Don’t Give Up. I Won’t Give Up.

I’ve had a bit of writer’s block the past couple months, it could also be attributed to the fact that I haven’t really been running. In the past couple months, i’ve been thinking a lot about my relationship to running. I’ve been struggling a lot since my last post about asthma. When I started training for my marathon about a year ago, running became an integral part of my life. It became a part of me, I felt it every where I went, from the sores in my feet to the strength of my muscles. It kept me sane, it really did, and gosh I miss it so much.

San Francisco Marathon -First Half 2016

I haven’t been running that seriously due to my asthma. But around mid July I started to feel better, so I began testing myself here and there. Ran between 3-5 miles every week or so. After successfully being able to run, I decided not to give up my slot in the San Francisco Marathon, plus I really wanted that half it all challenge medal (run the first and second half consecutively in two years)! It went well, it wasn’t a terrible experience, I didn’t improve my time but I didn’t run at a slower pace, so i’m happy that I was able to do it even without having really trained sufficiently beforehand. It was a lot of fun running across the Golden Gate Bridge. The energy from the race is invigorating.

I plan to sign up for the Berkeley Half Marathon on November 20. Training starts in the last week of September, the training plan is 6/7 days a week for 8 weeks. Since my training plans are usually only 4 times a week, i’m trying to mentally and physically prepare myself for training. I started yesterday by running 3 miles, and my body is really sore this morning but I feel like I rekindled my relationship with running. I also plan to start BBG this weekend, really want to beat my time for this half marathon.

Inspire someone: On one of my random runs I was halfway through and debating whether or not to give up, a lovely woman who was running towards me grabbed my attention by waving and smiling at me excitedly. I grinned back, and all of a sudden began to fly. I ran those next 2 miles with a huge smile on my face. I wish I could go back to that woman to thank her and tell her that she was the reason I pushed myself that day.

26.2 miles of greatness

I did it! I can’t believe it, I ran my first marathon!

All weekend I just wanted it to be over, but once I was in it, I couldn’t believe I was doing it, and sincerely enjoyed it. There were times where it was really difficult but overall, I was really humbled by the experience. I ran the first 14 miles relatively comfortably which was a really big deal for me. I am really looking forward to running another half marathon because after training for a marathon, I feel like the half will be a little easier to manage, and maybe I can start working on improving my time.

After mile 14, I took my first walking break. It started to get really difficult between mile 14 and 22, so I walked a few times, if I remember correctly, around 4 or 5 times from about a quarter of a mile to half. Running after a walking break was really difficult and I knew that when I took my first break, but I really needed it. Once I start running again for about half a mile, it became easier to continue. Around mile 23, I refused to stop again until I reached the finish line, I have no idea what came over me, but I just ran as fast as I could until I saw that finish line. The determination every time I saw the next mile made me keep going.

One thing that really got me a little off key was that my runkeeper was tracking me at a mile ahead of all the mile markers. So everytime I thought I was done with a certain mileage, I was actually a mile behind. It was really weird but after a while I just ignored my runkeeper and kept moving! 🙂

This whole experience taught me that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. A few years ago, I never would have thought that I would be running a marathon. Honestly, if you have determination and are willing to put in the work, there’s no reason you can’t achieve your dreams.

Mind Over Matter

I think we’ve all heard the phrase mind over matter. I never really indulged in it’s meaning until I fully understood what it meant. Our minds are so intricate, from such a young age, we take in all kinds of experiences around us that shape the person we become. And those thoughts that our mind forms engage in every aspect of our past, present, and future.

I never thought i’d be a fit person. I used to doubt so much about myself, and I can’t even begin to explain how much running brought me so much confidence and happiness. I am generally a positive person, but I didn’t realize how positive until these last few weeks of marathon training.

