Still only a few days post the LA Marathon and all I see are blog posts, local news articles and tweets about how this person or that person either PR’d or practically died in the streets I like to call home. For me, it was definitely not my race, and by not my race, I mean I didn’t even have the chance to step to the starting line.

I’ve been replaying the weekend and the week prior to the race over and over in my head, trying to figure out if I’m disappointed in myself, if I feel good about the decision or if I even care at all (I at least got my Roadrunner’s training shirt and a crapload of miles and training out of it). There were also three JT sitings from people on twitter who allegedly saw me run by them… not sure how that happened.

The short and skinny of it is: I’m the Maid of Honor for my cousin Pamela who is practically like a sister to me. She and her fiancé were actually the only ones who went and cheered for me at my first half marathon and at the LA Marathon last year (they had no idea they’d be hanging out for about six hours in Downtown LA but cheered and took pictures as I limped towards them at the finish line). With the wedding coming up in a few weeks I started thinking about my recovery time… this was only my second marathon and I really didn’t know what to expect. All I knew is that it wasn’t till my 8th half marathon (Surf City this year) that I bounced back in no time.

I could tell that she (my cousin) was also worried about me not being able to walk for a few days or limp around for a week or two (last year I suffered a really bad injury and was in a brace for a month). She also had a severe bridal emergency, buckle down break down the marathon weekend so I had to cancel my tweetups and hanging out with some of my favorite running friends.

But, as important as doing this race was to me, I realized that it was just self-importance and that I really had to take the spotlight down for a second because the race will be there next year but she’s only getting married once (I hope).

The whole decision and experience also made me wonder about how supportive people were in other runner’s lives with things like races. I don’t usually expect people to come and cheer for me at a race (let’s be honest, it’s not the most exciting thing in the world unless you’re into running or like to see people suffer), but when they do without suggestion or if someone acknowledges some aspect of my running it really means a lot.

But running isn’t everything.

Oh my god, YES, I did just say that… and I don’t mean it in the sense to make light of the matter for myself, because at the end of the day, I’m the one who didn’t get to run, and people won’t give it a second thought. Now with whittled down races to only significant ones (Ragnar + San Diego RnR + Malibu next) I kind of think of races like I think of going out clubbing with friends – you get dressed in your best outfit people take pictures of you that are later posted on huge event sites, etc. But, you can’t do it all the time. This doesn’t mean that you should stop dancing. My favorite part of doing races is all the training that goes into them.

I’m still running (actually I’ve been running a LOT this week). I’m training for my Ragnar Relay (April 23 – 24th) and am shooting for a 100 miles before the end of the second week in April. Right now I’m working out the racing/running/life balance – that’s still a huge conundrum to me. When you start something off (especially the new breed marathoners) like running it’s hard to not let it overtake your life. So that’s were I’m at.

Consider this my non-race race report. My battle with the LA Marathon continues – till next year!

Oh yeah – and I’m in stealth training mode till the wedding is over but in Ragnar Relay full swing. (Spoiler Alert: My Team’s costume theme is “Escape From Burning Man” and my first Ragnar leg will be starting at 2am. Can you say EPIC?!) Stay tuned.

Like my high school basketball coach implored, “Quit looking at your feet, you’ll never get anywhere!” This is true of almost anything, especially when it comes to running. Marathons are a competition, but they are also a celebration of city life, and in the case of the new and improved LA Marathon “urban life.” For Los Angelenos, it’s really one of the few days that makes for a good excuse to get out of your car and explore on two feet this wildly complex and eclectic city.

This piece, directed by local boys Rick and Buddy aka Six Stair, ‘Don’t Forget to Look Up’ is a reminder to take in the sights, sounds and people as runners traverse the wide expanse between hillsides and shoreline. Narrated by Peter Abraham, Creative Director for the LA Marathon (Sun March 21st), the film is witness to the myriad of signs and strange little monuments that we pass each and every day. His natural ability to voice the spirit of this event, turning 25 this year and uniquely revamped, as well as put into context the even playing-field that has become running’s  involvement in LA history. Unlike any other urban city, running is part of the fabric that makes living here so great. Once upon a time the band Missing Persons sang that “Nobody walks in LA,” but time is certainly showing that almost everybody “runs in Los Angeles.” Take a peek at Six Stair’s vision of the new route from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica as they “ran” it, on skatedecks and in 4-cylinder beaters.

