September 23rd, 2010 – 2.15 Mile Run

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

This was a great run. More of a sprint for someone like me. I gotta be honest, my mind was playing tricks on me after the Half. I was determined to be proud of myself because if anyone else on the planet told me that they had completed a Half Marathon, I would be over the top with praise and admiration for that person.

However….

The fact is, even though I finished within my 3 hour goal time and I managed to stay on my feet without puking, I came in 220th in a race with only 240 runners. And of those last 20 stragglers, only one of them was younger than me. In short, I could have and should have done MUCH better!!!

Again… I am congratulating myself because hey, I ran a half marathon!!! But I can’t get my brain to stop calling me a loser. And it’s not a personality disorder. I’m not one of those shrinking violets who are never happy with themselves no matter what they do. I think I’m friggin’ fabulous! I think I’m what normal should be. As it is, I’m a ROCK STAR!

My back story is kind of a mess. My childhood was a bit of a nightmare, but I managed to get myself educated. I’ve been married to the same MAN (YES, a man. Call me kooky but I believe it’s still OK to be heterosexual) for almost 14 years. I have 2 gorgeous kids who live in the same house as my husband and me. I go to work every day. I pay my bills on time. I go to church (almost) every Sunday. I pay my tithes and my taxes. I believe the man is the head of the household and Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I have a thing about cupcakes but I try to eat right and I exercise pretty regularly. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I’m not skinny but I’m not fat. In the looks department, I’m better than average when I drop outta bed and by the time I’m dressed for work I can make a grown man weep. I’m witty, funny and an all-around great dinner guest. And on top of all that, I’m a fantastic cook and I’m a tigress in the sack.

My point is: I’ve got self-confidence falling out of my fabulous and perfectly formed butt and I *still* think I screwed up on that Half Marathon!!!! And knowing that I should have done better is little better than failure in my mind. If it was the best I could do, I would be more than OK with it. However, knowing I could have done better and didn’t is dreadful. Shame on you, Sabrina!

Fortunately, as previously stated, my self esteem is quite high, so moving on is no trouble for me. < This is me washing my hands of it. Swish-Swish! >

This run was to be the beginning of my redemption. I knew it was going to have to be a short workout because I got started later than I’d originally intended. There would be no messing around this time because I was losing daylight and the plan was to do a 2-mile sprint.

It was good. It had been days since I’d strapped on the Asics because I promised myself a full 5-day rest period after the race. I was still feeling a little twinge in my ankle and left knee, but there were to be no excuses tonight. I thought it was going to be miserable.

Once I got Sarah strapped into her reflective gear and my tunes on the iPod, it was a really great run and I didn’t realize how much my body had missed it. There were a few times I had to remind myself to keep on pushing because while it was a short run, it was much faster. I usually try to stick to a 12-minute mile pace and I wanted this one to be around 10 minutes. I kept it between 9 and 11 minutes the whole time but my average was skewed because I didn’t stop my RunKeeper when I stopped at traffic lights.

It felt good. The pace was good (for me) and the distance was perfect. Long enough to be worth the time and short enough to avoid major soreness or injury. I will try it again later and try for a long run this weekend.

I have the Los Angeles Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon next month and I gotta do better!

Rest Days

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

It has been 5 days since the race and I am at the end of my scheduled 5-day rest period. Lloyd told me that a good rule of thumb is to rest one day for every mile I ran in the race to recover from all the dumb things I might have done on race day. Things I wouldn’t otherwise do.

Aside from running 13 miles, there weren’t any really overly taxing things I’d done. I took the entire run very easily, or as easily as you could take 13 miles. So I can’t justify a 13-day rest period.

I have been nursing sore knees, heels and ankles. All else seemed to be back to normal by the end of last weekend. Extended days of rest don’t agree with me. I haven’t been restless and I have been sleeping *so* well but I have been extremely grumpy. Even Chris has been asking me if it’s time for me to catch a quick run. Usually, he doesn’t want me to go.

A Bit of Random News: A few months ago, I submitted an online application for the show “WipeOut”. I heard it was really hard to get on the show and thousands of people apply. After a few weeks, I forgot about it. Yesterday, I got the call from the casting director asking to set up an interview. I gotta say, I’m pretty freaked out by the whole thing. Winning $50,000 would make a lotta things OK around our house, but making a fool of myself in front of the entire country does not sound at all appealing.

It’s pretty exciting. No denying that. I will think it over on my run tonight.

September 18th, 2010 – Wounded Warrior Half Marathon

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

FINALLY!!!! I am among the <1% of Americans who have finished a Half Marathon and can truly call myself a “runner”! For the rest of my days, even if I never lace up another pair of Asics, I can refer to myself as a runner and no one can ever take that away from me! Praise the Lord!!!!

