I know, I know.. Its been forever!

It has been wayyyy too long since I have last blogged. What can I say - life definitely happened. I have since ran my first half marathon, which went spectacularly. I beat my goal time by 13 minutes: I ran it in 2 hrs and 17 minutes and 1 second. I finished 27th out of 89 in my age group. Not too bad, if I do say so for myself.

I am committing to being a better blogger. I have a handful of blogs that I adore following, and I have a new goal of making my blog just as interesting and up-to-date. I know it sounds kind of silly, but I guess I need one more thing to keep myself more occupied?

I can hardly believe it is already the 22nd of August! What happened to summer? It went by so fast and before I know it, it will be fall. Crazy!

I have decided to become a mentor for Team Challenge Las Vegas :) Our kick off is this Thursday, Augsut 26th and our first training is this Saturday at Sports Basement Sunnyvale. I am really looking forward to being a mentor this time around - I already know a few people on my mentor team including Michelle (who joined me in Napa) and my "Flamingo" Mikey, and hopefully another girl I train at the YMCA, Dea, will join on Thursday as well. I am going to give my all to being the best mentor I can possibly be for them. What I would love to do is set up get-togethers twice a month so we can all bounce fundraising ideas off of eachother/set up mentor group fundraisers, etc. CANT WAIT!

Another update: I am newly single. My boyfriend and I broke up recently, so I have realized that my time must be occupied in other ways (to keep busy/not crazy). Some ways that I am finding to spend my time include: calling/reconnecting with old friends (and loving it!), planning trips to Portland/LA to visit the besties, running (duh! haha), reading my bible more and being sooo blessed because of it, watching sappy movies and now: blogging!
I'm actually doing better than I had anticipated with the breakup - I think we both knew it was the best for the both of us, and I am hoping that we can still be friends at some point. The hardest part of a breakup, for me, is being best friends with someone during the duration of your relationship - then cutting off all ties with them when you breakup. Sucks. I miss having someone to call "just because" all of the time, and not caring if they think you're obsessed with them because they are the exact same way. Yeah, I really miss that. I hear that just takes time...

Hmm.. What else? I have a job interview tomorrow for a Youth Program Director Position at the Bladium Sport and Fitness Club in Alameda. The funny thing is, I really wasn't looking for a new job, or expecting to get an interview so fast - so I've kind of just not even thought about it. I guess I should spend some time tonight thinking of possible interview questions that they might ask, and how I would respond to them. I have found that you really can never prepare enough for an interview so I will just do my best tomorrow. If I don't get the position, thats ok. I already have a great job that I love, this would just be the next step up in my career path. I will fill you in on how it goes tomorrow.

I am starting cardio insanity again tonight. I need to. Since running my half marathon I have put on a couple extra pounds that I really do not feel like keeping company with, so its time to up the cardio and weight training, and down the eating junk (dang it! haha). I will admit it, my eating habits have not been as great as I would like them to be. Time to change that as well. I am going to LA/San diego in a month and would love to be a few pounds lighter before then.

OK, cardio insanity time then healthy grocery shopping. The time is now!
Take care!

It has been a crazy, busy, exciting, progressive, fun past few weeks. I went back to Portland for a week from June 8th - 15th to visit old friends. It was a wonderful time to get some great training in! I ran 30 miles in total that week, which included a 10 mile run with my good friend, Noah. It definitely wasn't a comfortable run, but I felt extremely accomplished when it was finished.

We ran 11 miles yesterday morning with the Team Challenge group at Sawyer Camp Trail in San Bruno. 11 miles felt SOOO much better than 10 miles did last week. Its amazing what a difference running outside in a cool temperature can make. I am getting more and more confident about my half marathon on July 18th. Less than a month away! I want to continue to keep between 25-30 miles/week to keep a steady pace until the race.

This next week is "rest" week, which means that I will cut my mileage back a bit. I woke up this morning with some aching in my left ankle, so I am taking today and possibly tomorrow off to let it rest and heal. I will ice it tonight as well. I am definitely in the best shape of my life and IT FEELS GREAT! I have lost 25 lbs in the past year, and can hardly believe how fun the adventure has been.

