Run as a team, I leave no one behind!

We did it!! Yes this was the song I started to sing to Larry with one mile left to complete our first half marathon as a couple–it was totally worth the experience together.

You think you start off planning everything accordingly, but with all the excitement of my daughter doing her first Kids Fun Run at the 2014 Baltimore Running Festival this past Saturday. Well, you get carried away with the run arounds and what not. This led to Larry and I being real late to the start line of our half marathon. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how late because for the second time in a row, I fail to wear a watch to a half marathon. We were so late that we couldn’t tell where our start line was that we almost ran the full marathon course, but we figured it out and we were on our way.

As we began–we started off so quick that Larry’s hamstring injury from earlier in the week started to agitate him. To top it off, the first 1.5 miles there were NO spectators, we couldn’t even see cones signaling our way into the course–panic almost set in. It was like a movie scene, as I looked back at Larry, his arms went up…”Go on without me” “My hamstring not going to make it!” I stopped and replied “NO! I”m not leaving you–I told you this!”. Larry: “You run I will hold you back”. Me: “I SAID NO! If we have to walk then so be it!” “We can walk it all the way if needed until officials kick us out–if they have to.” We just need to get to mile 3 where we meet with the full marathon course before they open roads” “Lets just do what you can and take it from there!”

I don’t know how we got through the first 3 miles but I can tell you this we never walked and ran (shuffled, lol) so fast. Luckily Larry’s hamstring was just warming up but still he had issues with it through the run. The few spectators that were left or about to leave with their “Run like Zombies are chasing you” sign, by the 3rd mile mark were awesome. Still cheered us on and even a group had their own unofficial table with snacks for runners. We were about 100ft from meeting with the full marathon course at the 3rd mile when the marathon officials were following slowly behind us with their car because they were getting ready to open the roads behind us. BUT WE MADE IT and we continued the course with the rest of the runners.

From that point on it was quite an experience, I had so much fun running with Larry then alone when I did it the first time 2 years ago. You have someone to talk to, laugh with and fart with LOL (thanks snack station at 7.5 mile (20.5mile-Full) with Salt & Vinegar chips), just saying it happens when you run these things–what can I say. <shrugs> Runners around us would sometimes come up and make comments. One woman came by saying: “Can I ask you a question?” We: “Sure!” Woman: “Why did we sign up for this again?!”. Another runner mentioned: “YOU LIED ABOUT ALL THESE HILLS!”.  But really I have to give a shout out to the best two groups of spectators with their unofficial water stations. Around 7th mile (20mile-Full), shout out to the table with wine shots for runners! And a shout out to the 10th mile (23rdmile-Full) with a their unofficial water table of beer shots! They were both refreshing.

While Larry and I were not doing it for time but for completion, I have to say I am so proud of him for training with me and going through with it. It was the best thing we have done together and I can definitely see that we are an awesome team. Here’s to many more runs with him as our next one is The Color Run in DC on November 1st.

Ready to PlowON and RunHON!

So week 10, of our longest run of our 12 week training (well 13 we started a week early) came before we even knew it. It was the longest 10 miles in 2 yrs for me and first for Larry. It was tough with the variety of hills it had, but luckily not mentally. At the end Larry and I both knew we have this 13.1 in our pockets–that is for completion. 🙂

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Then the last 2 weeks of training were easier runs which went so fast that the next thing I knew, I got our E-Cards to pick up bibs at the Baltimore Running Festival EXPO at the Baltimore Harbor. These EXPOs are like kids in a candy store….literally….see…. Love PlowOn Gum.

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AND them BAM! We got our official Bibs can’t you tell we are excited for tomorrow!

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He Fell in Love with the Road

As Larry and I continue our journey together in training for our half marathon in October. You could say we have encountered things you wouldn’t expect–then again better during training, then on race day.

