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May 28

Believing in the run

It’s been some time since I went for a run in Mountain House. A really long time. Between other obligations, school ending and work being crazy, I haven’t been able to venture out there much for a nice run.

I’ve missed it for some time.

So when Jennie asked if I wanted to head out there for a run I was really excited. Today has been a really nice day in the valley, but as we got further into the day it started to get a little windy. Then a lot.

It was windy at my house when I left. Mountain House sits right along the Altamont, a part of the Diablo Range that separates the valley from the Bay Area. So if it’s windy in Stockton (where I work), it’s even windier in Tracy. And then it’s even crazier in Stockton. I shot some video of today’s crazy wind.

The little fountain at the main park, where we meet, was blowing every which way. It as crazy.

I sent a text to Jennie: “Crazy headwinds!”

And I knew we were in for it, which meant that by the time we hit the backside of the community, we were being hammered by the wind. We talk a lot when we run, which means we were kind of yelling at each other throughout part of the run where the wind was really hammering us.

Our “warm-up” miles for two and three were both over 12 minutes. Our best mile was 10:23.

More crazy wind for your viewing pleasure.

But we kept putting one foot in front of the other. Moving along. Into mile four. Then five. And, finally as the  wind came back to hitting us again, we got to six and I turned off  the Garmin.

A good run. By definition? Not so much, but by my standards, yes.

In six days I run my second marathon: 26.2 miles of insanity.

The marathon is a distance that runners are taught, rightly so, to respect. It’s a distance that’s not easy by any standard. And it’s one that some people, myself included, struggle with. My first marathon was a 5:20:41.

I’ve trained harder since then. I’ve run more. I’ve had two longer-type runs in this  training cycle. (One of them was the Big Sur 21-miler, hills and all.) I’m also on track to hit 100 miles for May, including an 18-miler a couple weeks ago.

I’m ready. I’m also hesitant.

The run is long. It’s also hard. But I feel better going into this race than California International Marathon in December.

Then I had only done a 15 and a 20 miler. I also didn’t average nearly as many miles as now. I feel like a stronger runner.

Does that mean PR marathon magic next weekend? I can’t say.

A couple years ago Nike had a campaign with a simple slogan: “Believe in the run.”

I had to say I give marathon training a “let go and let it ride” approach, but the three weeks before the day of a marathon if you haven’t busted your butt in training runs and made yourself a suffering mess along the way, there isn’t much you can do at that point.

I have. More eight milers than 10, yes. But more longer runs too.

More focus on recovery. More focus on building strength. And, since I had to give up swimming a couple months ago, more focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

My ugly feet, yes. And the wrapped baby toes. I’m still getting used to my new running shoes. They wear my feet a little differently than the Nike Equalons.

It’s now time to believe in the run. The run I’ve prepared for. The one I’ve come close to in training.

Today’s six-mile taper run was without Gu. With little water. I survived. I didn’t push too hard, but I made it work.

It’s just time to work on relaxing now, until Saturday when I wake up early in the morning and head to San Diego. Then wake up earlier the next morning for a 6:15 a.m. start (though my wave will likely start much later.)

So my mantra, worth repeating, for the week starts now.

Believe in the run.

May 23

I really love my Run From Work Backpack

I’ve developed something of a Lululemon addiction in the past six or eight months. I’m a little bit crazy about my Lulu products, if only because they are incredibly high quality. Yes they are expensive, but I’ve never had an issue with anything I’ve purchased from Lululemon. So I’m in love. I don’t order too often from the website (the closest store is about 40 miles from me), but when I do I usually pick up a couple new items.

I did so as a birthday gift to myself recently. I grabbed up another pair of Run: In the Sun Crops and a new little backpack. I’ve only ever bought one bag from Lululemon and I use it all the time as an overnight accessory carrier. I love it to.

My husband, though, has been complaining in recent months that he hates carrying my gym bag. It’s pink. All pink. And it’s from last year’s Nike Women’s Marathon, where I ran the half. He hates it so much he often “forgets” it in the car when he comes to the finish line.

I have another backpack that’s also pink. I’m not in love with the color, but the bags worked for me, so I bought them.

When I saw the Run From Work Backpack, I knew I had to buy it.

It’s silver with girl accents, including the use of the Flash Lululemon color on the zippers, but also practical enough that my husband doesn’t have too much of a problem carrying it.

The workmanship in this backpack is amazing. It’s not a full-size, take it to high school type backpack. Not at all. I was tempted, though to use it when I had to go to school and do grades the other day.

The exterior is water repellent. I purchased the gray version, which has a beautiful pattern to it, but doesn’t look too frilly far away. (Hence the reason my husband will actually carry it.)

The material is soft, yet durable. There are two pockets on either side of the backpack, which a bottle of water will fit in nicely. I tested it out this weekend after Bay to Breakers. Thomas brought it to the finish line and I carried out of the park and up the highway after the race.

Then I hiked to our eclipse watching position at Upper Bidwell Park in Chico. I packed up quite a few things in the little bag, including several water bottles. It was incredibly hot. I had pockets upon pockets of space to keep things, including some credit cards and my identification.