I am only $155.00 away from reaching my fundraising goal. I have until July 7th to reach it - so I'm not too nervous. My birthday is on June 29th, so maybe I can do a dinner/fundraising dinner for my birthday, and get me over the edge finally!

That is all for now, sorry it has taken me so long to catch up. BUSY last few weeks! Have a great one!

So I am contemplating something..

A friend of mine Tare Mutepfa inspired me tonight to continue my running/training after my half marathon in July, and train for the Portland Marathon in October

Noticeable Progress :)

Today was a great, great, GREAT running day! We ran 7 miles at Sawyer Camp Trail with my Team Challenge Group. It was a beautiful morning, and early enough to keep you cool throughout the entire run. I realized that running with a group not only makes time go by faster, but it also pushes you to keep going and keep a constant pace. We finished in 1 hour and 11 minutes - just over an 10 minute mile average. WOW. Three or four weeks ago, I would have never imagined that I would have made this sort of progress over the period of one month.

I am very, very close to reaching my Team Challenge fundraising goal of $2,600. I am currently at $2,050. Only $550.00 more!!

Tomorrow morning I have the Running of the Bulls 5K here in Palo Alto. My goal is to beat my best time of 28:39. Seeing how my running has progressed over the past month since this PR time, I think it is a definite possibility to get a time of 27:00flat. It will be a push, but I think I can do it!

I will keep you posted on the results..

It is going to be a busy week ahead, but I am still going to aim to get 20 miles in for the week, including 4 miles on Tues and Thurs, 8 miles on Saturday and 4 miles next Sunday.

Plan for Week 6

Hello, everyone!

We ran 6 miles at Los Gatos Creek Trail yesterday! That has to be the farthest that I have EVER ran :) The great part is that it felt amazing! The first 2 miles and the last 2 miles were the best. It was weird, I would have expected that the last couple miles would have been the most painful, but it was the middle two. I think it has something to do with the fact that I knew I was on the home stretch to the end, and I could keep my mind focused on that.

So here's my workout plan for this week:

Monday - Bodypump class (weight training)
Tuesday - 3.5 Mile run at Cisco campus
Wednesay - REST
Thursday - Bodypump (6AM) and 3.5 Mile run at Cisco campus
Friday - 4 Mile run with Running Club at YMCA
Saturday - 3 Mile run at San Tomas Trail and Bodypump (11:45am)

I am feeling stronger and stronger each week! It is great to have a goal ahead of you (for me, its the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 marathon in July) to keep you energized and motivated to continue with a program, even if you may not feel like it. I've never finished a workout, and felt like I should not have done it today if it is apart of the program I have for myself. It is always an accomplishment!

Its a beautiful day today, and I am stuck inside at work. BOO. Well, I am going to try and make the most of it and get as much as possible done while it is slow here. I ran an easy 2 miles at the gym this morning, and I think my body is still running on the endorphines because I feel energized! SO blessed that none of my muscles are hurting after my 6 miler yesterday! Yay, God!

SPIRIT CAPE!!

Hey all -

So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I received the Spirit Cape this week for Team Challenge. You're probably thinking "What in the world is a spirit cape?".. So let me tell you...

Each week an individual from the team is chosen to receive the Spirit Cape for the week and add your own insignia to the cape with puffy paint, embroidery, etc. You are chosen to have the Spirit Cape by showing much enthusiasm and spirit, doing really well on fundraising for that particular week, or standing out in some positive way that week. I received the cape this week for having a great fundraising week last week :)

I was shocked but very excited to find out this great news. I also had a lot of fun personalizing the cape!

Tomorrow I am waking up early, early to take Bodypump in the morning (6am) then Cisco run after work at 6:15 tomorrow evening. I guess I had better get some sleep so I have the energy of my convictions tomorrow.

Have a great day tomorrow, everyone!

