Marathon Year 2010 - 2011 aka "I run, therefore I am"

I remember it very clearly. Just a year ago, mid May, running and suffering a 10K in Tel Aviv in the heat, cursing myself every single step of the race. It was hot and humid and a lot of people ended up in the hospital. I was NOT one of them. So far, if I entered a race, I finished… bailing out is not my thing.

After finishing the run and meeting with the guy I've been going out at the time, I suddenly had the urge to do something "bigger". A marathon. I was not surprised to hear from that guy (let's call him Mr. X) that I won't be able to do that. "You are not 20 any longer, your body can't cope with it, you'll be injuring yourself for the rest of your life.". But once he realized that it won't be any good to say those things, that as a matter of fact, they pushed me even more to do it, he decided to support me and stand behind me till the end. I was relieved.

On Twitter I found a Coach (aka my Koach) who decided to guide me through the next 11 months of training, all online.

The challenge was up!

I am not going too much into details but I want to pick out a few things that happened to me health and mentally wise during my journey towards the marathon, MY marathon, which are important to me and influenced my life and training a lot.

Due to the fact, that I've been seeing someone, I decided to get back on birth control. BIG Mistake!!! Not being a person who is capable of taking the pill every day, yes I just forget it or ignore it, I decided to try a hormone ring (Nuvo Ring). I almost died. I felt that I'm ripping apart inside and my hormones were going wild. I didn't know what to do other than waiting for those 3 weeks to be over and take that blasted thing out and just stop the whole hormone stuff. Guys can't really understand how it feels when your hormonal household gets messed up and so it came with no surprise that Mr. X and I were having rather a few "fights" as I got crazy and he didn't understand what happened. (poor him... most certainly overwhelmed with it)

After solving the problem of the hormones, or so I thought, I started getting the most terrible cramps and they lasted till November. It wasn't really food related but that of course worked as well into the whole thing. Searching for a new gynecologist who actually knows what he's talking about and several ultrasounds of all my inner organs and toxic tests and cancer tests, my doctor came to the conclusion that after getting off the hormones, I must have gotten pregnant and have had a miscarriage and that my body was just not able to deal with all those different things in such a short time and went nuts.

In the meantime I did race a few 8K and 10K's. Not very successful and mostly under a lot of pain but as I mentioned before, I didn't bail out, as much as I would have wanted to.

Once the winter came and the temperatures went down, the better my running got. I was finally able to do longer distances and actually started enjoying myself. Mr. X and I went separate ways…. That much to "support you till the end" lol… no hard feelings here… I believe everything happens for a reason. I met someone new, Mr. Z a fellow marathoner and I was finally able to talk about all kind of things regarding running which Mr. X just didn't understand. It takes a runner to understand a runner.

During the time I dated Z he had some battles to fight health-wise too. His legs would hurt him so much, he was not able to even visit me, as he couldn't drive the car. He was pushing himself too hard and no matter what I said, I could not really get him to stop and be more careful. I guess, when you're in it, you don't want to admit that you've got limits. But I did learn quite a bit from his injuries and I started to listen more to my body, just like my Koach told me.

I had good runs and I had bad runs but all in all I had fun training until mid January when my legs started to hurt real bad even when I was walking. I went to my doctor and she sent me to do a bone scan. Not surprisingly I had stress fractures in both legs very evenly all over the place. I was told that I won't be able to run for several months if I wanted this to heal.

Not running for several months? When the marathon was only a few weeks away? No way! I even raced a 5K and due to the support of Mr. Z and another Race Siren, Chaya (who became a fellow Marathoner this May!!! Woot woot) who pushed me forward and made me finish the race, in pain but with a smile.

After the race I decided to find a sport-physio-therapist. And so I did, Meir was absolutely amazing. I would even say, sent from heaven. Within just 2 1/2 weeks he got me up and running with no pain. He showed me how to tape and I decided to wear compression sleeves as well as the tape.

Marathon Shopping was of course a very important stage mentally towards the race. I am, after all, a girl! I went to ZaZa Sport and got myself a cute pink outfit. Yes, I am one of those girls who run in a skirt and I'm lovin' it! ;)

I was also going cold turkey on caffeine. Anyone who knows me, can imagine how hard that must have been for me, but it was worth it. I am still without caffeine and enjoying it.

I started to get so nervous about the race, had some personal issues and enduring another heart breaking, that my hormone problem showed it's ugly face again, but in a different kind of settings. I just didn't get my period. I was in fact 10 days late and to be honest, something like that has never ever happened to me before, no matter what challenge I was facing. Maybe I do get older? NAAAA!!!! Lol

The evening before the marathon came and I met with Mr. Z and some of his run buddies for a friendly pasta dinner with other marathoners and hopeful ones (like moi). I could hardly eat and all I could think of was, certain people doubting me finishing the marathon. (some I guess even doubted that I have the balls to start). I needed some support and thus I reached out for Mr. X whom I didn't speak to for several months. After all it was him who promised to stand by me till the end. I sent him a txt and he promised to cross his fingers and he wrote "try to enjoy it".  He most certainly put a smile on my face and I was happy about his txt.

