RACE RECAP: Hood to Coast Relay 2010 08/30/2010
Hood to Coast was amazing! It had been on my bucket list, and this year I lucked out because a group of friends had put together a team and invited me to run with them.  The official race t-shirt and medal. Pretty sweet!  Our team van. We basically lived in there for two days! Leg 1 5.64 miles Timberline Lodge to Government Camp  In my tutu at Timberline. It was really exciting being the first runner! Being at the starting line at Timberline was such an adrenaline rush because they announce which teams are starting, and countdown to your start (our team's start time was 12:45pm). However, this leg was rough. Check out the elevation change--nearly 2000 feet over 5.64 miles. CONSTANT DOWNHILL.  Downhill sounds nice, but it is really hard on your legs. My calves started knotting up around mile 2, and stayed that way for the entire relay. :( But the run was gorgeous and I really enjoyed the view. After our van was done with our first 6 legs, we went to a van-mate's house for a spaghetti dinner and to get clean. We definitely felt much better after some real food and a shower!  At one of the many exchanges during the first 6 legs! The weather was perfect. Leg 13 4.67 miles Portland Waterfront My second leg started around 10:30pm. I was really glad that I was running my night leg in a familiar place: the Portland waterfront! This leg was tough mentally and physically for me. My legs were tired and my calves and quads were tight. The entire run, I just hoped to finish close to my expected time. I didn't want to let down my van! After I finished running, I slept as much as possible in the van. We stopped at St. Helens High School to shower, and then we went to the Exchange 24 sleeping area to sleep for a few hours before I had to start the 3rd round.  It was cold in that field! Leg 25 3.75 miles Mist to Birkenfeld This leg was nice and short. But my legs were super tight. Like Leg 13, I just wanted to finish in my expected time. I was really tired and couldn't wait to be finished running! I really gave it my all as I headed toward the exchange and handed off the wristband. It felt really good to be done! Finish line and post-race Our team finished in 28 hours and 22 minutes! We were so glad to have been able to finish. The finish area had a beer garden, free Powerade and vitaminwater zero, and music playing.  Thoughts about the race itself:
Has anyone else done Hood to Coast, or some other relay? How was it? :) I feel really guilty about neglecting my blog for so long. I've being going through a tough time, and a lot of things in my life were set aside while I was trying to "fix" things. As I was cleaning the other day, I realized my shoes were an analogy for my life. I have a lot of pairs of shoes. More than 35. Some of them are just adorable, like my Cole Hahn ballet flats with Nike air technology. They retail for around $180, but I bought off a ebay for around $70 a year or two ago. These Cole Hahns are probably the most expensive shoes I own (besides my running shoes). These shoes are gorgeous turquoise leather with little crystals on them. Just look at them!   Yes, they are missing crystals... but they're still so cute! I always get compliments when I wear them. The thing is, they hurt like hell. Even with Body Glide. They're painful to wear. I've worn them fewer times than I can count on both hands. But because I spent so much money on them, and because they look so cute, I kept them. Yesterday, when counted all of the shoes that I own, I decided I could let go of those Cole Hahns. I have plenty of cute shoes that don't hurt my feet. No, they're not as pricey or glamorous as my Cole Hahns, but they're more comfortable. So I'm going to take those fabulous Cole Hahn ballet flats to a consignment store. Besides, I don't have room on my shoe rack for all of my shoes. And who knows, I might find an even better pair of shoes... This isn't just a story about shoes. It's about anything in your life that you want to hold on to--objects, goals, jobs, or even people. Maybe you hold on because you've invested in it, because people compliment you on it, because it was a good deal, or because of any number of other excuses out there. But if something isn't right fit for you, then the best thing that you can do is to let go. What's been keeping me going through all this? The Hood to Coast Relay! There have definitely been a few days where I thought about dropping out of my team, but I just couldn't do it to them so close to the race, so I've kept training. This will be my first year doing HTC and it's on my bucket list, so I figure I better do it now even though I've been feeling like a mess. And I figured I'd be in an even bigger funk than I am now if I backed out. So here's what I've gotten myself into:
RUNNING errands and a mermaidy FOTD 08/07/2010
