I completed my goal of finishing 30 half marathons by the end of 2013 (because I turned 30 this year). On November 30th I crossed the finish line of the Seattle Ghost Half Marathon around 10:15ish. Not my best race time, but definitely not my worst. I felt pretty good for the first 7 miles (which was expected since that is about the amount of training I did). Every mile after that was a little painful, but I knew I was one step closer with every step I took to completing my goal. I ran the Seattle Ghost last year, so for more information on this race check out my past post.
As for now, I am not going to do any long distance running and let my quad recover. I also think I am getting to the point where running 4 half marathons in a year is not very good for my body. I think I will stick to 1 or 2 per year from now on. I already have my next half planned out. It is in August in Vancouver Canada and is sponsored by Lululemon.
For my next running goal...I am putting this online so I have to do it (but I am not setting a time frame), I would love to run the New York Marathon.
Right now I am focusing on recovering and strengthening. I signed up for 2 months of yoga at Yoga Bliss, which is one of my favorite yoga studios. Yoga has been so beneficial to me. It is helping my quad to recover by strengthening and stretching it as well as toning my arms for my wedding...
Speaking of which...ahhhhh...My wedding is 4 days away. I have been spending a lot of family time and getting things done for the wedding. That is where I have been for the past 3 weeks. So off to complete some more wedding stuff and I'll be sure to show lots of pictures in my next post.
I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with fun and full tummies.
Any exciting trips planned for the Holidays?
Showing posts with label Race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Race. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Running and a Bum Knee
As I have mentioned in (a few) past post or two, I have a plan to run 30 half marathons by the end of this year. Well I am two away from completing this goal and low and behold, I am hurt :( After the trail run, a few miles into any run my knee starts to hurt, and not the good kind of hurt.
My next half is Oct 20th and I would like to train for it. But at this rate, who knows. I talked to my clinical instructor about what she thinks I should do and here was her advice…
"As a PT, you should rest, stretch your quads, strengthen your glut meds, and ice…As a runner, you can take 3 Advil before a run and then ice it afterwards. But I don't suggest doing #2."
Well, I don't have a choice. I have been trying not to run, strengthening my quads and butt muscles, but the last few days I have decided to take a few Advil, run and then ice. Bad me. Do as I say and not as I do. But I promised myself I would complete this goal and gosh darnit, I am doing it.
It is tough to know that my body is telling me to rest but that my brain is telling me to go. Well my brain is also telling me to rest because I know the consequences of what can happen if I injury myself worse. So I guess it would be my heart telling me to keep going.
What is something that you have pushed through to complete a goal?
My next half is Oct 20th and I would like to train for it. But at this rate, who knows. I talked to my clinical instructor about what she thinks I should do and here was her advice…
"As a PT, you should rest, stretch your quads, strengthen your glut meds, and ice…As a runner, you can take 3 Advil before a run and then ice it afterwards. But I don't suggest doing #2."
Well, I don't have a choice. I have been trying not to run, strengthening my quads and butt muscles, but the last few days I have decided to take a few Advil, run and then ice. Bad me. Do as I say and not as I do. But I promised myself I would complete this goal and gosh darnit, I am doing it.
It is tough to know that my body is telling me to rest but that my brain is telling me to go. Well my brain is also telling me to rest because I know the consequences of what can happen if I injury myself worse. So I guess it would be my heart telling me to keep going.
What is something that you have pushed through to complete a goal?
Friday, August 30, 2013
Long Commute and Pepper Spray
I just finished my 2nd week of my pediatric rotation. I am enjoying the clinic, my clinical instructor (CI), my "co-workers", and the program, but my rotation is about 40 miles away and takes me an hour and a half to get home every day:( It is only for 12 weeks (officially 10 now) and I know I am going to learn a lot at this clinical rotation, so that is more important…right? I am working with children who have neurological insults such as Cerebral Palsy (CP), brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and Spina Bifida. Most of the kids have CP and are relatively high functioning, but it has been a challenge to find a way to not take home my emotions at the end of the day. I had a long talk with my CI about dealing with the emotions of working with this population and she put it into a nice perspective. There are going to be children that have these aliments and it is our job to make them as happy and comfortable as possible, then I am doing my job and I feel happy about that.
