remember, she aint no quitter

Sarah Palin Quits Turkey Trot 5K Race In Kennewick, Washington

Sarah Palin dropped out of a 5k race on Thanksgiving Day in Kennewick, Wash. The former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor quit the race because she wanted to avoid the crowds that were waiting for her at the end, according to The Tri-Cities Herald.

Palin was 1 of about 3,000 participants. The paper reported that her presence drew a "mass of onlookers." Palin announced that she would be running the race on Twitter.

The former Republican vice-presidential candidate visited nearby Richland, Wash., to spend the holiday with relatives. She said it's good to be back in the Tri-Cities to reconnect with "the roots." Her grandparents, Clem and Helen Sheeran, came to Richland in 1943.

hot synthetics

mindy- by the way you lookin mighty cute in that spandex.

never looked better!

half of a half

our turkey trot 10k has come and gone. this is my take on it!

CARBO LOADING

the night before i hung out with my fellow racer, uncle chucky, and dined on red wine, oysters and jambalaya. it was awesome. however, the last time i ate such food probably was two thanksgivings ago. luckily, i had no effects the next day. the thought of day old seafood revisiting me during a run is something a bit terrifying.

me and uncle chucky post race

ON YOUR MARKS

my prep started at 6AM when i got up and noticed i had a cough with some congestion. uh oh. i luckily was able to score tussin of some sort to go along with my oatmeal with walnuts and raisins.

the night before i neatly laid out all of my running gear and was able to get ready quickly.

• pants
• top/sports bra/red hoody
  
• ipod/headphones/holster/nike fit
• heart rate monitor/watch
• shoes/socks

GET SET

i arrived to the race at 730. mid 50s. humid. chilly. i was relieved at the lack of rain as i waited for the rest of my crew- mindy lu, annie and uncle chucky.

when mindy arrived i ran to give her a big ol hug. it was totally awesome to see her!! this was the first time i have seen her in - at least- a year. it was a great first hug.

we made our way to starting line and hung out in the back. as i was tinkering with the gadgets strapped onto me and making pre-race small talk - out of nowhere- we were off. not much of a heads up or any loud noise indicating the race had begun.


GO!

we all started side by side, my uncle cracking jokes about getting a room at the local hospital- and mindy and i laughing just at the fact we had made it this far. we were runners. but most laughter came from the fact that we were jamming out to lil wayne and abba at the start of our race.

eventually, we all got our own pace and slowly separated.


THE RACE

tuesday i bought new padded inserts for my shoes and had not had a chance to break them in till the race. not the best idea. my feet were a bit burning the first few miles in addition to tight calves. i usually am pretty miserable to first few miles but that day was like no other.

the terrain was not my favorite. it was almost ALL TRAILS. the route had lots of turns and tight areas with not a lot of passing room and wet mud trenches -making everyone look at the ground while running instead of the lovely foliage that was surrounding us.

the route

about half way into the race i saw a deer maybe 50 feet away that was injured and kept trying to jump over a chain link fence. however, it never made it over the fence and kept ramming its face into the fence causing it to bleed more and more. my hand covered my mouth in shock of this crazy man vs nature event. you could tell other runners had the same dilemma of "do i help or keep going?"

we kept going.

right after that - my right food landed right in a nice pile of mud - i was in at least 3-4 inches deep. ahhhhh. keep going......

THE FINAL STRETCH

the last few miles was void of any real craziness which allowed my runner's high to finally set in.

i would pick small goals along the way (people) and make it my goal to pass them. the mother with the stroller, the guy with one arm, the gal who was my age- pass, pass, pass. it was awesome to be near the end, going faster, while feeling awesome like i could go for miles and miles more.

when i saw mile five that was it. i went to my go to britney tune and bolted. getting my pace under a 10 minute mile i was banging it out. i crossed the finish line at 1 hour 6 minutes. we didn't have chips to get the exact time- so i'm pretty certain i can shave off 30 seconds. also, the distractions of the course added a minute or so as well.

overall, it was a great race and day. so glad to see mindy and celebrate half way thru our training.

we ran half of our half- and just 60 more days to the whole half!

team 13.1 katie, mindy, annie-- still looking hot after 6.2 miles

Run Katie Run!

Our Turkey Trot is in a few hours! Race day jitters are kicking in. Last night, I made a list last night of things to do this morning. Would you believe I wrote "Get Dressed"????
As to not embarrass myself I suppose!

I can't wait to see you Katie Poo! Its been so long; I can't remember the last time.
I'm thankful to have an old friend to run with today!
See you soon.

Starting of the Bucket List

My big 3-0 is only a few days away and its got me thinking. What are my goals for the next decade? the next 5 years? the next year? My education & career is central to my plans and dreams. The rest of my plans are orbiting around acupuncture and herbs.

Here's what I'm working on:

By 31-at least 2 half marathon (Miami and maybe one in the fall) 10 minute mile (or faster!)consistently

By Graduation (January 2012)-a marathon! a century bike ride!
The century bike ride is by far more daunting than a marathon. I could run for 5 hours, but I'm not sure I could sit on a bike and pedal for that long. The right bike is a must; maybe a graduation present to myself?

