Run

Coronado Independence Day 15k (shoulda done the 5k)

July 7, 2013 by Asia

Happy belated 4th of July! This year I ran my first independence day race ever since I decided to stay in town for the weekend and Nicole was already signed up. (I have a hard time sitting on the sidelines while others are playing.) I went into the race with a “just have fun” and “get a good workout in” mentality, but even with those goals, it ended up being a struggle because I felt so out of shape! I literally woke up on race morning thinking I should have signed up for the 5k. I’m going to get crushed today.

Coronado 15k (July 2013)
01:23:21
8:57 min/mile
20/74 AG

VERSUS Hot Chocolate 15k (March 2013)
1:12:15
7:45 min/mile
13/557 AG

Not my day. Nothing went right. Luckily it was just for fun, right?! 😉

Borrow GU from Nicole & taped it on my water bottle. #quickfix

Borrowed GU from Nicole & taped it on my water bottle. #quickfix

The race itself was OK, but I don’t think I’ll be doing it again. I liked how small and friendly it was, but the course was a bit boring and it lacked crowd support. Plus, it started 18 minutes late when I was in a port-a-potty! Oops. Nicole & I spent the first mile weaving and bobbing through all the slower runners on a narrow bike path, and I thought I was going to take someone out. Then, I felt like I was in the pain cave starting at mile 3, so I let Nicole run ahead at mile 5 when I was tired of my half-ass attempts to keep up with her. (She had a much better day!) At least Nicole and I looked awesome in our American flag pants!

America!!

My takeaways are as follows. Every race can’t be perfect, and my “fun run” 15k was the epitome of that. At the end someone told me “you can’t be in peak shape all the time” and I’m taking that comment to heart. It’s OK that I am enjoying rest days/weeks/months and not training my face off for an Ironman or a Boston Qualifying time. It’s OK that I’m trying new things like sleeping in, lazy coffee Sundays with Jeremy, easy 4 mile runs, barre classes, and surfing. (Yes, surfing!) As long as I can remind my brain of that, I will be OK until I start training for the next big thing.

At least I got a medal!

My next race is America’s Finest City half marathon on August 18, and I want to PR for that one, so excuse me while I go get my act together. 🙂

Do you ever race “just for fun”?

Songs to RUN FAST to

June 23, 2013 by Asia

Music has always been a part of me. Long before running, I played the piano, was a dancer, and sang in choir. Now that running is my passion, I still like to incorporate my love for music and have learned that a good playlist can make all the difference during a long run or on race day. (I usually only listen w/ 1 earbud in so I can also be aware of my surroundings.)

Here’s a small sample from my “BQ RUN FAST!” playlist I listened to at Eugene marathon. Maybe you can find something new here you’d like to try. I’m always on the hunt for a good running song!

1. “Alive” by Krewella: Come on make me feel alive! Need I say more?

2. “Bombom” by Macklemore: Not your traditional running song. All instrumental, this beat builds from simple piano tunes to trumpets to a full band. I picture a marching band surrounding me as I cross the finish line.

3. “Til I Collapse” by Eminem: If Eminem doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will. Sometimes I just need to be yelled at.

4. “Come Fly with Me” by Frank Sinatra: This takes me to a happy place and makes me feel light as a feather.

5. “Carry On” by Fun: Calming yet motivational.

6. “Harlem Shake” by Baauer: This makes me laugh as I think of the YouTube videos, and the beat is awesome. I have it on my playlist twice because it can be a good distraction.

7. “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons: Rock is necessary to mix it up.

8. “Started from the Bottom” by Drake: Now I’m HERE!

9. “#thatPOWER” by Justin Bieber: Best. running. beat. ever. (You can make a little fun of me for this one.)

10. “Victory Lap” by Mackelmore: The title says it all, but let’s not forget about the fireworks sound effects and the crowd cheering in the background bringing you home!

What else should I add to my playlist?

New Month. New Goals. (Get me out of this training rut!)

June 2, 2013 by Asia

Bringing my tribike out for the first time in months. Giving it a good cleaning with new WD-40 Bike products.

Well hello, June! I love a good fresh start. Who doesn’t? I’m using the new month as an opportunity to refocus my training. Admittedly, I’ve been in a bit of a training rut since Eugene. I’ve heard of the post-Ironman blues and luckily didn’t experience them, but I had never heard of the “post-BQ blues”. I think they’re one and the same. You reach that amazing A-goal you’ve trained your face off for and reach this incredible highhhhh…and then wonder, what’s next? I’m a very goal-oriented person and have been training for a new milestone for 3 straight years, so I’m not surprised I feel this way. I just didn’t realize it would affect me so much. Those years looked a little something like this:

2010: P90X and Half Marathon

2011: 1st marathon, 1st triathlon, P90x again, Insanity, 2 Half Marathon PRs

2012: 2nd marathon (PR), 1st Half Ironman, 1st Ironman

2013: 3rd marathon (PR) / 1st BQ, ???

2014: 4th marathon (hopefully Boston!)

