Is this an addiction?

Posted on August 14, 2014 by amy

Last night, we had some friends over and the topic of addiction came up. There are many different types and forms of addiction. The question came up as to whether my running was an addiction. Now, I have been running a long time. Since elementary school, as a matter of fact. Obviously when I was younger, this running was definitely not an addiction. It was a sport that I was interested in and I enjoyed the competition aspect of it. But now that I am running marathons, and multiple marathons a year, does this mean I am addicted? As in REALLY addicted?

Some may firmly say yes. Some may joke and say yes. And others may say no. Can exercise become addictive to some people? Sure! Do I like to exercise every day (or almost every day)? Well, yes! I love it! It makes my mind feel good, it makes my body feel good and overall, I just feel GOOD! Notice, I didn’t use the word need. I don’t actually NEED exercise, but I really like and want it.

So, now I bet you are saying this is really an addiction. “An exercise addiction can have harmful consequences although it is not listed as a disorder…This type of addiction can be classified under a behavioral addiction in which a person’s behavior becomes obsessive, compulsive, and/or causes dysfunction in a person’s life.”

Are running marathons becoming an obsessive thing for me? Are they starting to cause a dysfunction in my life? I don’t believe so. So I asked my boyfriend. He said, “It’s a good thing, because it keeps you sane and level.” He says that I drive myself crazy with other things in my life, so this is good for me. (At first, he did try to say it is an addiction, but he was joking.)

Honestly, I love the direction of where my life has gone and is going and marathons are just part of it. Without this challenge, structure of training, goals, and events to look forward to, what would I be doing in my life? I really don’t know. For now, I am happy and content with what this “addiction” has brought me. I really feel it’s healthy and it really allows me opportunities to travel more. Would I have gone to Germany if it hadn’t been for the Berlin Marathon? Would I have gone to Trinidad & Tobago if it hadn’t been for their T&T International Marathon? Probably not. I also have the Dublin Marathon coming in a couple months. I’m sure at some point I would have gone to Ireland, but having a reason such as running a marathon in this country only makes this adventure happen sooner. I also have many other marathons in different countries on my bucket list. It’s all purely to see the world and a great way to do it.

I still find running a great sport and love the competition of it.

So, if it is an addiction, I’m sure my family and friends will have an intervention down the road. But I think I can say with confidence that’s it’s not hurting me or anyone else, so we’re all good…for now. (I joke!)

2014 Eugene Marathon

Posted on July 31, 2014 by amy

After 18 weeks of training, the Eugene Marathon arrived quickly. The months flew! I wasn’t sure I was ready for it, but I did all the training, in hot Sacramento weather, so I had to be ready at this point.

We arrived in Eugene the day before the race and went straight to the expo. After a 1.5 hour drive from Portland, we both needed to use the restroom so we quickly found parking and walked in. It was way too easy. Bathroom, bib number, then downstairs through the expo to get my participant shirt. I also bought an official Eugene Marathon hat. It’s kind of my tradition – I always buy a hat from the marathon I run. We really didn’t spend much time at the expo because we wanted to explore Eugene.

Pre’s Rock

Since I was in Tracktown USA, I wanted to get in as much of the legendary track history as I could. So after the expo, we roamed about town and then found Pre’s Rock, as in the famous track star, Steve Prefontaine. This tribute “rock” is at the site of where he crashed his car after leaving a party and ended up dying at age 24 in 1975.

While driving around and stopping at other spots in Eugene (Ninkasi Brewing, Tacovore, Tap & Growler) I was also looking for pizza spots, as this is my favorite fuel for a marathon. I saw Tracktown Pizza directly across from the university campus and knew I wanted to go there! When we arrived it was pretty busy as there were a bunch of World Junior Track & Field Championship participants from the Netherlands and China also enjoying some delicious carbs. The menu was awesome and very fitting. You could pick from pizzas named “Decathlon” or “Track & Field Combo” or “Olympian” and various other track and field events. I loved it! So I got the “Olympian” hoping I would feel like a champ in the morning.

