Saturday was a crazy hectic day. We were at the soccer fields all day so I was afraid I wouldn't get enough to drink and eat the day before the race. I made sure to bring water with me though and then we had a good dinner at Spaghetti Factory. Saturday night I got all my clothes, gear, and food together for Sunday morning. The plan was for me to pick up Christine at 4:30 and then Kristin a little after 5:00. I decided to eat breakfast along the way because the idea of swallowing food at 4:00a.m. was not appealing to me so I got all my breakfast stuff situated on Saturday night too.
I tossed and turned all night thinking about the race so I never even needed my alarm. My alarm was set for 4:10, but I was up at 3:30. I got dressed, put a ton of foot cream on my feet, drank some Vitamin Water, grabbed my gear, and lubed up my arm because my iPod has been chafing me and I lubed under my bra too...(TMI?) and then I was on my way to get my running partners.
The drive to Silver Strand wasn't too bad. We got there around 5:45. We stayed in the car for a bit getting our stuff situated and figuring out what we would check in our bags and stuff. This is when I ate my breakfast (peanut butter and honey sandwich). Then it was time to catch the shuttle. We scored and got on the double decker bus. Naturally we sat on the top and in the front...FUN and a little sketchy. It was on the way to the start line that Christine explained to me we would be running by the car. That freaked me out because the thought of running past my car might do me in mentally. We got to the start, went the bathroom, I fixed my bib (I can NOT get those things to go on the right way), took some photos, checked our gear, and got ready to run. I was super nervous and wasn't exactly sure how I was going to run that far.
We took off at 7:30 and Christine, Kristin, and I all stayed together for the first mile. It was at that point we split off. Around mile 2, I was already giving up and thinking I would need to walk which is insane because I know I can go further than that without stopping, but the first mile was at a faster pace than I usually run. As soon as I started to walk, I heard some familiar voices. It was my friends Amy, Rosana, and Lori. They got me running again and I stayed with them the whole time. Their running plan worked for me. They would run to the mile marker and then walk for a bit. Thank goodness for Amy who kept right with me and encouraged me the whole time. I told her what my time was for RnR (2:56) so she was bound and determined to help me beat it. I didn't tell her I was out there to just finish. I figured if she could push me and my body could take it, why not try to beat my time?
Around mile 9 is when it got really challenging. My feet were hurting (they were sliding in my shoes) and my left calf was cramping. This course didn't have a lot of water/energy drink stations. I wish they had more of them along the course because that would probably have helped with my cramping. Mile 9 was through a neighborhood with turns so it seemed to go on forever. Mile 10 is where I saw a friend from high school, Aaron. He was at mile 12 and shouted out my name. (Mile 10 and mile 12 cross paths) It was so cool to see him out there since I haven't seen him since high school. A little bit later I also saw Kristin and Christine. It was so nice to see their smiling faces and give them high fives. At this point I knew they were going to make great time because they were already at mile 12. After I saw them, Amy and I stopped to walk for a bit and she pointed out that there was an incline coming up. She asked if I could run to the incline and then walk up. So that's what we did.
Mile 11 seemed like it was forever away. During this mile, we encountered a sweet girl, Rebecca, running alone. She asked if we were trying to make a certain time because her goal was to be under 3 hours. She stuck with us most of the way. Thankfully there was a water station at mile 11 so I drank some water and dumped some on myself. Only two more miles to go. At 11.5 it was downhill to mile 12 so down we ran. When we got to the bottom I had to walk again; but at that point it was mental not physical keeping me from running. We started running again and Amy kept telling me the distance and my time. So when we got to the final straight away and could see the finish line (it might as well have been a million miles away) I considered walking, but I knew I could do this. I picked up my pace a little bit and crossed the finish line with Christine and Kristin cheering me on. My time was 2:49!!!! Yes to many that is slow, but to me it was just right.
