17 posts tagged “running”

5:50 am-- "atrevetete" starts playing- my alarm clock, I stumble over to turn it off and lay in bed for just  a few moments, only to be interrupted by knocking on the door- Karina and her husband Matt charge in and start blaring "eye of the tiger" from their laptop and start yelling that they are ready, I join them in the madness and our hosts- my friends Goretti and Eli are about to kill us, pobresitos, here they are dealing with hyper runners at 6am, they are dropping us off and also being our cheerleaders. We are pumped up! Running clothes thrown on, shoes tied, timing chips inserted, running bibs pinned, faces splashed with cold water. I grab  some toast, peanut butter and banana--- mmmm...gatorade.... okay, its 6:30, out the door! I'm nervous and can't wait! The gps is ready, the ipod shuffle is strapped on and ready!!! We get dropped off a block off, we jog over to the port-a-pottys and come across a battle fields worth of port-a-pottys, all with insanely long lines... after our run-in with the port-a-pottys, we go stand in the section according to what time we think we will come in at... only to discover AFTER the race, that we put ourselves with the slowest of the race... I didnt really pay attention to how they broke it down... anyway... this was a bad decision, we had to dodge walkers throughout the entire first mile and a half... my first mile I was doing 11:30! There was no room and too many people, but like I said it was my fault for not starting sooner ahead! The first 2-3 miles I felt a little tight but pretty good, I slowly started cutting my time down each mile... under or almost under ten minutes a mile... around miles 5-7 I feel great, I start picking it up and getting ahead. dodging and cutting in around people and walkers.. yeah!!! I am hyper and excited! We have around a 4-5 mile stretch of just sun-- that starts getting a little tough, but luckily it is early and we are a few steps from the beach.... I pick it up and keep going... When I get to mile 9, I take my gu with some water and wait for it to kick in. Mile 10 and I've already started picking it up even more. three more to go! mile 11--- feeling burning... the last two miles are torture, I am closely monitoring my time and know I can't slow down. I pick it up even more at 11.5miles... mile 12 and I am sprinting in. 12.5 and I am sprinting in full force...lungs, legs, muscles are all burning, arms are pumping... i shuffle through songs that I deem as inappropriate for ending a marathon and finally settle on a song by Gran Silencio... just about 100 meters away and I am passing people left and right, I always make it a game to pass as many people as possible in the last stretch... I feel as if I will implode from the pain and thankfully the finish line is just seconds ahead. I stop the GPS and am given a medal as I continue in a daze trying to find somewhere to throw up... unfortunately there is no space free from runners.. I hold it in and stumble over to get a water... My friends find me as I am still trying to regain my hold on reality... I finally get it together long enough to glance down at my time-- 2hrs 3 minutes!!! YES!!!!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! a 9:23 minutes per mile pace, I PR'ed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I just looked at my race results from 2006 for Americas Finest City here in San Diego-- and even though I was in good shape then, my time was 2:13-- a 10:13 minutes per miles pace-- I shaved off ten whole minutes-- next goal-- under 2 hours!!! :) WOOT WOOT! :) Can't wait for it, I'm ready! I'm ready! RAWR!!!!!

Normita Running MONSTER!!!!!!

so its Sunday Morning (this past sunday) and its been a crazy week, Friday was my last day of work, I will tell you all about it later-- it was an amazing fun time I had a giant quitting my job celebracion with amazing people at Baja Bettys-- whoo hoo for happy hour, friends, alcohol, inflatable pink star crowns, and penis shaped balloons!!! Then a night of debauchary was continued down the street at Universal- this involved more drinking, pole dancing, and hoochie dancing with everyone--- it was a miracle I was not in worse shape the next morning!!!! I then woke up early saturday am, got myself together, took lefty to Eloy, one of his sitters ;) and was off---- 5 hours later I was in Porterville.
So here we go, I totally digressed---

Running--- my goal has been to run up to Lewis hill and back starting at my parents house without driving out to the base of the hill-- Lewis hill is a monster of hills which is straight up and then curves while continuing to go uphill-- its crazy!!! I have been planning to run this hill but its a daunting task to actually go through with it!

