This has got be some kind of record

Last Saturday, for the first time in MONTHS.... probably since January, I bought a jar of peanut butter. I still have about a spoonful left as of this morning. WOW. PB is my crack, and I usually go through a jar in about 2-3 days. So 6 days is some sort of personal record. But I'm gonna have to stop buying it again, cause each jar is about 2,900 calories. I'm trying to cut back by 1,750 calories a week. Oops. So this is a Success and a Fail in one. Why not kill two birds with one stone, right? What's your snack crack? (I'm finally feeling like I'm not a slave to chocolate anymore....woo!)

Oh PB.... until we meet again...

The weather actually was gorgeous outside by the time I was done with work, but I had made up my mind in the morning to go spinning instead. Hey, why not change things up, right? Right as I walked into the gym, one of the trainers shouted "Julia! When are you finally going to take my spin class?!!!" to which I replied. "um, like right now." Haha, that shut him up all right! The expression on his face was really funny. :)

Ikept things pretty easy on the bike. I didn't want my thighs/buns to get too tired for my run today. I kept the resistance at a very manageable level, and never pedaled too fast. I was sweating buckets, but I could NOT for the life of me get my heart rate up past 135. And as soon as the segment was over and we slowed down for a minute, my heart rate would plummet back down below 100. This means that my cardiovascular system has improved by leaps and bounds! However, it did make me wonder if it counts as a cardio workout if my heart wasn't really pumping all that hard?

All in all it was a good workout, and I foam rolled a lot before I left the gym. One guy walked by me and told me "you're always stretching!" I guess that's a good thing, but it doesn't change the fact I feel stiff all the time! I seriously don't know what I would do without the good ol' foam roller! I also realized that pretty much every decision I have been making recently is directly tied to running. Not wanting to push myself in spin class to "save my legs" is an example. Before, I would pedal my little heart out. Whenever friends invite me to go out or hang out, the FIRST thought is "well, I have speed work today, so it will have to be after that," or "how am I gonna fit in 16 miles before I see her?" If it doesn't fit seamlessly into my training schedule, I become reluctant and hesitant to participate. I don't consider them "sacrifices" at all, since I enjoy training, and its not like people are calling me left and right begging for a little of my attention. I just realized my whole mindset has changed. Maybe I'm becoming...gasp!...a Runner!

I'm so excited it's Friday. I foresee hot tub and the movie Coraline in my future. Tomorrow, James and I are going to the Greek Festival. I'm not entirely familiar with Greek food other than gyros and baklavas (mmm love 'em!) so I am excited to experience new flavors. What do Greeks drink though?

Today is going to be a torturous 6 miles. 6 miles used to be my LONG run. I've never ran 6 miles during the weekday. This is new teritory for me. This is new, scary, runner teritory. I got this!

Happy happy Friday to everyone, and Thank You for all the great sandals and face soap advice. I'm excited to go to the drugstore now, and you'll be the first to know when I get a new pair of sandals!
~Adios!~

Recommendations?

Rain, rain, go away, come again when I'm not here....
I can't remember the last time it rained here, so I guess there's not too much to complain about. Heck, it hardly counts as rain, it's more like really thick fog/mist; like the water droplets are just kind of suspended in the air. Gotta love coastal weather. However, this kind of throws my workout plans for the evening off a little bit. There's no way I have enough balls to head out on a 15+miler on the bike by myself in the rain. Nope. I admit I am a wuss. This means I will probably have to go to spin class. That means three consecutive days at the gym. They are going to start thinking I have no life, haha. It's funny though; now that I've been going to the gym for 6 months now, I see the same exact people every time I go. I don't know their names or anything, but I just think it's funny that we have the same exact gym schedules. I guess they don't have much a life either, haha, jk.

Here's what went down last night:

Wednesday Workout
20 min elliptical/treadmill warmup
Standing cable rows (75 lbs 12 reps X 3 sets)
BOSU Ball plank variations (3 sets)
Cable Triceps push downs (50 lbs 12 reps X 2 sets)
Bent over row (25 lbs 12 reps X 2 sets)
Side squats for hip abductors (2 laps across gym)
Biceps curls (10-12 lbs, about 40 on each arm)
Cable machine abs that PT recommended (20 lbs, X 2 sets)
Hamstrings
Hip abductor things PT recommended
Triceps extension (15 lbs, 12 reps X 2 sets)
Shoulder raises
+things I've forgotten about
FOAM ROLL while reading Wired Magazine

All in all, it was a painless workout. I've been kind of toning down my strength training; going to the point just before muscle fatigue. Ok, maybe like 2 steps before muscle fatigue. I used to be all into doing heavy weights, so I feel like gym time is getting kind of boring, and I feel like I've stopped seeing any results. I'm just doing enough to keep my muscle tone, without making myself too tired/sore to run. Eh. Soon enough, I will be a lean mean running machine!

All right now ladies, I desperately need your help. As I mentioned yesterday, I fail miserably at all things girly. BUT, I have a couple of things I need advice on.

First; Shoes. Or Sandals to be exact.
Do you know of any cute/stylish, yet COMFORTABLE and supportive flip flops out there? I've given up on my havianas, and $3 Old Navy slippers, but living in CA, I NEED sandals! And with the upcoming trip to Hawai'i, I know I'm not gonna be wearing my sneakers everywhere. If you know of any brand/online store/style that is not going to hurt my knees, please let me know. I really don't know of any shoe brands other than Asics, Saucony, Nike, etc, so I don't even know where to start looking. Thanks!

Second...um...this is totally embarassing, but absolutely necessary. Whiteheads. Ick. I know. But for some reason, they've reared their ugly head. I haven't had a skin care routine for years now, so I don't know how to deal. All this running and being outdoors is wreaking havoc on my skin, esp my cheeks. It's my own fault for not owning face soap, working out with makeup on, forgetting to use sun block, etc. I am going to stop wearing any face make up until this problem goes away, and use SPF 30 moisturizer every day. I am also going to the drug store to stock up on an arsenal of products.
What Scrubs/Soaps/Ointments/Moisturizers would you recommend?

Guys, please feel free to advice as well :) I know runners have a wealth of information, and I would love to tap your brains for some wisdom. I seriously would LOOOOVE any and all advice since I really have NO fashion sense, and the beauty aisle make me scratch my head in confusion.

Thanks in advance runners!!! and Happy Thursday! Home stretch before the weekend.....

TMI

The fantastic Miss Morning Runner has passed me along this award Honest Scrap. I found out that she makes a mean Mac and Cheese with Salsa. Boy, that sounds delish.
The rules are to link back to the presenter, share 10 things about yourself that your readers may not know that are true, and then pass it on and notify the people you pass the award on to!!

I'm honestly not that interesting, but here goes

1) I am extremely paranoid about getting injured/sick. I know when you're young, you're supposed to have this feeling of immortality, but I've always been burdened by my own mortality. Every twinge, sting, tickle, I feel like I need to call an ambulance. BUT, at the same time, I am too frugal to pay any $$$ to actually go see a Dr. For example, before last Sept, I had not been to the dentist since when I lost my baby teeth. Oops.

2) I cannot live without Vaseline. I will literally freak out if I don't have my little jar with me everywhere I go. At home, my mom and I used to use Costco sized tubs of these things..... well, that is until my dog decided to eat Vaseline.... but that's an entirely different story... haha. I use Vaseline as chapstick, make-up remover, over little cuts, moisturizer, everything!

