La Palma Run for Fun 5k with my new running buddy!

I love the 4th of July!! We celebrate our country, and it officially feels like summer when that holiday hits. My mom and I have been participating in the La Palma Run for Fun 5k for 2 years together. I run it and she enjoys her little walk. Last year was so hot that I couldn't wait for it to end, but this year was perfect running weather. Overcast and we had a nice breeze...so perfect! 

We got the race a little early to pick up our bibs and t-shirts. I do have to say for a small 5k, their t-shirts are pretty nice! I also finally saw DANICA!! Its been so long so it was wonderful to see her! She was running the 10k and shooting for a placement in her age group..which she did! YAY!

Mom and I at the start

The race started exactly on time and I kept telling myself to just run and have fun. I had my music going and before I knew it was hitting mile 2. I decided to take a few water breaks and breathers to make sure I wasn't getting overheated. My pace was a little slower then usual but I was enjoying myself. I was finally on the home stretch and picked up my pace a little and hit the finish at 38 mins.....that's slow for me but there is a perfectly wonderful reason for it......See I'm no longer running for myself anymore, I now have a running buddy that I have to really take care of while running!! I have to fuel differently before running any distance, run slower, and make sure I have enough water with me. Its not just my body that I have to listen too anymore it's the Peanuts too, but I wouldn't want it any other way! Robert and I are more excited then ever and can't wait for January 25, 2013!!

Me and my buddy!

I do plan on running for as long as I can or when the doctor tells me to slow down! It does make me feel so much better. I've had quite the first 3 months with morning...or all day sickness...and the running is actually helping with that. It takes a little to get me to throw on my running shoes because I'm tired more then usual, but after I'm done I feel so much better. I have decided that I'm going to stick to smaller distances and do more aqua jogging and swimming within the next 6 months. 

Robert and I are ready for the big changes that are going to take place and can't wait to have our family of 3!!! 

Wet N Wild 5K, with some Stanley Cup Fun!!!!

YAY!!! The LA Kings won the Stanley Cup! Those of you that follow me on Twitter know what a HUGE Kings fan I am. I’m sure I lost a few followers with all my cheering and crying over my team (especially New Jersey fans) but when you’re excited about a team, your excited!  I grew up going to Kings Games with my family when tickets were only $10.00, they wore purple & gold jersey, hockey helmets weren’t mandatory, and they played at the Forum.  My dad worked nights when I was young, so my mom to keep us occupied most of the time she would take us to games. Took a little begging from my brother but we always went.  When the LA Kings made it to the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs all we could do was cheer, support, and pray that Lord Stanley would be a LA resident for a year. The game ended on June 11, 2012 with the LA Kings winning game 6 against the New Jersey Devils 6-1.  HOLY HOCKEY BATMAN, WE GOT THE CUP!!!!  There was NO WAY I was going to miss the Championship Parade so I took a day off work and headed down to LA with 250,000 other fans to see our champions. Robert and I were fortunate to get tickets inside Staples Center for the rally, and I finally got to see that Cup in person….from a far distance but I still saw it!

  

Robert and I at the Staples Rally! GO KINGS!



The following Saturday I got my friends Krissy  and Kumi to join me for the Wet N Wild 5k at Knott’s Berry Farm. Krissy’s done a few races with me, but this was Kumi’s first…how EXCITING!! I was so happy to have them there with me and introduce the 5k world to Kumi. Since they don’t run as often, I agreed to stay with them no matter if we had to walk, run, skip, or crawl. This was about having fun and getting a workout in. We did start off doing a run/walk but with some minor obstacles with Krissy’s shins, and Kumi’s side stitches we decided to do a fast pace walk around mile 2. The race started across the street at  Indepence Hall then took us through all of Knott’s…...Camp Snoopy, Fiesta Village, Broadwalk, and Ghost Town. The last 1/3 mile of this race was what we were looking forward to the most, getting to walk the lazy river at Soak City. We got to the gates of Soak City and behold in front of us was what seemed like heaven since it was a bit hot that morning. We took our shoes off and Jump in the Sunset Lazy River…AHH so refreshing. Some people were actually diving under the water and letting the current of the river take them through. It was allot of fun! We got out and decided to just run bare foot to the finish….this will be the only time I will EVER attempt bare foot running! HA! We got some fun medals which I wasn’t expecting, and Kumi finished her 1^st 5k…YAY!!





In the water!



With my medal and of coarse wearing my Kings hat!

I decided that I’d like to stick to 5k’s for a while until I’m ready to start training up for anything larger. I love introducing the racing world to friends even if it’s a 5k

FINISHERS..and Baby Rosie!

In a few weeks I’ll be running my favorite 5k..the La Palma Run for Fun 4^th of July Race!

Thanks for reading!

Relay for Life! Help my mom fight cancer!

Its that time of year again when my mom is participating in the Relay for Life event. She looks forward to this event so much because its something she's doing for herself and others fighting cancer.

My mom was diasgnosed in November of 2009 a few days before Thankgiving. I can still remember the sound of the doctors voice as he came out of surgery with my mom telling my dad and I, "she has stomach cancer and it's very serious" My heart stopped at that very moment and a wave of thoughts went through my head!  How could this lady who is the rock of our family be sick? She's so healthy this can't be? Is she going to be ok? Will she have to do chemo and radiation? What is stomach cancer and why can't they just take it out? There were many other unanswered questions but they were to be answer by the amazing staff at City of Hope a few weeks later.

