My First Triathlon is Only A Month Away!

I have been traveling so much for the last few weeks that my posting has been sporadic. I just realized that the See Jane Run Triathlon is only a month away! The triathlon takes place at Shadow Cliffs Park in Pleasanton, CA on October 5th. This will be my first triathlon and I am very nervous! I'll be the first to admit that my training has not been what I had hoped it would be. I just need to work hard and focus the next few weeks. I'm not too worried about the swimming, but the bike portion is a bit intimidating since I will only have a cruiser bike! I may need to look into a more competition worthy road bike after this race, especially if I plan to get more into triathlons. 

I absolutely loved the See Jane Run half marathon I did earlier this summer in Alameda, CA. The ladies at See Jane Run really know how to put on a race and make us ladies happy! Chocolate and a sweet finisher's medal can't be beat! I know the triathlon will be another empowering race with very spirited and supportive women cheering me along the way! Here are the race details (there is a duathlon too):

The See Jane Run Women's Triathlon and Duathlon. It’s a race. It’s a milestone. It’s a moment of triumph. And it’s got camaraderie and girl fun written all over it. Beginners encouraged so grab your mother, sister, daughter, girlfriends and join the celebration. 

The start, finish and transitions areas are in the very charming Shadow Cliffs Regional Park. For the triathletes, the 400 yards swim portion happens in the main lake with temperatures around 70 degrees. Then it’s off to bike 11 miles in the beautiful surrounding areas of Pleasanton, and wrapping up the race with a 3 mile run. Cross the finish line and celebrate with your friends and family. For the Duathletes we will start with a gorgeous trail run through Shadow Cliffs Park. Followed by a scenic ride around Pleasanton and then back on the trails for another 2M run.

I've had nothing but positive experiences with See Jane Run races and would love to have you join me! As an ambassador, I have a special code to share with you to receive a discount on your race registration fees! To receive 10% off of your registration for the See Jane Run Triathlon just enter this code at checkout: AMBTRI.  I hope I see you at the triathlon!

Want to see more about what See Jane Run is all about? Check out this video on how their races empower women!

Have you raced in a triathlon before? Any tips for a beginner like me? I'd love any advice I can get from triathlon veterans!

See Jane Run Race Recap

Saturday morning I woke up at 4:00 am to drive to Alameda, CA for the See Jane Run Half Marathon. Originally I was planning on staying the night in the Bay area, but plans changed and I had to wake up much earlier than I planned to drive there. I picked out my race outfit the night before and tried to go to sleep early, but it's always so hard to sleep before a race. When my alarm went off I got up, ate a quick snack and began my drive.

At the start of the See Jane Run Half Marathon

I arrived at the race at 6:45am and there were not very many ladies there yet. I picked up my race bib with no line and then checked out the race map and did some stretches and a warm-up to keep my body loose. I ate another small snack and tried to keep myself awake. The race didn't start until 8:00 am so I had some time to kill. I met a fellow See Jane Run Ambassador and we took some fun photos of each other before the race. Here I am making a face during the warm-up put on by the staff of See Jane Run. It was a fun, carefree warm-up that helped get the pre-race jitters out. 

Pre Race Warm-Up

Here is a photo of Shauna, the See Jane Run Ambassador I met before the race. We both ended up coming to the race solo and had to ask some wonderful ladies to take our photos until we met up. It was fun to meet another runner blogger. She was doing the 5k because she had a triathlon to race in the next morning, which I hear she rocked! We chatted a bit and learned about our racing history and then I left to line up for the start of the half marathon which began before the 5k race.

Shauna - Another See Jane Run Ambassador!

