Life in the day of a runner

Daughter Follows in Mom's Running Shoes

2011-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Two years have gone by since my last post and it saddens me to think that my life has really been this busy. In the two years that have gone by I have remodeled a house, written a 125-page thesis, graduated from Sac State with my Master's, in addition to doing the normal stuff (working two jobs, caring for my children, and taking care of my house). Oh yeah, and running.

Running has not completely taken a backseat to everything else in my life despite the fact that I have not been training for any BIG races lately. I have still kept running but I have missed the more rigorous training schedule. I have had to put racing aspirations aside for awhile as I focused on other things. During these past two years I have reacquainted myself with Bikram Yoga and have practiced in conjunction to my running which has helped tremendously with my endurance and flexibility. I will take some time later to write about my amazing experience with Bikram.

So, while life has just sped by, other changes have taken place and good things are happening. I am learning to accept the things about myself that I cannot change and attempting to be more flexible where I normally would not be. The fact is: I AM ALWAYS BUSY. Plain and simple. I always have something going on. I don't go out searching for things to do. I just have a lot going on. I am never bored. EVER. I actually do not ever believe I have ever uttered the words: "I AM BORED." Nonetheless, I find that with such a busy lifestyle, I need more time. There is just simply not enough time in the day to do all the things I want or would like to do. With this type of a lifestyle certain things suffer, such as just laying around being lazy with your kids, taking a stroll without any timeline or goal in mind, shooting the breeze with a friend you bump into and not worrying about what is not getting done, taking the time to bake something with your kids that was not planned. I miss and want those things in my life but my TO DO LIST is often overpowering. I am therefore, a work in progress and I know that upon my deathbed, I will still have an unfinished TO DO LIST that I will be handing to my daughters as they roll their eyes at me.

That said, I have been thinking about this blog this whole year and have wanted to get back to it. Partially because I miss writing and secondly because of the therapeutic results it provides. So, I start once again today with a resolve to take some time out of my busy schedule to sit and write a bit and perhaps dialogue with others out there that perhaps struggle with similar things in their life. This blog originally started with the goal of writing about running but I have since come to accept that running, while immensely important in my life, is only a part of who I am and that I am so much more than just a crazy runner who often runs a crazy amount of miles. I am a mother, a girlfriend, a teacher, a daughter, a yogi, a friend, a learner, a landscaper, an organizer, a lover of memories, a baker, a cook, a writer and sometimes a dreamer. Yes, I am runner. My life often seems to be a metaphor for one long MARATHON. Nevertheless, as a runner, I realize that I need to be more flexible and allow for periods of rest.

Today's post therefore, comes with great excitement as I have news to share that thrills my heart. My daughter Stephanie, who will be a senior in High School this coming school year, recently approached me with concerns about what she should do for her mandatory Senior Project. It was with great surprise that she told me she was considering running a half marathon as her Senior Project. As with any Senior Project, she would need a mentor, would need to do research and would have to do field work. She thought the half marathon would be a good option since she had never run more than 6 miles as part of the cross country team at her school and that it would be a challenge to finish the research, the training (field work) and the actual race itself. I was elated as she has never shown interest in running more than a 5K and has often told me that the idea of a longer race just ever seemed attainable. Here is where I opened my BIG mouth: "Instead of running a half marathon, have you thought about running a full marathon? After all, this IS your senior project and you would like it to be a real challenge, something that not even your cross country buddies have done." She took me up on it. Just like that. I was amazed, shocked and excited all at once. We immediately started making plans for the research she would need to do as well as what the final project/paper would look like. I have a Master's degree in composition and I have run 5 marathons myself so I feel so honored to be able to mentor her as she writes this project and trains for this marathon. I am so proud of you Stephanie!

Look for details about our training and about the Marathon she and I will run together in December: The California International Marathon

Santa Cruz and I Make Peace...

2009-05-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since I ran Santa Cruz Half and it has taken me this long to be able to blog about it. The truth is simple: I really do not have the time for blogging. I don't like to admit to the fact that I am really this busy but the reality of my life at this time is such that it allows very little time for the non essentials. I know of people that log on to MySpace, facebook, twitter etc... on a daily basis (and sometimes more than once a day) and seem to need that daily interaction for mere survival. I, on the other hand do not. I would however, enjoy blogging daily or even just weekly as the effect of writing has a calming affect on me. The way my life is structured right now however, leaves little time for this little pleasure, so hence the lapse in time... it's not like I have readers clamoring for my very words.... :)

Santa Cruz Half 2009 could not have been scheduled on a more perfect day. Never, in ALL my years of going to Santa Cruz has there ever been a more perfect day at the beach. It was absolutely and divinely perfect! The girls and I rolled into town a little before 7 am and temperatures were already in the 70's. I was ecstatic but knew better then to get too excited as weather in Santa Cruz can change quickly... By the time we found parking and I got my Garmin and iPod strapped on it was time for me to make my way to the start line (we were parked super close) and use the porta potty before the gun went off. The sun was out and very bright and I could feel it warming my back - the perfect running weather for me. Those of you that know me well know how much I hate the cold... It was not overcast as it usually is and that got me even more excited...the heat was one...

