Like so many of our fellow citizens David and I got up at the crack of dawn on this beautiful fall day! But!!! Not to put the 40 pound turkey into the oven. Nope! We got up before the sun made it over the horizon to get ourselves down to El Paseo for the annual ritual that is our Turkey Trot. Since we bought our house here in the desert in 2005 I have only missed it once, in 2007, due to soft tissue damage (long story – which ended with David’s Chrysler 300 SRT8 in the junk yard…). The first year I ran it I was like a fish out of water as everyone seemed to know each other and I was the odd “tourist” out. How times have changed! Now I recognize most of the faces, know many runners by name as we train together on the track every Wednesday night, and even get high fives from the event organizer, who is now my coach, when I cross the finish line! The Trot itself is a short and sweet 5k and the sense of community and getting together with people from your neighborhood makes it an event not to be missed. And as almost every year the sun shone brightly on us and warmed up the finish line nicely just in time for the post race glow!

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Today’s Running Tip: Be thankful!

Be thankful for the fact that you are able to get outdoors every day and run! It is a true blessing that should always be remembered! Especially when your run or race does not go as planned!

22 years ago I celebrated my first Thanksgiving in this country. I spent it at Denny’s. Yes, the place that claims to be “Always Open”! And it was indeed!

I had just arrived “fresh off the boat” a month prior and really had not the slightest idea about this holiday. The concept of turkey, stuffing and the Macy’s parade was still as foreign to me as Pumpkin Pie. In fact I was so oblivious that I did not even know this was a holiday until I woke up that Thursday morning and realized my host parents were not leaving for work. Instead they were seated in front of the TV watching huge balloons pulled by humongous floats through the streets of New York City. I could not imagine anything more boring!!!

We lived in Chester Springs at the time, a small enclave about 30 miles north west of Philadelphia. Not much else was going on that day, which was OK as were packing to go out of town for the long weekend. Although I found it a bit odd that we had to watch the entire spectacle of the parade first before we could actually leave for our drive up north to Marlboro, Massachusetts – another exciting place! But by this time I had already learned that things worked a bit differently in my new home and I did not question intentions any longer. With my parents we would have been packed, the car loaded and the sandwiches and snacks prepared the night before in order to be on the road at the crack of dawn. Not here. We watched the endless parade, then started packing, and finally got on the road late afternoon. We took the scenic route through New York City, still buzzing from all the parading and since it was dinner time before we even hit the Massachusetts state line I got to enjoy my first Thanksgiving dinner at Denny’s. And no, I did not order their “Thanksgiving Special”.

When we finally arrived at my host parents friends’ house in Marlboro it was way passed late o’clock but it was then that I met Jacqui and Barry. Little did I know at the time that they would become friends for life! In fact as I was emailing Jacqui this week we were reminiscing about Thanksgivings past, many of which we have spent in each others company after we had all moved to California. If we had had a chance to look into the future back then on that cold Thanksgiving weekend in New England what would we have done with that insight? Let’s just say that it is probably a good thing that we couldn’t get a glimpse of what lay ahead, even though it worked out very well for all of us. We are definitely different people from the ones that met on that snowy driveway 22 years ago, trials and tribulations for all of us, highs and lows, that thing called “life”, allowed us to evolve. Jacqui and Barry live in Italy now, Tuscany to be exact (I KNOW!), and we do not get to spend as much time with them as we used to and want to but our friendship has endured and remains strong to this day. A friendship both David and I are grateful for. They are family!!!

So this week it is only fitting that I list the things I am thankful for this year and of years past:

Jacqui and Barry!!!
sunny skies
a roof over our heads
Nelson
my health
David’s health
clean sheets to sleep in every night
a solid marriage
the fact that the right person won the last Presidential election
having a meal every night
bananas
Facebook connections
memories of good times
my friend’s great opportunity in Japan (she is SO lucky to get to eat Japanese food every.single.day!!!)
my other friend’s clean bill of health
being able to start each day with a run
my iPhone (shallow? I don’t care!)
the morning ritual of drinking herbal tea
a fridge filled with food
my Welsh relatives
desert summers
being able to call myself a citizen of this great country

Today’s Running Tip: Run a local Turkey Trot!