I did this!!! Christine pointed out all the obstacles I have been through during the last 10 weeks and how I could have easily used those as excuses to give up, but I didn't. In 10 weeks, I had an injured foot, Caden was sick, Drake was sick, our house flooded and we're still in a hotel a month later, and my dad died. But I didn't give up and kept with the run and now I have two half marathons under my belt. If I didn't have Christine to keep me going with the morning workouts and the training runs, I don't know what I would have done. Having that support and constant in my life made all the difference in my attitude and in my training.
As for the actual race today, Amy was my angel out there. If it hadn't been for her pushing me those last couple miles, I wouldn't have beaten my time. She was so selfless to run slower to be my motivator and I don't know how to repay her for doing that for me.
After the race, I was desperate for some juice and water. I didn't eat any of the food they had available (muffins, bagels, bananas) because I was more concerned with hydrating myself. Got my drinks, found my peeps, and chilled for a bit before we started the photo shoot, congratulatory hugs, and war stories. Kristin beat her RnR time by 6 minutes and Christine ran her first half in 2:36. Yes, I know, my friends are amazing and they inspire me everyday.
I'm hobbling around today mostly because my feet are sore and my legs are a little tight. Overall though I feel good. I'm proud of myself for doing the run today and I think my kids are proud of me too. It has been really nice to receive emails and FB posts from all my family and friends. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by the right people in my life who motivate and encourage me. So if any of you are reading this, THANK YOU!
So, will I do another half? Not sure. I've done two now and today I came close to what my original goal was (2:45) so I'm feeling like I've been there done that with the half marathon stuff. Running isn't my passion in case you haven't gathered that from my blog. I would love to try some new things that keep me challenged, excited, and motivated and I know those things will include running, but maybe not such long distances.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Dirty Legs?
I really didn't want to get up today, but I always manage to drag my butt out of bed. It feels good walking into the gym and seeing my workout partner is feeling the same way. We worked our arms today and we worked hard! Our workout included Bob's Boxing Challenge, push ups, burpees, assisted pull ups, curls with the barbell, tricep dips, planks, abs, and cardio mixed in. We were both sweating and that's a good sign! My arms are a little sore and tired tonight as I sit here and type. What was funny about today's workout was Christine's legs got dirty some point during our workout. We aren't exactly sure why, but we're guessing it was from the medicine ball when we did our planks. It was quite funny!
Tuesday is a 3 mile run on the dreadmill. My goal this week is to stay hydrated! They say being hydrated begins the week before the "race", not the day before. So that's my plan; drink lots of water!! We're in the homestretch!!!
Tuesday is a 3 mile run on the dreadmill. My goal this week is to stay hydrated! They say being hydrated begins the week before the "race", not the day before. So that's my plan; drink lots of water!! We're in the homestretch!!!
That's How I Roll...
Here we are another week has passed since I've written about my workouts. My most recent run was 10 miles on Sunday with Christine. The weather was great and we did a run/walk combo so it really helped me. We were all over San Marcos on this run and I saw some new parts of the rail trail that were cool although I wouldn't travel them alone.
Around mile 7 or 8, we saw a shopping cart turned upside down on the secluded part of the rail trail. It was a little ways ahead and I turned to Christine and said "I'm game if you are." She immediately knew what I was referring to with my comment. We laughed at the thought of pushing each other in the cart down Mission Avenue with all our friends driving by honking. Of course we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a picture IN the shopping cart so we flipped that bad boy over and I hopped in cuz that's how I roll. As Christine was taking my picture, it dawned on me I was stuck. It took Christine to tip the cart all the way for me to climb out. (I won't mention the scrapes on the back of both my legs that Scott says probably require tetanus shots). We both agreed a camera is a necessity no matter where we go. With one more mile to go, we encountered a mattress on the side of the road. If it wasn't at a busy intersection, we might have taken our picture on that too! That gave us a good laugh.
The last mile we listened to our music and finished feeling good and strong. During our run we talked about setting our next goal to keep us motivated although we have each other so I'm not sure we need much to keep us going. After the run, I wasn't sore or tired at all. In fact, I did a no-no and didn't eat for awhile afterwards because Drake had a soccer game and I was in a rush to get there. I know my friends will get on me for that once they read this. I did drink some Vitamin water though.
