You never know what body is going to show up on race day ...where the heck was mine?

CIM has come and gone and after months of preparation I failed to complete the marathon in my predicted time. I finished. Don't get me wrong. Anyone that knows me knows that I would never quit. The paramedics would have to drag me off the course before I would quit. So I finished, but I finished 30 minutes over what I wanted.... coming in at 4:52. Not my worse marathon time ever but certainly not my best.

Here's a little bit of how my race went:

I had but maybe three minutes to spare before the gun went off when I reached the start line. Porta potties were a nightmare and I had gone to the bathroom about 1 mile and half down the road approximately 30 minutes before, but about five minutes to start, I had to go again and there was just no time so I started the race with "that feeling" of having to go. I was miserable. I got to the start, jumped the wall and positioned myself next to the 4:15 pacer where I remained until mile 13.5. I was psyched. I kept between a 9:20 and 9:45 pace. I felt confident I would make my goal time of doing anything under a 4:20, thereby beating last year's CIM time of 4:41.

Allow me however to go back to the beginning of the race......

I managed to find a porta potty at mile 2 and was in and out in a flash and was still keeping pace with the 4:15 group.

By mile four my right foot began to hurt and the fear set in. There were times I ran where I was able to run through the pain and other days where the pain brought me to my knees. What would today be like? OK. So I broke the first rule of runners and I did what one is NEVER supposed to do and I did something NEW. Something I had never tried before. At the mile 6 water station I popped two Advil's. I know! I know! But the pain had gotten intense and I was sure I would never make it through. I curse myself for even putting them in my pouch in the first place!


Cesar seemed to be all over the course and seeing his face and getting his encouragement revived me every time. Nothing beats having cheerleaders! I handed over my gloves to him around mile 7 and later, around mile 15 regretted it immensely as the cold and the wind set in again.

Mile 10 - This is where they ran out of water and I no longer had any in my bottle. Prior to that water station (about 2 minutes prior actually), I had sucked down another Gel and was anxiously awaiting the water I so desperately needed. You can understand my horror to discover that there would be no more water for another 3 miles or so. Needless to say, I became dehydrated faster than I thought I would and by the time I reached the half-way point of the marathon I was dying for water and could not seem to get enough of if. That did not change for the duration of the marathon. After the half-way point I lost the 4:15 pacer and was never able to catch her again but I still kept a pretty good pace of about 9:50. I could however, feel the 4:30 pacer inching her towards me. It was like a monster pursuing me. I kept asking people who were passing me how far back she was and she just kept getting closer. God! It was San Francisco Marathon all over again! So I kept running, determined not to let her catch up to me. I reached mile 16 and I was still running when I saw my daughters for the first time who shouted at me to "just keep going!" Before I reached the infamous "wall" the 4:30 pacer and her group had caught me. I tried desperately to keep up with them figuring that even if I came in with them I would still beat my last CIM time as well as my San Diego Rock 'n Roll time (4:33) so I kept going. I lasted maybe a mile and half and I had to just let it go.

Of course you know there was no chance in hell I was going to let the 4:45 pacer catch me so I kept running but by this time I was not only feeling weak, I was beginning to feel dizzy. Was it the Advil? The dehydration? The burning in my right foot? I knew the dizziness was not a good sign. Still I kept going but now I was walking more than running and I knew that it was only a matter of time before the 4:45 pacer came up behind me. I hate that feeling! They caught me at mile 23. A very cheery group who were calling to everyone along the way: "C'mon, you can do it! Stay with us. We'll bring you in! C'mon!!" I tried. I really did. I felt some renewed energy for maybe a few minutes and then not even a mile of running with them I had to start walking again and I saw them just keep running down the street ever closer to that finish that I wanted to badly to see. I was beginning to limp now.... I really thought about giving up. I really did. I just wanted to cry I hurt so bad. The pain in my right foot had come back just after mile 15 and the burning just would not subside. The dehydration did not help.

The guy with the licorice was there at mile 25 just like he was last year and God did those Red Vines taste good. I actually wanted to run BACK and grab a few more. I was craving something...... I just don't know what.... but the licorice seemed to give me a bit of a boost so I started running again despite the pain in my foot, the shaking quads (literally I could see the muscles bouncing and it was extremely painful), the dizziness and the cold. The wind had picked up considerably and by this time we were running into the wind....

I reached the finish line in 4:53. All I wanted at that point was to crawl to my car and go home. Coming in 30 minutes over my goal was a huge disappointment to me but it's like the 4:45 pacer told me as I ran alongside of him (mile 23) telling him my woes: "You can train, you can hydrate, and do everything else right, but the bottom line is that you never know what body is going to show up on race day." I could not have said it better as I had been wondering where my body had gone just after mile 13.

For all the runners in my Fleet Feet running group (those of you who had disappointing times like me and also for those of you who accomplished your goals) and also for all the other runners out there, we're marathoners guys. No matter which way you slice it. Statistically speaking, how many people in the world will ever run a marathon in their lifetime? Exactly .... so you know what? I say we go back and kick butt next year!

I ran my first marathon in October 2006 and I just finished my 5th. Not my best and I am still trying to come to terms with it ... but nevertheless, I finished it and I am very proud of that.

In the meantime, I am trying to get an appointment with a Sports Medicine doctor to find out what is wrong with my foot. No leg pain at all and muscles have completely recuperated..... I am ready to go out and try again but I need some foot advice first ....

