banned from the track

i woke up this morning at 4:30am and realized that i'm not allowed to go to 5:50am track practice today. no hill repeats. no circuit drills. no monster hill climb. no 180 steps/minute... more sleep. i'm kind of sad (and yes i'm crazy).

not that my day isn't full... so i went back to bed and got up at 7am. last day at work and lots to be done! month end reports. payroll. meetings with my team. plus had to get my dad from his 1st rituxan treatment. he seemed ok. it took 5 hours and they had to stop half way through because he was having a reaction to it. but he seemed fine. called my mom to let her know we're back and he still has all 10 fingers and 10 toes, etc. once he was home and settled, i hurried home (except traffic was not my friend - who plans a 49er & raider game on the same thursday?!) got home. changed and did my easy 20 minute run per the taper down training schedule. again, i didn't want to deal with driving anymore so i did my old run from home to starbucks and back. it was another hot day and my last run before my 1/2 marathon, but no time to get sentimental. i had to get back in the car and go to sportsbasement and get gu and other odds and ends before the trip (and no, traffic was not better later in the evening). it's past 11pm and i'm still going... gotta finish this report for work. gotta clean and pack... and eat! did i tell you that i need to be at the airport in 5 hours?! eek! i'll sleep on the plane.

1.8 miles
17:38 minutes
<10 minutes a mile

4 days to go...

today was a busy day... and hot! i thought i was busy at work yesterday, but i'm trying to get everything done at work before i leave and make sure there aren't any loose ends, plus any other things at home that need to be done. ACK! i leave in 2 days and run in 4. i almost didn't make my run today. it's usually a cross train day where i bike or do pilates, but there is no strength training this week and i need to do something to keep the legs loose for sunday. i got out of work (later than i planned) and ran around the block (well a group of blocks). i didn't do this loop before but it was flat, and i didn't need to move my car before going home. today wasn't the most exciting run. it consisted of sidewalks and buildings and heat. my legs felt better than yesterday too. after i mapped it each loop was .7 miles and i did 5 laps... was gonna do 4, but that put me at 25 minutes. i can't wimp out bc it's hot... it was 80+. what am i talking about?! my run is in kaua'i and it's going to be 84 degrees... and raining.

tomorrow is the last run before sunday's half marathon. only 20 minutes. EEK!

3.5 miles
32:49 minutes
9:23 miles a minute

the final buddy run

the final buddy run was today at 6am. i'm kind of sad about that. i emailed my ladies and let them know that i'm only doing 3 miles (not 6) and would meet at 6am instead of 5:45am... that extra 5 minutes really does help in the morning. the plan: 3 miles and off to work. the butterflies have started. that or something is wrong with my stomach. i had a 1/2 lara bar and tortilla before the run (yes, i have no food whatsoever in the fridge... figured why get groceries since i'm leaving in a few days). after 5 minutes of running, the butterflies got worse. i can't be nervous since it's only 3 miles. maybe it'll go away. it didn't, but i was fine. i made the 3 miles at a slow pace. part ofme feels like i peaked too soon. i was at a 9:?? minute pace a while back, but i'm not going to worry about that now. i can't really change anything i've prepared for. just get ready and enjoy the run. i did try out my new run skirt for this sunday. it's black and not as obnoxious, but i was told that you run faster if you're coordinated :) and a bright blue and pink skirt with a purple singlet may be a bit much!

this week is about tapering down down. i was told not to run anymore for the rest of the week, but that can't be right. time to consult with my coach on how much more i can do. no strength training, so i canceled pilates and training. just resting and emergen-c. guess that's a good thing because i've got a bunch of stuff to do at work before i leave. now for a quick power nap before i get ready for a 12 hour day at work!

3 miles
34 minutes

welcome to my pity party

6 days to go and this is not a workout entry.... today i was supposed to run 4 - 6 miles. i didn't. i didn't run yesterday because i was at work. i am working extra hours until i leave for kaua'i. my throat is sore. it hurts to swallow. i am achy. my knee is still a little tweaked. i can't sleep. my dad's first treatment is thursday and i need to leave work to pick up my dad from his treatment and get him home and then go back to complete all of my work deadlines.

BREATHE....

maybe i'm just stressing myself out. i always work extra hours at the end of the month. there are always deadlines at work, and i've got them done before. i've been training for 8 weeks. 1 more week isn't going to make or break my training. this week is about keeping my legs loose, rest, recover and hydrate.

time for me to suck it up and do the damned thing!
pity party over.

last coached training run

so today was the last coached training before i leave for my race... it was ok.

today the scheduled training run was 4 - 16 miles (depending on which run you were training for) with staggered start times so everyone finished around the same time. i was scheduled for the last group running 4 - 6 miles~ good thing because my alarm woke me up at 5:30am... yes too early. went back to bed and i slept in until 7:30am... too late. i got up, threw on my gear and sunscreen... forgot my handkerchief... and jumped in my car. i followed the directions in my training packet and made good time, since not much traffic to get to the suburbs... except for the fact that when i got there and parked, it was the wrong place. luckily it was the 2nd water stop and they gave me directions to get to the start... up the hill hard left, up the hill, down the hill veer right... um, i'm screwed. didn't know if i should just turn around and go home. there were no signs, no nothing. luckily, i wasn't the only lost/late person, because the only reason i found the start was that i spotted 2 TNT people stretching next to a police car (don't ask about the police car... different story). i checked in and got to the trail. all in all i didn't really start until 8:45am. i did see one of the mentors on their way back and was told that coach said to only run 4 miles.

only 4?! ok... i suppose we are supposed to taper. i passed the 2 people i started with and ran alone. no problem. the trail was marked well. my pace was ok. i passed the water stop, got to mile 2 and turned around. that's when i saw wendy (she's the 1 of 3 people on my team who is running kauai. the 3rd is a ninja and i've never met him - heard he was cute, so i'm sure i'd remember). we ran back together at the split was a little faster.

i talked to my coach about how i hurt my knee. he said i should be okay, but i'm on an ice regiment and and anti inflammatory for the rest of the week. i got my race packet and new purple people singlet for next week. by this time the food spread was out, but i felt guilty... didn't work up a sweat

how can last weeks' run with hills feel so good and today... just ok.

i kind of feel like i cheated. i'm not winded. my knee is sore. i told a friend that my run sucked, and he laughed and called me little miss sunshine. i mean, it was fine. i did 10 minute miles. maybe a little sad because it is my last official workout.

little miss sunshine, sweat pea, peanut... this girl is gonna do the damned thing! this next week is about rest, hydration & hawaii!


4 miles
40:38 minutes
10:09 minute miles

routines

so it's 10 days before my run and i'm sitting here with ice on my knees. i was doing so well too! the day started with me getting up at 5am. i'm finally getting used to waking at 5am on thursday, eat some fuel and get to the track by 5:50am. today we did circuit training with hill repeats...big hill repeats. it was my last "official" track workout. next thursday is an easy 3 mile run and then it's fly to kauai. it was a bit humid, but i think i did well. i feel good... the top part of the steep hill still kills me, but my time to do 4 circuits seem better and consistent.

still need to remember to hydrate while i run, but i'm doing ok. went home... took a quick 1 hour power nap (i've learned that getting up at 5am and not finishing my day until 9pm... getting home at 10pm is taxing... so that hour really helps and keeps me going through when i usually poop out at 4pm.

work was work... i had my big girl shoes, but ended up wearing flats all day.
that's when my routine changed... RIGHT KNEE... INNER PATELLA... OUCH! i was walking down the stairs when i felt the pain... i didn't do anything strenuous today to injure myself. it was just a slight discomfort (and it was too late to find a sub), so i decided to teach class, but no jumping jacks, kicking, or anything that would stress out my knees. walked through most of the class. then with one step... sharp pain :(

@#$(#)%$#(!#!!

i finished class. got food. drove home. pulled out my ice pack... and here i am.
resting, icing & elevating. i don't think i'm injured, but you can't be too safe.
i don't even think i did anything during training. it was getting out of the car or walking down the stairs or something stupid
:(

1 hour track practice - hill repeast & circuit
1 hour kickboxing class - just boxing... no kicking

ran 3 miles on 3 hours of sleep

so, let's face it. i'm not a morning person. but now that i've committed to these 6am buddy runs on tuesday, i have to go. monday was a long day at work... 10:30a - 10:30p. i rescheduled my planned workout with my trainer... i didn't get home until about 11pm. had to eat dinner since i forgot or better yet, didn't have time to get food while at work. i had a granola bar at 3pm (190 calories - not enough) and managed to get a half sandwich at 6:30pm while working...

by the time i got into bed at midnight, i couldn't fall asleep until around 2pm, and by then i kept waking up because i didn't want to sleep in. i wasn't sure how the run was gonna be... training said 4 - 6 miles. i've been slammed with emails, so i didn't call to confirm.

i surprisingly got up at 5am... brushed my teeth. had a 1/2 clif bar and water then got to our meeting spot. it was already 70 degrees at 6am. we decided to run the lake once and go from there.

it was gorgeous. the lights were on and the moon was still out, it looked more like dusk than 6am. this was the most beautiful time i've run this lake ever. running with people is great. i'm still not a big talker, but we have conversation and run buddy talks, but not incessantly. it's good. there are 3 of us... and we all admit, if we didn't have our tuesday morning date, we'd all be in bed. it wasn't our fastest pace, but i'm not really worried about that.

