I Survived Christmas!

Phew! Survived first official Christmas with the in-laws! And it wasn't too bad. Actually, it was really really fun. There were lots of food, merry-making and laughter. My parents, sister and her husband joined us for dinner, too. It was quite a great day, overall. :-) And no, I didn't get a Garmin for Christmas. I didn't ask for one, actually. (I got something shiny instead!) But reading about all of you who did get one, I'm thinking maybe I should have? Hehe. Ok, I'm going to stick with my NikePlus for now but who knows... maybe when my birthday comes around?? Duane, baby, are you reading this? ;-)

I'm not quite ready to post my 2008 running recap, just yet... Still a few days left to get a few more runs in! (Besides, I'm quite attached to 2008 and not quite ready to let it go!!)

But, here's my race list for 2009:

February 1: Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon
February 7: Jed Smith Ultra Classic 50k (Maybe?)
March 1: Napa Valley Marathon
March 15: Across the Bay 12 K
April 26 : Big Sur Marathon (Maybe?)
May 30: See Jane Run Half Marathon
July 19: Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon
July 26: San Francisco Marathon (5th year in a row!!)
October 11: Chicago Marathon
October 18: Nike Women's Marathon
November 1: ING New York City Marathon (Lottery)
December 6: California International Marathon

I should mention that the list is a very ambitious one and not sure if I will actually run all the marathons in 2009! But who knows, I may run more, too! The only race that I've officially signed up for is the Kaiser Perm Half in February. Of course, there are couple of marathons that are by lottery only so we'll have to see. The Jed Smith Ultra 50k is a huge maybe. I don't know if I'd be ready for this ULTRA race. Although, I've always wanted to run one. Leslie, my blog mom is running it and I am seriously *thinking* about it right now.

I finally got back on the "saddle" this week. After my feast-fest Christmas dinner, I was READY to run. Forget the burn out, I was jealous anytime I saw anyone running outside. Oh and expecially when I read about your runs! So, on Friday, I went for a 8 miler, which I thought was relatively fast. Well, I ran it at about 8:55 min pace, which is pretty fast for me. I was triumphant! I was back! Yesterday, I looked up my training schedule for the Napa Valley Marathon and it called for a 14 miles. My train of thought was, "I ran 8 yesterday, I'm sure I could do 14. And I got lots of rest this week!" What I didn't take into consideration was that after a week of rest, the 8 miler was maybe a bit too much for me. And my legs were quite fatigued! I totally felt the fatigue in the legs about 3 miles into my long run yesterday. Thank goodness for the Roctane, otherwise, I may not have made it through the 14 miles. I took the Roctane around mile 5 and felt I could push it to another 2 for my out and back route. But I definitely struggled through the last 5 miles. Maybe 10 miles would have been a better distance for me yesterday. I'm glad I ran it but today, my legs are shot! Definitely a rest day today. (More on the Roctane later this week!)

OH and I ordered my iPhone 16 gig today for $199!! AT&T is having a refurbished iPhone sale and I bit the bullet and ordered one. I'll let you know how the refurbished phone goes. Supposedly these are the "previously owned devices that have been unused or lightly used and returned during the 30-day trial period," according to an explanation on AT&T's website. I can't wait to get mine in the mail!! Sorry Blackberry Curve... it's time for me to move on.

Anyone got some exciting New Year's Eve plans? D and I are going to friend's for dinner and NYE hoopla in SF... Wishing all of you the very best in 2009! And of course, looking forward to reading your running adventures. :-)

And We Have a Winner!

I've been on vacation for 2 days now but haven't had a chance to sleep in or be a lazy bum or surf the net all day, like I was hoping to. As you can imagine, I've been running around buying last minute gifts, decorating the house for the Christmas family dinner, cleaning up, visiting peeps, etc. Phew! I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas EVE! I am excited to spend my first Christmas as a married woman. :-)

I also had a chance to go to Random.org to draw a name randomly for my running shoes giveaway! And I am THRILLED to announce my winner!!!

Are you ready??



Congratulations to JoyRuN!!

And her comment was "Reading blogs like yours is what gets me out the door. That & the hope of maybe one day getting a wee bit faster!"

Joy, hope these shoes help you get a "wee bit faster". (Oh and make sure you email me your contact info!)

And thanks to Onlineshoes.tv for letting me participate and conduct their shoe giveaway contest! Go check 'em out you guys. :-)

And, of course, Thank YOU all for reading and commenting!!!

