Where have I been? I guess you can say I have been waiting for the right moment to start blogging again and that time is now. I am not sure how I would describe my running this year except to say that it has been a long journey trying to get back to a normal running routine and the most difficult thing is just trying to get back into running shape and finding that running identity that I once had. I think people just imagine that you wake up, put on a pair a shoes and start running down the street but what they really don’t know are the struggles to keep yourself healthy and driven to run and to compete day in and day out. My goal this year was to race less and to try to focus on getting stronger and healthier but somehow I found myself just as injured and running less. I began to try and cram in one day of running out of the week but on that one day, I tried to go out all and the only result was injury after injury. I kept looking for some kind of magic without putting in the time and effort that I once did in the past. What I quickly realized was how much of my competitive spirit and drive I had lost. When you are not competing and racing you just feel less inclined to run hard. I noticed that I would go out on a run but if I didn’t feel it, I would just shut it down. I felt like there was no need to push myself but I never trained this way in the past.
In August, I decided it was time to get back to hard knocks. I have really been waiting a whole year to redeem my running performance at the Point Mugu trail race in October so I figured what I needed to do was get back to Point Mugu State park and just familiarize myself with the trail. It only took a few minutes on the trail to realize that this trail was truly my nemesis. A few minutes into running at Point Mugu and I had a flashback to last year when I ran the race and basically was out of the race within the first 5 minutes. I have never felt that way in a race but it was a good experience for me, one that has haunted me the last year so I have spent just about every weekend running at Point Mugu. Some days it was so hot I felt like I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion but I kept pushing on. I was battling two things. One was trying to get back into running shape and the other is the memory of last year’s race.
In the last few weeks, I really started to find myself and I discovered what was missing and it was that edge that I once ran with and the drive that I had for running. How do you get it back? I am not sure but out on the trail when it is 96 degrees and you have to run up one of the more leg busting trails in California, you have to ask yourself how much you want it. You have to push until you have nothing left. I would wake up Monday morning barely able to walk but it felt good because I knew I had found that feeling I lost. Now the even more difficult thing lies ahead and that is running the trail race in two weeks. I know I have put in time, the training, and enough sweat to fill up a bucket but I am just hoping to put it all together on race day.
I am ready to step back into the spotlight.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Beat Down But Not Broken
I cannot believe it is August already. For the last 7 years, I have averaged at least 14 running events per so looking at the calendar, I cannot believe that I have only run in 3 running events this year and the last one was in April. I have had long layoff but I also know that it has just been a tremendous battle to get back to the level of running that I am accustom to. After running the trail race in April, I just felt like my body was worn down. I started to skip running events because I just felt like I was not prepared. The events came and went but for the first time I also felt like I could skip an event. In the past, I ran an event just because I was afraid to turn it down and I felt like skipping an event meant that I was losing my edge but I learned the hard way last year by trying to run event after event without rest and while hurt and my performances continued to decline. I have been pounding the road for over eight year’s straight without a break and it was time for a break.
Most people tried to come back slow and ease back into things but not me. In my normal fashion, I went out at the beginning of July and tried to run on one of the hardest trails in the state up at Mt. Wilson and just my luck, I hurt my foot running downhill so it seemed like my comeback was on hold once again. I woke up the day after Mt. Wilson and my foot was swollen, and I could not walk without limping. I knew something was wrong. I decided to go get an x-ray to be sure I did not break my foot. I am lucky because there are no broken bones in my foot but there is still the factor of having a stress fracture which basically means running must come to a halt but for some reason, I saw this as a challenge. All of a sudden, I felt like I had to get out and run or do something so instead of resting, I got up the next morning and road my bike down to the SM stairs. Then the next day I got up and hit a trail and walked about 3 miles. I had to battle pain in my foot every step of the way but refused to stop. Sure, I know that I am crazy and I am risking further injury but I am a runner and runners do things that make no sense but one thing I will not do is make excuses.
It has been over 10 months since I have last run a 5k but this Saturday, I am choosing to come out of the shadows and run the Filipino 5k which is one of the worst courses in a 5k but I love the challenge and I love the event so I plan to run it year after year whether I am hurt or not. It has been a long road and I have a long way to but I embrace the challenge.
