RunsGiving Fun!

I hope everyone had a fabulous time with your families for Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving! Honestly, I don’t care much about the never ending amount of food I seem to consume on the day, but I do love a Turkey Trot themed race! I feel so blessed to live in an area where there are plenty of Turkey Trot races to choose from.

This year I participated in the Little Known Turkey Trot in Placerville. This is truly a grassroots, no frills race. At the “start line” there were two tables. One includes coffee and lite fare, the other table is a donation box. There are no shirts, no bibs, no chip timing, and no prizes. But there are chalk lines and pictures to represent the start, and turn around points for the one mile, 5k, and 10k distances. There is also a community of healthy happy people getting together to show support. All proceeds made were donated directly to the organization.

Thanksgiving morning with Rob & Cara

1st 5k Finishers posing with Dave the RD

I first heard about the no frills event from my swing dance instructors who told me that this would be the 5th year of the event. I am so glad they mentioned this to UMM and I as it was such a fun event to be apart of! And while this was an untimed event, Penny and I finished the 5k first female and pup, or if you would rather - 1st Bitches! UMM and my friend Cara finished the 10k first male and female and Rob came in 2nd! But who was really paying attention right? It was a lovely community event that I hope to be apart of next year.

Our lovely swing dance instructors

Friends Marnie & Cara

Rob doing the knee pop...No idea where he came up with that one! :P

Saturday was Trail Run day. UMM and I woke up super early and headed out to the Auburn Running Company to do a fun meetup run with Max King. Montrail was the sponsor and everyone who participated got free socks and water bottles. There was also a raffle for a free pair of Montrail shoes and spoiler alert - UMM won! While I have run the trails in Auburn a handful of times before, I am still just learning and exploring all the fabulous terrain out there. I ended up just running five miles and UMM around 8. It was a beautiful chilly morning and I regret not getting any pictures to document the fun morning.

Photo courtesy of the Auburn Running Company before we headed out on the trails

After the Auburn Running Company event we headed home, where we both took a quick nap and drove out to El Dorado Hills for the Trails to Ales event. This run started and finished at the Mraz Brewing Company which I had never been before. The run was around Folsom Lake on trails, but I did a loop which consisted of trails and pavement for a total of 5.5 miles. Runners, Mountain Bikers and hikers alike all participated in the run where after we got together for some beers and cheers. A very fun community event getting together with friends and outdoor enthusiasts.

Pre Trails to Ales

During Trails to Ales

After Trails to Ales enjoying beer. Photo courtsey of Beth

With the start of the holiday season, I am thankful and blessed to be apart of such a runderful running community that has no boundaries. I am thankful for all my loved ones, family, friends and acquaintances who make me laugh and learn which helps me to be a better person.

And thus the holiday season begins!

Inaugural Berkeley Half Marathon

The past week was a pretty crummy week if I do say so.Thanks to Wes though, I won his blog giveaway. And thanks to Wes, I was able to participate in the Inaugural Berkeley Half Marathon with 8,000 of my closest friends. It is amazing how friends and the running community can truly lift the spirits.

I drove down on Saturday where Layla and I headed to bib pickup which was held at the Pyramid Ale House Brewery. Race directors take note - Holding bib pickup at a brewery is the BEST idea ever...EVER! It was there that I met a few fellow SFM ambassadors, chatted with friends, drank beer, smiled and laughed.

Fellow SFM Ambassador Love

More SFM Ambassador love w/ Paulette, Kristina, Kimra, Olivia, and Albert

Beer posers!

The next morning, Layla, Kristen, and I headed to Berkeley for the race. We caravaned as I was going to leave straight from Berkeley back home. In hindsight, we should have left one car at the finish and one at the start, but we weren’t really thinking. The good folks of the Berkeley Half Marathon did provided a free shuttle for us to take back to the start. It was a bit of a wait, but it was a nice option to have. Skipping ahead, back to the beginning of the race - I was very impressed at the plethora of porta potties available. We hardly had to wait. A runner's dream!?

 Such Potty mouths!

At the start line, Paulette found us and we all started the race together. Instead of racing, I ran socially instead. I don’t get to see my friends to often, and my finishing time didn’t matter to me as much. I ran with Paulette the majority of the race and it was nice to chat while enjoying the bay views! I loved looking out at the bay, all while inhaling the sea salt smells. I miss the ocean. Where I live is beautiful and I enjoy the lake and river views, but there is something about the ocean that I long for and miss. So yes, on one side of me was the beautiful sounding sea. The other, the 80 freeway. I will admit, I did not care so much for running alongside a freeway. Who does right? The course held a lot out and backs, and tight turnarounds. Someone mentioned later (I forgot who) that the course was much like waiting in a line to ride a ride at Disneyland with all the ropes zigzagging you to the front. I would have to agree. Berkeley is such a beautiful town, I am curious to why we did not run more through the neighborhoods.