My mom did end up going through chemo, but didn't have to have radiation. She was a trooper through the whole thing. I'd come home from work and she be in her bedroom hooked up to her chemo little bag with the dog laying next to her dreaming away. She always smiled and rarely complained of discomfort she was having. She finished her treatments and was on the home stretch to move on and get back to normal life. Unfortunately with stomach cancer it's not curable, but it is treatable with lots of monitoring. She goes to the doctor every 6 months to make sure everything is okay, and gets her dose of Zometa treatments to get her bones nice and healthy. She's been back at work for over a year now and is feeling better then ever.

If it wasn't for money funding events like Relay for Life research for cancer wouldn't take place. So with a small donation you can too help. Skip that cup of $5.00 Starbucks, or eating out one night and help my mom and others fight cancer. She is attempting to raise $500 this year and very excited about it.

To help with a donation please click here. Relay for Life takes place in many cities, I encourage you to participate in it at least once its a great event!!

Thank you so much from our family!!!

Happiest 5k on the Planet!

 The happiest 5k on the planet "The Color Run" took place this weekend in So Cal, and I was so excited to take part in it. When I saw the Youtube video on Shea's Facebook page I knew I had to get friends together to run. However, because I've been a procrastinator lately (wedding planning), we missed registration and the event sold out very quickly. Luckily the organization realized how many people were wanting to run, so they added a later start time and opened up registration again. I got a couple of my childhood friends together Diane, Teresina, and Carla and we all registered right when it opened.

When we pulled up to the parking lot we saw tons of rainbow colored runners heading back to their cars from the morning race. They looked like they had just lost a fight with a bunch of  Easter Peeps, it was pretty funny! Diane and Carla had never ran a 5k before so I was super excited for them to have this race as their first experience. Teresina and I are used to timing events so we were excited to just enjoy ourselves. Its nice to do something fun for once and not have to worry about time........which this race does not do. This isn't a time event, its all for the love of FUN and COLOR! 

They started the race in waves so everyone was spread out far enough to get colored at each color spot. It took some time for us to start but the race organization kept the party going with great music, and lots of fun goodies being thrown out into the crowd. Each person got a packet of color to throw at the end of the race in their goodie bags, so more packets were being thrown, along with bracelets and some fun colored socks!  We were having a great time at the start line in our nice fresh white shirts, and headbands. We saw a few people dressed in some fun costumes and there we lots of tutu's!

We finally started and the first color station we hit was yellow! Some of the volunteers were throwing color on us with their hands, and a few others had these giant squeeze bottles sort of like a giant ketchup bottle splashing color all over. They do their best not to get any on your face, but if the wind picks up that stuff does fly all over the place. I saw some people wearing goggles, and I have to say my sunglasses stopped allot of it from getting in my eyes. The only way I can describe the powder is its just like baby powder but colored!

The next color station was green........

Then the blue color station....

The final station was pink! The volunteers were having a great time in this station. They were literally throwing buckets of this stuff at everyone, there were people rolling around on the floor, and I even saw a few people making color angels! It was hilarious! I think everyone wanted to make sure they were nice and colorfied when they hit the finish line so they were doing anything possible to get that way! 

We were pretty much a colored mess by the time we finished! At one point Teresina and I mentioned that even though this took longer then most 5k's we've done, it seemed like it went by quickly because we were having so much fun! Diane and Carla did great for their first 5k, running most of it and only stopping a few time for photos and getting colored! 

Our hubbies were waiting for us at the finish line with cameras and strict rules we were not to touch them HAHA! I did have to pat a few pink shades off Robert when I "accidentally" brushed him with my arm. 

After the finish line there was the great "Color Throw". Like I mentioned all the participates got bags of color before the race. Every 15 minutes they let off a giant color throw for everyone to open their bags and make the best rainbow cloud ever! I was able to get a great photo from the color throw after ours! 

I absolutely can't wait for next year! I had one of the best time ever doing this race! If this race is in your city you have to do it!! The organization was fantastic and the volunteers were having a great time! Thank you Diane, Teresina and Carla for all the laughs and fun on Sunday!!! 

Brea 8k

I’m a little late (actually allot late) getting a race recap for this race because life has been CRAZY!. I’ve been planning a wedding, attending others weddings, friends baby showers, and working. Life in general has been soooo busy lately. I love the hustle and bustle but I can’t wait for a day that I have nothing planned to just relax in my penguin feety PJ’s watching a good movie! Now on to my frist 8k experience!!

One of my favorite stores to shop for my running gear is at Snail’s Pace in Brea. I wouldn’t have remembered about this race if it wasn’t for them tweeting about it. I’ve always wanted to run the Brea 8k because it’s so close to home, I’ve never done a 8k race, and who doesn’t love a race that will have tacos at the finish?

Registration can be done 2 ways, on-line, and at Snail Pace. I of course missed both of those opportunities, so the Friday before the race I went down to Brea H.S. and signed up. I tried recruiting a few running friends to join me, but with the last minute decision to run no one was able to. Registration for this race was one of the easiest processes I’ve ever experienced. They were so organized, and all the volunteers were super helpful! I was directed into a room to fill out my little scantron of information, got my goodie bag, t-shirt, and was on my way back home in about 20 minutes! Registration took me literally about 20 minutes!

Start time was scheduled for 8am. So my alarm was set for 6:30 to get ready and stuff my tummy before my BIG 8k! I got to there a little early as I always like to do, and just walked around for a bit to feel the vibe. I have to say walking around the start line with no running buddies with me was super awkward. I always have someone with me, but this time I was that loner person you see listening to their Ipod and giving a hello smile at a start line. I did make a friend with a toddler in a running stroller that offered me a goldfish cracker when her parents were busy talking with friends. I kindly said thank you and took the fish!

