Cebu - January

So, I admit... it's been a pretty horrible year for running for me.

I started out strong. Thought I was going to be training hard. I had the Cebu City Marathon in January, and that's the last organized race I have done. It's mostly due in part to the fact that COVID-19 started spreading around and has caused many organized events to be postponed or cancelled. I know that's an excuse, but... well, I haven't completely STOPPED running. I still go. I've been getting into the double digits for my mileage for the last few weeks, granted it's the low double digits, but... still! 

Anyway, I'm doing more calisthenics and plyometric type of exercises. I can successfully do 1-2 pull ups!! It's an accomplishment I never though I'd get to complete!!!

Rock N Roll Las Vegas

So, here comes another marathon.
This is not my favorite course, I hate flat! AHH
Am I ready? NO
Did I even try to prepare? Well... no.
Am I gonna hate myself the day after? Most liiiiikely.


HOWEVER, I might change over to the half, because... excuses. I know, I know. I just have been in and out of Honolulu every month because of my grandfather. His condition was worsening and before he passed, I tried to spend as much time with him as possible. My running in Hawaii is also very different from my running in Vegas, and the distractions in my life lately have really taken a toll.

Went through a pretty significant change that put a huge dent in my mindset, initially, but I'm finally getting back on track. Slowly, but surely. I'm actually set on trying to do other things besides just running. It's a pretty huge step and I hope that I can hold myself to it.

My cousin Jonathan is actually coming out to run the Half Marathon so, I may just decide to downgrade, and suck it up. We are also going to Paris to run the marathon during my birthday week next year! It'll be my first time traveling internationally to run, so we'll see how that goes. I traveled to Portland to do my first out of state marathon with him, and he's always down for an adventure so I'm excited.

Speaking of... I should go and register now.

It's all downhill from here...

So, the Boston and London Marathon have both just passed. And as long as I've been running, I never really thought there was such thing as marathon season. I guess it's starting now. For me, personally.

I have a marathon coming up this Saturday. I added it in last minute, but I'm half nervous, half excited for it. I put myself on the waitlist for the REVEL, Mt. Charleston full marathon. A bunch of people in the work running group signed up for the half, and I honestly didn't even think there would be a vacancy, but when I got the email, I gave myself a full 24 hours to contemplate, and then decided the night before deadline, why not? I paid the entry fee, and here I am, about 35 hours before start time just wondering if I had made a bad decision. Not to mention I got a damn blister on my right ankle from my work shoes! That may cause a little trouble.

On the bright side, I was able to trade into a trip that ended earlier tomorrow so I wouldn't have to rush to the packet pick up, and struggle trying to get to sleep. I was also able to drop my trip the next day after the marathon just in case I ended up limping at the end of it all. I'm getting pre-race jitters already!

Now, I wasn't exactly familiar with REVEL until a co-worker of mine mentioned it to me one day at work. I didn't think much of it until she mentioned that it was an all downhill marathon. This intrigued me. I started to look it up, and then soon found out it was a USATF certified Boston-qualifying marathon course. Even with that, I still wrote it off as one of those "Okay.. maybe one day, that sounds fun," but it was not high up on my priority list of must-do runs. Prior to this downhill race, I had only heard of the Berlin Marathon in Germany, which is supposed to be the world's fastest marathon.

Lo and behold I get selected to fill a vacancy and here I am trying to mentally prepare myself for what's ahead.

Also, I had entered myself and my James into the Marine Corps Marathon lottery after missing out on the rush entry (which I had set an alarm for, but somehow it did not go off) and thought chances were slim to none. BUT! We both got selected and I'm actually pretty excited to run through all the monuments and sites in DC. That's not until October, though, so plenty of time to prepare for that.

ANYWAY, so back to REVEL. This is the elevation profile.

photo courtesy of 

You can see that it drops over 5,000 ft throughout the course of the run. 

