Marathonaversary

This week I was reminded that I ran my very first marathon a year ago (March 15, 2015).  Happy Marathonaversary to me!  I am a firm believer of rewarding yourself for your accomplishments.  (Maybe that's because I was lousy at every sport I tried and still got a participation trophy.  HA!  Oh well.) 


Anyhoo, after last year's marathon, I decided to treat myself to a little something.  I bought myself a ring from Endure Jewelry that has 26.2 engraved in Roman numerals.  I already had the 13.1 version and they're stackable, so I thought it would be a perfect addition.  This year's marathon was a lot tougher on my emotions, so even though it wasn't my first marathon, I figured simply completing it deserved a gift to myself. 


I again went to Endure jewelry, because I love their shirts and jewelry (they don't sponsor me, I just really love their stuff!  Would be open to a sponsorhip though, ;) *hint hint*).  This time, although I really wanted the diamond Minnie Mouse bow ring, I decided to not splurge quite so much and went with the Run Super Hero necklace instead.  Super cute, super nerdy, so perfectly me. 


Another way I'm just generally rewarding my running habit is to pay myself for every mile run this year.  This year happens to have quite a few larger than normal expenditures.  I'm going to Paris for 2 weeks; My niece is graduating middle school and I promised her $500 if she made Principal's Honor Roll all 3 years like I did (yay mini me!); and I turn 30.  I already decided to take less running trips and I'm using my vacation pay to purchase my Paris plane ticket, my bonus will be used for the rest of that trip's travel expenses, and I'm the rest of my normal running travel budget will be used for spending money.  I've been putting a little bit away each month for my niece's prize money since she made Principal's Honor Roll the first time in 6th grade.  But I would like to do something larger for my birthday.  So rather than just adjust my budget and save for a party, I figured I would pay myself $1 for every mile ran this year and use that to pay for my 30th!  This has the added incentive of running more = more money to party!  Plus, I've been aiming for the "1000 miles in a year" goal for about 3 years now, so the thought of having an extra $1000 saved after all my money going away this year would be super awesome. 


Do you do anything special to reward your fitness goals?

Country Music 5k

My alarm went off at 6am on Saturday.  This is normally sleeping in for me, but after having a late night Friday, all I wanted to do was hit snooze.  In the end, I decided that since I had to run anyways, and had already paid the entry fee, I might as well get the medal, cowboy hat, and beer for finishing the race.

This was a small race with free neighborhood parking and had a free concert at the end (which I was not able to attend).  Check-in was super easy and quick and I had plenty of time to take my new cowboy hat back to my car.  I wanted to wear it during the race, but my head must be shaped funny, because it was too big in the front but snug on the sides. I figured it would be smarter to ditch the cowboy hat and run in what I came with.

I got to the starting line and found one of my Ragnar teammates, Jack, and his lovely wife!  Yay for unexpected friendly faces!  And with Ragnar coming up quickly it was nice to chat a bit and that.  I'm runner 3 and he's runner 4, so good to know he's the one I'll literally be passing the baton to (or slap bracelet) after each leg.  But more on that later!

The race was a nice flat, loop course through downtown Anaheim.  Some of it was residential, and some of it was your typical downtown scenery.  Definitely a nice quiet part of town to run through.  My plan was to just run a comfortable pace the whole race and I'm happy to say my pace was pretty close to last week's 5k.  I'm always happy with consistency, especially since I didn't have friends with me to help motivate me to a better pace.  :)

One of the things I try to do at every race is to find someone who seems to be running at a similar pace and stick with them.  This works better at longer races, but for shorter races I'll pick out someone, keep focused on them, and try to match them stride for stride.  I was in a pack of about 3 women for a good half mile and then we get to the water station.  I always walk through the water station and take a good few seconds to enjoy my water, catch my breath, and take off again.  As I'm about to start running again, one of the women I had been sticking with catches up to me and says, "You're kicking butt!  I've been trying to catch up to you!"  She couldn't have been more than a few feet behind me, but it was so awesome to know that while I had a focal point in front of me to keep up with, this woman was using me as her focal point.  Totally all the motivation I needed to push forward and keep up my stride for the remainder of the race.

As I crossed the finish line I was excited to see my buddy Jack cheering me on (and even took the picture to the left!  Thanks Jack!).  I felt so good I forgot to turn my watch off!  Oops.  Was halfway to the beer garden before I remembered.  I got my beer, made a new friend while we finished our drink, and then headed home.  As always, I was so happy to have dragged myself out of bed that morning.  It's not always easy but it's always worth it!

Also, there were a ton of cute race costumes!  Some people even braved jeans and I have to commend anyone who chooses to run 3 miles in jeans.  That sounds like more chafing than I am willing to endure.  But kudos to them for choosing cuteness over comfort!  Anyone do any fun races this weekend?

Medal Monday #4

Happy Medal Monday! This weekend was the Country Music 5k.  I was a little bummed because I was supposed to do this race with a friend, but she had to cancel at the last minute.  I seriously considered staying in bed Saturday morning, but 1) knowing I had already paid for it was a GREAT incentive to get up and go (what can I say, I'm cheap! lol) and 2) I had already written on here that I was going to run the race!  Nothing like knowing people read your blog to keep you accountable!  So if you're reading this, thank you for making me drag my butt out of bed!  I had a great time, and you can read all about it on Wednesday!  Until then, have a great day!

<3

Will Run for Food, Part 2

In keeping with food themed races for the weekend, I ran the 1st annual Champagne Runch 10k on Sunday.  This race boasted a 5 course champagne brunch at the finish line in addition to the traditional race swag of a shirt and medal.  Naturally, I was in.

Now, what I'm about to say may be a bit controversial, but please understand that I was born and raised in beautiful Southern California, where our seasons are green, slightly less green, a little brown, and green again.  Yes.  Be jealous. ;)

Anyhoo, it was forecast to rain all weekend.  And Long Beach got a whopping 0.16 inches of rain!  Trust me, it felt like more.  Since the rain was supposed to finish around 7am Sunday morning, the race decided to postpone the first wave to 8am (originally 7:30am).  And then a few minutes before 8 they announced it would start at 8:30am instead.  We were signed up for the 8am wave, so not a huge deal in our minds.