12 days til the marathon... i start to taper off this saturday and decrease my mileage.

i'm worried about 3 things - heat, dehydration, and getting enough rest before the marathon... mainly getting enough rest. i'm not good with tapering down and moderation.

example: i slept 3 hours and still ran 3 miles... with the full day ahead of me which doesn't end until 9pm.


3 miles
33 minutes
11 minute miles

10 miles of running > 20 miles of cycling

today's schedule: rest or easy run or cross train


i didn't want to take zumba since it's 14 days to the race and my right knee has been bothering me. figured i'd give my joints a rest and go for a ride. i'm testing out a new saddle, and it's much better than my old one!


what i forgot is that i'm not a good cyclist. it started out fine... i practiced taking the water bottle out while riding (yes, i'm that bad). at mile 15 i decided that i could do a hill~ a real hill. it's the hill i drive by the hills on the way to track. not sure if i was tired or i psyched myself up, but i only made it half way. i didn't want to tire my legs out or strain my joints.


i think the ride made my calves tighter... knees are fine though. oh yeah, next bike purchase - new handlebars!

20 mile bike ride
a long time!

the redwoods

10 miles. the original plan was 12 miles... my longest mileage before i start to taper down. since we were doing serious hills today, the plans changed to 10 miles (max for everyone).

it's a good thing i got there early... i was parked and at the meeting spot at 7:50am for an 8:00am start time. good thing, because it was staggered starts. i got there in time to check in. weigh in. and run.

the redwoods are gorgeous! i cannot do it justice with a description. what i can say is that it is a beautiful run and it's so close! it's like another world 20 minutes outside of SF and i recommend it to everyone for a run or even a nice stroll. the first mile was the trail... enough time to look around and admire everything. after that, it was down to business and time for some hills for the next 4 miles.... seriously! they were not rolling hills~ it's basically run up hill for 5 miles and then turn around and run back. mile 2 & 3 were the steep, dry and hot. i was worried about tripping on the fallen branches or roots on the trail. at the first water stop, i took off my long sleeve run top and decided to run with just the tank. little did i know that this was trail running through the redwoods and parts the trees were so dense that the fog and moisture gathered and it was like it was a rainy day in november. i ran through a lot of rain and mud puddles and windy paths. at times it was just a long mud puddle... about a mile of mud. i slipped a lot. after a while i wasn't worried about my time, since i walked through the downhill muddy portions. at that i point i told myself that it's not about time and it's not my race, it's the mileage and not falling. besides, i somehow hit my timer so i'm not 100% sure on my time. mission accomplished. i didn't fall.

by the time i got back, mud all over my shoes. in my shoes. in my socks on my legs.... and it was COLD! weighed myself (lost 1 pound*) i look like i ran muddy buddy... well, not that bad. but i was running through the same path as the mountain bikers in the slickers with the big mud stripes... and this is me in little shorts and a white tank.

good thing i brought a towel and am still driving the rental car right now! the trick is how to see how i feel tomorrow :)


note*: this was to see how much water we lose to make sure we aren't losing too much salt, etc.

10 miles
1:42 - 2:00?
1-12 minute mile?

i heart food

i feel really good at the track... maybe because i've been running and talking with people on tuesdays and saturdays. before i'd just show up. run my mileage or do my workout then go home. it is inspiring to be on a team and get the support even when you're not running the same pace... especially when you're struggling!

i missed last week when it was sprints. this week's track practice... NO SURPRISE: hill repeats with circuit drills. i felt good and fast... well, fast for me. maybe because i ate more in the morning: scrambled egg + wheat toast & 1/2 pbj. this fuel thing makes sense i suppose. my team asked me what it was today...
i told them it was the nachos i had for dinner last night. so today i ate a lot!

i went home after the track and crawled into bed for my nap. woke up had my coffee and blueberry scone.

work... fine. uneventful and productive.
lunch at le medeterrenee and i had the chicken kebab plate - salad, chicken kebab, rice, hummus... yummy

more work and off to teach class. i had a granola bar in the car.
my class was small. my calves seemed a bit tight and knee bothered me at work so, nothing strenuous on the knees, no jumping jacks etc for me and bag work was mainly punches. i started to run out of fuel towards the end. but it was a good workout! after class, i had my 1/3 chicken burrito

now i'm home... tomorrow is a rest day then 12 miles on saturday.
i ate lots today, but burned off more.
taking tomorrow off. i will let the sloth rule the day.

1 hour hill repeats and circuit drills
1 hour kickboxing

the workout doesn't always have to be hard and fast, just good.

wednesdays are always hard for me.. maybe because of the double workout and late night on tuesday... maybe because today was an anxiety filled day at work.

today was a pilates day and it was a good workout. i still have a lot to do, but i think i'm getting better. my trainer is great and very encouraging... though cirque du soleil will not be calling me soon, i'm doing better for me. (never thought i would say that, since i'm very critical of myself and have a tendency of comparing myself for others). don't get me wrong. i still have to learn how to breathe through my diaphragm, and i hold too much tension in my neck.

after an 11 hour day at work. i'm tired... didn't notice that my lower back hurt until i left work. first time all season that my back is achy. tomorrow is an early day at the track then off to work... we'll see how it goes.

all work and no play makes belle a dull girl.

it seems that all i do now is: run. work. workout. teach class. eat. sleep. what ever happened to taco tuesdays? wednesday dinner? thursday wine at pacific catch? friday happy hour? i should be having tacos, guac & cocktails tonight...

this tuesday, the countdown widget on my phone says i have 19 days left, so taco tuesdays must wait a few weeks. today my scheduled training is 6 miles, so i drag myself out of bed at 5am. no time to get ready and fuel up, so i grab a granola bar and get to the buddy run. everyone is doing 1x around the lake, since they are running nike... i'm trying to stick to the plan of 2x around. it's a good thing i have someone to run with me, else i would have done just 3 miles. i am starting to enjoy the running with people and some conversation. it's a bit distracting in a good way. we talk about nothing in particular. at times i think it makes me slower, but it keeps you breathing and going at a decent pace that is not too hard. first 5 miles were good pace... last mile, slowed down a bit, but we didn't stop.

got home. scrambled eggs. ate. showered and off to work...

it was not one of my favorite days at work, but let's just stay on the subject of my training. so i rush out of work late. my parking garage cannot locate my car and pull the wrong one out. i try to change while driving, but that doesn't work. best i can do is put my hair in pig tails. good news- superstar parking right in front. bad news- 7 minutes late and i'm in a dress. good news- one of the other instructors was there and did the warm up for me. i threw on my gear and started class. it was a little slower paced than last week, but a good tempo. 17 minutes of rounds on the bag with light weights and ab work to boot.

i close up shop and and off to visit the parents. i ended up staying later than usual since they were in a talky mood and my dad cooked for me. i was tired, so i just listened to them talk. at times it's nice to be home and just be their baby girl... until my mom expressed concern over me running in kauai... how it was hot... how i'll be dehydrated... how she's worried.

oh parents: if you don't visit, they worry that something is wrong. if you don't get seconds at dinner, they worry that you don't eat enough. if they think you work out too much (which i don't) they worry. but what matters is that they care and it's good to be loved.

i'm back home. it's almost midnight. time for bed.
i will have a life in 19 days... but my life right now is not bad at all.


