Training [b]Log

San Diego Rock 'n Roll Race Report

2009-06-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Let's just say it didn't go as planned.

3:15am - 5:10am: I had Barrett call me so I'd be sure to wake up in time. We chatted and I had my usual 24oz of 7-11 coffee w/vanilla creamer and mini-marshmallows. He started getting ready for work, so I made my wheat wrap w/peanut butter and banana, ate, showered and finished packing. Headed to the start with my dad at 5:10.

5:15am: A conversation I thought I'd never have with my dad:
Me: We need to stop at a grocery store. Now.
Dad: Why?
Me: I forgot I was on my period.
Dad: ...Oh...
We stop at the store and then park near the start. Dad is super great and stands in line with me for a porta potty. The wait was 40min long. While standing in line, I decide to move my [personalized] bib from my singlet to my shorts. Another conversation I thought I'd never have with my dad:
Dad: "Nina No Pants?" What does that mean?
Nina: Oh. Um. It's a drinking story. I'll tell you when you're older.
Dad: Hm.
Finally get into a porta potty and then make my way to the corral.

6:30: Gun goes off. I stand still for another 5 minutes. Finally crossed that start at 6:38.

Miles 1 - 6: It was really easy to keep my pace under control here. I think the first mile was 11:something. Super packed, but lots of good energy. My hips felt tight, but I thought I was just psyching myself out. We ran past the PetCo Ballpark around mile 4, so I blew a kiss to my bro.

Mile 7: See my parents, so that was fun! A TNT coach saw me and ran with me for a bit.

Mile 7.22: My left ITB is really not feeling good. At this point I know it will be a bad day.

Miles 8 -13.1: Left ITB is shot. At one point I thought my knee was going to collapse. I yelled out and then had to walk for a bit. I think this is the first time I cried. Saw my friend Juile at 9.5- she had a backpack full of stuff with her- The Stick, gum, water, Bengay... I rolled with the stick and slapped Bengay on. This is probably what got me through to the 1/2 point. Got to 13.1 at 2:27 (I had been running running sub 2:20 during training runs with ease). It wasn't pretty. The pads of my feet started hurting around mile 11, and I realized then that my shoes were probably way too worn out. I couldn't remember buying a new pair after February. They probably had at least 400mi on them.

Miles 13.1 - 16: Lots of walking through here. Loooots of walking. Saw sister and her boyfriend around 14/15 and totally lost it. Gave them hugs, told them it was horrible and that I was in a lot of pain. She said it was okay to quit. I said I couldn't. She hugged me again and I was off. Saw parents around 15/16 and gave them the thumbs down. They said I looked great. I said they were lying. Got ice wrapped to my knee at 16. The medic didn't wrap it tightly enough, so I ditched the ice half a mile later. Borrowed another runner's cell phone so I could call my dad and tell him I'd be coming in about an hour later than I expected. Saw my friend Tauni and her boyfriend Mark at 16. Cried some more. He got a pic of it. I hope it's a funny one. Kept on keepin' on...

Miles 17 - 19: Got SUPER PISSED when a photog caught me walking. Was able to fake it during an obvious picture point, though. :vain: Another female runner latched onto me at mile 18 and kept offering her IT brace and Motrin. I kept saying no and trying to lose her. This continued, every quarter mile, until 19.

Miles 19 - 22: I pretty much look like a running peg-legged pirate at this point. Can't really bend my left knee. My friend Juile somehow get back on the course. She walked/jogged with me for a looooong time. Kept my spirits up for sure.

Miles: 22-25: Dad joined Juile and I and we jog/walked together. I told my Dad to relish this moment because it would be the only time he could outrun me. Tauni and Mark saw us again at 24, and Julie left with them. From then on, it was me and Pops for a while. I couldn't do any sort of regular timed interval, so I'd run until it hurt too much and then walk until it wasn't painful.

Mile 25 - 26.2: Dad had to peel off as the race entered the Marine base. All of the Marines were super nice and supportive. They'd look you in the eyes and be really encouraging. I tried to jog the rest of it, but couldn't make it the whole way. I walked until I could actually see the finish line, and then start jogging. Around 25.8, a coach from another TNT chapter assumed I needed someone to run me in. For .3 of a mile, she ran next to me saying, "You're almost there! One foot in front of the other! Keep going!" It took all my self control not to tell her to buzz off and leave me alone. Thankfully she let me go at 26.1. I crossed 26.2 and started walking.

Chip time: 5:50:34.

Since I was out there for almost 6 hours, I had a lot of time to think. The entire experience was very humbling. It's frustrating to not be able to make your body do what you want. It's frustrating to train well and have everything go to pieces the one time you actually need them to work.

I know for next time that I need to keep an eye on how many miles are on my shoes. I also need to stretch, foam roll and ice consistently throughout the season.

I am really grateful for the support my friends and family gave me on the course. I never considered quitting, but not having them out there would have made the day that much more painful. I am fortunate that I have an amazing support group around me.

I've already picked out my next marathon (Chicago 2010), and I'll be running San Diego Rock 'n Roll again in 2011, on my 27th birthday. I'm confident that those races will go better, and I look forward to continuing to meet my goals as a runner.

Another reason to run.

2009-05-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

When I first started this blog, I was running in memory of my brother, Robert. Since then, I have run for many reasons: for fitness, for solitude and for fun. This Sunday's run, however, will be for Elizabeth DiNunzio.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2009, Elizabeth was on a short 3mi run near the campus of Mount St. Mary's, her would-be alma mater. She was in the final week of her taper before Sunday's Pittsburgh Marathon. She had been training since December 2008, and had run through countless injuries. She was struck and killed by a pick up truck at 3:16 p.m. She was 22.

I never met Elizabeth. I came to know her through the Runner's World Online forums. She was always cheerful, supportive and kind. She was dedicated to her marathon training. For the last six months, Elizabeth, myself and a group of several other amazing women contributed daily to our forum. We came to know each other well, and all of us were excited about Elizabeth's upcoming summer: She would graduated from college, run a marathon, move to South Carolina to start her first teaching job and be closer to her boyfriend.

On Wednesday, we grieved together. We continue to do so.

We are attempting to honor Elizabeth in different ways. We have contacted the Pittsburgh Marathon race directors and they have agreed to have a moment of silence before the start. Forumites from all over the RWOL boards will be wearing blue & gold ribbons, the Mount St. Mary school colors. We are contributing to a flower arrangement for her service. And on Sunday, we will run in her honor.

Those RWOL forumites that are racing on Sunday have offered to dedicate their races to Elizabeth. Those of us that are in training have agreed to run at 7:30AM, the start time of the Pittsburgh Marathon. Her aunt will take Elizabeth's place, and her friends have agreed to forgo their own time goals and run with her instead.

I am so impressed and so moved by the support the running community has shown in the wake of Elizabeth's death. As much as I wish these generous acts of sympathy were not taken place, I am proud to be part of a group of people that honors and takes care of its own.

This Sunday I will head out for an easy 3mi for Elizabeth. I will use the time to remember her. I will use the time to remember what I myself am thankful for. And when I get back, I will use that time to remind the people close to me that I love them, and I will remind myself that I am lucky to be a runner.

The word of the day is "vindicated."

2009-04-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's 16 miler was, in a word, fantastic.

Everything was better about the run. The night before, I ate spaghetti for dinner. I was in bed at a reasonable hour. I had the Breakfast of Campions: banana & Skippy Natural's PB in an Ezekiel wrap paired with a delicious 7-11 coffee. I belted out Soulja Boy's "Kiss Me Through The Phone" on the way to the water. Everything was just as it should have been.

After a brief warm up, we headed out towards Ingraham. A soft drizzle turned into an actual rain for about 15 minutes, but cleared up by mile 2. The route followed the San Diego River (not scenic) into eccentric Ocean Beach. From there we wove through the residential part of OB and ran along the (scenic) Sunset Cliffs. Throughout this time I held back to a 10:30/mi pace.

At mile 6.5, those of us going for a full 16 were sent up a trail into the back of Pt. Loma Nazarine University. My pace slowed considerably and bounced around between 11:00 and 12:00 minute miles. Even returning down the hill was tough. However, once I was back on flatter ground at mile 9, I took off.

Because the course was an out-and-back, it was easy to "race" the times I had just run. 9:40s begat 9:30s, and those melted into 9:13s. In the home stretch, I kicked it up and finished my last mile in 9:05, passing those that had been ahead of me the entire time, and even some people who had opted to do 14mi instead of 16. I'd be lying if I said that feeling wasn't flippin' sweet.

After the run, I tried to take an ice bath in the Bay. Surprisingly, it wasn't that cold.

I refueled with a Caramel Nut Brownie Luna bar (heaven) and part of a bagel, and then I was off to what ended up being a painful shower, due to this new battle scar:

Yep, chafing. Apparently my fuel belt is not a fan of the longer distances. I will be switching to a hand held bottle from here on out.

That's it for Saturday's workout. I did an easy 40min on the elliptical this morning to flush out the lactic acid. This afternoon was spent on the massage table, though my masseuse was far from talented.

In all, a great weekend for marathon training. Only seven weeks to go!

