Alright, so I’ve been gone for a crazy long ass time.

I don’t have a great reason for being MIA. There were no family emergencies. I didn’t win the lottery and pick up to travel the world. No, nothing like that. No friend drama. No drama of any kind. Nothing. When it comes down to it, I just didn’t have much to write about. My training was pretty non-existent for SFM.

How non-existent you ask? Here’s the breakdown.

May: 16.31 mi (base building?)
June: 12.32 mi (uhm, more base building? losing base is more like it!)
July: 6.47 mi, 19.57 (w/ SFM, for the MONTH)

Compare this to my training for LB 2008 when I set my last half marathon PR:

August: 32.6 mi (base building)
September: 55 mi (speed, speed, speed)
October: 9 mi (first 2 weeks of Oct, the 2 wks before LB), 22.1 (incl. LB)

Yeah….

I was basically averaging one run every two weeks while “training” for SFM. That’s pretty damn sad.

But what can I say? Even though the hills of SFM scared the bejeezus out of me, I just couldn’t find the motivation or the inspiration to get my ass into gear. Funnily enough, on the morning of the race, I felt nervous but confident at the same time because what few runs I did do were pretty solid despite my sad training cycle.

So, let’s get on with the race report!

You guys have already seen what little I did to prepare for SFM. Here’s the other stuff.

Pre-Race
I picked up my bib on Friday. The expo was pretty small, PACKED and hectic.

We didn’t get to stay long because we had to head over to Alameda for dinner at Sarah’s house. We were rushing out the expo doors when I remembered that I hadn’t picked up my CA Dreamin’ jacket yet. That was why I was doing SFM, afterall! To finally complete the last installment of a trilogy of coastal races.

Dinner was fantastic. It was so great seeing Sarah, Shane, and Jonah again. It was also a special treat to finally catch up with Virginia and James and meet their baby boy, JoJo. We left super late that night (2am!), with full bellies, happy souls, and me, with a huge bag full of books (hello, Hunger Games!).

Race Game Plan
I had to finish SFM in under 3 hours. I normally wouldn’t worry about this, but most of the half marathons I’ve done have been relatively flat. I was worried that the SF hills would kill my legs, plus I wasn’t training well. But even given all this, I still felt like a sub 3 hour finish was doable. Looking back now, I don’t know exactly where this confidence came from. Perhaps I was delusional!

My goal was to keep my pace evenly at 12:30 for the first 5-6 miles, then I was anticipating a slow down in the last half. In the end, I thought this would average out to be a sub-3 finish.

The Race
Before lining up at the start line, Christine and I waited in line for this hi-tech standalone bathroom that cleaned itself and washed the floors after each use. I’ve never seen anything like it before, but it took ridiculously long to do its cleaning. Each cleaning cycle took 45 secs. Ok, so it’s not THAT long. But when you have like 20 people in front of you and you have to get to the start line in 30 minutes, it feels like FOREVER. In the end, I guess it was better than using a port-a-potty.

The first 4 miles ticked off pretty quickly. Somewhere around 3-4 miles into the race, Christine caught up with me (she’s got some real running talent! More on this later). Running with Christine was unlike running with anyone else. The most RANDOM stuff happened to us!

Randomness #1: First off, Christine was running in completely new shoes. The shoes were not only brand new, but she had never used this particular brand before (Brooks), and they were a different type of shoe she was used to wearing (stability, instead of neutral). Leading up to the race, she was experiencing some right IT band issues. She bought an IT band velcro wrap, which helped a lot during her training runs but she felt that the neutral shoes, even with stability insoles, weren’t giving her enough support – so she got a pair of Brooks shoes in the stability category the week leading up to the race. Race day was the first time she used them

Well, it turns out those Brooks did NOT help in the support area and only led to her having issues with her left IT band on the day of the race. Yikes! So, throughout the race, we would either have to stop or walk slowly so that she could switch her IT band wrap from one leg to the other. She ended up having to switch the wrap about every mile to every other mile.

