Surf City Half…a GREAT race

My annual local race was a success! I woke up feeling healthy and ready to run. All week I was keeping my mental game relaxed. Maybe discounting some excitement in fear of disappointment. Race morning, drove to the beach parking lots, texted my uncle while waiting in line for the bus. He decided to run a 10k in LA instead of trek down to Orange County for the half marathon. Checked my bag, encountered the port-a-potty, and made my way to the corral.
My hands were full with my full size hand held water bottle, huckleberry hammerhead gel and two electrolyte gel capsules zipped in the pocket, and my iPhone on my armband. I hate Cora weight…but also hate my battle with hydration, nutrition, and wanting to race as I trained. Using my iPhone RunKeeper app has been a good addition to my training. Glancing down on occasion to check my pace or hear when i’m at my desired distance has been motivating to pick up the pace. When you have an electronic device keeping you true to a distance, you are more willing to challenge the speed. And since I didn’t know my surrounding area as well after moving, it was a great way of not spending hours mapping runs on mapmyrun.com before actually running. Remember I live my life trying to be more time efficient.
Alright, so the race crowd seemed positive, people were being respectful of others warm-up and stretch space in the corrals and generally everyone was commenting on the great sunny weather. Started running, felt my legs being a bit sluggish but “ok-ed” myself to go slow and warm up, the start was pretty congested. Mile 1 I look down and see 9:52…. Disappointment felt…slow long runs in training predicting my race. So I pick up my legs a little, lets see how this feels. Glance down around mile 2 and 3, 8:36 pace. Now my iPhone rests on my left arm, which is wildly but rhythmically swinging forward and back with my stride….so it’s not always reading super accurately, nor do I know if it has the power to read that quickly the pace between a forward arm swing and a backwards arm swing…but I know from training with it on my arm that it will read 8:36 and then when I stop the run it will say “average pace 9:16″. So…it didn’t freak me out, and I decided to stay uncomfortable and push through the minor hilly section of miles 4-6.
Mile 6… Heads getting foggy, stomach is crampy…it’s too early for this. It’s warm, thank goodness I wore my hat to keep the sun out of my yes and playing with my mental (weak) game. I decide to pop the pills….electrolyte pills that is! In goes two, big swish of water…a few minutes later my head starts clearing and my stomach relaxes…I start feeling like I can rotate my trunk a little freer. Amazing. Big point one: I say it over and over, but do nothing about it….my electrolytes are out of whack…from the beginning. My hypothesis: my recovery nutrition sucks. Need to work on this area. I do well eating “smart” before a run…afterwards I tend to wait hours…like 6-8 hours to eat…and often have indigestion that keeps me from wanting to eat. Dehydration you say? I drink upwards of 100 oz. of H2O a day….’cus I’m thirsty, not even forced drinking. So my hat is sitting at an electrolyte imbalance.
Anyways….head cleared up. Started assessing the gel situation…original plan: between mile 7-8. Running plan…yep 8 sounds good. Do I think you need a gel during a half? Absolutely not. I started playing with the flavor and tummy to,era nice during this training plan in prep for my marathon training….my stomach and mental aspect to my stomach takes some TLC. And that’s what I am giving it. S I had about 3 licks of my gel over the next 5 miles….just as a little sweet rush. Definitely more mental than any nutritional value. I continued to feel strong through mile 10, started wanting to slow down for my complaining quads, but kept pushing…I thought of my treadmill workouts, where I was hot in the stuffy gym with no ocean breeze running at much faster paces and pushed for up to 40 minutes…so these last 2-3 miles were going to stay uncomfortable and at a constant pace….no sputtering out. And I’m happy to report I did that. I am unhappy to report the 2:00 pace group, that started behind me passed me in the last .3 miles…..but I walked away with a 2:02:44. Race official 9:22 pace, at 13.1 miles. iPhone GPS RunKeeper records 13.25 mi with avg pace 9:16. Realistically I thought with a great race I could sit around a 9:15 pace. I thought I’d be trained to come in around a 2:05. I was excited for my finish time, and MORE EXCITED FOR MY STRONGER MENTAL GAME. I was happy I felt strong throughout and could keep my mind clear and on staying at the same pace in the last 3 miles. My plagued fuzzy dead seemed to respond great to the electrolyte capsules. After the race I did my traditional shady curb sitting, wrapped my knees into my chest and called my parents to give a report. They typically hear a taste of disappointment in my tone, but this time I heard upbeat and satisfied. The drive to PR was still there, but at no point, besides between mile 5-8 did I have that goal for this race.
I think I want to run some 10Ks and treat them as tempo runs to see how I can build my endurance and speed together.
A motivating race to kick off my marathon training. I want to keep the pace/tempo runs going…I struggled its those mentally more than the speed workouts at the track. So to it I sat down with a few training plans and wrote out a temporary plan with variations for if my legs want a few more running days, or if they are happy between the running, yoga, and swimming. I am going to put forth an effort to swim throughout the training program. I enjoyed swimming after long runs last summer…so put them on for Mondays. Two of the running days are pace and tempo days. I think I’ll hold the day after long runs to shorter race pace runs…..and stick to a more demanding tempo run midweek. Yoga is going to keep my zen on Wednesdays. And that’s a start….

Monday morning: sore deltoids, pecs, abs, and quads….it’s been a while since I was sore from a race, which made me feel like I really was able to push myself.
Marathon training starts Monday with a swim workout! Now…off to Mammoth for some pow wow with my brand spankin’ new bindings!

Race is HERE

I am 22 days past my last post…..no dice. Alright, here’s what has been up since my 3 x 1 mile track workout on January 8th. I was battling those stupid blisters from my 12 miler on January 5th for most of the runs and snowboarding weekends below. Guess what I learned….tie your shoes tighter. Ok, I am guilty of never untying and retying my shoes…I just slip my feet in and out….maybe I just don’t want to touch the sweatiness that is my running shoes. Anyways…after far more miles than should be on a single pair of running shoes…they stretched out enough to give too much wiggle room for my 4th and 5th toes. Resulting in some nasty blisters that didn’t get to breathe and heal….instead stayed meticulously wrapped in gauze and athletic tape for the better part of 3 weeks…and got worse during my 13 mile run. Sorry feet. I changed my shoes, and have been tying and untying them You’re welcome toes. (After re-reading this paragraph, all I have to say is: TMI)
January 9th: I ran 5 miles on very tired legs early before work.
January 11th: I left for Mammoth to snowboard for the weekend = altitude training… no running HA
January 15th: 45 minute tempo run…which was after a game of softball. I set out on the streets of Irvine…sounds exciting, really a residential safety zone…and was running with purpose…a.k.a. I felt like I was running fast. I was doing great, and then the railroad crossing gate came down, a train passed, I took a picture, and my phone died….so the last 5 minutes I missed out on my runkeeper app. telling me of my awesome pace. So instead I have a record of 40:16 time and 4.66 miles…but tack another 5 minutes onto that and I think I drilled out a good tempo run!
January 16th: 5 miles, 47:10
January 19th: Snowboarding in Big Bear, where I spent much of the day standing on my toe edge….instructing a fabulous first timer *D*; and resulted in very sore quads and calves..great for LR next day….
January 20th: 13 miles with Maxine! Maxine to the rescue. And she got to experience first hand my weirdo fuzzy head symptoms that took me from feeling fine and chugging along to dragging my feet, head down, unable to smile and keep conversation :/ She suggests looking at my potassium intake. 2:08:08 (doesn’t look good for a PR half this weekend….I gave up on my goal. Well, more like got realistic with my goal….my nutrition isn’t where it should be, and I can’t drill out a great race with less than fabulous eating habits)
January 24th: 6 miles in BRAND NEW SHOES; ok, same as my old running shoes, but you would never know it, they are so clean and not stretched out in weird shapes from my feet pounding in them. Claire and I ran in San Diego one afternoon instead of attending programming for the conference we were at. We ran along the water, sharing race and training stories, it was like old times and a great way to enjoy a different city!
Now the fun begins: 10 x 400s at 7:24 pace with 200m running between…this run rocked! I did it on a treadmill before jumping in the car to drive up to Big Bear Friday night. I was so excited I texted Margot instantly….I thought she would share in my excited running feat. So my speed workouts seem to be progressing each week…but I’m falling back into long slow distance for my long runs…..Margot suggested tempo runs around 8:30…..so thinking during not just the speed workouts, but putting a little more concentration into the tempo runs, instead of just “feeling uncomfortable”
Last weekend I headed back to Big Bear for Natalie’s birthday, so skipped the shorter weekend run (it’s been a trend all along) but ran 5.15 miles Sunday…man my heart was pounding and my legs did NOT want to move after speed workout Friday night, snowboarding Saturday day. But glad I enjoyed some crisp air and running at 7400ft elevation.
I am already behind in my running this week. Gladly took a rest day Monday….I had a big enough adrenaline rush Monday day. Many of you heard, there was a shooting in the building I work in. It is still quite surreal. I luckily didn’t hear or see anything directly related to the incident…but was evacuated quickly out of the building, and spent a tense 2 hours keeping my ears fine tuned and my eyes darting around the building. I have to say every one acted appropriately in the emergency and thank goodness my patient at the time was cool, calm, and collected; ‘cus he kept my mind and attention off the buzzing rumors and instead we tried to divert our attention to talking about snowboarding, family, and him getting back on the mountain! So as I drove away from the building, I felt lucky, confused, overwhelmed, underwhelmed, and a little lost. So some time on the couch with some chocolate happened.
My coworker called Monday night to see how I was doing, I wasn’t really in the mood to chat, so let voicemail pick it up; she said “knowing you, you are probably out working out to get the stress dealt with”….which is what I should have been doing. I ended up with some insomnia that night….I think a workout would have gotten my anxious energy out and would have let my mind hash through the day’s events….but sometimes…you don’t put forth the mental drive to do what you know is physically best. ugh. Luckily my friend made dinner, so my couple hours are the couch with confused thoughts were limited. I got to jump back into my lucky life and enjoy ceviche and The Biggest Loser…I am finally caught up! And ate through 2 ENTIRE shows…..so bad, but soooo good!
So tonight, after being frustrated at work by a less than cohesive working meeting about billing nonsense I was motivated to run….get out the frustration from today, confusion from Monday, and start getting my head in the game for Sunday. I hit the treadmill for a 30 min. tempo run. Set the dial to 9:33 for a half mile warm up, then pumped to 8:27 for 30 minutes; returned to 9:33 for a half mile cool down…and felt satisfied. 8:27 felt fine on the treadmill. But I think things are easier on the treadmill…boring, but easier; you just have to keep up. Overground you have to push to keep the pace….on a treadmill there is less thinking.
So now I’m winding down until Sunday. Going to get myself out of bed early tomorrow for an easy 4 mile run, then hit the ground running for a private patient, full work day, and then a HOCKEY GAME! I can’t remember the last hockey game I was at…..and am beyond excited to go up to LA tomorrow and enjoy a sports outing! Friday I’m going to aim for 3 miles, saturday 2 miles just to shake out the legs, and then Sunday is race day, 13.1. It’s going to be a solo run…..my Uncle cancelled his race…..it’s getting kind of lonely running races by myself. :/ But I guess that’s what it’s like for an endurance runner who trains alone and who’s friends mostly think I’m crazy. My goal for the run: drink water, take my gu, take my electrolyte pills, and keep my head clear…I’d like to sit below a 9:20 pace. Every long run this training cycle has been done during a jam packed weekend or when I’m exhausted. So I am aiming to sleep and rest up….have been doing a good job of not over-scheduling myself this week….and so fresher legs and rested body hopefully will make this race faster than my long runs in training. But I hang my hat more on training runs predict race day run. Eh…blah blah, we’ll see how it goes. But I’ll be happily sitting on a couch watching the Super Bowl, drinking beer and eating junk food the rest of the day.
Oh yea, then marathon training starts……..get. excited.