I don’t have any huge audacious goals pinned down yet, except to run Boston next year if I can get in! I’ll be running a full marathon again either way. I need to keep my fitness levels up in the meantime. I know I want to keep running because I love it and it makes me happy. I signed up for America’s Finest City Half Marathon (Aug) for a Team WODS reunion, and will probably throw another half in there, but that’s it so far. Is that enough? I have an interest in trail running. I’m curious about ultra-running (anything further than 26.2 miles). I don’t want to lose my speed and wouldn’t mind getting faster. I also want to cross train more often and work on my overall strength. This includes trying out new classes that I never had time for before. (Why not? See above training milestones 😉 )

My head has been spinning with all these ideas and it has resulted in paralysis. Even though I’m not technically getting coached by Trevor at the moment, I still call him my coach. So, I sent Coach Trevor a text yesterday telling him how I missed our workouts and was in a training rut, needing a new goal. He just replied with one word. CONSISTENCY. I hate it when he’s right.

I need to get consistent with my workouts again! I’m going to lay out some guidelines for June to help get me down this path of consistency because for me, it’s easier said than done. I spent the last month sleeping in, running 3-5 miles leisurely, and sleeping some more. (Hey that’s what marathon recovery is all about, right?! Then why do I feel so guilty for doing it?) I also was recovering from some minor injuries I gave myself ramping up my speed so quickly, but I think my new Super Feet inserts are doing their job now.

Enjoying spectating.

After all that, here are my goals for June in order to TRAIN WITH CONSISTENCY:

1) Run 3-4 days/week, including 1 long run

2) Cross train at least 2 days/week (swim, bike, new group workouts)

3) Try at least 2 new group workouts

I already took my first new group class today at Studio Barre in Carlsbad. They reached out to me on Twitter and are giving me some free classes, but more on that later! Let’s just say my legs were shaking uncontrollably in those demi-plies.

What do you do to avoid a training rut when you don’t have an upcoming A-race?

How the heck did I get that BQ?

May 11, 2013 by Asia

Race eve at Hayward Field

As my performance at Eugene marathon continues to sink in, I have thought long and hard about how I qualified for Boston Marathon. While I’m very happy with my performance & kinda amazed by it all, I also want to reflect on what I’ve learned about myself as a runner so I can continue to grow in the sport.

I keep asking myself the same question. What was it that made me cross the finish line that fast? Was it my training? My tolerance for pain? My experience with failure? My <3 for running? A combination of all those things with a lil fairy dust sprinkled in there? I don’t think there is a perfect formula to qualify for the much sought after Boston Marathon. If there was, everyone would be doing it! I do think there are a few things I learned along the way that helped set me up for a solid PR, and the rest of it, well, it just happened, and I will be forever grateful.

Steps from the finish line.

Things that helped me:

– 2 years of nonstop endurance work

In 2008 I ran my first half marathon and HATED IT and thought people who did full marathons were stupid/insane. Then, something inside me shifted, and I started training with Nicole for our first full marathon in 2011. Then it was triathlons all the way to an Ironman distance with Team WODS in 2012. The past 2+ years my life have basically been a nonstop aerobic, endurance-building, training fest, and I’ve been lucky enough to have great training buddies by my side the entire way.

– Training that emphasized recovery

In my early training days, I trained long and hard and didn’t take time off when my body needed it. I thought I needed to follow my training plans to a T. Then I learned about the concept of recovery. Ahhhhhh. I had rest days. When I felt like crap, I didn’t run. When I was falling behind on sleep, I didn’t run so I could get enough rest. I incorporated swimming and mobility sessions for active recovery. I also learned to love ice, epsom salt baths, compression socks, stretching, foam rolling, and massages/ART sessions. I didn’t overtrain. Sometimes less is more.

– Experience with failure

I trained for 1 year before I toed the start line at Ironman Coeur d’Alene. 9 painful hours later, I was pulled off my bike and told I had missed one of the time cutoffs by 10 minutes. My race was over. I experienced my first DNF and sheer disappointment sunk in. I cried and cried and cried some more because I felt like something had been taken away from me. It was MY goal to get. Why didn’t I get there?? I learned how to deal with failure and picked myself up and started training again. This time, with a little extra grit. (I finished my next IM 5 months later!)

– Mental preparation & visualization exercises

The plan was to not let my head get in the way of my body. (This has happened before.) Coach made me write down every last detail of how I’d be feeling and what I’d be doing pre-race and during the marathon. I wrote a novel. I started to belive it. I also wrote down my worst fears and anticipated every single thing that could go wrong. Then I identified which ones I could control, and which ones I could not.

– A certain race day state of mind

I was calm and focused and have never felt that collected. I even had some fun out there! This is important coming from someone who used to FREAK OUT before every triathlon. I ran with purpose and determination for all 26.2 miles and even made some new friends along the way. When it hurt and I started to slow down, I found ways to re-focus on my race and pick up the pace again.

– A passion for running

I love running more than I love any other sport. I’ve always kinda known that, but my experience at Eugene Marathon reinforced it for me. My experience with triathlon has also been incredible, and I learned a lot about myself in that sport as well. Still, running is where my heart is.

