I sign up for another race! I was looking forward to a 2 month break from races, but I just had to run in the LA County Half Marathon. It's the inaugural year so along with the Pasadena and Malibu Marathons I'll be a legacy. No, nothing fancy comes with it, but in 10 years I can look back and say "yeah, I was at the first one", and that in itself is awesome.
As for the "weight loss" it's so slow going. Now I put it in quotes because I've lost a whole 5lbs in 10 weeks, but I've lost a total of 12 inches all over and 2 sizes. It's baffling, but whatever. I managed to win my age group at my local Turkey Trot on Nov 14th and the next day participated in the Malibu Half Marathon and on Monday had no pain at all. For me, that's the greatest accomplishment.
As I go into my next year of racing, which apparently begins this Sunday, Dec13th, I am looking to accomplish some amazing goals that make me question my sanity. If I'm going to see it to the finish line I need to step up my training and dedication....even if that means running in 35 degree temps. So ladies and gentelmen, without further delay, the insane race schedule for 2010:
Dec13 - LA County Half Marathon
Jan 10 - LA 13.1 Half Marathon
Feb 7 - Surf City Half Marathon
Feb 21 - Pasadena Half Marathon
March 20 - LA Marathon 5k at Dodger Stadium
March 21 - LA Marathon
March 27 - CA 70.3 Half Ironman
June - LB Wrigley River RUn
July 25 - SF Half Marathon (2nd Half)
Sept 5 - Disneyland Half Marathon
Oct 10 - Long Beach Bike Tour followed by the Half Marathon
Nov 6 - Solvange Prelude Half Century Ride
Nov 13 - San Gabriel Turkey Trot
Nov 14 - Malibu Half Marathon
Thanksgiving Day - La Canada Turkey Trot
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Another Season Has Come And Gone.....Or Has It?
Another season has come and gone. There were some high points and some low points, but mostly high. I wasn't able to train for about 10 weeks, but at the end of the day it had very little effect on me. I managed to complete the Long Beach Half Marathon, Solvang Prelude, San Gabriel Turkey Trot, and the Inaugural Malibu Half Marathon. I still have a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, however that's going to be Emily's first run and therefore her day, not mine. There is a lot that I have taken from this past summer/fall season, and at times I wish there was an appropriate time to dispense advice on the courses. So, I'm going to do so now:
1. Your hipster fashion Pumas are not appropriate trainers. Just because a shoe is made by Puma, Nike, etc does not mean it's going to be alright for running. In fact, you could injure yourself by not wearing the proper shoe. Just don't do it. If you have literally invested the time and hours into training, then go in and get properly fitted for a good running shoe and invest in the life and health of your feet!
2. You truly do not need to carry a 100 ounce Camelback with you. A few gels, maybe a fuel belt with one 10 ounce bottle of some sort of electrolyte drink....but a HUGE fuel pack that adds an additional 6 pounds is totally unnecessary. There are generally an adequate amount of fuel stations, and you can find out ahead of time what kind of gels they will be giving out, what kind of fuel drink they will provide, of course there is water, at some point you get orange slices and maybe a banana. That is plenty! Remember, less is more!
3. Oh, for the girl that is wearing the pants that are just low enough to show your ass crack, you need new pants. Enough said.
4. For the guy who's shorts are so short I can see your butt cheeks, get together with the girl from point #3 and get some new shorts.
5. For the people that are so injured that at mile 8 they are dragging one foot, is it really going to be worth a injury that might take 6 months to heal to finish? Trust me, I've been there. However, I'm the first person that will stop the moment something is so wrong that if I keep going I'm going to be out for a long time. So not worth it. Why? Because they have these races every week, month and year. Next year you go back for redemption and rock it! This year you race smart and have no shame in walking away healthy.
6. You know those people that race so seriously they go through every aide station and never say "thank you" to the volunteers AND throw out their remaining water and it lands on a volunteer because they can't be bothered to notice anyone but themselves? DO NOT BECOME THAT PERSON! At every aide station say "Thank you volunteers!" and smile. First of all, it makes them feel better about the asshole that just soaked them with backwash water. Second, you will really get a little more energy back when they smile at you and say "thanks! good job!". A smile and appreciation go a long way.
7. At every single photo opportunity make sure you are running and smiling. I know that mile 11 of a half or mile 20 of a full marathon BLOW! However, when you get the email a week later telling you that your Brighthouse race photos are ready, there is nothing better than seeing how happy you looked at the hardest part of a race. Also, sometimes that's when you are about to hit a wall and now you have just shifted your mind's focus to something completely different, and then you say "Wall? What wall?" Totally works!
8. When running, if you need to walk, stay to the right. Seriously, take 2 seconds to look over your shoulder and MOVE OVER. Do you know how many accidents I have seen because someone suddenly stops running and starts walking, rather slowly, and the person behind them runs into them, and the person behind that person runs into them, and now we have a pile up like it's the 405 South at the 10 freeway. It's ugly and that's the easiest way for people to get hurt, and totally avoidable.
9. When crossing the finish line.....get the heck out of the way. Unless you are the absolute last runner, it's not polite to stand in the middle of the finish corral and expect everyone else to run around you because you are tired. Hey, guess what? They are probably tired too, so do the right thing and just move.
10. Just have fun! Seriously, all that anxiety and pre-race nerves, let them go. Think of the race as a run with 10,000 of your closest friends. And remember, this is your run, nobody else's. Do not let someone dictate how your race should be. As long as your race smart and are considerate to the people around you, then you do what you need to do to cross the finish line HEALTHY!
1. Your hipster fashion Pumas are not appropriate trainers. Just because a shoe is made by Puma, Nike, etc does not mean it's going to be alright for running. In fact, you could injure yourself by not wearing the proper shoe. Just don't do it. If you have literally invested the time and hours into training, then go in and get properly fitted for a good running shoe and invest in the life and health of your feet!
2. You truly do not need to carry a 100 ounce Camelback with you. A few gels, maybe a fuel belt with one 10 ounce bottle of some sort of electrolyte drink....but a HUGE fuel pack that adds an additional 6 pounds is totally unnecessary. There are generally an adequate amount of fuel stations, and you can find out ahead of time what kind of gels they will be giving out, what kind of fuel drink they will provide, of course there is water, at some point you get orange slices and maybe a banana. That is plenty! Remember, less is more!
3. Oh, for the girl that is wearing the pants that are just low enough to show your ass crack, you need new pants. Enough said.
4. For the guy who's shorts are so short I can see your butt cheeks, get together with the girl from point #3 and get some new shorts.
5. For the people that are so injured that at mile 8 they are dragging one foot, is it really going to be worth a injury that might take 6 months to heal to finish? Trust me, I've been there. However, I'm the first person that will stop the moment something is so wrong that if I keep going I'm going to be out for a long time. So not worth it. Why? Because they have these races every week, month and year. Next year you go back for redemption and rock it! This year you race smart and have no shame in walking away healthy.
6. You know those people that race so seriously they go through every aide station and never say "thank you" to the volunteers AND throw out their remaining water and it lands on a volunteer because they can't be bothered to notice anyone but themselves? DO NOT BECOME THAT PERSON! At every aide station say "Thank you volunteers!" and smile. First of all, it makes them feel better about the asshole that just soaked them with backwash water. Second, you will really get a little more energy back when they smile at you and say "thanks! good job!". A smile and appreciation go a long way.
7. At every single photo opportunity make sure you are running and smiling. I know that mile 11 of a half or mile 20 of a full marathon BLOW! However, when you get the email a week later telling you that your Brighthouse race photos are ready, there is nothing better than seeing how happy you looked at the hardest part of a race. Also, sometimes that's when you are about to hit a wall and now you have just shifted your mind's focus to something completely different, and then you say "Wall? What wall?" Totally works!
8. When running, if you need to walk, stay to the right. Seriously, take 2 seconds to look over your shoulder and MOVE OVER. Do you know how many accidents I have seen because someone suddenly stops running and starts walking, rather slowly, and the person behind them runs into them, and the person behind that person runs into them, and now we have a pile up like it's the 405 South at the 10 freeway. It's ugly and that's the easiest way for people to get hurt, and totally avoidable.
9. When crossing the finish line.....get the heck out of the way. Unless you are the absolute last runner, it's not polite to stand in the middle of the finish corral and expect everyone else to run around you because you are tired. Hey, guess what? They are probably tired too, so do the right thing and just move.
10. Just have fun! Seriously, all that anxiety and pre-race nerves, let them go. Think of the race as a run with 10,000 of your closest friends. And remember, this is your run, nobody else's. Do not let someone dictate how your race should be. As long as your race smart and are considerate to the people around you, then you do what you need to do to cross the finish line HEALTHY!
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Road to Pumpkinman.....Apparently Never Ends!
Alas, I am back from out trek out to Nevada. Let's end the questions now: NO! I did not gamble, and NO! I did not go into Vegas. I was closer to the Hoover Dam than I was to Vegas, and WOW it's amazing over there. If you can get yourself out of a Casino smelling of stale cigarettes, stale booze, and lost dreams and make it over to the Lake Meade National park...DO IT! The beauty there is just something that one must witness first hand to appreciate. Now on with the tale of Pumpkinman:
We pulled into the Loew's Lake Las Vegas around 2:30pm on Thursday, and at that point I was ready to put my running shoes on a run far away from my child. The whining she managed to produce all day long on Thursday was one for the Guinness Book of World Records. So much so, I called room service for dinner, she fell asleep around 8:30pm, I fell asleep watching "Fringe" (shhhh, don't tell me the ending. I recorded it) and called it a night. The next day, Friday, all three of us packed into the car. Warren wanted to see Hoover Dam, and I saw it when I was seven years old and that was enough for me. My fear of heights knows no bounds and driving up there was terrifying for me. He saw, I shut my eyes, and then it was over. On to packet pick up we went.
Now, people, I'm from the "big city" and Boulder City is very small. So, when you tell someone like me that there is a "large expo" I think "ooooh, 100 vendors of things for me to buy!" So when I show up and big expo is about 7 booths, well, you could imagine the letdown, and the relief. That meant I couldn't spend money! This makes two expos in a row that I managed to escape without spending a dime. I go up to registration, check in....and then it happened. The seven words no woman ever wants to hear outside of a doctor's office "Could you please step on the scale". The dreaded weigh-in. Another motivator to stop racing in the fat girl, ehem, "Athena" division. Dear Jeebus, it that doesn't give you a complex then I don't know what will. So, i get past the proving I'm fat enough, and we grab lunch. Then, back to the hotel....after we drive the bike course. BAD MOVE!
Ladies and gentlemen I would like to make a public apology to my friend, and race director of the Pasadena Marathon, Israel Estrada. For a year now I have given Israel so much grief on the fact that the last 6-7 miles of the Pasadena Marathon are mostly uphill and it was mean. Well, after this weekend, I now know what a mean course truly is. You look online and the description of the Pumpkinman bike course is lovingly called "rolling hills". Well, I call BS on that! Rolling my ass. PEOPLE! DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE! The bike course is 90% UPHILL! Yes, you read that correctly, I said UPHILL! Hell, the final climb into Boulder City is the worst part! Allow me to give an example: When you leave Lake Meade which sits just above 1000ft in elevation, you will go out on you 90% bike ride and 12 miles later end up at an elevation of over 2500ft...WTF! Yes, I was wondering what they were smoking the day they determined that was a dandy idea. Off back to the hotel for me.
We go back to the hotel and I realized I had some unfinished texting business, and that I needed to text a couple of people to express my deep concern over the mental health of the race management company and their decision that this was a good bike course. After all was said and done I sided with Monica in determining that this was actually funny and going to be just fine....but I never finished my discussion with Mat who now has concerns over having a few glasses of wine and dinner prior to running (er, walking) the Nike Human race at midnight this Saturday (he really thought I was kidding about the midnight start time....I never kid about those things. Many, many other things, yes, but a start time, not so much).
I awake at 5:10am, totally pumped. I go downstairs and sit and wait for the coffee place to open. I cannot function, much less race, without my coffee. Virtually impossible, believe me, I've tried. It gives a whole new meaning to "bonking". I an driving in the National Park, enjoying the sunrise and then I see it....the Road To Pumpkinman. People, I have never seen so many headlights in a row in my life except leaving a Phish show. It was truly amazing (photos to soon follow). Apparently, triathletes are smart peeps. You know when you go to park on a lawn or some other make shift parking lot and you have that guy that points to exactly where to file next to the car next to you? So not needed for triathletes, like well programmed cult members we all filed in right next to each other...all by ourselves. I get out of the car and head to transition.
