Hollywood Half Marathon Recap

On Saturday, I ran my 22nd half marathon - the Hollywood Half Marathon. It was our chance to "run with the stars". :)

Because the race started so early on Saturday and there was no bib pickup before the race, we had to go to the race expo on Thursday or Friday. I went with my friend Heather to the expo on Thursday. It was small, but fun and we got a chance to rub elbows with the stars"

I was a little worried Johnny would melt when he saw how hot we were but he survived. :) The car in the bottom half of the pic is from the movie Kick-Ass and was the race pace car. I made it out of the expo with my wallet intact and got my shirt and bib. My bib:

Apparently, I was going to be one of the stars. :)

PRE-RACE
Because the race started so early on Saturday, I went to bed early on Friday and set 2 alarms for 2:30. I was a little worried that I would sleep thru the alarms but I didn't. I ate my usual pre-race breakfast: a bagel, banana, and orange juice and got ready.

I left my apartment at 3:40 and drove over to Josh's (@bayou) to pick him up. We found parking pretty easily and then headed to the start. While we were making our way over to the start, I saw Heather so we stopped to talk for a bit. We left her to find the port-a-potties and surprisingly, there weren't any lines. We found Heather again after and then left to find some of the Run It Fast Club members. We found RIF #244 Susan and her husband Kevin and took a quick pic before we headed to our corrals:

THE RACE
There was a a 5K, a 10K, and the half going on and they all started together. The race started promptly at 6 and the corrals moved thru pretty quickly. It was a tiny bit crowded at the start but not bad at all. I thought the crowd might force me to take it easy but nope, I went out pretty fast. Oops. :)

The crowd got even thinner as we lost the 5Kers at their turnaround and then the 10Kers at their turnaround. It was fun because we got to see the fast people for both. Usually, they start later so you never see them. What was really cool was seeing that a woman was in first overall in the 5K. She was flying! Women rock! (She did win the whole thing too. Her name is Joy and she's 37! - so cool). When I saw the fast 10K people, I started looking for Josh who was doing the 10K. I saw about a handful or so of runners and then there was Josh! He was flying too and I knew he was going to place really well.

Until we split with the 10Kers, we'd had a slight downhill most of the way. It meant my times were faster than expected. I'd hoped to finish around 2:15-2:20 and my times for the first 4 miles would have put me around 2:10 if I kept them up. I didn't look at the course map though and didn't realize we had some hills on the course. A couple of steep sections too. So I did slow down a little after mile 5.

My energy was pretty good until around mile 9 and then I felt my energy drop big time so I ended up taking Gatorade at 2 of the aid stations. I had thought about grabbing a gel earlier because I realized I'd left my Honeystinger waffle in the car but knew eating a gel was just a disaster waiting to happen. I thought Gatorade would be the lesser of 2 evils and I kicked myself for only carrying water and not GuBrew. But it wasn't too bad of a bonk.

I had my phone with me but didn't take any pictures of the "stars". They had told us in the race email that if we saw a "star" on the course, to not stop them and ask for autographs. I don't know if any famous people were there but I did see some fun costumes. There had to be at least a dozen Marilyns and the Lucys were awesome.

What was even more fun was getting to see some friends from Instagram on the course. I got to "meet" Tony and then I ran with Ian for a while. Seeing both of them gave me a little extra pep. :)

I looked at my watch and saw that it was going to be close to 2:20 when I finished. And then I saw that I was ahead of the course by 2/10ths of a mile. Oops. Did a bad job of running the tangents...again. So I got my rear and gear and started running hard to the finish. Just before the last turn to the finish, I heard Josh call my name and seeing him was a great boost. Then I turned the corner and there was the finish. I crossed the line with Marilyn Monroe! Only sucky part was she got all the glory. What a scene stealer! Sheesh! ;)

Per my garmin, I did 13:31 miles in 2:20:02. And that was my official time too. I made my goal. :) And I got my shiny, sparkly medal. :)

POST RACE
Once I made my way thru the finish area, I went and found Josh. We found Susan and Kevin again and then Heather and got to visit for a while which was fun. Then we made our way back to the car with one little stop at Crumbs Bake Shop for a sweet post-race treat:

A peanut butter cup cupcake is the perfect way to celebrate a race! Thank you for my cupcake Josh!

