3rd Time's a Charm!

This Sunday marks my 3rd 1/2 Marathon in 2 years. Come watch me as I receive my 3rd finisher's medal as I complete the 2009 San Francisco 1/2 Marathon.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

5 MORE DAYS!

Can you believe it? Five (5) more days until the big day!!!!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Living Strong

This picture speaks for itself. A great race, a great cause, a great day...all for great people.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

LIVESTRONG Challenge - July 12, 2009 - San Jose, CA

At the beginning of the week, I received an email from an old family friend that really touched me. Their family is like a second family to me and their dad was recently diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. In honor of their dad, he decided to run and fundraise for the LIVESTRONG Challenge in San Jose. Without question, I logged on to the LIVESTRONG Challege website and registered to run in the 5K race along side him.

Next weekend will be a truly busy one with my normal run (8 miles) and Joel and Kat's wedding on Saturday followed by a drive down to Milpitas to stay with my folks for the run early morning on Sunday. After all that they have done for me over the past 28 years, I owe it to them to do this, regardless of how tired and sore (or drunk) I am from the day before.

Because I am diligently fundraising for my own cause, I decided not to fundraise on my own for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. However, if you would like to make a donation for the LIVESTRONG Challenge, you may do so on my friend's personal website: http://sanjose09.livestrong.org/rquitevis?faf=1&e=2531439369

This race is dedicated to Sonny Quitevis, Eddie Lazaro, Su Shafer and Sharon Leyran.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Make a Change. Make a Difference. Make it Right.

I'm Gonna Make A Change,

For Once In My Life

It's Gonna Feel Real Good,

Gonna Make A Difference

Gonna Make It Right . . .

- Michael Jackson

Do you want to make change by doing something that will make you feel feel good, make a difference and be right thing to do? If the answer is yes, then I would like to ask for your help in the fight against breast cancer.

As I know, I have been fundraising to help support the California Breast Cancer Research Program and their efforts to eliminate this horrible disease. As a result of the generosity of my donors, I have been able to achieve more than 80% of my personal fundraising goal. If you would like to make a contribution or know somebody that does, please visit my personal fundraising page at https://secure2.merchantcart.net/runsfm//MyWebPage.cfm?pID=377511. Please donate whatever your heart feels like giving. Any and all amounts will be greatly appreciated. PLEASE NOTE: Donations will only be accepted until Friday, August 7, 2009.

Your contribution will help change and make a difference in the lives of so many men and women that are affected by breast cancer.

Thank you so very much for the support!

RACE DAY IS SUNDAY, JULY 26!!!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Carbo Load Starts Today

Carbo Load for Saturday's 13 Mile Run

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

"Do you run the whole way?"

I've been asked this question one too many times.

The answer is NO!!!!!

For the entire duration of a run, my trainees and I do a little something called Run/Walk. In other words, we will RUN for 5 minutes and WALK for 1 minute to recover. We do this from start to finish. We also stop to stretch about 10 minutes into the run, stop for bathroom breaks, stop to refill our water bottles or just stop if we're just plain old tired and need an extra break.

So for those of you that think I'm crazy for running such long distances or think that you yourself could never finish a race, this is exactly how I do it.

This is what will help me get through next year's training program when I brave my first FULL MARATHON!

13 MILES TOMORROW!!!! 0.1 miles short of a 1/2 marathon.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

San Jose Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon - October 4, 2009

It's official!  I'm registered for my 4th half marathon - San Jose's Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon!  If you're interested in registering, visit http://www.rnrsj.com/reginfo/register.html and take advantage of a $10 with promo code sjstd.  I'm not sure when the code expires, but who wouldn't want to save $10?

Hope to see you out running in October!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Are you in good hands...

...with Allstate!

Yup, while working out at the Sheraton Waikiki last week, Jon and I ran into Dennis Haysbert, also known as President Palmer from 24 or the Allstate Guy.  "Are you in good hands?"  He was really friendly and let Jon take a picture with him.