The whole race, I felt slightly off. I can pinpoint why. Mentally I handle stress fabulously. I don’t let things get me down. I keep my head up and move forward. Physically, not so much. So perhaps it was a combination of that, and well, not hydrating properly as I should have drank more water (less beer). I did not stop once though. I kept running. I had no idea what my time was as I forgot my garmin! Thanks to the results, it showed that I was pretty consistent with my pace. Hooray for consistency!

I finished the race in 2:05. Met up with Paulette and Kevin and enjoyed the finish line atmosphere. Overall, I had a fantastic time! The Berkeley Half Marathon was very well executed for being an Inaugural! I mean of course! The SFM folks know what they are doing! I was very impressed with all the small details that were planned! And bonus, I got the double trouble medal for completing the SF/Berkeley challenge! A great incentive indeed!!!

Not too shabby of a finish line!

Behind bars for drinking a beer...Never!

Post feast. Er, race rather.

One of the few run photos I actually like!

Crying in the Car

I remember running my first marathon. Don’t you remember your first time? It was in Maui where my friends dropped me off at the start line. Before I started running, heck, before I even got out of the car, I cried. Yep! That was me. Cry baby in the back seat. I cried because, well, I was scared. I cried because I was doing something out of my comfort zone. Something I had never done before and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Fast forward a few years later and there I am yet again crying in the car. And while it wasn’t a running journey I was about to dive into, it was however a dive. A skydive to be exact. Skydiving has always been on my “list” of things I wanted to do. And while I never thought I would actually cross it off my list, there I was taking the plunge from 13,000 feet. I was nervous and scared. It didn’t help that the five minute video I was forced to watch before the jump repeatedly told me that I might die. Repeatedly.

Statistically though, skydiving is by far safer than getting into your car. Fact is, in skydiving, you are in a controlled environment. You put trust in the instructors who have at least jumped 500 times to even qualify as an instructor. They take all the necessary precautions. And while yes, unfortunate accidents do happen on occasion, for the most part you trust that those instructors will land you safely on the ground. In a car however, there is no trust. That one girl in the next car over is applying mascara while behind, a guy is talking on his phone. Look behind you at the child in the back seat for a split second and...Well, you get my point.

Despite the death toll numbers being far greater in an automobile than a jump, it was still a fear I needed to overcome. Grateful that I was doing a tandem jump for I was able to let someone else do all the work. In the small plane, everything happened way too fast, but at the same time I felt like we were moving in slow motion. Surreal to look out of a moving plane with the door wide open. Even more surreal to see loved ones fall from the sky, until you’re the one actually falling!

My instructor gave me no time to think. There was no hesitation or a chance to back out. Once at the door, I bent my knees like I was told and away we went. I thought I would close my eyes. The act of jumping out of a plane was too terrifying to grasp. Happy to report, no eyes were shut in the duration of the jump. I loved the feeling of falling! It is one of those things that is hard to describe, but so amazing to experience. After what felt like a long while of falling, there was a jerk and the parachute opened. I cared not for the jerk, but adored the views! I took it all in and cherished the ride. My head and ears suffered more than I cared to admit, but regardless, I had done it!

And I might do it again! There are things I do on a daily basis where I am on auto pilot. Just going through the motions of life. And sometimes, if I am lucky, there are the things I get to experience that challenge me. And it is those uncomfortable, crying in the car moments that truly defines me as a person and the great heights I am able to accomplish. And that is what living is all about!

Apples and Annoucements

 I am very humbled to announce that I have been chosen to be apart of The San Francisco Marathon Ambassador Team for 2014! This will be my third year serving amongst some fantastic runners from all different walks of life. I love being an ambassador and am absolutely thrilled to be part of such an amazing race.

This also marks the year that I run the marathon! It will be my first time running the marathon officially. I am glad Placerville is a hilly place for I will have my own backyard to practice in. And yes, there are some pretty steep hills for me to do some hill repeats on. The idea of hills makes me want to barf, but I do love a great challenge and upon completing the SF Marathon July 27, 2014, I will thus qualify for the 52 Club! Anyone else complete the “Half it All Challenge” and is now ready to join me as we try for the 52 Club? Let me know as it would be great to virtually train together!

