I Make Myself

"I am walking funny today"

I have a friend and her name is Linda. I could make a whole blog of stories featuring this girl! It's hard to explain what she means to me because she is like a sister. She is the kind of friend that visited my parents when I was living in Spain, the kind of friend you call and shows up immediately, the go-to-girl to have an awesome night out -such as this one- and the kind of girl who will simply brighten up your day with her loud laugh and funny comments on life.

We are both LEO by the way! I'm not a horoscope person but it is a fun fact to know.

 
 
1. Linda & me circa 2005. 2.On our graduation day and yes, that is Heinz (we had just started dating then). 3. At a wedding and 4. later that same day fighting over the microphone at the wedding reception -we tend to do that-.

She ran her first half marathon on sunday and these are her words on running and the race. 

 

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I started running approximately a year ago. It will be a year this June! One of the main reason I started was friendship. Some of my friends had started running and I kept listening about their joys, accomplishments, falling down stories and the truth is I felt left out but a part of me absolutely refused to run...because I was NOT the type of person that would get up early! and I like to point out the past tense "was" because now I am! I wake up early five days a week and some times even weekends. I hated waking up early because I simply love to sleep! The first days I started running my family was amazed and even made funny faces because just like Ruth I was never the sporty one in my family (I have a brother who was a swimming champion while I never played anything)

One day after giving it a lot of thought -and after many running invitations from Ruth and my friends- I realized running made them happy. By that time I was going through complicated issues with my job. I was stressed out all the time, moody, grumpy and snapping at everybody. Work saturation, love disappointments (and I laugh but it's true) were not doing me any good so I decided I would change my life. I told myself I had to fight my sadness, fatigue, anger and frustrations by doing something positive for me. I had to run.

-Hey! After all running is for free! Well relatively speaking because there are no memberships to pay but I did have to "invest" in cute outfits so I could feel good AND look good-

The point is I decided to run for myself. The first time I ran I fell in love. I felt full of energy for the entire day. I was filled with adrenaline, happiness and my problems were still there but the difference was the way I saw them. I stopped being so annoying to me and my friends -I know I irritated them with my whining stage and for that I am sorry :) - Running is good for me. I see things differently now. The sunrises, feeling alive, knowing I am moving forward. That is what makes me get up early everyday.

What I like most about running is filling my eyes with the spectacular sunrises we have in our country, the endless running talks and obviously those toned up legs!!!! I love them! I love all the comments I am getting from both men and women - ok ...mostly men-

I decided to run a Half Marathon because I like challenges. I like to overcome limitations and it is inspiring to feel that  every time I started running I could push myself a bit harder. The Half Marathon was this year's challenge! I was nervous -of course I was!- my family was worried to! But I loved it. Setting a goal and reaching it is what encouraged me and also -I can't leave my friends out of this- Ruth and our running "coach" Mema played a huge part in encouraging me. I admire Mema because she is really tough and she taught me not to give up, she told me everything was in my  head and to keep running even if my legs didn't want to. They both believed in me and motivated me to run the race.

With a strong will  many would say I am hard to mold but I listen and I like to learn. On race day I followed Ruth and Mema's advice to start slow and save up energy. There were moments I knew I could step it up -like downhills- but I mainly kept my pace. I didn't want to give out everything on the first part, I hydrated on the water stations and wet my head to fight the heat. Around 14K I felt I was dragging my legs but I also felt at this point I was running on auto pilot. I passed some runners and this pumped my energy. I kept repeating to myself "You can do this Linda Castellanos" -together with a salvadorean expression that is hard to translate but just so you get the idea the word balls is included-.  I tried to enjoy the view on the streets and our runners unfriendly culture! The cars had no respect for us! 

 

That's us almost getting run over  by the 15K mark.

 

When it got particularly hard I remembered my dad's words: The determination, tenacity and effort you have put in your training and this race makes me feel proud of you. I didn't get the best time in the race -I finished at 2h40- but the pride I feel of having my dad tell me this makes me feel accomplished. Getting to the finish line and have my friends supporting me with a huge smile made my race complete.

 

 

The day after the race - I can say - everything hurts! Even my hair. My legs are sore and I am walking funny today but I am happy and proud. I am even tired of describing the route! every body keeps asking me to describe the route of the race. It helps that my friends and my family have showered me with compliments today.

Looking back on my training I will definitely include more sprints and speed training next time. I have to work on my breathing and I need endurance. I would like to improve my times for next year's race and try to cut down time from my long runs.

What I learned from my training was not to go crazy on the long runs. You have to built it up little by little. I reached 8K and built a base in that distance. I increased millage little by little from 2 to 3 kilometers each time ending with a final 17K run I did with Ruth and Mema the weekend before the race.  I ran 3 days a week and did some bicycle 2 times a week. I did one session of speed training and the week before the race I only went out twice in the bicycle. Regarding my diet I try to eat healthy every day regardless of the training and before the race I took some fluid supplements which helped me a lot.

Looking back at my training I can say speed training was particularly hard and also the final part of the runs. At the end I feel tired and it made me slow down my pace. The sun and the heat are tricky factors as well and is hard to learn how to handle them.