This was the longest transition I have ever seen in my life! Being as this would have been my 25th triathlon just with racing (I have volunteered at many) I've seen a lot of things and nothing like this transition. I put on my brand new wetsuit, never before worn and very stiff. You know how they tell you to never try something new on race day? This includes wetsuits. I put it on, walked down to the water with some people I just met, and splashed around getting a feel for the water and BAM! The pain set in. My wetsuit was pressing against my incision, and well, I've been healing too well, and the nerve endings are all getting feeling back at once. The wetsuit was putting so much pressure on me that the pain was shooting down my legs. Fortunately, one thing went through my head "Train Smart. Race Smart". Thank you Coach Steve for saying that over and over....You became my voice of reason in a time of need. I got out fo the water (not after I got a photo in my new wetsuit. It's a great wetsuit. I should have that in a few days), went to the volunteer coordinator to give her my timing chip, explained what happened and told her "I want to volunteer. Can you use me?" She asked about my triathlon experience, I gave her the rundown and put me with the USATRI Officials. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was assigned to help point out race violations, which mostly added up to headphones and little more. I cheered people on, helped a few people with slipping gears and spent a lot of time talking to the Las Vagas Triathlon Club President, Dave Carlson (who was one of the Officials). Let me say this: The Las Vegas Tri CLub has some of the nicest club people I have net outside of the Pasadena Tri Club which I belong to. They are like a family).
At the end, i gave the other official a ride to T2 (it was a point to point race), volunteered a little longer and headed back to the hotel. I need not share the rest of the weekend as it added to nothing more than walking up and down the numerous amount of stairs with Emily that this hotel had. We did this for HOURS. Then on Sunday we were in the car at 9:08am, and with a stop for gas before getting on the highway, a stop in Baker for iced tea and OJ as well as some beef jerky from Alien Fresh Jerky ( http://www.alienfreshjerky.com/ ) for my boss, a stop at Zankou Chicken in Pasadena, and home by 1:38pm.....when I drive, you get to places very fast. Besides, cold beef shwarema is not awlays as tasty as it sounds.
In all, I will go back next year, and now that I know about the crack smoker bike course I will train for that in the Olympic Distance. No more of this mansy pansy sprint distance. OH, and after I get my USATRI coaching certification I am totally going to get my Official certification. I think it's the mad need for power in me...
Next up: Nike+ Human Race at 12:01 am, Oct 24th (see, totally not kidding about the start time. it's for a good cause.)sign up and join me: http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_humanrace-en_US/?tags=race_day
We pulled into the Loew's Lake Las Vegas around 2:30pm on Thursday, and at that point I was ready to put my running shoes on a run far away from my child. The whining she managed to produce all day long on Thursday was one for the Guinness Book of World Records. So much so, I called room service for dinner, she fell asleep around 8:30pm, I fell asleep watching "Fringe" (shhhh, don't tell me the ending. I recorded it) and called it a night. The next day, Friday, all three of us packed into the car. Warren wanted to see Hoover Dam, and I saw it when I was seven years old and that was enough for me. My fear of heights knows no bounds and driving up there was terrifying for me. He saw, I shut my eyes, and then it was over. On to packet pick up we went.
Now, people, I'm from the "big city" and Boulder City is very small. So, when you tell someone like me that there is a "large expo" I think "ooooh, 100 vendors of things for me to buy!" So when I show up and big expo is about 7 booths, well, you could imagine the letdown, and the relief. That meant I couldn't spend money! This makes two expos in a row that I managed to escape without spending a dime. I go up to registration, check in....and then it happened. The seven words no woman ever wants to hear outside of a doctor's office "Could you please step on the scale". The dreaded weigh-in. Another motivator to stop racing in the fat girl, ehem, "Athena" division. Dear Jeebus, it that doesn't give you a complex then I don't know what will. So, i get past the proving I'm fat enough, and we grab lunch. Then, back to the hotel....after we drive the bike course. BAD MOVE!
Ladies and gentlemen I would like to make a public apology to my friend, and race director of the Pasadena Marathon, Israel Estrada. For a year now I have given Israel so much grief on the fact that the last 6-7 miles of the Pasadena Marathon are mostly uphill and it was mean. Well, after this weekend, I now know what a mean course truly is. You look online and the description of the Pumpkinman bike course is lovingly called "rolling hills". Well, I call BS on that! Rolling my ass. PEOPLE! DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE! The bike course is 90% UPHILL! Yes, you read that correctly, I said UPHILL! Hell, the final climb into Boulder City is the worst part! Allow me to give an example: When you leave Lake Meade which sits just above 1000ft in elevation, you will go out on you 90% bike ride and 12 miles later end up at an elevation of over 2500ft...WTF! Yes, I was wondering what they were smoking the day they determined that was a dandy idea. Off back to the hotel for me.
We go back to the hotel and I realized I had some unfinished texting business, and that I needed to text a couple of people to express my deep concern over the mental health of the race management company and their decision that this was a good bike course. After all was said and done I sided with Monica in determining that this was actually funny and going to be just fine....but I never finished my discussion with Mat who now has concerns over having a few glasses of wine and dinner prior to running (er, walking) the Nike Human race at midnight this Saturday (he really thought I was kidding about the midnight start time....I never kid about those things. Many, many other things, yes, but a start time, not so much).
I awake at 5:10am, totally pumped. I go downstairs and sit and wait for the coffee place to open. I cannot function, much less race, without my coffee. Virtually impossible, believe me, I've tried. It gives a whole new meaning to "bonking". I an driving in the National Park, enjoying the sunrise and then I see it....the Road To Pumpkinman. People, I have never seen so many headlights in a row in my life except leaving a Phish show. It was truly amazing (photos to soon follow). Apparently, triathletes are smart peeps. You know when you go to park on a lawn or some other make shift parking lot and you have that guy that points to exactly where to file next to the car next to you? So not needed for triathletes, like well programmed cult members we all filed in right next to each other...all by ourselves. I get out of the car and head to transition.
This was the longest transition I have ever seen in my life! Being as this would have been my 25th triathlon just with racing (I have volunteered at many) I've seen a lot of things and nothing like this transition. I put on my brand new wetsuit, never before worn and very stiff. You know how they tell you to never try something new on race day? This includes wetsuits. I put it on, walked down to the water with some people I just met, and splashed around getting a feel for the water and BAM! The pain set in. My wetsuit was pressing against my incision, and well, I've been healing too well, and the nerve endings are all getting feeling back at once. The wetsuit was putting so much pressure on me that the pain was shooting down my legs. Fortunately, one thing went through my head "Train Smart. Race Smart". Thank you Coach Steve for saying that over and over....You became my voice of reason in a time of need. I got out fo the water (not after I got a photo in my new wetsuit. It's a great wetsuit. I should have that in a few days), went to the volunteer coordinator to give her my timing chip, explained what happened and told her "I want to volunteer. Can you use me?" She asked about my triathlon experience, I gave her the rundown and put me with the USATRI Officials. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was assigned to help point out race violations, which mostly added up to headphones and little more. I cheered people on, helped a few people with slipping gears and spent a lot of time talking to the Las Vagas Triathlon Club President, Dave Carlson (who was one of the Officials). Let me say this: The Las Vegas Tri CLub has some of the nicest club people I have net outside of the Pasadena Tri Club which I belong to. They are like a family).
At the end, i gave the other official a ride to T2 (it was a point to point race), volunteered a little longer and headed back to the hotel. I need not share the rest of the weekend as it added to nothing more than walking up and down the numerous amount of stairs with Emily that this hotel had. We did this for HOURS. Then on Sunday we were in the car at 9:08am, and with a stop for gas before getting on the highway, a stop in Baker for iced tea and OJ as well as some beef jerky from Alien Fresh Jerky ( http://www.alienfreshjerky.com/ ) for my boss, a stop at Zankou Chicken in Pasadena, and home by 1:38pm.....when I drive, you get to places very fast. Besides, cold beef shwarema is not awlays as tasty as it sounds.
In all, I will go back next year, and now that I know about the crack smoker bike course I will train for that in the Olympic Distance. No more of this mansy pansy sprint distance. OH, and after I get my USATRI coaching certification I am totally going to get my Official certification. I think it's the mad need for power in me...
Next up: Nike+ Human Race at 12:01 am, Oct 24th (see, totally not kidding about the start time. it's for a good cause.)sign up and join me: http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_humanrace-en_US/?tags=race_day
Monday, October 12, 2009
Long Beach Half Marathon Race Report
ONE DAY BEFORE THE RACE - Saturday, October 10th
I arrived at our predetermined meeting location, which never changes. I'm amoungst the first in my running group to arrive and it's not as cold as it was last year, but still cold. This is a great sign for race day. Coach Steve arrives with all of the swag to sell, hats, short and long sleeved racing and training shirts, our lunch tickets for race day. We all took care of business and then literally stood around chatting.....and not once about the race. Eventually, Steve and Gary address the group and we all walk to our race day location as a group so we know where exactly to meet. Let's face it, asking a runner to meet you somewhere at 5am before they have had any coffee is not a good idea. Let's face it, we rely heavily on training, structure, and a well marked course that without we would just run in circles and at that point we'd just be track runners. Then Steve says "hey, we are going to go out for an easy 15 and bring it back and head over to the packet pick up and expo" (see, Steve HAD to be back in 30 minute because he had a speaking engagement). At that point I thought "aw heck nah. I have been working out for the past 20 days with no days off and the day before a race is my damn excuse to finally do a whole lot of nothing", and off to packet pick up I went.
Now, I am a full on race expo junkie. I love nothing more than being given free bars and buying something I undoubtedly do not need. This year, I flew through packet pick in record time and left straight away. I'm trying to control my expo addition sans a 12 step program. I figure if I can kick this habit imagine what else I could do! I get up to Ocean Blvd and start to head the 1 block to my car and low and behold....it's the twins! See, there are these two twin brothers that creep me out to no end, and I have done 4 races with them this year. They are inseparable. They are identical including body build, of course, even the same haircut. They wear the same clothes....in different colors. One has Newton running shoes in yellow and the other in orange. They dress alike on race day, and for the Pasadena Marathon right down to the arm warmer thingys. Needless to say, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the twins. They said "hi", I said "hi". It was a very Newman-Sienfeld moment, and when it was over I got into my car as fast as I could. I'm sure I'll see the twins in February at Surf City and/or Pasadena.
RACE DAY - Sunday, October 11th
The following is all based on fact to my recollection....well, my version of fact within my own little racing bubble.
I had set my alarm for 4am. Alarm went off, I pressed snooze, or at least I thought I did. I looked at the time and saw it was 4:48 and sprang out of bed. I was supposed to be in LB at 5am. I wanted to say "hi" to Moni and John before they took off on the bike tour. DAMN IT! (let the foul language begin. After all, there was no small child around). I get dressed and realize I forgot to shave my legs the night before. I proceed to do a fast half assed job, but it was good enough. As I'm out the door, and it is now 4:59, I realize how grateful I am that McDonald's drive thru is open 24 hours on the weekend. I promptly get my coffee and water and off I go. So, the thing about this race is part of it goes on the very end of the 710 freeway, so of course they close the freeway, which means those with their thinking caps on that the 405 South....you still with me? So, I exit the first exit and SHOULD have made a left, but folks, there are a hell of a lot of things in life I should have done, and that left wasn't one of them. I made a right.....eventually wound up in San Pedro. See, this is what I mean about runners, and triathletes for that matter, being left on their own with no direction at five in the morning. It's a bad idea. Eventually I make it into downtown LB to realize the closest I can get to the start is one mile away. So, I parked and busted my ass to get to the designated meeting point. We take a bunch of photos and within five minutes, I'm at the start line.
Now, three months ago I had some "elective" surgery. Oh, fine, I had a tummy tuck, and I'm proud of it! The thing was I only expected to be laid up and banned from working out for 8 weeks, tops. It's not unrealistic, it's a normal recovery time. Well, that wasn't in the cards for me, it wound up being about 10-11 weeks. I literally just started fully training three weeks prior, and I came back with a vengeance. I lift, go to yoga, i'm still on a run/walk combo, but i'm thiiiiiiis close to the run part. Needless to say, going into this race it was going to have to be all about the walking. I get to the start line with "Always Happy" Jason and we settle into Wave 5 in a sea of bodies. We managed to hold a position on the outside so I could start off running and then ease into 10 miles of walking without obstructing traffic. People, my race manners are impeccable. I hate people with bad race manners! Eventually we start and here comes the brand new race mix on my ipod:
Miles 1-3: I feel really good. Smile on my face (yes, I'm one of THOSE people). There seem like a lot more people this year, but that's alright. More people to watch. Now I listen to my music very, very loud. The fact that I'm not deaf is amazing....so, what happened next was not surprising at all. Shaggy looking hippy guy who you know when he was 20 at least followed the Dead for their last year asks me "um, excuse me, are you listening to Rusted Root?" and I respond "Totally"....his response "Nice! Have a great run!"
