Quick review of On Cloudflow Running shoes

All of this past year, I have been trying out new running shoes and figuring out what works for my feet. Prior to this journey, I ran in Newton Distance Elites. I loved them but my running store stopped caring them and it was just getting much harder to get my hands on them.

I tried a variety of Nikes, Brooks, Hokas and I just couldn't find any shoes that gave me what I wanted and didn't make the balls of my feet burn after a few miles.

Yesterday, I tried the On Cloudflow for 4 miles on an asphalt trail. My legs definitely needed to get used to them as my legs felt a little sore during and after (but that could easily be chalked up to my strength training session the day prior). But overall, the responsiveness is exactly what I was looking for after such a long search!

This morning, I took these shoes on a 11 mile run. I was worried how they would hold up - if I would get blisters, hot spots or just overall discomfort. But this morning, they felt great! Lots of responsiveness and easy to wear. I will update more as I continue to run in these but for now I am so glad I tried out this new shoes brand!!!

Santa Rosa Marathon Recap

First Marathon Back after Baby!

Being a mama is hard work, ya'll! Its the most amazing job that I could ask for and I am so thankful to have such a spirited, high-energy, little boy. Because of my life and work obligations, I haven't felt that I had the time to train for a marathon until now. I had fought the mom guilt and it crushed me hard for a long time but now, I know for my own sanity and happiness, I need to carve out time just for myself. I feel that I am so much stronger for it! I followed my Impala racing team's 18-week  marathon training plan as well as the Crush the Marathon Train Like A Mother program. I chose to pay for the program because I wanted to chat with a like-minded community. Its a group of mothers who are also training for marathons while trying to balance the family-work-training life :) 

I can say I did a majority of my training plans. It was difficult with 3 summer trips (all involving flying) and just trying to stay motivated to do long runs alone. I admit that I did not follow the training plan to a T. I did my long runs super slow and I did not often do tempo or speed workout (at least not the amount that I used to do before my toddler was born). But I felt confident that I was going to complete the marathon. I was not confident at all that I would hit my A Goal pace (goal was to finish in 3:30 - slower than the previous 2 marathons but I felt obtainable with where I was at physically).

As for the marathon, it started out just as I had planned. The weather was cold and sprinkles (not my favorite but I assumed it would warm up and my muscles would warm up with it. The the first half, I was hitting my pace, I was feeling calm and I was smiling. I kept chanting to myself "I belong here". Through mile 20, I was still hitting 8:00/mile pace or faster...

Then I felt defeated and crushed once I got halfway through mile 20. I lost the woman who was running my pace with me the whole time. My hamstrings were shot and my glutes were so tight. I blame the cold and that I had not run further than 21 miles during my training. My body was thinking I was crazy! I ended up allowing myself a walk for a few minutes at the start of every new mile then pushed to "jog" until the next mile marker. It was rough! It was so hard. I wanted to give up! But I couldn't! I was determined to at least stay close to my goal. 

I finished the marathon and cried once I saw my husband and son! (My son was so excited to see me - cause he wanted to nurse! I plopped down a few feet from the finish line and just sat and nursed my little boy as I weeped). I finished in 3:38. I gave every bit that I could during that race! I was happy with my finish time but so disappointed in myself for not getting the time I wanted. But instead of letting that hurt me, I allowed it to burn my fire within. I was already signed up for the California International Marathon in December and I cannot wait to put it all out there and see what my body can do! I really believe its about my body knowing I could handle that distance and now I can work on crushing it!

And this time, I have a whole fleet of teammates hitting up this race and I am loving the training so far!

Don't call it a comeback

     My son recently turned 2 and it made me think about how this entire time i have been so hard on myself to get to my pre-baby shape and speed. Getting back to shape was easy since I became a body pump instructor. But getting my running speed back is a continued struggle. 

     I read about moms who had their babies and became faster runners than they ever were before. I imagined using my new found pain tolerance to my advantage. Little did I know that this was not in the cards for me. Trying balance my family, full-time and part-time jobs, and find the mental capacity to focus on running is tough! I remember the 2-a-day workouts Pre-baby and myself pushing deeper into the pain cave. I loved those days! But I'm so far removed from that. I am working hard to get back there but I'm allowing myself the time to do it. 

