A TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION

Race Report: LA Marathon - March 21, 2010

2010-03-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Or as I like to think of it, a lovely 26.2 mile training run

through some of the best parts of Los Angeles with 24,999 of my running buddies!

Someone once said that you race the race that you trained for and on this day, that actually came true. My goal for my first marathon was to finish between 4:20-4:30, with a smile and feeling good. I finished in 4:27:23, I actually have photo proof that I was smiling, and well, good is not quite the right word...but I did feel strong. My last 2 miles were my fastest and crossing that finish line was simply unexplainable. I also had a separate goal of raising over $3000 for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer and I can happily announce that goal was exceeded and money is still coming in!! Add all this to the facts that this course ROCKED, the entire city seemed to come out to either run or play with the runners, the weather was perfect, and the support and volunteers were nothing short of absolutely amazing, well...my first marathon was a success and I could not be happier that I chose to do it at home on the inaugural "Stadium to Sea" course.

The success did not come easy, though. There were highs, there were lows, and a little of everything in between. And if that's all you needed to know, great! If you are intrigued to read more, please continue but make sure that you have about 20 minutes and a comfy chair because this report is about as long as the marathon itself. You have been warned.

So, let's start at the start, shall we?

Expo day:
Just some photos from lunch at Local in Silverlake with some of my favorite runners and athletes, followed by the LA Marathon Expo.

Liana (@FITTorrent), Me, Linda (@MsV1959), and Sheila (@SheSwimBikeRun)

at lunch at Local in Silverlake. PERFECT way to get FIRED UP!

Arrival at the Expo

Dodger Stadium...where it will all begin

Visiting Danica (@chicrunner) at her booth

Wonder if I can get a head start...

A "brief" pre-race note:

Oddly, I wasn't nervous about finishing this race within my goal because I knew I put in the training to do just that, provided nothing really bad happened. Those last 4 words started to haunt me, though, because the entire pre-race week my right hip had started to be really mean to me. I spend 5 months training basically injury-free and now I couldn't even finish my run on Tuesday and barely could put pressure on that leg at all by the evening. Well, that's not a good thing 5 days before a marathon. I skipped my run on Wednesday and spent the next 3 days icing it, applying Bio-Freeze and Kwan Loong Oil, using Trigger Point rollers and ball, got a last-minute sports massage , a physical therapists opinion, and talked Josh's (aka Speedy Sasquatch) ear off. General consensus was that I was fine to run, it was probably a strain of some sort, and just continue to do what I was doing. I drastically reduced my Saturday pre-race run to an easy 20 minute jog because it still hurt and I really started to question whether I should even be running this thing. This is where being a triathlon coach and a newbie marathoner don't quite mix. I knew I could deal with the pain. I knew I'd cross that finish line no matter what it took. But I also knew that depending where this soreness was coming from, I could cause some serious damage. Well, the "athlete" and the "coach" talked it over and decided that since I was able to walk and run without a change in form and gait, I should at least toe the start line but I'd have to play it smart. I spent all day and night Saturday mentally preparing myself for the fact that I may have to forego my 4:30 goal and incorporate a lot of walking in order to finish, or, at worst, have to drop out completely. Anyone who has ever trained for an event knows that the latter is one of the hardest decisions to ever make and deal with and hence, why I was worried and concerned. Fortunately I had two great supporters to keep me calm on Saturday: my husband Dana (aka BigDnLA) who was the smart one and not running the marathon (but that's only because he's doing an Ironman this year). Without all of his love, optimism, support, and consistent faith in me through my training and race day, I could not even think about doing this marathon.

Dana and I at the LA 13.1 this past January,

where I officially decided to sign up for the LA Marathon

Then our friend Ron (aka PunkRockRunner) traveled down Saturday with his son, Nick, and stayed with us, so he could run his 19th (!!!) marathon here. His advice, humor and sense of calm, kept my type-A, obsessive-complusive control-freak personality in somewhat in check on Saturday, which is no easy task.

Who knew you would need so much for nice little run?

My shirt with my bib and the names of all those that I am running in memory of.

The wake-up call:

My 4AM alarm quickly became the 4AM snooze button. Twice. I actually slept soundly once I finally went to bed and wasn't in any hurry to get out of it. I got up before hitting the snooze alarm a 3rd time, was thankful I was walking with only slight hint of soreness, drank my coffee, made my breakfast shake, and suddenly at 4:50A we were headed to the car, only 5 minutes past our goal leave time of 4:45. That is nothing short of a miracle for me, since I am probably the only type-A, obsessive compulsive control freak who is also consistently late for everything I do.

The arrival at Dodger Stadium:

It took about 12 minutes to get to Dodger Stadium from Culver City so when we arrived I was cursing myself slightly for leaving so early and missing a little extra sleep. (remember that) After about 4 security guards pointed us in 4 different directions, we landed in "The Drop-Off Zone" which internally made me giggle. Its like the title of a bad horror flick and in some ways that was very fitting.

The Drop-Off Zone

We followed all the other half-asleep runners into Dodger Stadium, which I have to say is probably one of the coolest places ever to start a marathon. We walked right onto the field where hundreds of runners were stretching, running, walking, taking pictures, playing on their phones, drinking, eating, staring into space, adjusting their race belts, contemplating what the hell they were doing there, and everything else one does before a marathon. I was just in awe at the array of people...every age, every race and ethnicity, every height and weight, every ability, and of course, every sex. It also seemed like every charity and running group was represented as well. What an amazing sight.

The first of many photos with my arms in the air.

It will become quickly become evident that for some reason this is my signature pose for this race.

The Suite:

So as I mentioned before, I joined up with the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Training Team and found out a few days before the race that since they were one of the official charities of the LA Marathon, they had a suite in the stadium for their team. Since Ron and I were carpooling together to the race and planning to pace each other, the foundation very, very kindly gave him a wristband as well to get into the suites. Jealous? Well, next year, join the Hirshberg team with me and...oh crap, did I just say next year??

This is how we roll before the marathon

I think I would have donated the entire minimum donation amount myself if I had to just to ensure that I had access to those bathrooms. If you are from the Hirshberg Foundation or from the LA Marathon team that hooked this up .... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I think I used it about 27 times. I didn't have to go that much, but I liked just being able to go in there.

Shortly after we got there we met Hilary. She came all the way from South Carolina for her first marathon. Her father traveled with her and the reason she chose this event and this organization was because her mother passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2008, only 11 weeks after diagnosis. Add to that, her husband is currently in Afghanistan, on his 4th tour of duty. Wow. What an inspiration she was to us that morning. She could not have been happier to be there and I could not have been more in awe. Thank you, Hilary, for sharing your enthusiasm and your story. You and the battles that your family fought with this cancer and the ones they are now fighting overseas were some of most incredible motivations I could have on this day.

Hilary and I at the Hirshberg Celebration Dinner

Shortly after we got to the suite, Dana texted me to say that the traffic on the freeway headed to the stadium was hideous and we picked the perfect time to leave the house. 5 more minutes and we may have been stuck for hours like many were. Now that I was in this suite, drinking my Gleukos, eating a banana, posting twitter updates, watching the scene on the field, including Gordon Ramsey signing autographs, and the ginormous flourescent green team of SRLA (Students Run LA) getting fired up in the stands, I wasn't so upset about how early we left and very thankful for the last minute email Saturday from the LA Marathon that encouraged a 2 hour early arrival.

Hilary came back from the bathroom and told us that Gordon Ramsey was upstairs going into the different charity suites and meeting people. So of course, Ron, Hilary and I did what anyone would naturally do...stalk the hallways until we found him. I guess it was obvious because his handler spotted us and said he was in the bathroom and would be out in a minute. When he was, we attacked...er, approached him, told him what big fans we were and would he take a picture with us? Yep!

He asked me if this was my first marathon (wonder what is was about me that made it obvious). I said yes and I swear, he was suddenly more excited than I was, telling me to make sure to enjoy every moment and how thrilled he was that I was running this marathon. The nicest man, damn hardbody too, and never once used the f-word. Afterwards, I literally JUMPED AROUND the suite I was so excited. I should have just changed my name on my bib right then and there to "DORK".

Suddenly it was 6:40 and time to head downstairs. We said bye to Hilary and the others, made one last beautiful bathroom stop and took a few final photos...

He is SO gonna get chicked

Can I just ride this to the finish?

Going to the start:

As we got in the elevator, 2 other runners joined us. But not just any runners, these were elites. I don't know which ones, but you just "know" they are elites. They hit "1" on the panel which seemed right to us. When the elevator doors opened, they literally bolted out to the field. Ron and I walked. Maybe that's why security immediatley stopped us and told us we were on the wrong floor and had to go to "2". I'm sure it had nothing to do with how we looked. As we got off the elevator on the correct level, we almost ran back upstairs to use the bathroom one more time just because we could. The lines for the public bathrooms were endless. So, my final plug...join the Hirshberg team or any of the other official charities of the LA Marathon next year, raise money for a great cause and get access to clean, line-less bathrooms (provided everything stays the same next year of course....hopefully...hint hint, hint...)

