Good Things...

Was all set to do the Cloverdale Half Marathon today but the website threw me off a bit (carry your own cell phone we can't provide EMS) and it was the first annual event. I think i'll wait until next year after they work out the kinks.  It was also $100 smackers which I will gladly spend instead on a new pair of shoes or vest I am eyeing.  So I planned to get up at 6:30am and out the door at home by 7am.  The problem with long weekend runs are that weekends are so gloriously lazy at our house and I hate to leave the nest.  I always end up leaving to run about 10am, when it's hot & my belly is too full of pancakes, UGH.  Kiddo is too young for the crazy weekend soccer shuffle yet & we are notorious for not accepting weekend activity invites, just so we can do..NOTHING.  Still, I had to get in a long run today and it was predicted to be warm so I had to make myself GO and the earlier the better.

6:30am was waaaaaay too early though, so I chilled, made breakfast, had some coffee, and ignored my slight migraine headache (since I have been getting them like every single morning, they have become a bore).  I geared up to get out the door.  By the time I was ready to roll I had decided I would just do 5-6 miles and save the long run for mid-week.  I strapped on my new camelback fanny pack water carrier (every single hand-held I have bought I have loathed after a few runs, my arm gets tired, my stride gets thrown off & I end up sticking it in the back of my pants, *awkward*).

8:45am I started off on the Rodota for a no frills no hills run.  The morning was still cool, and I could see hot air balloons landing & vineyards to my left...there are worse ways to spend a Sunday morning!  At first I didn't like the Camelback, (I love to run free~no packs, no phone, nothing but my tiny shuffle  clipped on my bra) I could feel the weight (lord knows I don't need to carry any more weight when running, I'm slow enough as it is!) and it cinched tightly at my waist and I could feel my belly pooching out the bottom below the strap.  Sigh....gotta let the vanity go though, I know for me I can NEVER run vain or it will be a terrible run, thru and thru...so I had to just let it GO.  I did like the tightness of the pack against my waist, I can never put anything below my waist (on my hips) since it will flop around (with a big backside but smaller waist, everything rides up, always) and anything floppy is a run killer.  So I had to pull an Urkel and cinch the Camelback high under my ribs, I'm sure I looked like a fashion maven..NOT.

After a few miles I settled into the Camelback and the way it hugged my lower back felt awesome.  My mind wandered to Caz hugs and how everyone there always squeezes you tight and rubs your back and after having that visual I think I ran the next few miles with a huge grin on my face.  The run was EXTRA-ordinary...body felt amazing & strong, no side aches, barely a twinge from my ankles, everything felt so aligned and again, strong strong strong.  BLISS.  Eleven miles and it felt like a 10k as I wrapped it up, big win!

I kept thinking about the long ride to Dillion beach I had taken on Friday with Miss Amber.  I was a bit stressed about the time since I had to meet kiddo & my folks and I am looking forward to a repeat ride when I don't have to look at my watch.  It was an amazing ride, gorgeous weather & conversation, hilly & long.  I was so surprised and pleased at how I powered up most the hills.  My legs were barking near the final hills but overall, I felt so strong & fit.  I have come so far from that first ride a year ago, when Blondie and I rode Rodota & a little bit of Stony Point road & I was a nervous wreck, I think any soreness I had from that ride was from anxiety not fitness.  I feel so differently now and that has to do with one thing: Getting out there repeatedly, facing the fear monster & moving ahead.  KEEP CALM~CARRY ON....this has never been my strong suit but man, have I changed a lot in the past year.  Crazy awesome.

