Running in Connecticut

Ragnar New England

2011-05-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

On May 20th (my birthday!) and May 21st (my husband's birthday!), I ran Ragnar New England with 11 complete strangers. Friday morning, I had to be in Mystic, CT by 7 o'clock to meet the van to drive to New Haven. The team's start time wasn't until 10 but you had to be there an hour early for the safety check and safety brief. My team's name was 12 Road Scholars on the Way to Harvard.

I was in van one. I was the second runner in the van. I had to run legs 2, 14, and 26.

My first leg started at East Haven Town Beach. I ran for a mile on Coe Avenue and I was alone. I there wasn't any runners behind me or in front of me that I could see. At mile 1, I took a right onton Silver Sands Road and that is when I saw my first runner. I proceeded to pass him and then I had to take a right unto Short Beach Road. I spotted another runner. He has stopped to talk to family and friends so I passed him too. At 3.7 miles, I took a right unto stannard Road and then a right on Harbor Street to finish off my run! The course was a lot hillier then I expected but I ran 4.63 miles in 40 minutes for an average pace of 8:38. The elevation gain was 190ft. The weather was nice. It was overcast and not the warm out yet.

My second leg started at Nathan Hale Ray Middle School in Moodus, CT. My run started at 8:38 at night so I had to wear the reflective vest and the head light. A female started a few minutes before me and John (one of my teammates) told me to pass her. Which I did within the first 1/2 mile of the run. After I passed her, I didn't see any other runner. I ran on Silmanville road for about a mile. It was rolling hills and the turned Left unto Waterhole Road for a down hill for a 1.25 miles. Once I turned unto Route 16 in Colchester it was all up hill for the last 2 miles. I ran 4 miles in 38:11 for an average pace of 9:30. The elevation gain was almost 500 ft. It was nice and cool. My teammate Neal took off and we all got back in the van. He was about a 1/4 mile down the road and he looked like he was limping. We stopped and John go out to see how he was doing. He said his ITB was bothering him but he could finish his run. But he wasn't too sure he would be able to run his last leg of 7 miles. Since I was the runner before him and had the least amount of miles, I volunteered to run his third leg.

After the runners in our van finished their second leg, we went to shower and sleep for a couple of hours in the office of another's runners dad! The shower felt good and the sleep helped a little. But it wasn't long enough.

My third leg started at High Point Church in Thompson, CT. I ran about a mile and was running over the CT/MA stateline. My third leg was short and flat but I did pass one runner. I ran 3.38 miles in 31:13 for an average pace of 9:13. The elevation gain was only 14ft.

Once I got to the finish of my third leg, instead of heading the bracelet off to Neal, I got a quick drink and Gu to run his 7+ mile leg. This leg started at Memorial Park Beach in Webster, MA. I headed back out the way I came and then took a right unto Thomson Road. The route was pretty much a straight shot. Only the name of the road changed names as I cross city limits. It was very pretty run with trees surround in the road. But it was very hilly. Again I had a hill that lasted about 2 miles but once I got over that hill it was pretty much rolling hills. I got a second wind at mile 4 and picked up my pace to finish with a strong run. I ran 7.45 miles in 1:11:10 for an average pace of 9:33. The elevation gain was almost 500ft again. In the picuture above, I was chasing the man behind me for about 2 miles and finally overtook him with a 1/2 mile to go. When we got closer the the finish line I could hear him trying to catch up but I got a little bit more energy and didn't let him pass me!

Once out van was done with their 3rd leg, we headed to Harvard to to wait for the 2nd van. Ever since I knew I was running into Boston, I have been dreaming about having my Jamba Juice. When I lived in Hawaii I lived on Protein Berry Workout drink. But we don't have any in CT. The only time I get to have it now is if I go into Boston or New York and I dont do that very often. After running almost 20 miles in two days with very little sleep, I walked about 3 miles round trip to the closest Jamba Juice and it was well worth it!

Once the last runner of van 2 got into the track outside of Havard's stadium, we all ran a half a lap round and finished as a team! As a team we ran 194 miles in 29 hours 17 minutes and 49 seconds for an average pace of 9:03. We were 96 out of 190 teams.

It was a lot more fun then I expected it to be since I was going to be in a van with 5 total strangers for 30 hours. I want to do another relay again. I know there are the reach the beach in NH and MA and then there is another relay in New Englad where you hit all 6 New England States.

It has been awhile...

2011-05-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. I haven't been running all that much. Most of my miles come from races.

On April 26th I ran the Steven Donahue Memorial 3 mile run in Pawcatuck. The route was along the Pawcatuck River and it was a flat out and back course. It was a small race. My time was 23:56. I had a pretty good first mile at 7:33 but slowed down the last two miles at 8:12 and 8:17. Since it was a small field I was 3rd women overall, 2nd in my age group (30-39), and 29th out of 105. Steven Donahue was the fire chief of the Pawcatuck Fire Department. He died of cancer a few years back.

On May 1st, I ran in the Flander 5k in East Lyme. Again it was an out and back course with some small hills. It was a nice course. I finished in 24:59. I was 2nd in my age group (30-39) and 49th out of 198. I had pretty tight mile sprint at 8:03, 8:03, and 8:04. They race started 15 minutes late because there were a lot of late registrations. My kids ran in a kids race around the track. They got a medal for finishing and Paddy was so proud of it.

On May 7th I ran in the Salmon River 5.4 mile race in Salem. It was a tough but pretty course through the Salmon River Park. My mind and body wasn't into this run. I hadn't ran since the last race. My final time was 49:13. My friends Tracy from daiymile finished before me then he came back and finished the last .5 mile with me and gave the some push to finish strong.

Then finally, yesterday, I ran in the James Greenleaf Memorial 5k River Run. The race started in Ocean Beach in New London. Half the course you ran along the coast. I had to run with the double stroller so I was hoping for under 30 minutes since it was suppose to be a flat course. I started at the back so it took me some time to get going. The course had some very small hills that i wouldn't have noticed except with the stroller. My final time was 28:21. James Greenleaf died on September 11, 2001 in New York. The money for the race goes for scholarhips for local high schools.

I am hoping to run more. I just lack the motivation. I have been riding my stationary bike more so I do get some exercise in. This weekend is the Ragnar Relay New England!

A few things to look forward too!

2011-04-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

The first thing that I will be doing is the Ragnar Relay New England. When I first heard of this a few months back I wanted to do it but didn't think I could put a 12 man team together so I just forgot about it. But I am a member of the Mohegan Striders Running Club and a few members had set up a team but needed two more runners. I was one of the lucky ones that they chose! I am excited because the first day of my relay is my 36th birthday!

The second thing that I will be doing is a Spartan Race. I have a younger cousins who wants to try it out. I was suppose to do a obstacle type race in Hawaii but I couldn't do it because of a death in the family. We haven't hammered out the logistics yet but I think either August or September.

Finally, I have decided what marathon I will be running this fall!! I decided to do the Wineglass Marathon on October 2nd in New York. I just registered today! It is a point to point marathon that brags to be a superfast marathon. 50% of the runners finish under 4 hours! I am going to do a very long training cycle for this marathon so I don't up my miles to quickly.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Easter. We had a good Easter weekend. Friday morning we had an Easter egg hunt with all my nieces and nephews on my side of the family since we were spending Easter Sunday with my husbands family. The kids had a lot of fun trying to find all the eggs!On Saturday, we colored eggs! Jenny and Paddy had a lot of fun!

On Sunday, my daughter woke me up by pretending to be a rooster at 7:15. She was excited that the Easter Bunny came!

Then we drove to Dalton, Mass to my father in laws house for Easter Dinner. Jenny and Paddy got to see their other cousins and had a Easter Egg Hunt with them.

Salem Road Race 5k

2011-04-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

Since my marathon on March 20th, I haven't been running much. It was been three weeks, I don't think I have run 26 miles!

I signed up for this 5k a while back so I thought I would run it and hope it would spark my motivation to run more!

Jenny and Paddy did the 1 mile fun run for the kids. Jenny ran the mile in 12 minutes and Paddy took 17 minutes to run the mile. The course had a big hill to run up the last quarter of a mile. I had to run the 5k with the double stroller! I have not ran with the double stroller since June 2010. It was tough! It was hilly! I had to walk up the steeper part of the hills. At mile 1.4 it was down hill until mile 2.1 and I just had to go with the stroller. I would have wasted more energy trying to slow it down. Then the last mile was all up hill :(. I finished just under 32 minutes according to my garmin. My worst 5k ever even with a stroller :(.

I really need to get back into running and I really, really need to watch what I eat. I want to lose 20 lbs before my next marathon. I want to get back to 140.

My little tikes running

2011-03-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I took my kids to the next town over so they could run in a half mile fun run for St. Josephs School PE program.

It was cold. I think Paddy would have enjoyed it more if it was so cold! The race started at 9:00 and luckily we were able to wait inside until the start of the race. There was about 50 kids running the fun run.

Jenny and Paddy lined up next to each other but when the gun went off, Jenny took off for her run. I ran/walked with Paddy. It was an out and back race. I got to see Jenny when she was on her return trip to the finish. She looked like she was having fun and doing great. Paddy made it to the half way mark and was cold. I had to keep encouraging him and finally we made it to the finish. Jenny had an official time of 5:45 and Paddy's time was 8:08 for the half mile!

I am proud of both my little ones. Jenny is looking forward to her next race!!

Wrightsville Beach Marathon

2011-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Wrightsville Beach Marathon was on March 20th. I talked my mom into driving down with me. Not that it took a lot of persuading. Her father lives down in Wilmington, NC and it was about that time for her to visit him.

We left my mom's house at 7am on Thursday. But we had to stop to pick up some lobsters for her friends in NC and to gas up. We made pretty good time down to NC. There was only traffic at the end of Connecticut. We arrived in Burgaw, NC at 8 at night. We stopped at my mom's friends house to drop off the lobster and she invited us to sleep there for the night since we didn't have a hotel room for the night.

The next day, I ran from the house along route 117 in Burgaw. Just a quick 4 miles to see how my legs felt. They didn't feel too good with all the driving from the day before. The rest of the day we spent visiting with my grandfather in the nursing home. We left to check into the Shell Island Hotel around 4. We checked in, picked up my bib, and checked out the expo. There wasn't much to the expo.

Saturday, I went out for a quick 2 mile run along the beach and my legs felt much better. We went to the nursing home and took my grandfather out for a ride. We went to see his house and then to visit the grave of his wife. That night, my mom and I went to the pasta dinner hosted by the race. I was suppose to meet Christine from My First Marathon and Counting
( http://christine-myfirstmarathon.blogspot.com ). But I didn't see her. Two other ladies ended up sitting with us and it fun to chat with them. Bill Rodgers (Boston Billy) was the speaker for the night. We went back to the hotel and saw the super moon. I got my stuff ready and went to bed early.

Sunday morning came quick. I got up at 4am. The race didn't start until 6:30. I dressed, ate my breakfast, and then headed downstairs. When I got off the elevator, I was very surprised to recognize the lady sitting in the lounge area. It was Christine. We talked for awhile and then boarded the shuttle to the start area. We met up with one of the ladies from the pasta dinner. It was a chilly hour wait for the start of the race but it went by quick with good conversation.

Finally it was time to line up. Christine and I lined up together. We wished each other luck and was off. The first 4 miles headed along the beach and out towards Wilmington. We ran over 3 bridges with beautiful scenery. We had to take a right onto Military Cutoff Road and my mom was cheering me on at about 4.5 miles. She tried to take a picture but didn't get me! We were on Military Cutoff until mile 6.

Mile 1 9:56 Mile 4 9:12
Mile 2 9:20 Mile 5 9:18
Mile 3 9:23 Mile 6 9:19

Christine and I were still running together. Neither of us had a specific goal for the race. We didn't talk much but it was still good to know that she was there. She told me she was going to try to hang with me until she got tired. We then took a right into a gated community called Landfall. WOW! They had some beautiful big houses in there. There was some support in the community but not a whole lot. We stayed in the community until mile 11 and mile 12 was again along Military Cutoff road and I got to see my mom again. As you can see we really picked up the pace for miles 7-12.

Mile 7 9:18 Mile 10 8:49
Mile 8 8:55 Mile 11 8:53
Mile 9 9:03 Mile 12 8:41

Christine was only doing the half so she took a left to finish and left me all alone :(. Christine ended up with her first sub 2 half marathon! Great job Christine! Right after she left, I had to take a pit stop because my stomach wasn't feeling good. After the pit stop, it was fine. Once the half marathoners left (1500 compared to only 450 marathoners) the route seemed very deserted. We took the right again into the gated community and stayed in there until mile 21. We had to do two loops after the first loop we had to get a yellow wrist band for the volunteers to know we were done with the loops. The area was nice to run in but because there wasn't a lot of support in the gated community it wasn't my favorite part of the race. I don't think people were allowed in there unless they were volunteers. My pace started to slow down a bit for miles 16-18 and then dipped down again for mile 19. I just started to feel tired. But got a second wind for miles 20 and 21. I tried to eat a banana at mile 20 but it didn't sit well with me.

mile 13 10:00 mile 18 9:24
mile 14 8:59 mile 19 10:06
mile 15 9:00 mile 20 9:41
mile 16 9:26 mile 21 9:58
mile 17 9:27

Once again, I found myself running on Military Cutoff Road and saw my mom again. This time around my mom's friend and her grand daughter were there to cheer me on! This time my mom actually got a picture of me running. Right after mile marker 22 we took the left into Mayfaire Shopping center. We ran past the finish line which was kind of a teaser and did a 2 mile out and back on the roads behind the shopping center. At mile 23, there were handing out twizzlers so I grabbed one. But I couldn't eat it. I just felt sick when I put it in my mouth. At mile 24, there was a great group of people cheering for us and praying for us. I started to get a little emotional at this point but held back the tears. Shortly after that we got to turn around and head back towards the finish line. I ran by the cheer section again. I tried to pick up the pace at mile 26 and I got to see my mom and her friend right before the finish line. It was great to finish and get my medal!

mile 22 10:19 mile 25 10:36
mile 23 10:32 mile 26 10:29
mile 24 10:54 mile .49 4:37 (9:26)

Stats:
Time: 4:13:35
Distance: 26.49
Pace: 9:34
Overall place: 216 out of 431
Women: 58 out of 172
Division (35-39): 12 of out 36

Overall I am very happy with my time because my training wasn't all that great. I was looking over my weekly mileage for this 16 week training schedule and it was very low. My weekly miles for the past 12 weeks were all under 26 miles. The extra biking and the hills must have helped me immensely.

This marathon was well organized and had great support along the beach and military cutoff. I just wished there were more people allowed in Landfall. It was a very flat course!! The weather was perfect for the marathon. I would recommend this marathon to anyone!

ABCs of me

2011-03-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

(A) Age: 35

(B) Bed Size: Queen but I really need a king for when both my kids sneek in the bed in the middle of the night!

(C) Chore You Hate: Washing dishes!

(D) Dogs?: We have one dog named Clifford. My daughter named him after the big red dog!

(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: hug my kids

(F) Favorite Color: It has always been green! But I hate my green rugs in the house, I can't wait until we can change them.

(G) Gold or Silver? Gold

(H) Height: 5'6"

(I) Instruments You Play: I played the trumpet in middle school.

(J) Job Title: Stay at home mom

(K) Kids: Jenny 7 and Paddy 3

(L) Live: We just moved from Hawaii back to Connecticut to be closer to family.

(M) Mom's Name: Rebecca

(N) Nicknames: When I was younger it was Sam (my initials), college Mitch, now Steph

(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? 2 babies, eye surgery when younger

(P) Pet Peeve: being late

(Q) Quote from a Movie:

(R) Right or Left Handed? Right

(S) Siblings: Older Sister by 13 months Tracy, 2 younger brothers Allen (by 3 years) and George (by 6 years)

(T) Time You Wake Up? 7

(U) Underwear: yes

(V) Vegetable You Dislike: I love most veggies.