Join a charity team and you too can get the star treatment

Then you didn't so much as walk to the corrals as simply be moved along like a school of fish. The corrals resembled mosh-pits, complete with people hopping fences and everyone trying to get closer to the front, which kinda cracked me up. As if we aren't all going to eventually cross the start line anyway.

On a side note...I have to admit, I had no idea what "corral" meant in terms of a marathon. I assumed there were literally fenced in corrals set up in the parking lots with people checking off what you put down as your estimated finish time was to ensure you were in the right one. Then, one by one, once the race started they would open up the gates to the corrals and let the runners out. Like cattle. So when we were actually standing in the corral waiting to start, I was confused...where are the corrals? Why are we in the start line already? Oh, this is the corral? oh, ok. Now I'll change that "Dork" sign on my bib to "Idiot". Of course, I still felt like I was in a herd of cattle so I did at least understand why it was called a corral.

Making our way through the "corral"

Waiting for the start:

I had tried to do some of my dynamic warm-ups on the way to the corral without embarrassing Ron too much or tripping anyone, neither of which I was successful at, so once we settled into our spot, I moved over to the fence to try a few toe/calf walks, leg swings, high knees, etc. It was somewhat successful but eventually pointless because the start was now delayed about 25 minutes due to "incidents" on the freeway. Huh? Apparently marathon runners were stuck in traffic on the freeway and just getting out of their cars to run to the start so they didn't miss the race. Even the organized shuttle busses that left Santa Monica at 5:15A only arrived at the Stadium at 7 (its about 20 miles away...you do the math). I have to admit, though, I laughed out loud for awhile hearing that...it just wouldn't be a large event in Los Angeles without traffic delays and freeway incidents. Though I'm sure those runners didn't find it so funny.

Just hanging out at the start

While waiting we talked with a guy standing near us who looked like he runs a marathon every day. He said after the race, he was running the course in reverse and continuing UP Mt. Wilson as part of his training. So, in my best, "Even though I think you're crazy I'll try to sound like I think its perfectly reasonable" voice I asked which ultra he was training for. He said he was training for a run he was doing from Los Angeles to Washington DC in June. Ok. Cool. Have fun with that.
(sidenote: I have since found out, via Bob's comment on Ron's blog, that he is John Radich, a famous Ultra-Runner. Clearly I need to study up on my ultra-runner knowledge. )

Getting Punchy (and apparently that's John Radich on the far right)

Oh...the helicopters. There were quite a few hovering, really making you feel like you were someplace special. It felt like we were about to start the Tour de France.

Finally the National Anthem (yes, I teared up as I do with EVERY national anthem I have ever listened to) and the race start. Its a little different than a tri...the gun (or horn? bell? I don't even remember) goes off and then you...walk. Well, if you are at the front of the 25,000 people, you run. If you are by the 10:00 pace sign like us, you walk. It took about 3 1/2 minutes to get to the start line which is actually good since I needed to warm up again. And once we saw all the thousands of runners still trying to start the race as we completed our circle around Dodger Stadium, I realized we were pretty lucky. Then when I heard that they were playing Randy Newman's "I Love LA" over and over again, until everyone crossed the start line, I was even more thankful to be on the course already.

In past years, the LA Marathon was a loop course that circled downtown and Hollywood. Not exactly a scenic or pleasant route. This year, the marathon has a new owner, Frank McCourt, who also owns the LA Dodgers. The city was thrilled because he has also revamped the race so that it truly showcases our city with an beautiful point-to-point route boasting a “Landmark every Mile”. Its called the “Stadium to Sea” course since we literally run from Dodger Stadium downtown to the Santa Monica Pier, through the “good” parts of downtown, then through Silverlake, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City and Santa Monica.

The beginning (miles 1-6)

The first mile circled Dodger Stadium and who knew the parking lots were so hilly? Not me. Fortunately our attention was diverted by the line of hundreds of men standing along the wall of bushes relieving themselves. Then a woman, who had crawled up the wall to a planter and used it as a toilet, pulled her pants up and ran back down to the race, which ignited one of the loudest crowd hollers I heard all day. It was one of the many times I said to myself "Only in LA".

Exiting Dodger Stadium

Downtown LA is not the most scenic city in the world but it seemed like every corner there was something new and cool to see. I don't remember most of those things right now, but I do remember saying to Ron, "Oh, that's neat, I've never seen that before. But that's probably because I've never been to this part of LA". Such is the type of conversation that Ron had to endure. I don't own a Garmin right now and didn't train with one so I often just judge my pace based on how well I am talking. So I did a lot of talking. Thankfully we saw a lot of people from LA Tri Club and Twitter so we had many people to talk to, including Danica, Billy and Kristen. I have to say, seeing people you know in the middle of a 25,000 person marathon makes you feel pretty darn cool.

One of my favorite parts of the race is whenever there was an incline or decline so that you could see the masses of runners ahead of you. I tried to take a photo of it.

And then I tried again:

Then I decided that taking photos was going to be a lost cause and just hoped that other runners I knew would be taking good ones. Fortunatley they did, and so if you get really bored at any given point here due to the lack of photos, just scroll down to the end of this post (yes, it does end...eventually) for links to their posts. You can also check out this awesome photo-log of the marathon taken by Toky Photography: The Spirit of the Marathon by Toky Photogrpahy

Other cool stuff we passed were the Taiko drummers, the Olivera dancers, the people in yellow TShirts singing, actually EVERYONE that was out playing instruments, singing, dancing, or DJ'ing...the musical energy was endless.

The Gates to Chinatown, the big building with the address number built into it, views of the Hollywood sign and the Observatory, the cool runners mural, Disney Hall, and some tall sign that had names of places and the mileage to them....man, maybe I really should have taken photos. My memory sucks on the specifics but I do remember the general...which is that it was awesome.

It was also very clear in the beginning that we would never be alone on this course. The city was out in full force to cheer, scream, ring cowbells, hold signs, wear costumes, take photos, or simply just to stare at all these crazy people. There was one guy that had some sort of loud device that I'm sure was supposed to make a noise that fires you up but to me it sounded like like a machine gun. Talk about an adreneline rush.

When we reached Echo Park at mile 5, I smiled and suddenly knew that this was all going to be ok. I was very fortunate during my training to be able to 2 training runs with LA Triathlon Club that were organized by Catherine and Jeff/IAmAthlete along the LA Marathon course. One started just outside Dodger Stadium at Sunset Elysian Park (mile 1.6) and went all the way to Mile 19, the other started at Echo Park (Mile 5) and went to the finish at the Pier. So, other than the first loop around Dodger Stadium, I had run the entire course at least once, most of it twice. As any racer of any event will tell you, this is so key to a successful race. I knew what to expect of the course, and what to anticipate with my body. Although I will say, it did feel a LOT hillier during the marathon than it did during the training runs.

LA Tri Club 21 mile Training Run

Mile 5 of the course to the Pier Finish

So, once we reached that mile 5 point, I just told myself this was just like that training day. No different. A few more people. A little noisier. The roads were closed. But really, just run your own race, the race you planned.

Easier said than done.

I kept getting excited and this mile marker was no different so for about the 27th time Ron had to tell me to slow down, I was in the 9-something pace zone. (I told him to tell me whenever we went below 10, and ideally we needed to be at 10:30 for the first 5-ish. Apologies and thank yous, Ron). First time marathoners will hear it over an over again: don't go out too hard, remember to keep the pace slower than slow at the beginning, save yourself, etc etc etc. I knew it. And I really thought I was. But wow, I guess the crowds, the excitement, and the fact that you do feel really good make you creep that pace up without even realizing it. I know I would have checked myself at each mile marker if I didn't have Ron's Onstar-Garmin services, but that would not have been enough. So, yes, for the next marathon, I will get a pace watch. Wait, why do I keep referencing the NEXT marathon....yeesh...

At this point, anything that had given me issue in training (right hip and right toes specifically) were in good shape. My chafing thighs, however, were not. It was somewhere during this time I realized that I forgot to put on BodyGlide. Well, I didn't so much realize it as my chafing thighs told me I did. Soon after we passed a medics handing out toungue depressers. Too bad I asked Ron what that was for AFTER we passed them since they were handing out vaseline on those things for people just like me. Oh well, I'll catch the next medical station...which was many miles later. There were people with little tubs of vaseline that I contemplated breifly about putting my hand in to get some then thought better of that idea. Especially given where I needed to rub that vaseline. On a sidenote...once I did finally put on vaseline, I could not cleanly get it off my hands, which meant it got all over my water bottle tops when I opened them. It was drinking water from...well, a tub of vaseline. Ugh.

Miles 6-10
So by now we have passed about 79 aid stations. Ok, not that many, but honestly, I couldn't keep track of what was an official aid station and what was being set up by local businesses and neighbors because there was so much. Water, Powerade, candy, oranges, banana, cookies, mini-cartons of soymilk (which I couldn't quite understand why that would be a good idea for anyone running), and who knows what else. I actually ignored most of it because I didn't want to be tempted. I had a very specific nutrition plan for this race and wanted to stick to it. (Nutrition for the day listed at end of the post.) But it truly made me smile to think that people actually went to the store or prepared food and drink for people they didn't know doing something they probably thought was completely insane. The human spirit at its best.

