I DID IT!!

"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I DID IT!! I completed the half marathon on Sunday (all 13.1 miles!) and couldn't have done it without your support and encouragement. We lucked out with the weather too - it poured rain on Saturday and Monday but the weather couldn't have been better on Sunday ... hurray! It was such a beautiful run among the redwood trees, rivers and creeks. The day before the run, we drove the route of the half marathon to see what we were getting into! Check out the photo - so beautiful!

Below are a couple photos of me and the fam trying to get amped up right before the run. My sisters and I all bought what we refer to as our "running earrings" the day before the run. I found out through my aunt Vicki's best friend, Nancy, that Vicki would always change her earrings to her "running earrings" before she'd go running. Aunt Vicki lost her battle to cancer 2 1/2 years ago and we miss her so much. In her memory, my sisters and I bought our "running earrings" and plan to wear them every time we run.

The run started at 9 am sharp. A samba band played at the starting line to help amp up the runners. It was fun. Shortly into the run, runners started to encourage one another saying things like "Great job!" or "Keep it up!" or "Looking good!". All the Team in Training participants would shout "Go Team!" to other Team in Training runners. There was great energy and encouragement all around which I'm sure helped a lot of people reach the finish line (I know it helped me!).

My dad and sister, Adria, reached the finish line in no time. They partnered up, ran together and rocked it - I was so proud! Oscar and my lil sister, Danielle completed the journey with me - and we all did it! =)

A crowd of people gathered round to cheer finishers through the finish line. As I got closer, I thought of those who have survived cancer, those currently battling it, and those who've lost their lives to the battle. I thought of my aunt Vicki, my dad, my grandma, and so many others affected by this powerful disease. I thought of the patients receiving services and the cancer research being supported by the money I've raised with your generous donations. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support!

It was so exciting and emotional crossing that finish line. Shortly after I finished, I saw Amara (along with my mom, dad, and Adria). She had such a huge smile on her face! Thanks to Jeanine, Amara just learned how to give "high five". I ran up to her, gave her a big kiss and asked her to give me high five which she did laughing - such a perfect way to end the half marathon. It was such an amazing feeling of accomplishment and to have completed the run with my family was even more exciting. Oh yeah, we got some pretty medals for completing the run too!

After the run, everyone was extremely relaxed on the drive home (half were asleep!). Once we got home, I stretched, showered (man did that feel good), and then enjoyed some homemade margaritas and guacamole, chips, and salsa with the family on my parents' back deck (followed by a yummy dinner!). We went to bed around 9 pm that night and were out like lights.

I've already been asked what event I am going to run next - ha! I enjoy running shorter distances and feel it's easier on me physically than the long distance runs. I don't know if I'll do a half marathon again (I'm not ruling it out) but I am planning to do a 10k run (about 6 miles) in Santa Cruz at the end of July.

"There will be days you don't think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have."

~ Unknown

Stuffy gym...

My schedule is a little off this week so today was actually a run day for me. I went to the gym during lunch b/c it was still a little too hot outside at noon to go running. Well my gym wasn't that much better. It seemed really stuffy today and humid - yuck. I probably would've been better off running outside. I seem to keep cooler with the breeze, etc.

Anyhow, I get really hot when I work out and have actually gotten to the point of feeling faint (it's been a long, long time since this has happened though). Today while running on the treadmill, I was uncomfortably hot and felt like I was breathing in my neighbor's carbon dioxide. I wanted to run for an hour today but only got in 30 minutes - frustrating! I would take running outdoors over running in the gym anyday! I did, however, run faster today than I normally do - so that was kinda cool.

After my workout, I did my core exercises and stretched. I then scurried home to shower so I could get back on the computer and finish out my work day. 10 days 'til the event!

Still running!!

Eeeek!! I've been horrible at updating my blog - it's been a week and a half! Let me see if I can give a quick summary of what I've been doing since my last post.

