Doggie decided to wake me up this morning a little too early for my taste BUT since I’m hitting Bikram at 9:00 with these chicas, best to get up and start the day (i.e drink my coffee).
This week was crazy busy at work but on the whole pretty good. I started using The Daily Plate, which was suggested by a few of you, to track my food. This site has a HUGE bank of food products, a million times better than FitDay. (Yes, I did know you can input custom food to FitDay and I had done a lot of items but I it became very annoying that every time I added a new food to my repertoire I had to add in all the ingredients. I need something simple.) I did really good this week other than last night (beer, fried goodness and fudge all in the same night—UGH!). I am going to continue to track for February and then print up a report and see if there are places I can cut things out/make things healthier. My biggest issue with food tracking is tracking at night—I’m great during the day but once I get home I need to be more diligent.
On the exercise front, I re-discovered my love for morning workouts. On Monday, I took Zoey for a longish walk and did 30 minutes (of a 60 min DVD) of Power Yoga (that shiz is HARD, I forgot how hard). Tuesday, I met the Gazelle’s for a XT session and abs, she ran. Wednesday, the Gazelle’s and I hit the pool! I loved it! It was awesome! I forgot how great swimming makes me feel and how much I love the smell of chlorine. Yes, that’s weird, I know. (My favorite part is getting into the shower afterwards and you can still seem the pool—double weird, I know.) Thursday, was XTraining and leg weights for me, Gazelle’s was on the ‘mill. Friday…uh…was supposed to be another swim day for me but instead I slept in and ate massive amounts of fried food, drank beer and ate fudge for dinner. While I do want to lose a few pounds and be healthier with my choices, I also think that becoming too neurotic about counting calories and exercising like a maniac make me a not so fun person—likewise though, not exercising enough and eating crap also makes me not fun to around…it’s a balancing act.
Today is Bikram with some of the PDX’ers and tomorrow is spinning and/or swimming (haha, that rhymes).
Good luck to all the racers out there! LA Runner, Chic Runner, POM, The RoHo’s, TFH…there are a TON of you this weekend, sorry if I missed anyone! Can’t wait to read all the race reports!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Doggie Challenge
It's been too long since Zoey made an appearance in this blog. Who doesn't love a cute puppy??!!!
There is a reason, other than her adorableness, that she has made the blog today. I signed her up with her very own BuckeyeOutdoors account. Why, you ask? Nik and Dan from 4 Feet Running started a challenge called "Let's Stop Chewing Things Around the House" for doggies who walk/run! The goal for Mr. Pi and I, is to see how many miles she has to walk/run in a week to be sufficiently exhausted and without extra energy to chew up our stuff! Nik says, 19 miles for the week and her doggies are content to not chew. I'm hoping it takes little 20 lb Zoey less than 19 miles but we shall see. More updates on Zoey and her chewing (or hopefully, lack of) to come!
In other news, I have started my pre-San Diego training plan. Actually, I started last Saturday. The pre-plan includes 2 full weeks of cross training. Tomorrow, Gazelle's and I will be hittin' the pool at 6:00 am! She's nervous and I couldn't be more excited! I LOVE the pool! I don't know why I stayed away for so long. Sunday's swim really got me jazzed about adding swimming back into my life. I'm so excited Gazelle's is willing to give it a go too…for me, the hardest thing about swimming is getting myself to the pool. Once I'm there I'm golden! Also, included in the pre-plan is weight training. I haven't been very good about weight training. I know with my knee injury it's important to keep my leg muscles balanced and strong. And for vanity's sake, we are in the downward slope to summer which means tank tops…which means I need to tone up my arm giggles!
The most interesting thing about this pre-plan is that it includes 0 running. In the weeks leading up to Arizona, all I wanted was a break from running. My knees hurt, my feet hurt, I was sick and just in general, burnt out on running. I wanted a break. Funny thing is, now that I have one, I'm already itching to get back out on the roads (or treadmill…I'm a wimp in any sort of weather…I am certainly NOT a Minnesotan). I'll be runnin' again in no time.
I haven't talked much about eating in awhile. During this time off between marathon training, I've decided to really take a good look at my food intake. Between now and April I'd like to lose a few lbs which will hopefully make those higher mileage weeks easier on my knees. So far, I've been trying to eat slower and really listen to body when it says "I'm full." I've also been keeping my food journal going with FitDay, though I do find their limited catalogue annoying. If anyone knows of other free online food journals, let me know!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Week Re-Cap
It has been a super busy week! Without getting into too many details here is a re-cap.
Last Sunday I was doing this…
Tuesday this…
And watching this (while doing massive amounts of laundry and unpacking from the trip)...
