Happy New Year - I'm Never Going to Run AGAIN!

Hey all, sorry to have been so lacking on the blog front...

Anyway, I ran the marathon! It took me 7 hours and 15 minutes, but I finally made it across that finish line and I have all of you to thank for it. It was a miserable 7 hours and change, and I am most excited to never running another day in my life. We started at 46 degrees at 4:30am waiting for the start, and I finished at 52 degrees around 1pm happy to be done. There were masses of runners, a few hundred of whom got married at the 5 mile mark at a collective run-through wedding ceremony, a few hundred Elvii(isn't that the plural of Elvis?) - which got them into the Guiness Book of World Records, performances by the Blue Man Group (as well as many other entertainers along the way...), and then a lot of ice and rest and fried foods to compensate.

It would have been an impossible endeavor if it hadn't been for the support of my friends and family. For your strength and support I am eternally greatful. With all your help we raised over $4,000 to support HIV/AIDS efforts in the bay area. Collectively the program raised over $500,000 for the SF AIDS Foundation during this marathon season.

Thank you again, and all the best to you and yours for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2008.

Now it's the first day back in the office of 2008, and I've got to get going.

Here are some photos from the marathon for your enjoyment:

In Vegas - Here's How You Can Track Me

So, I'm finally here. Less than 24 hours stands between me and the marathon. I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified. But, there's nothing else to do at this point but try. Anyway, the point of this post is to tell you that you can track my marathon progress be entering my bib number (5633) at running.zappos.com/n/mr I'm not sure if you'll be able to see me as I go, or if you'll just be able to see my finish time.

Anyway, now it's time for me to figure out what's for dinner. Think good thoughts for me!

Yikes!

Oh my goodness. First let me start with a sincere apology. It's been TOO long since I last posted anything here. . . I can assure you, it hasn't been for lack of training or preparation for the marathon. Life has been chaotic and I almost forgot about this little blogging endeavor.

Well, now the time has come and my marathon is JUST around the corner! Less than a week and I'm SO nervous! Adam and I will be flying to Vegas on Saturday morning, and I'll be lining up for my little run bright and early (at 5:30am) on Sunday morning.

I can't express how quickly the time has gone, and how incredibly nervous I am for this event. It's really quite insane!

Remember, visualization is key:

It's been a while, but don't worry!

Hi all, wow, it's been over 2 weeks since I last blogged. I guess that's because it's been over 2 weeks since I last ran! I've had to take some time off from the process in order to heal my achey feet. I've been seeing a chiropractor twice a week and nursing my feet in order to recover. So, a lot of non-running later, and today will be my first longer-distance time out on the road. Tonight I'm going to jog 3 miles! I know, hold your applause, it's quite a task! I've got to start small now that my feet are feeling better! I've also got to invest a few hundred dollars into custom insoles for my running shoes.

In more exciting news, I've made my fundraising minimum! In fact, I've surpassed it at this point! Full focus can be now put forth to training and planning for Vegas!

Thank you SO much to those generous individuals listed below. This means SO much to me and I appreciate everyone who chose to participate. Thank you.

Thank you for your contributions:
$250.00 - Jeff Shariat
$250.00 - The Kilpin Family
$100.00 - Dordaneh Roohani & Family
$100.00 - Jim & Nancy Olich
$100.00 - Mr. & Mrs. Robertson
$100.00 - John Paul Glowacki
$100.00 - Jennifer Munro
$100.00 - William Files
$100.00 - Lisa Paulsen
$100.00 - Nasim Ghaffari
$100.00 - Mei-Hua Gee
$100.00 - Sarah Perry
$100.00 - Bita Edwards
$75.00 - Susan McNary
$75.00 - Katrina & Michael Lappin
$50.00 - Rich McDonald & Family
$50.00 - Dheeraj Dasari
$50.00 - Gigi Camisa
$50.00 - Lily Shariat
$50.00 - Nancy Scott & Family
$50.00 - Rod Gutierrez & Family
$50.00 - Liisa Hale
$50.00 - Karena Gruber
$50.00 - Amy Maddox
$50.00 - The Mitre Family
$50.00 - Dr. Aaron Burke
$50.00 - Janet Quehl
$50.00 - Ryan McAndrew
$40.00 - Mitchell Traver and Lara Hale
$40.00 - Margaret Wedgwood
$40.00 - Justin Counts
$40.00 - Tara Barnes
$30.00 - Rachel
$30.00 - Michele Montana
$26.20 - Danielle Perkel
$26.20 - Jennifer Cambra
$26.00 - Pamela Weiss
$25.00 - Hanna Jeong
$25.00 - George Rivello
$25.00 - Charlie Ng
$25.00 - Alexander McCauley
$25.00 - The Fortis Family
$25.00 - Roberta Martin
$25.00 - Jennifer Moline
$20.00 - Simon Robertson
$20.00 - Allison Walling
$20.00 - Stacey Nordwall
$20.00 - Urs Cipolat
$20.00 - Tim Hainley
$20.00 - Raymond Walker
$10.00 - Becky Pappas
$10.00 - Naomi Sumitani

Further thanks go to:
The Missouri Lounge
The Parkway Theatre

Sluggish...