On Sunday, I went back for a 2nd year to run the Apple Hill Harvest Race held in Camino which is about 10 minutes away from my house. Hooray for local races! Hooray for rolling out of bed at the last minute! Last year I ran the 3.5 course in about 27 minutes and placed 1st in my Age Group. It is Apple Hilly after all. This year, I was sick with a cold and not expecting to Age Place at all. In fact, the first ½ mile of the start, I took it pretty easy. My breathing patterns were completely off so I just coasted up a hill. When I finally was able to get my breath in tact, I  increased my speed. It felt good to push, but then it got painful. My head started to hurt pretty bad. You know, comparable to a sinus headache or pressure from elevation gain. That is sort of how it felt. Luckily though, this was a part in the course where it was downhill. It was a combination of me joyfully saying WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and then not so joyfully groaning in the pain. Please note that these sounds were inside my head and I did not actually make them. Perhaps I will next time! I crossed the finish line in 29 minutes. I was happy. I got to run fast for some parts and take it easy in others. I did not run at full capacity, but I was okay with that. Again, I was not expecting to age place, but I did. I placed 2nd! As a reward, I got the yummiest local Apple Cider from Apple Hill! This cider is delicious, not to mention all natural. Swoon! I love being so close to Apple Hill! With prize claimed, UMM and I headed to Jack Russell Brewery where we had a beer with friends who had also run the race. It was a great day!

Folsom Trail Runners Group Shot

Jennifer and I

Umm w/ fellow SFM Ambassador Christopher

UMM and I with my winnings!

Ring of Fire

It is no secret that I enjoy participating in races. A bonus if there is a cool theme attached. The inaugural Folsom Blues Breakout Run (formerly four bridges) had the most amazing theme/mascot ever - Why Johnny Cash of course! And, how could I not participate.

I had been looking forward to this half marathon for a quite awhile. I was pumped and ready to go. I knew the course as I had ran Lake Natoma a few times before that also included running the course a week before the race. It was then that I felt amazing and ready to conquer the world. Race day however, was a different story.

In true Alisyn fashion, I went out to fast in the beginning. How could I not? The first two miles were downhill. WEEEEEEEEE. I love running downhill! I was feeling great. The first six miles I ran an 8:10 average pace. Currently, an 8:10 is pretty ambitious as my pace has slowed a bit this last year. But like I said, I was feeling great so I went with it. The next half of the race however was me falling “down down down in a burning ring of fire”. My 8:10 pace turned into a 10 minute pace. I felt sick and had a very bad side cramp that I don’t usually experience. It just wasn’t my day. I crossed the finish line in 2:05. The week before, I was right on my goal target. Funny how my running performance can change so quickly from one day to the next. Though I knew I wasn’t going to PR this race, my goal was simply to run a sub 2 which is normally not a problem for me. I felt so shitty after the race, that I even denied free beer at the finish line. I know that is hard to believe, so I will repeat;

I DENIED FREE BEER AT THE FINISH LINE!

Yep! Hope that never happens again.

Okay, so I wasn’t happy with my race. Oh well. I still managed to have fun and here is why - Along the course was Johnny Cash cover bands! Woohoo. I think there were four bands total. I would have loved to have seen more. My favorite was a punk style band at the last aid station. While I don’t know the name of the band, I do appreciate the upbeat punk to help put a bounce in my step. My friend Cara PR’d by, I think over 12 minutes! I had other friends PR as well! Yay for friends PRing! Normally, I don’t care much for hardware, but look at this baby! Bonus it’s functional as a beer opener! Yippee!

The organization of the race was fine minus the fact that I did not care for the parking logistics of it all. This race was point to point with the start line two miles from the finish.  I realize with 3,000 race participants, parking can always be a bit of a hassle, but I really felt that this race in particular could have had better logistics. I don’t want to get into particulars, but I will admit it was a bit stressful. Everything did work out in the end though, so C’est la vie!

Cara and I at the Finish

And that’s that! Other than the race, so many exciting things have been happening, but I will just have to save that for another blog post!

A Dogs Life

It is hard to believe that Penny the Pup came into our lives a little over six months ago. Even harder to believe how quickly she has adapted and grown (not physically, but mentally). Through lot’s of training, patience, and tough love, Penny has become the ideal dog and I couldn’t imagine a life without her! Sure she still has some things we need to work on, but overall, she is one amazing puppy dog who has just completely enriched my life.

When UMM is away at a fire assignment, she is there to keep my nights less lonely. Not to mention, Penny the Pup is my number one running buddy, always down for a running adventure! Just recently, I took her for a run around Jenkinson Lake where I took the bold step to let her off leash! I couldn’t have asked for a better running buddy as she would speed ahead, stop and look behind at me as if she was saying “hurry up you slow pokes.” She came when called and always ran in sight. It was progress and I was very proud!