Marathon morning arrived and I woke up at 3AM and tried to have some breakfast. Fortunately for me, the marathon was just 1K walk from my house and I used it for a warm up.

Once I got there, the nerves started to get me. I was standing on line to deposit my bag and unfortunately that was not well organized. We waited for almost 40 minutes which was ridiculous and then another 20 to be able for a last wee wee break before the race.  

I don't really have to tell you, that of course, I kind of missed the start and had to hunt behind the field. Now THAT was most certainly NOT good. I caught up with a guy who was running a good pace for the first 8K but I realized fast, that unfortunately I won't be able to keep up with him. I had to let go if I wanted to finish the race. The half marathoners were taking over and I even saw friends from the office. During the time we (marathoners and half marathoners) shared the same street, I got a lot of thumbs up and I felt great. My spirit was high and I knew, everything will be just fine.

Just before the 10K mark, I saw one of the super fast runners who was walking back. It just shows, no matter how fit, fast or strong you are, no matter how well you plan a race…. during a race it's a whole different game. I saw several people give up on my way.

After reaching the Half Marathon mark, I was overtaken by some of the rollerbladers. Again a lot of thumbs up and I knew I was on the right track.

Upon entering the park, around 24-25K into the race I got a bit scared. There was no one! I felt great and wasn't worried that I could collapse but it was still a weird feeling to be all alone. In shorter races I was never alone, no matter how slow.

While running in the park I felt like a youth scout searching for my way. The signalization was most certainly not good and I got lost, later after the race I found out, that I was not the only one who got lost. (So it was not my cute Blondeness which got me into trouble this time). At some point in the park I was escorted by a "First Aid" Biker and we had a nice "flirty" chat. Yes I even took a pipi break and nope, not in the bushes, they have toilets in the park. Lol

Towards the end of the park I overtook another runner, gosh that was a huuuuge ego boost lol and I was handed some banana and oranges to eat.

The last 10K were pretty intense, I had to search for the track once again even though there were volunteers who should have shown me how to run but I guess after 5 hours they were rather fed up and I had to convince them to help me out. (Next year I will be printing a map of the marathon on my shirt and take a GPS with me!)

Once I saw the 35K sign I knew I am going to be just fine. I had a nice chat with one of the girls at the water station and then filmed myself smiling next to the sign. Hey! My Koach said… "if you can smile at the 35K mark, you know you can finish the race". And so I did. Smile and Finish.

The last K was actually the most emotional one as it was next to the beach and filled with runners who already finished, cheering me up. Of course just before the finish line I got lost once again and the volunteers were once more very helpful NOT!

Just before crossing the finish line I was overtaken by Ofer the Running Photographer. Thanks to him, I got the MOST AMAZING FINISH in picture anyone could dream of for her/ his first marathon. Toda raba raba raba Ofer!

After crossing the finish line, giving the time chip back and getting my medal, all I wanted was go home and die. Lol.. well actually I wanted to find my bag… so I started to search for it. As being one of the slowest, most people were gone (and yes I have to admit I was  a bit disappointed that none of my friends bothered waiting for me…. after all, you don't see your friend finishing her first marathon every day….. ah well…) and no one knew where the last few bags were held. Great! Just what I needed… to walk some more (as if I haven't done enough already that day, lol).

Eventually I found my bag, I got something to drink and eat and was offered a chair to rest. One of the organizers sat next to me and asked me some questions about the race, things that were good and bad and things they should consider changing. It was great to be able to talk with someone right after the race while the memory was still very fresh.

I checked my txt messages and missed calls. Seems Mr. X was the most optimistic one. He sent me a txt at 11:09am "How was it". Well I was still in the middle then. Mr. Z was less optimistic and tried calling me around 12pm. Just around the time I was at 35K and nope I did not answer. So I sent Mr. X a txt that I survived and I'm done running … at least for today and I called Mr. Z to tell him that I'm still alive.

After I regained some of my strength, I decided to take the bus home and yes you guess right, I had to sprint to the bus to catch it. I have no idea, where on earth I found the strength to sprint but I did. Once home, I walked the dogs, took a shower and finally crashed.

Saturday till Tuesday I walked like a pregnant duck and my back did hurt rather a lot so I spoiled myself with a massage at Holmes Place.

I met up with two fellow marathon runners, whom I met on FB, for a beer and we had a good laugh about the way we walked and we talked about all kind of marathon which are worth running.

My Koach wrote me "I am proud to call you a Marathoner" and actually so am I.

All in all it was a hard year with a lot of downs a few ups and a marathon to remember. I did it and that is all that matters to me. All those who thought it can't be done for me being:

• ·         Too old
• ·         Too fat
• ·         Not fast enough
• ·         Not fit enough
• ·         A girl (never underestimate girl power)
• ·         Blonde (wink wink)

Well I proved you wrong!!!!!

Message to all those Hopeful First Timers out there! Don't believe those who say it can't be done! Listen to does who believe in you! And most important, listen to yourself! You know yourself the longest, the best and you can trust yourself the most!

