Your comments, shares, likes, tweets and pins are in and I am happy to announce the winners of my Mother’s Day Giveaway for 3 race entries to the See Jane Run half marathon and 5K race for champagne and chocolate on June 8th, here in Alameda.

I just know the suspense is killing you but before I announce the winners, I want to explain how they were chosen… each person that left a comment was given a number on a spreadsheet- let’s say Amy was first, she got #1. Then Jane was second, left a comment and tweeted the link, so she got #2 and #3. Then Anna was third, left a comment, shared the link, liked my page AND pinned the post she got #4, 5, 6, and 7. And so on and so forth until my spreadsheet had over 70 entries total! Woo hoo!

… and a free race entry!

Then, I took the total number of entries and went to the website Random.org that has a True Random Number Generator, entered 1 through 74, clicked “generate” and it randomly chose the 3 lucky winners!

The first winner is Terri Stearman who wrote:

“I honored my mother by vowing to love my own children with as much as passion and strength as she loved my brother and I. I miss her every day.”

The second winner is Heather McKelvy who wrote:

“I love my mother with all of my heart… When I chose to start running a few years back I brought her into my healthy plan. She had been told she needed to lose weight as well so we decided to do this together. SHE DID GREAT! She now walks every morning and is slowly adding in more and more exercises as she can. She has gotten so much healthier and happier. I am still working to get her to do a 5K with me…I know she could do it. Guess I just need to get closer to home and do one with her. I appreciate all she has done for me and I hope to make her proud!”

And the final winner is… drum roll, please… Elizabeth Sies, who said:

“I had an amazing mothers day. My hubby is deployed so my 5 year old took me out to breakfast with her money. Then we spent the whole day in sleeping bags in front of the tv watching movies all day we with her and my other 2 babies. I loved just relaxing and all of us hanging out doing nothing but playing.”

Terri, Heather and Elizabeth: to claim your special code and register for the race, please email me at running4thereason@hotmail.com and I will send you all the information!  And if you didn’t win, here’s a discount code for 10% off to inspire your registration for the race (expires on the date of the race, June 8th): SJRSFAMB13

Thank you to everyone for your comments, I really enjoyed reading all the ways you celebrate your mom, yourself, and your girlfriends- much love and power to the Jane in all of us and even if you didn’t win, I still hope to see you at the race on June 8th!

And remember…

HAPPY FRIDAY and, as always, HAPPY RUNNING!!!

If you know me and/or if you read this blog, you know that I was honored to be chosen as a mentor for my 5th season with Team in Training and decided to fund raise for the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon in Washington, DC. I raised the funds, and come April 26th, hopped on a plane from San Francisco and my next Adventure in Running began…

If you know me and/or if you read this blog, you also know I hate flying. Hate it. Last time I was on a plane was for the San Diego Rock n’ Roll marathon and that was just fine as it was short trip but SF to DC takes roughly 7-8 hours, one stopover included. Luckily, I attended a Bon Jovi concert the night before so equipped with one major hangover and 2 measly hours of sleep, I didn’t even have the energy to feel nervous and I think that may just be the key to flying for me!  Ha!

Thanks for a great time and hangover, JBJ, baby! (Photo credit: BFF Amy)

Slept in on Saturday morning (no hubby, no kids, no schedule!) and then cabbed it to Georgetown, where the packet pick-up and expo was located. DC is a beautiful city and the weather was very reminiscent of the Bay Area- blue skies, perfectly warm and sunny, with a slight breeze. I waited in line to get my packet- unlike Nike SF where the packet pick-up is withIN the expo, here at DC it was separate so I easily got through the line, got my number, walked through the INCREDIBLY packed expotique then asked for directions to the Nike Town store and walked the 2 blocks to get there.

Nike Wall of Name Fame

Just like SF, right outside the Nike store was the HUGE wall of the names of all the participants in the race. I love this but I also think it’s pretty hilarious to watch a large crowd of women craning their necks as far back as they will go and nearly falling over while searching and searching to find their name in 4 point font, desperately asking friends, “Do you see it, do you see it???”, and upon finding their name, getting so excited, “THERE IT IS! THERE’S MY NAME!!!” It’s cute. It’s funny. And yes, of course, I had to find my name too:

Tiny and spelled right and everything!

The Nike Store in DC is a lot smaller than SF which meant it was beyond crowded so I went right to the race schwag, settled on a long-sleeve half zip the color of a green highlighter and a NWM DC running hat and got out of there as quickly as possible.

Since I was in DC and had such a limited time, the one sight I really wanted to see was the cupcake store featured in the reality show DC Cupcakes. I mean, I really needed those pre- and post- race treats, after all! The store is actually called Georgetown Cupcake and the line to get in wrapped around the block but I made my way through, got my 4 cupcakes and moved on to see more sights and walk the day away through this great city.

I Run For Cupcakes- especially when they’re FAMOUS!

That night, as always, we have a Team in Training Inspiration dinner with all of the participants, coaches and honorees from all over the country and it is so incredibly inspiring to hear about all that we have accomplished, the money we have all raised, and the medical advancements that benefit blood cancer patients- all due to the efforts of Team in Training. All staff, before the dinner, line up and help cheer over 1,000 TNTers as they walk their way into the dining hall.  I yelled “GO TEAM!!!” and cheered happily with my teammates until my knuckle was bloody from shaking that cowbell for an hour. (Yep, I’m probably the only person in the world who could injure themselves with a cowbell.)

Left to right, team mates Kyla, JoAnn, myself, and the amazing Coach Al.

We ate dinner and listened to several speakers and then the emcee started to describe the next person to the podium- Olympic medalist, world record holder, just ran Boston… I turned to Coach Al with my eyes wide and he said, “Settle down now, Laura, hold it together.”  And the next thing I knew, Shalane Flanagan herself was on stage SPEAKING TO US!!!!  WHA?????  I got out of my chair and inched to the front of the room to get her picture but they came out horribly. My team mate JoAnn (above) and I decided to go out the side door and just wait and see if Shalane would happen to come out… we waited… we tied our shoes… we looked at pictures on the wall… la, la, la… and then, THERE SHE WAS! And I KNOW you KNOW I’m not shy:

AHHHHHH!!!!!!  Running Royalty!!!