Watch for more coverage from a runners perspective here at kspace.tv featuring our own Jenn Tran. Also, check out the new LA Marathon poster created specially by Shepard Fairey’s team at Studio One.

Be sure to take a look at Six Stair’s ‘K is for Kalifornia’ piece, one of 3 of the new K•Swiss video series ‘Things That are Classic’ paying homage to the iconic brand’s Classic heritage.

So, last year I made LA my very first marathon ever. I was one of seven featured runners for KABC talk radio who did a sports feature on the history of the race.

When I listen to the audio I think 1) WOW I wish I was still 28 (not that 29 is that  bad)  2) damn, I sound really really chipper for an early Sunday morning trail run – if only I knew what was going to happen to me on race day (I blew out my knee mile 18 and cried the last 8.2 miles till I limped across the finish line) and finally 3) OK, I did not run the Seattle Marathon and I sure as hell am not going to BQ this year…

In fact, I don’t know if I want to qualify for Boston. I still love running, but back then it was a desperate escape from all my problems and now it’s a celebration of who I am. I used to run because I had something to prove to myself and in essence, I felt like I had something to prove to the world: that I am an athlete damn it.

The way I see it now is, I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. I may not be the fastest person in the world or have the best endurance, but I challenge anyone in telling me I don’t have the most heart in doing everything I can to pull through a race. Knowing that, I’ve learned to let go on the worries of time, race photos, age group standings and expectations. I just run because that’s me.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I created a twtvite to have a list of people on twitter so folks know who to cheer for on race day. I’m still trying to figure out whether or not I’ll be live tweeting the marathon (depends on possible iPhone transition). If anyone is interested in LA Marathon pre- or post- race tweetup feel free to ping me for more info. Word on the street is the LA Marathon twitter account is also trying to organize a tweetup (you can follow them here @lamarathon).

Most likely, dinner will be early the night before somewhere near the Staples Center (which is where the packet pick up will be). Italian of course. Not too pricey. I’ll also be sure to update the twtvite for anyone who is interested in going to dinner.

Post race tweetup will be dependent on a few things 1) interest at large and 2) if I make it out alive (kidding – sort of).

Recently, an ultra runner friend of mine had suggested low heart rate training after hearing me complain about my frustration with my pace. A few searches on eBay and about 40 bucks later I found myself constantly strapping my ribcage before a run with the device that allegedly is a great marker of how much effort you’re putting into your workout.

I learned to love running by heart rate zones because 1) it’s easier to increase mileage and 2) even if my pace is not exactly where I want it to by, if my heart rate is high enough (or in the right zone) I’m at least happy to know that I got a good run in and am really working towards my goal pace.

Once I started dedicating myself to HR I improved my mile time by 40 seconds and have made some significant strides with regards to how I approach my training.

For more info on target heart rate training: Wellness

There is also a cool document on the LA Marathon site on heart rate and other training methods.

Resources: Running Training Methods

I did some research on possible culprits for my marathon weight gain and from the looks of it, I made a lot of rookie mistakes: Falling into post long run hunger appetite (overeating after long run). Trying to hydrate with sports drinks (additional calorie intake). “Resting” more than usual. Making non-training time lethargic. Psychological Reward of training with food (treating myself for post-run donut or cookie).

Some natural things which may cause some weight gain this time around that I’m OK with:

Additional muscle mass.
Body freak out in general.
Build up of glycogen stores (causes water retention and helps with distance running).

Keeping these things in mind as I’ve been training over the past couple months, so far so good. I am mindful of what and how much I’m eating (and now I’m going to start eating healthier altogether). I’m not about to get on the scale everyday, but I do make a conscious effort to keep myself in check with the tell all favorite pair of
skinny jeans.

A good resouce I would recommend is the “Racing Weight” by Matt
Fitzgerald (a sports nutritionist) – it discusses how losing a healthy amount of weight will increase peak running performance. The book gives you a five step plan on how to manage training and proper nutrition while getting lean for your race weight. An interesting point from the book (food for thought): for a runner to get lean cutting calories is not the answer, increasing mileage is.

The true test will come when the race day photos come in. (And it’s just a little over 30 days till the big race).