     It's a constant battle in my head. I should be faster. I used to be faster. It's so much negativity! Instead, I need to give my body the appreciation it deserves. Yes, it brought me to an Ironman 70.3 world championship but it also created the most amazing little boy I could have asked for. The human body is an incredible thing and I can't wait to see what else I can do with it!

     My current goal is to run. Run a bunch of races to remind myself of the joy of toe-ing the line and pushing to see what my best is for that day. I'm using my summer to build and strengthen for the Santa Rosa Marathon. And after that, join my teammates at The California International Marathon. 

     I know I placed lots of expectations on myself but I'm at a point that I want to push my body and mind. I don't want to hold back. There is more that this momma can do and I can't wait to find out what that is!

My son is my inspiration

My son is the happiest when he is running 😁

For so long, I let myself give the excuse that I am not running to the ability that I wish I were I'm because I had my son. I sit at home with my son thinking that I can't leave him to go on a run cause he will miss me. This is my mom guilt. Though I know I want to run and need it to achieve my goals, I feel that my constant presence is equivalent to my love. I know this is not true and that we will both be the happiest when we both get what we need. So today, after I had already decided I would run tomorrow, my son and husband feel asleep on the couch (for a nap), there was no longer an excuse. I was already wearing my clothes (cause that's the first step, right?) and just threw on my shoes. I got out and ran. It felt beautiful. I felt happy that I was talking my steps towards my goal!

My son is  not my excuse, he my inspiration. I want to be the happiest and healthiest that I can be. I want him to see me training hard to reach my goals. 

2018 Race Schedule

2017 was a year of newness. My husband started a new job, I started a new job and my son started daycare. Trying to keep up with training on top of all of these changes was too difficult than I was willing to accept. Training for a marathon was draining. I was adjusting to the struggles of work (after taking a year for maternity leave) and trying to make sure my son got as much Mommy time as I could give, they whatever energy I had left went to running miles. My mind, body and heart were not ready to train the amount that I knew I needed to put in for the results that I wanted. So instead, I made the decision to focus on letting myself happy. I trained with my team for enjoyment and ran on weekends to stay sane. I am so happy with choice I made. But now, 2018 has started and I'm ready to give it my all!

On top of teaching at my new high school, I have also become a bodypump instructor (and am working on my cycling certification) - and absolutely love it! 

2018 Race Schedule

• January Pacifica Foothills Trail Half Marathon
• February 4: Kaiser Half Marathon
• March 11: Reach for a Start 5k
• April 8: SACTown 10 miler
• April 15: Napa HITs Olympic Triathlon
• May 6: Danville Mile of Truth
• June 24: One Mile Bang
• August 26: Santa Rosa Marathon
• December 2: CIM Marathon

Quick catch up on life

I've been away from my blog for far too long. Since I have not been racing much, I felt I didn't have much to say. But now I realized I still have many opinions and knowledge, it's just the topics have been adjusted.

Rather than line up my calendar with races each weekend, I am working on being more focused on fewer races and hoping for greater output. But along with that, I've realized that I have to learn about BALANCE. As a new mom, I'm trying to take care of my son as well as take care of myself and continue to have a loving relationship with my husband. 

So with that, I can't train twice a day the way I used to. Not can I just wake up and go running or biking. Everything has to be well-planned and scheduled. This has made me very cognizant of my time. 

This year I have been very fortunate to get the opportunity to stay home with my son throughout the day (all thanks to my husband). I am so thankful that I get to wake up and spend my entire day with him. I know that my own training will further be adjusted once I return back to work at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year but I look forward to growing as an athlete and a mother. 

Things that I love right now:

• My beautiful family

 

• The YMCA and their child care service YKids. This has been so essential to my training! My son can play at the Y while I go for a run, swim a few laps or take a cycling class! 

• Baby boot camp. This great company runs a program about 1.5 miles from my apartment. Having something like this on my schedule got me in a routine of getting out of the house with the little man, in the sun and focusing on getting my strength back! 

• Cloth diapers and cloth wipes! I felt like I was causing so much waste every single day from all of the diaper changes that we had! I finally decided to cloth diaper my little boy and I am so glad that I did! I'll definitely have to do a video of our routine some day!