There’s even a pocket where I can put a water bladder at some point should I choose to.

I may actually purchase something to put in there, if only so I can use it more while hiking or doing other recreational things. The pockets are durable too.

The biggest thing, though, is that the straps are incredibly comfortable. They have a mesh upper and there are also straps to put across the neck area and the abdomen to keep it secure.

The back also arches a little as to keep the pack away from a sweaty back. It keeps my back well ventilated too.

I wore it for about four hours off and on Sunday. It worked really, really well. Again, at $88 it wasn’t cheap, but I’ll be using it for after my runs and for other adventures. And I’m in love with it. It’s the perfect size and color. I’ll be finding more chances to wear it.

May 21

(Not really) racing from Bay to Breakers

Last year, I ran Bay to Breakers. I really ran. I didn’t wear fun clothes or spend my time along the course just having a good time. Nope. I ran and finished in 1:25:46.

This year, I decided to not go all out. But I asked my brother to join me. And he wanted to go all out. In costume, of course. But also in running. He trained.

I ran an 18-miler the weekend before. My legs were still a little tired.

And my 28th birthday happened to be on race day this week. So this would be the second year my brother ran a race with me on or near my birthday weekend.

The day didn’t start out too well for my stomach. Instead of feeling as if I was ready to run, I rushed to the portable toilets immediately after getting to the Embarcadero. I ended up going to the bathroom twice before the start. And I still felt bad. My stomach hurt. I was getting cramps, likely from an empty stomach. But I couldn’t eat either.

I should have known it would be a bad run. But I kind of didn’t care.

In fact, I kind of figured I’d take it easy.

It was a warm morning. The tortillas were already flying.

We were already seeing naked people too. My brother made some sort of sausage-fest reference saying he’d seen enough naked nasty dudes for a lifetime, and probably more. They started counting down quicker than last year it seemed. In fact the whole thing seemed to go by more quickly in general.

At a little after 7 a.m. race officials released Corral C and we were off. I immediately felt horrible. My stomach was really turning.

Then, just like that, we he a stall. People had begun to gather along the road making it nearly impossible for racers to get through. This happened at .26 mile into the race.

It wasn’t all bad, but it was bad.

Mile 1: 11:17  — Started out strong, considering I had to stop and wait for the flow to get going again. I was likely running an 10:40 pace.

Mile 2: 12:29  —Legs are tried, uphills.

Mile 3: 14:16  — Hayes Street Hill and bathroom break. I kept thinking I was going to throw up.

Mile 4: 12:05  — Did a Gu, picked it up once over the hill and on the downhill.

Mile 5: 11:04  — Back in my normal groove, but it would be short lived. Toward the end of this mile, my legs felt better thanks to the Gu, but I was also starting to feel bad again.

Mile 6: 11:40  — Tried to hang in there, slowed a little.

Mile 7: 13:11  — Even though I had less than a mile, my stomach was cramping bad now. I kept considering stopping and slowing completely. I figured I’d walk it in. Finally picked it back up.

Mile .60: 9: 34  — Decided I needed to just be done. I just pushed it. I wanted the misery to end.

My husband got that great shot of me running it in. He complained that I wasn’t smiling. I tried to tell him the kind of misery I was in. My stomach hurt. I hadn’t fueled properly before the race. When I went for it, it was all I had at that moment.

Then it was over. It seemed quicker than last year. All around.

I crossed the finish and was handed my medal.

At the finish line, the announcer called it the “first ever” finishers’ medal. We received commemorative medals. The medals are nice and heavy, definitely a plus.

Then we had to go wait in a ridiculous line for our shirts.

The shirts were way to big. And we couldn’t trade. If we ever do this again, I won’t opt for the shirt. The disorganization at the end was amazing. Last year we had to walk past Polo Fields to get the shirts in an organized fashion. This year there was a tiny tent with a long, long line of people. I would have walked away had I not been charged so much for the shirt.

I ended up giving my tech T-shirt, a size medium, to my brother.

By the way, my brother the racer finished in an amazing fast 59:05. He did great. He was really excited about it. (Notice, he dressed as Paulie Bleeker from Juno.)

My final time was 1:31:34. Not horrible. I probably could have done better had I had felt better or ate breakfast and done the Gu beforehand.

But I don’t feel bad about it. I got to run with my little brother. And it was a fun run, even if it wasn’t a good one.

We did see lot of crazy stuff. And we made it to the breakers OK.

Then we headed away for an adventure to watch the eclipse. But that’s for another blog post.

 

May 16

Time is on my side

I now, thanks to the timing company, have a time for the Sirena 18 run this past weekend.

Officially: 3:32:13

I can’t explain how stoked I am about this. I kept having moments where I felt guilty about not being listed in the results. I would, obviously, be an incredibly bad race bandit.

I feel legitimate now.

Over the past three days, I’ve felt as if every Gatorade I drank was a fraud. Hyperbole? Yes. But I felt incredibly guilty.

I worked a nice, long 12-hour day today, so I’ll be light about this post outside of saying I’m incredibly happy. No longer, as I told my husband, bummed.

