself, and I got up the courage to talk to him. If you don't know about Jeff Galloway, he's a hero in the running community. He's an Olympian (was on the 1972 team) and the founder of the Galloway Method, which is a patented run/walk program. He has helped thousands of people run, from 5ks to marathons, based on his method. He speaks at all the runDisney events, and when I heard him speak at the Tinker Bell expo in January he even answered one of my questions. Anyhow, I spoke to him, thanked him for being such an inspiration, and bought one of his beginner books, which he signed (I'm going to send it to one of my friends who is going to to train for her first half marathon!) He even gave me kudos because he overhead me talking to my son, D, about our next 5k we're doing together, telling me to keep running with him as it's a good habit to start. Talking with Jeff made my day!

me and Jeff Galloway

Sunday morning came all too soon. It was daylight saving's day, which meant I had to get up even earlier than usual. The race (at least the first wave) started at 7:18. My friend, E, was picking me up at 5:15, which meant I got up at 4:15 (I like to have an hour to get ready) which meant it was really 3:15 my body time. UGH!!! But once I got up, I was fine. I got dressed, at a Luna bar, and did my usual several bathroom stops before I was picked up. (I'm only talking about the bathroom stops because it comes into play later). My friend picked me up, and as her husband works down by the harbor, she had his pass for his parking spot. Sweet! We parked and walked a few blocks to the Hilton Starbucks, where I was to meet up with my Dailymile and Twitter friend Sara. While I was waiting I used the restroom in the Hilton. Then Sara came down; I've only met her once before, in Las Vegas, and it was good to see her again. After she left, E and I hit the bathrooms one more time. I couldn't believe I still had to pee (I know, TMI, but true) even though I had already gone to the bathroom several times and had nothing yet to drink that morning, not even a sip of water!

view from a bridge of the starting area and Petco Park

start line

The corrals were really well organized. There were 15 in all, and I was in #10. I left my friend E, who was in a lower number corral, and while I was waiting I heard my name being called. I was happy to unexpectedly be in the same corral as several of my running friends from Facebook (we're all in a closed group together). I hung out with them, shivering, until it was our turn. I was glad I had my throw-away jacket and throw-away gloves.....they were worth the few dollars I spent on them, and kept me warm until I discarded them right before the start line.

pre-race....not sure where my other throw-away glove went....

The course was actually pretty nice. We ran up Harbor Drive and up toward Point Loma. In some ways it was the opposite of the course we run for the America's Finest City Half Marathon. It was nice going in reverse! At about mile 2, however, I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. Again. What? I STILL had had nothing to drink and probably peed about 8 times already that morning! I didn't have to go badly, but it was all I could think about. Right before the 5k mark there were some port-o-potties with only a few people waiting. I made the decision to just stop and go. I know it took some minutes off my time, but it was worth it--I was able to run the next 10 miles without worrying about it or feeling uncomfortable. That's only the 3rd time I've ever had to stop to go to the bathroom in a half marathon--and this was my 19th to run. Go figure.

Around this time I saw my friend Monika, another Twitter and Dailymile friend. She was out cheering, and I passed her on Harbor Island. Seeing her put a smile on my face and a bounce in my step! It started to get warm, and soon I was actually hot. I was regretting not wearing a tank top. I was wearing my Half Fanatics tech tee, which I love (because I get lots of shout outs from fellow Half Fanatics) but a tank top would have been much cooler. Oh well. The route was pretty flat until mile 8 or so, when there was a short but steep hill....and then we hit the big hill at mile 9. Washington Street, the huge hill that winds up into Hillcrest.

I decided to walk up this entire hill, which was about 3/4 of a mile. It was very steep and very long, and by that point I didn't care about my time. I had already lost minutes in my bathroom stop, and my sciatic nerve pain was acting up (it's always bad on uphills). Everyone around me was walking too....so I had good company. Once up the hill (which seemed to take FOREVER) I was on familiar territory. We were in Hillcrest, an area of town that I lived in for 10 years. We ran down streets I have run down a million times, and in fact ran right by my old apartment.

Finally we turned on 5th Avenue, and headed downtown. The last few miles were all downhill, which was nice. I definitely picked up some speed then, but not enough to matter. We passed my friend Monika again, who had moved positions to cheer. The finish line was in sight, as it was a straight shot down the street. There was a Jumbo-tron showing people crossing, but I forgot to look. I got my medal (they were being handed out by members of the military, which was very cool) and found my friend E. We were herded up some stairs where I found bagels, bananas and other fruit. We rested for a bit, then hit the road to go home.

Although I didn't PR on this race, I still enjoyed it. It was an exceptionally well-organized race. In fact, I can safely say that this was the most organized race I have ever run. Everything from the expo, the start line, the course and the finish seemed to run smoothly. I have run in other very well organized races, but here is what set this particular race apart: every time there was a water stop or port-o-potty stop, there was a sign saying how long until the next stop. "2.2 miles until the next water stop" or "3. 5 miles until the next bathroom stop" or whatever. I loved knowing exactly how long there was between these aid stations. Although I didn't drink their water (I carry my own Gatorade) I did dump some water on my head since I was so hot, and knowing the distances helped me mentally. Additionally, there were tons of port-o-potties...at most stops I saw no line at all. I've NEVER seen that before.

All in all, a good day. I came in at 2:40, which, considering my bathroom stop and walking almost a mile of it uphill, isn't too bad. It's only a few minutes off of where I wanted to be. I don't think I'll be doing this race next year, as I will most likely be gearing up for my second half-Ironman around that time, but I do highly recommend this fun San Diego race.

Healed at Last

2013-02-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged, and even longer since I've updated about my daughter. I have no excuse except that I've been busy....and when I've had free time I haven't been in the mood to sit down and write. Last week the kids were on vacation all week; this week I'm trying to catch up on any training I missed. I'm also in the throes of helping to plan my school's foundation's annual silent auction/gala, which is what I'm doing most of the time when I'm on the computer.

My daughter, A, is doing great! She broke her neck in mid-October; you can read all about that here. I am happy to say that after only 4 1/2 months, she is healed! She had on one of those awful halos for 2 months. That was the worst; in addition to having the halo literally screwed into her head in 6 different places, it was attached to a vest that could never be removed. We had to have special clothing adapted to fit over it, and couldn't give her a bath (she had sponge baths during this time). In mid-December, she graduated to a hard neck collar. Getting the halo off was awful---very bloody and painful for her--but well worth it. I was able to give her a bath for the first time in months---words can't express the joy I felt in pouring water all over her. She was able to wear regular clothes again. She had that one for a month, and then transitioned to a soft neck collar. This soft collar just came off on Monday, two days ago.

The orthopedic surgeon is thrilled with her. She has healed beautifully, and while she has lost some range of motion due to the fusion he did, she is still able to turn her neck and nod her head. New bone is growing, and he expects lots more to grow. She is still limited on some activities---for example, he doesn't want her falling from a height, with velocity, so she can't go on playground equipment, etc. And things like roller coasters may always be off limits, which is a huge bummer because she is a roller coaster maniac, like me and her brother (with roller coasters, he's not concerned about the fusion breaking, but more about putting unneeded pressure on other parts of her spine). It's all good though. I know what a gift we were given. Where the break was in her neck (C1/C2) is where people become quadripalegic. Her spinal cord was never touched. I am eternally grateful, and know she has angels looking after her.

Something that I don't think I've written about are the GI issues A has been having. This started back last spring, probably around April or May. Suddenly she started having very loose stools, and was unable to control them, resulting in lots of accidents soiling her pants. At first I got mad at her (she'd been potty trained for a year at that point) but then I realized she couldn't help it. I tried different diet modifications (completely dairy-free; cutting out grease/oil) but still no effect. My step-mother recommended a pro-biotic drink/yogurt, but that didn't help. We ended up seeing a GI doctor last summer, and after lots of blood and stool sample tests, she determined that she couldn't see a cause for the loose stools. She DID see a slight infection, and thought that an anti-biotic would clear it up, but after a round of medications A still had the same loose stools. The new plan was to put her on Immodium to bind her up (which worked) and to schedule her for an endoscopy/colonoscopy to see what was going on in her stomach and intestines.

The procedure was scheduled for November, which I dreaded, but then we had to cancel it because of the broken neck. In the meantime, I had questions about scheduling, etc and tried to contact the GI doctor, but never heard back from her. I got really frustrated with not only her, but her office staff (schedulers and nurses) who I found lying to me in subsequent emails....I felt that A's care was slipping through the cracks. So I requested a different doctor, and was able to get a referral to see the same GI doctor who we used to see. This particular doctor was the one who scoped A 3 separate times, and was the one who eventually removed her feeding tube in 2010. I tried to see her last summer, in fact, but at that time she wasn't taking new patients. I lucked out in getting to see her now. (For the record, this is the 4th or 5th doctor that we've "fired" and gotten a new one. I am not a difficult patient, but I am A's best advocate, and I won't tolerate sub-par health care, especially when we live in a city with some of the the best doctors and children's hospital available).

In the meantime, a few weeks ago A had a bad cold, and I ended up taking her to the pediatrician to get checked out because I wanted to make sure her lungs were clear. We saw the nurse practitioner, and briefly talked about the GI issues that were going on (it came up because when she asked what medications A was taking, I had to respond with "Immodium".) She asked if we had tried probiotics before. I replied that we had tried probiotic drinks the previous summer, but they didn't help. She recommended an actual probiotic powder. I decided to try it, thinking it couldn't hurt. I started her on it last week (I waited until last week because she was off of school for the week; in order to know if the probiotic worked I needed to take her off the Immodium, and I wanted to have her home in case the loose stools happened again. What a nightmare that would be for the school staff).

Well, it's now been 10 days, and she's been fine. 10 days of the probiotic (I just put a teaspoon of the powder on her waffle or in her oatmeal every morning) and 10 days of no Immodium. And 10 days of no accidents, just nice solid poops every days.

