Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon

This is it.  It’s finally time!  Last year I said, “if all goes well [speaking of the half-marathon], it’s on to the full”.  Guess what!  IT’S ON!  

I started running races three years ago with the thought of a marathon simply that, a thought.  I was struggling with knee problems and no matter how great I thought it would be to run a marathon, I figured it wouldn’t be in the cards.  Then, I was told by a very good friend, “If you want to run a marathon, your knees will find a way.”  I took this piece of advice without a second thought and since then, it has echoed in my mind.

So, I kept running.  My muscles and knees became stronger.  I ran some 5ks, then a 10k and last year was the half-marathon.  Now it’s finally time to complete this serious life goal that I’ve had my eye on.  

I did some research around the country on different marathons and I chose Ojai 2 Ocean for numerous reasons.  The fact that the race is limited to 1000 entrants caught my eye, mostly because some of the bigger races are frustrating. People end up in the wrong corrals and cause traffic jams due to their slower pace, which means those people who accurately gauged their corral number/time end up being slowed down.  In addition, the race is partially downhill, which meets my requirement of “not uphill”, and the temperature is ideal in 50s and 60s.  The main reason, though, is that the mere thought of running through the beautiful scenery of California, completing such an important life goal of mine, running my way to the pacific ocean just makes me smile. 

I’ve already started running this year and am up to 8 miles on a good day.  Marathon training officially starts next week, but I feel like I’m already pre-training.  I’m following Hal Higdon’s plan again, probably boosting the mileage slightly as I had done for the half.  

I can’t even express how excited I am to start this journey.  Some people don’t quite understand why this is so important to me, but the fact remains, it is.  I really want to prove to myself that I can do it.  I want this accomplishment under my belt.  My first goal is to finish.  My second goal is to finish in under 4 hours, 20 minutes, which means 10 minute miles.  The first goal is the big one, the one that matters most.  The second goal would be icing on the cake. 

Wish me luck, and for any of my friends in the SoCal area, I’d love to see you out there on June 3rd. :)

Having actually written out my resolutions for the past two years, I feel like I’m getting a better handle on what works.  Not too many, definite end-points.  

1. Run a Marathon. Running the half in 2011 was preparation for a full.  I feel confident that I can physically and mentally handle the task training and completing a full marathon.  
2. Read 6 Books. I was able to read 5 last year, 2 more than my original goal. These books were also mostly read towards the end of the year when I discovered…*gasp*…I truly do enjoy reading and don’t know why I wasn’t doing it more before.  Granted, I slowed in December due to a Mass Effect 2 addiction (wanted to complete for release of ME3 in March!), but I have faith I can read 6 this year.  I would also like to note these 6 can include books I have started in 2011 but have not yet finished (1Q84, 2nd Hunger Games book, etc.). 
3. Lose the Weight I Gained. 2011 was pretty difficult physically. Last holiday season I stopped working out and still ate like a horse.  While I was feeling much better after all my half-marathon training, I let that go to hell, also.  Plus, as has been the trend in the last year or two, my diet has been horrid.  Overall, I need to find a balance between diet and exercise, and keep that up all year.
4. Re-Write ‘Better Than Normal’.  After re-reading my novella in the 4th quarter of 2011, I realized it wasn’t as miserable as I had once thought and actually had potential.  I need to actually sit down, re-re-read, take notes and get to work on it.  
5. Secret Challenge!  Alright, this one I’m keeping to myself for numerous reasons.  It’s related to one that I had last year, but I’ve become much more specific and I personally don’t want to go into detail on my Tumblr. It’s mystery will only be exceeded by it’s power…to make life more awesome and fulfilling. 

Wish me luck!  Or, perhaps, send encouragement. :) 

It’s about that time…the time to review how much or how little I’ve done from what I’ve set out to accomplish.  Most years I’ve done this have been kind of depressing, but maybe this year will be different.  I know I’ve actually accomplished some of these!  My commentary is italicized. 

