Sunday, June 13, 2010

Twin Peaks Loop 4M

My body kept saying no but my mind kept chanting "Goofification! Goofification! Goofification!" So I dragged myself out of bed and ran a 4-miler through Twin Peaks with my running club. Half of those miles were up hill. Furthermore, this came a day after running the AT&T Giants Half Marathon. My legs are angry at me but my heart just gave me a big hug.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

AT&T Giant Race


San Francisco, throw any hill at me and I'll run you down! Or is it run you up? Run up you? Well, you get the point. Half Marathon #18 completed. I am soooo ready for 26.2. I LOVE YOU SAN FRANCISCO!!


I ran my 18th half marathon this weekend. This was also my 6th half marathon in 5 weeks, and a very special one at that. Don't get me wrong, all my races are special, but there's just something about running in San Francisco that makes me feel good. This awesome city is my home and I'll be running my first full marathon here in a few weeks. The AT&T Giant Race was a lot of fun. We started at the park and finished at home plate. I'm not much of a baseball fan, but boy was it fun running on the field!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

San Diego Rock & Roll Half Marathon


Did I seriously just run half marathon #17?! Feels like the first time all over again. I love race day. I wish I could bottle this feeling of endorphins running amok in my system and sell it. Peeps, if you have never run a half marathon, I highly recommend that you do.


What an awesome experience. I finished the race in 2:34:21. The best part of this race is that I got to witness not one but two first timers cross the finish line. A big congrats to Jessica Shen and Kathleen Boitano! You two absolutely rock!


Monday, May 31, 2010

Saddleback Memorial Half Marathon

Every post race shot you see has me smiling ear to ear. What you don't see is the grimace on my face when I cramp up at mile 11. You don't see the frustration when I wake up at the crack of dawn to exercise. You don't see the tears of pain as I push to climb hills in training. Running is difficult, and I work damn hard. It may seem that I make these races look easy because I do so many of them and have so much fun, but I can assure you that they are not. No false modesty here. Running is hard and I surprise myself every time. Thank you Laguna Hills for making #16 oh so sweet. Thank you to Suzy and Brian again for being such gracious hosts and awesome friends.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Mission Bay 5k

Another 5k done! I'll be spending the rest of my day on my butt. Long drive to Laguna Hills!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Horseshoe Lake Half Marathon

15th half marathon done! This was my first trail race, and it was my toughest race to date. The elevation gain was 2250 feet, and the terrain was rocky. These were mountains, not hills. It was quite a feat to complete this course, but what makes it even sweeter is that I did it 24 hours after running the Vacaville half marathon. Slowly but surely, my body is getting goofitized. I need to spend some quality time with Mr. Bubble now.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Vacaville Sunrise Rotary Club Fiesta Run Half Marathon

Most Dramatic Finish EVER!!


Half marathon #14 was a nail biter. In preparation for The Goofy Challenge, my task at hand this weekend was to complete back to back half marathons. So, I decided to take the Vacaville half slow and steady. My goal was to walk/jog a very easy pace all the way through and finish in 3 hours. My master plan got derailed at the 10 mile mark, when the sag wagon began to tail gait me! I had to run for my life because I didn't want that bus to DQ me!! Amazingly enough, I didn't collapse at the finish line!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Avenue Of The Vines Half Marathon


I reached a milestone today. I ran my 13th 13.1 miler. What a crazy race it was. I had a colossal melt down at mile 4, and it didn't look like I was going to be able to recover. Endorphin Dude was looking more like Endorphin DUD. I kept thinking to myself, "uh, the San Francisco Marathon is 10 weeks away and you're giving up at mile 4 of a half?!" Unacceptable! Thanks to a change in music, a Cytomax shot, and an unexpected visit from my marathon guardian angel, I was able to find what I needed to finish the race.



Running is not easy, and you have to do what it takes to cross the finish line. Fortunately, I was able to find the mental fortitude to complete this race. I finished somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:40:00, which is about 15 minutes off of what I'm used to getting, but I'm proud of myself for getting through the rough patches. I could have easily given up this time, but I fought through.



Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day Marina Green 5K

After walking 15 miles all around the city yesterday, I ran a 5k this morning in 33 minutes. I took it slow and steady, and my body held up just fine. I will complete The Goofy Challenge!!!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Stern Grove 4 Miler

A day after running a half marathon, I ran a turtle slow 13:00 pace 4 miler. Slow, yes, but very good training for the Goofy Challenge. Feelin' Good! Now it is time to recover.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

End Of The Trail Half Marathon

I ran my 12th half marathon in Visalia, CA, this weekend. I figured, why not, I can visit my mom and run a race. I managed to bounce back from my dismal showing in Nashville last week and improve by 20 minutes! This was a tough race for me, as I thought I was going to pass out at mile 9. I really hit the wall. Luckily, there was a Gatorade station right there. I crossed the finish line at in 2:30:50. Yay!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Country Music Half Marathon


What a memorable weekend: tornado watch, thunder storms, shelter in place, and a PR. Yes, thank you Nashville for the personal record. I scored my WORST time here! 13.1 miles at 2:48:45. DAMN! I do have to say, though, that all these things made my 11th half marathon an experience I will never forget! :-)



Sunday, April 11, 2010

The US Half Marathon, The Other Half


I did something pretty cool today: I ran my 10th half marathon. Amazingly enough, this was the 10th race in six months. I completed the race in 2:22:55, a time I'm very happy with considering the hills in The Presidio and the rough weather conditions on the Golden Gate Bridge.

This one was especially awesome because I ran it in my back yard. I love San Francisco, and to be able to run across the Golden Gate Bridge was quite an experience. Every moment of this 13.1 miler reminded me of my humble beginnings in my quest to get healthy when I walked my dog everyday to the Golden Gate Bridge. I still can't believe that one year ago I thought I was having heart attack. As a result, I made healthy changes and now I am the happiest I've ever been in my life. What a difference a year makes. Life is beautiful.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Roller Coaster 5k

I woke up at 7am to run the Easter Roller Coaster 5k. They call it this for a reason. I think "Hell Hill" would be more appropriate, but since it is Easter Sunday, I'll go with it. This was a tough run. I'm glad it's done.