There comes a time, usually during my interval runs, where i’ll sprint, and I always surprise myself how much I can tolerate it. I pride myself on being a ‘slow but steady’ runner, but I often wonder if it’s stopping me from increasing my speed. My average pace is between 12 and 12.30 minutes per mile, depends on the type of run it is and how fatigued I am. Because that annoying thought kept creeping in my mind, last weekend, I tried to push myself. I ended up running 8 miles with an average pace of 11.15. Which was amazing for me, I clocked in at 22min at mile 2, and wanted to keep the momentum going, so I kept shooting for the same pace. I was really happy when I finished 8mi in 90min. I felt okay, I didn’t feel extremely exhausted. And I couldn’t believe that my pace was increasing. I’ve heard a million times before that once you train for a long run, your short run pace eventually starts to increase.

This past week, I didn’t really run as much as I should have. I got to the gym on Wednesday to try to get a few miles in. I ran about 2 miles but I just couldn’t run anymore on the dreadmill. I ended up walking the rest of my intended run. I was super bummed going home that day. But thinking back, I know it was all about my attitude, I was basically forcing myself to go to the gym to move my bum. And I should have really pushed through and not allowed my brain to think I couldn’t continue. And as much as I felt so refreshed after, I was still disappointed that I didn’t get to actually run 4 miles.

On Sunday, I wasn’t going to allow myself to miss another run. I laced up and left the house with a very real intent to have a great run. With my 8 mi run in the back of my mind, I started my run without pushing myself, and I found myself clocking in the first mile under 11 minutes (which was better than last week). I was really happy because I didn’t even feel like I was pushing myself more than usual. For every mile after that I tried not to slow down and I kept trying to run a little faster or at the same steady pace. Around mile 4, my mind was trying to quit on me, I changed my mindset, and kept my eye on the prize. It was simple as that. I wanted it, so I got it. I ended up running 10 miles in 1 hour 52 min which is awesome for me. A few weeks ago when I ran 10mi, I ran it in 2 hours and 5 minutes. I couldn’t believe how much time I shaved off and I wasn’t even particularly trying. I have to admit after finishing 10 miles, I started wheezing but to be fair for a huge part of the run, I was running against the wind, so I was pushing myself more than I usually would to get through.

My marathon is in less than 2 weeks now, and i’m nervous but fairly confident that I can do it. Last Sunday when I ran 20mi, I was so happy. I couldn’t believe it, especially because instead of dragging my feet the last few miles, I actually was enjoying it and flying by. It was a much better run than my 18mi run, and I was glad that it was because even though it did get difficult and I had to walk sporadically around mile 12-15, it made me really positive that I can run 26 miles. It’s going to be tough, I know that, but since it will be a route i’ve never run before, along with the energy of running with people, I am confident that it’ll be really great. For the past couple weeks, I have been training my mind to think positively about my marathon, and I hope it’ll pay off in the end. 🙂

13.1 again!

I did it! I completed my 2nd half marathon! It was brutal and incredibly tiresome but when I think back, it makes me smile. There were a few tears, a lot of sweat, and 100% determination. I started off knowing that I wanted to try to beat my time from my first half marathon which was 2:55. I was determined to shave off at least 5 min, and since my training has been relatively faster, I was really pushing for 10 min.

I began running at 8:35 am – I was part of the 5th wave of the 2nd Half Marathon which started in Golden Gate Park. It was relatively cool with no sign of sunshine. It was really amazing to run with all types of people with a wide range of run experience. Started off strong, didn’t run too fast, just kept a steady pace, and tried to just enjoy the experience.

About 3/4 of the way through mile 2, I was feeling a little funny, so decided to stop to use the bathroom, I wish I didn’t because it totally wasted 5 min of my time, but oh well!

Continued running solidly until about mile 9.5. I was pleasantly surprised by the downhill running. Most of the uphill was really subtle so it was manageable but the downhill was quite steep, and it really took a toll on my body. At this point, the sun was out and beaming and I got a side stitch that just wasn’t going away. I tried really hard to try to ignore the pain because I didn’t want to stop running to walk but eventually I had to take a break, I walked for about .10 of a mile, and picked back up again. Ran until about mile 10, and at that point the pain was excruciating, nothing I did was helping. I tried to adjust my breathing, and taking in longer breaths, I tried to drink more water, but it just didn’t work. I had to walk, so I did.

