Holiday from REAL

Everyone needs a place to go to just...get away. Life, as beautiful and marvelous as it may be; it comes with complications and uncertainty that will inevitably weigh down on a person. Sometimes the "Big Picture" is lost and jumbled among the stress of the day to day and a quick getaway is necessary to recollect thoughts and reconnect with the soul.

For some, this escape may be to a place in the mind where only peace and quiet is needed to allow thoughts and imagination carry you to nowhere and everywhere! For others, like me, it's helpful to physically place yourself in a new location. I tend to go for a run when I'm stressed. When I was living in San Diego I would run along the bay or at the beach. Bike rides were frequent as well. Here in LA, I head to the Rose Bowl and run 3 miles around the golf course. During stressful times, I've also been known to be a little impulsive and spontaneous so road trips are a likely possibility.



So far, my all time favorite getaway spot....where I literally GET AWAY...away from family, my home, the city, cell phone reception (texts/voicemails), television (media), LA smog, work, and my daily routine...is Kern River!!! I absolutely love camping in my tent under the stars in an earshot distance of the sometimes roaring river. There's something about the water and nature that helps me to focus and gather my thoughts. I always feel so refreshed and clear when I leave...and then a little bummed that I have to jump back into the society that I so badly wanted to escape. I'm a full-time soul searcher as well as an extremely distracted person, so throwing me in the middle of nowhere, leaving me with just my mind and my sanity (and some food!) makes a lot of sense.



I'm off in about 5 hours to said destination! The water's a bit low this year, but I don't let it bother me. We can't always get EVERYTHING we want. Over the next few days, you'll find me half-clothed in my bathing suit, laying on a raft in the middle of the river, bronzing with a grin, tanning oil applied and drinking a corona! There's a crowd of people going as well, all family and friends of MY friend, Nichole. Should be awesome! There's been a lot on my mind lately...mostly over the past few days. I need some perspective. If you don't have a special place for yourself, I highly recommend looking into one. Think about which environments calm you and give them a try :)

Nike Human Race 10K

"HARDER. BETTER. FASTER. STRONGER. The Nike+ HUMAN RACE 10K ended with a BANG. Runners had the time of their lives as they made their way through a 6.2 mile course featuring 9 global performances ranging from Japanese Taiko Drummers to French Can Can Dancers. Host Randy Jackson was able to keep the show rolling with exciting special guests such as Olympians Lisa Leslie and Jessica Mendoza. Nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West rocked the stage as he performed hits ranging from Stronger to Flashing Lights. Common kept the energy up with a surprise performance of his hit ‘Go’ and ‘Get Em High’ accompanied by Kanye on back up. The night was capped off with a vibrant fireworks display which set the sky ablaze. It was the perfect ending to the perfect race with the energy and passion that only LA could deliver."

This article comes straight from Nikeplus.com with a small glimpse of what last night (August 31, 2008) was all about! Two friends of mine briefly told me about the race maybe a month ago and I immediately was interested in finding out more information. It turns out that the $35 fee for the race also goes to one of 3 charities that you choose. I chose Livestrong over Ninemillion.org and WWF. You also receive an official Nike Human Race shirt that all runners must wear during the race, and it also serves as your ticket into the after show; a performance by Kanye West and Common!

I've been running 3 miles around the Pasadena Rose Bowl about every other morning (waking up at 4am) for the past couple of months and have been waiting for the next exciting run to participate in. A 10K was a perfect race to be my first! I have been so excited during the whole month of August and when the weekend of the race finally hit, I was in the zone! I rested all of Saturday and ate/drank accordingly, keeping sure I was well hydrated and fed.

Sunday was race day with the starting time of 8:31:08pm, and let me tell you, it lagged!!! I stretched throughout the day and grew more and more anxious with each passing hour. My friends picked me up at 5:30 pm to head over to the LA Coliseum to get there early and avoid traffic and parking chaos. On the drive over there, I realized I had forgot the headphones and arm band to my iPod! I was so bummed! I even took the time that day to create a special, fast-paced playlist for the race to keep me at a steady pace! I was so worried that this would effect my performance and my time! I chose to stay positive and to treat my forgetfulness as a challenge to overcome. Over the next 2 hours, 12,000 runners showed up to be a part of a world wide race, the largest one to ever take place in the same day. Cities all over the world held the same race with Los Angeles being the last city to complete it. 10 minutes before go time, Randy Jackson (American Idol) took the stage to pump up the crowd. People were dancing to the music, cheering, and jumping in place until seconds before it began. WE WERE OFF!!!

The crowd movement started off slow since we were all herded on a large grassy field in order of our average mile time. I placed myself in the 11 minute mile crowd only because that's where my friends felt most comfortable. Once we all began, it was tough working my way through the slower runners. There were so many of us, and we were using 2 lanes on the streets of LA so it was crowded. I ran the entire race on the far left side, basically on the double yellow lines that divide the traffic. People were cheering each other on and were making comments to each other like, "this is amazing!" and "this is the coolest thing ever!" I soon realized that the sound of footsteps from the hundreds of runners around me plus their positive and supportive comments was a much better soundtrack to run to for my first race! There were also small side stages with acts from Hawaiian dancers, drummers, Can-Can dancers and other performances that represented the other running countries. There was plenty to keep me focused and steady. The entire run went by so quickly! I didn't stop once, not even for water or Gatorade at the side tables on the route. I had my eye on the prize and just focused on weaving through the slower runners and making my way to the finish line. I will definitely place myself in the 9 or 10 minute mile group next time so there will hopefully be less walkers which means less dodging and weaving through them when they decide to stop right in front of you! Anyways, I felt great through the whole thing until I had about 1/2 a mile to go. I was still in good shape, just had some pain in the left side of my chest when I breathed. It was easily forgotten as soon as I hit the last stretch where a large crowd of spectators and supporters stood on both sides of the lanes, cheering and congratulating everyone as they raced by. I felt so proud, excited, and truly special to had been a part of a great cause and to have accomplished a personal goal. Of course, with all of these emotions hitting me at once, I neglected to check out my time as I crossed the finish line as well as to grab a special Nike race bracelet they were handing out. I did grab a water bottle and a cup of yogurt and granola and headed the meeting spot that my friends and I agreed on. I was drenched from head to toe in sweat and in glory :)

After the race, a special musical performance by Kanye West and Common took place on a stage built on the grassy field where we all originally gathered. It was awesome to be among the 12,000 glowing (sweaty) runners that just took part in the same thing I had done. Everyone was stoked to rock out to an amazing artist who pretty much stole the show. The night ended in a BANG with a crazy and impressive fireworks show above the stage. I am so glad I was a part of this event and am now looking for the next race to sign up for. The Long Beach Marathon is soon approaching and I think I'll attempt half of it (13 miles)! Let the training begin!