255th-ankles

That is ALL I've been think about.

• When are my feet going to heal
• ouch my ankles hurt
• ughh I wish I could run, stupid ankles!

Seriously, It hasn't even been a week yet and I'm near depressed. I can barely walk right let alone run =[

yesterday I did the elliptical for the first time. I thought this thing was for people who want to "pretend they're working out, but really they're just reading a magazine. 

But HOLLY CRAP! I was DRENCHED with sweat by the end of my 20 minutes. Seriously, someone even commented how gross I looked (exactly what I want to hear). The thing I'll say though (like many things) you have to push yourself with the elliptical. Sure you could do a nice and easy 20 min without breaking a sweat, but if you really want to gain from it you need to working for it. 

So, I'll definitely be doing that again (it did kinda strain my feet still, so maybe I'll turn it down a notch)

Have you ever tried the elliptical?

What's your favorite workout to do? least?

BTW, I still don't have internet, that's why I've been posting at awkward times and they are also a bit shorter. Hope you still enjoy!

256th-Runner's Face

Ok, what you're about to see is going to make you feel so embarrassed for me that it will make you laugh, or maybe cry. Seriously, I don't even know why I'm showing these, but maybe it will encourage you to race? or, perhaps it will shy you away from running all-together.n Either way, I hope you enjoy a good laugh.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ok, maybe they're not THAT bad, but I did kinda hope for a more "Diva" finish. Guess that didn't happen. 

Oh, fun fact:

both of my shoe laces decided to "untie" near the halfway point. I didn't fix that, and I luckily managed not to trip. But that was NO FUN.

257th-my next race

training for a race and actually racing it are completely TWO DIFFERENT things.
Even though I've been training this entire time for this 1/3 marathon this August (and my 5K was actually part of the training) I waited to actually register for the 1/2 'till after my FIRST RACE.

So the question is, will I register? HECK YES!!
I LOVE RACING> I think I like it even more than training for one (which I love more than anything) and I can't WAIT 'till me next race.

I actually looked up my next 10k (which will be announced soon) only 1h after my 5k. Seriously, I'm addicted.

258-repeat

ok, so today was nearly the exact repeat of yesterday but with MORE work and LESS school.
Got up at 5 and worked 'till 2:30 yay!
so, let's add the amount of hours of sleep I've had since saturday: 11? and the amount I should have? 24. yep, I'm doomed.
My legs BURN with each step, and my ankles are aching all day long. Luckily I found my trusty Tiger Balm cream (why hadn't I thought about that earlier) and applied it all over my legs 500 3 times. oh yes.

So, next time?

• don't plan to work + school right after a race 
• stretch before + after race (more like yoga)
• bring water everywhere (this is something I never do)

Like a true beginner runner, I tried to get away with breaking all the rules expecting to turn out alive ok. Bad Idea. Those rules are there for a reason (and you DON'T have to learn them the hard way) just listen to your body and try to follow these simple steps.

1. drink lots of water 30 min before and after race (water+electro lights). keep hydrated during training as well, this will improve your progress, I know from lack of experience. 
2. get a goo night of sleep. especially after the race. this is your recovery time, where your muscles are actually healing. It's actually not AS important before the race (except for energy wise).
3. sunscreen
4. stretch!

other than that, it's really about preference. what you use for energy (food, coffee, sport drinks etc)=] 

I hope this was enlightening!

btw, as obnoxious as it is, I could talk about this race all day long (and that medal, why can't I wear it everyday?) 

What's something obnoxious (and self loving) that you can't stop talking/thinking/dreaming about?

259th-Monday horrors

yes, that's right. I had a horrible monday.

I woke up, once again, at 5 am to BIKE TO WORK and then BUS to SCHOOL at 12.
I ended up skipping my last class (sorry journalism!) because I could barely keep my eyes open.
not what you want to be doing the day after a race (most important thing to recovery is SLEEP)
I ended up taking a nap from 5-10 (and freaked out when Loren got home bcause I thought it was past 5am the next morning and I would be late for work) talk about dillusional.
I was actually able to fall back asleep within an hour after sleeping already 5 hours (beat that!)

fun fact: My internet got turned off Monday (todays post date) so my blog went on another hiatus...once again.

Let's end on a happy note:

aka happy panda note =]

No Training this week. period.

I'm "off my feet" for this entire week, repeat ENTIRE week, to let my legs fully heal.
I know, a big fat 3 entire miles can do some damage (talking to those marathon runners out there) ...sarcasm. but to me, they have (because I'm not yet a marathon athlete.)
I'm not sure if I told y'all, but a week before my run, I was having major prablemos with my feet hurting/swelling. well, the fat race took a fat toll on me (and this lack of sleep is not helping) so I'm making myself "rest".

I'm still "allowed" to do other activities (bike, climb, surf etc) but running/jogging is a big no-no.

with that said, thank you for listening, and I hope to hear what YOU have to SAY.

What awesome/crazy piece of clothing to you consider awesome?

260th-race day

Ok, so RIGHT NOW Im pumped!
I just had an amazing race and come to find out, amazing results, but lets first start from the beginning.

25:26. 6th overall, 11th female, 1st in my age devisoion.

