Happy Halloween

I bet you all thought I rode a bike to work, didn't you? Well, the truth is out. This is how I REALLY get to work. Mwahaha! ;)
Happy Halloween from me & Spike (my fuzzy familiar)! May it be spooktacular!

Alternate October

I am going to be so glad to see the backside of October this year. I did have some good, fun days but the bad ones put a damper on even those. October was an emotionally and physically draining month for me and despite the fact that I slept a lot and didn't do much, I was tired the whole month.

My running and riding is almost back to normal. I would say my leg is at 95% now. There's just a slight twinge when I run and still a slight bump but it's much, much better. I did lose some fitness which I can feel when I workout. Probably for a few reasons. 1, I wasn't running and riding a whole lot. 2, I wasn't doing strength or core work. And 3, I ate like crap. :( I've grown soft. I am going to have to work hard in November to get back to where I was.

I've also been battling with a lack of motivation this month. I felt burnt out but how can that be when I wasn't even working out at all for half the month? I have been really frustrated with myself because of that and that's made me cranky. It was just all kind of a downward spiral.

Then on Tuesday, my uncle Dario passed away. He'd been having trouble with his heart for awhile. In fact, at the beginning of the summer, the doctor's gave him one month to live but he was stronger than they thought. My mom, grandpa, and I visited him on Sunday and he didn't look good. He went into the hospital that night but they were still planning for hospice care once they got him stable. But then...he was gone. So even though I knew he was bad, I was shocked. I know in my heart that he is in a better place and that he's not suffering anymore. I miss him though. It's hard to believe that someone so full of life and so giving to others is gone. I can't tell you how glad I am that I was able to see him one last time before he passed away.

This all got me thinking.

When I hurt my leg, I had a lot of downtime while I recovered and I started watching Fringe. I'm now watching season 3 and a big part of Fringe is the concept of an alternate universe. Being a SciFi geek, I'm familiar with this concept from other stories and shows like Star Trek: Next Generation. In fact, yesterday I explained this concept to some coworkers, complete with drawings and diagrams. Yes, their eyes glazed over just like when I talk about running!

Anyway, I was thinking...it sure would be nice if I could have an alternate October. One where I took a different route that Saturday. One where I didn't crash. One where my legs were strong and fast. One where I raced the hell out of the Hurricane JEM. One where my uncle was still here.

But hey, if I'm going to dream of an alternate universe, why not dream big? In my alternate universe, Alternate Lisa is:
*Fast
*A lean, mean running machine
*Living in Scotland
*Rich enough to retire early and travel the world
*Surrounded by all the family she's lost

But...I am not living in an alternate universe so if I want Alternate Lisa's life, I have to do something about it. Of course, I can't do anything about the last one but I can do something about the others. Or at least work towards them.

So, I'm looking forward to November and a fresh start. There are two months left in the year and I intend to rock them! I am going to kick myself in the backside whenever I start feeling unmotivated or lose focus. I'm going to finish my Year of Running strong and in charge.

No more excuses.

A Hurricane JEM Race Report

I ran A Hurricane JEM 16.5 Mile Trail Run on Saturday, October 15th in Virgin, Utah. It was my first real trail race where I had to follow course markings and there was the possibility of getting lost! I signed up for this race for the adventure, to revisit Utah, and to mark Utah off my list of states I'd run in. As an extra bonus, my family decided to come with me to see me race and keep me company. My sister, nieces, nephew, dad & stepmom all joined me on this trip.

I always planned on having fun with this run but I have to admit that I'd hoped to do well. That all changed on October 1st when I crashed my bike. Suddenly, I wasn't sure I'd be able to even run the race at all. In the crash, I bruised the entire back and side of my left leg. There was a huge lump above my knee from fluid/blood that had settled there. Any jarring of that area was pretty painful and I tried everything to help it heal but according to the doctor, it would just take time. Time, I didn't have! I wanted to run the race, but I didn't want to risk further damage or delay the healing. Finally, on the Thursday before the race, I was able to run 3 miles, slowly and with the area wrapped by a compression sleeve to hold the jarring to a minimum. Jason felt that if I could run another 3 miles on Friday, I could go ahead and run on Saturday. Run though, not race. On Friday, I felt okay to run and I felt better on that run. I had hope that I would be able to finish on Saturday! Woo!

