Embracing the California Side and ALL the Challenges

Newsflash - Still pregnant.  Still ready to not be. If he's anything like me, this kid is going to wait until his actual due date on Sunday to complete his first race.  In order to take my mind off it, let's talk about why I am excited to get my body back.

This year especially, I am very motivated to get back to racing. Having a 6 mo. break will do that for you.  When I originally thought about what I'd like my 2016 racing calendar to look like, I had three goals:
1.  Get myself back to marathon shape by the end of 2016 (10 months post baby)
2.  Run multiple half marathons, maybe some 10K's and only 1 marathon (as to not burnout a'la 2014)
3.  To run more races in California.  Although my co-workers kindly (I think) refer to me as a true Califoregonian, it's time to embrace the CA side of the equation.  I've lived in the bay area for almost four years now and I love it.  Northern CA has so much to offer, especially in terms of amazing races so I don't need to spend every extra $ I have flying up to OR to get my endurance fix on.

With those three goals in mind, The San Francisco Marathon was my first stop.  I've been wanting to run this race for all three years I've been in the city but it's always conflicted with previous trips.  This year was going to be different.  I made the commitment in November and blocked it on my calendar. Tritreats and I have been talking about doing the Half It All Challenge for years so 2016 is gonna be the year I kicked it off.  Because I am type-A, naturally I'll run the first half in 2016 and the second in 2017.  I'd love to do the full but 5 months post baby seemed a bit aggressive.  I've heard nothing but amazing things about this race from the November Project crew and everyone else I know who's ran it. I can personally vouch for how amazing the city is, something those attending the Superbowl festivities this week are finding out first hand.  70+ degrees in February and crystal clear? Yes please!

With CIM in mind as my end of year marathon, I knew I wanted one more local half to work into training.  In December MFR and I made a VERY rash/last min decision to buy a house and move to Berkeley - all of which happened in 14 days.  Could we be more of a cliche?  They say not to make big life decisions in your third trimester - whoops!  Pregnancy can cause you to do crazy things. Without even realizing it was happening,  as of January 2nd I became an East Bay'er.  When I came to, my first course of action was to immediately start researching local running groups and races. Childcare and all that boring stuff can wait.

I found the Berkeley Half on November 20th.  What better way to ingrain myself in a community? Plus it starts less than a mile from my new home and works with the CIM training schedule.  And any race that is the Sunday before Thanksgiving - the week where I inhale ALL the food and drinks - has my vote.  Since I've lived in Berkeley for over four whole weeks now, I am pretty much an expert and can tell you that this is an awesome running town.  There are runners EVERYWHERE.  The course looks like it covers the best parts of Berkeley plus some added views of the Bay so it was a done deal.  After that decision was already made, this magical unicorn appeared:

I love challenges, whether it's completing all 12 legs of Hood To Coast, drinking all the top IPA's, or traveling to all 50 states.  Like most endurance addicts, the bigger the challenge the better.  Anything to make me run further and faster.  It starts with an innocent sprint triathlon and before you know it you've spent thousands on gear and have an Ironman on your calendar.  I do better when I have a carrot to chase so add some checkpoints and some extra bling and I am there.  I ve run many a races because of they are part of a challenge and I've never been disappointed.  I've done the Beach Cities Challenge,  multiple Rock N' Roll challenges and all the ones I make up myself.

If you live in the Bay Area or are looking for an excuse to visit, I highly recommend signing up for the SF/Berkeley challenge.  Two great cities, two great courses, three great medals and you can pick your poison for running lengths.  If you're an avid runner, join me in the half marathon distance, if you're just getting started there is a 5K option at both races or mix and match as you see fit.  Put those resolutions to work before they fall apart on Sunday with Superbowl snacks.  Need added incentive?You can use the below discount codes to sign up for the SF Marathon to get you started;

Add in a December marathon to round it all out, and I've got one hell of a California race year to look forward to. Now I just need to make it through this labor thing:)

2015 In Review & 2016 Goals

This years review is a little different.  I had a great year but unlike others, I didn't race, I didn't travel the world, I didn't blog and I didn't have race goals.  I did reset.  Although I've spent over 7 months of this year pregnant, I feel relaxed, refreshed and ready to start-up again.  I am content where I am at with my life and very excited for the next chapter.  Professionally my  career is challenging and engaging.  Personally I am excited to have moved into a new house in Berkeley in January and welcome our son in February.  And athletically I am excited to race again and find out what this new-runner looks like post baby.  I am sure it will be completely different, 100% more challenging both physically and mentally, but I am looking forward to it.  I've always had the most success when my life is packed to the brim and I don't have a moment to second guess anything. I think an infant, new (very old) house + a full time job should do the trick.

2015 was a different year of goals and experiences.  I created a human..congrats I am a mammal.  I did some serious US travel, mostly for work but some for fun.  Here it is broken down in numbers:

2015 Travel Numbers:

• 107 - # of flights 
• 125 - # of nights I spent on the road
• 15 - # of states I traveled to
• 27 - # of cities I traveled to
• 3 - # of new states (Montana, North Carolina & Wisconsin)
• 7 - # of new cities/locations (Austin, TX, Deer Valley, UT, Sequoia National Park, CA, Aspen, CO, Three Lakes, WI, Asheville, NC and Whitefish, MT)

I am sure it's not surprising to learn that my type A personality would like to travel to all 50 states by the time I am 50.  I am currently at 23 + D.C. and so I need to average 2 new ones every year.  2016 I am looking forward to Vermont, New Mexico and potentially Iowa and/or Virginia.  Besides going home to Oregon, my favorite trips this year were to Austin, Chicago, New York, Deer Valley, Three Lakes and Whitefish.  A healthy mix of big cities and beautiful outdoors.

