T&T International Marathon

Posted on January 30, 2014 by amy

One word: BRUTAL. But I finished and even placed in the Top 10 females which got me a nice prize of 1,500TT or $200USD! It was also my worst marathon time of 4:37 (geez!) but I knew early on with the starting temp around 73 degrees that this was going to be a challenge for me.

I slathered on sunscreen then we got on a shuttle to the start at 3:30am and headed to Freeport, about 20 minutes from St. Ann’s (Port of Spain). Clint was able to come as well, which was nice. They had told him he could come along and then would take him to the 13.1 mile marker to see me pass and then again at the finish. He actually got to help with the organization of the half marathon and helped at water and Gatorade booths as well. He didn’t mind “volunteering” and also got to meet some great people helping with the race. One of his favorite things was stopping along the route and trying “doubles” which are an Indian food that the Trinis love.

We gathered at a church in Freeport, got our timing chips, got ready, and the alarmingly loud gun went off just before 5 (and it scared the sh$# out of me!). I grabbed a water bottle on my way to the start line because I knew the first water stop wasn’t for almost three miles. Off we went! I started the race running with a gal from Wisconsin, Chelsea. We both just took it easy and talked. We didn’t have solid goals in mind but I could tell she would beat me, even though she was barely drinking any water.

So back to “brutal”. It was warm and humid and even had rained some so I knew this going to be tough. It was dark until about 6am, so I was a little cautious and didn’t want to step in a pothole. Their roads are quite rough but the course was pretty flat. I was told that around 9am was when the sun would be really intense so if there was a way for me to get to the finish before then, I’d be better off. But that didn’t happen.

At the half marathon mark, Chelsea and I stopped for water, Gatorade and she had to use the porta pottie. I saw Clint and volunteers, said hi, and we took off again. But around mile 15 was where I was losing it. I was just hot and sweating my ass off!

The other thing we had to fight was the traffic. They couldn’t completely close the course so we were on small shoulders or in the road and cars were literally inches away from us. And because cars drive on the opposite side of the road, they would be coming up fast behind us. It was a little scary at times.

So after mile 15, I couldn’t keep up with Chelsea. I continued to run but walked frequently for a few seconds or so at a time. I was dying. I had a bottle of Gatorade in one hand and water in the other. I just kept hydrating. I knew I would finish, I just wasn’t sure how long it would take me. My goal of 4 hours was out the window, so I went for 4:20…then that was out too.

There were stretches where I was all by myself and didn’t know where the course continued. I’d have to ask periodically. I would run on the road and then switch to the sidewalk to get out of the way of cars and also get as much shade as possible. After a while, my strategy was to walk in the shade and then run fast through the sun. I wanted to get the hell out of the sun! Let me tell you, I was soooo happy to get to the finish. My body wasn’t fatigued and tired from the running, it was the warm weather that affected me and just made me feel gross and took a lot out of me.

However, I must say, the hosts of this race were exceedingly friendly and helpful and made this marathon experience wonderful. They made it a very intimate experience and welcomed us again anytime. Bruce, Francis, Diane and especially Patrice were amazing and gracious. The post-marathon party included a steel pan band, Subway, Gatorade, other treats, ice bath tub and massages. And I took advantage of that free massage! It’s the first time I’ve ever had a massage at the end of a race and boy was it lovely!

While waiting for the awards to be announced, it rained for a short period. Everyone ducked for cover under tents. Then my name was called! I couldn’t believe it! A few photos were snapped and I collected my earnings. Pretty exciting considering my time was horrible (for me).

Oh, and that finisher photo with the top male and female…well, I forgot to get a picture at the end of the race, but I did see them at the local grocery store later that day and the top male winner wasn’t too friendly. I said congratulations and he was rude to me. Kind of disappointing. Oh well.

My favorite part on this experience was meeting athletes from all over the world. Being such a small race, I felt like I got to spend more time talking with them over the three days from the pasta party, driving the course on Saturday and on race day. Most races you meet runners but don’t get to have lengthy conversations and get to know them. I felt like I met some really special people and all who open their arms to me when I travel to their country. So, I’m looking forward to staying in touch and seeing them again in the future. Whether it’s in Trinidad again or Suriname or Japan or wherever else. It’s a beautiful thing.

Pasta party in Trinidad

Posted on January 24, 2014 by amy

Tonight I attended the official pasta party for the Trinidad and Tobago International Marathon. Yes, it’s two days before the race for whatever reason. Here I also found out there’s only 200 marathon runners! Um, crazy. I’ve never run a race this small. I’ve also never run a race in this warm weather and now I know why it starts at 5am.