I started walking, and tears started welling up in my eyes. The pain was really difficult to deal with but I wanted to run the whole race. I texted my family, and my brother just told me to walk for a little bit, and then try to pick back up. I did exactly that, after half a mile of walking and deep breathing, I began running again. The pain was still there but very lightly. It kept trying to creep back but I wasn’t about to stop again, so as soon as I started to feel the pain again, I would flex my core, and surprisingly it worked. I kept doing this for the last 2.5 miles. It was a struggle, but I just couldn’t wait to see that finish line. I knew that the race ended after the Bay Bridge, and I just kept my eye on the bridge. Once I passed AT&T Park, it was just a mile left. There happened to be a Giants game that day, so the area around AT&T Park was vibrant, and that last mile was filled with cheers and “you got this!” It was really humbling to run that last mile. I ran the whole time with my eye on that finish line, and as soon as it was in reach, my legs picked up speed and I booked it. I was not expecting to beat any of my time because of the few stops I had to make, and even though that kind of bummed me out, I decided to not let it deter me from celebrating that I just ran in the SF Marathon, and that I had a lot of fun. I stopped my runkeeper and was pleasantly surprised to find that I beat my time by 8 min! I finished in 2 hours and 47 min! I was so excited to see that, not only did I beat my time but had I not stopped two times, I would have beat my time by more than 10 min!

All in all, it was such a humbling experience to participate in this race. I ran alongside marathoners, who were well into their run at mile 15 when I was barely on mile 1. Every single runner I ran alongside inspired me, and I kept thinking what a great community to be a part of.

Progress Report: I found a Marathon training plan that starts in September which might be difficult because of travel plans but I like the pace of the plan, so we’ll see – still looking for a marathon to participate in.

Song of the week: Cool for the Summer – Demi Lovato

Mount Doom

There’s 10 days left of Ramadan, and about a month and a half since my last post. It’s been busy to say the least but I thought i’d do a quick update on where i’ve been and what’s next for me.

First week of Ramadan went really well. Started off the first day of fasting with a 7mi run. Second week was a little weaker because I didn’t have a lot of time. Third week, so far is going well, hoping not to have to miss any runs. I’ve been sticking to my run schedule more or less except for my Sunday runs – they have all been over 10 miles, and it’s a little tough to account for, but i’m hoping I can do at least one 9-10 mile run while fasting.

I’ve had to shift a few running days and unfortunately miss a few as well because of the heat, prior commitments but mostly lack of time. It hasn’t been as super consistent as I was hoping but at least i’m running twice a week. I even did a very short run while pushing my nephew in the stroller the other day! I have a new found respect for running moms, they truly are superwomen!

This Saturday, my sister and I signed up for Yoga on the beach which includes a morning run before yoga. I haven’t run in the morning during ramadan for two years, so i’m hoping to just stay super hydrated and not overexert myself for the rest of the day.

Lastly, I ended up signing up for a different half marathon after finding out that one I originally signed up for is on a trail known “Dead Legs Trail” AND “Mount Doom”. I’m all for LOTR references but that one terrified me, lol.

So I signed up for The SF Marathon which is the next day on July 26th! That worked out perfectly 🙂 Especially because the max elevation is less than 300 feet! This’ll be my first time to run in the city, i’m excited because I can tell it’s gonna be one of those races where everywhere you go people are cheering you on. That said, I am starting to feel a little nervous for my race because I haven’t really run anything over 7mi in a few weeks. I know I can do it, but my brain keeps throwing doubts at me. I’m hoping my body recalls that less than a year ago, it ran 13.1 miles and it can definitely do it again.

