My favorite little Meat Ball

Hi guys.

I'm still here... but this week has been a difficult one for me.

On Monday afternoon, I got a call from my mother in Japan, that my beloved cat Mii-chan has passed away, after 13 years of being with my family.

She was a simply stunning gorgeous cat, so wonderfully feline and delicate. I have so many memories of growing up with her. We actually got her in NYC; we were there visiting my grandma, and my mom and little brother were exploring the city and walked into a pet shop. There at the pet shop, my brother discovered this tiny little kitten, this beautiful, darling kitty, and he knew in his heart that she needed to be with our family. So there we were, halfway around from home when we welcomed the newest member into our family.

We flew home with her all the way to Tokyo, and since then I have had so many wonderful moments with her. Mii-chan will forever be in my heart surrounding some of my most favorite memories; like taking her on walks and feeding her sea weed from my rice balls. Oh how she loved the sea weed!

As I've said before, I am a total sucker for cats. The news of her passing was devastating to me. I've never had the experience of losing a pet before, and it really made me sad that the last time I saw her was over a year ago. And to think that in two months, I was gonna be able to go home and see her and hold her!

So here's to you, my favorite little Meat Ball. I love you so so so so much. The thought of you will forever put a smile on my face. You were always such a cute, dainty little cat. We will all miss you, including Skipper, Dr. Evil, and Choco. I like to think that you are in kitty heaven now, full of cat nip, tuna, warm blankets, mice, and sea weed.

It's so hard for me to write this Meat Ball, and I will cry for a few days more. But I will remember you with the fondest and dearest of memories.

Rest in Peace Mii-chan, I love you forever.

isn't she beautiful?

In honor of Mii-chan, I will be running as a cat for the HM this Saturday.
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I have been in a funk all week. I could not muster the energy and will power to run on Tuesday. I was just too sad, so I did a solid 75 min of yoga. That helped to center and refocus my energy. I did manage to run last night.... just 4 painful miles on the treadmill. My left knee and shin are in quite a good amount of pain right now, and I am hoping it will be gone by Saturday.

Despite all this, I am glad I have a trip and a HM coming up this weekend. It has helped to have something to look forward to. Otherwise, I probably would have curled up in my bed and cried all week. And I know it sounds silly, but I think running as my cat (I've got ears and a tail) will help with the healing process.

And I know I'll always have a kitty looking out for me from above.

James: "We just ran 20 miles." Man at park: "Oh, only?"

So yeah. There it is.

20 miles.

Still can't believe we actually friggin' did it. And boy oh boy. 20 miles is that much harder than 18.5 miles.

But man, we ran 20 effing miles! Boo-ya!

As always, the run in bullet points:

• Friday night: Force James to eat a ginormous plate of pasta.
• Wake up Sat morning. It is already frigging HOT outside. Like 85 degrees hot. Eat a huge breakfast.
• Drive to mile 26 of the marathon, at Shoreline Park.
  
• Drive to starting point, (mile 6 of marathon) right by UCSB. Drop off two "runner's bags" filled with water, gummy bears, GU gels, other food items in two locations.
  
• Start the 20 miles!

The one memorable thing about this run was that it was HOT outside. Like, seriously, damagingly hot. WTF? It's October! It's supposed to be cool! At several points it was so hot and so bright I felt nauseous. I was deadly afraid of dehydration. So I ate way too many shot blocks and drank way too much Gatorade. Because of this, I was puking up little pieces of gummies and Gatorade for more than half the run. Ick. Having stomach issues for 20 miles not bueno.

Also, I was tired even before I began the ran. As soon as I took my first step of the run, I knew it was going to be a struggle. My legs felt sooooo tired, and heavy as logs. My survival strategy for the run was to NOT think about it, and concentrate on talking with James.

But by mile ten, I was seriously ready to call it quits. I was hot, I was tired, my legs were beat, and my tummy hurt. But I kept this all to myself. I didn't want my negative energy to affect James at all. And I knew that as long as he kept going, I would keep going as well.

My strategy at this point was to just NOT think about the run. I begged James to keep telling me stories. He told me all about sleep cycles, Kafka's short stories, some Ben Stiller movie, theories on relationships.... anything to keep my mind off the run. I am so thankful he was there, because I know without a doubt I would've quit somewhere around mile 15.

At around mile 16, my right calf muscle started to get really tight and knotty. It got so bad that it yanked at my achilles tendon. At one point, I yelped in pain and had to stop to stretch it out for a bit. That seemed to do the trick though, and though I needed to stop one other time, my calf was fine.

