The 100 Mile Club

For the month of June I ran a total of 89.34 miles, which is short of my goal of 100 miles per month.  Due to the my injuries, I was forced to cut back on my running, get a little physical therapy, and let myself heal to prevent my injuries from getting worse. I am happy to report that my ITBS and shin splint issues are much better and I am able to run more often with minimal pain or none at all. I am still taking good care of myself and icing after every run and taking Advil to prevent any swelling.

I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and hoping for a 100 mile month in July.  Now that I am in training for the Long Beach Marathon in October, I should be able to achieve a 100 miles in July without a problem.  The last time that I had a 100 mile month was January 2011, so I am excited abut getting back in the “100 mile club” and hitting a minimum of 1000 miles for the year.  Wish me luck!

Long Training Run Number Two: 9 Miles

Weather Report: Sunny and 59 degrees

I finally decided to get out of bed at 6:30am to get ready for my second long training run.  I could see that the sun was already out so I wasn't too happy about that.  Even though the temperature was only 59 degrees, the sun shining down on you can make a huge difference in your run.



What a bright and sunny morning!!

I ran by myself today so my run seemed longer than ever but I managed to pull through it alone.  My first few miles are always the slowest because it takes a little while for my engine to warm up.  Miles one through three got me warmed up and then I started to kick in.  Today I ran one of my many local routes than I do on a regular basis. It is a pretty flat route and consists of streets that are not too busy early in the morning.  

Mile 1: 8:41
Mile 2: 8:22
Mile 3: 8:19
5K: 26:11

Miles 3.5 through 5.5 were the most tempting parts of my run today.  I passed about 20 restaurants and I could smell the food cooking.  It smelled so good and made me think about eating and not running!

Krispy Kreme donuts has the best aroma!  The "HOT DONUTS NOW" light always seems to be on when I pass by!!  My laps seemed to improve right after I smelled the fresh donuts, so maybe this is a good way to get me going. My goal is to keep a faster pace on my shorter runs so that when it comes to the higher mileage runs, my marathon goal pace of 9:00 will seem much easier.  I sure hope my body and my mind fall for the trick!

HOT DONUTS NOW!!

Mile 4: 8:09
Mile 5: 8:08
Mile 6: 7:56
10K: 51:03

At mile 6, I passed by the 10 freeway.  I get pretty close to the freeway on this route.  Well, at least it's the closest that I will ever get to it while on foot.  I was starting to feel a little tired at this point of my run because I had picked up my pace a bit and I had only planned on doing 7 miles.  I decided that I needed to push myself a little harder today because I was pretty disappointed with myself for being sore after last weeks long run.  The long runs from this point forward will be in the double digits and I needed my body to know that the easy runs were a thing of the past!  I took a small detour which added a couple more miles to my run.  I always try to push myself the hardest during my last mile and today my last mile was my best mile :) I was pretty happy with myself after this run because it made me feel better about the defeat I had last week and the feelings I had about being out of shape.

Mile 7: 7:58
Mile 8: 7:54
Mile 9: 7:50

I was starving like crazy after my run, so we headed off for a nice breakfast.  I had an egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms, tomato and onion and a side of fresh fruit. It was sooo good and I ate the whole thing!

Yum Yum!!

My goal for this week is to make sure that I get all of my scheduled runs in and make to make it to Spin Class when I can. Next week the training schedule calls for a twelve mile run.   I haven't ran twelve miles in a while due to my ITBS so I am a little nervous about it but I think I am ready for the challenge.



Garmin stats



Medal Motivation

I am so excited about the two runDisney races that I have coming up.  I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon in September 2011 and the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon in January 2012. Disney has released photos of the medals for both races and they are so cute!!  Just thinking about earning these medals motivates me to run... I love cute medals!

I am really excited to be running in the Tinker Bell Marathon since it is a brand new race.  I am sure that Disney will go all out and make it really fun.  The race starts super early so starting at 5:45am will be a little tough! Shawna will also be running the Tinker Bell Half Marathon so she will be a part of history with me!  I am hoping to set a new PR within the next six months at one of the four half marathons that I am registered for. You can bet that I will be blogging about my new PR if I get one!

Long Training Run Number One: 10.16 Miles

Weather Report: Heavy Drizzle and 57-61 degrees.

The cars give you a good idea of how heavy the drizzle was!

Today was the first long training run for Shawna and I as we set off in our quest to run a marathon in under four hours.  We chose Bonelli Park as our first meeting location since I had never ran there before and wanted to try it. We decided that we would take it easy on the first run, evaluate our progress, and then make some decisions about future runs. We met up at the Park and Ride at 7:00am and started on our quest to Break Four Hours or Bust!

