Who Says Running Is A Lonely Sport?

For me, running is a very solitary activity. I wake up, put on my gear, and head out the door. Sometimes I run on the streets and other times I run on the treadmill at the gym, but either way, it's just me. So why am I writing a blog about the importance of teams?

I may look like I'm running alone, but I'm not. When I'm clocking those miles, I'm doing them with the Marines who first inspired me to make healthier changes in my life and turn an overweight, unhealthy body into a steadily-improving work success story.

You may only see me out there, but I'm running with the Ragnar SoCal 2011 team that encouraged me to try something new, to join a group of strangers and experience an exciting and unexpected 36 hours of fun.

When I run, I'm joined by my Ragnar Del Sol 2012 team. Eleven running buddies that helped me understand that I am truly am a runner, I can hold my own in any relay, and I have earned my way onto any team.

Mile after mile, I run with the spirit of Marines eternal, those hard-charging Devil Dogs that sacrificed all in the service to this nation. The unimaginable courage and commitment that guided them inspires me to be more, to do more, to keep going as long as I can still draw breath.

You can't see them, but I am surrounded by my Ragnar Florida 2013 team. They are eleven of the most inspiring, motivating and encouraging people I have ever known in my life. Their support makes the difference for me when I'm dragging, when I want to quit, when I think that maybe I don't have it in me to finish. They know that I can, and their confidence and belief in me makes all the difference.

And as always, I am joined on my runs by family and friends who provide an endless outpouring of encouragement. From Facebook posts and comments to text messages to Spark posts to sassy cards and pictures, I receive more support from more people than any one person dares to wish for.

So, the next time you see me running, and it looks like I'm by myself, don't be fooled. I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by hundreds of powerful motivators. And you just can't beat a team that strong.

It's all in the timing.

The Write Stuff.

I'm a sucker for the right words at the right time. Instead of hoping they'll find me, though, I've decided to create my own inspiration. I'm calling this series "The Write Stuff," and they are each snippets of conversations I have actually had with myself.

I wrote this one yesterday:

And this is today's:

And with that in mind, I'm heading out for my run.

Week 1 Recap - Summer of Run

Today marks the end of the first (abbreviated) week of my 2012 Summer of Run Challenge. Even with the four day week, I managed to hit all the marks.

1. I ran each of the four days.
2. I ran at least one mile each day at a less than ten minute pace.
3. And I ran more than fifteen miles this week.

Here's how it happened:

And here's the challenge recap so far:

My plan for tomorrow is to run just one mile, to give myself a recovery day. And then on Monday, I'll be back for more.

I can totally do this.

A Look Back - "John's 30 Day Challenge"

Two years ago, I decided to change my life. I knew I needed something to shock my mind and my body, and this is what I came up with. Looking back now, I'm feeling pretty happy with my plan. It worked!
__________

Wednesday, June 23, 2010


John's 30 Day Challenge
I'll be honest. I'm a "lots of energy upfront" guy who quickly loses interest or motivation. I struggle with taking a good idea and seeing it through to completion. And with physical fitness and a lifestyle change, that sort of stop-and-start undermines success. So, here I am with a plan.


I'm calling it my own 30 Day Challenge. The idea behind it is simple. I can do anything for 30 days. I just need to clearly define my goals.


For 30 days, I will get to the gym for at least one hour of cardio each day. It can be running, elliptical, or the bike, but it has to be every day and it has to be a minimum of an hour.


For 30 days, I will use the Spark People Nutrition Tracker to record my food intake.


For 30 days, I will drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.


For 30 days, I will not drink caffeine after 5pm.


For 30 days, I will not drink alcohol. The empty calories are bad enough, but when drinking, I often make poor eating choices.


For 30 days, I will eat portion controlled, nutritious meals.


For 30 days, I will get enough sleep to allow my body to recover from each day's exercise. I will not stay up too late. I need at least 6 hours each night.


For 30 days, I will make myself a priority. I will reset my attitude on physical fitness and health, and I will emerge on the other side of this with a renewed sense of accomplishment and a seriously improved attitude.


For 30 days, I will remember what it feels like to be the best person I am.

Should You Be Running Right Now?

I love this and thought it was too good to not share.

