fall morning musings

Sorry for the brain dump. I have no time to edit this into a more coherent post. But I do think it's important to check in on how training is going. We're post-liminal space now. We're "in season." I've been relying on B-vitamins and ginseng to give me the energy to get through semester weeks 4 and 5. I'm starting to really look forward to the Mission Inn Run.

9/14 Morning run routine and motivation for consistent workouts

Good morning, runners of the world. I'm now here, it's a Monday morning. My feet are already hurting. This workout is kind of questionable. Don't know if I should be doing this right now. But I'm up. My husband woke me up. I'm ready to get my workout in and get on with my day. It's not a big deal, right?

People everywhere get up, do a workout, and get on with their day. I try to keep it simple. Follow the training plan. I trust the training plan. Sometimes life gets in the way. My son has been saying every food tastes like something else. Cucumbers taste like lime. Blueberries taste like dirt. I'm pretty convinced it's the sickness that we're dealing with. And as usual, my husband got it really bad. I'm in denial. And our child is just turning into a tiny Tasmanian devil. Because he doesn't know what to do with himself. He's sick and tired, and he's just running on adrenaline.

I don't know what I'm doing. I do know. I'm okay. Doing my little warm-up here. I'm getting my heart rate up walking up a big hill. I know how to do this. I trust my body. I trust my instincts. Although, my instincts today told me I just need to stretch, and not do a workout, but here we are.

At least the weather's kind of nice, 66°. I'll take that. Better than it has been. One morning last week it was 80 degrees at this time, so 66 feels nice. I felt really good after yesterday's run. I felt a lot of positive vibes. Which is why I decided to go out today.

I did my first upper body workout with my friend, Erik. That was good. I'm not that sore. I feel like I did something, I really did. I did something different. I did something brave. I did something that I would normally not do. And I'm okay. I don't feel so sore that I would never do it again. I will do it again. I will do it again. I will do it every Saturday. I will put it into my schedule. Do it. I gotta take a closer look at Coach David's plan.

I am at the top of this hill. Keep going. I tried to listen to a podcast, but it didn't really inspire me today. So I'll probably listen to music. Catch you next time.

9/22 Recovery and training routine after illness and donation

It's a good morning, it's a good morning to not get hit by a car. Hopefully these cars stop, they have a red light. You just never know with people, but I'm here, I'm out here training.

It's 24 weeks till the marathon. And despite all the foot issues that I've been having, I figured out that I just need to sleep with my feet in a flexed position. And that has helped greatly. Yesterday at work, my feet were feeling really good. Of course, I didn't run yesterday, but I'm gonna try a run today. See how that tracks.

I've had a lot going on in the past two weeks with my foot issues. We got sick. We got the flu. We've got diarrhea, nausea. I couldn't heal properly, I'm so tired. And this weekend, I donated blood. So we're gonna see how we feel going into the Bimbo race this weekend. Do a little couple laps around the Rose Bowl just for funzies.

I kind of switched up Monday and Tuesday. My husband got a little agitated by that. He likes it when I do my rest day on Tuesday. I wrote about how I felt like I was in a liminal space. A liminal space between 2 training plans. At the end of summer, the beginning of school, I almost feel like I'm probably in the groove of school. I don't say I'm thriving yet, but starting to get some traction. Trying to figure out what I can do. What I can do comfortably. And not have a total body breakdown. Because we want to train productively. My husband reminded me I usually find my groove mid-semester, like week 8 or 10 and then the semester ends. And I get a whole new schedule. And then it's chaos again.

By training, we want to cause adaptations in our body that lead to greater fitness. And what we don't want to do is break down to the point where we can't go on. I don't know how, but I was kind of there. If your body's not recovering, then you're just digging a deeper and deeper hole. Can't rest your way out of it. Can't eat your way out of it.

I've added on some other recovery things. I try to do it every single night. Magnesium foot soak and athlete's foot cream (1% clotrimazole NOT tolnaftate). Foam roll a bit. A little bit more on the muscle scraping right now to remove adhesions. I'm putting a lot more time and energy into recovery now. But it is pushing bedtime back by 30 minutes.

9/24 LARR Coach's call

What is 80/20 for runners? 80% low intensity, 20% high intensity. But that's not the perfect plan for everyone. It is what is used in Coach David's Level 4 plan for the LA Marathon.

As you age, you need to go down a level because you have less growth hormone. Level 1 is for age 70. Level 5 is for someone in their 20s. It has nothing to do with experience.

Run so slow that you're bored. So that you need company. That is your easy pace. Easy = fat-burning, aerobic, zone 2. MRP = zone 3, could maintain this pace forever. T-pace raises the pace at which you still can use fat as a fuel source. R-pace is neurological, engaging fast-twitch muscles.

Speed, volume, hills all increase the risk of injury. Fartlek is Swedish for speed play. Choosing a random object and going fast to get to it. Something you can see.

Morning & evening runs are the best. If we could all do it. On the same day. To increase volume efficiently. You can do 30 minutes in the morning. Then eat protein to rebuild muscle. Take a nap. Do some body work (massage). Then run again in the evening. Break it up if you can. That's what the pros do.

Why is the training plan in minutes rather than miles? Your body knows heart rate. It doesn't know miles. It knows time spent in anaerobic. You don't need to rely on an expensive heart rate monitor. You can just pay attention to your breathing.

Key Takeaways

I think based on what Coach was saying, and this was one of the questions I was going to ask him, if I got injured following the level 3 plan for the Santa Monica Classic, which plan should I follow for the marathon? I think he said that if you get injured, drop back to level 1. 

Coach also said that as you get older, you may need more strength training than what is written in the plan. He said if you're Travis Kelce and you're already built like a truck, you might not need more exercises that build muscle. But if you're frail, with less muscle tissue, then you might need more strength training than what is in the training plan.

Even with all these setbacks, I only completely skipped 1 training session. The other days, I inserted stretching or yoga or walking. It took me 2 weeks to reach out to my sister and ask for help. Why am I so stubborn? haha! Next time I'll try to reach out sooner.

Thank you to summer me who decided to order new shoes. I went through all my shoes and did a test to see if they would bend easily. Even though they're new, the Ghost 17 and Glycerin 22 bend so easily. But thankfully, the Ghost Max 2 does not. I kept preferring to run in the Ghost Max 2 but I didn't really know why. So I bought two more pairs from Amazon. Amazingly I have 3 pairs of shoes that I can rotate and I wear the running shoes during the day while teaching. So I don't have any dedicated running shoes, at the moment. But at least I am getting the plantar faschiitis under control.

https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2026/08/marathon-shoes.html

electrolytes abound

It seems like there are ads for electrolytes everywhere you look, and the more you look, the more ads find their way to your eyeballs. The interest and availability of electrolyte packets has exploded into a $40B industry. The market is projected to double by 2034. However, there are risks associated with overconsumption. A balanced diet often provides enough electrolytes. Looking at my most successful diet of all time (the IVF diet by Zita West), I was regularly getting 1000mg Na from the food, and on some days as much as 3500mg Na. The contributors to high sodium were soy sauce, capers, olives, canned green beans, and shrimp or fish fillets.

Supplements I have or still take (or haven't tried yet)

The items in bold are the things I used during the marathon.

