Domo Does Vegas X2

This past month Domo went to Vegas not one, but two times! That's a lot of Vegas for Domo, or anyone! Vegas is like bacon, its great in moderation. Two 4-day trips to Vegas withing two weeks? Bleh, too much Vegas!

Las Vegas Strip at Night

Trip #1

For the first trip Domo, David, and Monika drove out to Vegas from San Diego. The drive was surprisingly fast, and took about 4 1/2 hours. Counting the time you waste at the airport before and after a flight, driving doesn't take that much longer. Domo recently read the book "Delivering Happiness" about Zappos and had signed up for a tour of the Zappos headquarters. The tour was really neat and ended with Domo feeling like royalty! (More about the book and tour on the blog: Delivering Happiness.)

Domo is Zappos Royalty!

King David & Princess Monika

Since Monika was in Vegas for a tradeshow, Domo and David had the days to themselves to party hard! Well okay, not really. But Domo and David did have time to walk around the strip and get to see Vegas during the day. Instead of staying at the host hotel/casino for the show, Domo decided to stay at a Marriott resort down the street from the show that was about the same price. Instead of staying in a smokey casino with an average sized room Domo got a HUGE suite with a full kitchen. And like all Marriotts, the place was smoke free! (Monika's review on Yelp of the Marriott Grand Chateau here.)

Domo at the Bellagio Fountain Show

After each day of the tradeshow Domo got to go out to eat in Vegas. He tried the Italian restaurant Trevi at Caesars (Yelp review here) and the churrascaria Pampas at the Miracle Mile shops. (Yelp review here)  

Monika & David at Caesars Palace

Since this trip to Vegas fell the weekend before Monika's *cough* 23rd birthday, Domo decided to take Monika to see the Beatles Love show by Cirque du Soleil! Domo has seen several of the Cirque du Soleil shows before and has really liked them, but heard that Love is totally different and a must see. It didn't disappoint!

Monika & David at Beatles Love

After three days in Vegas it was time to head back home. Domo and friends had fun, but were happy to escape the heat and head back to San Diego.

Trip #2

Two weeks after the first trip, Domo had to head back to Vegas again. Blahhh... Monika had another tradeshow but instead of driving out Domo and Monika flew out ... First Class! Whoo hoo! Domo has been doing really well on First Class upgrades this year. The airlines must know that Domo is VIP! Very Important Pocket-doll. haha

After setting up the tradeshow booth (alone!), Domo had all afternoon and evening by himself before the rest of the crew came in that night. Let Domo tell you this ... spending the afternoon in Vegas alone is BORING. Domo thought about going to the pool but realized he only brought his lap swimming suit and not his bikini. (Yeah, Domo wears a bikini! What did you think he wore?) 

Room View of the Bellagio Pools

Domo walked the strip, window shopped, and finally ended up at the Petrossian piano bar near registration where he hung out for an hour or so until his coworker arrived. 

Shrimp Cocktail at Petrossian (3 pieces? Really?)

For dinner Domo had sushi at Yellowtail in the Bellagio. Dinner was very yummy and one of the things Domo had to eat was a sushi roll that had Pop Rocks on it! Mmmm! Domo loves sushi. And Pop Rocks!

Domo Having Cappuccino at Yellowtail

The next day the tradeshow started and Monika spent the next three days pimping her product. Domo thinks that standing in a booth talking about wrinkles for three days sounds boring, but Monika seems to really like her job. Domo is glad he's a Domo of leisure and doesn't need to work.

Domo Having Breakfast in His Room

(BTW this is what $29 buys you... omg)

Domo went to two group dinners while he was in Vegas for the second time that were pretty fancy. One was at Olives and the other was at Prime. Both restaurants were in the Bellagio which was great for Domo. Domo's poor little feet hurt on this trip! No crazy dishes of note were ordered at Olives, but Domo's socks were knocked off twice at Prime when he first saw the seafood platter, and then when he saw the tomahawk steak for two. 

Seafood Platter at Prime Steakhouse

Tomahawk Steak at Prime Steakhouse

 (Domo didn't eat this. He had a petite fillet)

Good thing Domo always works on his fitness when he travels! Domo ate a lot on this trip! Domo and Monika went running each morning in Vegas even though it was about 90F out by 7am. 