6.2 miles
1:08 minutes
my brain doesn't work right now to figure out my pace... 11 minute miles?

easy like sunday morning

ok, so for the first time i did the easy run. no zumba. no 5-6 miles.... i actually didn't get up in time to make it to zumba... well i could have, but then i'd be late. i was almost not going to run, but i have 21 days to go and didn't really train last week. it feels like a stay at home day with the dog: laundry, iron, cook, clean, and walk to blue bottle (coffee for me & biscuit for cooper), but the sun's out and my hips are a bit stiff. i need a recovery run. so i called a friend. asked him to run... but let him know it wasn't a training run. just something short and slow.

i don't think i deserve a glass of wine for the workout, but it sounds good right now.

3.05 miles
32:29 minutes
11:18 minute mile

i run in pigtails

i love that people think i'm young on the team... maybe because i run in pigtails. today i went rogue and didn't wear my TNT shirt. i haven't been feeling well and needed something to help me going in the morning... so i rocked the run skirt. i didn't account for the fact that it's as short as my nike boy shorts (not ready for that yet)... and when you are stretching with people behind you and you bend over... not to fret. the run skirt has full coverage underneath... it's just bright pink full coverage.

i didn't think it would be such a conversation piece, since other people wore run skirts in the past. mine was turquoise and bright pink. but you know girls and their fashion. i figured if i got lost they could find me :) i haven't worn it since the beginning of the season when i did "see jane run." it fits much better now... not as snug :)

the run was the optional 4, 6, or 8 miles. i of course did 8. i said on thursday that i would take it easy, but i don't like to be left behind... 8 miles along the marina and back. pass the whale. pass the no guns beyond this point. pass the grey rock on your right and try not to smell the sewage or skunk or whatever it was. turn around at the neon yellow nalgene bottle and run back to where i started.

this time i had a running partner. i kinda like it. it keeps me running and from quitting... or stoppoing to walk i know my pace is good bc i can still have minor conversation, and i can remember to drink water when he does. we started slow, since i haven't run since tuesday and was out sick on thursday. we did pretty good. 2nd split was better than the first. (he owns a fancy garmin so i knew my pace and splits for each mile, but i don't really remember them).

little sprint to the end... he let me win. i was a bit winded and maybe lightheaded, but i'm good. need to eat more than 190 calories before the run. i will start to carry gu or shot blocks so i have some fuel for the next saturday run. (10-12 miles with a big hill... or 2). i got back to the car... CRAMP left foot. i really need to drink more water. tried the coconut water when i got home. i don't like coconut. i really don't. let's just say i gave the coconut water back to the ocean after i drank it. guess it's plan B for recovery drinks

worried about 2 things for kauai: humidity and dehydration
22 days to go.

8 miles
1:22:36
1st half 42 minutes
2nd half 40 minutes
10:18 minute mile

the energizer bunny is broken

my horoscope for today:
you may be in crash-and-burn mode right now, because you really want to accomplish a task by a certain date. hopefully, though, you realize that by rushing things you could be increasing your room for error and exhausting yourself to the point where you won't be at your best...

it's finally beautiful outside and i'm home sick... lame. i've been fighting it off for a while. my body has been feeling achy since sunday and i've been tired. really tired. my training has been going well and i figured i could work through it. i still haven't logged enough weekly miles and i have 24 days til kauai. i had a really good run tuesday morning. i had a great class tuesday night. i took a rest day on wednesday. i made sure i ate every 3-4 hours, other than saturday's reunion, i haven't had any alcohol, etc... i've been a good girl.

the one thing i forgot was, that if you don't let your body recover, you get sick. this morning i just couldn't rally. i didn't go to track practice. i didn't go to work. i'm not teaching class tonight.

what i didn't factor in is that i'm working out more with the same amount of work to be done (if not more). same obligations. same life issues to deal with. something has to give. i need to make a better effort to take care of myself... rest and recovery is hard for me. i get restless just sitting on the couch, but even the energizer bunny has to take time to recharge.

rest on friday.
8 miles on saturday... maybe.

my first buddy run

i made my first 6am tuesday buddy run!... and it only took 2.5 months.

usually at buddy runs, you show, you warm up with the group, you run. it's great because at least you are meeting people at the beginning and you commit to run. you don't necessarily finish together and people may not run your pace. i am not a morning person so 6am is not me and all the other buddy runs are when i teach class, so i figured i can run on my own or drag others to run with me.

it was great! i usually run alone, but during last week's track practice, we ran at our marathon pace. jessica and i are at about the same... we made plans to meet at the buddy run tuesday. jessica was awesome. she called me on sunday and monday to confirm. i definitely can't flake now. there were probably 8 people who showed up. wendy (who is also doing kauai) and nicole ran with us. all 4 of us ran the lake plus a few extra miles.

it's very different running with people and having conversation... not too much, but enough. we all kept each other at our pace, if not a bit faster. actually we kept each other from wimping out too :)

work was good. my class this evening was GREAT! it was a lady gaga class. fast. hard. furious. plus 12 - 1 minute rounds with minimal recovery (10 seconds)... AWESOME! i feel great! maybe it's the endorphins.

i guess tuesday and thursday are my early morning days.

5.4 miles (approx)
53:22 minutes
<10 minute miles

flossing and foam rolling

i have 3 cavities. so, what does this have to do with my training? nothing really, except for the fact that i hate flossing and i hate foam rolling! i don't floss every day (i hope my dentist isn't reading this... hi barbara!) don't get me wrong. i do floss, just not every day. it's a pain. it's the end of the day. i'm tired. besides i don't eat sweets (desserts not included of course), i rinse after every meal and i already brushed my teeth. i even have a toothbrush at work.

it's kind of like using the foam roller. today was strength training day. i was tired this morning, but overall everything was good. i'm getting a little stronger. the workouts are helping me strengthen my core, posture, and the rest of me that's not strong (which is everything). stair climbs with the medicine ball, chops on the free motion machine, a lot of stuff with weights and the stability ball, etc... i still don't know the names of these exercises and i'm not savvy enough to post stick figure exercises on this blog, so you'll have to trust me. it was a good workout, and everything went well... until the end when i had to do a side squats with the dumb bells. the knee went "ouch."

my trainer tried to figure out why i hurt. i ran the 10 miles on saturday, but other than a little stiffness in my knees, i felt fine. i could walk up stairs, etc. she suspected my IT band. she had me roll on the foam roller... OUCH!!!! i was told that i need to foam roll every day... just like i was told to floss the last week. it hurts :( i'm pretty flexible and justified that i work out and stretch so don't foam roll. i know. i know. the more you do it the better it gets.

i get so impatient and tired... the workouts and runs seem more rewarding since i feel the results from it. the maintenance after the workout is the challenge.

i have 27 days...
time to get off the computer, brush my teeth, floss and foam roll :(

10+ miles... and why you should never ask me for directions

i almost flaked out this morning, but since i couldn't do the long run (6 - 8 miles) last saturday and haven't been doing to well in training this week, i had to run! i was a bit tentative because of the past week and i haven't been feeling that great. i couldn't sleep till 1am. alarm rang at 6:30am. hit snooze twice. got up at 6:50am. brushed teeth. washed face. applied sunscreen. made breakfast and went. getting there was no problem. parking was a bit of a hiccup since there was no attendant and they only took exact change. i mean who has exactly 6 bucks?

training run 8 -10 miles. this was the run. around the reservoir (2.75 miles). down the hill out the reservoir. around the neighborhood and back to the reservoir (4.5 miles). back around again (2.75) = 10 miles. sounds confusing, but i just follow the route markers and there's usually a few people around that are ahead to follow.

i ran the first 2.75 miles with my mentor... it was hills and hills, so we went slower overall. i wasn't too worried on time. i wanted to finish at the same pace i started... so i refused to look at my watch (until i got lost). the confusing part was after you ran the reservoir, you run through the parking lot, down the hill (not too bad down... terrible back up especially after 7 miles), back towards the freeway, around the neighborhood and back. it was good... except at the turnaround point. depending on your mileage you turned at mile 3, mile 4, mile 5 or mile 6.5. there are only 3 of us doing kauai and the max was 10 miles, so i turned around at mile 5. that's when i go lost. i took a right when i should have taken a left, but the street name was the same so i though i was okay, until i went up to a hill for a ways and nothing looked familiar. at first i though it was just me. when there are hills. i don't look up. i just look forward and run through the hills. besides, the run was all hills! so i kept going... until i saw the dead squirrel in the road and the new house being built. of course i didn't have my phone and had no idea where i was. no one was in the area to ask for directions. i retraced my steps and eventually, through trial and error, i found the route to go back. all was good, except i had to run around the reservoir again. did i tell you there are hills throughout the run?!

