Shut Up and Run

It's been awhile since I last updated so I guess I'll fill you in on what's been happening in Bethany's little world of running! Besides the training, I have started planning an event that will be held at a local winery in Livermore, Red Feather Winery. Event planning is not an easy task and without the help of a dear friend Jenni, I don't think I could do it! I don't know if you will see this, but Thank You for your inspiration, I think you are amazing. The event will be held on a Sunday afternoon from 4-8pm, Sept. 27th! Food, wine, and music will be there along with the company of ME! haha. I would love everyone's (your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, sister, brother, cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and dog) support!

July 11th

Tonight we started something new at track practice ... Tempo running! Basically, you are suppose to challenge yourself to the point where you breathe harder than normal. You start out running for 4 mins at a 10k pace (a somewhat fast pace) and jog/walk for 90 secs. and repeat 4 more times. Surprisingly it was challenging. These drills are helping us pick up our pace for our long runs. Its amazing what you can train your body to do in a small amount of time. I am convinced that anyone can be a marathon runner (well, someone with a somewhat normal health).

July 8th

Saturdays run was a little different the my previous half marathon in Livermore. :) I ran near Berkeley in a town called Orinda. It was nice. I was thinking it would be cooler than normal, but boy was I wrong! Hills + Berkeley + morning = cold right? Nope. There were lots of hills. I don't recommend going out the night before a big run either ... not such a good idea. I was way more tired on the run than I usually am. And the hills just kept coming. It felt like I was always going up. How does the Science work here? Aren't you suppose to come down after going up? Ok, so maybe it wasn't that bad (I think it was though). Hehe.

July 1st-7th

Yet again, I ran further than ever. Who knew Robertson Park in Livermore would be so beautiful?

Me of course since I live there! Livermore has to be up there in my favorites. Running through the vineyards, robertson, and sycamore park ... comon! Saturday, I unintentionally ran 14 miles (that is more than a half a marathon!) ... what was I thinking? Actually, it was more like what was the Livermore ranger thinking? Apparently he thought it would be a good idea to take down our markers and let us get lost. Luckily, most of us (minus me of course) have GPS attached to our wrists so we realized that we had ran more than half way and turned around. I felt like gumby afterwards and the aches and pains lingered on me for the rest of the day while I was at work. When it was all said and done, I was really proud of myself. I feel like a little kid running up to mom with excitement of completion (you know how you acted when you made something you were proud of? Same feeling.) with this running hobby. I also have so much more energy and feel great. The rest of the week involved more running yet again, and the oh so glorious hill sprints! Is it bad to say that I actually love hill sprints???

Tuesdays track practice.

So I know these aren't the most attractive pictures of me but I think they are funny.

Thursdays practice in Pleasanton...

...who needs stretching anyways?

Hill sprints in Puerto Vallarta... we were looking for the margaritas!

and after the hill sprints of course!

July 28th

We did benchmark drills today. In our first track practice back in the beginning of June, we timed our mile. I think I ran it just under 10... probably like 9:20ish and I shaved off over a minute I think. 8:16ish. I can't remember exactly. I know I could do better but I was feeling like I did in high school...dreading time mile day. Haha

Go Team!

Benchmark!

July 25- Today I hit a benchmark in running. 11 miles . . . The longest distance ever! . . . well for me that is. My last longest run was several months ago and I ran/walked 10.8 miles. This time around, my endurance has improved drastically. I was able to run (not fast) basically the whole distance minus a stretch and bathroom stop. My long runs are however starting to catch up with me. By the time I am done, I have like an hour to rest before I have to get ready for work. I do feel refreshed and empowered after the run so it's all worth it! I need to start trying the famous ice baths soon.

July 23- I committed to be a donor for a bone marrow transplant if ever I am a match for someone through 'Be the Match'. It sounds like a scary commitment but it is actually a fairly easy procedure where the donor immediately recovers. It would be an incredible experience if ever I have the opportunity.

July 22- Tried the whole increased incline on the treadmill. It wasn't as hard as I thought however, I didn't run very long. I can't stand treadmills now that I run outside so often.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

July 18- Yesterday we ran at Lake Chabot. It was so beautiful and even though the coarse was much more challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed my run. The mileage was bumped up to 10... YES I ran 10 miles straight! I didn't run my fastest only because I had to work later in the day and was tired from the first day of the Anniversary sale at Nordy's (12 hrs. with only a 1/2 hour break will get you!). Needless to say, I was a tad tired when I got to work, but the workout surprisingly gave me energy.

July 14- Our coached practice was cancelled... wow that's a first! It was way to hot to train outside so Coach Tim gave us a helpful workout for indoors or our local gym. I surprisingly extremely sore after this workout... way more than most Tuesday work outs (probably cause I lifted and haven't in awhile. Shame on me!).

