tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30530642784994751902024-03-13T21:55:09.220-07:00Run Like A CoyoteLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-12291518771715678892015-11-12T10:14:00.003-08:002015-11-12T10:14:51.066-08:00Revel Canyon City Marathon RecapI ran the Revel Canyon City Marathon last Saturday. It did not go as well as I'd hoped but there were a few bright spots in it.<br />
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The RCC Marathon is run down Highway 39 in Azusa, CA which is just 20 minutes from where I live. Notice I said "run down"? That's because it has an elevation drop of 5100 ft!<br />
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Insane, right? But also an opportunity to maybe run a really fast race. Which is why I signed up for it. I knew that Long Beach Marathon was going to be hot and I wanted one more chance this year to PR the marathon. This seemed like the ideal place to do it.<br />
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The only problem was that by the time race week arrived, I had lost my confidence in being able to run that fast. I was tired. Maybe overtrained. Probably burnt out from racing. I really did not want to run it. I even told Joshua (<b><a href="https://twitter.com/bayou">@bayou</a></b>) that I was thinking of bailing on it a couple of days before the race. But he was doing it too and after talking with him a bit, I decided to go through the motions and see what happened.<br />
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<b><u>PRE-RACE</u></b><br />
Since the race was Saturday, we had to pic up our bibs at the expo on Friday. I took a long lunch to drive over and pick up my bib and shirt. I met Joshua there and then it was a quick in & out at the expo to get our stuff, buys some gu (Josh), and take a pic. It was Josh's idea to pic that sign! I hoped it would be a good sign for both of us.<br />
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They only had a few booths in the expo so for once I made it out of an expo without spending any money! One ominous sign was that our race packed included a mylar blanket and gloves! It was going to be a very cold start. Yikes!<br />
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After the expo, we started our carb loading at Jimmy John's. #14 for Josh and my usual #12 for me.<br />
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Good eats (thanks JH!) and fun conversation helped me get over the race blahs a bit. After that, I went back to work and finished out my day. Had my usual pre-race dinner and went to bed relatively early. I had slept 9-9.5 hours the previous 3 days so was feeling rested.<br />
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I woke up at 3, ate a little something, and then got ready for the race. I drove over a little before 4 and made it about 4:20. Josh let me know he was there so I we met up to catch the bus to the start line. It's always kind of a mind trip to drive the course backwards. Luckily, it was dark so I didn't see too much a long the way. After more talking with Josh about strategies, I decided I was going to go for sub 4 even though I wasn't sure I had it in me. He thought gravity would help me get there and I hoped he was right.<br />
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It was cold at the top! But also very pretty. There were not a lot of people running so it made the logistics of the race really easy. Soon enough it was go time!<br />
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<b><u>THE RACE</u></b><br />
The race started promptly at 7 and we were off! And boy were we flying! It really was insane. I had gotten in behind the 3:55 pacer and had to work to slow down and stay with him. I managed to stay behind him for 6 or 7 miles and then found myself running ahead of him. I wasn't breathing hard at all so I let myself go just a little. I didn't want to get too crazy though so I walked the next couple of aid stations to let him catch back up.<br />
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I knew that I was running a good pace and just hoped I could keep it. When we got to mile 10, I looked at my watch to see the time and it was 1:28:30ish. Woo! 10 mile PR! My previous PR was 1:34:16 (2012) and I was disappointed I hadn't been able to beat it at the Terrifying 10 Miler so it was sweet to see it during the run.<br />
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When we hit the 13.1 mile mark, I checked again and PR again! 1:56:30ish. My previous PR for the half was 1:57:26 (2011) and I was excited to finally see that number drop too. Woo!<br />
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But after that, things went south. Way south. The next 4 miles had a slight uphill and my legs were toast. Then when we started back downhill again my quads, my shins, and my right foot were really unhappy. Extremely unhappy. And I ended up walking pretty much the rest of it. It was a slogfest to the end. I just kept moving. The course was beautiful but I didn't even pause to take pics. All I cared about was finishing.<br />
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I had some low moments. But got a nice surprise about mile 24. I thought for sure Josh had left when he'd finished. I'd told him not to wait for me and I expected him to finish fast. I didn't know though because there was no cell service up there. But at mile 24, we had to cross a big intersection and I remember thinking don't get hit by a car (which there were police there so of course I wouldn't but still!) and then I saw Josh across the street. Yay! I was so happy to see a friendly face! He ran the rest of the way in with me.<br />
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He took these pics of me on the last stretch before the finish (the other photo is pre-race). And then I was done! Finally! 5:31ish. Boo! But yay I was done!<br />
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I had to sit down for a while after. The race had ice cold towels at the finish and I laid it over my legs which were on fire. But it gave me a chance to take a closer look at my medal. Pretty impressive bling, eh?<br />
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<b><u>POST RACE RAMBLINGS</u></b><br />
I think I'm burnt out on running and racing. I am happy that I set a 10 Mile PR and a half marathon PR during this race but overall, I'm left with a BLEH feeling about my run. Don't get me wrong, the race itself is awesome - great, fun, beautiful course, great aid stations, easy expo and race logistics, great bling, and FREE race pics! I am planning to do it again next year!<br />
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No, the thing I'm bleh about is that it was my last chance to PR the marathon this year and I'm mad that I didn't make that goal. I'm not happy that I have yet another 5+ marathon. I'm not happy that I walked so much. I really don't even count this as running a marathon in my own head. 4 marathons this year and 3 of them were crap. I am tired of it. I'm tired of training. I'm tired of running. I'm just tired. Not sure what I'm going to do because if you saw my last post, you know that I normally love racing and it's a party for me. But I just don't have that joy in me right now. My next race is the Avengers Half Marathon this Sunday and I'm not even excited for it. That's how bad it is.<br />
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But...I don't want to leave this post on a bad note. I am excited that I will be going to my happy place this weekend. I'm excited that I get to take my mom to Steakhouse 55 for breakfast and then to Disneyland after the race. I'm excited that I am going to Season of the Force next Thursday at Disneyland. I'm excited that I get to dress up as Black Widow on Sunday.<br />
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I just need to get excited about running in my outfit now...<br />
<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-4794915987179496552015-11-03T15:13:00.000-08:002015-11-03T15:13:12.545-08:00Terrifying 10 Miler - My 100th RaceThe Terrifying 10 Miler was my 100th race! 100 races! Who'd have thought that the girl who spent most of her life out of shape would run 100 races. Here's the stats:<br />
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<strong style="font-weight: bold !important;">Race Distances:</strong><br />
Ultras - 8<br />
Marathons - 15<br />
Halfs - 36<br />
10Ks - 14<br />
5Ks - 17<br />
Other races - 10</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold !important;">Races in California:</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>77 (not surprising since I live in Southern California!)</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold !important;">Races in other states:</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>23 (AZ-5, KY-1, NM-1, NV-4, NY-1, OR-1, SD-3, TN-4, TX-1, UT-1, WA-1)</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold !important;">Races By Year</strong><br />
2009 - 2<br />
2010 - 4<br />
2011 - 12<br />
2012 - 29<br />
2013 - 19<br />
2014 - 14<br />
2015 - 20</div>
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Yes, I'm a geek and I keep track of my races in an Excel spreadsheet. <br />
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But back to the Terrifying 10 Miler...<br />
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The race was held on October 25th at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point. We could get our bibs on race morning so I drove down that morning. It was dark when I arrived and after I got my bib and shirt, I walked down to the beach to watch the sunrise. So beautiful!<br />
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Then I went back to the car to drop off stuff and finish getting ready. I only had time for a short warm up before the race started since the restroom line was long. <br />
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The race started at 8am. We only ran along the water for a little bit and then turned inland. And BAM... hills right away. I have got to look at elevation profiles before I sign up for races! It was a lot of rolling hills, a couple of short steep sections, and one big hill at the turn around. <br />
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I felt okay for the run. My legs didn't seem to have a lot of pep for the hills but I think I did pretty well running hard on the downhills. My coach had wanted me to run it at 8:45 pace but that didn't happen. I only walked one tiny bit of one hall to adjust one of my socks but otherwise, I ran it all. I tried to focus on running the downhills hard to prep for RCC Marathon which is all downhill. <br />
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A few people had passed me in the middle miles and I was able to pass 2 of those women back at the end. There was boy and his dad who I tried to catch at the end which helped me run hard but I couldn't catch the Flash (the 10 year old's costume) and he beat me. Argh! Oh yeah, I was dressed as a pirate! Lol! My time was 1:37:19. So about a minute per mile slower than I'd hoped. Sigh. <br />
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I got my medal... but wait, a Turkey Tri medal? <br />
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The trick was on us! Our medals had been delayed in customs so they handed out random medals to runners. Some people got Christmas medals and some people got Thanksgiving medals. It was kind of funny. After that, I waited around for the results to be posted. I knew there weren't that many women in front of me so I was hoping to place in my age group because the Age Group awards were cute! And boom! 2nd in my Age Group! Woo! <br />
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Some pirates have a phantom rubber ducky on their shoulders instead of a parrot.<br />
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Close up of the AG award in front of the Haunted Mansion (where else would I celebrate?).</div>
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The 45-49 Age Group with Jack Sparrow. Lol, <br />
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Later that day, I celebrated my AG Award, 100th race, and oh yeah, hitting 2000 miles for 2015, at Mickey's Halloween Party. So fun!<br />
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It was a fun-filled Halloween themed day. I love Halloween! Speaking of... I got my actual medal for the race in the mail on Halloween, which totally seemed appropriate. Love it!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Hope you were able to do a fun Halloween run and dress up!</div>
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-86195612900277534452015-10-16T15:15:00.000-07:002015-10-16T15:15:35.356-07:00Long Beach Marathon RecapLast Sunday, I ran my 16th marathon - the Long Beach Marathon. It was the last race in my Beach Cities Challenge and I was really looking forward to it. Until I saw the weather forecast!<br />
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94 degrees.<br />
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That's what it said a week out from the race. The temp forecast lowered to 90 a couple days later but it was still going to be really hot so the race issued a heat advisory and gave the half marathoners the option to start at 6am too. They were adding water stations and cooling stations to the course. I was happy to hear this but still pretty nervous about running in the heat. I don't do well in the heat ever since I had that heat stroke episode back in 2012 at a <a href="http://runlikeacoyote.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-50k-pr-and-trip-to-emergency.html">50K at the beach</a>. I do not want to ever end up in ER again like that! And ever since I had the full hysterectomy for ovarian cancer, I've had hot flashes and night sweats to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I'll take those any day over the alternative but it just makes hot runs more challenging. Especially staying hydrated.<br />
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Anyway, I tried not to worry about it. I just went about my regular routine of tapering, carb loading, and making sure I drank plenty of water.<br />
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<b><u>PRE-RACE</u></b><br />
On Saturday morning, I got up and ran an easy 5K then got ready and headed to Long Beach for the expo. I vowed I wasn't going to buy anything there but that was pretty much blown out the window as soon as I walked in the door. Oops. I bought shoes, a Fitletic phone pouch, and some shoe charms. But that's it!<br />
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Here's my shirt and bib:<br />
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I saw my friend and fellow RIFer Sue at the expo. She was working the Fitletic booth. I also saw a couple of local runners at the LA Marathon booth (which I signed up for on Friday!). After that, I headed over to the Aquarium of the Pacific to meet Josh (<a href="https://twitter.com/bayou">@bayou</a>) and his kids. The kids were running the 1 Mile Kids Run and I wanted to see them and cheer them on. First up was P in the 8 year old race and then later M (who is 4) ran in the 6/7 year old race. It was a lot of fun. The kids were so funny, some of them having a blast, some of them not so much. Lol. It was 100 out there! So hot for the kids. And me. I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad on Sunday. I caught a pic of Josh as he was trying to catch up with P in his race:<br />
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After that, we had lunch at Bubba Gump and then visited the Aquarium for a little bit. Then I headed home to get ready for Sunday.<br />
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I went to sleep pretty early and slept well so when the alarm went off at 2:45, I was up and a blur of motion. Eat, get ready, pack and then out the door by 3:30. I drove down to Long Beach and was there by 4:20 so I had plenty of time to park and use the port-a-potty. They had a ton so there were no lines at all.<br />
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I sat down and waited and then found Josh and we found some other RIFers so we hung out in the corral until it was go time.<br />
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<b><u>THE RACE</u></b><br />
I wish I could say I raced this but I knew I had to be smart. The race started a little late and by the time we made it to the start it was 6:15. And we were off! I ran with the others for a while then lost them in the crowd. It was a little bit crowded since so many half marathoners were with us but it wasn't too bad. I just ran at a comfortable pace 9:45-10:00.<br />
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I saw Josh again a couple miles in as he'd stopped at an aid station. He wasn't carrying water but I had a bottle filled with tailwind. I also had salt tabs with me. Since I knew it wasn't going to be a fast race, I stopped to take this pic as we came around the lighthouse. What a great view!<br />
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After that, I just ran. After the sun came up, it started to warm up and I started to slow down. There was no shade and I was so hot and sweating like crazy. I started to do a run/walk probably around mile 12. It just got hotter and hotter. And hotter. It was blazing! So in the last half, once again, I did more walking than running. I felt my ears start to plug up and would get a little woozy and make sure I walked. At every aid station, I would drink water and then pour the rest over my head and on my arm sleeves.<br />