– Sufficient calories on the course

I upped my calories for this marathon. I used to take a GU every 40-45 minutes. Now I take one every 30 minutes so I’m taking in 200 cals/hour. Even I think that sounds like a lot for my little body, but my coach had me do it, and it works for me.

Things that I still need to work on include, but are not limited to, the following:

– My running form!

It’s grotesque. I may never be a “pretty runner” but I still have a LOT of work to do. Part of that will come with strength training which I’m excited to get back into! I told my coach that I need a six pack. He said more like an eight pack. Geesh. The other part will come with fixing these hip issues…

– Addressing my foot and hip pain

I’m still semi-injured 2 weeks post-marathon, and my feet hurt to the touch. I’m in the market for orthotics. My IT band still says hello from time to time as well. Not normal! I told myself while racing Eugene that I didn’t care if I finished injured. I just wanted to push myself and DO IT! Now I’m dealing with it.

– Pacing

It would be great to be able to KICK IT the last 10k of a marathon. Great runners are able to do that, and I want to be a great runner some day. I need to keep running and training to get there. (Check out how the London Marathon went down. The winner was able to come from behind and overtake the entire pack that all started off a wee bit too fast.)

– Salt & fluid intake

I drank when I was thirsty and ignored salt intake during marathon training this time around since it was so cool out. Coach was like ummm no you need something more than just water out there, so I made a last-minute change and started sipping Gatorade around mile 18/19 on race day. Luckily it worked out, but that was a lil risky! I don’t normally calculate how much water I drink on long runs or during races. I probably should since proper hydration is key to a good workout.

Stand up straight! Fix that form! Stop snapping your fingers! Fix that stride! SMILE damnit!

I think a very wise person once said, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to the circumstances. That’s definitely a big part of being an endurance athlete. The longer the distance, the more room for error and for crazy things to happen. You need to learn how to roll with the punches and deal with them the best you can.

Nicole and I have had many gchat convos and have ready many blogs to understand why some people qualify right away and why it takes others longer. It pretty much makes our heads spin because there isn’t a clear answer. At the end of the day, I think she summed it up perfectly. The marathon is a BEAST. Be happy with every finish because that in itself is a WIN!

Eugene Marathon Recap (aka Best Race EVER)

May 6, 2013 by Asia

I know I’m a bit late with this race report, and by now many of you know the outcome of Eugene marathon…but I can still hardly believe it so I must say it again: I qualified for BOSTON!!!!

It’s safe to say this was the best race of my life. Everything didn’t go perfectly (it never does) but I handled each mishap along the way and crossed the finish line in 3 hours 32 minutes and 23 seconds – a significant PR from 3:49:30 last year at Surf City, and a big improvement from my first marathon time of 4:01:59 in 2011 at Rock n Roll San Diego.

Eugene Marathon Official Results. Say what!?

(Grab a drink, readers. This post is going to be a long one! Race day is about halfway down.)

Post race, first beer in 1 month.

Pre-Race in Eugene, Oregon

Day 1 (Friday): On the first leg of my flight to Eugene, I wrote out my entire race day plan on my iPad mini and emailed it to coach Trevor. He made me do this, and it took me 2 days before the race until I finally got it right. He always wanted more details, right down to my thoughts at each mile and songs on my playlist. (Don’t judge me for having 1 Bieber song on there…Have you tried running to #thatPower?!) He also wanted me to write out everything that could possibly go wrong and identify what my worst fears were. So, I got very deep with my thoughts and typed a novel. I kept reminding myself that I was feeling “calm but excited” and around mile 20 I reminded myself that it was “supposed to hurt” while I was giving it “all I got.” I was visualizing race day more clearly than I ever had before and was mentally preparing myself to overcome any obstacle that would come my way.

I met my blogger friend Page for the first time in real life on my second flight. (Nicole had met her once before at a run in SF, but I only knew her through her witty blog posts, selfies, and tweets.) I got on the TINY plane where Page was already seated and introduced myself. We did an awkward air hug since we weren’t sitting by each other. Then, a friendship was born.

Cheeeeeese

Nicole, Page, and I stayed in the ~~ghetto~~ outskirts of downtown Eugene in a “suite” *motel, but it was worth it for our wallets. So what if there were drug deals going on next door? We had each other.

We are totally normal.

We had amazing eats at a vegan friendly place called Laughing Planet. Then I made us go to Hayward Field so I could more clearly visualize where I’d be finishing the marathon. I could stand there all day looking at such a historical place. The Olympic trials are held here. Prefontaine ran here. I was going to run here! I was going to PR here!!

Hayward Field

Day 2 (Saturday): We got invited to a shakeout run on Pre’s trails where I got to meet even more runners from Twitter! This is where I learned about #HugeEUG and met 20+ runners, Oiselle ambassadors, bloggers, and tweeps. Everyone was so friendly and excited for race day; the energy was contageous and I had to try hard to stick to my pre-race day 25 min run and not sprint ahead watching the trails go on and on and chatting it up with my new runner friends. Some were running the half marathon, and most that were running the full marathon were also trying to qualify for Boston. I was happy to have so many others sharing in the common goal of Boston 2014, and I also secretly decided I wanted to become an Oiselle ambassador. (I guess the secret’s out now.) These girls are inspiring.

