Jen's fantastic marathon adventure

4 1/2 months all came down to one moment: a nearly 6 hour moment that was a mix of highs and lows and ultimately, one of pure joy. Let me take you through the journey.

My fellow run girls (Janine, Robin, and Beth) and I flew to Victoria a day earlier than the rest of the team did. Three of us had never been to this magnificent city and wanted to take full (well, as much as could be taken) advantage of the sight-seeing there was to be done. Little did we know we were in for many wonderful surprises this weekend!

An Olympian and his groupies

Upon arriving at the airport, we started chatting it up with a nice gentleman with a lovely New Zealander accent. I thought he was exceptionally polite for asking us about our plans for the marathon and whether we had any time goals--I was sure we were boring him to tears, but he actually managed to show some interest, so it was nice just to have this pleasant conversation.

A few hours later, we'd discover this was no ordinary gentleman: he was, in fact, Rod Dixon, a famous Olympian, champion marathoner, and--best of all--the very first TNT coach.

We basked in the glory of several public shouts out from Mr. Dixon, including one at the opening ceremony of the packet pick-up, during which he pointed to his "Team In Training Girls," from the balcony, atop which he stood while cutting the ceremonial ribbon. We knew from that first afternoon that we'd been touched by destiny and this was only the start of good things to come :).


Tea time

One of the things we were most looking forward to was the famous high tea at the renown Hotel Empress. I'd been wanting to do high tea ever since my trip to London in 2008, and I was super excited for the opportunity to do it at one of the best-known places.

I was not disappointed.

From the moment our waitress brought out the steaming cups of tea, to the strawberries and cream and the sandwiches and treats, I felt like royalty. The food was fantastic, but the atmosphere itself was even more so--we were able to relax and forget our nerves about this big challenge we were about to undertake in a few days.

Day #1 could not have been more perfect or enjoyable!


A leisurely bus tour and a gem of a grocery store

Saturday was a day to re-focus and start preparing for the big day. Lots of places to see and things to do and plans to make!

We started with a hearty breakfast at a local diner, where we strategized about our run intervals, pacing, and target finish times. Janine was, as always, exceptionally thorough and had done all the homework and we merely had to absorb everything.

Next came the bus tour of the actual course--a tour that took about 1 hour and 45 minutes, which felt long and brought home once again how far this distance was that we were going to run the next day ;). The tour took us through the island's most beautiful sights and got us pumped for what we would see along the way on the run.

Finally, we had to get down to business and stock up for our pre-race breakfast supplies. And lo and behold, we came upon a grocery store that seemed like a godsend. Mini cartons of milk! Hard-boiled eggs! Mini pumpkin pies! Dark chocolate Tim Tams! Scones! Not only would breakfast be secured, but we had plenty for post-run snacks as well :).

Inspiration for the marathoners

That night brought on the traditional TNT pasta dinner, newly renamed the "Inspiration" dinner, since we runners would be inspired after hearing from our manager, one of our coaches, and of course, one of our Honorees. Todd graciously shared his story of winning the war against cancer, and reminded us that as with most cancer survivors, he is not completely out of the woods yet, and what we do season in and season out gives him his best shot at living a normal life for years to come.

So let's do this!

The big day arrives at last

The day started early, with the alarm going off at 4:20. We breakfasted and put on our armor: running skort, TNT shirt, shoes, arm warmers, and trusty garbage bag. A fashionable bunch we were not, but we were ready for the elements. It was a chilly 1 degree Celsius (30-something in Fahrenheit), and sunrise was still at least an hour away.

Let the games begin.

After the bus tour the day before, we knew we would be in for a treat with this course. But nothing compares to actually running on it--watching the sun rise over the water; seeing the trees with their yellow, red, and golden leaves; passing the Craftsman houses with their perfectly manicured front lawns. This course was absolutely STUNNING and we felt so lucky to be running it.

The first few miles flew by. Janine and I had a few hiccups in the beginning, but before long, we hit a groove and were sailing along. Before we knew it, we'd hit the halfway point and I was feeling fantastic--better than I had ever felt at this point in a marathon. Mile 15. Mile 16. Mile 20. I had managed to push out "the wall," but only so far: I hit it, and I hit it HARD at mile 20. Tightness gripped my muscles, fatigue started to set in, and emotions began to swirl inside me.

I thought of our Honorees, who'd suffered through so much. I thought of my dad, who has had far too many of his own struggles. And the pain and the distance still ahead was starting to get far too overwhelming. By the time I saw Coach Tim approaching us at mile 21, I was a full on wreck, making a beeline over to him and giving him a hug, then collapsing into tears. Not exactly a picture of composure, but Tim nevertheless knew exactly what to say and do. He ran with me and Janine for a bit, joking with us, encouraging us, and most importantly, making me forget about how my muscles were rebelling against me and that there were still 5 miles to go.

The next 5 miles were a blur. Janine and I were both struggling and eventually had to separate for a while to follow our own pace and our own groove. And this was the time when the realization started to set in: I was not going to get the PR I was so hoping to get.

Mile 22, mile 23, mile 24... I was quickly falling apart, alternating between running and walking every 30 seconds--anything to keep the muscles from seizing up on me. I heard people chanting on the sidelines telling me I had only 2K to go, 1K to go. I couldn't quite process what that meant. To me, it just felt like such a long way to go still.

Then at the last mile, I somehow caught up to Janine, and I knew we might be able to finish this thing together. That gave me the second wind I needed! Minutes later, James and Arianna showed up and gave us a MAJOR boost by running with us.

With 400 meters left--a mere lap at a track--James and Arianna peeled off, leaving me and Janine to go for the finish line. And go for it, we did. We dug deep and found a last burst of energy to sprint towards the finish line, screaming as we crossed it and letting the tears flow when we finally did.