Randomness #2: While she was wrapping, either she or I would end up dropping random stuff on the ground. She dropped her water bottle a couple of times and her wrist band. She was constantly fiddling with her jacket, which kept falling off her arms (too hot for her to wear it). My mp3 player unclipped and swung precariously around, bounding on my legs, and yanking out my earbuds. At one point, while running on the bridge, her hat blew off and we stopped to chase it down. We were looking around frantically, hoping it hadn’t blown off into traffic or off the bridge. It was her favorite hat! All the while, it was stuck, hanging on her ponytail. LOL We must have looked SO STUPID. hahaha

Randomness #3: Around mile 10, Christine had to take a port-a-potty break. So, while she stood in line for one, I went to refill my bottle at the water station just a few feet away. I also drank some Cytomax – man that stuff is WAY too sweet!. About half a mile after that little pit stop, she drank out of her water bottle and started gagging. It turns out, she had dropped her water bottle while she was in the port-a-potty and she had forgotten! YACK! *shudders* Then she told me about how she hadn’t properly locked the door to the port-a-potty that well, so a little boy ended up walking in on her. ROFL

Randomness #4: As we were heading into mile 11, I looked down and saw that my skirt had fallen down to mid-thigh! I guess my compression tights were a bit slippery. I dunno how long I’d been pseudo mooning people. I quickly pulled up my skirt and relayed the story to Christine. We had a good chuckle about it.

Randomness #5: Christine did not know where any of the photographers were! I’d point one out, and she’d look the opposite direction. Then I’d point out that he’s on the other side and she’d look right beyond him! LOL Check these pics out.

Oh man, I can’t help but crack up thinking about this stuff!

We also made some pit-stops to take some pictures, because although this is a tough race, it’s also really scenic.

We were snickering at the picture when a nice guy ran by and offered to take a proper picture of us.

Then later on, as we were running the Golden Gate Bridge, we HAD to take some pics of us on the bridge bed!

After we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, it was allll hills til the very end. How were they, you ask?

The hills were pretty tough and I found that while my body was ok to run up them, I was mentally very weak. I think part of it had to do with my music selection that day. I didn’t have time to make up a playlist like I usually do, and all the songs came on at the wrong time. The other part was having the pressure of running with someone else who is way faster than you. I ran some hefty hills in the few runs I did. While they were tough and I would slow down a bit, I always managed to make it over them ok, without having to walk. I got pretty good with keeping track of my breathing and pacing myself so that I didn’t burn out early.

But while I was running with Christine, I pressured myself into trying to keep up with her, which was a terrible idea. I ended up burning out and having to walk more than I normally would.

I was spent at the end of the race. I didn’t even have it in me to sprint. My legs were burnt. I didn’t bring enough to eat with me so my stomach was eating itself. I just wanted to be done!

I managed to meet up with Chris at the food area and then later on, randomly ran into Kim, too!

Official Finish Time: 3:00:04

Maggie Garmin’s Stats:
Finish Time: 3:00:23
Distance: 13.35 mi
Calories Burned:1,502
Avg Pace: 13:28
Avg HR: 166

Christine’s friend, Thuy, met up with us after the race and we walked about 3 miles over to her place before hitching a ride to our place for a hot, hot shower. Man it felt good to get clean!

SFM was a great race. It was nicely organized, and it had some nice scenery. I just wouldn’t want to do it again. What can I say? I’m just not a hill-loving girl. Christine, on the other hand, LOVES hills and LOVES stairs! So, this is right up her alley =) I’m glad to be done with the CA Dreamin’ series. LB and Surf City will always hold special places in my heart with Surf City being my very first half marathon and LB being the culmination of months of hard work and a well earned PR.

But now, I can let them go for a while and look for new races to enjoy. I have the Rock n Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon to look forward to in October. I’ve already made my training plan for this race and for once, I’m looking forward to starting it. Then, the year will end with what will hopefully be my redemption marathon. I have CIM listed as my marathon for the year, but I’m toying with the idea of doing the Rock n Roll Las Vegas, mostly because it’d be a better destination race. There is more to see, do, and eat in Vegas than in Sacramento. The only negative thing (and a slightly big one at that), is that nearly 65-70% of the course is a complete snooze-fest.