3) I can be very stubborn.

4) Maybe it's because I grew up as the oldest sibling. Maybe it's just my DNA. Whatever the cause, I have a very difficult time with feelings of vulnerability. I always feel like I need to be the strong one, the responsible one, the one that takes care of business. I have a hard time telling people I need help because I can't help but feel it's a sign of weakness. I have a tendency to keep things bottled up inside. However, I am learning otherwise, that it's OK to ask for help, to ask for a shoulder to lean on.

5) My low maintenance-ness is starting to bite me in the a$$. I eschew most things "girly" and "high maintenance", cause I am too lazy and too cheap. But, I think I have taken it too far. I have not had a hair cut in 9 months and my hair is NOT happy. I have not washed my car and I have found cobwebs and bubble gum on my car. I don't even own face wash. I can't remember the last time my nails had any polish on them. I can't remember the last time I bought non-running clothes/shoes. Most of my clothes are from at least 4 years ago, so my fashion sense is completely out-dated. Wow. Epic FAIL on my part.

6) I want to open up a breakfast joint one day.

7) I still can't figure out why my housemates don't mind/notice that they are living in filth, and they don't see a need to do dishes EVER. And I truly mean EVER. And then they ask me why the pan is dirty. Um..... YOU USED IT TWO DAYS AGO AND LEFT IT THERE!!!! I am actually now quite relieved that I am moving. ok. end rant

8) I loooooooove cats. They make me smile. Like this one:

OMG how funny is that cat?

9) I really want to move to Hawai'i. I have been wanting to since 5th grade. I want to so bad, yet I don't know why I am so scared to actually go do it. If anyone can help me find the guts to make this move, please help.

10) I wrote that Bridget Jones was my role model on one of my college applications. Needless to say, I was rejected. Haha. I really don't know why I did that! haha, I was such a rebel back then....!????

I hope I didn't bore ya to sleep :)

I would like to pass this on to
Run, Eat, Repeat (her eats always makes me drool)
Sneaker Sister (she always has the best advice!)

Quick Recap of Tuesday's workout:
I thought my knee would give me trouble, but as the day went on, the knees were the least of my worries. As soon as I got to work, my lower left back/hip area just started hurting like crazy out of no where! I've never felt pain there before, but every five min or so I would feel like being shot by bullets. It was so painful to sit, I actually had to do a lot of my work standing up, and driving was torture! It didn't hurt when walking, only when sitting. WTF? I was worried about my speedwork sesh, but decided to do it anyways on the treadmill. Glad to report that it went well; very minimal pain, and I was really able to push myself. People were definitley giving me funny looks; I was probably breathing heavily, and may have even let out a few grunts.

To help push myself, I had to play a lot of mind games, like pretending I was being chased by a lion or a crazy Viking, I was just about to cross the finish line in Maui, I pretended I was Kara Groucher, and I kept telling myself "I got this!" It was hard, but a good hard. Keeping my fingers crossed that these speed sessions will help me smash my PR in Maui!

Today I have no back/hip pain, but I think I might switch things up a bit and go to the gym for weights instead of biking, casue biking can sometimes put a lot of pressure on my lower back.

All right, this novel of a post is over now. Phew!

Go check out a Fuel Belt Giveaway at I Run Because I Can. And also Gluten Free Baked Goodies at Run to Finish.

Happy humpday and only 2 more days till the weekend!!!!!

Running form

Lately, I've been trying hard during my runs to focus on my form. Before, my "form" consisted of "left foot in front of right foot. Right foot forward, left arm forward. Don't trip on shoe laces, look forward as to not crash into tree." It did the trick getting me from Point A to Point B. But as I am becoming more and more of a "runner" (I will be one someday!), YouTube is telling me there's more to running than moving your feet. WTF???? Who knew, right?

Ok, Ok, I exaggerate. I don't get ALL my running info from YouTube. But I did find this fascinating video comparing the running form of an Olympic marathon runner, an average runner, and a duathlon runner. I know this video is trying to sell you some sort of product that I have no clue about, but try to ignore that part. In fact, just skip to 51 seconds in to the video.

Isn't it striking how different the strides are? You can tell that the average runner is so much more upright, and each step is much shorter. I find it particularly interesting how he mentions you need good glutes/hamstring strength to kick back and bring your foot forward again.

This video was quite eye-opening. From watching my shadow, reflection in car windows, and race photos, I know I run really upright. I know I stride more with my lower leg and not my thighs. I know I don't immediately contract my hamstrings, and I know my foot lands ahead of my center of gravity. Keeping all these things in mind, I have been focusing on one aspect at a time on my runs. The biggest thing for me is the contraction of the hamstrings as soon as the foot makes contact with the ground. This has helped me spend less time on the ground, and more time going forward. Propelling myself forward with my thighs and tilting my pelvis forward really does help me move faster without too much extra effort, but I find that my muscles and bones aren't used to that sort of pounding yet. But I think concentrating on form a little bit at a time is making me more aware as a runner. Looks like I've still got a ways to go!

What do you think of this video? (Minus the product placement) What form do you focus on when you run?

I have another session of repeats on the treadmill today. Yikes, my knees are a-hurtin'! I am actually quite scared of it right now. I don't know how they'll feel for all 6 repeats. I think that I will slow it down a little if they start to twinge. No point getting hurt three weeks in just to run 5-10 seconds faster.

And now I have to go find my brain because I have been SUPER scatterbrained the last couple of days and I need to get my life back in order. Brain! Where'd I lose you at?

Runners are the coolest

Runners are the coolest people out there. Seriously, thank you SO VERY MUCH for being awesome and supportive, and leaving really thoughtful comments on my last post. Your words are wise, encouraging, and really means a lot to me. It did feel good to write it all out and get it out of my system. And I am taking steps to improve my situation; this weekend I found the new place I will be moving to, I've sent a few resumes out, I tackled 11 miles (longest training distance yet), and just thought my priorities over. I still have no idea what on earth I am going to do, but reading your comments really cheered me up. So thank you SO much for being fantastic. :)

What I am feeling right now is like the song WIDE OPEN SPACES by Dixie Chicks. Good song.

Since I was MIA all weekend lets rewind to Friday evening. I was gonna do a 5 mile recovery, but James decided to come with me at the last minute (yay) but he ran it so fast it became a tempo run for me (boo). But I made it through, and I figured it would be good practice; running faster on tired legs. Total was 5.1 miles. We even got chased down by a car full of drunk college kids who kept screaming "Yoggers! Yoggers! You guys are jogging! Woo! Yogging!" I think the booze made him think it was really cool to pronouce jogging as yogging. Wow. This is why I don't like to drink anymore, haha.

Saturday was swimming. I COULD not get myself up to swim in the morning, so it got postponed till noon, while I ran some errands in the morning. I scored a trial size of Creme de la mer, and I am telling you, this stuff is the MOST AMAZING face cream ever. It makes my skin so smooth, but I could never afford it myself.
Anyways, the pool was so refreshing, and I ended up swimming for an hour instead of the planned 45 min. My strokes are starting to feel a tad bit more natural, and I was able to swim more laps without having to rest. Yay. But still needs work, and am excited to get better.

Sunday: New training distance record for me and a PDR for James! We set out on a 11 mile adventure. We decided to run a leg of the marathoun course instead of driving 15 miles downtown and back. The marathon course is really nice; there's a lot of downhill with only about 2 small/short uphills. I have no idea how we managed to go downhill for so many miles, but I'd rather run downhill than uphill if I'm gonna be running a marathon!

