Honolulu Marathon Clinic 10 mile Turkey Trot! 11.28.2013

Honolulu Marathon Turkey Trot!!!  A 10 mile predict your time race. Being that my training has been helter skelter I had no clue what to write.  I looked at the time I predicted last year and decided to add a few minutes since I am slower.  I went with 1:41:27 (don't ask me how I chose the 27).  The Honolulu Marathon Clinic puts on a great race complete with a fabulous a capella group who sings an original wonderful Honolulu Marathon Turkey Trot, and a bag piper player.  We lined up at Paki Restrooms, did 1.5 loops around Diamond Head Park then set off for miles 6-11 and 11-26.2 of the Marathon Course.   The plan was to "just run" and that's what we did. The course is one that we have run on a lot and it felt good to just get out there and do my thing.  I've been running "naked" (no Garmin) a lot lately so that listening to my body as opposed to running for time has gotten more comfortable.  With only 10 days til the marathon I am being as conservative as I can but I do admit that the instinct to race is strong inside of me and any chance that I had I passed whatever runner I could.  

It was nice to see runners on the course, especially members of the HMC "Grey Group" that we used to run with when we had time to train.  I knew that I must be pretty much on pace since I saw them on the route.  When we turned on to Kahala Ave I vowed to run strong and simulate how I want to be running  come Marathon day.  I kept telling Mike, "this is the 2nd to the last time we'll be running this hill this year!" and also practice my Hill Mantras.  The result was a very strong and solid last three miles of the course and that's the way I want to remember these last 3 miles heading into the 26.2.  

As we turned in to Kapiolani Park and the Marathon Finish Mike began to pick up and I tried to keep as close to him as we could.  As we passed the Tennis Courts I felt stronger and started to kick.  The more I kicked the more he kicked.  That's when we started to race.  We can't help it, that's just the way we are. I was not going to lose and went full throttle.  We crossed the line within a few seconds of one another and a volunteer wrote down my time.  1:41.03.  I was 24 seconds too fast.  And had I not raced I probably would have been in the running.  DAMN. Damn, damn, damn.

Losing aside, today was a great run.  My legs felt good, I felt happy, serene, and at the end much more confident.  I am hoping that I am peaking at the right time this year and am just ready to run my race.  

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

On Friendship

I am sure that you have different friends in your lives that provide different comforts to you.  There's the funny friend, the going out friend, the hook you up friend, the childhood friend, the college drinking friend and so on and so forth.  I sure hope that I provide some sort of something to the people who call me a friend.  :) While I have friends who are special to me in different ways today I want to spot light a friend who always dares me to be bad ass.  She is one of my greatest supporters and she supports me to be a great mom and a great person.

I have known "D" since she was in the 7th grade and I was in the 9th grade.  We played soccer together in our high school years and then lost touch.  She was always one of the nicest, most genuine people I knew and she loved sports just like me.  After high school we'd see each other time to time at the Mall and would stop and talk, always trying to get together but never ever re-connecting.

In our 30s we ran into one another at the mall (again) and found that we were both married with kids and soon after that our adult relationship was born.  A million years later "D" was still kind hearted and a beautiful soul. She married a man just as nice as she and had to boys who were so much like my own son and daughter.

Lucky for me, our friendship blossomed and our families began to spend time together.  "D's" active and fearless attitude was contagious.  I would always cringe as her kids caught waves on boogie boards, climbed high on jungle gyms, road fast on their bike down mountains, and skated on walls.  Where her kids went, my kids followed. I would always have to close my eyes and walk away because her family's extreme way of living was always too much for me.    You see, "D" thinks I am adventurous but I am really, really a huge wuss!

And so this past weekend like many weekends "D" and I tried to plan a get together for our kids.  What I love about her is that she's super spontaneous (the opposite of me, I like to plan and be 20 steps ahead of the game) and is getting me to be more like her.  So on Saturday night we planned to do something on Sunday but didn't hammer out the details (super not like me, I like to be packed and have food ready the night before).  I had told "D" that I would be running Sunday morning and that I'd message her after I was done.

