The Fourth

Marathon training report - I'm up to 4.2 miles. Heh. Ran it this morning, thinking it would help get me energized for the week. Instead, I'm hungry and tired. Grrr.. I know I can do a 12 miler at this point. Just finding the right weather conditions for marathon training has been challenging. It's always too hot. I figured out that it's actually nicer to run in the evenings, because it gets cooler, the later it gets. In the mornings, you get to a certain distance, and you just can't run anymore, because it gets so damn hot. I need a team to train with. I wonder how much of my needs are stemmed from being on a swim team for almost a decade. I would've never gone to the pool by myself. And while I was on TNT, it was really hard to motivate to run unless it was a scheduled run, and I was expected to pick people up.

I'm so not discipline. Probably need to work on that.

The weekend was nice. Ni flew in for a few days. We spent the 4th on the beach, soaked in the sun, and watched four sets of fireworks with our feet buried in the sand. It was actually a pretty good 4th - weather was perfect, and it was fun to be surrounded by new friends, Justin and my sister. Quite relaxing, indeed.

Signs that I'm nearing 30

A week and two days away to the dreaded 3-0 and my body is in pain. In my last run, a painful 10 miler, I could hardly get through the first 4. My legs felt like tree trunks.. Apparently (diagnosed by my running bff), my calf muscles are probably all tangled up with each other.. they should all twitch individually but when they've worked too many miles, they start twitching as one muscle, which leads to pain. All this right before the Nike half (I signed up for the Nike full, but have since decided to just do the more sane half). I signed up for a sport massage to work on both calves for Friday at Psoas Massage & Bodywork. Hopefully it will do the body good.

My cousin viv and her bf are flying in from Toronto for a visit to start my 30th bday festivities. they arrive Thursday.. Friday, we'll be at the Berkeley's Greek Theater for the Shins (drool), and we'll try to squeeze in a visit to Zachary's (a deep dish pizza place that's supposed to outshine any Chicago deep dish pizza place - hard to believe but I'll report back). Saturday, Justin's leading the surprise festivities, but I'm hoping to run 8 miles on my newly massaged legs before everything begins. Sunday is unclear - I guess it depends on how I do on Saturday:) Maybe it'll just be a day of R&R and Wii, though I'm tempted to fit a ferry ride to hike on Angel Island. Monday, we'll be heading down to Santa Clara for south bay exploration.

Then I turn 30 on Thursday.. the monthly BBQ at work will coincidentally fall on the same day.

Saturday, we head up to North Bay for some sushi, and then to Napa for a night at a B&B. And wake up at the crack of dawn for a hot air balloon ride, and champaign brunch.. then over to another surprise bday party for a fellow libra friend - also turning the dreaded 3-0.

Don't worry. I'm not dreading thirty that much. I just have to realize that I can't get away with as much because I should be at a more responsible age. That goes for everything I guess... Like I can't get away with eating 3 cupcakes and thinking that I won't feel it an hour later.

Raise money for the kids!

My running buddy (miss Katy McLean)is trying to raise funds to support kids to get into the NYC Marathon. We both entered but we didn't make the lottery, BUT she still wants to go.. So please, if you have and extra cent or two (Her company, WAMU matches any contribution at 100%), please donate to her charity of choice: Team For Kids!

Here are more details in her words:

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Hello Everyone,

Many of you helped me raise money for my very first marathon in 2005, which benefited the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. I am now gearing up for the New York City Marathon in November, but I cross the finish line without your help.


The Cause:

I have joined Team for Kids, the New York Road Runners Foundation’s team of volunteers who raise funds for youth fitness programs. I chose this foundation when I read these statistics:

· More than 43 percent of New York City children are overweight or obese, putting them at significant risk for early onset of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic illnesses

· Student-teacher ratios for physical education in New York City elementary schools are estimated to be 730 to 1

· 2 out of every 5 New York City public schools offer no after-school sports or fitness activities

New York Road Runners helps Team for Kids deliver running-based fitness programs to 25,000 at-risk school children each week in New York and a handful of other cities.