At 8:00 am the race began and I was off! I lined up with the two hour pace group and started the race off strong. A few miles in I was feeling a bit sick to my stomach, I'm sure the change in my routine and eating had a lot to do with it. Getting up at 4:00 am is not something my body is particularly use to and I was starting to feel it in my racing. Still, I stayed running strong and on pace for a two hour finish. We ran by the water which was really refreshing and there was a slight breeze, around mile three and beyond the day started to heat up. There was little shade on the course and my body started to feel the sun zapping my energy. My pace slowed a bit as I tried to keep running strong. I need to train in the heat more so I am more use to the draining affect of the sun. The race weather was around 80 degrees and I was making sure to stop at every water stop to keep hydrated.

Around mile nine there was a lady who had set up a stand where she was handing out cold water bottles. I was so thankful for her generosity. She wasn't an official sponsor of the race, just a woman along the course wanting to help us hot, exhausted runners out. She was an angel! This water helped me so much! A little farther on another lady was spraying her hose off her porch for runners to run through to cool off. This was so nice! I could have stayed there and kept running through it if I wasn't in the middle of a race. These ladies, even though they weren't running the race, showed what it is to be a Jane. They truly showed the spirit of any woman being an athlete and caring enough to help another fellow runner out.

Around mile 10 we crossed a bridge and they had just raised it for a boat to go under! What, really? In the middle of a race? This was definitely the weirdest thing that has happened to me in the middle of a race yet. Needless to say, it drastically increased my finish time. Below is a picture of me and the other Jane's waiting on the bridge to be able to cross. It was somewhat of a bonding experience to all be stuck together on the bridge. When it finally was lowered, we were off again.

The bridge was raised and all of us Jane's were stuck waiting for it to lower!

I powered through the last three miles of the race and picked up speed at the end. I was truly impressed by all the women who came out to run, encouraged each other on course and raced to the finish in hot weather. The race finished on the beach and the view was gorgeous. I was so thankful to be done and finally get some food, bananas, bagels and of course...chocolate! I finished in 2:15, not my personal best of 1:53 by far, but considering the bridge I had to wait for and the heat, I was happy to have just finished.

Me at the finish line!

I wandered around the expo, picked up my See's candy and champagne glass and had some fun samples from vendors. I then headed to the See Jane Run tent to pick up my race shirt, ambassador shirt and see what fun products they were debuting at the race. 

That's right, I did run for chocolate.

The finish view was gorgeous. A sunny day in the Bay can't be beat and the water looked so inviting. If I didn't have to drive so far back I probably would have jumped in the water clothes and all to cool off! I spent some time just looking out onto the water. There were a lot of sailboats out on the Bay, everyone wanted to enjoy the great weather.

View of the Bay from the finisher's village!

The See Jane Run swag bag was pretty awesome as well. I came home with a great reusable shopping bag, which will be perfect here in Ukiah where they have banned the use of plastic bags in stores unless you pay an extra fee, a cool race tee, champagne glass (which will be used for my fancy juices since I don't drink), chocolate and of course my See Jane Run Ambassador T-Shirt! The ambassador tee is so soft!

Race Swag!

Oh yes, and then of course there was the medal. It is so cool! I loved that it cam with shoelaces for a lanyard and the design is really cute. I'm going to have fun hanging this on the wall somewhere. I still haven't figured out how to display all my race medals, but I'm working on figuring that out. They need to have a special place to be shown off and to motivate me to keep training!

Awesome Race Medal!

In conclusion, the See Jane Run Half Marathon and 5k event is a blast! There were over 5000 women and a few good men, who participated in the race. It was a fun way to get together and support each other and run for women, for Janes everywhere. I loved meeting Kerina - the Ambassador coordinator, and Shauna. I can't wait to meet all the ambassador's at another event in July. I was considering the See Jane Run Triathlon in October before I ran this event, and now I know I need to sign up for it. If it is as fun as this event I do not want to miss out!

Thank you See Jane Run for an amazing event. Thank you ambassadors for proudly sharing the Jane way of life. And thank you to everyone who made this race amazing and such a fun race. I hope to see you all again next year!