The race began with a hill over the LA River and into the Long Beach Harbor.  I've run this particular stretch for a few Long Beach races but this was the first time I went through Shoreline Village.  Its just a little pier with your stereotypical pier fare, but it was so adorable and I never knew it existed!

At mile 1.5 they had the official race Carb Station.  This was actually the first of our five courses and consisted of donuts from California Donuts.  I'm not a huge fan of the donut, but i had that pink one with the strawberries in the middle of the picture and man, it was delicious!  Since it was an out and back course, you had to pass the Carb Station again at mile 4.5, so you know, all around a great first course!

The rest of the race was nice.  Long Beach is a really nice place to run in, even for an out and back (which are usually my least favorite races) because there's a lot to see.  My friend and I stayed together, which was also nice since it helped me push myself a bit and keep a steady pace.

The race was definitely a little shy of the 10k mark (by about a half mile) but there was no chip timing, and they had no mile markers (aside from the Carb Station saying "Mile 1.5" on the sign).  They ran out of medals (boo) but we got in line for our champagne so we could have something to sip on while we waited in the even longer food line!

The next three dishes were from The Attic, The Halal Guys, and Restauration.  The Attic served up hot cheeto topped mac n cheese (which I got minus the cheetos, cuz yuck!), the Halal Guys had chicken and rice bowls with pita slices (so. much. yum.) and Restauration had a short rib grilled cheese sandwich.  If you know me personally then you know I'm kind of a picky eater.  I try to eat like an adult, but sometimes I just can't.  So I'm always a little wary of new food places or "foodie" type places because I just like my traditional, 2 year old meals.  Regular Kraft mac n cheese.  Grilled cheese on white bread.  Grilled chicken with regular rice.  I'm weird, I know! (Don't even get me started on not liking my food to touch and eating off a kid's plate that comes partitioned!!)

Anyhoo, asking for plain mac n cheese was the weirdest I got that day and ate everything else as it was served.  And let me just say....SO GOOD!  The chicken bowl had orange rice that was weird for my 2 year old tummy's brain, but was super delicious.  The grilled cheese was a little cold by the time we sat down, but still super yummy, and the mac n cheese was SUPER cold (because it was the first thing we waited in line for) but still tasty.  Dessert was ice cream from The Drizzle.  My friend got the vanilla maple bacon and I got the salted caramel.  Both yummy.

And as if that wasn't enough food, we still had to get our second glass of champagne (because we like to drink and each ordered a second glass when we registered), PLUS a cup of juice, and a cup of coffee.  The juice was from Juicemi Gourmet and coffee was Contra Coffee & Tea.  I forget which juice I got but it was better than a lot of green juices I've tried.  And the coffee was a dirty horchata and so good I took it to enjoy at home to drink later.  

We were so stuffed.  WAY too much food in the best way possible.  Also, I mentioned earlier that they had run out of medals.  While we were almost at the end of the last food line, they announced that they had some medals on their way and to head over to the check-in booth after 10 minutes.  Of course a line formed immediately, so we sat down to enjoy our food and figured we'd give them our contact info on the way out.  Well, imagine my surprise when they still had some medals left as we walked out, so we both got our medals!  Yay! 

Now, as an inaugural race, there are always some kinks to work out, and I went into it knowing that.  So here's what I loved and didn't care for so much from the race.

Pros

•  Lovely course for both 5k and 10k distances
• Free race photos
• TONS of great food
• High quality medal
• Plenty of port-o-potties (don't laugh, you learn to appreciate them when they're not there!!)
• Great course support/spectators
• Photos ops (backdrop on the course and photo booth in the finish line area)
• Did I mention the food?
• an AMAZING DJ.  Like, seriously.  Perfect music to chill by the water and drink to. 

Cons

• They ran out of the shirt size I registered for
• They ran out of medals (Yes, they found some more, but if they had more, why weren't they at the finish line with the rest?)
• Distance was shorter than 10k
• They had one of those port-o-potty sinks but it ran out of water before the race even started

I know, I know.  Those "cons" are total #firstworldproblems.  And I agree, they're pretty stupid.  But I will say that this race wasn't cheap.  It was $95 plus a $7 processing fee.  I have an Active Advantage membership, so the processing fee was waived, and we used a $10 promo code I found online.  That being said, minus the $5 extra glass of champagne, I paid $85.  I justified it as a race with brunch included, which is what I normally do after a race anyway.  So I was just paying it up front.  And we really did get a lot for out money.  But when races run out of medals and shirts, it always irritates me. You know how many people signed up, and if they signed up 6 weeks in advance, certain things should be guaranteed, like the shirt size they ordered. 

Ok, rant over.  Overall this was a really great race and I would totally do it again.  In fact, the one thing I wish we had done differently was to wear brunch inspired t-shirts.  There were some really cute ones out there!  And a HUGE thanks to my friend Stephanie for running both races with me this weekend!  I'm so used to running races alone, so it was a great treat to have buddies and great food all weekend long!

 

Will Run for Food, Part 1

I mentioned in a previous post that I wasn't going to sign up for any more races until after SF Marathon.  There were two races I had my eye on, but they were 5k fun runs.  So I told myself, I would just do those two and really focus all my attention on SF Marathon.

As you may have noticed from my previous post, that didn't last long.  In fact, last week I actually agreed to do TWO runs that were previously not on my radar!!!  I know, I know, I have a problem.  There needs to be some sort of Runners' Anonymous meetings for people like me.

The second run was the one I did on Saturday, the Froyo Run.  Let me just say, I was peer-pressured into this one!  (And by peer pressure, I mean someone tagged me in a picture of their medal on Instagram and I just had to have it!)  Plus, I had friends who wanted to do this one too, and what kind of friend would I be if I turned them down for a fun run?