Mile 4: Mile 4 gets it's own mention for just this one small thing. THE GREATEST MULLET EVER! I look to my right as I am going through the water station and see this man who is about 62-ish. Full grey head of hair, has the full on Patrick Bateman 80's business man haircut.....and ALLLLLLLL party in the back. If you saw this man face on you would have no idea he was rocking out in the back. It was gathered into a ponytail, because why would you want to get that piece of art all sticky and sweaty. At that moment I decided I will need to carry a sports camera with me from here on out.
Mile 5-7: At this point we are at the lighthouse and I will admit I was a little annoyed that there wasn't one guy with a camera out there. I'm a total photo whore when it comes to race photos. I rather ham it up before the halfway point, otherwise it's just not a pretty picture. All of the sudden Kool & the Gang come on with "Celebration" and what's that I see ahead? My first photo op. I position myself to not take anyone moment to shine for the camera and then I jump up....well, hopefully the pic will come out because a picture is worth a thousand and one words. The guy behind me just started laughing and we ran/walked together for about a mile until I reached the Sole Runners aid station. I had been craving coconut water for about a mile now, and there were also pretzels! I hadn't eaten since the night before and that hit the spot.....and now we were running on the beach.
Mile 8-9.5: So, our run is now where we train, the LB bike path. So man damn people! I stayed off to the side because that is what you are supposed ot do when you are the slower of the pack, but I notice that everybody is mostly walking and are all the same people I have been with since about mile 5. Then it happens. Miles 8-9.5 are dedicated to one man......the smelly man in the tight red sweat shorts that were soaked with sweat, was shirtless, had Fabio length hair that was glued to his head and was, well, he was shaped like George Costanza, but really tan. See, every time this guy would come into my vicinity his odor announced his presence before his physical self. At this point I kept track of "Tan George" and when he got closer I ran ahead a little bit. This went on for 1 1/2 miles until we were on Ocean where we could completely spread out. At that point I was happy to let "Tan George" run on ahead.
Mile 10-13:I'm still in a pretty damn good mood....and yes, I'm still smiling. It was at this point that "Africa" by Toto came on the iPod which left me to ponder "why didn't I ever realize how cheesy and lame these lyrics are?" At this point the marathon then merges back with the half marathon. Luckily, It was early enough into the race that we weren't overtaken by an influx of exhausted marathon runners. It was a slight reversed false flat, so I probably could have run and been alright, but I wanted to make sure I had something left for the race photo of me making the final decent and crossing the finish line. It was also here that a lot of us noticed the old couple that had been wheeled out to the sidewalk by their caregivers. They were just sitting there. We came to the conclusion post race that it was the one time of the year their caregivers didn't have to plan a daily outing of sorts because the entertainment was at their front door. It was a little eerie.
Mile 13.1-13.3: Let me start with this to the LB Marathon peeps....A HALF MARATHON IS 13.1 MILES! Jeebus, I walked a mile to get to our pre-race meet-up, .25 mile to the starting line, just went 13.1 miles and still have to walk to the lunch and massage area AND a mile to my car and now, now they have me running an additional .2 miles! Nonetheless, I turn left onto Shoreline and book it downhill to the finish. Thanks for all that hill running we did last winter to train for the Catalina Marathon I have become quite the downhill runner, so it didn't hurt one bit to run downhill at a 7:45 pace (or so said my GPS). I crossed the finish line.....and made a beeline for food. Eventually I had my one beer of the post race event. It was Bud Light, but when the beer is free beggars cannot be choosers, and besides, I'm watching what I eat!
The Finish: "Always Happy" Jason finished under 6 hours. It was one of the great moments of the day. If I could bottle that man's determination I would be rich! I would love to know what I exactly finished my walk in, but the website crashed because apparently all 10,000 people want to know as well. I cannot wait for next year!
Next up: I leave Thursday late morning for Henderson, NV for the absolute last triathlon of the season: PUMKINMAN! And it's going to be awesome....http://www.bbsctri.com/pumpkin.html
I arrived at our predetermined meeting location, which never changes. I'm amoungst the first in my running group to arrive and it's not as cold as it was last year, but still cold. This is a great sign for race day. Coach Steve arrives with all of the swag to sell, hats, short and long sleeved racing and training shirts, our lunch tickets for race day. We all took care of business and then literally stood around chatting.....and not once about the race. Eventually, Steve and Gary address the group and we all walk to our race day location as a group so we know where exactly to meet. Let's face it, asking a runner to meet you somewhere at 5am before they have had any coffee is not a good idea. Let's face it, we rely heavily on training, structure, and a well marked course that without we would just run in circles and at that point we'd just be track runners. Then Steve says "hey, we are going to go out for an easy 15 and bring it back and head over to the packet pick up and expo" (see, Steve HAD to be back in 30 minute because he had a speaking engagement). At that point I thought "aw heck nah. I have been working out for the past 20 days with no days off and the day before a race is my damn excuse to finally do a whole lot of nothing", and off to packet pick up I went.
Now, I am a full on race expo junkie. I love nothing more than being given free bars and buying something I undoubtedly do not need. This year, I flew through packet pick in record time and left straight away. I'm trying to control my expo addition sans a 12 step program. I figure if I can kick this habit imagine what else I could do! I get up to Ocean Blvd and start to head the 1 block to my car and low and behold....it's the twins! See, there are these two twin brothers that creep me out to no end, and I have done 4 races with them this year. They are inseparable. They are identical including body build, of course, even the same haircut. They wear the same clothes....in different colors. One has Newton running shoes in yellow and the other in orange. They dress alike on race day, and for the Pasadena Marathon right down to the arm warmer thingys. Needless to say, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the twins. They said "hi", I said "hi". It was a very Newman-Sienfeld moment, and when it was over I got into my car as fast as I could. I'm sure I'll see the twins in February at Surf City and/or Pasadena.
RACE DAY - Sunday, October 11th
The following is all based on fact to my recollection....well, my version of fact within my own little racing bubble.
I had set my alarm for 4am. Alarm went off, I pressed snooze, or at least I thought I did. I looked at the time and saw it was 4:48 and sprang out of bed. I was supposed to be in LB at 5am. I wanted to say "hi" to Moni and John before they took off on the bike tour. DAMN IT! (let the foul language begin. After all, there was no small child around). I get dressed and realize I forgot to shave my legs the night before. I proceed to do a fast half assed job, but it was good enough. As I'm out the door, and it is now 4:59, I realize how grateful I am that McDonald's drive thru is open 24 hours on the weekend. I promptly get my coffee and water and off I go. So, the thing about this race is part of it goes on the very end of the 710 freeway, so of course they close the freeway, which means those with their thinking caps on that the 405 South....you still with me? So, I exit the first exit and SHOULD have made a left, but folks, there are a hell of a lot of things in life I should have done, and that left wasn't one of them. I made a right.....eventually wound up in San Pedro. See, this is what I mean about runners, and triathletes for that matter, being left on their own with no direction at five in the morning. It's a bad idea. Eventually I make it into downtown LB to realize the closest I can get to the start is one mile away. So, I parked and busted my ass to get to the designated meeting point. We take a bunch of photos and within five minutes, I'm at the start line.
Now, three months ago I had some "elective" surgery. Oh, fine, I had a tummy tuck, and I'm proud of it! The thing was I only expected to be laid up and banned from working out for 8 weeks, tops. It's not unrealistic, it's a normal recovery time. Well, that wasn't in the cards for me, it wound up being about 10-11 weeks. I literally just started fully training three weeks prior, and I came back with a vengeance. I lift, go to yoga, i'm still on a run/walk combo, but i'm thiiiiiiis close to the run part. Needless to say, going into this race it was going to have to be all about the walking. I get to the start line with "Always Happy" Jason and we settle into Wave 5 in a sea of bodies. We managed to hold a position on the outside so I could start off running and then ease into 10 miles of walking without obstructing traffic. People, my race manners are impeccable. I hate people with bad race manners! Eventually we start and here comes the brand new race mix on my ipod:
Miles 1-3: I feel really good. Smile on my face (yes, I'm one of THOSE people). There seem like a lot more people this year, but that's alright. More people to watch. Now I listen to my music very, very loud. The fact that I'm not deaf is amazing....so, what happened next was not surprising at all. Shaggy looking hippy guy who you know when he was 20 at least followed the Dead for their last year asks me "um, excuse me, are you listening to Rusted Root?" and I respond "Totally"....his response "Nice! Have a great run!"
Mile 4: Mile 4 gets it's own mention for just this one small thing. THE GREATEST MULLET EVER! I look to my right as I am going through the water station and see this man who is about 62-ish. Full grey head of hair, has the full on Patrick Bateman 80's business man haircut.....and ALLLLLLLL party in the back. If you saw this man face on you would have no idea he was rocking out in the back. It was gathered into a ponytail, because why would you want to get that piece of art all sticky and sweaty. At that moment I decided I will need to carry a sports camera with me from here on out.
Mile 5-7: At this point we are at the lighthouse and I will admit I was a little annoyed that there wasn't one guy with a camera out there. I'm a total photo whore when it comes to race photos. I rather ham it up before the halfway point, otherwise it's just not a pretty picture. All of the sudden Kool & the Gang come on with "Celebration" and what's that I see ahead? My first photo op. I position myself to not take anyone moment to shine for the camera and then I jump up....well, hopefully the pic will come out because a picture is worth a thousand and one words. The guy behind me just started laughing and we ran/walked together for about a mile until I reached the Sole Runners aid station. I had been craving coconut water for about a mile now, and there were also pretzels! I hadn't eaten since the night before and that hit the spot.....and now we were running on the beach.
Mile 8-9.5: So, our run is now where we train, the LB bike path. So man damn people! I stayed off to the side because that is what you are supposed ot do when you are the slower of the pack, but I notice that everybody is mostly walking and are all the same people I have been with since about mile 5. Then it happens. Miles 8-9.5 are dedicated to one man......the smelly man in the tight red sweat shorts that were soaked with sweat, was shirtless, had Fabio length hair that was glued to his head and was, well, he was shaped like George Costanza, but really tan. See, every time this guy would come into my vicinity his odor announced his presence before his physical self. At this point I kept track of "Tan George" and when he got closer I ran ahead a little bit. This went on for 1 1/2 miles until we were on Ocean where we could completely spread out. At that point I was happy to let "Tan George" run on ahead.
Mile 10-13:I'm still in a pretty damn good mood....and yes, I'm still smiling. It was at this point that "Africa" by Toto came on the iPod which left me to ponder "why didn't I ever realize how cheesy and lame these lyrics are?" At this point the marathon then merges back with the half marathon. Luckily, It was early enough into the race that we weren't overtaken by an influx of exhausted marathon runners. It was a slight reversed false flat, so I probably could have run and been alright, but I wanted to make sure I had something left for the race photo of me making the final decent and crossing the finish line. It was also here that a lot of us noticed the old couple that had been wheeled out to the sidewalk by their caregivers. They were just sitting there. We came to the conclusion post race that it was the one time of the year their caregivers didn't have to plan a daily outing of sorts because the entertainment was at their front door. It was a little eerie.
Mile 13.1-13.3: Let me start with this to the LB Marathon peeps....A HALF MARATHON IS 13.1 MILES! Jeebus, I walked a mile to get to our pre-race meet-up, .25 mile to the starting line, just went 13.1 miles and still have to walk to the lunch and massage area AND a mile to my car and now, now they have me running an additional .2 miles! Nonetheless, I turn left onto Shoreline and book it downhill to the finish. Thanks for all that hill running we did last winter to train for the Catalina Marathon I have become quite the downhill runner, so it didn't hurt one bit to run downhill at a 7:45 pace (or so said my GPS). I crossed the finish line.....and made a beeline for food. Eventually I had my one beer of the post race event. It was Bud Light, but when the beer is free beggars cannot be choosers, and besides, I'm watching what I eat!
The Finish: "Always Happy" Jason finished under 6 hours. It was one of the great moments of the day. If I could bottle that man's determination I would be rich! I would love to know what I exactly finished my walk in, but the website crashed because apparently all 10,000 people want to know as well. I cannot wait for next year!
Next up: I leave Thursday late morning for Henderson, NV for the absolute last triathlon of the season: PUMKINMAN! And it's going to be awesome....http://www.bbsctri.com/pumpkin.html
Monday, October 5, 2009
Ah, and so begins week three.....