The 0.45% Who Serve

A Marine buddy posted this on Facebook today, and I thought it powerful enough that I wanted to share it here. It was posted originally without an author, but a quick search showed it to be from an Army Ranger named Nick Palmisciano.
__________


Percentage who actually have served their Country in the military:

I remember the day I found out I got into West Point. My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of class. She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up my admission letter. She wasn't crying because it had been her dream for me to go there. She was crying because she knew how hard I'd worked to get in, how much I wanted to attend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry officer. I was going to get that opportunity.


That same day two of my teachers took me aside and essentially told me the following: Nick, you're a smart guy. You don't have to join the military. You should go to college, instead.


I could easily write a tome defending West Point and the military as I did that day, explaining that USMA is an elite institution, that separate from that it is actually statistically much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admitted to college, that serving the nation is a challenge that all able-bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won't.


What I will say is that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that attending West Point is going to be bad for his future then there is a dangerous disconnect in America, and entirely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military is bearing. 


In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four years.


In Vietnam, 4.3% served in 12 years.


Since 2001, only 0.45% of our population has served in the Global War on Terror.


These are unbelievable statistics.


Over time, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more of the burden and it is only getting worse.


Our troops were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one person having a child in the military.


Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War bonds were not sold.


Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.


The only people who have sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people who swore an oath to defend this nation.


Those who serve - You stand there, deployment after deployment and fight on. You've lost relationships, spent years of your lives in extreme conditions, years apart from kids you'll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don't understand.


Then you come home to a nation that doesn't understand.
They don't understand suffering.
They don't understand sacrifice.
They dont understand why we fight for them.
They don't understand that bad people exist.
They look at you like you're a machine - like something is wrong with you.


You are the misguided one - not them.


When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with political science teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because YOU WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues they gathered from books, because of your bias.


You watch TV shows where every vet has PTSD and the violent strain at that. Your Congress is debating your benefits, your retirement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more.


But the amazing thing about you is that you all know this. You know your country will never pay back what you've given up. You know that the populace at large will never truly understand or appreciate what you have done for them.


Hell, you know that in some circles, you will be thought as less than normal for having worn the uniform. But you do it anyway. You do what the greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775 - YOU SERVED. Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group.


"Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." Winston Churchill


Thank you to the 0.45% who have and continue to serve our Nation.


__________


This Ranger has put into words the exact things I have been thinking for years. Our nation is not at war. Our servicemen and women are at war. Our nation is at the mall.


What will it take for our nation to once again value the military and its members? What will it take for us to be willing to do more than put a red, white and blue magnet (made in China) on our cars? What is it going to take for us to recognize the true sacrifice of military service?


I don't have an answer. But at least today, I am happy that someone else has so eloquently explained why I'm asking.

Summer of Run 2012

For one hundred days, I was ultra-focused on my marathon training, all tracked and documented here in Project One Five. Since then, though, I've been hit and miss. I've slumped, rallied, run, and stalled again.

I'll admit it. I struggle. I lose focus in the day-to-day routine. I need big moments and bigger goals to keep my attention. And as of today, I have that goal. It's specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. In other words, it's a SMART Goal that will help keep me on track.

Welcome to The Summer of Run. There are ninety-four days between now and September 22, 2012, the First Day of Fall. And I plan to run every single summer day. Here's how I'm going to do it:

• Ninety-four days in a row
• At least one mile at a ten-minute pace each day
• At least fifteen miles per week
• A minimum of 201.2 miles total

Why these rules? I'll explain the idea behind each one of them.

• My 100 Day Marathon Project felt like just the right length of time. It was long enough to make a difference but not so long that I lost interest. 94 days will be the same.
• I know I will need recovery time, so I have to allow for those days. A single mile at a ten-minute pace will be enough to meet the challenge while still giving me time to rest.
• The weekly minimum ensures that I don't get lazy and run single miles days back to back. I will need more to make the fifteen miles each week.
• 201.2 miles in 2012. Seems right. Plus, it will challenge me to push myself throughout the project. With only 94 days to run, those single mile days will really mean extra miles the rest of each week. 

There it is. Runner12's Official 2012 Summer of Run Project. And now, it's time to run.

