Today my mood matches the dreary gray skies that have taken over California for the past few days. Last night my brother told me that my dog that I’ve had from 5th grade on, Cody, has cancer and has to be put to sleep. I’m very sad because he was a part of our family for so long. I also am sad becuase I think it’s one of the things I realized it would be really hard to say good bye too because he loved my Mom so much. He was her dog and they had a very special relationship. I knew this day would come but I also didn’t think that it would be so hard. I know all dogs go to Heaven though and I’m glad he won’t have to suffer while having cancer. I’ll miss you little buddy.
Trying to take a Christmas card picture with two dogs? Now that’s a challenge. He is a Shetland sheepdog and we got him at the pound when he was only one. He lived a good life and I’m glad he was a part of my life.
Hopefully next week the skies will clear and the sun will come back.
So perhaps you’ve seen all the weather related updates we’ve been having out here in the LBC, and well, all of Southern California. This has severely limited my workouts this week since it has taken me twice as long to get home and twice as long to get to work, many streets are flooded around my area and if there’s one thing I don’t do it’s run in the rain. I just can’t make myself do it and it seems that every time I run in the rain, the next day I’m feeling sick.
Especially since this weather is an actual ‘storm’ it’s a lot different than just a few sprinkles, like we normally have here when it ‘rains’. This is like torrential downpour, leak all over my desk, driving through run-off, trees falling over stormy stuff. Unearthing my car that is covered in palm fronds every morning is interesting and being re-routed just to get on the freeway is also a good time, but alas, it’s something different and I think it will make our city refreshed, or flooded. Either way, the Cave is still intact, pending any more tornado warnings we might have. REALLY?! I was watching the news and they said, if you are in an area with a Tornado, go to your basement. Um, we don’t have basements out here… So that’s exciting.
Our house hasn’t flooded at all and my car has made it through every mini river I’ve made it go through, so I’m doing okay. Workout out with commence again soon, but even swimming isn’t happening right now. Sad, sad day.
This picture was taken by Fat Tony and it’s right by the school I run past often. I love the guy canoeing… but why there is a poinsettia in the front of the canoe, one can only guess.
Poor Long Beach! We best start building our arks! Another great photo that was taken by Fat Tony
Another picture in front of Wilson High School. This is where I normally run by and it’s also the route of the Long Beach Marathon. This was also taken by Fat Tony
This should be a UPS ad! What can brown do for you? Man, they deliver no matter what! This was taken by Fat Tony
There are more pictures by Fat Tony of the flooded areas that you can find here. I never have seen his work before but man, he is a great photographer! I loved looking through all his work.
Also, another great photographer and friend is Aaron Michael, he took these four pictures.
Where did the sidewalk go? Another one of my running paths that I frequent.
The berms behind the news van are so that when the waves come higher than the normal area, they hope to not flood the area. They have been working on building the berms higher and higher. Pretty crazy waves/wind/rain this week!
Poor Palm Trees in the wind! Palm trees are really pretty but in the wind they shed like crazy! There are palm fronds and part of the trees EVERYWHERE littering the streets.
The storm is suppose to let up a little bit this weekend hopefully which will be nice to get out and get in a workout. I am going to also do some yoga tonight as the downpour continues. So that is considered a workout!
HA HA HA HA! There you go, hitch up the old oxen and get back on the Oregon Trail!
So I realized that I’ve never even done a review on my most favorite product, the Zensah sports bra and Zensah recovery socks. Obviously I love Zensah sports bras because I have three of them! I have never had any problem with the sports bra and I wanted to share my success with them with everyone. It seems that when I find something I love, I just can’t get enough of it and I want to scream it from the mountain tops… Since I don’t have a mountain, y’all have to listen to me here.
One of my favorite things about the bras are that they are seamless. There are no seams or tags on the bra and I think this really helps in the chafing aspect of a sports bra. The fact that they don’t have a tag makes them fit really well and also makes them not wreck your skin on long runs. I have never had a problem with chafing in these bras and I make sure that these are my race day bras. They have NEVER let me down. Another thing that I love about these bras is that they are nice and tight. I don’t feel that they are loose in any aspects and really keep everything together, if you know what I mean.
Here is a close-up of the bra from the front. I like how the Zensah logo is on the front smaller and also I like the runching that is on the inside of the bra to make it tight. Another aspect of the bra that I like is the waffling of the fabric on the straps. I really think that the waffling aspect gives more breathability and also makes the straps lighter on your shoulders.