When we posed a few minutes later with our medals, it finally sunk in for me: I was a three-time marathoner. 3 marathons--all within a 12 month span. It didn't matter that I didn't get my PR (which I missed by a mere 10 minutes). It didn't matter that I didn't have an excellent last 6 miles. All that mattered was that I finished--even better, that I even got out there at all.

I said before this marathon that it would be my last. But as tends to happen with these things, the pain fades away quickly and that little voice starts to whisper again. One more. One more.

It won't be soon, but there will always be one more.

Am I really going to run a marathon?

The Royal Victoria Marathon is now just 12 days away, and the reality of it all is starting to sink in. What does this mean? That I'm SCARED OUT OF MY MIND.

It's not that I don't trust the training. My coaches are incredible, our program is solid, and God knows I've put in the work. But still, when you get to this point in the season, you can't help but wonder if you're truly ready. I've come to accept that this (the last-minute doubting and fretting) is a normal part of marathon training.

Our last "long" run was this weekend, in beautiful Monterey. It was the site of my 20-miler last season, which didn't go so well (this was when my brief ankle tendonitis decided to make itself manifest), so I had mixed feelings going in. On one hand, it's ridiculously gorgeous and with scenery such as this (the photo above really doesn't do it enough justice), could any run here really be THAT bad? But on the other hand, memories of the bum ankle and my less-than-triumphant finish the last time I ran this course kind of haunted me.

I'm happy to say that this run was MUCH better. I was a little worried at first, with my legs feeling heavy right from the get-go, but despite this (which, unfortunately, didn't get better at any point during the run), I persevered. My stamina was strong that day, and I managed to fight off fatigue, managing to maintain a good pace throughout and not feeling overly wiped by the end of the 10 miles. The best part? When I looked at my watch, I discovered that this was the fastest I had ever run 10 miles.

Rock on!

Royal Victoria will still be scary--I think you just need to have respect for your course--but I know I can face it. Conquer it, even. And it will be the culmination of all the hard work, all the aches, all the pain of this season. I'm imagining that finish line and what it will feel like to cross it and when I start to panic about the whole thing again, I will keep that visual in my head.

Catch you guys on the flip side.

Taper!!

Yes, ladies and gents, we have reached that point in the season once again: taper.

There is a marked contrast to the first time I experienced taper and this time around. That first time--last summer--I was climbing the walls, wondering what to do with myself and having a difficult time dealing with the sudden and drastic drop in activity. In the Winter season, taper came as a blessed respite, allowing me to heal from an ankle injury. And this season, I am once again looking forward to it--seeing it as a chance to rejuvenate, heal, and get mentally prepared for the big race.

It's been a tough season. I had underestimated the toll it would take on my body and spirit to do three consecutive seasons of training. Many of my teammates roll from Summer season into Winter and back into Summer again with little problems; it is simply the routine for them and their bodies are used to the drill. For me, however, the physical and mental demands of the training build up over time, and I realized that I truly do need that break over Winter season.

So I look forward to the next 4 weeks ahead as I get ready for 26.2. The big 20 mile run--at the dreaded Lake Merced--was as tough as could be and took a lot out of me, physically and emotionally (running around Lake Merced not once, but twice, will do that to someone), but at the end, the promise of taper got me through and gave me the mental fortitude I was looking for.

I have EARNED this taper. And I will take advantage of it fully!!

Bronco ladies ready to face the mighty Lake Merced!

Heat is EEE-vil

It's the home stretch of the season for those of us running the Royal Victoria Marathon--only one more "long" run left (the infamous 20-miler) and exactly 7 weeks till we shall be crossing the border and running along the streets of beautiful Victoria, B.C.

Aches and pains are more common now, and the mental toughness we've been calling upon all season long is being put to the test day in and day out. Yesterday was especially tough for me: not only did I have to face the daunting task of running 18 miles without my awesome running partner, Janine (who is nursing an IT band injury), but I had to do it on a tough course and in 90+ degree weather.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading it. All Friday night I couldn't sleep--I kept tossing and turning and waking up every few hours. I woke up tired and already hot. It was in the 70's when I left for the trail.

Luckily, I made it in time for the second set of runners who were being sent off; I ended up joining a group of girls who were about my pace and who were GREAT to run with. The only problem? They are training for the Nike Women's Marathon, which is one week after Royal Victoria, which meant they were set to run 16 miles yesterday, not 18. I would still have to run an extra 2 miles, and the way the course was laid out, it would mean 4 extra miles of running alone.

I sucked it up and spent the entire run trying to push this thought out of my head. I enjoyed talking to Brandy and Katie, whom I hadn't gotten the pleasure of running with yet this season, and as we got closer to the point where they would be turning around and I would keep going, I made a decision to turn back early as well.

By this time, it was probably in the 100's, and I was tired, aching, close to dehydration, and worried about Brandy, who was alternately light-headed and nauseous. I wanted to make sure she made it back ok, and truth be told, I wasn't that much further behind from her in terms of feeling terrible.

So we dragged ourselves back to the finish, completing 16 miles and feeling utterly exhausted and in need of an ice bath. Yes, I felt guilty for not running the last 2 miles--that is my perfectionist nature, after all--but I am confident I made the right decision to forgo the last bit of the course in order to save myself from heat exhaustion.

There's still the 20-miler to go. It'll be another tough course--the infamous Lake Merced run, which mimics much of the Nike Marathon course--and I don't know yet whether Janine will be back from injured reserve for that. My mental game is up for another challenge, and I'm hoping that my decision to cut my run short yesterday will set me up for a great run then.

Onwards!

Nothing peanut M&M's - and a good running buddy - can't cure

Bonding at a water stop

After a 12-miler (well, really 12.7-miler) at Waddell Creek last week, we were back and at 'em this week with a 16-miler at the Palo Alto Baylands trail. It was quite a big jump and we were a little apprehensive about it, but we didn't want to fall behind in our mileage--our marathon is only 8 weeks away, after all.