I know, I have a problem.  We established that already.

Anyhoo, as I said, this was the Froyo Run, which consisted of a 5k or 10k race with, of course, Froyo at the finish line!  And my favorite part....the medal is a spoon!!  (Although I don't recommend eating from it; its far too cute for that).  We did the 5k since two of us were doing a 10k the following day, and had so much fun earning our dessert! 

We got to the venue an hour before our race time, which was great planning, although unnecessary since it was a small race and their check-in process was super on-point!  Race swag included a hat and sunnies, in addition to the yummy froyo waiting at the finish line. 

Fruit punch froyo wth mini m&ms, oreo bits, and almonds...yum!

The race was advertised as, "A flat, fast course being designed with PRs in mind. Journey through a refreshing, clearly marked course across smooth roads and fast pavement, with a beautiful SoCal backdrop." (Taken directly from froyorun.com) Let me tell you, while it was a relatively flat course, there was one HUGE hill around a little over a mile in!  And another slight hill around mile 2.25.  And another around 2.75.  So, just saying, not quite the flat course they advertised. 

It was a super gloomy day but thankfully no rain.  I don't mind running in the rain, but I wanted my friends to have fun and plus eating froyo in the rain didn't exactly hit the top of my list of things to do that day. 

My friends and I agreed to go at our own paces, although we started as 2 twosomes.  I was intimidated by the first hill but luckily I include a similar hill in my normal route so I tackled it feeling fairly strong.  I had wanted to use this race as a training run and go at a nice easy pace.  Thankfully or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) I felt really good and went WAY faster than my intended pace.  Like, over a minute per mile faster.  Which is great!  But my legs were super crampy the following day so I think a little slower would have been smarter.  Oh well, its definitely great to know that my training is paying off and I felt a lot stronger than I have in awhile.  Having some rest time and training smart is starting to show and I am so excited to see how far I can go in the coming months!

 

 

 

Definitely the first medal I've wanted to eat off of =)

Medal Monday #3

 

Happy Medal Monday!

I had the pleasure of running with 3 awesome ladies this weekend for a total of 9.3 miles!  I rarely run with buddies so these were extra fun and I can't wait to share my race recaps with you!  For now, let's just enjoy the beautiful medals I earned this weekend.

 

Medal Monday #2 & Race Recap

Conversation from 2/8/16

You know that moment when you weren't going to sign up for any new races this season but at the last minute decide to do one since your training plan called for 6 miles anyway?  No?  Just me then.

Friday night I decided to run a small local race the following morning to support a family friend who helps puts it on.  I've done this race twice before.  Its in Norco, CA and runs along the Santa Ana River, so a whole lotta nature.  They only give medals to those who place in their age group, but will usually give a ribbon or pin, or something like that to all finishers.  This year it was dog tags!

The race is about half rolling hills and half flat, with the steepest hill at about a 7% grade.  The last portion is the relatively flat part, so while its nice to get the hills out of the way at the beginning, you have to also save some energy to finish strong.

When I say this was a small race, I mean it.  With only 100 people in the 5k and 30 in the 10k, its definitely the smallest race I've ever been a part of.  This pretty much meant that as a back-of-the-pack runner, there were very few people around with me.  I had 2 women in front of me and 1 man in back of me for pretty much the entire race, and I must say, that was really good motivation to keep moving.  I tried to keep the distance between all of us steady, which was difficult during the hills.  Once you hit mile 2.5 there's a half mile of uphill that turns a bit at the top so you can't see the top while you're going up it.  And you only go back downhill about halfway before you turn and it levels out again.  And then the stretch before the mile 4 marker....oh man!  At this point the 4 of us were at our closest to each other, but it was also a moment of truth for all of us because it was the steepest hill of the race.  I was determined to not take any walk breaks, especially since I didn't want to fall behind.

Now, I should say that while my training plan did call for 6 miles, it called for an "easy" 6 miles.  I don't think these hills exactly qualified as easy but I figured if I was going a comfortable pace, I would be fine.  And being my longest (and fastest) run since LAM, I must say, I was proud of my pace.  I felt super strong until mile 4.7 when the course had been flat for about a half mile and I started feeling the pace. I didn't hit a wall by any means, but I definitely started to feel the heat of no shade and was ready for the race to be over.  What got me through it?  I told myself, "Megan is running a full marathon right now, get over yourself and finish!" I picked up the pace and got moving. 

My last 4 miles were negative splits (meaning each mile was faster than the previous one) which was super awesome and had me feeling stronger than I have in awhile.  In fact, I got 1st place in my age group, which means I got a medal!!  Super awesome since last year I got 2nd in my age group! Next year I'll be moving up an age group, so definitely have a new 10k goal. As a slower runner, I know my chances of placing are beyond slim.  But small races are a great way to improve those chances and give yourself a great boost of motivation.  Its not about the medal or winning, but getting a little something extra for miles I had to run anyways is always nice. 

Medal Monday #1

Happy Medal Monday!  Although I didn't run a race this weekend, I actually received two medals at the LA Marathon finish line!  The first was obviously for the marathon, but the second was another special one that I was super excited about receiving!  It was the Golden State Double Medal challenge medal given to those who completed a California Ragnar event in 2015 (or selected 2016 Ragnar events) and the LA Marathon.



I love getting extra medals for running multiple races, especially when I truly feel I've earned them!  Last year's Ragnar Relay was my first Ragnar and I'm running it again this year.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the race series, its a 200ish mile relay race done with 12 people in 2 vans over 2 days.  Its challenging because you run, then rest for a couple hours, then run again, then rest a few more hours, then run again!  It messes with your food and sleep cycles and although you get time to sleep, the adrenaline rush of making sure you're in the right places at the right times really hinders the whole sleeping thing.  Plus, although you get very detailed maps and there are signs, I was terrified of getting lost.  Like, seriously.  Especially during my night leg. 

