I didn't run while I was gone, but I did do a ton of walking throughout Waikiki, Honolulu and along the beach.  Walking on the beach is much harder than I thought.  As you know, I suffer from bad shin splints.  The cure for that is RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.  I normally do all of those things, except Rest.  Last week was a great opportunity for me to give my legs the chance to fully recover.  I've been beating them up for the past 17 weeks and it was about to time to give them a break.  Well, it definitely paid off.  During my group's 5 mile run on Saturday, my legs felt brand new and they currently don't hurt when I press on my shins lightly. That may change during this Wednesday's ladder workout at the track and Saturday's 8 mile run through Potrero Hill.

On another note, I am still accepting donations for the California Breast Cancer Research Program.  I have already met my fundraising minimum, but I'm still shy of meeting my personal goal.  If you would like to make a donation, please visit my DONATION PAGE and make your contribution.  Also, check to see if your company will match your contribution.  There are many companies that do.

Many thanks for your support!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Ah-loh-HAH!!!!!!!!!

Look where I'll be running this week!

It's time to get out of the mugginess and make my way to PARADISE!  I'm leaving on a jet plane to Oahu tomorrow morning for Brandon's graduation from Chaminade University.  I'll be gone for 6 nights and 7 days and already have my running shoes in my suitcase.  What a great place to run!  Let's see if the humidity will take me down.

Oh and hey, have you donated yet?  If not, visit my DONATION PAGE and get right to it!

Aloha and mahalo!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Last night was not a night that I wanted to run, but I sucked it up and did it anyway.  Despite the cloudiness and mist, it was actually not that cold, which was nice.  When Silvia and I started the run, it wasn't so bad.  It was barely drizzling.  As we were running back from Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, that's when the rain drops started getting bigger.  By the time I got back, I was drenched and my running capris were glued to my legs (not very comfortable when you're sitting on BART).  Luckily I brought my North Face rain jacket to wear afterwards.

When I run, I normally have my Blackberry with me.  It's usually in case of emergencies, but last night I used it to snap a quick picture of the Royal Carribean's Mariner of the Seas that had docked at Pier 39 due to swine flu scares (For the full story, visit www.sfgate.com).  The Carnival Splendor was right next to it and looked like a dwarf standing next to giant.  Good for San Francisco Tourism...bad for Mexico's.

Royal Carribbean - Mariner of the Seas

Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy 4th Birthday to my little doggie, Fat Choy!

Two more days until Hawaii!!!!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Have you donated yet?

If you have not, then what are you waiting for?

Run...er...Hop to it!  (Run to it! doesn't have the same ring to it.)  Visit my donor page at:

https://secure2.merchantcart.net/runsfm//MyWebPage.cfm?pID=377511

I've achieved 70% of my goal.  Help me achieve the other 30%

Many thanks to all of my donors that have contributed to the California Breast Cancer Research Program!  You're the best!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

My Everest

In case you were wondering, YES, I ran up this hill TWICE last night!

(And not just ran, but sprinted at times.)

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

More Cowbell

Yesterday we had practice races for the trainees while the Pacers were the course guides and cheerleaders.  We were all placed along the course.  I was placed at the corner of JFK and JFK during the race.  I held my "Yee Haw" sign and rang my Niketown cowbell as our runners (and even some from TNT) ran by.  The runners loved my cowbell and would often yell back, "More cowbell" and they would get a kick out of it when I would give them more cowbell.  I wasn't a big fan of people asking me stupid questions, like "Is that a protest sign?"  Yeah.  I'm protesting with a big sign that says "Yee Haw," made by my fellow Pacer, Gigi.  I was also not a big fan of all of the people stopping to ask me for directions to the Polo Field or where the other runners were.  Did I have "Information" plastered on my forehead and didn't know it?  Also, I was not a fan of this one lady that I cheered on.  Her response after I shouted, "Good job.  Looking good." was "I'm not part of your group."  Looks like I wasted a perfectly good cheer on her.  It was so nice outside though, but the nice weather also brings pollen and other allergens.  I was surprised that my allergies didn't do more damage.  When I got home after the race, that's when the sneezies and itchy eyes started to overtake my body.