Down, and then Up

2009-04-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

After being called out on my friend Barrett's blog, I could no loner deny the need to update.

The truth is, I've been avoiding this for a couple weeks. On March 28, the day of my 15 miler, I was in San Francisco. I had big aspirations for that run: crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, beating my 1/2 marathon time and composing an excellent blog entry as I sped along Crissy Field. All I really succeeded in doing is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

The 15 miler was awful. The first couple miles of any run are always tough for me, but I usually get into a zone and pound out the remaining distance. Not the case a couple weeks ago. The first two miles were as rough as I expected, but things took a turn for the worst when those miles dropped me at the base of a steep hill climb. The bridge crossing, though picturesque, was windy and cold. The descent was painful (I don't have trail shoes and I do have weak ankles), and I ended up running laps around a small park to eke our the rest of my mileage. I swore (a lot) walking the last 1.25mi.

I'm not really sure what went wrong. Was it the hours of dancing the night beforehand? Poor sleep? A lackluster breakfast of plain oatmeal with no peanut butter mixed in? Only taking in 30oz of water on the run? Whatever the case, the entire experience sucked, and I was too embarrassed to come back here and broadcast a crappy run.

I licked my wounds for the first week. It took until Thursday for me to get a decent interval run in. Saturday I was scheduled for 11mi, but slept late instead. I attempted an evening run, going so far as to drive to a flatter neighborhood. I got out of the car, walked across the street, promptly walked back, got in my car and went home. I told myself I was tired. I think I was just being a wimp.

Finally, on Sunday morning, I redeemed myself. I had my usual pre-run breakfast of whole wheat tortilla, peanut butter and banana. I had coffee. I had water. I eased into the day. I drove down to the gym, gearing myself up for a nice, strong run with some R.E.M. I hopped on the treadmill, planning only 4mi and then heading outside for my favorite 7mi loop.

I did my first w/u mile at 10:30. Kicked it up to 10:00 for mile 2. I was feeling bored and up'd it to 9:45 for mile 3. By mile 4, I was doing 9:30. I didn't want to stop. I increased speed to 9:15. At mile 10, I kicked it up to 8:34 and pounded it out. Time flew by, and actually ran out on the treadmill, but I still felt like I could have kept going. My runner's high was interrupted only briefly by the realization that I forgot to put on Body Glide and was experiencing some major chafing issues. I did some abs, stretched, foam rolled, fist pumped to my own victory and headed home.

To bring this entry full circle, I must give a shout out of thanks to Barrett (as well as Tauni and Julie). They talked me down when I was pretty frustrated, and reminded me that training and improvements don't come without some minor setbacks. It's true what they say: the bad runs are what make the good runs great.

Lake Murray Run, 2/22/09

2009-02-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

Between vague directions, freeway closures and my complete inability to navigate, Saturday's team run did not happen. Well, I'm sure it happened for the rest of the team, but my AM workout consisted of driving around Carmel Mountain for an hour and then cleaning my bedroom.

Sunday I got up bright and early to run Lake Murray before it got too hot, but opted for waffles with my nieces instead. They were yummy.

From there I was off to Lake Murray. The lake is an out and back course resulting in 6.4mi. I decided to run it without my Garmin so I wouldn't feel pressure to speed up or slow down, and could just run based on how I felt. This was a good idea.

My bad idea was running without water. About 2/3 of the way through the first leg, I had to explore some Little League fields until I could find a water fountain.

The other good idea I had was to run with my phone. It took me roughly 35min to reach the fence (not including the 5min I spent searching for a water fountain). This is roughly 10min/mile. At the halfway point, a friend of mine called and we agreed to meet for Thai food following my workout. With curry on the horizon, I finished the second leg in 28min, shaving 7min off my time. Negative splits are a wonderful thing, and Thai food is a great post workout reward.

In all, the run went fairly well. I still have consistent pain along the outer ridge of my right foot, but it's nothing that is preventing me from running just yet. I'll make time to deal with it formally later, but for now it's just lots of ice, ibuprofen and stretching.

Really now...

2009-02-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

My second go at marathon training has, admittedly, been half-hearted. Blame it on frequent travel, cold weather, nagging injuries or fear of failing (again), but I've been nervous about jumping into this with both feet.

I think this paragraph is supposed to start out something like, "... Until now!" Unfortunately, that's not the case. I am still nervous and apprehensive. Last season I was somewhat neurotic about hitting weekly mileage goals; this season I live for my rest and cross-training days. I've convinced myself that hills are the devil and again find myself back home in Tierrasanta, home to significant elevation changes. I don't think I'm being entirely paranoid about those hills, either- after 5mi last Sunday (coupled with moving all weekend long), it feels like plantar fasciitis is setting in again. An aside: is it just me, or is "plantar fasciitis" the most awful, unglamorous, ugly name for an affliction ever? Gross.

In any event, I'm slogging through training this week in hopes of forcing some excitement back into my workouts. Monday's 4mi were done on the treadmill while it rained outside. This morning started at 5:00am and included weight training, core work and speed intervals on the elliptical. I'll be heading back tonight to spend some more time on the bike and Stair-master. Twice-weekly sessions with a personal trainer have also spiced up the routine and given me other goals to shoot for. Saturday will be the first time I run with the team this season.

I had a dream on Friday night that I ran San Diego RnR in 4:34. I don't really believe that dreams like that come true, but I am hopeful this is an indicator that my subconscious is passionate about training more than my conscious self is-- I also really hope the subconscious desire take over and I get excited soon.

Until then, I guess it's just one foot in front of the other.

Carlsbad 1/2 Marathong Race Report!

2009-01-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

I'm too tired to get all mushy, but I had a blast today. I'll start where all good stories start... The night before.

Saturday Night
Had whole wheat rotini pasta with primavera sauce, french bread with butter and salad next door at Julie's. Tauni and Julie's friend Spencer were in attendance. Spencer took the last piece of bread (jerk); Julie split hers with me (saint).

I got home at 8:30 and promptly flipped out for twenty minutes. I laid out all of my gear and set my coffeemaker to begin brewing at 4:00am. Then I made a big pot of Sleepy Time tea. Then I talked to Harlan until 12:00am. Not my smartest move ever, but I was nervous.

Race Day
3:45am: Alarm goes off. "Wtf am I doing waking up at 3:45?!" Snooze. This went on until 4:15.
4:15am: Oh. Oh crap. I'm running a race today.

I made a big bowl of oatmeal and mixed in peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips. That was followed with two big mugs of coffee. I got dressed and went to 7-11 to fill up on gas, where I bought more coffee. I think I had roughly 40oz of coffee this morning. Julie met me in the back of our building and we left for Carlsbad at 5:15.

We listened to Britney Spears' "Circus" CD. I kept pointing out that track 2, "If You Seek Amy" really spells out "F-U-C-K Me." Julie was a good sport. I am still really impressed with that trick.
6:00am: Arrive at race site. The race doesn't start until 7:30.

6:02am: "Um, sorry Julie." She was understanding.

We chit chatted for a bit and waited for Tauni and Mark to arrive. When they pulled in at the reasonable hour of 6:45, we headed towards the starting area.

Then the 40oz of coffee kicked in... Remember how coffee is a diuretic? Yeah... It was a painful wait for the porta-potties.
The wait was made more painful only by the need for me to clean off the toilet seat before I could sit down. Painful, but eventually worth it. I hate porta-potties.

7:00: Check our sweatshirts and cell phones.

7:10: Tauni asked where my Garmin was. It was still in my sweatshirt. In my checked bag.

7:13: Retrieve Garmin.

7:20: Take first pack of decaffeinated (I maybe have a slight addiction) sports beans (Cherry flavor. Thumbs up).

We made our way to the start and lined up at the back of the fourth wave, behind the 2:20 pace group. My personal goal is 2:15.

7:30: Gun goes off. We stand still.

7:39: Cross the starting line. Holy crap, I'm running a half marathon!

My strategy for the race was to use intervals to avoid fatigue and injury. I was planning on running 9 minutes, walking 1 minute, and repeating the entire time. I chose 9/1s mostly because it makes the math incredibly easy.

