March Madness.....

I would really like to say that I have been running, but I can't. We are in week 2 and I ran twice last week. I pulled out a 3 and a 4 miler. BUT I have increased my gym time to four times last week. WHOOP WHOOP!

A few things have happened over the last couple of weeks. I was contacted by Melissa Rogers of KHTS radio show of Santa Clarita. She said they are hosting the Home and Garden show and would love for me to have a booth. WHAT? ME? I looked into it and decided this might be a way to get my name and super small, microscopic business out there in the big world. For those of you who don't know, I make race medal displays so that you can hang your hard earned medals from. I've been asked if I'm making a profit yet. NOPE. I can 100% say that I am not. I keep buying little things to improve each medal display and I just love making them. I have sold quite a few but I'm not quite at the profit making stage yet. I'm hoping that with this Home and Garden show and the SoCal Women's Wine Country half marathon that I will then be making a profit.  The only problem is that I don't really have race medal displays to actually have at the booth, so I will again, have to spend money to make some. I mean, I do have the original boards that I made when I set up my Etsy account but those have hand painted letters and I've stepped my game up by switching to vinyl lettering. It looks so much better than the hand painted ones. SO I will have the hand painted ones on display, but I also need the new ones. This worries me because I usually make them to order. Having a bunch on hand could lead to just that....having a bunch on hand that I won't sell.  The Home and Garden show is March 30th so I do have time to prepare.

The second thing that happened was that the other day, I decided to start a website. I was asked by the race director of the SoCal Wine Country Women's half marathon for my website so that he could list it on his webpage. I was a little embarrassed to say that I didn't have a webpage and I had to give him a link to my Etsy account. So now I am a webpage owner and my site is: www.ordinaryrunnershop.com. I really wanted ordinaryrunner but that was already taken so I had to add in the shop. We shall see how it goes. Maybe one day it will take off but right now, it's slow going. I sell around 3 race medal displays a month.

Well, my next big race is the Rock n Roll Dallas half marathon. I am running it with my sister who lives in Indiana. It will be our second half marathon together (the first being the Indianapolis Monumental half marathon). It should be a really fun weekend. We are staying at the host hotel so all we have to do is wake up on race day and walk out the door. That will be so nice. Plus the vibe around the hotel will be exciting.

I do plan on running four times this week. I cut the tip of my thumb off yesterday morning so I took yesterday off from running and the gym. On Sunday I am doing a 3k walk with my pigs and then the same night I am doing the One Run for Boston, stage 5 run at 10pm. That will be an 8 mile run. I'm really excited about that run.

So, until this weekend, get out there and run...send me the good running vibes that I need. :)

What a race weekend....

My groove just might be back. Hooray Hooray Hooray!

On Saturday, February 22nd I completed two 5Ks. Santa Clarita hosted the Mardi Gras Madness 5K race. They offered a competitive race at 8:00am and then a fun run/walk at 9:00am. For just $10 more, you could do both races and get two medals. Heck yeah, sign me up.

I signed up with the Cardiogirls team which is the gym that I belong to. There are a few girls that signed up that are trying to better their lives by being healthy and losing weight. I admire these girls because it takes a lot of strength and will to want to change your life and stick with it. We all ran the competitive 5K at our own paces and then all came together to walk/run the fun/run 5K.

I have only run 5Ks a couple times. In 2007 was my first 5K, the Revlon Run/Walk and I don't even remember my time, or if I ran the entire thing or not. Then last year I ran the Drenched 5K but it wasn't timed and I didn't turn on my GPS since we were supposedly going to get "drenched." So officially I can say this was my first serious 5K. Since I've been in the slumps that last month and only ran 6 or so times in the last 30 days, I wasn't expecting much. I did pretty good though. I came in 6th in my age group (30-39) with a time of 25:18:03 (average pace was 8:08). I really can't complain about that now, can I?

       Post competitive 5K

               Cardiogirls

 
     Cassie, Luma, Joe and Raelyn

               Not quite a 5K....but close enough

On Sunday, February 23rd I drove to Ventura and ran the Seaside Half Marathon.Was I ready? No, not really but I have trained less for a half and still did okay.

I arrived early to pick up my race packet but had a hard time finding parking until after my third loop around I finally found the parking structure they had mentioned online. As I pull up there is a big sign that says "CASH ONLY" and the ticket machine is covered up. Great, I don't have cash and since my debit card was involved with that whole Target scandal, I was issued a new card and don't know the pin. This day is not starting out great. Oh well, I'll figure it out later. (fast forward to end of race....the guy at the booth said I got free parking.)