National Running Day

What a difference a couple of years can make. Two years ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as National Running Day, let alone a reason to celebrate it. Running was what people did if they were late for a plane.

But look at me now. I've run two full marathons, eleven half marathons, several adventure runs, relay races, and more miles on the streets of San Diego than I can count.

More important than the miles is the change in the my confidence. Running a whole mile intimidated me before. Now, I can lace up my shoes and run six miles without any prep or training.

I'm also finding ways to work running into everything I do. At last year's Marine Corps Reunion, I talked a couple of buddies into running a mud run with me. Later today I'm off to Vegas for a this year's Reunion, and I will be running a half marathon with a couple other Marines on Saturday morning. And if I can pull it off, at next year's reunion, I'm going to fall in with a unit of active duty Marines and join then for a formation run.

I am a runner. I never thought I would say that. But two years, countless miles, and a wall full of finishers' medals later, I finally believe it.

And today, to celebrate National Running Day, I ran 6.6 miles in 60 minutes, at 6:06am on 6/6. Fun, right?

So, what's your running story?

Anatomy of a Slump, Part II.

Or, How I Battled Back From The Brink Of Disaster And Lived To Blog About It.

Yesterday, I blogged about my post-marathon slump. It's not really something to brag about ("Ooh, look at me and my epic failure!"), but I feel it's important to share my struggles as openly and honestly as I share my successes.

Slumps. Funks. Binges. Spirals. There are many names for it, but the basics are the same. A poor decision or two leads to more, and the bad choices fuel a descent into madness. Life becomes a series of anti-healthy moments, with skipped workouts and poor eating leading the way. And as bad as that sounds, it's only the beginning.

There are two very important things to understand about slumps. First, the longer you are in a slump, the more difficult it is to find your way out. They are self-perpetuating.

I feel bad about not working out. And since I feel bad about myself, I don't have any motivation to work out. Instead, I'll sit home and over-eat. And now that I over-ate, I feel bad about myself, so I'm not motivated to work out.

Second, the true power (and danger) of a slump is how it separates you from the tools you need to end it. The things that normally help you feel better - a healthy meal, a good workout, interactions with your support system - are no longer a part of your day. When you most need to rely on your tools, you don't have them.

In this respect, struggling through a slump is like being in a relationship with an abusing control freak. For those who haven't been in that situation, I'll explain the similarities. Control freaks attack a person's support system ("She isn't a real friend to you, you should stop hanging out with her."), isolating them from the very group of people who would help them break free. It's like taking your keys away and then berating you for being locked out of your house.

Think about that for a moment. The very things that could help you - motivation, inspiration, encouragement - are the things that seem lost.

So what do you do? How do you break out of a slump? It's easy. And it's difficult. It's easy because it just takes a single action, just one, to break the cycle. It's difficult because we've stopped believing we have the power to do it.

My lowest moment was Tuesday, May 29th. I had skipped my scheduled half marathon the day before (#EpicFail), and I let that be just the first of many reasons I beat myself up.

• I paid to register and didn't run. Way to waste money I don't have.
• Oh, look, here's the bib I would have worn. It's trash now, isn't it?
• I wanted to run 12 half marathons in 2012, and now I have to find another one. Why, because I skipped this one like an idiot.
• What's this? Oh, it's an email from the race asking about my experience. Thanks for the reminder that my only experience was to sit on my butt and not run.
• Look, more emails from friends asking about my half marathon. Yep, get to tell them I'm a loser, too.

It all seems hopeless, right? And yet, I'm writing this blog about breaking out of a slump, so you know that something amazing happens to change it, right?

Yes and no. Something happened, but it wasn't all that amazing. It wasn't dramatic or major or much of a big deal at all. But it was something.

As I sat there wallowing in my gloom, one thing stood out. I had a plan to run a dozen half marathons this year and now I had missed one of them. If I still wanted to accomplish my goal, I needed to find a replacement event. So I started looking. Turns out, there was a half marathon scheduled in Las Vegas for the very same weekend I was going to be there for my Marine Corps Reunion. What are the odds?

I posted a link for the run on our Marine page, and immediately another Marine buddy said he wanted to run it, too. He registered us both right away. (And since then, a second buddy has signed up, so three of us are going to run it together. Flight of Fire Half Marathon, here we come!)

