Inspiration From a Friend

I had to post this...  

Today on Facebook - out of no where - I received the best post.

Rach, just wanted to tell you that you are someone that can/will do anything you put your mind to. Rock on sista. - Adriana Salamone Olsen

Thank You Adri!!  You seriously just gave me a little more pep in my step!  

Easter Weekend Workouts

After the amazing weekend in NYC for my brother's wedding, I geared back up for what would be a monstrous workout week.

On Tuesday we did 3000+ yards in the pool.  It was crazy tough, but I loved it.

On Wednesday, I decided to semi-break in my new Cannondale Slice.  Since it was my first attempt with her, I opted for the trainer ride on Wednesday night, so I could practice changing the gears and being comfortable while stationary.  (I figured, safety first, right?) :-)  I did pretty well, all things considered.  The ride was tough.  Coach Brad simulated high winds, as we will experience them during our Vineman race and I definitely will face during Cozumel, so that was a cool experience.

On Thursday, we had a Run Marker Set.  Ugh. That means we had to run for 1hr straight and clock our distance within that time.  To be honest, I felt like my legs were anchors and just dragging me down, plus my brain was not into it, nada.  it was a tough run.  But I did it.  Don't get me wrong from where I was in January with my 1:1 to now, is like night and day!  But I think after i did so well on the last leg of the Ragnar Relay doing 5.6 Miles in 1hr, I was expecting to do better than the 5.3 that I did, which I honestly feel as though it was really on 5 miles... anywhoooo.. onwards and upwards, right?

So Friday was Good Friday and i had off.  It was soooooo nice to not have to wake up at any particular time, although I did wake up at 8:00am. :-)  But it was good.  I lounged around the house for a few, went through some emails and then headed to the WeHo Pool, since it was closer than the Culver City Plunge.  And I must say, it was quite nice.  Small, but very nice.  There I did our swim homework and knocked it out of the park!! I was so excited.  3000 Yard in 1hr! BOOM! Kept to my 2min/100yrds and was exhausted but not all at the same time.  Does that make sense?

For the rest of the day, I enjoyed Mr.Sunshine.  I was able to sit poolside at my friend Leo's pool for a while and then babysat Shane & Michael's twin, Dylan and Dash.  I swear I love these kids as if they are my own. 

 Me and Dash -  love him!!

Me and Dylan - She is gorgeous!

Saturday was crazy town.  We started off our morning with roughly a .5mi Ocean Open Water Swim.  it was chilly but rather refreshing.  Then we headed over to San Vicente and Ocean to head out on a massive bike ride.  We had to complete 3hr or 40mi.  If you finished the 40mi in under the 30 you had to bike it out until the 3hr and the reverse.  Surprisingly, I finished the 40mi in 2:30 min so I had to add an Amalfi Loop on top my PCH ride for a grand total of 47 miles!! WHAT?!?!  and then I had to run for 30min.  Which in reality, I should have ran 3 miles, or somewhat close to that, but my legs wanted no part of running.  So it was a struggle and I ended up with just over 2 miles, i think close to 2.5 within the 30min.  it was tough!! and the longest bike ride I have ever done in my life and it is only going to get longer.  It's so crazy!

Easter Saturday, was another massive day!  I ran just under 10 miles in 2 hours followed by a quick buoy loop in the ocean. I was in the zone.  Ok.. I was not 100% in the zone because the first 3 miles were straight up into Inspiration Point, but I have to tell you, YES it was inspiring but it was also brutal!! The only good thing about going up to Inspiration Point, besides the amazing view, was knowing the next 3 miles were downhill. :-)

 Inspiration Point 

 Elisabeth, Laura and me at Inspiration Point

Selfie... Obvi.

After the tremedous climb to Inspiration Point, we made our way back down and topped off our water before finishing up the last 3-4 miles into the Amalfi loop.  It was a great run.  I am definitely getting better, which is an awesome feeling. I am pushing myself, which is cool and I am looking forward to seeing  what else I can do.  It will be interesting for sure to see what else I accomplish this year.

Water Break Buddies. :-) Christal, Angela, Kelie & I 

Once the run and swim was over, I literally had to haul it back to my place to change for Easter brunch with the girls.  Of course I took my beach cruiser instead of the car and was reminded my the girls after brung that I was the epitome of Easter Colors, LOL.  

Anywhoooooooooooo!!  I hope you all had a great Easter weekend.  Stay tuned for more shenanigans from me!! and Please donate to LLS!! its an awesome cause! 

  http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/VineHIrn14/RachelHGriffin#Epic-Weekend-of-Training

Training While Traveling for a Wedding

April literally kicked off with a bang.

I raced the Ragnar Relay the first weekend, running a total of 17 miles in less than 24hrs.  That is crazy.

Following a two day rest, I met up with the team for our Pool night swim.  Our time has now shifted to later in the night, which is making it a little tough to get motivated or stay warm to get into the water.  Of course, once we do, we are fine, but the time leading up to it is brutal. 

That being said, our Pool training is coming along.  I am still in the 2:00 min/100 yard lane, which I am happy about I honestly didn't think I could swim that fast, so I am happy to see that this training is paying off.  (Lets just hope it transfers successfully to the ocean!) :-)

Wednesday am, bright and early, I hopped a plane to NYC for my brother's wedding.  To be honest, I thought training was going to be a wash the entire weekend, but surprisingly, I managed to squeeze in 2 running sessions.  I was a little bummed I didn't get to the pool or able to jump on a bike, but whatcha gonna do.. it was my brother's wedding. LOL... I have to make some sacrifices. :-)

Thursday am, pre-wedding rehearsal craziness, Christy (the bride) and I headed to Central Park for a breezy ride. She did the reservoir loop a couple of times, while I stuck to my Training Peaks Drills of sprinting as fast as you can for 2 min and normal pace for 3 min... and looping that a few times.  I did end up doing 1 loop of the the Reservoir. :-)

Friday was the wedding.  It was beautiful. Christy looked gorgeous and Marc was so happy.  It was awesome.  I of course was crying the entire wedding ceremony.  It was just pouring out of me, LOL.  I can't believe my big brother and bestie has a wife! It is crazy. :-)  and the reception was so ridiculously awesome, I cannot even begin to tell you.  The food was yummy, the band was awesome. I seriously danced ALL NIGHT, except for when I was in the Photobooth! :-)

Saturday was a lovely day, my mom's sister, my Aunt Sheila, turns 80 on May 4th but my super duper cousin Julia coordinated an 80th birthday celebration the day after Marc's wedding so everyone could attend, instead of trying to rally the troops again a month later.  So smart and So fun. And let me tell you, PLEASE let me look like she does when I am 80!! Spirit and Spunk of a 20 year old!! 

Finally on Sunday, I had to prep myself for the fact that I was heading home and that I had to get in a 7mi run.  Lucky for me, my friend Allie lived right near the wedding venue, so I had a place to stay on Saturday and was able to still enjoy the amazing views of Manhattan!  My run on Sunday was beautiful as I ran through Long Island City and Brooklyn and I did it early enough where I was able to come back and enjoy brunch with my two besties, Allie and Ryan before my flight back to LA.

All in all, it was an amazing weekend. 

Chafing Our Dreams - SoCal Ragnar Relay Race: 194 Miles from Huntington Beach to San Diego

Ok... WOW.. the SoCal Ragnar Relay was gnarly!

We all know that I am NOT a runner and that I do not particularly like running, so why I agreed to do this relay race is beyond me. LOL.

That being said, it was a lot of fun.

The Race consists of 2 Vans with 6 people in each van.  I happened to be leg 12 (last leg, 2nd van). As a team, we ran a total of 194 Miles from Huntington Beach to San Diego. Some legs were harder than others and some were longer or shorter than others.  Overall, I had the 3rd longest and hardest legs, running a total of 17 miles... Leg 1 - 6.7 - Very Hard, Leg 2 - 4.8- Hard, Leg 3 - 5.4 - Moderate.  Say What?!?!?

To be honest, it was OK.. once I mentally accepted the fact that I was a lunatic for doing this, the run itself wasn't too bad. :-)

Our team name was Chafing Our Dreams and I gotta tell ya, it was a hit! Everyone all the course loved it. :-)

Van 1: Jennifer, Cassie, Nancy, Alice, Time & Jesse 

Van 2: Joe, Louise, Rob, Mickey, Georgia, Rachel

We kicked off the night with a slumber party at Georgia's house.  it was fun.  we woke up bright and early at 5:00am to Pharrell's HAPPY... which put us all in a HAPPY and excited mood for the race ahead. 

After we registered and got all of our ducks in a row, we were ready.  Jennifer took the first leg, which was also the hardest by the way (total of 26 mi)... and nailed it.  in Fact Van 1's overall pace was a little ridiculous. I seriously think they are all  offspring of THE FLASH!  :-)

 Rob (Joe is the Photobomber) :-)

 Louise

 Georgia

Mickey

 Rob, Georgia & Joe (all family)

 Georgia

Me, Louise & Georgia (Before the Relay) :-)

Then it was our turn. Joe flew through the first leg.  Which was kind of hysterical, considering he has never ran more than 6 miles ever and he had to 9.8!  He also had the 2nd hardest/longest legs.  Our team did relatively well.  Everyone had an awesome pace and we were all linked up to Endomondo.  I am not sure if you know of this app, but basically, it tracks your pace and location, so we were able to track our runners to the minute so no one was waiting at the exchange point and so we could meet at certain parts along the course to cheer on our teammates or give them water.  Additionally, the app has "peptalks," so your teammate can text you "kick butt" or "you can do it" or whatever and a Siri type voice will say, "Peptalk from Jen: Kick Ass and Take Names."  it is hysterical to hear this voice out of nowhere cheer you on.  its Awesome.  

For my first leg, I had to do a "Very Hard -6.9 miles." ... and to be honest, it was very hard.  Although I did have the beauty of the sunset, I was running through "Hills/Canyons" of Doheny State Park and Beach into Dana Point.  It was gorgeous!!  Overlooking the canyons, golf courses and into the beach.  Although I had a super hard leg, I 100% bet it was still the best one!  My pace was 10:45 a mile.  Not too shabby considering i have been averaging around 11:53 a mile! WAHOO!!! minute shaved. 

When I finished, of course I was starving... as was everyone else. I quickly changed in the back of the van and we headed out to find some italian.  I know I needed protein, but I also knew I needed those carbs for the next leg.  Plus I had my recovery drink and performance drink for the run, so I was on track with proper recovery. So when we got to the Italian place, I inhaled some ravioli and then we made our way to the next major exchange where we managed to squeeze in 1.30min of sleep.  it was not pretty.  the other van was running and their legs were all messed up because we could no longer run though Camp Pendleton, so it difficult to track them. Be we managed an at 1:30am we were up again for Leg 2.  

This leg was a lot tougher than the last one.  and to recap for you, throughout the first leg, we managed to drive like crazy people, flip our cooler over (multiple times) - allowing for all the water to drain out onto our make-shift bed, we had no real food, pretty good tunes and tons of laughs!  This leg, we were all super tired, slightly damp - despite taking the blankets to a laundry place to shove in the dryer... and of course out of it as it was the middle of the night.  but that didn't stop us.  We were ready to go.  Joe took off and as we drove the hills to the next exchange for Louise, all I could think was "thank goodness I am not doing that leg!"  it looked tough!  Although when we got to my leg, at 4:20 in the morning... I looked at the distance and elevation and it was no picnic, either, but running in the dark was surprisingly fun!! :-)  and my pace improved - 10:33 a mile - BOOM!! 

Me, Georgia and Louise (not sure you can see us or not.) :-)

I am all LIT up!  

When I ran, I actually also had on a miner's headlamp.  

It was kind of ridiculous. 

After our second leg, Georgia had the amazing idea for us to head to 24hr Fitness to shower.  I think that seriously may have been one of the best showers of my life.  :-)  Despite the fact that I brought two rollers with me for the van, I was still a tad sore.  So the good thing with 24hr Fitness, they had nice soft mats and additional rollers that I took advantage of! Thank goodness!    After reviving ourselves with showers, I made the executive decision to hit up Starbucks.  Afterall I was driving! :-)  That Chai Tea and Egg White/Turkey Bacon Sammy was sooooooooooo delicious.  I probably should have ordered 4 of them. When we made our way to the last exchange, the sun was in full-force, so it made it a little difficult to sleep, but we managed to nap for another 1:30min.  After scoping out the exchange area, which was beautiful, right on the coast with free massages, BTW... and yes, I took advantage of that.  Although it wasn't the best massage, it was still nice. I actually skipped back to the van to our make shift bed and threw on my eye mask and slept for about 45min while Joe headed out for his last leg.  

We couldn't believe it, we were in the last leg.  So crazy how quickly the night flew by. Now are adrenaline was in overdrive.  The excitement of the last leg, the eagerness to "just get it over with" and for me, i wanted to improve my time. Could I be enjoying running?? OMG... I think I am! (someone take my temperature) ;-)

Rob and I - just before my last leg - and the team's last leg!

We were excited!

When I looked over my "workout" summaries, I noticed that I improved my time with each leg.  Now keep in mind, to date I have only ran 5 miles in 58 min.  It didn't matter if I ran flats or hills, it was 58 min. So when i finished Leg One, I did it in 55 minutes and Leg Two in 50 minutes... I was dumbfounded!! I figured ya know what, lets do this!!  So, with ego in overdrive, I took off like a bat-outta-hell.  I was on a mission and nothing was going to stop me.  Well, until we hit a stop light.  Man, does that really kill the motivation... a mile in and I was a little deflated.  Of course I knew I had to pick up the pace if I wanted to beat my time, but I was also running through San Diego and I got distracted.  I went back to my intervals and on the break, i drank my performance drink and snacked on a Blok and I also took pictures.  I couldnt help it.  It was so gorgeous... but with 2+miles to go, this girl that I had passed in mile one, called me out on my "lax" running.  I actually appreciated it.  So for the remaining miles, I ran with her at about a 9 min pace.  NO Intervals. NO Stopping! I was a machine and ended up finishing Leg 3 - 5.4 Miles in 50min!! I could not believe it. I did it! I Smashed my goal on time for that leg and I was lolly-gagging. Imagine if I wasn't! 

Now that is MOTIVATION!

However... you have to look at these pics, can you blame me?? :-)

So that is it!  My first Ragnar Relay Race FINISHED and Super Fun.  The team was amazing.  No Fights, Just Fun. I highly suggest you do this if you get the chance.  I will definitely be running again.