The timing company representative asked that I send the D-Tag in. It’s ready to go into the mail tomorrow. I may never get to the bottom of what exactly happened (I don’t expect them to report back to me or anything, there are other events and hundreds, even thousands, of other runners), but I think anything to help out on my part is useful.

I’ll come back with another post later this week on the subject.

Right now I’m finally laying down for the day. I’m hoping to wake up and run five miles tomorrow before work. We’ll see if that happens or if fatigue rears its ugly head again.

May 14

Leaving it all on the course

I have to admit, this past week was a tough one. Without getting into too many details, I’ll say work was hard. Both jobs were hard.

My students were finishing their last issue of the year. And I worked more than 50 hours at my full-time job. It made for a week of work somewhere in the 70-hour range. I lost count after 60+. So when I got home from work, around 8:45 p.m. on Friday, I was seriously considering not running the Mermaid Series Sirena 18 in Fremont.

But I needed the 18-miler after my longest run of the training cycle at the Big Sur 21-miler a couple weeks ago. It’s not because I thought Big Sur was a disaster, not at all. But the 18-miler was going to be a better proving ground for how the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon might go on June 3.

So I set my alarm clock for 4:30 a.m. I hopped into bed at about 10:30 p.m.

Sleep came quick, but my body didn’t want to wake up. I knew it would be hotter than usual so I grabbed my only Dri-Fit tank top and a longer pair of capris. This would also be the first venture out for my Saucony Hurricane 14s.

I loaded my iFitness belt with Vanilla Bean Gu. And I slathered sunscreen all over myself.

The start was at 7:30 a.m. I made it to the Quarry Lakes site in Fremont by 6:45 a.m. Thomas opted to go to work, so he dropped me off.

It was a beautiful morning.

Too bad I hit a bump nearly immediately. I went to bib pickup and was handed an awesome shirt. I asked where bag check in was. I was told there was none, despite it being on the event’s Facebook page.

I quickly ran away and called Thomas to come back and get my bag. Only after he was on his way did a volunteer track me down and tell me there would be bag check up, but she didn’t know where. By then, Thomas was already making his way back to the park.

Ten minutes later and still with no sign of bag pickup, Thomas was back at the park. I handed him the race shirt and my bag, including my sunscreen.

The only bathroom lines in site were at the “real” toilets. I used the portable ones. At a certain point, and after so many races, I’ve gotten over my fear of portable toilets. So I didn’t have to wait for the bathrooms at all.

The 60 or so people doing the Sirena 18, the longest of all four distances, lined up near the start. After some pumping up from an organizer, we were off.

The first four miles of the run were through the actual park. The first out and back was a nice, mostly fire path road. It definitely wasn’t hard on the legs or knees. I was pacing pretty well through the first miles.

Mile 1: 10:13

Mile 2: 10:49

Mile 3: 11:32 — I took a quick walk break here. I noticed I was pacing out too fast. Way too fast. It was only about 45 seconds at most.

Mile 4: 11:07 — For the first time in a race, I ran and ate my Gu at the same time. I usually stop. I also didn’t walk through the first couple aid stations, I sort of walked/run and tried not to spill water all over me. I did end up spilling water all over me.

Mile 5: 10:57 — Must have been the Gu.

Mile 6: 11:14

Mile 7: 11:56

Mile 8: 11:13

Mile 9: 12:29

Mile 10: 11:39 — Finally reached the double digits, still on the out and back here.

Mile 11: 12:00 — The 11-mile marker was right after the turnaround. Has anyone else ever noticed how awkward turnarounds are? The race field was so small I kind of shuffled around the sign and volunteers.

Mile 12: 13:09 — I stopped to fill up my water bottle at the aid stop.

Mile 13: 11:54

Mile 14: 13:22 — This was kind of my “wall” in this run. This is also where I noticed a difference in the heat. The entire “out” part we ran away from the sun. The “back” part was all in the sun. And while some was covered, not all was.

Mile 15: 11:56 — I’m starting to get tired. It was then I decided NOT to do my last Gu at mile 16 and just see how I did.

Mile 16: 13:09 — Thought to myself: “Maybe I should have done the Gu.”

Mile 17: 13:17 — Second thought: “Definitely should have done the Gu.” Back in Quarry Lakes park, there was no shade. None at all.

Mile 18: 11:03 — I crossed the finish line and thought I hit my Garmin. It read 3:32:51. Then, after being handed my Mermaid Series necklace and a water bottle, I realized the Garmin was still running. It turned off officially at 3:33:07. I was annoyed because the two women who finished in front of me had pacers leading them in. Pacers who took up the entire sidewalk. When I tried to get around them, one of the women sped up.

And also, my Garmin had me at 17.90, which means I ran those tangents a little too well.

So, my unofficial time was 3:32:51.

I waited until Sunday to track down my “official time” only to find a huge problem. I’m not at all listed in the results.

Nowhere.

I’m assuming, after running nearly 30 races, that my timing chip likely failed.

I can’t help but be more than a little upset. I once saw a really nasty battle play out on a Facebook page where a woman wasn’t getting her time fixed and kept asking for it to be remedied. I didn’t understand why she was so upset. Her Garmin had the time.

