Avenue of the Vines - May 18, 2008

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

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...

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...

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gentlemen, start your engines....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunny weather up ahead ...

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

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

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

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