What's interesting is that when I trained for the last half marathon (RnR), I would be toast for the rest of the day after running 10 miles. I remember being shaky and tired all day after a long run. Not this time. I don't know what's different, but I'm guessing I'm more in shape. My eating is different this time around too. I'm not as consumed with what I'm eating and when. When I trained for RnR, I was constantly thinking about food combinations and over analyzing every bite I took. This time I'm just eating "normally."
Not only did C and I solve our problems during the run, we planned out our workouts in the gym for race week. Monday we decided to work our arms. Wednesday would be a light leg workout; no butt burns. Friday will be abs/core and the elliptical. It's the final countdown. It is hard to believe it is less than a week away.
Around mile 7 or 8, we saw a shopping cart turned upside down on the secluded part of the rail trail. It was a little ways ahead and I turned to Christine and said "I'm game if you are." She immediately knew what I was referring to with my comment. We laughed at the thought of pushing each other in the cart down Mission Avenue with all our friends driving by honking. Of course we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a picture IN the shopping cart so we flipped that bad boy over and I hopped in cuz that's how I roll. As Christine was taking my picture, it dawned on me I was stuck. It took Christine to tip the cart all the way for me to climb out. (I won't mention the scrapes on the back of both my legs that Scott says probably require tetanus shots). We both agreed a camera is a necessity no matter where we go. With one more mile to go, we encountered a mattress on the side of the road. If it wasn't at a busy intersection, we might have taken our picture on that too! That gave us a good laugh.
The last mile we listened to our music and finished feeling good and strong. During our run we talked about setting our next goal to keep us motivated although we have each other so I'm not sure we need much to keep us going. After the run, I wasn't sore or tired at all. In fact, I did a no-no and didn't eat for awhile afterwards because Drake had a soccer game and I was in a rush to get there. I know my friends will get on me for that once they read this. I did drink some Vitamin water though.
What's interesting is that when I trained for the last half marathon (RnR), I would be toast for the rest of the day after running 10 miles. I remember being shaky and tired all day after a long run. Not this time. I don't know what's different, but I'm guessing I'm more in shape. My eating is different this time around too. I'm not as consumed with what I'm eating and when. When I trained for RnR, I was constantly thinking about food combinations and over analyzing every bite I took. This time I'm just eating "normally."
Not only did C and I solve our problems during the run, we planned out our workouts in the gym for race week. Monday we decided to work our arms. Wednesday would be a light leg workout; no butt burns. Friday will be abs/core and the elliptical. It's the final countdown. It is hard to believe it is less than a week away.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Eventful Weekend
Sorry for not blogging for awhile. With my dad's death on Friday, it has seemed insignificant to write about my workouts and quite honestly I don't remember much of my workouts with having so much on my mind.
Since my last entry, we did a workout on Friday morning which was abs and the elliptical machine, a 10 mile run at Miramar Lake on Saturday, a 5k Mud Run on Sunday, and a 3 mile run today.
The 10 mile run was with Christine and Kristin. I felt sick the entire time, but it was therapeutic to be out there with nature and my thoughts I suppose.
The Mud Run was a blast. It was frickin' exhausting though. Who knew I would be THAT tired for a 5k? After the 5k was done, the boys did a mini mud run. Drake ran on his own and I ran with Caden. That was just the best. I loved being able to share a race experience with my kids. Drake and Caden both had a great time too and we're looking forward to the next one.
Christine and I agreed to take Monday off from the gym since we worked out hard both Saturday and Sunday. Today we did a 3 mile run in the 'hood. It was blazing hot at 9:00, but it felt good to be out there.
I know for sure I will struggle on the 14th with the half marathon. It happens to be the weekend of my dad's birthday (his birthday is the 13th). My training this time around has been sub-par because of all the things life has thrown my way. My race plan will most likely be to run/walk and just be happy to finish it and most importantly to celebrate Christine and her first half marathon! My original race plan when I signed up was to beat my RnR time. I'm afraid that won't be happening now and I'm okay with it.