This morning I decided to RUN an errand. The place I needed to go to was 2.2 miles away, and figured that a 4.4 mile run would be good training for Hood to Coast. Well, once I got there, they weren't open yet! They weren't going to be open for another 35 minutes. So I decided to keep running and come back once they were open. I felt pretty good and was glad I'd gotten 5 miles out of the way, took care of some stuff, and then finished the 2.2 mile run home. :D 7.2 miles is the farthest I've run since my marathon, and it's good to know I can still do that kind of mileage. So, feeling fun and energetic, I decided to go with a fun and colorful look for today!  Looks kind of mermaidy, don't you think?      FACE: Shiseido SPF 38 Lotion, Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Face Powder in Buff Beige, Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer in Almond CHEEKS: Wet n Wild ColorIcon Bronzer in Princess, Wet and Wild ColorIcon Blush in Mellow Wine EYES: Clinique BrowShaper in Charcoaled, UDPP in Eden, Ulta eyeshadow in Camel (browbone/base), MAC eyeshadow in Sweet & Punch (lid), Hard Candy eyeshadow in Spearmint (crease), Cargo Color Palette in Tahiti (crease, outer V), Hard Candy 1000 Lashes Fiberized Lash Weave Primer, L'oreal Voluminous Waterproof mascara, Ulta Automatic Eyeliner in Teal Blue LIPS: Sephora lipstick in N 07 I think I need to get a darker brow color... What do you think? How's your Saturday going? Change the way you see, not the way you look 08/01/2010
Today's blog post is inspired by Caitlin, blogger at Healthy Tipping Point and also Operation Beautiful. She's challenging bloggers to think and blog about body image.  I've definitely changed the way I see when it comes to body image! It's been a long road, but I feel like I've finally begun to understand my body, I've finally started appreciating my body, and I have a better idea of how to take care of my body. When I was in high school, I was thin and active. And like most high schoolers with insane metabolisms, I could eat whatever I wanted. I ate sausage patties almost every day for breakfast, chips and junk food for pre-fencing snacks. I didn't worry about my body shape, because I was probably the thinnest of my friends and they always told me how they'd love to be thin like me. I thought my body would always be the way it was. Going into college, I decided to give up meat. I did it for health reasons, and for ethical reasons. I was a varsity athlete, and could still get away with a diet consisting of Snapple, junk food, french fries, Easy Mac, and Ramen. I gained a little weight, but it didn't bother me and I hardly noticed and didn't mind. I thought about my body as a a body that fenced, and was more worried about my abilities than my shape or weight. After all, I was at the height of my "fencing career."  Yes, I ate ramen out of a serving bowl. But as I worked out less and less during my junior and senior years, I gained quite a bit of weight. The increasing amounts of takeout didn't help either. At the time, I was in a long term relationship, and my boyfriend at the time didn't care what my body looked like. I became complacent, and even though I became too big for most of my jeans, I figured I'd just gained the freshman fifteen a little later than everyone else. After college, I stopped fencing and stopped working out. I moved back home and ate a lot of junk food. My weight continued to climb. When I started getting too big for my work clothes and needed new ones, I realized I needed to change. I started working out with a friend after work. She got me to sign up for my first half marathon in June 2009, and got me hooked on races. Though we were both getting better and stronger, neither of us were seeing the results we wanted. So my mom and I tried the cabbage soup diet. It was a terrible idea. Even though I'd eaten enough soup that I thought I'd throw up, I was hungry an hour later. So my friend and I went to a nutritionist. It was hard to eat healthy and my body didn't like the adjustment. I couldn't be as strict as my nutritionist wanted me to be, but I did see improvements. Though we've stopped going in, I feel like I have a better understanding of fueling my body and I try to get more fruits and veggies, and enough protein. I also have a better understanding of portions. Of course, I don't always eat how I should, but I realized through personal experience that fad diets don't work. How you eat has to be a lifelong commitment--which means there will be slip ups and cheat days, but that you're in it for the long run. It's about doing what's good for your body. After my first marathon, I finally appreciated my body. I still wish that my legs didn't rub together, and that my forehead weren't so big, etc... but my pride in my body for being able to run a marathon is greater than my discontent. I haven't worked out in a month and I've been eating out a lot, but my weight is still close to what I'd consider "ideal." The funny thing is, it doesn't matter to me. That number on the scale isn't an indication of my worth or what I can do. What matters right now is that I get my body back into shape so I can rock Hood to Coast, and PR at my next half marathon ;) Umotivated to run... 07/27/2010
Well ladies and gents. It's been about a month since my first marathon (and since my last post... oops!). What's happened since then?
 Took this right after I got the tattoo... it looks crooked because I'm not standing straight.
