Crazy, Clumsy, Yet Motivated

I’m still in shock about what I did yesterday. I turned 29 and as a gift, I asked my parents to help me with registration for the Ironman 70.3 Vineman Triathlon next year in Sonoma County. What's a 70.3 you might ask? You start with a 1.2 mile swim, transition to a 56 mile bike ride, and end with a half marathon (13.1 miles). I know...CRAZY!

Registration just so happened to open at 9 a.m. on November 1^st…my big day! With great anticipation, I woke up at 8 a.m. got online and waited till it officially opened. Sure enough, I did it!

It’s now 24 hours later and I am going through the “WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO?” mode. After I registered, I went to Jax my new favorite bike shop to pick up my Lexa…the bike I plan to use for training and my event. For those of you in So Cal, Jax is a great place to shop for a bike. The general manager, Chris at the Huntington Beach store is a triathlete himself so he was great at helping me choose the right bike.



Trek Lexa SL or as I call her, Lexa





I shared with Chris some of my fears about the triathlon…one being the distance, second being my fear of falling off the bike. Sad to say, it didn’t take very long for that to happen…walked out the door with Lexa, decided to ride her to the car, and baaam!

My first bike injury

I couldn’t seem to get my foot out of the pedal and right . The knee looks worse than it was but it did hurt on impact. Truth is, this is the part of the triathlon that I’m fearing the most but I hope to get more comfortable as I go. We took Lexa home and I wanted to just put her in the garage and call it a day. My boyfriend stopped me, gave me a hug and said, “Come on babe, it’s just gonna take time.” Well, at first he said, “You didn’t spend all that money to not ride it!” So we did just that…we spent the rest of the afternoon riding our bikes (he has a beach cruiser) and having fish tacos at our favorite local spot. During dinner, we couldn’t help but laugh at my clumsiness. We ended the night with a little slice of chocolate cake to celebrate. It looks like that was all I needed to make me feel better.



Hey...don't judge! It was my birthday!

So the real question is WHY? Why did I decide to do this? Two words…Brian Boyle. I had the amazing opportunity to meet Brian at a conference I went to a few weeks ago. His story touched my heart! I always said I wanted to do a triathlon but meeting him and reading his book, Iron Heart, changed me. It taught me to cherish my family and to challenge myself to the fullest because you never really know who you are and what you have until it's almost gone. He is truly an inspiration. Thank you for sharing you story Brian. I'm not going for a full, but I'm certainly going to "tri" a half.

What’s your motivation?

The Finish Line Photo

I remember reading a post from a running buddy I follow on Twitter @RunnerLuis, about that very crucial point in every marathon...the finish line photo. I kid you not, I remembered his post as I neared the finish line at Long Beach--"Smile, look happy, don't look at your watch...look happy, smile, forget about the time!" I had to keep reminding myself that the results would be posted online and that clearing a finish line would be a happy moment. Most runners can relate to this...try not to look like you're so tired you want to cry. Alas, a decent finish line photo. Thanks @RunnerLuis! 

Photo finish #1...smile, don't look at your watch, look happy!

Photo finish #2. I DID IT! Thank God!

This one's always my favorite. You've had a chance to catch your breath a bit, relish in your glory and say cheese!

I Left My Heart In Long Beach

This was my second year running the Long Beach Half Marathon and I must say it tops the chart on my list of favorite races. My time wasn't all that great. As a matter of fact, it was my second worst time ever. I'd set out to do Long Beach for several reasons. Last year, I'd let the hill at mile three defeat me. It not only challenged me physically, but mentally it broke me down and I was discouraged to finish. I wanted to walk off the course and just go home. The last ten miles were just awful. I swore I was going to come back this year and beat my time. I beat it by 6 minutes (in my defense I had to stop for a potty break or my time would have been better--too much coffee before the race and too many people in line before the start). Part of me was determined to challenge mile three again but the real reason I signed up, and the reason that will keep me coming back every year is my love for the city.

The medal itself represents the historic parts of the city

Long Beach has so much history for me. It's where my passion for running grew and also where I studied in college for so many years. As a Cal State Long Beach alum, the streets of the city have so many memories. Ocean Avenue was where my best friend rented her first apartment. It's where I hung out in between classes or unwinded after a long day at school. It's where I had my first Smirnoff Ice and realized I was a lightweight with the booze. LOL! 

I remember when the Pike was first built. At the time I was a writer for the magazine at school and covered its development in a very beautiful piece that talked about the history and what it meant to the residents who visited the original Pike. I wrote so many stories about that city and people in it. It was a good ride at that school...