I wanna say thank you to:

My Koach for his great running plan, his answers to my silly questions and believing in me despite all the downs during the year

G2 and G3 for supporting me all the way and pushing me on, you guys are absolutely awesome

Mr. X for the time I was allowed to spend with him and all those times he had to hear my "sorry babe no time, I have to go for a run at 5am, 11pm, 9am, 7pm" and for his txt and crossing his fingers

Mr. Z for the time together, for teasing me that I won't be able to run a full marathon, I know deep inside he knew I will do it and I know he is very proud of me

To all my FB, Twitter & Dailymile Friends who encouraged me during my training and before, during and after my race, you are all awesome!!!

I could not have done it without your help. <3 Love you all and see you at the next big race! (Ironman Zurich, July 2012!!!)

In loving Memory of Fran Crippen (April 17, 1984 – October 23, 2010)

It's been a week that Fran has left this world to swim at a better place. He will be dearly missed and leaves a huge hole in the lives of those who loved him and in the swim world.

A few weeks ago, I've been chatting with my swim pal about going to the Sea of Galilee to swim a 3.5K fun swim. Unfortunately we didn't manage to go due to my friend being ill. Kineret Swim

I told him, that he owes me big time for "standing me up" and I teased him, telling him, that next year we'll do the 21K (13 Miles) across the Lake. He started laughing and said, "no way you'll ever manage that". Well he should know me better by now.

So the bet is on. I will take a coach and hope that very soon I'll be able to join the TI Group in Tel Aviv. This is by far the biggest challenge I am facing so far and most certainly crazier than running a marathon (which will be in 5 months and 1 week.. woohoo)

OW Swimming is not only physically very challenging but mentally just as much, especially when it comes to "marathon swimming". I did some OW 10 years ago in Switzerland and it was pretty crazy with all the other swimmers trying not to get punched and kicked too much.

This swim will be very different. Yes it is a tempo swim too BUT due to the distance there won't be too many people swimming. (lets hope.. the event will even take place... if not.. we'll do a 10K in Tel Aviv).

I am looking for a Charity to swim for at the moment. I am sure, the Crippen Family will put up a fond or I will be swimming to collect money for Swim 4 Humanity for which Fran was a spokesperson. (I have another 11 months, so I'll have some more time to find the right charity to swim for in memory of Fran)

Chased by 4000 Soldiers...

Just another "usual" race in Israel where most of the young population (18-23 y/o) is in the army. I signed up for an "easy" 8K (5 Miles) race. Thinking "oh this will be a cool one, with only about 450 runners, I finally have some space and can go without the pushing, pulling, kicking and punching". How wrong I've been.

The Ramat Gan Safari 8K had several running groups. The first one to go where the "easy fun runners" who did only 2K. 15 minutes later, we were supposed to start. In my mind again, "ah only 450 runners" and I decided to go to the front of the start line so I won't get lost again in the middle of it and hold back by slow runners.

Unfortunately, when I got to the event, (yes of course I biked... lol.. only 6 miles a way) I was a wee bit overwhelmed with all the people there. Tons and tons of soldiers... all dressed in running outfits and most holding an UZI. (yes.. only in Israel.. hahaha) I was most certain, they will run either ahead of us or start after us. After all, we paid for the race, so we should get our own start.

Again I had to learn, that in Israel there is just no order when it comes to racing. After the 2K went off, the speaker told us, "up to number 1000" please to the starting line. Guess what... all the soldiers (who had number 1000 and up) squeezed themselves in as well. No respect and no order. So trying to be in front, show to be a HUGE mistake. I ran away from a "stamped" of crazy soldiers who didn't show any respect towards "regular" runners. The course was at points so tight, we had to slow down to "walk-pace" which didn't make it easier for me.

The first 3K I kept a pace under 6min/K (well honestly, I had no choice.. there was no slowing down or speeding up space). Things like that frustrate me a lot and I was close to call it quits. It's honestly no fun to run like that. I didn't feel I was racing... I felt like I was chased by a crazy group of 4000 soldiers)

Around 4K (Halfway through) I started cramping.... my stomach again... I was in such pain, that I wasn't sure, if it would be smarter to vomit or faint. I decided to walk and breath my way through the cramps. I did so for 1K then got into running again. Cramps were manageable.

At  5.5K we entered the "Safari" which is the Zoo in Ramat Gan... funny enough a lot of runners slowed down to look at the animals... me being an animal lover did just the same. I walked almost all the way through the Safari, first enjoying it and thinking... "this is after all a cool end of the race" but after some time all that went through my mind was "poor animals, how dare we put them in cages".... So I started running again.

I did cross the finish line in a time of 55:59 which means... a pace just a weeeeee bit under 7/k. Taking into account, how much I actually walked... the time I ran was rather fast.

Seriously, a few more of those crazy races and I am ready for just about anything. I will never enjoy them. I believe they have to organize it better, especially if part of the runners pay and others don't have to. It's not fair for those who pay to be crushed by runners who don't care.

It's time, that Israel is putting a bit more effort into education those youngsters. Hey.. they are in the army... isn't the army THE place to learn discipline and order? Why can't those young people take that to the open street and races too?

