Running around Christmas...

...sucks. :)

But, Merry Christmas to you! Or, if you aren't a Christmas-y person, "Happy Holidays!" or better yet, "Happy Birthday!" (the last quote being that of Frosty the Snowman).

I enjoyed a lovely Christmas day with the family (crazy as they are) and started it out with a lovely 4 mile run (sort of) yesterday, Christmas Eve, where I wussed out and didn't do the full 8 miles that I told myself that I was going to do. Running laps around a track is oh-so-not interesting. Especially when it is bitterly cold outside and you just want to go home and sleep in where you know your hubs, daughter, dogs, and even the cat are all snuggled in bed where visions of sugarplums dance in their heads.

Ugh. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I remember now. Feb 1. My goal is Feb 1. 13.1 miles. In the snow. Uphill. Both ways!

Ha ha ha. Here's to you and yours and hoping that you find snuggly warm goodness during this time of year. Wish me luck on Saturday. :)

8 Mile

As I was running today, I was trying to think of a clever title for this entry because it is the latest milestone for me: 8 miles! I didn't really blog about earlier distances largely in part because I was obsessing over trying to not be injured and to complete my fundraising.

Now that those two topics are partially behind me, I just wanted to share that I actually completed the distance that Coach Kris pushed me into (I was trying for just 6 today!) but at a small price. A little hot spot that developed in my right arch at around mile 5. I'm wondering, "Is it my sock? Is it my shoe?" Either way, what a PITA (normally referrring to my "Pain In The Ass" phrase - also the nickname that we use for Miss K when she's being especially ornery - but for this instance, probably more appropriate to say "Arch" instead).

But back to my original train of thought: The title for this entry. I chose it because it referenced my accomplishment today...NOT the Eminem movie that came out in 2002 (for all of you Marshall Mather's fans out there). And a quick nod to the folks who picked the trail we trained on. It was absolutely gorgeous. I can tell you that I would have rather been walking the trail with a digital SLR and going nuts with nature pics than doing my run/walk...I mean, who wouldn't? The steam coming off a moist fallen tree as the sun peaked through, the stillness of the water creating a magical mirror of greenery, the tragic body of a small dead mouse (ick!) that I had to step over...hey, it couldn't all be sunshine and roses, right? Ha ha ha. Sorry. :)

To compensate for my last comment, here's a few pictures of the trail courtesy of the San Mateo County Parks Dept website and Bay Area Hiker that shows off the beauty of this trail:

Nutrition, Hydration, and Clothing - Oh My!

Wow - there is so much to consider when you're preparing for a marathon...even a half marathon! Last night at the Weekly Tuesday Night Clinic, there was an After-Clinic Round Table (with pizza - yum) where coaches and runners gathered together to talk about what to do before, during and after. The hard part is deciphering what makes sense for you as, with everything in life, it needs to be tailored to fit with your body. What you like.

What do I mean? Well...all along they've been telling us. On the Saturday long runs, you need to experiment with hydration. Try different sports drinks. Try combinations of water & electrolyte drinks to see what you like and don't like. For example, last night, I came to the realization that I don't like Fruit Punch Gatorade when I run. It is too sweet. My stomach had issues with it. Now, it could very well be that my tummy was upset because I hadn't eaten a good dinner, but that is another thing! What to eat the morning of a run. What to wear. Knowing how your bowel movements work (sorry, TMI). Do you carry a hydration belt or a CamelBak? Experimentation, experimentation, experimentation.

But here is the question du jour: When do you know when you've got the right combination?

I leave you with this (only because it just popped into my head):

Marathon Love

At first when I read the subject line in my email inbox from Discovery Health of "Marathon Love", I thought it was going to be something about people who love to run marathons. My initial thought was "How timely!" Followed quickly by, "Hmm...I wonder how did they know that I'm training for a half? Are there spies somewhere that I don't know about?" (Ha ha - paranoia always keeps people on their toes!)

But it isn't just a story about people who love to run. It is about someone who loves someone so deeply, defied all odds and brings it all to a head with the Boston Marathon. Here is the trailer to the special that Discovery Health is showing on December 14th.

WARNING: It made me cry (but then again, I'm an emotional person so take that thought with a grain of salt). :)

Fun and Fancy Free

Tuesday night's clinic involved hills. Lots of hills. Actually, it wasn't so bad only because I didn't run dem dar hills. The coaches advised that if you have a knee issue, to stay on the track instead. Where it is nice and flat. NICE AND FLAT. Those are my kind of words. :)

But I have to admit that I sort of missed not being part of the "in crowd". Granted, I know I shouldn't push myself but there is that little gnome inside of me (I know, a gnome of all things. Not like a cute little fairy or even a fierce bobcat.) that wants me to to be magically at the ability to run the 13.1 miles today and without any issues. To be able to do all of the things that the coaches expect of us. Never you mind that there are minor problems to deal with which could escalate into bigger problems if I'm not careful. Oh no....I have to do it.