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I saw Josh again when I was around mile 16 (going in the opposite direction so he was past mile 20) and it was good to see a friendly face. I knew probably a dozen people running the full & the half but he was the only one I found on the course. The aid station volunteers were pretty awesome and friendly too and at one point 3 of the little cheerleaders (probably 10 years old) ran with me for a bit and told me I was doing great. Lol, they were awesome.<br />
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There were a lot of people walking and stopping because of cramps. Luckily, I never cramped even though I wasn't as diligent about taking the salt tabs as I should have been. Pretty much, I was more walking at the end but did finish with a nice little run. I was so happy to hear the finish and then see the finish line!<br />
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I was done! A slow as molasses 5:50ish but I was done. And I felt pretty good. This is my medal:<br />
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And this is my medal for completing the Beach Cities Challenge (Surf City, OC, and Long Beach):<br />
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After the race, I found Josh and the other RIFers and hung out for a bit. Then we got something to eat from one of the food trucks. I was so hungry! And since my stomach hadn't had any issues at all, I went for something yummy:<br />
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Yeah, it was good. It hit the spot.<br />
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Oh yeah, you can see my shoes peeking out in the pic above. Yes, those are my new shoes I bought on Saturday! I couldn't resist wearing them. Here they are:<br />
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All salty from the marathon but still looking good. And how cute are those shoe charms? I love them! And the shoes too! No blisters and no hot spots. Woo! They are the new Vazee Pace by New Balance.<br />
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So, to wrap it up... I would say this was a good day. I was irritated with myself a little for being so cautious and taking so long but I am happy that I finished without getting sick or needing medical care. Long Beach is a great course, lots to see and really no hills. There isn't a lot of crowd support but I was okay with that. I would definitely do it again. Just hopefully on a cooler day.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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P.S. Josh interviewed me about my weight loss, running, and cancer a couple of weeks ago. It's on youtube and you can see it here if you would like. <a href="http://youtu.be/njRIn2SzW-Q">Interview</a>.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-47002538451645377242015-09-22T15:18:00.000-07:002015-09-22T15:18:15.195-07:00Girls On The Go 10K 2015 - Race RecapOn Sunday, I ran the Girls on the Go 10K at Bonelli in San Dimas. I ran it last year and it was pretty fun. I decided to run it again this year at the last minute. My coach had scheduled a 20-22 miler on Saturday and we decided to go ahead and do that. I ended up doing 20 miles on Saturday so that, plus a hilly course, and a heat wave meant that I went into it not expecting a PR. But my goal was to place in my age group.<br />
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Packet pick up was on Saturday and I was pretty proud of myself for not buying anything there! LOL. We got a nice shirt and our bib and that was it. No frills which is fine with me.<br />
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I set my alarm for my usual 4 am wake up, got up, ate breakfast, and got ready. I decided to wear my Brave tank & headband since they are teal so I could honor Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It will be 2 years on Sept 30th that I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.<br />
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My legs felt pretty good on Sunday morning and I didn't feel too tired so I thought I would do pretty well. It was warm already though (at 7 am) so I just did a short warm up. I didn't want to get overheated before we started! The kids race went off first, so I stopped to watch that and then continued my warm up.<br />
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The race went off promptly at 7:15. I had placed myself near the front so I didn't really have a crowd. We started off with an uphill and I may have gone out a little too fast. LOL! I always do. But I don't think I went too crazy. There were probably a dozen people in front of me. We made the turn to follow the lake and went up a little hill and onto some dirt. Then it was a smooth run along the lake until we crossed the stream. Another stretch of dirt here but it was cool under the trees. Right before the 3 mile marker, I was passed by a couple of women. Darn it! And then we had a short out (uphill) and back (yay for downhill). This was a nice section because you could see who was ahead of you and who was behind you. I felt like I was in a good place if I could keep going strong.<br />
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After mile 4, I heard footsteps coming up on me and I was passed again! This time by a guy. Doh! But after that, no one did. We had one a big climb, then a good downhill, then a smallish climb and then it was slightly rolling to the end. I feel like I finished strong. There was a woman up ahead of me that I tried to catch but never did. Then I finished! And got my pretty sparkly medal:<br />
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I cooled down and talked to one of my Fleet Feet friends for a bit and then saw them put up the results. So I ran over to check them out. Having seen who was in front of me, I thought there was a good chance I would place in my age group...and I did! Woo! Surprise, I was 1st in my age group! Woo hoo!<br />
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This is my Age Group medal and the results below. </div>
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Not too bad considering I ran this on tired legs! I know that there are a lot of first timers and a lot of women doing it for fun but I'm still happy with this. Woo!<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-76892353060642139962015-09-11T12:55:00.001-07:002015-09-11T12:55:36.976-07:00Dumbo Double Dare 2015 Recap Part 2So... in yesterday's <a href="http://runlikeacoyote.blogspot.com/2015/09/dumbo-double-dare-2015-recap-part-1.html">Part 1</a> post, I left off that I'd gone to sleep at 11:15 and had a 3:30 alarm set for Sunday's race. What I didn't tell you was that not only was I only going to get about 4 hours of sleep after spending all day on my feet at California Adventure, but I didn't eat dinner on Saturday night! D'oh!<br />
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Yeah, I know. It's just that time got away from us and by the time I realized I should eat, I felt like it was too late and didn't want it to come back to haunt me during the run. I grabbed a chocolate milk and some chips on the way to the hotel and that was my dinner. LOL. I do not recommend this!<br />
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But my alarm went off and I got up and got ready to leave. I forgot to mention that I also hadn't planned for breakfast so had nothing but a banana before the race. Seriously, I do not recommend this! But I was as ready as I could be!<br />
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I love that my hair is finally long enough to wear pony tails! I was able to make Minnie ears with them and just add the bow and I think it came out pretty well. I loved both outfits I wore this weekend but the Minnie one is definitely my favorite!<br />
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I walked over to Disneyland from the hotel (it was about a 20 min walk) and used the restroom in Downtown Disney before heading to the corrals. That's one very nice thing about races here - you don't have to use port-a-potties! I was in Corral A again so made my way over there and got in to wait.<br />
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Time flew by and before you know it, they were counting us down and the fireworks went off and we were off! I started out really well. Right on target and I was on target for the first 3 miles. And then I ran out of steam. Sigh. I tried to fight for it but kept getting slower and slower. So I just ran the rest of the race at a comfortable pace and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the race.<br />
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I didn't take any pics this time and I wish I had because it's so fun! The character stops while we were inside the parks were Heroes Vs Villains. Once we left the parks, there were ballet folklorico dancer, Hawaiian dancers, bands, cheerleaders, and lots of enthusiastic spectators. We run through the streets of Anaheim out to the Pond where the Ducks play and then over to Angel Stadium. I LOVE running through Angel Stadium! It's so fun! They fill it with boy scout and girl scout troops and you just feel like a rockstar going through there.<br />
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Once we leave there, it's just 4 miles back to Disneyland. I mostly tried not to lose any time through here though my right calf tried to cramp on me twice so I walked a little bit. Other than that, the time flew by and before you know it, I was done! I got my half marathon medal and then my Dumbo Double Dare Medal!<br />
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Here's better views of the medals:<br />
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The half medal is a spinner and not only celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Half Marathon but Disneyland's 60th Anniversary too. I love it!<br />
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And I think the Dumbo medal is very sweet!<br />
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Sadly, there was no time to linger after the race. I headed back to the hotel, showered and changed, we got a little something to eat and then headed back to the park for another fun filled day at Disneyland!<br />
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I was one tired runner girl at the end of the day! I was a little disappointed in my time and that I didn't get to stop and take pictures during the half but I had a blast so it is all good! I love runDisney races! I love that my family got to come spend the weekend with me there! Max hadn't been since he was 3 and this was the first time he got to ride all the good rides and the first time he went to California Adventure. After every ride, he would say "We have to do this again!". LOL!<br />
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You know what? That's exactly what I say after runDisney races!<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-68094225623687506092015-09-10T07:55:00.000-07:002015-09-10T07:55:51.993-07:00Dumbo Double Dare 2015 Recap Part 1This past weekend, I ran the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland. I'd run the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2012 but had not done the Dumbo yet. I figured this would be a great year to do it since it was the 10th Anniversary of the Disneyland Half and also the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland. I had 4 jam packed days of fun! Maybe too much fun!<br />
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I took Thursday and Friday off so it was going to be a 5 day weekend for me. I planned to spend the whole day at the parks on Thursday and wanted Friday to rest a little. I was at the expo first thing and picked up my bib and shirts and do a tiny bit of shopping. Well, I may have done a little more shopping than I wanted but I also got some great stuff!<br />
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Here are the race shirts for the weekend:<br />
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And we also got the luggage tag below. I bought the 10th Anniversary pin for my pin collection and the 10th Anniversary bag was the gift for the 10th Anniversary party. Then I scored these 2 sweet pieces of jewelry from Endure Jewelry. I saw they were in the parks doing give-aways on Wednesday and they still had some for Thursday if you mentioned "Kevin" at their booth. I did and won the 19.3 necklace. Woo! I also treated myself to the bracelet and a couple of beads.<br />
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After the expo, I spent the day in both California Adventure and Disneyland, doing a little eating and hanging out with friends.<br />
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I love Disney corn dogs!<br />
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After the park closed at 9, they had a special 10th Anniversary party for the runners. We were on the west side of the park and there were rides and special characters out. I'm wearing the Chesire Cat hoodie I bought at the expo.<br />
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There was also a special viewing of the Paint The Night parade. It was a lot of fun but a LONG day. I didn't get home til 1 am! Friday was a rest day but I did manage to have lunch with RIF #1 Joshua and visit with his family a little.<br />
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Carb loading and running talk! When I got home, I started getting packing for the weekend and getting everything ready. I had a hotel room for Saturday and Sunday so had to pack for the rest of the weekend.Then it was time to sleep because I had to get up at 2:45 for Saturday's race!<br />
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I didn't sleep very well that night. I never do before a Disney race because I'm so worried about sleeping through my alarm. But I woke up on time, got dressed and headed down to Disneyland. I made it there by 4:15 and finished getting ready.<br />
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Ta da! The Mad Hatter! I was ready to have fun!<br />
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The start of runDisney races is always fun and this one was no exception. Especially because the theme for this year's 10K was Villains and they took over the race! It was so fun.<br />
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There were villains all along the course so of course, I stopped to take pics!<br />
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It was such a blast! Before you know it, it was over. Boo! But yeah!<br />
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Check out my cool medal!<br />
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After that, I cheered a little bit and got something to eat. Then I went back to the car to clean up and change. And then it was park time! My family was meeting me at California Adventure for a day of fun! And it was a lot of fun! Probably too much fun!<br />
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I left California Adventure about 9 to go check into the hotel and my family had a little more fun before coming over. I went to sleep about 11:15. I fell asleep right away which was a good thing since I had to set my alarm for 3:30!<br />
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Day 1 of Disney fun was done. I was ready for day 2. Sort of...<br />
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Thanks for reading! Check back tomorrow for Part 2!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-78630214453789266802015-08-21T15:31:00.005-07:002015-08-21T15:31:57.908-07:00Leading Ladies Marathon 2015 RecapOn Sunday, August 16th, I ran my 3rd Leading Ladies race. It was the 2nd time I ran the marathon there. I ran it first in 2012 and then I ran the half marathon last year. It is a small, women's only race that goes through Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota and it is incredibly beautiful. It's usually cool for a summer race and it starts at 6am. That's my kind of race!<br />
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I had trained pretty hard going into this and I felt sure I had a PR in me...and not just a post cancer PR. So I was really excited about this trip. It was going to be a quick trip (when I first booked it, I hadn't planned to take time off of work) so I was flying up on Saturday and then flying home Sunday night. I did leave enough time for me to do a little exploring after the race though. <br />
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong><br />
My flight on Saturday morning was at 6 am. I needed to get one last run in before I left so I was up at 3 to run an easy 5K and then get ready. My flight left on time and all was good. Until I landed in Denver. As I got off the plane, I received a text from United that my next plane was delayed 40 minutes. And then another text came through and it was going to be delayed another 2 hours. Since the airport in SD is an hour away from where the race expo was at and it closed at 5, I was starting to panic. There was no bib pickup on race morning so if I didn’t get it on Saturday, I was out of luck. <br />
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I tried emailing the RD and posted on their FB wall. In the meantime, I got another text that my flight was delayed another 20 minutes. For sure, I wouldn’t make it on time now. I called the host hotel where the expo was and asked them to get a message to the RD. Then YAY! She called me back and said she would leave my bib and chip at the front desk for me. Whew.<br />
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After another delay, we finally took off and we made it to Rapid City. I ran to the rental car desk and got my rental and then headed out for Spearfish. I scored a nice upgrade so that drive was fun at least!