New Diet, Mermaid Run 5K, Health

Hey everyone!

So after what seems like countless doctor's appointments this week - I am going to have a minor surgery on May 28th. If you want to know all of the details, I surely do not mind telling you about it in person or email form, but don't want to publicize it here. Nothing too bad, but just something to prevent things from getting worse with my Crohn's in the future.

That being said, I have been recommended to purchase and read the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle
It has helped many, many people with Crohn's Disease and many other intestinal diseases live symptom free lives. I have been studying and researching the diet this book discusses, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, for a few days now. Although it seems that it will be hard to follow at first, I definitely feel that the benefits outweigh the cost. I am thinking about starting it on Monday. GULP!
I will keep everyone updated with how this is going.

I have been doing runs in the gym this week because I have been sooo busy! The runs have been good - not too challenging though. I think that running outside is more challenging for me because its harder to stick to any one pace the entire time, and allows me to really push myself out of my comfort zone throughout the run. Hills also make outdoor runs more challenging :) I have a 5K run tomorrow morning - the Mermaid Run in Mountain View

Other than that, there really isn't too much going on thats worth writing about. Work has been busy, but great! Im learning more and more about the management side of a health and fitness department of a gym :) My lovely boyfriend is taking me out to brunch tomorrow after my race. Tomorrow evening him and I are meeting up with another couple and going DANCING in the later evening! We havent made the time to go out and do that in a while, so I'm really looking forward to it!

Alright, well time to head to the Sports Basement and pick up my race packet, goody bag and t-shirt for the race tomorrow!! Cant wait to tell you how it goes - i'll take pictures as well!

Tues/Thurs Cisco Run

Hello -

So on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have been going to Cisco Campus in San Jose/Milpitas area and join other Team Challengers for my mid-week runs.

Its been such a great time getting to know these guys and gals better, and enjoying the beauty of the trail's scenery. I have been running with Audrey the past few times and we seem to be great running buddies. We push eachother to run harder and have fun while doing it. She's awesome!

I am going to the hospital tomorrow for a catscan and doctor's appointment with my gastroenterologist (intestine specialist). I have been experiencing increased inflammation lately, and my doctor wants to make sure everything is ok on the inside.

Wanted to share a section of scripture with you all that really blessed me today:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore Glorify God in your body.

THese scriptures inspire me to keep with my workout and training routines, and take care of my body :) I have lost a grand total of 14 lbs since moving to California exactly one year ago. I have been inspired to push myself harder and eat healthier - because my body is God's - and the work I do is for the glory of God.

Tomorrow is Friday, and my rest day. I think I will do a "cardio insanity" video for active recovery. I havent done these videos since starting my half marathon training. I think it will be a good way to shock my muscles in a different way. :)

Take care, everyone! More again soon!

Week One Completed

Hello All!

So Week 1 of 16 finished successfully. My achilles is fully recovered, and I still 9 miles of training in this week. Plus its been BEAUTIFUL weather out here in California. :)

Goals for Week 2
1) Running on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
2) Weight Training Tuesday and Thursday
3)Fundraising Clinic Tuesday evening
4)8 hours of sleep per night
5) Eat reasonably healthy!
6) Weekly Mileage: 14 Miles
7) Get to 75% of my donation goal

I wasn't able to make it to the group training yesterday, but I made sure to stop by the gym and get my 3 miles in to stay on schedule! Unfortunately this month is going to make it difficult to make it to the Saturday group runs because of a 5k race, my athletes have a track meet and work. :( But I will be able to make it to the Tues/Thurs evening mentor lead trainings!

Ok, well I have to get up EAARRRLYYY for work tomorrow so I'd better get to bed very soon!

Everyone, have an awesome week ahead!

Achilles: Healed!

So I mentioned in a previous blog that my left achilles was really tender because of mindlessly training without rest three days in a row. Well, I am happy to say that I am completely, 100 percent healed! I ran 3.5 miles on Thursday, but not without slight discomfort. Today I have a three mile run for our Team Challenge training schedule and it should be a fantastic run - plus its a beautiful day!

