Kristen Keeping Up

My 30th Year Challenge

2012-01-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Last year my friend and riding partner Samantha rode all 545 miles and raved that it had truly been an an experience of a lifetime. So much so she is doing it again this year.

As I turn 30 in 10 days I wanted something "big" to start this new chapter of my life, something unlike anything else I have done before. After hearing about Samantha's experience, the physical and mental challenge, the sense of community along the way and the opportunity to support an excellent cause I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. After a talk with the husband, my family and my boss I decided to go for it and from June 3 - June 9 I will ride with 2200 others 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

There are a lot of things that scare me about this ride - how will I ride an average of 80 miles a day for 7 days? How do I even begin to make a training plan? There will be hills, we will be sleeping in tents, there will be no electricity. Will I really be able to raise the $3000 I need to ride this event?

However, the fact that I have these fears makes me know that this is exactly the challenge I am seeking. I think it is good to be a little {a lot} scared - it makes you work harder and push yourself further so you know you don't fail.

The other thing that intrigues me about this ride is the chance to not only do something good for myself but something good for others. I have to raise $3000 in order to participate in this ride. All the money goes directly to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. I know everyone has a cause that they support but if you find yourself with any extra change hanging around I would love to have your support. I will take dollars, I will take pennies, I will take your well wishes - nothing is too small and everything is greatly appreciated.

I feel so lucky to have found hobbies that bring me such joy and if you asked me five years ago what I would wanted to do to celebrate my 30th birthday I can 100% guarantee I would not have said ride 545 miles for fun. Now I can't think of anything better.

Here is to a great start to a new decade of adventures!

Race Report: Brazen Races NYE 10k/New Years Day 5k

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mid-December as I was checking out race websites planning my 2012 race calendar I came across Brazen Races. I knew they hosted primarily trail runs and given that one of my goals for 2012 is some trail running I decided to see what they had to offer. As I was perusing the site I saw they had a NYE race and a New Years Day race and if you did both you got a really cool medal - even if you didn't do the half marathon. Motivated by bling I signed Kevin and I up for 10ks for both days.

NYE 10k

My back, while better, is still not 100% and I am on my way to the doctor today to discuss some more options. However, race morning I felt pretty good but slightly nervous since I haven't run more than 5 miles in about two months.

The course was a out and back course - half paved trail and half packed dirt trail - running along Lake Chabot. Not having ever done trail running before I wasn't 100% sure what to expect but I knowing I was only doing this race for fun took pressure off.

The race started and we were off. The first mile and half was on the paved trail. Around mile 1.75 we ran over a little bridge and were on the dirt trail for the rest of the race until we hit the bridge on the way back.

Right at mile 2 we hit a fairly good size hill - that kept going, and going and going - for about 1.2 miles. I had looked at the elevation chart but guess I was picturing a hill that was more like the ones that can be found in the Nike Women's half. In my opinion this one was way steeper than any of the hills in that race. I ran the first 1/4 mile but some points were so steep I ended up walking most of it but I wasn't alone, everyone around me was too. Despite the climb, the top provided fantastic views - I wish I would have taken a picture.

At the top was a water station stocked with not only water/Gatorade, etc but fruit, pretzels, gummy bears and other yummy snacks. I was so impressed as I had never seen this for a running event before.

It was fun to fly down the hill on the way back. It was precarious at points but I love a good down hill. Once we were down the hill it was an easy 1.75 miles on paved trail back to the finish.

Garmin Stats
Distance: 6.37 miles
Time: 1:11:48/11:16 min/mile avg

Race Stats
Distance: 6.2 miles
Chip Time: 1:13:01/11:45 min/mile avg

New Years Day 5k

As I mentioned above, originally I had planned to do two 10ks but I think that climbing that hill threw my back for a loop because it was not happy Sunday morning despite my attempts to stretch it around. I decided to drop to the 5k. Like I said, these races were for fun, not time, and there was no sense in pushing myself farther when I didn't need to.

We had a fairly mellow NYE, fun, but mellow so I woke up feeling just fine. The 5k course was the paved portion of the 10k so I knew exactly what to expect.

Once we started my back was pretty angry so I focused on trying to keep a slow (i.e. not a 5k race pace) and steady pace. Once I settled in I felt a little better but was not regretting the decision to only do the 5k.

Garmin Stats
Distance 3.34
Time: 35:14/10:32 min/mile avg

At the finish both days they had quite the abundance of snacks - the standard bagels, oranges, bananas but also pies, a candy table, hot chocolate, coffee and ice cream sandwiches! Not wanting to "ruin" my workout I only took some hot chocolate but the organization of this race was beyond amazing and the fact they give you a medal no matter what distance you do it pretty cool too. The prices were also completely reasonable despite the little extras. I will definitely do more Brazen Races in the future!

Of course, I got what I came for - my medals! One for each race and then a third connector piece to make one large medal.

Both runs were a really fun, and different, way to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012! Hope your new year started off with a bang!

Farewell 2011/Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a year 2011 was - a complete 180 from 2010. I sure hope this good fortune continues into 2012.

I approached my goals for 2011 differently than in the past. Ending the year with a pretty severe injury and having to re-take the bar again, I didn't want to set myself up for failure. Instead, I focused on setting small goals throughout the year based on my back recovery and getting my career on track.

I did lay out a few small goals to get the year going and I can proudly announce I accomplished them ALL! That feels SO good to say after the disappoints and failures of 2010.

2011 Goals

1. Complete Oakland 1/2 Marathon, Cinderella Challenge, Big Sur Marathon, Wine Country Century and Levi's Ride.

DONE! Due to my never-ending back injury saga I didn't run/ride all these events like I hoped BUT I completed them all and had a blast.

2. Spend more time on my bike.

DONE! I did 5 organized bike events this year - one being another century ride - plus two triathlons. I also hit my goal pace on my bike for my 70.3 - at least 15 mph for 56 miles!

3. Complete a 70.3.

DONE!! Recaps here and here. I am so happy I was finally able to accomplish this goal which had originated in 2009. I can't wait for the next one.

4. Dive into trail running.

DONE! I squeaked this in just in time and completed the Brazen Racing New Years Eve 10k. Race report coming with the Brazen Racing New Years Day 10k. Brazen Racing might just be one of my new favorite race organizations - it was awesome!

5. Pass the Bar.

DONE DONE DONE!!! Despite knowing that for some this was an easy, "pass on the first time no big deal" event, this accomplishment for me still makes me giddy. I even took it one step further and even have an awesome job!! This made my year.

This picture will NEVER get old!

Without further adieu, here are my goals for 2012:

Athletic Goals
1. New PRs

In 2012, I will be gaining a "3" in front of my age and losing a "2" which means I will be moving into a new age group and hoping to set new PRs in each of the following distances:

5k
10k
Half Marathon
Marathon
70.3

As they say, I hope things get better with age. :)

2. Become a stronger cyclist.

This is a little difficult to measure as organized bike rides are just that, "rides" not "races," but my Garmin distinguishes between "overall time" and "time actually riding the bike" so I am hoping to see faster "time on the bike" times for the distances as the year goes on. I also hope to become a stronger climber. Again, slightly hard to quantify right now in terms of measuring results but I think this will be a good one to incorporate into specific rides as the year goes on.

3. Continue exploring trail running.

Professional Goals
Bro Bono Work

First, I cannot stress how much I am enjoying my job. I am extremely lucky to have landed it in this economy and I don't take it for granted for a second. I have an incredible, patient, smart boss and mentor and wonderful co-workers who put up with my incessant questions. Despite some long hours and struggling to find that "work/life" balance (my own time management) I truly enjoy going to work everyday. However, outside of work I would really love to take on some cases pro bono and help give back. I have always felt strongly about public interest work and now I am in a place where I have the time and resources to give back in this way.

Personal Goals
While I was in law school I picked up a bunch of new hobbies - sadly, I never had the time to actually cultivate them. FINALLY, I can make them a priority.

1. Re-learn to knit.

2. Learn to use my camera. (I have a beautiful DSLR camera and use the auto setting)

3. Get caught up on all my photo albums. (I am still working on 2009)

4. Limit computer usage (I can get lost online for hours)

Easy enough right? I can't wait to get started! And for a trip down memory lane, here is some of the highlights of 2011.

January and February

I did a lot of studying.

March

I hobbled through the Oakland 1/2 Marathon but had a blast.

April

Rode 65 miles in the Cinderella Classic

Headed to Michigan where Kevin was a groomsman in one of our good friends' wedding

May

Had a great weekend in Carmel running the Big Sur 9 miler

Rode 100 miles in the Wine County Century with my favorite riding partner

Passed the bar (I won't make you look at the picture again)

Celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary whitewater rafting

June

Got sworn in as an attorney

Rode 71 crazy, cold, wet miles in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

July

Rode my bike around 17 mile drive

Started planning my sister's wedding

Did my first Olympic distance triathlon - the California International Triathlon

August

Took a much needed vacation to Costa Rica

Rode 65 miles in the Tour of Napa

Made it to the summit of Mt. Diablo on my bike (the hardest 10.8 miles of my life)

September

Finally got to cross the finish line of a 70.3 - Big Kahuna

Started my new job

Hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law and new nephew

October

Rode my favorite 60 mile ride at Levi's Gran Fondo

Oh, and met this man

and Levi himself

Was lucky enough to run the Nike Women's Half again

Became a godmother

November

Took Kevin whale watching for his birthday and got incredibly sea sick

but we saw a great white shark

Enjoyed watching our 49ers have a wonderful season

Became an Aunt and Uncle

Continued our Thanksgiving tradition with a Turkey Trot

December

Spent a weekend in Lake Tahoe

After 4 years of producing the Nutcracker at my old job, got a treated to the REAL one in SF

Got completely spoiled and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with family

and finished the year with a 10k on NYE

Cheers to a wonderful 2012!

Race Report: Walnut Creek Turkey Trot 5k

2011-11-26T19:21:00.001-08:00

One of my all time favorite days to run is Thanksgiving morning. It always feels great to get in a few good miles before the feasting begins. This year was no exception and Kevin and I lined up for our 5th year in a row for a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. While we lived in Sacramento it was Run to Feed the Hungry, last year was the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot and this year we decided to run in the Walnut Creek Turkey Trot.

When the alarm went off I heard rain on windows. I actually don't mind running in the rain but always have a hard time deciding what to wear as the rain always makes me think it is colder than it really is. I went with long sleeves with a tank underneath, capris and my favorite Northface headband. Around mile 1.5 I was regretting the long sleeves (which is why I usually just wear arm warmers) but knowing I only had 1.5 miles to go I resisted the urge to stop and take it off.

I hadn't picked up our race packets before hand so we left at 6:30 am because I wasn't sure about traffic, parking, etc. Needless to say we had our packets and were back in the car by 6:55 am with an hour and five minutes to go before the race started at 8:00. I spent the whole time massaging my back with the stick as it was a little tight from my run the day prior and giving me a little bit of trouble.

We walked over to the start around 7:50 and easily got a spot in the 9:00-10:00 minute mile corral and the rain was just starting to let up at this point. We were both signed up for the 10k but I told Kevin that if my back started to tighten up I was going to cut out at the 5k split. I had no goals for this race other than to have fun so it was not worth being in pain for.

The gun fired and we were off. One thing about Turkey Trots is they usually allow baby joggers (I guess a lot of 5ks do for that matter) so I spent a good portion of mile one dodging them (that's what happens when you are slow). Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that families are out there together and I fully intend on continuing the Turkey Trot tradition with a baby jogger when I have kids but I promise to be considerate and stay to the far left or right so people don't have to go around me.

Around mile 1.5 I felt the all to familiar twinge of of my muscles tightening in my back. I told myself to just try and stick it out but I have been having such successful (short, but successful) runs lately I didn't want to push my luck and knew I would be much happier to finish a shorter race pain free than a longer race in pain. When I finally caught Kevin I told him I was going to duck out at the 5k but for him to continue on with the 10k. Once I knew I only had less than 1.5 miles to go I picked up the pace and really enjoyed the rest of the race.

Mile 1: 10:43
Mile 2: 10:18
Mile 3: 10:03
Mile .1: 9:55
Total: 32:00 (10:21 avg)

I have clearly lost a lot of speed over this past year being injured but this past month I have been completing runs without having to stop and walk (a huge improvement) so I consider that a success and a step in the right direction to being healed!

I got in some good stretching and ran into a friend waiting for Kevin to finish - he wasn't too far behind me!

There wasn't much time to hang out after though as we had an important person to go see:

My nephew was born on November 22 and was still in the hospital on Thanksgiving which was only minutes from where the race finished. I am so in love with the little guy (even though he looks a little terrified of me in this picture!) He was scheduled to be born on November 28th but decided he wanted to make his appearance a little bit early. He is healthy, happy and truly blessed to have two of the best parents in the whole world - and of course, the best uncle and auntie in the whole world. :)

From there we rushed home as I had a turkey to get in the oven. We hosted my family and Kevin's parents for Thanksgiving.

Today we got in a good ride with great company and tomorrow I get to catch up with one of my best friends and my godson.

There are just too many cute babies in my life!

2011 has brought me so much to be thankful for - I am such a lucky a girl. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your families!

Race Report: Big Kahuna Half Ironman Reflections {part 2)

2011-11-12T23:06:00.001-08:00

Despite the fact it might not make it on the blog, after every race/ride I always take a moment to look back at my training - did I stick to the plan? if yes, did I accomplish what I set out to do? if not, why? then how can I make myself more successful next time?

Planning My Training Plan

For this race I loosely used the Essential Week-By-Week Training Guide by Matt Fitzgerald to help me formulate my plan. This book is pretty amazing and has training plans for triathlons from sprint distance to full ironmans. Each distance has 10 plans based on how hard/how much time you have to train - level 1 being "just finish" and level 10 being "devote your entire life to training but achieve a massive PR." When I initially created my training plan I worked in training in anticipation of some fall events (a century and a marathon), and thus needed to be training at distances longer than prescribed in the book. About week 4 I realized my back injury was not going to let me continue training for those events so I revised my training usually the book level 4 for the cycling distances but made up my own workouts and used a half-marathon training plan I had to fill in the running workouts. As for the swimming I based the majority of my swim workouts on level 5, with a few from level four to get back into swimming in the beginning and a few I made up on my own when I wanted to swim farther.

The plans in the book are 20 weeks long. My plan was 12. While I would have liked to have a 20 long plan, I didn't want to commit to the race until I knew whether or not I passed the bar as that would determine whether or not I could take the summer to train. Luckily I passed, however, the consequence of waiting was a shorter training cycle. The race was important to me though, and I hoped that with a slightly more aggressive plan combined with my fitness base 12 weeks would be adequate time.

Executing My Training Plan

I had a few set backs - a sliced finger that kept me out of the pool for two weeks, a back flare up, a trip to Costa Rica (ok, ok a self induced set back but completely and totally worth it), and a broken toe.

I think my plan was 100% doable but doesn't mean I hit every workout. Despite being unemployed throughout the majority of the training time (although looking for a job felt like a full time job at times), my schedule was almost more unpredictable than if I had a job. Generally, I feel like I am the type of person who is more successful when my schedule is packed versus open. For example, when I know I only have "from 7:00 - 8:00" to work out I do it because I know that is the only time I have. However, when I could say workout anytime between "7:00 and 1:00" my procrastination tendencies would kick in and I would be scrambling to get it in the last minute. Totally and utterly my own fault but owning up to it is the first step right? :) That being said, while I rarely did the right workout on the prescribed day, I only missed a handful of workouts that were beyond the control of the above 4 setbacks.

Effectiveness of My Training Plan

Swimming
Swimming is my "strong" sport and I loved my swim workouts. I definitely think my plan was adequate and I saw a great improvement in my swimming throughout the 12 weeks.

Biking
The book incorporates speed workouts that I did not incorporate into my plan. Like I mentioned in my race recap, I hit my goal of 15 mph/avg so my training, so yes, I can say the plan was effective.

Running
Ultimately, I think my running left a lot to be desired. On the one hand I did have some injury setbacks, on the other hand I think there were times I was afraid to push myself harder for fear of making the injury worse and forcing me to withdraw from the race altogether. As written, I think the plan would have been effective, especially given that I am not a newbie to running. As executed not so much.

What I will Do Different Next Time

Swimming
While overall I was pleased with my swimming, I would definitely incorporate more open water swims to work on sighting.

Biking
Even though I met my "goal" I want/need to get faster. I am definitely stronger on the bike when it comes to climbing than I was when I started but I am still slower than I would like to be. I will definitely be including a "speed workout" each week next time.

Running
Run more - plain and simple.

Misc
I did one Olympic triathlon to prepare for this race and I am so glad I did. However, next time I would try to get in at least two or three tun up races. I would also do more brick workouts. While there were many "double days," rarely did I do them in a race setting going immediately from one to the other.

What This Race Meant to Me

Isn't it funny the difference a year can make? Last year I had a few minor and major setbacks which seemed to make it impossible to achieve many of the goals I set for myself. I understand that in the big scheme of life these were minor bumps in the road but at the time they felt major.

On May 13, 2011 at 6:00 pm I achieved my major personal/career goal I failed last year - I got the news I passed the California State Bar.

This left my fitness goal. Last year I was in the midst of training for Barb's Half Ironman when I found out I was going to have to take the bar again. I had to bow out of training although I still went and cheered on Alisa and Tara and watched them become half iron{women}. Thus, this year after I found out I passed the bar I knew my next goal (besides finding a job) was to get my half ironman.

Thus, even though I may be slightly disappointed with my my time, this race was kind of like my last obstacle I had to overcome to fully be able to put the disappointments of 2010 behind me and I did just that.

