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?

Back in the saddle again!

After 11 days of rest, several miniature mental breakdowns, and countless giant ibuprofen I am running again. Oh, how I've waited for this day...*sigh*...I didn't realize how much my running had become such a constant in my life until I had to take an unwanted break. To name just a few of the things I missed...

• Having a schedule: because I have the summer off from work, running has satisfied my crazy need to always have something to work toward. I have filled my weeks with running commitments and very much enjoyed meeting them--it gives me a sense of accomplishment.
• Having an outlet: running is great for your mental health, especially if you're crazy like me and have a brain that likes to run at a million miles an hour just to drive you crazy and make you worry about things that don't matter :p Running sends my brain to a happy place and helps it stay there more often. When I'm not running regularly my brain likes to find things to worry/obsess about just for fun.
• Making progress: it was tough to watch my teammates rack up the mileage while I was sidelined. I love the steady improvement and the fact that many weeks I am running more than I ever have before.

Tonight was my first run and I took it fairly slow. I also made sure to stretch well both before and after my run. Oh, and I skipped out on the big hill that is normally at the end of my route. I am pleased to say that I was completely pain free throughout the run and afterward!!!

I am now icing my knee, just to be safe. I plan to run with the 7/1 interval group on Sunday and to take it slow. I'll run on grass when it's available, I'll take my time stretching before and after, and I'll stand in the cool ocean in Santa Monica when that 18 miler is all done, feeling immensely grateful to be healthy and able to do something that I love so much.

TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE....OR...WALKING IS HARD

I have been handed some lemons....let me tell you the sad history of my knee. If you have been following my posts then you know that my right knee has not been good to me lately. What started out as a squeaky hinge is now a rusty, falling apart, piece of junk. It used to be that my knee would bother me on a run, but just a bit. Just enough for me to think "...gee, that's not the most comfortable feeling, in fact in kinda hurts". But after the workout the feeling would be gone and I wouldn't worry too much about it. It has only gotten gradually and progressively worse over the past 2 weeks despite my efforts to make it better.

I iced, I stretched, I even rested--I took a break from running, especially this week. I rested Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and my knee felt just fine. Thursday morning I worked out at Curves and my knee felt fine. Thursday evening I did my usual 4 miles and it hurt--a lot--the entire run. Afterward, I got in the car and it was painful to move my foot to hit the gas or the break. Surprisingly painful. I got home, stretched and iced. Rested Friday and Saturday. Felt better.

Today I should have run 15 miles with my team, setting a new personal distance record. I dropped down a few pace groups to take it easy a bit, but I felt some major pain right away. I stopped after the first mile and noticed that my knee didn't hurt while walking, so I walked. In fact, I POWERWALKED! I was mad, and I was going to get my workout DONE. I went at a good pace and worked up quite a sweat. In fact, I even passed some runners. I didn't walk the whole 15 miles, because I didn't want to injure myself further, but I walked as long as my knee felt good, which was about 10 miles.

Walking long distances is much more difficult, mentally, than running. And it is lonelier. In fact, the idea of WALKING 26.2 miles rather than running it is pretty scary. I didn't sign up to walk a marathon. If running it might take me 5 hours, just imagine how long it would take me to walk!
But I AM going to finish this thing, because it is just too important for me to give up, even if that means I have to walk. I can say that and still hope I don't have to walk it, right?

Sooooooo, after all of this I looked down at my knee while stretching, realized it was pretty swollen, still hurt and wouldn't allow me to walk up or down a set of stairs. I went to urgent care. Long story short, I have some water accumulated in my knee but it's not clear why. I have a referral to an orthopedist and took some x-rays that he will look at. The Dr. I saw said to rest it: don't go for a walk, a run, an elliptical, bike, or anything else that will use the knee. She did approve swimming, though :-) She was very optimistic that I would be able to run again soon, and even run my marathon on Oct. 11.

What will I be doing in the meantime? Swimming to stay fit and not go crazy, stretching and icing and resting my knee and being thankful that I am healthy enough to complete something as challenging as a marathon...even if I complete it while walking.

Fundraising update: Cruise Night Bake Sale a Big Success!

