My Life as a Runner

Sunday Run

2012-01-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life can bring you moments where things seem a bit blue and leave you wondering what's next. While it doesn't cure the blues, a great run and great friends sure does help remind you what is important in this world and brings a smile to your face.

10 miles in sunny SF w/Alyssa and Sesa

2011 in Review

2012-01-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge "make a big deal of the new year rolling in" gal, but I do take a moment to think back on the past 365 days and reflect on the path taken.

2011 was a year of highs, lows, sideways, backwards and forwards. Through it all, I weathered the storm and came out all the better.

Highlights of 2011:

1. Leonard (aka BootNabber) came into my life, or me in his, not sure which

2. I found the most amazing group of runners and am lucky to feel part of a running community. I posted about this before, but they will never truly understand what they bring to my life.

3. I stayed gainfully employed. I never take this for granted.

4. I was lucky enough to say goodbye in person to an amazing women. A women I called "grandmother" for many decades.

5. I continued to complete 26.2 miles this past year; twice over

6. I felt loved all year long by my family

7. I was graced every day with wisdom, kindness, love and attention by my best friends; Sandi and Ben.

8. I've grown as a person a lot in the past year. I think my friends would say I am stronger, wiser and braver than I have ever been.

9. While I haven't found love, I have met some wonderful people along the way and still believe the love of my life is out there; somewhere. Yes, I'm a romantic at heart :-)

So this is what morning looks like...

2011-12-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

For a good part of the year, I had been longing to make it out for a morning run before work. But my efforts typically went like this:

Make a running date to meet early
Wonder late at night why I made such a date
Set alarm
Cancel alarm in the middle of the night
Text running date cancelling
Lay in nice warm bed

I was determined to make this happen before years end. This past week I emailed Aron of RunnersRambles and pleaded with her to HELP ME MAKE THIS HAPPEN! She quickly responded with date & time.

So on a cold Wednesday morning, I met up with Aron for a hilly trail run. We started in the black of morning and were treated to lovely views as the sun began to surface.

Why, hello early morning moon!

UC Berkeley Campus

While getting up wasn't easy, the workout, the views, the accomplishment and especially the company made it more than worthwhile. SO GLAD I accomplished one of my goals. YEA ME!

Happy camper; early morning camper!

Thank you to Aron, you are a great addition to my 2011. Looking forward to 2012.

CIM Spectators Report

2011-12-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

I covered 26.2 miles on Sunday from a unique vantage point. I was lucky enough to have the honor of cheering for some amazing ladies as they covered a great distance.

My day started off on a great note. I woke up easily at the pre-dawn hour of 4:00am. The only other time I am ever up at 4:00am is when I am preparing for my own marathon, and I have to tell you, I was SO EXCITED that I wasn't the one running today :-) I went to pick up Beth (she has a great race recap here) and we headed out on what would be an adventurous day.

We made great time to Sacramento, where the California International Marathon takes place. As we arrived, my first goal was to find gas.

Hello 1 mile left on the tank

How does stopping for gas, then fixating on getting to Starbucks at 6:00am lead to meeting Sacramento's finest? A one-way street. After getting gas, I turned down a street that couldn't have been more than 50 yards. I quickly realized it was a one-way street, but Beth and I both agreed NO ONE WAS AWAKE AT THIS HOUR! Except that one police car heading towards me. Bat a few eye lashes, convince the officer "no, I was not drinking at 6am, but that is a good idea" and he let us go. Not sure he was thrilled when I asked if I could get a picture with him for the blog. Note: My interactions with Sacramento's finest would not end here. More on that later.

Beth and I made our way to Starbucks, grabbed some much needed caffeine, then set off to meet up with the wonderful Karin. I was looking forward to hanging out with Beth & Karin, who I have met several times, but typically we are running and have less opportunities to chat. Can you say bonding time today?

Beth, Karin and I made a great cheer crew.

Our first stop was around the 7 mile marker. We disembarked from the Jana Mobile and chatted with the police monitoring this intersection (more on that in a minute) and set-up camp. Our goal was to try and see each of the East Bay Runners at this point, then catch them all again at the finish. The tricky part? We haven't met a few of them outside of Twitter. Spotting someone you know on a marathon course is tricky, but try finding someone you don't know! We came prepared for that situation with some awesome stand-out signs. No, I am not vain enough to put my own name on my sign, my goal here was that it would be easier for the runners to identify us, if they saw my Twitter handle on the sign. And it worked :-)

I figured CIM was a great time to put my rape whistle my Uncle sent me for those "solo running days" to good use. And all I can say is, it's really loud. Took a full day to get my hearing back. Sorry Beth & Karin!

As we took up post, our fingers & toes quickly became numb. The weather was around 40 degrees. But there we waited. With the help of Jessica back home who was texting us marathon split times, we were able to predict when each friend would run by. And it started...FAST Katie came whizzing by, quickly followed by Caitlin. Then the rest followed suite: Alyssa, Courtney, Angela and Naomi (we missed spotting Sesa, Michelle and Kristine).

