This was taken after Friday night after the 5k through Disneyland and California Adventure
At the Finish Line with my other half, who has supported me throughout all of this. I couldn't have done any of it without him! I love you, honey!Wednesday, February 8, 2012
This was taken after Friday night after the 5k through Disneyland and California AdventureAt the Finish Line with my other half, who has supported me throughout all of this. I couldn't have done any of it without him! I love you, honey!
Tinkerbell Part II
This is the second part of my Tinkerbell experience.....the big day....when I would take on 13.1 miles ALL AT ONCE. When morning came, I was up and ready to go. Ate some oatmeal and a banana,
downed some water and was out the door. As I left the hotel, I could see a mass
of women heading towards the parking lot. This was it! Lights, music, and tons
of people....all at 4:45am. I checked my bag and then headed to Corral B. They
had us separated in corrals based on our finish time. My 10k time had put me in
Corral B and I knew Beth was in the same Corral. So I started looking for the
gal who had organized our FB meet up....having purple hair, I was hoping she
wouldn't be that hard to find. I was right! I bumped right into her. So we
waited together for the countdown....the National Anthem was beautiful, sung by
female from the Navy, I believe. Beautiful voice and just as always, it brought
tears to my eyes. As we waited, along with 12, 000 other women (and 920 women),
I could hardly believe I was about to run 13.1 miles....by choice!!
Then, it was time to go and we were off. It was slow going at first, since several thousand women packed in a small space isn't conducive to being speed racer. Which was probably a good thing since I tend to go out a bit too fast. We headed into up the street and around the north side of Disneyland. I was excited as I knew as soon as we came down Harbor Blvd, it was time to head into the parks! Running down Main Street toward the castle as the sun came was awesome. I wish I had taken some photos but it was difficult to run and take photos at the same time. I remember approaching the castle and getting goosebumps. We ran through the opening of the castle like little girls and I don't remember much else for several miles after that, except that I was enjoying the fact Disneyland was filled with thousands of women runners (okay, and 920 men!) doing something remarkable. We exited out of the park and it was onto Downtown Disney, where I was looking forward to seeing my husband for the first time since leaving him in the hotel room earlier that morning. It was great...there were hundreds of people lining the shops of Downtown Disney with noisemakers, cowbells, and signs. Lots of signs...my favorite would have to be the one that said "Worst Parade Ever". That cracked me up and kept me smiling for a few more miles. I looked up ahead and saw my husband in the ChEAR zone (it was a section for family members cheering their loved ones on). As we left Downtown Disney and headed into the streets of Anaheim, I was worried there wouldn't be enough entertainment to keep me going. I didn't have to worry about that long. There were so many people from the city of Anaheim there to cheer us on! I loved it; I couldn't stop grinning. The posters and signs were great. I saw "You're going the wrong way", "Run faster, your drink is getting warm" "Quitting is for smoking, keep running", and various other signs. My favorite came at the end, right as we were headed up to around Mile 11, I think...it said "If you haven't pooped your pants, you've already won". Hahahaha!
The Red Hat Society Ladies were amazing....they lined an entire block and I think there were about 300 of them. I remember running over and getting high fives from them, thanking them for coming out to support us. There were high school bands, cheerleaders, hula dancers, an Army rock band, and various others forms of entertainment. Then there were all the others runners....some in costume, some in walking casts....RUNNING. Yes, running. Her words were "shhhhh...don't tell my doctor". She was my hero....a running rockstar, if you will. There were the two blind runners. I was so inspired by this race and my running buddy was inspiring as well....every time we passed a TNT (the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society folks who raised over a million dollars), she would give a shout out to them "Go Team!". Having a family member with leukemia, it means a lot to me to have people like her out there running their little butts off to raise money for the LLS.
Around Mile 6, I started to feel something I had never experienced before. Dare I say it....a blister?!? I was like, WTH? I said to Beth, "I think I'm getting a blister...or two...or three". She asked if I wanted to stop and tape anything up but I thought "nah, that will take too much time. We've only got 7 more miles...let's go!". Well, let me tell you....I was in some kind of pain. Every time I put my foot down, I wanted to scream. I've never had to run while in pain before so it was a new experience. By Mile 10 or so, I was thinking "what the hell did I get myself into? Why the f*ck am I doing this???". Then I saw it. A lady standing quietly by herself amidst the crowds holding a simple sign. The sign read "My happy thought is my mom". I almost lost it. That sign was for me. No doubt about it. That was my mother, letting me know I could go on and I would go on. That I would finish and I would LIKE IT. I said a silent thank you to God and to my mother, nodded to the lady and continued on. Once we hit California Adventure, it became easier because I knew we only had about a 5k distance to and that was a piece of cake...lol. But I have to say...that last 1/2 mile or so was the hardest. My legs felt like lead and I wanted to just crawl. It was all I could do to pick up the pace to something similar to running and get across that finish line. But I did....crossed as the race clock ticked off 2:51:16. Beth and I crossed the finish line together, just as she had told me earlier "we start together, we finish together". We had done it. And I had completed a freakin' half marathon. The girl who told her coach 20 years ago she wasn't a runner and would never be able to run a lap around the track just ran 13.1 miles in a ROW. And didn't die. Awesome.