My mom and I did lots of baking and packaging of goodies for a bake sale at Cruise Night in Santa Paula last Friday. We weren't sure what to expect, whether we had baked too much or too little or if it would be difficult to sell our goodies.
On the menu were:
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Lemon meltaway cookies
Monster cookies
Snickerdoodles
Chocolate chip brownies
Chocolate butterscotch brownies

We packaged 2 cookies to a bag and 1 brownie to a bag and sold cookie bags for $1 and brownies for $2. We probably could have charged more, but I think that affordability makes them more appealing--who doesn't have at least a dollar in change for a good cause?

We set up a table outside of Curves, but it was really just a loading station because almost all our sales were on foot. I loaded up a tray and walked up and down Main St. selling them. When the night was done we had raised about $200 for charity.

We sold out!!! And way before the event ended! I think that next month we can sell twice as many and hopefully raise twice as much money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The first Friday of September, Main Street Santa Paula--I hope to see you there!

Peacocks in Palos Verdes

Last week was a 14 mile run---yipee!--in Palos Verdes. Officially the farthest I have ever run. In my life. Ever.

The course was challenging, but beautiful. Rolling hills and an ocean view gave me something nice to focus on while running. The start was extremely intimidating because we began on a steep uphill climb for about 2-3 miles but I was feeling good and taking it easy. No reason to rush when you still have 13 miles ahead of you, right?

One more note about the course: it was very fragrant. Or I have a super sense of smell. There must have been chamomile growing along the route, and anise, which made for a great combo of mellow licorice in the air throughout most of my run.

I did encounter a few problems, though. I felt great for the first 9 miles and had absolutely no pain in my knees. Then, out of nowhere it was like the joints in my knees no longer worked correctly. I felt a pain in the center of my kneecaps and noticed that walking made it worse, not better, so I skipped the walk portion of my intervals for those last few miles, opting for a slow jog (or shuffle) instead. While running uphill the pain would subside, and after the run my joints were very stiff.

Another problem was recovery time. I felt fine immediately afterward, but once I got home I was demolished. I couldn't do much but lay in bed with my legs up and my feet and toes were really swollen and uncomfortable feeling. As I continue to run longer distances I'll need to experiment with ways to make my body functional after a hard workout, like ice and ice baths, different kinds of foods after a run, different ways to rest.

All in all, I'm extremely proud of myself for finishing a very challenging run and creating a new personal distance record.

Weekly workouts

The week so far and a (partial) plan for the rest:

Monday: Curves workout
Tuesday: Curves workout, 4 mile run
Wednesday: Curves workout
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest
Sat: Curves
Sunday: 14 mile run!

Miles, Mansions, Dogs and Friends!

12 miles done! This means that soon my weekly long runs will be the farthest I have ever run...once we pass the 13 mile mark, who knows? When my runs are especially tough I take comfort in knowing that I can do it because I've done it before. After 13.1 I can no longer say that. Instead I'll say I can do it because...any ideas? I need a new mantra.

We ran a new route, which I loved. We headed from the civic center down Ocean, past San Vicente and up Amalfi. It took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes, doing This is a hilly neighborhood with gorgeous homes so there is a lot to look at and fantasize about while running. I had plenty of time to do that. In my fantasies I started to become very discriminating about what I did and didn't like about the architecture of these marvelous homes. Yeah right! I should be so lucky to live in any of them, let alone pick and choose among them. It sure was fun, though. One of them was even for sale and its real estate sign said that it had a golf course. A golf course! In their backyard! *sigh*

Another highlight was that I saw a beautiful dog that I sort of fell in love with. She was solid and stocky with a body and face kind of similar to an American pit bull but short, velvety gray fur like a weimaraner. And she had beautiful yellow-hazel eyes. I asked what breed she was and her owner said was a cane corso. I love them! Look at these pictures:
http://www.westcoastcanecorso.com/canecorso.htm

On top of the great scenery, I also had great company. I always love running with Mollie and Kelly, but this week I got to run with Nicole, too! I run with her on Thursdays but don't often get to run with her on Sundays. I lucked out this week and got a twofer: Thursday and Sunday!

One a different note, I'm starting to notice some difficulties with my knees as the mileage gets higher. I talked to my coach about it and he gave me some great advice and things to try, which I will. It's no fun feeling like the Tin Man at the end of a run, desperate for an oil can. I'll update about what I try and my observations as the season progresses.