The girls

Shakout run

After I cleaned the dirt off my teeth from the trail running, Nicole, Page, and I dined at a vegetarian cafe for our biggest meal of the day. YUM. I was having a lot of success eating vegan in Eugene which was very important to me. I eat vegan 90% of the time and was focusing on #EatingCleanUntilEugene. We did some quick shopping and rested our legs in our lovely living establishment before heading to the expo.

The course!

We met even more twitter peeps here! We signed a poster giving Boston love, took more pics, and I got a smokin’ deal on some hot pink PRO Compression calf sleeves to wear post marathon.

We heart Boston.

Hello pancake. Meet my new runner friends.

We went back to the room and were off our feet again. I was trying to stay extremely calm and relaxed. I’ve made the mistake before race day before where I let nerves and anxiety get the best of me and/or walked around way too much. Not worth it. This was a much better plan. We had dinner at a terrible vegan place (first food fail of the trip), but I managed to eat bread, soup, and a little pasta. We went to Hayward Field one more time to play around on the track near the finish line. I had a quick convo with my coach and my super supportive bf Jeremy before bed. I actually got a good night’s sleep on race eve.

Tracktown USA

Smile at the finish!

Run like pre!

Day 3: RACE DAY!!!

I woke up feeling calm yet excited. (I kid you not.) I went through my planned prerace routine and played some music in the hotel room to pump us up. Little did I know, Page was keeping herself extra calm in order to keep Nicole and me calm. Sneaky Page…Thank you – it worked!! We got to the race site on the first shuttle bus and had time to take pics, use the bathroom, and check our gear. We said hello to the gals we had met at the shakeout run. Then, we got in our corrals. It was time!!

Coffeeeeeee

Race morning!

We paid our respects to Boston with a moment of silence and listened to the national anthem. I moved closer to Nicole and the 3:35 pacer. It was crowded. Corrals A & B took off. It was time for us to get walked up to the start line. Then it was GO TIME!!!!!

Miles 1-2:
Plan: warm-up 8:05-8:10 min/miles
Actual: Check. Stayed with the pacer during this time so I didn’t have to think too much about pushing through the sea of people all hugging onto the pacer like he was their boyfriend. You cannot have 30 girlfriends, dude, so something has got to give! I wasn’t necessarily bothered by the crowds because it was all very exciting, but my plan wasn’t to stick with him.

Inspiration at Hayward Field

Miles 3-8:
Plan: drop to sub 8:00 min/miles
Actual: I looked for Nicole to say goodbye since our race plans diverged at this point but couldn’t find her and had to run ahead. It felt great to get in front of the congested pacing group and stop getting elbowed by all the other eager runners also trying to qualify. I had a hard time finding my groove and settling into the right pace, however, and my watch was alllll over the place. I turned to look over my shoulder at mile 4 when I felt someone behind me, and it was the 3:35 pacer! Ahhhh! I screamed inside. He looked like the terminator or like Craig Alexander with dark sunglasses and a straight look on his face. Goodbye pacer! I took off and got on track with my correct pace around mile 5. I enjoyed the scenery and crowd support and skipped the crowded aid stations since I had a handheld water bottle.

Milestone #1: Quick 10k split of 49:17! I went down memory lane and thought about how far I had come as a runner. My first 10k I raced was the Bolder Boulder in 2005 where I missed my personal sub 1 hour goal and came in around 1:03 with bloody toenails bc I didn’t know how to shop for proper running shoes. Remembering this, I gave myself a silent cheer and smiled on the inside. (I don’t know if I ever smiled on the race course until mile 26…l seriously look miserable in all my race pics until that point!) Mile 8 was an unexpected hill. I just kept going with the flow of the crowd and didn’t bother to look at my watch because I was giving out enough effort already. Around 1:11 on my watch I decided toss my new handheld water bottle into the crowd and shouted “anyone want a free water bottle?” It felt good to have nothing in my hands anymore, but I was grateful to have avoided aid stations for 1/3 of the course. I felt light, free, and happy to be running.

Miles 9-17:
Plan: Drop to sub 7:55 pace
Actual: I hit this pace for several miles, but allowed my pace to shift slightly as my energy shifted throughout the morning. (Coach also gave me this tip.) I also considered this my next mental chunk of the race. I remember coach saying that if I could get through the first 14 miles feeling good/like it was easy, I’d be in good shape. Sooo I kept taking inventory. Was I feeling good? Was this easy? Sorta. I mean how “easy” is running a 7:55 min/mile anyway? I kept that in perspective and kept running.

Apparently this was developing while I was running…sorry I just had to share.

