ROUND TWO, HERE I COME!
She Runs LA Photos And Meeting Goals
I finally went back to www.sherunsla.com and noticed they have posted photos from the race. Yay!
This was my “yay I’m almost finished” pose. It’s more “almost finished” than “yay.”
While the photos were cool, the best news I got all last week was when I not only hit but exceeded my fundraising minimum. I got a Facebook message from a girl I went to high school with – who shared with me that she’d been seeing my postings about my fundraising journey. Â She also shared that in November, her brother had been diagnosed with Leukemia, and while she is living overseas, she let her parents know I was running a race with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Â They very generously donated to my fundraising effort which is how I met, and exceeded my goal before my yard sale event this weekend. I have to admit, that I have been so incredibly moved by everyone’s generosity while I’ve been doing this – but hearing their story really drove home exactly why I am doing this. Â Because all this money really is changing lives. Every dollar that every person has donated is making a real difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families. Â I can’t even properly express in words how incredible and inspiring that kind of knowledge is.
Even though I’ve now exceeded my fundraising minimum, you can bet your sweet ass I’m not going to stop. Â Obviously, in the technical sense, I am done. Â I’ve raised what I need to cover everything – but if you think for one moment that will be enough for me, you clearly don’t know me 
So, if you would still like to donate, and help me change lives, here’s my fundraising page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/rnr12/tinycatherine
The Rock n’ Roll half marathon in San Diego June 3rd may not be my fastest half marathon, but it will be the half marathon that ensures that I am not only finishing my third half, but am saving lives one mile at a time. Â I’ll take that over a PR any day.
She Runs LA 2012
On Saturday, I ran the 2nd annual Nike She Runs LA 10k. Â Last year, it was a virtual race. Â This year, it started about two miles from my apartment, went past my street and back to Paramount Studios. Because I needed to log 9 miles this weekend, and knowing I wouldn’t be able to do it on Sunday (best friend’s bridal shower) I ran to Paramount, ran the 10k race (finished in 1:12, not too shabby, although I was hoping for an hour even) then ran home. The race was 80s themed which was fun, and there were some awesome costumes out there. Â One group of guys were dressed in flight suits and played the Top Gun soundtrack from a backpack.
My only complaint about this race was the late start time. Â We didn’t start until 10am, so by the time we hit the halfway mark, it was pretty warm. The good news is there were two water stops along the course that were placed in the middle of the road so you hit them going to the turn around point and again on the way back. Â There was also a good amount of entertainment which was unexpected. Â At the beginning and end there was a group doing the Thriller dance, a drumline, a band in front of Fairax high school, and a Gospel choir at the turn around point.
After the race, I got spray tanned – sorry there are no pictures of this. Â I also finished making what felt like a billion cake pops and balls for my best friend’s wedding shower Sunday morning.
Ok, so they were all mostly leaning to the right, but you know what? They were delicious, and they managed to get to Santa Clarita (40 miles north of my apartment) with no problems – ok with very few problems anyway. Â Success!
However, someone please never let me volunteer to make a million cake pops again.
Glutton for Punishment?
I have officially entered my name in the random drawing for the 2012 Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Round 2 NWM, I’m gonna make you my bitch.
Push!
Tonight, I joined my TNT group for my first hill training and holy crap, it was hard! Â We started the workout with a warmup, then jumped right into hills. Â Because it was my first time I only had to do 4 repeats, next week I’ll be doing 5. I stupidly thought as I started the first repeat that maybe I’d stick around and do 5 on my first try. Because, you know, I’m so bad-ass like that.
The hills we were working on are near the Santa Monica Airport, and is actually one street that has a bit of a series of hills. Â Or, at the very least, one big hill with a couple of tiny plateaus.
The first repeat was actually a loop, we were supposed to do 50% up the first portion then 100% up the last bit around the block and back slowly as recovery. Â Once we were back at the start it was 75% and 100% then two repeats at 100% the whole time.
