TIaRT: Training Dos and Dont's

Another TIaRT brought to you by me, courtesy of the great folks over at Runner's Lounge.

I've run a few marathons here and there and there are some things that I've really come to live by when it comes to training dos and don't.

Training Do: Two rules of thumb for me are rest and stretch. I need a day of rest at least 2 or 3 days of straight running for my body to recover. And, I always try to stretch. I noticed I'm much more prone to injury if I don't follow my "do" rules! Fortunately for me, I haven't had any major injuries to put me out so I'm going to stick to these two for now.

Training Don't: Don't over do it. I know my body and I try not to over do it. In another words, I don't over train. Not that I ever had a chance to overtrain but I don't plan to either. That's a pretty easy one to follow, too. :-)

So I followed my "do" yesterday and took a rest day. Today is a running day for me and is planning a 6 miler at lunch time. I haven't had a chance to hit a long run midweek, yet. Next week, I plan to throw in a 9 or 10 miler Tuesday or Thursday. Wish me luck!

Also, thank you for all of you who were concerned about my little accident on the stationary bike earlier on Monday. I'm definitely recovering but sad to report there is a nasty bruise *there*. I am such a clutz!

OH and I did it. I signed up for the Napa Valley Marathon on March 1st!!! Let the training begin!

TIaRT: A Year in Review in 52 words or Less!

And, here is my contribution to Take It and Run Thursday at Runner's Lounge! Today's theme is .... A year In Review in 52 words or less:

Who'd have thought I would run 3 marathons this year and one under 4 hours? And, I ran one 5 days before my wedding in August. I *heart* running and so happy to have found an outlet to express it. AND, I found this amazing running community that seems to share my passion for running!

Ok, that wasn't exactly 52 words but hey, I'm close. And I am seriously sleep deprived right now.

Don't forget to leave a comment in my previous post to win a free pair of running shoes from Onlineshoes.tv! My giveaway ends on Monday at midnight! Seriously, your chances of winning are pretty good! :-)

I came home and found this in our front living room!!Duane and I have been talking about getting a Christmas tree but we haven't gotten around to it and didn't think we were going to really get one! It's a bit bare right now but we'll decorate it tomorrow. He put up 1 ornament up with the lights. :-)

The ONE ornament on the tree. (From Duane's sister)

I think it's the most beautiful Christmas tree ... ever! Even if it's only got one ornament on the tree!

Went on a 7 miler during my lunch time today. It was a terrible run but glad I went out there. I need to rack up some points for the HBBC! 31 points to date! Oh and I'm on vacation for 2 weeks starting tomorrow! Yay!

Don't you wish all my posts were this short? :-)
(Don't answer that! It's relatively shorter than my usual posts, right? Don't answer that, either!)

TIaRT: The Ultimate Dream... BQ & Boston

Yes, I am going to be THAT predictable. My wildest running wish is to qualify for the Boston Marathon one day. As of next year, my Boston qualifying time will increase by 5 minutes. Which means, I will need to finish a marathon under 3:45! This is a dream that is actually somewhat within my reach. A few months ago, I ran the SFM with my best time of 4:09. That is only 24 minutes away from BQ. Ok, 24 minutes is a distance that is practically equal to what people refer to as "light year" in space for me... But then, it's a WISH, after all. My wish. And I really would to run the CIM under 4 hours this Sunday. I'd be completely and utterly content (and happy) with a 3:59:59 finish time! That just brings me that much closer to BQ! And of course, I want to BQ and actually RUN the Boston Marathon! One day. Seriously... ONE DAY!

Ok, so it might not be very realistic to run a sub 4 hour marathon this Sunday... BUT, I can still hope. And try my best. I can't believe the CIM is this Sunday. Wow. I am so excited and already proud of myself. I know, I haven't even run the race, yet. But, I am really proud of me. Another 26.2 marathon under my belt. I'm getting emotional just thinking about crossing the finish line. AND, there is so much potential this weekend. The course is much easier than the SFM, relatively easier overall! I could potentially PR. Or maybe not, considering I have gained about 8 lbs since the SFM. Damn all that post-wedding pigging out. *sigh*

But, all the training (and the chaffing, blisters and aches/pains) will be worth it when I run that marathon and cross that finish line. Sure, I want to PR and finish sub 4 hours but... I'll be happy with finish the race no matter what. Because, I absolutely love running and running marathons! :-)

You guys are really good for my ego. Thank you for all the wonderful compliments about me and Duane!!