Wednesday night this…
Also, on Saturday we went over our San Diego marathon training plans! Woo-hoo!!!!! Basically we’ve settled on a modified FIRST plan. Tuesday’s we’ll be doing speedwork or hills, Thursday I’ll be running my tempo runs or mid-distance runs (Gazelle’s I believe, is doing this on Friday’s), Sunday’s are long run days. Three days a week or quality (i.e. specific paced) runs will be good for us both. We’re both recovering from knee issues so this plan suited us well. Monday’s, Wednesday and Fridays (Thursday’s for Gazelle) will be some type of cross training. We’ll be swimming on Wednesday’s and probably biking the other XT day. Both of us hope to jump on the TRI bandwagon this summer.
And finally, today (Sunday). I woke up to this…
Last Sunday I was doing this…
Monday I was doing this…
Tuesday this… And watching this (while doing massive amounts of laundry and unpacking from the trip)...Wednesday night this…Portland Blogger/Runner meetup with Julianne! Me, Amy, Zach, Jen, Sarah and Julianne! (Mr. Pi, my wonderful hubby, was our official photographer. Though we really should have gotten at least one pic with him in it too..since he's a marathon stud!)
Thursday and Friday nights lots of this...
Saturday this with Gazelle's...
Also, on Saturday we went over our San Diego marathon training plans! Woo-hoo!!!!! Basically we’ve settled on a modified FIRST plan. Tuesday’s we’ll be doing speedwork or hills, Thursday I’ll be running my tempo runs or mid-distance runs (Gazelle’s I believe, is doing this on Friday’s), Sunday’s are long run days. Three days a week or quality (i.e. specific paced) runs will be good for us both. We’re both recovering from knee issues so this plan suited us well. Monday’s, Wednesday and Fridays (Thursday’s for Gazelle) will be some type of cross training. We’ll be swimming on Wednesday’s and probably biking the other XT day. Both of us hope to jump on the TRI bandwagon this summer.
And finally, today (Sunday). I woke up to this…
Mr. Pi and I had a great walk with our doggie and headed to a local coffee shop where he worked on job applications (he finishes school in June and is already starting his search…way to go!) and I read Runners World cover to cover.
After a relaxing morning I proceeded to the gym for my first cardio workout since the marathon. (I don’t count Bikram as cardio even though during some of the poses my heart rate definitely increases…it still doesn’t count.) I was on the bike for 20 minutes with intervals of 115 RPM and 85-95 RPM, level 10 random. Then I stretched and did the 15 minute abs workout in the newest RW and hit the pool! I haven’t been in the pool since August so I was only expecting to hit 1000 meters if I was lucky. I hit 1200 meters and felt great. I could have done more but really didn’t want to push it. The guy next to me was doing straight free (who knows how long he’d been at it)…BORING! I have to change up my strokes and add in some kicks/pulls and speed intervals otherwise I get bored.
I’m taking until Feb. 7th off from running. On the 7th I’ll be running Run to Finish’s 7 on the 7th
as my first EASY run of San Diego training. I’m excited and already a bit anxious to get back out there BUT I also know my body needs the time to recover given everything that’s hit me in the last couple of months. (Bronchitis is doing much better still coughing in the morning and evening though =(…the knee feels pretty good but I need to get back into the routine of leg strengthening exercises and foam rollering!)
Great job to all those half marathoners this weekend!!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Movie Review
A few weeks ago, LA Runner asked me if I would review “Running for my Father,” a movie about Cody Westheimer who chose to cope with the loss of his father by training for a marathon. Cody’s story is inspirational and heartwarming. Without giving too much away, Cody was faced with a setback in training. As someone who has battled their fair share of injuries and training setbacks it was moving to see Cody be so determined to finish the marathon no matter what it took. He was going to run the race for his Dad. My favorite part of the movie was definitely, the shots of the Cody smiling and running along during the Houston Marathon! I was smiling along with him. As a marathoner, I certainly related to his trials in the latter miles. Like a true runner, he gutted through them and finished with a smile and his arms in the air.
I think runners and non-runners alike can relate to the need of finding something to cope with a great loss. Between the months of February and April 2008 I lost both of grandmothers. While they had both lived wonderful long, lives and their passing wasn’t unexpected it still rocked me. It was also during this time that I was training for the San Diego rock n roll marathon. I’ve never said it but at the start of the SD marathon I definitely thought about my grandmothers. In the “trying miles” (i.e. miles 18-24) I thought of them again and all the things they had done for me. Reminiscing about the memories I shared with them helped me get through those miles. Watching this movie certainly brought back memories of my grandmothers and of my first marathon. It is a great story told by an honest, funny, determined guy.
By the way, Cody just completed the 2009 Houston Marathon and with the help of LA Runner pacing him, he completed the race under his goal time of 4:30! (Read the race report!) Since that’s my ultimate time goal too, I was especially excited to know that it’s possible to get there after only a couple of years from your first marathon.
Here’s to you Eric Westheimer!