Got our pictures, finished up dinner and headed back to our hotel rooms to attempt to get some good, pre-race sleep…

We met Coach Al in our hotel lobby Sunday morning at 4:45am (which was really 1:45am my time), we pow-wowed as a team then hopped on the Metro to get to the race start. We were so lucky that as TNT participants, we had our own bag check as well as our own tent to hang out in before and after the race. If only we had our own porta potties too because then MAYBE I would have decided to use one before the race. But, I didn’t. We waited in our starting corrals until the countdown commenced…

Maybe it’s just me, and it probably is, but can I get an apostrophe S here people????

Crossed the start line and felt just great!  I decided to leave my watch behind so that I could just focus on the sights around me as opposed to any time goal- I just really wanted to have fun at this race. If only I had taken the chance to pee prior, I would have run right past those porta potties at mile 2 but I didn’t so had no choice but to stop at mile 2 with about 2,000 other people who also forgot to pee and wait in line for 4 entire songs…

Enjoying The View (that chick in the pink tank looks exactly like how my bladder felt)

Like I said, I did not have my watch so I can’t tell you exactly how long I waited in this line. The 4 songs I listed to while waiting were:

I Will Survive (This Potty Line) by Cake

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Before I Pee all Over It) by Cascada

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You (and Your Bladder) Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Runaway (From This Porta Potty) Baby by Bruno Mars

Now, I haven’t added up all the minutes but in reviewing my splits, I guesstimate that that potty experience lasted around 15 minutes but it didn’t really upset me, I was just happy to have the opportunity to be in DC and able to get outta the Green Box of Annoying and start running again happily and comfortably.

Passed the Washington Monument, passed the World War II Memorial, crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge and then, at mile 5, came up on the Lincoln Memorial…

Running past the Lincoln Memorial

And then we ran around this large circular area and in my lack of familiarity with DC, can’t really tell you what it is or where this was but I tried my best to capture this really cool round-about- it may look like running and taking pictures at the same time is easy, but it really isn’t! There were a bunch of people cheering around the grass area, holding up GO TNT signs and yelling, “Go Team!” and I thought, “Hey, they’re talking to ME!”, smiled, and happily ran on…

Circle of Happy Nike Runners

Now here is where I start to get a tad confused as to where I was and what I was taking photos of. Fact is, I was LOVING this run. Everything felt great. No stomach issues, no blister issues, no chafing issues, my iPod kept picking the perfect songs and I was in such a great zone- I wasn’t really looking at the mile markers, I was just running and taking it all in- the sights, the sounds, the people, and the feeling of immense appreciation for my efforts, my team, and my family who- without their support- I would never be able to do a race as fantastic as this.

I have no idea what this is or what mile this was- I was just enjoying the moment and running my heart out!

I gotta be honest, I was having such a great time that there isn’t too much to say about what happened as nothing really did! My body was functioning PERFECTLY! So perfectly, that I didn’t take in much water, did not eat a gel, did not even mess with my iPod as I was feeling great and didn’t want anything to jinx it.  So I just ran and ran and ran…

Less we forget what we have to look forward to…

Maybe it was mile 7 or 8 or 9, I’m not really sure, but for at least a mile there both sides of the race course were filled with blood drop signs giving shout outs to Team in Training, reminding us to run strong, to run for those who can’t, to hold our honorees in our hearts- and I did. I thought about the last 5 seasons, my personal connections, my amazing coaches and teammates and it took every ounce of my willpower NOT to weep after seeing blood drop sign after blood drop sign… just told myself how blessed I am to be here and alive and willing to help fight for this cause… and on I ran…

And then, just like that, I came back to reality and saw the 10 mile marker. “Oh no!” I thought, “It’s almost over!!!!” and stopped briefly to ask a TNT coach to snap my picture:

Only 3 miles left to go!

After that I thought I should probably go slower in order to eek out all that I could from this beautiful course but I didn’t, I just found the happy place within my pace and headed toward the finish…

Past the US Capitol at mile 12

Around mile 12, a TNT coach (one I did not know but he knew me due to the iron-on letters spelling out my name across my singlet) looked at me as I ran by and with the MOST sincere look and tone, pointed his finger at me and said, “Laura! Thank YOU for all you do for the team- thank YOU.” And, again, I almost broke down but miraculously didn’t and ran and ran and ran past the capitol toward the tuxedo-ed gentlemen holding my little blue box…

GOTCHA!!!

And there you have it! It was a really fantastic race! My finish time is 2:34 which makes me laugh because that’s 4 minutes slower than Santa Cruz, which I ran on a twisted ankle and walked a TON. During Nike DC, I felt absolutely fan-freaking-tastic and only stopped twice the whole race- darn that porta potty!!!! So, in my head, I am subtracting that 15 minutes and wearing my gorgeous new necklace with pride.

Here’s the bling for doing the damn thing!

If you are able to enter the lottery and get the chance to visit DC and run this race, you really should! I only wish I had one more day in DC to explore and sight see as there is SO MUCH to do there! I am hoping to get the chance to go back with my family some day in order to run this one again- I am a Nike (and Team in Training!) devotee! GO TEAM and THANK YOU for yet another great running adventure!

FRIENDLY REMINDER: today is the last day to enter my Mother’s Day Giveaway for a chance to win one of 3 free race entries to- another fantabulous women’s race- the See Jane Run 5K/Half Marathon for Chocolate and Champagne in Alameda on June 8th! Winners will be announce here on the blog tomorrow, Friday the 17th!

How I love my precious family- this is what it’s all about!

I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day- I had such a fantastic day relaxing and spending time with my wonderful hubby and gorgeous children. Whether you spent time with your mom or received much pampering as a mom, I hope you got to take advantage of the day and were reminded of just how special moms are, how we work to make sure the lives of our children are The Best, and how limitless our capacity for love can be.