I got my bib, which is F-4, and found out from a local runner that not many females run this race. A lot more females run the half marathon, with a total of something like 3,000. So, again, I’m crazy.

We had been trying to figure out how I was going to get to the start with no rental car or how I could take public transportation. It was becoming complicated. But the race director told me I could hop on the “foreigner” shuttle bus at a hotel down the street and I’d be all good. Thank god! Because we thought I may have to catch a cab at 3am, in the middle of the night, by myself, which really didn’t seem safe to us.

A steel drum band played throughout dinner and the pasta was pretty good. Three types of pastas with sauces and bread and juices all provided by the Normandie Hotel.

While talking to a local Trinidad runner, Candace, I found out the roads are rough and traffic can get in the way too. Last year when she ran this race, a car cut her off and she was also chased by a dog. She told me to stay on the road and not run on the sidewalks as I could fall. I guess they can be slippery. And she said by 9am the sun is intense, so let’s hope I’m done by then.

Being such a small race, I was able to talk to the race directors at the dinner. How often does that happen? Francis told me about the course and gave me some tips, which was great. He told me I should be fine until about 1.5 hours in and then it may get tougher with the heat. He told me about specific mile markers and what I will see on the course. He asked if I was going to bring a camera and told me the last 250 meters of the race there’s an incline but just to sprint it out. And he said just smile!

I’m thinking this will be a nice change from running large, congested marathons, so I’ll take it! Now the warm weather, I’m not sure how I’ll feel on race day, so I think I’ll take it easy and keep my body hydrated as best as possible. I also hope to get a picture with the top male and female. I think with only 200 runners, there’s a good chance it will be easy to obtain.

Trinidad??

Posted on January 10, 2014 by amy

In my last blog, I had mentioned that I had signed up for a race in 2014 finally but I had not disclosed the location yet. Yeah, I was keeping it under wraps for a reason – mostly because we were finalizing details and getting flights. But I’m sure you’ve been wondering where this secret race is. If you guessed Trinidad, you are right on the money! However, I am sure you didn’t guess this little island in the Caribbean…haha! It’s kind of random, I know.

“How did you pick this race?”, you ask. Well, here’s how: My boyfriend wanted to go on a celebratory “I kicked cancer’s ass” vacation before he goes back to work in March so we started brainstorming. Australia (flights are expensive, but we do have friends there that could accommodate us), Thailand (possibly…), Panama (he wants to surf), Costa Rica (I’ve been before but I could go again and he can surf), etc.

costa-ricawhitney-tresselplaya-flamingo-12172013-212529_panoramic

Looking forward to these in Costa Rica

While we started looking at different destinations, I was in the corner secretly surfing the internet for international races that I could participate in while we were on this vacation. I came across several all over the world. However, Bermuda, Bahamas, and Trinidad were all in January and were not too far from Panama and Costa Rica. But this caused a little debate. Clint got a little upset that all I wanted to do was run a marathon while we were supposed to be on a relaxing vacation. Yeah, maybe it’s a little selfish, but what the heck?!? I don’t want to go to an amazing country and NOT run an international marathon if I can help it. This is my life too and I want to experience these things while I can. Plus, it’s a great adventure for both of us. And I explained that it’s only four hours of my life (and his life) so it’s really not taking up too much time out of a 2.5 week trip. So, he slept on it. He woke up the next day and agreed. I told him, he could go hang on the beach and sip cocktails if he wants to while waiting for me. Surely, that sounds awesome, doesn’t it? That’s when I registered for the Trinidad & Tobago International Marathon – www.ttmarathon.com.

I’m officially signed up only paying $60 USD (super awesome deal!) and browsed the course map and emailed the race directors to get some information about water and electrolyte stops. I’ve looked at pictures of past year’s races and results. I wanted to see how many people from Trinidad race versus people from all over the world. It’s mostly people from Trinidad but I did see people from Europe and the US. I even came across an article about the top female to win this race seven years in a row, American marathoner Mary Akor, was banned from racing for two years because she tested positive for a prohibited substance. So maybe I have a chance at winning now! (I laugh out loud!)

Here’s the article:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/TT-marathon-champ-Akor-gets-2-year-ban-236656641.html

But seriously, I saw that the Top 10 male and female winners get an award and after looking at last year’s winners and times, I may have a shot at making the Top 10. Its a ~~pretty~~ VERY small race, so this may be the only time in my life I will get an award. I guess we’ll see.