My knees have been hurting me since I ran that trail run (aka my 28th half marathon), so I have taken some long walks instead of running. Last Sunday my knees were feeling better. No pain with walking, squatting or going up stairs, so I decided to knock out 8 miles. I told myself that if my knees started to hurt I would turn around, well my knees did decide to start hurting about 1/2 way through my run. I did turn around, but walking 4 miles sounded miserable, so I decided to run until my knees hurt then stretch out my quads then start running again. My knees would feel good for about a half mile and then I would have to stop :( Urrrr this is so frustrating because I have another half marathon coming up in October and I would like to be decently trained for it. I haven't run since then, but I can tell that my quads are super tight.
On my long run last Sunday, I ran on a (cement) trail. I have become a little more paranoid lately about running alone and especially in a place that does not have a lot of people traffic. So, I brought pepper spray with me. I don't really know how to use it (I don't think it is that hard and I bet I could figure it out), but it still made me feel a little better about running alone.
On my long run last Sunday, I ran on a (cement) trail. I have become a little more paranoid lately about running alone and especially in a place that does not have a lot of people traffic. So, I brought pepper spray with me. I don't really know how to use it (I don't think it is that hard and I bet I could figure it out), but it still made me feel a little better about running alone.
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| This is what the trail looks like (Source) |
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| Source |
This is what my pepper spray looks like. Yes it is pink and fits in the palm of my hand. What precautions do you take when running or walking by yourself? Or are you not concerned that anything is going to happen?
I am so happy the weekend is finally here because I am sleep deprived. I am not use to waking up so early, and even though I have been going to bed earlier and earlier every night, I am using a lot of brain power right now so not only am I physically exhausted, I am also completely mentally exhausted. I am going to sleep in as late as I can tomorrow, which might be a challenge because my mom is coming into town! I am excited to see her and I bet we will go to bed relatively early tonight. The plan for the weekend is to be active and eat good food, but I am just excited to get to hang with my mom.
I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Anyone have exciting plans for the long weekend?
I am so happy the weekend is finally here because I am sleep deprived. I am not use to waking up so early, and even though I have been going to bed earlier and earlier every night, I am using a lot of brain power right now so not only am I physically exhausted, I am also completely mentally exhausted. I am going to sleep in as late as I can tomorrow, which might be a challenge because my mom is coming into town! I am excited to see her and I bet we will go to bed relatively early tonight. The plan for the weekend is to be active and eat good food, but I am just excited to get to hang with my mom.
I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Anyone have exciting plans for the long weekend?
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Well That Was Tough
On Sunday I completed my 28th half marathon and this one was definitely a challenge. It was called the Mud and Chocolate Trail Run which included a 4.5 mile & 1/2 marathon trail run. I knew it was going to be 3 loops and there were going to be trails, but I was not fully aware (or did not want to admit to myself) that the whole run was on a trail. Here was the low down.
Trail running is a completely different beast from street running. The path is narrow, it is much harder to pass people (in the beginning), you use completely different muscles on trails than you do on concrete, you have to pay attention to where you are going, and finally, you have to pay attention to where your feet are being placed.
The first loop of this race, I felt like I was stuck behind people who were going at a different pace than I would have liked to run, but by the second loop, I was all by myself on the path for the majority of the time. I didn't realize how much I need the energy of other people while I am running. I would get a burst of energy when someone would pass me or when I caught up to someone else. I think the hardest part of this race was having to be mentally on the entire time. I almost rolled my ankle a couple of times and you can't zone out in the end (which I like to do) because you have to make sure you don't trip. To top it off, since I didn't train on trails, my hip flexors were screaming at me around mile 6 because I was lifting my legs higher than I normally do to avoid branches and rocks.
I sound like I am complaining. I am not, I was just not as prepared as I should have been. Luckily my running experience got me through, but I highly suggest training on dirt and trails before completing this endeavor. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was definitely a new challenge and I must admit I felt pretty hardcore.