so....6:50 am- la alarma suena... I am ready! I have even laid out my clothes the night before (yes I am that big of a dork) and I am up because I am so excited about conquering Lewis Hill, it has been around 2 years since I have run up the hill starting from my casa! Attempts at waking up my little brother Nelson (who had promised to run with me the night before) I totally don't blame the poor kid. I guess not many peoples idea of fun involves running 10 miles at 7:30am on a saturday morningI have my usual pre longrun breakfast of half a banana and water and a piece of toast with peanut butter--- wait a minute where does my mom keep the peanut butter? 7am- I knock on my parents door, "ama donde esta el cacaquate molido?" I ask my poor sleeping parents. I love the fact that they don't even stop to ask why the hell I am asking for peanut butter at 7am--- my mami shuffles out of bed and leads me to the peanut butter...my poor mamma,  I have my snack and gear up I go and tell my parents I am off and my dad laughs at my transformation into what he calls bionic woman- what with my gps strapped on my wrist and my shuffle ipod on my arm--- they remind me that I am insane for running so long and so early and I am off-- I walk outside and start stretching, a beautiful fall morning with a fresh breeze and clean air. The gps freezes and I am frustrated. I wanted to know the EXACT speed and distance and pace but oh well. I leave the GPS and headout. The first few miles are fine and nostalgic, running past my alma mater of Porterville high School, down Olive street (part of which is the "cruising loop" on Friday and Saturday nights- which I have partaken in many a time), past the Chinese fast food place, (which for the longest time was the only asian food place in town and the owners daughter who I used to be friends with in middle school)and I finally turn onto Plano st that leads up to the monster and my nemisis- Lewis hill. I see it in the very far distance and continue running towards it, I calculate around how many miles I have run so far and continue the route. At the base of the hill I stop and do some quick stretching,figuring I have run around 4 miles and that by the time I get to the very top and around the back to the entrance of this insanely giant mansion, that I will be at 5 miles. So that when I return I will be at 10. Thats a perfect distance I think to myself. I encounter only three walkers but no runners on my way towards the hill. Here we go I think to myself as I put the volume up on my shuffle just a bit. I begin to feel the incline and wait for the burning of my legs and lungs to begin, but nope.  I keep pushing up and I begin to feel it but not as much as I should I am surprised and then slowly shocked to realize that I am totally making Lewis hill my b*tch ;) (don't quote me on that). I make it to the top and do a little cheer and a quick little silly Normita dance and then get right back to serious time. I feel so great  I decide to continue farther to the gate entrance of the mansion around the back of the hill. I continue to feel great and don't even worry about the fact that most of the back part is downhill which means uphill on the way back. I get to where the gate is and turn back around. This is a two lane road so I stay on the lanes facing the traffic so I can see from far away cars coming. I feel fantastic! I make it down the super steep downhill (which at first was the super steep uphill) By the way, running downhill is super painful and much harder and worse on your body than uphill running. I make it down to the corner of Plano and Reed,.right where the hill almost tapers off on to flat ground- and I get a little cocky, I admit it. I think to myself, I am not turning on Olive, I am going to keep going straight on Plano and then turning on Orange or some other street before the 190.  I don't realize that I am about 2.5 miles away from Olive street itself.  I am in no way allowed to start thinking that I will run longer than the 10 that I had originally  planned for, given that I am so far away. I continue the run and then right around before I hit olive, I begin to start feeling the exhaustion set in. I abandon my Orange street scheme and dociley turn onto Olive street as was originally the plan. As I am about a mile and a half out, the shuffle dies. NOOOO!!!! The music was my life line. Its all me now, pushing pushing pushing. I start picking up the pace although my knees and the side of my thigh on the right side ( which yes, now is a painful knot that has not gone away since that day) and keep going. I grit my teeth and continue on Jaye Street past the high school and towards home. Turning onto Springville drive I know I am in the homestretch-1/2 mile to go but my body energy is at 0. I keep the tank running on fumes and sprint to the corner of my street. Just past my house, I stop and walk. Walking halfway down the street, I look like a duck or some other funny creature since I am hobbling, trying to get myself together. I have just finished the last of the waterbottle that I took on the run and need to get some more liquids immediately. I turn back on the street towards my casita. an extreme sense of accomplishment and awesomeness hits me. My dad is puttering around outside tinkering with the cars as usual and I give him a huge sweaty hug.

p.s. the next day I drive my car right to the exact point where I turned around and its not 5 miles that I have run out, it was 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you know what this means>???????!!!!! Yes, it means that I did 12 miles that morning on a hill that I was afraid I wouldn't even conquer--- give me a big F*ck YES!!!!!