By 35-IRONMAN. I really want to do an Ironman. Once I do my first marathon, I'll feel confident enough to start training. The conflict comes with the seeming opposition to my career goals. I want to focus 100% on my practice. I can't decide if training for an Ironman would be a distraction or help me push my limits & stay focused. While the next few years unfold, I'll have a better idea.

The looming 3-0

I'll be 30 soon. Real soon. 2 weeks, and a day. Last December, I made a list of To-Dos before the end of my 29s. Run a 10K (I'll check that off on Thursday), get a kitten (Pepita!) and get a(nother) tattoo. Visit Fab in Denver was on the list too. I didn't get there, due to some non-list items that happened-mainly starting Acupuncture school and my lil' sis having a baby.

This year, I'm going to make a delineated list: one year, post graduation (2 years) and five years. A biggie (after graduation and getting licensed) is to do an Ironman! This maybe the first time I've expressed this idea; its a big word to wrap my mouth around. Ironman! By 35. Sounds good.

My school work is priority right now, and while I will continue to train for shorter events, tackling an Ironman must wait a few years. AND I'll be better fit to take it on!

I'll be working on that list and post it by New Years! Happy Monday.

retro lu and poo

this is us WAYYYYY before (circa 2005-2007 pics here).... neither of us were runners at this point. we would run to el indio for some awesome tacos. but that's about it.

maggie got married

pretty sure we were singing "hurts so good" by john cougar

mindy gave me a brownie for my birthday!

party at my old apt

a little busted but cute

we like to party (reunion with fab and tara)

major partying off the green line...dc!!

very excited to see what our racing pics will look like--- two years after this hotness.

Rain?

Its raining. So, instead of running, I decided to blog. The radar shows the rain clearing up by 2PM. Fingers crossed! Otherwise, I'll be on the dreadmill for a bit; there is no running in this rain boys and girls. Its coming down.

Last 3 or 4 runs, I've been struck with the side stitch. Unusual that after a year of running and a triathlon, this symptom begins. I've developed a few theories of why this is happening, when its happening and through some trouble shooting and trial and error, I'm going to get this resolved. The 10K Thursday will be mentally, spiritually and physically dreadful if this continues. My run today will be an indicator if I'm heading in the right direction.

Coffee time.
Ciao.

taking the scenic route

today i had another 8 mile run. it all went well. my calves were sore the first 15 minutes or so - but eventually went away.

there were a lot or runners out today and i had some moments of wanting to compare myself to them- their speed, pace, how much of a runner they looked like ( do i?) etc.... luckily i was able to nip that in the bud real fast as i quickly realized the only person i had to be concerned with while running was me. and so i focused on my own pace and gait- and let my brain just go. (i made britney's new song my new "powersong" on my nike fit. you can see how often i used it here. LOL.

after a run i sometimes try to remember what the hell i thought about for almost an hour and a half of running. i think it usually consist of what am i going to do after this run, i'm hungry, what will it feel like when i run 13.1 miles..... but with my new route on the hollywood broadwalk - i have a lot more people watching, the ocean, and other things to explore... which are great distractions to make time go...

• i saw a couple getting their engagement photos taken - made me think if i ever wanted that
• saw a prayer circle group on the beach- made me think i still am sure i don't want that
• the smell of breakfast food from the outdoor cafes (best smell on earth)
  
• realized how much i love living in hollywood
  
• got annoyed when fellow runners didn't smile back at me
  
• had a lil ego boost when people that i had passed before gave me a second look- yesiamstillrunning!
  

some views of my path (stolen from google)....






but i am still in awe of what i have accomplished so far. i am very excited for thursdays 10k with mindy. we both have been working hard and it will be nice to finally train/race together.

i may attempt to do my sunday spin class- but only if i feel my legs can handle it. the last two days have been pretty hard on my legs. but starting monday i am cutting back to be nice and rested to kick that 10ks ass... and then eatwhateveriwantonthanksgiving!

fessing up

it gets better and better

1. i downloaded the new britney song, 3
2. illegally
3. i played it during my 30 minute if intervals
4. the whole time non stop





i aint ashamed. you all know that is some poppy peppy stuff to get your ass moving! i was moving like-the-wind.

brit is looking pretty good....but i'm pretty sure i can run father that her.. hahahahahahahaha

attempting another 8 miler tomorrow in the am!

BRRRR...

I think this morning was the coldest run so far.
Not so bad, unless the wind is blowing into my face.

"Against the wind...."

5 miles on a Sunday morning

A run of firsts:

First "long" run
First run with Body Glide
First run with my new pants
First run on big major roads

And I'll give myself a B+ for this run. Love the BG, love the pants, LOVE running down University Ave (especially thru the Downtown Art Fest!). Running along University Ave requires me to look like I'm enjoying myself AND that I pretend to be an actual runner. Though, after running 5 miles, I pretty much feel like a real runner. I haven't ever run 5 miles before! My longest run ever!!!! WOOT! I feel ready for that Turkey Trot 10K. Estimated finish time: in the neighborhood of 1 hour. My pace today was 12mm but for race day, I gotta kick it up.
12mm is a nice, enjoyable pace for me on a Sunday run. Traditional training wisdom indicates a taper/rest week next week, pre 10K. My short runs will still be short, while my long run is only 3 miles. I might do 4, just to get some extra time on my feet, and help quell my nerves about the 10K.

