30 day yoga challange

As you may know, I'm training for my next 5K which will be held on July 14th. I haven't actually "trained" for anything in a while and it feel good to be back on a schedule and training plan. It gives my workouts focus and having a specific goal helps keep my motivation going strong. 

The Fab 40's run is going to be a nice event. Here's some info from the website:

Fab 40s 5k Run/Walk

In 2008 we launched a great community event, and we strive to make it even better every year. Realizing there is a tremendous need in the local community to help caregivers and their families, the Fab 40’s committee donates all proceeds from this event to theAlzheimer’s Association www.alz.org.

We want to increase the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and its devastating affect on families.  We feel the need to provide an opportunity for affected families to meet and interact with one another.

This year’s Fab 40′s 5k Run/Walk  will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2012.  The name of the race comes from the neighborhood in which the race is held; the East Sacramento community has embraced this event and looks forward to seeing and cheering on all event participants.

“Alzheimer’s Memorial Wall”

The “Alzheimer’s Memorial Wall” is the first of its kind in the nation.  Modeled after the Vietnam Wall, people can inscribe the name of a loved one who has died from Alzheimer’s disease or is currently dealing with this disease.  It is a way to memorialize or honor a loved one or friend.  Located at East Lawn Memorial Park, individuals are invited to visit the wall in a beautiful, peaceful setting and share a comment on your visit.

-www.fab40s5k.org

My search for my inner athlete has opened my eyes to lots of different forms of exercise over the years and one form that I have fallen in love with is yoga. I used to take two yoga classes a week and I felt a change in my body very quickly and I looked forward to my yoga nights all week long. My gym has changed the class schedule around over the years and now there is only one yoga class offered in the evenings. Very disappointing.

I have been wanting to add more yoga workouts to my weekly routine but I seem to lack the dedication and discipline to make it happen. I've decided to change this and do a 30 day yoga challenge. I'm not following any plan or joining a website, I'm just going to make my yoga practice a priority and commit to doing a yoga workout everyday for the next 30 days. The days I don't go to my class I will do my Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD and I'm going to start going to the downtown gym and try their Thursday night class, just to mix it up a little.      

Today Jeremy and I took our kids and the daycare on a field trip to Fairytale town and then had a picnic lunch in the park. Everyone had a great time but I'm exhausted! Now that everyone is sleeping it's time for me to put my feet up and relax.

Have a great weekend!

I'm still here

It's been a little over a month since my last blog. I had a small case of writer's block and then I was battling an illness that made even the slightest movements very painful. The last thing I wanted to do was type away on a computer. But I am much better now and I thought this would be a good time to catch you up to what I've been up to.

My June race was the women's fitness festival again this year. I really like this race. the 2010 race was my first event back into running after six years of laziness. Last year at this race I met Jaime and Scott from riseSUP.com. I won their raffle and took my first stand up paddleboard class from them and now, as you know, I'm hooked on SUP. This year wasn't as great as the past two years. I was not in the best shape and my time was a little disappointing (41:59, last year I ran it in 35:09) and there was a LOT of runners this year. However, this year was made special by my sister-in-law. She ran this year for the first time and she had a really good race. I have inspired her to start running and this was her third event, I think. The idea that I have inspired someone else to get active and healthy is kind of crazy to me but I'm truly honored. I must be doing something right. 

June 2010 37:06

June 2011 35:09

June 2012 41:59

This year has been a tough running year. I've been dealing with some odd foot issues since my first race of the year in January and that has lead to calf and hip pain due to over compensation on the part of my other leg and muscle groups. In addition to my injuries I've been sick a lot this year and it's been a horrible allergy season too. My most recent illness was another outbreak of my mystery pox. If you are a regular reader you might remember a blog I wrote back in February about my "I'm-sick-pox" (I also refer to them as "mystery pox" because no one knows what they really are). This time the medication I normally take to make the pox go away didn't work so I went to see my dermatologist. She's my newest doctor (I collect them apparently) and had never seen one of my flair ups. At first, like all of the doctors before her, she was very confused but she had a few theories. She brought in another doctor to collaborate with and the verdict is in. I have Eczema Herpeticum. To confirm this diagnoses she took a few culture samples and a biopsy from my back and prescribed some stronger medication. Here's some additional info on my condition: 

Eczema herpeticum, initially described by Moriz Kaposi in 1887, is a potentially life-threatening herpetic super infection of a pre-existing skin disease. Eczema Herpeticum occurs as a result of the eczema being infected with the herpes simplex virus, the virus that produces cold sores. It is important to avoid skin contact with anyone who has cold sores.

