Santa Monica 5000

I typically never want to buy race photos, until the Santa Monica 5000. After a night at Oktoberfest, I wasn't exactly race-ready. Regardless, after less than 4 hours of sleep, I got up with my sister in law and headed to Santa Monica in the misty morning. We were both a little out of sorts...and on our way down PCH, we hit a seagull. We weren't sure what it was until the very last second it turned its head and looked at us in the headlights. What a horrible feeling...and a super start to our race! We found no trace of said birdie on the car, or in the street, so to ease our aching hearts we told ourselves the gull was fine and flew away!

As for the race, since I wasn't 100% I vowed to tail my partner for the 5k...you know...moral support. But to be honest, I really wasn't up to an all out run! In the end, Carrie shaved off a handful of minutes from her PR, and I felt pretty damn good about myself getting up so early after a night of shenanigans. To top it off, we went to breakfast in Manhattan Beach at Uncle Bills for some strawberry waffles, potatoes strogannoff and cheddar cheese and bacon french toast...from our lips to our hips! At least we have these commemorative pictures to reminisce over our lost figures. :) So what do you think? Should I spend $40 to have the high quality images?

Post - TNT

Following the end of the Summer Season with TNT, I am left contemplating what is next for me and my sneaks. I haven't kept up with heavy mileage...actually, I haven't run much at all in a few weeks. I did convince my brother and sister in law to participate in the Redondo Beach 4th of July 5k with me...I came real close to finishing in under 30 minutes, and would like to see myself running faster in the shorter distance races. So, unlike many of my past teammates, I haven't committed to any marathons, half or full.
Work has kind of been a little insane lately, and I have been busy gearing up for grad school over the last few weeks. I have, however given my dog Dodger many a happy walks. There was also a (short) period of time where I was waking up early and getting in a few miles before work. Didn't last long. I've been exhausted lately. What a catch 22. When you are active, you are energized...but how do you get energized enough to be active? Ugh. So all in all, on a good week, I get in 10 miles walking or running. No long distance.
A few weeks ago I had convinced myself that I should go on a run with my boyfriend (probably a minimum of 2 minutes per mile faster than I) and a friend of his (who I actually think I may have unintentionally held back due to my slowness) in the hills of Santa Monica. Yea, Palos Verdes is good stuff for hill training...but I was not at all prepared for the trek from Ocean Blvd to Will Rogers State Park. Thank gawd Eric developed a blister and slowed down or else he would've had to carry me back to the car. We did 8.25 miles that day Thank you, Garmin for the data!
I haven't run much since then.
Yesterday, after picking up a DVD for Sue, my ex-mentee and life-long friend, she called me and asked if I was going to Track Tuesday. To be honest, it wasn't on my radar at all...I've missed the last two weeks, actually. My reply, "Yeeees..you can get the movie from me then." She laughed, "what is this a bribe?" Yea, and it was me who was bribed. So we helped each other. One of those things I love about a running group. Beloved Coach Gail was out sick, so Coach Dave (is that his name?) was leading the workout for what I think was the first time. Mind you, Gail's first comment to me upon meeting him was, "he likes to make people puke from running." GREEEAT. So he gave us a structured workout...4 800's at 90%. I struggle with percentages of my effort. It all seems like 100% to me! I'm out here, RIGHT?! So we gave it a shot at the end of our workout, all out sprint 100...that feeling, when your stride just opens up it's arms and carries you along, breath in perfect rythym, body feeling fluid...that's just what I needed. What a great reminder of why I live to wear out Nike's.
It's always hard for me not to overdo it on first day back on the track, after falling off for a while. But it's like my body completely disregards reasoning and logic and takes control. THIS is what you need, now PUSH IT! I've got that soreness wrapping around my core right now...and it feels good. I've so happy I went. School starts next week and I'll be missing Track Tuesdays with the crew till December. Maybe I need to try out USC's track after work/between class. I think it's about time we get that running club started too...