Pregnancy Sacrifices

31 Weeks Pregnant

After coming back from the Philippines, I had an incredibly hard time trying to get back into running. I just couldn't figure out why my body was not allowing me to run without making me feel winded. My hubby chalked it up to my body still recovering from IM Philippines. I, on the other hand, swore that I had to be pregnant. Why else would I be having such a hard time?

Two weeks later, after many tests, it was confirmed that I was indeed pregnant! I was ecstatic! I could not wait to be a momma and I couldn't wait to love my child. I also had high hopes of becoming one of those pregnant women I've read so often about - a pregnant runner!

At first, it was mentally tough to deal with my pace constantly slowing each week. Other women online were able to maintain a great pace. I was not expecting myself to win any races but I was at least hoping to stay relatively close to my previous standards. But soon after, my body just wouldn't allow me to run. My body was not even getting much bigger but with the intense pain I was feeling and the occasional spotting, I knew I should put up my running shoes. This was incredibly hard for me to do. I love running. Running keeps me feeling calm and just feeling like me. But I was willing to hold off on that to ensure my baby got the chance to grow big and strong.

The next thing to go was cycling. Typically, I would ride my bike through 7 miles of hilly San Francisco to get to work. I loved riding my bike to work everyday! But once I got to about 21 weeks pregnant, I had a conversation with my husband and he was worried about the dangers of riding through the city. He was confident in my riding abilities but we can't always trust that cars would see us (cause I've had many close calls riding to and from work). So that was a tough decision but easy to agree on.

Losing cycling and running was really hard. I cried often from not feeling like myself. I didn't have the same outlets that I used to have. Both of these sports were also how I attained my social needs. I had friends who I always worked out with! (Like how some people have weekly brunch gatherings, I would have weekly cycling or running outings!) Dealing with this loss has been (and still is) a struggle for me. Those were 2 of my passions! I felt so free, independent and strong! Even just seeing people cycle or run across the Golden Gate Bridge has been really tough for me to handle. I miss it so much.

But I know this is only temporary! (I hope anyways!) I hope once my baby comes, I will be able to share with him the joys that I have of being outside and embracing such simple pleasures. I've even got my Thule jogging stroller ready just for him :) Well, and me!


In the meantime, I had to find other outlets for my exercise needs. I found comfort in swimming a couple times a week. Swimming has been a lifesaver, especially as I have gotten bigger, the weightlessness feels great! It also doesn't hurt that it feels incredible to pass others in the pool (when everywhere else in my life I have just gotten so much slower!). But my main sources of exercise have been walking, prenatal pilates, prenatal fit and prenatal yoga. These classes have been great in helping me develop strength while making sure I continually focus on the life growing inside of me. They provide modifications for whatever stage of pregnancy you are in. There has even been a great comfort in spending time with other women who are also expecting. The Pad has been such a fantastic resource for me! Many of their prenatal instructors are also doulas and have so much knowledge to share about the pregnancy experience.

So even though my life has greatly changed over the past 9 months, I am trying to take each step in stride and embracing the joys of being pregnant.

Hiking in Napa at 7 weeks pregnant - and I throught I was getting bigger! haha What was I thinking?! Little did I know how big I could get!

Felt like I broke my foot... Doctor said the baby gave me gout! Who knew this could happen in pregnancy?!

My wonderful family threw the most amazing baby shower for our little cowboy!

Hiking at 38 weeks pregnant. Continuing to get lightning bolt stabbing pains while walking but now with the addition of painful contractions. No one warned me about how painful pregnancy could be!

2016 Update

Its been an incredibly long time since I last posted! Many things have occured since my last post and i'll just list them here:

• I got scuba certified! I wanted to make sure I got the opportunity to explore the amazing sea life in the Philippines.

Scuba Certification through San Francisco Scuba School

• My hubby and I went on our honeymoon in the Philippines! We covered ground in Cebu and Palawan (specifically El Nido).

• The first thing we did in Cebu was stay at the Shangri-La (host hotel for Ironman Philippines 70.3). Incredible place and the most amazing staff! They make every single competitor feel like they are a professional athlete! The customer service we received throughout the Philippines was absolutely superb! 

The day we arrived it rained but it felt great with all of the humidity.

Enjoying some coffee and snacks before heading up to our beautiful room at the Shangri-La Cebu.