With 11.5 miles in the books and already almost 9 am I did the unthinkable and agreed to meet "D" and her family at the water park.  There's so many reasons that this is not typical of me, the biggest one being that I HATE the water park.  Why?  You ask?  Well, because a million years ago in third grade I had a drowning experience at Castle Park. I can vividly remember being under water, drowning, looking up at the sun shining through the water and thinking I was dying. Luckily my friend Stacie saw me, yelled, and my sister Laurie saved me. Anyhow, the Water Park was the LAST place I would want to be and with my kids in tow, even worse!!

We made it home and in a frenzy I grabbed things we needed and boiled hot dogs.  Before I could think twice we got in the car and headed west.  As we drove out I envisioned myself sitting on a chair in the shade and relaxing peacefully.

When we got to the Water Park it was of course, chaotic.  I had Dannika running one way, Noah clinging to my leg, and the hubby nowhere to be found.  Thank GOD for "D" who is perfect in such situations.  She was in the water, chasing after Dannika, taking care of the kids while I stood in the side lines and watched from afar.

I saw all of them splashing and having fun, yelling, and smiling. I saw my dear friend sliding down the slides and having a great time.  And that's when it happened.  I jumped in after them and tried the small slide.  A few times down the small slide and I was ready to try the big slide. In fact I did the big slide twice.  Thankfully I soon came to my senses and told "D" that I would watch her littlest son who like me is not so extreme.  He and I cruised in the shade, relaxing and talking story.  I was feeling so serend and I guess that's why when "D" came back and told me it was my turn to do some other attraction I followed her directions and walked up the hill.

Now, in case you don't know, the reason that I ran 11.5 miles earlier in the day is because I am running a marathon in two weeks.  Being at a water park, walking barefooted on hard concrete is not exactly the best activity for a marathoner in training.  So as I walked up the hill on hard stairs something in the back of my mind should have willed me to turn around and go back to sitting on the chair.  But for some reason, "D's"influence had taken control of me and I was walking up the mountain to who knows what.

Yeah, who knows what because not once did I stop to ask where I was going or what I was about to do.  Looking back perhaps it was fatigue that made me do it, but whatever it was I got on a raft with my husband, and "Ds" family.  Had I known what was to come I would have forbade my kids to participate in such craziness!!!!  The raft was going down a chute at full speed tossing my little guy up in the air and making me ill and dizzy. I was tortured between closing my eyes and holding on tight and keeping my eyes open in case I had to let go of the raft and grab my son who was flying in the air.  The short ride seemed like an eternity and I was ready to pray for our safe arrival at the bottom.  When we finally made it I was BEYOND relieved.  The kids were ready to run up the mountain to go again and of course this mean mommy yelled, "NO!"

The rest of our stay was mellow after that and I was proud to have survived my day at the water park. I felt a little bad ass having conquered some of my fears and actually letting myself go a bit.  I will even admit that the whole experience was fun and that I would do it again!

So this post is here to thank my dear friend for being that friend who dares me to be a little wild, who models spontaneity, who serves as an inspiration to me to always be young at heart and enables me to be a fun, cool mom.  Thank "D" for all that you and your family have brought to the lives of my family.  We are so thankful for your spirit and that you are you.  :)

Run Streak Day 700!

Every morning I wake up, brush my teeth, brush and curl my hair, put on my make up and run.  The latter is a routine only 700 days old while the rest are routines I picked up many, many years ago.  To some, running 700 days straight is preposterous but I like to think of it as just another thing that needs to get done on a daily basis.  By incorporating it into my day and always setting time aside for it, it has become as important to me as putting on my make up.  And so, today was run streak day 700. Just an easy 5k.  Nothing spectacular or grandiose.  The truth is I am not feeling my best today (dehydrated and ate too much at dinner, a few aches and pains from the water park yesterday) and with the Marathon so close I don't want to push ANYTHING.  And so, day 700 is just another day in the life of this running mommy.  :)

Mizuno Val Nolasco Half Marathon: Marathon Readiness Series 11.17.13

I've had a rough couple of weeks and wasn't at all sure that I was going to be able to run this race today!!  An injured IT Band from the 30K I ran two weeks ago acted up quite a bit and I wasn't able to get a run longer than 6 miles done!!!!  With the marathon only 21 days away I was torn.  Sit it out, run it, race it?  Well, I knew I wasn't going to race it and I also knew that for my own psyche I needed to get to the start of the race, start, and try to finish whether it was limping, crawling, whatever.