I haven’t been training a lot since I took three weeks off of running after my December 15th half marathon in Arizona. Well, I didn’t stop exercising all together. I did cycle and weight train and did lots of lunges and squats and abs almost everyday. I also started running again this week to get my legs used to it and get some mileage in. But I am not worried. I would rather have a rested body than an over-trained body. Plus, I am doing this race for fun, not time. I just want to enjoy it and soak it in. Sometimes when you run a race for time, you don’t (or at least I don’t) look around and enjoy the things going on around you like the other people running, spectators, or your surroundings. I want to immerse myself in this race, if at all possible.

And looking forward to seeing these in Trinidad

So, there you go. The secret’s out! We leave on Monday and will head to Costa Rica first then off to Trinidad. I can’t wait to see the course, the local people, and the island is only 50 miles in length x 37 miles wide, so this course is a good chunk of the island. Should be pretty interesting, oh, and warm. I will fill you all in when I return. I’m not planning on bringing the ‘ol laptop while I am away, so I will keep notes on my phone.

Now, I must start packing…

“Oh, the places you’ll go”

Posted on December 28, 2013 by amy

As 2013 comes to a close, as many people do, I have been reflecting on what’s happened during the year. Lots of ups and downs. Lots of challenges. Lots of happiness too.

I feel really grateful for many things in my life. I am grateful for my boyfriend and his cancer journey coming to a positive end being cancer free. I also feel very lucky that I get to do a lot of things I love, like running and traveling.

And I realized I did a lot of traveling this year. I went to Los Angeles a few times to hang out with friends and also run a race, and I went to Boston, San Francisco, Germany, and Arizona. I ran in all these great places! I was inspired by so many things to run races in these amazing cities, states and countries. While thinking about all my journeys this year, I decided to count miles. Not just the miles I ran, but miles I traveled to races and back, and miles I raced. I came up with a LOT of miles! The ratios are ridiculous…

Check this out -

I traveled a total of about 19,000 miles.

I trained about 1,450-1,500 miles.

And that was to race ONLY 131 miles.

So, maybe I’m a little crazy. Or a LOT crazy! I was even called a “maniac” by a coach/friend of mine.

While we are on the subject of my craziness and traveling, I finally registered for a race in 2014 and it’s a surprise for now. I’ll keep you posted very soon as to my whereabouts and my next adventure!

I am excited about 2014. Clint has finally realized the importance of traveling and is ready for it. He missed out on a lot of adventures I have been on without him. He always had a reason he couldn’t go with me - mostly money or work related. But after going through a life threatening disease, he is now ready to not worry so much about those things (“life is too short”) and not miss out on great adventures. This is really exciting to me! Oh, the places we’ll go!

Happy New Year to you all! May 2014 bring lots of fun, laughter, good health, and plenty of running!

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Last race, I promise

Posted on December 16, 2013 by amy

Ok, so I lied when I said the CIM was my last race of 2013! I had kept it a secret that I was registered for a half marathon in Scottsdale, AZ. I had registered for this race in November, but pending my outcome of CIM. As long as my body felt good, then I would run it. If for some reason I felt like crap or got injured, I wouldn’t.

Just four days after CIM, we flew to Phoenix. My body was feeling a lot better but my quads were a little tight still. I had been icing, stretching, cycling, more icing, stretching…and I cycled when I got to my dad’s resort. By Friday, I said “Let’s do this!”

I signed up for this race because my dad and stepmom have never seen me cross a finish line of a road race in all the years I have been running half marathons and marathons. I thought it would be a cool experience for them to see this and I selfishly also wanted to run a race in another state while I was visiting. A half marathon was do-able – I did not want to run another marathon this soon after the CIM. So this was perfect timing while I was there.

I ran the Runner’s Den Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon in Scottsdale. The race location was about 45 mins away from where we were staying, but not too bad of a drive at 6:15am. I got to the start with very little time to spare. I wasn’t worried too much since it was a small race. I got in a porta pottie line immediately but as we inched forward I realized I didn’t have enough time. So I darted out of line and ran to the start. 30 seconds later the race started!

It was a very flat course in the town of Scottsdale. It was also fairly warm compared to the marathon last weekend. The temp was in the mid to high 40′s and I didn’t even need gloves. Nice and sunny! The race also had only about 3,000 runners combined with both the 5k and half marathon.

The race had a good amount of water and electrolyte stations and even porta potties along the route. I actually had to stop about Mile 3. I did not want to hold it for another 10 miles! But I was fairly quick about it.

The last few miles of the course were along a bike trail. I saw what I thought was a large dog with a toy in his mouth. I looked for an owner thinking they were playing fetch. But there was no “owner” in sight because it turned out to be a coyote with a duck in his mouth from the pond he was walking away from! Then I saw a second coyote walking the opposite direction. This little grassy area and pond were right next to homes! I was surprised these coyotes were so close to the houses. It was pretty interesting to watch as I ran by.

