# 34 Paint a Picture

Last weekend, my friend Jessica invited me to be her date for the grand opening of a new paint bar in town called, Painted.  If you haven’t heard of a paint bar before, essentially it’s a place you can go to paint a picture.  You don’t need to bring anything with you, all materials are provided for you to paint your masterpiece. 



Painted.



Once we arrived at Painted, we were handed our aprons, Jess and I then found a place to sit and were ready to get started.  Jen (owner of Painted.) was our instructor for the evening and she began class by showing us what we would be painting.  She then gave us our first instruction: paint a circle. 



Yep, that's us painting!



Our next step was painting around the circle and so on and so forth.  In between instruction, Jess and I chatted amongst ourselves and we also conversed with other students in the class.  The environment was so fun and relaxed and before I knew it, class was over and I had a completed painting in front of me.   As I looked around the room I noticed that everyone’s picture was a little different but in essence, it was the same picture with variation. 

My completed picture



If you’ve never considered yourself artistic or even if you’ve never held a paintbrush before – I promise you will feel like an artist at one of these classes!     

Watch out Van Gogh – I might be painting your starry night next!

 

Holding my painting

  

           #34…is officially crossed off.   













12 Runs in 2012

It's been almost a year since I started my blog and I've only crossed a few items off my 40 before 40 List. 
So, what exactly have I been up to this past year? 

Well...I've been running, and when I say running I mean running A Lot!

I signed up for a variety of runs this past year and decided to do 12 runs in 2012!

Some of my running paraphernalia from 2012

Below are the races I participated in 2012:

January 2012 - Whole Foods Fun Run 10K

March 2012 - Shamrock'n Half Marathon 13 miles

April 2012 - Big Sur 10.6 miles

May 2012 - The Relay Run

June 2012 - Women's Fitness Run 5K

July 2012 - The Color Run 5K

October 2012 - Nike Women's Marathon 26.2 miles

October 2012 - The Zombie Run 5K

October 2012 - Four Bridges Half Marathon 13 miles

November 2012 - The Apple Hill Harvest Run 10K

December 2012 -  Jingle Bell Run  10K

December 2012 - Fleet Feet Holiday Classic Run 5K

All of the races were special for one reason or another. 

I've highlighted some of the ones that were unique and that I haven't blogged about before.

The Shamrock'n Half Marathon was my first half marathon and I have to say that I really enjoyed this race.
At every mile along the race there were live bands and at the end of the race you finish in a stadium.
Chariots of Fire anyone, how cool is that? 

My first Half Marathon



The Color Run was a race that I did with a group of my girlfriends - it was a blast!  Everyone starts the race off wearing white and by the end of the race you are colored from head to toe.



Tracy, Trish, Melissa, Jen and Me

I adore this picture!

Us after the Color Run!


Another fun race was the Zombie Run.  Despite our shirts that read, "I Luv Zombies," our lives (which were flags) were stolen from us by zombies in the first five minutes of the race.

Awesome zombie attire for the race!


The same weekend as the Zombie Run, I ran the Four Bridges Half Marathon the next day.
This was the first long distance race I've run with someone from beginning to end.

B and Me


The Jingle Bell Race was a very small race in Folsom. 
I have to brag a little here, I was first place in my age group (yeah me). 
Nevermind that there were only 20 women - it's all about bragging rights and I'll take whatever I can get!
 Jingle Bell Run Women's Age Group 30 - 40


What about...2013?

I've been asked several times if I'm going to be running 13 races in 2013 and to be honest,
I'm not sure. 
But then again., my motto is there is always a finish line to cross somewhere!

So, you never know...

#28 Run the Nike Women's Marathon

The journey of 26.2 miles begins with a single step…

 

 

Me in San Francisco

My first step started in May when I joined Team in Training to train for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon. If you’ve never heard of Team in Training (TNT), the organization trains individuals for a variety of athletic events, everything from half marathons to triathlons. While in training, you also raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.