I felt quite helpless during the first half of the race with all those young runners (yes.. they are about half my age.. so of course most of them they are stronger and faster) and it is frustrating to see, now one cares for the safety of the "regular" runner.

My time: 55:59
Age Group (20-34): 79 of 164 (I'd say.. not too shabby for cramps and walking... lol ok I admit.. I am a super fast walker... even most men can't keep pace with me when it comes to just walking hihi)

formspring.me

Ask away... http://formspring.me/Muus76

formspring.me

Ask away... http://formspring.me/Muus76

10/10/10 Nike Night Run 10K

Another year has passed and here I am again. Fitter than last year, with good running shoes and the right spirit. Knowing what lies ahead of me. Or maybe not?

Battling all summer terrible stomach cramps which cut my marathon training rather short, I wasn't sure, I'll be able to run this 10K the way I wanted. But as we say in Switzerland "Probiere gaht ueber studiere" (trying beats thinking) and so there I was at 6:30pm in the drizzling rain, standing with over 10,000 others, waiting for the race to start.

Just like last year, they had a DJ and some very sporty people to get us warmed up. Now I am all game for warming up and stretching, but I don't believe in this "jumping around and wasting my energy pre-race". Never worked for me. I stretched on the side just as I do every day during my training. I got some water, keeping in mind that the first water station is 3.5K away and I might need a bit of fluid before. The temperature dropped quite a bit over the last few days, which made it a great eve to run.

The organizer announced that they are going to have two starts. One for the faster pace groups and afterwards for the slower ones (which would include me... I am still a slow runner). Unfortunately just like the other year, they don't check who's entering the start area, so after the fast ones went off, all the others just mixed. Having about 1000 people around you that run a slower pace is not exactly what you're aiming for if you wanna go faster than last year. All in all I had about 5000 runners ahead of me and 5000 "on my back". 

Crossing the starting line, I knew that I have to be very careful and not go too fast. Well that would not have been possible anyway with all the "traffic". I was lucky to make it without bruises to 3K. I lost a lot of time till 5K (pace of around 7min/k) and tried to overtake as many as possible but with so many people running more or less the same pace, it's really hard to do so. I got up some speed between 5 and 7K and was in a great mood. The funniest thing that happened to me getting closer to 7K was the thought of "oh no... it's over soon" lol.. ok THIS NEVER happened to me before in a race. I guess that's a good sign. Unfortunately, getting closer to the end, passing 8K the space to run got less (narrow street and a lot of runners/ walkers) and trying to get around them does take a lot of energy. I did get slightly frustrated by the "hold up" and somehow lost my speed, unfortunately. I did try to speed up getting closer to the finish line with a bit of an unsuccessful sprint but I did cross the finish line with a smile and no pain what so ever.

Unlike the previous year, we received water on our way "out" and got our medal ("I am a Night Runner" lol JEAH! I am!!!) I even managed to get an ice cream, which last year I somehow missed and almost fainted from lack of sugar. I felt great and of course, once most people finished running, it really started pouring down on us. (If you wonder.. yes.. during the race, the rain stopped.... sheeesh.. sooo typical haha).

Lessons I've learned from last year's race (and the TLV 10K in May): 

• Do not run too fast at the beginning (well it wasn't possible anyways... lol) 
• Stay focused, run your pace and don't let silly people who run super fast and overtake you lead you up to something that's not good for you
• Don't ever stop and walk, just keep running.. just keep running, running, running... lalalalaaa
• Keep an eye open to all sides... people who are faster don't care, they bump into you and you are the one getting hurt
• Keep an eye open to all sides... people who are slower don't care, they won't move, so you have to find the fastest way around them
• Enjoy the run, it only last an hour (+/-) and the feeling of running with over 10,000 others is great.
• Keep smiling, you never know when they make a picture and where that picture might show up later on.... ;) 
• Don't take those runs too serious, have fun, learn, get into the groove and go with the flow

All in all it was a great experience. Unlike last year, where I was forced to walk most of the race, was overtaking by just about every single runner, buuhuu and ended up feeling super sick and had both feed covered in blood from bruised toes, this year, I stayed injury free, felt great after the race (I was craving pizza lol) and enjoyed the atmosphere around me.

I know I can go faster but this was just not the race to prove it. There will be others, with less runners and more space where I can speed up. But I'd say it's a great race to get the feeling of "running in a huge crowd" and how to manage not to out-power yourself too fast. 

