Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Keeping Warn



Southern California can't decide if it wants to be hot or cold this winter. It would be nice to just average out instead of having such extremes. When I returned from my trip from sunny Florida (the other Orange County), it was a high of 45 degrees for the day. Yikes! Then one week later it's 75-80 degrees again. Make up your mind!

Being a weather-spoiled Southern California girl, all I own is running shorts. So to keep my warm I've been wearing compression sleeves or Race Legs. But I certainly would like to work on my tan again.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Race Report: Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon

Last year was the first year of the Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon at Disneyland. I didn't do it. Why? Because I had just had a baby and I didn't think I would be ready in two months. I regretted it since I jumped back from pregnancy pretty quick.

There was no way I was going to miss it this year. I have done the Disneyland 1/2 several times and have loved it, so I knew this RunDisney race would be the same.

So the "fun" part of this race was when I got the 24-hour flu just days before. It's been a long time since I've had the flu and it completely drained me. My whole body was weak from all the vomit convulsions. I could barely lift my baby, yet I had a long weekend of working and racing. All my training for nothing! I was so mad! Luckily it was gone as quickly as it came, but my body certainly wasn't recovered to race at full potential.

Team Sparkle had a booth at the expo, so I got to be a princess for the weekend. (P.S. Our Princess Headsweats visors were a hit!) It's never ideal to spend 10 hours on your feet two days in a row before a race , but sometimes that's what you gotta do to support your running habit.


Since this was the Tinker Bell race we dressed as Peter Pan characters. Carrie - tick tock crocodile, me - Captain Hook, and Kelly - Mr. Smee. This photo doesn't do our outfits justice because you can't see our skirts!


We were in Corral A, so I actually got to start the race on the front of the start line. Kinda surreal, especially when standing next to some elite runners. A friend from high school and I ran together for the first four miles. We both had the lofty goal of 1:40, but really I was just looking for a PR (under 1:43:00).

The course wove through both parks and really took you for a ride. It's never ideal to have a course with so many turns. You lose your momentum every time you have to make a 90-180 degree turn. We still kept up our pace and I still had hopes of a fast race.

Around mile 7 you left the parks and ran around the streets of Anaheim. My friend had dropped back at mile 4 so I was running alone. And it sure was lonely. Dark and lonely. No one was around me. I guess that's what happens in a mostly-women's race. Once we headed back toward the park I started calculating what I had to do to get a PR. It was still possible, but I had to keep my current speed. No slowing down and certainly no stopping. That's the part that scares me...no room for small errors.

I felt relatively ok during the race. I took my gels earlier than planned, which meant I was a little undernourished and pushing hard. I kept trying to speed up my legs, but I always seem to hold back, scared I will run out of juice, I was surprised I wasn't going faster, but then again, I was surprised I was going as fast as I was too.

The last mile came and I knew I had to hold my fast pace. Then came the hill. It was a tunnel that went under the park. We had already run it earlier, but here it was again...at the end of the race. SO MEAN. I met the course designer later and gave her a piece of my mind. I was flying when I came up and booked it to the end. 

Done. I did it. Another PR. 1:42:09. I wish I could have shaved off those last 9 seconds, but really I gave it my all. I had sprinted to the finishline and almost fell over at the end. (I knew I had really pushed myself when I tried to run three days later and my legs were still toast!)


Mile 1 7:47
Mile 2 7:49
Mile 3 7:43
Mile 4 8:04
Mile 5 7:57
Mile 6 7:53
Mile 7 7:49
Mile 8 7:54
Mile 9 7:55
Mile 10 7:43
Mile 11 7:36
Mile 12 7:45
Mile 13 7:25
Mile 0.13 0:53

1:42:09
7:47 pace
12th in division
64th woman out of 10,553

I haven't beaten that elusive 1:40, but I still have plenty of time. I'm running the Princess 1/2 Marathon in Florida next month. Same circumstances of working two days before the race, but this time I'm not getting the flu. Maybe Florida will be my lucky state.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Meeting Hunter Kemper



Two weeks ago when I was working at the Walk Disney World Marathon Weekend running expo, I heard them announce that Hunter Kemper would be there meeting people. It's not everyday I get to meet an Olympian!

I took a break from working and ran over to say hi. Sadly, I was one of two people waiting to take a photo. I don't think runners appreciate triathletes much, even Olympians. Actually I know they don't because when I told people about meeting him later, they had no idea who he was.

Anyways, I told him I was a triathlete and a recent Ironman. He said he had ran the 1/2 marathon that morning in 1:09. Holy cow that's fast! It was pretty cool to meet someone I consider an elite athlete. Later I realized he must have thought I was ridiculous to be dressed as Snow White. Hey, that's my job! #teamsparkle

Monday, January 21, 2013

Running on Vacation



Two weekends ago I was in Florida for work. Being out of town is no longer an excuse to skip my workouts. So even though I had limited time, I managed to squeeze in a few runs.