It was also recently announced that former drummer for Oasis,  Alan White, will be running the London marathon this year for charity. The website, Music and motivation (an AudioFuel site) has a really cool and in the works page for celebrity running playlists for stars who are running the London marathon. Music and motivation isn’t the only site that features celebrity running playlists. Here some cool ones I’ve found online that with music I’m actually likely to poach from:

Ed Norton’s NYC Marathon Running Playlist – features classic rock, Radiohead, indie (good stuff)

Alanis Morisette’s Running Playlist – featuring Imogen Heap, Thievery Corporation… and Alanis Morisette.

Madonna’s Running Playlist – Tiesto, Oakenfold and David Guetta (anything you can run with glowsticks to).

This is my group playlist for the LA Marathon (officially open to suggestions)

I’ll be sure to post my final playlist the week of the marathon. (Spoiler alert: all songs mentioned in previous posts are highly likely to be on the list.)

Whatever the answers may be, I would still hesitate to get anyone to sign up for their first time marathon or running off into the wild without any shoes on. I would be glad to see some reliable data that would refute popular claims that running deteriorates certain physical prowess (please don’t tell me I’ve been training  all this time for nothing). However, I know from just knowing a lot of distance athletes that anyone who is a true runner (and by runner I mean runners of ALL distances) can tell you about true physical prowess. Any form of prolonged physical activity can wreck an untrained body. It seems like common sense to me, but perhaps I’m wrong, we’ll see what comes from this and other studies being conducted out there.

Till then, there is still a ton of marathon training to be done on my part: according to my iGoogle L.A. Marathon countdown we’re about a month and change away from race day! I have no words that can properly express my sentiments at this moment… It’s a lot of strong and overwhelming feelings though, trust me.

Read more about the U of M program here.

Just added this to LA Marathon training playlist:
Gossip  -  Love Long Distance (Riva Starr Vocal Remix)

Course was great (we ran along PCH), weather was perfect, the crowd was amazing and to top it all off I got to meet up with a ton of great runners from all over. I am not always a big fan of huge race events (long lines for *everything* from water to rest stops to bottlenecks on the course) but the 20,000 folks who ran Surf City were just too awesome to not have a great time during the whole race.

Also, after everything was said and done, I felt like I could have ran another 5-6 miles without wanting to shoot myself in the head… these are all great signs of where I am endurance wise in addition to making me dread the LA Marathon a little less now.

I’m now racking my brain over what happened differently or what I changed to make this race go so well. It usually helps to look back on training pre-race and things leading up to race day to be able to figure out what helped/hurt performance. As far as I can tell, I would have to attribute A LOT to a very simple training tip I got from my friend Glenn: crank up your mileage – doesn’t matter how slow you’re going… So I’ve been averaging 3-4 miles more per run. (Now I’ll have to average more for marathon training.) I also ate more than I usually do for breakfast (half bagel w/ peanut butter and toast with breakfast sausage). I didn’t carbo load but I had a decent dinner.

Another thing I learned from race day – TAKE YOUR OWN HYDRATION. One of my friends was rushed to the ER due to a severe allergic reaction to an electrolyte mix used on the course. I’ll be sure to carry a hand held water bottle from now on.

If you missed the live tweeting during the race here are all the pix I posted to the kspace twitter account.

Next up: Chinatown Firecracker 10K

Racing Bib
Exta Safety Pins
Racing/Timing Chip
Running Shoes
Socks
Running Shorts/Tights/Capris/Skirt/Pants  < your choice
Lucky Running Top (+sports bra for the ladies)
Garmin (fully charged)
iPod/headphones (fully charged)
Body Glide
Sunscreen
Gu, Gels, Bars (fuel of choice)
ID
Cash

OPTIONAL
*cell phone
*coverups
*lucky racing hat
*sunglasses

And of course a MAP and plan of action… know where to park, who you’re meeting… what corral you’re in, account for traffic and cluster effs near the parking lot so you have enough time to get to your corral and take a few deep breaths and stretch. I’ll be trying to remember all this for my race on Sunday. Above all else, remember to keep an eye out for those event photographers – and SMILE no one wants to see how miserable you look at mile 8 or 18 even!

Image courtesy Paul Both

The L.A. Marathon is now officially less than two months away. Although my training seems to be on track, I’m still nervous every single waking moment. I find comfort in my friends, especially those that I pull a lot of inspiration from (runners who will fly through a marathon and not break a sweat or complain once). One person I’ve especially admired and look to during my internal running turmoil is my friend, Paul Both, an ultra-runner who is currently on similar journey of his own – running across the continental United States… averaging 25 miles a day with nothing but his feet and a support vehicle just in case.