Oh and I don't have much to report on the running front. I went on a 7 miler with Tara, Aron and Maritza on Saturday. It was about 34 degrees at the start but we quickly warmed up. I didn't have a very good run that morning. I had to stop a few times and had a hard time in general. I haven't run at all since. Pitiful. Sure there's the rain but overall, not motivated. I think I'm a little bit burnt out from running. *gasp* I plan to give myself some time off this week but will plan to hit the road again next week.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

TGIF Photo Friday & Other Miscellany

Here's to my first TGIF Photo Friday hosted by Nike Mom! It also works great because Nicole was telling me about the 6" of snow she got in her backyard this week and she told me she was going to post the photo of the snow. (Which she did.) I told her I would take a photo of the view from our house in the Bay Area and share it, too. Actually, it was taken in back in October. It's too gray and gloomy to see anything clear today. On a clear day, we get a great view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

View of the Bay

View of the Golden Gate Bridge... kinda far but still!

I've been blogging like mad this week. And finally catching up on my blog reading. I really love getting to know you guys.

So, a few more things:

1. Does anyone want a free blood glucose monitoring system? If you're a diabetic or know someone who is, this is an excellent meter to track your diabetes and simply your diabetes management. And I'm not just saying that because we make it. Seriously, though. Bayer = brand you can trust. Let me know if you have any questions!

2. My free running shoes giveaway in conjunction with Onlineshoes.tv is still going on until Dec 22nd. I really really enjoyed reading your motivations for running. Some of them are really touching and some of them, just plain funny. You guys are a riot! Anyway, if you're interested, click here.

3. Thanks to Erik, I found the most awesome greeting card site for runners! And they are so funny! You guys should check it out. As runners, I know we will all appreciate this site. They have cards for swimming, cycling and yoga, too... among others.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'm off to do some holiday shopping this weekend. :-)

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!)

What Motivates You? (Free Running Shoes Giveaway!)

Runners! I'm having a FREE running shoes GIVEAWAY courtesy of Onlineshoes.com!

I know we have days when we don't want to get out of bed, let alone go for a run or hit the gym. Now that WINTER is upon us with freezing temperatures and darkness, Winter tempts us to stay in doors. I'm still amazed to read your stories of running even in the worst conditions. Seriously, I can't believe some of you guys run in snow, get ice crystals on your face after a run, go out looking like a burglar (cute one, of course) or with 20 layers, and even use special gear like Yak Trax. Seriously, I am impressed with your dedication and tenacity. And there so many of you, too! :-)

I wrote in my previous post about a run in "cold" 40 degree weather yesterday... I didn't want to. Really! I wanted to stay indoors and maybe make something warm to drink. But I decided to go. I still believe in my own potential that I can improve myself. That I might run just a little big faster. And that potential makes me not want to waste even one day. That maybe, just maybe I can be a better athlete/runner. Strange, I never considered myself as an athlete. So, I guess I am motivated by my own potential!

So, what motivates you?

Onlineshoes.tv and Onlineshoes.com are promoting a contest where they are giving away running shoes to a lucky commenter (randomly chosen, I promise). Leave me a comment and share your motivational tip and you could win a pair of free running shoes from ASICS, Adidas, Saucony or Brooks! You just have to leave a comment by Monday, December 22nd! (You never know unless you enter!) Good luck to my readers!

** There's been a change to this post today (12/18/2008)! Originally, I asked you to go to Onlineshoes.tv to enter you comments BUT you can enter them on my blog comments. And I'll be picking out a winner randomly. I'm so excited to have my OWN giveaway!!! If you left me a comment alreaady, you're entered. :-)

Looking for Great Running Gloves?

I went on a 7.5 mile run yesterday. The first "long" run since CIM. I worked from home yesterday and in the afternoon, I was itching to run. Sure it was cold and rainy but I had to get out there. And, the dreadmill was not an option! It was about 41 degrees out and to this Californian, pretty darn cold. I can't believe last year around this time I was running around Central Park in NYC in below freezing temperatures! What was I thinking?? Duane was also working from home yesterday so he took out his creaky old bike out to ride next to me. It was nice to have company and also, I noticed I was running much faster than my regular runs... Probably because Duane was pacing me at a faster pace on his bicycle. Fortunately, during the time I was out there, it didn't rain at all. But it was cold. The weather reminded me of race day at CIM and it felt familiar and almost comforting. THANK GOODNESS I remembered to wear my running gloves. I love these Saucony 3 Season gloves! I got them for $20 at the Fleet Feet booth at the CIM expo. I just looked at the inside label and turned out it's a men's small! Hmmm. That would explain why it felt like something was "off"... But for the most part, these Saucony running gloves do a good job keeping my hands dry and warm. I like that it's got good insulation and rubbery dots at the fingertips for traction. AND, the best part was that it didn't chaffe my nose too badly when I used them to wipe my nose. I know, gross but what's a girl to do when your nose is running?