We departed mile 7, only to learn our first mistake, take more care when parking for a marathon. We were trapped! We couldn't go right or left, as that would put us on the marathon course and we couldn't go back out the way we came, as that would entail crossing over a cement median. Here is where our reputation with Sacramento's finest would come into play. I approached the office and asked when they would allow u-turns at the intersection, to get around the median. He indicated for safety reasons, they need to wait until there is a 100-yard break between two runners; his estimate was 45 minutes from that moment. We were thoroughly depressed as that meant we might miss FAST Katie and Caitlin's finish. We pulled out to wait in the u-turn lane and within 2 minutes, the officer started to let the cars u-turn. He flashed us a big smile as we passed. The powers that three ladies can have on an officer ;-)

We decided to hit mile 20 and cheer on Caitlin and Katie before making it to the finish. These two ladies are simply amazing. The grace and speed with which they run, leaves me in awe. I will never see a 3-hour finish time, but they allowed me to experience it through them on Sunday. For that, I am thankful. For one day, I was an elite runner :-)

We had so much fun at the finish. We cheered on every runner, friend or not. This is the spot where dreams come true:

All-in-all, it was a tremendous day. I felt grateful to be part of each runners journey. They are each inspirational, amazing and beautiful. As Beth pointed out on her blog, there are some tips for those spectating a marathon:

Know what your runners are wearing to make it easier to spot them. Also, have each bib # jotted down.
Cheer for everyone! Each person out there needs encouragement. As much as possible, make eye contact with a runner and cheer as if you were speaking to them personally. You will be amazing at how many thumbs ups, smiles and thank you's you will get in return.
Ensure your signs are colorful and witty. Beth made a great sign about toenails and many runners got a kick out of it.
Ensure when parking along the course, you can easily get back out and move to your next mile post.
We learned that yelling "You did it! Smile." at the finish line was the perfect thing. So many runners cracked a smile as we screamed at them. Several looked at us and you could see the excitement creep on their face as they realized they were about to finish their marathon.
Identify a good meet-up place after. A finish line is a chaotic mess. Your runners shouldn't need to worry about tracking you down. Organize this in advance.

To the ladies of CIM who graciously allowed me to be part of their journey, you all did great. So proud of you! I've never enjoyed 26.2 miles as much as I did on Sunday!

Nike Women's Marathon Recap

2011-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday marked my 13th full marathon. I wasn't sure if 13 would be lucky or unlucky in this case. Turned out to be a bit of both.

Sunday started off well. Alarm went off at 4:20am. Got up, felt rested and alert. Showered, ate 1/2 a bagel with peanut butter on it. Walked the dog and I was off into the dark morning. The one good thing about early Sunday marathons is, no traffic!

Pre-race picture with Leonard

I made my way into San Francisco and easily found parking near the start line; Union Square. I made a pit stop in the Sir Frances Drake Hotel (which was clearly a host hotel for TNT runners) and was treated to a real bathroom, with toilet paper AND a flushing toilet. Rare find on marathon mornings.

The start area of most marathons is always an experience in and of itself. There is so much electricity and excitement in the air. I always find myself looking around and watching the faces of other runners and wondering what their story is. Is it their first marathon? Are they coming back after some set-back (illness, injury)? Are they going to have a PR today? This race however was slightly different for a few reasons.

It was mainly women. I would hazard a guess that less than 5% of the runners were male.
It was a sea of TNT runners (team in training). Lot's of purple jerseys.
There were many running abilities present

I made my way over to the school buses that were acting as the bag drop, said goodbye to my phone and all contact with the outside world and headed to the start line. No more pit stops for me. Just the infamous; stand and wait. I was lined up by 6:30am, but the next 30 minutes went by quickly. I scanned the crowds looking for any familiar faces, as I knew a lot of the people I had met recently while running would be tackling this course. I was unable to find anyone and was slightly disappointed. I wanted to offer up my "good luck" and just seeing a familiar face race morning always calms the nerves. At the last minute, I did spot Alisyn in the crowd and we spent a few minutes together before the gun went off (then we lost each other in the masses).

I had heard before hand that the Nike Women's Marathon course was not an easy one and the full marathon wasn't that well received. I was nervous and filled with anticipation to see how these two facts panned out. They pretty much were spot on.

I've run some challenging courses, but for me, this was the most challenging. I could tell by mile 1, that my legs didn't feel right. Apparently, I felt rested, but they did not. Then the hills came. It seemed like one hill after another. I recall at one point turning a corner and saying out-loud "You have got to be kidding me, another hill?". I admired all those runners around me who just powered up those hills. I kept trudging up the hills, all the while wondering if I would be able to finish this marathon. Around mile 6, I did something I rarely do, I pondered stopping right there and getting a DNF (did not finish). I just felt like I did not have it in me, which was very disappointing as 2 weeks earlier, I had a great 1/2 marathon and felt fantastic the entire time. This thought plagued me for miles. Then came mile 8. I looked left and saw them. I yelled, I jumped in the air, I waved frantically. It was Katie, Page, Dennis and Jessica. Honestly, seeing any familiar face on the sidelines is like getting a second wind. I don't quite think spectators realize the importance they play for those running the race.

Katie, Page, Dennis & Jessica's sign at mile 8

I got my second wind and I kept running. But the sails died out quickly. By mile 10 I began to second guess myself again. For the next mile I argued with myself if I should just turn off at mile 11 and finish the 1/2 marathon and be done with it. Mile 11 came and went. I continued trudging along. My mile splits were a range of times. I was not consistent to say the least. By mile 12:55, I said to myself; "just drop out. Today is not your day". I have never been closer to quitting a race than at that moment. All I kept thinking was "You have 13.5 more miles of this". I don't know how, but I just kept going. One foot in front of the other.

