Running Chicks in PDX

Drop Bag - Race for the Roses 2011

2011-04-03T12:22:00.001-07:00

I've ran quite a few races that I avoided to use the Drop Bag section because more likely than not, they are unorganized but not for this year's Race for the Roses race organizers. I was very impressed at how organized their Drop Bag section was (see photo below).

This is how they did it - print 2 labels of the same number. (1) the volunteer gives you a numbered label that you'll stick on the back of your bib. (2) the volunteer peels and stick the same number that was given to you and stick it on a reusable paper bag where you put your stuff in. (3) the volunteer takes your bag and line them up according to your number.

It was a breeze leaving our stuff this morning!

I am raving about Race for the Roses's Drop Bag process because in most races, runners have to line up at a table to get a plastic bag and write their bib number on the plastic bag. Because they only provice a few markers on the table, runners have to wait in line for a while until the runners in front of them were done. With Race for the Roses, they already printed 2 labels with same numbers (not your bib number) - give you one and you take the other and Voila! You're off to do your pre-race business!

Kudos to Race for the Roses race organizers this year for their Drop Bag process because it was fast and green!

New Year New Goals…. (SoloRunner)

2011-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

I have been off the grid not so much running just these pages. It seems that my running took a back seat to the changes that were happening in my life and now that they have settled down I can put the focus back in to what I love running...I read some of my old post and reflected on why I was running at one point it was to get away from the part of my life that was not working. I found I could run and never had to think about what was not working. I also realized that my running friends are so important to have in my life, there is no greater frind then the ones you run with. They know better than anyone what a bad run feels like, the anxiety of not being able to run and the victory of a good run… I am very lucky to have found so many running friends. In the past 6 month I have met many new running friends who have given me new goals to set forth for myself… First on my list is to get back to running half marathons a distance I truly love, so the goal is to run one each month (even if it is not a race)... Next is to run a 50k, now if you read back to May of 09 you will see I said I may never run a marathon again...So what am I thinking? Like I said new friends new goals and it’s not a marathon, so I keep telling myself that. I am up for the challenge and part of me hopes this will help me get past the fear of a marathon. Makes no sense I know but since when has running a marathon made sense we all are a little crazy…. I will be training for some triathlons and maybe even toss in a Half Ironman if all goes well... Over all the entire goal is just to have fun…. Thanks for reading

Now Go Out and Run!

10K Pints to Pasta

2010-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's my first time to run Pints to Pasta this year and I am running it with my girlfriend, and she ran it a few times. Her goal this time is to run 10:00 pace. I ran 10 miles and hiked 5 miles yesterday so 10:00 pace is just about right. Hubby's goal is to finish under 50 minutes.

It was in the low 50s and sunny when we were transported from Spaghetti Factory (which is the finish line) to the start line at adidas headquarters. I love being at the start line because I can feel the joy and excitement of all the runners and walkers around me.

start line

pre-race pic (L-R): my gf - me - my gf's gf - my gf's gf's gf

This part of the course is about past mile 23 of the Portland Marathon route. I told my girlfriend, "How come it's much easier to run this part today than during the Portland Marathon?" We both laughed.

under interstate bridge - past mile 1

I love downtown Portland. Not too big, not too small. Just perfect.

view of downtown PDX from Broadway Bridge - 2.5 miles

Seeing the banners up along the Waterfront are treat to me! I look forward to running Portland Marathon. It will be my 5th consecutive year to run it, and hubby too. My goal for the Portland Marathon is to run 10:00 pace comfortably.

Portland Marathon banners are up along Waterfront - just past 4 miles

view of the finish line

well-organized drop bags

line to the beer garden

pints but no pasta. the pasta line was looooong.

cheers!

post-race pics with the girls

post-race pic with my girlfriend, hubby

My girlfriend and I crossed the finish line together and accomplished my girlfriend's goal. We finished in 1:00:30. Hubby also accomplished his goal and finished in 47:35. Today was a great day!

Number 45– Wildwood Trail Marathon Report

2010-08-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Number 45 is my favorite number of all time but I disliked number 45 during yesterday’s Wildwood Trail Marathon. I was being impulsive last Friday and signed up to run Wildwood Trail Marathon. It was my second trail marathon. My time was better than my first trail marathon (Bizz Johnson). It wasn’t my best marathon time but I had a great time. My goal in every race is to finish, have a great time, and don't be the last runner to finish. Before the race, an announcement was made that there were only 45 registrants for the marathon. I was like, "Holy s***t!!! " I’m not one of the fasties so chances are pretty high that I might be finisher number 45 if I don’t push myself even for a little bit.

I knew that trail runs involve hills and tons of them. The total elevation gain is 2,350'. My race strategy before the race was "5-min run then 1-min walk" but that did not materialize because of the hills. Instead I walked the hills and ran downhills and flats. At the half-way mark aid station, I asked the volunteers how many runners came by at the aid station, and I was told that I was probably the 25th or so runner. I felt somehow relieved when I heard that but after about 45 minutes of not seeing any runner going the opposite direction, I started to feel anxious and thought what the volunteers at the aid station told me, “Yeah, right. 25th runner or so... I am obviously more in or so.” All those time, it was only me and the 3 runners behind me though after 30 minutes, the two of them passed me. That left me and the one runner. Few more minutes passed and still no runners going the opposite direction. I finally told myself, “Finisher number 45 could either be me or that one runner behind me.” I kept going and that runner behind me finally caught up with me. I told her to go ahead of me but stayed with her. She and I eventually started chatting and she happened to be a DailyMile member too! How cool was that?!!! We chat, ran, walked, and repeat. And then finally! We came across a runner coming from the opposite direction! I told myself, “Okay, I can definitely relax.” After another 30 minutes, another one showed up. I made Debbie well aware that even though I’m slow, I don’t want to be finisher number 45. Debbie and I continued on... chat, ran, walked and repeat. My left hamstring was acting up towards the end of the race that going downhill was a little challenging. About mile 5 from the finish line, we caught up with this guy Brian who is doing his first marathon. Debbie and I joked with him that of all the marathons he could have chosen, he chose a trail marathon for his first. One thing the three of us had in common was we signed up on whim! Debbie signed up on Tuesday, Brian on Thursday, and I signed up on Friday. The three of us had a great time chipping away the remainder of the miles. Finally, we saw the wooden railings which reminded us that we were really getting close to the finish line so the three of made a loud cheer!!! Not too long after we cheered, I saw hubby waiting and he cheered us on! Seeing my hubby was a treat! Hubby, by the way, ran the half-marathon. He ran with me for about half a mile then he told me that he’ll meet me at the finish line because he just had lunch. I continued and Debbie and Brian were not too far behind me. I was finisher number 38 out of 43!!! Debbie was finisher number 39, and Brian was finisher number 40. Whew!