Looking now to 2016, I don't have any conventional resolutions except trying to establish a routine of waking up at the same time every day.  I do much better when I am on a routine schedule and working from home gives me the luxury of waking up at all different times, so I'd like to fix that before it gets out of control. Otherwise they all relate to scheduling and making sure my son is happy and healthy when he arrives. Side note - saying "my son" still seems incredibly surreal and freaks me out even though he could be here at any point.  Still crossing my fingers and legs that he holds off until February.

For my 2016 goals, it's hard to put much down on paper, since I have no idea what my life will be like post baby but here goes:

• Run 3x a week, Classpass 3x a week (post maternity leave)

Monday: Rest or Barre

Tuesday: Speed work  or Barry's Bootcamp

Wednesday: Spin/Barre/Yoga

Thursday: Mid-Length Run

Friday: Spin/Barre/Yoga

Saturday: Spin/Barre/Yoga

Sunday:  Long Run

• 10,000 steps on non-workout days, at least 5,000 on days when I workout
• Train for and feel good running one half and one marathon (SF Half* on July 31st & NYM or CIM)
• Diet - low carbs and no sweets or juices 

I am not going to hold a PR over my head but instead run a few halves and one full with one target race in each category.  I've decided CIM will be my backup choice for NYM if the lottery doesn't work out.  It's not ideal but I spend so much time in Sacramento anyway and know tons of people running, I think it just makes sense for my accountability and wallet.  I've already added another race to the calendar - Berkeley Half Marathon on 11/20.  Both because I live here now and because of this. You know I can't say no to extra medals especially when they can be claimed less than a mile from our new house!  I love me a fresh start and I am hoping 2016 will be a good one.

*I just received notice that I've been chosen as an ambassador for the 2016 SF Marathon so much more to come on this race!

April Stats and May Training Plans

I had a weekend filled of running, getting sh** done around our place, watching lots of shenanigans go down at Bay To Breakers* and celebrating with friends.

April Stats
Running: 81.7 Miles
Biking: 46.7 Miles
Yoga/Bar Method: 1 hour, 45 min
Weights: 50 min
Total Miles: 128

I beat my March stats in every category but yoga.  Damn. I've knocked down my running mileage and am concentrating on speed and shorter distances for the upcoming Zooma Napa Valley and Eugene Half Marathon's.  My goal is to Sub 2 both and PR one of them.

I've always been a runner who thinks that it's all or nothing when it comes to getting out the door. Meaning, if I don't have time to get in the 10 miles on my schedule then I don't do it at all.  This is a similar mentality I have with blogging.  Also I never saw the point of getting all sweaty if it wasn't going to be 5 + miles.  A lot of weeks this left me only running twice because that's when I made the time.   I am going with a new approach for this training cycle.  Running 4 times a week: one long, one track workout and two short runs (3-4 miles).  I am working hard on creating good habits (daily flossing, taking vitamins etc...) and consistency and repetition is the only thing that keeps me on track so I am applying this groundbreaking philosophy to running.  Here's what a typical week's training plan looks like:

Monday - Spin Class
Tuesday - 4 miles easy, lunch yoga + weights
Wednesday - REST/November Project* when I can get my ass out of bed
Thursday - Track Workout (4-8 miles w/ tempo in the middle) + weights
Friday - 3 miles easy or November Project hills
Saturday - REST
Sunday - Long Run

*More to come on November Project SF and Bay To Breakers.  Both deserve their own posts.

I am going to stick with this schedule until Zooma and then reevaluate before Eugene.

How many days a week do you run?  

RNR San Francisco Year 2 - Fun Run

There are those races you put your heart into and PR.  There are those races you put your heart into and it's just not your day and then there are the races when you say screw it and just enjoy the experience,  beautiful course and being surrounded by other runners.  That was RNR on Sunday.

I really did have full intention of pushing for a 2:05 but after mile 8 MFR (who hadn't trained at all) said he wanted to walk.  My dad also came into town to walk the race and was behind us by a few miles.  I contemplated my choices.  I could either push pretty hard for that 2:05, the first few miles were HILLY and I'd have to step up my pace to get there, and wait for them at the finish. Or I could enjoy a nice walk with my husband and take in the beautiful day and being surrounded by other racers.  I opted for the latter.

Check out those views

I won't lie, a little piece of me died when the 2:10, 2:15 and eventually 2:30 pace groups raced past us.  The competitor in me was embarrassed to be out there without any sort of drive to finish in a hurry.  A few times I almost left MFR and ran again but I wasn't going to gain anything by finishing in 2:20 etc... and I wanted the company.  My last few races I've ran completely solo so this was a nice change.  All in all I'd actually say it was a successful training run since we planned out our trip to Vegas and decided which concerts we want to go to this summer while walking the last few miles.