Anyhoo, an extra special medal for two challenging races and I'm so in love with the design.  Here's to my 3rd challenge medal of the year!

What's Next?

The last 5 months have been insanely crazy for me.  I've had races 18 of the last 23, for a total of 23 races.  And sure, I'm tired.  I "slept in" yesterday and today (which means 6:30am for me, but trust me, I'll take it!) and have thoroughly enjoyed having no races this weekend and knowing I have no races next weekend either.  My next race is the Champagne Runch 10k in Long Beach, on March 6th. Yeah, that's only 2 weeks away, but it'll be a fun run since I'm doing it with a friend and it includes a 5-course brunch complete with glass of champagne (I paid $5 for an extra glass, hehe) AND still comes with a medal.  In fact, my next 3 races are fun runs!  Saturday March 12th I'm doing the Corral Country Music 5k with my bestie (in Anaheim) and the San Diego Hot Chocolate 15k the following weekend.  

I am a huge fan of fun runs and while I think all runs are fun, themed runs with friends are a great way to shake up the training a bit and keep things exciting.  My mom will be doing the Hot Chocolate 5k (her 2nd 5k ever!) and I'm so happy to have her participating in this event instead of just spectating!  Granted, she's doing it for the copious amounts of chocolate you get at the finish line, but that's besides the point.  

I have spent the last week recovering from the LA Marathon, which included rest, easy walks, and a nice long massage.  The week was also spent mentally processing the race.  As you may have read from the recap, it was an emotional one, and a week later, still stings a bit.  But I've allowed myself the down time and am ready to regain focus and look ahead to what's next!  

My next 3 big races are the Ragnar Relay So Cal on April 1-2, the OC 1/2 Marathon on May 1st, and the SF Marathon July 31st.  I think they're spaced out enough and offer a good bit of variety (3 totally different race types and distances) that I can remain focused on SF and finish strong that day.  I think part of the problem with LA Marathon was that I was burnt out.  That's a lot of races with very little recovery time, and although I made sure to rest when needed, having so many races simply took a lot out of me.  I want to take it down a notch this year with the race schedule and really focus on quality training and running.  Training starts back up tomorrow and I'm so excited to regroup and get going again!  As much as I don't mind being a "slow" runner and really try to enjoy every step of the journey, I have some strong goals this year and want to see what I'm really capable of!

LA Marathon 2016: Race Recap

I ran my second marathon yesterday.  After I had finished the first one last year, and reunited with my family, my dad asked, "So you gonna do it again next year?"  I told him to ask me again in a week.

The thing is, the marathon is not my favorite distance.  It requires a lot of time to train; about 6 months and many weekends of double digit miles.  I was always a little unsure about it, but figured it was something I needed to cross off my bucket list.  At the end of it, I was exhausted but so proud of myself.  I decided to come back and try again this year, albeit a bit reluctantly.

In the past 6 months, I've had an insane race schedule, with 23 races over the last 23 weeks.  I've spent the last month focusing on LAM, coming home from a race and doing additional miles to ensure I got my long runs in.  I was super nervous the last two weeks, but come race morning, I knew I was as ready as I could be.

It was supposed to be much warmer than usual for February, although slightly less hot than last year.  I had plenty of carbs and fluids the days before the race and I approached the finish line nervous but positive.  I had a clear goal in mind, as well as a plan B goal.  Now, it always takes me 2 miles to get into a groove, no matter the race distance.  Although I tried to hold back, the first two miles in the race are pretty much straight downhill, so of course those were my fastest.  Unfortunately, I never quite got into the groove.  Every step was a struggle, and I kept telling myself to just be patient and move forward.  Mile 5 it was apparent that the runner's high wasn't coming.  I had a pretty steady pace though.  And this race has the best course support I've ever experienced.  Literally people cheering around every corner.  People passing out pretzels, orange slices, bananas, water.  So I was feeding off the energy of those around me.

Miles 6 through 10 I was cruising along pretty nicely.  In fact, I think those were my best miles.  They weren't easy, but I had enough mental focus to push through.  Mile 10 was along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood and although I've run that stretch of road in at least a dozen races, it's one of my favorites because of its familiarity.  You've got the Museum of Death (morbid, I know, and also a really odd spot to put the Port-a-Potties), the Pantages Theater, El Capitan, Madame Tussaud's, etc.  You know, all the Hollywood touristy stuff that you see in movies but rarely go to in real life. (Even though I've been to all those places in the last year, but that's besides the point =P).

Anyhoo, one of the IERC pacers passed me at this point and asked if I wanted to stay with them.  I was fading from my current pace and was so thankful for the company.  That group really saved me.  I stayed with them until mile 15ish when they lost me.  We had been in a huge group of people and a small gap turned into a larger one until I couldn't see the pacer anymore.

At Mile 16, I was moderately relieved, and Mile 17 brought about better spirits.  That's about where you run through Rodeo Drive, which is simply gorgeous.  Then I got to the first IERC support tent and it was great seeing some friendly faces, getting a PBJ sandwich, and an ice cold towel.  Spirits renewed, I took it one mile at a time from there on out.  Mile 17 was a mental bridge I was all too thrilled to pass because it meant I had single digit miles left.  9 miles.  I can do 9 miles.  Then 8 miles.  Then 7 miles.  However, as we approached Mile 20, I was forcing myself to run.  My feet hurt. My quads were feeling tight.  My calves were threatening to cramp at every moment.  Luckily IERC had a support tent at Mile 20, and right before the turn into that mile marker I was given a chocolate milk and applesauce pouch.  I hate milk so the fact that I was happy to get that can tell you how delirious I may have been at that point.  More PBJ's at the support tent, along with a new ice towel and I was off.

At this point, I was really discouraged.  I was an hour off my goal time and I kept having flashbacks to last year's Mile 20 moment.  Last year that had been my defining moment.  I knew if I could just get to Mile 20 I would have no problem finishing.  I had been so excited to be there and to see my parents at the support tent.  I remember giving them both a hug, getting a quick drink, and taking off again, so excited to be so close to the finish line.  This time, there was none of that excitement.  It was too much of a struggle and comparing the two races was such a huge mental mistake that I just couldn't stop from happening.