 7:49/mile PR

Totally kidding (too excited, had to skip to the end), those where my results so you now can stop reading if you want (but you shouldn't cuz I have a lot of great stuff to say)...plz don't =]

funfact:

I managed to spell my name wrong AND give them the wrong e-mail when I registered. Failblog.com

anyways, let's get serious:

To REMIND you, I ran the DIVA 5K in San Francisco Bay today.

I got up at 4:00am (after sleeping zilch hours: nervous, Loren, and 5 de mayo...duh) After driving 4h there and back yesterday, I wasn't TOO excited to have a repeat roadtrip in two days (but I ((Loren)) didn't want to sleep alone in SF ((1 in 4 woman get raped = no bueno statistics and I didn't need to raise those chances...I know, TMI, but ysafety first!)) so I decided to man up and do the double trip.

first stop: gas (thank you F and S for lending me your car, Pruis = $25/tank) and I also got coffee. thank the lord.

since I drove up the day before, I had all the "getting lost issues" then, so today I was early/ontime. I got there at 6:25 sharp.

This entire time, my stomach was in knots, seriously, I felt like turning back every minute. but I didn't. I stuck to it, and I AM PROUD to say that I FINISHED!.
back to the race...

we (1348 racers) took busses to the start up line, which went smoothly. It was SUPPOSED to begin at 7:00 for halfsies and 7:45 for 5K, but that did NOT happen. It took a REALLY long time to get all the chatterbox DIVAS to the start-up (probably due to the amount of people and less because of un-organization, but definitely a mix of both) this bummed me out, but not enough to blow the fuse.

• 1/2 marathon started at 7:30
• 5k 7:52

so, at the start-up, I somehow ended in the middle of the un-organized crowd when I probably (definitely shouda coulda woulda) put myself out front. I had to SQUEEZ by 30-40 sardine packed crowd to even start running. It may have shaved off some of my time. may have.

and then I was off. Seriously, I was true spirited running, it was amazing. I passed by many many 5K's and 1/2's in the first half mile. my real competition where little 12 year olds (dayyum do the have baddass cardio, where do the train? haha) but seriously, I didn't catch up to my "real" competition 'till the last mile. 

The turnaround was REALLY confusing. the 5k obviously had a different route and had to do a loop and actually get through the crowd to start running to the finish line. 

about my last 1.5 mi I was really statring to "feel the speed" I was dry heaving (water please?) my stomache was turning over itself (puke much) and then...there was a smell of sewage...great, like really? 3 runners managed to pass me at this point (all at different times) then there was a fourth. but...

here's another shit storm (exaggeration due to my frustration), they said the race ended at the begining. so I was relived to see the pink gate. Low and behold, it was .2 miles FARTHER and you had to run up to the sidewalk first. SO CONFUSING! Sadly (and greatfully) this really messed up the lady up ahead (4th passerby) and she slowed speed as I picked it up. 

Finish line:

we where first greeted with cheerleaders, the crowd, a bowa and tiara, a rose, and WATER! (i chugged the entire bottle like a wild animal), then the metal given out by shirtless fire fighters (seriously?).

I was swearing the entire time (sorry not pg13 for those in the crowd) because I was mad about the "finish line change" and the PAIN I was undergoing. (yeah, I was kinda a baby)

and then pictures...what? I first said no (red+sweaty = not photogenic), but they insisted. 

It took forever to get my hair "just right" (lol yeah right) and I was off in a jiffy. There was FOOD and BUBBLY(champagne and gingerale) yum. [sorry, no pics. I really wanted to feel my first race out, see if I even like racing, before I got all "blogger on their a@$!"

so here's the overall race review:

• parking: not sure, I parked on a side street for free (booya!)
• transportation: fast and easy to find
• start: late and sooo many people in such little space. too crowded for my likings (maybe you should choose a smaller race if you don't like crowds Melissa.) 
• race: very beautiful and flat. good first race or even just for fun. it was a bit hot so it would have bee nicer to start earlier. It was really pretty running by the bay but there was definitely a sewage plant near, and that mad me nauseous. The turn-around was weird, but I'm not too upset, I still got to the finish.
• Finish: WTF? ok, maybe it was my mistake to think it ACTUALLY ended at the begining, but having to run through bushed to another path to even see the finish was not what I expected. But the cheerleaders and crowd def made up for that, they where AWESOME.
• Volunteers/crowd/racers: exceptional. definitely motivational and really spirited!

overall? I give this race a 6/10 for a "serious runner" and a 8/10 for a "just for fun runner" 

I had a great time, and I would DEFINITEL do it again (shh don't tell that to the Melissa who actually ran the race and felt like barfing on the crowd at 3.25 mi)

but seriously, a great experience with great results.

So it's here, it's happening...finally.
I feel like I have been training forever just for this day, and now I'm terrified. yeah it's only 3.25 mi but it's also the competition (inner and outer) that I'll be running for.


At the expo, I felt like I was going to faint I was soo nervouse. the people, the crowds, the stands, the lines... I was taking everything in it was almost overwhelming. I was in and out in a jiffy.

I have no pictures of my package, and since this is my first expo (and I don't really know what to expect) I'm not going to give much of a review. And I can sum that up in one word: PINK
enough.

I just want to say thank you for all of the support, and I hope your rooting for me!
let me show you what I'm made of:

package deal that comes with running and climbing (and some weights) 

I know...right?

Tomorrow, I'm getting up at 4:30 (I know) so I can be at the race by 7. now for some beauty sleep.


What are you doing for cinco de mayo?