The Results Are In!

Yesterday, I ran in the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. My goal was to beat my San Francisco Half Marathon time. Unfortunately, I finished about 2 minutes slower this time around. Oh, well. It was an awesome race though.
Fabulous weather. Friendly people. Bands every 2 miles. The support of my parents, uncle and cousin. Who can beat that? I'll definitely sign up to run both of these races next year. Save the dates: July 26, 2009 - San Francisco Half Marathon & October 4, 2009 - San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.

Running...

...errands. Ha!

After dropping off Jon at the airport on Saturday, I decided to get an early start on my day and run errands. I had 3 stops that I needed to make: Target, Old Navy and Safeway. The first stop was Target since they opened the earliest. I ran around both levels of the Tanforan Target to pick up everything I needed, ran back to the car to unload my stuff and ran back in to the mall to hit up Old Navy.

Other than Christmas, I've never seen Old Navy this crowded. There was a huge denim sale going on, so I was frantically running through the store trying to find as many jeans as I could in my size. Luckily, I found 3 pairs that I was able to snag. The line was CRAZY long. I was so bored in line that I managed to snap this.

At this point, I was standing in the kids section ALL the way in the back. I eventually made it to the front of the store to pay. Oh, nice surprise, I got a free tote bag that day for spending over $60. If you know me, I LOVE totes.

Last stop on my day of running errands, Safeway. Well, Pak n Save to be more specific. I again, ran throughout the store to get all the grub that I needed. I always have the worst luck with carts and today was no different. I ended up with a rusty old cart that was difficult to push. After maneuvering throughout the store with my bum cart, I paid and proceeded to head out to my car. Because I had done so much shopping a few hours before, I needed to shift some things around in my trunk to accommodate my grocery bags. After that, I turned around to load my bags, but noticed that my cart was gone. I looked down the parking lot and noticed my cart sailing down the little incline of the parking lot. I immediately ran down the hill and tried to catch my cart, but unfortunately I was too late and it dinged another car. I was utterly embarrassed for 1) hitting another car and 2) having to run through the parking lot. On my way home, I started laughing about it to myself. I mean, Hey, if I saw someone running through the parking lot to catch a stray shopping cart, I'd laugh too.

It was nice that day, so by the time I got home, I was already sweating and I STILL had to run up the stairs numerous times to bring my bags upstairs. That's what happens when your kitchen is 1 level above the entrance. I definitely got my "run" in for the weekend. It might not be training, but hey, it's still running. :o)

Addiction

Is it possible for someone to have an addiction to running? Well, I think I've developed one. After the crazy adrenaline rush of the San Francisco Half Marathon, I decided to register for the San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in October. I've take the past week off to rest and I'll be kicking it into high gear this week to begin training for this next one.

More updates later, but....

the results are in!

Official Finish Time: 3:12:24
Overall Place (1st Half Marathon): 6381 out of 6678

Pictures of the race to come, including picture with fitness expert, Denise Austin at the SF Marathon Expo!

Run Mel RAN!!!!!!!! ;o)

6 MORE DAYS!!!!

OMG! Can you believe that the race is 6 DAYS AWAY?!?!?!

Running with the boys

On maintenance runs, I normally don't run more than a mile (mile and a half tops) and it's usually in my own neighborhood. Last night, I ran 5 miles through Golden Gate Park with Jon and Jeff. They completely smoked me, but they were also not run/walking like I was. You know, my run for 3 minutes and walk for 2 minutes dealio that I do during training. It was a pretty good run. It felt different running through the park at night, plus it was a little scary at times since the homeless start coming out. Also, it definitely makes a difference having people that you could talk to along the way. For most of the run, I was by myself and had no one to really talk to. Normally, I'm chatting up with my team, which makes the time fly by. However, I was with Jon for a little bit as it was getting darker. When we finished, we hung out by the Dutch Windmill for a little bit. I'm by the Windmill every Saturday for the past 6 months and I've never taken a picture of it.

