Category Archives: marathon

More For Boston

Posted on by
3
Vigil at Snow Park in honor of the Boston Marathon (photo credit: See Jane Run)

Oakland’s candlelight vigil in honor of the Boston Marathon (photo credit: See Jane Run)

Last Thursday, I attended a 3 mile run (1 mile for each victim) followed by a candlelight vigil in honor of the Boston Marathon. The event was organized by See Jane Run and it was fantastic- we ran the streets of Oakland with police escorts, gave several moments of silence for all the victims within the supportive arms of our running community and found a bit of comfort therein. We brought awareness to our city and showed that we won’t be stopped- I felt so honored running through my hometown, people clapping as we ran by saying, “God bless you, runners, go Boston!”  It was moving, it was emotional and it was healing…

PLUS, yours truly got interviewed for the local news that night- click on this pic to catch the brief news segment… I said lots of deep and profound things about how the events in Boston have effected our tribe as a whole but they only used these 5 seconds- I’ll take it!

Click here to see the news clip- I'm at 1:20 :) (photo courtesy BFF Amy)

Click here to see the news clip- I’m at 1:20 (photo credit: BFF Amy)

Continue reading →

Today’s Reason: Boston

Posted on by
13

As soon as I woke up on Monday morning, I started up my lap top, placed it on the stove in my kitchen, and began making my kids their school lunches while I watched the Boston Marathon. The elites were about an hour and a half in and on their way to victory, I was cheering on Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan and explaining to my children the importance of Boston and how much the event means to all running kind.

Just hours later, friends began texting me about the explosions at the finish line and I just couldn’t believe it… came home, turned on the TV and there it was, the horrifying images of this unbelievable tragedy… my heart broke and the tears came.

I haven’t really been able to find the words to describe how I feel- as a runner, marathoner, spectator, and American. But today, I will try my best… Continue reading →

Friday Favorites: Races

Posted on by
7

My first race ever was in April 2009 and to date, I have run close to 50 different races- wow, that seems like a lot to me! I don’t like to repeat race courses and I really want to try them all (at least all the ones here in northern California) yet there are a couple that I will keep coming back to because they are so well organized and just plain fun- well, as much “fun” as one can have endurance running. Here are my 5 favorite races of all time… so far… Continue reading →

Technical Difficulties

Posted on by
11

If you can relate to the above picture, then you know what kind of “technical difficulties” I’m referring to: running clothes. They are EVERYWHERE and it’s becoming quite an issue for me, my closet, and my dresser drawers. I have so much technical gear that I broke 2 drawers right off my dresser trying to shove it all in!

I was stuck home with sick kids yesterday so I did some laundry and went ahead and laid out ALL of my work out clothing on the bed and counted- I’m up to 78 technical shirts and 25 bottoms. And that doesn’t even take into account all the shoes, socks, bras, jackets, hats and headbands I’ve been collecting over the past 6 years.

“Hello, my name is Laura and I’m an addict.” Anyone else care to join me at AAA? (Athletic Apparel Anonymous)  Continue reading →

Today’s Reason: The Long Run

Posted on by
2

I was out with a friend for dinner last night and she asked me, “How did you figure out you loved running?” And I really had to pause to think about that… I told her it all began for me 6 years ago because of Oakland Adventure Boot Camp, or really, in the absence of it.  After I started going to the gym and stopped going to boot camp, I kept challenging myself to do what my boot camp trainers had challenged us to: run the entirety- all 3 miles- of Lake Merritt.  That seemed SO HARD to me back then!  “Justholdonasecondhere- you want me to run, without stopping, all the way around the whole entire lake? It’s so big! Who does that?! 3 miles?!?!?! No way!!!!”

Despite how daunting those 3 miles seemed to me at the time, I kept trying and trying and trying to propel my body around that lake 3 or 4 times a week, every week. I’ll never forget the moment I finally accomplished my goal of running the whole entire lake- I was elated and so proud of myself that I went ahead and signed up for my first 5K race in April 2009 and for about a year, that 3 miles was my long run.

Continue reading →

I Resolve NOTHING

Posted on by
11

calvin-hobbes-new-years-resolutions-e13572425456659 days into the new year, pressure of the holidays over, home after a brief vacation to our cabin, kids back in school, and I can settle back into my “normal” routine and FINALLY find some quiet time to myself to write a blog post! Yippee!!!

I read somewhere that 60% of Americans do not make new year’s resolutions whereas 20% do (and the other 20%, who knows, maybe they’re the “it’s just another day” types). In the past, I’ve fallen into the 20% who DO vow/pledge/promise themselves at the start of a new year to change all the things I wanted to but didn’t the year prior. This year, however, I became one of the 60 percenters who did not bother to make even one lousy resolution.

Why? Well, cartoon Calvin there has a good point… Continue reading →

Anya’s Ultramarathoning Awesomeness

Posted on by
2

Anya at the finish line of her very first ultra!

I already introduced you to my friend Kate and her Ultramarathoning Awesomeness, and now for part two, I would like you to meet Anya!

I met Anya during our first season with Team in Training but it really wasn’t until our second season together as mentors that we got really close, especially on those 6am, very dark, very cold, very wet buddy runs.  She is probably going to kill me for saying this but not only is Anya an amazing runner but is she such a sweetheart!  Don’t let the fact that she wears all black fool you- she is kind, funny as heck, and the type of person that will tell you what you need to hear even if you don’t want to hear it!  I LOVE THAT!

After completing 2 seasons of road running with TNT, Anya informed me that she was going to go Ultra.  And, honestly, I was very surprised! Knowing the struggles she had on the road, I was a little concerned for my friend that jumping from a road half to a trail ultra may just ruin Anya for life; but, knowing this team and these Coaches, she was in the best hands ever.  Within just a few runs on the trail, Anya was hooked!  And here is what she had to say about it…

Continue reading →

So… Now What?

Posted on by
9

I’ve thought about going for a run several times since the marathon, but haven’t.  Honestly, I really did consider it, I swear, but my recovery has taken a strange even though much better path this second time around.

After the marathon, I was elated for about 2 days but then the inevitable post-marathon blues set in pretty heavily.  Endorphins gone, a disappointing race on top of it all, my Team in Training season over, and I became a miserable lump of self-pitying-good-for-nothing.  Knowing this was bound to happen, I made sure to fill my social calendar with good friends who would make me laugh and not chastise me too much for blubbering about my marathon woes.

BRF Anya making fun of me taking pictures of food… and seemingly snorting a toothpick all at the same time.

Continue reading →

Race Recap: San Diego RnR Marathon

Posted on by
14

I read once that the best failures make the best stories… let’s see if that’s true…

My Rock n’ Roll adventure really began last November when I decided to start training for my second marathon while raising funds once again for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  As a current Team in Training mentor, it was easy to brave the winter with my teammates and despite several bouts of illnesses along the way, I still hit all of my long runs and most of my strength training days and felt great doing it.

Continue reading →