Miles 17.9 - 18.35 was a KILLER uphill. Staring up at the top from the bottom, the hill looked so massive and so daunting. Oh, did I mention it was 85 degrees out?

But for some miraculously odd reason, I was able to Kill the Hill, (rhyming unintentional) and it honestly did not feel bad at all. Maybe the thought of having a challenge was motivating? And the fantastic thing was, from Mile 18.5 to 20 was basically all downhill. The downhill hurt my joints after a while, but it was more than welcome after more than 3 hours of running!

And then Dannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng. My Garmin finally let out the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

Beep beep beep!

and there you have it. 20 miles. Donezo. Phew!

I literally collapsed onto the grass at Shoreline Park. But James reminded me to "walk it off." I was waddling and moaning and groaning in pain. People definitely were looking at me funny, but I just wanted to gloat at them and shout "I just ran 20 effing miles! boo-ya!" :)

As we were stretching at a bench, this guy came up and we struck up a conversation.

Guy: "did you guys just finish a run?"
James: "Yeah, we're training for a marathon. We just did a 20 mile run."
Guy: "Oh, only?"
James and Julia : "............?"

Obviously, the guy was being sarcastic, and was beyond amazed we ran that far, but at that moment, we were both so tired and so out of it we didn't quite get his sense of humor. But I did manage to talk his ear off about marathons and training. We made him promise to come out and cheer on M-Day!

All in all, I am still amazed we ran 20 miles. It was way slower than I would have liked, and it hurt a LOT more than I thought it would. I was soooooooooo tired all of Sunday. My usual spunk was gone. My legs felt tattered. My knees were super tender. I took a nap. I was only able to do one hour of yoga on Sunday. I was hoping for a swim too, but had NO energy and NO motivation. WTF? I really didn't think it would be that much worse than a 18.5 miler, but it was. 20 hurt.

But I conquered it!

I am so glad I only have to run 13 this weekend! I am sooooo excited for the Healdsburg wine country HM this weekend! yay yeah!

There are some place you just DON'T listen to your iPod!

Recently, I read a blog post on Runner's World called It's Not About the iPod. It talked about a woman who got a DQ at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon because she was listening to her iPod, even though she was aware of it being against the official rules. This piqued my interest not because I like my iPod, but because much of the conversation centered around following rules...or not. Mark Remy, the author, asks

I mean, is it just me, guys? Am I the only one who finds this creeping disrespect for rules, this sort of "Up Yours, I'll Do What I Want," "Me First" attitude just a little alarming?

Or should I crank up some Jay Z and just... tune it all out?

Now yesterday, I mentioned I've been told I'm like Angela from the Office. I have to admit that its not only because I like cats. I too like to follow the rules. I grew up in Japan. Enough said.
And when I moved to America a few years ago, I too, like Mark Remy, found the disrespecting of rules here quite... different. Let's just say it was a pretty huge culture shock. I mean.... people wanted to fight the rules about everything... even small petty things like the color of the T-shirt they were assigned to in a group activity. (really? Is your free t-shirt so important to you that you need to go complain to the supervisor about it...?)

I'm digressing a little here, but you get my drift. Last night, I mentioned that I was going to the ballet. The ballet was amazing, and I truly enjoyed the show. But I wouldn't be writing this post had a not seen this one particular thing.

A guy (most likely a college student) wearing his headphones and listening to his iPod/iPhone through the performance.

WTF...??? Seriously? Seriously? You go all the way to see a ballet, and you listen to your iPod? While these people on stage have worked thier butts off to perfect the art to deliver a feeling of magic, a feeling of spectacle? The precise dance, the impecable Tchaikovsky music, the dedication to the art.... it all meant nothing compared to the Jay-Z or Linkin Park or Miley Cyrus or whoever it was he was listening to.

I just think it was so disrespectful and distasteful. I don't have anything against iPods. Like the Runner's World article said, the issue at hand isn't even about the iPod. It's about having respect for the organization that's making the event possible and trying to provide everyone a great experience. I don't know... it just makes me feel sad to think about how some people believe their own immediate pleasure/gratification is MUCH more important than anyone else's, and disregards the fact that thier actions are offensive/disrespectful to others. Yes I know I am a little naive. But still....it makes me sad.

I know this has nothing to do with running, but I just really wanted to talk about it and throw it out there. I think having respect is a really important topic for running though, and especially racing. And I also know that runners tend to be very introspective, reflective, observant, and intelligent people, so maybe you can share your wisdom with me. But you can totally feel free to disagree with me too, and tell me I'm wrong. Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture. Please do enlighten me. Oh and yes, you can call Angela.

It's the middle of the week and time for a laugh

Ok so I've been told I'm like Angela from The Office.
Wha...?