It was a really great run; the sun was perfect, heart rate was right on target, the conversation was flowing, the scenery was new, and the legs were feeling strong. It seriously felt like a 6 mile run, not an 11.3 mile run! We thought we were keeping the pace slow, but looking at my splits, we were running between 9:30 - 9:45 minute miles the entire time. And the last mile was the fastest, at a 9 min mile pace! I can't believe we kicked so much booty at the last mile. Way to finish strong!

One notable experience from this run was I tried an apple cinnamon flavored Hammer Gel. Let's just say it made me yak this neon yellow alien looking slime thing. Will NOT be eating that again!
I am going to be sticking with the Shot Blocks and the Sports Beans. I still have not found a way to effectively carry the shot blocks. I am thinking of sewing a little pocket onto my tank top to carry some with me. It might look silly, but oh well, I'm not entering into a fashion show, so it's all good.

And lastly, I would like to thank the Chic Runner and Tall Mom on the Run for hosting terrific giveaways!
And since I need to spread the good luck, running love, and karma around, I will be hosting a little giveway of my own sometime real soon. (Sometime this week I hope) :) So keep an eye out for the giveaway!

And again, thank you for being the awesome and supportive runners that you are. You make blogging and running much more fun for me :)

~one love~

_____________________
Week two recap
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4.47 miles, 4X1200 at 7:55 pace. Some abs and lates. 600 calories
Wednesday: Bike to Fairview, 16.41 miles. 657 calories
Thursday: Lunch walk + weights. 5oo calories
Friday: 5.1 mile tempo, lunch walk. 825 calories
Saturday: 1 hour swim. About 420 calories
Sunday: 11.3 miles. 1239 Calories
Total mile run: 20.95
Total Calories: 4,241
Observations: Good long run. Hammer Gel=bad for tummy. Swimming getting better. Only .5 miles more than week 1. 200 calories more than week one, yet weight gain. Crap.

The answer's out there somewhere....

I am going to point out the obvious here and say "Woohoo it's Friday!"
Please listen to one of my new fav songs while you read through this


I don't think I could've handled a single more day of work this week. Boy has it been a tough one. Mentally, and emotionally, I feel spent. Physically, the running has kept my body feeling good. I can never give up running for this reason. The sweat, the endorphins, being outdoors and feeling free.... I am digressing.

I had a mini breakdown on Wed night. My quarter-life crisis had turned into a full blown mid-life crisis. If that's even possible. Who knows. Truthfully, I don't even know why I am writing this for the entire world to read, but I find something strangely therapeutic in it. It's got nothing to do with running/training, so feel free to skip over it, but even if there is just one person out there who reads and sympathizes with me, it'll probably make my day :)

To sum it up in one short sentence, I feel stuck. Stuck between my rational head and my passionate heart. They tell me two different things.
I'm just not where I want to be right now. My job isn't challenging enough anymore. I'm one of those rare breeds of people who want to be pushed, challenged, reach above and beyond, and pour my heart and soul into everything I do. Maybe that's why I love running. I don't like my living situation. I always imagined I would have my own sophisticated little apartment, where I would come home, cook, listen to some music and drink some wine. Instead, I live with swines. (notice the rhyme; I tried pretty hard) They are so dirty. I pay over $850 to share a house with 4 people. The crappy situation is not worth the $$. They have not ran the dishwasher in over 2 months, vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the kitchen, taken out the trash, or cleaned the hamster cage in the living room that stinks like nothing else. I do all that, and I try hard not to, but I can't help but resent it.
I love living in CA, but it's never been my intent to make it my final destination. I've lived here for over 5 years now, and I really feel like I've seen everything this town has to offer me. I need something new. I need a new challenge, a new location, a new something. It's this feeling that's been building up for some time now, and on Wed, the feeling just took over my body. It was this real, gut feeling, a visceral, deep, raw feeling, made my heart beat faster, and I just kind of had a mini breakdown. A breakdown because I'm too scared to chase those things. Too scared to leave my comfort zone. Too scared to move, to leave James, to leave the beach and the mountains. I'm scared, cause in this economy, will I even find a new job if I moved? My brain tells me I must be crazy, but my heart tells me I must be crazy to stay. And on top of that, I need to move in a month, which will be my third move in 14 months. And in 4 more months, I might need to move again. It's so stressful; packing, finding a place, moving, all the while working and training. When is this going to end?
And at the end of December, I face a HUGE juncture in my life. I will have finished my contract with my current job. It will be decision time then. I'm so terrified and excited at the same time. I don't know what I'm gonna go.

Inhale. Exhale. Deep breaths. OK. It's all down on paper/screen. I feel better now. Sorry if you had to read all that. I don't even know if I am making sense. But taking the thoughts out of my head into words I can see on the screen is quite cathartic. Sorry to unload onto all of you, but thanks, cause it feels good.

Moving on. Wed evening was 16+ miles bike ride. My bike is making all these weird noises and rattles like nothing else. Must go get it checked out. Thurs evening was weights. It was a pretty pathetic workout, cause I was tired, and was trying not to get too tired for my run today. Also, I was gassy, and that can cause some embarrassing moments at the gym, esp when doing any sort of abs work or stretching. I am not going to elaborate, as I am sure you can all imagine quite well what I mean :P. haha.

Today is 5 miler, I'm hoping I might make it just a little longer if my legs feel up to it.
Running is definitely keeping me sane through all this. As is this blog, as silly as it sounds.
Kind of a heavy post today; I feel kinda naked and exposed, but I'm hanging in there. I know the answer's out there somewhere, somewhere between the sweat, the asphalt, and my running shoes.

Happy Friday!

There are inches, kilometers, hours, pounds, and Milky Way Bars

We have rulers to measure distance, a scale to measure weight, and a clock to measure time. Now I have the Milky Way bar to measure nutrition. And also McDonald's burgers.

No, I don't lay them side by side to measure how big something is. No, I don't flip it to see which side it lands on. But I DO use it as a unit to compare my food choices.

Let's say I am faced with a choice, such as "To use Ranch dressing or not." I think, "hmmm, how does it compare with a Milky Way bar?"
Now, a regular sized Milky Way bar has 260 calories, 10g of fat, 7g of Saturated fat, and 35 g of sugar. If I don't feel like the food choice I am making is nutritionally better than a Milky Way bar, I don't eat it. A serving of Ranch Dressing has 120 calories, and 12g of fat. And who uses only 2 tbsp of dressing? If I'm not careful about serving size, I could easily eat 200 calories and 18g of fat. I would never crumble up a Milky Way bar on top of my salad. But that's pretty much what I'll be doing with Ranch Dressing. Thus, my super scientific method tells me

Milky Way>Ranch Dressing=Julia doesn't eat Ranch Dressing.

Or take a Starbucks scone for example. They sure taste good, and don't seem "THAT" unhealthy. BUT, at 500 calories a pop, it is the equivalent of 2 Mickey D's hamburgers. I would never eat two hamburgers in one sitting, cause I have this mental image that

Mickey D = BAD+Instant 5lbs of jiggle added on my belly.

So again, my highly accurate and scientific formula tells me to pass up the scone.

This method of measuring nutrition can be highly beneficial, no? I mean, if I won't eat a burger of a Milky Way bar because I think they poopy stuff, why would I eat its nutritional twin?
Clearly I am onto something here. My 5 extra lbs will surely come off before Maui with this scientific method! haha.