I probably should have stayed off my feet for the rest of the day but we were in Zion and the weather was gorgeous. We took the tram into Zion and did some exploring. We did some of the shorter hikes but nothing too technical or strenuous since my six year old nephew was with us. It was a long, long day day and I was pretty tired at the end and my leg was aching. I had to wrap it at the end but it was worth it. Zion is stunning and the views are soothing and inspiring to the soul. We got back to the hotel around 7 and my family decided to rest, change, and go out to dinner. I stayed in and just had some peanut butter and bagels for dinner so I could put my legs up and rest. I set the alarm for 4:45 and went to bed.

On Saturday, I woke up, ate breakfast, dressed, took care of business, then headed over to the race start to check in and get my bib and bag. Oh, and the map of the course. I guess there had been some confusion last year with a mountain bike race from the week before and some runners got lost. They were worried it would happen again this year so they handed out maps and made sure we knew to follow the orange markings only. I had a gel and hit the porta potty and I was as ready as I could be for this.

They sent us off just before 7:30. I felt pretty good for the first few miles. My leg wasn't hurting much and I was taking it easy. The first half of the race was a steady climb up to the halfway point with small rollers. This is my favorite profile for a run. I passed a few runners on the uphills and by the first aid station at mile 4, I was on my own. There were about 50 runners in all for both the 16.5 and the marathon so it was a small race which meant I wouldn't be able to just follow runners on the course. We were strung out enough that for big chunks of the race, I didn't see any other runners. It was nice and quiet. But if you are one of those runners who needs crowd support, this is not for you. There were a few people out at a couple of the intersections where a dirt road met up with the trail but other than that, it was just the aid station crews cheering us on.
The first half of the race was very nice. I got to watch the sun rise over the valley and it was beautiful. I took a couple of photos and then my phone went wonky and the camera wouldn't work. :( Boo! So I just tried to absorb the views. I was feeling really good when I went thru the 2nd aid station a little after mile 8 (about 90 mins) and had visions of finishing in 3 hours. I decided to have a gel and that's when things went south. I know better to run and do a gel at the same time, especially on the trail but it wasn't a technical section so I thought I would be okay. Wrong!

So…I'm running thru a relatively flat part of the course (on top of a mesa) and it's single track but not a lot of rocks so I decide it's safe for me to eat a Gu without stopping. And BAM! My foot catches on a rock and I start stumbling. I told myself to just fall and get it over with so I don't strain or break anything. I fall and roll and what do you know, I fall on my left side! My injured side. I remember thinking “couldn't you have fallen on the other side” and then I get up and start gathering up my stuff that went flying: my hat, my water bottle, my Gu. Yep, I picked up my Gu and finished it. It was the only one I had and it was another 4 miles to the next aid station. I only had water in my water bottle so I needed the calories. So I ate some dirt, figuratively and literally. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Next, I took assessment of my body. Sore arm, scraped knee, sore calf. But otherwise, I'm good. I run a few steps and it's not bad so I just keep going. I'm mostly thankful that no one saw me fall! Right after my fall, the trail took a steep turn down from the mesa to the canyon floor and that's when my knee protested. Needless to say, I did this section very, very slowly. Of course, that's where the photographer was so he got plenty of chances to catch me with my new dusty look. And once I was away from him and I thought I was in the clear…there was his daughter taking pictures at the bottom! Why couldn't they have been around a mile earlier when I looked fresh and strong! Sheesh.