I wasn't the only one stopping to smell the roses.  I saw Pavement Runner and few other running friends out there stopping to take pics and enjoy the views.  I think because the course had so many hills and was very crowded, people knew it wasn't gonna be a PR day.  Plus with the 75 degree weather and gorgeous views, everyone wanted to just soak it in.  It was a different kind of race day but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

RNR finish line shot

As far as the new course goes, I've pretty much summed it up.  HILLS + GORGEOUS VIEWS.  The hills were brutal and kept coming.  If you've done Nike Women's then you know that steep decline around mile 8 (?) where you feel like you're flying - you have to go up that.  It was also really crowded, especially on the bridge.  They doubled the field from last year and were at close to 15,000 runners.  Although they closed driving lanes on the bridge this year, it was only two car lanes (one each way) so it wasn't that much more room than the walking lanes last year.

Finish line festivities

The expo was a standard RNR expo, nothing too exciting.  The shuttles to the race start ran very smoothly which I was surprised by.  We walked down to civic center at 5am and were out at the beach by 5:40.  The finish-line celebration was nicely laid out.  Everyone was just relaxin in the sun and enjoying the music.  I think as long as I live in SF I'll continue to run this race.  Two years and counting! 

Shirt - Which is red but looks orange

Medal - SFRNR - Year 2

Metropolitan Mondays: Current City Essentials - Drybar

I am not sure if I have sufficiently described the horror that is my hair and the abusive relationship we have.  From a young age everyone my mom has told me how lucky I am to have the EXTREMELY thick hair that I do. I disagree.  I am sure when I am 80 and not bald, I'll appreciate it but for the time being the 90 min routine required just to keep it manageable is exhausting and I plan my whole week around it.

The only "selfie" you'll ever see me post and I couldn't even put my face in it.

No joke - I schedule out the days I am going to wash my hair.  Another reason swimming is not high on the list right now, it throws off the hair schedule.  I dread those three mornings a week that require the wash-dry-straighten-walk-outside-immediately-get-crazy-frizz-routine.   I've spent hours of my life and thousands of my dollars trying to tame it (think $400 Keratin treatments when I was a poor college student.)  That's how desperate I've been.  Enter Drybar.  Prior to finding Drybar I had only had one blowout, which I loved but paid upwards of $70 for.

A friend mentioned how Drybar was amazing and only $40 so I tried it before MFR's holiday party. Since then I've been going once every two weeks.   For others, paying someone to dry your hair may seem crazy but I've spent money on way more ridiculous things.

Here's why I love it.  First off, they are super convenient.  I usually make an appointment but I've also done walk-ins.  The one I go to is two blocks from my gym, so I can get in a morning workout, shower, makeup etc... and walk over to DB.  For the next hour I enjoy drinking coffee, reading my kindle celeb magazines while someone else gets their arm workout for the day and tries to calculate how it can possibly take this long to dry one head of hair.   100 times better then fighting for mirror space and simultaneously sweating  while blow-drying it myself for 30 + min at the gym.  Which is then proceeded by evil looks because my cheap straightener is making the locker room smell like a bearskin rug is on fire.

That plus the added bonus that my hair looks a million times better than when I do it myself and it lasts for at least three days.  Since initially falling in love with DB, I have gotten a Barfly membership. For $75 it's 2 blowouts per month, one with a floater (15 min scalp massage - heaven.)

• Receive 10% off products and tools (in-store only)
• Unused blowouts “rollover” and never expire.
• Pay $35 (vs non member price of $40) for any additional blowouts you may need beyond 2 per month.
• Membership can be cancelled at anytime, for any reason, without any penalty whatsoever.

I would love to go more but twice a month is the perfect amount; it still feels like I am treating myself.  I strategically plan out my days when I have important meetings, social events or just the day after a long run because it's that relaxing.  They have locations in CA, NY, TX, GA, AZ, IL, MA & DC.  Their products and equipment are top notch and they ask lots of questions to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for. I am a fan of the Manhattan or Straight Up with a floater.

I've never had the same stylist twice and I've always been 100% happy with the outcome.  Not to mention, their whole bar theme is so simple and catchy.  I follow Ali the founder on Twitter and she seems like a pretty cool gal who I'd want to be friends with.  If you have any issues with styling your own hair, I'd try one out ASAP.   And if you're one of those women who can just wash, air-dry your hair and have it look flawless - then we can't be friends.

I am sure this appears that Drybar is paying me to talk about how amazing they are,  unfortunately (for me) no compensation was received for this post.  All these over-the-top lovefest comments and opinions are my own.  If you had my hair, you'd understand.

Gluten is in what?

Because I like traditions, I am once again sick during race week; specifically SF RNR half race week.  Last year I didn't have a voice during this race and it looks like we might be headed in that direction again.  Sleep has been fairly non-existent since I've been up coughing up a lung the last few nights, so I am super cranky, sick and tired.  Good times for everyone around me.

<End bitching scene>

I called my doctor to see if I could try and stop this half marathon virus before it started.  While on the phone he mentioned a test I need to get done (it's no biggie just based on family history) and have been putting off for sometime.  Here is what followed:

Doc: You know you have to schedule said test
Me: Okay fine let's put it on the calendar
Doc: Depending on the results I may recommend a gluten free or dairy free diet
Me: Gluten huh? Well I don't really know much about it but I could definitely stand to eat less carbs so maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing (complete dismissal of the dairy mention was not unintentional)
Doc: Yeah there are some great alternatives these days so it's not too bad, except for the beer part
VERY long pause
Me: There is Gluten in beer?  We're going to have to talk about this later

I had NO idea.  Granted I don't know a lot anything about healthy eating but how do you GF'ers do it?  It seems to be all the rage right now. Hence why I question it. But I thought it was just white flour stuff (technical term.)  You know, just don't eat the entire baguette and all the pasta like I currently do.  But beer? Prior to this I was not really concerned about the test but now that clean bill of health it top priority.  Football season, post-races and trips home to Bend depend on it.