The end of the race was sweet…Literally. I ended with a chocolate medal and a buffet of chocolate goodies.
And this race definitely lived up to its name…Mud and Chocolate
I don't think I will be participating in another half marathon trail run anytime soon, but I can see myself running in shorter distances of 6 miles or less.
On Tuesday I was rewarded with an amazing 2 hour massage. The massage was a 30th birthday present, but it was definitely needed after this race. I felt sore in muscles I have never felt before.
So do as I say and not as I do, and if you are planning on running a "normal" road race, train mostly on concrete. If you are planning on running a trail run, train mostly on dirt. It is important to "teach" our body's tissue to work on what ever surface it needs to work on. That being said, if you think you have bad knees, don't run mostly on the grass and dirt and then complete a long race on concrete, your body will not be trained to work on that surface. And vice versa, running on concrete did not harden my joints and muscles up for this trail run, I was probably less stable because my muscles were not use to stabilizing me on such uneven/unsteady ground. I would have benefitted from running on more uneven surfaces before this race and then I might not have been as sore as I was.
Has anyone completed a challenge that they were not prepared for?
Trail running is a completely different beast from street running. The path is narrow, it is much harder to pass people (in the beginning), you use completely different muscles on trails than you do on concrete, you have to pay attention to where you are going, and finally, you have to pay attention to where your feet are being placed.
The first loop of this race, I felt like I was stuck behind people who were going at a different pace than I would have liked to run, but by the second loop, I was all by myself on the path for the majority of the time. I didn't realize how much I need the energy of other people while I am running. I would get a burst of energy when someone would pass me or when I caught up to someone else. I think the hardest part of this race was having to be mentally on the entire time. I almost rolled my ankle a couple of times and you can't zone out in the end (which I like to do) because you have to make sure you don't trip. To top it off, since I didn't train on trails, my hip flexors were screaming at me around mile 6 because I was lifting my legs higher than I normally do to avoid branches and rocks.
I sound like I am complaining. I am not, I was just not as prepared as I should have been. Luckily my running experience got me through, but I highly suggest training on dirt and trails before completing this endeavor. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was definitely a new challenge and I must admit I felt pretty hardcore.
The end of the race was sweet…Literally. I ended with a chocolate medal and a buffet of chocolate goodies.
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| My chocolate medal, chocolate cupcake and muddy legs |
On Tuesday I was rewarded with an amazing 2 hour massage. The massage was a 30th birthday present, but it was definitely needed after this race. I felt sore in muscles I have never felt before.
So do as I say and not as I do, and if you are planning on running a "normal" road race, train mostly on concrete. If you are planning on running a trail run, train mostly on dirt. It is important to "teach" our body's tissue to work on what ever surface it needs to work on. That being said, if you think you have bad knees, don't run mostly on the grass and dirt and then complete a long race on concrete, your body will not be trained to work on that surface. And vice versa, running on concrete did not harden my joints and muscles up for this trail run, I was probably less stable because my muscles were not use to stabilizing me on such uneven/unsteady ground. I would have benefitted from running on more uneven surfaces before this race and then I might not have been as sore as I was.
Has anyone completed a challenge that they were not prepared for?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Sorry for the Delay
Life has been coming at me full force. Let me catch you up on the past couple of weeks. There have been a few events since I last blogged.
1st of all, the middle weekend I was in San Fran, Chris flew into town on Thursday Nov 11th, and a few girl friends and their significant other flew into Berkley on Friday night. I met up with them after work. It was a quiet Friday night and we went to bed before midnight.
The reason for all the Seattle peeps flying into the Bay area was because we were doing the Nike Women's race (2 of us the 1/2 marathon, 2 of us the full). The expo was a little crazy and I didn't really stick around after I picked up my bib because it took me an hour just to get that. But the race was great! Chris and I stayed 2 blocks away from the starting line, the weather was wonderful and as always, the scenery can't be beat. I did a moderate time, but I wasn't looking to push myself. I officially finished my 25th half marathon once I crossed that finish line and got my shinny Tiffany's Necklace/Medal
I really love the medal and I have been wearing it as much as possible.
