Keep it short and sweet...

Dog nabit!!!  Where has my day gone?!!  It's alreay 8:47 PM.  What did I do today?  Woke up late cuase I was out freakin drinking beer to the late hours of the morning, hanging out the at bar.  I'll be danged if that fool didn't try to kiss me, let alone think that I would hook up with him.  I followed him to his hotel, cuase he was too waisted to drive and I was like "You're waisted, let me drive you back!! You can get your car tomorrow."  It didn't work.  Shit! he almost got hit by that car!!  How far is this place? I am adjusting my radio...  Good thing this place isn't far.  It's about time my body stopped aching.  I really need to paint this house.  The darn ceiling need to be scraped... Texting...

Art

Intro


Why luv-2-Run? Originally this blog was an English class project. During the course of the class I wrote about my marathons and so fourth, thus the title “Luv-2-Run” was born. I have deleted my older blogs because I wanted to write with a different perspective. I told stories, I love to tell stories. Anyways, I may expose you to some of those stories in the future.

Writing hasn’t always been a passion of mine. As you will see, my grammar may not be so great, but I will give it a try anyways. Every once in a while I will tell a story to a friend or some stranger I just met, about me or one of my many experiences and during that story I will catch myself or the other party saying I should write. And so here I am, writing for you. I will not write from the story tellers perspective. I will take you into my mind, allow you to hear my thoughts as I think them. I will sound crazy, hell it may even sound like a bunch of hog wash, ha ha ha, I really mean to say the “s” word, but the for sake of my readers, which may include children, I will try to keep it clean. But be forewarned, I may for the sake of keeping my thoughts original, I just may decide to put down what I really mean.

So here goes my attempt to bringing you into my world. I will try to keep the short and sweet, well, not too sweet, cause then this wouldn’t be fun, or heart felt. I will try to you warn of the content, as this could and may get obscene.



Art

Much has happen since...

Much has happened since my last post. Still gathering my thouhts... I will post very soon.

Chronicles of a Runner

Welcome back to Chronicles of a Runner. It was a great race, from start to finish! I can’t tell you how excited I am to have finished my fourth marathon, so much to tell! I will spear some of the details, not because they’re petty, but to keep short. What a great race!


Rockin’ n’ Rollin

What a great race indeed! It all seems like a dream. There is no feeling in the world like setting a goal and accomplishing it. I must tell you it was grueling 26 miles. My weekend on Friday night actually, I left Los Angeles and made my way to La Jolla, Ca. A friend on mine was gracious enough to lend her place to me for the weekend. For those who haven’t been there, it’s great little town by the sea as they say there in La Jolla, “Jewel by the sea,” and I might say it is.

I arrived there late at night, it wasn’t till the next morning that I could admire its beauty. My friends’ place is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the beach. It’s now Saturday morning 9 a.m., as I made my way to Down Town San Diego, I made a quick stop for breakfast, at a nearby bagel store. It was a short drive from where I was staying, but before I got there, I made some quick observations as I drove. I noticed things like, for one, the great view of the seas’ horizon, a few eateries and some “mom and pop” stores, which make places like this interesting. I personally wouldn’t choose to live here, but vacationing here would be nice. I now have my bagel, egg and cheese with spicy sausage, so good, yet so bad and washed it down with a Café’ Latte from Starbucks. If you’re wondering were I am heading? I am on my way to the Rock n’ Roll Health and Fitness expo to register. I kept putting it off that I missing the cut-off date for online registration.

The expo is always fun! You’ll see the usual vendors who sell clothing and merchandise for those last minute shoppers. I enjoy all the freebees! They have latest in sport drinks and new tasty and not-so tasty snacks to sample. The runners’ shoptalk’s also enjoyable. They bring in expert runners to share some of their insight on how to improve your performance, the do don’ts. After spending half my day, I got here at noontime and it is now 3 p.m. I made my way around town looking for a place to eat and do some carb loading. I found a nice little place by the pier, Little Italy. At first I thought I was a nice place, but after my experience, I wouldn’t come back. First of all, the table that I was given was a bit small, and second, my food was a bit bland. How can anyone screw up a plate of spaghetti with meatballs? Come on! I hate to complain, it’s called “Little Italy.” Although, the price was somewhat reasonable I guess. It’s now 5 o’clock and I need to head back to La Jolla to end my day. I need to be up on Sunday at 3 a.m. to stretch, eat and allow myself some time to get to starting line.