The first half of the run was great--after an inital warming up period to get rid of muscle and joint stiffness, we started to get in our groove and were humming along quite nicely. But then at the 8 mile mark, I started to feel a bit off. There wasn't anything necessarily wrong--my legs were feeling great and my heart and lungs were handling the pace and the effort quite well, but I just... wanted to be done. The thought of having to be out on the trail for another 8 miles seemed very daunting to me and it occurred to me that I was hitting a wall.

It wasn't so much anything physical--when runners talk about the dreaded "wall," it's usually because they didn't fuel properly and ran out of their glycogen stores--it was more of a mental wall. I was just tired and didn't want to be out there. My running partner, Janine, was invaluable to me during all of this. We kept talking and trying to distract ourselves from the distance we still needed to go. When this particular wall comes, honestly, the only thing that you can do is keep moving and keep talking!

People often talk about running being a solitary sport. But for me, it is so important to run with others. This run proved it more than anything.

Of course, there were other things to be happy about along the way. For me, one of the highlights were the peanut M&M's at mile 13. After hours of sports gels, it was nice to be able to chew on something--and when that something has peanuts and chocolate, how can you possibly go wrong?

Mmm... peanut M&M's are the best!

Ice-bathing is the new sun-bathing

Little victories

I was a little nervous going into yesterday's 6AM buddy run. For a few weeks now, the marathoners had been scheduled to up their mileage at this run to 6-7 miles, and my running partner and I had still be hovering around the 4-5 mile range, mostly because we hadn't quite felt 100% these last few weeks. I was determined to make yesterday the day that we would do 6, though, so I was a bit nervous, having never run 6 miles in a buddy run--ever.

Things started off normally enough, with my body still feeling a bit stiff (it's 6AM, folks--I think it was still waking up, too ;)). But soon, something magical happened. I was getting into a groove. I was getting in such a good groove, that next thing I knew, I had reached the 6 mile turnaround--without taking a single walk break! And to make things even more amazing, I managed to finish the second half as well without a walk break, AND improved my pace on top of that.

Run/walk is a proven method to get your body ready for a half-marathon or marathon, and it has served me well for the last 4 1/2 years. But I was ready to start pushing beyond that, and have been struggling with getting my stamina to where it needed to be. So it was a nice surprise to discover that my body just naturally knew what to do, without me even pushing it.

I should say that I wasn't going at blazing speed. In fact, I was a little disappointed to see that I was doing 12-minute miles on the first 2 miles of the run. But ironically, I think that this was the very reason I felt so good on the run--so good that I kept on going without a break and never once felt as though I was straining or ready to pass out. On the way back, I felt so good that I shaved quite a bit of time off my pace, averaging 10-10:30 min miles, leading to an overall average of 11:16 minute miles for the entire run. Not spectacular by any means, but a number I am happy with, considering this was my first attempt at going that distance without walking.

I finished the 6 mile run in about 1 hour and 9 minutes, a full 7 minutes faster than my last 10K run (one at which I felt like dying afterwards, incidentally, because of how much I had to push myself to get that time ;)). How nice to be able to make those improvements without feeling as though it took an enormous amount of effort!

It's those small wins here and there that do wonders for one's confidence :).

Of anniversaries and ice baths

You know how you meet someone and you click with them so well that you can't remember ever not being friends with that person? A year ago, I got lucky: I had that experience with not one, but four extraordinary ladies!

Team In Training has brought me a great many things, and one of the best things it's given me is my friendship with Janine, Robin, Beth, and Dianne. 3 of the 4 ladies returned for the Summer season (miss ya, Dianne!!), and today we celebrated a milestone: it was one year ago that we first bonded, over a 12 mile run that was somehow fun and memorable despite its tough terrain.

This morning, we ran at the Waddell Creek trail, a serious course complete with switchbacks, tree roots sticking out of the ground, tree branches that need jumping over, mud puddles, and creaky bridges. This run was not a favorite of mine--until last year. At that point in the season, I was seriously considering switching to a half-marathon, even though I had signed on to do my first, the Nike Women's Marathon. Running with Janine, Robin, and Beth (Dianne was running the half and was running a shorter mileage, though she later joined us for the bonding :)) and enjoying the scenery and sharing many, many laughs convinced me to keep persevering and stick with the full.

And the rest is history :).

So how did we celebrate this milestone? First, with the run itself. All of us had great runs, despite the challenges of the trail. Then, we did the ultimate ice bath: going into the (very cold) Pacific Ocean to soothe our tired muscles and achy joints. It was torture, I won't lie, but as I sit here, pain-free and not stiff in the least, I'm glad I did it.

But the most fun part of our itinerary was the celebratory post-run lunch at Hoffman's, where we celebrated another milestone last year, our first 20-miler.

Good times, good memories. Thanks for an awesome year, ladies! Here's to many, many more to come :).

I feel the need... for speed...

Last night, we had our second time trials at track. My ego was still bruised from the first one a few weeks ago, when the unbearable heat forced many of us to do only 2 miles (instead of the normal 3) and slowed us waaaaay down. As a point of reference, I finished those 2 miles in 23:18, a pace of 11:39 per mile. Compare that to my best time trial, in Winter season, at 31:15 for 3 miles, and you can see I definitely did not have a good day.

So you can't really blame me for being a bit nervous/anxious about this season time trial. Granted, the heat wasn't quite as oppressing last night as it was in mid-June when we first did this, but with my lacklaster warm-up run, I just had a bad feeling this was going to be another disappointing result. Much to my shock, though, not only did I end up beating my time from the first time trial (not that this was too hard ;)), but I actually SET A NEW PR!!

