Rock n Roll marathon

After months of preparation, anticipation, planning, praying AND RUNNING the day was here. I slept pretty well considering how anxious I was. I did wake up well before my alarm & just got up to get ready. Part of the pre-race prep involves Facebook between me posting on my wall, my fellow runners walls & all my peeps wishing me luck on mine. Another pre-race must is my race verse. Every race I have done God has given me a verse. I was praying for God to give me a verse. I was starting to get nervous when I had nothing! Luckily in the final preparations my friend (shout out to Michelle) texted me my verse!!!!! But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NLT)


God used her quite a bit to help me with the race. Besides sending that text she was also taking us all to the race starting line!!!! It takes a special person to get up that early to help a friend out! The plan was for me to get picked up. I got a text from my ride changing the plans. I didn't wanna drive my car to the trolley stop where everyone was meeting our shuttle driver Michelle for a few reasons. Mostly though because Elizabeth had said at one point this is the last time I will (insert action here) before I am a marathoner. I had parked my car the night before & said this is the last time I will be in my car...etc...didn't wanna mess with my mojo. I opted to walk to the trolley. It is not far but I am very paranoid so walking alone in the dark freaks me out. I didn't make it all the way there before the anxious crew was in the car & picked me up part way there.
Some how I was elected navigator & put as co-pilot. I was so stressed at that point inside I was freaking out & putting a thought together was virtually impossible! & somehow I need to figure out how to get us there. The route I opted for put us dead in traffic going to race shuttle parking. We did maneuver past it luckily & got dropped off a block from the race start. We had an hour or more until the start. We used the potties & took some pics.


I had put my name on my shirt as I was told spectators will cheer for you by name & it helps energize you! I put on the back of my shirt my dedication to my brother!


The marathon girls!





I was anxious to find my running club & get with Stacy whom I was running with. We were near the end of the corrals and I was meeting her (& the whole group) at corral 4. It was not close. It stressed me out to do so much walking pre-race. I knew we had to walk all the way back to 31 where I just came from basically. There was stations set up with bagels, bananas & sport drinks along the way. I grabbed 2 bananas & a water & a bottle of cytomax (sport drink). I ate the bananas & drank the water. I poured the cytomax in my bottle for the race. I was hoping doing sports drink instead of water would help & I knew there was lots of water stations along the route. After we met up with the group we took our race bags & checked them to be sent to the finish line. Along the way we go to watch a flash mob! That was a fun surprise!
Then the waiting started! We got in our corral & waited & waited it ended up taking an hour! The team in training had giant beach balls people were batting around & the kept hitting us in the head! Grrrrrrr my buddy finally popped one & this chick says I can't believe you are ruining people's fun! They had words (I found it amusing) & that helped pass sometime! As we waited that hour the sun came up. It was definitely something we hoped would NOT happen-well the sun is gonna come up BUT we hope for June gloom & overcast skies! This was not the case & the longer we had to wait to start running the more blazing sun we would face!!
I can see the start line!


Stacey (ready to run her 4th marathon) & me the first timer!


Our corral


As we were waiting I was texting my friend Mike who was up & out early to watch me! We was literally at the first turn we take only a 1/4mile or so in. I was excited to have a spectator & also I planned to toss my jacket to him so I didn't have to abandon it pre-race (when we did the half I froze for an hour prior). He says "like a rock star"?! & yes like a rock n roll star I tossed my jacket to him as we passed by!
We started out quick! It seemed like all that driving we did on the route was whizzing by just as fast! I was nervous & freaking out in my head at our pace starting put cause I was scared # about getting up the 163 & #2 tiring out way too quick.
It felt good though & didn't seem like I was pushing myself so I kept at it!
This is at mile 3 or so in Balboa park we had a long way to go!


It was definitely a great vibe throughout the first miles! Everyone was smiling happy & full of energy! As we exited balboa things changed as the half marathoners split off and headed up the 163 & the full marathoners (not so many of us) headed into downtown.
The nice part of downtown was the shade the buildings provided! Also as we reached Petco Park I was greeted by my second set of spectators! My cousin Rebecca, her boyfriend George & Lola her dog! It was so neat to run through Petco Park. I had my runkeeper app on my phone & it was set every five minutes to tell me my current pace & average pace. As it told me I was telling Stacey. We were booking it!! We were about a 10:30 min/mile pace through downtown! As we ran a guy ran next to us congratulated me on my first marathon & told us he was doing his 55th! He ran with us for a while & chatted about his races gave us words of encouragement & then split off! We got to the section I was dreading! The 163 was LONG & a slow climb up it all the way to friars rd! I felt like once I got past this part the race was flat & I just wanted the climb over. It seriously felt like it took forever! Thank God I was with Stacey not that we talked but we were together! I saw some weary discouraged people on BOTH sides ( the half marathoners were on the northbound side). One guy came up to me in his cape & congratulated me on my 1st marathon & gave me a high five!! I think it was moments like that, that Christian was telling me about before the race. To have fun & enjoy it. That is exactly what that goofy guy was doing!
The 163 felt like FOREVER even when I could see Friars Rd we still had to run up to the freeway off ramp a ways away. Once we got off the freeway I felt pretty dang good still. We were almost half way done. We ran into Christian. She asked if we had been takin pictures? Nope...she had us stop for a photo...