One step at a time…
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Mountains Have Mercy on Me
My last blog, I was so pumped up about trail running and the Western States 100 mile trail race documentary I’d just watched. I sure could have used some of that enthusiasm and energy going into the Malibu Creek 22k trail race on Sunday. Last year, I ran the Malibu Creek 22k after spending the previous years running the 6k. I felt like it was time to move up in distance and I wanted to challenge myself to do something different and out of my comfort zone. Well last year, I was pretty uncomfortable in the race at mile 3 and felt that way up the mountain until mile 6. That part of the trail at Malibu creek is known as bulldog and there is a reason why. You feel like a bulldog is biting at your calves, hamstring, quads and everything else. I remember last year thinking it was one of the most miserable events I had ever done beside the Filipinotown 5k but I finished the trail race in 3 hours and 2 minutes. I was not happy but finishing was the goal. I had my sights on returning this year and I wanted to improve my time by over 20 minutes. The goal was to finish around 2:35 or 2:40, which to me seemed reasonable but Sunday, my body and my mind had other plans.
Before I could catch my breath and stretch a bit, they were sounding the horn for the race to start. If you know anything about running, you at least want a few minutes to warm up before climbing upwards for more than 5 miles. I had no rhythm to start the race. I ran as slow and conservative as I could because I knew that we would have a modest hill to deal with before dropping downhill for a mile then back to the climb of doom. I felt pretty good but as we passed by site where the television show Mash was filmed, this feeling of déjà vu came over me. I knew what was coming. That mean old bulldog was just around the corner and whether I wanted to deal with him or not, he would be there.
As the slow climb started, I just felt like I had no life. My energy seemed all but zapped. This is only 3 miles into the race and there were 11 more miles to go. We all have moments, days, weeks, where there is just something you absolutely just dread having to do and even though you know you have to do it, you procrastinate and you make it that much harder. Well, that is how I felt at that point of the race. The sun had decided it would shine through and boy did it. I felt my left leg get heavy as the climb started. Then my right calve felt a little tight. At this point, I had begun the battle with my psyche. I didn’t’ want to walk but I had 3 more miles to the somewhat relief point on the trail but that just means a little bit of downhill before going back up. In any case, I started walking. Once you start walking, you have pretty much made up your mind on how the rest of the race is going to go. I knew right then and there that I was in a dogfight for the second year in a row at this race but this time I was really in no mood.
When we hit mile 4, it seemed like it got hotter and the incline became steeper. My legs were slowly tiring and my mood and confidence was ever so shaky but I kept on climbing. I would someone gather up the mustard to run to try to get something going but that would last all but a minute if that. I started cranking up the sound on the ipod but that did absolutely nothing. I kept thinking how in the hell could this trail be this brutal. By mile 5, I was walking slower and slower. I was slouching more and that started to aggravate my back. I was like a wounded soldier who had been pinned down and each of his weapons were out of ammo. I had nothing left. No drive, no spirit and just when I wanted to throw in the towel, we got to mile 6 where there was a brief sigh because we have some downhill ahead of us but I had run into another dilemma. I used everything I had to get up that hill and my legs were almost deadlocked. I could barely pick my legs up to run downhill and when I finally began to get in the groove, I felt my left calve twinge and I knew that could only mean one thing. I had already lost way too much in fluids and the cramping would be just around the corner. It was just not my day but I knew I had one goal, and that was to make it to mile 9 where the trail basically shot downhill until mile 12 where you then had to go back uphill for a mile. We rolled up and down from mile 6 to mile 9 and when mile 9 came, I had one mission and that was to show every single person who had passed me uphill that they would never see me again once the downhill started but I had my work cutoff for me because immediately my legs started to cramp but I ignored them and the pain and I just let go and down the hill I went.
Downhill running is one of my favorite things but it is also damaging for your quads and shins. Too many people run downhill like they have their foot on the brake at the same time. Too be successful at downhill running, you have to let go of the brake otherwise you are pulling up while trying to run down and that just kills your quads and kills your shins. It is not easy to just let go especially on a trail like Malibu because the downhill is treacherous and relentless. At some point you feel like you are running downhill for an hour and for me, I was running at least a 7 minute mile at that point. I blew past people who I had not seen since mile 5 or 6. I was in such a groove but I knew one thing and that was at mile 13, we would be going back up a nasty climb so whatever I spent on that downhill would come back to bite me and it did. I was all by myself for a while and when I hit mile 13 every muscle imaginable cramped up including my damn glute muscle. At this point of the race, my body had nothing left. I spent everything I had and now I was in danger of being caught by all those people I zoomed past on the way down but I gritted it out to the top and somehow I managed to finish essentially alone.
