Please participate in my research project

Dear Bloggers,

I am on my final leg of my graduate studies journey. In one month, I should hopefully be graduating!

I am reaching out to the blog world in hopes that you will participate in my final research project by participating in a quick on line survey about triathlon coverage in the media.

I would sincerely appreciate if you could click the URL below to take my survey. Thank you so so much for your input!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FNVLCD9

What what! It's Marathon Week!

LA MARATHON THIS SUNDAY!

as in.... 144 more hours! holy smokes! Am I ready for it....???

I haven't written about it on the blog in hopes that if I ignored it/didn't mention it, it would be a non-issue.... but my right knee has been bothering me. A lot. So much so that I had to ditch out on the 5 mile run yesterday. Not that that run was going to make or break the marathon, but.... It was the first run I ever had to completely ditch. Uh oh..... I hope 144 hours, LOTS of Aleve, Foam Rolling, yoga, and adrenaline will carry me through!

Also, are there bloggers out there running in LA who would like to meet up? I would really really be stoked to meet anyone and everyone who are gonna be out there! Drop me a line here or email me at chocolateshoestrings@gmail.com! I am very excited to hear from you!

I just looked at the Marathon Course Entertainment page, and it looks like there's gonna be some good stuff out there for us. I am particularly excited about the Taiko drummers at mile 3, seeing that I'm from Japan and all :) (Taiko image source)

There are also 4 "Block Parties" along the way; I am having a hard time envisioning what those are gonna be like, but anything with the word "party" in it has got to be good! :) And with 25 bands playing along the way.... it's a 26 mile carnival/festival/entertainment bonanza! I am giddy with excitement. As long as my knee holds up long enough.....

Besides getting pumped for the marathon, and not running (meh...) I had a fabulous, albeit extremely short (it felt like) weekend. I did my third session of Bikram Yoga (love love love love love it!) and on Sunday I did a 1600 meter swim followed by a 11mile bike ride.
The swim was glorious. I took only one super short break during the 1600 meters, and I really got in a groove. I felt like I could go on forever, which was exciting, because I've never felt that way before! It just felt natural for the first time. Hooray! Progress! I then proceeded to take advantage of the extra hour of sunlight, and took my bike out for a spin. Does a Swim-bike constitute a "Brick Workout", I wonder? Does it qualify for a "Taper"? Hmm.... both excellent questions to ponder while you read the rest of this babbling random post :)

Despite my knee being not-too-good, I'm really not anxious about this marathon. Since I've already accomplished my goal of "running every step of a marathon" last time, I don't care if I take walking breaks this time, or stop and admire the bands. If I get a PR, hey, awesome! But I'm not counting on it. I just want to experience a new course, a "big race" environment, run with James, and have a fun day. No goal paces, no goal finish times, no expectations, no pressures.

I truly am excited for this weekend. Plus, I get to eat lots of good quality carbs brownies this week :) I just have to keep reminding myself to TAPER. That's gonna be the hardest, esp since my adrenaline is pumping and the weather is gorgeous.

LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! And let me know if you're gonna be there!

Hope you all enjoy the extra hour of sunshine! :)
(sorry about all the !!!!!s in this post. I am just sooooo excited today)
Peace

Announcing my second Marathon!

Happy glorious Friday!

Even though it is raining cats and dogs and I'm anxious about how to get my run in this weekend,
I am stoked that it's Friday! Don't you find that Fridays always feel special regardless of the weather? :)

I am postponing my regular Feature Fridays today, because I have a much more exciting piece of news to share:

James and I finally signed up for our second marathon!

And the race we're running is.....

Here's a clue: It's already listed on my side bar. It's in CA. It's my first "really big race". It's in March. It's going to be awesome.

It's the.....

LA Marathon!

We are both super excited about this race! Some of the points I'm most looking forward to:

1. Trying to beat my time from the first marathon
2. Running in Dodger Stadium! (image source)
   
3. Running on Rodeo Dr (window shop and run a marathon at the same time? Count me in!) (image source)
   
4. Out running Paris Hilton (the chances of her running are slim to none, but you never know)
5. Running a course I've never run on before
6. Running my first "big race" (More than 2,000 runners)
7. Finishing at Santa Monica and the beach party
8. Exploring a new city my favorite way.... by running!
9. Hopefully bumping into some fellow bloggers!
10. Running with my favorite partner James again :)

This year the LA Marathon is debuting their brand spanking new course, and since I've never spent a lot of time in LA (though I live only like, 2 hours away) I'm looking forward to exploring it in a much more intimate way.