Other than the amazing continuation of crowd support, music and entertainment, I don't remember much about this section. My legs were getting sore already. I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed with my pace because of that. But at the same time, I couldn't believe were about to hit 10 miles. It suddenly was all going too fast. I needed to look around and enjoy more. Take in the sights, look up, and remember every moment. Uh, sure. Whatever. I'll come back next week and take photos. Where's that mile 10 banner?

Miles 10-20:

Turning the corner just past Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood

I decided that Ron should not have to endure any more of my constant pace questions, random thoughts, and my not-so-Scent-of-a-Woman, so I was going it alone here, but I missed him. Making fun of things in your own head is not nearly as fun as doing it with someone else. :-) People continued to pass me left and right, literally, but I really didn't care. I was running my own race. I started really looking around at all the runners...and thought about how every single one had a different reason for being here, everyone sacrificed something different in their life to train and race, everyone was probably thinking and feeling something different at this moment, but despite those differences, right now, we were all the same. Beautiful marathon runners. I suddenly wanted to talk to all them and ask them their stories. I wanted to encourage all of them. But I knew that wasn't really feasible, so I just tried to cheer anyone who seemed to really need it and in my head I thanked them all for being here, for pushing me, for inspiring me. I remembered my own story, my reasons, my own hard training, and focused on my race. I talked to myself, encouraged myself, cheered myself (also in my head...or at least I hope I did) because dammit, I deserved to have a great race today. All of us deserved a great race today.

Cruising down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

So these were the infamous miles of the Hollywood theater and musical landmarks, the walk of fame, West Hollywood and the drag queens, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, West LA and Route 66. I high-fived Batman, saw a woman wearing an a-sexual fatsuit, read so many funny signs (I particularly liked the one that said something like "I'm drunk. Have a great race."), and tried to keep up with 2 guys wearing sombreos and colorful blanket (really??). I pondered at all the evangelical speakers out there (my favorite group is the one that was downtown on a bridge with signs basically telling us we need to save ourselves before we go to hell. I remember thinking that marathon runners were the last people they should be marketing themselves to, then around mile 18 I realized by "hell" they meant the marathon itself.) These were the sights and sounds that made this course special and that make LA special. Even though I had driven past them all hundreds of times, even though I did training runs though each of these parts, there is nothing like seeing it through the eyes of a marathon. Today, those eyes were wearing rose colored glasses.

Am I getting a little too sappy and sentimental? Maybe that's because I actually felt that about midway through this section. I remember seeing the Mile 15 marker and thinking"Holy Crap, Mile 15 already?? This thing is almost over? I'm not ready for it to be over, I'm having too much fun! I want to remember everything!". Yes, feel free to laugh out loud here because I know that this is a reaction that only a newbie marathoner can have at mile 15.

A quick back-up...at the halfway point I checked in with my watch and calculated I was still on schedule for a 4:30 as long as I did continue to pick up the pace and finish strong at the end. Like all my training runs. But I knew full well by now that training runs are nothing like the real thing. So I picked up the pace a little and hoped for the best.

Random thought...wow, people fart a lot during a marathon.

So it was during this section of the race is also where I saw some much needed and appreciated local love. Cindy had a sign up with her Twitter name so I spotted her easily and she ran with me for a bit which was great - thanks for the support, Cindy!

Cheer Alley cracked me up because I kept thinking of "Bring It on" and wondered if there was a cheerocracy happening out there. Most of the squads seemed to be cheering together, and but there were a few rogue squads were doing their own thing. No matter what, though, it was very cool.

A while later I saw this sign:

Some much-needed love in Century City

I didn't recognize the person holding it but the other person was also holding a sign that said Danica's name on it and so I quickly assumed this must be Andrea (@andreanalyne) and ran over screaming "Hi!!! I'm Nina!!! Thank you!!!"Honestly, the things we are propelled to do and say while running a marathon...hope I didn't freak ya'll out, Andrea, and thank you so much for that support - I loved it!

Around mile 18 I saw my name on another sign and I thought, hmmm, wonder if that is for me. I looked up, saw it was my good friends Sheridan and Simon. I nearly caused a full blown domino effect catastrophe as I bolted across the road to give them a hug. I had no idea they were going to be out so seeing them was like injecting liquid rocket fuel. I was on fire now!

But so was my knee.

Just around miles 18 or 19, I think, whatever was probably bugging my hip this past week, traveled to my knee. Sharply. That didn't surprise me. Knee pain is often the result of something in the hip flexor area. Not to mention having half of your kneecap removed at age 16 from a stupid mogul skiing accident...but I digress. I temporarily thought of quitting, justifying that something could be really wrong. That lasted about 20 seconds. Instead I decided to go to my plan B of incorporating more walking. I did a modified 10/1 run/walk plan. Modified because I didn't really stick to that exactly. Sometimes I walked after 5 minutes. Sometimes after 15. Sometimes I only walked :30. The important thing was I was walking which I think is key to what got me to the finish. Next time, I'm going to fully train with a run/walk plan. Ack..there's that damn "next" again.

So here's where I stumbled into the the support station that wins "Best Intention but Worst Idea Ever". The Salon Pas Pain Spray Stop. As I approached, and figured out exactly what it was (people spraying Salon Pas Pain Relieving Spray on the runners legs) I thought that sounded awesome for my knee, so I ran over. I stood there for about 5 seconds waiting for spray before I started choking. When about 50 people are spraying this medicated stuff in a very small area its somewhat akin to walking into a toxic waste plant without a gas mask. Uh, no thank you. I ran away to the other side of the road, spit about 6 times, and decided I was about to learn exactly what it meant to run in pain. (If you are with Salon Pas and reading this, may I suggest a topical next time?, or just slapping patches on? I truly appreciate your efforts, support and sponsorship of this event, but it was unfortunatley noxious for the runners and volunteers).

I had to find another way to tackle the knee pain, and general soreness that had long since made itself quite at home in my legs. So I started thinking about all the names on my back. They and their families and freinds had battles far more challenging and painful that I would ever have in a marathon. I was so lucky to be out here, so lucky to be able to decide to do a marathon, to be able to train, to be able to show up on race day and spend the next several hours running through this fabulous city. I had to remember those couldn't and that was why I was here. I drew from each of them, many of who I never met. I drew from their friends and families who made generous donations and shared their stories with me. I also thought about my husband, Dana, who is a leukemia survivor and as I wrote earlier, my lifeline in all my athletic endeavors; my mom, a breast cancer survivor, and my dad, who both have always supported me with incredible love and enthusiasm in everything I decide to do...

Mom, Dad, my brother Garry and I last Christmas

...my best friend, Jenny, who I have known forever, who lost her mother to Pancreatic Cancer about 3 years ago, and is training for her 1st marathon, The Pittsburgh Marathon...

Jenny and I at a 5k in Pittsburgh last October

...all my friends and family rooting for me throughout the country; my runner, triathlete, and cyclist friends on DailyMile and Twitter who encouraged and motivated me through training; and of course, the entire city of Los Angeles, who was cheering all of us like were the Lakers or the Trojans at a championship game. How could I NOT run...run faster...run harder...run stronger?

Yeah, I didn't have answer for that either.

Mile 20:
I didn't hit a wall. I didn't hate the hills. Please don't hit or hate me.

Entering the VA...what IS it with me and the arms in the air today?

I did, however, get passed by the 4:30 pace group. Whoaaaaa....uh-uh. I have not come this far to not make my goal. (If you were a part of the Clif Bar 4:30 pace group, I would love to hear your thoughts on that group.) I had to stop to get a rock out of my shoe (how does THAT happen?) and gave myself a virtual pat on the back for my quick shoe on-and-off skills from my triathlon transition training. I decided rather than sprint to catch the group, though, I would stay my pace and keep them in my sights, never more than about 200-300m ahead of me. Having this focus point worked well. The VA support team through the campus was great. But the icing on the cake was going to be Mile 21. Unlike 99% of the runners, I knew what was coming. Or I thought I knew.

Mile 21:

If you ran the marathon, you saw the Purple People Cheering Squad on Mile 21 as you exited the VA onto Santa Monica.

Turning the corner onto San Vicente in Santa Monica

This was my team! This was the official cheering station of Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Training Team. They told us they would have 300-400 people there but oh my word, you have no idea what an impact that will have on you at mile 21 until you experience it. You would have thought I just won the freaking lottery - ran along every single person, high fived them, screamed, yelled, and jumped up and down. Thank you purple people!!! Click here for more photos of this awesome station and team!

Miles 21-23:
Remember when I said I didn't mind the hills in the VA. Don't worry, they got their revenge. That long slow hill of San Vicente until 26th street that was 2 miles long felt like 10. Funny, I really had it in my head that once I got to SV, it was all downhill. So did the dozens of people cheering and telling us that, apparently, bless their enthusiastic and mis-informed little hearts.

Up until this point I had not taken advantage of the firemen and their hoses (HEY get your mind out of the gutter!). I wasn't hot (temperature wise, and certainly not in my looks at this point) but I ran through a couple of water sprays anyway just for kicks.