I did the usual pre-race prep by laying out all my race gear, set my alarm for 4:35am, and then quickly went to bed. And 4:35am came quickly. I jumped up, got my clothes on, brushed my teeth and and made sure I had my bagel, banana, Vitalyte Tri-Phase Endurance fuel as well as my Shot Bloks and Chia Surge Energy Gels.

We were staying super close to Hayward Field so it was a quick 5 minute drive and we were there. I didn’t know how many people ran this race so when we arrived it seemed pretty quiet in the porta pottie line. I didn’t know if this was good or bad. But I was able to get into one immediately with no one waiting. Then about 20 minutes later more people showed up. But I still was able to get in line again with only like 2 people in front of me. I was supposed to be in Corral B, but as I walked forward to the front, I saw that the gate was open in Corral A, so I snuck in. The 3:35 pacer was right there, so I got in the group.

After the National Anthem, we took off at 6am! I felt great! Just a couple miles in, I came upon a runner that I recognized by his gait. That may sound funny, but he kind of runs like a competitive run/walker. His name is Walter and was from Sacramento. I took my headphones out of one ear and said hello. He couldn’t believe I remembered him. I believe I first met him at the San Diego Marathon several years ago, but he was living in Sacramento at the time (now he’s living in Toronto), so I would then see him all the time after running around Midtown. I was glad I spotted him.

I stuck with the 3:35 pacer for a long time…probably til about mile 10, but then I started to slow just a tiny bit. I could see the pacer not too far in front of me, but then I just started to drift away a little bit. I got a little mad at myself, but I had to just be okay with it. I was having a hard time mentally from like mile 10-12, but then just got in a zone after that. I just told myself that everything was fine. I’m still feeling fine. Nothing is hurting, nothing is feeling tight or sore, so just keep going. At that point I knew I wasn’t going to PR or BQ, but it’s OKAY! Just enjoy this.

So I continued to run and tried to just enjoy what I was seeing along the course. Early on around mile 10 I had run over a bridge across the Willamette River and that was just gorgeous. From mile 17-25, I also ran along the North, West and South Banks of the Willamette River on a trail and that was nice too. For a long time, I felt like I was the last runner. No one was passing me. I never looked behind me but I just hoped I wasn’t last (I knew I wasn’t, but it was strange). I also passed a community garden around mile 17 that had huge sunflowers and I just loved it.

Probably around mile 21 or 22, I started to see a few people that had also been in the 3:35 pace group slowing down and even walking. It actually kind of made me feel a little better that I wasn’t the only one slowing down. These few people were struggling way more than me. I had to walk for a few seconds at a time here and there, but I kept going. I saw a sign that said “When your feet start to hurt, run with your heart” and so I did. And right about that time, a guy ran by me and said “You’ve done this before! You can do it! There’s only a few more miles!” I don’t know how he knew I had done it before. It could have been my first one. But I loved his energy and it helped me!

Then something crazy happened. A perfect, high energy song appropriately called “Let’s Go” came on my playlist at the right time. With just a couple miles or so, it was the exact thing I needed to get me pumped up and I started running ~~fast~~ faster again. I got so pumped that I was fist pumping and yelling “woo hoo’s” in a tunnel and I kind of went nuts! I was so happy that I was almost to the end. I popped in a couple more Shot Bloks and just ran it out as best as I could. As I passed mile 26, I was so happy. I couldn’t stop smiling. As I rounded the last corner going into Hayward Field, I saw Clint and I smiled and waved and was so excited! I finished with a time of 3:56. It’s not my best and not my worst but it’s still under 4 hours so I was happy about that. Even my overall placements in my age group (35-39), women, etc were still pretty good. The temperature was 55 degrees when we started and about 67 when I ended. I’m not really sure if this was a factor in my finish being slower than normal, but it’s possible. Check out the video Clint took of me at the finish: Finish line video

As I walked off the field, I grabbed a chocolate milk and pounded it. So good! Then I met up with Clint and we walked around for a bit after I changed into my flip flops. We decided to leave and go to breakfast (or maybe it was really brunch at that point). I was recapping the race to Clint and somehow the topic of the Timex Factory Team came up. I had submitted my application for their team about a month ago but hadn’t heard back. Then BAM! I checked my email while we were sitting there and there it was. I got the “congratulations” email that said I had been chosen for their team!! I was so excited I kind of teared up.

