Gimme More...

After my exciting PR in UW Bothell I hurt my back doing yard work. Last week I had great difficulties to even walk, but I stepped on the treadmill every day to loosen some muscles. One day I walked one mile in 24 minutes. That bad it was. This week I started to recovered and ran on Tue and Wed just a couple of laps/day around our lake (1.6 miles per lap). The pace was around 12 min/mile, and the back still hurt and my body felt really heavy.

I had scheduled a 5K race today in Edmonds (Waterfront Festival), and as it was my PR for last year (29:01), I really wanted to do it. My friend Mike was going to rabbit me again to help me with a new PR. However, I was not feeling well. On Friday I told him that I would run depending on how I felt.

On Friday night I had some back pain and took 1 gr of extra-strenght acetaminophen with nighttime sleep aid. WRONG!!! When I went to bed I was so tired, and needed to sleep, but my legs and arms hurt and were restless. It had all the characteristics of RLS, which I hope was caused by the pills, because it was really uncomfortable, not a very nice feeling and I refuse to have that syndrome. My limbs wanted to go in different directions. After 2 hours fighting with the situation, I fell asleep.

Hubby woke me up at 7am with a nice, hot cup of cappuccino and I already had a headache. I decided not to race as my body didn't feel right. I got up, threw away about 490 pills to the garbage can, opened the shades and went back to bed. The day was especially gorgeous (we've had a gift of weather for the last 2 weeks, sunny and in the high 50's - mid 60s), and I couldn't be cozier in my bed... but I felt remorse.

Like if I could not make my own decisions, I asked my husband: What should I do? then he asked me: What do you want to do? My response was simple: I want to race but my body doesn't. Then he gave me the key when he said: "If I go by that standard, I would have never pulled the ivy from the backyard". That was it. He was right.

At 7:45 I got my cereal and yogurt, got dressed and at 8:15 I left.

Found Mike, got my bib #2090, jogged for 10 minutes, and ready, set, go. Mike rabbited me the last portion of the race where I reached 6.40 min/mile. Thanks Mike!!!

And... I did PR with 28:22 !!!! Division 6/21 - Overall 93/211 - Gimme More...

Ode To My Favorite Coug

I didn't know a prouder Washington State Alumni than Russ Westover... My Favorite Coug, as I always called him. He was a very friendly co-worker, who shared at work the love for his family, and who always offered a gorgeous smile. And there was no Friday that he didn't have a Coug item on him.

On Sunday May 10th, tragedy knocked at his door.

When my boss told me what happened I was in disbelief. All my recent emotions, that are far for closure were deeply touched, thinking on what another family has to go through. I was so stressed out that when I went to bed, my husband had to cover me with three blankets because I couldn't stop shivering.

I made the conscious decision of not going to the Memorial service. I am not yet emotionally prepared. However, I chose another venue.

On Saturday there was a race in University of Washington: Dawg Territory, Coug's rival. And with the beautiful scenic campus of UW Bothell, the gorgeous sunny and warm day, and the memory of Russ' beautiful smile I sang with my feet and heart an Ode to My Favorite Coug. Russ, God Bless You.



































Blowing a kiss to my hubby. The lady on my side, #210, took the second place of the Master Division.









The race raised my spirit.














I ran an official time of 28:59, a PR!!! Last tenth of a mile were sprinted at 6 some min/mile pace. It was insane. I saw this girl #200 and challenged her to sprint. We were running like demons, and everybody had to look at us because we were amazingly fast... at least for a tenth of a mile....

Division: 6/19 - Overall: 52/112


I wonder why I have that posture....

How Much I Needed To Go Out And Race

The first race of the season, and for a beautiful cause - World Concern’s Free Them: Stop Human Trafficking 5K raised money for women and children at risk of, or enslaved in, the injustices of sexual exploitation, trafficking and slave labor.

I ran for the cause, and no timing or PR was considered.... until the gun went off....

After mile one at 9:44, I said to myself, what about if I push it? Mile two reminded me that I have been two months without running, but I felt so happy to be back, that in mile three I recovered some. Final pace 10:27. No PR was possible, of course.

After the race, I had the fortune of running into a former boss. She gave me comfort in this time of loss, and I wonder if, really, nothing is casual in this world.

And after finding out How Much I Needed To Go Out And Race, I can certainly say, that I am back!!!

Deb and her 4 yo daughter, who joined the race in the last half mile