While I love, love, love my family to bits, I also make sure to wish a Happy Day to my peer moms- the girlfriends I spent just about every day of the week with when my kids were just babies, the women who are there to reassure me when I doubt my ability as a mom, those sisters who offer lots of hugs on top of a couple hours of babysitting time with the occasional glass of wine and shoulder to cry on right when you need it most.

In 2009, I started a mommy running group and our first race together was the See Jane Run 5K and Half Marathon.  Today, to celebrate my fellow mommies, women, girlfriends, and sisters, I am giving away 3 entries to the upcoming See Jane Run race for Chocolate and Champagne here in the Bay Area! Read on to find out how to enter…

Here we are in 2009, running for Champagne and Chocolate!

Yes, you read that right- champagne AND chocolate!!! Personally, I didn’t have to think too hard about signing up for this race back in 2009- my favorite hobby with my favorite people and my favorite adult beverage? I’m IN! The 5K was my goal at the time, I had gotten together a handful of girlfriends to do it with me, we made those awesome matching, subtly pink shirts (which say “Wine-Ing Allowed” on the back!), and there was a medal at the end so you KNOW we were all over it!

So in 2010, we did the race again…

We call ourselves Team Cocktail Moms for a reason, you know!!!

And it was just as fun of a day as it was in 2009! I just LOVE spending time with my girlfriends in this way- no matter what your skill level may be in terms of running, this race has a perfectly friendly course right along the Alameda shoreline. The camaraderie is unparalleled- as this race is on the smaller side, it is very easy to wait at the finish line (with your glass of champagne of course) to cheer your team mates in as well as take incredibly flattering pictures of them sprinting across that finish line.

So, we did the race again in 2011…

New shirts, same joyful attitude- and that’s not just the champagne talkin’!

2011 was such a great time! We came, we ran, we celebrated. It really doesn’t get any better than that! I was unable to do the race in 2012 as I was recovering from running my second full marathon and I was honestly bummed for breaking my See Jane Run race tradition. When I saw my team’s pics, I was very happy for them- a few tackled the half marathon and there was still enough chocolate and champagne to go around when they were done! Love that!!!

This year, I am honored to be an ambassador for See Jane Run and I am not only running the 5K, but am so happy to be able to giveaway 3 entries to their upcoming 5K and Half Marathon for Chocolate and Champagne on June 8th, here in Alameda.

To enter to win, please leave a comment on this post below telling me what you do to honor and celebrate yourself as a mom, your mom, your sister, and/or your girlfriends and I will chose 3 commenters at random to win an entry to the race- 5K or half marathon distance, winner’s choice. One extra entry will be given for tweeting the link to this post, sharing it on Facebook, pinning it on Pinterest and/or liking my Facebook page here (just let me know you did that in the comments section below). I will announce the winners this Friday, May 17th.

Cheers to all the moms out there and I hope to raise a glass to US on June 8th!

GOOD LUCK, Happy Mother’s Day, Happy Monday and Happy Running!!!

Yes, I realize that this race was 4 weeks ago. I also ran the inaugural Nike DC half marathon since then and am really anxious to write that one up as it was so, so, SO much fun but my brain won’t let me do things out-of-order (I’m weird like that) so, without further ado… I FINALLY give you my version of the Santa Cruz half marathon!

Bright and early on Sunday, April 7th, I drove easily to Santa Cruz and parked in the lot across from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk just as easily. Grabbed my bib and waited in line for the porta potty. BFF Andrea warned that there weren’t enough porta potties at race start and I really should have listened to her and gotten there a tad bit earlier because the race began and I was barely able to escape the potty in time- thank goodness for timing chips! 

Nope, we’re not gonna put our logo on the BACK of our race arch but you know where you are and what race you’re running, right???

And we were off… as this one was almost entirely coastal, there was just the right amount of breeze and I was so thankful for that as it didn’t take long for the sun to heat up- it was one mother of a hot day!

Slight hill (I mean “incline”) right off the starting line and then flat, flat, flat for the next 5 miles or so. If you know me or read my post Full of Half Excuses, then you know that the weekend prior, while running the trails, an off-leash dog came at me, I dodged while he lunged and I rolled my left ankle into a ditch and wow did it HURT.  Too willful to downgrade to the 10K (I’m an idiot- I REALLY should have downgraded but there is no medal for the 10K so uh-uh, no way, just bring on the suffering!) by mile 3 of this race, my ankle had had it.

Gorgeous view but not as distracting as I wished it was!

With 10 more “happy” miles to go, I just put my head down and trudged on, trying desperately to ignore that ankle. Unluckily for me and my ankle, around mile 5 the course changes from paved road to rocky trails. Not just trails but single-track trails, offering little room for passing or walking so I huffed and puffed and tried to run as best as I could given the circumstances.

Heeeeeey… where did my road go???

I think every runner will admit that there is a certain etiquette that we all abide by when running and racing outside- be it road or trail. I can’t make any judgments (because you know I would if I could!) on how experienced the other runners were that day but the majority of them were completely unaware of trail racing etiquette.  As you can see, it was a narrow trail so if you want to pass you gotta LOOK BEHIND YOU FIRST and if you want to walk you gotta GO INTO THE GRASS AREA. No etiquette from my fellow runners whatsoever, I kept getting cut off right and left and elbowed as no one around me seemed to understand HOW to run the trail or how useful the simple phrase, “On your left!” can be.

That was annoying but even more annoying was when some guy in front of me decided to walk, as I went to pass him on the left, he flung his arms backwards very forcefully and smacked me directly in the face!  ARGH!!!!  He said, “I’m sorry!” and my lip swelled… no big deal, it just kinda hurt my feelings- like I needed another injury!

Santa Cruz coastline- so fricking pretty!

The trail portion (miles 5-10) seemed to go on forever and ever and ever, probably due to the congestion of all those runners on the very narrow path. Once we emerged from the trails and hit the road again, I was thankful but noticed that my ankle was not- the trail portion was admittedly much softer and easier on my ankle.

