Half 2/2/14



I am so very happy to have completed my second Half Marathon, Surf City in HB, and even beat my first time (2:20)!  Overall, this was a good run for me and my body felt great.  I trained hard for this one since Christmas and felt much more ready and confident than my first Half last January.  Miranda and I plan to do the Beach Challenge, where you run 3 in a row (LB, HB and OC) and you get a very special finishers medal after the third.  I was also very happy to run it with a very old friend and my family! : )

 

Here are some pictures of us before the run in the Expo tent, riding some waves.  My friend Kevin and I went to Whittier Christian Jr. High and Sunny Hills High school together so have known each other for over 25 years!  It was sooo awesome to see his smiling face this morning.

   

 

My greatest accomplishment of this run was keeping with my fellow marathon runners, the General (AKA Miranda) and Uncle Ricky for the first 6.5 miles!  My pace was 9:30 and I felt great.. I was hoping to stay with them until the finish line, but it always seems that my body likes to slow down around 7 miles.  When we hit Bolsa Chica and turned back up PCH to head back up towards Main Street, the headwind was strong and it sucked ASS!  My time slowed down to almost 11 minutes a mile and my legs felt like they weighed 100 lbs each.  But, I focused hard and dug deep until I saw the balloons over the finish line.  Miranda finished in 2:09 and her sweet face was the first thing I saw when I crossed.  She snapped this great picture of me, capturing my moment of joy to be DONE.

 

 

In just 13 weeks, we will be out there again for the OC Half Marathon on May 4, 2014.  But, for now I am going to sit on my couch with a beer and some yummy Mexican food from Joaquin's and watch the Super Bowl with my family.  Go Bronocs! 

 

 

 

 

Fitness Gadgets

Many of you who follow my blog know that I am a sucker for the latest fitness app or newest gadget. I have two new Christmas presents that I want to share with you all..

 

The first is one of the coolest things ever.. the Fitbit (http://www.fitbit.com/).   Thank you to my amazing Mother n' Law for this one. It is the greatest little device that you wear 24/7 and it tracks all of your daily steps, distance, stairs climbed, calories for even sleeping patterns! I love it so much and I find myself walking around the house or backyard late at night if I haven't reached my daily goal. The following is a screen print of the app, that uses Bluetooth to sync up with the little Fitbit.

 

 

 

The next gift was from my Momma... new running compression socks!  I had seen these on occasion out on the trail or at a fitness expo after a race.  I had experienced some minor shin pains and runners knee in the past.  These compression socks are AWESOME!  They feel like they are constantly massaging your calves as you run.  But, my favorite part is right after a long distance run while I am resting on the couch.. they continue to provide comfort and support and almost eliminate any "after running" pains I used to experience.

 

 

 

 

Training for Half #2

We are so lucky to live in beautiful SoCal and I can appreciate a sunny day anytime!  Even windy days are normally very enjoyable.. being outside with the kids and watching all the nasty smog be blown away or up in my office looking out at the beautiful view of downtown.  BUT, windy days are NOT fun when you are going for a distance run!  

 

As of today, I have 4 weeks until my second half marathon.. and it feels like crunch time!!  My training routine currently consists of a 5k during the week and my long distance runs on Sunday morning. Today was my 9 mile day, next week will be 10, then 12, and finish off with an 8 mile run one week before the Half. When I make my goals, I always set out to complete them and do not allow myself any excuses! 

So, back to my windy day.. I parked in my normal dirt lot of La Palma and started running around the Yorba Regional lake. The head wind sucked, I mean it seriously felt like I was carrying an extra 50 pounds! So after my second time around the lake, at about mile 3, I had a choice to make:

 

1. Start my 3rd lap around the lake and hit the head once again

2. Head back to my car and be very pissed off at myself for the week

3. Run out on the Santa Ana river trail and just keep going and gamble with the wind

 

So I of course, I chose #3.  As I ran out on the river bed the tail wind hit me right on the butt and it was kind of like the hand of God picking me up and carrying me as I was running! It felt so flippin good! Miles 4, 5, and 6 were amazing and I was making very good time. I passed some bikers and other runners going the opposite direction, against the headwind, and they were struggling big time.  It kinda made me feel like I was a running champion and gave me a huge boost of self-confidence! : )

Miles 7, 8, and 9 were pretty tough as the wind changed direction and I was fighting it head-on once again.  When I finished at mile 9, I felt good but then I looked around and realized....WOW, I am  really far from my car!  So, I did the only thing I  possible could do... I called my hubbie to rescue me!  "Honey, I am on Van Buren and La Palma by the trout farm, can you please come pick me up?"  And my knights in shining armor came to the rescue!! : )

Next Sunday for my 10.. I really hope there is no wind...
 