Dear Hills,

You are seriously trying to kill me. With your steepness that make my lungs burn, and make my legs totter like a toddler as I reach near your tops. With your harsh down hills that hurt my hips, my butt, and my legs. But I meet all of your volleys with Normita Running Monster power- RAWR! I refuse to ever stop and just walk. Your beckoning is always met, I see you and I charge. The steeper the hill the better the challenge because when I get to the top and look down, I am POWER.  Especially you, Point Loma Nazarene College hill, one of my arch nemesii. You always leave my knees like jello and my breathe ragged but I keep coming back to you for more. I will not rest until I can run all up and down you all of the way and not feel like dying. I am on my way. You know, I have a confession hills, I think I sort of love you, the way that you make me push my body to the limit. The way you make me feel like I can fly once I make it to the top, like I am running on winged feet. The adrenaline rush as I start going up your sides. Yeah, I think I might actually be in a love-hate relationship with you. As much as you taunt me with your curves, you make me stronger. Lewis Hill- Porterville I am ready for you this weekend.

Signed,

Normita

 Running Monster

Before the alarm even goes  off at 7am, I am awake. I receive a call from my running partner, they are too hungover to run. I grab my clothes throw them on, splash cold water on my face. Grab some toast and banana. Where to run? I don't want to repeat last weekends 10 mile run, I want to do it somewhere else. I decide on a long route over in Ocean Beach. Parking at 7:30 am on the doggy beach, there are not many people up quite yet. The weather is fantastic for a run, lately when I do these runs, the sun gets me towards the end and its too much. This is not a concern this morning, its chilly, grey and overcast- perfect for running. Stretch, GPS satellite is locked, my Ipod shuffle is ready, and Normita the running monster is ready! I run along the beach until I hit Newport Avenue and I cut in, a quick Right on Sunset Cliffs and I am off. The first two miles are quite painful and I feel stiff- I even question my ability to run the 10 miles today! I head over and continue running along the cliffs til they end, on a seemingly small deceving hill which is actually quite tuff. I cut across through the parking lot and slight hills, up towards my mortal enemy, the hill leading up To Point Loma Nazarene College. This hill is brutal and it always kills me, I always manage to beat it but we have a constant fight going on between us. A quick stretch after that monster hill and I head across the campus and out the entrance onto Catalina Avenue, a right leads me to the entrance of the Navy Base. I turn around at almost 5 miles, and head right back. At this point, I am feeling great. Pumped up, warmed up and good- RAWR!!!! At around 7 miles, I continue feeling great. After mile 8, I want to challenge myself, I want to beat or be at the same time as the  10 mile run last weekend. The tough part is that last weekends run was on lesser hills and not as challenging, so If i want to beat the time, I have to really pick it up. I begin to average 9 minutes the 8th mile. As I hit mile 9, I begin to sprint in. must beat my time...run run run... arms pumping, legs flying all over, I even put up the volume on the shuffle, the adrenalines got me crazy and I make the 10th mile at just under last weekends time, YES!!!

I stretch out, feel a little faint but great!!! I go home, eat some yummy healthy food, shower, read and have the best nap ever...

 its all going great until I drink myself into oblivion that night- its easier to get drunk after you run, something about maybe your body being cleansed or just tired? I dont know but I got pretty done that night, had a great time but paid for it the next day... no more drunken running monster Normita, not until the half marathon in October, woot woot! :)

I have planned to run out here at Mission Trails all day, been excited about it! After many delays its gotten late,  but I am still hellbent on busting out this run, after all I am Normita the running monster, RAWR. As I begin my run, music playing, GPS tracking on, I am quickly in the zone. Lots of people walking, biking and running through is a good sign. After all, I don't want to be left alone, thats when mountain lions come out. Dusk is beautiful, gray clouds and the fading colors of the sunlight along with a fresh breeze give me a rush and make me feel lucky for the millionth time to be living in San Diego. What starts off as a pleasant beautiful run, quickly changes its tune.

As I run out to mile three I realize its going to be dark. Its going to be dark ALL the way back. I turn around to do the  last three miles. At mile four, it has gotten completely dark AND all of my previous companions on the trail have disappeared. What happened to all the runners, walkers and bikers? They got off the trail and drove off in their cars, after all it IS dark. As I continue running into the darkness,I begin to get the slightest bit panicky. As I run,  I begin to hear little forest creatures squeak, croak, moving through the bushes, plants, and trees. Not even the rocking music of  Enanitos verdes playing in my ear is enough to soothe my fears.and I turn ithem up just a little bit more and as I do so, I think but what when the mountain lions come out, I won't be able to hear them! I turn the music down again.

A snap of a branch finally does it, I freak out a little more and start running, and I mean REALLY running.

With my pace picked up considerably, I  realize that I am just going to run as fast as my long legs can carry me for the next two miles. Breathing picks up, arms are pumping faster, I'm flying up the hills, zooming on the downhills, must get back to car-- GASP!....

and then they come out, three of them. I am done for I think, as I see them come up. There they are, wearing...neon colored jumpsuits? Wait a minute... As soon as I saw them in their gear, I understand that there will be a face off. Running monster versus sparkling mountain lions. Right here, right now.