I found my mom's cousin, Matt and seeing him made me feel very connected to my mom. It was like having a piece of her there. Then my husband found me and after a few pictures and getting some snacks, all I could think about was getting back to the hotel room and getting my shoes off (to take a look at the monster blister). Little did I know that I would be facing torture, aka the ice bath, once we got back to the hotel room! But I got through the ice bath, we took off to the parks for a day of rides, ice cream, and feeling like kids for the day. Slept like a freakin' log that night and then went to California Adventure the next day. I am already planning on returning to Tinkerbell for the next 4 year (to become what's called a Legacy Runner...competing 5 years in a row, starting with the inaugural race). It was an amazing experience and I know now that as long as I believe in myself, trust in God, and have faith....all things are possible. I went from saying "I can't" to "I will". Tinkerbell, I will see you in 2013. And mom, I know you will be there by my side, cheering me on. I love you. Thank you for believing in me, even when you are no longer on this Earth.
Then, it was time to go and we were off. It was slow going at first, since several thousand women packed in a small space isn't conducive to being speed racer. Which was probably a good thing since I tend to go out a bit too fast. We headed into up the street and around the north side of Disneyland. I was excited as I knew as soon as we came down Harbor Blvd, it was time to head into the parks! Running down Main Street toward the castle as the sun came was awesome. I wish I had taken some photos but it was difficult to run and take photos at the same time. I remember approaching the castle and getting goosebumps. We ran through the opening of the castle like little girls and I don't remember much else for several miles after that, except that I was enjoying the fact Disneyland was filled with thousands of women runners (okay, and 920 men!) doing something remarkable. We exited out of the park and it was onto Downtown Disney, where I was looking forward to seeing my husband for the first time since leaving him in the hotel room earlier that morning. It was great...there were hundreds of people lining the shops of Downtown Disney with noisemakers, cowbells, and signs. Lots of signs...my favorite would have to be the one that said "Worst Parade Ever". That cracked me up and kept me smiling for a few more miles. I looked up ahead and saw my husband in the ChEAR zone (it was a section for family members cheering their loved ones on). As we left Downtown Disney and headed into the streets of Anaheim, I was worried there wouldn't be enough entertainment to keep me going. I didn't have to worry about that long. There were so many people from the city of Anaheim there to cheer us on! I loved it; I couldn't stop grinning. The posters and signs were great. I saw "You're going the wrong way", "Run faster, your drink is getting warm" "Quitting is for smoking, keep running", and various other signs. My favorite came at the end, right as we were headed up to around Mile 11, I think...it said "If you haven't pooped your pants, you've already won". Hahahaha!
The Red Hat Society Ladies were amazing....they lined an entire block and I think there were about 300 of them. I remember running over and getting high fives from them, thanking them for coming out to support us. There were high school bands, cheerleaders, hula dancers, an Army rock band, and various others forms of entertainment. Then there were all the others runners....some in costume, some in walking casts....RUNNING. Yes, running. Her words were "shhhhh...don't tell my doctor". She was my hero....a running rockstar, if you will. There were the two blind runners. I was so inspired by this race and my running buddy was inspiring as well....every time we passed a TNT (the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society folks who raised over a million dollars), she would give a shout out to them "Go Team!". Having a family member with leukemia, it means a lot to me to have people like her out there running their little butts off to raise money for the LLS.