(W) What Makes You Run Late: my husband.

(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: nose (broke it twice) once playing basketball in high school and then lifting weights. I was lying on the bench press when the guy next to be hit my bar and it fell on my nose.

(Y) Yummy Food You Make: lasagna

(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Monkeys

2 race reports for the price of 1!

2011-03-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, March 6th, I ran in 2 races. I ran in the Shamrock and Roll 5k in New Haven at 9am and then I ran in the Kelley Pace Hare Hop 3 mile race at 1 pm.

The Shamrock and Roll is a little over an hour from my house. I was to sure about parking so I ended up leaving my house before 6 am. I got there and found parking with 2 hours to spare!! I was there before packet pick up had started. I sat in my car for a bit, walked around, went to the bathroom, and then finally picked up my packet. My number was 1369. Once it got closer to race start, I did a very slow one mile warm up and then walked to the start line. This is me before the race. I tried to dress a little festive!

It was a very flat course. We started on Grove Street then took a left onto Whitney Ave. Most the race was on Whitney. A little after a mile, we went around a block in order to get back onto Whitney to run back toward the start. Once we got back onto grove street we had to take a left for the finish line. I started out with a 7:36 pace and got progressively slower. My pace for mile 2 and 3 was 7:42 and 7:53. I didn't have any kick in me for the last .13 and it took me a minute to run it.

It was suppose to rain all days yesterday but it didn't rain until I finished the race.

Race Stats: Garmin Stats:

Time: 24:30 24:19

Pace: 7:53 7:45

Distance: 3.1 3.13

Place: 391 out of 1635

Div (35-39) 10 out of 100

After the race, I had to wait around some because I parked on the street that the finish line was up and it was only a one way street. I stayed to cheer on all the other runners and saw some great costumes!

My next race was in Mystic, Connecticut about an hour away. I had plenty of time to get to the race. I stopped to get something to eat and change my clothes. When I got to the Olde Mystic Village, I picked up my race number and waited for the start of the race. It seemed windier and a little older in the afternoon. I ran into fellow dailymiler (dailymile.com) and 2 high school friends I haven't seen since graduating in 1993.

This course was an out and back to. It wasn't as flat as my first race. I had a great pace for mile 1 (7:34). As you turn unto Deer Ridge Road to start mile 2, you have to climb up a pretty decent hill for a half mile until you get to the turn around and you get to run back down the hill. My second mile pace slowed to 8:14. After the hill, my legs were tiring out. I ran the 3rd mile in 8 minutes flat. It was only suppose to be a 3 mile race but it ended up being .08 of a mile long.

If you look over my left shoulder in the picture below, you can see something pink. I didn't know it but there was a someone right behind me. I didn't know until some guy started cheering for both of us. I found out that it was another female. The competitive side of me came out in full force and there was no way I was going to let her pass me. I booked it to the finish line and had a pace of 6:16. I came in right before her. We exchanged high fives and congratulations. I found out when the results came up that she was in my age division and I edged out 2nd place!

Race stats: Garmin Stats:

Time: 24:22 24:20

Pace 8:07 7:54

Distance: 3 3.08

Place: 34 out of 95

Div (30-39): 2 out of 10

Gender: 5 out of 38

I only had a one second time difference from race one and two.

Colchester Half Marathon Recap: Race New London County

2011-02-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

I ran the Colchester Half Marathon yesterday. I had run the course a couple of weeks back so I knew it was going to be a tough, hilly course! My test run last week didn't go so well so I didn't expect to do well today. Here is a picture of Tracy, Steve, and I before the practice run.

The weather for the run was great! It was in the 40s and dry. We lucked out because we had cold rainy/snowy weather on both the day before and day after the race. I got to the race early and received my number. We didn't get a t-shirt or medal because the race fee was low. The race started and finished at Bacon Academy in Colchester, Connecticut. I started in the back because my confidence to do well was low for the race.

The first two miles of the race was as expected but during the practice run Steve took a wrong turn so the next 4 miles were new too me. It was rolling hills for the next four miles. I started running with a girl for awhile but she started to slow down because of the hills. I hope she had a good race. My pace for the first 6 miles were 9:04, 9:07, 9:23, 9:15, 8:57, and 8:43 respectively. I thought I was going to fast because during the practice run I faded out mile 11 and we were running slower on that day.

Right at mile 6, you turn right unto Goshen Hill Road and you see a steep hill in front of you. It was that long but some people were walking up it. My mantra to get me up the hill was "no walking". I probably wasn't running all to fast but I didn't walk! Once over the big hill the race director was there to motivate you. He was cheering and high fiving everyone. It was a great morale boost. Even though that was a steep hill I knew there was another one coming that was even steeper. It finally came at mile 7.75 and it was so hard not to walk when a lot of others were but I made it up running. My pace for mile 7 and 8 were my two slowest miles because of the steep hills. My pace was 9:35 and 9:29.

Then we got a little reprieve from the hills and mile 9-11 were pretty much down hill. My pace for the 3 miles were again under a 9 minute mile pace: 8:56, 8:32, and 8:46.

My 12 was some more rolling hills and then the last mile was a steady uphill climb to the finish. I'm not too sure why race directors like to finish the race with a one mile uphill climb. The hill wasn't steep but LONG! My pace for the 2 miles were 9:02 and 9:16.

We were told that the race was going to be longer then 13.1 miles because they had to move the finish line off the main road and into the parking lot of Bacon Academy. So I tried to finish the last .2 of the race strong. I didn't let anyone pass me the last couple of miles and I ended up passing a few people myself. The picture below shows me at mile 13. My goal was to catch up to the guy in the white shirt. I was right on his heels at the finish.

Another picture of me racing to the finish line.I was more worried about stopping my garmin then posing for a great finishing line picture.

Race stats: Garmin Stats:

Time: 1:59:57 Time: 1:59:45

Pace: 9:10 Pace: 9:04

268 out of 409 runners Distance: 13.19

57 out of 141 runners Net elevation gain: 816 ft

27 out of 50 women runners (30-39)

This is my second race report for run for the bling of it!

Lucky week!

2011-02-25T05:15:00.000-08:00

Last week, I entered into two giveaways on blogs that I read and I won both of them. First I won a Road ID from Trish over at http://www.enduranceisntonlyphysical.com/ and a power balance necklace from Christina from http://lazybonesrunning.blogspot.com/ . You should check out there great blogs!

Wrightsville Beach Marathon Route

2011-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

It's a bit confusing and I am so glad that I watched the video. I still might get lost! Too many loops and out and backs!

WB Marathon Course Map from Wrightsville Beach Marathon on Vimeo.

New London County: Town of Bozrah

2011-02-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

Bozrah was my first run to complete the 22 towns in New London County. The town of Bozrah was incorporated in May of 1786 as the 86th town in the State of Connecticut.

I started and ended my run at the Bozrah Town Hall on River Street. I ran along River Road for a short while until I took a left onto Fitchville Street. Fitchville Street was pretty flat for the mile I was on it and I believe the only flat part of the whole run. I turned left onto Bashon Hill Road. This is what I encountered.

It didn't start out as a very long hill but it was steep. On the other side there was a small down hill but then another very short steep uphill. I had two other very short but steep uphills on this road alone. The steep sections of the run were .25 to.35 of a mile long. The elevation at the bottom of this hill was about 175 ft but I ended up at about 500 ft. I gained an elevation of about 325 ft in about a 1.5 miles. I learn to stay away from streets with "Hill" in the name.

Of course, what goes up must come down and I had a very fast downhill section. I had very quick miles on the early down hill portions of the run.

I took a left onto Scott Hill Road then I was suppose to take a R onto Bozrah St (RT 163) but the sign for Scott Hill Road wasn't right so I thought I hadn't taken the Left onto the street. I took a left and ran about a tenth of a mile before I decided to check my phone and found out my mistake. I ran back the way I was suppose and encountered my next big hill.

The pictures do not do the hills justice. This hill wasn't as bad as the first. It was only an elevation gain of about 225 ft.

I then had to take a left onto Old South Road and as I was running I knew I was have to take a left soon but all I could see to my left was a huge HILL! I wasn't looking forward to what was coming next! I took a left onto Bishop Road. I am surprised it isn't call Bishop Hill Road because it was a very steep hill that lasted a little over a half a mile. I didn't want to walk but I just couldn't make it up. So I walked a little then I decided to run to a telephone pole and the walk to the next pole. I did this until I reached the top and was greeted with a nice down hill but at this time of the run I was tired and my downhills were too quick. The net elevation gain for this half mile was over 300 ft! The saved the worse for last!!

To finish my run, I took a right onto Bozrah Street, then a right onto Bozrah Street extention, Left onto Fitchville Road, and then finally a left onto River Road. I was so glad the run was over!!

GARMIN STATS:

Time: 2:28:00

Distance: 14 miles

Pace: 10:34

Elevation gain 1735 ft

January :(

2011-02-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

January started off great for me. I ran the Frosty 5k in Guilford, CT and then the next day ran a long slow run with a running partner. But then I proceeded to take 4 days off of running because of my shins. I finally ran 4.5 miles but then took another 13 days off because my shins were still bothering me. I did start to ride my stationary bike more. The bike is easier on my shins! The weather has also played a big role in my not running much these days. Every week, we have been getting 1 or 2 snow storms :(. Sometimes I long to be back in Hawaii! Good weather, sidewalks, stroller strides!!

My total running miles for January was 63 miles :(. I need at least 146 miles a month to make my goal for 1750 miles in 2011. I am not off to a good start. But I need get 96.51 miles in riding my stationary bike 7 times.

My shins are still bothering me but I will continue to run as much as I can. I might have to reevaluate my goal for my marathon in March.

Goals in February:

Running miles: 100

Bike miles: 250

I also decided to run in every city in New London County. This will help me to try new routes and hopefully stay motivated to run more. I might wait until some of the snow melts to be safe but I will post all my runs and have pictures too. New London County has 22 main towns.

Welcome to the world Allen Christopher!!

2011-01-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

My nephew was born on 1-11-11. He was 7 lb 7oz and 20 inches long. He is the son of my brother who just had the tumor removed from his chest. Allen and Me

Allen is named after my other brother!

Danielle, George, and Allen.

Mommy and Allen

I am so happy that my brother survived his surgery and was able to see and hold his son!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!

In 2010, I ran more then 1500 miles! I ran in 3 marathons with my best time was 4:03. I moved from Hawaii to Connecticut. My husband and I bought a house.

In 2011, I will run in atleast 3 marathons, run 1750 miles, break 22 minutes in a 5k, and lose 10 to 15 pounds. I would like to BQ for the 2012 Boston Marathon.

To start the new year off right, I ran in the Frosty 5k in Guilford, CT. I ran this race last year with my brother but he is still recovery from his surgery. I hope to run with him next year!!

The course is a very flat course with only a 54ft total elevation gain. Its a small race but it has a lot of community support. I didn't really have a goal for the race so I just ran a feel. My mile splits were even: 1st mile 7:38, 2nd mile: 7:42, 3rd mile: 7:40, and I ran the .17 in 1:12 (7:19 pace). My finish time was 24:13 (7:39 pace). I was 133 out of 580 runners. I was 6 out of 68 in my age group (30-39).

Happy Running in 2011

Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

I had a very nice Christmas this past weekend! On Christmas Eve, we hosted a small get together with my parents, siblings, their spouses and kids. The kids had a lot of fun playing and watching the Santa Paws movie. We just had spaghetti and garlic bread with cake for dessert.

On Christmas Day, my daughter woke up at 7:30. I heard her go downstairs by herself and then she came back up into my room to wake me up. I told her she had to wait since brother was still sleeping so she climbed into bed with me until 8. She went into brother's room and preceeded to wake him up. So we went down stairs and saw that Santa had eaten the cookies and milk. The reindeer ate the apples we left for them. He also left the kids a thank you note. Paddy and Jenny opened the gifts Santa left for them and were really happy with all their gifts.

That afternoon, we went to my sister's house for Christmas Dinner. The kids received more gifts from my parents and siblings. They had some more fun with their cousins! It was a good day!

Running has been hard the last week. My energy and motivation levels are low and I am having a hard time getting out in the cold to run! I finished my first 4 weeks of training and missed a total of 3 runs totaling 24 miles. I ran a total of 131 miles and I was suppose to run 149 miles for the first 4 weeks. I made up a few of the miles missed on longer runs.

I have the Frosty 5k in Guilford on New Years Day. Last year, I ran it with my brother but he is still healing from his surgery. He should be able to run it next year with me!!

started too early....

2010-12-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

I was just looking at my training schedule and realized that I started two weeks early. For some reason, I started on the week of the 15th of November but wasn't suppose to start until the week of the 29th. So instead of being behind in my long runs I am actually ahead of the game.

I had to go back and insert the correct times and miles in my schedule. So last week was actually my first week of training. Two of my runs were what I was suppose to run: 9 and 8 miles @ 9:34. But my speed work out was suppose to me 7 miles, 4 miles @ 8:07 but I ran 8 miles, 5 @ 8:11. My long run was only suppose to be 12 miles but I ran 14 miles. I ran 3 more miles then I was suppose.

Now I am starting week 2 of my marathon training program. Instead of trying to squeeze another run in I am on schedule. This week I have to run:

tues: 9 mi @ 9:34 completed
thurs: 8 mi, 2 1 mile @ 7:36 with 1/2 recover
fri: 8 mi @ 9:34
sun: 14 @ 9:34

I think it was a good thing that I started early because I was having trouble motivating myself to run without a plan. I got two weeks of good running in before my marathon training schedule. I am just glad that I wasn't two weeks behind!

Thanksgiving, birthday and runnin....

2010-12-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving. Mine was quite different then last year in Hawaii. Last year, I just made reservations on a restaurant for my kids and I since my husband was deployed and all my family lives in Connecticut. But this year we had a big feast. We had almost 30 people for a Thanksgiving lunch. My parents, siblings, their spouses, and children, my aunt and uncle, and some stragglers. It was great. My sister made one turkey and we made a turkey and ham. Everyone made a side dish or desert for the lunch!

On November 30th, my little boy turned 3 years old. We had cake for him on the 30th with just my husband, daughter, and myself. Then we had a bigger party for him on the 4th with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! He had a good time!

My marathon has been going good too but I did miss a long run Thanksgiving week because we just had a very hectic week. So I decided to run the miss run (14 miles) yesterday and do yesterdays run (16 miles) next weekend since I only had a 9 miler planned. I had t 2 speed workouts that I did well on. Thanksgiving week. I had to run 8 miles with 2 miles @ 7:36 with a 1/2 mile recovery in between. My pace for the miles was 7:24 and 7:35! I also had a 5 miles tempo run this last week. I was suppose to run the 5 miles in 41 minutes (8:12 pace) and ended up running it in 40:45 (8:09 pace). I can't believe I am already in my 4th week of training! This week I have 3 8 mile run (9:34 pace), a 9 mile run (9:34 pace) and a 16 mile run (9:34 pace). I have 73.5 miles left until 1500 miles for 2010!!!

Week 1 of Wrightsville Beach Marathon Training

2010-11-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

I had a pretty successfull week 1 for my marathon training. I was suppose to run 4 days and ran 4 days. I was suppose to run 36 miles and ran 36.02 miles. I ran a total of 5 hours 33 minutes and 55 seconds. I hit my goal 3 out of the 4 days. I didn't hit my goal for my tempo run but I was pretty close by hitting the pace 2 of the 4 tempo miles.

Today I ran my first double digit run since the marathon and it went pretty well. I ran 12.65 miles in 2 hours (9:28) pace. It was a pretty hilly run. According to my garmin I had a total elevation gain of 750 ft.

I have less the 140 miles to complete before the new year to hit 1500 miles for 2010!

Dailymile

2010-11-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

I am a member of an online running community called dailymile.com. It allows you to share your workout of the day, friend other runners from around the world, and get plenty of motivation! I am friends with many Connecticut runners and one of them organized a run for all the local runners at Bluff Point in Groton.