Warm Up

10 to 15 min easy run on the treadmill (keep grade on treadmill between 2%-3%)

Workout

Complete steps 1 thru 7 below two times

1) 20-30 walking lunges (hold small weights in your hand to add some difficulty)

2) Bosu Ball Push Ups - 3 push ups on the bosu ball + 3 push ups to the right (left hand on Bosu ball, right hand on ground) + 3 pushups both hands on ground + 3 push ups with left hand on Bosu ball, right hand on ground + 3 push ups on the bosu ball + 3 push ups to the left (right hand on Bosu ball, left hand on ground) + 3 pushups both hands on ground + 3 push ups right hand on Bosu ball, left hand on ground + 3 push ups on the bosu ball

3) 10 split squats + hold for 15sec (right leg) + 10 split squats + hold for 15 sec (left leg)

4) Plank Series - Hold Plank for 15sec + 5 shoulder touches + 5 up/downs to forearms + 5 walks to right + 5 walks to center + 5 walks to left + 5 walks to center + hold plank for 15-30sec

5) Isometric Squats - Put your back against the wall and lower yourself into squat postion, try to get your thighs parallel to the ground. Hold this for 1-2+ minutes

6) 10 - 20 V Ups or Snow Angels (your choice)

7) Run on treadmill at 2% to 3% grade

Yellow/Half - 5 minutes at Tempo Pace

Green - 6min at Tempo Pace

Red - 7min at Tempo Pace

Cool Down

10 to 15 min easy run on the treadmill (keep grade on treadmill between 2%-3%) or the equivalent time on a stationary bike

July 13- Went for an 8 mile run with my running buddy through the vineyards. This has become one of my favorite places to meditate... which I think is totally necessary and everyone should take the time out of their hectic lives and do!

9 miles down, 17 more to go!

July 11- Today was my longest run with Team in Training (But not my longest ever). Go Team Fierce! We are awesome. It wasn't too bad considering I had not been running really during my vacation and went to bed super late the night before. My feet however could tell you a different story! After getting up to the 9 mile marker, I currently have 3 blisters on my right foot and one on the other....not to mention I still have a nasty black/grey toe nail on my right foot. These are my battle wounds and I am proud of them even if I complain about them and say how much I hate them! Now that I am back in town, I really need to start working on my fundraising <---- I hate this part! If any of you can help me out, it would be greatly appreciated. I will bake you any kind of cookies if you donate $25 or more! Think of the lives you will help with your contributions.

July 8- About a week with no running....Ah my body is craving it! So I made my friend Shannon take me to a park to run. She met me in Portland after my family reunion to head up to Seattle to finish up my vacation. Needless to say, I didn't do much running....just eating, a few drinks here and there, and lots of walking (that counts for something right?). Ah finally, a beautiful coarse around Green lake, Seattle. It was about 3 miles around, so I went around it twice and then some totaling about 6.5 miles. I managed to run 6 miles under an hour which is quite an accomplishment for me. Yes, if you do the math, my pace is a 10 minute mile but hey, I am an endurance runner, not a speed demon. I have shaved quite a bit of time from my early running days.

July 2- Vacation! Well for me at least. After a 10 hour drive up to Oregon for our family reunion, I made my sister run with me (my interpretation of a buddy run). Just a 5k! She said I have gotten a lot faster...or maybe she has gotten a lot slower. Bahaha.

June 30- Instead of doing our regular circuit training, we did hill sprints. My two favorite things combined...yesss! It actually wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be but maybe I should bite my tongue for when the real hills come up. Practice only last 30...maybe 45 min.

Hills Are Friends, My New Badge of Honor, & Realizing I didn't die in the heat

I'm not very good at this whole updating thing I must admit. So here we go....

June 27- Mentor led run in Concord at the Hillcrest Park (Basically the beginning or end of Iron horse depending on how you look at it). I thought I was just gonna run 7 miles but I thought to myself..."what would leilani (running buddy that is currently in Mexico on the beach somewhere) run? ... 8 miles it was. Man was it grueling. 95 degrees on a boring trail. Since i didn't buy my water bottle belt pack thing yet, I took my camelback.  The thing leaked the whole entire time.  I think I would normally be annoyed, but since it was like 1000 degrees, I actually loved it.  The only problem was I ran out of water early and had to find a drinking fountain off course.  I met a minister that ran beside me. He said, you know you are a runner when 1. you take a shit in the bushes 2. Change your clothes in public and 3. You get a runner toe (black toe nail). Check Check and Check!!! And then he added, you run a Full Marathon....and that is what I am training for!

June 24- Became a 'Real Runner' ....got my first black toe nail...gross! Black toe nails seem inevitable for runners. My body is saying, “Hold on there buddy, I don’t think this running thing is working out.” And me the runner is saying, “How can I tape this, ice this, rest this, ignore this so I can keep on running?” With my toes banging the end of my runners with the weight of my body slamming repeatedly into the pavement, it’s no wonder they’re bruised. Some runners consider black toe nails an acceptable, almost admirable milestone in their quest to run ever longer distances. 

Pulled this from some runner's blog....
"Most of the pressure that results in this "toenail injury" is produced by the regular action of the foot coming forward, thousands of times every 5K. Each time your foot swings forward, a little extra blood is pushed into the toe region due to the force of the foot coming forward. If you increase your distance regularly and very gradually, your toes will adjust to each new maximum distance and only complain when you extend farther. In a marathon training program, almost everyone gets at least one black toenail. Running faster than you should be running, at any time during a long run, will increase the chance of this injury.