Mile 1 (10:59): Ran with Julie and Tauni. I think a photographer got a really cute picture of all three of us waving at the camera. Will have to check photog site in a couple days. I did not walk at all during this mile.
Mile 2 (10:47): Still with J and T. The course is taking us through residential streets, and the home owners are very supportive. Best homeowner? The old woman in her full length housecoat whooping everyone on. She was a dead-ringer for the old lady in "The Wedding Singer." She was awesome. Again, no walk break.
Mile 3 (10:30): By now we were on the 101 Hwy. At their urging, I pulled away from J and T (who are both nursing injuries). At 39:00, I finally took my first walk interval. Of course, my parents saw me at that point. Nothing says "endurance athlete" like a photograph of your daughter walking along the coast. I gave them both a hug and continued on.
Mile 4 (10:09): I believe there was a downhill here. Nothing stands out, though I did realize I was always near these girls in purple feather boas and "Will Run 4 Cabernet" and "Will Run 4Pinot Noir " on their shirts. Cute, but not someone I want to finish before me. I did hit a nice downhill stretch at 49:00, so I decided to push through the interval and use gravity to my advantage. It was nice.
Mile 5 (10:32): Funny how those downhills lead to uphills. I decided to smile the entire time I was charging the hill. I think it helped! I walked for another minute at 59:00 and took in my second pack of sports beans.
Mile 6 (10:02): Woohoo-no big hills! At this point you could see the first place marathoners (that race started earlier) coming in on the opposite side. Very inspiring and impressive. Still following the interval plan.
Mile 7 (10:16): Still feeling good. I turned around just after the half-way
point. I was able to look across the median and catch Julie and Tauni as they approached the turn. I let out a huge WHOOP! and waved. I also startled a lot of people, but whatever. Intervals are working like a charm. Each time I walk I pat the tops of my thighs and tell them "Good job, legs!" What? You would too...
Mile 8 (10:00): Dude, was I jamming or what at Mile 8?? A 10min mile with a one minute walk break? Uh, yeah. Awesome.
Mile 9 (10:16): I call myself a "bad ass" as I
run up the hill. I feel pretty great. Somewhere during Mile 9 I see my mom on the sideline. She yelled out (louder than all the other moms-hah !) and said she was proud. Volunteers were handing out orange slices. I took two and they were wonderfully refreshing. Downside: sticky hands.
Curses. Still doing intervals...
Mile 10 (10:04): Hit the 10th mile at 1:43 and did some quick math- only 30min left to hit my goal of 2:15. I had to keep it at 10min miles or just below for the rest of the race. Doable, definitely doable. I abandoned the interval plan and slowly at my third pack of sports beans. I also decide to stop looking at my watch and just run by how I feel.
Mile 11 (10:35): Left IT band starts acting up, and this is a first for me. I recall an article forwarded to me the other day by a friend. Author said to stop running at the first onset of injury in order to avoid a significant amount of time on the bench. I contemplate the advice and decided that he must have meant that only in the case of training runs. I push on. Mile 11 feels really, really long.
Mile 12 (10:01): Instead of urging myself to run faster I tell myself to run "longer" and increase my stride length. Seems to be working! Still, Mile 12 seems to stretch on for quite a while. We've left the coast and are weaving back towards the start. Things are feeling pretty good and I start picking off runners in front of me. I zeroed in on the color orange and passed a
woman in an orange hat, a man in an orange visor and a man in an orange shirt. It feels really, really bad ass to pass people.
Mile 13 (09:56): I still don't really believe that I'm ALMOST done. I look down at my watch and see my time at 2:14:15. I shout out "Oh F---!" and start sprinting around the final turn towards the finish. I hear my mom
yell out on my left. I hear another female voice cheering on my right, and I try to remember to smile as I cross the finish line...
Mile .14 (when I stopped my watch) (00:01:25): I can't really believe I'm done.
Chip time: 2:15:22.

My left hip and knee hurt, I'm limping through the finishing chute and I keep missing the medals being handed out. I finally hook my right arm through a medal, grab agoodie bag (banana, water, various nutrition bars- thoughtful!) and make my way to the bag check. I'm cold, I hurt and my face is covered in salt. I grab my sweatshirt and eventually reunite with my mom, see my friend Bryan and watch Julie andTauni cross the finish line.

In all, a fabulous first 1/2 marathon. I write this on my laptop, from my bed, numbed by Ibuprofen, an ice bath, Bengay cream and ready to take some Advil PM. My left hip flexor is so tight that I can't move my leg without searing pain, but I don't really care. I just ran a freaking half marathon, and I can't wait to do another.

9 days away!

2009-01-16T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe I've rebounded from not being able to walk without limping (July - August 2008), to running a half marathon on January 25, 2009!

I'm feeling super pumped about the race. Julie and Tauni are also running, as is my friend Brian. My parents are coming to watch, and their attendance is of utmost importance as this is my first timed race AND it's the only race my dad will get to see me in this year.

I've decided to set my time goal for 2:15:00. This means I have to maintain a pace of at least 10:20/mile, which I think will be doable with my interval plan and a hefty dose of adrenaline.

Crossing my fingers that nothing goes wrong before race day!

Intervals FTW!

2008-12-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Did 7 miles through the Hillcrest and Downtown areas this afternoon. I employed to interval technique I used when coming back from a foot injury in June. I'd run 5 minutes and then speedwalk for 1 minute.

I certainly wasn't fast, but I finished them with pretty consistent splits, averaging between 10:32 and 11:42 per mile with all the walking. While I hate not maintaining a sub-10:00 mile, the really great thing about this is that I'm not in any pain. There is general soreness, but my hip isn't screaming out at me.

I'll definitely employ this technique at Carlsbad, and possibly for all races until I get more experiences with long distance running. I'll be experimenting with different intervals, like 5/1 v. 9/1, and see what works best.

Carlsbad is January 25. I think I'll try to increase mileage until January 11, and then taper a little bit. Something like this...

12/29 - 1/4: M-XT, Tu-4, W-XT, Th-5, F-XT, Sa-10, Su-OFF

1/5-1/11: M-XT, Tu-4, W-XT, Th-5, F-XT, Sa-12, Su-OFF

1/12 - 1/19: M-XT, Tu-4, W-XT, Th-5, F-XT, Sa-8, Su-OFF

1/19 - 1/25: M-XT, Tu-4, W-XT, Th-4, XT, Sa-OFF, Su-RACE!-13.1.

XTing will consist of spinning classes and weight training.

I'm really looking forward to this! Glad that my body is finally cooperating. :)

Oh my

2008-12-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just realizd the Carlsbad 1/2 is in a month... I've barely been hitting 13 miles a week TOTAL, and haven't gotten anywhere close to double digits on a "long" run.

Taking the new 859's out for a spin. Looks like the 1/2 will be more an exercise in walk/run intervals than actual racing strategy... Oops.

All systems go(ish)

2008-11-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

The return to my usual exercise regimen has been mostly successful thus far.

I've been taking three to five spin classes a week, which, intitially, was a quite literal pain in the ass. I've since toughened up and look forward to buying some padded cycle shorts this weekend.

Weight training has also been making an appearance, though I only manage to fill about 40 minutes when doing a full body lift (I do everything at once, three days a week), so I'm pretty sure I'm missing out on some good exercises. I'm too shy to ask for help, though, so hopefully what I'm doing on my own is adequate.

I've increased my miles to 3 to 4 at a time, three days a week. I ran the ol' Torrey Pines hill last night (in the dark) and my hip is screaming today. Since the next four races I'm signed up for are generally flat, I may forgo the hill routine for a while until I build of mileage, endurance and leg strength.

Anyway, things are looking up!

Just so October doesn't feel totally left out...

2008-10-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

A quick post.

I've spent my month traveling to Vegas, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

Vegas looked like this:

Santa Cruz looked like this:

And San Francisco looked like this:

Due to injury, I was unable to run Nike SF. I rolled over my fundraising account so I could do the Lavaman Triathlon in Hawaii, but have since been invited to the wedding of my most favorite couple ever and will have to hold off on completing on event with TNT until Rock 'n Roll San Diego in May 2009.

Yep, I'm back on the marathon training bandwagon!

I took a good two weeks off of working out in the middle of the month, but I'm back with a vengance. My gym trips have consisted of a lot of spinning classes, a smattering of hip-hop classes (cross training?) and not nearly enough lifting sessions. I've logged mileage on the treadmill (omg boring kill me now) and just ventured out to Balboa Park last night for my first outdoor run in three months.

I'll try and update this a little more often since I'm actually able to train now. I'll also try and make sure I don't go sidelining myself again. Being on the DL blows.

Still alive, I swear!

2008-09-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Apologies for not updating! I've moved into a new apartment, so I've been dealing with new-apartment type things.

Physical therapy is going well. Actually, I haven't been in 3 weeks because I can't afford the $85.00/session charge, but I've been spending time on the bike, in the pool and stretching out my hip flexor. I may splurge on a visit in a week or two. I'm feeling much better and have increased my workouts to:

-10min elliptical warm up
-30min stationary bike ride
-10-20min arm bike

I think I'll begin incorporating some lower body weight lifting. I'm also starting to walk to the gym (it's only a mile away), and haven't noticed any ill-effects from that. Looks like a jog is in my near future. :)

From the DL to the Sidelines to the Geriatric Center

2008-08-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning I got to live out my secret dream of being a cheerleader! Felicia and I woke up at the crack of down to cheer on Tauni and Julie in the America's Finest City Half Marathon. Tauni and Julie actually woke up way before dawn at 4:00 a.m. Word has it they tossed and turned all night, and that Tauni even had a sinus infection going into the race. Hard to believe though, since both of them KICKED BUTT! Seriously. They ran amazing times (Julie in 2:16 and Tauni in 2:49) in the oh-so-typical hot San Diego summer heat. Here we are at the end of the race, after the runners collected their medals:

(my sign is only funny if you visit www.icanhascheezburger.com)

Tuesday I went to my fourth physical therapy appointment. My therapist has begun using low frequency ultrasound waves to help reduce pain. The method, along with his mayofascial (I think that's what it's called, but I could be making that up) technique, is working wonders. The worst part about it is trying to make conversation with the ultrasound technician who has her hands way too close to my lady parts. Of course I would injure a body part that is prone to inducing awkward moments.

