Tag Archives: 5K

See Jane Run WINNERS!

Posted on by
Reply

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!

… and a free race entry!

Continue reading →

Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Posted on by
40
This is what it's all about!

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… 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 →

Virtually Running

Posted on by
9

For the last 3 years, our family has participated in a local turkey trot (Hubby actually runs it, I don’t- he only does 2 races a year, so I let him have that one… boo..) but this year, Hubby put off his registration and the trot got stuffed!  All sold out!

I’ve been catching up all on my blog reading lately and came across a fellow blogger’s list of virtual turkey trots and I thought, “Why not?”  I chose to go with Daily Vitamin F’s virtual trot (as fellow running mom Kiley was kind enough to donate one of her Running Sucks shirts to my auction for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society earlier this year), printed my bib and hit the road for my OWN thanksgiving day 5K.

Continue reading →

Happy Feet (& giveaway!)

Posted on by
51

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a giveaway and even though my feet aren’t terribly happy right now (read: bruised toes, nails falling off), I want yours to be!  So let’s talk socks…

When I first started racing in 2009, I suffered from major blisters usually on my left foot, right on the inside of the sole- the spot that (if my form is correct) hits the ground first when running.  Yeouch!  As a racing newbie and doing 5K after 5K when I started, I would typically push through the pain, keep on running, and complain to anyone who would listen about my painful, bleeding feet afterwards.  I finally realized that the cotton socks I wore + the amount of sweat I produced = the dire need for an authentic athletic sock. Continue reading →

Today’s Reason: Running Buddies

Posted on by
12

When I began my health and wellness journey nearly 5 years ago, I started taking class three days a week with Oakland Adventure Boot Camp and fell into a pattern of early mornings where I would listen to the instruction, not talk to anyone, and just focus on getting the workout done.  The fact that I never really spoke to anyone in boot camp may seem shocking to some because if you know me, you know I can talk.  I mean, I really talk. Like A LOT.

For 3 years of boot camp, I shied away from speaking to anyone unless they spoke to me first, and would even skip the days where we had partner workouts so that I could spend more time exercising and less time chatting. Back then, I swore that an efficient work out would be completely jeopardized by another person in tow. Continue reading →

Race Recap: See Jane Run 5K

Posted on by
4

I’ve been putting off writing this first race recap as I was not too thrilled with my performance for this one.  I’m over it now- well, somewhat- so here goes…

The all-female See Jane Run 5K & Half Marathon took place this past Sunday June 5th and even though it was pouring rain all day prior, we were met with a dry course and blue skies- thank goodness!  When the race was about to start, I maneuvered my way to the front in order to avoid too much weaving in and out of people as I had my sights set on a PR for this one.   Let me save you the suspense- I did not PR.  Hmph.

The race started and I faced one of my biggest race pet peeves right out of the gate- why oh why do the slower people come up to the front?  I’m not super fast by any means but if you’re a slower runner, say plus 10 minute miles, get to the back please!  I signed up for a run, not an obstacle course, people!  So as we started, I was weaving in and out, in and out of all the slower people, and that slowed me down significantly.  After about a half mile I finally had my space and I tried to pick it up but my legs refused to go any faster than a 9 minute mile. Continue reading →

Today’s Reason: Weight Loss

Posted on by
4

It’s happening again… it always seems to happen when I’m not looking… my jeans are fitting snug and those drasted belly rolls have reappeared.  Real cute.  While I still have my sights set on a PR for the See Jane Run 5K on June 5th, it was the thought of losing weight that got me out of bed at 6:15 this morning to hoof 4 miles on the treadmill.

On top of it all, I did a little bathing suit shopping earlier this week and while it wasn’t a complete horror show, I still have things that I want to work on, parts of my body I want toned, a few more pounds I would like to drop… et cetera and so on… I was a happy 135 pound size 6 before I had kids- would love to be that again.  I know I can do it, I just need to keep my reasons clear, continue to stay focused, and keep up that consistency, not just with exercise but with my eating habits.  In other words, put the mac n’ cheese down and step away from the table, Laura!

I always say, “I would rather be healthy than skinny!” and I really want to mean it!  Losing a few pounds would not only get me where I was before, but would make me a faster runner AND improve my body confidence.  Something that, with swimsuit season around the corner, may just be a necessity!

The easiest way for me to manage my daily calories is the Calorie Count website.   I just input all my meals and snacks and it tells me what I am deficient in and gives you a *letter grade* for the day.  I loved school growing up so if I see that I am eating at a “B” for the day, I’ll add some raw carrots, an apple, and/or a handful of almonds, until I get an “A”.  Strange motivation for eating well, but hey, whatever works!

Me pre-kids, skinny and oh so zen

Me now, plus 20 pounds but happier than ever!

Running Meets Blogging Meets Laura

Posted on by
1

You found my brand spanking new blog and now I am sure you are asking, “So, what’s “running for the reason” mean?”

As a stay-at-home mom of 2 young children, my main reason for running is, quite simply, solitude.  Hitting the open road at ridiculous:30am and pounding the pavement anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours brings me a peace of mind like no other.  My other reasons for running are health and fitness, of course; but, on some days, my reason to run could just be cake.  Or wine.  Or chocolate.  Or that big-as-my-head bacon cheese burger I just ate for lunch today.  Mmmmmm…  oh, I mean, OOPS!

I started running just a few years ago and while it is still hard, my life overall is much easier.   I’m not the fastest but am very proud of my running accomplishments.  I’ve completed 26 races to date, many 5Ks, a few 10Ks, a couple 12Ks, and one half marathon.  My inspiration to start this blog stems from my recent commitment to Team in Training & the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  My goal is to raise $1800 for LLS and complete the Nike Women’s Half Marathon on October 16th.

13.1 seems very daunting right now but am eager to start training in just a couple weeks!  There is a Team in Training kick-off event this Saturday and I look forward to meeting the other members on my team and to get inspired by the countless survivors out there.  Such a great cause, I am proud to be a part of it.

Currently, I am getting ready for the See Jane Run 5K in Alameda, California on June 5th.  My PR for the 5K is 28:43 and I am DETERMINED to break 28 minutes for this one.  Just gotta!

Training this week includes 2 boot camp classes, one easy 4 mile  run, one 3 mile treadmill tempo run, one abs & core class, and a 5 mile run on Sunday.  Boot camp is 6:30am tomorrow morning and it is currently raining.  I hate running in the rain but I have my reason to get through: must PR that 5K!

Meet me, meet my bibsMeet me, meet my bibs