Run Stats:

2009: 

Time: ~ 1:30:00

Age Group: 1354 of 1798 (till age 39)

Total Rank: 9000 of 9387 (at least it's a cool rank # lol)

2010:

Time: 1:11:08

Females:  1800 of 3239 (no age group result so far)

Total Rank: 8810 of 10952 (3239 Women / 7713 men)

I can do better, but I am pretty proud of how far I got in a year. (and if you think about it.. I left 1400 girls behind me... so I like to think of all the girls beating me last year .. are now left behind.. lmao) 




One impressive fact: 


There were over 10,000 runners last night in a city with around 600,000 people living, in a country with around 7,000,000 citizens. This is very impressive if you compare to the NYC Marathon for example where around 45,000 run, the city (and surroundings) are around 8,000,000 and people from all over the world actually participate, whereas last night is was mostly Israelis. ;) It's most certainly the even of the year in Israel!!! Can't wait for next year ;)

It's been over a month...

since I started training for my first full marathon. With the help of my "Koach" Kenneth Williams (FB: www.facebook.com/marathonkoach) (Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarathonKoach) I started my adventure to get fit for the Tel Aviv Marathon April 8th, 2011 on June 7th 2010.

My Koach was a bit worried that I might get bored during the long time till the marathon but I'm so not worried.... actually today I looked at my ticker and it said 8 months, 4 weeks and 1 day.... and THAT scared me... ahhh only 8 more months.

I have been battling some health issues during the last few weeks. Mostly hormonal ones. I am fighting PCOS for 17 years now and unfortunately it still has it up and downs and I felt like I'm on a roller-coaster straight down to hell the last two months.

In May I decided to go back on birth-control... bad bad bad decision... after trying most of the things on the market, I went for the Nuvaring. Honest to G-D I thought I'm going to die. My significant other wasn't much of a help either, telling me to just take it out and that's it. Yeah sure, I'm going to mess up my health AND my cycle.. no way! So I suffered for 3 weeks and when I could finally get rid of the ring, I started to feel like a mensch again. But of course the problem wasn't over then. I feared that my bleeding the coming month would be bad, and I even stayed home for a day due to the cramps and due to a summer flue. (some germs in the office I guess mixed with me sleeping with an open window..).

I also had some problems with my right leg. Running over an hour on concrete was a wee bit too much for my leg and my Koach was concerned, I might have some leg injury. So being a good student, I went to see my doc who told me that my leg is fine but I might consider running more on the beach.

So this is what I'm trying to do. Taking into account, how tiny Tel Aviv is, running my 7 miles takes me all the way up north and then back to Bat Yam (the next city) and back (about 4 mi on the beach)...

(I will literately run out of space once I have to run 20 miles LMAO) Yes... another sign why I should move to a bigger country... such as the USA ;) hihi

When I decided to get ready for a marathon, my "bf" wasn't too happy about it. He started telling me, that I'm not 17 any more and can't just do such a thing. And thinking of finishing an Ironman is anyway completely ludicrous. On the other hand he tells me, that he stands behind my decisions no matter what and will support me, he's just concerned for my health... hihi.. I mean.. yes.. it's cute, but there is nothing he needs to worry about. I'm a big girl.. just as he pointed out, I'm not 17 anymore.... I know what I'm doing and I do it not only with my body (as I did at the age of 17) but with my brains too.

After last year's disaster 10K Human Race (Nike Nite Run Tel Aviv), which I finished in 1:30!!! (don't ask).. with blood in my shoes and bruised toes (that I'm still recovering from.. almost there.. almost there), I took a long break from running. I only got back mid March and "trained" for the 10K Tel Aviv Urban Race (Part of the Tel Aviv Marathon). I trained 7 weeks and finished in 1:08 without blood in my shoes. I wasn't really happy with my time but I never once stopped to walk.. I "ran" everything. So yes, I was the slowest of our Office Group but I was also the only girl from the office that at the end did show up and ran. I'd say, not too shabby. :)

After the race, I decided to go for the whole distance. I was twittering around and somehow found my Koach. I loved his Running Tips and so I followed him and he started following me and then he offered me free online coaching for my first marathon. I was thrilled.

Two weeks ago, trying to get used to the heat in Israel, I decided to go for an early run. My Koach thought, that was a good idea and his email to me the day before was: Get your tired ass out of the bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so I did. The answer from my "bf" was "I hate your coach"... lol.. I guess... me Koach and I are on the right track then. ;)

But going for a run in the AM when you start getting some sort of flue, might not have been the best of ideas. Now I'm someone who thinks "if I ignore the pain or the 'feeling sick part' it will go away" didn't work out this time. I got really sick and battled for most of this week with it. :(

Tomorrow I'm giving myself the last "free" day and then I'm off running again. Hey.. I missed a WHOLE WEEK of training.. sheeeesh... terrible...

Yesterday I came across another "Cyster's" Blog http://www.weightinvain.com/ (I also follow her on twitter @weightinvain)  She has a section in her blog "why we run" and I started to think, why do we? We had this discussion the other day on twitter... that we all think (while we run/race) WHY... WHY ON EARTH AM I DOING THAT??? and as soon as the race is over.. we think "hey.. that was fun... what's next!". A non-runner will never understand and a runner/ biker / swimmer (or any other athlete) will never be able to explain why we put ourselves through this "agony" over and over again. After all, you race once, you KNOW how much you "suffer", so why do it again?

Think of it this way. You have something really super yummie to eat.. you eat too much and have a stomach ache... well you KNEW this would happen.... and yes.. you already know.. it will happen again. Same goes for sport. We are addicted and can't help it.