The view from Mile 2

A mile later, there was a group giving out shots of beer, which wasn't a lot, but gave me a great mini boost of energy.  Super boring portion of the race, but oh well.  I found myself saying, "Shut up legs, you're almost there" over and over again.  Literally.  Pretty sure I said that every step of the way from mile 21 to mile 23 where the last IERC tent was.  The great thing about running with a group or having spectators is that they see you wearing the club shirt and even though they may not know you personally, they are so happy to see you and offer help.  That last club tent gave me more food, soda, and happy faces.  It was just what I needed.

"26.2 miles of Single Awareness"

I wish I could say that with only 3 miles to go that I knew I would make it and was finally on a roll.  But no.  I was still questioning my ability to cross that finish line.  It just seemed so far away.  I kept telling myself that my feet didn't hurt.  That my legs weren't cramping.  That they hurt but if they just kept going for a little bit longer it would be over and they could rest then.  I told myself I was stronger and prepared.  That I could do this.  That I would finish and get that medal.  And I ran.  Slowly.  But I couldn't allow myself to walk because I didn't trust my legs anymore.  So I pushed and pushed and pushed some more. One lovely lady looked over at me as I ran next to her (she was walking and we were at the same pace.  Oh well) and said, "Good job.  I can't believe you're running.  I just don't have the energy.  You're doing so great."  I could have hugged her.  Totally what I needed to hear at that moment.  I still had a mile left at that point, but it was probably the first time in the whole race I knew I would finish.

Turning onto Ocean Avenue was emotional for me.  You can see the ocean and feel the breeze and although you can't immediately see it, I knew the finish line was near.  As I got to the end of the finish line spectators I heard my name being cheered on and saw Tracy (a friend from high school) with a couple of running club ladies cheering me on.  And then I crossed the finish line and proceeded to let the last emotions I had left stream out in the form of tears.  Literally could not stop crying.  I was so spent emotionally and physically, and crossing that finish line was the end I wasn't sure I would get to see.  I found a spot to sit and wait the tears out, which is where I finally took a picture to share on social media.  Seeing it after, I'm surprised I was able to conjure up a real smile in that moment.  I was so proud of myself for finishing but also feeling so stupid for having that reaction.  A marathon will do that to you though.

By the end, I was definitely hurting.  I had that post-marathon swagger down.  I went and got my additional medal (more on that next time) and then found my parents and sat down to process a bit.  I had 2 goals for this race and missed both of them.  By a lot.  But you know what?  It's really not about that.  My real number 1 goal was to finish.  Because when you start a marathon (or really any race) finishing is not a guarantee.  It doesn't matter how many hours, weeks, or even months you've trained for this thing.  You set out and all you can do is try to do your best.  For me, my best was finishing when every fiber in my body was telling me to quit.  So, it may not be a distance I love, or even like. In fact, I may very well hate this distance.  But I'll be back.  LAM may have kicked my butt this time, but I guarantee I'll be stronger for the next one.  Only 397 days until LAM 2017.  ;)

And you know, 167 days until my next full marathon.  Because apparently I enjoy this kind of torture. <3

Surf City Race Recap

Yesterday was the Surf City half marathon....#33 for me.  This past week was a little rough on my emotions.  I found out I wasn't selected for two race ambassador positions I had applied for.  I also had the first member of my running group quit.  Although my friends used to call me Negative Nikkie, I am actually quite a positive person.  I know everything happens for a reason and I try to look on the bright side of things. But when things come all at once even the most positive person can have a moment of feeling defeated.  And of course, it was my last week of training before the LA Marathon. 

Surf City was supposed to be my focus race before LAM.  I had a time goal I needed to meet for the past 3 half marathons to ensure a sub-6 hour marathon time.  I didn't hit any of those time goals.  In fact, Surf City was a half hour SLOWER than my goal time. 

The problem was that I went into this race with the mindset that I'd had a crappy week and that I had a lot riding on this one race.  May I just say, that's the wrong way to go into anything, whether a race, a job, or any random event.  I put a lot of pressure on this one race, knowing I hadn't quite hit the mark on the previous two races.  My expectations were way too high.  The course was a lovely out and back along the Pacific Coast Highway, so there was a pleasant ocean view for the majority of it.  But my split times just weren't where they should have been.  By the time I got to mile 7 I knew I wasn't going to hit my goal so I slowed down.  A lot.  By mile 10 I was doing a run/walk and really milking the water stop breaks.  I just couldn't get my head in a positive frame of mind.  By mile 11.5 I had snapped out of it enough to force myself to run the rest of the way in.  It was tough.

I woke up to an email from my coach telling me what a great job I did on the run and letting me know my plan for this week.  I told her my split times (although pretty sure she had already stalked my finishing time) and explained how I felt.  Her response? "Just now focusing on mentally saying you are ready for the day on Sunday.  It will be challenging but you are stronger."  I said at the end of yesterday's race that the mantra of the day was "Run the race you're in" and by the end I finally believed it.  So this week, my mantra is "I am stronger and I am ready."  I have an amazing group of family and friends who support my running adventures.  They're not expecting me to be the fastest one out there.  They'll wake up on Sunday and see my posts along the route and congratulate me and ask how I'm feeling on Monday.  They'll love me and support me no matter what happens on the course.  So although it was a rough week, its over now.  Time to regain focus and stop being so hard on myself.  A bad training week doesn't diminish all the hours I've put into it before or after.  Sunday will be great.  <3

Goals, not Resolutions!

Happy 2016!  How has your training been going?  Not gonna lie, I definitely slacked off the last two weeks of the year.  My brother got married, then his birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and then my birthday.  That week before Christmas is always a marathon week for my family and by the time New Year’s rolls around, I’m beat!

