La Famiglia

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a family reunion of sorts. Nearly all of my family on my dad's side lives in Italy (his mother was born there) but are currently here in Sacramento to visit! The family has a bit of drama in it's past as most families do, and this was the first time having everyone together in more than 30 years. Five out of the six cousins, including my dad, were there - the last time this happened was when they were kids.

The cousins reunited!

Tania & I ♥

With my wonderful "aunts" : )

 

I first met my Italian family a couple years ago when I studied abroad in Italy and immediately felt a bond form, especially with my cousin Tania whom I've become quite close to, despite the long distance between us! Both her mom, Gina, and Gina's sister Lia (both my dad's cousins) were fabulous to me and I spent several weekends with them in the little Tuscan town of Lucca, where my grandmother actually grew up. To this day, those are some of my best memories. Getting us all together is something I've been hoping for ever since then. Our family has strong roots - my grandmother is 94, her sister Annie is 96, and their brother Vic is 90, and immigrated to America when they were in their early 20s. Eventually Vic went back to Italy and his family followed, and since then the family has been split between two countries. So to finally have us all together under the same roof, enjoying great Italian food and plenty of wine, was nothing short of special to me : )

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Now back to running! Monday evening I did a speedy 4 miles after work and since I didn't get started til later than usual I ended up running the second half in the dark : / Next time I'll just have to test out my new headlamp that I bought for my midnight marathon in two weeks!

As I mentioned in my last post, Tuesday night I decided to postpone my run til the morning and do my NMTZ workout instead. After taking so much time off it was much harder than I remembered! I'm also dealing with some pain in my left knee (need new shoes!) which made some of the moves likes lunges difficult to do. I got through it though and was good and tired and ready for bed.

This morning I woke up and immediately noticed that I was sore all over. I was supposed to fit in an 8 miler early in the morning but one thing lead to another and I didn't get out the door til almost noon. Luckily it was a bit cooler than usual so the heat didn't kill me. When I headed out I noticed 7 turkeys that had came from the river and crossed the street! Odd thing to see in your neighbors yard. I ran my usual route on the American River bike trail then ran through Sac State and back home. The run was a little tough because I was so sore, but I maintained a 10:25 pace and finished strong (although now I can barely move!). I was a little apprehensive to do a longer run midweek - so far with this training cycle I haven't gone more than 6 miles during the week. It went ok though, and I was glad to get it done. I also tested out my new outfit that I plan on wearing for my next marathon with it's alien theme : ) The shorts are lime green!

Triathlon Fever

Ever since I signed up for my first triathlon next month, I've sort of developed triathlon fever! I've been devouring any info I can get my hands on regarding the multisport world as well as starting to think about all the gear I'm going to need (especially the bike!). There's a lot more that goes into triathlon than I thought - not only the training for three different sports but also all the gear that's required! I plan on making the big bike purchase soon since I'll need plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of cycling, which I'm sort of terrified by.

 swim, bike, run, hooray!

In the meantime, I've decided to start on my swim training. My sprint tri includes a 400m (1/4 mile) swim, so Sunday afternoon I headed out to my local public pool to do some laps and see where my fitness is at. I have a tough time with swimming, primarily the lack of oxygen, which then leads to a sloppy form. I pushed myself through 100m sets with short breaks in between for a total of 500m. I felt great the first couple laps of each one, but by the last two I just wanted air! I also made it a priority to practice breathing on both sides. Right now I usually only breath on my left side, but since it's recommended to breath every three strokes I need to learn to go both ways. It was a little tricky but I think it will get easier with practice. Next I did some drills, 200m with a kickboard to work on my legs and kick, then 200m with a buoy to work on my arms and stroke. To finish off the workout I did a final 100m to bring my total to 1000m.

I know that I could swim 400m right now, but it would be pretty challenging. I think the biggest thing holding me back is my inability to relax when I swim. I remember when I used to be a lifeguard I loved watching the swimmers during lap swim because they seemed to be so graceful, just gliding through the water, lap after lap. That's what I need to learn how to do. If I can't relax in a pool, what will I do in open water!? With a month a half to go before race day I hope I can incorporate at least one day a week of swimming, with at least one practice open water swim. I'm getting pretty excited about the race, though - I even had a dream about it last night! Any triathletes out there have any tips or advice for a total newbie? There just seems to be so much to learn!

p.s. I did No More Trouble Zones for the first time in weeks and holy cow, I forgot how hard it was! I'm gonna be sore tomorrow...

Santa Cruz, Part 2

I decided to take advantage of the cooler temps and awesome scenery by fitting my long run in while in Santa Cruz. After a long day including a ran, kayaking, and the Boardwalk the last thing I wanted to do Friday morning was get up at the crack of dawn for my long run, so I did something new and pushed it back to the afternoon. Considering the cool, foggy weather I figured I would be a-ok and much less tired. After Liz left I headed out around 1pm along E. Cliff Drive, intending to do an out-and-back for 16 miles total. I ran along some beaches and lagoons, past the harbor, to the Boardwalk. This was only about 4 miles so I still had quite a bit more to go before turning back.