No matter how many races I do, I still get nervous before a race. But if I were to run a race distance at home for training, I don't get nervous. I don't know if it's the anticipation that I will run my little heart out or if it's just the excitement of the race itself. I just love races. So off to the bathroom I go....

They offered corals at this race and I decided to start in the 8 minute mile coral. Not because I know I can run 8 minute miles...uh, yeah, that's a negative. But because I know I can run faster than a 9 minutes mile. The horn goes off and I take off. I have no expectations for this race. PLEASE, how can I, I haven't even trained for it. My thought was that I could definitely come in before my worst half marathon time which was around 2:33. I start my Pandora and start my Runkeeper app. I put my phone in my run belt and I hear "activity paused." WHAT? NO. I take it out and hit "resume." I hear, "activity resumed." and I put my phone back in my belt.

I'm running along and I feel kind of slow. We hit mile 1 and my Runkeeper says nothing. I have it set for every half miile and I have't head anything. JUST GREAT!! I'm not going to restart it now, what's the point. I continue on without it. No pace, no mileage, just music and the people in my head. 

As I approach mile 2, I hear these two guys talking behind me. One says, "I thought they said this course was flat?" I think in my head, yeah, this course is so not flat. Great, one more thing for the people in my head to talk about. 

The two guys pass me and now I am chasing them. I can't believe how slow I feel I'm running. I try and just keep up with them. All the while in my head, the people are talking.

At mile 4 or so, the guys stop to get some water. I continue on and wonder when they will pass me again. I seem to pass them at each water station but they catch up and pass me every time. This time, I'm still ahead. After the turn around point at about 6.5 miles in, I hear them behind me. Close enough that I turn to them and say, "I was wondering when you were going to catch up."  They laugh and say that clearly I have mastered the art of drinking while running, while they have not. They complimented my pace and said that I was THEIR rabbit! They asked what my pace was and I said since my GPS shut off at the beginning of the race, I had no idea. In my head I was thinking some where around 9:35-9:45. One of the guys said our pace was 8:55. WHAT, are you kidding me? Holy cow. I was way off. 

We chatted for a few miles, which this never happens. It was nice to talk it up so I didn't have hear the crowd in my head. They are so negative, all the time. At mile 9 they took off.  I didn't have the energy to keep up so I let my rabbits go. 

At mile 10 I was hating the run. It felt like it was up hill the entire way. How can that be because clearly it didn't feel down hill the first half. What is going on? I decided I could slow down. I'm not sure I actually did but I wanted to. 

At mile 11, I thought 2 more miles. I found myself in a group of 3 girls that were running my pace. I was ahead and then one or two would pull ahead but we all stayed together. 

Mile 12, one more mile....I believe this time I slowed down. Then I picked up my pace when  we hit the board walk. I know we are close. I just want to see the finish line. I was told in the beginning that we might have to pass the finish line and turn around to come through it. NO, I do not want to pass the finish line. 

Mile 13.... .1 mile to go. I see this older guy wearing a white shirt with a target on his back. I've been behind him since mile 11.  I pick up my pace. I pass him. YES.  I see the finish line. I see the clock 1:58:58. I am sprinting. Well, I feel like I'm sprinting but I'm probably running just faster than a turtle. As I hit the shoot 1:59:25. Are you kidding me, I have to come in under 2:00. Why? I didn't have this goal at all before the race.Now, it's my goal. As I cross the finish line 1:59:58.

Exhausted, I stop so they girl can remove my timing chip. She is taking forever and my legs are tingling. I just want to walk. Hey, where is my medal? Where are the people giving out medals? Finally, she get's my chip off and I turn around and look for someone, anyone. Ah, finally there is a girl, not very visible with medals on her arm. "Can I have my medal?" She says, "Oh, sorry."

I walk through the crowd trying to find water and food. The lady pouring water into individual cups is taking forever. SERIOUSLY woman, I just want some freakin water. The guy next to me laughs as I'm talking about her under my breath. He grabs the first cup and hands it to me. :) Thank you sir.

I find my rabbits. We give our "good job" greeting and was told that my time had to be around 1:56 because that's when they came in. Oh yeah, duh, I started after the clock and after the first wave. Of course. 

My official time: 1:57:41. My third best time with an average pace of 8:59. I can't believe that I was running that fast. I felt so slow and so sluggish. (83 overall out of 342 females and 26th in my age group out of 114)

Here is what the crowd in my head was talking about the entire time. It's a good thing that I don't listen to them too often. I can laugh about it now.