I really did not want to stop for anything on the race! From my training runs I felt like if I stopped my knee pain would start. Even when we took the picture I was moving my legs up & down.
When we got half way I was still mentally feeling good but my body was fatigued. & it was HOT! I took the amino vital packet a friend gave me with some water & I swear it helped!!!!
Half way through the race...to be continued
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Location:San Diego

Countdown to race day

In the weeks & days leading up to the race I felt like my head was in a fog...I had this underlying nagging thing looming & consuming a large portion of my mind that stole space from everything else...IM RUNNING A MARATHON!!!!!
I'm gonna be so honest here. I was freaked out. I did not think in a million years I would do well. I struggled through my long runs, struggled through some boot camp runs too actually. My knees were mad at me.
So I had accepted the fact race day was gonna suck, from the pre race jitters & panic, to the grueling 26 miles, to my pathetic finish & I decided to look forward to and thoroughly enjoy the running clubs pasta party & expo day!!
That was going to me my happy place! Where all my fun was to be had PLUS on expo day I was spending the day with Elizabeth!
The pasta party was great cause all of us got dressed up and smelled nice as opposed to meeting before the sun comes up & sweating together for miles. There was light chatter about what everyone was wearing who would be there to cheer us on, how everyone was getting to the race. The club did a raffle giveaway and we carb loaded!



I got lasagna is did not agree with me too greasy!


My goodies I won


My team VEGAS BABY!!


Next up was the expo! We had it all scheduled, expo at the convention center, drive the course & dinner aka carb loading at Pat & Oscars.
The day went pretty flawlessly. It was very exciting, slightly overwhelming & with 4 kids in tow, teeny bit stressful. I leave my kids a lot for work, training, fishing & when I get to have a life so I didn't wanna leave them for this BUT without kids (& if I had $ to spare) I could have spent more time (& cash) at each booth.








Me & my marathon sisters


& all the kiddos!!











I did wait FOREVER at the K tape booth for them to tape my knee- what a joke I do not believe it could have helped my knee pain! I wanted to try it but the stupid tape came off before the race anyway!
Lots of free samples of bars & drinks there, mostly stuff that I did not like. I was thrilled to get free sample packets of pain relieving gels. Perfect for my race pouch & maybe some knee pain relief during the race???
After the expo we set out to drive the race course. It was Elizabeth at the wheel & me co-pilot & the kids partying in the back haha! Side note: we are SO ready for the Amazing Race!! Jenni had set out before us & had said to skip a large portion of the course because of maneuvering through downtown (we didn't listen). It was a lot of traffic and some road closures or one way streets that made it tricky but we covered most the route. I was trying to mentally memorize the elevation, long stretches, and it seemed Elizabeth was focused in landmarks along the route.
I was SO glad we did this. I'm not sure how or why it made feel better but it did. I think it took away any surprises the course may have had & it became all familiar territory. It also seemed insane the distance we were going to cover!
Driving the course











We went to dinner and enjoyed our Pat & Oscars CARBS! I ate like my old self. So easy to go back to those old habits. Post race weight loss challenge Tri-Kate must reappear!
After Elizabeth brought us home I went off to Target to get some supplies- pretzels, sharpies for sign making, icy hot pain spray, bandages, blister covers...
After Target I decided I needed some de-stress & alone time. I went to the YMCA put the kids in kids place & got in the jacuzzi.
The sign as I walked in the Y


As I sat there I went through the race course in my mind. I had been staring at the map on paper for 2 weeks but now I had visually seen it and ran through each step. I wasn't confident about my race I was just aware now. Mostly I focused on the sections I was breaking it up into. I knew 163 was going to be a LONG stretch but once past it I was in all familiar territory. Familiar doesn't mean easy just means I know the turf & all the bumps and cracks in the road.
After the Y we got froyo & I headed to be for what I was told would be the best pre-race sleep I was gonna get.