Just a couple of things...I didn't carbo load or taper for this and I have the Griffith Park Trail Marathon this coming Saturday so didn't want to leave everything out there. I think I ran it smart and I'm happy with the way I ran this race. I'm learning to suffer again and run hard. Racing is finally fun again. :) Woo!

TGIRWF And The Snoopy Coaster Run 10K

I'm racing tomorrow! I'm doing the 15 Miler in the Chino Hills Trail Run series here in So Cal. It should be a fun, low-key event. I've been wanting to check out the trail there and haven't gotten around to it so this will be my first time running there. I can't wait to see what it's like. Would be fun to have another trail option near me.

Today is actually the first of 3 TGIRWFs in a row. Thank God It's Race Weekend Friday...in case you were wondering. Next Saturday, I have the Hollywood Half Marathon and then the weekend after that I have the Griffith Park Trail Marathon. For a girl who's not supposed to be racing much, I sure have been racing a lot! Which you probably don't know since I didn't do a really great job of keeping this blog up for a couple months. Sorry bout that.

I just wasn't in the mood to write anything for a while. It was all doom and gloom and who wants to read that? Not me. So I'm sure not you.

Things started looking up when I did the Snoopy Coaster Run 10K at the beginning of March. I love, love, love Snoopy. Have I mentioned I have a tat of Snoopy dancing on my ankle? And that it was my nickname growing up? So I was excited to do the run but also pretty nervous. I really, really wanted to race it (something I haven't done since last September) but I was also scared to see how slow I got.

BUT...

I decided I wanted to hire a coach to help me get faster and I knew that I would need to know where I was at.

So I ran hard.

I did pretty well. It wasn't the fastest course since it was twisty turny thru the park. And during mile 2 I was thisclose to stopping to use the bathroom. But luckily my stomach settled down after that mile :and I could keep running hard. I did lose some time there though. :( Anyway, I finished it in 57:28 which is only 2 min and 33 seconds slower than my PR. Not too bad considering I haven't done any speed training, eh? I was expecting it to be about 5-7 minutes slower. I was 17th out of 120 in my age group and I was a happy coyote. :) Plus the medal was CUTE!

And we got a slice of their famous, and exceedingly delicious, Boysenberry Pie after!

Best piece of pie I ever had! It might have lasted 5 seconds. :)

So that race was a turning point for me. Where before I'd felt hopeless and felt like I was going nowhere with my running, I suddenly had hope and felt a lot like my old self. I hired Justin Gillette, one of the Run It Fast members, to coach me to a BQ. Although that's not my ultimate goal, it's a good one to reach toward for now. I went with Justin because I wanted to utilize the resources available to me thru Run It Fast and I have seen his work with some of the other Run It Fast Club members. Also, his philosophy with racing and my run streak (which is on day 171!) mesh with mine. In that he's for both! :) We start on April 1st. I've already seen the workouts I'm going to be doing and I'm excited to get to work. :)

I signed up for tomorrow's race so I could get one last fun run in before the coaching starts. I'm not going to race tomorrow hard. I think. But if I feel good, I may go for it. You never know. ;) I feel like a fire has been lit. Yeah, baby!

Happy Easter! And have a great weekend.

Bataan Memorial Death March

"We're the battling bastards of Bataan;

No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam.

No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces,

No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces.

And nobody gives a damn.

Nobody gives a damn."

by Frank Hewlett  1942

This weekend, I ran my 10th marathon at the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, New Mexico! It was a fun, emotional, beautiful weekend and I had a blast.

I first learned of the Bataan when my friend Toni ran it in 2010. She'd run it in honor of her grandfather who was a survivor of the march in WWII. I put it on my to-do list because it sounded incredible. Then last summer, I met Cliff at the ET 51K and while we were running thru the night, we talked about races he'd run and Bataan came up. He had run it four times and confirmed Toni's experience there. He told me I should run it sooner rather than later because the best part was meeting the survivors. I decided that this year would be the year!