Finisher Number 38

It was a great experience running Wildwood Trail for the first time and also having company during those last grueling miles. The trail was so grand and gorgeous! It was humbling to be able to run in this gorgeous place. There were tons of slug-casualties on the trail, and one little mouse too. I was very good on not stepping on them, thankfully! Why is that some slugs love to lay straight on the trail?!! Do they have death wish or something? I also witness one runner slipped and fell. I offered her help but she said she was fine. I also saw one older gentleman with his knees bleeding and he was finisher number 26, by the way.

Debbie and I already agreed that she and I will definitely go for a long run at Wildwood Trail one of these days. Debbie is also thinking about doing the PCT 50-miler in July 2011 so that was exciting! In the end, my impulsiveness paid off. I will definitely do this run again and next year and be prepared for those hills!

"You're a lucky man..." Fueled by Fine Wine Half Recap

2010-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

This recaps the Fueled by Fine Wine Half-Marathon Inaugural Run on July 11, 2010 at Dundee, Oregon. It was hubby’s email to our friend who didn’t run the race. My unofficial time was 2:24:15. Not my best but not my worst either. It was definitely a challenging course but I would like to run it again next year and properly train for the hills. Hubby said, “I’ll cheer you on.” I’m sure he’ll change his mind.
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Subject: you are a lucky man...

…for not having run the Fueled by Fine Wines ½. In a word it was “absolutelyf*ingbrutal.” I got the impression the organizers had never run a day in their lives, although they struck upon the idea of a “fun run through wine country” and perhaps a way to market local brands.

Miles 1-6 – mostly flat, scenic, pleasant. Miles 6-8 were a steady 7% climb. Few people were able to make it without walking at least once. But the hills didn’t stop there. At the top of 8 you dropped steeply down (reminding you that you had quads), then the hills continued up/down/up/down for the rest of the course. No one ran mile 11 to 12. No one. It was up hill, hot, and by then, most everyone’s legs were spent. There was even a brutal hill to the 13 mile mark, which then turned to a steep drop down to the finish line. Water stations seemed a little too far apart and understaffed.

I had hoped for a 1:50. Ha. 2:12:51. To further put the race in perspective, the winning overall time for Helvetia was 1:12. Here – 1:36.

Anyway, the worst day running is better than the best day of sitting around on the couch. The wine tasting afterwards was nice with lots of wines, a complimentary glass and, admittedly, the views were outstanding. It conceivably could be done again, but only after significant and dedicated hill training.

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start and finish

the kind of sign you don't want to see at mile 12

the loot

Dundee hills

perspective of the altitude courtesy of my friend's heart rate monitor

enjoying some free wine with hubby!

Nancy, me, SoloRunner

Gratification Comes In Many Forms

2010-05-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

I was telling myself when I close to finishing my run that today's trail run at Leif Erikson (Forest Park) was probably one of my most ungratifying long runs. First of all, I was tired from the get go. Second, my Garmin lost the satellite signal at least four times which fouled up the distance (I was supposed to run 14 miles but ended up running 14.44 miles.) Third, my Chi was totally whacked even though I was doing ChiRunning. Fourth, I was frustrated how slow I was going even going downhill. Ackk! Today wasn't my day.

I was about less than half a mile to finish my run when I saw a guy and a lady (mid-20s) running in front me. I caught up with them at the intersection of NW 23rd and Thurman waiting for the light to turn green. When the light turned green, they started to move but the lady ropped her cellphone. The guy told the lady that she dropped her cellphone but the lady wasn't paying attention. Instead she was sort of walking backwards so I picked up her cellphone and gave it to the guy. The lady was already sitting on the curb with her hands on her face telling her friend that she doesn't feel well. I should have caught the green light but I didn't because I was convinced that she wasn't looking good. The lady then start to fall and I wasn't quick enough to catch her but her head brushed on my hands that the impact wasn't that hard when she landed on the street. Her friend was a little shocked and you can tell he doesn't know what to do. I told the guy to elevate her feet and I rested her head on my lap. I checked whether she was breathing, and she was, thank goodness! I was amazed about how other people offered help. One SUV driving by thew a bottled water towards us. Another man stopped to offer help and he happense to be an EMT (another thank goodness!). The EMT man checked her pulse and said her pulse was 90. I don't know whether that was good or bad but the EMT man didn't seem alarm so I suppose it was good. An ambulance was called amidst all of these. We continued to elevate her feet and make sure she was breathing. After a couple of minutes she regain consciousness and she was able to sit again. I gave her the bottled water and another woman gave her a cookie. Finally, the ambulance arrived! Yay! She was eating a cookie and sipping water by the time I left her.