This was the first time that Shawna and I had ever ran together. We got a feel for each others running styles and had some great conversation. We talked about everything from work to losing toe nails! The scenery in Bonelli Park is great and I was taking it all in as a first timer.  I was probably getting on Shawna's nerves because I kept stopping and taking pictures of everything!

Check out the view of Raging Waters!

Our route took us through San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona.   We saw some interesting things along the way..lots of rabbits, and even a coyote!  The coyote scared me a little bit because he was looking right at us!! I didn't want to be his breakfast! By the time we hit Mile 3 the drizzle had pretty much come to a stop but the weather was still great...no sun and still cool.

Downtown LaVerne

I have to carry my own water with me at all times but Shawna doesn't like anything attached to her while she runs so we made some water stops. She knew all of the places to stop and get water and some of her stops were a little tempting! Those glazed donuts sure looked and smelled good!!




Miss Donuts and Bagel?? Come on Shawna!



This place sure smelled good but we were just there for water!

The first six miles went by really quickly!  I was amazed at how the time passes when you have a running buddy. We talked the entire time, except when we hit the hills (or "inclines" as Shawna likes to call them) that Shawna forgot to tell me about! I am used to running solo so there are days where I constantly stare at my Garmin praying that the run will end soon! Shawna's Garmin decided to malfunction on this run so we used mine to track our progress. We made another water stop at Norm's Hangar which had a drinking fountain and bathrooms too.  

We left Norm's Hangar at Mile 6.5, and we hit some hills with gradual inclines on the way back. We were still feeling pretty good and the last four miles were our best in spite of the hills, I mean inclines, that Shawna failed to mention!  We ran through an RV Park/Resort and then headed on back through some winding roads.

Another great view from Bonelli Park on the way back.

We decided to call it quits at Mile 10.16 and headed back to the Park and Ride.  It was kind of nice to see the Exit sign after a ten mile run.  I hadn't ran ten miles in a while due to the issues that I have been having with my left leg (shin splint and ITBS).  I wasn' t feeling any pain so that was a really positive thing for me!!

10.16 Miles Done!!

I headed home and stopped at Starbucks to get some of my favorite oatmeal. I made sure that I iced my leg as soon as I got home to avoid any setbacks.

I love this stuff!!

Thank God for ice! It works miracles!!

We averaged about a 10:30 pace for the first six miles and picked it up during the last four miles. Our pace for the entire run was 10:09.  We decided that on our next long run we would shoot for under 10:00. I like the challenge and I know that Shawna is down for it too!

GARMIN STATS...WOW 960 Calories burned!

10.16 miles at a 10:09 Pace

Since it was Father's Day, we ended our day with dinner at Buca di Beppo! 

This morning I realized that I must have had a great workout because my hips and thighs are sore!  I love being sore....it's a true sign of progress and hard work paying off. I even toughed it out and went to my Spin Class in spite of the pain :)

Disneyland Half Marathon 9/5/10 (1:50:58)

I decided to run the Disneyland Half Marathon as my first race and first Half Marathon because I love Disneyland!  I thought it would be fun and quite an experience to run through the parks and get to see things that most people will never get to see unless they run this race. 

THE EXPO:

We went to the Expo at the Disneyland Hotel on Saturday afternoon and it was really crowded.  I got my bib and my goodie bag and took a few pictures using the backdrops that they had set up.

This was not only my first Half Marathon but my first race ever.  I was

super nervous and I think I didn't even really enjoy the race because my nerves got the best of me!! I was worried that I would run off the course or I wouldn't finish, and I had all kinds of crazy dreams about the worst things that could possibly happen to me!

We stayed the night at a local hotel so that we would not get stuck in traffic or have to get up too early. I did not want to be late either!  I was also uncertain about where the Start was located so I was in a huge panic again!

This race should have been a fun race. It was at the Happiest Place on Earth so what else could you expect?  Being that it was my first race I was not really sure what to expect so I played it really safe. We had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory at the Garden Walk in Anaheim.  I ordered the pasta with marinara sauce to get my carb intake and then we went back to the hotel room to take it easy, get me hydrated, and check out the goodie bag.

RACE DAY:

The race started at 6am, so I woke up at 5am, got dressed and ate a banana for breakfast.  We hopped in the car and drove towards the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure.  What a mess that was....There was a traffic jam all the way there!  We parked and just followed everyone to the Start.  I was supposed to start in Corral E, but by the time I got to the starting point it was impossible to get through the crowd to get to my assigned Corral.  I ended up starting in Corral C.  