I began walking through the aid stations to ensure I was taking in enough fluids. I felt so thirsty the entire race. Others told me this was due to the humidity. I had taken in a gel at miles 6 and 13 and had planned my 3rd one around mile 18.

Around mile 15.5, we emerged from Golden Gate Park onto the Great Pacific Highway. I loved this portion. Not only did the weather feel cooler, but it was a nice downhill for a mile or so. I personally love the downhills and loved them even more on this day. My lungs felt like they had been working in overdrive, the downhills felt like a place for them to rest.

At mile 17, I got another treat, my friend/coworker, Jose and his son came out to cheer me on. They drove all the way from Antioch. It really meant a lot to me. I would see them again around mile 24.

Me surrounded by my posse waving at Jose

Then the clouds parted (figuratively speaking) and something wondrous happened. I had 8 miles to go. I felt drained. My mental energy was gone. And then they appeared. Katie, Page, Dennis & Jessica. I knew Katie and Jessica had planned to meet me around mile 18 to run with me the last few miles, but I had no clue Page & Dennis would be there too. I have never felt so worthy and touched. I know that sounds corny, but to have 4 people jump in (2 of them strangers) and run with me, cheer for me, pep me up, do anything they could to ensure I stayed in a straight line and got to the finish, it literally was a great moment.

By mile 19, all I could think about was an iced-cold Diet Coke. I maybe drink 1-2 per month, so no clue why that drink popped into my head, but I would have likely given $100 bucks for it had someone been holding one.

Me and the posse headed around Lake Merced. This is a 4-mile stretch with few spectators and not much scenery. The fab-4 did whatever they could to keep my spirits up. I got cheers. I got tips. I got energy from them. They also helped cheer on other runners and I witnessed a few who were walking, pick up their pace and run off into the sunset due to the encouragement of the fab-4.

I continued with my walking through aid stations. I was digging deep just to make it to that finish line. I recall asking Katie "Will we make a 4hrs 15 min? I would be extremely thrilled with that time." and she responded "No. We will not see 4hrs 15 minutes. I won't let you. You have a sub-4 in you. Let's go.". Going into this race, knowing the difficulty of the course and the not-so-great comments I had heard about the latter portion of the course, I had told myself first goal was to finish, second anything under 4:30 and your dream goal would be 4 hours.

Walk break time! (Photographer: Page)

Katie and gang were tracking my pace closely and doing the math to see how close to 4 hours I could get. It would be VERY close. At mile 26, the fab-4 bid me adieu and I was left to run the .2 miles alone. I knew they had given me a gift by running with me and I knew I had to give them something back, I kicked it into high gear and found the energy I felt missing that past 13 miles. While I didn't hit 4 hours, I came so dang close. 4 hours, 1 minute, 57 seconds. I was thrilled. I had just completed a race that only hours before I thought for certain I wouldn't finish.

I received my finishers medal, t shirt, Tiffany's necklace, got my water and headed to get my bag from the bag check.

In the end, #13 turned out to be lucky, with some unlucky challenges along the way. I was glad I overcame them, glad I finished and glad I got to do so with familiar faces. That was likely the best part of the day, sharing it with others. So many wonderful and talented women ran this race, I consider myself lucky to know a few of them.

The infamous blue Tiffany's box

I think the thing I learned the most during #13 was, I am stronger than I think I am; I just need to dig deeper. And, listen to those around you. If they say it isn't a great course, listen to them and don't run the full!

In the end, I got my iced cold Diet Coke. I was happy.

Garmin time: 4:01:55 (official time 4:01:57)
Garmin miles: 26.48 miles
58/638 (age group)
399/6121 (all marathoners)
Mile splits:
#1: 7:37
#2: 8:00
#3: 8:08
#4: 8:34
#5: 8:07
#6: 8:23
#7: 10:14 (the dreaded hills)
#8: 8:09
#9: 9:32
#10: 9:09
#11: 8:35
#12: 9:13
#13: 10:32
#14: 9:44
#15: 8:56
#16: 8:45
#17: 8:52
#18: 9:19
#19: 10:15
#20: 9:35
#21: 10:00
#22: 9:08
#23: 10:21
#24: 9:46
#25: 9:33
#26: 9:22
#26.2: 8:36

Friday Faves

2011-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

(disclaimer: totally stealing the idea of Friday Faves from Aron & Page :-P )

This post is to honor one of my faves this week - friendly faces. Two great gals I have met this year (Aron & Page) do a regular "Friday Favs" post, so this post is hommage to them and the others I have met along the way.

Working from home has its pluses and minuses. I miss seeing familiar faces each day. Collaborating with great co-workers in person. Having lunch dates. However, I love that I get to see this little guy day in & day out. He typically comes in a few times a day to my office wanting to sit on my lap and stare out the window. He is my zen in this crazy world.

(Leonard)

For those that know me well, know that I am the "Frappologist". My day isn't complete without a trip to Starbucks for a "tall-coffee lite frapp-3 pumps sugar free cinnamon dolce - sprinkle of cinnamon on top". I love that my local Sbux calls out "Hey Carter" as I walk in. A great little 90 calorie drink to perk me up each morning.

My week isn't complete without a trip to my favorite Thai restaurant in Oakland, of which, I am the Duchess on Yelp! Chai Thai Noodle is by far, the best Thai in town. Same order every time: yellow curry w/tofu + pumpkin.

