Today something compelled me to run after work. I knew it was going to be dark when I got back home but it was just eating at me to get my shoes on and head out. This is what happened:
About a mile away from home, while driving from work, there was a large Dodge van on the opposite side of the road with its flashers on. I didn’t think much of it since there was a car parked behind it. I got home, played with the dog for a bit, got ready to run and headed out. I usually run on the same street that I take on my way back from work and, to my surprise the van was still on the side of the road. This is about 20 to 30 minutes after I had passed it on my way home! Now, I know this is suburbia and not many people are out and about on foot, so I was not very surprised that no one had walked by and helped. However, this was during rush hour. A lot of cars were driving by. Even more, the van was on the farthest right lane, which doesn’t have a shoulder. All cars were simply going around it. I stopped and asked the gentleman, about mid 50s, if he needed a hand. He said he needed to push it to the gas station about a block away. So that’s what we did. As we started, I noticed that the van was half full inside. Not an easy load to push. We did this for about a half block and he had to take a break. My quads were also starting to burn. After a minute or so we started pushing again When we were about 30 yards from the station a guy drove up with his mid 80s Honda Hatchback and offered to push the van. Unfortunately the bumpers of the vehicles didn’t reach each other so he parked and helped push. As we started to go onto the driveway of the gas station two other people, a college student age kid, and an older Hispanic gentleman came over and helped out. For a few minutes, there were four people helping out this single man who had found himself alone with a bit of car trouble. Finally, we parked it, the man with the van thanked us and we all went our separate ways.
For the rest of my run I keep thinking about this. Seeing everyone help out was great. We all have it in us. We need to learn how to reach out to those than need it even when they don't ask for it. We need to learn how to be good to one another. At least 20 minutes passed while the man was on the side of the road. How much longer would he have been there if I had decided to watch a movie or play video games with my roommate? I don’t know. Maybe until the guy with the car stopped by. But maybe not. Maybe it was seeing someone helping out that gave him the push to stop and give us a hand as well. Maybe sometimes we need to see someone doing the right thing for us to join them. “Someone else will help” is not the right attitude, but it happens often. So please, help someone out. Do it for them. Do it because it’s the right thing to do. If you don’t, maybe no one else will; but if you do, others will join you. There is so much we can do for one another. From the smallest little gestures to the biggest generosities, it all helps. Love is all we have, so share it with everyone because we all need it.
That was the best run I've ever been on.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Volunteering at the Long Beach ICB Marathon
Getting injured is really frustrating. However, sometimes you can get good things out of misfortunes. My goal was to run the Full Marathon at Long Beach but, since that went out the window with my injury, I decided to volunteer passing out medals to the finishers. I’ve done my share of volunteering at events, but they have mostly been museum related. Since this was my first time helping out at a running event, I had no idea what to expect.
Shiny!
The RunRacing website instructed us to arrive at 5am which is around an hour earlier than the runners. I knew there were other people working early but I didn’t know volunteers needed to be THAT early. So wake-up call was at 3:30am, drove down to Long Beach and found the Volunteer Tent. After signing in and getting a Race Crew t-shirt I waited to get instructions on where to go and what to do. Everyone on the RunRacing team seemed to know exactly what was going on. We received our directions and were taken to the finishing line where two pallets with about 80 boxes full of metals awaited us. We had to unwrap them, set up a plan to pass them out and make sure Half runners got the Half medals and the same for marathoners. The first part of the morning went really well. The group of people unwrapping were all really cool. Most of them were also runners who had done Long Beach in years prior. It was fun talking to them, taking pictures and generally having a good time getting all set up for the runners.
A shot of the crew
This is only about a quarter of the medals!
We organized ourselves to receive the runners and give them their medals the best we could. We had a couple of the RunRacing crew members giving us advice on how to do it but for the most part we knew the feeling you get when you finish a race so we had a good idea of what to do on our side. A bit before the 1:10 mark the first half marathoner crossed the finish line. He, along with the other top-three finishers were all RunRacing runners which I thought was pretty cool. Slowly more runners started to trickle in and we went about placing medals around their necks, but soon after the 1:45 mark the flood gates opened. It was an avalanche of runners finishing their race. We all worked hard to keep up and at times I saw other volunteers struggling a bit. I faltered a couple of times while placing the medals over the head of a few runners but they mostly seemed to be happy that they were done and didn’t really worried about having the medal hanging a bit off their hats or ponytails. For the most part, and this is about 99% of all of them, they were very grateful towards the volunteers, always saying thank you when we gave them the medals, and usually with a huge smile on their face. One half marathoner lady came up to me and, before I was able to give her the medal, said I was cute and asked for a hug. I readily obliged. How could I say no to that?! She was so excited and I was truly happy to be there for her and everyone else I gave a medal to.
I did my best to place the medals on everyone’s neck, while saying congratulations and, if I could, doing it by name as some runners had them written on their bibs. I truly believe that getting your medal after a race is the official seal of accomplishment, so I wanted to try to make the experience the best I could for every single person. Some of these runners looked like veterans who have ran dozens of races, but there were also those whom this was their first experience finishing a race, or just doing Long Beach, so I wanted them to truly remember the medal part. To share that moment with these complete strangers was truly an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Alas, at 10:30am, only 3 hours into the race, I had to pass my duties to another volunteer and head to my real job. However, during the 1:45 that I spent passing the medals out, I must have given at the very least about 300 of them. I like to think that most of those people will remember that moment for some time.
I have a newfound respect for race organization, and mostly for RunRacing. I knew a lot went into setting up a race, and sometimes as runners we take for granted the amount of work that for months leads up to those 2 to 8 hours people spend on the course. From the portapotties, to the bibs, to the entertainment, mylar blankets, water bottles, and medals, the work that goes behind the scenes of a race is astounding and the orchestration of all this has to be near perfect for runners to have a great experience. RunRacing did a great job in the small part that I was able to see, and I’m sure that this was the case for the rest of the hundreds of things needed for this Long Beach ICB Marathon to be the success it has been for years.
They also had this awesome sand sculpture. you can't beat that!
Lastly, if you have never volunteered for a race, take my word for it and please do it. You’ll have a deeper appreciation for all the effort everyone involved puts towards making the race go smoothly, and will make you feel even better the next time you get that medal placed on your neck.
The RunRacing website instructed us to arrive at 5am which is around an hour earlier than the runners. I knew there were other people working early but I didn’t know volunteers needed to be THAT early. So wake-up call was at 3:30am, drove down to Long Beach and found the Volunteer Tent. After signing in and getting a Race Crew t-shirt I waited to get instructions on where to go and what to do. Everyone on the RunRacing team seemed to know exactly what was going on. We received our directions and were taken to the finishing line where two pallets with about 80 boxes full of metals awaited us. We had to unwrap them, set up a plan to pass them out and make sure Half runners got the Half medals and the same for marathoners. The first part of the morning went really well. The group of people unwrapping were all really cool. Most of them were also runners who had done Long Beach in years prior. It was fun talking to them, taking pictures and generally having a good time getting all set up for the runners.
We organized ourselves to receive the runners and give them their medals the best we could. We had a couple of the RunRacing crew members giving us advice on how to do it but for the most part we knew the feeling you get when you finish a race so we had a good idea of what to do on our side. A bit before the 1:10 mark the first half marathoner crossed the finish line. He, along with the other top-three finishers were all RunRacing runners which I thought was pretty cool. Slowly more runners started to trickle in and we went about placing medals around their necks, but soon after the 1:45 mark the flood gates opened. It was an avalanche of runners finishing their race. We all worked hard to keep up and at times I saw other volunteers struggling a bit. I faltered a couple of times while placing the medals over the head of a few runners but they mostly seemed to be happy that they were done and didn’t really worried about having the medal hanging a bit off their hats or ponytails. For the most part, and this is about 99% of all of them, they were very grateful towards the volunteers, always saying thank you when we gave them the medals, and usually with a huge smile on their face. One half marathoner lady came up to me and, before I was able to give her the medal, said I was cute and asked for a hug. I readily obliged. How could I say no to that?! She was so excited and I was truly happy to be there for her and everyone else I gave a medal to.