The race started out downhill and since I started in Corral C. I didn't have a big crowd of people around me, which made it much easier to get a good start.I   started out strong and just went for it.  I carried my own water bottle so that I would not have to battle the crowds at the water stations in case they were crowded. Cytomax was being served on the course so I grabbed a couple of those along the way.

Mile 1: 8:15

Mile 2: 8:13
Mile 3: 8:29

My husband and my son were waiting for me at the East Esplanade between California Adventure and Disneyland.  I wasn't sure how I was going to find them because everyone looks the same when you are staring into a large crowd!  I spotted them but they didn't see me so I had to yell to get their attention. They both made super cute posters for me! 

My son's poster for me.  Very sweet! He thinks I am a fast runner!!

My husband's poster.  He is quite the artist!!

Running through California Adventure was fun but I think my favorite part of the course was running through the Disneyland Castle.  I was lucky enough to get a picture coming out of the Castle!

The course was pretty flat for the most part but the worst part of the course happens right around Mile 4 when the course turns onto Ball Road.  There is a decent sized hill to go get over and it kind of slowed me down a bit!

Mile 4: 8:17
Mile 5: 8:20
Mile 6: 8:26

Running through the Angels Stadium and watching yourself on the jumbotron is pretty exciting!  I was hoping to get a picture when I was in Angel's stadium but I always seemed to be on the opposite side of the photographers.  I did bring my own camera with me but was too focused to use it!  Next time around I think I will take more pictures so that I have more memories to look back on.

Mile 7: 8:25
Mile 8: 8:31
Mile 9: 8:33
Mile 10: 8:32

I pushed myself to keep a good pace in hopes of finishing my first race in under 2 hours!  The sun had come out and it was getting warm out there! I had trained well and had been running for at least a year before I decided to enter my first official race, so I was well prepared. The last mile seemed like the longest mile and I finally made it to the Finish Line!! I earned my first medal, which was a really cute and commemorated the 5th Anniversary of the Disneyland Half Marathon.

Mile 11: 8:32
Mile 12: 8:16
Mile 13: 8:17

I am to the right of the tall girl in the middle wearing a white shirt!

There was lots of treats for the runners like bagels, Cliff bars, bananas, Gatorade and water. I stocked up and made my way to the exit to meet up with my family in the designated area. They were all there to congratulate me!!

Notice how my son is holding his sign upside down :) 
This picture was actually published in the Orange County register!!

My official time was 1:50:58 (Pace 8:22). I survived my first race!

Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon 12/5/10

I chose the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon as my very first marathon because my family loves Las Vegas and so do I.  I thought it would be fun to run on the strip without it being full of traffic, well it still had human traffic, and enjoy the scenery!  So I decided to make it a vacation that included a Marathon! How crazy is that??

THE HEALTH AND FITNESS EXPO:

I arrived at the Expo at the Sands Convention Center and picked up my race bib and goodie bag. It was super crowded and people were just everywhere. We shopped around for a little bit and had a little bit of fun as you can see by the picture below. I have to say that we walked around the Expo for way too long and I was really tired by the time we finally got out of there!!

Having fun at the Expo!



Cool Dressing Rooms!

I went to the table for Corral Changes and changed from Corral 22 to Corral 8.  There were 32 corrals in all which are released every two minutes.  I didn’t want to start after 8am and risk getting stuck in the possible chance of rain in the forecast, so I lied!  They gave me a little green dot to place on my bib with the number “8”. I was really tired by the time we finally got out of there because we walked a lot!

By dinnertime I was so nervous that I didn’t really feel like eating but I knew that I had to or else I wasn’t going to have any energy for the next day.  I ate as much as I could and left it at that. We went to Olive Garden and I had linguine with marinara sauce. By the time we left the restaurant, it was packed with runners! Good thing we got there early!



I laid out all of my race gear the night before: Running Clothes, Garmin, Socks, Shoes, Bib, Race Belt, Jacket, Water, Chap Stick, Water Bottles, I-pod, and Vaseline for my feet to avoid blisters! I kept a big bottle of water by my bed and drank and drank! I planned to go to bed at 9:00pm and it was 10:00pm the last time that I looked at the clock.

 
RACE DAY!

I WAS SO NERVOUS!! The race started at 7:00am, so I ate my banana and half of a bagel and headed downstairs around 6:15am to see if any of the runners were down there yet. Lots of runners were hanging out at Starbucks getting breakfast and coffee. So many people were dressed in cute costumes and I was wondering how in the world they could run a marathon in a costume! 