When we started off I knew that there were going to be hills on this coarse so I took it slow the first 2 miles. I also had a wardrobe malfunction during this time. Apparently the shorts I wore didn’t want to cooperate. They were either riding up, or riding to low. I’m not going to lie at one point I checked to see if I had them on backwards. I pulled off the side of the race, adjusted them with a few hops to see if they were going to stay put and off I was again.

The weather was perfect, I was enjoying myself, and my music was right on beat for keeping a comfy pace. Miles 3-4 were easy for me with a couple up and down hills. I had 2 girls that I kept my eye on whom in my head, I was only racing them. I had to make sure I past them far enough to hit the finish before them. For some reason I always pick out some poor stranger to make them my enemy at any race. Keeps me motivated!

I turned the corner to the finish and speed up a little get the time I wanted, and I hit it at 58 mins YAY! Good enough for me, espeically because my running lately has been pretty pathetic! I stood in the finish area as if I was waiting for someone I knew to come in with me or something. Like I said I’m so used to people running with me that I literally forgot I was there alone. After realizing no familar faces was coming I had my chip removed, then headed over to the finish line festivities.It was filled with so many food booths from different restaurants, I was in heaven. I grab the cutest little cup of Jamba juice, a breakfast taco, some water, found a spot to sit on a curb and watch other runners finishing. I was content and happy!I think the alone time actually lowered my stress level with everything going on right now. I left there feeling fantastic and so proud of myself. Running is a great way to clear your head and this race did that for me. Next Saturday I have the Hollywood Half marathon that I’m really looking forward too. My wedding is the week after, so it’s my last race as a single lady. I’m also running with one of my best friends Penny..I can't wait to for the laughs and her yelling "I hate the sun"!

Hope your all having a great week!

The Random Eleven Things

TAG I'M IT!!

I had 3 friends tag me in their "11 Random Things" post....Shea, Lauren and Maggie! So I'm going to pull questions from all 3 of their posts and answer them....

The RulesPost these rules

• You must post 11 random things about yourself
• Anwser the questions set for you on their post
• Tag 11 people (can't be the the person that tagged you)
• Create 11 new questions for the people you taggedGo to their blog and tell them you tagged them!

"11 Random Things About Me"

1. I'm afraid of big things like the Macy's Day Thanksgiving day balloons! I will never have the opportunity to watch the Macy's Day parade in person, but if for some reason I was...I can guarantee I would hyper ventilate at some point thinking the ballon was going to pop, and I was going to be stuck under it.

2. While going through makeup schoool I was working at Disneyland as a character doing meet and greets in the park, and performing in parades and shows!

3. I love owls...anything owls I usuallly buy. Its getting a bit out of hand now, but I can't help myself. They're so cute!!

4. While working on a film as a makeup artist, I was asked if they could film my hand to portray 5 year olds hand in a independant film called "Seth". I had to "stab" someone with a knife and drag my hand with fake blood on it over a counter. Children are not able to be on film sets more then 8 hours, so I had to step in and save the day for a few hand inserts. I was credited on this film as a stand in, and makeup artist!

5. Most people think that Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I actually enjoy all things Christmas! Halloween is my 2nd favorite!

6. I have a bit of OCD...food on my plate can't touch each other, I eat one thing at a time on the plate, labels on bottles in the shower have to be facing out, files on my desk have to be lined up so I can see the names on them, the programs on my computer have to be open in a certain way, if I have to at anytime close a program to restart it...I start the whole computer! This list can go on..it happens with age! HAHA!

6. I wish I could be barefoot all the time..I hate wearing shoes!

7. When I was little I used to hate to be dirty. If I got mud or anything on my wardrobe I would beg my mom to change it.

8. I grew up going to private school.

9. I was on a dance drill team from the ages of 9-13. The movie Bring it On is very much true when I comes to cheer camps and competitions!

10. I spent the summer of 99 in Portugal and Spain with my grandparents. It was one of the best trips of my life!

11. I could watch the "Sound of Music" over and over! I always wished to be a Von Trapp family member!

Questions from Shea

Broken any bones or gottne stitches?If so, how?

I've broke my arm, foot and a few ribs! I was 4 playing at my uncles house when I took a fall and broke my arm. I was cleaning my bedroom window, slipped and fell breaking my foot. At a party (drinking a few beverages) a friend picked me up, we both fell and his knee went into my rib cage which cracked 2 of my ribs!

When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a animal trainer at Sea World. I loved dolphins and everything about them, I wanted so much to be that trianer!

Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

I had Kirk Cameron all over my walls! I just completely aged myself! HAHA!

Questions from Lauren

What is your middle name?

Lee

Whats your favorite book?

I'm a huge nerd and I love all things fantasy! I love anything Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings. NERD ALERT!

Where is your favorite place to be?

I love being at the beach!!

Questions from Maggie

Whats your favorite TV show?

I have so many but as of right now my favorite is "New Girl" She reminds me allot about myself, how she sings all the time, makes stupid noises, and her obession with tights with flat shoes!

If you could have lunch with an actor/actress of any era, who would it be and why?

Lucielle Ball. I love old Hollywood and she is one of my favorite famous ladies becuase of her humor. I think lunch with her would be full of great Hollywood stories and lots of laughs!

If you could have any super power, what would it be?To be invisible. That way I could go places in my PJ's and no one would know!