After I finish my run and thought about the help I did for that lady, my being slow today had a purpose. For what I thought was ungratifying run turned out to be my most gratifying runs. It's true, gratification comes in many forms.

SoloRunner Events Inaugural 10-Miler

2010-05-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

I didn’t register for SoloRunner’s inaugural 10-miler this morning. Instead, I was a volunteer stationed at the intersection just past the 4-mile, 6-mile and 8-mile markers. It was 6:45 a.m. by the time I got to my designated spot. I got my Starbucks venti-soy-no water-chai and dreaded the fact that I didn’t bring a book. I’m glad I didn’t because I had a blast cheering the runners on, directing them, and especially taking their photos. I also had the opportunity to watch the fasties go zoom by effortless! I was on that spot for 3 hours and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Here's to all runners and walkers!

I tried to take as much photos as I can using my cell. Even without their bib numbers, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th placers were easy to identify. And of course, the Sweeper—she knows who she is. Otherwise, here are the runners and walkers with their bibs on: 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 24, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 41, 44, 49, 50, 56, 57, 59, 61, 62, 66, 67, 69, 71, 74, 75, 76, 79, 81, 84, 85, 83, 92, 93, 94, 97, 99, 100, 104, 111, 112, 117, 118, 121, 126, 136, 138, 139, 142, 143, 137, 145, 147, 148, 151, 154, 158, 159, 162, 168, 172.

Hagg Lake 50K Trail Run

2010-02-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

I paced my friend, her brother and their friend who ran the 50K last Saturday, February 20, 2010. I was pacing and taking pictures of them as well as the scenery during the last 10 miles. It was a gorgeous day. Actually, gorgeous was understatement to describe that day. I have not participated in a trail run race so, running with them gave me a preview of the course. The course was muddy as expected and lots of hills! I will definitely put this event on my event calendar next year. The question is, 25K or 50K? We’ll see... In the meantime, here’s a photo video:

SURF CITY 2010

2010-02-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here is my race review, well really race video. I make video's better then I write. So enjoy and hope to see you at my next race April 11, 2010 Santa Cruz, Calif.

Two Oh Nine Recap

2010-01-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

Even though 2009 felt like it came and gone, it surely left me memories that made me smile, laugh, shake my head, sigh, roll my eyes...

New Year's Eve... 5K The First Run and Walk. It was a fun way to start the New Year with hubby Glenn, @SoloRunner, Kathy and Chris. There was a pre-race karaoke party. Of course, I sang! Dancing Queen that is. It was cold, rainy and a little windy. I finished at 28:25 and a PR for me. What a way to start 2009!

Three.15... 15K Shamrock Run. Me, hubby, Kathy and Chris. Hubby was having trouble with the traffic so he didn't start until 20 minutes after me and friends crossed the start line. He still beat me though even though I crossed the finish line before he did. It was cold, rainy, and really windy. I finished at 1:33:29. A new PR for me for this distance.

Four.5... Race for the Roses Half-Marathon. My birthday run with Kathy. Hubby has broken his foot by walking through a dumb bell lying on the floor. Uggh!! He didn't run though he cheered us on. It was coolish but it wasn't raining. I met @bicoastalite for the second time and she paced @dunlapa. I finished at 2:10:40 and a PR for me. After the race, I had a birthday brunch with family and friends at Simpatica Dining Hall.

Five.3...  Eugene Half-Marathon. Me, @SoloRunner, Nancy and Kathy. Hubby and Hayden cheered us on. I met @smellycents and @Monayes the day before the race at Steelhead Brewery. The weather was cold and, of course, rainy. I finished at 2:08:19 and a PR for me.

Five.30... Newport Marathon (Oregon). Me, @SoloRunner, Kathy, Nancy and Sherrie.  We met @ginaharris1 at the start line. I was overly dressed and had to toss my tights by mile 10 because I felt hot. Seeing my hubby past the 25 mile marker made me want to cry for joy because I was miserable after mile 16. I finished at 5:05:14. No PR for me this time.

Six.13... Blue Lake Triathlon (Tri-It Novice). To sign up for this was @SoloRunner's idea. I didn't really train for this event. Hubby's foot was healed so, I drafted him to train with me swimming in an open lake the week before the event. Hubby decided to sign up since he was training with me anyway. I placed 91/92 in swimming, 85/92 in biking, and 35/92 in running. Thank goodness, I'm a runner! I finished 69/92 at 1:46:00. I haven't decided yet when I'll sign up for my next triathlon.

Eight.30...  Hood to Coast Team Swif Justice (hubby's firm's team). Hubby, Kathy and I were Van 2 runners. I've ran with Team Swift Justice since 2006. I ran the same legs as in 2008: 7, 19 and 31. I am the first runner of Van 2. First leg was really hot, second leg was really dark and still hot, and the last leg was rainy.

Nine.20... 5K Race for the Cure.  Hubby and stepdaughter were supposed to be running but they were under the weather so, I ended up running by myself wearing three chips on my ankle. It wasn't raining this time, just coolish. The funny thing is that my official race time did not register and showed "N/A." How ironic that my time was N/A when I was the one who ran it. The official times for the two chips were 27:38 and 27:39 but my Garmin said 27:00. Oh well, I still PR'd it.

Ten.4... Portland Marathon. Hubby and I ran it. At the expo, I got a 4:40 finish time pace wristband and decided to stick with the splits religiously. At mile 7, I had to take care of a blister on the ball of my right foot so I stopped at an aid station and put band aid on it. Well, I forgot my hydration bottle at the aid station so I had to run back to recover it. The weather was perfect even though it drizzled from time to time. Hubby and my in-laws were surprised when I came in sooner than they had expected. I finished at 4:49:14 and my total distance was 26.6.

