New Race to run: US Half in San Francisco

I am not so trained for tomorrow's 1/2 marathon. I didn't have a running workout schedule, in fact I didn't have any running routine at all these past few weeks. I ran here and there when I could. I did get one 10 miler in a few weeks ago, and I ran a 4 mile DSE Run on Halloween so I guess that counts for something?

We'll see tomorrow morning :) I am very excited to be running with my coworkers at JustAnswer, and Sarah. It's supposed to rain and that always adds to the excitement!

Oyster Point 5 Mile Race

This morning Sarah and I ran the Oyster Point 5 mile race sponsored by the San Francisco Dolphin South End Running club. This was my third time running their races, and Sarah's fourth time. They are very cheap to enter and very fun. All ages run and you see a lot of the same faces.

Sarah was the 2nd woman to finish! Go Sarah! I finished in 52 minutes, which was respectable given that it was hot, I ran 8 miles the day before, and I only wanted to not come in last! It was a great place to run and I know we'll go back. We had brunch at JoAnn's cafe. Was delux!

Saturday Long Run is back!

Happy Fall! That means amazing weather in San Francisco and some hot running weather. The last few weeks my foot has been hurting pretty bad for some reason (first real running "injury" I would say) so I've been pretty lazy - but today, I couldn't help but push it a little bit and try for a long run. Me and my new running buddy Rebecca ran through the Presidio on trails that I don't normally run on (through the new campground!) and over the Golden Gate bridge and back to Sports Basement. Was very hot but it felt nice to get a long run in.

I have some new running buddies from my new job so that's given me some extra motivation when my foot is feeling ok (but I miss Sarah!). Tomorrow we are doing a 5 mile race so hopefully I won't be last!
I really hot to get back in shape over the next few weeks. I miss it.

No New York, Yes San Franicsco

For better or worse, I decided to put off the NYC Marathon until next year. Sadness. There are a lot of contributing factors/excuses about why I'm not running it, but I mostly decided that this is not the year. I have now registered for the US Half which is sponsored by my work. I'm looking forward to training with my fun running coworkers and hopefully Sarah and Dan. It's not the same as New York, but I won't have far to travel and it will be warm.

Next week officially starts 1/2 marathon training! Looking forward to getting into a running routine once again :) Have enjoyed some time off from it, but I do miss it.

Update

I haven't really had much of a routine for the last few months. It all started in April, when I left the company I had worked at for almost five years. All of a sudden I went from getting up early to run, driving 42 miles to work, working all day, driving home, wedding planning, going to bed, repeat. Then I looked for a job, finished wedding planning, started a new job, took off to get married, went on a honeymoon and then returned to my great new job. Now I am back, and my running hasn't quite gotten back to being part of the schedule. It should certainly be - I don't have a drive anymore, I have a gym with a shower at work - I could even run to work if I wanted! Still, hasn't quite happened. I am supposed to run the NYC Marathon, but I'm not really sure if that can happen right now. I'm going to NY for Thanksgiving, so that's a lot of traveling in one month. And, everyone at work is running the US Half in San Francisco that same day, so decisions, decisions.

The cool thing is that there are women at work who run doing the day and I ran with them last week - it was great to run during the work day! I even ran with Sarah this weekend. Things are starting to feel back on schedule.

Married, well traveled, back for the attack!

I'm back! Well, I've been back in California for over a week, but I went on a Green Tortoise trip the weekend I came back (sans husband!).

I'm going to catch up on blogging soon - just wanted to say hi!

Jenica Szymanski Currie :)

Melting in the east coast, about to be married!

I can't believe how fast the last year has flown by. Since I got engaged last July, I ran two marathons, a 1/2 marathon, left my job, started a new job and planned a wedding. I had all of these grand work out plans for the time leading up to the wedding including a 25 pound weight lost plan. I only got about 10 pounds off for good (5 went before the marathon but has since come back) but I feel good about it. I've been working out since the last marathon but not as much as I'd like. My running plans are up in the air a bit. Hoped to run this week but it's been 95 plus for the last few days in Philadelphia, and that's too hot for me. I walked the dog down the street but we both gave up - it was that hot.

After the wedding, I plan on hoping back on the running wagon - still planning on running the NYC marathon this fall, and my new job has a gym!

First 5k!