1. Run a Half-Marathon.  One of the goals I accomplished last year was to run a 5k and 10k.  Even though I’ve fallen out of fitness as of late 2010, one of my overall goals of 2011 is to get back.  I’d like to do a 5k and 10k in the beginning half of the year, but I’d also like to take it a step further and do a half-marathon. While I still refuse to run outside (it’s like 20-something degrees out today, no deal), I plan to gain endurance by other activities at the health-plex (tennis, classes, etc.) and at home (dvds, hand weights, kettle bells, etc.). Once the weather is less miserable (March?), I’ll begin my full on training to get to the 5k, 10k and half-marathon.  I’d like to participate in the Naperville Half-Marathon, if it is being put on this year.  Last year it was in September.   I actually did this!  Probably one of the best moments this year, if not *the* best.  I’m also not such a huge baby about running in the cold.  
2. Transition to a Healthy Lifestyle.  I have some bad habits.  I used to have some really good habits, but I’ve been slipping.  I plan to commit more fully to a healthy lifestyle that includes eating much better, exercising consistently and basically taking care of myself physically and mentally.  I’m going to start watching my food habits more (I’m a sugar FREAK) and my goal is to continue playing tennis while it’s cold, attend some classes, work out at home and when the weather gets warmer, hit the streets!  Harr…this didn’t happen in the slightest.  I gained weight this year! BOOOOOOOOO!  I don’t have any excuses, I really just let it happen.  My workouts weren’t consistent and I didn’t care much about what I ate outside of the 9-5 weekday spectrum.  This was one giant fail.  
3. Read 3 Books. For several years I had “read 12 books” as a resolution.  Last year I discovered that was clearly unrealistic (since I never did it) so I decided to tone it down to 6.  Failbomb. My goal this year is 3 books.  JUST 3.  I freakin’ hope I stick to this because it’s slowly getting more and more sad how little I read actual books these days.  I actually read 5 books this year…and started about 8 others, hah.  Due to an influx of Mass Effect 2 play, I haven’t been reading the last couple weeks, but I’m dying to jump back into quite a few of the stories I’ve started.  Time to start upping this goal instead of reducing. Finally.
4. Make a career plan. One of the biggest questions I have had since I graduated from DePaul in May was, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Is this what you want to do?”  I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but it’s something I’ve been contemplating for quite a while.  Either way, I need to create my plan.  Map it out.  Step by step.  Inch by inch.  AND FOLLOW IT.   Well, this didn’t exactly happen.  I thought about it.  I figured out what I want to do, but I haven’t exactly taken action.  I don’t feel like going much into this, but really, I just need to start setting goals and sticking to them.  I barely finish anything!   
5. Write.  This blog entry would constitute writing.  My baking blog entries constitute writing.  The fiction will come when it wants to, if it wants to.  I’m not in any rush.  One thing I learned last year is how much I enjoy the editing process, self-reflection writing and mapping out my adventures in the kitchen with words.  My goal for this year is to write in my new baking blog consistently.  I want to say this was half-accomplished.  I wrote throughout the year, mostly blogging or self-reflection, but no fiction and it wasn’t something that was very consistent.  Considering my big dreams in my career goals, this is going to have to change. 

So, I guess in the end, 2.5/5 isn’t too bad.  It’s a failing score, but I feel good about having worked towards at least two goals solidly.  More interestingly, the two goals that had a very definite goal - “read 3 books” and “run a half-marathon”.  Maybe those are the kinds of goals I need to set for next year - more defined.  I actually accomplished a 2009 goal that was more definite - I went to a few Pilates classes at the gym.  Not a spin class (seriously, 5:30 am is still way too early), but it was a class nonetheless!  

Overall, 2011 was sub-par.  I need to crush 2012.  

A Brief Recap of my Journey to the Half

8 Months ago, I posted my New Year’s Resolutions.  It’s been a tough year so far, but I’ve managed to finally knock off the most intimidating resolution on my list: Run a Half Marathon.  