Running the Strip by the Bellagio

Running the Strip by Circus Circus

Running the Strip Approaching Paris

Domo ended up leaving Vegas a day before the show ended because Monika needed to be back in San Diego early since she had a triathlon on Sunday. Domo had fun while he was in Vegas but has probably had enough Vegas for the year now. Next up? San Francisco! Domo and friends are heading to San Francisco this weekend to see the NKOTB/BSB concert! YES REALLY! Domo is so excited! More on that next week.

Painted Rocks Half Marathon

There is a 3-race series in San Diego called the Triple Crown that includes the Carlsbad (half or full) Marathon in January, the La Jolla Half Marathon in April, and the America's Finest City (AFC) Half Marathon in August. Complete all three of these races in a year and you will receive a Triple Crown medal. Almost all of my San Diego running friends ran the series last year, and I was so jealous of their extra-special series bling. After completing the Carlsbad Half Marathon earlier this year (race recap here) I decided that I'd go for the Triple Crown and run La Jolla and AFC as well. I'm a medal addict!

Bye Bye Triple Crown

I dragged my feet registering for the La Jolla race (I'm doing sooo many races this year that I need to spread the costs out) and by the time I was finally ready to register ... it had sold out two days prior. D'oh! I was bummed to be missing out on the Triple Crown and also sad to skip a race that I had planned for that weekend. Soon after La Jolla sold out though I received an email about a new half marathon that would be taking place that same day called the Painted Rocks Half Marathon. It was a trail race and an inaugural race, two things that interested me. The final selling point was that the race was only $50 and the email advertising it included a discount code. Sold! I had never done such a long trail race before but figured it wouldn't be too hard. The course profile was described as "mostly flat with rolling hills" and I figured it was probably similar in profile to the San Dieguito Half Marathon which I had no problem running. (San Dieguito race recap here.)

Course Overview

Race Countdown

As race day approached I received an email with the final race instructions and was bummed to see that the race director was strongly suggesting/mandating that every runner carry at least 12 oz of water on them. Shoot, I'd finally weaned myself off of my Fuel Belt for non-marathons and was disappointed to have to carry water for the race. (It is such a nuisance to have something heavy strapped to your body.) 

A few weeks before the race the organizers also held a course preview run and I heard from another runner that there was a "small creek crossing" which was "quite refreshing" to run through. Erm, I don't find getting my shoes wet in any occasion "refreshing". I have 3/4 length orthotics inside my shoes covered by an insole, and when my shoes get really wet the insoles bunch up over the orthotics. I was really starting to worry about having to run through water but was relieved when I heard that there were actually a few rocks in the water that you could hop across on if you were careful. Whew!

I picked up my race number and goodie bag the Saturday before the race and was really excited to see that we got race hats instead of race shirts. Yay! I have a million race shirts but I don't have enough running hats yet. 

Painted Rocks Half Marathon Hat

Race Day

The race was scheduled to start at 7am but the organizers wanted everyone at the race between 6:00 - 6:45am so they could check everyone in before they headed out on the trails. err.. why, would we get lost? The course was described as "a lakeside single track trail, a suspension bridge to cross the lake and single track ridge running with stunning lake views. The course is an out-n-back with mild elevation gain and well groomed trails." Keep in mind that previously the course was also described as "mostly flat with rolling hills". 

Course Elevation

UM.... there were barely any flats on the course, the trail was up and down and up and down on rocky ground, the single file trails were okay on the way out, but since it was an out and back it was dicey to be running head on into people at points. A few spots on the trail were just on the edge of Lake Hodges and I think if you stepped wrong and slipped you be in the water. While there was only one creek crossing that required having to run through the water or play leapfrog on rocks, but there were also two others spots where the trial crossed water and you had to carefully cross as well to stay dry. This means there were six opportunities to get your shoes wet. GROSS! Luckily though, I missed them all! 

Trail Racing is Dirty!

In the first few miles of rocky hills up and down and around I was moderately irritated by the course and felt completely misled by the description. The race organizers and I have waayyyyy different descriptions of flat. I was amused when I posted the course elevation on dailymile.com and one of my friends there said "I think they meant mostly hills with rolling flats". haha. :o) I was doing pretty well on the course but that's only because I run on a hilly trail 3 or 4 times each week. If I was a casual runner who only ran on flat ground or on the treadmill I'd be toast! This course was hard! In addition to challenge of the topography, due to the single file nature you were pretty much  locked into a pace. I was running the course with a fellow GOTR coach and we chose a spot pretty close to the front with a plan of running between 8:20-8:30 miles. Good thing we were able to keep that pace up pretty well, because there wasn't any room to slow down. If you slowed down you would have been bowled over by the string of runners behind you. 