Hot weather also improves your odds of getting one. When it's warm, your feet swell more than they would on cold days. Because there is more pressure, and more fluid, there are more black nails generated during the summer months. " ....Oh great!

June 23- Coached workout @ Dublin High. Man I love circuit training!

June 20- Ran 6 miles at the Lafayette Reservoir. Hills are slowly becoming my friend!

June 18- Turns out, I'm not addicted to running the heat! Go figure! Today's run was harder than my workout tuesday when I did so much more. Dang heat! Time to suck it up!

TNT!

So I officially joined Team in Training!  This has probably been one of the best decisions I could have made for myself.  I haven't been this excited about something since school.  It's so cool to see the progress others and I are making.  I feel like everyone on the team was a cheerleader in their past life.  Ha.

Today's practice went well.  I am so excited about my running partner.  We have challenged ourselves and are training in the red group (more experienced/fast runners).  It is considered the hardest or most challenging group . . . I dunno, but I thought we worked out pretty hard today.  I am seriously addicted to running. 

Here is my support letter for TNT....

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Hi guys, 

As of this year, it has been my personal goal to run a complete marathon (many of you know how crazy I have become about running)!  On October 18th, it will be accomplished!  I will be running the full Nike Women’s Marathon in one of my favorite cities, San Francisco.  Nike Women’s Marathon is a race that draws world-class marathoners from many countries. It also draws tens of thousands of runners like me.

Ten months ago, the longest consecutive distance I had ever run was maybe 3 miles (please keep in mind that I HATED running at this point).  Its hard to believe that in a short time, I will be completing a FULL marathon.  A marathon can't be done casually.  Running 26.2 miles requires careful preparation and hard work.  So I've joined Team In Training, a program run by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  Team In Training is a group of energetic people who are committed to improving their health, training for endurance events, supporting each other, and raising money for medical research to stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.  I'm very glad to be part of this team and doing it in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers.  These people are the real heroes on our team.  I have made a commitment to train for five months to finish this marathon, and to raise $2500 for LLS.  I know I can do it with the help of my coach, teammates, family and friends.

You can be apart of something great too!  I invite you to join me in this effort by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Over 75% of your contribution will directly support research as well as care for patients.  I know at this time it might be difficult to donate, but ANY amount would be appreciated.  Please consider contributing $1-5 for every mile I run.  The LLS team has conveniently provided me with my own personal website where you can securely make your donation online.  It is at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf09/bperrydfdu.  I can also receive cash and check donations directly (please make checks out to “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society”).  If you have any questions or need an address to send a donation to, please don’t hesitate to email me at bethayreina@gmail.com. 

On October 18th, you and I will prove to the world that average individuals, working together and dedicated to a cause, can help to change lives for the better.  My challenge and my race will end that day; but for some it will just be the beginning.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Bethany Perry

annoyance.

a

n⋅noy⋅ance

    [uh-noi-uhns]  Show IPA

–noun

1.	a person or thing that annoys; nuisance: Unwanted visitors are an annoyance.

2.	an act or instance of annoying.

3.	the feeling of being annoyed.

I feel that I have spent too much time wandering.  You would think that after my time with YWAM, I would have a better grasp on who God really is and know Him on all intimate levels.  Wrong.   Of course I know who God is, but I want to Know him on that best friend level again.   It is so important to maintain that relationship.  It is something that over the past year and a half I have struggled with.  At times, it feels like He is the one holding the relationship together and I am the one dragging it down.  I need counseling.  Ha.

I am at a place in my life where I know where I want to be but am still immature in my spirit.  I am lazy and rebellious.  God loves to test me.  Sometimes I think its annoying.  Often times, I feel like a failure in His eyes.  I know this is not of God.  

A couple of weeks ago, God spoke to me on my run.  He literally brought tears down my face.  I always have problems with my headphones about 85% of the time since my ears are small.  I usually end up with only one headphone in because of my frustration.  Early on in my run, I couldn't keep both headphones in, so I resulted in keeping only one in.  I put my ipod on shuffle, skipping songs until I was satisfied ... usually listening to hip hop or something upbeat.  I ran 6 miles that day and on the last mile, a worship song came on.  I don't even remember what song it was.  I so badly wanted to use both headphones in so I figured I could make it work for the last few minutes of my run.  I put the other headphone in and immediately God spoke, "This is what you could be hearing."  It was as if he was saying, "This is what you have been missing out on and I been here waiting."  When one headphone is in, the quality of the sound lacks; however, when both headphones are in, music sounds amazing!  Seriously, after this all happened, I could really hear the "AWE" effect.  You know the holy one.  :)  Tears started pouring down my face and I raise my hands as I was running.  Ha.  People driving past Ruby Hills must have thought I was a freak.  

I love that God never fails to show who He is and how much He loves us.  So often, I think most forget and only letting it rest on the back of our minds.  I am guilty of this.  For sure.