Running lingo, racing, & more

Who knew running and air guitaring went so well together? ;D Running = pure bliss =)

Running lingo


As info, when someone says "I ran a marathon" that is equivalent to saying "I ran 26.2 miles." In running lingo a marathon = 26.2 miles, a half marathon = 13.1 miles, a 10K = 6.2 miles, and a 5K = 3.1 miles and the "K" is short for "kilometer." Just thought I'd fill you in because when I hear someone say "I ran my first marathon on Sunday" and they actually did a 5K I kind of internally cringe because 26.2 miles is vastly different from 3.1 miles. Ya dig? If you run you feel me. Each mile one racks up is like a shiny medal you wear on your chest. Proudly. Why? Because you physically went that distance with your body. One foot after another. Step. Step. Step. Through sweat, discomfort, and making babysitting arrangements for little ones. Okay. You get my drift. Here's a quick cheat sheet as reminder of the lingo:

Marathon = 26.2 miles
1/2 Marathon = 13.1 miles
10K = 6.2 miles
5K = 3.1 miles

Racing:

I have decided that I will no longer run anything more than half marathons from now on. After the Honolulu Marathon in 2004, I gave up running for years...Yes. I was that turned off. I think I developed some minor injuries as well as I was unable to wear heels for months after that race. Seriously. Marathon runners are somethin' else and that somethin' is not me.

Fast forward to my second race which was seven years after my first...last month, June 5, 2011 to be exact. After doing 13.1 miles I felt phenomenal! Not blasted and nearly disabled like I did after 26.2 miles in 2004 and seven years younger! To top of the half marathon high, I joined with two good friends, Leilani & Helen
= ) Here's a shiny, happy picture of us at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda having just finished all of our very first half-marathon (A See Jane Run Event):

I was not so serious about the race at the time and me being me, slowed down to take many photos on the way. Here are a few:

My third race was another first: our first family fun run, with strollers and all. This was a lot of fun because we rolled pretty deep that day. Let's count. 1) me 2) gee 3) gigi 4) gavin 5) lorna 6) noy 7) lorenzo 8) april 9) mama 10) auntie tek 11) niko 12) matt. WOW. A dozen deep! We ran in memory of our JuJu at the 1st annual Stanford Scamper in Palo Alto. We had such an awesome time we decided to make this run an annual event. It was SUPER organized, VERY family friendly, and:

-they served coffee, water, & snacks before and after the race
-they gave away essentials like sunblock and lip balm before the race
-they had a professional DJ (star 101.3) & an enthusiastic MC
-the course was flat and very easy to maneuver with a stroller

Here are some pics:

GOOOOOOD morning!

racers snacking before the race

thank you for the sunblock & lipbalm too

you rock!

you do too!

I was a little snotty about running on my own. You know if you're a runner, you don't need to enter races right? You just DO IT. Boy was I WRONG! The EXHILIRATION of a race really pushes you to be your best. The ENERGY during a race is absolutely palpable. Even for a slowie like me, I ran faster than I expected. RACE DAY is like an energy drink with a kick and it's absolutely addicting!

My inner competitiveness came out in full force during the last half mile at the Stanford Scamper when this mommy pushing the same kind of jogging stroller as Gavin's was slowly catching up to me. Of course I go faster and I left her behind. THEN her husband comes to her rescue and she starts running faster by herself with no stroller getting ahead of me while I'm pushing Gavin in our carbon-copy-jogging-stroller. I think to myself "OH HELLLLLLLLLL NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT ME. Even if your husband relieved you of your strolling-duties, YOU WILL NOT BEAT ME!" So, I HAULED MAJOR A$$ and LEFT THAT MAMA W/ NO STROLLER IN THE DUST and you know what?? It felt so DAMNED! GOOD! LOL! ...


You see? You only get that kind of fire lit under your butt when you enter a race =) :) ;D

Here I go again, sacrificing precious sleeping-hours to indulge in some therapeutic writing, which I love. *happy sigh* Goodnight all and have a C&B week!