Normally, herpes simplex will be confined to cold sores around the mouth and is a routine condition. However, in a person with eczema the virus can appear anywhere on the skin. In rare cases, it can prove fatal. Despite the availability of antiviral therapies, eczema herpeticum remains a dermatological emergency today.

Eczema herpeticum appears in small clusters and looks like blisters or ulcers. These are initially filled with a clear fluid but this turns to pus. The blisters are scratched and become raw and weepy. The symptoms of eczema herpeticum may include a high temperature; an extensive rash with small skin blisters filled with yellow pus and you may generally feel unwell. The rash can cover the whole of the skin surface. Eczema herpeticum can occur when anyone with eczema, especially if it is sore and open has skin-to-skin contact with someone who has active facial (cold sores) or genital herpes. The cause of eczema herpeticum is always HSV type I. The exact patho-physiology is unknown, but it is thought to involve HSV entering the skin when skin barrier function is compromised due to dermatitis. Defective cytokine secretion in the affected skin also plays an important role. The severity of pre-existing eczema does not seem to dictate the severity of eczema herpeticum. Secondary bacterial skin infections are very common. A mixture of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are commonly isolated, the most common being S aureus, Group A ß-hemolytic Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, and Peptostreptococcus.

If your eczema becomes worse for no apparent reason or you see blisters on the surface, medical advice is required. With eczema herpeticum the sufferer may have a high temperature and feel very ill. Be sure to explain all your symptoms to your doctor because this is not a straightforward condition to diagnose. 

The first indication of infection occurs 5 to 12 days after exposure to the virus and typically appears as multiple itchy, watery blisters that occur on skin previously affected by atopic dermatitis. If these blisters are not treated, they can become progressively worse as illustrated by these four stages of Eczema herpeticum: In stage one, multiple itchy, watery blisters over an area of skin, usually where atopic dermatitis lesions were present (5 to 12 days after exposure). Stage two begins as the blisters begin to disseminate or "crop" into adjacent areas of skin. In stage three, the blisters may bleed, become encrusted, and erode - at this stage the condition becomes extremely painful. At stage four, the viral infection spreads to cover the entire body, with associated fever and swollen lymph nodes. Secondary bacterial infection frequently develops in large, eroded areas of skin.

During all stages, fever is usually present and the person feels ill. The first episode of eczema herpeticum usually runs its course in 2 to 6 weeks if left untreated. However, letting the disease run its course is not recommended as eczema herpeticum can be life threatening. Subsequent outbreaks tend to be milder, unless the patient has an underlying immunodeficiency condition. 

Sometimes a hospital treatment may be required with Eczema Herpeticum. This type of infected eczema is usually treated with an anti-viral drug acyclovir, which is given by injection, by mouth or as an ointment. 

-http://www.internationaleczema-psoriasisfoundation.org/eczema_herptecum.php4 

July 2010 38:09

I'm feeling much better now and yesterday I went for my first workout in weeks. I'm preparing for my next 5K on July 14th, the Fab 40's 5K and because I'm basically starting over I'm taking things very slow. This week I'll run a total of six miles and I'm keeping my pace slow and relaxed. The last time I ran this race I finished in 38:09. I don't know how close to that I'll get this year but as long as I finish in a sub 40:00 I'll be happy. I know that's a really slow 5K and especially for someone who's been running for years but it's about fun, not time, right? I keep telling myself that but I don't think it's working

P.S. I don't know why parts of this blog are highlighted. I didn't to that and I don't know how to make it go away...

I love being a mermaid athlete

Sami and I drove down to Fremont Friday night to participate in Saturday's Mermaid Series event. This was Sami's second Mermaid event and my fourth. I discovered the Mermaid Series in 2010 and I try to run as many events as I can. On Saturday I ran the Mermaid half marathon and Sami ran the 5K. It was my fourth half marathon of the year and even though I'm still dealing with an injured foot and hip, it was still a great event. 