It is exciting to see progress in my running this early! I can run for 45 minutes straight without feeling fatigue in my legs, or feel as if I am out of breath. I can hold a conversation the entire time - a mini success story for myself already. I figure if nothing else, this helps build my motivation to stick with it and keep on truckin' :)

My college track team, Portland State University has been in Palo Alto all week for the Stanford Invitational. It has been a fantastic time hanging out with my former teammates and coaches. My friend, and co-instructor for our running club at the Y, and I are going to the invitational to watch a few events today after I get off work. I stopped by yesterday and watched the men's javelin and women's shotput. Portland State made me proud :)

I am happy to say that since April of last year I have lost a total of 15 lbs. My goal is to lose 10 more pounds while embarking on this Team Challenge journey to run the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 marathon! I will keep you posted on this!

PSU TRACK AND FIELD IN TOWN THIS WEEKEND!

I just found out that my college track and field team, Portland State University, is going to be in Palo Alto this weekend for the Stanford Invitational :)

Although a lot of my friends have graduated, there are still quite a few faces that I am very excited to see again. I'm looking forward to wearing my green and black proudly!

As usual, I know Westin Morrill will excel in the javelin throw. (Can't wait to see you again, Westin). Pictured here are a couple of my former teammates: Caressa Sims, Judith Burnett and I with our coach, Seth Hensen, at the NYC Armory Invitational in 2008.

I have my first group run for Team Challenge at 9:30, so I should be able to make it to the track around 11:30 or noon on Saturday and catch most of the events, as well as many of them on Friday too.

Not only has the thought of seeing my former team brought back many amazing memories, but it has also led me to think about how much I've grown within the past year since moving to Califormia from Portland. I think just about every category of my life has developed significantly since moving here. In terms of relationships, spiritually, physically (training for a half!), financially, etc. I'm very thankful that I can look on this past year and admit with confidence that I am proud that I made the tough decision to move away from everything I was comfortable and familiar with in Portland and pack up and move to California.

This should be a fun weekend ahead :)

Run, Run, Run..

So here's to my first blog posting ever... Cheers!

Last week I signed up for Team Challenge - A training program through the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America to raise money to find a cure for both Crohn's and Colitis. They train you to run a half marathon. Ours happens to be July 19th from Napa to Sonoma. :) I CANT WAIT!

So I've decided to keep everyone updated on my training and how everything is going, every step of the way toward my goal to run the half marathon in July as well as raising $2,600 for CCFA. So far, I've reached 32% of my goal with $840.00!! I think I've only had my online donation website up for 3 days now too - not bad!! It definitely helps that I have super supportive family and friends! (Thanks everyone!!)

I got so excited about this training program that I started pushing myself a little bit harder and farther on my individual runs this weekend. I ran 4 miles on Saturday at 10:40 pace, and 3 miles on Sunday at 9:40 pace. Then I proceeded to join the track team that I coach (Palo Alto Lightning) with their workout Sunday evening.

I FELT GREAT! But, today my left achillis tendon is really tender. Guess I'd better not go so "gung-ho" all at once. I, of all people, should practice what I preach to my personal training clients at the gym "slow and steady at first, and only increase by 5% per week". Oopsies. I guess I'd rather get this little set back now for a couple days, rather than continue to push myself and ignore my body and get seriously injured.

So as I type, I am kicking my feet up in the recliner with an ice pack around my foot, watching Dr. Phil (guilty pleasure).

Tomorrow, we officially kick off our Team Challenge training with an evening of wine, appetizers and time to meet our coach, mentor, honoree and teammates. My fellowship coordinator, and dear friend, Michelle Ohara is signing up tomorrow night and will join me on this journey for the next 16 weeks with Team Challenge. Our first group run is this Saturday at 9:30am.

I got up at 4AM this morning for work, and am coaching track tonight at 6PM. That equates to a nice long shower and nap in my near future :)