Tag You're IT

Stole another MeMe from my friend (I actually just stalk her, but whatever) over at Pieces Of Me and thought I'd throw it out there for you all. Maybe get to know me a bit better. hu? whatcha think? Here it is in all its glory.


Apparently I'm in the bloggin mood so here's a little diddy for you all. You know how it works.

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

Ten Years ago I was running around planning a wedding. I was working full time and saving for a house. I was living with my Best friend while we both planned our upcoming nuptials because neither of us could do anything without the other at the time, or still. I ran twice from our house to my grandparents. Twice that whole freakin year. Then I gave up for another 10 years. How do you like them apples?

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

hmmm. not many to base this on. In high school I messed up my knee on a race. That sucked, hurt like hell. But being diagnosed with Melanoma that year overshadowed any other racing. Just didn't have the same competitive edge I had before I knew. My best would have to be my first real 5K race with BFF. She rocks. Even after (ahem) 4 of Daron's margaritas I still PR'ed.

3. Why do you run?
That so called BFF called and said "I wanna run a marathon." I said "OK" although she thinks I should have said, "Are you F*%*ing crazy?" So I started running and after a 15 year hiatus. I signed up for January 1st and ran March 2nd a half mary in 2 hours 11 minutes. It was amazing and I loved it. I can't wait to run a full marathon this winter.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?
I've been given so much good advise its so hard to decide. Really just listen to your body and to not overdo it or up your mileage too fast is always in my pocket. My body thinks, Oh I only ran 15 miles last week but I want to run 25 miles this week and don't expect to be hurting. whatever. Worst advise, luckily I haven't had bad advise yet.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
I'm kind of an open book. There isn't much about me that the general blog reading public doesn't already know. (thanks P.O.M. I call you Ditto and raise you one)

OK that's it. give me a comment if you do it too so I can learn a bit more about your running game.

Today I ran

Today I forced myself to go to the gym and instead of my scheduled yoga class that I totally love (more on that later) I thought I needed to run and get my miles up since I didn't run my 5miles I had hoped to get in yesterday and I didn't run at all during our camping trip. I hate running on the dreadmill... I mean treadmill. It never seems to be accurate and I always feel like I'm having to alter my stride to fit within the parameters of the stupid machine. Today wasn't too bad mostly because I chose to mix it up a bit.

I started out walking for two minutes at speed 3.5 while I got my ipod adjusted and my weight and height and gender all in the machine. I upped it to 5.5 and at a 2%incline for a half mile. upped the grade to 2.5% at mile 1 mark, speed up to 6 at mile 2 and grade up to 4% at mile 2.5 til mile 3. The stupid machine kicks you off at 30 minutes but I figured out how to fudge it for a couple minutes to get my 3miles in.

I then went and stretched and did some core work for about 10 minutes. I did 20 standard crunches, 20 crunches with my legs leaned over to each side to work on my obliques. I did 2 minute plank then some supermans where I pull my knee up to elbow in the push up position alternating each side for a total of 20. then 2 minute plank again.

I jumped back on the treadmill and did 2.5 miles at 10min/mile speed (or 6.0) at 1.5% grade but when I hit that 2.5 mile spot I walked for 30 seconds then did 30 second strides at speed 9.5 (not sure how fast that is something like 6:30 pace I think?) I did one at 10 which I know is a 6 minute mile pace somewhere in the middle. so at the 30 minute mark after my 7th stride the stupid dreadmill shut of again but not before I noticed that I had made it 3.2 miles.

For a treadmill day that wasn't too bad considering it was 100*F outside and there was no way in H*ll I was going to run 6 miles by myself out there today.

Yoga:

I took my first yoga class in college and just didn't care for it. I liked the moves and it made me feel but I had a hard time letting my other thoughts go and listening to my body. I still have that problem but I'm much better at pushing those thoughts away and concentrating on my breathing and specific muscles now then I was then.

