Seaside Half Marathon Race Recap- Race 2/14

So, my race goal changed a bit when I got a little registration happy and signed up for 14 half marathons in 2014. Kind of threw off the whole 13 half marathons in 13 months, but it's a bigger goal and I am so ready to kick ass and take names!

This month's race was the Seaside Half Marathon. It was an out and back, mostly flat course along the beautiful coast.

I went to the packet pick up yesterday. My number was #666. I text my mom, my sister and Patrick the number I got. My mom's response: "Ask for another number!" Patrick's response: "Hell yeah!" and Rachel's response: "The devil is going to tear up the course!"

I decided to play it up and add devil horns to my outfit.

I  got up early this morning in order to make sure I was ready to go. I left a little over an hour and half before the race started in order to make sure I got a parking spot. It took about a half hour to get there, giving me plenty of time to walk around and warm up my legs.
 

And of course take some pictures... It's a good thing too, because I didn't take any during the race.

I started the race using 30:30 intervals. We ran along the bike path and I was concerned about the starting and stopping with the people around me, but I guess I started in a good place because I don't think I annoyed too many people. I was very conscious about the people around me.

 

It was a pretty uneventful race, to be truly honest. After what happened at the Camarillo half marathon in January I was a little concerned about my goal of PRing, but I still wanted to make that my goal. I decided to up my intervals from 30:1 to 30:30 because I had been practicing with those intervals and knew that it would be my best chance to PR.

 

My current best is 2:39:00 from the Arroyo Creek half marathon. I really pushed myself today because I have been very comfortable with my 12:30 pace. I knew I had to be around a 12 minute mile consistently in order to PR. I made it to the halfway point pretty easily. I decided at that point to start running 1:30:30:30, so I would run 1 minute, walk 30 seconds, run 30 seconds, walk 30 seconds and repeat. That worked pretty well to keep my pace consistent because my running was getting slower, but as long as I upped the amount of time I ran it worked itself out.

 

I hit a small wall around mile 8. Nothing too bad though. At the Camarillo half I ended up needing to text a few of my "people" for support. I needed that extra boost, that reminder that I enjoy doing this. Today it was more of a minute or two of questioning myself and my goal of a PR. Before I knew it I was already at mile 9 and at that point I only had 4 miles to go.

 

I've found that I usually hit my wall around mile 8 and I would love to work on that. That's definitely more of a mental road block for me than a physical one. It's at that point where I realize that I'm over halfway, have already gone 8 miles but I still have 5 to go. 5 miles just seems like so many when you've already gone 8.

 

I text my mom at mile 10 that I was a 5K away and then again just before mile 13 to let her know that I was on my way and to get the camera ready.

 

I knew at that point that I would have a PR. It was an exciting moment for me. Something that I hadn't really been training for but something that I wanted to prove to myself. I really had no intention of attempting a PR for any of the races I have planned for 2014, and at this point I have no intention for any new PRs this year. For some reason this just felt right.

On to the next one. In two weeks!

Camarillo Half Marathon Race Recap- Race 2 of 13

Today was the second race for my Santa to Santa goal of 13 half marathons in 13 months.

Before I recap the race, I have a confession... I signed up for another race at the end of April. Bringing my total number of races in 2014 to 14, including the 10K I am doing in March. It also makes me eligible for an extra medal for the California Half Series, as long as I am able to be at the final race in December. I thought at first that I may not be able to be at that final race, therefore not being eligible for the medal, however I just realized that the last race is at the end of the month and not on the same day as Santa to the Sea like I had originally thought. As soon as registration opens I will be signing up.

Another quick thought... I may or may not be thinking about not doing the Dopey Challenge next year. Many discussions to happen between now and April with Patrick as well as internally deciding the best thing to do. Part of my doubt is financial and the other is my physical abilities. This first twinge of doubt may have happened during my very difficult run today shortly after I hit my wall. More to come on this (thoughts and opinions on this topic are greatly appreciated!)

Today's race was a mixture of awesome, difficult, exciting, windy and emotional. So many emotions, so little time.