I joined this program at my gym so that I could get back into training mentally, and truly to be held accountable to someone other than me so I would actually show up. I'm one of those people that can justify missing a workout at a moment's notice. I have shown up to all of my workouts (except the added on this past Saturday morning), and you can see a transformation beginning. Now, I did get a little frustrated with my trainer. If i hear one more time about how you need to use your arms in long distance running because "if you look at the woman who won the gold in Beijing" I might have to take him outback and shoot him. For the record Jim the Trainer, a) I have a running coach, and a great one at that, b) I have been a runner for easily the past 20 years and just needed to take everything up a notch and recommit, and c) for Jeebus sake's, I'm going for my USATri Certification...again. It's not like I'm clueless, I'm just lazy!
With that said, week 3 begins this evening. It was determined I should cut another 200 calories from my daily budget, which it's a problem. I'm down a whole pound from last week, a slight disappointment, but I'll recover. I have to recover. This Sunday will be my second Long Beach Half Marathon. I'm going to be walking most of it as I have just begun running again. I'm determined to start with a 3min/1min run/walk ratio.....we'll see how that works out!
Next weigh-in will be Friday, and hopefully Jim the Trainer will survive the "Wrath of Jenn" until then......I'll let you know if he doesn't!
With that said, week 3 begins this evening. It was determined I should cut another 200 calories from my daily budget, which it's a problem. I'm down a whole pound from last week, a slight disappointment, but I'll recover. I have to recover. This Sunday will be my second Long Beach Half Marathon. I'm going to be walking most of it as I have just begun running again. I'm determined to start with a 3min/1min run/walk ratio.....we'll see how that works out!
Next weigh-in will be Friday, and hopefully Jim the Trainer will survive the "Wrath of Jenn" until then......I'll let you know if he doesn't!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Week One of Training...Over & Out
SO, I just completed week one of my whole new training program. I have joined my gym's version of "Biggest Loser" for people looking to lose at least 20 lbs (yes, I fit into that category as I want to lose 25-30). I started with my main goals: lose weight, have a trainer 3 days a week for strength, and have another person to make me accountable. Then, as the week went on, the clouds lifted and the fog I have been in for a very, very long time has started to disappear. My goals are finally defining themselves.
1) Eat better. Look, I love wine as much as the next person. No, scratch that, I love wine more than the next person. I really, really do. I know, $10 is the right price for an everyday wine, but my favorite is a Zinfandel that is about $30 a bottle (and, NO PEOPLE, Zinfandel is not a pink wine. It's red, it's full bodied, and it was my friend). I knew something had to go, so I said so long for now to my friend Grgich Hills Zin......*tear* I'm limited to 1650 calories a day to consume, but that's more than plenty.
2) Strength. I have nooooooo upper body strength. The fact that I can pull myself up to 2000 meters in a pool with little training amazes me some days. With proper training that's not the case, but I've been sitting on my butt for so long, unfortunately, this is my reality.
3) Lose Weight. I look like I weigh less than I really do which is a good thing.....but, I still need to lose not just weight as much as size. Wait, no, I need to lose the weight as well. See, somehow I have managed to do all of this racing on two rather arthritic ankles and have Vascular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and it turns out that doing nothing is what causes the most pain. The best pain management, for me, are the workouts. Now, I have days when pain is pain and it will not subside. Then that day becomes my day off. Too often had it been a race day, and it makes me sad to not go, but I rather like not breaking a stiff ankle and being out for a whole season.
4) Run faster. Look folks, I know it sounds like I'm this crazy runner, but I'm not.....yet. I walk, A LOT, I'm so slow (averaging a 10 minute mile pace makes me giddy) and I'm the laziest endurance athlete known to mankind. Just ask anyone that knows me or has trained with me. I used to be a good athlete. Trained, disciplined, would get antsy if I didn't do something, anything. Well, I still get stir crazy, but it's not like I'm running everyday....that's about to change ;)
5) Be accountable. I needed something, someone that I had to show up for. I wasn't showing up for me, so it needed to be another person. Now I have a training partner AND a personal trainer. I show up for two people. I can make up a missed Saturday run with my group on a Sunday with Happy Jason, but I HAVE to show up for my training session with my workout buddy Annette and trainer Jim. Oh, and I HAVE to show up for Wednesday night yoga or I'm going to be in so much pain.
So, I'm going into week two now. I have my first weigh in and for some reason I think I haven't lost anything. Do you have any idea how hard it is to burn 2650 calories a day? Hell, I went for a long run yesterday in the 90 degree heat and still fell short by 200 calories burned for the day. I'll get there, and I'll learn to walk 10,000 steps a day, and I'll get to the physical level in which I have no doubt that I could finish the California 70.3 Ironman in my sleep, but it's going to take time, patience and dedication.
Week 2, HERE I COME!
1) Eat better. Look, I love wine as much as the next person. No, scratch that, I love wine more than the next person. I really, really do. I know, $10 is the right price for an everyday wine, but my favorite is a Zinfandel that is about $30 a bottle (and, NO PEOPLE, Zinfandel is not a pink wine. It's red, it's full bodied, and it was my friend). I knew something had to go, so I said so long for now to my friend Grgich Hills Zin......*tear* I'm limited to 1650 calories a day to consume, but that's more than plenty.
2) Strength. I have nooooooo upper body strength. The fact that I can pull myself up to 2000 meters in a pool with little training amazes me some days. With proper training that's not the case, but I've been sitting on my butt for so long, unfortunately, this is my reality.
3) Lose Weight. I look like I weigh less than I really do which is a good thing.....but, I still need to lose not just weight as much as size. Wait, no, I need to lose the weight as well. See, somehow I have managed to do all of this racing on two rather arthritic ankles and have Vascular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and it turns out that doing nothing is what causes the most pain. The best pain management, for me, are the workouts. Now, I have days when pain is pain and it will not subside. Then that day becomes my day off. Too often had it been a race day, and it makes me sad to not go, but I rather like not breaking a stiff ankle and being out for a whole season.
4) Run faster. Look folks, I know it sounds like I'm this crazy runner, but I'm not.....yet. I walk, A LOT, I'm so slow (averaging a 10 minute mile pace makes me giddy) and I'm the laziest endurance athlete known to mankind. Just ask anyone that knows me or has trained with me. I used to be a good athlete. Trained, disciplined, would get antsy if I didn't do something, anything. Well, I still get stir crazy, but it's not like I'm running everyday....that's about to change ;)
5) Be accountable. I needed something, someone that I had to show up for. I wasn't showing up for me, so it needed to be another person. Now I have a training partner AND a personal trainer. I show up for two people. I can make up a missed Saturday run with my group on a Sunday with Happy Jason, but I HAVE to show up for my training session with my workout buddy Annette and trainer Jim. Oh, and I HAVE to show up for Wednesday night yoga or I'm going to be in so much pain.
So, I'm going into week two now. I have my first weigh in and for some reason I think I haven't lost anything. Do you have any idea how hard it is to burn 2650 calories a day? Hell, I went for a long run yesterday in the 90 degree heat and still fell short by 200 calories burned for the day. I'll get there, and I'll learn to walk 10,000 steps a day, and I'll get to the physical level in which I have no doubt that I could finish the California 70.3 Ironman in my sleep, but it's going to take time, patience and dedication.
Week 2, HERE I COME!
Monday, September 21, 2009
And so it begins....Part 2
So, let me just say that Sunday I was happy about two things:
1) That I didn't sign up for the Long Beach Triathlon (which is one of my favorite races) because that was the worst Red Tide I have ever seen or smelled in my life. The Red Tide bloom was even worse than the one I did swim in for the Olympic Distance LA Triathlon in 2003
2) That I ran with "Always Happy" Jason who looks like he's going to kill the Long Beach Triathlon and easily take off 30+ minutes and run a PR. Thanks Jason!
The run was a lot of walk that started quite early. I wound up running for a total of 2 1/2 hours. I was supposed to go meet and run with the large group of Sole Runners, but I believe you "leave no man behind" and Jason was running alone. I think in the end, it did me more good to have a reason to show up. Even after 9 weeks off from running I went out for about 13 miles in total, and today, Monday, while I'm a little sore I feel great.
I do begin my gym's version of "The Biggest Loser" tonight. I am constantly asked why I'm even doing it since I'm only trying to lose 20-30 lbs. Well, the fact is despite all of my training, all of my knowledge, any certification I've ever had, all the people I have taught to swim and introduced to the wonderful world of triathlon (and there are A LOT) that I cannot do it myself. Heck, my coach has a coach. I need a mind reset and to get back into training and racing mentally, not just physically.
In 2003 I completed my first triathlon. It was my very first season as a triathlete. I completed that race at Bonelli Park in San Dimas and went on to race in 8 more tris, one of which was with Team In Training to benefit the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society. I put so much of myself out there, and should have left it all on the course, but so much was going on personally and it was wearing on me even while I raced. I stripped back down to basics. I removed my aerobars, I tried to go so far back to basics even that was too much and I found myself just swimming. I hated running by that point, and who wouldn't when you are out there running 5 days a week hoping to make life quiet and calm. Swimming made life quiet and calm, not running, and not cycling. So, well, running and I had a falling out and we broke up. At the same time I stopped and looked around and those friends I created and cherished in a sport I grew so quickly dependent on were just gone. I know I didn't wake up and it magically happened overnight, but it felt that way.
Well, flash forward to 2008 and I received this email about training for the Long Beach Marathon and thought at the very leas tI could learn to love to run again and within weeks running and I had made up and got back together, so to speak. Now, I am the world's laziest endurance athlete. I don't live off of brown rice, grilled chicken and broccoli, and I certainly like to drink wine. However, this is not going to get me to the finish line of the 2009 California 70.9 half ironman or an closer to my dream of running an ultra marathon in 2010 (hey, we all have dreams and this one is mine....so stop laughing). So, if being able to do these things means countless hours of training and sacrifice then so be it, I'm in and where do I sign up?
So begins my journey. While many think I have lost it, I now firmly believe that signing up to run at 12:01 am on Oct. 24th for Nike surely proves that.....but Zach, I won't let you down.
1) That I didn't sign up for the Long Beach Triathlon (which is one of my favorite races) because that was the worst Red Tide I have ever seen or smelled in my life. The Red Tide bloom was even worse than the one I did swim in for the Olympic Distance LA Triathlon in 2003
2) That I ran with "Always Happy" Jason who looks like he's going to kill the Long Beach Triathlon and easily take off 30+ minutes and run a PR. Thanks Jason!
The run was a lot of walk that started quite early. I wound up running for a total of 2 1/2 hours. I was supposed to go meet and run with the large group of Sole Runners, but I believe you "leave no man behind" and Jason was running alone. I think in the end, it did me more good to have a reason to show up. Even after 9 weeks off from running I went out for about 13 miles in total, and today, Monday, while I'm a little sore I feel great.
I do begin my gym's version of "The Biggest Loser" tonight. I am constantly asked why I'm even doing it since I'm only trying to lose 20-30 lbs. Well, the fact is despite all of my training, all of my knowledge, any certification I've ever had, all the people I have taught to swim and introduced to the wonderful world of triathlon (and there are A LOT) that I cannot do it myself. Heck, my coach has a coach. I need a mind reset and to get back into training and racing mentally, not just physically.
In 2003 I completed my first triathlon. It was my very first season as a triathlete. I completed that race at Bonelli Park in San Dimas and went on to race in 8 more tris, one of which was with Team In Training to benefit the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society. I put so much of myself out there, and should have left it all on the course, but so much was going on personally and it was wearing on me even while I raced. I stripped back down to basics. I removed my aerobars, I tried to go so far back to basics even that was too much and I found myself just swimming. I hated running by that point, and who wouldn't when you are out there running 5 days a week hoping to make life quiet and calm. Swimming made life quiet and calm, not running, and not cycling. So, well, running and I had a falling out and we broke up. At the same time I stopped and looked around and those friends I created and cherished in a sport I grew so quickly dependent on were just gone. I know I didn't wake up and it magically happened overnight, but it felt that way.
Well, flash forward to 2008 and I received this email about training for the Long Beach Marathon and thought at the very leas tI could learn to love to run again and within weeks running and I had made up and got back together, so to speak. Now, I am the world's laziest endurance athlete. I don't live off of brown rice, grilled chicken and broccoli, and I certainly like to drink wine. However, this is not going to get me to the finish line of the 2009 California 70.9 half ironman or an closer to my dream of running an ultra marathon in 2010 (hey, we all have dreams and this one is mine....so stop laughing). So, if being able to do these things means countless hours of training and sacrifice then so be it, I'm in and where do I sign up?
So begins my journey. While many think I have lost it, I now firmly believe that signing up to run at 12:01 am on Oct. 24th for Nike surely proves that.....but Zach, I won't let you down.
