Tri-Karen-Tri

2012-01-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

THE RULES
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

RANDOM THINGS
1. I wear a mouthguard OR retainers at night.
2. I now wear a wrist brace at night too. I'm dead sexy.
3. I think Dean Karnazes is a little blow-hard-ish.
4. I like making up new words like "Blow-hard-ish"
5. Crossfit scares me.
6. Things on my desk right now: 4 coffee cups, Curel lotion, hand sanitizer, neutrogena lotion, Trader Joes Organic Blue Agave Sweetener, phone, Pillars of the Earth, and lots of crumbs. And an unopened fortune cookie.
7.I am very indecisive.
8.I have 15 library books in the trunk of my car.
9.I like to cuss. A lot.
10. My current favorite "adult" beverage is kaluha and soymilk.
11. I make up secret nicknames for most people.

11 NEW QUESTIONS:
1. Which movie/tv show/character most resembles your life? Modern Family.

2. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? "Life isn't fair".

3. What was your ultimate dipshit moment (so far)? There are so many to chose from, but probably when I inadvertantly cussed out a teacher who was in a bathroom stall--I was in 6th grade.

4. Marry, f*ck or kill: choose either group – (a) Val Kilmer (current, not young version), Kevin Federline and Russell Brand; (b) Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton. I'd kill them all.

5. Which country would you most likely be arrested in and/or shot at and why? Probably afghanistan because I'm an outspoken female who doesn't like to be covered from head-to-toe in a black bag. And I don't like listening to what men say because they are usually wrong.

6. Which person (alive or dead) would you most want to bitchslap? See any from #4 above.

7. Which special talent or skill do you wish you had? The ability to not need any sleep.

8. Who or what would you consider to be your archenemy? This guy.

9. Pop or soda? What the heck is POP? Do you mean pop rocks? Soda of course.

10. What’s your favorite holiday? THANKSGIVING!!!

11. How would you prefer the apocalypse to go down? I prefer it takes all those who believe in the apocalypse. Those of us unbelievers, can stick around.

That's it for now. .. Every blog I read has already been tagged... So I won't be tagging anyone else. If i've missed you, consider yourself tagged.

Paula Deen: The Queen of Mean or just Obscene?

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

The recent news that Paula Deen, the Queen of southern cooking-- the woman who peddled deep fried butter-- has acquired Type II diabetes didn't come as a shock to me. I have watched her program once or twice. I saw her laugh and giggle as she made a breakfast burger out of donuts and meat. I was surprised that she didn't deep fry it.

I don't care for her style of cooking, personally. It is unhealthy --full of fat, sugar and salt. But this is a free country and people are free to chose to eat what they want. And they do--even if it is garbage.

The thing that gets me, is that she knew about her Diabetes for 3 years and within that time, wrote and sold several cookbooks with the same unhealthy diet. In other words, she made money promoting the same food choices that led to her diagnosis.

Now she is teaming up with a company to be their spokesperson for a new diabetes drug. That just seems, ICKY to me. It is as if she has no conscience.

Promote grotesque food, acquire a disease that WILL SPEED UP YOUR DEMISE (sorry Paula, your pitch that "Diabetes isn't a death sentence" is inacurate. People with even well managed diabetes die an average of 15 years earlier), and then sign on to be the public face of a new drug for the ailment. Something is rotten in in Paula's Kitchen. Perhaps it is her colon?

She is right when she says "practice moderation". But is deep frying butter really moderate? Really? Does anyone believe that? I'm not a "moderate" person by any means,and I've NEVER DEEP FRIED BUTTER.

I'm trying really hard not to be the food nazi here, but at what point does she take ownership of promoting such an idiotic food plan? Is she the devil as Anthony Bourdain says or is she simply a good capitalist who turned her "lemon" into "lemonade"? What do you think?

Fear-based living

2012-01-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

I'm still sad, confused and scared from the outcome of the story of Sherry Arnold. I didn't know her and in all likelihood never would have met her. Her death has had a profound effect on me though. After reading SUAR's post and the news of Sherry's death I started to see the bad out there. I saw it everywhere. SUAR can concentrate on the good, but I was having a really hard time. I refused to go for my morning run, convinced that someone "bad" was out there. When I ran a short run in broad daylight, I had pepperspray in hand, ready to shoot it at anything that looked menacing. Basically, I was living in total fear.

I hate violence against women. I abhor it to a degree that makes my blood pressure go up anytime I hear of a woman (or child) being hurt, maimed, killed, tortured by some asshole who has mommy issues. I don't know that my feelings are all that unusual, but I also have personally been a victim of violence directed at me--I was an easy target at the time; 5'2"; 90 lbs; and a need to try to "fix him" so he would "really love me." I know, totally stupid, but I was 19 and in love for the first time. For 5 years, I accepted the unacceptable hoping that THIS time things would be different. He would change or I would change enough that his temper would get better. I finally walked away with my dignity in shreds.