Wow.

This morning was the GI appointment with her old doctor. She hadn't seen A in 2 1/2 years, since she removed the g-tube, and it was great to see her. I explained all that happened (she had already read the chart and was up-to-speed) and she agreed with me that there is no reason to scope her right now, as long as things seem good! A main reason for scoping would be to rule out celiac disease, but since she's already scoped her 3 times, plus the blood tests were negative, she knew she didn't have celiac. She said sometimes our gut environment just changes. So, the new plan is to keep her on the probiotic, and if she ends up with the loose stools again to put her back on the Immodium, email the GI doctor and we'll make a plan from there.

So, lots of good updates! A healed neck and hopefully (and I really hope I'm not jinxing us by writing about this) a healed stomach. Additionally, she's going great in kindergarten, is reading beautifully, has made friends at school, and remains a delight and the light of my life.

Puppy Love 5k Race Recap

2013-02-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I ran yet another race, this time the Puppy Love 5k. This was my 6th race of 2013 (yes, only 6 weeks in). I have never raced so much in my life in such a short period of time. Frankly, and I can't believe I'm writing this, I'm sick of racing! I'm sick of pinning on the bib, going to packet pickup and getting up early. While I never get tired of running or the running community, for me 6 races in 6 weeks has been too much. In my defense, I wasn't supposed to run this race. My best friend signed up to do this with his boyfriend, D (my BFF ran his first-ever 5k with me in December, and this was supposed to be his boyfriend's first 5k). I was going to go and cheer them on at the finish line. However, my BFF ended up having surgery scheduled just a few days before the race, and obviously couldn't run. He asked me to run in his place, and keep his boyfriend company on the run. How could I say no to that? We got the bib transferred to my name and everything was settled.

This race benefited the local animal shelter, the Helen Woodward Animal Center. People had the option of running with their dogs, or even walking the race with their dog. I considered bringing my dog, Padfoot, but decided that would be too much, especially with D running his first race. There was some good swag in the goody bag at packet pickup, including a knit ski cap from Iams and a frisbee. All dog oriented!

The morning of the race I got to the race site early, as usual. The start line (and race course) was in Solana Beach, right along the water. After I parked I found my friend, Angi, sitting in her car with her mother (and precious dog, Itzy). They always dress up for races, and were dressed like a cheetah and a zebra (with the dog dressed as a safari guide!) I sat in their car for a while, chatting and trying to stay warm. It was a cold morning, though I ended up shedding my long-sleeved shirt I had under my t-shirt and leaving it in Angi's car. Even though I was then just wearing a t-shirt, running shorts and a sparkle skirt, I knew once I got running I would warm up fast. I added in my puppy paw print knee-high socks that I wore during the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. It was great to get another use out of them!

There were SO many people with dogs there! I couldn't believe it! Dogs of every size, shape and breed. Once the race started, it was fun to see people running with their dogs. The course was gorgeous, largely along the ocean. It was kind of a T-shaped course---we had to do the "right" loop of the T twice, and the "left" loop of the T once. However, the course was long. VERY long. My Garmin measured 3.79 miles---about 0.7 miles more than the advertised 5k (which should have been 3.1 miles). Having a race course over half a mile too long is unacceptable to me. Besides the fact that some people may not have been ready to run that distance, there is the timing issue. Runners had the option of having their runs timed or not (you had to pay extra for the timing chip; ours were timed). For timed runners, the time would reflect a 3.8 mile run, not a 3.1 mile run, which skews their personal race results. However, for me, it was fine--I had to run 6 miles that day, and planned to run more after the 5k, so this just cut down on what I had to run on my own. But I felt bad for my friend, D, who had trained for a 5k. He rocked it though, and did great! I was so proud of him, and honored to be part of his first race experience.

(After the race, I contacted the race director and told her how long the course was. She immediately apologized, and wrote that they are trying to figure out what happened. They think maybe the traffic controllers might have moved the cones, and assured me that next year will be a true 5k. I really appreciated this, and this sold me to look into the race for next year. Great customer service!)

from the Puppy Love Facebook page. Source. Look at all those dogs running around me!

I can't write enough about how fun the run was---besides the gorgeous view of the ocean, it was so fun to run with all the dogs! There were even doggy bowls filled with water at the water stations, so the puppies were able to drink too. They thought of everything!

After the race, we check out the booths---there was a decent sized expo there, most of which were dog related. I got lots of samples of dog food for Padfoot, a free personalized shirt from Naked Juice, and some food for me. I said goodbye to D, then ran another 2.32 miles, making my run 6 miles for the day.

I truly had a lot of fun, and after the promise that next year will be a true 5k, I think I'll do it again. It benefited a great cause. Next year, though, I will bring Padfoot; I think he would really enjoy the race!

Xterra Mission Gorge 15k Race Recap

2013-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

As I wrote in a previous post, my athletic goal this year is to do things that scare me. Ever since I completed my first half-Ironman in September, I've come to realize I'm capable of doing pretty much anything, as long as I train for it. I don't know why it took me so long to come to that realization---I mean, before that I had completed many races, including a full marathon, several half marathons and several smaller triathlons. But in my head, doing 70.3 miles was a different beast altogether (and in reality, I was right---it was!). After successfully completing the race, I had a new confidence. I may not be fast out there, but I know I can complete a distance if I train.

This year, I am not planning on doing a triathlon. I *may* do a few this summer with the Tri Club, but those would be just for practice, and are free for me as a Tri Club member. If I do another 70.3 triathlon it will be in 2014. But this year is the year to do things that scare me in every sport. I will be attempting my first century ride for cycling; an Ironman-distance (2.4 mile) ocean swim; and a trail race. This past weekend was the trail race.

Why does trail racing scare me? Well, for starters, I don't really trail run. Sadly, I live in an area with an abundance of beautiful trails to run on, and I don't take advance of them. I do sometimes run on horse trails but that can hardly be counted as real trail running. I am kind of clumsy, and trail running is fraught with danger--tree roots to trip over, dirt to slip on, rocks to twist an ankle on. I did a trail run back in 2003, as I was training for my marathon. I don't think it was a long run, maybe 3-4 miles, but I twisted my ankle during it. That put me off trail running for a long time---a decade, I guess! Also, I've had a life-long fear of going down steep hills, especially ones made of dirt. Asphalt hills I can handle running down...but put rocks and gravel and dirt on it, and it's slip-and-slide city for me.

My friend Mihael convinced me to give trail running another try. (He's done it the last 2 years in a row and wrote a great recap last year, with more technical information than I could ever give). After much persuading via text, twitter and a phone call, I signed up for the Xterra Mission Gorge 15k. This is part of a series Xterra puts on, and by many accounts it's one of the hardest. Here is the elevation profile. Gulp. Per Mihael's report last year, it's 1,980 feet of climb (with 1,219 from two hills alone). I'm too lazy to plug in my Garmin to get my elevation reading, so I'll rely on his report and the official elevation profile:

9.3 miles of hell

The night before I had the Electric Run 5k with my son, but we walked a lot of course, so my legs felt pretty fresh. Mihael told me to prepare for this race like it was a half marathon, so I packed up my Nathan fuel belt with what I would normally carry on a half mary---32 ounces of Gatorade, a few Gus, a Honey Stinger Waffle, etc. I do not own trail shoes, and wore my usual road running shoes. On Mihael's advice, I bought a pair of fingerless gloves (used for weightlifting) to protect my hands in the event that I fell.

The race started at 8, but I got to the area early, at 6:30, in order to get a space in the parking lot---we were advised that parking would be limited. I picked up my bib and timing chip, which was unusual for me as most races I do I need to pick the packet up prior to race day. The vibe was very relaxed, very laid back. I told someone it was my first trail race, and he was incredulous that I chose such a hard one for my first one. Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy! I got back in my car, pinned my bib on my shirt, tied the timing chip to my shoe, and waited until Mihael came. Soon enough it was time to head to the start line. (All photos courtesy of Mihael).

It didn't exactly inspire confidence that they have the Sheriff's Search and rescue on hand.


start line

We crossed the start line, and within about .2 miles most of the runners were far ahead. There was a small hill close to the start, and that's when I started walking. I didn't want to burn myself out, knowing the elevation ahead, and also uphills really hurt my sciatic nerve these days, so I wanted to be cautious. Soon we got up to the first BIG HILL. This picture doesn't do it justice....it was amazingly long and steep. The hill never ended. The people around us were all walking up...I have no idea how the front-of-the-pack runners ran up it. Mihael showed me how to walk backwards for segments to save my calves, which were already tight and burning with the effort. I thought I would never get up, but somehow I did. There was an aid station at the top, and the volunteers looked like angels to me.

It's MUCH steeper than this photo shows!

As hard as it was going up, I knew the downhill afterwards would be awful for me. Like the uphill, it was long and steep. Not only that, it was very slippery, full of gravel. I walked very slowly down, side-stepping the whole way. Even then there were times I was slipping and sliding, but I never fell. At times I almost cried (remember, this was my big fear) but I didn't.

Look, I'm trail running!

The next part was fun for me. Pretty flat, nice trails, just rocks to leap over. Here is where I felt I was in the zone....this was fun. It was also getting hot (which I wasn't expecting in February). With my increased efforts going up and down the hills, I had gone through more than half my Gatorade by mile 5! Usually all 32 ounces lasts me most of a half marathon! Luckily I was able to refill at the aide stations. I seem to recall some rolling hills here, and Mihael showed me how to gallop down like a horse, which I was finally able to do, albeit very slowly.

Next we got to the part I dreaded---the Thousand Steps. I was told that there were only a few hundred actual steps, but no matter---this was super-steep, a real climb. On some parts I literally I had to use my hands to pull myself up on from the rocks. I was glad I was wearing gloves here. Although my legs were screaming with the effort, and it was really hard, I felt strong on the steps. I stopped a few times to catch my breath, but was able to do it. Like the other huge hill, it seemed never-ending, but suddenly the steps were behind me.