I suddenly remembered that I never responded to my good friend Meredith's email asking what I would be wearing. She lives at mile 22 and was going to be out cheering. Thankfully she called Dana, got the outfit description and spotted me. Oh, Meredith, I can never thank you enough for your hug, cheers, and running along side me for about a 1/2 mile. Your support, smile, and, let's face it, the distraction from everything else I was feeling at the point, was awesome.

Throughout the race, it seemed that there were a lot of spectators taking photos and video of me. Now, I know, it wasn't me, it was of the general race, or maybe the person behind me was famous. But I did have a random thought that if someone created a website where you could upload any random photos of racers that you may have taken and racers could search them easily well, that could be kinda cool. Oh the crap you think of to take your mind off the pain.

Pain. By now, for me, it was my right knee. I tried to run on the grass median but it was too tough with all the people cheering. I thought again about stopping, but then I walked a little and it felt better. And really, quitting now? I don't think so. And then that damn 4:30 pace group passed me again. I don't remember when I passed them but no way was I missing my goal now. I had been calculating my splits every mile the entire race and I was dead on for 4:30 without a minute to spare. So once again, I picked it up and kept them in my sights. And with a lifted pace came a lifted spirit. I was really here, really doing this, and really proud of myself.

I decided to run close to the side of the road so that everyone cheering could easily read my name on my bib. I high-fived everyone who would put their hand out. I especially loved the little kids who had absolutely no idea what was happening. With everyone who shouted any words of encouragement with my name attached, I felt stronger. It was incredible. Actually, it didn't matter if my name was said or not. I suddenly felt like I had Superman's ears, picking out every "Thank you for running!", "You're amazing!", "Runners are our heroes!", "We're so proud of you!"and using them to fill up my gas tank for one last turbo engine blast. I wasn't sure why someone would thank me, or think I was a hero for wanting to inflict this kind of pain willingly on myself, but I took it. It was free energy and better than any food or drink I could ever ingest.

The intersection of 26th Street and San Vicente is somewhat infamous in the Westside cycling and run world. Its a common meeting or turnaround spot for runners and cyclists...in fact, San Vicente in general is running and cycling central for this part of town. But I was looking for 26th in particular because that's where the course goes downhill and there's only about 5k left. Only. Never has a word seemed so shallow.

Mile 23-25:
Thankfully my knee had gone numb by now and I just didn't care anymore either. I deserved this race and after all, the faster I ran, the faster it would be over. The downhill grade, the ocean mist and cooler air, and my now near-psycotic pursuit of a sub 4:30 allowed me to pick up my pace enough to pass the 4:30 pace group and never look back. For the umpteenth time that day, I said outloud to myself, "Kick this course in the ASS, girl. Let's GO!". Why I chose those phrases, I have no idea. They are not original. Its just what would come out when I needed to push myself. I gotta come up with something a little more creative. But now, they worked. Up ahead, through the mist was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen...the mile 25 banner and the turn onto Ocean Avenue. I had this, this course was MINE!

Mile 25-26:
Prior to the race I told people that I felt like the turn onto Ocean would be like my own personal Ali'i Drive at the Kona World Championship. And those first 200m felt just like that. The noise as you rounded that corner was overwhelming. I seriously felt like a superhero. According to a very cool little chart that GregKnottLeMond put together for me, I was actually running pretty well too.

I still kept to the right side for that extra name-calling support, though. Its addictive. Anyone who tells you running isn't selfish is wrong. Race day is all about the athlete, and quite frankly, that rocks. We train hard, and race day is our reward. I was soaking up every second of it. Every "Go Nina!" "Looking strong, Nina!" "Hey, Nina! Over here, Nina!"

Huh?

I looked to my left and there he was...Dana. And yes, I am tearing up as I type and remember his smile and cheers. This was really happening. So again, I did the Frogger-Style road cross because even though I was still terrified of missing my 4:30, I was NOT going to miss getting a hug and kiss from my husband before I finished my first marathon, as you can see from this photo-sequence (not sure which once I am? Never fear, I eventually put those damn arms in the air again. I bet I could have finished a few minutes faster if I didn't feel the need to emulate Rocky everytime I saw a camera).

Now it was onto the final stretch. Finally.

Mile 26-26.2:
I don't think I ever took my eyes off that finish line sign. Or the clock. I truly ran like I was being chased. But in my peripherals I saw the sponsor barricades holding thousands of people back. Running through the finish shoot is truly indescribable. As I crossed the finish line, I put my hands up in the air and think I may have even shouted something dorky like "I did it!" because guess what? I did - 4:27:23.

Crossing the finish at 26.2

The Finisher's Area:
Or as I like to call it, the Day of the Living Dead. I remember watching the finish of the New York Marathon when we lived in New York, and thinking that all of those people looked sickly and miserable. Why in the world would I do something like that to myself? Well, here I was, amongst those people, and while I was so proud and excited, I also saw that the scene I remembered was the same here. Runners sprawled on the ground everywhere, runners moving around in a slow, zombie-like state, runners just standing or leaning on something, staring into space.

I got my medal, had 3 different photographers take my photo, and coveted my hard-earned foil blanket (those things work!).

Then I laughed out loud as I saw the signs pointing to finisher's pictures area...really? We could all not look more disheveled and disgusting, but hey, why not. So I headed over there for another photo.

As I tried to bend over to set my stuff down I got my first taste of just how much pain I was about to be in for the next few days. As I continued walking down the street - 2 blocks to the get to the family area? really? 2 blocks suddenly felt like 2 miles - I collected water, fruit cups, some bags of something, until my hands were full. Then put myself through the ordeal of setting everything down on the ground again as I got this victory shot:

I made from the the Stadium to the Sea!

I never did walk down to the party on the beach. I barely even found Dana, due to a major ATT iPhone FAIL - I couldn't call, email, text, or twitter anyone. In hindsight we should have just gone down to the family area but the thought of going DOWN to the beach then back UP to the street was not an option at the time. Plus Dana was no where near the beach, the crowds were hard to get through, and I needed a real bathroom. Somehow we finally connected on Colorado and Dana led me straight to the Holiday Inn near the finish, where we had helped our friend Johan and his family from South Africa find a hotel for their 3 day vacation in Santa Monica after he raced at the Kona World Championships. Well, thanks to visiting them during thier stay here, we knew the layout of the lobby, made a beeline for the bathroom, cleaned up with ActionWipes, and changed clothes, including lifesaving compression socks. There was a little couch outside the bathroom where I plopped down and delved into the cooler Dana brought, filled with Coconut Water, Chocolate Milk, Ice Packs, BioFreeze, and beer. I wonder if you can cryogenically freeze yourself from using too much BioFreeze?

Best post-race support EVER

Ron's son was with us and getting updates from Ron, who was about 30 minutes from the finish. Given the insanity of the crowds at the finish, and the fact that my legs had finally stopped working, I stayed in the lobby while Nick went to greet Ron and bring him back to our little oasis in the back corner hallway of the Holiday Inn. Ironically it was just outside the entrance to the fitness center filled with treadmills. Ha.

I was so happy to see Ron. I thought about him and the battle he was fighting out on the course throughout the race. Without his pacing and humor for those first 10 miles, my last 16.2 would have been very different, and not in a good way.

How we wanted to feel

How we really felt

Well, that's it. I'm not sure which is more of a marathon...Sunday's race, or this race report. Oh well, it's my first marathon. And my first race report for that matter. I just want to finally say just how proud I am of everyone on that course - the runners, the supporters, the sponsors, the organizers, the police, the volunteers, the elites...everyone. It was a honor to run my first marathon with each of you.

Funny, I kept trying to type "only" marathon instead of "first" but my computer kept deleting it. Hmmm....

Thanks for reading and all the best to you and your health,
Nina

MY NUTRITION FOR THE DAY

4:30A: 1 cup coffee with skim milk
5A: Breakfast shake made with water, whey isolate protien powers, banana, natural peanut butter
6A: Banana
Between 5:30A-7A: 1 /12 servings of Gleukos sports drink
Throughout race:
~2 packets of Gleukos sports drink
~Water - LOTS
~Salt pill at 1:00, 1:45, 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 3:45, 4:15
~Energy paste - 1 tbsp at 2:00, 1/2 tbsp at 3:00, 1/2 tsbp at 3:30
(Energy paste is toasted cornmeal, Almond peanut butter, Chia seeds, honey, dried cranberry, dry oatmeal, and cinnamon mixed and rolled into tbsp size balls, put into a mini ziplock in my pouch)
~Also about 4 orange slices between miles 10-25
Immediately post Race: 2 Fruit cups, water, Coconut Water

Please note that I trained with this kind of nutrition. I never have GI Distress, my energy remains consistent, and I never feel hungry. For more information on Metabollic Efficiency Training, please check out: Fuel4Mance Bob Seebohar

COOL LOOK AT MY "STATS"
Nina's Race Stats

GREAT PHOTO BLOG OF THE LA MARATHON:

The Spirit of the Marathon by Toky Photography

COOL TIMELAPSE VIDEOS OF THE LA MARATHON:
Cody Westheimer Video Silverlake Video

OFFICIAL LA MARATHON VIDEOS:
LA Marathon Course LA Marathon Course Animation Don't forget to look Up

OTHER RUNNER'S RACE REPORTS AND VIDEOS VERY WORTH READING AND WATCHING:
PunkRockRunner's Race Report (with photos)
ChicRunner's LA Marathon Race Recap (with photos and videos)
MsV's Open letter the LA Marathon (have your kleenex handy)
MsV's Gymnotes - Part 1 and 2 Race report (with photos)
LARunr LA Marathon Report (with photos and videos)
The Running Fat Guy (race report and video)
Run With Perserverance (race report and videos)
Cat's Calls (report and photos)
Run Bob Run (report and video)

AND ONE MORE TO END ON A HUMOROUS NOTE...
The Day After the Marathon

If you have a blog race report or link that you would like me to add here...please email me! Thanks!