SaltStick Chewables: 100mg Na, 30mg K, 6mg Mg, 10mg Ca, 1g carb

LMNT: 1000mg Na, 200mg K, 60mg Mg, 0g carb

Prime: 600mg Na, 400mg K, 75mg Mg, 10mg Ca, 2g carb

Electrolit: 330mg Na, 370mg K, 20mg Mg, 40mg Ca, 10g carb

Venture Pal: 500mg Na, 280mg K, 20mg Mg, 104mg Ca, 8g carb

Tailwind: 620 mg Na, 180mg K, 24mg Mg, 54mg Ca, 50g carb

Liquid I.V.: 510mg Na, 390mg K, 12g carb

Skratch: 400mg Na, 49mg K, 48mg Mg, 54mg Ca, 19g carb

Gatorade Zero: 380mg Na, 110mg K, 2g carb

Gatorade: 270mg Na, 80mg K, 35g carb

Powerade Zero: 240mg Na, 80mg K, 0g carb

Powerade: 250mg Na, 60mg K, 35g carb

Nuun: 300mg Na, 150mg K, 13mg Mg, 13mg Ca, 4g carb

Solgar liquid: 300mg Mg, 600mg Ca, 2g carb

NOW Ca&Mg softgels:  333mg Mg, 667mg Ca, 25mg Zn, per 2 softgels

365 Ca&Mg capsules: 500mg Mg, 1000mg Ca per 3 capsules

NOW Ca&Mg tablets: 500mg Mg, 1000mg Ca per 2 tablets

TUMS: 1000mg calcium carbonate

Coconut water: 50mg Na, 646mg K, 24mg Mg, 53mg Ca, 15g carb

"Astronaut Juice": 145mg Na, 12.5g carb per 8 oz serving

Coca-Cola: 40mg Na, 42g carb

Pickle Juice shot: 470mg Na, 20mg K, 2mg Zn, 0g carb

Nerds gummy clusters: 15mg sodium, 71g carb

Gu: 55mg Na, 30mg K, 20mg Ca, 23g carb

Clif bloks (3): 50mg Na, 18mg K, 24g carb

Biscoff (4 cookies): 115mg Na, 23g carb

Stroopwafel: 75mg Na, 18g carb

Clif bar: 230mg Na, 225mg K, 40mg Ca, 42g carb

McDonald's salt packet: 280mg Na

Heinz mustard packet: 65mg Na

For me, learning about electrolytes has been a trial-and-error process. When you train with a friend or a group, someone will see you suffering and lean over to whisper about their favorite bonk-breaker. I was told about Gu from a running friend when the mileage climbed above 9 miles for a long run. We would stop to take a gel at mile 7. I remember refilling a water bottle during a 60-mile bike ride in 2010, and someone quietly slipping a Nuun tablet into my bottle. At the time, I was primarily concerned with drinking water, and I thought it was enough to quench my thirst. 

Marty's Tom's Farms ride

When I was hiking in the Verdugos, I got food poisoning in 2012 from my own self. I had probably put a Nuun tablet into a hydration bladder and then let it fester. The next time I tried to use it, it was full of pests, which infested my GI tract. I vowed then and there to NEVER contaminate my hydration bladder again. I've heard people put flat Coca-Cola into their water bottles, so I've added Coke for comparison. But I'm too scared of not being able to fully wash it out to put anything other than water in my hydration vest/belt bottles. I remember examining Nuun's ingredients, and in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients, it was similar to the growth medium used to culture fungi.

The kicker for me came when I cramped during the 2024 Santa Monica Classic. I called my sister to complain, and she asked me what type of electrolytes I was taking. When I told her none, she said it was incredible that I lived in such a hot climate and that nobody had taught me about the importance of replenishing electrolytes. To be honest, every time I think about this race, it still burns me that I skipped the 10k and only finished a 5k. The course was shortened due to the heat.

I've been wanting to write a blog about salt for a long time, but it seems like I'm always staying so busy. I had to take a break from grading student work because hackers disrupted our access to the LMS, Canvas. It's been unavailable for just over 24 hours, which is pretty much the timeline I predicted. But it still sucks that I lost about 8 hours of productivity. Although it did give me the opportunity to write and read a little about salt.

What I can say is that during the 2025 LA Marathon, I took two SaltStick chews every 30 minutes and ended up feeling gross at mile 17. I adjusted that to one SaltStick chew every 30 minutes in 2026, and it was perfect. I felt amazing up until mile 25.

MyFitnessPal all time data

LA Road Runners Chat #9 Dietition Serena Marie - Part 2 (10-30-2025)

https://youtu.be/f5gXdJ4i4yQ?si=KmMON9FYyumPI4ux 

LA Road Runners Thursday Night Coach's Zoom

You can calculate your sweat rate, and a dietitian who spoke to my running club explained that you should track all of this, including the weather. To convert sweat rate to sodium loss, multiply your sweat volume (in liters) by your sweat sodium concentration (typically 200–2,300 mg/L, with an average of ~950 mg/L). A typical, moderate sweat rate is 1.2 L/h, which, at an average concentration, results in ~1,000 mg (1 gram) of sodium lost per hour. I've never done it, but maybe I can make this a summer project.

Sodium to Salt Conversion: 1 gram of sodium equals ~2.5 grams of salt (NaCl).
Range: Most people lose 200–2,300 mg of sodium per liter of sweat.
Factors: Sweat concentration is mostly genetic, but sweat volume depends on intensity, temperature, and acclimation. You can use this worksheet to calculate your sweat rate, then use that to determine how much sodium you need. I don't feel like I'm a heavy sweater, but at the Naughty Girl Fitness workout, I was dripping sweat, so maybe I just don't notice it when I'm running.
https://koreystringer-institute.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3814/2024/08/Sweat-Rate-Calculator.pdf 

I am mindful that we need more magnesium as we age. I wonder how much magnesium from supplements is bioavailable. I still take a lot of supplements, pushing calcium and magnesium as I have since pregnancy and postpartum. But because of the cost, I sometimes wonder if I should stop. Also, I wonder if I'm putting myself at increased risk of kidney stones by overdoing it on electrolytes. In all, the body is pretty great at maintaining homeostasis. But I have heard of people overdosing on TUMS and ending up with stones.

I have heard of people taking salt packets from McDonald's, as well as mustard packets. Some people love Nerds gummy clusters. I guess I spent a lot on food/fuel when I was first getting started running, but now that I'm more settled on what I like (what works for me), I don't spend as much. I included fuel and all the food from the race weekend in this calculation. Someone in my running group suggested signing up for ALL the races. Like YOLO. They justified it by saying, "What is your health worth?" And that got me thinking about how much I spent on running in the past few years.

For sure, running has been crucial to my mental health, now and at various previous times in my life. The American Heart Association recommends a sodium intake of less than 1,500 milligrams per day. The form matters. Salt tabs called "buffered" seem to contain sodium citrate, not just sodium chloride. The buffer helps balance lactic acid and possibly other amino acids produced in anaerobic pathways. In fact, some athletes take sodium or potassium bicarbonate prior to intense efforts, such as sprinting.

A future post could explore branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), another fitness craze, as well as ketones such as beta-hydroxybutyrate. I feel like I'm not interested in doing fasted exercise. I'm trying to fuel while training to avoid dipping into ketosis. What I can say is that I took BCAA Complex in my smoothies this past training cycle. Not by choice. My son wanted to put them in there because he loved making a rainbow smoothie with many different ingredients. But I did feel a difference in my energy throughout the day. It felt similar to taking a high dose of B vitamins. He also put in Nature's Superfruits powder (which does have insane amounts of B-vitamins).