Ten.11...  Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon. Hubby wasn't sure whether he was able to run Portland Marathon due to work conflicts.  He didn't want to waste all the training he did so, he asked me whether I'll sign up for this one. I replied, "Sure, what the heck." I knew that this will be a challenging one so I brought my camera with me and took a lot of pictures. The course altitude is 4,200' - 5,600'. The temperature was 29 when we started and by the time I finished, it was 70. We met @ginaharris for dinner the night before and at the start line.  Oh... I wished and shook Alanis Morisette's hand at the start line. Alanis was really nice. Anway, I finished at 5:56:24. No PR for me but it was a humbling experience after running a marathon a week before.

Many thanks to my hubby, family, friends, and twiends for the support this year. And THAT's how I rolled in 2009!

THANK YOU!!!

Dirdy Birdy 2009

2009-11-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dirdy Birdy is Portland’s muddiest 5K run held at the Portland International Raceway. Watch the video and see how fun it was! Make sure you participate next year!

Thanks to Celia of Road Runners Sports for the awesome photos.

There's Something About PDX Mary!

2009-10-02T17:07:00.001-07:00

This year will be my fourth consecutive year to run Portland Marathon. I think, there’s something about PDX Mary that I PR’d every time I run it.... well... so far.

In 2006, it was my first year to run it and happens to be my first marathon. I don’t remember hitting the wall but I remember mile 21 when my gluteus maximus (aka buttocks) cramped and it was a struggle from there all the way to the finish line. I finished at 5:45:39.

In 2007, I followed the same training as I did in 2006 incorporating some speed workout. This year was worst than 2006 because my IT bands started to bother me at mile 18 and, of course, it was a struggle from there to the finish line. Despite the misery I felt for the remaining of the run and to my surprise, I PR’d and finished at 5:31:40.

Last year, I caught a bad cold and headache three days before the race. While treating my cold and headache vigorously, I also told myself, “Come hell or high water, I’ll finish that race.” I ran with a little bit of cold but ran conservatively and I finished at 5:03:41.

In May this year, I ran the Newport Marathon and finished at 5:05:14 so, I did not PR.

May be PDX Mary will be nice to me this year and let me PR again. We'll see...

Run on friends!
meechellee

Hood to Coast Report: Swift Justice

2009-09-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hood to Coast is my most favorite race event of all time. I describe it as a slumber party without the slumber. It’s my 4th year to run with hubby's team Swift Justice and the team has been running HTC for more than 15 years.

I’ve always ran with Van 2 and this year my assigned legs were the same as last year’s: 7, 19, 31. Even though I ran these legs last year, I still got a bit surprised on how hilly the first two legs than what I remembered them to be. Me---no---like-y---hilly.

First Leg (7): I started running my first leg around 12:30 p.m. It was HOT like hell! I felt really good and nervous at the same time but my run went well. One of the two things I remember during this run was this 5 year-old-girl with her mom filling dixie cups with water and handing them to runners. Even though I have my own hydration bottle, I took one cup from the girl and she asked, "Do you want a refill?" I told her, "No, sweetie but thank you for asking." I thought that was very thoughtful and nice. The other one was the sprinklers were directed toward the road for the runners. Running briefly through the sprinklers was refreshing! I don't mind having my personal sprinkler guy running with me at that time. =P

It was around 6:30 p.m. by the time we finished running our first legs. We went to our place to shower, eat, and chillax and wait until we get a call from Van 1 to tell us it’s time for us to leave. Well, we didn’t receive the call until 9:30 p.m. so, we were late at the exchange point.

Second Leg (19): Since we left our place a little late, I was 12 minutes late from the hand-off. Ugggh!!! It’s the worst thing to be late at the exchange point. It was around 10:30 p.m. by the time I started running. I thought it coolish enough that I wore my light long sleeved shirt... bad idea. I flagged my van & quickly changed to a tank top. I was truly sweating like a pig! I felt really good before, during and after the run. It was probably around 3:30 a.m. by the time we finished our second legs, so we head down to the next exchange point and rested there.

Third Leg (31): After my 2nd leg, I ate a little too much of salt & vinegar flavored potato chips... another bad idea. My stomach got upset and I was dry heaving. I told my friend, I don't want to run my 3rd leg. I had a few bites of bagel and water to settle my stomach. It was 9:30 a.m. by the time I started running my last leg. It was drizzling heavily (not quite a rain) during my run and I just loved it! As it turned out, it was my best leg!

My total mileage at the end of the day was 15.54 and total time was 2:38. I got another HTC medal to add to my bling collection plus a neon shirt that's so bright that I can easily be spotted through Google earth. Swift Justice placed 227 out of 313 in the Mixed Corporate Open and finished in 30:17:33.

First Triathlon

2009-06-21T21:17:00.001-07:00

Marathoners to Triathletes……

On June 13th my good friend @meecheele and I added a bike, and swim to our run. We thought it would be fun to try out the sport we have heard so much about. I thought I would share this video with you and let the pictures tell the story. Special Thanks go to my friend Nancy who with out her talent these pictures would not be possible. Thank you to my friend Cathy for always believing in me. I also want to Thank two special ladies @Erin337 (http://www.elementsoferin337.blogspot.com/) and
@kelownagurl(http://kelownagurl.blogspot.com)for there knowledge, encouragement and always willing to answer my questions and of course my friend @meecheele. With out all of you I may still be wondering if I could do a triathlon.

1:48:13 3 0:14:11 87 6:12 0:49:52 76 5:05 84 0:32:53 53

SoloRunner

Now Go Out and Do A Tri!

