half marathon – Page 2 – 90s California Runner Mom

San Diego Weekend

Posted on April 1, 2018April 1, 2018 by teresamunoz91

Two weeks ago I went to San Diego with my boyfriend and our friend. We went because I had signed up for the San Diego Half Marathon. This was my first time going to San Diego in almost 10 years. This was also the first weekend getaway trip for my boyfriend and me.

We left on Saturday morning. It took us about two and a half hours to get there. It rained the entire first day that we were there. However, we did not let that ruin our day. I went to the expo to pick up my bib and shirt for the race. After that, we went to go eat. Our friend took us to a pizza place. Since I wasn’t eating any meat at that time, I decided to get a pizza that had artichoke, tomatoes, and jalapenos on them. This was my first time tasting jalapenos and it was better than expected.

Later on, we went to the Donut Bar. We got there around 430pm and unfortunately it was closed. They opened at 5pm, so we decided to just wait until it opened. The donuts were worth the wait! I bought myself four donuts and ate two that same day and two the next day. My favorite was the strawberry shortcake donut and the Harry Potter butterbeer donut.

We went to Coronado Beach, but it was still raining too much and way too cold, so we ended up going back to the hotel. My friend slept over at his family’s house, but my boyfriend and I stayed in Downtown San Diego. When we checked into our hotel, we were shocked to see that it was actually a hostel. Even more shocking, it looked nice. We got a private room, it was small but cozy. In the hostel, they had a kitchen, laundry room, and even a small library! There were many paintings on the hallways from local artists. The only thing missing was a tv in the room.

For dinner, we walked to a Mexican food place accross the street from Petco Park. It was really good. I just wish I had been able to try their food with shrimp.

I woke up Sunday around 630am for my half marathon. I didn’t plan to PR this race since I had the LA Marathon the following week. My goal was to run the half marathon in 2:30 hours. I ended up finishing in about 2:15 hours. Not bad, considering I had been dealing with calf pain and knee pain during my runs. The course was really nice. For the most part it was flat. I think it was around mile 9 or mile 10 that we hit some hills. They were a bit challenging, so I ended up walking most of it, which hurt my time a little bit. This was the first time my boyfriend had ever gone to one of my races and seeing him near the finish line was really special for me.

For lunch, we went to Lucha Libre Taco Shop, which I had seen on the Travel Channel before and it was on my bucket list. They are known for their massive burritos. You can find burritos all over San Diego, some with french fries, some that are surf and turf, but Lucha Libre’s burritos are some of the best. I got a burrito with black beans, French fries, avocado, and sour cream. I also got a cup of esquite, which is corn in a cup with mayo, chili, and Mexican cheese. My boyfriend got a burrito with carne asada and he loved it. Next time we go back to San Diego, I am definitely going back there again.

We went to Balboa Park and walked around. We didn’t visit the San Diego Zoo this time, we just didn’t have enough time. However, we got to enjoy a lot of other things. Then we drove home.

I enjoyed my weekend in San Diego and we are making plans to go back soon. I just hope next time we go back it isn’t raining and that we can enjoy the beach.

Running

Running in 2017

Posted on January 2, 2018January 2, 2018 by teresamunoz91

At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal to run at least 300 miles. I ended up running 438 miles. I ran the most miles in August 2017. I ran 13 5k races, 6 10k races, 6 half marathons, and a marathon.

I even travelled to San Francisco for a half marathon and Las Vegas for both a 5k and half marathon. It was fun getting to go on short weekend racecations.

I think my biggest accomplishment in running In 2017 was running the marathon. It was my first time ever running 26.2 miles. I trained four months for it. It took me 5 hours and 15 minutes to finish. My Next marathon will be the Los Angeles marathon. My goal will be to finish In under 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Having done so many different races, I feel like my favorite is the half marathon, 13.1 miles. It’s challenging but not as hard as the marathon. I also like the 5k races, but I’m not a big fan of the 10k races tbh.

In 2018, I hope to travel more places and run more miles. I also want to set more PRs. My running goal is to run at least 500 miles in 2018.

Running

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.