What I would like to say to people who see a half marathon as an unreachable goal is to -first of all- believe in yourself. That is your first goal. You have to surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive people (like my friends Ruth and Mema) who will support and contribute to your goals. These type of people will help you feel better!

If you've decided to run you have to know there will be days you'll want to quit, give up, stay in bed and there are also injuries -I had one- but it is important to keep positive, learn, work, repeat, read, embrace there are things you can do and some you simply can't. Set up goals and clear objectives.

Being determined and establishing a discipline helps improve your environment but most important it improves how you feel about yourself and those around you.

 

Being a mom and a runner. A mom's race recap.

Running has changed my life -I've said it a couple of times- but I want to share not only my story but also stories of those around me who have also found in running a life challenge.

 

One of my VERY best friends is Monica. She just had a baby -and by just I mean 5 months ago!-. She is a determined, supportive, strong, some times stubborn woman that I am proud to call my friend. 

 

I asked her to share some of her experience with running after becoming a mom because I can't imagine being able to juggle the life of a new mom AND working out. I asked her to do a little introduction and then I sent her a set of questions about being a runner and a mom.

 

***

 

Hi everyone! My name is Monica and I am about to turn 30. The truth is I am really excited about turning 30! I also love the idea of sharing a little bit of my experience of running after becoming a mom. I have a 5 month old baby and it has been a challenge to get back to the fitness world.

 

I consider myself as someone who has always had an active life in terms of exercise. I would go to the gym, spinning classes, lift weights, do aerobics and even went to dance classes (though not my thing)  but two years ago I became curious about running as two of my friends would go out and run. I was fearful because - you see - traffic in El Salvador can be a little let's say..."complicated". There are a few places such as parks where you can go and exercise therefore people that go out to run have to do it on the streets or main roads where there are no special trails or tracks for runners like in other countries.

 

My friends -Ruth and Mema- went out at 5:15 AM and one day I decided to go with them because -as I told them- treadmill at the gym was boring and I wanted to try going out on the street. Let me tell you that I loved it! It was one of the best experiences! the air, the sunrise, the chilly weather at that time it all made running fun let alone going out with two of my friends -and Mike, one of my husband's friend  "looked out for us" on our route-. We ran three times a week around 8K each time.

 

I love the feeling of charging myself with positive energy when I run. I relax and I love to feel that my body is active aside from the stress release you get from working out.

 

• How long did it take you to start working out after your baby was born?

Two months after Anya was born I was encouraged to participate in a race. There was a 5K and 10K option and I obviously took up the 5K. I went with the mentality of not over demanding myself because I have had a c-section two months before. To my own amazement I was able to finish the 5K. As a fun fact I was carrying a 5$ bill in my shoe just in case I had drop out and ask for a phone somewhere so I could call my husband and ask him to pick me up or call a cab to take me home. From those 5K the most difficult part were hills as I had lost my endurance. During my pregnancy all I did -and not that often- was to walk on the treadmill.

 

• How have you managed to incorporate exercise, running and a balanced diet to your life as a mom? What has been particularly difficult?

Being motivated is all in the mind. You have to motivate and encourage yourself to work out! because babies -as we all know- wake up several times in the morning and that is tiring. Ruth encouraged me a lot to work out and I started swimming and jogging on the treadmill. I squeezed some workout when the baby slept and I had to adapt to the time the baby would allow me to do it; sometimes it would be 20 minutes or 40 and even 1 hour.

 

A balanced diet is extremely important not only to loose the baby weight but also to feel good with your body. During my pregnancy I gained 35 pounds even though the doctor told me I should only gain between 20 and 25. Imagine how I felt when I realized I had gain 35, nothing fit me! I used leggings all the time and even had to borrow some "loose" shirts from my aunt because mine wouldn't fit. 

 

You have to look at everything from the bright side; my daughter was diagnosed with lactose intolerance just two months after being born and if I wanted to continue breastfeeding her that meant I couldn't eat any dairy. I embraced it and I think this was -in a big part- what helped me reach my pre-baby weight. I relied on healthy carbs like whole wheat bread, pita bread, rice and potato. I didn't have any kind of desserts because most of them have dairy in them. It was hard at the beginning and I regretted everything I couldn't eat but in about 20 days I acknowledge this was what my diet was going to be plus I started to lose weight with every week.

 

• How has it been to stay motivated to run?

It has been easy to stay motivated but hard to make the body react. Having a baby means being sleep deprived and during the day a baby is a 24/7 demanding job. There are no relaxing moments unless the baby is asleep and that is when you take a nap or run some errands.

 

• Why did you decide to do this race?

Races are goals, goals you have to achieve in order to feel all the effort has payed off. That is how I look at it. Thanks to my husband and friends support I decided to do it. I was a little scared I was not going to make it to the finish line but as I said it's all in your mind, you have to be positive and be willing to achieve your goals.

 

• How did you train for this race?

I would have liked to train more but time didn't allow it. I ran 5K and 9K before the race and those last 9K were the ones that gave me the confidence that I was going to make the 11K at the race.