For me, there is even more than the "masochistic" pain I inflict upon myself over and over again. I have something to prove. More to myself than others but of course "others" are involved too. When I was young, I was super sporty and nothing and no one could stop me. Or so I thought. But unfortunately something did stop me at some point with most of the competitive sports I've done. May it be a person or time or money, but I was never able to go "all the way". Well I'm still not there yet. Due to different reasons. But I do know, that I have time and the power and the will. I take it step by step.

So I decided, to speed up and finally get over with the marathon. (I believe this to be the hardest part during the Tri and most certainly during an IM). I was a runner as a kid. (I did 5K in 21 when I was 8!!!, now I can only dream of those kind of times). I always believed, that running will come back easy, but it doesn't and it will take a great deal to come back. It will be harder, more painful and take more time to get back into it, than the swimming and biking together. So this is the first thing I concentrate.

I'm so grateful to have a Koach who believes in me and who is mentally supporting me. I am also happy, that the office decided to get together with a coach once a week to run. I might be the slowest at the beginning but I do believe what my Koach told me: You will be fine with the office crew.  You will likely be kicking butt very soon! J

He is after all my Koach and knows best ;) hihi

So.. here are some reasons why I run:

• I have a lot to prove to myself and others
• I feel like I owe it to myself and my body to get into shape again and run faster than the wind
• For once in my life, I wanna say:" no one could stop me, I wanted it and I did it"
• It's healthy
• I wanna make my Koach proud!!!
• I wanna make myself proud!
• I wanna prove my bf wrong!!! ("I CAN'T" is NOT in my vocabulary!!!)
• I'd like to inspire others to go after their dreams
• When I'm old and wrinkly I'd like to tell my grandkids, what a "super-woman" I was when I was young(er) and hope they will follow in my footstep and be hopefully sooo much better than me
• I wanna look into the mirror and say "you believed in yourself and you did it girl and you can be super proud of yourself for that"
• I'm not going down without a fight
• I'd love to wear a t-shirt that says "I might be 20 years older than you, but I'll kick your ass during the marathon" ;) hihi

So, Monday I'll be back training. I do feel much better... pumped with tons of vitamins (I just looove Mango and Passion-fruit) and tons of chocolate (that makes me happy)

I have a lot of new songs on my MP3 and I'm ready. After all, not even 9 more months to go and I wanna cross that finish line with a smile on my face!!!

And after that.... The Sky's the Limit!!! wooooooooohoooooooooooooooooo

3 cyclists killed, 3 critically injured in Rougemont

3 cyclists killed, 3 critically injured in Rougemont

Such a sad sad tragedy... 3 Women killed, 2 women and a man injured. I honestly wonder, how such an accident can happen on a straight street... Car Drivers HAVE to learn to respect us cyclists too!!!

Tel Aviv marathon draws record number of runners - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Tel Aviv marathon draws record number of runners - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Warm Up ~ Stretching ~ Cool Down

I don't know about you guys, but when I worked out in school or the track team, the golden rule was STRETCH, WARM UP, GET READY FOR THE WORKOUT. Here in Israel, there is another "golden rule": put on your shoes and run, put your goggles on and swim, put the helmet on and bike. Warm up? Stretching? Cool Down???? I don't even know if those words exist in Hebrew. (The exception proves the rule.)


I have a friend who's pretty sporty, going to the gym almost daily, great body and really fit. Once we went to a stretching group together, her the "in shape girl", me the "fat" girl. Guess what, after 5 minutes the coach started smiling at me. Know why? I was the only one who could actually touch her toes while stretching the legs (and yup I had overweight, big time)!!! 


When I go for a workout, may it be swimming, biking or running, I always make sure, I'm warmed up and stretched before I start my training and I cool down and stretch after the training to give my body a chance to slowly get "back to normal". (not to mention, not having terrible muscle pain the next day)


Alright. Maybe we just have to explain to our dear fellow sporty Israelis, WHY warm up and stretching are so important. ;) 


Have a look at the top 10 Common Causes for Sport Injuries: 10 Most Common Causes for Injury


...
# 6 Not Stretching


Stretching is different from warming up. Properly performed, a stretch helps relax and elongate a muscle after warm up and before and after weight training. As a result of warming up and stretching, the muscle is warm, loose and neurologically alert - in its most pliable and injury resistant state. In addition, stretching between sets actually helps build muscle by promoting muscular circulation and increasing the elasticity of the fascia casing surrounding the muscle. Finally, if you perform muscle specific stretches at the end of your workout, you'll virtually eliminate next day soreness.


# 7 Inadequate Warm Up


Let's define our terms. A warm up is usually a high rep, low intensity, quick paced exercise used to increase blood floor to the muscle. This quick, light movement raises the temperature of the involved muscle while decreasing blood viscosity and promoting flexibility and mobility. How? Everyone knows that a warm muscle with blood coursing through it is more elastic and pliable than a cold, stiff muscle. Riding a stationary bike, jogging, swimming, stair climbing and some high rep weight training are recommended forms of warm up.
Try a 5-10 minute formalized warm up before stretching. If you choose high rep weight training, try 25 ultralight, quick reps in the following nonstop sequence: calf raise, squat, leg curl, crunch, pull down, bench press and curl. Do one set each with no rest between sets. This can be accomplished in fewer than five minutes and warms every major muscle in the body.