Last week was certainly a busy week for Penny. She took her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test and happy to report she passed. This program is offered by the AKC that helps promote responsible dog ownership for owners and basic training for dogs in a ten step test. Because Penny is still under the age of two, she is very much in puppy mode, not to mention that she is Miss Independent, so I was a little concerned, but like I said she passed and I am a proud doggie mom!

On Saturday, Penny attended her first agility trials competition. She has only been doing agility for a few months, but has excelled quite quickly. What started with a fun way to bond and train my dog turned into a family hobby. Penny, UMM and I all enjoy it, so off to the CPE trials we went.

It was a very long day! Running has nothing on agility. Sure you wake up early, you run, you cross the finish line and if running a marathon or less, you generally have the rest of your day to put your feet up and feast! With agility, we were on the road by 5am to get Penny measured by 6:45am. After that, we waited around for her first trial which did not start until 9am. Then you wait some more. And pretty much that is how the day goes. And when you are a ball of nerves like I was, the waiting is tiring and brutal. We were out of there by 5pm. Yep..A long day!

Agility dogs and their groupies!

Because it was Penny’s first trial in a strange place with strange people watching and dogs everywhere, I did not know what to expect. I really thought Penny’s nose was going to be to the ground the whole time or just simply rolling around in the grass. Surprisingly, she did none of that. For the most part, she ran the courses and listened well...For the most part. Again, she is Miss independent so she would go and do her own thing, and minus one trial, she kept running out of the ring to myself or UMM (basically whoever was not in the ring with her). The one course she did complete, she placed 2nd, but did not qualify. A qualify in agility means that she could go on to the next level assuming she qualifies in two standard trials and games. Okay, it is a bit confusing and since this is a running blog and not a agility blog I will spare you the details, but if interested,I can tell you all about it!

Family photo

Nap time between rounds

Penny the Pup didn’t qualify it’s true, but she did gain popularity as everyone loved her and was quite impressed with how fast she was! In time, I really do feel that Penny the Pup will be a fine tuned agility machine! And we will be back for more. Practice, Practice, Practice. Even though it was a long day, it was very fun and we learned a lot!  Can’t wait to do it again as with running, it is certainly an addicting sport!

The Oofos Experience - Review & Giveaway

A few weeks back, I was given the opportunity to try out the “OO experience” also known as Oofos. As a runner, I am constantly looking for different types of recovery options and was excited to give Oofos a try.

What makes Oofos unique is their special OOfoam technology which provides comfort and support while reducing fatigue and enhances recovery. In fact, test results show OOfoam is 37% more impact absorbing than any existing EVA, the most common material found in footwear. Oofos not only comes in three different styles to choose from, but each style has color options. Gotta love the options! Because I love flip flops, I tried out the OOriginal Thong.

I have to admit that when I first slipped my feet into them, I felt a bit off. Sure I was a few inches taller (thanks to the impact absorption), but I felt bouncy. Remember once upon a time when Pogo Balls were all the rage? Standing on a what looked like a mini version of the planet Saturn, bouncing up and down all while trying to keep your balance? Well, it felt a bit like that except, I didn’t have to work hard to stand in them. In fact, it took no time at all for my feet to adjust to the cushiony feel and support. Needless to say, I was no longer reminded of a Pogo ball for it then felt like I was walking on bubble wrap. They molded to my feet quite nicely and fit very secure.

 

Penny the Pup and Kaji Kitty wishing Oofos came in paw sizing

 

This picture is out of my comfort zone for I normally don't post of my veiny feet!

Ahhhh, I must say, they are a very comfortable shoe! Like compression socks, I am not certain if they truly work for recovery purposes, but there is nothing I like better than slipping into these babies after a run! They are a great shoe and I highly recommend them to anyone  who is looking to put an “OOF” in their step. My other flip flops must feel so neglected as the OOriginals have turned into my go to flip flop of choice. Love at first flip flop really!

Curious to try them out yourself? It’s contest time! Yes, the good folks at Oofos want to spread the Oofos love and will give out one free pair; style, size (not just for chicks - men sizes too), and color of your choosing to one lucky reader. So you know the drill! Enter below. One winner will be announced Thursday October 3rd. Good Luck!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to Elis Brockway! You are the lucky winner of a free pair of Oofos style, color, size of your choice! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your shoes!


Disclosure: I was not forced into taking enhancing drugs to glorify this product review. The opinions I have expressed are mine and mine alone. I am just happy to support and spread the word about products I am passionate about within the running community.