The next few miles were mostly easy single track with a few ups and downs. I couldn’t take advantage of the down hills as much as I wanted though because of my knee and a few people caught me. They would ask me if I was okay because they could see from the dirt covering me that I had fallen. One nice gentleman came up behind me and asked me if my shirt came like that or if I’d made the pattern myself. I said it came like that and I was going to tell him about the tribal design on my shirt when he said “I meant the dirt all over your back”. Ha!

When I got to aid station 3, I stopped to get some water to rinse off my hands so I would stop getting dirt and mud on face and in my eyes. Then I grabbed a half a banana and ate it, contemplated cleaning up my knee, decided it could wait, and prepared to head out. But first, I decided to look at my map since I knew that we would be splitting from the marathoners soon and I didn't want to accidentally run a marathon! But there was no map! It must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell. I had about a 10 second anxiety attack and then just started running. The course had been well marked so far so I figured I wouldn't need the map. And if worse, came to worse, I could see from the landmarks in the distance where I needed to go so I knew I’d get out eventually. By this time though, I was getting tired and didn’t relish the prospect of adding miles.

I was on my own for the rest of the race, not a soul except a few lizards and birds. I walked a few of the technical uphills and downhills in the last few miles and I could tell my time for the second half was going to be a lot slower. So I trudged on. I stopped again at aid station 4 (unmanned) to grab some cold water and there were just 2.5 miles left to go and it was all dirt road so I could relax a little. I did get a little sidetracked because I wasn't sure if I supposed to go right or left at a fork in the road. I started out going right (which was the direction I should be going to the finish) but then decided the left was the “right” way (even though it was in the opposite direction). And luckily, I was right! There were a few people cheering at the end of that section so I knew I'd picked the right way.

Now there was just one mile to go. By then, everything was aching: my leg, my arm & shoulder, my lower back. I shuffled on. Then finally, I came to the street the park & the finish were on and saw my sister and my niece waiting for me at the corner. My niece ran with me toward the finish and then I was done! My first trail race. I crossed the line and ran over to where my dad was and he gave me a hug and I just leaned against him to rest. The race director came over to give me my medal and he congratulated me and asked if I'd left any dirt on the trail! Then he had the race photographer come over and take pictures of me (one of the front and one of the left side) so I could be captured in all my trail dirt glory. ;)

I grabbed some food (they had bread, cookies, chips, grilled cheese sandwiches, and root beer floats) and some water and sat to clean up my knee. After a little bit, we went back to the hotel so I could shower and then it was time for lunch (In-N-Out!) and more sightseeing. All in all, a successful, fun-filled family vacation. Can't wait for the next one!

My time was 3 hours and 34 minutes. So the second half did take me a lot longer. It should have been easier but I guess that wasn't in the cards for me. I ended up 9th out of 11 women. Actually, I was kind of hoping I would be last! I've never been last before. It would have been nice. Um, without the fall though. Maybe, just maybe, the trail gods were reminding me that I was supposed to be taking it easy! Sigh.

My medal...

Running Therapy

Last night, my mom called to tell me that my great uncle Lorenzo passed away. He was 81 and he'd lived a full life. He was quite a character and never could stay in one place for more than a few months. He used to send my grandmother letters to update her on where he was. We could go years without seeing him and then there he would be, on her doorstep, with nothing more than a backpack for his possessions. He'd stay for a month or two and then move on to his next stop. As a kid, it was always fun to get a visit from him because I didn't know anyone else who lived like that and it was fascinating to me. A little mind boggling too since I'm a plant yourself in one place kind of girl. Or used to be. His life on the road was an adventure though and I could only imagine all the places he' been, the people he'd met, and the things he'd seen.

My uncle Lorenzo was lean and wiry but had a little bet of pot belly – he loved his beer! He was quick with a smile and a laugh and when I picture him, it' sitting there, telling stories, smoking a cigarette with his trusty fedora tilted at a rakish angle. I hear he had quite a few girlfriends but my grandmother always shushed him when he brought them up. “Aye que Lorenzo” was one of her favorite expressions but she loved him. She' helped raise him after all.

