Action 500 - Get Ready To Run The Marathon.

After one hundred days, it all comes down to this moment.

Action 500 - Get Ready To Run The Marathon.

As I type this, I'm sitting in my car at the Pasadena City College (in VIP Parking!). In just over one hour, I'll step across the start line and begin the marathon. I'm excited, nervous, and a little bit anxious.



This has been an amazing journey already. I'll blog about it more after the race, because I really want to capture this experience. All of these actions have had a big impact on me, and I want to use all of this as I go forward to my next challenge.

For now, though, my eyes are on 26.2 miles of the beautiful city of Pasadena.

It's run time!

Action 492 - Run Lighter.

There is definitely something to the idea of making a plan and sticking with it.

• On February 7th, I weighed 198.


• On March 28th, I weighed 190.


• On April 18th, I weighed 188.


• And this morning, I weighed 185.

I've dropped thirteen pounds since I started ProjectOneFive. That's going to make the marathon that much easier for me to run. (Well, not sure a marathon is ever easy. Maybe less difficult is the better description.)

Action 492 - Run Lighter. And I will. Because 185 is lighter than 198!

I love it when I see that my efforts translate into results.

Action 491 - Rev It Up!

This morning was my last scheduled run before Sunday’s marathon. I wanted to run at least six miles, but I wasn’t sure how much farther than that I would go.

Action 491 - Rev It Up!

I decided to start at 6.0 and work up every mile. The first mile felt awkward, sort of uncomfortable, like I was running on a new pair of legs. For a moment, I thought, “I should bail on this run today and save my energy for Sunday.” And then I thought, “shut up and run.” And that was that.

At mile 1, I kicked up the speed to 6.1. And I continued that way until I got to mile 5. I decided then that I would kick up the speed at quarter-mile intervals.

• 6.5 mph until mile 5.25


• 6.6 mph until mile 5.50


• 6.7 mph until mile 5.75


• 6.8 mph until mile 6.00

Then I kicked it up to 8 mph and ran like a crazy man until I hit mile 6.34 at 60 minutes.



It felt good. And once I stopped over-thinking everything in the first mile, the rest of the run was comfortable and almost effortless. And yes, I was a complete sweat monster by the end of the hour, but I still managed to look good.

My confidence is high. My training will be enough. I AM ready for this marathon on Sunday.

Action 484 - Handle The Unexpected.

Just when I thought I had prepared for everything marathon-related, along comes something so completely out of the blue that it caught me by complete surprise.



Mosquito bites. Lots of them. All over my feet and my ankles. Apparently, while I was sitting at my Aunt's house late Sunday evening, I became the buffet for every mosquito in the neighborhood. I knew I had been bitten by a few of them, but it wasn't until today that I realized how bad it was. The sweat and the scratching from my socks irritated all the bites, so by the end of my six miles, I felt like my toes and my feet were on fire.

Action 484 - Handle The Unexpected.

I completed my run, and that was good. Tomorrow is a rest day, so no problem there. And I'm hoping that by Thursday, the welts will have gone down and the bites won't be so red and itchy.

Sheesh, who saw this coming? I have a marathon to run on Sunday, and I'll inhale a bottle of Benadryl before I let something this petty stop me.

Bring it, bugs!

Action 483 - Run Six And Only Six.

With the marathon only a few days away, every choice I make right now is important. If I don't do enough, I could be running the event cold. If I do too much, I could run the event tired or even injured. So a balancing act is required here.



Action 483 - Run Six And Only Six.

And I did. It was an easy six miles at a ten minute pace. I felt good, strong, and crazy tempted to crank up the speed a bit. But I stuck to the plan and ran my six miles in an hour.

Seems weird that I had to talk myself OUT of running faster. What kind of upside-down world have I created?

Action 481 - Elevate.

With less than a week to go before the Pasadena Marathon, I finally took the time to go to the website and review the course.

Action 481 - Elevate.

Oh, Pasadena. You tricked me. I thought you were a nice, flat course, but no. Check out the elevation profile.



The bad news? There are some significant hills here. The good news? There are some great downhill stretches, too. And I love me some downhill. The best part? The last few miles are more or less all downhill. That works for me.

What does this mean for my run? At the end of the day, nothing, really. Whether the course is flat or hilly doesn't change anything. I'm still going out there with the intention of running steady and true. It's nice to know what to expect from the course, but my plan of attack on race day doesn't change.

