another one bites the dust

About two weeks ago, while frolicking around my house, I strained my calf. I couldn't walk down my stairs, I couldn't put my foot down and I was walking on my heel. I immediately thought, well there goes the marathon.

Since August, I have been training with a group of high school students where I work to complete the LA Marathon.  The runners start off running/walking two miles and slowly increase mileage. Every Sunday until March is spent together running, increasing mileage and getting ready for the big day. To think I wouldn't be able to run was more devastating to think about than the actual pain that was shooting through my leg at that moment.

After many ice packs, acupuncture, massage, Aleve, doctors visit and kinesiology tape, I got to that starting line. I thought to myself, if I was going down with this calf strain, I was going down during a race and not at my house. The kinesio-tape gave me a sense of security that my calf would be protected from whatever I would put it through. Since this was my first injury, ever I had no idea what to expect my body to do.  Before the injury, I was setting my goal to finally breaking my 5 hour marathon that I have been hovering around for the last four races. After the injury, my goal was just to finish the race.  

Even still, the optimist in me went to the MyMarathonPace website to print out a pacing plan for the race. I modified the pacing for a negative split (to finish faster than I start) and to allow for easy hill climbing, just in case. I set my goal for 4:56:00.   I taped the pacing chart behind my bib for easy access along the run (I hate wristbands).

As much as I would have loved to sit and meditate before the race (wishful thinking), I still had to keep thirty five teenagers within my line of sight.  The adrenaline in their bodies had them asking to use the bathroom and to check out the stadium every five minutes. We stretched as a team and then about twenty minutes before the start, we disbursed (some of my kids run sub-4 hour marathons while others sub sub-7 hours).

I had to force my body to start slow and even still, I ran a 11:30 first mile. Yikes, it was about a minute faster than the pacing chart allowed for so I slowed down during the second mile. I blame the playlist of Rock-It! Scientists mixes that elevated the adrenaline pumping through my body.  The mashup/mixes are perfect to keep me moving and the eclectic mix of songs keeps me on my toes.

The first several miles  flew by. I didn't stop to take pictures the way I usually do. Cindy (a fellow marathoner) gave some tips for the LA Marathon on her blog that included enjoying the sights, and so I did.  I enjoyed the sites chomping on my baggie of dates (my new favorite food for distance running).  This was the first time I didn't bring out my phone to take photos of anything (except for one photo of an amazing Army rucker). I forwarded my calls to my cousin that met us at the finish line and just enjoyed the race. I was, of course, checking my pacing at every other mile to be sure that I was on track to finish under five hours. 

By the time I was coasting down Sunset Blvd, I realized that I was two minutes ahead of pace and started to worry about whether I was using too much energy too soon. Going downhill was also causing some discomfort in my right knee. I popped another Aleve and sent out positive vibes into the universe. At the marathon expo, my runners recorded a quick "cheer" video for me to be aired at about mile 17. Although I only heard it (I ran by before I caught it on the screen) the familiar screams definitely gave me a jolt of energy. That, and I knew I would see Cindy soon.

I didn't see Cindy initially, but I saw her husband.  I stopped for a bit and grabbed some pretzels from them. What a relief from the sodium craving I was having. At about mile 17 is where the course becomes home turf. Our team runs on the west side of Los Angeles and I make it a point to have them run along the marathon course to get comfortable with the neighborhood and streets.  It's the psychology behind the training.  When I got to mile 19 and a kool-n-fit station, I thought to myself,  it's time. I was either going to give it all that I had left for the next seven miles and risk my calf getting more injured, or play it safe and still beat my goal.

I picked up the pace. Just a bit.

On Santa Monica Blvd, near Sepulveda, I saw our school's librarian. She was out with her iPad taking photos. I knew she supported the marathon every year, I just never found her along the course. I waved and said thank you for being out there and sped along.

At mile 22, I got a chance to see our program coordinators cheering us on.The energy in that tent was so contagious and Rosny seemed so excited to see me that I left that tent feeling energized, like I hadn't just run 22 miles.  I zipped down San Vicente blvd, shattering any pace that my chart had for me, rounded the corner to the finish line and it hit me. I was going to PR.

I started to hyperventilate as I got to the finish line. I saw the clock above the finish line and it read 5:06:53 clock time (different than chip time) and I knew it. I broke the five hour streak, finally! My leg felt fine and the tears just came. I haven't been more proud of myself. My official time is 4:52:56, twelve minutes faster than my previous fastest marathon time.

I saw some of our alumni runners at a water station just before the finish line (but I missed their awesome posters). They were screaming their heads off when they saw me. I was happy to see them out volunteering for the race this year with one marathon under their belt. If I would have seen these posters, I would have started bawling while I was running. They make me so proud!

The season is over, I get my Sunday mornings back from coaching. Some of my runners PR'ed and others were just happy to finish. One got sick and had to be pulled from the race. Despite this, it is such a great feeling to share this accomplishment with others.