I think this is hardest on my mom because to her it's like losing a brother. My grandparents lived with my great grandparents because my great grandpa was sick. My grandma was the oldest and almost all her brothers were still at home when my mom was little. When my mom was in the 1st grade, her teacher asked if she had any brothers or sisters and my mom told her she had 5 brothers. At the parent/teacher conference, the teacher commented to my grandma about having a handful with 6 kids and my grandma said “Those are my brothers, not hers!”.

I, of course, am sad but not overwhelmingly so. It's really hard to lose my grandparents generation one by one. We have a large family and I love that but it also means we end up losing a lot of loved ones. We won't get a chance to say goodbye either because he passed away in Mexico. There is only one brother left, my uncle Dario, and I feel more for him and my mom than I do for me. I just want to hug them.

The thing is…I'm doing okay. 10 years ago, I would have been a mess. I would be eating every donut I could find or scarfing down multiple burgers or sinking into depression. I think the thing that has made the most difference is my running and riding. It's made me much more even tempered, happier, and more able to deal with things. Instead of reaching for food, now I know that I'll feel better after my next workout and I'm okay to wait for it. I don't need a fix right then. I know I'll work it out eventually.

So last night, I went to bed knowing that this morning I had an interval workout and it would be hard, but it would be good. I ran 5x2's at 5K pace (7:42) with 2' rests. The “business” of getting the workout done helped me clear my mind. The running itself helped me feel better. I left the bad stuff I was feeling out on the road where it won't do any damage. And what do you know? That therapy didn't cost me a dime. Who needs a couch anyway? I am so thankful to be a runner.

Trail Running Intuition Edition

I went for my first trail run in my Altra Intuitions on Saturday. Oh sure, I've used them on the dirt trail where I live but it's more of groomed equestrian trail than a real "into the wild" trail. Saturday was a true trail test and they passed with flying colors!

What's funny is that when I bought them, I never even thought of using them on the trail. At least not until I went to the Crossfit Games back in July. I went there to meet Jeremy from Altra (@AltraZeroDrop) and Patton from the Natural Running Store (@naturalrunstore) since I am big fans of theirs and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. While I was there, Jeremy and I were talking and he mentioned taking them on the trail. I think he was insulted when I said I didn't want to get my Intuitions dirty because they were so pretty! ;) (Really, they are: I think the blue is a very happy color and they were just so shiny and new. Oh come on, new shoes are pretty!).

I was training for a road marathon at the end of August so I wasn't running trails this summer. Saturday was my first trail run in months. Ooh boy, it was good to hit the dirt again. I'd planned an epic morning: ride to the trail on my mt bike, run 11 miles, then ride home. I wanted my legs to be a little tired when I ran. I also only had about 400 calories for breakfast so I would be running mostly on empty. I wore my Nathan Hydration pack and just had water in it. I had one Gu half way through and then one more Gu when I got back to the bike. My legs were a little noodly off the bike but they did really well and I even did more than planned. I'd thought it would be 12 or 13 miles to the trail and then I got lost a couple of times and had to double back during the run so it turned into a 15 mile ride there, a 13 mile run, and then 15 miles home. I was one tired runner/cyclist but very happy with how it went.

I run in a place called Bonelli which has a great trail system in it. It has a mix of roads, fire roads, double track, and single track. There is hard packed dirt, powdery dirt, sand, and rocky technical sections. You can pick rolling hills or steep climbs. There's even a stream to cross! You can tailor your run to fit your mood/run and there is something for everyone.

My main goal was to get in a lot of hills in preparation for my upcoming races. My secondary goal was to make sure I gave the Intuitions a good test since I'm planning to wear them in those races. Because of that, I decided to hit a little bit of everything (except roads). We haven't had any rain in a while, just fog/mist, and the trails were completely dry so the only thing I didn't get to test was mud.