At the bottom of the Thousand Steps.

Climbing a technical section.

After the top of the Thousand Steps was another steep downhill section. Again with slippery gravel. Again, I side-stepped down slowly. Again, I tried not to cry. Again, my fears were crushed.

Soon we were on the home stretch. We ran by a creek, and I did my second creek crossing of the race. As Mihael said, it's not an Xterra race unless you are soaked and exhausted. I had no problem splashing through the water; in fact, it felt good. Around this part of the course we began to see other people. Not too many other runners (although we saw one or two) but families and people out enjoying nature. I was happy to see them, as for much of the race we saw literally no one else around us. Civilization!

One of the creek crossings.

The last mile was flat, but by then I was done. My legs were shot. It was hot. I was happy to see the finish line ahead, but I was surprised--according to my Garmin, we had gone 8.9 miles, not the 9.3 that would make up a 15k. But I didn't care. I was happy to cross the finish line. I got my medal, and we went and got food and drink----they had a vegetarian breakfast burrito, score! After some rest, we were ready to leave. We weren't the last place finishers, but close---it took almost 3 hours to finish. Considering I can do a half marathon (13.1 miles ) in about 2 1/2 hours, it was humbling that it took me half an hour more to do 4 miles less! But I was ecstatic---I had finished!

Proud finisher!

Although this was definitely the hardest run I've ever done, I had so much fun! It was tough, and I was on the verge of tears at times, but I saw some of the most gorgeous views out there. I have lived in San Diego since 1987 and have never seen views like that. And I conquered my fears of the trail. I can go down a steep downhill. And up a steep uphill. It doesn't matter how slowly I go---what matters is that I complete it. And complete it I did. I can definitely see myself doing more trail runs (and races) in the future.

The Electric Run 5k Race Recap

2013-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend held yet another race for me. Not just one, but two. I have raced every weekend but one this year....I'm actually relieved that all that is over, and I only have a few races left spread out over the rest of the year.

I signed up for the Electric Run months ago. Per their website, "The Electric Run is a 5k run/walk at night with amazing lighting effects that are synchronized to music! Participants are encouraged to get their glow on by dressing up with neon attire and glow accessories". It looked like so much fun, and I really wanted to do it with my son, D. These days there are so many themed 5k runs out there---color runs, mud runs, zombie runs, etc---and while it's not something I would necessarily do by myself, I'm all for doing it with my 8 year old!

I was a bit concerned about the size of the race. Ten thousand people signed up! For a 5k! There were two days for packet pickup (at two different locations) so I went as early as I could on Friday to get ours. Luckily, I got there at 2:15 (it opened at 2) and walked up with no problem and had no wait at all. I heard they were expecting 5,000 people so I'm glad I got there early. The website states that in addition to the race t-shirt, we would also receive a glow necklace, glow sunglasses, and an LED bracelet. We only received the bracelet and glasses in our packet. No big deal, as I had gone to Michael's and bought lots of glow-in-the-dark gear (bracelets, necklaces and swords/wands to carry) but still, I was disappointed. Also, the shirts, while cute (black with "Electric Run" on it) were so small! They had women's cut, which I appreciated, but I couldn't believe how small they ran. I am pretty much a true-to-size medium in shirts, and I ended up getting an extra large--and that was tight on me!

We were advised to get to the race very early as there a huge shortage of parking at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (where the race was) and, as I said, ten thousand runners. Since the race started at 7:00 p.m., they were recommending we get there at 5:00. So we did. We brought dinner with us, got a close parking spot, and hung out for a few hours. Luckily the car next to us had some boys around D's age who were running around with their glow sticks, so he got to play. The time passed quickly, and soon it was time to line up. We put on all of our glow gear, and headed over to the corrals. They were having first-come, first-served waves of 1,000 people each, for a total of 10 waves. Although we got in line pretty early, we were in the third wave.

start line

The race started promptly at 7:00, and I think we got underway at around 7:15. Running, I had a strange sense of deja vu---I am not someone who usually runs in the dark, but here I was, running in the dark for the third time already this year (at night at the New Year's Race Los Angeles, and before sunrise at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon). We took it really slowly, and actually walked much of the race. It was untimed, and since I had a big 15k trail race the next day, I didn't want to burn myself out.

arches to run through

As it turns out, this race was so fun! Amazing! There were lots of dark stretches, but then there would be the glow-in-the dark stuff. Some were lit up arches to run through. Other places had lights displayed on the wall. Still others had displays of lit-up balloons, lanterns, or umbrellas. At the lit up sections great music played. At one part, I told D "I can't run this part, and I can't walk this part. I need to dance this part!" The music was so contagious, and there was such a disco vibe, that he and I danced our way down that section of the course. It was also fun to look at the other runners, all of whom were lit up. Some, like us, simply wore glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets, but others had full-on lit, blinking costumes, and everything in between. People really had fun with the theme.

One thing I liked about the course was running on the racetrack. Most of the race was around the actual fairgrounds area, but we did a portion of it on the track where the horses run. That was cool, something I wouldn't normally get to experience. Too bad it was so dark and I couldn't see much!

lanterns

lit umbrellas in a palm tree

I've never been to a rave, but I'd imagine that this is what it would be like. Lots of music, glow-in-the-dark, and fun. We finally approached the finish line (decked out in disco balls) and headed straight for the car. It's hard to believe, but the last wave left the start line just before we finished. I can't believe how many people were there, and I'm so thankful we got there early! The water at the end (and at the aid station mid-way) was served in neon-colored plastic cups rather than paper cups. Of course, D kept ours to take home.

The only negative was that because of where we parked (where we were directed to by the parking attendants) we had to wait about 30 minutes in the car after we were done in order to leave, as otherwise we'd be driving onto the course. They had to wait for that part to clear of all the runners. Other than the parking situation at the end, I loved this race. It was so fun to run it with my son, and the vibe was definitely PARTY! The only change I would make is to still get there early (to ensure parking and an early wave start) but to park in a different place for an easier exit.


finish line

Carlsbad Half Marathon Race Recap ('13)

2013-01-29T20:48:00.001-08:00

On Sunday I ran my third half marathon of this month, the Carlsbad Half Marathon. When I registered for it, I knew it might be too much for me (having already registered for the New Year's Race Los Angeles and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, both also in Janaury) but I really wanted to Triple Crown this year. The Triple Crown is when you complete three San Diego half marathons---Carlsbad, La Jolla, and America's Finest City--all in the same calendar year. At the third race, AFC in August, you get an extra medal at the end, similar to the Beach Cities Challenge I completed last year (doing Long Beach, Surf City and OC all in a row). The last few years I wasn't able to make all three races, and I am determined that 2013 is the year.

I actually ran Carlsbad back in 2011; it was my 4th half marathon ever, and I loved it. I set a PR during that race, and loved running the gorgeous course that run mostly along the ocean. This time, however, I wasn't really looking forward to it. I was burnt out on running 13.1 miles, and I was still having nagging pains in my leg and foot. Plus, the forecast called for rain. While I don't mind running in the rain---I often train in it---I have never run THAT far in it, and was not looking forward to getting soaked just waiting for the race to start. However, once I hit the expo on Saturday, I started to get excited. My love for the run, and the running community, kicked into high gear.

The race started at the luxuriously late time of 7:45; after the 5:00 start of Tinker Bell last weekend, it seemed really late! I woke up at 5:30, and was out of the house by 6. I drove to the mall where it started in the rain, but soon after I got there the rain stopped, and never returned. One thing I did right was parking. The start/finish line is at a mall, and when I did this race in 2011 I parked close to the start line, thinking I was smart not to have to walk so far. The downside was that it took FOREVER after the race to get out of the parking lot. I think it took about 20 minutes alone just to pull out of the parking space! So this time I parked far away, near the exit, even backing in for an easy get-away. I had a long walk to and from the car, but it was well worth it.

I got there pretty early, so I sat in my car for a while, then got out and met my friend Andrea, who was volunteering that day handing out race medals. In talking to her, I expressed my fears about the pain I've had, and how tired I've been. I told her my main goal was just to finish---even if I walked it and came in over 3 hours, I just wanted to complete the race in order for it to count toward my Triple Crown. But my real goal was to come in under 2:40. Most of my half marathons I come in between 2:30-2:40 (my PR is 2:29). After the fiasco of the New Year's Race Los Angeles, where I hobbled over the finish line in 2:54, I needed to prove to myself that I could still run my pace.

I went to my wave, wave 5, right before the start. The waves were spaced out beautifully; there was tons of room in each one, unlike the ones at Rock 'n' Roll or the Disney races where you're crammed in together. My wave crossed the start line at 8:00, 15 minutes after the start. I settled into a nice pace, walked when I felt I needed to, and decided to just enjoy the run.

After a few miles we turned onto the road directly parallel to the ocean. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera or my phone because I was afraid it would rain, but trust me, the views are gorgeous. Most of the race run along the coastline. I did my run/walk combination, just enjoying the view, my music, and the weather, which turned out to be PERFECT racing weather---around 50 degrees, no rain, and cloudy. I never saw the sun. I shed my throw-away jacket at mile 2, and was very comfortable in my short-sleeved shirt. There was a great amount of crowd support, amazing and funny signs, savior volunteers with orange slices, and even a few bands along the way. Carlsbad really knows how to deliver.

Around mile 9 I realized that somehow, despite the fact that I had some pain, and despite the fact that this was my third half marathon of the month, I was on pace to PR. I couldn't believe it! Even with the walking I had to do (mostly on the uphill portions of this rolling course) I was going fast. So toward the end I decided to really push it. I mean, it's not everyday that a PR is within reach! However, toward the end, I just couldn't maintain it. My calfs were both seizing up, and I had to do a lot of walking. However, I crossed the finish line in 2:30 and change, a mere 70 seconds or so slower than my PR. It's my third fastest finishing time, ever. I was sad at first that I didn't PR--if only I had found it in my to go 70 seconds fastser--but then I was thrilled. I mean, I it wasn't even on my radar to PR...this wasn't an "A" race for me, and I had simply wanted to finish in under 2:40.