Monday, September 14, 2009
And so it begins...again
After 9 weeks of absolutely no working out and all pure recovery I'm ready to get started. What did I do in those 9 weeks? Well, I managed to plan my 2009-2010 season which so happens includes my very first ever Half Ironman ( thanks Mark!) Who in their right mind is in the middle of recovering form surgery and thinks "sure, a half sounds great"? I'll tell you who...ME! I am so stoked it's not even funny. During the recovery time I went out and purchased new cycling shoes that I will be breaking in on Wednesday in my spin class with coach Steve at Breakthru Fitness in Pasadena, and a brand new fancy Zoot wetsuit that is officially the nicest wetsuit I have ever had (it's my 4th). I have the gear, now I need the nutrition and training (both mentally and physically).
Yesterday I put the nutrition aspect back on track. If there is absolutely anyway I'm going to get this done, and with a goal time, then I need to get my ass in gear. So, I said goodbye to the diet coke and iced lattes that fueled me for the past 2+ months and hello again to my Superfoods and a very well thought out meal plan. I literally spent all weekend planning menus, calculating caloric needs, formulating what food will need to go in what meal. I was surrounded by books and paper. I think I finally got it down. Next up, planning the workouts.
Today I'm going to try to get in a 2000 meter swim, at the very least 1600 meters. It's my prep time for the next 4-6 weeks, during which will include the Long Beach Half Marathon, so taking it down a level or tow is key, especially when you consider that I have absolutely no muscle tone and will be starting from the ground level.....or so it feels that way. There is a lot more to training than just the physical. There is the mental and I have been missing that for years. This year that ends and I get my head back into the game. At the end I want to look back and see how far I have come more mentally than physically. I want to get to the next level and add that 50-mile ultra in Nov. 2010, but unless something changes that will not happen.
Here is my racing schedule thus far:
Oct 11 - Long Beach Half Marathon
Nov 7 - Solvang Prelude
Nov 14 - San Gabriel 10k Turkey Trot
Feb 7 - Surf City Half Marathon
Feb 21 - 2nd Annual Pasadena Marathon
March 13 - Catalina Island Marathon
March 27 - California 70.3 (Half Ironman)
May 2010 - Trek Women's Endurance Series, Disneyland
I'm still looking for a race in December and January.....let me know if you find one!
Yesterday I put the nutrition aspect back on track. If there is absolutely anyway I'm going to get this done, and with a goal time, then I need to get my ass in gear. So, I said goodbye to the diet coke and iced lattes that fueled me for the past 2+ months and hello again to my Superfoods and a very well thought out meal plan. I literally spent all weekend planning menus, calculating caloric needs, formulating what food will need to go in what meal. I was surrounded by books and paper. I think I finally got it down. Next up, planning the workouts.
Today I'm going to try to get in a 2000 meter swim, at the very least 1600 meters. It's my prep time for the next 4-6 weeks, during which will include the Long Beach Half Marathon, so taking it down a level or tow is key, especially when you consider that I have absolutely no muscle tone and will be starting from the ground level.....or so it feels that way. There is a lot more to training than just the physical. There is the mental and I have been missing that for years. This year that ends and I get my head back into the game. At the end I want to look back and see how far I have come more mentally than physically. I want to get to the next level and add that 50-mile ultra in Nov. 2010, but unless something changes that will not happen.
Here is my racing schedule thus far:
Oct 11 - Long Beach Half Marathon
Nov 7 - Solvang Prelude
Nov 14 - San Gabriel 10k Turkey Trot
Feb 7 - Surf City Half Marathon
Feb 21 - 2nd Annual Pasadena Marathon
March 13 - Catalina Island Marathon
March 27 - California 70.3 (Half Ironman)
May 2010 - Trek Women's Endurance Series, Disneyland
I'm still looking for a race in December and January.....let me know if you find one!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Back In the Saddle.....
I finally was able to workout this past Saturday after almost 4 weeks of having to do nothing, and it was amazing! You truly never ever know what you've got until it's gone. I'm still not allowed to run, and thankfully it was a recovery week in the training plan, so we went out for about an hour, and it was the best hour in a long, long time. I met Michelle who had a tough past year. I caught up with her and she's a singe mother of two older teenagers, had lost her mother and gained about 40lbs. While for many that would be enough for us to have an eternal pity party Michelle was out there moving, and on the full marathon training program no less. She was upbeat and determined to not let the negativity keep her down. Life got in the way, and now it was all about her.
After the run Coach Steve offered an open water swim clinic. Being me, and figuring that walking and not running was totally taking it easy, I went for the swim clinic as well, of course. While waiting for everyone else to show up three of us went out for a pre-clinic swim and did 2/3 of a mile, or approx 1000 meters. Then the clinic got started, Michelle included, and no matter how many triathlons a person does a clinic is always a great idea. After 23 triathlons Steve taught me something new that will come in very, very handy come October 4th when I participate in the LA Triathlon. Who knew going around a buoy could be so easy. Thanks Steve!
Today I'm back to my training diet and schedule. I've never been so excited or inspired to do anything. Whoever first said "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" was completely correct. Now it's up to me to push it to the next level, but remember I'm still recovering. The truth is that life gets in the way for all of us, and we all can come up with what seems like a logical excuse of why we just can't do certain things. However, the fact is we choose to either make excuses or make time. I'm no superhero, and I'm certainly no different than anyone else. I don't have a nanny to care for my child, I don't get to sit back and watch my job do itself. What I do have is time management and the willingness to accept that if I want change then it starts with me. So, that means spending lunch at the gym, running after work, and if necessary, then running at 4am......nothing is impossible unless you allow it to be!
After the run Coach Steve offered an open water swim clinic. Being me, and figuring that walking and not running was totally taking it easy, I went for the swim clinic as well, of course. While waiting for everyone else to show up three of us went out for a pre-clinic swim and did 2/3 of a mile, or approx 1000 meters. Then the clinic got started, Michelle included, and no matter how many triathlons a person does a clinic is always a great idea. After 23 triathlons Steve taught me something new that will come in very, very handy come October 4th when I participate in the LA Triathlon. Who knew going around a buoy could be so easy. Thanks Steve!
Today I'm back to my training diet and schedule. I've never been so excited or inspired to do anything. Whoever first said "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" was completely correct. Now it's up to me to push it to the next level, but remember I'm still recovering. The truth is that life gets in the way for all of us, and we all can come up with what seems like a logical excuse of why we just can't do certain things. However, the fact is we choose to either make excuses or make time. I'm no superhero, and I'm certainly no different than anyone else. I don't have a nanny to care for my child, I don't get to sit back and watch my job do itself. What I do have is time management and the willingness to accept that if I want change then it starts with me. So, that means spending lunch at the gym, running after work, and if necessary, then running at 4am......nothing is impossible unless you allow it to be!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Things We Do For Running
There are things we will do as runners to improve performance. We work on form, speed work, try different fuels and shoes, use music and/or metronomes, eat a balanced diet. We even go so far as to give up the things we love, or at least enjoy them in highly limited quantities: diet coke, fries, cupcakes, candy, all of it gone. We survive on things most people wouldn't even think of putting into their bodies: green shakes with algae, coconut water that tastes like mango juice(my new favorite actually), grilled proteins with no sauces and oils, veggies that are grilled or steamed and flavored with lemon juice. Well, tomorrow I embark on ridding myself of pain and discomfort. Allow me to explain.
This past season, beginning back in September 2008, I participated in the following races:
Disneyland Half Marathon, Long Beach Half Marathon, San Gabriel Turkey Trot, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, Children's Hospital 5k, Surf City Marathon, Catalina Marathon, Pasadena Marathon, LA Tri Express Sprint TriathlonLA Marathon and the Disneyland Trek Women's Duathlon. Here's the thing: some of those races I was thiiiiiis close to finishing but couldn't. There was always pain in my abdominal area or sides, or the chaffing, God the chaffing. See, before I had my daughter I never ever had these problems. Heck, I was finally convinced that was the time to work towards my first half Ironman. THen, I found out I was pregnant. I thought "oh, I can pick it up after I have my duaghter". Little did I know it wasn't that simple. Yes, the working out was hard and initially demoralizing. Your memory kicks in when you start running again and your brain reminds you that visially you are going so slow because you remember what it was like to run at 9:00 miles for hours. Now, you are averaging 13:00 miles for 2 miles and cry at how painful and horrible it all was. I thought I was never going to love running again. My swimming came back so quickly, and for those that know me they would tell you "of course it did". My cycling, well, I've always hated hills, and yes, it was difficult, but with very little training at all I still average 15-17mph. I just need to learn to love the hills.
Then I decided that in 2008 I was going to run a half marathon. See, a marathon sounded absolutely insane to me still, but 13.1 miles, totally manageable. I saw a coached training group for this particular race and signed up for it all. Over the course of 6 months I learned Chi Running and went from averaging a 12:45 mile (lots nad lots of walking folks) to averaging 11:02 mile....with still walking. I FOUND MY LOVE OF RUNNING AGAIN! I credit a lot of it with my running group and coaches: http://socalrunning.com/group-coached-marathon-training/
I credited myself for finding the joy and love in something so simple as running. I credited my daughter and boyfriend for inspiration. But no matter how much faster I became and how much I worked on my form, running was still painful, and not a good pain. I have six pack abs but you wouldn't know it underneath the additional abdominal skin from pregnancy. After a run over 8 to 9 miles if I bend over and stretch my hamstrings well, my ab muscles spasm and cramp on me. As I have come to learn it's not for a lack of stretching or strengthening, but because my abs have to work double duty of supporting my core AND my stomach. Painful doesn't begin to describe it. When I tell you I have had bruising because I this it's hardly and exaggeration. Next would be the inner thigh chaffing, or rather bleeding. Shorts, pants, whatever, people it still happens when you run if you have inner thighs that, well, touch. After the LA Marathon and my absolutely ridiculous decision to walk so i could "see the city" my feet and my thighs took 3 weeks to heal. I have the war wounds to prove it all.
So, the choice came down to quitting running or doing something about it. Well folks, I tried it all, this is why I actually have a six pack of abs that nobody can see. So, it's time to call in the calvery. I am having mini abdomnioplasy and well, it's just called a minor thigh lift. Let me tell you that very little has to do with vanity and maybe 90% is really about running. I have goals, I want to run ultramarathons, I want to actually do a Half Ironman (just maybe not WIldflower), I really do recover from races so close together well, but I want to be able to say "I actually only do three marathons.....just the same marathons every single year". To many, this is excessive and vaine, to me it is what will actually help me reach my athletic goals. Should I have to give up what I love doing because I have poor genetics? Not so much. I'm not embarassed about it, in fact, I'm proud. Now, granted, the first day I plan on being in a world of pain, however, in about 2 days I will be walking, albeit very slowly, 10 minutes every hour. By 3 weeks I should be able to walk for a good amount of time, and if I recover properly be able to sit on a spin bike and just spin. By 4-5 weeks I should be able to starat to slowly run again and 6-8 weeks back on schedule.
Sometimes, we make compromises for what we love, but at what cost? Last time I checked, hurting myself over and over for what I love doing wasn't wise. However, making it so that I can do what I love that much better and feel good about myself I what it truly is all about. Yes, I miss my running friends and spin class to which I haven't really need able to go to because the pain was too much. In a matter of weeks I will have that all back, and more.
This past season, beginning back in September 2008, I participated in the following races:
Disneyland Half Marathon, Long Beach Half Marathon, San Gabriel Turkey Trot, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, Children's Hospital 5k, Surf City Marathon, Catalina Marathon, Pasadena Marathon, LA Tri Express Sprint TriathlonLA Marathon and the Disneyland Trek Women's Duathlon. Here's the thing: some of those races I was thiiiiiis close to finishing but couldn't. There was always pain in my abdominal area or sides, or the chaffing, God the chaffing. See, before I had my daughter I never ever had these problems. Heck, I was finally convinced that was the time to work towards my first half Ironman. THen, I found out I was pregnant. I thought "oh, I can pick it up after I have my duaghter". Little did I know it wasn't that simple. Yes, the working out was hard and initially demoralizing. Your memory kicks in when you start running again and your brain reminds you that visially you are going so slow because you remember what it was like to run at 9:00 miles for hours. Now, you are averaging 13:00 miles for 2 miles and cry at how painful and horrible it all was. I thought I was never going to love running again. My swimming came back so quickly, and for those that know me they would tell you "of course it did". My cycling, well, I've always hated hills, and yes, it was difficult, but with very little training at all I still average 15-17mph. I just need to learn to love the hills.