Enter first setback: My Left IT band started giving me grief around mile 9, and it hurt with every left step. I kept thinking, ok it’s not THAT bad…I can run through this. And as the pain continued I thought, this IT band will NOT be the death of me!! To give you some history, my hips/IT bands and feet have given me grief over the past few months of marathon training (and part of Ironman training), and I had to take extra rest days and get several ART treatments because of my “issues”. (I refuse to call them injuries.) I knew how bad it could get because I came out of one of my long training runs in tears two months prior, but I tried not to think about it. Pain is temporary.

Focused.

Around mile 9 I settled in with a group of runners and focused on pacing off this skinny/buff woman for a few miles until mile 11 clocked in at 7:39 pace….Did I mention I was never supposed to go faster than 7:45 pace during this race? OOPS. I backed off and never saw that woman again. I’m sure she finished strong!

Milestone #2: Half marathon PR of 1:44:38! My last half marathon was a 1:51:51 a couple years ago. Like my 10k victory, I celebrated and did a dance party on the inside. (I’d like to think that “Harlem Shake” was playing at this point, but I can’t be sure.)

Miles 15-18 were difficult for me. My IT band pain was steadily increasing and I was letting out audible groans from the pain. I thought about stopping to stretch but knew that would be a bad idea because I probably wouldn’t be able to start running again. The were various small uphills which irritated it and then a awkward wooden step I had to take to get up on a small bridge which reallllly hurt it. Stupid IT band. I tried to think about something else. I remember Trevor telling me to “dream big” while I was racing, but I wasn’t quite in the mood and went back to staring at all the spectators since that was an easier distraction.

Miles 18-26.2:
Plan: Give it all I’ve got! Pick up pace to 7:45 if possible…or be ok with maintaining…or slowing…These miles will be HARD.
Actual: hahahaha I wish my body wanted to go that fast! Luckily I had built up a nice cushion with those earlier miles so it was ok to hit some slower paces. I felt surprisingly good on mile 19 and smiled when I saw mile 20. The miles felt like they were flying by. I’d see a mile marker, visit the aid station, look at my watch and be halfway through a mile, see the next mile, and repeat. I remember thinking that this was a benefit to being a faster runner – the miles literally go by faster! (Ok obviously not an epiphony, but it felt like one after 3 hours of continuous running.)

Still running

I started taking sips of Gatorade at each aid station and washed them down with water. I remember volunteers cheering me on for “double-fisting” my way through the aid stations, which I did earlier as well w/ 2 cups of water per station. I can’t even begin to tell you how much Gatorade I got up my nose or how many times I choked on it and was gasping for air and coughing like a sick person. Drinking from dixie cups while running takes practice. I was getting sloppy but didn’t care as long as I kept moving.

Miles 21-23 were my slowest of the day, and my watch wouldn’t let me forget that. At one point I looked at my Clif Bar pacing bracelet that shows what time you should be at what mile, and I was worried that the 3:35 pacer was going to catch me again. I noticed I was getting passed by several people for the first time on the course. I remember thinking that was too bad…After about 1 mile of that nonsense, I changed my mindset and willed myself to start pacing off those that were passing me. No more getting passed if I could help it! So, I followed on the heels of the next girl that passed me, and I held onto her for as long as I could before letting her go. I silently thanked her for keeping me going, and then picked someone else to follow. This continued until I met my final pacer of the day: Jill. Two girls overtook me between miles 23-24, and I immediately got on their tails. One girl kept looking over her shoulder since I was ridiculously close to her until I said, “sorry – I’m pacing off you” to which she replied “oh it’s ok. I just thought you wanted to pass us.” I asked “Are you trying to qualify for Boston?” Jill said “Yes”. I said “me too.” The three of us were pushing ahead towards a common goal of sub 3:35 finish. (They appeared to be under 35 years old to me.) This. Was. Hard. My body wanted to slow down, but mentally I was not going to let that happen. I was SO CLOSE to the finish! I was ready for my BQ! Jill’s friend said she couldn’t sustain that pace anymore and let us go ahead at which point Jill formally introduced herself to me. Mile 25 we clocked in at a 7:49 min pace! Where did all that energy come from!? That was my second fastest mile of the race. I couldn’t believe it. My body still had fuel in the tank, and I was so happy to learn that. (Did I mention I wasn’t even thinking about my IT band pain anymore after mile 20? It’s incredible what the mind can do.)

Something very random and distracting happened sometime just before mile 26. Jill and I were running in the open field on the trail, past a backstop/fence nearby when voices shouted “HEADS!!!” and a big yellow ball came flying towards us. It bounced in front of Jill and hit her in the torso! We both lost our stride and got separated at that point. Note to race officials: Don’t let kids play ball on the marathon course. Someone could get hurt! You’re really not thinking quickly enough to dodge a ball. It even hurts to do simple math at mile 25.

When I saw the mile 26 mile marker I revealed my first huge grin of the race. I WAS SO HAPPY. I calculated I had approximately 11 minutes to finish that mile and still break my BQ goal of 3:35 so I relaxed and focused on enjoying my final moments of the race. The full and half marathoners regrouped on the final stretch into Hayward Field which I didn’t realize at the time (because I had gotten stupid from running for so long), and I remember wondering why I was passing so many people that were walking that close to the finish line…I was actually passing half marathoners. The street was lined with spectators cheering for us. I looked for Page. I had written about this moment in my race plan, and it was actually happening!