I waited around awhile at the start line in hopes of using the porta potty (I had been holding it for about the last hour on the way down) but the lines just didn't seem to be moving at all. I got a little nervous as I have started races before with a full bladder and hate that uncomfortable feeling. I decided I couldn't wait around any longer and decided to start the race anyway. I know the course pretty well and knew that the first bathroom was less that a mile away. And so the gun goes off and we make our way up the very first hill which marks the beautiful start of this race... yeah...my bladder is full and I'm hurtin'. Not a good way to start a race...and all I could think of at that moment was Tim telling me just a few days earlier that one can pretty much tell how a race is going to go by how the first few miles go... "Great," I thought. "I'm screwed." Tim was actually telling me to cut myself some slack at the time and to allow my body to do what I had trained it to do but I was not thinking too positively right then. I knew that if there wasn't anyone in line I could be in and out in about a minute but the chances of that happening were slim. When I ran in, there were only three people ahead of me and I'm trying to calculate just how many minutes I'm going to lose. Luckily, everyone was pretty fast and the stalls (3 of them) emptied out pretty quickly. I lost about two minutes and was strapping on my waterpack as I ran out of the bathroom and back onto the course....aaahhhh I felt soooooo much better...now I could really run.

I've run and biked this course many times and feel very comfortable running it. The first scents of the ocean began to hit my nose and I breathed in the clean ocean air. The first part of the course in not that hilly and only contains slight rolling hills. My breathing felt good, my legs were strong and now that my bladder was empty I felt like this was going to be a great race. I love running those first couple of miles along West Cliff Drive as the ocean is in full view the entire time. I am a big fan of running in places with a beautiful view...sure beats running in places like LA...

At around mile 3 we reach Natural Bridges and we begin to make our way towards Wilder Ranch and the more difficult part of the race as this is where all the hills are. I was maintaining a good pace and was not allowing myself to run any faster than my 9:30 - 9:45 pace despite the fact that I felt like I could. I knew that hills were coming up soon and I wasn't quite sure how I would feel at that point. I had been doing hill training on the treadmill at the gym and felt confident but that is never a guarantee of anything.

Once on the path towards Wilder ranch, we were confronted with piles of horse manure which we had to navigate around and this was a bit of a challenge as that meant dodging other runners who were also trying to either jump over the piles or run around them. It was annoying and at times a bit dangerous as some runners were more cautious than others. This part of the path is paved and serves as a biking/running path for the lucky residents of Santa Cruz but despite the smooth pavement, the enormous piles of horse manure proved to be quite a challenge.

Around mile 4.5 or so, and right before we reached the Historic Farmhouse, I saw this guy bleeding, running in front of me. I slowed of bit to see if he was OK but didn't stop completely until I came right up on him and saw that his forearms and knees were bleeding and he seemed to be struggling. I stopped, turned my iPod off and asked if he was ok and if he needed anything. He thanked me and said he was fine... I doubted it but I think his pride kept him from succumbing completely to the his fall. I did not see him fall but knew that those piles of manure had had something to do with it. I guess those waivers the race officials always have us sign are for occasions just like that...He was a bit embarrassed I think and I could tell he just wanted to move on so I picked up the pace again and kept going... I know I lost some time there but it seemed unnatural to not stop and ask the guy if he was ok. So I lost a minute or two.... (:

I was well on my to Wilder Ranch by now and the elite runners were already coming back and we were cheering them on as each one ran past us and back to the start line...it took several minutes before the first female passed by us - at least the first ten guys ran passed us before the first female passed us... everyone cheered her on... God was she truckin'! I think she gave us girls a little motivation to pick up the speed. I know I did.

I was eating a gel and downing a bottle of water about every half hour. The temperatures had definitely risen and I was happy about that. Most runners were not happy and some were already complaining. The water stations were packed as runners were stopping to drink and hang a bit... I managed to get several cups of water at every station and fill my bottle on the way out...I was trying to make up for the lost minutes...

Once off the trail and back onto Wilder Ranch's paved path, I met Steph at the top of the last big hill. From there until the finish line, I had my own personal photographer and motivator and this helped considerably. By about mile 9 I was getting pretty tired and the question that comes up for me at least once during a half and several times during a full marathon, "Why am I doing this?" came to me yet again and I went through the mental list of the reasons I subject myself to what some would consider pure torture... at the top of list is always: "Because I can."