After week 6’s encounter, we have been preparing ourselves well before long runs. Week 7 long run of 8 miles was a total success, no problems. Week 8, our long run dropped to an easy 4 mile run and we weren’t complaining. We also opted to running on the roads rather then park/lake trails because if you haven’t noticed Fall is here and it gets dark quick. Plus, we don’t want to be worried during our run of getting ticketed for being in a park after dark. After completing the run, Larry fell in love with road running 🙂 and finally understood why I easily got bored on trails and why I always suggested new routes.

Soon week 9 approached and we decided to take a very hilly run in our city. Though those hills may look intimidating visually, they actually were not so bad. However, just as we were getting in our zone and all fully warmed up by 1.5 miles of our 9 mile run. Larry stops all the sudden, and motions me to look at his leg. I asked “what? a cramp?” grabbing at his calf and he says “NO! My foot! Look under my foot! There something in my shoe!” as I bent lower on one knee to see I said “Oh Sh*T!” you need to take your shoe off! I can’t get that out from here.”

Look at that huge nail! We were so shocked how it just nudged itself in the shoe perfectly in the hole. Thankfully it only poked up to the bottom of his heel and broke no skin…but WOW–just crazy. Anyway, after a good 10 minutes trying to get it out–we finally did and continued our run without a problem. I know you shouldn’t always look down at your feet when you run, but you definitely need to watch your step as a runner especially near construction sites. I’ve always enjoyed running on the road and now that Larry seems hooked on it and not wanting to go back to the lake. I may have created a monster.

To my fellow road runners stay safe and alert of your environment.

Stylish & Prepared Runners

Photograph by MsKirian

So it’s official, our family is becoming a running family. We all have gotten official running shoes to break-in for our planned goals this Fall.

Larry and I have our goal to complete the Baltimore Running Festival half-marathon in October. Now my 9 year old is inspired by us and she’s joined her schools Girl’s On The Run Team and they will Run in November. We are all feeling pretty stylish with our selection/style/color and fit of our shoes, nothing can stop us now.

Gotta love my matching nail polish too 😉

P.s. Our 8 mile run last weekend was awesome! No pains, no muscle cramps because we prepared for the unexpected. The last mile got hard but I pushed through it and considered it an awesome run.

Week 7: Checkers Fries On My Dashboard

Larry and I taking the new shady trail for our 7 mile long run.

This Labor Day weekend was quite an experience and almost a scary one–as week 6 came to its end.

It was 8 a.m. Saturday morning and I had only eaten half a bagel not knowing I would start my long run until 12pm. I had obviously not realized how much time had passed till Larry and I got to our running site. As soon as I got out the car, I could feel my tummy saying “feed me, it’s lunch time”. I figured I could ignore it and simply just tough it out for 7 miles and make the best of it.

BOY was I wrong. I reached 2.25 of my 7 mile run and completely started to lose my energy. I quickly couldn’t focus, lost total motivation, and started to feel weird–a weird I couldn’t even explain. Larry and I decided to sit down on the grass and after 10 min. Larry suggested we just try the 7 mile long run for Sunday, as there was no need to push ourselves and risk injuries of any sort. So that’s what we did.

Sunday came and I made sure I got up 2 hours before our run, ate a hearty breakfast and we got to our running site on time. I was ready and so was Larry, we were so excited to do our run because we decided to take a new trail. As we began our run we were pretty satisfied that the new trail had a lot of decent shade and every now and then we got some good wind. But little by little we didn’t realize how hot it was getting. Now…normally men sweat more then woman and Larry is a sweaty guy outdoors. Since we started our trainings, we did notice that he would be drenched after runs, and so far he’s been okay given that our 6 mile run the weekend before was through rain. But this particular Sunday it was above 90 degree weather which was hotter then usual–as we have been having a cooler summer thus far–but we were both about to have an experience we won’t forget.