Since my last entry, we did a workout on Friday morning which was abs and the elliptical machine, a 10 mile run at Miramar Lake on Saturday, a 5k Mud Run on Sunday, and a 3 mile run today.
The 10 mile run was with Christine and Kristin. I felt sick the entire time, but it was therapeutic to be out there with nature and my thoughts I suppose.
The Mud Run was a blast. It was frickin' exhausting though. Who knew I would be THAT tired for a 5k? After the 5k was done, the boys did a mini mud run. Drake ran on his own and I ran with Caden. That was just the best. I loved being able to share a race experience with my kids. Drake and Caden both had a great time too and we're looking forward to the next one.
Christine and I agreed to take Monday off from the gym since we worked out hard both Saturday and Sunday. Today we did a 3 mile run in the 'hood. It was blazing hot at 9:00, but it felt good to be out there.
I know for sure I will struggle on the 14th with the half marathon. It happens to be the weekend of my dad's birthday (his birthday is the 13th). My training this time around has been sub-par because of all the things life has thrown my way. My race plan will most likely be to run/walk and just be happy to finish it and most importantly to celebrate Christine and her first half marathon! My original race plan when I signed up was to beat my RnR time. I'm afraid that won't be happening now and I'm okay with it.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
You Can Do It!
Tuesday I didn't get a chance to go for a run. Life gets in the way sometimes so I considered it a rest day. Wednesday was our day to work legs and since C and I both had a day off, I decided to go full force on the workout. We did box jumps on a bosu ball, lunges, squats with a side kick, butt burns, red cup drill, squats throwing/catching a medicine ball, and also threw in some push ups. When I put the workout together, it had slipped my mind that I mentally cannot do box jumps. My brother used to have me try them at the gym and I would just stare at the step or object I was supposed to jump on and could not do it. My fear is that I'll fall on my face.
The bosu ball was the round side up and I was supposed to jump on top of it, squat, and jump back down and repeat as many times as I could in a minute. Christine looked at me and said "you can do it!" I laughed as I stared down the ball. She said it again "you can do it!" That's all I needed to hear and up I jumped on to the top of the round bosu. I did it!!! I was clumsy for the first round of the circuit, but I was getting the hang of it.
Round one of the circuit wasn't so bad. One of the trainers we regularly see in the morning came over and corrected my push up form. He said I "bob my head." I'm still not understanding what he is saying because I don't think I bob my head. In fact, I told C it is probably my ponytail he was seeing. HA! I'll have to practice these at home and make sure I have the correct form. Rounds two and three of the circuit were brutal. My butt all the way down my legs were burning. When we did the butt burn exercises in rounds 2 and 3, I had to rest part way through.
The workout today was awesome. My legs and butt were on fire when we left the gym and they are on fire tonight. And, aside from the trainer correcting my push up form, we had no other distractions today which makes for a much more effective and efficient workout.
Tomorrow is a running day. My plan is to get up early and go to the hotel gym to get some running in before I start my day.
The bosu ball was the round side up and I was supposed to jump on top of it, squat, and jump back down and repeat as many times as I could in a minute. Christine looked at me and said "you can do it!" I laughed as I stared down the ball. She said it again "you can do it!" That's all I needed to hear and up I jumped on to the top of the round bosu. I did it!!! I was clumsy for the first round of the circuit, but I was getting the hang of it.
Round one of the circuit wasn't so bad. One of the trainers we regularly see in the morning came over and corrected my push up form. He said I "bob my head." I'm still not understanding what he is saying because I don't think I bob my head. In fact, I told C it is probably my ponytail he was seeing. HA! I'll have to practice these at home and make sure I have the correct form. Rounds two and three of the circuit were brutal. My butt all the way down my legs were burning. When we did the butt burn exercises in rounds 2 and 3, I had to rest part way through.
The workout today was awesome. My legs and butt were on fire when we left the gym and they are on fire tonight. And, aside from the trainer correcting my push up form, we had no other distractions today which makes for a much more effective and efficient workout.