How are you guys doing with working out over the summer? Yeah, that is a lot of exclamation points, but it's a huge deal for me :) Saturday was my very first marathon. Weekend recap: Friday: Drove up to Seattle with some of my friends who had signed up for the half marathon. There was horrendous traffic along the way, and we almost didn't make it to the Health & Fitness Expo in time to pick up our packets! Then we got separated, and had trouble locating parking for Qwest Field. Fortunately, we squeaked in with 42 minutes to spare. WHEW!  I'd never been to a pre-race Expo before, and it was AMAZING! Wow. I wish we'd had more time to look around and score free stuff, but we only had time to go in, get our race packets, buy some souvenirs (it's my first marathon, I had to buy some!), and get out. It was late by the time we got to the hotel in downtown Bellevue. We walked to the Cheesecake Factory for some delicious dinner. (Man, I love Cheesecake Factory!) Went back to the hotel, where we got ready for bed but ended up talking and laughing in the dark for awhile, since we were all too excited/nervous :P I was freaking out a little bit, thinking "What if I don't finish?! What if I didn't train well enough?! What if I hit the wall hard?! What if I forget something?!" Fortunately, my boyfriend texted me and said, "Don't freak out. Just run." While that might be pretty obvious to most runners on most days, when I heard it the night before my marathon in the midst of my FREAKOUT mode, it was the perfect reminder. JUST RUN. That's all I needed to do. That's all I could do. I've been obsessively preparing for months, I'm sticking with what works, and I'm going to just run. SATURDAY: Woke up at 4:30 am. Threw on my clothes, and panicked because I didn't give myself enough time to double check everything. Got in the car at 5:15. Ate my standard pre-long-run breakfast of oatmeal/protein powder and a banana. Drove to downtown Seattle, parked, took a shuttle bus to the starting area. Realized on the bus that I'd forgotten to take my allergy medicine.  Used the portapotties. Asked the medical tents if they had any kind of allergy medicine (they did not). Grabbed a water bottle and stuck a nuun tablet in it, so I'd have extra electrolyte drink in addition to my fuel belt. Found my corral and the 4:15 pacer and waited. I hoped to finish in 4:15 but realistically just wanted to finish faster that Shia LaBoeuf's LA Marathon time (4:35). Hey, I had to set a goal, and sub 4:35/better than Shia seemed like a fantastic goal. (Most photos courtesy of my friend Carla!)  At 7:21, I crossed the starting line. Mile 1: Already had to pee again, but decided to put it off til Mile 3. Lost the 4:15 pacer as a result. Mile 3-8: Met up with my half-marathoning friend and ran with her for awhile at a slightly faster pace. Saw a guy running the half in a full polar bear suit. Saw a guy running in an Elvis suit. Got tired and slowed the pace back down and ran by myself. Mile 11: Ankles started to hurt a bit. Felt tired. Hoped I would get a second wind. Miles 20 and 22: Had to battle my mental game about hitting the wall. Freaked out because 22.29 miles was my longest training run. Miles 17 and 24: GI problems. It wasn't pretty. Almost didn't stop at Mile 24 because I was worried I wouldn't be able to get running again, especially since it was uphill at that point. Mile 24: Kept running. Felt sick running up the bridge (probably too much water at that point), but fine coming down it. Realized I could do finish AND beat Shia if I kept up the current pace. Felt good, felt strong, and like I'd beaten the wall. Heard my cell phone beeping, knowing it was my family and friends encouraging me (I didn't read the text messages til after I finished)/ Mile 26: I could taste it. FINISH: Finished strong! Official chip time: 4:30:50  Just meters from the finish line!  Yay! All done, and it's time to get some post-race beer.... No longer MIA! Long run report. 06/10/2010
Wow, I can't believe I've been MIA for so long. Sorry guys! Sunday I went on a long run. Because of my knee pain/IT band injury, I have been cutting my long runs short. Sunday was the first 20+ run I've committed to in awhile, but I knew I had to get it in before my two weeks of taper since my first marathon is coming up in just over two weeks! So my friend Bre and I ran. We decided on 22 miles. I'd tried to do more running the week before, but hadn't worn my new Mizunos yet. Decided that even though it was raining, that even though I hadn't slept enough the week before, or eaten well or enough, I would still do the 22 miler. It was raining that morning, but I have gotten used to running in the rain and actually prefer it to running in moderate heat! (I swear, aliens must have invaded my body). It rained the entire 22.29 miles. I got hungry, I got a little crabby, but I finished. I felt good during most of it, and truly felt that "runner's high." I felt good while running, my knees didn't hurt, and I just appreciated running. Even when I felt tired, I felt strong and like I was a real runner. I was soaked everywhere, and starving, and exhausted, but I felt like a runner. And I couldn't