My favorite time of day

I have never been much of a morning person, but lately 5:30-7am has become my favorite time of day. Every morning I get up to get a start on work and enjoy a cup of black tea with honey and cream. I also treat myself to figs (something I've become totally addicted to). I love this time - the house is quiet and the city is still sleeping.

My favorite right now are the teas from Harney & Sons - maybe it's the tin, or maybe it's the fact that the teas go so well with good local honey, whatever it is, I'm sold.

And then I was 30...

The day has arrived - my 30th birthday, that is. It's crazy, when I was a kid 30 was a HUGE milestone - it meant old, "grown up," and serious. Well, it's here and I don't feel old, definitely don't feel "grown up," and I don't think I'll ever be serious. I'm thrilled for my 30s - I think these are going to be some of the best years. My goal for my 30s (warning, hippie blather alert) is to be healthy, happy, and beautiful mentally and physically. What does that mean? Time to give my body breaks ... and push it to the limit (that's right - I'm gonna try pilates AND do more races :) ), I'm going to continue to learn and teach, and I'm going to treat myself well (sunscreen and dental floss).

This weekend we rang in the 30s with style - Friday Matt and I enjoyed Burma Superstar (hands down, my fav restaurant in SF), Saturday brought walking with Nicole and the boys while Matt climbed and then an awesome tapas dinner up the hill, and today (aka B-Day) I ran with GGRC and then hoofed it home for a fantastic picnic in the park with friends.

The boys loved all the pretty girls picnicking with us:









A couple of my favorite things:
(finally getting to test my BOB (not run with it, though), amazing carrot cake cupcakes from Nicole, and Matty playing guitar to the boys when I headed out the door for a run)









And of course:

Just Did It! Nike Women's (half) Marathon

Race day - hooray! I missed race days - the adrenaline, the pain, and the enjoyment of plowing through a giant breakfast after a good run. Today was the Nike Women's Marathon and Half - I had signed up for the full, but opted for the half due to lack of training.

I wound up running 1:37:56 (last year I ran 1:37:27 which was my PR). Going into the race I had no clue how fast, or slow, I'd run - I haven't run further than 6-miles in the past 9-months.

Here's what I learned:

• I need to learn to pace - I started with 6:30 min miles, then went to 8s on the hills, and averaged out at ~7:30s
• Drinking water and running doesn't work for me - I nearly choked at every water stop
• Familiar faces are AWESOME on runs! About half way through when I was questioning if I should "really be doing this" I saw Molly, a good friend from TIBCO, and felt totally invigorated to finish it out (I didn't even know Molly would be there - it was terrific)
• Cow bells are really kind of annoying in mass at mile 11
• Drinking coffee 10min before the race ... mistake
• Sleep is golden - last night I went to bed at 9, only to rise at midnight and then 3:30am for the boys, then up again at 5:30am to prep, and out the door at 6:10
• There are no taxis in SF at 6:10am - I had thought I could cab it to the start - nope! I wound up walking 1.2 miles there - not bad actually, it was a good warm up

All in all, I'm pretty happy. Sore. Tired. And happy. I can't wait for my next race ... and I don't have to wait long! Healdsburg half on 10/31, here I come!
Update - results!
The Nike half marathon results are in and updated - I came in 11th in my age group (out of 2065), and am ranked 53rd (out of 13,439). Had this been one week later (on the 25th - aka, my 30th birthday (eek!)) I would have come in 8th in my age group! The 30s are going to be great, I think ...

The nerves

Tomorrow is my "first race back" - I was initially planning to do the Nike marathon but I'm opting for the half because I haven't been able to train nearly enough. Despite doing the shorter distance (13.1), I'm getting the pre-race jitters. These are the kind of jitters that start in the stomach and sneak into the chest leaving through the head with a chill. The kind I got the minute my water broke. The ohmyGod I'm really doing this jitters.

So there's a weird analogy - getting ready to race is like labor. Fear, excitement, and anxiety all hit at the same time. With a race I know what I'm getting into - but this time I have not trained, period. I know it'll be nerve wracking at first, then I'll go out too fast, then I'll hurt, then I'll realize there are still miles to go, then I'll go with it and have a ton of fun finally finishing with a feeling of accomplishment. Labor was different - I didn't know what I was getting into, but it was the same cycle (amplified by a thousand) spread of 36 hours - the finish was much better, though - no race can compare. Other similarities:

• With races I get runners high - in the hospital I got IV high
• Races take a long time (if you do the right ones - the long ones) - labor takes a long time (did for me anyhow)
• Races hurt - labor hurts
• When racing it's easy to hear other runners' stories and expect the same experience, it's never the same - labor is the same (I hear stories of 2-hour labors and then going to workout the next day ... HA)
• The finish line is awesome - when you meet the babies ... actually, that's way more than awesome - that's the best feeling in the world, the feeling words can't match

p.s. I'm going to run like a mom!

The buildup - got races, must train!