Then I decided that in 2008 I was going to run a half marathon. See, a marathon sounded absolutely insane to me still, but 13.1 miles, totally manageable. I saw a coached training group for this particular race and signed up for it all. Over the course of 6 months I learned Chi Running and went from averaging a 12:45 mile (lots nad lots of walking folks) to averaging 11:02 mile....with still walking. I FOUND MY LOVE OF RUNNING AGAIN! I credit a lot of it with my running group and coaches: http://socalrunning.com/group-coached-marathon-training/
I credited myself for finding the joy and love in something so simple as running. I credited my daughter and boyfriend for inspiration. But no matter how much faster I became and how much I worked on my form, running was still painful, and not a good pain. I have six pack abs but you wouldn't know it underneath the additional abdominal skin from pregnancy. After a run over 8 to 9 miles if I bend over and stretch my hamstrings well, my ab muscles spasm and cramp on me. As I have come to learn it's not for a lack of stretching or strengthening, but because my abs have to work double duty of supporting my core AND my stomach. Painful doesn't begin to describe it. When I tell you I have had bruising because I this it's hardly and exaggeration. Next would be the inner thigh chaffing, or rather bleeding. Shorts, pants, whatever, people it still happens when you run if you have inner thighs that, well, touch. After the LA Marathon and my absolutely ridiculous decision to walk so i could "see the city" my feet and my thighs took 3 weeks to heal. I have the war wounds to prove it all.
So, the choice came down to quitting running or doing something about it. Well folks, I tried it all, this is why I actually have a six pack of abs that nobody can see. So, it's time to call in the calvery. I am having mini abdomnioplasy and well, it's just called a minor thigh lift. Let me tell you that very little has to do with vanity and maybe 90% is really about running. I have goals, I want to run ultramarathons, I want to actually do a Half Ironman (just maybe not WIldflower), I really do recover from races so close together well, but I want to be able to say "I actually only do three marathons.....just the same marathons every single year". To many, this is excessive and vaine, to me it is what will actually help me reach my athletic goals. Should I have to give up what I love doing because I have poor genetics? Not so much. I'm not embarassed about it, in fact, I'm proud. Now, granted, the first day I plan on being in a world of pain, however, in about 2 days I will be walking, albeit very slowly, 10 minutes every hour. By 3 weeks I should be able to walk for a good amount of time, and if I recover properly be able to sit on a spin bike and just spin. By 4-5 weeks I should be able to starat to slowly run again and 6-8 weeks back on schedule.
Sometimes, we make compromises for what we love, but at what cost? Last time I checked, hurting myself over and over for what I love doing wasn't wise. However, making it so that I can do what I love that much better and feel good about myself I what it truly is all about. Yes, I miss my running friends and spin class to which I haven't really need able to go to because the pain was too much. In a matter of weeks I will have that all back, and more.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Nutrition - Does One Size Really Fit All?
In the past 2 weeks I have done a complete overhaul on my diet. For breakfast I have a Odwalla Green Superfood shake, and once you get past the smell of artichokes and algae it's pretty good. Lunch is a lean protein, usually fish, and a veg, I have a Mix1 protein shake and my Joint Juice for a snack, an FRS low cal energy pre-workout and for dinner I will have a lean protein, veg, and a unrefined carb. I won't lie, the first few days I was sick. Not a little sick, but really sick. To be honest, part of it was because my daughter brought home her cold, but realistically, most of it was in part to my body ridding itself of toxins from diet coke, refined carbs, refined sugars, alcohols, and fats. I think I told Warren I was going to die about 10 times, and then something happened. It was Monday and I felt alright. Not 100%, but pretty good. All of this got me to thinking about all of the nutrition advice I have been given: some good, and some bad. The real question is: Why do a lot of people out there assume nutrition is "one size fits all?"
True story: I was in my spin class back in April. Now, my spin class is great. My coach leads the class and it's geared towards endurance athletes, but newbie friendly. People come back week after week for this class versus an typical class in which most new comers are so frightened they swear off spinning forever. One of the best parts about this class is the "conversations". You want to ask Coach Steve about cycling shoes, do it! You want to know about heart rate levels and monitors, then it's a class discussion. Trust me, this in no way impedes the quality of the class. It's all done during recovery. Well, one day we talked about nutrition. He told us this story about an athlete he coached that lost 40lbs over a season. That's when I tuned in because hey, I too have 40lbs to lose. I asked what she did beyond the training. Then he tells me she only consumes 1200 calories and eats 5-6 times a day. I was FLOORED! I asked how her recovery was assuming she had to be exhausted all the time. Nope, not so much. Then, after years of advice and testing everything, it hit me: Nutrition and workouts aren't a simple mathematical equation, nor is any of it one size fits all.
Yesterday, while working, I was listening to a past episode of Jillian Michaels on KFI 640 online. I won't lie, I'm a "Biggest Loser" junkie. What is more inspiring than watching these people get their lives back and have hope and obtain something they never thought they could? Well, she was explaining that she never went below 1200 calories with the women...ever! Then, she explained to this group of elite medical professionals that the women on her team had come to a complete halt in losing weight. They ran all the usual tests and come back and told her "800 calories for the women". She protested because it went against everything she every knew as a trainer and registered dietitian. The doctor explained to her that there have been case studies that the "magical" number for obese women to lose weight is 800. It's not for everyone and should never be done without the care of a medical professional and dietitian, but that the women would be fine. She put them on the lower calorie diet and not only did it work, but they had far more energy and when it came time to bump back up to the 1200 calories they didn't gain.
What does all this mean? I means that there is a reason why I was the only person I have ever known to gain weight on Weight Watchers (and I just wanted to lose 5-10lbs), why some people cannot eat gluten, why some cannot digest red meat, why if you have a deficiency in anything your metabolism could stall just because of your biology. So, here it is, the absolute basics that aren't "One Size Fits All" but can be tailored and advice on who to see for an overhaul:
1. YOU NEED FAT! I know, you are thinking "Hey fat lady, why are you telling me to eat fat?" Look, the fact of the matter is that I wasn't always at this weight. I have been a vegetarian, a full blown meat eater, and have comfortably landed somewhere in between. A semi-vegetarian if you will. I have ALWAYS been athlete. I too was shocked when I learned this lesson, and I learned it on my own in the most obscure place possible: The Colorado Spring Olympic Training Center. When my daughter was 2 months old I left my house at 6am to catch a flight to Colorado Springs for My USA Triathlon Coaching Certification weekend. Three planes later I was finally there. Now, I had just started running 2 weeks prior after getting the okay from my doctor and the final stitches removed from my c-section. I was at a snail's pace of a 13 minute mile....but I swam still pretty fast. I was terrified and when I checked into my room (that was up 5 flights of stairs) all I wanted to do was eat. I had never been more intimidated in my life. What the hell was I thinking? I had a baby with her first cold at home that was maybe 10 weeks old, I was in no shape to keep up with anyone....and I thought "well, at least everything will be steamed and it will be a no-fat weekend". I have no idea why I assumed this. I walked into the cafeteria and the familiar aroma of Thai food filled the place. I thought that soup would be a great choice, so I got the Beef Thai Noodle Soup...people, I kid you not, IT HAD FAT. I know it's silly, but it clicked: Olympians NEED fat to succeed as an elite athlete. I will say it just once: WE ALL NEED FAT! Now, the difference is we need fat from nuts, avocados, and lean meats. We do NOT need fat from fried foods, sauces, etc. That's it. Plain and simple. It's not brain surgery folks.
2. What works for you is not going to work for me. Let me tell you, anyone can become a nutritionist. Really. If you send me an email I will send you no less than 5 links for places that will take your money and BAM! you are now a certified nutritionist all from the comfort of your own home. Everyone thinks they are an expert and wants to tell you what you MUST do to lose weight. Nothing drives me more insane. Here's the deal: never, ever in my life have I had to lose more than 5-10 lbs until after I had my daughter. On the bright side, I haven't gained weight, but I sure as hell haven't lost much either. Why? I'm hypothyroid and have very minor issues with gluten (which aggravates my allergies). However, I am totally serious when I tell you I have lost track of how many people who think they hold the key to the shackles of my 35-40lbs weight loss and refuse to acknowledge that I have circumstances that will not let me fit in their "mold". I guarantee you, nobody reads a label like I do. I refuse to consume high fructose corn syrup (with the exception of my diet coke, but that's all behind me now). When you get someone who is an "expert" and tells you to try product xyz and it's got added refined sugars, you run. With all that said, if you get someone that is giving you a cookie cutter nutritional plan, then run far, far away. If they aren't a registered dietitian that works with whatever type of athlete you are then don't hand over money. A great RD that deals with sports nutrition for endurance athletes will go a long way.
3. Really do eat 4-6 times a day. That's it. Just do it. Otherwise, you aren't burning fat and are dipping into your muscle.
4. Booze. Alcohol. Hooch.....be it one drink, or you really tied one on last night. It's no good for losing weight. Now, here's the deal: If you do not need to lose weight and are happy with how you are preforming the occasional drink or two isn't going to hurt, as long as it's just that: A DRINK OR TWO! Now, for the rest of us slow fat asses, it's bad. Hold on, I'll repeat that: BAD! B-A-D! Alcohol doesn't just slow the metabolism. It does it for 48 hours! So, that drink or drinks you had last night will stick with you for the next 2 days and your metabolism will pay for it. You will never ever lose weight that way. So, until you reach your goals, or it's a family meal during a holiday, skip the booze.
5. You cannot do it alone. You really can't. You need a support group and you need support at home. You could have all the support in the world, but if none of it comes from home then the odds will be stacked against you.
6. Be accountable for your actions, and be proud. I registered for 4 marathons, 3 half marathons, 3 10ks, a few 5ks, a couple of triathlons and a dualthon. I didn't finish some of them because of poor training and lack of mental preparation. I know now what to expect and be prepared for in my 2009-2010 season. I will not lie, I am addicted to racing. I'm not shy about it. Anyone who knows me knows this. If I don't cross the finish line I am not a failure, I am under prepared, but know when to stop before injury. If I do not show up, and it's not because of family obligations, then I have failed. There is a HUGE difference. Not showing up in life is like failing in life for me. I get this now. I struggled with this for so long. Not showing up to the gym, eating healthy, being healthy and setting an example for my daughter and everyone around me is failing. Do the best that I can and then taking it one step further to safely push my boundaries is winning.....I want to win!
Just remember, everyone in the world can offer you advice, but it doesn't mean it will work for you. That doesn't mean you should ignore it. What I do in my life it a collaboration of advice and concepts: a little from here, a little from there. Just make sure you don't do anything blindly!
True story: I was in my spin class back in April. Now, my spin class is great. My coach leads the class and it's geared towards endurance athletes, but newbie friendly. People come back week after week for this class versus an typical class in which most new comers are so frightened they swear off spinning forever. One of the best parts about this class is the "conversations". You want to ask Coach Steve about cycling shoes, do it! You want to know about heart rate levels and monitors, then it's a class discussion. Trust me, this in no way impedes the quality of the class. It's all done during recovery. Well, one day we talked about nutrition. He told us this story about an athlete he coached that lost 40lbs over a season. That's when I tuned in because hey, I too have 40lbs to lose. I asked what she did beyond the training. Then he tells me she only consumes 1200 calories and eats 5-6 times a day. I was FLOORED! I asked how her recovery was assuming she had to be exhausted all the time. Nope, not so much. Then, after years of advice and testing everything, it hit me: Nutrition and workouts aren't a simple mathematical equation, nor is any of it one size fits all.
Yesterday, while working, I was listening to a past episode of Jillian Michaels on KFI 640 online. I won't lie, I'm a "Biggest Loser" junkie. What is more inspiring than watching these people get their lives back and have hope and obtain something they never thought they could? Well, she was explaining that she never went below 1200 calories with the women...ever! Then, she explained to this group of elite medical professionals that the women on her team had come to a complete halt in losing weight. They ran all the usual tests and come back and told her "800 calories for the women". She protested because it went against everything she every knew as a trainer and registered dietitian. The doctor explained to her that there have been case studies that the "magical" number for obese women to lose weight is 800. It's not for everyone and should never be done without the care of a medical professional and dietitian, but that the women would be fine. She put them on the lower calorie diet and not only did it work, but they had far more energy and when it came time to bump back up to the 1200 calories they didn't gain.