My ultimate life goal is to complete a full Marathon, but it’s something I know I need to work up to.  I had this plan in my head 8 months ago about all these steps I was going to take to get ready for the Half, but in reality, it didn’t go anything like how I planned.  What really got me to start this journey was receiving an email from RunKeeper about a training plan for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Chicago.  I thought, I better just sign up - if I don’t, there’s a good chance this is going to fall by the wayside.  So, I signed up.  I started training 1 week later knowing that this endeavor would require dedication in order to finish the race and avoid injuries.  I hate to say it, but Nike has it right - that “Just do it” attitude is what got me to start. 

I trained for 12 weeks. I modified the novice half-marathon plan from Hal Higdon to fit my lifestyle - I played tennis for my cross-training.  I pushed myself each run - sometimes it was to get myself to go, sometimes it was to listen to my body and not go, sometimes it was to push harder, while other times it was to slow down.  Running has been incredible for my body and mind.

For my body, I had no knee pain during training.  My right quad had been tight for the last week during my runs, but it didn’t feel like anything stretching wasn’t going to help.  The quad tightened up a bit after only a few miles into the race, but I knew I could handle it.  I made sure to walk each water station and rehydrate.  Then, around mile 10, something in my right knee started feeling serious.  I slowed to a walk for a few steps, then decided I wasn’t going to let the fear stop me.  I started running again and the pain subsided.  The power of the mind.

That’s pretty much the most amazing part of this journey.  I can’t even describe how much I learned about myself.  I set a goal, worked hard and accomplished what I set out to do.  That simple process has opened doors to so much more.  I didn’t give up.  I was determined.  I really can’t put into words everything that I gained from this experience.  

I finished the race in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 5 seconds.  4 minutes and 55 seconds faster than my goal time.  I could have kept running.  I finished strong.  Part of me couldn’t believe I did it, that it was done.  I did, and it was.  

Now that the half has passed, it’s time to start thinking about that full marathon.  One of the most incredible aspects about just that thought, is that I know I can do it and that I will do it…pending no injuries, of course.  That would just delay me a bit.  :)

August 14, 2011

One of my life goals is to run a marathon.  I’m also being realistic about it.  I’ve had some random knee problems in the past and my health is always the most important factor in the possibility of this goal.  Last year, I completed a 5k and a 10k as part of my New Year’s Resolutions.  This year’s resolution is to complete a half-marathon.  If this goes well, it’s on to the full.  If my knees start to act up at any time during the training (for this or any other race), though, I will quit running in a heartbeat.  My true sport love is tennis.  If anything were to mess up my life-long tennis plans, I’d be truly upset.  I love to play hard and push myself physically, but I’m also being smart about it.  Training starts next week!  XD

I’m a thinker, kind of.  I tend to over-analyze aspects of my life while under-analyzing others.  I keep trying to figure myself out like a human puzzle.  I feel like there’s something I’m not quite understanding and that there’s a key out there to make it all work - that piece that inevitably makes all the other pieces fall into place.  What and where that piece is, I obviously haven’t figured it out yet.  

The start of a new year is a good excuse to think about life goals, even though I’d been thinking about them fairly often in 2010.  I’ve been thinking about the resolutions I have, ways to be productive and overall, what I want to do in my life. Here’s a basic layout of my goals this year.  Obviously these are just the main goals, but they will require a bit more planning than what has been written here (strategies, steps, etc.). 