I essentially begged my therapist to clear me for walking, and I took advantage of that privilege tonight! I grabbed Robert's old iPod and went on a three mile walk around Tierrasanta while listening to Britney Spears, The Cranberries, the Batman Forever Sountrack and Dashboard Confessional. The kid had some interesting taste...

Other than that, I'm moving into my new apartment this weekend and hopefully wrapping up my personal statement for law school applications! As much as I love living [rent free] with my parents, there's a time in every young woman's life when she realizes the value of having complete and total privacy to walk around her home naked whenever she wants. I can't wait!

Training related!

2008-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Forgot to share this yesterday.

I went to 24-hour Balboa to get in a pool workout. While warming up on the arm bike (omg torture kill me now), I noticed a woman jogging barefoot on the treadmill. Yes, I said barefoot on a treadmill that dozens of dirty shoes run on every single day.

In the middle of my pool run, I saw a man wrap himself in a green towel, put on a faded black t-shirt and step back into his black dress socks and loafers. He then proceeded to walk through the entire gym and out to the parking lot like that (yes, I peeked through the fence to follow his progress).

Perhaps I should introduce those two. Opposites attract, right?

Totally not running related...

2008-08-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

...but I just secured a new apartment!!

I sign the lease tomorrow and can move in on August 18th!

I'll be living right next door to Julie, whom I met through TNT, so I suppose it's related to running that way.

OMG so excited! Time to window shop online for cute things I can't afford...

:)

Sometimes you just have to dance...

2008-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

Around a pole. To cure cancer.

Right?

I attended a pole dancing class fundraiser after work on Friday night. It was actually pretty tiring- my arma are still pretty sore from the workout. Here's the group!

That's me in the dark blue wife-beater being sat on by the beautiful blonde Carolyn, and treating Tauni to a free lap dance as well.

Ah, the life of a charitable woman... ;)

Take me seriously, please!

2008-08-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

I tried aqua jogging for the first time yesterday. I've been doing 200-yards of pool walking several times a week and have been hitting the pool at 24 Hour Balboa, since my parent's pool doesn't allow for a whole lot of walking without several [thousand] turn arounds to get in 200-yards.

Anyway!

I usually go in the evening, when it's dark and there aren't too many people waiting for lanes. Yesterday I decided to go around 6:30, figuring that people would be watching Olympic gymnastics and swimming. I was right! I was able to get in a lifting session and then hit the water at 7:00. However, at 7:05 a line had already developed.

Have you ever been in a situation when you are painfully aware that you do not fit in? I was in the right lane, an older gentleman was in the middle, and a woman who looked to be about 35 was in the left lane. The older guy was using a paddle board to immobilize his arms and practice his butterfly kick. The other woman was practicing her crawl stroke, which looked like it didn't really need all that much practicing- she was totally ripped. The line expanded to include women in their racing Speedo suits and caps, and even a guy in a pair of swimming shorts that look like bike shorts. The outfit resembled some of the Olympians I'd seen earlier on T.V., so I knew he was legit. And then there was me: walking, jogging but certainly not swimming, all while wearing a polka dot bikini.

I warmed up for 7 minutes by doing the usual walk routine and and leg raises. Then I spent the next 15 minutes running in the pool. It felt great, I tell you! There was no shooting pain in my hip when my left foot hit the ground, and the water helped me lift my leg without pain. I ran into some trouble when the depth hit 4 and a 1/2 feet and I had trouble staying on the bottom of the pool, but over-all it was a successful workout. I then cooled down with some more walking and leg lifts and hopped out of the pool.

The workout was challenging, but not as challenging as gathering your things and exiting the pool deck while avoiding the perplexed glares of eight other swimmers waiting to use the lanes for their intended purpose.

I may switch my pool workouts to early morning.

Making progress!

2008-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's PT appointment went very well!

First, my therapist, Brian, iced my hip for about 10 minutes. Following that, he did some soft tissue work around my hip flexor. The stretching was very subtle, but I could tell something was going on: it felt like I was getting an Indian burn inside my muscles (in a good way, though). After soft tissue he stretched me out for a bit, and then showed me some new stretches I can do standing up. I also got the all clear to increase my riding time on the bike and to begin aqua jogging!!

I've noticed that for the first part of the day, there's barely any pain in my hip. It is sore by the evening, but that's a huge step from limping around from the moment I get up. I'm not nearly as gimpy as I used to be, either.

I am thrilled with the progress I've made. I see him again tomorrow, and then two more times next week. My last appointment will be somewhere around August 18. That puts me 8 weeks away from Nike Women's. I still think there's a chance I could finish the race, though I may have to do a lot of walking. Even if that is the case, it's better than having to drop out. I've made a commitment to myself, my family and my donors to finish this marathon, and I'll do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.

I'm off to the gym for an incredible TWENTY MINUTES of stationary biking. :) Thanks again for all the support.

Life on the DL

2008-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Things I've noticed since I was forced to grab some pine:
1. I am not anywhere near as hungry as I used to be.
2. I am not constantly exhausted.
3. My legs aren't constantly sore.
4. I have a lot of free time.
5. I miss running terribly and am going slowly insane at the thought of not being able to complete the marathon in October.

I go in for my second physical therapy appointment today. Since last Friday I've done my best to get all my exercising a stretching in each day. Saturday I stood on my feet for six hours while passing out towels at the Del Mar races, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. Physically it put a lot of stress on my feet and knees, and mentally it about killed me. Head on over to Tauni's blog for all the sordid details... http://taunisinnerthoughts.blogspot.com/.

Anyway, Sunday I hit the gym for some upperbody weights and a nice stroll in the pool. My usual weightlifting routine involved a couple reps of bicep curls and some dips, but I've now flushed out the routine a little more given that it's the only weight training I can do. Apparently there are exercises that strengthen not only your arms, but your back, shoulders and chest as well. Who knew?

My 200-yard pool walks and 12 minute bicycle rides are also doing me some good. I can do both with very minimal pain now, and I'm crossing my fingers my PT gives me the all clear to up time spent on the bike. I'd love to start aqua jogging, too. I'm worried about losing my cardiovascular fitness- the sooner I can get back to pushing my body and raising my heartrate the better!

One thing I'm not worried about losing are some great friends I've made through TNT. (How smooth was that transition??) Below is a picture of Tauni, Felicia, myself and Julie enjoying some beers and live music at Longboards in PB. They're definitely the best part of this training program (with the physical benefits in a close second!).

I'll be sure and update with the (hopefully) good news today! Hope everyone is well and healthy.

PT time--UPDATED

2008-08-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

I go to physical therapy at noon today.

I've had a couple friends tell me about something called electrica stimulation therapy. The therapist applies those patched that are used for EKGs to the injured muscle and sense little shockwaves through it to somehow fool your brain into believing you're not hurt anymore. This reduces the blood sent to the area and helps bring down inflamation. I'm also hoping he uses ultrasound to break up some scar tissue.

Really what I'm hoping is that he gives me some sort of crazy miracle drug that takes away all pain, allows me to run ASAP and shaves a couple minutes off my mile pace.

A girl can dream, right?

----

Well, no drugs.

Just back from physical therapy.

I am allowed to:
-Ride the stationary bike at low resistance for a maximum of 12 minutes.
-Walk up to 200 yards in a swimming pool
-Stretch

If it is not painful, I am allowed to:
-Swim a basic crawl stroke
-Lift my knee in the water

I am NOT allowed to:
-Speed walk
-Jog
-Run
-Go to spin class
-Do the elliptical machine

Therapist estimates I may be able to speed walk in two weeks, then progress to walk/jog, then to jog, then to run/walk, then to run.

My marathon is in 11 weeks.

I cried in the middle of the appointment.

"Are you 90 or something?"

2008-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

My LSAT instructor asked me that yesterday. I've been mentioning in my Gmail and Facebook profiles that my left hip has been giving me trouble, and that I was planning on seeing an orthopedist Tuesday morning. He wanted to follow up to make sure I was okay, and/or not a very well preserved senior citizen.

If you've been following the blog, you'll know this isn't the first setback I've dealt with. It took me about a month to get into the right pair of shoes and deal with the plantar faciitis that resulted from wearing too-narrow Asics. I missed about a week of training because of that, but was able to cross-train and come back strong in my nice and roomy New Balances and brandspankin' new Superfeet inserts. Once the feet were settled, my left hip decided it was in need of some attention, so it started seizing up last Thursday during my speed workout. After a pitiful 1.87 miles on Saturday, I was driven back to the start of our run. I spent the weekend icing, stretching, getting a sports massage (not pleasant) and going to yoga.

None of it has really helped, unfortunately. However, my appointment yesterday went very well.

I walked into the office and was happy to see posters commemorating the Boston Marathon and famous athletes. I was seen by Dr. Thunder (coolest name ever), who ordered an X-ray performed by a spunky older nurse. After reviewing the X-ray, we had the following conversation:

Dr. Thunder: Here's your X-ray.
Nina: [looks at X-ray. Doesn't see any obvious fractures. Wonders if hips look fat] Okay...
Dr. Thunder: I don't see any fractures...
Nina: Great!
Dr. Thunder: ... But that doesn't mean there's nothing there. Do you know what a stress fracture is?