Sat, 4/11: I ran for 80 minutes down at the San Mateo waterfront. The first half of the run I did run/walk intervals (10 min running/2 min walking). After 40 minutes, I was thinking "there is no way I'm going to make it to 80!" I then started to run for 8 min and walked for 2 until I got to 81 minutes. I did it! I stretched and did my regular core exercises before heading home. I showered up and headed up to Humboldt with Oscar and Amara to visit my parents for the week.

Sun, 4/12: Rest day.

Mon, 4/13: I planned to do yoga but didn't.

Tues, 4/14: Tuesdays are normally track nights with the team but since I was out of town, I decided to run at a local high school track. Normally the track runs are fairly short runs. Oscar came with me to the track. We did a mile jog to warm up. After the warm up, we stretched our legs. I then ran straight for 2.25 miles (about 25 minutes). After the run, I stretched and did my regular core exercises.

Wed, 4/15: I did an hour of yoga (with my mom!) =)

Thurs, 4/16: I woke up early and went running with my dad at a local trail near my parents' home. I ran for 72 minutes, running for 10 mins, then walking for 2. I was experiencing shin splints part way through my run which was pretty uncomfortable. I decided to push through it and they started to feel better as I ran longer. After the run, my shins felt bruised when I rubbed them - weird! Fortunately, it went away after a couple days.

Fri, 4/17: Rest day.

Sat, 4/18: Rest day.

Sun, 4/19: I was supposed to run for 10 miles this weekend but it was SO freakin' hot on Sunday, I didn't go running. There was no way I was going to run in that heat. I really should've gone running on a treadmill at the gym but instead, after work, Oscar, Amara and I did our monthly Costco run. =)

Mon, 4/20: Since I didn't get in my long weekend run, I decided to run at the gym after work - it was way too hot to run outdoors. Normally Monday would be a cross-training day, not a run day. I ran for 8 miles using the run/walk strategy (10 min/2 min). After the workout, I stretched and did my regular core exercises. It felt great! I also didn't feel any discomfort in my shins.

Tues, 4/21: Today is a normal track night with the team. It was extremely hot out today and I was not going to run outside in this heat so I decided to skip out on track and go to the cool gym instead. I went to the gym tonight and worked out on the elliptical machine for 50 minutes. I did an ab workout afterwards and got some good stretching in.

It's hard to believe the half marathon is just a week and a half away!! I'm excited and ready to say "I did it!" =)

2.25 miles straight

I have been bad at updating my blog daily so here is the update for Wednesday, April 8th. On Wednesdays now, my coach encourages us to do an easy run followed up with cross-training. During my lunch on Wednesday, I went to the gym. I ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill without walking. I was pretty proud of myself for that! Normally, I run 8-10 min and then walk 2 min but I figured since the run was short, why not try and see how far I can go without walking (I won't use this strategy during the half marathon of course). It felt great and I easily could've run longer but I set the treadmill for 25 mins and then followed it up with a 5 min cool-down.

After the run, I worked out on the stationary bike for 20 minutes (almost 5 miles). I then did crunches, planks, and stretched. I headed home, showered, and got back to work.

Track in the rain?

Track is on - rain or shine. Well, tonight at 6pm it was pouring in San Mateo (we've had scattered showers all day) so I decided to skip out on running in the rain (how fun can that possibly be?), decided I'd work out indoors, and went to the gym instead. Since Tuesdays are always "short run" days, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill (I walked for 2 mins after each mile). After the workout, I did planks, crunches, lots of stretching - and decided to call it a day - I was tired!

Late night at the gym

Today was a cross-training day and I'm really happy because I finally feel I have all my energy back - yay!! I wanted to get to a gym class by 6pm but didn't end up leaving the office until after 6 - never fails. So I came home, ate a yummy chicken and broccoli dinner Oscar made, played with baby girl and headed to the gym after she was tucked snuggly into bed. I got to the gym a little before 9pm. It's actually a really nice time to go because there are not many people there (just the die hards like me - haha, kidding!!).