I schedule the kids three days a week for the gym so that even if FFP has something to do I can make it to the gym (My firefighter provider is required to hit the gym every workday). I'm totally using this membership to the hilt since we purchased the year family package and my hubby has been there like twice.

I was feeling good about it to until BFF went and made said, "look at the suburban mom taking off to go to her yoga class." crap that is me. Well too bad. I'm going to be one of those snooty suburban moms who goes to yoga because well... I can. so there. I'm not really miffed. I'm just teasing but I didn't really think of myself that way til she said something. LOL. That's what BFF's are for. That and if I turn into "You-know-what" she will slap me upside the head because I deserve it and I'll do it to her in return. Love ya Kel.

I'm running

I ran two miles this morning but my hearts not in it. It has been a really hard week. It has been full of loss and pain and disbelief and today some hope that has been overshadowed by a friends misfortune. I think I'll go camping and clear my head of all the haze.

I'm Famous

In my own mind....



...And on over at The Endurance Sports Bar where ShirleyPerley featured me on Todays Who's Who Wednesnday. WAHOOO! for Shirley who is during her part to spread the word about our crusade to fight Breast Cancer, Skin Cancer and All cancers actually.



I feel so loved! I love this site and for those of you who frequent Gotta Grub n' Run but didn't get here via Endurance Sports Bar then head on over there and check it (me) out.



Thank you guys on the wonderful compliments to my young looking status but I feel all of my 30 years in the rest of my body. LOL



I'm walking in San Francisco in July. I'm walking LA Beaches in September so you'll be seeing lots of walking in my training between now and then.

calves to die for

Good neighbor informs me yesterday

GN: "I was talking to Holly (her sister) on the phone and told her ' Tina might have inspired me to try running'."

me: "Really?" Good neighbor walks. She DOES NOT RUN.

GN: "Yea, I told her I could actually see the definition of muscles in your legs".

I actually laughed out loud. I am flattered though. From the knee down they look great. My bum even feels tighter but still flat as a freakin pancake no matter how many squats I do.... now for the rest of me?

The Girl in the Mirror

I don't know about you but when I look in the mirror I don't even see the Tina of Today. I usually see a much younger version although I do already look young for my age. When I was little I was not so much of a sun worshiper as I was a VERY outdoorsy kid. I played outside a lot, played sports all year and swam and camped all summer. I rarely remember getting sun screen applied and usually only on those 100F+ days did my mom even think of it. It wasn't something my mom's generation (or mine) worried about back then. My skin was always this beautiful bronzy tan that I took for granted.

For a few summers my mom had noticed this mole on my back right above my bathing suit (bra) line. She took me in to have it removed and it came back as Malignant Melanoma State II. How I looked at the sun completely changed me that summer I turned 15. I became an avid sun avoider. I am religious about applying sunscreen every morning before I walk out the door then a few times throughout the day depending on our activities. I don't EVER tan to tan. Actually I have been white for so long that my body took a beating this spring when I came out of my shell and started running again. Even my walks were generally trained for in the morning, in the late evening or on the treadmill. Rarely in the heat of the day.

Now I've been good about applying sunscreen but the tan has become a part of me again. Different kind of tan though... not the tan left over from the constant beating sun but the gradual growing tan from the little bit that gets through the sun screen. Today when I looked in the mirror I saw me... the 30 year old me (that still gets zits) but has a nice healthy tan and I realized I will always be afraid of the sun and its rays but never to the point that I feel locked away from it again.

Race Report: Nike Womens Fitness 5K

What a day. After a lovely evening with friends (and 3 too many Margaritas) I got up at 4am to head to Sac for my first Chip Timed 5k event. This is the first race in my lead up to the CIM in December. I start my 10K training program with Fleet Feet on Tuesday.