Stephanie, myself and Dave - Two of my fellow TNT members (It was a challenge keeping up with these two)

 

I can't say enough about this wonderful organization - if you've ever contemplated running a half or full marathon you should check them out! Team in Training 

To train for this marathon it would take 5 months. I ran by myself during the week but I also met with my team every Wednesday and Saturdays. On Saturdays we ran our long distances. The first Saturday we met we ran 5 miles, then we increased our mileage every week until we reached 20 miles.

Along the journey…

Once I started running long distances my IT band (short for lliotibial Band) really started to  bother me. I did everything I could to ease the discomfort.  I started to wear bands around my knees, got a roller, went to a physical therapist and additionally, went to a specialized massage therapist to help ease the discomfort. The pain in my knee was painful but I didn't care what I had to do, I was going to complete this marathon - no matter what. 

You see, the thing about me is when I put my mind to do something, I’m going to do it no matter what it takes.

I didn’t care if I had to crawl across the finish line I was going to cross it one way or another.
    

Day before the race - my name on the Nike wall

The BIG Day...

The morning of my marathon I had a lot of different emotions - I was anxious, excited, nervous you name it.

I started the race with a few of my TNT team members after a few miles we dispersed each of us going at our own pace. I had my name on the front of my shirt and everyone I passed gave me well wishes, clapped and gave me high fives. One comical part during the race is some spectators in the crowd held up signs that read, “Toenails are for Sissy’s” and “Channing Tatum just ahead."  That sign alone helped me pick up my pace a little. 

 

Me running up one of the many hills in San Francisco

When I passed mile 13 the number of runners decreased significantly, I was actually relieved to have a little breathing room. I kept a good pace, not too fast not too slow. I wanted to ensure I had enough in me to finish this thing. When I got to mile 20 I still felt good, I was tired but just kept telling myself “It’s only six miles, you do this mileage before work on your morning runs.” During those last six miles, I never hit a wall. My leg started to cramp but the cramping stopped just as quickly as it came on. At mile 25 it was sureal – I was SO close.

 

  I actually had enough in me to pick up my pace and run through the finish line. 

The awesome part about this race is when you cross the finish line a fireman dressed in a tuxedo awaits you with a tray of pretty blue Tiffany’s boxes. 

In each box holds a Tiffany’s finisher's medal necklace. 

Uh hello...now do you see why I signed up for this race?

Who doesn't love Tiffany's?

With my Tiffany’s box in hand , I found the first available place to sit down (the curb) and relished in the fact that I had ran a marathon. I did it!

Now it was time to PARTY... which I did!  

Stephanie and I after the race!

My Tiffany's Medal

Beyond the finish line…

After being home a few days, I hate to admit it but I was a little depressed. For the past 5 months I’d been living, breathing and training for a marathon. It had been my life. I kind of felt like a kid Christmas morning after all the presents have been opened, all the anticipation and excitement was now over. 

 

Now what... another marathon, a triathlon whatever shall I do?




 


While I’m contemplating my next adventure, I think I’ll cross #28 off my list . After all– I think this is a big accomplishment to line through, don't you?


 

 

# 18 Sailing

    

A few months back, I was invited to go sailing... 

My friend T, found out that I had 40 before40 list and he surprised me by booking a sunset cruise in the San Francisco bay. 

On the day of our sailing adventure we met in SF and the weather was overcast and a bit chilly.

We made our way to the yacht club and met John, our Captain.  We had just enough time to grab some snacks, a drink and then we were off venturing out to sea on a boat named, Temptation.  

Our boat Temptation - interesting name don't you think?

 

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that the weather wasn’t ideal for sailing but John assured T and I that the sun would emerge once we made our way out onto open water.

Well... he was exactly right!

The clouds disappeared, the sky turned blue and warm sun made an impressive appearance.  

 

The sun finally!

During our sailing excursion, John told us some tall tales of people he’s chartered around in his sail boat throughout the years.  I won’t go into details, but he’s had some pretty unbelievable experiences that ranged from initiated divorce proceedings to cross dressing engagements!  It was quite comical and entertaining to hear him recollect about his time at sea. 

John our awesome Captain!

 

Me, looking like I know what I'm doing!