Tomorrow is a running day. My plan is to get up early and go to the hotel gym to get some running in before I start my day.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bare Necessities
Monday morning we decided to work our arms since we had just run nine miles on Sunday and we wanted to give our legs a bit of a rest. Our arm workout consisted of curls, plank to push ups, tri dips, push ups, and bear crawls to name a few. Those bear crawls are a great cardio, core, and arm workout. The entire time I feel like an ass when I'm doing them, but they work me hard!
At the end of our workout we had some time for a couple ab exercises. I like having this extra time at the end of each session to focus on abs.
One thing is for sure, Christine and I are two of the hardest working people in the gym that early. If I look around, many people look like zombies going through the motions of moving their weights or doing their cardio. We may look like that the first two exercises of our first circuit, but then we are kicking some serious ass. It feels good to know we are working hard so early in the morning. We get the most out of our one hour gym sessions!!
At the end of our workout we had some time for a couple ab exercises. I like having this extra time at the end of each session to focus on abs.
One thing is for sure, Christine and I are two of the hardest working people in the gym that early. If I look around, many people look like zombies going through the motions of moving their weights or doing their cardio. We may look like that the first two exercises of our first circuit, but then we are kicking some serious ass. It feels good to know we are working hard so early in the morning. We get the most out of our one hour gym sessions!!
San Marcos Tour
Sunday Christine and I were scheduled to run nine miles. C mapped out a couple of options and she let me choose our route. The course I chose took us over to Discovery Hills which is the furthest I've ever run away from my neighborhood. All my training runs around the neighborhood were either within a few miles of home or I would go to Mission Bay or Carlsbad to run. So, this was new to me.
Our first mile took us up an incline. We did it with no problem, but I was definitely out of breath. The route was relatively flat with a few hills in just the right places. About the 4 mile mark, I had to go to the bathroom which conveniently was where C had stashed some ice cold Gatorades for us. This was about the time I looked up and realized how far away it seemed we were from home. Thankfully C knew the way because we went down roads I had never traveled before and I saw some really nice homes.
The weather was just beautiful on Sunday. There was a nice breeze and the sun was out. I walked more than I wanted, but we still did the full nine miles. My legs were getting sore around mile seven which I haven't experienced before.
My left leg (longer, stronger leg) is still sore today. I'm not sure how I'm going to run 13.1 miles in three weeks. I'm not ready. It is so frustrating to not be a good runner. Why can't I just get out there and run? So many people make it look effortless including my two running partners, Christine and Kristin. I feel like I struggle so much. I need to come up with a race plan that won't leave me disappointed in myself at the end of the half marathon. For the first time ever, it has crossed my mind to quit the half marathon. I won't because I'm not a quitter and I want to be there to experience it with C and Kristin, but more and more I'm realizing I'm not cut out for long distance running.
Our first mile took us up an incline. We did it with no problem, but I was definitely out of breath. The route was relatively flat with a few hills in just the right places. About the 4 mile mark, I had to go to the bathroom which conveniently was where C had stashed some ice cold Gatorades for us. This was about the time I looked up and realized how far away it seemed we were from home. Thankfully C knew the way because we went down roads I had never traveled before and I saw some really nice homes.
The weather was just beautiful on Sunday. There was a nice breeze and the sun was out. I walked more than I wanted, but we still did the full nine miles. My legs were getting sore around mile seven which I haven't experienced before.
My left leg (longer, stronger leg) is still sore today. I'm not sure how I'm going to run 13.1 miles in three weeks. I'm not ready. It is so frustrating to not be a good runner. Why can't I just get out there and run? So many people make it look effortless including my two running partners, Christine and Kristin. I feel like I struggle so much. I need to come up with a race plan that won't leave me disappointed in myself at the end of the half marathon. For the first time ever, it has crossed my mind to quit the half marathon. I won't because I'm not a quitter and I want to be there to experience it with C and Kristin, but more and more I'm realizing I'm not cut out for long distance running.
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