I went to the run today and was great! The weather along the water was cold and windy though but the trees blocked the wind and running heated you up. We started with 6 runners but two had cut the run short because of prior engagements. I didn't talk much but just listening to the others talking takes my mind off running and makes it seem to go by quicker. The final 4 runners ended up running 7.35 miles in about 1:10.

The start of marathon #5 Training!

2010-11-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

I was suppose to start my training on Tuesday but I didn't get my run in that morning and in the afternoon I dropped a big stone on my foot and it was hurting a lot! I decided to rest it until toay and see how it was on a run. If I had any pain I was going to stop the run but I felt nothing!

I have chosen to go with a 4 run per week but I don't have a run shorter then 7 miles on a given day. On the schedule, I was suppose to run 9 miles @ 9:34 but ended up running 9 miles @ 9:19. It was a very hilly course! There was any great big hills but just lots of hills right after each other.

For the rest of the week:

7 mi (4 @ 8:07)
8 mi @ 9:34
12 mi @ 9:34

I am still trying to decide my schedule for May. Another race came seems interesting too. Its a relay race from New Haven, CT to Boston, MA. Its on my birthday weekend!

To finish 2010 ...

2010-11-09T10:05:00.001-08:00

Since the marathon, 4 weeks ago, I haven't done much running. I have only run 34 miles in that 4 weeks. 34 miles is less then what I usually run in a week.

As of yesterday, I have run 1310.38 miles in 2010. I have decided that my goal for 2010 is 1500 miles. I have to run 189.62 miles in November and December. I want to finish 2010 strong and start 2011 running strong too.

I have signed up for the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving and the Frosty 5k in Guilford on New Years Day. I ran this race with my brother last year but since he is still recovering from his surgery I have to run it by myself this year.

Like I said earlier, I have signed up for the Wrightsville Marathon in March and am still deciding to run a marathon or two in May. I have entered into the lottery for the New York Marathon 2011. If I don't get into New York then I will do the Marine Corp Marathon October 30th.

Winter Marathon..

2010-11-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have decided to run and signed up for the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon in North Carolina for my fifth marathon this winter. On their website they say that it is a fast and flat course so with hard training I will be trying to qualify for Boston in 2012! I will not start training for another month but for the next month I will try to get some of my fitness back. I have been slacking in the running department lately. I am still working on my training scedule and will probably go with a 4 or 5 day run week. My mile will range from 40 to 60 miles a week.
I might do one or two in May. I still haven't decided yet!

My brother is doing quite well. He is came home from the hospital on Saturday. Thank your for all your prayers and well wishes! He had two months to recover before his baby is born in January!

Brother update

2010-10-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

My brother is at Yale New Haven Hospital getting his tumor removed today. My mom just called to tell me that the doctors just took him up to start the surgery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers today!

My brother made it through his surgury. It took almost 12 hours but now he is recovering in TCICU. The tumor was benign and the size of a large grapefruit.

ING Hartford Marathon

2010-10-11T04:44:00.000-07:00

Well I did it! I ran my 4th marathon!

I got up about 4 am to get ready for the race. I made sure that all my gear was already packed and ready to go the night before because I didn't want to forget anything. I left the house right before 5 am so I could drive to Hartford and try to find parking without having to rush. After parking, I walked to the starting line, found the bag check and porta potties. At 7:40, they started lining up at the start for the race. There was also a half marathon and 5k taking place that day too. The marathon and half marathon started at the same time and same place but we split up about a mile into the race.

I wasn't really sure what pace I was going try to maintain because my training wasn't the best with the knee problem I had so I was just going to go by feel. I lined up at the 9 minute mile pace marker. The weather at the start was perfect. The temperature were probably in the high 50s. We were off and running at 8 am.

I started out conservatively and my legs were feeling great. Mile 1 was through downtown Hartford so we had plenty of shade running between the tall buildings. My pace for the first mile was 8:39. In the next few miles, I kept the pace hovering around 8:30 and caught up with the pace for the 3:45 group. I decided to stay with the group to see how far I could run at the 8:30 pace. At mile 8, I was still feeling pretty good and it seemed like the 3:45 group was slowing down a bit so I increased my pace to about 8:20 until mile 13. I ran the first half of the marathon in 1 hour 51 minutes and 48 seconds which was about an 8:26 pace for the 13.26 miles. At that point I could tell my legs were getting a little tired.

Miles 14 and 15, I started to slow down and I could feel that something was right. Probably about mile 15 I was running through a water stop and I grabbed a cup of gatorade to drink and I dropped it. I tried to grabbed a cup of water at the same stop and dropped that one too. So I didn't get anything that water stop and it happed the next one too. It was like my fine motor skills were not working. At the next water stop I told myself that I had to walk through it to make sure that I got something to drink and that worked. I ran mile 14 through 20 (7 miles) I ran in 1 hour 5 minutes and 17 seconds for a pace of 9:20. My total time for the first 20.26 miles was 2 hours 57 minuts and 05 seconds for a pace of 8:44.

After mile 20 I pretty much hit the wall and it took all my strength not to walk any of the marathon. I was walking through the water stops to make sure I was getting something to drink because I still having trouble gripping things. But didn't allow myself to walk at any other time not matter how slow I felt. I ran the next 6 miles in 1 hour 4 minutes and 28 seconds at a 10:45 pace. I got a surged the last .22 stretch of the race and was running at 8:33 pace. My official time was 4:04:14 at a 9:19 pace for 26.2 miles.

Garmin times:

1st half (13.26 miles): 1:51:48 (8:26)

2nd half (13.22 miles): 2:12:26 (10:01)

full marathon (26.48): 4:04:14 (9:13)

I am not disappointed in my time considering I missed some of my long runs and speed work due to my knee pain in the middle of my training. I also need to lose about 10 lbs to get back down to a good racing weight. I need to eat a whole lot healthier.

Now, I am trying to decide my next marathon. The races I am considering are IMS Arizona in Goodyear Arizona Feb 20th, Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina Mar 21st, Providence May 1st in Rhode Island, New Jersey May 1st, Shires of Vermont Marathon in Bennington, VT, or Keybank Vermont City Marathon on May 29th in Burlington, VT.

What to wear?

2010-10-04T15:10:00.001-07:00

I am trying to decide what to wear for my marathon on Saturday morning. It has been getting cooler here lately. The weather according to weather.com is suppose to be mostly sunny, lows in the 40s and highs in 60s. The race starts at 8 am and hopefully I will be done by noon or sooner. I am not sure if I should wear shorts and short sleeve shirt or capris and a long sleeve shirt. I don't want to get too hot and I don't definately be too cold!

My number for the marathon is 527.

My brother has an appointment with the doctor that will perform the surgery to remove the tumor on Wednessday. His blood work came back and it is looking like it isn't cancerous but we will not know for sure until the check the tumor out afterwards!

My Baby Brother

2010-09-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, technically he isn't a baby since he is 29 and has a baby on the way himself. He has had a cough for the longest time now and has gone to the doctor's a couple of time to check it out. He was diagnosed with Bronchitis and given some medicine. Since the cough was getting any better, he went to the doctors again and the doctor checked him out and told him he had tumor on his lung. He has a Teratoma Tumor the size of a grapefruit on his lung. He went to the doctor's today for some blood tests to see if it was cancerous or not but will not get the results until Wednesday. He will have to have the tumor surgically removed.

Niantic Bay Half Marathon

2010-09-26T18:27:00.001-07:00

I woke up today at 6am. The race didn't start until 9 so I had plenty of time to shower, eat, and drive to the race which was in East Lyme, Connecticut (30 minute drive). I had already picked up my race packet on Friday so I got there super early just to sit in my car and play solitaire on my phone. I got out of my car 30 minutes before the race to warm up a bit. We had to walk up a hill to the start. There was a 5k race too. The 5k race started 5 minutes before the half and ran off in a different direction. The race ran on the roads of Rocky Neck State Park, along the ocean, and throught a residential communtiy. It was a beautiful run. The weather was great too. It was in the low 70s and cloudy. My goal for the race was to keep the pace as close to 8:30. I felt fine the first 7 miles but by mile 8 my legs were tired. I started slowing down. I grabbed a GU at mile 8. I usually take it at 45 minutes but forgot to bring one from home so I had to wait until the GU stop. My pace for miles 8, 9, and 10 wasn't horrible (8:35, 8:44, and 8:40) but miles 11 and 12 were 8:58 and 9:13. On mile 13 I must got a second wind or the GU finally kicked in because my legs didn't feel as tired and I had more energy. My pace for the last mile was 8:41 and I really kicked it in gear for the last .23 of a mile with a pace of 7:59.

Final Stats:

13.23 miles

1:53:47

8:36 pace

As you can see my average pace for the race was 8:36 so I didn't reach my goal. I think I have to change my goal for the marathon in two weeks. I don't believe I will be able to hold an 8:30 pace for 26.2 miles.

This picture was taken a friend of mine on dailymile.com as I was getting close to the finish line.

One tough run

2010-09-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning to do my long run. I decided since I had to go to my sister's house for my niece's birthday, I would run there. I mapped out the route to see how long the run would be. It mapped out at 23.58 miles.

I started running about 7:15 and expexted to be done in less the 4 hours. I started out with a pretty good pace but then I was hit by one hill after another. I didn't think the hills would ever end. The first hour I ran 6.18 miles but kept getting slower and slower with the hills. The first 12 miles felt like one big hill. I didn't think I was going to make the whole run and really wanted to stop to call for a ride. Towards the end of the run my legs were dead so I had to walk up some of the hills. The net elevation gain for the run was 1500 ft. Tomorrow is definately a rest day for my legs.

33rd Annual Labor Day Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race

2010-09-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I ran a 20k road race in New Haven Connecticut. I left for the race at 5:30 and got into the parking lot at 6:30. I picked up my bib and shirt. It was only 50 degrees when I got up in the morning and was hoping it wouldn't get much warmer but the race didn't start until 8:40 so it had plenty of time to warm up. I had two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before the race and a GU about 20 minutes before the start of the race. My goal for the race was to keep it close to 8:30 pace for a practice run for my marathon.

I lined up about 10 minutes prior to the race and did a little stretching. This 20k is the USA 20k championship so there were a lot of fast people at the race. I lined up about 20 feet from the starting line. I started out slow for the first mile and ended with a 8:37 pace. It was a pretty flat course with a few hills thrown in the mix but they weren't long or steep. Some of the run was in shade but most of the run was in the sun and the sun was hot. It was probably only 76 degrees. I was feeling pretty good so I picked up the pace and miles 2-5 were 8:01 to 8:06. I didn't want to keep that pace up because I wanted to get it closer to 8:30 to see how I would feel. I slowed it down the next 3 miles (miles 6-8) and keep the pace above 8:30 (8:22-8:27). Miles 9 and 10contained a few of the hills on the course and my paced slowed. My pace was 8:38 and 8:49. My favorite mile was mile 11 because half of it was running in shade and downhill. My pace got back down to 8:23. I'm not sure why mile 12 was so slow. But my pace was 8:43. I picked up my pace for the last half mile and my pace was close to 8 again.

My final time by my garmin was 1:44:58 (8:23 pace) but I ran 12:52 miles

I was happy with my time for the race but to keep the pace going on for another 14 miles, I have to keep the pace closer to 8:30 at the beginnin and try not to push it early on in the marathon. I have 5 more weeks until the Hartford Marathon!

Whirlwind!

2010-08-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks, we have gone on two mini vacations! On Thursday, August 12th, we left Connecticut and drove up to New Hampshire with my whole family (10 adults and 11 kids). We rented a house in Bretton Woods, NH. We went to Santa's Village on Friday and then went to Storyland on Saturday. My kids had a lot of fun playing with all their cousins. Patrick was wiped out and both nights. He fell asleep on the way back to the house from the park and stayed asleep until I woke him the next day. My son loved all the fast rides. In the picture below of the flume is my brother Allen, my niece Lulu, my brother George, and Jenny. We don't know if he is trying to strangle her or if she is trying to bite him :). We left New Hampshire on Sunday but we had to drive to Vermont for my husband's nephew's 4th birthday party.

Our next mini vacation was with my husbands family. First, we met some of his cousins on Wednesday August 18th on Coco Keys, an indoor waterpark resort in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. We played in the waterpark for a bit that night and then for a few hours the next day. The kids had a lot of fun but my son wouldn't go down any of the slides for the longest time but then my niece went down with him. After that we had a hard time to get off the slides. We had a wake up call at 3 am because of a fire alarm. We had to evacuate the hotel.

After having our fun at the waterpark. We drove down to Warwick, Rhode Island and met up with my father n law, his wife Christine, Uncle Jack, and Aunt Judy. The next day while some people went sailing, a few of us went to the Roger Williams Zoo. I haven't been there in quite awhile. The kids had a lot of fun. That night we ended up going to a minor league baseball game at McCoy Stadium to watch the Pawtucket Red Sox. The red sox ended up losing in extra innings. The next day we spent the day at Scarborough Beach. On our final day of our vacation we went to Newport, RI and toured two of the mansions: The Breakers and the Elms. My son wasn't to impressed with the mansions so I did a speed walk through them so he didn't get too antsy.

Even though, I did a lot in the last two weeks. I have been running! I did a 17 mile run from my parent's house to Misquamicut Beach and back last Sunday. I have reached over 1000 miles for 2010!

10 things about me...

2010-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

I just found out that I was tagged by Christine over at
http://christine-myfirstmarathon.blogspot.com/ to tell you 10 random things about me.

1. Growing up I was called Sam because S.A.M. are my initials (Stephanie Ann Mitchell). Most people thought my name was Samantha and not Stephanie.

2. I love playing softball and basketball but haven't played in long time!

3. I am a Yankees fan and my favorite Yankees fan of all time is Mike Pagliarulo. He play 3rd base the same time frame Don Mattingly played 1st base.

4. I traveled all over Europe in 2000 for 30 days. I went to 16 countries and 21 different cities. My favorite city was Interlaken, Switzerland.

5. I was in the Army for 3 years and went to airborne school. I was part of the 82nd Airborne Division and had to jump out of airplanes every 3 months.

6. I was chosen along with 99 others to parachute into St. Mere Eglise, France as part of the 52nd annual D-day Celebration.

7. I love Jamba Juice. We don't have any in Connecticut and I am missing it! I am almost tempted to drive to New York or Boston to have some.

8. I have graduated from college twice. I have an accounting degree from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire and I have a Physical Education and Health degree from Eastern Connecticut State University.

9. I have a weird toe on my left foot and was very self conscious about it growing up.

10. I named my daughter after my sister who died shortly after being born with a heart defect (Jennifer Rebecca).

I tag Megan at Living in Lulling and Tami at Journey of a Runner.

Doctor's Appointment

2010-08-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctors today. He checked out my knee and thinks my lateral tendon is strained from over use. He just told me use a heat pack before running and ice it after running. I also have to take Naprosen twice a day. The good news is that I can keep training as I was. I don't have to stop or run less! I have to do a followup in 3 weeks.

Training for Hartford

2010-08-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

I have completed 3 weeks of training for Hartford and my knee is holding up. In the first week of training, I had to stop my long run at 10 miles because my knee was really bad. Now it hurts on some runs but not others and it doesn't hurt so bad that I have to stop running all together. I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday.

We found a house and the owners accepted our offer. Now, we are waiting for all the inspections and the closing so we can move it. We are hoping the closing is soon so we can get settled and register Jenny for school.

In the next two weeks we will be going on 2 vacations. We leave Thursday for New Hampshire with my family so we can go to Santa's Village and Storyland. The kids love it! It should be a lot of fun. We are staying until Sunday and then we have to drive to Vermont for my husband's nephew 4th birthday party. Then the following week we are going on vacation with my husbands family. Wednesday we are going to Fitchburg, MA and staying at a Coco Keys. It has an indoor waterpark. Then the next day we are driving to Warwick, RI and staying at the beach. It should be fun. Jenny will love spending all this time with her cousins.

