dbxcakes

On the third year my cousin and our group of girls signed up for the SF Nike Women's Half Marathon, we were finally selected! We all headed to SF this weekend to run 13.1 miles, about half of it up and down the city's hills. It was the toughest course I've done but also the prettiest. Had this yummy pizza the night before at Bartlett Hall and had desert at Hops and Hominy. The half marathon was on Sunday and started at Union Square with an estimated 25,000 runners. We celebrated with our friends and celebrated Lizzi's birthday with brunch at Bluestem Brasserie after. It was so much fun. I love my Tiffany's necklaces, but this little blue box was definitely more valuable because I earned it!

Niner and I just finished our first 5k together and how perfect that it was the Dodgers 5k!  It was so much fun. We even got to walk around the field afterwards with our medals. :)

Ran my second runDisney with Karen on September 2nd. I'm so lucky to have gotten my coworker Eric to work for me. I was able to get my registration material at the expo and stay a couple nights in town, making it a 3-day Disney Labor Day weekend. The run started by the Disney Hotel, through California Adventure as the sun crept out, and in Disneyland where we stopped to take pictures with our favorite characters. The rest of the time we were on the streets greeted by locals along with Orange County schools marching bands and cheer squads. There were even cute little kids doing the hula for us. It was a fun run and I was quite proud of my endurance considering how little I've trained. I think its time to push myself a bit harder.. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

This week I was able to catch up with family and friends. But what I'm most happy about is catching up with my training. I ran my pre-marathon 10mi I had planned for! I ran a couple times around Balboa Park and my knee didn't even bother me! I think my new insoles are really helping. It was a tough, run but I had plenty to keep me entertained in the route (ie ducks and a crane hunting for food). I hope this will have prepared me enough to finish the half marathon which is just around the corner! Wish me luck! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

On October 30th, I ran my first half marathon. It was a lot of fun, especially since it was downtown. We started out at LA Live, circled around USC, passed through Little Tokyo, went through the tunnel and slightly up an incline onto the 6th street bridge. With several bands playing on stages through out the route, random volunteer groups and schools cheering us on along the way, and some runners dressed up in their halloween costumes, there was never a dull moment. The day before we checked in and picked up our registration packets and goodies at the Convention Center. We were also able to pick up last minute marathon essentials. That night Niner treated me to my pre-marathon meal of delicious sushi from Cho Cho San as we caught up with our favorite "How I Met Your Mother." Nacho was pretty helpful at helping me relax and soothe my sensitive knee, as well. Early on October 30th, Niner and I hopped on the train from NoHo to DTLA. I met up with the USMT group an...

For years now, I've been wanting to run a marathon. It was one of those ideas of mine, one of many, that never really came to fruition. Maybe it was my insecurity, maybe it was laziness. But in July, about six years later, I finally decided that I was going to just do it. My cousin recommended I join her and USA Marathon Training. The group is wonderful and the coaches are inspiring, but this has turned out to be one of those things I had to motivate myself to do. It's taken me all summer to plan out my schedules and finally stick to routinely training. Now, less than 3 weeks til the LA Rock & Roll Half Marathon, I'm on the treadmill or running around the neighborhood after work. I'm definitely feeling the pressure and I'm scared as hell. However I've come a long way from just dreaming ideas and, ready or not, I'm running on October 30th! 

I've known my friend Malia since the UCLA days of neuro and trauma action. We also worked at Olive-View together as travel nurses. Although we've pretty much been occupied with our own busy lives, we always make time for each other for special occasions. So when she invited me to join her and some friends at the Gladiator Rock'n Run Mud Run at the Rose Bowl on October 1, as intimidating as the idea was, I couldn't say no. We started the run with the odds already against us: we were hungry, thirsty, and the sun was glaring. We slowly made our way through the players' tunnel and were discouraged to find six rows of bleachers that we had to sprint up and down on. With our thighs burning we somehow managed to crawl through the mud tunnel, hopped over giant spools, climbed over a mountain of tires, and slithered under a muddy web. Caked with mud, we persevered over an 8 foot wall, dashed through giant swinging balls, and conquered several other obstacles before finally...