I made myself lemon pie bars to celebrate. A student of mine brought me a bag of citrus last week so I put them to good use in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (from fresh lemons)
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest (the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon but I think it's too much)

The full recipe is on allrecipes.com and it's super easy to make, especially for non-bakers like me.  The tang of the lemon goes well with wine...well I think so.

San Francisco marathon, I'm coming for you! But first, rest.

Fastest and Youngest

My runners had an amazing, once in a long shot, opportunity to meet (and get autographs from) the elite athletes for the race in which they all will be competing on Sunday. The elite athletes had their last training run this morning in Griffith Park.

I got invited to attend with the runners by the organization we are a part of and jumped at the opportunity. I think I was more excited than the kids were at first.

I immediately got 12 of my team of 35 interested in waking up before the sun (and before school) to drive to Griffith Park where we had a photo op and were filmed by KTLA morning news. The kids had the chance to get autographs from the runners, too.

One quote from my student, "I got to put my arm around last year's LA marathon winner for the photo. If someone got that in a photo, that would make my....universe."  He was talking about Simon Njoroge and although this teenage runner towers over the speed racer, he was mesmerized by this talented man.  It was such a sight to see these "cool" teenagers revert back to the excitement "like a kid in a candy store" when meeting marathon runners.  These guys and gals are their idols.

What a great experience for them. I am just lucky enough to tag along.

See you all out at the ASICS LA Marathon on Sunday! Remember your green (or orange)!

Made with love

One of my best friends underwent surgery yesterday.  When she told me that she was going to have surgery this year, I was worried and hopeful that all would come out well.  

After-surgery recovery sucks. Food doesn't taste the same and the body isn't interested in digesting heavy foods in the first few days. I'm not very good at knowing what to say, so instead I made her food. I think she sticks around because I cook for her so much.

Because I signed up for a home delivery service of organic fruits and vegetables, I always have plenty to choose from in my house. The last three boxes included a butternut squash. I mean, I like squash, but not THAT much.  I can only handle so much of any food.

Thanks to Rachel Ray and her "Every Day Rachel Ray" magazine, I found the perfect puree for post surgery-Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrots...and I added my own twist.  

The recipe calls for:

carrots, sweet potatoes, celery

• 2lbs of butternut squash (peeled,sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1lb of carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1lb sweet potatoes (peeled,sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
• 3 tbsp EVOO

Butternut Squash,garlic and onions

It didn't seem like enough flavor...so I added three cloves of garlic, Italian seasoning and chili flakes (Carmen is fan of sorta spicy), two celery sticks, and chicken stock instead of water.  The recipe asks us to drizzle olive oil on the vegetables before putting them into the oven to roast. I did, but I also added the garlic and herbs before putting them into the oven.   The recipes I find often consist of basic ingredients,almost daring us to make changes and update with our own flavors. This one fit that theory.

After the veggies roasted, I put them to boil in chicken stock. Then, in batches, put it all to puree in the blender.  Remember to add the salt and pepper, too!  The puree is a perfect blend of healthy vitamins and minerals to promote a healthy recovery.  It may even be a good option for infants (minus the chili flakes). 

The puree will be complemented with a dollop of sour cream on top and a lot of love while serving it to your loved ones. Carmen is in recovery and has already enjoyed two servings. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Lucky number 13

Last night, after writing several letters of recommendations for students and reading a few dozen applications for admission, I perused Facebook and the many posts about what my friends were thankful for. It was nice to read the blessings each one of my friends encountered in 2012.

Babies being born, people getting married, friends graduating from graduate school, former students graduating from college, promotions, buying houses, and everything in between. It was nice.

I started the last year spending many hours with my niece in the NICU of Loma Linda University before her battle with life ended after five short weeks of life and one week before my birthday. It was probably one of he most painful feelings to endure and to try and support my sister and her husband through. It still hurts.  She is buried right next to my baby brother who also died as an infant.

Little joys throughout the year were pleasant and masked the pain. I ran my tenth and eleventh marathon and coached another thirty-seven runners to the finish line of the LA marathon. I finally finished my substance abuse counseling certification program. I earned the SRLA Star Award for a blog I wrote about the program and my commitment to the students.

I watched my high school BFF, former roommate and party partner, be married to a great man.

I rang in 2012 with another BFF and his wife and then jumped for joy when they were with child and delivered a healthy baby girl nine months later.

Good things happened to people in my circles.

This year, I do plan to pursue additional training in the field of counseling. I will run another marathon. I will train more teenagers to complete a marathon. I will finish my seventh year as a school counselor. I will not join a gym in January or February. I will continue to incorporate Crossfit into my workout/marathon training routine. I may even sign up again for the box down the street from my house. I will try new recipes and share them with the five people that read my blog regularly. I will make some home improvements (or maybe pay people to do them).  I plan to read more and catch up on novels I "should" read and others that I want to read. I will pay off my car and be nearly completely paid off with my debt (sans school loans).