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I made it to the hotel at 5:30 and went to the front desk to ask for my packet…and they didn’t have it! After talking with them for a little bit, they thought the RD must still be cleaning up so they sent me back there and sure enough, that’s where my packet was. So I got my bib, chip, and shirt. I was so relieved! <br />
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After that, I was so tired I just grabbed a sandwich and went to check in at the hotel. I ate, got my stuff ready, and then read for awhile. The alarm was going off very early so I tried to go to sleep early too. I slept okay but 2:45 am came really fast! I got up, ate, and then got ready. I was out the door by 3:45 to make the 4:15 bus at the finish line. <br />
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Made it on the bus and we headed on the twisty drive to the start line. I was excited to go!<br />
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<strong><u>THE MARATHON</u></strong><br />
The race started promptly at 6. There were probably 150 or so women running the marathon. The first couple miles is on a dirt road and the first 3/4 mile is a slight uphill. But then it's down, down, downhill! This is seriously a fun marathon. I was ticking off the miles and enjoying the scenery for the first half. It was green and lush and we were running next to a river through a canyon so it was gorgeous. I stayed focused though and was on target with my pace. I am proud to say that I did not go crazy in the first couple of miles which I have a tendency to do. <br />
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During mile 12, we did a short out and back that again took us onto a dirt road and it was a slight uphill out and then a nice downhill back. On the downhill back, we passed the half mark and I was right on target - 2:02. I felt pretty good and was even calculating what I would need from there to get as close to 4 as possible. I think I was doing okay on the nutrition/fluid too. I was using tailwind and my stomach was feeling fine. <br />
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So yeah, it was all going great. And then in mile 16 & 17 my quads started getting very tight. Very tight. And by mile 18 they were screaming. I definitely should have done more downhill training for this. I started slowing after that and did do some walking to try and loosen the quads up. They never came back and I ended up bonking a little too. Mostly, I was trying to salvage the race. I was trying to remember what my time was the first time I ran it but I couldn't remember. So I just ran.<br />
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I finished in 4:25:25! My 15th marathon was in the books. Woo!<br />
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I was happy with that. I knew for sure I had a post cancer PR but had to wait for the results to see about the other. And guess what? It was a course PR! Only by 28 seconds but who cares! That made this marathon my 3rd fastest marathon. Woo! Here's my medal:<br />
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<strong><u>POST RACE</u></strong><br />
After I cleaned up in the bathroom, I headed out to get something to eat. I stopped at a Perkins and got a big breakfast with the works! It was soo good! <br />
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Then I got in my little red car and drove over to the Badlands to explore and do some sightseeing. I think the exploring helped keep me from getting to sore. And it was gorgeous! What an amazing place. I highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance. <br />
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It's one of the reasons I came back to do this race. I was sad I didn't get to see it the other 2 times so didn't want to miss it this time. <br />
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Then sadly, my short trip to SD was over and I had to fly back home. It was a quick trip but full of some good memories!<br />
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It's just 2 weeks until the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland and I'm super excited about that too! <br />
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It's going to be a blast!<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-80100822274028095982015-06-08T15:16:00.001-07:002015-06-08T15:16:13.271-07:00Fontana Days 5K RecapOn Saturday I ran the Fontana Days 5K. My old PR was 24:59 and I was hoping to beat that on Saturday. The plan was to run about an 8 min mile and pour it on at the end. I thought I could do it. My coach thought I could do it. But would I?<br />
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I had never really trained for the 5K before. I did them for fun and as speedwork while training for halfs and fulls. I knew this was a fast course - straight & downhill + smallish - so I felt like if I was going to PR, it would be there. I ran it last year in 31:11, my 2nd race post cancer but I had done it 25:15 in 2013 prior to finding out I had cancer. I told Justin that my goal was sub 25 and he gave me workouts to help get me there. My post cancer PR was 26:31 set back on 4/4 but it was on dirt and had more up than down. I felt like I had a sub 25 in me so we went for it.<br />
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There was one slight hitch! If you'll remember, I bought myself an Annual Pass to Disneyland & California Adventure for my birthday. I never got to go on my birthday because one of my staff was in India so I decided to go last Thursday. It was the last day for the So Cal pass before the summer block out period and also the only day that week with no grad night. I worried a tiny bit that I would tire myself out but no way was I missing my last chance to see the new parade and fireworks til August! <br />
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Anyway, I had a total blast! I got there at 8:30 in the morning and left at 10:30 that night. I rode a ton of rides, ate some yummy stuff, met a few friends, and saw the spectacular Paint The Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks!<br />
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On Friday, I got up and ran my last workout (easy 5 miler) before the race. I was tired but it was totally worth all the fun! I made sure I took it easy that day and rested. On Saturday, I got up at 4:15 and ate a breakfast burrito then got ready to go. I put on my new Skechers GoRun 4s...<br />
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and headed out. Yes, I know "no new things" on race day but this was only a 5K and they are so light and pretty! Checked in, got my bib & shirt, and waited for the bus to the start. The ride didn't take long and once I got there, I talked with a few runners for while and then did my warm-up (2.1 miles) and had a gel. It was a cool 60ish degrees, overcast, and no wind. Perfect PR conditions! I've said that so many times but this was the first time I felt like I was in a place to take advantage of it. the race started at 7:45. I was nervous but ready. <br />
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The mayor took us through a warm up routine and said a few words and then all of a sudden I realized they were counting down! We were off!<br />
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I'd gotten towards the front and to the side so I wouldn't have to dodge too many people in the beginning. It starts off downhill and we were flying! I looked at my watch and it said I was going sub 7 min and I backed off a little. I had this whole argument going on in my head about whether or not to slow down to 8 min or not. I finally decided I felt I could hold that effort for 3 miles so just went with how I felt. First mile was 7:25. <br />
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Not much to say about the 2nd mile. It didn't feel too painful. There was a water stop in this mile but I skipped it. I was still arguing in my head about pace but the side of me hoping for a huge PR urged me on! Second mile was 7:33.<br />
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Mile 3 was getting harder. I distracted myself with calculations. What will my time be if I continue at this pace. How much room is there between my new goal and my old goal, etc. Lol. I just ran as hard as I could but slowed down a bit. The course is a straight swoop to the finish so I could see the balloons and the finish line a ways back and just focused on that. There was also a girl running in front of me and I was trying to catch her to keep my pace up. Mile 3 was 7:40.<br />
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When we got to the .1 to go, I gave it all I had. I remember hearing someone say nice sprint. And then we were done! I looked at my watch and it said 23:47! PR! I was SO excited! <br />
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I got my medal (we also got the pin in our goody bags):<br />
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And then ran a one mile cool down. After that I looked at my Garmin and saw I had 2 new records! Fastest mile and fastest 5K! Which I pretty much knew because going into this, my fastest mile was 8 min at the Peter Cottontail 5K.<br />
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But...WOO! Then I waited for the results to be posted. And BAM! 2nd in my Age Group! Woo!<br />
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So I went over to the awards tent and picked up my AG medal! Yay!<br />
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I can't tell you how happy I am with this race! I ran this one smart and hard and beat my goal by a minute. I think I could have maybe...maybe run it a little harder because I didn't have to puke at the end. I remember when I ran that 25:15 and also the 24:59 at the Freedom 5000 that I felt sick after and had to sit down. But not on Saturday. And I ran 15 miles on Sunday and it wasn't too bad. My legs were a tiny bit sore but I didn't really feel tired. So maybe I could have gone a little faster? I don't know. Hmmm...<br />
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My next 5K will be the Freedom 5000 again on the 4th of July. I wonder what will happen there? :)<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-17563293153425478032015-05-18T15:30:00.002-07:002015-05-18T15:30:54.334-07:00Pixie Dust Challenge Weekend - Part 3: Tink Half MarathonAnd now it's time for my final blog about all the fun I had at the Pixie Dust Challenge. Who's tired of all the pics? Sorry, there's going to be a few more! <br />
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I wasn't planning on racing the Tink Half either. Mostly. I did briefly think about trying for sub 2 again since I JUST missed it at the OC Half the week before. I even talked to my coach Justin about it. But he talked some sense into me. So I wasn't too worried about race prep but I did want to eat before so I would have energy and have fun. This time, since I was home, I had to get up at 2:30. <br />
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2:30 am is very early but I got up, ate, and got ready to be out the door by 3:30. I had all my costume packed in a bag hanging on the doorknob so I wouldn't forget it. I'd forgotten my wings for the LA Rock & Roll Half and didn't want that to happen again. I made it down to Disneyland just after 4 and then put my costume on. There is a lot of pinning of tutus and wings so they don't bounce too much or fall off. Who'd have thought I'd have a problem keeping a tutu on my hips? Ha!<br />
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After I was ready, I went down to use the rest room and there was already a long line. By the time that was done and I'd dropped off my drop bag it was getting close. So I ran to the corrals to get in corral A (they have a cut off time plus I wanted to see all the fun starting ceremony again).<br />
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I made it into the corral and found myself right by the 2 hour pacer. So even though I wasn't supposed to be going for 2 hours, I decided to stay close to her in the corral. Then the festivities started:<br />
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And we were off and running! I actually did stick with the 2 hour pacer for the first few miles but once I saw Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, I let 2 Hours go like it was a hot potato!<br />
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<br />I'd missed them during the 10K and no way was I missing them again! Tink wasn't on the course on Saturday, just at the finish, so I also made sure to get a pic with her since that was who I dressed as for Sunday. My tank says "I'm With The Fairies":<br />
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And then I auditioned to be a Storm Trooper:<br />
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And then saw these quacky characters:<br />
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I didn't stop as many times on Sunday since I'd already had my pic taken with all the other fairies. So my splits were actually faster on Sunday then Saturday with my trying to beat others to the photo stops. I did have to wait a bit more on Sunday but still not to bad. 2 or 3 people at the most. I love being in corral A! Being speedy pays off! But once we left the parks, I just ran easy. Still, I was happy when I got to the finish, especially since I got to high five Mickey!<br />
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Look! A finish pic where I don't look like I'm dying! LOL! <br />
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Then I got my medal for the half and then the medal for Pixie Dust Challenge. I had put my medal from the 10K in my drop bag so I would have all 3:<br />
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That's a lot of bling! And heavy! Here are the close-ups of the half and challenge medals:<br />
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Love the spinner Tink Half medal! And the challenge medal is pretty cool too. <br />
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One of the great things about the day was that my mom came to cheer me on. I think she loves runDisney races almost as much as I do because of the costumes. <br />
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My mom and I watched the award ceremony and listened to the band for a while but then we left to go meet my grandpa for brunch. <br />
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So that's the end of my weekend of fun. It was really a lot of fun and I really had fun dressing up. Running with wings for 13 miles wasn't annoying at all. I think the trick I learned about pinning them to the shoulders of my tank really helped. I get to do it all again for the Disneyland 10th Anniversary in September! I'm doing the Dumbo Double Dare! Woo!<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-19891028002156119972015-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:002015-05-18T12:48:03.824-07:00Pixie Dust Challenge Weekend - Part 2: Tink 10KIn my last post, I blogged about the all the fun I had at the expo, California Adventure, and Disneyland. Today's post is all about the Tink 10K. <br />
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The Tink 10K is the first race in the Pixie Dust Challenge and it is run through both parks. I had gotten a hotel room for Friday night so I could stay late at the parks and not have to get up so early for the Tink 10K. Since the race was "only" a 10K and I wasn't planning to race it, I didn't plan to eat before it. My hotel was less than 5 minutes from the start so I was able to sleep in until 4:15. <br />
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I woke up and got ready and then looked in the mirror. <br />
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And saw A LOT of pink! Which was appropriate, I guess, since I was running as Rosetta for the Tink 10K. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE <a href="http://rawthreads.com/">Raw Threads</a> gear? So cute and so perfect for Disney races!<br />
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Anyway, after I got ready, I headed over to the race start. Yay for being in corral A! It meant I was right up at the start line and got to see all of the start festivities.<br />
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runDisney races are very well organized so we started right on time (5:30 am). I started out fast so I could get inside the parks as quickly as possible. Being in corral A meant the course wasn't too crowded and when I got to the photo opportunities, I didn't have to wait in any lines which totally rocked! All the runDisney races I've done before had long lines by the time I got to the characters so never stopped to take pics, mostly because I was trying to hit a certain time. This time, my only goal was to take pics and have fun. And boy did I!<br />
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With Alice and the Mad Hatter (my fave pic of the day):<br />
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With Rosetta, my twin:<br />
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We totally, look the same, right? ;) Close enough. Here I am with Vidia and Silvermist:<br />
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And with Iridessa and at the Castle and California Screamin':<br />
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I also stopped and took a few pics of parks. Like It's A Small World:<br />
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And Cars Land:<br />
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But I did actually do a little running. And despite stopping 9 times to take pics, I managed to finish in 1:01:29 and got my medal:<br />
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It's has 5 of the Pixie Hollow fairies on it. (5 fairies, 10 wings for the 10K).<br />
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Pretty cool, huh?<br />
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So the first part of the Pixie Dust Challenge was done. After the Tink 10K, I stopped for breakfast...in my costume. But I wasn't the only one in there in costume and the restaurant people didn't bat an eye so they must be used to it! Then I went back to the hotel and showered and then headed home. I had to get ready for the Tink Half! <br />
