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| Gertie (L) and Elliot (R) |
Do you have those "too cute" photos of your furry friends? Please share.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Cuteness Overload
So I came home from today's walk with my boyfriend and Zoe, and this is what happened after I sat down on the couch to check my email.
Elliot was determined to sit in my lap, but I forced him off and instead he curled up on Gertie. When I find them sleeping together, it is so cute I almost want to vomit.
Do you have those "too cute" photos of your furry friends? Please share.
Do you have those "too cute" photos of your furry friends? Please share.
I Got The Sicks
Ugh. I caught a cold. Again. Second time this year. And we're only in the 3rd week of January! Bleh. I can't breathe out of my nose. I sound super congested and I have very little energy. But you'll all be proud of me. I have been walking. At least with Zoe, my dog. Since catching the sicks, I've been trying to get out and walk my dog before my energy is completely gone. So far it's worked. She's happy and I get a little sun, which is actually really good when you're sick. Your body needs that vitamin-Sun. :)
I'm thinking that for exercise and to keep me motivated, maybe what I need to do is sign up for a bunch of 5Ks. I can't run a half marathon (I'm saving my return to those next year), but I can train to walk a 5K. I'd rather run it, but I have to listen to the doctors this time. It's probably how I ended up with the severed ligaments - not letting my ankle injuries heal completely. So I'll be good and not run. But I can learn to walk super fast, right?
There's a really cool 5K coming up in March called the Hot Chocolate 10K/5K. I'm thinking I'll sign up for that. I love chocolate, and I'll get some exercise and make it worth eating the chocolate at the finish line. Who's with me?!
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| Zoe, sporting her scarf, ready for a walk |
I'm thinking that for exercise and to keep me motivated, maybe what I need to do is sign up for a bunch of 5Ks. I can't run a half marathon (I'm saving my return to those next year), but I can train to walk a 5K. I'd rather run it, but I have to listen to the doctors this time. It's probably how I ended up with the severed ligaments - not letting my ankle injuries heal completely. So I'll be good and not run. But I can learn to walk super fast, right?
There's a really cool 5K coming up in March called the Hot Chocolate 10K/5K. I'm thinking I'll sign up for that. I love chocolate, and I'll get some exercise and make it worth eating the chocolate at the finish line. Who's with me?!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Starting Over
2012 has been off to a rough start. I caught a cold which left me feeling crappy for the first few days of the year. Luckily I recovered fairly fast, just in time to spend a couple days up in Anaheim at Disneyland with my good friend, S. She's a teacher and rarely gets a chance to get up there, so we took full advantage of her time off.
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| S and me in our Stitch beanies |
In the two days that we were up there, we walked a ton! Good exercise. My feet were screaming at me by the end of the 2nd day. I actually came home and soaked them in hot water.
Not much exercise has been done since I injured my ankle last year, so even just walking for 2 days, I feel out of shape. I applaud all the women who walk in the 3-day, granted they train for it, but still, my feet hurt after 2 days, imagine 3... I had an MRI done of both ankles and it turned out that I severed a ligament completely in my right ankle. Doc said no running or soccer for at least a year. It's been quite boring these past 9 months. I tried going to the gym and using the bike and treadmill, but it's just not the same as being out doors. I've been working on strengthening the ankle so I can walk my dog for a few miles during the week. I feel like it's getting much stronger, but I won't know for sure unless I try out running. 3 months to go! The countdown begins. Until then, I'll continue to work on strengthening the rest of my body. My muscles atrophied and I need to build them up again.
Relay for Life has started up again. I've registered our team and we just had the first Team Captain's meeting tonight. Our theme this year is Hollywood. So many different ideas come to mind, but I need to bounce them off my teammates and get their input. My goal is to raise $3500 this year. Last year we raised just over $33K so I know that this is a goal we can achieve. We have an earlier start at fundraising and team member recruitment. Ideally, I'd like 12 teammate so no one has to walk more than 2 hours (of course they can walk more if they want!). So if you want to join in on the fight against cancer, please let me know. I'd be happy to have you join our Purple Cancer Eaters team. :)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Ice Cream and Movies
That sounded so much better than going for a run. The boyfriend came home early tonight and since we don't get to spend that much time together, I totally took advantage and opted to postpone my run/walk/exercise and eat a small bowl of ice cream while cuddled on the couch watching a movie with him.