One thing I have been thinking about during my running (ok, I think about a bazillion things but...) is Volleyball.  In Jr.High I was on the volleyball team and it was hard & I'm not even sure why I was on the team, maybe it was because my friends did it.  At the time I thought our coach was insanely demanding & evil  (but I was not naturally athletic & I was shy, two very difficult things to be on a team sport).  I did not give up though, I did the endless liners, I swallowed my fear during games and bumped the ball and also became a winner when it came to serving.  I had a sneak serve, while all the other girls jumped up and smacked it open handed (way too athletic for me) I hit it softly underhanded & the ball would ...just barely cruise over the net and then not be returned, it was my one & only stellar move.  I basically just showed up, tried to be invisible & not get hit in the face with the ball all while smiling and appearing relaxed (yeah right!)  I really didn't enjoy any aspect of the game but I wanted to be a part of the team and so I smiled, joked and just tried to act like I belonged.  After the season ended and there was awards night, I just sat back and watched everyone else get their kudos, which was cool for me, I didn't mind.  The only awards I ever got were academic ribbons, for things like ordering the most books every month from scholastic book club or for being the only one who honestly liked the 1950's Romeo & Juliet movie they showed in English class.  The volleyball coach handed out all the awards & then was talking about the final award which was for the coaches award or sportsmanship award, I can't recall.  The award sounded awesome though, it was for team spirit & commitment & a positive attitude...overall it was for having a winning personality even if you weren't the most athletic or coordinated person on the team.  I gotta admit in the back of my mind I was praying about how cool it would feel to win an award like that some day...and then she called MY name.  MY name...I wasn't even positive she knew my name, that is how invisible I tried to be or felt I was.  I had never been awarded a trophy in my life, let alone anything associated with athletics or commitment or spirit.  It was an amazing feeling, I'm not sure I really took it all in at the time.  I was in Jr.High too so maybe I didn't really care all that much at the time.  Well...yeah I did.

I still have that trophy.  Now when I'm running I think about it, how I unexpectedly got an award for just being myself, for giving it a try & being funny & smiling even though my stomach was in knots and most of the time I was sure someone would yell from the bleachers "what is SHE doing out there on the court?!?!"  Yet, I was OUT THERE.  I got an award for just being me & apparently me was good enough back then and it is even better now that I actually believe it :-)

Running takes the pain away

It is so odd to me how I can be limping & so sore I don't want to squat down to tie my shoe because my quads are screaming but....a run/walk takes all that soreness away.  Crazy how that happens!  It was slow going at Spring Lake and there was more walking than running the first 20 min but then after warming up, the body felt great and now hours later almost all my half mary soreness is gone.

Pondering Cloverdale Half Marathon.  I love local events, especially new ones and I really would love to support this one in being an annual event.  I guess I could volunteer to be involved but I would rather run...selfish me :-)

http://runthewinecountry.org/

Nike Half Marathon...nice necklace & more

Nike Women's Marathon DONE!  Long story short:  won a free entry from Athletic Soles & ClubOne.  Stressed about driving & parking at 4:45Am but it was a breeze.  Event was HUGE, first time ever I felt anxious about being trampled if anyone started to freak out or yelled 'fire', it was that cozy & close quarters.  Lots of crazy great energy & sooooo many ladies and first timers out there.  So many shapes, sizes & ages.  The course was scenic, a bit too many hills for me but maybe I'm just lazy.  I was sweating buckets, overcast & gray but warm.

• Was thirsty before the start & gulped water at every aid station despite having super hydrated the day before with Nuun & water.  Gotta take a look at my hydration strategy for next event.   Three GU's, might need more & gummy bears & salt.
• Outfit was perfect, exactly what I wear at home, no chafe or issues.  
• Might need new shoes & socks, got blisters & hot spots near big toe, sore feet and soles for first time ever by mile 11.  
• Shuffle said "battery low" after one hour, might need a new one as well, I think I wear out the battery blasting my music.

Felt really strong until mile 7/8 and then lost some steam but overall I just LOVED being out there running, with my music and so many other runners.  It was a dream.  I really like Mermaid & town sponsored events (SF, Santa Rosa, etc) a lot better.  Not a fan of the Nike Giant, their hugely expensive branded clothes & bloated crazy  confusing website (horrible) BUT love TnT and the 108 million raised.  I also LOVE the attention NWM gets and how many women go from couch to 13.1 miles, even if only for once in their life...they are out there.  I love that.