Transition: Motivations

2010-01-17T15:01:00.001-08:00

January 17th, 2010 was going to be my first run that is longer than 13.1 miles. With each long run, I seem to compose a new blog post in my head. When someone comes up with the technology to translate my stream of thoughts directly to an eBlogger post, I will be forever grateful (and slightly worried) because I have fallen into this lovely habit of typing in my thoughts and notes directly into a draft post as soon as I am done running with every intention of writing a full post as soon as I stretch, shower and eat. Yeah, that clearly has worked out REALLY well since this particular post was drafted on January 17th and I'm now writing it on February 20th. I am still dating it Jan. 17th and I'm probably breaking some major law of the blogdom world by doing so. Oh well.

So I almost didn't do this run. My right leg was really sore in a particular spot for the first time during all of my training. And because this kind of training is new to me, I wasn't sure if my soreness was "normal" or an alarm. I am terrified of injury and very aware that most injuries could be prevented if the warning signs were listened too. So was this a warning sign?

Well, I decided to run anyway, And during the run, I thought a lot about motivation. As in, why, despite this strange soreness in my upper right leg, was I running? What motivated me today? In fact, what motivated me to train for this marathon at all? Or train for anything? Or do anything on any given day? Ok, now I'm getting a little too broad...but think about it: everyday we are motivated by something or someone to do whatever we do. And those motivations are always changing and in transisiton, if you will (Got to sneak that releationship in there somehow, right?)

What motivates you to train, to race, to support others who do the same?

Here is a list of what I think my motivations were for this particular run, one that I really wasn't sure if I should do, but I did it anyway:

1. Its in my training plan. And after all, to us endurance junkies, the training plan is pretty much a Bible of sorts. If its in there, we better do it no matter what or else we'll feel guilt, remorse, and sadness that we'll confess to everyone on Daily Mile or Twitter or our blog that we screwed up and then we'll go out and do double the training the next day as penance. (Sorry, I was raised Catholic, I can't help the reference.) Of course, this does not mean its a proper motivation, but it is one nonetheless.

2. This week I was back to work on a TV show, filling in for a friend, and I knew that there was not way I could get a long run in during the week. Since work (including drivetime) took about 14 hours each day, there physically would not be enough hours unless I gave up sleep. Uh, no thanks.

3. I was curious. I had never run more than a 13.1, even in my half-ironman training, so I was very curious to see how this run would go. I suppose that some would call it a sickness, rather than a curious nature. To each his or her own.

4. Along the lines of "sickness", I also wanted to experiment running with this new pain in my leg. Was it a part of training (most likely not, but I know running is not without soreness). Would it get worse? Would it be constant? Could it possibly get better as I ran? And I figured this might be a good experiment so when our athletes experience the same thing we would have first experience to know what to tell them to do. Or not to do. Or at least be able to say "I know your pain" without lying.

5. It was a pretty nice day. I know, I know, I live in Southern California, isn't it always gorgeous? Actually no. Especially in winter. No, we don't have 32 inches of snow like you guys that insist on living in the Northeast, Mid-East, Mid-West, etc etc etc have right now. But it does rain, it does get chilly, and while today was starting out sunny and warm, it was going to turn into one of those ugly days later. I am a born-an-bred northeast girl and will never get it out of my blood that when it is nice out, I have to be outside. Period.

6. I know that no matter what, I always feel better after I train. Even a bad training session seems to be better than no session at all.

7. Just log onto Daily Mile and Twitter and athlete blogs. Motivation to the umpteenth power. And I desparatley want to to be a part of it each day. Enough said.

And so with that, I ran. I would do a little self-massage of my leg every 20 minutes or so while I ran which actually seemed to help. Then about halfway through the run, I approached the Santa Monica pier, which is the finish line for the LA Marathon. To be honest, I had not really thought about the fact that this was part of my run because I often run over here. But today it sunk in. I would be finishing right here. Suddenly I heard the cheers. I saw the finish line. I listened to the music. I high-fived my friends. I smiled and laughed and cried at my accomplishment. Oh crap, I really did have a few tears in my eyes. Wow, visulization is a powerful tool. And so I add another motivation to my list...

8. The finish line. And the immense desire to cross it with a smile and a few tears of joy, not pain.

Around 2:15 into the run, I had :30 minutes left. (my runs are actually based on time, not mileage). And since almost the entire 2nd half of my run was uphill, I was tired. It was about to be the longest 30 minutes of my life. So I had to come up with another motivation. And really, it was about the simplest one of all.

9. Because I can.

This past week has been a devastating week for so many. The earthquake in Haiti. My good friend lost his wife to complications of H1N1 and pneumonia. Another friend's 21-yr old son died of unknown causes suddenly. The countless family, friends, co-workers that are battling any given number of illnesses, hardships, or troubles. And here I am, in beautiful Southern California, running on my own 2 legs, and wishing my 30 minutes was almost over. My mood didn't completely turn around thinking about that, because, let's face it, training is hard. No matter how motivated you are, there will still be training days that you can't wait to be over with. But remembering that this gift of being able to train could be taken away tomorrow helped me to keep putting one foot in front of the other and oddly, a little quicker than I just had 10 minutes earlier.

Everyone has different motivations for deciding to run a marathon, race in a triathlon, participate in a cycling event, or sign up for any type of endurance event, whether it be a 5k or ultra-marathon, a sprint or an ironman, a century ride or RAAM. They may want to:

Do something they have never done before
Lose weight
Raise money for charity
Race for a personal record
Help support a friend
Or they may just truly enjoy the sport and just can't imagine NOT doing it

My own motivation for doing the LA Marathon has evolved. Marathon was added to my "life's to do list eventually" last year because it seemed like, as a endurance athlete, something that should be on the list. I started considering LA in '10, though, because I had finally started enjoying running (see previous blog post) and well, why wait any longer to accomplish something that is on my list. This year they changed the course to a route that is actually scenic and enjoyable. I know many other people running it and even more that will come out to support me. My work schedule is light during these months compared to later in the year. No travel expenses involved. And my half-marathon time in January showed I was right on track for the training. Everything seemed to just fall into place and pointed to the infamous slogan... "Just Do It". So I committed. In my brain and in my training. But not with an actual registration. Why? I'm not sure.

Then I received an email from the Hirshberg Foundation stating that it was the last chance to sign up for their LA Marathon training program which also benefitted the Pancreatic Cancer foundation. For $100 ($25 cheaper then registration) you got training plans, information, and only had to raise a minimum of $1000. Bingo. My closest friend from my childhood, also a runner (training for her 1st marathon this year, the Pittsburgh Marathon) lost her mother a few years ago to this awful cancer that seems to have no cure. She never met her 2nd grandson and hardly new her 1st. I know that my friend misses her dearly everyday. One of my mentors and early bosses in the film industry lost his life to this cancer after a valiant battle a couple years ago. Another co-worker of mine lost his wife to it. And of course, there's Randy Pausch, Patrick Swayze, Michael Landon, Luciano Pavarotti, Gene Upshaw and thousands more. Well, I didn't have a charity event yet this year ( I try to do at least one every year) so within about 5 minutes, I was finally signed up officially. And thus, my top 10 motivations completed.

10. To raise money that will help fund research for a cure for Pancreatic Cancer

Motivations can change every year, every month, every day, even in an hour. I think its important to stop and think about our motivations every once in awhile. If for no other reason than to rejuvinate yourself and realize just how amazing you are for taking on something that not many do. Its easy to forget that when the endurance events an training become a part of our daily lifestyle.

In case you feel motivated to help me raise funds to end the devastation of Pancreatic Cancer, please click here:

http://bit.ly/NinaLAMarathon

No matter what though, never forget what motivates you!

*Since this post was written weeks after this particular run, I feel compelled to add a footnote that my leg is fine. The more I run, the less soreness I have, which is not necessarily typical so please do not use this post as medical advice if you have pain of any sort while running. I go to a sports masseuse and between us both, we are pretty darn sure that the soreness is my one of my outer quad muscles that is connected to scar tissue in my knee from a surgury 20 years ago, and therefore creates extra stress on that muscle. I also follow these guidelines, though, that I beleive contribute to my relativly injury free training.
-Walk 5-10 minutes before and after every run
-10 minutes of dynamic warm-ups before every run
-10-15 minutes of stretching after every run
-trigger point roller/ball therapy on my legs for about 10 minutes after almost every run
-ice baths after long runs
-protein recovery shake after runs
-weekly sports massage during the final weeks of training (only $60 plus tip! right here in LA!)
-majority of runs are on packed dirt, grass, sand or wood chips.