I did my best to place the medals on everyone’s neck, while saying congratulations and, if I could, doing it by name as some runners had them written on their bibs. I truly believe that getting your medal after a race is the official seal of accomplishment, so I wanted to try to make the experience the best I could for every single person. Some of these runners looked like veterans who have ran dozens of races, but there were also those whom this was their first experience finishing a race, or just doing Long Beach, so I wanted them to truly remember the medal part. To share that moment with these complete strangers was truly an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Alas, at 10:30am, only 3 hours into the race, I had to pass my duties to another volunteer and head to my real job. However, during the 1:45 that I spent passing the medals out, I must have given at the very least about 300 of them. I like to think that most of those people will remember that moment for some time.
I have a newfound respect for race organization, and mostly for RunRacing. I knew a lot went into setting up a race, and sometimes as runners we take for granted the amount of work that for months leads up to those 2 to 8 hours people spend on the course. From the portapotties, to the bibs, to the entertainment, mylar blankets, water bottles, and medals, the work that goes behind the scenes of a race is astounding and the orchestration of all this has to be near perfect for runners to have a great experience. RunRacing did a great job in the small part that I was able to see, and I’m sure that this was the case for the rest of the hundreds of things needed for this Long Beach ICB Marathon to be the success it has been for years.
Lastly, if you have never volunteered for a race, take my word for it and please do it. You’ll have a deeper appreciation for all the effort everyone involved puts towards making the race go smoothly, and will make you feel even better the next time you get that medal placed on your neck.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Foiled
This week needed to be my Put Up or Shut Up Training week to be ready for Long Beach and what do I go and do? Twist my right ankle playing soccer. Worst.timing.ever. So now that my ankle is the size of an orange I have to hobble around and had to stop running. There is nothing more infuriating that wanting to go for a run and be thwarted by a soccer ball.
So what to do now? I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back out there. If by next Monday I can get at least a 5 mile run with no pain, then I'll do my best to get back on track. If this lasts longer than a week, then the LB Full is completely out of the question. Worse case scenario, I can still aim for the half.
This whole situation really ticks me since I feel I'm in my best running shape ever right now. ARGH. C'est la vie, I guess.
So what to do now? I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back out there. If by next Monday I can get at least a 5 mile run with no pain, then I'll do my best to get back on track. If this lasts longer than a week, then the LB Full is completely out of the question. Worse case scenario, I can still aim for the half.
This whole situation really ticks me since I feel I'm in my best running shape ever right now. ARGH. C'est la vie, I guess.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Long Beach
When I finished the first half of the San Francisco Marathon I felt great and thought I could have ran at least five more miles with no problem. So I decided I needed to run another marathon..... just like that.
Since the SF Marathon is part of the California Dreamin' Racing Series and I like medals (HAHA), I decided the Long Beach Marathon was the best choice for my next goal.
That race takes place Oct 17th giving me just about 2 months to train for it. At first I picked a training program created by Runner's World's SmartCoach and tried it for a week. However, I felt that it wasn't really set up for enough mileage so I went back to my trusty Marathon Rookie training plan that I successfully used to run LA.
So, I have about 8 more weeks before the big day and I need to get on running. Tomorrow there are 12 miles I want to finish before 9am since I'm going to be busy the rest of the day with this! Seriously, how awesome is that?!
I'll leave you with this video for now:
Nothing but a good time!
Since the SF Marathon is part of the California Dreamin' Racing Series and I like medals (HAHA), I decided the Long Beach Marathon was the best choice for my next goal.
That race takes place Oct 17th giving me just about 2 months to train for it. At first I picked a training program created by Runner's World's SmartCoach and tried it for a week. However, I felt that it wasn't really set up for enough mileage so I went back to my trusty Marathon Rookie training plan that I successfully used to run LA.
So, I have about 8 more weeks before the big day and I need to get on running. Tomorrow there are 12 miles I want to finish before 9am since I'm going to be busy the rest of the day with this! Seriously, how awesome is that?!
I'll leave you with this video for now:
Nothing but a good time!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
San Francisco 1st Half Marathon Recap
San Francisco is, by far, my favorite California city. I had so much fun during this trip, I had to write a separate post to recap the rest of the week. But running the 1st part of the marathon was why I was there, so here's my story.
Back in '09, unbeknownst to me, I ran part of this course while training for the LA marathon on a random visit to the city. That day I only made it to the foot of the bridge. So on Thursday, my friends and I drove part of the course to refresh my memory. My main goal was to run the whole thing without stopping. I was determined to attack the hills with all I got and never slow down my pace.
Sunday morning I woke up at 3:30am, that's the earliest I have ever been up for a race. As I approached the starting line I started feeling the electricity of the other runners. Everyone's excitement was palpable and its simply amazing to be in the middle of that.
I looked for other runners whom I have met over twitter and DailyMile but the separate waves and the throngs of people made it impossible to find anyone. Oh wells. Better luck next race.
At about 6:30am our wave got the go ahead and we were running. The first couple of miles of the race were fairly easy. We followed The Embarcadero along the piers and are treated to the colorful touristy part of the city. A bit after passing Pier 39 you can smell the bread being made at Boudin. It smelled delicious. But the fun ended at mile 2.5 where we encounter our first hill. This is exactly what you expect, almost a hundred feet of elevation in less than a quarter mile. I had a fairly good idea of how long that climb was so maintained my pace and got to the top rather quickly. After that, a slow downhill got us back to sea level to do a few easy miles along the Marina. Here the route curves towards the beach for a minute to give us a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was really exciting to know that in a few minutes (maybe "few" is not the right word) we would be running across it! However, the closer I got to the bridge the more I noticed how high I was going to be climbing up to it.
The second hill comes when we reach the foot of the bridge. this one is steeper and longer than the previous hill but thankfully there were a lot of supporters at this point. Something I found interesting: there were lots of Harley Davidson riders volunteering along the course. It was rather amusing seeing them wearing their leather pants and jackets, while standing near their bikes, and also donning orange SFM volunteer hats. HAHA
And then there was the bridge. This structure is truly a marvel of engineering. Its hard to really get a feel of how big it is when you drive across it, so you can imagine the feel of actually standing under the pillars. It truly is humbling. I couldn't stop looking up to really get a sense of how tall they are. A few times while crossing, the fog would creep in and cover the top of the pillars. That was really an amazing sight. As soon as we reached the north end of the bridge we turned around and did it all over again. It is at this point where the curvature of the road is more visible and you can really gauge how much climbing the bridge actually makes you do. I had underestimated how convex its shape is, but I never once really noticed it. I think I was looking up way too much to notice it. Also, during this part of the run a girl and I kept passing each other. She mentioned that it was going to be her and I to the finish. We talked a bit while on the bridge and it was very nice to connect with someone while running. So Sarah, wherever you are, thanks for being awesome!
Crossing the bridge was great but its definitely not the hardest part of the course. That title is rightfully earned by the uphill into the Presidio which is immediately after we got back to the south side of the bridge. Two words: steep and long. That's really all I remember. I was truly set on not stopping or slowing down so I focused on anything else I could to not let my mind get tired.
Just as fast as we started climbing, the course turned into an insane downhill. Next thing I know, people were sprinting pass me. I thought this was funny because not much later I was passing all of them again haha.
By mile 11 I knew I was going to finish and accomplish my goal. I tried to push a bit harder pass the 8 blocks between us and the Golden Gate Park but these were at a slight uphill as well. I don't think the course let up after that. I continuously felt I was climbing. But the energy always comes back when I start seeing more spectators and other runners already wearing their medals and walking about.
I knew PRing in this course was out of the question for me. It was never a goal. So finishing at 2:13:25 didn't bother me. This was actually the slower half I've ran. Since I felt I could have done about 5 more miles after finishing I know I didn't give my all physically, but I'm truly content with just running this course and not worrying about the time. Maybe next year.