March Stats:
Running: 60 Miles
Spinning: 42 Miles
Weights: 45 min
Yoga: 3 Hours
Abs: LJ Abs Challenge
Total: 102 Miles

Recovery month indeed.  My goal is to beat every category in April.  Sunday's race is very hilly so I am looking to take it easy and come in under 2:05.  Initially I was hoping for another sub 2 but with sickness + a wonky right knee still, I'll be happy with a 2:05.  Based on my mileage lately, I am going to have to work hard for even that.  Good news is it's going to be 75 and sunny!   If anyone is going to be at the expo tomorrow, come by the Zooma Race Series booth.  Kristine and I will be there holding down the fort.

Party, Roga, Relay?

I was supposed to be in San Diego today and tomorrow but a VERY last minute meeting cancellation left me standing on the BART platform this morning and instead of boarding, I turned around and headed back home.  Side note: House of Cards (spoiler alert) has forever ruined subway platforms for me.  I've had nightmares and I now stand right in the middle and constantly look over my shoulder for Frank Underwood looking figures.

I'll be heading down to SoCal wine country in April now instead but I was especially sad this trip got cancelled since I'll be missing out on this evenings festivities at the Lorna Jane North County store.  This is the second LJ store opening I've missed due to work travel plans.  Rumor has it they offer some great swag, discounts and do a fun group workout.  Doesn't it suck when your real life gets in the way of your internet life? Sadly I won't be there but if anyone else is in the Escondido area, you should check out the preview party tonight or enjoy the 20% off they are offering all weekend.  Post workout I would recommend hitting up Stone Brewing Co., you will not be sorry.

To make myself feel better I am going to try and get to Roga (not the shorts) tomorrow morning.  5AM wake up calls can be a little rough, especially after today's to catch my non-flight,  but I am sure I'll be happy I did it. I think I can, I think I can...

I am coming to the realization that I may be enjoying my NVM recovery a little too much.  I did get in a longer run this past weekend but the altitude in Tahoe was killing me.  I didn't put in a lot of effort and it turned into a nice long run/walk.  I have a 15 on tap for Sunday that is going to be rough, followed by RNR Half next weekend.  I've REALLY enjoyed the break the last few weeks but it's time to put down the wine glass and pick up the Garmin.  Big Sur isn't going to run itself.

Confirmed Races for 2014:

1. Kaiser Half Marathon - 2/2
2. Napa Valley Marathon - 3/2
3. Rock N' Roll SF Half Marathon - 4/6
4. Big Sur Marathon - 4/27
5. Zooma Napa Valley Half Marathon - 6/28
6. Eugene Half Marathon - 7/27
7. Hood To Coast - 8/22-8/23 (the dreaded leg 5)
8. New York Marathon - 11/2 

Now that I am looking at my race calendar for the year, it's kind of light.  I did 12 races last year, including three relays.  I would really like to run one more relay this year, maybe even another Ultra.  If anyone is planning on doing Reach The Beach or The Bourban Chase and you need another average runner with above average sarcasm, who will inhale more than her fair share of beer and peanut butter pretzels; I am your girl.

Kaiser Half Marathon 2/2: Against All Odds

My only hope for this race was to come in Sub - 2 hours since that's what my Sub-4:30 Marathon Training plan said should be my goal.  Who am I to argue?  My head/heart wasn't really in it all week.  I was traveling for work and my training took a hit.  To make up for that I did a nine miler on Thurs and a spin class on Saturday.  Probably not the smartest thing to do the day before a race.  I went out late on Saturday night, had a few drinks and way too much pizza.  Around 9pm I realized I didn't have a plan for getting there, hadn't looked at the weather, didn't know what I was going to wear etc.... needless to say I was incredibly unprepared.  I even considered calling it at one point but a quick text from JW who was still planning to go, made me suck it up - sort of.

Race morning I woke up at 4:30 AM to something pounding on our window.  Is it raining? You've got to be f'ing kidding me.  It's been clear and 60's for weeks - hello, CA drought.  Not only was it raining it was down pouring.  I got up to get coffee and Nuun around 5:30 AM and got back in bed. I texted JW to see if she had reconsidered.  She was still planning to go.  Damn!  I finally got up around 6:30 and ran around trying to figure out what to wear, what to eat etc...  After yelling at my phone because Uber wasn't working, I threw a map at MFR and said here's the race route, plan on being at the finish around 10. His response was, is it raining?  I growled at him and ran out the door.

Walking to the start -well this is a horrible idea

January Recap & SoulCycle Review

January Workout Stats:
4 weight sessions
Running: 88 Miles
Spinning: 43.85
Total: 132 Miles

Nutrition - C
Hydration - B

It's not perfect but it's headed in the right direction.  Last week was rough with the travel and all day meetings.  I did manage to fit in 9 miles with one of my Nuun HTC Teammates around the Davis campus, which was immediately followed by In-N-Out, hence the nutrition grade.

