T-9 Random drawing process for NIKE Women’s SF Marathon (race date 10/20/13)
T-22 San Francisco Half Marathon (6/16/13)
T-40 Peachtree Road Race 10k (7/4/13)
T-42 Registration opens for Kepler Challenge 60k race (race date 12/7/13 New Zealand)
CAN’T WAIT
RUN HAPPY
ah…here I am again! So awesome. It’s a clear blue sky kind of Sunday, with temperatures maybe somewhere in mid 40′s. Feels cold, but also good. Good in the awakening kind of way…Good in the “it’s a good day to run” kind of day.
There’s a small crowd gathering here in one of the open spaces of San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica. I look around and start taking notice; trail runners. trail race. Such a different vibe here than a road race. Less people. Feels a lot more casual. I’ve always loved this vibe and happy to experience it again. In line for the bathroom, I listen to the chatter of those around me…talking about the cold, the course…all I know is it looked about 3 miles or so uphill and then about the same back down. Let’s get to it.
Our 10k race began 10 minutes after the 50km, marathon and half marathon. I was a little bummed i had not entered the half distance, but felt the 10k was more appropriate for today. It would have about 1200 feet of elevation and that quite manageable. The small lot of us began our journey….a gradual then steeper ascents up and up and turn and turn on multliple single track switchbacks. my heart was beating. a great thing. no music on my ears today…just the sound of my own breathing (which got heavier and louder as the steps ensued) and the sounds of my fellow runners ahead and behind me. Most of the trail was in the open, not shaded. A gorgeous day. One short downhill and then up and up again. we finally reached the top and I looked and saw the Pacific Ocean over yonder. A beauty. Keep going. Finally on the descent; time to fly. My small body quickly making it’s way down and down more switchbacks. Not very rooted, pretty smooth trail. Gaining speed and hoping to pick up ground on anyone who might be in front of me. but, i see no one. they must be flying too. I’m going fast. I like this…this semi out of control feeling…but I feel good. i feel confident in my steps and stride. I am not holding back. Keep going. Finally, we are in the last mile and I pass not 1, but 2 women and 1 fella passes me. He was really flyin’! I rushed passed the ladies and then found myself going full steam into a section that was basically a eucalyptus grove. towering trees. wonderful. peaceful. i kept plugging along and all of a sudden with about .5 miles to go, i hear footsteps behind me and kept a panic surge. i don’t want anyone to pass me. legs were really feeling it now after the 3 miles of flying downhill….ahhhh…keep going…..
i did. i stayed ahead.
i finished my first race of 2013. Came in 2nd in my age group women 40-49. pretty cool.
awesome day. can’t wait to do it again.
Shoes worn: Brooks Pure Flow. worked great on these soft packed dirt trails.
Yesterday I made a spontaneous trip down to Santa Cruz. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from where I live. I just wanted to get out of town and go somewhere fun. I needed to get away but I didn’t know how much until I actually arrived. I arrived, checked into hotel, changed into my running clothes and hit the road for a quick 3 mile jaunt to explore and kinda get my bearings. It was a beautiful late afternoon, just a hint of cool temperatures. I ran through the cute, packed in downtown, saw the coffee shop i wanted to visit (VERVE COFFEE) and just made a loop back to hotel. Felt great to move my body. I’m SLOWLY getting back into running….and being ok with that…
I felt myself excited and awakened by the new sights all around me. My senses were awakened. On alert. I wanted to take it all in. I love how a new place has this effect. I had been to Santa Cruz many times in the past….but i’m talking about 25 years ago….
After run, made my way back downtown to visit Verve and find dinner. If you don’t know, I’m a big coffee fan and love finding new good coffee and coffee shops. Verve did not disappoint! I went to 1 of their 3 Santa Cruz locations. Its located downtown on the main street, Pacific. The shop was spacious, tall ceilings and a large area for the baristas to do their thing! A decent sized crowd were sitting and doing THEIR thing. I ordered a Cappuccino and passed on the yummy looking Chocolate Chip Cookie. While my drink was bring crafted, I nosed around in the shop…looking at their beans, mugs, apparel (yes!) and other logo items. I knew i would spend more than a few bucks in this place! I picked up my splendid cappuccino and took a seat at the bar area that allowed me to watch the baristas. Love that! The VIBE in this place was a huge plus. Young, cute, friendly staff. All of them. Welcoming! 