I got a little freebie yesterday after the run - JOINT JUICE.  At my age, you don't necessarily think about joints, arthritis or glucosamine.  I've seen Joint Juice on the shelves before and was always skeptical about it.  They were giving some away after the race, so I thought I would try it.  It's actually not that bad.  It tasted like Propel and it's probably mind over matter, but ya know what?  My joints did feel good after.  ;o)

Well, it's getting super hot where I'm sitting, so I better go find a cooler spot in the house.

Enjoy this absolutely gorgeous weather that we're having! 

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

The hills are alive.....

....with the sound of San Francisco Marathon Training Program trainees!

Sorry that I've been lagging on updates to my blog, but there have been a bunch of things happening at work.  Training has been going very well as Pacer.  Just this past week, the workouts have started to be much more intense.  Last Wednesday's track workout was crazy.  We took a little field trip to the Conservatory of Flowers and did hill repeats.  If you looked at the road, it didn't look like much of a hill, but when you're actually pounding the pavement, you could tell that it was most definitely a hill.  I got through it, but was super stiff after.

I get a little bit of a break tomorrow.  Pacers aren't running, but the trainees still are.  We've set up a 5K/10K race for them so that they can practice running without someone keeping time.  The Pacers get to cheer on the trainees.  I'm not going to run a full 5K tomorrow, but I will be running for a mile to get to my station and then another mile back to the start.  It'll be good for me to run for a short distance and then rest my legs since I've been pretty much beating them up for the last 4 months.

Have a great weekend everyone.  The weather's supposed to be GORGEOUS!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

18-Week Training Program

Tomorrow will officially mark the beginning of the San Francisco Marathon 18-Week Training Program.  Workouts and distances will get harder and more intense.  All I have to say to that is BRING IT ON!  I'm ready for it.

About on a month ago, I was on the fence about changing from the half marathon to the full.  I've made my decision.  I'm sticking with the half this year.  I want to beat my original times first before tackling the full marathon.  If I achieve that in July, you'll definitely see me in the full marathon next year.

Have a great weekend everyone!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Emerald Across the Bay 12K and Other Updates

San Francisco Marathon Training Program Trainees

Emerald Across the Bay 12K

I am so very proud of all of the ladies in this picture.  We're all training for the San Francisco Marathon in July and we participated in the rainy, wet and cold Emerald Across the Bay 12K run on Sunday, March 15.  This was a first race for many of these ladies and I thought they all performed great!

I finished the race in 1 hour and 43 minutes.  I think I would have finished much quicker if I didn't run the first part of the hill from East Fort Baker up to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I exerted too much effort at the beginning when I should have conserved my energy for the later part of the race.  Paula, my running buddy, and I stuck practically side-by-side the entire time and I'm glad that I was there to motivate and push her to finish.  We both ended up using every ounce of strength that we had left to sprint across the finish line.  I didn't have my normal cheering section with me, but another running buddy, Lisa, was there to be our cheerleader at the end.

We had last night off from running, which gave my legs a chance to recover.  We hit the track once again tomorrow evening and the 18-week training program will kick in on Saturday.  This Saturday will also mark my first official day as a San Francisco Marathon Training Program Pacer!

I am also happy to say that the amount of support that I have been getting is phenomenal!  I have achieve 63% of my goal and have raised $1255.00 so far.  I am so amazed at the amount of support that I have been getting from everyone.  Thank you!!

Have a great day everyone!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Really!?!?!?

Can someone please swap Wednesday's weather with Sunday's?

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Thank you Donors!

As a result of the generosity and support of my 2009 Donors, I have been able to fulfill 55% of my fundraising goal.  I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to:

Kimberly Mueller

Mary Hackenbracht

Don and Erin Diva

Paula Mak

Alyssa Harper

Miles Mesina

Sarah Woodberry Trauner

Tastemakers

Terrence Young

Mom and Dad

The Torneros Family

Robert Woodberry

Jeff and Melissa Johnsrude (-Luna)

Lindsay Elia

Marie Eugenio

Gerald Diva

Alithia Mendaros

Kena Jones

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Rock it, don’t stop it, gotta rock it, don’t stop....

