San Ysidro - 8.75 miles in!

8.75 miles to Canada! Here are 3 facts about San Ysidro, California 

Border
The San Ysidro border crossing is the busiest in the world with over 50 million people crossing from one side to another year. 

San Ysidro McDonald's massacre 

On July 18, 1984, James Oliver Huberty, a 41-year old former welder from Canton, Ohio, committed a mass murder of 21 people inside of a McDonald's restaurant in the community. The McDonald's site was razed in 1985. The site is now home to a Southwestern College satellite campus.

Couldn't find any acceptable pictures of San Ysidro, so here is one of my cat, Yoda.

Success!!

Hello All,

I was only able to get a 1.5 mile run in with Andrew this weekend due to birthday festivities - it was exciting to run with him though! Great way to start my birthday celebration.

Today I had a wonderful run! I got past the uncomfortable part and skated into the groove of running. The random hills and the 3 flights of stairs in the middle of the run were not helpful, but I had a great time

Target Heart Rate

I use a heart rate monitor that came with my Garmin 110 watch to monitor my heart rate while I run.  I am one of those people that likes to sprint for a half-mile and then give up and walk.  I use the heart rate monitor to stay in my "target heart rate zone."  Here is a good link on determining exercise intensity.  I aimed to keep my heart rate between 115 and 155 during my run.  My average heart rate was 139 bpm and I was always able to keep it above 120, even when I took a quick walk break.  Love my new Garmin watch and monitor! :)

Fun Facts!

I showed my Dad my blog this weekend when I went to Orange County for my birthday, and he was like "I wouldn't read that. Who would read that? You need to make it interesting. Put in some fun facts about the cities you get to!" My next post will be about a place 8.75 miles into my route.

Birthday

I had a really great birthday weekend! Andrew greeted me in the morning with a Chai Tea Latte - my fave! Then we went for a short jog.  We drove to R & D Cafe in Fashion Island and met up with Michelle - a buddy of mine from high school.  This huge piece of carrot cake was delish!

Then Michelle and I shopped around - Andrew was a good sport, it being my birthday and all.  I got a  cute new black dress from Penguin (who knew they have women's clothes??).  We went out to Wildfish - an amazing seafood restaurant in Newport Beach - with my parents, John and his roommate Christina.  We had a really great time.

Andrew and I before dinner

The restaurant had this waiting at the table for me. Can you say classy?

Surf and Turf!

I need to bring my real camera out.  A picture of us using my phone. Eek!

Bananas Foster Flambe! 

Playlist - "Here we go" on my Spotify

Miles Complete: 8.75 (average of 1.46 miles per day; goal = 3.80 miles per day)
Miles Left: 1381.25

Yay for this commitment to running!!

xoxo,
Carolyn

Sushi and Uggs (2 miles)

Hey y'all,

Yesterday I skipped running :( I pulled a 9-hour shift (tough getting back to work after vacation!) and went to bed afterwards and watched Netflix. OOPS. 

Back on track today kinda-sorta.  I was walking to sushi with the man, Andrew, and he jokingly said "Why don't you jog ahead and back until we get there and you can count it as one of your runs?" So I DID! I was wearing Uggs and long pants, but I randomly had my Garmin watch, so off I went! I jogged for a mile and then ate delicious sushi at Sushi Diner - my favorite place! It's super small and I always get this roll - the Seared Ahi Tuna roll.  

After I digested said sushi while watching "Girls" re-runs, I went back out to jog.  I only ran a mile! I had to call 911 during the run because there was a man beating a woman outside their car. It really put a downer on my run and I decided to stop running in the dark because my neighborhood is dark and kinda sketch.  

TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY! Get excited for a special BIRTHDAY BLOG - the best kind of blog there is.

Burritos and Water Belts

I swiftly adorned my gear (Garmin 110 watch, Nathan Water Belt and Nike Lunar Glide Running Shoes) and I was off! Santa Claus was good to me this year.  Water belts are conventionally worn for long distances, but I wore it for a solid TWO-MILE RUN.  I like to take little sips of water throughout my run since I don't hydrate well during the day.  I ran to the sounds of cars going by, water sloshing in my belt and my feet hitting the pavement.  It was lovely. I was wheezing pathetically as I walked back up the stairs to my apartment. My cat was happy to see me again :) 

P.S. I decided to eat a giant burrito right before my first run of my challenge. SIDE-ACHE CENTRAL.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolution

I have decided to run (in total miles over 1 year's time) from Tijuana, Mexico, to Peace Arch Provincial Park in British Columbia (just over the border).

1,390 miles in 1 year or 3.8 miles per day. 

I used to love running and it really centered me. I slept better, focused more intently, and was a much happier person. I stopped running a long time ago and am excited to get back into it. 

Here's to a great year of running!

-Carolyn