BFF met me at the capitol and we walked in together, warmed up, put our chips on our shoes and bibs (Kelli's first) on our shirts. We used the potties and did a few warm up laps around the circle in front of the capitol. We lined up in the 8am run group and waited for the light rail trains to go by so we started a few minutes late. We started out of the gate and I hung with BFF for like 30 seconds....(sorry) then I was off.... taking that first mile slow and getting a feel for the road and the group. Mile2 I kept up the same pace and just moved up to other ladies every once in a while then hung with them for a few minutes then did it again. took 8 seconds off that mile. Mile three.... more of the same... moved up when I saw and opening and felt took then kicked it into gear that last 1/4 mile. I felt so good crossing that finish line in under 28 minutes. I haven't got chip time yet but I can't wait to let you know.

BFF did well too. She started out too fast that first mile then had to cut back a little but your first race... you just wanna finish... don't set any time goals til you know how your body will react to the emotions and adrenaline of race day. 37minutes and change Kelli.... YOU ROCK!

There were over 2400 runners and walkers at today's event. We got really cute t-shirts and bags from Nike and I had a great time. 1 minute off last weeks 5k time rocks too. So excited.

So I ran my first negative split times for well, any reason. lol. Here's the breakdown.

M1: 9:08

M2:9:01

M3:8:36

M.1: 1:00

Total time 27:45 according to my FR405

Found Endurance Sports Bar

and thought, "yummy another nutrition bar to try!" But no, its just a place to go and chit chat and learn and share about Endurance Sports and it totally rocks, not "on the rocks" like the bars most of us are used to. ShirleyPerley set up this Awesome blog and I not only wanted to share it with you but I entered a very cool contest (or two).

1) Improve yourself through endurance sports (lose weight, quit some bad habit, overcome limitations/fears, meet some big goal, etc)

2) Help or inspire others through endurance sports (raise funds for a cause, start a training group, organize some event, etc)

To participate in challenges #1 or #2, email the Bar a short paragraph (100 words or less) detailing what you are doing/did along with a photo or two and a link to your blog, if you have one. All submissions must be received by 11/30/08, midnight Pacific time. Six finalists will be chosen for each challenge. The top two winners will be chosen by a poll in December.

So I started writing and I figured maybe Shirley would forgive me if I combined them both and figured I write about 200 (umm more like 500) words. Here is what I wrote.

This is going to be about 400 words too long.... I'll probably be
disqualified but oh well. (lol)

#1 & #2. I ran Track and Field
in high school. I wasn't great but I won some races and was one of only three
girls to qualify for Varsity Track my Freshman year. I loved to run through the
hills of our Bay Area home town but a diagnosis of Stage II Malignant Melanoma
put a near halt to all I had achieved that year. I finished the year but hung up
my hat in outdoor sports for fear of a recurrence.

In 2003 my
Mother-in-law was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and in my hope of finding
something to support her I found the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I
decided that although I was protecting myself by staying indoors I wasn't really
doing anything for my health or for something I believed in by hiding from the
sun. Out came the sunscreen and the walking shoes.I raised all of my $1800 plus
some of my now ex-sister in laws and walked 13.1 miles on Saturday then again on
Sunday in 2004 for the cause. I did it again in 2006 with my mom and my
best friend, then I upped the ante and walked 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1
miles on Sunday in my 2007 season.

This year I plan to walk in two
AWBC walks. My friends and family helped me raise over $3,200 of my needed
$3,600 this year and have only received 1 $10 private donation so far. I am
walking with my neighbor who's grandmother died of BC and 3 of her Aunts are
survivors (one currently undergoing treatment). I will walk my other walk with
my BF in a new city this year and will walk another 39.3 miles for breast
cancer.

That's my story. I know it ran too long but I just couldn't
fit it into 100 words. I hope to motivate others to walk, run, bike or whatever
they can do to bring awareness to something they care about. Its fun to race,
its meaningful to do it for someone less fortunate than yourself. My hope is to
find a cure for some if not all cancers and as long as my feet and my body are
able to carry me I will continue to walk.

Hopes and Prayers for a Cancer Free Tomorrow,

Tina Mickelson
http://gottagrubnrun.blogspot.com/

AWBC SF 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008

AWBC LA 2008