.... Hopefully its just because I like cats... and not because of all the other things...!
And because I think we can all use some mid-week laughs, I thought I'd share some of my recent favorite internet finds. Prepare to smile.

Image source

Image source

Image source (man, cats can run fast, too!)

Seriously, every time I see these, I completely crack up!
These are all from my new obsession; icanhascheezburger.com. I've spent waaaay more time on this site than I'd like to admit. :) Clearly, I've been super productive lately. Daydreaming my time away? who, me?

Ok so I guess I should mention running somewhere in here too :)

Really, not much. I was super sore after running 18 miles on Sat and doing an hour of yoga and an hour of weights on Sun. Last night was a quick 5.5 miles. I full on expected it to be a crappy run, but turns out my body was Craving it. It was fast, it was easy, and it felt good. Sometimes running can surprise you like that; out of the blue you get this run where everything just clicks: it feels effortless, freeing, invigorating, and just plain old fun. I wanted to go longer, but it was already dark, and I don't feel comfortable running in the dark.

Have you ever run in darkness? It's quite the trippy experience, I'm telling you. I once (unintentionally) ran in total darkness. When you can't see the ground, where you're headed, or where your feet are landing, it feels like you're almost hopping along, kind of like you're gonna take off flying or something. It feels... weightless somehow. It's super strange. If you wanna know what I'm talking about, try running with your eyes closed. Seriously. Try it.

I have a fun date night planned tonight: I've got free tickets to the ballet! I danced for over ten years, so I'm so excited to go to a fancy show and get all dressed up :)

I am sending you all sorts of humpday-licious vibes through the interwebs! Adios

Chafed butt crack, sore butt cheeks... who cares when you just ran 18.5 miles!

Dude. Trying to get out of bed when both halves of your a$$ is tight and sore is quite the challenge. First, there's the sleepy "I don't know where I am; who am I; what am I doing?" moment, then the "oh crap gotta get ready," and then "whooooa Nelly how the heck am I gonna swing my legs over the bed?" moment. And then there's the whole having to sit down on the toilet thing.

Another reason why I will eternally be jealous of guys.

But it's ok. Cause I couldn't be more proud of my accomplishment this weekend: I ran 18.5 miles!

So how did this adventure start?

Saturday morning 8AM: make some pancakes and bacon. Pancakes are the BEST pre-run fuel :)

9:30: Go to the store and pick up post-run protein bars, and lots of water and Gatorade.

10:00: Stretch, Body Glide, the usual.

11:oo: Drop off some "Runner's Goodie Bags" along our route. I packed some bottles of water, shot blocks, ets in brown paper bags, wrote "For runners. Please don't take," and left them in the bushes on the side of the street in two spots along the route.

Noon: James and I drive over to Elings Park (finish point) in separate cars. We drop off James' car, hop into my car and drive to the starting point. And we are off!

• Miles 2.3 -3: we run through the Goleta Lemon Festival and the Classic Car Show. Hey, why not kill two birds with one stone, right? LSD and festival in one! It definitely made the warm-up portion fun!
  
  
• Miles 3-4: It is h-o-t with a capital H. WTF? It is a good 20-30 degrees hotter than last week. It makes running way more difficult. I start to worry if we have enough water
  
  
• Mile 5: My first running potty break! I feel like I am now a legit member of the Runners Club. :) Yes. I am proud of popping a squat. Don't judge :)
  
  
• Mile 9: First pit stop. Phew! No one stole our "Runner's Goodie Bag!" It was nice to fill up on more water. Sun + heat + long run = thirsty thirsty. But only 9 more miles to go~
  
  
• Mile 12-13: a very welcome downhill. At mile 13 I tell James "Only five more miles to go!" I can't believe just a few months ago I was training for my first half, and running 5 miles was a huge feat. Running 13 miles seemed like the gnarliest craziest idea to me then. But now, words like "we've already run 13; what's 5 more?" are coming out of my mouth. Dang. Who would've thought I would actually come this far?
  
  
• Mile 14: Second pit stop. Refill water bottles, eat some shot blocks, and set off for the final 4 miles.
  
  
• Miles 14-16: this portion was so tough; both mentally and physically. I know James was having a hard time. But like a true champ he kept trucking along.
  
  
• Mile 16.7: James tells me I will have to run the last mile alone; he was gonna have to walk. I take a deep breath and head out!
  