Looking at the literature, it seems that a lot has been discovered about metabolism since I left grad school. I remember discovering that ketones and branched-chain amino acids are produced by plants under low-oxygen stress. I'm not saying I'm responsible for these discoveries, but I remember finding these findings and reporting them, and the people in the plant hypoxia world saying it just wasn't possible. Records are being broken every day by athletes who are figuring out better fueling strategies, and I'm sure some of that has to do with electrolytes, too.

I haven't been taking my collagen powder, creatine powder, or my MCT powder supplements in my coffee. For some time now, I've been drinking it black. But I do take a creatine capsule at bedtime with all my other supplements. Not that you should take my advice. We're all out here doing the best we can. My race results: https://www.athlinks.com/athletes/85696593/results I'm not trying to win my age group. I am trying to run sustainably so I can continue doing this. It helps balance my mood, and I feel like it's helping me ease the menopause transition.

One strange thing I did notice was: I kind of feel like my belly fat is decreasing now that the marathon is over. It's been two full months now. I feel like longer walks, lower stress, and more cross-training are actually making a big difference. I started running to get rid of the belly fat and lose weight. But running long distances hasn't really lowered the number on the scale much. I'm trying to revisit the idea of cortisol. Doing workouts that raise cortisol will increase belly fat. Doing workouts that lower stress may actually have a larger impact in the direction I would like to go. 

I've been enjoying the off-season, following the Fit4Mom 5k plan A, which is really chill. I've been doing Royal Core 4.0 from RunFitMama and some workouts here and there from Naughty Girl Fitness. I am thinking that the long walks and some weight lifting are revving up my metabolic engine. I think I might need to keep lifting heavy shit. I'm in pain every day anyway, from my joints aching. Why not add some muscle soreness? Dietarily, I've tried to reduce my intake of fried foods and increase my intake of dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables.

My previous posts about salt:

• CalorieCount https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/01/carbs-calcium-cortisol-oh-my.html 
• Salt Bath https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/05/bathing-beauty.html
• Race Day https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/04/race-report-rose-bowl-half.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/03/la-marathon-race-report.html
• Immune System https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/10/airborne.html
• Fertility https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-3.html
• Supplements https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/07/turning-40.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/07/supplement.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2022/12/november-2022-thoughts.html 
• During Training https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2024/12/women-are-not-small-men.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/01/powerful-hermana.html
• Century Rides https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/07/independence-day-ride-report.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/10/ride-report-r2r-california-challenge.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-ride-report.html
• Kaiser Wellness Posts https://kaiserwellnesscenter.blogspot.com/2013/05/coconut-water.html
• https://kaiserwellnesscenter.blogspot.com/2019/06/fda-should-finalize-sodium-targets.html
• Astronaut Juice https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/50695781267/astronaut-juice

Other References:

The use of buffered salts as anticoagulants for the maintenance of true cell volume and for the determination of plasma proteins. Chorine, V. Revue d'Immunologie (1940), 6, 193-208.

Magnesium: Exploring Gender Differences in Its Health Impact and Dietary Intake
By: Mazza, Elisa ; Maurotti, Samantha ; Ferro, Yvelise ; Castagna, Alberto ; Pujia, Carmelo; Sciacqua, Angela ; Pujia, Arturo; Montalcini, Tiziana. Nutrients (2025), 17(13), 2226.

Magnesium in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes. Gabriele Piuri, Monica Zocchi, Matteo Della Porta, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Luciano Pinotti, Valentina Ficara, Michele Manoni, Jeanette A. Maier and Roberta Cazzola. Nutrients (2021), 13, 320.

Perspective: Ketone Supplementation in Sports—Does It Work? Pedro L Valenzuela, Adrián Castillo-García, Javier S Morales, Alejandro Lucia. Adv. Nutr. (2020) Oct 22;12(2):305–315.

Effects of a commercially available branched-chain amino acid-alanine-carbohydrate-based sports supplement on perceived exertion and performance in high intensity endurance cycling tests
Marco Gervasi, Davide Sisti, Stefano Amatori, Sabrina Donati Zeppa, Giosuè Annibalini, Giovanni Piccoli, Luciana Vallorani, Piero Benelli, Marco B L Rocchi, Elena Barbieri, Anna R Calavalle, Deborah Agostini, Carmela Fimognari, Vilberto Stocchi, Piero Sestili. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. (2020) Jan 20;17:6.

Clueless and Breathless race report

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

Along the LA River between Vanalden and Owensmouth. Start time 7am but we started early at 6:30am. The route is 5k from end to end. We didn’t do a 13.1 mile half. But it was okay. We did 20k. Weather was awesome. Cool and foggy.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSh5sgXCVWJ/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Course description and evaluation of event logistics

There were aid stations at mile at 0, 1.5, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 10.5, and 12 miles. There was an inflatable start line. There was a port-a-potty at mile 0. Aid stations had Electrolyt, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, water, Red Vines, fruit snacks, and doughnuts. The course was completely off-street on a bike path.

How did you train for the event

I am following the LA Marathon training plan level 3. We're halfway to the marathon, week 13 out of 26, so it felt right to do a half marathon. Last season, the Rose Bowl Half was postponed due to wildfire. I found it was a good idea to double up on Important milestones to have a backup. So this was my first half marathon race of the season but it was very laid back. We took a potty break mid-way through and I made some adjustments to my outfit. I did not care about the time for this event since it was not a full 13.1.

@fit4mom_west_sfv RunClub+ Session 6 #runclub #mamamagic #lamarathon2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSfyuKjko7U/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Gear and Nutrition

I started out in a tech t-shirt with my hydration vest. I ate some but probably not enough. My feet were giving me problems at three points during the race. Like mile 1, 8, and 11. Thankfully the race organizers let us leave stuff at the aid station, so I didn't carry my vest for the second 10k. I ate 1 package of BelVita cookies, 2 Gu's and 6 Clif bloks.

Specific experiences

I ran with my friend, we stayed together the whole time, talking and laughing. It made the race go by much faster. We put on the music from the movie soundtrack in the last 2 miles. 

Finish and associated emotion

I was SO happy to be done. I didn’t want to run a step further. The end-of-semester and holiday / birthday season is so stressful for me. I am behind on everything: rest, hydration, nutrition, and sleep. So I wasn't expecting a stellar performance. But it was actually painful. I hope new shoes will help. 

Overall evaluation of the event

Jed and Ted's Excellent Races are a monthly event bringing back vibes of the '80s and '90s with nostalgic movie themes. I would do one of these again. I would definitely recommend it for a first-time race for someone looking for a low-key high-fun experience. You get a bib and a medal. The organizers took lots of photos and shared them pretty much right away. Price $35. Totally worth it.

Lessons from being a dancer

I had the privilege of being a trained dancer. Which is to say YEARS of intense training. Almost every day. Sometimes twice a day. Lots of technique and few performances. Literally years of just learning how to point my foot, which muscles to use, and what "doing it correctly" feels like. Years of staring in the mirror, years of getting corrections from master teachers.

There are things I learned along the way. Like, it takes years to get okay at doing something. Some of us will train for a decade and never become a prima ballerina. I think this helps me in my running. Like I will never qualify for Boston, I am not on a masters track team. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy running for the sheer feeling of being in this body and doing the damn thing.