And that I did.  I had another amazing run at the track last night.  First off, I won a brand new, pink Nathan waterbelt.  It's awesome!  After the usual warmups, it was time for a 25-minute indian run around the Kezar lower track.  The first 10 minutes were hell because I wasn't completely warmed up.  As daunting as it seemed, Caitlin, my new pacer, kept us going and distracted us by making us yell out our favorite fruits, cheap restaurants, travel destinations and animals as we sprinted to the front of the line.  By the time 15-minutes had passed, I found my groove and kept trekking.  After the 25-minute run or the equivalant of 2 miles without stopping, we walked 3/4 of a lap and later jogged the last 1-1/4 of the track.  It actually hurt more to walk than it did jogging.  Crazy, eh?

As usual, we made our way to the upper track to stretch.  As I kicked my leg up to put my foot up on the railing, Coach Sophia leaned in on the other side and asked if she could have a word with me.  One of my running mates, Lisa joked and said, "Ooo, you're in trouble."  After stretching, I walked down the stairs with Sophia.  As we made our way back down to the lower track, she basically asked me if I was interested in becoming a pacer for the 18-week program, which starts in a couple of weeks.  "Yeah.  I told Anita on Saturday that if you need pacers, I'm totally down to help out" was my response to her.  Pam, the Program Director, will be sending me an application to fill out.  I'm super excited.  I was a pacer last year for the SF AIDS Marathon Training Program and I kind of missed it this year.  We're up to 7-miles this Saturday and we're running the Golden Gate Bridge.  I WILL beat the bridge.  It will NOT beat me.

So back up to the title of this post, "Rock it, don't stop it, gotta rock it, don't stop....," I wanted to plug Jon's company, Fully Laced.  They're having a special sale on tees right now and the shirt below, which is a spin on the Afrika Bambaataa song and a tribute to our 44th President, is on sale for $9.99.  You can visit his site at www.fullylaced.com

UPDATE!!!!

Say hello to the San Francisco Marathon Training Program's newest PACER!!!!!!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Rain rain go away...

...at least until AFTER the Monday Night Run.

Sadly, I ditched out of last week's Monday run due to a big workload and the rainy conditions. Baaad choice!  I definitely felt the effects of skipping a run and I don't want to go through that again unless I really, really have to.  However, as I'm sitting at I'm computer logging in this entry, I could hear the wind howling outside and the rain pounding against my dining room window.  I will, of course, bring my running gear with me, but I'm feeling less inclined to run tomorrow night.  I am 99.99% most likely to run tomorrow, but ugh, the rainy, I-feel-like-staying-in-under-the-blanket feeling is looming above my head.  I'm just complaining, that's all.

I really can't slack off or complain now as I just turned in my registration for the Emerald Across the Bay 12K race on March 15.  There's no turning back on that.  I start off in Sausalito, run over the Golden Gate Bridge and finish off at Aquatic Park.  It's only 7 miles and I know I could do it. I mean, my pace has already increased by so much.  I've gone from running 15 minute miles during the AIDS Marathon Training Program to running 12 and a half minute miles with the SF Marathon Training Program.  Definitely worth the money!!

Well, it's time to head to bed and get some sleep for what appears to be a long week.  Good night!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

I won!!!!

Oh lucky day!  I just won a new water belt for raising the most money since February 9th.  I got a message from our fundraising director:

"Congratulations!!!! You raised the most money since February 9^th WELLLL above the $250 goal. Well done!!!"

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Speed Demon

I wasn't really feeling up to running at the track tonight.  Boy, am I glad that I went!  I rocked it at the track tonight.  Coach Sophia asked me to move up to the next fastest group this week.  I did and I almost caught up to the group in FRONT of me.  Musta been the new kicks.