I saw that a few runners had collapsed to the side of the road and were surrounded by EMTS and I actually felt envious- I wish I could sit down and get an oxygen mask too! But no… a medal will be much better…

By mile 10 I was done, done, DONE! Watched the 2:25 pace group go by and sighed… will I, can I break 2:30??? “Oh who cares…” I thought and immediately felt very disappointed, sad and sorry for myself. I tried to channel Coach Al and realized that he would have wagged his finger at me for even running this race on that ankle in the first place, “Don’t let ego overrule good judgment.” But I did. Again.

Yep, pretty much sums up how I felt by mile 11!

With a busted ankle, fat lip and heavy heart, I started taking videos of myself complaining and if I hadn’t used so much foul language, I would post a couple but I try to keep things somewhat G-rated here so I only have one that is suitable-for-all-audiences. If you want to see me at mile 12.5 complaining and upset yet still smiling (as always!), please feel free to view that video here.

Finally, I saw the finishing chute and anxiously looked for hubby, my kids and BFFs Josh and Andrea- I saw them and they saw me and that made me SO happy!

Waving hi to my awesome loved ones!

And then, for the final cruel joke of the day, the last 100 yards of this race finished on the sand. Yeah. My ankle was SO happy about that. I’m also sure every single finishers photo looks oh so graceful- going from road to sand in a dead sprint is just silly. Really. I knew the sand was gonna be there but had no idea how torturous it would be!  Horrible!

Crossed the finish line in exactly 2:30 (which is a miracle for all the walking I did!!!!), grabbed my medal, a water bottle, and my race shirt then duck walked through the crowd to find my family.

All you people get out of my way before I hurt someone.

Finally saw Josh and Andrea, hobbled over to them, fell into their arms, and started crying. “That was SO HARD!” I wailed, “Andrea, this race was a PR for you????  I don’t get it!!!  WAHHHHH!!!!” The only thing that ended my tantrum was a mimosa and big hamburger.

I did it for the medal. And the mimosas…

After that, we took the kids to the boardwalk and rode the rides and played games all day. Given that I had just done a half and that my ankle was the way it was, I really wasn’t the best company and the long lines made me want to start crying all over again! The kids had so much fun though- I love seeing them so happy- and I wore my medal all day long!

Good race as long as you know what you’re getting into. Beautiful course and that combination of paved road and trails offer a great challenge (if you aren’t injured like some people). The price was reasonable (I think $65 at the early bird rate) and I really love that it is so close to the boardwalk (meaning, tons of food and fun for the kids)- I would definitely do this race again!

Have you ever done a race that had a combination of wide open paved roads AND narrow trails? How do you handle runners that have a lack of etiquette on a race course- yell at them or run past them? Does this sound like the kind of race you would do???

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 credit: BFF Amy)

Photo credit: NPR

I am sure we all breathed a VERY deep sigh of relief on Friday when the second suspect was captured as well as applauded and cheered right along with all of Boston that night. It’s all very reassuring and I am so amazed and humbled by the efforts of the Boston Police Department. Relentlessly they worked and within days, justice was served. I am so proud of our country, joyful for Boston and elated for our running community.

That being said, there is still more we can do to support and provide the awareness and much needed aid to the victims and people of Boston. I’ve caught a BUNCH of events and fundraisers on Facebook and Twitter and just wanted to jot off a quick post today with a nice list of even more ways to help since the first ones I posted- and, again, if you know of any others, please feel free to share the link in the comments section below.

Photo credit: Pavement Runner

1) Today, Monday April 22nd, fellow blogger Pavement Runner is organizing a global #BostonStrong event and so far, 120 U.S. cities are participating. To join an event in your city, check out PR’s post here and the Facebook page for the #BostonStrongSF run here.

2) Tonight at 6:30pm, Sports Basement in San Francisco is hosting a Happy Hour Fundraising event, 10% off in the store with that 10% benefiting One Fund Boston. Check out the Facebook event page here for more details.

3) Donate directly to the Boston Police Department: http://bostonpolicefoundation.org

4) Join the Run Now movement, started as a way to communicate and share the actions surrounding recovery from the Boston Marathon tragedy.

Photo credit: Fox Sports

And, finally, a few ways to wear your support while also donating to the cause…

5) Adidas is selling a limited edition T-shirt to honor victims of the Boston Marathon attacks with all proceeds ($26.20 each) from the shirts going going to One Fund Boston.

6) Sweaty Bands and Razzy Roo are donating 100% of the proceeds from their Run Boston headbands while Sparkly Soul is donating 20% of sales from their Blue/Gold striped headbands to One Fund Boston.

7) One More Mile Running is also donating 100% of profits from sales of all Boston shirts and tech tees to One Fund Boston.

If you know of any other ways to help, please post the info below and be safe out there, my running friends!!!

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…Shock. Anger. Fear. Devastation. Confusion. Frustration. Disbelief. Worry. Sadness.

Runners are a part of a global team of sorts and even if we have never met, we root for each other and cheer each other on no matter if elite, novice, fast or slow. We would not be able to train the way we do and enjoy racing as much if it wasn’t for each other. We protect and support each other and all cross the same finish line.

Again, it is incredibly hard for me to write this and attempt to explain how I feel. Because of this universal camaraderie we have as runners, this hits so very close to home, it’s just all too relate-able. I keep thinking of my friends and family that have waited for me at finish lines, as well as all the finish lines I have crossed… that unfathomable feeling of 26.2 triumph turned horror… this just makes no sense and I keep asking WHY???? but the answers don’t come…

I am so damn angry. I want those answers. I want the bastards that did this found and punished. I am furious that this has put fear in our hearts and I never, ever thought that my sport would be targeted and attacked.  Running means strength, running means joy, running means freedom- and all of that was viciously stolen from us on Monday.

When I think of the victims, my heart shatters and I can’t hold back the tears… mostly spectators and race volunteers, these are the people that help enable us runners to find the joy in what we do. How many races have you done where you were motivated by your friends, family, teammates, a race volunteer and/or non-running spectator selflessly cheering YOU on?  For me, countless. I recall so many races where I knew my husband and two small children would be there at the end, yelling my name… or even just a simple high-five and smile from a spectator kept me so very motivated to keep on running… it’s support beyond words… and now they suffer too… it’s just NOT FAIR. (I know fairness really means nothing in this case, but, again, it’s really hard to find the words to define this severe injustice.)