If there is a Turkey Trot scheduled in your neck of the woods be sure to sign up and run it. Turkey Trots are usually 5-K races, easy to prepare for and great fun to get out in your community and meet up with other local runners. Not to mention the added benefit of burning some calories before sitting down for the Thanksgiving Feast!

Another Thursday has snuck up on us and Thursdays are reserved for the Runners’ Lounge, where like minded people gather to share stories about their obsession passion: running, training, racing, pushing through pain, giving it your all and finishing strong! And on this fabulous day, Kate is curious about the unconventional race:

What’s the most unconventional race you’ve ever run? Have you run a race like North Carolina’s “Take Pride in your Hide” naked race?

Does your local running group have “prediction runs” where everyone guesses their finish time, and the winner is the person who has the closest guess?

How about a Mud Run? If you could make up a wacky race, what would the twist be?

This had me thinking and then realizing that with all my mileage and all of the long and short races that have been run over the years I have actually never ventured out of the ordinary. And I don’t like this notion of ordinary! Not one bit! Of course the definition of “unconventional” can be taken in a narrow or broad sense and in case of the latter I guess I have run a few races that could fall into the “unconventional” category. Pier-to-Peak for one is definitely not a race I would define as ordinary. Climbing 3669 feet over 13.1 miles is anything but. A course so steep that at various points you can walk faster than you could run it and when you run it you understand why it is often called “the world’s toughest half marathon”. It is certainly not for the faint of heart but it is a ton of fun!

And then of course there is the Boston Marathon! I know, I know! Some might be of the opinion that it is “just” a marathon, but to me it is not exactly conventional. First of all, it is the only marathon for which you actually have to earn your entry. And you have to earn it by running another marathon previous to Boston and finishing that marathon within a certain time frame. Something many have tried and continue to try and continue to fail at. So it’s not that you can wake up one morning and decide that this would be a good day to sign up for Boston. No, Sir! You will first have to find a marathon that might qualify you to be amongst the chosen ones. And then you will have to train for that qualifying marathon in a way that will assure you not only cross the finish line but that you actually cross it in a time frame that is set by the honorable people at the Boston Athletic Association. If you come that far, and after you get your official finish time certificate, only then can you sign up for this, the most prestigious of all marathons. And once you get to Boston on race weekend you immediately know that this is no ordinary race! Chances are you will meet fellow Boston qualifiers on the plane and then continue to run into them throughout downtown Boston. I am usually no fan of Bean Town but on marathon weekend the air is vibrant with excitement and pride. And when you get to the enclave of Hopkinton on race morning, 26.2 miles west of Boylston Street and realize that you are surrounded by runners who worked just as hard to get there as you did you throw convention right out the window. Yes, it is that special!

With that being said I have to admit that although the above mentioned races are definitely not conventional in the strictest sense they are also not what one would call outrageous. There is no mud to slide on (if there was we would have a problem), no naked people have been observed (at least not yet), and no alcohol is involved (at least not officially). Maybe one of these days I will come across a race that is completely off the wall, and it does not necessarily have to involve mud or nudity as it has been done to death from what I read online. I would certainly not be opposed to participating in something extraordinarily adventurous. Until then I will stick with running in 100+ degree temperatures during our summer, which lasts from April until October. That should count for something.

Today’s Running Tip: Trail Running!

If you venture from road running to trails beware that trail running is usually harder on your body that running on the open road. Be sure to have the appropriate shoes and always tell a family member or friend where you are heading!

The following video needs no explanation:

Today’s Running Tip: Listen you your body!
With all the advice and countless tips out there on how to become a better runner it is easy to lose focus and try to do too much too soon, which can lead to injury. Instead try to do what it manageable and feels good. Always keep in mind that you probably started running to feel better, not to add more stress to your life!