So, so many memories. You don't forget your college years, the lessons you learned along the way and the people that helped shape your life to mold you into the person you are today.

Years after graduation I would come back to the very same city to join the Long Beach area Team In Training. A marathon was always on my bucket list but when my cousin Sam was diagnosed with Hodgkins, I knew this was no longer something to check off my list but something I wanted to do in her honor. I never imagined that I would become so passionate about the sport, that I would continue on after my first one. Sam is cancer-free but I never forget the journey that brought me here.

Proudly sporting my Long Beach gear and my medal of course

Needless to say, Long Beach is like my second home and running through the city is like taking a stroll down memory lane only this stroll is a little bit harder on the body. Thank you @runracing for such a great marathon. A big thank you to all the volunteers for being out there handing us water or snacks (my favorite were the Boy Scouts with Clif Shot Bloks) and those of you who were out there to support. I heard a few "Go Jewels" as I ran by the crowds...I will never get to say this to those people but THANK YOU for taking the time to be there...it's those of you on the course that really keep us going when we feel like we can't make it another mile. Maybe one of these days I'll muster up the courage to do the full and run through my old Alma Matter. 

My marathon fire was definitely ignited once again. It had been way too long since my last. Till the next one...

That Four Letter Word Called Love

There’s this adorable picture that sits on the fridge in our apartment which serves as a constant reminder of how much thinner I used to be. It’s a photo taken at Disneyland hours after running my first half marathon. Perhaps it was that I’d burned off so many calories during the run that I’d looked thinner but the reality was that I’d put on a few pounds. What happened? A sweet four letter word called LOVE.



Teacups at Disneyland after the Disneyland Half Marathon, September 2010

Okay, I can’t completely blame my significant other. He supports me running marathons and doesn't get mad when we go out to eat and I take five minutes to tell the waitress/er how I want everything on the side. I will say though that the common denominator to many people’s weight gain is the feeling of complacency in a relationship. I vowed never to be the type of woman who let herself go and I’m not saying that I have. I still dress up when we go out but instead of just ordering a salad like I used to, I’ll have a salad and dessert. These little bouts of splurging tend to add up most on the scale.

I shared my unhappiness about this with my boyfriend who also said he’d been feeling a bit disappointed in himself. We both admitted that we’ve splurged a bit more since we'd been together. In his defense, his work schedule changed and if I don’t cook something at home, he’s subjected to late night fast-food. I really have no defense other than that I’d developed the “I run therefore I can eat,” mentality that I’ve mentioned here before. It's a viscious cycle..we have a bad habit of getting motivated to work out and eat right but aren’t consistent. We revealed to each other how much we’d weighed when we first met and how much we weigh now. It wasn’t pretty. Between the both of us, we were pushing a combined total of almost 40 pounds gained. We talked about what we could do together and our biggest challenges are our schedules and going out with friends.

So as of today, we’ve agreed to join 24 Hour Fitness and do a better job of being more mindful of what we eat. I've been a loyal LA Fitness member for many years but I made the switch to accommodate his schedule and sacrifice a little bit of sleep for us to work out after he gets home from work. We’ve been down this road before so I am skeptical but my plan is to set little goals for ourselves along the way to keep us motivated. My first goal is hitting my next weight range and rewarding myself with a Garmin which I’ve always wanted. So let’s hope my next post is me talking about my Garmin or if not that just yet, our progress along the way.

Where the Heck Have I Been?

Many have asked if I fell of the face of the earth or just given up on Twitter and the running world completely. No, no, and no. As most of my readers know, I started running because of an amazing organization called Team In Training. Through Team In Training, I discovered so many things about myself. For starters, I unleashed the marathon maniac that I never knew I had within. Me, running 13.1 miles? I never in a million years would have pictured myself a runner! Before marathon life I used to (BRACE YOURSELF FOR THIS ONE) smoke every single day. A cigarette after work and a few on the weekends was quite common. I must admit that I did smoke well into my season with Team In Training but the more and more I started learning about cancer, it not only drove me to quit, but it also helped me discover an even greater passion than running…I wanted to be part of the cure!

I wanted to do everything I could to help put an end to cancer. I threw myself into Team In Training, embarked on a mission to raise money, and finished my season raising more than $2,500! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…this would never have happened without the many people who supported me on this. From my co-workers Alicia and Freddy who told me that I could not give up and the countless people who donated or helped in one of my fundraising efforts. Every little bit brought me closer to my goal and essentially unlocking this passion to help others that always existed but came full circle through Team In Training.