Runner’s High

Runner’s High

Alright, I have been known to say “I think I’ve been running slow and long for too many years to feel the runner’s high anymore”.  I am in denial. I am comfortable with the word “slow”.  Tonight was my speed workout. 3x 1 mile. I consulted with my coach/confident/ok-let’s-get-real-I’m-slow-and-I’m-at-fault; a.k.a. fasterbunny. My text: “what should my goal pace be for 3 x 1 mi”. Response: “8:20, 8:30? Is that doable?” My response: “I’ll sure try.”

 

Actual workout:

Warm up run to the track

1st mile: 8:09

200m jog

2nd mile: 8:11

200m jog

3rd mile: 8:10

200m jog

50 lunges and 25 square walks…some thing I read in competitor magazine to open up your hips. Didn’t go against anything I know, so why not try it.

Cool down run home from track

 

Runner’s high. Yea I felt it. Why? ‘Cus I ran faster than I normally do. DUH! Rocket science is sometimes so simple.

 

It felt managable…maybe that means I should have run faster. I felt uncomfortable, I had to keep thinking about pulling my left knee through and pushing off my right middle toe…..I had to keep telling myself to pull and push a little harder. So I’ll take the workout! Keeping myself pushing. Maybe I can go harder, every workout I try to dig a little deeper, push some potential. 

 

Lesson 2: my 400′s should be faster.

 

After my lovely long run Saturday I put in 5 miles Sunday. They felt pretty good to be honest. No major tightness or fatigue; which confirms the mental instead of physical block around mile 9. So my weekend total was 21.5 miles…which I am PROUD of. It’s been a while since I’ve felt encouraged to run multiple days in a row and looked forward to the run or workout. 

  I’m even looking forward to the Tuesday speed work. So odd! I don’t know who I am. But my legs feel good and I’ll keep plugging along. I have 2 BIG goals I’m chasing. PR Surf City Half. PR San Diego Full. Both totally obtainable! And I’m more than looking forward to having a training buddy for the full!

 

Happy to report I am a full blown yogi…and by that I mean a full paying yogi. I bought a package at YogaWorks to extend my groupon 1 month deal. Of course I grabbed a bargain…but happy to report that weekly Yoga will stay with me. Tomorrow YogaBlend will see how my “not so fatigued” legs stand up to some static deep knee bends. 

 

I’ll report back after MAMMOTH! DSUSA-OC student trip #2 this weekend, see you on the mountain

Happy New Year!

  Utah was great! Utah has trademarked the statement “The greatest snow on earth” and to date I agree. My cousin Dan, his girlfriend Carolyn, and my long lost friend Jon enjoyed watered down beer and powdery slopes. Do you know Utah only sells 3.2% beer or something crazy like that. My suggestion: order the darker beers in hopes of maintaining taste! 

 

We skied/boarded Brighton the first day, then Jon and I headed to SnowBird and SnowBasin the next two days. I got a little frozen in fear at the top of SnowBird…it was 11,000+ feet. Breathed some woosaa down the switch-back blue slope…I had no business at the top of the mountain…unfortunately. The backside with a conveyer belt taking us through the mountain side was a great bowl with lots of terrain to play around on. I was still feeling stiff and riding too conservatively, but at least wasn’t frozen in fear.  I have plateaued in my boarding….I need some good boarders to ride with! Jon move to America  

 

Utah used to strictly serve skiiers; a few of their resorts still put their noses up to snowboarders, but I had a frustrating experience of flat and uphill terrain trying to get down off the mountain at SnowBird. I may have been the last person off the mountain….I definitely was the most grumpy. But when I turned the corner and saw Jon patiently at the car…relief. At least my “lost on the mountain” didn’t turn into “lost my friend too”. SnowBasin was my favorite; we drove a bit farther to the resort; it was long slopes with less crazy drops and narrow shoots than SnowBird. And we ventured off piste. I repetitively sat down or was forced down as my board got buried in the power (not a good boarder). It was exhausting and took way longer to get down the mountain, but I actually was really enjoying the challenge. Wasn’t enjoying it screaming my weaknesses…but that’s how you get better right?

 

After my altitude boarding training it was time to revisit my training schedule. Wednesday after work I jumped on a 4.5 miler followed by Yoga. 4.5 in 41:53 min, right where I was the week before. I’ll take it. My YogaBlend class had almost doubled in size; but still less than 10 of us. But it kicked my butt; my hips were tight from boarding, my legs fatigued from running/boarding, and I woke up the next morning with nice sore abs. YES! I also woke up exhausted…note to self; take a day off after vacations that are none stop working out. Ha. No time for that.

   Last night I left work telling myself I was going straight to the track after getting home. Walked in the door, proclaimed my plan to my roommate, and asked if she wanted to come. “Sure”. NICE! Ran to/from the track catching up with my roommate and then drilled out 9 x 400s. with 200m jog between. She walked, but guess what. Having a familiar face on the track kept me mentally stronger. Every time I passed her I was thinking of my form and thinking “can I push a little harder”  And I had an awesome workout! Here’s the verdict…much improved from 2 weeks ago:

1:45, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:50, 1:49, 1:51, 1:50, 1:51

I did try to get back to 1:49 at the end; wasn’t there yet. But back a little more consistent. Endurance is kicking up. Speed….I’ve never run 400s that “fast”. Fast for me! Note to self: you may NEVER run above 1:59 for a 400 again.

 

  And this morning..long run return. According to my training plan this is a step back week….7 for long run. But I couldn’t justify my snowboarding last weekend as an 11 mile run. So I set out for 11 miles. I first slept 10 hours, read for 2, and slept another 1.5. Then embarked, ha. 2 new things for this run. 1) My normal sized hand-held water bottle…hydration, hydration, hydration. 2) Mountain Huckleberry Hammerhead Gu. I felt funky running in the middle of the afternoon, but settled in for the long haul. Ended up running 12 instead of 11; my RunKeeper App. will either tell you every 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 miles of your distance…I didn’t want to hear it every 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mile…so I set it on 2.0 mi auditory cue and thought if I wasn’t feeling great between mile 4 and 6, I’ll look down and turn around. I looked down at 5.2 miles and decided to take it to 6. I took my gu between mile 7.75 and 8.25; yes it took me a half mile to get the stuff down. But no weird taste aversions or stomach cramps…just more thirsty while consuming gu, thank goodness for my “big girl” water bottle. Finished off in 2:00:12; 10 min/mi pace. I was running between 9:50 and 9:35 for the first 9 miles…. then started shuffling my feet. Something about that 9 mile marker that hits me. 

   Next weekend, Mammoth. Maybe tack my long run in before work Thursday…otherwise next monday. Hopefully the 9 mile lull will extend itself. I don’t remember this lull “back in the day”. 

 

Happy running, eating, sleeping! (oh and reading: book club book is 493 pages!)

‘Cus I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane

Update from John Wayne Airport, arrived 2.5 hours early because my snowboard is like a kid…needed extra time to manage.

Last Friday I ran 9.88 miles. in 1 hr 37 min, 29 sec. Just under 10 minute mile. I ran a hilly course, starting to build up some leg strength and endurance with the hilly course of San Diego in the back of my mind. I started in Corona Del Mar, ran south on Pacific Coast Highway and then headed up Newport Coast Drive…a tough ride on a bike, a tough 2 mile uphill that keeps climbing before decreasing it’s grade slightly for the last .5 miles. Then I coasted downhill along San Jouaquin Hills for 2 miles. I have to say the views on this run are fantastic, motivates you to keep pushing on the terrain. It’s not up and down, just constant up then constant down. I am glad I ran this run before working the holiday weekend; definitely wouldn’t have happened after a full day at work.

  This week I ran a 4.5 mile tempo run in 40:02. My goal was to stay under 9  minute/mile pace. I need to start chipping away at this during my tempo runs; I’d like to get down to 8:15-8:20/mile as my fitness improves; or I should say as I improve my fitness. One to get my half PR, two to try and keep pace through to the marathon distance. I don’t just want to finish. I know I can do that…and I know, to me, it doesn’t feel good to just finish. So the gains I make now for the half distance; I will try not to fall off pace too much as I build mileage.

   Last night after work I ran 4.53 miles in 41:54. Goes to show I’m not good at pushing throughout my tempo run; since I ran seemingly similar when not “trying to run faster”. I need to learn to push into the discomfort; know that my legs will stay under me and will hold a harder pace. I’m guilt of being a lazy runner Oxymoron, but to all the runners; this is very understandable. Maybe I don’t know my potential?

   I tried out a different yoga class earlier in the week. The class was about extensibility of the joints and posture. I did not appreciate the teacher’s style. She came around and started hitting underneath my elbow saying it wasn’t straight. My elbows don’t go straight…I’m not a super flexible double jointed, hyperextending individual; and I don’t appreciate you slapping at my tricep flub to get my elbow straight. Then she came up to me and said, “you are perfect the way you are” then turned the the class and said “and this girl is far too beautiful to have this terrible posture” and continued to use me as a demonstration on how my muscles in the front of my body are pulling me down towards the floor; and how it should be the other way around. Blah. I told her I was ok with not being perfect.

    So I posture checked myself at work a few more times than usual this week. But I was craving my YogaBlend class! I’ll return in the New Year

   Happy New Year, I’ll be checking out terrain southeast of Park City and enjoying a much needed 5 days off work

Happy running, snowboarding, and yoga-ing!

Track Party Tuesday happens in the p.m….not a.m.

Sunday’s run kicked off a great week for me. I felt like…alright, maybe I’m not as far off from being a little faster than I thought. After a summer of battling the allergies I am back feeling strong and healthy. I often feel my stress physically, just knowing my body is a bit worn down….but despite the longer days at work, madly writing holiday cards, getting gifts together, staying consistent with yoga, and trying to keep a social life; I have still been waking up minutes before my early alarm and my body is craving the workouts! woohoo!
Monday I went to YogaBlend with instructor Laura….and was again pleasantly surprised to be one of two students! It was awesome. It is amazing how unaware I am of my hip position and upper back posture. Laura kept adjusting my forefoot position and guiding my hips into the correct positions…which I felt I was in the end of my range and correctly aligned, but it is amazing when someone uses their hands to guide you into the correct posture…how much farther you can go! I am definitely getting excited about Yoga and this darn Groupon is doing its trick….gives you a good deal for a short while in hope to build a client for the long-term. But I have to say it pushes my resilience….there are plenty of times I feel like I can’t hold the position any longer…and sometimes I drop my knees or straighten my knee out…but when I push through the pain for the extra SECONDS, there is a sense of accomplishment and defiance! Push through the pain-discomfort. And I am happy to share that my second head stand was WAY more successful than my first. I still felt a tad bit panicky, but was able to breathe through it, and felt like I could support my weight through my arms and head; last time I felt like my arms were struggling to engage my lats. So if I don’t answer my phone….I may be upside down practicing
This morning my alarm went off for my first Track Party Tuesday in a long while. Last night was another late night organizing my thoughts over work stress and worrying…never good, but its in my genes. So sleeping had to be coaxed with some Jason Mraz music and then was awaken way too early. So I decided to let my mind and body stay in bed for the extra hour…and vowed to run after work, before softball. Cram it all in. Softball was cancelled because it is raining. It is a SoCal phenomenon….SoCal residents actually melt when they get wet; so there are no sports played in the rain.. alright. it is probably more related to the cost of maintenance to softball triangles when recreational softball goofballs play in the rain. So that opened up my evening. I ran to the track and was shocked by how many people were there! I asked one of the guys who looked like he was leading the masses. It was Snail’s Pace running group, a local running store. So I had to weave quite a bit during my track workout since they decided since they were a big group they could stand around on the track while resting blocking runners from getting through. Blah, bad etiquette. But…I was focusing on pushing my knees forward, trying to pick my feet up, and equally reaching my arms forward stride to stride. So I did 8 x 400s with 200m jog between each rep. So here’s the sloppy first track workout:
1:54, 1:57, 2:04, 2:00, 2:02, 2:03, 2:04, 2:00.
As my lovely run counsel reminded me: get those under 2:00. I agree. Completely agree. In my mind that was what I thought going into the workout. But I let myself use the crutch of “This is my first track workout in a while”…shortcut myself. Eh. Hardening my mental game is a must to achieve my physical goals. Maybe if I was solo on the track at 5:30 this morning I would have been willing to push harder ‘cus I wouldn’t have minded puking at an empty track….I was a bit self conscious with so many people around. But again…excuses. So not starting out too bad for my little legs…but discipline on the track is going to be necessary….so will puking on the track (from exertion). So I’ll keep counseling with FasterBunny to keep me in check
Looking forward to Newport’s Boat Parade tomorrow and an recovery 4 miler in the morning. Happy running!