1. Run a Half-Marathon.  One of the goals I accomplished last year was to run a 5k and 10k.  Even though I’ve fallen out of fitness as of late 2010, one of my overall goals of 2011 is to get back.  I’d like to do a 5k and 10k in the beginning half of the year, but I’d also like to take it a step further and do a half-marathon. While I still refuse to run outside (it’s like 20-something degrees out today, no deal), I plan to gain endurance by other activities at the health-plex (tennis, classes, etc.) and at home (dvds, hand weights, kettle bells, etc.). Once the weather is less miserable (March?), I’ll begin my full on training to get to the 5k, 10k and half-marathon.  I’d like to participate in the Naperville Half-Marathon, if it is being put on this year.  Last year it was in September.    
2. Transition to a Healthy Lifestyle.  I have some bad habits.  I used to have some really good habits, but I’ve been slipping.  I plan to commit more fully to a healthy lifestyle that includes eating much better, exercising consistently and basically taking care of myself physically and mentally.  I’m going to start watching my food habits more (I’m a sugar FREAK) and my goal is to continue playing tennis while it’s cold, attend some classes, work out at home and when the weather gets warmer, hit the streets!  
3. Read 3 Books. For several years I had “read 12 books” as a resolution.  Last year I discovered that was clearly unrealistic (since I never did it) so I decided to tone it down to 6.  Failbomb. My goal this year is 3 books.  JUST 3.  I freakin’ hope I stick to this because it’s slowly getting more and more sad how little I read actual books these days.  
4. Make a career plan. One of the biggest questions I have had since I graduated from DePaul in May was, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Is this what you want to do?”  I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but it’s something I’ve been contemplating for quite a while.  Either way, I need to create my plan.  Map it out.  Step by step.  Inch by inch.  AND FOLLOW IT.
5. Write.  This blog entry would constitute writing.  My baking blog entries constitute writing.  The fiction will come when it wants to, if it wants to.  I’m not in any rush.  One thing I learned last year is how much I enjoy the editing process, self-reflection writing and mapping out my adventures in the kitchen with words.  My goal for this year is to write in my new baking blog consistently.  

I can’t decide whether this is a lot to take on or not enough.  Maybe that means it’s a good balance and just what I need?  Let’s hope!

Well, according to my post around this time last year, here are my 2010 New Year’s Resolutions.  My current comments are italicized. 

New Year’s Resolutions 2010

1. Run a 5k and 10k. Maybe a half-marathon as well, but I’ll need to see how my knee handles the 10k and summer jogs. Definitely did the 5k (May? June? I forget) and 10k (August). Thinking 2011 will be the year of the half-marathon. 

2. Eat better more consistently. I eat fairly healthy for 90% of the day 66% of the week, but I generally slip up late at night and on the weekends.  My willpower disappears! I’m a sugar junkie, so I’d like to control this better and while obviously allowing myself some of my favorites, I need to have control and not over-indulge. 2010: The year of some weight gain.  Not badly or anything, just a few extra pounds.  I know exactly why, too.  I stopped going to the gym in April once we moved in to the condo.  I ran quite a bit this summer and played a lot of tennis, but my strength training went out the window. The final straw was the cold weather and the holidays. It’s my own fault and I accept that.  At least I’ll have something to work towards in 2011.  

3. Finally get to a goddamn 5:30 AM spin class! I’ve never taken a spin class before, but I’ve heard good things.  It takes me 20 min to drive to the gym so in order to get there in time I’d have to leave by 5 am and be up at probably 4:30.  I’ll be happy to do this once.  Also, any other classes at the gym. Nope. Didn’t do this.  That spin class was way too goddamn early for my liking.  I never did any other classes either, even though I kept thinking about it all year.  I guess this goes on the list for 2011. Better luck next year? 

4. Graduate from DePaul with a M.A. in New Media Studies. Okay, this is a given.  It’ll definitely be accomplished, but I needed one of these on the list. :D  This really was a given.  Completed in June 2010. 

5. Read 6 new books independent of school. Every year I resolve to read a book each month and by February I’m behind.  I’ve never accomplished this goal.  I’m lowering my bar and I’m going to aim for 6 this year, which gives me two months per book, or 1 month per book after graduation.  It’s a good idea in theory. Alright, if comic books/graphic novels count, then I did this.  Otherwise, I started 6 new books, but didn’t finish any of them.  I came damn close on one of them, too!  What’s my deal here?  This is going on the list for next year also. 