How You Can Help:

I will need to raise a minimum of $2500 for Team for Kids to ensure my spot in the New York City Marathon in November. In addition to the fundraising, I will be training for the 26.2 mile race. Here are different ways you can help prepare me for the big race:

· Provide pedicures to keep my feet blister free and my toenails attached throughout my training

· Become a water stop volunteer and meet me along my training routes with motivational cheers and Gatorade

· Run alongside me singing "Eye of the Tiger" on my training runs

Bagels, Gatorade and/or moral support will gladly be accepted
· Make a monetary donation

- $1 per mile for a total of $26

- $50 will ensure you are not invited to run at 8am on Saturday mornings

- $100 will remove you from this email distribution

- $250 will buy you the license to laugh at my inability to walk/sit in the coming weeks

- $500 to be my best friend (offer expires November 4th)



Donations Can Be Made:

Online:

https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2007/donations.htm


In the Mail:

Donation documents have been attached and can be sent to:
(if you need the pdf, email me)

New York Road Runners Foundation

NYRR Foundation Team for Kids

845 Third Avenue, 11th floor

New York, NY 10022


Be sure to note my Marathon Entry Number 114113 and Last Name (McLean) when submitting a donation. All contributions are tax-deductible and you will receive acknowledgement from NYRRF in the mail. If you have questions about corporate matching policies and processes feel free to let me know.

Thank You!

Muy rápido

Lance Armstrong results in the NYC Marathon.

Before 30 revisited

Egad! Birthday is tomorrow. I have exactly a year and a day before I turn 30.. and while i did get to mark off a few things this year on my before 30 list.. (go to china, go to japan, get engaged and solidify serious relationship, photo show), I still have much to do.. atleast I think I do. Since my before 30 list was wiped - diary-x server died and they had to wipe the hard drive which stored my before 30 list - i don't exactly recall everything that was on there. I wrote it when I turned 24 or 25.. So it was eons ago.

Anyways since I only have a year now.. here's a list of items I'd like to complete before I turn 30.

• Get a PB in another marathon (planning to run in the Chicago marathon next year)
• Start taking a language classes (Japanese and Mandarin are at the top of my list)
• Go to NY
• Take a cooking class
• Save mula
• Get married, and honeymoon in [Santorini/Mykonos/Paris]
• Get promoted at work
• Buy a Digital SLR

Seems short but I've been shocked at how fast a year goes by. I'll add on as I see fit. I should probably run another half-marathon too.. ooh and keep my weight off through the holiday season and win the lottery or at a craps table :)

Running is all in your head.

Running long distances is easy as long as your head is into it as much as you want it to be. My 4th half marathon race took place this past Sunday morning. Katy and I huddled with about 20,000+ other runners, at the edge of the Ferry Building when the gun went off at 5:30am. Mile 1, we were even at about a 9:20 pace. Temperature was good.. about 56 degrees, still overcast, sun had just started rising, slight breeze. My physical and my mental were in check. I was feeling good. Mile 2 came around, we stopped momentarily to grab some electrolytes.. Still feeling pretty good. I jogged up the hill that separates the Aquatic Park from Fort Mason and wasn't the bit phased. Mile 3 came and went, By mile 4, I was in the running zone that so many people talk about. I could feel my muscles tense up with every step, and my breathing had taken a comfortable pattern.... by Mile 6, I was starting to feel the run, but no matter, I was still going to make it in good time. I had lost Katy in the crowd, but I knew we would meet along the run somewhere.. We almost always do. As we rounded up the hill and started across Golden Gate Bridge, my mind started wondering what the hell I was doing at 6:30 am running across the bridge, and all of a sudden I was out of the zone. As soon as the "why" question comes up, it's like a catalyst for the rest of your body to start breaking down... It starts at the feet. The top of my left foot started landing very hard and a past bruise that I had there, started painfully reminding me that it was very much there.. Then came my thighs. Tight.. I should've stretched out my calves. My stomach started gurgling trying to process the spaghetti I had the night before. Then my arms started tensing up, my hands numb from the cold and exhaustion. I had lost my groove, my "just do it" attitude. Instead I started looking for a way out. I looked behind at the crowd, trying to find Katy, but she was no where in site.. And then I slowed down. down to a walking pace. Hundreds of people passed. So many, that I started running relunctantly, trying to regain my pace. By 7.5, I was out of it again. Still no Katy to be seen. The 4:10 marathon pacers ran passed me as did their crowd of people. I was still in the race and I could still get a personal best but the "can do" attitude was no longer existant.

Not sure how I made it through Mile 8 but the 9 Mile Marker came and passed and I started feeling nautious. I took a seat as the crowd started into Land's End. I felt defeated, much like Britain's Paula Radcliff at the 2004 Olympics women's marathon when she stepped out of the race at mile 23. The 4:20 marathon pacer ran passed. There goes my personal best. Minutes later, my friend Katy ran up. She had taken a spill on the golden gate bridge, and had bruised and bloodied up her elbow. Together, we made it through the next excruciating 4 miles.. partially running, partially walking, partially laughing. It just wasn't our day...

Next half marathon is in 10 weeks.. Time to start training my head.