See what happened there? I focused on one specific goal, my desire to run a dozen half marathons this year. That provided a course of action: find another race.

"So I started looking."

Me, after running the 10k at the gym.

That action connected me back to my support group, the very same Marines who first motivated and inspired me to change my life two years ago this month. Breaking the cycle by seeking out a new run helped me engage my support system, too.

Once I was signed up for the run, other pieces fell into place. The next evening, I packed up my gym bag and workout gear and set it out so I would be ready to run the following morning. And I did. It was a 5K at the gym, but they were the first miles I had run since the marathon. And they felt great. I actually ran 3.28 miles in 30 minutes, so I was at a 9:08 pace.

The next day, I was shaky. I was feeling good about the day before but wasn't quite feeling like I was "back in the groove." I skipped the morning workout and felt crappy about it all day. Finally, late in the day, I decided to stick to what had made me feel better. I went back to the gym for another run. And this time, I ran a 10K in 54 minutes at an 8:45 pace. I was crazy fast!

Since then, my eating is back under control, I have continued to run and workout, and I am blogging and checking back in with my Spark Buddies and my Facebook Fitness friends. I did get on the scale last week and I am just under 189, so my ten days of gluttony and sloth added 4 pounds. But so what? I can drop those in no time.

More importantly, I feel like I am once again in control of my actions. I am NOT the mistakes I made. I am the culmination of two years of hard work, and that means I am powerful enough to battle back through any slump or down cycle.

A shirtless picture? You bet. I earned it.

If there is one take-away here, it's that life is not an all or nothing situation. It is a series of small choices that, added together, define who we are. That means that breaking out of a slump can be as easy as ONE good decision.

• Drinking eight glasses of water today will make you feel better.
• Feeling better will inspire you to make a better food choice.
• Better food choices will fuel you to take a 15 minute walk.
• Walking will motivate you to get on your bike or go for a run.

A slump doesn't happen overnight. It is one bad choice after another after another. That means that turning it around is just one good choice away.

I made my choice. Will you?

Coming Out Chevy?

Yeah. So this happened. And it's pretty funny.

Well played, Chevy. Well played.

Anatomy Of A Slump

It happens to the best of us. One day, we're running our miles and lifting our weights, and the next day, we just don't. It's not just a day off, it's a missed day. And then another. And maybe we eat a bit more than normal and then another day goes by without a workout and we eat a little more and... and... and..

And just like that, we're off-track. And not just a little. A lot. Days, weeks, even months go by, and we're out of our groove. Our once-essential workouts are something we mean to get back to, but we don't.

We are in a slump. And it's a bad thing. By the time we realize it's happening, we can be so far in a downward spiral that we can't see a way back.

If you're a lifelong athlete, you are used to these down times and you know that you can turn it around. But what about the rest of us? What about those of us who have spent more of our life overweight and out-of-shape? For us, the fear that we have become that person again! can be overwhelming. Worse, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I speak from experience.

On May 20, 2012, I ran the Pasadena Marathon. I spent 100 days focused on my training and preparation. I blogged each day, every day, and chronicled 500 different actions to help me get ready. I raised money, gave interviews, ran countless miles, and prepped myself in every way possible for a successful marathon. And it worked. I ran it in 4 hours, 40 minutes, nearly nineteen minutes faster than my time for the Marine Corps Marathon this past October.

As part of my training and prep, I even made post-marathon plans to ensure that I stayed on track and didn't succumb to a funk after the big event. Unfortunately, I underestimated my ability to become my own trainwreck.

It started less than an hour after I crossed the finish line. We were driving home from Los Angeles and we missed the exit to our freeway. We got off at the very next exit, and right in front of us at the light was a McDonald's restaurant. My hunger went into overdrive and I insisted that we stop. Did I get a salad or a healthier chicken sandwich option? Oh, no. I went to my old standby, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large order of french fries.

I didn't run the next day because I needed to recover from the marathon. Fair enough. But I didn't need to eat dinner at Wendy's Restaurant. Or lunch the next day at Jack In The Box. The entire week was one fast food joint after another, culminating in my eating a ten piece variety pack from Taco Bell. Yes, a ten pack. I polished off four regular tacos, three soft tacos, and three bean burritos. They were the smaller items, but seriously, I ate ten of them. That was the day I realized I had totally lost control again.