Side note: Please check out The Runners Lounge and their weekly Take It and Run Thursday community blog posts. They are SO fun. :-)

i * h e a r t * r u n n i n g ... r e a l l y !

"The next time someone tells you they ran 100 miles this week, tell them 'so what?' The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles." -Bill Dellinger

Isn't that a great quote? You can replace 100 miles with any number, by the way. ;-)

It's TIaRT time again and the topic is Thank Goodness for Running! What a great topic. Running has brought me so many highs (and lows) in my life but it has brought out that MAGIC within me. I have run further than I ever imagined and found will power that I didn't even know existed! And it's also brought me to this wonderful community that I can't stop gushing about. Ok, I promise not to turn stalkerish! Well, unless you want me to!

I also am so thankful for the opportunity to volunteer and run for great causes. Today, I went to my first Running Buddy volunteer activity with Girls on the Run in the Greater Bay Area region. I got this email not too long ago and I just couldn't say no! I love working with kids and volunteering and to throw running into the mix... omg, it's like my dream job. (But no pay!)

I'd like to share an opportunity with you from Girls on the Run: our upcoming Lollipop Family Fun Run on Saturday, December 6. The race is open to the community, but is a special celebration for the girls in our programs, who will complete their first 5k or 1 mile run. We pair each girl with an adult Running Buddy, who meets her one time at practice (on either November 19 or 20, depending on the school) and then comes out to run with her and encourage her on the day of the race! The cost is $35, which covers the price of registration for you and sponsors your girl buddy. The application can be found at:
http://gotrbayarea.org/volunteer/buddy.asp

Please circulate this opportunity to your contacts - many of our girls are still without a buddy!

The mission of Girls on the Run of the Bay Area is to educate and build confidence in young girls through non-competitive, curriculum-based running programs in San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa Counties.

I met about a dozen girls on the program for the firs time today and it was great. Most of the girls ran and walked 3 miles and even though it was tough for some of then, they stuck it out. And, they looked like they had so much fun. These 4th and 5th grade girls are precocious, wonderful, tough, innocent and yet, so grown up. They live and go to school in a pretty tough neighborhood in Oakland. An area that I usually avoid! Well, most people do... I am really thankful that I can give back to the community this way. And I am thankful that it involves running!!

And yes, I am signed up for the Lollipop Run on December 6th, which is the day before my California International Marathon! But, good thing my training calls for an easy 3 miler on that Saturday. There should be a Girls on The Run in your 'hood, too, if you're interested in volunteering!

This weekend is the BIG Philly marathon!!! BEST OF LUCK to my dear running buddies Denise, Flyers 26, Marci, Lil Runner ND (who is running for 2)!

And to Blyfinn and Coffee Betsy who are doing the Living History Farm Race, Holly who is doing an early Turkey Trot this weekend and to X-Country2 who is running her first marathon!

TIaRT: The "Green" Runner in Me

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I try to recycle as much as possible, eat locally grown/sustainable/organic stuff, and conserve energy when I can. Duane and I even went to two hotels in Costa Rica that practice "responsible tourism" in areas that are "carbon off-setting". (Both which I highly recommend!!) I do have to admit that I'm not doing anything ground breaking. I'm still trying to figure out how to leave a neutral carbon footprint. And for the most part, I feel like I'm not doing a very good job. Especially when I run. I do few things that I know are "green":

- I always run with my own water bottle during a race. Not only do I not want to create extra trash by using the disposable cups but I like the comfort of knowing I have water at anytime.
- I reuse my bottles! Until they look like they've been kicked around by a soccer team.
- Whenever I fuel up, I make sure I put the empty Gu packet (or whatever empty package) in my pocket if I don't see a trash bin right away. (That's true for both races and during training runs.) I just have to remember to throw them out before I do the laundry!!
- I try to run near where I live as much as possible. I do hate those days when I have to drive 15+ miles to do a long run. :-(