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Thanks for reading part 2. Check back soon for part 3! Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-78270558749644429282015-05-15T13:00:00.003-07:002015-05-15T13:00:34.834-07:00Pixie Dust Challenge Weekend - Part 1: 46 going on 6!Last weekend, I did the Pixie Dust Challenge at Disneyland. I ran the 10K on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday. But first, I had a little fun...<br />
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May is my birthday month (May 19th!) and I decided to buy myself a So Cal pass for Disneyland/California Adventure for my birthday! I took last Friday off to go to the Tink Expo and then spent the rest of the day at the parks.<br />
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The Expo opened at 10 and I got to the parks around 9:30, wandered thru Downtown Disney (bought a hat), and then hit the expo right at 10. I picked up my bib for the Challenge and had my picture taken (so they can verify it was you who completed the challenge) and then headed up to the expo. <br />
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I was planning to be a fairy for both races and had the tutus and the capris I was going to wear. I had also brought tops but knew that the Raw Threads booth was there and hoped to pick up some new tanks. I found some cute tanks, some sparkly arm sleeves, and a Pixie Dust Challenge magnet. <br />
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(You'll have to wait for the next posts to see the others!) Then I got my pic taken with my wings (and my new hat):<br />
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And then I headed out. That may have been the shortest time I've ever spent in an expo but I wanted to get to the fun at the parks!<br />
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I went to California Adventure first because I have never been there. Well, I've run through it at the Disneyland, Avengers, and Star Wars Halfs but I have never actually been there to ride/see stuff. It was a lot of fun! I LOVED California Screamin' (rode it twice!) and the Tower of Terror! SO. MUCH. FUN! Thank goodness I survived cancer to get to ride them!<br />
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I also met a couple cool people while I was there.<br />
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And had a (huge!) corn dog for lunch:<br />
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I'd seen Corn Dog Castle every time I ran thru California Adventure and was totally craving one! I had it just before I went on California Screamin' for the second time. Luckily, there were no mishaps. ;) I wandered around a bit more and saw some shows and then left at 4 to check into my hotel.<br />
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Next up was Disneyland! Hi Walt! Hi Mickey!<br />
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I've been to Disneyland many, many times so decided to do some shopping and eat dinner and then watch the parade:<br />
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We don't often see the parade because we'd rather be riding rides but I was in a parade kind of mood. It was a fun parade. However, I HAD to ride my favorite ride - Space Mountain! The wait was about an hour but totally worth it. <br />
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After Space Mountain, I ran back to California Adventure to watch World of Color (very cool!) and then headed to the hotel. I had a race to get ready for in the morning!<br />
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So day one of my Pixie Dust Challenge was over and it was a lot of fun. I think if you go to the parks expecting the lines and the people and just relax and have fun, it's not bad at all. I love Disneyland! I always have fun there and I'm excited that I'll get to go back many times in the next year to celebrate the 60th Anniversary! Woo!<br />
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I hope you'll check back for parts 2 and 3! Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-77083558064305369172015-05-11T13:03:00.001-07:002015-05-11T13:04:20.648-07:00OC Half Marathon Race RecapI ran the OC Half Marathon on May 4, 2015. I'm a little late with the recap but I wanted to do one because this was a good race for me. <br />
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Going in, my goal was sub 2 hours. I had run 2:06:28 at Surf City and I hadn't tapered for that. With the training I'd done and the good temps predicted, I felt like I could do it.<br />
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PRE-RACE<br />
I drove down to the expo on Saturday and picked up my bib and shirt. I had a bit of a panic attach because I couldn't find my confirmation email for registration and then I couldn't find my name in the bib list! I remembered that I had signed up for it at the Surf City Half and filled out a paper form. Well, they had entered my name wrong - Lisa Gonazales! Doh! So I picked up the bib for Lisa Gonazales and then went to Solutions and they fixed my name in the database. Whew. <br />
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I was staying in one of the host hotels so drove over there and checked in. The room wasn't quite ready so I went and got a sandwich for dinner and some goodies and then went back to the room. The room was really nice and they had a goodie bag of snacks and water waiting for me. 2 actually, because my friend Sue was supposed to be staying with me but she had to miss out because of an injury. :(<br />
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I slept pretty well that night and woke up at 3:30. I ate and then got ready and headed down to the lobby to wait for the shuttle to the start. It was supposed to pick us up at 5:05 so I made sure to get down there by 4:50 so I wouldn't miss it. But 5:05 came and went and no shuttle. :( Then 5:15 came and went and they told us the bus was missing and they couldn't get a hold of the driver! Aaahhh! Finally, one of the shuttle people pulled up in an SUV and took 6 of us to the start. I felt bad for those left behind but I made sure I got in. He couldn't drop us off in the shuttle zone though so we had to walk a little extra.<br />
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With the wait and the traffic to the start line, we got there too late for me to use the port-a-potties. And I really needed to go! There was also no time for a warm up as the corrals were filling up. I actually didn't know what corral I was supposed to be in but they didn't have any security on them so I looked for the 2 hour pacer and got in that corral. My intent was to hang with the 2 hour pacers until mile 10 and then see if I could pick it up.<br />
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Finally, it was go time. And I was ready!<br />
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THE RACE<br />
1...2...3...Go! We were off.<br />
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The start was a little crowded but I was able to keep the pacers in my sights. After a while, it felt like we had more breathing room and I settled in with them. The first mile was 9:04 so right in the range I was looking for. I had decided to use the pace group because one of my biggest problems is that I go out too fast and I was hoping they would keep me in line. It definitely worked for the first mile. But then I felt like they were going to fast. The splits for miles 2 & 3 were 8:44 & 8:50. I knew they wanted a little cushion but I also didn't want to blow up. I decided to back off after mile 3 and let them go. I also slowed it down to the 9:05 range for the next 3 miles. I don't know if that was the right decision or not, but I felt like it was best for me.<br />
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I had a gel at 4.5 miles and stayed on top of my hydration. I was feeling pretty good. We had a hill in mile 7 and the course narrowed at the top of the hill. I slowed a lot on the hill and then couldn't seem to get back on pace so the next 3-4 miles were slower than I'd hoped. I almost gave up on 2 hours at that point and just cruising in at a 9:30/9:45 pace but gave myself a kick in the butt! Just try!<br />
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I did pretty good for the last 3. There was one last hill in mile 11-12 and then after that it was flat to the finish so I ran as hard as I could. The last mile was a balancing act of running hard but also fighting off calf cramps. Then finally there was the finish line and I was done!<br />
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2:00:14!<br />
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Woo!<br />
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I'll admit I was a tiny bit disappointed that I missed sub 2 by 15 seconds but I was pretty proud to hit that time and know that I gave it everything I had. I got my medal...<br />
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and immediately looked for a place to sit down because both calves started cramping! And the right leg...the front & back of the calf AND my foot were cramping. Yeah, that's not fun at all! But I sat there and ate pretzels and drank water and was finally able to get up and walk around.<br />
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The pic on the right of me coming in to the finish cracks me up but also reminds me that I ran as hard as I could.<br />
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I feel like I ran this race smart. I'm sure there are a couple of things I could have done better but my garmin finished at 13.19 so I did pretty good on the tangents. Food/drink was right on target. Maybe I just need more hill work so my legs can recover quicker after a hill? I don't know. But now I am itching to go sub 2! Here's the official splits:<br />
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Definitely from 6.2 to mile 10 could have used some improvement but I am proud of that last 5K. :) <br />
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Oh yeah, and I celebrated after with a cheeseburger. Yum!<br />
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I'm not sure when I'll have another opportunity to try for sub 2. My next scheduled half is the Disneyland Half Marathon in September. I'm not sure that's the place/race to do it. We'll see. I may have to sign up for another one between now and then!<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-71084596332302770372015-03-10T13:59:00.001-07:002015-03-10T13:59:35.925-07:00Snoopy Coaster Run 10K RecapOn Sunday, I ran one of my favorite races – The Snoopy Coaster Run 10K at Knotts Berry Farm. I love this race because I LOVE Snoopy and the medal, shirts, and bib have Snoopy on them! Woo!<br />
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The last time I ran this race was in 2013 and I wasn’t in speedy shape. It was in that period where I was so tired and thought I was overtrained but later found out it was because of ovarian cancer. I wanted this race to be…not a revenge race because I’m not giving cancer that power over me…but a redemption race. I have done 11 10Ks now but had only raced them twice before. I mean really, really raced. I felt good and strong going into this and was hoping to lower my PR I’d set at the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run 10K back in December. This course was flat but curvy and with a few u-turns in it but I felt like I could run well here.<br />
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As you can see, we get to run through the park for the first part but then take to the streets for the second. Which works well for me because I can focus more in the second half!<br />
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The race was supposed to start at 8 but we received an email a few days before saying it was moved to 7. Woo! Perfect! We also received our bib numbers and corral assignments. I was bib 612 and I was in corral 1. A perfect PR Storm was brewing.<br />
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Isn't it cute! And it's green, my favorite color! I'm telling you the stars were aligning for a really good race.<br />
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Even though the time had changed, I had no trouble getting up at 4 on Sunday. I ate breakfast, got ready, and then drove down to Knotts Berry Farm. I got there just before 6 and got my bib and chip and went back to the car to get ready. I wanted to do a warm-up so I ran for 2 miles around the parking lot. I also had a gel 15 minutes before the start. Then I got into my corral to wait. <br />
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Before you know it, it was 7 and they were doing the pre-race activities and then it was go time! One of the cowboys from Knotts started us off with his shotgun! We were off! I think I ran pretty smart from the beginning. I tried not to look at my Garmin but did glance at it when we hit the 2 mile marker. I saw that it said sub 16 min on my watch and was like "Uh, oh". Maybe I shouldn't have looked at all because not soon after that, I started getting a stitch in my right side so I backed off a little to try and work it out. This mile was my slowest, just under 9 minutes. I think maybe I psyched myself out a little. <br />
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Once we hit 3 miles though, I picked it up again. I settled into the pace I'd planned to run and tried to keep 2 guys running at similar pace in my sights. Those miles were pretty uneventful. We passed the 4 mile marker and then the 5. Just as I passed the 5 mile marker, I reset the lap on my Garmin so I would know how much exactly was left. I looked at the time that had elapsed and started calculating my finish time in my head. I was surprised to figure out that I might make it around 52 minutes. I was hoping for under 52. I did not have the extra gear I'd hoped for at the end though. And I didn't take into account my garmin being off because I hit 6 miles, and then .21 miles under 52 but I still wasn't done! <br />
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But then there was the last turn to the finish! I saw the clock and knew I had finished just after 52 and was pretty excited. I just needed to see the results to see what my official time would be.<br />
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I got my super cute medal:<br />
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And then my boysenberry pie! Which is so yummy and perfect for a post-race snack (along with the chocolate milk) while I waited for the results.<br />
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And then the results were posted: 52:09!!! <br />
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Woo!!! My old PR was 54:54 so that was a huge PR for me and better than I'd hoped for. I was hoping to be in the 53 min range so I was really excited and happy. Can you tell?<br />
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So, I am very happy with this race. I love that for the 10K, I set a real PR and not just a post-cancer PR. It’s the only race distance I can say that about. For now. :) I hope there will be more to come! <br />
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Of course, in thinking about the race, I’m sure there is something I could have done better. <br />
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<li>I probably did go too fast in the first 2 miles and that cost me later. </li>
<li>I think that I went slower than I needed to once I started using my Garmin to keep me on pace. I WAS running hard but I finished thinking I had more in me. </li>
<li>I think that I just don’t know what it should feel/hurt like for a 10K so the more I race them, the better I will get at gauging how hard to race it. </li>
<li>If only I had found 10 seconds somewhere! Just kidding...mostly. ;)</li>
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All in all, I think this was a fantastic race for me. I set a PR and learned some things about racing a 10K that I can use next time. <br />
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Thanks reading!
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-39027447687428133352015-02-24T15:35:00.003-08:002015-02-24T15:35:49.284-08:00Cummins Falls Half Marathon RecapOn Saturday, I ran the Cummins Falls Half Marathon in Cookeville, Tennessee. It was my 33rd Half Marathon and one of the most beautiful… and cold races I’ve done!
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I hadn’t really planned to run this race but my friend, Dallas Smith (RIF #79) is on the committee and he encouraged me to run it. I hadn’t seen Dallas in a while and knew I would get to see many other TN peeps so I decided to do it even though it would put a kink in my LA Marathon training plans.
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I’m really glad I did it because it was one of the craziest, most fun adventures I’ve had. And I feel pretty proud of myself for running it too.
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong>
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I flew to Nashville on Friday morning. I was worried that the storm heading for the area would delay or cancel flights but both of my flights were on time and I had no problems. Once we landed, I went outside to wait for my friend Leanne (RIF #45)who was picking me up…and promptly froze my butt off! It was 26 degrees. And snowing. Snowing! I was thankful that Leanne was picking me up because I would have been really nervous about driving.
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Leanne picked me up and we drove over to packet pick up and got our bibs, goodie bags, and shirts. Dallas was there so I got to say Hi and meet a few other people. We then headed over to Leanne’s to hang out til dinner. We met Dallas and the others at Mama Rosas at 6. I got to meet a few other RIFers there including Dallas’s daughter Jill (RIF #356) and Charlie Taylor (RIF #353). <br />
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Dinner was fun and filled me up and we headed back to Leanne’s to relax and get ready for the race.
And by get ready for the race I mean not freak out!