Why athletes warm up: (from: Wikipedia )


Athletes not only warm up to physically prepare their bodies for training or competition but also to mentally warm themselves up. Warm ups are a crucial part of performance. If completed correctly they enable the body to perform at its peak performing ability at the current time. There are three different types of warm ups; gradual increase of physical activity to raise the pulse (Eg. cycling), a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity (Eg. dribbling for basketball). A warm up should be specific to the task required to perform in order to activate the correct energy systems and prepare the correct muscles. There are many beneficial effects from warm ups including; • Increased heart rate. This enables oxygen in the blood to travel faster meaning the muscles fatigue slower, also, the synovial fluid between the joints is produced more to reduce friction in the joints, the capillaries dilate and it lets more oxygen travel in the blood. • Higher temperature in the muscles. This decreases the thickness of the blood-letting the oxygen travel to different parts of the body quicker, it also decreases the viscosity within the muscle, removes lactic acid, lets the muscles fibres have greater extensibility and elasticity and an increase in force and contraction of muscles.





Now, shall we have a look at a few stretching exercises? 

These are just a few ideas, on how to stretch.

Cool Down

5 to 10 minutes jogging/walking - try to get your heart rate down to "close to resting pulse". 

Remember:

Never be in a hurry to get a workout done, therefore skip the warm up or stretching. This is your HEALTH..... you've only got one body, regard it with the uttermost respect!

Warm Up, Stretch and after the workout Cool Down. Your body will be grateful! ;) 

Finding the right bike

It all started about 20 years ago, when I got a Tigra bike (made in Switzerland) with Campagnolo and Shimano Accessories. My grandmother bought it for me and I was the happiest girl on earth. It was during the time, Mountain Bikes started to be super fashionable but unfortunately also unaffordable at least for most people, including me. I have to admit, I wasn't a fan of the MTB and I still kind of dislike them. So I got myself a racer at the age of 12. Yes, most people thought I was crazy to get a racer in the mountains, when all you need is a MTB but I fell in love with my Blue Tigra. I got aerobars adjusted to the bike and off I went.

This is now 20 years ago and even though I still love my bike and share fond first Tri Memories, it's time to get something a bit "more serious" or at least... something that won't kill me on the street. I had my bike fixed many times but I think, this time it seems, it's just a wee bit too much damage and beyond repair... to a state where I can really ride fast.

So... searching for a new bike was quite a challenge. Not only is it difficult for a girl my height to find the perfect frame 51/48 but to be actually taken serious by the guys who sell bikes. I went into shops where the salesperson was more into me than into selling a bike to me.... thinking, if he makes me a good deal, he'll get a date out of it too. Duuuhh.. not working with me... 

Other places were pretty pro but unfortunately, the prices are somewhere in the sky above... behind the clouds.. can't really see them.. and other places.. well they didn't even bother talking to me and offer help. (Silly Blonde.. this is NOT a shoe shop.. this is a bicycle shop... get out or here!!!) 

I did some research online to find a second hand bike, but again either way too expensive or not my frame.

Today I ventured into another shop, which I pass every single day on my way to work.... and last week I saw the most wonderful Tri Bike being loaded onto a car and my heart almost stopped. Yes... I am a "weird" girl.. I get minor hear-failures when I see a nice bike. (Ok... I admit.. I get that also when I see beautiful heels hahaha.. HEY.. I'm a girl... I'm allowed to love heels haha)

So in this shop, I was shown the second hand bikes first and surprise surprise they even got two in my frame size.. woohooo and then we went to have a look at the new ones... He showed me two bikes... one from 2009 and one from 2010 of the same brand... but ever so slightly different. (Both are Endurance Road Bikes, especially for women, meaning the whole aerodynamic is a wee bit different to a "male" bike) 

The 2009 is the more expensive.

Here you've got the details:

http://www.specialized.com/nl/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=38456&gold_ses=

Now the other "candidate" (and my personal favorite)

this one 

Details here:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCWomenBike.jsp?spid=45717&sid=10Dolce&ssid=10WMNSRoad

Now the big differences are: The 2009 has Aluminium Frame but the fork and the seatstays are carbon where as the 2010 has only the fork made of carbon. The 2009 has all the extra parts (such as brakes and rear dérailleur from Shimano Tiagra whereas the 2010 has only bits and parts from Shimano Tiagra. The wheels are different too, the 2009 has Mavix CXP-22 whereas the 2010 has Alex S500. The levers are also ever so slightly different. the 2009 has them together (up and down) the 2010 has them separated. 

