The weather this week was pretty crazy First it was really hot and dry and by the weekend it was cloudy, rainy and cool. I got a couple of runs in despite the weather.
Starting weight: 136.8
Day 1: since the first few days of the week were so warm and dry, I decided to wait to run til later in the week when it got cooler. With three days off, it took a little while for my legs to warm up. I forgot to charge my garmin (again!) so I ran on feel. Not a bad run overall even though my throat felt like it was on fire from the dry air. 2.24 miles.
Day 2: what a difference weather makes! It was overcast and cool. I decided to run on the trails for the first part of the run that has a long slow uphill climb and ends with the downhill. Great run. 3.25 miles
It's almost the end of the month and I will need to make a decision about the Vegas half soon if we are to make travel arrangements. As of right now, it's probably leaning towards a "no" because I underestimated how long it would take me to build a good base. I haven't been running as much as I used to and it's been tough to add mileage. I don't want to push too much too fast and end up injuring myself. The training schedule I had myself on to do the Vegas half was really ambitious to say the least. I thought I could increase 1 mile/wk with only a couple of weeks of running. Couple that with juggling two kids' schedules and in hindsight I was just setting myself up to fail.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Hot!: Week 4
The week started off pretty good. Since I didn't get to have a long run last week, I made sure I ran on Monday. Then as is becoming the usual, life happens- dinner with some friends, kid's doctor appointments, inclement weather- and it gets harder and harder to get my workout in. My hubby didn't even get to get a bike ride in until the weekend either.
Starting weight: 137.9 (going the wrong way!!)
Day 1: Great run! I did have to walk a little bit but just for a few seconds and then I got back to running. Still slow but I finally feel like I'm getting my stride back!
Day 2: I didn't get to run til the end of the week but at least in between I did some yoga and some planks (I remembered!) 2 planks 15 seconds each. I took my 4 year old daughter with me in the jogging stroller. Who needs a personal trainer when you have your little daughter yelling, "Faster mommy!" or "Giddy up horsie!"? That second one made a woman, who was running in the park too, chuckle as she ran past us. We didn't go very far because as I was painfully reminded of, it was really hard to push this stroller up the slow long inclines around here. So I had to walk quite a bit of the hills but it was a good workout. Maybe we will do this once a week so when I run it alone, it'll be easier.
Day 3: Who the heck turned up the heat in San Diego?!? Isn't it mid-October?! So it turned out to be a pretty warm day and I tried to wait out the heat as long as I could, but I would have ran out of daylight if I waited til it cooled down. Also, my motivation to run was diminishing quickly so I knew I should run soon otherwise I may have found some excuse not to. Besides, I had gotten the baby down for a nap and my daughter was busy with a puzzle so it was a perfect time to go. But it was just so hot outside! I went anyway. Decided to run as much as I feltI could even if it would only be a couple of miles. Figured a couple of miles was better than no miles right? But it definitely was not the 4 miles I was hoping to do this week.
Starting weight: 137.9 (going the wrong way!!)
Day 1: Great run! I did have to walk a little bit but just for a few seconds and then I got back to running. Still slow but I finally feel like I'm getting my stride back!
Day 2: I didn't get to run til the end of the week but at least in between I did some yoga and some planks (I remembered!) 2 planks 15 seconds each. I took my 4 year old daughter with me in the jogging stroller. Who needs a personal trainer when you have your little daughter yelling, "Faster mommy!" or "Giddy up horsie!"? That second one made a woman, who was running in the park too, chuckle as she ran past us. We didn't go very far because as I was painfully reminded of, it was really hard to push this stroller up the slow long inclines around here. So I had to walk quite a bit of the hills but it was a good workout. Maybe we will do this once a week so when I run it alone, it'll be easier.
Day 3: Who the heck turned up the heat in San Diego?!? Isn't it mid-October?! So it turned out to be a pretty warm day and I tried to wait out the heat as long as I could, but I would have ran out of daylight if I waited til it cooled down. Also, my motivation to run was diminishing quickly so I knew I should run soon otherwise I may have found some excuse not to. Besides, I had gotten the baby down for a nap and my daughter was busy with a puzzle so it was a perfect time to go. But it was just so hot outside! I went anyway. Decided to run as much as I feltI could even if it would only be a couple of miles. Figured a couple of miles was better than no miles right? But it definitely was not the 4 miles I was hoping to do this week.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Hectic : Week 3
What a week!! My hubby has two big tests coming up on monday and tuesday and he was diligently studying for them. Which hasn't left much time to help me with the kids. Not to mention, our little doggie had to unexpectedly have surgery and is in recovery mode. So I haven't had much time to run. I only got out there twice. Hopefully next week will be better.