Once I crossed the finish line, the first person I saw was Andrea. She was surprised to see me so soon, and I showed her my Garmin. She gave me my medal, and I lurched off. I was wrecked. All that pushing at the end really did a number on my body. I literally limped the entire long way back to the car, and was in a foggy state of mind. Thank goodness for the space blanket I got, as suddenly I was cold. Once back at the car I ate the food from the snack pack they gave me, with some chocolate milk I was also given, and felt much better. My parking plan worked---I was out of the mall in under 5 minutes and on my way home.

I am so happy with this race, both with the actual time I ran it in and with my mental toughness for getting through. At around mile 11 it felt like Groundhog's Day---again, with the same mile markers I'd seen all month--but I did it. I highly recommend this race, and may do it again next year even if I don't Triple Crown again---it's a race not to miss.

Liebster Award

2013-01-25T17:17:00.003-08:00

Recently I was nominated for a Liebster Award by another blogger, Shona, over at Shushkat. Per her blog: This is an award for upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers to help raise interest in their blogs and help them connect with other bloggers too. I've actually been chosen a few times over the years for this type of thing, and have only followed up with it once, so I decided it was time to do it again. Thanks Shona!!! This should be fun!

This is what I am supposed to do:

Each person must post 11 things about themselves
Answer the questions that the nominator set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people that you've nominated to answer
Nominate 11 people and link them to your post
Go to their page and tell them
No tag backs!

11 random facts about me:

I love Ani Difranco and have probably seen her about 10 times or so in concert.
I have a belly ring that I got in my 20's....I wore a special maternity belly ring during my first pregnancy, but had to take it out during my c-section. The hole closed within a few days. I got it re-pierced a few years ago on my 40th birthday as a present to myself.
I would love to get a nose ring, but my husband would probably divorce me--he hates them!
My most hated chore is meal planning. I love cooking, and don't mind the grocery shopping and doing dishes---but meal planning is the absolute WORST!
I've been a strict vegetarian for almost 11 years.
My first race was a 5k back in 1998. I remember running it thinking that 3.1 miles was such a loooooong way to run......
I have a tattoo on my ankle, and would love to get another one, but probably won't as I can't decide on where to put it on my body.
I rarely wear makeup. Sometimes I wear lipgloss, but most days that's as fancy as I go.
I recently discovered the Brazilian blowout for my hair, and now can't imagine life without it.
I love living in San Diego, but don't go to the beach as often as you'd think I would.
If I could go anywhere in the world that I haven't been yet, I'd go to Spain first.

Here are my questions from Shona:

What is your biggest goal for 2013? I have many goals, but my biggest--and scariest--is to do my first century ride. I'm signed up for 103 miles of hilly hell during the San Diego Century in June.
What are you proudest of in your life? This is a hard question! The easy answer would be completing my first half-Ironman, something that seemed impossible to do. But I think I'm proudest of my job as a mother to both my children. Especially with how I've parented my daughter, who has special medical needs. In her life, I've had to learn to advocate for her, deal with doctors, do medical interventions no parent should ever have to do (like care for a tracheostomy when she had one) and yet I am proud that I have always treated her like a typical child. I don't think of her as having special needs at all.
Do you have a nickname? And how did you get it?? No nicknames here....
What is the most played song on your ipod? Without a doubt, "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. That song pumps me up whenever I need an energy boost during a run.
What 3 words best describe you? Kind, determined, and grateful.
What is the most unusual thing you have ever eaten? Probably alligator---a long, long time ago, before I was vegetarian.
What is your favourite quote? Ah, I have lots of favorite quotes....but I'll chose this one by Ani Difranco: "I know the biggest crime is just to throw up your hands, say this has nothing to do with me, I just want to live as comfortably as I can. You got to look outside your eyes, you got to think outside your brain, you got to walk outside your life to where the neighborhood changes."
If you could choose an age to stay forever, what age would that be? A hard question! I'd say 36. For no particular reason, really. I don't mind getting older by the way. I love being 42, and am looking forward to turning 43 soon.
Tell me something that you've learned in the last week. I've learned to check my DVR settings to make sure that a show I really want recorded is high on my priority list.
If you could have one superpower what would it be? The ability to play with time---go back in it and stop it.
Do you believe in ghosts? Yes, very much so.

The questions I'd like my nominees to answer:

Are you a dog person or a cat person?
What is the first thing you check when you log online in the morning?
Why did you start blogging?
It's your last night on earth. What do you order for dinner?
If you won $50 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?
Name 3 places in the world you would love to visit but haven't yet.
What got you into running (or biking, swimming, etc)?
What race is on your bucket list?
What is your favorite movie?
If you could meet any 3 famous people, living or dead, who would you choose?
Do you have a bad habit you want to break?

And, the 11 bloggers I'd like to nominate are:

Barb at quick like a bunny!
Becca at See Becca Try to Tri
Ty at Seeking Boston Marathon
Steena at Finding My Happy Pace
Jenn at Junk Miles
Elisabeth at ....With an S
Alisyn at Run in Syn
Monika at Monika Runs
S at TriMeOn
Carly at CarlyBananas
Lisa at 110 Pounds and Counting

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Race Recap

2013-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I ran my 16th half marathon, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland. Happy Sweet 16 to me!

I was really looking forward to this race for a long time. Last year was the inaugural running of the race, and I heard nothing but good things about it. It was primarily a women's race, with 11,000 women and 1,000 men runners. I did the Disneyland Half Marathon back in 2010 and really liked it, so I registered for Tinker Bell over the summer as soon as registration opened. I planned on going up with some friends, and this time I even wanted to dress in costume (for the Disneyland Half I only wore Mouse ears). I chose Cruella de Ville, as I already had the basis for the costume and only needed to add a few accessories to make her come to life.

This race was also important to me because I wanted to pace my friend Andrea to her first sub-2:45 half marathon. She's a strong runner (heck, in September she ran three half marathons in three days in Lake Tahoe) but had yet to run one under 2:45. I really wanted to help her meet this goal. We met earlier in the week to discuss strategy. I would need to slow down a bit and she would need to speed up some. We decided to try the run/walk ratio I had been using for my half-Ironman training, which was to run 0.4 miles and walk 0.1 mile. I was hopeful that together we could meet her goal.

Saturday morning I drove up to Anaheim with three other friends, Kelly, Ingrid and Tammy. It was Tammy's first half marathon, and as I'd been cheerleading her on throughout her training since the fall, I was very excited to share the experience with her. We got up to Anaheim, checked into our hotels (we stayed at the Best Western Stovall Inn, which was DIRECTLY across the street from the starting corrals....a great score!) and went to packet pickup. After picking up our bibs, we headed downstairs to the expo. The race shirt was great (long-sleeved tech in Tinker Bell green). I normally don't buy much at expos except for headbands sometimes (and this time was no exception, I bought a black sparkly headband for my costume) but there was a booth from Raw Threads with the cutest Disney-themed shirts I've ever seen. I particularly fell in love with this Captain Hook one, and just had to have it. Check out the back of the shirt, which is what clinched the deal for me.

"Captain" and a picture of a hook on the front...


...and a crocodile tail and "run" on the back Adorb!

After the expo, we hung around Downtown Disney for a bit, where I randomly ran into two kindergarten teachers at my kids' school. I knew they were doing the race, but it was such a surprise to bump into them...it was so crowded! Soon, my friend Andrea joined us, and the five of us went to dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. I carb-loaded on tortellini, then it was back to the hotel and to bed. With a 5:00 a.m. race start (!!), we had to be in the corrals by 4:30, so we planned on meeting up with our friends at 4:00....which meant me setting my clock for 3:20. Ugh! Double ugh!

As is almost always the case the night before a race, I hardly slept. Kelly and I turned the lights off at 8:00, but I tossed and turned until almost 10....and then was up every hour. I was up for good about 2:30. Sigh. Finally it was time to get up and get ready. My Cruella de Ville costume consisted of: a black running skirt, a black tank top, red arm warmers, white socks with puppy paw prints on them, a white feather boa, red lipstick, and, of course, white hairspray. I only wanted to spray half my hair white, so for the first time ever I ran in pigtails. I also brought along black and white gloves to toss ($2 from the clearance section at Target!) and my space blanket from my last half marathon to keep warm in the early morning chill.

Cruella de Ville, ready to race!

At 4:00, Kelly and I met up with Ingrid, Tammy and Andrea, and started to walk across the street to the corrals. As I was crossing the street, I heard my name being called...it was my neighbor, also there to run! How she found me amid all the thousands of runners I'll never know....I guess some things are just meant to be. Ingrid, Kelly and I were supposed to be in Corral B...Andrea was to be in C...and Tammy was to be in E. We all ended up going to C, as they were checking bibs and wouldn't let anyone in without an "A" or "B" bib past a certain point, and we all wanted to start together. A quick stop in the port-o-potties (no line!) and we were ready to wait. As it was so early, it was still pitch-black, but already we could see so many wonderful costumes. My friend Ingrid was adorable in her Jessi the Cowgirl outfit (from Toy Story). The national anthem sung with fireworks (red ones on the "rocket's red glare" part, and then red, white and blue ones at the end) and it was time to run...for the A Corral. But soon enough it was our turn. As we were walking up to the start line, I found $40 on the ground. I asked the people around me if it was theirs, but it wasn't. With thousands of runners, who knows who dropped it, so I had to pocket it.