At this point he begins explaining what a stress fracture is. I know exactly what a stress fracture is- it's the ruiner of marathon training schedules and my nemesis. I think he saw my face fall and my eyes well up with tears.

Dr. Thunder: Wait. Oh. No. No no no no, I'm not saying you have one and I don't think you do.
Nina: [sniffles] Okay.
Dr. Thunder: I have to ask you though... Have you lost a lot of weight recently?
Nina: No sir. I've actually put on a couple pounds since I began training.
Dr. Thunder: You put weight on?
Nina: [Dude, wtf! I'm hungry!] Yes, but I think it's muscle. [God I hope it's muscle!]

Dr. Thunder: Okay, well, just as long as you aren't just eating popcorn for a month straight. Some women get crazy and diet while they train so they can lose weight.
Nina: Yeah, sounds crazy. [Popcorn diet, aye? Never heard of this one. Sounds interesting...]
Dr. Thunder: So anyways, I don't think you have a stress fracture...
Nina: Great!
Dr. Thunder: But, if you do, I can't see it on here. I'd have to order an MRI.
Nina: [MRI?!? F-word. I need to be at work in 30 minutes and I don't think I can afford an MRI anyway] Okay...
Dr. Thunder: But I'm not going to do that, because I don't think you have one.
Nina: [Starts breathing again] Okay... great...?

We wrapped it up and Dr. Thunder sent me on my way with a prescription for physical therpay twice a week for three weeks. If that doesn't work, I will be having said MRI soemtime in the middle of August. I see my PT on Friday for the initial visit. I'm considering bribing him to give me crazy animal steroids so I can run without feeling any pain, even if my hip ends up falling off. Hips can do that, right?

But on a more serious note, the race is only 12 weeks away. I'm starting to worry I won't even make it to the starting line. I'm trying to weigh my options, but I'm still at a loss as to what to do. I don't want to injure myself permanently while training for this race, but I don't want to let my team down, my donors down or my family down. I don't want to let myself down, either. This was supposed to be my way of helping, and it's looking like I can't even do that.

I'll keep y'all posted. And as always, thanks for the support.

Why?

2008-07-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

I always stay up late on Fridays, even though I know my alarm goes off at 5:00am for Saturday long runs...

My left hip is still hurting. I'm sticking with intervals tomorrow, and then having our massage guy, Rick, stretch out my hips for a while after the run. I may induldge in a sports massage at the Knot Shop, too.

Dear Body:

Please stop being hurt.

Kthx,
Nina

Hurtin'

2008-07-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

I was able to get in my 6 miles after work today, but I had to walk the last two.

I'm not sure what's going on. My hips and knees just weren't in the game today. Good news though: my feet felt great!!

I did the first three miles pretty well:
1st mile: 11:00 (warm up)
2nd and 3rd miles: 10:30/8:30 every 1/2 mile

At the end of mile three, I stopped to get a drink of water and go use the restroom [aside: forgot how dirty beach bathrooms are]. I started back up again, but had to keep an 11:00 pace for my fourth mile. After attempting a few walk/run intervals, it was fairly obvious that I would just be walking back to my car.

It's not like Mission Bay is the worst place to be stuck walking, but it's frustrating when people are running passed you and you want to rev up and go!!

I did notice that my form has improved somewhat, though. I feel like I can stand up straighter.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I'm going to go on a walk in the morning and stretch a whole bunch. I want to be nice and loose for our long run on Saturday! TWELVE MILES!!! Yikes!!

Well...

2008-07-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it to spin this morning. My alarm went off at 4:30, and I decided to sleep in until 5:30 and take the 6:00 a.m. class at Balboa-24 instead. When the alarm went off again, I decided that 7:30 sounded even better that 5:30, so I reset my phone and pulled the covers up tight.

My knee has been bothering me a little bit, too. I managed to make it through our trail run without falling, but totally ate it walking up Julie's stairs on our way to the Pride parade. I have a pretty sweet bruise and some pain on the outer side of my left knee. I figure a morning off will do me some good. I do still plan on going to pilates tonight, though.

I've also noticed the development of what I've learned is called "Runner's Waist." I used be able to maintain a pretty defined set of abs, but since training has started I've noticed that a couple pounds of fat have decided to take up residence on my midsection. I want to get rid of it, but I'd probably end up gnawing off my own arm if I tried to cut calories. I guess I'll have this visitor around until after the marathon is done in October- I just hope it doesn't invite any friends over...

Slight change in schedule

2008-07-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

In order to accomdate spin class on Wednesday mornings, I've decided to move my easy midweek 4 miler to Tuesdays instead. Now my training schedule looks like this:

M- 5mi hill workout; upperbody weights; abs
Tu- 4mi easy run; lowerbody weights; abs
W- AM: 60min spin class; upperbody weights/PM: 60min pilates, abs
Th- 6mi speed work; lowerbody weights; abs
F- OFF (I may fill this with yoga)
Sa- Long run day
Su- I want to take another spin class, but it's my only day to sleep in. I'll probably start taking a long walk on the beach.

Today I decided to hit the gym after work. I can do upperbody workouts at home, but lowerbody workouts are best done at the gym because the equipment selection is far superior (sorry dad!). I ended up getting in:

15min on the stairclimber
40min of lowerbody weights
150 crunches
3mi on the TM
15min stretching

I don't think I'll be able to run on the treadmill anymore. It was so. painfully. boring. I felt like a gerble stuck in a wheel! From now on, I'll get my Tuesday & Thursday runs in along the harbor, and then head over to the gym for a lowerbody lifting session.

Bed time for this girl- Wednesday spin class starts at 5:30 a.m.!!

New Shoes, pt. 3

2008-07-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

My podiatrist put me back in my wide toe-box New Balances. I had been running in a pair of 768s without issues, so I headed to RoadRunner on Friday to pick up another pair.

I arrive to find out that:
1. RoadRunner is out of the 768
2. New Balance is discontinuing the 768
3. New Balance will release the 769...
4. ...But not until October

The shoe guy sent me on my way with a pair of 858s. They felt alright in the store; I can wiggle my toes and grip the ground. I'm heading out for another hill workout in 20 minutes, so we'll see what these puppies can do.

I'm really looking forward to triathlon training so my feet can get a break while I'm swimming and cycling!!

Beer cures cancer, right?

2008-07-18T11:50:00.001-07:00

Things with Team-in-Training have been busy recently. Monday evening I met the group for my first run in two weeks!! We did the usual hill workout at Torrey Pines, but this time I opted to run intervals so I didn't aggrivate my injured foot. Coach Kerry recommended I try 5 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking for the entire 5 miles- it worked out really well. My overall time was almost identical to workouts where I've run the entire time. I'm able to run at a faster pace for 5 minutes and recover quickly with the 1 minute walk break. I felt great after the run, and I'm going to continue experimenting with interval times so I can use that method in the marathon.

I slacked a little bit on Tuesday and didn't a solid cross-training workout in. I decided that having clean clothes to wear was more important than spending 60 minutes on the elliptical, so I headed up after work instead of going to the gym. I ended up doing laundry and cleaning my car, so I'm counting that as an upperbody workout. Just to be on the safe side I did a couple hundred situps, some bicep curls, lunges and squats. It's probably a good thing I took it easy, because Wednesday was the longest day I've had in a while.

Twenty-five TNT members were allowed to volunteer at opening day at the Del Mar races. The food service provider at Del Mar would deposit money into each of our fundraising accounts, and then we would be able to keep any tips made and deposit those into our accoutns as well. Everyone has been looking forward to this all season, as we had been told it was a great way to raise a lot of money.

I wanted to get a workout in before hand, so I met my friend Bryan for spin class at 5:30 a.m. Spinning is an excellent way to cross-train as it really works your quadricpes. Running is great for the hamstrings and butt, but the quads need some attention as well. Anyways, I headed home for a quick shower, and then left for Del Mar at 7:45, where I met Anne Marie, Julie and Tauni:

Yes, Tauni's hand is very clearly on my butt, and neither of us are quite sure how it ended up there. Moving on...
After standing around for 10 minutes, our Del Mar contact told us to take our lunch break. So, at 9:10 a.m., we took our 20 minute lunch break. We had all eaten beforehand, but we took advantage of the free breakfast buffet and forced down some oatmeal, eggs and fruit. This ended up being a good thing, as it was the last time any of us would eat until we got home at 8:30 p.m.

After lunch (brunch?), we stood around for another hour. We took pictures with a woman who was waiting for the hat contest to start:

Julie and Tauni are pros at the hip tilt action, but I don't forsee myself gracing the fashion pages of Vogue anytime soon.

Finally, at 10:45, the four of us were designated as barbacks for four bartenders near the main gate. We helped them set up, and then poured beer for the next 8 hours. Tauni and I lucked out in having two bartenders that were pretty experienced. We also developed a "Circle of Trust" with these two guys:

The one of the right tipped me $25, so he was allowed to be as crazy as he wanted to be.

Anne Marie and Julie got stuck with two women who didn't know how to tap a keg and poured beer that was more head than anything else. Towards the end of the day we all started getting a little punchy (funny how not eating will do that to you), and were looking forward to getting tipped out and going home. Ah yes, the tipping...