10+ miles. the farthest i've gone so far. i feel pretty good! the knee is a bit stiff. i stretched a bit. went out for brunch. walked the dog and now to shower... slight rest before my family reunion tonight. hope my heels don't kill me tonight :)

note to self: i should probably get a gps watch or something.

10 - 11 miles?
2:00:44
10:58 - 12:12 minute miles
guess it doesn't matter today. it was a 0 injury/aggravation run and 10 miles :)

30 days to go!

ACK! the counter is on my new droid... it's first thing i see when i look at my phone. i've got to start getting serious if i want to improve!

i did go to track practice yesterday. it was good. the new fall team came. talk about deja vu! i remember my first track practice on may 27th... there was another team. they looked like they knew what they were doing and i thought, "man, there's no way i'll get there!" coach told them to run their marathon or half marathon pace for 3 miles while he worked with us. that's what we did... good times! plus no hills. my pace was ok. i kept at a 10 mile pace, though i wanted to go faster. but then some days are better than others. i found someone who runs my pace and we are going to try and run tuesday at 6am.

the rest of the day, not so good. i was work by 8am for a meeting. at 3pm, i wasn't feeling too great, but thought i'd try to work through. didn't happen. went home at 5pm. went to bed. today was a little better.

tomorrow is 10 miles. we'll see how it goes...

cirque du soleil for dummies

2nd pilates session.. a little better. i grade this on the i didn't pass out and was able to do a bit more today... now i still don't know what i did. well i do, but i can't describe it.

i'm learning to be more aware of my core and terrible posture.

this is my life...

this is my life...
work. doctor's appt. run. kickboxing.

left the house at 9am. home at 10pm. overall the day was fine, but i'm not in a "chatty cathy" mood, so here it is in a nutshell.

work... not getting into it. let's just say it was unbelieveable.

doctor's appt... don't want to talk about it. the doc still hasn't figured out what my deal is... but i'm healthy until i'm told otherwise.

run... doctor's appointment ran late and i wasn't able to run the 6 miles i was supposed to. i haven't run since last thursday and this saturday is 10 miles, so i needed to log some time in my sneaks... i parked my car by the karate school. i had 30 minutes before i had to be back, so i ran a 1.3 mile loop up and down some hills in the area. it wasn't bad... but i'm worried for saturday.

kickboxing... back to school with 10 minutes to spare. no time for my chocolate milk, but it was only 28 minutes, so i'll survive. my class was GREAT! it was great because some martial arts guy in cargo shorts and sunglasses decided to try it out. no~ he didn't change into workout clothes. no~ he didn't take the sunglasses off for the first 7 minutes. yes~ i made sure class was fast and hard. yes~ it was a great workout.

home... dinner... shower... sleep.
then start all over again tomorrow... just earlier.


2.6 miles
28 minutes
10.46 minute mile

the energizer bunny takes on the sloth

sloth (slôth, släth; also, and chiefly Brit, slōth)
noun
1. disinclination to work or exert oneself; indolence; laziness; idleness
2. slowness; delay


i have not worked out since thursday... the closest i got to a workout was 15 minutes on a trainer for a bike fit. i could say that i needed the rest because my knees have hurt, and that i worked 6 days straight though saturday. but the truth was, i was lazy and didn't feel like it. contrary to popular belief, i'm not that active. if i have a something scheduled such as work, meetings, personal training session, zumba, track practice, saturday runs, in the morning, then i can keep going until 1am. if not, then i'm at home in my jammies all day. i'll even bribe my dog to stay in bed til 11am... okay, maybe 12pm then eventually meander downstairs to my local restaurant (it's on the first floor of my building) and get a coffee and possible eggs benedict or the tri-tip scramble.


i grew up in a family that didn't really exercise. when i was 8 years old, my parents found out that i was allergic to everything, so that' s when we stopped doing trips to the park or anything outside and i officially became a "girl in the bubble" no sports. no outings. no nothing. i went to school then home to grandma and watch tv.


i'm trying to break that habit. i work in an industry where people support change and healthy living and it's still hard for me to work out. i'm naturally petite, and a bit hyper/ADHD, so people assume i have a lot of energy and work out all the time. not true. my problem is that i'm extreme. you never know what you are gonna get with me. i'm either the energizer bunny or the sloth.


today i had to conquer my inner sloth. i got to work at 9am. took an early break for my PT session. working lunch. completed what i needed to at work and made it home in time to test out a bike seat. 13.5 miles an hour... 45 minutes. it's all that the sunlight would allow me, plus i'm not great on my bike. the good news is that the only things sore on my back side are my sit bones. the PT workouts are getting better. knees still hurt today. core and posture aren't where they need to be, but i'll get there....


today the bunny won.


1 hour PT
45 minute ride

cancer sucks

i woke up.
i ran.
i went to work.
i taught class.

all the other details today are irrelevant other than i felt great until i found out that a friend passed away today. i haven't seen her since high school, but we reconnected on FB. i asked if i can run in her honor and was gonna try and visit when in kauai. i'm now running in her memory. cancer sucks.

aggravations

today i listened to my body for once. still feeling exhausted. work was fine. re-aggravated my knee somehow. coach calls any injuries or pains aggravations, because when you get injured and can't run you are aggravated... that's me.

instead of my tuesday evening run after work/before class, i figured i'd give my body some rest. so i visited my dad and we played "whack a mole" on my new phone and watched the news. it was too late to find a sub, and i figured that i could still teach. an hour and a half with dad seemed like a good break anyway.

got to class. got a donation :) started teaching... body is still not liking me, but the show must go on. class was fine. i wanted to throw up. something is going on, so i stopped working out and just taught the class. why make things worse and push myself. i just have to remember to listen to my body. i have time.

tomorrow:
doctor's appointment in the morning, work during the day, and my drink & donate happy hour in the evening. that's 2 days of without a work out. i'll rest up for thursday track practice.

to zumba or not to zumba

it's monday evening and i'm getting ready for a long week at work. i'm spent from the weekend. now usually it's my own fault, but this time i was good. after my 8 mile run, i went home, showered, did some errands and then went to a birthday party at a tequila bar/restaurant. i know what you are thinking, but i was the designated driver! some margarita at the beginning and that was it. i had dinner, conversation, drove home and went to bed.

sunday morning part 1:
i got up.
walked to zumba.
took class.
walked home and picked up dim sum along the way.

class was great! my knee wasn't. i know i'm supposed to cross train and i usually don't jump in class, but when you're into it... you know how it goes. i think i hyper extended it in the morning, but being the stubborn kind of gal that i am, i still went on... i did take it easy though. i either have to behave or give up zumba until after my run. i walked home and crawled back into bed.

sunday morning part 2:
another birthday~ this time peter pan tickets and an early dinner. the show started at 1pm. no time for my afternoon run. so after my 30 minute nap, i jumped out of bed and did a quick 2 mile jog.

note to self: do not just get out of bed and run... not sure about you, but my body was still asleep! i should have given myself time to get up, but i only had 30 minutes. the plan was run to starbucks and back. i tried to keep my pace the same as it was last thursday when i did the 8:42 minute mile, and it felt like that, but i was actually running 13 minute miles.

i made it back home with just enough time to shower and get to the embarcadero for peter pan.
show. kettle corn. ferry building. miette. dinner. home. i was exhausted!
home by 8pm. in bed at 8:15pm.

2 miles
26:20 minutes
13:10 minute mile

monday morning:
did i just sleep 12 hours?! i did... and i'm still tired. i just wanted to crawl back into bed.. however it's monday which means training session and work. my core is weak. other parts of me are stronger... just not all of me. workouts usually give me energy, and i can be sore after... the workout was good, but i'm still tired and achey. now for work.

monday evening:
home. fed. tired. i've got to figure out why i'm so run down, since it all starts again on tuesday.

8 miles with team tom

though i have been trying to keep up with my workouts, i have not run with my team since last thursday.

that is why tom is awesome! when i got there, he checked in to see how i was doing. i let him know that i've been having issues, that i saw my doctor last week and was going again on wednesday. he said that he was going to run with me. haven't really had a running partner, and today was the perfect day since i wasn't feeling like my old chipper self and almost didn't show.