I won’t lie. It was hard, even torturous at times, but I persevered, didn’t get picked up by any military personnel for falling behind the course time limit and I finished the race!!! And I got the same medal the guy who finished first got! I heard he finished in 1:07. Ridiculous!!!

My goal was to finish within 3 hours and I finished in 2:45, so I am happy about that. There are several things I would do the same way and several things I would do differently.

The Same:
1) Wear Fila moisture wicking running pants. These were much better than the running shorts I had originally intended to wear. I used Body Glide, but there didn’t seem to be a need. These pants were great!

2) Wear Nike moisture wicking socks for women. These were perfect. Not a blister in sight and they were brand new when I put ‘em on. Typically, doing a race in new gear is a no-no.

3) Bring a light jacket for pre-race hoopla. It’s cold that early in the morning and I was there for at least an hour before the starter pistol was fired.

4) Bring my own water. It’s just a good idea.

5) Empty my bladder before the race begins.

6) For dinner the night before: pasta and water. That’s it.

7) For breakfast: a banana and water. That’s it!

8) Show up early.

9) Wear a sports watch

10) Wear music. This is strictly my personal preference.

11) Have my family there at the Finish. That was *so* great!!!!

12) Arrange to have someone drive me home.

13) Take pictures at the Finish Line

14) Have Pepto Bismol on hand. Sports Beans do the job but they dropped like the housing market in Southern California. Ack!

15) Take 600mg of Ibuprofen 30 minutes before the start.

16) Write a list and pack the night before.

17) Clear my schedule so I can crash when I get home.



Differently:
1) I will train for the full 13.1 mile distance. I trained for 10 miles and that was great. I was told that training for 10 miles is sufficient for the Half Marathon. This is a FALLACY!!!! I hit the wall like never before at the 10 mile mark! My body began to cramp and my muscles were on the verge of seizure. It was terrible!!!! I had kept up a steady 12 minute mile pace up through mile 10. After that, I was being passed by senior citizens with obvious knee replacements!! Whoever said a Half Marathon is just a 5k with a 10-mile warm up is a terrible liar. I contend that after a 10-mile run, 3.1 miles is MUCH farther than 16,404 feet!!!! After that 10th mile it…. was…. miserable!!!!

2) I will not underestimate the importance of having support at the end of the race. While my family eventually made it to finish line, they didn’t make it there until a few minutes after I’d crossed it. I didn’t realize how much I needed someone until a very dear friend of mine met me at the end and ran that last quarter mile with me. Thanks Lloyd!!!!

Also, my good friend Sarah was there to see me cross the Finish Line, take a quick snapshot and greet me with water and a fresh apple. Thank you so much, Sarah!

3) I will focus less on taking pictures during the race. I know… I know! But it was my first Half and I wanted to be very present during the entire run. I’m not at all sorry that I have the experience fully documented but I lost precious minutes being sure to take snapshots of every mile marker and cool military warning sign. Next time I will run it more like a serious runner and less like a tourist.

4) I will not forget my post race shoes. I left my Crocs at home and I *really* wished I had them when it was all over.

5) I will have fewer Sports Beans. Ugh!

6) I really gotta get a Garmin. Using my iPhone for music and Runkeeper is really too taxing for it. I almost ran out of juice completely before the finish. And somehow my Runkeeper got paused for about a mile and and only clocked about 11 miles. When I got online to try and edit it, I added another 3 miles somehow and screwed it all up! Jeez!

All in all, it was a great experience. I am so glad I did it and I am forever indebted to Lloyd for seeing me through it. Love ya for it!

This is a pic of Lloyd and me at the end of the race. Lloyd is my hero. He finished 2nd in his class and 5th over all. Amazing!!!

September 14th, 2010 – 3.02 Mile

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

Tonight’s run was really awesome. I can’t help thinking I was cheating just to get the miles. We took Sarah to the Dog Park and I asked Chris and the kids to just leave me there so I could run home.

The route is all downhill. The last mile leveled out but the first 2 were a breeze. I thought I should be ashamed to book these miles because it was so easy, but miles are miles and this wasn’t exactly a bad workout. It felt great to just be running. And I must say, I was impressed by the fact that I was to a point in my training where I thought 3 miles of any kind was no big deal. I remember a time when I felt like I needed a defibrillator after only 2 miles.

I was concerned that I could be overtraining, but I think I’m OK. I will rest tomorrow. I had been having trouble sleeping because I’d been plagued with anxiety attacks. This happens when I overdose on caffeine. I had a whole pack of Sports Beans and another pack of Shot Bloks on Sunday when I did 10 miles. So it may not have been wise to do a run when I was so fatigued from training and lack of sleep.

But since I had to run, this was the perfect route. So pleasant, so easy, so relaxing. My body is starting to push back with pain and fatigue so I will rest tomorrow night and get to some laundry that I have been ignoring for *way* too long. The kitchen’s a mess and it’s been about a week since I’ve baked cupcakes and my kids deserve better than living a life in a home without cupcakes.