Now I understand. I spent more than three hours out on that course. I braved the long out and back that nearly took me to Coyote Hills Regional Park (it was in sight at the turnaround).

And I had no time.

On my right foot, above, is the offending D-Tag. I’ve never had a D-Tag fail before. I’ve sent an email to the race organizers. Two girls finished exactly before. I literally came in immediately after.

I know I showed up and I know I did the race. But I want my results too.

I’ll say, that kind of soured a really good experience.

I left every emotion I had out there. I ran consistent. (The slower miles were from filling up my water bottle, adjusting my new shoes, etc.) And I suddenly feel so much better prepared for the upcoming marathon.

I nearly cried when I got to the finish line. It was an emotional 18-mile journey.

My husband caught me coming through the finish, floppy arms and all.

Just as quickly as it started more than three hours and thirty minutes earlier, I was done. I sat down on the grass near the finish. I wasn’t hungry thanks to the Gu. I wasn’t even all that tired. I had a couple blisters from shoes that hadn’t been field tested too much, but that’s to be expected.

And I tweeted about my excitement in my finish:

After an exhausting 60+ hour work week, I just ran the most consistent race of my life. I left everything I had in those 18 miles.

My husband was trying out his new camera lens, so we stuck around for a little bit.

He got a fairly nice one of me too.

I would caution readers that I don’t look that horrid in real life all the time. I clean up pretty well when not covered with sweat and when my hair is done. I promise.

We stopped at a nearby nursery to pick up some Mother’s Day gifts since we were expecting my mom and grandmother’s for dinner in a dual birthday/Mother’s Day celebration. When I started to clean up I noticed a nice sun burn/tan line from my Garmin and my Road ID.

Overall, the Mermaid Series East Bay Run was fairly organized and fun. There were aid stations every couple miles. The volunteers cheered everyone on. And instead of a medal at the end, we got cute little necklaces. On one site it said “motivate” on the other was the run’s logo. Super cute and functional. I can wear this on Monday. I couldn’t do that with a medal.

In the evening, I kicked up my feet and watched some Netflix for a short amount of time before the day finally caught up with me. Early-morning wake-ups for races are to be expected, but nonetheless are fatigue-inducing later in the day.

I feel more ready for this marathon than I was in December. I don’t know if it’s because I have done a second long run or because I’m a better runner now than in December, but I think I’m definitely feeling my stride better.

And I didn’t walk away from this run feeling horrible (outside of the bummer of not being recorded in race results or listed on the site). With another Gu, I probably could have kept going. I know I could have kept going.

There’s something to be said about feeling comfortable in the long run.

May 10

Glaming up for the run

A couple months ago, on fear that the race would fill up like last year’s centennial did, I registered for the 101st Bay to Breakers run in San Francisco. I had a good time last year at it. I can’t say it was a mind blowing experience or anything, but it was a good time.

This year, it’s on my birthday.

So…I figured, party on the run? Wooo! I know how to live it up.

I invited my youngest brother to run it with me. I may have created a monster. He keeps sending me text messages telling me about how he’s running miles under six minutes. Great. He’s going to leave me in the dust. He doesn’t really “run” with me at all.

Since it’s a fun race and most people dress up, I thought this year I would to. Last year I wore regularly running clothes. This year, I’m going full out Holly Golightly.

Yep. I’m bring Audrey to race day.

The last parts of my costume came in the mail today. Everything else I had.

I’ll be wearing my Nike running skirt and a cheap Target fitness tank top as my main outfit.

Then I’ll glam it up a little.

First, I bought some inexpensive gloves at Amazon.com. They are pretty nice too. And, if it’s a little cold in San Francisco, they’ll be nice arm warmers. Win win.

I’ll also be wearing some faux pearls. They look much more white than they are pictured. It’s an H&M necklace that only cost me about $4 at the time. I tend to wear it a lot with plain shirts. I figured if something happened to it, I can easily replaced it.

And I had to buy a princess tiara. This was probably the most experience item added to my costume. It cost $15 from Amazon.com with shipping. It fits fairly snug too. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about it falling off, which I kept thinking would be a problem with this costume.

Of course, Holly Golightly needs a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers. Everyone kept saying all I needed were over-sized glasses. No. Audrey would not settle for that. I actually have owned these for more than a year too. I bought them with my first paycheck from my teaching job at a local community college. I had one of those “OMG, I can afford Ray Bans” moments and just went for it. My dad has worn Wayfarers forever.

I initially bought the glasses thinking I’d never buy another pair of glasses again. So far, I haven’t. I love them. My only worry is losing them along the race path.

I was prompted to put this all together because my brother and I just got our race packets in the mail. Last year I ran it with my friends. So I think it will be kind of nice to have some support this year too.

I’ve also found out that people can still register for Bay to Breakers, meaning it didn’t sell out like I expected it to. Last year, entry was capped at 50,000. I’m assuming that’s the case this year. But a hefty raise in fees, and charging for an adidas tech shirt, may have turned people away. I mean there are other much more organized races in San Francisco (I’m looking at you San Francisco Marathon), but this one is fun.