 

 

 

Plymouth Rock n' Run 10k

 

I think that we found a new Thanksgiving tradition... run away the calories before pigging out! This race was so much fun and just right around the corner from home.  I definitely think that the 10k is my favorite run. 6.2 miles is perfect length and I was even able to push myself to beat my Personal Record!  It was also fun to see all of the turkey and pilgrim costumes and see all of the families running together.  The best part for me was watching my boys race and really enjoy it.  I am so happy to see them to be motivated and excited to exercise.  Next year we decided that Daddy, Jacksen and Grammy Karen will run/walk in the 5K together! ; )

 

Here is a great little video of the boys crossing the finish line.  Jack came across about 8th place, but I feel that if he would have started in the front of the pack he could have been top 3.  This boy is FAST!  Justus was hilarious.. first off the way he swings his arms when he runs is too cute, second he looses a shoe right at the finish line!  All of the parents were shouting for him to leave the shoe behind, but he was determined to put it back on and cross.  It was too cute for words.

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite part about any run is crossing the finish line and seeing the smiling and proud faces of my loving family!

 

 

 

The boys getting ready to start their 1k through Yorba Regional Park! 

 

 

 

 

They were so proud of their medals... 

 

Surf City 10k/10 Miler

Happy Sunday Friends!  I started my day running in the Surf City 10 Miler along with my pal April, who ran in her first 10k, along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. It was an awesome race and I felt the best that I have been in months!  To me, there are certain steps that I go through when doing any type of group race:

1. Mentally preparing the days leading up to the run
2. The starting line
3. Miles 1 thru 3
4. Miles 4 thru 7ish
5. Miles 8 +

  

Mentally Preparing - For those of you who are familiar with Huntington Beach, you know that from Beach Boulevard up to Bolsa Chica is a really, really long journey in running terms. I kept thinking to myself.. Holy crap that is a long way to run, let alone turning around and coming right back. But I knew how beautiful it would be and kept a picture of the beach and ocean in my head. For me, I always need to do a final long run about a week beforehand that is within 1 to 2 miles of the race goal. That helps to mentally prepare me by providing the confidence that I need to know that the race goal is doable. I also try to eat healthy and get plenty of sleep the night before.

 

 

Starting Line - My morning breakfast always consist of the same thing before a long run. It is a PowerBar Protein, a banana and a half a cup of coffee. The caffeine really helps get my blood flowing. I try not to drink too much water so I don't have to pee during the race (nothing sucks worse!!). We arrived when it was still dark and I found my spot next to the 10 minute mile pace sign.  I looked around at all of my fellow runners and started to get that adrenaline pumping when the countdown begins. You start off with a very big huddle of people but then slowly it all scatters out and as everyone finds their pace.

 

Miles 1 through 3 - This is kind of the warm up for me as my body starts to adjust to the road and realizing the shock that it is in for. These are not easy miles as your body adjusts to the pavement and running pace. What I tend to do when I am running with a large group of strangers is look around for a particular person who has a similar pace as myself. I give these people nicknames in my head and they became part of the Jaime Running Team. : )  For this particular run I had Mr. Baldy with awesome calves, the black-haired TuTu lady, and the Blondie with orange shoes. They became people I would see throughout the run and helped me keep my pace.

 

Miles 4 - 7ish -  For anyone who runs longer than 10 miles you know that these are the magic miles. Your body sort of hits a groove and they are relatively quick and easy to get through. I was pacing with Mr. Baldy and he was a great pace setter for me. I was super proud of myself at Mile 4 when I was running along side the 10 min mile pacer!  My time was exactly 10 minutes.. but she quickly sped ahead me near the halfway mark.  Around mile 5 I spotted Mr. Foxy... Don't worry honey it was not like a love at first sight... he was literally dressed up like a fox complete with a nose, tail and ears! That annoying song "What does the Fox say?" instantly jumped into my head and Mr. Foxy helped me get through miles 5 & 6 quickly because I was laughing to myself thinking of my kids dancing around to the song (if you have not seen it, check it out YouTube). Mile 7 sucked because that's when I hit the climb up near the HB cliffs. But luckily I found Mr. Baldy again and got my pace right back up.

 

Miles 8+ -  This is when I always have to dig deep. My legs are heavy and painful. I actually found April right as I passed the 8 mile marker. I paced behind her for about half a mile before I finally caught up to her and grabbed her hand. I scared the crap out of her, but the motivating smiles we gave to each other was wonderful and kept me going hard during my last two miles. Crossing the finish line felt great and I felt strong even though my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I found Mr. Baldy and thanked him for being on my team even though he had no idea who I was!  : )

 

For this run I would like to thank my running buddy April, Sunny Hills Class of 1994 Runners, and Gwen Stefani. Without you guys I could not have made it through the 10 miles!!