So, I dedicate this entry to the idea of being "Fun and Fancy Free". To try and relax, know that it will come in time. And to recognize that time does heal all and I'm one of the lucky ones who actually has time to do this again. And again...and again...and again....

Who put the cookie in the Cookie Jar?

I DID!

Ha ha ha. Can I just tell you how cool the "cookie mix in a jar" concept is for fundraising? They sell so nicely and people just love them. What an excellent excellent excellent idea! Not only are they super easy to make (Thank you, Costco!) but they are delicious and super cute. I'm bummed that I didn't take a picture of the 12 11 (one broke) that I made last week, but I have to do more so I promise to take one this week.

I'm hoping to sell lots of these over the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed and let's get that thermometer to burst by the end of this month! :)

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/sfhalf09/cfradenburg

Clever is as Clever does

Finding something clever to talk about can actually be a daunting task! Crazy as it sounds, but I was actually sitting here thinking that I really needed to write an update as I haven't yet for this month. And, these blogs love to categorize themselves by month. Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Christine, are you giving a blog anthopomorphic qualities?" The answer is "Yes. And, don't you love how I threw in a really big word and even used it in a somewhat proper manner?"

On to my update! The beginning of December is showing lots of changes. Changes in the weather (much much much colder for Tuesday night track! This past Tuesday, CYN needed 3 jackets to stay warm. Was I envious? Heck ya.) and changes to my training. I completed the latest Tuesday clinic where they did a time trial. Run a 5k around the track and we'll see how fast you do it. Then they had us input the time into a chart to see how long it will take us to run various events. According to them, I can finish the 1/2 marathon in a little under 3.5 hours. And that was with a gimpy knee and everything. See below for my nifty chart.

What I'm laughing about is whether or not I can stay under the Disneyland Half-Marathon required pace of a 16:00 mile (my goal for after the SF 1/2). I'm at about 12:00 right now so does that mean I have 4 minutes of wiggle room? Or, is it wiggle run? Ha ha ha. We'll just have to wait and see.

Fundraising Events! Come Join Me!

Have I got some news for you! Other than the extra special treat of TWO entries in ONE day...yes, folks, I'm actually writing TWO entries.

("Two...two...two Blobbies lost in the lobby. Betty and Bobby Blobbie...." Sorry, I've been watching Sesame Street with Miss K and things like this get stuck in my head. You have to admit that repetition is really effective for learning.)

Please come join me for two (technically three) fun fun fun FUNdraising events!

Saturday, December 13th & Saturday, December 20th
Visit Orange Julius at Westgate Mall in San Jose any time during regular mall hours (10AM to 10PM) and Orange Julius will donate a portion of the sales for the day to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Orange Julius is located inside of the mall near Target across from Party City and Hancock Fabrics.


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Wednesday, December 17th
Grab the family, grab some friends and head on over to Chevy's Fresh Mex (also near Westgate Mall in San Jose) for dinner. Take one of our fliers (http://iansagabaen.com/media/chevys_flyer.pdf) with you and 25% of your meal will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This special event is for one night only from 5-9PM and only at this location. (Excludes alcoholic beverages, sorry!!)

Chevy's is located outside of Westgate Mall on the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Atherton Avenue.


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Things to be thankful for

I realized that I haven't written in a while and wanted to give a quick update to what was going on. While I enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving feast (and hope that you did as well), I've been resting my body and trying to stretch and heal. My knee that I had complained about earlier decided that it was not going to cooperate and give me trouble for about a week and a half now. As in my earlier post (The Art of Resting), I had concluded that you have to listen to your body or else you'll pay for it later.

So here I am, resting and feeling, I have to admit, restless. Like really restless. I feel like I haven't been able to progress like I would have preferred. Ugh. But, sticking to the schedule is what I must do and Monday will be an opportunity for me to get back into things. I can't believe that I'm actually looking forward to cross training. The elliptical machine is actually calling me, "Chrriisssttinnee....come train on meeeee." (OK - that was a little creepy, but have you *really* ever thought about what an elliptical machine sounds like?)

So in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and I'm thankful that I haven't hurt myself to the point of NOT being able to recover. My knee is feeling much better and I'm on my way back into the swing of things. I realized that I have another post to make so 2 in one day just for your reading pleasure. Hooray!

Making a difference

"Follow your dreams. Don't let anything stop you."
- Brenden Foster (1997-2008)

The Art of Resting

Who knew that resting your body was actually an art? I thought it was all science, but it turns out it is an art. Yes, I know that there definitely are elements of science involved - from taking the days off before and after a long run so your body can recover, but here is where I figured out the "art" to come in...

It is when you aren't able to do the long run
that you had originally scheduled.