So, I had the fundraiser on Tuesday and overall the turn-out was extremely underwhelming. There was 1 person I knew who wasn't required to come (ie: not Adam or Josh, the program rep). The rest of the people were essentially strangers to me, and thank goodness they came! I made $66 from ticket sales (33 tickets sold) and an additional $30 or so in cash donations. So, THANK YOU if you were kind enough to come out and support my cause, whether or not it was your intention.

I must admit, I was really disappointed with the turn out and in general am feeling bummed about the amount of support (or lack thereof) that I've been getting from friends... I'm hoping that feeling changes, but for now it's pretty prominent.

Taking this weekend off from running, which is kind of exciting! But at the same time I'm a little sad about it... I was just getting used to running, and I know how much it helps me in the longer runs when I'm able to do my shorter maintenance runs during the week. I've been completely devoid of physical activity this week, mostly because I've just been SO busy, but next week I'm going to start phasing in some activity to get back on the wagon.

Hope you all had a wonderful labor day!

Out of the Loop

Man, I am way late on this post. Sorry all! OK, here it goes...

So, after the 14 miles we ran a few weeks ago I felt really great and really proud. There was, however, that unfortunate foot pain which I was feeling in the run's aftermath... Well that following weekend was 7 miles, and I couldn't complete them all. I stopped at 4.5 miles because my foot was hurting too badly, and I didn't want to exacerbate any injury. So, I didn't run during the week in order to rest up my foot for our forthcoming 16 milers the following weekend. I did, however, go and see Kevin Minney who is a Bowenwork therapist. Bowenwork is basically it's own special brand of chiropractic and incorporates light pressure to reinstate your body into its optimal position. So, Kevin kindly donated a session with him to my cause, and after meeting with him I felt a bit better and more armed for 16 miles. Sunday morning, we started at 7am to avoid as much sunlight as possible, and because we're not big enough masochists. I ran 16 and felt relatively OK for most of it. At mile 10, however, I had a big problem. My right foot was hurting so much so that I began to run exclusively on my right toe, allowing my left foot to compensate. Well, 6 miles of running with lopsided weight distribution was a really dumb move. I went home and had trouble walking at all. I spent the entire day with ice packs wrapped around my feet, but it still was extremeley painful to put any weight on them at all. This past weekend I drove to LA to visit family, and I went to visit my brother's sports medicine doctor, Mike O'Donnel. Well, Mike confirmed my fears. I have two stress fractures in my feet (one on each foot), on the outermost metatarsal. As a result, I've got to lay off the running for a few weeks. He gave me some exercises which should help me strengthen the muscles around those feet, told me to rest, and then to reevaluate how running feels after a few weeks of recouperation.

That's where I stand now. . . Unable to run, but still trying to do what I can for the program. Tonight I'm having a fundraiser at The Parkway Theatre in Oakland. At 9:15pm the 1983 cult classic "Valley Girl" will be shown, with $2 from every ticket sold going directly to my fundraising efforts. If you're around the east bay, please come out tonight. I really need the support!

Runner's High

So there's this thing called the runner's high, which is described as:

"Another widely publicized effect of endorphin production is the so-called "runner's high", which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts, when the level of intensity is between moderate and high, and breathing is difficult. This also corresponds with the time that muscles use up their stored glycogen and begin functioning with only oxygen...In recent years, the connection between the "Runner's High" phenomenon and endorphins has been severed completely. A study in 2004 by Georgia Tech found that Runner's High was likely triggered by a release of another naturally produced body chemical, the endocannabinoid anandamide. Anandamide is similar to the active chemical THC in Marijuana. The body produces this chemical to deal with prolonged stress and pain from strenuous exercise, similar to the original theory attached to endorphins."
(Thanks Wikipedia!)