I worked my ass off on Sunday and that 20-minute improvement I was hoping for did not happen. I finished 4 minutes better than last year. Something I am not extremely happy about but I know it is a positive so I will take it for now but the mystery of trail running still remains. I know there are a lot of things I need to improve on and one is going back out and really training on the hills. Trails are great and fun but the hills can be miserable. I know that I pride myself on being a great downhill runner but the truth of the matter is, that has made a me a bad overall trail runner because I have relied on making up the difference in time on the downhill so I am not putting in the same effort on the uphill portion of the race. Achievements never come in halves so I have to put in the extra work in order to be a complete tail runner.
For now, I will take a deep breath and get ready for the next hill that comes my way…
Friday, March 30, 2012
Trailmix....
A couple of days ago, I watched “Unbreakable”. I know the first thing that pops into everyone’s mind is the Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson movie but this is far from it. Unbreakable the documentary is about the legendary trail race the Western States 100 and by 100 I mean a 100-mile trail race. The race hast been in existence for some time now but in 2010, there was this epic battle because the race had four of the top ultra runner’s running the race so the documentary gives you a little history on the race and these ultra running giants who have all signed up to run the race. If you are a geeks like and subscribe to trailrunner magazine then you would know I am talking about Anton Kuprica, Kilian Jornet, Hal Koerner and Geoff Roes. For those who are not aware, I may have run ten marathons total but my true passion has been on the trails.
It has been some time now but I remember taking the challenge of going up to the Los Liones trail in the Santa Monica mountains with Sandra who was a rep at Ortho-McNeil. Sandra bragged about how in shape she was and how she always did this hike before work. I just bragged. So we met up one day after work at the trail and away we went. I remember Sandra was walking at a blazing speed and I was feeling like I was going to die. We walked all the way to the top and though I was in agony, I refused to stop. To make matters worse for me, Sandra decided she wanted to run the whole 3.5 miles back which at the time was a distance that I was not use to. In the end, my legs were battered and beaten as well as my ego but something within me liked the challenge I had just went through. Something about the trails intrigued me. It was leg busting and backing breaking just to walk uphill but when running through the technical parts of the narrow trail I seemed to come alive. I felt like I could run forever. I knew from then on, I would be drawn to the trails and trail running.
My first trail running event was back in 2005 when I ran the 6k Xterra Malibu Creek Challenge. I had year of running under my belt and I just knew I was ready. The race might have had about 200 people so it was still new and unknown to many which was awesome. When the race started, I took off down a flat road. I thought I was golden until we made a turn and started winding gradually up a hill. That’s where my legs gradually burned and my lungs felt like they were on fire. What was going on here? All of a sudden I found myself walking and not only that, I was tired. We made it up the hill and the course turned up another climb. I gathered myself and started running but no sooner had I got about 50 feet I had to stop and being that we were on a single-track trail the proper thing to do is step to the side. The next thing I knew I was stepping aside more and more and it seemed as if the entire field of runners were going by me. After being a lame duck on the incline I caught a break with a fast downhill where I then encountered a new problem I had never experienced before. In a street race, you have plenty of road to run around people but on a trail if someone is in front of you especially on a downhill it is suicide to try going around them without possibly injuring them or yourself so you have to just be patient and that is what I did but I lost so much time and momentum. I tried sprinting the last mile and a half of the race and just burnt out with a ¼ of a mile left. That was the longest 6k of my life and it was only 36 minutes.
One would think that after that experience I would be discouraged but the race was exciting and it taught me that I knew nothing about trail running and that I obviously did not do enough hill running and spend nearly as much time on the trails in order to do well.
I think to date, I have run over 10 trail running events. Last was by far the most challenging and disappointing for me and running and the trails. Instead of running the normal Malibu Creek Challenge 6k I decided it was time to up the stakes and run the 22k race and challenge myself and boy did I. I sucked half of the race. I pretty much walked after mile 4 all the way up to mile 7 then woke up and finished strong the second half of the race. I was please overall because I got close to the time I predicted I would cross the finish line. I followed up that race with a painful and utterly disappointing performance at the Point Mugu 11k. In 2010, I ran Point Mugu for the first time with my friend Dave and I came in 4th in my age division and so in 2011 I had a goal to return and win my division or place in the top 3 but if you remember from some of my previous blogs the race was a disaster. I took a nasty fall training at Point Mugu two weeks before the race and my legs just did not recover in time for the race. I was mentally and physically out of that race within 5 minutes of the start. I made a great surge and tried to make a comeback towards the end of the race but several runners on the downhill refused to move out of my way and with only about .2 miles to go I literally stopped and walked to the end. I had never been do disgusted with myself but I knew that I had been running to hard and too much that year and it showed so I took some time off.