As I finished the race I saw Clint and my dad and Jackie (stepmom) along the railings. It’s pretty rare that I can spot my supporters at the end of a race this easily. It was fun to see them at the end and hear my name called as I crossed the finish line.

I got my medal which looks like a sun catcher, picked up some things to eat at the booths, we snapped a few photos and then headed back home.

That’s really it! 13.1 miles in Arizona. A great morning run (and race)!

When I picked up my bib on last Friday, the man that helped me asked if it was my first half marathon and I said no. I mentioned that I was from Sacramento and just ran the CIM last weekend and he said he ran the first three CIM races many years ago and we chatted for a few about how there’s only 12 runners left that have run all 31 years. It’s always great to have conversations like this with fellow runners. However, the best part of packet pickup was seeing the Boston Marathon finish line painted on the outside of their shop. I knew it was meant to be.

CIM #6

Posted on December 11, 2013 by amy

After running marathons since 2008, I am not big on running the same ones multiple times. I want to experience new races, new cities, new environments. But when it comes to our local California International Marathon, I feel like I have to run this one each year for my friends. I also run each year to continue the streak with this being number six. My friends have also made it their tradition to go out to a local pub, Bonn Lair, and buy beers for runners that pass by. It’s about 2.5 miles to the finish, so it’s a good spot to get fatigued runners to have a sip of beer (or entire beer) before finishing. They try to see if they can beat the previous year’s number of beers bought, so it’s become a challenge. I love it! Apparently, Guinness sponsored them and got them a keg for this year’s race.

For me, it’s a great motivator to see them and get a little energy for the last couple miles. This race is in my “backyard” so it’s a fun one to look forward to. It’s also known as one of the fastest races in the US, so a lot of people come to Sacramento to qualify for Boston here. And I was attempting this again this year.

I ran three other marathons this year with this forth one on the radar. This is not a typical year for me. I have been running about two marathons each year with some half marathons or other events in between. But it’s been an interesting year and I won this entry so I figured “why not?”.

Rock Tape

Going into this race I had just finished Berlin missing a Boston Qualifying time by 35 seconds (correction: by 1:34). I was super bummed. I then had about two months to train for CIM. I actually took it easy and didn’t train nearly as hard as usual because I had trained so much this year. And I also had been going to my PT for regular maintenance for a slight injury, if you want to call it that, for the last six weeks. My knee was feeling bruised on the kneecap before I left for Berlin, but I didn’t think anything of it. I thought I just hit it on something. I then ran Berlin with no injuries or pain. But about a week and a half after that race, I started running again and felt that little bruised feeling again on my knee. I thought I had Runner’s Knee, which is usually from overuse or over training. So I went to the Iron Thumb again to see what was going on. My left knee had popped out again! It’s not something where your knee buckles or you have any serious pain. I didn’t even know it popped out. So, he popped it back in (which was extremely painful) and then we did regular taping using Rock Tape (or KT Tap) to keep everything tight and strong. We retaped it once a week and I continued to run and train. It was really worth the time and money to make sure everything was in place. I also added in additional inner thigh exercises and more lunges and squats.

As it got closer to the race, the muscles in my leg were getting stronger and everything was looking good. What’s funny is, I never had any pain when I walked or ran, but would have a little soreness on the side of my knee after longer runs. Nothing major though. I just continued to ice religiously and hoped for the best. I actually became a little obsessed with making sure it got better as quickly as possible.

As the CIM got closer, I was getting excited. I had made a special jersey in honor of several people (friends and family) who have cancer, survived cancer, or even passed on from cancer. I wanted to run this race in honor of all of them, including Clint. It just seemed fitting. It was my last race of the year and Clint was finishing his last chemotherapy treatment two days before the race. We’ve been through a lot this year and I wanted to do this for them!

The day before the race, I prepared all my race items, as usual (they were laid out all nicely on the living room floor), and then watched funny movies like Big Top Pee Wee to take my mind off the race. I ordered my pepperoni and mushroom pizza and actually went to bed early. I can’t believe this happened, but I went to bed at 9:30pm! This is a record time. I normally go to bed at like 11pm or so (midnight even) on race nights because I am thinking about everything. So, I got lots of sleep, which was truly amazing.

I woke up at 4:43am and got everything together and my ride was at my house at 5:15am. I got a ride with a friend, Jennifer, who I have never raced with before but have been training with a little the last month or so. She offered and it turned out to be a great offer. This was the first time I was dropped off on the other side of the porta potties at the start area and we got to sit inside a warm car for a long time before heading out the start. Kind of awesome!