My overall training stats include:

28.71 miles swam

638.76 biked

112.38 ran

over 12 weeks.

So . . . will I do another? I think we all know the answer to that. July 8, 2012 Portland Rev3. I will get my sub 7:00. Training starts March 5.

Race Report: Big Kahuna Half Ironman {part 1}

2011-11-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

I did it. I am a {half} ironman.

I know, I know. This post is long overdo and funny enough it has been almost completely written for a month but I just couldn't press post. For one, work (more on that later) and have been swamped with 50 hour work weeks but more so I was struggling to convey my emotions about this race. When I finished I was so happy to have finished but a week later I was really upset with my performance and realized while I went in wanting just to finish (or at least that is what I told myself) I wasn't really happy with just "finishing." I had set a goal and missed it. Some races I am a-ok with that but this race was too big to "just finish." Thus, my initial report was fairly negative and I didn't want to convey that it was a negative race because despite missing my overall goal I did hit my swim and bike goal. These last 6 weeks I have been working has given me a chance to step back from running, biking, blogs etc for a bit and take a break and put things in perspective. I think I have finally found my groove - have gotten back into training - and am slowly learning to balance life as an attorney and life.

I won't be gone as long this time but I have found that when life becomes hectic blogging takes a backseat and I have to be okay with that.

So, without further ado, (I know the suspense has been killing you these last two months), my Big Kahuna Half Ironman race report!

Pre-Race

To say I was restless the night before was an understatement. I barely slept a wink and when the alarm went off at 4:00 am I sprung out of bed. Our hotel was a mere mile from the race start but the transition area opened at 5:00 am and I learned from my last tri that location is key and I wanted an end spot. I was there at 5:05 am and nabbed a prime spot on the end. At 5:25 am I was all set up and body marked and had nothing to do but wait until the race started at 7:00 am.

I tried to eat and managed to choke down 1/2 a protein bar and 1/2 a banana but my nerves got the best of me.

Around 6:45 they started doing general announcements so we headed to the beach. I was in the 4th wave so my race would be starting at 7:15. I did a small warm up swim and instantly grateful to have decided to rent a full arm and leg wetsuit (from Sports Basement - only $25 for a week rental!!) I was toasty warm in the high 50 degree water.

Swim - 1.2 miles

Big Kahuna is an ocean swim out and around the Santa Cruz pier. Another race no-no, I never practiced swimming in the ocean. Other than sharks I wasn't too worried though. I knew I could go the distance and luckily the ocean was calm that morning.

They started the race with an "authentic" Hawaiian welcome and right at 7:00 am the elite and 24 and under men were off.

Pretty soon the 7:10 wave left and it was time to file into the corral. It was a beach start which meant when the horn sounded we ran into the water.

By this point I wasn't really nervous anymore. The adrenaline was pumping and I just wanted to go.

Once we hit the water I immediately figured out what was going to make ocean swimming hard - breathing! For the first five minutes it seemed that every time I took a breathe a wave was rolling by at the same time and I was taking in LOTS of saltwater.

The buoys were a little hard to sight. I thought we only had to swim to the end of the pier and then turn right and head back into shore. Oh no, we swam past the pier to a buoy, straight out to another buoy and then into shore and due to the swells they were kinda hard to see. I managed to "swim the tangents" for lack of a better description very well though and minimize any extra distance.

I ended up LOVING the swim! Maybe it was the wetsuit covering me so I never encountered anything gross touching my skin, or the fact that I couldn't see in the water so nothing freaked me out or maybe it was hearing the sea lions under the wharf as we swam by. Whatever it was the swim was awesome. I quickly found myself amongst the leaders as we rounded the first buoy. As we rounded the second buoy I was passing green caps (men from the 7:10 wave). I love that I actually get to pass people when I swim - such a change from the other sports.

Pretty soon the red arch was in sight and not soon after the sand was underneath my feet. As I stood up I looked for a clock but couldn't see anything. As I grabbed my Garmin from my dad he said 31 minutes. 31 minutes what? I thought. 31 minutes slower than he thought? It wasn't til I looked down and saw he meant a 31 minute swim. I figured there was no way that could be right - he must have started my watch too late. That was only three minutes slower than I swam the .92 miles at the California Olympic Triathlon and that was about a quarter mile shorter than this race.

Goal Time: 45:00 or under
Actual Time: 31:40:2
4/35 Age Group (Women 25-29)
111/620 Overall

T1

The transition area was about a quarter mile away from the transition area so I decided to have one of my "crew" (aka parents, husband and in-laws) have some shoes waiting for me as I exited the water as the thought of stepping on rocks the whole way was not appealing. The transition went smoothly and I took my time to make sure I didn't forget anything.

Goal Time: 10:00 or under
Actual Time: 9:30

Bike - 56 miles

One of my main concerns was getting my broken toe which I "claimed" was 80% healed at the time but think it was really 80% broken into my bike shoe. Oh it was a tight fit and that toe screamed at me for all 56 miles but I wasn't about to give into it.

I profiled the course before the race and it appeared to only have a little over 1000 feet of climbing. Of course, my garmin had some issues during the bike and will not load the bike portion of the race so I was unable to get an elevation profile but lets say the course felt a lot more than 1000 feet of climbing.

It was an out and back course and in my relentless search for race reports for this race (which there are few) many people talked about the strong headwind. I had it in my head the wind would be on the "out" portion of the ride. Thus, for the first 25ish miles, despite the hills (oh the hills) I was keeping a 17mph - 18mph pace and thinking to myself, "if I am flying against the wind the way back must be awesome."

Then I turned around and was immediately hit by a huge wall of wind. I wish my garmin would have recorded my times as I would love to compare the time it took me to get "out" versus the time it took me to get "back". I was pushing with everything I had in me and going about 11/12 mph and being passed left and right. This race had a very fast field and men and women were whizzing by me. I tried really hard to keep focusing on the fact that I was still hitting my goal of maintaining a 15mph pace but I was getting really frustrated since I felt I was doing so good (for me) and yet I was still being passed like crazy. Luckily, my "crew" stopped at 5 points on the way back to cheer me on and I needed it every time (although I kept thinking to myself if I see them one more freakin' time I am going to jump in the car with you and please don't stop stopping in case I get a flat and need your help).


freakin' hills that never ended


this is my "this sucks but I am still smiling" face

At the time, I thought the hills + the wind made the ride tough, and don't get me wrong, it was a tougher course than I anticipated, but now that can look back on it the pain was definitely more mental than physical (minus the toe). I have had countless tough rides - heat, rain, over 4000 feet - but this one was mentally rough. While I felt good about my performance - this was the speed I trained hard to maintain - the amount of people passing me made me think otherwise and I wasn't mentally strong enough to let that not affect me.

Despite my bad attitude, the course was beautiful set along side the pacific coastline. I fueled every 15 miles and that seemed to be perfect. I never felt hungry or fatigued. Once I hit 52 miles we were back in town and I was able to hear the crowd. At this point I knew I could hit my goal of under 3:45 so I just put my head down and channeled all my negative thoughts into those last 4 miles keeping a 18/19 mph pace.

Goal Time: 3:45:00 or under
Actual Time: 3:41:37/15.2 mph avg
33/35 Age Group (Women 25-29) - speedsters I tell you!
592/620 Overall

T2

Like T1 I wanted to take my time and just make sure I had what I needed. As I pulled off my bike shoe and slipped my foot into my running shoe I instantly knew this was going to be a long 13.1 (how long I did not anticipate). It was fairly numb at that point (good and bad) and for a split second almost decided to make the tri and "aqua bike" but kept telling myself that there is "no greater pain than that of quitting." My goal was to complete the distance and if I had to walk so be it - I was going to cross that finish line and with that I grabbed by water belt, threw on a visor and made my way out to the run.

Goal Time: 10:00 or under
Actual Time: 5:20.9

Run - 13.1 miles

The run was an out and back as well along the coast and some dirt trails. My throbbing toe told me I wasn't going to run the whole 13.1 so from the get go I set a run/walk scheme - run .5, walk .1 and was able to maintain this for the first 4/5 miles. By mile 6 it was more like run .5/walk .5 and by mile 8 is was just plain walk. And walk I did til mile 12.

At the turnaround they have a little totem guy with a lei on. I have no idea why I loved that so much but I think because we were seriously out in the middle of nowhere on a cliff with the Pacific ocean crashing on the rocks and here is this totem with a lei. Maybe I was just delirious?

I will say I know my running was not up to par due to back injury. While I had completed a good number of short runs the longest training run I did was 8 miles. Had my toe not been broken I can 110% say I would have been faster, however, if I am being truly honest with myself, despite all my training, I definitely gave running the short end of the stick. I think it came down to the fact I was terrified of re-injuring myself. Swimming and biking never hurt my back but running did and I needed to do this race - for me. Symbolically it was like the icing on the cake for 2011. 2010 held so many "personal goal" disappoints, a half ironman being one of them, I needed to know I could finish this and running potentially meant further injury which meant I might not race. Was this smart? No. If someone else did it would I say they were nuts? Yes. Will I make the same mistake again? Absolutely not.

Much of the course is open and there are other runners running and people milling around not a part of the race. So many of them passed on encouraging sentiments that it really helped make the run not so lonely (obviously there weren't much of us left out there at that point).

The last mile of the run has you running on the beach. I was amazed with the amount of spectators still out cheering.

I dug deep for that last mile ultimately focusing on that it would be yards until I was a {half} ironman.

And can we discuss these finishing pictures for a minute? My family was so excited they temporarily spaced on their camera duties and these are the pictures I have crossing the finish line. I swear I did throw my hands up and jump over the finish line - I didn't cross looking like death.

I immediately sat my butt in the sand and ripped off my shoe. I honestly thought I might have to amputate my toe. One my toe could breath it sank in I just finished 70.3 miles - I was a {half} ironman!! (although, I distinctly remember mumbling NEVER again as I lay in the sand, although I said that after my first half marathon in 2007 and well, we all know how that turned out!)

Goal Time: 2:45:00 or under
Actual Time: 3:28:03/15:53 avg {gulp, that is hard to swallow}
35/35 Age Group (Women 25-29)
613/620 Overall

FINAL RESULTS

7:56:12

34/35 Age Group (women 25-29)

600/620 overall

Despite the few disappoints I had - both beyond my control (toe) and in my control (run) - I have to focus on the fact that I hit my goals on the swim and the bike and at the end of the day crossed the finish line after going 70.3 miles. Now, I don't want that statement to come across as settling - when I set a goal I have every intention on following through with it and it kills me when I fall short but this was a learning experience, a new distance, and I am armed with knowledge for the next one (ha, you had to know I would be back for more). My very first marathon taught me that and I while I walked away accomplished I knew I had more in me and came back six months later for a 56 minute PR. I know a 7:00 (or faster) 70.3 is in me and I intend to accomplish it.

When I crossed the finish line they had a bunch of food, which looked delicious but the thought of eating seemed very unappetizing at that moment in time so I just grabbed water and we headed home. I passed out as soon as we hit the road and woke up an hour later and we were just about home. At that moment I had the most intense craving for Taco Bell nachos. I can't even tell you the last time I had Taco Bell but I had to have those nachos - fake cheese and all. Kevin looked at my crazy-eyed but knew better than to mess with a girl who just went 70.3 miles and indulged me in my request.

Now that time has passed and I can reflect more clearly I can say with confidence it was crazy, it was tough but it was worth it, and I can't wait to do it all over again in 2012!

Big Kahuna: Goals

2011-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

In nine hours I will be diving into the Pacific Ocean to begin my very first half ironman. It has been quite a journey to get to this day and I wish I had more time to reflect on it right now but 4:00 am will come too soon so I need to get to bed but I wanted to post my goals.

When I originally began my training my goal was to finish the 70.3 mile distance in under 7 hours. However, after reflecting on all that has happened over the last 12 weeks, mostly by never ending nagging back injury and last minute broken toe that is at about 80% healed right now, I am thinking this might be too ambitious. Thus, here is my hopes for tomorrow.

Goal: 7 hours and 30 minutes
Swim: 45 minutes
T1: 10 minutes (due to the fact the transition is .25 miles from the water)
Bike: 3:45
T2: 5 minutes
Run: 2:45 (due to toe)

However, as with any race and especially since this is my first 70.3, my ultimate goal is to cross the finish line with a smile on my face.

Packet picked up and ready to go!

The race starts with a swim around that wharf. I am excited and scarred out of my mind all at once. Thank you for all your support during these last 12 weeks. Tomorrow at this time I will be a {half} ironman!

Big Kahuna: Week 10

2011-09-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

I kind of feel like I should re-name my blog "Keeping Up with Kristen's Injuries." Last week I hit a bit of a rock in the road (literally).

See Tuesday I had a job interview. Three months and countless resumes later I finally had an interview. Having not interviewed for a job in over five years I spend Monday diligently practicing every question they could throw at me. I memorized, names, schools, interests of people I could possibly be interviewing with. As I have done with most weeks I moved a few workouts around to give me Monday as a rest day to prepare.

Tuesday comes and I head off to my interview. It goes great and I feel like I nail it. I am on cloud nine hoping this is the one. On my way home I am looking forward to lacing up my shoes for a good run followed by a good swim - I have energy to burn.

I get to my car at the BART station and I have a ticket? Really? I paid for parking? Oh, but I failed to see the sign that said "carpool only" from 8 am to 10 am. My ticket is time stamped 9:56 am. Oh well, a stupid ticket isn't going to get me down.

I make a stop at my in-laws before heading home. As I walk up to the door I trip on something (umm, my own foot) my shoe falls off and I stub my toe on a rock. Ouch!! It is throbbing but I am sure it is just the initial sting. As I chat with my sister - in - law the pain seems to be intensifying. I grab some ice and continue to talk. 15 minutes later as I get up to leave my foot won't fit in my shoe. I look down and it is black and blue and huge. Just great.

To make a long story short I either broke or seriously sprained my toe. It was not until Sunday that the swelling had subsided enough that I was I could fit my foot inside a running shoe, much less my bike shoes. Needless to say it seriously cramped my workouts for the week. Who knew a pinky toe was so important?

I am disappointed but there was nothing I could do. As I write this the race is 4 days away and I am taking it on a test run as soon as I hit "post." This run will determine my strategy for the the race.

This story does have a happy ending though because I GOT THE JOB!

Big Kahuna: Weeks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

2011-09-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

With Big Kahuna less than 2 weeks away I have fallen majorly behind on my weekly training updates. Here is a quick summary:

Week 5: July 25 - July 31

PLANNED


ACTUAL

The standout from this week was the California Olympic Tri.

Week 6: August 1 - August 7

PLANNED

ACTUAL

The lack of biking this week was due to the fact my bike had to go to the shop for a new chain and I didn't get it back until the 3rd.

When I originally decided to do Big Kahuna I didn't plan to take a major vacation during my training. However, the opportunity presented itself and there was no way I was turning it down. Yes, I lost a little over a week of training but it was worth it.

Week 7: August 8 - August 14

PLANNED

ACTUAL

Week 8: August 15 - August 21

PLANNED

ACTUAL

Really enjoyed the Tour of Napa.

Week 9: August 22 - August 28

PLANNED

ACTUAL

Rode up Mt. Diablo and rationalized that all the climbing made up for the loss of 25 miles on my 60 mile ride.

Summary

Minus vacation, I feel pretty good about my training. I have missed a workout here and there for which I have no excuse other than life got in the way but I am okay with that. I felt my performance at the Olympic Tri was solid and that was my test race. I am excited and ready to go - I can't believe it is only 10 days away!

Costa Rica: Venado Caves

2011-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our second full day in Costa Rica started with a tour of the Venado Caves. For the life of me I cannot remember (or find any paperwork) on the name of the company we went with, however, it was booked by our travel agent at Costa Rica Experts.

The Venado Caves are a little over 1.5 miles long, made out of limestone and estimated to be between 15 - 20 million years old. They were formed by tectonic shifting and an underground river that still flows through today.

Everything I read said they were something you had to see IF you don't mind pitch dark, small places, spiders, and bats flying mere inches above your head (somehow these last things didn't get portrayed to me).

There are only certain parts of the cave you can access due to preservation. Some groups see more than others due to size, time and physical limits of the guests. We made it to the farthest point of the cave you could access which in the end was cool to see as there was a hole in the ceiling to the outside but there were definitely moments I would have happily turned around but for the sake of the group I kept going.

Unlike our other tours, our group consisted of us, one other couple and our guide. We were the first tour group of the day. This has special significance.

The mask? Well, that came in handy for the overwhelming smell of bat poop we encountered late into the cave.

The tour was scary and awesome all at the same time. In the beginning the tunnels were wide open - there was at least 20 - 30 feet between the ground and the ceiling. We saw a variety of bats and marine fossils in the rocks right away. I didn't mind the bats when they were so high overhead.

There was a cool waterfall.

And a lot of hiking.

We learned a lot about the rocks.

Especially stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites are the formations that hang from the cave ceiling that look like icicles. Stalagmites look like cones emerging from the cave floor. Together they are called "dripstone" because minerals drip from the stalactites to form the stalagmites. Sometimes they meet to form one long column.

It was under debate whether this was a stalactite or stalagmite or both. They called it the "papaya."

The spaces began to get smaller.

And the bats began to get closer. Since we were the first tour of the day the bats had not yet retreated to the back of the cave. There are currently four species of bats living in accessible areas of the caves but seven species total. At one point Kevin said he looked up and there was literally a bat 6 inches from his head. I chose to keep my head down. I did not need to see that.