Sunday morning is here. I had plenty of time to sleep, I must it wasn’t so easy to fall asleep Saturday night. I kept getting this fluttery feeling in my chest. I couldn’t really explain why, I guess I was excited, a new town and another race. I was also a bit concerned about missing my alarm. The morning has come; I get dressed and begin my stretching exercise followed by a light breakfast, a bran muffin with orange juice. I’m ready to go, the shoes’ are on, the outfits’ complete and bib number is in place. Bring it on!

I made my way to downtown. I get to the parking lot, and it’s there where I begin to realize the size of this race, as I park my car in what looks like a sea of cars. There’s no structure, just an open lot, nothing but space filled with cars, and flashing break lights as runners arrive, park and make their way to shuttles’ waiting to rush us off to the starting line. We arrive at the park, this was well orchestrated, and I’d imagine so. After nine years of marathons at the same place, they had this to a science. Just to refresh your memory of time it’s still dark, it about 4:45 a.m. After hopping of the bus, the first thing I see is a massive row of port-a-potties, thirty or so. Not such a great sight, but beyond those potties is a park fill with early raisers’, sprawled upon the park grounds, stretching warming up for the race. Runners keep coming, people everywhere, music is play on speakers set up along the street, where runner will gather to start.

I check in my gear at a near by UPS truck, the good folks at UPS were one of the sponsors of the race on provided their trucks to store the runners gear. As I find a place to warm-up, suddenly the scent of “Bengay” hits me. It’s not a dream. I ‘m getting ready to run the Tenth Annual Rock n’ Roll Marathon. Wow! The race starts at 6:30 a.m., it’s getting very close, but before we find our place, we are honored by presence of the US Marine Corp band. It’s time, people gather in their perspective corals, corals are set by time to allow the faster runners a smooth start. The nation anthem is played, minutes before the start, my hearts racing. I answer some calls from family wishing me well. The crowds getting excited, we push forward to compact the heard. I can feel the heat radiating from their bodies, once again the smell of Bengay. I hear the announcer make his final comment. GO! Here I go again…

Chronicles of a Runner...

Welcome back to Chronicles of a Runner. How long did you train? Did it hurt? “I couldn’t run a mile if my life depended on it.” “I don’t have the time”. These are some of the questions and or comments that I get every time I mention that I have completed a marathon. I will give a brief summary of what is required and what it takes to run a marathon.

Before I go any further, I feel I should disclose some legal verbiage. This is solely based on my experience as a novice runner. The information contained within this blog, has been acquired through my personal journey and research to achieve this goal. If you are considering running a marathon and are not of sound health or have some doubt, you should consult a physician before attempting to do so.

Marathon Basics

Before you even attempt to run a marathon, you should read and learn what it takes to run a marathon. There are plenty of resources out on the subject. I found plenty of useful information in Runner’s World Magazine. You can obtain a copy of the magazine at any location where magazines are sold. Another resource I used was the Internet. I found many articles and websites on the sport. In addition to magazines and the Internet, there are also books available. You will find that there will be a sleuth of information about the subject, don’t become over whelmed. Seek advice and support from people who have completed a marathon. There several groups that will help you structure a training program that is suitable to your needs.

Shoes are an integral part to your success. I learned that the hard way. My first pair of shoes was New Balance. They weren’t exactly for running but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with new balance, right. Wrong! Yes you can go wrong. Finding a god pair of shoes isn’t really difficult. There are a lot of specialty shops that can help you obtain a pair. I must say they are a bit expensive, but believe me they are well worth the investment. A good pair should last about 300 to 400 hundred miles. It is recommended you buy two, but if you’re on a budget then, one pair will be fine. You should only use your shoes when you train, remember you’re accumulating mileage.