8 miles was good. tom says i'm getting faster, though i'm not sure about that. he did let me beat him in, and that's always a plus :) it was good to have someone to run with for a change.

still pain after... gonna see the doctor on wednesday

8 miles
1:21:48
10:35 minute mile

the mind is willing, but the body is weak

today was a terrible day.

i didn't go to track practice this morning, but i still resolved to get a run in per my training schedule. i haven't been feeling well since last friday. i didn't make the saturday run, but ran on sunday to make up. monday still not good. so i skipped the workout, but committed to keep up with any runs on the schedule. i ran hill repeats on tuesday and taught my kickboxing class. that's when the problems started. on wednesday i took pilates... more problems, but i figured because it was a new and different workout. i didn't feel good wednesday night, so i slept in.

this morning, work started out fine. i had an early morning meeting. got in at 8:15am. fine. had lunch with co-workers... problems. went back to the office. called my doctor and made an appointment. i'm not gonna go into it, but she said i was fine and just to watch how things go... if it persists, i should go back and they will do some tests. i asked her if it was because i was running and increasing the intensity of my workouts, but i'm definitely not sedentary. she said it wasn't my exercising.

i went to my dad's. hung out. had a snack. got ready for my run. if the doctor said i was fine, then i can't wimp out and not run. i lallygagged a bit, so i didn't get to the beach until 6:30pm and only had about 30 minutes. the run was ok. ran flats, but pace seemed faster and consistent. things seemed fine... until i stopped running. during my cool down walk... intense pain. i sat in my car for a bit... re hydrated and drove to class.

the service desk said i looked terrible, but i told her i just needed a moment and i'd be fine. taught class. everything seemed fine. good times... until 40 minutes into class. intense pain was back. i kept teaching, but had to stop for a second, but played it off and walked around. i really wanted to cry, but the show must go on... i finished class. closed up and went home.

i feel terrible. i'm not my chipper self right now and i'm frustrated. but i can't sugar coat my training and tell you that everything is fine and dandy when it's not.

3 miles
26:57 minutes
8:52 minute mile

and now the torture rack...

PILATES! today was my first 1 on 1 pilates workout. if you have never seen a pilates studio, think of a medieval torture room without the spikes... in mauve. we started on the cadillac and the magic circle a multiple balls between my legs, behind my back, my neck then moved to the reformer and back to the cadillac. i can't really describe everything i did, but what i can definitely say is that i felt very out of my element. i need to practice more so i can be aware of my posture and getting rid of my chicken neck.

she stuck to the basics... though i can't honestly say what the basics are in pilates. some people would think that because you already exercise that you would be good at this, but this is way different. it was a good workout. different. not the sweaty running, cycling or kickboxing workout, but i had a really tough time and got a bit dizzy. the scary thing, is she was being nice for my first time!

i'm spent.
i need a nap.

cliff house hill repeats

so once upon a time i lived in my old hood on balboa and the great highway. i'd wake u p and go home to the beach and on weekends walk to either the beach chalet, cliff house, louis' or seal rock for brunch or cocktails. today i decided to visit my old haunts (minus the food and alcohol).

the warm up was a run to the beach chalet
then up the hill past the cliff house and pass louis' and up to seal rock in.
back down the hill to the and back up.
4 loops on about 40 minutes.
each loop was about 10 minutes... i'm not fast, but at least i'm consistent.

stretch and off to teach one hour of kickboxing. after bag work we did ... 1 minute. 2 minute. 4 minute and 5 minute rounds... some light weights and ab work and then... a glass of wine :)
i feel good. maybe i'll get some sleep tonight

50 minutes total run time
4 miles of hill repeats
43 minutes
10:49 minute miles

just another lazy sunday

part 1:
7:30am
(sunday's optional workout: easy run, cross train or rest)
walk dog - 1 mile
zumba! i still don't look good taking the class, but it is fun~ where else can you dance to salsa, samba, belly dancing, hip hop, reggae & bhangra :)

intermission:
blue bottle and laundry... lots of laundry (ironing too)

part 2:
(saturday make up: 3-5 miles)
7:00pm
run to the lake and back~ beware of ducks in the morning and bugs at dusk.

i want to get faster, and i'm impatient. my pace is still the same as when i first started running, but i should remember that everything comes in time. i sped up when some guy passed me and kept his pace for a while, and i did pass a bicycle guy (he was slow). my base training is fine and i can keep this pace no mater how far i run. i need to run with someone faster, so i don't revert to my my natural jogging speed. any takers? i'll bring the bug repellant!

5.1 miles
5 bug bites
2 bite a mile
54:00 minutes
10:58 minute mile

guest appearances

today we had two guests at 5:50am.

guest 1: pepe le pew. but not to fret, we waited him out. warmed up and left the track. circuit drills with hill repeats instead of the track.

guest 2: mama lisa came to track practice! her cancer is gone. she is still recovering, so she only ran 13 miles last weekend... with that in mind i can't complain about my training.

this morning's workout:
run down and up hill
20 squats, 15 crunches, 15 push ups, 20 squats
run down and up hill
20 superman, 15 crunches, 15-1 legged squats
run down and up hill... you get the picture

not bad... hips are tight... so i learned a new stretch to open up my hip flexors... hopefully the orthotics come in soon to help with my knees.
it's gonna be hot this weekend... better get hydrated!

conquering monday through wednesday

MONDAY 7/12~strength training

first day with my trainer… not bad. but i think my trainer took it easy on me, plus there is the assessment and getting to know your health history phase. everything on my right side is injured... arch, ankle, knee, rotator cuff. i think i scared her with my guns! oh you would be too. my biceps are 9.5 of pure muscle ~ well the stronger arm is 9.5 ;)

what i want to work on on… core & posture & strength - more balanced strength. i haven't done anything outside of kickboxing in a while, and you can tell my front half and right side is stronger. ACK i'm lopsided!

i will get better... i just have to get this in my routine... work or no work.

FYI~
i'm not going into the details of my workout because:

A- i'm tired
B- i don't remember
C- i'm tired


TUESDAY 7/13~run

frustrated today... the run was ok, but i felt that i could have done better. i ran from my old apartment by the beach along the great highway. at mile 3.5 i stopped and walked 1 block. i could have powered through and just ran it... but i wasn't feeling it.

i just made it with 5 minutes to spare to teach kickboxing. thank goodness sophia brought me some chocolate milk to recover... needed something other than water or gatorade to get me through teaching an hour bag class.

i have to figure out how to get more rest during the work week and eat better so i have better fuel and recovery to do more than weekend runs. the home by 11pm and going to bed at 1am doesn't help either... oh the lifestyle change... SIGH

4.6 miles
49:08 minutes
10:41 minute mile


WEDNESDAY 7/14~cross training

original plan: pilates, but my trainer was sick.
plan B: take the lunch time energizer core & cardio class, but i forgot my shoes.
solution: 30 minute core class during lunch. get home before the sun sets and ride my bicycle.

for about 45 minutes... i literally got my swerve on! ride to the lake and circle as many times before the sun goes down. i got in about 13 miles in before 9pm. cardio good. legs fine. saddle... NUMB. now i know remember why i run and not cycle.

runner vs weekend warrior

it's not til the day after my over the mountain and through the woods adventure that i realize i'm still a weekend warrior and not a runner. this morning, i slept in, missed zumba, and my legs are a little stiff. so instead of my morning jog, zumba and jog back~ brunch and a mojito for the world cup finals it is :)


i'm supposed to run 40-50 minutes at an easy pace today. so i decided to wait til the afternoon, let the mojito wear off, run to the lake, meet up with a friend, and run around. my friend whom i haven't hung out with since i started has been ninja training and not telling me. maybe it's the competitive side in me, but he was faster, and i don't like it. don't get me wrong, many people are faster than me, but last we hung out, he didn't work out at all... i'm not going to justify that i ran hills the day before or had a cocktail today or ran 1.9 miles before we met up. i would've still been the same pace whether it was 3.3 or 5.2 miles. i just need to get serious about training.

i should be happy with my progress and not compare myself to others...
strength training is tomorrow.


