SoCal Race Radar

Kenneth Hahn Trails

Kenneth Hahn Park is a no-brainer for the first in my series of trail reviews. It's a hop, skip and a jump away from my apartment and there's plenty of parking.

Kenneth Hahn Park is located at 4100 S. La Cienega in Baldwin Hills. There are many different areas within the park including picnic areas, a lake, a Japanese garden, basketball courts and trails. To access the trails, head to the top of the park from the entrance, past the community center. Basically, keep driving until you can't drive any farther--there are lots of places to park.
There is a large green space called Janice's Green Valley that is encircled by a walking/running path a little under a mile in length. From this path you can access several other trails.

The trail I took first leads down to Boy Scout Trail and eventually runs parallel to La Brea. Be prepared for a steep downhill at the start of this trail. Most of my energy was spent trying to maintain my balance and avoid breaking an ankle on the way down. After about 3/10 of a mile you'll reach a trail marker for Boy Scout Trail and you'll be faced with the option of taking one of two paths. The path to the left ends rather quickly while the path to the right extends for about a mile or so before it ends at a turnaround point. There are lots of other walkers/hikers/runners out on this trail so I felt very safe. I always have that panic moment when I wonder if anyone could hear me scream if I got hurt, but here that wasn't a concern. The weird thing about this portion of the trail is that it runs parallel to La Brea, so if frolicking in nature made you forget you were in LA, you'll be reminded soon enough.

While this particular trail is short (about 2.3 miles round trip) it is not easy. The constant changes in elevation make the trail challenging and I struggled with some of the steep inclines. You know how sometimes you work really hard to run up a steep hill and feel like you're making no progress? Then you start walking instead and realize you can go much faster with less work? I did that a few times on this trail.

See?

After reaching the top again I headed around the bowl (Janice's Green Space) to another trail. This trail was not marked, so I'm not sure what it's called. This second trail was my favorite of the two. While it still had some challenging hills the changes in elevation were not so extreme, so I felt like I actually got to run more and at a faster pace. Also, there are several great lookouts along this trail that provide great views of the city. Follow this trail to its end and you'll reach one of the playground areas at the bottom of the park, from there you can begin the climb back up to the bowl.

The Good:

• Convenient location
• Safe park with lots of visitors
• Good hill workout
• Great views
• Nice green areas for stretching
  

The Bad:

• Limited distance and trail options--I combined the two longest trails and got in just under 5 miles. I suppose you could do the same route again but that's not very fun.
  
• Difficult to plan in advance--maybe there are more trails here, but I couldn't find them! The best I could find was here, but there are no maps to guide your planning.

The verdict:

• I will definitely be running this trail again--it's so close to where I live it would be silly not to! Adding this route once a week would be a great way to add hills to my weekly running.
  

Long Beach Marathon Race Report!

It is official---I am a marathoner! Read on for the details...

The first lesson I learned during my marathon was that, regardless of what I thought, I had no clue what to expect! I went in with the ultimate goal of finishing and having fun and the "wouldn't it be nice" goal of finishing in under 5 hours.

All the Team in Training folks met up in the lobby of our hotel at 5:45 am and walked to the start together. I hadn't slept well the night before (due to a combination of nerves/excitement and noise from the elevator near our room) but I was running on a buzz of adrenaline. There were SO MANY PEOPLE in this race and there was very little elbow room as we positioned ourselves into our starting waves. We started at 7:10, but looking back it doesn't feel like we waited long at the start at all, it must have been all the excitement!

Although I didn't realize it at the time, I started my marathon much too fast. I did take my walk breaks, but I was heavily influenced by the energy surrounding me and let myself get carried away by runners at a faster pace than my own. I stopped for a quick potty break around mile 5 and then did something silly...ran really fast and skipped two scheduled walk breaks to try to make up the time I lost waiting in line for the bathroom! It was around this time that the pacing chart I'd brought along with me fell out of my shorts and got trampled...(I wonder what that could mean...?)

The weather was just perfect for running (cool and cloudy) and the route was fairly scenic. Lots of running along the ocean, past the Queen Mary, through downtown Long Beach and CSULB. Around the halfway point I started feeling the effects of my over enthusiastic start...I was really tired already! I knew that I should eat, but I had difficulty getting shot blocks down and was starting to battle nausea. Around mile 15 I passed the point of no return...I was sick to my stomach and grumpy because I hadn't eaten enough but I felt so poorly that I had difficulty forcing myself to eat on the run. Those were some tough miles and I had a lot of difficulty sticking to my scheduled intervals of running for 8 minutes and walking for 1. Now I know that I will have to be more organized when it comes to fueling on the run for my next marathon. By the time I started to realize I needed fuel I was already feeling pretty beat up.