Transition: Non-Runner > Runner (almost)

2010-01-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

I used to love the phrase "I only run when chased". Well, I do still get a kick out of it. But it doesn't describe how I feel about running anymore. I am still wary of calling myself a "runner" (after all, I have not run a marathon (yet), my first 13.1 that wasn't attached to a triathlon was just this past weekend, and my speed is, well...not fast). But I no longer think of running as an escape in a bad situation. Its finally an escape to a good place.

I first ran in the 6th grade. My teacher apparently saw something in me that made him think I would be a good distance runner. He encouraged me to join the cross-country team and even gave me a book "Running for Women". This was in the early 80's and I was about 12. Somehow, running through the woods was not nearly as appealing as playing basketball, especially since at 5'4" I towered above everyone. So, I never really pursued running that year.

As I entered high school, I was still 5'4". (ok, at this moment I am still 5'4". That 6th grade growth spurt peetered out pretty quickly.) I still loved basketball but was no longer the towering giant so I explored other sports. Remembering the support from my 6th grade teacher, I tried out for the Track and Field team. That was funny. I was assigned to the 800m sprint. Seems that no one wanted that event in the meet that week, but if our school didn't have a representative in the event, we would be disqualified. Or something like that. Come to think of it, maybe that was all BS and it was just a ploy to give the rest of the team some distracting humor during the meet. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Which became very clear when I was lapped by everyone...in an 800m sprint. Ok, it is pretty funny. Needless to say, I quickly abandoned the T&F team (after briefly entertaining the thought of doing shotput because it didn't require running. Unfortunately, it did require muscles, though.)

I had very little running in my life after that. I did continue to play basketball, despite the fact that my coach's nickname for me was "the Clydesdale" and I was the back-up point guard. My friends and I started a rowing club that became rather successful and was an enormous amount of fun. It also did not require any running. In college, I was friends with a runner who somehow convinced me to join him on a trail around a local golf course. I do recall enjoying the experience and I think I may have even done it a few times. But getting up that early really cut into my late-night party time so that, too, was short-lived.

So jump to a couple years ago, when I signed up for my first triathlon. A sprint. Which meant running a 5k at the end of the race. I trained. I didn't like it. At the race I was passed by...well, everyone. Ditto the next couple sprint triathlons. There was one that I recall where the only person I passed was walking, and then I realized that person was not even racing, they were spectating. Talk about depressing.

Like just about anything in life, though, running improves with experience, whether you like it or not. My last tri that season was an Olympic distance, which meant a 10k at the end, after a 24 mile bike ride that finished with a 6 mile uphill climb. Well, I wasn't fast. But I wasn't last. In fact, I even passed some people. The following year I did my first half-ironman and the strangest thing went through my head when I was at about mile 50 of the 56 miles ride: "Man, I can't wait to get off this f&%$#@! bike and start running."

WHAT??!!

I laughed out loud as soon as I thought it. Anyone around me must have thought I was hallucinating. But if you know me, you know cycling is my strongpoint and my passion. The exact opposite of running. The excitement was short lived though, as I realized about 3 miles into the run that I was really only excited about running because it meant I wasn't sitting on my bike saddle anymore. (56 miles in a race is very different than a 56 mile Sunday ride). Cut to this past October, when I did my 2nd half-ironman, the Longhorn 70.3 in Austin. Despite the course being much "rollier" than I expected, I shaved :16 off my per minute/mile average. Ok, I'm still not fast. And I didn't have that infamous Chrissie Wellington smile on my face that I thought I did, apparently ("Nina, that isn't a smile in that photo, that's a grimace.") But I was continuing to improve and with improvement, comes enjoyment. Or at least, less hatred.

Wow, I do not know how to write a short blog. Sorry. Good time to take a bathroom break, though, if you need it.

Longhorn was the last race of my 2009 season. I decided I was going to mountain bike and try cyclocross as my off-season "stay fit but don't burn out" sports. However, work had different plans for me. In my other life I am an assistant director in television and was lucky enough to be hired on a new show that was filming in Nashville during November in December. My husband shipped my mountain bike to me at the hotel but why I thought I could put together a bike that I had ridden, like, once in the past 3 years is beyond me. Nearest bike shop was miles away, I had no car, was working about 75 hours a week....blah blah blah...end result is this half-put together mountain bike sat in the corner of my hotel room, starting at me with great disdain. I had to defeat it by doing something. The hotel didn't have a pool so swimming was out. But here I was, in the middle of this brand new city, with gorgeous roads and parks and rolling hills. I know you aren't supposed focus only on running during your off-season. But I was desperate.

Some days I ran before work through Vanderbilt campus and the all the surrounding neighborhoods. Other days I ran after work. On occasion I hit the hotel treadmill (ugh). On weekends I convinced some co-workers to take me to a local park, Percy Warner, that is quite hilly (its annual marathon boasts 3100ft of climbing) for runs of 6 to 11 miles. I never wore a heart rate strap. Never went out with a plan, I just knew how much time I had to run, and I would go. Running became my tour guide. I couldn't wait to explore everything on my feet. All the while the temperatures dropped. This California girl, who's wardrobe is severly lacking for cold-weather running gear, was suddenly putting on 6 cool-max shirts and chenille gloves so I could run in 24 degree weather. I was excited to find ice crystals on my fleece hat as I got in the elevator one day. I left dinners early and turned down a 2nd beer to make sure I would get up and run before work. I planned weekends around my runs. One day I became very cranky for no reason and realized I had not run in 2 days. Ran that night, and voila! Smiles. When I would visit my parents in Pittsburgh, which I was able to do 3 times during my Nashville stay, they always asked if there was anything special I wanted to do, and my answer was always, "no, just need to get some runs in". Because by this point I had signed up for my official 1st half-marathon, the LA 13.1 on Jan. 10th.

You get the picture.

Over the holidays, we were on a bit of a northern California tour to visit family and friends. By now I was up running 1:30-2 hours at a time and there were new places to explore...Redwood forest parks, the Golden Gate Bridge...I felt like a little kid. Seriously. You know how little kids get so excited to do something they just run until they can't anymore? That was me. One day we ran for 2 1/2 hours in San Francisco and I only stopped because I knew our friends were waiting on me for dinner.

Despite all of this, though, I think the defining moment for me that made me feel like I am officially a runner, had to be last week when I went to get a pedicure.

I settled into the chair and just as I was getting comfortable, I nearly kicked the poor technician in the face in reaction to her cleaning off the nail polish off. That toe looked fine though, it was just an ingrown toenail. The next toe, however...black. In all its glory. Ok, black-ish. Ha! I laughed. I smiled. And the tech looked at me like I was crazy. She started speaking to the tech next to her in Vietnamese, and I'm sure it was something like "This girl is crazy. She is laughing and happy that she has a toenail turning black. Do you hear her? She keeps babbling about how much she runs and that's just what happens when you run a lot. Going crazy must also happen." She continued on, and soon I had another knee-jerk reaction, this time to a blister I didn't know I had. More grins. More crazy talk. Finally she asked if I wanted this big white callous on my big toe rubbed off? "What callous? I have a callous?" There it was, not quite on the bottom, but easily hidden from my normal bird's eye view. Man, I have got to start looking at my feet more often. They used to be so pretty. But now, well...now, I think they are gorgeous. I decided for the first time in....uh...ever, to not get any polish. I want to be able to admire these babies. I wanted to watch my black toenail. I wanted to show off my runners feet.

As I drove home with a huge, wacky, deranged smile, I thought about a few other random things that may also mean I have officially made the transition...

*I am one of those crazy people who does not listen to anything while running. I used to. It was the only thing that got me through a run. Then one day I didn't charge my iPod and I ran without. First thing I did when I got home was charge it. Or I thought I did. Turns out it the charger was not plugged in again, I had no iPod. (well I took my husbands but that only lasted about 2 songs...I have got to buy him some music...). The next run I did finally have my music back but interestingly, I found it distracting. I'll save the details for another post but I have gone from "must have music to survive" to "prefer not to listen to anything". That's scary. (PLEASE UNDERSTAND that I do not in any way mean that running with music, podcasts, or an audiobooks is bad...I only bring it up to emphasize how my own attitude has changed toward running)

*For Christmas, my husband bought me a beautiful new purse. I returned it so I could replace my nearly worn-out Newtons. Sorry honey.

*I signed up for DailyMile. For the 3rd time. But now I actually use it. Along with Athlinks and BuckeyeOutdoors. I even started a blog, though I can only hope to be as funny as PunkRockRunner, as informative as ChicRunner, as passionate at Runrgrl, and as inspiring as every other blog out there that I read (check out my list...its a lot).

*When I was filling out the "my favorite books" line in my Blogger profile, "Born to Run" has replaced "A Prayer for Owen Meany" as my favorite book.

*I love seeing runners out on the road. I cheer them on in my head. Or outloud.

*A 30 minute run seems like a nice short workout, even if its speedwork. Ha. Take that, mountain-bike-that-I-couldn't-put-together.