I’m not going to lie, the first time up, I kind of kicked ass. Â I felt great, I probably held back a little more than needed on the first portion, but I dug in and plowed up that hill the second half. I felt winded, but awesome. Â Then round two reminded me that hey there, you’ve been not running more than you’ve been running lately and you’re kinda out of shape lady. Â Round three left me feeling light-headed and round four made me so grateful I was only doing four.
As tried as I was at the end, I’ve already decided I will be going next week, because, clearly I’m crazy.
The biggest lesson I think this taught me though, is that in all my training, while I’ve pushed myself distance wise, I’ve never really pushed very hard in any other aspects. Â During our training runs in Griffith Park, I typically made a half-hearted effort at the hills before just power/walking up. Â Even during the marathon I power-walked/walked most of the hills – some due to the crowded course, but others because, well, I was afraid.
It’s time to stop being afraid of training, and working hard, and being uncomfortable, and just PUSH.
Here are some pictures of my cats
I jokingly told a work colleague the other day that I could only get sick the second week of June. Before then, I do not have time to be sick.  The sad thing is, I wasn’t really joking.  Between work, my best friend’s wedding, and training for this half marathon I do not have time to get sick.
Last weekend I went up to San Francisco for St. Patrick’s Day. I got home from the airport on Sunday just after 5:30 turned around and re-packed my suitcase for a work training that was this week, then we went to a friend’s birthday dinner. Â Monday was a work event until 8:45pm then I drove to Long Beach for my three day training and just got home around 5:30/6pm on Thursday. I worked all day yesterday, went to see The Hunger Games after work and now I’m getting ready to work today and tomorrow for an event.
I’m planning on taking next Friday and the following Monday off because I will be going to Palm Springs for my best friend’s bachelorette weekend, Monday night is another birthday dinner and then things quiet down a little bit for Easter before picking up again for bridal shower (I’m making cake pops and assisting with party setup etc.) Â Team in Training yard sale (I’m only $265 away from my minimum!!), Indoor rock climbing for work, and then I’m basically into May which is the mother of all months for me right now.
First weekend of May I have a camping trip Fri-Sunday for work, second weekend is the wedding, third weekend is camping and river rafting for work Fri-Sun and then Memorial Day weekend is the weekend before my half marathon.
I am starting to get nervous about this half because I’m worried I’m not fully trained. Â Work, and at the beginning of training, my injury, have had a huge impact on my ability to get out there and log my milage. Â I know I need to be more diligent about it, but it’s tough when you work all weekend and all week. Not to mention the fact that I’m still planning on taking my TCRG in September in Atlanta. Â Really need to get on that.
In other news, while I was in San Francisco my dad lent me his nice Canon EOS 30D so I could take actual good picture of my work events. So far, all I’ve managed to do is take pictures of the kittehs.
This one is currently my favorite. Peanut mid-lick. ha!
Bits has a dirty face
I’m Basically a Doctor
I finally had my Physical Therapy appointment this afternoon (after months of attempting to get one) and they confirmed that my diagnosis of IT Band Syndrome is correct, and that getting a sports massage a few weeks ago was super smart. Â Basically, what I heard was “You are a doctor.”
They watched me walk, run, squat, lunge and all kinds of other things and said my IT Band gets tight due to tight hip flexors and weak glutes. Â So, they then told me a few things I can do to fix these things. Continuing to foam roll was one of them.
* Keep legs uncrossed when sitting at work
* Sleep with a pillow between legs when sleeping on side
* Foam Rolling
* Clams 30-40 reps during commercial breaks when watching TV
The two PT people I saw were also super impressed by my knowledge of muscles and my correct usage of Psoas and asked if I was a Kinesiology major. Nope, just lots of Pilates and a ballet instructor at City College who liked us to know what muscles we were using. 
I left this appointment feeling super happy and empowered.
In other news, this weekend I went Sea Cave Kayaking in the Channel Islands for work. Sea Kayaking is no joke. Forgetting to put sunblock on your legs before you kayak is also no joke, and I have a beautiful sunburn on only the top lower portion of my shins. It’s super pretty and the PT guys only laughed for a few minutes. Â I also met a member of the band the Eagles and it was life changing. Â As in, I spent the entire trip trying not to reference Eagles songs. If you know me, you know the amount of will power involved.
