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!

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!

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

So What's My Plan?!

I haven't had a busy weekend in a long time so the hussle and bussle of the weekend was long overdue. It was filled with surprise parties and makeup madness. So much happen this weekend that I feel like I forgot something or someone! I'm sure I'll be getting an email or text saying "Did you forget something." EECK!!

I didn't do ANY running or workouts this weekend.....I know shame on me! However after all the activities I did over the weekend I should log it as a giant workout. It was non stop from one place to another Disneyland for a few hours, 2 suprise parties, and walking for 4 hours around the Pasadena Convention Center for the International Makeup Trade Show. I'm still exhausted and can't seem to get enough sleep just yet to feel better. My motivation to do anything is pretty much sitting on the couch eating popcorn, its pretty pathetic. However I did do some serious thinking today and its time to do SOMETHING! I was thought about doing the 40 day challenge that Danica is doing wonderful at for about 2.5 seconds, but I know myself and it won't happen. I need to set other goals that are realistic for me, so here is what I thought up.

Mondays - I'm always exhausted from the weekend and starting the work week, so I'm going to use this as my "rest day"
Tuesdays - Run
Wednesday- Trail Run
Thursdays - Hot Yoga
Fridays - Run
Saturday - Beach Run or Hot Yoga
Sunday - Hiking, bike ride or whatever the beautiful summer weather allows, but no sitting around watching Jerseylicious!

I think that plan will work for me and I know I can do it I just need to get it going! I do blame my partial laziness on having the flu the past few weeks, but I'm better now so no more excuses!! So thats my plan! Wish me luck!!

"My Favorite Things" Medal Display Giveaway

It's that time again for "My Favorite Things: Bamboo & Medal Display". I didn't have to ponder to much about what I wanted to share with you this month, bamboo vs cotton, and a awesome medal display by Allied Medal Diplays who was gracious enough to help out with a give away!

Bamboo vs Cotton

I absolutely love running in bamboo fabric. I have shirts, as well as sports bras in this material. It looks very similar to cotton, but its much softer and is so much better for your skin. As I mention in "Favorite Things & Ifitness Giveaway", Caleah a good friend of mine and esthetician, has stepped in with some information regarding allot of the products I share on these posts. She told me about bamboo when I asked her what to do about small breakouts on my shoulders from summer running. I purchased my first bamboo shirt from Gypsy Runner at a expo and instantly feel in love! Then Penny gave me a fun shirt for Christmas that she also purchased from Gypsy Runner. When I asked Caleah to compare Bamboo vs Cotton this is what she shared with me;

"Bamboo fabric is softer than cotton with a texture similar to silk. It is a naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic product grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is also quick to absorb moisture, dries very very quickly, and therefore keeps you dry and odor free. Bamboo socks have been proven to help eliminate athletes foot and in a study performed by the Japan Textile Inspection Association, making them ideal for runners. I love the feel of Bamboo fabric. I own bamboo sheets, bath mats, yoga pants, and even makeup brushes. The environmental benefits of bamboo are even more reason for me to utilize this tree"

Bamboo Shirt from Gypsy Runner (Thanks Penny)

This material is affordable and will keep you cool during hot summer days. Here are some good sites to purchase bamboo clothing.

Gypsy Runner

The House of Bamboo, Bamboo Batu

Asana Green

Doce Vida

Green Apple Active

Allied Medal Display

My Medals!!

I saw these medal displays on my friends Facebook page and had to purchase a few for gifts during the holidays. I purchase the "Always Earned, Never Given" for my dad, and a "Soccer" one for my niece. Then to my surprise my boyfriend got one for me for Christmas as well. Before I got the display I had my medals hanging on a single nail all bunched up and you couldn't really see them. So I love the fact that I can display these in the living area of our house. I get compliments when ever we have new visitors! The style isn't bulky and looks really nice on the wall. Allied Medal Display was gracious to host this months "Favorite Things" giveaway, they are letting the winner pick any medal display they like on their site! So take a look and enter to win..here's how!

1. Comment on my blog, make sure to leave a email address when you sign in so I can contact you if your the winner!

2. Like Allied Medal on Facebook by clicking here, then leave a comment on my wall post letting me know I sent you. Please don't post directly on their page, but only on my wall post that way I can keep track of entries!!

3. Retweet the giveaway, don't forget to add @kristylpants!

The winner will be chosen on Friday.....GOOD LUCK!!!