It became somewhat evident that none of the four bartenders were looking forward to sharing the fruits of their (and our) labor. Julie and Anne Marie were tipped nowhere near enough for the hardwork that they did all day long, even though their bosses were thanking them profusely and admitting that they would have been lost without their help. Tauni and I were actually going to get stiffed entirely, until Julie came over with her tips and made it obvious that they were expected to thank us for a job well done. After Tauni's bartender tipped her out, my bartender asked him how much cash he had given her. He then deducted the $25 given to me by the gentleman above from Tauni's tip amount and handed me a wad of crumpled bills as thanks. "So, you should be even with her now."

I understand that, between payment from Del Mar and the tips, I was able to raise close to $200 while working for one day. However it was really, really frustrating to me that we weren't tipped out fairly. The four of us worked hard, placated customers that had stood in line for 30 minutes to buy overpriced beer, and kept people coming back for more drinks. Each bartender made several hundred dollars in tips, and it's ridiculous that they sent us home with such a small percentage of their profits. The verbal appreciation is great, but all of the "thank yous" don't result in more money going to LLS. Again, I was greatful for the opportunity to raise more money, but would have appreciated being given my fair share of the profits.

In any event, we are all still looking forward to continuing to raise money while training. For those of you in San Diego, we will be selling beads at this weekend's Gay Pride festival, so look for us at the corner of Centre & University, so please come say hello!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAALLL!!!

2008-07-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update- I hit my fundraising goal this morning!

Glad the hard part is out of the way. 26.2 miles will be cake knowing I have a bunch of supporters out there.

Thank you so much everyone. You all are the best!

7/12 Slinging hotdogs for charity

2008-07-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to keep my Monday nights open now that I've joined the midweek running sessions. Mondays are designated hill workout days, and while Tierrasanta is quite aptly named "The Island in the Hills," Rueda Drive doesn't hold a candle to the behemouth that is the descent down to Torrey Pines beach. [I just spent 10 minutes trying to Google a picture, but I've been unsuccessful. Let's just say it's very steep].

However, since I'm rehabbing the plantar fasciitis in my left foot and taking time off from running, my Monday nights are now really, really open. This worked out nicely when Julie and Tauni called and asked if I could volunteer with them at the Padres game last week. The Padres Foundation has a long relationship with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and allows Team-in-Training participants to, among other things, come in and work a concession stand during the game. Volunteers then get a percentage of the profits from the night they worked, and that money goes directly to our fundraising accounts. Since my new goal is to beat Julie at fundraising, I jumped at the chance to earn some extra money.

It was also a special night for me because Petco Park was Robert's favorite place. He was a diehard Padres fan, and he saved up his money so that he could purchase season tickets to their games. I don't think he ever actually sat and watched the whole game, but he loved to go in and talk to everyone. He was so well known amongst ushers and security guards that some of them recognized his obituary back in March. They commented in his on-line memory book, and spoke highly of his character and charm. It was really nice to be able to experience something that he really loved, and I look forward to going back many times.

Anyway, I met Julie, Tauni and several other teammates at the Rubio's stand in section 121, and proceeded to sell $1 hotdogs all night long. That's right: $1 hotdogs. At the Rubio's stand. Also popular at the taco stand was frozen yogurt. I don't understand why we bothered fronting as a Mexican food joint if we were selling the most American food you can find, but it was a good time nonetheless. I also got to practice pulling beer from a tap, which will come in handy next week when I volunteer at the Del Mar racetrak during opening day.

Oh- since I think blogs with pictures are always more fun, I leave you with a picture of me, Tauni and Julie, after we sold hotdogs for five hours straight.

6/30 On Feet, Hips, Hula Hoops and Muscles

2008-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

I swear I workout less now than I did when I wasn't marathon training.

I've had to scrap my last two speed workouts due to foot pain. It's pretty discouraging- I was getting to a point back in January and February where I could run 25/mpw without problems. For whatever reason, I have yet to hit my weekly goals for the last two weeks- I was able to complete 14 of 23 miles through June 21, and 17 of 24 miles through June 29. I've never considered myself an athlete, but I do believe that I am in decent shape. I'm having trouble reconciling the fact that I can't just force my body to do what my training schedule dictates. But hopefully that all changes soon!

I saw a chiropractor on Friday afternoon who was infinitely more supportive than my physical therapist. I walked into his office and we had the following exchange:

Him: You're training for a marathon?
Me: Yes.
Him: So, you needed to be healed yesterday then?
Me: Yes. Exactly.
Him: Alright, we'll make you stop hurting now and work through the causes as you continue to train. Let's get started.

From there he did some adjustments in my feet, right knee, hips, spine and neck, and also some weird voodoo neurological type stuff with lasers. I completed the long run on Saturday (9.75 miles!) and was still in a lot of pain afterwards. However, yesterday and today I'm walking with less foot pain, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I see the doc again today, and we'll be working together for the rest of the season. I'm looking forward to it. :)

As I mentioned, I did a long run of 9.75 miles on Saturday morning. The team again met in Mission Bay, and this time we ran through Pacific Beach, down the boardwalk and then retraced our path back to the starting point. I've fallen into a pattern where I'll run the first half with Julie and Jess, and then Julie will leave us in the dust as she runs off with her long legs (being 6'0" must be nice!). Jess and I did manage to finish with negative splits, though! We kicked it up from ~10:30 pace to sub 9:30s for the last couple miles. We are by no means speed demons, but it felt good to have a little gas left in the tank towards the end.

We then stayed for the Honored Teammate Picnic. The San Diego team is divided up into three factions: Central (my team), North County (who we decided has better eye candy and ICE COLD Gatorade), and the walk team (how come we didn't think to join the walk team?!). My parents (hi mom and dad!) met me there around 10:30, and walked up just as I was competing in the Hula Hoop contest. After a hard fought battle, I clenched first place for the Central team! My parents were proud, I got some high fives from teammates and gained instant and life long fame. Perhaps it's a little overkill, but I haven't won anything in years, so I was very excited.

Following my triumph, I had a massage by our team therapist. I told him my feet and hips were in pain, and he asked if the hip injury was related to my hula-hooping ( I really am famous!). We got down to business, and he stretched me out pretty well and suggested that my feet issues actually stem from my lack of hip mobility. He showed me a couple stretches and recommended a book called ChiRunning. I've been hearing a lot about it lately, so I think I'll pick it up this week. It may be a little too new agey for my tastes, but I'm willing to try anything in order to run pain free at this point.

Which brings me to my last point of the post- in an effort to become stronger and more flexible, I've decided to recommit myself to strength training. I had developed a pretty good lifting routine, but I've neglected the iron for a while since I've been skipping the gym. I was trying to avoid driving unnecessarily, but my fitness is suffering as result. I've now tossed a couple gym outfits in my car so I can easily stop by and do some lifting when I have the chance. I hope the increased strength training, coupled with Pilates and spinning classes, will result in a more toned physique, less pain and better cardiac health. Seems like a pretty lofty goal, but a girl can dream right?

And with that I must sign off and get ready for my second voo-doo appointment. I'll keep you posted with the results!

6/21 New Shoes! (Again)

2008-06-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things that our TNT coaches keep telling us is that this whole marathon thing is going to hurt. Yes, we'll feel great raising money for LLS. Yes, we'll be in the best shape of our lives. Yes, we'll be ecstatic that we chose to train for a marathon right in the throws of skirt season. And yes, we will develop aches and pains.

With that warning in mind, I tried to ignore some pain that had been developing in my right foot and ankle over the last couple weeks. I attributed it to an old injury from last summer coming back, and made the effort to ice and stretch thoroughly after each session. It didn't improve, and then I noticed that my left foot was starting to hurt, too! I've sprained ligaments in both feet in the passed, and both times doctors and therapists had told me to be sure to ice and stretch before and after workouts. Unfortunately, these things weren't really helping and the problem was just getting worse.

Wednesday evening I had to scrap my 4 mile run after only .87 miles. Instead, I cross-trained on the elliptical and stationary bike. I decided to take a rest day on Thursday instead of doing my speed workout, and on Friday I rode the stationary bike for 25 minutes and did some situps. I was able to make an appointment to see a physical therapist on Saturday afternoon, and drove over to her office with both pairs of running shoes and my injury history...

But not before I did the 9 mile long run on Saturday morning!! Nine miles is the longest I've run in a while, and it's the longest distance I've ever done. The team met in Encinitas at 7am, and we were on the road by 7:30. I clocked in at 1:45:something, and was able to sprint the uphill finish with my friend Jess. The first two miles of the run were stiff, but after that I had loosened up somewhat. I took a couple two-minute walk breaks, and my pace slowed from 9:45 to 12:00 by the time I finished. I stretched afterwards and iced my feet while we did a team breakfast, and then hobbled back to my car and drove to my PT appointment.

Thankfully, my therapist didn't think it was silly that I had run prior to seeing her. In fact, she acknowledged that I couldn't stop running in order to treat the problem, because then I'd throw off my training schedule! I was SO happy to have someone that understood that quitting running wasn't an option. Working out and being active is what makes me happy- I'm not giving that up because some wimpy doctor tells me to stop running!