Come on, Pasadena. Elevate me!

Action 478 - Stay Up Late... Again.

I know, I know. So much for being perfect this week. I know I should be getting a full night's sleep, but I really have had to balance my need for sleep with my need to spend time with my husband after being apart all weekend.

Action 478 - Stay Up Late... Again.

Tomorrow I'll go to bed early, but tonight my husband is working until 11pm. If I want to see him at all, I need to stay up. I'll pack my workout bag and have everything ready for my 5am trip to the gym. And I will try to be asleep my midnight. But tonight, I need time with the husband more than I need to sleep.

Meh, it's a balancing act.



(Image courtesy of ffwd.org.uk)

Action 477 - Make Them All Count.

I'm down to the last few days before I run the marathon, and that raises the stakes on each of the last actions. I'm confident that the past 90+ days have been good for me, and I want to finish strong.

Action 477 -  Make Them All Count.

This week, I won't be introducing anything new. I'll stick to foods I know and eat regularly, so I won't have any worries about nutrition. Physically, I'm planning a short run on Tuesday and Thursday, and I may run again on Friday if I feel like it. I want to feel loose and ready to run on Sunday.

I have been hyper-focused on this marathon for more than three months. Mentally, I think the next few days will seem a bit of a blur. But emotionally, I think I will be a bit overwhelmed by the time Sunday gets here. It's a lot to process, all that has led me to this point.

Spiritually, I feel like I am in a good place. With the help of very generous friends, I have managed to turn this all-about-me marathon project into a chance to make a real difference for other people. That feels pretty great.

All that said, I will not coast this week. I will work just as hard as I have all the weeks before. I will be ready.

Action 471 - Run The Same Neighborhood.

Despite a second late night here in Austin, I stuck to my training plan. I woke up early, threw on my workout gear, and headed out for another few miles.

Action 471 - Run The Same Neighborhood.

Rather than trying to find a new place to run, I decided to stick with the same course again this morning. That meant another go-round with the hills of Canyon Creek, but I was up for the challenge. Fortunately, the weather was absolutely perfect for running.

It was another three mile run, not too fast and not too slow. I felt a bit sluggish, but I'm blaming that on a lack of sleep.

Not a great run, but I am proud of myself that I didn't let partying with the family keep me from my training.

Action 469 - Play Now, Pay Tomorrow.

There's one thing I can count on with family, casual evenings hanging around chatting are going to end up in late night laugh-a-thons. We see each other so rarely that we make the most of our time together. But I'm still in training, so deals have to be made.



Action 469 - Play Now, Pay Tomorrow.

A late, late night... drinking and talking... and suddenly, it's two am. But that's no excuse for skipping a scheduled workout.

So, after a few hours, it's time to run. They may not be the best miles I'll cover, but even a bad run beats skipping the workout.

Action 466 - Deal With Humidity.

I'm on a weekend vacation, but that doesn't mean my training stops. So this morning at 6:30, I was up and ready to run. But running in Texas? Not the same as San Diego.

Action 466 - Deal With Humidity.

Ugh. It didn't seem too warm when I walked out the door, but it was much hotter than I expected. And the humidity was brutal. It felt like I was running through a stream. What an experience.

Tomorrow, when I run again, I'll definitely take my Halo sweatband, my sunglasses and my water bottle. Humidity or no, I've got to run!

And here's the beautiful neighborhood where my family lives. It's very run-friendly.

Action 463 - Prepare For The Heat.

The Marathon is close enough now that the extended weather report is available.

Action 462 - Prepare For The Heat.





Oh, man. The high for the day is 80 degrees. For someone who has been training in cool San Diego weather, this is going to be tough. I need to sort out now how I will handle the heat.

Extra water all week long. Plan to stop at every water station. And carry my new water bottle with me. It's going to be hot, but I'll be ready.

Action 461 - Scream If I Wanna Go Faster.

Yes, it's true. I'm paraphrasing the title of a Geri Halliwell song. But it's the best way to describe this morning's workout.

Action 461 - Scream If I Wanna Go Faster.

I only had thirty minutes to run this morning before I had to get showered and off to work, so I made the most of it on the treadmill. I decided to start at 6.5 mph and then kick the speed up every half mile... and a big boost at the end!