6. Write a short story. It’s been over 3.5 years since I’ve written any fiction.  After I got my novella out, I haven’t exactly written anything new besides a single paragraph which was pretty awful.  I used to have such a passion for writing - stories would just pop out of nowhere.  Now, not so much.  Doc Ock told me not to force it, but I’m thinking I can maybe nudge myself a little.  It doesn’t matter how long the story is, though, I just want to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I did some editing this year, but no story writing.  I just wasn’t feeling it quite yet.  I had some moments where I thought about writing, but nothing really came out. Perhaps 2011 is the year of writing again.   

7. Shine. Meh.

So, that’s my recap. 2/7.  Kind of pathetic now that I think about it.  This year was good in a lot of ways, and not so good in others. I have about 24 hours to write up some of my new goals. Let’s see what I can come up with.  

Back in January, I made a list of 7 resolutions.  I decided since I just finished one of them, I should revisit the list. 

1. Run a 5k and 10k.  This one is definitely done and I couldn’t be happier about it.  I was so glad to run the 10k and run it as strongly as I did.  My knees didn’t bother me one bit.  Next year I’m contemplating a 15k and a half-marathon as my resolutions. 

2. Eat better more consistently. About that…I do well most of the time, but I still have my weak moments a bit more often than I’d like.  I’m working on portion control a lot more and focusing on more fruits and veggies.  I’ll still need to do a lot more work on this.

3. Finally get to a goddamn 5:30 AM spin class! I haven’t been to the gym since April when we started work on the condo.  I’ve been opting for strength training with a kettle bell at home and cardio in the form of morning jogs and tennis 2x/week.  I love summer and the warmth too much to spend my exercise time in a stuffy gym!  I’m figuring this goal will be accomplished when it starts getting cooler out. 

4. Graduate from DePaul with a M.A. in New Media Studies. Obviously done.  Yay for school being out fo-eva (unless I take a cooking or language class, but that’s a more ‘for fun’ endeavor). 

5. Read 6 new books independent of school. Well, I’ve started three books and completed numerous graphic novels, but I don’t think the latter counts.  I’m hoping to finish up a book by the end of this month…so that’ll make one.  Yeesh, I need to get in gear with this. 

6. Write a short story. I started a story at one point, but haven’t really had the motivation to write more than a paragraph.  I need to just force myself to do it one day.  Even if it sucks, it’s a step.  BABY STEPS. 

7. Shine.  Failbomb.

1. Run a 5k and 10k. Maybe a half-marathon as well, but I’ll need to see how my knee handles the 10k and summer jogs.

2. Eat better more consistently. I eat fairly healthy for 90% of the day 66% of the week, but I generally slip up late at night and on the weekends.  My willpower disappears! I’m a sugar junkie, so I’d like to control this better and while obviously allowing myself some of my favorites, I need to have control and not over-indulge.

3. Finally get to a goddamn 5:30 AM spin class! I’ve never taken a spin class before, but I’ve heard good things.  It takes me 20 min to drive to the gym so in order to get there in time I’d have to leave by 5 am and be up at probably 4:30.  I’ll be happy to do this once.  Also, any other classes at the gym.

4. Graduate from DePaul with a M.A. in New Media Studies. Okay, this is a given.  It’ll definitely be accomplished, but I needed one of these on the list. :D

5. Read 6 new books independent of school. Every year I resolve to read a book each month and by February I’m behind.  I’ve never accomplished this goal.  I’m lowering my bar and I’m going to aim for 6 this year, which gives me two months per book, or 1 month per book after graduation.  It’s a good idea in theory.

6. Write a short story. It’s been over 3.5 years since I’ve written any fiction.  After I got my novella out, I haven’t exactly written anything new besides a single paragraph which was pretty awful.  I used to have such a passion for writing - stories would just pop out of nowhere.  Now, not so much.  Doc Ock told me not to force it, but I’m thinking I can maybe nudge myself a little.  It doesn’t matter how long the story is, though, I just want to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

7. Shine.