#2 Animal Style

As for trying new things in January, I feel like I nailed that one.  I played my first round of 18 holes of golf, bought a Fitbit (review to follow) and went to a SoulCycle class.  I've been hearing for months that I just had to try Soulcycle and that it's the best workout ever.  I finally decided to see what it was all about.  The text I sent J-Dub post class since she was also debating trying one:

Initial thoughts: Mix of yoga shavasana and intense music video/body pumping exercises.  In the dark which is kind of nice.  Good workout-dripping sweat but the spin class at my gym is almost just as good minus the weights so not worth $30.  Maybe once a month or so with friends.  Not too cult-ish except when the instructor starts chanting and saluting.

SoulCycle SF

 If you haven't done one, here are a few things to know before you go:

• Bikes are VERY close together so just plan on being crammed in there 
• You can reserve your bike online - I suggest one near the back/fan for your first class and not directly in front of a speaker (so loud)
• It starts in the dark and stays pretty dimly lit the entire time
• You will sweat profusely 
• It's $30 per class plus $2 for shoes if you need to rent them
• They have lockers for your stuff and the instructor will get you set up for your first class
• They do an arm series with weights while on your bike.  I had 2 lb. weights which seemed like a good place to start and my muscles were definitely burning.
• There is a lot of jumps, pumping etc... that if you're not used to could be tough to follow and keep up with.

I was worried about the cultiness of the class.  Everyone who goes seems to wear the logo-wear non-stop and talk about how it's the only acceptable workout.  Luckily, the instructors were nice and I didn't feel too intimidated.  I get the draw and it was a good workout but not life-changing.  Again I already have the worlds best spin class so I was able to keep up with everything and it was very similar to my regular Monday class.  If you had only done your average 24-hour Fitness spin class before this, I can see why it would be so addicting.  I liked the addition of weights and the meditation in the dark.  I still think the price is ridiculous but considering every class seems to sell out, people are clearly willing to pay it.  Unless friends were going I'll probably just stick with my Monday class.

Has anyone else tried SoulCycle?  What did you think?

Levi's GranFondo Race Report

On Oct. 5th I rode the Levi's GranFondo.  I haven't done a lot of cycling-only events.  When I was training for Ironman, I did the Ride Around Clark County Century Ride, which was very casual and not crowded.  I did a 40 mile Livestrong ride on a hybrid in 2005ish and I've done a few super casual Oregon wine country rides with Eola Hills. Then I did Bridge Pedal and absolutely hated it.  There are way too many inexperienced riders and it caused me serious anxiety during the entire ride so I swore off all major cycling events.

In January, my dad mentioned he wanted to come down from Oregon to do GranFondo.  I was apprehensive when I saw 7500+ riders but somehow I was talked into it.  MFR, my dad and I all signed up for the Medio Route - 62 miles (there are  options for 30, 62 & 102). 

MFR ready to ride

Although the day did not go quite as planned, my faith in cycling events is restored.  Even with 7500 riders, I was never nervous.  Everyone there was a serious cyclist with good bike handling skills so nobody was stopping in the middle of the road or signaling right and then turning left etc...  The scenery cannot be beat, you get everything from ocean cliffs (with lots of sea life sightings), to covered forests to gorgeous views of the Russian River.  I met two women a the first pit stop who come all the way from Whistler every year for this event.  They said they had done rides all over the country and this was their favorite by far. 

The view was not to shabby.

I felt much better than I anticipated given my lack of cycling training lately and really enjoyed being back out on the bike.  Miles 1 -34 went perfectly.  At mile 35 we realized why everyone registered was a "serious cyclist."  It was hands down the steepest climb I've ever seen and it basically went on for 10 miles.

Not a hill - a mountain.

I am talking narrow sea cliff switchbacks that went straight up and never seemed to end.  Even though I was very proud of my climbing, since it seemed like half the field was stopping to walk, at mile 40 the race went downhill. 

Looking back at the first part of the climb

Long story short, my dad ended up with heatstroke and we finished the day with an ambulance ride to the hospital.  It really wasn't as bad as it sounds (though there were some scary moments) and going to the hospital was probably unnecessary.  It was a good reminder that when you sense someone is not doing well and they say, "go ahead, don't worry I'll be fine," don't listen!  Luckily I ignored my dads wishes to have me continue on. I was sad not to finish given how great I had been feeling about my ride but was so glad I stopped and turned around when I did.

My dads bike being put in a cop car by the incredible volunteers who went above and beyond to ensure his safety.

I only made it to mile 44 but MFR finished the whole race and said it was his favorite endurance event he'd ever participated in; not including when he crossed the finish line and discovered he had to come pick us up at the hospital.  The swag and the festival at the end was great and since we had to go back to get our bikes we even enjoyed the free beer and awesome food options.  This race should be on every cyclists bucket list.  Even with the drama, we all kept talking about what a great day/event it was.  We'll definitely be back next year for redemption.

Swag bag and Camelbak water bottle

MFR & dad - Finish Festival.

Free beer and awkward chest hair? Nailed it.

In other news, I still don't know what distance I am running this weekend.   I keep going back and forth between a) I am 100% not trained and my knee might still be sort of iffy (though it's been fine running, just gets sore when I am sitting for long periods of time) so I should just do the half and try to sub 2:00, b) I should just do the marathon even if it takes me 5+ hours to do it, it's an awesome course and will be good training for Ragnar....blah, blah, blah Basically everything after 18 miles is going to hurt and be a major sufferfest.

With Ragnar Vegas Ultra, where I have to run 36 miles (13, 13, 10,) only 3.5 weeks away, should I marathon poorly but get in good tough mileage or try to run a good strong half?  Thoughts?