-Gosh you are running slow

-You might just come in last at this pace

-Another hill

-This sucks without your GPS working

-I can't believe you signed up for this race

-You should just give up running after this race

-I can't believe you want to do another full marathon, that is not going to happen now

-Oh the heat, you plan to run a half marathon every month? How are you going to do it in the HEAT???

-Just slow down

-Maybe you should walk the rest

Before the race

         My rabbits, Josh and Mile from Santa Barbara

                 (I was off on my time...oops. 1:57:41)

Overall, the race was well organized. This is part of the California Race Series. Another good thing about this race (Same company put on the Holly Jolly half marathon) we get FREE race photos. You get a 4x6 and a 5x8 for free. The medals are nice, not too cheap looking and the cost of the race is only $40. I have 3 other races to run to complete the California Race Series. 

Next half marathon....Rock n' Roll Dallas with my sister.

How do I get out of this slump?

I think I'm in a slump because I have no real big goals. I had finished training for my full marathon and I think it took every thing out of me, literally. I have only ran 6 times since January 19th. I love running but even the short runs I  have been going on, I just feel heavy and slow. I'm not sure how to get out of it. I have a half marathon THIS weekend. HOLY COW. I've ran halves before without training so I know I can do it, but I would rather do it with ease than with struggle.

I completed my first VIRTUAL race on February 9th for Relentless for Reagan. Reagan is a little girl fighting for her life with lymphoma. R4R Virtual Race posted on Facebook and I signed up. You can choose which distance you want to run, so I chose to run a 10k. (Race medal will be mailed to me)

Then Dani Holmes-Kirk from Weight Off My Shoulders posted another virtual race (apparently these are the things to do now). She is running the Boston Marathon and has to raise money for Teddy's Team which raises money for stroke victims. Her race was called the Stop Stroke Shuffle and again you could pick your distance. I chose to run a 5K since it was in line with my training (using that word loosely) . (Race medal will be mailed to me)

     

                                                         

I really want to get back into the groove of things. It's not like the weather is bad. This has been the best winter EVER. Sunny, clear skies and in the 70-80s, just amazing. I should be out running every day.

The girls at my gym are running a 5k called the MartiGras 5K in Santa Clarita on Saturday so I signed up for that. I figured a 5K the day before my half marathon won't hurt and maybe it's just what I need to kick start this slump.

I also found out through Facebook that there is a run called Run One for Boston and it is a relay run from Santa Monica all the way to Boston. All the money raised will go towards victims and their families that survived the Boston Marathon bombing. I set a goal to raise $250 and so far I am $30 away from my goal. I signed up to run Stage 5 with another female runner named, Lauren Anderson. I have no idea who she is but there are 30 stages listed for California and I didn't want to potentially be the only one running a stage so I was able to sign up with any stage I wanted. I would have loved to do the kick off run in Santa Monica but it's at  1pm on March 16th and will be in San Diego that morning doing the Puppy Love 5K with Kevin and Gwen and wouldn't be able to make a 1pm start time. So a later stage worked best for me. Our stage is 8 miles from El Monte to Covina Park and then we hand the baton off to a guy named Dominick Santos. Not that many people read this but I am posting the link to my sponsor page. My run is March 16th at 10:10pm.

http://www.onerunforboston.org/u/ordinaryrunner/

My schedule for February and March:

February 22: Marti Gras Madness 5K, Santa Clarita

February 23: Seaside Half Marathon, Ventura

March 16: Puppy Love 5K (walk with the pigs)

March 16: Run One for Boston (8 miles)

March 23: Rock N' Roll Half Marathon, Dallas

Stay tuned.....this girl has got to get her butt in gear.

Sugar crash

The funk…..

I ran my full marathon three weeks ago and I have ran twice and worked out three times in the three weeks that followed. WHAT IS WRONG with me??? I love working out and I love running. I live in California so it certainly isn't the weather getting me down.

I have been eating like crap. And when I say crap…I mean, brownies, candy, cookies, more cookies, more brownies, M&M's and the list goes on but it's making me sick just typing this up. SUGAR. I believe that SUGAR has been my downfall. I normally eat sugar, sure. I don't diet. I don't really watch what I eat, but generally, I eat pretty healthy. I don't keep baked goods or candy in my house because to be honest, I just don't have any self control when it comes to that.

For example. I was at a week long training session last week and that is where I ate most of the junk food. They had it sitting out on tables, just calling me name. The best part, or maybe now, I 'm thinking the worst part, was that it was free. If it cost money, there is no way I would have eaten any of it. So the week ended and I was thankful to be away from that sugar rush.