Being a good Yogi, running with a goal, and taking each stride feeling ALIVE

This morning I was running my first “long” run of my 8 week half-marathon training plan feeling on top of the world and super excitable about running, working out, and blogging about it. As the day has gone on I’ve had short conversations about the Connecticut tragedy, work stresses….and they’ve soured my mood.
I am alive, and love feeling alive through exercise and activity. That is what this blog is all about right? Expressing the positive energy that keeps me addicted to running. But sometimes the positivity I feel at the end of the run, was fueled by anger, stress, anxiety, and even contentment at the beginning of the run. I’m a person looking for answers, or a lesson to be learned. In the Connecticut tragedy there aren’t answers; speculation with answers maybe. With work stresses; there aren’t answers or direct lessons to learn. So indirectly, you try to relate, you try to feel, you try to piece the information into your perspective on life; and restore happiness, motivation, and the burning desire to break down doors, achieve goals, and continue to be grateful that you can be…..and feel ALIVE.

Happy mood time:

I have two kudos to throw out to complete strangers. I bought BIC Bands at the Long Beach Expo in October; ran with some added sparkle for the past few months. Sandy, the lovely lady who started the company to raise money for charity while training for a race, had eased my worries of a slipping BIC Band and promised it would be replaced if it didn’t live up to it’s motto. I haven’t been the one to wear headbands in the past, I always felt like my head was oddly shaped…or just odd. (Add your comments quietly ). But I thought, why not join in the fun? So during my Turkey Trot in Detroit, I checked my black sparkly BIG BIC Band several times, slipping it more securely on top of my head…and then I reached up…and it wasn’t there But I remembered Sandy’s comment in Long Beach. So I emailed Sandy about my enjoyment wearing her product and flashing it around the streets and sidewalks of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Long Beach, Detroit, and Las Vegas. I sadly had a second BIC band slip in Vegas. Sandy not only inquired about the exact bands that slipped ship; but also wants her product to work for me. She asked me to measure the circumference of my head where I usually wear my band, and suggested a 19″ band instead. Today I received my 2 replacement BIC Bands and was happy to throw my hair up in a ponytail and try it out. I am somewhere who values another who is true to his/her word. Sandy, kudos for following through, standing by your product, and being a problem-solver to resolve the problem; not just satisfy a customer! Great job, and looking forward to seeing you at many more race expos to come!

Second kudos goes out to Laura, a Yoga instructor at YogaWorks, who I’ve had 3 classes with so far. To say the least, Wednesday was a stressful day at work. My head was buzzing, my thoughts all over, and I was craving me some Yoga! I sat in my car writing holiday cards until the 7:30 pm class. I walk up, hoping I drank enough water to not be uncomfortable during class. To my pleasant surprise there are only 5 of us. I can’t hide behind someone else and hope I look like I know what I’m doing. Nope, in straight line, all exposed. When learning a new sport, I want to learn! I want to be taught! I swear, I am a good student! So, going through a Yoga class I learn from watching the instructor, listening to his/her cues, and watching the people around me. YogaWorks does not have mirrors in their studios; you have to feel the right mechanics…as a newbie; I could definitely use a mirror to see if what I’m feeling actually is…but I still keep focusing inward and try to feel and self-check my postures in reference to my own body. Laura took time during class to do small “tutorials” and demonstrate the correct postures, and suggest the cheating/incorrect postures. I identified with each one…I was cheating! But I swear not intentionally! I just didn’t know any better. She used her hands to facilitate better alignment in poses we held, and she gave specific instructions to each Yogi. I was grateful! This class gave me 85 minutes to focus on me. To be selfish. To be self-aware. After a day of treating patients, trying to absorb news at work, and reacting without being too reactive….this was just what I needed. She challenged me mentally and physically, she introduced new postures and was very understanding to my fear/avoidance of spine extension and inverted postures. She took me step by step through a head stand, supported on the wall, and saw the panic in my face with an attempted back bend/bridge…I haven’t done that since my gymnastic days circa 1989-1990…and for some reason my body feels like it’s going to crumble when I try to extend through my hips and back……so she brought me back to a supine LE bridge…thank goodness. But I left that class feeling relaxed, “zen-ed” as I call it. And feeling grateful for her personalized instruction in class. I felt like, yea I want to do this…I want to get better at this….look at the possibilities with strength and flexibility. That is feeling alive.
So thanks to Sandy and Laura; for throwing some absolute positivity in my direction; it was received with gratitude!

So what’s been my workouts for the last two weeks?!
I went 4x this first week, 1x last week….I meant to go 3x; but got stuck at work 2x :/ With the shift in my work duties, I am not taking the missed work out as mea culpa…a transition takes some flexibility in schedule and some extra effort…so I’ll be there with the best I can be. A little, well maybe a lot, of personal time sacrificed, but that is who I am…there is no “half-assing” it, no showing up to be a warm body….I am me, and me is who I portray…whether my portrayal bounces off a cold blank wall or gets recognized by my surrounding, -ers. Tangent, ok back on track. I tried a Hatha type Yoga…warm but not hot room, the more relaxed basic class, and then this new YogaBlend class that I like. We’ll see where the next two weeks go, but I’m feeling the itch to keep going past my 1 month trial.
Running has been GREAT! I tell you, just write it down and I can’t skip it. I am happy to report that I went on a 60 minute run just for the heck of it last Sunday, ‘cus I wanted to run! Good sign! So my first day of training was Monday….a rest day. Definitely fulfilled that one! Tuesday was a 40 minute tempo….so I took my iphone with RunKeeper app and just decided to stay uncomfortable. I ran a 5 min. warm up and cool down ‘cus I decided if the expectation was to run fast, that I should probably warm my legs up for a bit before trying to force my hip flexors and hamstrings to stretch while running. Good move. Wednesday was 4 miles; I took my Runkeeper with me; just did a faster second half than first. And then Thursday I had a 3 miler….I woke up at 5:30, and felt like I’d been run over by a bus…emotionally I had Wednesday, but it was lingering in the a.m.; so I let myself sleep with the pact that I would either run after work or Friday morning. The way the day was going, I needed an emotional release; so Thursday after work I hit the treadmill. Ran 8:40 min/miles for the first 2 miles then 8:30 for 0.75mi, and 8:15 for the last 1/4. It felt good! Saturday I fulfilled my easy 3 mi and today ran 7 miles at an average of 9:16 pace. Every thing felt good all week! My knees are saying hello frequently during the runs, but I just keep thinking of my mechanics and trying to not circumduct my left leg….it is bad! I watched videos from the last couple races….that thing has a mind of it’s own, AND is caving in during stance phases! It used to be my right that looked like a mess….now that one looks ok per race pictures. I am happy with my first week; running faster than I have any time recently and feeling pretty easy…which only means I can push a lot harder to get my legs turning over at an “acceptable” rate…acceptable per my mind that is.
I went down to the beach path for my run today; that’s what I know…long runs along the beach path. It felt good to share some energy with other runners, bikers, walkers, surfers. Waving, smiling, saying hi; and recognizing that each of us could be doing something else, but we’re choosing to feel alive and push a physical potential. You call us crazy….we’re just addicted to some adrenaline pumping through our veins, promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Ugh, sorry for the preaching style….it is a bit too profound…but when life gets heavy; thoughts sometimes flow deeper.

Happy running, Happy Yoga-ing, and for goodness sake, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yogi in pain

Just returned from Yoga class, not on the high of yesterday; but still elated to be feeling the discomforts of a new activity. Said activity: yoga! I felt loose most of today; cracks and pops here and there at work.
Printed my tickets and headed to the RoadRunner Sports store for their VIP Xmas Party. Failed to bring a +1, despite multiple attempts. I picked up a new pair of Ghost 5′s….the Brooks rep said the only difference is eliminating one of the gel pockets and replacing it with more “caterpillar” rubber sole to ease the transition from lateral heel strike to medial toe off; blah blah blah, they felt like the same clouds I remember when I put my Ghost 4′s on brand new. Browsed the clothes: bought 2 long sleeve athletic tops and a 12 pack of Hammerhead Montana Mountain Berry Gu…..yes; the only Gu that I think I’ve ever actually enjoyed. And maybe the most novel part: I got a free christmas ornament…my first one ever Thanks RoadRunner Sports!
So then to YogaBlend 1/2 at YogaWorks. I was greeted by the same instructor who sub-ed in last night. Started out with alignment and breathing and I thought I was in for another relaxing session; then the lunge positions started and continued. I know my hips are tight….but oh man. My legs were shaking so badly from poor flexibility and I’ll openly admit…POOR STRENGTH. Its amazing how you can be unaware of your own body position/posture; even when trying to tune into it. Unaware or just too tight to get into? I was thankful for the instructors cues to help get me into better position; except the one where she guided my knee (I typed pushed, but realized that was a perception and not factual) into further flexion…..I was shaking before; now I thought I was going to fall over. Now this is the class I NEED to keep attending! Challenging holds; major alignment issues for me to work into….and more knee bend than I ever get into willingly!
Check plus on Yoga day 2. We’ll see how much more I’m waddling tomorrow than usual At least I’ll have cute running clothes to go with it

Yoga High after High Stakes in Vegas and High temps in Detroit

Brace yourself: this is one VERY LONG RUN ON SENTENCE!