Back in '09, unbeknownst to me, I ran part of this course while training for the LA marathon on a random visit to the city. That day I only made it to the foot of the bridge. So on Thursday, my friends and I drove part of the course to refresh my memory. My main goal was to run the whole thing without stopping. I was determined to attack the hills with all I got and never slow down my pace.
Sunday morning I woke up at 3:30am, that's the earliest I have ever been up for a race. As I approached the starting line I started feeling the electricity of the other runners. Everyone's excitement was palpable and its simply amazing to be in the middle of that.
I looked for other runners whom I have met over twitter and DailyMile but the separate waves and the throngs of people made it impossible to find anyone. Oh wells. Better luck next race.
At about 6:30am our wave got the go ahead and we were running. The first couple of miles of the race were fairly easy. We followed The Embarcadero along the piers and are treated to the colorful touristy part of the city. A bit after passing Pier 39 you can smell the bread being made at Boudin. It smelled delicious. But the fun ended at mile 2.5 where we encounter our first hill. This is exactly what you expect, almost a hundred feet of elevation in less than a quarter mile. I had a fairly good idea of how long that climb was so maintained my pace and got to the top rather quickly. After that, a slow downhill got us back to sea level to do a few easy miles along the Marina. Here the route curves towards the beach for a minute to give us a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was really exciting to know that in a few minutes (maybe "few" is not the right word) we would be running across it! However, the closer I got to the bridge the more I noticed how high I was going to be climbing up to it.
The second hill comes when we reach the foot of the bridge. this one is steeper and longer than the previous hill but thankfully there were a lot of supporters at this point. Something I found interesting: there were lots of Harley Davidson riders volunteering along the course. It was rather amusing seeing them wearing their leather pants and jackets, while standing near their bikes, and also donning orange SFM volunteer hats. HAHA
And then there was the bridge. This structure is truly a marvel of engineering. Its hard to really get a feel of how big it is when you drive across it, so you can imagine the feel of actually standing under the pillars. It truly is humbling. I couldn't stop looking up to really get a sense of how tall they are. A few times while crossing, the fog would creep in and cover the top of the pillars. That was really an amazing sight. As soon as we reached the north end of the bridge we turned around and did it all over again. It is at this point where the curvature of the road is more visible and you can really gauge how much climbing the bridge actually makes you do. I had underestimated how convex its shape is, but I never once really noticed it. I think I was looking up way too much to notice it. Also, during this part of the run a girl and I kept passing each other. She mentioned that it was going to be her and I to the finish. We talked a bit while on the bridge and it was very nice to connect with someone while running. So Sarah, wherever you are, thanks for being awesome!
Crossing the bridge was great but its definitely not the hardest part of the course. That title is rightfully earned by the uphill into the Presidio which is immediately after we got back to the south side of the bridge. Two words: steep and long. That's really all I remember. I was truly set on not stopping or slowing down so I focused on anything else I could to not let my mind get tired.
Just as fast as we started climbing, the course turned into an insane downhill. Next thing I know, people were sprinting pass me. I thought this was funny because not much later I was passing all of them again haha.
By mile 11 I knew I was going to finish and accomplish my goal. I tried to push a bit harder pass the 8 blocks between us and the Golden Gate Park but these were at a slight uphill as well. I don't think the course let up after that. I continuously felt I was climbing. But the energy always comes back when I start seeing more spectators and other runners already wearing their medals and walking about.
I knew PRing in this course was out of the question for me. It was never a goal. So finishing at 2:13:25 didn't bother me. This was actually the slower half I've ran. Since I felt I could have done about 5 more miles after finishing I know I didn't give my all physically, but I'm truly content with just running this course and not worrying about the time. Maybe next year.
Five Days in SF
The City by the Bay is alluring. There's something about its neighborhoods, its people, and its bridges that draws me in. So Thursday morning I set out for the Frisco Bay looking forward to a few days of friends, running, and anything else the city had to offer. However, I greatly underestimated how great these days were going to be.
I flew Virgin America, and I must say, that airline is the most fun to travel in. They have a distinctive approach that makes you feel like a rock star from the moment you get your boarding pass to the moment you leave the plane. You can even play Doom while you fly!
I arrived at SFO and was picked up by my friend Ginny whom, along with her boyfriend Sufian, invited me to stay at their place while I was up there. We all had lunch in Palo Alto at Pluto's and then Ginny and I wandered around Stanford University. This school's architecture alone would make me study more. It truly feels like an university. Also, I was very surprised to find a church on campus that very much resembles medieval churches you can find in Europe.
The church had gorgeous stained glass windows, painfully detailed mosaic murals, and a very impressive organ which was being played while we were there. Sadly I didn't get a picture of the windows but here are the other two.
After that, we got together with Sufian and headed to the city. We had dinner at the Castro and then drove part of the course of the half marathon. I described how this went in this post which recaps my whole running experience.
On Friday, Ginny and I went for a short run, and then she showed me a few basic yoga moves. This turned out to be harder than I thought. Holding those poses really takes a toll on many different muscles that are not hit by running. Needless to say, I felt like a pansy haha. However, it was really fun and your muscles feel very relaxed after. I think I might start going to classes. We'll see.
At around 10am we headed back to the city to hang out with her friends and get a tour of the real San Francisco, none of this tourist stuff for me this time. We first stopped at Bi-Rite's creamery. I don't really toss the "Best" adjective very often, but this little place has the BEST vanilla ice cream I have ever eaten. Try it. Seriously. Ginny guaranteed me that a line forms around the corner for this place but since we were there at 11am there was no line and I was skeptical to her claims. We hang out in Dolores Park for a little bit and entertained ourselves people-watching. Some dude was playing guitar AND a didgeridoo at the same time. Too funny.
After, we meet with Ginny's posse. Since she is getting her Master's in Graphic Design they are all artsy people which made it very interesting and fun. We spent the afternoon getting drinks, changing venues, meeting more people, having more drinks, and just enjoying our day.
A few anecdotes of that day: One of Ginny's friends referred to Bear worship, a custom used to be done in her native Finland, as "The God of Bear" I don't know why I found this so funny, but she made me take a picture of her necklace:
Its ok if it doesn't make sense. I don't think it makes sense to me either haha.
At the Elbo Room we met a couple who was from Houston. I was shocked when I saw the dude cause he looked exactly like Jason Segel from How I Met Your Mother. Much to our entertainment, his name was also Marshall and he is a lawyer who used to work for non-profits but now works for an evil corporation. If you watch the show you're already smiling :-)
Ginny at one point of the night said "God doesn't taste like gummy bears" HAHA
Saturday we woke up early and went to the deYoung Museum to see their exhibit Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay. I have too much to say about this exhibit so I'll just leave it at that. Afterward we headed to the Expo for the race and I got my bib number and goody bag.
For lunch we stopped at Brenda's. This was, by far, the smallest restaurant I have ever been to, but don't let the size and location fool you (its in the Tenderloin), they serve great beignets, an outstanding bowl of jumbo, and a delicious shrimp po-boy. Another Must when you visit.
We took the rest of the day pretty easy by heading back home. One of my favorite things about my friends is that we can talk about anything for hours and we never run out of topics. They continue to baffle me on how intelligent they are. Great times.
On Sunday after the race, and after a hearty breakfast, we stopped at Bi-Rite again. This time I got TWO scoops of vanilla. I'm not kidding, it's that good. Then we went to Dolores Park where we found a giant stage being built. We were in for a great surprise, the San Francisco Symphony was going to play a free show later that afternoon. Seriously, how much better can this weekend have been? Since we arrived so early we were able to pick one of the best spots to hear the show and just had a great time. The performance was in celebration of the bicentennial of Mexico's independence and was conducted by Alondra de la Parra, Mexico's leading conductor.
