Inaugual Pasadena Half Marathon Recap
Hi everyone,
I know I have been MIA, but the truth is I haven't been exercising at all and I have gained about 25 lbs. in the process. In order to jump start, me into exercising again, I had decided a couple of weeks ago to sign up for the Pasadena Half Marathon (held this past Sunday and was cancelled on 11/18/2008 due to the Sylmar fires).
I have to say that the ugly combo of gaining weight and not training has taken its toll on me. I have learned my lession.
My day had started at 4:00 am. The plan was to load my fuel belt, get dressed, take a quick jog around the block, stretch and wait for my carpooler's call, and eat something. Most of that did not happen. I kept forgetting things ; I almost forgot to take my bib and timing chip.
At 5 am, Liz (carpooler and unbeknownst to me , my angel and member of the running team The LA Leggers) called to say that she was outside my building. I told her okay, just give me time to use the restroom and I would be walking out. I got into her car, and we were off. While she was driving, she said that she looked up my time for the Long Beach Half and she thought that I could get a PR for Pasadena. I told her that I doubted that because I had not been running. My only goal was to finish while the timer was still running. That was it. Traffic on the freeway (don't remember which one) was backed up , so we got off on Lake exit. Good thing we did. From the time we made our exit to the parking structure at Cal-tech was about 10 minutes. Some people got off at the exit on the instructions and waited up to 40 minutes to make it to the parking structure. As soon as Liz turned off the ignition, I made the first horrible discovery... I forgot my asthma inhaler. I have exertion induced asthma and I always take a couple of puffs of the inhaler before any run. Not today. Furthermore, it was raining. The weather forecast was 60% that evening. Wrong. It started raining that morning. Not just a steady, light rain but downpour. Oh yes, before I forget, I had my first experience of using a port-a-potty. That was memorable. Liz and I had missed the starting gun because we were waiting to get to a port-a-potty and was standing behind someone who was afraid to move forward , so we move further down to some that did not have a line in front of them. Liz had told me after we got there that at first she was just going to do her thing and let me do mine and we would meet up afterwards so she could take me home, but she decided to pace me instead. After relieving ourselves, they were about to start the clock for the 5k runners. A small group of us yelled for them to wait and let us start first. Liz and I started 20 minutes after the timer started for the marathoners and half marathoners. While were running, Liz was giving me tips on how to breathe (inhale through your nose , blow out through your mouth) , how to hold my arms while running and walking and how to run downhill.
Let me tell you, the course was beautiful. We ran by City Hall, beautiful estates, Old Town Pasadena, and lots of lush greenery. Pasadena is one of those cities that integrates new and old architecture easily, and it looks like it was planned that way. The course had lots of turns and various elevations to keep things interesting. They could not have had better volunteers. It did not matter wha****er station we passed by, the volunteers were wonderful, polite, upbeat and helpful. There weren't that many spectators because of the rain. I have never ran in the rain before. It was an experience. Up until now, I thought that I could never run in the rain, but now I know that I can do it (just in light rain). I had my trash bag on but I might as well been wearing nothing at all. The rain soaked through everything I was wearing.
At first, I was keeping up with Liz. I told her that would need to take more walk breaks because I did not bring my inhaler and did not want an attack on the course. By mile 7.5, everything began to fall apart. I had slowed down significantly. My ankles and feet were hurting, my legs felt heavy, I could not keep up with Liz, too much rain, I just did not want to run anymore. By mile 11, she noticed that I was limping quite a bit. Liz asked me about it. I told her that I had fractured my ankle twice , once in 1995 and again in 1996. I was recalling a conversation I had with my mother that I was glad she was in good help so she could help me out (1995). By 1996, my mother had her leg amputated and then the 2nd fracture had occurred. I remember telling my mom, that I could no longer help her and because I was using one foot and crutches. My mother cursed me out. I don't know if it was my recollection of the incident or the fact that the race was almost over or a combo of both , but I cried like a baby while we were walking. Liz had put her arm around me to consol me. From mile 7 towards the end, Liz broke down our walk run ratio from cone to cone. From one cone to the next- walk, from that cone to the next-walk. We would run across the intersections. That broke things up a bit and I did not tire as easily. Even during those intervals, sometimes my legs just would not respond. I had to walk. I told her that I would finish, if all I did was walk.
Every double digit marker looked more beautiful than that last one. I was very happy. We ran everytime we had seen a photographer ahead also. Have to look good for the cameras. The highlight of the race is when we had crossed the finish line and the announcer had called out our names. After one of the volunteers had graced me with my medal, I again cried tears of joy (like a baby) and Liz was there to console me once again. I told her that she was my angel and that I would not have made it without her help. I have find some way to thank her. Maybe I knit her something nice...like a scarf.
My race results are as follows:
Overall 2797 out of 2890
Women: 1543 out of 1609
F 40-44: 210 out of 220
Age /grade: 29.06% Place: 2803
Finish: 4:00:18: Pace: 18:20
Tag Time: 4:00:18
Gun Time : 4:20:23
Split Time: 10KM: 1:43:51 Pace: 16:43
Thank you all for reading this.
Kim
I know I have been MIA, but the truth is I haven't been exercising at all and I have gained about 25 lbs. in the process. In order to jump start, me into exercising again, I had decided a couple of weeks ago to sign up for the Pasadena Half Marathon (held this past Sunday and was cancelled on 11/18/2008 due to the Sylmar fires).
I have to say that the ugly combo of gaining weight and not training has taken its toll on me. I have learned my lession.
My day had started at 4:00 am. The plan was to load my fuel belt, get dressed, take a quick jog around the block, stretch and wait for my carpooler's call, and eat something. Most of that did not happen. I kept forgetting things ; I almost forgot to take my bib and timing chip.