This year’s race was the coldest race I have ever run. Everyone was actually freaking out about the weather because it went from Fall (warmish) weather to Winter in like a week and we were not expecting it. We’re talking mid-20′s. Freakin’ cold! We didn’t know what to wear to protect ourselves from the bitter cold during the race. It became a little stressful. But I opted for my normal shorts and shirt with arm warmers and gloves.

A really cool photo taken near the beginning of the race. See all the frost?

As usual, I didn’t really have a solid strategy or plan. I had a basic goal time but I wasn’t stressing about it. I wanted to BQ if at all possible. The gun went off at 7am and it was soooooooooo cold! You could see all the puffs of breath in the air while we ran. It was kind of cool to see. The ground was frozen in many places along the course, so we had to be cautious. We also had to watch out for water freezing in front of the water stations. When runners would grab for water or powerade, the liquid would fall out all over the place and would freeze on the ground almost instantly, so people were slipping on ice as they would run in to grab a cup. It made me a little nervous. It was so cold that sweat was literally freezing on clothing. I could see it sparkling on runner’s backs as I ran by.

I started out slow but gained speed and thought I would catch up with Jennifer. She’s a fast runner and even though she said she was going for a 3:40-3:45, I knew she would run faster. I caught up with her and we ran behind the 3:35 pacer for a while. I lost her for a bit and ended up running by myself for a while ahead of the 3:35 pacer. I just had a lot of energy and thought I could just run it out until I lost momentum. I wanted to pad my time as much as possible. I know this is the total wrong strategy, but I did it anyway. My goal was to get a 3:35-3:38, if at all possible, to have a cushion for the Boston Qualifying time. I ran really well for the majority of the race, but of course, fatigue sets in a little and I started to slow down.

About Mile 11, I saw guys dressed in chicken suits and one had a sign that said “Touch this for Power” so I did! I mean, why not, right? Another guy had a sign that said “I just farted”…that one made me laugh!

Mile 23.7. I’m in the white shirt and Kimio is on the far right.

I felt my legs getting colder and colder and my gloves were getting wet from grabbing water cups so my hands were getting wetter and colder throughout the race. For several miles I couldn’t feel my bottom half and it felt like I wasn’t wearing anything. I seriously thought my shorts fell off and people could see my butt. I would look down from time to time to make sure my shorts were still there. But I just kept running. My Shot Bloks and chews were frozen as well, so they were incredibly hard to chew when I popped them in my mouth. My friend Kimio met me around mile 20.5 to help pace me to the end. I felt bad because I was starting to get tired and I hoped I wouldn’t let him down. I know that sounds weird, but that’s what I was thinking. By this time, I couldn’t feel my lips and I barely spoke to him because I didn’t even want to open my mouth. He said I was “in the zone” but I just listened to him encourage me and try to get me to pick up my pace.

At this point I was struggling a little because my quads were getting tight and were so cold. I just kept trying to dig in when I could. I knew I had the time but I was trying to get a little more of a cushion if I could. When I saw Clint standing outside Bonn Lair it made me smile and so happy that I was almost to the finish line. I wasn’t sure if he would make it out to watch because he was still recovering from chemo and was tired. I didn’t have time to stop so I just ran by with a big smile and peace sign held high above my head. And all my buds on the patio chanted my name as I ran by!

I was so excited to reach the last few blocks of the race. I saw my time as I finished and knew I had the PR and BQ. I leaned over the railing and cried for a minute. But my calves tightened up a little and I saw a chair next to a table by the finish and just sat down. I needed to get off my feet for a moment. A runner wrapped up in a silver wrap was sitting in the other chair next to me and he looked like he had fallen asleep, so I asked if he was ok. We chatted for a moment. We both tried drinking the Cokes that were given to us as we finished. I was trying to find Clint but I was having trouble using my fingers to text. After I pulled my gloves off, my hands were frozen and swollen. I also wanted to confirm my time and Jenny (another Jennifer in my life) had just text me so I responded and the only thing I could say was “Shit. What does my time say on the tracker?” She replied with “3:38:52!!!!!!” I did it!

I really didn’t think about the food or beer at the finish line. I just wanted out of the cold. And Clint was having trouble finding parking to walk into the finish line area. So I made my way to gear check so I could get my pants on (which was hard to do being so cold) and then walked a few blocks to the car.

I’m still cold. Can you tell?

Getting in the warm car was like heaven! I was shaking so bad and my teeth were chattering so it took a while to warm up. But off to lunch we went! We met up with some friends and had Mexican food and beers and just enjoyed being warm. I continued to make my rounds with other friends and went to a few other bars to celebrate and didn’t get home til about 9pm. Yeah, I know, I’m crazy. I actually didn’t even go to bed til 1am. I was amped up.