This week, I decided to make cookies. WHY? I don't need them and when I make them, I pretty much eat them or breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well, that is exactly what is happening. I decided to get out of my funk and go to the gym today and run since the last time I ran and went to the gym was Monday. I had two cookies for breakfast and a small bowl of granola cereal. I can't believe I did that. Well, maybe I can. I know me. I know my habits. I'm shaking my head right now.

I went to my gym class and was tired and out of breath and just felt crappy.  After class I went for a 3 mile run and just felt slow and sluggish. During my run is when I realized, it's probably all the sugar I have been eating. My slower than normal minute per mile was a huge reminder to never make cookies again. 

Tomorrow I will hit the gym again and I have a 4 mile run. No more cookies for me. I threw the bag in the trash. Hopefully they get out of my system soon so I can get back to running my normal speed.

HipsSister running belt review: (as promised)

Decided to wear tight fitting capri, cotton/spandex pants for running today since it was cooler outside. I put it on, this time over my tank top. I placed my car key in the pocket and put my phone in the zippered pocket that rests on my lower back. I took off and immediately noticed that it wasn't going to go anywhere today. It stayed put. I was so happy. I think the problem on Monday was that my shorts were a slippery material and not tight fitting so they moved, which caused the belt to move. It also may have helped that I put it over my tank top (which was tight fitting too). The only thing I wish that were different is that they should have a longer zipper for one pocket for those that have longer phones than the iPhone. My phone fits but I have to put it in at an angle and then push it down. I have to be careful not to detach my headphones when putting it in the pocket. Overall, I think this is a great product at a great price. (Reading their website says the unzipped pouch is for the phone. But I like to keep my zipped up.)

RATING: 4 out of 5

For $26 you get a comfy running belt to hold, keys, Gu, snacks, phone/ipod, whatever your heart desired. There are two zippered pockets and one small pouch. There are an assortment of colors and a few new patterns to choose from. They have four sizes to choose from. I am 5'7, 132 pounds and ordered the size A.

The one I bought can be seen here:

https://squareup.com/market/traveling-light-and-comfortable/left-coast-carbon#

Getting it started

And this week is the start…..

I ran my full marathon two weeks ago. My plan was to take one week off and then start back up on my training for the future half marathons. WELL…work and lack of motivation got in the way. I had training all week for work and the drive was horrendous which made me want to sit on the couch and veg all week…which is exactly what I did.

TODAY is a new week and it's time to get running. I received my new running shoes in the mail last week so I was excited to have them hit the pavement. My training plan has me running Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. I know today is Monday and that's how motivated I felt this morning…AFTER Superbowl…might I add.

I woke up and went to my Cardiogirl fitness class. Today was "arm day" so it makes for a good day to start running again because tomorrow is "leg day." Oh I can't tell you how horrible it is to run after "leg day."

I set out for my 3 mile run and I decided to make it a jog rather than a run. After all, it was MONDAY, not TUESDAY. Took it slow….really slow…at a 9.45 min/mile pace on average but it felt good. Not great. My body felt tired but that's probably from all the crap food I ate this weekend and not drinking enough water. Tomorrow will be better.

New Asics running shoes

My measly 3 mile run   

I also tried on a new running belt this morning which I purchased from Traveling Light and Comfortable. The running belt is called, "HipS-sisters".  It's a stretchy material that you can step into or pull over your head. It sits on your hips. There are two zippered pockets and a small unzipped pocket/pouch that I slid my car key into for the run. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I forgot to take one today. 

REVIEW: When I first started running, it kept sliding up and then I thought, well this is comfortable as it slid around my abdomen and sat there. I have a slim waist and bigger rear end, so I thought maybe this is why it kept sliding up. But after I adjusted it two times, early on in the run, it stayed put on my hips. By the end of the run, it was a little scrunched but at least it stayed on my hips. During the last adjustment, I moved the pocket that held my phone to the middle of the lower back and maybe that made the difference since I had originally started out with it on the side of my hip. While running, I also thought  this might be good to wear when I go wine tasting so that I don't have to find a place to hook my purse while tasting at the counter :). DUAL purpose…I like that. I'll wear it tomorrow during my run and give my final, thumbs up, thumbs middle or thumbs down.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TLCHipBand

Website: http://www.tlchipbands.com

Tri-City Mecial Center Carlsbad Marathon

Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon…..26.2: Check.

