Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge Log

12/8 - Start Day - Lazy = 0pts

12/9 - 1/2 hr weights & 4 mile run = 6 pts

12/10 - 9 mile run = 9 pts

12/11 - 45 min bike ride & 1/2 hr weights = 5 pts

12/12 - 1 hr bike ride & 4 mile run & 15 min weights & 45 min bike ride = 4 + 4 + 1 + 4 = 13 pts

12/13 - Slacked off = 0pts

12/14 - 3 mile walk = 3 pts

TOTAL POINTS for WEEK ONE: 36 pts

12/15 - 6 mile run = 6 pts

12/16 - 45 min weights & 4 mile run/walk = 3 + 4 = 7 pts

12/17 - 1/2 hr weights & 4 mile run in the rain = 6 pts

12/18 - I was a bad girl = 0 pts

12/19 - Lazy = 0 pts

12/20 - Lazy = 0 pts

12/21 - 1/2 hr abs and stretching = 1 pts

TOTAL POINTS for WEEK TWO: 20 pts

12/22 - 1 hr weights + 9 mile run + 15 min bike = 14 pts

12/23 - 1:25 hr weights + 1.5 hr bike ride = 11 pts

12/24 - 10 mile run = 10 pts

12/25 - 2 mile walk = 2 pts

12/26 - lazy = 0 pts

12/27 - 1.5 hr bike ride = 6 pts

12/28 - Lazy = 0 pts

TOTAL POINTS for WEEK THREE: 43 pts

12/29 - Lazy = 0 pts

12/30 - 1.5 hr bike ride + 45 min weights = 9 pts

12/31 - 1.5 hr bike ride + 45 min weights = 9 pts

1/1 - Lazy = 0 pts

1/2 - Lazy = 0 pts

1/3 - Lazy = 0 pts

1/4 - End Day

TOTAL POINTS for WEEK FOUR: 18 pts

TOTAL OVERALL POINTS: 117 pts

What: Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge
Range: Dec 8 - Jan 4
HBBC Rules:
1 Point per mile (run or walk or snowshoe)
1 Point per 15 minutes of weight lifting or pilates
1 Point per 15 minutes of another form of cardio (i.e. kick boxing, elliptical)
1 Point per 30 minutes of stretching or yoga or abs

2008 Nike Human Race - 10K

Date: August 31, 2008
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Finish: 50:10

2008 America's Finest City Half Marathon - Race Recap

Date: August 17, 2008
Location: Balboa Park, San Diego
Start: 7:00am
Finish: 1:57:01







Elevation:

Recap written on 6/27/2011: The bad news...I am back-posting this race just to have some record of it but I ran this race back in 2008 so my memory of all the details are sketchy at best. This race also predated when I started really blogging so there aren't too many photos either. The good news is that I am revisiting this race again this year so I will be sure to document my experience better. 

So this is what I remember based on some photos I found and some data I've kept around. America's Finest Half starts out in Historic Cabrillo National Monument (a U.S. National Park Reserve) and ends at Balboa Park. I remember that we had to be bussed to the starting line because there was no parking there. 

I remember that once we arrived at the starting area that it was pretty cold and windy up there so be sure to bring something to keep you warm. Once you get started, you will warm up and it can get pretty hot in August. The first couple of miles are down hill. Then it is flat until almost the end when you are met with a little hill from mile 11.5 to 12.5. It doesn't look that bad on the chart but with tired legs, you will feel it. Looking back I use to think that little hill was such a bear but having ran much bigger and badder hills, it doesn't seem so bad now. If everything goes as planned, I am looking to beat my course PR of 1:57:01 this year and feel that it is not an impossible goal.

This was the only photo I could find of me actually running this race. I don't remember much of the course but the part I do remember was running into Balboa Park at the end.

Medal!

The host hotel which was the site of the race expo was the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina which is located in the half point from the start and the finish but I ended up staying at a boutique hotel near the starting line called the Balboa Park Inn.

Photo credit to Sister K

They offer themed rooms of various sizes but the place is old. Everything was clean and they do offer complimentary continental breakfast.

Photo credit to Sister K

You have to call them when you wake and they will bring a tray of something that looks like this.

Photo credit to Sister K

Completing the Triple Crown Series was the only reason that I even knew about this race back then. I signed up for this series with Sister J (of A Case of the Runs) and you can read about her recap here.

New Event Calendar

Looking back at all the calendar event posting I've done on this blog, I realized that summer tends to be the slow months. I've posted all known happenings so if there is anything I should add, let me know.

Jun 23-25 - Kar & Juj away on trio to Sac
July 4 - BBQ and fireworks party at the Duong's
July 5 - Anime Expo
Aug 8 - Daddy's Birthday - party on 8/9 (Sat)
Aug 17 - America's Finest 1/2 Marathon
Sept 4 - Pico's Birthday

2008 La Jolla Half Marathon - Race Recap

Date: April 27, 2008
Location: Del Mar to La Jolla, CA
Finish: 2:03:40
Elevation:

This race was part 2 of 3 for the Half Marathon Triple Crown Series. This race recap is just based on what I can recall of that day which happened many years ago. I co-wrote a race recap with my sister here. That report was actually written shortly after we completed the race so it is probably more detailed. This post is mostly photos and stuff we did pre-race.

We stayed at a hotel near the starting line which was nice since we got to sleep in a bit more. In exchange for doing this, we had to wait around the finishing area at La Jolla for the bus to take us back to the starting line.