I have found that trail running is challenging for me. I have weak ankles that have a tendency to roll and sprain when I step, even lightly, on uneven ground. Even though it's understandable why I have to slow down on dirt and gravel trails I still don't like it. I'm slow enough as it is, I don't need to be slower. When I ran this race last year only the first and last mile (so two miles total) were on the dirt and gravel trail around Quarry lakes recreational area in Fremont. The other 11.1 miles were on the bike path that follows Alameda Creek. This path has it's own challenges too (at every underpass there is a steep downhill and an equally steep uphill) but at least I can take my speed up a notch or two without fear that my ankles will be the death of me. But this year's race was different... Literally half of the race was on the dirt and gravel trial. On the upside, because we ran around more of the lakes it was a very pretty run. It would be a really nice training run but not so nice when I was trying to better my half marathon time.

Once I got on the bike path and picked up my pace I felt more optimistic about my possible race time. My foot and hip where still injured form the previous race and shoe mix up but I felt well enough to run my 30 second intervals. I started passing more runners and I felt really good. I usually feel good running in the bay area. The air is cleaner, my allergies are much better and it's usually nice and cool.

However, the mercury rose to 82 degrees on Saturday and by mile 10 I was very much over heated. I normally wear a cami under my race shirts to help absorb some sweat but I never take off my shirt and run in just my cami. I'm too self-conscious about my weight and especially my obscene amount of belly fat. But heat makes people do strange things and I, for the first time ever, took off my shirt and ran in my cami. The heat also slowed me down quite a bit. I think I could have pushed through the pain I felt in my hip but I couldn't distract myself from the heat. My pace slowed down considerably and after mile 11 I gave up on my intervals. I ran when I could and walked when I couldn't. I also decided that Fremont needs to plant more trees along the bike trail.  

my finisher necklace

it says "inspire"     

Even with the challenges I faced in this race it was still a much better experience than my previous half a few weeks ago. Here are some of the reasons why (and an excuse to make another list):

Sami did great considering she was sick. She decided to walk and really
 only run at the end. She beat her cousin to the finish line my .1 second.
 She was very proud and the announcer named her the winner of their sprint. 

[1]

 I wore my good shoes, on both my right and left foot this time 

[2]

I had my girl with me. Sami and I love these little mini road trips :o)

[3]

My niece and her mom also ran the 5K and I got to meet her mom for the first time ever

[4]

I was in the bay, everything is better in the bay or on the coast

[5]

I didn't have to walk the last five miles (goes back to the shoe issue)

   

 Today (Sunday), my foot and both hips are sore as well as my back. I imagine most of this will be better by tomorrow. Now I'm searching for my next half marathon. I think I might be a little crazy. I don't know what it is about 13.1 miles that I like so much. Every time I do one I have the same thought running through my mind, "why did I think this was a god idea?"... But after crossing the finish line, every time I think, "that was so awesome, I just ran a half marathon!" Go figure...  

I always go to Mermaid Series events prepared for a little shopping!
Happy birthday to me, I say!
I got the shirt they gave away at the San Diego event
and the" run happy" sweat shirt that I've been wanting for a long time
but it hasn't been at the last couple of events. I also got Sami
and I both a "Mermaid Athlete" headband.

      

The American River Parkway Half Marathon 2012

I was using today's race as a training run. I have the Mermaid Half Marathon in two weeks and figured that this would be a great last long run before then. 

This was my first time running this race but it wont be the last. It's all on the American River Bike Trail so it was a beautiful course and all the proceeds goes to maintaining the trail. That's great for everyone! :o) The Grant High School drum line provided some entertainment at the start as well as a group of bag pipe players. It was really great. Then, just before the start of the race, there was a little ceremony honoring Officer Randy van Dusen with bib #1  for saving the life of one of last year's runners. The runner, Ralph Jefferies was given bib #2 and his wife, Felicia, was given bib #3. Here's the story from last year's race:  