I also ended up chatting w/ a gal who works there and she gave me a recommendation for dinner. I asked for “someplace casual with a TV to watch sports”. She directed me to SurfRider Cafe about 1/2 mile away. It was pretty packed but I got a seat at the bar immediately. Ordered a house-made Veggie burger w/ sweet potato fries and an ale called Dragon’s Breath. All very good! And again, loved the vibe in THIS place. Young, casual crowd. Very good and pleasant service. I think the VIBE i am speaking about is just very much Santa Cruz. Always been a very casual, independent, liberal place. Love that!
Saturday morning got up and went back to Verve for morning coffee. using my iPad, i found one of their other locations about 2 miles away and figured that would be a fun out and back route. So, off i went. There’s a river that runs thru town, The San Lorenzo River, and the route carried me on a path next to the river. Mostly flat, with just a little bit of incline. Gorgeous day outside. I could see the Boardwalk Rides off in the distance. And the Pacific Ocean. AHHHHH — Soon enough the short 3.6 mile run was over and again, i felt like i couldn’t run much more. for now!!
Got breakfast, walked around a bit, got cleaned up and headed to the Boardwalk. I went straight to the arcade and played my old favorite video games; Ms Pac Man & Centipede. Fun! I could’ve played longer, but had only a short time to get a few rides in and head back home. I chose 2 rides; Double Shot – which is just a straight ride up 125 ft. Super fast up and super fast down. a few times. I was facing the ocean and of course, great views. I was screaming and laughing the entire time. Other ride was the classic Giant Dipper roller coaster. More laughing the entire time. I love rides…i love the feeling of being locked in but totally out of control. SOOOO FUN. I really needed it.
This morning (Sunday) I drove just a short distance over to Mill Valley to hit some trails I had yet visited. These were right off of Tennessee Valley Road. I really had no idea where I was going, but i thought it would be easy to get back to the starting point, and it was. I ran, hiked up and came to some amazing views of the bay! Picture does not justice. 
The trail up was mostly single track with hard packed dirt. I could’ve worn regular road shoes but I had my adidas trail shoes on. Came to some fire roads also. A hefty climb, especially given my current level of fitness..but i sure loved being out there!
So…I am making progress with getting back to being as fit as i want to be. Here’s a snapshot of what i’ve done lately.
Feb 10: 6 mile trail run; Elevation gain 1,179 (highest elevation gain since last August!)
Feb 9: 3.6 mile road run
Feb 8: 3 mile road run
Feb 7: core workout @ home
Feb 5: 3 mile treadmill run
Feb 2: 4.25 mile trail run; Elevation gain 635 (makes me realize how this is really nothing compared to what i can do in muir woods)
Feb 1: 3 mile road run
So as you can see, February is off to a much better start than January. Thank God for HEALTH! I still have not picked any races. Basically, I’m just trying to get a base level of fitness back and go from there. I saw a lot of folks on the trails today and that also gave me a boost!
Also, these are the newest add to my collection:
Brooks Pure Connect. These are one of the minimalist shoes. Not the least MINIMAL, but mid range minimal. So far, so good. I like the feel..like they hug your feet. Good traction even on the trail I used them for last weekend. Got ‘em at a new specialty running store: San Francisco Running Company located in Mill Valley. If you are in the area, go pay them a visit. Good guys running the show!
Time to look back on the year of 2o12. A year of much, much change. A move across the country, a new job, a new relationship. Major events in my life. Here’s how the running went down.
January – in the early part of the month, I prepared to make my cross country move from Atlanta back home to San Francisco. I had a new relationship and was brimming with excitement. I was also full of angst and upset over a job I voluntarily departed. Leaving Atlanta was a big decision as my years there were so rich and significant in so many ways. And yet, It was time to go. To move on. In more ways than one.
By January 23, I was on the road, headed west. Over the next 10 days, I drove some of my belongings across our great country and stopped in a few places to stretch my legs and breathe in the air. I was able to run some miles in Oxford, Mississippi; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Flagstaff, Arizona (2x); and Las Vegas, NV (treadmill). My favorite runs were in Flagstaff. The temperatures were cold and my breathing labored in the higher elevation town, but i still loved it. A great little town in Northern Arizona.