• By Sunday, the sun came out and graced all of the IM athletes with some strong humidity! It was so hot!!! Thank goodness I had been mentally and physically training for intense heat and humidity! 
• IM Philippines Cebu is by far my favorite race I have ever competed in! The entire experience was incredible! I teared up from all of the support the community showered each of the athletes as we travelled through town on bike or on foot.
• I was even more teared up when I found out I got 2nd place in my age group!!! My time was even fast enough to take 3rd place overall amateur female! Guess all of that training really did help!

2nd Place in 30-34 age group and qualified for IM World Championships 70.3!

• The rest of our honeymoon was spent in El Nido, Palawan. First, our Tao Excursion followed by a beautiful stay at the Apulit El Nido resort.

• After an incredible 2015 full of checking off items from our bucket list, we found out that we were pregnant! We are extremely excited to be welcoming a little boy into our tiny family in May 2016 :)

"Thank You Run" 10k trail run Thanksgiving Day - 17 weeks pregnant

TIUX Compression Socks Review

I am so excited that I got the opportunity to review these super cute TIUX compression socks! I used these for during a training run, recovery after a hard workout and on a plane.

During my Training Run:

I don't typically wear compression socks during long training runs or races but for shorter races I love them. They help keep my legs and keep my confidence high in my legs stability. These TIUX compression socks did all of that! One of the major benefits of these socks in comparison to other compression socks is the material around the toes, sole and heel. In my other compression socks, due to the tight material, my toes always felt so squished and cramped. The bottom material of these Tiux compression socks is so soft and comfortable! My toes had room to move!!! 

The compression didn't feel crazy tight but they were nice. But again, I don't typically wear compression socks unless its really cold and need to warm up my legs. 

For Recover:

Though I don't usually wear compression socks for my training runs, I LOVE wearing compression socks for recovery! After a really fast and strong track work out, I put these babies on and let them do their magic. 

While wearing these socks, I felt (1) SUPER CUTE! and (2) comfortable compression! Because of the soft, purple material on the bottom of these socks, I was able to walk around with so much ease! I was getting my recovery compression that I wanted without the crampiness of my toes :)

The true testament to these socks was when I woke up the next morning. My legs felt fresh! And really, that's all that I am looking for in a pair of compression socks :)

On the Plane:

This past weekend, I took a red eye to New York for a wedding. Wearing compression socks on a long plane ride is a must! Without compression socks, a 5-hour plane ride leaves me with fat, swollen feet! 

These socks comfortably fit under my skinny jeans and without the slippage in my shoes. I left the Delta plane ride feeling limber, rested and (the most important) without swollen feet! :) The purple material on the bottom of the socks made these really easy and comfortable to wear (I can't say enough about that!).

Overall:

The TIUX Compression Socks are great! 

- Super cute! Cause obviously, if these were ugly, I'd never wear them!

- Sturdy compression - not squished but enough for a good, rested morning the next day

- Best part: The comfort of the toe/sole/heel material!!!

Smith Pivlock Arena Sunglasses Review + Smith Pivlock V2 Nose Piece Black (Asian Fit) Review

Its been a few weeks out since I received my pair of Smith Optics Pivlock Arena Sunglasses.

Before purchasing these sunglasses, I had been on a mission to find sunglasses that fit my face :) The bridge of my nose is smaller than that of others' so finding a properly fitted pair of glasses has been a long process. Not until I tried on a pair of sunglasses with a special nose piece did I realize that I had been wearing sunglasses "wrong". My sunglasses were always held up by my cheeks! My husband always wondered by I wore my sunglasses so low - but obviously his nose never had him deal with the same struggle!

My first fitted pair of sunglasses were the Tifosi Tyrant. I was so excited for these! Not the coolest looking glasses but they were so much more comfortable! I was better able to keep wind and sand out of my eyes!!! This was a new feeling since wearing sunglasses held up by my cheeks let in unwanted dust and debris when I rode my bike. While functional, these sunglasses did not look as cool as I wanted... cause, you know, if you look good, you will feel good - which makes you much stronger when out riding! FOR REAL!

During the Palm Springs Training Camp this past March, I was in awe of my friend's sunglasses. They looked soooo profesh! She mentioned that the Smith Optics Pivlock Arena Sunglasses were awesome because the nose piece was adjustable. I tried them on and I was instantly won over!