A busy weekend of softball practice, Noah's class picnic, and a UH Football game was also a concern.I made the last minute decision to keep my pre-race routine as normal as possible by squeezing in an early dinner at Bravo's.  It just makes me feel more at ease when I am able to eat my go-to-meal of Linguine with Spinach and Artichokes.

We left the UH Football game early to get home at a decent hour but I still did not get enough sleep. The 3 am wake up call came way too fast and I was still tired and groggy as we drove out to Kapiolani Park. Once at the Park the hot air and voggy conditions had me worried but with everything going on there was nothing to do but just do it.  I planned on running a 10:30-11:00 pace and see how it went.

The horn went on and we took off into the dark early morning.  Heading to Diamond Head hill I felt okay. The first mountain wasn't bad and so I felt like I was off to a great start.  As we rounded around the crater and down the road next to Kaimuki I took the hill very, very slowly still testing out my knee.  Once at the bottom everything felt fine and by mile 4 I eased into my pace and relaxed.  As we entered Kalanianaole I was a little alarmed to see Kawika Carlson heading down Kahala Ave.  YIKES! I was sooo slow I missed the lead runners!  WHen the heck does that ever happen?  A little sad I vowed to keep going but turned to Mike and told him, "We're soo slow!!!"  I had a few other choice things to say to him about how slow we were as well.

Kalanianaole had me worried for the mere fact that it is where I got injured a few weeks ago. So, today, I made it a point to run in the middle of the road, concentrate on my gait, and put the least amount of stress on my IT band as possible. My plan worked because as I rounded the turn-around at mile 7 I decided to go for it and picked up the pace.  We began to run a little faster but I was still thinking about my knee.  Kalanianaole went by fast and without incident.  All that was left was 5 miles and Kahala Avenue inclines.  I started feeling much more hopeful and relieved.

At Triangle Park with 3 miles left to go I still felt good, had no knee issues and wasn't fatigued at all.  I ripped open my new pack of Salted Caramel GU and let it rip.  :) Great taste and I will be sure to add this to my GU rotation (8 hours post-race no GI issues!).  I ran up the hill as hard as possible and decided to let it rip down the hill (not smart, I know but thankfully it went as planned).  As I ran out of Diamond Head and to Kapiolani Park I could taste victory and I was smiling from ear to ear and running as hard as I could.

As I neared the finish line I saw my friends and did TWO CHEERLEADING jumps for them (none of them caught the picture) and headed to the finish line.  I had done it!!!  What a relief!!!!

I learned a lot of lessons from today's run and am so glad I decided to go for it.  Completing my run today gave me the confidence that I sooo needed heading into the last stretch of the marathon.  I now know that if I treat my body well all will be okay.  And so I will plan out the last remaining runs from here until the big dance, test out more of my equipment before race day, and stay healthy, hydrated, and rested.  :)

Half Marathon NUMBER TEN is in the books!!!  :)

26 reasons why I run and they have nothing to do with a medal!

A recent Facebook game and two articles have led me to write this blog.  This morning when I woke up I was linked to this blog post:

"Ok you're a runner, get over it"

It's an article that blasts runners who have 26.2 and 13.1 stickers on their cars (If you check my Ebay cart you'll see that I have a few in there to purchase. The only reason I don't have one on my car yet is 'cuz I am too cheap to buy one) and calls them narcissistic and that they only run to post pictures of themselves on Facebook with their medals (sound like someone you know?).

A response to the article is posted here:

http://danerunsalot.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-response-to-chad-stofkos-article_13.html

I enjoyed both blogs and wasn't at all offended by the first piece.  Yes, he could be describing me to a "T" and in fact that person he's describing is probably the person that I put out there on internet land.  But honestly, inspite of all my Facebook pics of me running in cute clothes and with medals there is more to me and running then those pretty pictures.

In response to the new Facebook game where you have to post random things about yourself according to a number that's assigned to you, here's my 26 reasons that I run (thanks to my buddy and fellow runner Trae Mitten for the 26 ideas).