Motivation For Your Face: Do as I say....

not as I do.  I don't know why I wrote that title.  I am in a very sassy mood at the moment and it was the first thing that came out of my brain.  You're welcome for my classy and sophisticated writing style.

Anywho, my momentary freakout and take-me-out-of-the-game injury is doing MUCH better.  I successfully ran 17 beautiful miles on Monday morning without any knee pain.

Summer in SF

Ridiculous views on this run

In case you weren't aware, knee recovery threads make the boys come running.

What is happening here?  Knee elephantiasis?

Although my knee felt good, the rest of my body was screaming in pain.  How can you get so out of shape in two weeks?  I mean good god.  I've been like an 80 year old limping around the past 48 hours.

So now what?  If 17 was that hard, I knew I was not going to run 26.2 on Sunday.  Unless crab walking the last 8 miles is an approved form of locomotion, I had to come up with Plan B.  Warning - It's not a good plan but it's a plan nonetheless.

Plan B:
October 20th is the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.  I was excited to participate in this race as a local for the first time and on the 10th anniversary of the race.  Nike once again refused to give us any love through the lottery process.  Nuun to the rescue.  Nuun was given a certain amount of guaranteed entries for their sponsorship and since they couldn't fill them all, they offered them up to the Ambassadors.  We still had to pay the registration fee but at least we could crack into the fortress of Nike's lottery system.  Sound familiar?  Try and try again Nike but you can't keep me out of your races.

I signed up for the half with this girl, thinking it would be three weeks after HMB Marathon and one week after Chicago (which Leslie is running.)  Nice little recovery half.  When I saw HMB wasn't going to happen I e-mailed Nike (or the event group) to see if I could switch to the full.  They said no problem and I would be receiving an updated e-mail stating I was in the marathon and see a charge on my credit card for the additional fee.  Eight e-mails later neither of those things have happened even though they say I've been switched.  So I will either be running 26.2 or 13.1 with Nike on October 20th.  I told you it wasn't a good plan.

I am going to train (healthy knee dependent) as if I am doing the marathon.  I am also going to train at a slow pace because I don't want to further hurt my knee and because I am not anywhere near where I should be 3.5 weeks out from a marathon.  This will be more of a get through it run than anything.  Remember when I said I wasn't going to do those anymore?  Me too.  That's why I am not too worried about the distance fiasco, if I end up doing the half that's probably meant to be.  I have my sights already set on my PR marathon in the future.

So there it is: The Maybe A Marathon Plan.  I am still running the half at HMB this weekend and will be tacking on 7 miles to make it a 20 miler.  The following weekend I am riding a 60 mile bike race which I haven't trained for properly either.  I can't see what could possibly go wrong with this plan.

Also Jenny posted this video on Twitter yesterday and I've watched about 200 times:

Way overdue August Stats:

Running: 68 Miles
Biking: 3.5 Miles
Weights/Core: 30 min
Total: 71 miles (lowest overall mileage month this year)

Real Random Updates 101

I am doing Vineman Olympic triathlon tomorrow and I have no idea what to expect.  It's out in the middle of nowhere wine country (the best kind of country) in Monte Rio.  Did you know there was a Monte Rio in CA? Me neither.  It seems a little unorganized because it's the first year.  We've gotten a lot of the "last minute race update" emails.  We are leaving in a few hours to head out and pick up our packets and drop off our bikes and we don't even know where we're staying so it should be a total sh** show.  Also they don't have a published bike course elevation chart etc... so I have no idea what my goal should be.  3:20?  Sure lets go with that.  3:20.  My swim should be faster then WF and so should my run.  So stay tuned for what I am sure will be interesting race report.  

I've sucked at blogging lately because work has been insanity.  Busiest time of the year until after June 11th so I'll get back to more then just race reports after that point.  A few unrelated quick updates I've missed.

I received this little four pack from Nuun.  Besides Strawberry Lemonade, I've never tried any of these flavors so it's a good excuse to expand my palate.  So far I've tried Fruit Punch and I am on board.  It's no Cherry Limeade but it's pretty dang good and fueled my PR last weekend.  I'll keep you posted on Grape and Tropical.  

Also I found out I am on Team Watermelon with some awesome women for HTC and runner #3.  I am excited for a new leg and to be in Van 1 after 3 years in Van 2.  I am also runner 5 in Cascade Lakes and just waiting on the assignment for Ragnar LV Ultra - gulp.

In non-running news, I went to church last week.  Okay technically it was a yoga class but it was in Grace Cathedral.  I'd heard some guys on the cable car talking about how they do yoga every Tuesday in the cathedral and how amazing it was so I decided to give it a try.  Helps that it's 3 blocks from my house.  Hands down one of the top 10 coolest things I've done in this city so far. It's packed so you have to get there early but the instructor is great and the cathedral is gorgeous. It's suggested to donate $10 to the church but they don't turn anyone way. Definitely recommend it if you live or are even visiting SF on a Tuesday.

Yoga on the Labyrinth 

Other than working out we've been continuing our concert tour of the bay area.  I am pretty sure we've gone to more concerts in the past six months than the previous six years combined.  I knocked two items off my bucket list: attending a multi-day music festival and seeing Zac Brown Band live.  Yes I have another bucket list that doesn't just list races...I know I am shocked too.  