This week in running:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 20 minute run
Wednesday: Curves and 45 minute run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: none
Saturday: none
Sunday: 12 miles

LATE POST: 11 MILE RUN/THE LONG MIDDLE

Last week we ran 11 miles, which sounds long enough but consider this: we ran from city to city! From Santa Monica to Marina del Rey and Venice, to be exact. To be honest, this was a tough run for me for a couple of reasons, the biggest being that I was not paying attention to directions when we were told where exactly we would be running to and from.

The route took us past the pier in Santa Monica and along the beach until we hit Speedway in Venice, all the way to the jetty and back. By the time we hit the beach path on the way back I was feeling pretty good. I was feeling so good that I couldn't believe I had almost run 11 miles. I decided that I may as well finish strong and I took off like a crazy person, left the group I was running with and ended up running with a pretty fast teammate for a while. I was flying and had that strange feeling you get after running for a while that your body is separate from you. It becomes like a machine that you have nothing to do with, all motion and rhythm happening on automatic while you hover above yourself, watching. Watching the whole time, thinking I couldn't believe how great I felt. Was I really improving this much? Did I have abilities beyond my wildest dreams? I started to count the intervals we had done so far and the numbers didn't add up. In a painful flash of sudden understanding I asked my teammate "How many miles do you think we've done so far?"

I knew the answer before he confirmed it. "Probably six or seven, because once we hit the pier it's a mile and a half to San Vicente and back." The machine broke, my stride felt clumsy and I began to slow down. I watched him run ahead of me as I struggled to keep moving. How could I be so foolish? I had just spent the last twenty minutes running like a demon and I had only been a little over halfway done! I still had at least three miles to go and I had run ahead of my teammates so I was on my own. It was a long and lonely middle.

But I finished! I ended up back with my pace group and they helped me to keep moving. Running is so much easier with company!

Lessons learned:

• Know your route before you run it
• Stick with the group
• If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't
  

Monday: curves workout
Wednesday: hill training
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 11 miles

Reflections on yesterday's 10 miler

The difference between 8 miles and 10 miles is big, although it doesn't seem so. When you start to run for longer than an hour at a time it's tempting to say, "two miles...that's twenty minutes or less--piece of cake!" Tempting, but not true.

As I discovered yesterday, the difference between 8 and 10 miles is the difference between flying and crawling. It is the rude crash back to reality after riding the high; it is your body's way of humbling you ("you think you're so great? try this").

It's funny that I feel this way because this is not my first time ever running 10 miles...That was three years ago, around a 1/3 mile loop and I was so proud I cried. It's strange how running longer distances brings out such a range of emotions, most of which I think I experienced yesterday in the span of under 2 hours.

Here's my report...

• I moved up into a new pace group...something I was really scared to do. People have a tendency to say "don't worry...if it's too fast for you, you can always fall back into a slower group". Technically yes...realistically no. If I'm going to brave joining this group I'm going to finish with them even if I die doing it ( I know it's a bad attitude to have but it's just a part of who I am...) I'm glad to report I didn't die ;-)
  
• I love running with girls. The group I ran with was made up of 5 strong girls...The great thing about running with girls is that you become part of a set and as a set you get a lot of encouragement from bystanders that you don't get on your own (probably because guys don't want to be seen as creepy). The following are the encouraging words we got from others as we ran..."Keep it up girls", "And they're cute", "How far are you going today?" and my personal favorite, directed at me and coming from a ninety year old man "That's good for your body". Just a simple good morning can be encouraging while you're out on a run, but these were classic.
• I prefer to run in the group, rather than in front of or behind the group. I felt most secure in my running when I was somewhere in the middle of our group. I kept imagining that I was tethered to the other girls I was running with and that there was no way I could be separated from them...this feeling really motivated me while running at the faster pace and I felt strongest while in the middle of the pack.
• I felt my best between mile 4 and 5
• The only sports drink I enjoy while running long is gatorade. I tried something new that they had on the course and it was pretty awful...unfortunately I filled my bottle with it and kept drinking.
• The last two miles were hard...The last mile was hardest. I began to fall back a bit from the pack and I felt the imaginary lines being cut. Being a little bit behind can quickly turn into being very much behind when you're tired, so I spent the last two miles trying to stay with the group and the last mile trying to catch up to the group. The last twenty minutes of the run was the longest and most difficult part for me.
  