I started out the year running the Boney Mountain 21k which was the hardest race in the Xterra series. This race was a test of all test with a climb from mile 7 all the way up to mile 11. That is something no runner wants to see on an elevation chart but I gave myself a modest goal for the race and beat it by 4 minutes. So is there a 100 miler in my future? I am not sure but when I watched the documentary on the Western States 100, it started to excite me. These guys are out here pushing themselves to limits that few can comprehend but there’s something about nature that few understand. The trails are about enjoying the trees, the scenery, and the moment. Trail running is about freedom from the city, from people, and from all that, which seems harmful. I think you begin to develop as a runner because you constantly pay attention to your surroundings and environment and what is up ahead and around the corner. You develop instincts like jumping over rocks or slowing up on downhill turn or skipping over certain sections. You develop so many tactical skills and strength and resolve to continue to climb up winding inclines that never seem to end.
We are fortunate to be in a city with access to hundred of hiking trails and national parks and all I ever hear from people is how they need to escape. Well, next time you are feeling crowded and stressed by all that is going on in your life, escape 10 miles to the SM mountains and take a nice stroll on the trails. Who knows you might see a bear and then you’ll discover what trail running is all about!
It has been some time now but I remember taking the challenge of going up to the Los Liones trail in the Santa Monica mountains with Sandra who was a rep at Ortho-McNeil. Sandra bragged about how in shape she was and how she always did this hike before work. I just bragged. So we met up one day after work at the trail and away we went. I remember Sandra was walking at a blazing speed and I was feeling like I was going to die. We walked all the way to the top and though I was in agony, I refused to stop. To make matters worse for me, Sandra decided she wanted to run the whole 3.5 miles back which at the time was a distance that I was not use to. In the end, my legs were battered and beaten as well as my ego but something within me liked the challenge I had just went through. Something about the trails intrigued me. It was leg busting and backing breaking just to walk uphill but when running through the technical parts of the narrow trail I seemed to come alive. I felt like I could run forever. I knew from then on, I would be drawn to the trails and trail running.
My first trail running event was back in 2005 when I ran the 6k Xterra Malibu Creek Challenge. I had year of running under my belt and I just knew I was ready. The race might have had about 200 people so it was still new and unknown to many which was awesome. When the race started, I took off down a flat road. I thought I was golden until we made a turn and started winding gradually up a hill. That’s where my legs gradually burned and my lungs felt like they were on fire. What was going on here? All of a sudden I found myself walking and not only that, I was tired. We made it up the hill and the course turned up another climb. I gathered myself and started running but no sooner had I got about 50 feet I had to stop and being that we were on a single-track trail the proper thing to do is step to the side. The next thing I knew I was stepping aside more and more and it seemed as if the entire field of runners were going by me. After being a lame duck on the incline I caught a break with a fast downhill where I then encountered a new problem I had never experienced before. In a street race, you have plenty of road to run around people but on a trail if someone is in front of you especially on a downhill it is suicide to try going around them without possibly injuring them or yourself so you have to just be patient and that is what I did but I lost so much time and momentum. I tried sprinting the last mile and a half of the race and just burnt out with a ¼ of a mile left. That was the longest 6k of my life and it was only 36 minutes.
One would think that after that experience I would be discouraged but the race was exciting and it taught me that I knew nothing about trail running and that I obviously did not do enough hill running and spend nearly as much time on the trails in order to do well.
I think to date, I have run over 10 trail running events. Last was by far the most challenging and disappointing for me and running and the trails. Instead of running the normal Malibu Creek Challenge 6k I decided it was time to up the stakes and run the 22k race and challenge myself and boy did I. I sucked half of the race. I pretty much walked after mile 4 all the way up to mile 7 then woke up and finished strong the second half of the race. I was please overall because I got close to the time I predicted I would cross the finish line. I followed up that race with a painful and utterly disappointing performance at the Point Mugu 11k. In 2010, I ran Point Mugu for the first time with my friend Dave and I came in 4th in my age division and so in 2011 I had a goal to return and win my division or place in the top 3 but if you remember from some of my previous blogs the race was a disaster. I took a nasty fall training at Point Mugu two weeks before the race and my legs just did not recover in time for the race. I was mentally and physically out of that race within 5 minutes of the start. I made a great surge and tried to make a comeback towards the end of the race but several runners on the downhill refused to move out of my way and with only about .2 miles to go I literally stopped and walked to the end. I had never been do disgusted with myself but I knew that I had been running to hard and too much that year and it showed so I took some time off.