Buh-bye Asics Evolution 3's.  Say hello to my new Brooks Ariel motion control shoes.  

If you haven't already, make sure to place your donation:

https://secure2.merchantcart.net/runsfm//MyWebPage.cfm?pID=377511

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

THANK YOU!

I must extend the hugest of thank yous to my friends, family and colleagues that have donated to my half marathon.  I appreciate the support so much.

Thank you to:

Kimberly Mueller

Mary Hackenbracht

Don and Erin Diva

An Anonymous Donor

Alyssa Harper

Miles Mesina

Sarah Woodberry Trauner

Tastemakers

Terrence Young

Robert Woodberry

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Movin' on up...

Ever since I started training (last year and this year), a goal of mine was always to start in a slow group and move my way on up.  Well, the time has come for that.  After last night's track workout, [Coach] Sophia came up to me and said, "I saw you out on the track tonight and I highly sugget that you move to the next fastest group."  Woo hoo!  I have definitely felt myself getting faster. Maybe not on the Saturday group runs, but definitely on the track.  It takes me a while to get warmed up, but when I do, I'm able to give it my all.  I'm also getting to the point where I'm not needing to ice down after track workouts.

During last Saturday's run, Anita, my pacer told me that she wasn't going to be at this Saturday's run.  She proceeded to ask me if I would be able to take her place as the pacer for our group and the group in front of us.  She said that they even added me to the pacer roster for Saturday.   Well, back to work.

Bye for now.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Sprints

Oh, memories.  I swear, every time I'm at the track, it reminds me of the good old St. Francis High track days.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Fundraising

Well, enough blogging about running for now.  In addition to training hard to prepare for another race, I am also working hard to raise money for yet another great cause - the fight to end breast cancer.  As a part of my training, I also joined a group called Committed 2 Community and the money that I will be raising will benefit the California Breast Cancer Research Program.  I have set a personal goal to raise at least $2000 in donations for this organization, but I need your help to achieve that goal.  Thanks to the generosity and support of my family, friends, and friends of friends, I was able to raise almost $3000 in donations in 2008 for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. So, I'm pretty confident that I could meet this goal again.

According to the California Breast Cancer Research Program (http://www.cbcrp.org/) website states, "Nearly 200,000 California women are living with the disease, and today a woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer during her life time."  Thats 200,000 women too many!  We must find a cure to eliminate this disease.  I completely understand that times are tough financially, but at the same time, think about how your donation will help.  Think about your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces, friends and loved ones that are living with the disease or that have lost their lives to it.  Your donation will bring us steps closer to finding a cure and eliminate breast cancer.  You ask, "How can I donate?."  Well, you can donate one of two ways.  If you would like to donate using your credit card, you may visit my fundraising page https://secure2.merchantcart.net/runsfm//MyWebPage.cfm?pID=377511 and place your donation online.  If you would like to send a check, you can email me at melanie.javier@gmail.com and I could send you a donation form to mail in.

I will be continuously sending email updates on my progress, but as always, you can always visit the blog.

Thank you very much in advance for your love, support and generosity.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

It hurts so good.

I will admit, I hurt...in too many places actually.  However, it's a good kind of hurt.  Our track workout last night was intense, but awesome!  We did a 20 minute fartlek around the Kezar Track. In other words, we did a 20 minute indian run where the person in the back of the line would sprint to the front of the line.  Last night was not a night to slack off.  Why?  The track coach was our pacer!  Thank goodness for my yoga ball in my office.  I'm constantly stretching throughout the day.

Good times!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

A first for everything

For the first time ever during training, I actually ran almost the ENTIRE time!  As you may have read from previous blog posts, I normally run for 3 minutes and walk for 2 for the duration of the run.  A sweet girl that I met last week ran with me and we were both so proud of ourselves for being able to run 3 miles with only 3 stops along the way.  We were supposed to run 22.5 minutes toward Pier 39 and turnaround to come back.  We stopped once because it was a little shock to both of our bodies at first.  We stopped again to stretch after the first 22.5 minutes was up, then started running back towards the start.  We stopped one last time as we were approaching Pier 23 because I got hot and had to take off one of my layers.  :o)  To top it all off...well, actually to top off my training so far...I still have not had to put on my shin brace.  I'm definitely working through it and training my legs to not rely on it.