5.2 miles
53:07
10:21 minute mile

over the mountains and through the woods

so i wasn't too worried about the run today. 5-7 miles, until i re-read it. i missed that it said HILLS. okay, maybe i'll run 5 instead. i only ran on tuesday and that was around 2 miles and it was flat! i haven't run hills since the last track practice, and that was the intro.

my mantra of the day: run through the hill, run through the hill, don't look up. i think i did okay. my running hat helped me from looking up. its running down hill that scares me~ don't want to slip, fall or injure my ankle or aggravate my knees...

little bit of trail running up, down and all around lake chabot. all in all i am proud of my run. seems like no matter what the terrain my pace is about the same. let's hope i can keep this up... or get better. one thing for sure, is after 7 miles of hills, i feel great.

at the honoree potluck, i won the fundraising spirit award idea... basically, i'm not at goal, but did something creative to fund raise via my TEAM BELLE PURPLE PEOPLE. http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=65317&id=1459733708
the prize: starbuck's travel mug and coffee. they must be psychic :) how did they know about my travel mug collection and coffee. all that was missing was the straw. now i need to execute and make my goal

7 miles of hills
1:18:52
11:28 minute mile

to run or not to run

PLAN:
track practice circuit drills with hill training. work. teach kickboxing.

ACTUAL:
not feeling like my old chipper self. allergies were bad yesterday. achy all last night. didn't go to track practice. dehydrated and sweaty. went home from work early. got my kickboxing class subbed. home. time to rest. hope i get better so i can run on saturday...

NOTE:
if you have constant allergies and are always sick like me, here is the quick "neck check test".

"above the neck" symptoms… runny or stuffy nose, sneezing or sore throat, a little easy running probably won't do any harm and, in fact, might even help. monitor your body for any symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or profuse sweating and STOP RUNNING if any of these symptoms occur.

"below the neck" symptoms… fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, sweats, swollen glands or a hacking cough, then this indicates that you probably have a virus. Running under these conditions increases dehydration and can lead to more serious problems, so DO NOT RUN.

the girl who wants to do it with everyone

i ran today!!!!

training for today said 4 miles. that didn't happen. i only had 30 minutes before teaching my KB class. but i didn't let "life" stop me today. i drove to the beach. ran along the great highway to the zoo and back.

i think it was me telling my mentor that, other than thursday morning track practice, i haven't figured out running on week days and was having a hard time. i was tired of justifying. there's always some reason not to. too many excuses. it could be that i have talked other people into doing it with me... maybe not kauai, but they will do it... oh yes they will!

it all started a few weeks back. i went to a wedding in june. other than the bride and one other person, i knew no one. luckily i was seated at table W. we were the fun table. after our "getting to know you" period plus a bottle of wine, i let the table know that i was running kauai. we started talking about local runs and that i asked my friend to run, but he didn't want to do it with me. everyone else (minus the iron man triathlon couple) said they wouldn't want to do it with me. it was too hard. no one had time to train. etc. at the end of the wedding i was known as "the girl who wants to do it with everyone" so the FB joke is that no one wants to do it with me... except for that couple :)

well, they are wrong! plenty of people want to do it with me! i just have to tailor it to what they can accomplish. i'm going to look for local 5k walks in the bay area to do it with my dad and family here. i was invited to do l.a. rock n roll... so i invited my cousin and she signed up. everyone has to start somewhere yes? i am doing this to help fight cancer... and also help my family get healthy. i mean if i can do it, so can everyone else.

2.4 miles

25 minutes

10:41 miles per minute

blisters hurt

1 mile jog to class.
zumba good.
blister on arch bad.
no run today.
1 hour walk with dog~ blue bottle. bank. farmer's market. home.

oh orthotics where art thou

no coached training run today. it's a mentor led yoyo run along the marina. yoyo=you're on your own=no water stops. the planned run for me was 3-5 miles (full marathon 6 miles), so i planned to run 5 miles. it was a beautiful day. not too hot. not too windy. at the 2.5 turn around point, i decided to do 6 miles. the weekend warrior in me saw that no one was turning around, and i figured what was 1 more mile. i did 6.6 the week before andthe blister on my arch seemed fine.

of course, it's not until the turnaround point that my aggravations start, and i have no choice to finish. the plus is that i kept the same pace for all 6 miles. i didn't slow down, nor did i stop :) at mile 5 left hip started to get stiff (no matter how far i run it's always the last mile that is hard~ whether it's 3 or 7 miles). it wasn't til the end of the run that my right arch blister started to hurt again. i had custom orthotics, but of course i lost them at the beginning of the season and i've been running without. i paid the $$$ for replacements, but i've been waiting 2 months. oh orthotics are you here yet?

6 miles
1hour 5min (approx)
10:50 minute mile

cadence, hills & hospitals

just when i was getting used to the circuit drills, today is an intro to cadence and conquering the hill.

let's start with cadence first. in order to be efficient, for a half or full marathon, i need to know my cadence. it could have been that it was 6am when coach was explaining, but i don't get it. i do know that i'm supposed to take 180 steps a minute. so after our warm up run, we get to count our steps. first time, i think i lost count 188... that's too high. second time 186.... am i taking too many steps? small stride? what's up with that?! coach said any extra is gravy... now too bad he was also timing the entire 1/2 mile and i wasn't paying attention on the run and pace, just the count.

1/2 mile
5.26 minutes
11 minute mile... at least for now :)

then the hill. so to conquer the hill is to not look up the hill, but to run through it. we started with the little hill... okay, i can do this. then we did the real hill. ACK! did i tell you that we're not supposed to look up the hill, just where we are running. it's kind of like telling you not to look down when you are on a tightrope. OOPS! i still have time to practice. it's running down the hill that seems harder. i'm supposed to land on my heels so the bigger muscles absorb the impact and i don't get too fatigued. i think i'm doing it wrong, but i'm sure this won't be the first hill we'll be running through.

i need to find a hill and time myself. just not today. it started at 4:45am and isn't going to end any time soon. just got off the phone with my dad. he is leaving for the hospital now. i need a quick shower then off to work early. i'm picking him up around lunvh and babysitting. back to work. then teach class at 7:30pm...

noncommittal

no training today. i just got home from a long day at work. dad's surgery is tomorrow morning. he goes in at 9am. they take out the golf ball in his neck. the brother has the first shift~ sleeping over my parents place and taking them to the hospital. the sister has the second shift~ stay with mom during procedure. i have the closing shift~ pick them up. take them home and make sure they're okay. i say "they" because my mom is a wreck... more so than my dad.

seems like the more people i speak with have a personal connection with cancer. wives, parents, aunts, friends, co-workers... not to mention other health issues. it sucks, and i feel like there is more that i can do.

if you know me, then you know that i'm very noncommittal. i rsvp as "maybe" and will not give a definite answer until the last possible moment. i can't even write in my planner with a pen. i use a pencil, and if that's not available, i put it on a post it... just in case. but i feel like i'm not doing everything i can to train for this run. as i said previously, i've got thursday - sunday down. it's monday - wednesday that is the problem... so today, i made another commitment.

the first commitment was to raise money for the leukemia lymphoma society.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/kauai10/atsutaoka

the second commitment was to "commit to get fit." it's basically a 10 week program. once a week with a personal trainer. same day. same time. no cancellations. no rescheduling. no refunds. it sounds harsh, but that's to keep me on schedule.

i'm not in bad shape. my current fitness schedule including my kickboxing classes on tuesday & thursday get me moving. but i have plateaued. my arch is blistered. my knee is hurting. so i need more strengthening and core work. i do not have the disposable income and if i don't raise the money that i committed to, then i'm paying the difference of the $5,000 that i don't raise. but i need this. this is for me and my health. maybe it'll help inspire others to be healthy too.

busy day tomorrow:
run. home. work. hospital. work. parents. teach. parents. home.
will let you know how it goes...

i am a weekend warrior

not to fret. i did my sunday 6/27/2010 workout.

not sure how i did it... well, i was a good girl. i only had 1 - belvedere and tonic saturday night. yes, believe it or not, only 1 cocktail for me! i'm serious about this training thing. i wanted to celebrate, but i also wanted to get up at 7am so i can go to zumba and then run afterwards. i was home at 2:30am, then off to bed.

i'm starting to like this zumba thing. now don't get me wrong. i'm not good. and i didn't do the butterfly when it was in. but i'm doing it in zumba... SOBER! hahahaha second row on the right. and i try not to look in the mirror :) if anyone wants to come with and run afterwards, let me know.

i think i've got thursday through sunday down. it's monday through wednesday where i have the challenges. i guess that makes me a weekend warrior. we all say that we don't have time. working out would be easy if there weren't things like work, groceries, sick parents, etc. but it's important. some people dont have jobs. some people can't do errands. some people can't get out of bed.

long day at work. little stiff from the weekend runs and workouts and of course life.

home now. glass of wine to unwind.