My Round 2 of Marathon Training is going OK: not the best, but I'm satisfied. I already have a 16 miler and 18 miler under my belt, and will tackle a 20 and 22 miler in the weeks to come. As with the previous round of training, I think my highest mileage week will top off at around 30 miles. (pathetic I know... but it works for me) But my body feels much stronger this time around, and I have not been having debilitating knee pains or ITB pain (thanks to strength training and yoga). A little bit of pain from my pinched nerve, but thankfully nothing major.

And crikey! It's only 43 days away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I really am looking forward to meeting fellow bloggers! If I contact you to meet up; please don't think I'm a creepy stalker :)

And I'm off to do a ritualistic dance to make the rain stop :)

Have a runnerific weekend!

Oh and before you leave, check out some awesome giveaways in blogland:
Harbinger Fitness Gloves at I Run Because...I Can
Recovery Socks at Tall Mom on the Run

Nathan Handheld Bottle at Running Off at the Mouth

Guess who's the proud owner of a NEW BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please join me as I

SCREEEEEEAAAAMMMM

and join me for a

WOO HOO!

insert happy victory dance here.

I would like to introduce you all to my new pride and joy:

Mr. Giant Defy 2

"Hi everyone nice to meet you. I don't have a name yet, but I am so excited to feel Julia's butt on me and take her for some thrilling rides"......

lol. I bet that is what is going through it's mind! hee hee!

I honestly had no intention of getting a bike yesterday, seeing as how I can't ride it yet. My cough is still killing me. But I have been looking at a bunch of bikes recently.... and well, one thing led to another, and BAM! New bike!

I have total helmet head. Don't judge

I purchased the bike from a local bike shop called Fastrack Bicycles. The owner of the shop Dave, and the guy helping me decide yesterday, has won 8 National Championships GOld Medals, and was even a mechanic to Lance Armstrong himself on the Tour de France! I felt confident that he knew his shit and would lead me to the right bike and fit! I mean... if he could fix LANCE up with a winning bike, I bet MINE would be just as baller! (or not, but it's fun to dream)

I also picked up some new cycling shoes: the Shimano SH-WM61

Image source

The great thing about these shoes is that I can also wear them for spin classes at the gym. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! :)

I also made sure to pick up an "emergency pack" including a spare tube, canister of C02, and other things I may need in case of a flat. I need to make sure to review the instructions before I head out! If anyone has tips, PLEASE! You are more than welcome to leave your words of wisdom. A beginner can never have too much sage advice ;)

and blue is my favorite color. a match made in heaven

I am actually quite surprised I did this. I am usually not so spontaneous when it comes to money. Frugal and Stingy are understatements when describing my spending habits. However....

I mean, look at the guy. He's handsome! How could I possibly resist a ride with this studly stud?

Though I did learn a lesson about ridiculously good looking studs: too much of a good thing can be bad. And I mean, terribly, raw, throbbing, aching pain. Yup. My vajayjay got a good old saddle sore. Ouch! I need to remember to always use protection with such a good looking ride :) (ie Body Glide)

haha. Who knew talking about bicycles could be so.... naughty sounding? Or maybe I am just a pervert.

Whatever the case may be, I am beyond excited for my throat and nether regions to heal so I can go for my maiden voyage. And now....... I can officially start training for triathlons! I have my eyes set for the Santa Barbara Triathlon in August..... Oooohh I can hardly wait!

yyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! OMG I HAVE A BIKE NOW!!!!!!!!

breathe breathe breathe ;)

Definitely makes the fact that I am desperately sick feel a little less awful.

Do you have any cycling shorts you would recommend? I don't even know WHERE to start looking! I heard Pearl Izumi makes good shorts, but a quick Google search showed hundreds of choices! Woah there.... I would truly appreciate your honest opinions and reviews of cycling shorts. I trust the bloggers out there than all the sales people trying to get me to buy the most expensive pair! (And plus, most bike shop people are dudes. What do THEY know about vajayjay issues on the bike? haha)

I hope you all are having a Fantastic three day weekend. Though it is raining, and I can't breathe or run or bike, I am feeling quite happy :)

See you all on Tuesday!!!