I thought I was in fairly good shape. I work out 5 days a week, throw in a few races each year...then I met soccer. Soccer meet Jana's legs & lungs, Jana meet what it feels like to want to collapse after 80 minutes of running around. I am playing on a league in Brentwood with my good pal (and coworker), Jose.

Lastly, the reason for my post. My favorite part of this week (and turning into one of my favorites for the year), new faces, new running routes, new friends. Tuesday night met with a great run along the Embarcadero with fabulous faces. Thanks ladies for being my favorite of the week!

Happy weekend. Stay safe. Have fun. Be. For those running the Nike Women's Marathon or 1/2 Marathon Sunday - ROCK IT!!!

Romantic Run in SF

2011-10-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Romance doesn't come easy these days, unless you are a Bay Area Runner :-)

Aron (runnersrambles) organized a great opportunity to get out on a nice Tuesday night for a group run. I never get to the big city on weeknights, so any excuse to cross "the Bay pond" I grab on to. I said "Jana, put your big girl pants on and get on over to that big city". OK, maybe not (or maybe I did).

I picked Aron up at her great new job (Clif!) and we headed over to meet the others at the Ferry Building. I never tire of seeing these faces:

(Katie, Alyssa, Amanda, Karin - not pictured Aron)

We headed out along Fisherman's Warf and was witness to one of the more beautiful nights I have experienced in the city. We were met with view after view after view. Very romantic :-)

(Golden Gate Bridge amongst the fog)

With the Nike Women's Marathon fast approaching (5 days...EEK!), I took it easy and logged 6.19 miles with just over a 9:30 pace. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to run a slower pace. We chatted, we dodged tourists, we took pictures like tourists, laughed, strategized about upcoming races and all around had a great time. Taking the thought from Aron, it is amazing how you can meet people from all over the country on Twitter, but throw them together in a run and it is like magic. A sense of familiarity comes over us. We bond instantly and any moments of "awkward" don't make an appearance. Runners are special breeds I tell ya.

After our fabulous run, we grabbed a bite to eat at Gott's. Having never eaten there, it was a yummy spot to finish the night. What was on my menu? My go to comfort food to remind me of home (and my Grammie); grilled cheese and tomato soup. YUM!

We were sure to raise our glasses to the amazing Katie for her mind-blowing finish at last weekends Portland Marathon (can you say 3 hours people?).

A wonderful night. A wonderful group. Wonderful food. Thanks ladies for giving this gal a great night out :-)

Next up for me? This...

See you all at the finish line!

Bay Area Blogger Meet-up

2011-10-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Courtney, of Pancakes & Postcards, organized a meet-up for San Francisco Bay Area bloggers this past weekend. Most of the bloggers consisted of either running focused blogs or eating; both things I love to do (one more than the other :-P).

Saturday early afternoon, we all gathered at the Sports Basement in the Presidio. Sports Basement was awesome, they provided a great NYC loft style gathering area, food, beer and a 10% discount for shopping; which I took advantage of.

I met a few faces I had stalked on Twitter for some time and a few brand new people. There is such an energy I get from meeting inspiring people.

Saturday also happened to be Fleet Week. During our swapping of stories, we could hear and see the planes in the airshow from our vantage spot in Sports Basement. The urge finally overcame us and we took our meet-up outside to Crissy Field to watch the spectacle. It was a gorgeous day in the city.

The airshow was fantastic. With the boats in the background, the Golden Gate Bridge standing gaurd; just breathtaking. A crazy United/Continetal jumbo jet was even partaking. It flew so low to the bridge. Soon the Blue Angels took the stage and amazed us with their insane manuevers.

I never tire of the city, or my friends, or meeting new friends. San Francisco is really a cornocopia of awesomeness.

San Jose Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon Recap

2011-10-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

I am not a 1/2 marathon runner, and by that I mean, I have only run two in my running career. I always have this mentality of "If I am going to be out there running 13.1, heck, I might as well keep going and hit 26.2". It's called cruel punishment. However, that is not possible when a race only offers a 1/2 marathon.

Earlier this summer I signed up for the San Jose Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon. A coworker and a bunch of running buddies were going to run, so I thought it a perfect time to break the mold and admit that 13.1 miles is a great distance for a race. I didn't realize how unprepared I would be.

The week leading up to the race, I was at a work conference in Dallas, which equated to zero time for training. Upon my return that Thursday, I picked up the cold and maybe the flu as well. Needless to say, by Saturday night, I was hurting pretty bad. Lastly, my wonderful grandmother passed away the day before the race. I briefly considered not running due to this trifecta of events, but realized I needed to go out and see what I was made of.

Race day brought with it beautiful weather. The sky was a gentle blue with white fluffy clouds and the sun greeted us partway through the race. I had eaten half a bagel with peanut butter on my 1 hour drive down to San Jose. I felt as ready as I could be.

I met my coworker, his son (who was also running) and his great family before hand. We did our usual, fluids, potty breaks, nip guards (well, Jose did) and pre-race chatter.

The start line was fairly easy to navigate. I would say overall the start area gets 4 out of 5 stars. I did not use the bag check or porta-potties, but I didn't hear complaints about them either. The corrals were nicely laid out and easy to find. They did have corral marshals ensuring people were lined up according to their predicted finish time. I lined up in corral #2 with Jose's son, JT. Jose, due to a knee injury, lined up in a later corral with a friend of his.

JT and I spent the next 10 minutes immersed in nervous chatter. JT is in highschool and typically does cross country distances. I believe this was only his 2nd half marathon. I really enjoyed my chats with him, a great kid.