The first set featured a variety of pieces by prominent Mexican composers. The second set included Antonín Dvořák's 9th Symphony. This was the first time I've heard a symphony played in its entirety and its really hard to describe how great that was. The last piece that was played was chosen by the listeners. We did this by texting during the performance and we could pick either Mozart or Bernstein. Mozart won and we were treated to The Marriage of Figaro's Overture. I really don't have anything more to say about this part. I simply can't get my head around how awesome this was.
For dinner we went to Chinatown and had authentic Chinese food. Ginny taught me how to eat dumplings correctly. I can add that along with my correct use of chopsticks to my Chinese Food Knowledge database. haha
Monday morning we all had breakfast at home. Ginny cooked dumplings just for me :-) They were delicious. Then I had to pack up and head back to reality. Back at the airport I met a couple of people that ran the 2nd half of the marathon and one that did the whole thing. It was really cool to talk to strangers about something that we both shared. Also, on the way into the plane, the pilot and I started talking about the race. He said that he would have ran it if he wasn't doing an Ironman this following weekend. I mentioned to him that I'm interested in training for a sprint tri and he suggested the Vineman Showdown as a good beginner's tri. Very cool.
To say I had a great time this trip is a ridiculous understatement. I can't recall having a more fun weekend in years and it was all thanks to Ginny and Sufian. I truly love being their friend. They are genuinely great people.
I flew Virgin America, and I must say, that airline is the most fun to travel in. They have a distinctive approach that makes you feel like a rock star from the moment you get your boarding pass to the moment you leave the plane. You can even play Doom while you fly!
I arrived at SFO and was picked up by my friend Ginny whom, along with her boyfriend Sufian, invited me to stay at their place while I was up there. We all had lunch in Palo Alto at Pluto's and then Ginny and I wandered around Stanford University. This school's architecture alone would make me study more. It truly feels like an university. Also, I was very surprised to find a church on campus that very much resembles medieval churches you can find in Europe.
The church had gorgeous stained glass windows, painfully detailed mosaic murals, and a very impressive organ which was being played while we were there. Sadly I didn't get a picture of the windows but here are the other two.
After that, we got together with Sufian and headed to the city. We had dinner at the Castro and then drove part of the course of the half marathon. I described how this went in this post which recaps my whole running experience.
On Friday, Ginny and I went for a short run, and then she showed me a few basic yoga moves. This turned out to be harder than I thought. Holding those poses really takes a toll on many different muscles that are not hit by running. Needless to say, I felt like a pansy haha. However, it was really fun and your muscles feel very relaxed after. I think I might start going to classes. We'll see.
At around 10am we headed back to the city to hang out with her friends and get a tour of the real San Francisco, none of this tourist stuff for me this time. We first stopped at Bi-Rite's creamery. I don't really toss the "Best" adjective very often, but this little place has the BEST vanilla ice cream I have ever eaten. Try it. Seriously. Ginny guaranteed me that a line forms around the corner for this place but since we were there at 11am there was no line and I was skeptical to her claims. We hang out in Dolores Park for a little bit and entertained ourselves people-watching. Some dude was playing guitar AND a didgeridoo at the same time. Too funny.
After, we meet with Ginny's posse. Since she is getting her Master's in Graphic Design they are all artsy people which made it very interesting and fun. We spent the afternoon getting drinks, changing venues, meeting more people, having more drinks, and just enjoying our day.
A few anecdotes of that day: One of Ginny's friends referred to Bear worship, a custom used to be done in her native Finland, as "The God of Bear" I don't know why I found this so funny, but she made me take a picture of her necklace:
Its ok if it doesn't make sense. I don't think it makes sense to me either haha.
At the Elbo Room we met a couple who was from Houston. I was shocked when I saw the dude cause he looked exactly like Jason Segel from How I Met Your Mother. Much to our entertainment, his name was also Marshall and he is a lawyer who used to work for non-profits but now works for an evil corporation. If you watch the show you're already smiling :-)
Ginny at one point of the night said "God doesn't taste like gummy bears" HAHA
Saturday we woke up early and went to the deYoung Museum to see their exhibit Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay. I have too much to say about this exhibit so I'll just leave it at that. Afterward we headed to the Expo for the race and I got my bib number and goody bag.
For lunch we stopped at Brenda's. This was, by far, the smallest restaurant I have ever been to, but don't let the size and location fool you (its in the Tenderloin), they serve great beignets, an outstanding bowl of jumbo, and a delicious shrimp po-boy. Another Must when you visit.
We took the rest of the day pretty easy by heading back home. One of my favorite things about my friends is that we can talk about anything for hours and we never run out of topics. They continue to baffle me on how intelligent they are. Great times.
On Sunday after the race, and after a hearty breakfast, we stopped at Bi-Rite again. This time I got TWO scoops of vanilla. I'm not kidding, it's that good. Then we went to Dolores Park where we found a giant stage being built. We were in for a great surprise, the San Francisco Symphony was going to play a free show later that afternoon. Seriously, how much better can this weekend have been? Since we arrived so early we were able to pick one of the best spots to hear the show and just had a great time. The performance was in celebration of the bicentennial of Mexico's independence and was conducted by Alondra de la Parra, Mexico's leading conductor.
The first set featured a variety of pieces by prominent Mexican composers. The second set included Antonín Dvořák's 9th Symphony. This was the first time I've heard a symphony played in its entirety and its really hard to describe how great that was. The last piece that was played was chosen by the listeners. We did this by texting during the performance and we could pick either Mozart or Bernstein. Mozart won and we were treated to The Marriage of Figaro's Overture. I really don't have anything more to say about this part. I simply can't get my head around how awesome this was.
For dinner we went to Chinatown and had authentic Chinese food. Ginny taught me how to eat dumplings correctly. I can add that along with my correct use of chopsticks to my Chinese Food Knowledge database. haha
Monday morning we all had breakfast at home. Ginny cooked dumplings just for me :-) They were delicious. Then I had to pack up and head back to reality. Back at the airport I met a couple of people that ran the 2nd half of the marathon and one that did the whole thing. It was really cool to talk to strangers about something that we both shared. Also, on the way into the plane, the pilot and I started talking about the race. He said that he would have ran it if he wasn't doing an Ironman this following weekend. I mentioned to him that I'm interested in training for a sprint tri and he suggested the Vineman Showdown as a good beginner's tri. Very cool.
To say I had a great time this trip is a ridiculous understatement. I can't recall having a more fun weekend in years and it was all thanks to Ginny and Sufian. I truly love being their friend. They are genuinely great people.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Week Recap, Prep for SF, and Tri Challenge?
A little over a week ago I was invited through DailyMile to run with a group that meets at one of the parks near where I live. This is awesome! I'm very happy this happened since that was the main reason why I joined that site; to meet other runners, be motivated and make new friends.
The runners in the group are all of different levels and skills. Of the ones I ran with this week only one hasn't completed a race (but he's planning on it), two just ran the Missoula Marathon in well below 4 hours, and another is running the Berlin Marathon in a few months! She is also running the 1st Half of the SF Marathon, which she says she has been doing for years! This is way cool! This is the first person whom I'll be running with that I knew in person before race day.
The group usually runs a 6-mile course on Tuesday and Thursdays. This route is downhill half way and uphill on the way back. I found it challenging enough on Tuesday that I decided to do something a bit crazy on Thursday. I ran from my house a little after 6pm to meet them at the park to do their course. From my house to the park is a bit over 1.8 miles downhill. Adding the group's course, plus the run back home, I did 9.56 miles. Two things of note here: first, the route's elevation profile looks like a bowl since its an out-and-back; and second, the temperature that day was in the 90s. Needless to say, it was a hard run. My mile-pace was horrible but I was going for completion not time. I think I'll keep that route for days when I want to challenge myself (This will probably turn into "Every Thursday")
Moving along! SF is in exactly seven days!!! I.cannot.wait. big races are the best. The energy of that many people getting ready to challenge themselves is incomparable and indescribable. The whole atmosphere is electric and I cannot wait to be in the middle of it again. I'm going to meet a couple of DMers there as well, so I can already tell its going to be a great weekend.