Newport Report (by meechellee)

2009-06-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

After months of training with my friends, the day has come. Saturday, May 30th, Newport, Oregon. The race started at 7:00 a.m. It was 55° and foggy. I was wearing a short sleeves shirt under a long sleeves shirt and long tights under short tights. While the rest of my girlfriends, including @SoloRunner looked half-naked compared to what I was wearing. I don’t like to start running feeling cold that’s why I bundle up. It only took me about a mile when I handed over my long sleeves shirt to my husband* because I was warm already. The first three miles, of course, was fun because the adrenaline rush was still there. I was running a decent 10± all the way to mile 9. By that time, the sun was shining so bright. We ran along the bay and even though it was a little breezy, it wasn’t enough to beat the sun’s rays. I was feeling really hot come mile 10, so I had to stop at a porta potty to take off my long tights. I was the second person in line and the gal who was inside the porta potty was in there for 3 minutes! So, by the time I was done, I lost a total of 5 minutes. Some of you are probably thinking, “You should have gone to the next porta potty.” Well, the porta potties were 2 or 3 miles apart. In any event, I clocked in 2:15 at mile 13 and started to feel and more and more tired and hot, so I slowed down. By the time I got to mile 16 which was the turnaround point, I got all excited, and told myself, “Only 10 more miles.” Yeah, right. My excitement didn’t give me any boost at all because at that point I was wading. I was really tired and miserable. Though not too long after the turnaround point, I was pleased to see @SoloRunner, Kathy, and Nancy again making their way to the turnaround point. I kept going and slowly passed mile marker after mile marker. I stopped a few times to stretch my legs and just to catch my breath. At mile 22, I wanted to cry so badly because I was so tired and miserable. It almost felt like I wanted to have tantrums. There wasn’t much I could do at that point so I told myself, "Just deal with it." I kept reminding myself that the finish line is getting closer. I continued on and just past 25 mile marker, I saw my friend’s husband who told me that my husband was just behind him. Sure enough, there was my hero! I saw my husband. That was the second time I wanted to cry because I was so happy to see him. My husband cheered me on and told me that after we pass 26 mile marker, everything is all downhill. And sure it was! Downhill all the way to the finish line. Whew! I survived!

Out of 800 runners who registered, 711 finished and I was one of them. I finished at 5:05:14. No PR this time but I was happy to be 2 minutes slower than my last marathon given how I felt during the race.

After the race, I asked my friends if they are going to do another marathon again. A couple of my friends including @SoloRunner’s response were, “I’m done.” I told them that I’ll check on them in a couple of weeks. I’m pretty sure they’ll change their minds. And my response to that question is, "Hell, yeah! "

My husband was supposed to run this race but he broke his foot in early March and his doctor told him that the next marathon he’s going to run is not until Fall.

2009-06-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

The agony of defeat………

My body is feeling really good after my marathon on Sat, but my ego not so much. Maybe it’s the day maybe it’s the fact that it’s over and I have told myself that I have officialy retired from doing any more marathons. This was an especially tough marathon for me, because I really wanted it. I wanted to prove to myself that I have what people have told me – that I could run a 5 hour marathon and even a sub 4 marathon, but it did not happen. I ran a 5:31. As I recap my training - how great my long runs felt, the perfect half’s I ran,, it makes me wonder what the hell happened? My 21 mile training run was awesome, so what happened? The weather was perfect! My mind set was a bit off, but nothing I could not over come. As I started out I was feeling good, keeping in mind that I did not have my HR strap on because I forgot it at home and now I need to run by how I felt. No problem. I can do it. As the miles came up they seemed to fly by and I was keeping pace with what I had to do to own the second half of my race. Working my way to mile seven I realized I am a better runner when I am alone. When I run with someone I know I tend to focus on their needs and not mine. Am I running to fast? Am I running to slow? Am I holding them back? So for the next few miles I played cat and mouse with people including my friend. I just was not feeling the run so I needed to snap out of it. I took a back seat and kept several steps behind my friend working myself into my zone. By now I can feel it, the miles are coming up and I see the first place runner coming towards me and I feel the excitement now more and more people making it feel like I am not alone and I can own my race. I still have some time to get to mile fifteen and the turn around, but I know it’s coming up and I know I will be able to pick up the pace. As I came to mile 13 and caught up with my friend who I could tell was really starting to slow down, I asked how she was doing. She told me she was not well and really needed my help. I was so surprised by those words. I asked her what she needed me to do and she said she did not think she could make it. I told her I would run with her and help her through it. We started a run walk and as we approached mile 15 and the turn around she was really having trouble staying focused on what we needed to do. I reminded her that she has run many marathons and the way to get through this was to focus on each step, find something to focus on running to and don’t lose sight of it. We started picking off trees, signs, and people- whatever it took. We walked up inclines and ran down hills. We did what ever it took to get her on track. At mile 18 I checked in and asked how she was doing. She said she was fine and I asked if I could run a head. I took off knowing I needed to make up time if I wanted to at least hit a 5:30 time. I started picking people off, mostly walkers and slow runners, never the less it was a motivation for me. It was a great feeling to be running again and as I passed people they cheered me on and sent me off to catch the next person. I was feeling good and I knew I could save this marathon. When I got to mile nineteen I saw another friend who was eating oysters (Yes they had oysters on the course!) I also saw my friend’s husband and he was running to find her and I knew she was going to be fine. I went on, but started to feel a few blisters forming on my toes. At the next station, I stopped to put band-aids on my toes. I took off and concentrated on the task at hand. When I got to about mile 23 I could feel some cramping in my leg and the top of my left foot was hurting as if my shoe was too tight so I stopped and loosened it but it did not help. I was really starting to feel the pain and looked at my watch and new I had to keep going if I wanted to PR even if only a one minute PR. I pushed through the pain and reminded myself that this is a PR course, but at some points the pain was beyond what I could ignore. As I approached mile twenty-five I was done! My motivation was gone and I had nothing left, I knew I was not going to PR and would not even come close to my last marathon time. I really needed someone to remind me of what I was doing this for and to help me get up the hill. I was feeling sorry for myself and I did not want to walk in my last mile. I grabbed my phone and called one of my best friends and I was so happy to hear his voice. I knew he would get me up that hill and I knew he could relate to how I was feeling. Holding back my tears and trying to tell him what was wrong he reminded me that I could do this and if I had to walk in there was nothing wrong with that. He reminded me that I was not a quitter and that I needed to get control of my breathing and get up that hill even if I had to walk. His final two words to me were Just Finish! I hung up the phone and started up the hill, when I reach the top, I had another surprise waiting for me. My friend Michelle’s husband was there to cheer me on and take pictures of my finish. I was able to put a smile on my face and run down the hill to find Michelle waiting and cheering me on. Some might read this and think I am just feeling sorry for myself or having a pity party and I am, but I think I have earned it. As I write this I still don’t know what went wrong but what I do know is that if my friends ask me to run another marathon with them, I just might. Thanks for reading.