Stay tuned runners..... RunnerChik will soon be at it again.....

My beautiful girls - thank you for the awesome looking posters and for being at mile 16.... I really needed you ....

Cesar - thank you for ALL your support. I looked for your face every time I rounded a corner and your encouragement helped to keep me going ..... Thank you also for the pictures ..... they are awesome!

Mom and Dad - thank you for your words of encouragement and your prayers .....

Gentlemen, start your engines....

This will be quick as I'm headed out the door again....

San Diego was a blast! The best time ever!!! I went for my last run (eight miles) and it was cool to actually run on several of the streets where I ran San Diego Rock 'n Roll. The weather was great of course and it was hard to come back to northern California and run in 40 degree temperatures. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious at the Handerly Hotel and being with the team the whole weekend was an experience I will never forget. Unfortunately the boys lost the tournament and that of course was hard on them. They'll get 'em next time. They are a great group of boys (see attached photos).

On the way home we stopped in Hollywood to allow Hendrick (yellow shirt) to sightsee a bit before heading back to Germany later next year. Cesar also took me to the Walk of Fame as I had never been and we took some great photos there. We also went to the Kodak Theatre and to the Chinese Theatre. We managed to make it out of town before the yearly Christmas Parade got underway thereby missing all that traffic.

CIM is less than 2 days away and I am ready. Nothing more to say really. I have had a great time training and have prepared myself for this event. Now all I need to do is go out and prove to myself that I can do it. I am not anticipating the cold (starting temps will be in the low 30's) but I know that from my experience last year, I will warm up by mile 10 or so. I have watched my diet and have hydrated well so I am confident in that area.

I've got lots of cheerleaders this year and that is an added bonus. I will be looking for all of you.

Betty, thanks for taking the girls - you know Vanessa only wants you for your car right? Thank you also for your support!

Jake, so glad you have moved up our way... you won't regret it... can't wait to see you again. We'll definitely have to go shopping.

My beautiful girls, I am so glad you will be cheering for me along the way. Thanks for taking pictures Steph!

Cesar ... words cannot express what your support means to me .... Can't wait to see you along the course but mostly at the finish line ... I am sure your pictures will be amazing!!!

Mom and Dad, KCRA 3 Channel News .... I'll be wearing green .... I'll be thinking of you sitting in your comfortable recliners ....

Stay tuned ... results will be in soon ....

Sunny weather up ahead ...

This is my last week of training before CIM and what better place to do it in than sunny San Diego? I will be doing my last Sunday run in San Diego (8 miles) and undoubtedly feeling better about running than I have this week. The cold has hit Northern California and when that happens I have to go through several days of mentally preparing myself to run. Don't get me wrong ... I'm going to run. A little cold is certainly not going to stop me. But it just takes so much longer to get warmed up and I have to wear an extra layer of clothing just to stay warm and that's when I start missing the summer....

So ... back to San Diego ... I'm going down with Cesar who is coaching a Class 1 soccer team here in the valley. The soccer tournament is being held in SD this year so how could I pass up an opportunity like that? I get to sit and watch soccer meanwhile soaking up some rays .... Cesar and I are driving down early Thursday and we plan on leaving at about 5 am as we want to get there in time for Cesar to meet with the two players from Texas that are flying in.

Thanksgiving dinner has already been planned and we will be meeting up with the rest of the team for dinner that night. After that it will be soccer the rest of the weekend. Somewhere in there Cesar and I will fit in an eight-mile run, a shopping trip, and a visit to the comedy club to see the Triple Espressos.

So my fellow runners ... I'm feeling strong, energized and ready to kick some major butt in CIM. I can't believe it's only a week and a half away.... I hear I will have a cheering section this year ... Can't wait ...

Running buddies ....

Running is one of those sports that brings people into one's life in the most amazing ways. I was once again reminded of this yesterday when we were out on our 10-mile taper run out on the Brookside levee. I was at about mile 6.5 when I ran into another runner out for a morning run. We proceeded to run and talk and I once again felt honored to share the path with such a wonderful person. Lynn is a 57 -year old runner who has only been running since her early forties and she has run 12 marathons, including Boston and New York, countless small races and my favorite: the American River 50. She ran that one in 2005 when she was 55. What an amazing person! She proceeded to tell me about the 12 long hours it took her to finish and how empowering it was to cross that finish line.

I remember a time not so long ago when I set a goal for myself of running just one marathon in my life time. Back then I felt certain that I would feel very accomplished if I did that. It's only been a year since my first marathon and I am about to run my 5th....

Life is good isn't it?

And yes ..... the American River 50 is on my list of runs to do but before that one I will qualify for Boston, run Big Sur in Monterey, and repeat the SF Marathon with a less embarrassing time.

Stay tuned fellow runners ...

And now..... let the tapering begin ....

Sunday marked the last long run in preparation for CIM. 23.5 long miles in which I began to have serious doubts as to whether or not I would be able to finish the training, let alone set a PR at CIM. I hit "a wall" at about mile 18 and it lasted until about mile 22. I began experiencing pain in my left knee at about the time I hit "the wall" and it would not subside. I fully expected the pain in my right foot to come back but alas no. A felt a twinge now and then but nothing serious. Certainly nothing serious enough to not allow me to make it through CIM with a decent finish anyway. Now I get knee pain....