My best running buddy Sarah now has a running coach! She's been trying new workouts and using a heart rate monitor to find the right pace. I am excited to watch her progress and to learn a thing or two from her as well! She was instructed to run a 5K and motivated me to join her. So last Saturday we did our second Dolphin Runners race - they have a few each month at different distances and locations around the city. This one started at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park.

Since this was my first 5k race, I can say that I did PR! I didn't really give myself a goal except to be under 30 minutes. The race started at a steepish downhill with almost a mile of uphill. It was very fun! Sarah rocked it and was the 6th woman to cross the finish line. I had an overall pace of 9:27 which isn't bad considering the downhill and my finish was 29:23. I could have kicked it maybe a little sooner, but I felt like it was a good workout.

I hope to run another one before the wedding!

I'm back

This month has flown by in a whirl. To sum things up, I've been working from home, traveling to the east coast, planning my wedding and had a wonderful girls weekend in Stinson Beach. What I haven't been doing is running. I did run once or twice in the last few weeks, and I have been walking a ton, but I really dropped the ball on my running. This seems to happen to me after a marathon.

Today I went out for an easy 5 mile run down Presidio to Chrissy Field and back. This is one of my favorite routes so it was a good way to say hello to running again.

I am getting married (!) in 5 weeks so I will be running and doing other fat shredding things in the next few weeks. Will keep you posted!

First weekend after a marathon - now what?

Woke up this morning without a plan - a running plan that is. This is the first weekend after the marathon, the first weekend in a very long time that I don't have a long run planned with Sarah or anyone. I woke up feeling a bit lost and tried to come up with a plan.

My favorite Saturday long run substitute is for some crazy reason, heading to the farmers market. Most Farmer's Markets take place on Saturday mornings when I'm usually out running. My favorites are the Oakland and the Mountain View farmer's markets. But now that I live back in San Francisco, I really haven't been going. The Ferry Building Farmer's Market is beautiful but crowded and overpriced so I decided to go to the Filmore Farmer's Market - they had cherries! They had cheese with sage! I spent about $40 mostly on the cheese, fruit, one or two veggies and salmon for Dan. Of course I saw lots of runners about and about and felt like a slacker. I think I'm going to head out for a run a little bit later with Dan, but for now, I'm going to go snack on some sage cheddar.

I was reading through my blog and saw my New Year's resolutions (running ones that is). And it looks like I've achieved two of them so far! I pr'ed in a 1/2 and a full marathon! Still haven't added any weight training to my workout schedule yet but I think I must this week. I'm down to less than two months before my wedding and I have a few pounds I want to shed. Sarah and I are going to do the sit up challenge and I want to get back into doing the 30 Day Shred. I'll give a report in a few days - hopefully I'll be inspired to do it.

Running Buns

I couple of weeks ago I bought these:

 Sarah and I have been obsessed with buns ever since we read the Runner's World issue with Kara Goucher preparing for the Olympics. She was wearing buns in those pictures and for some reason, we thought it was a good idea. We'll never be trained Olympians, but we can dress like them!

What are "buns" you may ask? They are very short running shorts, sometimes called compression shorts or boy shorts - they cover your "buns" and not much else. If you google buns, you'll find some interesting results. Some buns look like bikini bottoms but we didn't want to go that far.

So for the Avenue of the Giants marathon, we got buns to wear. I also thought I'd be in excellent, getting ready to get married shape. Which is sort of the case, although I am still eating loads of cheese and not quite doing any other type of exercise besides run. But still, I was determined.

Here's what buns look like on an 130ish pound, 5 foot 2 runner, at the beginning of a race:

Here's the end of the race:

My overall thoughts on these particular buns:

I found them to be pretty comfortable and somewhat flattering from most angles. They did ride up pretty quickly and by the end of the marathon I was far too tired to pick the wedgie, and they looked like bikini bottoms (it's good to know these things, right?). As Sarah said, "If I had a treadmill I'd run in them again." They are probably good for yoga, but not for running long distances. I may wear them for shorter runs or to the gym.

When I looked back at the product description, it doesn't say good for running, but all of the other ones I tried on that are supposedly good for running, rode up in the fitting room when I jogged in place. This one at least made it to the road test.

I think I may try and wear a running skirt at my next marathon.