SATURDAY
I flew out on Saturday morning and went thru Phoenix to El Paso. From El Paso, I drove to the White Sands Missile Range. Cliff had told me that it might take a while to get thru registration and I should get it done ASAP so I could make sure and attend the other events. I got to the base a little after one and luckily remembered to bring my pass to get on base! It was my first time on a base and the curious coyote in me was excited to see what it was like. I guess I didn't look like trouble because they let me in. ;)

Cliff and a few of his friends were already on base so I met up with them and they helped guide me thru registration. During registration, we got our bibs, chip, shirts, dog tag, and certificate.

It didn't take that long and when I was finished, we all met up in one of the food places and talked for a while. Cliff was asking me about my running and I told him about hiring Justin, one of the Run It Fast Club members to be my coach. I mentioned that he was from Indiana and he said Kathy was from there too. She said she knew who he was because he was her friend Alicia's coach as well. Alicia is an RIF club member too. Small world, huh?

A little before two, we headed over to the auditorium for the Bataan Historical Seminar. The presentation gave us a brief overview of the struggles, hardships, and torture that the soldiers endured during the march and their captivity. What they went thru during the march is the stuff of nightmares and so heartbreaking. If you don't know the history, you can look it up here. After the presentation, they introduced the survivors that were there this year to HUGE rounds of applause. They looked so fragile but stood so proudly. Then before it was over, they played God Bless America which was their favorite song while they were captive and the whole auditorium sang along. It gave me goose bumps. Then the presentation was over and the survivors walked out first with everyone standing for them and clapping as they want by.

Next, we went over to another hall where the survivors each had a room to give a little talk about their experience and then do a Q&A. The first survivor we listened to was Harold A. Bergbower. The first thing he did was thank us for coming to the march! Can you believe it? We were the ones who were honored with their presence but he was so moved that we were there to honor and remember them. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to listen to his stories from that time. He sugar coated it but told us enough that we could get an idea of how rough it was...the starvation, the beatings, the hard labor, and the fear that you could die at the whim of the guards. He told us about the time he'd been so sick and weak that he collapsed and they thought he was dead. They actually tagged him and sent him to the morgue...but he said he was too stubborn to die and woke up and walked out! But the Army still had him as deceased and notified his family that he was gone. They didn't know he was still alive until after they were released from the prison camps when the war was over and he sent them a telegram! Can you imagine how shocked his family must have been and how happy? Then he told us about another time where some of the POWs had escaped the camp. The Japanese had said that for every POW that escaped, they would shoot 9 or 10 remaining POWs as a deterrent  Well, 10 POWs escaped and he was rounded up with about 100 others to be shot but at the last minute they decided they needed them to work instead and they were spared.

Someone asked him how he endured, what was it that made him go on and not give up and he said he never lost hope that they would be rescued. That he believed he would survive and that you had to have something to believe in. He weighed less than 100 lbs when they were released from the prison camp after the war but he had survived. He ended up making the military his career and even went back to Japan during his service. He married and had a family and we got to meet his daughter too. He is 95 years old.

The second survivor we heard was John Leroy Mims, 91 years old. He enlisted at the age of 16 and then was kicked out because he was too young. But he re-enlisted and ended up going to the Philippines. He talked about how he was separated from his troop and ended up with some Rangers from the Philippines before they were eventually captured. He told us about the time one of the Japanese guards dropped a coke bottle and he picked it up for him and the guard hit him across the face with it for disrespecting him. He told us more about enduring the walk without water and what it was like in the camps. He told us about the horrific boat ride the prisoners endured when they were sent to Japan and what it was like when the bombs dropped. He told us about how he'd learned Japanese and heard the guards talking about how they were going to kill the POWs after the war was over so they wouldn't talk. But they confronted the guards and the guards decided not to shoot them.