On the TNT fundraising front: I am now at 78% of my fundraising goal. Â That $2,200 minimum is in sight, and I’m hoping to have almost all of it raised before my yard sale on April 21st, that way everything I raise at the yard sale is just icing. Â There are some pretty sweet prizes involved in surpassing your fundraising minimum, and I love me some free stuff.
If you’d like to assit in my goal you can donate at my fundraising page here:Â http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/rnr12/tinycatherine
Or, maybe you’ve already donated, or can’t donate (that’s fine too!) if you’d be so kind as to pass this along I would very much appreciate it! Help me wipe out blood cancer!
Saving Lives
Blood cancer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Â Before I was born, my cousin, Franny, passed away as an infant from Leukemia. Â My aunt now runs a non-profit which helps families of terminally ill children cover the additional costs associated with treatment. Â A girl I babysat and danced with for many years was diagnosed with Lymphoma as a high school student, and another girl I danced with was diagnosed just a few years ago.
An estimated 140,310 people in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma this year. So, this June, I will be running my third half marathon, the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with Team in Training. Â As of today, I am at 61% of my $2,200 fundraising goal.
I know this blog doesn’t have a huge readership, but I am asking if any of you feel so inclined, would you help me wipe out blood cancer? And, pass this along?
My fundraising page can be found here:Â Â Â http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/rnr12/tinycatherine
Together we can do SO much to help find a cure for blood cancers.
Thank you!
80%
Eating healthy is not about perfection – perfection is impossible. So, I’m working on being 80% healthy in my meals.
I stocked the fridge at work with yogurt and berries and other healthy snacks.
I drank a meal replacement smoothie before leaving the house this morning, and made this yogurt bowl at work. Â Oikios vanilla yogurt, Trader Joe’s O’s strawberries and blueberries. Â Kept me full until mid morning when I had some hard boiled eggs, then for lunch were two turkey meatloaf muffins, spinach, an apple. Â Dinner was brown rice and some honey coconut shrimp that Travis made, and then I ate 4 Thin Mints. They were delicious.
How do you maintain your healthy eating?
Making Changes
Look! Those are some turkey meatloaf muffins I just made!
Since October, I’ve gained back the weight I worked hard to lose in the last year and a half. This does not please me, and in fact, it kind of shames me. Not because of the weight itself, but because the reason I gained the weight back has more to do with my own bad attitude after hurting my knee, than the injury sidelining me itself. I allowed myself to just feel bad for myself, and eat terrible food and I got lazy. In the last two years, I’ve really cleaned up my eating, I worked my butt off training for two halves and a full marathon, and I let myself get lazy, and I let a few months of annoyance undo all the work I did.
The truth is, it’s been hard to be motivated to workout. Swimming isn’t nearly as social as running was for me. Â I don’t enjoy it as much either. Plus, getting into the pool to swim requires more planning and time than going for a run. Â Basically, I let myself make a bunch of excuses, and just chose to stop planning my meals, and stop working out all together.
I tried to re-start today. I made mostly good choices until dinner when I was starving and went grocery shopping and then inhaled an entire box of Kraft mac & cheese spirals. Â Oops. Â But, you know what? For the rest of today, I ate well, and I even did a few strength training moves. So, progress?
Also, I wrote here…so, more progress?
I had a sports massage yesterday that seems to have helped my knee a bit- because at this point I’m pretty sure it’s IT Band syndrome, and not runner’s knee. So, this weekend I’m for sure going aqua jogging and to the TNT practice. Â Even if I have to walk almost the whole time, I will be at that practice because I just recommitted to Team in Training, and am determined to do the San Diego Rock n’ Roll half marathon in June. Â Obviously, if my doctors come back and say I absolutely can’t for health reasons, I will follow their directions, but until that happens I am pushing forward.
I will do the stretches the massage therapist showed me, and I have scheduled another massage next month, and when my insurance finally decides to schedule my PT appointment, I will go to that too. Â Because, I realized today, I have the tools to fix this, and the longer I choose not to use them, the more stupid I become.