I think runners and non-runners alike can relate to the need of finding something to cope with a great loss. Between the months of February and April 2008 I lost both of grandmothers. While they had both lived wonderful long, lives and their passing wasn’t unexpected it still rocked me. It was also during this time that I was training for the San Diego rock n roll marathon. I’ve never said it but at the start of the SD marathon I definitely thought about my grandmothers. In the “trying miles” (i.e. miles 18-24) I thought of them again and all the things they had done for me. Reminiscing about the memories I shared with them helped me get through those miles. Watching this movie certainly brought back memories of my grandmothers and of my first marathon. It is a great story told by an honest, funny, determined guy.
By the way, Cody just completed the 2009 Houston Marathon and with the help of LA Runner pacing him, he completed the race under his goal time of 4:30! (Read the race report!) Since that’s my ultimate time goal too, I was especially excited to know that it’s possible to get there after only a couple of years from your first marathon.
Here’s to you Eric Westheimer!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Fabulous...really...me??!!
I was tagged by the lovely and accomplished ARON. Your blog is pretty fab too chica! My current 5 addictions are...
1. My new Cheetah Pink running skirt. I LOVE IT! What can I say, fashion, practicality and comfort can all go together…if only this was the case for most of my shoes?!
2. Books! I know they are a semi-lost form of entertainment BUT I’ve officially read two books in January already and I’m loving reading and NOT watching TV.
3. Blogging and reading blogs! I’m wayyyy behind at the moment since I was without internet in Arizona BUT I’ll be all caught up in no time.
4. My iphone! I love it…can’t say enough good things about the little guy.
5. It staying lighter just a little later…which means…we’re on the downward slope to SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!
I’m swamped at work, sounds like everyone else is too! I’ll be adding some more photos of Arizona and of the blogger meetup last night with her, her, her, her, him and Mr. Pi!
Not sure if I’ll get in a post tomorrow so good luck to all the racers this weekend…
Hope I didn’t miss anyone!!!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Race Report: P.F. Chang’s Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon
My last post left the race ambiguous as to whether I would run the full or the half marathon in Arizona. To save suspense and keep some of you from skipping over the report (since it will be a long one) I’ll just announce up front that I ran the full marathon. Yes, you heard right, I ran the full marathon bronchitis and patella tendonitis be damned! I will say, I was doing the marathon shuffle pretty early on BUT I finished. My time was slow but I still beat my first marathon time by a few minutes. I finished the marathon in sunny Arizona in 5 hours 56 minutes and change…pretty good considering the obstacles previously mentioned. Not to mention I had the worst blister ever pop at mile 21 and my stomach started to revolt against me around mile 15 and I made several port-a-potty stops between 15 and 19. All in all, marathon #2 ended with a happy smile and a sprint/shuffle to the finish.
On with the report of the pre-race festivities and of course, the actual race report. Mr. Pi and I arrived in Arizona on Friday morning. We arrived to a warm and gloriously sunny day, temps in the upper 70’s (i.e. my idea of heaven). At the race expo we realized how many more people were running the half marathon vs. the full marathon. Mr. Pi was in corral #2 and I in #8 (in SD last year we were 9 and 19 or something). Later we learned that the half marathon had over 45,000 participants and the full marathon only about 9,000. We worked our way through the expo a little faster than we did in SD last year, we were tired, hungry and I still wasn’t feeling great. We ended Friday night with a beautiful sunset from our balcony at the Camelback resort, which was a desert oasis filled with cacti and other deserty landscaping.
Saturday we had planned to make the 4 hour trek to the Grand Canyon BUT after sleeping in 2 hours past when we had set the alarm for we decided it wasn’t worth it (we’ll be back Arizona)! Instead we decided to go to Sedona for the day. The Running Knitter had given us some tips on places to view the famous red rocks of Sedona. We were NOT disappointed, it was beautiful! In addition, to driving to some viewing spots we also bought a red rock pass and found a trailhead and took a little hike up on one the red rock flats. From the top we had a 360 degree view of Sedona and its beautiful red rock formations. It was a great way to see the rugged beauty of Arizona. I got such a kick out of seeing wild cacti!!!
Sunday…race day! We woke in the wee hours of the morning…ate our oatmeal, I downed my coffee and we were off. Since we rented a car we decided to park at the finish line and take the shuttles offered to the start. I thought this might be a hassle BUT it wasn’t at all…we parked and didn’t have to wait but maybe 1 minute before hoping on a shuttle to the start. When we got off the bus at the start line we made the usual port-a-potty stop before heading to the start line area. It wasn’t completely clear where the corrals were set up…we wandered around a little bit before finding the UPS gear check bags and the marathon corrals. The marathon and half marathon started in the same place with the marathon starting one hour before the half. At T-30 minutes we shed our outer layers and headed to our respective corrals. As I waited for the race to start, I thought about what I wanted out the race and told myself that given everything leading up to that day I just wanted to cross the finish line with a smile. Before I knew it the Governor of Arizona sent us off into the desert sunrise.