Starting weight: 137.3
Day 1: increased the run/walk time to 5/1. Great run too. It's finally cooled down in SoCal and the humidity is almost gone. 2.24 miles, 25:31 min, pace 11:23
Day 2: great weather to run. forgot to charge the garmin though. ran the same route as day one but just ran according to how my body felt. so i walked when i felt like i needed to walk and started running again when i felt ready. i love my garmin but i have to say that it felt good not to have the pressure of the clock or trying to keep up my pace.
No long run this week. Nor did I do any planks. I totally forgot to add them to my workout. I also need to start watching my diet. I didnt lose any weight this week. Instead I gained 0.1 lbs - ugh. These last few lbs are gonna be tough!! I've never really watched my diet before so this gonna be a whole new thing for me. I read that keeping a food journal helps. Maybe I'll try that.. Anyone else try that before? Was it successful?
Starting weight: 137.3
Day 1: increased the run/walk time to 5/1. Great run too. It's finally cooled down in SoCal and the humidity is almost gone. 2.24 miles, 25:31 min, pace 11:23
Day 2: great weather to run. forgot to charge the garmin though. ran the same route as day one but just ran according to how my body felt. so i walked when i felt like i needed to walk and started running again when i felt ready. i love my garmin but i have to say that it felt good not to have the pressure of the clock or trying to keep up my pace.
No long run this week. Nor did I do any planks. I totally forgot to add them to my workout. I also need to start watching my diet. I didnt lose any weight this week. Instead I gained 0.1 lbs - ugh. These last few lbs are gonna be tough!! I've never really watched my diet before so this gonna be a whole new thing for me. I read that keeping a food journal helps. Maybe I'll try that.. Anyone else try that before? Was it successful?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Still tough: week 2
I only got out to run three times this week. I decided to do the 4/2run/walk again this week so that I don't do too much too soon.
Starting weight: 137.2
Day 1: A tough run. It was humid out and my breathing was strained. 24:13 min 1.79 miles
Day 2: Focused on form. By doing so I was able to run a faster pace without using more energy. 24:15 min 1.9 miles
Day 3: good run overall but legs felt really heavy for about half the run and then finally started to kick in. 36 min 2.89 miles
I think I'm going to start adding planks to my workout. I think i can fit them in easy enough during my baby's eating schedule. Now it's just a matter of finding the energy!! But this middle needs some work!!
Starting weight: 137.2
Day 1: A tough run. It was humid out and my breathing was strained. 24:13 min 1.79 miles
Day 2: Focused on form. By doing so I was able to run a faster pace without using more energy. 24:15 min 1.9 miles
Day 3: good run overall but legs felt really heavy for about half the run and then finally started to kick in. 36 min 2.89 miles
I think I'm going to start adding planks to my workout. I think i can fit them in easy enough during my baby's eating schedule. Now it's just a matter of finding the energy!! But this middle needs some work!!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Reflection and change
It has been a long time since I've written on my blog. There's been alot of reasons for that - for one, I got pregnant and really didn't have the energy and two, I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to take this blog. I initially started it to promote a running tours business that I was trying to start up but as I started writing about running and the places I was running, I could feel myself getting away from the business part of it and just enjoyed writing about my running experiences. Then since I got pregnant and had to stop running when I was about 20 weeks along, I didn't see much point in writing and decided to take the time to think about what I wanted to do with this blog.
I'm not sure about the running tours anymore. Now that I have two kids (we had a boy this time!) and am a working mom, I'm not sure how much time I would have to start up a business. So I'm figuring that running will just have to continue to my hobby. Which is fine because then I can enjoy it the way I've always enjoyed it - on my own time and pace.
It's been a month since I've given birth to our beautiful son and I can't wait to get back into running. I had a c-section and have to wait until I've healed properly before I can start training again (which I'm hoping is very soon!) I have been thinking about what races I want to do and have even signed up for two - one coming in January 2013 - Carlsbad Half Marathon and the Awesome 80s Run in October. I am contemplating running the Las Vegas Half in December because I have some friends running it but I am not sure I can get enough training in in time. I will see how the 80s run goes in October before I sign up.