Holy moly! The weather was insane. The forecast talked about freezing rain and ice and this So Cal girl was really, really nervous. I had never run on ice before and I wasn’t sure I could do it for 13.1 miles. I’d brought some Goathead Gear screws to put in my shoes and I put some in my shoes and Leanne’s while we watched tv. Then we saw a post on the Cummins Falls race page about the bridge…
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cummins Falls Marathon</td></tr>
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And I thought, oh crap, I’m going to fall in! It would be just my luck! (The bridge was washed out in a flood a few years back so they put up this temporary bridge so we could run a loop course.) <br />
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Because of the weather, they also posted that the race would be delayed an hour so it would start at 9 instead of 8. I was thankful because it meant I could sleep in extra and get up at 6 (4 my time) instead of 5. I set my alarm and went to sleep and actually slept pretty well. Too well! Because I slept til 6:30! Thank goodness Leanne knocked on the door to wake me up because I’d set my alarm for Sunday, not Saturday. Oops! I ate breakfast and got ready and then Leanne and I walked over to her dad’s so he could take us in his big truck. We were both thankful that we didn’t have to worry about driving and sliding on ice or getting stuck.
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We made it to the race site in plenty of time and headed over to the heated tent. We met a few more RIFers in there Leslie (RIF #417), Kerri (RIF #407), and Susan (RIF #368). And then we also found RIFers that I already knew Dallas, Charlie, Heather (RIF #44), Donna (RIF #310) and Whitney (RIF #37). Sadly, some of my RIF peeps did not make it because the weather was crazy and the roads were a mess. Boo!
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They ended up delaying the race until 10 but I was okay with that because of the warm tent. They also offered us fruit and Clif Bloks while we waited. And did I mention there were heaters? But alas, it was finally time to start. The RD led us out to the start line and it was go time!
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<strong><u>THE RACE</u></strong>
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My strategy for the race was “don’t die, don’t break anything”. I had originally hoped to finally hit 2:05 here but when I saw it was hilly and going to be icy/snowy, I decided to just have fun and enjoy the run. So I was nervous at the start but not too much. I wanted to get going so I could see if I could actually do it.
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They counted us down and one of the rangers in a Revolutionary War costume fired off a musket to signal the start of the race. We were off!
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It actually wasn’t too bad to run. You could feel your feet slipping slightly almost like running on sand. I took it really easy in the beginning, especially on the downhills so I wouldn’t slip. It was really pretty so I stopped to take a few photos in the first few miles. I tried to take some while running but those did not come out. I really need to practice that!
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Just after mile 4, we got to the bridge. I was with a big group of people and I let most of them go first so there would be less movement on the bridge. They had a rope up so it was actually pretty easy to cross and felt stable. After the bridge, we had a big hill to climb. I tried running the hill but it was so tiring. It was a not traveled road so there weren't any tire grooves to run in and you slid a little or sank a little depending on what footing you chose. I mostly chose the snowy part so felt like I was working twice as hard to get up the hill. After that hill, I was thinking that if there were more hills like this, I would be lucky to make it under 3 hours!<br />
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Luckily, that was the hardest/biggest hill and at the top we were back on main roads. The roads were a little better on the main stretch and I was able to stretch my legs out. I even had a 9 min mile in there. I didn’t too bad on the hills either. I knew there were some at the end and thought they would be worse than the mile 5 hill but they were more rolling and I only had to walk one tiny part of a hill that was steep and icey. I got a brief bit of encouragement at this point when I looked up and saw a Run It Fast shirt coming towards me. I thought it was a hallucination but then realized it was David Pharr (RIF #185) who’d missed the start of the race because of road closures and was running back along the course too encourage runners. Thank you David!
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It had rained pretty much the entire time and there were times when it stung a little so not sure if was turning to sleet. The worst part was that the tire grooves we were running in filled with water so you were up to your ankles in freezing water. I kept trying to decide which was the lesser of the two evils - frozen feet or slower times from running on snow. I mostly picked frozen feet. <br />
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I definitely feel like I ran the first half of the race too cautiously. I think by the time I got to the top of the mile 5 hill, I had more confidence and that helped and it only got better after that. I hadn’t seen anyone behind me while going up that hill and thought I might be last. I decided to start fishing for runners to get me to be more aggressive. From mile 6 to the end, I passed 11 runners. Once I passed one runner, I’d set my sights on the next and try to reel them in. I thought I might not catch that last runner I could see but passed him with one mile to go.
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I was so excited to be almost done. My feet and fingers were numb and I was hungry! LOL. Anyway, the only time I really slipped was in the last mile because I wasn’t paying attention in my excitement. Thankfully, I didn’t fall and was able to catch myself. Then I turned into the park and could hear the announcer and the music and ran as hard as I could over the ice to finish.
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I’d done it! 2:40 but I’d done it! Woo!
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<strong><u>POST-RACE</u></strong>
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Leanne & Whitney (thank you Whitney for the finish photos!) were there cheering me at the finish, bless their souls. After I caught my breath, we walked over to the tent and I got my medal and then went back to the truck to get my clothes and change. Ha! Trying to change out of wet clothes with numb fingers is HARD! LOL. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it. I was giving myself more encouragement in that bathroom than I had on the course. There was another runner in the stall next to me going through the same thing and we were laughing. But finally, I got changed into dry, warm clothes and headed back to the tent.
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And surprise! When I got back, Leanne and Whitney met me and they told me I was 1st in my age group and they had my age group medal! I was like “For real?” Woo!
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Isn’t it pretty? :)
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I basked in the glow of this...while basking in the glow of a heat lamp! And Leanne was kind enough to get me a bowl of chili. It's funny the things you think about when you are running and during this race I was dreaming of a big bowl of soup. Usually, it's burritos or pancakes. THAT'S how cold I was! The chili was great but it was cold and we left soon after. <br />
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When we got back to Leanne's, she made us hot chocolate (another thing I'd been thinking about on the course and actually wondering if any of the aid stations had it) and tried to thaw out. Then later that evening, we went out to dinner with her husband for some good Southern food (bb1 pork, beans, and hush puppies!) and then ice cream! It is NEVER too cold for ice cream!<br />
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The next day, I was lucky again that both my flights got out and relatively on time. My quick adventure to TN was over but wow, was it packed with some fun memories.<br />
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<strong><u>FINAL THOUGHTS</u></strong><br />
So...I was 1st in my Age Group (there were 3 of us), 4th out of 14 women, and 16th out of 34 brave runners who battled and won the Icepocalypse Cummins Falls Half Marathon! I am so glad I got it together the last half and got over my fear of falling.<br />
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I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to the organizers, volunteers, and rangers who were totally AWESOME during this. I give them very high marks for being out there in the rain and cold for us. I was not worried at all while on the course because there were so many volunteers & rangers out. Despite the conditions, everyone was really cheery and I had a lot of fun. There was one moment at the 10K turn around where I thought about calling it and dropping to the 10K, mostly because I was nervous. I am SO glad I didn't. <br />
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This was truly epic. <br />
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Thank you so much to Leanne for hosting me and driving me around! I probably would have stayed at the airport if not for her. I also want to thank Dallas for providing me with one heck of a story to tell my friends. :) <br />
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And thank YOU for reading! I know it was long. Sorry about that. :)Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-23832128205197609272015-02-06T15:22:00.001-08:002015-02-06T15:22:31.878-08:00Surf City Half Marathon RecapI ran Surf City Half Marathon, my 32nd half marathon, last Sunday. <br />
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It was the second time I'd run this race and this time went WAY better than the last time.<br />
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I wasn't planning to run it. I didn't sign up for it until last Tuesday. I had to get the okay from my coach since it wasn't on the schedule. He said okay. I had 16 miles planned for Sunday so the plan was to warm up for 2 miles, run the half, and then run a 1 mile cool down. We (my coach and I) knew that I might not run it as fast as Star Wars Half because I hadn't tapered but it would be fun to see how it went. I feel like I have gained a lot of confidence in just the 2 short weeks since I ran Star Wars and I was secretly hoping to beat that time. <br />
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong><br />
On Saturday morning, I ran 5 miles per my scheduled. Justin had had a hard workout on the schedule but switched it to a 5 mile with the middle mile being a 30 sec hard/90 sec easy mile. It went well and I felt good. <br />
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That capped off a 53 mile week for me including one day of run commuting (12 miles round trip) and 201 miles for the month of January! It was so awesome to see the 200 number again. Finally. <br />
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After the run, I drove down to the expo. I didn't spend a lot of time there. Just picked up my bib and shirt. And signed up for the OC Half while I was there. I also visited with Sue a Run It Faster for a little bit. I also bought another pair of Hokas. Oops. Oh well. You can't take it with you so might as well buy fun stuff. :)<br />
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I had a good dinner that night and then slept really well. I did have a goal for the race but I was not really nervous because I knew that really whatever I did would be fine...as long as I beat last year's time (2:39), that is.<br />
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I woke up at 4:30, ate, got ready and drove down to the race. I decided to park at one of the satellite parking lots and then take a shuttle to the race. I had hoped to see the start of the marathon but I had to wait for the next shuttle so I was too late. I had plenty of time to do a 2 mile warm up though. Which I did along the beach and it was a beautiful morning. <br />
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I had a gel and then got into what I hoped was the right corral (I signed up late so didn't get assigned a corral based on time). So...yeah, I was secretly hoping to run a sub 2:05 on Sunday. :) I felt pretty confident I could do it. I looked for the 2:05 pacer but didn't see any pacer signs in my corral. Darn. I was on my own.<br />
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<strong><u>THE RACE</u></strong><br />
The half marathon started at 7:45 with waves going every couple of minutes. I managed to start my watch on time so I was able to watch my pace pretty closely. I knew I needed a 9:33 pace and pretty much kept that up throughout. The first mile was slightly faster than it should have been but not too much. The course is mostly out and back along Pacific Coast Highway with a detour for a couple of miles taking us inland. PCH is really flat with tiny rollers but the inland portion has a nice little hill to give you a break from the flat. I kept my pace even through there and did really well.<br />
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I had planned to take 2 gels during the race. I'm not sure if I really needed 2 but wanted to practice for the LA Marathon where I plan to take gels every 4.5 miles. So at 4.5 miles I had a gel and that went well. I had my next gel at mile 9 and that went down pretty well too. I was a little worried because it was sunny and warm and I was dripping sweat by mile 5 but I seemed to be doing okay. I have not tolerated direct sun very well since cancer. I seem to get hot right away and sweat a ton. It's so gross. :( Buy anyway...I didn't feel like I was going past the point of no return so didn't hold back. I think I may have looked a little rough though because somewhere in mile 10, a Race Guard ran by me and gave me a long look. LOL. I tried to smile and look like I wasn't dying. :)<br />
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So, I would say the first 10 miles went according to plan. But I lost steam in the last 3 miles. :( I was running about a 10 min pace and couldn't speed up for the life of me. On the plus side, I wasn't slowing down any more than that either and I knew if I kept it up, I could beat my Star Wars time. I sure was happy to see the finish line though! <br />
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2:06:28! I'd shaved a minute off my time from Star Wars! Woo!<br />
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I got my medal (I love the surfboard medals from this race)...<br />
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And then took a moment to not be sick. I think that's when the heat caught up with me and it was close. I found some shade and had some of the peaches they handed out and drank water and felt better. Then I headed out to do my cool down and get back on the shuttle to get back to my car. Half #32 was done!<br />
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<strong><u>POST RACE RAMBLINGS</u></strong><br />
I'm happy with how this race went. With not tapering and signing up at the last minute, I think I did pretty well. I've dropped my half time by almost 30 minutes since the Leading Ladies Half last August. I feel like I ran it smart and pretty even but for sure I was feeling the heat and that caught up with me in the end. If only the race had started earlier! 7:45 is too late! One other good thing is that I think I recovered from it really well too because I am finishing up another 50 mile week this week and didn't have any real soreness afterward except for a little bit of grumpiness with my left ITB. <br />
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So race 1 of 3 in the Beach Cities Challenge is done! Next will be the OC Half in May and then the Long Beach Marathon in October. <br />
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My next race is the Cummins Falls Half in Tennessee in 2 weeks and I plan to try and go sub 2:05 again there. It has a hill...a real hill...so it will be tough but I <strike>hope</strike> think I can do it. First I have to get through this weekend's 20 miler!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-61518020323730447072015-01-29T15:19:00.001-08:002015-01-29T15:19:42.699-08:00What's Scarier? Creepy Clowns or 18 Miles?What's scarier? Creepy Clowns or 18 miles?<br />
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You might be surprised by my answer...18 miles! Well, that was true until this weekend anyway.<br />
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I've done many, many, many 18 milers. I've done 20, 22, & 24 milers. I've done 21 races of marathon distance or longer. Why would I be afraid of an 18 miler? Well, you see, I haven't done one (that wasn't a marathon) in 2 years! I wasn't sure how it would go. Would I be ready. How would I feel after? <br />
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Sure I've done them before but this feels almost like I'm training for my first marathon again. In a way, it's kind of nice. It's like I get to experience the joy/fear of the unknown and what I'm capable of all over again. The Lisa Before Cancer did it. Will the Lisa After Cancer be able to do it too? I can honestly say that I know I WILL do it. That I know. But how well will I do it? That's the question. And a little bit of where the fear comes in.<br />
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Coming back from cancer has been stress free and a lot of fun. I didn't really put any pressure on myself last year and mostly just tried to build a good base. I ran some fun races and ran in costume and traveled a few places. It was a good way to come back.<br />