I know I answered 12 from the ladies but 11 is a odd number =) Now I'm suppose to tag 11 other people, but everyone I know that would do this has already. So the questions below will be for those who want to answer them and post them in the comments!!

1. What era do you wish you were born in?

2. At a zombie apolcolypse would you want to be a zombie, or someone saving others from zombies?

3. If you were a cupcake what flavor would you be?

4. Are you a summer, fall, winter or spring person?

5. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you purchased?

6. Flat or heels?

7. What do you put on your hot dog?

8. Would you want to be a back up dancer for Lady Gaga or Madonna?

9. If a movie was made about your life, what celebrity would you want them to cast to portray you?

10. If you could have your dream job what would it be?

11. You were granted 3 wishes, what would be your first?

ENJOY...and thanks to Shea, Lauren and Maggie for including me in this fun activity!!!!

What am I thinking!?

There is one question that I always get from family, friends, or just anyone who finds out I'm a runner..."What do you think about when your running such long distance" I think about the most random things...So here's a little post of things I know I've thought about while running, some were just from my 4 miler tonight..which is why I decided to post this!

• "I only have 13.1 miles to run..I can do this!"


• "26.2 miles is like driving to work and back home....what the hell am I doing running this race?"


• "I wonder if thigh high boots will look good on my short legs?"


• "Should I cut my hair, but then I can't get it into a ponytail and I like them."


• "Justin Bieber...who put this on my playlist?"


• "My shins not hurting..its all in my head, its not hurting, its not, its not..ok pain is gone"


• "That guys running shorts are a little to short, I hope I don't see anything I don't want too! LOOK AWAY LOOK AWAY!!!"


• "Phew mile 6....almost there."


• "Phew mile 14, I made it past the first half."


• "Did I close the garage before I left"


• "I can't wait to eat a big juicy hamburger and fries."


• "I wonder if Grandpa would be proud of me for all my running accomplishments"


• "OHHH AWWWWW look at that puppy, I want a puppy!"


• "Ok last time I had a Gu was at mile 4...so I need to take another at....oh forget it!"


• "Eggs, shampoo, gatorade, toilet paper, turkey burgers, pasta sauce, lunch meat for Robert, bread, do we have yogurt?...Maybe I should make a list before going shopping."


• "I will never do this race again"


• "I will never run again"


• "I should try a Zumba class, its sounds fun"


• "I wonder if Robert is at the finish line waiting for me or if he's still in bed"


• "Did I put my car key in my hydration belt, or did I lock it in the car?!!"

The one thing I ALWAYS think about during running is...

• "Where the F is the finish line already"

There's a ton of other things that go through my head. I constantly think about my grandpa and my roommate Esrin that past away. I use them for so much strength and think such happy thoughts about them. I use running as my therapy, and a way to clear my head. Its hard to tell a non runner what you think about withouth them thinking your crazy. Not sure about other runners but allot of times I even forget I'm running a race and just enjoy the run. This is usually when my brain decides to drift off into LA LA Land I begin to think about what it would be like to be a backup dance for Beyonce!! HAHA I always finish all my running whether it be a race, or just training feeling so much better about things!


What are something you think about? Is running therapy for you?

Christmas time & running from coyotes!

Robert and I celebrated our last Christmas as a unwed couple. I can't believe this time next year him and I will be Mr. and Mrs B! We had a wonderful holiday with our families and kept our tradition together opening presents & breakfast in bed on Christmas morning. It was perfect!!

Santa was extremely good to the both of us, and I'm so excited to ring in 2012. This past year was hard with us having to say good bye to my grandpa in February, so I'm ready for a healthy and happy 2012.

Another thing I'm ready to get moving in 2012 is my running. I have been lagging so much that I'm a bit ashamed of myself. I think with the time change and sitting in almost 2 hours of traffic every day to get home makes me lazy. I want to get out there when I get home, but I'm so tired that sleeping sounds better.

Coyote Creek Bike Trail, La Mirada Ca

Yesterday I got a email from Penny and a few text messages for my friend Jessica that put a little spark back in me. When I got home last night I changed my clothes right away and went for a nice 4 miler. Behind my house is a great new little trail that I ran for the first time. I've heard coyotes several times in this trail at night playing and barking, so I was little scared to go. I don't know much about coyotes. but I heard they're a little fierce if they feel threaten. Not sure if they would feel that way with a girl 5'2 running through their playground, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I took my ipod off so I can hear around me (just incase a coyote was hungry) and just enjoyed the quite of the water running through the riverbed. IT WAS AMAZING!!

Nathan Safety Light..I love this gadget for night time running.

I knew it was going to get dark while I was out so I decided to take my awesome Nathan safety light with me. I bought this last year and have realized when I wear it I get noticed more by cars. I clip it right on the front of my shirt or pants and make sure I have the most annoying flashing mode on. I can't express the importance of making sure your seen at night while your running. People don't pay attention while driving, so you have to make sure your safe!

My new favorite running partner!

Robert got me a nano for Christmas that is now my new running BFF!! I used to use my Iphone for music, but sometimes I just want to go out without wearing my Ifitness belt. So this little guy just clips right onto my pants and holds all my playlists! Amazing how a small 4 miler makes me want to get home today change my clothes and go for another 4 miler!!! I'll keep you posted........

I hope everyone had a wondeful Holiday and I wish you all the best New Year!! Bring on 2012!!!

Where have I been??!!!