Totally worth it. I'll run tomorrow.
Totally worth it. I'll run tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
At The Starting Line Again
Wow. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I wrote. But, here we go again. I must be crazy. I've signed up for 2 events this year...so far.
The first is the yearly event in May with my parents to do the Relay For Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. I like this event because it doesn't cater to one specific type of cancer. The money raised goes to help fund research for all cancers. And they don't ask you raise a certain amount of money. They just encourage everyone to raise at least $100 (if you want a t-shirt).
My mom was diagnosed 2 years ago with breast cancer. 5 days after her mastectomy, she demanded we go to the Relay event so she could walk the first lap with all the survivors. I had her out for 2 hours and then she was beat. Rest was definitely needed. My mom is a trooper. She's doing really well now - in remission and her hair has grown back.
I'm team captain again for our Purple Cancer Eaters team. I've recruited some new people to join our team and I'm hoping to have it more organized - at least with a scheduled walk list so everyone knows when they are going to walk. Last year, I walked longer than I should have in the middle of the night because people were sleeping and I didn't want to wake anyone. They kinda got upset about it, so I figure, with a walk schedule, everyone can sign up for when they want to walk. If I can get 12 people on the team, then really everyone only has to walk 2 hours. Definitely not that bad. I'll keep you updated as it goes. I really need to get fundraising. Only $150 so far. I know I can do better!
Event #2 is in July. My friends and I decided we wanted to run the Napa half again. I think we're crazy. But I'm excited to do it. We created a team of about 7 of us. Team Super Poopers. Jill, our team captain, who I ran Napa with in '08, didn't want to run AND fundraise with Team Challenge, but still wanted to be a part of TC. So, we created a team in honor of the poop diseases, Crohn's (which Jill has) and Ulcerative Colitis (which my mom has). We definitely need to start training because July will be here before we know it. Half the team lives in San Diego and the other half in LA and one in Indiana. So all of us getting together to train probably won't happen, but the girls that are in town, I can train with them.
There is one more event I think I might sign up for, but it's not until November. I did the Iron Girl last year with my mom and my sister. It was a fast 5K and my mom and sister's first one. I felt honored to do it with them. I'm hoping they'll want to do it again this year. I need to beat my 5K time. Stupid asthma.
Anyways, here's to a fun-filled new year full of running highs and running lows. I will try and write as often as I can (or at least when I remember).
The first is the yearly event in May with my parents to do the Relay For Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. I like this event because it doesn't cater to one specific type of cancer. The money raised goes to help fund research for all cancers. And they don't ask you raise a certain amount of money. They just encourage everyone to raise at least $100 (if you want a t-shirt).
My mom was diagnosed 2 years ago with breast cancer. 5 days after her mastectomy, she demanded we go to the Relay event so she could walk the first lap with all the survivors. I had her out for 2 hours and then she was beat. Rest was definitely needed. My mom is a trooper. She's doing really well now - in remission and her hair has grown back.
I'm team captain again for our Purple Cancer Eaters team. I've recruited some new people to join our team and I'm hoping to have it more organized - at least with a scheduled walk list so everyone knows when they are going to walk. Last year, I walked longer than I should have in the middle of the night because people were sleeping and I didn't want to wake anyone. They kinda got upset about it, so I figure, with a walk schedule, everyone can sign up for when they want to walk. If I can get 12 people on the team, then really everyone only has to walk 2 hours. Definitely not that bad. I'll keep you updated as it goes. I really need to get fundraising. Only $150 so far. I know I can do better!
