LA

Andie, my old roomie from Vancouver, spent a day exploring Hollywood!


Andie checking out Yohighness's CD (that is pronounced Yo High Ness)

Elmo in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre

Walk of Stars

I was always a big CHiPs fan!!

And then we dropped $80 o0n a swanky lunch in BHills :)

Race Stories: Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon June 27, 2009

There are those who focus on the end results, and others who focus on the journey. Neither is right nor wrong, but I think there's more fun on the trip if you take time to smell flowers, pet dogs, and take it all in. My friend Susie Sunshine doesn’t worry about how long it takes to run a race; it’s always about the journey. We made sure this wasn’t just a Personal Best time (PB) for the race, but a Personal Best Time (PBT) at the race! There was a guy on the sidelines who said: “Wow, you are having too much fun!”

I would have to say: No, WHY would I make this into a torture session? Not like I’m at the Olympic Trials, am I?

My finishing time was not particularly impressive, but as usual, I was waaaaaaay faster than everyone who sat on the couch. The stat that was being bandied about was that only 0.1% of the World’s Population will ever do a full marathon. So by getting out of bed, I am in the TOP 0.1% in the world.

There were 2 quotes on shirts that I really liked:

“If found on ground, please drag across finish line.”

And

“DLF > DNF. Dead Last Finish is better than Did Not Finish”

I was considerably faster than the DLF!

On the shore of Lake Washington, about Mile 8

Here’s a bunch of highlights from the course. I think it’s kinda obvious how it might have taken a little longer to do this course than if I’d just run it, one foot after the other, plodding through the 26.2 mile torture test. Now that sounds appealing, don’t it?

Bands on Course:
The whole schtick of the Rock n Roll race series is the promise of lots of music: at least one band per mile on the course, plus a headliner concert. In this race, I found most of the bands pretty good. There were cover bands that got us singing, others that cheered for runners as we went by, a reggae band at about Mile 21 that was fabulous (Jah bless!), and I was especially fond of the Mexican Elvis Guitar Player! There were only a couple who were so awful you just needed to run away. But I did think the organisers choice of a death metal band at Mile 25 to be ironic to the point of cruelty. “AAARRRGGGHHHH! This is the soundtrack to my final demise!! AAAGGGHHHHHH...Wish I could run faster to get away from this.....”

The Running Prayer
There was a man wearing a collar (a priest or minister or chaplain? I don’t know these things) on the side of the course, so I asked him to say a prayer for us. Here’s his on-the-fly, off-the-cleric-collar Runner’s Prayer:

“May the Lord bless you.
May you run,
and not grow weary.”

Then he did the Father, Son, Holy Ghost sign. Although I am not religious, I was
impressed that he would toss out a terrific prayer for us, and he really had a
great smile. So I ran over, and gave him a jumping high five: “Whooooo! Yay
God!”

Sports Models:
There was a photographer riding on the back of a motorcycle, who kept leap-frogging us in the early part of the race. I kept running just behind him, and giving instructions: “Go a little slower. I’m drafting behind you.” I did this a few times, and finally suggested he take some pictures of us. (What were we, chopped liver, Mr. Paparazzi??) So he stopped us a little further ahead, and got us up on stage with a Mexican Elvis Impersonator with a guitar. And then the photo shoot started.
“Yes, OK, really ham it up! Big smiles ladies!! Yes, great, OK now do air guitar. Now look up at him.”
The guitar man was awesome. He kept right on playing as we jumped around, etc. etc. He didn’t even miss a beat when I kissed him, and just said a low “Whoa, little darlin’” and kept on strummin’. The photographer loved that though! “Oh yah, kiss him again! Oh yah, that’s good. Now look up at him!!”
Who knows? Maybe we’ll wind up on the RNR website?? Sadly, I did not think to give him my camera, so no, I don’t have a shot of this..... Check the RNR website!

Does this clown make my butt look big?