  
• Miles 17-18.5: Left foot right foot left foot right foot. I counted every step of the way there. The trance of counting was the only thing that kept me going. Thank god it was all downhill! No better way to finish a long run than going downhill :)

I was pretty effing happy to be done with this 3 hour run. Phew! I was sooooo tired! But I literally couldn't believe I had just run so far, and was beaming with pride. I got in the car and drove back to pick up James and we headed straight for the smoothie shop. We were quite the mess when we got there: moaning and groaning, unable to stand up straight, salt crusted on every inch of our skin. We probably stank like skunks too, but it didn't matter. The smoothie tasted so incredibly cold and delicious. Oh, and did I mention I just ran 18.5 frigging miles? :)
I completed it with fairly minimal damage too. Just one swollen toe, under-boobage chafing, and some butt crack and inner thight chafes. Running is so glamorous, no?

I'm so proud of James too. He smashed is PDR by 2.7 miles! I know he was hurting for the last couple of miles; he says he had a bonk; he didn't have enough water, and he didn't eat enough of his shot blocks. I think he only had one packet of GU gel and a couple of shot blocks. I don't think that is enough fuel for him, but he says it's hard to eat those thing when he's not hungry. But my understanding is that you need to eat them regardless of hunger cues, right? Any advice for James you could offer?

I have only two more real "long runs" left before the marathon; a 20 miler and a 22 miler. There's also another HM next weekend, a turkey trot, and maybe another race before M-Day. I am terrified at the 20+ mile runs and scared sh!tless of the real marathon. 26 miles is sounding like a LOT to me right now. 18 was hard. How on earth am I supposed to run 8 more....??? GULP! I guess I will continue tackling it one step at a time.

Here's to Monday and the many more miles to come!

OK so now I know why people run with toilet paper

So I've heard of sharting, where you... you know.

But what is it called when you... um... fart and... um... pee a little at the same time?

peert? farine? what is it?

And just so you know, I'm only asking this cause it happened to my friend, and s/he wanted to know what it's called.

Ok ok who am I kidding, right? haha :)

Don't worry, it wasn't anything too embarrassing. I was running alone on a trail, I was already completely drenched from sweat, and it's not like I peed my pants. haha.
But I now understand why people run with TP. Though I hope I never have to find a bush to do more than pop a squat in....!!

Um yeah. Ok let's stop with the TMI shall we?

So let's back track on this "farine" inducing run. It finally stopped raining yesterday, so there was no way in hell I was going to go run on that torture device. It was warm so I wanted to run on the bluffs by the beach.... which turned out to be muddy as F, but that was fine by me cause it forced me to slow the heck down. Actually, it was kind of fun playing a game called "Don't slip and fall and look like you just shat your pants". Seriously. I am 5 years old. Ive aceepted it :)

Other than the whole slip and slide thing going on, and the intense humidity, it was a really fun run. My knees were feeling good, it was fun to watch the dogs play in the mud, and fun to run by other walkers/runners. At one point I raced this other guy who was running. For some odd reason, whenever I see a younger guy running, I feel the need to race him. I don't get this competitive urge with other girls. I think it's because not to be sexist or offensive, but I feel particularly fast when I beat some dudes. Unfortunately, after half a mile of racing him, I couldn't quite catch up, so I fell back to my own regular pace. But it sure was an exciting half mile!

The one sad thing is that I think I am going to have to put a 5-mile limit on my after-work runs. By the time I am done, it is near pitch black outside. I know it's only 6 or 7 pm, so it's not technically "late", but I don't feel comfortable running alone in the dark. I do live in a really safe neighborhood, but you never know with these things. But with only 1.5 more months to go till the marathon, I think I will be OK with my 5 mile runs.

Other than that, it's Friday folks! This means that I am going to run my 18 miler this weekend. Holy smokes! 18 miles is an intimidating #, but this week, I have James to run with again. Wish us luck :)

Have a great Friday!

Oh and HERE is a funny story about sharting!

Just to prove that I'm not always Negative Nancy

Just to prove that I'm not always Negative Nancy:

Two days of p!ssing pouring rain = free car wash

Running 5 miles on the hatemill treadmill = free freak show entertainment at the gym

Tons of Halloween candy in the office = layer of blubber to keep me warm without a sweater

A gift certificate to the movies = free date night tomorrow!

Ok ok, so the last one is a joke; nothing negative about free gift certificates! :)

Since July, I've managed to do all of my runs outside. Clearly, I have been spoiled by the beautiful weather, because when it rained on Tuesday and I had to do my run on the ever-spinning-torture-machine that some crazy people call the "treadmill," I decided I'd rather be getting my wisdom teeth removed.