MentoRena

Welcoming 4,000 TNT participants at the PreRace Pasta Party

Return to San Diego

After a night of tossing and turning, I watched the time change to 3:45 a.m. and let the alarm ring so my mentee, Sue, would hear it and wake up. She hadn't slept well either and reluctantly got out of bed. We started the scramble to pack on the race gear. Fuel, check. Body Glide, check. horrible coffee, check. We took the bus with tinted green ambiance light (calming affect?!?) to the Race Start on Palm Avenue. Sitting on wet grass, wrapped in garbage bags for warmth, our teammates gathered, a big ball of energy buzzing in excitment. After having waited 20 minutes for a discusting portopotty visit, another 5 minutes to check in my finishline gear, a banana and 8 ounces of water, the gun went off, and we were off!
My mentees, Sue and Christine ran with me and my pace buddy Alison for the first 6 miles, through Hillcrest, with the crazy TNT queens, Balboa Park by the Zoo, and through downtown, past Petco Park and the Symphony Towers, where I worked as a File Clerk in a Law Firm on the 24th floor 5 years ago. I was feeling pretty good, my knee that bothered me a few weeks ago was silent, and it wasn't until around mile 9, on the 163 highway that I felt like I was pushing myself. Banking back and forth, the 163 was rough, there was no flat spot, so we tried to run in the gutters on either side of the road, but there really was no avoiding the slope. This lasted for about a 3 mile stretch till be were able to "exit" the highway via an onramp. Once on Friars Road, starting a little after mile 11, I was exercising verbal power, talking to myself in my head, pushing and pulling with each step. I remember being shocked at how long the distance between mile 12 and the 20k marker were. It seemed so far! Maybe it was the straightness of the last two miles, maybe it was the lack of bands on this, the rock'n'roll marathon, or perhaps it was the overcast, misty day, I was beginning to struggle. At some point, while I was thinking the same thought, Alison asked, "it's gotta be coming up now, right?" I was too exhausted and broken down to respond, but she heard me loud and clear. Our paces accelerated...both glancing at our watches, we notice we could actually make it under out goal! The last few hundred meters we gave it all we had, and wrapped up the 13.1 in 2:26:29. Another race in the books!
We made it out unscathed, though the 163 did a number on my ankle. My hamestrings are tight as rubberbands, my back sore from constant posture correction, and my ribs are tender from the breathing. But my spirit is soaring. I may not be a fast runner and I very likely will never be at the top of my age group. I race because I am able to push myself to places I never thought I could go. When I race, I race my best self.

MentoRena

Running skirt, Check. Fuel belt, Check. Inspiration, ?

Hiatus.

Holy hell, was that a huge interruption in my blog or what? I really intended to keep blogging following the race, but after some half hearted weekly visits to the track, I lost a LOT of my fitness and routine. Once you aren't preparing for a race, it's hard to stay motivated. I guess that means I'll be signing up semiannually for either a half or full marathon. I don't want to give this up.
It wasn't too long before my TNT Manager was emailing me to get me on as leadership for the Summer Marathon Team. She was very convincing and spoiled me with flattery...so I gave in. I helped recruit participants, attended Informational Meetings and other events, and committed to running another race. This time, I'm training for the San Diego RocknRoll Half Marathon at the end May. I chose San Diego because I've heard the course is fun and fast. San Diego has a special place in my heart and I would love to honor it with a hard run. I'm also debating signing up for the Inaugural Seattle RocknRoll Half Marathon in June.
It's a very different experience when your goal is to motivate, inspire, provide. I often find myself running alongside a participant, struggling to keep going myself, while pushing them. I try really hard not to let them see it. :) I guess in the end, they are helping me a lot too.
I've come to realize that I have a wealth of running related information I've gathered in the last year. I guess after training for 9 of the past 11 months it's not surprising. I feel like I learn more everyday, from my coaches, magazines, and my own human experience. What a relief that RunnersWorld and Women's Health say running and caffiene go hand in hand! (Have 8 oz. of Joe before a long run, or supplemented during your run for a performance boost!)
Even though it seems I am progressing, there comes a time when training gets tough, breaks become too frequent and advances start slipping away. Last night, I did make it to Track Tuesday after a two week break due to family in town and the flu. When we got kicked off because of a Varsity Lacrosse game, we regrouped, and planned to head to another track. I was seriously debating just driving home as I walked to my car when a participant pulled up next to me and asked what was going on. I thought, damn, she saw me. The wind was shelter-worthy and bitingly cold. My Coach Ed was driving behind me, then my Coach Gail cut off the car in front of me. Even though they probably had no idea where I was, I felt the commitment in their presence, and pulled into the Aviation Track parking lot. After much complaining, I got out my 3 and half miles of speed training and felt good. I knew that would happen. But man, it was brutal out there!