High Fivin:
At about Mile 18, I got to the turnaround of one of the out-and-back fingers. I spotted a mom with little kids, so ran across the road to give the kids high-fives. The little boy, age 2, was too shy, but the girls, about age 4, were cool with it. Since I was at a turn-around, there were a bunch of spectators plus a cheerleading squad from a local school. So I carried on, giving maybe 25 high-fives in a row. The cheering squad went crazy!!! Good thing, as the road started back up the hill at that point. :(

Marathon Maniacs
There is a group who wear yellow tanks and call themselves the Marathon Maniacs. To get in, you only have to run 3 marathons in 3 months. (yikes!!) Most of the ones I met were old guys, like in their 70s or 80s, who had done many, many marathons and were all awesome. Tom was in his late 70s, and had done 95 full marathons. He said he was working on his 100th, and gave me the #1 Rule of Road Running: “If it’s soft, don’t step on it.” That’s wisdom gained through time.

Team in Training:
There were purple-clad runners all over the course. It’s the Team-in-Training, a group raising funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Research. For certain events, they have group training sessions, coaching and on-course support. They were all happy and feeling the love. They had so many coaches and so much encouragement, it obviously made the race that much easier and more fun for them. They get free, guaranteed race entry, accommodation, bus transportation, a snazzy purple tank top.... all the frills, really. And you get all this for the cost of some substantial fund raising. I will definitely look into T-I-T in a future race.
The woman who was most amazing finished after I did. I saw her cross the finish line, with a message written on the back of her legs: “I have leukemia. It doesn’t have me.” She crossed the line, covered her face, and sank to the ground to sob. She said she was ok, just overwhelmed. She really did have leukemia, and she really did run a whole marathon. Her story had all of us around her in tears. Wow. It still gives me chills.

Medical Tent:
Immediately after crossing the finish line, I went to the Medical tent. Plenty of people have serious issues on these big races, so they take all their patients very seriously, in general. I staggered in, asking for ice. Seriously, I had had noticeable pain in my knees since about mile 7.5, and since about mile 16, I woulda paid money for ice packs for them. The guy who received me said, “Ice? Jeez, that is a good idea. We totally shoulda thought of that.” Frikking smarty-pants! My comedian/nurse did get me some lovely ice packs and sat with me to tell me stories. He was so nice I asked for medical marijuana, but no dice. He was all out. I think the sub-4 hour runners took it all.

Hammin' it up at the finish line with T-I-T Elvis, who also wasn't DLF

Regardless of how the actual day went, and that I wasn't close to the time I'd hoped for, I am really, really proud that I trained for this race. The next one will be faster, but it will still be great.

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

-- John Bingham

New Product: Tara v. 26.2

NEWS RELEASE: Product launch – Tara v. 26.2

That's gold, baby!

YAY, I did it!! Successfully finished my first full marathon!

Awesome run support from Carol!

Quick Summary:

Had an amazing time, and absolutely enjoyed myself, except for the agony. The course went from Tukwila, past Lake Washington, and through downtown Seattle. The mountains were visible, the sun shone, the music was fun, the spectator support awesome, and race organisation was superb. The half and full marathon courses were the same until Mile 9, so I stayed with my best run pals, Sue and Carol till then. The second half of the 26.2 mile course was 2 out-and-back fingers, the second tricking me by approaching the finish line, and then going out for another 3 miles.

The road conditions were a crime against humanity, primarily a cambered surface for 80% of the race, and on concrete for most of the last 12 miles. I will never run in Seattle again unless they do major road works.

Vital Stats:

Time to cross the start line: about 45 minutes

Time to do the whole race: just under 6 hours

Calories burned, according to my run computer: 2753, about 1.5 times as many calories as a normal woman consumes in a whole day

Time behind Katie Holmes: 29 minutes (oh well!)

Weather: hot and sunny!

Scenery: Lake Washington, Mount Rainier, Lake Union, downtown Seattle, The Space Needle

Point where knee pain made me think it would be sensible to “just do Half”: Mile 7

Point where I decided I’d have to do another marathon, as this was just not my day: Mile 15

Point where knee pain was heinous and unbearable in both legs: Mile 19

Point where I started swearing around strangers: Mile 24

Point where I quit the race because it hurt too much: NEVER!!!!!