What do you guys think? CIM or RnR Vegas? :)

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• Recovery and Progress
• Day 37: Tempo, I spit in thy face!
• Live and learn

The LURVE the RR running skirt I got 2 years ago. It’s the perfect length, it doesn’t ride up, and it has a handy little pocket on the inside where I keep my cell phone. It has seen me through a ton of long runs and races. Unfortunately, it’s getting a bit old and losing a bit of its shape.

Enter, the Nike Pacer Skirt.

I’ve been pining over this skirt for MONTHS now, ever since I first saw it on Raciel at the Long Beach Half Marathon. It’s just so stinkin’ cute! It has suck a flattering cut, and I think the little reflective dots on the sides are soooo cute.

And I think it’s pretty awesome that it has a zippered pocket on the back of the skirt.

I SO wanted this skirt, but with it retailing at about $60 (darn you Nike and your high price tags!), I just couldn’t bring myself to get it.

Well, I randomly did a search for it a few days ago and found that it was on sale, just about everywhere! The best price I found it for was $36, nearly half off! woo hoo!!! My heart sank, though, when I saw that the only sizes left were Large and X-Large. I’m normally a Medium. Drat. I struggled with it for a bit. But since return shipping was free, I decided to take a leap of faith and ordered it.

It arrived on my doorstep just two days later, just as I was rushing out to work. I brought it with me and tried it on once I got to work. It fit like a DREAM. I’m finally glad that Nike stuff runs a bit small ;)

I haven’t been this happy or excited about a purchase in a long, long time! I freakin’ love this skirt!

Review coming soon =) I plan to wear it during my 10 miler this weekend!

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In non-poop related news, I’ve been testing out the camera on my new phone (which I love, love, LOVE). Some random pics from today =)

This is one of the hefty hills I go up during my runs. It comes early on, and I go up this baby at least twice during any particular run. When I first started running, I couldn’t make it up running all the way. I’d always have to stop in the middle and take a walk break. Now, I can make it up running all the way through =)

These are some lip glosses I picked up from Bath & Body Works today. I’m almost done with my usual every day lip gloss, and wanted a change. These babies were buy 2, get 1 free, so they came out to $5 each =) I totally in LOVE the colors (Watermelon Sorbet, Plucked Grape, Whipped Vanilla). I opened up the Watermelon Sorbet and put it on the moment I got into my car. Then as I browsed through Road Runners, the sales girl commented that she lurved my lip gloss. w00t! What I like most about these glosses is that they’re not completely sheer. They give your lips a nice punch of color.

So far, I’m really liking the pic quality on my phone. You’ll prolly be seeing more pic updates on my Twitter account =D

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I went out for my 9 miler tonight, but sadly had to make my way home after 2 miles because my stomach started acting up. And by acting up, I mean rumbling and aching and violently threatening to push its contents out one end =P I know… TOTALLY TMI. I’m not sure what it was I ate that upset my stomach, but I haven’t felt this way since my first year of running, when I was experimenting with different race nutrition.

I have only one word for you: GU

I know some of you are huge fans of the stuff, but I personally can’t stomach it. After spending the last 3 miles of a run tightly clenching my butt for fear that I might shat my pants… haven’t touched the stuff since.

Anyway, since it’s already Tuesday, and I’m hoping to more steadily log more mileage during the rest of the week, I’ve decided to drop the 9-miler from my schedule. I’ll do a few short runs this week, then I’ll tackle my 10 miler on either Saturday or Sunday.

Hope everyone’s been having a poop-free running week!

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It’s been exactly one year since I did my very first marathon! My, how time flies. It actually feels much, much longer than just 1 year. I guess this type of pseudo-amnesia is what makes you sign up for more marathons ;)

I also just noticed that I did NOT post a single pic in my race report. *gasp!* How unlike me! So, here are a few pics to commemorate the day =)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. On tap for tomorrow: 9 miles.

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Jo Nisha was gifted with free tickets to Wango Tango while she was fundraising for Camp Ronald McDonald, and she was nice enough to invite me along to revel in Bieber fever… because although Usher was the main headliner for the show, it was pretty obvious from their deafening screams that 99.9% of the little girls and MILFs at the Staples Center that night, were there to see the Biebs.

Rest assured, our group fell into the 0.1% who went to heckle the crowd ;)

I now leave you with my Tweets from the night and some pics!