Since the marathon....

2010-07-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

We left Kona on Monday night, the movers had already taken all our belongings the Tuesday before the marathon so we spent the next 3 nights at a friends house. Thanks Kim! I ran one very short recovery run on Wednesday of 2 miles. My legs felt good but tired. That was my last run in Hawaii.

The next day, the children and I got on a plane. It was such a long flight but a great flight. We few from Hawaii to San Francisco (5 hours) and from San Francisco to DC (5 hours). The children slept through the whole flight and were great during the short layover we had. Our last flight was from DC to Providence (1.15 hours). My parents picked us up. We got our luggage and our dog and went home.

Our first weekend home was 4th of July weekend so we didn't have any time to rest. Saturday, we went to a picnic at my cousins house and then Sunday, I drove 2.5 hours with the children for a picnic at my father n law house who lives in Massachusetts. The kids had fun playing with their cousins in the pool!

Monday, we went to the beach with my sister and realized we weren't in Hawaii anymore. I am going to miss the blue waters of the Hawaii beaches.

I did a few 3 mile runs during the week. Nothing long and nothing fast.

Friday, July 9th, we (as in 6 adults and 9 children) started our trip down to North Carolina to visit with my grandfather. We rented a house right off the beach so of course we went to the beach everyday! We also went to the aquarium, carnival, on a hike, and the arcade. We would go to the nursing home everyday to visit with my grandfather too. We got back home Friday, July 16th.

I ran a few times in North Carolina but during one run my knee started hurting. RIght now I can't run more then 5.5 miles without my knee hurting. So I think I have to go get it checked out. But what sucks is that I just started training for the Hartford Marathon on October 9th.

Kona Marathon Race Report

2010-07-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry this report is so late but I have been so busy with packing, mini Kona vacation, moving to Connecticut, settling in, house hunting, and vacation to North Carolina.

We flew into Kona Friday morning and we were staying at the Keahou Beach Resort. The marathon starts and ends at the hotel. Friday and Saturday we did some site seeing but I didn't over do it and got rest too. I messed up on my dinner the night before the marathon. My husband had the car and I was stuck at the hotel room with my two children. They had a restaurant at the hotel but didn't have pasta on the menu. The options were not very healthy. I ended up just having a salad and I don't think it was enough for me.

The marathon started at 5:30 am but I didn't have far to go but I still woke up at 4 am to get ready. I was outside and waiting by 4:30 am. Since it was a small marathon, we didn't wear a chip. I saw my friends Brandy and Jay who were running the half marathon.

The first 13 miles went fine. I was holding an 8:30 pace but then the heat, humidity, and hills got to me at the turn around and I slowed down quite a bit for the next few miles. At mile 15, I didn't think I was going to make it. I would try to run to the next water stop and walk a little bit. That worked until mile 23 when I had nothing left me and was feeling very sick! I walked most of the next 3 miles and only started to run again once I was about 3 tenths away from the finish line. My finish time was 4:35:58 and I was feeling well at all. I got a hug from my children and felt better. I told my husband that if this was my first marathon...i would seriously consider never doing another one again!

I was disappointed in my time and that I walked a lot! But I am glad that I finished!

Only 11 more days!

2010-06-16T01:39:00.000-07:00

Only 11 more day or 8 runs or 47 more miles of training left until the Kona Marathon! I can't believe it is almost here. I am getting very nervous but trying to have great thoughts about the marathon. I have been picturing myself crossing the finish line within my time goal! The only thing I am worried about is weather. I was told it will be hot and humid! I just need to stay hydrated and keep myself cool.

I had a great 20 mile run on Sunday night. I ran the first ten miles easy at an average 9:28 pace and then picked up the pace to an average of 8:28 for the last ten miles of the run. I ran the first ten miles in 1:34:39 and then the last ten miles in 1:24:40. So I completed the 20 miles in just under 3 hours and that is great for me for a training run. I don't usually do my long runs with any speed.

I had to get a new pair of shoes this week. I use to wear Asics 2140s and never had a problem with them but then the 2150s came out so I bought them. For the majority of my runs I have been getting blisters on both toes next to my big toe. I went to Runner's Hi, a local runnig store and told the guy my problem. He told me that it's natural for runner to lift their toes while running and the 2150s toe seam must be different then the 2140s and my toe is just rubbing it the wrong way. He gave me some other shoes to try and I decided to by the Adidas Supernova Sequence. They felt best on my feet. So far they are fine. I have run 34 miles in them and I haven't got any new blisters. I hope they hold up well for marathon!

My little girl is 7...

2010-06-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

It just seems like yesterday, we were going to the hospital anxiously waiting her arrival. We didn't find out the gender of the baby before her birth but my father who already had 4 grand daughters had told us he put his order in for a boy. I had a planned c-section because she was breached and didn't turn around at all. She was born at 10:45 at 8 lbs and 21 inches. We named her Jennifer Rebecca after my oldest sister who died soon after being born. When my husband carried her to the nursery, he told the family that the baby was a girl and apologized to my father. My father couldn't have been happier.

Now my little girl is seven and she is such a girlie girl. I was a tomboy growing up and I don't know where she gets it. She loves makeup, dresses, gymnastics, ballet, barbies, and Taylor Swift. She is a tiny peanut and on a good day weighs 40 lbs.

Happy 7th Birthday Jenny!

Flat tire, Cab ride, PR, and Dead Battery

2010-06-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was running in the Hibiscus Half Marathon this morning so I woke up at 3:45 and was out of my house by 4. Ten minutes into my drive I hear a whoooosh sound and then rumble, rumble, rumble. S**T! I had a flat tire. I pulled over to the side of the road to see if I could flag someone down because I didn't have my phone. But there wasn't too many people out at 4 in the morning and no one stopped for me. So I drove the car to the closets gas station and ending up taking a very expensive taxi cab ride to the race.

I arrived at the race on time and got my chip. I started as close to the start as I could. My pland was to try to stay as close to an 8 minute pace as I could and hopefully speed it up the last few miles to get under 1:45. For the first ten miles I held a pace between 7:50 and 8:10 but I could tell my legs were very tired. I didn't really taper at all this week since the bigger picture is the Kona Marathon in 3 weeks. Plus around this time you are running back up Diamond Head Road. Mile 11 was 8:57 and mile 12 was 8:40. For mile 13, I got a second wind and the help of the down hill portion Diamond Head Hill Road I mustered out a 7:52 pace. The last .12 of the race I was running at a 6:52 pace (if only I could hold that pace for the whole 13 miles). The weather started out fine but it got hot and humid really quick. I didn't get under 1:45 because of my two slower miles but I did get a new half marathon PR by 31 seconds.

Total: 13.12 in 1:47:04 (8:09)

After the race, I found a ride with a stroller strides mom and she dropped me off at Hickam because I was suppose to pick up my friends car later in the day. She wasn't military so she had to drop me off at the gate and I walked about .5 mile to get to the car. My friend was suppose to leave the car unlock with the key under the seat. But when I got to the car, the car was locked and I had no way to get in. I found a phone to use and called my husband. He called my friend and she told him the code to open the door from the outside and told him that the battery was dead. I had to fine someone to help me charge the battery for me to get home. Finally, i found a chief and an LT from the army to help me out!

What a day!

Keep your fingers crossed...

2010-06-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

My husband is in the Navy and he schedule is never predictable and ever changing. He was suppose to leave next friday June 11th and only be gone a week. Well, today, when he came home from work he told me that his schedule changed and now they are not leaving until the end of June and would not be home until the beginning of July. Not good for many reasons! First, the movers are suppose to come pack us up on June 21st and June 22nd for our move to Connecticut. I would have to handle that and two children myself. Second, the children and I are suppose to leave the island July 1st so we wouldn't see my husband for almost 2 months until he moved to CT. And finally, I would have to miss the Kona Marathon. I wouldn't have anyone to watch them on the Big Island while I ran. But there is still a sliver of a chance that my husband might not have to go with him. The chief that is suppose to replace him is already signed to the boat and he is going to ask his commander to leave him behind. So keep your fingers crossed he will be able to stay!

May Totals

2010-06-02T01:47:00.001-07:00

Not much to say about May except that I just ran and ran and ran. I had mile PR for the month of May with almost 229 miles. For June, I am planning on running about 185 miles. Next Sunday, I have the Hibiscus Half Marathon. My goal for the half marathon is to run it under 1:45. Then starts my three week taper for Kona Marathon. I only have 25 more days until the Kona Marathon.

Monday Brain Exchange Week 9: Summer Racing

2010-05-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

Every Monday, onelittletrigirl.wordpress.com will post a question for the following week.

Topic: Summer Racing

Question: What are your summer race plans? Are you trying anything new this year? What race are you looking forward to most?

Right now I only have to races on my calendar for the summer months. I will be running the Hibiscus Half Marathon on June 6th and the Kona Marathon on June 27th. The half marathon will be my last race on Oahu and the marathon will be my last race in Hawaii since I will be moving back to Connecticut right after the marathon. I am looking to get under 1:45 for the half marathon and my goal for the marathon is to break 3:45.

Once I get to Connecticut, I will start training for the Hartford Marathon in October. I will probably do a few short races.

A GREAT LONG RUN!

2010-05-24T01:44:00.000-07:00

I had to run 22 miles on Sunday but my husband had duty on Saturday so that meant he wouldn't be home until 9 or 10 on sunday morning. I had two choices: 1. get up early and run 22 miles with the double stroller or 2. wait and run at night. Well I decided to run at night because I was really looking forward to waking up early and then running at with the stroller.

I ate dinner, made sure my daughter's home work was completed and then set off on my run at 6:40pm. I decided to carry my handheld with gatorade and then run 6.5 mile loops so I could stop at my house for water and GU. I also took a GU 15 minutes before my run. I did two loops for 13 miles and at that point I decided to do a 9 mile loop so I took my last gu with me and stopped at a water fountain at mile 18. I ended up with GU and water at miles 6.5, 13, and 18.

I was just going to run the 22 miles at my regular long run pace which is between 9:15 and 9:30. I started off slow and my first mile was 9:34 but I picked up the speed a little bit in the next 6 miles. My average pace for the first 7 miles was 9:07. My legs felt great and they were warmed up so I picked up the pace for the next 7 miles. The average pace for the middle 7 miles was 8:34. I still felt great after the first 14 miles and my legs wanted to go faster so I picked up the pace a little more and average 8:21 pace for my last 8 miles. I think I could have gone on and picked up the pace even more for the last 4.2 miles. This run was a big boost for me and for my goals for the Kona Marathon.

Total:
22 miles, 3:11:06, 8:41

My garmin is on life support and will make in much longer. I am just hoping he hangs on until I get a new one. I had to tape the top part of the watch to the base.

I ran over 600 miles for 2010!

Maui, Birthday and Training!

2010-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

My husband, children, and I flew over to Maui this past weekend and had a lot of fun! We went for 4 days. We left Oahu on Thursday morning and took the shortest flight I have ever been on to Maui (20 minutes). The first thing we did was go to the aquarium. My children had a great time looking at the sea creatures especially the turtles and sharks! We were for a couple of hours and then went to check into our hotel. This is one of my favorite pictures of my son watching the turtles swim.The next day, we took the Road to Hana scenic drive. "An incredible fifty-two miles journey along 617 curves and over 56 bridges through the most breathtaking scenery in all of Maui." It lived up to this and more. We would stop every once in awhile to take a small hike to waterfalls, tropical gardens, scenic lookouts, and a lava tube. This ride took all day and everyone was very tired by the time we got back to our hotel at 6. Pictures below: David and Jenny at the Puohokamoa Falls, Pat and Jenny in the lava tube, and the kids playing at Hana Beach.

The next day, we took it easy and only went on a very short train ride on the Sugar Cane Train. My son especially liked this because he loves trains!
The last day, we were there we made the 22 miles drive up to see the Haleakala Volcano Crater. My daughter thought it was neat because we got to drive throught the cloud and when we got to the summit (10,023 ft above sea level) we were above the clouds.
Pictures: family at the summit, me at the summit, and the Haleakala Volcano Crater
Today is my 35th birthday and tomorrow is my husband's 40th!

My training for Kona is going good. I am taking 2 rest days now to give my legs another day to rest. I did a 22 mile run while in Maui and can run 10 miles at my marathon pace. Here is a picture of the sunrise on one of my Maui runs.

Hot and Humind 800s x 6

2010-05-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

I was going to get up early and run while my husband and children were sleeping but my son got up at 4 am. I didn't want to wake up my husband at 5:30 so I waited to do my run after I took my daughter to school at 7:40. By then the sun was up and it was already HOT!! I started off with a easy two mile warm up. Then I did 800s followed by 400 rest. I cooled down with 2.75 miles.

Splits:
2 mile WU: 18:59 (9:29)
800(1): 3:41 (7:22)
400(1): 2:17 (9:08)
800(2): 3:40 (7:22)
400(2): 2:16 (9:07)
800(3): 3:40 (7:22)
400(3): 2:20 (9:24)
800(4): 3:41 (7:22)
400(4): 2:21 (9:24)
800(5): 3:38 (7:19)
400(5): 2:23 (9:33)
800(6): 3:41 (7:22)
2.75 mile CD: 25:23 (9:13)

My 800s were pretty consistent and faster then I wanted them. I am very happy with this workout.

5k Race Report and Mother's Day 20 miler

2010-05-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I ran in the Jamba Juice Banana Man Chase 5k Race. And yes, there are men dressed up as Banana's that you try to chase down. Most of the Banana Men were local news men. The race started at 7 and it was down by Ala Moana Beach. My goal was to break 22 minutes. I was stroller free so I started close to the start line since they were going by gun time and not chip time. The banana men got a 60 second head start and then we were off. I didn't want to start out to fast like I normally do but I did anyways. My first mile was 6:57. The course was flat and ran by the beach so we had great views. I slowed my second mile and then slowed even more the third mile. My splits were 7:12 and 7:33. I picked up the pace for the last .1 and ran it in 37 seconds (7:05 pace). My finish time by my garmin was 22:22 but the official time was 22:25. A new 5k PR for me! I didn't get under 22 but next time!!!

My daughter also ran in the Keiki race afterwards. It was only 500 meters. She had a lot of fun!

Today, I ran my 20 mile long run. I got to do it stroller free! I was planning on running to Kapolei to met up with Da Running Divas and continued my run with them. I got up at 4:30 and got everything ready and was out the door by 5am. I had my 20 mile run preset in my garmin but I had set it wrong. Usually it automatically laps at every mile but I didn't change it and I was suppose to manual push the lap button and most the time I missed the mile marks. I ran 8 mile from my house in Ewa Beach to Target in Kapolei. I still had about 20 minutes before the group was suppose to be there so I just ran up and down the parking lot until I got almost 2 more miles in. At first, I didn't think any one was going to show up and but Michaela and Kim showed up and we started running.

We ran around Target and the around Costo to get on the trail that heads to KoOlina Beach. The first few miles there isn't much to look at but once you get to KoOlina Beach the views are spectacular. We even got to see the Pirate Ship that they will be using in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Once we got to the end of the beach we turned around and headed back to Target. We ran 10 miles and these 10 miles went by quicker with the great conversation with Kim and Michael.

Splits:

mile 1: 10:25

miles 2-3: 19:18 (9:39)

mile 4: 9:21

miles 5-6: 18:16 (9:08)

mile 7: 8:58

mile 8: 9:01

mile 9: 8:52

miles 10-14: 45:24 (9:04)

mile 15: 9:13

mile 16: 8:59

miles 17-18: 18:01 (9:01)

miles 19-20: 18:14 (9:07)

Total: 20 miles in 3:04:07

Happy Mother's Day!

Wooohooo! I hit 500 miles for the year!