 Santa Cruz Harbor

 Boardwalk

Running past a rollercoaster!

From here I continued up to W. Cliff Drive, and man oh man was I treated to some spectacular views! For just over 2 miles I ran along a wonderful path on the edge of the coast, past a plethora of surfers, an old lighthouse, endless runners and cyclists, craggy cliffs, bright flowers, gorgeous homes, beautiful beaches, and endless ocean. I stopped more than I care to admit to snap pics! Unfortunately I wasn't carrying my regular camera so I only have crappy cell phone shots which could never do justice to those views!

 Running path on W. Cliff Drive.

 Breathtaking.

 Little old lighthouse : )

 Surfers a plenty with the wharf in the distance.

 Flowers and seafoam.

On the edge of the western world...

Lovely day to be at the beach!

After about 6 miles the pathway abruptly stopped and I found myself running through a "park" called Natural Bridges State Beach. Then before I knew it I was running on a trail!? I don't know how this happened but after a quarter mile or so I decided that running an unfamiliar trail by myself probably wasn't a good idea so at 7 miles, I turned and headed back.

Natural Bridges State Beach

No idea how I ended up on this trail...

On my way back along W. Cliff Drive the fog had pretty much burned off leaving us with beautiful blue skies and much warmer temps. I stopped plenty more times on my way back, each view seemingly more beautiful than the last! Back down by the Boardwalk I had to weave through throngs of people enjoying the afternoon - I'm sure they didn't know quite what to make of my sweaty self : ) I headed back the way I came, but somewhere near the harbor I found myself a little turned around. I had taken a different road which ran right along the coast, but when it ended I didn't know how to get back the way I'd came! After running down a few dead ends I eventually righted myself and headed back along the water. At this point I was completely out of water and parched, but luckily I passed a little Mexican restaurant that let me refill my handheld and all was good. When I finally reached the road our beach house was on I still had about 1.5 miles to go, so I added on a short out and back.

My "detour" lead me here, so not all bad.

 More beach. They're everywhere!

Now on to my thoughts on the run. I kept up a great long run pace (10:30/mi) for me, however it did include several stops to take pics : / It was also a much hillier course than I expected! I tried to take advantage of the hills though and ran most of them. One thing that was a problem, however, was fueling. I took 3 Gu packets with me, which is in line with my usual fueling regimen, but I lost one within the first couple miles. That left me with just 2 Gu for an almost 3 hour run....not very good. I did take my salt capsules every 45 minutes or so which helped a bit, but I still felt like I was dragging, especially toward the end. It was also weird running for so long in the afternoon. It totally felt like morning, it kinda psyched me out!  I was pretty sore afterward and tried to do an ice bath in the ocean but the waves were too strong, so I backed out before I got knocked on my ass. I'm glad I got the run out of the way, especially in such a beautiful place, even though it didn't go exactly as planned. My pace was much faster than usual for a long run, so I'm hoping this means improvement in my future...

We had a low-key dinner Friday night with a hodge podge of dishes to try and use up what we had left. I could barely keep my eyes open through a movie before I finally gave in and hit the sack. Then Saturday morning we packed up and were off, back to hot and ocean-less Sacramento. Bittersweet.

Santa Cruz, Part 1

Greetings from Santa Cruz! As I mentioned before, this week I escaped the relentless Sacramento heat and joined my parents at our summer rental in Santa Cruz. It's been great to get away and relax for a few days, plus I was able to catch up and spend some time with my best friend, Liz, who met me here for a couple days : )

Our cute little beach house : ) 
  

I left early Wednesday afternoon and besides a little bit of traffic, had a smooth drive and arrived in Santa Cruz just after lunchtime. The weather was nice and cool and refreshing - quite a difference from what I'm used to! Liz arrived an hour or so after me and we headed down to the beach, literally a block away : ) My dad was already down there with my dog who was exhausted from playing on the beach all afternoon. Liz and took a short walk down the beach but after awhile the wind became too much so we headed back to the house. The rest of the afternoon was filled with a trip to Whole Foods - such a dangerous place for me! Liz and I hit up a sample table where they were serving something called bolani topped with various sauces and spreads and fell in love. It was some sort of Afghan flatbread stuffed with spinach (they also had pumpkin, potato, and lentil) and is super healthy, too! Seriously, check it out. We were so excited when we left with some! The rest of the night included a home cooked dinner and watching a movie, after which I promptly passed out.

Oh how I've missed the beach...

Dad and dog playing in the water!

The pup loves her a big stick : )

My soulmate ♥

Talk about beautiful...

Thursday morning I was up early for a run with my dad and the dog. From our house we headed along the coast toward the quaint town of Capitola. It was a brisk and foggy morning, typical for Santa Cruz and quite refreshing for running. We did a loop through Capitola, headed up a gnarly hill, then back home for a total of 5 miles. I came home to a fresh batch of pancakes topped with banana which I quickly inhaled : )

My running partners!