After the race, my friends and Chris went back to Seattle, but I had one more week of work, exploring the city and hanging out with my brother.
I have always wanted to run to the Golden Gate Bridge, so my brother and I ran there the Wednesday after my race. I think it was about 7miles, but it felt good.
The picture is a little blurry, but I was excited to check off my list run to the Golden Gate Bridge.
After an amazing two weeks in San Fran, it was time for me to leave. 1st stop, Seattle. Actually 1st trip...to the Oakland airport...On Friday the 19th, my plane took off from Oakland at 8pm. I got off work late that day and still needed to pack when I got home. At 6:20pm, I realized that I needed to leave for the airport. Andy, Ben's roommate and one of Chris's buds, drove me to the Bart station downtown (driving to the airport would have taken longer). Luckily the train I needed pulled up as soon as I got there. But we only made it a few stops and the train stopped for what felt like an eternity (probably was only 5 to 10 mins). It was now almost 7pm and I should be at the airport already. Once the train started moving again, a woman (named Annie), stood next to me. Since I am a chatty person, I struck up a conversation with her. It turns out that her 18 y.o. daughter goes to Chapman. I also asked her how I can get from the Bart station to the Oakland airport. Long story long, it requires a shuttle and $3 cash, which my pockets were empty. Annie (the stranger, not me), reached into her wallet and pulled out all the cash that she had. It was $2, and insisted that I take the money. She felt horrible that she didn't have an extra dollar. That is when a man stood up and gave me a dollar. Here I am, probably looking flustered, and two strangers reach out and give me their kindness. I told both of them that I was so appreciative and didn't even know how to say thank you, except that I am going to pay it forward at a greater magnitude.
I managed to make it to the airport at 7:55pm and my flight was delayed. I didn't know that, so I ran with my luggage to the far end of the airport and realized that they hadn't even started loading the plane. At least I made it.
The next night was Mike and Emily's wedding:
It was a beautiful wedding. Chris and I definitely took notes.
I flew back to Orange the next day for a week of school and then Chris flew into town for Halloween. I will sum up the weekend with pictures:
1st of all, the middle weekend I was in San Fran, Chris flew into town on Thursday Nov 11th, and a few girl friends and their significant other flew into Berkley on Friday night. I met up with them after work. It was a quiet Friday night and we went to bed before midnight.
The reason for all the Seattle peeps flying into the Bay area was because we were doing the Nike Women's race (2 of us the 1/2 marathon, 2 of us the full). The expo was a little crazy and I didn't really stick around after I picked up my bib because it took me an hour just to get that. But the race was great! Chris and I stayed 2 blocks away from the starting line, the weather was wonderful and as always, the scenery can't be beat. I did a moderate time, but I wasn't looking to push myself. I officially finished my 25th half marathon once I crossed that finish line and got my shinny Tiffany's Necklace/Medal
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| Entertainment as I was waiting in line to get my race packet |
After the race, my friends and Chris went back to Seattle, but I had one more week of work, exploring the city and hanging out with my brother.
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| Ben and I watching the Seahawks game at a bar |
After an amazing two weeks in San Fran, it was time for me to leave. 1st stop, Seattle. Actually 1st trip...to the Oakland airport...On Friday the 19th, my plane took off from Oakland at 8pm. I got off work late that day and still needed to pack when I got home. At 6:20pm, I realized that I needed to leave for the airport. Andy, Ben's roommate and one of Chris's buds, drove me to the Bart station downtown (driving to the airport would have taken longer). Luckily the train I needed pulled up as soon as I got there. But we only made it a few stops and the train stopped for what felt like an eternity (probably was only 5 to 10 mins). It was now almost 7pm and I should be at the airport already. Once the train started moving again, a woman (named Annie), stood next to me. Since I am a chatty person, I struck up a conversation with her. It turns out that her 18 y.o. daughter goes to Chapman. I also asked her how I can get from the Bart station to the Oakland airport. Long story long, it requires a shuttle and $3 cash, which my pockets were empty. Annie (the stranger, not me), reached into her wallet and pulled out all the cash that she had. It was $2, and insisted that I take the money. She felt horrible that she didn't have an extra dollar. That is when a man stood up and gave me a dollar. Here I am, probably looking flustered, and two strangers reach out and give me their kindness. I told both of them that I was so appreciative and didn't even know how to say thank you, except that I am going to pay it forward at a greater magnitude.