Aside from the knee pain I felt great. The weather was a little cool but I was still able to run in my usual tank top, there was a slight wind but nothing that impeded speed of any kind and I felt strong and energetic. The course was flat with only slight rolling hills here and there. We were running out in the country (Ripon), among the orchards, the beautiful hills, and wineries and aside from being a little chilly, the day was beautiful. It had rained the entire day and night before and so the sky was a little overcast and the ground very wet. We were thankful it wasn't raining anymore but the ground had a definite excess of water.

The first and last mile were run in the mud which caked to the bottom of our shoes and made the running a little miserable until it eventually came off. The heavy rains from the day before had not only made the ground soggy and muddy but it had also brought out hundreds of frogs that somehow or another got killed out there on the roads. I saw dozens of them lying sprawled out there on the blacktop. I also saw one dead dog (he hadn't been there long), and two dead raccoons. All in all it made for an interesting run. Between the dead dogs, raccoons, frogs and the screaming pain in my knee I was able to convince myself to keep going despite the carcasses that lined the roads.

I was exhausted by the end of the 23. 5 miles and wanted nothing more than to soak in a tub with some Epsom Salts. The knee pain had grown increasingly worse and slowed me down quite a bit. I finished about 10 minutes over my expected finish time so I was disappointed and hard on myself but tried to reason it all out as I do with everything. A soak in the tub did wonders... trust me ....

I took the rest of the day off, enjoyed some good company and food and tried not to beat myself up about my pathetic pacing. Knees hurt most of the night and I had a difficult time sleeping. Legs just had the usual soreness from running 23 miles. Other then that, I felt great.

The next day I felt fine. No knee pain. No soreness. Nothing. I decided to go to Fleet Feet and have them check my shoes. I had put 215 miles on them thus far and did not see any wear on them that really warranted buying new shoes. I knew I could wear them in the marathon and be fine. If I did buy new ones I would have to put a good 20 - 30 miles on them before the race and I wasn't sure if that would happen since we have now begun to taper.

Long story short .... OK .... too late I know .....

I got some inserts. After analyzing my stride (yet again) Fleet Feet's assessment is that I need inserts and not new shoes. So I got the inserts. I will run the next three weeks in them and see if I can adjust to them enough so that I can run the marathon in them. I will eventually go see a Sports Medicine doctor and probably get some inserts that are specifically molded to my feet. For now ..... I have the generic ones. I will do my first run in them tomorrow. Stay tuned ...

I got some new socks too as I was complaining a little bit of pain in my toes. I always wear my Thorlo's and while they are seamless perhaps they have been aggravating my toes a bit. Who knows? So I will try out these new German-made socks and provide feedback at a later date.

For now, this mom, runner, teacher has got to get to bed so I can be productive tomorrow.

Fellow runners, run hard, run strong. I cheer for you when I see you out there.....

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Training continues for CIM and yesterday our running group did our second to last long run. We went out to the countryside in Salida and ran 21 miles of nothing but hills. A total killer of a run. The hills really did me in but I know I will be stronger because of it. I ended forgetting my Garmin at home and was pretty bummed about that. Terry however, did remember to bring his and so I ran with him the entire way. Great conversation and companionship and he kept me within my pace. Thanks Terry! I'll be sure and check out Journeyman this week.

This course that Karen chose for us was great. We got our high mileage in and worked in hill training and we still have 4 weeks to recoup from it. Next week we're doing 23 miles (our last long run) and Karen has chosen a flat course very close to where we ran this past Sunday. The following week we're doing 10 miles and then 8 and the following week is CIM.

I've been averaging 30 - 40 miles per week so I am confident I can handle this race. I am not running anymore races this month and will keep my training steady until December 2.

Stayed tuned fellow runners ..... this RunnerChik may see Boston yet ....

And She Sets a PR....

It's official ladies and gentlemen.... I set a PR in the Lake Notama Four Bridges Half Marathon! I am just completely psyched! Coming through that finish line and looking at the clock and realizing that I had accomplished my goal of coming in under 2:10 was an amazing feat for me. And what a wonderful day! As runners, we could not have asked for a better day to run.

I got up at 6 am, showered, dressed (I had laid everything out the night before) and was in my car by 7 am heading for the start line. I parked about 1/4 mile away from the start line and walked up the hill to where all the other runners were congregating. I love that feeling of being out there early in the morning when all the runners are stretching,warming up, talking and get psyched up to run. It's an incredible feeling ... as the adrenaline slowly starts building and one breathes in the cool morning air. I had dressed in capris, a tank top and warm coolmax shirt but I soon realized that the cool max shirt was going to be much too warm. I realized I might not make it back to the start line in time if I decided to run to my car and drop it off so I decided to just tie it around my waist. It was a bit bulky and I also had my water pack around my waist so I was not that happy about having to lug that around for the next thirteen miles. But that's the way it is on race day. There are just some things one can't account for and so you just have to make the best of it. I decided that all I could do was suck it up and deal with it.

I was in wave 2 (thank God I got the right wave this time) and so we started 5 minutes after wave 1. As we took off, I realized that we were going to run right past where I had parked my car (I had parked on the street) and so I began untying my shirt as we ran down the hill towards where my car. I also got my key out and had both in hand as I approached my car. I unlocked it, threw the shirt inside, and locked it as I ran away from it. It took less than 3o seconds. Now I felt great...... light and ready to tackle this thing.