Please tell me I am not the nerdiest nerd around who does this!

Anyhooos, now that you all know how dorky I am, let's talk about how fast I am at running to make me feel better! :)
Yesterday was 4X1200 at 10K-30 to 35 seconds pace, which for me is 7:55 ish.
I ran on the treadmill to make sure I do not run too fast/too slow.
Despite me being the crazy chick bustin a$$ and breathing like a mad horse while everyone else quietly went on with their workouts, I had a really great run! I was able to maintain my pace for all four of the repeats, and even though it felt tough, I actually had a fun run. I ended up running 4.47 miles in 40 minutes, and walked till I hit 4.7 miles. The arch and toes on my left foot started to hurt though, and it was enough to make me have to curl my toes under, which obviously affected my gait. Are my new shoes to blame? We shall see. After the tready sesh, I did some abs and some lats, and foam rolled like there was no tomorrow. It paid off though, casue today I have no noticable pain. Tightness yes, but no pain. Yay!

Today is bike ride and some stuff I gotta take care of. My life is gonna get real hectic real soon, but that's for another story.

All I can say is that thank goodness its Hump Day already! 2.5 more days to go!

later, runners! :)

My knees love CW-X: A running tights review

Have you ever woken up, and been like, dang! how did my body get all twisted up like that while I was asleep? You wake up like some sort of yogi contortionist with your right arm bent backwards and around your back? Well I woke up like that this morning and BOY OH BOY is my right elbow/trapezius in a lot of pain!!! How on earth did I manage to sleep comfortably in such a non-human position???? Craziness.

Thanks everyone, for your kind comments about my new header! And thanks James, for taking the photo!

As you can see in the header, I am wearing a pair of CW-X compression tights. I mentioned before that it's one of my most favoritest running gear, and that I will do a more detailed review, but somehow life got in the way of that. So I would like to finally get around to writing a review, which will also be my first review! How exciting.

The tights I am wearing are called CW-X Stabilyx Tights. CW-X is made by Wacoal Sports Science Corp. Wacoal, as you know, is a Japanese company and also the world's largest manufacturer of intimate apparel. (I remember in Japan, Wacoal is like, Victoria's Secret and Hanes and Fruit of the Loom combined.) According to thier website, CW-X brand is the "world's first truly anatomically-engineered high performance sports apparel," and a study showed that, compared to regular tights, participants wearing CW-X tights showed a lower oxygen usage, indicating a lower energy expenditure, which all translates in to less fatigue.

Less fatigue=I can work out more intensly for a longer period of time= a faster/stronger Julia= PR!

CW-X tights uses a patented CW-X Support Web(TM) technology, which mimics kinesio taping techniques that a PT would use. This means it's basically a built-in support system for your muscles and joints. This support decreases muscle fatigue and focuses power, and the variable compression minimalizes lactic acid build up. The fabric is UBER sweat-whicking and will keep you nice and cool during your runs. CW-X products include tights, bras, and shirts.

As I mentioned, I own the Stabilyx full length tights. When I pinched a nerve in my lower back (completely un-related to running) I was in quite a good bit of discomfort for a while. But I still wanted to run! I asked my dad what he thought of CW-X pants, because he is really into marathons, triathlons, biking, Ironmans, and all that jazz himself. When he said that CW-X sponsored teams win all the races, I was sold. I contacted the company, and they told me that for my symptoms (Lower back, knee and ankle pain), I should go with the Stabilyx tights.

image source

They are VERY TIGHT and quite hard to put on; I have to sing that Chingy song in my head "I bet you had to jump up and down just to put em on, bet you had to wiggle it around just to put em on, bet you had to lay back on the bed just to zip em up..." haha you get the idea. Once the dance is over, they don't actually feel that tight. And I think they make me look Hard-Core, and yet, they look pretty streamlined, and I think they make me look fast! And as far as running tights go, this is pretty flattering, because the subtle grey/black ontrast and the stitching are all strategically placed to minimize the appearance of bulge. It even sucks your tummy in for a sleeker look.

But obviously, I didn't buy them for how sleek they make me look; I bought it for its function.
You probably want to know.... So, does it work?
My answer is an astounding YES! :)

The first time I wore them on a run, I was able to run faster and longer than before. Even when my knees are feeling a little tired/sore/wobbly, these pants keep them snugly locked in place, and I have no problems running. The tightness in the calves keep me fresh even when running uphill. I have been wearing these pants on all runs over 7 miles long so far, and my legs really don't get too fatigued. I mean, yes, of course, they feel tired and tight, that is to be expected. But I think these tights really help my muscles recover faster, and my knees from becoming too wobbly. And even though the material feels thick, it does a superb job of whicking away my sweat and keeping my dry. In fact, they do a much superior job than all my other dri-fit clothes. Once, I had a nasty fall while running. I landed on my knees and elbows and totally tore up the skin on my arms. But the thick CW-X fabric didn't even rip, and I did not lose any skin on my knees. I got pretty bruised up, but they could've been so much worse. I was so thankful for my CW-X!

Honestly, I wish I had more $$ to buy their shirts and more pants so I can rotate them around. Their shirts apparently come with back/shoulder support, which I imagine will feel really good on those 20 mile runs I've got coming up. Their bras look awesomely supportive too, but alas, I have no need for them, as my girlies could even potentially go bra-less. (tear rolls down my cheek....haha) They are kind of expensive, not gonna lie, but if you have any sort of knee pain, or just want to recover faster, I would definitely look into getting a pair of CW-X pants. They've got ones to keep you ventilated in the summer, insulated in the winter, shorts, capris, you name it. Go check it out!

Wow this review is getting long, and probably quite boring. Thanks for being good sports and for reading it anyways! :)

Today I have my 4X1200 at a sub 8 minute mile pace. I am going to stick to the tready for now till I get a better "feel" for what my pace is supposed be like. I want my body to kind of "learn" the pace. Wish me luck!

Happy Tuesday, and have a great one!

My run felt like a vacation

Wow. Is the weekend really over already? I was JUST starting to have fun..... I really can't understand how 48 hours can just FLY by so quickly like that! Maybe I should start having boring weekends so they seem longer.... haha, just kidding!

Well, let's see where I last left off. On Friday, I went for my 5 miler. I told myself I only needed to do a 4 miler, since I ran during lunch. Even though my quads were tight, I was running slower than a turtle, and I generally just wanted to not be running and instead burrowing in my bed, I got out there, and trudged through it. Somehow I managed to bust out all 5 miles and hated 98% of it, but did it nonetheless and felt good at the end. The feeling of accomplishment at the end makes all the torture worth it.

Saturday was a swim. I am still a disaster in the water, flailing around and such. If you didn't know better, you would probably try to throw me the life saver to pull me out of the water. :) James came to the pool with me, and I watched him swim, because he has good form from playing on the University water polo team. I tried to copy his style, and whaddayaknow, it made swimming so much easier! And more fun! So much so that the second half of my swim was so much more enjoyable and easier than the first half. I actually can't WAIT to get in the water again next week!

Sunday was a ten miler. Thanks to my handy dandy Garmy, (check out my mad rhyme skills) James and I ran 10 whole torturous fun miles, not 9.99!