WOW!! October is the last time I shared a race report or even posted on here! I’ve been so busy that I just haven’t had the time to sit and write anything. Lots of things have happen since then, and lots of exciting things to come. So I suppose I should share and get things up to speed!!

Let’s start with the month that pretty much took over my life OCTOBER!

I once again had an amazing time this year at Halloween Haunt as a makeup artist. This year was bittersweet for many reasons. I decide that this will be my last year as a full time makeup artist for the event. After 15 years I think that its time to hang up my haunt shoes. I know there are many other things out there for me, and it’s time to explore them as an artist. I’m also going to miss working with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. It’s always hard to explain the friendships that come from working only one month of the year with people, but believe me when I say they are all special and I’m a lucky girl! Not to mention if it wasn’t for this event I wouldn’t be engaged to the most amazing guy in the world. It was a wonderful time to say the least and I’m truly going to miss everyone….Next October I’ll be a married women on my honeymoon, so it’s definitely something to look forward to!

Some Spooky Fun Photos!

Before I knew it...it was November!

Robert and I took a trip to New York for the weekend mid November. I've never been so I was really excited to see a Broadway show, 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Statue of Liberty and all things NYC! Robert is lucky to work for a company that has a few apartments in the city, so we got to feel like true New Yorkers with our little place. I absolutely loved the hustle and bustle of the city and could totally spend more time there. I can’t even imagine how many miles him and I walked…we walked EVERYWHERE!!! The whole city was already decorated for the holidays which totally put me in the holiday spirit!

Our weekend in the Big Apple!

In a blink of a eye Thanksgiving was here and it was time to Turkey Trot. My my mom and I participated at the Long Beach trot, she walked her 2nd 5k, and I ran the 10k. It's such a great family event and I was so happy to have my mom there with me. I wish dad was there to, unfortunately he doesn’t get many holidays off so he was stuck at work. This race is always such fun and I really enjoyed just running it alone. I had my music going and I was just running enjoying myself. I’m still having pain with my shin area that only hurts when I first start running, then after a few miles the pain is gone. Not sure what’s going on, but I think it’s time to get a appointment with my A.R.T. therapist. I was contemplating only running the 5k, but as soon as I hit the turn around I decide to just keep going to complete the 10k. I forgot Mr G 2.0 that day so I have no idea what my time was, nor do I care. I was there to have a fun and that’s exactly what took place…FUN!! After the race we headed home to celebrate the holiday with my dad!

Turkey Trottin!

Now for December…

I know its only December 8th but so much has happen. Tons of wedding plans took place this week, and this past weekend we took a trip! Saturday we packed up the car and ventured out to Las Vegas with friends to run the Rock N Roll half marathon. A week before the race I came down with the worst flu ever, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to run or not. I wasn’t going to make a decision until last minute so I packed up my running gear anyways. We got to the expo in the early evening to pick up my packet and I can't tell you how frustrating this was! Not only did I never receive any sort of email with instructions like most races, but when we finally found the convention center there were NO signs on where to park, or where the expo was. We got 3 different employees give us 3 different ways to get the expo. It was a disaster! I got my stuff and left as quickly as possible!
When I woke up Sunday morning in the hotel unable to breath, I knew that running wasn’t an option for me. I’ve ran with the flu before and it was an awful experience. It was sort of a blessing in disguise because after reading the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Facebook page, the race was a disaster! Since I wasn’t running that day I had only one other goal which was finding Fern before she started her half marathon! After a few tweets and text messags I found her! YAY! She was ready to walk her little heart out and I made sure she knew that so many people were cheering for her!! I was extremely disappinted to hear that Fern was one of the thousands of people not to get a medal. I find that odd because it was a sold out event and I didn’t run, so that’s one extra medal. I’m sure I’m not the only person not to run that day, so who got our medals! I’m not race director or nor have I ever been involved in organizing a race, but if an event is sold out I would think that enough should’ve been ordered? No?....

Little Vegas Fun

So what does the rest of 2012 have in store for me? Well I'm going to keep my racing to a minimum and just focus on getting training in for LA Marathon. I have a few races in early 2012 that I really looking forward to..and I'm also looking forward to my wedding on April 13th! Can't believe that is only 5 months away..WOW! I also promise myself to keep my blog updated as much as possible. If I have a hour to sit and watch a silly reality show, then I have hour to write a race report or update here and there! Hope you enjoyed my super long post...I've also promised myself to shorten these =) HAHA!!

Thanks for reading!

Santa Monica 5000 - 10K

I totally forgot I had registered for the Santa Monica 5000 10k until I got an email with “race day information”. When I saw the date on the message I realized that I was registered for another race the same day..major registration fail! I decided to run Santa Monica anyway since I hadn’t run it before. I always like to try new races and most of the course went down the LA Marathon finish line stretch. I wanted to see what it felt like running down San Vicente and Ocean without rain and hail hitting my face!

The night before Penny sent me a text letting me know that she was going to join me at the race. I was excited to have someone there with me because lately my running has been beyond horrible…actually embarrassing would be a much better word for it. This summer has been a struggle to get my running shoes on and go out for any miles. I was hoping this race would give me that “spark” that I once had for running. This time of year is especially hard to get any running in with my hectic schedule. For those of you that have been keeping up with my blog you know that once a year during the months of September and October I’m a makeup artist at one of the largest Halloween events in California, Knott’s Berry Farms Halloween Haunt. For 25 nights my fingernails have permanent cream paint in them, prosthetic glue ends up in my hair, and fake blood on my clothes. Not to mention the lack of sleep that takes place between real job and fun making monsters job…so sleepy all the time! But I was determined to get my butt up in the morning and run this 10k. My gear was laid out and my alarm was set!