I finished the 3 miles in 29:25, nearly 2 minutes faster than my best time trial in Winter season. I've been trying to dissect it ever since, trying to figure out what it was that I did that made it so successful, and I'm still not sure I can put my finger on it. Certainly, I did a lot of the things the coaches tell us to do: start relatively slow to warm up (I started a full minute/minute and a half slower in my pace), then gradually pick up speed. By the last few laps, I was running 8:00-8:30 min miles--and feeling good. There must be something to this "start off slow" thing ;).

Thanks, Coaches!! What a night :).

Would you like some wine with that PR?

Almost every runner I know is very familiar with these two letters: P and R. No, I'm not talking about public relations (although some of my runner friends are so awesome that they SHOULD be getting more of that kind of PR). I'm talking about the ultimate PR: a personal record.

I'm a very goal-oriented person, and hitting milestones--especially in my running--gives me an inimitable thrill. When I set out to do the Napa-To-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon last week, I told myself I wasn't going to go for a PR, even though secretly I was hoping for one :).

I ran the Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon in February in 2:36:48, beating my old PR by almost 12 minutes. I was hoping that a flatter course (as the Napa Half promised to be) would result in a new record, but I also didn't want to push myself too much an risk injury--and risk my "real" event later this year, the Royal Victoria Marathon.

And so I approached this race with a calm zen-like attitude (as zen-like as a naturally Type A person can get, anyway) and just went out to have fun. As I got closer to the end, it became clear: I could actually beat my time! It was a happy discovery, since I had added more than 8 minutes to my total time, thanks to waiting in line at a porta-potty earlier in the race. But the idea of getting a PR despite that gave me the extra pep I needed!

In the end, I did PR, though not by as much as I would have liked. I beat my old time by 36 seconds, which isn't a stretch by any means, but faster nonetheless. And how did I celebrate this new victory? Well, we were in wine country--how else? With wine, of course!!

Salut!

Run girls celebrate with a wine tasting!

Singing for our supper--and a good cause

One has to get creative at times to fundraise :). Last week, I threw a karaoke party that was not only a success in raising lots of money, but was an absolute blast!

Here's just a sampling of the fun performances:

T-minus 3 days

Oh, it's that familiar feeling: the nerves/excitement/incredulity of an upcoming race. This Sunday's Napa-To-Sonoma Half Marathon will be my 9th half (well, technically my 10th, but I walked my first one) and it doesn't really matter how many of these I do--or whether it's a 5K, 10K, or a run around the block--when I put on that race bib and line up with other runners to cross a start line (and, presumably, cross a finish line eventually--so far, so good, I've finished each time), I get nervous.

This time is no exception. I knew it was fast approaching, but now that it's only days away, I'm getting increasingly anxious. I'm more so than normal because it's the first one in a long time (maybe even the first ever?) where I didn't really train leading up to it. Oh sure, I've been running, but I've been following the team's training schedule, which has had us on a different mileage plan than what would be if I had been formally training for this half. Technically speaking, I should be in "taper" right now--resting and doing light workouts in order to conserve my energy for Sunday. Let's just say I'm not really tapering right now :). Heavy leg workout on Monday, Yasso 800's at track last night (a special kind of torture--oops, I mean workout to help predict your finishing time at your event), upper body weights today, 5-mile buddy run tomorrow morning, and more upper body weights on Friday. And oh, have I mentioned not getting a ton of sleep this week?

Not the ideal circumstances for sure, but I am still looking forward to donning that bib, crossing that finish line, and getting my medal. I had been hoping to set a new personal record at this race, but now I think it might be better to take the pressure off and just approach it as another training run--one in which I'll get a medal, of course :). My goal is just to not totally stink ;). If I can come close to my last PR or match it, I'll be happy (of course, I wouldn't mind beating it!).

And hey, when all else fails, there's always the wine tasting after the race :).

The Rancho Conquerers

Day #1 of a 3-day weekend and how do I decide to kick it off? With a run, naturally :). And not just any run; I decided to be ambitious and set out to tackle the mighty Rancho San Antonio, with its rolling hills and its often uneven terrain. I'd only ever had good experiences on Rancho despite all of these things, however, so I thought nothing of it to suggest it to my game running partner, Janine.

It soon became clear that this particular run wasn't going to be quite so fun. Within minutes, I was struggling--I was out of breath and choking on my heart (because somehow it slid up into my throat!) and wanting to walk every single hill there was. I wanted to quit so many times and turn around, but kept on soldiering on so I wouldn't let Janine down.

Walk/run intervals, walking up hills, taking stretching breaks when needed--the first half of the run was all about trying to acclimate to the suddenly hostile terrain (and my suddenly hostile stamina).

But then something magical happened. The run turned... INCREDIBLE! No, really. It turned INCREDIBLE.

Still not sure exactly what happened--perhaps it was taking it a little easier on the first half (thank you, sluggishness), but something switched on for both me and Janine, and we practically flew back to our starting point, not stopping to walk until we were just a few feet from our destination. That's about 2.75 miles of nonstop running--downhill, uphill, flat trail, it didn't matter, we were both feeling so good that we kept on running. And running. And running. So this is how Forrest Gump must have felt!

I owe a debt of gratitude to Janine, who didn't let me give up when I wanted to. On the way back, I wanted to stop at one point, but she urged me to keep going and fight through it. I did. It worked. I'm SO GLAD I kept on going.

Thank you, J9 for the push! It ended in a fantastic run :).

And they say there's a recession?

Much has been made lately of the economy sucking eggs right now--and how this is unfortunately, having a negative impact on many nonprofit organizations. LLS isn't immune to this, and the consequences of less funding coming in can make a huge difference: research that's critical to finding the next breakthrough may have to be put on hold or make do with fewer dollars; critical programs that help patients and their families may have to be downsized. Our mission as TNT runners/fundraisers is more important than ever, and yet it's no secret that it's probably one of the toughest fundraising environments out there right now.

