Moves like Jagger?

No thanks. No disrespect to Mick, but I prefer moves like Dean Karnazes or Steve Prefontaine, Endorphin Dude, or my husband.

Dean and Pre are runners that blow my mind; accomplishing feats that I could never even dream of. Dean is an ultramarathoner who ran 50 marathons in 50 days. He might be a media whore, but he can make his body perform amazing things. Pre was the consummate runner-ran every race his own way. Best known for his American record in the 5000 meters, Pre never held back. He once said that he worked so that it was a pure guts race at the end, and that if it was, he was the only one who could win it! Negative splits be damned! I wish I had the balls to run like Pre. Unfortunately I do not have the talent or skill to pull it off.

Closer to home, I have running heroes like Endorphin Dude and my hubby. Endorphin Dude is simply remarkable, running 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money for the Peninsula Humane Society where he adopted his Chiweenie, Chewbacca. He's running for a great cause and is having fun doing it-check out his blog.

Mostly I'm inspired by my husband, who finished his first marathon this summer. He did it barefoot AND just months after receiving chemotherapy. Let that sink in-a barefoot cancer patient. Awesome!

Miles logged: 0

Running on Vacation

I run when I'm supposed to be relaxing. I've on more than one occasion woken up before dawn on my vacation to get a run in before the day starts. Running in a new city is exciting, all the new sights, the varied terrain (it is flat where I live now), the beautiful sunrises, the crisp air.

And I've done it again. This time, another predawn run after a day of wine tasting in Napa Valley. Nothing cures a hangover better than a run (I think sweating it out is the key). I had planned a 7 mile run, and had somewhat mapped it out-get out of the neighborhood and run around a sports park until I made my mileage, then back to where I started.

 Sunrise over Pleasanton, CA

I normally use a fitness app that maps my mileage by GPS, but it could not pick up a GPS signal that morning. I figured I could still track my distance by time, so I went on my way. I didn't plan on the maze of a neighborhood and getting lost. And I mean utterly and completely lost. All the street names sounded similar and the houses looked identical. If it weren't for Sprint navigation, I would never have found my way! Seven miles turned out to be more than eight miles, but I made it safely and without a hangover back to my friend's house!


Miles logged: 8+

Endurance is what I got

I don't have much when it comes to running. I don't have speed, style, or grace. But I do have endurance. I love the fact that I can out run just about everyone at the gym. I outlast everyone else on the treadmill. I purposely choose a treadmill on the end, so I can walk by each one on my way out, peeking at the total miles that the other gym-goers have run. They never even come close. Except today. Today I was shown up by the lady on the treadmill next to me. She was already running by the time I started my run and was still running when I finished, her total miles at 5.4. I thought about asking her what she was training for, but I didn't want to break her concentration. I was just plain impressed!

Miles logged: 3.5

Musings of a slow runner

I'm not a fast runner. I'm a 12 minute miler, maybe 11:30 when I'm in good shape. I run on city streets and always figured that I couldn't pick up any speed due to lights and pausing for traffic. But it came to me today. Not when I stopped to jump into an impromptu game of soccer, but when I stopped to pet a puppy! I never stop to talk to anyone on my runs and thought that was enough, but now I have to work on not stopping. Let's hope I can do it!

Miles logged: 3.5

Tour des Fleurs-10k

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My first 10k was a success! It started out as an overcast morning, with a threat of rain, but it held off and the sun even peaked out a few times. We started out on a flat course, running a fast time, but pulled back when we realized how fast we were going and that it would be difficult to keep up for another 5 miles! Definitely didn't want to run out of gas at mile 4! And good thing we did, as there were some challenging hills in the second half of the race. I thrive on hills, as they are the thing I'm good at when running. Not a single runner passed me going up the hills. Unfortunately, I can't run down them nearly as fast, too much pain in my foot and hip (old injuries).

The biggest race disappointment was the finish line, for a couple of reasons. There was hardly anyone there to cheer you on. A few families mulling around, but no clapping, no cheering, and not a single hi-five. The lack of finishers' medals was ultimate stake through the heart. I figured I'd definitely get a medal for a 10k.