It wasn't all bad memories for them though and they shared some of the laughs and smiles from that time as well. It made me wish I'd asked my grandfather more about his time in the Army during WWII. But he, like my dad for Vietnam, never seemed to want to talk about it. I got the same feeling from listening to the survivors, that they didn't want to share the horror of what they'd seen and experienced during the war. I am so glad they shared their stories with us.

After the meet & greets we headed over to the pasta dinner and Cliff's sister and her husband Jeff (who I'd met at JJ100) joined us. Dinner was pretty good and Jeff and I split the desserts so we could try the different cakes. :) There was a movie at 7 but Cliff suggested that we go back to the hotels because we'd have a very early start. I still had to go to the store and check in so I agreed.

I got my stuff ready for the next day and set my alarm for 2:30 and went to bed about 9:30. It was going to be a VERY early morning!

SUNDAY PRE-RACE
I ended up waking up before my alarm around 2. I ate and got ready and drove over to Cliff's hotel to hitch a ride. We were carpooling so we would be 2 less cars getting on base. We left at 4 and got to the base about 4:30. The line wasn't too long to get on base and it went quickly. They wanted everyone to be there by 4:30 so all the cars and runners could get thru the checkpoint before the race started. Once on base, they directed us to the parking and we headed over to the race start. It was a little windy but not too cold. We got into the civilian corral and sat down to wait.

The waiting area was on the base's soccer field and we were set up in corrals according to our races/divisions. The first corral was for the Wounded Warriors and then the next was for the Military. We, the civilians, were after them, and the last corral was for the Honorary which was the half (actually 14ish miles). All around us were people with packs (for those doing it "heavy" and carrying a 35 lb pack). Cliff was doing it heavy again. He's done it heavy every year! Those running in the military division were in full combat gear. The waiting area was pretty relaxed and felt more like the start of a trail race than a big marathon.

The opening ceremonies started at 6:30 and it was very cool. You could hear a pin drop when the soldiers stood at attention and the rest of us went silent. Over 6000 people and no one spoke a word. The national anthem was sung by a local high school choir and it was beautiful. They introduced the survivors and then they did a roll call, first calling the names of the survivors and then some of the names of those who did not come back and all you could hear was the echo of their names. Then they played Taps and I teared up for the millionth time that weekend. It always gets to me but even more so that morning.

The race started at 7 and the Wounded Warriors marched out first. Then the military marched out and then it was our turn. We made it to the start line about 7:30. Before you crossed the start line, you got to shake the hands of some of the survivors. And again they were thanking ME for coming to remember them. It made me want to cry. I shook their hands and thanked them and their families and then I was at the start line and my march had begun.

THE MARCH 
Since so many started out before us and many of them were marching and not running, it was crowded at the beginning. I wasn't in any hurry though so I took my time and weaved in and out as openings appeared. Running by the missile garden was cool and I was checking out the base anyway. After a little bit, we were on dirt and it started to thin out. It was flat or downhill for about the first 8 miles and the morning was cool. The sky was clear and blue as can be. :) It was a good day for running.

This is in the first few miles looking back at the base:

After mile 8, we were back on road and heading up, and up...and up. It wasn't steep though. I had been stopping to take pictures and having little conversations with those around me so the time went by quickly. There were no spectators on the course but the aid stations were awesome and very enthusiastic. My stomach was not feeling great so I stopped to use the port-a-potty at one of the aid stations. They definitely had plenty of those on the course! They also had a mister on the course that we went thru twice and it felt wonderful. Later, I had oranges at various aid stations and they tasted so good. The support for the race was awesome!

This is looking back on the climb up on the road portion:

According to the elev chart, we would be climbing for about 5 miles. The last couple miles were on dirt and much of it was sandy. Oh, and now the wind was stronger and a head wind but it was cool and felt great. I actually missed it when we eventually hit the turn around. There was no reason to complain anyway. The views were amazing and there was no where else I'd rather be. Besides, if I did start feeling crummy all I had to do was look around me at those carrying 35 lb packs or who were doing it with artificial legs. Yeah, I was one of the lucky ones out there. I remember one girl (civilian) who asked me if we were having fun and I said yes, it's an adventure!