For now, I think I'll write about my experience in getting back into running after being pregnant and managing with two kids. I'm hoping by doing this at least it'll keep me accountable and keep up my motivation. And I guess I'll just see where it takes me from there.
Hope to see you on the road! Happy Running!
I'm not sure about the running tours anymore. Now that I have two kids (we had a boy this time!) and am a working mom, I'm not sure how much time I would have to start up a business. So I'm figuring that running will just have to continue to my hobby. Which is fine because then I can enjoy it the way I've always enjoyed it - on my own time and pace.
It's been a month since I've given birth to our beautiful son and I can't wait to get back into running. I had a c-section and have to wait until I've healed properly before I can start training again (which I'm hoping is very soon!) I have been thinking about what races I want to do and have even signed up for two - one coming in January 2013 - Carlsbad Half Marathon and the Awesome 80s Run in October. I am contemplating running the Las Vegas Half in December because I have some friends running it but I am not sure I can get enough training in in time. I will see how the 80s run goes in October before I sign up.
For now, I think I'll write about my experience in getting back into running after being pregnant and managing with two kids. I'm hoping by doing this at least it'll keep me accountable and keep up my motivation. And I guess I'll just see where it takes me from there.
Hope to see you on the road! Happy Running!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Time to Volunteer
At work, we created a Live Well program and I was chosen to be part of the committee. We are responsible for creating a program that encourages employees to take better care of their physical and mental health. We've set up several events to promote better exercise habits for our employees to attend such as local 5ks. Our last event touched on the altruistic part of our program. We decided to volunteer at an aid station at the Carlsbad Marathon/Half Marathon. I was excited about this event because its one of my favorite races to run but since I couldn't run it this year, volunteering in it was the next best thing.
Due to the time commitment we asked of our employees so we didn't have a great turn-out but we did have about 20 ppl show up. We had to be in Carlsbad by 530am since the marathon start was at 6am and they could be asked to stay as late as 1230pm. We volunteered with a group called Mended Little Hearts. They were responsible for making sure they had enough volunteers for the entire race. There were quite a mixture of volunteers at this aid station - high school and college students and other adults. The aid station was situated at mile 3/23 for the marathon and 3/10 for the half marathon so we were very busy both during the beginning and ending of the race. (There were about 8500 runners in both distances) Thank goodness, they provided breakfast and lunch for the volunteers! (and they gave us some nice tshirts too!) The majority of us were stationed at the water tables, but a few of us were scattered about the mile to clean up and to make sure no cars entered onto the course. But our biggest job was to cheer for the runners! It was so inspiring to see all these people - some veteran runners, some beginner runners - finishing this great distance! I know from experience all you need to hear sometimes is that you can do it or that you're looking strong (even if you aren't) or just someone to hand you that cup of water when you just don't have any more energy to get it yourself.
We had a couple of our employees running in the half marathon as well. It was great for us to be able to be there to cheer them on! They both finished in great time! I also had a couple of my own friends running in the marathon and half marathon. I loved being there to hand them a cup of water and give them a big hug for doing so well! :)
What's even better is that the Monday after we volunteered, several of the employees who volunteered were so inspired that they wanted to run/walk some races this year. A couple of them even wanted to complete the Triple Crown Series (three specific halfs) in San Diego! It's been a few weeks since we held the event and these employees are still taking steps towards these new goals!
I haven't volunteered for a long time and I'm really sorry about that. I really should try to make an effort to do that more this year since I'm not racing (we are expecting our second child!). It really inspires me as a runner and as person not just to run but to remember why I love running so much. It can push you to do things you never thought you'd be able to do, it can calm your mind, it helps your heart and it can really show you what your fellow humans are made of.