Tonight, I'll be heading to Kezar for yet another track work out.  Yay, more sprints!

Bye!

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Track Workout

THE WORKOUT

• 2 laps around the Upper Track at Kezar
• 10 minutes of drills
• 10 minutes slow warm up
• 4 sets of 1 minute sprints with 2 minutes of jogging/walking recovery
• 10 minute slow cool down
• Stretching

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE WORKOUT

• Don't take Laguna Honda to Parnassus at 6:00 pm when class gets out at UCSF
• Leave home early enough to find parking, even though I lucked out with parking
• Take it easy on the 2 laps and during the slow warm up
• Don't drink too much water before the workout, especially since there's only 1 open bathroom for 80-90 people

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

Running along the Embarcadero on cold night

I went out on my 2nd run of the season last night along the Embarcadero.  It was definitely a cold night, but I got through the run.  Coach sent the group out toward AT&T Park and normally I run a 3:2 pace.  My watch started beeping after 3 minutes.  I looked at the runners ahead of me and no one was stopping to walk.  I thought, "Crap!  I don't want to be the only one that stops to walk, especially with Coach running behind me."  So, I ran for the next 2 minutes.  There was a girl running next to me and she was smiling and waving.  I smiled and waved back.  My watch went off again for my next 3:2 set and still no one was stopping, so I kept running.  The girl started waving at me again and this time she took her earphone out and said, "Hey, it looks like we're running at the same pace."  I replied and told her that I normally run for 3 minutes and walk for 2.  I was so grateful when she said, "I'll walk if you walk."  Now I have someone new to run with on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

I'm actually proud of myself that I'm able to get out and run again and not feel sluggish afterwards.  Plus, I've gone 2 days without wearing a shin brace.  Although, at times I felt like I needed it.  Mind over matter.  Tomorrow's run will definitely be intense.  We're doing track training tomorrow and they're having us do timed miles.  Man, I haven't done that since high school.  I am a little bit excited to be out on the track again though.

Time to finish lunch and get back to work.

~*~Run Mel Run~*~

First Run of the Training Season

Yesterday was the start of my running season.  I went out to Sports Basement in the Presidio to meet up with the San Francisco Marathon Training Program.  After a 30 minute orientation in the cold, the coaches sent us out on a "down and back" two mile run towards the Golden Gate Bridge with our pace groups.  I placed myself in a slower pace group (just because I haven't been running for a while), but found myself in the front of that group and sometimes even meshing in with the group in front of me.  Afterwards, I felt so refreshed and ready to start the rest of my day. According to my training schedule, today is a "rest" day, so I will be doing just that.  I have training again tomorrow night and then again on Wednesday night.  I'm really excited about Wednesday night because we'll be training on the track.  I'm sure it will take me back to my high school track workouts.

I'll be working on getting my donation website up and running this week.  I will be raising money to support the California Breast Cancer Research Program.  I will be sending more details as I get them.

Until next time....

*~*Run Mel Run*~*

Look who's back!

I'm baaaaaaack!

I'm beginning the 26-week San Francisco Marathon Training Program.  The first day of training starts tomorrow.  Eek!  No, it's not that bad.  I've actually been looking forward to this day for awhile.  I've been yearning to feel the thrill of having the crisp San Francisco air on my face, training with a group, and raising money for a good cause.  What I really can't wait for is to cross the Finish Line with my family and friends cheering me on.

Well, since tomorrow marks the first day of my journey to the Finish Line, I thought I'd kick off my 2009 running season with a new look-and-feel to my blog.  Oh, plus the San Francisco Marathon changed its logo from red to blue.

Stay tuned for more fundraising details.

Run Mel Run