January Miles: 75
February – February 1, I touched down in the bay area. Specifically, Petaluma, CA, where I would make my new home. Surrounded by old friends and a new love, I was pretty darn happy. And, for the first time in many, many years, I was without employment. That lasted all of about 2 weeks until I landed a new one and a great one, at that!
My feet and legs went to explore the streets of my new town in ways that I had never done before. I ran all over Petaluma and found that it was mostly flat and to to get any kind of hills, I had to seek them out. This was in stark contrast to Atlanta where hills are everywhere and flatlands are hard to find. It was refreshing to run in a new place and find my way around and notice new things. I spent the last weekend of the month in Ashland, OR and was able to run there as well. A post-snow run day was pretty fun.
Februray Miles: 54
March – I had signed up for a trail race so i needed to get some proper training in for this upcoming event. The only place to run trails in Petaluma is Helen Putnam Park. A good park to run in with mostly single-track, but it is not that big of a space so to run long miles (+6), you will be going over some of the same trails more than once. I was getting settled in to my work environment and looking for a place to live.
March Miles: 71
April – in preparation mode for a 7 mile trail race in Muir Woods which was mid month. A fantastic race. Just love running in that area. After the race, I began using a training program NIKE had designed for me to help me break 2 hours in the half-marathon distance. I started incorporating intervals and very specific strength training exercises into my training. Also started fooling around with Tennis and found I really enjoy it. But, wow…patience, patience, patience is needed on the court.
April Miles: 35
May – A month of shorter, faster runs. Continually saw my pace in the 8:30-8:40 per mile mark and was happy with this. Traveled to NY for work for a week and was very tough to keep up the running due to very long work days. Not fun sitting all day and then being too wiped out to exercise, but I did a little. A bit more tennis and more interval training.
May Miles: 52
June – at the beginning of the month, I had flown back to Atlanta to visit clients and also gather the rest of my belongings. I had to drive a Penske Truck from Atlanta back to SF. My 2nd cross country trip in 6 months. Whew!!! It was definitely not as fun or as fast as driving my BMW!! I took a different route this go around and ran in Dallas, Texas; Amarillo, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada. I was so happy when I got home and had NO MORE DRIVING TO DO! I joined a great local gym and was feeling good about my fitness level.
June Miles: 54
July – Early in the month was the heart of my 1/2 marathon training. I was feeling good about my pace, but wasn’t sure i had gotten in enough in enough long mileage. Prior to race day, my longest run was only 10 miles. But, otherwise, i was feeling good going into race day and knew I would have to push hard and trust myself. Race day was on July 29th and what a day it was. My previous best had been 2:01 and change. I achieved my new PR on July 29th at the SF Half Marathon with a finish time of 1:58:42. I was over the moon delighted. Can’t tell you what this meant to me. And to be back running in my hometown, with my love at the finish line…nothing better. A magical day!
July Miles: 65
August – bought these superfly new Nike shoes. Nike Flyknit. Super light, awesome and fun to run in. 
Fresh off the high from the race, I wanted to run another one. The NIKE SF WOMENS MARATHON was coming up in a few months, but already sold out. Luckily for me, I entered into a raffle for an entry and won. Decision made. I was going. OMG. I had about 8 weeks to prepare and was definitely nervous about the quick back to back. (although I realize some people run marathons every weekend, this was a lot for me, especially since I pushed my body so hard for the Half.) I got myself in gear and kept my expectations in check and went took to the roads.
August Miles: 70
September – full on training for full marathon mode! And, I celebrated my 42nd birthday!! Again, was feeling good overall, but did not get in super long runs. Longest run pre race day was 16 miles. However, I felt steady and solid and mentally ready to keep pushing. It helped that i scaled down my expectations. All I wanted was to toe the line and be there and have a decent finish. A PR was out of the question.
September Miles: 111
October – Race month. The big day was Oct 14th, again in San Francisco. Another fantastic race experience. I actually was feeling pretty strong until around mile 20. I was also on good pace until then so I know my long run of just 16 miles was what had hurt me. Had I been able to get in an 18 or 20 miler in during training, i think I would have had a better finish time. However, I was still fine with the 4:24 finish. My 8th marathon was done and I was super happy!