Sunday morning I met Penny at a park and ride so we could drive into Santa Monica together. She still had to register and I needed to pick up my goody bag, so we decide to get an early start meeting at 6am. The only way I can explain any race day or plans with Penny would be an episode of Laverne & Shirley. There are always laughs and lots of shenanigans that take place between the two of us.

When we got to the start line I actually had butterflies in my tummy. I knew this wasn’t going to go very well but I was willing to give it my all and run my little tushy off. We were finally on our way and I could feel my breathing was all off. I couldn’t take a nice deep breath like I normally can, and my legs wanted to stop by mile 2. I had 4 more miles to go and my body was like “Um what the hell are you doing” I looked at my pace and I was so disappointed, I was at 12 min miles and I could feel myself getting slower. Penny was trying to stay with me, but I knew I was holding her back so I told her to just go. She’s been do so well with her running and I didn’t think it was fair for me to ask her to stay with me. She also has Long Beach Half next weekend so she needed this run. I did a lot of thinking as I did a slow run walk past miles 3 & 5. I told myself that this non running business was OVER. I need to get back on the running train and get back on NOW. I had to push myself through a 10k..how sad! I once ran a full marathon and now I’m barely making it through a 10k…this was my lesson and it was learned!

When I hit the turn around I realized that it was a downhill, so I used that to my advantage and sped up a little. I made sure to keep it steady so when I hit the flatter area I wouldn’t be winded. I past up a few people that had past me up and I was actually enjoying the run. I had beat myself up earlier over how bad this race was going, but then I realize that moment that feeling I was having of running with my music pumping, the wind hitting me, and my legs feeling great was what this was all about. I told myself that this week I was going to start up again. Doesn’t matter if I do 2 or 3 miles a day, the bottom line is I’m doing something. I need to get my pace back, I don’t want to see 12 or 13 has my pace average. Funny how a little thing like a 10k can make you ponder so much, but it’s a good thing.

I saw the finish line in the distance and I was having major LA Marathon flashbacks. The last time I was running down this stretch I could barely see anything because of the weather. My dad was next to me telling me that “we’re almost done” and I remember thinking I just finished 26.2 miles! It brought the biggest smile to my face and I was proud of myself all over again. I hit the 10k finish with not the best time in the world but you know..its another finish for me.

After this weekend I decided that I need to do a few more small races the next few weeks, then come November 1st after all this Halloween madness is over I’ll up my mileage. I have a Rock N Roll Las Vegas in December and I need to be ready for it. I think this little plan will work for me. Starting off my small races will be the Run Forest Run 5k in Long Beach. I usually run the Half Marathon there but scheduling and lack of running has me at the 5k…see you all there!!!

A Hike with a Proposal!

So I’ve been neglecting my blog for weeks..its shameful, I know! I guess things have just been so busy this summer that I haven’t had a good opportunity to write. It could be because I really haven’t run any races since July 4^th. So not much news to write about, however last weekend something pretty amazing happen that I thought I would share!

I had no idea that my boyfriend of 2 ½ years had other intentions when I told him I wanted to go hiking up the Hollywood sign for my birthday. He introduced me to the trails when we first started dating, so I figured it would be something totally fun to do together. I’ve lived in LA all my life and have never been up the Bronson trail before. I never even knew there was a trail going up to the sign until a few years ago. I’d seen it in movies but didn’t think you could actually do that! So that was my choice of the day for the start of my birthday weekend. The Hollywood sign and lunch at a fun LA spot.

Robert and I have known each other as friends for a little over 9 years. We met at the Knott’s Berry Farms Halloween Haunt event back in 2002. As I’ve mentioned before I’m a make up artist, and Robert works as talent scaring guests throughout the park. It’s our job away from our adult jobs where we can have fun and enjoy one our favorite holiday. Back in 2007, we exchanged email addresses, and from time to time we would write each other. It was nothing to fancy just a “Hello, how’s life treating you” sort of thing. After doing this for about a year I realized that we had allot more in common and well…I was starting to fancy him!

Tickets from our first date!!

Monster Love!!!

Robert and I have always talked about marriage and I knew he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I was being patient (somewhat) waiting for the day he finally asked me to marry him. Since we have a trip planned to New York in November, I honestly thought that it was going to happen then. Either way I was waiting and hoping that 2011 was going to be our year to get engaged.

The Bat Cave

We got to the hiking area pretty early in the morning so we could avoid the heat. There were 2 trails to hit, one to the Hollywood sign, and the other to see the Bat cave where they filmed the original Batman series. The geek in me had to see this cave that once had the Batmoble zoom out to save Gotham City!!!

View from the top of the sign!!

Now that I think of Robert’s actions during that day I remember him constantly tapping his pocket, and telling me he loved me over and over. It’s not unusual for him to do that, but that particular day he was a little more mushy then normal. He would stop at random hillsides, to which I thought he was just enjoying the view but what he told me later he was trying to find the perfect spot. When we finally got to the top near the sign, he wasn’t really paying to much attention to me when I was talking to him. He was looking at all the people around us and just not focused at all. I asked him one more time “Do you want to stay up here for a bit or head back down”? Took him a few minutes to answer and he finally decided to head back down. On the way down he was doing the same thing….being super mushy, and holding my hand as we walked. This is when I told him that my hands were swollen from the heat. He told me when I said that, he was worried the ring wasn’t going to fit HAHA! So 3 ½ miles down we finally made it back to the car.