Cruising along the coast...

Seaside Capitola : )

Heading down to Capitola!

Foggy morning.

The pup and I post-run!

That afternoon we all drove down to the harbor for an exciting activity - kayaking! My dad had never been and wanted to try it out, so he, Liz, and I rented one single and one double, got fitted into some rad wetsuits and headed down to the dock! I had only been kayaking once - in Santa Barbara for my roommates birthday - and didn't have the most pleasant experience. It was much harder than I thought it would be! But I was excited to try it again, especially in a double where I would have a little help : )

All wetsuited up!

 Santa Cruz harbor.

 Paddles are like weapons. Yield with caution!
 

We were fine as we made our way through the harbor. Once Liz and I got a rhythm going we were just cruising along, that is until we got to the end of the harbor and tried to make our way out into the open ocean! It was super windy that afternoon and the waves out there were intense. My dad had taken off without a backwards glance meanwhile Liz and I spent a good 10 minutes paddling our asses off trying to get away from the rocks we kept drifting dangerously toward. But as hard as we rowed we just didn't seem to move! Finally we unstuck ourselves and fought the gnarly waves and headed out toward my dad. We spotted an otter as we paddled out, playing and diving in the water. We spent about a half hour out there during which we basically could not control our kayak and paddled futilely. Eventually my dad agreed that the waves were too much and we made our way back into the harbor. With the wind on our back now things became much easier : ) We spotted a couple seals this time, popping their heads up briefly to say hello. By this time our arms were dead and my poor hands were stuck in a curled position from gripping the paddle : ( I had a fantastic time though and would love to do it again!

 Kayaking!

 And we're off!

The rocks are where we got stuck!

We made it!

That evening we went out for dinner at a restaurant in the harbor with a great view of a lighthouse and the water. We decided to splurge and order dessert - and wow they did not disappoint! I had the decadent and rich Kahlua chocolate cake that was huge! Mmmm : )

 Liz and I at dinner : )

Amazing view from the restaurant!

 

After dinner we headed to the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It was already packed so we chose a few rides, bought our tickets, and hopped in our first line. My dad has been coming to Santa Cruz since he was a boy and every year has rode the wooden rollercoaster (built in 1924!) called the Giant Dipper, so we hit up that first to keep up the tradition. Thrilling as always! Next we waited in line forever to ride the twirling, upside down Fireball! Totally worth the wait : ) Lastly we waited in another long line for a ride that lasted all of one minute, Double Shot, which takes you up a 125' tower then drops you. Fun, but over in an instant. This one I could have definitely skipped. At this point we were all so exhausted from a long and busy day that we gladly headed home to change into pjs and snuggle with some blankets.

Santa Cruz wharf and volleyball courts.

Boardwalk!

Sky Gliders : )

Giant Dipper!

To be continued...

Lark or Owl?

I went out for my first run post-SFM on Friday night, an easy 4 miler. I felt pretty good actually, if only a little tired toward the end. I took Saturday off because I had a mandatory all-day training and moved my long run to Sunday morning. I had to be at work by 10:45 so I got up earlier than usual and headed out for 11 miles on the bike trail. Felt pretty good, just a little tired. It was pretty warm already despite the early hour, and I think I was just still dragging from the marathon. I finished with a decent average pace, and had to hurry to get ready for work, leaving no time for recovery or refueling...oops : / I've really got to get into the habit of making time for this as it's just as important as the run!

Monday I got up early again (a record for me, I think) and squeezed in a quick 4 miles before work. My legs were dead and heavy when I started, especially my quads. At first I felt like I couldn't even maintain a normal running gait because they were so stiff, and I was afraid someone would see me and think I didn't know how to run! Eventually they warmed up but I had to deal with some serious chaffing and knee issues for the remaining miles. I think the culprit of these aches and pains is my shoes, which are well past their expiration date.

This brings me to the issue of the lark versus the owl, or in more blatant terms, the morning runner versus the night runner. As I've mentioned before, I've always been a night runner, except for my long runs which I've always done in the morning. After getting up early to run two days in a row now, I've come to a few conclusions. First, although I'm initially energized, I'm pretty pooped by the end of the day (although this may be a result of working on my feet all day after the run, or maybe I should just go to bed at a decent time?). On the flipside, I love having my runs out of the way and my evenings free to do whatever. I think my work schedule is going to require a little bit of both, so I may become more of a "hybrid" runner in the future. What kind of bird/runner are you?

I took today off as I had a 9 hour shift at work and wanted to give my tired legs a little break. Tomorrow I'm headed to Santa Cruz to meet up with my folks for vacation til Saturday. My BFF will be joining me for a couple days, too, and I can't wait to see her! I'm also looking forward to running in a new place with cooler temps and the ocean : ) Oh, how I've missed it...