The site gives the following description regarding the full marathon course:

"The REVEL Mt Charleston marathon course offers the best of Kyle Canyon, including breathtaking views of the forests and cliffs of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. Runners will enjoy the fresh scent of towering pines, glimpses of mountain wildlife, and the charm of the Mt Charleston community as they run through the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. If that were not enough, the course is entirely downhill on a paved highway and is a Boston Marathon qualifier!
The marathon begins roughly 21 miles up Kyle Canyon Rd near the original Mt Charleston Lodge. Standing at 7,600 ft above sea level surrounded by snowcapped peaks and fresh mountain air, runners will feel a world away from nearby downtown Las Vegas. The course meanders through the Cathedral Rock area for the first mile before reaching the main stretch of Kyle Canyon Rd.
Once on the main highway, the route begins a 20-mile stretch of pure running bliss as the course heads downhill towards Las Vegas at a nearly steady 4% grade. Along the way runners will enjoy stunning views of the sun rising over nearby Gass Peak to the East and the Las Vegas Strip to the South.
The final five miles take runners through the beautiful palm-lined roads of the Centennial Hills neighborhood. Continuing its downhill slope the course ends at the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, where finish festivities await. REVEL Mt Charleston is the fastest and most beautiful marathon in Nevada!"

It starts at 6:00 am and there is a course time limit of 6.5 hours. That's equivalent to about a 15 minute/mile pace. They want all runners to be finished by 1:00pm. I will definitely be done before then.

It's funny because I just turned 30 earlier this month and I keep joking about how "it's all downhill from here" and the first marathon I'm doing after turning 30 is REVEL. 🤣

It happens...

I hate to admit it, but sometimes, I hate running.
Actually, I take that back.

I hate that I fell in love with running.

I really do. Sometimes, I just don't want to run. Some days are just so hard to get out of the door. The act of even lacing my shoes up becomes such a difficult task, when really, it's all in my head. Every now and then, I start dreading the run, and mentally I'm not into it. I know it's good for me, I know I need it to keep me sane, but a little rest never hurt anyone... until you never stop resting.

It happens to a lot of runners. Maybe not so much the elites or pros (as they are making a living doing it), but to the casual runner, like myself, it happens. Life gets in the way -- you get sick, you "don't have time", you just plain don't feel like going.

I used to run religiously, especially when I lived in Hawaii. The weather was ALWAYS perfect, and even if it was raining, it was refreshing to run in it, because it was still 70℉ outside. I lived right across the street from a bike path, that was fairly well-maintained, safe-ish, and offered uninterrupted running - no crosswalks, no vehicle traffic - paved asphalt, with a good variety of scenery, not the prettiest, but a variety. 🤣

I'd run long on some days, run hills on other days, go to my old high school track/bleachers. I'd do a lot of different runs. Short, long, fast, slow. Sometimes I'd run to the gym, workout, then run back home on others. Sometimes I'd bike. I never drove to the gym when I lived in Hawaii. It was only 2 miles away from my place. I hiked a lot also. I was always active. THEN, I moved back to Vegas.

I came back to Vegas right before autumn and its cooler weather rolled in. Adjusting back to living at my parents house, not being able to run down the street to the gym, the lack of humidity, and just overall change in environment really put a kink in my routine. I had to come back to flying at a different base, different routes, and on the older aircraft, no longer having an overnight... just a few things that really affected my sleep and general feeling of being "well-rested" if that makes sense.

In Honolulu, we had the Boeing 757, which had MUCH better pressurization than the MD80s. Although, the trips I fly in Vegas are shorter, I get really tired out because of it. It really makes a difference. I especially noticed when I went to LA for 2 months and flew on the Airbus. I never got tired on the plane, and if I did, it was only because I didn't get good rest the night before. I never felt worn out or  like I needed to immediately take a nap after work, even after a 10 hour duty day, which is the longest trip they had. I still could go running, and even decided I'd go and hang out with a few of the girls after work. DEFINITELY NOT a feeling I'd get after getting off the 80 here in Vegas.

Anyway, with all that combined, I, unfortunately, stopped running as often, and even now, a year and a half after moving back, I haven't been able to get the ball rolling like I did.

Co-workers and friends often ask me how often I run. They have this idea that I run every day, consistently... sorry to break it to you all. I don't. Not anymore at least. I regret to say that I am on a valley of my running. To curb this, I tend to sign up for races to help motivate me to keep up my running. I even just signed myself and my boyfriend up for a 10k (6.2 miles) in Honolulu during our vacation. It's usually just a temporary break, and I find my self back in the swing of things, especially when the weather gets warmer. It's really just the winter that gets me. I hate cold! As much as I hate it though, I actually went running yesterday in 33℉. I honestly need to stop making excuses as to why I don't wanna go.