As a result of all the horrifying violence in the past years, I have feared living in my own city, flying on an airplane, going to the movies, sending my kids to school, and now, racing. I don’t think that any of those other events shook me to the core as much as this. I constantly consider that fine line between control and chaos and growing up in Oakland, have always understood that I’m never 100% safe, never 100% free from potential chaos, and 100% unable to control it.

I’ve always felt safe at races. Always. Even at the largest ones- up 35,000 runners and triple that number in spectators and race staff- I have always felt solace. It never, ever, ever occurred to me that THAT would be a potentially dangerous environment. And unfortunately, now I do. Sadly, I think we all do.

But then I see how much our running community has banded together to help the victims and their families- the first responders, the volunteers, the runners who instead of crossing the finish line of the most iconic road race in America, ran right into the smoke to help or the runners that did cross the finish safely and then ran 2 additional miles to the nearest hospital to donate blood- and am reminded of the strength we have, the hope we can give, the fear we can abate, the messages of prayer and love that we- as a running community- are able to send.

I am running the inaugural Nike Women’s (half) Marathon in Washington DC in a little over a week and was saddened to see on their Facebook page just how many people are backing out of the race, canceling their flights and hotel rooms as a result of what happened at Boston. I am also running the first half of the San Francisco Marathon in June and as another very large, historic race, have read of people backing out of that race as well.

While I do feel anxiety about these upcoming races, I’m not backing out of either because if I did, then they win. We cannot let fear keep us away from doing the thing we love to do. We need to get out there, in droves, and run in honor of Boston in order to show the world that we cannot be stopped. WE ARE RUNNERS and WE WILL continue to support each other and live life to the fullest. If we back out of our races, then the perpetrators of this heinous attack will have accomplished exactly what they wanted and we CANNOT let that happen.

Fellow runners, I implore you, do not allow them to divide and conquer us- we have to run for Boston and show our fearlessness and dedication to our country as well as our sport. Just getting out there and running may not seem like a way to help, but it is. Wear blue and yellow, keep Boston in your heart, hug your running buddies just a little tighter, and let’s show the world that we will not be stopped.

Our running community immediately created events and fundraisers to help the victims and their families and, personally, I am trying to participate in every single one as I really want to help. Here are a few ways that you can also help show your dedication, love and support:

1) Donate to the OneFund: http://onefundboston.org/

2) Join me at See Jane Run in Oakland, 7:30pm this Thursday night for a 3 mile run followed by a candlelight vigil at Snow Park: https://www.facebook.com/events/577960148888971/

3) Join the Run 26.2 For Boston Facebook group and dedicate your miles to the cause: https://www.facebook.com/events/484995498233792/

4) Click on the above bib, print it out and participate in this virtual run on Saturday: https://www.facebook.com/events/328991053871121/

5) Purchase a Boston Marathon Benefit tee from Moms RUN This Town, proceeds donated to the victims and their families: http://www.recoverbrands.com/store/category/boston-marathon-benefit-tee  These shirts are currently sold out but a new vendor will be announced soon!  Visit here for more details: http://momsrunthistown.com/blog/fundraiser-for-boston/

If you know of any others, I’m sure there are plenty, please feel free post the links to the events/fundraisers in the comments section below.

How about you, how are you coping in light on Monday’s horrific events? How are you showing your running pride and support of Boston? What do you think this means for the future of road racing?

Related articles

• In the wake of Boston… we will run. (runningfromforty.com)
• Boston Marathon – A Letter From Runners Everywhere (tanyasylvan.com)
• Boston. (trexrunner.com)

On Sunday I ran the Santa Cruz half marathon and even though this was my 11th half, YET AGAIN things didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I plan to write a recap for that race, of course, but I just wanted to vent a bit before that as it occured to me that I haven’t had a really great half marathon race experience since NWM in October 2012, and before that, Kaiser in February 2012.

Is it me or is it the half marathon??? I’m thinking a lot from column A, and a little bit from Column B. The half itself, I cannot control- 13.1 is what it is, the course and weather I am, unfortunatley, completely powerless over. Strength of mind, on the other hand, is what has earned me at least those 2 successful halfs and with yet another half in 3 weeks, I must find a way to keep running happy despite what Mother Nature and/or the race organizers throw my way.

So, what IS in my control?  Foremost, training. I take my training very seriously and I am committed to doing all the work it takes in order to achieve the best outcome on race day- I run 3-4 times a week, one long run, one hilly and one speedy, and sometimes one slow recovery run, cross and strength train, as well as stretch and roll several times a week.

I’ve been duped by this so many times. If I do the math on my long runs, I can start to guesstimate the time I will finish the race. Then I start focusing on THAT TIME, completely forgetting that every day and every run is different. Training alone on the same course over and over and then racing with thousands in a place you’ve never run before is not at all the same environments so it stands to reason- great training runs do not completely and totally guarantee a great race outcome.

On the other hand, I know that there are ways I can improve my training habits and while that may STILL not give me the outcome I am hoping for, it will give me a slight edge. I know I was a better runner when I incorporated spin class and track. Spin really helps with leg turnover and endurance whereas track increases stamina and speed. I haven’t been to spin in months and the TNT track practice I was able to attend was canceled- as a result, I haven’t been running as easily.

Then there’s the sickness/injury/GI issue trifecta.  At Oakland, I ran with a head/chest cold, at Santa Cruz I ran on a twisted ankle, at Big Sur I ran with 3 pinched nerves in my neck, at Divas I was a hungover/puking mess, and at Oakland last year I spent over 10 minutes in the porta potty dealing with runner’s trots (TMI but all TRUTH!). And of course, each race result was adversely effected by each affliction.

When I twisted my ankle on a trail run last weekend, everyone I told was amazed that I was going to run Santa Cruz anyway. When I walked around sneezing and coughing and spitting up mucus, friends were baffled that I planned to run Oakland anyway. When I woke up the morning of the Divas half, still completely drunk from the night before, my teammates questioned my sanity when I said, “Of course I’m still gonna run, duh!”