I am not wanting to make this a post about "ME ME ME" but the news of Sherry struck a nerve. We were both the victims of violence and her death has unfortunately effected my day to day life. I no longer feel that I can simply run in my quiet neighborhood. I feel on edge. I feel that I must carry pepper spray, my GPS, my phone and maybe even a handgun. A little overboard, but I feel as if I am a target-- as if ALL women are targets simply because we carry two X-chromosomes.

When time came for my satuday run, I couldn't do it. It was broad daylight outside; 10 a.m. and chilly. I had the excuse of a sick child, but in reality it was difficult to motivate myself. Unlike several other bloggers, I am not brave. I didn't go out running. I stayed home and sulked.

Sunday came and I tried to find an excuse to not run. I didn't want to leave RugRat#2 since she still wasn't feeling well. Husband was going out of town for a Crit (bike race) and would be gone all day. I ate my breakfast. I sat and looked at my shoes and running clothes. I was supposed to run 10 miles. I stared and contemplated my life, Sherry's life and how random violence against women could horribly effect generations of a family.

Then something weird happened.

I quit thinking and put on my running clothes and laced up my shoes. I got my IPOD, my GPS, my water and my MACE. And I went for a run.

I won't pretend that I wasn't frightened, or that there was some sudden freak bravery that came my way; or that I was Forrest Gump trying to outrun the pain of Jenny leaving him.

I ran because I didn't know what else to do. Running is who I am, and I would be damned if that was taken away from me because of idiots who happen to share the world with me. I had my MACE in my hand the whole time I ran. When my GPS read "5 miles" I did an extra half mile--I might say that I did it for Sherry-- but I did it for myself as well. I wanted to have 11 miles under my belt for the day.

Am I brave? No. Am I stubborn? Hell Yes. I will still run outside as much as possible. With trepedation and fear, but I will keep doing it, MACE in hand, 911 on speed dial of my fully charged phone. If I need to carry a handgun in my waist pack to feel safe and run, I will do it. But nobody is going to take away my ability to run. Nobody--not even myself. I won't let my own fear stop me.

One final note: Fuck those hillbilly asshole evil-doers that are hurting people. Fuck'em!

This is my own personal reaction to the story of Sherry and I realize that it may be totally out of the ordinary for someone else.

Had a shitty day

2012-01-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

I had a shitty day today.
Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks.

Learning Every Day

2012-01-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of little rumblings going on in my head. Sad things, frightening things that occur in the world and I am trying to make sense of them while being thankful for the great life that I have. It's hard to balance ...

I recently learned that two local race directors, Bob and Linda Mathis, who's race I did last year in Cool, were killed on December 30, 2011 while crossing the street. I spoke with each of them right before and after my race and I was impressed with their love for the sport of trail running. Although I didn't know them in any way more than a passing conversation, I am so very sad for their passing. They had a respect and pure love of the sport that can't be faked.
As many of you have undoubtedly seen, Sherri Arnold has been missing since saturday morning in Montana. She left for her usual early morning run and hasn't been seen since. Only a running shoe has been found in a ditch nearby. The FBI has arrived and is continuing with the search for Sherri. I don't know her, but I am so sad for her family enduring such a horrific ordeal.

I am hoping that Sherri is found safe and sound, and that the Mathis family has some peace after such a horrible event.

--K

There will be no resolutions

2012-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

I try not to indulge in resolutions. One could say that I resolve not to make resolutions but every year I mess up and after a couple of beers on Dec 31st I think, "No more fried foods! No more sugar! I'll do an Ironman this year!!"