And finally, (yes, finally...I swear I will work on my editing skills), when Dana and I lived in New York in the mid-90's, I remember watching the NY marathon on TV because Dana was working the TV production side of it. And I distinctly remember saying to him "Anyone who runs a marathon is certifiably insane. Who the hell would do that to themselves? I have never seen a healthy looking runner. Forget it. I'm sticking to roller-blading."

Well, sometime this past December I started seriously considering the LA Marathon. This past Sunday I ran the LA 13.1. and I told myself if I could finish under 2:10 I would sign up. I ran 2:08, finished strong and with negative splits. Guess I am now one of the certifiably insane. Which makes sense since I donated my roller blades to Goodwill years ago.

Lucky for you I now have to go run. Or else who knows how long this post would go on....

Transition: Healthy > Having a cold > Getting healthy again

2010-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I didn't mind getting sick. I would eventually be sent home from work, which meant everyone knew I wasn't "faking it". I still got paid and I could then spend the day(s) in bed, curled up with a good book, movies, and tender, love and care from my husband (then boyfriend). It was forced break from work that I never took on my own, and boy, did I know how to take care of myself when I was sick. (I should also mention that I wasn't really a fan of my job, either).

Then I started cycling, swimming and running on a regular basis. And for some reason it seemed like I got sick even more, even though I was living a "healthier" lifestyle. Or perhaps it just felt like it because now when I got sick, I got PISSED. How dare my body turn on me and keep me from pounding the pavement or spinning my wheels? I feed it healthy foods (most of the time), give it plenty of rest (most of the time), exercise regularly (um, that I do...to a fault), and yet at least a few times a year I'm still treated to some sort of illness.

What really amazes me how bad I got at taking care of myself while I was sick. I started asking myself all the questions that we (I am collectively referring to anyone who lives an active lifestyle, including training for events and races) ask ourselves when we have a cold, cough or other minor aches and pains. Like, "Can I still go for a run if my nose is already discharging a kleenex box worth of snot BEFORE I start?" "Is it bad to swim when my cough sounds like I'm a smoker?" "Should I skip my weekly ride just because my head feels like it might explode? I mean, my legs are fine...." Or insert your own question here...you know you have asked it.

These questions amaze me because as athletes, we pride ourselves on making healthy decisions with regards to just about everything in our life (well, maybe not financially healthy) and yet when we are sick, we ignore exactly what our body needs - rest - for fear of losing strength, fitness, speed or endurance. We fear that everything we have just worked so hard for will disapear if we *gasp* sit on the couch for a few days and do nothing. When in reality, we are often sick because our body is craving rest. For whatever reason, something changed in our life that means the amount of sleep we are getting is not balanced with the amount of hours we spend training, working, playing and whatever else fills our day. Actually, that balance is always teetering on the edge with most of us on a daily basis anyway. But add in a few days of "off" eating and drinking, perhaps some traveling, an extra late night or two, some unfortunate weather, or maybe just being exposed to a few extra new germs somewhere, and now your body isn't strong enough to fight off an illness. And the only things that will really make that cold go away is a few good nights sleep, a few good meals, lots of good liquids, and taking it easy during the day.

Yeah, whatever. Pass me the Nyquil, Cold-Eeze, Zicam, Thera-flu, echinacea, zinc, Emergenc-y, Airborne, Tylenol PM, Sudafed, and Benadryl. I'll pack my kleenex, hand-sanitizer, extra sweater, and wash everything down with a lot of hot tea with lemon and ginger and honey while I go to work, take care of the kids, run errands, and oh yeah, squeeze in at least a couple miles on the treadmill because I just can't afford to miss anything. But, um, why is this damn cold taking forever to GO AWAY? duh....

Its no wonder that so many of us get sick over the holidays. I was not immune, literally, to getting a nasty cold myself. Could be because I finished a stressful job in late December, got right on a plane to visit family in snowy Pittsburgh, flew back to LA, then traveled to Northern California for the holidays with family (who had all recently been sick), then spent a few late nights in San Francisco with friends before coming back to LA. All the while I was still running almost daily, including a hilly, Redwood forest 6miler in pouring down rain and a 2.5 hour run in chilling cold San Francisco plus I wasn't on my normal healthy eating regimen (though the Irish Coffees at the Buena Vista Cafe are so good that they are pretty much worth getting sick over.) Add up all the italics, and its actually kind of amazing that I only got a cold and cough.

That is one thing I will say...while I do feel slightly more at risk for illness when I am in training, the degree of illness is not nearly as severe, and the recovery time is greatly reduced. All the more reason to listen to my body and rest when it needs it. Which I did this time. Mostly. While traveling back from SF on Tues. night, the cold had become a full blown snot factory so New Year's Eve and NY's Day were spent on the couch. However, even though I still felt like crap on NY Day, I actually attempted a short run because I have a half-marathon on January 10th and...well...you know. But I felt so crappy that I stopped, put my PJ's back on, and assumed my position on the couch again for 2 more days. I figured that since I am constantly telling people, including my own athletes, not to train until you are healthy again that I should probably take a little of my own medicine. Wow, did it taste horrible. I hate nothing more than sitting around and doing nothing. Well, ok I did something. I started this blog. I caught up on other blogs. I caught up on football and TiVo and books. I slept a lot. I zoned out from the real world for a little while which I have a feeling I may have needed even more than I needed sleep. Did it work? Well, by last night my cold was pretty much gone (which I knew because I didn't have to open a new box of kleenex all day) and I felt good enough physically and emotionally to be able to run for an hour. It wasn't a the prettiest run but the 1st workout after being sick usually isn't. This morning I am still not quite 100%, but I do feel there is that point in recovery where exercise can be good for you. At least I tell myself that, because its much more enjoyable than taking more of my own medicine.

I still plan on running that 13.1 Sunday. I'll let you know if spending a few days on the couch hurt my race. I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, though.

Transition: 149 to 130

2010-01-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

This is the last topic I expected to write about as one of my first topics but since losing 19 pounds in one year without dieting sounds like a bad infomercial (well, not as bad as those new Taco-Bell Drive Through Diet Ads), it seemed like as good a topic as any to start off the year and the blog.

DISCLAIMER:
I am not a nutritionist. I am not a dietician. I am not a doctor. I am not an expert in weight loss, diets, or medicine. (chocolate, football, & twitter, however, are another story…)

I am, however, a 5’4”, 38-year-old woman who always felt like I could lose 5 pounds. Well, it was 5 pounds until about 5 years ago, when it became 10 pounds. Ok, then at my physical last January when I weighed in at 149, it became 15 pounds…at least.

Sound familiar?
Then one day last spring I was collecting clothes to donate and found those pants that I had not worn in years because they were too tight (WHY do we insist on keeping those pants in the closet anyhow?). I tried them on….uh, yeah, they fit. A few more months after that…they were too big. (Now I am DEFINITELY keeping them, even though they belong on some VH1 “remember the 90’s” show). Throughout the year I had trained for and raced two half-ironmans and various other races as well as training through two base periods, worked crazy hours and jobs with less than ideal dietary conditions and training options, and never once did I try to be “on a diet”. Yet I was losing weight.

Still sound familiar? I didn’t think so. Certainly didn’t to me.

I didn’t keep records or notes through the year. After all, I wasn’t on a diet. Well, I did download one of those calorie tracker apps at one point last summer and used it for about a day and a half. I decided I didn’t have time to enter everything I ate. Then realized I probably did have time (just cut 5 minutes of twitter time per day and voila!) but I just wasn’t interested. I didn’t follow any hard-set rules because breaking the rules (which WILL happen) is what gets me into trouble in the first place. You know the routine…”Oh crap, I had a cookie…well, might as well have the whole bag.” I never looked at or recorded total calories burned or matched my training to my eating habits (as in “I better run an extra mile because I had an extra cookie”.)

So what DID I do? Well, being the Type-A, obsessive, organizational list-maker that I am (well, let's face it, isn't triathlon really just a sport designed to be a support group for all the Type-A, obsessive, organizational list-makers in the world?) I decided to detail it right here for you as:

THE LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN MY LIFE OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY 19 POUND WEIGHT LOSS, IN NO PARTICULAR CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OR ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:

(Note: If its written in blue, its a link to an website. If that's obvious, sorry. Remember, I'm still new to this whole blog thing. Thanks.)

I didn't follow a plan, allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted, as long as I was actually hungry. Yep, you heard me. Try it. Its kind of freaky how certain “bad” foods aren’t appealing anymore when you allow yourself to have them anytime. The “bad” foods that I still crave (i.e. chocolate), I no longer crave as often, and can satisfy with a small portion. Thank goodness for Dove dark chocolate minis. Also, I only eat when I am actually hungry, but I make sure to eat whenever I am hungry. What shocks me is how often I am not hungry.

On average, I sleep more each night than I used to. (July is the exception to this rule because the Tour De France in on and I refuse to miss a stage). How? In a nutshell, I put a stop to certain nighttime activities, like watching very those all-important reality shows on my TiVo like “Hell’s Kitchen”. Its amazing how much more sleep you get when you just go straight to bed.

I stopped drinking soda (except for ginger ale when I am sick or a Coke during a rare movie-theater-popcorn-eating outing). Everytime I wanted a soda, I went for a water, sparkling water or unsweetened tea with a little lemonade. Of course, now I’m addicted to Arnold Palmers.