I learned, through dance, that you must listen to your body. There will be days when you feel strong, some days you feel extra flexible, some days you're in your feelings and you can dance with more emotion. Some days you need to sit down and rest. You can't be in top form all the time. You sometimes have to perform at less than 100%. The show must go on.

I learned that stretching is life. You must stretch. For hours. Per day. Small movements can add up to a stronger body. Especially if you do them regularly, like every day. Multiple times throughout the day.

From dance, I learned about breathing through a movement. I learned how to sit with discomfort. I learned how to find the calm even while your body is doing amazing things. I learned how to remain centered. I learned how to remain grounded. I learned about how a lot of your power comes from your foot. Yes, the thighs are amazing, and so is the booty. 

Dance taught me to cultivate a strong core. The basic dance warm up emphasizes fluidity of the spine. You're going to stretch your back, you're going to stretch and warm up your hips. Dance taught me to never skip your warm up exercises.

There is a dark side to dance. Constant pressure to shrink your body. I know it exists in sports like gymnastics and cycling, too. I don't miss that part of it. I appreciate that running allows me to fuel my body with less shame and judgement. I wonder how the GLP-1 craze has impacted the dance world. I imagine it's rampant.

I'm tapping back into my dance roots this session of RunClub+. I decided to post a video after each run instead of a static photo. It's going well and I am starting to remember how dance brings me a lot of joy. It's not important to me how it looks to anyone else, just like my running. I'm not trying to be the poster child for dance or running. But I do enjoy both.

Bimbo Global 10k Race Report

The event itself: How long? When?

This event had two race distances. Both registrations were free, but they "sold out" in a short amount of time. They had a 5-hour window for bib pickup on Saturday, September 27th. And then they had day-of-race bib pickup starting at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 28th. In our observation, the lines for the bib pick-up never got too long.  

Course description and evaluation of event logistics 

The 10K started first at 8:30. You had to complete the first loop before the 5K start at 9:30. The start line was in front of the Rose Bowl stadium, The course went clockwise around close to the stadium, then out on a road, up and around a golf course, then a nice gradual downhill, a little out & back that was a steep hill, and then a little jaunt over a pedestrian bridge returning to the front of the stadium. We had a slightly late start, so I was rushing to complete the first loop before 9:30. The race organizers had stated that if you couldn't run a 15-minute mile, you would not be allowed to complete the second loop of the 10k. There were fewer than 8,000 participants, so this event had a hometown race feel.  

How did you train for the event? 

The training that helped me the most was running with VRLA from Venice Beach to Santa Monica every weekend in August. Running those beach miles, even though they were flat, gave me the chance to practice my intervals, fueling, race-day kit, and pacing. I followed the training plan for Every Woman's Marathon throughout the summer. Additionally, the Fit4Mom 10k training plan. Most recently, over the last two weeks, I switched to the LARR 2026 marathon training plan. 

Gear and Nutrition 

Initially, the race organizers announced that there would only be one water stop, so I decided to bring my Nathan Trail Mix hydration belt. I added a buddy pouch with an additional 6oz to the built-in 2 x 10oz bottles. The race ended up having two water stops, one at the back of the loop, and another one at the front of the loop. Carrying 26 oz was a bit extra, but it was just right for me. It helped me stay cool, as I would squirt water on my head whenever I needed it. I ate four egg bites at 5 a.m. I ate four pumpkin muffins with cream cheese at 7 a.m. I drank electrolytes prior to the race, I even skipped my second cup of coffee to focus on being hydrated.  I brought one Gu. Vanilla bean with aminos, electrolytes, and caffeine. I took that at 9 am, about 1.5 miles into the race. My calves were really hurting, and it did help. 

The night before the event, I ate a lentil and rice meal that contained avocado and turkey kielbasa. I started with the New Orleans Style Dirty Rice Mix from Aldi. Then I added an onion and mushrooms. I added 1 cup of dried lentils and about 5.5 cups of water. I simmered for about 30 minutes. It's mushy and not particularly attractive, but it packs a good amount of nutrition. You can serve with sour cream, yogurt, or Alfredo sauce. You can change the flavor with garlic or ginger. You can add other fruits and vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes, spinach, celery, carrots, turnips, and fennel, or whatever you have on hand. Whatever you do, avoid adding more salt, and refrain from using bullion instead of water, as this can make the dish too salty. 

Specific experiences 

Before the race started, a large staging area was set up in the parking lot, where all the run clubs assembled. It was so fun to see all the friends and family members. There was a DJ. The music was good. The vibes were good. After the race, participants enjoyed a free massage, complimentary food, food trucks, giveaways, and yoga. The DJ was still spinning. Everyone was dancing, having a great time. The weather was perfect, with temperatures in the '60s and an overcast sky. At no time did I feel like I was overheating or getting a sunburn, and I didn't even need to wear a hat. 

Finish and associated emotions 

The finish was enjoyable for this race because there was a little out-and-back steep hill. As I was running down the hill for the second time, my playlist landed on "Go the Distance" from Hercules. I almost started crying because I was so happy; I knew the finish line was within reach. My playlist was only 1 hour and 33 minutes long, so since my music hadn't run out, I knew I would finish the race within the time I had wanted. Going through the finish line when they were handing out medals, the person who handed me my medal said all the medals were the same, but some medals said 10k on on the ribbon, and other medals said 5k on the ribbon. I ended up getting a 5k ribbon, but I know I completed the 10k. The medal itself was the same for both. The only difference was the color of the ribbon and the distance printed on the ribbon. 

Overall evaluation of the event  

Overall, I really enjoyed this event. I would totally do it again. I completely forgot to take photos near the flags of all the different host countries. This race is called Bimbo Global because it is in a different host city each year:  Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Bogota. It felt really fun to be a part of something even larger than the race that we participated in. You can even see how your results stack up internationally.  The first-place finisher for the men's and women's division won an all-expenses-paid trip for two to next year's race, wherever that may be. The sponsor, Bimbo, donates 20 slices of bread for each participant. They gave us a jersey, a headband, and a wristband with a small zipper to conceal a house or car key, or stash your earbuds. It was a lot of swag for a free event. 10/10 would do it again. 🏅🌍

how to PR in fun

If you have a race coming up, I encourage you to seek a PR in fun. Off the top of my head, here is a list of actions that work for me:

1. Take your pace and throw it out the window!
2. Don't compare yourself to others. Let them run their race and you run yours.
3. Sing out loud, create a banging playlist, and blast it.
4. High-five spectators. Stop for a moment and BE a spectator. Cheer for other runners. Thank the volunteers and police officers.
5. Celebrate non-scale victories! 
6. Wear an outrageous costume that puts a smile on other runners' faces—or, more importantly, your face. This will give strangers a way to initiate a conversation with you.
7. Bring stuff to give away: stickers, friendship bracelets, extra Gu. Make friends in the corrals and on the course.
8. Run with a friend or family member. This makes excellent race photos that are also family photos.
9. Take all the pictures. I ran with two extra fuel rods, and it was 100% worth it.
10. Use fun treats instead of gels. Think gummy bears, nerds, pop tarts, ice cream, and donuts.

Full disclosure, this next part in italics was written by CSUN's OpenAI ChatGPT Edu:

__________________________________

Title: Getting a PR in FUN — The Magic of Party Pace

There’s a kind of PR you won’t find on a results page.