We sailed by Angel Island and we ended up docking at Sam’s café in Tiburon for a drink before heading back to the city.  Once we were back on the boat and at sea, the sun had set the city lights danced on the water as they welcomed us back into SF. 

My sailing adventure was so much fun.  There’s just something about sailing and being on the ocean water that makes me feel so at peace…

 

 

 

Special thank you to my friend T for taking an interest and helping me cross off 

#18 on my 40 before 40 List!

# 29 Walk/Run the Golden Gate Bridge

Starting line of the Relay

It's been a little while since I've been able to blog so I'm catching up. I am very happy to report that one item has been crossed off my 40 before 40 List...

#29 Walk/ Run the Golden Gate Bridge!  

How did I come about accomplishing this?  By participating in a run called, The Relay. 

The Relay is a non-stop, 36 hour, day and night foot race that starts from Calistoga

(Napa Valley) to Santa Cruz covering 194 miles.

I first heard about the race via email from a fellow co-worker.  He was looking to form a team and have our company (Microsemi) sponsor it.  My first initial thought was, who in their right mind would participate in such a race?  Not a chance, this is for CRAZY people.  Then something in the email caught my attention, 1 runner would have the privilege of running across the Golden Gate Bridge... hmmm, I can DO crazy where do I sign-up?

There are 36 legs to the race and each runner has 3 legs to run in rotation. I was runner #6 in Van 1 (V1) and my first leg was running in Calistoga, my second leg would be running across the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) and my third leg would be running 3 miles up Skyline the steepest hill-of the race (gulp).  I was anxious about the last leg but if that's what it took to run the GGB... it was game on.

Our 12 person team consisted of Microsemi employees

from Northern and Southern CA, some of us had never met before.  We were introduced to one another at a rental car company at the San Jose airport where we assembled
6 runners in each van. We made a quick trip to Costco, decorated our vans (Hunger Games style) and ate dinner together. Even though some of us might have been strangers hours before, we were now a team sharing a unique journey to cross a finish line.

Our Team Captain Joe at Costco (we would be eating a lot of Clif Bars!)



Hunger Games Theme 

All 12 Runners

Van 1- Michelle, Rob, Me, Mark, Naren & Nuru

 I was in Van 1 and was the 6th runner, so when I finished

my leg, I handed my baton over to Van 2 (below). 

Van 2 -Tim, Rick, Hong, Mar, Steve and Joe

Mar running in Calistoga (check out the vineyard)

 

Mark handing me the baton

My first run was almost mid-day and when I finished my miles I handed the baton over to V2.  Our van had some down time at a church that was converted into a rest station for runners.  We rested for a few hours (nobody could sleep) then headed out to take up the baton again from V2.  The rotation started over again...

My first Leg


The thing about this race is that you are always "on" even when you are not running.  Everyone in the van works together to direct the van to the next location and to support one another. Our van was very easy going and everyone got along (thank goodness).  No one needs a jerk on board especially under circumstances such as this.

At around 10:45 PM the baton was handed to me and this time I would be running over the GGB!  My journey started in Sausalito.  It was dark and I'm not exactly the most savvy at directions. 
I got lost going to the bridge and had to send an S.O.S text to my van to come find me.  They followed me and made sure I knew where to go. I made it to the bridge and then started across.  The weather was ideal, not cold at all which was unexpected. 
It was incredible and I took my sweet time.  I reflected a lot about my life crossing over that bridge.  Mostly, I was happy, just living in the moment and enjoying every minute of it. 

Not the greatest picture but it works!



After I crossed the GGB my team was waiting for me and I passed the baton to V2.

Our van then headed to rest area at a local community college.  By the time I fell asleep, it was time for our van to run again, oh yeah and by the way... it was 3:30 AM.

 We made our way to meet V2 and our team was running again.

Hours later, it was time for me to run my last leg and I was not looking forward to climbing Mt. Everest.  I was functioning on 3 hours of sleep and I was mentally and physically exhausted.  Drum roll please...