That’s Hayward Field in the background

I may have not met my original goal, but I wasn’t too hard on myself about it. I still had a decent finish time AND I received really great news about being on the Timex Factory Team. I also got to run on the historic Hayward Field and that was pretty cool too! It was a great day!!

#15

Posted on July 21, 2014 by amy

I’m about to embark on my 15th marathon this weekend.

If you had asked me seven years ago about running a marathon, I would have said it wasn’t even on my radar, never thought of it, not interested in it.

Now, I’m 15 marathons in. Kinda nuts. I wouldn’t change a thing though. It’s given me great health, I’ve met lots of different people all over the country and world, I’ve traveled to great places, and I continue to dream of other places I want to run.

I’ve also gained a lot of great friends through this community of runners.

There are times when running is hard and times when it’s easy and amazing. There are times when I wonder what the heck I’m doing and why. There are times when I’m really hard on myself for a bad race or training run. There are times I realize this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

I’m a runner and these legs of mine are pretty amazing. I hope to be doing this for a long time. Cheers to #15!

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.

“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!

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

Will it pay off?

Posted on September 19, 2013 by amy

Over the last 6 months I have incorporated a few different elements into my training. Some of it was intentional and some just happened.

After I ran the LA Marathon in March, I took 3 full weeks off of running. Then in April, I started a circuit of lunge and squat cross training (provided to me by my gym owners who are also personal trainers) that I would add into the mix of my weight training once a week. This was intentional. I wanted to see if this would make a difference in my normal marathon training. Some weeks I would add a few of the exercises into another day as well, but I did this circuit at least once a week. Some weeks I was more sore than others, but every week I sweated my ass off when I did this series of exercises. I also know it has helped build my endurance and has helped with my speed. My last 20 mile training run I ran at an 8:20 average pace, so I was pretty happy with that. My legs feel stronger too.

Recently, I also started adding more organic and raw foods into my diet. This was partially due to Clint wanting to change his diet during his chemotherapy treatments over the next four months. He started juicing in August with his Breville juicer and then got his Norwalk cold press juicer a couple weeks ago and that makes even better, more nutritional juices and drinks. There is a reason cold press juices are $10 each for a 12 ounce bottle at Whole Foods. The process takes longer and you get more nutrients in each drink. If you have ever juiced, you know how long the process is – you prepare a LOT of fruits and veggies which result in a small amount of juice. It’s almost sickening. But it is worth it. With the Norwalk, we can spend a couple hours juicing and prepare several servings at a time in sealed mason jars, rather than juicing what you need for that day. It saves time in the long run. And you are getting as much of the raw nutrients as possible.

I started drinking more kombucha. This wasn’t intentional. Since being introduced to it last Fall, I really took a liking to it, but it can be expensive. I would support our vendor friends, Kombucha Kulture, whenever I saw that they were going to be at the local Midtown Farmer’s Market or other local events. But it can be $4-5 for a 12 ounce cup and that adds up! I love the taste and how refreshing the flavors can be. It’s also really good for you – it’s organic and has probiotics, detoxifiers, antioxidants and are highly nutritional. I’m drinking one right now! GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha – Gingerade…yum!! (This brand goes on sale at Safeway fairly often for $2-2.29 a bottle.)