The last mile and a half of the race were by far the most difficult for me, far more so than running the hills at Wilder Ranch and I was beginning to feel fatigued. This part of the race has only rolling hills as the course is back on West Cliff Drive now but the fatigue was getting to me. Up until this point I was feeling pretty sure that I could beat my last time of 2:10 and thought for sure I could at least beat it by a minute of two. Given the fact that I had run my last SC Half after being up all night with an RA attack I felt good about this one even if it was going to be close... I hit mile 12 and really didn't know if I could finish. My legs were tired and even though my breathing was not labored I was fatigued. Steph was still riding her bike and cheering me on and snapping pictures the whole time. I didn't really seem to notice anything anymore, I just felt my legs and my feet as they hit the pavement with each step. How in the heck did I ever run 5 marathons? HOW?!!!? What has happened to me? I knew it was going to be close but Oh God I wanted to beat my last time even if it was only by a minute..... I was close to reaching the last downhill that takes one to the beach and straight to the finish line and I looked at my watch and knew that there was no way I was going to beat my last time. I was already over by a minute... As I reached the downhill, I sped up and prayed to God for strength and to not slip and fall as I ran downhill. I saw Steph again but sped by her still picking up speed. I knew that once I hit the sand my speed would slow down again and I wanted to have a good momentum going. I hit the sand and the first step into the thick sand almost stopped me...I picked up each foot which seemed to weigh as much as lead and ran through the finish line.....2:12... time to reconcile...Cool medal (not as cool as last time), great looking T-shirt and great tasting food...

We spent the rest of the day in warm, sunny Santa Cruz. We ate at Aldo's, enjoyed the sun and the sand, and had fun watching the dogs play in the water...by 4 pm it was in the 90's and I could not have been happier. It was the perfect day at the beach.... I was of course disappointed with my time but everyone kept reminding me of what 2008 had done to me...it wasn't anything I didn't know, just stuff I preferred to ignore I guess... Two hospital stays in 2008 and two in 2009, plus all the other stuff that had happened with my house and my job and I guess that I was ok...I was only off by two minutes despite everything. I'm gonna beat this thing...

I'll be back next April...

Time to give my perfectionist self a break...Will Santa Cruz Half and I ever make peace?

2009-04-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

I am a perfectionist by nature. I take after my father. I love organization and get a high from reorganizing and putting things in their proper place. I do not attempt something unless I plan on giving it my all. I do not do things half way. I'm either in it for the long haul or not at all. I am someone you would want to share a foxhole with....I tend to rock the boat though too but that goes hand in hand with the art of perfectionism... but I digress.... perfectionism....

And so it is with running. I take it too seriously sometimes and do not allow my body to simply be nourished by the benefits of running. I often forget that along with the physical aspects of what it does for me it also helps me mentally and spiritually and it is the latter two that often get forgotten amidst the goals I set for myself. Sometimes I am able to remind myself of these benefits and I cut myself some slack but all too often it is another runner or a friend that will help me see that there are times when setting a new PR should not always be the goal.

This brings me to The Santa Cruz Half-Marathon which I will run on Sunday. This race and I seem to be at odds with each other and it doesn't seem right especially given the fact that SC is my favorite beach town. It's where I hang out in the summer and where I have so many fond memories. Even so, I just can't seem to get it right at this race.

I first ran in back in '07 and had reserved a room for Saturday night so I could be there early on Sunday morning. I hate the stress of driving to a race on race day, especially if it's over an hour drive. So, the girls and I headed out Saturday morning, got to Santa Cruz, checked in and then we hung out at the boardwalk for a while, I picked up my bib and then we hung out with friends. I was feeling a little tired but nothing out of the ordinary and for the most part felt pretty good about this race. I had trained well and felt ready to tackle it with every perfectionist bone in my body. I couldn't shake the slight achiness I felt though...

Ah! But the body you see is so infinitely intricate isn't it? Mine had decided to turn itself against me back in 2004 when my invisible enemy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, took up residence in my body. In 2007, despite taking the fact that I had my monthly doctor appointments and I took all my meds like a good little girl, I pretty much didn't talk about RA with anyone except family and even then I brushed it off as nothing. This auto-immune disease was something that I would get over with time, much like the flu or some other annoying virus. At the time of this race I had not yet become an expert at listening to my body and recognizing the effects of what this disease was doing to me. I had begun running back in '06 partly to run from my demons but also because I secretly knew that one of the things that was going to keep me healthy and stave off this disease was to exercise every day. And so it was that I had one of my first "flare ups" that night in the hotel room. Had I paid more attention to my body and knew then what I know now, I would have known what was coming. And so it was that I stayed up for most of the night soaking my gnarling hands in the hot water in the bathroom sink of the hotel. I would lay down for what seamed to only be a few minutes and I would be up again soaking my hands. Around 3 am I found some "Tiger Balm" in my bag and I spread it all over my hands paying particular attention to my joints and then put socks on my hands. By morning I was exhausted from being up all night and I still could not properly use my fingers. This flare up had only attacked my hands this time though and not my entire body so I decided to run anyway. I managed to get my running gear on and then spread more tiger balm on my hands and put my running gloves on. I kept them on the entire race and managed to keep my hands in the same position for the entire 13.1 miles so I wouldn't feel as much pain...drinking water from my water bottle was painful and I had to always use both hands but managed it somehow...how I set a PR that day is still unknown to me... Back at the hotel after the race I just laid in a hot tub and let my joints soak in the warmth as tears spilled down my cheeks...I don't think I would do that again, but then again...maybe I would...I am as stubborn now as I was then and I refuse to let this disease get me down...it is certainly NOT recommended to do what I did but we each have our own demons to fight and that day I had to fight mine...