The gun goes off and so do we. It only took 39 seconds for JT and myself to cross the start line. It wasn't until 4 minutes in that I realized I forgot to start my Garmin (stop watch). OOPS!

The course itself was fantastic. It really is a flat, fast course. The streets were all fairly large, allowing plenty of space for the nearly 15K runners. Here is my pros list for this race:

Course was flat and fast
Mile markers were well marked, with electronic boards showing the elapsed time (except mile 8, I either missed the mile marker or it didn't exist)
The aid stations were well staffed. Each water/Cytomax station was long. I mean, they must have had volunteers handing out water for a good 50 yards at each station. That was great. It reduced the bottleneck of runners all trying to vie for the same cup.
I loved the 8am start
Course was well marked. Never a doubt of where I needed to turn next.

I went out, as I always do, too fast. I figured with my illness the past few days, I need to use my energy when I had it. I thought going in I might not finish the course, so I wanted to have a few good miles. Not once during the race did I look at my watch. Primarily because I was being naughty and not following my rce plan. I knew I was going to fast and superstitiously didn't want to see if I was slowing down or how fast I really was going. With each mile I kept saying to myself "Just keep up the pace for one more mile, then you can slow down". And with each passing mile, I kept saying that to myself "Just one more".

I thought about my grandmother a lot during this race. She was a great inspiration to me during the times I wanted to slow down or stop altogether. I also summoned up Gretchen Rubin's advice. I finished her book, The Happiness Project, last week and one of her mantras is "Act the way you want to feel". So, when I was tired, I mentally said to myself "You feel great" and forced a smiled. It honestly worked. I also looked around at the kids spectating and pretending to run with us, the owners and their dogs sitting on their porches waving and summoned up smiles for each of them and focused on how lucky I was to be out there.

I could feel myself tiring, but I knew I could push myself harder. I didn't want the mental part of the race to win. Around mile 6.5, I had a ray of sunshine hit me. I saw one of my running friends on the sidelines and I screamed to her and I did a little jumping up and down as I was thrilled to see a familiar face. She took this picture of me (thanks Alisyn!):

I recall around mile 6, seeing the 12 mile marker on the other side of the road. I mouthed out loud "I will see you soon mile 12" and when I hit mile 12, I said "I told you I would see you". Just part of the mental game I played during this race. Probably around mile 8, I knew I could likely keep up my too-fast pace. I wasn't sure what that pace was, but had a guess it was in the mid-8 minute per mile range.

At mile 11, I saw my friend Jose (who had to pull up lame duck due to his knee) and waved madly at him. I couldn't slow down at all and mouthed/gestured that I had to keep going. I could hear him saying "Go, go".

In the final mile, I played the "Jose game". During a previous race with him, he kept telling me to "pick off a runner" (i.e. get ahead of them), so, in the final mile, I kept picking off runners. I likely shouldn't admit that some of those runners I picked off were walking or completely stopped, but hey, that counts!

I was very glad to see the finish line and Jose's family on the sidelines. I was even more glad to see my final time was 1:47:19. My fastest race ever. I guess I had more in me than I imagined.

Final time: 1:47.19 (PR by 10 minutes)
1203/9831 runners
220/5416 females
49/949 age group

I give this race an A+. After the race, I was lucky enough to finally meet a fellow Twunner (new word, Twitter + runner) @pavementrunner. Always great to put faces to Tweets. I then met up with some fellow runners for a birthday celebration (not mine).

I couldn't stay the entire breakfast and eventually had to leave. But not before I stopped and got myself a post-race treat. Yes, my coffee lite frapp, with 3 pumps sugar free cinnamon, double blended. They don't call me the Frappologist for nothing :-)

I was all smiles the rest of the day. I really was shocked by my finish time. I still cannot believe it. This girl still has a little something left in her :-) Thank you San Jose for a great race!

Until next year San Jose...

In the words of my late grandmother, "I didn't pick you, you picked us, we were the lucky ones". I feel the same about this race. It didn't pick me, I chose it, but I hope I added something unique to the experience.

Next up...Nike Women's Full Marathon in 2 weeks. EEK!

San Jose Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon Prep

2011-09-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday I will do something I haven't done before; run a 1/2 marathon as a training run. This is a new phenomenon for me. Run a race, but not really race it, just use it as practice? How is that even possible? If you know me at all, I have zero patience and rarely play by the rules. However, come Sunday, I will try and use this 13.1 miles as any other training run. I won't go out too fast. I won't compete with those around me. I won't mentally psych myself up for getting a PR (personal record). I will simply lace up my shoes, go out and imagine running with my closest 15K friends.

Sunday is the San Jose Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon; and only my 3rd half marathon overall. I'm excited to see how it goes and see if I can practice the art of "patience grasshopper"; the infamous words of my dad. Two weeks from Sunday is "race day". The Nike Womens full marathon in San Francisco.

On a side note, two things not in my favor for the 1/2 this Sunday. Well, three really:

I woke up with a sore throat and not feeling well today (after being in Dallas all week)
I haven't run since last week due to work travels
I am still completely sore from my first soccer game in 21 years last Sunday

Well, here is to being patient. I even laugh as I write that.

1 Year, 365 Days, 525,600 Minutes

2011-09-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

...the length of time since I whispered in her ear "Thank you for being my puppy. Have a safe journey.".

