Sanity

I wasn't planning a run today. I was planning a swim. I really should have gotten one of those in, but that's a different story.

But running brings my sanity. Brings me balance, brings me peace. And if there was a week I needed balance and peace anymore than this one... well, it hasn't been for a long time.

In between my Anatomy & Physiology lab and lecture, I ran home to get lunch, and decided to run. It was only 3 miles (all under 11:30, BTW) but it was a little of what I needed.

If you don't run, I can't explain to you, convince you, that running can bring me peace, can bring me balance, can help me find my sanity. But it can. I can lose myself in my music, in the cadence I feel in my steps. In the commands I give my muscles. Just me, the outside, and the forces I apply/are applied on me.

I am stronger for it. And this is it. One of the things that is going my way. One of the blessings I will be counting everyday until there are too many to recite. I have (mostly) injury free running. I can take this with me anywhere, everywhere.

I can create my own peace, if only for a few miles.

Game Day: Surf City 1/2 Marathon 2011

So I finally get to the start line of the Surf City 1/2 Marathon and I'm racing under an assumed name. I waited too long to register for the race and had to get a bib from someone who wasn't able to run.

Not that I WAS able to run the whole 13.1, but you all know me. I'm not the smartest when it comes to whether or not to race injured.

I knew I wasn't going to "race" the race. I hadn't trained. I couldn't run the whole thing. I was just out there for a supported run, to push myself and see what distance I could pull out, and to think.

I've got a lot of things going on in my life. Having a baby, being a single parent, going back to school, trying to train, etc, etc. I know, I know, all of us have lots going on in our lives. Mine may be busier than some, but not as busy as others. (I'm lucky to be in the place I am now in regards to THAT particular situation.)

I didn't have the bean this weekend. It also happened to be a close friend's birthday and there were plans on both Friday AND Saturday. Crazy I know, but I wasn't racing (although Ali the Runner was. We had a great time and she PR'd!!!) so I decided to take part in all the festivities (Ali didn't. She was the smart one).

Anyway, back to my life. This is where I digress but then get back to the run report, because there wasn't a race. I want to go back to school to be a Prosthetist. To do this I need one more class, Anatomy & Physiology. I went to 2 schools in my area to petition for said class and finally got in! This was after I resigned myself to the idea that the universe was trying to tell me something. I let go of my strangle hold on the idea that I HAD to get into this class THIS semester. If I didn't my WHOLE plan was never going to happen. I would miss my milestones and not even be able to attempt being a Prosthetist.

I decided to embrace the fact that I was probably not going to get into this class. What did that mean? Yes it meant I'd be putting off my chance to get into the Prosthetics program, but more importantly, it meant I could stay at home and see the bean grow up for 6 more months. I chose to focus on the fact that I had this wonderful opportunity. To spend time with my child.

Then I got into the class. So I get to spend time with the bean AND move my plan forward. It was, for lack of a better term, a sign.

The thing about signs is once you experience one, actually experience it not just notice it on the side of the road and keep cruising on by, is that you are open to accepting other signs.

Back to my race. I decided on a run/walk strategy. First I ran 1 mile and walked 1 minute. When I wasn't able to recover sufficiently from that, I ran 1 mile and walked 2 minutes. When that stopped working, I ran 1/2 mile, walked 1 minute, then I ran 1/2 mile, walked 2 minutes, finally I ran 1/2 mile, walked 3 minutes. This all worked up to mile 9. After that I walked it in, well, until I got into the finishers chute. You HAVE to run when that many people are watching!

This was the best part of the race, I made a plan, stuck to it, and didn't beat myself up over the fact that I couldn't run the whole race or that I wasn't doing as well as I wanted.

As I was just running the course, not racing it, I was able to actually take it everything that was happening. The overcast weather, the racers, the music. The music was key. My shuffle spoke to me and I listened. The play list it generated gave clarity to a situation I'd been struggling with for a while. It gave me the clarity to realize I had a decision to make, the courage to make it and the resolve I needed to follow through on it.

It did almost take the whole 13.1 miles (and 3 hours, 11 minutes) to realize the universe was sending me another sign. But I got it. Thank you.

New Year Resolutions

Yes I know I haven't written in a while. I was experiencing the ecstasy that was vacation and then wallowing in the first week back to work.

In this time, I've dedicated myself to spinning and running, but no swimming yet. I finally decided to sign up for the Southern California Half Marathon. It's on Saturday. I'm stopping by to register tomorrow. This is in addition to, not instead of, Carlsbad.

I do want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I don't really believe in New Year Resolutions, but I make them anyway. I actually make resolutions many times a year, so all New Year Resolutions mean to me is my gym is packed until mid-Feb and that The Daily Plate servers are overwhelmed. Well here they are:

1. Be the one who reaches out. I always respond to friends who plan things. I tend to go with the flow. I don't want my friends to drift away.