Running Keen for Green

As runners, we make an impact on the environment (let's face it). Whether it's buying running gear made of bad things (or even just buying too much), participating in marathons that leave a trace, or leaving lots of old gear in our closets (when we could be donating them), we are making a difference, and it's not always good. I just wrote an article on Keen For Green, an informational/community site of bloggers writing about environmental issues, technologies, people  and political issues.

Check it out and run green.

Avenue of the Giants Racing Report!

Last year, Runner's World featured the Avenue of the Giants Marathon, a series of events that features a marathon, half marathon and a 10K in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in northern California. I read the article, saw the photos and was hooked! Sarah, of course, was quickly on board as well!

On May 1st, we drove up to Weott with Dan (he ran the half) and stayed at the Best Western Humbolt House Inn and carbo loaded at Sicilittos (a combination Mexican and Italian Restaurant). The hotel was great and the restaurant was slow to serve but the food was pretty good.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed up to the park - we made sure we went extra early because the closest parking fills up quickly and the last thing you want to do is walk a long distance after a marathon. Then at 8am we were on our way!

First 5 miles

The starting line was a little bit hectic. It's located on a narrow road and cars were trying to use the road even a few minutes before the start. The first half of the marathon is an out and back (this is also the course for the 1/2 marathon, which starts an hour later). I lined up with Sarah and once the race started we both went on our own pace. I had planned on trying to start out at around 10:15. But, the course had a bit of a downhill in the beginning and many people passed me, so I ended up finishing faster at 9:58. The next 4 miles were between 10 and 10:30. There were more hills than I thought so I was slower with the uphills of course and faster with the downs. I felt some pressure in my lungs maybe due to the slight elevation or the cold but that went away after the 5th mile. The trees were lovely and I enjoyed seeing all the different types of runners in the race. Also, I got to see the faster runners whiz by as they were heading back for the second half - I'll admit, it charged me up to see them and I quickened my pace for a bit.

Miles 6 - 13 1/2
At this point I was finally warmed up and the during the breaks in shade, it really started to fell hot. I saw Sarah coming back from the first turn around point and it was great to see her during the race. I still kept up running under 10:30. Luckily the way back had more downhills so it was like a little break. At this point, I saw all of the half marathoners on their first half coming out. It was great to see Dan heading out and also gave me a kick in my pace.

Miles 14 - 20
I was pretty much cruising at this point, keeping up my pace. I even ran a few miles with one woman who'd run over 35 marathons. She was great and kept me on pace. I saw Sarah before the turn around when she was coming back (mile 21 for her) and she said to dump water on my head. It was indeed hot out. This portion of the race was really pretty as well and a little more flat. I didn't hit a mental wall at all and made sure I ate orange slices. Normally at this point, I'm starting to feel really out if it, and wondering if a nap should be in order. I never got to that point.

Miles 20-26.2
Ok, so mile 20 I did not hit a mental wall but I did start to feel like it was hard to keep up a good pace. My legs just didn't want to keep going that fast. I did the math, and figured that if I kept up under 12:00 I could still PR. Sad, but true. Looking back, I guess it was like hitting a wall, and I was ok with letting the wall slow me down. Many people say that a marathon doesn't really start until mile 20, and it feels true. That's when you have to dig deep and see what you are made of. I knew if I ran 10 minute miles I could PR at the time I planned (4:34), but I just decided that I only had 11:30 ish in me for the rest of the run.

Right before I hit 26, I saw Dan walking toward me. He had finished the 1/2 at a great time and was coming to cheer me to the finish. I ran fast the last .2 to finish at 4:48, 3 minutes faster than before. I wish I had that kick in me a little bit sooner in the race - somehow my legs felt fine knowing the finish line was just a little bit away.

When I finished, I felt like I hardly stopped during the race, so I laid down once I got my cool Bigfoot metal. The sun felt great and I was sooo glad to be done.

It was probably the prettiest marathon I've done and I'm glad I PR'ed. It was also the toughest training plan. I think the extra miles helped ward off hitting a wall, but I think I still need to maintain a faster pace on most runs and maybe even see a running coach about my posture. Weight training would also help. I'm also thinking that if I run the NYC marathon next year (which I won the lottery for), I will try and run with a pace group.

All in all, it was a great marathon and I'd do it again!

Oh Ave of the Giants - see you in two days!