In 2008 I signed up for the race again determined to set a new PR and at the same time regain some of my dignity. I signed up early to guarantee my spot. And then in February I find out I had to have surgery (another story for another time). I did what I had to do, followed the doc's orders and fully intended to be at that starting line in April...my body on the other hand had other ideas and by race day I was still in the process of recuperating. I was irked to say the least both by the fact that I lost my entry fee but also because I would have to wait another year....

And so we arrive at present day. I have my bib in hand and am ready to do this despite the fact that the past year has been wrought with hospital visits and my body has been pricked and prodded more times than I care to count and my training has been irregular except for the past three months... race day is a day and a half away and I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself about my performance...

Yesterday however as I stood in line at The Sports Basement to pick up my bib, I looked around at the other runners and was drawn to how different we all looked from one another. We each were there with a different purpose and a different goal in mind. Some looked like what one would think a runner should look like and others looked the furthest thing from a runner. That is what draws me to this group of unique people...there really is no such thing as a "typical runner." If you lace up your shoes and you log your miles every day or every week you are a runner. Regardless of body shape or composition. Regardless of race goal...

I realized yesterday that I am part of a very unique group of people. One half of one percent (thank you Tim for the stats) of the population do what I do. Most of my neighbors don't do what I do. So it's true that this past year has been wrought with valleys and I have not seen many mountaintops but what is important is that I have not given up (I've thought about it a few times) and even on the days when I was in excruciating pain and wondered if there would come a day when I wouldn't be able to run anymore, today I WILL run. Today I WILL lace up my shoes and be grateful that I can. Today I WILL allow my body to enjoy what running does for me. Today I WILL enjoy myself and on Sunday I WILL join my fellow runners and we will each run our own race...

Rock on fellow runners.. I'll see you at the start line...

Another Mud Run under my belt...

2009-04-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

And so it is fellow runners, this Runnerchik finishes another Big Sur Mud Run, celebrates another birthday and starts out 2009 with a bang. This was my first run of the year and it was a great way to start my racing calendar for 2009 (despite getting a slow start) as well as celebrate my 40th birthday. I had run it back in '07 when I celebrated my 38th and I vowed to myself that I would return to celebrate my 40th. There were times this year that I doubted it would happen due to the various medical issues I have suffered this past year as well as the overwhelming task of remodeling my new house but despite the setbacks this runner just keeps on runnin'.

This year, race day dawned crisp and clear and by the time the girls and I were rolling into Monterrey, the sun was shining and it was warming up a bit (what what can consider "warm" for Monterrey). The set up was pretty much the same as 2007 except that the venue has grown a bit and as I walked towards the check-in station to pick up my bib and chip I saw that the final mud pit had changed a bit as well. The army net that covered the pit made it appear more challenging and it seemed deeper than last time. I also saw that they had taken away the tunnel that came just before the final mud pit. I knew I wouldn't miss that part of the race as last time the tiny rocks that they had spread through the small claustrophobic enclosure seemed to have lodged themselves in my knees forever as I crawled through it...

As I stood in line to pick up my bib, I looked around at my fellow competitors and saw the usual teams as well as individual runners. I could tell it was going to be a great run as the sky was clear and it was not cold at all.

I was in the second wave and we watched as the first wave took off and then we prepared ourselves for the military "warmup." It is always a lot of fun and makes for a great start to an otherwise rather unorthodox race. As we did our "pushups" and our "situps" on the very hard and pebble-ridden blacktop, I couldn't help but wish for my yoga mat. Not very military-like huh? I also kept thinking of my friend Lynda's son Jonathan who just recently joined the military and all the things he has to go through in boot camp. I decided to suck it up and give it everything I had.

Our wave took off at about 9:13 (the first wave took off at 9) and we took off down the street for about the first mile and half 'till we came to the first shallow mud pit (no more than shin deep) as well as the first barricades which we had to hustle and climb over. I could tell that for some it was their first mud run as they were not quite sure what to do. Some just sort of stopped and tried to figure out how to get over the barricades...Others, like myself, made sure we had a good speed to ensure we got over the barricade in one jump - wet, muddy shoes and all. Legs were flying, some were getting kicked and mud was flying everywhere!!! What a blast!!! Can you think of a better way to celebrate one's 40th?

Once one is through the first mud pit it is nothing but running through the sand for another couple of miles. For those who were not used to running hills much less in the sand they were dying out there. The course description listed on the website is very vague and it was clear that many were not quite sure what they had gotten into. Running in the sand is already particularly difficult but couple that with hills and unless one's calves are in very good shape and one's endurance level is up for those hills, it can prove to be a very challenging race - even if it is only five miles...