I don’t really have a “goal” per se. My brother wants to womp me. He will, easily. This one is meant to be fun.

I’ve literally only ran two miles this week and it was tonight. On the treadmill.

I’m running an 18-miler this weekend in Fremont, which is about an hour away in the Bay Area. There’s a huge likelihood that I could come in last if only because I’m treating it as a training run and it’s a small event. The organizers also have a half marathon course, 10K and 5K options. But I signed up specifically because after a 21-miler in Big Sur, the addition of 18 seemed like a nice pre-marathon shake out.

I’m looking forward to it, despite the weather predicting it will be hot. The run begins at 7:30 a.m. I’m hoping I’m done by 11:30 a.m. at the latest. It’s flat trail run with an out and back at the nine mile mark.

May 6

A one-day weekend

I once heard that one in every four women sweat more profusely than the others. I’ve always been one of “those” women. I sweat pretty easily. I’ll start shooting video on a relatively nice day and within 20 minutes beads of sweat will be rolling down my back. This is probably too much information, but it’s true.

In nearly every race photo, I look like a sweat factory.

The photo above is my shirt from today’s run. (No, I didn’t run the marathon last year, only the half, but nearly ALL the apparel for the Nike event is “marathon” related. I only ran five miles too.

Today is Sunday. It’s also my one-day weekend.

Yesterday I had dreams of relaxing and even going wine tasting with my husband. He mentioned it last week. Last night he sent me a text saying his family was having lunch for his nephew today. I didn’t go.

I can count pretty high up on the things I haven’t gone to lately. Ask my parents. Ask my grandmothers. They haven’t seen me in what has been months. Why? I’m tired. And I stay home when I get the chance because every single day Monday through Friday I’m working nearly 12 hours between my two jobs.

What’s that you say? I did this to myself. Yes. And I should be thankful to even have one job let alone two? I am, believe me I am. My second job helps pay for races. And let’s face it, that’s really important to me. Seriously.

But I flat out refuse to do ANYTHING on my days off sometimes. I mean, outside of doing the laundry because if I didn’t no one would. (One time, I’ll tell you about when I went out of two for nearly a week, came home on a Sunday and my husband didn’t have any clothes because he didn’t do his own laundry. It happened.) I’ll be fair, he did vacuum yesterday.

I worked on Saturday launching an annual project at work. I’ll end up switching my day off for Tuesday, which I would have taken as a vacation day otherwise to teacher. So on weeks like this, I do a day switch that results in me having one day off in a 13 day period, because on my day off from my full-time job, I’m at my part-time job all day.

Understand? Yeah, my husband gets lost with my schedule too.

I ran eight on Saturday before work. Today I got up, showered and went to Target early. Because Target early is better, when no one is there. Also because something amazing happened at Target today.

The Shops at Target debuted. It’s like a mini boutique collection. Items from five different shops were put out today. I love it when Target gets fancy.

I score a great navy eyelet skirt for $29.99 from The Webster collection. (No photo because it’s in the washing machine since it’s a very shrinkable 100-percent cotton).

And candy.

The tragedy is that the candy assorted is available in San Francisco, only about 60 miles from me. Not even a long drive considering I lived in Oakland, right across the bay, for two years.

Then I started watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Both movies. One right after another.

I realized a couple hours ago it was time to get my run in. Usually if I wake up, take my shower and start my day, I forget the run. It’s a success when I come back to it and do it.

It was also the perfect time to test out two new items to make my left IT band, the one that rages at me (I imagine it giving me the middle finger when I run), a more happy IT band.

Look! My carpet isn’t a disaster! And I had to tighten that band up quite a bit to prevent it from slipping down over my Nike retro capris, which are longer than most of the capris I’ve been buying lately, a good thing if you ask me. One day I’ll write a side-by-side of the Nike retro capris and the Lululemon Run: In the Sun capris. Same premise, different execution.

I hoped on my treadmill. Which is right next to a window. Which was receiving the bulk of the sun. At nearly the hottest time of the day. Fail.

But I pushed through, watching “Don’t be Afraid of the Dark” with Katie Holmes. I’m usually not a fan of her. I became less of a fan when she married Tom Cruise. Because I’m really not a fan of him. But it was a decently scary horror movie.

I’ve been picking up the pace lately, turning the treadmill to a higher speed. So I averaged a 10:54 mile.

At 54:34 I hit five miles. And, rather than pushing it for a couple more, I decided that was enough.

Then, I tried out my second new running-related item.

It’s the Trigger Point Quadballer. And it’s a little like Heaven.

I immediately rolled out my left IT band, which didn’t have any pain  probably thanks to the new band. It’s much firmer than the Trigger Point Grid roller that I love as well. This puts nice pressure where I need it.

Now I’m rounding out my one-day weekend by watching Netflix on the couch while waiting for clothes to dry for me to fold.

And hanging out with Beau.

Who needs to be brushed. Pretty badly.

A good day? Yes. I know I still need to/want to run outside and not resort to my treadmill. I really want to hit the trails and sidewalks of Mountain House, but my schedule has prevented it lately.

I only have two more weeks of teaching for the semester. Then I’m planning a summer of running. Lots and lots of running.