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But now, I'm really focusing on training so I have a vested interesting on how my runs go. They are the foundation for a good marathon. I know if I feel confident about my training I will do much better while I'm running LA which will then help me run that much better. <br />
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So I was nervous about the 18 miler on Sunday because I wanted it to go really well. I can say that it went pretty well. Actually I think it went very well considering a few things: <br />
<ol>
<li>I ran on Saturday and then did a short hike on Saturday afternoon so my legs weren't exactly rested.</li>
<li>I only slept a couple of hours on Saturday night.</li>
<li>I had a little bit of an upset stomach the last 4 miles.</li>
<li>It was a little smoky and warm (71 degrees when I finished).</li>
</ol>
The great news is that I wasn't very stiff after and I was sleepy but not tired. I feel pretty confident that my training is going in the right direction now thanks, of course, to Justin. Rather, I should say that I feel like I am running up to the level that Justin believes I am at. You know?<br />
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So, the 18 miler wasn't scary. I look pretty happy, right?<br />
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But I sure did get freaked out by this clown at Griffith Park on Saturday! It still gives me the heebie jeebies!<br />
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Yeah, clowns are way scarier than 18 milers! ;)<br />
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In other news, I signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon on Sunday! Woo! It is part of the Beach Cities Challenge. I was in the process of doing it in 2013 when I found out I had cancer and would have to have surgery, I'd run Surf City and the OC Half and only had Long Beach to do but I had surgery 2 weeks before. :( But now I'm going for it this year! I think this time it will be much, much more fun. 2:39 was my time for Surf City in 2013 and 2:29 was my time for the OC Half. I think 2015 will be faster! Cross your fingers!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-91883392151644012592015-01-20T13:05:00.003-08:002015-01-20T13:06:19.602-08:00Star Wars Half Marathon RecapOn Sunday, I ran the Inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Recap. What a blast!<br />
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I love runDisney races. I know they are expensive but I think they are fun and completely worth it. I have run races with terrible support and terrible logistics and race directors that just don't seem to give a damn about the runners in their races. Say what you will about runDisney but they know how to treat runners right.<br />
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I had a goal going into the race. One goal actually. And it made me nervous! Which is a good sign that I'd picked a challenging goal. Now all I had to do was use the force to execute it! Yes, I had to go there. Come on! I HAD to! :)<br />
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong><br />
On Saturday morning, I did a 5K shakeout run then headed down to Downtown Disney and the race expo. I was hoping to get there by 9 to see some of the kids races and I made it just in time. The kids races were a riot. The kids were so cute in their costumes. I loved it.<br />
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Then it was time for the expo. Bib pick up was fast and so was shirt pickup. Then it was time to do some shopping and some having fun. I listened to a couple of speakers (Sean Astin & astronaut Steve Lindsey) and bought some stuff. Took a few pics. A fun time was had by all. Well, by me at least.<br />
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I ate lunch in Downtown Disney at the ESPN zone. Maybe, sort of, because I heard a rumor they had Storm Trooper mugs...and they did! Yes, I am a total geek. Here are some of the things I picked up at the expo & Downtown Disney (clockwise from upper left hand corner: car magnet, I Did It! Wookie shirt, another Raw Threads tank top (OMG the back! I guess it's supposed to be a wolf but I am calling it a coyote!), vinylmation Mickey (a gift from another runner!), postcards from WonderGround, some BeeCause shoe charms, and that Storm Trooper Mug (being inspected by Jenks)<br />
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After I left the expo, I went home to finish my costume. I had decided to run as Chewbacca and last week I decided I wanted to run with ears. But did you know that they DO NOT have Chewbacca ears? How is that not a thing? Hello? So I decided to make some! I think they turned out pretty good.<br />
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I spend the rest of the afternoon finishing Gone Girl (wow, wild!) and resting up. I set my alarm for 2:30 and then went to sleep. Or tried to. I tossed and turned most of the night. I may have been a little more nervous about my goal than I thought! I got up with my alarm, ate breakfast, and got ready. I was out the door by 3:30 and drove down to Disneyland. Parking was a breeze and I paid for the parking of the car behind me (I promised the runner who gave me the Mickey vinylmation that I would pay it forward - done!). <br />
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It was race time! Let's do this!<br />
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<strong><u>THE RACE</u></strong><br />
The thing about Disney races is that it's a complete show. They keep the theme of the race from beginning to end. Pre race had CP30 and R2D2 and Jedi knights. Their were short clips from Star Wars movies playing too. And it was fun to check out the costumes of everyone around me. <br />
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The race started right on time at 5:30 am. First the wheelchairs, then corral A, and finally Corral B, my corral. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1... We were off!<br />
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AND I was so excited I didn't start my Garmin! LOL. Oops! I started it late and settled in. The course was different from the other Disney races I'd run before but we still got to run through the parks, different routes too that went through Tomorrowland and Cars Land. The most beautiful, jaw dropping moment was running into Radiator Springs as the sun rose. The sky was on fire with a spectacular sunrise and it was perfect for Radiator Springs. Seriously cool! I wish I had a go pro so I could share it with you. :( But I was there to race! Speaking of...<br />
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So, since I forgot to start my watch right at the start, I was off on each mile marker at the beginning. It wasn’t until about mile 4, I think, that I started a new lap when I passed that Mile Marker clock and got back on track. I hadn’t looked at the time either when we started so I didn’t know how much time had passed before our corral started. I would see the time on the clock but didn’t have a clue how close that was to my time. Oops! <br />
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My ONLY goal for this race was to finish between 2:05 and 2:10. I had intended to run the first part at 9:55 pace (2:10) and then pick it up the 2nd half. But that didn’t happen. Ha! I have zero discipline at the start! The gun goes off and I take off! I actually did force myself to slow down a little at times in the first 5K and I actually did look around when we were running through Disneyland and California Adventure. And I also checked out the behind the scenes stuff too. I think that kept me from getting too crazy at the start. So I was only a little nuts.<br />
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Once we left the parks and got on to the street, I was more focused and conscious of my time. I know some people think the street parts are boring but I like them with all the bands and the cheerleaders. I get pumped but I’m not distracted. Well, maybe a little by the costumes. There were some very, very cool ones! I was just cruising along and I felt good until 10K when my energy started to lag. I had a gel at about 6.5 miles. With the energy drop and me not being too coordinated when it comes to eating gels, I slowed a little then. I also slowed some when we went by the Star Wars cosplayers group which TOTALLY ROCKED! So much fun and you have to high five them! The 5K between 10K and 15K miles was my slowest but not too bad. <br />
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When we hit 10 miles, I looked at the clock and saw the time and I was pretty sure if I kept my pace below 10 min miles that I would hit 2:10. I think I pretty much left it all out on the course because I didn't have an extra gear at the end liked I'd hoped. I'd wanted to run the last few miles at about 9:20 or faster pace. That didn't happen. But when I saw the 13 mile marker, I gave one last kick and then I was high fiving Minnie and crossing the finish line! Then I got my medal! Woo!<br />
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It's so shiny and pretty! I saw my mom waving at me and said hi then walked through the finisher's chute to the after party to meet up with her. We hung out for a little bit and I found my friend Richard from Instagram (who was Darth Tink!) and watched the awards ceremony for the speedy people. Then I went on-line to find my finish time and surprise! 2:07:31! Woo!!!<br />
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As you can see, I did slow down for each 5K. But I think I did really well. :) I think I could have done better if I'd had 2 gels instead of 1. I'd planned on 2 gels but my pre-race energy bar I was going to eat was as hard as a rock so I had one of my gels instead. It might not have made much difference but I think it would have helped. I think.</div>
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So yeah, I was pretty happy about hitting my target time and being under 2:10. I wasn't sure until I looked it up which felt kind of weird. :) I really need to not be so excited to race! No, scratch that. Hopefully that never happens. Racing is fun! Especially runDisney races!</div>
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So, like I said, runDisney races are expensive but I love them. Here's my top 10 reasons why:</div>
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They are really well organized and pre & post race and especially the race go off very smoothly.</div>
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The aid stations are plentiful and also really well organized. They tell you as you get to them whether water is first, etc. They volunteers were really encouraging and funny too.</div>
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There are a LOT of people running these races but I have never had a problem running the pace I want because they are very good about corral placement AND then making sure people get in the right corral. So I have never had to dodge around slower runners/walkers at runDisney races.</div>
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Hello? Running through the parks! And behind the scenes! This is a nosey, people watchers dream!</div>
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Seeing all the characters along the course is a blast. One of these days, I'll relax and stop and take pics during the run! </div>
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The Disney park employees totally ROCK! They are awesome cheerleaders and I love high fiving them with their Mickey hands!</div>
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The cheer squads and spectators also rock and make it so much fun.</div>
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Running races is a celebration with other runners. You feel like you belong. These are your people. But a Disney race...you get to be your geekiest, nerdiest, craziest self and be completely normal! These are my people!</div>
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You get high fives from Disney characters when you finish!</div>
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And last, but not least...the bling rocks! Cool race shirts and awesome medals! Notice anything familiar in this pic?</div>
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Thanks for reading! My next runDisney race is the Pixie Dust Challenge! I'm already working on my outfits for the 10K and Half! </div>
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-52941219899868034522015-01-09T13:00:00.003-08:002015-01-09T13:00:33.314-08:00A Year In The BalanceSo, we're 9 days into 2015. It's been a pretty good year so far. I mean, what can go wrong in 9 days, right?<br />
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I started off 2015 with a 15 mile run and I think that was a good way to set the tone for the year. <br />
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I am focusing on running in 2015 but still have others goals to achieve throughout the year (like rock climbing and traveling). My coach, Justin, thought it would be fun to end 2014 with 14 miles on Wednesday and then start 2015 with 15 miles on Thursday. I was a little nervous about it but it went really well. I'd split Wednesday's run into 2 runs and ran to/from work. I hadn't done that in a while and it was good to get back to run commuting. Of driving, riding, and running to work...running to work is the least stressful and most fun. Especially if it's raining.</div>
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So with those 2 runs plus the 14er I did on Sunday and the other runs for the week, I finished/started the year with a 60 mile week! I remember back this summer when I was running 20 miles per week and so tired and thinking how am I ever going to run 50-60 miles per week without being exhausted? But I felt pretty good at the end of the week! Yay for progress! I feel like I am ready to up the mileage and put in the hard work as I get ready for the LA Marathon in March.<br />
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Which leads me to my goal for 2015 - PR the 5K, 10K, Half, and Marathon!<br />
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BUT...not kill myself trying to do it AND make sure I never lose the fun factor!<br />
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I had a conversation with one of my Twitter friends this week where we talked about fears and being hard on ourselves. I told her that after my cancer scare, I found that I am more determined to do the things I want but also more relaxed about things. If I miss a run because I'm sick, it's not the end of the world. If I have a cupcake or have a couple of splurge days, I'm not going to balloon back up to 200+ lbs. I know that I need to stay focused and work towards my goals but I also need to live and work and have fun.<br />
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The way that I have taken a little bit of the pressure off myself is by hiring Justin to help me with my running. This way, he has to do all the hard work of designing my training schedule and I just get to have the fun of running it. I trust him and his methods to know that if I put in the work, I will get faster and will be able to PR. It might not happen right away, but it WILL happen.<br />
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I saw this really great quote a couple of weeks ago and I think it's kind of key to how I am approaching my PR goal...<br />
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So, I don't know exactly what it will take to get to my goals (and I sort of don't want to know) or how difficult it will be (also don't want to know this either) but I for sure am cocky enough to believe I can do it! <br />
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And what I mean about not wanting to know what it will take or how difficult it will be is this:<br />
<ul>
<li>I don't know what speed work, tempo runs, etc will help me get there. I don't know what pace each of the workouts should be. I don't know when to do this and then do that, etc. But Justin does. So, like I said, I'm letting him do that for me. </li>
<li>I also don't want to know that at some point I'll have to run mile repeats at an 8 min pace or whatever those workouts will be because I'm not ready for them yet. Thinking about what I will have to do is scary and the fear might make me reluctant to try. But if I don't KNOW what's coming, I can just focus on what I can do NOW. I'll get stronger as I do what I'm supposed to and then I won't be scared later when I get the crazy workouts (which hopefully won't seem crazy by then). </li>
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Does that make sense?<br />
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BUT as I said above...I absolutely BELIEVE I can pull this off. I WILL see my PRs drop in 2015. <br />
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I know it.<br />
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I hope you'll follow along for the ride. :)Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-91084559901675214532014-12-16T13:11:00.002-08:002014-12-16T13:11:25.417-08:0030th Half Marathon Race Recap!On Sunday, I ran my 30th Half Marathon!<br />
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I was looking for somewhere to celebrate the 30 milestone and I decided on the Dallas MetroPCS Half Marathon. I had a LOT of Texas friends and I had never been to Texas (well, except for the airports in Dallas & Houston). It would be the perfect place to celebrate. <br />
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I flew out to Dallas on Friday after I dropped Jenks off at the Kitty Hotel. Sadly, the plane left an hour late but it was a direct flight so I didn't have to worry about missing my connection. We landed in Dallas about 6 and then I made my way over to the DART station. I hadn't rented a car but my research said I could take the DART downtown and use it to get around if I needed to. I got there just as it seemed the train was going to take off so I got a ticket and ran for the train, along with another guy. We made it! After the doors closed and we were moving I asked him if I was on the right train! Doh! Luckily, there is only one train line that leaves DFW so I was okay. :) I got off the train at my station and then walked the couple blocks to the hotel and checked in. I'd made it! Woo!<br />