Anyway, I think this weekend may have been my first runner's high! Now, let me clarify, I don't, by any stretch of the imagination, mean to imply that I was euphoric about what I was doing. I can admit, however, that somewhere between miles 8 and 10 I started feeling like I wasn't going to die, but could actually make it to the end without fear of losing my legs. This, to me, was an incredibly proud moment. I was running, and not hating life, and felt that I was setting a good example for my runmates who were struggling with the distance. I ran 14 miles and for about half of it, I felt really good about my running. Of course, it should only follow that my first running injury develop this weekend as well. After coming home to a drawn bath and two bags of ice waiting patiently for me to pour onto my muscles (ps: I have the best boyfriend on the face of the earth), I iced and showerd and then passed out for a 2 hour nap. This course of events led me to learn that passing out after a long run is just about the worst idea ever. I fell asleep without drinking a boatload of water, and without stretching after driving the 45 minutes back from the run site in Golden Gate Park. As a result, I was SO stiff when I woke up and felt SO nauseated from dehydration. I was miserable. And, to top it all off, when I took Bradley for a walk midday I noticed a VERY sharp pain in the outer sole of my right foot. Still the pain exists. It's not a constant pain, but it is a sharp piercing pain when I put weight on that part of my foot (this condition is still plaguing me). I spent the rest of the day (from 1pm onward) in bed drinking water and unable to move. Saturday was more of the same, although my nausea had subsided. So I stayed in bed most of the day nursing the aches with wine and tivo.

Now I'm at work, foot wrapped in an ace bandage, and ready to go home and lay down some more. The worst part about running all those miles? It just takes SO much out of you!

But, all things aside, I'm really proud of myself for doing this and for running more than I ever thought possible.

To Hill With It

So, as I continue on this path of step-training, our coach saw it fit to really kick our butts this weekend. You see, at miles 14 and 26 we (the East Bay training group) go to San Francisco in order to train with our counterparts there. This coming weekend is our 14 miler in San Francisco, and as such Coach Eve (our coach) told us we needed to prepare for their conditions. What does this mean you might ask? Hills. Apparently the course in Golden Gate Park is full of hills sporadically strewn through the high mileages we have to endure. As if running 14 miles wasn't bad enough, now we have to run 14 miles with HILLS. So, as preparation, during out 6 mile recovery run this weekend we ran one hill 4 times. There is a hill near Golden Gate Fields (the horse racetrack) and we proceeded to run up and down each side of the hill 4 times. That plus the 1.5 miles it took to run there and back amounted to our 6 miles for the day. One word can classify what I think about running hills - HELL.

So, this weekend is 14 miles. I've started running twice a week on my lunch breaks at work. I figure now that we're really getting up there in mileage I need to pull my own weight and make sure I am doing the maintenance runs to their full capacity. It's nice running on my lunch break because 1) I hate having an hour to sit around and do nothing, 2) it's always cool down by my office because it's near the SF bay so I don't sweat as much when I'm running, 3) there's a locker room in my office!, and 4) It provides me with opportunities to explain to people why I'm running.

OK, work time. Wish me luck for 14!

The Step-Master

This past weekend was my most difficult, and by that I mean physically trying, run yet. 12 miles brought me close to my braking point, but I made it through with the support of my teammates. This past Sunday also marked the first time that I have ever taken an ice bath...

My mom and little brother were in the San Jose area for the waterpolo Junior Olympics, where my brother's team was competing. I spent Saturday there with them, ran Sunday morning, and intended to go back and spend the rest of Sunday with my family. Well, after running 12 miles I didn't feel like I'd be able to make it up the stairs to my front door! When I finally got home I ran a very cold bath and asked Adam to run to the corner store and pick up a bag of ice. Yup, that's right, I took and ICE BATH. Can you ever imagine an instance when an ICE BATH would feel good? No? Well, start training for a marathon and you'll see the appeal. So, I sat in the tub of cold water and ice for a few minutes, and my muscles began to ease. After 5 minutes I got up to take a regular shower and readjust my body temperature to normal. I was relatively mobile and normal the remainder of the day! It was amazing.

Now ice baths will be a regular occurrence after my longer runs. But, it'll be at least 2 weeks before another long run. After running 12 miles the pace of our training changes. We go from gradually increasing our mileage every week to a sort of step-system. For instance, this past week I ran 12 miles, next week I will run 6, the week after 14, and the week after that 7. This step-system is meant to help us build our endurance (on the longer runs) and our strength (on the shorter runs). I think it'll be a bit of a mental shock to have such drastic jumps in mileage from week to week, but oh well. I'm not going to start second guessing the system.

So, 6 miles this week, 14 miles next week.

D O U B L E - D I G I T S

If you can believe (because I still can't), I ran TEN miles on Sunday. TEN! That's 9 more miles than I've ever run in my life! It was also the most physically exhausting experience of my life. But, I must admit, I am really proud of the progress I, and my fellow trainees, are making.