This is looking back during the dirt portion of the climb:

When we got to the top and headed down, it was a fun downhill. We went thru areas with old settlement houses and mines and there was a lot to see. This is the aid station on the way down after hitting the top. As you can see, they had a lot of support! This aid station was selling hamburgers and they smelled so good but the best part was the ice water and iced oranges at the aid stations:

Here's a few more pics from the second part of the run:

I stopped at the aid station around mile 18.5 and asked for sunscreen and took a moment to re-apply it. I was doing a good job of keeping up with my salt pills so I felt pretty good. The miles went by and then it was 5ish to go and we hit the Sand Pit. Now, there'd been sand on most of the dirt parts but this was worse. It made for a good challenge and my calves got a great workout. The wind picked up and we also had blowing sand. It felt like a real desert march! The Sand Pit:

Then it was over. The was a huge cheer going on for the finishers and when I crossed the line, there were more survivors to greet us and congratulate us. Once again, they thanked me for coming when it should have been the other way around.

I heard Cliff call my name and met up with the others. When I felt like I could eat, I went to get some food. They served us a free meal after and I chose a pulled pork sandwich, chips, and a rice krispie treat. I ate and we watched the awards ceremony and then went to watch and cheer the finishers as we waited for Cliff's friend Bill to finish.

An ROTC team, doing it heavy, about to finish:

After Bill came in, we went and got him some food and headed back to the car. We left the base at 4, almost 12 hours after we'd arrived! It was a long, full, fun day.

RANDOM WEEKEND THOUGHTS

• 95 year old Ben Skardon, a Batann Death March survivor, and his Ben's Brigade marched 8.5 miles of the course...amazing!
• One soldier told me he liked my style. I must have been a little tired...or I'm a runner...because at first I thought he meant the way I run but then I figured out he meant what I was wearing (red bandanna and calf sleeves, white RIF shirt, and a blue skirt). :)
• Teams had to finish within 20 seconds of each other and it was fun to listen to them encourage and support each other on the course.
• 47 states and 5 countries were represented. Seeing the military teams from other countries was very cool.
• There were a lot of kids in the march, most of them marching with their families and it was fun to see them as well.
• Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes is beautiful!
• All weekend, and especially on Monday when I was wearing my race shirt while I did a little sight seeing, people stopped me to ask if I'd run and how it went. They also thanked me for supporting the march. So many times you go to a big marathon and you feel invisible because it's so corporate and so big. But this race was filled with warmth and good feelings. Really incredible.
• Being around the military is always fun. They are so polite! One group from Kansas State gave me their unit's coin just for taking a few pictures for them. :) This is my nephew's favorite team so I'll be giving him the coin. Isn't it funny that of all the colleges there, Max's favorite would be the one to give me a coin?

And by the way...I saw over 6000 people this weekend who DO give a damn and I am so happy I was one of them.

So that's my recap! I hope you enjoyed it and it gives you a little nudge to experience this yourself! If you do, you can check out their website here:
http://www.bataanmarch.com/

One last pic of the Bataan Death March Memorial Statue:

I will not forget!

What If...

I have TWO milestones this week: tomorrow will be day 100 of my run streak and Friday is my 4 year Runiversary. I guess if I'd timed it better, I would have hit day 100 on my runiversary but I wasn't planning it so it's okay. :)

So...4 years of running. Considering how much I hated it in the beginning, if you'd have told me I'd be running every day and loving it, I'd have said:

I love that clip! It's my favorite quote from the movie. :) Anyway, back to the runiversary thing...

While I'm happy that I fell in love with running and that I've been running for 4 years, I can't help but feel a little bit of regret that I didn't start running earlier. Like 10, 20, or more importantly...30 years ago. I can't help wondering how my life would be different.