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<strong><u>SATURDAY</u></strong><br />
On Saturday morning, I woke up and decided to go for a run. If you read my last post then you know I'd twisted my ankle at the Christmas Run. I hadn't run on it since but it was feeling pretty good even with all the airport running around. I also knew from looking at maps that Dealey Plaza was really close to my hotel. So I laced up my Clifton's and headed out. It was a cloudy morning and a little windy but pretty nice.<br />
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I found Dealey Plaza and explored it for a bit. There was another runner from Canada there who'd had the same idea and we introduced ourselves and then talked about JFK and all that had occurred. Since we were the only ones there, it gave us a chance to quietly reflect on the what had happened there. Having seen all the movies and documentaries and listening to my mom talk about that day, it felt like I could hear the echoes of that day as I stood there.<br />
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Then, I continued on my run to do a little more exploring.<br />
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My ankle did pretty well on the run so I decided the race was a go! I would have been okay with not racing and just cheering on my friends...but I really wanted to race so I was pretty happy. After eating breakfast and relaxing for a bit, I headed over to the expo. I didn't buy much (just some compression socks and a shirt) but I did listen to one of the speakers and got my ankle taped. Here's my shirt and bib:<br />
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Then I looked for a message that Alex B (@<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/alexb214">alexb214</a></strong>) had left for me on the Dallas Marathon sign...and added a note of my own - Coyotes fun Dallas! It took me a while to find the message from Alex but since I am stubborn and couldn't let Alex "win", I finally found it.<br />
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Whew. Then I could leave. :) I went to eat and then walked back over to Dealey Plaza to go to the 6th Floor Museum. The tour took about 90 minutes and was interesting and helped bring that day to life, even more so than the documentaries did. I was really glad I was able to visit it.<br />
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After that, I went back to the hotel and rested, then got some Jimmy Johns for dinner, and rested some more. Then it was time to sleep. I actually slept pretty well.<br />
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong><br />
I hadn't been able to meet up with any of my friends at the expo so I was supposed to meet Alex and Christy B (both Run It Fasters) at the Longhorns. Which it turns out is a lot of Longhorn and Cowboy statues in Pioneer Square. A lot. You can't miss it.<br />
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But apparently, I can miss people! I was there for about 15 minutes and didn't see either one so I sent Alex a text and then he called me back and we were trying to figure out where each other of us was when I turned around and he was right behind me! Ha!<br />
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I got to meet his wife and couple others from his running group. I never did find Christy before. :( Then I went to find my corral and get situated. I was in the B corral for a few minutes when I looked up and saw my friends Teal & Beth (@<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/LifeisaRun">LifeisaRun</a></strong>) walking toward me! I was so shocked. I hadn't realized how many people were running and I thought I wasn't going to find them til afer. It was so fun to hang out with them before the race.<br />
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The last time we had raced together was the Disneyland Half in 2012. And now they are moms! :)<br />
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Then it was race time!<br />
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<strong><u>THE RACE</u></strong><br />
So...my ankle was good but it wasn't 100%. I had talked to my coach Justin about racing vs. not racing and he reminded me that I had bigger goals than this race we were working toward and that it would be better to not jeopardize additional weeks of training. I had decided to run it but not race it. I would just enjoy the run and see the sights along the course. And that's what I did. Although I spent a lot of time looking down to make sure I didn't step on any bumps, land reflectors, in pot holes, etc! <br />
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I did see a lot though and we ran through some interesting stuff. Especially the HUGE, gorgeous mansions. Decorated for Christmas. Wow. And then I saw Heidi (@<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiRuns">HeidiRuns</a></strong>) and Brian (@<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BLuebTris">BLuebTris</a></strong>)! I heard Brian yell my name so I turned back and so I could say Hi and give them hugs (sorry for the sweaty hugs!). Yay! I was so happy to see them. So bummed I didn't take a picture though. :(<br />
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Then at mile 9, I zigzagged back to make sure I gave a high 5 to a little boy who was trying to go for the world record. Then at mile 11 I saw Heidi and Brian again! Another great pick me up! Then Alex's wife ran by (rocking her first half) and we talked for a little bit. <br />
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Then I was done! My 30th Half was in the books. Here's my medal:<br />
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<strong><u>POST RACE</u></strong><br />
Then I wound my way through the finisher's chute for food, water, and our bag. I stopped at one point to reorganize the stuff I was carrying and when I looked up, I saw Christy (@<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/Run2Bake">Run2Bake</a></strong>)! Woo!<br />
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Then I found Teal & Beth again! Seriously, I don't know how I found any of them! LOL. Sadly, there were a couple of TX peeps and others from Instagram that I knew were there but did not find. <br />
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I made plans with Teal & Beth to go to lunch with them so I went back to the hotel and changed and got my stuff and they picked me up. We went to a great little Mexican place for lunch and I got to meet their husbands and their very cute sons. Then sadly, it was over and Beth and her family took me to the airport so I didn't have to take the DART back. <br />
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I am pretty lucky that things worked out so I could run on Sunday. And extremely lucky to have met so many fun and amazing people who helped make it a fun race/trip. <br />
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THIS is why I love running. Not just because it keeps me healthy. Not just because racing fast is fun. But because it feeds my soul with friends and adventures. :)<br />
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Thanks for reading!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-25981496177589059372014-12-09T12:59:00.001-08:002014-12-09T12:59:24.812-08:00A Christmas PR - Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run RecapOn Saturday, I ran the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run Double 10K & 5K. I've done the double before and it's a lot of fun. A lot of people dress up in costumes, even the dogs. The last time I ran it, I was passed by a woman dressed as a corn on the cob. I didn't really get that costume. Mostly though, you see a lot of Santas, elves, reindeer, and people dressed as presents.<br />
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Anyway, I was going into the Double feeling really, really strong. My coach, Justin (@gilletterunning), had planned for me to run the 5K hard and try and hit an 8:40 pace. But since I did that at the Claremont Turkey Trot (actually better! 8:34! Score!), I was thinking of racing the 10K hard instead. Or maybe both. Actually, I was kind of leaning toward both. :)<br />
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Race dawned and I got up, ate, and drove over to Santa Monica. The weather guy had talked about the possibility of rain and I'd dressed for that. Except that it was clear when I got down there. I got my bib and went to use the restroom and then hung out. The views did not suck.<br />
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That's the moon setting on the left and the Santa Monica Pier on the right. It was a beautiful morning for a race!<br />
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Then it was go time! I got into a good position in the starting corral and decided I would run the 10K as hard as I could. I had run 59:20 at the San Dimas Turkey Trot and I was hoping to maybe shave a minute or so off that. I also decided not to look at my watch during the run.<br />
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They sounded the horn and I took off! Miles 1 and 2 flew by and I was feeling good. Miles 3 and 4 included some out and back sections and I feel like I ran them well too. After mile 4, I think I may have slowed down a little but I was still running hard. Miles 5 and 6 were along the beach and I tried not to do any sightseeing and stay focused. I think I did pretty well with that. Then at the end of mile 6 we had one small hill and then it was a downhill to the finish. We came around the curve and I saw the finish and turned on the after burners. Then I saw the clock and saw it was about to turn over to the next minute and I pushed even harder to try and get there before that happened. But I didn't. I saw the clock say :01. And then I was like wait a minute. That said 55:01! WHAT?!?! Was that right? I looked at my garmin and it said 54:55. Woo! But what would my official time be? And wait a minute...that's my 10K PR time. WHAT?!?!<br />
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So I waited around (not so patiently) for the times to be posted and then there it was: 54:54 official! Woo! I could not freaking believe it! I did not expect to be close to my PR range until the spring. <br />
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Can you tell I was happy? A PR! Okay, only a 1 second PR but it felt great! I did not know I had that time in me right now. It felt so good to know I am really, really back. <br />
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But there was still more racing to do so I couldn't party too much. I had a gel and then started heading back over the Start/Finish line to get ready for the 5K. I was feeling pretty good and thought I might be able to pull a good time out for the 5K too.<br />
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And then the horn sounded and we were off for the 5K! And I took off! And then just a couple of minutes into it, I almost ran into someone and the curb was right there and there must have been an uneven part (or just my natural klutziness) and disaster struck. I twisted my ankle. :( Argh! I kept running but slowed down. It was sore but there wasn't any sharp pains so I kept going but decided to take it easy the rest of the way. I was worried about it but it didn't seem to get any worse. I finished the 5K in 31:24. And got my medal. Not how I had wanted to run the 5K but I was satisfied enough with the 10K that I wasn't too heartbroken. And the worry about my ankle with the Dallas Half in 1 week was more of a focus.<br />
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So after I got my medal, I headed home. When I got out of the car after the drive, that's when I knew my ankle was worse than I thought. It was really stiff and very sore and swollen. :( I iced it that night and did a lot of praying but when I woke up on Sunday, it was still swollen and sore so I skipped my planned 12 Miler. Sigh. <br />
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I am actually pretty proud of myself for 2 things this weekend. 1 - that I ran hard and didn't hold back or think about limitations. And 2 - that I didn't try and run on Sunday and let my ankle start healing instead. <br />
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I got one Christmas miracle for the 10K and now I need another for the Dallas Half! Cross your fingers for me!<br />
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Hey, did I mentioned I PRd on Saturday. Yeah, baby! Woo! :)Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-84970677817224408322014-11-28T15:18:00.001-08:002014-11-28T15:18:06.477-08:00Five For Friday - 11/28/14I hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving! Mine was quiet but nice. It's just me, my mom, and grandpa here is So Cal so we usually go out to lunch instead of cooking. I like it because my grandpa doesn't like turkey so he usually gets fish and I don't have to worry about leftovers tempting me for days on end. I LOVE turkey, dressing, and mashed potato sandwiches so it's best if I don't have that stuff around to tempt me.<br />
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I did enjoy my lunch yesterday, for sure. I ran 8.1 miles yesterday (2.2 mile warm up, the Claremont Turkey Trot 5K, and then a 2.8 mile cool down) so I didn't feel too guilty about enjoying the dressing and mashed potatoes. Actually, I didn't feel guilty at all!<br />
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My mom said grace for us and she talked about how thankful she was that I was healthy. It reminded me that last year, I didn't get to enjoy Thanksgiving so much because I'd just had my 1st round of chemo and food was issuey. It also reminded me how much I have to be thankful for right now.<br />
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So here's this week of 5 things I'm thankful for:<br />
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1. I'm thankful I got to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and grandpa. We had a nice lunch and then watched Million Dollar Arm after. It was a good day. :) I missed my AZ family but at least got to talk to them.<br />
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2. I'm thankful that I am strong and healthy and almost back to my normal weight. I weighed myself on Tuesday and was down to 166.4 pounds. I actually thought I might have gained because didn't really focus on food the past 2 weeks so I was a little nervous. I was so happy to see it had gone down. I'd hoped to lose 50 lbs by the Dallas Half and I'm at 48 lbs lost right now!<br />
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3. I'm thankful I was strong enough to rock the Turkey Trot yesterday! 26:37! I didn't have a set goal going into it other than I wanted to run it hard and beat my last 5K time of 27:57. The race is a big square with the 1st mile being uphill and then flatish and then the last mile downhill. I gave everything in that last mile though I really wanted to slow down! So I have 2 shiny new post cancer PRs for the Mile and the 5K!<br />
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I didn't realize this race would be so big and I was pretty happy to see I was 8th in my age group. So fun to see my pace too. I have a 5K next Saturday and Justin, my coach @<b><a href="https://twitter.com/gilletterunning">gilletterunning</a></b>, wanted me to go 8:40 pace for it. Now, I'm a little scared to see what he's going to ask me to go now! But also excited!<br />
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4. I'm thankful my company gives us Thursday and Friday off so I could spend a little time on the trails today. It was a beautiful, warm day here in So Cal.<br />
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5. I'm thankful one of my staff is a baker and brings us cupcakes & cake pops to test!<br />
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Not all the time (for which I'm also thankful) but it's fun to get a treat every now and then and Renee is very talented. It also reminds me that I need to be diligent about my nutrition and weight loss most of the time but it's okay to relax once in a while to just enjoy what life brings you. I have, in the past, been obsessive about food going from extremes - being obese and binge eating to borderline anorexic. I have had to work really hard to get to a place where I realize that food is not the enemy but something to help fuel my running & riding. You can get away with eating crap on the bike but not on the run so I credit running with helping eat well! Running has given me a better life in many, many ways.<br />
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Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great weekend!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-46144539996269274272014-11-24T15:30:00.002-08:002014-11-24T15:50:14.086-08:00San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K Race RecapOn Saturday, I ran my 5th San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K. It's usually held the Saturday after Thanksgiving but this year was the weekend before. I love this race because it's in one of my favorite places to run - Bonelli and I've run the course many times on my own. I know what to expect and it's a pretty place to run. <br />
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The race isn't a very big one...there were only 238 people in the 10K and 237 in the 5K...so it isn't crowded. My 10K PR was set there in 2011 - 54:55. I am not even close to that shape right now but I really wanted to go sub 1 hour there. I THOUGHT I could. I was pretty sure. Mostly. <br />
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On race morning, I woke up and got ready and drove over to Bonelli. I got there about 6:45 and got my shirt and bib and went back to the car to relax a little. About 7:20, I started my warm up and ran backwards along the route. About half way, I stopped and used the restroom and then ran back for a 2 mile warmup. I finished about 7:45 and had a gel and then did some leg swings until it was time to get in the corral.<br />