Final stats: 7.8 miles at 9:14 pace. :-)

Top

Bottom

Oh and btw, for those of you that asked, I really like the CommentLuv features. I had to spend some time watching the tutorial video to get it right but it works well!

Coming Up for Air!

Where do I begin? I've been away from the blogging world for about a week and I feel so behind! I am planning on catching up on the reading this week, though! I am dying to read all the race reports, of course!

As for me... I have done no running at all this week. Well, besides the 1 miler recovery run on Tuesday since the CIM, I have done zero running and exercise. I am sure I am in last place for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge, too. But, today I started up on my running/exercise regiment again. 3 miles on the treadmill and 45 min on the elliptical machine. I really wanted to run outside but it's been rainy and cold the past few days.

I also passed my Professional Project Manager Certification exam last Friday. Thank you for all the best wishes and good lucks! I think they helped! I had holed myself up for a week in total isolation to study for the exam. My only distractions were my husband, Facebook and Twitter. The last two of which are apps on my Blackberry so that little blinking light would distract me. Each blink was a cry of "check me, check me". And it was really really hard not to reach for the phone. You're probably wondering why I didn't put the phone in the other room? Because I have serious co-dependency issues with my phone and I can't be part from it for more than a minute. The little red blinking light is like my security blanket! Anyway, if you want to connect with me on FB or Twitter, let me know! :-)

This past weekend, I had a few holiday parties and even a cookie exchange. I chose 2 recipes from the Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies and they both turned out really well!!

Alton Brown's Paradise Macaroons Recipe

Aida's Hazelnut Tea Cookies Recipe

Both were really delicious. I really think I had the best cookies at the exchange. Ha! This is only the 2nd time I've baked something from scratch. Recall my Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake? That was my first!

Also, Duane and I made way over to the first holiday party of the season for us. Aron's Black and White Christmas Party. Which was one classy affair. I got to meet Maritza and Kristin for the first time and was happy to see Aron and Tara again. Our favorite conversation topic was running, of course. And reading. . . lots of books! Our second loves! I really had a good time imbibing and catching up with these girls! Here is some of my favorite moments:

The girls... Kristin, Tara, Maritza, Aron and me

Aron had props!Chillaxin' on the sofaDuane & me!

Oh and looking forward to being off for 2 weeks starting next Monday. Oh I plan to catch up on the reading. Oh yes, I will! Also trying something new with the comment section. Bear with me while I figure it out myself...

CIM 2008: One Long A$$ Race Report

I keep having flashbacks of the moment where I crossed the finish line on Sunday and I get choked up. You know, the whole teary eyes with stingy nose thing. And I revel every moment of it! And it's still so fresh on my mind. It all culminated into that one point... As soon as I saw that my sub-4 hour finish was within grasp, I sprinted toward the finish line. Well, I *think* I sprinted. Not quite sure. Everything felt slow. Very slow.

So here are the official stats:

Gun Time: 03:59:18
Chip Time: 03:58:17
Half Marathon Split Time: 01:56:40
Pace: 9:08
Age Group (30-34): 151
Athena Category: 6

Yes, I actually qualified for the Athena weight division, which I have very mixed feelings about. I knew I had gained weight but seriously, that much? Of course, I did weigh in fully clothed with shoes but still! Actually, how 2 people know how much I weigh. SLB (for the Swap Beat) and that guy who weighed me at the Expo. :-/

But, even with the weight gain, I was still able to beat my best time by over 11 minutes!

D and I headed drove up to Sacramento after the Lollipop 5k (more on that later) and just barely made it to the Expo by 3pm. It was crisp and sunny down in the Bay Area but as soon as we crossed the the Sacramento city line, it was all gloomy and foggy. The weather forecast did call for overcast skies but it felt much more ominous. But then, I was glad. What runner doesn't love cold race weather? The expo was just ok, I still think the Rock n Roll Marathon series have the best race expos! But the best part of the day was that I got to meet Leslie, KK and Stacey.

Leslie & me

Leslie, KK & me

Stacey & me

I was excited to meet Leslie because she's my pseudo blog mom. She always dispenses great advice and watches out for me. How awesome is that? And she's so beautiful in person! Even Duane commented on how pretty she was. KK was just as lovely and it's so nice to finally put a face to a name! Oh and Stacey, she is a hoot. Full of life, energy and great sense of humor. Tina, please have your phone handy next time! ;-)

Oh and I didn't realize I signed up for the long-sleeve tech t-shirt but I was sure happy I got one. I was worried that medium wouldn't fit but good thing those shirts ran big.

We later met our running group at Lucca for our big pasta dinner and had a great time. There were 8 full marathon runners (including me) and one relay team. Half of us PR'd and the other half BQ'd during the race!

