Recently, my friend told me that someone she knows took 30 minutes off of her half marathon time simply by adding consistent yoga sessions (maybe, 3 times a week at 60 minutes each session). Now, I'm into yoga but I don't do it that often, and I DO stretch after running, but I'm just wondering if anyone had similar results as this person. 30 minutes is a whole heck of a lot and that made me pretty motivated to increase my yoga activity.
So, was that person stretching the truth or has anyone else had wicked results from doing yoga regularly??
Haven't been writing much which is surprising considering I supposedly have all of this time on my hands since I don't have a job. Funny how you fill the time. So yes, I have been out having fun rather than sitting in front of the computer.
Last week Robin and I went to San Francisco. We had a blast! I love that city. So much to do and so much good food. We got the City Pass which ended up being a great deal since we used all of the coupons in the book. My favorite is the California Academy of Science. So many unusual things there. I saw fish that I have never seen before there and I have been to several aquariums. They also have a living roof! How cool is that? I am downloading my pictures from that trip now. It seems my card reading won't work for the SD slot which is unfortunate so I am downloading directly off the camera which seems kind of slow.
When we got back from San Francisco, we played the New Super Mario game pretty much non-stop. It is so awesome. I love the co-op. It makes it really fun. We are on the last world but we are savoring it. Unfortunately it is a hard choice to play the game rather than go snowboarding this weekend. I suppose it is a good trade off because we did get some things done like find an apartment in Seattle and buy some items for that apartment. It will be an interesting experiment to live in two places again. The apartment is in West Seattle walking distance to so much which is exciting. I am glad I have all that extra furniture laying around.
I will probably start looking seriously for a job after Thanksgiving. Hopefully I can start something in Jan. I have a couple leads but honestly I am not really too into going back to work right now. I am enjoying my time off. I always thought I wouldn't be able not to work since I do love my job so much but I don't really miss it. Traveling and taking pictures is way more fun. Must win the MegaMillions!
"The MacArthur Foundation and industry leaders like Sony are launching a nationwide challenge to design compelling, freely available science related video games," President Obama said today. He also specifically name-checked Sony's LittleBigPlanet program alongside organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Discovery Communications and Sesame Street.
The White House spoke positively about video games. The President mentioned video games and education in the same breath.
There are still big misses and places where I wish this administration were better but this is really cool.
Yesterday, I ran the Santa Monica Mountains Trail Run 30k near Pt. Mugu... it's the third time I've run this 30k course, last year finishing in 3 hours, 31 minutes... At the start, there were two other guys from my running club in my age group... one of them I knew could easily beat me, but the other one (Juan) is pretty close to my level. On top of that, the second one and I are in fierce competition for my running club's Grand Prix, where we earn points based on how well we place in various races. So, I needed to beat Juan.
The weather was great, a little chilly in the shade, but beautiful in the sun, perfect temperature. I started out just keeping a steady pace, not trying to push myself too hard. The trail got really rocky pretty quickly though, and I had to climb up and over some large rocks. I was ahead of Juan, though. That's all that mattered. There was a long uphill slog or two, but I managed to keep jogging most of the way, with only a couple of short walk breaks. When I finally got the the top, the views of the Channel Islands were spectacular. We continued running through this meadow with shoulder-high grasses, and then hit the rocky path that we had encountered at the start. I opened up a packet of chocolate energy gel, and got most of it in my mouth, but the rest ended up smeared on my hands and face. We passed by the starting area, about 7.5 miles into the race. I passed the aid station but I was carrying water that I had barely touched by this point, so I didn't even bother to stop.
I hit the second uphill, a steady 2-mile long incline, rising maybe 1000 feet, and again I was able to jog most of it. I passed a few people, a few passed me. But Juan was still behind. Then, we hit the downhill fire road on the other side of the mountain. I've never been a particularly fast downhiller, and several people passed me on the 2-mile downhill, INCLUDING JUAN! Dammit. I managed to stay within a couple hundred yards of Juan though. I got to the second aid station, and Juan was still there. I grabbed a handful of potato chips, a cup of electrolyte drink, and managed to get back on the trail (just behind Juan) in about a minute.