I slowed down on the fast food, but I still hadn't worked out. Not one minute. Nor had I run a single mile. I made halfhearted attempts at getting myself back on track, but it just wasn't happening. I had a half marathon scheduled for Memorial Day, and I went so far as to drive up to Laguna Hills and pick up my registration packet. But Sunday afternoon, I decided to hang out at a barbecue and drink beer and sleep in the next day, instead.

It was a poor choice. Bailing on the half marathon just made me feel worse. I skipped more runs and more workouts and continued my streak of craptastic eating. I was literally coming apart at the seams. I let one poor choice lead to another and another, which led to a series of them, all of which left me feeling like I hadn't changed at all from the guy two years ago who was sedentary, morbidly obese, and standing at the sidelines of his own life.

And that, folks, is how easily a person can go from feeling like he is on the top of the world to feeling like a total failure in just ten days.

Tomorrow's blog entry? Battling back. It's as hard - and as easy - as you think it is.

Flight of Fire Half Marathon?

I'm in a post-marathon funk. There was so much excitement leading up to Pasadena that now, afterwards, everything just seems sort of blah.

I think I need another rush of adrenaline to get my spark back. And since I'll be in Vegas soon for my Marine Corps Marathon, I'm thinking about running the Flight of Fire Half Marathon.

It looks brutal. The first six miles appear to be all uphill. It's all trail running. And the best (worst?) part? It's June in Las Vegas, so the temperatures will start in the mid 60's and get up to nearly 100 degrees.

Still, it's the first running of this event. It's limited to 200 runners. And of course, there's a suh-weet finisher's medal at the end.

What to do, what to do?

Running Into Fifty

Yeah, it's new.

I started blogging back in 2005 as I was approaching my 40th birthday. The blog was called "Falling Into Forty," and it was my way of capturing all that was going on in my head at the time. It was a great experience and I was very happy with my focus at the time.

After I turned 40, though, I struggled. I tried to keep blogging, but my heart wasn't in it. I tried several different new ideas, including "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful" and "That Kind of Guy." Ultimately, though, it was all hit and miss.

But I'm a different person now. I have taken control of my life and I'm no longer content to just fall into anything. These days, I can honestly call myself a runner. And thus, Running Into Fifty seems a more take-charge way of rolling on towards the mid-century mark.

So, here we go. It will be everything that is on my mind, from politics (some) to social issues (a bit more) to random life moments and experiences (way more).

Thanks for taking a bit of your time to read my little spot on the web.

John

On This Memorial Day Weekend...

A timely reminder.

On Monday, Memorial Day, I will be participating in the City of Laguna Hills Half Marathon. It's not only a chance for me to run a beautiful 13.1 mile course, it's also a fundraiser for Dark Horse 3/5.

The City of Laguna Hills adopted the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, of the 1st Marine Division. This infantry battalion, nicknamed "DARKHORSE" is based out of Camp Pendleton. Marine Corps participation in the half marathon will increase from 15 Marines running last year to 45 running this year.  Laguna Hills City Council voted this year to name the race in honor of the city's adopted  USMC Battalion 3/5, Dark Horse Marines.  Additionally,  members from a new team of Marine wives called "Stroller Warriors Camp Pendleton" will be participating with their children in the other events. A $3.00 portion of each registration fee will be donated to the support group known as Team Dark Horse, a 501 ( c ) (3) organization. Visit their booth at the FINISH LINE EXPO to purchase 3/5 T-shirts, hats, water bottles, and other memorabilia. Donations are gladly being accepted to help the Committee fund the 3/5 Welcome Home Ball in June. Visit the 3/5 Official Website HERE!

I have friends and family that have served with Dark Horse, and I am proud to take part in any event that acknowledges their commitment, service and sacrifice.

While you are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend with friends and family, please take a moment to remember those who have given so much for this nation.

The End of the Project.

It's been nearly a week since I ran the Pasadena Marathon, and I've spent most of that time thinking about this Project and what it has meant to me.

One hundred days. Five hundred actions. And a goal big enough that I really wasn't sure I had what it took to see it through. But I did. And it's truly changed my entire life.