Now go out and RUN!

Health is Wealth (by Meechellee)

2009-03-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

"Health is wealth." I won first prize with this quote in the slogan contest during the World Health Organization day at my school when I was in fourth grade. I won a box of chocolates! Let me get this straight first, I am not one of those few students whose homework or school projects are all done during the weekend. This is me while having breakfast in the morning, a few hours before the slogan contest, "Mom!!! It's my school's World Health Organization day today, and I need to slogan that has something to do with health!" My mom responded in a very irritated tone, "Health is wealth!" My mom was a teacher but she taught at a different school (thank goodness!). I went home with a box of chocolates and told my mom I had won the first prize of the slogan contest, but I also asked her, "Why can health be wealth?" To the best of my recollection, my mom intuitively responded, "How can you enjoy the things you like to do if you're sick? Even if you have all the money in the world, money can't buy you good health. So, take care of your body because health is wealth." Indeed.

If health is wealth, I am so broke right now because it has been nine days since I last ran during a cold, windy, rainy Shamrock race. No doubt it was the bad weather that got me. I've been lying in bed most of the time since Friday afternoon, and it's ironic to say that it is tiring not doing anything. Though I have to admit that I did enjoy not doing anything but it only lasted for a day. After that, it has been a struggle, or shall I say, stressful. I start to worry about my training because I missed last week's 18-mile run, and I don't think running 21 miles this weekend will do me any good. As I continue to stress about my training, I had to remind myself that the most important thing I have to focus on is to become 100% healthy, and the rest will follow.

So for the time being, I mesmerize all the days I ran miles and miles on pavements, trails, and treadmills... swam meters and meters in the pool... and, of course, all the food that I ate and ate. And the more I think about those things, I feel this revitalizing energy within me which is a good sign. A sign that I'll have my wealth back again...

So run on!
-Meechellee

Luck of the Irish! (by Meechellee)

2009-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the morning with a hope that the rain has stopped. It didn’t. It’s not only the sound of the raindrops I heard, but also the sound of the wind gushing. I told myself, “Great, this is going to be a wet and windy race.” Hubby and I were slow getting ourselves out the door so, it was 8:05 a.m. by the time we approached the intersection of Naito Parkway. We made a mistake when we took the City Center exit, rather than taking the 12th Avenue exit from I-405 to avoid the traffic. We just realized that mistake when we saw cars piling up. I told hubby that I’ll just get off the car, and just meet me and a couple of our friends outside my office building. My hubby’s office building is just two blocks from mine. It was 8:20 a.m. by the time I met our friends and at the same time got a call from hubby saying that we should just go ahead because he was caught in a big traffic snafu. The race will start at 8:40 a.m. and listening to the tone of my hubby’s voice, I don’t think he’ll make it in time to the start line. I called hubby again and told him that I’ll wait for him and we’ll start with the 8K runners. Hubby insisted that I should just go, so I did.

It was raining, windy, and in the low 40’s. I was wearing a cap, red ear warmers, running gloves, two long sleeves, and a pink raincoat. This is my first time to run the 15K. The route is primarily along Naito Parkway, Terwilliger Blvd., and Barbur Blvd. I know the hills that Terwilliger Blvd. offers because this is one of Portland Fit’s 13-mile routes.

As I crossed the start line, I navigated my way passing other runners. There was an older guy who was doing a power-walk, and he was cooking! I have been passed by a power walker during a marathon but not this time. So, I graciously passed the power-walker. As I continued on, I saw the first mile marker. My watch showed 9:58. Just a couple of blocks from the first mile marker we turned right on Broadway, and that’s when the hill began. I never liked running hills but as long as I concentrate on my posture and breathing, I’ll conquer this hill.