Event #2 is in July. My friends and I decided we wanted to run the Napa half again. I think we're crazy. But I'm excited to do it. We created a team of about 7 of us. Team Super Poopers. Jill, our team captain, who I ran Napa with in '08, didn't want to run AND fundraise with Team Challenge, but still wanted to be a part of TC. So, we created a team in honor of the poop diseases, Crohn's (which Jill has) and Ulcerative Colitis (which my mom has). We definitely need to start training because July will be here before we know it. Half the team lives in San Diego and the other half in LA and one in Indiana. So all of us getting together to train probably won't happen, but the girls that are in town, I can train with them.
There is one more event I think I might sign up for, but it's not until November. I did the Iron Girl last year with my mom and my sister. It was a fast 5K and my mom and sister's first one. I felt honored to do it with them. I'm hoping they'll want to do it again this year. I need to beat my 5K time. Stupid asthma.
Anyways, here's to a fun-filled new year full of running highs and running lows. I will try and write as often as I can (or at least when I remember).
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Back On Track
Things are falling into place again. I'm back to running again. Zoe's getting better at NOT peeing while I'm trying to run, but she still does at times. I'm trying to teach her that when I walk, it's okay to sniff and pee, but while running, it's not good.
I found a new 2 mile route in the neighborhood. There are more street lights, and they never cooperate with me. They are always red when I need them to be green. Granted, it IS a nice break from running to catch my breath, but sometimes the light is just red for too long. We've got to work on that.
I had a library book to return today, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the new route. I walked with Zoe there and once I dropped it off, I decided I'd see how far I could run without stopping. I kept a nice easy slow pace and it worked out great. From the park to the first street light. Stop and rest, then cross the street. Then to the next light, which was a larger distance. No problem. Take a breather and then cross the street. To the next light which seemed even farther away, I actually stopped for a minute and walked, but not until I made it halfway up the hill. But I kept going and got to the next light. Breather. Crossed the street. Halfway to the stop sign - a good 3 blocks - I stopped to walk. But once I made it to the sign, I ran all the way home.
I totally forgot to stop the timer at the lights, so I think my time would have been better. But I did 2.01 miles in 35min! So awesome for me. It's about a 17min mile. I can definitely do better. I think I'll try it again tomorrow.
I found a new 2 mile route in the neighborhood. There are more street lights, and they never cooperate with me. They are always red when I need them to be green. Granted, it IS a nice break from running to catch my breath, but sometimes the light is just red for too long. We've got to work on that.
I had a library book to return today, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the new route. I walked with Zoe there and once I dropped it off, I decided I'd see how far I could run without stopping. I kept a nice easy slow pace and it worked out great. From the park to the first street light. Stop and rest, then cross the street. Then to the next light, which was a larger distance. No problem. Take a breather and then cross the street. To the next light which seemed even farther away, I actually stopped for a minute and walked, but not until I made it halfway up the hill. But I kept going and got to the next light. Breather. Crossed the street. Halfway to the stop sign - a good 3 blocks - I stopped to walk. But once I made it to the sign, I ran all the way home.
I totally forgot to stop the timer at the lights, so I think my time would have been better. But I did 2.01 miles in 35min! So awesome for me. It's about a 17min mile. I can definitely do better. I think I'll try it again tomorrow.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Laziness
Wow. I've been lazy. No real exercise lately. It's been like 2 week. Granted, I have been walking the dog, but I haven't gone running in a couple weeks. And I really need to get back to it. April 12th is the date that I meet up with my friends I'm running the San Diego Rock N Roll with. We plan to start our group training together. Saturday or Sunday will be the long runs, and the rest of the week, we'll do a few miles. Though I realized that our long runs aren't going to be LONG runs like they have been in the past. So since we are doing the relay and not individually running the full marathon, the long runs probably won't be 10 miles. I think the most one of us will have to run in the race would be about 8 miles. No problem. I can do that! If I can do 13.1 miles, 8 should be easy peasy.