So many of the bad decisions I've made and all the times I hurt the people I love were because I hated myself. I know it sounds harsh but I was a total screw up. Overweight, unhealthy, in serious debt, a college drop-out, always alone...I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated life. I was depressed and angry and overwhelmed and scared. Sometimes I was scared to be alone because I...I used to hurt myself. So yeah, I hurt myself, I ate A LOT, and I bought shit I didn't need. All because I couldn't deal with my emotions and I used them as an outlet so I wouldn't drive off a cliff. Yes, that thought entered my mind...more than once.

I made so many mistakes. I still cry and cringe when I think about some of them. I haven't totally forgiven myself. I should. I know. It just hasn't happened yet.

So I wonder what would have happened if I'd had running as an outlet when I was 14, if Friday was going to be my 30th Runiversary instead of my 4th. Would I have gained all that weight? Would I have accumulated all that debt? Had to deal with high blood pressure and a bad back and bad knees? Would I have dropped out of college, not once but twice? Would I have the job I really wanted instead of the one I settled for? Would I have fallen for a man who shredded my heart and confidence? Would I be married and have children now? Would I have loved myself enough to let someone else love me too?

I know I can't go back and change things. I know that I have to live with the life I have. And it's not a bad life. I worked hard to clean up my life: lost weight, got healthy, and paid off my debt. I'm having fun and traveling places I never thought I'd get to see. Actually, I have an amazing life right now. :)

It's just...what could I have done, what could I have accomplished if I hadn't waited until I was 40 to build the life I wanted? Who would I be if I'd been happy all those years from 15 to 40.

I know that running isn't the only thing that makes me a happy and whole woman right now but I have to tell you that because I'm running, I feel calmer and stronger and more ready to deal with things that go wrong. I feel more beautiful, more sexy, and more fun than I ever felt before and part of that is because I love how my body can move now and how far my legs can take me. It gives me confidence in my body I NEVER had before. That makes be feel like Wonder Woman.

The woman I am now...Lisa the runner...doesn't need to buy things to feel better. She doesn't need to settle for a man who doesn't love her but won't let her go. She doesn't need to eat to find comfort. She isn't scared anymore. She doesn't feel like she has to hide. She's happy. I'm happy. :)

But still...just what if...

What if this Lisa had existed all along?

Life is too short to waste 25 years.

I wish I hadn't.

Run It Fast 2013

My theme for 2012 was the Year of Animal Racing. It was an awesome theme because it led me to some very cool races and I ran thru some very cool places and got some wild medals! Let me tell you...names with animal races do not disappoint in the bling department!

And while I had fun during 2012, something terrible happened...my speed vanished. Without a trace.

Ok, that might be a little dramatic because there were a couple of times that I raced that I came pretty close to my PRs (Firecracker 5000 and Disneyland Half). But for the most part, I called its name and heard nothing but silence. ;)

I WANT MY SPEED BACK!!!

Come back, damn it!

So that's what I'm going after this year and my theme for the year is Run It Fast 2013. I'm racing less and going back to basics. I'm going back to what I learned from Jason at Strength Running when he was coaching me. I'm going to run my ass off and lower my PRs from the 5K to the marathon in 2013. That's my goal and I'm stating it now.

Sadly, I have a LONG way to go before I get back into my 2011 shape, the year I set the PRs for those distances. I just don't understand how I went so wrong last year. Well, actually...I do. I was more worried about spending time on my feet as I trained for JJ100 than I was about running fast and the vast majority of my runs were done at really slow paces. You now the old saying "train fast to race fast"? Well, I didn't do any of that. I also slacked off on my strength work so while my endurance went way up, my strength and speed went way down.

One of my "jobs" for RIF - The Club is the club newsletter and I have to tell you, I sometimes get a little (ok, a lot) jealous reading everything the club members have accomplished while I put the newsletter together. Age group wins, PRs...I want that too! Don’t get me wrong…Run It Fast is NOT about being the fastest coyote on the block. It’s about being the fastest YOU possible…the best running YOU possible…reaching your full potential as a runner. I can’t honestly say I lived up to that in 2012. I stretched myself but I didn’t push myself. You know? I ran long but I ran easy. But I’m through with that!