Why oh why then, do I think I can still have a great race while running in pain? What is up with that???

I really and truly take the cliche “Mind Over Matter” to heart. Running itself, in the best conditions and in perfect health, is hard. Adding in an injury or illness only makes it harder. However, I always try my very best despite how I may feel and I challenge myself to run past the pain. The feeling of dissapointment when I don’t achieve my race goals, though, upsets me for days thereafter because I never excuse myself, “Oh you were injured, it’s okay, you did the best you could.” Rather, “Wow you really screwed that one up!” I admit, I am my own worst critic.

When I PRed at Kaiser, I was happily suprised as a PR wasn’t the goal. When I ran the Nike Women’s half in SF last October, I left my watch at home and ran purely for the joy of it (and the Tiffany’s necklace!) and had The Best Time Ever. Of the 11 halfs I have completed, these 2 have one thing in common- I let go of my expectations, forgot about times and spilts, ignored the mile markers and just ran.

It is obvious to me that I am not really racing the half marathon right now while I can race the 10K and the 5K. I don’t do as many 10Ks/5Ks anymore because I love the challenge of a half, 13 miles is always an adventure whereas 3 & 6 miles are over way too quickly. If I didn’t take the half marathon as seriously, I’m not convinced I would do as well- of my 11 halfs, 10 were under 2:30 and, to me, that is a HUGE accomplishment in the face of adversity! Nevertheless, I still feel like I can do better, try harder, and push even further… running means just that much to me.

I’m trying my best not to let these last 2 halfs get me down. I see every race as an opportunity to rise above and do my best- that will never change. When I don’t do as well as I had hoped and allow my lofty expectations to get in the way of reality, then, I think, I’ve failed. While finishing is winning, finshing well is still my challenge.

When I run my 12th half marathon at the end of this month, I am going to try my hardest to reign in the ego and complete the course in a way that- even if it’s not the fastest- makes me the happiest.

And if I accomplish that, I will have won MY race.

How about you- how do you adjust your mental state when faced with race difficulties (internal and/or external) and you know your time will suffer as a result? Do you have any advice for me on how to let go of my ego and just run for joy? How do you deal with race disappointments?

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…

Half Moon Bay International Marathon

I ran the Half Moon Bay 10K last September and even though I didn’t write a race recap for it (I will though, I swear!!! It was a 3 minute PR for me, how could I NOT eventually write it up?!?!), it truly was a fantastic race!  This year will be the 3rd running of HMB and I, unfortunately, will be out of town but I’ll be back in 2014 for the half, definitely.

Half Moon Bay has been a romantic getaway spot for hubby and I for the past decade- we even got engaged there- only about an hour away from Oakland, all coastal, gorgeous beaches, great hotels and spas, and scrumptious restaurants… then when we had kids Half Moon Bay became THE place for those cute pumpkin patch pics. When I learned of the first running in 2011, I had HMB in my sights.  It worked out that last year I was finally able to register, book an overnight, and run the 10K.

Registration prices are very reasonable, especially at the early-bird rates (the 5K is even FREE!), and the course itself follows the coastline. Given the race is in the fall, the weather can be pretty overcast and foggy but I honestly prefer a bit of a colder race- and here in the Bay Area, 60 degrees can be “cold” to us!  The field is about 1,000 runners for all distances so it’s on the small side and I really like that too- no crowding and elbowing and zig-zagging to get through like in the larger races. It’s dead flat and that totally works for me too. Parking is easy, porta potties a’ plenty and really neat medals!  You really couldn’t want more from a race.  Check it out here: http://halfmoonbayim.org/

Presidio 10

On the other hand, the Presidio 10 is a hilly beast without a medal for your accomplishments (although the rumor mill has it that there WILL be a medal this year!) but The Guardsmen (the group who hosts the race) really know how to put on a post-race party.  With live music, breakfast burritos, pancakes, mimosas, screwdrivers and lotsa free schwag this race is, by far, THE MOST FUN I have ever had running. (Okay, I did the 10K and not the 10 mile last year so I can say that  truthfully.)

The registration prices are also reasonable and the money raised for the race benefits the Guardsmen and the Ashlyn Dyer Foundation- and you know how much I love supporting good causes! The course goes over the Golden Gate Bridge and there’s your cost of admission right there- with a small field (again, less than 1,000 runners) and access to both sides of the bridge, it is comfortable, uncrowded, and beautiful.  Unfortunately with my other race commitments this April, I will not be able to run it this year but you can read my detailed recap from last year here and check out the race for yourself here: http://guardsmen.org/presidio10/

Brazen Racing

And then there’s Brazen Racing… ahhhhh, my first true race company love… I found Brazen right when they started up in 2009 and since then, they have grown and are now super popular- some Brazen races even sell out!  Mainly trail runs, no matter the location, Brazen is know for putting on very well-organized and well-supported races with super awesome medals, colorful bibs and festive tech tees on top of it all.  Plus, if you volunteer at one of their races, you earn an entry into any future race- I have a couple friends who never pay for a Brazen race entry as they rotate from volunteering to running over and over again! Such a great way to give back to a community that has given us so much!

Like I said, Brazen specializes in trail runs so I can’t say that every Brazen race I’ve done has been a favorite- like Bear Creek which I dubbed the “5K of Death” as it was 103 degrees on single trails, tons of hills and poison oak all over the place- but the way they mark the course, stagger the starts, average about 500-800 runners, and feed you ice cream, cake and pie afterwards makes for a fantastic race experience no matter the course difficulty.  One drawback to the Brazen races is they are usually held on Saturdays and that is when I run with Team in Training, so the last time I was able to do a Brazen race was last January (and you can read that recap here).

Sam and Jasmine, Brazen owners and parents, also host a Thanksgiving Day turkey trot with a kids 200 yard dash again a giant turkey mascot- my kids LOVE this and we try to do it every year! The kids get bibs, medals, goodie bags, and the satisfaction of knowing they kicked some tail feathers. Love, love, LOVE that!!!