We were doing our usual after hike clean up, changing shoes, getting rid of trash, and washing our hands. He was taking FOREVER to do this and I was getting irritated because I was hungry. He was also watching the people next to us get in their car and the guy walking his dog very closely. The longer they were around us the longer he was taking to clean up. He asked for one of the wipes I use to wash my hands which I thought was wired because he hates them. As I was turned away from him he started his speech “I just want you to know that I love you very, very much, your so wonderful and I want to marry you” I turned around and notice his face was starting to get emotional. He got down on one knee, and pulled the ring out of a Altoids box he had put the ring in since the actual box didn’t fit in his pocket. I was so excited that I yelled “SHUTTTTT UP”, then without any hesitation I said “YES”!! I don't know why but I asked if the ring was real, I was shocked to say the least! I couldn’t believe what was happening, the excitement I was feeling is so hard to explain. My hands were shaking and I couldn’t stop hugging him and screaming “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED”. There was a lady walking by us with her dog that must have thought I was bananas yelling the way I was!

My ring was in his pocket for hours!

Nothing hit me until we were driving away. I looked down at my hand then realized what really happen and I burst into tears. Robert asked me why I was crying and all I could say was “I get to marry you”!

My Twitter profile that day!

I will never ever forget that moment and the Bronson trail now has a special place in my heart. I can’t wait for the day I get to marry him. He makes me a better person and has opened my eyes to so many things. He supports me in everything I do and I’m so thankful to have him in my life! Not to mention the hours this man has spent waiting for me at finish lines HAHA! We don’t have any date set just yet, we’ve tossed around a few dates but nothing is set in stone! This proposal was beyond perfect for me and I wouldn’t have wanted it any different.

Thank you to everyone who sent messages via text, Facebook and Twitter! It meant the world to the both of us!

Vineman 70.3 by Bob Frein

Since my blog is mostly "I ran a race..oh look I ran another race" over and over I decided to ask my friend Bob if he would be interested in doing is Vineman 70.3 race report as a guest blogger. He was more then happy to help..so enjoy this great race report and don't forget to leave him a comment!

**Warning** This race report is rather long, so grab yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, sit back, relax and enjoy my Vineman 70.3 Race Report.

Let me preface this race report by saying that this was my first attempt at the half iron distance, I had previously done only Sprint distance triathlons. I decided last summer that I wanted to try a 70.3 race in 2011. After doing some research, I decided on Vineman as my first 70.3. I waited up until midnight on November 1, 2010 when registration opened and signed up...and got in

Let me preface this race report by saying that this was my first attempt at the half iron distance, I had previously done only Sprint distance triathlons. I decided last summer that I wanted to try a 70.3 race in 2011. After doing some research, I decided on Vineman as my first 70.3. I waited up until midnight on November 1, 2010 when registration opened and signed up...and got in!

Friday

We left Los Angeles at 5am and made it to Windsor by 12 noon. Since I wanted to get in a swim at the river before the race, we made the 15 mile drive out to Guerneville. Once we got down to the river, I put on my wetsuit and waded into the water. Temperature was very comfortable and I headed upstream. I decided to swim to the bridge and back (about 300 yds) and once I got to the bridge, the water was waist deep. I stood there and talked with a few other swimmers and headed back. I decided to do 2 more swims (both with and without the wetsuit) and we walked around Guerneville a bit.We headed back to Windsor, checked in at the hotel and then decided to go find a place to eat dinner.

Saturday

Tina and I went for an early morning walk around Windsor, eventually walking by the high school where workers were setting up T2 and the Finish line. After breakfast, we headed to the school for the mandatory meeting and packet pick up. The "meeting" was nothing more than a 22 minute video talking about safety and rules including "drafting" (remember that for later). I got my race packet, timing chip and t shirt and headed for the Vineman merchandise tent to buy some hats, etc. I had to drop my running gear at T2, so I found a spot I thought I could remember fairly easily and claimed my space. We left the school and headed back to Guerenville so I could drive the bike course. Just a few miles into the bike course, I noticed that the roads were not in great shape. These are lightly traveled, county roads and with California's current financial crisis, they don't get a lot of attention. I knew I was going to have to pay attention on the bike and dodge a lot of crappy road. The bike course has some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. During this time, I was munching on a bagel and noticed something in my mouth that didn't feel right...I broke a piece of tooth off. Fortunately, there was no pain and I didn't think it would affect my race. The course took about 2 hours to drive and once we got back to the hotel, we headed out for an early dinner, then off to bed.

Sunday - Race Day

We were up at 4 am, so we could be on the road to Guerneville by 5 am. We made it out to Guerneville just as T1 was opening. On the way in, I got body marked and luckily, my wife was standing next to me as I forgot my age. I found some space and started to lay out my stuff. I was going through a mental checklist and hoping I didn't forget anything. I got into my wetsuit and waited for my wave to be called. I was in the 5th wave and didn't have long to wait...before I knew it, I was in the water waiting for the horn to blow. My strategy in the swim was to start in the back to avoid the "washing machine"and take it easy. The horn sounds and I let the group go ahead of me. I start swimming at a nice, easy pace. About 200 yards into the swim, I am now in the crowd...WTF? How did this happen? Either, I was swimming fast or they were swimming slow, in any case, I didn't want to be on someones feet and get kicked in the face. I slowed my pace a bit and headed towards the shore a bit until I got some clean water ahead. At the turn around, the water was about knee deep and it was easier to walk the turn than to swim it. On the way back, there was a bit of a current that made the 2nd half of the swim a little quicker. Before I knew it, I saw the swim exit right in front of me...out of the water I went.