Which is why I'm totally floored--and PSYCHED--that people's generosity still shines through brightly and clearly despite the challenging economy.

Two weeks ago, I made the (admittedly scary) decision to switch from the Nike Women's Marathon to the Royal Victoria Marathon. Doing so meant that I would go from having met--and actually, exceeded--my fundraising minimum to having to be even scrappier to raise $750 more to meet a new, higher minimum.

What's a TNTer to do? Buckle down and get to work, of course. So out went a new batch of emails, planning went into a new bake sale and a karaoke party fundraiser, and numerous links to my fundraising site were plastered all over Facebook. And folks, if there was ever any doubt, there shouldn't be now: THIS. STUFF. WORKS.

In the last week, I've managed to raise $150--$125 of which came in the last 2 days alone!

It just goes to show that even when the economy is struggling, people understand the value of what this incredible organization does. So THANK YOU to all of you who have been supporting me on this journey--your generosity is making all sorts of impossible things possible.

Did I convince ya to help yet? It's SUPER easy! Just visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/RoyalVic09/jenibarra and you're one click away from helping a vital cause.

Thank you!

Peer pressure strikes again

It was just about a year ago when I met some extraordinary ladies who have been a fixture in my life ever since. Last year around this time, I was signed up to run my first full marathon, but was having major doubts about whether I could do it and was seriously considering switching back to a half-marathon. That is... until a fateful run.

Waddell Creek is one of those trails that the South Bay team runs every summer--and I thought it was going to be just another run-of-the-mill run, until I found myself running some pretty cool chicks: Robin, Janine, and Beth (Dianne would join us later at a track workout :)). We became fast friends and these ladies convinced me after that run that I should stick with the full marathon.

And so I did.

From left to right: Dianne, yours truly, Janine, Robin, Beth

Now, a year later, I can't help but think of that fateful run, because if it weren't for them, I would have never run my first full marathon--or join the Winter team and run my second marathon just 4 months later. And peer pressure--the good kind--strikes again: even though 3 of the 4 of use were signed up to run the Nike Women's Marathon this fall, we've all decided to go at it as a group again and are switching to the Royal Victoria Marathon in Victoria, Canada to join Beth.

What can I say, Run Girls stick together ;).

This means, of course, that my fundraising is officially back on! I have raised $1550 so far--more than the minimum fundraising goal for Nike, but now I am shooting to raise AT LEAST $750 more. A challege? Yes. But one that I can and will meet? Most definitely.

Want to help make cancer a thing of the past? Please consider making a small contribution!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/RoyalVic09/jenibarra

It's all about the food... and kicking cancer's butt!

Run #2 today. This week, our training was on a Sunday, instead of the usual Saturday, and I think most of us TNT old-timers got our body clocks all thrown off. That's ok, though, because we had all the new participants to keep us smiling!

Look--it's a whole lotta runners!

Coach Tim and former Coach Ed gave their famous beginner's clinic before the run today, giving the new runners some very valuable advice, culled from years of marathon running. Between them, they've run over 40 marathons, so I'd say they have many important insights!

Ellen, one of our team Honorees, gave an incredibly inspirational speech after the run, about living with cancer and how it changes your life forever. I've had the privilege of getting to know Ellen better over the last few months and she is one of my favorite people in the world--she's also a person whom cancer needs to fear. This is a woman out on a mission to rid the world of this terrible disease, and I'm honored to help her in that fight.

Now, it's no secret that part of why I run is for the food--in fact, anyone who's ever run with me can attest to the fact that much of the conversation is going to be about (1) what I ate before the run, (2) what I will be eating after the run, and (3) what I would like to be eating during the run. So today was an extra special day for me, because Steve, one of our awesome captains on the team, hosted the team at his house for the famous "Waffle Fest" that takes place every season. It's just what it sounds, people: waffles, waffles, and more waffles, and yes, all of the things that normally go with them (berries, syrup, OJ, sausages, muffins, and I brought my famous banana bread as well). It was a post-run culinary delight and more importantly, it was a chance to mingle with my fellow runners and get to know them better. After all, we will be running together for the next 4 months, so it's good to know who these folks are you'll be running with :).

Hanging out at the Waffle Fest

The early bird gets the... oatmeal cranberry cookie?

Picture it: 6AM. Thursday. Campbell Park. The weekly Thursday-we-show-up-every-week-all-year-whether-during-the-season-and-offseason buddy run went off without a hitch this morning, and we had a full house--er... full park. The regulars welcomed the brand new Summer season participants, who bravely showed up at the crack of dawn with smiles and their spiffy white TNT shirts.

Always a great experience to run with folks in the early morning hour--nothing makes people bond faster than having to shake off the sleepiness together and conquer that trail. And occasionally, we even have a treat or two. I am known to bring my banana bread when we have someone to send off to their event, but today, Gabby brought yummy oatmeal cranberry cookies for us to try.

Let's just say that I asked for the recipe ;).

Great job everyone--see you all next week!

Picture courtesy of Gabby. Thanks, Gabby!!

The journey starts here...

The big day finally arrived--training #1 for the South Bay Run Team! This day is always a mix of excitement and nerves, as newbies come to the trail wondering what the morning will bring, and the veteran runners are eager to reconnect with old friends, as well as meet the new teammates, with whom they'll get to bond over many miles, ice baths, and sore muscles.

As always, the coaches divided the group into three different groups for the very first run: more experienced runners going 4-6 miles, less experienced runners going 3-4, and those completely new to running going 2 miles. As mentors, we're asked to lead these groups to make sure that no participant feels alone or overwhelmed.