Oh so looking forward to this weekend. Marathons are such a crazy challenge. First few miles you are flying and trying to pace yourself (literally). Then you just kind of go with it and are in a zone. Miles 14ish to 20 - it gets serious and stays serious. Your legs start to feel like all the weight of the world is bringing them to a halt, yet this is when you have to just ignore that feeling and thoughts in your head and charge on. This is where I usually "hit the wall" my own special way - meaning, I usually think I could curl up and take a nap on the sidelines and it would be ok. I have to reach deep to find the sane part of me. Last few miles, I just have to do it and know that I'm almost done and I'll really be able to stop running once I hit 26.2. I also look forward to friends and family that meet me at the end and sometimes along the way.

Personal Records

With 4 days to go until the Marathon, I'm having a terrible time focusing. Recently I left my company after 5 exciting and sometimes challenging years. I am also getting married in 2 months. Those are my confessions. What does this have to do with running? It has more to do with not running. I long for a long run - the head clearing, mile upon mile kind with a great running buddy. When I started training for my first marathon 5 years ago, I was single, just finishing up grad school, and still in the process of, well, processing. While I'll always be processing in some way, now I am a seasoned worker, runner, and about to be married. I've come a longer way than 26 miles, but I find myself at another crossroad and it's a bit scary. Life is all about PRing - I'm looking for my next PR.

Week before my 7th Marathon!

Is it too crazy to say that I've almost lost count?

This training was the hardest yet easiest. It went by really quickly even though at its peak, we were running 50 plus miles a week! Now I have extra time on my hands and no big workouts until after the marathon, but I am trying not to get too nervous for next Sunday.

This week it's just a 40 minute, 3x400's, two days rest, 30 minute, drive up to the Redwoods and then the marathon. I will fill the week with rest, carbo loading, stretching, hydrating and some positive PR thoughts.

Running is for the birds.

I usually run in the mornings or after work, but yesterday I had the opportunity to run midday. I started out in the drizzle and by the end the sun was shining. I actually ran in capri tights and my old navy rain jacket because for once, I was in the mood to be overdressed. Well, overdressed for me. I'd normally rather be too cold than warm while running.

I didn't see many other runners out there - but I did see this bird.

Is it a crane? Chrissy field has tons of interesting birds since it's marshy. I wanted to get close but it looked so regal that I didn't want to disturb it. Once I got a little closer, I could see it's feathers were a bit rumpled. I felt a little bit comforted by that. But I know we're both ok.

I ran 5 miles easy. Today I will run the last tempo before the marathon. My legs already are forgetting all of the miles they've done but they better not forget too much :)

Lazy Legs

Oh tired and lazy legs, you better rest up! I'm catching up on sleep, wedding planning, Survivor Watching and generally overworking and taking a rest from long week day runs. I am allowed to for this week and next week leading up to the marathon. I only have one tempo left (tomorrow) and some short runs. I'm hoping to head out today on a 5 miler, but other than that, we are in the home stretch.

After the marathon, I will follow Sarah's bootcamp schedule that she made for us. I want to get in shape for my wedding, and I think she just likes following a schedule :)

It may actually rain for the marathon which is kinda weird for California in May, but at least it won't be hot!

Starting the taper craziness

I haven't been as good with updating this lately as I have been with other marathon training. Hopefully that means I'm spending more time running and less writing, but I also think that wedding planning, working and commuting also has something to do with it.

I did get back from the east coast and finish all of my workouts and miles last week, finishing with a great 22 on the Iron Horse Trail with Sarah on the weekend with two 4 mile intervals of pace thrown in! That felt good. I was on a runner's high and spent too much money on wedding shoes after. Lesson - never go shopping on a runner's high!

This week start the taper - but we aren't taking it too lightly. We had a 8 mile run, 6 mile run, track workout and a tempo ending with 12 miles this weekend (that's the nice part). I read a little bit of the taper chaper in Hal Higdon's book to refresh myself. I was reminded that I should still work hard on the speed workouts and only take the miles down a notch. Next week it's easier and the week after will be very easy on the running.

I am excited for the marathon. I intend on working hard to get a PR (hopefully) and just do my best. Then I may take a break from marathons for a little while. We'll see :)

Finally won the NYC Marathon lottery!

After three years, I'm in! The NYC marathon will be on November 7th! I had a taste of what it will be like when I ran over the Brooklyn Bridge last week! So exciting.