I did a "cross country" workout on the elliptical machine for 55 minutes. It was a really great workout - challenging. I got to catch up on the latest with the NCAA championship win, Chris Brown in court, Obama searching for a church, and a cute story about Benjie Molina and his family. I also found it interesting that the woman on the machine next to me made sure to hold on to the elliptical handles with papertowels so her hands didn't get germs on them. I'm not sure she was aware that right next to the paper towel dispenser was a spray bottle with sanitary cleaner - haha. That was my entertainment for the night.

After my cardio workout, I did planks (flat and side planks), crunches, and lots of stretching. My quads were sore after Saturday's run so it felt good to get some good stretching in tonight. Tomorrow is track night with the team - I always look forward to that actually (I really do, I swear!).

My fundraising is going so great - thank you again for all your support. I only have $293 to go!

Not 8, but 6!

Hola! I've been out sick this week - started feeling a cold coming on during my flight home on Saturday. I haven't run in a week. Good news is, I'm feeling a lot better now but still a bit low energy. Today, I was supposed to run 8 miles. Well, I did 6. It was a beautiful sunny day and I went running down at Crystal Springs. I ran the first mile at a pace of 10 min 43 sec. I felt the first mile went by really quickly and easily and the rest would be a piece of cake. I stretched my legs after the mile warm-up and then continued on the remaining 5.

Running the first mile was no problem. After that, I didn't run more than 6 or 7 minutes before walking for 2 minutes. I felt I had no energy It makes a big difference not running for a week! It feels really good to be at it again and I'm looking forward to getting my energy back. I was fortunate to not get sick all winter - damn airplanes!! Oh yeah, my knees felt fine during today's run and haven't been uncomfortable since.

So the event is 4 weeks out and my fundraising is going really terrific - I feel very fortunate to have so much support from everyone. Thank you, thank you!! I have a bunch of checks to send in this week taking me to only $393 from my goal. I'm getting so close - yay! Thank you all for doing such a great thing!

I'm still not sure how I'm going to complete 13.1 miles on May 3rd but I figure it's just a litte more than twice what I did today, right?! I can do it - even if it means I'll walk more than I expect to. My goal is just to get my butt across that finish line while the sun is still up. =)

5 weeks left!

Geez, I realize I haven't posted anything since 3/19! I've been pretty good at sticking to my training regimen, although I didn't get my long run in this past weekend. I flew to IL for work and returned Saturday afternoon - very quick trip. The jet lag was hard for me this trip - not catching up on my sleep with that 2 hour time difference. I was so beat when I got home and also felt I was coming down with a cold. My throat was scratchy and I was exhausted. I only slept 5-6 hours Thursday and Friday nights and also experienced jetlag with the 2 hour time difference. So I didn't run on Saturday and also skipped my cross-training workout today since I wasn't feeling 100%. I plan on going to my team track meet tomorrow night and will continue with my scheduled workout routine throughout the rest of the week. I can't believe - only 5 weeks left 'til the half marathon! I have $900 left to raise.... eek!

Run in the sun

Today was such a beautiful day! The sun was shining so bright and it felt like it was 70 degrees. During my lunch break, I headed to the San Mateo waterfront. I was feeling really sluggish during my run today. My knees were (are) still sore from Tuesday's run so I think that made me more sluggish too. Once I got a few minutes into my run and stretched, it got more comfortable. I ran today for 45 minutes. During the run, I only walked 4 minutes (two 2 minute intervals) and my legs were pretty sore afterwards. I had to rush home so Oscar could leave for work so I stretched and did my core exercises once I got home. Tomorrow is a rest day which I always look forward to (and so does my body, I'm sure!). =)

Yoga Day

This is a quick entry before I go start a movie - but I did an hour of yoga today and it felt great. My knees are still bothering me a bit so I am going to lace up my shoes tomorrow and see if that makes a difference during my run.

Track - St Patty's Day

Tonight was team track night which are typically fairly short runs that switch up from week to week. The team met at the College of San Mateo track at 6:15pm sharp. We jogged a 3/4 mile warm-up and then stretched before our run.