Pasadena Half Marathon

I'm not sure if Mother Nature is upset with me, but I haven't ran a race since March without rain. Some people may say they don't mind running in the rain, but after my LA Marathon experience, I'm not fond of it at all. I would rather have overcast and a little wind with........NO RAIN! I'm sure I'll get over it at some point, but right now I will stay a "Bitter Beaver" about the whole thing. I don't think I would have ran this race if my friend Jessica wasn't running her first half. We planned this race together, and I was not about to be "Flakey Jakey" over rain. I knew I had to suck it up and be there with her!!

Race weekend started on Saturday for me. Robert and I headed out to the expo in the afternoon for bib pick up. I think he likes going to these now so he can try all the free samples! HA! The expo was very small, bib pick up was easy peasy with nothing to chaotic. We had nothing else planned for the rest of the day, so we decided to go walking for a bit around downtown Pasadena. We stop at our favorite coffee place Intelligentsia and also for cupcakes at Sugar Fix....Delicious!!

Cupcakes & Coffee of Deliciousness

Jessica and I planned on driving together in the morning, so I decided to stay at my parents house since they live closer to her. I hadn't really ate dinner yet, so when I got to their house I mentioned that had a weird craving for wonton soup. This soup is my moms weakness, so I knew she would join me for soup shenanigans! It totally hit the spot and it made a perfect pre race mea! Great meal, with great mom and me time! I was in bed with Nanee (our furbaby) by 10pm. Not as early as I wanted, but it worked.

Nanee not excited that I woke her at 3:30am

Next morning I got to Jessica's house at 4:45am...goodness it was early. We made it to Pasadena in about 30 mins which was perfect to get settle in, and relax a little before the race start. While waiting I could feel drops of rain coming down, it wasn't steady just random large drops falling. I kept saying "please no rain please!!" I had a throw away sweatshirt on but it wasn't water proof, and under it was a WHITE tech shirt.....Yup I chose white because everyone was saying "it's not going to rain tomorow, only 11% chance" You know what happens to white shirts when they get wet? Well if you ever been to any Spring Break vacations you know very well what happens to white shirts when they get wet.. I was now thinking that I would have to run with my throw away for the whole race if the rain didn't let up, or pin my bib up on my chest. Being under trained, the rain, and now a future wardrobe malfunction was actually giving me race jitters. I haven't gotten half marathon race jitters in over a year. I was in for quite the morning!

Jessica and I in the morning ready to go!

The race finally started and we were off. I stayed with Jessica up till about mile 2 which is when I had to ditch my sweatshirt because I was overheating. I had to really ponder getting rid of it, because like is said before WHITE tech shirt. I was hot and it really wasn't raining to much, so off it went. I guess with me trying to take it off my sweatshirt and slowing down, speedy Jessica and I got separated. I told her before the race started that if she lost me for any reason to just go. She's faster then me and I didn't want to hold her back for her first half. There was a slight drizzle up till about mile 5, then it started to really rain. I have to admit I had a small temper tantrum at that point. Now that I think it about it, its sort of funny. There were 2 runners next to me wondering what was going on, I just looked at them and said "I don't like rain" They didn't say a word to me, they just smiled, and went a little faster to get away from the crazy girl cursing at the weather. I knew there was nothing I could possibly do to control the weather but like 5 year old..it made me feel better. So there!

I had set a goal to hit mile 6 under 1:15, I hit it at 1:07 which was perfect. I wanted to keep the pace I had but my legs really started to get heavy. This is when I realized that all this non running mojo stuff was really taking a toll, so I gave myself a pep talk through the next few miles. I was taking advantage of the down hills and making sure to push through the up hills. Mile 7 was my favorite mile, beautiful green trees all around us, and the rain made it so calming (only time I was happy about the rain). I took my ipod off so I could listen to what was going on around me. I could hear the trees moving in the wind and the sound of other runners hitting the wet pavement. You never realize how quite a race really is until you remove your music, it's sort of hard to explain but I'm sure other runners can relate!

I remember when looking at the elevation map the day before that miles 8-10 were all up hill, so I had planned to do run/walk interval for those 2 miles. The rain also decided to stop so that definitely turned my frown upside down! I hadn’t checked my phone at all, so I figure "hill time" was a perfect "check text messages time" When Robert comes to my race we always do a quick "I'm here are you ok".."yup I'm ok, I'll see you at the finish" I feel better knowing he's there, and he feels better hearing from me =)

After mile 10 the race was all down hill WOOHOO! I looked at Mr. G 2.0 and my time wasn’t bad so I thought maybe I could possibly PR by a few minutes. So I pushed as much as I could and kept looking at my time to see if that was even possible. As I turned the corner into the home stretch I saw Jessica and her family cheering me on....she finished in 2:17! Ms Speedy! Then a little ways down was Robert, my photographer for the day! I crossed the finish, looked at my watch...2:34...no PR for me, but man I was very happy with my time. I’m not kidding when I say I didn’t train for this race, so I was a bit shocked that I came even close to a PR.