What do YOU think Wednesdays - Part 1

cough cough, good morning, cough cough.

I should've done a vlog to show you just how irresistible and sexily raspy I sound today.

Thing is, my voice decided it doesn't like my body anymore and deserted me. I took a day off from work yesterday to try to recover, but the words "Rest" and "Julia" don't match quite as well as"peanut butter" and "chocolate". (But on second thought... does anything?) I failed and went to the gym. I mean... I was watching p90X commercials on TV all morning long... can you blame me?

While I wait for my throat to recover so I can actually breathe so I can run, I would like to introduce you to the first edition of "What do YOU think Wednesdays".

Every week, I'm going to share with you a piece of cyberspace that made me stop and think.... and I hope you can take a moment to stop and think with me too! I mean, two heads are better than one, four heads are better than three, ten heads are better than nine and a half... :) It'll be mostly running and health related stuff, but I'll mix it up every now and then with some spice, because gasp!I do think about non-running things as well :)

The first piece of cyberspace I am sharing with you is:
Running Tips: Your Stride Guide from self.com. I'm not a big fan of the magazine nor the website, (too much fluff, IMO) but I found this video to be really interesting. Gail Devers, an Olympian, analyzes the running form of regular people. Check it out:


Most videos I've found analyzes the form of good runners. Problem is, I am nowhere NEAR being a good runner. But this video: I can relate to these women, and I actually saw some of my own mistakes being pointed out.

For instance, like Shira and Missy, I run way too upright. I read somewhere that you should lean forward slightly from your ankles. I've been trying this lately, and I find that it does make me faster with less effort. I need to continue to make this a habit. Fast is good. :)

Gail also mentions that you need to keep your feet flexed while analyzing Tiffany. I have never heard this nor tried this. Any thoughts?

Another aspect I am trying to focus on is hip strength. Though Gail doesn't touch on it directly, I notice that if I lose even a little focus, my hips start swaying. I have been keeping up with my new year's resolution to work on hip strength at least twice a week, and I hope to build up enough hip strength so that I can run faster and more safely.

So here's the part where you come in:

• Do you identify with any of the runners in the video?
• Do you have one particular form issue you are working on?
• What are your thoughts about the whole keeping your foot flexed thing?

I'd LOOOOOOVE for you to share your thoughts!

Reflecting back on nine months of training

It's been 72 hours since the marathon and I am itching to get back to the gym already. The problem with this whole "running thing" is that it's highly addictive! I'm daydreaming of new marathons I want to run (cough... cough... LA...cough....cough), new training plans I could follow, new running gear I want from Santa.....

It's safe to say that the Santa Barbara Marathon will not be my last! The sore muscles will heal, and with my little vacation coming up (hello naps! hello feasting! hello lots of rest!) my knee will get better, and my insatiable appetite for hitting the road will be fulfilled.

And now indulge me, if you will, in some post-marathon reflections. It's been a long time coming. (alert, long post....)

Why did I start running and training?
I never thought I'd be a "runner." I ran a whole bunch, but never with purpose or a goal.

But back in late January/early Feb, there was a family disaster that completely threw me for a loop. It was something that shook me from the core: I felt like everything I wanted to believe about the world had been betrayed. I was feeling blue and mopey for weeks on end, feeling sad and angry at the world.

I remember the day I got the news from my mom: I went to the treadmill and it was like I could not run fast enough. I cranked that sucker up high. I wanted it to hurt. I wanted my lungs to beg for mercy. I wanted each bone rattling step to crush the anger I felt inside. Heck, I even imagined that I was stepping on the faces of all the people I was mad at with each step I took. Obviously, it wasn't a happy place to be.

On a whim, I visited a new running store in town, just to look at the merchandise, maybe get some retail therapy. (Hey, a new pair of Sauconys>Jimmy Choos for this girl)

What I walked out of that store with though, was something no new, sparkly, lightweight shoe could ever give me.

When I walked out of that store, I felt so invigorated, so challenged, so giddy; something I hadn't felt in a long time. I had found a new goal, a new purpose, a new outlet for all my feelings.

That little postcard I saw, innocently resting in a neat little stack, a measly piece of paper surely overlooked by many, brought me so much effing excitement I was like a little kid who had just been told she never had to do homework again.

The inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon?

In December?

Me?