May 4

Mourning a loss

I went to my local Fleet Feet store earlier this week to find something, anything, to make my IT band feel a little better after my 21-miler in Big Sur. I realized, midway through my run on Sunday, that I’d put about 400 miles on my shoes since I took them out of the box before my marathon last year. Yes. I haven’t switched shoes in five months.

I kept thinking: I better get a new pair of shoes when I’m done.

The problem with running shoes is that you don’t think they could be hurting you, or the root of the problem. I love my Equalon 4+ shoes. I’ve loved them since the first time I tried them on. That first pair was purple. Every subsequent pair has been blue. I have probably eight or nine pairs lying around my house.

So it saddens me to say that Nike has discontinued the model.

I wasn’t having a particularly good day anyway, but this knowledge frustrated me in a way I cannot describe.

Maybe I can.

Yes. I did something like that in the store. I’m so embarrassing sometimes. I was sad. I was angry. Over shoes. Running shoes.

It happens. I know. I’ve read other bloggers lament about the loss of their running shoes.

Finding the perfect running shoes are kind of like Prince Charming putting the glass slipper on Cinderella. It doesn’t matter if the shoes are not attractive, mine weren’t, or if they seem a little dorky, they are perfect when you run miles upon miles.

I wore cheap cross trainers before my Equalons. I had back aches. My body felt out of alignment.

I had a moment when I bought the Equalons. My credit card had one too with the $140 price tag.

Once I thought about switching shoes. I tried on five different pairs, with a very patient sales associate, only to go back to the Nikes. The comfort was there. So was the stability. The Nikes were my shoes.

And now they are not.

Since I needed new shoes anyway, I was fitted on Tuesday for a new pair. A similar pair. One that had all the workings of the Nikes. That didn’t include Nikes, which seemed more flash than function. Two years ago I would have wanted the flash. Now I understand I need the function.

So I introduce to you my new shoe choice:

The Saucony Hurricane 14.

So far I’ve run two treadmill runs in them. I think they are working for me, which is what I was really, really worried about. The Hurricane 14s are lighter than my Nikes. They are also very breathable. The mesh at the toe is literally that, just mesh. You can even kind of see through it.

I’m hoping to go for a longer run outside this week. (Don’t I say that every weekend? Yes, yes I do.)

But the big test will be the Mermaid Run Sirena 18 I’m doing next week. I’m planning on wearing these since, so far, they haven’t required any “break in” time.

I’m sad about the Nikes. Definitely. I feel like I’ve lost an old friend. But I’m hoping the Sauconys treat me right.

May 2

A tough training 21: Part II

My alarm clock at the motel hit close to 3 a.m. and i knew it was time to wake up.

I knew if I fell back asleep I’d wake up tired. I knew if I tried to even hit snooze at 3 a.m. I would make it to the bus. So I rolled out of bed and headed to shower. I’m one of those strange runners who actually showers in the morning before my runs. Just a quick one. And I usually don’t do my hair or anything.

I went to the bathroom. I hit the shower. And I got dressed.

I’m going to be real for a minute: I hate not knowing when I can next go to the bathroom. It’s likely a side effect of taking medication for high blood sugar for three years, but I don’t like not knowing where the closest bathroom is. That makes this next part important.

I ALWAYS get really nervous before my runs. To the point that I have to go. ALL THE TIME. And I was worried, severely worried, about the 45-minute bus ride up the coast. I didn’t know what kind of bus I’d be on. I didn’t know if we’d be stopping anywhere (we weren’t). I was extremely worried.

I know this might be TMI, but this is a real issue for runners.

By the time Thomas dropped me off at the Monterey Marriott at about 4:20 a.m., the buses were lined up.

The volunteers were all really, really helpful. The marathoners were still boarding there buses, so we waited until the 21-milers were allowed to load. I headed into the Monterey Marriott and there was a bathroom right in the lobby. (WOOOOOO!)

Then I realized that we’d be boarding the tour buses, which also have bathrooms on board.

I was THRILLED. It’s hard to explain how thrilled I was. My husband swears up and down I have issues with going to the bathroom too much. He’s also become quite accustomed to it. Others don’t understand though.

I briefly chatted with the woman next to me. Really just to ask her if I could turn off the light. And we were off.

Into the night.

It looked all black.

Seriously. Everything.

We drove quietly up Highway 1. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t. All I could see were taillights of the buses in front of us. I vaguely could make out the waves off the coast. It was eerie.

I read somewhere that the bus ride is disorienting. It is. Very much so. And you think the entire way as you are driving: “I have to run all this to get back to where I started.” It’s kind of daunting.

We made it to the staging area and there weren’t a ton of people there.

And it was still dark.

I opened my bag and pulled out an apple and part of a Luna bar. That was my breakfast. I jumped in a portable toilet right when I got there too. (Never did have to use the one of the bus, which made me really glad.)

And I got some stretching done too.

So I’m actually on a rock. Apparently it was a really popular rock. People kept walking all over me. I wasn’t even in the way.

There were bananas, apples and other fruits. And coffee and water. I don’t drink coffee, but I took down a couple cups of water. I felt a little dehydrated.