And lastly, since watching PunkRockRunner finish his first IronMan, I've decided that I too would like to do tris. Now, I'm not planning on full IronMans. No way. That takes way more mental toughness that I can summon at the present time. I want to start with Sprint and Olympic distances first. So, since I know someone who is an avid rider and swimmer who wants to start running more, I have challenged her to do the Mission Bay Triathlon. Most importantly, SHE ACCEPTED! So, as soon as I get back from SF and rest up for a week, I will begin training for a triathlon. That last sentence is probably the most insane thing I have ever written.
But first, SF! Lets get that done!
The runners in the group are all of different levels and skills. Of the ones I ran with this week only one hasn't completed a race (but he's planning on it), two just ran the Missoula Marathon in well below 4 hours, and another is running the Berlin Marathon in a few months! She is also running the 1st Half of the SF Marathon, which she says she has been doing for years! This is way cool! This is the first person whom I'll be running with that I knew in person before race day.
The group usually runs a 6-mile course on Tuesday and Thursdays. This route is downhill half way and uphill on the way back. I found it challenging enough on Tuesday that I decided to do something a bit crazy on Thursday. I ran from my house a little after 6pm to meet them at the park to do their course. From my house to the park is a bit over 1.8 miles downhill. Adding the group's course, plus the run back home, I did 9.56 miles. Two things of note here: first, the route's elevation profile looks like a bowl since its an out-and-back; and second, the temperature that day was in the 90s. Needless to say, it was a hard run. My mile-pace was horrible but I was going for completion not time. I think I'll keep that route for days when I want to challenge myself (This will probably turn into "Every Thursday")
Moving along! SF is in exactly seven days!!! I.cannot.wait. big races are the best. The energy of that many people getting ready to challenge themselves is incomparable and indescribable. The whole atmosphere is electric and I cannot wait to be in the middle of it again. I'm going to meet a couple of DMers there as well, so I can already tell its going to be a great weekend.
And lastly, since watching PunkRockRunner finish his first IronMan, I've decided that I too would like to do tris. Now, I'm not planning on full IronMans. No way. That takes way more mental toughness that I can summon at the present time. I want to start with Sprint and Olympic distances first. So, since I know someone who is an avid rider and swimmer who wants to start running more, I have challenged her to do the Mission Bay Triathlon. Most importantly, SHE ACCEPTED! So, as soon as I get back from SF and rest up for a week, I will begin training for a triathlon. That last sentence is probably the most insane thing I have ever written.
But first, SF! Lets get that done!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Keep L.A. Running 10K Recap
At first I thought this race was going to be atrocious. First of all, my legs felt weird the whole week due to the 5K of last Sunday; I spent most of the week thinking doing events on back-to-back weekends might be a bad idea. Then Saturday was my first night at the new apartment. This resulted in only three and a half hours of sleep before heading out to Playa del Rey. And lastly, after the hour-long drive, I found out I only had $8 cash while parking was $10 and, since I don't know that area, got turned around while looking for a bank. Thankfully I was able to get my number and get to the starting line before the 8:30am starting time. It's a good thing the races were running 30 minutes late so, not only did I make it with enough time, but I was early! I like punctuality.
So, the races! The 5K started well. The setup of the course allows for spectators and 10K runners to see most of that race and the finish line while we wait for our starting gun. The overall winner finished in 15:16! That's amazing!
As that race winded down the 10K got started. It took me about 30 seconds to pass the starting line since I prefer beginning farther back in the pack and snake around the slow runners than to be clogging up the way for the faster ones. By the start I was feeling much better. I was not sleepy at all and I had an abundance of energy. My first mile is always a bit slow as I get settled into my pace, but after that I felt amazingly energized. I had not passed mile 2 and was already planning on picking up the pace at mile 3. I decided against this since there were a couple of short hills right before mile 4. Again, thanks to the route being set as a circle most of the way, you can see where you're going to be running in a few minutes. Another good thing about this route is that you get to see the finish line and the elite runners, so you can gauge really well how to use your energy and get pumped watching the amazing athletes that always lead these packs. So slightly after mile 4 I picked up the pace just a tad and cruised to the 5 mile marker. It was here where I began pushing the most. I knew that I could set a good time in this race, but I was not prepared for the amount of energy I had after 5 miles. I was able to keep a pretty good stride until the end.
My official race time was 52:22. Taking in consideration the 30 seconds of earlier I think I can finish my next 10K in under 50. I'll leave that to Mercury and the next race, whenever than is.
I'm starting to think that middle-distance races are my favorite. As much as I enjoyed the 5K last week, I think 10K and half marathons are going to be races I do the most. Speaking of which, I have 2 weeks for the 1st half of the SF Marathon!!! I can't wait!! I'm sure its going to be a good one.
One last thing, at the beginning of the 10K we were informed that Mel B. was going to be starting and running the race with us. Since I passed her sometime during the second mile I can officially say I can finish a 10K faster than a Spice Girls. One down, four to go. Bring it Spice World.
So, the races! The 5K started well. The setup of the course allows for spectators and 10K runners to see most of that race and the finish line while we wait for our starting gun. The overall winner finished in 15:16! That's amazing!
As that race winded down the 10K got started. It took me about 30 seconds to pass the starting line since I prefer beginning farther back in the pack and snake around the slow runners than to be clogging up the way for the faster ones. By the start I was feeling much better. I was not sleepy at all and I had an abundance of energy. My first mile is always a bit slow as I get settled into my pace, but after that I felt amazingly energized. I had not passed mile 2 and was already planning on picking up the pace at mile 3. I decided against this since there were a couple of short hills right before mile 4. Again, thanks to the route being set as a circle most of the way, you can see where you're going to be running in a few minutes. Another good thing about this route is that you get to see the finish line and the elite runners, so you can gauge really well how to use your energy and get pumped watching the amazing athletes that always lead these packs. So slightly after mile 4 I picked up the pace just a tad and cruised to the 5 mile marker. It was here where I began pushing the most. I knew that I could set a good time in this race, but I was not prepared for the amount of energy I had after 5 miles. I was able to keep a pretty good stride until the end.
My official race time was 52:22. Taking in consideration the 30 seconds of earlier I think I can finish my next 10K in under 50. I'll leave that to Mercury and the next race, whenever than is.
I'm starting to think that middle-distance races are my favorite. As much as I enjoyed the 5K last week, I think 10K and half marathons are going to be races I do the most. Speaking of which, I have 2 weeks for the 1st half of the SF Marathon!!! I can't wait!! I'm sure its going to be a good one.
One last thing, at the beginning of the 10K we were informed that Mel B. was going to be starting and running the race with us. Since I passed her sometime during the second mile I can officially say I can finish a 10K faster than a Spice Girls. One down, four to go. Bring it Spice World.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Claremont's 4th of July 5K Race Report
Since I signed up for the Claremont 5K at the last minute I didn't keep track of all the details as much as I usually do. Saturday was packet pick-up day and completely missed it. Thankfully the race was set so we could pick up our numbers the day of the race. Since this event takes place very close to where I live I was able to sleep on my own bed the night before. I had not done this to any other race so it was a nice change of pace.
I arrived extra early to pick up my bib. Even before the race started I was having a good time. The bib pick up was very well organized and as I walked back to my car I noticed that the post-race snack area was very well stocked with fruit and water and nicely organized. That gave me a good feeling about the race.
While I waited in my car I ripped off the small tag underneath the bib. I've never knew what this tag was for so I left it in my car and headed back to the race's starting point.
The website said there was going to be a 1K Fun Walk before the 5K, which turned out to be a kids run. Now, I've never seen a kids race before, but let me tell you, this was one of the most fun things to watch. Everyone was cheering the little ones as they approached the finish line. They were running their hearts out and were very fun to watch.
While this was happening I started to think about how they were going to time the race. They were not using D-tags as bigger races usually do, and there was no big clock on the sides of the finish line. As I pondered this, I noticed that everyone still had the little tag attached to their bibs. I wasn't really sure, but I headed back to my car and tuck the tag I ripped off earlier into my shorts. Just in case.