After that, she examined both pairs of shoes and realized that the new pair I got last month was defective!! The left shoe was kind of smooshed in the back, and the black pads on the bottom of the sneaker didn't match up at all with the right shoe pads. Way too much spacing in some parts, and not enough in others. She attributed the sudden onset of left foot pain to the defective shoe and ordered me back to Road Runner Sports.

With the shoe problem somewhat solved, she then examined my feet and ankles. Long story short, they're not pretty stiff and not as strong as they should be. She said that my mobility was poor, and that if I don't increase strength and flexibility in my feet, my body won't even make it to the marathon, let alone finish. This freaked me out a little bit, and right then and there I vowed to do whatever crazy strengthening and stretching exercises she gave me to do at home. There is no way I'm not completing this marathon in October! I booked a Tuesday evening appointment and another Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to get this going so I can train in top form.

So, I'm in yet another new pair of shoes- another pair of Asics, but this time the Nimbus Gel 10s (or something). They were out of blue, but they did have a pair of the flashiest purple shoes I've ever seen. Makes me glad TNT colors are green and purple, and that my running clothes are mostly black and white. ;)

With physical therapy, [hopefully] the right pair of shoes, and a commitment to better cross training (elliptical, bike and swimming-yikes!), I expect to get over this little bump in the road and continue on injury free through October.

Thanks again for the support, everyone. I'm off to ice.

6/13 It's for real now

2008-06-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

It dawned on me yesterday how much effort training for this marathon will take.

One of the attorneys in the office is an avid cyclist. He just returned from a 700 MILE long ride, and he's currently the only endurance athlete I know. I was chatting with him in the kitchen, and said that I had no idea training for an endurance event would take up so much time. His response:

"Yeah, and you're not even really there yet."

He made a good point- I am only running about 20 miles a week right now (up to 30+ at the end of July). I got pretty quiet after he said that, just realizing how much effort training well would really take. I've definitely been logging miles, and I'm already constantly sore, but it's only been a month! I'd be lying if I said the idea of running 26.2 didn't make me anxious.

I think what I'm most worried about is failing. I used to worry about what time I'd finish, as I really wanted to finish under 4:30:00. Now I worry that I'll get injured before the race, that I won't train properly and thusly won't be able to finish, or that (and this would be awful) I'd get injured DURING the race and have to stop! I don't think I could face all of the donors that have been so generous. I'd feel like such a... Well, a failure!

I know that I'm only responsible for doing the best that I can, but now I've been inspired to REALLY push myself! I definitely haven't been cross training as much as I should be, and I could squeeze in a couple more weight training sessions. The LSAT is done on Monday evening, and not having to go to class three days a week will really free up some time to cross-train and lift weights.

With nervous anticipation, I bid you all a good weekend. Again, thanks for the support!!

6/5 Twenty-four things

2008-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rob and I would have celebrated year 24 together today... I'm not going into the office today, and I plan on just being alone for the most part. I understand that acting like this can be perceived as unhealthy, but I prefer to be alone when I'm sad- it allows me to just feel and express the emotion however I want, instead of considering how my actions may effect someone else.

Anyway, I thought I'd write down twenty-four things that I remember/miss/loved about Robert. In no particular order...

1. I've been thinking about this memory a lot lately: When we were in our early teens, Robert used to participate in the Special Olympics. One weekend he was running the 50-yard dash, and my mom and I told him that if he pumped his arms really hard, it would help him run faster. He looked pleased to have this new information, and went to line up. After the gun went off, every other kid started sprinting down the track, except Robert. We turned back to the starting line and there he was, standing there, feet firmly planted, pumping his arms as hard as he could. In between our laughter, we yelled for him to actually RUN! Smiling, he heard us and then took off- still coming in 2nd place.

2. Robert had the most beautiful eyelashes. They were dark and long and curly. He always got complimented on them, and I was always so jealous!

3. I totally didn't appreciate this aspect of his character until now, but he was SO generous! Everytime I came home from school, he would give me little gifts that he had won at school for being a good student. They were always cheap trinkets or lotions, and I was always a little perturbed that he was appearing to pawn off his junk on me. Looking back, he really was just that nice. He wanted people to be happy.

4. Before he tried to lose weight, the way he'd order at restaurants was like this, "Which will give me the most food?" He loved to eat, and so he did!

5. Once he got on the Jenny Craig plan, he lost maybe 30 pounds! He looked great, and it was one of the first times I can remember him truly accomplishing something on his own. I was really proud of him for that.

6. Our family friend Barbara wrote a beautiful message in his memory book, and mentioned his "full face smile." He really did have one. I don't think a picture of Robert exists that doesn't show off his bright and shining smile- eyes lit up and all.

7. He was great with children. Maybe it was a function of being developmentally delayed himself, but he was always so understanding and gentle with them.

8. He was a hopefless romantic... He wanted nothing more than to get married and have babies. So many conversations started off with, "When I have kids..."

9. And he was a flirt!! No female friend could ever escape his constant proposals. He'd always get this shy smirk on his face when they came around, and then ask when they'd be getting married.

10. Sometimes he'd just call to say hi. Really. I'd pick up my phone and he'd say, "Hi." I'd say, "Hi," and then he'd say, "Ok. Bye." And that was that.

11. Robert was "social butterfly" personified. He was instantly friends with everyone he met.

12. The kid had a crazy good ability to memorize directions! He could navigate the public transportation system like nobody's business. I still get lost a couple times a week.

13. He was protective of me. If I ever introduced a boyfriend to the family, he'd say, "Be good to me sister."

14. Despite his disabilities, he never looked at himself as incapable of anything. He even got his driver's license the October before he passed away. He studied for months and months and months, and was able to take the exam orally. I think we missed the same number of points on our driver's tests, too.

15. Even when we were 23 years old, Robert could never sleep passed 6am on Christmas morning. He was always so excited about presents! I'd force myself to sleep as long as possible just to make him wait. Finally, he'd lose patience with me and bring my stocking into my room and make me start opening gifts.

16. Robert loved to eat lobster. One time he saved up enough money to walk up to the grocery store and buy himself a live one to eat. Somehow he managed to bond with the lobster on the walk home. Once it was time to boil the lobster, it became evident that he didn't understand he had to drop it in while it was still alive. He was obviously a little upset by this, but decided to go ahead with his plan. My dad, seeing that he was distraught, snuck around the corner and waiting until the lobster was going into the pot. As soon as it touched the water, my dad let out a loud, high pitched, "EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" and Robert screamed and dropped the lobster as he stumbled backwards. Needless to say, he was a little more than pissed. I thought it was hilarious. ;)

17. I wasn't around for this one, but it was told to me by my mom. It goes back to the hopeless romantic/flirt thing... When Robert was in urgent care in the days before his diagnosis, he was really scared, tired and confused- definitely not his usual self. But once, when a nurse walked by, he calmed down for a brief moment, looked at my mom and said, "She's pretty."

18. I fancied myself a ballerina when I was younger. My parents bought me this beautiful (in my 6 year old mind) tutu type dress: gold lamae bodice and poofy white skirt with gold stitching. I stopped wearing it after I stopped taking ballet, but Robert would sneak into my room, put it on, and run around the house giggling. We have a picture of my dad tickling him while he's laughing. I think he could only get the dress 2/3 of the way up his body at that point- it makes the picture even better.

19. Robert knew what he liked, and didn't care what other people thought of his tastes. This explains why, when he was 20 years old, he painted his room a delicate lavender. It may have clashed with his Padres paraphenalia, but he did it anyways.

20. I'd always point out that I was the "older" sibling, and he'd just tell me I was old. Then he'd remind me that he was the only one with a hospital picture, and I'd say it's because he broke the camera.

21. There's a great picture of Robert at 2 years old absolutely covered in red nail polish. He is cracking up and our mom is in the background looking quite unpleased. He was always into something- it was cause for concern when you heard a giggle coming from somewhere in the house.

22. By the time I flew down to San Diego, Robert was already sedated. He was still pretty aware of what was going on around him, though. I walked up to his bed, told him I was there, and held his hand. He squeezed it back, nodded his head that he understood who I was, and then started signing "I love you."

23. His laugh always had a slightly mischevous ring to it, even if he wasn't doing anything wrong. I think he always had something in the works...

24. He had the biggest heart of anyone I know. He rooted for the underdog, he had a nice thing to say about everyone, and was shocked when people were mean to him or to someone he loved. There was an innocence about him, and he expected the same sort of naiveness from the world around him. I think that's what made him such a happy and genuine person...

--

Phew, that was a tough one to write...

I'm headed to the gym for another fartlek workout. Five miles with a 3min hard x 2min easy breakdown. Good thing it's my rest day tomorrow- this run is going to be challenging!!

5/30 Fart-whats??

2008-05-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Today is a mandatory Rest Day, so I thought I'd share with you my crazy workouts from yesterday...

I like to get my exercise in before work if I can, for a couple different reasons:

1. It's not looming over my head for the rest of the day.
2. A good run, followed by a couple cups of coffee, really wakes me up.
3. I get some solo time so I can think about what I need and want to get done during the day, instead of being thrown head first into the thick of it at work.