This year, I made the same resolutions to eat healthier, yada yada.
I broke my first resolution on Jan 1 at 9 a.m. by making and eating stacks and stacks of pancakes.
I somehow got talked into pacing someone at AR50 –most likely the last 9 miles from rattlesnake bar to the finish. See that sudden incline at the very right of the grid--that's the part I'm supposed to help with.. Yeah I laughed at that too.
I’m pretty sure I can’t manage to do the Pasadena marathon since it will cost me over $500 (flight/hotel/registration, etc)
The Modesto Marathon is too close (only 6 weeks) for me to feel that I can get ready adequately.
During my first track workout of the year, I felt every single piece of pecan pie, peach pie, apple pie, hot cocoa, bloody mary, and Mai Tai I’ve indulged in over the past few weeks. Every. Single. One.
I got on my bike twice this year already. I’ve got a 3rd and 4th ride planned.
I still haven’t swam despite a friends’ pleading that I do the Auburn Triathlon on May 20th.
Because I was feeling lousy about the marathon issues above, husband came up with some hairbrained scheme for me to simply map out runs that are 26.2 miles long around our area and run those. He even said he would work as support crew for me. He suggested I try to do one in the immediate 5 county area—one in each county and then expand to include every county in California. Some people try to run marathons in all 50 states; I run in all 58 counties in california. Cute. I like to swing for the fences here folks...
I joined a new biking group. They seem awfully nice and supportive.
I am trying to keep craziness and crazy/emotionally sucking people out of my life, but they keep finding me.
This is because they are all in my family.
I still don’t have a new phone since the Mai Tai Incident in Hawaii. Not sure if I want an Iphone 4S or if I should wait for the Iphone 5. Or should I just get a Motorola Droid Razr. Fk I don’t know.
RugRat#2 made a great vegan dinner from scratch the other day. She picked out the recipes herself, chopped all the veggies and got everything organized. It was the best meal I’ve eaten in a long time. Fettuccine with mushrooms/garlic and marsala wine sauce and Sicilian stuffed Tomatoes. Delish!
RugRat #2 and I participated in the Resolution Run once again this year. She got 3rd in her age group (again) even though she puked during the run. I managed to move from AG 9th to AG 7th and PR’d on the course by about 1 minute. Hurray!
I still haven’t decided definitively on any races for the year. I am registered for Shamrockn half marathon and the Superbowl Sunday 10k. Other than that, everything is up in the air.
Running with Merrill Pace Gloves is fun but very very scary. I'm going to keep going with it though and see what happens. An interesting note is that I find that my regular ASICS running shoes feel like big heavy bricks on my feet and I keep stumbling when I wear those.

beware: Kool Aid drinker here

2011-12-18T20:30:00.001-08:00

I drank the kool aid.

I received the Merrill Pace Gloves as an early christmas present. I've walked around the house in them; ran through the house in them; ran through REI in them.

I'm scared.

I'm scared because they feel really really good on my feet.

Am I turning into one of them?

Those frog-feet, vibram wearers? I used to laugh at them. Ok, sometimes I still chuckle a bit. It just looks so funny. I read about the vibrams in an old Runner's World article written by Peter Sagal. I laughed as I read the article. I smirked at frog-footed people on the bike trail.

It just seemed so weird. So odd. So funny-looking.
I tried the darn vibrams a few times. My toes didn't fit right. And my bunion doesn't work in such tight un-adjustable shoes. I dismissed the whole "minimalist" shoe thing as a "fad". Afterall, if Vibrams didn't fit my feet how good could they be?

Then I read Krista's blog and I had a few friends run 50ks and 50 milers after training in Merrill's.

And here I am wearing the non-frog footed equivalent--and the Merrill Pace gloves feel real good. Real. Good.

I'm starting with only a half mile run in them tomorrow and I'll see what happens. Just don't call me Lizard Lady.

Maui Zowie Wowie

2011-12-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

Just returned from a week in Maui. My first time there. Awesome weather, wonderful time.

Highlights include:

My first time snorkeling
Mai Tais
80 degree humid weather
Sitting by the pool
Sitting by the ocean
umbrelled drinks by the pool
Dropping my cellphone into the ocean within 3 hours of landing

So now i'm in the market for a new phone. I haven't yet converted to a "smartphone". I'm still in "dumbfone" land. Not sure that I want a smartphone. And even if I were to get one, I don't know which one. Suggestions?

I'm back to cold, dry weather here in NorCal. I ran 1 whole mile while in Maui so I should probably get back on the horse, especially if I want to do the Resolution Run on January 1st.

I've decided to forgo a 50k for the time being. I feel that I need to get a few more marathons under my belt before I try for that goal.

After the Resolution Run, i'll do a couple of local halfs and then I'm deciding between the Modesto Marathon and the Pasadena Marathon.

Decisions.Decisions.

Which would you prefer to do? Pasadena or Modesto? What smartphone do you have? Do you like it? Would you buy something else if you could ?

California International Marathon 2011 Race Recap

2011-12-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Weather: Cold Cold Cold.

I couldn't decide what to wear for days before hand. Rain? No rain. Cold? How cold? 31? 39? 40?

I read on weather.com that it was supposed to be 39 degrees at the start, heating up to 59 by 11 a.m. Too hot for long sleeves. Then local news weather said 30 degrees at the start only getting up to 45 by my finish time.

What to wear? I couldn't decide. Long sleeve. Short sleeve. Long sleeve. Short sleeve with arm warmers.

Finally I decided on race morning. Long sleeve with tank underneath. Hubby was to bring a short sleeve shirt/arm warmers with him just in case.

Pre race, Pre dawn pic. No that is not beer in the cup. It's my morning cup o' joe.

Turns out that I planned perfectly. It felt much colder than 39 at the start. Maybe 32 or so. And at about mile 3 or 4 it suddenly felt a lot colder. We went down a hill and the air WAS colder. I could feel it. And see it. I could see my breath suddenly as well as the breath of everyone else around me.

I was well hydrated. I kept drinking because I didn't want to get dehydrated and slow down. I was TOO hydrated. Refilled waterbottle by mile 8.(Thanks FLEET FEET!!!) I used the porta potty at mile 10. Saw my family for the first time at mile 12. Removed my undershirt/tank at mile 12.5.

If you are happy and you know it smile at the camera!!

Stopped to pee again at mile 15. Refilled bottle again at mile 19 or so (THANKS FOLSOM TRAIL RUNNERS!!!)

Busted through the wall at Mile 20. Saw 4 people cheering for me from my Triathlon group--yelling "GO Karen Go Karen!!!" Saw the family again at mile 21.5. Handed my handheld bottle to them.

One last drink from the handheld before the handoff to the family.I'm gonna get'er dun.

I tried to just keep running. No stopping and no walking. Just run and make relentless forward progress.

Saw another friend at mile 22 and then saw my coach at mile 23.

At mile 25, I selected my newest "power song" on my IPOD, "Stayin Alive" by the BeeGees and motored to the finish as fast as I could. I was passing people left and right.

I didn't even see or hear my husband yelling at me in this photo. My IPOD was dying and I had it cranked as loud as it would go so the last mile would go by fast!

As I turned the final corner I saw my family behind the barricades yelling and screaming and jumping up and down.

The clock said 4:20. 20 minutes faster than last year. So very happy. Delirious. Medal. Cut off shoe tag that flapped against my foot for so long. Space blanket. Picture. Hugs and pics with family.

Yes I am on the phone. I'm talking to my mom who was too sick to make it to the race.

5 block walk to the car. Rest.Eat.Sleep.

Later that evening: Roaring fire, Beer, Star Trek Movie on Netflix and husband rubbing my sore calves and feet.

What's next? Register for lottery for Way Too Cool 50k.

CIM 2011-- A PR!!!

2011-12-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Quick recap--race report to follow.

Gun Time: 4:20
Chip Time: 4:17
Actual Running Time: 4:12.

Last year CIM Chip time was 4:37--

20 minute PR!!

I'm not a runner, am I?

2011-12-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

I had a conversation with one of my running friends recently that was very enlightening. It started when a somewhat out of shape co-worker made a comment about me --that I am one of those , "Crazy runners"... I immediately told him, "no i'm not a runner." I reiterated this conversation with my running friends who said, "of course you are a runner!" To me, a REAL runner is someone else. When I first started back running, runners were:

People who raced.
People who ran 5ks
People who did 10ks (that was so far!)
People who ran half marathons!
People who finished a marathon
People who ran fast 5ks
People who did ultraraces.
People who ran FAST 10ks.
etc. etc.

You see where I am going. The bar keeps moving for me. I've raced; I've done 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, marathons, I've PRd at each of those distances later. But I still don't consider myself a runner which is completely rediculous. I am about to embark on my 3rd marathon within a year-- Why don't I think I fit the moniker of "runner"?

I think there may be a lot of women who perhaps got into running (or got back into running) in their 30s or 40s and view "RUNNERS" as people who qualify for the olympic trials or who run BQs at every race. Pitted against that "ideal" then very few of us are actually runners. That is so dumb. Of course we are runners. We run. We may not look like the crazy skinny freaks below, but we run.

We run, jog, waddle, sprint, huff and we puff. We keep moving forward. Sometimes we are fast, sometimes not. Sometimes a screaming kid, or a grumpy co-parent/partner makes us want to throw our hands in the air and give up running. Other times is pushes us out the door for a run.

In any case-- I am a runner. There. I said it. I am a runner.

This weekend I will be doing my 3rd Marathon. In a year. I did CIM last year (December 5th); and SF Marathon (July 31st); December 4th CIM will happen again so I guess that technically makes 3 marathons within one year? Wow. Ok, I am a runner. Really. Wow.

I'm at a crossroads in terms of my training for next year. I feel so good about my gains in endurance and speed I am wondering if I should try for some PRs again next year in the half marathon, marathon and 10k distances.

Or I could register for the lottery for an ultrarun in Cool, California.

I haven't yet decided which direction I want to take. Ultrarun or faster?
A part of me feels that I need to get a few more marathons under my belt before I attempt an ultra. But then again, I feel like I am in really good form so maybe I should strike while the iron is hot (so to speak).

I'll worry about it after this sunday. Weather is supposed to be clear and cold (37) at the start warming to 50 by the noon. Perfect day!

Thursday Three (+1)

2011-11-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

For motivation and injury prevention I bought

and this

and this

and for FUN and to wear at CIM I bought this

Thursday 13: Is life stressful? The early MADLIB Edition

2011-11-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Work, training and home are all super busy and stressful these last few weeks. Some things have built up while others have waned. I wish I could post all the dirty laundry here but I can't. It would be fun though. Maybe it can be like MADLIBS!