~Karen

What's In My Gym Bag

EspnW is holding an Instagram photo contest and one of their photos this week was "what's in your gym bag?" I posted this photo of my gear. First and foremost there are bright colors and that just makes workouts more fun and also increases visibility on the road. It's always important to be safe! Second, my favorite gear from Athleta - this awesome running tank and bright blue Relay Running Capri. They are so soft! If you're running the See Jane Run Half Marathon this weekend look out for me in my blue capris! I can't go anywhere without my favorite NIKEiD running shoes and Sportwatch. Nuun hydration tabs, KT Tape, music, sunblock and a massager are a must! What's in your gym bag? Did I miss any essentials? 

Peek Inside My Gym Bag

Unfortunately, I am a day late on my post but yesterday was National Running Day. I was fortunate enough to go on a five mile hill workout with the North Coast Striders, a local running club. We crushed those hills! When I got home I did some work and then got a surprise from Nike Running in the mail, new Flyknit shoes! I couldn't think of a more perfect day for them to arrive and am excited to start breaking them in. The colors are so fun! I have one other pair of Flyknit shoes from Nike and have  trained for and run two half marathons in them. I really like how light and supportive they are. They definitely add to the bright colors of my workout wardrobe!

Nike Flyknit Shoes

This week has also been nutrition focus week. I plan on tackling my third marathon and first triathlon this fall so I am trying to focus on keeping my body as healthy and happy as possible. A few weeks ago I received a sample of Zola Coconut Water to try. Coconut water is great for hydration and has a lot of potassium, all important for replenishing the body after intense exercise. I must say my favorite was the natural coconut water, it has great flavor and was extremely refreshing ice-cold. The coconut water with pulp was surprisingly good. It has actual chunks of coconut in the water and gives you something to chew on. It's a unique post-workout drink. The Acai juice was super refreshing, light and delicious. According to recent studies it's a super fruit so I just imagined it healing my body while I drank it. Bottom line, if you love coconut and all natural juices then give Zola a try. I'm going to stock up on my favorites next time I go to the store. 

Zola Coconut Water

I have a busy weekend ahead of me so stay tuned for my race recap and more! Are you running any races this weekend?

Training and the NWM Lottery

As of yesterday morning I am registered in the lottery for the 10th anniversary of the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco! It is going to be torture the next few weeks while I wait to hear if I have been selected to run the race. This will be my third marathon and I am so excited to run it with new friends and some of the girls I ran the race with last year. It's not too late for you to sign up for the lottery yet either and I suggest you do! You can sign up on Facebook here. 

In preparation for the Nike Women's Marathon in SF, I am going to be focusing a lot on speed work and hill repeats. I want to make sure I am prepared for the tough hills of San Francisco as well as finally reaching my sub-4 hour marathon finish time. Last year I came close until my IT Band began acting up.  This year I am going to train hard and do a lot of strength drills and yoga to keep my IT Band strong. 

Yoga is so important for runners and flexibility is key in preventing injuries. While training for this marathon I will also be training for the Hood to Coast relay I am running with Team Nuun so I am going to need to make sure I am healthy and strong for this fun race in August! Yoga is key in keeping runners legs, hips and core strong and flexible to improve running form. Runners, especially myself, often have imbalances due to their repetitive forward motion. Yoga can help eliminate repetitive stress injuries and create a more balanced body.

My yoga experience is with vinyasa flow, aerial yoga and Leah Kim's NTC yoga workout on the Nike Training Club app. No matter what type of yoga you prefer, take the time to focus your practice on muscles that are neglected during running training or that need to be stretched or strengthened. Yoga also allows a critical time where you can relax and unwind after a hard training session. 

This weekend I am running the See Jane Run Half Marathon and I am taking this week easy with running in preparation for this fun race. It's not too late if you are going to be in the Alameda area you can still sign up and run with me! 

~Karen

Race Discounts and My Weekend at the Lake

This last week has been very busy. I have spent a lot of time working, traveling and running. Here are a few highlights of my week and a few special discount codes you can use to get deals on great athletic gear and race entry fees! 