1 hour zumba
15 minute easy run

around the lake and back again

today was a beautiful morning. not too sunny, and a bit overcast (at first). i wanted to stay in bed from the long week at work, but i took a long enough break from running so i dragged myself out of bed and made sure i was up and ready for my 8am start time at the gazebo. i had my SPF 85, glide for my feet, ergonomic water bottle & toe tag.

what i couldn't get over was all the duck poop at the gazebo. it was everywhere! this is one of the times that i wasn't happy that i'm still flexible and can touch my toes. my poor shoes. we had the choice to run 4 to 6 miles this morning. it must be the weekend warrior in me because i chose the 6... around the lake and back again which is actually 6.6 miles.

since there are no ipods allowed, when i run it's just me and the voices in my head. today this is what they said:
mile 1: next time don't forget to take allergy meds if allergic to grass and ducks.
mile 2: i've got my pace going. i feel great. i don't need the water stop.
mile 3: i was wrong about what i said at mile 2.
mile 4: i'm the only person on my team that runs with a handkerchief.
mile 5: i didn't really care if i stepped in duck poop anymore.
mile 6: .6 miles seems really far.
mile 6.6: this is the best watermelon i've ever tasted!

i'm glad i got out of bed and ran this morning. 3 of the honorees were there at the gazebo to start us out and 2 ran with us. ricardo had his CAT scan and there was NO CANCER. tristan 1 year remission. matt's leukemia is not growing as fast as before, so he doesn't need treatment for a while. this is why i run. this is why i'm raising money, so there is more good news than bad.

my reward today. home. shower. brunch. world cup. mojitos & beer. 2 mile walk with cooper. time to get ready for tonight's festivities.

6.6 miles
1hr 12min
11 minute mile

what happens when you fail

i haven't run since sunday 6/13/2010 that's 10 days.... but then life gets in the way.

last week = FAIL
MONDAY strenth training: meetings & didn't take a lunch to work out = FAIL
TUESDAY buddy run: i have yet to make one = FAIL
WEDNESDAY cross training: it's one of those weeks at work = FAIL
THURSDAY track practice: got up. nauseous. went back to bed. = FAIL
FRIDAY rest: stressful week at work = happy hour
SATURDAY 5 mile run: wedding FAIL (WORTH IT! see blog entry "the girl who wants to do it with everyone")
SUNDAY 30 minute recovery run: FAIL
and so goes my week until today. i guess it's not just about what you do when you are winning, but what you do when you FAIL.

TODAY IS NOT A FAILURE
after a 13 hour day at work & 4.5 hours of sleep. i got up at 4:45am. ate my oatmeal and went to the track. back to circuit drills. i was a little tentative at first, since it's been a while. but it went well.

note to self: track practice is not about going fast (well not the fastest pace) but doing the run at a good pace and focusing on form and strength while doing my squats, push ups, crunches, squats, supermans, push ups, 1 leg squats.

i didn't notice the distance, well not really. but i did get bamboozled into 3 miles (12 laps). actually ran 2.5 miles with a 1/4 mile warm up and cool down. not bad. let's see if i can keep it up.

2.5 miles
circuits every half mile
3 total miles
10 minute mile (approx).

sunday funday = zumba

today is easy run or cross train, so i did a little of both.
i jogged .7 miles (7:20 minutes) to my first zumba class. 1 hour cardio and fun... there are things i don't know how to shake, but it was good. at first i was a bit apprehensive since half the class had special cardio/dance shoes. but once you get into it, who cares! there are some things i don't know how to shake, but i had fun and vanessa's class was awesome. i will be back.

i was planning to stay for the body conditioning class, but the blister on my arch was hurting... so instead of another jog, i walked to get my huevos rancheros for breakfast and blue bottle for my cup o' joe.

class is at 8:15am on sundays... let me know if you want to come with :)

running with bugs in your mouth

today 8:00am ~75 degrees ~very sunny
we had the option of 2-4 miles along a creek trail. my over confidence told me i can do 4 miles.

the run started out good. i may have gone out too fast (around at a 9:30 minute pace) then slowed down after that. after mile 1, realized 3 things:
#1 it's really hot.
#2 my allergy meds aren't working
#3 bugs are along the creek trail.

for endurance running, we are supposed to breathe through our mouth into the diaphragm. no problem. i have allergies, so i breathe through my mouth anyway... except bugs like me. now if your mouth is open when running towards a bug, or bugs are flying towards you with your mouth open... well, you get the picture. do not worry. luckily for me and the bugs, no bugs were injured or ingested during this run.

by mile 1.5 (3 mile turnaround point), i contemplated turning back and just run 3 miles. but figured, i need the mileage and the 2 mile turnaround point was only a 1/2 mile. plus the other people in front of me didn't turn around (not that i am competitive or anything like that). the 2 mile marker was FERNANDO. i didn't know who fernando was, but he was the 2 mile marker where i could turn around, so any person just standing on the trail i looked at in case they were FERNANDO... or was it ALEJANDRO? and then i saw the man in black! WOOHOO! 2 down. 2 to go.

for some reason the second half of the run was harder and it seemed longer on the way back... maybe because of the sun and heat. maybe because i tried to stay on the trail instead of the road. my arch started hurting again, but i couldn't stop. no one would take me to my car, and walking 2 miles takes forever! plus, i'm not a wimp and i knew i could run it. the cool thing about running half the distance and then turn and run back with TNT is that you see your team and they give you encouragement. "GO TEAM" "ALMOST THERE" & "LOOKING GOOD" goes a long way. my water bottle was irritating me, all i could hear was SWISH, SWISH of the water in the bottle and it was not comfy in my hand. so i threw it away at mile 3. by mile 3.75 fernando was running back (at a much faster pace than me) but slowed down and told me i was doing well and that we were almost there. we finished together.

it's always the last mile that is hard, no matter how far i run. i guess that's just how it is... just push on a bit each day.

i felt good after... which is good because my stamina is getting better or i had a full saturday and didn't have time to be tired like last weekend. i had to get home. shower. have brunch+world cup+mojito. do cardio kickboxing demo. home. shower. then off to my friend's birthday dinner.... HOME NOW! the only casualty is my right arch... i have an icky blister, and really hneed my orthotics to arrive soon!

tomorrow = zumba and a jog at 8:15am. let's hope i wake up.


4 miles
39.53 minutes
9:54 minute mile

circuit drills for the sleep deprived

it's 11:24pm and i just got home.

the day started at 4:40am, and i'm figuring out how late i can sleep in and get to the track on time. it's still challenging, but either anxiety or commitment makes me wake up with 4 hours of sleep.

today and for the next 3 weeks we are doing circuit drills. this should strengthen me and help with my endurance. this was my morning workout: run 1/4 mile. 10 squats. 10 push ups. 10 crunches. 10 squats. run 1/4 mile. 10 supermans. 10 push ups. 10 one legged squats (left). 10 one legged squats (right). run 1/4 mile. 10 squats. 10 push ups. 10 crunches. 10 squats. run 1/4 mile. 10 supermans. 10 push ups. 10 one legged squats (left). 10 one legged squats (right).
1/4 mile cool down walk. it's not about my speed, but building endurance and practice breathing properly and evenly... at least this time. i probably should have pushed alittle harder and squeezed one more circuit in before 6:50am. instead i was done by 6:42am

i felt good after... went home, showered and at work by 8:45am.... (note: i still haven't figured out when to work in the coffee). what i was worried about for today was that i teach at 7:30pm and i may not have the energy and stamina to power through. class was good... a bit manic and ADHD, but all in all a good workout with a few new things. if you were in class, THANK YOU for bearing with me. it will get better once i learn how to sleep before midnight!

i met the brother for sisig nachos and beer. i haven't spoken with or had time to hang out since training started, so we made plans. i deserved it today. the only problem is that my 1 beer = 5 bathroom trips. maybe i should've had a glass of wine instead.

overall i still feed good, though i can't sleep! we'll see how i'm feeling tomorrow.

i am not an athelete

Contrary to what others may think, I am not an athlete. I was the "girl in the bubble" growing up. I was the last person picked for teams at recess. Today reminded me of that...