Perhaps new prospects are looming in my professional and personal life too.

2013 will be my year. Lucky number 13.



In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. 
Abraham Lincoln

Resolution to Succeed

A few months ago, I had a great conversation with a long time friend about perspectives. He asked me to look around and notice a particular color in my vicinity. Taking note of all the things that were visible in my area but paying such close attention to what was pointed out already, I lost the attention to detail needed to answer questions about what wasn't in my view. What did this mean to me? Options. 

There are so many options available to me to help me become a better person that if I focus all of my attention on what is right in front of me, I can lose sight of those options. Being a better person means that I have to continue to keep my eyes wide and my mind open to the various possibilities. Most people don't care as much as my success as I do my own, despite my passion for helping others see their own potential. 

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." 

-Abraham Lincoln 

Expanding my options, I ventured into some new mac and cheese options while surfing pinterest again: I tried Chorizo Mac and Cheese and Avocado Mac and Cheese.

I'll share the Chorizo Mac and Cheese, a recipe that I found on Pinterest (pinned from Simply Recipes).  The recipe is a bit spicy if you use both spicy jack cheese and from the spice of the chorizo. If you can't handle the heat, feel free to use monterey jack cheese instead.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups elbow macaroni

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon corn starch

4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)

4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese (about 1 cup)

6 ounces Mexican chorizo

1/2 cup minced red onion

2 Tbsp flour

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 Tbsp breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp butter

You can get the cooking directions on simplyrecipes.com

I added a handful of chopped cilantro, too. 

Adding a dollup of sour cream and guacamole on top makes for a fabulous complement to the dish. Enjoy and remember, keep the options open, even when it comes to food. :) 

Solo Sports

I have frequently heard that distance running is an individual sport. True. I run with my own legs from start to finish. I use my own lungs and pump my own arms to get my body moving in a forward direction. It's true, a person can train for and compete in their own races with minimal human interaction. Like a big city, a runner can easily get lost in the crowds at immense races like the LA marathon. I understand that running does not require the intense teamwork needed from baseball or basketball to win a game.

In the literal sense, a runner can be out in the world, alone. With enough self discipline, a runner can train for his or her own marathon. I know, because I've done it. I created my own training schedule and got myself up  to 18 miles on my own, running the streets and hills of San Francisco with nothing more than my pedometer and my music. Training for the marathon was the only thing that helped me survive the loneliness I felt in the city. I was by myself on those runs along in Balboa Park, around Breaker Beach, through the Presidio, with my own thoughts, racing against the sunset to get home, running through sheets of rain, and hoping I didn't get hit by a negligent driver as I tried to cross the road at the same time as they did.  I did it, and I barely finished.

For the last seven seasons since I started training with the high school students and other adult leaders, I have learned that although running can be an individual sport, training with others can elevate a persons' performance more than they could ever do alone. From August until March, I can depend on at least thirty other runners to join me on the streets of Los Angeles. We will tackle the increased weekly mileage together as we train for the LA marathon, rain or shine, hills or straightaways. I don't know if I would be as consistent with my own training if I didn't have these runners.


On our team, some of the runners push themselves to keep up or stay in front of me in the same way I push myself to run a bit faster when I see another runner in close proximity.  I can push myself through the hills and negative split can serve as an example to others that continue to learn how to manage their endurance. The faster runners often run in a small pack to encourage and push each other in hopes to reach their goal of sub-four hour marathon (and so they don't get lost).

Within the team of high school students, there is a range of experience from seasoned marathoners training for their fifth marathon while others are training for the first time, determined to finish the season. We have coordinated pacing groups, lead by a runner that has completed the marathon at least once so that they can help answer questions or offer support and suggestions. These marathoners-in-training are certainly learning how to work together to tackle the task of completing twenty-six point two miles. Sure, each one of them could train for the race alone, but the vital information from seasoned runners would be missing and the runners would have to learn by making mistakes instead of learning from past errors of their teammates.

I have to admit, teaching teamwork in a traditional "solo" sport isn't easy. But I have learned from my fellow coaches and from the mistakes I have made in coaching distance runners in the past. I have modified the training based on the vibe of the group, incorporated team leaders in leading practice and relied on their input to create an effective workout. I have learned, through much trial and error, how to manage and increase mileage on our long runs to help the runners reach optimal performance on the big day.  I like to share my successes. Most take advantage, others like to learn the hard way.

I was thinking about this the other day as I stood with my family making our several dozen tamales for Christmas Eve dinner. Each year, many of the women in the Torres family organize on December 23rd to make tamales for the entire family. Over forty people to feed with nearly one hundred pounds of masa, several pounds of lard, beef and chicken later, we have seven pots of tamales on the stove for our families to devour and take home as leftovers. I usually make the sweet tamales solo on the morning of Christmas Eve.  Me and my "solo" sports.