I wish I could adequately describe how I felt that morning. I felt light, limber and free. I felt good enough to do a full marathon that day. I had had a baked potato with a small salad the night before and I had been hydrating properly. When I got up that morning, I had had a full bottle of water and had used the infamous porta-potty right before the race. I also felt more rested than I had felt in weeks. My spirits were very high. Life was good and I was happy. Stress free.

With my Garmin strapped to my wrist I kept watch to make sure I was not going out too fast. The race starts out downhill and so it was quite easy to pick up the pace and run too fast. It was easy to do 7:30 and 8:00 min/miles. I held back but several times I noticed I was running sub 8's. The first two miles are down hill and I knew that if I held steady, didn't get too excited and allowed my body to warm up, I had a good chance of setting a personal record. We crossed the first bridge at just before mile 4 and so I knew it was one bridge down and three to go .... oh and 9 more miles ....

Bridges 2 and 3 are between miles 4 and 8 and the course is flat with some rolling hills in between. It is a beautiful course, mostly paved with amazing scenery. Since it is a bike path it is a little narrow in places but for the most part plenty wide enough for all of us. Miles 8 - 12 were uneventful. Almost completely flat and several downhill portions, just like the previous miles. I was getting a little tired by mile 10 but because of the flat course and the downhill portions I found myself at several points running sub 8's again. I knew better and slowed down but invariably I found myself running faster and better then I had in weeks. As I ran mile 11 I knew from studying the course map that the infamous killer hill was just about to start. I tried to prepare myself mentally for the challenge ahead. I knew what I was in for from hearing about it from other runners and from studying the map.

We crossed bridge # 4 just after mile 12 and we began to climb (see my picture with the older gentleman as we climbed it almost simultaneously) at a steady pace. Not only does this hill climb at a serious incline but in winds around and the turns were a bit difficult to navigate. I glanced at my Garmin and saw that I had slowed down to an 11 min/mile. Mentally I was telling myself I could do this. I already knew I wouldn't make it under 2 hours (yeah, at several points I actually thought I might make it) but felt confident I could make it in 2:05. I could now see the tall blue flags indicating I was close to the finish line. I gave it everything I had, but I could feel my calves were begging me to quit (I vowed I would do more hill training after this race). I kept pushing harder, and my breathing got more labored but I kept going, ignoring how I felt. I could now see the mat so I pushed harder and raised my arms, hands and fingers into my now traditional "peace sign." I crossed the finish line in 2:05:48. Yeah baby!!!! A personal record it is!!!!

I will definitely be at the start line next year for the Four Bridges race and I definitely plan to come in under 2 hours. This is one of those races that is meant to be repeated and who knows? I just might place myself in wave 1 next time.

Stay tuned fellow runners ...

Run with your heart ...

It's been awhile and I have not had time to blog. I've tried several times but other things took precedence. Work has been positively insane and there does not seem to be an end in sight. October is usually my busiest month due to CELDT so while that is not too unusual, other work has kept me from getting CELDT done in the time span I had planned and it has put me behind. I may have to ask for a short extension. I have also had late meetings that have kept me after school hours and that has interfered with my running schedule to some extent.

I broke up a fight this week between a Hispanic kid and a black kid. When I came upon them in the quad the black kid was throwing punches at the Hispanic's face. My assistant and I yelled a them to stop. There were Hispanics and blacks standing around instigating the whole thing so I yelled at them them to back off. School policy is that if anyone stands around either watching or instigating a fight they will be suspended too. When we started yelling at them to stop a couple of the Hispanic kids grabbed their friend who was fighting and pulled him away; the black kid on the other hand took off and when I told him to stop he ran off while giving me the finger. Had I not had heels on that day and my expensive bag with all my papers in it I would have run after him and tackled him. I could have outrun him any day. Later the AP asked me why I didn't at least take off my heels and throw them at him. I love San Martin! One of the best APs we have. Takes crap from no kid. I guess that would have worked too. Next time perhaps... I took the Hispanic kid to the office and they said they would track down the black kid..... Life in the day of a high school teacher. ......... Actually that doesn't happen very often. Our school gets a bad rap but it's really not that bad.

I seem to be keeping up my mileage pretty well and I am averaging 25 - 30 miles a week. My long runs are are increasing and still strong. I did 15 miles Sunday before last and 17 miles this last Sunday. Our running group has become tighter now and our training has intensified. We ran hills this last weekend (17 miles of them) and it felt awesome. While I was tired after the 17 miles, I was invigorated and by the next day I was completely back to normal. No pain at all anywhere.

This Sunday I'm doing the half in Folsom. I'm packed and ready to go. My Garmin is already in my bag and so is my Ipod. My Garmin has been amazing! I swear by it and have been able to improve my pace and consistency. I can't imagine running without it now. I have not hooked up the heart rate monitor yet due to lack of time but I will definitely train with it before CIM.

I feel great. The pain in my right foot is still there but not too bothersome and my spirits are high. I am much more focused now than I have been in months and that has made a real difference. I am also getting more sleep which has worked wonders for my training. Carmichael wasn't kidding. Listen to the experts.......

