My current life goal: One day I will become an Ironman!
I never ever ever thought I would be a runner. My first attempt at "running" was pathetic. And that's putting it mildly. I would wheeze down a block, gasp for air, and waddle. Wheeze down the block, gasp for air, waddle, repeat. I continued this cycle... and slowly I ran for two blocks before wheezing and stopping. I ran one more block without wheezing and quitting. I ran one more block, and one more block, and one more block.....
Then I decided to sign up for a half marathon. I was in full-on quarter-life crisis mode at the time, and a Half Marathon seemed like the antidote. Perhaps I thought I could literally run away from my quarter life crisis? With nothing but sheer dumb luck, I managed not only to finish the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon, but get this; HAVE FUN at it!
Of course copious amounts of wine at the finish line may have skewed my views a little bit. ;)
After the Half Marathon, I invested in a Garmin. Forerunner 305. I committed myself to a long term relationship with running.
Then, still in my full on quarter-life crisis mode, I somehow got it in my brain that I MUST RUN A MARATHON. I thought, if only I could run a marathon, all my life's most deepest questions will be answered! It seemed like a brilliant idea at the time :) I signed up for the inaugural Santa Barbara International Marathon, and hoped my city and I could pop our marathon cherries together.
I recruited my partner in crime, boyfriend, and best training partner ever, James, to train and run the marathon with me. (clike HERE for an interview with James)
We trained and ran and trained and ran. 13 miles; check. 16 miles; check. 18 miles; check. 20 miles; check. 22 miles; check.
It wasn't easy. It hurt. "Delicate" places chafed. Toenails were peeled. But having James there helped. So did having the Garmin. Glad my long term relationship investment proved successful.
I had some injuries, some set backs, some mental and emotional meltdowns along the way. Hey, I DID say I was in total quarter life crisis mode!
But on December 6, 2009, we ran each and every step of the marathon.
I'm a marathoner!
From wheezing down the block barely managing to not to collapse and die on the pavement, to running a whole fricking marathon. I'm actually still in shock about it, really. I mean... Who was the genius that woke up one day and said, "hey, wouldn't it be cool if I took this finish line and moved it 26.2 miles awa?" Seriously.
But then we got the crazy idea that WE HAVE TO run another marathon. Soon. So LA Marathon it was.
But then we got the crazy idea that WE HAVE TO run another marathon. Soon. So LA Marathon it was.
Honestly, I still can't believe I ran two marathons. Sometimes, I'll sit here in disbelief that I ran two marathons. Me! The girl who barely ran down the block! Running 26.2 miles is so hard! I can't even wrap my mind around it.
(If, for some reason you are interested in the whole sob story of why I started running, check out this post here.)
(If, for some reason you are interested in the whole sob story of why I started running, check out this post here.)
After running for a while, I started swimming and cycling as a means to cross train. And then I discovered what triathlons are. Yeah I know. I'm slow. There's a lot I don't know about the world. Hey, I didn't even know Mac and Cheese existed till college! And I just discovered Hulu.com, like last month.
So I thought, I MUST DO TRIATHLONS.
Again, like with running, I started with one pathetic near-drowning lap in the pool. Then two laps. Then three laps. Thankfully, I had learned to ride a bike back in the day.
So, in September 2010 I completed my first triathlon; the Long Beach Sprint Triathlon.
And it was love at first tri.
So obviously, I HAD to do another one! (Notice a trend here? haha)
Then, to the biggest surprise of my life, I podiumed at the Day at the Beach Hermosa Beach Triathlon!
No frigging way. Some one pinch me. It was so unexpected and so awesome.
Basically, I'm hooked on this whole endurance sports thing. Just a little ;)
Loves it.
In July 2011 I will be competing in my first half Ironman at the Vineman Half Ironman in Napa!
I am so incredibly terrified and excited and cannot wait to whoop this thing!
Now James and I live 6 states apart (wahhhhhh!) and I am crazy busy trying to juggle training, grad school, work, and life in general. But thinking about endurance sports, talking about it, participating in it, day dreaming about it, writing about it... puts a smile on my face and a spunk in my step. It motivates me to get up early in the morning and bust out that run. Dreaming about podium finishes motivates me to do that extra lap in the pool. I just love love love this whole sport. Can't get enough of it. So this is my blog, my journal, of random bits and pieces of my training life.
Now James and I live 6 states apart (wahhhhhh!) and I am crazy busy trying to juggle training, grad school, work, and life in general. But thinking about endurance sports, talking about it, participating in it, day dreaming about it, writing about it... puts a smile on my face and a spunk in my step. It motivates me to get up early in the morning and bust out that run. Dreaming about podium finishes motivates me to do that extra lap in the pool. I just love love love this whole sport. Can't get enough of it. So this is my blog, my journal, of random bits and pieces of my training life.
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