On April 30, 2011, Officer Randy Van Dusen watched a runner at a half marathon event collapse. Without hesitation, Officer Van Dusen went to check on the runner, thinking he had just tripped or stumbled. Instead, the runner was found unconscious with no pulse. Officer Van Dusen called for Code 3 fire and medical response and began chest compressions on the runner. As other runners arrived, some medically trained, Officer Van Dusen continued chest compressions. Despite several medically trained people on the scene advising Officer Van Dusen to discontinue compressions when the victim did not respond, he did not stop. Several minutes later, prior to medical aid arriving, the victim’s heart started to beat. The victim was transported to the hospital where he began his recovery.   -http://www.americanrivermessenger.com/police.html

I try not to judge a half marathon or analyze how I'm doing during the first few miles. I use these miles as a warm up and I usually struggle through them. I tend to hate running in the first ten minutes of any run. I almost always find myself ask "why do I continue to do this to myself?" But once I work the cobwebs out of my legs I'm fine and enjoy the rest of the run. However, today was very different.

Early in the race, around mile 2, my right foot started to feel weird and my big toe felt like it was going to sleep. That had never happened before and I was little concerned about it but I tried to just forget about it keep going. It was also around this time that I started running/walking in 30 second splits. This works well for me in longer races. It keeps me running without getting too tired to cover the miles. 

As I was approaching the turn-around point my right foot was starting to really bother me. My toe wasn't asleep anymore but I felt the outside of my foot rubbing against my shoe and the bottom of my foot felt tired. This is the same foot that has been giving me problems all year. It gets really tight and I feel pain in my heel a lot of the time, both on and off the road, but this pain was different. I decided to stop and try retying my shoes at the next aid station after the turn-around. Since I felt my foot rubbing against the shoe maybe tightening up the laces would solve the problem. As I as was retying them I noticed this...

Yep, I was wearing two different shoes... Normally, the night before a race, I pack everything I could possibly need or want in my "race bag" along with the clothes I plan on wearing, with my bib already pinned to my shirt, and my shoes, with the timing chip already attached. The morning of my races I take the whole bag to the bathroom and get dressed without bothering my husband. But last night the clothes I wanted to wear today weren't finished drying so I didn't go through my usual preparation rituals. I got dressed, including putting on my shoes, in the dark and walked out of the house without going over my attire. Now I know NEVER to do that again. 

You see, the pink and white shoe on my right foot is half of my old pair of running shoes. They were very good to me but no longer have the cushioning and support my feet require. They still work great for around the house, yard, walking the daycare up to the park and my bodypump classes. Not so much for running any substantial distance and defiantly not for 13.1 miles. As a result my right foot was very angry with me and I ended up supporting most of my weight with my left leg. That caused me more pain, mostly in my knee and hip. I was forced to walk most of the last five miles. I did manage to suck it up long enough to run for the two sets of photographers that where snapping photos on that portion of the course and to cross the finish line running.    

Overall, it was a nice race. It was beautiful out today and it got nice and warm. Of course I would have been a little bit more comfortable if I finished earlier and enjoyed the warmth from the shade instead of out on the course... I feel like I did pretty good all things considering. My last half was in late February and my time in that race was 3:15. Today my time was 3:43. I think if I didn't have to walk I would have defiantly beat my last half's time and I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the Mermaid half. Hopefully anything that can go wrong I got out of the way today.  

Obsessed? Me? Maybe.

My success on Sunday got me so jazzed to get back into my workout routine. I've gotten a little obsessed with my plans and goals so today's blog is all about that stuff. Sorry of it's not the best reading for those who are not me, but it's what is running through my mind at the moment. (Most moments lately.)

Yesterday's yoga class was great! I got to the gym about 45 minutes before class so I got a chance to hop on some cardio equipment first. I stated out on the treadmill. I had planned on walking on an incline for awhile to boost my burn but it was bothering my lower back so I gave it up after about 10 minutes. I continued my cadrio workout on the bike. I rode for half an hour on an level 4 and ended up going for 7.5 miles. It felt good to workout my quades a little. I wasn't overly sore from Sunday's race but my quades where making themselves known a little louder than usual. 

We have a new Monday night yoga instructor and I think I'm going to like her a lot. She's been subbing for the last few weeks while "they" made a decision on a permanent instructor and I like her style. We haven't done any poses I haven't already done but I'm hopping we will has time goes on. 

      

Today is my bodypump Tuesday! I love bodypump but I don't know if I'll be able to make it there today. Jeremy usually covers daycare for me so I can leave early enough to make it to class but he has a swim team meeting today after baseball practice so I might be late if I get to class at all. But regardless if I make to class or not I'll still run and go for a swim. 

