Running – Page 4 – 90s California Runner Mom

My first half marathon and 10k

Posted on February 16, 2017February 16, 2017 by teresamunoz91

A year ago I couldn’t have imagined running more than 1 mile at a time. This month, I ran my first 10k race (6.2 miles) and my first half marathon (13.1 miles).

My first half marathon (February 5, 2017) was really tough. It took place at the Surf City half marathon in Huntington Beach, California. My official race time was 3 hours and 29 minutes. Much worse than my goal time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. I started training for it at the end of December, but was having problems with my left knee at the end of January, so I didn’t run as much as I could have. I have another half marathon in May and I am hoping to train more and be better prepared for that run. My goal for that one will be 2 hours and 45 minutes.

My first 10k race was Run to Remember LA, (February 12, 2017) which was a week after my half marathon, and it took place in Los Angeles, starting at The Grove and passing through Paramount Pictures studio. This was a much better race for me. My time was 1 hour and 9 minutes. My goal had been 1 hour and 10 minutes.

While many people might not understand why runners like to run so much, running has definitely improved my life. I feel happier, healthier, and stronger.

Running

Whittier Spooktacular 5k

Posted on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 by teresamunoz91

I ran my third 5k a few weeks ago, on October 29 in Whittier. This was by far the toughest 5k I ran out of all three. Unlike the other two 5k races I ran, this one was 1.5 miles of uphill running. That was something I had not trained for. I made the mistake of not looking at videos from previous years. If i had, then I would not have been caught offguard about the hills. I struggled a lot with this race. My official time was 30.06 mins. I was disappointed at first. However, I looked at how I did overall compared to other runners and I didn’t do as badly as I thought. My family was unable to go to this race because my younger sister had a soccer game at the same time as my race.

Although I didnt have my family there cheering me on, I still had a great experience. There was so many people there, both racing and watching. In fact, there was about 1000+ people in the race! More on the sidelines. I wore a Supergirl shirt since it was Halloween weekend. Heard a lot of spectators shouting “You can do it Supergirl!” It was cool lol Can;t wait to go back next year.

My next 5k will also be uphill. I have been training for that. The one is so close to my home. I hope my family can be there this time and I hope that I can do better. Aiming for 27 minutes!

Running

Mariachi 5K

Posted on October 23, 2016 by teresamunoz91

My second 5k (October 15, 2016) took place in my own city and my whole family was able to go out there and cheer me on. It was nice having them there. They took pictures of me and just waited by the finish line for me. One of my coworkers also ran the 5k. For some reason though, it seemed a little bit tougher than my first 5k. It was much colder and had more hills than the first 5k. My time for this 5k was 29.11 minutes. I was kind of disappointed I didn’t do as well as I wanted. I have one more 5k coming up on Saturday (October 29). I hope to finish that 5k in at least 27 minutes or less.

Here are some pictures my mom and sister took during the Mariachi 5k.

Running

My First 5K Part 2

Posted on October 11, 2016October 11, 2016 by teresamunoz91

For many years, I wanted to run but never felt motivated. A few months ago, I decided to sign up for the Alhambra Pumpkin Race 5k.

I started training in late July. But because of the hot weather and my laziness, I didn’t take my training seriously until late August, early September. Because I waited so long, I didn’t think I was ready for the race. I thought I would come in last place or take way too long to finish, like 45+ minutes.

When race day came, I was so nervous! My sister told me the day before that my family was going to see me. I was in shock! Couldn’t believe they would actually wake up early to support me and cheer me on. I thought they might change their minds because they love sleeping in. That day, they all woke up at 540 am just for me. It was a great feeling crossing the finishing line and seeing them there, cheering me on.

I ended up in 61st place, with a time of 27.17 minutes. My fastest 3 miles ever! There were 390 people in total, so by coming in 61st place, I was in the top 15%. Not bad for my first 5k race. I have another 5k race on Saturday October 15. This one is closer to my home so I can wake up later. I feel like I am more prepared and I am hoping to do a little better this time around. Maybe get 26 minutes.

Running

Training for My First 5K

Posted on August 29, 2016August 29, 2016 by teresamunoz91

Although I have never really struggled with my weight, I haven’t always been in the best shape. When I was going to community college, I did go to the gym 3-4 times a week, but never achieved my fitness goals. One group of people who I noticed seemed to be in good shape were runners. For the last three or four years, I kept putting “to run 3 times a week” on my annual bucket list, but I never did it. Until this year, that is.

In the past I have tried running, but it was too hard for me, I’d get pain in my sides, headaches, etc. So of course, I would just give up. I started going to the YMCA at the beginning of the year, in January. A few months into it, I started using the treadmill. At first, I would only walk. Then I started running. I started off by running for about 15-30 seconds and build up on that. Eventually, I could run 4 minutes or so, without stopping. I started thinking that maybe I should try running outside. I ran for like 15 minutes at first. It was hard, I had to walk a lot at first. But I continued to push myself even more. Right now, I am up to 3 miles! I don’t run the whole way yet, but I try to run at least 2 miles and walk 1 mile. Sometimes I even go uphill, which is even more challenging.

In approximately 5 weeks, I will be running in my first 5k ever! Really looking forward to it. Kind of nervous too, but I have been training for the last month or so. In total, I have signed up for 5 5k races this year. Three of them in October, one in November, and one in December. My only goal is to just finish the 5k races. As time goes on, I will be more concerned about the time, but for now I will be happy just finishing within the time limit they give us.