Big Sur Marathon Events

Finally, Big Sur Marathon Events host 2 of my favorite races in April and November. The April event is the Big Sur International Marathon complete with a full, full relay, 21 miler, 10.6 miler, 9 miler, AND a 5K.  In November they host a half marathon in Monterey. While both are very different in terms of locations and distances, they are the same in terms of course beauty, fun course entertainment, and really neat post-race festivities.

I had the pleasure of running the Big Sur Marathon Relay April 2011 (right before I started this blog!) and in the days leading up to the race, there was a big storm that took out the iconic Bixby Bridge forcing a out-and-back re-route as opposed to the point-to-point race everyone expected.  To make a long story short, as the first leg runner of the relay, I ran my 6 and then had to walk the 6 miles back to the start- during the walk back I got to dance with a show girl, eat free fruit, drink margaritas, put on a grass skirt and sing with a band just because all the hired help and neighbors along the way were THAT excited, happy and friendly! When I finally got back to the start, it took my teammates over 3 hours to get back (from delays in the bridge/bus situation) yet I had SO MUCH FUN drinking beer after beer, talking with people and listening to the awards speeches- for all that as well as having to get up at 3am for this one, it was all worth it. Best. Experience. Ever.

And just last November, I finished the Big Sur Half Marathon and even though it was my worst time for a half due to my physical injury (you can read that recap here) it was just as fun and exciting as the April event and I really hope to do it again the right way!

The only drawback to the Big Sur events, I think, is the cost. Registration fees are pretty high, but I truly believe you get what you pay for- both events host a huge expo with sundry running celebrities, book signings and clinics, the on-course entertainment is unparalleled, the post-race food and beer is ample, really hip tech race tee and ceramic medal, and both locations are purely breathtaking, all along the coast. I would definitely do both of these annually if my running budget could afford it!

MEDALS!!!! AHHHHH!!!!

How about you- what are your favorite races and why? What do you think makes or breaks a race- the reg fee, the course, the expo, on-course support, post race-food, entertainment, the shirt???  Do you have a favorite race that you run annually?

Well, all that negativity took me down and 3 days before the Oakland Running Festival’s half marathon, I got sick. Super sick. Head and chest cold, general malaise, constant fatigue and absolutely zero energy.  All my training leading up to this half- my tenth- had been successful. I had been doing everything right, I’ve been eating well, added in 2 hours of strength training each week, rotated hill work with speed work, hit all of my long runs 30-60 seconds slower than race pace and had my mind completely and totally set on a PR.

Until I got sick, that is.

I’ve learned over and over from my TNT coaches not to let ego overrule good judgement, I therefore knew that running with a chest cold wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do but, of course, I was going to do it anyway and anticipated that it would slow me down. And, of course, it did.

Pre-race, fingers crossed!

I felt so out of it that I couldn’t bare to even get to the expo on Saturday, so hubby- who was also running the Oakland half- went to the expo and gathered our bibs while I lay on the couch drinking green tea, napping, and feeling very sorry for myself.

Race morning came and I still felt pretty out of it.  “Out of it” as in: no-way-I-want-to-run-a-half-marathon-today kind of out of it. Grrrrrrreat. Piled onto BART, arrived at 19th street in downtown Oakland and headed to the starting line.

The race started and I felt okay, running down Broadway yelling “HI!” and “GO YOU!” and “HEY COACH!” to all of my running buddies along the way. Running through the closed streets of the city I was born and raised is such a neat feeling for me- for all it’s negative press, I still hella love Oakland!

Running past the iconic Fox Theater

I hit mile 6 in an hour and thought, “Okay, maybe there’s hope for you yet!” but my head was draining, my throat started filling up with mucus, my chest struggled to keep up and it became very difficult to breathe. I can barely manage sucking down a Gu while running so managing a coughing attack and spitting the remnants on the side of the road while running became impossible.  I had no choice but to stop altogether, several times, to cough and spit and catch my breath- oh well… what did I expect?

Under the Arch o’ Fire

Like I said, I love Oakland but to be honest, miles 5-10 of the half course isn’t the most thrilling (save for the arch of fire pictured above)- you wind through West Oakland, an area of Oakland that used to be all railroads in the late 1800s, then became more of a shipyard area in the early and mid 1900s, and then after suffering much damage from the earthquake of 1989 it’s still being refurbished.  It’s just not that pretty.

But the Raiders? ALWAYS pretty!

Shortly after mile 10, the course loops around Lake Merritt, one of my most favorite places to run!  The familiarity kicked in and I tried my hardest to shave off some time in that final 5K by running those tangents I am so familiar with but my breathing was still pretty labored and the snot just kept flowing… this race also started at 9:15am so by mile 11 it was closing in on 70 degrees without any breeze whatsoever. I was really struggling but I pushed through and tried my hardest to pick up my speed.

Focused yet failing!

Hit mile 12 and told myself to shake it but I as I looked at the time on my watch, I was pretty disappointed at that point so took it easy all the way towards the finish… as I rounded the final turn, that last tenth of a mile heads upward- it is the tiniest of inclines but because it’s right near the end of the race, it feels like a freaking huge killer hill!  Luckily three of my running mentors were there to help inspire and motivate me up that hill to the finish line- my 2 boot camp trainers, Anna and Jennie, and then Coach Al.  Jennie yelled at me, “GO LAURA GO!”, Anna ran with me for a bit telling me that I had this and “PUSH PUSH PUSH!”, then Coach Al appeared, saying, “YOU GOT THIS, DARLIN’!”

So, I ran my little heart (and head and chest) out!!!

Thank you, Jennie, for the pic!

And finally crossed the finish line in 2:23- not my best but not my worst so I guess I gotta be happy with that!  (If you know me you know I’m NOT though- illness besides, that’s a FAR CRY from the 2:05 I was shooting for.)

When I finished the race, I actually felt great! Running a half marathon seems to be a fantastic decongestant- my head was clear and my voice was back to normal!  Plus, my legs weren’t fatigued AT ALL. Not one bit. Felt like I hadn’t even ran! Found hubby and gave him big high fives as he PRed with a 2:00 finish time!!!!  SO happy for and proud of him!!!  (Although I really shouldn’t encourage him because this is MY hobby, darn it!)