The day after. Monday was again gloriously sunny. I was sore but really not anymore so than after SD. My knee was sore but that was to be expected. At 8:00am on Monday morning Mr. Pi and were at the resort spa enjoying massages. By mid-afternoon I had had a margarita and was lying out by the pool in bathing suit soaking up the sun! We lazed by the pool pretty much until the sun went down…it was a great way to spend our last day in Arizona. (Though, we’ll be back to explore the Grand Canyon and maybe more of Phoenix too.) By Monday night most of the major soreness was gone, just my quads and my poor, gross looking pinky toe were painful.
Now that I’m back in Oregon, I’m missing the warmth of Phoenix but am happy that it’s at least a sunny day. On the plane ride back I was already starting to think about training for San Diego. I decided that I’m going to take a full 3 weeks off from running to hopefully heel the knee and overcome my cold. In the next 3 weeks I hope to concentrate on swimming, yoga and strength training. As for an SD training plan…that’s still up in the air BUT I’m thinking about trying the FIRST plan (suggested to me by RunnersRambles). It’s a 3 day a week running plan, which I think might be good for the knee, and it concentrates a lot on pace. Each of the three runs during the week has a specific pace. Since I have a pretty ambitious time goal for SD I really want to work on my pace, especially for my long runs.
With all that said, marathon #2 is under my belt! Here’s to recovery and planning for the next one.
I've been on a blogger hiatus and have a TON of posts to get through...but can't wait to read about what all of you have been up to!
On with the report of the pre-race festivities and of course, the actual race report. Mr. Pi and I arrived in Arizona on Friday morning. We arrived to a warm and gloriously sunny day, temps in the upper 70’s (i.e. my idea of heaven). At the race expo we realized how many more people were running the half marathon vs. the full marathon. Mr. Pi was in corral #2 and I in #8 (in SD last year we were 9 and 19 or something). Later we learned that the half marathon had over 45,000 participants and the full marathon only about 9,000. We worked our way through the expo a little faster than we did in SD last year, we were tired, hungry and I still wasn’t feeling great. We ended Friday night with a beautiful sunset from our balcony at the Camelback resort, which was a desert oasis filled with cacti and other deserty landscaping.
Here are a couple of pictures from our hotel.
Saturday we had planned to make the 4 hour trek to the Grand Canyon BUT after sleeping in 2 hours past when we had set the alarm for we decided it wasn’t worth it (we’ll be back Arizona)! Instead we decided to go to Sedona for the day. The Running Knitter had given us some tips on places to view the famous red rocks of Sedona. We were NOT disappointed, it was beautiful! In addition, to driving to some viewing spots we also bought a red rock pass and found a trailhead and took a little hike up on one the red rock flats. From the top we had a 360 degree view of Sedona and its beautiful red rock formations. It was a great way to see the rugged beauty of Arizona. I got such a kick out of seeing wild cacti!!!
Pictures from our wonderful day in Sedona!
Sunday…race day! We woke in the wee hours of the morning…ate our oatmeal, I downed my coffee and we were off. Since we rented a car we decided to park at the finish line and take the shuttles offered to the start. I thought this might be a hassle BUT it wasn’t at all…we parked and didn’t have to wait but maybe 1 minute before hoping on a shuttle to the start. When we got off the bus at the start line we made the usual port-a-potty stop before heading to the start line area. It wasn’t completely clear where the corrals were set up…we wandered around a little bit before finding the UPS gear check bags and the marathon corrals. The marathon and half marathon started in the same place with the marathon starting one hour before the half. At T-30 minutes we shed our outer layers and headed to our respective corrals. As I waited for the race to start, I thought about what I wanted out the race and told myself that given everything leading up to that day I just wanted to cross the finish line with a smile. Before I knew it the Governor of Arizona sent us off into the desert sunrise.
Pre-race pics!
The first song on my shuffled playlist was Chariots of Fire, fitting I thought. For the first 6 miles of the race I ran 2 miles and walked .15 taking in water and Gatorade during the walk breaks, trying to stay hydrated since I knew it was supposed to be about 80 degrees. I felt pretty good, though my legs felt a bit heavy and I was coughing every few minutes. By mile 10, I was in a new race strategy, run 10 minutes walk 1 minute. I did pretty well with this strategy until mile 15ish, this is when my stomach revolted against me and I had to use multiple port-a-potties. Unlike in SD, there weren’t any lines and I really didn’t have any problem establishing my own space on the course (I am betting this was NOT the case on the half marathon course).