I’m currently on a yoga-high. I can’t quite remark on the last time I’ve set foot in a yoga studio, but goodness did it feel great to be back!
I have been plotting that after I pushed myself through the Vegas race I would reward my body with some TLC in the form of flexibility and “static” strengthening. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t stand still; even when I’m apparently standing in one spot I’m always moving my hips side to side or bobbing forward and back on my toes….my body doesn’t like being still except to sleep…and oh how I love sleep
So I bought a lovely unlimited month at YogaWorks on Groupon. I attended the YogaWorks 1/2; simple as simple gets. No crazy strengthening poses; just good ole stretching and focusing on body alignment. It felt delicious!
My Uncle Dave and I headed to Vegas for our annual race weekend. Last year the race was at night, however I travelled solo last year, so my Uncle got his first feelings of a night race. Mainly his sentiment: I feel like I’m wasting time in Vegas when I should be doing something, but don’t want to expend too much energy prior to the race. Eh, I was pretty ok with sitting, eating, drinking, and sleeping. The morning of the race I slept in, went to breakfast, went back to sleep, woke up and went for a late lunch, then started stretching and gearing up for the race. Our hotel room overlooked the pre-race staging area; so I watched all the marathoners filter in and head to the start line; can’t lie; it made my stomach flip a bit. I knew I didn’t prepare all that well for the race, but knew I could complete it feeling slightly better than Long Beach, since I wasn’t moving apartments the same weekend = more energy for race time. I toyed with whether to go out pushing hard and let myself hit the wall whenever and suffer through the rest (sounds like exactly what I signed up for, us crazy runners) or to start slow and get slower. I started with a faster corral, since originally I thought I’d be adding to my PR earlier this year…..so I kept my legs turning over and thought about form for a few miles; then my breathing eased in and felt like I could hold it for a while. I ran with the 2 hour pace group for a few miles…then started letting them drift away. My legs were feeling less than conditioned from the start line, but I only started feeling the fatigue set in around mile 9; took some electrolyte capsules which cleared my head, and then pushed….except my push was no longer getting as much distance traversed. I told myself; stay uncomfortable, thats the best you can do. So I decided I’d be happy with the race if throughout it I stayed uncomfortable….so that I did. My muscles yelled at me for not training properly, but they kept chugging; slower and slower, but they still did Crossed the finish line, looked at my watch for the first time since mile 1; and felt the bit of disappointment that any runner who has an inkling to want to keep pushing his/her PR feels…..it was a race no where near my PR, and guess what; it could have been if I had just trained.
I have to say congrats to RnRLV; they cleaned up the race spectacularly compared to last year. Last year’s race was a disaster; I’m sure you’ve read the reviews. They staggered the start time of the full and half, had the two courses meet up only near the end of each of the respective races, and had the marathon course barricaded (yes, runners are animals and need to be kept separate); so the marathoners had a clear path through the hoards of half marathoners for their last 2.2 miles. The start and finish were not at the same location this year, so it spread the spectators out as well as where all the participants were staying on the strip and traveling to/from. Congrats RnR for pulling this race back together. And they served Chocolate Milk! Was delicious at the end
So after the race I moseyed back down to Mandalay Bay from the finish at Bellagio (p.s. the fountain was going off when I finished…eh, a sign?)…..took a quick shower and got off my achey feet. Signed up for Surf City Half, wrote out an 8 week training plan day by day, and checked out the YogaWorks schedule for this week; wrote all the classes into my calender. OCD? Nah, just if it is written down, I’ll hold myself to it. I’ll publish the training plan as soon as I figure out how to do anything on my iPad….I’m tech challenged!
Since my last post: I ran the Detroit Turkey Trot with my Dad Thanksgiving morning in Detroit. To my happy surprise it was extremely mild temperature while I was home; race temp kept me comfortable in capris and a long sleeve…no hat required this year! It was great running with my Dad and our traditional breakfast in Downtown Detroit at SixPack….no not that kind, but yes that kind! Being home for Thanksgiving was great, lots of food, drinks, and company; and plenty of boardgames! And for the first time in 30 years of the Detroit Turkey Trot they handed out medals…ahh, exactly why I run
And in a last ditch effort last week to feel semi ready for Vegas I dragged Tara out for a run after work! Tara disclaimed that she hasn’t been running since Long Beach, but was planning on going to the gym after work. My response, “Want to go running with me instead?” She said, “are you serious? Sure” Love it! So we took off down the beach path, I think I ended up doing 7.5 miles; and what a great way to make yourself go faster….Tara turned around first, I wanted to make it back to my old pier…and so running back I had to catch her, duh…so I had to go faster than we had been going before. When I reach her, she picks up speed….she was pushing me, it was great! AND, she beat me up the hill along superior. I told Tara to let me know when she’s ready to train for a marathon…she would be an awesome training partner! She is competitive when running, pushes the pace, yet still vulnerable and enjoys encouragement…..yes; exactly how I feel when running with some one else! So I may be waiting 16 more years until Tara’s baby boy turns 18
And to make the post a novel: Erika stated she wants to run a marathon for her 30th birthday. It got my wheels spinning….maybe I want to address the devil that ripped out my heart not once, but twice during 26.2 races…..mentally I’m healed, I don’t feel defeated by the terrible races. And I’m starting to feel motivated to hit a training plan that demands all I’ve got. These half’s I got to used to just “doing” without training. I know I could get a lot more out of them by training, but for some reason I’m not as motivated…with a full marathon I can’t just do it…I HAVE to train. Thats the challenge I like; one that I know I can’t beat without putting my mind, body, and heart into. I had 1 great marathon; and had a training partner for all but the last long run. Marathon 2 and 3 I trained solo; tried different styles; was more than prepared; quite possibly over-trained; and bonked terribly. So Marathon 4 will be with training partners; Erika and my ski buddy Maxine…who is wicked fast and British. Her kids are about my age and she qualifies for Boston over and over. Yep….she wants to run my long runs with me… I warned her of my slow legs; but my want and will (that needs to be strengthened with each run) to get faster. If someone else tacks me to it, I will be more loyal to pushing workouts a little harder. Runner loyalty; it speaks volumes. So…I’m not committed, but by writing this it feels more real…..haven’t signed up, but have a good base plan: yoga for a month, half marathon training over the next 2 months; will put me in great shape for a 4 month marathon training program. Eh, sounds like it may just be time
Happy Running, Happy Vegas, Happy Thanksgiving Day and Turkey Trots, and welcome back Happy Yoga!

Welcome back to Mammoth :)

I am happily writing from the head nod condo in Mammoth. It is snowing, the snow on the ground crunches under your feet….perfect conditions for first trip of the year with the Disabled Sports. Instructor training….I hope I pass!

   Tuesday I felt the need to run a little longer than my M.O. I had  a busy day at work,  how I like it. So I strapped on my shoes, a long sleeve, and shorts. Ran down from work to the beach path and down past my old apartment to the end of the jetty and back; a little over 9.5 miles. It was dark, the breeze was blowing, and it was cool enough that I felt like fall in Michigan…even though it is now winter in Michigan. I did something I’ve never done before: had caffeine prior to my run….it fared pretty well; I felt like my eyes opened up from my long day at work and my mind was ready to be pushed.

 

So after I finished I packed for Mammoth…first things first. 

So I think the Vegas run will go. It will be great to spend the weekend with my Uncle and catch up with my high school friend Bonnie. Traveling for a race is a lucky thing in itself. So you just have to enjoy the experience and let the weekend roll.  It won’t be any amazing feat or time goal, but I think I should feel good running it. After all it is an evening run, sun will be down, hopefully a cool breeze in my face. But I have a plan (big surprise) for after the race. 1) I bought a groupon for unlimited yogaworks x 1 month. STAT, flexibility and mobility. My back has been aching…I don’t know if it is tension at work, not running as much so minimal trunk rotation…i don’t know, but it is nagging, worse when I sit than stand. So solution: get  it moving.   2) Sign up for Surf City Half for superbowl sunday. 3) commit to a training plan that includes some speed work….i did buy awesome flourescent green brooks running shoes and they have been collecting dust.  4) Take advantage of my gift certificate at Spa Gregoria (doh!) 5)Buy new running shoes…mine smell and look like mud 6) Make many more snowboarding trips;   Life is grand.

 

Happy snowboarding…..my running shoes are with me, possible altitude training

 

 

Run, Run, Swim…oh yea, there’s a race!

Alright, so I feel as though I’ve fallen off the boat.
Case:
Exhibit A: I can’t seem to get out of bed as well as I can turn off my alarm
Exhibit B: Slower than slow feels like I’m pushing
Exhibit C: I’m disciplining/torturing myself by making myself wear smelly, ratty, probably too many miles on them running shoes, ‘cus I didn’t put enough into the training to make myself “worth” a new pair of shoes.
Exhibit D: I am inconsistently running, biking, swimming, gyming, yogaing
Exhibit E: I am going to sleep no later than 10:30….is not enough sleep (for my spoiled sleeping body) to realistically expect to get up at a 5:30a.m. wake-up call. (I know more than half my friends just rolled their eyes, barfed in their mouths, and closed their Flipboard/Wordpress App). But ask my parents…I slept practically the first year of my life.

Point: I have the Vegas half marathon in less than 4 weeks…and I’ve given up on trying to regain any speed.

As much as I kept saying that I was just running Long Beach for Tara….and I was…but it still hit me mentally hard….how can I go from a sub 2 hour half to the slowest half I’ve ever ran. It just doesn’t feel good mentally to run a slow race…no matter what the circumstances are. And I think mixing a sport that I like to keep competitive with myself with something social or casual is not a good idea. It plays with my mind too much, grays the black and white lines.
So…I ran after work from work….hit the old bike path I used to run along at my old apartment. It is pitch black outside, but it is pedestrian traffic only. It felt good to run, but definitely felt awkward. Muscles are tight from not working out, instead of working out. Legs felt like lead. Had to focus on picking up my feet to not scuff the inside of my foot…yep, haven’t run in a while. Then I ran in the sunlight around my new apartment 2 days later. Felt much more “normal”. Need to do that again! And again, and again, and again.

Tonight I swam. I was upset after work; ‘cus of work. Sometimes I don’t have enough things to pour my heart into, and then I get over stressed at work…..a quick reminder how important balance is! So despite it being 59 degrees, which to my coming-off-California-summer skin felt COLD; and it being pitch black outside, I was dead set on getting to the outdoor pool with my new training suit. The water felt warmer than the air….made you want to keep swimming….well until my muscles felt tired and my bladder reminded me I gotta get out of the pool…like NOW! Felt good, but weird to be back in the pool; didn’t swim any great distance and am too lazy to go look at my scrap sheet of paper. Next time.

So what is in store:
5.5 more days of work until Mammoth trip
Run a longer run this weekend to start feeling semi-getting ready for the half distance
Swim tuesday and wednesday
Run Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Thursday
Bike to/from work the days it is not raining
Pick up snowboard, pack, and hit the road Thursday at noon!
Foam roll my hip flexors DAILY. There it is written, I must do it. It’s a curse, but it happens. They are pathologic and have been ignored since I haven’t been running.

Ok: ready, set, break!

p.s. no pics ‘cus I am writing this from my new iPad, which I am delinquent with how to sync pics with my iPhone and be savvy with my apps to post pics…which I need multiple tutorials from Michael after him and Erika get done writing thank you’s and floating down from cloud 9 after their honeymoon.
Happy 1st of 2.5 Mondays for me…Friday for you! Happy Running and Swimming!

Biking between the rain drops!

I welcomed myself back to road biking….with a 51 mile weekend. Yup, that’s how I do things. Was it to spin my legs to exhaustion? To get comfortable on the bike again? To be saddle sore enough to not let as much time go by before my next ride?….or maybe more time go by to not be so saddle sore! To spend a lot of time outdoors? To push endurance? Yes to spin my legs to exhaustion and yes to spending time outdoors.

 

Saturday I bike rode about 20 miles, venturing through new and familiar territory; the sea portion of the Mountain-to-Seas trail and Back Bay. It was a casual pace…practiced l-e-i-s-u-r-e bike riding instead of “MUST GET A GOOD WORKOUT….WORKOUT, WORKOUT, WORKOUT, THAT’S WHAT I NEED” It misted a bit here and there, remained cloud covered…it felt like a late spring day in Michigan. P.S. Michigan beat MSU this weekend, Go BLUE!

Sunday I rode around what felt like all of Orange County, what Google maps revealed: 31 miles. I took the Mountain-to-Seas trail towards the Mountains, then enjoyed some gradual climbs and lulls heading South into Irvine and east of all territory known to me, then through Shady Canyon and back up to Irvine. My legs were attached to me, I was very aware of them. My breath was deeper. My mind focused on climbing. It was a good workout!

 

 
Then…I welcomed myself back to running. Not in the way I know running, but all the same. I RAN ON A TREADMILL…..what!??!? Insert: I moved to a new spot, not 100% sure of the area yet = early morning no sun workout on the treadmill. I was half asleep…but my body was awake, so I strolled to the gym in my new apartment complex. I first strolled the totally wrong direction, ended up on the opposite side of the complex, only to make my way back and realize the gym is adjacent to the tennis courts that sit outside my back patio door….alright, so 15 minutes later…in the gym, walk up the stairs; 1 guy on the elliptical, 1 guy on the stair climber…..I step onto the treadmill. It is the kind I ran on back in February when visiting Chicago, in the hotel…not too shabby. It shows a picture of a track and shows you exactly where you are on the 1/4 mi track lap every single second of your run….yep, covered that up with a towel. Set a 9:05 pace…a little fast for my slow bones the first run since Long Beach 1/2…but it is 6:15 in the morning, I better make it count if I’m doing it. I started thinking 3, then jumped to 5…then settled on 4 miles when I saw 3.73 miles on the display.

While running I kept thinking, why aren’t my legs more tight or sore from bike riding. It is called aging. I am starting to notice it. I used to be a sore muscle girl 12-24 hours after a workout….now I start feeling it about 48 hours after a workout. SLOWER PROLONGED MUSCLE BREAKDOWN = losing my wipper-snapper ways. So today… walking down stairs makes my calves yell….that’s what I love about clipped in bike riding…your calves get worked in ways you can’t touch at the gym.