After all the kids finished their race the organizer asked for everyone to get ready for the start of the 5K. This part was a bit disorganized. The only delineation of the starting corral were the sidewalks leaving runners and spectators mixed together. After the anthem was sang, there was a slight shift forward that confused everyone and then unexpectedly the gun went off.
Since I've used to work in Claremont I thought I had a good idea of the course. My thinking had me prepared for a fairly flat route that would make a below-23 minute finish possible. Sadly I was slightly wrong. The beginning was as expected, flat and easy. This was good since I started a bit faster than I usually do. After the 1-mile marker I slowed down a bit and planned to pick up the pace after the end of the second mile. However, when I reached the 2-mile marker I was already pretty tired. I had pushed a bit harder than I thought and while I had kept up a fairly good pace, I had not anticipated the 1/2 mile uphill that was coming at the end. Here the wheels fell off. I felt I was barely moving. I actually contemplating walking a bit, but I could not bring myself to stop. So I kept chugging along and tried to ignore the burning feeling in my legs. When I reached the top of the ascend the route turned left and I could see the last turn before the end. I knew I had a bit more in me, so I pushed as hard as I could pass the last corner and over the finish line.
Here was the most interesting part of the race. The tag I had ripped from my bib earlier and had gone back to get before the race was what they were using to give the runners their official time. As we crossed the line, a guy was pushing a button on a timer while someone else took the tags in the order the runners finished. Then they placed the tags on a board with the place of the runner and later matched the place with the name and the time of each person.
I am so glad I went back to get the tag. If I had left it in the car I would not have an official time for this race and that would have bummed me out.
Now to the official time. I finished in 23:54. I was fairly confident I would break 24 minutes, that was not in question. However, I was hoping to break 23. Since I missed it by almost a whole minute, I have to see exactly where I went wrong in my prediction. I usually run hills and I have done a hilly path of a similar distance, albeit slightly shorter, in only a slightly slower time. My mile pace this race was 7:42 and the previous fastest I had done was 7:48. Only shaving 6 seconds off each mile is not a great improvement. I believe this minuscule difference is due to my non-existing eating habits. My diet has consisted of pretty much anything. Really, I have not done a good job with my food intake. So as soon as I get situated in my new apartment I will go back to being nearly-vegetarian. I've done this before, and it is a pretty radical change and I might even explain later what this means but for now I'll leave it at that.
Overall, this race was fun. I could feel Claremont's essence permeating this race. I'm glad that now I have an official time, which gives me a goal to beat in future 5Ks, and I'm thinking I will be running this again next year.
EDIT: (7/12/10) I was sent this video of the start of the race:
I pass by at 0:13 I'm wearing a red and black shirt with blue and white shorts! USA USA USA! Too funny.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Change of Plans, Apartments, and Swimming?
On Monday I received an email from Active informing me of a few local races coming up this month. I noticed there is a 5K in Claremont on the 4th. Since I want to get an official time for this distance, I signed up. So I changed my training plan for Keep LA Running a bit to fit this into it. Nothing big. So to recap, this week consisted of 5, 4, and 8 mile runs, all kept within the mile-paces set up last week. Next week training continues as planned.
Also, I will be moving to a new apartment during the next few days so I'll get to explore a new area and make new routes. That's always fun.
Lastly, I've been inspired to begin swimming. Since I've never done this before, it will be a learning experience. I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will do my best. I've been reading as much as I can regarding techniques, and lane etiquette. I think I will start this madness after the 11th. This should be interesting.
Also, I will be moving to a new apartment during the next few days so I'll get to explore a new area and make new routes. That's always fun.
Lastly, I've been inspired to begin swimming. Since I've never done this before, it will be a learning experience. I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will do my best. I've been reading as much as I can regarding techniques, and lane etiquette. I think I will start this madness after the 11th. This should be interesting.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Week Recap
This was a very good running week. Did every run on my training plan and ran everyone in the morning. It's been a while since I've ran 20 mile in 7 days. I've very happy about having done this. However, waking up at 6am has proven difficult. I've been able to get started at 6:30 or even 7 but much later than that would be bad for my runs. The heat is starting to creep up and I much rather run in the cool mornings. A 6am start would be best. If I stay consistent with the early wake up calls I think they will become routine eventually and 6 won't seem sooooo early.
Next week it will be 22 miles, after that a short week finishing with Keep LA Running on Sunday, July 11th. Can't wait! It will be my first official 10K.
In other news, yesterday a few of my friends and I went to Santa Monica to wander around Third Street Promenade and the pier. We stopped at Ye Olde King's Head for dinner and celebration.
If you're ever in Santa Monica, eat here. GREAT atmosphere, service, and, of course, food.
Also, The World Cup is fully on its way. Its been an exciting 2 weeks where I've seen very good, soccer, awesome goals, and ,sadly, horrible officiating (What's new?). By now the USA, England, France, Italy, and Cameroon teams are out. My beloved Cameroon will do well one of these times. I will hold hope.
Time to relax and watch Argentina play Mexico! WOOOOOO!!!
Next week it will be 22 miles, after that a short week finishing with Keep LA Running on Sunday, July 11th. Can't wait! It will be my first official 10K.
In other news, yesterday a few of my friends and I went to Santa Monica to wander around Third Street Promenade and the pier. We stopped at Ye Olde King's Head for dinner and celebration.
If you're ever in Santa Monica, eat here. GREAT atmosphere, service, and, of course, food.
Also, The World Cup is fully on its way. Its been an exciting 2 weeks where I've seen very good, soccer, awesome goals, and ,sadly, horrible officiating (What's new?). By now the USA, England, France, Italy, and Cameroon teams are out. My beloved Cameroon will do well one of these times. I will hold hope.
Time to relax and watch Argentina play Mexico! WOOOOOO!!!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Week's Recap, LA and SF
This was a week of short distances; totaled 15 miles with three runs. I've been working on speed to set a good base at the Keep LA Running 10K in less than three weeks. If I can keep a 9-min mile pace I can finish somewhere around 55 minutes.
This is my training plan for the next three weeks:
Not too difficult. I'm pretty sure this will give me a good run on the 11th.
I'm also very happy because, for the first time in my running days, I am signed up for two races at the same time. I finally registered for the SF Marathon on July 25th. I will be running the 1st Half Marathon portion of the course. I'm pretty excited about this race as a few other runners I've met in the last few months are also running it. These next two months are going to be fun!!!!
This is my training plan for the next three weeks:
Not too difficult. I'm pretty sure this will give me a good run on the 11th.
I'm also very happy because, for the first time in my running days, I am signed up for two races at the same time. I finally registered for the SF Marathon on July 25th. I will be running the 1st Half Marathon portion of the course. I'm pretty excited about this race as a few other runners I've met in the last few months are also running it. These next two months are going to be fun!!!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
DailyMile
The best thing about running is the accomplishment. Not so much the races or the medals, although those are nice, but much more the experiences. Those are the ones that make me the most proud.
A few months ago I signed up for DailyMile. This website is just like any other social network site but with one big difference: members post about their exercises. Most of the members are training for races of all kinds, be it 5Ks, 10Ks, Marathons or even triathlons. The community is very supportive and everyone is very friendly.
I've become friends with a few people from all over the country on the site. One of them, Mauricio is a Nashville resident, a very dedicated and am extremely inspirational triathlete. In May when the flood swept through his city he created a challenge on the website inviting us to run 18 miles and dedicate them to Nashville, its citizens, and the quick restoration of the city.
I was very touched by the situation and was compelled to finish the challenge as quickly as I could. Before the week was over I had gone out on 3, 5, and 10-mile runs and felt very proud to have completed the challenge.
A few days later Mauricio sent a message to all those that had completed the challenge thanking us for the support and giving away ten awesome DailyMile stickers. I've been wanting one of those for a while but this one would have a lot more meaning attached to it. So I contacted him and last week I received it!