The run was simply spectacular!

cute little humming bird

The birds and the bees

We ran downtown along the Santa Barbara waterfront. Neither of us had ran there before, so we were excited for the new sights we would see. We had NO idea it would be THIS pretty though! And running past all the tourists, all the beach goers, roller bladers, the surrey bikes, picnics, bbqs.... I felt like I was on a vacation, not a ten mile training run!

A surrey bike

I kept telling James this was the most funnest runnest (again, my rhyme skills are astonishing) we've ever been on! We kept the pace REAL steady at around 9:50. By the end, both our knees were sore, but it was just such a fun, exhilarating run :) We both agreed that we must return next week. Oh yeah, and I tried using Clif Shot Blocks for the first time. I thought they tasted OK, and they did provide a much-needed energy boost. However, they are quite large and do not fit into my pocket. The Jelly Bean Sport beans fit in my pocket, and I can safety pin the Gels onto my pants, but I don't know how to carry around the shot blocks. Any hints?

After the run we got some protein smoothies; mine was a Papaya shake, and it was JUST what the doctor ordered. Hydration + Carbs + Protein = Full and Happy Julia. After all that was a quick stop in the hot tub to loosen up those leg mucsles and some much needed ibuprofen. I am glad to report that I have very minimal tightness/pain in my legs today! Woo hoo!

Bring it on, week two!

Oh and check out Jackson's World for an awesome Gracie's Gear giveaway and Tall Mom's T-shirt giveaway, but don't enter so I can win! haha

Monday Week One Roundup

July 13-19

Monday: Rest
Notes: I feel so restless when resting. So I did a lot of stretching. But nice to have rest day after Sunday Long Runs

Tuesday: 8 X 400
Notes: Garmin came in mail. First training run fail. Ran WAY too fast due to not understanding Garmin use. Got LOTS of fantastic advice from readers.

Wednesday: 14.22 mile bike ride
Notes: Garmy worked great, want road bike

Thursday: Personal Trainer Sesh, impromptu 4X400 at lunch
Notes: Lots of upper body work, and yet my legs get sore.

Friday: 5 miles
Notes: Super sllllooooowwww..... quads super tight from Thursday's training sesh.

Saturday: 50 min swim
Notes: Got GNARLY swim tan on my back. Finally was able to find a rhythm, and actually really enjoyed it. 2nd half was more fun than 1st half.

Sunday: 10 miles
Notes: Ran along the waterfront downtown, and discovered so many new sights! SOOOO much fun.

Total Week One Mileage: 20.5
Total Week One Caloric Expenditure: 4,041
Week One Observations: not bad.... still got a long way to go!

Tree Trunk Legs

That's what they feel like this morning.
I told the personal trainer for my session yesterday that I did not want to do a leg-intensive workout. So we did a super intensive upper body workout. I foam rolled the crap out of my quads. And yet, my upper body is as fresh as can be, and my legs are like dead weights. This should make my 4 or 5 mile run this evening very interesting.

Though my legs feel less than stellar, I had a great workout with the trainer. He showed me some moves that I will definitely be incorporating into my routine. We did a lot of throwing around of 12 lb medicine balls. I was scared the entire time the ball was going to land on my head and knock me unconscious or something. I'm pretty sure I had the most frightened expression on my face the entire time, haha. And I hope my arms get stronger with these moves! They are still like noodles.

Image source

And speaking of noodle arms, please allow me to rant a little bit. I try to keep positive 90% of the time, but maybe I'm in a weird state of mind cause I had super morbid dreams last night. Oh, and you can totally skip over this part.

Anyways. I wrote earlier about how I am trying to lose 0.5 lbs a week before Maui to get back to where I was in May/before I got sick a few weeks ago. It seems reasonable enough. I have been eating well too; brown-bagging ALL my lunches and snacks, eating lots of protein, and hardly eating anything that comes packaged. Heck, I honestly can't even remember the last time I had a chocolate, a candy bar, a soda, or even a protein bar! That is a HUGE accomplishment for me. (I'm a card carrying member of chocoholics anonymous) I'm exercising 6 days a week, and YET, I've put ON weight this week. This does not a speedy PR breaking Julia make. I'm also bummed cause my pants don't fit anymore, and unfortunately, my office won't let me come to work pants-less. (Darn) My a$$/thighs/gut have definitely gotten an extra layer of love, and yet my arms are noodles and bubbies are fast going into hiding. I honestly thought training would have the opposite effect.....
Ok. End rant

Phew that feels a tad bit better.

And since I cannot start Friday off on a sour note, I need to go back to doing my list of three things.

1) I am grateful that I can now run 10 miles. I remember when 6 miles used to kill me.
2) I like to savor... wow this one is hard today.... um... I like to savor.... Wow I can only think of things I DON'T like to savor.... come on Julia.....ummmm I like to savor every moment of freedom that is my weekend. No spending all day watching TV reruns for this girl!
3) I am hopeful that I will have a PR in Maui!!

Oh and I found out I have been peeling my bananas wrong all this time! Check it out;


Promise I will be in a better mood after I get to run today!
Have a good one!

Muchos Gracias and a triathlon...?

A BIIIIIIGGGG thank you to everyone who commented with some much needed Garmin advice! Sneakersister and Sara, your advice has been super helpful! I think the Garmin and I have plenty more play dates planned to get to know each other better! :) I am quite excited.

Yesterday, I used the bicycling funciton on the Garmie (yes, that's her name now) to go for my 15 mile ride. I only made it to 14.22 miles before I had to get ready for date night. But that's close enough for me! I am seriously wanting a road bike now though. My mountain bike with its fat tires and heavi(er) frame is NOT built for speed on the road. I was getting passed left and right by road bikes. I've seen a couple of nice looking road bikes on Craigslist, and I have been doing a bit of searching around on the internet for bikes, but YOWZA!!!! They are super expensive: I could buy a used car for the price of a bike!!!! DAAANG! And I am quite confused: What is the difference between a road bike and a triathlon bike?

Oh and a funny thing happened while I was biking. This older man driving his Infiniti slowly creeps up next to me, rolls down his window, and starts talking to me as I'm huffing and puffing my way up a hill. "That's my least favorite part of the ride" he tells me. I can't really hear what he's saying until I hear crystal clear "I could take you for a ride, do you want a ride?"
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW. Please don't try to pick up girls as they're getting their workout on! Esp if you are an old creepy dude!
I said "NO THANK YOU, I have to ride my bike!"
As I said that, he did a U-Turn and went away. Wow. He went out of his way to be a lurper! Who does that?

And now time for a fun announcement.

One reason why I am so interested in getting a bike is because....... drum roll please.....
I would like to participate in a tri one day.

There I said it. :)

On August 22 & 23, my town is going to be host to the Santa Barbara Triathlon. I REAAAALLLYYY wanted to participate in the Sprint Tri, but I don't have the $$ to enter the race, buy a bike and a wetsuit (needed for the super cold ocean here). But I wanted to somehow participate, somehow be a part of it, learn from it, and just drink in the excitement of it even if I couldn't race in it.

So James and I are going to be volunteering at the event!

We will be at the first water station, handing out waters to the runners. I am so excited! Morgan over at Caution: Readhead Running recently wrote about her fun experience volunteering at a 5k race, and I can't wait to experience a race from the "other side" as well. I think this will be a great introduction for me to the world of triathlons; how transitions work, what kinds of gear people use, etc. I will be attending the expo and all, and watching the race. And maybe next year, I will have enough muscles and moolah to actually race :) For now I am totally focues on my marathon training, and getting a PR in the half in Maui. 66 more days!