My choice of post-race food: tuna tataki salad

My new Indian Name, awarded by my run partners: “will run for salad.”

Number of medical margaritas consumed post-race: 6 (2 each for 3 of us)

My New Car!

I bought a new car yesterday. It's a 2009 Subaru Impreza. It was the demo model, so I got a bargain. I didn't totally impulse-buy it; I thought about it overnight :) I have both eye shadow AND nail polish that matches it exactly, so I felt this was a sign that she was meant for me. I had been kinda pining for an Audi A3, but if you look at that car, it really looks the one I bought.....but costs $15k more. I think she is too beautiful to be called a Lesbaru, so would love some suggestions for names.

For those who care about these things, it's got the Sport Shift transmission and 2.5 L engine. AWD is standard on all Subarus. She goes pretty good. I can definitely continue to drive like a lunatic! Well, until I pick up MacDog. He gets car sick when I drive stupid.

I've had my last dance with the Lesbaru. Farewell, old girl. You were a wonderful, reliable, frumpy car.

What the Heck are Tara's Plans? Summer 09

As is common for me, I just received an email: "Hey Tara, where are you? What are you doing?"
Following is my response.....

well, strangely enough, I'm at home in Kamloops, BC, Canada TODAY
but tomorrow, I'm leaving for the following trip:

• Vancouver till Thurs
  run a marathon in Seattle on Sat, June 27
  fly to LA for a week, then back to Seattle July 5
  drive down Oregon Coast to North Cali
  join group and start backpacking into Yosemite July 12-21
  drive toward Wyoming, with undefined plans to hike/explore Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier Natl park
  go to Calgary, and fly to UK July 31
  UK - visiting various people Aug 1-12
  fly back to Calgary
  drive to Kamloops for friends' wedding Aug 15
  start driving north to Whitehorse, Yukon Aug 17
  Aug 19-31: undefined plans to day hike, explore, etc in Yukon and Alaska
  hike Chilkoot Trail Sept 3-7
  run Klondike Road Relay Sept 11-12
  head back south about Sept 15, possibly hiking near Mt Robson Provincial Park about Sept 18-22 or so
  return Kamloops, BC late Sept

You should probably already know this, but anything that I have not registered nor purchased an air ticket for, that could change.
And if you want to join me for anything, that would be awesome! Email me or try my cell 250 318 9894

One Week to Go

Is excited the same as terrified? Def freaked out at the prospect of the FULL MARATHON. Actually wrote a funny typo today, saying in week from now, I'd be on the marathon curse.

But I'm also feeling overwhelmed. Every time I think about my friends supporting me, and being sooooooo impressed that I have run so far, and will run farther, I tear up. I am sure my mom will be on the website, tracking my progress, and that makes me tear up. (Not sure if that ability exists, but if it does, she'll be doing it.) My acupuncturist, who I went to jamaica with, wanted to come to Seattle to cheer me on. WOW! She has no passport, so can't, but WOW, make me cry. Every time I think about the finish line, I tear up. HOLY, this will be huge. Wow, I have battled injuries, had training meltdowns, had people diss me or whatever, and here it is - a week from now, it will all be over.
OK, I gotta hit the hay. My final training is to get up insanely early every day, to prep for race day! I won't meet my run partners till 7:30, but I'll be up at 5. I have definitely lost it. :)

A week from now, I'll be a new me: Tara version 26.2

First Aid with Boys

Adam in his dirt-biking gear. But don't let this sweet face fool you!

I spent last week staying with my old university friend, Sandra, and her family.

We were riding around in her brand new van, and Adam (8) and his brother Robert (10) were in the back seat. Of course, they were goofing around/fighting, and I turned around to notice Adam's nose dripping blood. And of course, because he's 8, he had a huge smile on his face.

So the first panic was, "AAAAHHHHH! Don't get blood on the new van!!"
Young boys are pretty industrious, so Adam took off his sock to use to staunch the flow. Then he started complaining, "Ewwww, it stinks."
My comment: "If you can smell your sock, you're not pinching your nose properly. Pinch it harder!"
I then called him Sock Booger for the rest of my stay. He loved me.