GASP! Can you believe it? I know! Me neither! My TNT friend and I were in Seattle this weekend being silly teenagers in 30-something-year-old-bodies and so we weren't able to do the long run scheduled for Saturday. My first inclination was to get up and run in the Seattle but have you been there in the winter? I mean, it is frickkin freezing there! (Sorry, Family Who Live There!) And besides, we had to be at a certain location by a certain time so we thought better of trying to squeeze it in.

Upon return to the "oh-I'm-so-glad-I-live-in-the-Bay-Area" Bay Area, I thought about trying to get my run in on Sunday. That became just a thought in the wind (a "not as cold as Seattle!" wind, I might add) as I had Miss K all to myself that day and it was a Mommy/Girley bonding day (and a "I-have-to-make-up-for-not-being-here-for-two-days" kind of day).

(By the way, what's up with me and these weird em-dash phrases? )

I'm happy to say that I'm sort of glad that I didn't try to make up the run as in today's Coach's update, they say to stick to the schedule (especially for beginners - that's me!) and don't try to make up days. Not only that but my knee is still bugging me from last Tuesday's clinic. I think my body is telling me to rest and rest I shall do! :)

Hey Mr. Crossing Guard Man...raise that sign for me...

I did it! I ran a 3/2 without cheating!
Well...sort of. I did have to take a small break when my knee felt like it was going to give out on me. :)

But seriously. I did my 4 mile loop around work - yes, kids, 4 freakin miles! - and set my watch to a 3/2 interval and (to quote Emeril), "BAM!" I did it. I realized, however, that I have to continue to push through the pain. Once I was able to recover, it make each 3-minute run set a little easier.

Since I haven't had a chance to put in any pretty graphics in a while, I thought I'd add this little number to commemorate the really nice crossing guard dude who saw me coming and actually stopped some cross street traffic for me so I didn't have to wait and jog in place on the curb.



And for all of those of you were wondering (seriously, people!)..."No. This is not an actual representation of Mr. Crossing Guard." I mean really...duh. :)

Soooo proud!!

I mean, c'mon. The thought of "being proud" just makes your chest puff up, your head raise just a little bit higher and your body just want to dance around. I have to dedicate this little entry to all of the events that have happened to me in the past week that has really evoked the feeling of great pride.

I'm proud of my friends in crime for doing this with me. I love that they're there and that they kicked a** on the track tonight. And for the crazy email threads that go around about what we're up to and how together we can do this.

I'm proud of my friends who can't be there physically but who have shown such love and support for what I'm doing. Don't worry -- I want to run another event (i.e. the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon) so I *will* get you to run with me!!

I'm proud of my family for being such a great crutch and believing in me. I know we all have crazy schedules, so I'm grateful for making adjustments and sacrifices to help me meet my goal.

I'm proud of myself for surviving the circuit training tonight and making a new friend (thank you, Other Kristine!) who may end up being a perfect running partner. I may end up sore tomorrow (must remember to stretch!) but I'm thrilled that I pushed through some of the pain barriers and kept at the circuit training for 45 minutes.

As the Little Train said, "I think I can. I think I can." And, to quote another friend (and she knows who she is), "That's rad."

(By the way, don't you love it when you write a word over and over again and it starts to read funny? Ha ha ha.)

The *FUN* in fundraising

I think the most nerve wracking thing about doing TNT is the obligation of raising money to participate. While I think that I can do it (sure! no problem!), I fully admit that there are moments of panic that bubble up and attack my insides -- turning my stomach into knots and my brain into mush.

Here's the goal that I have to reach: $2,000

I totally get that it is a lot of money and I feel horrible about asking people for donations considering the shape the economy is in and all. So I give my heartfelt thanks a million times over to all of those of you who have donated. I truly appreciate your giving spirit and I promise to do you proud by crossing the finish line. Oh yes...I *will* cross that finish line...hopefully upright. :)

"Wax On, Wax Off"

If anyone of you have lived through the 80's (hopefully, I'm not *that* old yet), you may remember that oh-so-famous movie starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, "Karate Kid".

...Ok - here is where I just have to digress because its fun. I totally admit that I was one of those girls who totally drooled over Ralph Macchio because I thought he was hot. As with anything in life, I have to look back and say, "What was I thinking?!?!?" And to make life even stranger, I played 'Let It Ride' in Vegas with Pat Morita when I was in college. And yes - I believe there is such a thing as 6 Degrees of Separation for Japanese people. Like how I met Kristy Yamaguchi before she became famous (and I have the picture to prove it!). Anywhoo....

The point of all of this is that we learned a technique in yesterday's clinic called the "Run/Walk" which I equate to Karate Kid's "Wax On, Wax Off" technique. Definitely tedious, slightly boring, but in the long run, helps you fend off mean nasty boys who train at the competing dojo and use their powers for evil instead of good. And when I say "long run", I really mean "L O N G R U N". Ha ha ha ha.