I managed to make it to the airport at 7:55pm and my flight was delayed. I didn't know that, so I ran with my luggage to the far end of the airport and realized that they hadn't even started loading the plane. At least I made it.
The next night was Mike and Emily's wedding:
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| The ladies at the wedding |
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| The whole gang |
It was a beautiful wedding. Chris and I definitely took notes.
I flew back to Orange the next day for a week of school and then Chris flew into town for Halloween. I will sum up the weekend with pictures:
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| The mask to Chris's wolf costume (team Jacob) |
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| Friday night party with the classmates |
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| Saturday night party with the homies (team Edward) |
It has been a busy few weeks and I didn't even bore you with the details of all my school work. But the past few weeks were definitely fun.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Happiest Run on Earth
This weekend was filled with pixie dust, unicorns, and rainbows. Okay, not really, but it was a great weekend and here is why...
1. Three day weekend
2. My mom was in town
3. I ran my 24th half marathon
4. I spent the entire day at Disneyland. And I mean the entire day. From 4:45am to 8:00pm.
My mom flew into town on Friday night. It was a nice treat to have a guest after the first week of school. It gave me something to look forward to.
On Saturday, we woke up at a leisurely hour, headed to breakfast at a cute little restaurant called the Filling Station then walked through the Orange street fair. Next we drove down to Disneyland to pick up our race packets. Of course we walked around the expo to find samples and possible races we want to do in the future (Big Sur is next on our list). In fact, at the expo of the first half marathon I ever ran in 2005, there was a booth advertising for the Disney races. My mom and I looked at each other and said "One day, we are going to run that race." Disneyland has a special place in our hearts and I knew my running career would not be complete without running this race. Anyways, the planets aligned and it just made perfect sense to finally run this race.
We didn't want to fatigue our legs too much, so we left the expo, got our toes did, had an early dinner, and went to bed around 10pm.
The race started at 5:45am on Sunday morning. The earliest race I have EVER run. We woke up at 4am after a wonderful night's sleep (usually I do not sleep before races), ate our breakfast, completed our pre-race rituals and headed out the door at 4:45am. It was still dark out, but at least the temperature was cool.
The race was so much fun. We ran through California Adventure (my first time there), then through Disneyland (it was definitely the fastest I had ever made it through Disneyland), then onto the streets of Anaheim, to Angel's Stadium, through Angel's Stadium where there were spectators cheering us on in the seats.
Then back to Disneyland hotel where the race started.
1. Three day weekend
2. My mom was in town
3. I ran my 24th half marathon
4. I spent the entire day at Disneyland. And I mean the entire day. From 4:45am to 8:00pm.
My mom flew into town on Friday night. It was a nice treat to have a guest after the first week of school. It gave me something to look forward to.
On Saturday, we woke up at a leisurely hour, headed to breakfast at a cute little restaurant called the Filling Station then walked through the Orange street fair. Next we drove down to Disneyland to pick up our race packets. Of course we walked around the expo to find samples and possible races we want to do in the future (Big Sur is next on our list). In fact, at the expo of the first half marathon I ever ran in 2005, there was a booth advertising for the Disney races. My mom and I looked at each other and said "One day, we are going to run that race." Disneyland has a special place in our hearts and I knew my running career would not be complete without running this race. Anyways, the planets aligned and it just made perfect sense to finally run this race.
We didn't want to fatigue our legs too much, so we left the expo, got our toes did, had an early dinner, and went to bed around 10pm.
The race started at 5:45am on Sunday morning. The earliest race I have EVER run. We woke up at 4am after a wonderful night's sleep (usually I do not sleep before races), ate our breakfast, completed our pre-race rituals and headed out the door at 4:45am. It was still dark out, but at least the temperature was cool.