But here it comes.. the biggest difference and for me personally the most important one is, that the 2010 has 2 sets of breaks. the "regular" ones and the ones that we all know from the very old bikes. This is for me most certainly a big PLUS for the 2010. Now I know, that I could get the breaks for the 2009 as well, but it's also a question of money. I should mention, both bikes come with lifelong guaranty on the frame and one year on all the other parts. (another reason, not to buy second hand.. especially when the prices are almost identical to a new one)

Right now, I am just not able to afford a "super non plus ultra" bike. What I am looking for right now is a bike that gets me into the whole routine again. A bike that makes me feel comfy and I love to ride every day. A bike that I will be able to use in Sprint Tri's and then take it from there. I'd say, once I am up to "longer distances" I am able to get a better bike or at some point even a REAL Tri Bike. (ah. my heart just jumped again lol) 

And now one more thing... it's small but nonetheless is't important... the "girly factor"... yes. the 2010 is just more beautiful... absolutely... (IMHO) and I actually fell in love with it. 

But, I am willing to listen to rational thinking Athletes who have only their best intention in their minds... to give me the best advices to choose the right bike.

Another month

Just another month till my first 10K run this year and nope, I am NOT in shape at all. Maybe it's because I was forced to take such a long break (6 months of no running what so ever) or maybe it's because I'm getting older (gosh.. now THAT's a scary thought).


When I think back to my youth, age 8 or 9, going on holidays to my grandfather, I loved running. I ran every single day around the lake of St. Moritz. Once around the lake are about 5K ( 3 Miles) and I ran it in 21 minutes. Looking back at this time and my age, I am not really able to figure out, how on earth I was able to run such a fast time and yet, I do have to say, that as a kid, I had tons of energy and was always on the move.

So it come with no surprise, that I am really disappointed with the times I run right now. 5K in 32 - 35 minutes, buuuhuuu. What happened? Where did the speed go? Is it really just age or did something else happen? No matter how I look at it, I can't figure out. Yes I still have the killer instinct... I still wanna be the fastest and give 110% and rather die than give up but something IS missing. Could I only put my finger on it.

Of course I have more weight to carry but I am also much stronger than over 20 years ago. Yes, I do have troubles with my feet and my back but that doesn't stop me from working out. I swim (which I didn't do properly as a kid) and I bike (ok I did that like crazy as a teenager too) and I just try to work out smarter with a plan. As a kid I didn't care, I just put on my gear and went to work out, was it running, horseback riding, snowboarding or the weekly youth- workout Wednesday afternoon. Maybe it is all in my head. Because I expect a lot of myself, have dreams and goals and I do care too much, that I put too much pressure on me? What if I wouldn't give a damn? Would that change my workout, my performance, could I go faster and push myself over the "limit"? As a kid, there was no such thing as "limit".. The sky was wide open and I knew, if I only believe, I can do anything. Getting older and growing "mature" (which I don't think I am fully there yet, thank G-D hahaha.. I still have my silly moments), I fear, that I kinda lost my spirit.

So I am going to set myself a "goal" for next week... run like a was a kid again... not worrying what others around me think or do... just do my thing.. run as fast as I can and most important.. have FUN... because it was fun as a kid .. and it still is... I feel great after the workouts.. when I see that I can actually accomplish so much in such a short time. I still have the thrive. I still have the power and the will and I know that my mental strength is there too... just need to re-discover it. My physical strength was never the problem. I get in shape super fast.

The first day running hurt.. but only three weeks into training of the 10K I ran it under 60 minutes.... I'd say.. for someone who's been out for so long, that's pretty good... so I know.. I have it in me.. I know I can run the 10K in 40-45 minutes... if I only believe in myself... and find the right pace.
Well I am off running and next week I finally go to the gym again and spend more time in the water too. I want to do an open water 1K (just for fun) in about a week. It's a good cause. In Memory of Nadav.

I still have huge goals... huge dreams... and I know a lot

Tel Aviv Marathon 10K

Can't believe it but I'm finally running again. Going to run the 10K in 7 weeks, May 14, 2010!!! Two weeks ago, I went to buy new running shoes and trust me, that was anything but easy. My feet are still pretty much in pain when in running shoes. So I decided to buy Adidas size 7 (yup... half a size bigger than usual.. and Adidas is pretty wide, so my Halux doesn't hurt. Really love those shoes.

Since I got the shoes, I am running almost daily and I also walk to and from work which is another 10K every day. Going to the pool when ever I can too and after trying out the pool at the Andromeda Hill, I have to say... I soooo love Salt Water Pools so much more than Chlorine Water.. lol... 

Right now I am looking for a gym to get my weight training done too. Just to make this absolutely clear... I HATE the gym LOL... I checked out Holmes Place, the good thing, it's in the same building as my office, so I can go before or right after work but the bad thing, it's super expensive. The gym at my pool is not that pro and it's not really close to my place but the pool is better and it's just half the price of Holmes Place. Pretty tricky... ;)

Well first thing I have to do now, is fixing my bicycle, will make loads of things easier and I get my "TRI" together... hahah

Oh and I got an amazing run buddy. Super happy about that and highly motivated.

Alright, first thing's first... getting fit for the run... figuring out about the gym and get my bike fixed... and then??? Well there is an open water swim and of May 1.5K or 5K... maybe I get fit enough to race... and who knows.. beginning of June, Woman's Tri... who knows.... 

(to be continued...)