Marathon training...the mileage GOES UP!!

It takes a certain kind of people (crazy probably) to decide to train for a marathon. I've been a runner my whole life and the IDEA of TRAINING for a marathon has been a difficult one to swallow.

I know that if Brittney Love wouldn't have approached me about this marathon and joining her friends on training runs...I probably would have postponed my marathon debut again.

How fortunate am I to not only have a group to train with but do MY LONG TRAINING RUNS with ocean views. Last weekend we ran from Hermosa Beach to Playa Vista and back on a 16 miler---my first time going over 13. The last 3 miles were walk/jog of me because my knee and IT band hurt....but I finished.

This weekend we ran 18miles---another first. It was a spectacular run!

At the start of the run...when we took this picture, Brittany said. "Hey guys, we are almost done!" We all looked at each other and realized that she was delusional...since we hadn't even taken A STEP toward 18miles....however that's the type of MENTAL strength you need.

It was a difficult run, besides the obvious 3 hours of pavement pounding.  When you have 3 hours to THINK about things...and you can't just TURN OFF your brain...it's makes breathing efficiently little harder; however all those thought running around my brain made the first half of the run breeze by!

This what my 18 mile run looked like...Driving this would have felt long! But every part of it was beautiful. Since moving to LA I had always wanted to run on San Vicente...this treelined road on the north side of Santa Monica with a grass center path that "i thought" went for miles and found out that it actually goes FOR.E.VER!! I had never gotten a chance to make it there to run, and the grass patch isn't very stroller friendly...BUT I'M so happy I did.

At Mile 10, this guy(whom I thought was a random stranger--playing Volleyball, but ended up being a co-worker of the girls I was running with) started yelling at us..."i have jello shots!". At first I didn't think he could be talking to us so I looked away....but then I heard Brittany go..."OHHH DO YA!??!?!" And the guy sprinted over on that sand like if he was on a rubber track. In seconds the 3 of us had 3 jello shots with a GUMMY inside. Obviously not the best choice for a pick-me-up snack with 8 miles left to run, but what the HAY!! It was delish...gummy was clutch. We thought...maybe being partially drunk would help numb the physical pain that would shortly KICK IN. 

I was wrong. That shot made for a memory but didn't take away from the pain I felt in my left knee.

The last 7 miles were a struggle (with my knee). They were also a mental narration of what my blog would read and what my Facebook status should read after the run.

At around mile 15 I decided it should be:
There are somethings that no matter how mentally physically and emotionally strong you are-- are downright painful!


At around mile 16.5 I added:  I've been running for 20 years and it was still painful! But because I've been running for that long I knew it was gonna be hard....long... and take it all out of me; but I also knew that I'd get through it...and finish :)


Every time I go out for a run, I am thankful that i've had a pair of shoes as BEST FRIENDS my whole life...that have been by the door ready to go...in all kinds of weather, not judging how fast or slow I will run nor how long or short of a run it will be, and without caring if it's just US or a group..just listening to me rant and ramble about myself, my thoughts, my fortunes, my mis-fortunes, boys, heartbreaks, baby dilemas, work, school, friendships, and even just filling in the silence with a rhythmic pounding.

I hope that Nico too finds solace in a pair of friends like this.

Wise woman...Mrs. First Lady

I know that OBAMA his wife are a controversial topic, and I definitely don't want to open that can of worms...especially in my happy place (my blog).

But I saw this little story on Facebook and it made me smile...

One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious. When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the President's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner. Following this conversation President Obama askedMichelle, why was he so interested in talking to you. She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her. President Obama then said, "so if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant", to which Michelle responded, "no, if I had married him, he would now be the President."

Wise is the man you knows how valuable his partner is....but even wiser is the woman who knows how INVALUABLE she is.

How to Apologize....a less we all need to learn

My mom friend, Stephanie Peterson, in Austin is on my BLOG ROLL(list of blogs I keep up with). She has an amazing perspective on life and marriage...supported by her strong faith.

She posted this today on her Blog:The Candid Pastor's Wife

Marital Conflict: How to Apologize

BY STEPHANIE, ON JANUARY 25TH, 2012

One of my strengths is perseverance. I can push through and finish most things as long as there’s an end in sight.

Unfortunately, this strength has a dark side: stubbornness. That ability to dig in my heels and hang in there until the bitter end? It becomes the “but you…”s and “I do everything“s when conflict arises in my marriage.

Now I know you aren’t stubborn… but just in case, I wrote this post! I’ve already told you how to fight when you’re married. This time, I want to focus on how to apologize.

There are 4 words you need to learn when having an argument. “You’re right.” and ”I’m sorry.”

Because in every disagreement, your partner is telling some truth. They may not be communicating everything the way it happened or acknowledging how it made you feel. Regardless, there is something in their words that is true. You can hear it when you listen for words that are really saying:

You hurt me when…

I felt disrespected because…

I have been trying really hard to…

And you need to start apologizing by saying, “You’re right.” and then continue by summarizing what they’re right about. For example, “You’re right. It was disrespectful for me to blame you for a trial we’re both facing.”

Then the magic words.

I’m sorry.