I wrote a detailed recap of my marathon experience for my blog at Runner12, but I will say here that it was an amazing day for me. I spent four hours, forty minutes in my own head, and I crossed the finish line happy and comfortable with the person that I am. One hundred days ago, I wouldn't have been able to make that same statement.

I started Project One Five to help me prepare for the Pasadena Marathon. I hoped that it would help motivate me to stick with my physical training and healthy eating. I knew I would be posting five actions a day to the blog (and through to Facebook), and that sort of public activity would make it harder for me to quit or ignore.

The element of public accountability is huge with me. Telling my friends and family upfront about me doing something is my way of fully committing to it. I mean, once it's out there, I can't take it back. And so this project began.

Somewhere along the way, though, it began to be more than motivation to eat healthy and be active. It became a true journey for me, heart and soul. It became my outlet for things that I have needed to talk about but just hadn't. It became my therapist, counselor and cheerleader all in one.

Through Project One Five, I've shared things that I might never would have otherwise. I've shared dark moments and realized that I am stronger for having survived them. I have discovered that I truly am a good person living a great life.

I've had so many great moments, too. I stepped up to teach a class, I ran a relay in Arizona, I gave interviews for TV and print, and I made future commitments to myself and others that will ensure the legacy of this project lives on.

Most importantly, I've learned that I have an unbelievable circle of family and friends. I am loved so much more than I ever knew. And in this life, I can't think of a single greater lesson.

Thank you, everyone, for sharing this journey with me. It's been quite a ride. I'm going to take a few weeks and let this entire experience settle. After that, I see another project starting. What else is life for if not to challenge myself, right?

Color, Color Everywhere.

I love when people come up with fun ideas for fitness. What I do not love is when someone's idea is copied over and over until the once fun idea just seems tired.

Case in point? Color Runs.

You know what I'm talking about, right? It's a 5K run and you get splashed by all kinds of color powders along the way. As of right now, there are three separate events that all sound exactly the same. I'm not sure which was first, but here they are:

The Color Run
The Color Run is a one of a kind experience that is less about speed and more about enjoying a color crazy day with your friends and family. Our events, are all about people of all different speeds, ages, shapes, and sizes toeing the start line. Whether you are a casual morning mall walker or an Olympic athlete, the 3 miles of the Color Run course will be the most enjoyable real estate you’ve traveled in a VERY long time.  You will love this Color Dash of fun!

Color Me Rad
Start out as clean as a newborn babe, and throughout the run, you'll coat your chaffing thighs with blue, green, pink, purple, and yellow until your face, shirt, and body come out silkscreened like a tie-dyed hippy on the other side. Yup...that is how you turn regular running into The Art of Running tm!
Each section of the run adds a new explosion of color to your clean, painter’s palate until you cross the finish line into a final blitzkrieg of color.

CMy5K
If you’ve done a traditional 5K, you know they can be a bit bland. But CMY5K  is the running equivalent of Dorothy’s house landing on the Wicked Witch. Waves of virginal white runners and walkers will start every 3-5 minutes. Then, at each kilometer, CMY5K staff and volunteers will powder participants in Color Splash Zones.

I'm all for a fun event, but at this point, is there really any difference between these three?

Half Marathons, So Far.

Found this out at Athlinks.com. It's a summary of my half marathons, from my first (Safari Park) to my most recent (OC Half).

This is really helpful for me to see. My outlier times have been when I was pacing with someone else. My full-run times are all very consistent. Heck, even the wicked hills of the La Jolla Half couldn't slow me down that much.

And yes, I'm most proud of my Personal Record of 2:00:24 set at the Orange County Half. I ran with everything I had on that course, and I'll gladly carry that around as a PR for a while.

I've run eleven half marathons already, and I have another one scheduled for Monday, May 28th. I think there may be something addicting about this particular habit of mine.

My dreams...

My dreams come true faster when I drown them in sweat. 
~ Me, looking back on my life

Today, I'll look ahead to my next big dream and decide what I need to do to make it happen.

Race Report - Pasadena Marathon

Mile 4

After 100 days of planning and training and stressing, the day finally arrived. Race Day. I'm going to recap Project One Five separately, so this blog is just about the race itself. I'll jump right to the good stuff.