They may not make a huge difference but I feel good knowing that I am doing *something*. I will also make a commitment to recycle my shoes and buy items that use more recycled parts. Even running shoes and clothes. Both Running Times and Runners World had issues dedicated to green running and they have lots of great ideas. I even flipped through them again last night to get some inspiration for this post. What I did find was that they use a lot of chemicals and other things that are bad for the environment manufacturing tech-shirts. Which is bad news!! What would I do without fast-drying or moisture wicking shirts? :-(

I'm also excited that this is a topic that I suggested to Tom and Amy at the Runner's Lounge. They sure do making blogging easy on Thursdays!

Last night's track workout was TOUGH. But I felt soooooo good when it was over. I swear, I think I almost hyperventillated at one point. I love pushing myself hard, though. Even if it's hurts so bad. Here's my workout:

2x 400s - Finished right around 1:37 on both times. Almost 5 whole seconds faster than last week!
4x 800s - Omg, I almost died on these. I averaged about 3:45 on most of these. I kept thinking, this speed workout better pay off!
2x 400s - Averaged around 1:50. By then, I was P-O-O-P-E-D!

Today, I decided to do a midweek long run. I have been totally inspired by D10 and Aron who run some crazy mileages during the week. So, I went out and did a 11 miler! I left work early today since I started at 6am! (Why do my East Coast counterparts set up meets at 9am EST??? Half the call was conducted while driving to work, hehe.) I started around 4:30pm but by the time I finished it was SO dark. I really need to go get a vest and/or a headlamp! So, 11 miles done tonight with about 8:51 min/mile pace! It took me all of 1 hr and 39 min. I feel pretty good about this. Maybe those track workouts *are* working!

I am off to Orange Country tomorrow and Disneyland for sure on Saturday with Duane's nephews! Yay!! I also decided not to do my 20 miler on Saturday or Sunday... Just too much to do this weekend. So, I'll do it on Monday morning before work. (Planning on going in late!) I WILL DO IT!!

Oh and on one final note, "Nike announced a voluntary quality return of the Nike+ SportBand following reports of faulty displays. This is not a recall, exactly, but an invitation for all consumers and retailers to return any defective SportBands for a refund or exchange." For more info, click here. It's about damn time!! I have had 3 faulty Nike+ SportBand and really, this is the least they can do.

TIaRT: What Doesn't Kill You, Will Only Make You Stronger

The Take It and Run Thursday (TIaRT) theme for today from Runner's Lounge is TRANSITIONS. I've heard somewhere major stress in life are caused by transitions or living through through them. They say, some of the major transitions in life are life/death, new job, marriage/divorce, aging, moving, health and etc. In the past 6 months, I've gone through some big ones myself. I've moved cross country, got a new job, got married, moved to new town (that I'm not really crazy about) and blending two lives into one. And I have to tell you, it has not been an easy transition. (Especially figuring out the close space thing!) Leaving NYC was tough but moving to a small suburb outside San Francisco was even harder. The new job isn't that new because I was transferred within my company but still it's a new surrounding with new people - new challenges. (And, I'm not really crazy about this new job. Especially since I commute 50+ miles each way.) Getting married was stressful enough and now learning to live together has it's ups and downs. (Having a wonderful husband does help, though... ) Through it all, I ran. As a matter of fact, with all the different changes within the last six months or so, the only consistent thing in my life has been running. Maybe that's why I felt the need to train and run a marathon 5 days before the wedding. And why I continue to sign up for races. Maybe it's to keep me busy and distracted from life's issues. Maybe I need the endorphins to keep me going. It's been a tough six months, to say the least. I keep thinking the transition period is now over but something else keeps popping up. Maybe this is just life. But whatever it is, the running part has kept me SANE. I'm sure I'll have other challenges to look forward to and transitions. But let me tell you something, I know I will always have running to get me through it! As that saying goes: What doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger... AND I feel I've become very strong (physically & emotionally) in the last 6 months.