And you need to mean it. Don’t say it with sarcasm. Don’t say it to start another sentence of the argument. In other words:

After you say you’re sorry, STOP TALKING.

You’re done for a bit, and it’s their turn to talk. This will revolutionize how your conflicts end.In fact, your husband or wife might just stand there speechless for awhile themselves. Try it – it’s pretty fun to see their face when they’ve actually been heard!

And you have set the pace for the conflict to end amicably, not to mention quickly. 

Challenge: Try it this week, and let me know how it goes!

My friends are those Crazy People behind those crazy Ideas!

So as most of you know, I grew up running in south Florida...where at the time...the running community was pretty tight, racing the same races (every weekend, with the same familiar faces, the same committed parents that would drop everything to watch their kids run around...and instill in them the importance of commitment, hard work, and dedication). Among those families that we saw over our years of elementary and middle school running was the RUIZ FAMILY.

Barbie was my age, Frankie was older (don't know exactly how much older..lol), and Nicolas was just a pre-schooler. When Barbie and I started High School at the same school (Our Lady of Lourdes), and continued running...but now as teammates, our families grew very close---weekend trips, summer trips, late practices,  summers at tropical park(2 times a day) early 5:45am practices on saturdays....etc.)

My parents even let me go on my first TRIP ABROAD ALONE (without them) with Frankie as my chaperone. Frankie had invited me to join a co-ed relay for a Fitness Festival in South Beach that won us (Barbie, Jose, Jesus, Miguel) an all-expense paid trip to ITALY for 1 week to compete in the Fitness Festival there! It was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE. That was in the summer of 2001. Since then I knew that they were good people that would make it big! They did!

Barbie, at the age of 25 she opened her OWN DANCE STUDIO in Miami...where she inspires little boys and girls to BELIEVE in themselves.

"All Access Dance Studio stands upon morals and values that will help all students who walk through those doors realize they can be stars no matter where they go. All it takes is a little bit of confidence, discipline, and lots of creativity. Here at All Access Dance Studio we will instill every bit of those ingredients to help all students believe in themselves so they may become the dancers they’ve always dreamed of. We believe in an atmosphere of family and friendship where everyone is important and everyone should be treated like V.I.P. The studio is not only run by experienced dance instructors, but by certified teachers who have gone through intensive training to work well with children and ensure that  everyone gets the most out of each class.  With that in mind, All Access Dance Studio is here for you. Therefore, get up, put on your dancing shoes, put on your All Access pass because this is the place to get you moving right through the red carpet and into the spotlight!"

And her brother Frankie...well where do I start writing about how he has made a HUGE, immeasurable  impact in Florida...and in the running community in General! Read more about him HERE.

My Friend Barbie posted this on Facebook and I thought I'd share....family love is so cute. It's an honor to say that I know these two unique, motivated, passionate, and inspiring characters =)...but best of all...I love that I can call them friends.

...10 years laterOn February 2, 2003 the first Miami Tropical Marathon took place, of which now is very well known as the ING Miami Marathon. With just 2,000 runners, 26.2 miles worth of “Miami” streets/bridges/neighborhoods would be shut down for the duration of the event, of which many trying to get to work or leaving a night club at 6am, would find to be an inconvenience. And as for those working or should I say volunteering, of whom were mainly just family and close friends, we had a dirty job behind the scenes. There was no set up or clean-up crew nor was there anyone of whom had the slightest clue how difficult a marathon really was to put on; but somehow we managed with a zip tie in one hand and a permanent marker in the other to make it happen. After the race those few whom took part had so much to talk about but very few would understand. Walking the streets of Miami very few knew about running nor even what a marathon was. I jumped for joy that year when I finally saw a complete stranger wearing one of our Marathon t-shirts. Each year more people started hearing about this “Run through Paradise” and wanted to see for themselves. They wanted to see what Miami had to offer that no car or bus could show them. They wanted to be part of this tradition in the making. Nearly 10 years later this once small running event has attracted more than 25,000 athletes from all over the world and over 100,000 spectators. Walking the streets of Miami today you see over 100s of running clubs getting their people ready for the ING Miami Marathon. You see “Miamians” wearing their marathon tech tees proudly and their spinning medals hanging from their rear view mirrors. People have marathon count downs on their Facebook pages and their status updates are personal running workouts. People leaving night clubs now come out earlier to cheer on the runners and neighbors who live near the course bring out their tables and set up water stops and gel stops for the runners! People who once said they would never “run for fun” are proudly training on the sidewalks all across South Florida to run this event, which is now just a few days away! On January 29, 2012 the 10th annual ING Miami Marathon will take place and it will be bigger and better than ever! Although very few know this my brother Frankie Ruiz was the co-founder for this event 10 years ago. He has never really received the credit he deserves for being the true master mind behind it all. He always says in his speeches this wouldn’t happen with all those who help in this event such as the office staff, the race crew, the entertainment, and all those volunteers and he is absolutely right. But I feel that it takes a true leader like him to successfully put on an event as large as this, year after year. Ten years ago, people thought this idea was crazy, but it’s crazy ideas like this that change the world. Congratulations to all those who helped in these events the past 10 years and above all congrats Frankie Ruiz....you made it happen. RUN MIAMI!