As it began to get lighter, a yoga session started. I didn’t partake, instead doing my own stretches. A lot of people did.

At about 6:40 a.m. we were lined up near the bottom of the driveway at Andrew Molera State Park. The road in front of us was 21 miles to Carmel.

The timing mat was actually at the top of the hill. I power walked up it instead of running.

Then things started moving. We took off right at 6:45 a.m.

And just as quickly as I started, I realized this wasn’t going to be easy. I wasn’t doing it for time as much as experience. And it wasn’t an easy path.

All uphill at the beginning, a nice downhill, a huge uphill and rolling hills (and banked streets) the rest of the way. Wow. A nice, easy Sunday run? I think not.

And then there were the headwinds. Yes, headwinds. On Hurricane Point (the tallest peak on the elevation chart) I was battered back and forth across the road. It sucked. My glasses were covered in dew. My long-sleeve shirt was wet at one point. I didn’t even bother taking if off until about three miles before the finish.

I battled. In certain places it looked, in my Garmin data, like I was moving very, very slowly. But I kept going.

Because I was treating it like a training run, I stopped and went to the bathroom whenever I need to. That added more than 10 minutes on to my time.

But it was cold. Damp. Windy. And my head was raging the first eight miles.

Raging. I couldn’t shake the headache.

I just kept moving, hoping it would go away. And it did after about my second Vanilla Bean Gu.

By the way, my savior of the day was the Gu. I wouldn’t have made it without the Gu.

My overall average was 13:14 miles.

The steepest hills were the longest miles. I’m not proud that I took that long. But it happened. I’ll own it.

Thomas was expecting me about the 4:30 time mark.

I came in at 4:42 and he was yelling for me nonetheless. My feet had blisters. My ankles, after running through the banked road in the Carmel Highlands, were now cankles. I’m not even kidding, my ankles were so inflamed I can still not bend them properly.

And my IT band, which seemed to hold out pretty good during the run, started throbbing the moment I stopped. It was kind of like it just knew. It knew I was over. It was pissed. Two days later I’m still dealing with the aftermath of that.

Big Sur isn’t an easy run. And it’s definitely not a true “training run.” But it was beautiful. I didn’t take a lot of photos, obviously, because I was too enraptured in enjoying the beauty in general.

The finish line was crazy busy. I sat down for a good twenty minutes and then realized if I didn’t start walking around, I likely wouldn’t be able to. So I got up and lost Thomas. I realized suddenly that  I had checked a bag with a sweater. I went and grabbed that too. And then Thomas and I decided it was time to leave. I come for the run. I don’t often stay after.

So we started walking off, but not before he shot a last photo of me near the finish.

And I was happy with how it all came together. Sure, I didn’t have the best time. But I got through a very tough training run. I knew that the only way out was through. That’s what I focused on. The good thing about living close to Monterey, only within three hours, is that we hopped back in the car and made our way home after the race.

By 3:30 p.m., I was home on the couch resting my legs with ice.

When it comes down to it, there were likely better ways to get my longest run of the training cycle in. I know that. But I think Big Sur offered a nice challenge. I faced nearly every weather condition on the run and still came out OK. And stronger for it.

Next up? An 18-miler closer to home on May 12. Then Bay to Breakers before the end of this marathon training cycle.

I’m not 100 percent confident in my marathon conditioning so far, but I’m feeling a little more prepared after the Big Sur 21-miler.

May 1

A tough training 21: Part I

Let it be known that I’m crazy sometimes. I often expect a surprising positive results when I know the situation will not dictate it. This is usually the case at work. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Therefore, sometimes, I’m insane.

Signing up for a 21-mile run along the California coast where two miles of it, near the beginning nonetheless, are straight uphill when my training consists of running small rolling hills is definitely a sign that something is very wrong with me.

“It could be fun,” I thought when signing up for the run last December. It was my “I just ran a marathon” gift to myself. Yeah, I used to buy shoes, now I sign up for other runs. I’m crafty like that.

So as the weeks rolled down and I was unable to get in my 15-mile training run preceding the event this weekend, I only started to worry slightly. It was a training run, after all. I was using it as a training run.

Except my husband came along. And we stayed overnight. Thank God too, since my wake-up was at 3 a.m. And we ate a nice dinner. It was very much like my marathon more than six months ago (wow, it’s been that long!).

So we packed up some overnight goods and headed to the Monterey Peninsula for the Big Sur 21-miler.

It was, for the most part, a nice drive. We headed through the Bay Area, on Highway 101. It was about a two hour plus drive. No stops. That’s surprising for me, since I usually have to go to the bathroom on long drives.

We headed up Highway 17 near Santa Cruz, then to Highway 1. The same Highway 1 that leads from Carmel to Big Sur, but we didn’t get that far. We stopped in Monterey where the sun was shining and it was warm.

Oh hey ocean! I’ve missed the open water so much since I left Oakland in 2007. I used to be able to see the San Francisco Bay everyday from the campus at University of California, Berkeley where I earned my masters degree in journalism.

We hit up the expo first thing once getting into town.