My friend, Sara, is running the Seattle Rock N Roll a few weeks later than my race, and she's doing the FULL. Though she is a crazy marathon runner. For this current race, she's training with Team In Training and raising money for blood cancers. Today she's running like 30 some odd miles for all the people that donated this past week. That's intense. But it's awesome that her friends donated to make her run so far.
Relay For Life is coming up in about a month and a half. I haven't been doing any serious fundraising like I have in the past. I'm kinda tapped out on the whole thing, but I have raised about $400 which isn't too bad. I'm working on redesigning the t-shirts and still haven't had a team meeting. No one ever really responds to the emails I send out. I know that the other teammates are living all over, but it would be nice to know at least that they are getting my emails. Oh well.
Mom is doing well. Her hair has grown back, she's had a couple hair cuts, and now she has just informed me that she can go bra shopping for whatever kind she wants. No more just no underwire. So I think next week we're gonna go take her and get some cute bras. :)
Starting Monday, I'm going to get back on the exercise horse again. I'll have soccer to start it all off with and then I can do my running and strength training the rest of the week in preparation for our group run. Yay! I can do this.
My friend, Sara, is running the Seattle Rock N Roll a few weeks later than my race, and she's doing the FULL. Though she is a crazy marathon runner. For this current race, she's training with Team In Training and raising money for blood cancers. Today she's running like 30 some odd miles for all the people that donated this past week. That's intense. But it's awesome that her friends donated to make her run so far.
Relay For Life is coming up in about a month and a half. I haven't been doing any serious fundraising like I have in the past. I'm kinda tapped out on the whole thing, but I have raised about $400 which isn't too bad. I'm working on redesigning the t-shirts and still haven't had a team meeting. No one ever really responds to the emails I send out. I know that the other teammates are living all over, but it would be nice to know at least that they are getting my emails. Oh well.
Mom is doing well. Her hair has grown back, she's had a couple hair cuts, and now she has just informed me that she can go bra shopping for whatever kind she wants. No more just no underwire. So I think next week we're gonna go take her and get some cute bras. :)
Starting Monday, I'm going to get back on the exercise horse again. I'll have soccer to start it all off with and then I can do my running and strength training the rest of the week in preparation for our group run. Yay! I can do this.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I Feel The Burn!
So I did my Jillian Michaels workout this morning. 2x in one week! Woo hoo!
Definitely feeling really good. I was totally not awake when I started it, but now, I've got all this energy. It's crazy how just a little bit of exercise can be a great pick-me-up. I think tomorrow (if it's not raining) I'll take Zoe for a walk. I found a new route in my neighborhood and want to do it again. BUT, if it is raining, then Jillian and I have another date!
At the shelter where I volunteer on Sundays, one of the clients came through and asked me if I was working out. I was totally surprised by this question. I told him yes, and he said that it shows! How awesome is that?! I don't really notice the change, but if someone else does, well, I'll definitely take the compliment!! Totally made my day.
What do you do for exercise?
Definitely feeling really good. I was totally not awake when I started it, but now, I've got all this energy. It's crazy how just a little bit of exercise can be a great pick-me-up. I think tomorrow (if it's not raining) I'll take Zoe for a walk. I found a new route in my neighborhood and want to do it again. BUT, if it is raining, then Jillian and I have another date!
At the shelter where I volunteer on Sundays, one of the clients came through and asked me if I was working out. I was totally surprised by this question. I told him yes, and he said that it shows! How awesome is that?! I don't really notice the change, but if someone else does, well, I'll definitely take the compliment!! Totally made my day.
What do you do for exercise?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
New Adventures
So I've taken on 2 new running adventures. Well, really one's walking and the other running.
The first is the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. It's a 24hr walk here in Mira Mesa/Rancho Penasquitos. And I don't do it alone. My parents have put me in charge of getting a team together for this relay. My mom is really excited to be a part of it since she IS a SURVIVOR. The nice thing is that there's no fundraising minimum. Not that I have a problem with fundraising or anything, but I just finished a big fundraiser for Crohn's & Colitis, that I think it's time to take a break. At least for a while.