Last night's track workout kicked my butt. 3x 400s, 2x 800s and 3x 400s again. It doesn't sound that hard, I know! I was thinking, piece of cake. But it was! I averaged about 1:42 per lap (400) and it felt good!

TIaRT: Super Powers

The TIaRT over at Runner's Lounge this week calls for runners to ponder about what kind of super powers they would love to have. Honestly, I'm not much of a superhero expert so I had to rely on Google to help me with the type of super powers there are out there. There are A LOT of super powers, apparently! I actually found this article that listed some creative and cool super powers!

Now, not all of these would be applicable to runners but I found one that I would LOVE to have the super power of the Metabolism Woman. According to the article I mentioned earlier the author wrote: "I would use this power to eat fried foods, eat more chocolate and drink more alcohol, knowing that my *super metabolism* would just burn it all off, keeping me fit and trim, without paying for it with hours at the gym."

HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE???

Of course, I would change mine so that my "super metabolism" would kick in when I start running! I would eat and drink whatever I wanted and if I ran (even only a mile), it would all be burned off! All of it. And then some. How awesome would that be? Sure, if I was truly lazy, I wouldn't even need to run! But then, what would be the point? I love running!

Man, this was really fun to think about... (And I think I am obsessed with my weight. I've written my last 3 TIaRTs on some kind of weight related topic!)

If you're really into this super power stuff, you can even vote as to what you think is the best super power! And here's are some funny and practical super powers you can chuckle over.

On the running front, I haven't been as good as I should. I had a busy day on Tuesday at work and by the time I got home (after my long a$$ commute) I had no desire to go to the gym. It was my cross training day and I totally skipped out. Bad me. Wednesday, I went for an easy 6 miler after work. Today, I'm going to shoot for 8 after work and go visit my sister who is 15 weeks pregnant!

TIART: The Weight Battle

Here's my contribution to TIaRT theme over at Runner's Lounge today, which is Running & Weight:

I don't know anyone who doesn't struggle with their weight. With our society focusing so much on healthy eating and exercising, most of us do conscientiously think about our caloric intake and what we burn. I wish I was one of those people who are naturally thin and don't have to worry about their weight. But I think about it everyday and have be careful what I put in my mouth. If I don’t, like I have been the past 2 months, I’ll balloon up and gain 10 lbs in a heartbeat. Since I got married 2 months ago, I have been not paying attention to my portions or the quality of food that I put into my body. And, I didn’t run for 4 weeks after the wedding due to post wedding stress, honeymoon, laziness, etc. As some of you know, I ran a marathon 5 days before my wedding and took off some time to reward myself. (By being sedentary!) And sure enough, I am up 10 lbs. Yikes! I know many of you also struggle with "weight" and tackle this on a daily basis. And sounds like, some of you have been really successful in losing a lot of weight!

For several years after college, I carried around excess of 50 lbs in fat. Thank goodness, I lost the weight about 7 years ago. Thanks for running and Weight Watchers! I've kept most of it off but I’ve gained about 10 of it back recently and now about 20 lbs overweight. (That's a lot!) I can feel the extra weight bouncing and jiggling with me when I’m running. I got my BMI measured a few months ago and I’m in the unhealthy range again. Hello, I run! I exercise! But it doesn’t show on the scale! I’m a little tired of my yo-yo dieting. Besides, the joys of the weight loss and the disappointment that comes with the gain is really emotionally devastating.

The funny thing is, I know the formula to losing weight. (It’s no secret, right?)

Eat less (or eat right) + Exercise More + Commitment = Weight Loss

It's so much easier to indulge than limit myself, and easier to give in than deny. This week’s TIaRT made me think about how I can share my weight loss/struggle/journey with fellow running community. Then, I realized, I don't really have any weight loss tips or secrets. I could tell you the Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet and The Daily Plate has worked for me. But it might not be for you. We all need to follow a modified and personalized formula that I listed above. I know I will continue to struggle with the weight battle, probably forever. But I will do what I can do not lose the war.

This is something I will do starting today.