Just as we were about to approach 5.5 miles of our 7 mile practice long run–I was feeling great with plenty of fuel for the last 1.5 mile. We approached the tiny creek bridge we go over and there stood a older lady and 2 men. As we got closer, she smiled and said “Ugh It’s really hot out here right!”, Larry responded back with agreement. Shortly after getting off the bridge and about 5 minutes, Larry started to cramp up so we stopped to stretch and walk a little. While it seemed to help, Larry’s legs only got worse. We decided we cut through our trail for a early water break at our car as it was indeed feeling really hot at that point and Larry was totally drenched with sweat. He began to replenish his body with liquids–As I was telling him he’s loosing too much water and sodium, his entire body began cramping. He started not to feel so great, so he lay on the grass–just in case he passed out he wouldn’t hit his head on anything.  I massaged his cramps, poured water and massaged ice cubes over his head and neck and stood near for anything he needed as he drank as much fluids as he could. It was long before he could get up and get in the car, he really needed some salty fast-food since gatorade wasn’t helping but couldn’t leave him alone till the cramping passed. As I sat next to him on the grass comforting him, I discussed that even though this was not good, it was good we are experiencing his body’s reactions to the training and that he is obviously loosing way too much water/sodium during long runs. It hadn’t affected him before because we were doing short runs to build up to our long runs and the reason he didn’t have any effects at our 6 mile long run was because it was raining unlike this particular hot, humid and sunny day. All that said, we concluded that he MUST carry a water backpack or belt to replenish with water with all the sweating he does at every mile and definitely start hydrating before the run.

Finally, were able to leave in the car and I took him to Checkers. As nothing beats a sodium overload like their burgers and fries. While eating he caught two more cramps, one on his index finger that passed and the very last one that sent his Checkers fries flying across the dashboard and car floor–his bicep decided to give him one good last cramp. While it was a scary thing on my end at that given moment, thankfully we were able to laugh about it right after the cramp passed.

I have to say that this was a crazy scary episode not just for Larry but also myself.  However somehow it didn’t phase us and has only motivated us to be stronger runners. Because the next day we hit the store for running gear and discussed what our running plans would be even long after we do our half marathon in October.

So to this Saturday coming long run… “Hey!!! 8 mile long run! Yea You! BRING IT!”

Week 6: Half Marathon Training

It’s been about three weeks since I posted about my training progress for the half marathon I’m doing in October…how’s it going? Let’s just say I’m surviving.

Last weekends long run was a 6 mile run. While it was humid and drizzling on and off you think it would be great, but it was a bad run day for me. I had barely got to the second mile when I was almost ready to quit, but because my loved one was having such a good day running next me, and annoying me by saying things like… “You signed us up for a marathon”, “You don’t want to lose your $100 right?”, “you are the runner!”

I started to think am I really literally a Wanna-Be-Runner? I want to say 50% of me is… I thought about it so much I even thought of my own WannaBeRunner Apparel. What do you think?

When I feel like a runner, I feel strong and in a zone like I can keep going forever. But then there are the bad days where I just don’t have it in me. I have yet to feel excitement when driving to the site, for practice runs during the week let alone at long runs on Saturdays. But like I said once I start running, I am either all for it or not. However, I dare not quit even if it’s not in me, I do what I tell my beloved. It’s not about time, but completion…even if it means walking it to the end.

4 miles and 10 weeks to Race Day

This past weekend on Saturday, Larry and I survived our 4 mile long run. While Larry caught a cramp on his hamstring at the last mile…like in a movie he said “Go on without me, I’ll be okay–don’t let me hold your progress”. (Aww)

However, before I did. I made extra sure that was what he wanted and that he was okay (because during race day–there is no way I will leave my man behind, lol). He was able to push through it and finish the 4 miles a few minutes right behind me. I am happy that he is doing his best and like I tell him it’s about completion, not time. We sat on the grass stretching and reflecting on our run, he mentioned that he was almost in a zone before he caught the cramp. Excitedly, I mentioned that he was experiencing his first “Runner’s High” as I also started too get, into in my run.

Slowly he is developing into a runner, and even though he and I are facing challenges such as knee, hamstring, hip pains and pulls that sometimes Motrin doesn’t cut it for us. We manage or at least I manage to keep it positive and fun that we are getting ready to do a half marathon in 10 weeks as a couple, and that we will have a story to talk about in the “long run”–with a awesome medal to show for it. And because of that we stay motivated because we know we can do it, besides trying to just shed excess weight and losing our registration fee, lol.