Can't wait for this race. It's a half with a relatively flat course and the only hill is at the end of the race (that's always a killer). I vow to not go out too fast and to pace myself the entire way. This will be my first race with the Garmin and I am excited about my potential results. My best half time so far has been 2:10 (Santa Cruz, 4/2007) soI want to come as close to 2:00 as I can. I would love to break 2:00 but I don't see that happening right now. Thanks for all the support everyone!

Thanks Jim for the encouragement .... it will be great to see you...

Cesar, thanks for the best wishes. Can't wait for Sunday night.... Good luck on your game ....

Betty, I will miss you. Don't forget it's you and me on December 2nd. Remember there's a burger with our name on it.

LB - Thanks for tonight - you have always been true to me. That is so rare these days ....

So.... after stopping at REI to get some PowerGels my next stop is Folsom.

Stay tuned fellow runners ....

What's up with all the divorced runners?

Ever notice how many divorced people are in these running groups? A couple more joined our group this week .... Hey, at least there not out there drinking themselves to death .... I know I'd rather be runnin'.

It's been awhile. I know. As always, I have been extremely busy. Busy. Productive. Happy. I like all three but perhaps the latter is the best. I've been running quite a bit just not long miles. I have mapped out two 5K courses near my house and I run those in the afternoon before going to my second job. I don't have time for much else. This way, I am getting my run in and doing a bit of pacing/interval training as well. I do my long runs on the weekends with the running group and while not receiving the best training ever, I have made quite a few friends and for that I am always grateful. I have learned a lot from them and not necessarily running stuff. It's funny how people come into ones life at the oddest of times....

I went and ran the Cowtown 5K last weekend and am very proud of the fact that I ran it in 26:40:01. That's an 8:36 pace and I am thrilled with my progress. I have been having trouble breaking the 10 min/mile and I may be able to run CIM at a 9:40 pace.

This weekend I ran 7 miles on Saturday just for fun and then went and ran 15.5 today. I feel awesome! The closer it gets to CIM, the more excited I get. The gang is all going to be there and I haven't seen them in awhile so it will be great catching up. I'm being careful not to get injured and am watching what I put in my mouth. With the amount of running that I do I find that I don't have to worry about what I eat as much as when I don't run, but I do find that what I eat definitely affects how I run so I'm watchin'. I'm also getting more sleep which has been a huge benefit.

I'm feeling energized. I ran 22 miles this weekend and both my feet and my legs feel great. A friend and I are going to take our bikes out this week and do some crosstraining. Next weekend we're doing hill training and life is looking pretty good right now. I am also now the proud owner of a Garmin 305 and as soon as I charge it I will be putting it to good use.

Tahoe already had some snow fall and unless it warms up and melts all away we may have a pretty good snowboarding season too. Can't wait to get back on my snowboard ...

Stay tuned ....

Where are my socks?

And so I run .... I have good days and I have bad days .... days where I feel on top of the world and days where I wonder where I will get the energy to get my running shoes on and hit the street. Weekend warriors they calls us. I guess that's appropriate. Running is definitely a whole body experience and I realize that every time I hit the street. I have seen what running has done for my body, soul and mind and I have vowed to myself to never stop running unless I am forced to due to an injury (knock on wood). Nonetheless, some days are definitely easier than others. I find myself paying attention to everything I have done that week or that day. Did I eat enough? Did eat too much? Did I eat the right foods? Did I hydrate enough? Did I get enough sleep? How is my stress level? All of this plays a part in how well I can train and ultimately run on race day.

Despite the fact that I am training for my fifth marathon, I have only been running since May 2006 and I ran my first Marathon in October 2006. I am still a "newbie" at this running thing and I often wonder if I am pushing myself too hard. Back in May 2006 I started training as a Run/Walker for SF Nike Women's Marathon and graduated to the runner's group by August. By race day I was able to run the entire marathon with walk breaks every water station. My overall pace for that Marathon was 13:20 and taking into account that it was my first marathon and that Nike is probably not a good choice for a first marathon, (the endless San Francisco hills), I was happy with my time and my pace. Not even a year later and I have run three other marathons with a best time of 4:33 which puts my pace at about a 10:28. In less than a year I have cut off almost three minutes off my time. I figure that if I continue training the way I am now, and continue to listen to the experts, I will eventually reach my goal pace of 8:40 and qualify for Boston. I want to qualify for Boston by my fortieth birthday (a year and a half away) and while I think it's possible I may be asking too much of my body at this point. I have to continually take into account the fact that I cannot train everyday like a super athlete. I still have to work, care for my children, go to soccer games etc... and still find the time to train. I am not privileged enough at this point in my life where I can just run.... I have other things that are a priority too so I guess I am cutting myself some slack and letting myself off the hook at little bit. After all, I also want to enjoy my runs and my training. Yes, even the intervals.

So here's what going on currently. I am still training with Fleet Feet and I am more aware every time I run with the group, that the trainers are following a schedule that is very likely to get someone injured. The trainer for my group commented today that she is concerned with the schedule as well. Of course that did not go over real well with me. So the bottom line is that I will continue to train with the group (I paid for the registration and I won't quit now) however I will modify what needs to be modified and work on not injuring myself. We received the full marathon training schedule this morning (up to now we've been following the half marathon training schedule) and our miles from week to week go up weekly with no recoup miles in between. In addition to that, the schedule has us doing between 70 and 100 minutes of "interval" training on Wednesday's. The interval training is really nothing more than long miles because we are not really doing intervals but just running "really hard" for 70 - 100 minutes. So if we're doing these long miles on Sundays and then doing between 7 and 10 miles of "really hard" running on Wednesdays, we're really not having a chance to recuperate from the long miles and in addition we are not training our body to improve our pace. Every Wednesday we're just told to go out and run "really hard" for x amount of time. No intervals at all ...