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The race started a few minutes past 8 and I was ready! Let's do this!<br />
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The RD sent us out and I took off. The 5K & 10K started together but the 5Kers split off almost immediately so it thinned out right away. The race starts out uphill and I looked down at my garmin and I was going like 8:20 so I forced myself to slow down! I knew that there would be more hills, dirt, and a stream crossing ahead so didn't want to blow up too early. This is what the course and my paces looked like:<br />
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These are my splits for each mile</div>
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1 - 9:16</div>
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2 - 9:28</div>
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3 - 10:03</div>
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4 - 9:36</div>
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5 - 9:30</div>
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6 - 9:27</div>
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.2 - 1:59 (8:40 pace)</div>
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I didn't know exactly what pace I could hold but I knew it had to be 9:39 per mile to beat 60 minutes. I think I did pretty well in holding back my pace for that first mile. There was a short, steep hill and a little bit of dirt in mile 2 but managed not to lose too much time there. I think around 9:30s was where I was most "comfortable" in that I was working hard but not gasping for air. </div>
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The only mile I messed up was mile 3. When we got to the stream, it was muddy going down into it and then up out of it. I slipped a little as we ran down but didn't lose it. There was a slight bottleneck there as we crossed and you can see my pace really dropped (about half way between 2&3). We were on dirt for the next 1/3 mile or so and I never made up that time I lost. Darn it! Mile 4 had a little bit of an out and back and the out is a slight uphill. Once we hit the turnaround, I always feel like that's the half way point because I can smell the barn. Ha! But 5 and 6 had some hills so I knew I had to pace myself. I pushed on the hills so I wouldn't lose too much time and then flew down the other side. Then I ran as hard as I could at the end.</div>
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I actually thought I might not be under an hour because I didn't keep track of all my splits as I ran and when I looked at a mile to go, I thought it said I needed a 8:30 ish mile to be under an hour. I was like, "oh no!" but then told myself "I'm gong to make it!" but I thought it would be really close. I must have been mistaken/miscalculated though because when I ran into the finish chute and saw the clock, I was so happy! 59:20 official! I'd beat my goal! With time to spare! Woo! <br />
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We even got medals for this 10K! Can you tell I was happy?<br />
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Yep, I was. I felt like I gave this everything I had. I maybe could have run the stream section a little better but I am ecstatic that I didn't lose time on the hills at the end. I think I did pretty darn well. I was really nervous before the race. More so than for the last couple of Halfs I've done. I'm not sure why. I knew that I would have to run hard and stay focused and I think that scared me a little because I haven't run like that in a long time. I am proud of this race and myself for getting it done and not giving up when I got tired. <br />
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If I could change anything it would be nutrition. I didn't have anything for breakfast and just had the gel. I might have had a little more energy if I'd eaten. But it is what it is. And like I said, I'm happy with it!<br />
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My next race is another Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I'll be running the Claremont Turkey Trot 5K for the first time and I'm hoping to make this race a new Thanksgiving Tradition. A lot of runners from Fleet Feet Rancho will be there so it should be a lot of fun.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving! And good luck if you are running a Turkey Trot!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-67577365926089464442014-11-21T15:18:00.005-08:002014-11-21T15:18:44.051-08:00Five For Friday - 11/21/14I had a pretty great week! It was full of fun and running!<br />
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Here's what I'm thankful for this week:<br />
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1. I'm so thankful my mom came to see me at the Avengers Half on Sunday. It is so fun to have someone there cheering you on. Being single and traveling to races means I don't always have someone there for me at the end. I love that my mom is proud of me and one of my biggest cheerleaders. And that she lets me go on endlessly about my races! ;)<br />
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My mom & my niece Morgan</div>
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2. I am thankful for all of the Disney employees who cheered us on for the Avengers Half. Especially all of the ones wearing Mickey hands and giving high fives! They totally rock in how cheerful and fun they are.<br />
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3. I am thankful for the fun, little details that runDisney races do. Like this finisher's certificate for Sunday's race...signed by Captain America. I totally think it was the real one. Don't you think? ;) <br />
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4. I am thankful for Eva and Dave at Fleet Feet in Rancho Cucamonga. They do a lot for the running community. I see them on quite a few of my runs during the week and they always say hello. They also hold a few group runs every week so I've gotten to know some of the local runners through them. Last night, they had a New Balance Pub Run where we could try on NB shoes for the run. I tried a pair of 880s and they were fun. Not as fun as my Clifton's but I am glad I got to experience them.<br />
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5. Finally, this week I am thankful I saw this view the other morning. <br />
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I am so blessed to see so many beautiful sunrises/sunsets because of my runs & bike commutes.<br />
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Have a great weekend!<br />
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Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-44811478685560104812014-11-17T13:14:00.001-08:002014-11-17T13:18:59.571-08:00Ms Marvel Runs The Avengers Half Marathon - A Race RecapYesterday, I ran the Avengers Half Marathon, my 29th Half, at Disneyland, the happiest place on earth!<br />
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I wanted to run this because I am a geek and I love the Avengers. Actually, I love Loki/Tom Hiddleston…<br />
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Um, what was I saying? Oh yeah, right…the Avengers Half. ;)<br />
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So, I was pretty excited to run it and had been thinking about what costume to wear for it for quite a while. Sadly, there aren’t many strong women characters in the Avengers movie universe right now and I figured there would be a ton of Black Widows so that was out. I thought about maybe being a female version of Hulk or Hawkeye or Falcon but that didn’t feel right. Finally, I decided to be Ms Marvel. I just needed a few key pieces and I would be all set. It also felt like it would be an easy costume to run in. Because though I planned to treat this like a training run, I was hoping for 2:20.<br />
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<strong><u>PRE-RACE</u></strong><br />
I went to the expo on Saturday morning to pick up my bib and shirt. I tried not to spend too much time there but did do a little shopping there and then in Downtown Disney. Oops. <br />
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I didn’t buy a skirt but 2 very cute shirts (Tinkerbell & Brave inspired - 2 of my fave Disney characters!), some headbands, and magnets to add to my collection. I ate lunch in Downtown Disney too and then drove back home went to Michaels to pick up the red ribbon for my costume. I finished putting together the outfit that afternoon. I was ready!
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I hardly slept at all Saturday night. I was too nervous about missing my 2:30 alarm. Getting up that early sucks but I actually love that the race starts at 5:30. I got up with my alarm and had 2 breakfast crisps. Then I got ready, packed everything I needed to take and hit the road by 3:20. I got to Disneyland by 4:05, changed into my Cliftons, hit the restrooms at the parking structure (so much nicer than having to use the port-a-potty) and then headed to the start. I was in Corral B and I went up to the front since some runners I knew would be in Corral A. I saw my friend Ryan and we talked while we waited for the race to start. I had one gel about 5:15 and stuffed one into my arm sleeve. Who knew they could be a convenient place to store gels!<br />
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One thing I love about Disney is they go all out with everything they do. We had entertainment while we waited and the start was pretty darn cool. This is during the singing of the National Anthem.
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Then it was go time! They were actually sending corrals A & B at the same time so there was no extra wait.<br />
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<strong><u>THE HALF</u></strong><br />
We were off! It was a little crowded at the start but not too bad. We ran into California Adventure first and it was all lit up with Christmas lights and there were characters out and about. They had stations where you could take your picture with each of the Avengers and there were quite a few Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. on the course “recruiting” as well. We left California Adventure and ran into Disneyland by Splash Mountain and then the Haunted Mansion (which looked amazing with its Christmas decorations). Next was Pirates, around the lake for Tom Sawyer’s Island to Big Thunder Mountain and then into Fantasy Land. I saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs riding the carousel and then we ran thru Cinderella’s Castle. Next it was down Main Street to the huge, beautiful Christmas tree in the square. I did a lot of sightseeing while in the park but I kept up a pretty good clip. My 5K split was 32:54, a 10:37 pace. <br />
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Once we left the park, we ran on city streets. As we were running down Harbor Blvd, we got a taste of what was to come. We could see the area ahead of us was really dusty and there was a cross wind kicking up. After mile 4 we made a left turn...into a headwind! It was blowing pretty strong. I tucked in behind this big, tall guy but then had to pass him because I was going faster than he was. We made a right turn at mile 5 so had a crosswind again but then a left run after mile 6 back into the wind. My 10K split was 1:05:12, a 10:31 pace. Which looking back on I think is interesting because I wasn't trying to go faster and thought I had slowed down with the wind. <br />
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At about 6.5 miles, we turned onto the Santa Ana River path. We had a headwind again here all the way til mile 8. I had planned on running the first 7 miles at a 10:40-10:50 pace and then dropping to a 10:20 pace for the last 6.1 miles. I changed my plans with the wind though. I didn't want to tire myself out by going too hard into the wind so kept at my same effort. I almost got hit by a huge tumbleweed in this stretch but luckily a volunteer stopped it just in time. I was really glad I was wearing sunglasses because the dust was horrible and we felt like we were sandblasted. During this stretch there was a huge Marvel cosplay group with all the characters which was a lot of fun, especially because there were a few Ms Marvels in it. I got a bit of an energy surge from all of their high fives!<br />
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After mile 8, we turned into Angel Stadium. We got to run around home plate and see ourselves on the jumbo tron and there were bands playing in there. It was a lot of fun. As we left the stadium, there was another Captain America WWII cosplay group. Mixed with true veterans, I think. I high fived all of them too. Once we left the stadium, it was time to turn up the pace! My 15K split was 1:39:02, a 10:40 pace. I evaluated how I felt and decided to drop to a 10 min pace and see how close I could get to 2:15.<br />
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My last 4 miles were 9:59, 9:58, 10:08, and then after mile 12, I picked up even more...9:26! I felt great all the way to the end. Finally, we hit the 13 mile marker and it was just a little bit more. I could hear the crowd and the announcer and I was looking for my mom but mostly I was smiling at how much fun I'd had. I crossed the line in 2:16:29! Yeah baby! Woo! I was so, so happy with that time. That was better than I'd expected or even hoped! Woo! Can you tell I'm still just a tiny bit excited?<br />
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I heard my mom yell my name just after I crossed the finish line and waved to her. Then I got my sweet medal.<br />
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A very cool spinner medal for the Inaugural Mission, wouldn't you say?<br />
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<strong><u>POST RACE</u></strong><br />
After getting my medal, I went thru the chute to get my water and snacks and head to the reunion area. When I got there though, they were kicking us out because they were worried the wind would knock over the stage and the tents. I found my mom though and she took a finisher's photo for me.<br />
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Then we went to Downtown Disney to find someplace to eat. We had breakfast at the Rainforest Café and then headed back to the car. I was a little sad it was over but I was one, happy Ms Marvel!<br />
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I think that I could have started my push earlier but I ran it smart and I finished with a time I'm very, very happy with. I love runDisney races. I know they are expensive but they are so much fun, especially if you enter into the spirit of the event. I can't wait for the Star Wars Half in January! Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053064278499475190.post-57854718841086434332014-11-14T15:05:00.001-08:002014-11-14T15:05:21.533-08:00Five For Friday - 11/14/14Happy Friday everyone! <br />
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This has been a very strange week for me. The beginning of the week started off great with my run but quickly went down hill with 2 terrible phone calls. :( I wish the news in both cases had been better but they weren't unexpected so I was prepared. Though there has been a somberness to the week, it has been a good week and I still have a lot to be thankful for.<br />
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Here's this week's list of 5 things I'm grateful for this Friday:<br />
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1. On Sunday, I went to visit my grandpa and his dog, Rocky. It was my last visit with Rocky and I knew this because he's been having trouble the past week and had stopped eating. My mom called to let me know that my grandpa was putting him to sleep on Monday so I could go say goodbye. <br />
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Rocky was such a funny, smart, and loving little guy. He made my grandpa very happy and kept him company and active. Rocky was sometimes too smart for his own good and could find trouble quite easily but he made us smile and laugh. I am thankful for the years of fun and love we had with him and that I got to say goodbye one last time.<br />
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RIP sweet Rocky.<br />
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2. The other phone call I got was from my dad to let me know that a family friend was at the end stages of her battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family brought her home on Monday and she passed away on Tuesday. Rest in peace, Kim. <br />
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Kim helped me at a time when I was completely lost. She gave me a job as the nanny for her 2 kids when I didn't have any other options. At a time when I didn't feel like I was worth anything, she put her trust in me and made me realize I was a good person. I wish more than anything that she hadn't suffered the past couple of months and that she was still here to see her grandkids grow up but I am thankful I knew her.<br />
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3. I am thankful I didn't screw up my left calf last night! I knew...KNEW I shouldn't do any leg work last night with the Avenger's Half on Sunday but decided burpees didn't count and would be fine. They are just burpees, right? Well I had only done a few when my left calf twinged. It didn't hurt exactly but I definitely felt something and had a little bit of a limp after. Needless to say, I stopped and just did upper body after that. I went home and iced it and this morning it was okay. It feels like it needs to be stretched really well but I was able to run on it and it didn't bother me at all. I was very lucky!<br />
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4. I am thankful for obnoxious bike lights and reflective clothing so cars can see me now that my bike commute home is in the dark! I look like a rolling Christmas tree/disco ball and I love it. :)<br />
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5. I am thankful for a supportive and loving family and great friends!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480597703351981681noreply@blogger.com0