New Car?

Well, I have to admit, it's about time for me to get a new car. The Lesbaru has been a great car, but she's got over 230 ooo km's on her, and she's jinxed anyway. http://cartwheelingtara.blogspot.com/2008/09/topsy-turvy-day.html


Andie in LA helpfully sent me the following email:

Tara, got this car for you so you can have wheels AND spending money! It's ready right now. I'll pick you up at the airport on Sunday! Xxxme

And she sent a closeup too "...just so you can see that it's an angry chicken!"

Wow, and I could have instant employment too! Awesome.

A Cow Story

Yesterday, I ran 20 miles. (The longest run of my life. 4 weeks till the race.) At about the 14 mile mark, we came across some cows on a hill. As soon as they saw us, they started running away. I started shouting at the cows, "Oh #*!$ you! You're just running to show that you can go faster than us. #*!$ you cows!"
[You run 14 miles, and see if you don't shout at anything and everything - except your running partners.]
So one of them stopped, and turned to face us. Uh oh. Then 3 more stopped, stood their ground, and stared at us, with menace in their eyes. I expected, "Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?!" Next it would be like The Matrix, and one would lift a hoof, to beckon me forward to a kung-fu duel! Yikes, scary!
We managed to get away without anything getting worse, but still expecting a bovine ambush, probably with 3 bottles on their hooves, like in Warriors. "Run-ners, come out and pla-aaay."
[all the oxygenated blood in my body is in my legs at that point. I got NUTHIN in my brain.]

At the end of the run, we were having a picnic in the shade, and I was laughing about telling the cows to #*!$ off. I looked up on the hill, and saw more were RUNNING down the hill, toward us. OK, I have learned my lesson. I will not swear at cows anymore! I am gonna get my ass whooped!

Marathon Mind

Marathon training is far harder than I thought it would be. I mean, obviously it would be physically demanding. I've been eating like a teenage boy with worms for months now. I'm tired. I'm sore. I've had all sorts of little injuries. But I had no idea that it would be a massive mental challenge.
A few weeks ago, I compared the miles in my training plan (oh yes, one MUST have a training plan) to that of some gals who will be running the same race. Their mileage was waaayyy more than mine in May! And so I freaked, and made the cardinal error of increasing my miles and ignoring my training plan. And as any coach would have predicted, I crashed, and absolutely fell apart.
2 weeks ago, I went out for a planned 20 mile run. At the 14 mile point, I felt like I'd been going pretty fast, but I had taken about 20-30 mins longer than I ever had to complete that distance. I was exhausted; I was miserable. So I accepted failure and walked 4 miles back to the car. :-(
All the previous week, I'd been tired but couldn't sleep. I had lost my appetite, and had a stomach ache all day, every day. I was hating running. Actually, I was CURSING running.
Then last weekend, I just skipped my long run. (FYI, this is something I am terrified to do. You cannot cram for a marathon! If you don't train, you will pay dearly in injuries and agony on the day.) Skipped it anyway.
Then, I got horribly depressed and discouraged. I was a failure. I am a failure. I always will be a failure. I get that a marathon is huge, but I've never heard of anyone who started training for one, and then bailed. Guess I win Biggest Loser this year. I can now run a half marathon anytime with no more prep than a big meal, water in my CamelBack, and plenty of snacks in my pockets. I can do it hungover. Intellectually, I get that is amazing, that I am insanely fit, strong and capable, but ...uggghhhhh, if I can't do a full marathon, what use am I? I suck to the nth degree.

I set yesterday's run as my decision point: if it was beyond horrible, I'd get a grip, and run my best half marathon ever. But if it was anything better than that, I'd carry on, push on through, and finish the full 26.2 miles on June 27.
So now I am thrilled that I ran with my greatest supporters, Sue and Carol, and that I bought Magic Pants. I am sooooooooo pleased that I did 20 miles, and it was FABULOUS. And I'm into the Taper Phase of my training - I get to take it easier for the next 4 weeks, to prepare for race day.
The champagne at the finish line is going to be the sweetest, most-deserved quaff I've EVER had.