Until now......

Christine Clark - The BEST Pace Group

Just a quick shout out to my Pace Group....YOU ALL ROCK!

Back Row (L-R): Mary, Kim - Full Marathoner, Shawn
Front Row (L-R): Mutheu, ~*~Run Mel Run~*~, Erica

We've only got 2 more runs together. It's been an absolute pleasure and I'm glad to have met all of you.
Good luck on Race Day! Even though we're not running the same course, I'll be thinking of you.

18 holes?!

NO! This isn't golf! I have 18 more days left until.....

14 MILES!!!!

"A picture paints a thousand words."

As you know, this past Saturday was my long-awaited 14 mile run. I decided to take my camera along for the ride, or this case, run. I'll let the pictures tell most of the story.

Robin Williams' House (Approximately Mile 2.5)

The Palace of Fine Art (Mile 6)
I'm such a tourist!

Marina Green (Mile 7 ~ HALFWAY THERE!!!!)

Recognize this? It's the school in Princess Diaries.

View from the bottom of the Vallejo and Divisidero hill

Just walked this hill from the bottom (Vallejo and Divisidero)

The Turtle Family at Spreckles Lake
Notice the little baby one on the head?

14 MILES!!!!!!!!!

I SURVIVED!!!!

Eddie, Shawn, Me, and Sonny at the Finish Line
Like my sexy shin brace on my right leg? It was my life saver!

It hurts so good.

I got back home from a maintenance run about 20 minutes ago. I did a lot more hills than what I normally do and boy, was it awesome. Hills are always killer any way that you look at it, but I did plowed through them. It was all in all a good run with excellent weather, except for the car that was following me for a little bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, a few weeks ago, I bought a new pair of shoes because my other ones were pretty worn out and dirty from all of the running that I've done since February. I ended up buying the same pair of shoes since I know that they're good, plus I got 'em for $30 less than what I originally paid. Jon decided to try to clean my original pair. Now, can you tell which ones are my new pair?

5 + 6 = 14? Huh?

No, my math's not off. Well, maybe sometimes it is, but 5 + 6 = 14 means that I ran a 5 mile run 2 weeks ago and 6 miles today to prepare me for my 14 mile Celebration Run next weekend. This will be the longest run thus far and it's 0.9 miles longer than what I'll be running on the 3rd of August. The East Bay, South Bay and San Francisco training sites will run together for the first time. This is also the time when I will receive my AIDS Marathon medallion. Woo-hoo!

After next week, it only leaves 2 more 8 mile runs before the big day! Crazy! In the coming weeks, I will be sending out race information in case anyone would like to come out and cheer me on. I'll need every piece of encouragement I can get.

14 MILES! Can you believe it?

What's even crazier is that I'm contemplating running another half marathon in October...the 2008 San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon. Anyone care to join me?

Well, I'm off to rest up so that I have enough spunk to see Mr. Stevie Wonder at Shoreline. Enjoy the rest of your 3-day weekend!

Love and hugs,
Run Mel Run

It's been awhile, hasn't it?!

Greetings!

I am pleased, excited and anxious to announce that today, July 3, 2008 marks exactly

***30 DAYS***

until my big race, August 3, 2008 on the streets of San Francisco!

Even though I have reached my fundraising goal, donations will still be graciously accepted. To donate, you may visit my donor page: http://www.aidsmarathon.com/participant.asp?runner=SF-1141&Year=2008&EventCode=SF08H

Thank you to all of my donors!!

Until next time...

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9 MILES!!!

The San Francisco AIDS Half Marathoners are climbing the charts again to a 9 mile run tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that I could perform at the same level that I did on the 8 mile, which I did really well on two weeks ago. The course is almost exactly the same. Wish me luck. PLEASE!!! I'm going to be so sore on my way to Cancun this coming Monday. I'm unfortunately missing out on a 5 mile or 5K run next weekend, which I'll need to make up. When I get back, I'm climbing up once more to 10 miles!