The EX-WIFE has her own crazy _________ to deal with now. It makes me giggle uncontrollably when I think about the saying that "Karma is a ______"
RugRat#2 is doing great in her __________ season. Only one more meet to go this _____.
California International Marathon training is going ok. I have a ______ mile run this weekend. The forcast is for _______.
Work is _______; I really enjoy being a "transponster"
________ Armstrong is on the cover of the latest issue of ___________ magazine. He is looking a little __________-Out and old.
I will be on vacation in Maui in 5 weeks. I plan to do ________ except eat and sleep.
Last night we had _________ for dinner since I was WAY TOO TIRED to cook.
Converted RugRat#1's room into a WORKOUT room for ME!!! I get the whole ________ for my clothes. I have too much triathlon __________.
After I RickRolled myself a couple of weeks ago, I decided to put a new ______ on my _________ list.
I will put my name in for the lottery for _________50k (March 2012).
Vineman 70.3 sold out in ______________ hours including the waitlist. _________!!!
Auburn Triathlon is still open for 2012. __________________!!!! it is a difficult course. Should I ________ for it?
I want to do an Ironman distance race in the next two years. No, this is not a _______.
Here is a picture from my __________ 11 years ago. Now I feel _____.

Happy Thursday everyone and Happy Veterans Day Friday!

Finally a 20 miler with turkeys & I rickrolled myself.

2011-10-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's 20 miler was scraped because of my mountainbike accident. The pain was so annoying I just couldn't focus enough to get moving. I should have read SUAR's article on moving our asses when we really don't want to do anything. So after last weeks' "I'm in too much pain to fckn' run!" poutiness, I put all excuses aside and did my twenty miles Sunday.

I was running late (as usual); alarm went off too early, I was too sleepy to get up. Yada Yada. Finally at 7 I rolled out of bed -- the "dark and stormy" I had drunk the night before at a halloween party seemed to linger into the morning. In any case I had coffee, made a homemade eggmuffin, pitstop and then off to park at Gold River access point to the bike trail. When driving over, I felt a little rumble in my tummy. "uh oh" I thought.. The best was yet to come.

I started off on my run and within 1 mile I had to go potty. The 6 carrots I juiced the night before suddenly did not seem like a good idea.

I emerged from the Sunrise bathroom a few minutes later. Phew--happy that there was a bathroom there. Within 2 miles I saw a flock of wild turkeys roaming across the bike trail. I didn't have my pepper spray and I wasn't sure what I should do, so I ran right toward them and they moved to the side.Ick. I hate big birds.

I kept running at a nice pace with the intention of meeting a friend at William B. Pond Park. However, as I approached WBP I felt a need to hit the bathroom again. I waited for my friend and then told her I was going to dash into the restroom.

We ran together at her pace for a few miles. She bugged off after 8 miles and then I was all alone. Then the unthinkable happened.

No, I didn't soil myself.

I rickrolled myself. Really. I have Rick Astley's infamous song on my Ipod. Stop judging me. It played on my Ipod. Then it played again. My Ipod controls refused to work. I couldn't get the damn song to go away. It played a 3rd time. I had 5 miles to go on a 20 mile run, it was getting hot, I was tired, and the only song my Ipod would recognize was Rick Astley's, "Never gonna give you up".

Finally I took my headphones off and pushed consistently to get to the end of my run. 3:30 of running time for 20 miles. 5 pitstops make the total time I was out there 4:08.

CIM is looking good! (As long as I don't drink carrot juice the night before)

bad blogger bad blogger

2011-10-27T14:28:00.001-07:00

Ok, i've been a bad blogger. No Excuses--especially since I was tagged by Beth at Tri-Girl Training Plan to provide 7 random facts about me.

Here are some random facts:

I like to sleep on my left side.
I am an AM coffee fiend. Just sugar please.
I have paid off all of my student loans, thank you very much.
I crashed on my mountainbike last week and got hurt pretty bad. Let's just say I look a little like OJ Simpson's girl friend. X-ray showed no broken bones but my wrist and knee were pretty tweaked. No more mountain biking, road biking or trail running in the immediate future. I can't risk another fall--and unfortunately, I am fairly clumsy.
CIM is looking good. I don't want to jinx myself but I am fairly happy with my long runs to date. This weekend, 20 miles.
I LOVE Love love WonderWoman stuff.
I subscribe to Trail Runner, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, Runner's World, Vogue, Bicycling, and W magazine. I enjoy reading them while sipping on some wine.
I've been a victim of a stalker. It was a woman. She went to jail for 8 months.

So that's it for me these days. I'll try to be a better blogger but this week typing has hurt because of the wrist / injury issue. Finger's crossed for a good 20 miler this weekend!

Fauja Singh / The National News October 17, 2011

2011-10-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is awesome!!

2011-10-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Just in case you didn't hear, over the weekend, 100 year old Fauja Singh ran the toronto marathon, and in doing so set a world record. Fauja didn't start running until his 80s and has raised thousands of dollars for children's charities while running marathons. Congrats FAUJA SINGH!!!