The Intuitions performed beautifully! I had plenty of traction when I needed it. I didn't slip in the sand or on the rocky sections. The Intuitions gave me great protection in the rocky sections too. I could feel the rocks but they didn't feel bruising to my feet and I didn't have to dig any rocks out of my sole like I do in my other shoes. At one point, I stubbed my toe on a rock and almost tripped but it didn't hurt my toe at all. Actually, I only tripped twice which is a major record for me since I usually trip about a half dozen times on the trail, especially when I'm tired.

I have a pair of Saucony Peregrines that I usually run trail in but the thing I don't like about them is that they don't feel stable. I sometimes roll my ankle in them or feel my foot sliding to the side. It really annoys me and I thought maybe it was because they weren't tied tight enough but no matter how I tied them, they never felt secure.

The Intuitions, on the other hand, made me feel very stable and solid and I never rolled my foot once. I think it's because of how they fit and because they are zero drop. I have plenty of room for my toes to do their thing but the rest of the shoe fits exactly right. There's no slippage in the heel or anything. The Intuition's zero drop sole gave me a very stable base to work with and I never felt off balance. Basically, I felt like I was channeling my inner mountain goat and could concentrate on the section I was running and not worry about what my shoe was going to do. That felt awesome and was a great relief.

So, all in all, a fabulous trail run on Saturday: the morning was foggy/misty and cool, my shoes did great, I got lots of hills in as my quads could attest to yesterday, and my plan to run on tired legs worked out really well. I felt like I was a lass doing some fell running in the Highlands of Scotland, except for the fact that I was in So Cal...and I'm not Scottish. But you know what I mean. God, I love dirt and hills. I really need to do this more often. Every weekend!

Oh, and my poor Intuitions are plenty dirty now. Sniffle. Maybe I should have 2 pairs so I can keep one pair "pretty" on the roads. ;) Jeremy...no groaning! :p

Make sure you check out these links if you are interested in trying out some Instincts (men's) or Intuitions (women's). Patton will treat you right!

P.S. I'll be contacting the winners of my give away today, all 3 of you. :)

Taper & Recovery Are 4 Letter Words

Both of these are four letter words to me! Okay, they aren't actually four letter words, but they both leave a bad taste in my mouth. Like someone made me wash my mouth out with soap!

I don't know which worse: tapering for a marathon or recovering from one.

Tapering is hard because:

1. You've gotten used to a high volume and you're running less.
2. You've gotten used to doing sweet long runs and you can't do them anymore. :(
3. You're anxious/nervous/excited about the coming marathon and the thing you normally do to work those feelings out is run but you can't because you're tapering!
4. You've gotten used to moving and now you are supposed to be taking it easy. Hello, Lazy!
5. Carbo loading isn't really that fun. It makes me feel bloated so I don't really carbo load anymore. Bad?
6. You wonder if you ran enough/did enough but there's nothing you can do now. Like they say, the hay is in the barn.

But recovering from a marathon is hard too because:

1. There's a period after where you can't run...at all!
2. When you do start running again, you have to run easy. Nothing fast or long.
3. It takes weeks to build your volume up again.
4. It takes weeks to get your legs back to feeling normal.
5. It takes weeks to feel like they have some speed in them again.
6. You might have the Now What?s where you feel a little lost about where to go with your running next. Another race? Just run for fun?

So if tapering before a marathon and recovering after a marathon are so rough, why do I run them? That's easy! I run them because:

1. They're fun.
2. You get a shiny medal and shirt.
3. You might get pancakes after! Mmmm, pancakes...
4. You get to see some great places and meet some great people.
5. The adrenaline rush is amazing.
6. You get to find out what you are made of!