I was looking forward to seeing two of my friends at mile twenty, when they planned to jump in with me, and my family and friends who I knew were waiting for me toward the finish. But all of that felt a long way off. Then, around mile 17 I had a series of great pick-me-ups. This was the portion of the course that runs through Cal State Long Beach and lots of sororities and fraternities come out to cheer on the runners. Some of them blasted music, held signs, and did silly things to try to lift our spirits. I saw one guy riding on a tiny toy car...he was sitting on top of it and riding it down a hill, toward me. I'm sure it doesn't sound all that funny, but at mile 18 it was hilarious and it kept me moving forward.

My teammate Eric began to pass me around mile 19 and I was not feeling so great. He stuck with me and really pushed me to keep going when all I wanted to do was walk. He could have easily passed me and kept on going, but he decided to stay with me and help me make it through some of those tough miles. Bless him! He was like my guardian angel delivering me to Shira and Nicole at mile 21. Thank you Eric!

Shira and Nicole arrived at mile 21 like balls of energy! Nicole hung with Eric, who went ahead (I'll say it again--bless him for sticking with me!) and Shira stuck with me, helping me set small goals to make it to the end of the race. Streetlight by streetlight, she helped me stay focused on making steady progress. We made lots of deals together..."run to the next streetlight, then you can walk until the_______"

At mile 24 I spotted my husband, best friend, sister and brother in law and I just about lost it. They each had signs for me and were cheering me on--it was such an awesome feeling! I stopped to hug them, then made my way along and my brother in law even ran alongside me for a little bit! That gave me a nice boost. Just a little farther along I saw my Aunt and Uncle cheering for me and before I knew it all I had left was a mile, then half a mile and then I saw the mile marker for 26 and knew I was almost there. I found an energy I didn't know I had and did my best to finish strong. While running through the finishing chute I saw my Aunt and cousin cheering me on, then my mother in law, sister in law and grandmother in law. Each face I saw smiling and cheering for me fueled my finish. Before I knew it I had a medal and a mylar blanket and I received my Team in Training 26.2 pin. I did it! I accomplished a long standing goal that I once thought would be nothing more than a dream. And along the way I raised $2400 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and made a bunch of GREAT new friends. That is pretty awesome if you ask me!

I finished my first marathon in 5 hours and 22 minutes.

I can't wait for the next one!

Goal Setting Part 2: New Goals and Revised Goals

Running has really helped me to discover one of life's secrets to happiness: being flexible=a happier state of mind. I've spent most of my life being stubborn, so to learn this at 25 is a blessing both to me and all those who love me. Goal setting is absolutely necessary to keep moving forward in life. And I mean not just dreaming about and setting goals, but taking steps to make them realities...it helps me to have a much needed sense of productivity, to grow personally and professionally, plus it's fun! But I've really learned this season about the importance of being flexible with my goals and adapting to surprises rather than losing my mind because something happened that--deep breath--I DIDN'T PLAN! My injuries are perfect examples of this: they sidelined me for a while, but I adapted. When I could walk but not run, I walked. When I could run, but only slowly, I ran slowly. I finally realized that some things are out of my control....and it felt kind of good. Like I could let go of that control and the world would keep going...imagine that! Here are some upcoming running related goals. Some have adapted over the season and others are new.

1. In the spirit of being flexible, my goal for Long Beach has also adapted. Because this is my first marathon I have decided not to worry about my finishing time. My overall goal for this race is simply to finish. As long as I finish, I'll be happy because finishing is an enormous accomplishment and something I've wanted for a long time.

2. I'd like for Long Beach to be the first of many marathons and half marathons. I begin training for LA in November!

3. I'd love to try trail running. It would be great if I could find someone to tag along with for my first try...does anyone know somebody who wouldn't mind company?

Non Running Related Goals (those on my mind at the moment):

-find a K-5 teaching position. One where I can really grow, make a difference and be happy.
-learn Spanish (this is a big goal...and one I'm not doing anything about at the moment. A girl can dream, though)

I have many more, but my brain is shutting down at the moment. Did I mention I ran 20 miles this morning? More about that later, time for a nap.