We hit the last uphill section (another 2-mile long thing) and I knew it was my only chance to gain ground on Juan, so I tried pushing myself on the switchbacks. But we then hit this steep section, straight up the face of the mountain, and there was no way I could run up it, I was too tired. So I powerwalked up that section, and once we hit the fire road, I ran as much as I could until we got to the last, 2-mile downhill.
I say I suck at downhills, but that's mostly because I'm clumsy and I'm scared I'm going to either fall or injure myself. This time, I didn't care. I didn't know how far back Juan was, and I wasn't going to look back. I was going to get down that mountain as fast as I could, anything to beat him to the finish. Looking back could cost me a valuable second, or worse, make me trip on a rock. I actually passed a few people on the downhill, and the parking lot by the finish line came into sight... I was less than half a mile from the finish. I then heard footsteps behind me. Oh no. I turned, though, and saw that it was a woman, wanting to pass. Not Juan, but I could see him probably 100 feet behind her. I pushed myself as hard as I could to stay in front of him, and we were getting closer to the bottom. The woman who had just passed me got stuck behind two slower runners right where the trail narrowed, but I didn't care and squeezed my way past both of them, hoping Juan wouldn't be assertive enough to do the same. Just past them, my feet hit the parking lot and... I couldn't see the finish line. Seriously... my mind just couldn't process where I was supposed to go from there. I ran forward not because I knew where to go, but because I had to go SOMEWHERE. Thankfully, I quickly realized I was headed the right direction (the finish line, it turned out, was RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME) and I finished in 3:18:13, a 13-minute PR for the course. The woman I passed in that group at the end finished, officially, in 3:18:14, and so did Juan.
I ended up 4th in my age group, so not bad. Incidentally, Pacific Coast Trail Runs puts on some great low-key events... I highly recommend running one of their races if you're in California.
I found out today that Road Runner Sports will be having a 15% off sale from November 25 (this Wednesday) through November 30. This is on top of the 10% that their VIP club members get. So VIP members get 25% off. The only things excluded are electronics, strollers, and gift cards.
I couldn't find anything about it on their web site, but I saw it in a flyer I picked up in one of their stores today.
I have to decide upon a new pair of running shoes. I've narrowed it down to Asics Cumulus 11, Adidas Supernova Glide, and Nike Pegasus 26. They all feel about the same on my feet, and all cost about the same amount.
If you have any opinions, positive or negative, about any of these shoes, please let me know; I can't decide just by how they feel because they all feel OK.
i just finished my OW cert dives yesterday and am eagerly awaiting my card in the mail!
just wanted to say hi to the community!
hoping to slowly accumulate all the gear i need so diving will eventually be that much less expensive. plus the rental gear is annoying to fit into all the time.. (i bought a wetsuit today - SOOOOOO much better than the rental suits we used)
is buying a fancy expensive bcd worth it?
my dive shop sells used ones for $150 (i'm in canada) which i'm debating. i think it would be nice to have an integrated weight system, and these used ones don't..
So Im back from a quick trip Diving in Mount Gambier in South Australia.
The area is known for its limestone caves, and there are plenty to dive from. Being only CDAA Deep Cavern Certified it was limited to only Sinkholes :)
Had some interesting times, as the water was 14-16 deg and the outside temp often above 30... Still some magic dives, and a new site I hadnt dived before.
I had to really awesome dives, you know how it is when your in the water and everything is just right? One site itself wasnt anything spectacular, but the dive was magnificent.
It has rekindled the love I have for diving. And I mean really stirred it up. A lot of time its talk - yeah we should.. But this time I really have a desire to be back in the water as often as I can.
Also plenty of skills and drills to work on.
Did some reel work out the front of SXD. Not as rusty as I thought :)
Sean and Kyna are happily married and I was more than happy to stand up for them. How often is a person asked to be a Best Man, after all? It still amazes me that I had a hand in all of that near to the beginning. I was just looking for more people to come with me to London because travelling is more fun with other people.