What does all this mean? I means that there is a reason why I was the only person I have ever known to gain weight on Weight Watchers (and I just wanted to lose 5-10lbs), why some people cannot eat gluten, why some cannot digest red meat, why if you have a deficiency in anything your metabolism could stall just because of your biology. So, here it is, the absolute basics that aren't "One Size Fits All" but can be tailored and advice on who to see for an overhaul:
1. YOU NEED FAT! I know, you are thinking "Hey fat lady, why are you telling me to eat fat?" Look, the fact of the matter is that I wasn't always at this weight. I have been a vegetarian, a full blown meat eater, and have comfortably landed somewhere in between. A semi-vegetarian if you will. I have ALWAYS been athlete. I too was shocked when I learned this lesson, and I learned it on my own in the most obscure place possible: The Colorado Spring Olympic Training Center. When my daughter was 2 months old I left my house at 6am to catch a flight to Colorado Springs for My USA Triathlon Coaching Certification weekend. Three planes later I was finally there. Now, I had just started running 2 weeks prior after getting the okay from my doctor and the final stitches removed from my c-section. I was at a snail's pace of a 13 minute mile....but I swam still pretty fast. I was terrified and when I checked into my room (that was up 5 flights of stairs) all I wanted to do was eat. I had never been more intimidated in my life. What the hell was I thinking? I had a baby with her first cold at home that was maybe 10 weeks old, I was in no shape to keep up with anyone....and I thought "well, at least everything will be steamed and it will be a no-fat weekend". I have no idea why I assumed this. I walked into the cafeteria and the familiar aroma of Thai food filled the place. I thought that soup would be a great choice, so I got the Beef Thai Noodle Soup...people, I kid you not, IT HAD FAT. I know it's silly, but it clicked: Olympians NEED fat to succeed as an elite athlete. I will say it just once: WE ALL NEED FAT! Now, the difference is we need fat from nuts, avocados, and lean meats. We do NOT need fat from fried foods, sauces, etc. That's it. Plain and simple. It's not brain surgery folks.
2. What works for you is not going to work for me. Let me tell you, anyone can become a nutritionist. Really. If you send me an email I will send you no less than 5 links for places that will take your money and BAM! you are now a certified nutritionist all from the comfort of your own home. Everyone thinks they are an expert and wants to tell you what you MUST do to lose weight. Nothing drives me more insane. Here's the deal: never, ever in my life have I had to lose more than 5-10 lbs until after I had my daughter. On the bright side, I haven't gained weight, but I sure as hell haven't lost much either. Why? I'm hypothyroid and have very minor issues with gluten (which aggravates my allergies). However, I am totally serious when I tell you I have lost track of how many people who think they hold the key to the shackles of my 35-40lbs weight loss and refuse to acknowledge that I have circumstances that will not let me fit in their "mold". I guarantee you, nobody reads a label like I do. I refuse to consume high fructose corn syrup (with the exception of my diet coke, but that's all behind me now). When you get someone who is an "expert" and tells you to try product xyz and it's got added refined sugars, you run. With all that said, if you get someone that is giving you a cookie cutter nutritional plan, then run far, far away. If they aren't a registered dietitian that works with whatever type of athlete you are then don't hand over money. A great RD that deals with sports nutrition for endurance athletes will go a long way.
3. Really do eat 4-6 times a day. That's it. Just do it. Otherwise, you aren't burning fat and are dipping into your muscle.
4. Booze. Alcohol. Hooch.....be it one drink, or you really tied one on last night. It's no good for losing weight. Now, here's the deal: If you do not need to lose weight and are happy with how you are preforming the occasional drink or two isn't going to hurt, as long as it's just that: A DRINK OR TWO! Now, for the rest of us slow fat asses, it's bad. Hold on, I'll repeat that: BAD! B-A-D! Alcohol doesn't just slow the metabolism. It does it for 48 hours! So, that drink or drinks you had last night will stick with you for the next 2 days and your metabolism will pay for it. You will never ever lose weight that way. So, until you reach your goals, or it's a family meal during a holiday, skip the booze.
5. You cannot do it alone. You really can't. You need a support group and you need support at home. You could have all the support in the world, but if none of it comes from home then the odds will be stacked against you.
6. Be accountable for your actions, and be proud. I registered for 4 marathons, 3 half marathons, 3 10ks, a few 5ks, a couple of triathlons and a dualthon. I didn't finish some of them because of poor training and lack of mental preparation. I know now what to expect and be prepared for in my 2009-2010 season. I will not lie, I am addicted to racing. I'm not shy about it. Anyone who knows me knows this. If I don't cross the finish line I am not a failure, I am under prepared, but know when to stop before injury. If I do not show up, and it's not because of family obligations, then I have failed. There is a HUGE difference. Not showing up in life is like failing in life for me. I get this now. I struggled with this for so long. Not showing up to the gym, eating healthy, being healthy and setting an example for my daughter and everyone around me is failing. Do the best that I can and then taking it one step further to safely push my boundaries is winning.....I want to win!
Just remember, everyone in the world can offer you advice, but it doesn't mean it will work for you. That doesn't mean you should ignore it. What I do in my life it a collaboration of advice and concepts: a little from here, a little from there. Just make sure you don't do anything blindly!
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Difference Between Training And Racining For Weight LossA
People ask me all the time "if you race so much then why do you still have to lose 35 to 40 pounds?" The answer is simple, but highly confusing at the same time. Without getting into the bio mechanics and fueling for a race here is the simple answer: racing is not a good tool for weight loss, however, training is a great tool for weight loss. Here is the deal: when you train you have the time to focus on exerting more of the energy (aka: carbohydrates and fuel) you take in. When you race you focus on getting the right amount of fuel in your body to sustain you for whatever the distance maybe, and this is done over several days in a week, then you focus on the post race recovery which involves....yeah, you guessed it: food. As a result, maybe you will lose a few pounds over the course of a single racing season, but at the end of the day when you are "in season" that is the WORST time to focus on losing weight. So, here I am post race season with another season staring me down. What am I going to do to lose weight, take the pressure off my joints and PR at most every single race WHILE having fun and enjoying each and every experience? Well, it starts with me, and making me healthy for the first time in a very, very long time.
I gave up a lot of "toxins" this past week and my body is a wee bit angry with me. No refined sugar, no alcohol, semi-vegetarian which means red meat maybe one time a week, chicken one time a week and fish and seafood 2-3 times a week. To add to it, I have asthma and very severe allergies and the wonderful LA smog decided to make an appearance in full force over the last 2 days which lead to not one, but two asthma attacks. It's not enough to make me give in. I feel a lot better, but at the same time feel awful and am sleeping a bit more. I am literally going to bed at 8:45pm and waking at 6pm. Beginning Monday I'm setting the alarm for 4am to get a morning workout in. by then it'll be time to add it in and the moisture in the air will keep the asthma at bay if it's still a problem. Today I'm going swimming. I desperately need the workout and the moist air will feel good in my lungs right now.
Oh, and to make it all the better, with the guidance of a good nutritionist, I'm going on a short detox from Saturday to Tuesday. I'm making soup ALL weekend. Thankfully, I've already incorporated a green machine shake into my daily diet otherwise i suspect it would be too much at one time. At the end of the day it really is about how I treat myself. What I do for me inside is truly a reflection of my outward appearance and personality.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Out With the Old, In With the New....
SO, my 2008-2009 season officially ended on June 14th after the Trek Women's Duathlon at Disneyland. I have to say, it was quite the interesting race for various good and negative reasons. The race course itself was a memorable one, however, when you have a race that doesn't ahve course officials on it you know a lot of people are going to find a way to cut it short or break the rules...and it happened A LOT. We started out for a 1.5 mile run through Disneyland and back out to the transition area where we set off for a 10 mile bike course (that ran long to more like 12 miles) which was a 2 loop course. Here's where the trouble began. Now, I'm not the world's greatest cyclist, hell I loathe hills with a passion. However, anyone who has ever ridden with me knows that you give me not just flat, but a false flat and I will eat the road up alive. So, I am hammering out on the course and I passed quite a few people, including the people I left transition with. I pass my first loop, it's the same on the second loop and when I am coming back for the last legt the same people I left transition with for the bike leg AND passed are going out for their run.....yes, there was a lot of disappointment. However, the only race that at the end of the day I have control over is my race. Due to the fact that I haven't run off the bike in a long, long, long, long time my legs were going nowhere. At least I know what I need to work on thise week after spin class! I finished the race and felt great. Yet, the best part was that my friend Monica finished her first multisport endurance race as well! And she did amazingly well...WAY TO GO MONI!
SO, here I sit two days later preparing for a dynamic 2009-2010 season which begins Spet 6th. There is a lot that needs to change: rededication to my sports, no longer being the worlds laziest endurance athlete, nutritional changes, and taking all the knowledge that i have and changing my "do as I say not as I do" mentality. I alone am my biggest asset to my training, and I alone am my biggest foe if I allow myself to be. Making peace with failure and dedication to success is what I did on Sunday on my way home from the race. Yes, that pain in my foot going into the LA Marathon was a bruised bone, now I have nursed it and the bruising and pain are gone. Yes, I managed to not lose any toenails, but that was simple luck, not preparation. Yes, a diet coke always sounds really good at mile 20 of a long run or marathon, but the toxins have been served and eviction notice and the no vacancy sign in my body has been switched on. The past is the past, right now I train for the future.
I've spent so much time in my life reflecting on what could have been and what I could have done differently in life, relationships, how I treat myself and how I have allowed others to treat me. I can't change people, I can change me. I'm not the type of person that is caught up in the drama of assuming that a person I knew years ago is the exact same person today. Well, that applies to me too. The person I was five, ten, even twenty years ago doesn't even remotely resemble the person I have become. I am a mother, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an athlete and a role model to my child. Everything else is just passing scenery. Now, it's time to refocus and take the time to live and train smarter.
SO, here I sit two days later preparing for a dynamic 2009-2010 season which begins Spet 6th. There is a lot that needs to change: rededication to my sports, no longer being the worlds laziest endurance athlete, nutritional changes, and taking all the knowledge that i have and changing my "do as I say not as I do" mentality. I alone am my biggest asset to my training, and I alone am my biggest foe if I allow myself to be. Making peace with failure and dedication to success is what I did on Sunday on my way home from the race. Yes, that pain in my foot going into the LA Marathon was a bruised bone, now I have nursed it and the bruising and pain are gone. Yes, I managed to not lose any toenails, but that was simple luck, not preparation. Yes, a diet coke always sounds really good at mile 20 of a long run or marathon, but the toxins have been served and eviction notice and the no vacancy sign in my body has been switched on. The past is the past, right now I train for the future.
I've spent so much time in my life reflecting on what could have been and what I could have done differently in life, relationships, how I treat myself and how I have allowed others to treat me. I can't change people, I can change me. I'm not the type of person that is caught up in the drama of assuming that a person I knew years ago is the exact same person today. Well, that applies to me too. The person I was five, ten, even twenty years ago doesn't even remotely resemble the person I have become. I am a mother, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an athlete and a role model to my child. Everything else is just passing scenery. Now, it's time to refocus and take the time to live and train smarter.
Monday, June 1, 2009
LA Marathon - Memorial Day 2009
So, I ran, er should I say, I walked the LA Marathon exactly one week ago today. I can now officially state for the record that walking a marathon is far more difficult than running a marathon, and I will never do that again. From here on out I will run! This means actually kicking my training into high gear....once my feet heal. Never before have I had blisters like this. I grabbed the wrong shoes at 4:30am and didn't notice until I was parked at Pershing Square. Jeebus, I knew that this was going to be a HUGE mistake. Nonetheless, the buzz and excitement was overwhelming and needless to say I forgot about the shoes.
It was a perfect morning for a run.....here are the stats:
Miles Run: 7.2
Miles Walked: 19
Number of runners: Approx 16,000 (largest race I have ever been apart of)
Temp: 72
Crenshaw: home of the largest Walmart I have ever seen. And I lived in Florida....they have some big Walmarts there
Most BBQ Joints: Mid City
Korea Town: let's face if folks, most of us are driving through K-town and never actually notice it smells like bulgolgi and rice
Oddest Person: a toss up between the guy dressed up as a set of testicles for cancer awareness and the drunk homeless guy at mile 23 standing in the middle of the road giving hoigh 5's to runners and then telling them to get off his damn street
Number of People I knew: 5, including Michael Hunter who'd voice I heard frist at mile 16 and thought "huh, what? Michael Hunter? I haven't heard from him in years" and there he was cheering on the SRLA students running.
Number of blisters: 6....all rather large and painful
Days of recovery: 5, versus my usual one day of recovery. Really, walking took a lot out of me.
Future Plans:
June 6th: Wrigley River Run 5k
June 7: LA Tri Express Triathlon at Bonelli Park
June 14: Disneyland All Women's Duathlon
Sept 6: Disneyland Half Marathon
Spet 20: Long Beach Tri
October 11: Golden State Triathlon
Nov 2009: San Gabriel Turkey Trot
Dec 2009: Rose Bowl Half Marathon
Feb 16: 2nd Annual Pasadena Marathon
Feb 2010: Catalina BUffalo Run
March 2010: LA Marathon
March 2010: Catalina Marathon
HAPPY TRAINING AND RACING!