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FESTIES!!!

Anyone that knows me well knows I'm pretty easy going, out going & I really don't worry too much what people think of me. Don't get me wrong we all want to be liked & get along but I'm not up at nigh worried about it!
So now that I have made huge changes & look healthy & strong again it doesn't consume me what I look like...to some extent.
I would be lying if I said it isn't fun & feel great to try on clothes & be in tiny sizes (what I consider tiny-single digits!!)
It's nice but what is even better & makes me feel wonderful is that people are inspired to get moving! Today I was praising God cause I see his handy work in action. I see his plan coming together!
When I went through my divorce & what led up to it I prayed all the time God would spare every friend I had from what I went through. I also prayed I could help others so that the worst wouldn't happen to them God has used that experience to help others.
This feels kind of like that only BETTER!!! Some of my friends have started exercising & Their diets because they want to lose weight. They have seen my success & it has inspired them to do it!!!
I'm so happy for them! It also makes me more conscious of my responsibility to be an example. I love their texts telling me their triumphs & talking through challenges with them. God is so good cause it is so fun have festies (fit friends)! I pray for my festies every day! What a blessing & honor that God had me do this so that I could be used by him to help other!
It also feels great that I make my friends proud! That I share my triumphs with them too.
Thank you Lord you amaze me every moment of every day!


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Conversations with God

The marathon is 14 days away. We are in taper mode now. Reducing our training allowing the body to repair & rest & get ready for the race. This week I didn't run at all. I was wiped out physically AND mentally from the 21 mile run. I felt pretty defeated because I've been exhausted. My work schedule changes in one week. I hope getting more sleep will solve some of the problems I have with being so tired...
Before the big run & all my runs I say a little prayer that goes something like " ok Lord I need you to help me, I can't do this with out you" Then during my runs I talk to God about a lot of stuff (when I swim & bike too but right now I'm just running. I can't wait to get back to all 3). When I'm with the trainer or in boot camp or spin it's not the same. There is more like "shout outs" to God when I need strength to push through.
Even though I'm running with other people I usually end up alone (usually trailing behind). Lately the #1 thing I think about is my brother. It seems crazy sometimes cause it's not like we were super close & I saw him frequently. I have found it doesn't matter...it's a piece of you gone forever. A person that was supposed to be present that is not. On my big run I lost sight for a moment & a friend reminded me how I said I would do this for him. I made it about me & how hard it is & the pain oh my word the pain I'm going through.
My kids talk about Uncle Noel a lot, my parents are suffering a lot of sadness, I am still fighting the desire to know the logic of why this happened.
That is my conversation each run. God why did this happen? Oh wait I'm never gonna make sense of it. Ok well can you help me not be sad for him. Can you help me make the most of my life for his sake. & God can you please answer the burning question on my heart...did he make it there with you? It may sound like heavy convos to be having with the Lord while training but I live an insane life/schedule I'm glad that this is the time I do have. Somewhere between being a stay at home mom who cooked & crafted to becoming a single working homeschool mom I find myself constantly going!!! I remember before my son was born my talks with God were all day everyday. Once there is little kids quiet time, alone time is scarce.
When I go fishing it's different too. I mostly am praising & thanking God for his creation, filling back up with joy & enjoying the gift he gave me to fish (it's an odd talent for a girl).
It's like when I'm training all the junk comes out. I can't put up barriers or fight my emotions cause I don't have the ability to. It takes all I got to do the run so God gets to me. My sweat is like tears and layers of pain melting away.
The triathlon training was healing my pain from the divorce. The marathon training is healing the loss of my brother. Neither pain will ever be totally gone but God meets me & talks with me. He pulls me through each step. He never leaves my side.
I will never take credit for anything that I do because each run starts with me asking God to help me & He never fails.