I have heard of these encounters before but always they have been between people and mountain lions. The humans usually lose. I have never heard of what happens during faceoffs between running monster and mountain lions. I stop dead in my running shoes. They stop dead in their jumpsuits. I slowly reach over to turn my music down. I stare at their green eyes, they stare at me and my purple monster outfit. Seconds pass... my breathing is returning to normal, sweat is running down my arms, down my legs. They stand, hands on neon clad hips. No one makes a move, the seconds drag on...

One of them suddenly turns to the moon and starts growling. They look at each other and slowly begin to move to my left and right.

Right now is my only chance, I think as I dash through the middle of them with a loud RAWR!!!!! Not expecting me to rush them, they move to the side dumbfounded.

Growl they yell, RAWR I roar! I jump on the railings and continue rawring and flailing my arms like a  crazed running monster. Then they begin to... DANCE... a dance off it is I think, as I break out into 70's dancing moves. If only I had brought MY jumpsuit, these cats would have nothing on me! They somersault over me and I turn to face them, a back flip and spin kick dancing move throws them off for a a millisecond and they return the volley in the form of a free style boxing-like dance move involving pumping arms and frolicking. I quickly cartwheel around them, free style some karate-like dance move and through them off just long enough to get a gain. My spectacular moves end with a perfect landing onto the railing marking the trail.

They freeze, look at me and realize that they have bit off more than they can chew with this running monster.

With a dash and a swish of a tail, their neon colored bodies return to the sides of the trail.

I continue snarling for a good 30 seconds and then RUN. Run like I haven't run in a long time. I am free, I feel like Hermes winged feet are my own. My pace is under 9 minutes, now its under 8 and the gate is inviting me in the distance. A gleam and a sparkle and I see black beauty, my car about a quarter mile away.

My lungs are pleading with me to slow down, my pumping arms also beg for a break, but now now!!!!!

With a last heave, I launch myself on the other side of the gate, sprint to my car and stop.

I turn the music off, consequently "Eye of the tiger" pushed me for the last quarter mile. I walk.

Gathering my wits (which fell all over the road the last few yards) I grab my water and stretch.

note to self:

1) running alone in the dark on trails, not a good idea.

2) dance offs with mountain lions- dangerous and just the slightest bit fun.

3) when faced with the potential pursuit of crazed jumpsuit clad mountain lions, my running time improves CONSIDERABLY

the alarm goes off and my thoughts immediately go towards the task at hand. I have made it my goal to run 10 miles this morning, 10 good hard miles! The most until now is 8, so I feel ready but still nervous. I quickly change, grab some toast with PB, grab a bottle of water, prep the ipod and the GPS and am out the door. A quick stretch of everything and now its time to decide which direction to head in. I don't want tons of hills but quickly realize that this will happen regardless, especially near here... I don't want to drive somewhere, so I head towards South Park... Up Robinson, down Florida, up Upas and the two hills there are KILLER- steep!! There are some people out and the air feels fresh and clean, a friendly "good morning" to the little old man outside his lawn and I continue. I turn South on 30th going through South Park, I love this cute little neighborhood, Rebeccas coffee shop is packed as always

(and they freaken rock- one morning while out on a semi long 6 mile run, I didnt take a water bottle I ran in hoping they would let me have some and they immediately handed me a disposable cup full of ice water- right at that moment I could have married the coffee shop, talk about customer service),

 but I totally digress, passing through the neighborhood, I head down on 30th until I am down in Barrio Logan I think I cut across K street, I continue with my breathless greeting of, "good morning!" or "buenos dias!" to anyone I encounter. It really disarms people when you acknowledge them. Its sort of great and all most people really want, and its also great for me to get an ackonwledgement. I get tons of strange looks, what is this crazy woman doing running through the neighborhood? people must think. Over onto 28th street and now I am on Imperial ave in Barrio Logan---here, there are tons of people out early and I continue my greeting blitz. Not many runners head through here and here I am I am heading down, waiting for the GPS to mark 5 miles so I can turn around.

 Thats when I decide that I am  very close to Chicano Park. How cool would it be to have run to Chicano park and back all the way from my house? Fucken cool I respond to myself. Head down towards Commercial st, somehow end up on Julian st, and on Cesar Chavez Parkway... down cross the freeway entrance and BAM!!! Run up to the Kiosko, touch it and turn around! VICTORY! Halfway down! I Stretch out everything that is tightening up and keep going. At this point, if I walk to much, I will just stop.