I got to the race early and stood around waiting for the marathon runners to start. It was cold this morning. Not cold cold, like what the people on the East Coast are experiencing, but Southern California cold. I stood by myself, waiting, shivering, waiting and repeating. Then I was approached by a journalist from the Ventura County Star, the local newspaper. I was asked about my running history, when and why I started, etc. Not sure if anything I said will be used but it was a great way to start the day.

The marathon started at 7, and the half marathon not far behind at 715.

The course was entirely flat and surrounded by farm land on all sides. It was a beautiful and fast run. Up until the halfway point. I realized at about mile 6 that I could get really close to PRing if I continued with the same pace. My current PR for a half marathon is 2:39:00 and when I got to the half way point today I was at an hour and twenty minutes. I was using 30:45 intervals and decided that at the half way point I would switch to 45:30 in order to have a faster second half and PR.

It was right around this point that the winds picked up and the rest of the race was done with my head down in order to prevent dust from flying in my eyes. It wasn't too far into the second half that I began having trouble catching my breath and lowering my heart rate. I was also quite dizzy. It didn't take more than a mile to realize that I would need to fall back to the 30:45 intervals if I wanted to finish upright.

Around mile 8 I hit my wall and text both my mom and Patrick to provide some words of encouragement, which helped but not quite enough to make up for the strong wind gusts that slowed me down from a consistent 12-1230 minute mile to 13-14 minute miles. It was disheartening, especially while mentally struggling. My mom ended up calling me at a great point in the race, which forced me to stop running while I talked to her. I needed that break.

I ended up having to walk mile 12-13 completely as the winds were just too strong, but I made it and ended up running the last .13 miles to cross the finish line strong. Patrick was at the finish line for me and I definitely needed to see him when I turned the corner. I finished in 2:50:01 (unofficial time) and can honestly say that I am happy with that time. It was not my best race, but it was also not my worst run and I survived it.

This wasn't an exciting race in any way for me, other than it being new and of course it being another race I have completed towards my goal. I did a lot of thinking on this run, mostly negative. A lot of doubt and a lot of questioning of my capabilities, my goals, and my future plans in regards to running. I am hoping that my next long run goes a lot more smoothly than this one.

Then again, looking back, I guess I can also look at the positive side of things and realize that I dug deep and pushed myself to the end. It would have been very easy to give in and give up. I didn't do that though. I kept putting one foot in front of the other. I just kept going and I plan to keep doing that for a long time.

 

 

 

Total Time- 2:50:01

Total Distance- 13.13

 

Mile 1- 12:40

Mile 2- 12:08

Mile 3- 12:25

Mile 4- 12:33

Mile 5- 12:00

Mile 6- 11:54

Mile 7- 11:18

Mile 8- 13:08

Mile 9- 13:28

Mile 10- 14:24

Mile 11- 13:14

Mile 12- 13:46

Mile 13- 15:20

Mile 0.13- 1:39

Today's run brought me to completing over 29 miles of my 1250 mile goal. A total of 2% complete. And we're only on day 5 of the year. If I keep it up I should be at my goal in no time and that's really exciting motivation to keep me going. The more I do now, the less pressure I will have on myself to finish towards the end of the year.

Weigh In #4

Starting Weight: 189.2
Last Weeks Weight: 183.4
This Weeks Weight: 182.6

+/-: -0.8
Total +/-: -6.6

Last Weeks Goals:

1. Track. Track. Track.

I stuck with the tracking again this week and it definitely helped. There was on day (New Years Day) that I didn't track everything I ate and went a little overboard. But I did track most of the day, and I feel like I am in the habit of doing it.

2. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water.

I still need to work on how much water I drink on the weekends, but I am getting much better about getting up from my desk at work and refilling my cup. Now the weekend is another story...

3. Eat 5 servings of fruit and veggies every day. 
Ummm.. I think I got better and definitely got in more vegetables than I normally do, but I did not reach my goal of 5 days a week. 