My first workout was at 6:30am, which was 3:30am PST (since I hadn't adjusted yet). I don't know how I did it. Dedication I guess. Ended up doing a great tempo run on the treadmill. 6 miles total with 3.5 at sub-7. I wanted to do it outdoors but it was dark and I was unfamiliar with the area. Glad I was able to make it happen.

Friday, January 18, 2013

2012 Mileage

I log all my miles with dailymile. I love getting my weekly mileage reports, but I especially love my yearly mileage report. Last year had a mixture of post-pregnany training, trail running, and Ironman miles. The only bummer is there isn't a way to equate all my strength training. Oh well. Here are my numbers:

Swimming

73 miles

Biking

2517 miles

Running

896 miles


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Happy Birthday Pumpkin

Happy Birthday to the best running partner ever! She always listens, never complains, and will run forever with me. 

Friday, January 11, 2013

My Cutest Fan


My favorite birthday present was a gift that I couldn't even wear myself. It was this adorable handmade shirt from one of my BRFs. I can't lie...it's his most worn shirt.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Bike Date

Many couples enjoy a nice dinner and movie. When Skyler and I have a free day, we wrangle up a babysitter and go for a ride. Sadly, this was my first time outdoors on my bike since Ironman. Spending so much time on the trainer has diminished my technical skills. This year I need to work on riding outdoors more often.

Anyways, we spent out afternoon riding up and down the hills of Yorba Linda and Corona. I had a great time and even came home with some Strava QOMs. I wish Sky and I could ride together more often, but sacrifices are to be made for our little one.



Monday, January 7, 2013

My 2013 Resolutions

It's already a week into 2013 and I'm just now deciding on my resolutions for this year. Last year was such a great year that it will be hard to top it. But I need goals to keep motivated so here are my goals for this year.

#1 Sub-1:40 half-marathon
This is my favorite running distance because it's a good mix of speed and endurance. I just haven't been able to get under that 1:40 hump. In 2012 I actually only ran two stand-alone halfs and each one was under bad conditions (being really sick and post-Ironman). I have several halfs scheduled for this year. Let's see if I can make it happen.

#2 No french fries
I'm crying inside as I write this. I eliminated french fries from my diet two years ago when I had this as a resolution. Getting pregnant changed the outcome, but this year I am determined to keep it. I'm going to add a little asterick of allowing myself to indulge after a big race (races longer than one hour).

#3 No midweek sweets
This is a bad resolution because it's not quantitative, but I need to focus more on my nutrition. I think I could be a better athlete if I ate better. Yes, I train A LOT so that I can eat whatever I want, but I'm not young anymore. My metabolism has slowed down and I can see the results of a bad week of eating and of a good week.

#4 2:40 time at OC Tri
I've done this race for the past five years. I love it because it's on my training grounds. But I just can't seem to get any faster on my bike despite more training. My run is killer and my swim is ok. The bike is when I can gain some minutes to get my 2:40 time.

#5 Plank-a-Day
I need a stronger core and I'm hoping this will help me. I know just doing a plank every day won't get me there by itself. but I'm hoping that once I'm on the floor I will continue with a routine.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Running with the family

Our family truly is an endurance family. We don't get to work out together much, but I cherish the times we do. Christmas Eve day gave us that opportunity and I couldn't have been happier. Plus, I didn't have to push the stroller this time!


Five miles with my husband, my baby boys, and my sweet dog. Best Christmas gift.


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Results of 2012 Resolutions

Before I post my 2013 New Year's resolutions, I guess I better review my 2012 resolutions to see how I did. 2012 was my redemption year. After spending most of 2011 fat and pregnant, I need to show myself that I still had it. 

2012 Resolutions:
#1: No soda (except after races)
Ok, so cutting out soda completely is just silly. I could do it if I tried, but what am I really trying to accomplish here? The point is to reduce my soda intake. I didn't drink much soda before, maybe once or twice a week, but I want to have a healthier lifestyle and knew this would be as easy one to take out. I stuck to this resolution pretty well. When we would eat out, I would order water instead of water, even when eating fast food. And surprisingly, water satisfied my thirst when I thought only soda would. Go figure. I will stick to this resolution.

#2: Run a marathon, either in an Ironman or stand-alone. Sub-4 if by itself.
Yeah I did this! I actually ran two marathons this year: Long Beach marathon in October and Ironman in November. And the stand-alone was just under four hours. Mission accomplished! 

#3: Run a 6:15 mile (doesn't have to be in a race)
Mission not accomplished. BUT this year was focused on long-distance. That's the aspect of training I really missed this year: speed. That's why this year I'm back to incorporating it into my workouts. 13.1 is a long distance, but I'm using speed training to make me faster. Let's see how it goes.

Next week I'll post my resolutions for next year. I want to hear yours too!