Only ONE small corner of the racing masses

Nike Marathon

San Fran

Happy runner

Running bling

Gearing up for Nike

Spent the past 4 days curled up with a major bellyache and was really missing my regular workouts.  Today hit the pavement in the pouring & misting rain and it was AWESOME.  It's always fun to be on a run and get rained on but actually heading out INTO the pouring rain is another story.  Had to dig deep but oh my was it worth it.  Warm but soggy, the legs felt amazing after 4 day break.  Just felt free & empowering to be out in the empty gray morning, although even in rain, the older folks who walk their dogs are always out...I love it.

I wish I was doing Nike with a group or at least one person I knew, the shuffle to get to the city pre-race is a bit tricky & not excited about that but overall super-stoked to be with 22,500 other amazing female runners who are out there getting it done.

Fuel

I wish I ate clean 100% of the time, I know my body would love me for it.

STRETCH!

I wish I could outsource my Fonda to someone...

Best Ever

Best ever ad....I think of nearly ALL of these things on a run (except the Vaseline...ok maybe that too, I admit... when my armpits chafe on long runs).

They scored big with this ad, kudos marketing department & you're runner research! Pancakes, cheetahs, potties, donuts (even the pink is spot-on), all of it...this is the visual mind of a runner. Makes me proud to be one!

Quiet Stillness

My cozy autumn/winter feelings are already creeping back in & I am feeling quieter, slower & wanting to fill my belly with all things pumpkin!  It is also that time of year that I eat a lot of rich foods & sweet foods...usually I eat for comfort & also 'tis the season of goodies all around.  I'm not swearing off the goodies for the season, I can't (and don't want to do that, I like my pumpkin pie & candied walnuts too much) but I am committing to working out and eating as clean as possible so that I feel good & confident during the dark & short winter days when those cases of the "lazy's, downers, mopey's" can creep in to your psyche.  I also love the tradition of not making new year's resolutions based on my weight, fitness or health.  This is the 3 or 4 year that I have committed to getting healthy BEFORE Jan 1 to avoid the "next year I will love my body & be happy with myself"...I want it now not next year!

Did a fabulous 5k Harvest Fair fun run today with Storm & CJ Lightening, Saxy (10k for her!)...a beautiful autumn morning.  I was super tired from a long 9 mile run the day before (on the heels of a long run Thursday, which I shouldn't do, need more short runs) & night out dancing but it felt amazing to be out there & push through the tired & get those endorphins, nothing better!  Ummmm yeah and CJ Lightening is only 8 wks post-baby delivery and KICKING ASS, I am so motivated by her grit & grace!

The last week or so I have been very quiet & tired, not sure if it is coming off being sick, running, triathlon, or getting sick again (nooooo) but I seem to think it has to do with the change of the seasons and needing to just be quiet & cozy.  It's not a bad quiet, just mellow, a bit weepy (but not in a sad way), my acupuncturist would have some beautiful way to sum up my feelings & remind me to just chill during the cold dark months....To take care of myself & SLEEP more.  Runners World mag said that while training for a marathon one should get 9-10 hrs of sleep a day, WHAT?!?!?!  

On my schedule for fall is: the Nike Women's Half Marathn in 2 weeks (YEAH!), Mermaid 10k in November and a Maui Marathon in January.  I have already started mapping out fun events for 2012 that I don't want to miss. I hate it when I look up an event and see it was the weekend before or something.  I really want to do a lot of women centered runs, centuries & Tri's in 2012.

List of Awesome (my to-do list basically :-)

• 2012 events calendar (Cinderella, Death Ride, TriGirlTri, P10)
• Core work, arm weights, strength training
• Gym classes for cardio, strength & crankcycle
• Clean eating
• Acupuncture
• Physical Therapy on right ankle