I can see how a treadmill would act as a good training partner…sets the pace….true to distance. But gosh is it boring. I even was playing Rhianna in my ears! And…I am not known to be the girl who can run up behind you without you knowing, so each step shakes the treadmill and it made me dizzy looking forward at the attached T.V…..so I had to look around one of the sides of the T.V. to a blank wall…hmm, maybe I should post an inspirational poster on the wall if this treadmill run becomes more frequent.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Things I learned, well was reminded: 1) I do not run straight  2) Don’t focus on something attached to what you are running on…a.k.a.; I would start an earthquake in a mini-world 3) Running is not very fun when indoors, alone, and constrained to a belt. Really that statement could be applied to life: don’t constrain life by a belt.

Run with the wind blowing on your face, the sounds of the great outdoors: spoiled mine are the ocean and birds.

And..wow this post is all over the place…my mind is tangentially spinning. Happy Biking, Running, Swimming(tomorrow) Goodnight!

Swimming and grocery shopping!

So I did a local move last week. And, it flipped my “normal controlled” schedule upside down. It’s good to do every once in a while, but TODAY was the first normal-feeling day in my new place. I woke up, went to work, WENT TO THE POOL, and then stopped off at the grocery store on the way home. I don’t know what exactly it is about the swim splashing and grocery shopping that strung a familiar cord, but I love it!

The whole time I was in the pool….well…the whole time I was fully submerged…I was loving it! Getting in was generating a squeal since it was 90 degrees outside and 60-something in the pool…or maybe 70 something? Now it has been quite a while since I’ve been in the pool…..like since before Montana! eek. So I was expecting to suffer a little, not have my breath, feel some tweaks in the shoulders…but let me tell you! I kept breathing strong and

steady…and even started pushing my pace on my longer swims! Yep, everyone was still passing me, but I felt strong with each stroke. And I picked right back up with the last workout I did! Not an easy one:

300yd warm-up

50yd x2 single arm stroke

100 corkscrew with fins

Main set:

2 x 50 yd, 10 breaths

200, 20 breaths

25, 15

175, 20

25, 15

150, 20

25, 15

2 x 125, 20

25, 15

2 x 100, 10

2 x 75, 10

2 x 50, 10

1 x 25

Cool-down:

100 KOS with 3 strokes, flippers

100 kickboard

2100yds!
It was dark and the pool lights were shining. My arms were enjoying being stretched out after lifting at the gym yesterday…there is something about swimming when you are sore or tight; it just laps away with the water brushing past your skin. I was pushing my strokes and breath. Ahh, I want to go back to the pool already! Maybe tomorrow?

Executive decision tonight: I need to buy a new TYR swimsuit…mine is holding up from senior year of college….yea 7 years old…I guess I can spend money on a new one

Afterwards I stopped at the grocery store…bought out the fruit and veggie section and had prepared a list for mandarin orange and chicken salad and black bean patties with salsa! Now I just enjoyed a veggie array salad and sipping down the chocolate milk…ok I splurged with the chocolate milk purchase.

Starting to plan for the weekend…welcome back my running shoes, haven’t run since Long Beach Half…and saddle up on my road bike, it’s been neglected too!

Happy swimming!

Long Beach Half, Moving Day for PD, Erika gets hitched, and I stepped back into a gym

Alright, lots to update. Then regular posting should reconvene

Last weekend I ran the much anticipated Long Beach Half Marathonwith Tara and Catherine. We ventured to the race expo together to get pumped up.

Tara and Me, lined up at the start….4:05 a.m. wake-up call…early early!

I finally felt a little excitement for the race. My mind had been preoccupied with moving, but I knew these girls had trained for this race and by golly I was going to take part in the glory!
Was there glory for me!? Yep…my Dad was in town to help me move. Yes, I’m lucky, but I was also in over my head with this move. I don’t think I would have made it through with my head on partially straight without him.

So…the last race my dad saw me run in: besides our annual Detroit Turkey Trot 10K we both run in,  was the Chicago Marathon 2008….which I had a bonk race so was way behind estimated time….and I don’t think he ever actually saw me run.

Dad….candid shot

I didn’t even realize how much it meant to me until I saw him at the 1 mile mark. A smile came to my face. At that moment I wished I was racing. I wanted him to be proud, to show him what hard work/training can lead to. But I was torn in too many directions for this race…and I had decided I was running with Tara and Catherine; it was a race for them; I was there to enjoy it. So Tara and I ran together for the first 4 or so miles, then I let Tara get on with her NoDoubt and music motivation, while I started sightseeing through Long Beach. It was hot, the sun was blazing…I wore my BicBand,

It stays put when my hair is sweaty….not dry. Wear during hot races like Long Beach!

newly purchased at the expo, but it was hidden by my traditional Nike running hat. I felt like I was pushing hard…but I was running slow. But whatever, I kept saying, just run the miles and enjoy the opportunity….the rest of the day was just going to be packing…so this was my “break” in the moving weekend. I saw my dad 5 times during the race. Each time I smiled and waved. I think I spotted him before he spotted me after the 1st mile. So many times I run races, not a single familiar face in the crowd…but I still spot them all. This time I was actually looking for a face I knew was there….I don’t know why, but that meant everything to me. So in the 12th mile I saw my Dad….I was almost finished, I was tired, my legs were not moving very fast, and I was a bit defeated by how slow this run had been…but none the less I got choked up. To know my Dad was seeing me, supporting me in person at the thing I love to do…run. Emotional runner, check.

Ok, so the best part of the race. Tara, Catherine, and I all ran within 90 seconds of each other. Each of us trained (or didn’t) separetely, yet we all ran a similar race. So….we should have run together, but who would have known! AND….Catherine AND Tara SMASHED their goals! So kudos to my running buddies and welcome to the half marathon world.

POST RACE…Tara KILLED her race goal. She rocked the race….what’s her next one!??!?!?!?!

There are still steps above so keep running and setting new goals At the end of it Tara had her usual discrediting comments….I told her I was proud of her and glad to have been running in the same race as her. I love sharing in running with other people….as much as my own experience is selfish…I like seeing how running makes others feel better about themselves, proud, motivated by setting and meeting a goal, more self-confident, like what they see in a mirror, shocked by the races outcome, and motivated to set the next goal!

So I moved….the next morning. The morning was calm..I hired movers. Then my Dad and I were back at cleaning, unpacking, organizing, taking down boxes, putting boxes together, lugging…everything. Then I sadly dropped my dad off at the airport Tuesday morning and tried to work the week while settling in.
Biked to work x 2

Showed my unfamiliar face at the gym x 1

This weekend:

NATIONAL PARKINSON FOUNDATION MOVING DAY in ORANGE COUNTY!

Claire, MaryAnn, and I saw our rough attempts at choreographing come to light.

First Team Hoag led Flash Mob of the Cupid Shuffle. Yep..Claire and Dash have been teaching the Cupid Shuffle dutifully for 3+ weeks at 7:45 a.m. to the lucky people who participate in the Parkinson’s Exercise Class. Please see Flash Mob: What a great success!

After the FlashMob everyone walked 1 or 2 miles..I’d say most chose the 2 mile route. Then Claire, MaryAnn, and I persevered through overheating iphones, no microphone, and fly by the seat of our pants (I didn’t fly, but MaryAnn and Claire kept a strong grip on my pants tugging me with them). All in all: 45+ minutes of Rocky, Twist and Shout, Cecilia, Eye of the Tiger, and Macarana scarf throwing, trunk rotating, overhead and floor reaching, and conga line dancing. We were as sweaty as you could be, and the tent was filled with active participants! And…all 200 scarves were gone at the end. SUCCESS! Team Hoag is the top fundraiser and definitely the most dynamic team. Thanks to every one who participated and special thanks to Claire, MaryAnn, and Dash who brought the energy and filled Team Hoag! I’ll share pics as I get them.

So my car became my changing room, vanity mirror, and manicure chair. ‘Cus ERIKA was getting hitched that night! I drove out to Temecula; changed from Team Hoag Moving Day exercise leader to chic wedding guest in a Taco Bell bathroom…arrived at the wedding ceremony 1.5 hrs early….did my make-up and nails in the car, spritzed my perfume, and walked down to the ceremony site.

Reunion with Val and Rachel.

Let me preface. I LOVE WEDDINGS. Like sitting on the edge of my chair, big grin, tall posture, taking it all in. So I got to spend the rest of the night with my grin ear to ear celebrating Erika’s and Michael’s love for each other, reuniting with friends from grad school, and sharing with Erika’s family in the dancing floor craziness. If other people’s weddings make me this happy, can you imagine my own?

In the mean time I’ll keep getting my kicks with my running shoes, biking, and hopefully splashing back in the pool this week. Happy running.

Erika’s Bouquet in her rose vase!

Running in the Dark, Cupid Shuffle, and Gangnam Style

I will admit, not my safest run… Maybe it is a false sense of security or an invincible cloak; but running along Newport and Huntington Beach at night feels secure.  I know, I know..until…

Anyways, I ran my long (relative) run, 12 miles, last night. I’ve been staying up later, working longer, and not eatting as well lately….so come Sunday after work; I laid down on the couch and slumped into a slumber. I awoke at 8…toyed with the idea of waking up REALLY early Monday morning to run long…and then decided to get my water bottle filled, gu in gear, and running shoes on. But I did something different….Knowing that I haven’t exactly stayed true to a training plan, and had a pretty dead leg 10 miler last weekend, popped my iphone in my ipod generation 2 arm-band…set the dial to Rhianna, followed by Lady Gaga and hit the beach path. No ear buds…just good ole speaker. I am not a music while running kind of girl, this was an act of desperation, knowing my thoughts would turn me back around earlier than at the 6 mile mark. It’s like running with a buddy, time goes faster. So I ran, into the wind…and ran and ran and ran….kept my eyes on every human I saw along the dark path…..10 min/mile average for the first 6 miles, 9:20-9:30 for the second 6 miles….finished with the sky clear, the moon shining bright, and a hypoglycemic sweat. No time for gu…I just wanted to run. So…shower, ate breakfast at 11:30 p.m., and crawled into bed. Apparently my body still felt like I was toying with the idea of running early, 6:20 a.m.; woke up….not refreshed by any means, but awake. Took the extra hour of awake time to stretch and ease into the morning. 12 miles, under belt…2 weeks until Long Beach.

My plan: SLEEP more, do some YOGA, figure out how to eat with my invisiline….yep, straighter teeth are on the way…but also graze eating is no longer an option….thinking drinking juice with my meals might add calories and keep me from being in a calorie deficit over the next two weeks… weight loss, sure I’d love it. But the timing is NOT appropriate…weight loss is not a happy thought when you are gearing up for a race. But after Long Beach, sure, I would welcome it.

Onto the new exciting event! Moving Day Orange County with the National Parkinson Foundation. Claire, MaryAnn and I met for a much needed happy hour and a lil’ music brainstorming to start working on a slamming routine for every one eager to participate. Think: Rocky theme song, Call Me Maybe, Cecilia by Tom Petty, the Macarana, and many more to move BIG and promote the neuroplasticity and neuroprotective effects of exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease. So I was finally exposed to Gangnam and the Cupid Shuffle…I even practiced with a tutorial video, ha. So….check out Team Hoag and my fundraising page and join in on October 13, 2012 for a celebration of movement! Over the next week I will be selecting only the best dance steps to choreograph with Claire and MaryAnn to get every one moving, Cupid instead of Parkinson shuffling, and way cooler than Gangnam. Stay tuned, or even better yet, join the team, join the movement!

New chapters

My roommate left today to drive back across the country to home, New Jersey…for good. I was really sad to see her go. We’ve only lived together 3 months, but it was a bittersweet goodbye. I am happy for her that she is moving back home with her family. I am sad that she is leaving Newport and nudging me to find a new home. I have come to realize that it is time “to graduate from the peninsula”, as my neighbor pointed out to me today. It’s been great living by the beach, I love it. But I also don’t take advantage of any of the shops or restaurants immediately around me….so farewell to beach-side living…and hello to large apartment complex living. It’s a first! I’m excited, but as with all change, a little stressed!