Ok maybe it wasn't that bad. But I have this one issue that makes treadmill running really difficult for me.
See that handle bar that goes straight across? (I've indicated it with that arrow, just in case, haha) That little guy over there makes treadmill running really awkward for me. It seems that the height of that bar coincides DIRECTLY with where my arms swing when I run. This means that I purposely need to raise my shoulders and swing my arms higher as I run, or I will end up treating that bar as a punching bag and get bloody knuckles. Altering my natural arm swing over 4-5 miles causes some major shoulder and neck discomfort.

This is the only treadmill option available for me, and with winter and crappy weather fast approaching, I am going to need to start running on the treadmill again.

Does anyone else have this problem? Or am I some sort of freak of nature destined to be enemies with the treadmill forever?

In other fun news, I swear, the gym never fails to crack me up. Just last night, I saw a guy doing hundreds of sit ups in.... get this: denim and a leather belt. What the....? I mean, have you ever tried doing any sort of exercise in your jeans? It is DANG uncomfortable. And a leather belt on top of that? Man, that dude probably has a permanent dent in his back from doing so many sit ups on his belt! Why would you do that to yourself? If you forgot your shorts, you can borrow a pair at the front desk! Ouch!

Oh well. Dispite my best efforts, my inner Negative Nancy shone through. I blame it on the rain. But hey! Tomorrow's Friday, and we are finally getting a ray of sunshine after 48 hours! That's always something to celebrate :) Have a good one!

How do you eat healthy on a budget?

Food. You eat it, you use it to grow, and you poop out the rest. Sometimes food tastes good, sometimes food tastes icky. Sometimes you eat too much and feel sick, sometimes you eat too little and feel sick.

Who knew it was so much more complicated?

Recently, I watched the film Food, Inc, which is a documentary about the big, multi-national food industries and corporations, and how they grow and manufacture the majority of the food we eat today. I don't want to go into too much detail about the movie (this is a running blog after all), but it did make me want to think three times about my food choices.

I've never really talked about my food habits other than my candy obsession, so I thought I'd take the time to talk about my current nutrition status. My diet has slowly been progressing along with my marathon training.

One of the biggest factors affecting my nutrition is actually not will-power nor cravings, but cost. I'm gonna be honest: I don't make a lot of $. (I keep having dreams of winning the lottery..... but alas, not yet) Buying enough food to fuel my training is not cheap. Buying HEALTHY food to fuel my training is even LESS cheap.

As Food, Inc points out, (I knew this already, but whatever) most foods you can buy at the store have traveled hundreds/thousands of miles to get there, are full of artificial ingredients and pesticides, full of chemicals, and generally calorically empty. I am not about to waste my hard earned money on crap (literally, crap. Yes, crap/feces makes it into our foods. Yuck, I know).

The one saving grace is that I absolutely love to cook. It's one of my favorite activities. I can stand in the kitchen and play around with food all day.

So I have discovered that its WAAAAY cheaper and more nutritious to cook, rather than to buy. Since I am tired of writing in paragraphs, lets move on to lists, shall we? :)

How I eat on a budget and still try to be healthy:

• I shop for ingredients more than I shop for pre-made anything. Buying a bag of frozen chicken and baking it is cheaper than buying rotisserie chicken. Buying a bag baby greens and tomatoes is cheaper than buying a salad. Buying balsamic vinegar is cheaper than buying dressing. You get the point.

• I shop at the farmer's market. Other than all the well-known benefits, the major benefit for a single girl like me, is that you can buy EXACTLY the amount you want. I can buy one zucchini for 50 cents at the Farmer's Market, instead of buying a pack of four for $2 at the store. I can buy one scoop of garbanzo beans instead of buying a whole can. Not only is Farmer's Market produce tastier, it's cheaper for me to buy in small doses. I really don't want eat an entire 4-pack of zucchini, or an entire carton of berries. I can pay for only the amount I want and save some $$
  
  
• I have go-to spices. I keep a jar of Cumin Powder, curry powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, crushed red peppers, and paprika. A jar of spices lasts forever, and can transform your dish to SPECTACULARNESS. It's cheaper than buying jars and jars of different sauces, most of which will inevitably sit in a fridge, half empty, for years. If you have a few spices you like, just get those, and you don't need a whole cabinet of spices you hardly ever use.
  
  
• I buy frozen fish and meat. It's way cheaper. Also I buy canned fish, esp sardines and salmon. It's so easy to use, is full of healthy Omega-3s, and really economical.
  
  
• I try to eat lots of vegetable and dairy proteins, because it's a lot cheaper and boosts my veggie intake. I like string cheese, greek yogurt, eggs, edamame, beans, quinoa, tofu, PB, and tempeh.
  
  
• I brown bag all my lunches and snacks. Every day.
  