Now forgive me but I wish I had pictures of our run at the lake, but somehow my mind isn’t programed to snap pictures. Like what kind of pictures should I be even taking? As runners how do you document your story?

Pizza vs 2 mile Run

Yesterday was suppose to be a normal easy run of 2 miles.

However, my normal commute from work to home of 1hr 15min turned out to be 2hrs. By the time Larry and I finally made it to the Lake our desire to run vanished. Instead Larry and I sat on a bench (where we usually stretch before running) and indulged in conversation about our day as we watched my daughter on the pier talking to kids and fisher men.

As we sat there I mentioned that it be nice to have a house by a lake, seriously–who can get tired of this view.

Photo by MsKirian

Because we all rushed to get to the Lake thinking we would run, we didn’t even bother with dinner. So once the sun went down, it started to get chilly and we started to get hungry. Trying to be a good mom I said “Oh I’ll just be making fruit smoothies for dinner” but by the time we walked back to the car I said, “I’m really craving pizza”. Can you say, Fail!

My daughter enjoying pizza with Larry and I on the trunk of the car.

So our 2 mile run evening actually ended up like this….

Bad I know…I have no idea what to even say about this.

Not A Olympic 3m Springboard Diver, But Strong Like Mom

That’s my moms ID card from the National Olympic Committee of Guatemala for the Pan American Games of Central America and the Caribbean.

May she rest in peace and that she is enjoying the glorious heavens of eternal youth and happiness. Sadly she passed away too soon at the age of 78 in 2011, and though I did not know how to take the news of my mother passing–eventually it did hit me but very late. Death of a loved one and experiencing it for the first time, is so unreal…

Being that I was her youngest/only child of her 2nd marriage. She was very protective of me and loved to keep me under her wings. She always had a reason for me not to leave home. Maybe it’s our Latin culture, that your kids leave when they are ready or yet when they marry. She use to say, “Why go pay rent, when you have it all right here with me”.  You got admit nothing beats free rent, lol.

Anyway, since her passing I have truly found myself as an adult, a woman, and a mom. She was always my backup for everything. However, once she passed I worried if I was really ready for this type of world without her as my bodyguard….and YES, she prepared me very well (Thanks Mom). I am just as strong minded as she is, a go-getter, and accomplish everything I set my mind to. Though I’m not quite a high diver athlete like her (I’m scared of heights), I did wish she would have seen me cross the finish line of my first half marathon in 2012. I wish she could have seen me these 2 past years as the PTA prez of my daughters school and  how I revamped and motivated parents to bring back family engagement events that had been absent for years–she would have truly been my biggest cheerleader. I find myself everyday to be more like her, a woman who not only wants to put her skills and talents to work for the better of her community and organizations but to continue developing them by being an active role model in the community, but most importantly for my 8 year old daughter, who will also grow up to be a strong Latina just like her mom, Mamita (grandma), and of her generation.

No clock watching on holidays.

Hope you all  had a wonderful and safe July 4th yesterday.

I actually started my July 4th with a morning workout at the gym. I ran 2 miles, then biked for 5 miles. Then Larry met me at the gym and we trained legs–turning out to be a 3hr workout. Honestly, if workouts could be 3 hrs everyday I swear I would be a WHOLE lot closer to my goal. Plus the best part of holidays is not having to keep looking up at the clock. No worries about getting back home on time to get the little one up for school/camps or getting to work on time! Just a pure focus on a quality workout.

Being that I am a single mom, working full-time and commuting 80 miles a day and still getting home to make dinner is just freaking time consuming and tiresome–reason why I squeeze my workouts in the morning or else I won’t do it. I really hope I reach my goal in October. Speaking of October, I am trying to get Larry convinced to do the Baltimore Half Marathon. I did it last year, it was an awesome experience to know that I could push my body for 13.1 miles. I haven’t registered yet, waiting to convince Larry so I have a running buddy. I just think having him tag along would actually be more fun, then being in a sea of runners and crossing the finish line alone.