I was handed the baton and I started up the hill.  I'm not going to sugar coat this, it was a brutal monster of a hill.  If you're a runner and you think you've ran hills before, I hate to break it to you but you haven't.  My calves and thighs burned so bad that I had to actually turn around and run backwards to ease the discomfort- and this was only the first mile! 
I did a lot of self-talk during my climb, you can do this and you are not going to die. 
 Just when I thought I couldn't go any further, I was there.  I gladly passed the baton over. 

I was done!  

Our van journeyed to a local restaurant for a well deserved breakfast.  In the past 30 hours the only thing we had consumed were energy bars, soup, fruit and nuts. 

We were SO hungry!

After breakfast, we waited at the finish line for V2 to arrive.

Other Vans 

Microsemi Team Spirit

When we caught site of our last runner Tim, we ran in with him to the finish line.

WE DID IT! 

Team Microsemi running to the finish line

The Relay was an incredible experience. Not only did I cross an item off of my 40 before 40 list but I met some awesome individuals who inspired me to become a better runner.
 I have a strong feeling that a few team members will even become life long friends. 
Then again, when you spend 35 plus hours in a van together how could you not?

Time to cross off #29...

Our Bling!

Big Sur Run Weekend

This past weekend I traveled to Monterey to run in the Big Sur International Marathon.
I signed up to run 10.6 miles and I was excited because I'd heard from other runners that this was a
GREAT run.

 I arrived midday on Saturday and after picking up my race bib, I spent the afternoon walking around Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row, two of my favorite places in Monterey. 

Welcome to Fisherman's Wharf

He's used to getting his photo taken...

 

Fresh Shrimp Cocktail...Delish!

 



A local resident




The weather was sunny all afternoon and my day ended at a local seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean.  

A relaxed evening...right before a race, what more could a girl ask for?

Race Day

All 10.6 runners were shuttled from Monterey to their starting point location in Big Sur.
On the shuttle ride over,  I met runners from all parts of the country, Texas, Washington D.C and Iowa just to name a few.


We arrived at our location, a restaurant nestled high above the ocean water.  With beautiful panoramic views of the ocean,  I gathered that this was a prelude to what we would encounter on our run.

The race was to begin at 7:30 AM and at about 7:10 AM an announcement was made that everyone should start heading towards the starting line. Race bag in tow, I started up the hill to find the bag drop.  I was at the front of the starting line with a group of women who were also looking for the bag drop.  A volunteer informed us that the bag drop was just up ahead on our run. As he says this, the race official blows the horn! 15 minutes early! As soon as I heard the horn I bolted and so did the other women around me!  I was struggling to get my armband around my arm and at the same time I was trying to evaluate if I needed anything else from the bag.

A blonde haired woman next to me yelled, “I’m still wearing my cashmere sweater and I haven’t even stretched yet!”  This made everyone laugh who was in earshot.  We approached the bag drop which was a school bus with open windows.  We threw our race bags to the volunteers to catch.  Whew…now that I had that dead weight out of my hand I could properly assemble my armband. I was in dire need of some essential running tunes.


Finally, I was on my way...


 The scenery was gorgeous.  The views along the CA coastline were just as spectacular as promised.  
At every mile runners were serenaded with different genres of live music.  At one mile, a woman stringing an enormous harp and at another mile a local high school band. 
And to my surprise, there were lots of spectators whistling, clapping and cheering us on.
One lady yelled enthusiastically, “You go Melissa” with a fist pump. My first thought was she knows me or perhaps this is a race follower who has seen me at other running events.  I came to the realization a short while later that my name was very visible on my bib. Oops, oh well I appreciated the kudos immensely. 
One spectator, a boy around the age of 10, held up his hand for me to give him a high-five, which I kindly obliged.  He was pretty excited about it which made me smile. Before I knew it, I was near the end of the race. I was getting very close to the finish line when I spotted a runner ahead of me. Uh-oh…you see I wouldn’t describe myself as being competitive but for some reason…I just HAD to pass her!
I did end up passing her but she gave me a good run to the finish line.

My Medal

I received my finisher’s medal, gathered my race day provisions and journeyed back to the hotel where my race day began. I couldn’t wait to partake in my post- race ritual…a Starbuck’s coffee. It’s the little things, right?

I did it, 10.6 miles accomplished.

Cheers I'll drink to that!