I put the sticker on my computer since I take it everywhere and I want to display it proudly.
Bad picture but you get the idea.
A few months ago I signed up for DailyMile. This website is just like any other social network site but with one big difference: members post about their exercises. Most of the members are training for races of all kinds, be it 5Ks, 10Ks, Marathons or even triathlons. The community is very supportive and everyone is very friendly.
I've become friends with a few people from all over the country on the site. One of them, Mauricio is a Nashville resident, a very dedicated and am extremely inspirational triathlete. In May when the flood swept through his city he created a challenge on the website inviting us to run 18 miles and dedicate them to Nashville, its citizens, and the quick restoration of the city.
I was very touched by the situation and was compelled to finish the challenge as quickly as I could. Before the week was over I had gone out on 3, 5, and 10-mile runs and felt very proud to have completed the challenge.
A few days later Mauricio sent a message to all those that had completed the challenge thanking us for the support and giving away ten awesome DailyMile stickers. I've been wanting one of those for a while but this one would have a lot more meaning attached to it. So I contacted him and last week I received it!
I put the sticker on my computer since I take it everywhere and I want to display it proudly.
Bad picture but you get the idea.
7Miles. +1
Just got back from this morning's run. 7:30am is too late to start. The temperature was already in the high 60s and the cloud cover was nowhere to be found.
As I mentioned yesterday it was my first time running with someone as, or more, into running than me. I didn't know I was in for a surprise. Patrick is a Sub-4 Marathon runner who just finished his junior year of high school! His PR for his competitive 2-mile races is 11:50!! Needless to say, I was playing catch up the whole time. Thankfully he was gracious enough to stay next or only one step ahead of me. The first three miles were a bit difficult since they were a slight, long uphill but after that the decline began and I was able to maintain a faster pace.
Another thing I was preparing for was talking while running. Since this is the first time we've met (He's a friend of a friend and we've only talked on Facebook) I knew we were going to talk about all things running and whatnot. I found talking and running to be easier than expected. We chatted up and my breathing never became difficult, so that's a plus for me!
He's also into the five finger running shoes. I've read the argument that has been brewing for about a year regarding this new trend. We didn't really discuss why he was into them but I'm sure that's a conversation for another time.
We finished 7 miles in about an hour and five minutes. I accidentally hit the stop button as I was putting the timer away right at the start, so the time is just an estimate.
Running with someone else is very different from running alone but is something I now welcome a bit more. We're going to try to do this every week and I'm looking forward to see how it develops.
As I mentioned yesterday it was my first time running with someone as, or more, into running than me. I didn't know I was in for a surprise. Patrick is a Sub-4 Marathon runner who just finished his junior year of high school! His PR for his competitive 2-mile races is 11:50!! Needless to say, I was playing catch up the whole time. Thankfully he was gracious enough to stay next or only one step ahead of me. The first three miles were a bit difficult since they were a slight, long uphill but after that the decline began and I was able to maintain a faster pace.
Another thing I was preparing for was talking while running. Since this is the first time we've met (He's a friend of a friend and we've only talked on Facebook) I knew we were going to talk about all things running and whatnot. I found talking and running to be easier than expected. We chatted up and my breathing never became difficult, so that's a plus for me!
He's also into the five finger running shoes. I've read the argument that has been brewing for about a year regarding this new trend. We didn't really discuss why he was into them but I'm sure that's a conversation for another time.
We finished 7 miles in about an hour and five minutes. I accidentally hit the stop button as I was putting the timer away right at the start, so the time is just an estimate.
Running with someone else is very different from running alone but is something I now welcome a bit more. We're going to try to do this every week and I'm looking forward to see how it develops.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Running Solo
A lot of the people I know do not see running as their choice activity for staying in shape. So since I started I've very seldom gone on a run with someone who is into it as me. I've learned to enjoy being out there alone and have found my mind follows a regular pattern when out and about.
A typical run goes something like this:
First Couple of Miles: Complaining about my legs and being tired.
Next Miles: Listening to music, remembering shows, and counting how many other people are out working out.
Last Miles: Focusing on finishing, putting one foot in front of the other, and reminding myself I've run farther.
After getting home I come off the running high, check my time and post on my DailyMile page. For the last four months, this has been my running routine.
However, tomorrow I will be running with a partner for the first time. This is the route we're going to take:
I will find out all this tomorrow morning. Wake up call is 7:00am.
A typical run goes something like this:
First Couple of Miles: Complaining about my legs and being tired.
Next Miles: Listening to music, remembering shows, and counting how many other people are out working out.
Last Miles: Focusing on finishing, putting one foot in front of the other, and reminding myself I've run farther.
After getting home I come off the running high, check my time and post on my DailyMile page. For the last four months, this has been my running routine.
However, tomorrow I will be running with a partner for the first time. This is the route we're going to take:
I will find out all this tomorrow morning. Wake up call is 7:00am.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thinking and Running
The more time I spend running, the more time I spend thinking about it. This has led me to noticed a couple of things. First, I work much better when I have goals to reach. Its a lot easier to get something done when you're doing it for a concrete reason. Second, I have to pay for races way in advance so I don't get lazy. Third, it's a lot harder to get up early to run than I thought. And fourth, I have to run for enjoyment, I can't let it become a chore.
Is this last one that has hit me the hardest. I've noticed that running Half marathons is what makes me happy at the moment. Fulls are not really something that drive my interest too much right now. I've always had a thing with timing myself and on a Half I can improve my time more than on a Full. So, I will scrap my plans to run the SF Full BUT I will run the 1st Half. I still want to run over the Golden Gate Bridge and I will not let that opportunity pass me by.
So for now, I'll get ready to do that, and look forward to completing the 10K of Keep LA Running on July 11th!!! I can't wait for that because I got Leksifer and N8I to run the 5k! Its fun to run with friends.
Is this last one that has hit me the hardest. I've noticed that running Half marathons is what makes me happy at the moment. Fulls are not really something that drive my interest too much right now. I've always had a thing with timing myself and on a Half I can improve my time more than on a Full. So, I will scrap my plans to run the SF Full BUT I will run the 1st Half. I still want to run over the Golden Gate Bridge and I will not let that opportunity pass me by.
So for now, I'll get ready to do that, and look forward to completing the 10K of Keep LA Running on July 11th!!! I can't wait for that because I got Leksifer and N8I to run the 5k! Its fun to run with friends.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
2010 Laguna Hills Half Marathon Recap
I figured it couldn’t hurt to run a Half Marathon while training to do a full. So I signed up for the Laguna Hills Memorial Day run. Since I don’t like driving a long distance before a race, I spent the weekend at my friend’s house in Irvine. Saturday and Sunday were spent watching TV and playing COD. At some point I bought my routine Race Day Breakfast: plain bagels and chunky Skippy peanut butter (Chunky is the only way to go). Monday morning came about and after getting showered and dressed I drove to the Laguna Hills mall where the race started. Since this was my third race I wasn’t sure what to expect. To my surprise the parking lot was empty and there were only about 40 runners at 5:45 am. I probably could have slept 30 more minutes but oh well. I had a goal to break 2 hours since I was so closed at the O.C. Half but I spoke to a couple of other runners and they mentioned that this is not a course to PR in, the hills were not going to cooperate. I gave this serious thought and decided to just run it and not worry about time.
After everyone poured in, we got in the starting corral, stretched, heard the National Anthem and we were off!
If there is a word to describe this race it would be Hilly. The first half is technically downhill. However there are a few rolling hills all the way to the reserve which happen to be steeper on the way up than the way down. By mile 4 the sun came up and the temperature started to slowly rise. It was somewhere around this point where I realized I had forgotten to put body glide on. Now I had chaffing to look forward to. No biggie, I had run a couple of 10 and 11 mile training runs forgetting to do this as well. At the reserve we came to an area of two-way traffic where the front runners pass right by us. At this point is where the uphill back to the finish line begins. To make this point more palpable it starts with the steepest hill of them all and set the pace for the next long miles. These last 6-7 miles are all a slight uphill with a few very short flat areas. And not to make it easy, they are a few underpasses we go through that only make the inclines a bit worse.