On another note, I just recently broke the $2000 mark with donations. Thank you again and again (and again) so much for everyone's generosity. I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am for the support. Remember, if you've received your AIDS benefit shirt from me, snap a picture of yourself wearing it and send it my way. I'll post it on my blog!

~*~RUN MEL RUN~*~

Most Improved Run

Soooooo.....I ran 4 miles on Saturday. The last time the group had a 4 mile, I finished it in 1 hour and 10 minutes. That was also like a month ago. On Saturday, I completed my 4 mile run in 50 minutes! Quite an improvement, I must say. Training is really paying off. However, I don't think I could give all the credit to the training program. Credit must also be given to:

1) MY FEET










2) POWERBAR GEL - CHOCOLATE

Don't forget....keep those donations rolling in!
It's not too late to make a difference in someone's life!

Only 4 miles????

I think it's weird that I've reached a point where I could say...

"Eh, it's only 4 miles."

Fundraising Goal MET!!!!

I am pleased to announce that as of today, April 30th, I have officially met my fundraising goal of $1800 before May 2! This is all as a result of the generosity and support of my friends and family. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.

Salamat! Gracia! Merci! Mahalo! Danke! Grazie! Arigato! Xie xie! Obrigado! Cheers! THANK YOU! to:

Fidere Anesthesia Consultants, Inc.
Ben and Marci Javier (The Greatest Parents EVER)
Jenn Mull and Kenny White
The Angeles Family
The Quitevis Family
Andrew Francis
Quincy Wolfensperger
Bryan Shandy
Angel Abrams
Jesse, Lotta, Marcus and Mikayla Cayabyab
Joel Borlaza
Chito, Mary Rose and Franchesca Lazaro
Raul Lazaro
The Sacman Family
Tracie Campbell
Marilou Alejo
Aileen Zerbonia
The Caneda Family
Titus West
Benny, Teri and BJ Lazaro
Matt Javier
Jennifer Quitevis
Tasha Fulkerson
Alithia Mendaros
Bryan Phillips
John Castillo
Eddie, Ruby and Dynah Lazaro
Mary Anne Francisco
Torneros Family Care Home
Marianne Mcclurg
Sam Myers
Aline Tashjian
Kena Jones
Jeff Mace
Jojo and Fides Torneros
Jesse and Jeannette Torneros

Firsts for everything

In my 27 years of life, I've had a lot of firsts for a lot of things. Today was the first time in my life that I ran 8 miles. Before I went to bed last night, I was tossing and turning because I was so anxious about the run today. I've missed out on a 2 whole weeks of maintenance runs in addition to missing out on a 3 mile run with the training program. However, when I got to the site and saw how beautiful it was outside today, it wasn't bad at all. I'm not really happy that my group was 20 minutes late back to the site. We did take a longer bathroom break along the way. Hey, sometimes nature calls and you can't always call back. It was a nice run though.

We basically started at Fulton and Great Highway and made our way up to Park Presidio and run along Funston. We ultimately ended up at the one of the Presidio gates and turned around. We even passed by Diane Feinstein's house in Presidio Heights. Once we turned around, it was all downhill and flat, which I am always a fan of. Shawn and I ended up leading the pack back to the site, but eventually leaving the rest of the team behind. The two of us did really well on the return. I was truly impressed with how well we ran today. Next week we're down to 4 miles, but then back up to 9 miles after that.

Now let's talk fundraising. Let's keep those donations rolling in. I'm extremely, extremely close to my goal. This is all thanks to every single one of my generous donors. Thank you so, so much for your support!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

CrAzY EiGhTs!

April 26 = 8 MILE RUN!