While I was running, I thought of my “friends” frequently. By friends, I mean the 11 people that I was running for. There were a few times when I was getting tired that I had to talk to myself and repeat some of their names to keep me going.

They helped me get to the finish line. I’m sure of it. This was a great way to end 2013.

Dear Legs – A letter of inspiration

Posted on December 6, 2013 by amy

Dear Legs,

You’ve had a full year of running and races. You’ve been to great cities and have been successful and strong. You have just one thing left to accomplish before 2013 ends. Your 6th CIM, California International Marathon, and 13th marathon, is in a couple days and your mission, should you choose it, is to finish this race for 11 people. These 11 people are counting on you to finish 26.2 miles to honor them and spread the word about cancer. This is an important mission. No matter how you run this race, you will complete this race and will celebrate these 11 lives. They will be in your heart, spirit, soul and in everything you can give on Sunday. Each one of these people has a story and you, my dear legs, are going to tell their stories through those seconds, minutes and hours to the finish line. You will fight to the finish and it will be a beautiful fight. This may be the hardest race you run, but you can do it. Be strong, bundle up and good luck!

With much love,

Your friend Amy

Priorities

Posted on November 22, 2013 by amy

Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I’ve been slacking. Really, it’s more like I haven’t had anything interesting to say. I try to stay true to what my blog is – running all over the world. But since Berlin, I haven’t had anything exciting going on in relation to this.

As I arrived home from Berlin, I basically had to dive into our zombie run planning with just a few weeks until the event date. We were really busy getting last minute things planned and dealt with. The run was on October 26th and everything went fairly well, except we had a much smaller attendance than last year. We really were stressed whether we were going to be in the “red” or break even. Luckily, we did barely break even and everyone had a good time. I’m no Race Director, but I guess I am a rookie event planner and we are still finding our way and learning things as we go. We worked our ~~butts~~ asses off promoting our event this year and we just couldn’t get the same numbers as last year, which meant we couldn’t give nearly as much back to our beneficiary, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, this year. I felt bad about this. We realized we were up against so many things: 1) Sacramento has been inundated with so many “fun runs” in 2013 that people can’t do them every single weekend. They have to pick and choose and spend their money wisely. 2) There were like five other runs or events on the same day as our event! But I had to remember, as long as people had a good time, then we did a good job.

After we were able to take a moment and breathe the day after the zombie run, Clint was back to the cancer center for round three of his chemotherapy treatment. Going through this with him has been hard for me too, but I am still getting in the time to run and go to the gym. I feel selfish about it at times but I know I feel better physically and mentally if I put in the small amount of time each day.

I am training for the CIM, California International Marathon, coming Sunday December 8th. This will be my sixth consecutive year running this race and I am excited about it. I kind of don’t want to break my streak of running it each year (we’ll see how many years I can keep this up). It’s in my backyard and it’s a special race to me. As of today, I am 2.5 weeks away from the race. It’s funny, because I probably shouldn’t run another marathon this year, but I won this entry (I like freebies and it’s my first paid entry!) and it’s great to have friends supporting me throughout the race and at the finish, which rarely happens when I go out of town for races.

In the last couple weeks, Clint and I have been catching up on odds and ends and wrapping up things from the zombie run. He brought up “priorities” when we were talking about getting an oil change for my truck that was overdue. I kept forgetting to do it because of all the other little things we had going on. He made a comment about maybe not running my long run in the morning and getting the oil change done and then running later in the day. We kind of got in an argument about it. I got a little mad and defensive.

It’s not that I wasn’t making my oil change a priority, it’s just there are other important things going on and since I really don’t drive my truck that often, I wasn’t THAT worried about it. And really, running IS more of a priority to me! Ha! I’d rather run in the cooler weather in the morning that when it’s warmer in the afternoon or evening. And I’d rather start my day with exercise and feel good than stress about oil changes. Yeah, this argument probably sounds silly, and it is, but it just made me realize how much I do love running.

Everyday we have lists of things that need to be done – bills, calling so-and-so, going grocery shopping, researching something, taking dogs to the vet, doctor’s appointments, taking kids to school (if you have them), and the list goes on and on. But sometimes, there are certain things that are set priorities or that we MAKE a priority over other things. It doesn’t mean you push the other things to the side and don’t get them done. But if you want me to be happy, healthy, stay positive, laugh often, and just live a fun life, running is my outlet to maintaining this. It’s become a passion of mine. I’ve always exercised and have been active, but running continues to brighten my world in a lot of ways. Not only can I see the beautiful fall colors in the trees as I run by them, or smile as I run in the warm sun while listening to a song that touches my soul, but I can see other parts of the world that I have never seen before. I can create goals and come up with a new list of cities and countries I want to visit. This is also a priority…traveling the world. I can’t wait to see what happens in 2014.