• I did it!
  

Disneyland, here I come!

Just wanted to add a quick note...

I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, September 6!

I would be happy to be someone's excuse to go to Disneyland/California Adventure that day. Come see me run in the morning, then hop on some rides afterward and take a picture with your favorite Disney character. Or take a picture with me after my race ;)

I hope to see you there!

Making Progress

As I move forward with my training I'm finding myself making more progress than I ever expected. I'm getting faster and feeling stronger after many of my runs and I love the feeling of pushing my body to do more than I did previously.

I've been a runner for a long time, but it seems like this time around running agrees with me a bit more. I remember joining cross country in high school and not being able to finish our practice runs without stopping, exhausted and out of breath, to walk. I finished just about every race that season dead last...but I did finish. The experience of being on that team was important because it was one of my first experiences of really having to struggle at something that I wanted so badly and just wasn't good at.

Now my running feels more natural and not so much like something I'm fighting against...Maybe because I'm older and don't care so much about what other people think of my running, or maybe because I've just put in enough time over the years to make my body a bit more efficient. Whatever it is, I like it.

This week in running:
Monday: 5.5 miles solo in Culver City
Tuesday: 6 miles with a friend in West Hollywood
Wednesday: hill training with Team in Training. It was surprisingly fun!!
Thursday: 4.5 miles with friends through downtown Culver City
Friday: Rest
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: 10 miles with Team in Training

This weekend we move into double digits for our long run...10 miles!! I'll write all about it afterward.

Conservative Training

TNT takes a very conservative approach to training, which I have to say I appreciate. It's a bit odd at first, because when I trained for my half marathon two years ago It felt like I was running all the time (about 5 days a week). While I loved it, I was always tired and a little burnt out on running by the end of my training. I ended up taking a pretty long break from running consistently after that race (I think I needed it both physically and psychologically)

With TNT, my weekly mileage is much lower than it was when training for my half. Here is what this week's workout schedule looked like for me so far:

Monday: Curves, 30 minutes
Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 8 Miles (this would have been run the previous Sunday but I was out of town, so I made up my run on Wed.)
Thursday: 4.5 miles
Friday-Sunday: TBD

Instead of running 5 days a week, I'm really only running 3-4, which leaves me feeling like I could be running so much more--but I think that's the key. By training conservatively, you avoid injury and burnout. I would much rather finish my first marathon feeling "Wow, I can do so much more next season" than being injured or simply burnt out and needing a break from running.

So happy after my run tonight! Running through downtown Culver City is awesome. It's a great neighborhood with lots to look at while running...I love running past restaurants and dreaming about what I'll eat after my run.

Welcome!

Starting a blog is something that I've thought about for a long time, especially recently as I have found some great blogs that I enjoy reading regularly. As much as I've thought about blogging I've also wondered:
What will I write about? Will I write for myself or others? Would anyone possibly be interested in reading what I've written? My answers to these questions, in order--anything I want to, both, of course!

What I'm most interested in sharing at the moment is my newest adventure: Team in Training! Running is something I've loved to do for a long time, and it has often been a solitary, introspective love that sometimes becomes a bit lonely. Through Team in Training I have discovered that I LOVE RUNNING WITH PEOPLE. Our long group runs on Sunday mornings are one of my favorite parts of the week. It is really cool to meet so many people who share a passion for running that I might not have ever met or become friends with if not for TNT.

With Team in Training I am preparing for my first marathon--a goal I've had for a loooooong time. It's been one of those goals I've been happy to think about, dream about and wonder about but never actually got off my butt to do anything about. The great thing about Team in Training is that I can use something that I love to do--run--to help people in need. While I'm training I am also fundraising. The money that our team raises goes directly to benefit research and patient services for blood cancers. While running and training can be difficult and push my body to its limits, I truly believe that I am blessed to have a healthy body and the ability to run. I believe that I have this passion for running for a purpose that reaches beyond all of the selfish reasons I love running and that my passion is meant to be used for others.

I have made a personal commitment to raise $4,000 while training and I need your help to reach that goal. If you would like to help support me in raising money for this wonderful cause you can donate directly through my website at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/lbintl09/dhernanb05

I will keep you updated on my progress here, so please check back regularly to hear all about my training.