3 High Fives Virtual 5k Race

2010-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I participated in Tall Mom's 3 High Fives Virtual 5k Race. On my training schedule, I had to do to 8 miles with 2 mile warm up, 3 mile repeats with a .5 mile, and then 2 mile cool down. The miles I counted for the 5k race were both .5 mile rest, my last two mile repeats, and
.1 mile of my cool down.

My course was flat and just around my neighborhood. I ran the warm up miles in 19:19 (9:39 pace). I ran my first mile repeat in 7:38 and I was feeling pretty good. I ran my .5 mile rest faster then I would have normally since it was being counted for the 5k. I ran the .5 mile in 4:14 (8:28 pace). My second mile repeat was just as fast as my first and my legs still felt good. I ran the 2nd mile repeat in 7:39. My half mile rest was a little faster. I ran it in 4:06 (8:12 pace). My last mile repeat was my fastest. I ran the mile repeat in 7:26 and my legs still felt good. I ran the last .1 in 50 seconds. I ran the 2 mile cool down in 16:47 (8:23 pace).

3 High Fives Virtual 5k Time: 24:15 (7:48)

Run Splits:
2 mile WU: 19:19 (9:39)
1st mile repeat: 7:38
.5 mile rest: 4:14 (8:28)
2nd mile repeat: 7:39
.5 mile rest: 4:06 (8:12)
3rd mile repeat: 7:26
2 mile CD: 16:47 (8:26)
Total: 8 miles in 1:07:12 (8:24)

I have an actual 5k race this weekend: The Jamba Juice Banana Man Chase 5k and my daughter will run the 500 meter keiki race. I also have a 20 mile run on Mother's Day.

Locks of love!

2010-05-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a hair cut in about 3 years and I was getting tired with my long hair. So I decided to chop it off. The receptionist suggested donating the hair to Locks of Love. So I am. Now I just have to figure a way to put my hair up when I am running. I use to run with my hair in a bun. Now it's almost to short to put in a pony tail.

My husband is home!

2010-05-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

My husband is home from his 6 month deployment! We are really glad he is back home! We are also moving is a few months. We got the orders we wanted and are moving back to Connecticut to be closer to family! We will be leaving Hawaii July/August time frame.

April Round Up!

2010-05-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

April didn't end on a good note. Yesterday while just walking around I got a severe pain in my hip/groin area. I just thought it would be a one time thing but my hip but it has been hurting on and off since yesterday. I took yesterday off and will probably take today off. It doesn't hurt all the time. I have been icing it and taking motrin. I just hope it isn't anything serious to sideline be for the Kona Marathon.

Total miles: 173.95 (7.05 miles short of scheduled miles)

I didn't get on the bike at all in April. I did swim once for 10 minutes. I completed day up to day 80 in P90X.

Not really sure what my goals will be for may but I have 240 miles scheduled with 3 20+ runs. I also have a 5k race on May 8th.

Last two weeks of training....

2010-04-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks of training, I have had some very good training days and some not so very good training days. The worse training day had to be last Sunday (April 18th). I had a 16 mile LSD planned. My son decided to wake up at 4 am that day and didn't want to o back to sleep. So I let him watch tv and played with him for awhile until my daughter woke up at 7. I was already very tired from the early wake up call but I didn't want to put off my run until the evening, who knows if I would have had enough energy to go. So I headed out with the two children in the stroller aroun 7:30. The sun was up but it was hiding behind some clouds so it was relatively cool out for Hawaii. During my run, I realized that I didn't bring any gel or blocks with me. I had water and my electolyte drink so I thought that would be enough. I was wrong. The sun came out and it started to get really hot around 9 miles. At ten miles, I was toast. I didn't really think I could finish the run but I did. Lesson learn: bring proper nutrition!!

I had to great runs: MP run on April 15th and my 18 miler on April 25th. My MP called for 8 miles with 6 miles @ 8:30. I decided to go to the track at the army base to run so I wouldn't have to push the stroller and my kids could play while I ran. What a difference it made. Usually, I am struggling to keep an 8:30 pace for the 6 miles but without the stroller I ran all 8 miles with a 8:09 pace and it seemed very easy. My son and daughter like it better to because they weren't stuck in the stroller for an hour.

At first, I didn't think I was going to get my 18 mile run in tonight. I had a horrible headache all day. But a friend of mine told me to take some motrin, drink water, and try to get a nap. I knew I could do the first two but wasn't sure my two year old would take a nap today. But he finally fell asleep and I got a little over an hour nap and I felt great when I woke up. We had a birthday party to go to at 3 so I didn't start my run until 6. The sun was going down and I brought my shot block and gel with me. I took a shot block at miles 3, 6, 12, and 15 and took my gel at mile 9. I also had water or my electolyte drink every mile. My kids slept most the ride. I felt great the whole run. I finished in 2:54:00 (9:40). When I finished the run, I was about a .5 mile from my house. After being in the stroller for almost three hours my children got to walk. My son Paddy who is 2 started to run. He looked back at me and said "Run just like Mommy". That was the best part of the night. He ran the .5 mile home and was so proud of himself. I kept telling him good job!

Last three weeks, I ran 42, 46, and 49 miles. This week coming up will be a little easier with only 42 miles.

Monday: 5 miles easy
Tuesday: 8 miles with hills
Wednesday: 4 miles easy
Thursday: 9 miles, 7 @ MP
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3 miles easy
Sunday: 13 miles LSD

Monday Brain Exchange: All about Boston

2010-04-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Jill at Http://onelittletrigirl.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/monday-brain-exchange-week-4-all-about-boston/ hosts a weekly brain exchange.

Topic: Boston

Question:

Do you get excited about Boston?

This year I was very excited about the Boston Marathon.

Have you ever ran or plan hope to run the Boston Marathon?

Yes! I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have only been running again for a year and a half but when I first decided to run a marathon, my thoughts went to qualifying for Boston. I was told not to have a time goal for my first marathon so I didn't push it and finished in 3:52. I ran my second marathon a month later in Disney as part of the goofy challenge. I ran the half in 1:52 on Saturday and ran the marathon in 4:04. I have plan on running to more marathons this year: Kona on June 27th and Hartford October 9th.

Will you watch today if so will you be watching on t.v., on the computer, or in person?

No, I will not be watch it today. I live in Hawaii and there is a 6 hour time difference from Boston. I would have to wake up at 4 am.

Do you have anyone special running this year?
No, I don't really know anyone running this year.

Any great Boston stories to tell?
Maybe in 2011!

I Run Because... I Can: Feature Friday Thorlo Review & Giveaway!!

2010-04-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

I Run Because... I Can: Feature Friday Thorlo Review & Giveaway!!

Week 5 Kona Marathon Training

2010-04-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

My schedule called for 42 miles this week.

Monday: 3.05 miles in 26:55 (8:49)

Tuesday: 8 miles hills in 1:17:28 (9:41)

Wednesday: 5 miles easy in 46:28 (9:17)

Thursday: 8 miles, 6 miles @ mp (wu: 8:58, 6 @ mp: 50:31 (8:25), cd: 9:29)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 4 miles in 32:58 (8:15)

Sunday: 14 miles in 2:11:48 (9:24)

Monday was suppose to be 3 easy mile with 3 strides but I ended doing quarter mile warm up and the 3 200s with 200 rest and then I did 2 more miles in Stroller Strides class. Saturday's run was without the stroller. I ran up and down my small street while my children played with their neighborhood friends.

Next week:

Monday: 6 miles easy with 6 strides

Tuesday: 7 miles easy

Wednesday: 5 miles easy

Thursday: 8 miles, 6 miles @ mp

Friday: rest

Saturday: 4 miles easy

Sunday: 16 miles LSD

Total: 46 miles

1 month down 3 to go!

2010-04-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

Schedule had me drop down to 33 miles this week. I ended up doing 34:36 because I did an extra 1.36 miles at stroller strides class.

Monday: 4 miles easy in 36:45 (9:11)

Tuesday: 5 miles hills in 47:56 (9:35)

Wednesday: 1.36 miles in 13:06 (9:37) Stroller Strides class

5 miles easy in 49:39 (9:56)

Thursday: 4 miles, 2 miles @ mp: WU: 9:48 2 miles @ mp: 16:20 (8:10) CD: 9:29

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles easy in 48:04 (9:37)

Sunday: 10 miles LSD in 1:35:02 (9:30)

This weeks training is almost complete. I have a rest day tomorrow and two more run days. This is what was scheduled.

Monday: 3 mile easy

Tuesday: 8 miles hills

Wednesday: 5 miles easy

Thursday: 8 miles, 6 @ mp

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 4 miles easy

Sunday: 14 miles LSD

March Totals

2010-04-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Running: 145.83

This was a very high mile month for me. I got motivated to run again since I started training for the Kona Marathon. I ran in two races this month: Straub/Kapiolani 10k and Waterfront 5k. I was 1st in the stroller division for the 10k and 1st in my age group (30-34) for the 5k. I also participated in two virtual races: Meg's St. Patrick Day 10k and Tall Mom's Race for the Cure 5k. I am ahead of schedule for 1000 miles in 2010. My total is 277.03 miles.

Cycling: 30 miles

Since I started training for the marathon, I have stopped riding my stationary bike. I need to try to get on it at least twice a week.

P90X: Day 29 to 52

I am finishing up phase 2 of P90X. Phase 3 is 5 weeks long. I like most of the workouts except for Yoga X and Core Synergistic. I substitute X Stretch for Yoga X and just suffer through Core Synergistic. I only to do Core Synergistic twice in a phase.

Goals for April:

My running goal is to run 181 miles. My longest run will be 18 miles. I haven't signed up for any races yet. I will be looking for 5k.

My cycling goal is to bike 70 miles.

My P90X goal is to complete days 53 to 82.

I also need to eat better! I need to come up with a plan for this.

I hope everyone has a great April!

3rd Week of Kona Marathon Training

2010-03-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

For my third week of KM training, I had 41 miles on the schedule.

Monday: 4 miles easy @ 9:18

Tuesday: 6 miles easy @ 59:54

Wednesday: 4 miles easy @ 9:01

Thursday: 8 miles, 6 miles @ 8:26

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles easy @ 9:10

Sunday: 14 miles LSD @ 10:00

Total: 41 miles

A lot of my easy run are more like progressive runs. I get faster each mile. Tuesday's run was suppose to be 6 miles with hills but my legs were feeling tired and decided just to run a flat course. Wednesday and Thursday, my legs felt fine again and my tempo run on Thursday went great! I hit 8:30 pace or below on all 6 miles even with pushing the double stroller. I took full advantage of my rest day on Friday and didn't do any exercise.

I also took part in Mel's (Tall Mom on the Run) virtual race for the cure 5k. I did it as part of my 5 mile run on Saturday. I wanted to run it at 6pm but when we went outside to get ready, my daughters friends were playing and of course she wanted to play for awhile. It just got later and later. Then my neighbor came out at 8 and asked if were going to participate in Earth Hour so I went in to turn off all my lights and let my daughter play to 8:30. But 8:30 came and went, we didn't start running until 9. I did a warm up for 1.9 miles and then started 5k. The course was my basic flat neighborhood run and I didn't put my all into it because I had a 14 mile run the next day. My mile splits were: mile 1: 8:59, miles 2: 8:47, mile 3: 8:26 mile .1: 57 seconds. My finish time was 27:09.

This week:

Monday: 4 miles easy

Tuesday: 5 miles hills

Wednesday: 5 miles easy

Thursday: 4 miles, 2 miles @8:30

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles easy

Sunday: 10 miles LSD

This week is a easy week for me so I can rest up my legs for the next 3 weeks.

Week 2: Kona Marathon Training

2010-03-22T17:25:00.001-07:00

38.12 Miles this week and by the end of the week, I was very tired!

Monday: 5 miles easy @ 9:17
Tuesday: 6 miles hills @9:53
Wednesday: 4 miles easy @ 9:26
Thursday: 6 miles with 4 miles @ mp WU @ 9:09, 4 miles @ 8:22, CD @9:43
Friday: Rest 8:22
Saturday: 5.12 miles @ 9:01 (5k race)
Sunday: 12 LSD @ 9:48

Sundays run I ran at 3:30 pm and the sun was still up and hot. It was also very humid. I did it at this time because my son fell asleep on the way home from the store so I just put him in the stroller so he could sleep a little longer. With the heat and my legs being tired, I didn't have a good run. My time was fine but I just felt like crap!

3rd Week of KM Training:
Monday: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: 6 miles hills
Wednesday: 4 miles easy
Thursday: 8 miles with 6 miles @ 8:30
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5 miles easy
Sunday: 14 miles LSD

Total: 41 miles

I got my ducks in the mail from participating in Meg's (Living in Lulling) St. Paddy's Day Virtual 10k Run. My daughter is being silly and put them on her head.

Waterfront 5k Race Report

2010-03-20T21:50:00.001-07:00

Today, I was suppose to run 5 miles easy but I signed up for the Waterfront 5k. This is the third race I have run on this course, once stroller free and twice with the stroller. I just looked at my times for the other two races, in March 09 I ran it in 23:18 and November 09, I ran it in 23:19. Just one second off. I came in first in my age group both races.

Since, I was suppose to do 5 miles today, I did a 1 mile warm up before the race. I have never before done a warm up before a race before. Usually I just get there, stretch a little and go. The race didn't start until 8 and by then the sun was up and it was getting hot. They didn't care where the strollers started since it was a small race. They just said to be careful and let the faster runners go first.

My legs still felt tired from my tempo run on Thursday even with the rest day yesterday. But were off at exactly 8. The course is very flat and it is in a residential area. My kids didn't like this race in November because they had speed bumps along the route but this year the speed bumps were removed. In the first mile, I had to stop and back track twice. Once for a dropped shoe and another time for drop bowl. After that, it was smooth sailing. My legs felt heavy but I ran as fast as I could.

Mile 1: 8:09
Mile 2: 8:06
Mile 3: 8:20
.12: 58 seconds (8:05 pace)

Finish time: 25:33

I am still waiting for my official time. I might be a few seconds faster because I forgot to stop my garmin when I crossed the finish line. Even though my time was 2 minutes slower, I was still 1st in my age group! I think I was 33rd overall finisher.

First Week of Kona Training

2010-03-15T02:06:00.000-07:00

My first week of Kona training called for 33 miles of running and I did 33.2 miles. I did an extra .2 for one of mine runs to complete Meg's (Living in Luling) St. Patrick's Day virtual 10k race. My training called for 6 days of running and one rest day. I was ready for my friday rest day. But my legs came back strong for Saturday and Sunday runs.

Monday: 4 in 39:32 (9:53)

Tuesday: 4 in 37:24 (9:21)

Wednesday: 6.2 in 1:02:08 (10:01)

Thursday: 4 in 38:25 (9:36)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 in 44:38 (8:55)

Sunday: 10 in 1:36:48 (9:41)

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday runs were all suppose to be at an easy talking pace. I want to get more consistant with the pace and keep it between 9 to 9:15. Wednessday was hills. I found some hills and what made it more challenging was pushing the double stroller up the hills. Then sunday was my long slow run. So far all my training has been done with my stroller and I think it makes me a stronger runner.

What's up for next week?

Monday: 5 miles easy

Tuesday: 6 miles hills

Wednesday: 4 miles easy

Thursday: 6 miles w/ 4 miles at 8:30

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles easy

Sunday: 12 miles LSD

Total: 38 miles

I am on day 36 of P90X and it is going well. I like most of the videos except the yoga video.

Kona Marathon

2010-03-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have decided to train for the Kona Marathon but I am not sure if I will be able to run it. I have to talk to my husband and I am not sure when that will happen. But I have a 16 week training program and it is suppose to start today.