I found Page and Nicole SCREAMING for me and jumping up and down, cheering me on to the entrace of Hayward Field where I would run my final steps of those 26.2 miles. I couldn’t contain my excitement and I smiled and waved and smiled and waved to them over and over like a grinning idiot. I was also very confused as to why Nicole was already at the finish line and couldn’t figure out when she had passed me. (You can read her race recap here .) Page told me to KICK IT to the finish line, but I remember thinking my legs were kinda tapped out so I probably didn’t kick it very much at all. My form was hunched and my gait was a bit off, but I was still running!

Runner’s high

My final steps were a blur. I was so focused on looking at the race clock at the finish line that I missed the spectators and I missed seeing myself on the big screen TV. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure it was real – that I was really going to hit my goal time and qualify for Boston. I smiled as the race clock came into focus at 3:34:00 (gun time) which meant my 3:32:00 was accurate. I was going to do it! The announcer said my name as I approached the finish line, and I waved spirit fingers to everyone. (What is it with me and waving?!) I put my hands over my heart to pay my respect to Boston as I crossed the finish line.

Steps from the finish line.

Jeremy said he watched me online as I crossed the finish line and the look on my face went from joy to pain in a split second. Off camera, 60 seconds later, I burst into tears on the side rail as I attempted to stretch. I was overcome with so many emotions for reaching my goal. I was also overcome with pain and couldn’t walk. My hips had closed up the second I stopped. In tears, I shuffled to the medical tent where they rubbed ice on me and calmed me down. Then, after wrapping me in ice packs, a volunteer escorted me to the food so I could continue my recovery process.

Ice me.

I wanted to get out of there ASAP so I could be reuinted with Nicole & Page, but I was slow going. After I got wrapped in several more ice packs, I finally found them for hugs and story swapping. When they saw I could hardly walk, they helped me take off my shoes and get into the ice bath. Still ecstatic but in pain, I couldn’t believe how fast and far I’d just run. It felt surreal. (My body could believe it, however. I couldn’t walk normal for a few days!)

One week later, I can still hardly believe it. Looking back on my past experiences, I have grown so much as a runner and fall in love with the sport more and more with each race. I can’t wait to see where running takes me next!

Thank you for hanging in there until the end of this very long post! 🙂

Which race should I sign up for next!?

For Reference – My Mile Splits:
1. 8:10
2. 8:08
3. 8:04
4. 8:09
5. 7:57
6. 7:51
7. 8:01
8. 8:05
9. 7:58
10. 8:03
11. 7:39
12. 7:55
13. 7:59
14. 8:09
15. 8:05
16. 7:59
17. 8:18
18. 8:17
19. 8:11
20. 8:17
21. 8:44
22. 8:31
23. 8:31
24. 8:15
25. 7:49
26. 8:20

Ready for Eugene!

April 26, 2013 by Asia

I’m sitting here in the Portland airport, anxiously awaiting my next flight. The one that will make this all real. The flight to Eugene.

I’ve been training for Eugene marathon just under 4 months now. I signed up over Christmas break, post Ironman finish, and during my 5 week training break. Nicole told me what a great race it would be, and we decided this would be THE ONE we qualify for Boston Marathon at. Just under 4 months to train for maximum speed? No big deal. I’m an Ironman! Actually, it has been a very big deal, and the last few months have been intense. I’ve been ramping up my speed quickly and trying not to injure myself in the process. Luckily I’ve had Nicole by my side for several training runs and coach Trevor, well, coaching me. He got me to the finish line at Ironman Cozumel and I know I will get there at Eugene. Still, I’ve done a lot in a little time so I’ve remained cautiously optimistic throughout my training. I’m happy to say I’ve definitely improved! I almost feel like I’m one of those “fast runners” now. I’ve done 7:30 tempos, a hilly 15k under 7:45 pace, long runs in the “8’s”,
and gained confidence in myself as a runner. What’s even more important, I’ve begun to love the sport even MORE.

With all of that, I am ready for Eugene marathon. I am ready to run faster at a longer distance than I ever have before. I am ready for an incredible day with my BFF Nicole and my new friend Page. I am ready to crush it, give it all I’ve got, go into the pain cave, and come home with a big PR. Hopefully it’s a PR so big that you will see me in Boston in 2014! No matter what’s in store for me Sunday, my goal is to enjoy every moment.

Mentally & Physically Prepping for Eugene Marathon

April 4, 2013 by Asia

T-minus 25 days until Eugene Marathon! How did THAT happen? Over the next few weeks, Nicole and I are #EatingCleanUntilEugene and I’m also trying to get extra rest since I can never seem to find enough hours in the day for that.

Here are my April goals to keep me on track until race day!

1. Sleep at least 8 hours each night.

2. Eat healthy to fuel my body with what it needs.

3. Avoid alcohol.

4. Don’t neglect ice, the foam roller, or stretching.

5. Think positive thoughts! (I WILL qualify for Boston! Pain is temporary! I am an Ironman! I can do this!)

I have been traveling and extra busy/stressed the past few weeks, so I’m considering this a reboot.