Is running one of your priorities?

Motivation, or lack of

Posted on October 10, 2013 by amy

Not sure if this blogging helps you or helps me more…

But I’m back in it. I’m back in the running game, if it’s a game, I guess. But what I’m trying to say is that after several days of not running I finally got my head clear enough to get a run in.

I got home from Germany last Friday evening and was extremely tired but so glad to be home. I got to see Clint and see my dogs and be in my home and rest. It felt really good! I was jet lagged for a couple days after and had no motivation to run whatsoever. And honestly, I wanted the rest. The rest is also good for injury prevention. But my head was also not in it. I was mentally broken down from my race performance and missing a BQ by 35 seconds and I was just having a hard time with this.

So this led to a funk and wondering what I wanted to do going forward. I have a race in two months…Do I run it? Do I care? Can I BQ there? What do I do after that race? Do I plan anything else or take time off?

A lot of questions and things going on in my head.

I finally was feeling blobby enough yesterday to go on a run. I got all dressed and ready and realized once I left the house I would be locked out because Clint had the house key and wasn’t returning for a while (we are sharing my car right now and he had my keys). So I waited for him to come home. I sat on the couch in my running clothes and quickly lost motivation. By the time he got home I was hungry and didn’t want to run. Well, there went that effort.

So last night I said I was going to run first thing in the morning. And that’s what I did. I ran 5 miles this morning and felt great! I felt the energy, I felt like racing, I saw myself at an imaginary race, and it was nice.

I have a lot on my plate right now, but I know that running is really important to me and makes me feel good and ultimately makes me happy. Some days, I don’t understand why I put my body through this (??!!) but I remind myself that I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t make me happy.

So I sit here today moving forward and looking at my next race, the CIM (California International Marathon). Two months until my sixth CIM! It’s become a tradition to some degree. It was my first full marathon in ’08 and I continue to run it in my home town. The tradition has now become my friend’s tradition as well. They get to bundle up and sit on the bar stools on the outdoor patio at the Bonn Lair and wait for me to pass. It’s about 3 miles from the finish. They are also drinking and having a grand ‘ol time buying beers for runners and getting as silly as possible. It’s actually a great boost for me when I see them.

I’m hoping this year to have a friend join me as a pacer around mile 20-22 to help bring me to the finish. And I will continue to train and work as hard as I can until then.

I saw this quote this morning, posted by Kara Goucher: “Acknowledge all your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great.”

I think I am feeling motivated again.

Halfway around the world

Posted on October 1, 2013 by amy

After months of preparations and training, the time had finally come. I was in Berlin and awaiting race day. When I arrived, I was thoroughly exhausted from layovers and a long flight. I was hoping I could catch up on sleep and it wouldn’t affect my race. I also needed to hydrate…really bad!

No, this is not proper hydration

I didn’t get any short runs in after traveling to Berlin. I just wanted to rest up. But I had a chance to explore the city and the day before the run, saw Brandenburg Gate, the landmark we’d be running through on the way to the finish. I was having a tough time mentally getting through Saturday, having not heard from Clint in 24 hours and wondering if he was okay or not. I had a feeling he was probably sleeping off chemo but I just needed to talk to him to make sure he was alive and okay. So, this was not helping my motivation to run a race. I was having a hard time not having my biggest supporter with me in this great city.

But as I prepared my clothes and running items for the morning, I started to get a little anxious and that was better than having feelings of not wanting to race. I did end up hearing from Clint (finally!) so I felt a TON better and this helped in my mental preparation for the race.

Bright and early before the race

This race didn’t start til 8:45am, so it’s a lot later than most races back home. This also meant I didn’t have to get up so damn early, which was nice. As we got to the start area, there were so many people. 41,000! But the first thing I did was get in a porta pottie line. This one wasn’t too bad and was very short. But as we made our way into the gear check area, I needed to use the restroom again and the lines were outrageous!! I wish I could cart around my own porta pottie because these European races have no idea how to prepare for a race and how many porta potties they should have. I stood in line for a loooonnnggg time and then realized the gear check was going to close, so I had to leave the line to get my bag to the proper numbered section. And by this point, I was running to make it in time and make it to my corral. It just became chaos. Volunteers didn’t know where things were, so that was confusing.