Around Mile 6, I started to feel something I had never experienced before. Dare I say it....a blister?!? I was like, WTH? I said to Beth, "I think I'm getting a blister...or two...or three". She asked if I wanted to stop and tape anything up but I thought "nah, that will take too much time. We've only got 7 more miles...let's go!". Well, let me tell you....I was in some kind of pain. Every time I put my foot down, I wanted to scream. I've never had to run while in pain before so it was a new experience. By Mile 10 or so, I was thinking "what the hell did I get myself into? Why the f*ck am I doing this???". Then I saw it. A lady standing quietly by herself amidst the crowds holding a simple sign. The sign read "My happy thought is my mom". I almost lost it. That sign was for me. No doubt about it. That was my mother, letting me know I could go on and I would go on. That I would finish and I would LIKE IT. I said a silent thank you to God and to my mother, nodded to the lady and continued on. Once we hit California Adventure, it became easier because I knew we only had about a 5k distance to and that was a piece of cake...lol. But I have to say...that last 1/2 mile or so was the hardest. My legs felt like lead and I wanted to just crawl. It was all I could do to pick up the pace to something similar to running and get across that finish line. But I did....crossed as the race clock ticked off 2:51:16. Beth and I crossed the finish line together, just as she had told me earlier "we start together, we finish together". We had done it. And I had completed a freakin' half marathon. The girl who told her coach 20 years ago she wasn't a runner and would never be able to run a lap around the track just ran 13.1 miles in a ROW. And didn't die. Awesome.
I found my mom's cousin, Matt and seeing him made me feel very connected to my mom. It was like having a piece of her there. Then my husband found me and after a few pictures and getting some snacks, all I could think about was getting back to the hotel room and getting my shoes off (to take a look at the monster blister). Little did I know that I would be facing torture, aka the ice bath, once we got back to the hotel room! But I got through the ice bath, we took off to the parks for a day of rides, ice cream, and feeling like kids for the day. Slept like a freakin' log that night and then went to California Adventure the next day. I am already planning on returning to Tinkerbell for the next 4 year (to become what's called a Legacy Runner...competing 5 years in a row, starting with the inaugural race). It was an amazing experience and I know now that as long as I believe in myself, trust in God, and have faith....all things are possible. I went from saying "I can't" to "I will". Tinkerbell, I will see you in 2013. And mom, I know you will be there by my side, cheering me on. I love you. Thank you for believing in me, even when you are no longer on this Earth.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Pixie Dust, sweat, and a few tears....Part I
The Tinkerbell Half marathon was more than just 13.1 miles of running. It was about proving to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to. It was also a chance to get away with my husband without the kids for the first time in 10 years.....our 10th year wedding anniversary! So we combined the two. Yes, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary by running a 5k through Disneyland/California Adventure Friday night, then by him supporting me in my first half marathon through Disneyland, the streets of Anaheim, and back through California Adventure. None of it would been possible without the help of my aunt, who flew in from Albuquerque to help with the three kids. I think she deserves the medal, not me! Taking care of all the kids while we were running around Disneyland....yep, she should get a big, shiny piece of bling for that!
So we left on Thursday night, right after work and flew into LAX. My cousin, Matt, picked us up and delivered us to our hotel. We had decided to splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which I'm really happy about. It was wonderful staying on property and so close to the Start/Finish line (not too far to hobble back after the race!). It was great to see Matt again and I was so happy he came out to support me. We grabbed a bite to eat in Downtown Disney, listened to some really BAD karoake at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen (at least, I think it was karoake...or just really bad singing), then got to bed early. I wanted to hit the Expo bright and early! I was excited for my first big race expo and getting to see all the big vendors there, plus I wanted to check out our surroundings. We went to pick up my race bib and on the spur of the moment, we decided we would register to run the Never Land 5k that night! I was a little nervous about running a 5k that night, then doing a half marathon Sunday morning but I figured I would take it easy on the 5k, have fun, stop for lots of pics, and not worry about time. HA! More about that later. I was really happy to be running with my hubby....we were there to celebrate our anniverary and had planned on doing a "fancy" dinner but decided we would spend the money on race registration instead...lol! After picking up our bibs and packets, we headed up the Expo, where we proceeded to check out all the goodies being offered, sampled protein powders/bars, energy gels, and checked out all the merchandise for sale. I picked up some Tinkerbell Half Marathon stuff, a running skirt, and other miscellaneous items, then we headed into Downtown Disney for some lunch.