Our guide said if we felt "water droplets" that might not be water - hence the masks. There was a point the other couple and the guide starting discussing earthquakes since that was how the cave was formed. From then on all I could think of was there was going to be an earthquake and I was going to die in a cave in Costa Rica.

I was definitely the "jumpy" one on the tour and the guides had fun with me on that. The photographer thought it was funny to splash me with water or tap me on the head to make me think it was a bat or spider - I am gullible what can I say.

There were times our guide told us we could go back or press forward. I would have been happy to turn around at some points but everyone else wanted to keep going. I either had to go with them or wait alone for them to come back. I think you all know my thoughts on being left alone in a cave.

There were crab spiders. They made me hold one. I was terrified. Kevin not so much.

But we emerged and I lived to tell about it.

Despite the fact this tour scared the crap out of me - it really was fascinating to see and I am glad we made it all the way to the back. I quietly suffered a few minor freak outs but the other three thought it was great. It definitely seems like they custom the tour based on who is one it. Ours took the full 1.5 hours since we went all the way to the back but we we finished there were others finishing whose tour had only been 30 minutes due to the limitations of the guests on that tour. I guess we looked like a brave group.

Our guide was fantastic and not only had a wealth of knowledge about the cave but taught us a ton about Costa Rica on the 30 minute ride to and from our hotel to the caves. I found it amazing that Costa Rica has no military and that they reapportioned all the military funds into education.

You will get wet, you will get dirty and you may even get pooped on but if you like a good adventure you will like this tour.

I am not sure if I got pooped on but I sure showered afterwards like I was. After all that excitement I was in need of a cocktail (or two).

Mt. Diablo: One Hell of a Ride

2011-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend sure was a busy one and the start of full and busy weekends for the next two months. This must mean fall is right around the corner. My fall weekends always seem to be jam packed with fun plans.

Friday
The weekend started with a birthday celebration for one of my best friends and consuming mass amounts of delicious homemade cupcakes! They also proved to be the perfect 2:00 am snack. Oh and breakfast. :)

Saturday
With Big Kahuna less than 2 weeks away I wanted to get in one more open water swim. Husband had been wanting to go kayaking so we headed over to Shadow Cliffs where I did my triathlon with the plan that he would kayak while I swam along side the boat. Well, once we got there swimming was only allowed in a designated area so we both decided to kayak and then I would do my swim after.

After working up a sweat for an hour I dove in for a little over a half mile swim. There was a lane dedicated to lap swimming that was 140 yards long. I did eight laps for 1,120 yards. A mile is 1760 yards. Then I saw this sign combined with the terms "fecal matter" and went home and bathed in disinfectant.

I am still getting chills just thinking about how gross that is!!

Sunday
Saturday night we were discussing our plans for our long ride Saturday. We planned to go 40-50 miles and include a portion of Mt. Diablo in our ride. The full ride from the base to the summit climbs 3,249 feet in 10.8 miles. We planned to ride between 3-5 of those 10.8.

We got a bit of late start on Sunday morning and I was worried if we left the Diablo climb for the end of the ride as planned it might be too hot and thus decided to reverse our route starting at Diablo first.

We rode 7 miles prior to reaching the South gate entrance to the mountain. South gate enters from Danville and North gate enters from Walnut Creek.

From this sign to the pay station (where cars must pay to continue on into the park) is about 2.9 miles with an average of a 6.1% grade. The grade really fluctuates between 3% and 15%, although the 15% sections are so brief they aren't really noticeable.

Just before 2 miles you hit the 1000 ft elevation sign. Here the road is at approx an 8 - 9% grade.

Despite the steepness, the views of the San Ramon/Dublin Valley are breathtaking. (insert beautiful valley picture here)

At 3.71 miles we reached the pay station and were at approximately 1543 feet. There was a great little area to pull over and fill up our bottles. This was where we were originally thinking of turning around but we looked at each other and decided we both wanted to keep going and see how far we could make it. We chatted with some other cyclists (I was amazed with how many there were) who said the majority of the ride was shaded and there were lots of places to fill up with water along the way. This made it all the more enticing to press on.

The next two miles were the easiest of the entire ride as the grade averaged right around 3%. The road was nice and shady and actually went downhill in some parts which was a welcome break for the legs. We passed through the area known as "Rock City" where massive boulders line the side of the road. Fun flashback - Kevin took me to Rock City one Friday night in the fall of 1999. I know it was a Friday night because I remember having my flag uniform on (flags was kinda like a drill/pep squad) and being nervous we wouldn't make it back before I had to be at school for the football game. I was 17 and a senior in high school. However, among the rocks, over looking the valley and over a picnic dinner, was when he first said "I love you." My teenage self was in heaven.

Anyway, right around 6 miles we saw this encouraging sign.

For the next mile it was a constant grade of about 7% - 9% but these views of Walnut Creek made it worth it. (I actually have a picture this time)

At 6.9 miles, and at an elevation of 2180 we hit the ranger station. Up until this point the ride had been tough but not unbearable and we were faced with the decision to turn around or try for the summit.

As I mentioned, we had not planned to summit the mountain, much less come the 6.9 miles we had already rode. I was torn. I was more than halfway to the top but from others I knew the last 4.5 miles were the hardest on the mountain. Of course you know what I chose, I always let my stubbornness get the best of me.

Up until this point we had been on Mt. Diablo Scenic Road. The road up to the summit is appropriately named "summit road" and begins with a bang with a grade of 6.5% - 7%. About two miles the grade increases to about 9% to 10%. At some point I passed this beauty.

By mile 8 I wanted to quit. I had been to the summit before (in a car), I went 8 miles when I had only planned on 3, and I was stopping every few feet it felt like to catch my breath. But I could see the top and I only had 2 miles to go. I couldn't turn around with 2 miles. I hate to admit it but I did get off and walk a bit. It provided much needed relief for my legs. Right before mile 9, at a point appropriately named "devil's elbow," I climbed back on the bike determined to push myself to the summit. I called out to a a group of women coming down "how much further?". They shouted encouraging words that I was almost to the top.

As if you don't endure enough the mountain really sticks it to you for the last 100 yards where the road turns into a narrow, one lane road with grades of 17% - 20%. (I wish I had taken a picture but I was too tired to even pull the camera out.)

Alas, I reached the summit!!

This was the toughest climb I have ever done but completely and totally worth it. There is just something about being pushed to your limits and conquering them that is so satisfying. It is like a weird adrenaline rush.

What goes up must come down and the first 4 miles of downhill were quite a challenge due to the steep grade, however, once we hit the ranger station it was fun to fly down the final 6 miles to the base.

We decided to nix the rest of the ride (wasn't 4000 feet in 10 miles enough?) but we still had to ride the seven miles back home. Even some of the smallest undulations in the road had my legs screaming.

Final Stats

Miles: 34.15

Overall Elevation Gain: 4152 feet

Total Time: 3:21:44/10.5 mph avg

Total Time to Climb Mountain: 2:27

Of course I plan to do it again. Once again I was reminded just how lucky I was to have a ride like this right in my backyard.

Costa Rica: Zip Lining with Sky Trek Adventures

2011-08-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

When I planned our trip I wanted a mixture of "adventure" and "relaxation." Honestly, there is only so much lying by the pool I can take. Everyday that we were in Arenal I had an activity planned for the morning followed by relaxing in the springs in the afternoon (and yes, every activity we did they did every activity on the Bachelor).

On our first full day we went zip lining with Sky Adventures. I had been zip lining twice before - in Alaska and in St. Lucia. Both offered completely different experiences due to their geographical location and both were extremely fun so I was excited to experience what Costa Rica had to offer.

Zip lining in Alaska - I was freezing and had on jeans + three jackets/sweatshirts

Zip lining in St. Lucia - sweating in shorts and a t-shirt

There were a ton of places to zip line in Costa Rica, however, Sky Adventures received the highest reviews.

So far each place has used a different technique as to how your are tethered to the cable and how to stop. However, each place has always outfitted you in a stylish helmet and harness that gives you a nice weggie. :)

I question if this helmet would really save my brain falling from 650 feet going 50 mph but the lawyers must have approved it.

Since the Arenal Volcano is the star attraction in the area each zip line provided phenomenal views of the volcano.

The adventure started with a trip in the Sky Tram gondola which took us to the first platform.

It was about a 15 minute ride through the rain forest where we got to see some monkeys and a sloth snoozing in the trees.

Of course we took more pictures of the volcano. We joked that people would look through our pictures and say, "yeah, we get it - you saw a volcano" but because the clouds seemed to always be partially covering it we were constantly trying to get a clear shot. This one was one of the better ones.

We were greeted with drinks at the top!

Then it was time to get down to business. There were 8 lines total. The first two were "test" lines to make sure everyone knew how use their equipment, etc. Cable 3 was the highest at 650 feet and you zipped directly towards the volcano. The view was breathtaking!

Cable 5 was the fastest reaching speeds of 50 mph!

Cable 6 was the longest at 2493 feet - a little less than half a mile!

We were in the air for almost a full two minutes. At one point you could tell they cut a space through the trees because they formed a perfect tunnel around you.

Look at that form! (insert sarcasm)


Kevin was much more graceful.

If I had to pick, I would definitely say Costa Rica had the best zip lining of the three, with Alaska being a close second. The lines were longer and faster and you just can't beat the rainforest as a back drop!

After it was back to the hotel to relax in the springs and where I proceeded to play volcano paparazzi and take more pictures of that darn volcano.

It is just so photogenic!

Ride Report: Tour of Napa

2011-08-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, August 21, I rode the Tour of Napa metric century (67.5 miles). This was originally supposed to be the 100 mile ride but I made a last minute decision to do the metric. While I know I could have ridden and finished the 100, Samantha was recovering from a bad flu bug and my parents decided they would be better off doing the metric (even though my dad could have ridden the 100 in his sleep) so I decided it was more important to have people to ride with than go at the 100 alone. My cycling has been more focused on training for Big Kahuna anyway so it wasn't like this had been a century I was dying to finish - I was more just looking forward to going out and having a fun ride. Plus, I still have Levi's 100 miler in October and that will be a beast in and of itself.

We headed up the night before, loaded up on pizza, got a good laugh out of our hotel neighbors, and set the alarm for 5:15 am.

Heading to the start I could already tell it was going to be a good day - 55 degrees and foggy - my kind of weather.

It was fifteen flat miles to the first rest stop. The road took us past some of the big wineries in Napa. Usually Napa is crawling with cars and tourists but this early on a Sunday morning the roads were relatively calm and quiet. It was so peaceful to be riding among the vineyards on a cool, crisp morning.

I could tell it was going to be a good day when we got to the first stop - look at the abundance of potatoes!! Seriously, the all time BEST cycling snack. Despite eating breakfast I was oddly already hungry.

and cookies!

Seriously, I am sure I consume more calories than I actually expend.

It was about 20 miles between rest stops so our next stop was around mile 36. The majority of the next 20 miles were uphill. Nothing to difficult but it was a lot of steady climbing. Luckily, it was still foggy and cool out. Of course I don't have any pictures but the scenery was just breath taking. It is rides like these that make me realize just how lucky I am to live where I do.

Just as we were rolling into the second rest stop the sun started to peak out. My dad was riding out as we were riding in and my mom was riding in as we were riding out so it was fun to see them. I grabbed a half a sandwich as I knew the biggest climb of the day was next and I needed the fuel.

Within 3 miles of leaving the rest stop we hit the bottom of Ink Grade - the biggest climb of the day - 4.5 miles and 1110 feet of climbing reaching an elevation of approx 1893.

The base of Ink Grade

Samantha had overheard some guy who said that the first mile of Ink was the hardest. About 1/2 mile in I was thinking to myself "if this is the hardest part, I am stronger than I think." Ha, never think that on a climb because it will turn around and kick your butt. What a liar!! The saving grace of the whole thing was that the majority of the hill was shaded and there were a few good places to take a break if need be. I was slow but steady and slowly climbed all 4 miles.

The top of Ink Grade

At the top people we congregating catching their breath/waiting for friends to make it up. I met up with my dad who was waiting for my mom at the top. Samantha soon joined us and we began the decent back into town.

Literally the decent. The next 6 miles had us flying downhill hitting speeds of 35 mph.

About a mile before the last rest stop I looked across the street and saw one of my old co-workers riding her bike but not part of the ride. As I yelled to her I felt an extremely sharp pain on my right arm. I looked down and there was a wasp on my arm. As I swatted it away it left its stinger in my arm. I pulled it out but it stung like crazy and started to swell. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. At the finish I must have heard at least 5 people say they had gotten stung in various places. I had never been stung by a wasp before and it hurt like hell.

We pulled into the finish around 2:15 pm - 67.5 miles, 5:15 minutes of total ride time, 7:04 minutes of elapsed time, 3095 feet in elevation.

At the finish line there was a bunch of delicious food (and yet MORE eating) including generous scoops of Ben & Jerrys. For the price (only $60) it was a wonderfully supported ride - one of the best I have done (second though to Levi's - I am not sure anything can beat that). The food was great, the volunteers were awesome, the roads were well paroled - I couldn't have asked for anything more. Samantha and I both decided we will will be back tackle the 100 next year. That route adds an additional 2000 feet of elevation.

I am not worried about my ability to complete the 56 fairly flat miles for Big Kahuna (just praying for no wind or heat) so my focus will now be turned to preparing for Levi's 8000 feet of crazy climbing. Sometimes I question my sanity.

Costa Rica: The Springs Resort and Spa

2011-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

18 hours after we set off for SFO to start our vacation we arrived at the beautiful Springs Resort and Spa in the Arenal/La Fortuna area of Costa Rica.

From the airport in San Jose it was a long three hour ride to the hotel. I was adamant about not wanting to rent a car so we had a private driver from the airport to the hotel (so glad we did it this way this time - next time I would probably rent a car). Our driver was fantastic and gave us great information about all the the towns we were passing through and Costa Rica in general. Side note - you can drink in the car in Costa Rica (as long as it isn't the driver) - that made the time go faster too.

A lot of reviews I read about Costa Rica mentioned how terrible the roads are. All I will say is the yellow line down the middle tends to be "cautionary" and that you get what the drivers referred to as a "Costa Rican" massage. Also, you need to watch out for the 50 or so cattle or the pig in the street but I think that is part of the experience!

Finally we arrived!

As I mentioned, when I saw this hotel on the sixth episode of "the Bachelor" this past winter it was love at first sight. It lived up to (and exceeded) my expectations in so more ways than one.

Here is my detailed review of the resort based on the following scale:

5 = Excellent
4 = Great
3 = Good
2 = Fair

1 = Poor

Pools = 5+

What first attracted me to the resort was the 18 different pools and hot springs on the property. The pools ranged in temperature from 83 - 103 degrees, some had waterfalls, some were secluded, some were big, some were small. These pools were completely emptied, cleaned, and minerals replaced every night so the water was always fresh. The property only had 40 rooms and even though they allowed non hotel guests to purchase day passes to use the pools, there were many times we found ourselves with a pool to ourselves.

Every pool (as with everything at the hotel) had a beautiful view of the Arenal volcano.

Of course there was a swim up bar.

With my favorite bartender William!!

Nestled among beautiful flowers and rainforest trees, plants and vines sometimes I forgot we were at a resort. The pools were spread out amongst three different areas - 12 at the base of the lobby, a handful of others in a more secluded area called "the lost springs," and a few others down by the Arenal River where you you could go tubing or kayaking (unfortunately we ran out of time to do either). When we were down at these pools we were literally the only ones there.

The service was outstanding and there were ample lounge chairs so seating was never an issue. The pools at this resort alone are worth staying here!

Rooms = 5+

This hotel was built around the Arenal volcano so everywhere you go on the property (pending the clouds) you are treated to a beautiful view. The bedroom was no different.

Lying in bed you looked out these windows and saw . . .


THIS!

And we just had a standard room. I can't even imagine what a suite would look like.

The room was huge, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was amazing large with a beautiful jacuzzi tub. We got turn down service every night complete with chocolate.

We had a beautiful patio with two hammocks we spent some time relaxing in.

There was a mini bar with anything and everything under the sun, more towels than we knew what to do with, high quality shampoo, conditioners, lotions, etc and even umbrellas in case it was raining. One of the absolute best (standard) hotel rooms I have ever had!

However maybe someone can answer a question for me, this was not the first time I had seen it but why do they put telephones next to the toilets in the bathroom?

Drinks = 5 for taste, 4 for value

What would a tropical vacation be without a fruity drink? I don't have "a drink" that I always get so I love it when restaurants/bars, etc have some pre-made ones to chose from.

Everything I had was excellent, however, I give a 4 for value only because sometimes I questioned whether or not there was that much liquor in them.

Food = 3/4 Taste and 2/3 Value

My only complaint about the whole trip was the food. I don't know what I was expecting, I read the reviews of others but I guess I hoped it wasn't true. The hotel was about a 20 minute cab ride (or $30 - $40) to the town so we were pretty much confined to staying at the hotel. While the food in town might have been better (and cheaper) combined with the price to get to town would have cost more. Addi-tonally, the town was not that big so it wasn't like there would have been other stuff for us to do there besides just eat.

When I travel I want to eat what the locals eat. I can eat a burger or a club sandwich anytime, give me something authentic.