  
• I shop once a week. This cuts down opportunities for me to "impulse buy" and waste money.
  
  
• I cook a SH!T ton of food on Sunday evening/Monday evening, and eat leftovers for lunch and dinner the rest of the week. This ensures that on any other night, after my training, I'll have quality food ready for me in 5 minutes!
  
  
• I bake everything. This cuts down on oil that I would otherwise have to use to cook.
  
  
• I use oil spray when I need to sautee stuff.
  
  
• I use veggies to "bulk up" my food, instead of adding more meat, or more carbs.
  
  
• I freeze my bread as soon as I get home, to prevent any sort of molding. (I've thrown away countless loaves of bread because of this; lesson learned!)
  
  
• I pop my own popcorn; you can buy an entire pound of corn kernels for less than two bucks! Do you know how long this lasts?
  
  
• My condiments; ketchup, soysauce, worsteshier (sp?) sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (the best!), strawberry jam. I don't buy a lot of condiments, cause most of the time, they just sit in the fridge barely used.
  
  
• No soda, ice cream, chips, cookies, cakes, crackers, etc. They don't provide any nutrition. But most importantly, I can't afford them. (Unless someone else is paying, of course, :) )

Phew! That was a long list. So basically, my broke-ass-ness has, by default, led me to eat healthier. And my training requires me to eat healthier. At least those two points converge!

If all my wishes could come true and I had a million bucks to spend every month, I would love to buy all organic food, all cage-free and fair trade stuff. I would have a kitchen stocked with fruits and veggies in all colors of the rainbow, and I would have a ton of condiments and spices.

But right now, I support my local farmers, cook a lot for myself, and try to resist the candy isle as much as possible. Of course, I splurge sometimes, like I did yesterday: I bought a whole tub of chocolate mints at Costco! yessssss!!! :)

How do you stay on a budget and eat healthy? PLEAAAASE share any advice/tips you have. I'm not getting any richer here, haha.....ha :-)

boo-ya!

Let's just cut to the chase:

16 miles is finito!

I did it! And all by myself, too! And surprisingly faster than I thought it would go.

Let's back up a little, shall we?

Remember how I got the blister from hell on Thursday's run? I was dreading having to run 16 miles with blisters in the same shoes. So what's a girl to do? Go shopping, of course!

On Friday evening I picked up these babies:

Nike Pegasus +26

Yes, Nikes. I never expected Nike to have stellar running shoes, but once my feet slipped into them, I knew this was the right pair. And check out the cool colors.
The best thing about having new shoes is the increased motivation to run! (a full shoe review to come later)

The Run:
Woke up Sat morning, fueled up, stretched, and got dressed in my new running shirt I picked up in Hawaii:

I drove down to Goleta beach with the intention of running 4 four-mile segments on the bike/walking path.

Miles 1-2: Slow and steady, just warming up. It was quite cold and breezy, but once I started running, it turned out to be the perfect running weather. Score!

Mile 3: I had taped up my blisters really well, but they started to hurt again. Not a friction kind of hurt, but just the constant pressure on it hurt. I just crossed my fingers that they will hold up for the next 13 miles and kept going.

Mile 4: Done with 25%! Turn around and realize I'm running against the wind. Crap. I get side stitches. Crap! I eat a shot block to cheer myself up.

Miles 5-6: Doubt creeps in from every which way. Will I really be able to run 10 more miles? Or will I pass out....? When is this run gonna be over? Garrrrgh wish I had a running partner!

Miles 7-13: Bingo! Intense case of Runner's HI....er runner's high. Miles 7-13 were great: I was going at a great pace, breathing was on track, I switched from running on pavement to running on dirt, all the doubt had vanished, and I was actually having fun! Who knew "16 miles" and "fun" could possibly go together?

Mile 14: I knew I had to at least get to 14, cause I've done that distance before. As soon as I got into personal distance record area, I got a boost of motivation.

Miles 15-16.2: Pure Pain. Oh how my legs hurt! My ankles, my knees, and my hips were all screaming at me to stop. I just kept counting to 100 steps over and over and over again. This mindless task helped me get to 16.2 miles. By that time, I probably was running slower than I walk, but heck, I made it! In less time than I expected!

Wooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boo-ya! 16 miles, baby! I thought running the same 4 mile segment 4 times would get boring, but it actually turned out to be a great thing: I knew exactly what to expect when, and it was kind of comforting to pass the same trees and the same lamp posts over and over again.

But super duper hells ya! 16 miles is now officially crossed off my "to-do" list.