Because my life is super busy, I had to grab things from the store that were good for me and full of calories, but good calories. I turned to Odwalla superfood bars and juices. These are great mini-meals and full of really good ingredients. I try to eat and drink the items that don’t have sugar added, are mostly organic, and have higher calories. I also have been drinking some of their protein drinks after long runs. They taste great and are perfect for putting calories back in my body after running long miles. And it’s been great having a friend of Clint’s donating the superfood and protein juices while he’s going through treatment. So, we are saving a lot of money right now on those too!

I also went to my physical therapist a few more times this training, rather than only going to him when I had an injury. This was also intentional. I pretty much was using him for regular maintenance and injury prevention. When I saw him yesterday, he said I look lean and my quads look good and well rounded, rather than flat, like most runners. I was happy to hear this because that means all the squats and lunges must be helping! He said I should have a good kick at the end of my race. Well, I hope so!

I feel like I have put in a good effort, despite all the things going on in my life. I have always lead a busy life, but it got really, really busy these last couple months. Will all this pay off? I really don’t know. Does it mean I will have the best race ever in Berlin? I don’t know that either. But it was worth a try and I can at least say that I am trying to live a healthier lifestyle, feel good, and will continue to do these things moving forward!

Are you doing anything different with your training lately? Have you seen any differences or improvements?

Life’s obstacles – one day at a time

Posted on August 30, 2013 by amy

I haven’t written anything since August 8th. Little did I know when I posted my last blog entry that later the same day I would find out my boyfriend, Clint, has testicular cancer. Literally hours after I posted about the SF Giants Half Marathon that I just ran and had a great race, I would be faced with something WAY more important.

It all happened so fast and by the next morning my boyfriend was in surgery to remove the testicle. We had no time to think about what was really happening and how the next few days, weeks, and months would play out. We barely had time to call family and let them know.

In the back of my mind, I knew I had to keep running to stay on track with my training and to just get out and run. I exercise almost every day, so it’s something my body craves. After my boyfriend’s surgery and the surrealness (is that a word?) wore off, it occurred to me that we have a trip to Germany coming up and I am running the Berlin Marathon. While my boyfriend’s health is much more important, I still wondered if we could pull this off. We have been looking forward to this trip for several months and had our flights booked since March.

Not only was this trip on my mind, but I am also an event coordinator for a 5k zombie run coming up in October and my boyfriend is also my partner in this business. I realized that I am going to have a tough couple months ahead of me while we finish planning this year’s event. I am going to have to do a lot of it by myself.

Everything was changing so fast in front of me and I had to figure out how to make it all work.

Surprisingly, I have been very calm about my boyfriend and his situation. I guess I know he’s going to be alright. It may be tough now, but I know he is going to pull through this and he is going to conquer this cancer! If I really think about it for a long time, I know this is CANCER…it’s a big word. So many people have cancer, have gone through treatments, are going through treatments, have died from cancer, and have survived cancer. It’s a reality (unfortunately) for so many, many people on this Earth. But his is one of the most treatable and curable (thank god!) so I know everything is going to be just fine. He is really lucky that it’s not a worse situation and that it was caught early.

I have still been getting in my training runs. I may have had to alter my schedule a bit or just swap days or make some minor changes, but I am bound and determined to get the miles in. I think it gives me something else to focus on too. Some days I feel guilty when I leave him for a bit to go run, but friends keep reminding me that I need to do things for myself too and keep my spirit up. And running makes me feel good, so I know I must continue to do it.

So here we are – one week into my boyfriend’s treatment. He’s had five full days of chemotherapy for five hours a day. I haven’t left his side. He’s 25% of the way through his treatment for this cancer. This is no sprint; this is a marathon. Kind of ironic. We need to take our time and get through this. There are going to be days when things don’t go so well and days where things are great. But we will get through this. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will kick this cancer’s butt and will carry ourselves differently after this is all said and done.

It’s really just one day at a time. We will overcome this. We will make it to the finish.

where two passions meet

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