26.  I am too cheap to pay gym membership.

25.  I can run at any time no matter how crazy my work/mommy/life schedule gets.

24.  I can run with my family including my two kids aged 6 and 7.

23.  Ok, the cute clothes.

22.  I love to compete and I don't need a whole team of people to compete with or against.

21.  I love the feeling of pushing myself past my limits.

20.  Running is a sport that can actually take me places.

19.  When I run on the road, street, trail I see things that I would never be able to see from a car.

18.  Because running has turned my health issues around.

17.  Because I cannot give up food.

16.  Have you seen my calves?!!!

15.  Because when I run really fast it feels like I am flying.

14.  It's the only quiet time that I get.

13.  It gives me time to reflect and figure out problems and issues that I have.

12.  For that post-run endorphine rush.

11.  Because my runner friends are pretty cool.

10.  I prefer being in the outdoors and not in a gym.

9.  To be a role model for my kids.

8.  Because at 41 the more I run the younger I feel and look.

7.  Because pretty toenails are over-rated.

6.  I had to give up my golf game after I had two kids.

5.  I just don't have enough t-shirts.

4.  I loved running with my Dad who also completed two marathons in his 50s.

3.  Did I mention my calves?

2.  Have you seen me eat?

1.  Because running 26.2 truly reaffirms for me what a bad ass I am, makes me extremely mentally tough and reminds me to constantly challenge myself on a daily basis to be the best that I can possibly be because anything is possible with hard work and determination.

Pizza+Spaghetti=Happy Kids

A couple of months ago my Facebook feed was filled with baked spaghetti/pizza pictures. Spaghetti on the bottom and mozzarella/pepperoni on the top.  My kids love spaghetti and pizza so I was sure that this would be the perfect meal for them!!!

With a pool date and dinner scheduled for today I thought it would be the perfect time to make this yummy-looking meal.

Here's the ingredients:

1 box spaghetti
1 pound of ground Italian Sausage
Spaghetti Sauce
Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese
Pepperoni

Step 1:
Boil the pasta (al dente, 10 minutes) and let drain in a colander.

Step 2:
Cook the Italian Sausage then drain excess liquid.

Step 3:
Lightly oil a 9x13 inch pan and place spaghetti in the pan.  Mix one beaten egg and 1 cup of a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan cheese and mix into the spaghetti.  Pour half of your spaghetti sauce into noodle mixture and mix.

Step 4:
Layer Italian Sausage Over spaghetti noodles and cover with remaining sauce.

Step 5:
Layer Mozarella and Parmesan Cheese.

Step 6:
Add your toppings (pepperoni, olives, mushroom, etc).

Step 7:  

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serving.

ENJOY!!!!

Balance

I am so out of balance right now. There are so many things I want to be able to do and not enough time to do it all. Or rather, not enough time to put they type of commitment I want to put into everything I have on my plate.  Being an employee, mother, and runner are my main areas of focus.  Being a mom is a path I have chosen.  I have to be an employee to be able to support my family.  Being a runner is gravy.  My gravy is suffering.

Today marks 4 weeks to my 3rd marathon. I am struggling with training and injuries.  At this time last year I was totally on top of my game.  I could run 14 miles without sweating and with total confidence. Today I struggle to even get out the door.

So close to the marathon I should be training hard and consistently. My calendar is marked with the mileage I should be putting in.  I am far from the numbers I should be hitting. I should have ran 14-16 miles today. Instead I took a day off.

Sunday mornings for the past two years have been devoted to training.  Lucky for me my parents support this marathon thing and take care of my kids.  They have a nice time going to China Town and eating dim sum on Sundays while hubby and I put in the work out in town.  My alarm went off at 4 this morning and I was supposed to get in my car and drive out to run. Instead, I slept in and awoke to the sounds of two cute little kids watching on the Ipad together.  As a family we got dressed and went out to breakfast.  I cannot remember the last time we had done this.  While they drive me a little nuts it was so nice to sit down and watch the kids enjoy their meal.  After breakfast we did some grocery shopping and then I went home and cooked not one, but two meals!!!

In the afternoon we headed to the pool to meet friends and I snuck away for a little 6 miler.  Far from the 14 miles I was supposed to run but when I was done I was able to meet friends and family back at the pool and have a nice dinner.

A perfect day that would never have happened without choosing what dream to sacrifice.  A perfect day that's tainted with a little bit of guilt and regret that I had to leave a part of me behind.

And so I continue to struggle to find that balance.  To be able to be everything to everyone and be able to be true to myself.  And it continues to drive me insane because the balance is so hard to achieve.  And letting just a part of the equation slack feels like a failure and can even lead to complete and utter chaos (have you seen me when I am not able to get a good run in?).

And yet my my number one priorities will always be my little guys, D and N.

Today's meals: