Because I want to.

This is the first time in a few weeks that I've actually felt calm and un-stressed out enough to get on here and write something, so here I am!  News flash: I am indeed still alive and still running and still loving it.

I have been running A LOT lately.... closer to five times a week rather than the three I normally do.  I've just felt so stressed out and overwhelmed by schoolwork, and running is the only thing that seems to take the edge off.  I feel absolutely nothing when I run... so stress, so anxiety, no pain, nothing.  I just feel so calm and peaceful and unbothered and untouchable.

Also, for the first time ever, I'm not actually training for anything.  I'm just running to run.  No specific speeds or mileages or times.... just running because I want to and not because I "have to."  Quite a few people have been asking me questions about it lately, most of them because they want to start running as well, which I must admit is totally thrilling to me because I have NEVER before been considered the go-to girl in any type of physical activity.  They mostly want to know about how much I run, how far I run, how I got started, and how I stay motivated (someone said to me, "Running sounds so nice, but every time I try, I remember how much I hate it.").  The motivation question has been a really interesting one for me lately, because two weeks ago, I would have said "Sign up for a race!  Even if it's only 5K, it'll give you a goal and something to work towards."  Races have always been my motivation, but lately I've realized that the races are not what keeps me going.  I run because I love it.  My desire to run has become totally insatiable.... I ran five and a half miles this morning, and it wasn't enough.  If the treadmill didn't shut off at an hour, I would have just kept going and going and going.  So now when people ask me the motivation question, I end up showing them the little tiny white words that are printed next to the zipper on my Lululemon windbreaker: "Run with your heart, not with your legs."

In the midst of talking about how races are no longer my prime motivation to run, I realized I never posted my pictures from the She Runs LA 10K two weekends ago... I had a blast!  I ran pretty poorly (over three minutes slower than the 10K I ran in Hollywood), but you can't PR every time, right?  Plus, racing two weekends in a row isn't particularly conducive to great finishing times, but whatever!  I ran it, I had fun, I finished, and I did it all while rocking some sweet '80s neon!

Hanging out pre-race on the Paramount Studios backlot... a whole lotta color going on back there!

Waiting for the race to start through the Paramount Studio arches onto the iconic and ever-so-much-fun Melrose Avenue.

A post-race shot with the Hollywood sign... I always forget how small it really is.

Had to get one of the outfit in all its plastic-jewleryed, side-ponytailed, blue-eyeshadowed glory....

My race bib and my finisher's bracelet (Nike races don't really do medals so much as custom-designed jewelry).

These are obviously just a few of the pictures I took, but the rest of them are more pictures of the backlot and such rather than pictures of me.... not nearly as interesting.

On a less cheery note, I skipped the race I had scheduled for this past weekend, The Color Run in Irvine.  I just ended up having too much work and too little time, and driving an hour each way all alone just didn't seem worth it.  Instead, I just went for a nice, long run here and then met up with some friends for brunch.... must less stressful, more social, and it ended up taking less time than the race would have.

I have a few races on my radar right now (a potential half-marathon relay in June, if I can convince my friend to do it with me), but for now, I'm just running to run.

Getting my star on the Walk of Fame!

After a long break, I am officially back on the racing circuit!  Yesterday morning, I ran the Hollywood Walk of Fame 10K, and it was wonderful!  The weather was very nice and the course ran along (surprise surprise) Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, which was quite cool.  I also (sort of) set a PR for the 10K distance- 1:07:10, which is about a 10:45 pace.  The reason I say "sort of" is because I've never run a 10K race before, but in all of my unofficial ones (training runs/half-marathon splits) I always came in around 1:10, so I'm counting it!

And now, of course, the main event: pictures!

I had to drive all the way to Universal City on Friday morning to pick up my shirt and bib at the Expo....  a bit of a hike, but luckily the traffic wasn't too bad.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to hang around the Expo for very long because I had to get back and go to class!

The starting chute ran along Hollywood Blvd, right near Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hard Rock Cafe- what a great location for a race!

Hanging out in front of the Chinese Theatre before the race... starting to feel the nerves!

Waiting for the race to begin.... you can kind of see the inflatable red starting arch in the distance.  It was actually a pretty good turnout for an inaugural event!

The finish line arch, sporting probably the most iconic image of Southern California!   After I finished, I walked back along the course to get this shot.... it was just too cute!

"Beam me up, Scotty!"  P.S. Don't judge me.

Just a girl and her race bling, hanging out on Hollywood Blvd, basking in the glow of her PR!

A better shot of the medal... it's a Walk of Fame star!  You can't really read it here, but it says "Inaugural Hollywood 5K/10K"... now that I think of it, that was my second inaugural event this year!

In terms of an actual running recap, I'd say the race went pretty well, but it definitely wasn't perfect.  I felt a little undertrained (a little too much treadmill running and not enough hills), and as a result, it took me about two miles to shake out the cramps in my calves.  Not fun.  The air is also really dry here in LA right now, so my sinuses were absolutely on fire my the time I was finished!!  There were also some race organization issues (I'm guessing because it was an inaugural event): the water stops were all but chaos, and there were no mile markers or timing clocks along the course, though this kind of turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  

I had my running watch on (of course), but as soon as I realized that there was nothing along the course to gauge speed or distance by, I was immediately reminded of an article I read in Runner's World this month.  It basically said that runners should "unplug" every once in a while and just run... no watches, treadmills, GPS systems, nothing..... just run by feel.  It also made the claim that many of us will run faster when we do this, and that all of our gadgets actually inhibit us from running at our optimal speeds. So I promised myself I wouldn't look at my watch until I crossed the finish line, and that I would just run by feel.  And sure enough, as I came close to the end and I could see the clock at the finish line reading 1:10:30-ish (I had crossed the line around 4:00), I knew it had worked.  

My goal had been to come in below 1:10:00 (11:16 pace), and I beat that by nearly three minutes.  Human instinct: 1, technology: 0.

And with that, have a wonderful, happy, and joyous Easter!