Nike Women's Marathon 2008

I know, I know...How is it that I have waited so long to update on the marathon? Let's just say it took all my mental, emotional, and obviously physical strength and I am just now feeling recovered in all those aspects! It was an amazing morning. I had terrible sleep, not so much thinking about the race, my mind was just jumping around from pointless thought to another. We woke up at 4 :20 a.m. We needed to eat and dress to meet the TNT team in the lobby at 5 a.m. Waiting around that long before the start of the race can really mess with your mental state. I guess spending all summer rolling out of bed Saturday mornings to team runs wasn't the best in preparation for the big day. Lesson learned! It was pretty chilly in Union Square that morning before the sun came up, but in the sea of 20,000 runners crowded into the small area, we sort of kept warm. Once the gun went off, it was around 17 minutes later that I actually crossed the start line.
What a rush! I started jogging, feeling slow and steady. The sun started coming up, my body temperature was rising, and andrenaline was pumping. The aid stations in the first couple miles were so slammed, it wasn't even worth stopping. I was so glad I wore my nerdy fuel belt. We ran along the embarcadero, down past a nice bay view of Alcatraz, and headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge at around mile 6. It was also the first significant hill, and it was VERY steep. I felt like I took it nice and easy. The next 3 miles seemed like ALL hill. Up, down and around. FINALLY, it seemed like we were heading down towards the Great Old Highway along the Pacific Ocean, and I think this may be where I made a mistake. The wind down was pretty steep, and I realize now that I took too big advantage of gravity's help and expended more energy than I should have. When we made it down practically to sea level at mile 10 it was such a head trip, the finish line was just ahead. The route took a sudden turn east, and headed into Golden Gate Park for another climb, this time, slow, steady, and never ending. The Park was the first BIG challenge for me. It was a lot more quiet compared to the route prior. The Park was also where the full marathon route departed from the half route. They head towards the beach to the finish and we dwindled in numbers to persevere less than half way to our goal. It was VERY hard running away from the halfers. I kept thinking how if I was completing the half I would've been so fast and successful. After spending too much time in Lala Fantasy Land, reality stretched out before me, and I had a LONG way to go.
The motivating part in this lonely section was seeing my parent's eager and proud faces as I ran by. They picked the best spot where I could see them perfectly...my dad was screaming my name and my mom was trying to cheer, blow a whistle and ring a bell all at the same time. I didn't smile much on my run, but I was beaming in this moment! Finally I made it through this difficult part, only to be faced with an even bigger wall. Around mile 17 I began to struggle. Up until this point I had not stopped running. My feet started to feel like I was running on hot coals, burning like fire. The morning was developing into a very cold and cloudy day, and my hands were so cold, I balled them into fists for heat. At some point, I realized they were painfully swelling as well, something I have never experienced. I slowed down and changed gears to a walk run. But even slowing didn't make things any easier. Looking back, it made it worse. I thought about giving up. I thought about how I desperately wanted to stop moving, sit down on the curb, and throw in the towel.
It was then that I looked to the side and there was a woman walking next to me. She looked up at me...and we just knew. We were in the same boat, and desperately needing a lifeline. I felt like, FINALLY! someone I can relate to out here, and just in the nick of time. Sarah, from South Carolina. We walked, we ran, we talked. I pulled her, she pulled me, we pushed. The stretch of the route out along the Great Old Highway seemed much farther than it really was...and the lap we had to do around Lake Merced was unbareable. I'm positive that it was almost all uphill. Miles 19 - 23 were probably my least favorite, but having Sarah there made it much better. We told each other at almost every mile how happy we were to have met. Once we were back on the Great Old Highway it was a crawl to the finishline along a straightaway against the biting cold breeze of the ocean. We had about 2.2 miles to go and they were challenging. We ran the rest of the way in, but I was literally saying to myself, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT...I know they say that endurance running is a mental challenge, but those last few miles for me were VERY physical. My feet burned, my hands felt like ice, and my legs already began to feel so sore. I thought I might pass out running the last .2 miles to the finish, but I heard my dad screaming my name, and saw the proud emotional look on my boyfriend's face...I made it. I even managed to smile and hold up my hands in victory for my cross of the finish line. WHAT A FIGHT!
I'm so glad to have made it....and even happier that it's over. I don't know when my next full marathon will be, but I'm going to keep up with racing...planning on a half in December, and a triple crown next Spring/Summer.