Vanessa, a super sweet and awesome friend, ordered me a pair and I was so excited to look amazing on the road! Unfortunately, the nose piece did not perfectly fit my nose bridge :( I was looking forward to the adjustability to accommodate my needs but sadly I was left with another pair of sunglasses that would be ill-fitting...

THEN!!! I found the Smith Pivlock V2 Nose Piece "Asian fit". Although I had the Pivlock Arena Sunglasses, I was hopeful that the nose piece would still work. I ordered it and was delivered the nose piece very quickly! I was worried that the style would not be compatible but fortunately it worked!!! Now, I have a fantastic pair of sunglasses that actually fits my face! I can't tell you how excited I was to finally wear some cool looking sunglasses that stayed up on my nose bridge!

fyi: my pink helmet is not actually this faded - it just looks that way in the pic! 

So, for any type of nose out there, I would highly recommend these Smith Optics Pivlock Arena Sunglasses! (and if you have the same nose bridge as me, definitely check out the Smith Pivlock V2 Nose Piece "Asian fit"!) Not only will they fit your face and look awesome, Smith Optics gives you 3 different replaceable lenses! One clear, one amber tinted and one tinted color of your choice!

*I purchased these sunglasses on my own and am in no way sponsored by Smith Optics - but if you want to be my sponsor, get at me! :)

Who did i think i was, Lance Armstrong?!

Leading up to the weekend, I was nervous for the fact that I wasn't nervous for my upcoming race. I had this master plan in my mind that doing the Boston Marathon then following it up with Wildflower 70.3 twelve days later would be great mental and physical training for Ironman Philippines 70.3 Cebu (coming up in August).

My husband and I arrived at the campsite midday Friday and set up camp. We absolutely love camping, so this weekend was an opportunity for us to enjoy 2 of our loves. The weather was beautiful and not as strenuous as previous years so I had a sense of excitement for a solid race.

The start of the race was pretty calm. I loved getting the chance to geek out when I saw 3-time Wildflower champs, Jesse Thomas and Heather Jackson, setting up their bikes. It was also great to see Yu Hsiao before the race. Just following his journey toward becoming an elite athlete has been so fun to witness (he did fantastic at the race by the way!) I had a great time getting ready with my husband and helping him strategize his day. It was such a good spirited, fun morning. Maybe it was the fact that I had been telling myself this was just a training race or that I had told myself not to expect much knowing that I just put my heart out on the Boston course less than 2 weeks ago. Either way, the swim began and I felt calm - not typical for me as swimming creates anxiety. The water conditions were exponentially better than last year's swim (which was black and muddy). But while this swim was calm, I had to really adjust my stroke since early on, I was having pain in my hip flexors. The pain was manageable so I just focused on keeping a calm pace. I finished with lots of energy and ran my way up the ramp.

BTW, I positioned my run transition stuff as far up as I could since having my transition stuff at the bottom of the ramp last year led to a really long run up the ramp. Breaking things up made a huge difference in how I felt. Again, could also be how calm I felt and made decisions such as sitting down and taking my time to get everything and catch my breath. But those actions lead to a strong 2.2 mile run to the bike transition area.

I was eager to get to my bike. My bike is typically my strength. I love crushing it on the bike, especially at Wildflower. But this day, my body was off.  I continued to feel pain in my hip flexor with every foot stroke. This was exaggerated when I was in the aero position, which was tough since I needed to be stay in that position since there was consistent headwinds throughout the day. I usually love the Wildflower bike course but this time I was in a dark place. I was worried that this type pain was the injury kind that if I do too much to it, it can possibly take me out of commission for a few weeks. I kept asking myself "WTF was I thinking? I just ran a marathon and now I'm doing Wildflower long course? Who did I think I was, Lance Armstrong?!" That, I am not! And this race let me know that!

By mile 30 of the bike, I let out a tear or two. Adjusted my race goal of a podium finish and reminded myself that this was supposed to be a practice race. It hurt watching a few ladies pass me but I just had to suck it up. There's no gain in this for me if I injure myself just to keep up with them. I decided to keep riding and hope for the hip flexor pain to go away during the run portion of the race.

Also, in the midst of this race was the excitement of the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight. So, whenever I needed a boost, I would sing Lupang Hiniran (the Philippine National Anthem) and think of what Pacquiao would do. That really helped me push through :)

Nasty Grade was not as terrible as it has been in past years but I'm sure it's because leading up to this point, I took the previous miles at an easier pace and then I was off on the run.