Due to the time commitment we asked of our employees so we didn't have a great turn-out but we did have about 20 ppl show up. We had to be in Carlsbad by 530am since the marathon start was at 6am and they could be asked to stay as late as 1230pm. We volunteered with a group called Mended Little Hearts. They were responsible for making sure they had enough volunteers for the entire race. There were quite a mixture of volunteers at this aid station - high school and college students and other adults. The aid station was situated at mile 3/23 for the marathon and 3/10 for the half marathon so we were very busy both during the beginning and ending of the race. (There were about 8500 runners in both distances) Thank goodness, they provided breakfast and lunch for the volunteers! (and they gave us some nice tshirts too!) The majority of us were stationed at the water tables, but a few of us were scattered about the mile to clean up and to make sure no cars entered onto the course. But our biggest job was to cheer for the runners! It was so inspiring to see all these people - some veteran runners, some beginner runners - finishing this great distance! I know from experience all you need to hear sometimes is that you can do it or that you're looking strong (even if you aren't) or just someone to hand you that cup of water when you just don't have any more energy to get it yourself.
We had a couple of our employees running in the half marathon as well. It was great for us to be able to be there to cheer them on! They both finished in great time! I also had a couple of my own friends running in the marathon and half marathon. I loved being there to hand them a cup of water and give them a big hug for doing so well! :)
What's even better is that the Monday after we volunteered, several of the employees who volunteered were so inspired that they wanted to run/walk some races this year. A couple of them even wanted to complete the Triple Crown Series (three specific halfs) in San Diego! It's been a few weeks since we held the event and these employees are still taking steps towards these new goals!
I haven't volunteered for a long time and I'm really sorry about that. I really should try to make an effort to do that more this year since I'm not racing (we are expecting our second child!). It really inspires me as a runner and as person not just to run but to remember why I love running so much. It can push you to do things you never thought you'd be able to do, it can calm your mind, it helps your heart and it can really show you what your fellow humans are made of.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
2011: A Year in Review
Another year has flown by... but I can't complain. It was a really good year for me! I PR'd in almost (damn the 5k! grrr!) every distance (that I've tried) this year.
Here are my new race PRs:
10k - 55:26
Half Marathon - 2:00:59
Marathon - 4:31:16
I'm proud of those times. They reflect the hard work and energy I put into it. And I did all this training alone. However, I did miss my 2011 goal for the half. I had a goal to get a sub-2 hour time. As I've mentioned previously, I missed it - by one minute! Grrr! *breathe in, breathe out* But this is about appreciating how far I've come as a runner.
Every year since I've been running I've tried to make it a point to run a new race at least once a year. I've definitely found my fav races here in California and I can't give them up! But out of the 8 races I ran this year 7 of them were new. Wow! Blew that goal away!
I had a couple of "firsts" this year as well. I ran my first mud run - the Gladiator Rock n Run - in Irvine. My friend Bridget, her husband, brother and some friends ran too. Since I have never run one of these before I wasn't sure what to expect. I read on the website that costumes were welcome but almost everyone we saw had a costume or team uniforms of some kind. It was fascinating to see! People dressed up in S.W.A.T. team gear to wedding dresses and tuxes. It was so crazy! The obstacles weren't nearly as bad as they described them to be. But those mud pits were no joke! Yuck! They said you'd get mud in places you never thought - and they were right! LOL! Overall it was more like a party than a race. I'd definitely like to do another one!
The other first this year was when I ran a trail run. I usually run road races but when I saw this race and it was in remembrance of the 9/11 Heroes, I decided to run it. It was a good experience and it is totally different than a road race. We ran through lots of gravel and rocky ground. Jumped over boulders and tree trunks. The most I had to be aware of in road races were dropped Gu packets and crushed solo cups.
Probably my most memorable race this year was the LA Marathon. I ran it with my friend Bridget who lived in Santa Monica at the time. All week they had been forecasting for race weekend. But not just rain - ALOT of rain. The rain held off Friday and Saturday. In anticipation for the rain, we got some unused garbage bags to use as rain ponchos.
Early Sunday morning as Andrew (Bridget's husband) was dropping us off, it began to drizzle on and off. Surprisingly, it was only a light sprinkle when the race began. I was wearing our make shift rain poncho over two layers. After a couple of miles, it still wasn't raining and I was getting super hot! So at mile 4, I ripped off the poncho. And of course, you know what happened.. it began to pour!! The rain was so heavy at times that all I could see was a little waterfall from the bill of my cap. (Found out later that race day had historic record rainfall!) I kept my eyes on the road because there were tons of puddles and little rivers on the streets.