I finally got to the corral but had to climb over the barrier to get in. I lost signal on my gps watch, so I had to mess with my watch one last time. Then finally, we were off! We were packed like sardines. This does not make me happy. Having to dodge people or go at a much slower pace because people in front of you should not be in the corral, is really frustrating. And the crowd of runners never dissipated. But my pace was good and I was feeling very comfortable and relaxed. The course was really flat and that was a bonus. I pretty much tried to zone out by listening to my music, but I did have the volume down low enough that I could hear the amazing crowds of spectators. Spectators in European races are much more excited, seem to have a greater love for this sport, and I just feel have more spirit. Don’t get me wrong – Americans are great too. It’s just different. And something like 120 countries were represented at this race, so people from all over the world were at the race with their country flags and are very proud to be cheering on their runners. It’s very cool!

I ran this race without my hydration belt. I didn’t want to pack it in my luggage and wanted to rely on just using the water booths along the course. However, these water booths were chaotic as well! I really had to watch my footing as people were darting all over the place in front of me to get water cups. And it was just super wet on the ground and runners would just toss their cups below them, rather than out to the side of the course, making it a huge hazard to runners. I definitely lost seconds here having to slow down and get around all the runners.

I have to say that I was so focused on my time goal that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings too much, meaning soaking in all of the city as I ran by. I observed other runners and spectators, but not the sights. I did feel like this group of runners was more in tune with running apparel and compression socks and shoes, unlike at the Paris Marathon last year. I felt like those runners just put on their raggedy workout gear to run the race. I remember around mile 15.25 we ran under a bridge and there was a large group of people pounding on metal garbage cans and it was pretty awesome to hear. The sound echoed under the bridge. Loud and festive and everyone was cheering.

As I continued to run, I checked my watch frequently. I realized I could make it under 3:40 with a few minutes to spare. I was just holding on and working hard to maintain my pace. I would speed up a little and slow down to relax a little if needed, but my pace was good. I actually prayed to God. I know that sounds corny, but I did. I actually prayed like three times to help me make it to the finish line and help me make this goal.

As I ran the last few miles, I was tired, but I was still hanging on. I was looking for the Brandenburg Gate knowing this was near the end. It seemed like it was taking forever for it to come in view. And then I started to get confused. My watch passed 26.2 miles and kept going. What is going on? How much further do we have? Aren’t we done yet? I saw the 42 kilometer sign and the finish had to be near, but it even seemed longer than it should be after that sign. I could barely see the time clock, but that wasn’t helping either. The time on the clock was started when the first corrals crossed the start line, so it was about 15 minutes ahead. Now I was totally thrown off as to what time I was going to cross the finish line. I kept pushing trying to speed up, but my legs were tired. My watch now was getting close to the 3:40 so I didn’t have that cushion anymore. What the heck?? When I finished, my watch said 26.85 miles. How could it be this far off?

So, my final time was 3:41:34…35 seconds shy of a BQ. Super disappointed. I thought I was golden. I thought I was going to be kissing the ground and jumping up for joy. This definitely did not happen. I was pretty bummed. I worked really hard for this.

With my medal in front of the Reichstag building

As I kept walking to get my medal, then my wrap, I was starting to feel faint and I couldn’t see very well. I knew I needed fluids right away. I got a water, then electrolyte, then I got a hot sweet tea. This tea was soooo good! I really needed to sit. There were too many people around me and I just needed to get away from the masses of runners. I started to feel better and made my way to the gear check. It was getting a little chilly so I needed to change quickly. I then got my finisher beer (which was non-alcoholic) and went to the family reunion area.

Running a race with 40,000+ people is tough. I am starting to realize that while I LOVE running races all over the world, I am not a fan of running with all these people on the course. That sounds horrible. I love people and I love observing all the cultures and differences, but it makes for chaos and the runners never spread out, so you are constantly fighting the crowds to get past people. And some runners don’t have good “race etiquette”.

But the weather was perfect for running and it even allowed for a world record set by the first place finisher. Pretty amazing to be apart of another race with records being set.

Even though I was bummed about my time, I tried to remember the positives. I completed my third World Marathon Major, I did end up with a great time, I love being able to travel to cool cities around the world, and I have a lovely medal to take home and add to my collection. To make myself a little happier, I bought a gerbera daisy at a flower shop at the subway line near the apartment. Just one euro and I was happy. I don’t know what my next adventure is yet. I have lots of ideas, dreams, and am hopeful. I’m still waiting to hear if I got into London. Until then, I’m not making any new marathon plans for 2014, but I’m getting anxious to get something locked in.

Is there anything else you want to know about this race? Do you want to know more about the city, the course, etc? Let me know.

where two passions meet

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