After running in the sand for a couple of miles the terrain levels off a bit and right before we hit mud # 2 and # 3 we get a "water" station passing out beer. Yes, beer. Needless to say I passed. I ran a little further and they were passing out water. I took that gladly. The smell of beer was rather nauseating but soon I came upon the second mud pit and forgot all about it. We hit the second and third pits both of which come with their own five-foot wall which is nicely centered in the middle of the mud pit. Once one accomplishes the task of getting over the wall one has to jump back into the mud pit and then climb out of it via a very muddy and very slippery slope. This is repeated twice - once at the second pit and again at the third. The only difference is that at the third pit one has to "walk the plank" in order to get into the mud pit. If one falls off the plank, they would find themselves ....well.... at the bottom of the mud pit.... if successful in "walking the plank," it is only a matter of walking (or wading) through the mud pit, climbing the five-foot wall, jumping over the other side into the mud pit and then climbing the slippery slope.... after all...... what's a little mud...?

We're nearing the end now but keep in mind that this course is not marked and while there are military personnel at different checkpoints, there are no mile markers. Every military person I asked either didn't know what mile we were at or had the same rehearsed saying: " You're about halfway there ma'am... I don't know if I was more annoyed at the fact that they were calling me "ma"am" or the fact that they seemed completely perplexed why these mud-stricken runners were so intent on knowing what mileage we were at. There is no way I would wear my Garmin at a mud run so I had to count on a runner here or there that had the time on them. Next time I'll buy a cheap Walmart stopwatch.....

After the third mud pit we came out on blacktop again and so the running became a little easier. We ran until we came up on the last hill where I knew from running the last one in '07 that once one comes up and over the hill one has to run down into the last mud pit which is covered by a big camouflage army net. This is where the majority of the spectators stay and is the best place for photos opportunities both for seeing the runners getting into the pit but also coming out.... Needless to say I took that last pit and gave it everything I had. By this time I was so muddy that it really made no sense to take it easy so I crouched down and ran through it, squishing mud beneath my shoes and came out yelling on the other side. There is also a slippery slope on this pit too and despite looking easy, it is very easy to slip and fall primarily because there is so much water dripping off of everyones body. I had managed not to slip or fall once the entire race and there was no way I was going to let it happen at the end and let it get caught on camera. I came out on the top of the last slope, gave the photographer my signature "Victory" sign and took off towards the finish line. On the way to the finish line there is a "shower" that ones runs through in order to get to the track which takes one to the finish line. The shower is merely a "formality" but the psychological aspect of running through a "shower" after one runs in the mud for an hour or so is nothing if not completely comical. The dismayed look on runners' faces once they realize that the "showers" described on the website are nothing more than hoses draped over a steel frame and fully exposed, is priceless. No shampoo and soap at these showers. Thankfully I am quite familiar with Monterrey and know of a perfect shower only a few miles away.

After retrieving my medal ( very cool by the way) and my shirt, I hung around with the girls and munched on oranges and bagels as the sun warmed up my body. I waited for the results to come in and saw that my time was 56:16. I was five minutes slower this year than two years ago but I cut myself some slack due to the irregular training for the last six months.

I had an absolute blast! I made new friends (as I always do at these functions) and told the girls we'd be back to celebrate my 42nd birthday. The Big Sur mud Run will be in it's 6th year, it will be my third Mud Run and I will celebrate another victorious birthday!

Rock on runners....

Once a runner...always a runner...

2009-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

I know the old saying is that "time flies" and while that is true it also remains true that time flies when one is having fun or when one is too busy to do anything about it. I haven't blogged since June and I have run slightly more than I have blogged. 2008 was not such a good year as far as running any records for me or for any running distances. I only ran three official races last year and not one of those was a marathon. I ran one half marathon and a couple of 10ks and one 5k. Certainly not what I did in '06 or '07 where I ran an average of 10 - 15 races each year. Nonetheless, 2008 proved to be a productive year otherwise. I hiked, biked, bought a house, two dogs and realized just how blessed I really am.

I started this blog as a way of communicating with the running community as well as write about my running "ups and downs." I am not what one would call a "professional runner" but rather I run first and foremost for my physical health. I have run for years but only in the last four years have I begun running long distances. When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis back in 2004, I researched the auto immune disease with as much intensity as I put into anything else I am passionate about and I found that exercise would only increase my mobility as well as stave off what could potentially become a debilitating disease. There is no way I would allow that to happen. I began then, to run even more than I was running before (5 marathons my first year) and began incorporating more weight training into my routine. I found myself running more than I weight trained but it is still a part of my weekly training. With the running came added relief and more energy overall, not to speak of the physical changes such as weight loss and added muscle mass. But because I am not a professional runner, I run as my schedule allows me to.

As a single mother of two daughters, a full time high school teacher, and a part time college instructor there is not always a lot of time to run and I have to be very structured if I am to find the time to train. My schedule remains the same in that I run five miles a day M - F and then do my long run of between 10 - 20 miles on the weekends. It makes for a nice schedule and allows me to train for my shorter and longer races.