After a delicious parpadelle pasta dinner and decadent chocolate cake dessert, I got back to the hotel and set out my outfit and gear. 2 bottles of water/Gatorade combo, 4 packs of Gu and some mini energy bars for well... energy, of course. I don't like regular Gatorade so I usually dilute about half with water. I also decided to go with Gu instead of the Luna Moons. I need to preserve every iota of energy, which also includes chewing! I watched a little bit of CSI Miami and then promptly passed out at 10:30pm.

Sunday morning, I woke up with trepidation and excitement. It was still overcast which was a great sign. I looked out our hotel window and saw dozens of school buses ready to transport the runners to the starting line. It felt like the entire city center was jammed with runners in line for the buses and the buses themselves! I was lucky that Duane was driving me to the starting line. The strategy was for Duane to drop me off at the starting line and he was going to meet me every 5 miles or so to cheer for me and to do some gear swapping, if needed. I got the starting line and saw the swarm of runners near the starting line and I got excited. Really really excited. There's nothing like 5000+ runners huddling about getting ready for a run in the cold and darkness! If i remember correctly, the temperature Sunday morning was 37 degrees. Brrrr! I did my usual Porta-Potty thing and felt READY. I don't think I ever felt that ready for a race! (Seriously, thank goodness for training plans!)

5 min before the start! Decided to run with my long sleeve tech shirt last minute...
And then the gun went off! And it was downhill. I told myself to start slooooow and not fall into the downhill start trap thing. The first mile came really fast! I heard a guy by the mile 1 marker yell out the pace time and I was a bit thrown off. I have never run a race where someone tell you your pace at the mile marker and the time, too. I think I clocked in at a 10:00 min pace at mile 1. The first 5 miles were a blur, really. All I remember thinking was, this isn't too bad! I first saw Duane around mile 5, i think. I remember handing him my gloves because my fingers were getting sweaty. Which I regretted the entire race! It was really cold. It was also around then that I saw Tara and Maritza! Ok, more like Tara saw me and screamed my name! It felt SO great to see them cheer for me and gave me a boost of confidence and energy. I felt like I wasn't doing it alone. My friends were there. And I saw them a few more times on the course, which was a total treat! *sniff* Ok, I'm getting teary eyed again!

Ugh, this is my fat photo...

Between mile 6 and 18 were uneventful... They were marked by rolling hills (more than I thought) and my beautiful husband who popped up faithfully at mile 9, 14, 17 and 21, I think? Thank goodness he did undergrad at Sac State. He says he knows Sacramento like the back of his hand! I really did love the crowd support. For a small race, the cheering squads were frequent and ardent. It was great. Early on with my slow start, I was skeptical about a sub 4 finish. But as more miles were behind me and more consistent my pace was very consistent, I knew I was going to be close. I was consistently hitting 9:00 min pace! After the half way point, I decided to kick up the notch a little bit and I think i was running about 8:50 pace. I was even thinking I might even finish sub 3:50!

Me on the far left of the photo...

Oh and this is my first marathon in a running skirt and I LOVED it!! I didn't feel tired until about mile 20. But once the wall hit, I was really tired. I remember seeing Duane around mile 21 telling him I was really really tired. And that I had to go to the bathroom! (Actually, I had the urge to go #2 starting around mile 8!) I knew I had to run and not stop. No matter what. i knew I was so close to my goal. I knew I had all the time to rest and relax AFTER the race. Mile 22 to 26 were sheer torture. I think I even slowed down to a 10:30 pace for a mile or two. I don't even know how I got there but finally I was down to the numbered streets. Counting the street numbers from 51st to 8th was again, sheer torture. At each mile marker they shouted out my pace and race time, I knew if i kept up my pace of 9:10 ish, I knew I could finish sub 4. I don't know how I put one foot in front of the other but somehow, I got to the end. I saw Duane about quarter of a mile before the finish and I knew I had the race in the bag. And when I approach the finish line and saw that I was STILL under 4 hours, I was elated. It took every ounce of energy to pick up the little pace I had left in me. I crossed the finish line with so much emotion. I can't even tell you how proud I was of myself. I saw my coach and training group. They were all clapping for me. Wow. So that's what it feels like...

26th Annual California International Marathon Finisher Medal

I still can't believe I ran a sub 4 hour marathon. With a 10 lb weight gain, I still ran 11 minutes faster than the SFM. So I know I can't use my weight as an excuse to run slow anymore. Now, for 2009. I just signed up for the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon on Feb 1 since the Surf City Marathon is officially sold out. And then, maybe Napa Valley Marathon on March 1st. I'm thinking, if I lose that extra 10 lbs, I can shave off another 9 minutes. *wink*

I have now finished 6 marathons and one under 4 hours.

I know I can do anything I put my mind to. It's official!!