Single File Down the Trail

 

The course was an out and back and I hadn't thought about  how this would work out on the way back until the first runners started coming back in the opposite direction ... right into us on the single-file trail. Ack! I almost ran smack into someone when rounding the corner of one bush and was glad that I was alert and nimble enough to miss any crashes or falls. As the miles ticked by I felt okay physically, but I was mentally exhausted by how alert you had to be while train running. I was tired of constantly scanning the ground for rocks and looking for places to put my feet to make sure I didn't roll my ankle. I'm completely amazed that I never tripped or fell, although I read that several others did from the race's Yelp review. In the last few miles of the race it was really heating up and I was soooo glad that I had decided to go with a singlet. 

Sporting my San Francisco Marathon Ambassador Gear

Approaching the Finish

I was so happy to be approaching the finish line in the end and made a mental note to myself to stay away from trail races in the future. The race was way harder than I expected, I felt that the description of the course difficulty level was a complete lie, and I was covered in a layer of dust. Yuck!

Official Finish Time: 2:04:47
Age Group Place: 6/39
Overall Place: 71/227

Painted Rocks Half Marathon - Check!

Painted Rocks Half Marathon Medal

A Change of Heart

After the race was over I felt tired, dirty, betrayed, but accomplished. I finished the half marathon in over two hours, and for the first time I didn't care. I thought I did great! I realized that doing a hilly trail course was liberating, because I couldn't compare it to my flat races and the pressure of a PR was off. Ooh, that felt nice! I complained a bit to some trial runners about the course after the race and was surprised when they said that this course really was flat .... compared to most trail runs. Okay, I think that disclaimer needs to be added in for the trail running naive: "This course is relatively flat, compared to Kilimanjaro." :oP

Crossing the Suspension Bridge

The race directors who put on this race also put on several other trail races which range from a 5K to a 15K. One of their races is called the Stairway to Heaven, and is a 15K course that climbs into the sky. Who was crazy enough to do this race? Uh oh ... maybe me. I am intrigued to see what such a ridiculous course profile will feel like to complete, and again, there's no pressure of a PR on a climb into the sky. I haven't signed up yet, but I think I will. I currently don't have any road races scheduled for June so heck, why not give something new a try? Who knows, maybe come July I'll be the kind of person who describes the San Francisco Marathon course as "mostly flat with rolling hills". ;o)

Changing Plans

Last weekend I was scheduled to run a 5K - something I haven't done in ages! One of the downfalls of marathon training is that you're running 13+ miles almost every weekend for months. To squeeze in a shorter distance race it usually means doing the long run AND the race. (Unless the race is a half marathon and then I give myself a pass.)

10K to 5K

Upon the urging of Miss Jojo from the San Francisco Marathon and Sam from Operation Jack, I signed up for the ACT Today for Military Families 10K in Mission Bay. This race included a 10K, a 5K, and a kids fun run to raise money to support military families with autism. I was scheduled to run 16 miles last weekend and decided that I would run the 10K, and then run 10 more miles around Mission Bay.

I wrote out a schedule on Friday night before going to bed (to make sure I wouldn't be late), but the next morning I was dragging a bit and was behind schedule, and ended up going out the door with an arrival time at the race of 10 minutes pre-start time. Unfortunately my GPS sent me to the wrong address, and after entering it again and still ending up at the wrong address, my 10 minutes dwindled down to 0 .. and soon I knew I wouldn't make it in time. I called David to ask him to look at the website for me to find  a better address and to read me the schedule of events. The 10K (which I was missing) started at 7:30am, but the 5K didn't start until 8:00am .. which I could probably make. AND .. if I really kept having direction problems, I could always make the kids dash at 9:00am. Har har, thanks David for pointing that out.

I finally got to the race around 7:45am, parked, walked a MILE to the start line, and then milled around for a bit. I knew that my friend Dan and his family were going to be there, so I wandered around looking for them. I was excited to find them by the start line and finally got a chance to meet his wife and two adorable daughters! It was nice to finally meet them in person after reading about them online in Kerstin's blog.