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| My mom and I waiting at 5:30am for the race to start |
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| Inside Angel Stadium on the field |
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| Horrible picture, but Donald Duck and Mickey were waiting for us at the finish line |
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| My mom and I taking our classic picture after the race (with our bling) |
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| The Medal
The race was well supported. Lots of water stations and people cheering us on (including Disney character) along the entire race. Even though this was an expensive race (clocking in at $125), it was worth every penny.
After the race, my mom and I headed home, grabbed a bite to eat, showered and headed back to California Adventures. There were barely any lines, I think the longest we waited was 15 mins and it wasn't too hot outside. We went on California Screamin' (twice), Soaring over California, Tower of Terror, the Ferrous Wheel, the Little Mermaid, Grizzle River Run (which was awesome to do in 90 degree weather), and saw the Aladdin Musical.
         
The food in California Adventure was really good. When we were done with the rides, we sat down and ate some appetizers and had California wine IN Disneyland. Of course we needed to check out the Ghirardelli ice cream shop for dessert.
The next day we woke up at the late hour of 7:45am (hey that is late when you wake up at 4am the previous day) a little sore but very happy. My next race is Sunday October 14th in San Francisco and it will be my 25th half marathon! I can't wait.
What is something that you have wanted to do for a long time that you finally did (or have set plans to do)?
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My
This weekend was definitely a busy and interesting one. It really started Thursday night when I couldn't stop sneezing. I thought my allergies were just flared up, but it turns out I have bronchitis. Now this wouldn't have been such a big deal but I had the San Diego Safari Half Marathon on Sunday. On top of that Rebecca (one of my best friends) came into town on Friday night and my sister joined us for dinner. Friday was not very fun (although I thoroughly enjoyed the company), I felt horrible and was questioning my ability to sit up straight let alone run 13.1 miles. I knew I was going to go down to San Diego no matter what, so Saturday morning, Rebecca and I picked up Kathryn and headed down to classy San Diego to meet up with Kelsey to pick up our race packets. Once my race packet was in my hand I knew I was participating in the event. I titrated cold medications all day and drank lots of water to try and make myself feel a little better.
After picking up our bibs and race t-shirts we headed to our hotel when I realized that I had left my entire toiletry bag at home. Again, it would seem to not be such a big deal (I can buy a toothbrush at the store), except I need contacts or glasses to see and my contacts are one day disposables. It was too late to buy new contacts, so I problem solved and got contact solution, soaked my contacts in the solution over night and prayed that they didn'r rip. Luckily the contact disaster was averted. It was an early night, but I think we all needed that.
We woke up at 4:55am, ate our bagels and headed to the starting line around 5:30am. My voice was almost completely gone and I didn't feel 100%, but at least I wasn't tired.
There were some big hills and I definitely was not at full capacity, but I felt pretty good (as good as one can feel running 13.1 miles while having bronchitis) but there is no other feeling than crossing the finish line knowing that you just accomplished something all on your own. When I got my race packet the day before, as crappy as I felt, as soon as I saw my t-shirt, bib and race chip a sudden rush of energy ran through my body and I knew I was not backing down from this race.
The whole weekend was amazing. It definitely was not smooth sailing, but I had a great time. I am a little (and by a little, I mean a lot) sore, but hey, that is what you get for running a half marathon with only 5 weeks to train. But the bling makes it all worth it.
So here is to my 23rd half marathon but the first race I have done sick. Next up: Tucson for my little brother's graduation from college.
After picking up our bibs and race t-shirts we headed to our hotel when I realized that I had left my entire toiletry bag at home. Again, it would seem to not be such a big deal (I can buy a toothbrush at the store), except I need contacts or glasses to see and my contacts are one day disposables. It was too late to buy new contacts, so I problem solved and got contact solution, soaked my contacts in the solution over night and prayed that they didn'r rip. Luckily the contact disaster was averted. It was an early night, but I think we all needed that.
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| The Start of the race |
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| Crossing the finish line |
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| We did it, at the end of the race |
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| Checking out the wildlife |
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| These kids just met. First love? I think so. |
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| You know, just some rhinos and giraffes |
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| Cute Meer cats |
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| Our celebration Margaritas |
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| They were buy 1 get 1 free |
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