But, it happens to everyone, at least once. Some just don't admit it.

My First Marathon

SO, let me take you back to a December day in 2014 --
I had signed up for the Honolulu Marathon (HM) at the beginning of the year when it was only $26.20 for Hawaii residents. I figured even if I didn't do it, I'd only be out that $26.20. It's also the cheapest marathon to sign up for (as a Hawaii resident) and still is to this day, even though prices have slightly increased in the past year. Anyway, I signed up and didn't really think much of it until the race got closer.

And by closer, I mean, like, the week before the race. HA, sooooo... my job is VERY flexible (thank goodness), and I had sent out an email asking if anyone was able to take my Sunday so I could run. (For the few that don't know, or may have found this blog by chance, I am a flight attendant.)  On the Thursday before the marathon, somebody responded, and I ended up heading to the convention center with my cousin Richard, who was also running his first marathon, to pick up my bib.

I was SUPER nervous to say the least. Just picking up my bib was nerve-racking. I had done races before, but just little 5ks or 10ks, nothing like this. Mind you, I had never even done a half before doing this full. I basically had the thought in my head that I should do the whole first, because well... in Hawaii there was this saying... "RUN 'EM HAAD" the equivalent to "Go big or go home" so I just went for it.

The night before the race, I could hardly sleep. Honolulu Marathon always has a 5 am start. I tried to sleep around 7pm, but most of it was spent tossing, turning, and thinking about what I just got myself into. I woke up at 3am, and headed to Richard's house, as the agreement was that he would drive us over, and he had the hook up for a parking space at a hotel near the buses that would take us to the start.  He knew a bunch of people that were part of a running group and so we met up with them when we got to the start area, and we even secured a spot right up in front for the start of the race. Pretty prime, if you ask me, especially to experience it for my FIRST EVER marathon. The fireworks after the gun shot, and the amazing rush of of people. It was absolutely amazing.

My only goal was to finish. Being my first marathon, I did not have a goal time, because I had no idea what to expect. Prior to this HM, the most I had ever run "for fun" was 8 miles on the bike path across the way from my house. I made sure to head out at a comfortable pace, and not get too excited and gun it at the start like some of the people around me did. I made an effort to take in my surroundings and be extra careful about my footfalls, taking extra precautions not to step on potholes (which Hawaii is notorious for), reflectors, or trash. I made sure to high-five anyone with their hand out, spectators and volunteers alike, and thank them all for being out there and cheering. When I got around to the more residential parts of Diamond Head and closer to the finish area, there were even people outside of their own houses handing out their own versions of race refreshments -- pretzels, slices of fresh fruit, mini smoothies from Banan along with a water hose on mist setting to run through... and closer to the finish, at the top of Diamond Head, a small group with a fold out table had "shots" of beer! The community involvement is spectacular. I forgot to mention how well the race was organized! For such a large number of participants, there was no shortage of water, Gatorade, GU, Vaseline, ice, sponges, aid stations, or course officials. The city of Honolulu really has done a great job making this marathon what it is.

Side note: The HM is the 4th largest marathon in the US, and the allure of it is not only the price, or the fact that it is in Honolulu, but that there is NO limit for participants OR time!! That means that EVERYONE gets to run and they'll wait for you to cross the finish line, even keeping up the sign until the very last one crosses! If I'm not mistaken, they waited for an older man for 16+ hrs to cross the line! This was in 2016, I believe, the last HM I did. THAT'S ALOHA. 

Now, many people talk about "a wall," and I remember reading about many runners hitting the wall somewhere during mile 20-21 of the marathon distance. During my first marathon, I never hit it. I never even thought of it. I think I did a pretty great job at keeping my mind off all the miles I was running, by watching everything else. My body became a machine. I was moving without thinking. I wasn't concerned with breathing, cadence, or pace. I just ran at a comfortable pace, made sure I hydrated at every station, and stayed relaxed.