Swim - 41:24

T1

I grabbed a cup of water on the way in and decided to take my time. I didn't want to forget anything and I needed to pack up all of my swim items into the plastic bag so I could hand them to my wife on the way out. I saw Rebecca on the way out and stopped for a quick picture. I took the advice of every Vineman race report I read and ran/walked my bike to the top of the hill before getting on it. That was great advice!

T1 - 7:39

Bike

I started out at a comfortable pace while I got situated on the bike. I was really conscious of the drafting distance and I spent a lot of energy and time focusing on that. I made it to the first turn off which was pretty hairy and sure enough...someone had already crashed and was being tended to. The bike course was beautiful and I started passing people and increasing the pace while still focusing on drafting and potential penalties. About 20 miles into the course, a group of guys on tri bikes, basically forming a pace line, wheel to wheel, passed me and right behind them was a course Marshall. The Marshall didn't even bat an eye at them, so at that point, I decided to pick up the pace and not worry so much about drafting. Things seemed to be going well and I thought that a 3 hour bike was possible. I stopped at the last aid station for a potty break and then hit it pretty hard until Chalk Hill. It wasn't that it was that big or long of a hill, it was just at mile 45 and I was getting tired. I ate the last quarter of a PB&J sandwich (I ate 1/4 every 10 miles and supplemented it with Gu) and tried to pick up the pace for the last 10 miles. No such luck...I watched the 3 hour mark slipped by and then 3:15. I pushed hard the last couple of miles and reached the high school and T2.

Bike - 3:21:14 (16.70 mph/avg)

T2

It was quite a distance from the dismount line to the bike racks and it seemed like it took forever to run that distance. I racked my bike and emptied my run bag onto the grass. I sat down and put on my compression sleeves and shoes. I talked with another racer who offered me some sunscreen, which was a reminder to grab mine and apply it liberally. I put on my water belt and visor and headed out with a quick stop at the porta potty before leaving transition.

T2 - 8:09

Run

As I headed out on the run, I saw my wife taking pictures and seeing her smile gave me bit of energy that I desperately needed. The run course was made up of rolling hills (some challenging) and some flats. (I wish I would have driven the run course as well) The first 6 miles seemed to go very well, I hit every aid station (there were 12) and took on fluids and a gel. I also ate a few pretzels each mile from a bag that carried with me. The course was changed a bit this year, it ran around the perimeter of the winery and that was on dirt and gravel. By that time, the sun had finally made an appearance and it was getting warm. I started feeling tired so I started breaking down the last 6 miles by mile. I would run to the aid station, walk while taking on fluids and gels (about a minute or two) then run to the next aid station. It worked well and before I knew it, I was at the last aid station with 1.1 miles to go. My pace picked up a bit since I could sense the finish was near. I hit the finish chute and had the finish line in my sights. I crossed the finish line, hands raised! I finished!!

Run - 2:20:12 Finish Time - 6:38:38

I saw my wife behind the barrier and posed as she took a couple of pictures. The finish area had a lot op people mulling around and eating. Vineman puts on a pretty good post race meal (chicken sandwich, pasta salad, fruit, etc) all of which was fine and dandy, but how about some gatorade??? None to be found...they had water, iced tea and soda. I grabbed some fruit and a water and headed over to the transition area to meet my wife. I gathered my bike and we walked back to the off site parking lot where she had parked the car. Once back at the hotel, a quick shower and a beer and we headed out for some wine tasting. After all, we were in Sonoma and I could leave without wine tasting. One of my twitter peeps suggested Truett-Hurst Winery, so we decided to give them a try. They had some very nice wines, they specialize in Zinfandel's and syrah's. Since it was so late in the day and most wineries close at 5pm, we decided to go right to dinner. We tried KC Downtown Grill in downtown Windsor. Once back at the hotel, I decided to head down to the hot tub, where I sat and chatted with other racers about the race. It was interesting to hear what they thought about the race, course, etc

Since this was my first attempt at the half iron distance, I really didn't have any expectations other than finishing. In the back of my mind, I said I would like to come in under 7 hours, which I did. It was a great experience, one I will never forget, but the journey to get there was even greater. I have met so many wonderful and supportive people over the years. There are so many people I need to thank...my wife and family, my coach, my running/riding partners, my friends, my twitter/facebook friends, and A Runner's Circle family... I couldn't have done it without all of you....so from the bottom of my heart...THANK YOU!

So what's next you ask??? Nothing! Actually, I have the Disneyland Half Marathon on the schedule and that is it. I'm not going to do much the rest of this year, I need to give my body a break and I need to take care of things in my life that I have put on hold for the better part of the last year. In the coming weeks, I will sit down and figure out some kind of maintenance plan so I can try and stay in shape. I will also try and figure out 2012 as far as racing...at this point, I am leaning towards "not much", since I am shooting to run the Goofy Challenge in January 2013. I need to decide if I want to run the LA Marathon again, but at the very least, I will volunteer with Craig and his SRLA kids once again.

Oh yes...the broken tooth...I had it looked at on Tuesday morning and fortunately, it was only a wisdom tooth, but it was beyond saving and had to come out.

So there you have it, a great race report for something I don't think I will ever have the courage to do (never say never right). I followed Bob during his training for this event, and I can't tell you how proud I am of him for for accomplishment! Congrats Bob and I look forward to running more races with you!! - Kristy