2. Take better care of myself. I don't stretch well after a long run or bike ride. Or any run or bike ride actually.

I also need to keep track of my equipment.

See, Yas was having some hip soreness the days she ran. She was also wondering why her toes would fall asleep on long runs. She had mentioned this to her chiropractor and he says bring in the shoes.

Here they are:

Notice what doesn't belong? Yes, that's my left shoe with pretty much no sole on the outer heel. My right heel isn't quite as bad. I've been running on these off and on because my other shoes were giving me blisters. Funny thing about them, those NB 1224s, they're starting to look the same way.

That gray on the outer left heel (the shoe on the right) shouldn't be there.

I'll be monitoring my shoes more closely in the future. I think the peeps down at Road Runner Sports and Snail's Pace are going to love me.

3. Read more. I like to read, I just don't make the time.

And that's it. Well, that's it for now. Like I said, I make resolutions through out the year.

Here's to 2009!

4th Photo Tag

I took Viv's challenge over there on the I'm Not Fit to Run. The rules?

1. Pick the 4th photo folder on your computer
2. Pick the 4th picture in that file
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 more people.

Yasmin getting ready to toss her bouquet.

Yes this is me. At ~195lbs. Getting married. I get to stare at these pictures (read that body) every time I want to remember that day. Let's just say that day doesn't get remembered too much. At least not pictorially.

It really is amazing, the progress I've made. I know I don't give myself enough credit, especially this past few months where I've gained a few of these pounds back. Even when I know some of the pounds are muscles and a well needed gain. All I know is there is no way I'll be 195 again. Unless you strap 45lbs on my back and weigh me. Hopefully, it'll be more like strapping 65 pounds on my body. I'll get there some day.

Now for the tagging. I'm not sure who reads and doesn't post, but here's who I tag. Kelly Donut, both Jens (Dent and Polk) and AKA Alice. I'd love to see what/who stars in your pictures.

New Hair, New Shoes, Triathlons Not Raced and Dealing with Asthma

My hair is pretty. I was one to tell people I'd never dye my hair when it turned gray. Well, it's been turning gray for about 10 years now and I haven't dyed it until today. What changed my mind? Well, highlights look better when the remaining hair is darker than the highlights. Who'd of thunk it? On to shoes.

I'm not sure that I've been blogging about my anticipation of the New Balance 1224s coming out this month. They're the update to the 1223s, which I loved, but alas, they died and my running store didn't have them in my size. I came home with Saucony's instead. Now I really do enjoy running in the Saucony's, but I wanted to give the 1224s a try.

Pretty, huh? They're nice and cushy, but that could be noticing that because my Saucony's are close to dead. So far I like them, but I've only run about 9 miles. They're not even dirty yet.

So the signs for the Orange County International Triathlon have been going up for the past 2 weeks. Now I knew about this triathlon when I signed up for the See Jane Tri Relay with Star (swim) and my mom (bike) on September 27th. I mean, who signs up for their first triathlon (super sprint) in June and just 3 months later is training for an Olympic. Well, there are a few of us crazies.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to go up north and run this race with my mom and Star, who will be there in spirit as her boss canceled her vacation. I'll swim and run my heart out and cheer my mom on the bike. However, on October 5th, when I'm waking up at 3 am to drive my butt to San Dimas and race my first Olympic, I'll be thinking about how I could have woken up at 4:00 am and ridden down to the lake. No worries about parking, Jeremy could have walked down a few blocks to cheer me on the bike and run. I wouldn't have to wake him up early to come with me. Well, there's always next year!

Bonus Topic! Coping with Exercise and Allergy Induced Asthma during a race.

So we all know, or those of you who read my race report know, I had my worst run, maybe race, ever at Pac Coast. I talked to my doctor about it and he thinks I was pushing my exercise induced asthma threshold (yea me!, really yea me!) but the allergy induced part was pushing me over the edge. I gave my coach this peace of info and here is the tip I got.

Stop.

And now you're saying "Oh so, all I have to do is stop and it'll go away? I should have thought of that, dumb ass." Yes, dumb ass. Let me try and explain it.

So you start at intensity A "walking the dogs", work to B "pushing myself through the race" and all of a sudden, or maybe not all of a sudden, you end up at intensity C which is the "Oh shit bears, I can't breath, I can't get a quality breath, my inhaler is now useless."

If you're like me you try and push through. You think maybe if I can just get it over with, things will be okay. This doesn't work. Then you think, maybe if I dial it back a little, everything will come together. Um, that doesn't work either. Apparently what really needs to happen is those little tubes in your lungs that are now inflamed, need a bit of time to calm down.

So when you get to the "oh shit bears", you have to dial it all the way back to the "walking the dogs". If you try to muscle through with the "pushing myself through the race", you'll never be able to catch your breath and move through it. You'll end up slowing down, missing your projected goal. Hopefully you won't post a DNF.

If you have asthma and this happens to you, try out my coach's advice and report back. I'd love to hear the testimonials.