Tonight's run was broken down two segments:

1) Strikes: We learned that a good "event" pace (marathon or half marathon) is to have your feet hit or "strike" the ground 180 times/minute. Regardless of whether or not you run faster or slower, you want to take smaller strides so that your feet strike the ground 180 times per minute.

We ran for 8 minutes around the track. Partway through the 8 minute run, Coach blew the whistle which meant to begin counting our individual foot strikes. We'd count every time our right foot struck the ground, then multiplied that number by two to get the total # of foot strikes per minute. After the minute, he blew the whistle again which meant to stop counting. I was at 184 strikes/minute. We ran for a couple more minutes and then Coach blew the whistle again. This meant to start counting again and if you weren't at 180 strikes/minute during the first round, try to pace yourself and take shorter strides so that you'd end up at 180 strikes/minute at the end of this round. This time I was at 174 strikes/minute.

2) The second part of the track run was broken down as follows:

200 meter run (at event pace)
100 meter walk (to recover)
400 meter run (at event pace)
100 meter walk (to recover)
200 meter run (at event pace)
100 meter walk (to recover)
400 meter run (at event pace)
100 meter walk (to recover)
200 meter run (at event pace)
100 meter walk (to recover)

We did this for a total of 20 minutes. We then walked 2 laps (1/2 mile) to cool down.

After the run, we stretched and did our regular core exercises, crunches, and push-ups. It was really, really cold at this point (after 8pm) so everyone was ready to head home for a hot shower! This is exactly what I did.

I noticed my knees bothering me a bit during my run and they are sore right now. I just iced them. I think my shoes were not tied tight enough tonight. I haven't untied them for a couple runs and just slip them on and off. I noticed that my feet were kind of sliding a bit to the sides which is why I think this might have affected my knees. I had no problems on or after Saturday which was my long run. So I plan to lace them up tighter for my run on Thursday and hope that's the end of that.

Tomorrow is a cross-training day so until then ... goodnight!

Cross-training

Yesterday was a rest day and today was a cross training day. I went to the gym during my lunch and did 50 mins on the elliptical machine. I did the "cross country" workout that had a lot of inclines. It was good. I always catch up on the latest in news and politics when I use the elliptical - the TVs are in front of the machines. After the workout, I stretched and did some oblique exercises before heading home to shower and get back to my workday.

Awesome Run

Today, the team was scheduled for an "on your own" run versus a "team" run. We were supposed to run for 60 minutes. When Oscar got home from work a little after 5pm, I left for my run. Although it was cold and windy, I went down to the San Mateo waterfront. It's nice because it's so close to home - less than 5 mins away. The weather actually felt good while I was running - by body kept warm.

My run today was supposed to be 60 mins and I made sure to remember the watch this time. I started off jogging a 12 minute warm-up then stretched before continuing on the 60 minute run. I wanted to run longer intervals today so I decided to run for 8 mins followed by 2 mins of walking (although I ran the final interval for 15 mins) - taking me to a 63 minute run (not including the 12 minute warm-up). My arms were red because it was so cold out and my skin was frozen to the touch but my core was warm from the run and it felt good.

After I cooled down, I did my regular core strength exercises on the grass. I always do these when I run (plank, side planks, bicycle) and also did a whole lot of stretching. It felt good. Running is such a natural high - it trips me out what it does to the body and its chemicals.

I returned home 2 hours later enjoyed my shower, tucked Amara into bed, ate some good dinner and am getting ready to watch Mad TV. Goodnight!

More running, less walking

Today was a run day so during my lunch, I headed down to the San Mateo waterfront (it's just about 1 mile from home). It was another beautiful day and the sun was shining bright. I am running more and walking less now so I can tell my body is building up a tolerance for running longer (is that the right way to say that?!). Today I ran for 5-6 mins and would then walk for 1minute. I repeated that for 40 mins.

After the run, I did core strength exercises on the grass and am able to hold some of the poses (planks) longer than I was a week or two ago. I am starting to feel my ab muscles coming back together again after having Amara - I was starting to think that wasn't possible!! After the exercises, I did my regular stretching routine while soaking up a few more minutes of sun and then headed home, showered, and got back to my workday.