Defeated but hopeful

Feeling a little defeated today, I tried to run uphill at the Stanford Dish and failed miserably. I’m not sure if it was the sharp incline, the sun beating down, or maybe my body was just not ready. I ran about 1.5miles, and had to give up. I didn’t want to, in fact I tried not to. But my legs were not having it, it felt like I was trying to run in quicksand. It’s kinda making me feel like I took a step backwards especially because I signed up for a hilly half marathon in July. But I have to be hopeful, and try again. I’m gonna take it slow, and train gradually by finding trails with smaller inclines that I can practice on. Hopefully i’ll be able to do it. But hey, if at my half marathon, I have to walk up the inclines, then so be it, at least I tried.

Turkey trottin’

Woke up thanksgiving morning and went for a 6mi run with 30,000 people. This was my first time participating in the Turkey Trot, it was SO fun. I’ve never been in a race where there are people constantly around throughout the whole race. As I ran through the streets of San Jose, people played music, held out signs, and cheered for all the runners and walkers that came by. It was such a pleasant experience, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Before Thursday, I hadn’t run 6mi in a couple months. I have been consistently running 4mi every sunday with my run club, but it’s been a while since I ran over 4, and it was surprisingly challenging. I kept getting in my head and trying to convince myself to stop running and just walk a little, but luckily the part of me that hates to quit won the battle in my mind and I ran the whole race (stopping only once at the 3mi mark to drink water).

Yesterday, I officially started re-training, I signed up for the She.Is.Beautiful. 10K in March, and I am hoping that I can significantly improve my time over the next couple months. My training program is supposed to help me to run a 10K in approximately 65 min, which would mean I would have to cut down my current time significantly. I’m not expecting miracles but will try my absolute best to start increasing my speed. I’m really excited to start this new training program because I feel like i’ve been super slacking in the running department, which is making me super lazy in general.

Progress Report: Usually after my runs, I have really bad knee pain, but for the past couple weeks when I go out for a run, my knees haven’t been hurting as much, which means yoga and cycling have actually been helping strengthen my knees, yay!!

Song of the week: Stronger by Britney Spears

Lately, i’ve been running to the Cardio Playlist on Spotify, I don’t know more than half the songs, but they are so fun and keep you moving to the beat. Check it out below if you’re interested!

Treadmill woes..

In the past couple of weeks i’ve been having to run on the treadmill. I haven’t had time to run in the morning outside. I always forget to remind myself it’s better to wake up in the morning and be finished with the run rather than wait until it’s late and have to run on the treadmill. Running on the treadmill isn’t all that bad, but it just isn’t as exhilirating as running outside. There’s something about running outside that always pushes me to run faster but when you have no other option, better to run on a treadmill than not at all, right? The good thing is that my runs on the treadmill haven’t been feeling so dragged out and boring as they used to, thanks to my awesome mix of music. I have been able to get into a zone, and push my speed up without getting out of breath, which is great! I’m hoping that will help when i’m in my half marathon, and being able to run some miles faster than others when I get my second wind.

My half marathon is coming up so quickly, 11 more days until the big race. I can’t even believe that it’s less than two weeks away. I keep thinking to myself, am I really ready for this? But I can’t go down the route of self doubt, I gotta know I can do it, it’s gonna be cake. I just gotta calm my nerves and get excited!

In the next few days, i’m going to put together a track list for my race, i’ll share it as soon as it’s ready! But would also love to hear if anyone has any suggestions for songs that make you move! 🙂

Well deserved

Since the 2010 World Cup, I’ve been cheering on Germany, and I just wanted give a huge CONGRATULATIONS to them. What a match! 🙂

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I’ve been thinking a lot about how we get faced with many different challenges in this life and how we react to them. We can face the challenge head on and either get defeated or be triumphant OR we can shy away and just never try. And for all my life, i’ve been the ladder. The former being something I only started doing recently and it’s amazing at how much more satisfying it is. Facing a challenge and even if you are defeated, you tried and that’s really what life is about anyway, right? Look at the world cup for instance, people from all over the world are competing for their country, and even though all except one will win, they faced a challenge that even if they lost, will be talked about and analyzed for many years to come. And I truly believe it’s in those losses that we can really maneuver how to achieve a win in the next round.