2008 brought about a lot of "distractions" if I can call them that. First it was the foot injury I suffered back in July 2007 at the San Francisco Marathon which took me forever to get healed from and by January (after I ran CIM in December) I was still suffering from it and continued on the treatment my doctor had set me up on. In February I had some further bad news unrelated to the foot injury which led me to have surgery in March and a slow recuperation thereafter. In July I closed on a house and I have spent from August until now remodeling it. It has a been a huge undertaking and I bit more than I had bargained for. In August I was still planning on running CIM and was way ahead of my running schedule. By the end of August I had already done a 23-mile training run and was doing well in my training schedule. By October I was pulling all nighters so that I could move into my new house and my training was beginning to suffer. In the month of October I stopped running for a full month and while by November I was back on my running schedule, it was nowhere where I wanted it to be and by then I knew there was no way I could run CIM and expect to break last year's record so I opted not to run.

Once a runner... always a runner... and because of that I will continue to run no matter what life brings my way. As someone who is not paid to run it is up to me to set my goals and training schedule and to decide what I can and cannot do. Life often brings us situations that effect our training and prevent us from doing what we would normally be doing. Sometimes it is personal, sometimes it is work related and sometimes our health does not allow us to perform. Blessed are those runners who have not suffered any health problems and who do not have outside influences that affect their training however many of us do and despite those influences we seek to train anyway and to perform better than we performed yesterday.

On a last note, I have two new additions to my family: a black Labrador named Ebony and a chocolate Labrador named Tuscany. Ebony is 7 months old and Tuscany is 5 months old and will soon be my new running partners. I have already taken Ebony out on a couple of short runs and will be incorporating longer runs as she gets older. Running, hiking and camping this coming summer are going to be a blast!

Have you run today?

Trix Run - June 14 - 5K

2008-06-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

The day dawned bright and sunny and yet chilly (yeah ....you know how I just loove that.....) I hadn't slept much the night before .... a few winks really .... so I was extremely sleep deprived. I hadn't signed up for the race yet either so technically I could have just gone stayed in bed and done my own run later today. But I was really wanting to feel the adrenaline of getting to the start line and getting ready with all the other runners. I didn't even know about this race until Tim told me about it last week and I had been thinking about going to Santa Cruz so by Friday afternoon I still hadn't made up my mind. By late evening however, I had decided to run the race..... so I had to get there a little earlier to do the whole sign up thing. I was in Lodi early so I grabbed a drink at Starbucks with Frank before heading to the registration tables at Lodi Lake.

I had promised Tim I would try my best to be there and I had also persuaded Frank to run so I felt even more compelled to be there ....

As I said, the day dawned bright but very chilly so I kept my running jacket on until the start of the race but then decided to keep it on because the wind (coming off of Lodi Lake) was blowing quite steadily ....

There were only about 280 people running this venue (not the smallest venue I have run) so it was very relaxed. Literally, at a little after 8 am the announcer yelled "1, 2, 3 Go!" and we were off. I had studied the course a bit before the race and was disappointed to see that part of the course was a loop and I hate loops as much as I hate wind in my face so that was a bit of a downer ...

I took off a bit too fast (when will I ever learn!!) but this time it was really not intentional. There were too many kids ages 9 - 12 or so that were running and really had had no instructions on how to run a race so they were cutting in front of people and a couple of times I almost tripped because they kept cutting in front of me. I think it is great that the community and the parents get kids involved in exercise early so they learn and understand the benefits but it's also important to teach them race etiquette. How about we start with "Don't cut in front of other runners!"

I kept pace with my Garmin and when I saw that I had gone out a bit too fast (8:15) I slowed down to about a 9:20 and stayed there for about the first 3/4 mile before picking it up to about a 9:05. The wind had surprisingly died down by this point and I really wanted to take my jacket off but my pinned bib prevented me from doing so, so I sucked it up and dealt with the sweat ....

No knee pain, no foot pain, no joint pain. Except for the wind it was an exceptional day and an exceptional race as I set a new PR for the 5K: I came in at 27:59. My goal had been 28:00 so I was estactic... my overall pace was a 9:02.. How cool is that? The Runnerchik is back!!!!

Well that will probably be my race for June. I am going to start running with Carmen's group again and will meet them every Saturday for my long runs (that is, if I don't hop in my car and go to Santa Cruz to run and then chill on the beach .... ).

Stay tuned fellow runners... Wharf to Wharf is coming up in July and I intend to set another PR there. In the meantime, I am running 25 - 30 miles weekly. I will start going out to the track to do some speed work as soon as Delta finishes working on the track.

Oh, I am also going back to Yoga starting tomorrow. I signed up for 10 sessions of Bikram Yoga. It is time to get back to working on my core and also to cleanse ... I'll let you know how it goes as I haven't done yoga in a year.

Have you gone for your run today?

It's all about the view ...

2008-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

What does running mean to you? Why do you run? What makes you lace up your running shoes everyday and hit the pavement or running trail? For those of us that run seriously (regardless of pace etc..) we know that running is not easy. There is no such thing as an "easy run." In fact that is an oxymoron ...

There are may reasons I run: to stay healthy, to keep my arthritis in check, to maintain my weight, stress relief, for the overall well being of my soul, physical body and mental health and running also provides the escape I often need to be alone with my thoughts. I often come back from runs with mental lists made, goals established, and solutions for various problems I might be facing.