My husband is not like me at all when it comes to making things simple. He had to find a place to park that was free. When I was with my mom for the Big Sur Half Marathon last fall, I parked in the first garage I found. Bam. It was $6. Simple and easy. No worry about getting a ticket.

Thomas dropped me off. He went and found a free spot blocks and blocks away.

I’ve blogged about my tired little legs as of late. I didn’t want to walk those blocks. Especially if I knew I’d be running 21 miles the next day. But that’s how he is. (Also note that he is likely one of the most patient men in the world, I do appreciate that too.)

The expo was much more packed than the half was last November.

This was my one clear photo from the shirt pickup.

I went upstairs and found the single line for the 21-miler. It appears only 675 people finished it, so I understand the need for only one line. I just happened to be behind three air-head type women. I’m sorry, I usually don’t call out other people, but these chicks not only didn’t bring their bib numbers to the counter. Then they let another woman get in line with them. Then they asked why they couldn’t pick up their bus tickets right there (it was a three foot walk, seriously). Then they had to stop and take a photo right in front of me. COME ON. Get your stuff and be done.

So I got my bib after all that.

And, more importantly, my bus ticket.

I’ve never felt so much like Charlie from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

I was lucky enough to score a late boarding ticket. “Brown ticket” for “Monterey Marriott Loading.” That meant I was on one of nearly the last buses heading up the coast. Score. I could sleep in.

Little did I know I wouldn’t get to. (THANKS INSOMNIA!)

I went downstairs for my awesome Big Sur 21-miler shirt. It’s light blue, with purple writing. I love it as much as I love my Half Marathon shirt from last November.

Confession: I used to think the Big Sur shirts were so cheesy. I don’t anymore. Big Sur International Marathon has a classic sense to its designs. Nothing frilly. Nothing too fancy. Basic, yet beautiful. Always with some part of the Bixby Bridge on the marathon-style gear.

Thomas caught up to me down at the expo. I was checking out booths. I was hoping to score some new compression sleeves. No go. I didn’t even find anything else other than my race shirt saying “21-miler.” This was like the Nike Women’s Half where everything says Nike Women’s Marathon. Yeah, it’s the event name. I get it.

We did a little expo wine tasting. I even bought a bottle of $20 chardonnay with the marathon logo on it. It was a commemoration bottle. Nice.

But I found chocolate.

A very fancy, expensive chocolate store.

And I partook. Yes, yes I did.

They were expensive. I needed a disclaimer. I still have some left. I’m good at restraint. Not really, though. I ate too much today. Way too much. I promise to be better tomorrow and go back to the diet.

Then we headed to the motel. It was nice. Not too fancy. Not the Hyatt my mom and I stayed at either. Thomas, again, doesn’t like spending a lot on things. He booked one of the cheapest, albeit nicest hotels he could find. It was OK. I always bring a comfort blanket, a tip I got before the marathon, to help me sleep.

On suggestion from one of the Big Sur volunteers, we took some free appetizer coupons and headed to Fisherman’s Wharf where a bunch of marathoners, 21-milers and other event savvy types were headed.

We selected Isabella’s. Our free appetizer was fried artichokes. So good. We opted to eat outside. It wasn’t cold at all. And they were going to seat us in a corner in the actual restaurant. I didn’t really want to sit in a corner when the advertisement said: “All seats are ocean view.” Yeah, not so much.

We were greeted by a seagull who wanted to get all up in our business. He was kind of funny, so he didn’t bother us too much. Thomas even wanted to pose with the seagull. I called him “Buff.” He seemed like a combination between our dog Beau and our duck Duff, so Buff seemed appropriate.

I ordered a margarita. Between tired legs and nerves, I thought it was necessary. And I didn’t drink so much it would be detrimental to the run.

And I ordered beef. A steak. I usually order chicken. Or something lean.

But something caught my eye on the menu.

Rib Eye with a baked potato. And butternut squash risotto. Yes please.

It was delicious.

Then we walked the beach for a little bit and headed back to the hotel.

It was such a beautiful day. The wharf was close to our motel. The dinner was good. Overall, a nice night. We went back to the motel and ate the chocolate and I drank a lot of water. No Diet Coke even. Too bad that didn’t help me fall asleep.

Then I did what I typically do the night before a run.

I put everything out to make getting ready in the morning, at this point 3 a.m., easy for the next morning.

I put my head down at 9 p.m. I thought I’d fall asleep fast based on the fact that I was tired from the drive and seemed to be drowsy. I took a couple Ibuprofens because of a slight headache and laid down. Thomas watched television for a while then went and hung out in the bathroom to let me sleep. He watched Netflix in the bathroom. See, a patient man.

At 10 p.m. I looked at the clock. I still wasn’t sleeping. I tossed and turned. I took another Ibuprofen. I couldn’t sleep. Thomas crawled in bed sometime after 11 p.m. and I kept falling asleep a little, then waking up.

I must have collectively slept for two hours when I looked at my phone and noticed it said 2:52 a.m.

I’m up, I thought. Let’s do this.

And with two hours of sleep and the headache that didn’t seem to be disappearing, I started getting ready for my longest and most difficult training run ever.