I never did get to see the Hollywood sign or really savor running down Sunset Blvd. And Rodeo Drive was a big watery blur. But I was making great time! At the half mark, my time was apprx 2:05 and I was feeling good. Wet and cold but good. Until mile 22. It was then I think the cold and rain finally got to me. Even though they were moving, my legs just couldn't get warm and felt pretty numb. So I tried a walk/run combo for the next couple of miles and stretching at each mile. At mile 24, I scarfed down a bag of Sportbeans and said, "Legs, let's go!" and they went! LOL! As fast as they could go! Which wasn't very fast but it was faster than those last few miles! Finally on the last mile, the race turned onto Ocean Blvd which apparently was the where the gale force winds decided to push us sideways! Grrrr! I said really loudly, "Seriously?! The last mile?! C'mon!" This guy next to me laughed and said, "Right?!" (he also said some other choice words, but we'll leave those out) We could see the finish line but it seemed so far away and it was so hard to get there! I yelled, "Finished strong!" and took off. I finished with a new PR of 4:31. And given the weather conditions, I couldn't be happier with that time.
It was a great year! I hope 2012 brings just as much hard work, energy and blessings as I was able have in 2011.
Here are my new race PRs:
10k - 55:26
Half Marathon - 2:00:59
Marathon - 4:31:16
I'm proud of those times. They reflect the hard work and energy I put into it. And I did all this training alone. However, I did miss my 2011 goal for the half. I had a goal to get a sub-2 hour time. As I've mentioned previously, I missed it - by one minute! Grrr! *breathe in, breathe out* But this is about appreciating how far I've come as a runner.
Every year since I've been running I've tried to make it a point to run a new race at least once a year. I've definitely found my fav races here in California and I can't give them up! But out of the 8 races I ran this year 7 of them were new. Wow! Blew that goal away!
I had a couple of "firsts" this year as well. I ran my first mud run - the Gladiator Rock n Run - in Irvine. My friend Bridget, her husband, brother and some friends ran too. Since I have never run one of these before I wasn't sure what to expect. I read on the website that costumes were welcome but almost everyone we saw had a costume or team uniforms of some kind. It was fascinating to see! People dressed up in S.W.A.T. team gear to wedding dresses and tuxes. It was so crazy! The obstacles weren't nearly as bad as they described them to be. But those mud pits were no joke! Yuck! They said you'd get mud in places you never thought - and they were right! LOL! Overall it was more like a party than a race. I'd definitely like to do another one!
 |
| The "before" picture |
 |
| The "After" picture of the entire crew |
 |
| Mission Trails - 9/11 Heroes Run |
Early Sunday morning as Andrew (Bridget's husband) was dropping us off, it began to drizzle on and off. Surprisingly, it was only a light sprinkle when the race began. I was wearing our make shift rain poncho over two layers. After a couple of miles, it still wasn't raining and I was getting super hot! So at mile 4, I ripped off the poncho. And of course, you know what happened.. it began to pour!! The rain was so heavy at times that all I could see was a little waterfall from the bill of my cap. (Found out later that race day had historic record rainfall!) I kept my eyes on the road because there were tons of puddles and little rivers on the streets.
I never did get to see the Hollywood sign or really savor running down Sunset Blvd. And Rodeo Drive was a big watery blur. But I was making great time! At the half mark, my time was apprx 2:05 and I was feeling good. Wet and cold but good. Until mile 22. It was then I think the cold and rain finally got to me. Even though they were moving, my legs just couldn't get warm and felt pretty numb. So I tried a walk/run combo for the next couple of miles and stretching at each mile. At mile 24, I scarfed down a bag of Sportbeans and said, "Legs, let's go!" and they went! LOL! As fast as they could go! Which wasn't very fast but it was faster than those last few miles! Finally on the last mile, the race turned onto Ocean Blvd which apparently was the where the gale force winds decided to push us sideways! Grrrr! I said really loudly, "Seriously?! The last mile?! C'mon!" This guy next to me laughed and said, "Right?!" (he also said some other choice words, but we'll leave those out) We could see the finish line but it seemed so far away and it was so hard to get there! I yelled, "Finished strong!" and took off. I finished with a new PR of 4:31. And given the weather conditions, I couldn't be happier with that time.
It was a great year! I hope 2012 brings just as much hard work, energy and blessings as I was able have in 2011.
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