Schedule 3/8-3/14

3/8 - 4 miles easy
3/9- 4 miles easy
3/10- 6 miles hills
3/11- 4 miles easy
3/12- rest
3/13- 5 miles easy
3/14- 10 miles LSD

Total mileage: 33 miles

Straub/Kapi'olani 33rd Annual Women's 10k Race

2010-03-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Today, I ran in my first race in Hawaii in 2010. It was a race made up of almost 1800 women. I ran with the stroller since my husband was working and I didn't want to spend money on a babysitter. I don't mind running with the stroller on a day to day basis but running with the stroller in a race is horrible. Many races make runners with strollers start at the back behind the walkers. So the first 1 or two I was trying to weave in and out of the walkers, running on the grassy medium, stopping to walk because I couldn't get around walker or they wouldn't move, and getting very frustrated. I was very close to stopping and not finishing the race. There has to be a better solution then this.

The course was down in Waikiki and I have run it many times in training or other 10k races. We start at Kapi'olani Park, run up Diamond Head Hill Road, make a circle through Kahala, back up Diamond Head Road, and then back to Kapi'olani Park. There was only a hand few of women running with strollers. It took me about 2 minutes to cross the starting line and I am glad that they had chip timing. A lot of the short distance races in Hawaii use gun time. The first two miles like I said were frustrating but I finally got some room to run but I was still leap frogging and trying to get ahead of the other runners. At mile 4 or so I saw one stroller runner ahead of me. I passed her right before going up Diamond Hill Road but she caught up with on the hill. But I passed her on the way down and into Kapi'olani Park. WHen I was close to the finish line, everyone watching was cheering me on and it was a great feeling. I finished in 58:42. My goal was under an hour. I was first in the stroller division.

Splits:
mile 1: 11:14
mile 2: 9:12
mile 3: 8:51
mile 4: 9:16
mile 5: 9:29
mile 6: 8:25
.2 mile: 2:15 (8:28)

first 5k: 30:32
second 5k: 28:10

246 out of 1798

Goodbye February Hello March!

2010-03-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

My running totals for February are real low because of the hiatus from running while I went home for my mother in laws funeral but I did start P90X and riding my new stationary bike more.

February Totals:
Running: 47.39 miles
Bike: 90 miles
Swim: .2 miles
Fitness: Up to Day 21 on P90X

I started March off right with a 4.23 mile run.

Tsunami Scare!

2010-02-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

I was waken up at 4:15 this morning by my cell phone. My friend was calling to warn me that the earth quake in Chile had started a tsunami and that there was a tsunami warning for all of Hawaii. She told me that at 6am that they were going to sound the alarm for evacuation. She was leaving with her family in a half hour to beat the traffic to higher ground and that I should do the same. So I threw all my photo albums into the back of my van, got some food and water, got the kids, some clothes, and the dog and made my way to Tripler Army Medical Center (higher ground).

We arrived there a little after 5. My daughter had fallen back to sleep so I just sat in the car for awhile. At 6:30, my friend called to tell me that the cafe was going to open so we had breakfast. Then went to the playground so the kids to have something fun to do. We stayed there for a couple of hours and then made our way back to the cars. We had a view of the ocean but thank the lord there wasn't anything exciting to see.

They called off the warning a little before 2. We are back home safe and sound but tired :).

Not much of anything....

2010-02-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

I have been running but nothing exciting to write about. I run 4 times a week but I am not up to running for an hour straight yet. My miles for February will be very low since I took over a week off when I was in Massachusetts. I ride my stationary bike 2 to 3 times a week from 45 minutes to hour usually. I also started P90X. I am currently on day 19 and most the workouts I like. My favorite workout is plyometrics! My least favorite is Yoga.

I am thinking about doing the Kona Marathon on the Big Island at the end of June. I have two weeks to decide before my training will officially start. I also have a 10k race on March 7th. It is an all women's 10k and I am running with my stroller so I am hoping to get at least under an hour.

Sad time..

2010-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

My mother in law hasn't been well for awhile now and I got a call from my sister in law saying that she was in the hospital and they were not expecting her to live much longer. They wanted me to try to get my husband home. He has been deployed with the Navy. I had to call Red Cross. I was hoping that they were still pulled into a port because they were out to sea again, he wouldn't be able to come home. Luckily, he was still in port and his commander was allowing him to come home. He will be landing in Hawaii tomorrow morning and we will be off to the East Coast.

Unfortunately, I got a call from my sister in law today saying that my mother in law had passed away. I had really hoped my husband would be able to see her but now she is not in pain anymore.

I just don't return lost dogs....

2010-02-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I found a dog who was running around my daughter's school and I returned him to his owner later that day. A couple of days ago, the same thing happened and I returned about dog to his owner. Well, at 9:30 at night, I was sitting at my computer and my dog starts to bark like someone is at the door. I go to the door and to my surprised my 2.5 year old neighbor is standing there all by himself. I tell him to stay there and put Clifford outside. I go back to the door and he is ready to come inside. I guess he wanted to come play with Paddy. I picked him up and walked him back to his house. His mother didn't have a clue that he had left. I am just glad that he came to my house and just didn't wander off.

January Totals

2010-02-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

For the month of January my totle milage wasn't high but I did run three races: Frost 5k, Disney Half Marathon, and Disney Marathon.

Total Milage was 84. I am trying to run 1000 miles with Mel from Tall Mom on the Run for 2010. In order to reach 1000 miles, I need to run an average of 83.33333 miles a month so I made the average for January.

I am also trying to decide where to run my next marathon. I want to try to qualify for Boston 2011. The only problem is that I don't know where I will be living after June. My husband is in the Navy and we are hopefully moving from Hawaii. We don't know when or where. I have a few marathons in mind: Kona Marathon (06/27), San Francisco Marathon (07/25), and Grandma's Marathon (06/19). If I am still on the island it will cost me between $700 to $1000 just to fly to California or Minnesota. I just hope we find out where and when soon!! I need a big race to train for. I am lacking motivation plus trying to prevent an injury to my achilles tendon.

Back in Hawaii...

2010-01-23T00:50:00.000-08:00

I flew into Hawaii last night and it wasn't a fun flight. First, we flew from Providence, RI to Detroit, Michigan. This flight was short and Paddy slept half of it. We didn't have much of a delay in Detroit. From Detroit, we flew to Los Angeles. This was a 5 hour flight. My son was very tired but refused to sleep. He was getting tired of sitting in his car seat too. I believe that pilots and toddler have a code going on. I think "The plane will be landing in 20 minutes" is code for "it's time to go to sleep". I tried so hard to keep him awake but nothing worked. Of course, to get off the plane, I had to wake him up. We had a little layover in LA. But to get from one terminal to the next we had to go out of the airport and go back through security. While we were waiting for out flight, my nose started to bleed. My daughter ran to get me some napkins. I got my nose to stop bleeding. I checked my stroller at the gate and loaded the plane. My son slept a litt longet this flight. We finally landed at 9pm. When we got off the plane, I expected to see my stroller (not my running stroller) but they had lost it. I don't know how they could have last it since it only had to go down the stair and into the plane. I still haven't heard anything about it. It was a very long day and I thought everyone would sleep in but my son decided to get up at 7.

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge

2010-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

I went to Florida this weekend to participate in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. For the challenge, I had to run a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday.

My flight from Connecticut left at 7:45 and it was snowing lightly. I made it to Florida at 11. I retrieved my luggage, got my rental car, and was off to the expo to picket up my goofy packet. I was hoping to get there by 12 so I could here Bart Yasso speak. I have read his book and used the Yasso 800s in my training for the Honolulu Marathon. I caught the tail end of his talk and was able to get his book autographed and take a picture with him.

After I got my packet, I had to get in this long, long line to pick up my three shirts. For going Goofy, I was getting a shirt for running the half marathon, the full marathon, and one for doing both. I also bought some more marathon swag at the expo. The expo was a lot better then the Honolulu Marathon.

The weather for the weekend was suppose to be VERY, VERY cold for Central Florida. Thank god I was prepared and had some winter running gear with me. I stayed at the Shades of Green Hotel which is a hotel for military personnel and their family. It is right on Disney and they were offering buses to the start of the race.

The race started at 5:40 and the buses from the hotel started at 3 and would end at 4. I woke up at 2 and got ready for the race. I headed downstairs a little after 2:30 and waited for the bus to take me out into the cold. I took this picture at my hotel. I was had ear protection and gloves to wear.

I got to Epcot (the start line of the race) at about 3:30 so I had over 2 hours to wait for the race to start. The temperature was in the 30s but it felt colder because of the wind chill factor. After, I checked my bag in, I found shelter in the massage tent for a little while. They kicked us out of there at 4:30. I went to the bathroom and then started to walk to the starting line. It was about a 1/2 mile walk which helped warm you up a bit. I was in Corral C and the second wave so it meant that my races wasn't going to start until 5:50. It was cold but I did survive to the beginning.

My goal was to run conservatively since I had the full marathon to run the next day. The course was mostly flat with some small hills. It also was suppose to take us through the parks but it was very disappointing when only about 1.5 miles was in the actually parks. We ran through Magic Kingdom for 1 mile starting at 5.5 miles and .5 mile through Epcot at the end of the race. The rest of the race was on the back roads around the parks. A few of the sections were completely dark with no lights. It started sleeting about 20 minutes prior to the start of the race. For the first few miles, I had ice droplets pelting my face. I didn't go as slow as I wanted. My finish time was 1:52:30 for 13.23 miles for a pace of 8:30.

Since I didn't run the half marathon as slow as I thought I should, I was a little worried about the full the next morning. Plus, I wasn't sure if I wanted to wait in the cold again. It was suppose to be in the 20s.

The next morning, I slept in until 2:30 because I was going to catch a later bus so I wouldn't be in the cold for so long. The temperature was about 27 degrees and the wind made it feel a little colder again but there wasn't any sleet/ice today. I was suppose to meet up with Robin from the blog the Westford Mommy but I didn't find her. So I headed to the start line about 5:15 and I was corral D today. To my surprise there was two start lines: one for corrals A-C on one side of the road and another for corrals D-J on the right hand side of the road. When wave 1 started the race, Corral d also started the race then. We were on a totally different route then corral A. For the first 3.5 miles, it was like we were running a whole different race. We got to run through Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom. I stopped a few times to get some pictures taken with some of the characters on the side of the course. Since it was cold, at the water points, the ground was very slick with ice. The water that dropped on the ground was freeze. I felt good up until mile 22 or 23. I was on course to break 4 hours but I slowed down for the last 4 miles. I didn't have anymore gas in the tank. I finished the marathon in 4:03:38 for a pace of

Here are my medals. The donald duck medal is for the half marathon. The mickey mouse medal is for the marathon. The Goofy medal is for completing both the half and full marathon in one weekend.

I flew back to Connecticut that night and I am in a little bit of pain. My left ankle is swollen. Hopefully I will recover soon.

Frosty 5k

2010-01-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

I had my first race for 2010 and didn't do as well as I wanted. I had fun because my brother ran the race too. I didn't run for 4 days before the race because the weather in Connecticut has been either very, very cold or snowing. I also went to New York for one of the those days with my sister, sister n law, daughter and 5 nieces. We went to the American Girl Place and saw Mary Poppins at the theater. We had a fun day!On New Years Eve, we got a few inches of snow. We got to go play and make snowmen! We made a lot of snowmen because my son and daughter keep knocking them down. I also got to do 1.5 hours of shoveling.

The roads were clear on New Year's Day and we were able to go to the race. The race was about 45 minutes from where we live and it didn't start until 11am. When we get to the race to get our bib number they didn't have me as preregistered so I had to talk to the director of the race and he allowed me to register without paying. If my check doesn't cash, then I will send the race fee. The race was in the residential part of Guilford, CT and a lot of families participate in the race. I went out to fast and slowed continually miles 2 and 3. My time was 24:25. My brother beat me by 38 seconds.

We got another snowstorm on January 2nd and the kids again loved playing in it. It was not good snowman making snow but they had fun making snow angels. I again got in another 1 hour of shoveling in.

Good bye 2009 ......Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

With 2009 ending in 5 1/2 hours and 2010 beginning, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe New Year!

2009 was my first full year back into running and I accomplished a lot.

1. I ran 1509 miles.
2. 5k Races
a. 8 races
b. PR: 22:31
c. 1 1st women overall
d. 7 age group award
3. 8k race
a. 1 race
b. PR: 38:12
c. 1 age group award
4. 10k races
a. 4 races
b. PR: 48:18
c. 1 age group placement
5. 8 miles to 19 mile races
a. 7 races: 1 8-miler, 1 10-miler, 1 15k, 2 half
marathons, 1 20k, and 1 30k.
b. Ran one of the half with double stroller under 2
hours
c. 2 age group awards
6. First super sprint triathlon
a. Didn't drown!
7. First Marathon
a. 3:51:48

2009 was a great year for running for me and I can't wait for 2010. I have a few races lined up for the first part of the year but I don't know where I will be living the 2nd part of the year so it's all up in the air.

Dog, Traveling, Christmas..

2009-12-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a very hectic week!

Dog update! I talked to the people at the kennel is staying at and they were very understandable about him not being very social to other dogs and maybe other people. They do set asside times for dogs to play alone if needed. Clifford warmed up to the two ladies quickly and I felt very comfortable leaving him there. I called a few days ago and he is doing well.

Then I got to travel alone with two kids from Hawaii to Connecticut on Monday the 21st. Our flight from Hawaii to Dallas was delayed because three of the latrines were not working. I was so worried that I would miss my connection because if the plane landed on time I only had an hour to make it to the next plane. But since it was late, I only had about 25 minutes to run with two kids, car seat, and carry ons. I barely made the flight and I was worried that my checked luggage wouldn't. My flight landed in New Jersey and my next flight was about 20 minutes late. I finally landed in Rhode Island at 2 and met my sister there. My fears were confirmed and one of my luggage and my daughters booster seat wasn't there. They had to put it on a flight to Cleveland and then to Rhode Island. The airline delivered it that night about 10 pm. My kids were actually pretty good through out the whole day considering we only got about 6 hours of sleep on the 3 flights. My son didn't want to put on his hat or coat. He has only been in warm weather.

My son also got to play in snow for the first time.

Christmas was great. We got to go to a real Christmas Tree Farm to get a real tree again. Usually we have to buy a real tree from Home Depot that has been shipped from Washington. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we spent with my family (Mom, Dad, Sister + brother n lawa, two brothers and sister n law, 6 nieces and 1 nephew. My kids loved playing with all there cousins! My son didn't want to save any cookies for Santa Claus.My mom and dad loved having kids in the house again to watch them opening gifts from Santa. On the 26th, we went on the North Pole Express train ride. The kids had a great time. They were singing and dancing. They got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. They had cookies and hot cocoa.

Even my mom and dad were having fun!I have been running too. The weather here has been in the 30s. So it is a big change from running in Hawaii. I have to wear two layers, a hat, and gloves. I have a 5k race on the 1st that i will be running with my brother.

My dog Clifford

2009-12-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

In 2007, my daughter wanted a dog so my husband finally gave in and we went to the pet store. We found a cute little brownish red male terrier mix and bought him home on September 1st. We didn't think he was going to get bigger then about 25 lbs. But now he is almost 50. My son was born 2 months after he was born and are now best friends. My daughter doesn't like him to much because he has always been very jumpy. He has always been a barker and barks at everything that comes to the door. But lately, he just seems more vicious like he would actually attack them if he got loose. Well, we went to the vet yesterday and he had to be muzzled because he was acting like he was going to bite her. Then tonight, he got loose and usually he will just run around but there was another dog out and the dog started barking at him and coming towards him. Clifford and the dog (who is much smaller) were fighting and clifford drew blood but the owner says he will be ok. On Monday, I am going home for Christmas and Clifford is suppose to stay at a kennel but now I don't if he will be able to do so. He doesn't like other pets or other people besides us. Plus, right now I can't trust him. I don't know what to do. I can't cancel my vacation at home. I spent $2000 on the flight alone. I called a few trainers but what can they do in 4 days! I am very sad to think that I might have to get rid of him or worse put him to sleep. He is part of our family.