• Mile 0.0-0.5 at 6.5mph


• Mile 0.5-1.0 at 6.6mph


• Mile 1.0-1.5 at 6.7mph


• Mile 1.5-2.0 at 6.8mph


• Mile 2.0-2.5 at 6.9mph


• Mile 2.5-3.0 at 7.5mph


• Mile 3.0-3.5 at 8.0mph

It felt pretty great. I really did feel stronger with every increase. And at the end of the thirty minutes, I was a sweat-covered big-grinning running fool.

And that's how to start the day.

Action 459 - Don't Confuse Travel With Holiday.

Tomorrow after work, I am flying out to Austin, Texas, for the weekend. It is my Grandfather's 90th birthday and Sunday is Mother's Day, so it's the perfect time to see the whole family. The old me would see this trip as a vacation and not think at all about what is going on with my training. But I'm not the old me.

Action 459 - Don't Confuse Travel With Holiday.

Yes, I get to see my family. And yes, I'm sure I'll indulge a little in food and drink while I'm there. But I'm still in training. In fact, I'm in my last ten days before the marathon. That means I need to remain focused on the prize.

And I'm prepared for it. I have already packed my gym bag for the morning workout before I head to the office, and I have my suitcase packed with two other sets of running gear for Saturday and Sunday mornings runs. I will run bright and early and then have the rest of the day to focus my attention on the family.

I will prove to myself that I can have it all this weekend. I can enjoy my family, have a great trip, and still commit to my workout and my training.

[caption id="attachment_2241" align="alignnone" width="300"] Celebrating Grandpa's birthday in 2009.[/caption]

Action 458 - Run. Pedal. Sweat.

A late start this morning meant no workout before heading into the office. I'm not a fan of the gym after work, but too bad. That's what I get for sleeping in, right?



Action 458 - Run. Pedal. Sweat.

I mixed it up today with a brick - a run followed by a bike ride. It felt pretty good, actually. I ran a 5K and some change followed by nearly seven miles on the bike.

And the sweat? No problem. As you can see for yourself, I made it look good.

Action 453 - Think San Diego, Not OC.

This year, I've been running half marathons. A lot of half marathons. Eight of them since January, in fact. What I haven't been doing is running much farther than that at any one time. And I know the importance of the long runs. But I settled on my training plan nearly one hundred days ago, and I won't start second-guessing it now. What I need to do, though, is think carefully about how I intend to run the marathon.

Action 453 - Think San Diego, Not OC.

I ran the San Diego Half Marathon in 2:34. My pace was slower than my normal running because I chose to run with a friend just getting back into distance running. I enjoyed every moment of that race and I am very happy that I was there as she proved to herself that she could run a half marathon. That said, it was an 11:44 per mile pace.

By contrast, I ran the OC Half Marathon in 2:00:24. My pace was as fast as I have ever been for that distance. As my last training run before the marathon, it could not have gone any better. I set a PR and I walked away feeling strong, healthy and not sore at all. And I did it all with a pace of 9:12 per mile.

The difference of two and a half minutes per mile is significant, especially if factored over the course of an entire marathon. At 11:44 per mile, it would take me 5 hours 7 mins to finish. At 9:12 per mile, I would finish in just over 4 hours.

I think my finish will be somewhere between those two times. I won't have the endurance to run double my previous PR, but I also won't be running over five hours, either. But if I have to choose one time or the other to favor, I am going to give myself the benefit of a slower, more comfortable run. I want to run the entire event and I want to finish strong, but I don't want to injure myself in the process.

So, I will think San Diego. I will run my event at a speed that challenges me but does not wipe me out before the finish. I will force myself to start slower than my 10K pace, maybe even start with a 5 or 5 1/2 mile first hour. That will give me a chance to stretch out, find a rhythm, and discard all the pre-race nerves and jitters.

I will run this race strong, consistent, steady and smart.

Action 451 - Enjoy The Side Effects.

After the half marathon on Sunday, I joined the Jester Crew at Mile 26 and cheered until the very last finisher came across the line at 7 hours, 7 minutes. I've already talked about what an emotional experience that was, but I am just now realizing that the emotional was only half of it.

Action 451 - Enjoy The Side Effects.

Usually, a couple of days after a long run, my legs are tight and sore. It's not anything crippling, but it's definitely noticeable and it keeps me from running. But after Sunday's half, I am fine. No lingering effects at all. Yes, I believe that my better training is helping to reduce the pain after. But that's not the only factor.