Eek! Things are becoming interesting. I'm running 8 miles this weekend. This is again MORE than what I'll be running on Race Day. I've got to kick it into high gear this week to prepare for this milestone run. I've got to resist every urge to stay indoors over the next few, even though the fickle Yahoo! Weather says:

Tonight: A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Tomorrow: A mix of clouds and sun in the morning giving way to a few showers during the afternoon. High 53F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

I'm not going to let a little drip-drop stand in my way. In fact, to make sure that I don't go straight home tonight and curl up under a blanket, I brought my running gear with me to the office (minus my ID tags, watch, water belt and shin brace) so that I could change at 5:30 and ride BART fully dressed to run.

On a super bright note, donations have been flying in fast and furious. My deadline is May 2 and I will most definitely meet my minimum fundraising goal. My goal now is to keep the donations rolling in. THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY GENEROUS DONORS!

Stay tuned for updates on the crazy eight mile this weekend. Enjoy the rest of your day!

SPECIAL THANKS to my most generous donor....

Thank you so, so much to Fidere Anesthesia Consultants, Inc. for their generous donation to my run!

The Hills Are Alive....

....with the sound of AIDS Marathoners.

I received the weekly email from Coach Gregory letting us know what our training course is. I must say that I was absolutely bummed when I found out that we're running the dreaded Cliff House hill...AGAIN! This time instead of turning at Noriega and heading back towards GG Park, we're continuing on to Santiago instead. That's 6 blocks farther! Out of my team, I'm the only one that gets to run this again. Mary and Mutheu won't be at training tomorrow, but Erica, Eddie and Shawn are and they haven't run the Cliff House hill before. It's also our team's turn to bring food.
I purchased the following:
(5) bunches bananas
(12) navel oranges
(12) apples
(4) bags pretzels
(1) bag Starburst
(4) tubs cream cheese
(2) tubs peanut butter
(36) sticks string cheese

Erica's bringing water and Gatorade and Eddie and Shawn are bringing a ton of bagels. What's sad is that the group that brings the food is the first group that's sent out, but our group's always the last one back. Considering that we're running 7 miles and the Full Marathoners are running only 6, I sure hope that there's food for us when we get back. That's why I'm packing a little extra food for me and my team. Update on how I do tomorrow......

Easy Breezy

Us half marathoners are taking a few steps back tomorrow and running an easy breezy 3 mile run. Next Saturday, we're hiking back up to 7 miles.

A few steps forward and a few steps back.....

Thank you to all of my donors!!!!!!

I would like to extend my thanks to my generous donors. I really appreciate your support!

Special Thanks To:
Ben and Marci Javier ~ The Best Parents EVER!!!!
Jenn Mull and Kenny White
Joel Borlaza
Titus West
Benny, Teri and BJ Lazaro
Chito, Myrose and Franchesca Lazaro
Angel Abrams
Tracie Campbell
Jesse, Lotta, Marcus and Mikayla Cayabyab
The Caneda Family
Tricia Fitzpatrick
Aileen Zerbonia
Jennifer Quitevis
Alithia Mendaros
Marianne Mclurg
Torneros Family Care Home
Mary Anne Francisco
Bryan Phillips
Jeannette, Jesse, Niki and Maia Torneros

6-mile run time

So after my group completed our 6-mile run this past Saturday, we clocked in 1 hour and 45 minutes. That's approximately 15 minutes longer than our 5-mile run two weeks ago.

This weekend, we're going to try to increase our run/walk ratio from 2:2 to 3:2. We've only got 3 miles so we're going to try it out on a shorter run to see how everyone does. Updates on how we do later on this week.

Run Sleep Party

Hi folks!

First of all, I just turned 27 a couple of days ago. Secondly, I'm running 6 miles today, by far the longest distance I've ever had to run in my entire life. Tonight is also my birthday party. On the agenda today...