By about mile 17, Camelback Mountain was no longer in view, the crowd support had significantly weaned and we were running through the boring Phoenix suburbs. The course was as advertised, pancake flat, BUT it was also pretty boring. Running alongside Camelback mountain was the most exciting part of the course and that was over by what I call the “trying miles.” By mile 20 I was ready to be finished and wishing I had run the half marathon. My coughing increased and my knee started to give me a little twinge every now and then. At this point I had gone from the run10 minutes/walk 1 minute strategy, to 8/2, to 7/2, 5/1 all the way to run 3 minutes and walk 1 minute. I kept this up until about mile 24 when I threw strategy out the window and said whatever gets me to the end! The two things that kept me pumped during “the trying miles” were the phone calls I made to fellow running buddies and the comments on my running skirt! I got soooo many positive and uplifting comments about my skirt…I am soooo glad I decided to wear it! (I hope I made Cindy and Christy, owners of Runningskirts.com, proud. I certainly gave them more than a few plugs!)
I had a mini-meltdown at mile 25. I could see the ASU stadium where the race finishes and I saw so many people with medals around the necks that I just lost it. Only for a few seconds though b/c then an SUV with a bunch of girls that had run the half marathon started yelling “cute skirt,” “hey everyone, follow the skirt!” It was just the boost I needed to start shuffling along again. Then I saw it, the glorious mile 26 marker! I tried to pick it up a little as best I could. I rounded the corner and started scanning for Mr. Pi. I knew he’d be around to take my picture and I wanted it to be a good one! (Note: My husband is the most patient caring man ever, he finished in a rockin’ 3:28 and waited for over 2 hours for me to finish, sending a few texts of encouragement along the way.) Just as I saw Mr. Pi I also saw the woman in front of me drop one of her bottles. I scooped it up and ran after her reaching her before the finish line, in time to raise my arms up for a photo finish (hopefully the camera techs got that photo). The first thing I thought of was…Alisa, you did it!...despite all the obstacles to block you from this finish line, you crossed it! At that point, I didn’t care that my time was only a few minutes faster than before…I finished!
Here I am, almost finished, carrying an extra bottle to boot!
Here I am at the finish line, overtaking one last person =)...mwahahahaha, jk!
Mr. Pi and I post race, all smiles!
The day after. Monday was again gloriously sunny. I was sore but really not anymore so than after SD. My knee was sore but that was to be expected. At 8:00am on Monday morning Mr. Pi and were at the resort spa enjoying massages. By mid-afternoon I had had a margarita and was lying out by the pool in bathing suit soaking up the sun! We lazed by the pool pretty much until the sun went down…it was a great way to spend our last day in Arizona. (Though, we’ll be back to explore the Grand Canyon and maybe more of Phoenix too.) By Monday night most of the major soreness was gone, just my quads and my poor, gross looking pinky toe were painful.
Now that I’m back in Oregon, I’m missing the warmth of Phoenix but am happy that it’s at least a sunny day. On the plane ride back I was already starting to think about training for San Diego. I decided that I’m going to take a full 3 weeks off from running to hopefully heel the knee and overcome my cold. In the next 3 weeks I hope to concentrate on swimming, yoga and strength training. As for an SD training plan…that’s still up in the air BUT I’m thinking about trying the FIRST plan (suggested to me by RunnersRambles). It’s a 3 day a week running plan, which I think might be good for the knee, and it concentrates a lot on pace. Each of the three runs during the week has a specific pace. Since I have a pretty ambitious time goal for SD I really want to work on my pace, especially for my long runs.
With all that said, marathon #2 is under my belt! Here’s to recovery and planning for the next one.
I've been on a blogger hiatus and have a TON of posts to get through...but can't wait to read about what all of you have been up to!
Wild cacti!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Doctor Says...
Beginning stages of bronchitis! The plus side is that I went in early and now know what I am dealing with. Also on the plus side, I got drugs! Doc says I should be feeling much better in 24 hours, though he did say that the drugs may make me tired and a bit loopy (fun times tonight). Bad side is that bronchitis doesn't usually go away very fast and since it is a chest issue, breathing can sometimes be laborious. However, the doc didn't say, "don't run the marathon." He said, "It's up to you whether you want to put that much stress on your body." He basically cautioned against running but said he didn't want to tell me to run or not run. I'm hoping wonder drugs cure me in the next two days and make all my worries go away. (What the drugs won't do is heal my knee OR heal my strained stomach muscles...BUT...that's what ibuprofen is for I guess.)
Here's to downing lots of water, Vitamin C and wonder drugs! I'm still holding out to make a decision about Sunday until probably Saturday night. (I have to say, I am leaning toward the half marathon, sorry Evan. Mostly b/c I don't want to stress my body too much, especially knowing that I'm already signed up for San Diego, this won't be my last opportunity.) I'll continue to keep you posted...since I know everyone wants to know about my sickness =).
Here's to downing lots of water, Vitamin C and wonder drugs! I'm still holding out to make a decision about Sunday until probably Saturday night. (I have to say, I am leaning toward the half marathon, sorry Evan. Mostly b/c I don't want to stress my body too much, especially knowing that I'm already signed up for San Diego, this won't be my last opportunity.) I'll continue to keep you posted...since I know everyone wants to know about my sickness =).