According to my training schedule, Thursday I was supposed to do "5 mile fartlek (2 hard x 2 easy).

I'd be lying if I said I didn't giggle and then get grossed out by the term "fartlek" (fart-lick). Basically, "farlek" is just a really awkward way of saying "speed work." I hope the terms isn't taken from someone's last name, and that it was actually invented by a 12 year old boy...

Anyway, I know myself pretty well. I know that I'm not an experienced runner, and I know that I loathe sprinting. I can run for long periods of time at a constant and comfortable pace, but I chose to be a defender in soccer for a reason: I'm terrible at running fast.

I also know that what I hate more than running fast is not upholding my end of a deal. I committed to training for and running a marathon, and so I set out on Thursday morning to do all the fartleking that was asked of me. I decided to run on a treadmill so I'd be able to force myself to actually run fast.

And you know what? It actually wasn't awful. My easy pace was a 10:00 minute mile, and when I was supposed to go "hard" I bumped it up to an 8:30 mile. I was really feeling it by the end and had to stabilize myself on the treadmill a couple times, but I never stopped and I kept alternating my pace every 2 minutes. The time flew by, and I finished my 5 miles in a record 46 minutes and 11 seconds.

And then I did soemthing really stupid.

I've started taking pilates once a week, and I usually do an hour long class on Tuesdays. Due to some schedule conflicts, I moved it to Thursday evening. An hour long class after a 5 mile run isn't a bad idea, but my instructor convinced me to stay for an extra 30 minutes. By the time I got home, all I wanted was some food, a hot shower and my bed.

So, as I hobbled around this morning getting ready, I reminded myself that it's probably best to keep pilates to Tuesday, my cross-training day, and keep my running days void of all crazy strength training sessions. As much as I want the long and lean muscles that pilates provides, I want to be able to get up and out of my chair without groaning even more...

5/24 - New shoes!

2008-05-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

After a misty 5 mile run through Clairemont (I'm still waiting on the beautiful runs I was promised!) the team was invited to stay for a shoe clinic at Roadrunner Sports off of Convoy.

Because there were so many of us, there was a wait until we could meet with a shoe expert and get advice on proper footwear. I spent the time browsing the sock section with my new friend Julie, who I ran the 5 with this morning. The two of us ran with Lisa, who was outfitted with a Garmin 305 heartrate monitor that tells you EVERYTHING about your run: distance, mile split times, elevation, heartrate, pace, calories burned... It's an amazing little gadget, and I've been thinking about getting one myself. Mom and dad, if you've found my blog yet, I think the 305's starting to go on sale soon. My birthday is also soon (hint).

Julie and I wandered the sock section for a bit ($25.00 for three pairs of moisture wicking socks? I better be super fast, now!), and finally it was my turn to get fitted. First, my shoe expert, a very attractive guy named Eric who was not talkative at all, had me walk barefoot across a pad and then run barefoot on a treadmill. Somehow he was able to deduce how I distributed my weight, the kind of arch I have and what kind of support I need in a shoe.

With that information in hand, I soon became the proud owner of a pair of Asics! I was running in New Balances before, and although they're comfy, the toe box was way too big. I really feel the difference in support with my new sneakers, and I can't wait to break them in and then bust them out next week on our 6 mile run.

I never thought I'd look forward to giving up my Saturday mornings, but I am having the best time right now. Hope you all are well, too!

Love,
Nina

5/21 - Donation Letter Complete!

2008-05-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to writing my donation letter. I wanted to make it a little more personal, and I think I succeeded. It should be in the mail early next week. I'm also hoping to merge the two statements (the letter and the one on my TNT Page) into one, and then put that on a bulletin board I can display in my gym and at restaurants and places Robert really enjoyed. Of course, I still have to set all that up too.

Without further ado, the letter.
Dear Friends & Family:

I am excited to announce that I have joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program! Through TNT I will train for and complete the Nike Women's Marathon this October in San Francisco.

My training began this weekend with a four mile run through Kearny Mesa. Those of you familiar with San Diego geography know that Kearny Mesa is not the epitome of scenic beauty; sans iPod and a good view, I was left with nothing to do but think as I pounded the pavement.

Somewhere between my starting point and the used car lots and strip-clubs scattered down Kearney Villa Road, I thought about the events that brought me to TNT. Call it a symptom of being "young and fearless," but I believed cancer and death were things reserved for the elderly and certainly not anyone that I loved. All of that changed when Robert was diagnosed with leukemia in February. His short battle, though hard fought, was lost on March 18, 2008.

Following Rob's death, I changed in a way that I was not proud of: I became angry. How could this happen to my family? How could something this awful happen to someone as kind-hearted and loving as Robert? I was consumed by this unfamiliar feeling of rage, and I felt like I had nowhere to direct it: I couldn't call leukemia on the telephone and scream at it. I couldn't hunt it down and hurt it like it had hurt my brother and my family. For the very first time in my life I felt truly helpless– and then I joined Team in Training.

I started thinking about the type of person Robert was, and it became obvious that joining TNT to run the Nike Women's Marathon was the perfect way to honor Robert's life. An athlete himself, he enjoyed being part of a team; his social nature would have made him a perfect fit at our group training sessions; he would have loved going to San Francisco to watch thousands of ladies run by him; and his generous spirit would have made him a natural at fund-raising money to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society.

My race is October 19, 2008. In addition to training for the event for the next five months, I have committed to raising a minimum of $3,300. Seventy-five percent of that amount goes directly to fund research to cure blood cancers. TNT has raised over $850 million since its formation in 1988, and I want nothing more than to contribute everything I can to their cause.

I send you this letter in hopes that you can donate to the cause. Donations can be made by check or on-line at my web page: pages.teamintraining.org/sd/nikesf08/ngriffin.
If you would like to follow my progress, I've also created a blog to document my experience. Check on me there at ninarunsforrob.blogspot.com.

I hope you are able to donate today. Your generosity will not go unappreciated.

Love,
Nina

5/18 - One Saturday down...

2008-05-18T21:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my first long run with the Central Run Team. Well, it would have been, but I actually didn't get to run with them...

We gathered at 7:45am on Saturday morning at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society office in Kearny Mesa. For the next hour we did a meet and greet with fellow teammates and mentors (my mentor is Tammy, and she has a fraternal twin sister!), and then listened to our coach give valuable tips about marathon training, i.e., start hydrating for our long Saturday runs before Saturday... As in Friday. Given our summer training schedule, I am certain this will be a very crucial tip to follow.

Unfortunately I had to "run" (hah!) to class at 10:00am, so I left and returned on my own to run the course that afternoon. It was a nice and flat four miles through scenic Kearny Mesa: I passed several reputable looking strip-clubs, and enjoyed my job through the well manicured lawns of the Spectrum center. I was assured that morning that our longer long runs would feature much more scenic routes.

I finished the four miles with no problem, and rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes this morning to "recover" my legs. Tomorrow morning I'll get in 4mi on the treadmill before work, and I'll be right on schedule with training. This coming Saturday we do 6mi- definitely the longest I've run in a while! We also have a shoe clinic at Road Runner Sports, where their experts will help us find the correct shoes, socks and clothing to wear when we run. I love buying stuff, and this is the perfect excuse to drop some cash on cute new running gear!

5/15/08 - Training Schedule!

2008-05-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just got a look at the schedule for the first month of training!

It looks like we're supposed to put ourselves into Team A, B or C, depending on our fitness/experience level. Since I've been running for about 6 months and used to have a pretty decent weekly mileage, I went with Team B.

This last week my training didn't exactly sync up with the recommendation (i.e., I should have run 4mi this morning instead of sleeping in and doing pilates this afternoon), but I will be getting in my 4mi run Saturday!

From there, it looks like I run four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The long runs on Saturday start at 4mi and increase every week up to 8mi on June 7! Luckily the M, W, Th runs stay between 3 and 5 miles. I'm glad I have coaches telling me what miles to run- I'd totally burn myself out and do way too many during the week in addition to long run.

I am REALLY excited now. It's all becoming much more tangible. Can't wait to meet the rest of my team on Saturday!

Thanks for checking in. And please, any past marathoners out there, feel free to give me advice!

5/12/08 - Day 1

2008-05-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today is my first official day of training for the Nike Women's Marathon and fundraising for TNT!

Since it's still so early in the season, I'm not changing my current running schedule too much. After increasing my mileage way too quickly in the beginning of this year (from about 10mpw to 25mpw in only a month!), I've been keeping it pretty low at 10 to 12mpw spread out over 3 to 4 days.

I've been running intervals on the treadmill lately, rotating between fast walk/jog/run/sprint. I think at this point I should focus on my endurance, so I warmed up with a 10 minute jog, and then finished out the rest of my mileage in a sub-10min/mi pace. I felt challenge but not exhausted, so I think I'll stick to that for now. I can't wait to meet up with the coaches and get our training schedule. I'm so new at this type of athletic training- I don't want to go about it the wrong way and do something that will end up being detrimental!

Our long run this week on Saturday, but I have to miss it due to LSAT class. I'll have to get 5 miles in on my own, but luckily it's supposed to be gorgeous all weekend. Getting outside won't be a problem. :)

Thanks for checking in on my progress. I'll try and update more as things get interesting!