4. Workout 3 days this week.
If I count the 5 mile run I did on New Years Day, then I did get in 3 workouts. I'm only willing to count that because I've been so used to only doing my one mile run that getting out on a weekday for 5 miles is huge. I also did a quick 6 minute workout from Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones and a 10 minute arm workout with Jackie Warner. Not quite as much as I would have liked but more than the past few weeks.

This Weeks Goals:

1. Stay off the scale except for weigh in day. 

This past week I weighed in multiple times (and actually thought I was going to have a gain as of yesterday's weight). Although I didn't allow it to affect my mood, I know that it's only a matter of time. 

2. Track. Everything.

I got in the habit Christmas week to just quick track calories. It's easier when you don't quite now the exact calories, but it's lazier than tracking things individually. I like the idea for big holidays, but it's not something I want to continue to do.

3. Make a workout schedule and stick to it.

I am planning to do shorter workouts so that I am not completely overwhelmed. I am going to use No More Trouble Zones as they are much shorter workouts and plan on doing it with my best friend on our lunch at work so we can hold each other accountable. 

Workout schedule:

January 5th - January 11th

Sunday: Camarillo Half Marathon

Monday: streak, arm workout

Tuesday: streak, No More Trouble Zones

Wednesday: streak, arm workout

Thursday: streak, No More Trouble Zones

Friday: streak, arm workout

Saturday: streak

Here's to another week! Hopefully I can continue to be successful and see more positive progress.

2014 Goals

I'm going to go with the same theme as last year and take items off of my bucket list that I would like to accomplish in 2014. I am getting a little crazy with the number of goals I have for the year, but since I have a lot on my bucket list I guess there's no time like the present to do them.

2014 Goals:

1. Write in a journal every day for a year

2. Take one picture a day for a year/take more pictures in general

3. Run and/or walk 1250 miles in a year

4. Complete Santa to Santa (13 half marathons in 13 months)

5. Run at least 1 mile (intervals) every day for a year (which will also complete my mini goals of 100 days and 250 days while on my way to my main goal of 500 days)

6. Continue to track calories using MFP to reach my goal of 365 days in a row

7. Read 24 books in a year (including the one I am currently reading that I started in December)

8. Make 5 or more monthly goals and do them

9. Pay off debt and build savings

10. Set aside time to spend with Isabel

11. Make the effort to have more date nights with my husband

12. Sign up for the Dopey Challenge without feeling guilty about the money

13. Work on accomplishing tasks from my Day Zero list

14. Reach a healthy weight and BMI

15. Complete Jillian Michael's Body Revolution

16. Bake more and try new recipes

I have a lot of goals and a lot of places that I am tracking these goals. I think it will be good because it will hopefully keep me accountable to check in on them often.

Wishing everyone the happiest of New Years! Hope your evening is filled with friends, family and happiness. Here's to a happy and healthy 2014! Stay safe tonight...

Training Schedule Update

It has been decided that instead of running the Mountains 2 Beach marathon in May with Rachel, we will be running the half. Basically the decision came down to my OCD.

It probably seems pretty silly to most and yes, I do realize that I sound insane, however I was really getting frustrated saying that I was doing 13 races in 13 months and explaining that I would be doing twelve half marathons and one full marathon. I realize it's not that big of a deal, however it is visually more appealing to see 13 half marathons in 13 months or better yet: 13- 13.1- 13.

It is what it is and it was my decision. I was just grateful that Rachel was willing to change her mind about the full as well and to only do the half with me.

So, our training schedule has changed once again since we will not need to get up to the higher mileage for May's race. Rachel was kind enough to update the schedule:

2014 Training Schedule

(updated 12/9/2013. does not include completed training)

Week 17          12/21/2013          6 miles

Week 18          12/28/2013          8 miles

Week 19          1/4/2014              4 miles          Tracy- Camarillo Half Marathon

Week 20          1/11/2014            10 miles

Week 21          1/18/2014            6 miles

Week 22          1/25/2014            12 miles

Week 23          2/1/2014              5 miles (HILLS)

Week 24          2/8/2014              6 miles

Week 25          2/15/2014            14 miles

Week 26          2/22/2014            6 miles          Tracy- Seaside Half Marathon

Week 27          3/1/2014              5 miles

Week 28          3/9/2014              San Diego Half Marathon

Week 29          3/15/2014            5 miles

Week 30          3/22/2014            8 miles

Week 31          3/29/2014            5 miles

Week 32          4/5/2014              Hollywood Half Marathon

Week 33          4/12/2014            5 miles

Week 34          4/19/2014            8 miles

Week 35          4/26/2014            5 miles

Week 36          5/4/2014              12 miles

Week 37          5/10/2014            6 miles

Week 38          5/17/2014            7 miles

Week 39          5/25/2014            Mountains 2 Beach Half Marathon

Week 40          5/31/2014            6 miles (HILLS)

Week 41          6/7/2014              8 miles

Week 42          6/14/2014            5 miles

Week 43          6/22/2014            Mammoth Half Marathon

Santa to the Sea- Race Recap

It took me a week to find a small amount of spare time to write this post, so I apologize in advance for whatever this turns into.

Sunday morning we arrived at the buses around 630am. The thermometer in the car showed 35 degrees, however our phones showed actual temperature- 35, real feel- 29. For Southern California, that's cold.
 

Looking back, the weather was perfect. Saturday morning brought rain (and a lot of it) and Monday morning brought high winds. A cold start to the day is pretty good conditions considering what it could have been. 

We got to the start line about an hour before the start of the race. We walked around, dropped off our toy for donations  and talked to some members of the running club we used to run with. 

 

 

 

It wasn't long before the race began. We began our intervals and kept a good pace early on. We had agreed to 30:1 intervals and it worked out really well. I always feel weird when we first start out because everyone is so close together and the constant starting and stopping can be frustrating for the people behind you (as well as the spectators telling you to keep going and not to give up before you even reach mile 1). 

It opened up around mile one and we began leap frogging with a few of the other runners using intervals. The constant beeping of the interval timers was both funny and confusing.

Rachel told me early on that she wants to work on speed for our race in March in San Diego. A doable goal and something to work towards. 

It didn't take long for us to realize that we were both running hard and strong. We were consistently running around a 12:30 minute mile. We both knew that if we continued at that pace then Rachel would PR. Once I realized that, it became my goal to cross that finish line under 2:49:57 so that we could celebrate the PR.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the race was pretty uneventful. We maintained our pace, took extra breaks if/when needed and pushed each other to finish.

This race is really meaningful to me. Besides being my first half marathon race from two years ago, it was also one of those races where you realize that you enjoy doing something you thought you hated. Something that used to be a chore is now something you want to do all the time. 

Plus it was the first race of my Santa to Santa goal. The first of 13 races in 13 months. The race that will both start and end my current running goal. 

As soon as we reached the beach I knew that we would be able to finish when we needed to and with time to spare. This gave us a chance to slow down and save our energy for the finish line when we got close enough.

We finished in 2:46:05. Just about four minutes faster than our first time running the race, and fast enough for a PR for Rachel. I think I was more excited to be able to run with her for that reason alone rather than because it was race one of thirteen. 

 

I will always be grateful to my sister for running with me. I don't know what I would do without her. She is the only reason why I found my passion for running and one of my main support systems in regards to my running goals. She pushes me and keeps me going. Without her I don't know where I would be. On top of that, I have an amazing family who is there at the finish line waiting with cameras to catch us finishing and to cheer us on. That support (on top of the support during training) is beyond amazing and I will be forever grateful that I have them so that I can go out and push myself and my goals a little further.

 

 

Race #2 will be here before I know it. January 5th is just around the corner. Those training miles aren't going to run themselves! Rain or shine, wind, heat or cold.. No matter what it brings, I'm ready to run!

Workout Schedule

It's been a busy and stressful week. A very busy and very stressful week.

I will spare you the details, but it basically all revolves around work. It is our busiest time of year, and although we have been in our busy period since October, we are officially "in it" and will be until the middle of January (there is an end in sight for these 10+ hour days!)

Working 545am - 430pm and then bringing work home and working for an hour or two there is tiring. Attempting to keep an apartment clean and a husband and child happy is exhausting. Add a training schedule on top of that and I'm falling asleep at my desk daily at around 230pm. 

I know that there are plenty of people who juggle similar daily stressors. And I know that there are even more who handle more (with more grace and style to top it off). However, for me, these stresses cause me to overeat and to make excuses to not workout. 

Which is silly.. I mean, I always feel refreshed and happy after a good workout, but getting myself to do the workout is where the problem starts. 

This week's workout was not out of the ordinary. Daily running, two days cross training at the gym and three days strength training. The only thing extra was the race on Sunday replacing the long distance training run.

I'm not even going to post what I scheduled and what I did because I don't need the reminder that I have no self control and that I am able to make an excuse so easily. It's frustrating to me after the fact and I don't like that about myself. 

In fact, at this time, I'm not really ready to make a schedule for next week. I think for the remainder of December I'm going to not schedule my workouts, but I will continue to workout. I am also not going to track my food, but I will continue to make better choices. That's all I can commit to right now.

In other news, tomorrow is my first race of my Santa to Santa goal. 13 races in 13 months, December 2013 - December 2014. Race #1 is the Santa to the Sea half marathon. My first half marathon ever that I ran two years ago. 

Rachel and I have been training the past few months and are excited and nervous. The weather shows a warning for a frost advisory until 9am and as of right now the temperature is predicted to be 42 degrees at the start of the race. Not that cold compared to a lot of other places, but cold for me and for Southern California. 

I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow! All I know is that I'm really excited to get this goal started.

Random pictures from the week:

Workout Schedule

Scheduled Workout

Monday: 2 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD, Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack DVD

Tuesday: 45 minutes gym, 2 mile run

Wednesday: 2 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD, Jillian Michaels Buns & Thighs DVD

Thursday: Turkey Day Dash 5K, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

Friday: 45 minutes gym, 2 mile run

Saturday: 4 mile long distance training run

Sunday: minimum 1 mile run

Actual Workouts

Monday: 1.33 mile walk, 2.07 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD, Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack

Tuesday: 35 minutes gym, 1.09 mile interval run

Wednesday: 1.03 mile interval run, Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs DVD, Jackie Warner arm DVD

Thursday: Turkey Day Dash 1K, Turkey Day Dash 5K, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

Friday: 1.10 mile run

Saturday: 6.20 mile run

Sunday: 1.22 mile run

Today is the first day of December and all I can do is sit here and wonder where the time went. Each year the time seems to pass by faster and faster and if anyone has any idea on how to make it slow down, please share! 

November was a high mileage month and it gives me hope for a couple things. If I am able to keep up the mileage like this then I should be able to have a good amount in savings by the time I sign up for The Dopey Challenge. This month I added $107.78 miles to my savings, bringing me to $514.87 (enough to pay for the race). My goal is a lot more than that as I will also need to pay for a hotel, a flight for Patrick and myself, and of course money for food and souvenirs. To date I am 17% to my goal.

The other thing it gives me hope for is that I can easily reach my goal of 1250 miles for the year if I am able to keep that distance up. I plan on starting that goal in January, so it's important to see what I did right on the high mileage months. 

Yesterday's long distance run was also day 41 of my running streak. As each day passes I reach a new longest distance and it keeps me wanting to go out for my run. Unfortunately this week I did the bare minimum on quite a few days and only completed the one mile. I know that this still counts towards my goal, however I do tend to want to do more and feel better when I am able to do more. That's one thing I'd like to work on this week, actually getting in my scheduled workout.

Next Week's Workout

Monday: 2 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD, Jillian Michael's 6 Week 6 Pack

Tuesday: 30-45 minutes gym, 2 mile run

Wednesday: 2 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD, Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs

Thursday: 30-45 minutes gym, 2 mile run

Friday: 2 mile run, Jackie Warner arm DVD

Saturday: minimum 1 mile run

Sunday: Santa to the Sea half marathon

I'm not able to do the Jillian Michaels DVD on Friday because my parents are having their Christmas bunko party. I'm not able to do more on Saturday because I'm going to a fashion show with my mother in law and bonus (step) daughter. I actually think this will be a good week for me to accomplish everything I have scheduled. 

In other news, I took progress pictures tonight. I can definitely tell a difference in the forward facing photo, however I was standing a little different in the side photo and can't really see any difference. I'm still noticing that I am pointing out the negatives about my body, but making progress!

Random pictures from the week:



Running Accessories

I have an extremely difficult time purchasing things for myself. Especially expensive things. Go figure I would pick a sport that requires spending.

Races are one thing, because I am paying for the experience. I can justify that (even though I've had to explain many times the point of "paying to run").

Anything else beyond that I felt as though it wasn't worth the money/I didn't need it/I could just do this without all the expensive gadgets. Plus, I wasn't really planning on doing this longer than the first marathon. 

Then I got into it. I bought my first gadget, an interval timer that you can set up with your specific intervals and it will beep when it's time to walk and when it's time to run. Perfection! I no longer had to clock watch, which tends to make the time go by slower. 

Not long after that, my sister bought herself a GPS watch. It wasn't the first time I had seen one, but it was the first time I had seen one up close. I wanted one.. Badly. But I waited because I couldn't justify such an expensive item for myself. I finally decided to buy it for myself as a Christmas present knowing that I would wear it all the time and that I would get my money's worth of use out of it. 

Perhaps the stupidest thing to wait to buy was properly fitted shoes. I had lucked out for the most part by buying my shoes at Kohl's. I would try them on, walk around a little and I could usually tell right away if they would work or not. I saved money and it worked out pretty well, up until it didn't.

I almost quit the LA Marathon (and running in general) this past March when I was experiencing extreme pain in my feet and shins. I was urged to go to a running store to be properly fitted and was offered a new pair of shoes from my parents. Best decision ever! 

My GPS watch stopped working at the end of August. I was devastated. It felt as though I had lost a close friend. I was upset that I no longer had that particular GPS watch (which had been discontinued), but that I would need to spend money on a new one. Thankfully I didn't spend the same length of time debating as to whether or not I was going to buy a new one. I only needed to pick one and purchase it. I am actually using (and loving) the online features. I plug the watch into the computer every so often and am able to look at a lot of data, including a map with the course, elevation, weather and of course speed/distance, etc.

My first GPS watch.

My current GPS watch.

A couple of nights ago, as I was walking to the apartment from my car, my interval timer fell from my purse to the ground. It's been dropped many times and I have often thought of replacing it as it will often times stop showing the display. It still worked though, so spending $20 didn't seem worth it. Unfortunately, this last drop did it in and it no longer works.

I was devastated. It seems so silly to get attached to these things, but when they've been with you for over 1500 miles you get used to them. They become your running buddy and they help push you through difficult times. (Yes, I know I sound crazy).

It was time to order a new interval timer. I'm excited for the colors of this new timer and am expecting it to come in the mail early next week. Until then I am relying on other people and their timers when I run with them. Otherwise, I am just counting steps and although it gets repetitive it is what needs to be done in order to continue my streak.

The last thing I needed to replace were my running shoes. I calculated my mileage from my running log and realized that the pain in my foot (that I self diagnosed as bone spurs, tendinitis and a stress fracture) ended up being that I'm using shoes that have gone well over 500 miles. Although I had replaced the insoles and was trying to make them last just a little longer, I knew that the time was coming.

I am so grateful that I have a friend who 1. enjoys running and 2. knows how much I love running. She was kind enough to tell me of the Amazon deal of the day on Monday. It was 45% off on New Balance athletic shoes. The exact brand that I use. I called Patrick to ask if I could buy a pair. He kindly said yes, of course and I purchased a pair. I then realized that I had mentioned to my mom about needing new running shoes. She had offered to buy them for either Christmas or my birthday. I called her and told her about the deal and she bought me a pair too for when the ones I bought need to be retired.

They arrived yesterday and I guess I didn't quite realize how badly I needed new shoes until I saw the bottoms of both the old pair and the new pair side by side.

Now I just need to break them in. I plan on running today and tomorrow my normal 2 miles and then Saturday is a 14 mile training run. I might try to run again either tonight or tomorrow so that they can be a little more broken in before such a long training run, but I'm not sure if that will be able to happen or not. I'm not too concerned, since I had to break in my first pair pretty quickly before the LA Marathon, but I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be.

I know feel accessorized and ready to begin my Santa to Santa goal next month. I have everything I need: shoes, GPS watch, interval timer and most importantly the desire to do it.

Workout Recap & Schedule

Scheduled workout: (crossed out workouts were not completed on the scheduled day)

Monday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Tuesday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Wednesday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Thursday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Friday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Saturday: minimum 1 mile run

Sunday: Calabasas Classic 5K and 10 K, 3 mile run

Actual workout:

Monday: 1.37 mile walk, 2.06 mile interval run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Tuesday: 1.33 mile walk, 2.04 mile interval run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Wednesday: 1.43 mile interval run

Thursday: 1.07 mile interval run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Friday: 1.35 mile walk,  1.74 mile interval run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Saturday: 3.67 mile interval run, Ripped in 30 week 3

Sunday: Calabasas Classic 5K and 10K, 3.09 mile interval run

This was a busy week filled with a lot of mileage. It felt great to get out and do so much, and of course to finish the third week of the workout DVD. I know that once December starts I'm going to be focusing more on running and less on strength, so I think that the workout DVD ending this week is perfect timing. It will help me get into more of a routine with cross training and strength training on top of running all the miles. Plus, I keep paying monthly for my gym membership that I am not using and I need to get back into that routine.

I am starting to get ideas together for my running scrap book for my Santa to Santa goal. It's exciting to think about how I want it to be and I'm going to have so much fun at the craft store getting the supplies. I think it's going to be an amazing thing to have when I finish the last month. I only wish I had started this earlier, but I guess in reality it's never to late...

This week's schedule:

Monday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 4?

Tuesday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 4

Wednesday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 4

Thursday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 4

Friday: 2 mile run, Ripped in 30 week 4

Saturday: Long distance training run- 4 miles, Ripped in 30 week 4? (if not done on Monday)

Sunday: minimum 1 mile run

Santa to Santa- 13 Races in 13 Months

I had made a goal to run one half marathon or further race a month for the entire 2014 year. A total of 12 races when all is said and done.

For some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't leave out the half marathon I am running this December. 

Santa to the Sea was the first half marathon race that Rachel and I ran together almost two years ago. It's meaningful to me for so many reasons. 

So I decided that I wanted to include it. Since I have decided to make a scrapbook of my racing goal for 2014, I ended up deciding to just add one more month, one more race and 13.1 more miles to the lineup. 

Santa to Santa. December 2013-December 2014. 13 months. 13 races.

December- Santa to the Sea

January- Camarillo Half

February- Seaside Half

March- San Diego Half

April- Hollywood Half 

May- Mountains 2 Beach

June- Mammoth Half

July- Shoreline Half

August- Arroyo Creek Half

September- Ventura Pier 2 Pier Half 

October- Rock N Roll Los Angeles

November- Rock N Roll Las Vegas

December- Santa to the Sea





I've been told this many times, the most recent being yesterday when I was called Nutso, after telling someone that I signed up for my first marathon when my longest distance to that point was only the distance of a 10K. 

I've also heard it from friends, family and coworkers. Especially when I tell them about the Dopey Challenge.

I started to believe them. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I am setting myself up for failure. 

Then I saw this on facebook last night: 

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to your goals. There's believing, deciding, doing, achieving & celebrating. Your goals and dreams are your own- Don't let anyone take them away from you." 

I take pride in my goals. I take pride in being crazy. And I know that I need to push myself to test my boundaries. Maybe one of these days I'll actually take pride and give myself some credit for what I have already accomplished, but until then I'm just going to keep on putting one foot in front of the other.