I have a few races coming up:

• Nike half marathon (I was signed up for the full but I am in no condition for 26.2) on 10/18
  
• Healdsburg half marathon on 10/31
• Christmas Relay on 12/13
• And of course there will be Boston on 4/21

While I'm great at signing up for things, my mileage has been seriously lacking. Today I got out for a good 6.8, though, and it felt AWESOME (except for the nagging twinge of a now re-messed up IT band). The feeling of Fall is definitely here and it's truly the best running weather - crisp, but not cold, with a tiny bit of humidity from the rain yesterday. I made it out right around sunset down to the water, around Chrissy Field, into the Presidio, and back up through the Marina.

I can't wait for another 6.8 plus!

As for this weekend's half ... bring it ... not sure if I'll be walking afterwards, but I'm excited to get back in the race swing of things.

Domestic Bliss

Now that I'm almost 30 (ohmyGod I'm almost 30 ... and I have not one but TWO sons ... whoa, surreal moment), I figure it's time to try domestic-ness on for size. No, I haven't bought an apron (does Nike make one?), I don't have a bob haircut, and I'm not wearing elastic waist jeans. Instead, I bought a Kitchen Aid that I am LOVING! This morning while finishing our coffee, Matt, Cole, Wilson and I baked (Cole and Wilson didn't have coffee - they stuck with milk).

Three of the chefs

The best helpersThe finished product

Mileage envy

I'm starting to build up my mileage to train for my upcoming races (Nike half on 10/18, Healdsburg half on 10/31, and Boston Marathon on 4/21 - more to fill in the blanks) but I keep running (not technically) into one issue - time! I have only been able to carve out enough time for 3-5 mile runs and I'm having mega-mileage envy. Now I see why Dean K. started running through the night vs. in the daytime - skipping sleep is "found time."

There's always a mouth to feed or diaper to change and with Matt and I both working it's tough. I can't wait until I can get the boys in the BOB and go for longer stretches...

What are some tips for squeezing runs in with babies?

A coordinated visit

You know how when you've known someone for a long time, you sometimes finish their sentence or thought? Or how you start wanting the same things to the extreme (like you'll both want Thai or you'll both need a beach day)? Well we've started accidentally coordinating - seriously we did not mean to do this:
Last weekend we went to visit my dad and after feeding, playing with, and changing the boys, Matt and I wrapped them up and put them in their carseats. Then we both grabbed whatever sweatshirt was nearby and - BAM! Matchy matchy. Believe me, I never ever want to be that family wearing the matching outfits - we don't even dress the boys the same... but this was pretty funny.

To buy: earmuffs

No, I'm not talking about rad "grown up" ear muffs (although I do love my Burberrys and Banana Republic ear muffs ... can't wait to actually be somewhere that it's cold enough to wear them) - I'm talking function over fashion. It's going to be a nutty weekend in the city with the Blue Angels - not to mention a 49ers game and Oracle Open World - yeesh!

Let me introduce my latest purchase(s) - remember, for me everything comes in pairs!...

Peltor 90554 Junior Earmuff

Breastfeeding and running

How's that for a loaded title (double entendre - hah!)?

This morning I set out to meet my run club only to be stopped by road closures due to the Bridge to Bridge and a fundraiser walk. After trying to get back home for almost an hour, I was stressed - maybe due to watching a news special on cheerleaders getting more injuries than other athletes, which left me fired up ("yes I'm fired up"). Being that it was almost time to feed again, I almost opted out of my Sunday run, but Matt, being the good motivator he is, got me going.

So, a Rescue Remedy(to ease the stress from my previous attempt to run - also, they taste good stuck to my back teeth during a run (gross, I know), a pinch of bee pollen (my coffee was wearing off and I needed an extra kick, a second sport bra(any breastfeeding mom knows it's tough being away when it's almost time to feed (read - it hurts!) and I was good to go.

Through North Beach, up Telegraph Hill, around Coit Tower, down the back steps along the water, past the Ferry Building, and to the ballpark I went.

Woot! At 5.5 miles and this was my longest run yet. It felt awesome - I averaged a 7:58 pace with a few faster miles and the hills and stairs definitely slowing me down.

What do running and newborns have in common?

Over the past few weeks I've been amping up my running (and loving it!) Hills, stairs, dirt - bring 'em on. During one of my runs, I started musing, as I often do, about all the gear I've acquired over the years. There are the necessities - good shoes, tights, a comfortable shirt, good sport bra, etc. And the not-so-neccesities - titanium bracelets, headbands, water pack attachments that I bought and put away ... and still can't find, and more.

Then I started thinking about all the stuff we bought our newborn boys. When I was still pregnant all the cool modern gadgets in baby stores seemed like a must! Moses basket - of course I needed it! Basinet? Well, duh, what else would the babies lounge in. Onsie with feet and ears - absolutely, it's cold in SF, right? Wrong on all accounts. The boys grow out of clothes in days, and they've grown out of furniture already. Luckily I did not invest in the moses basket or basinet that I had my heart set on - instead I used an (awesome) hand-me-down co-sleeper. Good thing, too, because they grew out of the co-sleeper in 3-weeks.

On that note, got to go - the 24ct. gold lined cashmere socks I've been watching on eBay and I must have them for ... uh ... OK, kidding.