Yeah, the benefits of running a marathon definitely outweigh the not so fun taper & recovery. Did I mention the pancakes part? Who knows? Maybe someday I'll be one of those people who runs a marathon every weekend then I won't have to taper or recover! I have a lot of states to get through and I'm not getting any younger! ;)

It's been almost 4 weeks since I ran the Santa Rosa Marathon. Yesterday's run was the first run since then that I felt like I got some of my speed back. I ran 6 miles with 2 of them at tempo (8:34 pace) and then ran 6 strides after and felt on top of the world. I had been dealing with a cold for a week and that, along with the recovery, made me feel as slow as molasses. No, slower. I was starting to think maybe I would never get back to where I was before the marathon. But then I remembered that I thought that after the other 3 as well so it's just a part of the process.

Now it's only 3 weeks until my next race - A Hurricane JEM 16.5 mile trail race - and I'm ready to kick it into high gear for that and the rest of the year.

By the way, that's how I deal with the Now What?s. I make sure I sign up for a race to do after the marathon before I even run it. That way, I know what I am going to do next and I don't feel lost. Some might say they need the down time after a marathon to rest and not think about running but I'm not like that. I need to have a challenge out there. Because I cannot slide backwards! I have to, no need to keep moving forward. That's all there is to it.

What about you? Do you like tapering & recovering? How do you handle it?

The Ideal Running Lisa

Today's post wraps up my Running The Edge journey. Well, not really because it's an ongoing process but I wanted to post the final steps.

Okay, in the last couple of posts, I went through the 6 mirrors (Initiative, Responsibility, Determination, Adaptability, Integrity, and Person-ability) and graded myself on a scale from 1 to 10 in running and each of the five life stories. The next step is to look at running and the life stories and compare your Real Self to your Ideal Self. I did this with running and I'll share that in this post. This is my comparison of the two for running:


I'm not really surprised that my real running self and my ideal running self are so close together since I've dedicated this year to running. As you can see, I need to work on bringing the real and ideal closer together the most for the last 3 mirrors. I'm sure you also noticed that I want a 10 in Determination and Person-ability. Maybe that's not a realistic goal because no one is perfect but I would like to be the best Lisa possible in those 2 areas most of all.

So...I'll do this for each of the five life stories and then the next step is to pick one area/characteristic to work on each week. They suggest picking 3 things that are really important to you and work on those in the next few weeks. When those are done, you can continue to work on something each week until you've reached your ideal. The 3 things I want to work on in the next few weeks for running are:

1. Try to find a way to run with others. I do 99% of my running alone and I think it would benefit me to run with other people at least once a week. I've looked for running groups near me and there aren't any so maybe I need to start one! (Person-ability)

2. Be more supportive/involved with the on-line running community. I think my shyness gets in the way there. Also, the fact that I still consider myself a newb so I'm not sure if I can contribute meaningfully gets in the way. I need to trust myself and what I've learned more and share that. (Person-ability/Integrity)

3. Become more versatile as a runner. I need to get on the trails more! And not just fire roads but more single track. I need to become more balanced and I think going off road will help. It might also make me less of a slave to my Garmin! (Adaptability).

I think these 3 things will keep me plenty busy in the next few weeks. You have my permission to call me out on any of them if you don't see any progress. :)

Finally, Adam & Tim ask you to share your results and goals with those around you. By declaring them publicly, you are holding yourself accountable to them. Your friends and family can also help nudge you along on your journey if they see you stuck. And of course, it may spark one of them to start a similar journey. Luckily, I've done just that by sharing my journey on my blog.

I really enjoyed reading Running The Edge by Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher (who just ran an Olympic Trials qualifying Half Marathon yesterday! Woo!). I enjoyed the personal stories they each shared throughout the book and the contributions from other runners as well. Adam's stories are even more inspiring considering the journey he's been on with running. I had no idea he was planning a comeback and it was so amazing to follow him this weekend. I haven't read Running with the Buffaloes but this book made me want to. Truly inspiring!

More personally, Running The Edge made me look at myself and think about where I am and where I want to be. While it wasn't always pleasant to look at myself closely, it was also kind of fun. I'll leave you with my favorite quote (which is on my GoSport ID!) for now which fits perfectly with this book...

"It's never to late to be what you might have been." ~George Eliot