At 5 am, Liz (carpooler and unbeknownst to me , my angel and member of the running team The LA Leggers) called to say that she was outside my building. I told her okay, just give me time to use the restroom and I would be walking out. I got into her car, and we were off. While she was driving, she said that she looked up my time for the Long Beach Half and she thought that I could get a PR for Pasadena. I told her that I doubted that because I had not been running. My only goal was to finish while the timer was still running. That was it. Traffic on the freeway (don't remember which one) was backed up , so we got off on Lake exit. Good thing we did. From the time we made our exit to the parking structure at Cal-tech was about 10 minutes. Some people got off at the exit on the instructions and waited up to 40 minutes to make it to the parking structure. As soon as Liz turned off the ignition, I made the first horrible discovery... I forgot my asthma inhaler. I have exertion induced asthma and I always take a couple of puffs of the inhaler before any run. Not today. Furthermore, it was raining. The weather forecast was 60% that evening. Wrong. It started raining that morning. Not just a steady, light rain but downpour. Oh yes, before I forget, I had my first experience of using a port-a-potty. That was memorable. Liz and I had missed the starting gun because we were waiting to get to a port-a-potty and was standing behind someone who was afraid to move forward , so we move further down to some that did not have a line in front of them. Liz had told me after we got there that at first she was just going to do her thing and let me do mine and we would meet up afterwards so she could take me home, but she decided to pace me instead. After relieving ourselves, they were about to start the clock for the 5k runners. A small group of us yelled for them to wait and let us start first. Liz and I started 20 minutes after the timer started for the marathoners and half marathoners. While were running, Liz was giving me tips on how to breathe (inhale through your nose , blow out through your mouth) , how to hold my arms while running and walking and how to run downhill.
Let me tell you, the course was beautiful. We ran by City Hall, beautiful estates, Old Town Pasadena, and lots of lush greenery. Pasadena is one of those cities that integrates new and old architecture easily, and it looks like it was planned that way. The course had lots of turns and various elevations to keep things interesting. They could not have had better volunteers. It did not matter wha****er station we passed by, the volunteers were wonderful, polite, upbeat and helpful. There weren't that many spectators because of the rain. I have never ran in the rain before. It was an experience. Up until now, I thought that I could never run in the rain, but now I know that I can do it (just in light rain). I had my trash bag on but I might as well been wearing nothing at all. The rain soaked through everything I was wearing.
At first, I was keeping up with Liz. I told her that would need to take more walk breaks because I did not bring my inhaler and did not want an attack on the course. By mile 7.5, everything began to fall apart. I had slowed down significantly. My ankles and feet were hurting, my legs felt heavy, I could not keep up with Liz, too much rain, I just did not want to run anymore. By mile 11, she noticed that I was limping quite a bit. Liz asked me about it. I told her that I had fractured my ankle twice , once in 1995 and again in 1996. I was recalling a conversation I had with my mother that I was glad she was in good help so she could help me out (1995). By 1996, my mother had her leg amputated and then the 2nd fracture had occurred. I remember telling my mom, that I could no longer help her and because I was using one foot and crutches. My mother cursed me out. I don't know if it was my recollection of the incident or the fact that the race was almost over or a combo of both , but I cried like a baby while we were walking. Liz had put her arm around me to consol me. From mile 7 towards the end, Liz broke down our walk run ratio from cone to cone. From one cone to the next- walk, from that cone to the next-walk. We would run across the intersections. That broke things up a bit and I did not tire as easily. Even during those intervals, sometimes my legs just would not respond. I had to walk. I told her that I would finish, if all I did was walk.
Every double digit marker looked more beautiful than that last one. I was very happy. We ran everytime we had seen a photographer ahead also. Have to look good for the cameras. The highlight of the race is when we had crossed the finish line and the announcer had called out our names. After one of the volunteers had graced me with my medal, I again cried tears of joy (like a baby) and Liz was there to console me once again. I told her that she was my angel and that I would not have made it without her help. I have find some way to thank her. Maybe I knit her something nice...like a scarf.
My race results are as follows:
Overall 2797 out of 2890
Women: 1543 out of 1609
F 40-44: 210 out of 220
Age /grade: 29.06% Place: 2803
Finish: 4:00:18: Pace: 18:20
Tag Time: 4:00:18
Gun Time : 4:20:23
Split Time: 10KM: 1:43:51 Pace: 16:43
Thank you all for reading this.
Kim
Without struggle, there is no progress.
Good report and congrats for finishing!
I think it's easy to forget what a life time struggle our wait really is going to be for us. Make some goals and give yourself some projects to shoot for so you don't stop exercising and gain weight again. Liz sounds like an amazing friend, glad you had her to get you through!
--Dan
I think it's easy to forget what a life time struggle our wait really is going to be for us. Make some goals and give yourself some projects to shoot for so you don't stop exercising and gain weight again. Liz sounds like an amazing friend, glad you had her to get you through!
--Dan
Thank you, Dan. I need to come up with a "winter plan". Running outdoors during the Spring and Summer is not a problem. Even running during the Fall is "doable". But Winter running is altogether different in my book. It's dark and cold and possibly raining... that much harder to get out of bed.
Kim
Kim
Without struggle, there is no progress.
Awesome job Kim and great story. Sounds like Liz was a God send =)
Ms Shell
Ms Shell
"WLS is only for people who are ready to move past the "diet" mentality" ~Alison Brown
"WLS is not a Do-Over (repeat same mistakes = get a similar outcome.) It is a Do-BETTER (make lifestyle changes you can continue forever.)" ~ Michele Vicara aka Eggface
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