Our team name is Purple Cancer Eaters. We've done this relay for a few years now, but we took off last year due to family stuff. So we're back now and I'm in charge. Yay. I love how I get delegated as team captain. But I have recruited a few new people. So far we have a team of 7, which is awesome. And we've raised more than $600 as a team! Go us!
The relay is in May, so there's a few months to try and do a few fundraisers or something.
My other new running adventure is the San Diego Rock N Roll Relay. This one I'm running with friends. Actually 3 of my girlfriends I met during my first half marathon in Napa. Our team name is Running Winnos. We meet up once a month and drink wine and gossip and one of our houses, so the name is fitting. Plus we all ran together, so why not. I think we'll make some fun t-shirts or something like that. This race isn't until the first weekend of June, so there's time to train again. And I have some friends to train with. yay!
I have been keeping up with exercising since TC's Las Vegas Half. Not everyday, but close. Though I have been trying to fit in some strength training. I got a Jillian Michael's video from Netflix and copied it so I could use it on a regular basis. This video totally kicks my ass!! Wow! Though I feel really great after working out. And it's only a 45 minute workout which is perfect. I do it in the morning when I wake up and then I'm starving by the time I'm finished so breakfast is sooo tasty. And I'm hungry more often but it's okay. I'm getting fit. I need to lose 30 lbs. I think I'd be happier 30 lbs lighter. I know I can do it cause I've done it once before on Weight Watchers. But I'm doing things different. I'm watching what I eat AND exercising. I didn't do that before when I had lost the 30lbs. So yay. I can do this. So far I'm 5lbs lighter. I'm prepared for it to be a long process before I get to my goal weight. I gain muscle faster than I lose weight. So here goes...
The first is the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. It's a 24hr walk here in Mira Mesa/Rancho Penasquitos. And I don't do it alone. My parents have put me in charge of getting a team together for this relay. My mom is really excited to be a part of it since she IS a SURVIVOR. The nice thing is that there's no fundraising minimum. Not that I have a problem with fundraising or anything, but I just finished a big fundraiser for Crohn's & Colitis, that I think it's time to take a break. At least for a while.
Our team name is Purple Cancer Eaters. We've done this relay for a few years now, but we took off last year due to family stuff. So we're back now and I'm in charge. Yay. I love how I get delegated as team captain. But I have recruited a few new people. So far we have a team of 7, which is awesome. And we've raised more than $600 as a team! Go us!
The relay is in May, so there's a few months to try and do a few fundraisers or something.
My other new running adventure is the San Diego Rock N Roll Relay. This one I'm running with friends. Actually 3 of my girlfriends I met during my first half marathon in Napa. Our team name is Running Winnos. We meet up once a month and drink wine and gossip and one of our houses, so the name is fitting. Plus we all ran together, so why not. I think we'll make some fun t-shirts or something like that. This race isn't until the first weekend of June, so there's time to train again. And I have some friends to train with. yay!
I have been keeping up with exercising since TC's Las Vegas Half. Not everyday, but close. Though I have been trying to fit in some strength training. I got a Jillian Michael's video from Netflix and copied it so I could use it on a regular basis. This video totally kicks my ass!! Wow! Though I feel really great after working out. And it's only a 45 minute workout which is perfect. I do it in the morning when I wake up and then I'm starving by the time I'm finished so breakfast is sooo tasty. And I'm hungry more often but it's okay. I'm getting fit. I need to lose 30 lbs. I think I'd be happier 30 lbs lighter. I know I can do it cause I've done it once before on Weight Watchers. But I'm doing things different. I'm watching what I eat AND exercising. I didn't do that before when I had lost the 30lbs. So yay. I can do this. So far I'm 5lbs lighter. I'm prepared for it to be a long process before I get to my goal weight. I gain muscle faster than I lose weight. So here goes...