I have made the decision that I need a day off form my workouts during the week and Wednesday is the best day for that. This also gives me the chance to pick Sami up from ballet and see her in action once a week, spend some one-on-one time with Nevyn and, once we get this computer back up to "gaming speed" I have reserved Wednesday nights for "gaming dates" with Jeremy. He is so excited. He's going to teach me how to play World of Warcraft (WoW) and we will play side-by-side. I'm not a big video/computer game chick but Jeremy really likes them. He makes time for our aqua dates every week for me (he would never chose to spend his free time at the gym) so I'm going to do the same for him. Aw, aren't we sickeningly sweet? 

I actually don't have a class on Thursdays. Thursdays are for running and swimming. I plan on doing some speed work on my Thursday runs and maybe during my swim too. I don't ever see myself as "fast" but I would be really happy to be faster than I am now. My next 5K is in June and I would like to finish in around 37 or 38 minutes. My half is in less than month and I want to be as close to last years time as I can.  

Friday night is my aqua date with Jeremy! He has been a big help. He has improved my stroke and my breathing pattern as well as made me feel better about my swimming insecurities. 

My plan for Saturday has been altered a little from the norm. Last week, while waiting for bodypump to start and watching the turbo kick class, I shared with one of my pump buddies that I wanted to try turbo kick but I was a little intimidated by it. He said he has been wanting to try it too so we decided to meat up this Saturday and take both turbo kick and bodypump. I'm pretty excited about trying something new but at the same time I'm wondering how I'm going to fit this class into my Saturday program if I fall in love with it. We'll see how it pans out after this weekend I guess. 

   

I haven't been to PiYo for a couple of weeks. First I skipped it because it was Easter Sunday and then last week I had a race. I'm looking forward to going back this weekend. It's a tough class, tougher than I expected but I really like the challenge and it's very different from anything else I've been doing. 

I have to keep up my running! I have my next half marathon, the Mermaid Series Half on May 12th (my third half for the year) and I really want to better my time. My last half was the River City Half in late February and I finished in 3:13:04. Last year I finished the Mermaid Series Half in 2:31:31. I would like to finish close to that time but this year's training has been much more challenging that last year's. If I don't meet or better that time I wont be too disappointed. My goal this year is a sub three hour finish. 

Bragging rights! I was quoted on the Mermaid Series Facebook page. This is pretty cool. I've done three Mermaid Series events and they are so much fun! I have already decided that my first triathlon will be the Mermaid Series Tri near Santa Cruz.  

In other exciting news, I got my paddle board! I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog about it but I've had a lot going on. So, everyone in Blogland, please welcome the newest member of my family, Ali. She is a Boga (of course) Mahina and I love her. Look how well she compliments Kate! They are already fast friends. I plan on taking her out on Lake Natoma on Saturday. My kids keep reminding me that I have to share. Who says???

Are these not the cutest runners you have ever seen? These are two of my daycare girls, Sage (5) and Sierra (3)  (sisters, like you couldn't tell) and they may as well be my nieces. I love them to pieces! They ran in the kids races at the Zoo Zoom on Sunday and earned themselves some medals. I hung out after my race so I could cheer them on and see them cross the finish line. They did great! Sage competed in the age group above her own and still finished solidly in the middle of the pack. Both of them are athletes in the making. 

Last Friday after work I met up with an old high school buddy. We saw each other at our 10 year reunion (how am I that old already???) but it's been a few years and she was back in town visiting family. We had a quick little coffee date at Temple in midtown. I had never been there before but now I can't wait to try out the one closer to me. I loved it! Yum, yum, yum. If you haven't tried it, you need to get your caboose down there ASAP. 

I'M ALIVE!!!!

I know it's been awhile since I blogged last and a lot has been going in my life including an emergency doctor's appointment, more medication and then a race. Let me back track.