After running two hours, I spent the next four hours on my feet. I stood at the mile marker, pacing back and forth, and stretched out my legs post-run. I didn't even think about it, I just wanted to be there to cheer in the runners. But that back and forth, gentle walking and long-term standing really helped me. Imagine that, a physical benefit of doing a good deed.

And there's more. I'm reading reviews this morning about the OC Marathon and Half Marathon and people are unhappy with the traffic trying to leave the fairgrounds. Me? No problem. By the time I left at 1pm, there were few cars in the parking lot and I was able to just drive right out with no delay and no crowds.

So, if you are thinking about joining one of the newly forming Jester Crew Flash Mobs at Mile Markers 13 or 26, there's even more reason to do so. You can stretch out post-race and miss all the post-event traffic jams.

Win/Win/Win!

Action 446 - Know DOMS, No DOMS.

I've blogged before about DOMS. I had come to a point where I accepted it as a matter of running long distances. But my friend, Raul, assured me that the more I run and the better I train, the less likely I would be to experience it.

Action 446 - Know DOMS, No DOMS.

I ran a half marathon on Sunday, and in the past, I would wake up on Tuesday with sore and stiff legs. But today, not a problem. I hopped out of bed at 4:30am, grabbed my gym bag and headed out for an easy treadmill run.

Thirty minutes. 3.14 miles. A little tight at the beginning of the run, but really, it felt pretty good. No soreness worth mentioning.



There really may be something to this training bit after all.

Action 440 - Start The Countdown.

Today was my last scheduled race before the Pasadena Marathon on May 20th. After eighty-six days of Project One Five, I am down to the final two weeks of training.

Action 440 - Start The Countdown.

The next couple of weeks are so important. Everything from my eating to my training to my sleeping will all impact my overall performance on race day. I've been fairly consistent to this point, but I really need to kick it into gear between now and the end.

Scheduled workout and rest days. Healthy eating with no cheat days or meals. And sleep. Man, oh man, do I need to get sleep. But all of this is doable.



The only thing that stands between me and marathon glory is two weeks. All the rest is mine to make happen!

Action 437 - Run The OC Half.

November 25, 2011 seems like a very long time ago. It's the day I decided, "sure, it's Orange County, but I should totally run that race!"

Action 437 - Run The OC Half.

Today was my last event before the Pasadena Marathon, and I knew before I even started running that I was going to treat it like a training run. Sure, I'd push myself, but the most important thing was to get through the miles without hurting myself. With only two weeks until Pasadena, I don't have time for an injury.

Like most plans, though, this one sort of fell apart as soon as the race began. No, I didn't get injured. But I didn't play it safe, either. And I blame the course for that. Here's the description from the organizers:

The Half Marathon course is net downhill in elevation from start to finish. The first 6.5 miles will be extremely fast with only minor inclines. Mile 6.5 to 7.0 is the only significant hill on the course taking the runners from 15 feet to 75 feet. The course is then mostly flat through mile 10.5, a couple rolling hills to 11.5 with a flat and fast final stretch into the OC Fair & Event Center.

And it's true. The first half was crazy fast. In fact, I set a 10K PR with 56:33. I was flying. I struggled a bit with the hill, but I didn't lose that much time. And the chance to walk a bit and stretch out always helps me run faster later.

I kept moving at mile seven, but I did manage to snap a quick photo and even post it to Facebook.

By mile ten, I was fairly certain I was going to run a PR for the overall course. I also sorted out that I was going to be very, very close to breaking a sub-two hour half marathon time.

Me. A sub-two. Are you kidding me? Ever since my first half marathon and my time of 2:09, I have imagined a sub-two. But that is very, very fast. And for a runner like me, focusing on a specific time goal like that is a sure way to take the fun out of a half marathon... especially one that is supposed to be a warm-up run for a marathon.

By mile eleven, I had abandoned all pretense of "warm up run." I gave it everything I had and I ran as fast as I could. My heart was racing, I could feel the blood pumping in my ears, and I was completely out of breath, but I kept running.

My final race time? 2:00:24 seconds.



Yep, I was THATCLOSE to running a sub-two. But I have to say, I don't feel bad about missing that at all. I can't. I crushed my previous PR and I had what is, for me, an outstanding race and a great experience. I can't be anything but happy about that.

Who's got a shiny new medal and a new PR? This guy!