Ok back to reality now. Gotta get some work done. I wish I could talk about and daydream about running and being outdoors all day. My cubicle walls are kinda depressing, haha. Again, thanks for all the great advice, and happy Thursday! We are so close to tasting the freedom that is the weekend!

Adios~

First Training Run=Fail

T-68 Days till Maui Half Marathon, and I have a record to beat! My goal is to slash 6 minutes off my previous record. I think this is very do-able, as this will be a flat course. 

But that is besides the point. As you know, I started my marathon training yesterday, but didn't have anything to report as it was Rest Day. Well, I have been looking forward to my first training run today for two reasons. 

1) It marks the beginning of my training. (Obvi)

2) My Garmin Forerunner 305 arrived today! I FINALLY GOT ONE! :)

I was really stoked on the Garmin to help with the training. My plan for today was 8X400 meters at 8:09-8:11 pace. I completed the run. So how did I fail, you ask?

Truth be told, it was the long-awaited Garmin that messed me up.  I have no idea how to use it to my advantage. I uploaded all my personal info, and even figured out how to get it to beep every 400 meters (0.25 miles) I am pleasantly surprised at how accurate the Garmin spits out distance. OK, now the problem lies in Pacing. It kept jumping from 11:24 to 8:34 to 7:09 to 6:59. I was even running sub 6:00 at one point. WTF? I am usually a 9 minute pace person. I could not figure out how fast I was running for the life of me! The pace just kept changing on me all the time! I ended up running all my repeats WAAAAAAYYYYY too fast and hurting my knees. I am going to be sore tomorrow! And at the end of my workout, which was a total of 4.5 mile run and .5 mile walking cool down, I could not figure out how fast I ran each mile. 

PLEASE ADVISE: What am I doing wrong?

Am I supposed to press the "Lap" button every time I do a repeat? How am I supposed to know how fast I'm going? How do I make sure I stay within my pacing zone? Why does my pace keep jumping around all over the place?

...woahhhhhh so many questions! I know, I know. But I am not the most technologically savvy person, so I would love some help in that department from all the pro Garmin users out there. Because right now, I am contemplating running on the dreaded dreadmill for my repeats, because at least I can keep a constant pace on the tready. So please. I beg of you. Help me!! >_<

Well besides the fact that my pacing sucked, the run was good; I was surprised that I actually had some sort of speed in me. I'm so afraid of running fast because I am so paranoid about injuries. The 4 miles literally FLEW by! I ran fast for .25 miles, and did a slow jog for .25 miles, and repeated that 8 times. It was actually kind of fun! (except for the fact that I ate a snack right before I left for the run and almost puked. Note to self..... DIGEST!!! haha)

I am also going to be posting my training schedule on the right-hand sidebar.

Oh and another thing; I am trying to lose the 5 pounds I gained while I was sick a couple of weeks ago, before I race in Maui. I was hoping it was water weight, but clearly, it was not water. I've got about 10 weeks till Maui, which translates into a 0.5 lbs loss/week, which is pretty sensible. This will get me back to the weight I was for the half marathon I ran in May. I think losing 5 lbs will help me reach the 6 minutes I'm trying to slash off my time. Clearly I struggle with the nutrition department, though I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong. Oh well. Good bye chocolate chip muffins! Hello celery sticks! 

Tomorrow is bike day and date night with James. We always try to plan something for Wednesday/Thursday so that we have something to look forward to during the week. It makes the week so much more fun knowing you don't have to wait till the weekend to have a good time. We are going to a steakhouse, so I am very excited :)

Well, again, please advise me on the Garmin issue. I would really appreciate feedback. As for me, I'm off to read my new issue of OXYGEN magazine to read about fat-blasting recipes!

See ya runners!

Running milestones and shoe "review"

GOOD MORNING runners!

It is Monday once again, but hey, only 5 more days till the weekend!
Today marks the beginning of my marathon training. It's not really all that exciting though, cause today is my rest day. I will do a more thorough description of my plan tomorrow, when there's something to actually talk about.

On Friday, I did a 5 mile run which I hated. I was THISCLOSE to quitting at mile 1.5. I thought, if I just make it to 2.5 miles I can quit, but toughed it out for all planned 5 miles.

On Saturday, I did a 45 min swim. Swimming is so difficult to me! I really don't know how to get in a rhythm and breathe smoothly. Right now, each breathe feels like a battle. I think I'm gonna have to hit up YouTube for some swim lessons. Lol.

Saturday afternoon, we hit up the French Festival. Bonjour! It was a really fun festival with TONS of great bread, crepes, and of course, SNAILS! James tried escargot for the first time. It was my second time trying snails, and we both agreed that though the sauce was delish, we did NOT like the texture nor the idea that we were chewing snails. What are some of the wierdest things you've eaten? I've eaten moose, pig hooves, and pig ears, which are all kinda strange.

Here's me channeling my inner Mona Lisa:
And James enjoying some wine as his head gets chopped off by an overly smiley security guard:
Haha.

On Sunday, I hit my running milestone. I ran 10 miles! Well, it was actually 9.99 miles, but whatev! I've never run that much during training before, and outside of a race. I am very proud of myself for this accomplishment, and thankful for James for sticking out the entire distance with me. WOO! I felt good for most of the run. I was very surprised to discover that I was in a very limited amount of pain. My knees and hips took the ten miles surprisingly well. I think the post-run ibuprofen/ice/stretch combo helped a lot as well. I think another factor that helped is that we kept the pace nice and easy. My max heart rate was 173 or something. I usually run my entire run at above 170, so keeping it in the 150-160 BPM range helped tremendously.

It's hard to think that just a couple of months ago, I could barely run 6 miles! Yay for progress!

Another reason why my run went so well is becasue I had new shoes on! As I mentioned a while back, I won a $75 gift card to OnlineShoes.com from Steve. And I thought I'll jsut talk about them instead of writing about them, to spice things up a bit. So welcome to my first home made video! Please excuse the bushy hair/lack of make-up/lack of idea what on earth I was going to say!

Oh boy. Yeah its kinda embarrassing.... :)
Haha. Anyways, Muchos Gracias Steve and onlineshoes.com for my super fly new sneakers!!!!

Have a great day, everyone!
PS- If you love popcorn, head on over to Jacksons World for a giveaway

TGIF and things to look forward to

TGIF everyone! Sooooo close to weekend time! I find that Fridays at the office are the worst for me. All I can think about is "T-7hours till the weekend," "T-6.75 hours till the weekend..." you get the picture.

I'm super excited for the weekend, cause tomorrow, I am going to the French Festival to eat tons of French food! Also, on Sunday, I have my first 10 mile run planned. This is exciting because it will be the longest training distance I have ever done. As B.o.B mentioned, Yay for progress!
ANNNNNND most importatnly, my OFFICIAL marathon training season begins Monday! Woo!

Recently, I won a few free sessions of Personal Training at my gym, and yesterday I had my first assessment session. It turns out that I have a weaker lower back. Surprise surprise. We are going to focus on low(er) impact plyometrics to improve my speed, and building my core and upper body strength. I have been shying away from plyometrics for a while now, because I want my legs to be fresh for my runs, but I am excited to incorporate these moves back into my routine to improve my speed for my upcoming Maui Half Marathon! And I was SO stoked that the new issue of Runner's World had a whole special section for Half Marathons! I ditched my regular lunch time walk to read the magazine cover to cover :) I especially loved the article on cheap running gear. I am Queen of Stinge, so saving $$ is like, one of my highest priorities and the fact that I'm broke.