I found out that I paid the registration to have running buddies which in and of itself is not so bad but I was really hoping to get more training ... live and learn.

So ... I'll keep running with the group while at the same time following Galloway's training guide for the 4:00 marathon. I'm going to start going out to the track and following Galloway's and Carmichael's (Armstrong's trainer for New York Marathon) interval training guide. They discuss similar methods so I'm going to give it a try. Stay tuned ...

Today our group ran 12 miles. I came in at 2:02:11. Can't seem to get out of that 10:00 minute plateau. Soon though ... soon. My foot starting hurting pretty bad about mile 9 and got increasingly worse until it was burning again and I began to limp slightly. The new shoes have been great so I don't know what happened today .... I've put about 52 miles on the shoes thus far and with the exception of today my feet have felt great. I laid my running clothes out last night - everything that is except my socks and when I got up this morning I couldn't find my Thorlo's and ran with an old pair that do not provide enough cushioning. I did not like how they felt at all. Perhaps that's the reason for my poor performance.... a pair of socks? That's why they call them "training runs" I guess. Where are my socks? Probably at the bottom of the laundry basket .....

Lack of creativity should be illegal ...

I have developed an obsessive habit which involves reading license plates. Well.... OK ... the personalized ones. It amazes me how people can drive around town with unintelligible words on the back of their cars ... The ones that annoy me the most are the ones that obviously mean something but for the life of me I can't figure out what. I sit behind them at the stop light and read the plate every which way I can think of with every pronunciation possible and still I come up with nothing ... What the heck does it say? There have been times I have been so curious (ok and slightly annoyed) that I have been tempted to follow them just so I could ask what it means. Honestly, some of them make no sense at all! But even worse, are the ones where when God made their brains they forgot to stop off in the creativity line .... These are the people, who for lack of creativity, do the next best thing: they put the car's model name on their plate: my favorite from this week: seen on the back of a Toyota Corolla: Corolla. Perhaps they didn't know any other seven-letter words?

No running today. After a 10K race on Saturday and 10 miles yesterday I decided it was time for a break. I'm going to bed early, perhaps a little TV ... and well ...maybe some ice cream?

Stay tuned ... The Runner Chik will soon be at it again ...

And she keeps running ...

Ok. So it's been a month since my last blog and yes ... I continue to run .... My life has become busier and at times more complicated and trying to manage my time appropriately has been somewhat of a challenge. I crave running and I am consciously working on my pace but I find that it is often a challenge to find the time to run. I continue to run after work which means I am more tired than I would be if I ran in the morning but there is no way around that at the moment. On the weekends I run in the morning and I find that invigorating. I wish I could start every day with a run....

For those wondering, my foot condition has improved dramatically and this is due to rest and new shoes, but primarily new shoes. I only bought the shoes a week ago and I have already seen the difference. Thanks to John at Fleet Feet in Pleasanton I am once again wearing the appropriate shoes. John hooked me up with my first "real" pair of running shoes last June and I ran my first marathon in them. He hooked me up with Brooks that time and they were great shoes. Shortly after, I discovered the Nike + system and I switched to Nike shoes to accommodate the chip. I did well for awhile but in the last three months I have a seen a dramatic difference in the amount of pain I feel in my foot. So ... I paid a visit to John last week and I am now wearing Brooks again. Goodbye Nike + for now (I miss it terribly) but I am checking on a few things that may allow me to use it again. For now, I am back to wearing a watch again and my feet feel great.

Three weeks ago I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon. I was shooting for 2:00 and ended up running a 2:17. Not bad considering my feet were hurting like hell (literally they were on fire because I was still wearing the Nike's) and the temperature in LA was over 90 degrees which did not help at all. The Disneyland people had raised the flag from a yellow to a red before the race even started due to the heat and threatened to raise it to black if the temperatures rose even slightly more. We had a 6 am start time and it was already warm when we caught the shuttle at 4 am. I am used to running races in the Bay Area and the valley (SF, Santa Cruz, Sacramento) and temperatures are usually in the mid 60's to low 70's. I had great time running the Disneyland race but the heat nearly killed me ...

I put 15 miles on the new Brooks right after I bought them last week and then ran a 10k in Mountain House today. I finished first in my division with a pace of 9:15 which put me at the finish line at 57:22. My goal was to finish in under an hour so I accomplished my goal ... Mountain House is located just below the Altamont and there was a lot of wind coming off those mountains today. When we started the race we were running directly into the wind which made it extremely difficult to maintain a decent pace. I tried to draft behind a couple of other runners but was only successful at this for a short period. We were running into the wind for about the first half mile and then we had a side wind which was not as bad. By the end of the first mile the wind was behind us giving us an extra "push." I was at the 1st mile marker at 8:02 so I was not that disappointed with my pace but I also knew I had gone out a little too fast. I had to take two short walking breaks at about halfway through the race and I was concerned about not maintaining my pace. Because the course was a loop (which I hate) we were running into the wind again at mile 3.5 and again at mile 5 'till the finish line. I've run with wind before but usually side winds (especially in the Bay Area) and while not pleasant, certainly do not require such strenuous effort to maintain pace. All in all, this was a great race in an absolutely wonderful community and one which I will definitely run again.... Great people, nice medals, some good post race food, and beautiful scenery (one of my major requirements).