There were three main restaurants open for dinner and an additional 4 others that will open until about 7:00 pm for lunch and snacks. As for the non-dinner restaurants they had the standard fair - burgers, club sandwiches, burritos, etc. One day for lunch we decided to split a burrito and since it was $18 we figured it would be enough for two. Nope, it was literally the size of an average size hamburger. There was a "fancy" restaurant ("Las Ventanas") we never ate as they only served fish, steak and pasta at extremely high prices ($27 for pasta - no thanks) and all were things I could get at home. The sushi bar was good, a little expensive for the amount you got, but it was very fresh. The other restaurant had a buffet for every meal, always for $25 a person. The food was good and they had a lot of variety, but at $25 a person a meal that adds up. Again, there was nothing about the buffet I felt was "authentic" - all the food was stuff I could eat here.

Come to find out authentic Costa Rican food is black beans, rice and a meat. For breakfast the beans and rice are combined, for lunch and dinner they are separated. They have a special salsa called, "lizano" but that is about it in terms of hot sauce (that we got to experience anyway).

Funny story, when we were transferring from one hotel to the next we asked our driver to stop for lunch at an authentic Costa Rican restaurant. We all three sat down to order. We both got a rice and beans meal and our driver ordered chicken fingers. *Sigh* we tried.

I do have to say the coffee was wonderful, the juice was always fresh as was the seafood (and I am not even a big seafood fan and I thought it was good). Another thing I fell in love with was the plantains - which I had had before but it had been a while. There was grilled plantains at every meal and I always loaded up.
However, overall, none of the food was bad, just nothing stood out. I had heard about people going down and getting huge meals plus a beer for around $5 bucks but they must have been in the non-tourist areas as we never found those deals. I left most meals still hungry (minus the buffets - clearly I have a portion problem) and we never walked away from a meal for under $50 if we both ordered something (at least at the hotel) which unfortunately because of the location of the hotel we were confined to. On the upside, I actually probably ate less on this vacation than I do at home and came home with no guilt about my vacation eating!

Service = 5

From the minute we got out of the car we were spoiled with superior service. The staff bend over backwards to grant every request we ever had. We never had to wait for anything. Everyone was super friendly and you really felt like royalty. Whenever you asked for coffee they made it for you - asked you if you wanted milk, how many sugars, etc - I started to feel bad. Some of the nicest people ever.

Extras = 5

Gym
Usually, I am not one to exercise too much on vacation but this half ironman isn't going to run itself. I tried to get in a run every other day and with views like this (of course of the volcano) it was pretty easy.

There was also an extensive weight room and fresh fruit, towels and water available in the gym.

Spa
Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to take advantage of the spa but there was one available with what looked like and extensive amount of services available. The women's locker room was huge with a sauna, steam room, etc available to everyone and like everything else it was very spacious and clean.

Wild Life Preserve
On the hotel property there was a small wildlife preserve with animals that were confiscated from people who were keeping them as pets or donated by zoos, etc. One day we went down as saw a feeding. There were several large jungle cats as well as monkeys and birds.

Club Rio
Again, something we didn't to take advantage of but Club Rio was the resorts outdoor center where you could rent kayaks, rubber tubes, etc and go down the river and also go horseback riding. We did go down and swim in the river and hike around it a bit but we didn't do any of the activities. I just keep telling myself next time.

Game Room
The resort had an awesome activity center with pool tables, dart boards, table top chess and checkers, ping pong and a variety of wii games on a huge tv. While we only shot a little pool and threw a few games of darts, and maybe a mean game of checkers, the room was always packed and a great place for families to hang out in the evening.

Overall, aside from the food, I can't say enough great things about this hotel. It was the perfect romantic resort I was hoping for but it also seemed like it was a wonderful place for families. It was very quiet and intimate. Although, I figured if it was good enough for the Bachelor it would probably be good enough for me. We actually asked some of the workers about the show and they said they had rented out the entire resort to film the show and that Brad was actually extremely nice. They said it has had a huge impact on their business. Well, it worked on me!

Phew, did you get through all that? I promise they aren't all this long. Now I wish I was sitting by the pool with a drink in hand.

Por què Costa Rica?

2011-08-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dropping my mad Spanish skills! I spent three years in high school studying Spanish but sadly much has escaped me and this really is about the extent of it. Luckily the people of Costa Rica were very gracious and tolerant of my "gringo" accent and poor language skills. On our last night I was finally getting comfortable using the Spanish I did know and proceeded to answer all our hostesses questions in Spanish. Suddenly she took off, lightening speed, rattling of the specials in Spanish. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights as she instantly repeated them in perfect English.

I know this is primarily a running/fitness blog but I personally love reading about others travels and read quite a few entries about Costa Rica on other blogs before we headed out. I have decided to do a mini travel diary of the 8 days we spent in the county - roughly 5 or 6 posts about each activity we did/hotel we stayed at, etc. Welcome to my Costa Rican travel journal!

So, why Costa Rica?

To commemorate the end of law school + passing the bar a big vacation was in order, however, we weren't sure where to go. A trip to Italy is in the works for the future (two plane tickets were my law school graduation gift) but we weren't quite ready to cash those in yet.

This past winter I got hooked on ABC's "the Bachelor" (I had seen snippets of it here and there but never got into it). One night after a 12 hour day of studying I settled in for some mindless television. It just so happens Brad and the girls were taking in the Costa Rican countryside. Bathing in the hot springs, ziplinig through the rainforest, rappelling off waterfalls - by the end of the show I knew exactly where I wanted to go - I wanted a Bachelor vacation of my own. So that is what we did. The first four nights were spent at the same hotel the Bachelor was filmed at and we did every activity they did as well. The advertising worked on me!

If I had all the time in the world there would have been 6 regions I would have liked to visit but given our 8 day time schedule I had to narrow it down to two. That just means I will have to make a return trip in the future.
After doing a wealth of research on my own, I chose to enlist the help of a travel company - Costa Rica Experts - to help me narrow down the details and because I did not want to rent a car and wanted safe, organized transportation from location to location. They were FANTASTIC and I highly recommend them if you want help planning your vacation. Our travel coordinator responded to me within 24 hours of my initial request for information and put together two packages based on what I told her I was interested in. When I wanted to make changes she usually had them back to me within the hour. Even at the moment of booking she was still checking flights to see if she could get us a better deal. Once we arrived we had zero problems with our drivers, activities or hotels. We had private drivers every time who were prompt, courteous, and helpful. I really can't say enough good things about them.

Final Itinerary
Friday, August 5: Arrive in Costa Rica, transfer to The Springs Resort, Arenal/La Fortuna for 4 nights

Saturday, August 6: Ziplining

Sunday, August 7: Venado Caves

Monday, August 8: Canyoning

Tuesday, August 9: Transfer to the JW Marriott Resort and Spa, Guanacaste/Tamarindo for 4 nights

Wednesday, August 10: Beach/Pool day

Thursday, August 11: Beach/Pool day

Friday, August 12: Horseback Riding

Saturday, August 13: Depart to come home

Race Report: California International Triathlon

2011-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Oooooohhhh Blogger I want to KILL you!!! Trying to get this post up has been a nightmare!!

Costa Rica was beyond amazing and I actually have a vacation series in the works.

Two (almost three) weeks ago now I completed my first Olympic Distance triathlon - the California International Triathlon and wrote my race report and planned to post it while I was on vacation. Between my slow as molasses computer I took and my lack of access to internet while I was gone it never got up. Then, while doing some formatting in blogger the layout got destroyed forcing me to just re-type the whole thing. I swear, there must be a easier way. I spend more time fighting with blogger than I do writing!

Anyway, enough about all that and on to more fun things! The race was held at a local park called Shadow Cliffs. This park is where I completed my first sprint tri in 2008 and have done a few tris as a part of relay team so I was fairly familiar with the layout of the park.

Goals

As with all races I do, I thought a lot about what I wanted to get out of this race - both time and personal goals.

Time Goal

To finish under 3 hours and 30 minutes with the following breakdown:

Swim: 35 minutes
T1: 5 minutes
Bike: 1 hour, 40 minutes/15 mph avg
T2: 5 minutes
Run: 1 hour, 5 minutes/10:30 pace avg

Personal Goal

To successfully finish the race pain free and still feel like I had energy to spare. With my back being as finicky as it has been lately, really my only hope was that it would allow me to race - anything above and beyond that would be amazing. I wanted to have fun too since this was my first time racing this distance. This was my one and only official training race for Big Kahuna so I knew it would be a very important indicator of my ability to finish the distance.

Night Before

Triathlons have so much more gear than any other event so I worked all week to compile a complete and final list of everything I would need as not to forget anything. I bagged it all up and set the alarm for 4:15 am.

Race Day

I am always amazed at how I can leap out of bed at an ungodly hour on race day and yet when my alarm goes off midweek I have to peel myself out from under the covers.

The transition area opened at 5:30 and since spots were first come, first serve I wanted to be there right when they opened to ensure a good spot. I got everything set up in transition, body marked and choked down a banana (I am not a good morning eater) with about an hour to go before the first wave took off at 7:00 am. I was in wave 4 so my start time was 7:12 (each wave was 4 minutes apart).

I was lucky to snag a spot on the end for extra room - a perk to being one of the first to arrive.

I took the time to stretch, bathroom 100x (glad for the two-piece tri outfit) and warm up for the swim. .92 miles in a pool is not to daunting but to see the distance actually measured out in the lake freaked me out a bit (even though I have swam the distance 1000x).

Swim: .92 miles

In no time the first wave of men were off and the 12 minutes between their start time and my start time flew by. One of the first things I noticed was I was only 1 of about 4 in my wave sans wetsuit. I wasn't so much worried about temperature - the water was warm - but knowing a wetsuit can help you during the swim (buoyancy) I was starting to worry I would be dead last.

Unlike most triathletes, the swim is actually my strongest event but open water still freaks me out a bit. It took me about 300 yards to settle into a comfortable groove but once I did I started moving and actually passing people. My wave had orange swim caps and the wave before had light blue. I was actually passing light blue caps - swimmers who had started a full 4 minutes before me.

Before I knew it I saw the finish in sight. As I grabbed my Garmin from my dad he told me I was in in less than 30 minues and within the top 10 of the orange caps coming out of the water.

Time: 28:50 - under goal!

T1

I knew I was going to be slow in transition, thus why I gave myself a full 5:00. More importantly though, I didn't want to forget anything. I was in and out in 4:39. Definitely not great - but until I become a little more familiar with tris I am not to focused on my transition time - I just want to be comfortable and have everything I need.

Time: 4:39 - under goal!

Bike: 24.9 miles

When I woke up that morning I had this sinking feeling I was going to get a flat and since I am so slow changing one (like it could literally add 45 minutes to my time) I really did not want race day to be the day to practice that. The whole ride I was overly cautious about hitting rocks, cracks, etc where usually I don't pay attention too much. I was blessed by the tire gods that day.

I was hoping to hold an average of 15.0 mph for the entire 24.9 miles. This is much speedier than I normally ride and knew there would be some hills but that was the goal. Up until the first big climb, I was actually holding between a 15.0 and 17.0 mph avg. Of course, once the climb started I slowed way down (and got passed by a bunch of people) but I was climbing faster than normal (around 11.0 mph) so that made me happy. There was something very humbling about being passed by a woman twice your age - I only hope I get stronger with time.

The course was beautiful, cloudy and cool and after the climb, surprised at how effortless 15.0 mph felt at times. My final average was 15.5 mph for 24.9 miles.

Time: 1:37:24/15.5mph avg - under goal!

T2 is so much easier than T1 - a simple change of shoes, shed the bike gear, grab a visor, water bottle and go.

Time: 3:56 - under goal!

Run: 6.2 miles

Oh, the run. While my hope was under a 1:05, my real goal was not to die. Even though my back has been so much better lately, my mileage is still lower than I would like as is my pace.

As I ran out of transition, I felt a bit of tightness and immediately thought my run was doomed. I did run/walk the first mile - running 3 minutes and walking for 1. I also ate my second Gu packet of the race. Once my legs realized we were running and not walking they fell into a slow and steady pace which is all I could ask them for.

The course was an out and back with a portion of the course overlapping the sprint distance tri that also going on. It was hard to see all the sprinters on their way back in while I was still on my way out. By this point the sun had come out and the shade was few and far between. Despite these, I was so pleased with how my running was going the pleasure overshadowed the pain.

The course was not super scenic but the volunteers were fantastic!! While I stretched my calf and dumped water on my head at a water station a volunteer grabbed my empty bottle and filled it for me.

The spectators were very enthusiastic and I heard lots of "go runner" as I ran into the finish chute.

I looked at the race clock as I ran through and saw it was at 3:31! Knowing I could deduct 12 minutes from that time (since I started 12 minutes after the race officially started) I was ecstatic! I knew I beat my projected time.

Time: 1:06:24/10:47 avg - a tad over goal but not by much!

OVERALL: 3:21:13

Women: 67/104

Age Group 25-29: 10/17

Now I just have to psych myself up to swim the 1.2 miles of Big Kahuna . . . in the OCEAN!! Damn you Shark week!!

Clothes: A "minor" obsession

2011-08-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

(composed Thursday, August 4, finally got this old computer to connect to the internet yesterday)

This post has been sitting all week waiting to be posted but this week had me running around like a crazy person (and I just now figured out you can "schedule" a post to go up)! Currently, I am blogging from the San Francisco airport waiting for our red eye flight to . . . COSTA RICA!! This trip has been a long time coming. We decided that when I passed the bar we would take one of two big trips we hoped to cross off the life list before ever having a family (yes, I have a list of things to complete before having a baby). Well, it took a little longer than planned to pass the bar but on May 13 when we got the happy news one of the first things we decided was where to go on vacation (I have a post on that decision to come).

I am coming at you from my old "ancient" computer I actually used in law school. I honestly think molasses runs faster than this computer but I didn't want to risk taking my mac abroad. This will be the longest I was every without it - I seriously have attachment issues to that thing but I wanted to blog on our trip. I hope this computer makes it!

In going with the theme of this post, I have to point out my excellent packing skills. See, I am always "that girl" who is shoving my clothes from my suitcase into the husbands to make the 50 pound weight limit for checked baggage. My suitcase is so big I can fit in it. I usually have a bag just for shoes. Well, the husband put his foot down on this trip and said everything must be carried on. We have a long layover and didn't want to risk a lost bag going abroad. After two times of "trial" packing I managed to whittle down all my stuff into this:

A duffel bag and a backpack!! Absolutely amazing (for me) for 8 days. The true test will be seeing if I ended up forgetting something.

Anyway, last weekend I completed my very first olympic triathlon and only my second triathlon ever (not including as part of a relay team). My race report is almost done and waiting to be posted but first I want to talk about a race essential - clothes!

In college the big "going out" nights were Wednesdays and Thursdays and you always ran into the same people at the same bars. Never wanting to be caught in the same thing, one of my best friends and I would head to the mall on Wednesdays to do a little shopping. While it was rarely an entire new outfit and was usually something very inexpensive - a fun find at Forever 21 or Wet Seal - going out in something new was always fun, even if it was just some fun new accessories.

College flashback

I have carried that mentality over to my race clothing. I love having new outfits for races and for a while I would always buy a new outfit for a race. I guess it was like anything - having a new dress to wear to a wedding, new outfit to go out in, I viewed races as "special events" and thus wanted something new to wear though lately I have been trying to be really good and just piece together new outfits from things I already own.

However, since I had not done a tri since 2008 all I had in terms of tri clothes was a pair of shorts and shirt I bought for that race that were super uncomfortable.

"See Jane Tri" 2008

That was all the reasons I needed to head out and get a new tri outfit for my upcoming races. Knowing this was also my chance to test my outfit for Big Kahuna I scoured the tri sections of at least three stores and came down to two finalists.

Number 1:

Zoot Women's Endurance Tri Racesuit 2011

Pros:

SUPER comfortable. I did not feel like I was having to squeeze myself into something.
Good pocket locations on each hip for fuel and iPod.
Built in sports bra.
Cute color.

Cons:

Hard to get out of to use the bathroom - A BIG con.
Built in sports bra - unfortunately, my girls need lots of support and I wasn't sure this suit could support them for a long run.
I can totally get behind wearing this for a race but not so sure I could bring myself to wear it out on a training ride/run/brick, etc.

Number 2

Sugoi Women's RSR Tank 2011 + DeSoto Women's Long Dist Forza Tri Short 2011

Top Pros:

Long
2 back pockets for fuel
Built in bra
Cute color

Top Cons:

Tighter than I am used to.
Built in bra - same as above, although this one was much snugger and I felt much more supported.

Shorts Pros:

Not too short but not too long.
More "butt padding" than most tri shorts, yet not so much you feel like you are wearing a diaper.
Fold over waistband allowing for smooth lines and eliminating "muffin top" problems.
Back pocket for fuel.

Shorts Cons:

NONE! Loved them from the get go.

I wish I could have kept them both but I had to narrow it down to one. I think the Zoot tri-suit would be awesome to have for sprint distance races but ultimately the bathroom situation coupled with the lack of support made me chose the shorts/tank combo.

THE VERDICT? LOVED!!!

Both dried very quickly.
They stayed put during all three events - i.e. no riding up.
No chaffing and I didn't even use body glide (forgot it).
I felt supported enough in the top.

When I am working again and can justify another tri race outfit I think I will definitely go back to purchase the Zoot suit but for Big Kahuna I will be wearing the Sugoi top and DeSoto shorts - they passed the test!

Do you have a clothing problem like I do?

Big Kahuna: Week 5

2011-07-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Didn't I just write one of these? I'll make it brief.

My schedule is literally all over the place these days and literally changes from day to day. Thus instead of "assigning" workouts to certain days I decided to take it week by week. These were the workouts planned for this week.

This is what went down:

Take a look at those bike miles! I spent a lot of time in the saddle this week.

Monday

Swam 2100 yards.

Tuesday

Rode 13 miles on the trainer.