I had the pleasure of run/walking with one of the people in my mentor group, Mayra, who isn't entirely new to running (she ran cross-country in high school), but has been away from it for a while and felt a bit apprehensive going into the first run. I'm happy to say she kicked but and looked great out there on the trail!

As did all my other "mentees," some of whom I met last week at the season kick-off, and others, such as Nicole, whom I met for the first time yesterday. I'm very lucky because once again, I've got some great peeps in my mentor group, so this looks to be a fun season ahead.

There was a very special ending to the run, though. Kendra, who happens to be Coach Tim's daughter, was celebrating her 18th birthday yesterday, and as she has every weekend for what seems like forever, she manned one of the water stops for us. What an extraordinary volunteer! We made sure to give her her props by surprising her with a cake and a chorus of "Happy Birthday." We're sorry to be losing her (as she is off to college very soon), but are grateful for the selfless volunteering she's done for TNT all this time!

Small victories

Week #1 of the new Summer season is officially underway! I always have butterflies whenever a new season starts, but there seem to be even more of them this time around than before. Thanks to the numerous injuries (ankle tendonitis, hip flexor strain, hip pain, and last but not least, knee pain) I've been nursing for the last 3 or 4 months, I find I'm way more tentative than I usually am. Worse, not only am I tentative, but I'm SLOW.

Well, not slow in an absolute sense, but definitely in a relative sense. During Winter season--just a few months ago--I was coming off a high from my first marathon and focused on getting stronger and faster. I worked hard in our weekly track workouts and managed to move up into a higher wave group (runners are seeded into "waves" based on their pace--the faster their pace, the higher their wave), as well as set PR's in my 5K, 10K, and half-marathon events. I was on a roll!!

And then these injuries happened.

And now I find myself pulling back just a little bit so I don't reinjure myself--which is probably good on a prevention level, but not so good at helping me continue along the path I'd set for myself and riding on the momentum I was on.

There has to be some sort of delicate balance to all of this, though, which I am trying to find. Yesterday, I went out for a solo run, just to keep testing and finding how far I can push the envelope without hurting myself again. I was shooting for a 4 miler but ended up doing 3 miles--it became obvious rather quickly that the cold I had last week and the severe allergies that have been banes of my existence have taken a toll on my aerobic endurance, and I found myself sluggish and feeling blah within the first few feet.

But then a miracle happened. At the 3-mile turnaround, I decided that even though I was going to go for a shorter distance that day, I was going to push myself as far as I was going to go. If nothing else, it would end the run that much sooner ;). And so push myself, I did--and guess what? I started to feel better and better as the run went on! When I finally got back and looked at my overall pace, I ended up running an average of an 11:43-minute pace per mile. Not spectacular by any means, but under 12, which my usual pace per mile. And it is just a minute over my best 5K pace, which I set during Winter season. So all in all, not bad, even though I was still "pulling back" somewhat.

Small victories--I'll take 'em :).

Are we ready to do this thing?

This Saturday (May 30) is the big day: Summer season kick-off for Team In Training! It seems like yesterday that we had the wrap-up party for Summer 2008, and yet here were are again, getting ready to do it all over again.

Today was the last unofficial buddy run before the "official" ones start. It turned out to be a pretty special one, as we had old friends friends return--including an alum who just re-upped, a current coach who's been under the weather (I swear he didn't get his cold from me), a former coach, and a mentor who's made her triumphant return from injury (welcome back, Janine!).

It was a great reminder of why I keep coming back to TNT every summer, and why I'm so happy to be back with my peeps once again :).

Want to join us too? There's plenty of room on the team! We've got an information meeting at 9AM this Saturday at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara. Come check it out! If you won't be able to attend, give our out-of-this-world team manager a shout at simone.sarracino@lls.org and she will hook you up.

GO TEAM!

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

In between seasons at the moment (5 weeks before Summer season kick-off!) and usually, there's not much to report--I usually spend the off-season cross-training to my heart's content (and times neglecting the running a little too much, thus causing myself to start from square one every summer) and resting up for the grueling, but fun, training coming down the pike.

This time around, I was determined to keep up my running stamina, committing to run at least 2x a week and running at least 6-8 miles on the weekends. But what's that they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

I got injured in the second week of my off-season. It was a pesky hip flexor injury that led to pain in the hip, upper glute, and left side of my lower back--just as lovely as it sounds, by the way. As a result, I was sidelined for a little over two weeks and for a week, was not allowed to do anything weight bearing, the equivalent of asking a race horse to please stay in the stable and contain itself. At this point, it should be noted that I WASN'T EVEN RUNNING AT THE TIME I GOT INJURED. Yes, I can't even chalk it up as a battle scar.

So what was I doing that led to this, you ask? Nothing. Or at least, I still haven't been able to figure out what I did to trigger it--and neither has my physical therapist, so it defies professional assessment, apparently. It might have been due to the Napa Marathon, but we haven't been able to really prove that one way or the other. The only thing I know is that one day on the bus, while vacationing in Spain, I felt a sharp shooting pain when I got up out of my seat, a pain that got even worse and radiated to my side when I stepped off the bus and set foot on the ground.

Fast forward six weeks later and I am FINALLY feeling better. Thanks to a great physical therapist well-versed in the art of torture--oops, I mean, sports massage therapy, I was able to get on the road to recovery and am slowly but surely getting to where I was when I ended my season.

It wasn't the off-season I was hoping for, and yes, I will probably have to start from square one again come June 2, but with any luck I will be 100% healthy and get back to where I left off relatively quickly.

If not, well, I do have 5 1/2 months to get there ;).

P.S. Want to help me in my quest to rid the world of cancer? Here's your chance! As little as $1 can help fund incredible programs and research from the country's leading nonprofit devoted to curing Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma. Give today: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/NikeSF09/jenibarra

Even better, join the team! Contact Simone Sarracino at simone.sarracino@lls.org to find out how to join the Summer South Bay Run team (the bestest run team on the planet, natch :)).