6:00 am - 7:15 am EAT AND DIGEST BREAKFAST
7:15 am LEAVE FOR GOLDEN GATE PARK
7:45 am PACE GROUP LEADER MEETING
8:00 am 6 MILE RUN
10:00 am LEAVE GOLDEN GATE PARK
10:20 am LOOK FOR PURPLE SHOES
11:30 am SHOWER
12:30 pm SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP
6:00 pm GET READY FOR PARTY
8:00 pm PARTY @ THE HUNDREDS STORE
9:45 pm MEET @ ELEMENT LOUNGE
10:00 pm GET INTO ELEMENT LOUNGE
10:05 pm PARTY PARTY PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stayed tuned for an update on how my run goes today. Wish me luck. I think I'm gonna need it today.

~*~*RUN MEL RUN*~*~

Time Summary

Mile 1: 36 minutes
Mile 2: 30 minutes
Mile 3: 42 minutes
Mile 4: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Mile 5: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Mile 3 (#2): 46 minutes

Okay, so in my last post, I asked if my 3 mile run this weekend would be better than my 3 mile run 3 weeks ago. By looking at the summary above, it doesn't seem like it since the times are 4 minutes apart. Sure, I ran 4 minutes slower than before, but I also left training yesterday feeling like a million bucks. I remember 3 weeks ago, my run/walk ratio was set higher than it should have been, which caused me to run out of gas quickly. Yesterday, I ran/walked the whole way without feeling like I was going to pass out. My group did really well and I even got compliments from my pace group members saying that I was "on it." That felt good too. I really have to keep up with my maintenance runs this week. I have a 6 mile run on Saturday and after that is my birthday party.

I've got to run (not literally). Have a happy Easter everyone!

Newsflash

I'm not ready for a 3:2 run/walk ratio yet. Just came back from my first maintenance run of the week and pushed myself too much. I had to stop halfway to adjust my shin brace and put the support on the front part of my leg. Oh, and piece of advice, don't run up Ora Way! I found out the hard way that Ora Way is the steepest hill in my neighborhood. Nice view. Bad for running.

Now I'm sitting at the dining table eating Filet Mignon with an ice pack strapped to my elevated leg. Lesson learned...stick to the 2:2 run/walk ratio (at least for now).

Can I run 3 miles faster than I did 2 weeks ago?

So the last time I ran 3 miles, I completed the run in 42 minutes. Now, that was with a 7:2 ratio. I currently run at 2:2 pace, which conserves a lot more of my energy. This gives me reason to believe that I'll be able to complete it faster than I did originally.

I have a maintenance run tonight. I think I'm going to try increasing my run/walk ratio from 2:2 to 3:2. Having my shin brace certainly will help with the pain.

Fabulous Run Today!

I was skeptical about being able to do my 5 mile run uphill today, but actually it wasn't all that bad. As a matter of fact, I feel great! The other 4 members of my pace group totally flaked on me so I was left by myself. The 2 pace groups below me also only had 1 member in each, so I got grouped with them instead. Unfortunately, we were the last group to start and finish. We started at Fulton Street and Great Highway and the 3 of us gals did a 1.5 mile run straight up a hill past the historic Cliff House. The most brilliant piece of advice from my coach this morning was, "Walk up the hill." That helped conserve so much of my energy, which saved time in the end. The descent wasn't bad at all and neither was the view. It was clear enough to see the Pacific Ocean and the Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park. Once we reached the bottom of the hill, we were to continue for another 3.5 miles to Noriega, turn around and run back to the training site. The thing that I was worried about most was my left shin since the previous weeks left me with horrible shin splints that would take me out for the entire day. Earlier this week, I invested $17 into an Ace Calf/Shin Splint. This sucker is AMAZING. Normally, I'd be chillin' on the couch with ice on my shin, but today, I feel great!! Know what else is amazing? Well, there's a lot of things, but during my 4th mile, I started getting a little hungry, so I started popping Jelly Belly Sports Beans in my mouth. That gave me just enough energy to complete that last mile. So all in all, I guess you could say that I had a pretty fabulous run today. Since I started training 5 weeks ago, I've consistently added approximately 10-15 minutes to my finish time even with the increase in distance. Pretty good.