After a long day of sitting researching and writing you would think I would have leap at the chance to get off my butt and move!! Quite the contrary - my brain was fried and I just wanted to veg. Since I knew I was just going to be getting caught up on tv I figured I might as well be productive and use the trainer at the same time. So I watched "the Bachelorette" and spun my heart out. I really have NO idea how far I go in an hour on the training but I figure most rides I average a 13.xx miles/hour so I figure 13 miles is a good estimate.

Wednesday

Got the foot taped up so I declared it a rest day.

Thursday

3 mile run/36:00/12:00 pace

First run after a week off due to back injury. I didn't notice a huge difference in having my foot taped when I was running but I did manage a pain free run so I will consider that a success! Then it was off for a day of fun - lunch with my old boss (I miss them so much), a root touch up (I refuse to be a brunette - no offense - brown hair just doesn't look good on me) and dinner with one of my best friends.

Friday

DOUBLE DAY!

25.5 mile ride/1:53/13.5 mph avg

Swam 2900 yards.

Due to having tape on my foot I missed my 2nd swim workout as I was not allowed to submerge the tape in water. Therefore, I tried to blend swim workout #2 and #3 together to make up for it. I did my long swim of 1800 continuous yards in 33 minutes. 1800 is about 300 yards short of the 1.2 miles in Big Kahuna. It take me about 2.5 minutes to do 300 yards. Therefore, as of right now, I would guess my swim time to be approx 35 - 40 minutes for Big Kahuna. Not bad. I am hoping for under 40 minutes.

Saturday

Water bottles freezing for the day - 2 for my bike, 2 for Kevin's, my running water bottle and a bottle for my recovery drink

Fleet Feet has a free brick workout every Saturday morning so I decided to check it out. This week the ride was 14 miles and then I planned on doing my 4 mile run right after. The cyclists sure were fast!! They left me in the dust but I finished the 14 miles faster than I think I have ever rode 14 miles.

14 mile ride/58:33/14.5 mph avg

Once we got back it was a quick change of shoes and we hit the ground running. The route ended up being about .5 miles short but I was pretty impressed with my pace.

3.58 mile run/36:43/10:15 pace

Still wanting to get in some more miles I headed out to my ride my favorite climb - Calaveras - for another 33 miles.

33 miles/2:28:59/13.3 mph avg

Sunday

Samantha and two friends came down to tackle a long ride. In addition to having Big Kahuna, we are riding the Tour of Napa Century on August 21st. I planned the route and included some of my favorite climbing in the area - gotta get ready for the 5000 feet on the 21st.

We climbed Dublin Grade, Calaveras and Patterson Pass for a total of 3700 feet for the day. Despite the average temp being around 85 degrees there was a nice breeze for most of the day. We stopped almost halfway and fueled up on some real food before tackling the afternoon. Overall a wonderful day in the saddle with some awesome company.

79.75 miles/6:13:39/12.8 miles

At the top of Patterson Pass!

Finished the day off with a Slurpee which is becoming one of my favorite post ride treats!

Weekly Totals:

Swim: 5000 yards

Bike: 165.25 miles

Run: 6.5 miles

I promise to have some posts coming that aren't just weekly re-caps. :)

Big Kahuna: Week 4

2011-07-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Ohh, this recap is going up a little late - but I am to report I only missed two workouts last week! A swim and then my long run which I explained here - I will consider this a training success!!

Planned:

Actual:

Monday

Planned: Swim 1825 yards
Actual: Ran 5 Miles

Next week I am switching how I post the "planned" workouts since I never seem to do the right thing on the right day. My schedule varies daily so some days are better than others for doing a certain activity.

Even though only 4 miles were on the schedule for my midweek runs when I hit four miles I wanted to keep going - so I did! I must have listened to "Bad Romance" for 4.5 of those miles. Yes, I was that girl belting it out on the treadmill the whole time. I had to do something - the tv in the gym didn't work.

5 miles/56:00 minutes/11:11 pace

Tuesday

Planned: Run 4 miles
Planned: Ride 25 miles

Actual: Ran and rode 0 miles

I moved things around to different days to give myself a rest day since I had a lot of work to get done today.

Wednesday

Planned: Swim 1800 yards
Actual: Swam 2000 yards
Actual: Rode 25.5 miles

My friend K and I did a double day workout together - yay workout buddies! She had just gotten a rode bike so we set a new distance PR for her. After our ride we cooled off in the pool. I changed up my workout just a bit to add some more distance.

25.5 miles/1:54/13.5 mph avg

Thursday

Planned: Run 4 miles

Actual: Ran 4 miles

Planned: Ride 25 miles

Actual: Rode 0 miles (moved to Friday)

Actual: Swam 1800 yards

This is the day when my running went south. I made it through the 4 miles but I was gimping all the way.

Despite the not so great run the swim felt great. I convinced Kevin to hit up the pool with me for some laps. I love that swimming is the one thing I am better than him at - gotta get it where I can!

4 miles/47:00 minutes/11:45 pace

Friday

Planned: Swim 2000 yards

Actual: Rode 23.5 miles

I had moved my ride to Friday and when we finished my stomach was just not feeling right and I didn't think it would be a good swim. Sadly, lap swim is not open on Friday nights so I missed this workout.

23.5 miles/1:43/13.4 mph pace

Saturday

Planned: Run 8 miles
Actual: Rode 52.5 miles

Knowing my long run was out for the weekend due to my bike, I did my long ride Saturday. We climbed one of my favorite local hills - Calaveras. It is challenging but very doable at the same time if that makes sense. We were blessed with gorgeous weather - low 70s *swoon*! My legs got a little tired the last 8 miles (and we were riding into the wind) and I don't think there would have been anyway I could have run 13 miles at that point but I take comfort in the fact that 1) I still have 7 weeks and 2) this was a hilly 52.5 miles. Big Kahuna's 56 mile ride is flat, flat, flat so hopefully the legs won't be as burned out at the end.

52.5 miles/3:54/13.5 mph avg

Sunday

Planned: Ride 60 miles
Actual: We picked out the bridesmaids dress and my sister got fitted for her wedding dress

After dress shopping last weekend my sister decided that the dress that brought her to tears was THE dress so we went back so she could get measured and fitted. When she put it on again we all agreed that is was it. She looks so beautiful.

We also decided on bridesmaid dresses! Definitely didn't think the dress would look good on me (it is pretty fitted) but so far it has looked great on 3 of 5 of us (the others haven't had a chance to try it on yet).

This picture doesn't do it justice but it is the black dress but it will be in the pink color.

Weekly Totals:

Swim: 3800 yards

Bike: 101 mile

Run: 9 miles

After the horrible week I had last week, I was pretty pumped with how things went this week. I am back on track!

Lastly, it is official!!

I am registered for my first Olympic triathlon! My last (and first full tri - not just as a part of relay) was on 9/27/2008 - before I even had a blog. I am nervous but excited and hope this will be good practice before Big Kahuna. I am especially looking forward to getting to test a tri outfit and practice transitions.

These weeks are flying by!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Revised Training Schedule

2011-07-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Imagine this - you are out on a run. The first two miles are a little rough but then you settle into a groove. The time is flying by. The miles are flying by so much so you are surprised when you hit your mileage. The run was so good you want to keep going - so you do. This was the run you were waiting for - the one to seal the deal and allow you to declare you are officially healed.

Later that week you head out for run number two still fired up from the beginning of the week. About halfway in you feel that familiar twinge. Instantly you know what is happening and there is no turning back now - once it starts it doesn't stop. Only time and the physical therapist can fix the mess that you just made. The injury has returned.

I am not going to dwell on the fact that the pain returned to my back because what I can say is each time it returns it is less severe than the time before so there is progress being made. However, it sure does a good job of making its presence felt. It is frustrating but the small tastes of pain free running I have gotten tell me that my back is capable of healing and will someday be better. I am happy to take glimpses of that day when I can.

This all happened last Thursday. I immediately called the PT who had me come in and told me to take a week off running. Umm, I failed to mention I was training for a half ironman as I am pretty sure that is not in the treatment plan so I just said ok. At my second appointment today she gave me the go ahead to try and run tomorrow. They are now speculating that it could have something to do with an old injury to my left foot that never healed properly (this is why I will NEVER play volleyball again) that is throwing my hips off. I have been fascinated to watch this whole injury unfold. Sometimes they would be working on an area and I would be thinking "umm, this doesn't hurt please focus on my back" but since everything in the body is connected one thing can affect another and I would be amazed at how whatever they were doing provided relief.

My left foot is now taped up and she is hoping that by supporting the foot it will help keep everything in line up the leg. I have always been a neutral runner and she believes I still am, however, that I may just need to but a support piece in my shoes. I am very familiar with this from my short stint at Fleet Feet but I fought against having to wear supports myself. I immediately came home and fit my superfeet back in my running shoes - you win Fleet Feet, you win.

This little set back made me realistically think about the rest of this years goals. Feeling good about my pain free running I had actually registered for the Morgan Hill Marathon on October 23. Thus, my Big Kahuna running schedule was about to transition to reflect a running schedule for someone who would be training for a marathon. Despite the fact I can run again my pace is ridiculously slow (for me) but being someone who is always looking for the next big challenge I wanted to go for it and redeem myself after last years let down at CIM. However, the fact that I am still dealing with sporadic pain makes me think that what would be best would be just to get back to basics and focus on running - running without walking and getting my pace back down to where it should be. I have Big Kahuna, I don't need a marathon too. Next year. I will still do the Morgan Hill Half as well as a few other halves I have planned but no marathons. See, I am learning, slowly but surely, not to take on more than I can handle.

I have revised my Big Kahuna training plan to reflect this change. Where my longest run before was going to be 18 miles, it will now be 12.

NEW PLAN

I can't believe it is only 7 weeks away!!

While we are talking about injuries another thing this pesky injury has cost me is my ability to wear heels. I am a shoe freak and my closet is filled to the brim with beautiful heels. I used to wear heels to work everyday, on the weekend, out on errands - my motto was I could do ANYTHING in heels. Since my back has started hurting I can't handle the instability of anything over 2 inches and even then I can't wear them for too long. Today I found myself in the shoe department longingly trying on heels reminiscing about the good old days. I don't care what anyone says, there is something about a great pair of heels that just makes you feel like you can take on the world. Not to mention, they do wonders for your legs, something no pair of flats can do.

*sigh* They were so beautiful too! I guess, in the meantime, for the sake of my health I will stick to my granny shoes, but I don't have to like it!

Do you love heels or do you prefer flats?

Big Kahuna: Week 3

2011-07-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

This weeks training is almost too embarrassing to post. I honestly don't know what happened but I fell off the wagon big time! I cannot afford to let this happen again. I guess all I can do it put it behind me and get back on track which I am happy to report happened today. Mondays are always good for fresh starts.

Anyway, lets recap this mess shall we?

Planned:

Actual:

I didn't even put a dent in the biking and only got to do half the running - seriously so bad!!

Monday - Happy 4th of July!

Planned: Swim 2325 yards
Actual: Swam 0 yards

Not entirely my fault - all the pools were closed BUT I should have rearranged some stuff and did a run or bike workout. Instead I hosted a fabulous 4th of July BBQ and watched fireworks. We walked 2.5 miles to the fireworks and back - does that at least count for something? Probably not given all the brownies I ate. :)

Tuesday

Planned: Run 3 miles
Actual: Ran 0 miles

Planned: Ride 25 miles
Actual: Rode 17 miles

Kevin had the day off so we decided to pack up the bikes and head down to Carmel for a long ride since we didn't do it over the weekend. I figured I would just move the run to another day.

I had wanted to swing by a local bike store and get a bike map but he insisted we could just follow the roads and make up the route as we went (I wanted to do between 30 - 40 miles) -can you guess how the story ends?

We started at the entrance to 17-mile drive in Carmel and were greeted by a huge hill not even a mile in - what a way to warm up. 17-mile drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach much of which hugs the California coastline and passes by a few "famous" golf courses and landmarks. There are between 20 and 25 turnouts or "points of interest" along the road. I have done 17-mile drive many times by car and stopped at some of the "stops" but had never been to all of them.

Once we made it to the first stop we decided since we weren't on a time schedule we would really take the time to check them all out.

"His" and "Hers"

As the name implies, 17 miles later and we were done. Kevin's solution was do just do the route again in reverse to get to mileage I wanted. My stomach had its heart set on some french fries. I think we all know who won (darn, I guess I can't even blame my low mileage on him like I hoped.) Even if it was short I am so glad we got to experience 17-mile drive on bikes. Carmel is one of the most beautiful places in California and we are so lucky it is right in our backyard. I would eventually like to go back and do a "real" ride. From what I found online they have some really great 40, 50 and 60 mile routes in the area. I will just make sure to get the map BEFORE hand and don't happen to pass back by the car on said route. :)

Wednesday

Planned: Swim 2000 yards

Actual: Swam 2250 yards - SCORE!

Planned: Run 3 miles

Actual: Ran 3 miles

I finally got my act together - 3 mile run on the treadmill with a cool down swim.

3 miles/36:00/12:06 pace

Thursday

Planned: Ride 25 miles

Actual: Swam 2000 yard

Planned: Run 3 miles

Actual: Ran 3 miles

My friend K and I had been trying to organize a workout together for a while and today both of our schedules coordinated. She came to my place and we ran the 1.75 miles to the pool, swam and then ran (uhh, walked/ran) back. It was so ridiculously hot - 96 degrees - when we went running. Why do I torture myself in these ridiculous temps?

3 miles/39:00/13.00 pace

Friday

Planned: Swim 2350 yards

Actual: Swam 0 yards

Planned: Ride 25 miles (make-up from Thursday)

Actual: Rode 0 miles

I have no good excuses, I simply opted to go shopping instead . . . and get my nails done . . . and possibly take a nap. I know, I know, rough life.

Saturday

Planned: Run 6 miles

Actual: Ran 0 miles

All these zeros are getting painful to type. We were out of town all day - 8 AM to 12:30 AM attending two birthdays and thus no running occurred.

Sunday

Planned: Run 6 miles

Actual: Ran 0 miles

Planned: Ride 50 miles

Actual: Rode 0 miles

Because of aforementioned birthday parties + wedding dress shopping this didn't happen either. The alarm was set, I just didn't get up for it.

Weekly Totals:

Swim: 4250 yards

Bike: 17 miles

Run: 6 miles

Shameful, shameful, shameful. Typing this recap made me realize just how bad last week was (and while it might be painfully long for you to read, it is good for me to see). I am officially embarrassed. Umm, hello, 70.3 miles are not going to swim, bike and run themselves.

Okay, enough moaning and groaning about it. The bad week is behind me and I just need to focus on nailing the next few weeks of workouts instead.

Off to be productive (and swim)!

Say Yes to the Dress

2011-07-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are things that are just more exciting than running, cycling and swimming - like WEDDINGS!! I may have mentioned before that I just love weddings! I even briefly contemplated giving up law school to be a wedding planner.

I have had the honor in being in five of my best friends weddings - three times as the maid of honor and twice as a bridesmaid.

2004 - MOH for my best friend J

2006 - Bridesmaid for my friend C

2007 - MOH for my best friend Alisa

2009 - MOH for my sister-in-law

2010 - Bridesmaid for my best friend T

and now . . .

as my baby sister's Maid of Honor!


(her as my maid of honor at my wedding)

Fun Fact: My friends get engaged when I go to other peoples weddings. For example, T got engaged the night of my sister-in-laws wedding, my sister got engaged the night Kevin and I attended another friends wedding in April. If you are looking to get engaged send me to a wedding - it might be your lucky night!

The date has been set (May 2012), the place has been picked and reserved (the same I got married - what can I say, she has good taste) so today my sister, mom and some other bridesmaids took to the streets to find THE dress!!

We had two stops on the agenda - Trudy's and Bay Area Bridal. Trudy's was actually where I found my wedding dress so it was fun to go back. The shop is really nice and we had the whole back area to ourselves.

Like most brides, my sister came armed with photos of what she fell in love with in magazines and like most brides (myself included) fell in love with something completely different once she tried the dresses on. I remember specifically not wanting a strapless dress - I wanted cap sleeves. So much so that the first day I went dress shopping I refused to even try a strapless dress on. On our second trip J convinced me just to "try" a strapless dress and from then on I refused to try anything else - strapless it was.

My sister has the perfect body so everything looked gorgeous on her.

Don't worry - none of these are "THE" dress

But how do you know when you have found "THE" dress?

Tears! While nothing was purchased today, we clearly found a front runner. There were many beautiful dresses but after this dress, none of them really compared. She was truly stunning!

We had a bit of time to peruse bridesmaid dresses as well. We know they will be short and pink but we didn't come up with any winners just yet.

I was so happy for her that she found a dress so quickly. It took me 5 bridal shops before I even found a dress I even wanted to consider going back and trying on a second time but when you know, you know.

I am so happy for my sister. She has met a wonderful man who I am thrilled will be joining the family. Even though he called and talked to my parents before he asked her, he even called and talked to me personally about it. He treats her like a queen and couldn't have hand picked someone better myself.

I am so excited for everything coming in the next few months and planning the shower and bachelorette party. It has been a year since my last wedding and I have missed it!

So, I have to ask, do you have/did you have your dream wedding dress picked out? Did you go with it or end up with something completely different?

Big Kahuna: Week 2

2011-07-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ohhh, I am a little late in posting this but better late than never! This past weekend really got me off schedule.

Original Big Kahuna Week 2 Schedule:

Actual Schedule:

Nailed every workout but long swim (read pool hours wrong) and long bike (was re-scheduled to this week but that ride got cut short too).