Here she goes again...

It appears two marathons aren't enough after all--I've just re-upped for my third :).

I'll be starting my 7th--my 7th!! My, how time flies!--season with Team in Training in June, and I'm getting a head start on my fundraising. If you'd like to help this amazing cause and join me in making cancer cry like a little girl, please visit my fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf10/jenibarra.

Stay tuned for updates on my training once the season starts (and even before!).

Who's afraid of a little rain?

Before running the Napa Valley Marathon yesterday, I had only three simple wishes:

(1) That I not get injured
(2) That I finish in 6 hours or less, so I could get a medal
(3) That it not rain

Well, two out of three ain't bad, right?

Alas, it did rain yesterday--and it was a veritable downpour at times, as a matter of fact--but did that ruin the marathon for us? Hell, no! Marathon # 2 was a nice surprise, as a matter of fact, because not only did I (1) not get injured and (2) finish in less than 6 hours, I BEAT MY LAST MARATHON TIME BY 33 MINUTES!!! That's 5:48:48, to be exact :).

Not bad at all, my friends.

The start of the race began benignly enough, as it was sprinkling lightly and there was a manageable chill in the air. I met my teammates at 5:00 (yes, that's AM) to board the bus that would take us to the start line (did I mention it was 26.2 miles away?), and off we were to our adventure.

And yes, an adventure it was. Despite a brief respite from the rain right at the start, it came back again soon enough, and went on to alternately torture us and tease us by retreating. It was even joined by the howling wind once or twice (or a hundred times). But throughout it all, the spectacular scenery and the fabulous company (thank you, Toni, for running with me!!) kept me positive and motivated. Each mile felt better than its counterpart at the Nike Marathon a few months ago, and the familiar faces along the way lent an INCREDIBLE amount of support and energy.

So thank you to Janine, Dianne, Jason, Margot, Amy C., Tanja, Morgan, Nicole M., Tyler, Katie, Adam, Meghan, Simone, Doug, Tim, Kris, Hao, Mom, Dad, and others whom I may not have seen, but whose presence I surely felt--you made an amazing run even more out of this world!!

The final countdown

Three days till the big day and I'm starting to get just as (if not a little more) antsy/nervous/excited about the M-A-R-A-T-H-O-N as I did before my first one.

Granted, I'm probably making it way bigger than it needs to be. There are so many things wrapped up in this for me:

• I want to PR (6:23 was ok for my first one, but hell, I'd like to do way better this time around!)
• I want to finish in less than 6 hours (I want a FINISHER'S medal, thank you very much, not some consolation prize)
• I want my ankle to not hurt in the last few miles (as it did in the last 3 long runs of the season)
• I want to stay injury-free ('nuff said, really)
• I WANT TO PROVE THE NIKE MARATHON WAS NO FLUKE

Probably putting way too much pressure on myself, but then, I have always done that, so I have plenty of practice there ;).

One thing is for sure, though: I am going to do this, ready or not, rain or shine. I'm going to do this for all the honorees who have endured plenty more things than wimpy ol' me will have to "endure" in a little over 5 hours (oh please let it really be only a little over 5 hours). This one is (and really all of them are) for them.

So cancer, get ready to cry, you sucka.

Of 20-milers, 10K's, and new shoes

Several weeks behind on updating, so I've got lots to catch up on. It's been a very busy last few weeks in terms of running!

I should start by saying, hooray, I am finally in taper! During the summer season, taper was NOT a fun time for me (I believe the best way I can sum it up is that I was constantly climbing the walls from all the pent-up energy). This season, though... well, let's just say it's another story! With the training taking place in a far more condensed time period, it's been a challenge all the way and I am very much looking forward to taking it easy and resting up till the big day.

Not that I didn't go into taper without a big bang. The "last hurrah" was quite spectacular: a 20-miler in ridiculously gorgeous Monterey. We've been very, very lucky all season in that the rain--plentiful though it has been at times--seems to let up whenever we have a long run on hand. This run was no exception, as the rain from the previous night cleared just in time and we had a mild, sunny day throughout the entire first half of the day. With these kind of views (see pic), it was hard to notice any aches and pains, though there were some. My ankle issue flared up in the very end, though it was not as bad as it was after the Kaiser Half. I did begin to suspect that the real culprit was not a medical issue (as confirmed by the x-ray from the doctor's), but rather, a form and shoes issue.

Which leads me to my next topic, which is... shoes. For the last four years, I have been super loyal to Asics GT-2140's (or, as they were called when I first donned them back in the day, GT-2100's). However, it also occurred to me that in 4 years, I might very well have evolved in my form and maybe these shoes were no longer the right ones for me. Guess what? My suspicion was right. Turns out, I am no longer a "pronator," as I was when I first started on this running adventure, and the GT-2140's are "too much shoe." I was outfitted with the Asics Nimbus, and so far so good.

In fact, I wore the new shoes on my 10K yesterday, where coincidentally I set a new 10K PR :) (not that I'm implying that this is was a direct consequence of the new shoes, but they did feel pretty good!).

So what is next? Enjoying my taper and getting myself mentally ready for the daunting task for marathon #2. It's especially daunting for me, as I will be forced to run it without my wonderful running buddy, Janine, who got injured this season. I think that will be my biggest mental challenge, but I am determined to do well for the both of us.

Half-Marathon #8, in the bag...

... with a new PR, to boot!

Yesterday was a big day for me. Yes, it was the first day of a new month; yes, it was Superbowl Sunday (and btw, I did not catch a single second of the Superbowl--bad, I know), but it was more than any of those things.

It was the day I ran my 8th half-marathon (my 9th one overall), and I SET A NEW PERSONAL RECORD!!!