Reflection. I reflect back on the life of a furry little girl who was taken too soon. Her name was Lola. She was the calm in my sea of storm. She remains my proudest moment. She had bone cancer. She fought. She died. The tears are still here. The hole left behind remains. I still reflect back and wonder if I did the right thing. Fight harder? Do differently? Do nothing and save her the endless vet visits? Through it all, regardless of pain, she loved me and I her.

She was brave. I love her. I miss her. I grieve still.

Run + Ramen

2011-09-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met the ladies (Katie, Alyssa, Alisyn) for a run in San Francisco. Now this is a treat for me. I rarely get to "the big city" for runs; and certainly not on a work night. It was foggy and windy, so your typical San Fran day. We met under the big clock at Fisherman's Wharf and immediately got into our stride. Great conversation followed, by a few wacky moments. Hey, runners are not all serious :-P

I logged 6.6 miles @ 8:27 pace. Runs certainly are more enjoyable when shared with friends!

The best part? RAMEN after. Why else did you think I named the post "run + ramen"?. There is a great place over in the Inner Richmond area called Genki Ramen. They serve tasty noodle bowls and is the perfect anecdote to a chilly run.

Thanks ladies and see you soon!

The People You Meet in Yum Yum

2011-09-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I tried something new. Thought outside the box. Colored outside the lines. Broke the rules. Dared to be different. Tested my comfort levels. I dined with 5 complete strangers. *GASP*, yes, I said strangers. Actually, one of them, Courtney, wasn't a complete stranger. She is an awesome gal I met at a recent running event, but going into tonight, I knew very little of her. I had the pleasure of learning more about her life and seeing her infections personality spill over.

A week ago I had signed up for my first GrubWithUs dinner. It's a funky, mostly unknown, site that organizes dinners in various cities around the US and allows strangers to come together for a great meal and even greater conversation.

We all met at Yum Yum Hunan Garden in San Francisco and spent the next 1.5 hours covering conversations from work, to play, from pets to potstickers. All while enjoying a 10 course meal.

Some might think it uncomfortable to knowingly dine with strangers, but it was oddly beautiful and communal. I met 5 wonderful people from a Yelper, to a runner, to a gal who reminded me of my cousin Nina, from a dog lover to a fellow "work from home" guy, that I would otherwise have never met. The great thing about it is you get to try a vast array of the menu. Ours consisted of:

Hot & Sour Soup

Spinach & Tofu Soup

Vegetarian Pot-Stickers

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Bok Choy w/Mushrooms

Vegetarian Orange Chicken

Salt & Pepper Tofu

Fried Bananas

*Not pictured is Kung Pao Tofu and Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce.

All in all, this was a fantastic experience. I will defintely come back to Yum Yum, will most certainly enjoy the experience of another GrubWithUs dinner and I hope to see the 5 strangers I met at a table of mine in the future.

Runners Etiquette

2011-07-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have been invited to several great group runs. They really have invigorated my running mojo. So thank to those ladies!

Sunday I had planned to run with said ladies, but alas, I show up and those speedy gals were already done. This led to a 9 mile solo run.

It also led me to think about running etiquette as I was put to the test while dodging runners, walkers, bikers, baby strollers and other moving devices on the Golden Gate Bridge. Here is my list of running etiquette I have developed over the years:

Acknowledge your fellow runners. A nod, a smile, a verbal hello *gasp*, all is welcome and really builds the community of running. One of my good running buddies, Jerry, taught me this. It is how we met actually. He said one day while running "Hello" and a beautiful friendship was formed.
GIVE WAY TO CYCLISTS. Not that cyclists don’t break etiquette or deserve that middle finger from time to time, but cyclists are not as nimble as runners. They are also often going faster than runners, so if you can, make way for them. Help reduce the recipe for a collision.
Say excuse me if you bump into a walker. Yes, walkers can be annoying, but remember, that person is out getting exercise too. So if you bump into a walker trying to pass, a friendly “excuse me” can go a long way regardless of fault.
Look both ways when crossing the street. Don’t assume cars see you. Also look when crossing a driveway, who knows what is barreling down.
Don’t throw trash on the ground. If you have to hold your empty Gu pack for 10 miles, do it. Don’t litter. It isn’t attractive.
Watch out for cracks! This is from personal experience, if you are running on uneven surface, keep that head down, or be prepared for $$ ER visits :-)
Carry a cell phone, cc and at least $1 in cash on every run. You never know when it will come in handy.
CARRY ID! Name, emergency contact and allergies.
If you are running in an unknown area or a long distance, leave your race plan with a friend.
Don’t judge others. If they are running slow, they are taller, shorter, larger, smaller. Everyone is on their own journey, don’t judge if they should be out there or not.
Please, before blowing a snot rocket, check down wind. And if in the presence of non-runners, don’t do it. Non-runners will never understand the virtue of a snot rocket.
Lastly, as @RunnersRambles suggests, don't judge a run by the first few miles. This etiquette is for you, not others, give yourself the respect of persevering and seeing what those legs are made of. I can't tell you how many runs (including marathons) I thought about giving up in the first 2 miles, but turned into one of my favorite runs.

I don’t claim to always follow these, I surely need to do a better job of being a pleasant runner on the roads, but I try!

The Privilege of Running

2011-07-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

When I stop and think about running, through my bouts of loving it and hating it, I never let myself forget that running is a privilege. It isn't a right, or a pastime, or some leisurely thing. It truly is a privilege to lace up my shoes, put one foot in front of the other and run. Run short or far, fast or slow. It is so easy to take for granted. We rarely think about what it takes for our bodies to go right foot-left foot-right foot-left foot.