Saturday, January 18, 2014 (Pre-race day)

Drove down to Carlsbad with my friend Trina who was doing the half marathon while I was going to be running the full marathon. We stopped at the race expo first. Race expos are one of my favorite things about signing up for a race. I wasn't that thrilled with the vendors this year. There seems to be a trend of an increasing number of recovery drinks or energy bars that seem to fill the expo tent. I miss the race gear. The skirts, the shorts the cute socks. WHERE DID YOU GO??? I race with a belt on to hold my phone. I wanted just a fuel belt with no pockets for the phone. I circled the place three times, maybe four. I found one person who had one on display but it looked used. Then I settled on one with a pocket for $20. Oh well…I bought it. Then on our way out, I spotted a table that had 2 fuel belts and they were only $11. AHHHHHH!!!  I just stuck with the one I bought. At least it will get used.

We checked into our hotel and my sister met us there and surprised us with hanging pictures all over our room with pictures of Ryan Goseling with "HEY GIRL" sayings. They were so funny.

Hey Girl, Let's spread out all your running magazines and catalogs on the bed and spend the whole night circling everything you want.

Hey Girl, c'mere. I'll ice your knee.

Hey Girl, that fuel belt makes your butt look fantastic.

Hey Girl, you make compression gear look like a little black dress.

Hey Girl, let me massage your feet while I listen you your mile splits.

Hey Girl, I love the way the musty smell of your wet off road shoes greets me on the porch. It lets me know you got home from your run safely.

Hey Girl, who said eleven minute miles isn't running?

Hey Girl, Sorry I'm tired. I was up late writing love notes on the back of your bib.

Dinner…OLIVE GARDEN, of course. 5 cheese ziti alforno and all you can eat salad and bread sticks. Heck yeah, count me in.

I usually have rituals that I do the night before. I take a bath. I scrub my face. I paint my fingers and toe nails. I drink tea and I just relax. Well, I pretty much only got my fingers painted because I was going over race stuff with my sister and friend. I felt rushed and it was getting late….too late. I ended up drinking my tea right before bed. I just hope this doesn't mess with my mojo.

Sunday, January 19, 2014 (Race day)

I don't sleep well away from home….especially the night before a race. I had to be up by 4:30 to catch the 5am shuttle to the start line. My race started at 6:15. I woke up every hour and at 3:30 and 4 the baby next door was crying. SO I decided just to get up at 4. I had two friends in the room that didn't have to leave when I left so I got all my stuff and hung out in the bathroom. At least it was a big bathroom. I have been so excited about doing this race. When I woke up, I was a little panicked. Can I do this? Can I run 26.2 miles? Fear set in. Once I started getting ready though, that feeling went away and excitement returned. I have my sister and my friend meeting me at different mile markers along the way to cheer me on. I will be fine.

I took the shuttle over and ended up talking to another female runner until the race started. That was nice because usually I'm alone and keep to myself. It made the hour go by fast.

I realized that I forgot my chap stick. CRAP. I need that. Oh wait. I did put a little thing of vasoline in my fuel belt just in case I had chaffing. Thank goodness or I would be screwed! I also forgot my pre race gel cubes that I ALWAYS eat right before a race. This isn't going the way I planned. I will make due though. I'll just eat a GU earlier than planned.

Race started and I'm off. My two goals: Do not stop to walk and I wanted to come in under 4:30. I thought if I kept a 9:45 pace, then I would be alright and could possibly come in at 4:15. I started out at a 9:05 pace and kept a 9:07 pace for about 13 miles. Seeing my sister standing at random mile markers brought a smile to my face. It made me so happy. She had made different signs for each mile she was meeting me at. I saw my friend at 3 of the miles and I just love seeing her there also to support me. At mile marker 12 my sister and my friend were there together and threw a short lived dance party to "Timber" by Pit Bull and Ke$ha. I grabbed some energy bar, danced a few steps and off I went. I felt REALLY good. In fact I felt more like I was jogging and could run faster but I didn't want to potentially have a set back like my first marathon.

There were a lot of hills. WAY more than I expected. I hate hills. You don't understand. I really really hate hills. But as I ran up each one, I thought to myself, I hate hills. I hate them so much but I really kill them. I hall ass up them. I pass almost everyone going up the hill. I"m pretty good at hills. BUT man do I hate hills.  

Miles 13-17 I flew. I kept my pace. I saw my sister and my friend a few more times. More hills. At this point I even say out loud, "Great, another hill." No one finds it funny. Runners seem to lack personality during a race. I like to make light of the horrible things during a race. No one listens or they glare at me. At least I think I'm funny.