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/news/regions/americas/canada/oldest-marathon-runner-centenarian-toronto

Things I shouldn't say...but

2011-10-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a big mouth. Ok, I amend that... I say things without thinking them through sometimes. I can easily turn a budding friendship into something that is a bit awkward. I can't help it. Trust me i've tried and tried to censor myself but to no avail. There are people who love me anyway--people who know that I truly mean no harm but sometimes lack tact. There are so many things I censor and thus don't post here on trikarentri but i've decided to let loose.

I hate the people who just moved out next door to me. They were meth addicts (and I suspect from the weird nighttime traffic to their house) dealers as well. They were jerks who ruined my ability to sit outside and enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. I'm GLAD they moved to Wyoming. Yes I said "hate" and I stand by use of that word. Oh, and they were horders too.
I have HORRIBLE mood swings due to hormones. They are getting worse. All chemical interventions (i.e. BCP) have failed. Husband is upset with me about 4 days a month because i'm a real bitch. Today is one of those days.
Stupid Garmin is not working properly these days. I have a love/hate relationship with my garmin.
I'm pretty sure I'm an evil step-mom.
My newest juicing concoction at home is cucumber, carrot, celery, parsley and garlic. The parsley is supposed to help with the garlic. I'm not sure it really does, but I enjoy the taste and I feel a lot better if I have a couple of glasses a day.
Ordered a cord of firewood to be delivered thursday--guy never showed. after 3 hours of calling with no answer on his end, a gruff voice picked up the phone and said there would be no more deliveries for the forseeable future because they are short-staffed. They could have called us and told us this before we waited around like fools for hours. They said they were going to call and inform people over the coming weekend. Kind of lame.
Rode my mountain bike this week and I LOVED IT!!! I learned how to roll downhill over rocks without crashing. Only downside is that my "kibbles and bits" get a little sore the next day. Yes I said "kibbles and bits" -- what do you call it?
RugRat #2 scored big with a 4.25 GPA for the semester. Thats on her permanent transcript!!! I am so proud of her!!! All while running cross country and enjoying an active social life.
I discovered "Soyrizo" tastes really really good with fried potatoes.
I'm getting an Indira Gandhi streak of grey in my hair. Or maybe its Stacy London. I'm not sure but i'm not dying it. I think it is kind of cool.
I enjoy reading TMZ sometimes.
I once put Nair in someones hair conditioner. Yes I did--she deserved it.
I am fascinated by the LDS church. No I am not a member, but I am just in awe of how a ragtag bunch of handcart pushers could create a theocracy in the american west in the 19th century. Fascinating. Oh, and the polygamist history is cool too.
My great grandfather was a polygamist in India. I guess that was fairly common. My maternal grandmother is the first child from his second wife--so, I guess I owe my existence to polygamy.
I can't wait to run 18 miles tomorrow at 7 a.m. Really. (I had to throw in something sports related)
I will be doing 2 half ironman races next year. Possibly a third.
Considering doing an Ironman in 2013. St. George, UT.
One of the funniest, truest things i've read in a long time is this article titled, Triathlon is a stupid sport

Urban Cow 2011 WTF?

2011-10-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Last year I finished Urban Cow halfmarathon in 1:55. I haven't been training very consistently so I was sure I would be slower this year; but I was secretly hoping for a 1:53. Crazy!

Someone stole my headphones while I was in the porta-potty so NO music during the race.
IT Bands flared at mile 4.
Passed by a 60 year old woman at mile 2.
Looked longingly into the medical tent at mile 5 and wondered if they could give me a ride back to the start.
Kept plugging along and figured I might as well just finish the race.
At mile 10 I honestly thought "I HATE RUNNING AND I NEVER WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN."
Got to the finish line and was very proud of myself.
Ran into someone I knew 20 years ago (!) at the finish area. We exchanged contact information.

2:08 finish time this year. 13 minutes slower than last year so basically 1 min/mile slower. That's ok though.

So here's my dilemma: Of the 4 half marathon races in the Sacramento area, I have done 2 of them 3 times. (Urban Cow X 3, Shamrockn' X3). The other two I have only done twice (Four Bridges Half Marathon and Parkway Half Marathon). My finisher medals on my wall need to be symetrical. I need order and equality. Four Bridges Half Marathon is October 30. I am scheduled to run 20 miles that day. Should I try to run 7 miles and then do the half marathon? Should I skip the half marathon and just do my 20 miles? Shall I risk inflammed IT Bands at Four Bridges (IT Band issues are chronic for me during Four Bridges).. I need order and equality but not sure if I am ready to pay the price?? What do you think?

Cute Baby Pictures

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Just some cute pics of my cousin's baby... I thought I would share. Enjoy!

I've never done THAT before!

2011-09-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did something I've NEVER done BEFORE..

I went to lake tahoe...
Just me and the husband. No kids. Hallelujah!! Stayed in a villa here.