At the last half mile of my run, I got a wicked stitch in my side. What's up with that?
I'm going to look into why this happened, and what I can do to NOT experience it again.

One last note: ISR podcast propelled me through the last mile and a half today. Thank you ISR.

8 is great!!

after a week of birthday binge - i up early for a 6 mile run to get back on my training schedule.

this morning i took my first trip over the bridge onto the beachside and ran down the hollywood broadwalk (not boardwalk). there were tons of people out at 7am with me running, biking, walking, beaching, i felt like i had my own running group. definitley was a great motivator to have all those people around. and the view was fantastic. sun was shining and the weather was prob about 65 degrees. a-maaaaaa- zing.

but due to lack of road signs i ended up running about 8 miles in an 1 hour and 21 minutes! when i was done running my lil nike ipod thingy had a little message from lance armstrong saying "great job this is your longest work out yet" boy did i feel special... haha.. of course the damn thing didnt save to work out. go figure.

but break that down and you got about a 10 min miles pace. the best part was the when i got home i knew i could have kept on going - but my knees were starting to ask for a break. my feet did do the whole lets fall asleep thing btu after an hour it went away. so i have just have had to become mentally tough and run thru it- but i am def going to look into some support inserts for the already expensive Cadillacs i got on my feet

but now i am afraid im going to have to buy some fanny-packesque carrier for some h20 and gels now that im over an hour. totally running hotness.

santigolds "unstoppbale" came on right after my work out ended for the victory stretch.

27 and counting

yesterday i turned 27 and never in my life have i been in such great shape. i think just aobut every year i have some goal (to be thinner, more in shape, etc....) by my birthday and never seem to really get there. but this year i can say i did. and a lot of it has to do with my training. i'm in all of my college skinny pants (wooo!), got some new abs, and can run my butt all around town with ease!

but this week was all birthday celebration and i let myself off the hook with my a lighter workout routine and also let my inner fat kid out - caaaaaaaake!

but now the party is OVER and after this weekend I am back on track for that 10k in two weeks.

but in other news my back MRI was NORMAL. i'm relieved that everything is fine. but now what? contemplating going to the sports med dr- but not looking forward to the $$$ of more medical bills.

but at least for now i can hit the road without worrying about damage.

phew!

for the record

getting an MRI is like being at a shooting range in a coffin.

ick.

messing with my mojo

now that mindy is back it seems i am having a bit of a funk of my own. and it totally took a toll on today's work out. some funny some not so funny.

1. i wore the wrong underwear. let's just say my comfy ones don't belong running sprints on the treadmill. i could feel them slowly falling down my pants.. haha. (total learning moment)

2. the man who got on the treadmill after i started SMELLED LIKE AWFUL BO! you could tell he was the type that NEVER wore it.. and i didn't want to move because it would have messed up my whole run- and i couldn't hold my nose as i usually do in smelly situations- but at that time i really needed all my oxygen. i was PISSED -- i felt the rage like that new mexico college soccer player-- i wanted to takeTAKE HIM DOWN and tell him to TAKE A DAMN SHOWER!

3. i have my MRI today for my back. I am still getting tingly feet when I run which mostly means there is some muscle nerve issues going on. so i think i will have a new doc with some physical therapy in my future.

i just hope hope hope i am not benched for this . cause no matter how poopy i get during training i really really wanna run!

will get results on friday... keep your fingers CROSSED !

Hydration

Am I really supposed to run with a water belt?

I don't know if I can be that nerdy!

and I'm back!

Whew! 3 intense weeks of full time school, working on my days off and half-marathon training makes for one pooped girl! After nearly half a dozen bad runs, I was oh-so-close to giving up on the training; I felt heavy, slow, and awkward. My erratic schedule coupled with the time change amplified my feelings of defeat.

But, I'm no quitter. I put on my Mizunos and hit the road. I decided part of my frustration was running the same streets in my neighborhood week in and week out. I headed over to campus for my 4 miler. And it was spectacular! I'm re-invigorated with running; I believe I can do this half marathon. I may not be in the front of the pack, but I will cross that finish line with a smile on my face.

the first 5k

This past Halloween morning I ran my first 5k race since training began. Wasn't anxious at all- and just tried to focus on pacing and posture.

I met by goal by crossing the finish at 29:45 - my last 5k time was 31 minutes... my goal was to get around 30.

When I went to look at the results I was shocked to see that I was 4th in my age group- out of about 20, 25-29 year olds.

I did it all at a 9:37 pace - my pace during my last 5k was about a 10 minute mile pace. So a new Katie record. I had a good time and met a trainer with the local running club- so I think after the next few weeks I will join it for the long runs over 6 miles.

Woo!