Now, I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions.  I think if you want to make a change in your life, you can do it anytime!  There’s always the first of the month, first day of the week, or hey, why not start something new on a Thursday just because you want to?  But, I get why they’re popular.  I don’t do resolutions, but I do do birthday goals.  For 28 I wanted to travel more.  And with 33 races, 9 plane rides, 6 states, 14 nights spent in a hotel and 6 nights spent in friends’ lovely guest rooms, I’d say I smashed that goal.  I like birthday goals more because I feel like it relates to me more.  Yeah, I would like to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution, but saying I want to be a certain size by my next birthday just feels more powerful.  Maybe that’s just me, but it works for me, so I’m all for whatever works for you! 

I’ve been doing this birthday goal resolution thing since my 22^nd birthday.  And for the most part, it’s been super successful.  One year I wanted to go to more concerts; another I wanted to experience new things so I bought a Groupon a month.  The birthday resolutions started because I had a really bad 21^st year.  So for 22 I decided to just get out of the house and have fun.  I did my own version of a “Yes Man” year and pretty much said yes anytime anyone invited me out.  I had become such an introvert that this was a HUGE deal for me.  And I had a blast!  This year was the first year that I felt like I’d accomplished everything major I wanted to accomplish.  I feel like I’ve finally laid a blueprint for the life I want to live and I’m on a really good path and am enjoying every minute of it.  It’s been good.  So when 29 came closer I couldn’t think of anything major I wanted to change.  Sure, I want to lose weight and stop procrastinating so much.  But nothing so big as the past few years have been.

Solution?  I wrote down everything I want to do this year.  All the little things.  And I came up with 10!  So I thought, let’s do a 30 before 30 list.  Every time I think of something, no matter how small, I write it down.  So this list will definitely be a progression as the year goes on.  I’m sure I can think of 30 things (I’m already at 15) and I know that all these little things will only help me have a really solid and fun future.  Some of them really scared me as I wrote them down, which means I definitely am dreaming big!  I even finally partnered with my bestie, Team Berns Fitness to start my own running group.  To be perfectly honest, it really freaked me out the more real it became.  But I love running and while I acknowledge that it’s not for everyone, running a 5k is.  Having a team of strong women working towards a goal with you, is.  I’ve had a lot of people over the last year ask me for advice on running their first half marathon and I love being part of their journey.  It’s not easy, but it’s so totally worth it, so this is my opportunity to do that on a broader scale.  And while I’m still a little scared, I’m also super excited. 

I’ll post my list in the next post, but until then, what are some of your goals for this year? 

Golden Snowflake Challenge

This weekend I ran the Holiday 5k and Holiday Half Marathon in Pomona, CA.  Together, these races completed the Golden Snowflake Challenge, which granted the finisher with a lovely golden snowflake medal, in addition to the 5k and half medals.  Never one to shy away from extra bling, I put this race on my calendar early on in the year.

This was my second time running this particular half marathon.  I think it was my 6th half marathon ever 2 years ago, and I remember hating every minute of those hills!  The course starts at the Pomona Fairplex, loops through a neighboring residential area, back up through the Pomona Speedway, out around Brackett Airport, and then through Bonelli Park.  Bonelli Park is lovely.  But it has a lot of hills.  They're not absurdly steep, but the number of them really does a number on you physically and mentally. 

About half the race is spent in and around Bonelli Park, so when you finally leave, the Fairplex is in sight with only 2 miles to go.  I forgot to turn my podcasts on until Mile 2, which is odd for me, but also nice to know I didn't absolutely need the distraction.  I took very few pictures and although I tried to push through, both races ended up a bit slower than my most recent races. 

I took a recovery week this week, on the advice of my coach.  I do feel stronger as a runner overall, but I think all the racing the last 3 months has really done a number on me.  With LA Marathon just two months away (EEK!!) and 6 races before then, I don't think I'll get much opportunity to rest.  I've got no races next weekend and I'm super excited about it, because it means I finally get to do something I've been meaning to do for months now.....get a haircut!!!  I have literally been too busy to do something as simple as get a haircut and although I love running, it's nice to take a breather every now and then. 

Did you run any races this weekend?  How'd you do?

Lexus Laceup - Riverside, Half 27/29

The Lexus LaceUp Riverside half marathon was probably the most well put together race I've ever been to!  I have a love/hate relationship with small races.  Being a slower runner means that I almost always come in very near the end of the race.  On the other hand, its really nice to see different parts of cities that aren't very touristy or even that are in my backyard and I never would have known existed!  This was definitely one of those races.  Overall I was 277/313.  14/17 in my age group.  Luckily I do these things for fun!

This was my third race in Riverside in a month and I knew going into it that it was an out and back course along the Santa Ana River Trail, which means a pretty monotonous run in terms of scenery.  I had never heard of this race series until I cancelled my Nebraska trip and found myself in need of a half marathon on one of the very few open weekends I had left in the year to make 29 half marathons on my 29th birthday.  Let me tell you, this race series has quickly become one of my faves!

Because it was sort of a last minute entry for me, I didn't really look at what was included in the race entry fee.  I knew a medal, and really that's all I cared about!  Boy was I pleasantly surprised when I saw that it included a free beer AND food!!  Not only that, they had plenty of seating so that we could enjoy our food and beverage.  I always feel bad that my parents go to my races only to sit on the floor in the cold for several hours.  This race had a small expo of vendors and plenty of tables, chairs, and umbrellas! My mom sat at one of the cloth-covered tables for the first 2 hours of my race and made friends with some other spectators.  She even got a beer and free meal voucher one of the runners wasn't going to be able to use!  Score one for madre!  We always go out to breakfast after my races, but it was nice to stay in the venue and enjoy a really good meal. 

As for the race itself, I was also pleasantly surprised to see that it was a section of the trail I had never been on before and was actually quite pretty!  It was out and back, so while I saw everything twice, the road curved quite a bit and there was a good portion that was tree-lined with a small stream running parallel to the trail.  Always lovely to be one with nature.  (And since I was close to the end, there weren't a lot of other people around so I really was ONE with nature, hehe).  