Before I knew it race time had arrived! I was sad to have missed the 10K but hadn't run a 5K in a while so figured it would be fun as well. I started out in front with a bunch of Marines and dashed off in a fury with the lead pack for a while. I was running a sub 7:00 pace for a while but was hurting by mile 1. I slowed down a bit and settled in around a 7:30 pace. The course went around Fiesta Island (which I am so sick of after the RNR Marathon, the Fearless Triathlon, and the Tri Club races) and was flat but windy. I had a few people pass me but held my ground pretty well. I knew a couple girls were ahead of me but was pleased to see that not many passed me! As we ticked through the second and third mile I was neck and neck with a girl who looked about my age. I've been edged out for a place in the top 3 many times by a matter of seconds, and now I'm alert to girls who look like they are in my age group and do my best to run them down to the finish.

One girl in particular was just ahead of me from mile 2 to 3, but right near the finish shoot I kicked it up a notch and passed her by about 10 yards as I came across the finish line. Man that felt great! (But darn, she started 3 seconds before me and claimed 1st in our age group. Argh!) I love knowing I have energy at the very end! Running fast for short distances is way out of my comfort zone right now, and I was hurting towards the end. I checked my watch and virtual trainer after finishing the race and was ELATED to see I had nailed my goal! A 7:30 pace exactly! Whoo hoo! I finished in 23:20! Was that a PR? I'd have to check when I got home.

 My Eight Chins & I Powering Through

As it turns out this was a PR for me (19 seconds faster than my stale 2008 PR), I also placed 2nd in my age group out of 37 (missed 1st by 3 seconds!!), placed 4th among all of the women (276 total), and placed 31st overall out of 514. Wow! I did great!

My WINNING Medal Collection

(I've placed a few other times but didn't get medals)

Shorter Long Runs

I needed some time to cool down and walked back to my car, and then decided to head over to the harbor to finish my long run. By the time I got to the harbor I was tired, but figured I'd get over it. Yeah, I didn't. About 2 miles into my run I turned around and decided to give it another go the next day. Sadly, the next day wasn't much better and I only made it for 9 1/2 miles. I was scheduled for 16 miles this weekend and raced 3, ran 4, and then ran 9 1/2 the next day. Total mileage was over 16, but none of it was consecutive. Sigh.

Focusing on the Run

As this next weekend approached I thought about how I've been overloading my training by trying to combine racing with long runs.  A few weekends before when I was scheduled to run 20 miles I squeezed in a Tri Club club triathlon on Saturday, and then tried to run 20 miles Sunday. I was beat and sore and only made it through 17 miles (which I still think was a huge accomplishment), but it wasn't the 20 miles I physically and mentally needed. I did the club race because I was getting nervous about the Super Seal Triathlon, and wanted to have a practice race to re-acquaint myself with the sport. Although my running suffered that weekend I really think it did help me with my triathlon the following weekend. (More on my blog: Super Seal Triathlon.)

This past weekend I was scheduled to run 20 miles again ... and again a club race was going to happen. I registered again (I'm addicted to free racing) and figured I almost made it to 20 last time, I'd definitely make it this time! A friend of mine from GOTR also registered which I thought would make the event even more fun!

Evaluating Priorities

As the weekend approached I started to get worried. I hadn't run 20 miles since the Rock n Roll Marathon last June. That race was horrible for me and completely ruined my self-confidence in distance running. Because of the mental anguish I experienced during and after that race, I actually decided to quit full marathons. (More on my blog I'm over the Marathon) That didn't last toooo long, and here I am back again with a marathon 3 weeks away. My friend got sick recently and pulled out of the club race, and with the pending rain and my stress over the 20 miler, I did as well. Wise choice young grasshopper! I mean Monika!

On Saturday I headed out to run my 20 miles. I was happy to have put running first, and knew it was a good decision. Getting 20 good miles in 3 weeks before my marathon is key. Doing another club race and having a mediocre triathlon performance which would only serve as a training run for a race that wasn't until June was really not a priority, and I'm so glad I realized that. I was apprehensive at the start of the run and self-doubt crept in. I started thinking about my last marathon and how I had a total mental breakdown. Around mile 7 I actually started crying as I was running. :o( Not ugly crying sobbing, but a few tears were shed. I never wanted to be in the place that I was in that last marathon, and I hoped that this coming marathon would be so much better. I pulled it together and focused and churning out the miles.