It was a perfect morning for a run.....here are the stats:
Miles Run: 7.2
Miles Walked: 19
Number of runners: Approx 16,000 (largest race I have ever been apart of)
Temp: 72
Crenshaw: home of the largest Walmart I have ever seen. And I lived in Florida....they have some big Walmarts there
Most BBQ Joints: Mid City
Korea Town: let's face if folks, most of us are driving through K-town and never actually notice it smells like bulgolgi and rice
Oddest Person: a toss up between the guy dressed up as a set of testicles for cancer awareness and the drunk homeless guy at mile 23 standing in the middle of the road giving hoigh 5's to runners and then telling them to get off his damn street
Number of People I knew: 5, including Michael Hunter who'd voice I heard frist at mile 16 and thought "huh, what? Michael Hunter? I haven't heard from him in years" and there he was cheering on the SRLA students running.
Number of blisters: 6....all rather large and painful
Days of recovery: 5, versus my usual one day of recovery. Really, walking took a lot out of me.
Future Plans:
June 6th: Wrigley River Run 5k
June 7: LA Tri Express Triathlon at Bonelli Park
June 14: Disneyland All Women's Duathlon
Sept 6: Disneyland Half Marathon
Spet 20: Long Beach Tri
October 11: Golden State Triathlon
Nov 2009: San Gabriel Turkey Trot
Dec 2009: Rose Bowl Half Marathon
Feb 16: 2nd Annual Pasadena Marathon
Feb 2010: Catalina BUffalo Run
March 2010: LA Marathon
March 2010: Catalina Marathon
HAPPY TRAINING AND RACING!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sometimes Life Just Gets in the Way....
This past Saturday I was signed up to run in the Palos Verdes Half Marathon and kick off what was now 6 weeks of racing. I had my gear and clothes laid out and ready, ate properly and was mentally ready to get started. Let's face it, I love the finish of a race, medal or no medal. It's the sense of accomplishment that keeps me going. Well, that was all about to be side railed.
For the past 2-3 weeks my daughter, Emily, who will be three in August has been battling going to bed, no matter how exhausted she is, and waking up multiple times a night due to night terrors and what she has now told us are "pink fairies and ballerinas coming into my room with all the people"....aka: fear of the dark. Unfortunately, this particular night was going to be a long one. Emily awoke at 1am, 2:20am, and 3:45am. What did this mean for me? It meant mommy got little to no sleep and by the last wakening I was in tears, not because it had dawned on me that I wasn't running any distance much less a half marathon, but that I so exhausted I just broke down.
Motherhood has matured me in ways I never thought possible. Before I would have dragged myself out there and at least pushed myself to race, and probably gotten injured and been sidelined for at least three weeks. Now, I know my limits and make compromises, and just race smart. All the years of world class coaching never taught me that. Classes and seminars at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs never taught me that. A little person that is the biggest part of my life taught me that lesson. I have struggled to learn that "me" time is extremely valuable in raising her and being a role model to her. However, being healthy and knowing when to say "no" is just as valuable, if not more.
So, here I sit on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, looking forward to my X-terra Malibu Creek Challenge 6k on Saturday (http://www.trailrace.com/malibu.html) and a brand new racing schedule that now includes the first ever Women's Duathlon at Disneyland (http://www.trekwomenstriathlonseries.com/southern_california.html):
May 9th: X-terra Malibu Creek Challenge (they still need volunteers. Follow the link above if you can help out!)
May 17th: Bay the Breakers
May 25th: Los Angeles Marathon
June 7th: LA Tri Express Triathlon (this is where it all started for me!)
June 14th: Trek Women's Disneyland Duathlon
For the past 2-3 weeks my daughter, Emily, who will be three in August has been battling going to bed, no matter how exhausted she is, and waking up multiple times a night due to night terrors and what she has now told us are "pink fairies and ballerinas coming into my room with all the people"....aka: fear of the dark. Unfortunately, this particular night was going to be a long one. Emily awoke at 1am, 2:20am, and 3:45am. What did this mean for me? It meant mommy got little to no sleep and by the last wakening I was in tears, not because it had dawned on me that I wasn't running any distance much less a half marathon, but that I so exhausted I just broke down.
Motherhood has matured me in ways I never thought possible. Before I would have dragged myself out there and at least pushed myself to race, and probably gotten injured and been sidelined for at least three weeks. Now, I know my limits and make compromises, and just race smart. All the years of world class coaching never taught me that. Classes and seminars at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs never taught me that. A little person that is the biggest part of my life taught me that lesson. I have struggled to learn that "me" time is extremely valuable in raising her and being a role model to her. However, being healthy and knowing when to say "no" is just as valuable, if not more.
So, here I sit on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, looking forward to my X-terra Malibu Creek Challenge 6k on Saturday (http://www.trailrace.com/malibu.html) and a brand new racing schedule that now includes the first ever Women's Duathlon at Disneyland (http://www.trekwomenstriathlonseries.com/southern_california.html):
May 9th: X-terra Malibu Creek Challenge (they still need volunteers. Follow the link above if you can help out!)
May 17th: Bay the Breakers
May 25th: Los Angeles Marathon
June 7th: LA Tri Express Triathlon (this is where it all started for me!)
June 14th: Trek Women's Disneyland Duathlon
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Shoes & Music
I was wondering this morning how many pair of running shoes is too many (all with low mileage). See, I currently have 3 pair and love them all. I have a pair for trail running that carried me through Catalina safely avoiding the doom of road rash that many succumbed to, and through 17 mile of pouring rain protecting me from the slippery road that ate up so many full and half marathoners. I have a pair that are so light it's like wearing spikes...without the spikes, and I can run faster up to a 10k. Then I have a pair I customized Nike Shox that have a butterfly and my name...no, I am not kidding. I find myself yearning for yet another pair for distances of 15+ miles, and yet another custom pair, perhaps with bumble bees. Yes, I know that putting butterflies and bees on my shoes might not send the hardcore message of "I'm a runner damn it, move out of the way", but they make me smile and that much more fun to wear. Try it sometime.
I whole heartedly recommend that if you are really, truly getting into the sport of running you go to a running store, not a Big 5 or Sportmart, and be professionally fitted for your shoes. The sign of someone that is a good fitter: they will watch you run, measure your foot length and width, take into account how much you run and what is your running goal. Then they will bring out several pairs of shoes. This step is highly important. If they only bring you one pair of shoes, then run away, even in flip flops. Trying on many pairs of running shoes to find just the right pair is part of the process. Yes, the first pair might feel great, but the 4th pair could be life changing and feel like you were born with them on your feet. Just think, if you had stopped with the pair that were good enough you would have never found the pair that you were destined to have.
Now you've found your shoe and you lace them up and run. Write the date of your first run on the inside of the tounge. You need to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. The support breaks down and if you keep running in them, no matter how excellent your form is you are at risk for injury. If you are a light to moderate runner this will be about 6 months. If you are a heavy runner it will be about 3 to 5 months. Also, yes, you've found the perfect shoe, but your feet change. They do, I swear. Get fitted once a year. It's free! Heck, get fitted every single time if it makes you feel better. The important part is to take care of your feet. If you fail your feet, then they will fail you and the knees will follow their lead, as will the back. The body tends to gang up on you if you don't take care of it.
As for music, I literally have a marathon mix on my ipod that I am constantly moving music around. Here are my latest additions:
Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads, the 2005 remix
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse (no, I swear I am not a hipster)
Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
I Caught Myself - Paramore
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith (you MUST have some Aerosmith)
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor ("Rocky"...need I say more)
I whole heartedly recommend that if you are really, truly getting into the sport of running you go to a running store, not a Big 5 or Sportmart, and be professionally fitted for your shoes. The sign of someone that is a good fitter: they will watch you run, measure your foot length and width, take into account how much you run and what is your running goal. Then they will bring out several pairs of shoes. This step is highly important. If they only bring you one pair of shoes, then run away, even in flip flops. Trying on many pairs of running shoes to find just the right pair is part of the process. Yes, the first pair might feel great, but the 4th pair could be life changing and feel like you were born with them on your feet. Just think, if you had stopped with the pair that were good enough you would have never found the pair that you were destined to have.
Now you've found your shoe and you lace them up and run. Write the date of your first run on the inside of the tounge. You need to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. The support breaks down and if you keep running in them, no matter how excellent your form is you are at risk for injury. If you are a light to moderate runner this will be about 6 months. If you are a heavy runner it will be about 3 to 5 months. Also, yes, you've found the perfect shoe, but your feet change. They do, I swear. Get fitted once a year. It's free! Heck, get fitted every single time if it makes you feel better. The important part is to take care of your feet. If you fail your feet, then they will fail you and the knees will follow their lead, as will the back. The body tends to gang up on you if you don't take care of it.
As for music, I literally have a marathon mix on my ipod that I am constantly moving music around. Here are my latest additions:
Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads, the 2005 remix
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse (no, I swear I am not a hipster)
Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
I Caught Myself - Paramore
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith (you MUST have some Aerosmith)
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor ("Rocky"...need I say more)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Spring Training Begins!
Time: 45:00
Distance: 4.5
Per Mile: 10:00
This past Saturday, April 25th, spring training with the group Sole Runners began. As always, i woke up in desperate need of coffee: first stop: Starbucks.
I arrived in Long Beach at the Marina Vista Park just before 7am to find I was hardly the first person there. In fact, i was one of the last to arrive. It was nice to see so many familiar faces, and so many new faces. After a quick Chi-running lesson lead by coach Steve Mackel we were off. It was such a great day for a run, I could not have asked for anything more. Upon arriving back to the park I looked at my stats and came to realize one thing: I HAVE LOWERED MY MILE AVERAGE BY TWO MINUTES! I ran a 10 minute mile, which for many is slow, but for someone like me who is trying to lose weight and race faster a HUGE accomplishment. I was thrilled.....let's hope I can maintain it at the race this weekend!
Next up: Palos Verdes Half Marathon, May 2nd....followed by another 1 to 1 1/2 hour(s) of running. Gotta keep to the plan even with a race.
Distance: 4.5
Per Mile: 10:00
This past Saturday, April 25th, spring training with the group Sole Runners began. As always, i woke up in desperate need of coffee: first stop: Starbucks.
I arrived in Long Beach at the Marina Vista Park just before 7am to find I was hardly the first person there. In fact, i was one of the last to arrive. It was nice to see so many familiar faces, and so many new faces. After a quick Chi-running lesson lead by coach Steve Mackel we were off. It was such a great day for a run, I could not have asked for anything more. Upon arriving back to the park I looked at my stats and came to realize one thing: I HAVE LOWERED MY MILE AVERAGE BY TWO MINUTES! I ran a 10 minute mile, which for many is slow, but for someone like me who is trying to lose weight and race faster a HUGE accomplishment. I was thrilled.....let's hope I can maintain it at the race this weekend!
Next up: Palos Verdes Half Marathon, May 2nd....followed by another 1 to 1 1/2 hour(s) of running. Gotta keep to the plan even with a race.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
To Blog or Not to Blog
Well, here it is....the blog. I swore I would never write a blog, but people think I'm crazy, and it's all about my racing addiction. Now, I won't lie, I am not the fastest, the latest and greatest, and I have weight to lose (35 lbs in total). I don't know, there's just something about lining up at the starting line with 1,000 other strangers who are all there for the same purpose: to finish. The anxiety of a swim start in a triathlon, the excitement that comes with never being alone during a marathon, the comfort of volunteers who don't know you from Adam passing out fluid and well wishes. The swelling of pride and overcoming emotion when you cross that finish line is incomparable. I'm not crazy, I am addicted to the accomplishment of a job well done.
Saturday April 25th is when the next season of Sole Runners starts up for the next season to be followed by five weeks of racing:
May 2nd: PV Half
May 9th: Xterra Malibu Creek Challenge 6k
May 17th: Bay to Breakers
May 25th: LA Marathon
June 3rd: LA Tri Express Sprint Tri @ Bonelli park (where my racing all began in 2003)
From there it's just focus on training and life leading to the fall season that kicks off with the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sept. 6th, Labor Day!
I swear, if you ever, ever wanted to even just walk, checkout www.socalrunning.com for info on the trainning program for Sole Runners. Even on a run that might be three hours you will be nothing but grateful that you rose up to the challenge.
Saturday April 25th is when the next season of Sole Runners starts up for the next season to be followed by five weeks of racing:
May 2nd: PV Half
May 9th: Xterra Malibu Creek Challenge 6k
May 17th: Bay to Breakers
May 25th: LA Marathon
June 3rd: LA Tri Express Sprint Tri @ Bonelli park (where my racing all began in 2003)
From there it's just focus on training and life leading to the fall season that kicks off with the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sept. 6th, Labor Day!
I swear, if you ever, ever wanted to even just walk, checkout www.socalrunning.com for info on the trainning program for Sole Runners. Even on a run that might be three hours you will be nothing but grateful that you rose up to the challenge.
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