- Make a commitment
- Make a lifestyle change

I’m going to LIMIT my sugar and refined white flour intake. I don't think I can cut it out completely but I'll limit it. I’m going to pay attention to my portions. And most importantly, I’m going to make a lifestyle change and stick to it. (And hopefully my husband won't be making his famous oatmeal cookies or brownies for midnight snacks!) And I can’t wait to tell you when I finally reached my healthy weight range and BMI one day! Very soon!

On the running front, I took a day off yesterday. I've been in Portland for the past two days for work and have had no time to myself. (Looks like I'll be back in the beautiful Portland area and hopefully I'll have more time to meet up with fellow bloggers here!) I fly back today and look forward to a nice 6 miler in the afternoon. Also, so happy to hear the Arien O'Connell got her winner's prize and recognition! Heck, it took Nike 2 days but at least they did the right thing!

TIART: Signs That Keep Me Going

It's Take It and Run Thursday again at Runner's Lounge! Today's topic is "Signs you would love to see while running your race."

I loved the interesting and relevant trivia signs along the San Francisco Marathon (SFM) route. For example:

Where was the fortune cookies invented?
Where was The Grateful Dead play their last concert?
The tallest building in San Francisco is...

Anyway, I'm just going by memory so they're verbatum but there were quite a few of these kinda trivia!

During the race, I'd read one and usually can't wait to find out the answer... And there are times when I miss it and wish that I had paid more attention to the signs. Of course, I've ran the SFM 4 years in a row and noticed that these trivia haven't changed year after year! But, even when I know the answer, I anticipate seeing the trivia questions and look forward to the answers. They definitely keep my mind off the pain!

My favorite sign EVER is a sign that some guy was holding after I emerged from Golden Gate Park into Haight Street, during my first SFM. Somewhere around mile 19, maybe? The guy was holding up high this sign: YOU ARE ALL KENYANS TODAY. I remember how inspired and moved I was when I read that sign. I felt renewed and strong. I felt like crying with pride! Even as I type these words, I'm getting emotional because I can still remember that moment. I would never be an elite marathon racer, nor win a race. But, when I run in a marathon, I feel like a Kenyan. And I'm doing something I never thought I'd be able to do. Here's a good compilations of other marathon signs from Elite Feet for Runners.

So, I would love to see more signs with trivia relevant to the city or the race or about running itself. I might as well learn something if I'm running 13.1 or 26.2 or longer!

Nice Surprises!

There's been some nice surprises for me in the past couple of days. I got an email yesterday morning from Active.com:

This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:

Registration: 2008 Nike Women's VIP Marathon and Half Marathon
Purchase Date: 10/03/08
Category: VIP Marathon Registration
Name: Julianne

Congratulations! You are now registered for The Nike Women's Half Marathon and Marathon, a race to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Sunday, October 19, 2008
Race Start: 7:00am
Union Square, San Francisco, CA

Holy cow!!! I really really had given up all dreams of running the Nike Women's Marathon in 2 weeks. Yes, you heard me right. 2 weeks until the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. I had been trying to get into this race for several months but it's been sold out for a long time now. My friend who works for Jamba Juice corporate told me that they had a waiting list for their corporate spots and would add me on... just in case anyone dropped out. I had no news from my friend... UNTIL Thursday afternoon. There was a spot for the marathon and she asked me if I still wanted to run it. I said, OF COURSE I DO. SIGN ME UP! That's when I got the email. And it also says I'm registered for the VIP Marathon? Not sure what that means but I'll find out soon enough, I guess. (This registration was also free thanks to Jamba Juice!) I am so excited. I've run the Nike Half before and I really wanted to run the full. There is a slight problem, though. I have not been training for a marathon in the past month or so! After I gave up my dreams, I've been training for my Rock n Roll Half Marathon in San Jose tomorrow!! Yes, tomorrow. (As Duane is making our potluck dish for our cousin's son's birthday party, I am typing away in the kitchen. He is such a great husband!) And then we have to hit the sack to get up early for tomorrow's race! Anyway, back to the Nike Marathon. I am so not ready and I don't want to injure myself so I plan to take it easy. Run at a good pace but not overly pushing myself and WALK if I need to. Especially those lovely San Francisco hills.