Well, through the powers that be, I wasn't able to do a 4/1 (4 minutes running, 1 minute walking) but I was able do something akin to a 3/2 and will definitely work my way up. Right now, I think I'm going to focus on getting to that elusive drink/snack station. Last week it was set up at the 1.5 mile marker (3 miles round trip). I did that this time, but it wasn't there! Apparently, they moved it out to the 2.25 mile marker. Sheesh.

At least my friend, SMNB, was able to enjoy the gummie bears and Skittles. :) Next time. Definitely next time.

Ok - And I thought *I* had it rough...

Amazing story - Thanks to DN for sharing!

The "Fly"-By Girls

Ha ha ha - I just completed a 3 mile loop around work and I have to share this story. I was speaking to some of my old Fly Friends about doing TNT as some of them had recently completed some races and were sharing tips with me about FUNdraising (Note: I put the FUN in fundraising as a reminder - as I grit my teeth - about how fun this should be...more on that to come...). I then took off to go out on my own since I couldn't do the Buddy Run today (kid obligations, you know).

As I'm on my way back to the office but who should do a FLY-by but some of the Fly girls! They were on their way to get a treat and offered me a ride. There are so many reasons why I should have joined them:

1. They were on their way to get fro-yo (YUM!)
2. I was hungry
3. There were only three of them so an extra seat was available - no worrying about squishing someone
4. My new shoes may be developing a hot spot in my right heel so I wasn't feeling the run
5. I was hungry
6. I'm a self-proclaimed Big Pansy - as Mr. J would affectionately say
7. Did I mention I was hungry?

It was oh so tempting to just hop into the car with them...but you know what? I didn't. :)

Thanks for the cheers, girls!

The Science Behind The Shoe

Tonight's clinic was all about the science behind the shoe. My mentor Heather actually summed it up the best: "If you ask me what my shoe size is, I have to ask you back, 'Which type of shoe are you talking about?'." (Ummmm - for you grammar freaks out there, I know what I just wrote isn't exactly "proper" but then again, are you really reading this for my ability to be grammatically correct?) I was amazingly fit with a 8.5 vs. my normal 7.5. Well, I don't think it was actually anything amazing because according to people who run a lot, it isn't uncommon to go up 1 to 2 shoe sizes based on if you have flat feet or a narrow heel or curled toes or whatever.

I will say this, however. Even though I felt like the forces were against me with all of the traffic and accidents on 101 and then racing down 280 to get to tonight's clinic at Running Revolution, this event is/was probably one of the most important ones that I could have gone to. Dealing with my ankles, knees, hips, lower back, etc...I totally get that it could all come down to my feet. Hence why Mr. J is always unhappy that I wear heels, but he's a boy. He doesn't get it. :) Anywhoo, here are my new-I'm-so-glad-that-I-went-to-the-clinic-and-got-these-oh-so-comfy-shoes shoes by Brooks (the Dyad 5):



















Now let's just hope that my running improves 1/2 as much as how much more comfortable my feet are in these shoes.

PS - Did you know a running shoe only has the life span of approx. 6 months if regularly used? I had no idea...

A little more than motivation

I wanted to dedicate a "bit o space" (that phrase always reminds me of "The Secret Garden" where Mary asks her uncle for a "bit o earth" but I digress) to tell you about the support that I'll be getting which is in the form of Team in Training.

What I love is that there are coaches, mentors and others who will help train you right. Not throw you to the wolves and expect you to run lots of miles without any sort of idea of what you're getting yourself into (hmmm...should this phrase have been "throw you to the wolves where they'll start to chase you"?). Any any rate, they have clinics, calendars and all sorts of tools to help you meet your goal. And my goal right now is to just finish the event. :)

There is one thing that is even more daunting than doing the race...that is raising the money to participate in the race. That means I need $2,000 from you. Yes you. You're reading this, aren't you? Stick 'em up - hand over that wallet of yours. Ha ha ha. I'm kidding about the $2k all at once, but yes, I do have to raise $2k by mid-Jan. So, if you are able to donate anything, I'd really appreciate it. Yes, really, really. Even $5 would be fantastic. And, if you work for a company that matches donations, that would be even cooler because your money would go twice as far. Have I mentioned that you look mah-veh-loos?

Ready to donate? Go to this website and have at it: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/sfhalf09/cfradenburg

OH MY GOSH

AHH! What have I gotten myself into? Actually, it isn't as scary as you might think but yes, I've signed up to run a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) in SF on February 1, 2009. Crazy as it may sound, I'm really very excited and thrilled to be doing this. Especially because I have such wonderful friends who will be joining me in this chapter of my life.

I've decided to start this particular blog to keep you updated to what I'm doing, how I'm doing and any other random thoughts that would seem random to most but because you're reading this, you already know me. :)