I started out the year running the Boney Mountain 21k which was the hardest race in the Xterra series. This race was a test of all test with a climb from mile 7 all the way up to mile 11. That is something no runner wants to see on an elevation chart but I gave myself a modest goal for the race and beat it by 4 minutes. So is there a 100 miler in my future? I am not sure but when I watched the documentary on the Western States 100, it started to excite me. These guys are out here pushing themselves to limits that few can comprehend but there’s something about nature that few understand. The trails are about enjoying the trees, the scenery, and the moment. Trail running is about freedom from the city, from people, and from all that, which seems harmful. I think you begin to develop as a runner because you constantly pay attention to your surroundings and environment and what is up ahead and around the corner. You develop instincts like jumping over rocks or slowing up on downhill turn or skipping over certain sections. You develop so many tactical skills and strength and resolve to continue to climb up winding inclines that never seem to end.
We are fortunate to be in a city with access to hundred of hiking trails and national parks and all I ever hear from people is how they need to escape. Well, next time you are feeling crowded and stressed by all that is going on in your life, escape 10 miles to the SM mountains and take a nice stroll on the trails. Who knows you might see a bear and then you’ll discover what trail running is all about!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Cats Have 9 Lives, I have 9 LA Marathon Completions
I hate making excuses especially when I do not run well but after yesterday’s marathon I am not sure what I can say but I did complete another Los Angeles Marathon giving me a total of 9 straight LA marathon completions. I am all about finishing and I am all about the accomplishment but finishing is not always the sole goal. I took plenty of steps last year to ensure that I would come into this marathon not just in shape but in marathon shape because in previous years, I felt like I always took a break from running around December and really did not start my marathon training until mid January and no matter what, I felt like my overall fitness for the race was just not there so I changed that and trained a lot in December. I was primarily running trails, building up my legs and working on my endurance. I started off the year by running the Boney Mountain 21k trail race and I really felt like I had my marathon plan in gear so what happened? A hip injury three weeks ago on a simple run which lead me to sit out for three weeks and my first day of running was yesterday at the marathon and boy did it show.
I felt great overall in the morning. I felt like I hydrated well, my shoes felt good, and I even felt like my hip was all healed up. Of course I can never do anything easy so I stuck to the idea that I would run in a costume but instead of a costume I ran in a Michael Jackson wig which may or may not have played a part in my demise during the race. It seemed like the race started before I was even ready but I felt like I had stretched well and there really was not much to do but jump in the crowd.
I started off with a nice moderate pace but about two miles in, I felt like my legs were a little tight but I thought nothing of it. I made a stop at a porta pottie and stopped here in there to take some crowd pictures and then I put the camera away and tried to focus on the race but I just could not get into a groove. Around mile 7 I felt like I just did not have the right energy and my legs felt way too sluggish. The weather was perfect but the sun was started to shine and I was sweating a lot more than normal, especially with the wig under my hat. That should have been a sign for me to lose the wig but I was committed to the idea that I would wear it to the end and that is what I did.
Around mile 9, I decided to pick up the pace and turn on the ipod and I really started to get it going and I felt invincible but as we ran downhill into the 14 mile mark area, I felt that all two familiar twinge that you do not want to feel in my left quad so I immediately pulled to the side and tried to stretch and when I did, my calve began to cramp up. This is where the mental part of the marathon starts. I knew that I would have more trouble as the race progressed but I tried putting it out of my mind and keep running. The faster I tried to run the more the cramps came so I slowed more and more and before we hit rodeo I knew I would have to struggle to the finish line.
As we came up Santa Monica Blvd and mile 18 and 19 I felt like I could still make a push and finish with 4:20 but slowly but surely I was at a snails pace. Talk about a collapse. I had about 5 miles to go and at least 50 minutes left to at least come in around 4:30 and I could not overcome the cramping and fatigue. I know I should be happy to finish in 4:50 but for some reason I am really disappointed and makes the after race recovery seem that much harder but don’t count me out just yet. This race only drives me to come back again next year to correct the mistakes I made this time around. What lies ahead for the rest of the year is uncertain but for now, I will be living in the bathtub and spending more money on Epsom salt than food…
Marathoning really hurts..
Friday, March 9, 2012
Right Back at you in 2012
It has been a while since my last post. Over four months to be exact. 2011 was a rough year In terms of running. I think I spent most of the year battling nagging injuries and because of my stubborn nature, I chose to ignore all signs that I needed to rest instead of running races. My performances suffered and I became frustrated after each event. The last event I ran in 2011 was the Topanga Canyon Turkey Trot and I was overall pretty satisfied with my performance in the race but still I needed to take a break and I did.