Tinker Bell (on a screen, of course) sent us on our way, along with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. I really wanted to take pictures, but the ones I took didn't turn out at all. It was just too dark outside. We crossed the starting mat and were off! Andrea and I kept a slow, steady pace for the first mile, weaving in and out of walkers (I really wish walkers would walk to the right). At mile 1.4 I started us on the run/walk ratio. We ran around the outside of the Disney property, and then suddenly were in California Adventure.

Like the Disneyland Half Marathon, I LOVED running through the parks! It is so amazing to run through. We ran through the new Cars Land, which was still under construction last time I was there. It is so cute, and looks exactly like Radiator Springs! We ran through the Hollywood area and the Paradise Pier, among other places. All the rides were in motion, and music was playing, and it was so festive! Again, I really wanted to take pictures, but didn't, as I knew taking pictures in the dark, while on the run no less, would not turn out. I loved seeing the lights lit up on the water, I guess from the World of Color, which I've never seen.

We exited California Adventure and ran past a HUGE crowd of spectators as we ran into the Magic Kingdom. We ran up Main Street, and into Tomorrow Land, then Fantasy Land, Frontier Land, and New Orleans Square and beyond. The Small World ride was still lit up for the holidays, and was absolutely gorgeous. Characters were out in full force, and runners were lined up at each one for a photo op. I saw Snow White, Belle, Cinderella and Rapunzel; Darth Vader and Storm Troopers; Mary Poppins and Bert; the Lost Boys riding the Carousel; Peter Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook. I know there were other characters out, but I don't remember; I was too focused on keeping the pace and seeing my way in the dark. Most of the course was lit up well enough, but there were a few darker sections.

After we left the Magic Kingdom, we ran up Downtown Disney, past a ton of spectators and cute signs (my favorite: Worst Disney Parade Ever. The Choreography Sucks). Almost forgot another funny part--there was a guy with a sign that said "Course Liar", probably at about mile 2 or so, shouting out "You're horrible! Your running is so slow! You're almost done!". Very funny stuff. We ran past a HUGE group of Red Hat Society women, who were a riot! After that, it was bye-bye Disney, and onto the streets of Anaheim.

It was still dark at this point, and we were running through suburban streets. I amused myself by talking to Andrea, listening to music, and checking out the costumes the other runners were wearing. So many were wearing sparkle skirts, and lots also had fairy wings on---this WAS the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, of course! I even saw several men in sparkle skirts and tutus! There were runners dressed like the three Sleeping Beauty Fairies; the Cinderella Fairy Godmother (I ran by her and asked for a wish...she told me "bippity boppity boo"); Pluto; Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Captain Hook; Pocohontas; the Incredibles; and, of course, tons of Princesses. Several people recognized my costume, and I got many shout-outs of "hey Cruella!". That was fun, and made the effort I put into dressing up worth it.

As the sun came up, we turned into what I guess is downtown Anaheim. I'm not exactly sure, as I'm unfamiliar with the area. Although there are no characters out of the parks, there was plenty of course entertainment with bands and cheerleaders, although if memory serves me right there was more course entertainment during the Disneyland Half. At around mile 7, I saw my friend Mihael! He totally surprised me by coming, and even had a sign for me! I literally shrieked with surprise and gave him a big hug. It made me so happy, and truly lifted my spirits for the next several miles. I got to see him twice, as we circled the block.

Around this time Andrea started to get tired. More than tired, she was out of breath. I had warned her before the race that I would get tough with her, and I did. I tried to keep her going, tried to motivate her, but she kept slowing down and needed more frequent walk breaks. I knew our chances of hitting a sub-2:45 was going down the drain, but she was so miserable. Finally, at mile 10 1/3, she told me she was giving up on the goal. At that point, I knew it was out of reach anyway. I didn't want to leave her, but also I couldn't walk the last 3 miles. She told me to go on ahead, so finally I did. I ran the last 3 miles on my own. Although she didn't reach her goal, she told me she ran the fastest 10 miles of her life with me, and I'm very, very proud of her for going that far, that fast!

Meanwhile, I was having a GREAT race. Not only was I having fun, running with Andrea and on such a fun course, but I was feeling fabulous! I had some of my feared pains, but most of them were dull the entire race. My pains never really acted up badly until about mile 12, and even then it wasn't terrible. I was never, ever, out of breath, not during the whole race. I wasn't hot at all; the weather was perfect. After my last half marathon, which was an absolute fiasco, I really needed this positive experience. I got tired at the end, but I wasn't miserable. In fact, in almost every other half marathon I do, around mile 10 I hit a mental wall and start questioning my sanity in signing up. This race, I never hit that wall. I truly enjoyed every mile.

done!

I finally crossed the finish line in about 2:47. I was very happy....not in much pain, not too tired, and I know I had it in me to go faster. I felt renewed as a runner, something I desperately needed. I got my medal (it's gorgeous, and the Tinker Bell in the middle of it spins!) and a box of snacks, then met Andrea, Kelly and Ingrid at the Family Reunion booth. We didn't get to see Tammy after the race, but she ROCKED her first half marathon, and is now hooked!

All in all, it was a GREAT race. I loved running through the parks, and Disney does such a great job of putting on a classy race. The volunteers were amazing, great entertainment, and the water, Power Ade and Clif Shots they were handing out seemed plentiful. I loved that it was nice and cool. The only thing I didn't like, which couldn't be helped due to the 5 a.m. start, is that it was too dark for me to take pictures; but then again, I got to see the parks lit up, which I didn't get to see during the sunny Disneyland Half.

Next up---this weekend's Carlsbad Half Marathon, the third of three half marathons I'm doing this month!

Book Review: "Triathlon for the Every Woman"

2013-01-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Meredith Atwood (otherwise known as Swim Bike Mom) recently published her first book. It's called "Triathlon for the Every Woman. You Can Be A Triathlete. Yes. You". I was excited to read it, but even more thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read AND review it.

I've been following Meredith's blog for almost a year now. I think I found her by chance when I was trying to find other bloggers writing about their first half-Ironman experiences. I had just signed up for my first half-Ironman, Super Frog, and was very anxious. Reading about others' experiences helped to ease my fears. I came across the Swim Bike Mom blog and have been a loyal reader ever since. Meredith writes frankly about her own struggles, including her weight issues, fears about triathlon, and family conflicts. I always appreciate her style of writing, which combines humor with her candor.

The book is part instructional, part auto-biographical. After reading it, I now understand why Meredith often writes that triathlon saved her life. I always thought that was a bit dramatic, but after reading I can see that, indeed, triathlon DID save her life. She got into triathlon in 2010, after looking into the mirror and seeing a Fat Stranger. She made the decision (or as she writes, The Decision) in August 2010 to become a triathlete, despite the fact that she was overweight, had two babies, was working full time, and hadn't done anything athletic in years. The Decision literally changed her life---helped her lose weight, become healthier, and created a new identity that she was passionate about. To date, she has completed several triathlons including two half-Ironman and is currently training for her first full-Ironman this year.

I related to much of this. Meredith and I got into triathlon at the exact same time. I made my decision in July 2010, although I had been running for quite a while before. I didn't look in the mirror and see a Fat Stranger...but I saw a Stranger nonetheless. I wasn't working outside the home, and my whole life was revolving around my two kids, including one with special medical needs. I needed my own niche. I needed something for me, and triathlon filled that need. I totally get where Meredith is coming from.

I wish I had had this book when I was first starting out. She covers everything a triathlete needs to know, and has experts weighing in to talk about each subject. She explains how to make triathlon affordable, how to fit training into an already busy schedule, and what to look for in a gym. She reviews what gear is necessary, how to set up the transition area, and how to get mentally strong. Although this books is geared toward beginner triathletes, I learned a lot from it. One of my biggest take-aways were tips on riding the bike, especially hills, which have always been my nemesis. After reading the book, I have been tackling hills in a different way, which has made them more bearable.

I loved this book so much that I ordered it on Amazon to be sent to a friend who is training for her first sprint triathlon this year. I know it will instruct and inspire her---just as it instructed and inspired me. I highly recommend this book to any triathlete, beginner or expert, as there is truly something for everyone within its pages.

New Year's Race Los Angeles Half Marathon Race Recap

2013-01-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

Or, how I bought a one-way ticket to bonk-ville.

Saturday night I ran in the New Year's Race Los Angeles Half Marathon. This was the inaugural race, and I actually signed up for it six months ago, at the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego expo. At the expo, it was a lower price, plus I didn't have to pay any processing fees, so it seemed like a great deal. They were also promising hoodies instead of t-shirts, which I really liked. The race was to start at 9:00 pm and run through downtown Los Angeles, including Dodgers Stadium. I thought it sounded unique, plus a great way to start the new year. I booked a room at the host hotel, the Millennium Biltmore, and we decided to make it a short family getaway.

This race is, to date, the worst half marathon I have ever run. Most of the awfulness was my fault; I can only blame a little bit on the race itself.

Several factors went into this being an awful experience. First, I didn't really know how to fuel properly for this race. The only race I've ever done at night was Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas in 2011, and that race started at 5:30, which is way different than 9:00. I was also a bit worried about the late time---I'm usually in bed by 9:30/10:00, but I figured that once I started running adrenaline would kick in. Finally, I was worried about some pain. I've been having some of my usual plantar fasciitis pain in my left foot and sciatic nerve pain in my left leg, on and off, but last week a new pain had developed. I did a 40 mile bike ride on New Year's Day, and the day after the inside of my right ankle was very tender; I couldn't even run on it all week. I must have had it turned too much during my ride. As the week went on, however, the pain went away.

Saturday morning we dropped Padfoot, our dog, off at the kennel and drove up to L.A. The plan was to get to the Biltmore, where the expo was, and I would get my packet and hoodie. We were then to meet some of my dearest friends and their kids, and see the Space Shuttle Endeavor. I thought we'd be there for a short time, have a big late lunch/early dinner, and then I'd have a snack before the race.