I ended up finishing my first marathon with a time of 4:35. I didn't know if this was a good time or not, but I really didn't care, because I finished. I crossed the finish line, and that's all that mattered.
Now, being that I had no prior experience running this sort of distance, I was tired at the end of it, to say the least. I made sure to grab my post-race goodies -- a banana, lots of water, Amino Vital, and a few Hawaii staples, malassadas, and shave ice!! I ended up taking a seat near the water station and bathroom area, because it seemed like a good spot to rest, in the middle of two important post-race amenities. As soon as I sat, an older man looked at me and said "You don't wanna do that." I smiled and began to stretch. I soon had to refill my water, and that's when the horror struck. I couldn't get up. I COULDN'T MOVE MY LEGS. I had to scoot my butt back toward the bathroom wall and use all my upper body strength to get my self up and standing. Once I was standing, walking was a nightmare. I looked like I had no oil in my joints, I couldn't bend my knees to take a step, I was practically waddling. I successfully got my water, and understood why that guy told me it was a bad idea to sit.

So once I got the walking bit down, I had to go to the bathroom. As a girl, using public restrooms is already a terrible thought. I became used to squatting to use the public restroom, but after the marathon that was NOT happening. To say the least, I have a fine appreciation for those metal hand rails on the sides of the handicap stalls, and deeply thank all management that cares to provide toilet seat covers for their patrons in all their facilities. Unfortunately, for me, that first experience at the public restroom in Kapiolani Park, which had NONE of the aforementioned items in the stall I visited, could have resulted in me catching another sort of disease, but I was able to make it out alive... I waddled out alive.

At the time, I was living in an apartment complex, on the second floor. STAIRS. OH GOD. STAIRS. Walking on a level surface was a task in itself. Now, add steps upward... -phew- I swear I thought I was going sustain an(other) injury. But, again, I made it.

Silly me, I had gotten that day off, but did not account for the days after, so, of course, I had to work the next day. Wearing heels was so out of the question, so I opted to wear my flats all day. I can't remember what route I was working that day, but I do remember I was working the cart with my co-worker Gabby, and she got to see my struggle with "bending" down to grab a beer any time someone ordered one. I even saw some fellow marathoners on the flight wearing their finisher's shirts proudly, and who, coincidentally, had the same marathon waddle-walk that I had. I wasn't alone! We talked briefly about our experiences and reveled in our accomplishments. It was then that I realized that not every runner is a marathoner. I was now able to categorize myself as both!

Now, I know all my descriptions of the aftermath and etc. sound horrible, and I might be dramatizing a bit (although, I don't believe I am) but, to be completely honest, it was the best, most life-changing experience I've ever had. To this day, running that 2014 Honolulu Marathon was the best decision I made in my running "career" and it re-inspired me to run. It gave me a completely different, but still satisfying, runner's high. I now realized I could do more than I ever imagined, and it was such an exhilarating, liberating feeling. We are all capable of so much more than we think. This experience solidified that for me.

That's me at mile 25, at my first marathon.
(Found on IG, with hashtag #HonoluluMarathon, by chance)
I edited the color/b&w
Honolulu Marathon 2014

Since that marathon, I have run seven more marathons (I'll list them below, with times that I can remember), and even achieved Marathon Maniac status -- which I'll write about another day.

I plan on trying to get into different  types of races soon. Haven't decided whether I'll go the trail route or even attempt an Ultra (anything over 26.2 miles/42 km is considered an ultra), I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. As long as I still can run, I will.

HUGE thanks to my cousin Richard for driving to the convention to pick up my packet, and also getting us out there in the wee hours of the night, and also lessening my anxiety by just being there as a familiar face during the craziness of it all. If it weren't for you, I would have never made it to the start line!

Honolulu Marathon (2015 - 4:28, 2016 - 4:15)
Portland Marathon (2016)
Las Vegas Rock n Roll  (2016, 2017)
San Diego Rock n Roll (2016 - 4:02)
The SF Marathon (2017)

The Starting Line

At work, I guess my reputation of being a runner precedes me.  I didn't know how to respond when a girl I hadn't worked with for a while sat next to me and said, "So you're a runner?" I was a little side blinded by this question because I never identified or called myself "a runner." I would say "I like to run," but never used that particular word to describe myself. I found it odd that I felt so uncomfortable being called "a runner" even though I thoroughly enjoyed the sport. I started to contemplate why...