This rings very true in my running and in my life. Every time I fail or struggle at something, I find that the next time I get up to try again, I try even harder with more attention to my tactic and I achieve my goal even further than I anticipated. And at the end of it, I think the lesson is that we have to fail to win, if you are successful all along with no bumps on the road, then where’s the fun or strive for more? If you fail, the achievement is much sweeter in the long run. A few of my friends asked me how in the world I run in Ramadan, and I got to thinking about it, and I don’t think it’s at all impressive, at the end of the day, i’ve been training for months now, if I didn’t continue in Ramadan, I think it would have set me back by a few weeks. The fact of the matter is that the endurance I built up is allowing me to continue running without a scratch. It hasn’t been easy, and I have to mentally prepare myself before every run, but that’s all part of training.

Two weeks ago, I ran my first 8 miles and it was very difficult for me, and in about an hour i’ll be running my first 10 miles and I haven’t been more excited for a challenge like this in a while. My mindset is that I know I can do it because i’ve been training, I know i’ll hit some bumps and even if I were to run slower than I ever have, it’s so worth it. At the end of the day, the challenge is what keeps me going, the fact that I can try is what motivates me to continue and for that I am grateful.

A little bit of competition

I’m not a very competitive person. I really don’t like to compete with people especially when they are incredibly competitive, to me it loses the essence of the fun when people take things a little too seriously. So it won’t surprise you to hear that I generally don’t like to run with other people, i’m all about running alone and getting in the zone. I don’t run to beat time, I run for fitness and to have fun. In fact, when I first started running and i’d see people run faster than me, I would naturally speed up and it would always get me really flustered, because I could feel my discomfort almost instantly. I started to become really nervous to run with people because I would feel obligated to run at their pace, even if I couldn’t handle it. So when I made the intention to start running, I trained alone, and ran at my own pace.

Yesterday, my sister who used to run a lot decided to join me on my run. I’ve always been a little intimidated by my sister, she has been athletic all her life and she can pick up any sport if she wanted to. She’s played hockey, soccer, softball, and tennis. She was training for a marathon last year but got injured. I remember back when I was doing p90x, she would always have a comment to fix my form, and even though it frustrated me, I really appreciated it. Who would want to be doing the move wrong, that basically would get you no where. So even though she hasn’t run in a while, I already knew her pace was much faster than mine. We began to run and she kept pace with me for a few minutes, then sped up. As soon as she sped up, I started running a little faster, and I was surprised that I was able to handle it, so I kept going at that pace. Eventually, she sped up ahead of me and I stayed at the speed that was faster than my usual runs. After about a mile or so, I saw my sister stop running and walking, I caught up with her, and she started running again for a minute or so and then stopped. I kept going and I wasn’t sure what happened, because I didn’t see her until about a mile or so later and she was walking with my mom.

After I finished, I stopped to see what happened, and she said that she had gotten winded. I was bummed that she couldn’t continue the run, but also, was surprised that the girl that I looked up to for all things fitness couldn’t keep up with me. This isn’t a post to gloat, but rather more of surprise, you have to understand that my whole life, I didn’t do any sort of fitness while my sister lived and breathed sports. And although i’m not big on competition, I told her to start training so we can really run together, even if she does outrun me. 😛

I got to thinking about it last night that maybe a little bit of competition won’t be so bad. I really felt a boost of energy to catch up to my sister, and I didn’t feel that fluster that I used to when I first started training. And really if it wasn’t for her yesterday, I probably would have just ran at my normal pace. Now I know I can push myself a little more every run to increase my endurance, and that it’s okay to be a little uncomfortable. I realized that I probably shouldn’t allow my beginner nerves to get the better of my intermediate training, my body can handle a little bit of healthy competition. 🙂