UPDATE:
I have a dog trainer coming to the house on Sunday morning for a consultation.

Still very very sore

2009-12-15T09:29:00.001-08:00

any suggestions?

100th POST!!

2009-12-13T15:25:00.001-08:00

and of course my FIRST Marathon Report. I am now a marathon runner!

I went to bed about 9:30 and had a heck of a time sleeping. I dozed in and out of consciousness all night. My alarm went at 2:30 and my wake up call was soon after that. I was worried that I was going to over sleep and miss the marathon. I called my friend to make sure she was up and we were going to meet in the lobby at 3:30.

I showered and got ready. I had 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, banana, and a granola bar. I was ready early and went down to the lobby to find a good spot for me to link to my garmin to the satellite. I was downton Waikiki and there are a lot of tall buildings around. When my friend got to the lobby, we found a spot and our garmins were good to go!

We had a mile walk to the start line from our hotel. It was a quick walk and we were at the starting line. They were expecting 23 thousand + runners and 2/3rds of the runners were suppose to be from Japan. I was told by many people to disregard the pace groups and get as close to the start line as possible. We up right behind the elite runners. We had plenty so I had to use the bathroom and while in line one of my dailymile.com friends came up to me and introduced herself. It was pretty cool that she spotted with all those runners. I made it back to the starting line with 15 minutes to spare and waited anxiously for the start.

The start of the race there are fireworks and it is a great site! My plan was to stay around the 9 minute mark for each mile and hope to get under 4 hours. We headed up on Ala Moana BLVD and past the Aloha Tower for the first two miles of the race. Then we turn right into Chinatown and proceed through Downtown Honolulu on South King Street for mile 3. This part of the race was very pretty with all the Christmas light and decorations! The race forks right onto Kapiolani Boulevard through urban Honolulu and in the fourth mile turns right down Piikoi Street. The course returns to Ala Moana Boulevard, this time passing Ala Moana Center. The bridge spanning the Ala Wai Canal marks the entrance to Waikiki. At mile 5 we run through the high rise hotels and condos. Near the sixth mile, the course forks to the left onto Monsarrat Avenue, around the Honolulu Zoo and past the Waikiki Shell. Tis part of the run was flat and my legs felt very good. But I was going faster then my 9 minute pace.

mile 1: 9:00 mile 2: 8:44 mile 3: 8:47 mile 4: 8:42 mile 5: 8:47 mile 6: 8:44

We had about one more mile of flat until we reached Diamond Head Hill Road. This was so much easier without the stroller and headwinds. Right before Diamond Head I got a sharp pain in my left quad and if it didn't go away I didn't think I would be able to finish! But it was gone as quickly as it came. 9th and 10th miles, we run on 18th Avenue and Kilauea Avenue passing through residential and commercial areas of Kahala then we run unto Kalanianaole Highway. I had some small hill during these two miles but they were not that bad. I was still feeling pretty good even though I was running faster then I wanted to. I tried to get myself to slow down.

mile 7: 8:45 mile 8: 9:00 mile 9: 8:52 mile 10: 8:35 mile 11:8:36

We run on Kalanaiole Highway in Hawaii Kai for about 4 miles and it is all rolling hills. At this times, we see the elite returning to finish the marathon. I still had half of it to go.

mile 12: 8:30 mile 13: 8:32 mile 14: 8:27 mile 15: 8:32

Then we turned left unto Hawaii Kai Drive and did a loop through a rich residential area. At this time my quard started to hurt again but it wasn't pain it was just getting tired and wanted me to stop running. I also was running behind a Japanese guy who I think the only English words he knew were good morning....he would say it to every spectator who was cheering.

mile 16: 8:32 mile 17: 8:31 mile 18: 8:37

We got back unto Kalanaiole Highway and double back for 4 miles. It was amazing to see how many runners were still behind me. We again had the same rolling hills but this seemed to be more uphill then downhill.

mile 19: 8:43 mile 20: 8:42 mile 21: 8:45 mile 22: 9:02

We got off Kalanaiole Highway and turned left unto Kealaolu Avenue and then the route turns right onto Kahala Avenue. Kahala Avenue merges into Diamond Head Road at mile 24. Kealaolu Avenue, Kahala Avenue, and the first part of Diamond Head Road were pretty flat. At mile 23, I started getting tired but I kept thinking about my children and all the hours they spent in the stroller so I can get my runs in. With three miles left, I had a little over 30 minutes in order to get my time goal of only 3o minutes so I wasn't going to punish myself if I did slow a little.

mile 23: 8:48 mile 24: 9:20

Mile 25 was the trek back up Diamond Head Hill Road. I couldn't focus on the whole hill so I set up little distant goals and it really helped. The hill slowed me down a lot but I made it up the whole way. The of course we got to run down the other side of the hill. Then we got to turn right unto the road that never endsor otherwise know as Kalakaua Avenue. All the races end on this street and it the last .7th of a mile of the race. When you first get on the street you can not see the finish line until the road curves to the right. But the finish line never seems to get any closer. But I finished the last half mile strong. There two tall guys in front of me so I had to make a last second surge to get in front of them to get a good finish photo!

mile 25: 9:41 mile 26: 9:00 mile .45: 3:33 (7:57)

Total Garmin: 26.45 miles, 3:51:50, 8:46 pace

Yay! Under 4 hours!!!!!!!

Splits Places:
10k: 54:59 age (30-34): 47 out of 1720 finishers
half: 1:55:43 female: 214 out of 9835 finishers
30k: 2:43:20 overall: 1168 out of 20159 finishers
40k: 3:39:54
clock: 3:52:18
chip: 3:51:48

After the finish, they placed a shell lei around our head with no medal! I was thinking in my head, "I just ran 26.2 miles, I better get something else besides a 33 cent shell lei!" But once I walked the mile to get my finishers shirt they handed me my medal too.

I called my brother up to share in my excitement and my parents and him were all glued to the computer checking out my times! They were excited and very proud of me too.

My legs are very sore so unto recovery!!

I will end with this picture of my son with my recovery socks on. I was wearing them but he wanted to wear them! Pink isn't his color!

Twas the night before my first marathon...

2009-12-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

and I am filled with lots of nerves. I picked up my packet on Thursday afternoon and I thought the expo would have been bigger. We didn't get any goodies in our bag just a lot of paper and brochures. I bought a lot of Honolulu marathon apparel so now I have to finish. :) I also bought "the stick".

Only 14 more hours till the start!! Thanks for all the motivating comments!

6 more days....

2009-12-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

I had a very busy weekend with National Guard Drill and family outings. On Saturday Morning, I took my kids to the Salt Lake Shopping Center's Sweet Candyland Christmas. They had facepainting, pictures with Santa, crafts, playzone, Holiday Train, and Care Bears! My kids had a lot of fun!

Saturday afternoon, we went to my husband's sub christmas party. It was held at the Arts and Crafts building on Hickam Air Force Base. They were able to paint a decoration.

Saturday night, we went to the Waikiki Christmas Lights Parade. My daughter and son adopted a new family while we were there and they got to sit on their blanket and get front row seats! The parade was good. My son enjoyed it immensely. I could here him squeal when more lights rode by. But by the end of the night, my legs were tired from all the standing I did.

On Sunday, we had to go to my National Guard Drill. In the morning, we had to take care of some business but in the afternoon, we were having a Christmas Party. They had a bounce house and an obstacle course that my kids had fun playing on. They also had a lot of food but my children wasn't too fond of it. It was mostly Hawaiian style food.

Sunday night, we went to Tropical Zoolites at the Honolulu Zoo. They had some games, crafts, lizzards and turtles to pet, musical entertainment, and Santa Pictures. The kids had fun doing the crafts and playing the games. Jenny didn't really want to touch the lizzard! I am surprised that my son isn't afraid of Santa. I know when my daughter was his age, she didn't want anything to do with him.

By the time we got home on Sunday night and with all the running and standing around that I did, my legs were too tired for my last long run. My son had also fell asleep on the way home and stayed sleeping while being transferred to bed. I decided to do my last long run in the morning.

Monday morning, we got up and Jenny got into her pajamas to get ready for school!! It is spirit week at her school and today was Pajama Day. After we dropped her off at school, my son and I went for our run. I wanted to get 10-12 miles in but once I hit 7 miles, I knew I didn't have many more miles in my legs. They were still tired from the weekend and I didn't eat anything before running.

Totals:
9.29 miles
1:30:00
9:41 pace

I have two more runs scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. I will take Friday and Saturday off and then HONOLULU MARATHON!!

Christmas Lights Sight Seeing Run...

2009-12-04T22:51:00.000-08:00

This was a very nice run. I didn't have really any plan on route except to go see the Christmas lights for my children. I would run and if they saw lights on a street I would turn down the street. We saw lots of Santas, Snowmen, elves, Christmas trees, and palm trees. Snowmen really don't go with Hawaii but they can always hope! Some of the houses had music playing and two houses were tuned into radio stations. Next time I have to bring i-pod to listen and see. My son was very excited to see all the lights.This is one of the houses that blinked to the music of the radio staion.

My son and daughter liked this house the best because it had a lot of lights and decorations.

Total:

7.5 miles

1:11:33

9:33 pace

I planned on only running 6-7 miles but because I didn't have a specific route I had to run a little longer. The run went quick with all the Christmas lights to see.

9 days and counting...

2009-12-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

I have nine more days until my first marathon and I am getting a little nervous arleady. At least I have one of my worries is gone. My husband had been away and will be away for my marathon so he will not be here to watch my kids. I had a plan b but my friend decided to move to Colorado to be closer to her family while her husband is deployed. So with only a few weeks to the marathon, I didn't know who was going to watch the kids. I have been asked a lot if I was running with the stroller but strollers are not allowed on the course. I hate asking people for favors especially taking my two kids overnight. But I finally asked my friend Ashleigh and she sai yes. I owe her many hours of babysitting in return!

I get to go to the expo next week and pick up my packet. I received my pick up card in the mail the other day. My number is 519. I would have been cool if it was 520 because my birthday is May 20th or 521 because that is my husbands birthday.

I only have 4 more runs before the big day. I hope my training was enough to get me to the finish line.

Good look to the CIM and Las Vegas Marathon runners!

My baby is two...

2009-11-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is Patrick Thomas on his first day at home. Big Sis just loved him.

Look how big he has gotten in 2 years. Where did the time go?

Happy 2nd Birthday Paddy!!!

Running :

Saturday: 1:04:00

7 miles

9:08 pace

This run was stroller free because I got up before the kids and ran the .1 mile loop in front of my house.

Monday: 2:14:13

14 miles

9:35

This run was with stroller but only one child. It is still very windy here so I got a good workout pushing the stroller into the wind.

What next?

Tuesday: rest

Wednessday: 1 hour or 7 miles

Thursday: rest

Friday: 1 hour or 7 miles

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 10 miles

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 1 hour run

Wednesday: rest (Marathon Expo)

Thursday: 1 hour run

Friday: rest

Saturday: rest

Sunday: HONOLULU MARATHON

10 mile turkey trot

2009-11-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

I used this run for Alisa's Virtual Turkey Trot over at http://ambitiousaspirations.blogspot.com/.

Diamond Head Hill 2 Stephanie with stroller 0

I did the 10 mile turkey trot run today. I had to run it with the stroller. I got up at 5am, got everything ready and then got the kids in the car. We left the house at 5:40 and got to Waikiki about 6:15. Registration started at 6:30 and the race would start as soon as everyone was registered. Upon registering you received a popsicle stick and you were suppose to write you estimated finish time on the stick. I wrote 1:34:37. Watches, Ipods, and garmins were not allowed on the course. This was more of a pacing run for the marathon then a race.

The run started on Paki Avenue and we a loop around Kapiolani Park. I started towards the back and it was slow going. I think I walked the first .1 mile and after that it was still a crawl. I finally got into a good pace but then we hit Diamond Head Hill :(. It didn't help any that the wind was blowing towards us so the hill was more difficult. Even going downhill was work. I usually just go with it but I actually had to push the stroller to make it go faster. The wind was a problem throughout the race and it seemed like it was always blowing into us. It was the regular route to Kahala gas station and then unto Kahala Road up Diamond Head Hill again. Then we turned left towards the finish. At the finish line, the clock was facing backwards so you couldn't see the time and their were volunteers to write your finish time on the popicle stick. My finish time was 1:36:33 which was 1:56 off my predicted time. I thought I was running much slower so I was happy with this time.

Total:

Time 1:36:33
Distance 10 miles
Pace 9:39

We had dinner at Wolfgang's Steakhouse and had the Turkey Dinner Special. Downtown Waikiki is already decorated for Christmas!

Yay! I got to run without the stroller!

2009-11-23T01:22:00.000-08:00

I had planned on running Saturday morning but my legs felt very tired so I decided to take a rest day since I was planning on running 20-22 miles on Sunday night.

I had watched a friends child on Wednesday so she said she would watch mine on Sunday night for my run. We had a birthday party at 2:30 to 4 at Gymboree so I would run after that. On the way home from the party, my son decided to spill juice all day his shirt and when we got home he was soaked. I was hoping to just grab my stuff and head to my friends.

Well, with my son changed and locked in the stroller. I headed out to my friends house. I wanted to get at least 3 miles in and I wanted them to be slow miles (10 minute pace) but I went out faster.

1 mile: 9:14
2 mile: 9:02
3 mile: 9:41

I dropped the kids off and headed out again to run at least 16 miles. Ewa Beach is very flat and during my marathon I have two hills on Diamond Head Road to run up. So for the next 7 miles I ran on a very flat area. By mile 7 my stomach wasn't feeling very well so I had to make pit stop at mile 8.

4 mile: 9:03
5 mile: 9:00
6 mile: 9:01
7 mile: 9:13
8 mile: 9:23
9 mile: 9:38
10 mile: 9:05

Towards the Waipahu end of Ewa Beach there are some hills. So that is where I ran too. Miles 11 -14 where had some pretty nice hills to run up but probably not as big as Diamond head Road.

11 mile: 9:36
12 mile: 9:26
13 mile:9:09
14 mile: 9:20

At this time I was out of the hills and running back towards my friends house. So I was running in a flat area. I started to slow on some of the miles due to the lack of nutrition. I usually take one shot blok every ten minutes but they seemed to be bothering my stomach more tonight so for the whole run I only took 4 shot bloks.

15 mile: 9:27
16 mile: 9:51
17 mile: 9:40
18 mile: 9:21
19 mile: 9:44

I got back to my friends house at 19 miles and my time was 2:58:05. I had to get all the kids stuff and get them in the stroller to finish my run. I think it took about 5 minutes to do this and by the time I started running again my legs were stiff and tired and I also had to push the stroller again. So the last 2.3 miles were very slow. So note to self: Do not stop during the marathon!

mile 20: 10:51
mile 21: 10:35
mile 21.3: 12:18

I was hoping to get 22 in but I wanted to stop at Jamba Juice and it was closing in about 5 minutes so I cut my run a little short. I get the Protein Berry Workout. My kids got OrangeTree. I don't know if you ever heard of them but its a self serve yogurt place and my kids love it! My daughter would go every night if I let her.

Then we walked a very slow mile home. My son and daughter wanted to get out of the stroller and walk too.

Post run my legs feel tired and I have a pain in my right heel. It didn't hurt during the run.

Weeks Schedule:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 10 mile Turkey Trot
Friday: 6 to 7 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 16 miles

The 10 mile Turkey Trot race is not like any of the races where the fastest runners win. At the beginning of the race, you are given a Popsicle stick and you are suppose to write what time you think you will finish the 10 miles in. The people who are the closest win. You can use any kind of timing device such as ipods, gps, watches... I will be running with the kiddos and I get to run up Diamond Head Road again!

Congratulations to Sneaker Sister http://sneakersister.blogspot.com/ for running in her first marathon and qualifying for Boston. Also, Congratulations to Denise at http://run-denise-run.blogspot.com/ for qualifying for Boston too.