As the months passed, I knew this was my calling in life. And then one day, I came home and my wonderful boyfriend said, “Look what I found.” And there it was--a job opening at Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Orange County. I didn’t apply.

Why? I wasn’t sure I had it in me to be a “manager”…to lead others in believing the cause. I myself believed in it but how could I convince others? To spare the long details, it took me two months to apply and I was the one they called back to offer the job. I was faced with so many decisions…leave an agency that had been so good to me for almost six years or jump to the non-profit side and have the chance to do something I’m passionate about. As hard as it was, with tears in my eyes, I told my boss that I was taking the position. Was I scared? Absolutely! I remember someone told me, “Lead with your heart, and the rest will fall into place.” Those words gave me the courage and the confidence that I needed to start my position as the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Los Angeles Race for the Cure, March 2011

So that’s where I’ve been and that’s why I’ve gone missing for the last two months. The learning curve in addition to working on one of our Affiliate's biggest events of the year, Pink Tie Ball, are what have kept me away. I dove right in working on materials and night-of presentation logistics for the Ball which is an annual fundraiser we host where we identify seven men in the community to help raise awareness about breast cancer in the community.

As the work piled on, I started neglecting my running a bit. And I just moved which only added to the craziness of my life. Ironically though, I moved right near a running track in the city of Cypress and just discovered that the city hosts its own 5 and 10K in July. So I’ve signed up which is just what I needed to kick-start my running again.

Although I’ve been insanely busy with my new job and the move, by no means would I trade the experiences in for anything. We raised thousands of dollars at our Pink Tie Ball and are full swing ahead onto our next event which is our 20th Annual Race for the Cure! It’s all hard work but I am so proud to be a part of this great team. They are all so passionate at what they do and I can honestly say I feel at home in my new role. I am helping save lives each and every day which is what this blog has been about since day one.






Brooks Giveaway

A special thanks to Brooks for providing me with some apparel to giveaway to one lucky winner. I've recently become a big fan of their gear and hope you will become one too if you're not already! 




Versatile EZ Racer Back



 

Epiphany Stretch Short II





To enter the giveaway you will need to do the following:

1. Leave comment on the question in the previous post and indicate that you want to enter
2. Become a fan of Brooks on Facebook
3. Follow @BrooksRunning and me on Twitter (If you don't already)
4. Follow my blog



Please note, the items are both a size large. I am not sure if they can be exchanged if they're not your size as a receipt was not provided but you can try :) Winner will be selected on Friday, March 18th.

Thanks for stopping by!









Hello Brooks Running Shoes

I’ll never forget a phrase I heard when I started marathon training last year: “Don't be tied to a brand.” I heard this during a shoe clinic Team in Training provided for participants during my first season with them. At the time, I was quite new to the sport and Nike was the only brand I’d ever known.

Truth be told, I have been a very loyal Nike fan for many years and scoffed at the idea of mismatching my gear. As I got further into my training, I started to become more exposed to different brands and suddenly realized why we advised not to stick to just one. What I found was that not one brand fit my every need. While I preferred to stick to one brand when putting on an outfit, I found that I just felt more comfortable in one brand for different things. I like the way Nike pants feel on me, Champion shorts give my legs the right amount of coverage, Brooks Running shirts are more flattering on me than other brands, and to this day have found that I run my best races sticking to my black Nike hat. As much as I hated wearing all sorts of different logos at one, it’s just something I had to learn to understand.

I’ve slowly started to open myself to trying different labels. In a previous post I talked about how much I love Brooks reflective gear. It’s light; it’s stylish and just seems to have more reflective selections than other brands. So I decided I would give their shoes a try. Hello Glycerin 8 DNA’s, you make me feel like I am walking on a patch of puffy clouds on beautiful spring day. Yes, I just compared my new Brooks shoes to walking on a patch of puffy clouds. They feel fantastic.

Brooks Glycerin 8 Women's Shoe

The shoe features Brooks custom cushioning called DNA which changes with your individual stride. The pad in the shoe responds to the amount of force you put on it delivering a specific amount of cushioning based on your step, weight, pace, and environment.

I figured I would break them in on our last team run before the LA Marathon. They felt fantastic! I have flat feet and sometimes feel too much support when I buy anything labeled "motion control" or "stability" however, this shoe has just the right amount for me even though they're listed under the "neutral" section.  I wore them with my Nike pants…yes, perhaps a fashion faux pas but it's marathon training not fashion where you sacrifice comfort just to look good.


What are your thoughts on wearing different brands during a run? Do you mismatch for comfort?

(Don't forget to check out the Brooks outfit giveaway)