Must keep going.... there are hills tons of hills on the way back...ouch... keep going... now theres three miles to go, ooop- now its 2.7, so close... two miles...and slowly it winds down... 1.5 miles... 1 mile...  done!!!!!! All this running to the soundtrack of a crazy person involving everything and anything from rage against the machine, bad hip hop (hey its got good rhythm), el gran silencio and tons of other random goodness.  I slow to a sort of drunken walk, my muscles have had enough, I drink the last of my water bottle and slowly head back. I have a few blocks to go after I hit ten miles, so I walk and start stretching everything out...tight shoulders and calfs. Get home, continue the stretching, shower, eat food at a near daze and pass out into a delicious, calming deep sleep for three hours... wake up, POWERFUL

same disclaimer applies, you won't enjoy this if you aren't a runner, and you might not enjoy it even if you are!

I haven't posted information about the running lately, Fiesta Del Sol, threw me off for a while. But I'm on a mission! After being a genius and not registering for the Americas finest city half marathon, Mia, Daisy, Liz and I ended up running 8 miles instead of 13-  I didn't do too well since I hadn't been running long runs because of fiesta! It was way too hot at 8:30 when we were done, so I was bummed out that I didn't accomplish my goal, but now- the Aids walk/run is Sept 28th-- its a 10k run/5k walk. I have gotten some friends to go run it with me and am training like a crazy woman!

I ran this Saturday in OB with Eloy- around 5-6 miles- it was great even though we were sleep deprived and a little dehydrated from the previous nites shenanigans!

Ran last monday- 4/5 miles slow, steady working on getting pace back

Ran 7 miles last Wednesday myself  through South Park down to 30th and F- felt GREAT-well the last couple of hills were murder.

 ran 5.75 miles last night myself-down Robinson, left on Goldfinch, through little italy, down Hawthorne, down to the Star of India and back (3 miles out), I was trying to do 6 but it was too hot and I had already ran too many hills!

Tonight I plan on doing another OB run but slower and not as many miles- just calm and relaxing... lets see how we do!

YAY for running, YAY for running buddies, YAY!

So new running goals-

10k run- Aids Walk Sept 28th goal- under 10 minutes a mile average (under 60 minutes)

half Marathon- Long Beach Oct.12th- 10 minute per mile average (around and hopefully under 130 minutes)

Currently at around 8-9 miles pushing myself so I think that it is possible to build up to 13 miles by Oct 12th~~

the early mornings are here... since Fiesta/JOB is consuming my time most evenings I am starting to run in the mornings... and despite the painful agony of waking up at 5:45-6am, once I am out running with the nice morning,  breeze it is worth it. Yesterday morning I had a great run at 6:30- ran 4.5 miles. Was sore for work but it felt great! I was actually mostly conscious and functioning by the time I walked into the office. This morning I met up with a running buddy who lives down University, we ran in each others direction til we ran into each other- and then ran 5.5 miles-- up some hills and around Balboa Park, it was AWESOME :)

now its 9:30 am I am at work and I want an ice pack for my feet and a nap.

Half Marathon, I am going to own you! :)

this group of cross country runners decided to raise funds AND awareness about the Darfur Genocides, they ran 1300 miles from Kansas to the Capital, this is AMAZING!!! They also raised 25, 000 dollars!

How inspiring is this? Imagine getting huge groups of runners and doing political running (sort of like the bicyclists with critical mass?) Remember when we were younger and would have people pay us like a dollar for every mile or lap or whatever??? It could apply for adults! :) Is anyone else as excited with this concept as I am?

hmm...maybe not but you should be!

http://think.mtv.com/044FDFFFF00989DFD001700990305/

fiesta del sol, a fantastic combination of stress so strong im getting white hairs, inspiration so strong, i keep looking back at my shoulders to see if ive sprouted physical wings from my hope, happiness,...and pressures, day in and out...  its about mediating between groups, making sure things get done, and being strong and ingratiating... yikes! at the same time as preparing for my academic return...

it is quite clear that I need to start my day earlier to continue my running training...

so its this morning, the sheets are sooo cozy, im in complete comfort sprawled out on my bed... and... then i hear....
"atrevetete, salte del closet, levantate ponte hyper" my calle 13 song which functions as alarm, goes off!

groaning i press buttons until the cursed thing stops... and snooze until.... 5 minutes later, the previous scenario plays out again...

6:30 am, I am out on robinson, onto park and around balboa, im feeling sluggish at the end but nothing beats the breeze on my sweaty skin, the music bumping from the ipod nano...

GOOD MORNING NORMITA :)