I plan to run Bridge to Bridge in SF at the end of the month, Cow Town Half Marathon in October and possibly Four Bridges half as well. Bridge to Bridge is one of the most beautiful runs in this area and has great pre and post race entertainment. Possibly the best I have seen yet. Bridge to Bridge is a 12k and my plan is to beat last year's time of 1:17:14.

Stay tuned ...

In my last post I mentioned joining a running group. I did and it has proven to be somewhat disappointing ... I will continue to train with them but .... more on that later. I miss Charlie .... you taught me so much.

Nothing worth doing is easy...

Tomorrow will be my first day running with my new running group (yes, I finally found one). I'm excited about the opportunities and the challenges that a running group and coach will provide. After my injury during the San Francisco Marathon (7/2007) and how hard it was to run 20 miles on an injured foot, I know that CIM (12/2007) will be a much easier run that San Fransisco and provided this injury heals up nicely I will have a good race. I am looking forward to the coaching and the companionship this new running group will provide. Training for my fifth marathon is more than I ever hoped to accomplish and I am pleased with my progress thus far. I know I have what it takes to be a runner... it's not easy though, in fact it's a lot of hard work and yet it is one of the primary reasons I run really ... the hard work and the challenge.

I found a new podcast this week at steverunner.com. It's a mixture of running philosophy, cool music and even a bit of comedy. Steve also profiles different runners every week and it's very inspirational. He makes a great running buddy. The title of his show is "Pheidippidations."It's worth checking out.

So.... results of today's run:

Date: August 18th, 2007
Distance: 5.76 mi
Time: 59:19
Pace: 10:19

I needed to pick up the pace but my right foot is still hurting. I am still noticing how it hurts the most when I run on uneven pavement/ sidewalks of any kind. Even turning corners, where my right foot has to do most of the stabilizing, hurts a lot.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's run with the running group. This running group is set up by Fleet Feet by the way - a nice little running store here in the area.

Back on the road...

OK. So I haven't run in 10 days. Ben came into town and we were in San Francisco for his conference/sightseeing etc... and so I didn't run that weekend. That is definitely no excuse and we both need to stay on our schedules despite other things that come up, however we had a blast in the city (look for pics up on Picassa soon...). That weekend was probably the best time I have ever had in SF, and even though we didn't make time to run we had a great time together. It would have been awesome to have run in the city though. Next time for sure ... By Sunday night it was pretty clear I had the flu/stomach flu and I preceded to stay sick for 5 days. I did my first run yesterday:

Date: August 17, 2007
Distance:1.86 miles
Time:16:55
Pace:9:06

OK. So it wasn't my longest run, but it felt good to get back on the road. A pace of 9:06 also wasn't bad considering I had been laying on the couch for the previous four days. I guess I haven't completely lost it.

I was also recently introduced to Airborne. Works to help build the immune system back up. Invented by a teacher (of course!!!) no less ... Nasty stuff and I mean nasty.... but sure helps to put one back on one's feet so to speak ..... I probably would have been back on my feet sooner had I been a more .... shall we say .... less "difficult patient." Thanks Ben for taking care of me ....

Summer is over...

My Summer has come to an end and tomorrow I go back to work to start another school year. Fall will be here before we know it and we will heading to Thanksgiving dinners and there will be Christmas decorations out in the stores before you have had time to clean up the turkey mess (one of my pet peeves actually but I'll save it for another blog). I am looking forward to a good year with lots of challenges to be met along the way.

I went out today for my second run since SF Marathon. Here are my stats:

Distance: 7.05
Time: 1:09:07
Pace: 9:47 min/mile

Not too bad I suppose considering I am still hurt but it irks me that I have to wait for this injury to clear up. I am not very patient ... I had no burning sensation like I did during the marathon but the dull ache is still there and prevents me from picking up the pace. I also noticed that whatever surface I was running on (blacktop, sidewalk or gravel), if it was uneven or slanted, it made the pain much worse. As soon as I found flat surface, the pain nearly subsided. I know that when I ran San Diego Rock 'n Roll (June 2007) there was a part of the run that ran on the freeway and it was very slanted to the point of effecting ones knees and feet so I am wondering if that is not what is making the pain worse. I'm still taking the drugs and taking one day at a time. Stay tuned ....

Training Day Success

CAUTION!!!! If you are the sort of person that gets easily grossed out you might want to navigate away from this blog....

The above picture is a huge blister on my pinkie toe of my right foot. This is the same foot where I had the injury on the ball of my foot. This foot just can't seem to get a break. The date on the photo is wrong because my camera was messed up but it was taken yesterday August 5th. It will pop soon, I'm sure. This is nothing.......... it doesn't even compare to all the toenails I have lost; some of which have still not grown back ..........What can I say? It's a day in the life of a runner ......