Monday

Planned: Swim 2250 yards

Actual: Swam 2250 yards

Tuesday

Planned: Run 2 miles

Actual: Ran 2 miles

Still not 100% up to speed on the running - ran 2 minutes/walked 2 minutes.

2 miles/26:00/13:00 pace

Planned: Ride 25 miles

Actual: Rode 0 miles (moved ride to Friday due to a deadline)

Wednesday

Planned: Swim 2000 yards

Actual: Swam 0 yards

Due to above deadline moved swim to Friday as well.

Thursday

Planned: Ride 25 miles

Actual: Rode 23 miles (again, happy with any distance between 20 & 30 miles)

After a 4 hour up and back to Sacramento to hand deliver 2 job applications (my deadlines from above - fingers crossed) I needed to get out and stretch the legs. By the time I got out on the rode at 2:30 PM it was HOT!!

23 miles/1:47/12.9 mph pace.

Planned: Run 3 miles

Actual: Ran 0 miles (moved to the weekend)

Friday

Planned: Swim 2200 yards

Actual: Swam 2000 yards (made up Wednesdays swim and had planned to do 2200 yards Saturday)

Actual: Rode 23 miles (made up Tuesdays ride)

Rode the same route from Thursday except in reverse and did it two minutes faster!

23 miles/1:45/13.1 mph avg

Saturday

Planned: Run 4 miles

Actual: Ran 4 miles

Bumped my run/walk intervals up to running 3 minutes/walking 2 minutes. Finished pain free.

4 miles/49:00/12.15 avg

I was supposed to make up my 2200 "long" swim this day and had planned to do it after my run but I read the pool lap swim hours wrong so I missed this swim for the week.

Saturday night I headed out with the girls to see . . . wait for it . . . the NKTOB/BSB concert! Don't judge - you know you secretly still love them too. All I wanted as an 8 year old was to go to their concert and at 29 that dream was finally realized. They put on a hell of show and are still pretty good looking for being 40! Look at those abs!!

I ALWAYS loved Donnie! Him and Joey were my favs!

I had to laugh at us - yes, we were drinking wine at the concert! We were the "old" ladies going to see our childhood idols, especially because the other girls in the suite weren't even old enough drink! They were clearly there to see BSB. All my NKOTB music was on cassette tapes! Yikes!!

Sunday

Planned: Ride 40 miles

Actual: Ran 7 miles

After being out til 2:00 am it was amazing I even made it out of bed but I wasn't about to miss the first "ramen run."

What began as only 4 miles turned into 7 wonderful miles in Golden Gate Park.

7 miles/1:21/11:34 pace

I have no excuse for not riding this week. I had hoped to turn a ride we had planned two days later into a longer ride but that didn't happen. I am not so worried about the ride for Big Kahuna but I need to start getting in the miles for our century ride in August.

Weekly Totals

Swim: 4250 miles

Bike: 46 miles

Run: 13 miles

Overall, week 2 went well. I am seeing an improvement in my running which I am LOVING! I will never take being injury free for granted again. I am still a ways off from my pre-injury speed but I know that will come in time and for the meantime I am just enjoying the feeling of the road under my feet.

As you can tell I am not always getting my workouts done on the day I "planned" but I feel like as long as I get them done sometime during the week that is all that matters.

I can't believe it is already Friday! Off to tackle the day and get ready for a busy weekend.

Seven

2011-07-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I hit a new milestone with my running post injury - I RAN 7 MILES, not walk, RAN! It has been over 7 months since I have done this and boy did it feel awesome!

Since starting to train for Big Kahuna two weeks ago I have slowly been easing back into running with run/walk intervals. Since it has been so long since I had a decent run, I didn't want to jump in to quickly and risk yet another injury. Abet slow, my runs have been going well. Sunday, Alyssa, organized a "ramen run" in beautiful Golden Gate park in San Francisco. My long run for the week was scheduled for 4 miles and everyone else was going to be doing 6.5 so I figured I would go out with them for part of the way and then turn around and come back early.

Conservatory of Flowers

The first mile was a little rough - I could tell my legs were a tight but once Garmin beeped at one mile I really settled into a groove. We stopped at the 2 mile mark to decide the rest of our route.

Everyone decided they were going to go about 1/2 mile further then turn around. I had planned to turn around here but since I was feeling good I thought what the heck and kept going. On the way back a few people decided they wanted to tackle Strawberry Hill, still feeling good, I followed. It was a killer hill but we were rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of San Francisco.

No, it was not hazy, my camera lens was dirty. : /

After Strawberry Hill it was an easy 1.5 miles back to where we started. I couldn't believe I ran the majority of the whole run (I took only 3 short walk breaks - totaling less than a mile) with NO PAIN!! I finished with an awesome runner's high - something I have not experienced in a really long time.

All done!

Final Stats - 7 miles/1:19:09/11:18 avg

Mile 1: 10:19
Mile 2: 10:12
Mile 3: 10:28
Mile 4: 10:45
Mile 5: 13:51 (Strawberry Hill)
Mile 6: 13:21 (Strawberry Hill)
Mile 7: 10:12

Afterward we all headed over to Genki Ramen for lunch (hence "ramen run"). My only experience with ramen is Top Ramen so I wasn't 100% sure what to expect.

the "Yasai" ramen

It was delicious! Seriously, a perfect post run lunch and yes, I ate all of that! It was so good and I have been craving another bowl ever since.

This run was definitely a turning point in my training and makes me think I am 99% recovered my my back injury. I was a little sore the next day but I think that has more to do with being out of "running" shape than my back actually hurting. This run reminded me just how much I love and missed running!

Thanks Alyssa for planning such a fantastic run (and all the pictures)!

Big Kahuna: Week 1

2011-06-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

I know weekly re-caps of workouts can be boring BUT for me they are essential for three reasons: (1) to keep myself accountable for what I set out to do, (2) when the training cycle is over I like to be able to look back at all the training I did for the event, and (3) they help me plan my next training cycle because I can see what works, what didn't work, etc.

That being said, week 1 went really well. I am still not 100% with my back injury and I still don't have a clear answer is to what it is. I see a physical therapist twice a week and they are still working on things. All I can hope is that someday even if they can't determine the exact cause they can help me find a way to manage it so it doesn't happen again. In the meantime I have the green light to start running again, abet slowly, but I am running and for that I am thankful.

So here is what was on the schedule:

and here is what I actually did:

Monday

Planned: Swim 2175 yards
Actual: Swam 2175 yards

First time back in the pool since this happened (an onion chopping incident):

Your lucky I saved you from the actual picture of the stitches in my finger. :)

Tuesday

Planned: Swim 2000 yards
Actual: Swam 2000 yards

Another great swim. Kevin came with me to the pool and I had fun swimming laps around him - finally, one thing I am better at!! Just kidding, after a little work on his form he was keeping up. I will have him doing tris in no time.

Planned: Run 2 miles
Actual: Ran 2 miles

This was my first run in over a month. I was giddy I was so happy to go run. It was slow - I mean really slow. I was told to ease back into running through run/walk which is frustrating but it really did help with the pain. I ran 1 minute/walked 2 minutes for the two miles on the treadmill.

2 miles/29:00/14:17 pace

Wednesday

Planned: Run 3 miles
Actual: None

I dealt with this all day:

My poor car. I went with Kevin to San Jose for the day and right after lunch the car stopped running - nevermind it is 12 years old with 225,000 miles but it can't die just yet. It gets phenomenal gas mileage and until I get a job we need it. It ended up being a 5 hour ordeal getting it towed, diagnosed, etc and by the time we got home I was just too tired too run. (I also do not want to talk about how much it is going to cost to fix.)

Thursday

Planned: Ride 25 miles
Actual: Rode 20 miles

When I put these "25 mile" rides on the schedule I really should have put "20-30 mile" rides as I would be happy with any mileage within this range. Unlike running which is usually pretty easy to get an exact distance, cycling is sometimes a little harder to get spot on. Sometimes a planned route ends up being a little short or I will do less miles if it is a challenging route.

20.20 miles/1:39:52/12.5 avg pace

Friday

Planned: Ride 25 miles
Actual: Rode 23 miles

Again, I was totally happy with this mileage.

23 miles/1:47:43/13.2 avg speed

Planned: Swim 2100 yards
Actual: Ran 2 miles

I was supposed to do my long swim today but realized the pool did not have evening lap swim hours so I decided to try and make up Wednesdays missed run. I forgot an ingredient for dinner so I ran to the store to get it adhering to the walk 2 minutes, run 1. It wasn't quite the 3 miles I missed but better than nothing I guess.

2 miles/24:00/12:00 pace

Saturday

Planned: Ride 30 miles
Actual: None

Kevin and I had the best intentions to get this ride in. When we moved from Sacramento we went from a house to an apartment so the majority of stuff we are storing right now until we get a bigger place. We spent the majority of the day moving our stuff from where were storing it to a new place. Of course, this took longer than expected and by the time we were done it was 7:00 and we had dinner plans with his parents. If I was going to miss any "long" training day this would have been the one. I think my bike fitness is strong right now and I don't think one missed ride will hurt me in the long run.

Sunday

Planned: Run 4 miles
Actual: Ran 4 miles

The lovely Aron planned a blogger meet-up for some bay area bloggers so I got some company on my "long" run. It was so nice to see some old friends and meet lots of new ones! I wish I could have talked to everyone more. Tara was nice enough to stick with me for my four miles and do walk/run intervals of running 2 minutes/walking 2 minutes. The time just flew by! Thanks so much Tara. I was prepared to do the run alone since I would be walking so it was nice to have the company.

Afterwards we all grabbed coffee at Peets and discussed all things running!

4 miles/46:26/11:24 avg pace

Weekly Totals

Swim: 4175 yards

Bike: 43 miles

Run: 9 miles

Not too far off from what I planned and a great week overall. The one thing I know for the future is that I will not always be getting my workouts done on the day planned but as long as they get done that is all that matters.

It feels great to be back up and at it. I still have some back aches and pains and my shins were usually sore after Sundays run but I am attributing that to being out of "running" shape. I hope if I just stick with my stretches and exercises from the PT I will be okay.

Looking forward to week 2!

70.3 - Round 2

2011-06-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got my bike in 2007 I have been dying to do a half ironman. Last year was going to be my year. I had my training plan, I had started training, and then life got in the way, and then it got in the way again, and well, it never happened. Despite that, I still went and cheered my friends on as they both kicked butt at the race we were all going to do together. I was tad (ok, a lot) jealous that they were about to race and I was stuck on the sidelines but it made me all the more excited to get my turn. The time has finally come - September 11, 2011 (pending I stay injury free and my back cooperates) I will lining up at the start line of the Big Kahuna Triathlon in Santa Cruz. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run here I come!

After planning and reworking my training plan several times, I have I officially complied a 12 week training plan that will get me across the finish line. Now, most half ironman training plans are 18-20 weeks, however, due to my back still being fussy and a small encounter with a kitchen knife (that required stitches and kept me out of the pool for ten days. Needless to say I will be buying pre-sliced onions from here on out.) I have to work with the 12 weeks I have left until race day. Knowing I am already pretty strong on the bike due to all my recent cycling and the fact I have many cycling events coming up I need to stay in shape for, I will be mostly focusing on the swimming, running and putting all three events together.

My official training started this past Monday. This plan also incorporates the training for many of my fall events including 2 or 3 centuries, a few half marathons and *gulp* a possible marathon (more on those events to come).

2011 Summer/Early Fall Training Plan

Swims are in black, runs are in pink and rides are in orange. I am pretty sure not all workouts will be completed on the days they are currently scheduled as my schedule seems to change daily but at least I know what needs to be done during the week. I will be doing weekly re-caps showing the proposed work out/what was actually done and when.

I am REALLY REALLY excited (and also a little nervous) about this race. It is coming up quick - better get training!!

Ride Report: America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

2011-06-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your kind words of "congrats" on my last post. I have seriously been on cloud 9 since May 13. I had no idea the stress and anxiety I was carrying around waiting for my results. On June 3 I was sworn in and can now legally practice law in the state of California. It is crazy to think I am ACTUALLY an attorney!

Anyway, I have officially began training for my next big event (and separate post to come) but on Sunday, June 5 I had what was supposed to be my 3rd century ride - "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" planned in Lake Tahoe. The ride included 72 miles around the perimeter of the entire lake as well as an out and back of 28 miles to Truckee for the complete 100. I absolutely LOVE Lake Tahoe so I was very excited to ride this ride.

We registered for this ride back in February. I remember being worried when I registered that it would be hot in June and the ride might be miserable because of the heat (as I have mentioned before I don't do well in the hot weather). I never in a million years dreamed that as the date crept closer I would be worried about the possibility of snow (we have been experiencing some crazy cold weather in northern California this year - the fact that I am still wearing jeans and sweaters in mid-June is awesome but totally unexpected).

All week I watched the weather. They predicted showers all week with Sunday (ride day) expected to have a 40, then 50 and finally 60% chance of rain. We debated all week whether to even go but I knew with my luck it would end up being sunny and beautiful and I would miss out on the chance to ride. Saturday morning we awoke to down pouring rain. I was determined to give it my best shot though and if I had to SAG, then I had to SAG, but at least I would know I tried. We packed all the warm rain gear we had and headed to the mountains.

When we arrived in Tahoe I was pleasantly surprised to see the rain had stopped. We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed this beautiful view from the restaurant.

I can handle clouds, I can handle cold, so as long as the weather stayed like this I knew we would be just fine. After dinner we went back to the room (after a quick stop at the casino for a little craps and roulette), got all our stuff out, set the 4:30 am wake-up call, said a little prayer for good weather and went to sleep.

4:30 am came in no time and the first thing I did was look out the window. To my dismay it was raining. I told myself that we still had and hour and a half until the ride started so it could definitely stop by then but as 6:00 am crept closer and closer there was no signs of it clearly up. Kevin looked at me like, "are we really going to do this?" but I was determined to at least try. We did make the decision to drop down to the 72 mile ride that just went around the perimeter of the lake. I was perfectly fine with that as we would still get in the challenging climbs I wanted to try.

The weather at the start.

I decided we should re-name the ride "America's Wettest Ride" or "America's Craziest People Who Decide to Ride 100 miles in the Rain." Surprisingly, despite the snow in the background and the fact it was 47 degrees at the start, I was not that cold. Although, I did have on 3 layers plus a rain jacket, my winter wool socks, shoe covers, ear warmers and leg warmers but still. At 6:30 am in the drizzly rain we were off.

Miles 1 - 14

These first 14 miles were wet. We also must have seen at least 25 people get flat tires within these first 14 miles. I questioned my sanity at least 20 times.

This was a huge Team in Training event and every chapter seemed to have their own "symbol" on the top of their helmet based on what state they were from - "Coors" cans from Colorado, "peaches" from Georgia, "hershey kisses" from Hershey, PA, etc.

Right around mile 11.5 we started the climb to Emerald Bay. The road ended up looking a lot more daunting than it really was - we were even passing people. The view from the top was just gorgeous! I am slowly learning that no matter how hard a climb may be the view from the top is usually worth it.

Halfway up the climb - I LOVE the contrast with the snow in the background.

The bay is behind me.

Miles 14 - 26

Just as we reached the top of Emerald Bay the sun came out!

Loving our "matching" rain gear.

Despite being dumped on for 14 miles we were surprisingly dry - minus our feet. With every pedal stroke I felt the water squishing through my toes. Kevin took his socks off and was able to ring water out of his socks. Poor guy - he didn't have wool socks on so his feet were freezing! Even with my shoe covers my feet were soaked but at least they were warm.

We enjoyed the sun and the beautiful views for this stretch of the course. It made me happy we stuck it out.

Miles 27 - 43

At mile 26/27 we hit our second rest stop. I was SO excited to see what has become my FAVORITE ride snack:

ROASTED POTATOES!

I first experienced them during Levi's Ride last October and there is nothing that compares to the delicious salty carb

Lunch came at mile 43. Look at all the wonderful food! No wonder you can't lose weight during these bike rides.

Lunch at King's Beach

Right as we pulled into lunch, (and just as I had finally dried out), it started pouring again. I actually welcomed the rain as crazy at that sounds. After riding over 30 miles on freshly rained on roads my bike and myself were COVERED in mud. I wish I had a picture to show you. I went to a very bike friendly college and we used to make fun of the freshman when they would ride their bikes in the rain without a fender because they would have what we called the "freshman stripe" down their back from the mud being kicked up from the roads. Well, we all had "freshman stripes" and we all looked liked we pooped our pants because the mud was being kicked up on our rain proof jackets and then running off and collecting on our shorts. We were quite a sight. Anyway, the rain was like a nice shower to rinse all the dirt away.

Miles 43 - 52

Right after lunch we had a small climb followed by a long descent. On the descent down I could tell something was off with my tire - I had a flat. It must have been all the dirt on the road because there was an unusual amount of people getting flat tires. I called out to Kevin to come back to change it. Yes, I know, I know, I need to learn to change a tire. Actually, I take that back - I am 90% sure I could change a tire but if you have a man with you, well, take advantage of that. He really was a trooper - my chain and tire were covered in road grime and mud.

Around mile 47 the sun came out again and we rode through an absolutely gorgeous neighborhood on the north shore. If I could buy a vacation home anywhere it would definitely be Lake Tahoe.

The base of mile 53 was the start of the biggest climb of the day - about a 1000 ft. climb up to Spooner Junction. Knowing the climb was coming combined by the fact I was actually getting warm, we pulled over around mile 50 to shed a layer. Climbing was only going to make me warmer.