I know --I know. I've lived within 2 hours of Tahoe my whole life and never been. Tahoe has an interesting mix of hippie vibe & gun toting motorcycle gangs.

Why did I go??? I went to celebrate my 39th birthday.
Exercise included lifting cocktails to my lips while lounging at the resort pool and spa-time.

Ate at a cute kitchy place called Freshies. GREAT tacos and beer.

I plan to be 39 at least 6 more times and hopefully will enjoy each 39th birthday more than the last one.

Racing Urban Cow Half Marathon this upcoming weekend.. I hope to manage a 1:53 but we will see.

When was the last time you did something you've NEVER done before??

Miner's Ravine Race Report

2011-09-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I do weird things. For instance. This week my training schedule said run 10-12 miles on Sunday and run 7 on Saturday. But I know myself, I won't run both days unless I absolutely have to. So I signed up for the Miner's Ravine race on Sunday and ran 12 miles on saturday.

I told you . I'm weird/crazy/insane.

Saturday's 12 mile run was supposed to start at 7 a.m. I awoke at 8:30--groggy, sweaty and tired. I did NOT want to run and tried to rationalize skipping my long run. Then I remembered that the Urban Cow half marathon is in 2 weeks and I haven't yet done any long run longer than 8 miles. That got me moving.

At 10:20 I was out the door, Nathan Intensity Waterpack slung over my shoulder.

I would like to say that it was an easy run or that something super interesting happened, but neither of those are true. I ran. I covered the distance at a leisurely pace. I tried to stay in the shade to avoid the heat.

At 12:30 I finished the workout and was back home sitting on the couch drinking some ice cold water mixed with Emergen-C. I contemplated switching to the 5k for the following day. But to get in my mileage for the week, I had to complete the 10k.

I've lived in Roseville almost my whole life and I heard there was a nifty new-ish bike trail in town. Short compared to the Jedidiah Smith American River Bike trail in nearby Sacramento.. But a nice place to ride/run.

The Miner's Ravine 10k was my first exposure to this great little gem.

First things first: Race was nice and small, great booths, easy parking, chip timing. The race started a bit late because the kids 1-mile run took a bit longer than expected. I think a 9 a.m. start is a little late anyway. I would love if the 10k had started at 8 a.m. instead of 9.

First mile was a doozy for me. I definatly felt the 12 mile run from the previous day in my quads as I ran downhill. I tried to stabilize my breathing and relax. I also told myself, "This might hurt but you can get thorugh 6 miles".

The course itself was really beautiful, even if it was exposed. Lots of rolling hills, little shade. This is a perfect place for an early morning or evening run--can't believe I have never been out there.

I finished the race in approx 56 min and considering the 12 mile run the day before and the hilly, exposed, hot course, I am VERY happy with my time. I pushed hard and was determined to finish strong. I passed four people within the last 1/2 mile and kicked a bit at the uphill finish.

31 miles total running for the week and 24 miles riding for the week.

In 2 weeks I do Urban Cow.. I can't wait!

Is “mediocre” ever “Good Enough”?

2011-09-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

This post has been rambling around in my head for a few weeks.. Looking over some of my race results this year –I am mortified. No big breakthroughs in speed. No great accomplishments in distance. Nothing exemplary to report. After reviewing my lackluster results, I started to think about other sports I like to do.

I enjoy mountain biking, but I really suck ass. I mean, I am awful. I walk down hills a lot, I fall always, I whine, I always want to stop and take a drink from my camelbak or eat some Shot Blocks.

Although I’ve been road biking longer than mountain biking, I might be even worse at that. My speed never gets better. I’m always a back of-the-pack person; so much so that I’ve stopped riding with other people because it is so humiliating. People who just started to ride 2 months ago are WAY faster than me. I used to blame it on a variety of things—my 650cc wheels;
my lanky body type (long legs/long levers/little power); my dad’s smoking as a kid screwed up my lungs; my missing glute muscle. (yes on my right side one of my muscles is so atrophied it is almost non-existent—this was the reason for so many of my early running injuries).

Finally, there is swimming. Let’s get real. Indian people aren’t good swimmers. We sink. We flail. We suck.

I am trying to accept the fact that I just kind of suck at sports. Unfortunately, for me, I chose to spend my spare time doing physical activities. “For Fun” I convinced myself. Maybe I should have stuck with doing algebra or IT support.
The thing is, people always expect me to be really good at these things. I am 5’2” and 112 lbs. I’m small, somewhat lean and I have long legs for my height. People see me and say, “Wow you must win running races, huh?”
Uh, no.

“You are probably a fast biker since you are so small—you can probably climb like a goat.”
Uh, no. Actually, husband passes me on uphills –and he is peddling with only one leg.

“Wow, look at your shoulders and back muscles! You must be a good swimmer!!!”
Uh, no. Only if I am matched against a kid with swim floaties on. And that kid still might beat me.