First training day is over and I am pleased with the results. I ran from my house to the bicycle shop 4 miles away (Nike + helps me keep track) and picked up my bike then rode my bike back home. The first half mile I aready felt the pain coming back and that awful burning sensation in the ball of my foot. I knew it would happen only because the injury is too recent but I held on and eventually the burning subsided. The pain was still there but at least it wasn't on fire. I wore two pair of socks today and I liked the added comfort. I am going to look for some Woolsmart running socks the next time I am at Sports Basement or REI. The Woolsmart hiking ones are fantastic and do an amazing job of not only cushioning the foot but also absorbing the moisture. The running ones I have seen appear to do the same.

I kept a 9:50 pace the whole time and I am definitely pleased with that considering the recent injury.

I have inquired about running clubs around here and unfortunately it is the same as it has always been. There are groups training first-time runners for half marathons and full marathons but no groups for runners seeking to improve their time for a fifth + marathon. I need to kick it up a notch and I may need a coach to do that. Question is: Where do find one? Modesto has some awesome training groups but I did that last year and the 45 min. + commute to get there got old very quickly. Now, with the added gasoline expense it just isn't worth it.

So......... in the meantime I will follow Jeff Galloway's marathon training guide and see how I progress.

I have no running events in August and my first running event will be September 3rd when I do Disneyland Half Marathon with Ben. At the end of September I will be doing the marathon relay with Melanie in Tahoe. I have nothing planned for October or November yet. Stay tuned ...

Training Day

It's Monday August 6th and training day has finally arrived. This past week has seemed long and not running for a whole week to recuperate from the SF Marathon has been hard. Smart but hard. Today I will go out and see how the foot feels and come back only if it hurts. CIM (California International Marathon) is four months away and I plan on making every run count. I am currently running alone (no coach or team) and while I do not have trouble staying motivated, I do seem to have trouble bumping it up to the next level. Major difference this time around is that I will take one day a week to train on the track. I did no track work for San Diego Rock 'n Roll and while I finished in 4:33 I know I could have done better had I maintained the track training I did for SF Nike Women's Marathon (10/2006). Stay tuned for today's run.

OK. So this is me...

Funny way for Google to get one to upload one's picture to their profile but this is one way of doing it I guess..... Hope it works.

My Beautiful Daughters

Stephanie and Vanessa bring me so much joy. At 13, Stephanie is entering into the wonderful world of teenagehood (OK, I just made that up, but I'm allowed 'cause I'm the English teacher), and it has been amazing to see her blossom into the beautiful young woman she is today. She is sweet and kind and has a beautiful smile. She is also smart, a great student, and loves math (she didn't get that from me I'm sorry to say). To top it all off, she is an avid reader (she did take after me) and devours books much the same way I did when I was her age. She has been in GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) since fourth grade and this year in the eighth grade is doing some freshman and sophmore level work. I could not be prouder of my firstborn. She will begin soccer this year for the first time and my hope is that she falls in love with the sport so she can continue with it through high school. If not, I am sure she will find another sport that interests her. I have invited her to come running with me but she is not sure she is ready yet to try it. I am so proud of you Steph!!!

Vanessa, my second born is my "wild one." She is the one who never runs out of energy and who plans on "running a marathon someday so I can win you lots of money mommy." She probably will too. Vanessa is highly competetive and does not take losing well. True, she is only seven, however I doubt her competitive streak will fade with the onset of "maturity." Hopefully she will learn to do it with slightly more grace than she does now. Vanessa is in the second grade and while not in GATE yet, will undoubtedly follow in her sister's footsteps by the time she reaches the stated-mandated allowance for entrance into the GATE program (4th grade). She is already reading at a fourth grade level so she too is devouring books. We recently had to clean out her bookshelf and pass the books on to her younger cousins and she proceeded to make her way into Steph's room to see if there was anything on her shelf she could read. She did come away with a couple of selections that Stephanie had forgotten to remove from her shelf. Vanessa too will start soccer in the fall so both girls are very excited. They've got their shorts, shoes, socks and are just waiting to get their jerseys.

I am proud to be their mom and am thannkful that I am privileged to raise them. They bless and amaze me everyday. I love you girls!!!

A week after SF Marathon

So here I sit a week after the SF Marathon, my right foot still hurting, wanting to lace up my shoes and run but I am holding steady to my promise not to run until tomorrow. I did a four-mile hike yesterday in Calaveras Big Trees and my foot felt great until the very end of the hike. I had on my Keens and had I had on my hiking socks as well, I would have been in heaven but the Keens (depite being the most comfortable shoes ever) did require the added support and comfort of my Woolsmart hiking socks. Live and learn I guess.

I will begin training tomorrow for CIM. Yes, the foot still hurts but I am going to run anyway. I will do as my orthepedic surgeon says (who also happens to be a crazy ultramarathoner and a cyclist) and keep on taking my drugs (Ibuprophen - 2400 mg a day) and only run as far as my painful foot will allow me to go. In the meantime, I will be logging miles on my bike to build up muscle that way. Different muscles, I know, but one, I must relieve the stress and two, I simply cannot go a day without exercising and three I need to build up those "different" muscles. Have you ever looked at a cyclists legs? They are to be envied for sure. Don't get me wrong. Runners have awesome looking legs (and butts) too but a cyclist's legs .......well..... just take a look the next time you're out on the road and you pass a cyclist.

This is my first official blog and I owe it all to Ben who has inspired me to do things I had dreamt of but often not thought possible. Thanks for being a friend. Stay tuned for more in the the life of a runner......