Miles 53 - 72

We were not more than a mile into the climb when the sky turned black, the clouds opened and dumped hail!!! Now, if you are going to be hailed on I would much prefer it to be when I am going 7 mph than 20 but at that point all I could do was laugh. Despite the hail we were riding along the cliffs and we were treated to spectacular views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. It hailed for a good 5 miles and just as fast as it started it stopped and the sun returned. We crested the climb at mile 60 and pulled out the map to see it really was going to be all downhill from there.

Still full from lunch, we decided not to stop at the last rest stop and push forward to the end. For about five miles straight I kept a pace of 20 - 25 mph. We were actually riding on the freeway at that point. The weather cooperated the whole way back and we pulled into the finish with a hearty welcome from spectators.

Final Stats - I love the outline of the lake!

While the ride was not one of my fastest, I truly felt bad ass when we crossed the finish line. We endured rain, wind, hail, elevation and a flat tire in 72 miles and we pedaled every mile. After we finished Kevin told me he had had no desire to ride that day when we woke up to the raining weather but he wasn't about to let me go alone. Despite that, he was so glad we did. It was one of those events that really tests your mental and physical strength. Moreover, next to Levi's ride, it was one of my favorite organized rides I have done - some of the most beautiful scenery (it really earns its name "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride), a great mix of climbs/flat roads/descents, awesome SAG and crowd support, and well stocked/supported rest stops. Other than the weather I couldn't have asked for anything more.

I have never really ridden in the rain before but here are some of my take away points/advice:

BUY a waterproof rain jacket!! Those yellow rain jackets were our lifesavers!! I was so happy my parents picked them up for us on their way up, otherwise, we would have been drenched and I think the ride would have been much more miserable. I had a jacket on underneath the yellow one but it was not waterproof.
A shower cap makes an excellent cover to your helmet to keep your head dry. I wish I would have been smart enough to think of this on my own but saw many people with them on. I scoured the hotel room for some but couldn't find any in our room before we left. Note for next time.
I packed my cellphone in a plastic baggy and put it in my jacket pocket underneath my water proof jacket. It remained safe and dry the entire time.
I wished I would have packed an extra pair of socks in that baggy. Really my only complaint was my soggy socks and if I could have changed them halfway through I would have been a happy girl.
As I mentioned, this ended up being one of my top rides to date despite it was not my best performance time wise. Physically I felt strong the entire time but the weather kept me from reaching my full potential. Some rides allow you to succeed physically, some allow you to succeed mentally. Both are important in terms of making you a better cyclist.

Up next - my new training plan!

Blog Wars & The World's Greatest News

2011-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

My blog and I have been at war for the past month. I contemplated moving to wordpress in early April and to retaliate it lost over half my content and messed up my whole design. Knowing it would take me hours to fix, the job got put on the back burner since I never seemed to have a chunk of time to sit down and re-organize everything. I guess the task seemed to daunting I was too intimated to start. However, with a little work here and a little work there I think I have it almost all put back together. Blogger - you win - for now anyway.

Obviously, a lot has happened since my last post almost two months ago. I was really hoping to do a "rehabilitative" type series to document my injury and what I was doing to heal it. I have many notes I have made along the way for potential posts but it seems so long ago now to write them individually. I have learned a lot more about my injury and while I am not healed completely (as the doctor said it has taken 5 years to get this bad it won't heal itself overnight) I am doing so much better.

So, bullet point style, I will catch you up on the last 2 months. Despite my injury, I have still completed the majority of races I set out to complete - abet, slower, but I still finished.

Oh, and you will have to read to the bottom to see the "world's greatest news." :D

Modesto Marathon - March 20, 2011
This was my very first "did not start." Being that it had only been 4 days since I had decided "no running" I resisted my urge to to it anyway and made the smart choice to spectate. After all, one of my best friends and her husband were running their very first half marathon that day and they needed a cheerleader. It was a little hard to watch everyone warming up for the race - I wanted to be right there with them - but I knew I was doing the right thing. Both J & J kicked butt finishing in 2:13. I was so proud of them.

Oakland 1/2 Marathon (3:02:42) - October 27, 2011
I contemplated not starting this half either, however, my love of medals got the best of me. See this race is part of the NorCal Half Series - if you finish four participating races you get an extra medal, and well, I am a sucker. I decided to start of run/walking and then switch to walking if I had to. The first 7 miles went well - I would walk a 1/4 a mile and then run 1/4 a mile but then my back started to get tight and I decided not to push it any further and just switched to walking. Let me tell you, walking is a whole lot harder than running. My hands swelled really bad and at that point your body just wanted to run. Despite, that, the course was really fun and I would love to come back next year and run it for real.

Cinderella Classic 65 Miles (4:58) - April 2, 2011
First cycling event of the year! Thankfully (or I would probably go crazy not being able to run or cycle), cycling does not aggravate my back. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride - crisp, cool air - just the way I like it. Samantha, my mom, and I completed the 65 ride with energy to spare. You can read Samantha's recap here.

Chips and salsa are a fabulous bike ride snack!

Big Sur 9 Miler (2:06:56) - May 1, 2011
Back in October of 2010 I was researching races for 2011 and came across Big Sur's website. Seeing that the marathon said it was 99% full, I made the quick decision to register for it. Well, we all know what happened and as the time drew near I knew my back was in no shape to run a marathon. Already having a girls weekend planned I didn't want to drop out completely so I decided to do the 9 miler and walk the whole thing. Again, it confirmed that walking is 10x harder than running but I am glad I made the decision to go anyway. The course was beautiful and the company was fun. Next year - I am going back for the full!

At the start line 2 hours early huddling together trying to stay warm.

Taking refuge from the cold in the Safeway - in the wine aisle of course!

Wine counts as carbo loading right?

9 mile runners wear green.

Beautiful course!

Love this sign!

Happy finishers - many with PRs!

Wine Country Century (7:37:49) - May 7, 2011
Initially, Samantha and I planned to do the 124 mile option but luckily came to our senses and decided the 100 miles was more than enough after Samantha drove the extra 24 miles the night before. This was also Kevin's first century too. We set out at 7:00 am and spent the day riding around the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country. The weather was perfect and I got to ride with my arm sleeves on all day. The first 50 miles flew by. Miles 50 - 70 were rough fighting a head wind but after we turned the corner at mile 70 we had the wind at our backs and flew all the way back to Santa Rosa, that is of course after climbing a hill at mile 93 - who puts a big hill at mile 93 of a 100 mile ride?!?

This was my second century and it had almost 1000 more feet of climbing than the first one I did yet I finished this one almost 8 minutes faster. I was so happy with my time. Samantha and I finished together and Kevin finished in just under 7 hours! Centuries are tough but they are so rewarding.

Finished century #2 together!

Oh, and the "world's greatest news"?

I PASSED THE CALIFORNIA STATE BAR!!

So, there you have it! My past two months. I won't lie - passing the bar has been a constant stresser for me this past year and a big part of my blogging absence. I honestly couldn't seem to concentrate on much else. However, now that I have finally passed combined with the fact my back is on the mend I look forward to having the time and attention to turn back to the blog.

I have some fun things planned - stay tuned!

Facing the Music

2011-03-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

meaning "to accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions."

I am stubborn. There, I said it.

Piriformis pain - an advanced case coupled with a extremely tight hamstrings, IT band and some other tight muscles has me has me waddling like a penguin from point A to point B. I know I have mentioned it countless times but in an effort to try and organize my blog a little better a brief history.

Before I was a runner or a cyclist I was a stressed out law student who spent countless hours sitting, studying and stressing. I also wore 3 inch heels everyday. While studying for finals in spring 2006 I experienced some of the most horrific pain radiating down the side of my left leg. Because, as I mentioned above I am stubborn, I tend not to go to a doctor right away when experiencing pain because it always seems as soon as I go to the doctor whatever it is goes away and they just look at me like I am crazy. Within a weeks time it went away and I concluded I must have pulled a muscle or something. However, it returned, and returned, and returned, not only to the left leg but to the right as well. I finally saw the doctor. He told me it was a pinched nerve and to stop wearing heels. WHAT!! Stop wearing heels? But I have closets full of beautiful shoes and you are telling me to stop wearing them? I was stubborn and didn't. The pain continued. I stopped wearing heels. The pain continued.

By now I was starting to run so I went back to the doctor. He told me it was sciatica. "What is that?" "When the sciatic nerve gets pinched between two muscles." "Well how do I get it out?" "Here are some stretches." I did the stretches, it was temporary fix, but the pain would always come back. When I researched sciatica on my own I concluded that sciatica is not a diagnosis - it is a symptom of an underlying problem with the lower back such as a herniated disc. This is an important distinction because it is the underlying diagnosis that often needs to be treated in order to relieve sciatic nerve pain. I went back and asked for an MRI (a horrible experience for a claustrophobic person mind you) to check for disc problems - it came back fine.

By now I have been dealing with this for two years. The pain comes and goes - when it is gone I have free range of motion, can wear heels, run, do everything normally. When it comes it freezes me in my tracks, has sent me to the ER more than once, keeps me from lying down, and makes the simplest tasks such as walking impossible.

More research concluded that often a particular event or injury does not cause sciatica, but rather the sciatic pain over time tends to develop as a result of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. I have found certain things that aggravate it (such as slouching, carrying heavy boxes, heels, etc) and refrain from engaging in those activities. Funny enough it is never running that actually aggravates it, however, at times, the pain makes running impossible. I go back to the doctor one last time and beg for anything, anything at all. We try physical therapy, the same stretches I was already doing. The pain still comes and goes. He says to take anti-inflamatories. It still comes and goes.

Fast forward another year - I am still running, I won't let it stop me, but still battling monthly/bi-monthly episodes. I stop talking about it as I figure it is just something I will have to live with. From time to time people ask why I am walking funny and I just answer "back injury." I am tired of explaining the story. I have been to the doctor countless times and they can't help me so I conclude there is no hope and this will just be a fact of life. I have a fairly high pain tolerance so I just push through the pain when it flares up.

In 2009 Samantha and I are talking and she asks me if I have ever tried seeing a chiropractor. Yeah right I said, I am not letting someone crack my back, those people don't know what they are doing (please forgive my ignorance but yes, this was my mindset at the time). She said she had felt the same way but after she had a treatment by a close friend who was a chiropractor she felt differently. I was skeptical (very - so much so I told the chiropractor this when I saw him the first time - so sorry!) but was so sick of dealing with the pain I thought I would try anything. I went to see him and the first few adjustments were very painful (not the actual adjustment but the aftermath) but low and behold it worked. Come to find out I was right - sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. He stressed to me the importance of stretching, foam rolling, etc in order to keep the adjustments where they needed to be. This means core and strength training work to make the muscles strong. I half listened and was so happy to just feel better I thought I was cured.

The episodes did return but this time they were more like 3-4 months a part and would only last for a week. I decided I could defiantly live with that. Also, as long as I made sure to not sit on the floor, sit too long, wear heels for too long, fall asleep in weird positions, slouch, lift really heavy things and thoroughly stretch after exercising I was okay.

2010 was spend doing a lot of those forbidden things - especially sitting with all the studying. Coupled with a complete lack of strength training and stress the pain came back tenfold. I blogged about it here, while training for my century ride, and ultimately it was one of the factors that kept me from from finishing CIM. I saw another chiropractor in my new city who diagnosed as "piriformis syndrome" and performed "active release therapy" on my leg.

I *thought* the pain had subsided since CIM, given I hadn't been doing much due to studying but last week when I started training again, it came back in full force. This time is is lingering around longer and more painful than normal. I have spent three sleepless nights on the couch because I cannot lay down and have been pretty useless in terms of getting anything done the last few says because of the pain. Usually by now the pain has subsided a bit but not this time and with two half marathons, a marathon and two century rides all within the next seven weeks I knew something had to be done.

This is a condition I have been dealing with now for five years and I am tired of dealing with it, tired of complaining about it, and want it gone. In the past I have tried to get the quick fix but realize now it will probably never go away BUT if I am diligent and proactive I can make the pain manageable. This means committing to the daily exercises prescribed and doing that core work. While up in Sacramento the other day I visited my old chiropractor and he said something that scared me. My back is out of alignment - I need to commit to treatments to get it back to how it should be. It is causing other muscles to tense and tighten because they are not being properly supported. He said my walk was off and that I am compensating for the pain and if I continue to train at the intensity I want I will start wearing my bones out in ways they weren't meant to be "worn" which will lead to hip and knee replacements later in life which will lead to absolutely NO RUNNING OR CYCLING ever again. On my drive home I really thought about it - sure, I can push through the pain, I have done it a million times, but is half-assing a race now worth the potential long term effects? ABSOLUTELY not! I would a million times over rather miss a month of running now that be told at age 45 I need a new hip and cannot run at all - all because I was too stubborn to attend to the problem.

When I got home I immediately called a new chiropractor/trainer, someone who came highly recommended as well as specializes in sports injuries and went to my first appointment today. He conformed everything I suspected. The good news - this can be fixed, through 5-6 weekly appointments he will be able to get my back where it needs to be, then, it will be up to me to keep it that way through daily stretching (10 minutes tops) and building up my core. The bad new (as I expected) - healing takes time and time means slowing down.

I know I will never be 100% cured and it will be something I have to deal with for the rest of my life but I am committing to getting this problem under control and managed. I have accepted that with anything in life, there is no quick fix, but if I want to be active later on in life I have to take care of this now - the prospect of the long term effects are just unacceptable to me. In this post I said I was going to do things differently in 2011 and take it one day at a time yet I found myself quickly committing to a busy schedule. So I am taking a step back and making my health my priority to ensure a lifetime of running and cycling. Should I someday chose to stop I want it to be on my terms, NOT because I am physically unable.

So there you have it. In my next post I will explain what this means in terms of the upcoming months but I hope after today I will never have to complain about this problem again.

Neglected No More

2011-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Did you miss me?

I'M BACK (for the 10th time). This poor blog.

After studying and recovering (again) from the California State Bar I can officially say I'm back and can move forward with 2011. Studying for that thing is like being in a time warp, the world goes on around you and yet you lose sense of all time and reality. Honestly, the day after the bar I sat down to catch up with what had been going on in the world for the last two months. So sad.

After taking all of December off to heal, I started running again in January. Nothing big - just trying to ease back into it with some easy 3 and 4 milers. I also logged a few miles on the bike. February came and went. I got NO running or cycling in as I was in panic mode with studying. The good in all this is that I think the time allowed the tendinitis in my foot to heal completely and while my back is and will always a pain in the butt (literally), it is feeling as good as it can feel.

Of course what do I do as soon as the bar is over? Plan a training schedule!! I have some races and rides that are coming up right around the corner and have no time waste. I have updated my race schedule with the events I am for sure completing this year and have also added a new tab to house my current training plan. I promise a post in the near future about how and what I used to create it.

Not only am I looking forward to getting back to blogging but also to reading again. I haven't forgotten about you!

I must run - literally - I have some speedwork to do tonight - but I promise not to be gone so long this time!

Rewards

2011-01-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Whether it be work, paying bills, cleaning, driving, math homework - we all do things everyday we wish we didn't have to do. I mean, come on, studying "indefeasibly vested remainders" and "the parole evidence rule" is like being back in elementary school and looking at my math homework and thinking, "am I really ever going to use this?" (side note - I ACTUALLY had a use for the math formula the other day where the train is going a certain speed, covering so many miles and you had to figure out what time it arrived.) Nonetheless, in the meantime it is no fun to study.

I am a firm believer in the "work hard, play hard" philosophy and while I don't necessarily have the time to "play hard" - I am finding little ways to break up the monotony of my every day schedule and it really makes a difference. Knowing there is something fun to look forward to makes the boring bearable. :)

Here are my top 5 rewards for this week:

1. Moving my "office" to Starbucks and for a little pick me ups.

2. A daily run. I am starting my official training plan next weekend for the Oakland 1/2 Marathon and Big Sur International Marathon but it has been fun just going out and getting miles in for fun.

3. Delicious Cookies

4. The Bachelor. OMG, where has this show been my whole life?! It is fabulously bad in so many ways. I look forward to the two hours to just zone out and not think. (P.S. If anyone else is watching I want Emily to win!)

5. Registering for races! I LOVE having something fun to look forward to - it is that light at the end of the tunnel! Monday, registration for Levi's Gran Fondo opened and I am now officially registered for the 100 miler with 8000 feet of climbing! I can't say enough good things about this ride and I am beyond excited to participate again this year and take on the 100 mile challenge.

What little rewards do you give yourself to keep you motivated?

"Hood to Coast" Review

2011-01-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

Monday night I had the opportunity to see the documentary about the world's largest relay running event - Hood to Coast! This annual event held in August has 1000 12 person teams (12,000 runners) running 197 miles from Mt. Hood, elevation 6000 ft, to the coastal town of Seaside, elevation 0 ft, in Oregon. It brought back a rush of emotions and excitement from my experience participating in a relay in May 2010. I was a bad blogger and never did a recap of the race but you can see some of my teammates recaps here, here and here.

It was February 2010 and I was holed up in my law school library studying for the bar when I saw Aron post on facebook that they were looking for additional teammates for their relay team. I spent the next hour researching relays and trying to see what I could possibly be getting myself into. Desperately in need of a new challenge and something fun to look forward to to help get me through the bar, I messaged her and said to count me in if they still needed people. I had no idea what to expect besides traveling 197 miles with a group of awesome people I had only met a handful of times but I knew it would be an fun.

And the adventure begins . . .