So far this week...

2009-11-20T23:18:00.001-08:00

Monday - rest
Tuesday- 7.04 miles, 1:03
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 7.03 miles, 1:06
Friday - stroller strides class 1.4 miles, 15 minutes

Thursday, I tried to do my Yasso 800s. I was suppose to do 9 of them. But the wind here in Hawaii has been horrible. I went to the track at Pearl Harbor and half my run was into the wind. I had my stroller so I had to work triple to keep the pace under 8 when running in to the wind. I through 2.5 and by then my legs were shot. I had to stop. I had run 2.96 miles in 25:54 so I decided just to run slower for about 40 more minutes. My stats for the second part of the run was 4.07 miles in 40:28.

Here is what I have for the rest of the week:
Saturday: Run 1 hour
Sunday: 22 miles

On Sunday, I get to run most of my 22 miles without the stroller. I babysat for a friend on Wednesday night and she is going to watch my kiddos on Sunday night. I am going to run up to her house drop the kids off, run another 2.5 hours by myself, pick up the kids and run home. Hopefully I can get 22 miles out it.

Good luck to all those who have races this weekend!

My daughter is such a ham..

2009-11-18T15:07:00.001-08:00

My daughter saw the camera coming into the finish line and she just had to sit up and smile!!

My little brother...

2009-11-16T14:30:00.001-08:00

Or should I say my younger brother, George (he is about 6 inches taller then me), I had asked him to run a 5k with me when I am home on New Years Day and he declined saying that he hadn't run in ages. But today, I was talking to him on facebook and he said he ran for the first time yesterday and wanted to run the 5k with me :). Yay!!! He also told me that he tells everyone about my races and running. I asked him why and said because he is very proud of me. It made my day a whole lot better. Now I just have to recruit my other brother and sister and make it a family affair :).

This is a picture of me and my siblings. It is over 3 years old. I have to take a new one when I am home for Christmas. Tracey, Allen, George, and myself. Tracey is older then me by a year, Allen is 3 years younger than me, and george is 6 year younger than me.

The wind isn't my friend....

2009-11-15T23:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I had to do my long run of 16 miles with the stroller and it was very windy for a lot of my run. It's already bad that I have to run with the stroller but pushing the stroller into the wind is :(. Except for the wind, my run was fine. I tried not to look at my garmin so I strapped it to the stroller. It still beeped every mile so I knew how many miles I had gone but not my pace or time.

total:
16 miles
2:37:39
9:51 pace

Pics from 5k

2009-11-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

5th Annual U.S. VETS - HAWAII Patriot Walk/Run 5k

2009-11-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

It was race day and I actually got to sleep in until 6 this morning. The race didn't start until 8 and it was just 4 miles from my house. I got everything ready and then proceeded to wake up the children to get them ready. I had to run with the stroller today but it was only a 5k so I was dreaded it too much. I left the house a little before 7 and was at the race in no time. As I was unloading the van, I realized that I didn't bring my garmin! I haven't run without the watch in soooo long and I have never ran a race without it. I didn't know what to expect! I probable could have gone back to get it but by then we were trapped in the parking lot and it would have been a hassle. So I had to run without it.

Even though, we had a later start then most races, it was surprisingly cooler and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. We got our prerace instructions and then walked about 150m to the start. It was a small race and they didn't specifically say that strollers had to start in the back so I started near the front. Well, then we were off. It was a very flat course. It started at the ocean, through residential area, around the marina, and then back through the residential area. I know I started out to fast. But went as fast as I could as long as I could. There was 4 or 5 females way ahead of me and I knew I wouldn't catch up to them. Finally, we came around the corner and saw the finish line! I sprinted as fast as I could but when I crossed the finish line, I did not see the clock. Everyone was cheering for me again and said that I was the first stroller in. Well, I grabbed my banana and water and waited for the times to post. My official time was 23:19 which is a 4 second PR for a 5k with stroller. I was 1st in my age group (30-39), 40th overall, and I think 5th female. The times haven't posted yet.

I have pictures of the race and will post them as soon as I find my UBS cable to connect my camera to the computer.

31 days and counting....

2009-11-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

I have 31 DAYS until I run my first marathon!

So far this week, I had to good runs. I took Monday night off, ran Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Tuesday: Yasso 800s x 8
Wednesday: Stroller Strides Class (6.23 miles and upper body workout)

For my 800s, I have been trying to get the 800s in 3:40 and I have been successful but I decided to slow them down. I just don't want to get hurt before my first marathon with only a month left. I want to stay healthy and have the best run that I can on marathon day! I decided just to get them under 4 minutes. This is how it went:

1.5 mile warm up: 14:03 (9:22)
800(1): 3:50 (7:40) 400(1): 2:19 (9:14)
800(2): 3:57 (7:55) 400(2): 2:17 (9:09)
800(3): 3:55 (7:50) 400(3): 2:20 (9:20)
800(4): 3:55 (7:50) 400(4): 2:20 (9:21)
800(5): 3:49 (7:39) 400(5): 2:15 (9:00)
800(6): 3:57 (7:55) 400(6): 2:20 (9:23)
800(7): 3:57 (7:55) 400(7): 2:26 (9:48)
800(8): 3:57 (7:56)
1.5 mile cool down: 14:22 (9:35)

I keep my pace pretty even except for my 1st and 5th 800.

Wednesday, I went to my stroller strides class. I run to class and it was about 2 miles to where we usually meet up at. But I was running really late so they had already taken off to the next location. I ran to two usually stops but they were not there. By this time it was 8:30 so I just ran to the park where we usually end and of course they were there. But I didn't get any rest, they were getting ready to run to the next location. We got a good upper body workout and then ran back to the first park.

Total:
6.23 miles
1 hour
9:37 pace

This is what the rest of my week looks like:

Thursday: 1 hour run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 5th Annual U.S. VETS - HAWAII Patriot Walk/Run 5k
Sunday: 16 miles

Half marathon Photo

2009-11-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

A picture of me finishing the half marathon. If you look closely, both my children are sleeping. They slept most the run since we had to get up so early.

Saucony Val Nolasco 1/2 Marathon

2009-11-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

I got up at 3:30 this morning to get ready for the 1/2 marathon. I was pushing the stroller during the race so I had to get my kids ready. I also had national guard duty after the race so I had to make sure I had my uniform. I had put most the gear in the car the night before so all I had to do was grab my drinks, shot bloks, and the kids. We left the house a little after 4 and made it to Kapiolani Park a little after 4:30.

I got the stroller out, filled it with snacks, drinks, and the kids. I put my shoes, number, and garmin on. I needed to go to the bathroom so I headed to go use the bathroom by the parking lot and to my surprise it was closed. So I headed over to get my timing chip and then headed to the bathroom on the other side of the park. The line was extra long and it was about 5am. I had 30 minutes to use the bathroom but the line was going slow and I never did get to go.

I headed to the start line at 5:20 and had to line up towards the back. There was supposedly 1300 people in the race. 10 minutes later we were off! Well, kind of. Since I was in the back I was behind some of the slower runners and walkers and with a double stroller it is very hard to maneuver through the crowds. There wasn't any openings so I just had to start very slow. Once, we turned right onto Monsarrat Avenue I got to run outside the cone area but I still couldn't get a good pace going. Plus between mile 1 and 2, there is the hill on Diamond Head Road and let me tell you it kicked my @$$! I also used up a lot of energy trying to sprint ahead to get into a better running pack.

Mile 1: 9:39

Mile 2: 9:26

I have run this part of the course many times and never really thought it was a hilly course except for Diamond Head Road but there are several smaller hills and with a stroller it makes them a lot tougher. Sometimes the down hill part was worse then the up hill because the stroller wants to go faster then I was able to go.

Mile 3: 8:56

Mile 4: 9:21

At this point, I knew I wasn't going to get under 1:55 and had doubts that I would be able to get under 2 hours. I just kept trudging along. I was still having problems passing slower runners especially since the running lane was getting smaller and smaller. Kalanianaole Highway is an out and back section of the run and the running lane is at its thinnest. The turn around point is at mile 7 so more the half the race is completed.

Mile 5: 8:45

Mile 6: 8:58

Mile 7: 8:52

At this point, my legs and arms were getting very tired. I wasn't sure I wouldn't be able to finish the race. When I run with the stroller, my upper body is very tense and I have to remember to relax my arms and shoulders. I almost ran into a lady at the water point at mile 8 because people just stop right in the middle of the road with no regards to the people behind them. I didn't stop at any of the water points because I had my own fluids and could run and drink.

Mile 8: 9:04

Mile 9: 9:24

Between miles 10 and 11 you start your accent back up the hill on Diamond Head Road. Right before the hill, I took about a 30 second walk break to catch my breathe and get a good drink in. Then I started the climb up the MOUNTAIN (it isn't really a mountain but it sure felt like it). Of course my pace slowed but that couldn't be helped. I was so happy to get to the other side and let gravity help me down the hill. It felt like I was flying down. I think at times both my feet were off the ground. Once you are down the at the bottom the rest of the race is flat. You turn left onto Kalakaua Avenue and its about half a mile to the finish line. When you first take the left, you can not see the finish line and it just seems like forever to get there. Then you make a slight right and you see the big yellow finish line and it never get closer. It doesn't matter what the race is but the finish line just seems to get farther and farther away! I was sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me and I finished!

Mile 10: 8:39

Mile 11: 9:59

Mile 12: 9:05

Mile 13: 8:11

Mile (.12): 55 seconds (7:40 pace)

Total: 13.12 miles

1:59:21

9:05 pace

I was very happy about getting under 2 hours since the hills on Diamond Hill Road were very tough for me.

Usually when I run a race, I am just another runner in a sea of runners but today I stood out and got a lot of attention from other runners and bystanders. I got a lot of "Keep going momma", Great Job Mom". My favorite was at the beginning a muscle bound man ran past me and said, "No matter what, I think you are the strongest one out here!" Also, when I running towards the finish line everyone was cheering for me to get under 2 hours. One guy said, "2 kids under 2 hours". After a race, one lady came up to me and told me that I was very inspirational.

Stats:

30-34 Age Group: 23 out of 86

Female: 127 out of 481

Overall: 380 out of 992

I have a 5k race this Saturday. Its a small race in Ewa Beach. I am running with my stroller again. It's my last race before my marathon.

300!!!!!!

2009-11-07T18:06:00.001-08:00

No, it isn't my 300Th post. Its the score I got on my Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) today. The APFT consist of 2 min of push ups, 2 minutes of sit ups, and a two mile run. I have been in the military for 12 years now (3 active army and 9 national guard) and I have yet to get a perfect score on my APFT. I would come close by maxing my run and sit ups but push ups were always my weak point. But not today! To get a perfect score (100 points) for the APFT, I had to do at least 45 push ups, 76 sit ups, and run my two miles in 15:32. I did 49 push ups, 80 sit ups, and ran my two miles in 14:27. My official time was 13:23 but according to my garmin we had only ran 1.86 miles so I just added my pace for the two splits and come up with 14:27. Unfortunately, almost half of my unit did not pass the APFT. Out of 22 people only 13 were able to pass it. Out of the 9 who failed, 8 failed the test because the run.

This weeks running

2009-11-06T23:27:00.001-08:00

This week I did all my running at night so I could get use to pushing the double stroller for my half marathon on Sunday. My husband is away so I have to push my stroller in the race. I got a total of three runs in this week and I felt pretty good except for the cough and runny nose I still have.

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 1 hour, 6.52 miles, 9:12 pace
Wednesday: 1 hour, 6.51 miles, 9:13 pace
Thursday: rest
Friday: 1 hour, 6.01 miles, 9:59 pace
Saturday: APFT
Sunday: Half Marathon

My goal for the half marathon is to get under 1:55. I have 36 more days until my full marathon!

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

Yasso 800s x7

2009-10-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight for my run I did 7 Yasso 800s. It was very tough keeping the 800s under 3:40. I didn't think I would be able to do it. I started with a 1.5 mile warm up. Then in between each 800, I do a 400 for rest. Finally, I ran a 1.5 mile cool down.

Warm up: 13:33 (9:02)
800(1): 3:37 (7:14)
400(1): 2:12 (8:48)
800(2): 3:39 (7:18)
400(2): 2:18 (9:13)
800(3): 3:38 (7:16)
400(3): 2:22 (9:26)
800(4): 3:37 (7:15)
400(4): 2:24 (9:38)
800(5): 3:37 (7:15)
400(5): 2:34 (10:18)
800(6): 3:39 (7:18)
400(6): 2:37 (10:31)
800(7): 3:38 (7:17)
Cool down: 16:02 (10:41)

Total: 8 miles
1:09:23
8:40

Next time I do the 800s, I am going to slow them down a little and aim a 3:50 time (7:40 pace). I still have 44 days until my marathon but 14 of the days will be taper so I have 30 days to train.

I got a run in...

2009-10-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

I went to my stroller strides class today! My legs were still a little sore but I could run. I ran 1.5 miles to get to class, 3.5 miles during class, and about a mile after class. We also did a lot of lunges and squats. Tonight my legs feel a whole lot better and I should be back to normal. But now I have a cold to contend with:(.

I am still sooooo sore.....

2009-10-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

I am still very sore from my race on Sunday. I didn't run yesterday and I didn't run today. I hope I get a run in tomorrow. I feel like a slouch.

P.F. Chang 30k Race Report

2009-10-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon, I drove down to P.F Chang to get my race number. I get my number and walk back to my car. When I get to my car, I realize that they gave me the wrong number. This race was 4th race out of 5 of the readiness program and we have the same number throughout. So I had to walk back to get the right number.

Usually the night before the race, I am nervous and excited about the race but for some reason I was dreading getting up at 3 for the 5 am start and didn't want to race. I had everything ready the night before so all I had to do was get dressed. I left the house by 3:20 and was at the race by 3:50. Now that I was at the race I was getting excited and was wondering if I would make my goal of 2:40 or under. It was still dark and I got my timing chip and stopped to put my car key in my pocket. I didn't realize that I had dropped my timing chip and walked off but stopped not to far off to put my timing chip on. I had to retrace my steps in the dark to find a black anklet band. I found it and secured it on my leg.

I headed to the start line at 4:50 to listen to the race instructions and we were off. The race was in Waikiki and they use the same route as most the races and the marathon held in the area. So I am quite familiar with the course. The first mile or two or flat and we run around Kapiolani park. My mile 1, I was already dripping with sweat even though it was still dark. But someone said the humidity was 86% at 5 in the morning. Between mile 2 and 3, we have to run up Diamond Head Road which is the biggest hill we have to face. Unfortunately we have to run back up it at mile 17. There are a few other small hills on the course but nothing too bad. My plan was to start slow and the progressively get faster and then hold at a comfortable pace. I basically stuck to my plan but my legs were getting very tired right after mile 16 and I still had the hill to climb back up. I slowed down considerably on the way up but my pace was faster on the way down. The race ends on Kalakaua Avenue and it is the last .6 miles of the race. No matter what race, this section seems like the longest part of the race. Then you turn the corner and see the finish line but it doesn't get closer. It's just a mirage. I finally crossed the finish line. My finish time was 2:39:58 so I made my goal by 2 seconds!

Mile splits:

Mile 1: 8:52 Mile 2: 8:48 Mile 3: 8:36 Mile 4: 8:29 Mile 5: 8:22 Mile 6: 8:31

Mile 7: 8:30 Mile 8: 8:27 Mile 9: 8:30 Mile 10: 8:26 Mile 11: 8:34 Mile 12:8:26

Mile 13: 8:21 Mile 14: 8:22 Mile 15: 8:31 Mile 16: 8:28 Mile 17: 9:20

Mile 18: 8:23 Mile .71: 6:03

I was happy with my race but now I am very sore! My left knee and ankle are hurting. My quads and calfs are hurting.

This is a picture of Tin and me after the race. Tin runs in the same clinic with me on Sunday mornings to prepare for the marathon.