But I also run for the view... These past weeks I have had the opportunity to go to Santa Cruz several times and have gone for a run each time and captured some amazing photos .... It sure beats running the levees .in Stockon...

Stay tuned ... have you gone for a run today?

Stay tuned fellow runners... this chik will run Boston yet ....

Avenue of the Vines - May 18, 2008

2008-05-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's been almost two weeks since my last race (and first of 2008) and this chik has barely had time to stop and take a breath. Blogging, while enjoyable and fun is not high on my priority list as I do not have a lot of free time.

Nonethless, my first race of 2008 was amazing and considering the stress fracture of this past year and my surgery, I did exceptionally well after a four-month hiatus (well not a complete one but almost). My best half-marathon time so far is a 2:05 (Four Bridges 2007) and at Avenue of the Vines I completed the course in 2:18:26. While I didn't set a PR, it felt great being part of a race again. I felt strong and there was no pain in my foot and it was very hot. In the mid 90's to be exact. It felt great!!! There was only a slight wind (just enough to not make it completely miserable) and the sun was shining and the sky was clear. The perfect racing day in my book. This is a race I will definitely repeat. Running through the Lodi Vineyards and taking in the beautiful countryside made the race even more enjoyable and made me glad to be part of my local running community.

Having a cheering section was great too and cheering for Cesar who ran his very first race was a great experience. He came in under two hours (1:57) and although he forgot his chip at home (he didn't listen to me when I told him to lay his things out the night before - a runner's ritual), he did have his newly-acquired Garmin.

The thing that made this race particularly enjoyable is that my daughter ran her very first race (1/4 mile kids fun run) and won first place! She was estactic! She has been asking me to run a race for quite awhile and when this opportunity came up I signed her up. Now she's asking me when I'm going to sign her up for the next one. I think it's quite possible she's caught the bug....

I have races planned for July (Wharf to Wharf) and August (San Francisco Half) but so far nothing planned for June. The life in the day of a runner continues as I go back to teach summer school a week from Monday. It's back to the trenches .... Stay tuned fellow runners... I'm looking for a race for June so if there's one you know about (preferably with a great view) and in Northern California let me know...

Mediocrity Rules

2008-05-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I don't often blog about topics unrelated to my running. This is a running blog and personally I find it extremely annoying to log on to someones blog only to find their personal diary laid out for all the world to see. No, I don't need to know what you ate for breakfast, or what conversation you had with your neighbor unless it somehow relates to the topic at hand. And no, I don't need to know all the intimate details of your whole sorry life. Save it for your mom (that's what I do - sorry mom) or your therapist (some of you out there need one more than you think) and give the rest of us a break. I'll admit that these types of blogs are often amusing and yet offer little to move one forward.

In any case.... I don't usually blog about unrelated topics on this blog because the intent and purpose (audience and purpose) of this blog is to talk about my joys and struggles with running, thereby eliciting those in the running community to join in the dialogue. That said, perhaps it is time to graduate and write a different type of blog, one that deals with community issues, society and the like.

With that in mind, it has occurred to me lately that in this country mediocrity rules. I do not believe that it has always been so, for if it had, we would not be the great country that we are today. However, lately, it has occurred to me more than once that one is looked down upon, smirked at, placed outside the circle, and quite often completely alienated from said community if one attempts to move beyond mediocrity. If you are mediocre then you are accepted by others. But should you attempt to do more then what is required of you, those around you who may not have similar qualities as you and who may not be willing to rise to the challenge before them, may look upon you as a threat. And once you become a threat you must be taken out. You may disagree with me but I challenge you to look around you and analyze your community (work, church, school, youth organization, club, whatever) and those within it and I guarantee that you will find that mediocrity is at the forefront of your community or organization. Those companies and organizations that have not allowed mediocrity to rule are those that are extremely successful and competitive precisely because creativity is admired and desired and nothing short of your ABSOLUTE best is accepted. I could continue here and say a word or two about the state of politics in this country but I would be digressing .....

While I am a Type A and scream at the mere thought of mediocrity I have noticed that depending on where one works, volunteers etc.... it is quite possible that one might not be able to function if one does not accept and adhere to the rules of mediocrity. I know, I know, its seems like I am contradicting myself now but with all the rules pertaining to mediocrity there are also the rules pertaining to survival where one must appear to be functioning with the walls of mediocrity while all the while attempting to to do what we creative people do best - kick butt.

That's why I run. Here is a community where mediocrity will never rule. We go out and we kick butt every day. We don't jog. We run. We don't believe in mediocrity. We believe in challenging ourselves every time our running shoes hit the road and nothing less than our absolute best will ever suffice.

And you thought I couldn't bring it full circle huh?

I find it fascinating to observe people and how they seem to function so naturally with the confines of mediocrity. Pay attention the next time you are out there in your world. They do it so well that even they no longer know who they are. They have ceased to be and have become one with mediocrity.

I'll see you out there at Avenue of the Vines.....

When life gives you lemons...