So, I took the month of December off to rest and did not allow myself to go over 5K on my runs (unless it was for a race I'd already signed up for) and I did ZERO bike commuting. I guess I needed the break but it was hard. I felt sluggish and I didn't stop eating what I had during marathon/ultra training so I, uh, put some weight back on. Sigh. I felt chubby. I felt crummy. At least, I did. Even up to Saturday when I ran the New Year’s Race Half Marathon in LA. Oh yeah, I forgot to do a race report so here’s the bling for that:

Very shiny, eh?

But this week…this week I feel fired up. I feel like the old Lisa. No scratch that. I feel like a new Lisa who is ready to run and work hard and go after what she wants. I feel like a runner girl with some sass right now. Although, I guess that could be from the red streaks I got this Saturday when I had my hair highlighted. Nothing says fired up and sassy like red hair, right?!?!

Yeah, I'm back baby! So maybe the rest DID do me some good. :) I still hated it though!

Anyway, I hope you’ll follow along with me during Run It Fast 2013 and watch me Run It Fast! :)

P.S. If you'd like to send me some speedy vibes, I'd appreciate it!

That's All She Wrote

For 2012 anyway. ;)

These are my 2012 stats:
Ran 2,674 miles (Yay!)
Rode 3,593 miles (Oops...my poor bikes!)
Racing: 30 races (see below, the monthly # in the top row is the number of race miles for the month)

Little did I know when I started the year that I would be racing that much or do that many ultras. I wasn't even planning any marathons for 2012 but ended up running 4! And 5 ultras? Yeah, that was a surprise to me too.

This year hasn't all been peaches and roses (foot injury, DNS for Old Goat 50, DNF for Death Valley, that stupid ER trip that cost me so much money...sigh) but the good far, far outweighed the bad. When I think about 2012, I have some incredible memories that make me smile. I had some awesome adventures that I never dreamed I would have. I saw some wild and beautiful places that took my breath away and raced in the Happiest Place On Earth! Because of running, this year I got to visit Graceland and Mt. Rushmore and run near Area 51. What more could a girl ask for?

So many times when I clicked the submit button for a race this past year, I was scared out of my running shorts. Could I do it? Could I run technical trails? Could I run a race with 5700 ft of climbing? Could I run at 7000 Ft elevation? Would I get lost during a trail race? Would I get eaten by a mountain lion or a bear? Heck, I was even worried about crewing Josh (would I lose him/fall asleep/get maped by a moose). Yes, I have a great imagination but sometimes it's a disadvantage when you think up worst case scenarios!

So obviously, I didn't get eaten by a wild animal. And I did get lost a couple of times but managed to find my way back! And I survived all of the challenges that I put myself through and had fun while I was doing it! That's one of my biggest lessons from 2012. I CAN DO IT. It may take me a while and I may have some things to learn, but I can take care of myself...and others. I just have to take things one step at a time and not let it overwhelm me.

One other great thing about this year was the camaraderie I felt with runners at races. A lot of my races have been lonely. Oh sure, my family has gone to see me race and I've met runners on the course but for the most part, I run by myself. This past year was filled with running with others though and I really appreciated it. It made me feel like part of a larger community. Some of that has come from Twitter and Run It Fast - The Club but some of it has also come from meeting local runners and catching up with them at races. Some of the moments that bring a smile to face are finishing the JJ50K with Josh and Naresh, running ETFMM51K with Cliff, running Disney with Teal & Beth, and running with everyone at Flying Monkey.

What else did I learn in 2012? I learned I love trails. I learned I love doing things I didn't think I could do. I learned that I don't want to just do a race because it's a fast course but because the course is beautiful or challenging or unique or because there's something about the area I want to explore. I don't want to race for racing's sake. I want adventure. I need adventure. It makes the Indiana Jones in me very happy. :)

So I plan to do more of that!

Happy New Year! May 2013 be a fabulous running year for you!

My Top 10 Running Moments of 2012

Everyone keeps reminding me about what a fantastic year I've had. And I have. 2012 was amazing and took me on some incredible adventures and to some very cool places. I had no idea when I started my Year of Animal Racing for 2012 that I would be racing that much or that far or meeting so many great runners. My only goals for 2012 were these:

• Have fun!!! 
• Run on dirt more. 
• Run races with the names of animals in them. 