Definitely the best small town race I've ever been to and I look forward to doing more of their races next year!

Riverside Turkey Trot

I love small town, local races.  Not gonna lie, sometimes they suck because I am usually closer to the end with very few people behind me.  But its great to wake up at a reasonable hour, drive a short distance, run real quick, and be home early enough to still have your whole day in front of you.  Especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving.  I like working out in the mornings because it makes me feel like I've earned my food for the day, so Turkey Trots are perfect for me!  Medals and a guilt-free slice of pie? Umm, yes please!

I hired a running coach two months ago and while I got through my crazy 11 week race binge healthy and strong, I felt like any progress was slow or barely measurable.  Plane rides, hotel stays, and sight-seeing wreak havoc on my system, especially since I kind of went a bit crazy by doing that every single weekend.  The Turkey Trot was my last race of the binge so I was super excited to have a relaxing few days off from running and work after it was done. 

Have you ever been to downtown Riverside or the Mt. Rubidoux area?  If you haven't and you're a fan of Victorian style homes, or homes with a ton of character, I suggest you take a trip out stat!  The race was mostly residential and hilly.  Luckily the gorgeous houses distracted me from the hills a bit!  I finished the race on a mission to pass the 12 minute pacer and I did! (just barely, but let's not split hairs here.)  I went through the finish line, got my water and snacks and got a hug from my mom.  Her first words?  "Wow, that was a lot faster than I expected!"  Booyah!  Progress.  lol.  Definitely not a PR, but much faster than I've been running in awhile.  So I guess the training is paying off, even if its not always super obvious.



PS, the race entry included a beer, which I wasn't aware of but super stoked to have it. Recovery carbs, right?!

Biggest Loser Half Marathon (#19 of 29)

Last Sunday I ran the Biggest Loser Half Marathon  in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I originally signed up for this particular race because 1) I love the Biggest Loser (although I stopped watching several years ago) and 2) because I knew I could convince my mom to do the 5k.  My mom is super awesome and beyond supportive of my running, however she will be the first to tell you she doesn't understand the concept of paying to run when I can run for free anywhere I want.  *shrugs*


Anyhoo, I knew I could convince her because she doesn't enjoy running, but she does like to walk, and will only consider doing a race if other people will be walking too (she doesn't want to be the last person coming in, which I totally understand!!).  This is called the Biggest Loser Run/Walk Race series, and I've been waiting for one to come to California.  When I found out this was going to be in Vegas, I figured it was close enough to not pass up and then I'd be guaranteed a travelling buddy, because #priorities.  Well, my mom was all in until she got her retired butt a job!!!  Its temporary, at the LA County Fair, but since she had to request off the last weekend of the fair due to my San Jose running trip (plane tickers already purchased) she felt bad asking for two weekends off in a row.  Which I get, but I was bummed for sure.


Anyhoo, it was a super short trip and definitely not your typical "Vegas" trip, but I think that's what convinced my friend Mary to come with me in the first place.  We spent Saturday laying around our hotel room watching Friends, after a delicious lunch of pizza and breadsticks.  Yum.  And then dinner was pasta and bread with pistachio chocolate chip cannoli for dessert.  Yeah, she's got this carbo-loading thing down!


The race has a 7am start time, which concerned me since it was supposed to be a high of 100* that day.  The race started and ended at Circus Circus, which is where I stayed, and that mean I got to sleep in a whole lot later than I normally do on race mornings!  Yay!  It was another out and back course (lame) which had a loop at the end, so you got to the end of the course, turned around and went back to the 5ish mile marker, got a bracelet, and turned around and went back to the end of the course, and then turned around again and could continue on to the finish line.  Kinda weird, and possibly more boring because we saw that portion of course 4 times!  And the race was down Industrial Rd, so while there was much more shade than there was at the Ventura Marathon, it was the backs of buildings on one side and the freeway on the other.  Still better than last week, but not incredibly exciting.  Oh well.  The volunteers were all super nice and they had a ton of different flavors of Gu at the fuel station, so I got to try the caramel macchiato one.  So good!


Side note:  I like Gu's and gels, but tend to gravitate towards the chocolate and coffee flavored ones.  The first one I had during the race was espresso, the second was mocha, and the third was the caramel macchiato.  My coffee addiction has integrated itself into my running addiction!


I Periscope'd the last half mile-ish of my race which was super fun but also incredibly awkward to watch afterwards.  Heavy breathing and shaky video aside, I totally messed up like half my words! I mean, it makes sense that my brain would go on strike after 12.5 miles of running, but I didn't realize just how many words I pronounced wrong, misused, or completely omitted!  Haha, oh well.


Anyhoo, I felt so much better this race than last week.  I don't know if it was the shade or just being better prepared, but I finished a good 30 minutes sooner than I did last week!  Hopefully I can keep that up the next few races.  While I don't necessarily race for time, I definitely want to get faster.  In fact, I just hired a running coach!  I love running and it is super fun, but I would like to be a more efficient runner, which means actually training.  Races are fun and I enjoy talking to people and getting the most out of my entry fee, and I will continue to do that, but I know I've got some untapped potential somewhere in me and I want to explore where that takes me.  Exciting things coming up and I can't wait to see where running takes me!

Ventura (Half)Marathon Recap

Yesterday was the Ventura Marathon.  This was my 8th half marathon of 2015 and my 18th lifetime half.  That being said, no matter how many races you've done, every race is different and you never know what will come up or what to expect.  Now, if I'm being truthful, I didn't train as well as I could have.  I had a minor foot injury (irritation?) during my last half marathon so I took a couple weeks off.  I've been back into it, but my long runs have definitely suffered.  But I still felt pretty good about myself crossing the start line Sunday morning. 