I love cupcakes!!!

September 12th, 2010 – 10.4 Mile Run

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

Today’s run was really nice. It was the last long run I’ll do before I taper off to be ready for the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon this weekend. Technically, it’s a new route. I’ve done about half of it, but today I was going to complete the loop and make it a round 10 miles. The first half is a steady 700 ft climb. That is about a 550ft increase for me.

Mile 1 – This was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Mile 2 – This was when the real climbing was about to start and I was living for my 4 minute intervals to be over. Even the walking sections were a workout. Take a quick pic for my blog. It’s a beautiful day.

Mile 3 – The incline tapered off just a bit but was still a challenge and I had the fatigue from the previous miles behind me. Take two more Sports Beans and a bit of water.

Mile 4 – Still climbing and wondering if I will turn around and make it an 8 mile run. I can live with that. It’s still respectable. More water.

Mile 5 – This is where the incline tapers off significantly. I start to believe I can do this! The incorporated area ends and I’m running directly on the street with the cars. There are no sidewalks, no shoulder, many holes in the ground. Could those be rattlesnake burrows? I notice there are no street lamps and make a mental note to remind myself that this is strictly a daytime route. More water.




Mile 6 – My legs are just going. No thought. Zen running is beginning to set in, when my body just…. Goes. Take 1 Shot Block with the last of the water. Mile 7 is usually when I hit the wall, but I’ve been climbing for over an hour and I’ve hit the wall two times already.

Mile 7 – I am desperate for water now. I’ve been out for almost a mile. A special thanks for the good people at Rubio’s for letting me fill up at their fountain. And I’m back on the move!

Mile 8 – Now I am on the homeward trek and I am feeling pretty good. I’m tired for sure, but this part of the route is very familiar to me, the pavement is smooth and the path is peppered with many mature trees. I start to realize this running outfit won't do for race day. My Body Glide has completely worn off and I know that when I get home my girlie bits are going to be rubbed raw. The sweating will not help either. Youch!!! I make mental notes to be sure to shave cleanly on the morning of the race, wear long pants and figure out a way carry Body Glide with me just in case.

Mile 9 – I’m on auto pilot and just riding the decline until I get home. At the 9.38 mile point I realize I am about a half mile from home so I know I’m going to have to add some distance because if I stay on this route, I will arrive home at about 9.89 and didn’t come all this way to end up anywhere shy of 10 miles. So I make a left and start up the street. There is a slight incline and it’s killing me after such a long run.

Mile 10 – I’m in my neighborhood now and I am so familiar with it, I feel comfortable running on the street. The rubber in the asphalt provides slight relief to my knees and ankles, but after this much distance, the difference is significant. Feels good. I’m out of water again.

Last .4 – I’m about to round the corner and get home. Feeling good. There’s love there waiting for me and I’m, ready to go get it.

Home – I sit on my porch and add notes to RunKeeper with my iPhone. During this short break, my muscles have cooled and tightened and getting up to ring the doorbell sounds like torture. So I tap the door with my toe until someone comes to rescue me. It’s Chris! My hero!

He asks how far I ran and I can triumphantly say, “10.4 miles!” He’s impressed. All pain and discomfort is forgotten for the moment as I bask in my Sweetheart’s admiration. Then kids run up to me to ask for kisses and food. Amazing. Dad’s been here for hours and they’ve been quite content watching TV and playing games. Now that I’m home, they’re starving. I’m dripping with sweat, obviously exhausted and dehydrated and physically defeated but my kids don’t notice that. To them, I’m still Super Woman who magically makes food appear out of thin air. *sigh* I love them for it and of course, I don’t want to disappoint them. My ice and shower will have to wait. I’ve got babies to feed.

September 10th, 2010 – 4.40 Mile Run

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

This was the most awesome run! Ran it with Jordan! He lost his backpack somewhere AGAIN!!! He was supposed to be grounded all weekend but he asked if he could work it off. I told him that he could if he ran with me and we were going to go about 4 miles. He said he’d do it so we got him geared up and had Chris drop us off at the Dog Park. We added another half mile to the run, then turned around.

By the end of mile one, we were going down hill, so the run was extremely easy and pleasant. Jordan ran all of the 4 minute intervals. He loved having his own music and I put a flasher on his cap because we lost daylight at about the 2 mile mark. He thought that was pretty cool too. I also had on full reflective gear: Vest with LED lights and a day glow cap with reflective strips. Wish I had a pic of that!

The weather was great, the temperature was perfect and it was so great running and bonding with my boy. Hopefully, he’ll find his backpack on Monday. If not, I guess I’ll get a full-time running partner. Score!..... But he really should find his backpack.

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