OMG

OMFGTIC (haha, take a guess)

The idea tossed around in my head for a couple of weeks, but let me tell you. It made me so effing happy to think about it. I don't really know why. But the idea of pushing my body, testing my limits, taking out all my aggression, getting in racing shape... who knows why that was the most appealing thing to me at the time. I could easily have decided that I wanted to be a stripper or a cyclist or a sky diver or a coke head.

I started Googling races in Santa Barbara, and one of the first search results yielded the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. 13 miles? With Wine? With lots of wine? In Solvang? You bet your ass I was as giddy as a kid who found out his uncle is Ben. From Ben and Jerry's. :)

I signed up, and as they say, the rest is history. I've been training and running non-stop since late February/early March. Three HMs, three 10Ks, one 15K, and one marathon later. Phew! And you know what? Running has saved my sanity so many times. It continues to provide me with new challneges, new goals, and new opportunities for retail therapy. It even gave me a chance to bond with James in a new way: training for a marathon together, spending countless hours on the road together, fueling, recovering and daydreaming together.... it's been a priceless experience. So glad I didn't choose to be a stripper. ha!

How did my training start?
I definitely didn't go into the whole running thing from square one. I had been running shorter distances (less than 5 miles) on a consistant basis, and I was a gym rat, so I had a pretty good base to start off with. But I had close to zilch knowledge about training.

I mean.... the first pair of shoes I started with.... I just got the cheapest one at Foot Locker! (I know, gasp!) ((It was Saucony Pro Grid Guide, which actually turned out to be pretty darned close to what I needed... haha beginner's luck!)) I was running in all cotton clothing...ick! and knew nothing about hydration/nutrition.

My first running goal was to run the HM, and I had two months to prepare. My plan was to slowly increase the time I ran (not distance) every week. Week one I headed out to see if I could run for 60 straight minutes. It hurt, but I succeeded! The second week I ran for 60 minutes and 30 seconds. Third week I ran for 61 minutes. I slowly built it up to 95 minutes before the big race day. I have no idea how I finished my first HM in exactly 2 hours: I probably drank one cup of water the entire race and ate nothing during the run!

From the moment I finished that crossing line, I knew I could tackle the big M and I started a more serious training regimen.

I spent wayyyyyy too much time at work on Runner's World while pretending to work, started the blog, bought a marathong training book, bought new shoes, and discovered Cliff Shot Blocks and water bottles. At this time, James also decided he wanted in on this whole racing thing. Yay! Score!

What did I learn about Marathon Training?

1. Have properly fitted shoes. Do some research on your own first. Maybe even get a couple of different shoe stores' opinions. Shoes can make such a HUGE difference. Don't just get the cheapest one like I did, or believe you are an overpronator cause someone told you so. Try on multiple shoes; even multiple shoes of the exact same model. Each one fits just a tad bit different.
   
   
2. Sweat whicking clothes. Nuff said.
   
   
3. Running socks. Not the stuff that's $3.99 for 6. Get the good stuff. Lessons were learned the hard way. Ouch.
   
   
4. Build up slowly. The best advice I ever read was the 10% rule. Building up my mileage was a SLLOOOOOWWWW process, as I already mentioned. But I wholeheartedly believe all my knee woes would have been greatly exasperated had I been more aggressive in my training.
   
   
5. Strength train! The first couple of runs were brutal..... on my shoulders and arms. I have a weak upper body, so my shoulders would get totally trashed. So I started a vigorous upper body strenth training routine, and this has GREATLY increased my comfort level on long runs. If you need any ideas, I've got em!
   
   
6. You will get kinky....as in kinks and knots in your muscles you never knew existed. Foam roll that shit. It's amazing. It changed my life.
   
   
7. Invest in Body Glide. I'll spare you my vag chafing stories.
   
   
8. Run on a flat surface. And no, this doesn't mean avoid hills. This means run on a road that's not slanted.
   I am a nerd, so naturally, I read all 7 pages of user reviews of the Santa Barbara Marathon. A good % of runner's commented that the slant of the road was brutal on their knees and hips. Come to think of it, on my 18 miler and my 20 miler, I complained to James about how the slant was hurting me. Come to think of it, my ITB pain only started after my 20 miler..... Coincidence? I think not! And on an article about ITB pain, it said running on slanted surfaces can cause your knee to turn inwards, causing pain. So yeah. I'm pretty sure I know the culprit of my pain. Whenever I run on a slant, I notice the pain IMMEDIATELY. So run on flat surfaces, but don't avoid hills. I like hills.
   