They always say not to trust the first mile of a race.  That first mile is always a liar.  You cannot judge a long run by the first mile, especially during a race.  Your adrenaline is up, the energy of all the other runners starting is pretty contagious and you feel invincible.  This was the case for my first mile.  But then the second mile was pretty awesome too!  And then the third mile wasn't too bad.  And then BAM!  It was downhill from there (figuratively of course, because literally would have made it super awesome).

The race was an out and back course, which means you go out for half the distance and then turn around and come back the same way.  I'm not a huge fan of these courses because you see the same things twice.  When I signed up, I figured I'd have ocean views, so it wouldn't be too bad.  Well no.  It was beach city for maybe the first 2.5 miles and then marsh-like land.  With no shade.  None. 

Running is a mental sport.  Your brain is yelling at you to stop torturing yourself and makes you think your lungs are going to give out and your legs will turn to jelly any minute. But if you can get out of your head for just a few seconds, running is peaceful.  At least for me it is.  I rarely get the "runner's high" people will tell you about.  But on a good day, I shut off my mind so that I'm almost on autopilot.  My legs are going, my asthmatic lungs are kicking butt, and everything falls into place.  Granted, that feeling never lasts long.  But its my own runner's high and when your brain goes at the speed of light at all times, its nice to have a break.  This race though?  Could. Not. Shut. It. Off. 

It's hot.  There's no shade.  I forgot my sunglasses.  I hope the cute guy doesn't see me like this.  I have to go to the bathroom. Why is there no shade?  Dude, that mile marker can't be right; my watch said I hit that mile ten minutes ago.  Why is it so hot?  I need water with my GU.  My legs hurt.  My feet hurt.  Is my knee acting funny?  How long until I have to check out of my hotel?  I hope they have good beer.  I think I have a blister.  Do I need to retire these shoes already?  OMG I have 9 more of these races coming up!  UGH!!!!!

Yeah, those were just some of the thoughts going through my head.  And if you thought those were annoying, trust me, it got 100x worse.  I couldn't shut it off for the life of me, so I ended up walking quite a bit more than I should have. 

Also, not to give TMI but I had some minor stomach issues.  Have you ever tried to run when your tummy threatens to go on strike?  Running is just about impossible. 

FINALLY I got to the finish line chute and I was the only runner!  As much as I like attention, being the only runner that last tenth of a mile was actually super intimidating.  Lots of people cheering, which was great.  But knowing all eyes were on me was weird!  Probably why my eyes were down in this picture.  And also, I was just super relieved to be done. 

The race organizers sent an apology email with our pictures today.  The turnaround spot for the half marathon was placed in the wrong spot so yeah, it was roughly one kilometer longer than it should have been.  I know that doesn't sound like much.  But I ran my required race distance.  I wasn't looking to be on my feet any longer than I needed to!  I don't have my official time yet, but I guarantee it will be slow.  Next week will be better.

Things I learned from this weekend...

1. Eating a huge lunch the day before is a bad idea if it means your dinner will be small.  Keep it balanced and more protein with dinner.  (Secret: you actually don't need to carb load for a half marathon....usually).

2. Almond milk is not good pre-race food.

3. Remember to smile.  I think I'm smiling in 1 out of 20 race pics.  Yes, I was irritated.  But I pay to do this to myself.  I need to remember to enjoy the journey.

5k Sunday!

This past Sunday I ran the OC Fair One Big Fun Run 5k, in Costa Mesa, CA.  This was my first time running the event, and to be honest, I mainly did it because it was inexpensive and included a ticket to the OC Fair!  Because as much as I love my “free” shirt and bling, when those things include a ticket to a place with exciting fried treats, it’s a must-do in my opinion.

Now, full disclosure…Although my weekend runs have been pretty on point, my weekday runs have been essentially nonexistent.  Sometimes I skip my run because I have homework to do, which, if I’m being honest, is usually left for weekdays because I opted for something “more fun” on the weekend.  Meh.  And other times it’s because it’s a Monday or Tuesday and I would rather go shake my booty with my besties at the gym for CDP (search Bernadette Barber on YouTube; best workout that’s not a traditional workout).  So, since I only run one day a week, and even though that run is usually a longer one, my body is starting to get used to less mileage.  This means that a 5k fun run suddenly becomes something you dread because you have no idea how your legs/lungs are going to react. 

The good news is, when they call this a “big fun run,” they aren’t lying!  They literally had fun detours along the course that allowed you to play games, ride a big slide, or be a rock star onstage with a photo op.  I mean, how much more fun can this get?  And for those people who go to runs to race, challenge themselves, and/or earn a new PR, they could bypass the detours altogether.  So literally, a run for everyone.  I am always on the lookout for fun 5ks to recommend for first-timers and this one definitely made it on the list.  The games weren’t just for fun either, you could actually win prizes!  So.  Much.  Fun. 

Now, despite the great time I was having, as I left the rock star photo op, around 2.5 miles into the run, I was tired.  And keep in mind, I had to stop and wait in a (small) line for the games, then another (slightly longer) line for the slide, and then another (small) line for the photo op.  So theoretically, I should have been feeling great at the end with all this resting I did.  Unfortunately, I rounded the last corner and was pooped.  I wanted to walk the last quarter mile and if it wasn’t for the crowd, I would have!  Not to be one of “those runners,” but this was only a 5k!  That’s the minimum distance I do during my weekday training runs!  I’m not a super fast runner, but a 5k is usually easy enough that I can run a nice comfortable pace the whole way!  Yeah, not this time.  I haven’t felt this out of shape in a long time.

So the moral of the story is, it’s totally great to have a fun time during a race.  I’m not super competitive with running.  I have races where I am aiming for a PR but for the most part, I aim to be within range of my PR but allow myself to enjoy the experience.  There’s a balance there.  5k’s should be fun, especially if the word “fun” is in the title of the race!  But you should cross the finish line feeling strong and proud of your accomplishment, not exhausted and feeling like you just ran triple the distance. 

Training runs have now been scheduled and put in my calendar.  =)