I’ve known Paul since before I ran my first marathon and although running across the US is something that other people have done for various reasons (usually some charitable organization of sorts) Paul’s reason is slightly different and beautifully honest: himself. On his mission statement he says that one of the reasons he is running thisis for all the miles logged thus far in his running career on the treadmill he actually wants “to get somewhere.” That’s a great reason.

At the end of the day, I think a lot of us are trying to find ourselves or run to find the safe place that we’re trying to escape to inside of ourselves. Paul paints a very literal picture by running from point to point (his hometown of Huntington Beach to the Statue of Liberty in New York.) Although the Statue of Liberty does not hold the same symbolic significance to me as it does to Paul, whenever I see him tweet or update his Facebook status I think of my agenda with the L.A. Marathon. I think about how I will run from Dodger Stadium to the Pacific Ocean (which always feels like home to me) and how I hope to find something there that a lot of marathoners want to see at the finish line, a stronger person than I had previously thought myself to be.

When I signed up for the LA Marathon (day of opening) I knew going in that I absolutely needed to have some formal training under my belt. Marathon one left me benched for almost two months and I never thought that I would find myself where I am today… about 50 days away from marathon number two… and still not feeling quite ready.

I signed up with a package to train with the official training group for the LA Marathon, the Road Runners (headed up by Rod Dixon – Olympic medalist and former NY Marathon winner.) The concept behind the Road Runners is simple, you surround yourself with a group of people who run at your pace and allow the group to keep you in rhythm and motivated to stay on pace.   (There’s more to it like a full training plan, nutrition and general training advice and a SLEW of pacers.)

Day one with the Road Runners was like my first day at school. I was so nervous and had no idea who would “buddy up” with me in my training group (we run 2 x 2).  Despite the nervous feeling, it was amazing to meet so many runners at varying levels of experience. Everyone there had a common goal, and it wasn’t just to finish, it was to finish strong.

Unfortunately for me and as is the case for a lot of people in my situation (super active racers) I missed a good chunk of my RR training due to my half marathon schedule. This weekend is actually my triumphant return to Road Runners training (don’t judge me I’ve been training on my own)… with hill training! We’ll see how it goes.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Road Runners training program you can visit their site here.

Now that the LA Marathon training is in full swing, the runs have gotten increasingly longer and general overall feeling of bodily well being has… well changed. One of the things I usually struggle with when it comes for training for a full marathon is consistently doing my long runs on the weekend. My own personal fix for getting those weekend runs in is having some “side training” to rewards myself with – racing half marathons.

The half marathon (13.1 miles) is by far my favorite distance, not to push 26.2 aside (I can’t *not* want to run a marathon every once in a while). So, now with the training runs getting longer and a more challenging to do, I am still beyond excited for my upcoming race on Feb 7: Surf City USA in Huntington Beach. Part of the California Dreaming Series of races this is one of my favorite half marathons to date. This is my second year running this race and my one year anniversary of conquering the half marathon distance. I remember when I ran it for the very first time. The course was so *awesome* – great scenery, ocean breeze and phenomenal supporters cheering you along the way. It was a fast and flat race. The course also provided local bands and entertainment along every 5 miles or so playing their best rendition or homage to the Beach Boys. My favorite part of the race had to be between the 8-11th mile when you were out of the residential neighborhoods and out along PCH. The view of the ocean was majestic. It also made the arduous task of pushing out the last few miles as hard as possible bearable.

This year I’m hoping to feel accomplished but in a different way, I imagine powering across the finish line and if I’m tears (I was last year) it’s from how much *less* pain I’m in than I thought I might be. Wishful thinking. I’d settle for a PR.

Surf City is already sold out, but if you’d like to doing a cool training half marathon run next February in prep for the LA Marathon you check out races on Racevine.com – it’s a Yelp type of site for race reviews and a cool way to look up details and experiences from other racers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Iconic shoe brand K-Swiss (with new performance store on Main St Santa Monica just open) is putting foot to mouth in the commitment to running as the official footwear and apparel sponsor, so do yourself a favor and check in at the very informative site for info, training tips and much more – before you know it, the new and improved you (and us) will be on the run like never before.

the countdown continues ….. become a Roadrunner today !