Almost there......

Finishers!!

So what did Kristy learn from this race? Well I learned that I can do better, but in order to do that I need to train better. I've been in a funk lately about running and was really hoping that this race would help. It totally did and I think I found my mojo again. The weather was meh, but the course was awesome and I honestly did enjoy myself...even during a temper tantrum. Like I said in my previous post, I have 2 more half marathons this month. I will push myself and reach for that PR. I know I can do it I just have to try!...oh and just in case your in suspense, my white tech tee behaved in the rain. I apparently had enough layers to keep my run rated PG-13 for explicit language only!

YIIPPEEEE!!!

I be up at the gym..working on my fitness!!

I still haven't been running much, but I did get in some solid workouts this week that made me feel great. I'm hoping for some solid running the next few weeks since I have 3 Half marathons in a row starting this weekend...apparently I didn't plan that out very well. My three half marathon series starts with the Pasadena Half Marathon this weekend. I'm going to do my absolute best Sunday up and down the hills of Pasadena. I hope my bad running mojo turns into good juju!! If this doesn't work out as planned I have 2 more chances to kick ass. I'm more excited that my friend Jessica is also running, and its her first half marathon!! WOOHOO! Next weekend Penny and I are driving up to Fresno to run the half marathon with Row, then on May 30 I'm joining Danica at the Laguna Hills half marathon. So that's 3 half marathons, 3 weekends in a row....one of them is bound to be great right?

The past week I did a few workouts that I was happy with. I did my usual Tuesday night yoga with Krissy. Wednesday Bob was in town for a trade show so we ran a very slow 5 miles through the hills of my neighborhood, then yesterday I attempted a Fit Bar class. Let me skip yoga with Krissy and running with Bob talk to discuss this "FitBar" class for a moment. I have one word for it AMAZING! I had heard about this workout from some friends and they had nothing but positive things to say about it. A few weeks ago I saw a Groupon offer for 2 classes at Living Fitness in Newport Beach. It’s a little far from home, but I really wanted to try this and it was such a good deal. I decided since I had a short day at work yesterday it was a perfect opportunity to head out to Newport for a class I wasn't to sure what to expect but I'm always up to finding new things for cross training. Bar workouts are pretty much a mash-up of pilates, yoga, aerobic and ballet moves. Lots of stretching, cardio, and strength training. The one thing I realized during this class is I'm not flexible at all, and my legs are so stiff. I never noticed it in yoga for some reason, but I totally noticed in this class. Our instructor Jody was great., she was very knowledgeable, and she explain things as we went along. She came around and helped correct the "newbie" to make sure I was doing things correctly. Great workout, great environment, and great instructor! If you live in or around south Orange County I highly recommend this class. I have one more class to take with them that I plan on doing after my half marathon series is over! I wish this gym was closer to me because I would most definitely go back more often.

As for yoga with Krissy it was great as usual. We've been going to another gym location because the instructor at our "normal gym" was to cookie cutter with her classes. It was the same thing week by week legs, abs, relax...wash, rinse, repeat Meh! This new found instructor likes to change things up weekly which keeps us excited about going to class. However now that we found a new instructor that we love, we also found a gym that we don't love. It’s so crowded it's unbelievable. So after much discussion Krissy and I have decided we are going to try a yoga studio. We'll be going to our first class on Tuesday night, if all goes well.....good bye crowded gym and hello weekly yoga studio.

My running for the week was with Bob. He was in town for a trade show so we decided to meet up on Wednesday night. He got to my house dressed in the same outfit as me totally not planned at all, but it was definitely hilarious.

GEEKS!

We did a total of 5 very slow miles and chatted about what we're training for, and he once again was answering 101 questions I had about triathlons and cycling. I hadn't seen him since LA Marathon so it was nice to do a little catching up. Running at night is always a challenge for me because I'm so sluggish from being at work all day, but we did it!

That's pretty much my week. I've had to promise myself that I wouldn't let my blog go longer then a week without posting. I'll be working on a new "Favorite Things" post with a great give away from Allied Steel Fabricators. They make some awesome medal displays. I'll also have my race reports from Pasadena, Fresno and Laguna Hill half marathons.

Hope everyone has a great training weekend!!