I wanted to get passed mile 18 because it was a horrible training run. 18 went great. My next goal, mile 20…my longest training run. Passed 20 with flying colors. Next goal 22….the mile that took me out in my first marathon. I WILL NOT WALK. I WILL NOT HAVE PAIN. 21 came with a vengeance and sucked the life out of my body. It was hard. It was painful. My shins hurt. My feet hurt. My thighs hurt. My shoulder hurt. My knees felt great though! Keep running. Keep running. I made it to 22..the demon mile. It was hard, more hills but I pushed through. I came up to 23, just 3 more miles. This should be easy. It's hard to get that negative voice out of your head. SHUT UP LEGS. SHUT UP HEAD. I can do this. I was in front of the 4:09 pacer. I could slow down and still make my goal. My head said no. If I slow down I'll just be on the course longer. I saw my sister at 23 or 24, I can't remember. I told her it was hard. I'm struggling. She said I'm doing great as she ran along side of me. You have no idea how much that meant to me. It's a little added energy. It's encouragement. It's just what you need when you just think it's TOO hard. Thank you TRACY!

Are you kidding me? MORE hills with 2 miles left. I shout out loud "Great. Just what I wanted another hill." No one laughed. I think every one was in agony. I'm sure they were cussing me out in their head. I kept passing people though. I would pass half marathoners and I want to say….why are you running so slow? I've already ran 21 miles, you have only ran 9. But I know how they feel. 

I get choked up at mile 25. I'm almost done. I have accomplished so much. I choke up at 26…..   .2 miles to go. I usually sprint down the road when I see the finish line. This time I just kept my pace. I couldn't go any further. I got my finish line pose ready to go and the camera man was looking down at his camera. What a disappointment. He couldn't even capture my accomplishment at the finish line. I thought I would cry from emotions welling up inside of me. From accomplishment to being so dang proud of myself. I didn't cry. No one tear. 

This was amazing. What a great experience and great run. I came in at 4:07:23. I accomplished both goals. Despite the miserable last 5 miles, I still want to take on the Walt Disney Dopey Challenge. I think I'm a little crazy. I am so proud of myself. Such a different feeling from my first marathon. I feel so accomplished. So important. I have bragging rights…right? Man this was a great day.

Thank you to my sister, Tracy for pushing me and cheering me on. You mean the world to me and that meant everything to me. Thank you Carlee for being there voluntarily. That just meant so much to me to have my friend WANT to come cheer me on without having to ask for your support. I love both of you.

My awesome sister.

 

 

Oh yeah, I did it!

Carlee

Trina (completed half marathon with a PR)

Time to recover. Take the week off of running and just focus on my fitness classes. Next week I'll start running again. My next half marathon is on the 23rd. I'll be ready.

One day till the Marathon

1 day, 15 hours and 16 minutes…..

That is how long I have until my full marathon.

It is Friday and I leave tomorrow morning for Carlsbad. I went to go see Dr. Mitchell, my sports chiropractor one last time. It's the same routine lately. I check in, get into a room and the technician uses an ultrasound probe on my IT band for about 10 minutes. Then Dr. Mitchell comes in and we chit chat about my race and he applies the Kinesiology Tape. He used to use this horrible tool along my IT band to loosen it up but he felt it today and says it's not tight.

Ultrasound

The magical tape.

I don't run long distances (over 8 miles) without the tape now. I bought some at Sprots Chalet and I usually apply it myself now. The very first time I had it applied, it was for the Santa Clarita half marathon. I had it applied Friday (like today) and my race was on Sunday. Here is my dilemma this time. Do I wear this tape for the marathon, or do I take it off and apply it myself. I have these strange ideas that I must stay consistent in everything I do in running to have a good run.

For example. During my 18 mile training run I wore shorts and knee socks. I had the worst run ever. I just felt really really sick. During my 20 mile training run, I wore shorts but regular running socks. I felt great. SO NOW, I'm associating my bad run with knee socks. I will not be wearing knee socks during my marathon now….even though I have worn them for a half marathon and was fine.

Do I jinx myself and wear his tape or mine? UGGGG decisions. BIG decisions. When he applied the tape for the first time, I had my best time. The tape also doesn't match what I'm wearing. ALSO, it's a different tape than the KT brand tape. I just don't know what to do. I know I'm being silly but I can't help it. I guess we all have to be neurotic over something, right?

Time to go pack.

My planned races 2014

Races for 2014....