Goal Setting Part 1: Old Goals

Lately I find myself thinking an awful lot about my running goals--the old goals I've met, the goals I've had to change due to injury or circumstance, my goals for the near future and those giant goals that are really more like dreams. As my first season of TNT comes to an end and my first marathon approaches, this feels like a time for reflection.

Old Goals:

Growing up I loved to visit my Auntie Kim--in my early memories of her I remember thinking she couldn't be an aunt because she must be a teenager! She was always so much more fun than I believed possible for a grown up. One of the things I love about her is her energy and zest. Here's a perfect example: my first memory of her is of watching her workout on a treadmill or some other type of exercise machine while wearing a pair of bright sweat pants and a pink sweat band while singing along to "Love Shack". Over time she became an avid runner and I wanted to be one too.

The summer I was nine she took me on a few runs with her while we visited my grandparents in Hawaii. I remember thinking that running for such a long time was a lot harder than it looked. In fact, I probably didn't even make it 1/2 a mile before I stopped to walk, but I remember her giving me some great advice. She said when it gets difficult and you want to walk, slow down instead.

Growing up I spent a lot of time trying to become a runner. I didn't have a runner's body, but I secretly hoped I might get one if I kept running long enough (I'm still waiting for that one to happen!). Looking back, I did run often and had fun doing it but I never felt like a runner. Not while running to Briggs school and back for fun (wearing Converse, of all things!), not while on my high school cross country team (placing dead last in nearly every race), not even while running in the lonely rain in Tacoma.

While thinking back on this season and how far I've come I realized that I finally feel like a runner, a goal I've been working on for 16 years. I am going to run 20 miles this Sunday. I have one black toenail and another ready to fall off. I have run two half marathons. I wake up early every Sunday and run. For a few hours. No big deal.

I remember struggling to complete a 10 mile training run at the start of the season...last Sunday I ran 16 miles, the Sunday before that a half marathon, and the one before that 18. Wow. I've made so much progress in just a short amount of time that it kinda snuck up on me. Time to set some new goals...

Up next: Goal Setting Part 2: New Goals, Revised Goals

Inspirational!

Just saw a link about Sister Madonna Buder.
Wow. Just wow.

check out this to read more and see her talk about her running!

Disney Race Report

Last week I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon, a race I was beginning to believe is cursed for me. I registered for the race a few years ago, paying the hefty registration fee for the privilege of running through Disneyland while all my favorite characters cheered me on. About a week before that first race I came down with a bad case of bronchitis and was unable to run...Unfortunately, Disney does not give out refunds, even if you're sick :-(

I was so excited to register again this year--this would be MY year at Disney. I'm in the midst of marathon training, after all...what could go wrong? As we all know, my training has not exactly gone smoothly. I've encountered a few bumps along the way and am still hesitant about how my body will react to the stresses of long runs.

Long story short, out of nowhere I ended up with a major pain in my left foot. It started out as an annoyance 0n Friday afternoon, but by evening I couldn't walk comfortably on it. Saturday was worse and I spent the day resting it, icing it, and slowly testing my weight on it only to be disappointed. Sunday morning, race day, was no better. I woke up and dressed for the race with no illusions--there was a strong chance I wouldn't be able to run it. I didn't want to risk injuring myself further and compromising the marathon in October, but I had really been looking forward to Disney as something fun and as an estimate of my time for the full marathon.

I decided to try running it, but at nearly every step I knew that I could stop at any moment. The pain made it difficult to extend my toes or to push off with my foot as I ran. One mile turned into two and although I was uncomfortable, the miles just kept adding up. By the time I reached the 10 K mark (6.2 miles), I was really hurting. I stopped frequently to walk or just stand to the side. Did I want to have someone come and pick me up? Was it really that bad? No, I decided that I could at least walk the rest.

I made a stop at the medical tent at mile 9 to ice my foot and take some Tylenol. When I left that tent, I knew that I would finish the race. Not because I felt better, but because I had already made it so far. What was 4 more miles when I had already made it 9?

I crossed the finish line at 2 hours and 52 minutes and wore my medal proudly.

What I'll take away from this race is the importance of being flexible with my goals. While I had a goal to run the half in under 2:30 that goal quickly changed to simply finishing the race. I spent so much time visualizing the race and anticipating my strategy that to overhaul that pattern of thinking completely was difficult--I'm not always as flexible as I should be. While I fought back angry tears around mile 8 I came to realize I had two choices: I could be angry and upset at the unexpected and let that ruin my experience or I could rethink my goals, adapt my expectations and have fun with what I could do.

Guess what I chose?