Jeremy & I bought a new Jeep last weekend and took an epic road trip!

Feeling “the hurt” during the last 10k of Surf City marathon in 2011. Ahhh memories.

How do you mentally and physically prepare for a BIG race?

Aqua Jogging for Runners

March 7, 2013 by Asia

Let me start off by saying that aqua jogging is one of my least favorite workouts, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. If you’re lucky, you haven’t had to do this workout. If you’ve pushed through an injury or have noticed some weird aches and pains on your feet, knees, or joints, however, you should consider giving aqua jogging a try. It could really benefit your training.

The first time my coach asked me to do it was during Ironman training when I had a foot injury and needed to simulate my long run. Then just yesterday he asked me to do it again as part of my marathon training this week since I started experiencing foot pain again. (Don’t worry – it’s in a different place, and I think I just irritated it at Disneyland!) I’m all about transparency with my coach, but I was dreading telling him about my pain because I just knew aqua jogging was coming!

I went to Disneyland over the weekend! I think all that walking sparked my foot pain.

I think all that walking around the theme park sparked my foot pain. What do you think, Bullseye?

So, what is aqua jogging? According to Livestrong.com, “Aqua jogging is an alternative to running that preserves your joints and especially your knees. The activity takes place in water, as its name suggests, and practically eliminates any jarring effect. The exercise can be performed if you have knee or other joint pain, if you’re going through rehabilitation, or if you simply want to switch up your workout routine with something different. Your body is vertical, with your chest, torso and lower body underwater and your shoulders, neck and head out of it. Some aqua joggers choose to wear a flotation belt around the waist, but this is not required. The legs do a jogging motion under the surface. To avoid touching the bottom of the pool, which can interrupt the jogging motion, it should be done in deeper water. The arms either remain still or move in a jogging motion.”

Honestly, I always thought aqua jogging was for the elderly or for those that were undergoing physical therapy, and I pictured wearing a flotation device while jogging in the pool. That is indeed one way to do it. That is not the way my coach had me do it.

These fit athletes get to wear a flotation belt? Not fair!

The times I’ve done it, I had the glory of going in the deep end of the pool with no flotation device, keeping my head and shoulders above water, running laps back and forth for anywhere between 45-120 minutes. That, my friends, is aqua jogging for runners and triathletes.

Aqua jogging is a good option to incorporate in your marathon training plan because:

1) It simulates all the motions of running without the impact on your body. (It’s very different from the elliptical because you still get to run!)

2) It gets your heart rate up.

3) You can do it with an injury, so you don’t have to stop training. (Check w/ your coach or dr first, of course.)

4) It builds mental toughness. (Seriously, I am ready to get out after 5 minutes.)

Tips for a positive aqua jogging experience:

– Pick a pool where you can jog without touching the bottom, even if it means looking silly next to someone in master’s swim like I did today.

– Hydrate! Place a bottle of water by the side of the pool so you can grab it when you get thirsty. Add nutrition, like GU, if you’re simulating a long run.

– Wear a watch and stick to your planned time.

– Wear a waterproof music device. I don’t have one but always wish I did because this workout can become very tedious.

– Make friends with your lane mates. Maybe they will splash you less.

Overall, I’m glad there is an alternative to running that actually simulates running without the pounding effect because I stress out when I have to miss a workout in my training plan. I also know I shouldn’t push myself and risk long-term injury which can happen if I were to keep running with pain of any kind, so this gives me a way to keep training safely.

My coworker told me her cross-country coach used to make them do aqua jog sprints in the water with their running shoes on, so I guess it could be worse!!

Have you ever aqua jogged? Did you like it?

My 2 Year Fitness Journey

February 4, 2013 by Asia

When I started this blog on Feb 2, 2011, I said “I never want to stop training!” Two years later, I still haven’t stopped. It is my 2 year blog anniversary (happy blogiversary to me!) so I’ve reflected on my posts and included some of my favorite training milestones from the past 2 years. Browse the titles and pictures, or click on a link for a deeper dive into my fitness journey. I’ve come a loooooong way. Thanks for coming with me!

“My 18 Week Fitness Journey” (My very first blog post!)

One day, I basically woke up and went from 0 to 60. I wasn’t always a workout freak, and I HATED my first half marathon (November 2008). I came back around in 2010 when I trained for and completed my second half marathon and found a new love for running…and P90X…and many other things! The possibilities are endless when you shift your mindset.

Day Zero (Aug 2010)

P90X Results

Jeremy and I did P90X together two different times, and saw fantastic results both times. I have never been more muscular than when I did P90X. I could do 50 push-ups and 7 pull-ups. What?! Beast mode.

P90X Masters!

I’m a marathon finisher!

Nicole and I crossed the finish line of Rock n Roll marathon together in 4:01:59. It was a great experience, but I always knew I’d do another one to prove (to myself) I could break 4 hours.