   
9. Run hills.
   It will make you stronger, and when you pass people on the uphill in races, you will feel so BAD ASS.
   
   
10. Carry hydration. My favorite is Coconut Water. I like the Guava Coconut Water, but plain Coconut water mixed with some Strawberry Kiwi Gatorade is also really good. Coconut water is like Nature's Sports Drink. Good stuff.
    
    
11. Clif Shot Blocks.
    LOVE. It's as good as candy.
    
    
12. Eat. :)
    
    
13. Don't forget to cross train.
    
    
14. Sleep. A lot.
    
    
15. Garmins are soooooooooooooooooo useful and fun to have. I think it was worth every penny.
    

All in all, in the 9 months I've been training, I've gotten so much stronger, both physically and mentally. Racing has taken me to Solvang, Maui and Healdsburg, three places I would never have gone had it not been for a race.

I don't plan to stop racing or running anytime soon.

My body is tired from 9 full months of non stop training, so I am going to take the month of December to fully relax and recover. This is perfect timing, because I am headed off to Japan next week! I am so excited; I have not seen my family in over a year. I know a LOT of good food is going to be involved, along with a lot of naps, a lot of strolls through the city, and a lot of good old resting. Obvisously you can't keep me away from exercise for too long, so there will definitely be a couple of gym sessions and a couple of short runs thrown in there, but I'm looking forward to giving my body some much needed R&R.

That way, I'll be good and ready to RACE into the new year!

Phew! So a long post.

I don't know if any of it is even remotely interesting, but it sure was fun to write it!

Thanks again for reading, and giving me so much encouragement and advice along the way. I know my marathon experience was so positive because of all the love I received from the blog-o-land!
Cheers!

I am a MARATHONER!

My prayers were answered!
Angels must exist or something!

Why?

I finished the Santa Barbara International Marathon, all 26.2 miles of it, and PAIN FREE!

Can I get a What, what???!!!!

I am a marathoner!

You know it's coming.....

Boo-yah! :)

Oh man. I am beyond amazed at how positive the race experience was. Short of replacing my legs with Kara Goucher's on a different, flatter course, I could not have done better. Or had more fun. Ahhhhh. so much to say. Where do I even begin? I guess you better be ready for a monster of a post!

Pre-Race: Saturday evening
I was HARD-CORE freaking out about the marathon because of my knee. (read about it here) It hurt. To combat the pain, I spent the evening with my knees elevated, with a heat pack, Aleve, and half a tube of Bengay. The house seriously smelled like hospital. It was so strong it could make your eyes water. I spent the entire day munching (diet starts Monday, right?) and watching TV.

I don't watch TV often, but boy, am I glad I did! They were playing an episode of the Biggest Loser where the contestants attempt to run a marathon after only TWO months of prep. Holy crap! This was exactly the kind of motivation I needed. I was seriously tearing up watching these people bust through the miles one step at a time. I thought, if they can do it, I can do it too! I was determined to finish this thing, no matter the pain. Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever, right?

Ate a bunch of rice and went to bed at 8.

Race-Day morning:
Up at 3:45 AM for breakfast of one banana, two waffles with syrup and greek pumpkin pie yogurt, and some coffee. I was desperately hoping the coffee would help with the pre-game dump, but no such luck. Oh well.

I also had to prepare for a possible inconvenience.
(I was scheduled to get my monthly "gift" that day)

I listened to some pump up music while James listend to "Steady as she goes". Hmm.... not quite pump up music, but has the wise message of "go steady". Hey, whatever works.

At 5:45 we walked to the starting line for the 6:30 start.

It was already crowded, and there were already HUNDREDS of people in line for the porta potties. There was no way in hell we were gonna be able to "go" before the race started. But we had the genius idea/shameless idea of walking across the street to the woods to use Nature's Porta Pottie. Problem solved :)

The race start was actually delayed 30 min due to a traffic accident on the freeway. No prob. I used the time to stretch and calm down.

At 6:45 AM, we all lined up by the starting line. The announcer was really great about telling people to line up where we belonged. IE: Fasties in the front and slowies in the back. I like what he said "be honest with yourself. If you know you're not a sub-7 minute runner, PLEASE go toward the middle/back. The people racing don't want to have to waste time dodging you."
Well said.