Also, I also received an email from Tom and Amy from the Runner's Lounge! I was selected to receive an autographed copy of "The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life" for contributing to this week's Take It and Run Thursday (TIaRT) : Life Lessons Learned from Running! Wow. Talk about nice surprises! I've read many of the TIaRTs from this week, which left me touched and inspired... And I am truly honored to be selected!

Today, D and I drove down to San Jose to pick up our race packets for tomorrow's race. And ran into a few unexpected friends who are also running the race. I also had an opportunity to meet up with Audrey finally!! It was kinda neat. Our virtual friendship finally connected in real life! So, of course, we had to take some pictures. Good thing I had my battery in my camera, unlike someone who shall remain nameless: A u d r e y

Audrey & me

Audrey & me at the expo sign

I also picked up this awesome license plate from Women's Running Magazine (formerly Her sports) by subscribing to their bi-monthly magazine. $20 subscription for a year and a half and the license plate was something I couldn't pass up. Aren't these cute? If you see a 1997 green Ford Mustang with this license plate, it's me!


I am really excited about the race tomorrow!! Ok, I really need to hit the hay now!!

Person Audrey & me

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TIaRT: Creating My Own Destiny

In contribution to this week's TIaRT's theme: Life Lessons Learned from Running, I wanted to dig deep. Back in my freshman year in high school, I wanted to run. I thought cross country was so cool. Besides, the junior varsity team had some hot looking guys!! On top of that, I was never good at sports that involved hand-eye coordination. I stank at every group sport... from softball to volleyball to basketball, you name it. But, running, that was something I thought I could do. Cross country was perfect!

I told my parents that I wanted to run cross-country. I thought they would be excited for me. But, I got this response from my dad, "You're not built for running. You shouldn't do it". Not sure if he thought I had two left feet or if he was concerned for me but I think I burst into tears at that point. He tried to explain to me that I just wasn't meant to run long distances. That my body wasn't built that way. Maybe I should try tennis, instead?

I was so hurt. I wanted him to support me and believe that I could do it. Or at least, pretend to! Even if he didn't really think so. I ran anyway. I wanted to prove him so wrong. And I did. That Freshman year, I joined the cross country team and ran for the next two years. I think I was the slowest girl the first year. But slowly, I improved. I started passing people up. And it felt so great! I loved running. I loved the power it gave me.

Several years back, I told my parents that I was going to train for a marathon. My dad said this time, "Do you think just anyone runs a marathon?" I wasn't surprised by his response. He's not as heartless as he sounds. To his eyes, his little girl just wasn't the running type. Well, since then, I've run 4 marathons. The very first one, I finished just a bit over 4:13. Running wasn't always consistent since high school. But it was gave me self confidence when I was out on the road, pounding the pavement. Sure, I don't look like a runner, even now. But, when I cross that finish line (whether it be a 5k or 26.2 miles), I know I did my best. That I started. That I am as good as I think I am. It gives me confidence that no one can take away from me. I know I can do anything I put my mind to. This is what I learned from running: That I create my own destiny and expand my potential in life... I created this running life, for myself and no one can take that away.

I went for another 5 miler after work on Tuesday with D. You're right, I felt so much better! It only felt like I was wearing 5 lb ankle weights this time. Not 10! Ha! I rested yesterday and will again today. I'm sorta kinda tapering for the Rock n Roll San Jose Half Marathon on Sunday. I'll go for a short run on Friday... then RACE time again! I'm very excited about the half marathon! Bunch of my friends are running it, as well as Aron and Audrey!!

TIART: 26.2 Words

Here's my first contribution to the Take It and Run Thursday (TIaRT) at Runner's Lounge! I think TIaRT is such a great idea!!

Today's theme is to share "How to Conquer the Marathon in 26 words (or less)" Mines more like 26.8 words of insight rather than advice:

Crossing that finish line at 26.2 miles shows the passion and commitment to running, overwhelming tenacity to achieve success. Completing it gives a high like no other!

I asked my husband, too and his immediate response was:

A grueling testament to one's will, discipline, stamina, perseverance and insanity. But once completed, the most satisfying sense of accomplishment experienced by a mere mortal.

He's a bit of a drama queen. Hehe.

This was fun!

Another day of resting my Achilles tendon...