As it turned out, we hit a lot of traffic heading north. We barely had time to do the expo. I literally ran in, got my bib and hoodie/goodie bag, and ran out. I didn't get to see any of the vendors, although it didn't look like it was a big expo. We then met our friends at the California Science Center, where we saw the Endeavor. While it was really cool to see (truly, I loved it), we were there longer than I expected, and by the time we sat down to eat it was about 4:00 or so. At that point, I was worried about eating too much, so I ordered pancakes (we were at a deli). I really wanted the potato pancakes but was worried about how greasy they may be. I didn't want any GI issues a few hours later while running.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel, checked in, and went to the room. We watched a movie on TV and then finally it was time for me to say goodbye to my husband and kids to go down to the race start. As I was walking down the hall toward the elevator, there was a big group of runners in front of me. One had a backpack that had the name of one of my favorite bloggers and twitter friends (I even have her on my blogroll to the left) and it was her! It was so nice to meet Elisabeth in person, and in such a random way.

pre-race

The hotel was just a few blocks to the start line, which was great. I walked over and scoped out the scene. It was about 8:15 by this point, and was already getting crowded. Oddly, it was pretty warm out. I was wearing a long-sleeved tech shirt, running pants, ear warmers, and had a throw-away jacket and throw-away gloves. I also brought a Knuckle Light with me, as I didn't know how dark it would be. I figured if I didn't need it I could always loop it around my fuel belt. I decided at the last minute to gear-check my jacket, as it wasn't that cold, and I figured I might appreciate it on the way home when I was sweaty and cold. I then got in my corral (#11) and talked to a few people while I waited.

And waited.

9:00 came and went. The race didn't start until 9:20, which means that I didn't cross the start line until 9:29 (they were spacing the corrals out by a few minutes). There was no explanation of the late start, at least none that I heard all the way in the back. I was frustrated. I hate late starts. Late starts in the morning means that back-of-the-pack runners like me will run more in the heat (at least in hot-weather San Diego) and this late start at night meant that I wouldn't finish until after midnight. Grrr.

waiting pre-race, full of hope

Finally it was time to run. I crossed the start line and was feeling pretty good. I ran the first few miles with a girl I had just met, talking about our respective half-Ironman experiences. Just as we got toward mile 3, we started to go up a big hill. I was expecting this hill from the elevation chart I had studied, and decided to walk it. When I run up hills lately, my sciatic nerve hurts soooo much. I'd rather walk and have it be less painful.

I know we passed by some L.A. landmarks, but since I am pretty unfamiliar with downtown, and it was dark, I didn't notice much of it. Maybe it would have been better in the daytime. At any rate, around mile 4 we arrived at Dodgers Stadium. I knew from the course map that we would be running a few miles around it the parking lot, but I didn't realize just how odd this was. Stretched ahead of me were thousands of runners, running in a snake-like pattern back-and -forth. It was kind of eerie and kind of cool. There were a few parts of the parking lot that were not well-lit at all, and it was then I that I was glad I had my Knuckle Light to turn on. Most people didn't have any lights with them, but a few had on headlamps. (I think the race organizers did a great job of lighting the way in the dark; there were only a few unlit areas...but even those few could be dangerous. One step on a rock or in a pothole could really injure a runner badly).

Every time it seemed that we would finally be going into Dodgers Stadium, the course would take us on another tour of another part of the parking lot. At the crest, many runners got off the course and went to look the breathtaking view of the skyline at night. I just kept going, although by this point "going" was a lot of walking. My left foot and left sciatic nerve were really acting up, and every step was painful. Additionally, I was starting to bonk---I hadn't fueled enough and though I was taking my Gu as I normally do (miles 4, 8 and 12) and also had some Gu Chomps, it wasn't nearly enough calories. Finally, I was tired. Adrenaline hadn't kicked in after all, and I felt like I was in a daze the entire race.

At long last, we entered Dodgers Stadium. THIS was cool. THIS is what made the awfulness of my race worth it. We entered the stadium right around center field, and ran the entire perimeter of the stadium. I ran by the dugouts, home plate, and the warning track. As a baseball fan, this was awesome. For the first time EVER in a race, I stopped. Normally when I take pictures I take them while running (which is why they are usually blurry) but I stopped to really soak in the experience and take pictures. By that point, I knew my time was going to be horrible---too much walking--so a few extra minutes wouldn't matter. I would likely never get to run in Dodgers Stadium again, and really wanted to enjoy the experience. So I did.

entering Dodgers Stadium

view of the field

Dodgers' dugout---they're doing some sort of construction on the stadium

Once we exited the stadium, we were at mile 10. This meant that almost 6---almost half the race!--was run around the parking lot. Unreal. I know that was advertised, and the course map showed it, but still, it was a lot. When I signed up for the race, the course wasn't even posted yet...but really, that wouldn't have deterred me. It wasn't horrible, just boring, although many runners were irate on the race's Facebook page the following day. Also, the course was very hilly, much hillier than advertised. In looking at the elevation profile, it looks like a big hill at mile 3, then it's pretty flat, then a big downhill. It wasn't like that at all. There were lots and lots of uphills, way, WAY more than expected. I walked them all.

The last few miles were agonizing. I stopped at a port-o-potty, something I rarely do in a race but at that point I didn't care about my time. At that point, the tenderness on my right ankle came back, so now I had THREE pains, one on each foot and one on my left leg. I was bonking big-time, with not enough fuel. I started to get cold, which I hadn't been during the run at all (I had ditched my gloves at mile 1 and took off my ear warmers at mile 3). And I was tired. Oh, so tired. It was sooo past my bedtime. I know we ran past Olvera Street and China Town, but again, with it being so dark I didn't really realize it until after the race.

Finally the finish line was ahead. I got my medal (it's gorgeous), a space blanket and a bagel. My running time was 2:50 (I had forgotten to take my Garmin off of auto-pause) and my actual time was something like 2:54. Not a PW (personal worst) but just about. I think this was my 15th half marathon, and my 3rd worst time. Usually I finish in 2:30-2:40 (my PR is 2:29) so this time was way off what I'm capable of. After getting my bag from gear check, I had to walk back to the hotel. Unfortunately, the start and finish were not in the same place, and the finish line was pretty far from the hotel. It was a long walk back on tired legs and sore feet. My space blanket kept me warm, and I didn't even need to put on the jacket I had gear-checked. By the time I got back to the room, it was after 1:00 a.m.

I'd like to learn something from this awful race, and in thinking about it, I learned a lot. Here's what went wrong, and what I can do better next time (if possible). And also what I did right.

1) Improper Fueling. Usually I'm pretty good about fueling. I have a big dinner the night before, eat a Luna Bar (or two) in the morning, and I'm set (plus my usual Gus, etc). I should have eaten a bigger breakfast (I had only had a Luna Bar), and and I should have eaten more at dinner, and had another bar closer to race time.

2) Exhaustion. I will never again run a half marathon at night. I do have a 5k in a few weeks that starts at 7, but running 3.1 miles at 7:00 is way different than running 13.1 miles at 9:30. The only one I would ever reconsider for would be the Disney Wine and Dine, as that is to be quite the experience. No more night half marathons.

3) Pain. There is not much I could have done about this, except for not run. My pain hadn't been THAT bad in a long time. I think I was smart by walking much of instead of pushing it hard and exacerbating it even further.

4) Hilly course. Again, I couldn't have foreseen how off the elevation chart was. I don't mind some hills (heck, I set a PR at the Hollywood Half Marathon last year even with a 2 1/2 mile hill at the end). I just would have liked to have known what to expect.

5) Lighting. Most people ran without lights, but I was glad I had my Knuckle Light with me. I didn't need it for the most part, but again, for those few really dark patches I was happy I was able to shine a light.

All in all, while I hated this race experience, the race organizers themselves did ok. Yes, they had the late start---but as far as I could see they had plenty of water, Gatorade, and gels. There were port-o-potties along the course, and lots of volunteers and medical tents. They had tons of official photographers---seriously, tons (many at different miles and then about 3 in a row on the last .2 mile. And then one at the finish.). I felt bad for the people who did the accompanying 5k.....many ended up running 4.2 miles instead of 3.1, as the course wasn't clearly marked. I was afraid that would happen, as the half marathoners and 5k-ers started together, and I myself never saw a sign for the 5k turnoff.

This medal was hard-earned, and while I will never do this race again, I can only hope that my next race will be better!

Happy New Year!

2013-01-02T15:51:00.002-08:00

Welcome, 2013!

I am hoping this year is better than last. Overall, last year was great (epic, even) but was notably marred at the end with the crisis of my daughter breaking her neck. (I need to write a post updating about her, but in a nutshell: she got her halo off last month and is currently in a neck collar for a few months. So happy, so grateful). If my family can get through this year without any health crises or unplanned hospitalizations, we'll be golden.

I finished 2012 by running 4 miles on New Year's Eve Day, putting me at 651 running miles for the year. I had run 600 miles in 2011, and had wanted to run 700 last year....but between throwing my back out during most of July and dealing with my daughter's broken neck and hospitalization in October/November, a lot of long runs (and some short runs) didn't get done. Life got in the way, and that's ok. I'm thrilled to be over 650 for last year. Maybe I'll get my 700 miles in 2013.

My fitness 2012 achievements looks like this:

--I PR'd in a 5k

--I ran first 10k
--I PR'd in the half marathon (and finally broke 2:30 after chasing it for 18 months!)
--I did 5 half marathons (not counting the one at the end of the half-Ironman)
--I did my first open water swim in the ocean (instead of the usual bay)
--I biked my longest bike ride (60 miles)
--I completed my first HALF-IRONMAN (70.3 miles of fun and hell!)