Congrats, Hubby!!!!!

I have another half in two weeks at Santa Cruz and everyone keeps telling me I ran Oakland the right way in order to do well on April 7th, so I am really hoping they are right! I’m trying not to be too bummed out about Oakland but racing as much as I have, I’ve learned that not every day can be perfect, not every race will get you a PR, and you can only give as much as you’ve got to give on any given day- running is so fickle like that.

So I’m still chasing that half PR… it will be mine some race soon… I just know it…

The Guardsmen is a non-profit, volunteer based group of Bay Area men that work together to assist and improve the lives of at-risk/inner-city youth through educational and outdoor activities. I found out about The Guardsmen last year when I ran their Presidio 10 fundraising race- it was, and is, one of my most favorite races to date! So when I caught their Free Training Run event on Facebook, I signed right up and anticipated a mellow 10 miler.

Yesterday morning, Andrea and I drove out to the Inn at the Presidio in San Francisco to run with The Guardsmen.  I’m not sure what those Guardsmen are training for but I haven’t run a course this difficult in… hmmmm… NEVER!

Up, up, up, up…

We enjoyed some coffee, did some warm ups and stretches and then the run began. There were 3 groups- 3 milers, 5 milers, and us crazy 8 milers- and once we introduced ourselves to our leaders, off we ran. Straight. Up. Hill. By half a mile, I needed a hike break- I couldn’t believe how steep it was in JUST THE FIRST MILE!  While I’m more than positive that Andrea could kill the hills, we promised each other that this would be a fun run and to make it such, we stayed to the back of the pack and took our time while I snapped lots of way too many pictures.

Yet another hill!

It was a gorgeous day! Perfectly clear, slight breeze, not too hot and that is pretty rare for this time of year in the city- it’s usually foggy and misty. We ran/hiked up through part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, neither of us had been or run here before and it was beyond gorgeous. Once we completed the mountainous crest, we plunged deeper into the trails and the scenery changed again.

Our new friend, Guardsman Bobby!

And on we ran, up, up, and up. The trail was very rocky and narrow so we had to stay very aware of our foot fall, often having to run single file to allow other pedestrians to get by. Again, I was not at all prepared for this type of terrain and really took my time- hiking a lot and stopping for pictures whenever the moment moved me.

Andrea and I- happy and tired!

This Lands End trail was all along the coast, and the wind whipped through the trees and the waves crashed beneath us. I kept saying, “THIS IS SO FREAKING PRETTY!” And stopped to catch my breath and take more pics several times. And we were only at mile 3.

Right around 3.5 we came to a set of stairs. Not just regular stairs but wooden, very sandy, very rocky and about 200 of them.  Down we went and then back up again and my quads screamed in pain! People RUN these???  Wow.  Little did I know this was only one of several sets of stairs we would be tackling that day- by Andrea’s count, we climbed about 1,000 of them in all.

Stairs, stairs, stairs, up, up, up…

Conquered the stairs and started to head back at mile 3.6- as we were the last ones in the group, we figured the front runners would meet up with us by the time we emerged from Lands End. And we were right- met up with Bobby again as we went from trails to the road. I was so relieved when we hit the road- down hill through a residential area- and my feet rejoiced in the familiarity.  I love the challenge of trails but I love the ease of the road even more.

Then we had an option- head back towards the Inn on the road or take the loop and run Baker Beach. Running on the beach sounded like a great idea at the time, so Andrea, Bobby, Paul and myself headed on down after being told by our leader, Stu, that we should cross the beach, then head up the sand ladder in order to meet back up with the group.

Baker Beach & the Golden Gate!

I have never run on sand before. And I don’t think I ever will again unless it’s a life or death sorta situation. Maybe you already know this but I had no idea- that sand is SO ROUGH to run through! It’s like taking 2 steps for one, tilting and veering all sorts of directions as my shoes started getting filled with those pesky little grains. Totally over that, I walked and YES took more pictures!

Just happy to be alive- LOVE THIS CITY!!!

And then we found the freaking sand ladder. Another set of over 200 stairs. Wow. But just like a race, you’ve got no control over the course and if you want to get back to your car then you’ve gotta do it! So up, up, up we climbed…

Got to the top and took a brief break until our leader Stu said, “So now we go up…”  Are you kidding me, Stu??? UP? What do you mean??? Didn’t we just…????? He meant more stairs- another set of over 200. I didn’t take many pictures from this point on because I was getting so very tired. So much climbing… so much for my mellow 10 miler…

Yeah, steep stairs, yeah…

Took every last bit of my willpower to get up that flight and we all took a brief break to high five each other at the Inspiration Point overlook before heading back towards our starting point. Mostly road (aka relief!) and downhill from there, we ran with a couple other people we had just met for the final 2.

Andrea asked me earlier in the day if I wanted to do 2 additional flat miles on our own once we got back and initially, I agreed I would. At this point though, I had to tell her I lied. I did NOT want to do ANY extra mileage- my quads had given up, my lower back was aching, and my calves were in knots. We finally finished, clocking 7.58 miles by my watch in a little over a hour and a half- although I was moving so slowly up the endless hills and stairs that my Garmin would pause as if I wasn’t moving at all! That 7.58 felt like 20. Seriously. WOW.

The Guardsmen are so awesome- when we got back, there was ample champagne, orange juice, water, coffee, an outdoor fire pit, music- so we hung out for a bit, sipping our mimosas and talking all things running with our new friends. Really a great event, I am so glad we participated and were able to see the city I’ve lived in all my life in yet ANOTHER awesome and spectacular way.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Guardsmen!!!

I wasn’t planning on running the Presidio 10 race this year as I have 2 other races scheduled for April but, because of the cause and the scenery and the friendly people and I guess the mimosas, I think I need to sign up for the 10K. And if you are free on April 21st- you should too!!!

Post-run lunch at Dixie SF complete with a Bloody Mary for Andrea, Pomegranate Mint Julep slushee for me and lotsa CHEERS to yet another fantastic running adventure!