The 5k was held at 9:30pm that night, starting on Main Street in Disneyland. We headed down around 9pm and got in line with the other 4000 people. The race was fun but very crowded. And as usual, my competitive side came out and instead of "taking it easy", I was weaving in and out of people, hauling ass. I ended up with a time about 2 minutes slower than my normal 5k time, which is saying a lot, considering how packed it was through the parks. In retrospect, I should have taken it easier so I wasn't sore on Sunday. I know it was only 3 miles, but having done so little training the last month before the race, I felt it. It ended in California Adventure right across where they show World of Color. It was great running it with my husband but I was ready for bed. I was starting to get nervous about Sunday. Saturday was a busy day as well because I had 2 different meet ups, one with my charity and one with the Facebook group. Slept in a little, hit the Expo for a bit, ate some lunch, had a little fiasco with husband missing his debit card and driver's license (somehow they ended up in my back pocket....oops....they weren't lost at all!). Then, we ended up going to a Disney Vacation Club presentation, which made me late for the FB group meet up so I didn't get to spend a lot of time with all the women. Checked in with my charity and then it was time for an early dinner. I wanted to get to bed fairly early but it ended up being around 10pm before I got around to it. Normally, that would be early but I had a 3:30am wake up call! I was so nervous to fall asleep because I had visions of waking up at 6am and missing the start....lol.
To be continued..........
So we left on Thursday night, right after work and flew into LAX. My cousin, Matt, picked us up and delivered us to our hotel. We had decided to splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which I'm really happy about. It was wonderful staying on property and so close to the Start/Finish line (not too far to hobble back after the race!). It was great to see Matt again and I was so happy he came out to support me. We grabbed a bite to eat in Downtown Disney, listened to some really BAD karoake at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen (at least, I think it was karoake...or just really bad singing), then got to bed early. I wanted to hit the Expo bright and early! I was excited for my first big race expo and getting to see all the big vendors there, plus I wanted to check out our surroundings. We went to pick up my race bib and on the spur of the moment, we decided we would register to run the Never Land 5k that night! I was a little nervous about running a 5k that night, then doing a half marathon Sunday morning but I figured I would take it easy on the 5k, have fun, stop for lots of pics, and not worry about time. HA! More about that later. I was really happy to be running with my hubby....we were there to celebrate our anniverary and had planned on doing a "fancy" dinner but decided we would spend the money on race registration instead...lol! After picking up our bibs and packets, we headed up the Expo, where we proceeded to check out all the goodies being offered, sampled protein powders/bars, energy gels, and checked out all the merchandise for sale. I picked up some Tinkerbell Half Marathon stuff, a running skirt, and other miscellaneous items, then we headed into Downtown Disney for some lunch.
The 5k was held at 9:30pm that night, starting on Main Street in Disneyland. We headed down around 9pm and got in line with the other 4000 people. The race was fun but very crowded. And as usual, my competitive side came out and instead of "taking it easy", I was weaving in and out of people, hauling ass. I ended up with a time about 2 minutes slower than my normal 5k time, which is saying a lot, considering how packed it was through the parks. In retrospect, I should have taken it easier so I wasn't sore on Sunday. I know it was only 3 miles, but having done so little training the last month before the race, I felt it. It ended in California Adventure right across where they show World of Color. It was great running it with my husband but I was ready for bed. I was starting to get nervous about Sunday. Saturday was a busy day as well because I had 2 different meet ups, one with my charity and one with the Facebook group. Slept in a little, hit the Expo for a bit, ate some lunch, had a little fiasco with husband missing his debit card and driver's license (somehow they ended up in my back pocket....oops....they weren't lost at all!). Then, we ended up going to a Disney Vacation Club presentation, which made me late for the FB group meet up so I didn't get to spend a lot of time with all the women. Checked in with my charity and then it was time for an early dinner. I wanted to get to bed fairly early but it ended up being around 10pm before I got around to it. Normally, that would be early but I had a 3:30am wake up call! I was so nervous to fall asleep because I had visions of waking up at 6am and missing the start....lol.
To be continued..........
Monday, February 6, 2012
My very first blog!
So this blogging this is new to me but should be pretty familiar as I love to talk.....about myself, what's going on with my life, etc. This blog will be devoted mainly to my running and the newfound love I have for it. Also, the relationship between the running and my recovery. Hence, the name "Addicted to Asphalt". Because I'd rather be addicted to running than other substances. Running has helped me find myself in a world where I was lost. Even years after getting into recovery, I was still unsure about where God (or a Higher Power) fit into the puzzle. Running helped me find that. I was able to reach a point of faith, trust, and serenity through running. Who knew that putting one foot in front of the other could do that? So this itty bitty space in the web will be about one girl's journey.....from someone who thought running was a form of punishment to something that brings me great joy and a feeling of accomplishment, peace, and serenity. If you have stopped by to check it out, thanks! Stayed tuned to read about my very first half marathon, where I learned what NOT to do and made some wonderful new acquaintances! :-)
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