So as Delia pulled away from the apartment, I laced up my running shoes…it was either cry to myself in an apartment alone, or run off some emotion. The latter always is more appealing to me.

I think I might be nearing new shoes time…..they are feeling a little cement-like lately.

Don’t get me wrong, every girl needs a good cry here and again, but I am not at that point YET, ha. So, running with the wind in my face, taking it easy but keeping myself from waddling along, pulling me knees through and pushing with each stride.

  At the end of the run, I felt calmer. I felt ready to tackle MY move, and I was “ok” with Delia being gone. I.E.: I AM AN EMOTIONAL RUNNER. I run for sanity; mental health just as much as physical health.

So here’s to a new chapter in life…life off the peninsula. I am planning on still riding my bike to work (a little less scenic of a route), and keeping up with the waves and beach regularly on runs…but I just won’t hear the waves as I fall asleep. ahhh….charmed life I lead.

 

Long beach…who’s running Long Beach…yea, umm this girl. I did commit. I will do it. I’m not going to love the race. Tara and I punched out 10 miles on Saturday…and let me say..it was sweltering! My car temp. said 86 degrees when we finished at 10:00. Not my fav. kind of running weather. AND, Tara and I had a first together…..neither of us have EVER run with just our sports bras….we shield the pasty-white stomachs from the rest of

Tara after her 5K at the Leprechaun Leap, now she’s getting serious with a half. Long Beach better be ready for her!

civilization…but both of us hit 5 miles and were over-heating and over it….. sorry to all runner’s along Crystal Cove, PCH, and CDM….we were the two girls with REALLY WHITE STOMACHS. But, I think it was liberating too. I noticed on our t-shirt half of the run we didn’t have many hello’s from fellow runners, on our second half sports-bra run every biker and runner said hi or gestured a wave….we must have been more welcoming with just sports bras on…hmmm not sure what to think of that.  But let me give a HUGE shout out to Tara. This girl rocked it. She has been consistently training, following her training program, setting aside time for the gym and long runs. And it shows. She was pushing up the hills and keeping a quicker pace than I was comfortable running. She’s a rockstar and is going to kick Long Beach’s butt on Oct. 7th. I’ll come in somewhere behind her and kick her in the butt to make sure she takes a compliment

Here’s to Happy Running, and destressing with running

Great Run, motivated!

I am writing in sweaty shorts, sports bra, and running shirt…and my socks are drenched too. Hot right? Exactly.

I just got back from a 9 miler…the first run that felt like I could keep pushing….my legs let me stretch, my lungs kept breathing….simple…but so amazing!  I wasn’t going fast…but I felt fast…you know, that inside smile, like your legs are pushing stronger with each stride….1:28:23, 9:49 min/mile. Long Beach is 3 weeks ago. I need some Yoga, some long runs, and some pick-up speed miles…and 5lbs less pressure on my knees…and…jk, there’s always more to push for right?….we’ll see how the cookie crumbles race day But ready to stay motivated and keeping my running buddies motivated: Catherine, Linda, and Tara are training and going to make it to the finish!

Yesterday I made it back to the pool….kind of dragging my feet…but pulled out the same workout as last week….and the workout was going well…better breathing, better strokes getting to the wall….but then the thing that I don’t understand why or how this happens….but swimming makes me have to pee…BADLY! ha. It’s hilarious; I feel it while swimming, but the second I stop to rest it is like immediate…like get out of the pool and run! So I cut the workout short after my 2 x 100′s and let my cool down be a bladder reliever. TMI. I’m done.

The sun is setting earlier…this means a littler breezier swims, running in the dark…which works in my favor ‘cus I’m not self-conscious of what a slob I look like while running and trying to push harder, ha. But no road biking in the dark….going to stick to the weekends with the bike.

Looking forward to a weekend long run with Tara and I’m thinking of jumping back in the pool Sunday morning, maybe bike ride to/from the pool?!?!?  Eh, I’m just pushing off apartment hunting, bleh….we’ll see.

Happy Running!!!!!!!! Go Long Beach!

No these are NOT my nails

Lost (in a good way) on a bike ride!

Welp, it’s been some empty pages again. I enjoyed a vacation in Montana with my family visiting East Glacier and Missoula. Took my “drugs” with me, and weened myself off day 1! I felt great on the trip, back on track and enjoyed the beauty of nature! Here’s a few pics.

Calm and serene Two Medicine lake in the morning, gusty winds in the afternoon had this lake moving! The peaks furthest back, we hiked to the ridge where they meet; I scrambled up the one of the left with Galina for a “high altitude pee”.

Ray of sunshine towards lake fed by Grinnell Glacier, last day hike in Montana. We made it up to the Glacier and had lunch next to it, the water was COLD.

Dawson Pass, on the top of the ridge I mentioned two pictures above. My mom and Uncle Stu.

Piegan Pass Trail, day 1. All smiles, no blisters, sore muscles, fatigue from heavy packs. The fam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cousins Melissa and Gabriel hosted me in Missoula, showed me their lifestyle…beer brewing and mountain biking! Our beer’s name: Bubbie’s Ataxia. We both remember our Great Grandma, we called Bubbie, and beer can make you ataxic….ok, she’s a speech language pathologist and I’m a physical therapist…so we meshed some personal and professional together: Bubbie’s Ataxia! Pumpkin Ale will be ready end of October

 

New sport with Gabriel! I was sucking wind the whole time. Tough stuff! I only fell off the mountain once…”welcome to the trail” as I like to call it.

 

Got back in town Tuesday, hit the pool Wednesday. Well actually the pool hit me. Man, it isn’t very forgiving, it knows I haven’t been there in a while. My original thought was to just swim…just get in, get wet, feel out the water, see where the stroke takes me…with my new Brazil decorated goggles to inspire me towards Rio…ha, just kidding. But hopefully I’ll spectate at Rio. Then I found my last work-out in my flipper. Easier to keep track of what I do…so I did it. It was not easy, my breathing was a bit rushed and more frequent, but I did it. And let me say, it felt great! It probably didn’t look pretty, but I don’t care! And the guy who I always share lane 1 (the SLOW lane) with was there, and welcomed me back to the pool!

Workout:

Warm-up:

300m warmup (gasping for breath frequently)

50m x 2 single arm pull (my triceps weren’t crying as hard as I thought they may)

50m corkscrew (with the flippers! I like them, I might re-instate them in my workouts. I feel like I kick better without them after I’ve done a few laps with the flippers)

Main set:

2 x 50m, 10 breaths

1 x 200, 20

1 x 25, 10

I’m ready for Rio! Put me in Coach!

1x 175, 20

1 x 25, 15

1 x 150, 20

1 x 25, 15

2 x 125, 20

1 x 25, 10

2 x 100, 10  (yep I was really feeling it by then, all these 1 lap recoveries instead of 2 were reminding me I hadn’t been in the water in a while)

1 x 25, 10

2 x 75, 10

2 x 50, 10

Cool down:

100m KOS x 3 strokes (I liked this as a cool-down, it was relaxed but let me kick out my legs harder)

100m kickboard (eh, I should do this on my side so it simulates actual swimming)

Total: 2100m!!!!!!
Thursday I hit the gym and lifted…again it’s been a while; took it easy, but all the weights felt good. But my lunges and funky made-up exercises had a bit of poor body mechanics/control. For all you none PT people: I was falling over while trying to do lunges, dead-lifts, and single leg balance work ‘cus I’m out of shape.
Friday I ran 6 miles after work, it was hot, but I felt like I needed to get my legs turning over….I do have a race in less than a month, oops. Just took it easy, had a good head-wind out, picked up the pace by 1 min/mile for the return with the wind at my back…ahh.
Saturday: hand cycling! A new sport. I know, enough already. This was just to demo and try them out. I met up with some friends  from the OCAchievers at Seal Beach. Phong schooled me on the handcycle. It is cool though! If you have leg control you can use your legs to steer a little by putting more pressure on one strap than the other, otherwise you crank and steer with your arms.
Sunday: I got lost on my bike! In a good way. I was well aware of my physical location throughout, but I kept wanting to go further….I was loving the wind in my face; again another strong head-wind heading north and east! So I drilled out some solid hills, 1 over 2 miles (I had previously run it; it was much better on a bike), and then headed up to Huntington

Water stop in Huntington, not too shabby.

…let me figure out my distance….:31.16 miles. Wow, I thought it would be more than 20, but didn’t realize it was that far. Legs feel good, went through 2 water bottles. Hydration is key….hiking with a CamelBack in Montana proved to be amazing for me…no head fogginess, frequent hydration. I gotta find a way to make my hydration more effective during running.

What I learned in Montana:

Life is a little slower there, and I liked it. It was more about enjoying what you are doing, while doing it, instead of packing in as much as you can to each day. Whether it is preparing meals…slow cook, let the flavors develop; or working out; enjoy the experience/take frequent breaks to look around and see what’s stirring in the wilderness. (luckily no bears…but saw moose, long horn sheep, mountain goats).  Sometimes I wake up and already feel behind. But instead, letting myself sleep in, or take my time showering and preparing breakfast, to then enjoy the rest of the day. Sometimes I’m so eager to get where I’m doing or get started with a workout, that I put in a workout just getting out the door! One, two, three…breathe…….breathe again.

Happy swimming, biking, and running!

To all those who listened to me cough, sneeze, and look less than myself

Hello all, slightly a different post today…..

So sickness is a relative term. The patient’s I treat in the hospital are sick. The people in nursing homes are sick. I am not sick….BUT, I have let myself be less than my normal healthy for going on 9 weeks….why, you ask?

My simplest response: I am really good at taking care of healthy me. I am really bad at taking care of unhealthy me.

I am fortunate to have great health…and usually only feel the yearly flu. I am used to pushing my physical limits and working out like crazy…yep, I admit it. But that’s how I enjoy experiencing life, with adrenaline pumping through my system. So……when I feel a cold coming on…I stick to getting a lot of sleep and ride out the wave, keep working out, maybe taking 1 day off. Life is good.

So, I usually ignore sickness. This has gotten me in trouble only once….nothing some major antibiotics didn’t fix. Long story, don’t ask. But I knew I didn’t learn my lesson. So here I am with a low-grade sore throat, wavering stamina, on/off again fever, and a cough that grew to be relatively nasty, and then weaned to that annoying dry cough that lingers forever. Why am I sharing? Because it wasn’t until two people bonked me over the head: one said to me, ” you know, you’ve been sick for awhile, is everything ok?” And the other: “chest x-ray?”. That I actually stopped and looked at my calender and realized how long it had been. I tell my patients at work: falling is not a normal part of aging. I need to tell myself: coughing and feeling fatigued/less than 100% for 9 weeks is not a normal part of a working immune system.

Conclusion: I am not good at taking care of myself when I’m not 100%. So I say thank you to my friends who finally “put me in my place” and made me honest with myself. It makes me mad at myself for not caring enough to go see a doctor earlier. I feel like I let myself down, put myself through extra stress…no wonder I wasn’t getting anywhere in my training, but 3 steps back. I obviously care about my health; that’s my motivation behind what I eat, my lifestyle, and my workouts. But when my health isn’t letting me participate in my life…I internalize it instead of get motivated to do something about it. That has GOT to change…it’s a fault of mine….and it’s one that could get me in trouble later on down the road (or tomorrow, you never know.)