It was sunny and beautiful when the race began. I felt strong if a little nervous. I'd only run one marathon prior and that was with my running buddy, Jerry. This time, I was on my own.

First impression? "Where is everyone?" I knew it would be a smaller event than the 30k runners at the Marine Corps Marathon, but it wasn't until I was there and running that it really hit me how few of us were running.

The course opened with a few miles through neighborhoods, and it was beautiful and shady. There were a few friendly folks out cheering us on, and I loved that.

My first picture was at Mile 4 and I was making great time, 37:00. That's just about 9:15 per mile. 

Mile 9

I was really excited to run across the old Colorado St Bridge, and we got to do it twice, across and back. I know I looked like a goofy tourist, but I didn't care. I was looking right and left the whole time I was on the bridge, wanting to take in every detail of it.

At this point, I still felt pretty good. The day was warming up, but I had my single water bottle with me and I was hitting every stop. Just before Mile 8, the marathoners split from the half-marathoners. Over the next four miles, I experienced the loneliness of a smaller marathon. I could always see other runners, and this stretch was a two mile out and back, but still... it felt like I was running alone out there. I got a picture of myself here at Mile 9 at 1:28:10. Still running just below a 10:00 mile, so feeling pretty good.

Mile 14

After Mile 12, we met back up with the half-marathoners for a couple of miles. This time, though, they were the slower group, and there was quite a bit of "traffic dodging" to get around them. I'm all for walkers and slower runners, and most of them were fantastic, but it's a bit tough to pass a group walking four or five across. I was doing a little "out of the cones" magic to keep moving at my pace, but it was fine.

I hit Mile 14 in 2:24, so I was just over a ten minute mile pace at this point. But fourteen miles into the marathon, I was perfectly fine with the time. Then things got rough for me after that. The half marathoners split off and I had the worst mental mile of the entire event. Part of it was the heat, which was starting to be a factor. Part of it was the hill, which seemed to stretch on forever. And yes, part of it was the realization that I was only halfway through my run. I hadn't run farther than a half marathon since my full back in October. True story. I didn't run ANY longer runs in all my training. I just kept running faster and faster half marathons, instead. So running the fifteenth mile was mentally tough. But with some good music on my iPod, a little determination, and the coolest neighborhood kids handing out water, smiles and cheers, I got through it. And Mile 15 offered some much appreciated downhill distance.

Mile 19

The next four miles passed more or less uneventfully. I hit Mile 19 in 3:17:15, which is  still a bit over 10:00 miles. That far into the run, I was fine with that time. But the worst was definitely still to come. I was now running in the full sun with very little shade, and there were a couple of hills still to climb. When I was running, my pace was okay, but I had to walk quite a bit to keep from overheating. And in this stretch, my pace took a serious dive. I ran when I could, but it was not a fast section of the course.

After Mile 22, the course ran mostly flat with a little downhill. I struggled with the heat, but my body felt good otherwise. And after two little glasses of orange juice courtesy of more wonderful Pasadena residents, I was on my way towards the finish.

Mile 26

I will be honest and say that there were a lot of tears on this run. I had dedicated each mile to a different fallen Marine, and thoughts of them weighed heavy on my heart. And just before Mile 23, when I ran past the Marine Reserve Unit and Blecksmith Hall, the tears flowed pretty strong. I had no idea it was there on the route, and seeing the Marine Corps signs and vehicles and buildings... well... it just all hit me at once. And I was proud and emotional and more than a little overwhelmed.

At Mile 26, I saw my husband standing there taking photos. I was so happy to see him, partly because I loved feeling his support and encouragement and partly because I knew if I saw him, I was almost at the finish line.

Around the corner, then another, and there it was. The finish line. And it was sweet. I held my head up high, made sure my form looked good for the hometown crowd, and I ran like I was just starting out on a 5k. And crossing that line was sweet, indeed.

My Finisher's Medal

I crossed the line at 4:40:55, and I am absolutely thrilled with that time. I ran the best race I could and I have no regrets. 

Right now, I can proudly say that I am a two-time marathoner who will definitely run another one in the future. 

You can't be surprised. It's what I do.