Every race, I try to pick someone from the crowd who will be my pace person, and just a few steps ahead of me was an older guy who was running a very comfortable pace---I found my pace person! As I continue to ascend to Terwilliger Blvd., I passed mile marker 3. My watch showed 33:00. A few moments later, my cell rang and it was my hubby. He just wanted to tell me that he finally crossed the start line. I explained to him to stay on Broadway, and continue on to Terwilliger then I hung up. I was happy to know that he was on his way. As I continued on, I passed mile marker 4. My watch showed 43:15. It was still raining, windy, and cold. Not far ahead, I heard an Irish music playing in front of the Chart restaurant. I got so excited because I knew that it’s pretty much downhill from there. As my excitement pushed me through the remainder of the hill, I lost my pace person because he started to walk. I wished him good luck, and navigated my way through other runners. As I continued on, there was this younger gal that I started playing leap frogs. She passed me, I passed, she passed me again, and then I took off and lost her for a little while. I continued on and passed the intersection of the Pacific Hillsdale Hwy, and continued on down Barbur Blvd. I was amazed how windy it was because even though I was going downhill, the wind was very resisting that I had lean forward so that my weight will help me fight the resisting wind. As I continued to navigate my way through runners, the gal I played leap frogs a while ago came zooming and passed me. I told myself, “Oh well…” As I continued on, I passed mile marker 6. My watch showed 1:03:30. I told myself, “I only have 3.3 miles left, and that’s just another 30 minutes.” Barbur Blvd. was flat plus the wind behind me; I felt I was making up time from all the hill work. I passed mile marker 7… mile marker 8… and guess who I saw? It was the gal I played leap frogs! And this time, I zoom passed her. I hesitated looking at my watch instead I just concentrated on my running posture and breathing. When I saw the finish line banner about less than half-mile, I started to run almost sprinting, but I can feel my heart working so hard, so I slowed down a little bit. As I continued on, I unzipped my raincoat so that the photographer will get photos of me. And then… YES!!! I crossed the finish line! My very reliable watch showed: 1:33:30. The official time was 1:33:29. It’s a new PR for me! I ran the last 3.3 miles in 30 minutes! After I crossed the finish line, I ran along Naito Parkway, watched runners go to the finishers chute, I saw my hubby. He saw me and gestured we’ll meet at the finish line. Well, I ran again to the finishers chute, and I’m pretty sure I have multiple finishers’ photos.

After the race, my in-laws treated us for brunch. I had a hefty brunch: 2 cups of coffee, 3 strips of bacon, an omelet, a pancake swimming in syrup, a slice of sourdough with strawberry jam. Well, my eating is a different blog.

By the way, my hubby crossed the start line 24 minutes after I did. He ran with the 8K runners so he was the only one running up Broadway, while all the runners were turning left. He finally caught up with the last runner on the course at mile marker 3.

Real Runner's Shoes Don't Stay White

2009-03-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

(by SoloRunner)

Saturday started out as any typical morning with the exception of the weather. The threat of snow, I just did not want to get out of bed. I had plans to check in with my running partner at 8:00 a.m. and we would make the decision when to run. We finally met up at about 11:00 a.m. or so. We were slated to run 11 miles but she was convinced that it was not enough and we needed to do 15 miles. I was feeling good so I say to myself, “Why not?” I got all my weekly runs in so I agreed on one condition, we run up the Wild Wood trail—one of my favorites.

The first mile or so is a bad ass hill that gets me every time. I have had my challenges with and it has taken me down a time or two, but I keep coming back. My friend said she was game. I told her that it was going to be muddy. She asked how muddy, because she did not want to get her shoes dirty. With thoughts of—are you freaking kidding me about to fly out of my mouth—I just said let’s go. We started up the hill dodging the mud that if you stuck your foot in it, you could lose your shoe, it was great! As we made our way up, I took a glance back and my friend was not keeping up. She was dodging every ounce of mud she could. I waited at the next turn and when she finally caught up with me, I said with a big grin, “So, isn’t this great?!” Her reply was, “I am not really enjoying myself and I don’t think we will be on speaking terms after this.” I said, “Oh, you’ll get over it.” I took off and back to the hill. A little further down the road, I checked in again. I told her that we could turn back, and she seems to be a little happier with what I said. But, true friend she is, she sucked it up and said no. As we approached another turn the mud was so bad that I ran as close to the edge as I could. That was a big mistake because the next thing I knew, I was down. Dang that pot hole! I stopped and fell to my knees and hit the ground, and I feel pain. I thought, “Ok, just give me a minute and let me see how it really feels.” My friend asked what I wanted to do. I said, “Let me walk and see what happens.” The first few steps hurt, but after I checked that there is no swelling, I walked a bit more and worked up to a light jog. The pain was not that bad so I said let’s go. We contented our run with some pain, but like my brothers use to say, “If you’re going to play with the big boy, no cry babies!” I know crazy or stupid same difference. As we made our way to clearing a dog owner, her three misbehaved dogs approached us. One with full force almost knocking my friend down, I yelled to the woman to get her dog under control and her reply was, “Which one?” Are you freaking kidding me? Some people should not own a dog, let alone three. We decided to take a shortcut back down to the main trail. I had to walk down the steep hill that I would have loved to run down. When we arrived at the main trail, we followed it to the end of the line so when we came back to it that would complete 15 miles. It was still turning out to be a good run even with the pain. We also lucked out with very little snow/ice coming down on us. We started back down for another 7 miles and I could only hear my music and my thoughts that kept me focused. I am not a talker on my runs so it really helped that my friend did find the need to speak. In spite of it all, I really did have a good run. I DO think my friend really enjoyed herself even if she got her white shoes all muddy (now, she is a real runner!).

I went home and had to wrap and ice, and headed to acupuncture on Monday. Hope to be back on the road Tuesday. Thanks for reading.

Now go out and RUN!
SoloRunner

Going Home

2009-03-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

(by SoloRunner)