I was looking forward to this run! Finally, a leg of the race that didn't hurt my hips! I reminded myself that this race was meant to challenge my mind and body. I needed to accept the heat and learn how to move past it. I worked on keeping my heart rate low and continue moving at a good pace. There were some uphills that just aggravated my calves and ankle, so I walked.  Still, I'm happy with my run. It wasn't as fast as I know that I am capable of but I am glad that I pushed through most of it and felt strong especially in the last 4 miles.

Overall, I am happy with what I was able to pull off that day. This was my fastest Wildflower long course time (6:02) but it makes me eager to come back knowing that I can do so much more if I made this a priority race! I ranked 10th  in my age group and 26th overall female. The race was fun and I was incredibly excited to get the chance to cheer on my husband as he finished his first long course Wildflower! I am so proud of him and I was in tears thinking of how much he was able to push through for this race!

So, if there is a lesson to be learned here, it would be, think twice before signing up for a marathon and a challenging half ironman twelve days apart :)

We did it!

Great Share from Runners World Magazine

A few years ago, I used to think that my body was not a marathon runner's body nor a triathlete's body, so I always accepted that I just wouldn't be fast. Once I decided that my body was and is perfect for me and my sports, I have been able to get faster and am amazed of the abilities that I once thought I was incapable of!

Boston FIERCE RACE NAILS!!!

My Race Nails for Boston! Fierce as a Cheetah! 

Wet and Windy Boston 2015 Race Report

The Boston Marathon!!!

I remember back in high school, while playing on the tennis court, I would see the cross country kids start off on their long run and always thought "those guys are crazy!" "why would anyone like running like that?"

Airport photo as Patrick was fixing the camera (it was still on timer mode)

Oh how times have changed! hahaha Now, after years of dreading the final leg of triathlons, I have finally found a love for running! And somehow, with the amazing support of my coach, training partners and unconditional love from my husband, I qualified for Boston. 

Saturday morning in Boston - right after a red eye flight - super sleepy yet excited!

Last year, I was in so much shock that I qualified that I told myself that I just wanted to enjoy this race. Its Boston! I made it and just want to take it in. It was also my way of lowering my expectations of myself. But as training began this year, I found myself really embracing the training and built up confidence.

Super stoked to be at the expo!!!

Official swag!

The 2 week taper before Boston was truly the toughest part. I never really followed a taper plan before, I used to have taper week and just did nothing! Guess thats not really a taper, thats a drop off of training :) I was worried that if I worked out too hard or too much that my legs wouldn't feel loose for the race. But, fortunately, I had my coach telling me to get off my butt and do my workouts. I followed my training plan as close as I could, did an easy 2 miler the day before with my hubby and by Marathon Monday, my legs felt great! Its just worrisome thinking about the amount of fitness I was potentially losing from those 2 weeks - thankfully, my body loved the break and I felt fantastic for the race!

Just hanging with Elite runner, Amy Hastings. Just a normal day ;)

New fave: Desi Linden! 4th Place @ Boston 2015 (and fastest American woman), 2nd @ Boston 2011!

Autographs!!!

Days leading up to the race, well lets be honest - it was months, I was tracking the weather patterns in Boston. Everyone warned that the weather in Boston is unpredictable! The weather just kept changing! Even the week of the race! Accuweather was saying that the rain would be days before the marathon... then the day after... and on April 19th, it was saying rain on Monday, April 20 starting at 11am. Well, thats just 35 minutes after my wave start time :/ 

Leading up to the race, I changed my mindset. If it was going to rain, I decided that I just wanted to go out there and enjoy it. Its Boston, I might as well soak it all up!

Race outfit & Post-Race Outfit - Oofos Sandals are AMAZING!
(also thin socks and aquaphor = no blisters!)

I had about 3-4 hours of sleep, so I was exhausted! Nerves kept me up! I ended up listening to some meditation that calmed me down and I was knocked out.

4:30am! I can't believe the hubsters let me wake him up this early!

Morning came, I downed a bowl of oatmeal, a bit of coffee and loaded up the car with my husband. He dropped me off about a quarter of a mile away from the bus loading area (that was as far as the police would allow cars to go) and in a last minute decision, I threw on my super cute new vest. I was too cold and the rain was just getting to me. I knew that I needed it. And if it was too warm, my husband said I could leave it with him at mile 17.