After my run yesterday, I felt good... then later in the afternoon had a long nap and couldn't figure out why I was tired. I slept in until 12:00pm today. I suck. I wanted to do a light run and take a Zumba class at 8:15am. I got up at 7:30am, then went back down. I was tired. I can say that my body is trying to adjust to this new schedule, or it was the 3 glasses of champagne after the run, or that I'm a weekend warrior and should have run slower. Either way, today was not a good day for TEAM BELLE. I did get to hang out with my dog, do some laundry, grocery shop and other Sunday chores, but I slept through my planned workout.

Maybe I'm too hard on myself, so after the LA Lakers-Boston Celtics game 2 started, I decided to do my run. The scheduled workout for today was a 30 minute easy run. Not sure what easy run actually means. It's never easy for me to run. I figure I'd run to Starbucks and back. This varies from 0.5 to 10 miles depending on the Starbucks you choose. The Starbucks I chose was 2 miles away. The goal 30 minutes with my heart rate at a reasonable level of 145, so I could work on base line training. Maybe it's because I just started running 10 days ago, or that I slept too much. It wasn't a bad run, but it was slow... really slow. It took me longer today to do 2 miles than it did to do 5k (3.1 miles) and I'm a little stiff.

I am not an athlete, but I will be.

2 miles

avg heart rate 144

31:09 minutes

15:54 minute mile

see jane run 5k

I skipped the training today and ran the See Jane Run 5k.

I don't like running alone nor am I disciplined enough to do that so I suckered my friend Kelly to run with me. Actually, I think she ran to help me train... she is a proud supporter of TEAM BELLE :) She was AWESOME! Talk abut SAG support. Kelly gave me a running skirt for the race, picked me up, brought water and kept a running pace that I could handle (until the last half mile). The race started at 8:30am, but we were in Alameda by 6:40am to find parking and get our registration... good thing. By 7:35am and 3 long lines later (this does not include the bathroom line), we got our race numbers and timing chip. I was a little nervous since I just started running. I warned Kelly that I'm slow so she could run ahead... we all end at the same place right? The weather was a bit overcast and perfect for a run.

I felt good and kept up with her... or she ran slow enough for me for most of the race. I practiced my breathing 1-2-3- exhale. 1-2-3-exhale. 1-2-3-exhale... and then the sun came out. I am covered with 85SPF. It's so thick, that I look a shade lighter than my normal skin tone. Of course, I still got a tan.

At mile 2.5-ish , Kelly asked if I was ready to kick it up a notch... Answer: NO She went ahead... then I really had to use the restroom. Come to think of it, I had to use it at the start, but didn't want to think of it.

First 2 miles good. 3rd mile not bad. I think I need to work on my fuel/food intake. My 2 HB eggs, at 6:00am... probably not enough, else I need more carbs to get me through. The 8 year old girl did finish ahead of me by 7 minutes, but I finished and felt good. Still not sure how I am going to tack on an additional 10 miles on top of this, but this was a good start.

The perks of this run: strawberries, chocolate & champagne at the finish line. Then the swag booths... In addition to a medal, shirt, champagne flute and other misc stuff, I walked away with a complimentary breakfast of a banana, bagel, granola with blueberries and yogurt then a jamba juice. So I ate more calories than I burned, but it was fun :)

For my single male friends... I recommend this run. If you are cruising for chicks and not running, bring the adorable chocolate lab puppy. However if I make a comment like, "You have cute little chick magnet." Please laugh, have some witty rebuttal, or say you are here for your sister instead of staring blankly at me then move on to the next group of puppy lovers. Oh well. Whatever works.

unofficial results:

finished 168 out of 1072 participants

30:31 for a 5k (3.1 miles)

9:46 minute mile

first week of training

Today is my first day off from work in 10 days, so now I have time to let you know that I survived the first week of training. The most difficult time of my training is the end of the month. I work the last 3 days of the month AND longer hours than usual (not that I am complaining) I just need to figure out how I can still get some training in there.


Saturday 5/29/2010: First coached training with the entire group (92 runners and run/walkers). We are learning the basics, but you have to have a good foundation in order to move forward safely and without injury. The "How Not to Run" section is much funnier than the "Glamour Fashion Don't" page, but I guess you had to be there. 1 mile timed and Marathon University... I had to work so I missed the Marathon University. I'd like to say I was wicked fast, but I was actually 12:42... it's a start. Then a pbj and off to work!

12:42 minute mile


Sunday 5/30/2010: It's all about getting out of my comfort zone so I took my first yoga class ever. 1.5 hours. It was good. It was a workout. Did my first shoulder stand and tried to do an arch (sorry to all the yogis out there, but I'm not sure about terminology) It seemed fine, until my hands slipped and instead of holding myself up with my hands, it was my ponytail :) The instructor was great! I did fade towards the end... but you can always go back to your child pose. Note to self: Eat enough food to get through the last 30 minutes.
Namaste.


Monday 5/31/2010: I had to take a rest day. Schedule said to strength train but today is the last day of the month and I need to focus 100% on work... plus I had a late night with my kiwi family. It is Memorial Day, so I bought ice cream sandwiches for everyone at work and took a moment to remember. I remember my grandmother. She died of Lymphoma too... she was too tired to fight. I remember my family and friends who passed on to the next life. I remember that I train and run, because others can't.


Tuesday 6/01/2010: Buddy Run... FAIL. I admit it. I wimped out. I had a long weekend at work and didn't have it in me to get up at 5:00am to run... not a good excuse. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Everyone fails. It's what you do after. I'm not giving up.


Wednesday 6/02/2010: So I'm using my Tuesday night kickboxing class as my cross training workout for Wednesday. TECHNICALLY it's not Wednesday, but class is at 7:30pm. Cut me some slack. I'm still trying to figure this out.


Thursday 6/3/2010: 5:50am track practice. Before every run, we do a shout out for those we are running for. It is about training for an endurance sport. It is about raising money to cure cancer. It is about the people we know or don't know what we are doing it for. We are still working on form and breathing, which is fine with me because it was very humid, foggy and drizzly. My allergies are terrible and I can't breathe! I have to practice on breathing. I ran 8 laps = 2 miles in 22:30 minutes...

11:15 minute mile


Friday (today): MAMA LISA had surgery today. Mama Lisa is one of my coaches. Her last CT scan = good. The tumors were shrinking. She'll need to go through some radiation after this, but will be back at the track. She is one strong woman and an inspiration. If she can do this, so can I. My thoughts are with you.

first track practice 5:50am

i am not a morning person.

the hardest thing was getting up this morning at 4:35 am. yes, that is what i set my alarm to. i had my morning scheduled so i can be on time with optimal sleep: wake up. brush teeth. eat 1 egg and dry toast. put on clothes. drive to track. get lost. (i got lost twice... three if you include walking around after i parked to find the track . if i ever want to play tennis or go for a swim i know where the courts and pool are located). run.

i know i need to start a new habit. get to bed early i sleep more than 5 hours. well, that didn't happen. home by 10:45pm. sleep at 11:30pm. wake up at 1:20am. wake up at 2:43am.

good thing it was the first practice. coach al went over the basics... how to run. how to breathe. warm up. stretch. 17 minutes (in the rain). end to a beautiful view of SF and start the day.

now for my coffee!

why i'm running

2 months ago my dad called me. he had a tumors on his neck. he has a ct & pet scan results but didn't know what it meant. they wanted to remove it, but my dad wanted to wait. the doctor called him in to get a biopsy and make an appointment with the oncologist. the doctor told him that whatever he had could be treated with chemo. i came by, got the test results and had them translated in regular people terminology. my dad did not only have tumors on his neck... he had multiple ones in his neck, his under arms & his groin area... all the tests were still inconclusive... but something was wrong.

i called my dad and let him know that the tests were inconclusive and that we need to find out what is wrong with him... it looks like lymphoma, but there is nothing positive. his mom (my grandmother) died of lymphoma. we have to see the oncologist and do more tests. my dad told me he was scared. i told him that i loved him, then i got off the phone and cried.

it was my turn to be strong for my dad and mom, but i didn't know what to do. i felt helpless. i couldn't help my dad... we just had to go to the doctor appointments and wait.

it's now may 25, 2010. we still don't know what he has, but the bone marrow biopsy came out negative (WOHOO!). my dad is scheduling a time to remove the tumor and things look better than they did 2 months ago...

that's why i'm running. i'm raising money to cure cancer. it's what i can do to help.

training starts this thursday 5/27/2010 at 5:50am... until then.