I spent the first few weeks of December just relaxing then I decided to start cross-training more. I bought all kinds of exercise devices and equipment like resistance bands and I even bought an aerobic step which most laughed at. The goal for me was to rebuild myself by strengthening my legs and working on strengthening my core. I also registered for the Boney Mountain 21k which was titled as the hardest race in the Xterra trailrace series. I knew that it would be the first week of January and I knew that I would have good amount of time to train through December but I wanted to train smart and be efficient and not break myself down as I had done in the past.
I set an attainable goal for the Boney Mountain 21k and that was 3 hours. By setting the bar lower than my usually high standards, it took a tremendous amount of the pressure off of me and I felt more relaxed and calm before the race. I went into the race confident and ready because I had spent the previous 3 weeks just working out and not running at all. Everything I did involved leg building. As a runner, you sometimes forget that just running alone is not enough. Running as much as I have run over a nine year period have weakened my legs and joints and I really have done nothing to build them back up so I thought it was important to get back to reshaping and building me, the person then concentrate on the running after.
On the day of the race, I went out to Boney Mountain State park and just had fun. I took pictures while running, I walked when I had to, and I finished strong slapping high fives and skipping through the finish line two minutes shy of 3 hours. For the first time in a while I ran a race without putting a ton of pressure on myself and it felt good.
So now I am back full circle and the LA marathon is staring me in the face and for the 9th year in a row, I will be lining up at the start line, trying to keep my LA marathon streak alive. It always seems like the race comes so fast but for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was heading into the race in the best shape of my life but a week ago without little to know understanding of what happened, I came up with a bizarre hip flexor injury and now it is looking like I may have to change my goal for the race but I am one hundred percent going to run or walk the race.
I have also decided to raise funds for a charity that I felt could use some exposure and as if the injury was not going to make this race hard enough I felt like it would be fun to run the race in a costume. Why you ask, why not. My dad is the reason why I started running and when he passed 9 years ago the thing he reminded me of just about every other day was to go out and enjoy everyday like it is your last and for me the LA marathon is my race and my day to enjoy myself, smile, run, walk, and in the end celebrate completing the race one more year.
Sit tight because here we go…
I spent the first few weeks of December just relaxing then I decided to start cross-training more. I bought all kinds of exercise devices and equipment like resistance bands and I even bought an aerobic step which most laughed at. The goal for me was to rebuild myself by strengthening my legs and working on strengthening my core. I also registered for the Boney Mountain 21k which was titled as the hardest race in the Xterra trailrace series. I knew that it would be the first week of January and I knew that I would have good amount of time to train through December but I wanted to train smart and be efficient and not break myself down as I had done in the past.
I set an attainable goal for the Boney Mountain 21k and that was 3 hours. By setting the bar lower than my usually high standards, it took a tremendous amount of the pressure off of me and I felt more relaxed and calm before the race. I went into the race confident and ready because I had spent the previous 3 weeks just working out and not running at all. Everything I did involved leg building. As a runner, you sometimes forget that just running alone is not enough. Running as much as I have run over a nine year period have weakened my legs and joints and I really have done nothing to build them back up so I thought it was important to get back to reshaping and building me, the person then concentrate on the running after.
On the day of the race, I went out to Boney Mountain State park and just had fun. I took pictures while running, I walked when I had to, and I finished strong slapping high fives and skipping through the finish line two minutes shy of 3 hours. For the first time in a while I ran a race without putting a ton of pressure on myself and it felt good.
So now I am back full circle and the LA marathon is staring me in the face and for the 9th year in a row, I will be lining up at the start line, trying to keep my LA marathon streak alive. It always seems like the race comes so fast but for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was heading into the race in the best shape of my life but a week ago without little to know understanding of what happened, I came up with a bizarre hip flexor injury and now it is looking like I may have to change my goal for the race but I am one hundred percent going to run or walk the race.
I have also decided to raise funds for a charity that I felt could use some exposure and as if the injury was not going to make this race hard enough I felt like it would be fun to run the race in a costume. Why you ask, why not. My dad is the reason why I started running and when he passed 9 years ago the thing he reminded me of just about every other day was to go out and enjoy everyday like it is your last and for me the LA marathon is my race and my day to enjoy myself, smile, run, walk, and in the end celebrate completing the race one more year.
Sit tight because here we go…
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