One of my goals this year is to run a half marathon each month. This month I am doing a full marathon so I will not be running a half marathon but I figure that it counts as two, right?

February 23: Seaside half marathon in Ventura (part of California Race Series)
March 23: Rock n' Roll Dallas half marathon (part of the triple crown)
April 5: Hollywood half marathon
May 10: Santa Barbara Wine Country half marathon
June 14: SoCal Wine Country Womens Trail half marathon in Temecula
July: still up in the air
August 10: Arroyo Creek half marathon in Simi Valley (part of the California Race Series)
September 21: Rock n' Roll Philadelphia (part of the triple crown)
October: OktobeRun in Redwood (part of California Race Series)
November 16: Rock n' Roll Las Vegas (part of the triple crown)
November 27: Los Angeles Turkey Trot 10K
December: 28: San Diego Holiday half marathon (part of the California Race Series)

http://calhalfseries.com/

http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/usa

http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/heavy-meda

My races

My races so far.......

2012

Disneyland half marathon, September 6.  Official Time: 2:34:16 (My first half marathon)

2010

Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad half marathon, January 24.  Official Time: 2:33:19

La Jolla half marathon, April 25. Official Time: 2:09:12  

Americas Finest City half marathon, August 15. Official Time: 2:33:12    My time: 2:27:11
(Above 3 completed a Triple Crown)

Indianapolis Monumental half marathon, November 6. Official Time: 2 :26:10

Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad

La Jolla

Americas Finest City (This completed the Triple Crown)

Indiana Monumental (Ran a for the first time with my sister)

2012

Rock n' Roll Pasadena, February 19. Official Time: 1:58:47  

Honda Los Angeles marathon, March 18. Official Time: 5:30:14  My time: 5:08:17
Baker to Vegas Relay, April (Ran leg 10, 5.6 miles)

Rock n' Roll San Diego, June 3. Official Time: 2:22:06  My time: 2:21:07

Rock n' Roll Los Angeles, October 28. Official Time: 2:17:57

Rock n' Roll Pasadena

Honda L.A. marathon (I got a surprise visit from my nephew and brother in law)

Baker to Vegas Relay

Rock n' Roll San Diego (I was really sick this day)

Rock n' Roll Los Angeles

2013

Santa Monica Beach Jam half marathon, March 9. Official Time: 2:14:56

Divas San Francisco half marathon, May 5. Official Time: 2:06:34

Delta Harvest half marathon, September 15. Official Time: 2:12:24

Surf City 10, 10 mile race, October 27. Official Time: 1:37:26

Santa Clarita half marathon, November 3. Official Time: 1:54:00 *PR

Los Angeles Turkey Trot 10k, November 28. Official Time: 51:22

Holly Jolly half marathon, December 15. Official Time: 2:01:39

Santa Monica Jam Blast

Divas San Francisco

Delta Harvest

Surf City 10

Santa Clarita

Turkey Trot Los Angeles

Holly Jolly 

Why yes, I do strike the same pose in all my post race photos. Thank you for noticing.

*My time is just running time. I pause my gps tracker when I use the restroom. 

Let's get this started

Let's get this started....

I have been training since September 30th, 3013 for the Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad marathon that is on January 19, 2014. This will be my second full marathon. 

2012 Recap: My first full was in March of 2012, the Honda Los Angeles marathon. I thought I had put in enough training for it (even though I only got up to 15 miles). I even counted calories and weighed my food every single meal, every single day until the marathon. At mile 4, my IT band in my left knee started to hurt. At mile 6 my IT band on my right knee. I knew this wasn't good so early on. I kept running through the pain at the pace I wanted (around 10:30) so I could finish at a 4:30:00 (at least). My sister cheered me on. My friends cheered me on...true motivation. At mile 21, I saw my friends and started crying. I was in such extreme pain but I had to finish. At mile 22, I saw my sister and broke down again. She asked if I wanted her to finish with me. No, I could do this. For the last 4 miles, my body gave up. I tried to run, even one step but my knee kept giving out. I was forced to walk the last 4 miles. It was so beyond pissed. I felt great. I never hit a wall. I took in enough calories. I was running the pace I wanted. Everything was on track...even with the pain. WHY wouldn't my body let me run? I just wanted to run through the finishline. It was disheartening walking past spectators and them yelling, "you can do it." "you are so close". YES. I KNOW BUT I CAN'T RUN!!!! I crossed the finishline with a small limp eventhough it felt as though I just threw myself across the line. I was couldn't even smile. This surely wasn't how I imagined crossing the finishline. I couldn't even be proud of myself for completing a marathon. In my mind, this wasn't a completion. Official clock time was 5:30:14. My clock time (I pause for porto-potty breaks so that I get actual running time) was 5:08:17. I wish I could have been happy but I wasn't. This just means I need to run another full marathon to accomplish my goal of running a full marathon.