wait for my marathon. My knee's been a little achy but not too bad. It's been my calves that have been hurting most. I've decided that starting this Saturday, two weeks from my marathon, I will cut out alcohol and fried foods. I can still eat cookies :P but I'm going to try and cut back. Last week I ate less and slept less I still felt amazing, so I figured I could stand to have a little more balance. :P Today, B and I decided to do a "short" long run, and go for 17 miles. I've been eating like crap lately, and haven't been working out nearly enough, and my knee is still hurting, so I wanted to take it easy before we run 22 miles again. I brought water and ate some Sharkies. I was feeling blah for a lot of reasons and my body was just dragging. I'm thinking an electrolyte drink might help next time, in addition to the gummies. Readers, how do you hydrate and fuel on long runs? Today I took my Xersion running shorts out for a test drive. They're basically like the Nike running shorts, but cheaper. Xersion makes FABULOUS capri-length running pants that are identical in appearance and performance to my Nike running capris, but cheaper, so I was pretty excited to try out these shorts.  [Image source] Xersion™ Woven Running Short Price: $22.00 but frequently on sale for 40% off or more Description: "Xersion™ running shorts offer comfort-driven features for those long-lasting runs. Running short liner, quick dry, credit card pocket, waistband drawstring, 3 1/4" inseam, washable, polyester." Review: I bought these because people just love the Nike running shorts, and these look the same, so I figured they were probably just as good since the capris are! And at $14 on sale, I figured they were a steal. PROS: The material feels and looks nice. Comes in different colors. Inexpensive. The lining doesn't rub or chafe even on a 17 miler. CONS: The shorts bunch up at the crotch. BOO. I'm pretty sure I got the right size (small), so I'm not sure what the issue is. Maybe that my thighs rub together? Whatever it is, I need my shorts to stay where they're at, and these shorts don't. I don't know if Nike shorts would give me the same problems or not. If you love your Nikes and want a cheap alternative, or want to try out running shorts, for $14, it's worth a try if you don't mind bunching. I think I'm gonna stick with spandex compression pants and shorts! Lipgloss + Spandex rating:   Winetasting and other weekend adventures! 05/15/2010
My friend and I decided to have a fun girly afternoon in the "Couv." It was FANTASTIC! Just what I needed after a long, stressful week of NOT working out, crazy antics, cleaning the garage, and state testing. First, we hit up Namaste Indian Cuisine for their $8.95 lunch buffet, and ate Indian food until our stomachs were going to explode. If you haven't eaten at Namaste, you need to. It is DELICIOUS. Next, we went to TJ Maxx and Ross. MAN, I love these stores! There's always SOMETHING good. Check out today's finds:  An adorable tank top  Two very cute necklaces from TJ Maxx Then we went to the mall to get some sunscreen. Small rant: My absolute Holy Grail sunscreen, Shiseido SPF 55+++ lotion, has been discontinued. WHY, Shiseido?! WHYYYYY?! The SPF 55 lotion mattified while having high SPF, and was just amazing! It was the only sunscreen that kept my incredibly oily skin looking decent, AND it didn't break me out. If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is. Now my choices are SPF 55 cream, the SPF 38 lotion, or the SPF 60 lotion. And according to Makeupalley, none of them are close to what the SPF 55 lotion was. But I decided to give Shiseido a chance to redeem themselves, and I bought the SPF 38 lotion.  And then....we went winetasting! We went to a little local vineyard called English Estate Winery that specializes in boxed wine. They also have a delicious selection of dessert wines.   Tomorrow's agenda: another long run! What's happening this weekend for you? Booo. It has been a long week. 05/07/2010
Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a rough week. Work was rough, and included a couple of student meltdowns. My knee is still hurting, so I only worked out Monday. Talked to my PT friend on Wednesday and concluded I was doing too much, too fast; that I need to try going back to my old shoes; and that I need to foam roll more, and more places. Hopefully it'll be better soon, but I think I need to get fitted for some new shoes. AND, I managed to get sick. :( I'm all sniffly, sneezy, and congested, and I'm coughing. I hate being sick, especially when I'm such a germaphobe. Went for a 4.3 mile run today, in my old shoes to see how I felt. My knees hurt, but one of the knee was hurting all week anyway. Lame. Went to McMenamins and got Cajun Tots, a milkshake, hard cider, and lobster fondue. Now I'm icing my knee, and watching VH1's 100 Best Songs of the '90s. Yes, I know it's on TV all the time, but I kind of love reliving the music of the '90s. (Remember Edwin McCain's "I'll Be"? The Presidents of the United States of America's "Peaches"? Lenny Kravitz's "Are you gonna go my way?")  Click for image source |
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