However. Though the run was a very positive experience, it did remind me (yet again), how WEAK my hips are. Especially my right hip. I've been to the physical therapist for this problem, and it was doing great for a while, but the longer distances are starting to aggravate my hip. The problem is that my muscles aren't strong enough to keep my hips stable as they run. They kind of sa-shay back and forth, and over a long distance, it really starts to hurt my nerve in the hip/thigh. It feels great after a lot of stretching and a lot of rest.

This means that until the marathon, I am really going to focus my energy on stretching and strengthening my hips. Can we say hello yoga?

So yes. That's my plan. What I promise to write up this week: my thoughts on Food Inc and my own eating habits, Nike shoes review, and my Stellar blister fix.

A huuuuuugggggeee big congrats to the Chicago Marathon runners! Wooooo!!!

Cheers!

PS- completely random, but I get such a crack out of people with vanity plates the same as the car brand. Like people whose license plates says "Benz" because they drive a Mercedes, or "x3" cause they drive a BMW X3 series. Like, it's not enough for you to drive a fancy car; you need to make double sure that not a single person misses that fact. Ok, ok, I get it! You drive a sick car! But did you trade in your creativity for that car or somthing?

Who wants to run in costume with me?

I was just about to write one of the most dramatically negative cries ever, but realized it was Friday morning, and decided to reevaluate and reword. Here it is:

I WILL be able to conquer 16 miles this week, even though I have a blister on both feet. Heck, even the biggest blister I have ever seen is not going to stop me! And who cares if I can't even walk normally right now? I can use the pain as motivation to run faster, so I can finish the run faster!

....right? Please remind me of this positive thinking crap again, when my feet start bleeding and I am crying and whimpering on a street curb all by myself this weekend.

...just kidding. I hope.

Well, so I guess that pretty much sums up last night's 5-miler. It was a very good run; one of my fastest training runs, and everything went well.... except for the blisters from hell. (I was going to post a photo of it, but decided to spare you a gagging sesh so early in the morning)
I am guessing it has to do with the shoe/sock combo I was wearing. Last time I wore that particular combo I got a blister on the same spot. It also reminded me that it's finally time to go buy some new running shoes. I finally have enough dough, so I think I will go get a pair tonight or tomorrow.
Oh well. So there you have it. What'ya gonna do, right? Complaining isn't gonna make it heal any faster. (Sorry James, for complaining about it non-stop last night!)

**************************************************************************
My next race:
As I announced previously, I am running another Half Marathon with James at the end of the month.
This HM is just purely for fun; it involves anew city, lots of wine, lots of friends (we hope), and a chance to run in different scenery.

A half marathon with wine...? Sounds too good to be true doesn't it?

So what kind of a race is it? It's the:

Healdsburg Half Marathon!

If you ever read my first ever post, you'll see that I ran the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. Both of these races are put on by the same people (they have a third HM up in Napa somewhere too). You run through various vineyards, and there is a huge wine tasting party afterward. And let me tell you; knowing there's unlimited wine at the finish line is a great motivator! haha.

The Healdsburg HM is up by Sonoma, and it is going to be on Halloween! James and I are currently thinking of fun costumes to run the HM in. Suggestions are more than welcome! :)

If anyone is running this race, lemme know! And registration is still open, so you can still sign up :) And if you need more inspiration, check out this video. Tell me it doesn't look like the best idea ever!

There's other races too, that I am hoping to run before the Marathon in December. I find that racing keeps me motivated to run and train hard. Hey, whatever works, right?

Well, that's all for now folks.
I hope every one has a marvelous Friday, and a big shout out to all the bloggers running Chicago this weekend! Woo! I'm rooting for each and every one of you! Best of luck, and remember to have fun and savor the experience :)

Adios amigos
PS-my take on Food, Inc coming soon!

Sir Phlegm-a-Lot

Go ahead, say it with me.

Phlegm

Phlegm

Fu-le-guhm

Fu-leggghhhh -um

Fu-legggg-hum

The word sounds as ugly as it looks. It's just as ugly as my other "least favorite" word: wharf.

Last night's run; my first run in over a week, went well.... except for the phlegm.
I guess I should be grateful that I was able to run at all, without my nose running down my cheek, or collapsing in a fit of coughs... but running with phlegm sure is nasty.
It's like I had a thick wad of phlegm gathering strength and growing in size in the back of my throat with each step I took. No matter how much water I drank, or tried to snot rocket it out, it just sat there, taunting me and threatening to cut my run short.

But Ha!
I won! Victo-reeeeeeee!!!!!!
Take that, you nasty phlegm!