 

• What was the hardest part in the race and what did you like the most?

The most difficult were the hills because I have lost my endurance, I have to train to run them better. There weren't too many hills in the 11K  race but after running one I would feel tired. I kept my own pace and a positive mind that I was going to finish. What I liked the most was to see my daughter and my husband waiting for me at the finish line...that moment will be unforgettable!

 

• What is your next running related goal?

Since I couldn't do the 21K this time I want to keep training so I will be able to run them shortly. I am lucky enough that Ruth is training for a marathon so I can run them with her.

 

• Do you have any advice for those who have recently become a mom and are struggling to incorporate exercise in their routine?

A positive mind. It's all in your head. You have to feel motivated and have the drive to achieve something in order to fulfil it. I personally feel you shouldn't demand your body more than it can give because with a baby you normally are tired but if you want to, you will find the way and the moments to work out.

 

YO♡ES Half Marathon recap

After my anxiety outburst on friday I tried to pace myself and managed to get a good night's -no race dreams- sleep.

 

SATURDAY- The day before the race

The day started with a family tradition. We ALWAYS have breakfast together on saturday.

 
I had an omelet baguette and some nice chitchat to go with.

After breakfast I went to the race expo to get my chip, number and shirt. Me and my friends had agreed to meet at 11:30 to get our things together.

  
  
  
 
Everything at the expo was well organized, we got our things quickly and then we went home to get some rest. I -of course- needed to lay down my gear and prepare everything to feel relaxed...so I did.

 
 

After looking at everything put together so neatly I was ready to chill. I prepared myself an almond milk and blueberry smoothie I planned to drink while flipping my Runners magazine to get some extra motivation but Whitney Houston's service was on TV so I ended up watching that. I cooked 1/2 cup of whole wheat pasta, added some turkey sausages and called it lunch. Before I went to bed I ate my favorite pre-race meal:

Brown rice, red beans and avocado.

 

SUNDAY- Race day

I set up my alarm clock (and hubby's alarm as well) at 5:30 AM. I woke up and got dressed. I had prepared some overnight oats to have before leaving the house, I ate about three spoonfuls of oats and we headed out. At 6:30 I was picking up my friend Monica and at 6:40 we were at the starting line. We agreed on a meeting point that no one remembered but at the end we manage to find each other.

 
 

We headed to the starting line and it was off. The race started. When running long distances the first 5K are hard for me I guess it's a mental thing were I am embracing that I will be running for the next couple of hours. I tried talking to Linda & Monica but they had their Ipods on grrrr! so they weren't paying me much attention. I figure I would just let them be and continue with my race. I normally don't run with music I find it drains my energy. I start to sing the songs, I get uber excited and push myself so hard that by the second kilometer I feel exhausted. I carry my Ipod just in case I get bored but this race was not the case and I didn't use it at all.

By the 5K mark my friend Monica took a different direction because she was doing the 11K race. Linda and I followed the 21K arrow. Just a few minutes away from my 10K mark I had my first energy gel, I had brought two and planned to have them every 45min instead of waiting until I felt tired to have them. 

I tried not to look at my pace and time more than a few times. I wanted to enjoy the run and listen to my body. Just when I passed the 10K mark I looked at my Garmin and saw I had PR'ed my 10K at exactly 1h10. I was going strong! 

Hubby would be waiting for me at the 15K mark. We had agreed to meet at a gas station I was going to run by but what I didn't know is that there are three gas stations in that street! When I didn't see him at the first gas station (where I thought we had agreed) I was bummed and thought he had left. Then I saw the second one and thought I would see him there, again, no Heinz. By the third gas station I was really confused when all of a sudden:

 
I saw Heinz. I was obviously happy.

I remember screaming and shouting something like "we are doing great!" and kept going. At 18K the police wouldn't let Heinz through since they were holding the traffic due to the race so he waited for us and took one last picture before heading to the finish line.

The finish line was a hill and as I made the final turn I looked at my Garmin and saw I was going to beat my last half marathon time. I gave it all I had and finished at 2h36 exactly 5 minutes faster than last year.

I GOT MYSELF A NEW PR BABY!!!!!!

 

I am sooooo excited! I dropped off 10 whole minutes from my 10K mark and 5 minutes from my half marathon time. This PR and finishing strong is a major booster for my runner-esteem!

I spent the rest of the day in my compression calves-sleeves  and ate seafood like a man! It was very un-femenine of me but I was HUNGRY!

 
Colorful nails & colorful flowers. A gift from Heinz to celebrate my new PR.

MONDAY- the day after the race

I slept like a baby and woke up today later than usual. Not THAT late! 30 minutes-late! My muscles aren't sore and I feel great! I feel really confident with my training and will continue as I have been doing so far. 

I got a little blister and will have to see how it heals before I have to run again on wednesday but blister and all -today- I am a happy runner.

 

PS: Here is something to look forward!!!  Keep posted as I will be sharing my two friends race recap:

Monica's first post baby race & Linda's first half marathon.