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I started running in high school. I didn't even know I was going to start running. My good friend Kelly (who was in every single math class I was in since freshman year) started talking about how they needed girls for the Cross Country team. I overheard and said, "YEAH! I'll join!" Mind you, I had no idea what Cross Country (XC) even was! I just figured, why not? It was my junior year, and I had only played basketball as a team sport until then. Skip ahead, and I'm headed to my first day of XC. I talked to Coach Tera's, who was also my freshman year science teacher, and I was officially written in for the day.

I began lacing up my And1's, my previous season's basketball shoes. There I was, heading into the unknown. I was wearing a baggy, adult size medium, t-shirt, and basketball shorts. That day we were running to a park up the street. (It wasn't a very long run if I'm remembering correctly, but it was so long ago that the exact mileage escapes me.) The rest of the team took off. Coach Tera's stayed with me and made sure I wasn't left alone. He talked to me as we ran. He told me that people usually walked on the first day. Once he told me that, I got a little scared. We didn't push a very hard pace, because as I know now, if you're able to hold a conversation, you're in the right effort for an easy effort.

I ended up finishing the entire run without stopping! I felt immediate satisfaction afterward, and soon, I was no longer needing to be "escorted" through runs. As more time passed, I got to know more of my teammates. I ended up buying my first pair of actual running shoes, and then I got into the real rhythm of being a cross-country runner. I learned the the warm-up work outs, mastered the stretching routine, and partner stretches! I was really feeling comfortable.

The first race was kind of like a "scrimmage." It was my first taste of the pre-race ritual that the team had. Coach passed out Tiger's Milk bars, and had a cooler full of Gatorade. The boys ran first. The girls and I would stand on the side lines and stretch and cheer our teammates on as they passed. We had some really fast guys on our team. After they finished, It was our turn.

This was where I got nervous. My first pre-race jitters came, but the girls on my team were so awesome! We'd all huddle in a circle, cross our arms, hold hands, and say a "prayer." We'd then shake each other out by taking each others' arms/hands and, literally, shake them out. Then we'd line up, single file, and wait for the gun.

I was by no means the fastest. But during that race, I remember feeling relieved that I was NOT the slowest. I was nervous at first, being directionally challenged, that I would not know where to turn, even though we warmed up on the course by walking it. But, I was with a pack of girls and as long as I could follow them, I was good. The training our coach put us through definitely helped, and I was able to finish my first official XC race. Nothing spectacular, but I finished, and to finish and have your teammates cheering you on really added to the rewarding feeling at the end.

I didn't know it then, but that was my runner's high. The same satisfaction I felt after finishing my first practice, the reward of having a whole group of people cheering for you! I loved it. My first year of cross country proved to be a success, and I ended up receiving the plaque for "Most Improved" runner during our end of the season XC Banquet. Now, it was a given, as I was the only new runner on the girls side, but I still took that plaque home and cherished it.

I had officially found a sport I thoroughly enjoyed, and I didn't even know what I was getting into! I really am glad I went into it as blindly as I did. I ran XC my senior year also, and at the end of the year banquet I received the "Most Inspirational" runner. I had recruited another friend of mine into the team, and was able to share the gift of running with a fellow former basketball team mate.

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Leilehua Invitational
2005

Looking back, I think I enjoyed running even more because of the comradery and friendships that were made. We didn't only run together, we ate together, we walked home together, we got together after school, and hung out on weekends after races. It really felt like I was part of a family. We even traveled together when we headed to the outer islands for State Championships. Like I mentioned, I played basketball, but I NEVER felt more part of a team than when I ran.

The most interesting thing about running as a sport, is that it is still an individual effort that can be seen and felt, but when you're part of a team like I was in XC, you still are running to make the rest of your mates proud. To this day, those are the most cherished memories and friends that I keep in touch with and know I can count on.

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SO, it has been a little over thirteen years since I started running, and it brings me back to my thought of why I never called myself a runner. You'd think after so many years, even after completing my first marathon in 2014, I'd associate myself with the fact that I am a runner. But, I am finally starting to embrace the fact that I am.

I run to relax, I run for fun, I run to explore, I run to get away from the world, and I run to find myself.

One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. George Sheehan:

"I run so I do not lose the me that I was yesterday and the me that I might become tomorrow."