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Results
Ok, so I'm a dork. I totally forgot to update my blog like 2 months ago to give you all the results from the race. I think the excitement of it all, totally just made me space out, though you wouldn't think it would. Duh.
Anyways, so let me tell you:
Saturday Morning, December 5, 2009
5:45am - Meet at the airport - UGH! Sooo early!!
8:30am - Arrived in VEGAS!!
December in Las Vegas is COLD!! Seriously. It was like 30* out and it totally rained, but luckily not on race day.
So we stayed at the MGM Grand, but check in took FOREVER. Ugh. I think we waited for our room for like 3 hours. The coaches wanted to do a group run to the race expo after everyone checked in. I totally didn't do that run. I walked. While most people changed into their running gear, I and a few others, just changed into our running shoes and we walked over with the group. I found some neat stuff over there. I bought a thermal long sleeve shirt with the Las Vegas RnR logo on it. Got a bag full of samples and free stuff. Can't go wrong with that, right?! :)
Once we got back to the hotel, we hoped our room would be ready. But we were wrong. It took probably another hour or so before that happened. But in the meantime, I was able to meet up with my friend, Sara, and her mom. Sara was gonna share the room with me and Caitlyn and Jessica.
We had our TC Pasta/Inspiration dinner. All of us mentors went down early to line up so that when our mentees came down to the ballroom, they'd have to walk through a pathway full of mentors, coaches, and endurance managers from all over the US. It was so neat. My parents met up with me for the dinner. That was nice. They stayed across the way at their time share place. I was excited to have my mom there as she's the reason that I was running this race.
After dinner, we had a group meeting with all the last minute details before the race. Everyone was anxious about the race. Even after already completing one half marathon, I was still anxious about this one. But excited.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
3:30am - Wake Up for Race!! - sooo early, I don't even know how I functioned.
We met our team down in the lobby of the hotel. There were HUNDREDS of people dressed in their orange Team Challenge jerseys. We were like a blob of orange. It was awesome. We all walked over to the Mandalay Bay together. It was freezing out! Next time, I might actually wear long pants instead of capris. Or at least search earlier for leg warmers. I checked in my "after race" bag at the bag drop and peed and then met up with the group for a warm up. We took pre-race pictures and before we knew it, we heard the gun shots for the start of the race. It seemed a little unorganized as to where to go. Everyone was pushing each other to try and get into the corrals.
I paired up with Tiffany since we were in the same corral, #28 out of 29. HA! But last year my race time was over 3:30, so the slowest are always in the back. I went searching for my parents because I knew they were looking for me. Found them - they took pictures and Tiffany and I took off. It took about 45min before we even reached the start line.
They were filming the race and had it playing on the jumbo screens outside some of the hotels. It was crazy. Just as we were finally getting out there on the race course, a few of the racers were almost done!! OMG. It was nuts. Those were some serious racers. I think the first person to finish, crossed that finish line in just over 1 hour! To be able to run that fast would be AMAZING!!
Tiffany and I kept a slow, steady pace. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to keep her pace since I was trying to keep my breathing under control. I was determined to NOT have any asthma attacks this year. I decided to do any early bathroom break in the course. I found some bathrooms that didn't have a long line (like the ones I ended up at last year). And that was a good decision. The ones further down, had the line, which totally made the early break justifiable. *And I didn't need one for the rest of the race!!*
We past Tiffany's boyfriend first. Then I found my parents, who took some motion shots. And then I got into super focus mode. I worked on my breathing, kept a good pace and was able to stay with Tiffany for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until I started to feel my asthma kicking in. I slowed down, she kept going. But I'm really proud of myself. I was able to run for 6.5 miles without stopping!! That's a record for me! I've NEVER done that before. Though my body wanted me to slow down and walk, my legs didn't. I tried walking but they wanted to run. It was wierd. Finally I overpowered them and made them walk.
I saw some guy working at a bar pass out beer to some of the runners/walkers. That was funny. I passed some of the brides and grooms who got married at the Paris Hotel. That's a neat idea. Get married while running a marathon. Who would have thought?