Later in the month, spent some time up the north coast in Sea Ranch and Gualala. Small, quaint little communities. A great quiet get-a-way! And, I even went swimming for the first time in ages!
Last but not least, The SAN FRANCISCO GAINTS won the WORLD SERIES. I had been at Game 7 of the NLCS and that is a time I will never forget. Bottom of the ninth inning, the game was already won, cold & rainy at the park, everyone soaked and just screaming at the top of our lungs. What a freakin’ blast!
October Miles: 66
November – I tried to take it easy during the month and really rest, but that didn’t happen. I “should” have taken maybe 2-3 full weeks off, but I didn’t. I had some days where I wasn’t truly enjoying myself, but i still didn’t rest. On the positive side, I had an awesome Thanksgiving holiday. One of the best I have had in many, many years. Surrounded by love, new and old friends. A happy day.
November Miles: 52
December – last month of 2012. not a whole lot to say. Some running, but not a lot and some of the runs were uninspiring. A few were great and those were back on the trails at Helen Putnam Park. Rainy, cold days and it felt great! Unfortunately, late in the month, I noticed my chest was hurting. Weird, i thought. Well, a week or so later, I developed some kind of flu or something and am still recovering from this about 10 days later. I think I am at the end of it, but there’s no way I can run. I tried that and got set back even worse. I will wait for some good signs from my body and not push it. Its tough as I am becoming excited and anxious about getting back out there and trying to reach new goals. But, I cannot afford to get re-sick, so slow and easy is the plan for right now.
December Miles: 48
As I recapped this year, i am surprised to find i only participated in 3 races. It seems like I trained for more than that! Looking back, I found real value in the NIKE TRAINING PROGRAM. I believe it helped me increase my overall fitness and I enjoyed the program. For that race, I really needed to focus more on speed and I did and it helped me reach my goal! Highlight of the year in my running world. I’m continually learning about quantity versus quality. It’s so important and I know I have more to learn. I would like to spend more time cross training with cycling, swimming, tennis and maybe even yoga. I have more and more thoughts swirling in my head, but that will be for later. I’ll end this now, grateful for the year. Grateful to be alive and with an abundance of love and goodness. Need to be sure to continue to let it all in and believe i deserve it. That’s the challenge.
Thanks for following along and wishing you all the best in 2013. Go Get After IT.
Finally a week free from any kind of sickness, sluggishness or anything related to not feeling physically well. THANKFUL!
Since I had gotten my job, but had not heard on my start date yet, I decided to take some time to do more traveling. Made a spontaneous trip up to Ashland, OR for just 2 days. I left a sunny, warm Petaluma for a cold, snowy Southern Oregon. Who does that, right? Well…I needed it and it was much welcome as you can read in my previous post.
I ran Wednesday morning in light snowy conditions. Wasn’t very cold; about 35 -37 degrees. I ran from my little place at Ashland Inn into downtown and down to Southern Oregon University, turned around and went up into some neighborhoods and zig-zagged my way though town. Cute homes in Ashland. Love the narrow, short streets with moderate hills. I could see far off into the distance to the neighboring white mountains. Beautiful. Don’t know how far I ran, but watch was 52 minutes. Was going a little slower than usual as I had a hard time loosening up. Sometimes that happens in the cooler temperatures.
I thought of running the following morning before leaving, but it had snowed even more the night before and was coming down heavy as I woke up and enjoyed some coffee. I figured I would just enjoy it from a spectators point of view and go get some breakfast at a place that had been recommended; MORNING GLORY.
I packed up my stuff and off I went. MORNING GLORY was a great place for some grub. The portions were very large so I was bummed to not have RUN BEFORE eating. Large and yummy portions. Be sure to check it out of you are ever in Ashland. Off I went for my 6 hour drive back to Petaluma.
I ran again on Friday. 3 faster miles followed by 4 x .25 intervals at even faster pace. I did this on the streets of Petaluma, not a track. Quiet, flat streets.