So can I accept the fact that I am mediocre and probably always will be so? Will mediocre be “good enough” for my psyche, my ego, my self-esteem?
All of these thoughts came to a pin-point when I ran into someone just starting out in triathlon. He signed up for a half ironman. This is his first triathlon in 30 years.

He is faster than me as a runner, a cyclist, and swimmer.
He is 20 years older than me. “Geezer Division” he called it.
He kept asking me my race times from my last triathlon, my last road races, etc. It was embarrassing for me and he was (I could tell) shocked at my slow paces.
I want to say that I am “OK” with my paces since I am doing sports for the long haul. I want to be the 90 year old woman still running. I plan to simply outlive my competition. Sure they might be faster now, but when we are 80 they will be dead or drooling into their gruel while I am still jogging across finish lines.

That’s the plan anyway.
I’m not sure if it is good enough for me now though. I’m not sure if my ego can make it to age 80.

What's new you ask??? Well let me tell you.

2011-09-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

Running, etc have been going really well these days. I ran 4 times last week for a total of 25 miles. Some of the runs were difficult and one felt really great. I'm feeling ready to tackle the Miner's Ravine 10k in two weeks. RugRat#2 might also participate.

What have I been doing other than running? Well......

I did a little of this...
And I've been doing some of this...
Someone gave me six varieties of garlic to try out so I've been eating that almost every evening. I've therefore been doing quite a bit of this...

Oh and I'm considering purchasing these for no reason other than they look cool.

Seeds of Running

2011-08-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following as a "guest poster" a few weeks ago for Bobbi's Zero to 26.2 blog --I really liked it so thought I might post it again..

I guess this post is a follow up to my post titled "Seeds of Triathlon". While my forays into triathlon had a distinctive Indian source, my introduction into running did not. Like many of you, I ran a bit as a kid here and there. I chased boys around the playground as a small child, although I was often hindered by the need to pull up my knee-high, strawberry shortcake socks.

I wasn't a particularly athletically gifted kid though. I sucked at dodgeball--I mean, really. Being the only brown kid, I guess I stuck out like a sore thumb and became an easy target.
The best thing any baseball, basketball or football teacher ever said to me in elementary school was, "Nice effort". I hated P.E. with a passion, mostly because of the awkwardness and embarrassment of always being chosen last or next to last.

Yeah, I was that kid.

Fast forward a few years--Jr. High. That bastion of hell. By the time my 12th birthday rolled around, I decided that I was going to be smart. Not athletic. Certainly not pretty (no girl thinks they are pretty during Jr.High, do they?). Mandatory P.E. still caused embarrassment, although not to the extent as elementary school.

Then something weird happened. During our usual forced military run during P.E., I decided that I would rather get the darn 1/2 mile run over and done with. And guess what? Instead of being middle of the pack, I was the first girl done. The next time I ran a "bowl" (that's what the 1/2 mile was called) the girls were sent out first. 1 minute later, the boys were sent to chase after us. I decided that I was not going to let any boy pass me; I turned my legs faster and I felt the wind whip through my aqua-netted hair. In the end I almost succeeded--a boy from the Jr. High Track team beat me by 10 seconds. But he was the only one. I remember coming home and telling my dad about my running that day and that I beat everyone except one boy. His response was, "Of course--you have my genes." I didn't know what that exactly meant but for the first time, it dawned on me that I might be good at some athletic endeavor. It blew my mind.

Two years later, I enrolled at high school. One of my friends said to me, "hey, let's go out for cross country." Without a second thought, I said, "Ok". I didn't even know what that would entail. I set out for my first "practice run" on a Saturday afternoon in August. It was probably 105 degrees and I was running on asphalt with no water, old nikes and baggy shorts and a cotton top. Not my best run. Slowly I learned the rules--buy good shoes at fleet feet, not at payless shoes source. Don't wear cotton if you can help it. Drink lots of water before you run. Drink lots of water after you run. Year after year I persevered in my running. I wasn't the fastest and I wasn't the slowest either. That was ok with me-- my expectations had been so low, i was thrilled to be a part of a running team; other things changed in my life though. My social circle became wider, my grades went way up and I was placed in AP classes. All of this I credit to cross country and track.

During college I didn't run with the college team although I did run sporadically on my own. After college, the usual craziness of life took hold and running ceased completely.
Then right around my 27th birthday I (on a dare) ran a race with my mom. Again, it changed my life because it sparked in me that old nostalgic feeling of accomplishment of something I never thought possible. Throughout graduate school I trained for a half marathon or a local 5k. Then after I finished my degree, I registered for every race I could afford. And now I have 2 marathons, 9 half marathons, 1 half-ironman, 2 olympic triathlons, unknown sprint triathlons and 5k's under my belt.

And I have this..

The seeds of running sprouted very well, indeed. Thanks so much for reading!