Woo! Mission accomplished! I love that I accomplished all my goals for 2012. Even though it doesn't feel like I'm having that much fun this month, I have had fun this year. I've also done a ton of trail races. And I ran all kinds of animal races.

Success!

Since it's the end of the year and it's fun to look back, I thought I would share my Top 10 Running moments of 2012:

10. ET Full Moon Midnight 51K - This was my 3rd 50K but also my first night race. This was one crazy run but a lot of fun since it was outside Area 51 and really made my inner geek happy. :) I may or may not have seen any UFOs or aliens but I did get to meet an RIFer there and got to run a lot of miles with Cliff and made a great friend. :)

9. Big Sur Trail Marathon - This was one of my slowest marathons so I'm kind of surprised I included it in this list. But it was hard and challenging and a beautiful run and it was the comeback race I needed after not getting my 50 miles in 2 weeks before it. And it was a fun and cool road trip that I could enjoy because I wasn't driving for once!

8. Leading Ladies Marathon - This was my first trip to South Dakota and I got to see Mt. Rushmore! Something I'd never thought I'd do. I did this only 2 weeks after the ET Full Moon Midnight 51K and didn't train for marathon speed and didn't taper but managed to pull out a 4:25 there so I was very happy with that. Not to mention the course was GORGEOUS and I got to meet 2 fellow RIFers (Run It Fast - The Club members) there. The Leading Ladies is my favorite marathon so far.

7. Crewing Josh at YT100 - I'm including this in MY running moments because although I didn't run, it was a great weekend of running and being inspired. Plus, I'd never been to Idaho or Wyoming before and I got to see plenty of both states while crewing for Josh (@bayou).

6. Flying Monkey Marathon - This was my 2nd race in Tennessee race and it was a ton of fun because I met so many RIFers there and got to catch up with some RIFers that I hadn't seen since February. Basically, it was like a big running party. And the bling was awesome!

5. My Birthday Run - Not a race but a run I did on my own on my birthday. I ran up Lower Monroe Truck Trail to watch the Tour of California. It's not often I get to combine 2 of my favorite things in one swoop. Not only did I get some great trail running and climbing in but I got to see boys on bikes (especially Jens Voigt)!

4. Disneyland Half Marathon - This was my first Disney race and it was a total kick. It made me feel like a kid and I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. I also got to meet Teal & Beth (@LifeIsARun) there! Another total blast! The Disneyland Half is my favorite half marathon so far.

3. Joining Run It Fast - The Club - Not one running moment exactly. More like lots of them! Wearing the RIF shirt has been a ton of fun at the races...lots of cheers. It's also allowed me to make some great friends and get to know some very inspiring runners. I'm also getting to do a lot of fun stuff for the club like interviews and newsletters, etc. Some seriously major fun the whole year!

2. Endure the Bear 15K - This was my first race at altitude and it was hard, but beautiful! I went into it intending to run it hard and I did AND got 2nd in my age group! Woo! Loved, loved, loved getting on the podium. :) This one is definitely a fun memory. The day was made even better because Josh (@bayou) was there running the 50K and I got to meet and hang out with his family while we waited for him to finish the 50K. His kids are SO cute!

1. Jackson Jackass 50K - This was my first 50K and my first trip to Tennessee thanks to an invite from Josh (@bayou). It had poured the night before the 50K so the trail was a muddy mess  and it was HARD and I was nervous as hell but I finished it! And I got to hang out with some very cool, fun runners. Total blast!

So that's my top 10. Pretty cool list, huh? Kind of funny that I have 3 marathons on the list when I wasn't planning to run any this year. It was actually kind of hard to narrow it down to 10 because I left off some really cool runs like the Safari Park Half and Stonewall Peak Half. And I didn't even have room for my 1st 100K or all the other tweet-ups I had. Sheesh.

What a year! :) I was pretty lucky, eh?