Mile 1: 36 minutes
Mile 2: 30 minutes
Mile 3: 42 minutes
Mile 4: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Mile 5: 1 hour and 27 minutes

Check out that progress. Now wouldn't you want to show your support? It's time to get ready to head to see my family for my nephew's birthday, but before I go, I'd like to extend my special thanks to all of my generous donors. I am so grateful for your support!

Have a wonderful day!

~*~*RUN MEL RUN*~*~

What's in store for Ms. Run-Mel-Run this weekend?

Oh, how about a 5 mile run....UPHILL!

This will literally be the longest distance that I have ever run at one given time. Since I'm the pace group leader, I'm gonna need to step it up big time! Oh, and it's supposed to rain this weekend. This should make for a pretty cranky Run-Mel-Run.

Just a reminder....keep those donations flowing. I have exactly 44 days to reach my goal of $1800 by May 2. Now, May 2 is not the absolute last day to get the donations in. The Foundation will gladly continue to take donations up until Race Day! Plus, who wouldn't want a free shirt for placing a $30 (or more) donation? If you have any questions about this, please let me know.

Run Mel Run

I ROCK!

After a week of being sick, I decided to get off my butt and tackle a 4 mile run. I've had a running nose and a hacking cough for the past few days, but I didn't let that get in the way. Since my group cut out early last week, I was elected Pace Group leader by default. I was in charge of motivating my group and letting them know when to run and walk. It sucked a little bit because I was stuck behind everyone. My shin and both ankles were throbbing the whole time. Although at the very end, I totally sprinted to finish.

On the drive home from Golden Gate Park, I couldn't have felt better. Despite feeling physically drained earlier in the week and not doing any maintenance runs, I feel great!

I ROCK!

~*~*RUN MEL RUN*~*~

Don't forget to get those donations in. If I raise $219 more dollars by next week, I get a cool AIDS Marathon hat.

What can you get for $30?

Designed by my friends at RAH! Clothing

The Run That Counted

A couple of days ago I kept debating whether I should skip out on Jon's party so that I could be prepped for my run. Well, I went to the party. I made sure that all of my running gear was laid out and that my alarms were set. I had an energy drink beforehand and wasn't tired during the party. We got back at about 1:30 am. About an hour after we got back, I passed out. By then it was 3:00 am and I needed to be up at 6:00 am. So, let's skip to my run.

I got to the training site a little before 8:00 am. Remember, this was the run that counted since I'd find out what pace group I was after I finished. I had my run/walk ratio set at 7:2, in other words, run for 7 minutes and walk for 2. I guess I was a little overambitious with that or so I found out later. The coaches released us into the Park. I felt like I was doing pretty well. Well, that was until I reached the Bison Paddock, which was the mile marker. I thought that's where our turnabout was because that's where it was last week. Boy was I wrong. I still had another half mile left to go. On my way back and during my homestretch, there were 4 Team In Training runners in front of me and were in my way. Miraculously, I had this huge boost of energy and ran faster than I did when I started. This is a good thing. Our training manual points out that we should conserve our energy for the last stretch of the run since they take our pictures at the finish line, so we gotta look GOOD. So I clocked in at 42 minutes for my 3 mile run. Not the best time in the world, but that's okay. As I mentioned before, I'd rather start off in a slower pace group and work my way up. The goal of my pace group is t0 run a mile in 15 minutes and my run/walk ratio should be 3:2 or 2:2. Hmm, good to know. I still felt great after my run, so I decided to award myself with a nice breakfast from Squat and Gobble.

So here's my time breakdown so far.

1 mile = 36 minutes
2 mile = 30 minutes
3 mile = 42 minutes

Not bad, eh? All of my times are so close together.

Today's Sunday. I'm taking the day off today. Have a good one!

Oh, and don't forget to get those donations in. My t-shirts made their debut on Friday night and you get one for making a minimum donation of $30.