Monday, January 12, 2009
Light-hearted post for the day
I have been a blogging machine…three days in a row, this has to be some sort of record. Anyway, I have greatly appreciated all of the well wishes for a healthy, injury-free run on Sunday. As the week progresses, I will be thinking about whether I should run the full or half marathon. For now, I leave you with a light-hearted TAG post.
I was tagged by, Melinda:
4 Favorite Memories of 2008:
:: Running my first marathon
:: Vacationing in Hawaii
:: Getting Zoey!
:: Starting my first career track job (though I started in 2007)
4 Favorite Movies of 2008:
:: The Dark Knight
:: Kung Fu Panda
:: Iron Man
:: Wall-E
4 Favorite Foods of 2008:
:: Umpqua Ice Cream (especially chocolate peanut butter)
:: Anything made by my wonderful husband (I'm lucky he cooks a lot =))
:: Manicotti from Cooking Light.com
:: Pumpkin Turkey Chili (who doesn’t love pumpkin!?)
4 Places I loved in 2008:
:: Any of my visits back to Cali
:: Kauai
:: Ecola State Park
:: The inside of first brand new car (which is good b/c I’ve spent a lot of time in the car)
4 Things I Liked in 2008:
:: Meeting new friends (mostly bloggers =))
:: Blogging
:: Running with running buddies
:: Vacations!
4 Things I am Looking Forward to in 2009:
:: Running faster (and injury-free)
:: Hanging out w/Portland bloggers
:: Possibly moving back to a warmer, sunnier place =)
:: Reading more
4 People I Tagged:
I think everyone I know has been tagged!
Happy Manic Monday everyone!
I was tagged by, Melinda:
4 Favorite Memories of 2008:
:: Running my first marathon
:: Vacationing in Hawaii
:: Getting Zoey!
:: Starting my first career track job (though I started in 2007)
4 Favorite Movies of 2008:
:: The Dark Knight
:: Kung Fu Panda
:: Iron Man
:: Wall-E
4 Favorite Foods of 2008:
:: Umpqua Ice Cream (especially chocolate peanut butter)
:: Anything made by my wonderful husband (I'm lucky he cooks a lot =))
:: Manicotti from Cooking Light.com
:: Pumpkin Turkey Chili (who doesn’t love pumpkin!?)
4 Places I loved in 2008:
:: Any of my visits back to Cali
:: Kauai
:: Ecola State Park
:: The inside of first brand new car (which is good b/c I’ve spent a lot of time in the car)
4 Things I Liked in 2008:
:: Meeting new friends (mostly bloggers =))
:: Blogging
:: Running with running buddies
:: Vacations!
4 Things I am Looking Forward to in 2009:
:: Running faster (and injury-free)
:: Hanging out w/Portland bloggers
:: Possibly moving back to a warmer, sunnier place =)
:: Reading more
4 People I Tagged:
I think everyone I know has been tagged!
Happy Manic Monday everyone!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Last run...
Today Mr. Pi and I ran our last long runs before the marathon. Mine did not go well. I had great intentions of running 8 miles but only made it 6.35. I set out with Gazelle's (the best running partner ever) and about mile in I had to take my first break. My cold has migrated to a chest cold and my breathing was extremely labored. As I mentioned in my previous post, my stomach muscles are sore from coughing and today my chest felt like there were a ton of bricks sitting on it, squeezing every breath. UGH! Gazelle's was such a good sport...we slowed down and started a walk/run routine for the rest of the middle miles. We ended the run, running...which I guess was all I could ask for today. (Knee update: My knee felt great at the beginning of this run but toward the end was a little achy and has been sore the rest of the day. I have been icing and have foam rollered. I will be wearing flats this week at work and will be foam rollering everyday...I may also throw in some of Gazelle's stabilizing one-legged squats.)
After the run, Mr. Pi, Gazelle's and I met with with her, her and him for brunch. (Sadly, they were unavailable.) It was a great brunch. I would normally order something like pancakes or waffles but I went out on a limb and ordered the tofu scramble and it was DELICIOUS! Many, many, many, many, many, many cups of coffee were had. We talked about TV shows, movies, books and of course, RUNNING. All in all it was a great way to end a somewhat disappointing morning.
My last post mentioned many items I wanted to accomplish today. I DID manage to get some of them completed (or at least started).
1. Rental car for Arizona---BOOKED!!
2. Marathon outfit---DONE (sort of...I narrowed it down to these two options...I think I'm leaning toward the crazy running skirt option if for nothing else to feel like one of these ladies! The shorts and tank option is the boring/safe option...who knows what mood I'll be in the night before which is when I will make my final decision.)
3) Planning the trip---DONE (sort of...wow, I'm good at this sort of thing! I emailed her, who lives in AZ and also running the half marathon to get some input on our trip.)