I passed some local HS cheerleaders, Team Challenge supporters/cheerleaders, and some random people on the sidelines in their lounge chairs watching all of us crazy people run or walk in the 30* weather.
The weather was insane. I never truly felt like I warmed up. I got warm enough to toss my jacket on the side somewhere along the course, and eventually my gloves, but even with my long sleeve shirt and TC jersey, I was still cold. Yes, definitely long pants next time.
Finally about mile 10, Michelle Layton, one of the TC honorees, found me and ran the last 3.1 miles with me. She kept me motivated and inspired. Jess Johnson found me too, and her words of inspiration always get to me, and I could feel that emotional asthma attack coming, but luckily I kept it in check. Yay me!
Those last three miles were the worst. Actually, no. Scratch that. The worst was the last mile. It's like I knew I was almost done but my energy level was on empty. I kept telling myself, "you're almost there!" and then I saw my parents. And I pushed it harder. Not walking, but not running either. Somewhere in between. Michelle was there by my side. And once I saw that finish line, I pushed it hard! And crossed it. And almost collapsed. I got all teary-eyed. But I did it! All 13.1 miles. AND, I beat last year's time by 20 minutes. I finished in 3:21. How awesome is that?!! 20 minutes! Amazing!
Now I have a goal to shave off another 20 minutes. If I could do a half in 3 hours or less, I would be soooo happy! So it's something to work at.
The rest of my trip was great. After the race, I hung out with my parents and my boyfriend. We ate, I got a massage, and waited for Sara to finish her marathon. Yes, she did the marathon. And did it in about 5 hours or so. I don't remember her time. But that's awesome. Go Sara!
We partied that night with friend and teammates. Monday morning I walked to the buses with everyone and said bye. Then went to meet up with Arnon at Excalibur and spend the rest of my time in Vegas with him. We had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who donated. I raised a total or $3,873.60! I couldn't have done it without your support.
So, now I have completed my 2nd half marathon. Still not brave enough to do a full, though Sara really wants me to do one with her. Maybe later.
Anyways, so let me tell you:
Saturday Morning, December 5, 2009
5:45am - Meet at the airport - UGH! Sooo early!!
8:30am - Arrived in VEGAS!!
December in Las Vegas is COLD!! Seriously. It was like 30* out and it totally rained, but luckily not on race day.
So we stayed at the MGM Grand, but check in took FOREVER. Ugh. I think we waited for our room for like 3 hours. The coaches wanted to do a group run to the race expo after everyone checked in. I totally didn't do that run. I walked. While most people changed into their running gear, I and a few others, just changed into our running shoes and we walked over with the group. I found some neat stuff over there. I bought a thermal long sleeve shirt with the Las Vegas RnR logo on it. Got a bag full of samples and free stuff. Can't go wrong with that, right?! :)
Once we got back to the hotel, we hoped our room would be ready. But we were wrong. It took probably another hour or so before that happened. But in the meantime, I was able to meet up with my friend, Sara, and her mom. Sara was gonna share the room with me and Caitlyn and Jessica.
We had our TC Pasta/Inspiration dinner. All of us mentors went down early to line up so that when our mentees came down to the ballroom, they'd have to walk through a pathway full of mentors, coaches, and endurance managers from all over the US. It was so neat. My parents met up with me for the dinner. That was nice. They stayed across the way at their time share place. I was excited to have my mom there as she's the reason that I was running this race.
After dinner, we had a group meeting with all the last minute details before the race. Everyone was anxious about the race. Even after already completing one half marathon, I was still anxious about this one. But excited.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
3:30am - Wake Up for Race!! - sooo early, I don't even know how I functioned.
We met our team down in the lobby of the hotel. There were HUNDREDS of people dressed in their orange Team Challenge jerseys. We were like a blob of orange. It was awesome. We all walked over to the Mandalay Bay together. It was freezing out! Next time, I might actually wear long pants instead of capris. Or at least search earlier for leg warmers. I checked in my "after race" bag at the bag drop and peed and then met up with the group for a warm up. We took pre-race pictures and before we knew it, we heard the gun shots for the start of the race. It seemed a little unorganized as to where to go. Everyone was pushing each other to try and get into the corrals.