After our 2.5 hour run on Sunday, I ran over to pick up the last ingredients for the 50 cupcakes I was making for the bar night fundraiser I was having, and headed home. After taking a break to read some Harry Potter, I set to work baking and made three kinds of delicious cupcakes which I was selling for $3 a piece at the bar.

Thanks to those who came out on Sunday to support me and my cause!! I really, truly appreciate it. The turnout was less than I had hoped. A lot of people who said they were going to show up didn't, and I ended up grossing less than half of what I was hoping :( And 90% of what I did make was through donations, not through cupcakes or the bar contribution... Oh well, it's a slow road toward $2800, but I'm taking it one step at a time.

This Sunday? 12 miles.

Stay tuned...

Fundraising Alert!

So, it's been a long time coming, but I have finally compiled some fliers for my fundraiser at The Missouri Lounge (2600 San Pablo Ave @ Parker) in Berkeley. Margaret was kind enough to use her skills and put a flier together for me. Her flier (the first) puts mine (the second) to shame...
hers

and mine


Anyway, I'm hoping the event will be great. Mitchell's djing and I'm selling cupcakes and other goodies. I get 10% of the drink profits for the night, but I'm also asking for a "recommended" donation of $10. Since this is one of two fundraising events I've got solidified, I'm going to try to make it as lucrative as possible. So please, come join us and bring some friends!

See you Sunday!

Gadget Goodies

If you know me then you know I'm a sucker for gadgets and tech goodies. Well, I am so thrilled with my marathoning gadget that I just have to tell everyone about it! Nike and iPod have come together to create the Nike+iPod line. The way it works is that the sensor (on or in your shoe) connects to a wireless receiver you plug into your iPod. That sensor tells the receiver how far you've gone and what your minute per mile pace is. A lovely woman's voice pops in every so often to tell you that you've gone 1, 2,3 and so on miles. I tried this out for the first time yesterday when I ran my 7 miler and it was INCREDIBLE. You also select a "power song" that the iPod plays for you when it feels your pace slowing down in order to perk you back up. Now, every time I sync my iPod with my computer the iPod uploads my running information for archiving. It really is revolutionary.

That's my little tid bit. Running is going well, but I'm nervous for the 8 miles we're running this weekend... I'll survive.

Fundraising is going OK. Thank you to all who have donated so far. I still have a ways to go, so PLEASE DONATE!

Week 6! German Silva Kicks Butt!

I ran six miles this morning and can't believe it! Our group was small today as two of our members were out of town, one unexpectedly didn't show, and then there was me and C. C and I ran alongside two new members DZ and JR, whose first run with the program was today. We ran six miles (they ran 4 since they just started)... C and I really did a great job of staying ahead of pace and of motivating and supporting one another. It was really awesome. We ran 6 miles in 1hr 14 minutes (almost exactly on pace!!). Although I felt like today was the most physically trying, I also felt like today was the most emotionally supportive.

So far I've raised just over $300 (THANK YOU! to those who have contributed so far), so I am feeling good about fundraising. I've confirmed a movie at The Parkway ("Valley Girl" on September 04), and am working on another film at another theatre. Also, I've confirmed a bar night at The Missouri Lounge on July 22 with Mitchell as the night's DJ! I've also got a date set for another, more substantial event, but I've got so much work to do for it that I'm not even going to give any details...

Still on the job hunt, still working out and training, and still asking for your contributions! You can donate at:http://aidsmarathon.com/participant.asp?runner=SF-5133&EventCode=LV07

Positive Projection

This is how I'm visualizing myself after my marathon is over...

5 miles and feelin' fine!

I honestly cannot believe that this morning I ran five miles and ended feeling energized. That is the single longest distance I have ever consecutively ran in my entire life! Although, I guess this will be the case for all the coming weeks as well... But! Regardless! I'm SO happy that I'm keeping pace and don't feel like dying 5 minutes into it. My pace group is really wonderful, and we ran EXACTLY on pace today. I'll just have to remind myself next Sunday morning when my alarm goes off at 7am, that in a few hours time I'll be glad I woke up and went running.

Next week is 6 miles and our coach is going to change up our course a little bit so we don't get bored. So far we've been running south along Frontage Road (leaving from the Berkeley Marina), but starting next week we'll be running north along Frontage Road (up toward Pt. Richmond).

I sent out my first attempts at mass fundraising this weekend, and many of you are probably reading this as a result of following a link in my email... Thanks for stopping by! I'm hoping to get a good first push of fundraising done. I feel badly because I've been so preoccupied that I probably wasn't giving my fundraising the attention it deserves, but now it's priority #2! (Priority #1 being: Find a full time job)

Now I get to spend the rest of the day relaxing and bragging to everyone that I ran 5 miles! Yay!