tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81672380450078393532011-07-07T18:48:55.502-07:00Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-72453147362159991532010-02-07T10:13:00.001-08:002010-02-07T10:13:41.160-08:00

I've made the switch to Wordpress! Follow me to my new home at: runwhome.wordpress.com. Hope to see you there!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-87341590435981822112009-10-13T20:35:00.000-07:002009-10-13T21:29:09.734-07:00

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)

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-67899193821898650412009-09-29T07:16:00.000-07:002009-09-29T07:42:39.545-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-37359558715801095422009-09-14T07:14:00.001-07:002009-09-14T07:26:46.260-07:00

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,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-41948935207867452452009-08-30T19:13:00.001-07:002009-08-30T19:29:46.411-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-61860033046409110872009-08-16T08:15:00.000-07:002009-08-16T08:47:35.344-07:00

Bonding at a water stopAfter 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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-4384460724418281662009-08-14T12:55:00.000-07:002009-08-14T13:08:51.568-07:00

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,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-11653801906995088062009-08-08T22:15:00.000-07:002009-08-08T22:25:15.741-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-42346685789013654482009-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:002009-08-05T07:07:08.626-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-11394633630045194792009-07-26T12:01:00.000-07:002009-07-26T12:11:38.067-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-42389304141613016042009-07-23T09:43:00.000-07:002009-07-23T21:53:26.713-07:00

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:

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-86692083803926274542009-07-15T06:46:00.000-07:002009-07-15T07:00:20.200-07:00

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,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-77076843684605820152009-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:002009-07-03T19:16:14.562-07:00

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,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-3862964195439703242009-07-02T20:20:00.000-07:002009-07-02T20:33:28.188-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-83949116888683498322009-06-22T19:23:00.000-07:002009-06-22T21:12:01.289-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-51136065547645303582009-06-14T17:34:00.000-07:002009-06-14T18:02:58.711-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-24330083445956639892009-06-11T20:56:00.000-07:002009-06-11T21:05:29.290-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-55543203248525691532009-06-07T14:19:00.001-07:002009-06-07T14:34:05.555-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-61225447552605123012009-06-03T07:15:00.001-07:002009-06-03T07:26:58.824-07:00

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,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-37161619023967052202009-05-28T08:36:00.000-07:002009-05-28T08:49:31.350-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-46445888207574331012009-04-25T16:05:00.000-07:002009-04-25T16:24:26.352-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-50660994035474265102009-03-24T07:43:00.000-07:002009-03-24T07:51:54.684-07:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-51198762084883989822009-03-02T14:20:00.001-08:002009-03-02T14:47:17.636-08:00

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 rainWell, 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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-39062102184436970572009-02-26T19:22:00.000-08:002009-02-26T19:29:47.784-08:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-55302709298807815582009-02-15T16:24:00.000-08:002009-02-15T16:43:59.832-08:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-71193393087161952812009-02-02T07:35:00.000-08:002009-02-02T07:42:28.171-08:00

... 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: 2.47:10New PR: 2:36:55Rock on!!I felt pretty

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-25686115277695124552009-01-25T09:07:00.000-08:002009-01-25T10:12:50.731-08:00

... 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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-33949864365246901472009-01-11T09:58:00.000-08:002009-01-11T10:15:34.249-08:00

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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-65075612816275654982009-01-03T19:15:00.001-08:002009-01-03T19:22:13.281-08:00

... 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

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-47397905065712332702008-12-28T10:41:00.000-08:002008-12-28T10:49:35.507-08:00

Just as the U.S. Postal Service delivers in rain, sleet, snow, we runners are supposed to be able to run through anything: including sluggishness. Blech.Today was one of those days. It's been a slack week for sure, with Christmas and eating and not a lot of sleep and eating and relaxing and... did I mention eating? Fortunately I've managed to keep up with my workouts, but without the proper sleep

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-66323540129102465262008-12-24T08:29:00.000-08:002008-12-24T08:39:45.378-08:00

Last night's track workout was definitely the most unusual yet--and yes, it was even fun, dare I say (shh, no one tell Coach Kris, or she'll make us do it again ;)). We've done circuit workouts at track before, but never like this: we did twelve rounds of circuits, all done to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas.Think for a second about what this means... This means that each round, we add a new

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-80069797892498058562008-12-21T08:05:00.000-08:002008-12-21T08:35:51.012-08:00

I guess I should start off by saying that in almost 4 years of TnT, I had NEVER done an ice bath after a run. Why would any sane person do that, you ask? The theory is that ice baths help flush things out of your system, thereby making you less sore the next day, particularly after a double-mileage (10+ miles) run. I have teammates that swear by this and tell me they are never sore because of it;

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-31511869098654804552008-12-07T19:05:00.000-08:002008-12-07T19:21:28.282-08:00

This week was a momentous one, with new waves (groups based on your pace) being set and the first double-digit mileage of the season.It all started at track on Tuesday night, a day I'd been waiting for ever since finishing Nike--knowing that my goal was to move up into the next fastest wave so I could have hope of shaving the necessary time off my pace to make the 6-hour time limit at Napa.I was

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-60123800008837344282008-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:002008-11-23T08:11:03.557-08:00

Week #3 and I've made a welcome realization: I am feeling better and stronger at this point in the season than I have in any of my previous seasons. I am loving this! :)As anyone who trains with me knows, I typically take the winters off and join TnT only during the summer months. It's not that I go idle during those 7 months out of the year; on the contrary, I do lots of other activities that I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-2472115419996814112008-11-15T23:47:00.000-08:002008-11-16T10:41:34.094-08:00

Back in the day, when I was a TnT newbie, I swore up and down I'd never do Winter season. Training in the cold, the dark, the rain? Yeah, no thank you.And yet, it seemed fitting that in a year when I did something else I swore I'd never do (26.2 miles, natch) I'd follow that up with another challenge. If I learned anything from the marathon experience, it's that no challenge is too big now.I hope

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167238045007839353.post-1744182111840542842008-10-31T16:01:00.000-07:002008-10-31T16:04:34.805-07:00

Yes, it's taken me 3 1/2 years to come to this conclusion, but I am officially a runner now, and therefore, "Jen runs again" doesn't seem as apropos a name for a blog as "Jen keeps running," so I've gone and gotten myself a new blog name :).I'll be sharing my running adventures from here on out on this blog--please update your bookmarks!! That is, if you had me bookmarked in the first place ;).To

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751367514493959872noreply@blogger.com0