“What is your favorite distance?” – ask ten runners and you will probably get ten different answers. Some of us are experts in just one distance, some of us prefer two or more, and the rest just like a variety of distances. Joanna, of  Yummie Running is asking us this very personal question in the Runners’ Lounge today:

What is your favorite race?  Do you live for the marathons or crave a 5k?

Would you rather race in the morning, afternoon, or at night?

Do you like big races with tons of people and encouraging crowds or do you prefer the smaller hometown races?

Personally I like the marathon the best. Not only is it the challenge of the race itself, it’s all about the training and discipline that comes with preparing for a 26.2 miles running event. There are the early morning long runs with like minded people who all have the same goal: crossing the finish line upright and maybe within a certain set time goal. There are the many days where you run twice a day in order to get your mileage of the day in, the weekly speed workouts on the track, the evening spent at home eating pasta and turning in early so you feel refreshed for the long run. Buying new running shoes five weeks before race day. The elated feeling after the last long run, knowing that the worst is really behind you and feeling confident once again that yes, you can do this! The taper weeks, where training gets just a little easier, the pressure just a little less but the intensity remains the same. The final day of rest, the final meal full of carbs (I don’t care what anybody says but I love them!), talking with friends about the race strategy. Then race day: getting up way before sun rise, trekking to the start line with all those pre race jitters and lining up, knowing that all the runners around you worked just as hard as you did to get here. And once the race is run, once the 26.2 miles are behind you and you cross the finish line, the ultimate reward of achievement! I love it! All of it! And the bigger the race the better, especially when the race does not take place in your home town. Since chances are you know very few people, if any, cheering strangers are the best motivation to push yourself along and the more strangers line up along the route the better.  I also love the idea of having 10s of thousands of runners along for the ride run! There is just something about being in a sea of people who are as passionate about running as you are.

I do prefer races that start early. You can bet that come race day I will be waking up before the crack of dawn anyway so I might as well get to the start line, run the race, and enjoy the afterglow for the rest of the day. The only race I ever run in the evening is the Nite Moves 5k, which also happens to be one of my favorite events. At Nite Moves it is all about the atmosphere. The same people show up every Wednesday night and try to beat their time form the previous week. It is “only” a 5k but a fairly difficult course that goes uphill for the first half. Afterwards there is food and beer from local restaurants and breweries, accompanied by live music from local bands, and everyone has a good time. When I lived in Santa Barbara I ran Nite Moves every other week and helped out with timing on alternate weeks I did not run. But no matter if I was in my running gear or street clothes I always looked forward to Wednesday nights in the summer.

Although my favorite distance is the marathon, my all time most favorite race is actually only 13.1 miles long and takes you from the famous Santa Barbara Friendship Dolphins Fountain at the edge of Stearns Wharf, past the “Queen of the Missions” and up Gibraltar Road to an elevation of 3996 feet and the majestic views at La Cumbre Peak. From the finish line you can capture the panaramic layout of the city, SB Channels and the Channel Islands and you can see where you started from 13.1 miles earlier. Pier-to-Peak has been mentioned on this blog numerous times. It takes place every year on the Sunday before Labor Day and is about the most fun as you can have running up a hill. A steep hill (Lance Armstrong uses this road to train for the Tour. Just sayin’!)! If you take it serious you are doomed, not to mention that you would miss out on all the fun realizing how ridiculous it really is what you are doing. Add to that the fact that the famously year round temperate climate of Santa Barbara usually gets hit by a heat wave on Labor Day Weekend, which just makes it all the more joyful. I am always happy running but I never smile and laugh as much during a race as I do running up to the peak. Maybe next year you will join me!

Today’s Running Tip: Incorporate races into your training!

Races that are shorter than your target race are a great way to get into the groove of racing, whether you are a beginner, training for your very first race, or a seasoned runner. Just as long as you use the race as a training run and don’t try to run for the win, injuring yourself in the process. If you are a beginner it will give you a glimpse into race day and what you can expect, from the pre race atmosphere to part-a-potty lines (believe me when I say it is good to experience this once before your big race so you can plan accordingly!), to race preparation in general. For more seasoned runners, races are always good for measuring your performance and fitness level before the big day.