On our run this week Christian our coach & Donna both shared tips & horror stories & triumph stories. We actually ran the last part of the marathon course. I tried to imagine what I would be going through when I would be in the exact spot in 2 weeks. Christian said I won't sugar coat it you will be miserable. She said at the end to take out your headphones and absorb it all. She said people will be cheering, you will be crying, crossing the finish line will be something you never forget.
Donna talked about how her husband cried he was so proud of her dedication & seeing her finish.
Christian keeps stressing have fun, enjoy it. She runs for fun! The marathon is the celebration of what you've been working on.
In the seminar the talked about visualization. Spending the next two weeks running through the race in your mind (the positives!!! I have to keep reminding myself of that). Part of that for me is visualizing how God is gonna be there with me. I keep talking to him about how I'm counting on him! I just visualize this amazing spiritual experience. I've already experienced this in my life different times so I know he will do it again! "blow my socks off" my friend said...it's true he will.
They suggested driving he course and we are. Friday before the race we are going to the expo & driving the course. I'm actually just looking forward to spending the day with Elizabeth. In the past she has had a gift to bring me back to focus to calm to be a rock when I need one...I am visualizing I will need this pre-race!
I'm not putting pressure on myself to get a certain time. I just wanna show up, meet God there & finish the race with him.
The work in me is not finished so this is just a other part of the process.
We have a lot more to talk about....




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Team Challenge Part 2...the finale??

I wish I had pictures of my team this time. There was so much that was different about this round of the challenge besides just our members. Denise had done the challege last time with me, then Nancy & Mayra. They have all done challenges before (quite a few) this time Denise quickly dropped out, she said for health reasons. Nancy's sister Kathy is a friend from boot camp & we all agreed she should join us for our work outs so we have a 4th. Kathy is a fishy girl so we are cut from the same cloth and she is a total bad ass!! All three of these ladies are actually! They have been working with Jason a while & lost a bunch of weight too.

Jason was different this time, he never checked our food journal one time...which was good for me since I failed miserably about keeping it up! Since I was not on point with my journal I definitely failed more then a few days. Easter I splurged, Mother's Day I splurged, I took a bite or two of my kids food. I ate out once or twice, used my long runs as an excuse to indulge. I ate frozen yogurt a few too many times!

I did still work my butt off in the gym and while I say I cheated I stayed the course a majority of the time. I guess the thing that bugs me is had I stuck with it like last time I would be down more weight BUT we still won the challenge and I still won the biggest loser. I would have liked to win by a bigger margin like last time.

My total weight loss this time was 14.4 and 6.75% of my body weight.

My starting weight before the first challenge was 187 (yes I am posting my weight)

I ended the first challenge at 165.6. The second challenge I started at 166.6 and ended at 152.2.

Total loss 34.8 pounds.

If you had told me when I started the first challenge in Jan I would be 35 pounds lighter I would not have believed you!

The big one!

All the training IS leading up to the marathon BUT this week was the longest training run we do before the 26.2. It was another train run. This time we rode the train from same station to Oceanside BUT we ran north 2.5miles then back to the car.











Not so many pictures of the gorgeous coastline or my buddy the Carlsbad kook. It took everything I had mentally & physically to do this one!
I stayed with the pace group until we got aroun mile 9. My knees started to hurt! I fell back with another chick who was struggling. She wanted to walk in intervals. 4 min run 1 min walk. This one gal stayed with us just to help. The pace group got further ahead & I couldn't keep up with the pain :( I started doing this girls intervals but my knee pain worsens when I stop & start (this includes stopping at the aide stations OUCHIE)
I became so slow that I just ran & when they walked and got a little ahead, then when they ran they pulled ahead. Once we lost the group there was 2 aide stations left. Mentally I tried to break the run into blocks. 4 miles to the next station, then 4 miles to the finish. There was a guy Randy who was the sweeper this time. We were the last 3 slow runners struggling along. The other girl was complaining of bladder pain & stopping & stopping!! I was grunting & groaning from my knee & now leg & bottom of my right foot pain BUT her stopping & stalling was making it so much worse!!
At the last aide station I was in so much pain I wanted to walk the last 4 miles or maybe just get a ride!
I did a lot more walking then running those last few miles. The other girls were still doing intervals & I got to the point I was trailing behind them by a lot. I think it took me all of mile 19 as I walked to get my legs to listen to my brain & start moving! It felt good for a split second to get going but then it just plan hurt. I wanted to be done, I wanted to stop hurting. With one mile to go I actually considered sitting down and quitting! 20 was enough I thought, what did I have to prove I was about to do 26.2. I was sick of pushing & making it worse. I had sent out my text/cry for help & got my reply from Elizabeth who was long done with her big run that day. I didn't even have the ability to pull out my phone & read the texts for a while but when I did she reminded me that tri-Kate doesn't give up, that God's word says I can do all things through Christ! I would like to say the pain miraculously went away & i picked up my stride & flew to the finish. BUT it was more of the same but I shuffled along. Randy the sweeper told us we were super close just cross the street go over the bridge and through the train station parking lot. I I'd shuffle a teeny minuet bit faster. As we went up the bridge he was standing there smiling at us. & he ran with us. As we got of the bridge there was an eruption of applause from the crowd!!!! I threw my hands up in the air in acceptance of their cheers...even though they were actually cheering for the little league game they were watching ;) it still felt triumphant to me!
Randy stole my heart this run. I may never see him again but he became my hero. He followed us the last 6 miles or so of the run & then when we finished I asked if he would drive us the 3 blocks to the beach so I could soak my sore legs in the frigid ocean...he not only did that but waited for us & drove us back.
I'm glad we did such a tough run. I feel like I know a little nit of what the race is going to be like (misery haha).
This week i started a supplement glucosamine with other stuff recommended & promised it will help my knee pain.
I'm looking forward to see if it works & trying to see what else may help me get through this race!