Hood to Coast, as most relays, consists of 36 legs varying in distances from 3 - 8 miles. Runners each run 3 legs for a total of 14 - 20 miles. Each leg is designated easy, medium, hard, or very hard depending on the distance and terrain. The film covers the history and growth of the event while documenting four teams and their epic 36 hour, 199 mile journey. The teams chosen really showcase the variety of participants from the "Dead Jocks in a Box," the seasoned veterans who know every inch of every leg to "Thunder and Laikaning," the novice runners who, some before H2C, had barely run 3 miles and whose training plan involved more beer than running. Additionally, there was "Heart n' Sole," a team of women including a seasoned marathoner who collapsed on her third leg of the 2007 race from a heart attack and comes back to run after triple bypass surgery and R. Bowe, a team running in memory of a runner husband, brother, son, father and best friend who died unexpectedly from a genetic heart condition who was supposed to be running with them.

Finishing Leg 1 strong

Their stories were all unique - they all approached the race with different philosophies, had different backgrounds and brought different experiences to the table. However, their stories were more alike than different - stories of teamwork, camaraderie, and pushing yourself to limits you didn't know you were capable of. That is what 30 hours in a van, with five other people, traveling 197 miles will do you. You bond quickly in that tiny space, amongst stinky, sweaty clothes, navigating routes at 3:00 in the morning.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was where Rachael, a member of "Thunder and Laikaning" finishes running a very difficult uphill, 6 mile leg, in the middle of the night on a gravel trail where dirt and rocks are being spewed all around her from the passing vans and when she finishes the leg all she can do is rave about how much fun it was and how awesome and experience it was. This is the essence of running events like this - why we run marathons and push our bodies farther than they can go - for that very moment.

Another one of my favorite quotes from the movie was where a member of "Dead Jocks" says by the end of the race you are racing with your mind because your body is long gone. After being awake for more than 24 hours, having run 3 legs and 17 miles (one of my teammates and I doubled up for our night runs), and not really having anything substantial to eat in over 12 hours I have no idea how I completed my final leg because my body was shot at that point but I did, and like Rachael said "it was awesome."

I saw the movie with half of my relay teammates and as people filed into the theater we were talking about whether we thought they were runners or not. On the surface the documentary was a story about runners and running, but underneath that was so much more and I can guarantee that even a non-runner would walk away from this movie feeling inspired and ready to tackle whatever challenge was important to them in their life.

I am so lucky to have gotten to participate in an experience like this. From cheering on other runners, to making countless "That's What She Said" jokes (that was our team name), to spending 30 hours with the best teammates I could have asked for I have memories that will last a lifetime.

The opening scene depicts a women running in the dark, you hear her feet pounding on the dirt and the sound of her rhythmic breathing. You see the headlamps of others dancing like fireflies in the background. It instantly brought me back to my 1:00 am leg where I had no idea where I was and would only intermittently hear the sounds of other foot steps in the distance. Or at 2:30 am when Katie and I were running through downtown Sausalito that was so quiet it sent chills up your spine. Or crossing the Golden Gate Bridge at 3:30 in the morning and seeing the San Francisco skyline illuminated in the distance thinking of everyone who was fast asleep.

If you ever have the opportunity to participate in an event like this I highly recommend it. I think Hood to Coast shows you don't have to be a veteran runner to successfully complete a race like this - as long as you can handle traveling in a van for 30 hours without very little sleep, laughing constantly, eating an obscene amount of chocolate cookies, cheering on your fellow teammates and oh yeah, do a little running, I promise you will have the time of your life.

day 1

2011-01-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hello blog! I have missed you. I can't believe my last post was a month ago. December was rough - busy, stressful and recovering from injuries. Since CIM was a month ago I won't bore you with the details of the race - it was my first DNF at mile 13.1 - my back and foot could not make it one more step (see previous post for why.) I was disappointed of course and while 13.1 isn't 26.2 it is better than zero. I was diagnosed with a bad case tendinitis on the top of my right foot like I expected so I spent December recovering. In fact I have not worked out since my run at CIM (I am going stir crazy) but tomorrow I will hit the ground running again. I think I have fully recovered!

2010 was by far one of the most difficult years I have had in a long time. It tested my patience, my strength and determination. I took (and failed) the California bar twice, had to leave a job and co-workers I loved, left my house in the hands of renters and met only one of the original fitness goals I set out to accomplish.

I believe it takes years like this to test the true person you really are and I believe I am going into 2011 a stronger person. It is hard to admit failure but I only hope it will make my successes that much sweeter.

I am approaching 2011 a little differently than years past. Instead of posting a race schedule or mileage I want to hit I am just going to take it a little at a time and see where the year takes me. I have a few definite races set in stone - the Oakland 1/2 Marathon on March 27, the Cinderella Challenge on April 2, the Big Sur Marathon on May 1, the Wine Country 200k ride on May 7 and Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge Gran Fondo Century on October 1. I have a few other things I am tossing around as well but am not quite ready to go commit just yet. I DO KNOW I will definitely be spending more time on my bike this year, I am going to take a stab at trail running, and I still have my eyes on a 70.3. My first goal though will be passing the California bar which I will re-take at the end of February - it is getting personal now. :)

Amongst the disappointments of 2010 it wasn't all bad . . . .

In March I got to relax in Arizona and see the Oakland A's Spring Training.

In April I got to visit Alisa in Portland for a weekend of shopping, eating and a 1/2 Marathon.

In late April my mental strength was tested at Breakaway . . .

In early May I got to spend 30+ hours and199 miles as part of team "That's What She Said." Will never forget running over the Golden Gate Bridge with my girl Katie at 3:30 in the morning!

In late May I got to spend a weekend in Napa Valley for one of my best friend's bachelorette party.

In June I got to run a 5k with one one of my best college girlfriends.

The next day Kevin and I did our first Mud Run.

In early July I got to be a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding.

In late July I got to watch Tara and Alisa kick butt at their 1/2 Ironman!

In August I started training for my first century ride. Samantha and I had some wild times and I will never forget our "Crazy Badass" ride.

After a year of living apart Kevin and I were finally reunited.

In September I rode 60 Miles for Cancer Research.

In October I raced like crazy - Week 1 was the San Jose 1/2 Marathon

Week 2 - I redeemed my Breakway failure and kicked butt at Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge Gran Fondo

Week 3 - I rode 105.7 miles in Foxy's Fall Century with the best teammates a girl could ask for.

The next day I ran the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon for a 118.8 mile weekend.

In November I threw Kevin a surprise 30th Birthday party in Lake Tahoe.

We kept our tradition of running a Turkey Trot alive.

And rung in 2011 in style.

Here's to 2011!

Have you ever walked a marathon?

2010-12-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

Let's see - where did I leave off? Oh yes, Kevin's surprise 30th birthday went off without a hitch! We went to Lake Tahoe on Friday night and some friends "surprised" us and joined us Saturday night! The perfect way to start off a new decade!

Thanksgiving we stayed local and went to my in-laws house, but no Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey trot! Every year since I started running I have always run the Run to Feed the Hungry 10k in Sacramento but since we no longer live there had to find a new local race to run and settled on the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k in San Jose. Run to Feed the Hungry was truly one of my absolute FAVORITE races of all time and while the new turkey trot didn't quite compare it was fun to go out and try something new. Despite the fact I got a PW (personal worst - details below and the reason behind the title of this post), I enjoyed keeping the Thanksgiving turkey trot tradition alive!

So, I know the question that is on your mind - why would someone walk a marathon?

I mentioned in my last post I have been battling some tendinitis in my right foot and it still doesn't seem to be easing up. I have also mentioned countless times on the blog that I struggle with back issues which I used to think was Sciatica but further research has me thinking otherwise although I have yet to determine what it is. Maybe a severe case of Piriformis Syndrome, although I have been dealing with this for almost five years now and while it has substantially improved it has not gone away all together. It all started to flare up again the day after my last post, on November 19.

Well, what does this mean?

I have not been able to run (let alone walk - hence the PW) in over a week - not good when my marathon is in 4 days! I have been doing my best to walk the mileage, but there has been no running.

And?

I have cried, moaned, whined and screamed. 2010 has not been a great running year for me. From lost PRs, to not being able to complete all the races I set out to do it has been frustrating. I know I have had "bigger" life changes happen to me this year (moving, the bar, leaving my old job, the bar again, etc) but through all those hard things I always had running and cycling to relieve stress. Even though I moved to a new place, had to leave a familiar job, and study for something I think was invented to be a torture device, the road was always familiar, and was always there - any time of day when I needed to escape. Thus, when things started to go wrong there, the familiar place I turned to for comfort and to get away, it was disheartening.

So, what's the plan?

As with everything in life, you have disappointments, but no race is the "be all, end all" race. Yes, I will not PR, and yes, I might even PW but I am going to go out there Sunday and will give it all I can give on that day. I saw my chiropractor Monday, got an adjustment and got all taped up. I am going back tomorrow for one last adjustment and tape before race day. I have been foam rolling and doing as much yoga as humanly possible to stretch my back and the tight muscles in my legs that I think are contributing to the pain. I am noticing improvement and while I am not 100%, I am feeling 110% better than I did last week.

I need to finish this race for myself and unless something goes terribly wrong with my back between now and Saturday I will be out there, slow, but out there. I have had some awesome training runs up until November 19 so I know I can mentally and physically go the distance as long as my back and foot allow me too.

Our Fleet Feet coach sent out his final email to us before race day on Monday and the quote he included really stayed with me -

"If you never try you can never succeed. If you try and do the best you can, you will never fail!"

T-H-I-R-T-Y

2010-11-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

In honor of my husband's big 3-0 birthday today behold my weekly re-cap.

T is for Tendinitis.

It was bound to happen. CIM training had been going so smoothly I knew it wouldn't be long before there would be a bump in the road. On my second mid-week run last week right when I toed off with my right foot I was feeling a pain across the top of my toes. Figuring it was probably just the result of lots of running I kept going and when I got home applied ice. On my next run the pain was intensified. By my long run Sunday I knew something was wrong, consulted some sports medicine friends and determined it was most likely tendinitis. Since it was excruciating pain they ruled out a fracture, but the dull, burning pain were classic tendinitis symptoms. The cure? Rest, ice and anti-inflammatories. With CIM less than four weeks away rest really isn't an option. Thus, this week I did forgo one run in an effort to rest and did my other 6 miler this morning walking. It is still tender to push off but I figured a 6 mile walk was still good to get the miles in and time on my feet. I am not letting this slow me down and am just pushing through it. I have my last long run (22 miles) Monday AM and then it is time to taper. Once CIM is over I can rest for a bit before starting training again the beginning of January.

Week 6 - TOTAL MILES 28 (goal 28)

H is for Hot

Where did my cold weather go? Last weekend when I did my long run at 7 AM I was sweating!! Luckily, it is starting to cool down again and this weekend is supposed to be in the 50s - yay! There is a time and a place for 80 degrees and it is NOT in November the week before Thanksgiving.

I is for Ice Cream Cake

I don't know what has gotten into me but lately I have been making up a storm - cookies, cheesecake, lemon bars, pumpkin rolls, muffins, bread - I think I have made a little bit of everything. I generally make Kevin cheesecake every year for his birthday but since I just made it last weekend for dinner guests I thought I would try something new and make my own ice cream cake instead of buying one. What a disaster this cake has been! First, when I was trying to bake the cake yesterday I had all sorts of problems with the oven turning it into a two hour ordeal. This morning I got up to make the ice cream and the bowl you mix the ingredients in wasn't frozen (despite being in the freezer for two days) so I had to run to the store and just buy ice cream. The whole thing is now all put together and setting in the freezer. It am just disappointed since I have had such a streak of amazing culinary creations that the one that mattered the most didn't turn out like I hoped. Oh well, it may not look pretty but hopefully it will still taste delicious!

R is for Results

I debated if I wanted to put this on the blog but I figured it would come out sooner or later. Remember that little three day, 18 hour test I took in July - aka "the bar?" Well, tomorrow at precisely 6:00 PM I get my results. I feel like years have passed since I took it and honestly have not even given it much thought. I am not sure I even want to know at this point - ignorance is bliss. I was the girl in law school who would carry around my grades in an envelope for two weeks until I convinced myself I would be okay if I failed (which, of course, I never did). However, unlike law school classes, failing the bar is a very real reality - of those who took the last exam only 40% passed - which means 60% failed. Like I keep telling myself and everyone who keeps asking me, I will deal with it at 6:00 PM tomorrow night when I know. Until then, there is nothing I can do and no use in getting worked up about it. There was nothing I could do about it since the day I walked out of the testing center at 5:00 PM on July 29th.

T is for Travel

Even if the results are not what I hoped at least I have something fun to look forward to this weekend. I can't tell you where since it is a surprise for Kevin's 30th birthday but we are headed out of town for a fun little getaway tomorrow. Details next week!

Y is for Yummy

Okay, so "yummy" is kind of a lame word but it is the only word I could think of for this last event. Lauren was in town and Aron organized a blogger dinner for all of us. The dinner was "yummy" and it was great to see everyone and meet Lauren.

Amy, Julianne, Kristin, Aron, Lauren, Tara and I

Well, I must go finish up some birthday errands - you only turn 30 once so we are going all out!

Wet and Wild

2010-11-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

Much more wet than wild but the title was fun! However, I do have to tell you about some "wild" deals I have gotten lately.

As I mentioned a while back I am currently working for a local running store while the California Bar Association determines my fate. It is everything I hoped it would be - fun, relaxing and an awesome way to spend my day talking to people about all things running! Before I started working there I had been fit for shoes before and knew what shoe I should be wearing (narrow foot, neutral shoe and Brooks always seemed to work well for me) but didn't know too much about the other types of shoes or brands. I love that I now really understand what makes a shoe a good fit for someone. When I am out running I now find myself examining others shoes, watching for pronation, cotton socks - the whole nine yards! I am slowly becoming a running shoe geek.

I also love that personally I have had the opportunity to try other shoes and have found some other brands I really like! I scored a free pair of the Asics Gel Nimbus 12 from my boss through the Asics rep! A shoe I probably would have never tried before has really been great to take out on shorter runs. It is such a soft and cushy shoe.

I also have an order in for Saucony Rides and Kinvaras. The Kinvara is Sacouny's minimalist shoe, like the Nike Free. I have long been a devoted Brooks fan and don't get me wrong, I still love them, but I also fell in love with the Rides and think they are going to be my new primary trainer/race shoe this go around just to mix it up a bit. I really hope they get here in the next week so I can break them in before CIM.

Nimbus

Kinvara

Ride

Lastly, even though I am going to try the Rides, I couldn't leave out Brooks and have ordered their Ghost shoe to be a supplement trainer/racer. I usually run in the Defyance but was a little disappointed the last model didn't make it much past 300 miles.

There you have it - 4 new pairs of shoes and through some employee reward programs I was able to get them all and only spent a little over $100! Now there is a "wild" deal!!

A "Wet" Week 5 - Total Miles: 29 (should have been 32)

Training this past week was nothing short of awesome! I did miss three miles even though I had the best intentions of getting up Saturday am and getting them in before work. I set my alarm for what I thought was 7:00 am but instead it went off at 6:00 am. At 6:00 am I thought I reset it for 7:00 am and ended up setting it for 7:00 pm and when I did wake up at 8:00 am I had an hour and a half to shower, get ready and get to work by 9:30 am. Thus, sadly it did not happen. However, I rocked my Wednesday hill work out - 5 very hilly miles in 49 minutes - a 9:48 pace. Thursday was another easy 5 miles - 50 minutes - a 10:00 pace.

Sunday was my 19 mile long run. All week the weather forecast showed rain on Sunday - the rest of the week was clear - we even had some high 70s - but rain was forecasted for Sunday. Early morning Sunday I heard the familiar sound of cars on the wet street through the open window and when I got up I saw a steady rain falling from the sky. Even though I haven't run in the rain all that much, I have never really minded it. I don't even have any special "running rain gear" - I threw on my capris, a tank, my arm warmers and a hat and headed out to meet my group at the Lafayette/Moraga trail. I had never run on this trail before so I was looking forward to it. I always love finding new places to run.

The run itself was great - wet - but great. The trail is about 7.5 miles so we went out and back for 15 and then out 2 more and back to make 19. Randomly, the majority of our group is the same pace so I have a good group of 5 people who are always around me. For the first 7.5 the trail has a gradual incline but that just meant the 7.5 back was a nice decline! Again we did run/walk - 5.5 minutes run/1 minute walk. I finished 19 miles in 3:12:19 - 10:07 pace! I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Not too much exciting happened - I listened to music for a bit, chatted for a bit, splashed in a few puddles - in general had a great time. The only thing I wished I could have done was changed socks half way through but other than that I didn't mind the rain at all - and it rained/poured the ENTIRE

Afterwards our group got coffee and bagels and chatted about the run, CIM and just running in general! I had a jacket in my car but I can't believe I wasn't smart enough to bring dry clothes with me so I had to sit in the bagel shop in my soggy shoes and capris - at least the coffee warmed me up!

CIM is now only four weeks away. I am feeling so good about my training and level of fitness right now. I may not necessarily be speedier but I can tell my cardiovascular fitness has greatly improved. With such a great week of runs and some awesome deals on shoes this was definitely a fun week.

Just curious, with my new found shoe knowledge, what does everyone like running in? Do you have one pair you mainly run in or do you switch off?

It can only mean one thing . . .

2010-11-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

when the RED CUPS come out at Starbucks!! Fall is officially here! Bring on the boots, the scarves, the changing leaves, the holidays and the cooler temps. Fall is my FAVORITE time of year.

Sure, it might have been 75 degrees out but that didn't stop me from kicking off the season with a warm Pumpkin Spice Latte! Yum!!

Cheers to the start of the best time of year!