Potato-Fennel Gratin

This year, my cousin suggested that I start on them in the evening while everyone was still in aprons and in tamale-making mode. Why not? I thought. I could make this a solo sport like I have been so used to doing, or I could use the help offered to me. I took the help and we finished another 15 pounds of pineapple masa, chocolate chip masa and raisin masa. It gave me a chance to make a potato-fennel gratin to share with my family on Christmas Eve (the local Coachella market didn't have any Gruyere cheese so I settled on an aged-Salvadorian cheese). They loved it.

I also was able to make a new flavor tamale, pumpkin-raisin tamales. I was inspired by Tamara's Tamales in West Los Angeles that also offer a pumpkin tamale on their menu. My family loved those too. I realized that there are a few recipes for pumpkin tamales online. I think that if I did some research, I could have used one of them. But I didn't. And my portions of spice came out pretty well in the mix.

On Christmas Day, I convinced my cousin and two aunts to work out with me at the local high school. Originally, I only invited my cousin Vince. Since we overindulged on tamales the day before, I knew I could get at least one of my aunts to come out. The other came begrudgingly.  We knocked out a modified crossfit.com met-con.

Cooking, like marathon training, is really about trial and error while using others' experiences as a guide to being better. Both can easily be a solo sport, but what's the fun in that?

moving on....smarter and more humble.

On Sunday, Students Run LA took over the streets of La Puente for the La Puente Main Street Run. I ran the fastest 10K I have ever run-1:00:24. For me, this is incredibly fast. At the six mile mark, my Nike+ app voice told me my average pace and I did a little squeal. I knew if I picked it up, I could run the last .2 of the 10K fast enough to hit one hour. I am still proud of myself for pushing myself even though my legs were begging to stop.

Two weeks before that, I ran the toughest marathon I have ever run in my life (aside from the first). The Long Beach International Marathon course is a beautiful and scenic run. We run by the beach, on bike paths, near the Aquarium, by Cal State Long Beach, through very pretty residential areas, and near the marina.  Taking in the sites distracted me from any pain I was feeling along the run, initially.

The race started off great. I was running at a pretty swift pace for the first ten miles. When I realized that I was running faster than my normal pace, I slowed down. I started to pick it up in the later miles but then I started to feel like my insides were heating up. I drank more water, threw water on my head, poured water down my back but nothing seemed to help cool me off. At mile 24, I slowed down again. I started to get a little dizzy and uncomfortable. I wasn't feeling any pain, except for the discomfort of having run 24 miles. Despite this, I was still sort of on pace to at least tie my PR.

I was not prepared for what my brain was telling my body in the last mile. I hit mile 25 and checked my clock 4:52:37 (or something like that). I wasn't going to PR but I could easily hit my fastest time if I pushed it just a little bit.

In my head, my thoughts started to scold my body "what are you doing to yourself? Why are you still running? No one is at the finish line waiting for you, you can quit! You should quit, you're not going to make your PR anyway." That last 1.2 miles of the race was the toughest, ever. I had to fight with my body to keep going. Keeping my thoughts quiet was next to impossible. I finished the race at 5:12:17.

I don't even remember what the finish line looked like, I couldn't tell you what the gender of the person putting the medal over my head, because the two hours after I crossed the finish line (finally) were a blur. I drank the entire bottle of water they gave me at the end in almost one gulp and inhaled the pretzels I got in my finishers bag. I was delirious. Still dizzy. I needed to sit down. I remember walking to the park and laying down under a tree. I took a nap. I woke up an hour later and puked my brains out. And I still had to walk to the train to go home. 

After reading this, one wonders, why in someone's right mind would a marathoner put their body through this...ever?

Because, not all the races are like this. Most races, if runners are adequately prepared and properly trained, are fantastic. Finishing 26.2 miles is the most humbling accomplishment in my life. I still get teary-eyed at the finish line even after having completed eleven of them.  I am blessed to know that my healthy body can handle the pain, and endure the pressure of this demanding activity.

I told myself during the horrendous run when I was talking myself onto the ledge, that I was never running another marathon. Yeah, I'm lucid now, and that's not true. I will run another one, at least to prove to the negaholic in me that I can still do it-and do it well. I have plenty of other marathons to run, plenty more miles to log and exciting more stories to tell.

Before the Long Beach marathon, I never believed people when they said they just had a bad race. I didn't think that could ever be the case. I would think that they just didn't prepare well enough, they didn't drink enough water the week before, they didn't eat properly or they wore the wrong socks or clothes (?!?! I was full of excuses). I'm a believer now. Some runners just have shitty races.

And then we move on to the next race and hope for a better performance.