It’s not tracked by your watch. It doesn’t require negative splits. And it’s not defined by anyone but you.

It’s the PR in fun. And it starts at party pace.

Party pace isn’t about slowness—it’s about fullness. Full of laughter. Full of stories. Full of moments when you remember why you fell in love with running in the first place.

_________________________________

After I read that, I almost cried. Because it's exactly how I felt about the LA Marathon. I wanted to write about how to get back to the fun of running. I also used ChatGPT to explore the concept of non-scale victories and how they can apply to running.

_________________________________

A non-scale victory (NSV) is a win that has nothing to do with the number on the scale—and everything to do with how you're feeling, growing, or living your life with more confidence and strength.

In running (and beyond), NSVs are the real-life rewards that remind you your efforts are paying off, even when the scale doesn’t move—or isn’t the goal at all.

Here are a few examples of NSVs for runners:

• Running a little farther or faster than you did last week

• Waking up with more energy

• Your clothes fitting differently (hello, stronger legs!)

• Making it up a hill without walking

• Saying yes to a race you once felt intimidated by

• Feeling proud in your own skin

• Not needing to stop during a run for the first time

• Recovering faster than you used to

• Choosing rest without guilt

• Smiling during your runs more often

They’re mental, emotional, social, and physical wins that deserve to be celebrated just as much—if not more—than any number.

________________________________________

I've had more than a year of non-scale victories to celebrate. I remember when I first started running I would say to myself, "one day I will run up to and around this corner without stopping." And it feels so good to get to that point. Starting over is so hard.

I looked at my training plan for today, I thought it said strength but it didn't. I get to take a break from my program and it feels good. Like I can breathe and have some mental freedom to write about how to let go and have more fun.

But wait, why would you sign up for a race you have no hope of winning? Because race day is the vibe. There's nothing like the collective energy of tens of thousands of people traveling in the same direction for the same reason, crossing that finish line, and getting a medal. It's about fitness and community. 

The race weekend is everything. The expo. You get goodies and learn about other resources that support your running habit. The kids' race. How adorable are the tiny runners? The warm-up. Some races have a fitness instructor who leads the group through fun exercises. The post-race experience. Some races have a breakfast afterwards. Most have music at the finish line. To each their own, I'm not trying to tell you how to enjoy running. Rather, I'm sharing what works for me. In the hopes that it might inspire you to manage your expectations in a way that allows you to taste the magic of party pace.

Finish line face

As many have said, the training is the hardest part of doing a marathon. If you follow a training plan, there will be days when you don't feel like doing your workout. The race is a celebration! It's your victory lap. You've already done the hardest part, which is the daily grind. And most likely, you've already achieved many of your non-scale victories. So enjoy your race day. You earned it.

When I crossed that finish line, I didn't feel elite. I already earned a PhD, which is something that less than 2% of the world's population holds. But the internet is suggesting that completing a marathon is similarly rare, so I guess I should be even prouder of this. After attending the LARR brunch last weekend, I realized that there are some people who have just completed their first marathon, but a lot more who have done 10 or more marathons in their life.

Sitting with my training group, someone asked, "Who already signed up for next year?" Almost everyone's hands went up. Now I realize that's a self-selecting group. Those who attended the brunch were invested in the community, but it surprised me that many seasoned runners were still planning to continue training and repeat the race in 2026. And I did it. I signed up for 2026. Not because of the brunch, I had already done it before the brunch.

These gals created a WhatsApp for the training group. Many returning runners said it was the most fun group they've ever been in. I had no idea since it was my first time, but I definitely enjoyed the camaraderie of the online support. The silliness. The inside jokes. The gifs. This group trained in fun and finished with a PR in fun for sure.

I didn't finish the LA Marathon with what I consider a glamorous finish time. I was nervous to say it or share it. But I'm not ashamed of my performance on race day. I walked a lot of my training runs, and I walked a lot of the actual race. I'm okay with it. I had a fun time. I experienced the LA Marathon like I would enjoy CicLAvia. It's an open street event with entertainment and snacks. Sometimes you have to embrace the suck (mile 20). And there's no shame in walking; forward is a pace (mile 23).

26 days until the marathon

I wanted to write a quick blog about how I'm feeling. Just one long run left before the marathon. I feel ready. I know what I'm going to wear. I know what I'm going to eat. I have my pace in mind. I've trained to climb the hills of the course. I'm done listening to doubters (including myself). 

I've had aches and pains in this journey. I remember one of the first things I felt was foot pain, like October or November 2023. I felt like I had a stress fracture in one foot. I remember googling "obese running problems" to see if there was any correlation between weight and running and foot injuries. What I found was that it was actually inversely proportional. Heavy runners tended to run slower and have fewer foot injuries. Lighter runners tended to do too much speed work too soon and get stress fractures. So I kept plodding along.

I don't know which of my runners it was that asked me, don't you have any injuries? and I remember saying, no because I do the proper stretching, strengthing, and rehab. But that's not entirely true. I got a mean case of shin splints around May and June 2024. It hurt so bad even to walk. I think it was probably muscle weakness in the calf that caused it. And I continued to stretch, and do strength exercises, and work through the pain, and buy new shoes! And more calf raises. And curtsey lunges without putting weight on the back leg.

I guess it was about a year ago that I went in and got assessed for new shoes. I was probably following a 5k training plan back then and didn't really look like a serious runner. Those shoes worked well for me and I ended up getting three more pairs of that style. I got reassessed last week and they recommended a pair of New Balance. More lightweight, more cushion. 

I remember it must have been around October or November when I started having pain in my psoas. Or hip flexor. I ordered a dance warm-up that I thought would help. I asked on the Coach's chat for the LA Roadrunners and they said it was most likely a weak muscle. And that the solution is not more stretching or foam rolling but more strengthing. So banded marches it is. What I ended up doing is attending Fit4Mom Stroller Strides classes and then swapping out the exercises I should be doing for my rehab and running strength instead of whatever the instructor tells us.

I don't know what day it was but one morning it was really cold. I had some knee pain. But I put on my knee-high leg warmers and ran anyway. As long as my knees were covered, it was okay. If the leg warmer slipped below the knee, it hurt a bit. I'm guessing it was Lassen (January 30th). Adding speed and treadmill and hills at the same time. Probably too much. 

I would love to write more about how I'm feeling, but I have to run to class. Enjoy this Venn Diagram I made about the similarities and differences between Motherhood, Marathoning and Teaching.

self-love

What is the greatest love of all? Learning to love yourself. Whitney Houston became a mom in 1993, but recorded this song in 1984.

Katy Perry became a mom in 2020, but recorded this song in 2010 when I was doing my internship in Germany. I remember hearing it on the radio and feeling so homesick for SoCal.

Miley Cyrus recorded Party in the USA in 2009. I loved hearing this song when I was in Germany. It made me homesick for Los Angeles and I wanted to hop a flight back right away. I didn't appreciate Miley as an artist too much at the time, but now she's one of my favorite icons. Being proud of the USA doesn't ring as true for me anymore, hopefully this country will check itself before it wrecks itself.

I listen to my Disney Hits playlist and one of the songs that hypes me up the most is this one by Hannah Montana. Miley says she's not ready for motherhood, but there's still time, she's only 31. Her memoir Miles to Go was published in 2009. I really enjoyed the memoir of Jessica Simpson called Open Book. She talks about going to the Disney auditions and how messed up the whole process was.