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IOU

I owe some blogs to becoming tri-Kate!
First of all I need to share about my marathon training. It is coming down to the final weeks. The feeling is both dread & relief. The thought of running 26.2 miles now that I know how hard it will be is dread! & relief in knowing in just a few short weeks I will have my life back! Well, my early Saturday morning & fun Friday nights! I don't plan on eating poorly or stopping training but the long runs are no joke & you have to eat right & get rest or you will suffer.
Now the week after the 18 miles was a scaled back run just 8 miles! I was stoked 8 miles is nothing! We met at the grand opening of road runner sports in Carlsbad. I avoided the store but there was snacks set up for us before the run & a mini expo after the run. I did not snap pics of that but did grab some free samples ;) I am a fan of GU brew electrolyte drink now & sport beans (jelly beans for energy).
The run was great! Knowing I had an easy run & didn't need to worry about saving my strength I pushed it & enjoyed every step. I went to fast for my pace group and we had a sub coach. I also wanted to get it done! It was cool I finished so fast I was able to make my sons karate stripe test. Take my kids to the park/bay to play & still get to work!
Ran along the coastline


One of the things I love about the running club is the encouragement! When they can they write messages to us along the route!



My run this past Saturday was a whole different story. I was expecting it to be another easy one. 14 miles in Poway around the lake. I read the email just in time to see it described as a hilly trail run.
Long runs start well before Sat. Morning. In my case I have been good since the half marathon of my pre-run activities. In this case (and this Friday) I had a can't miss event. My friend Natalie is getting married! For her bridal shower Desirae arranged (a surprise) private wine tasting at this very cool wine parlor!
Me & the bride-to-be


All the Leyba girls


This is NOT a good idea before a run!


My $9 dress "I got it @ Ross"


Needless to say, wine & staying up late the night before my run I was already at risk for difficulty.
Little did I know the torture I was about to endure! The trail started out simple enough but quickly turned very hilly!
Then as we looped around Stacy points out where we are running too! It was a dam up a steep gnarly MOUNTAIN. The run turned to hike/walk & was incredibly hard for 80% of the runners I think. Some people seemed to run up effortlessly. Then my phone/pandora quit working so I switched to my iPod (on my phone) & THAT was acting up. Running & fussing with it was NOT helping my situation so I abandoned music from mile 4 or so on.
Poway lake






I love running & enjoying the beauty of God's creation! I would never experience this view if I was not training for this race.



This is THE dam


No one chalked any messages on this hill but I could have used the encouragement


The view from the top.


The top of the dam was only just over 5 miles! I was really dragging at this point already! I did a package of sport beans (love them cause it's the only way I can eat jelly beans guilt free) and shortly after a GU too. This is also about where I ran out of water. This point in the run I started to trail behind my group. Once again alone...I'm beginning to think this is all par of God's plan. With out music I was able to hear the rhythmic sound of my feet hitting the ground & my breathing. Thump thump inhale exhale. I praises God in that moment for my body, how He created it to function, how He carries me through each step. I found joy in that moment (briefly) then thoughts of where is the turn around came back!
I reached the turn around and the group had waited there. We turned around and most the group pushed ahead. It was me, Stacy & coach Christian together. We chatted I tool the opportunity to ask some training questions, we discussed cancer, my brother, Christian is doing 14 races this year, etc etc. We were all struggling so when Stacy mentioned a short cut all 3 of us unanimously opted for it. It skipped that hilly first part of the trail and took up on a flat trail out to the street & back to our start. I ended up doing 12.5 miles but because I didn't know how hard the run would be I also had some commitments that I had to get to.
This week is another train run 21 miles. Friday night is Natalie's wedding reception which doesn't even start until 9pm.
I keep trying to decide what to do! Skip it for the sake of my run or not miss this important event Stay tuned I guess....
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