4) Start packing---NOT DONE (but...I did do all the laundry so the clothes to pack are clean.)
5) Clean the house---DONE (except my bathroom which I will get to Tuesday night.)
All in all, a pretty productive day. We also gave the dog a bath and I cooked dinner. Tomorrow I go to Bikram with Gazelle's, start my packin' for real =) and start consuming lots of extra water.
A few have asked about a race tracker and they do have one...I'll be posting it later this week!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Um, I'm running a marathon...next weekend?
Yes, that's right folks I am running a marathon next weekend in Arizona. You're thinking, she hasn't talked much about this race...her weekly mileage hasn't been above 20 in the last month...is this girl crazy????? Well...yes and no. This race has been on my calendar for a long time BUT with the my knee injury I had to drop my training waaaaayyy back. In fact, for the last month I have only been running my long runs on the weekend and been cross training during the week. This has helped my knee tremendously but not my overall running fitness or my confidence. I told myself a few weeks back that if I was able to run my long-long runs (i.e. my long runs above 13 miles) then I would run the marathon---if not, I would drop to the half. I did do my long-long runs BUT there were only 3 or 4 runs longer than 13 and those were the only significant distance runs I've done since my last marathon (in June). Not to mention I have a nagging cold that has caused me to pull/strain/hurt my right stomach muscles from coughing so much. (Yes, I am a bit of wreck.) As of right now I am planning to run the full marathon but am leaving the final decision for game day.
I haven't talked much about this race, not because I'm not excited about it but b/c so many things have been going with the holidays and work that I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. This is good and bad. Good, b/c sometimes I tend to over plan and get into a mindset that the "plan" I set must not change no matter what happens. Bad, b/c this time I feel very under planned...I don't have my marathon outfit picked out yet, I haven't started my packing list, I haven't thought much about what we're going to do there, I haven't booked our rental car...ugh! I'm stressing myself out. I think I've spent so much time lately thinking about what I wanted to do in 2009 that I forgot this race was in 2009!
Tomorrow, I will be choosing my marathon outfit. Part of the reason I haven't selected an outfit yet is b/c I've been training in cold weather and it will be much warmer in Arizona and therefore I haven't wanted to think about which shorts (or running skirt) to wear. Don't worry I won't pick anything I haven't trained in or wore during a previous race...I'm a rookie but not that much of a rookie!
Tomorrow, I will also be: 1) running my last run before the race, 8 miles; 2) booking our rental car; 3) planning out our trip a little more (we want to get to both the grand canyon and sedona); 4) start packing (or at least make my packing list); and 5) finish cleaning the house so I don't have to worry about it next week. At some point next week, I also need to make my marathon play list (song suggestions are welcomed...I got a couple of Itunes gift cards for Xmas and plan to buy a few new songs before the marathon.)
Stay tuned for pictures of the marathon outfit and for more details about next weekend.
I haven't talked much about this race, not because I'm not excited about it but b/c so many things have been going with the holidays and work that I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. This is good and bad. Good, b/c sometimes I tend to over plan and get into a mindset that the "plan" I set must not change no matter what happens. Bad, b/c this time I feel very under planned...I don't have my marathon outfit picked out yet, I haven't started my packing list, I haven't thought much about what we're going to do there, I haven't booked our rental car...ugh! I'm stressing myself out. I think I've spent so much time lately thinking about what I wanted to do in 2009 that I forgot this race was in 2009!
Tomorrow, I will be choosing my marathon outfit. Part of the reason I haven't selected an outfit yet is b/c I've been training in cold weather and it will be much warmer in Arizona and therefore I haven't wanted to think about which shorts (or running skirt) to wear. Don't worry I won't pick anything I haven't trained in or wore during a previous race...I'm a rookie but not that much of a rookie!
Tomorrow, I will also be: 1) running my last run before the race, 8 miles; 2) booking our rental car; 3) planning out our trip a little more (we want to get to both the grand canyon and sedona); 4) start packing (or at least make my packing list); and 5) finish cleaning the house so I don't have to worry about it next week. At some point next week, I also need to make my marathon play list (song suggestions are welcomed...I got a couple of Itunes gift cards for Xmas and plan to buy a few new songs before the marathon.)
Stay tuned for pictures of the marathon outfit and for more details about next weekend.
Monday, January 5, 2009
2008: Year in Review/2009: The Year Ahead
After the craziness of the wonderful holidays I have had a chance to think about 2008. To review the good, the bad and the ugly! And, also to plan ahead for 2009. In doing so, I have modified my original goals just a bit for more realistic goals and also added a few more personal goals.
To start my review of 2008 on a positive note, here are a few of my “good” running and personal feats of the year:
1. I ran a marathon!
2. I ran 795 miles (not quite my goal of 800 but very close)
3. I started a blog (and have subsequently made a whole bunch of virtual friends who have helped me tremendously…I’ve even met some in person…and meet some regularly for runs!)