Niki Minaj became a mother in 2020, but recorded Super Bass in 2010. Honestly, I was having a tough week and I put on this song and immediately felt better. The years I spent working on my PhD were some of the darkest times in my life but I have such a strong connection to the music from that era. 

Meghan Trainor (has two children born 2021, 2023 both via C-section). She wrote "Dear Future Mama" published in 2023 after PTSD from her first delivery. The song came out in 2023 and the video stars the ultimate momager Mrs. Kris Jenner herself. I'm wondering why Kris hasn't run for president yet. WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN POWER. And moms especially because they understand the sacrifices made to create life.

Meghan wrote "Made You Look" after her therapist asked her to stare at herself in the mirror for 5 minutes. She's always touched on themes of body positivity, but this song is truly all about it. I remember seeing this on Disney's Magical Holiday Celebration in 2022. While all the other artists were singing Christmas songs, she went ahead and dropped this song while wearing hot pink. It felt out of place for the program, but I loved it. This would have been filmed while she was pregnant with her second baby.

Britney Spears (has two children born in 2005, 2006) recorded Gimme More in 2007 and Work Bitch in 2013. Sometimes I wonder if this sexualized version of Britney was her idea or some idiot man's idea. 2007 was the year she shaved all her hair off, which I also did in 2010. I didn't do it because she did it, but it's kind of cool that I also got to experience hair-less-ness. I did it for basically for the same mental health reasons, and also I didn't need the hair at the time. I was running half marathons every weekend for fun and it was just easier not to have to wash and style my hair.

It's so hard to believe that Gimme More was recorded one year after she had two children. She would have been 24-26 years old then. She recorded Work Bitch when she was 32, the same age I was when I finished my PhD, got sober, and started working at CSUN. The Woman in Me is her memoir published on October 24, 2023. I still haven't read it yet, but I want to.

Lizzo is such an icon I would need an entire post devoted to her. I don't think I heard this song before today. She wrote it in 2015.

Tempo is the Lizzo song I have on my running playlist. Honestly, my playlist is one of the big motivators in my arsenal. The last long run, my headphones died at mile 17, and I couldn't run without my music. I had to walk the last mile.

Love this song because it was the time when people were emerging from the pandemic quarantine. Everyone was so traumatized by the isolation and uncertainty. Lizzo welcomed us back, and this video was filmed at CSUN. I remember getting hyped up watching Watch Out for the Big Grrrls in 2022.

It was so significant to me that I actually acknowledged the following artists in my PhD dissertation. I could not have survived that program without my playlist. I blocked out all the haters and did my experiments in sync.

Beyonce became a mom in 2012 and had a set of twins in 2017. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé came out in 2019 and Beyonce did a halftime show on Christmas Day in 2024 that was epic. Run the World came out in 2011, which was during some dark times in my life. Rather than doing less after becoming a mom, it is arguable that Beyonce's best work has been done after she had children.

Lady Gaga released The Fame in 2008 and Born This Way in 2011. Her music spoke to me in a way that is not easily communicated. I would listen to the album from start to finish on my little mp3 player. It was a Sansa, and it saved my life. I don't know if I still have it or if it eventually went to e-waste. The Edge was like the climax of my PhD. I felt like I could do anything because I came through the fire. Sometimes I still wish I had the tracklist from that music player.

Rhianna has two children born in 2022 and 2023. The song I remember most is Shut Up And Drive but mostly because of RuPaul's Drag Race. The song was recorded in 2006 and released in 2007. Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 5 aired in 2016, ten years later. Finally, Miss Justin aka Alyssa Edwards was crowned in 2024 the first place winner of Global All Stars, nearly another ten years later. "She's not old, she's established." I've always been obsessed with drag queens because who would willingly want to dress as a woman when you're a white man? Women have some power but we just need to learn how to flex it like men do.

Shakira released She Wolf in 2009 and then went on to have two children in 2013 and 2015. I'm so proud of the women who stepped up to the mic at the 2025 Grammy Awards and let us have it. I don't know but you might still be able to watch it on Paramount+. I really felt like these women have staying power. They have been around for a long time and are finally getting the recognition they deserve AND using their power to speak truth on behalf of more vulnerable people.

What about you? What would be on your playlist entitled: Anthems for the Resistance?

And also: Why don't we celebrate matrescence? I mean yes, we throw a baby shower, but it's somewhat of a celebration for the baby. The gifts are all for the baby. What about the mom? Where are her gifts? We as moms give up so much of ourselves, it's hard to put that in perspective. Where would our society be without moms? There would be a population crash for sure.

I feel like we really need the 4B movement and we need to speak up and act up. I feel like women are taught to sit down, be quiet, follow the rules, and basically give up our power. I think to some extent men hate us because we have the power to create life and they don't. They want to enslave us basically. And we end up hating ourselves because they hate us. That's the patriarchy. 

I've been so stuck at work, I've been thinking about all this and not able to sit down and do one bit of work. I'm sick of feeling like a raw nerve, so vulnerable. But that's the power of women also. We can be strong AND vulnerable. We can share our feelings and not be thought less of. Men keep making these rules and women keep following them. We need to step up and be leaders. The power given to women with Title IX needs to be magnified, strengthened, and flexed now. 

I know women can't do it all, it is very all-consuming to create life and raise children. But also, we need to demand the flexibility we need to parent AND work. We need to allow women to have babies AND feed them AND show up for work. Because if you're not sitting in the boardroom, your concerns and your needs and your perspective and your ideas (which have immense value) won't be taken into consideration. 

Yes I understand some of my anthems might not be your cup of tea. But maybe you want to take a moment to create your own power playlist. Listen to it, do some weightlifting. Then get out there and show up. Show up for the people in your life. Speak your truth. Be brutally honest. Be authentically yourself. We have to keep moving forward, we're not going back.

Holiday Half Marathon Race Report

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

Pomona Dragstrip hosted the start/finish line, registration, bib pickup, and gear check. This year the weather was really good. It was kind of foggy in the morning and that was good because the humidity held onto some warmth. It wasn't as cold as it could have been. It was not super windy. There was no precipitation. After about an hour the sun came out. The 10k, 5k, and kids race were on Saturday, December 14th. The half marathon was on Sunday, December 15th. We stayed at the Sheraton Fairplex hotel from Dec 13-15. We splurged on early check-in and late check-out.

Course description and evaluation of event logistics

I peed in a corner right before the race because the line for the bathrooms was super long. But that was kind of my fault because I left the hotel at 7:00 a.m. and the race started at 7:30 and it was about a half an hour walk. The walk from the hotel to the starting line was really good to warm up. 

I wore a sweatshirt, fleece pants, scarf, hat, and gloves. But then I took those off at the gear check. It was super easy to check my backpack. They provided plastic grocery bags if you needed it.

They didn't really do waves at the start line. Pace leaders were in the corral. They counted us down 5-4-3-2-1-go and everyone just started running. I barely had time to start my Strava and music. It was the most stress-free start line of the whole year.

There was a good amount of shade on the course, especially going around the reservoir. It was a lot hillier than I remember, but that made it really pretty too. The segment along the airfield between mile marker 5 & 6 was the worst for me because the road wasn't completely closed so they had us on a narrow shoulder with lots of rubble. I almost tripped. No fun but it was only a mile and the rest of the course was great. Between mile markers 12 & 13 was probably my favorite. It was a closed street. Finishers were backtracking to cheer us in. I was singing and trying to soak up the fun of the last mile.