It was at about mile 11 that I had had enough. My body was angry at me, my feet were hurting and I was feeling very tired. This is where the mental game started. I keep telling myself that each step got me closer to the next mile marker. I keep the pace with a group of flag bearers who were representing the Armed Forces but those guys are made of steel and quickly left me in the dust. I think they were the only ones that passed me during the whole race. Suddenly I started to see more people and the noise of the crowd gave my pace a slight kick right before the finish line. As soon as I made the last turn I saw the clock reading 1:59:04 and I knew I had done it!
My official time was 1:58:42. Reaching my goal of under 2:00 was in the back of my mind the whole time, but the way I was feeling after mile 11 made me think that I was nowhere near getting to it. The fact that I did it in the most challenging race I have done yet made it the more sweet.
I'm starting to get a nice collection!
Overall, a great experience.
Monday, May 3, 2010
2010 Orange County Half Marathon Race Recap
I was pretty disappointed with myself for not preparing correctly for the 2010 L.A. Marathon and consequentially not running it. I had to make it up somehow, so I signed up for the OC Half Marathon which was only 6 weeks away. This way I could either train and run it, or lose the registration money. I've learned that I do better when the goals are set in stone.
The weekend of the race I drove down to Irvine and relaxed at Ryan's apartment with his girlfriend and roommate. To give my legs some down time we mostly played video games and watched Adult Swim shows. I went to bed kinda late and wasn't able to sleep well, but that's no surprise. I was pretty excited about running my first Half and getting an official time on it. I like setting benchmarks. They keep me on my toes and give me personal goals to break. If there is anything I learned in school is that setting goals is the only way to get things done.
After waking up, showering and getting ready I headed to the OC Fairgrounds to park my car, eat my bagels with peanut butter and get shuttled to the starting line at Fashion Island. I decided to wear my red Asics shirt since it feels good and it has a pocket on the shoulder. I thought this was a great idea since I could put my car key in there and not have to leave my car open. So I did that and headed to the bus. As usual, I was early and had to wait for about an hour before the crowd started to show. To relax a bit I talked to a couple of other runners who coincidentally were also running for the first time. I like how this community is so tight, everyone is friendly and they're always so chipper. As time moved on we started to get ready on the corrals and after the anthem and all the particulars, the race was off. There were a lot of people running this event so it took about 10 minutes to get to the starting line and my personal time going, but after that it was 13.1 or bust!
Since I lived in Irvine for 3 years I was really excited to run this race. After a couple of turns after the start the course took us pass Corona del Mar. If you've never been there, you need to, its such a beautiful and secluded beach. It was here when it happened. All of a sudden I felt my car key drop inside my shirt, hit my leg and clank on the pavement. I was really confused since I assumed that the shoulder pocket was secure and would keep my key safe. What I didn't notice was a hole on the top of it that was big enough to make anything fall out of it but small enough so it can be easily missed. this worried me much. I put the key back in and continue running. I made sure to check the pocket and felt the key about every 2 minutes to make sure it was still there. After that the course winded around some richy residential areas of CdM. By then there were a couple of people out waving and giving all the runners support. Seeing people out there supporting the runners always makes me smile.
But, of course, at about mile 4 my smile went to a frown when I reached for the pocket and didn't feel my car key. Great. I completely stopped. I had a couple of thoughts: I could walk back and look for it, or I could keep going, finish up and then come back to the same area and look for it later. I contemplated doing the latter but I figured that would simply be the stupid move so I started backtracking looking at the ground for it. While I did this I heard a couple of people say "He's going backwards LOLZ"..... I really like how astute some people are. The gods must have been happy with me because I was able to find the key in less than 5 minutes. I grabbed it, quickly decided that I would hold onto it the whole run and try to forget about it. At this point I was not feeling too great. The key issue coupled with sluggish legs were really keeping me down.
Somewhere after mile 5 my legs stopped feeling weird and my stride improved. From then on the race went more or less without a hitch. I keep my pace and enjoyed the scenery of the Newport Back Bay. After a bathroom break at about the 8-mile marker I decided that I could pick up my speed somewhere between mile 9 and 10, but, somehow I missed those markers. By the time I picked up my speed I was coming up to mile 11. The last few miles I was running way faster than I should have been able to if I had maintained a faster tempo the entire race. Oh wells. I finished in 2:11:55. A bit short of the 2 hour mark, not to shabby but with a goal to break. Soon after I passed the finish line I heard Jillian and Ryan calling for me. They made an awesome sign to encourage my running. How awesome is that?!
The weekend of the race I drove down to Irvine and relaxed at Ryan's apartment with his girlfriend and roommate. To give my legs some down time we mostly played video games and watched Adult Swim shows. I went to bed kinda late and wasn't able to sleep well, but that's no surprise. I was pretty excited about running my first Half and getting an official time on it. I like setting benchmarks. They keep me on my toes and give me personal goals to break. If there is anything I learned in school is that setting goals is the only way to get things done.
After waking up, showering and getting ready I headed to the OC Fairgrounds to park my car, eat my bagels with peanut butter and get shuttled to the starting line at Fashion Island. I decided to wear my red Asics shirt since it feels good and it has a pocket on the shoulder. I thought this was a great idea since I could put my car key in there and not have to leave my car open. So I did that and headed to the bus. As usual, I was early and had to wait for about an hour before the crowd started to show. To relax a bit I talked to a couple of other runners who coincidentally were also running for the first time. I like how this community is so tight, everyone is friendly and they're always so chipper. As time moved on we started to get ready on the corrals and after the anthem and all the particulars, the race was off. There were a lot of people running this event so it took about 10 minutes to get to the starting line and my personal time going, but after that it was 13.1 or bust!
Since I lived in Irvine for 3 years I was really excited to run this race. After a couple of turns after the start the course took us pass Corona del Mar. If you've never been there, you need to, its such a beautiful and secluded beach. It was here when it happened. All of a sudden I felt my car key drop inside my shirt, hit my leg and clank on the pavement. I was really confused since I assumed that the shoulder pocket was secure and would keep my key safe. What I didn't notice was a hole on the top of it that was big enough to make anything fall out of it but small enough so it can be easily missed. this worried me much. I put the key back in and continue running. I made sure to check the pocket and felt the key about every 2 minutes to make sure it was still there. After that the course winded around some richy residential areas of CdM. By then there were a couple of people out waving and giving all the runners support. Seeing people out there supporting the runners always makes me smile.
But, of course, at about mile 4 my smile went to a frown when I reached for the pocket and didn't feel my car key. Great. I completely stopped. I had a couple of thoughts: I could walk back and look for it, or I could keep going, finish up and then come back to the same area and look for it later. I contemplated doing the latter but I figured that would simply be the stupid move so I started backtracking looking at the ground for it. While I did this I heard a couple of people say "He's going backwards LOLZ"..... I really like how astute some people are. The gods must have been happy with me because I was able to find the key in less than 5 minutes. I grabbed it, quickly decided that I would hold onto it the whole run and try to forget about it. At this point I was not feeling too great. The key issue coupled with sluggish legs were really keeping me down.
Somewhere after mile 5 my legs stopped feeling weird and my stride improved. From then on the race went more or less without a hitch. I keep my pace and enjoyed the scenery of the Newport Back Bay. After a bathroom break at about the 8-mile marker I decided that I could pick up my speed somewhere between mile 9 and 10, but, somehow I missed those markers. By the time I picked up my speed I was coming up to mile 11. The last few miles I was running way faster than I should have been able to if I had maintained a faster tempo the entire race. Oh wells. I finished in 2:11:55. A bit short of the 2 hour mark, not to shabby but with a goal to break. Soon after I passed the finish line I heard Jillian and Ryan calling for me. They made an awesome sign to encourage my running. How awesome is that?!
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