I found something that I love to do everyday that is an active activity which increases my heart rate and burns fat. Basically my daily exercise is my daily fun. Wow, that sounds cheesy. Seriously, though, I truly look forward to riding my bike, swimming in the ocean, going for a run, training for and participating in a race. (I’m still working on actually liking strength training. Any help in that venue is appreciated).

I do not spend all year in high intensity training mode, treating every race as an A race. Instead, I periodize my training, prioritize my races, and therefore, by default, spend more time working out in the “fat-burning” zone during the year.

I drink more water. I drink tons of SmartWater. And not because Tom Brady endorses it. That doesn't hurt, though.

I found a support network with other triathletes, cyclists, runners, swimmers, multisport fanatics, and healthy eaters that I can relate to on Twitter. Its amazing the amount of knowledge, inspiration, courage, support, humor, and friendship that I have gained from this internet phemomenon. Hundreds of people that I never met push me daily to be a better person. Laugh all you want at my virtual world…and I’ll remind you of my 19 pounds that went poof.

I don’t drink as much alcohol. Shocking. But true. I replaced that nightly glass of wine with a nightly class of tea. Ok, ok, I know. Its not the same. But you’d be amazed how addicting that tea has become. And don’t worry, I have not given up wine or beer. That’s like asking me to give up coffee. Or chocolate. Or sleep.

I spend more time with the family and friends that I care about. How does that affect my weight loss? I’m not sure, but something tells me its related.

We now try to do all of our grocery shopping on the outside perimeter of the grocery store (fresh fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy sections) and reduce the amount of snacks and foods that have bar codes (except chocolate).

I don’t get on a scale more than once a week. Actually, more like once a month. Instead, I judge my body weight by how I feel and my clothes are fitting. (Although it is fun now to try to guess my weight before getting on the scale, especially after a long training session.)

I did the Taco Bell “Drive Through Diet”. Ok, of COURSE I didn’t, but I couldn’t resist somehow taking yet another jab at one of the most ridiculous ad campaigns I have ever seen. Having said that, I will admit that I am not immune to the fast food world. For instance, I love Arby’s roast beef with cheese and curly fries. (C’mon, you never tried horsey sauce?) So, on the few occasions when I found myself at the Arby's drive through, I ordered one plain, small sandwich, no cheese and a little bit of Horsey sauce, skip the fries. Here’s the funny part…this past October and November, I was working in another city and living in a hotel. That hotel was across the street from an Arby’s. Even though I had to eat almost every meal out, I never went to the Arby’s and actually never even wanted to. Amazing how your body adapts.

I started trying new foods. Like Kale. OMG. I could eat a kale salad everyday. And quinoa. I have no idea how to actually pronounce it, but I love eating it. Of course, I guess a disclaimer to this is to try new foods that are healthy. (Trying the newest Ben and Jerry’s flavor is fun, but isn’t going to help your cause).

Instead of dressings and condiments on my salads, veggies, soups, etc, I have become addicted Penzey’s Spices Sandwich Sprinkle. On everything. Seriously. Try it.

I’m not afraid of fat in my foods, as long as its not trans-fat. Nuts, cheeses, olives, and avocados are my close friends at snack time.

My grocery list is not based on what coupons I have or what's on special. I have found that if I buy what we really need for the week’s meals and snacks, buy quality foods, and stay away from extraneous, "stock-up", or impulse buys, the bill is about the same as when I shop around store specials and coupons. (By "quality foods", I don't mean organic or expensive. I mean look at the ingredients...you should be able to recognize what they are, if there are even any listed at all.) By doing this, I have now spent less time at the store because I bought exactly what I went in for, rather then deciding what’s cheaper or just wandering the aisles, which means more time for sleep or training or family. I also have now filled the kitchen with foods and drinks that will be more fulfilling and we really want to eat, not empty calories or food that needs a lot of dressing up in order to be appetizing. When I enjoy what I'm eating, and its fulfilling, I actually eat less. Note: Do not confuse what is one sale with what is in season. Fruits and veggies in season are ALWAYS a good thing. Another note: This does not mean that I avoid coupons or what's on special. Trust me, any money I can save at the grocery store means I'm one step closer to another cute pair of running pants. I just don't let them dictate my grocery shopping experience.

Somewhat related to the above, we started buying veggies form a local co-op. Mainly we did it as a way to support local farmers and to try new veggies and fruits. Turns out what we get lasts weeks (yes, weeks) longer than what we buy at the grocery store because they avoid all the “middlemen” delivery processes. Plus you get new foods... like mini purple bell peppers. Uh-huh.

Probably the most important changes I have made, though, I attribute to educating myself about nutrition periodization and incorporating metabolic efficiency training, which I am learning from Bob Seebohar. I have been lucky enough to attend a few of his seminars and his expertise is available to everyone. In a nutshell, nutrition periodization means that I adjust my nutrition to what phase of training I am in. If I am in base, I don’t eat as much and reduce my whole grains/carb intake. If I am in build, I eat more and increase my whole grain/carb intake. I am also training my body to be more metabollically efficient, which, in short, means it will rely more on the fat that it stores naturally to provide energy during my training and racing, rather than sports nutrition products. Even the fittest athletes store about 80,000 calories of fat, but only 1300-2000 calories of carbohydrates and sugar. Crazy, huh? Yep, no more gels, bars, chews, etc. Just real food pre and post workout or race, and if the effort is going to be more than 1.5-2 hours, then I eat real food during the workout or race. Its not something I recommend trying in the midst of a build phase for a big race (I’ll save that fun experience for another blog post) but if you are in the base period, I highly recommend giving it a try. But make sure to educate yourself first because what I just wrote here is grade-school level summary. In fact, Bob has written a really great article here that is a much more detailed and specific approach to weight loss based on your resting metabollic rate (good stuff). I have listed all of Bob Seebohar’s information at the end of this article, including his website where you can purchase both books "Metabollic Efficiency Training" and "Nutrition Periodization for Endurance Athletes".

You always hear that you can’t lose weight unless you change your lifestyle. But talk about easier said than done. These are changes you can’t force on yourself overnight. But over the past year, I have slowly incorporated everything I listed above. Each change is somewhat dependent on one of the other changes. Each change also somewhat developed out of another change. I can honestly say that I want to get out and run, bike or swim in some capacity everyday, no matter what phase of training I am in. I truly migrate to the healthier foods on a restaurant menu or cookbook. I know my guidelines won't work for everyone, but perhaps you can use them as a starting point for creating your own, one step at a time. It might be hard at times, but the rewards are lifelong and priceless.

Kind of like training for a race, huh?

Here is the information for Bob Seebohar, Sport Dietitian/Elite Triathlon Coach
2008 Olympic Sport Dietitian, 2008 Olympic Triathlon Team Sport Dietitian
Email: coachbob@fuel4mance.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bobseebohar
Blog: http://fuel4manceblog.blogspot.com
Website: www.fuel4mance.com
www.performancewebinars.com

Transition: Non-blogger to blogger

2010-01-02T17:14:00.001-08:00

I've always been a little behind the technology times. During my senior year of college, Apple introduced its first color computer and I still preferred to use the the original, tiny, black and white screen version. Something about those little machines was comforting. A few years later, when cell phones finally started to become mainstream, I held onto my pager. (I liked dialing numbers to it that spelled funny little words. Go figure that I'm a text-a-holic now). Several years ago, my husband worked at DirecTv and brought home one of the first TiVo units. After a day, I made him take it back, citing that we didn't need to watch more TV. (Of course, now I am a devout TiVo follower.) I can proudly say I have avoided Facebook, though I'm sure that, too, will change. So, its really no surprise that years after the blogger-explosion, I am finally starting my own. Ok, that isn't entirely true...I did keep a blog during our 2008 California Coast Classic Ride. But writing a regular, daily basis, about the life-and-times-of-Nina type blog...well, this is new territory.

Why now? Why not. Its a new year. My husband and I are in the process of starting a new multi-sport career, including coaching services. He's training for his first Ironman. I plan to do my first marathon. Not to mention the many other things non-triathlon related in our lives (yes, we do have a life outside of Tri. I think.) I have a feeling its going to be a very, very interesting year. And hey, to be honest, it just seemed like there really aren't enough blogs out there already.

Which leads me to the title of this blog..."Triathlete in Transition". Sure, its a metaphor of sorts, based on an aspect of one of my favorite sports, Triathlon. A Transition in a triathlon is the time when you prepare to go onto the next sport of the race. But right now I'm a triathlete going thourgh a few different transitions that have nothing to do with racing. In fact, I think most people are constantly going through some kind of transition in their life...career, family, friends, home, athletics, diet, age...the list is endless. Since the multi-sport lifestyle and community has become such an important part of my own life these past few years, I hope to use what I have experienced and learned to help inspire, understand, motivate, and support all the transitions we go through in life everyday. Well, ok, that's a tall order for a newbie blogger like me. Maybe I'll just stick to jotting down some casual observations for now and hope to entertain you in the process a little. Kind of like training for a sprint distance triathlon first....the Ironman will come in due time.