Sister J and I went down to La Jolla on the Saturday before race day to pick up our race packets. We walked around La Jolla a bit since it was a nice sunny day. We walked past a bakery that sold animal shaped cookies. I thought they were so cute.

Check out these Hello Kitty candied apples. 

Here we are on race morning. 

"Borrowed" photo of me crossing the finish line. 

Another "borrowed" photo of me. 

Round!

This course was not easy but it was beautiful! The most beautiful part of this race actually around the part where it is most difficult. The weather was perfect running weather in 2008. I really enjoyed running this and am not sure why I haven't ran it since. I am thinking of revisiting this race in 2012 since it sold out this year because I lolly-gagged.

Upcoming Events

Mar. 23 - Ed's B-Day BBQ
Mar. 24-28 - Karen and Kristy's Spring Break
Mar. 30 - Spirit Run - Fashion Island - tentative
Apr. 12 - Ren Faire - 10am
Apr. 13 - UCLA Run/Walk
Apr. 20 - Smelly Juj
Apr. 26 - Rebuilding Together
Apr. 27 - La Jolla 1/2 Marathon - 7:30am
May 10 - SB Wine Country 1/2 - 7am
May 10 - Kristy's B-Day
May 11 - Mother's Day
May 26 - Saddleback 1/2 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Jun. 15 - Father's Day
Aug. 17 - America's Finest 1/2 - 7am

2008 Los Angeles Marathon

Date: Sunday, March 2, 2008
Location: Studio City to Downtown LA Route
Start: 8:15am
Finish: 4:40:05

(Written on 9/9/10)
I think I will always remember the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon because I ran this race with 3 of my sisters. Sure, I've ran other races but this race will always be special to me. Plus, we all wore bunny ears that we purchased at Target since Easter was just around the corner. And we were on TV for a brief second on the evening news that day being interviewed by the Channel 7 news people. Ok, so my face wasn't really on the screen because I was hiding behind my sisters because I was camera shy.

Anyways, if you recall this was one of the two years in which they had changed the course to a point-to-point from Studio City to Downtown LA. We had to park in downtown LA and take the underground train to Studio City and then run back to downtown LA. Yeah, I know, what a mess that was. I think they used this route for 2008 and 2009 before Frank McCourt took over that year (2009) and introduced the Stadium to the Sea route.

This is an official race photo that I actually purchased.

My sisters and I at the expo the day before to pick up our packets.

Some words of encouragement on our way out of the convention center.

Sister J and Sister S

I should have turned on the flash!

Sister K and Sister J. It's dark because we are in a parking garage getting ready to go and find the underground train to take us to Studio City.

Sister K made the coolest shirt to wear that day. It was a drawing of her organs huffing and puffing. Funny!

Doin' my Asian thang.

Yay, we made it on the train and are on our way to the Start Line.

Sister K took this photo because she was running with a camera (something I have yet to do).

Sister K with her hard earned medal. She did one 3 mile training run to prepare for this. Good job Sister K! Wonder if I can talk her into doing this again! :D

2008 Surf City Half Marathon - Race Recap

Date: February 3, 2008
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Time: 1:59:16

Ah 2008, my very first Surf City Half Marathon and the year that Surf City was renamed "Soak City". Oh it rained that year. Boy, did it rain! It was windy and cold and dumped rain the entire race. I almost mailed it in. I remember standing in line to get on a bus to the starting line with A Case of the Runs from one of the beach lots way the heck out there and it was already starting to sprinkle. Luckily, I had brought my LA Marathon rain poncho with me but I was seriously under-dressed because I was freezing the entire time. It rained so hard that at one point after I past the turn around point and was on that last 3 miles stretch to the finish that the slanted sheet of rain and wind almost blew me over. I stepped in so many puddles and my clothes and shoes were completely soaked.

Check me out in the photo below. I don't know why I am smiling there because I was miserable in that cold rain.

I remember feeling so hardcore after I finished that race because I ran in the rain for 13 miles. The weather was bad but I guess it was memorable enough in my mind that I come back every year to run this race. I was so thrilled to get this medal at the time. I was also thrilled to sign up to be a legacy club runner as this was the first year they revamped the race/course and introduced it as an inaugural event.

2008 Avia OC Half Marathon - Race Recap

Date: January 6, 2008
Location: Irvine, CA
Finish: 2:00:19

Posting Date (2/7/2011): I ran this race about 3 years ago and am just getting around to posting about it. This course no longer exists. The SoCal Half Marathon runs through parts of this old course but the OC Half and Full Marathon is a completely different race altogether now.

I remember it was rainy on that day the year I ran this race. I ran the half marathon course so I didn't get rained on. Those that ran the full got wet because it started to rain the second half of the race. This course was not anything special at the time. I guess that's why they changed it up.

My sisters came down to visit me the day before the race to attend the expo with me and have my pre-race dinner.

Me at the Expo during my highlighted hair days.

Having dinner with my sisters at Yen Sushi & Roll. I am rolling a restaurant review into this race report. :D This is your run of the mill Japanese restaurant that serves mainly specialty rolls. The rolls are good and seating is a breeze.

Sashimi salad.

Plain Udon. 

Hungry Roll. 

Spider Roll.

Tofu salad. 

Green tea ice cream

My sisters love this place. Can you tell?

Yen Sushi & Roll
5365 Alton Parkway, #B1
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 551-3599

Incredibly embarassing picture of me crossing the finish line with my eyes closed. D'oh! But it is the only one I can find from that race. :(

Medal!