Mile totals:
ran: 651 miles
biked: 1130 miles
swam: 68 miles
Total miles: 2076 (which also included various walks with the puppy and the elliptical)
Plus weight work, other 5ks, a sprint triathlon and yoga classes

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

Now I'm looking onward to 2013. This is the year where I'm doing thing that scare me. This month alone I have three half marathons (including one at night this weekend). If all goes according to plan, this year I will complete 6-7 half marathons, my first trail race (a 15k), a century ride (103 miles) and a 2.4 mile swim. I may or may not do a triathlon, we'll have to see how I'm feeling and how my race budget is.

Of all the scary things I have planned, the one that is freaking me out the most ( by FAR) is the century ride. I've already signed up and paid, so there is no backing out. There IS an option to drop down in mileage (the ride also offers a 37- and 66-mile ride option) but I want to do the big kahuna. I don't even LOVE cycling, but I desperately want to enjoy it more. The longest ride I've ever done was 60 miles, and that was back when I was training for Super Frog. I have my work cut out for me. Yesterday, to kick off 2013, I went on a 40 mile bike ride, riding part of the Oceanside 70.3 course (which I'm eying for 2014) and was humbled by the hills. And the hills I rode are nothing compared to some of the hills I'll be tacking during the century.

The good thing about the ride is that it's just that--a ride. It's not a race. I can stop, and I plan on stopping often. There are 6 aid stops. The course is open for 12 hours, and while I anticipate taking 9-10 hours to complete the ride, it's nice to know I have 12. Although truth be told, the thought of biking for even 9-10 hours is making me ill. I really need to get stronger on the bike, and the only way to do that is to bike, especially hills. Unfortunately, my schedule this month is awful, as I had already committed to running 3 half marathons (and I'm not biking long rides the day before a half marathon) so I need to do some long rides in the week while the kids are in school. I am also considering getting a new bike for my birthday (when I say "new", I mean new to me....I can't afford a new bike but am sure I can find something good on Craigslist). My current bike, True Blue, is a good little bike, but I'd like one with more gears to help me get up those hills. IF I get a new bike, it will be in March, for my birthday. But I may not even get a new one; so far I'm managing just fine on what I have.

I really need to get used to this view:

my view for hours on end

Here's what I know for sure---that finishing the century, even if I'm the last biker in (a real possibility) will be a huge accomplishment for me and one of my proudest moments. I will treasure that medal. And finishing everything else I have planned---an Ironman-distance swim, the trail race, more half marathons--will be so sweet as well. I have learned this past year just how tough I can be, and I will meet all my goals this year.

2012 Running and Triathlon Recap

2012-12-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do those end-of-the-year running/racing recaps that sprout up on blogs this time of year, but I saw one on Miss Zippy's blog that I couldn't resist copying. So without further ado, my year in racing (modified from her original post):

Best race experience: This is hard....I did 5 half marathons, 2 triathlons, my first 10k and a few 5ks this year. All were enjoyable for various reasons...but if I had to choose the BEST race experience it would have to be SuperFrog. This was my first half-Ironman triathlon, and while there were parts of the race where I thought I would drown (the swim), get blown away by wind (the bike) or just collapse and never get up (the run), training for and completing this race was hands-down the proudest (personal) moment of my year. I never thought I would be able to do 70.3 miles, and I did it. A little over 8 hours of swimming, biking, running, and now I can call myself a half-Ironman, a title that no one can ever take away from me.

Best run: Fortunately, I had many great runs, mostly in training. But 2 runs in particular stand out: the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon, where I finally met my goal of running a half marathon in under 2:30, and the Portland Half Marathon, which I ran a week after SuperFrog and was amazed at how well my body held up after just completing 70.3 miles. And both races themselves were very fun and like a big party.

Best bike: I would have to say one of my training rides for SuperFrog. I did 60 miles, which was my longest ride to date, and I was in the zone---clipped in, using my aerobars, fueling right. It made me think (correctly) that maybe I could complete the bike portion of SuperFrog in under 4 hours.

Best swim: One great swim that stands out in my mind was an open water practice in the ocean with my friend Steve in preparation for SuperFrog. I think Andrea and a few other friends were also along with us. It felt so good to finally get the hang of getting through waves (up to that point, all my open water swims had been in the bay). And once through the waves, it was fun to swim in the ocean.

Worst run/bike/swim: I can't think of any awful swims or bike rides (although I can think of plenty of hard ones, especially on the bike!) but I can recall a couple of runs where my sciatic nerve pain and/or plantar fasciitis was so bad that I was in pain the whole time. One run in particular was so horrible that I was limping after and went to Urgent Care the next day to see if it my foot was fractured (it wasn't). After some time off of running, I was fine again, but that was not fun. At all.

Worst injury: I threw my back out in July, leaving me unable to properly train for my half-Ironman for about 3 weeks.

Worst race experience: None! I'm happy to say that each of my races this year was great, all for different reasons (new distance, new PR, new locations, being with friends, etc).

Best new piece of gear: I love my aerobars I got on my bike this summer. It really helped during SuperFrog, which was all flat. I also got a new iPod Shuffle earlier in the year, which I use all the time.

Best piece of running advice you received: This was the year I learned to change my run to strike mid-foot. Another gem of wisdom was about racing: all that matters is finishing. It doesn't matter if you come in first or last...as long as you train and do your best, that's what matters. Run your own race (which applies to life as well).

If you could sum up your (fitness) year in a couple of words, what would they be? Mind blowing. I can't believe I achieved two major goals---running a sub-2:30 half marathon and completing a half-Ironman. And I had made it a goal to run more than I did in 2011 (which had been 600 miles). With one more week left to run, I've already run 635 miles.

What I've learned this year: That I can do anything I set my mind to. Next year I will do the things that scare me: run a trail race, bike 100 miles, and swim 2.4 miles. I know I can do it all because of what I accomplished this year.

Jingle Bell 5k Race Recap

2012-12-21T13:02:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I ran the Jingle Bell 5k with my best friend. He had written on his bucket list that he wanted to run a 5k, and while he did the Color Run with me last month, that didn't really count since so much of the Color Run is walking and actually stopping (to get doused in color). We wanted to dress up a bit, so we decided to go as reindeer. I picked up some reindeer headbands from the dollar bin at Target, and he picked up some light-up red noses. Add some jingle bells to our shoes, and we were ready!

When race morning came, I wasn't too into going. The horrific school shooting had just happened the day before, and my heart was heavy was sadness. And while I knew a run would clear my mind (and I actually had to run 8 miles, so I planned on running 5 more after the race) it was a cold and rainy morning. With both my mind and my body not into it, I got dressed anyway and headed down to Balboa Park, windshield wipers madly working the whole way.

Once there, I connected with D, my best friend. We then found my friends Andrea and Angi. Angi, her mom and her dog had dressed up like Cindy Lou Who and Max from the Grinch. Even their dog stroller was decked out. It was so creative. We even ran into Monika, running her first race post-radiation and chemo. It was SO good to see her out and running and looking fabulous!

Luckily around this time the rain let up, just in time to start running. The course was down 6th Avenue and in Balboa Park a bit. I had so much fun in this race, for two reasons. First, it was amazing to run with my best friend. We kept a nice an easy pace (none of that fast running I did in the Shelter Island 5k last month) and talked the whole way. At the end he even told me how much fun he had, and thanked me for gently easing him into racing (he's thinking about a 10k now!) Amazingly our red noses stayed on (although mine never did light up like it was supposed to) but somewhere along the course I lost my reindeer ears headband. Oh well.

The second reason this race was so fun was all the costumes! Aside from my friends, so many other people were decked out in holiday costumes. We saw lots of Santa hats, reindeer, and snowflakes. The one of the best I saw was a group of people dressed like reindeer---in full costumes, not just ears--tethered together with Rudolph in the front and someone dressed like Santa in the back. How they ran in formation like that I have no clue, but it was awesome to see!

After crossing the finish line, we got our medals (so rare for a 5k) and hung out for a bit. I ran into my friend Ingrid, who ran the race with her son---his first-ever 5k. After saying goodbye to all my friends, I went off to do another 5 miles.

This is definitely a fun race, one I would consider doing next year with my own son. Happy holidays, everyone!

Shaken to the Core

2012-12-15T19:21:00.001-08:00

Like every other mother in the world, like every other parent, like every other human being....my heart is hurting right now. It literally hurts. When I think about the horrific events of yesterday, my heart hurts so badly that if I didn't know better I'd think I was having a heart attack. I have cried so many tears, but when I think I'm all cried out, suddenly I start crying again.

Much has been, and will be, written about the tragedy, and I don't have it in me to write much, or even anything new to add....but I will say this. Although I have always been a very grateful person, and have honestly cherished every moment with my children, this has shaken me to the core. This tragedy will make me a better mother, an even more present and appreciative person, and a kinder human being.

My heart is in Connecticut......

Setting My 2013 Race Calendar

2012-11-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot since my last post, where I pondered what athletic endeavors I would do in 2013. Although I still have not made my final decisions, I have gained more and more clarity as to what I want to do. I think the answers lie in my goals, which are to push myself , do new things, stay fit and have fun.

I am still planning on the 6 half marathons I discussed in my last post. I love half marathons, and may even add a 7th if I can find one next fall that doesn't entail travel expense. But I was still unsure about my triathlon plans. That decision I have made for sure: I will NOT be doing another half-Ironman (70.3 miles) in 2013. However, I loved the training I did for SuperFrog, and was so proud of myself when I finished, so there will most likely be another one in my future. As I wrote before, there are only two 70.3 races in San Diego: SuperFrog and the Ironman-branded Ironman California, which is in Oceanside. Given that I want to do new things, I think I want to skip SuperFrog next year, and sign up for Oceanside 70.3 in 2014 (it's already sold out for 2013). So that big decision is out of the way. I am nervous about it, especially the hilly bike ride and the hard 8-hour cutoff that Ironman mandates, but I think I can do it. I know I'll try my best, regardless.