This is usually the thing I focus on during a marathon when I feel like quitting or sitting down and not getting back up. I am privileged to be out there running.

Now, I won't lie. It doesn't soften every run. Make my legs feel magically alive and free of pain, but it mentally pushes me to the limit, doesn't let me dwell on how tired I am or why do I have to suffer the pain of this marathon.

This "privilege" is never more apparent than when I hear of someone who cannot run. Not because they are clumsy or non-athletic, but because their body is failing them in some way. I know this gal, not even 40, her body is slowly being controlled by multiple sclerosis. MS is an auto-immune disease that in some form or fashion affects the central nervous system. Often times making it hard for its hosts to use their limbs, whether it be feet, legs, hands or arms. It also impacts the brain. There is no cure. There isn't even a great deal to delay its advancement on the body.

When I hear this gal tell me her legs give way. She falls. She has a harder time walking. She feels tired often. She is more prone to illnesses like the common cold and flu. I wonder what she wouldn't give to run a mile. Would she relish in the pain that the mile would bring her. The burning lungs, the tired legs, the sweat on the brow.

My second thought is often of guilt. The guilt that I can run. That I was given the privilege of running and she wasn't. I like to think this is a normal reaction and that most sisters would feel this if it were their sister with MS.

I run most steps for my sister. My sister is a runner, just not in the typical sense. She is through me.

Running Outside of the Box

2011-06-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

As I was running tonight, I thought to myself how much I have come out of my safety shell since I became a runner. There are things I would do now I would never have dreamed of prior to running. That got me thinking of my list. Here it is.

Things I would do as a runner, I wouldn’t do before:

Pick up a dirty rubber band off the ground and use it in my hair
Blow a snot rocket
Give up a Saturday or Sunday glued to my computer monitoring friends’ progress in various marathons or triathlons
Plan an entire days meals around a single run
Plan a vacation around training (or better yet, fly somewhere to run and call it a vacation)
Share a water bottle (I still have a hard time at this, but when in need!)
Use a port-o-potty (for those that know me, they know I am a germaphobe)
Dig in the dirty clothes pile for a workout outfit and using the "sniff" test and realizing "not too smelly" was good enough
Spend more money on shoes and clothes from stores with “Running” in the title vs. stores with “Nordstroms” in the title
Turn down invites because it would interfere with a run

Runners are creatures of habit I have found out. We are also clever, using what is at our disposal to get the job done. I certainly have changed since I started running, hopefully for the better :-)

Hello, You. Nice to See you Again.

2011-06-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

I’m a runner, or so I thought I was. Running and me have taken a break lately. Like in relationships, sometimes you need space to gain perspective, respect and renewed passion. People have asked what caused my break, or “loss of running mojo” as I like to call it, and I typically pause to ponder the question. In the end, I think it was a trifecta of events. First, and most impacting, I lost the love of my life, my Lola. People never can understand how a dog can cause me to lose interest in running, but when she past, I lost interest in a lot of things; uncertain how to gain back the passion I once had for life. The other two events were I moved from Sonoma County to Oakland and lastly, the lack of good running routes. An important run is one I can do right out my front door, in varying distances. That is hard when you live in the land of ginormous hills and frankly, when you don’t know anyone.

But, a funny thing happened today. I met a bunch of runners. And oddly enough, I saw my running mojo intermingled in them all. It is surprising what another runner can do for your own running. I hadn’t met most of these 16 fabulous ladies, but I could see a piece of myself in all of them. The enthusiasm they had for running, the stories only a runner could tell (and understand), the runners clothes, shoes and runners high when the run was finished. That was all me 10 months ago. Just maybe, I’m finding my way back. And these ladies didn’t even know the role they played (and will play) in my re-debut back into running. For this alone, I am grateful to each of them and humbled that they allowed me into their circle.

(Photo Credit: RunnersRambles)

As I explained to one of the runners today, there is a culture among runners you can’t find elsewhere. It is only with fellow runners can conversations flow from boob-chaffing, to marathon tinkling to using port-o-potties as a bomb shelter. Only in running have I found that even on the first date, the typical wall of privacy is down, conversations flow despite the anonymity between the two and there is immediate commonalities. One thing binds us all; we all lace up the same pair of shoes (figuratively) and step out the door…to run.

I’m not sure how often I will post, but I vow to do so more regularly than I have. I am bummed that my former running blog on Windows Live Spaces is no longer in existence when they shut down the blogging service. I lost a bunch of great posts. I guess now I have to make up for lost time.

A Puppy Remembered

2010-11-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

It has taken me longer than I anticipated to write this post. Almost 2 months to be exact.

On September 14, 2010, at 9:40pm, I let my puppy go. Or rather, I think she let me go. She had fought bone cancer for 6.5 months and her little body was tired and her spirit was down. She was ready. Or at least I hope she was.

Her rib tumor was growing in size and I knew she was uncomfortable. She was not eating at all. On her last day I struggled to get her to eat 1 tsp of oatmeal. Her limp was overwhelming and I knew. I had made an appointment for the vets that evening to have her evaluated, to see if it were time. I did not go in thinking I was putting my baby to sleep, but in the back of my mind, I knew I was not walking out with her.

Lola despised car rides. Most car rides led to the vets, so she hated riding in cars the final months of her life. This night was no different. She sat on my lap, her head resting on my shoulder. I could see the worry in her eye and I just did my best to hold her tight and soak in every second.