I paired up with Tiffany since we were in the same corral, #28 out of 29. HA! But last year my race time was over 3:30, so the slowest are always in the back. I went searching for my parents because I knew they were looking for me. Found them - they took pictures and Tiffany and I took off. It took about 45min before we even reached the start line.
They were filming the race and had it playing on the jumbo screens outside some of the hotels. It was crazy. Just as we were finally getting out there on the race course, a few of the racers were almost done!! OMG. It was nuts. Those were some serious racers. I think the first person to finish, crossed that finish line in just over 1 hour! To be able to run that fast would be AMAZING!!
Tiffany and I kept a slow, steady pace. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to keep her pace since I was trying to keep my breathing under control. I was determined to NOT have any asthma attacks this year. I decided to do any early bathroom break in the course. I found some bathrooms that didn't have a long line (like the ones I ended up at last year). And that was a good decision. The ones further down, had the line, which totally made the early break justifiable. *And I didn't need one for the rest of the race!!*
We past Tiffany's boyfriend first. Then I found my parents, who took some motion shots. And then I got into super focus mode. I worked on my breathing, kept a good pace and was able to stay with Tiffany for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until I started to feel my asthma kicking in. I slowed down, she kept going. But I'm really proud of myself. I was able to run for 6.5 miles without stopping!! That's a record for me! I've NEVER done that before. Though my body wanted me to slow down and walk, my legs didn't. I tried walking but they wanted to run. It was wierd. Finally I overpowered them and made them walk.
I saw some guy working at a bar pass out beer to some of the runners/walkers. That was funny. I passed some of the brides and grooms who got married at the Paris Hotel. That's a neat idea. Get married while running a marathon. Who would have thought?
I passed some local HS cheerleaders, Team Challenge supporters/cheerleaders, and some random people on the sidelines in their lounge chairs watching all of us crazy people run or walk in the 30* weather.
The weather was insane. I never truly felt like I warmed up. I got warm enough to toss my jacket on the side somewhere along the course, and eventually my gloves, but even with my long sleeve shirt and TC jersey, I was still cold. Yes, definitely long pants next time.
Finally about mile 10, Michelle Layton, one of the TC honorees, found me and ran the last 3.1 miles with me. She kept me motivated and inspired. Jess Johnson found me too, and her words of inspiration always get to me, and I could feel that emotional asthma attack coming, but luckily I kept it in check. Yay me!
Those last three miles were the worst. Actually, no. Scratch that. The worst was the last mile. It's like I knew I was almost done but my energy level was on empty. I kept telling myself, "you're almost there!" and then I saw my parents. And I pushed it harder. Not walking, but not running either. Somewhere in between. Michelle was there by my side. And once I saw that finish line, I pushed it hard! And crossed it. And almost collapsed. I got all teary-eyed. But I did it! All 13.1 miles. AND, I beat last year's time by 20 minutes. I finished in 3:21. How awesome is that?!! 20 minutes! Amazing!
Now I have a goal to shave off another 20 minutes. If I could do a half in 3 hours or less, I would be soooo happy! So it's something to work at.
The rest of my trip was great. After the race, I hung out with my parents and my boyfriend. We ate, I got a massage, and waited for Sara to finish her marathon. Yes, she did the marathon. And did it in about 5 hours or so. I don't remember her time. But that's awesome. Go Sara!
We partied that night with friend and teammates. Monday morning I walked to the buses with everyone and said bye. Then went to meet up with Arnon at Excalibur and spend the rest of my time in Vegas with him. We had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who donated. I raised a total or $3,873.60! I couldn't have done it without your support.
So, now I have completed my 2nd half marathon. Still not brave enough to do a full, though Sara really wants me to do one with her. Maybe later.
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