I hung out with a friend from high school yesterday which was completely awesome - especially since we pretty much picked up where we'd left off, which is brilliant. We covered the intervening years in rough strokes. It was good to touch base with someone who knew me when. And, well, I got one of the greatest lines ever about the unrequited angstfest. "I was over here trying to run a D&D campaign with stabbing and killing and you two were all Twilight over there."
Which is hilarious because it is so true.
Work is crazy beyond crazy. I'm looking forward to turkey.
We are a bit behind schedule, but with the workout yesterday, I have no doubt our goals are achievable. We are doing a 2min:2min ratio of jog/walk. Yesterday, we walked 9 miles for the first time. Being a little self-depreciating, I wanted to walk the miles before attempting to jog them. I find I do a LOT better when I know at least a little of what to expect.
We averaged 16:38 per mile - for walking that isn't too bad! Our goal for the run/walk ratio is in the 13 minute range...and I totally feel that is obtainable now. :-D
Thinking about signing up for my local turky trot, though I would be doing it alone, so it will take a lot more willpower. things are so much easier for me when I have a buddy right next to me. ahh well, whatever keeps me motivated. :)
It's televised on Versus. I don't have cable or satellite or anything, so I don't know exactly which channel that is...or if all providers even offer it or not. So check your local listings I guess.
Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread!
One week of no running down, now I'm going to take it day by day, with the option of taking the entire week off again before I get back into training. Today I'll probably just go for a walk after work and do some strengthening exercises.
So how is everyone else starting off their week, training and otherwise?
And question! Weekend highlights? Or lowlights you need to vent about? Or running triumphs you want to brag about? Hit me with whatever!
Just remember, if you're dragging today and someone points out you might have a case of the Mondays...
The thought of completing a half-marathon came across shortly after the beginning of this year. Sort of came a bit late to actually call it a “New Year’s resolution” but all the same, it became a goal I wanted to accomplish before 2010 arrived. Thinking back, I couldn’t quite point to one particular reason I started running, I simply saw people all around me, setting goals, training, and crossing the finish line, and I realized I wanted to become a part of that. So it all began…
I honestly tried to recruit every friend to train for this event with me, unfortunately this little thing we call “life” was making it practically impossible and forcing this to remain a goal of my own. Once again life was out to give me a laugh, just a few days before the race my friend Danny calls me and agrees to join me. In my mind I’m thinking “Ha! I suckered one in!”.
As usual, my busy work schedule only relieved me Friday at 11:30pm, going to bed early wasn’t even an option, but Danny’s arrival would certainly cut off a few more hours of sleep. You see, Danny happens to be that friend you every so often talk to, but no matter what the friendship remains strong and untouched… this only means one things… catching up is a must and going to bed at 2:00 am was possibly the stupidest decision we both made. None the less, 6:00 am arrives and we’re up and running, not quite running just yet, but you know what I mean.
My efforts to arrive at the Hawthorne Trail for my volunteer duties (was supposed to arrive at 6:45 to help with the registration process) failed terribly thanks to my Ipod shuffle, which decided not to work that morning. Terrified, I quickly update my Iphone with the playlist I specifically generated for this event, I was NOT going to leave my house without those songs! Once we finally arrived, my post had been promptly filled by another and I felt like a complete douchebag.
The weather was gorgeous, clear skies, and 59 degrees out. I was freezing and was holding on to my jacket with my dear life until I got to the start line and saw I was the only idiot still wearing one. Shaving my legs the night before was a complete waste and I was convinced that by the end of the race I would have a full mane grown out. The race was about to begin and I quickly tossed my jacket to the side and I’m pumped to get started.