How did you train for the event

I did my best to follow the F4M half marathon training plan, the runDisney Galloway marathon training plan, and the Roadrunners plan for the LA Marathon. I missed a week of training due to the ear infection I got right before Thanksgiving break. I still don't feel 100% from that. Luckily I have an appointment with a specialist on Wednesday. As it turns out, the doctor said my left ear was still infected on December 18th (after the race) and didn't clear up until December 30th when I saw him again for a follow-up appointment. It looks like I skipped 11 training runs out of the 39 I had on my training spreadsheet (28%) so it's no wonder I wasn't at my strongest on race day.

Your gear and nutrition

I brought a hat to wear, like a running hat with a visor. But my head got too hot. I ended up wearing my junk headband and gooder sunglasses.

My hair was up in two French braids and that really helped me stay cool. I'm glad I decided to wear shorts and a tank top with removable sleeves. I kept the sleeves on the whole race because it was chilly in the shade. I saw my "sparkle twin," who was also wearing the sparkle snowflake skirt. I ended up finishing the race with a bunch of really strong moms, strong teachers, and strong students and it was really beautiful. 

@hamerk02 Miles of Smiles #holidayhalfmarathon ♬ original sound - Kayla A. Kaiser

The SRLA kids were cheering for Elsa or asking me if I were dressed up as Elsa, which I was. So fun that people recognized it.

My Muzen speaker died around 3 hours. My sister recommended I get a second vest and second speaker for the marathon. Then have Mike meet me somewhere mid-race and swap out. That made sense.

My fueling strategy was pretty simple. They had water stations mile 3, 6, and 9. So I took a Gu at every water stop. I did ate two electrolyte chews pretty much every 30 minutes. I've never done that before but I do think it helped. Like every time it felt like my body was starting to get crampy, I would chomp two of those. They're pretty easy to take without water because they're not sweet. And it seems like they work right away. I also ate two fruit strips around mile 6. And one stroopwaffle around mile 10. There was a water stop at mile 12 but by then I was out of fuel. Actually I had a Clif bar and an Rx bar but they were in the back of my running vest. I also put my dead speaker back there at mile 10. Since I had no water bladder back there, I needed some weight to balance the vest. If all the weight is in the front pockets it digs into the back of my neck.

The only mishap I would say is that I normally run with a hydration bladder. The one that I've been using has like a slider to close it, that is a separate piece not attached to the rest of it. And I forgot that slider at home. But it ended up being okay. I just grabbed one or two cups of water at every water stop. And it seemed like they had plenty of water stops. I didn't see a ton of mile markers in the first 5 miles. Maybe I just missed them. I kind of enjoyed knowing when we were at 3, 6, 9, and 12 miles. It made the time pass faster.

Specific experiences

It was really fun that the course for the half marathon went right by the hotel. So I got to wave to my son and my husband who came down to the gate and my son was screaming Mommy I love you. The 3-hour pace leader was really cool. He had on a Santa hat and a Santa beard.

Finish and associated emotions

I wanted to cry a little at the finish because I feel like I have been training for a long time to get to this point. Maybe I am already looking forward to having an off season. I know I still have a long ways to go to be ready for the full marathon. But it was rewarding to hear that my husband is proud of my training. He said some people only train up to an 18 mile long run prior to the actual marathon. Since I did 15 miles today, that impressed him.

Overall evaluation of the event 

I would definitely do this event again. If I feel up to it, it would be fun to do either the Golden Snowflake Challenge (5k on Saturday, Half Marathon on Sunday) or the Triple Snowflake Challenge (Half, 10K, & 5K for $140).

Race Spending

$80.50 for registration for the half marathon on June 5th

$16.90 for the kid's race (day of event)

$486.33 for the hotel (Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center by Marriott)

$20 for parking at the hotel

$688 for registration and lodging

We spent about $608 on food and entertainment. Dining at the Fairplex is really expensive and we bought hot cocoa, hot coffee, ice cream, churros, burritos, french fries. Imagine what you would buy at any fair and that's the type of food we bought. We also treated our friends to a nice dinner in the hotel (room service). There were many times we got food from the in-hotel restaurant. The good thing was that we didn't leave the hotel once we arrived. We had only a tiny fridge and a microwave in the room, we brought about 3x as much food as the size of the fridge. So we did keep the food we brought in a cooler and replaced the ice about every 8 hours, but it would have been better to stay at a hotel with a full-sized fridge. Although it was VERY nice to be able to walk to the race from the hotel. We also walked to the Imaginarium, which was a holiday light display and carnival. It costs about $20 per person to get in. It was definitely festive and Albert had a great time with all the photo ops. I would highly recommend that experience for people of all ages and abilities.

Finally, I spent about $200 on race costumes and gear for training. I got a Tinkerbell sparkle skirt and a matching visor. I got the snowflakes sparkle skirt you can see in the photo above. I found the "Let It Go" tank top on Poshmark. And I got a couple of shrugs, legwarmers, and knit shorts from a company called Move Dance. They've been super helpful in getting out in the cold for the morning training runs.

So altogether that means we spent about $1500 on the entire race weekend. How does that compare to other race weekends we did in 2024?

$1466 Disneyland 5k (with two park days)
$284 LA Big 5k (no hotel)
$522 OC Marathon (without running the race)
$640 CdM Scenic 5k
$1063 SMC Classic 10k/5k (with no hotel)
$1075 Mission Inn Run 

$1499 Holiday Half Marathon

So it looks like the Holiday Half was our most expensive race weekend of the year. I think that's partly because it was also my husband's birthday weekend and we splurged more than we would have otherwise. Also, we didn't entertain friends at other race weekends besides the Mission Inn Run so that was an added cost, but also a totally fun way to spend the evening. And we went to the Fairplex for the Imaginarium, which was a pretty epic addition to the weekend. Even without those extra fun things, the hotel itself was I guess pretty pricy. And I forgot my husband's swimsuit so we never went to the pool.

I would say this race was a great way to end the 2024 race season. Because this was my build-back year, it felt major to have reached a half-marathon distance. Maybe I did it too quickly, maybe I could have waited longer to make my way back to running. But one thing I will say is that I'm grateful that I registered for TWO 10ks and TWO half marathons. Because the excessive heat interfered with the Santa Monica Classic and now the wildfires have postponed the Rose Bowl Half. It was a big boost to my confidence to have two chances to succeed at each race distance as I build up to a full marathon. I had considered registering for the Citrus Heritage Run and the Palm Desert Half, but I let them pass by. I decided that there would be other years for those events. A new date hasn't been set for the Rose Bowl Half, but I'll write more about that in another post.

Election Day

It's the 2024 presidential election day. There were many other things on the ballot, but the race for president looms large. This is a historic moment where America gets to decide between another white male or a highly qualified Southeast Asian black woman. It definitely feels like a referendum on our culture. Can we accept a woman in the highest office in our nation? Or do we want to re-elect someone who was already impeached twice? Incredibly, we have to put a woman against an epically lousy candidate. I keep trying to put the election out of my mind, and then when someone reminds me it's election day, it's like BAM, I snap back to the real possibility that America might choose a crime boss over a Barbie.