Can't you just smell the pre-race jitters in the air?

We lined up behind the 4:30:00 pacer. Hey, I was being honest. I didn't line up behind the baller ass 3:00:00 pacer. :) I prayed one last time for my knee to hold up.

The Race:
7:00 AM and we're off! wooo!
I've done this course so many times and I know it like the back of my hand. I know all the curves, all the little ups and downs, and all the upcoming hills. Having this "insider knowledge" was helpful. I felt calm, ready, and confident.

Yes. Confident. That was what I felt. Confident that no matter what, I would finish.

We didn't stay in the pace group for long and we pulled ahead. The weather was perfect for a run; clear and 50-something degrees. I could feel all my toes and fingers unlike in Healdsburg, and I was just kind of excited to embark on this adventure.

Even though the course was familiar, it felt very different running with hundreds of other people and running with an onslaught of adrenaline.

Surprisingly, my knee was holding up. I felt no pain. Uck yes.

Mile 3.5 I took my first Shot block, and I ate one every mile until mile 8 or so.

I don't even remember what mile this was, but this guy totally made my day:

Takes guts to be in a speedo in front of hundreds of people in 50 degree weather. Thanks dude

To be honest, most of the run was kind of a blur. I kicked up the pace miles 7-10, and took time to stretch right after the mile 10 mark.

Mile 13 we took a stretching, kissing break :) Motivation.

Mile 16 or so we passed In-N-Out. I wanted animal style fries so bad it hurt.
At mile 19 we ate some peanut butter covered pretzels. It was weird how un-hungry I was, considering I am always famished by this point. But the pretzels tasted soooooooooooo good. I had told myself that the pretzels were off limits till mile 18, and it was SUCH a motivation. I kept thinking, mmmm, 3 more miles till pretzels, 2.5 more miles till pretzels, etc etc etc. :)

James and I made it a point to HAVE FUN on the course. We stopped to high five the spectators, say thank you to the volunteers, scream and shout "MORE COWBELLS PLEASE!" and sing out loud. I had "I have a feeling tonights gonna be a good good night" stuck in my head and occasionally sang out loud.

We met a guy who lived in HI, I met a guy who lived in Tokyo once, a guy who had run 14 marathons already... it's fun making friends on the course. :) Shouting at the spectators was a way to get myself all pumped up, but it helped to pump up the spectators too. They responded to our enthusiasm, and subsequently cheered louder for the other runners. Reciprocity. That's what it's all about :)

The miles just kept passing by. I kept passing more and more people. I booked it up the hills and made everyone jealous. :) I just kept trucking along. One step closer to the end. Just keep going. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.


I knew there was a half mile BRUTAL climb somewhere between mile 23-24. I blocked it out from my thoughts as much as possible until I was actually standing at the bottom. I looked up to see most people walking it. I channeled my inner Missy Elliot, told James "We run this shit" and and ran my little heart out. Although the word run would be an overstatement. I still refused to walk!

Though the hill hurt like eff, was the most brutal torture ever, and I probably would have taken a bullet to the head to end the misery, I effing frickin ran every last step of it.

Done. All downhill from there.

I seriously focused all my energy and booked it to the finish line. I was grunting. I was grimacing. I was moaning, I was groaning. It took every last ounce of energy to NOT slow down. I wanted this thing to be over with SO BAD. I just wanted to be done, godamit!

come on come on come on! and James grabbed my hand and we ran over the finish line.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Just like that, we were marathoners.

6 months of training.

No knee pain.

No period.

Thank you angels!

We both finished in 4:17:58.
9:50 pace.
I couldn't be more proud!

As soon as I stopped running though, the pain came gushing in.
Oh the pain!
THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy mother of fill in the blank!

Yowza.

But I couldn't care less, honestly. I am now a bona fide marathoner! I can put that bumper sticker on my car now!

And EAT!

Our afternoon went a little something like this:

Nice.

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to everyone who supported me throughout my training! Thank you James for being the best training partner!

Thank you to all my readers who gave me so many pieces of advice/wisdom, and encouraged me when I was feeling defeated. You have no idea how much your spirited words helped me when I was feeling doom. I honestly, seriously, am SO GRATEFUL.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

mwah!

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 :)