So, what else will I be doing in 2013? Well, I decided that this year I want to do something in each sport that scares me. I loved conquering my fear of doing a 70.3 this past year, and want to smash through other fears. These are my proposed plans:

SWIM:

I am 99% sure that I will be signing up for the Tiki Swim, which is in September. This is a 2.4 mile point-to-point swim (full Ironman distance) in Oceanside. Yes, there is a 1.2 mile option, but I've done that---my half-Ironman was 1.2 miles. I know I can easily swim 1.2 miles, and building up to roughly 4200 yards shouldn't be that much more of a stretch (I've done 3000 yards without too much difficulty) yet still a challenge for me. I think the biggest challenge will be fighting boredom---after 2500 or 3000 yards swimming in the pool my mind goes numb with staring at the black line. But I'm excited about the race. There is a 2 hour, 20 minute cutoff, which I should be able to do (I did the 1.2 mile swim at SuperFrog in less than an hour, and that included fighting those huge 6-foot waves twice in the double-looped swim). I also hear there is an aid station on a kayak about halfway through, which should be interesting. So while the Tiki Swim scares me, I'm also excited about it.

RUN:

I am also 99% sure that I will be signing up for the Xterra Mission Gorge Tail Run in February. While the distance doesn't scare me (it's 15k, or 9.3 mile) the terrain terrifies me. I don't run on trails. I am pretty clumsy and am sure I'm going to hurt myself. In fact, years ago, back in 2003 I did a 4 mile trail race (this was while I was in the middle of training for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon) and I twisted my ankle on some rocks. However, a friend of mine has been pressuring me to run this with him, and I finally relented. He promised me he would help me up and down the hills. So, in the name of doing something that scares me, this trail run is it. I guess I need to start training on some trails over the next few months. I have been running a bit on some horse trails lately, but I need to really get out to the real hill trails to train.

BIKE:

This is where things get fuzzy for me. Most things involving the bike scare me. It's no secret the bike has always been my weakest leg in triathlon. When I was training for SuperFrog, my longest training ride was 60 miles and I promised myself that I wouldn't ever have to bike one mile further. Well, now I'm reconsidering. I'm thinking about doing a century (100 mile ride). The San Diego Century is in June, and while it offers shorter distances (33 and 67 miles) I would do the full, which is actually 103 miles. The distance itself isn't the scariest part---it's the hills. This ride goes over hills so steep (for me) and so long that I'm truthfully not sure I can do. If I sign up, I need to commit to major hill training over the next 6 months. Ideally I would have a better bike; that's not in our budget right now but I think I can do the ride on my current bike. I'm about 50/50 right now on signing up for this. The idea alone frightens me.

TRIATHLON:

So, if I'm not doing a 70.3 this year, will I do any triathlons at all? I want to do at least one. There are many in San Diego that I haven't done, but will probably only do one in the interest of my race budget. I'm eying the Chula Vista Challenge, an Olympic-distance triathlon in August. I can't see spending the money for a sprint this year, especially since I'm training for much longer distances with my runs, bikes and swims.

So, that's my proposed race schedule for 2013. I will most likely throw in a few more 5ks to do with my son, since he likes to do them, and if the Awesome 80's Run comes to San Diego again I would once again do the 10k since I loved the medal (and the new-to-me distance). The thing about San Diego is that there are no shortage of races to do---whether running or triathlon, and any distance (except for full-Ironman distance) but I can't do them all. Seeing what my goals were--especially the "try new things that scare me" part--is helping to whittle down the list.

What Next?

2012-11-09T17:24:00.001-08:00

Now that my daughter is back in school (re-started yesterday, after almost a full month off!) I am able to resume my workouts. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was exercising almost daily. Just 6 weeks ago, on September 30, I did my first half-Ironman triathlon, SuperFrog. A week after, so only 5 weeks ago, I did the Portland Half Marathon. Then my life went to hell in a handbasket when my daughter broke her neck. She spent 2 full weeks at Children's Hospital. During this time I got a few short runs in, but nowhere near what I normally would have run. She's been home for 2 weeks now, and I've been able to do a few runs (and 3 races, including my first 10k and two 5ks) and 2 swims. I haven't been on my bike at all since SuperFrog.

But now that she's back in school, and I have some time to myself in the day where I don't need to coordinate childcare with my husband, training is back on. Yesterday, after I dropped her off, I went on a 3 mile run. Today I did a 40 lap (2000 yard) swim. I am planning on biking tomorrow, although if it rains as predicted I might spin at the gym instead. Regardless, there will be cycling of some sort tomorrow. I need to get back into my routine. Yes, it seems like it's been a lifetime since SuperFrog, but really, it's only been 6 weeks. I've actually lost some weight, despite not exercising the way I normally do AND pigging out on Halloween candy, and I suspect it's a loss of muscle (probably from no biking!) Now is the time to turn things around.

What I've been pondering recently are my new goals, especially as related to triathlon. I always train best when I have a goal to work toward, a race to run. I have lots of half marathons planned in 2013:

New Year's Race Los Angeles Half Marathon, January 5
Tinker Bell Half Marathon, January 20
Carlsbad Half Marathon, January 27
San Diego Half Marathon, March 10
La Jolla Half Marathon, April 28
America's Finest City Half Marathon, August 18

What's missing from this list? Triathlons. I have NO clue what I will be doing in 2013. One big question is, do I want to do another half-Ironman? I'm not sure, but I think I do. At the end of SuperFrog I vowed I would never do another one, but I'm already forgetting the misery that was that run. I don't want to travel for a 70.3, so I'm left with 2 choices in San Diego: SuperFrog or Ironman California. IMCA is already sold out for 2013, but I could consider it for 2014. . But Ironman-branded races have a strict 8 hour cutoff in order to be official, and while I was just barely over the 8 hour mark for SuperFrog, I was still over. The bike scares me---it's very hilly---but the swim and run should be easier than SuperFrog (there should be no big waves and no beach run like I had to contend with). I'd have to really commit to major hill training over the next year. Alternatively, I could do SuperFrog again (fact: I met one of the race directors a few weeks ago when I bought another commemorative t-shirt, and he said that if I could finish that race course, I could do ANY race. He himself thought the course, especially the run, was ridiculously hard.)

Regardless of if/which 70.3 I do, I might also want to do a sprint or Olympic-distance triathlon. I'm thinking of doing SuperSeal Olympic (I have a 25% off code since last year's cancellation). But there are other races in San Diego, triathlons I haven't done before. The San Diego International Triathlon is just short of Olympic-distance (a little shorter swim and bike) although the bike goes up the same steep, grueling hill on Cabrillo National Monument that I did in last year's Oly. And San Diego, birthplace of triathlon, has tons of other sprints that would be fun to do.

Also, I'm looking at other running races. I know I'm in love with the half marathon distance, but I enjoyed my first 10k and am looking at the Coronado Valentine's Day 10k. And a certain friend of mine is pressuring me to do my first trail race with him. I hate trails, but am crazily considering this sufferfest of a 15k. Why not try something new? I'm also loosely considering a long swim race (2 miles or so) or a long bike (either a century or a metric century, even though I swore I'd never bike a mile past 60). There are plenty of both to look at in San Diego.

The bottom line, I have nothing on my race schedule after next August. And no triathlons at all. What to do, what to do.........

Shelter Island 5k Race Recap

2012-11-06T15:49:00.001-08:00

On Sunday I ran in my second 5k of the weekend (see my first recap here), the Shelter Island 5k. Normally, I don't like to do 5ks, preferring to spend my race money on half marathons and triathlons. I've been doing a few 5ks recently, but only because my 8 year old son has started to run and I like to do short races with him. But I haven't done a 5k on my own (sans son) in years. I changed my mind for this one, though. My cousin came out to visit from the east coast, and he just started running and doing 5ks. He really wanted to run a 5k in San Diego on his trip, so we both signed up. I also got two of my neighbors, who had never done a 5k or a race of any sort, to sign up.

With a 7:30 race time, we had to leave the house early. I always like to get to races with plenty of time to spare, in case of getting lost, traffic, etc, so we left the house at 6:00. It was daylight savings that day, so the early wake-up call didn't feel so bad. We easily found our destination, which was near the San Diego Airport, parked and went to the race site. We picked up our bibs, and then had a LOT of time to kill before the race started.

I had no real goals for the race. Usually my race times for a half marathon are at about 11:30 minute mile, maybe slower. On last week's 10k I had a 10:56 minute mile pace, which was fast for me. I didn't know what to expect out of myself on a 5k without my son to slow me down. I decided to play it by ear.

When the race started, there were a LOT of walkers in front of me. I had to do a lot of weaving to get around them, then kicked it into high gear to pass them. The "high gear" mode seemed easy for me, and I was shocked when I looked at my Garmin: a 9:40 pace. I NEVER run in the 9's....I'm always thrilled when my pace is in the 10 minute mile range! Half a mile later I looked down again----and it still said 9:40. What? Who was this speedy woman taking over my body?

The rest of the race my pace stayed in that range. Whenever I would look at my Garmin I would see anything between 9:20 and 9:50. I couldn't believe it! I was fast! I did have to take a few walk breaks, which I know is kind of sad for a 5k but I couldn't sustain that fast pace for 3.1 miles straight. The course was beautiful---into Point Loma, and around Shelter Island. The views of the water, boats and palm trees were gorgeous. I was glad I had chosen this race for my cousin, as he was impressed with the views.

With a final burst to the finish, I set a 5k PR with about a 10:06 average pace (which included the walk breaks). I was so happy and so proud! I'm used to running these shorter distances either with my son or my dog, and I guess if I were to run by myself I could get speedier. After the race I was able to collect my t-shirt (cotton, but nice) and goody bag. There was a champagne breakfast, but my cousin and his girlfriend (who cheered us on) didn't want to go. We decided to nix the shuttle back to the start, and walked the mile back to the car.

This was a very fun race for me. It was awesome doing it with my cousin and neighbors (who both had a blast as well) and I was thrilled to set such a great PR for myself, and discover an untapped speed.