2008-05-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

You make lemonade. And so I've been having quite of bit of lemonade lately and have learned to enjoy it. "When it rains it pours" I guess the other saying goes and yes, in addition to lots and lots of lemonade it's also been raining quite a bit too and my running has suffered because of it.

If the stress fracture wasn't enough I found out in February that I would probably have to have surgery (unrelated to the stress fracture) and indeed as promised my doctor took me in for surgery on March 28th, 3 days after my 39th birthday. Not exactly how I had planned spending the weekend of my birthday but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do ...

Recovery was not pleasant and took about a month. I ran infrequently during that time. My foot was grateful of course and actually probably helped it recover that much faster. I can honestly say that now I am fully recovered but sort of off my game a bit. I have slowed considerably these last few months and this has been hard for me to accept. Thankfully I have never stopped running completely but certainly not the miles I have been accustomed to doing.

Because of the surgery I was not able to run Santa Cruz half which was hard to accept but again it was just one of those nice little lemons that is thrown our way every so often. I am getting better at just rolling with the punches and making lots and lots of lemonade.

I have managed to run the past three weekends and each time have run 11 miles each time. I also have taken my bike out more and two weekends ago I rode some trails for 23.5 miles. Very nice ride. During the week I have managed to run short runs of between 3 to 5 miles each time.

Avenue of the Vines is coming up and I am thinking of running that this year instead of running Bay to Breakers. I did Bay to Breakers last year and while fun and exhilarating (who could forget Hayes Street Hill?), I do love running in different locations. I have heard Avenue of the Vines is a very nice half marathon and what better place to run than among the vineyards? It will be a very nice way to get back in the zone and see if I am up to doing SF Marathon in August.

Stay tuned fellow runners... this Runnerchik ain't givin' up yet .....

Two MRIs later...

2008-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile and people are beginning to wonder if the Runnerchik has hung up her running shoes for good. I haven't, although they have not seen as much action as they did in 2007.

Shortly after CIM I went to see my Sport Medicine doctor who promptly ordered an MRI of my right foot which a couple of weeks later showed that I had a stress fracture on my right foot precisely where I had been having all the pain. His recommendation was what it had been last July - that I back off on the training and allow my foot to heal. I did not follow his advice last July and went and ran the San Francisco Marathon and bombed it BIG time. Then I went and ran CIM almost five months later having trained VERY hard between August and December. My foot couldn't have healed had it wanted to..... this time I decided I had better follow doctor's orders.

With the disappointment of CIM, I took some time to really put things in perspective. I did not stop running but backed off to about 15 - 20 miles a week which to most of us serious runners is not serious running. I had no choice though. It was either that or end up not running for a VERY long time. So .... I have spent quite a bit of time in the gym running on the treadmill (helps with the impact), as well as lifting weights. I know how a lot of you runners feel about lifting weights but I am OK with gaining a bit of "weight" in order to have a strong upper body. I know it slows me down a bit but I feel a lot better having a strong upper body. I despise running on the treadmill and I usually only last about an hour before I just have to get out of the gym. I don't mind going there to lift weights but I do not enjoy running on the treadmill. A chik's gotta do what a chik's gotta do.....

During these last 3 months the weather in northern California has been very cold and windy and just pretty miserable. Having my gym membership has helped because otherwise I might not have run at all. For those of you that know me, you know I hate running in the wind and lately we have had very few windless or warm days. I have run outside off and on especially on days where the sun has dared to show up but mostly I have been in the gym. Being outside is always more invigorating and I have run outside any chance I got. The bottom line though is I have spent the majority of the last three months working out in the gym and I am looking forward to running full time outside again. This week I have run 16 miles already(outside) and am planing on running about another 15 between Friday and Saturday. If I can accomplish that I will feel much better about how these last three months have gone.

In mid February I had a second MRI due to knee pain and the results were negative. Apparently, because I continued to run last year with the stress fracture on my foot, I had begun to compensate (I could have told you that just from observing my stride) for the pain and had begun to put more pressure on my left leg and my knee had taken the brunt of it. I continue to have the knee pain and so I am continuously aware of it and do what I need to do to alleviate it.

I have gone snowboarding several times this winter ( I know! I know! the knee pain ....) and have had a great time. Having an SUV now has made a real difference, especially one with 4-wheel drive.

I have kept active and have been exploring my options for this year as far as running events. I decided that running 5 marathons in a year (2007) was a bit excessive, especially for a beginner and so I have decided that this year I will only run my two favorite marathons - SF in August and CIM in December. The former a real killer as there are nothing but hills and the latter a very flat and fast course. In between those, I have several half-marathons planned as well as several 10 and 12ks. There's also lots of snow left up in Tahoe ... so .... see you out there somewhere.....

My first race will be the half-marathon in Santa Cruz in April .... stay tuned ......

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

2007-12-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

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....

2007-11-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2007-11-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

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 ....

2007-11-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

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 ....

2007-11-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-11-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

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....

2007-11-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2007-10-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-10-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-09-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

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 ...

2007-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

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 ...

2007-09-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

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......