I had decided a while ago that I need to do this next marathon without my usual pressure of a sub 4:00 finish. My goal at this point is just to finish a race without a meltdown, and to build my confidence back up. With that in mind I try not to look at my watch. I glanced at it now and then to see my pace, but never looked at the overall time. I had set my virtual partner for a 20 mile run at a 9:30 pace - totally conservative. Inside I wanted to finish at a 9:00 pace, but didn't want to stress about it. As I neared the end of my run I was ecstatic to realize that physically I felt okay. Nothing hurt too much and I felt like I was running at a good pace for my body. As I approached the finish of my run I switched over the virtual trainer view on my watch to see if I was ahead of behind my opponent. I was ahead! I was actually ahead by a mile! whoo hoo! I ended up finishing my run at 3:00:50, which is a 9:02 pace. I did it! YES!!

Three Weeks to Go

So now, eleven weeks into my training I think I'm ready. I have three weeks to go before the marathon, and now its focus time! I need to spend these last few weeks not getting hurt, building up my self-confidence, and reminded myself that I LIKE running, and that is why I do it. I'm honestly nervous to run a full marathon again, and I'm praying so hard that it goes well. 

For now .. its taper time! Usually this means I start to get restless, but now that I'm a "triathlete", it just means that I can swim and bike more to keep my nervous energy at bay. OC Marathon, I'm ready for you!

Race Medal Rundown

One of the things I love about distance racing is the bling. A nice medal just for participating? Thanks! It makes you feel like you're a winner just for trying. :o)

I've managed to accumulate a nice collection of bling over the years, and am always excited to add to my collection with each subsequent race. Recently the San Francisco Marathon asked the Ambassador team what our favorite race medals were and why. I was shocked when the first few ambassadors replied back immediately saying they didn't really care about the medals and just stashed them away. What? I proudly display my medals on my "wall of accomplishment" (haha) next to my diplomas. Maybe its because running is something I never though I could do, but I'm proud of each and every medal and want to show them off. There's quite a variety of designs among race medals and in my collection you'll find the cool, the unique, and the boring.

Full Marathon Medals

Rock 'N' Roll San Diego 2005

 

 

Rock 'N' Roll Phoenix 2006

Los Angeles Marathon 2006

San Francisco Marathon 2006

 

Long Beach Marathon 2006

Rock 'N' Roll San Diego 2007

Chicago Marathon 2007

Rock 'N' Roll San Antonio 2008

Rock 'N' Roll San Diego 2009

Marine Corps Marathon 2009

Rock 'N' Roll San Diego

Take a look at this medal above, and then check out my friend's tattoo below. We trained together with the Rock Runners last year and this was his first full marathon. I thought this tattoo was pretty cool and a nice artistic take on the medal!

.

Half Marathon Medals

Rock 'N' Roll Phoenix 2005

Valley of the Sun Half Marathon 2005

 

 

America's Finest City Half Marathon 2005

 

America's Finest City Half Marathon 2006

Austin Half Marathon 2009

Run to the Rock Half Marathon 2009

Surf City USA Half Marathon 2010

San Francisco Half Marathon 2010

Long Beach Half Marathon 2010

Carlsbad Half Marathon 2011

Surf City USA 2011

San Dieguito Half Marathon 2011

I have two other "medals" that I didn't include above, both of which are necklaces. The first is a Tiffany's necklace from the Nike Women's Marathon in 2006, and the other is a heart shaped necklace from the Mermaid Half Marathon a few months ago. I think its a cute idea to give necklaces instead of finisher's medals, but after wearing both for a short period of time I took them both off for the same reason. Maybe I'm weird, but I start to get uncomfortable talking about how many full and half marathons I've completed with a non-runner, and the conversation usually goes there a few minutes after someone asks about the necklace. The shock the person expresses usually makes me feel more weird than accomplished for some reason. As if they think I'm crazy and weird! I mean I am proud of finishing so many races, but I don't usually broadcast it publicly. At work I think only a few people know I run marathons, even though I have marathon art on my walls. :oP The discomfort I get when someones eyes bug out as I talk about races is the same discomfort I used to get when people found out how old I was in school. I'm younger and always felt a bit out of place, and people's reactions didn't make me feel any less weird.

Mermaid Half Marathon 2011

Nike Women's Marathon 2005

But onto other things, here are a few final medals in my collection from various other race distances that I've finished over the years. I love the variety of my bling collection, and its a nice way to visualize my training and all of the mile I've raced, and the hundreds of other miles I trained leading up to each event.