Boxing and Decisions-Decisions

Mel's gonna be sore tomorrow. I did my normal run and when I came home, the boys made me do a crazy boxing workout. I was holding boxing pads that were strapped to each one of my hands. Jon was doing a bunch of jabs and gave it his all on this last punch. I thought my arm was gonna pop out of its socket. After the workout, I made tacos and my arms were totally shaking while I was prepping the food. It was pretty funny. Hee hee. In addition to a sore shoulder, I'll also have a sore left shin again. Damn.

So Saturday's my big 3 mile run, but tomorrow is also Jon's release party for his clothing line. I have to go to support, but I also need to get rest for the run. I mean really, all I need to do is be up on time to eat, digest, stretch, and make it to Golden Gate Park. I don't need to run my 3 mile fast or anything. Yes, this run determines what training group I'm going to be in, but I'd rather run in a slower training group and move to a faster one later. I think I'm fine if I set all 3 of my alarms before I head to the party and sleep in my running clothes when I get home. We'll see. If anything, I'll hitch a ride home early from the party. Don't forget to donate! My special edition t-shirt makes its debut tomorrow night at "Oooh Baby I Like It RAH!"

Oh Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (a.k.a. Shin Splints)..How I've Missed You...

I got back from my run and my left leg hurt again. For kicks, I thought I would look up why my leg hurts so bad on WebMD even though I already knew that it was going to be shin splints. Yeah, so what's one of the ways to prevent them?

"Don’t run or play on hard surfaces like concrete."

Hmm, that may be a little bit of a problem considering I'll be running on San Francisco streets from now until August.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**to the tune of Amy Winehouse's Rehab*
"Mel was gonna drink a Gatorade G2, but she said no, no, no!"

What's the third ingredient in it? HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!!! Ack!

Give Some, You Get Some

Hi Friends!

Things have been going very well with fundraising and training for the marathon. I'll be running a timed 3 mile this Saturday to determine which training group I'll be placed in. I've also started receiving donations from some very generous people.

Don't forget, I've committed to raising $1800 by May 2, 2008 and I can't do it alone. If you donate $30 or more, I will send you a limited edition AIDS awareness charity t-shirt made by local brand RAH! Clothing. Upon submitting your donation (either via my Donor Page or mailing in a Donor Form - email me if you would like one), please email me with your t-shirt size and mailing address. Proceeds will be donated to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Donations are completely tax-deductible. No donation is too small and every little bit puts me closer and closer to my goal.

Feel free to pass this along to your friends and family also. Many companies have matching gift programs. Please check with your Human Resources Department to see if your company has one. It's an easy way to double your contributions to this important cause. Special thanks to those that have given and continue to give their love and support.

Melanie

GREAT RUN!

Just came back from running 2 miles today. I didn't want to go out at first since I knew it was going to rain, but I went. I met a new group of folks today who were really nice and really cheered me on even though I fell behind. Yes, I fell behind, but I also ran my 2 mile in the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME that it took me to run my crappy 1 mile last week. I'm so proud of myself. I felt great after I got in the car. My left shin and ankle are a bit sore, but other than that I think that this week's run topped last week's. Time to get ready for my timed 3 mile next weekend.

Have a good Saturday. Stay dry out there!

Run Mel Run

Training Weekend #2

It's my 2nd weekend of training. I've gotta run 2 miles tomorrow. Next week is when it really counts. They're timing my 3 mile run next week in order to place me in my training group.

Special Thanks!

I would personally like to extend special thanks to Joel Borlaza, Angel Abrams, Marianne Mcclurg and Mary Anne Francisco for their generous donations!

Lots of love,
Mel

Energy

After my boxing workout last night, I decided that it would probably be a good idea of I squeezed in an early run this morning before getting ready for work. There were a few things that I had to keep in mind prior to making this decision.

1. I'd have to get up approximately 15 minutes early to wash up and stretch.
2. It would be super early.
3. I'd probably be cranky because it would be super early.
4. I'd have to make sure that I was ready to leave during my normal time or earlier to make it into the office before my 9 am conference call.
5. I was hoping that it wouldn't be raining, which it is now.