And I am very excited that Caution: Redhead Running has given me an award! My very first one! It is the Seven Traits Award, where I list seven things about me, and pass it along to 7 more bloggers.
Since I am clearly such an interesting person, choosing only 7 things about me is extremely difficult. I mean, I could talk about myself for days on end! (haha, I'm just kidding) But anyway, here is my super interesting (I hope) list:

1. I am super duper stylistically challenged. I get dizzy and confused when I walk into a clothing store. I don't even know what fashions are popular these days. My fashion consists of running gear and clothes from high school. Oh yeah. I'm styling. If you don't believe me, check out this video from when I went bowling for my birthday party.

Yes, those ARE scrubs I'm wearing. No, I DON'T work in health care. Yes, they are super comfy. No, I DON'T care that I look silly! But I DO think that I seriously fail as a chick sometimes.

2. My favorite music genres include reggae, Hawaiian, and Jawaiian music. Thank you Bree, for the Hawaiian Mix! love it!

3. I cry everytime I watch the Sound of Music

4. One of my pet peeves is when people pronounce common Japanese words wrong. Specifically I am referring to the way people pronounce Saki, Karati, Shiitaki, Karaoki, Maitaki, etc.
It's pronounced Sa-keh, Kara-teh, Karao-keh, etc. They really aren't that hard to get right.... :)

5. I always have to sleep with my Pajama shirt tucked into my Pajama bottoms (totally embarraseed to admit this!)

6. My hair is naturally a 'fro, but no one believes me because I have had my hair chemically straightened for the last 7 years and manually straightened for 2 years before that.

7. Last one... better make it good.... um.... I get really gassy in the morning..., I like the smell of my cat... Well, I'm a proud hapa! :)

Ok now you all know too much about me haha. And here are 7 blogs I really enjoy reading

• NJ Training
• Eliza on the Run
• California Training
• Steve in a Speedo? Gross!
• Should I Tri?
• Tri*Tawn
• Un-athletic Runner

all riggggggght. Happy Friday runners!!!!
Much love,
Julia

I'm rust-proof, and show me where you run!

I was planning on going to the gym yesterday, but my plan got derailed for two reasons.

1. I got a tetanus shot in the morning, and my whole left shoulder hurt. I felt like someone punched me with a hammer, so an upper body workout at the gym was out of the question.
2. The weather was too nice, and I didn't want to be inside a gym.

So what did my new rust-proof body decide to do?

Take my bike out for a spin, of course!
I did an easy 10.2 miles, and it felt glorious being out in the sunny evening sun. Good bye June Gloom, hello summer!

But I am really starting to want a Road Bike. I got a mountain bike because James told me he was gonna get a bike too, and we could go riding along the bluffs in my neighborhood. But James isn't going to get a bike, and mountain bikes aren't speedy. I am considering selling it and getting a road bike. Is that a smart choice or no?

Anyhoo. Thanks so much to everyone who shared their running mind games/tricks with me yesterday. Good to know I'm not the only one channeling my inner Britney/Beyonce/Lady Gaga while running! :)

I went on a walk yesterday during lunch. If I can't go for a walk during my break I get all stir crazy and can't focus all afternoon. I can't understand how some people choose to sit in a dark room and sit some more and watch TV when it is so gorgeous out. I mean, how can you sit all day...??? I love to put some reggae-ish music on my iPod and just take off for an hour.
So please listen to the song I was listening to, and step into my shoes as I take you through a photo montage of my regular walk/run path.

Floating Sneaker in lagoon. I just don't understand.... Who loses just ONE sneaker? Seriously.... Did they decide in the middle of their walk that shoes were overrated or something, and that the Swamp Monster would eat it up or something?

The underwater plant life got SO THICK in just a couple of weeks!

Hello Ocean. I try to see the ocean at least once everyday.

The bluffs where I run/walk/was planning on riding my bike with James

Some surfers

Why on earth would anyone choose to watch reruns on TV when you can watch the waves?

Look at the intricate pattern on this palm tree! Nature is so cool!

Weird fishy on a stick thing.

So there's my route. I'm really really interested in seeing other people's routes. I'm thinking it would be neat if YOU could share where YOU run on YOUR blog! I think it'll be fun!
So please....

Show us where YOU run! :)

Awesomeness.
1) I am grateful that it's already humpday. Phew!
2) I like to savor the smell of summer fruit; go smell the peaches at your grocery store. They are smelling mighty fine!
3) I am hopeful that I will find cheap plane tickets to Hawaii/Maui. Please do share if you have any tricks to score some good deals.

Adios Amigos!

Ohhh and Wing it Vegan is giving away an awesome 4-in-1 kitchen appliance. Check it out!

A very hot run

I think I am finally starting to understand the whole concept of incorporating "recovery runs" and not pushing myself hard on every run. I did a 4 miler yesterday, and even though my legs were still sore from the race on Saturday, I had a really great run. I paid close attention to my heart rate and made sure I stayed in my zone. That REALLY helped my legs, because they do not hurt today. Yay!

But DANG was it hot out! It was already 5:30 PM, but it was the hottest run I've done all summer season! My face and arms are getting really red/tan, while the rest of my body is still pretty pale. Maybe I should just cut out a huge circle on my Tshirt so my tummy and back can also tan! haha.
yeah, check out my awesome drawing skills!

Sometimes though, when my legs are feeling heavy and it's not the fastest, adrenaline filled run, I have a hard time mentally staying in the run. I have a few mental and physical tricks/games that I play to help me finish the run. Here are some:

1. Play "If I Were A Millionaire..." The point is to daydream about what I would do if I were filthy stinking rich. I then discover I am so frugal/stingy, that I don't even know how to dream big, and I fail miserably at this game, but it sure makes the time fly! :) (BTW if I were a millionaire I would pre-pay registration for as many races as possible.... but then I should be daydreaming about flying first class to all sorts of exotic race locations.... but then frugal me can't even fathom that)
2. Pretend I am in a music video. I pretend I am sexy chica doing a slow-mo run or something. Or I start singing along. Often times out loud.
   
3. Look at people's mailboxes and repeat their address in my head till I get to the next one. Pretty soon I get so "in the zone" I realize I've gone a whole block!
   
4. Look for Chryslers. I drive one, so I get excited to see one. They aren't all that common. Now I realize this would be a boring game if you drive a Ferrari. You'll never see one. This game will be boring for you. Man, it must suck to have to drive one of those! :)
5. Focus on form. I actually have to remind myself to pick up my feet sometimes. But honestly, when the run gets tough, focusing on one technique at a time makes the pain go away.
6. Change strides for a while. I'll do 30 steps strong and fast, and 20 slower, and so on.

Do you play any mind games when you're on a run? I've also thought of getting some "books on tape" for my longer runs to keep me entertained.

Oh and I got a super special Bday present from Dad: The Magic Bullet!
It's a super cool blender/food chopper, and I am thoroughly enjoying using it. Yasi, I finally made some Green Monsters! They are surprisingly tasty! I can't wait to experiment with more flavors. Yum Yum

And since I haven't remembered to be grateful for a while, here goes:
1) I am grateful that my iPod hasn't failed on me yet (don't know how I would run without it sometimes)
2) I like to savor lazy afternoons when I get to take a nap
3) I am hopeful that this weekend will be sunny and warm!