My favorite post race snack is a banana...and they were all out. Thank goodness Dunkin' Donuts was there with a delicious sprinkled donut for me to enjoy! It almost made me forget that I didn't get a medal for completing this race, almost.
 
Race grade: sold B
Pros: scenic course, well placed water stations, nice shirts, good post race party, ice cold beer
Cons: long stretches of broken asphalt, hardly any spectators, no bananas, NO MEDAL

The race started like this....

And ended with this!

Miles logged: 6.2

Pre-Race Jitters

Tomorrow I run my first 10k. I'm not worried about the distance, as I have run races for much more, and I run at least that amount every Saturday. I still get nervous before every race. I think the thing I'm most afraid of is not waking up to my alarm, just the same if I have an important morning meeting. I never sleep well because of this nagging worry. I also wake up 3 or 4 times to go to the bathroom, either from nerves or my attempt to over hydrate.

My training buddy and I will be running the Tour de Fleurs. Sounds sophisticated, huh? It better be a sophisticated enough race to hand out medals at the finishe line!

Miles logged: 0

Hello Fall!

Nothing is more welcome than a cool fall day after the hottest summer on record. Talk about miserable-and I ran the whole summer, training for the SF Half Marathon. Not sure how I made it through, but it makes days like today that much nicer! Instead of hitting the gym after work today, I rushed home to run in this cool 70 degree weather. Please let there be more days like today in the upcoming weeks (should I dare wish for months?). Miles logged: 3.5

A Break from the Routine

My running schedule is just that, a boring schedule. I run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I typically run at the same times each day (after work on weekdays and early mornings on weekends). I run the same routes. Today though, I really mixed things up. I went to the gym before work this morning to get my run in.

This wasn't an experiment, but a desire not to be an awful spouse. My husband left on an early morning flight today and I just didn't have the heart to send him on the SuperShuttle at 3:30 am for his 7:20 am flight. I got him to the airport, made it to the gym, had my pick of treadmills and was at work by 7:30.

I was definitely motivated to run fast this morning; I think this might have been my very first run with a deadline! And the run was pretty good--I had no end of day remorse about the overly garlicky lunch that revisited during the run, and no excuses as to why I was too tired to run (except for the predawn alarm clock). I was starving all day today, but that isn't very different than any other day while I'm training.

Verdict on the pre-work run: not so bad, as long as you can figure out how to stop sweating before noon.

Miles logged: 3.0

I'm a medal whore

I'm not going to lie, there is no greater feeling than running across the finish line and having someone place a hunk of metal around your neck. This is one of the many reasons why I love races so much, the adrenaline, the camaraderie, the finish line food, and the medals. I donate blood, partially because I know I'm saving lives, but mostly because I like the free cookies and juice when you are done. Oh, and also because I'm convinced I weigh one pound less when I walk out of the donation center. This is the same reason I love races so much.

At the very first race I ever ran, a 5k, I saw people with medals hanging around their necks before I even finished. I thought they had beaten me so significantly, that they had already performed the medal ceremony and these were the big winners. I had no idea that EVERYONE got a medal! I felt like a champion! I'm sure this is why athletes train their whole lives to go to the Olympics-for the glory and the medal!

Not all races give medals, and that is why I won't be running in those again. The disappointment at the finish line is incredible when you don't get a medal.

Below is a picture of my 5 medals. The best by far was for the Dallas Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon (far right). Still the biggest, heaviest medal, and my largest accomplishment at that time; I never wanted to take it off.

 

Medals (left to right): Superbowl XLV 5k, 2011 San Francisco Half Marathon, 

Warrior Dash, Dallas Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

Miles logged today: 6.6

'Tis the year of running

As it is September, it is probably a bit late in the year to say 'tis anything... But here I am, toasting my new blog about running. And it is fitting that I start a blog chronicling my year of running 9 months through the year, as I joined the running game late. I didn't get the bug until I was in my 30s. It all started with agreeing to train for a half marathon with my coworkers. I never thought that we would actually do it and I didn't want to be the party pooper that didn't want to play.

I ran that first half marathon and haven't looked back. I've somehow fallen in love with something I hated not so long ago.

Cheers to running! See you on the trails!