Back on the running wagon!

Soooo...I admit, that I did fall off the running wagon for a bit, but I have now made the mental and physical decision to climb back on!  After my first Half earlier this year, I checked it off my bucket list and said to myself "OK, now I can chill for a bit.."  But, just a bit turned into too long and I got lazy!  I came to this harsh realization very quickly when my Half buddies completed the LB Marathon yesterday!  Miranda (aka The General) ran in her first Full Marathon!  KICK ASS!  And Sarah did another Half!  I cheered them on from Endo.. but was thinking to myself the whole time.. I should be there with them. : (

I have been doing an occasional run here and there, averaging 4-5 miles.  I decided to give myself a goal a few months ago and signed up for the Surf City 10k/10 miler with April on 10/28.  I signed up to do the 10 miler, knowing it was totally doable and a great goal to get me back on track.  BUT.. a few weeks ago I was painfully getting to only 6 miles so I said to myself.. "it is OK, I can just do the 10K instead of 10 miler if need be. " I am NOT happy that I gave myself this out and I have since retracted that internal and cowardly statement. 

After yesterday, my lesson to everyone out there is "NEVER give yourself an easy out!!"  This statement is so simple and can apply to everything in your life.  When faced with any challenge, never give yourself an easy out.. focus on the goal and just keep telling yourself that you can do it, no matter what!!

Another motivating part of my day was reconnecting with some old SHHS buddies on Facebook.  We are all coming to the realization and shock that next year will be our 20 year reunion and it is crazy to think it has been that long!  A few of us share this love/hate relationship with running and have made a vow that we will all meet up on Cinco De Mayo 2014 to do the OC Half Marathon together in honor of our 20 years!  I thank you Kevin, Jennifer and Heather for helping me climb back on my wagon!  Just knowing that I will be doing that Half with you next year has given me that extra push that I needed.  It even helped me realize that I can do the full 10 miler in 2 weeks with no excuses.  This morning I got up, walked my son to school and did a very painful 8 miler on the hills of Yorba Linda.  It SUCKED.. but we all now what the best part of hard run is.. the finish line. : ) 

This is for you guys:

"Make LOVE not WAR!  Hit the Bed, not the Floor!  Love is Good, but Sex gives More, we're the CLASS OF 94!"

Heather - "94-94-9-9-9-9-94!!"  LOL

Week 3.. Continued

Well normally at this time I am discussing my progress of the previous week and looking forward to the fit week ahead. This time I need to take a little detour and complain about a super stressful week of work. I knew that becoming a Division Manager over 213 clerical staff would not be easy, but this week took the cake on pushing  me to my limits!  On a positive note.. I have been there for almost 6 months and this is the first time I disliked the position!  Thanks to my wonderful boss (Mo) for keeping me sane!!  My week of fun included -  walk outs and door slams in the middle of my meeting, accused of discrimination and lack of understanding, and rounding off the week with a team ganging up and refusing to sign mandatory paperwork.. good times!

So far in these 3 weeks, I haven't had a huge impulse to cheat on my diet but half way through this week I just needed some relief. So thank you to my friends (CW, Ed, April and the munchkins) and Don Jose for providing me with two wonderful margaritas and a very nice dinner.  It was much needed to get me over hump day...

 

Now onto my fitness plans...I really feel that it is not feasible or pleasant to be a drill sergeant, patrolling your life, eating habits and exercise 24/7.  We all have our stressful moments in life where we just need to let loose and enjoy ourselves. So that being said I had a pretty undisciplined week, but was still able to exercise 5 days and eat fairly well. I chose to NOT weigh myself because I didn't need anything else to add to my frustrations. : )

 

Next week is my final week of the 4 week plan and then I will move on to maintaining a "healthy as possible" lifestyle and periodically provide you updates.  I'm very satisfied with what I'm doing and encourage you all to just try and focus on eating healthy and exercising each day. It doesn't have to be an everyday thing but the more you do it, the better you will look and feel. And with that, here with my favorite fitness meals of the week...

 

Lunch or dinner - Weight watchers low-fat turkey taco soup (450 calories).  This is my fav to throw into the crockpot and slow cook all day and also enjoy left over.  One of my Bunco girlfriends provided me the recipe (http://www.food.com/recipe/weight-watchers-low-fat-taco-soup-157732)

 

 

Lunch - any salad with grilled chicken.  Here is the new Chix-Fil-a grilled chicken salad and it is super yummy (approx. 280 calories)