Record keeping will become very important. In this log you should note the following: miles run, total time, weather conditions, route ran and your perceived exertion level. Why a log? It will help you establish a routine. In addition, you’ll learn to feel you body, you will become in-tuned with your body. You’ll be able to determine sources of injuries if any and you’ll keep track of your shoes.

Hydration is very important! Don’t over do it and don’t under estimate. I usually drink about on average 12 to 16 oz of water an hour before I run. For runs that exceed 60 minutes, you should consider carrying a small bottle. It should be no bigger that 12oz. Carefully drink about four ounces every 12 to 15 minutes, after the first hour of running.

These are some of the basics. As my next challenge gets closer, I will get into clothing and nutrition. The opinions that I have disclosed here are purely informational and if you do consider the sport, definitely do your share of research. Keep running…

Chronicles of a Runner...

Welcome back to Chronicles of a Runner. June is just around the corner. Wow! Where has the time gone? Can you believe half of the year has come and gone? Training has become my priority this month. The next three weeks will be a test of my endurance. The last week will be geared towards carb-loading and stretching. The anticipation is starting to set in. San Diego here I come!

Los Angeles - San Francisco - San Diego

Los Angeles and San Francisco are the cities where I have completed a marathon. San Diego will be my next destination. The excitement is starting to build. May will be ending soon and before I know it, I will be joining thousands of runners at the starting line. Thousands of runners… Wow! I still get excited about the event as if it were my first. I don’t know what to expect, that certainly makes it exciting. It’s been a full year now, since then, I have learned some valuable experiences.

This next marathon will not be about beating my personal best. Instead, I plan to cruise the entire course and listen to music along the way. They have 42 bands scheduled to perform between 26 miles at various intersections and a post race concert featuring Seal. That totally rocks! I can't wait!

Chronicles of a Runner...

Welcome back to Chronicles of a Runner. These last two weeks have been a bit rough. Training for a marathon, caring for a diabetic cat, two classes and a fulltime job! I do have a plate full. Just to give you an idea of what my last two weeks have been like, I’ll share with you some of the details.

The Last two Weeks

The last two weeks have certainly been very busy. After writing my last blog about Oddie and his condition, I did some soul searching. I have not yet gotten to the point of making the decision of putting him to rest. I consulted with my vet once more during a visit on Friday, April 12. We had some other tests done and x-rays taken, only to find that there may be something else causing the weakness in his legs. Now, I have been referred to a Neurologist. Once again, I found my self at an important cross road, how much is this going to cost and what will be the outcome? So, I decided to give the little guy anther chance. Wish me luck.

My marathon training has been going pretty good. I have placed my self on a weight-loss meal plan. Notice I didn’t say diet. The word “Diet” seems to have a negative meaning. When people think “Diet,” the first thing that comes to mind is cutting out the good stuff, food we enjoy to eat that is usually the not so healthy choices. By that, I mean burgers, fried chicken, sugary drinks and those oh-so-good to eat sweet treats. And yes, my meal plan does eliminate all of those choices, but I am able to enjoy some things like bread, potatoes and not-so-bad meals. It’s very simple, I won’t get into the full details but I will say it’s a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Let's take my dinner for example, it consists of a 6oz piece of lean chicken, white meat is the leanest, a cup of brown rice and a cup vegetables. All in reasonable portions should help curb my appetite through the evening before my last snack, which will be a glass of fat free milk. Wish me luck! My goal is to lose 10 pounds.

Between all this, there’s also school, I am currently enrolled in an English course and a theater course. Study, study, study, cram, cram cram, that' s all it seems I do. I just completed a mid-term for the theater class. Lucky for me it’s on-line. There’s just so much to read. Oh well, what doesn’t kill me, will only make me stronger, right? I have one more test left, the English class. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Is there any room for a social life? Yes, I try to spend sometime with family and friends. Never an empty plate...