Dirt Devil Racing Series

I'm sort of in a funk right now with running: unmotivated, tired, lackluster. I'm currently doing the bare minimum to stay in 1/2 marathon condition for the races I've been doing about once a month right now. But, maybe if I sign up for the upcoming Dirt Devil trail race series, it will give my running the reviving shock it needs.

For 3 years now, The San Diego Running Institute has sponsored the Dirt Devil Racing Series: a series of small races (limited to about 250 participants per race) all held on local San Diego County trails. I did a 10K last year and looooooooved it. People were cooking food on little camp stoves at the start line, Starbucks reps handed out free coffee and Jamba Juice provided bagels and bananas. It was mellow and peaceful from start to finish and now that I think about it I don't know why I neglected to run more of them last year.


Well, that's why I'm doing it this year. Here are the Dirt Devil dates and locations:

April 17th, 2011, Painted Rocks Half Marathon, Lake Hodges
June 12th, 2011, Coyote 5K, Tecolote Canyon
July 10th, 2011 , Sidewinder 10K, Marian Bear Park
August 14th, 2011, Stairway to Heaven 15K, Mission Trails Regional Park
October 9th, 2011, Raptor Ridge Half Marathon, Lake Hodges

I'm a little concerned that trail races are going to become as popular as road races-- it's getting harder and harder to register for San Diego marathons unless you stalk when registration starts and do it right away. All these people being healthy is really annoying isn't it?

For more info on these races or to register go to http://www.dirtdevilracing.com/

OR

Contact: Emily Beck
San Diego Running Institute
(619) 265-7374
emily@sdri.net

What do you think we teachers do...

...sit around and talk about how wonderful our students (and their parents) are all the time? If the majority of our students were like the 1% we see acting like decent human beings then maybe we would, but when we have 35-40 crazy, hormonal teenagers crammed in a classroom how else are we supposed to stay sane if we can't vent about it? Munroe says it like it is and gets suspended... I run so that I don't write about it all here... but if more teachers told the world what it's really like, then maybe parents would start doing their jobs again by supporting education at home (i.e. turning off the video games)--and then AND THEN the education system would improve.

If you don't like what she says, then you don't like 99.9% of the teachers who are out there because we all feel this way. She just writes about it instead of yelling about it to her husband before running 10 miles.

Don't know what I'm talking about?
Read about MY HERO here.

San Dieguito Race Report (sort of)

Looks like I'll only be posting when I run a race...soooo that's shaping up to be about once a month. With Carlsbad last month and San Dieguito last Sunday, that leaves Washington DC's National Marathon & Half next month (I'm doing the 1/2 for my 30th birthday), then La Jolla in April, and possibly the OC Marathon and/or a couple trail races in May... Yikes.

Yikes-- especially since Sunday's San Dieguito halfer was one of the hardest races I've done in a while. First, the sun was shiny and bright which does me in even if the air is still cool (which it was for a while) and second because of the hills. The person who told me this race has "rolling hills" is now number one on my "Do Not Consult" list. There were plenty of rolls going UP but not so many going down.

The Hash House Harriers and volunteers did their best to make it fun, i.e. Sangria at mile 4 and beer at mile 12,
the Queen of England,


...this guy...


and good scenery (gorgeous, multi-million dollar homes, loads of trees and ponds and horses). But, for all its good looks and the fun it tried to be, I don't see myself doing it again unless I fall in love with hills (which won't happen) or the Hashers start serving Bloody Marys at the start line.

Carlsbad Race Report

I can't even tell you how happy I was when I realized yesterday I'd

be able to sleep until 6am on a race day. Most races I'm out the

door while it's still dark, catch a bus to the start line and then freeze for an hour or so until the gun goes off. But, Carlsbad is superior for many reasons:

1. The staggered start: marathon at 6:00/half at 7:30. Wave starts for the half (I was in Wave 2).

2. The View: all but 4 miles (of the half at

least) is along the water. Just like the picture shows.

3. Organization: loads of water, aid stations, Gu and Vasaline.

If you've got to run an out and back race like this one, at least run one that is well organized and has everything you need or could need. However, because of my lack of training, I knew it'd be rougher than usual...

So, last night I loaded a bunch of Ricky Gervais Show podcasts on

my iphone and laughed my ass off for the first 9 miles.

I must have looked mental to the bystanders on the street, but it helped cover up the slacker-pain I should have felt. In fact, I don't remember feeling uncomfortable until about here (around mile 10):

That's when it became more burdensome than distracting to laugh and my pace began to slow. I don't really know why I took that picture--in fact I don't remember taking it at all. What was I thinking? Maybe it was an accident as I scrolled through my phone to cue up my Flo Rida Pandora station to give me a kick to the finish. It worked.

In other running news, my running buddy, Angie, convinced me to do the OC Marathon this year with her. It's in May. So. Guess I better start a real training program again soon. I also plan to run the Washington DC Halfer, on March 26th, for my 30th birthday. I'll keep you posted on that (since I know you're holding your breath). The only uncertainty is whether or not to register for the La Jolla Half in April and go for the Triple Crown this year. I guess I'll just take it one run (and paycheck) at a time.

I guess I did make some resolutions

Without realizing I was doing it, I've sent my life in a new, chaotic direction. The ball is rolling, now I have to keep up with it. Actually, that's a little dramatic for what I've been up to, but in case you haven't noticed, I've been an unfaithful blogger the last few weeks. My excuse is that I'm having a busy year and honestly forget sometimes that I have one of these crazy fun bloggy things.

Last week I started ballet and piano classes. Not sure what I expected, but it's more than just two hours at the beginning of my week to work around. I guess if I didn't want to be any good at them it could be; however, working in a little extra time to practice my new hobbies means my weekly mileage totals have taken a hit.

I thought I'd be able to stick to my running schedule (doing a halfer in a couple weeks and want to run Catalina in March), but I'm finding it difficult as my initial enthusiasm for these new hobbies is fading and I'm no longer running on adrenaline. On top of my new pursuits the school semester is coming to a close in a couple weeks which means I have to figure out what I'm testing the kiddos on and then write finals for all 140 of them-- plus grade all the papers I have right now. Then there's the freelance deadline I'm up against next week--an article I haven't even started yet. (Hope my editor doesn't see that.)

I jumped with both feet into the new year and now find myself in new depths. It's probably time to get out the old day planner and caffeinated coffee because I will have my ballet shoes and run in them too. I'll do my best to keep up in the blogosphere, but indubitably postings are going to suffer. Don't forget about me.

On a side note: Anyone out there running the Carlsbad Half or Full in a couple weeks? Maybe I'll see you out there.

Keep on truckin'