Old PR: 2.47:10
New PR: 2:36:55

Rock on!!

I felt pretty good out there yesterday, save for a shoulder I'd slept on wrong the night before that kept going numb on me and a nagging ankle thing near the end (the latter is becoming a familiar refrain, and I should get it looked at by Coach Kris tomorrow). But other than that, I felt fantastic and knew it was going to be a good day.

Towards the end I knew I was going to PR but dared not say it out loud; just as a goalie would never say he's going to get a shutout (and neither would any of his teammates), I just kept pressing on, thinking about our honorees (even got to hug Honoree Doug near the finish line) and focusing on the finish line.

What a sweet, sweet feeling to beat your previous best! But I can't rest on my laurels for too long. Napa is coming up in 4 weeks, and I've got to shift my focus onto that now.

Yay for new PR's, though!

Tis the season of our discontent...

... as my running buddy, Janine likes to call it :).

There comes a time in every season when all the workouts and high mileage catch up to you, and aches and pains (and even injuries) are inevitable. That time is now. The last long run, a 16-miler, was a tough one, but things weren't too much better at yesterday's 18-miler.

It was a gorgeous course--one of my favorites, Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz (due to weather, though, the second half of the course had to be re-routed, which is a shame, since the second half is the prettiest part), and we were incredibly lucky once again that rain decided to suspend itself for the run. But injuries being injuries, they have a way of making their presence known, and I wasn't going to come off quite so easy this time.

It all started with my heel injury flaring up a few days before. At the foot clinic at track, I learned that what I was experiencing was the beginning of plantar fasciitis, and that the best way to keep it from getting worse was to ice and roll (standard fare) and never, ever be barefoot. I followed this advice and was feeling fine by yesterday morning, but as soon as I started to run my first few steps, it was clear that this heel thing would not go quietly. Oy.

Eventually it did fade away, much to my relief. Only it was replaced by shin and calf discomfort (I refuse to call it pain), which found its way to the inside of my ankle. It settled there like a guest making itself feel at home, and left the last 3 miles of the run very, very, VERY uncomfortable.

My usual ice bath soak alleviated it some, but the true test will be when I run again on Tuesday. In the meantime, I will roll and ice and ice and roll. And do a lot of praying for it, too. Hey, ya pull put the big guns when you have to.

There's something about 16-milers

Yesterday was only my second ever 16-miler, and I'm still trying to make up my mind whether or not I like them :).

Last season's 16-miler was a groundbreaker for me--it was the longest run I had ever done up to that point (remember, I had done only half-marathons at that point, and training runs never exceeded 12 miles for those, although I once attempted a 14-miler in a prior season, to see whether I wanted to train for a full--needless to say, I did not continue on with a full that season ;)). I was full of anticipation, fear, and doubt, and the fact that it was on the Lake Merced course didn't help.

Lake Merced, for those who don't know, is an energy-sucking place of doom. Or at least, that's how I and my running buddies view it ;). Every run we've ever had on that course has been tough, and last season was no exception. By the time the 16-miler was done, I felt relief and pride over having reached that distance, but I have to admit, the during part was complete torture.

Having had one of these under my belt, I figured things could only look up for this season's 16-miler. And, well, for the most part, it WAS better. How much better, though, is up for debate ;).

First off, we returned to Coyote Creek, which also was a tough run the first time. But I remembered hanging on quite admirably on that course last season, so I figured I had the odds on my side. But as soon as I took my first few strides, I knew it wasn't going to be a fantastic run (nothing like last week's 14-miler, let's just say). I felt tired, sluggish, and just generally, blah. Fortunately, Janine suggested a 3:1 interval instead of our usual 4:1 (unfortunately, she suggested this because she was injured :(), so that helped, but after our first out-and-back of 3 miles, I already knew I'd need to write this off as one of those so-so runs that I'd endure and then file away as a fluke.

Not that there weren't highlights on this run. Mentor Amy, who was manning a water stop, brought yummy chocolate chip cookies for us to feast on; so did Mentor Victoria, whose homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were the stuff of legends and inspired me to make a batch today. And of course, there was the post-run lunch with the girls (and this time, Captain Mike Z joined us!) which is always tons of fun.

But all in all, not my greatest run of the season, and I am looking forward to the 18-miler at beautiful Natural Bridges to vindicate myself. I'm also looking forward to Janine recovering fully from her shin injury since I know Natural Bridges is one of her favorites as well.

Onward and upward!

They may not all be good...

... but some of them will be VERY good :).

I wasn't sure what to expect from today's 14-miler--after all, last week's 6-miler was, shall we say, sub-optimal. Ok, it sucked. I was still a little haunted by that, and although I had a great track workout (30 more seconds shaved off the ol' 5K time :)), I didn't do a buddy run on Thursday and did a VERY light workout on Friday (pulled out an old exercise video and barely worked up a sweat). It all had the makings of another blah run today.

But as always seems to happen with these kinds of runs, low expectations result in incredible runs. Janine and I finished the run in 3 hours and 1 minute, which is a bit overestimated, given that we stopped several times to stretch and get refills at water stops. That means we most likely did 14 miles in UNDER THREE HOURS.

Now to most people that may not seem very fast, but given that our last 1/2 marathon (the San Jose Rock N' Roll last October) took us a little over 3 hours, this is HUGE, people. We basically ran an extra mile in just about (and a little under, as a matter of fact) the same time.

Holy pace busters, Batman!

Now we're still not quite at the pace we'd really like to be for Napa, but we are well on our way. A few more days like these, and we'll be in very good shape :).

Oh and yes, I did do another ice bath. This time, I used 3 bags of ice instead of just 1, and boy oh boy what a difference it made. I have NO PAIN right now. None. No soreness, no pain, no bad things whatsoever. I feel fantastic!!

This ice bath thing is a keeper.