I also get mad at myself that I didn’t let the people in my life into my life…the not so great parts of it. I play off that I’m sick. I don’t let other people know when I’m upset. I internalize it. It works…usually. This time, it didn’t. But I also couldn’t internalize a nagging cough, so I ratted myself out. Thank goodness, ‘cus a few over the counter medications, antibiotics, and an inhaler are luckily all I need this time. And taking medication once in a while will not turn me into this guy:

So now after only 1 day on medications…some are EVEN over the counter meds…so look how simple my solution could have been…..I am feeling sooooo much better. The doc said no exercise for another week. He knew that was going to kill me. He also said, “you don’t see any Olympic athletes practicing or competing sick?” I almost wanted to respond to that, athletes sometimes compete when they are not 100% healthy…but I decided that his point is valid. So I’m not exercising, but I did take a leisure bike ride this afternoon to enjoy the sunset. It’s an active lifestyle, not exercising! I kept my breathing to not noticeable and kept my legs turning “too slow”. Equals: Leisure. But I haven’t ran since last Saturday, haven’t swam in 2 weeks, and haven’t been on my bike since I was first not feeling so hot; and I’m sleeping 8-10 hours every night. That is my definition of rest.

My road to recovery is NOT a road to recovery. It is a hop across the puddle in the street. So, no biggy. But some important reminders for me: 1) I can’t fix everything on my own (ugh!), and 2) Life can be easier with other people included, even when it’s my not-so favorable moments.

But I’ll need to be bonked over the head multiple more times to make these lessons permanent. I’m dense….and stubborn.

Boink 3

I wish I was an Olympian

I am sitting here watching the Olympic’s closing ceremony on my DVR. You know that question: if you could do/be anything, what you do? My answer: be an Olympian!

Michelle text messages me Saturday:

“I have decided you should train for Olympics in mountain biking”

Me: “Haha, I’m in!!!”

Michelle: “And I will be your official fan club president/cheerleader “

Me: “Yes! I need a coach “

My friends know I LOVE going to football games and sporting events, and am the cheesy girl standing looking out at the crowd while the National Anthem is sung….I love the “power” of so many people together; united. Whether it is to cheer on a sports team or sing the national anthem. Something about it makes me warm and fuzzy inside! I love it.

P.S.:  September 1, 2012

Alabama vs. Michigan

So despite my lack of posts…I have been training! I’m actually following my training plan! I keep pushing my faster workouts and enjoying the slower, and slowly building longer runs. I’ve been back in the pool, being held back a bit by my lungs….I’m still coughing; in the pool I feel like I’m taking short quick breaths…so getting more out of breath. Still feeling better…just nagging cough. BUT! Managing to prove less is more! Running my “less running days” training program and getting faster in the speed workouts…..a few more weeks needed to show if it translates to the longer distances.

Highlights:

Last Tuesday’s speed work: 5 x 400′s…I can still remember the times without peeking at my training log:

1: 1:48

Still might just be the shoes being faster, not me

2: 1:51

3: 1:47

4: 1:45

5: 1:44.    YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That’s a proud slow runner feeling fast

Yes the olympians were running just about twice the distance in the same time

Swim workout:

Warm up:

200m warm up

50m T sculling, 100m free

50 Y sculling, 100 free

Main Set:

Maybe I’d swim faster in this pool

3 x 50m, 10 breaths

1 x 175, 20

3 x 25, 15

1 x 150, 20

1 x 25, 15

1 x 125, 20

1 x 25, 10

3 x 100, 10

2 x 25, 10

3 x 75, 10

3 x 50, 10

Cool down:

100m kickboard  (that’s it, I was tired and hungry )  Total: 2050m

my bike: collecting dust.   To change this weekend with MaryAnn… we rode the day I bought the bike! (I have ridden since then)

Margot mentioned a Tri with a shorter/more feasible first swim…500m…in a sheltered bay……and it’s at the end of September, instead of the beginning…hmm, I want to! I don’t want to chicken! It’ll stir in my head for about a week….I do have to say I waded in the ocean Saturday after my long run, and it felt “swimable” without a wetsuit to me! Plan one: Newport Dunes sheleted swim. Plan two: buy a wetsuit so I am more buoyant! I need someone to say “it’s ok to spend money on a wetsuit”  I have a hard time spending money on things that are soley for me….but really this will open a whole world of open swimming groups and events….it can be social too!  Hear me justifying openly…oy vey.

I-N-T-E-R-N-A-L     B-A-T-T-L-E

Lack of posts = busy driving between L.A. and San Diego celebrating life with friends and family, finishing the Hunger Games series, being glued to the television for the Olympics and soon the ParaOlympics, gambling for the first time and winning, and cooking jerk chicken for my colleagues!

Wish me luck on Tuesday’s speed work!

Wednesday Swim Party and Thursday Morning Run

I just wrote this post and it self-deleted….lets try again

 

Wednesday I was geared up for the pool. Kristina texted she’s coming. Margot did as well! I thought, this is great! Walking into the pool area I spot the figure from last week: poor pool etiquette man. I think, not exposing myself to him this week; don’t feel like meeting the wall! So I let him get out before Kristina and I jump in.

Workout:

200m warm-up

50m T sculling, 100m free   –I like doing a longer freestyle after the drill; had more time to feel a difference

50m Y sculling, 100m free

Main set:

3 x 50, 10

1 x 175, 20

3 x 25, 15

1 x 150, 20

1 x 25, 15

1 x 125, 20

1 x 25, 10

3 x 100, 10

2 x 25, 10

3 x 75, 10

3 x 50, 10.   Kristina and I both turned to each other and agreed; what a great workout!

Cool down: 50m single arm pull x 2; plan was for another 50, 100 kick board, and 100 KOS…but pool closed

Total: 2050m! Woohoo

After the workout I was so relaxed a.k.a. exhausted. I relaxed on the couch and was totally content. P.S. that never happens! Mind and body were lulled

Thursday morning I woke up to run. Turned off my alarm, promptly fell back asleep…luckily only for 15 minutes. Laced up my Ghost 4′s and headed out the door. Turned the corner to the beach path and was greeted by a Hummingbird…ahh this is why I run in the morning   4.4 miles, started out easy and thought about feeling the push off like in my 400 interval workout on Tuesday. 21:31 first half, then picked it up to finish at 42:07. My legs were tired, and stomach hungry after last night’s pool workout; but the run kept getting better!

Why am I up in the morning writing before work? Was ready to do a 6 milers this a.m.; woke up and felt a little under the weather. Went back to sleep and now am taking it easy getting ready this morning. Going to try and stay relaxed at work and gear up for the Olympics (to watch) and reassess surfing and then running tomorrow morning!  TGIF!

Happy Olympics!

New shoes will guarantee faster running…R-I-G-H-T….

Following the plan!

Hi everyone!

4 x 400 interval workout; warmed up 1 mile out, 1.25 miles back; between each 400 sprint (and by sprint I mean awkward running hard in my book) a 400m jog. Total: 4.25mi

Splits: 1:46, 1:49, 1:47…and the 4th…I stopped my watch and clumsy me pushed the erase button instead of my backlight…pretty fitting considering my last post about running based on feeling instead of time. So…my last 400 I felt uncomfortable, more so than the previous three…felt the nausea creeping up from my not-so-existent anaerobic threshold, and was absolutely not in control of my breathing rate. Eh, pushing hard and uncomfortable, I’ll take it. So I’m hoping I was below 1:45

But the extra kick in my stride goes to…..introducing……

My stride, still slightly duck-footed. THEY ARE GREEN!

Duck footed so you know its still my legs and not some fast runner!

My first pair of “fast running” shoes since my high school cross-country spikes, haha. Brooks PureConnect. They are built up under the arch, pushing you onto your toes…I felt like I could push off a lot stronger. Fun for “flying”

I am definitely happy with the splits; way fast for me…but it may have been a short course. I ran along the peninsula; streets I to M are 400m per mapmyrun.com! And evening running tends to be faster for me, I can punch out the tensions of the day. I haven’t worked on the stroke unit  in a while; being back there is sometimes heavy on your heart….it makes you grateful for your family, friends, life choices, and education. So running out some of the sad stories keeps me from hanging onto them….alright I still do that, but hopefully with a better perspective.

So here’s to fast running shoes, faster runs, and emotional running! ha. And literally running into faster friends! Shout out to Sarah!

Hiatus…but I’m back :)

So…I took a bit of a vacation…..not the good kind. I fell off from my swimming, biking, AND running….not a good thing for me physically or emotionally. But…I’m back on board…a more stable and level-headed me is back.

I’ve been biking to work every day and still leading an active lifestyle…but not following progress with my workouts. I am craving training again.

I have a race coming up, October 7th. Long Beach Half. It isn’t coming up to the typical whats-next-friday-look-like kind of “coming up”. But….if I’m going to jump on a training schedule…it’s “coming up”. Last Wednesday I was sitting around and decided “I need a plan”  I was over feeling “tired” after work…so what does that mean? Get my head in the game and start training! Dedicate myself to something, eh since someone isn’t in the picture yet. I counted back the weeks and realized that to follow a standard 12 week plan I was 3 days behind. I scribbled my training plan on my filler sheet paper and decided to

This picture says a thousand words. But…here is my loose-leaf scribbled training plan

make up my missed run on Friday. It is amazing how the act of writing down “a plan” is ALL I need to switch the decision at 6a.m. from the guaranteed snooze to awaking seconds before my alarm goes off and lacing up my shoes for a run.  I wanted to find a 3 day/week running training plan, but somehow the one I liked most is 4 building to 5 days/week…but its way less than I normally do. Baby steps. Overtraining is my past…working towards mentally feeling prepared without physically being burned out. I am dedicated to swimming 3x/week…that will help me get off the pavement and run more quality, instead of quantity. Still gotta work my bike into this training plan…we’ll see where that goes.

Monday swim: THIS WAS A GREAT WORKOUT! I feel like I’m feeling the shape of the water through my stroke. I am focusing on keeping my wrists bent pulling the water underneath me. And…my breathing is more relaxed. When I’m stressed or anxious my breathing is so much more difficulty….de-stressed swimming is the best.

Here’s the workout:

Splashing in the Pool

1300m total…I didn’t do the 3rd warm-up KOS/free 50s and I didn’t do the second set of breast kick for 50. And I got done with the workout in what felt like no time at all. But I did encounter a man who had no idea what swimmer’s etiquette was. He jumped feet first into a circle swimming lane of FAST swimmers and tried to keep up. Then ended up in my lane..which was a wide lane but shared by 3 people who were doing down and back swimming…and he tried to take me out several times…Rebecca horizontally meshed with the wall x 3. And he stood at the end of the lane, smack dab in the middle for like 10 minutes between each lap. Sir..I’m glad you are at the pool and engaging in physical activity…but please respect those in the pool before you. Ask before jumping into a lane, assimilate into the lane instead of making every one else move out of your way. If the pool is busy…you may have to wait a few minutes for someone to get out. Thank goodness I wasn’t as oblivious as he was. I think his total swim distance was 200m….and I think he managed to piss off at least 9 swimmers who were doing at least 10x his distance.

Thursday’s run: 4.4 miles in 43:24; 9:52 pace; I decided to “enjoy the act of morning running”…so I started out slow and easy, listened to the waves, watched the sky light up with the rising sun, and just stayed relaxed. I got that feeling: this is the best way to start the day, it is invigorating, rewarding, and seeing the vastness of the beach and ocean settles the daily tension/pressures.  I added in 50 lunges at the end…..Friday morning I wondered why.

Friday make-up run: 3 miles tempo: 26:41; 8:54 pace. Despite not being able to bend my knees to reach down towards my feet due to some heavy duty DOMs from lunges I pushed through each less than comfy step to keep myself out of my mental AND physical comfort zones. How I define a tempo run.

I’ve learned MY running is not based on times, splits or pace…it is based on how I feel…and the goal is to feel like I’m pushing hard. In the end I want my pace to be faster than the last race or last tempo run, but I also want to feel like I pushed harder physically and mentally….I just hope they match up…they don’t always, but a good race is when they do!  Contradiction: so why do I list pace on all my runs…eh, I’m a high school cross country girl, I can’t ignore my time…plus I DO want to be faster…I know my running and times don’t always look like it..but I do.