Highlight run of week was on Sunday. 6.65 miles through Petaluma. Mostly flat but with a strong, steep long hill at the end. I was (happily) surprised to see my pace at 9:11 as I didn’t feel I was moving that well out on the streets.
Funny thing happened. I was about 3 miles into the run when I looked ahead and saw a woman standing on a corner, looking in my direction. As I approached, I smiled, realizing it was a friend I had not seen in about 15 years. She lives in a nearby town. She had been driving by and said she saw my shoes and said, “that has to be Angie”
We had already been connected on Facebook, which is how she recognized my shoes. How cool is that!! Shout out to K-SWISS, baby!!
Looking at making some decisions today on races for at least the first half of 2012. Excited! Stay tuned.
Week 9: Total Approx Miles: 15
Sitting in the oversized chair in this quaint, cozy asian-style inspired decorated room…I look out one of the windows and my eyes are dancing at the sight….
The mountain just over yonder is caked with snow. The Ashland, Oregon area was blessed with snow last night. Not a lot, but enough to make the mountain beautiful, to soften the sounds and to add an element of reflection.
I need this. This time to just be. This moment. Who are we without reflection?
I need this wintry weather to help ground and still me. The me inside. To help dim the inner chatter and truly SEE and GET this significant time of my life. (but, isn’t it all significant?!)
I see that I have been brave and will continue to need to be to pursue my dreams. I see that I took big leaps of faith in myself. I GET that this time can also be a scary one. Scary > Exciting > Scary > Exciting > Two sides of the same coin.
I left a nest where I was challenged, but perhaps more protected than challenged. I allowed myself to be held back…and held back I was. Sometimes, we need protection in order to grow. We need a big warm coat to keep us warm before we get comfortable enough to shed the cloth, feel a bit of a chill, and keep moving forward.
With so many situations in our lives, there comes a point where the situation, the relationship, etc…NO LONGER SERVES YOU. These are the crucial moments in ones life, I think. To pay attention to those signals, those signs…that give you that gut feeling that the time has come. Time for you to “go”. Time to be bigger. Time for change. Sometimes, it might be radical change. Radical Change > Radical Growth. If you miss those opportunities and stay in situations that no longer serve you, I believe that is the most damage to ones SELF can occur. Ones soul and spirit might suffer dramatically if one stays beyond the time “limit.” And I think we know that inside, don’t we… When we stay too long? Inside, we know. Even then, it’s so important not to judge ourselves, but to approach ourselves with compassion, gentleness, love. We all have those moments.
I have been on some skinny branches and I think I might be venturing out onto some even skinner branches….YIKES! But, I am ready. It doesn’t mean I am not scared…because I AM SCARED. But, my drive and my desire is stronger than my fear.
And when I was being protected, I felt like I had to claw, scratch and scream sometimes to be heard. Even then, it was sometimes not enough. I don’t want that experience anymore. I don’t need to fight so hard to be heard. My independence will give me that…
We are all on our own road…with all the potholes, smoothness, wide and narrow stretches. We are all driving at different speeds, with different levels of comfort as we try to get to where we are going. Compassion.
And yet, some things are universal to us all. Life sometimes asks things of you. Your soul & spirit will ask, often DEMAND, things of you. And we have all these things inside us. We just need to step up.
When the time is needed, I hope we all can be
Brave, driven, dedicated, visionary, courageous, humble, gracious and determined.
Your strength lies within you. Believe it.
Onward.
Greetings, friends. I am currently in Petaluma, CA, where I will be staying with friends until I find a place of my own.
Week 5 of 2012 had me running in Las Vegas on Monday, Jan 30th. Well…it was actually the treadmill at the Bellagio. I ran a swift 4 miles and worked out in the super nice Fitness Room.
I had long travel day on Tuesday and Wednesday was my first night back “home”!
I ran a good 5 miles on Thursday. Ran from friends house in Petaluma down through town and met her at her club where she was playing tennis. First 2.5 miles were kinda hard; my body felt tired…but then, the next 2.5 were very strong. I was on a straightaway and just took off. yay!