We went to Bottlerock in Napa a few weeks ago and saw Kings of Leon, Black Keys, Michael Franti & Spearhead and Kacey Musgraves to name a few.  It was an incredible weekend.  Non-stop bouncing from stage to stage and the great food and wines from Napa didn't hurt either. 

Zac Brown Band

 Jackson Brown by day, Kings of Leon by night

Finally I've been eating my way through the city (I also have a restaurant bucket list - I like lists) and although I could write about food for days, there is one place in particular that needs to be called out.  Brenda's French Soul Food.  Everything on their brunch menu is worth trying - creole eggs benedict - hello!  For starters we had the beignets flight: plain, granny smith apple, chocolate and crawfish.  Died and gone to heaven. 

Fried Southern Donuts

Next I want to go back for Sunday Supper.  Must go now because my mouth is watering and I need to find food ASAP.

SF RNR Half Marathon #19

As I said in my previous post, this was hands down my favorite Rock N' Roll race I've done!  Normally I would not recommend doing a race in it's first year because you want to give them time to work out all the kinks.  However, I think this race will be the exact opposite.

Because RNR purchased this race at a later date, it used to be the "Other Half," they didn't have time to change the course and get the required permits etc...  So instead of their normal 15K-30K runners, they only had 5000 runners which was the perfect size.  It had all the perks of an RNR race but without the overcrowding.  The course was also not very RNR like.  Obviously I am a fan of RNR but they tend to run in city centers on major roads that can handle a large amount of runners.  This run on the other hand had us going on dirt trails, sand trails, over the Golden Gate and finishing in front of Ghirardeli Square right on the Bay.  It was awesome.  Since apparently I couldn't be bothered to take pictures - here are some I stole:

Mile 10

My brother on the trail going under Golden Gate

This is the exact spot where I saw Monica from Run Eat Repeat and tried to introduce myself forgetting that I had lost my voice and sounded like an 80 year old smoker.  Sorry Monica - thanks for saying hi.

Finish Line

The only annoying portion was going over Golden Gate because they only had the pedestrian areas closed so it was narrow and if you got stuck behind someone slower then you, there was not a lot you could do.  It didn't bother me too much because I wasn't gunning for a PR but otherwise it would have.  I am worried that next year RNR will get the required permits to close the vehicle portion of the bridge as well.  Although that would be great, I think it's going to lead to changing the entire course and taking out all the trail portions so they can get 15K runners registered.  And if they do that, there is no way you're going to get the views like this again!

Either way, I am glad I decided to get off my deathbed and participate in the inaugural year because it really was a beautiful race. We'll see next year if they can repeat the same - of course I already signed up because it was only $65 at the expo.  The expo was at the Moscone Center and was pretty similar to all RNR expos but on a smaller scale. Nothing new to report besides me stalking the Nuun booth and advertising myself for the HTC team and trying not to cry when they said they didn't have any Cherry Limeade left.  The medal and shirt were both pretty rad.  Might even beat out Vegas.

Love the GG theme to everything!

Obviously I would have enjoyed it even more had I been feeling and running better but I had great time regardless.  I started out too fast per usual and the hills killed me (walked most of them) because my throat was so swollen.  I bonked at mile 11 and had to dig really deep to keep the momentum.  Looking back I really wish I had posted a goal time on the blog because I think that was a great mental push for Surf City.  Even though I was sick I think going into a race with no expectations wasn't good for me.  Had I said I wanted to beat my Surf City time, I could have pushed to shave off another minute or two easy.  In the end I never expected under a 2:10.  I honestly thought when I was up coughing the entire night before that I would be happy with a 2:30; so I'll take that 2:08.  I had a great time running my first race in my new city and experiencing it with my family and friends.  Did I mention MFR also ran it even though he hasn't run more then 6 miles in at least 6 months.  He still  finished in 1:54 (which included a bathroom break).  So basically we hate him!  I mean I love him, but you know:)  Here are my all over the place splits:

Mile 1 - 9:16
Mile 2 - 9:02
Mile 3 - 9:09
Mile 4 - 10:37 (hills)

Mile 5 - 10:21 (hills)
Mile 6 - 9:27
Mile 7 - 10:41 (hills)
Mile 8 - 10:40 (hills)
Mile 9 - 9:10
Mile 10 - 8:55 (what?)

Mile 11 - 10:00 (starting to hit the wall)

Mile 12 - 9:41

Mile 13 - 10:12

Lifetime Miles & Running in SF

I  recently switched over to the Daily Mile to track all of my workouts.  Prior to this I was using weEndure.  I like the set up of weEndure better but it hasn't been updated for awhile and it never worked correctly with the blog so the fancyness of daily mile finally got the best of me.  The one thing I cant figure out is how to move over my "lifetime" miles so that my total will show all of my miles ever tracked.  It's weird, for some reason DM doesn't believe that I did an 1100 mile run and keeps giving and error message when I try to log that as a single workout.  Rude!  Anywho, here are my lifetime stats from WeEndure:

• Cycling: 2472.86 miles
• Running: 1151.71 miles
• Swimming: 135233.03 meters
• Cycling Trainer: 38:04:00

Albeit not that impressive considering Ms. TT over here does this is in a year...seriously!  I've never been really good at staying on top of tracking my workouts so this is probably half, if not less, of what I've actually done since my endurance addiction began.  Regardless having some sort of record that I've done more than the miles total says in my DailyMile widget on this page makes me feel better.