Saturday: schedule: 5 miles “long” run. Tara asked if I would run her long run with her….on her schedule is 7 miles. Sounds good to me. I still can’t bend my knees to reach down to the floor due to Thursday’s lunges, but nothing a “long” slow run won’t flush out. So we set out in the hills of Newport Coast…and it was hot….and I was hungry. But we did it. Nice and easy, my watch didn’t even keep track of the time; but we kept plugging up and down the hills. I have to say it has been very rewarding encouraging my colleagues to run a 5K and now start tackling a half marathon….all are active people…just who have lost their “sport”. Now they’re either starting a new sport with running, or getting back into it. I said to Tara: “your only goal for the second half is to keep running; I don’t care if you are with me, ahead of me, or behind me on the hill…just keep a steady pace”  When it comes to hills…each person runs their own “hill”. You either get pulled up by the person in front of you, push to keep the same distance; or you push forward and try to lengthen your lead….oh and if life is perfect you run side by side, stride for stride, laughing and smiling. (this one never happens…some one is always pushing and pulling…if both people are super competitive they stay side by side). I turned around at the top of the hill after I “just kept pushing” and saw Tara not far behind. It brought a huge smile to my face! She did it. She kept running, she stayed close, and she conquered that hill! (It was 2 miles long) I was so excited for her and my mouth just kept vomitting praise and excitement…Tara would not accept any of it. She just said, “I almost died”  Grr…gotta work on this girl! She rocked it!

 

Sunday: schedule: 3 mile EZ: 29:08, 9:43 pace. I just got back from this run. Nice and easy. My legs actually feel really rested…my DOMs got flushed out by yesterday’s run, I

All root vegetables…I boiled beets…and deskinned them and diced them WITHOUT dying my skin or any of my kitchen utensils! And it has pickles and dill in it..two of my favs!

cooked great food today and spent a lot of time reading a book and relaxing. During this run I held myself back a bit; as my legs loosened up they wanted to go faster and push harder… I kept them going easy and loose. After the run: 50 lunges. I didn’t learn.

This afternoon Jasmine and I paddled a two-person outrigger in the Back Bay and around Lido Island. A new sport for me! AND I LOVED IT! I didn’t love multitasking my paddle, body position, AND steering…but I DID love being in the back of the boat and not worrying about steering. ha. We had a blast and caught up on all the deepest life lessons and crazy -isms. My time with Jasmine is a guaranteed blast AND she pushes me into water sports…exactly where I need to be to get over this fear of swimming in the ocean! Next stop: Surfing…it’s on the schedule, next Saturday. I told Jasmine that since I don’t love the idea of being cold in the ocean, every time we have surfing plans I’ll try and get out of them in one way or another…and just to tell me “No, you have to come.” And then I’ll be there and have a blast. But just so she knows I will try to wiggle my way out of it…and not to let me That’s what friends are for right?

On schedule for this week (if it is written/typed I will follow it (maybe)):

Monday: swim

Tuesday: run 4×400 intervals

Wednesday: Swim

Thursday: 4 mi run

Friday: rest (who does that!?)  Well the Olympics start today…I’ll rest in their honor…sounds twisted…otherwise I want to make this my 3rd swimming day.

Saturday: 6 miles ( AND SURFING!)  <— Can I count that as swimming?

Sunday: 3.5 mi EZ  (AND BIKE RIDE)

And we’re off…..

And a run will set you free!

So it’s been a while… excuses:

1) I got sick and slept the better part of 3 days and didn’t quite feel well enough to workout

2) I got sunburned…BADLY…and nothing close to friction was allowed on my stomach

Actual:

1) Chlorine on my stomach would not have been good

2) My stamina got socked while fighting my cold

 

I went bike riding on Thursday in Encinitas; 1hr45 min, 21.17 miles, route here. I was treated with a fabulous climb near Torrey Pines State Beach. I feel like I can get lost in the wind riding on my bike….until my butt starts reminding me I’m sitting on a narrow minimal cushioned seat. But it felt good to be back on my bike and cranking away.  My brother came to visit in the midst of me being a bit under the weather; we rented him a road bike and took a “leisure” ride down the coast to Laguna, route here. I had a bit of an “ah-ha” moment with him:

When we started out I felt my heart racing, just going casually. At a stop light I turned to him and said, “sorry I’m really struggling to keep a pace here.” His response, “When I bike ride it is always at a leisure pace, this is fine.”  It made me realize that when I set out on a workout…it is to have a workout. Not to enjoy a casual ride, run, swim. I’m always pushing hard and challenging my mental and physical game. In learning how not to over-train and be running on dead legs, I think I need to refind the enjoyment of going leisurely…slower…less mental demand. There are the appropriate times where you are 100% dialed into each workout, but when I’m out riding with my brother and enjoying the weekend….it’s ok to enjoy a leisure pace and not push the limit….’cus after all; it’s not meant to be a workout, it’s meant to be an ACTIVITY.  Interesting….

So running this morning was my first “workout” in my recovered workout. Set out for 6 miles, hit 27:07 at the turn around, 55:29 overall. Pace 9:15 min/mile. It makes me laugh how the first half of a run I keep thinking, wow..I’m pushing the pace, but it feels easy. And it never dawns on me that….maybe a wind is at your back. That thought only comes when I turn around and start pushing into the wind. But remember…I’m weird. I like the wind coming at me, if something is pushing me, I’ll push back. And…it keeps me cool and not feeling like I NEED WATER IMMEDIATELY!   So first run (in a while, I’m not even revealing how long) and my legs felt good. I felt like my hamstrings and hip flexors are stronger from biking. Fresh legs = good workout. I’m going to jump back in the pool this p.m. since my skin is looking healthy.

You know you are healthy again when you do a workout and want another

Just keep swimming!

Molly’s words have been playing a tune in my head. Friday night after work I headed to a new pool. I tried the 24 hour fitness in Bella Terra center in Huntington Beach. From the freeway it looks like it would be all brightly lit and a fresh looking pool…..nope. 3 lanes, dark..dirty. And all the people in there were in shorts and t-shirts holding on to the edge kicking and doing water aerobics. So I went in the designated “fast” lane…that’s how this pool was. I never belong in the “fast” lane, in pools or in life..ha, so eh, I did my workout, got kicked a few times by my lane mate doing breast stroke into me….and called it a night. But…I worked on everything Molly told me. Focused on my pull and feeling the water; using my body rotation to generate an “S” curve pull. Here’s the bill:

100m warm up (per Molly)

50 KOS, 50 free x 3 sets

50 Sculling “Y”, 50 free

50 sculling (video link demonstration) “T”, 50 free  (feel like a loser doing these, but I do feel the difference and I’m bending my elbows throughout my whole workout now…so loser I am)

Main set:

2 x 50m, 10 breath recovery

1 x 175, 20

2 x 25, 15

1 x 150, 20

1 x 25,  15

1 x 125, 20

1 x 25, 15

2 x 100, 10

1 x 25, 10

3 x 75, 10

1 x 50, 10

Cool down:

KOS 50 x 3

100m free

Total:  2000m

I have to say going to the pool Friday night was a great introvert activity. After a week, which I have to admit was pretty trying at work…just the emotions of my patients’ and their families were wearing on me. So to bike ride home from work, have a snack, head to the gym, and just put my head down in the water and take time for me was GREAT I felt like I did something good for myself.

Saturday a.m.; headed to CDM high school for outdoor lap swim. I woke up feeling a bit drained, but thought the rest of the day was going to spent driving up to LA and then being at my Aunt and Uncle’s house helping babysit for my cousins’ 3 month old twins, Samantha and Mackenzie! So I needed a workout to settle my legs for the drive….alright, alright..it’s only an hour and a half…but I don’t sit…EVER!  Ok, I’ll only use that excuse for trips to Mammoth…lol. So went to the pool, hopped in and started the warm up….

WOAH! I feel like where I left off last night…I’m not trying to re-find my rhythm…it’s there! I was in swimming heaven! I stuck to the same workout as the night before; a bit of comparison power for back-to-back swims. This time I spent more time on the sculling and really trying to get my arms to feel the water…there was no one there at 8 a.m. Saturday morning but me…so the lifeguard was the only one judging me. And I’m hoping that I’m doing it close to right, because a lifeguard should be able to identify sculling when he/she sees it! And I did my 50yds x 3 of breast kick on my back during my cool-down. I didn’t have a lane-buddy, so I knew I wouldn’t kick anyone. Total yds: 2150.

So I headed off to LA, spent the rest of the day with the twins and my Aunt and Uncle…it was fun! I practiced being calm and giving off a calming vibe to try and calm the screaming babies hehe. I don’t think I did half bad. A very simple, but VERY amazing pleasure of the day….My Uncle was ordering take-out pizza, he pulled up the menu online for me to see….it was Manny’s! MY FAVORITEST PIZZA PLACE FROM PASADENA THAT DISAPPEARED ONE DAY! The menu looked identical, even the same logo…could it be? Did they relocate to Brentwood!? Were they there all the time and I never knew it? So I sent my Uncle with my order and the most important question of all: “Are you the same Manny’s that was in Pasadena?”  And the golden answer returned: YES! oooh, I was in heaven for dinner; my pepperoni pizza!  But why did they close Pasadena? to be continued….

Brittany and I do more than eat Fro Yo….

Back to working out… so on my way home Saturday night I met up with Brittany for Menchie’s frozen yogurt (they have kosher options!)…another LA favorite; caught up for a bit and met her boyfriend, J, whom she’s been dating forever and I haven’t gotten to meet! Another treat to the day…Saturday = da bomb

Sunday morning; woke up, definitely feeling fatigue..but man I missed my group bike ride last week, nothings going to hold me back this week. Pumped up my tires, loaded by car, took my neighbors’ dogs out (on top of this awesome weekend I was also dog sitting..2 dogs, 2 three month olds, 2 swim workouts…) 27ish mile bike ride around back bay and Newport Coast. The ride seemed shorter, the hill seemed less daunting, but my legs were fatigued from mile one. Finished out the ride chatting with a fellow rider, so not killing my pace to keep up with the group. Headed home for a much needed shower, breakfast of eggs, and then it all hit me….the couch called my name. I started reading, my eyes closed…I woke after a nap. A NAP!?!?!?! I don’t nap. I nap when I’m sick….the rest of the day was great, enjoyed the beach, some drinks, cooking a great meal, and when the dishes were done, I looked at the clock; 9:15 p.m.; and I felt wiped. Crawled into bed….woke up at 12:30 a.m. with one of the worst sore throats of my life…rummaged through my medicine closet for sore throat meds, downed some Emergen-C, and tossed and turned until 4 a.m.; woke up to my work alarm; called into work..and slept until 1:30. Woke up for 5 hours, trying to keep myself awake for a bit to sleep through the night and then called it at 6:30, slept until 6:40 a.m….called of the morning of work…but felt refreshed, a bit sluggish after sleeping so much, but no sore throat. Phew. Took it easy. And then today; back to my routine AND…back to the pool!

Swim workout today to celebrate the beginning of summer and soak in the sun rays:

100yd warm up

50 Sculling Y, 50 free

50 Sculling T, 50 free

50 KOS, 50 free x 3

Main set:

3 x 50yds, 10 breath recovery

1 x 175, 20 (I actually found my rhythm during this set, felt like I could have swam longer)

2 x 25, 15

1 x 150, 20

1 x 25, 15

1 x 125, 20

3 x 25, 10

2 x 100, 10

1 x 25, 10

3 x 75, 10 (this is when I started losing my breath control)

2 x 50, 10 (focused on the forward entry glide and finishing my pull with my thumb scraping my thigh)

Cool down: 50m breast kick on my back; and that was it..I was tired and ready to get out

Total: 2000yds

The rest of the week: actually wanting to swim tomorrow again, and if I go to sleep NOW, maybe wake up and run short before work. Obviously my health is back Lesson learned: sleep when sick; it goes away quicker.

Looking forward to talking to Kristen tomorrow. Today she called herself a loser over text message. If my hand reached from Orange County, CA to Oakland County, MI I would smack her. Looking forward to finally returning Kristen’s phone call from 4/22/2012; 2 weeks before her battle began.