At the vets, they had blankets laid out on the floor in anticipation that she would be put to sleep that night. Oddly enough, Lola walked into the room and immediately laid down; something she normally wouldn't do. It was at that moment that I finally thought "She is so tired and in so much pain, she wants to be set free.".

I laid with her in the room for about 1.5 hours. I covered her with one of her favorite blankets from home. I petted her. I tried to memorize every inch, every line of her body in those final moments. I told her how much I loved her and would miss her and how very sorry I am that her life was cut so short.

Around 9:30pm, the vet came in and begin to set Lola free. At 9:40pm, her heart stopped, and so did mine. There she lay, limp, lifeless, but free of the body that failed her. I kissed her on her nose and finally said "Thank you for being my puppy, have a safe journey.", looked at her for the last time and finally walked out.

I thought it would be easier, or at least get easier, not having her in my life. However, I was not prepared for the deep sorrow I feel and the overwhelming grief I feel at her absence. I miss her like crazy.

I still talk to her from time to time. I often look at her pictures. And I still tell her I love her.

I don't regret having Lola, even if for only 19 months. I don't regret the cost and time involved in fighting her cancer. My only regret is that she had to suffer in her short life.

If love could have saved her, she would have lived forever.

The Grace of a Puppy

2010-08-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

I spend most of my free time with Lola in her final weeks. It has allowed me plenty of opportunities to study her and see the things I didn't bother to notice before. I have come to realize what grace she has. She is slowly, well, actually, quickly, dying inside, but yet she finds the new in everything. She carries herself as if today is not her last day. She gains interest in the slightest thing as if everything is wondrous. But most importantly, she acts so brave. My dog is a shining example of grace and how to capture each moment and make the most of each day.

I often wonder if she realizes how dire her condition is. There is a part of me that hopes she never realizes what horrible disease has attacked her body. She doesn't have to live with the knowledge that today could be her last. However, there is a flip side to this. She is so unsuspecting and that breaks my heart. Breaks my heart to know that this spunky little girl is living on borrowed time, and she doesn't even know it.

My puppy has grace. She is grace, my saving grace. Puppies can really make everything better. I truly believe that. I don't think it is Chicken Soup for the Soul, but rather, Puppies for the Soul.

10 Things I Learned from Lola

2010-08-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Always greet those you love with excitement, it never gets old
It is never too early or too late to play
Eating on a regular schedule, in controlled portions, is great for the waste line
A kiss can really say it all
Saying I'm sorry immediately after a 'wrong' is a good thing
Sometimes it's OK to chase the birds and be free
You can never have too much snuggle time
A best friend can be furry and on all fours
It is easy to fall in love, but very difficult to fall out
Life really is too short

Her Name is Lola...

2010-08-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Lola. The word alone brings a smile to my face. Lola is my saving grace, my muse, my laughter and the love of my life. She's also my puppy. Well, not exactly a puppy, but at 1 year and 8 months, she will always be a puppy to me.
Lola has terminal cancer.
So please indulge me if my posts for now tend to sway more towards Lola and what she is going through vs running.

Seven months ago Lola was diagnosed with bone cancer. Osteosarcoma of the ribs to be more precise. It is typically a deadly disease that strikes larger dogs and/or older dogs. She was 15 months old and 30lbs. My options were limited. I was given the choice of letting her go gracefully, which all I heard was "30 days to live", or I could be more aggressive and see what kind of miracle she was. I opted for the miracle, perhaps the selfish route.

On March 3, Lola had 3 ribs removed, followed by 6 rounds of chemo, which ended in June. Prognosis for dogs with bone cancer, who opt for surgery + chemo, is usually death within a year. But she was so young and healthy otherwise. Her oncologist and myself were hopeful that if anyone could persevere, it was Lola.

With her last round of chemo in June, she was given a diagnosis of "remission". Her lungs were clear, her blood work perfect. Aside from her spare ribs (I nicknamed the wire mesh that took the place of her ribs "her spare ribs"), one would never know Lola was fighting for her life. It was a breath of fresh air to be finally done with week in and week out of vet visits. Lola could be free to be and to play and to heal.

In late July, I felt another lump on her ribs. My breath caught and I thought "oh no". It was quickly determined the lump was bone cancer. Back in March, I had promised Lola we would go the invasive route only once. I wouldn't put her through it again. I kept to my word and two weeks after finding lump #2, I am watching the life drain from my puppy.

She is night & day from how she was one month ago. She doesn't want to eat. She limps. She can't "run like a fast girl". She lost the "puppy" from her. She's 20 months old and can't chase the birds or lay comfortably on her left side (her lump side). Life was taken from her.

The oncologist has said "4 weeks". I can't even quite type what will occur in about 4 weeks, all I can say is "4 weeks".

It is very painful watching her fade. Selfishly, I need her. I can't imagine life without her. Then there is the guilt. The guilt I couldn't save her. The guilt of having put her through the past 6 months of being poked & prodded by vets.

She saved me and I couldn't save her. I can't quite get over that.

New Blog

2010-08-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Feeling in a new spot in my life, I decided to start a new blog. I was previously known as Jana's Joint, but have since decided to renew myself and my blog. The bloggers the same, just a new joint.

I will primarily talk about running and my attempt at running upright versus laying helpless on the sidewalk, but there will be times when I stray from topic and discuss things that impact my running or my life in general. Like my muse, Lola.