Whew! Now that I got that off my chest, a little recap of my week and training.  It's been going really great and I am feeling strong and sore; two feelings I love.  I've struggled with fitting in every workout (per usual) because I am training for Wildflower (with MFR) and Surf City Half (without MFR) so days when I should be running we might go for a bike ride or swim instead.  I am still concentrating mostly on running  with some spin classes and swim sessions peppered in here and there. Last week, for instance was two short runs, a spin class, a 21 mile bike ride and a 10 mile run.

My long run on Sunday felt pretty good even though I haven't been running much past 8 lately.  I was pleasantly surprised considering the bike ride on Saturday kind of took it out of me.  Running 10 miles outside felt great and it was 55 degrees and gorgeous on Sunday - in January.  I couldn't get over it!  Oregon has pretty much left me thinking that Jan - May you're either training indoors or in the freezing cold rain so I was feeling very spoiled.  In all fairness Portland does have some gorgeous days too but they are definitely few and far between.  My favorite run I've found in SF is heading down to the Marina and all along the Bay.  It's 4 miles exactly from my front door to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.  This time I had to go out 5 so needed to figure out how to get up over the bridge (I'd only gone on the biking side prior to this) and actually ran exactly half way across before turning around.  It was awesome and the views were ridiculous.

Such an awesome run!

Does not do justice to the view or the weather but you get the idea!

Hello New Brooks!

The one real downfall of this run and every run in SF is the hills!  Did you know there were hills here?  Like a lot of them.  And we happen to live on one, so running anywhere really sucks when you have to head back home. Our apartment is at about 270ft. and the Marina is at 26ft.; you do the math.  And if you can't here are my splits to entertain you:

Mile 1 - 8:49 (downhill)
Mile 2 - 8:50 (half downhill)
Mile 3 - 9:20 (flat along the beach)
Mile 4 - 10:47 (trying to find how to get across GG and getting a little lost in tourists)
Mile 5 - 10:51 (still a little lost, climbing up to GG and to the middle)
Mile 6 - 9:06 (down GG back to Marina)
Mile 7 - 9:39 (flat along the beach)
Mile 8 - 9:35 (flat along the beach)
Mile 9 - 9:56 (starting the climb back home)
Mile 10 - 11:58 (fing kill me now)

One of my goals will be to run all the way home at some point.  But that will be for another day.

Updates & Campaign Kickoff

Wow!  Where do I begin.  A lot has happened to me since I last blogged (IN MAY!!!) and I don't even know where to start.  Races I guess....I've completed all of the below since then.  To sum it up I did not perform well in any of them but enjoyed every single one of them and would do them all again.  Brief summary:

June 23rd - Seattle Rock N' Roll Half (3 Medals) - Crowded but fun
July 14th - Deschutes Dash Olympic (Medal) - New ownership that was unorganized but still one of the coolest triathlons in OR
Aug 24th and 25th- Hood To Coast (Medal) - Duh!  Best event ever.
September 16th - Giant Race 10K (Medal) - GREAT race; and that's coming from someone who missed the 10K turnaround and ran with the halfers way longer then I should have.
September 22nd - Denver Rock N' Roll Half (2 Medals) - My fav. RNR to date
October 7th - Long Beach Half Marathon - (Medal) - Really crowded but pretty course

And there you have it.  My athletic endeavors since we've talked last. That's not an exaggeration.  I didn't train for anything so that's pretty much just a list of my workouts over the past 5 months with a few short runs and yoga sessions peppered in here and there.  What have I been doing?  Moving to San Francisco!  That's right; I am now a proud California resident; living in the city and still working in the wine industry (like I'd give that up).  MFR accepted a job and started down here July 1st and I've been down here since Sept. 1st.  It's been a whirlwind of packing up our life, renting out our Portland house, leaving one job and searching for another, subletting, apartment hunting etc...  Throw in a few trips for races (see above) and a two week trip to Europe for our honeymoon (a year after we got married) and that's my life for the past few months.

Which brings us to today!  Why start the blog again?  Well I'll be totally honest; it keeps me motivated and I need that right now.  I am actually training (like for real) for the Surf City Marathon on Feb. 3rd and I need to be held accountable.  I figure saying it out loud will help.  My goal is at least a weekly update for the rest of my training.  Also I am hoping to run a sub 4:30.  My current PR is 4:38 but since I've been out of the training world for some time, I think a 4:30 is a good attainable goal to get me back into the groove of training plans. 

The other (and most important) reason is because we got very sad news today - cue the dramatic music.  After 5 years of glory, we found out today that our Hood To Coast team did not get picked this year:(  While I am very sad to break tradition and will miss my favorite-weekend-of-the-year-with-the-best-friends-ever; I not quite ready to throw myself off the Hawthorne Bridge like some of my teammates. 

I've already started the search for a replacement race we could all do - Cascade Lakes, Ragnar etc... and I am not giving up on HTC just yet.  I always said that if our team ever didn't get picked, I would do EVERYTHING in my power to get on team Nuun with this girl and this girl.  I love Nuun and use it all the time anyway and read those two blogs religiously because of their equal love for relays, beer and running.

So I am starting the campaign right now!  I hereby pledge to blog at least once a week (at the very least); and train my butt off to make this team.  I am assuming to even hang with this crowd, I am going to need to get my pace down to a 8:30 - 8:45 and I can do that if I stick to a schedule.  So that's it; I am shamelessly using my blog because I want on Team Nuun but I think it will have some ancillary benefits as well.  Campaign Nuun starts now - Vote for Kara in 2013!