Welcome to Hollywood #42

I did a race in Hollywood this Easter weekend. It was a tough, hilly course with a killer hill from mile 10.5 to 12.7. I saw only a handful of people jogging up it. Everyone else was walking. I was disappointed in my time because for the first 8 miles I was actually making much more of a decent time than usual. In March I did a 10K and 15K and at the 10K and 15K point in this race, I was 10 minutes ahead of my finish time. But that last hill killed me. It took me 15 minutes/mile to walk up the hill. I did get to run down Hollywood Boulevard along the Walk of Fame and the Sunset Strip.

There were a few problems with this race:
1. They ran out of cups and they just had to give us water by the handful.
2. The finish line was suppppperr crowded. They had a fancy step and repeat on red carpet set up for runners, so everyone wanted finish line photos.
3. They had shuttle buses running for runners, which ended at 9:30am due to traffic. So this left a huge amount of foot traffic for everyone. Just to walk back to the cars took forever.

I did get to go on a party bus after the race, however. It was better than a limo! It had music pumping, lights all over, TVs, a reader board. Very classy move!

After the race, I walked to the nearest LA Fitness, which was just down the road from where I parked my car. I ran into, literally, a former soap opera actor there working out. I then headed to Universal Studios for the entire day and rode lots of rides and saw the backlot, lots of sound stages, and Wisteria Lane where they film Desperate Housewives. I then saw an actor from American Reunion and another TV actor walking around the City Walk.

Sunday I went to see my uncle and had Easter dinner with friends. It was beautiful weather and a lovely weekend.

#42 half marathon done!

Here's another quoted article:

http://www.spryliving.com/articles/6-most-common-cycling-mistakes/

Will Run for Chocolate

I did a race this weekend called the Hot Chocolate 15K, which at the finish line had trays set out for runners full of bananas, Rice Krispie treats, apples, marshmallows, pretzels, etc. with warm, liquid hot chocolate poured into a little tray for fondue. We were also given cups of hot chocolate courtesy of Ghiradelli. What a nice way to end a race. Unfortunately, I was having heart problems during the race. I've been having heart trouble lately with heart murmurs, which started back up during the race at mile 0.8, which is a long way to go from the finish line. Two guards came over to see if I was okay because I was clutching my chest. It felt like my heart was going to leap out of my body and in just jogging, my heart rate almost hit 200 bpm. Not good. So I walked the hills and stayed slow, but finished because I wanted my chocolate.

I also jumped on the Hunger Games bandwagon and read the book and saw the movie. Loved it!

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day was very social for me, which was pretty epic. (Epic is my new favorite word.) I normally spend that day at home. But this year I did a race--in a storm straight into a head wind. That night I went to dinner with friends who were in town for a triathlon, which incidentally, was cancelled due to the weather. I then went out with a couple I know and we ate corned beef and cabbage at an Irish pub. The next day I was supposed to also have another race, which was also canceled due to weather. I tried talking to the man about the weather, but clearly he didn't listen.

Another typical man.

#41

I spent the weekend visiting my parents in Phoenix and also completed my 41st half marathon. Naturally, my time was awful, but it was the easiest half marathon course I've done in Arizona. I'll do it again next year and hopefully be in much more stellar shape to pull off a PR.

Oscar, Oscar

Serendipitously, I had a family reunion of sorts this weekend. I drove up north a couple of hours to visit my uncle and my grandfather and brother were also in town. I felt like a soccer mom this weekend shuffling people about, but I didn't mind. I appreciated the company. We ate out and ate in and I watched the Oscars and pretended I was on the arm of George Clooney (he is dating a tall, 30-something...) or Tom Hardy, my new obsession. I pretended I walked the red carpet in a blue Marchesa gown complete with Harry Winston jewels.


I've been interviewed for a few stories lately. Here's a smattering:

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/10-breakfasts-champions

http://www.girlsgonesporty.com/articles/real-sporty-women/real-sporty-women-jennifer-purdie

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/story/2012-02-20/Airports-get-into-the-fitness-craze-for-stressed-travelers/53177398/1

http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/5-biggest-turn-offs-214000186.html

#40

I spent the weekend up north visiting an uncle who was in the hospital. I also picked up my grandfather who flew in to help. In between hospital visits, I squeezed in my 40th half marathon on a beautiful course with rolling hills. I am still running very slowly and my finish time was a nightmare.

But I did get to run with Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block fame. He was standing right next to me in the starting chute and I heard all these cameras go off and the announcer say that Joey McIntyre is here to run a half marathon. Being the perpetual junior higher, I kept yelling "Joey McIntyre, I love you" and chasing him down for the first mile. This only made him run faster, as in faster away from me.

I like to think I personally got Joey McIntyre his best half marathon time. You're welcome Joey! I think you owe me a thank you letter complete with an autograph.

On a side note, I am in love with someone else. His name is Tom Hardy and there is a nice youtube clip of him here. I've really liked him since I first saw him in Inception, but now I saw him in This Means War, which is my new favorite movie--all because of him. I am a huge sucker for accents.

Where are these beautiful men??? Not hanging around me, that's for sure--actually they are even running away from me.

#39

I finished my 39th half marathon this weekend on a hilly course. I am still not running well. My dad thinks it is all mental. I think he is 50% right. I think half is mental and half is I've lost my ability to run. I'm just not in shape. It took me over 40 minutes off of a PR to finish. Granted it was a tough course, but I'd give myself 20 minutes tops off my PR pace at worst.

Onto sadder news, my favorite singer of all time passed away. Whitney Houston has been and will always remain my favorite singer. The first record-yes, record-I owned was Whitney Houston's I Want to Dance with Somebody. I uploaded an image. My favorite song of all time is the Greatest Love of All.

Very few people are blessed with such talent and I'm glad that Whitney Houston shared hers with the world. Her music is timeless.

RIP.