The Start Line was located right near the Mandalay Bay Hotel so we stayed at the Luxor, which was pretty darn close. It was 44 degrees outside and I was freezing!!  I wore shorts because I knew that there was no way I would survive in pants and I am usually warmed up by the first mile anyway. I found my corral, which happened to be with the 4:00 Pace Group, and just followed it closer and closer to the Start Line. It was really noisy out there but I heard the starting gun go off!  

My son and I walking to the Corrals.  He is my biggest fan!

Look closely and you will see me in the middle!

I decided to take a last minute potty stop before my coral was released and when I got out of the porta potty they were gone! I just blended in and off I went! I spotted by husband and my son once I crossed the starting line and I waived at them and hoped for the best!  

Here goes nothing!

I felt pretty good for the first six miles.  I spent most of my time weaving in and out of the crowds and looking for open space to run through. There were tons of fans along the strip and the bands were doing their thing.  The crowds gave me lots of motivation and I was feeling pretty good! I felt like I could have gone way faster but I knew that pacing myself was important so I kept it slow and easy. I was a little amazed at how the men around me were just openly farting and acting like nothing was happening!

Mile 1: 9:04

Mile 2: 9:05

Mile 3: 8:57

Mile 4: 8:50

Mile 5: 8:50

Mile 6: 9:01

Around Mile 6, I decided that it was GU time and I continued to GU every six miles of the race.  I attempted to GU and run at the same time so that I could maintain my pace. It was a little difficult but I did my best. I always carry my own water since I have this fear of passing out and not having any water to save myself from doing it.  The GU seemed to give me a boost and I kept on going.  By Mile 7 the crowds had dissipated and I was able to run freely without weaving. I started to hit a mini wall at Miles 10 and 11 because I was getting too focused on time and whether or not I could even finish the race!  I was also texting updates to all of my friends and family so I was a little overwhelmed in general!  The race offered runner updates via text message but it malfunctioned and they ended up having to refund the money to everyone who subscribed to it.

Mile 7: 8:52

Mile 8: 9:05

Mile 9: 8:56

Mile 10: 9:17

Mile 11: 9:17

Mile 12: 9:02

I noticed that the 4:00 Pace Group was still in front of me by a very short distance so I felt like I was on track to a decent finish time.  I knew it wasn't going to be 4:00 but at this point I was just praying that I could finish!  My husband and my son were waiting for me right around Mile 12, so I was keeping my eye out for them.  I also wanted to get rid of my jacket that I had tied around my waist since Mile 2!

Notice that I had passed the 4:00 Pace Group at this point :)

I crossed the split point where the half marathon ended and the rest of the brave souls keep going to run the full marathon.  I turned the corner and what did I see?  A freeway overpass that resembled a good sized hill.  This is where I ran into some trouble and never really recovered.  I watched the 4:00 Pace Group tackle the overpass and I think I never saw them again!  Miles 13 to 17 were a little challenging but I knew that if we went up hill we had to go downhill at some point.

Mile 13: 8:44

Mile 14: 9:42

Mile 15: 9:20

Mile 16: 9:09

Mile 17: 9:45

I had mixed emotions from Miles 18 to 24.  Up until this point in the race, I had not stopped running or taken any breaks.  I could feel myself slowing down at times but I didn't want to stop unless I really needed to.  I finally hit "THE WALL" at Mile 23 and ended up walking through the water station.  I filled up my water bottles, poured water over my head, and told myself that I needed to pick up the pace and finish the race. I only had a few miles to go and it would be over.  

That was me at Mile 23!

Mile 18: 9:01

Mile 19: 9:30

Mile 20: 9:25

Mile 21: 9:34

Mile 22: 9:18

Mile 23: 10:11 "THE WALL"

Mile 24: 10:03

I gave it my all the last 2.20 miles but I was feeling it at this point and pushed with everything I had to get to the Finish Line. My husband told me to look for him at the Finish but I was so far gone at that point that I forgot to look for him.  He did see me though and took some great pictures!

Mile 25: 9:07

Mile 26: 9:30

Almost there!!!

I saw the finish line and had never been happier in my life!  I had completed my first marathon and swore that I would never do this to myself again!  As soon as the pain from the first marathon was gone (a week later)..I was already thinking about running another one.  I guess that is the way it goes in a runner's world.

I DID IT!

My official time was 4:05:16 (9:22 Pace).  Not too bad for my first marathon!

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