7:28pm: The screaming is deafening in here. Teenage girls got some crazy ass lungs!

7:33pm: Yes. I am ashamed to say I am at #wangotango. Couldn’t turn down free tickets =P

7:40pm: Adam Lambert and some borgs are dancing on stage now #wangotango

7:48pm:Adam Lambert is wearing MC Hammer pants. HOT! #wangotango

8:24pm:Celebrity sighting: David Hasselhoff with girls young enough to be his grand-daughters #wangotango

8:29pm: Haha @castorsosae is going in for a close up pic of hasselhoff. God he’s so old #wangotango

8:32pm: David hasselhoff dancing. Brain about to explode. #wangotango

9:13pm: Seeing some really interesting hoochie dancing tonight #wangotango

9:31pm: Bieber just came out. I am now deaf. #wangotango

9:38pm: Bieber’s got 4 asian brothas for his backup singer #wangotango

9:44pm: Bieber just tried to break dance. Nuff said. #wangotango

9:50pm: The guy is front of us is dancing to justin bieber like he’s in a hip hop video………… #wangotango

9:59pm: Guy next to me: i don’t get bieber. Me: i don’t get the guy in front of us lol #wangotango

10:15pm: Luda!! #wangotango

10:29pm: Hip hop white boy’s gf is even more entertaining to watch. She’s trying to dance like a sexy stripper. FAIL

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woo woo!

After a two week hiatus, I finally got my ass out there and logged in some much needed mileage. With only ten weeks left until the San Francisco half marathon, I started to panic! Finally! haha =) But it’s probably what I needed to get out there.

After a short nap, I got dressed and started on a newly mapped out route. It was peppered with some pretty steep hills throughout (I’m out to get you, SFM!), and it also covered some of my more familiar paths as well.

About 500ft into the run, I wanted to quit. I’ve been having trouble with my left shoulder. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but during most times of the day, it’s super painful. And during the first few minutes of running, it REALLY hurt. I wanted to just stop and go back home, but after two weeks of laziness, I didn’t want a failed run under my belt, too. So, I made a deal with myself. I promised myself I’d go at least a mile and if it was still really painful, I would call it a day. But if it went away, I’d keep going. About half a mile into it, the pain sorta melted away.

The pain resurfaced at around 4.5 miles in. I was able to shake it off, but it really came back strong during the last two miles and my form and my pace suffered from it.

Split 1: 12:26
Split 2: 12:26
Split 3: 12:57
Split 4: 13:49
Split 5: 13:13
Split 6: 12:59
Split 7: 14:08
Split 8: 14:44

Total Time: 1:47:09
Average Pace: 13:12
Calories burned: 799
Avg HR: 163

I brought my handheld (with nuun) and I chowed down two Shot Bloks (one at mi 3, one at mi 6). I wasn’t running too hard so I didn’t feel tapped out. I felt great during the whole run, except for my left shoulder. Gotta go get it checked out soon. Keep your fingers crossed that it’s not anything serious!

Welp! That’s all on the running front for me! Check back for some fun, non-running related updates, including re-living my teenie bopper days with Jo Nisha at Wango Tango. Did I contract Bieber fever? ;)

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Deserve what you ask?

The dreaded metal spatula.

I missed a full week of running! =((( What can I say? Work takes a lot out of me! But that’s still not a good enough excuse cause I could have fit in at least one run or maybe even two, but I instead chose to be a lazy ass. So, I must bear the brunt of it.

Perhaps I need a Mr. Ghoshdashtidar of my own to ride next to me and hit me if I don’t run… or to hit me when I’m not running when I’m supposed to lol

So, Raciel and I came up with some rules on what happens if we miss our runs.

• Miss 1 run: Mulligan
• Miss 2 runs: slap on the wrist… literally (j/k)
• Miss 3 runs: call out on Twitter!
• Miss 4 runs (or more): call out on Twitter and a $1 donation to a fund

I’m not at liberty to reveal the details of the fund yet, but I’m really excited to talk about it soon and it’s a good cause! =)

Welp, looks like I gotta light fire to my butt and get out there for some speedwork today :)

Happy running, everyone!

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