So these five (5) things were going to affect my decision to run. Well, here's how it went down this morning, in response to these 5 things, that is.

1. Why did I get up at 4:30 am thinking that it was 5:45 am, the time I was scheduled to wake up?
2. It actually didn't seem that early. It actually felt late due to waking up before the alarm and heading back to sleep.
3. I wasn't that cranky.
4. I was actually ready at the same time and got to the office with plenty of time to dock my computer, boot up my computer, have my mocha and jump on my call.
5. Sure enough, it didn't rain during my run. It started raining once I left the house to head to the office.

Waking up at the butt crack of dawn while it's still dark outside doesn't seem all that enticing for a run. However, to make sure that I did get up to run, I laid out my water belt, watch, shoes, reflective bands, and iPod before I went to bed. Then, I slept in my sports bra, t-shirt, leggings and socks so that all I had to put on when I woke up were my shorts, running top, jacket and headband. Pretty smart, eh?

Today, (even though it's raining) I feel really energized. This running-in-the-morning business looks like it'll catch on.

Have a great day!

~*~*~RUN MEL RUN~*~*~

A little piece of encouragement

There is no shortcut to winning and success. There is only getting started and sticking with it.
- Unknown

This weekend I was feeling a little discouraged by how badly I ran on Saturday morning. I can't let stuff like this get to me and affect my performance. This training program is hard work and just like the quote above says, there are no shortcuts. It's all about sticking to the commitment that I made. No turning back. It's a new week. Time to get it together.

Great quote from a great gal from my department.

Gotta step it up.

So yesterday was my first run with the AIDS Marathon group. I got there a few minutes after 8:00 am and got thrown right into running a mile near Ocean Beach. I had no time to even stretch beforehand, therefore I had a crappy run. I left training very disappointed in myself. Next week's training is 2 miles, so I've really gotta step it up. March 1 is an important day too. I'll be running 3 miles and it's timed. My time will determine which pace group I'm placed in and that will be the group that I train with throughout the duration of my training program.

Lesson learned...get to training early enough to stretch.

No run today. Just another match with B.O.B.

First Day of Training....

....starts tomorrow! 8:00 am on the nose.

I'm a little nervous, but I shouldn't be. I'm only running a mile tomorrow. I must be nervous because I'm now realizing that once training officially starts tomorrow, I know that there's no turning back.

Mel Versus Century B.O.B.

**Update** Mel beat Century B.O.B.!!!!

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Today's not a running day since I ran last night. Instead, it'll be a battle between Mel and Century B.O.B. and he's going down!

Mel Can't Run Without These...

My Running Essentials

I thought I'd try something new this time. Rather than running uphill first, downhill, then back up my street, I decided to run down first. I don't know what's worse. Running downhill, I think I ran too fast from the get-go because I got tired really fast. I still got through my run. I've gotta kick it into high gear before Saturday. Saturday will be one of my many tests to see how far I could push myself.

Melanie Javier's Donor Page is Up!

Hi folks!

My Aids Marathon Donor Page is now up and running. Feel free to access it by visiting:

http://www.aidsmarathon.com/participant.asp?runner=SF-1141&EventCode=SF08H

If you would like me to mail you a Donor Form to submit a check payment, please email me at melanie.javier@gmail.com with your name and address. Thank you in advance for your love and support. Please stay tuned for updates and upcoming fundraising events.

Peace and love,
Mel

3rd Run & Feeling Good

Since signing up to do the San Francisco Aids Half Marathon, I've run around my neighborhood on 3 separate occasions. The first run? I thought I was going to pass out. It was SO cold that day! The second run? Not as bad as the first. The third run? Probably the best one yet. Jon decided to join me today and I even ran a longer distance and still had enough energy for a little boxing workout. I know I'll pay for it tomorrow!

Well, back to building my donation page. Stay tuned for that.