4. I started my first career track job in which I’ve gained tons of great experience to take with me in my next quest
5. I became a puppy mom
Onto the “bad”:
1. I’ve gained about 12 lbs since my 2007 wedding
2. I injured my knee and haven’t been able to train as much as I’d like
3. Both of my grandmothers passed away
4. I’ve gone through periods of feeling isolated far away from friends and family (hence, part of the reason for #1, I found comfort in the ice cream carton)
And finally, my one “ugly”:
1. I still get really bad blisters on my pinky toes and my left instep…no matter what I use…duct tape, band aids, new skin, mole skin, body glide…I’ve tried it all
All in all, my “goods” far outweigh the “bads” and uglies-poor feet.” Looking ahead to 2009, I have decided to modify my goals just a tad, some I’ve kept the same.
In honor of it being 2009, I have 9 goals:
1. Run three marathons (Arizona- goal is to finish; San Diego- goal is to break five hours; Unnamed Marathon #3, hopefully also the blogger marathon meet up- goal is 4:30)
2. Run a half in 2:15 or less
3. Run 1000 miles for the year
4. Run a 100 mile month (without getting injured!)
5. Read at least 1 book per month
6. Contribute more regularly to my savings
7. Pay off my car
8. Be more social (i.e. plan more Portland Blogger happy hours J)
9. Lose 15 lbs (this being the most cliché goal but losing 15 would take the weight I’ve gained off, plus a couple of pounds…I’m hoping losing weight will help bring up my speed)
You’ll have to keep reading throughout the year to see how my progress is coming along.
To start my review of 2008 on a positive note, here are a few of my “good” running and personal feats of the year:
1. I ran a marathon!
2. I ran 795 miles (not quite my goal of 800 but very close)
3. I started a blog (and have subsequently made a whole bunch of virtual friends who have helped me tremendously…I’ve even met some in person…and meet some regularly for runs!)
4. I started my first career track job in which I’ve gained tons of great experience to take with me in my next quest
5. I became a puppy mom
Onto the “bad”:
1. I’ve gained about 12 lbs since my 2007 wedding
2. I injured my knee and haven’t been able to train as much as I’d like
3. Both of my grandmothers passed away
4. I’ve gone through periods of feeling isolated far away from friends and family (hence, part of the reason for #1, I found comfort in the ice cream carton)
And finally, my one “ugly”:
1. I still get really bad blisters on my pinky toes and my left instep…no matter what I use…duct tape, band aids, new skin, mole skin, body glide…I’ve tried it all
All in all, my “goods” far outweigh the “bads” and uglies-poor feet.” Looking ahead to 2009, I have decided to modify my goals just a tad, some I’ve kept the same.
In honor of it being 2009, I have 9 goals:
1. Run three marathons (Arizona- goal is to finish; San Diego- goal is to break five hours; Unnamed Marathon #3, hopefully also the blogger marathon meet up- goal is 4:30)
2. Run a half in 2:15 or less
3. Run 1000 miles for the year
4. Run a 100 mile month (without getting injured!)
5. Read at least 1 book per month
6. Contribute more regularly to my savings
7. Pay off my car
8. Be more social (i.e. plan more Portland Blogger happy hours J)
9. Lose 15 lbs (this being the most cliché goal but losing 15 would take the weight I’ve gained off, plus a couple of pounds…I’m hoping losing weight will help bring up my speed)
You’ll have to keep reading throughout the year to see how my progress is coming along.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Vacation in review
California proved to only have a couple days of rain and the rest sunny with some overcast. Much better than the first two days of rain! Instead of boring you all with a re-cap of vacation I decided the re-cap was best told through pictures. There are some notable events missing, like my 20 mile run but who really wants a picture of that? and New Years, oh wait I was asleep by 11:00! Anyway here is my vacation in review through pictures:
Homemade cinnamon rolls on Xmas morning...yummy!
Stocking Time!
Zoey gets the first gift...
And the second...
Half of the family anticipating present opening.
Semi chaos...
Total chaos!
Pie time...this was only 2 of a selection of about 10 over Xmas eve, Xmas day and my family's Xmas.
Ready to work off some of that pie, Zoey? Zoey in her ridiculous snow shoeing outfit.
The family!
My dad trekking along after us.
How we all felt after a day in the snow.
Last run of the year (it was a walk for me since I ran 20 the day before) on December 31st. Blogger meetup NorCal style! Liah, S, Aron, Audrey, me and Julianne! It was so fun to meet these ladies!
My Xmas vacation was fantastic...the pictures really don't do it justice! It was so relaxing and so much fun to spend time with family and friends.
2009 is off and running...I posted my goals a few posts back but I have since modified them a bit. I'll be posting a 2008 recap and a 2009 modified goals list probably tomorrow.
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