Another week of inconsistent running. I did get out and run, however the amount of running and planning for a 15 mile run was not enough. My 105 year old grandmother passed away this past week and so before I knew it I was on a plane heading home. I was dreading the events that were to come because I had not seen some of my family since my dad died almost two years ago and now we would be back together again. As we all gathered to celebrate her life, I was reminded of what an incredible woman she was and how she played a large part in influencing who I am. I will miss her dearly, but I am comforted by those familiar words: “the best gift someone can leave you is the memories you create with them.” I also took this time to clear my head about the direction my life is going. My brother drove me to Santa Cruz, a place I truly love and where I have so many great memories. I lived there for 10 years and before my kids came along, it was the best 10 years of my life. Being back seeing old friends and hanging at the beach is so magical for me. When I got to Santa Cruz, I dropped my bags off at the hotel and took off for a run. I was so excited to see the place I loved so much! I ran down that old familiar road and memories of days spent on that beach rushed to me like waves coming on shore. It was a beautiful day. Friday came along and I started to contemplate running my 15 miles and I thought of every reason not to run. I decided to take a walk down to Capitola and thought about all the reasons I should wait. The first thought that came to mind in support of why I should run: I already told my twitter friends I would be running 15 on Saturday! I also thought about my friends in Oregon who would be doing their long runs. Friday night I still did not have a plan. Saturday morning came and I woke up and it hit me. So I headed out and before I knew it I was at the beach and I could feel that feeling of the old days when I was back then a Solorunner. Lots of other runners were on the road. At about 1.5 miles, I came up to east cliff where a lot of surfers catch their waves. As I got to mile 3, I encountered a group of cyclists and as I ran by they smiled and went on their way. I then saw my old stomping grounds: Crows Nest, Sea Bright brewery and the boardwalk. I ran down the old train tracks and up towards the roller coaster. I soon found myself at mile 6 and I could see the place I use to live and started up the hill to run along the coast line and remembered that Lance Armstrong was just here. At mile 7.5 I started to make my way back. Wow, what an incredible run! I was pacing nicely and my heart rate was in check. I was really feeling good and I knew this was what I truly love about running… how free I felt and how lucky I was that I could do this. The last part of my run, I was singing (something I do when I run). I felt so comfortable running alone. At moments like this, I truly love being a solorunner. Thanks for reading.

Now go out and RUN!

Solorunner

Getting Your Step Back and Lesson Learned

2009-02-24T00:09:00.000-08:00

Getting Your Step Back (by SoloRunner): For the past four weeks my training has been a hit and miss. I have been sick, and nothing is worst than trying to train for an event and have a little or no energy at all. As I have seen on twitter, a lot of runners continue to train even if they are sick. I often wonder as in any type of recovery, is it best to wait or push? I found that resting is not an option. Even if I take a few days off, and run one or two miles, I still feel as if I am missing something each day that I am not out on the road. Mentally I feel lost and that my day is not complete. Last Saturday’s long run was the first run in the last few weeks that I did not go home and crawl in to bed. It was such an incredible run! It was like running my first 12 miler. I was reminded of how much I was in love with running and how 12 miles was just like that… miles. As I reached two mile marker, and was done fooling around with my water bottle, iPod, etc., I raised my heart rate to a higher range and kept it there. I could not believe how good it felt. With each step I took and to hear my shallow breathing back again, I knew this was going to be good. I could feel that runners high quickly approaching and I knew I was back! So I guess it is all up to what you feel works best for you. Thanks for reading. Now go out and run!

Lesson Learned (by Meechellee): Well, I am the opposite of SoloRunner’s running experience last Saturday. I was miserable because I broke my running rules the night before a long run… I stayed up late, had drinks with friends and wrong choice of carbs. Anyway, my 12 mile run started sluggish and had a sour stomach. I finally got my running groove from mile 6 to 7. Then from mile 8 to 11, it felt like I was wading! This day, I think, was my worst running experience... I was miserable! When I finally saw mile marker 11, I thought of picking up my pace so I waded faster. Whew! I survived my run and finished at 2:06. You think my misery ends here? Nope! I was signed up to participate in Nike’s shoe testing at 2:30 pm that required me run another 3.25 miles. Nike was testing its Nike+ gadget that I had to wear 2 iPods on both of my arms and also 2 wristbands. The first event was a 2 mile run on a flat course and the second event was a mile run uphill. The results showed that I ran an 8:04 pace on the flat course and my uphill run gave me different results: 8:14, 8:21, 9:15. I thought I ran a pretty good pace after running 12 miles 4 hours ago. Nike gave me a $50 gift certificate. After the shoe testing, I was SO glad that my running commitment this day was over. Good run, bad run, otherwise, run on!

Meet SoloRunner and Meechellee

2009-02-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by. I, along with my friend, will be writing about our running and triathlon training as well as other running related topics or not. We are by no means experts, just two chicks who run and live in PDX. So here it goes.

Welcome to my first post. I have been very hesitant to write a blog, more because I speak better then I write. I would rather read someone else’s blog, and there are a lot of good ones out there. So, why am I doing this? I will get back to you because I really don’t know, and I could ramble about this for the next year.

I am a runner and have been for many years. I love to run 10k’s and PR/PB. It is always the runners high that keep me going. I never thought I would run a half-marathon let alone a full one. The feeling you get running towards the finish line is one you’ll never forget. I still remember when I finish my first marathon. I said, “I would never do it again and I meant it!” Not until a friend ask me to run with her on her first marathon. I jumped at the chance to train with her. I am running my 4th marathon in May and thinking, “Why am I doing this?” Some of that feeling may be due to the fact that I am also training for my first Triathlon, and I will talk about that another day. One more thing, in case you’re wondering why I go by SoloRunner, it is because I start to run with a group but ends up running solo. I run with a group for safety purposes, but I run alone in the back of the pack. Get it? Solo Runner. I don’t want to hold anyone back from what they want to accomplish that day. That’s the beauty of running; the only one who counts on you to win is you.

Now go out and run.
SoloRunner ☺

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Greetings all! I agree with SoloRunner that we are not experts. We are basically just going to share our experiences about running, triathlon training and life in general.

I am going to make my introduction short and sweet. I am from the Philippines living in PDX. I’ve only been running for 3 ½ years. I ran the Portland Marathon in 2006, 2007, 2008, and those same years, I ran half-marathons, Hood to Coast, 10ks, 5ks. I practice ChiRunning®, and I don’t listen to music when I run---I wander. Running not only lead me to living an active life, but it also lead me to meeting new friends and new experiences.

This year, I am training for my first triathlon so, run on!

Meechellee ☺