I got to the bus loading area and found my friend, Diane. She is an amazing runner and I have been in awe of her abilities for the last year that I've known her! It was so great starting the race with her! She gave me so many tips, which in the end helped me out so much! I know the most helpful part was actually doing the race with her! 

The bus loading was so organized and quick! They were diligent about all safety precautions but they made the search extremely efficient. The bus ride was great! It was nice to just sit and talk. I am sure if Diane wasn't with me, it would have been so much more nerve-wrecking! The others around me were super nice as well. We all were slowly trying to embrace the cold and imminent rain. 

Me and Diane in our ponchos and layers as we entered the Athletes Village

Once at the Athletes Village in Hopkinton, we got to business quick, PORTOPOTTIES! errr port-o-johns as the east folk call em. Its a really calmer to know that you dealt with that business ahead of time so you dont have to worry about any stoppage during the race. Unfortunately, it was not the time! So instead, I grabbed a cup of coffee and found a nice spot on the ground to relax before our wave was called. The ground was so cold that Diane and I foraged for some leftover scraps from the first wave of runners who had just left the tents. We scored big with a cardboard box and 2 mylar blankets! With such items, we created a makeshift bed :) It was much warmer than sitting directly on the floor. We bundled ourselves up like 2 burritos and tried to think warm thoughts until we had to get up and go. This whole situation could have easily been super nerve-wrecking but again, having a friend to experience this with help TREMENDOUSLY! 

Once it was our time to go, we made one last potty break, and this time it was a success and I felt ready to go! (sorry, TMI!). Diane made sure that I didn't get too ahead of myself during the warm up. She reminded me that the start was still a quarter of a mile away. There were folks running to the start line but she said that it was not necessary. And she was right! We got to our corral start, chatted with some of the other runners and in no time we were off! The start was a complete blur. It seemed to just go by so quickly! The crowds were there cheering us all on and I smiled as a tear fell. I was really there! 

The first 5k was mainly downhill. Diane told me to try to keep a high cadence and short strides. We held back our time knowing that this was a tricky course. Many people go out really fast during the first 10k because of the downhills but they pay for it once they hit Heartbreak Hill at mile 21. The rain was definitely coming in and I was feeling chilly. Diane even kept her plastic poncho on for at least 6 miles! 

Wet and cold wont stop us! #BostonStrong

Vest was my last minute purchase... but I must say it completes the ensemble :)

I don't know how but this race just seemed to go by really fast! I was amazed that the mile markers were popping up so soon. It may have been the fact that the crowds were out, even though the weather was dreary. They made each mile seem easy! It was funny how at mile 12 or so, a woman told her friend "enjoy the quiet calm now cause once we hit Wellsey College, its going to be loud all the way to the end!" And boy was she right!

One tip that really helped me out was the placement of my family. I knew that my husband, mother and father in law, brother in law and his girlfriend would be somewhere at mile 17. And knowing that, it pushed me through those middle miles where I could have easily slowed down. Having them there at that point in the race helped me push through. It makes the course seem shorter since I had my own landmarks to get to. I also knew that once I saw them, I only had 9 miles to go! 

Once I hit mile 17, I was searching for them. There were so many people! It was so hard! I ran on the right side, hoping that they would be visible or at least they would see me coming. With all of those people running in the same pack as me and with the rain coming down, I knew it was going to be difficult. Fortunately they saw me (Kerry spotted my super bright orange vest!) but i was going a bit too fast that I just passed them and just jumped for joy that I saw them! I wish I had thought to stop and give my husband a hug but when I am running, I am a rocket not a rocket scientist :)Anyways, seeing my family there was so exhilarating! I was pumped for miles after that! 

Do you know anyone that looks this happy during a race? :)

Another tip: Know where they hand out GUs. I knew they were handing them out around mile 17, so I made sure to have the 2 Honey Stinger gels that I packed at mile 12 and 16. This went well with how I practiced in my own training. When I found the Cliff Bar Gel station, I took one and kept it in my hand for a good mile or two. I didn't want to put it in my back pocket because my hands were frozen. At mile 16, when I tried to pull out my last honey stinger, I almost couldn't get it because my hands were immobile. So once I got this GU, i just held it until I felt I needed it. By mile 20, I knew Heartbreak Hill was approaching so I tried to rip open the Gel with my teeth but the handle broke off. I tried the other side and the rest of the tab fell off. So, No Gel :( No use in getting worried though. They had gatorade every mile, so I just utilized those. One sip of gatorade at every other aid station was good enough for me, especially with the cold weather we had. 

