5 and a half years later.

I've definitely changed my tune. Last marathon I ran was that Cebu Marathon. I was supposed to run the Sun Marathon in Utah, but COVID happened and I deferred, then, I got sick, stopped training because I wasn't sure how bad COVID was and I was trying to do my part and not spread it, and well, I just kinda stopped.

Reading all the past posts about my running has really inspired me again. I have to stop making excuses.

I've gotten heavier from gaining muscle from climbing, which has definitely changed my muscle composition, and I've just gained weight in general. 

I did have a hairline fracture in my talus bone 2 years back because I started listening to some guy at the running gym to run on my toes, when I had been running the damn same forever, but as with many things I do, I end up going too hard. HA. 

Maybe I can restart again and find my endurance running again. Just gotta put one foot in front of the other.

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.

REVEL, Mt. Charleston Re-cap

So REVEL came and went.
I was able to switch into a trip that got off earlier the day before, so I could make it to the expo to pick up my packet. I landed from my trip around 1410, got to my car at about 1446 (that's counting the passengers getting off the plane, and walking from the terminal to economy parking because I didn't want to wait for the shuttle)

It didn't take me long to get to the expo as it was literally across the street from the airport at the UNLV Cox Pavilion. I changed out of my uniform (in my car -phew- , and got inside the expo by 1500. It was a very small expo in comparison to all the other marathons I've run, and so it was easy to not spend so much time there. I looked through a bit of the merchandise, but I didn't buy any because along with our packet, they gave us a hat from Headsweats! Pretty awesome surprise! It's basically their black race hat, with the REVEL logo and branding on it. I ended up also buying some pain sticks, from a company called Magic Stuff. I got the Athlete's First Aid Twin Pack, the "A" stick is for ACUTE pain. It definitely cools down hot muscles. Has the same effect as Icy Hot, but I like the fact it's in a a sort of balm stick, and I think the smell is a bit better. The "H" stick is for HEAT and is used for blood circulation, old injuries, and you can even rub some in your mouth if you've got cold and flu symptoms! Kinda cool.
Anyway, besides that, I picked up a pacing wristband that had splits and paces specific to the race, and headed home.

I had been sort of slacking in the avenue of carb-loading before this race, as I was actually pretty unsure if I was going to participate. But, I mustered up my courage and decided that I was going to do it. A lot of the motivation behind it was that I was going to be running for the first time in an actual marathon in my new age group. So, I said why not.



This was the earliest I ever got up for a marathon! I woke up at about 2:30ish to make it the parking/busing area by 3:30. I changed into my ate a bowl of oatmeal, made a hydration mix, filled up a bottle of water,

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)