Valentine's Day

This weekend, despite my ever-ongoing illness, I completed half marathon #28 and #29 just 24 hours apart. The Sat. race was in gorgeous Mission Bay running on Fiesta Island--flat, loved it. Sun. the race was at an area called Rancho Santa Fe in northwest San Diego, also known as the place for rich people. I saw plenty of woodsy areas and horse stables with estates tucked in behind greenery, just as the wealthy would have it. But the race itself was soooooo hilly. Out of all 29 half marathons, this was the second hardest (after recent #27, which was a tough trail race with the flu as well). I got my second slowest time ever. I think the tough course, mixed with the flu, mixed with the soreness from the half marathon from the day before left me for dead. So I have to just accept my time and try to get my fitness back. I have been posting some of my worst running times ever. 2011 has not been good to me racing wise... What happened?

But San Diego is gorgeous. My life has recently done a 180 and I love it. It is so beautiful here. I ran a race next to a beach??? And it wasn't a trip out of town.

Today, however, is Valentine's Day and once again I find myself alone on this day. Yes, I saw the flowers delivered to the girls at work--one even got pink tulips which are one of my favorite types of flowers. So I did feel a tinge of jealousy, but with all the wonderful things in my life I cannot be sad. I read yesterday that there are 100 million single people in America. With a country of just under 400 million, I am still in the minority, but that is a whole lot of people who are probably dining solo this evening as well. I am not so alone after all.

Life in general

I've always thought my life is the great equalizer. When something good happens, it is inevitable that something bad will happen. It is the way my life goes. I am truly Even Stevens.

Well, I got this really great new life in San Diego and on my first day here I found out that a dear friend and colleague was killed in a car accident. RIP my good friend P.H. You were a joy to work with and I will miss you dearly. I just spoke to her on Friday and on Sunday she was taken from us.

Then two days later I caught a horrible flu. I was smacked down to the ground. Fever, chills, temperature and coughing all night long. I didn't sleep for 5 days and my work said to me "don't come back till you feel better." I spent 3 hours in urgent care with x-rays, blood work, etc. only to be told by the doctor "there isn't anything I can do for you. Go home." What???? I WANT DRUGS!!! NOW!!!

Then in the midst of this horrific flu, I went to Los Angeles to visit friends and watch the Super Bowl. Well, I had signed up for a half marathon that same weekend and paid mucho dinero for it and didn't want to lose the money. So I did the race anyway. It was 27th half marathon. I was born on the 27th and it is one of my favorite numbers so was particularly excited to do this race...that is until I caught the flu. By mile 2.5 I had to walk. It was a super tough trail race so steep I had to walk portions of it (well, I walked most of it). I finished in 40 minutes over my typical time....ick!!! How embarrassing. So my 27th half marathon was the 27th worst and I got my 27th worst time. And I think I caught pneumonia because of it.

CA Girl

I have a major change in my life. I resigned from my job two weeks ago and move to California tomorrow. I am moving to San Diego for a new position that is right up my alley. It is a bittersweet moment. I have lived in Phoenix for a long time and have sweet memories and wonderful friends. My life is awesome and I feel so blessed for all that I have been given. It is on to something new, but Phoenix will always be here.

Salt Lake City

Spent the weekend in snowy Salt Lake City for the Sundance Film Fest. Had troubles getting back. I wanted to get in a last minute vacation before a big change this weekend.

I'm an ultra marathoner!!

I am now officially an ultra marathoner :) I completed a 50K trail race today. It was super, super hard. Very grueling terrain like climbing up a mountain, plus we had to run in 8 miles of sand, just like running on the beach and 4 miles were uphill, so imagine running uphill on a beach. It was insane. Plus, we had to go over all this loose rock straight downhill and through gravel ankle deep. The terrain just kept changing. Plus, for the first 13.5 miles, there was one aid station. Then mile 19-31 had no liquids. I thought I was going to pass out from dehydration. How could they do this to us??? It is the desert! It is so hot, even in January.

But I finished :)

First Race Report of 2011

I finished my first race of the year and it went...well, not so much fun. It was my first full trail running race. I've done some trail triathlons, but not a full running race. It GPS'd at 12.6 miles and took me longer than it takes me to run 16.6. It was 6 miles of climbing up a trail over rocks and boulders. I couldn't even run a good portion of it. Plus, not many aid stations existed because it was out in the middle of nowhere Arizona. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive to the start line, literally out into the mountains of nowhere. If you looked for this place on a map, I don't think it would be there.

Well, not only was it hard, but I fell. I fell and sprained my wrist, twisted my ankle, bruised my hand until it turned blue, skinned my knee and elbow to the point it burned, and ended up with about two pounds of cactus needles in me, which I spent the race of the race pulling out as I plugged along. It can only go uphill from here right? I managed to finish covered in blood and cried my way to the aid station. I was crying like a baby to the man trying to clean up my dirt and blood-soaked body. Poor man.

Happy New Year!

May 2011 bring everyone health, happiness and a better economy. I added some photos to flickr:
flickr.com/jenniferpurdie