Last week I just happened to turn the TV on and saw The Ellen Show was giving out $200 gift cards to the Athleta store to everyone in the audience. They also got a Blendtec mixer and some other awesome gifts, lucky ladies! Since I absolutely love my local Athleta store, I thought I would share that through the end of today you can get a 20% discount on all sale gear. They have some cute stuff too! All you need to do is enter the code: BRIGHT20 at checkout. Hurry on over, you don't want to miss out!

Are race fees getting a bit too much for you? I have a deal to share with you! I am running the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Alameda on June 8th and I would love to see you there! Not quite ready for a half marathon, then come do the 5k race! You don't want to miss this event since it is a race empowering women and offering chocolate, massages and champagne at the finish! There is a pretty sweet goody bag as well. If you want to join me and are near the Bay area sign up online and enter the code: SJRSFAMB13 for a 10% discount on your race fee! I hope to see you there!

This weekend I spent an amazing time exploring Tahoe. I went with a group of friends to celebrate a bachelorette party and 30th birthday for one of my close running friends and racing partner. We rented a cabin in the woods Friday-Sunday and had a blast making birthday treats, hiking, exploring and playing games. I definitely over-indulged on sweet treats and really need to up my running this week to balance that out. The views on our hike were absolutely gorgeous! I would love to stay here longer and really explore the area. I am never at Tahoe long enough!

We made sack lunches and enjoyed them by one of the lakes we hiked too. Those sandwiches tasted so good! There is something about hiking that just makes food taste amazing! It was a bit chilly at the top of our hike and there was still some snowpack by the lake. We decided against kayaking because of the freezing cold water. Now I have a reason to come back when it's warmer this summer!

How was your weekend? I hope you got outside and did some exploring! I know there were a lot of races this weekend too, I was a little bummed that I couldn't do Bay to Breakers again, but maybe next year!

I'm a See Jane Run Race Ambassador!

I applied a while back to be a See Jane Run race ambassador. This last week I received an email that I had been chosen to represent them throughout the year and in an upcoming race. I am really excited to share my journey here with you. Having just completed a half marathon last weekend at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in Washington, DC, I am setting new goals for this race in just a little over a month.

First, I need to tell you what makes me a "Jane." A Jane is someone who has a spark inside them pushing them to challenge themselves, someone who isn't afraid to take chances, to work hard and to look a little silly sometimes. There is no cookie cutter design for a Jane, they are each unique. I love motivating others and pushing myself, I love indulging in chocolate and laughing with friends. I'd rather be in running shoes than high heels but sometimes I do feel the need to dress up. I am a goal setter and a dreamer. I am a runner. I am a Jane.

On June 8, 2013 in Alameda, CA I will run the See Jane Run Half Marathon. I am so excited for this race because it is a race where I will run with strong and empowering women, enjoy a sweet finish with chocolate, and because it is an opportunity to set and reach new goals in running. My new time goal is 1:50. This would be a three and a half minute PR off of my previous fastest half marathon time. I know I can do this, I just need to really focus on my training, nutrition and sleep over the next month. If chocolate isn't a great motivator to run a little faster to the finish then I don't know what is!

My number one pitfall to racing is probably diet. I need to focus more on getting balanced nutrition and eating the recommended number of vegetables every day. When I focus on my diet and watch what I am eating I feel better, am more alert and have more energy. Sometimes I get lazy and take the easy way out. This next month I am extremely motivated to train hard and run a fun, fast race. I want to reach my goal time and have fun while doing it. The See Jane Run half marathon is the perfect place to set my goals high and crush them!

One unique feature of this event is the new See Jane Run race app you can get for Apple iPhone or Android. This app has important race information and allows family and friends to track your race. If you are doing this race, and I can really think of no reason not too, then you will want to get this app!

Stay tuned this month and follow my half marathon journey. Have you run a See Jane Run race before? Would you be interested in running one sometime? Let me know in the comments below!

~Karen