Heartbreak Hill came. I was cold but I was feeling strong. I love running up hills so I felt good pushing a bit. I lost Diane here but I knew that she was a strong runner and was likely right behind. I wanted to just focus on my stride going up this hill. People were cheering all along the climb and it felt amazing! I got to  a man holding a sign saying "top of Heartbreak Hill" and I was so confused... that was it? that was not much of a hill! Compared to the hills I've been training on in San Francisco and Marin, Heartbreak Hill was a breeze! That boosted my confidence (as well as confusion) and I knew I basically had just 5 miles left! I had researched the elevation chart before the race and knew last 5 miles looked basically down hill. There were some rollers here and there but I knew, I was in a good place. 

Last year, at mile 22 I bonked. I just told myself that I needed to just make it through. I was stopping to walk every half mile and was dreading each step. I feared this was going to happen again at this race! You just don't know how your body will react after 22 miles. Fortunately, my body felt amazing! I wanted to run my heart out but the fear of reaching that bonking point kept me at a smarter pace. I am still learning about my body and how much I can push it. I wanted to make sure to finish the race and i just didn't want to be stuck on the side lines by pushing too hard these last couple miles. 

As I checked out my watch, I saw that I actually had a chance at winning the bet I had with my coach. I had a 10 minute handicap. And if he was having a rough day and I was feeling great, I could actually win! Well, that must have gotten me to have a jolt of energy because with 3 miles left, I picked up my pace and was feeling my strongest of the entire race! I ran past the amazing crowd. I ran past boys running without their t-shirts. I just ran! I even got to run past Team Hoyt in the second to last mile. Their journey inspires me and really pushed me to the end! I turned onto Boylston Street and could see the finish line. I was running really well but I looked to my left and the crowd was roaring! I couldn't believe how amazing this could feel. I wanted to run in but I also wanted to soak in that moment. I took a breath of that incredible feeling then ran into the finish line! I finished with a time of 3:19:33! I PR'd by 8 minutes! I don't know why or how my body held up like that! But I am realizing now that last years time was not a fluke (I was really worried about that). I had the most unbelievable support for this marathon. My training friends, my coach, my friends (especially at the high school), my family, and my husband kept me going this entire training season. Everyone believed in me, which really helped when I would be down on myself and worried about my own abilities. I have the most amazing people around me and they really help me better myself every day! The course was fantastic! My entire Boston experience was phenomenal! And I can't wait to can come back!

This actually happened!

I was SOOOOO HAPPY at this point! The cold hadn't set in just yet!

Oh, and one last thing: After the race, the cold really started to set in! It was cold during the race but once I stopped moving, I was unbelievably cold! I was soaked by the rain, my body temperature dropped quickly and the mylar blankets they gave us kept getting blown up from the wind. It was a miserable walk to the family meeting area. We literally looked like zombies roaming through the streets trying to find our way out. People kept saying congratulations and I could only say thank you as I gave a chattering smile. My body was shivering so uncontrollably! Thankfully, right after I exited the runners gates, my husband found me! He rushed over so fast!!! (They were at mile 17 and rushed to the finish line for me!!!) I was so excited to see him and wanted to tell him all about my race but I was also so eager to change my clothes! He had all of my layers ready and I just changed right there in the street (under my mylar blanket of course). My fingers were not functioning, so Patrick had to help me put my clothes on (while also making sure I didn't flash anyone - but by that point, who really cares?!). Once I had my layers on, my wet shoes off and my head covered I was set! After about 10 minutes, I felt fantastic again! Soon after, we hopped on the train and rode down to where our cars were located. The trains even let the runners ride for free!!! The city of Boston really made me (and all my fellow runners) feel like celebrities for a weekend! One of the most incredible experiences of my life :) 

Shout out to my mother and father in law, brother in law and Kerry for making this trip so calm and supportive!
Such a wonderful time in New England!

The Montani Family in Boston! I got to crack my first lobster on Sunday! And I am pretty sure that lobster made me stronger! :)

Post race eating with my love!