Present Day: I am less than 6 days from my marathon. This time around, I stuck to my training schedule and only missed 8 days of training. I also started going to the gym and taking classes for strength training. I did not however change my diet. I didn't even track what I ate. I lost 6 pounds and got a whole lot leaner in 3 months. I even made it to my 20 mile training run. Then I got the stomach flu and was out for a week. At least it was a tapering week. This week, the week before the big race, I have three runs. I have two, three mile runs and a two mile walk. THIS is killing me. I would much rather run longer since I feel like just picking up with 26 miles will just drain me if I run these short distances. Everything I read though says I will be okay and it's needed for the body to recover and heal. UGGGGG. 

Side Note: I also decided I wanted to see what all the hype was about with Kinesiology Tape. I saw a sports chiropractor at the end of October, two days before my Santa Clarita half marathon. He taped up my right knee and sent me off running. I ran a PR two days later and had no pain. No stiffness. This tape was AMAZING. I must now wear it on all my long runs greater than 8 miles...and so I did.

My Goal: My main goal is to finish the full marathon RUNNING the whole thing. My secondary goal is to come in under 4:30:00. With the way I have been training, I think I could easily come in 4:15:00 or faster but I'm giving myself some cushion.

Am I crazy? During this training I told myself and everyone else that this was my last full marathon. The training is just too much. It consumed my life...so it felt like it. Today, I read a blog on Facebook of a girl who did the Disney Dopey Challenge last weekend. This is a weekend long race consisting of Thursday: 5K, Friday: 10K, Saturday: half marathon and Sunday: Full marathon. I ACTUALLY looked into it and thought it might be fun. AM I CRAZY? Let's just see how this full marathon goes okay?!

This is me after the 2012 Honda L.A Marathon. I know I look happy. I'm not, it's all for the camera. I can't wait to post my 2014 Carlsbad Marathon picture.

Who is this girl?

Well.....it all started when I was 30 in 2007 with a Revlon Run/Walk 5k in Los Angeles. After that, I had an interest in running but didn't run my next race until September 2009.

In 2009 I ran my first half marathon. I didn't really train (when I say I really didn't train, I really didn't. I think I ran maybe three times and maybe five miles was my longest run) but knew I could do it. My best friend, Julie and I signed up and ran the Disney half marathon.

In 2010 I wanted to do the San Diego Triple Crown and I ran the Carlsbad half marathon, La Jolla half marathon and the Americas Finest City half marathon to complete my first triple crown. Disaster struck and I injured my knee during the La Jolla half marathon and my IT (illiotibial) band was on fire. Despite my painful knee, I continued to run. To finish off 2010, I flew to Indiana and ran the Indianapolis Monumental half marathon with my sister. It was the first time I had ran with my sister and it was so great to cross the finish line with her. My knee was so painful that I decided to take a break from running in 2011 to go through physical therapy and to let me knee heal.

In 2012 I was in full stride again.This year I wanted to complete a triple crown and run my first marathon. I started out the year not so great. In January, I  was signed up for the Carlsbad half marathon and the morning of the race my appendix decided it was going to become inflamed and it kept me in the hospital well past the start of the race. I did in fact make up for it. I ran a triple crown in the Rock N Roll race series (Pasadena, San Diego and L.A) and in March I ran my first full marathon in the L.A Marathon. I ended 2012 with my first sprint triathlon, the San Dimas Turkey Trot.

In 2013 I had no real goals, just to run and throw in a couple sprint triathlons. I ran the Santa Monica Beach Jam half marathon, Divas half marathon, Delta Harvest half marathon, Surf City 10 miler, Santa Clarita half marathon (PR), Los Angeles 10k Turkey Trot and the Holly Jolly half marathon.I completed two sprint triathlons (Castaic and Hansen Dam). I also started training in October for my second full marathon in January 2014.

....and so 2014 starts with new goals and a running blog to track my accomplishments. #1:  I am going to run my second full marathon on January 19th in the Carlsbad marathon. #2: I am going to run twelve half marathons in twelve months. In those twelve runs, I am going to run a triple crown with my sister (Rock N Roll Dallas, Philadelphia and Las Vegas) and also complete the California race series runs (4 races for a special medal). And so my journey begins........