If you know me or have been reading my life in blog form, you know that this allergy season has been beating my ass. You'll also know that allergies aren't the end of my medical woes. When my allergies attack my eczema and asthma join forces and attempt to kill me. (The saddest thing about this is that I'm not being overly dramatic.) I was in my doctor's office (one of the many) in early March. At that time we decided to start allergy shots again, he me gave more crap to put on my eczema and props for my lung capacity being at 108% that day. When I got home I realized that I forgot to get refills for my every-day inhaler (the one that actually keeps me alive). At first I wanted to kick myself but I knew the pharmacy would call and the office would fax the prescription over without any drama since I had just been seen. On April 2nd, two weeks ago, I called in my prescription to my pharmacy. I had a few days worth of medication left and I was sure I would get my new drugs in a couple of days at the most. No worries, right? Wrong!!! 

Jeremy went to pick up my medication on Wednesday (two days after I called it in) and it wasn't ready. The pharmacy hadn't heard back from the doctor's office yet. 

Lesson #1: 

If this happens again, ask the pharmacy to resend the request, now.

 I called the pharmacy on Friday to see if my medication was ready for pick up. Jeremy was going to go get it for me but I wanted to make sure it was there before he drove over. It wasn't ready yet. 

Lesson #2: 

If this happens again, ask the pharmacy to again resend the request and I will call the office, now.

As the week wore on, I was getting really low on medication. Over the weekend, I had to puff my inhaler more than once to get any medication out of it at all. By the time Monday came I was completly out of medication. I was on the phone back and forth between the pharmacy and my doctor's office. There was a blame game between the two, I never figured out where the breakdown of communication started but I had my medication that afternoon. Thank God!

I thought that I would be okay after being back on my medication for a couple of days, and if it was any other time of year I think I would have been, but the evil allergies used this time to attack in full force. By Wednesday afternoon I didn't even have the breath needed to call the doctor. Thankfully, Jeremy called for me and got me an emergency appointment that afternoon and I avoided a trip to the ER. 

The office I went to wasn't my asthma and allergy guy (they didn't call us back in time) but my general practice office. I saw the nurse practitioner and she couldn't believe that 5 weeks earlier I had a lung capacity of 108%. They didn't to a capacity test but I doubt it was more than 25% by the time I was in the office. She gave me a prescription for prednisone (a corticosteriod used to treat the inflammation in the lungs) and sent me on my way.

I took the next few days really easy. No workouts, Sami and Jeremy helped with making dinner and cleaning up after daycare and I was pretty much a lazy and pouty mess. On Saturday I was feeling pretty good. I even went to my first workout of the week, my beloved bodypump class. I was praying that I stayed strong through class and prove to Jeremy that it was safe for me to attempt the 5K I had the following day. Class was great and one of my class buddies and I decided to go early next week to try the turbo kick class before pump.

On Sunday I woke up early, got my race gear together and headed out to the zoo for the Zoo Zoom 5K. I was amazed at how great I felt. I tried out my lungs with some warm up jogs around the starting area and was super excited with how great I felt. It was a beautiful day, my lungs were working as designed and I got to be apart of my sister-in-law's first 5K too. It was a great day! I finished in 40:15-not even close to my PR (33:05) but I was thrilled that I didn't have to walk it or die trying to find the finish line.

Sunday was a great day for me on a more personal level as well. About three years ago I kind of "broke up" with my best friend. I'm not going to go into details but it was a traumatic time for everyone involved. Recently I've seen her at my gym and it made me feel really uncomfortable. Everyone I knew told me to just ignore her and pretend she wasn't there. I did this but it made me feel cold and on edge. I had no desire to be besties again but acting like she didn't exist didn't feel right. It tuned out that she was also at the Zoo Zoom and we ended up talking a little bit. Nothing really personal mostly about our kids, workouts, running and races. It felt good to not ignore her when we were in the same space. I don't know if this makes much sense to anyone else out there but it lead me to a new way of thinking.


I thought about this the drive back form the race and decided that I'm not going to completely ignore her anymore. If I walk past her in the gym, I'll say "hi". If we are in the same workout class together I'm going to knowledge her presence. If just feels right to me. I'm sure there are people who are going to read this and not understand why I feel this way. The truth is, I don't know why I do either but, if I learned anything from the event three years ago, it's to be true to myself and my feelings. If others don't "get it" that's okay. I'm the one who has to live with my actions.

So, there you go. Near death, bounce back, lung health, successful race
and even some mental and emotional healing too. Last week wasn't so
bad after all. No, the first half was that bad, scratch that last line.