I remember the presidential elections that have happened in my lifetime:

• 1980 - Reagan v. Carter / Mondale
• 1984 - Reagan / H. W. Bush v. Mondale
• 1988 - H. W. Bush v. Dukakis
• 1992 - Clinton / Gore v. H. W. Bush
• 1996 - Clinton / Gore v. Dole
• 2000 - W. Bush v. Gore
• 2004 - W. Bush v. Kerry
• 2008 - Obama v. McCain
• 2012 - Obama v. Romney
• 2016 - Hillary Clinton
• 2020 - Biden / Harris
• 2024 - Kamala Harris

I wonder what my son, who is now 4.5 years old, will remember about this election. We did watch the live debates at home with him. And we voted around the kitchen table all together using our mail-in ballots. And we went as a group to drop off the ballots at an early voting center on campus a week early. Being Los Angeles, they had a photo-op set up for us and a volunteer took this picture. I feel like I remember President Reagan, so maybe my son will always remember President Harris. And he will have a different idea of what women can accomplish. 

I remember Bill Clinton and his sex scandal. And people say that's why they couldn't elect Hillary even though she was smart and qualified. They say his behavior was somehow her fault or had tarnished her reputation irreversibly. But what can they say about Kamala? She is very good at her job and has none of the tarnish that people claim poisoned Hillary Clinton's campaign. Don't even get me started on Lock Her Up and Those Emails.

"Leave the door open and the ladder down" ~Bernard Kinsey

I can say Biden did a very good thing by serving one term, which was fairly uneventful, and then holding the door open for Kamala. It's like he "teed up" and let her swing for the fences. I don't know if that's a golf analogy or T-ball, forgive me, I'm not a sports person. 

I just don't know if some people in our country can tolerate this challenge to their self-image. There is a real toxic masculinity in our culture; forget about microaggressions. There is straight-up racism, sexism, and violence against women. I wanted to write out my own personal thoughts for my future self, or for anyone who finds this after I am gone. On this day, before the results are announced. I feel very guarded. I don't know who to trust. I feel like there is a simmering violence that is hiding in the shadows and waiting to be invited out into the open. I feel unsafe when out running; I've already seen one pickup truck following me. I don't know what type of rage will be unleashed on ALL WOMEN if they don't get their way or if there is any challenge to the patriarchy.

I won't stay up all night to see what happens; I doubt we will have a clear answer today. But I know what I'm hoping America chooses. It will be amazing to make the Barbie movie a reality. But I'm also accepting alternate possibilities. America may decide that we're not ready for a Barbie president. America may decide that if Barbie is fairly elected, we cannot abide it. I am fearful of these possibilities. But I'm trying to live and record how I feel at this moment.

Technology Love

I finally gave in and bought a new computer (laptop). Here is a timeline of previous mobile device purchases. Of course we've bought desktop computers here and there, out of necessity, which made it unnecessary to replace the older laptops for quite a while.

Prior models

6/20/2010

Asus Eee PC 1005PEB

9/1/2015
ASUS T100TAM-H2-GM

4/23/2016
Galaxy S7 smartphone

3/24/2018
Galaxy S9 64GB

7/10/2020

~~HP 6300 SFF Refurbished Desktop Computer~~ desktop (for home)

Intel i53470 32Ghz 

8GB Memory 

500GB HD 

Windows 10 Pro 64bit

1/26/2022
~~HP EliteDesk 800 G1-T~~ desktop (for work)
Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz
8GB RAM
2TB Hard Drive
DVDRW
Windows 10 Pro 64Bit

5/11/2022
Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatch

1/19/2023
ASUS E210 M (this is the new one pictured above)

So far I've used it to teach one Excel workshop and I'm getting ready to use it again to teach an Excel workshop this Friday. I had to get it because they upgraded our labs to include projectors which have an HDMI cable and I didn't have a laptop that would do Excel and project. In prior years, we would have booked the computer lab and I wouldn't have needed to Bring My Own Device.

So far, I'm pretty happy with my Versa 3 smartwatch. I like how long it holds a charge (longer than 3 days) and I like how it can pair with my phone to deliver calls and text messages. I can reply with an emoji which is pretty useful. I also have it connected to my Google calendar so it can remind me of upcoming meetings and appointments. I use it a lot to set a timer.

I do think it is getting to be time to replace our phones. We recently had to migrate over from Sprint to T-Mobile. I don't know what type of deal we might be able to get, but I talked it over with Mike and he seems to be thinking we can just wait until one of our phones is completely Kaput before doing the task of shopping and buying something new.

New Semester, New Wardrobe

I had started making purchases for this semester before it started, so here's a list of what I bought in order of how much I love it and how much it has helped me.

Kelly Bag with matching Pumparoo $39 = new $160. This is a game-changer. I would say if you're thinking about getting a pumping bag but you don't know how long you'll be pumping, this one is awesome even for just going to work. The pump compartment is a cooler so I can put my lunch in there and not have to take a separate bag. Then when I get to work, I flatten that compartment and put all my work stuff in there and it all fits. Then at the end of the day, I put all my dirty dishes in the main compartment and it all fits. Amazing! If I were to change the design at all, I would love to have a chest clip and some reflective details, but I'll work on adding that stuff myself.

Simple Joys by Carter's Baby Everyday Diaper Backpack, I got this off Buy Nothing for Free = $50 new. This is my new fav diaper bag. I love how it clips on to the stroller. I love the wipes pocket on the side. It's a great park bag.

Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. Gold Label Women's Size Totally Shaping Pull-On Skinny Jeans
Levi's $111 for 4 pairs (size 20) definitely follow the size chart, do not go by what size Amazon recommends for you! I had to send the first pair back for a refund. So far I haven't put them in the dryer but husband did and it didn't seem to ruin it. The waistband wasn't exactly right, but it got into place once I put them on. I can't speak to durability at this point since it's only week 2 but I can say that I don't dread getting dressed in the morning. I throw on one of these and go.

Latched Mama Snuggle Up Nursing Sweatshirt 2x/3x $58. I am using this WAY more than I thought I would. I absolutely love it and so does Albert. I can put him in there either forward or rear facing. It's been colder than usual with some days in the 30s and I can wear him to school so he stays nice and warm and cozy and I don't have to worry about him freezing in the stroller.

I never regret anything I buy from Latched Mama. I'm already using the vest daily and I love it. I did get some holiday-specific stuff which I packed away until next year. I do feel like a crazy person for it, but also I get so many compliments on the snuggle-up.

I can't believe I almost forgot to write about these new shoes. I love them so much. I realized after a bit of shopping that it's better to know the number of this year's (latest) model and then shop specifically for last year's. That's how I found the Ghost 14 for the cheapest. The other two are "this year" models, but I couldn't find the previous year models in my size. They were sold out.

One of my colleagues asked me, "where are your crazy pants?" I guess I was becoming notorious for the LuLaRoe pants with wild prints. I don't mind, of course.

My workout pants that I love are
CRZ YOGA Women's Naked Feeling High Waisted Yoga Pants with Pockets Workout Leggings Camo - 25 Inches Camo Multi 16 25'' X-Large

They also make shorts
CRZ YOGA Women's Naked Feeling Long Biker Shorts - 10'' High Waist Workout Yoga Gym Running Spandex Shorts Side Pockets Stone-Washed Indigo X-Large

I have both 10" inseam and 8" inseam. I kind of like the shorter ones because they let my knees cool down. But both are great! People in my life keep complaining about their yoga pants and I can't say enough good things about these. I've had the pants for 2 years and I wash and dry them with all my other laundry (no special treatment) and they are so durable.