Ran another strong 5 miles on Saturday. This was the weeks most gratifying run. I started and ended at friends house. She lives in a place basically at the top of a steep driveway. Prior to her driveway is a less steep driveway. Prior to those 2 driveways is a long, gradual, slope uphill on the road. So…she doubted I would run up those tough parts, but I did. Not once, not twice, but 3 times, I ran up the toughest sections. 3 times. Hell yeah, baby! Huffing and puffing, but felt awesome afterwards. Once you get to the top and are standing on her patio…let me tell you..the view is all worth it. Gorgeous area and you can see for miles. Was a beautiful way to begin a Saturday.
So, only 14 miles for week 5, but felt good about them. No Junk Miles!
Sunday, I was in San Francisco as a cheerleader for my friends 1st Half-Marathon. A true pleasure for me to be there to cheer her on as well as the other runners. I loved seeing those faces as they ran by; some in agony, others looked like they were cruising along. This race was my 1st ever Half-Marathon back in 1999…the one where I still have yet to surpass the time for that distance. But, I will.
So let it be written. So let it be done.
Week 5: 14 Miles
Onward
Had a good week of running while driving across the country from Atlanta to San Francisco.
As previously noted, I left Atlanta on Jan 23rd.
That night, I stayed in Oxford, MS and the next morning went for a run in town. My route took me into the town square and thru the campus of University of Mississippi. Beautiful and full of rolling hills. 4-4.5 miles.
2 days later, I ran in Oklahoma City. This was a very boring route as I stayed on the outskirts of town and ran from my hotel. Really nothing noteworthy here but a good 4-4.5 miles.
Another 2 more days, and I was running in Flagstaff, AZ. I do regret NOT running in Little Rock as I then could have crossed that off my list of states I have run in, but…I had to move on!
So, FLAGSTAFF! One of my favorite places to visit. Nestled in Northern Arizona at an elevation of 7000 feet and about 1-1.5 hours drive from the Grandy Canyon. It’s a nice, casual community with many young folks. (home to northern Arizona university) Has some neat shops and one of my favorite coffeehouses, Macy’s European Coffeehouse. It did not disappoint! In addition to good coffee, they also serve food and everything is organic, healthy yummy food. I ran Saturday morning from the hotel. It was about 30 degrees with 17 mph winds. Cold! Toss in the elevation factor and it was a tough 4.4 mile run. The wind was with me on my way out, but against me on the return. Body was warm, except for face and hands. Brrrr! The hot shower at the holiday inn express felt pretty darn good.
Sunday morning rolled around and after some Starbucks instant VIA coffee, I drove into the center of town and ran from there. It was the same temperature, 30 degrees, but thankfully no wind. What a huge difference. I loved the quiet, empty Sunday streets. However, after about 10 minutes, I was ready to stop. I think I was just feeling the elevation effect. Not sure, but I kept going. Having internal conversation with self: “if Nadal/Djokovic can last more than 5 hours playing tennis, I think you can last more than 10 min, more than 20 min…keep going…” You get the picture, right?!
Oddly, even though I had been feeling bad, after about 35 minutes, I felt better and better. Stronger. Stride opened up and I was cruising. Go figure. Went a bit over 5 miles. This was the highlight run of week.
I was pleased to get 4 runs in while doing so much driving. It was great to move my body after sitting for many hours. It also gave me pause in terms of thinking about the individuals who have literally run across the country. I realize some have had support crews and such, but wow…what an incredible feat. Pretty humbling to think about….
Week 4: approximate total miles 18
I am currently writing from Merced, California. This is my last night “on the road”. Part of my journey ends tomorrow and an entire new journey, a new chapter begins. lots of thoughts and feelings are swirling. LIFE…..So amazing, really!
Onward…
Week 3 was another super short mileage week. Just didn’t have time to run more with everything going on with my relocating back to SF BAY AREA. Ran 3 days and longest as 5.2 miles.
I am now on the road in route to the bay area. Currently in Oxford, MS. I hope to get a run in tomorrow morning and then a good breakfast at a place called Bottletree Bakery that is suppossed to be pretty good. Then, I will be able to say I have run in Mississippi 
I feel like I need to find a race to do soon. Even maybe just a 5 or 10k! Maybe I can find one wherever my travels take me to this weekend. I’m hoping to run quite a bit along this road trip.
Week 3: Approx total miles: 12
Stay strong, healthy and hungry for your dreams! ONWARD!