The sticks with their neon shoes rapidly take off; at this point we pass some, and get passed by others. Danny was with me for the first two miles, and terrified that I wouldn’t see the end, I decided to slow it down, take a few sips of Gatorade and stay behind. The first half went smooth; I was fast and feeling good. There were a group of about 10 people that pretty much maintained the same pace as I, after a while it became my own little mind game… I’d pass one, they’d catch up… I’d catch up… they’d pass me. I was truly convinced we were all playing the same game. Around mile six I needed to urinate (I’ll stick with medical terminology for bodily functions for now) and of course, my only option was the woods. Throughout the run I saw numerous males “taking a leak” but I was not going to go down as the girl who “popped a squat”. So I remained focused and eventually the urge went away. After about mile seven I started to drastically slow down my pace and the game started to SUCK as all those people passed me by and I could no longer catch them.
When I thought things couldn’t get much worse, the famous “wall” runner’s talk about got right on my face… During my “training” journey I had never truly experienced it, and when it arrived I knew exactly what I was dealing with. It was just as described, I felt like I had absolutely no energy left, my legs were numb, my fingers tingled and all I wanted to do was stop. I kept on recalling what I had read about it, thoughts about glycogen… fat storage… oxygen… keep going… so I remained focused, worked on my breathing and kept on. Sadly things didn’t quite get better, I looked at my Nike plus sportband and it’s telling me I’m at 9.8 miles, but the ten mile sign is not where to be seen… this miscalculation led me to believe I was running like a turtle and even began telling myself I’d be faster if I walked.
Finally the ten mile sign… I honestly started to believe the darn thing simply didn’t exist. It felt like the longest mile I ever ran, and it was around here that I was defeated by a man and his dog, which I had been miles ahead of during the first half of the race. As they stride pass me I curse the dog and establish it isn’t fair because it has four legs. Regardless, I continue, and my energy level slowly starts to increase, thanks to “Eye of the Tiger” I knew that song would come handy, but it just wasn’t enough… a couple of white heads fly by me, I couldn’t really curse them and they were your typical two legged folks so I had only myself to blame.
Mile marker twelve finally became somewhat visible, and from the distance I can spot the back of the shirt of one of the girls I had been “playing” with earlier in the race. All I remember was glitter, pink and the word RUDE with the U underlined. I tried to locate the others, but no one was within sight. I kept my eyes on those letters, tried to figure out what the heck it meant, gave up and was out to catch her. With the encouraging words of Yung Joc… “It’s going down”, I started running faster and getting closer and closer. Eventually I realized the finish line was right ahead and the girl was left behind. I was hit by the “runner’s high”. I saw the clock, but couldn’t tell the time, saw the people but couldn’t make out the faces… overwhelmed with the most amazing surge of energy I crossed the finish line… fits in the air… smile on my face, I did it!
At last I was embraced by my Grandmother dumping water down my throat, Jamie hiding behind her, sort of shy from the whole situation, Danny with a look of pure exhaustion and Shawn with that familiar smile that never goes away. Apparently seconds earlier they all stood there nervously hoping I would soon arrive strong and well, and a sign of relief was clearly seen throughout their reassuring faces. I was greeted by some folks from work and church, by this time Danny had swallowed an entire bagel, two bananas and was moving quickly toward the tray of cookies. My stomach completely upside and everyone tried to talking me into using the porta potty, the idea was immediately shut down by the thought of all the people that finished ahead of me (160 to be exact). My legs hurt, my toes were on fire (particularly my right index toe) and my body just wanted to shut off. I managed to down a banana, smile for some pictures and was ready to get out of there before my digestive system put me through immense embarrassment. On the way out I made eye contact with the “rude” girl, we both smiled, the unspoken was obvious… I know she’ll be looking out for me in future races. During the car ride, I quickly forgot I had just completed a half marathon, and was obsessing over how I would finish the upcoming 26.2 miles I have set out to do in February. This is what running has done to me… it has given me the power to set tougher goals, challenge myself and look forward to cruising past the finish line. All I can say is this… I’ll catch you next time four legged beast!
My friend Kat and I have been writing a blog reviewing local Mongolian Grills. We've been finding them mostly with the help of google, but we know that not all places are listed there. We would love some help finding some more grills, especially in Tacoma. Does anyone know of any? The only one listed as in Tacoma we've found is one right off of I-5 and 72nd.
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