In more serious news, the run was pretty good. I was worried if my legs would remember what to do, if my lungs could handle a sudden rush of air (I've been congested all week, so my lungs were probably not getting enough air the entire time), or if my knees would hold up to the pounding again. But they did. Thank goodness.

I set out with the goal of running 4-5 miles. 2.5 miles in and I was ready to call it quits, so I did what I always do when the running gets tough: play games in my mind. This time, the game was called "guess how many steps it takes to run 0.1 miles?"
(answer: 120-140 steps)
This game took me to 3.5 miles. And I promise, it's a lot more fun than it sounds... oh man, I just gave away to the world how boring I truly am... my "fun" persona cover has been blown...

From there, I realized I was almost home, and then more energy suddenly kicked in. Miles 4.5-5 was a sprint and I was done!! It was a bit slower and tougher than I was hopin' for, but no complaints. It was a good first run back. Time to get back into the swing of things!

In other random news:

1. Whole Foods is FINALLLLYYYY opening in my city today. I have been waiting for this day for 4 years. And no, I am not exaggerating.
2. I am going to go see the movie Food, Inc tomorrow. I'm so intrigued.
3. James and I are running another Half Marathon at the end of the month. This one is going to be just for fun; no racing, just having fun. More details to follow.(hint: there shall be wine)
   
4. My game plan till M-Day (less than two months...yikes!) coming soon as well.
5. 16 miler ALL BY MYSELF this weekend.....gahhhhhh!
   

Have a humpalicious day!

Hawai'i Part Three: A Running Post and a Super Cool Blogger

I can't believe its already been a whole week since I left Hawai'i... I guess time flies when you are busy...and sick! (I had to move out of my house the day after I got back from Hawai'i, and have been moving into my new place all week... along with fighting a mad case of the sniffles...)

But on to the fun stuff: Running!
Even though we were so busy in Hawai'i doing all sorts of non-running activities, I absolutely COULD NOT leave Oahu without at least fitting in one run! On Saturday morning, we woke up with every intention of running up Diamond Head.
Well.... 11Am rolls around and sleep>diamond head. (it WAS vacation after all)

At 1PM I told myself "now or never" and headed out for a run, even though it was brutally hot outside. I didn't have any plans about speed/distance/route. I just wanted to breathe in the Honolulu air, feel the sting of sunshine on my skin, and feel my thighs hurt, and feel my lungs burn. I headed into Waikiki, and I thought I would be the only dumbass running in the brutal heat, but was pleasantly surprised to see others who loved self-inflicted pain as well. I'm glad I fit right in!

I ran 'round the Monkey sounds coming from the zoo, and past the Aquarium. I ran on the grass most of the way, which my knees loved. But I didn't have my water bottle with me, and it felt like it was 200 degrees out. My body wanted to go longer, but my mind knew better than to risk getting stranded in a strange town without any water. So I called it quits after a quick 5K and headed home.


Let me tell you, I have NEVER sweat so much running just a 5K. It literally looked like I went for a swim after I came home.

Click here for Image Source for the zoo photo

And now I have a really fun running story.
I got to meet a super awesome running blogger!

A couple of months ago, I had emailed Frayed Laces a few questions about life in Hawai'i.
She was so nice and emailed me back some really great tips and advice about her experiences, and I hoped we would be able to meet up real quick while I was in town.
I was staying with James and his mom in Hawai'i, and they mentioned that there was a girl student living downstairs who ran lots of marathons and triathlons....
On a hunch I sent her an email.... and turns out it was Miss Frayed Laces herself! Haha. What are the chances, right? (you can read the totally non-creeper status email I sent her on her blog)

Look at all those bibs and medals! Definitely a great inspiration!

It was so cool to meet her and chat about training, getting used to the heat in Hawai'i, and unusual athletic apparel in Japan. She is preparing for a marathon in December too, and if you've never checked out her fabulous blog, you must!
Yay for blogging buddies! :)


In other Hawai'i running news, James and I also finally did manage to drag our a$$es out to run up Diamond Head. Well, parts of it anyways! (A lot of the climb to the top consists of stairs) I've climbed Diamond Head a couple of times before, and each time, my breath gets taken away by the view from the top. (videos of Diamond Head coming soon!)

I promise I am not a creeper!

Nor a monkey!

Le sigh.... I miss Hawai'i already! :)

And for now, it's back to the grind and back to training.... as soon as I can breathe again! I have taken 8 whole days off of any form of training. (At least I got a lot of exercise from moving!) I really want to jump right back into training, but not before I battle some mucus. Ew.
It's T minus 2 months till M-Day (marathon day), so it is crunch time!!!!

I'll be back with some fun news about some upcoming races! Till then, my friends :)