Oh and Erica at I run Because I Can... is giving away an awesome gym bag. Check it out!

Semana Nautica 15K Race Recap

Oh man. How do I start to describe my race experience? How do I convey my utter distress? Where do I start?

I guess starting off saying that we missed the start of the race says a lot.

Yup. James and I missed the start of the race by about 3 minutes.
We were THE last people.

I am OCD about punctuality. I HAAAAATTTTEEE being late with a passion. Let's just say James does not feel that way about time. He calls it "Aloha Time." And let's just say "Aloha Time" prevailed on race morning.

When we crossed the starting line 3 minutes late, I didn't even have my race number on, I hadn't yet put my car keys away, I didn't have my iPod on yet, and I was freaking out. We had to walk the first few minutes or so just trying to pin my number up, and get everything organized. I was on the verge of tears. My breathing was whacked up, and my heart was pounding. I had wanted this race to go so well, the reality of it was just too much to handle at that moment.

I thought the race was doomed from the start. We could hardly see the people in front of us. I was yelling at James.
When we finally caught up with the last few people of the pack in front of us, ADRENALINE KICKED INTO HIGH GEAR. All of a sudden I was a girl on a mission; Pass as many people as humanly possible. From that moment on, the race was about catching up and passing. It wasn't about time, pace, or miles. It was how many people can I pass?

Runners 1-7: Still feeling pissed I missed the start
8-20: DO NOT let anyone you pass pass you back. You CAN do this!
21-30: Feel a HUGE ego boost every time I pass someone. My mind and body are BACK in the game! I can't wait to pass more people.
31-54: I like passing groups of people running together. I can pass multiple people with one effort!
55-60: It is getting harder to pass people. The fast people are so far in front of us.
61-64: Each runner takes a few minutes each to pass. Runner 54 passes me! Oh no he didn't! I CANNOT let him re-pass me! Pick up my pace a little.
65-70: Re-re-pass runner 54 at aid station. Yes. Feel queasy running uphill. But I pick up speed on the uphill because I know others will slow down. I MILK the downhill, letting go of my fear of tumbling down and just go for it.
71-80: A struggle. Mentally, I'm starting to feel defeated. Gah! Why were we late!!!! I try to make the most of every little downhill to pick up speed.
81-82: James starts conversing with a man running with his dog. The dog is running the whole 15K! I can't even talk with them, I'm breathing so hard. But they are running fast, and they help pull me along.
83-85: Pass mile 6 and 3 runners at once.
86-91: People are starting to slow down, so I make moves to pass each one. It is getting harder and harder to pass people. I am getting tired. 3 more miles to go. I know I can do it.
92: Takes FOREVER to pass
93: Are we done yet? Oh no, I'm being passed! A runner sprints past me. There is no way I can catch up.
94-96: Time to sprint to the finish! I finsish running 9.5 miles (yup, according to mapmyrun.com)

I passed 96 people (97 if I didn't get re-passed right at the end), and finished strong. My heart rate was 175-185 the entire time. I blame that on the adrenaline. My official time was 1:27:37, but that's not my real running time. My Polar says 1:24:31. So I am sticking to that as my time. I'm so bummed though, that my race results are going to be kept for all eternity and no one knows that I had a three minute handicap! But I am very proud of myself for running strong, and not getting mentally defeated and giving up. And I will make sure James will never make me late to a race again! haha.
The rest of Fourth of July went really well (minus major post-run stomachache due to major stress).



And I also decided to sign up for a 10K race in August. There is going to be free ice cream at the end. Will run for dessert. That's my slogan.
Oh, speaking of desserts, I am on a one-week ban. I promised James I will give up one bad habit this week; and desserts are my demons. When I make promises to others, I can keep them, but I can never do it on my own. Maybe I should just publicly make promises to not eat sweets and my problem will be solved.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Rock and bowl

On Wednesday, I fit in a workout even though it was my rest day. Why? So I can go to Rock and Bowl on Thursday. James The Awesomest set it all up for me. Thank you!

I just did a quick set of weights and 35ish minutes in the pool. And 35 GLORIOUS minutes in the sauna. OMG. The Sauna. I have always had a love affair with the sauna. Perhaps because I am a quarter Finish. They have FANTASTIC authentic saunas in Finland. But even in Tokyo, I would go to the sauna for hours with my mom. Good golly it felt good! And I am starting to feel more 'natural' in the water. I still get freaked out every time I accidentally swallow water or get water in my ears, haha.

So anyways, bowling was fun, and for some reason, I was doing super well! I think it had to do with the SUPER strong Mai Tai I drank half of and got drunk off of. Oh yeah. This party animal is.... well, not really a party animal. That's right. I'm such a lightweight I get drunk off of HALF of a drink. This explains why I hardly ever drink. Anyhoo, the Mai Tai helped me bowl a 122 game! I think that's a PR for me! I was getting Strikes and Spares left and right. But out of all my amazing bowls, James decided to secretly videotape me missing my spare.

Can you tell I'm bummed? Haha, that's some serious pouting action going on! (oh and yes, if you were curious, those ARE scrubs I am wearing. And NO, I don't work in the health care field. Oh yeah. I am SUCH the fashionista. )
And there was also a celebrity sighting at the bowling alley; Paul Walker was there.

Well I am off to the beach to enjoy my day off. I hope you all are having a bright sunny day! And happy birthday to Kainoa, Bree's super cute three year old! :)

Birthday Run

Glad to report that the run yesterday did not hurt like the painful run last Tuesday. Phew! I will definitely take note NOT to do too intense of a weights sesh the day before a run.

I ran a 5 mile out and back on Cathedral Oaks and the surrounding neighborhoods. All in all it was a great birthday run, though at the end of it, I was spent! Miles 3 & 4 flew by; I was in a really great second wind! I think the trick is to run slower than what feels natural. I usually start racing myself, and I never let myself have "recovery" runs, or "easy" runs. But if I am going to be running 3-4 times a week, I really need to learn how to slow it down. I tried my best to stay within my heart rate zone yesterday, and I think that helped me slow down and take it easy. But I really want to get a Garmin so I can start tracking my pace and distance!

On the above mentioned run, I passed one particular house not once, not twice, not thrice, but FOUR times. (I should have mapped out a better route, haha) There were two guys doing yard work, and by the fourth time I passed by, one of the guys stopped me to tell me "I was going too fast!" haha! He was really interested in my running, and I told him about the Santa Barbara International Marathon in December, how I was training for it, yada yada yada. He was like "I used to go running a lot but...." I told hime it would be GREAT if he picked it up again, and that I'd be running by again soon. I hope he starts running again! But it felt good to be told I was "too fast" on my easy run! :) Ego boost!

One of the things I was thinking about on my run are goals I have for myself for this year. I think I'll share some with you!

1. Run the SBI Marathon injury free
2. Run Maui Half Marathon and get a new PR
3. Run Santa Barbara Half Marathon
   
4. Learn to be a baller swimmer
5. Clean up my eating and eat more veggies / try making Green Monsters
6. Get STRONG!
7. Hopefully find a new job (keepin my fingers crossed!!!)
8. Plot ways to move to Hawaii
   
9. Read at least one FICTION book
   
10. Travel more within CA

I think that's enough goals for right now.
I wonder what this year will bring! I have a feeling it's going to be a good one.... it's an even # afterall.... 23 just didn't have a happy ring to it.

oh, and Pinch-Punch-First-Day-of-the-Month!