About to get on Highway 163

Celebrating our Finishi with Meb - The Half Marathon Champion

Celebrating our Finish with Meb (June 2011)

Beginner’s Triathlon (My first triathlon EVER!) and My First Sprint Triathlon

The pictures of me from my first practice triathlon are pretty hilarious. I didn’t own any of my own gear, and had barely just learned how to swim and bike again. I couldn’t even swim the 300m without a combination of floating, breastroke, backstroke, and finally, freestyle.

Slowly getting off the Bike

Before my First Sprint Triathlon (July 2011)

Insanity Results & My Half Marathon PR (1:51)

Insanity is one of my favorite at home fitness programs because it doesn’t require any equipment so you can take it with you anywhere. It also got me the closest to a six-pack and crush my half marathon PR!

Insanity “After” & “After” AFC Half Marathon! (Aug 2011)

Surf City Marathon Race Report – a big PR of 3:49!

Nicole and I set the bar for our second marathon at sub 3:50…not sub 4 hours as previously mentioned…and we did it!!

So nervous! (Feb 2012)

My current marathon PR is 3:49, and I need to go sub 3:35.

Mile 10

My First Half Ironman! Oceanside 70.3

I almost cried before we started; I was still so scared of the swim and the bike!

Body Marking

A moment of pure joy (March 2012)

Almost an Ironman: Ironman Coeur d’Alene Race Report

I will never forget my first Ironman attempt and DNF. I learned a lot about myself that day.

At least I conquered the swim! (June 2012)

Ironman Cozumel Race Reports: Swim, Bike, Run

I will also never forget the day that I became an IRONMAN!!! Never give up.

Ironman FINISHER!!! (Nov 2012)

I can’t wait to see what the next year brings!

What’s your biggest fitness milestone?

A New Approach to Marathon Training

January 15, 2013 by Asia

My first week of post-Ironman-Boston-qualifying-marathon-training had some ups and downs, but I’m proud of myself for getting out there and putting in the work. For starters, it was very challenging to get excited for my 5:45am cold, dark, San Diego winter runs. (Some of my runs were in the mid 30s which I consider to be cold, ok!?) I also started off the week with some kind of chest infection which I took antibiotics for. (Hot.) Overall, I’m verrrry happy to be focused on running again, but I just wish that my runs had some sunlight involved. Ahh the beauty of winter training…

Early morning running. I got my headlamp from Home Depot.

I got my headlamp from Home Depot! Industrial strength, baby.

I’m officially training with Coach Trevor again, and I am grateful to have the support. My marathon training structure is much different from my Ironman training structure where every workout was laid out for me, however, so I’m still getting used to it. Heck, it’s even different than my last marathon training plan where I followed a pre-set training schedule and everything was based weekly mileage. Here is what it the structure looks like so far:

1. “Key workouts” (tempo runs, long runs, etc.) spaced out in Training Peaks over a few weeks
2. Run and swim “tweener workouts” which I do in between my key workouts, depending on how I feel.
3. At least 1 rest day per week.
4. At least 1 swim per week (recovery or tougher hypoxic workouts).
5. Max 5 days per week of running.
6. Incorporate strength and mobility sessions.

If it sounds confusing, it was for me too initially, but it makes sense in the grand scheme of things. I’m trying to ramp up to race Eugene marathon on April 28 at a BQ (Boston Qualifying) pace, so I’m asking my body to do a lot very quickly. The last run that I raced was Surf City marathon in January 2012 (3:49:30). After that, bking and swimming were my priorities so I could become an Ironman…and my long run pace suffered. Now, I’m ready to focus on running again and get FAST!

This marathon plan is set up so that I can do workouts based on how I feel. If I don’t feel recovered or healthy enough to do a key workout, I will replace it with a tweener workout or take a rest day. If my legs are shot, I will swim or do the easiest tweener workout (which is a 30 min easy run). A common mistake that I’ve made, and I know plenty of other endurance athletes make, is push myself to do too much, too quickly, thus not reaping the full benefits of my workouts. Recovery is important so that I can push myself harder and progress faster!

I’m very type-A so Trevor knows this type of flexible plan is challenging for me, and during week 1, I made some mistakes…
1. I ran 6 days. Oops. One of those days I felt kinda sick. Double oops.
2. I didn’t swim. At all.
3. I added in a random strength training class 4 hours after I completed a tough run. Needless to say I was spent after that.

I was honest with Trevor, so this week, I am going to limit my running to 4 days, and make sure to incorporate at least 1 swim. (I haven’t been in the water since my Ironman in November!) Week 2 is not going to be as reckless as week 1. Eugene marathon is 14.5 weeks away, so I don’t have any time to waste!

Marathon Training Week 1
M: Tweener #1 – Easy 30 min run
T: Key workout – Intervals
W: REST
Th: Key workout – Up-Tempo 85%
F: Tweener #3 – 1 hour run at 75%, Strength class
Sat: Tweener #1 – Easy 30 min run
Sun: Key workout – 90 min run with 10 one minute fartleks

Total workout time: 6 hours 15 minutes

What kind of flexibility do you allow for in your weekly training plan?