The back also has the same waffling as the straps and I feel that this is moisture wicking and helps keep the back dry. I also really like how the bra is made. It’s not super heavy and the fabric is AAAAAAAHHHHHMAZING. If you have any Zensah products, you know their fabric is the softest around. That is one of my favorite things about the Zensah products, their fabric is so soft it is like butter against your skin, totally a win for a sports bra when your running twenty or more miles. The bra fits really well on my shoulders and the back fits really well in-between my shoulder blades. I have found that thinner bra straps don’t fit as well as a little bit thicker straps so I really like the fit of these straps. They aren’t too thick but still make sure that everything stays in place.
This is the back of the sports bra inside out. As you can see there is no tags, which I mentioned before is a big plus. The seams around the straps also don’t chafe and the elastic in the bra really is great. Also, another favorite feature of the bra is the fact that it stays tight and doesn’t ride up. That is another plus that really adds a lot in a good sports bra. I know that these are a little more expensive than a Target bra, but I really think these are worth it. I have never found a bra that stays in place and ‘holds everything in’ like the Zensah bra. As for sizing, I wear a small/medium, and it’s tight, but I like it that way. My bra size is in-between a 34 B and C. I used to swear by the Target bras, but now, I can’t think of wearing those ever again because they just aren’t as tight as these.
So these are Zensah Recovery socks. I’ve worn mine a lot and that is why the bottoms are dirty. Sorry, I know. So I realized that these are my favorite “recovery socks”. You are suppose to wear recovery socks to increase circulation and use compression to help heal the muscles that you’ve used on your run. I’ve tried three brands of recovery socks and these are my favorites hands down. There are three aspects that I love about these socks that really make them stand out.
1. Fabric
The fabric of Zensah products is one of the main things that makes Zensah stand out against it’s competitors. It’s the nicest material out there and it’s almost like silk. The fabric is really durable and I love wearing the socks to bed, to work, and just around the house. The socks are so soft, I can’t even describe it. The fabric also holds well and I feel like really is what makes the sock stand out.
2. Compression
The compression in the socks is really the best I’ve experienced. I felt like they were compressed in the right areas, which is the calves and shin area for me. I really liked how tight they were and since the fabric is really soft it felt really good against my skin. The compression is also on the foot area which I also thought was a benefit. I have tried on some recovery socks and they just feel like glorified softball socks. I’m not going to pay $40 bucks for softball socks, sorry. I really feel that they are tight and fit well.
3. Cushion
Another great aspect of the socks is the fact that they have cushion in the foot area. You can kind of see it on the picture above but the bottom part of the sock is cushiony and not one sock I tried on was like that. It makes it a lot easier for walking since my legs hurt after a long run, but so do my feet. It adds a little something extra that I really think makes the sock stand out against competitors. The cushion was nice to be able to just wear the socks around the house and it made the socks that much more comfortable, which let’s be honest, these socks aren’t for fashion.
Anyways, since Zensah is a cool company, they wanted to offer my readers a discount on compression socks and sports bras. Just type in “Chicten” if you want 10% off compression socks and sports bras.
I really like the stuff, and I assure you, once you feel how soft it is and realize how great of a product they have, you won’t be disappointed. *Also, Zensah doesn’t pay me for this.. just wanted to share about how great their stuff is, since it works for me. Then I emailed them for the discount code. So check it out!
So this tour through the streets of LA for the LA Marathon course preview might as well be called the Billy and Danica show it seems. If you missed last weekend’s tour of miles 20-26.2, check it out! Billy’s report is also a little bit more technical, and you can find it here as well. It’s pretty hilarious to see us running around town and though many of you may not believe this, I NEVER go to LA, like, never, ever. The traffic to get up there is usually horrendous so I don’t even deal with it. After this run though I’m starting to want to venture out to try out some new fun places up there! Since I never travel up there, seeing the sites for me is like almost being a tourist up there! It get so excited to see everything and I’m sure Billy is almost tired of me saying, “Oh, that’s where it is!” It’s funny because I always hear about stuff on the news or hear about concerts going on, but I have no idea where in LA things are. Welp, here we are at mile 14 ready to start our journey to mile 20 again!
The day started out great, it was warm, the sun was out and it looks like Billy was ready to race? After loading up all our stuff we were ready to take off. Many asked how we got our mile number signs last time, well Billy wears a backpack while running and he carries all our crap, which includes mile marker signs, water bottle, camera and my child, the iPhone. THANK YOU SHERPA!!!!
Claude seemed to be a little nervous and it took him a really long time to figure out what was going on! Poor little guy couldn’t find satellite for the life of him! Finally he found it and we took off down Sunset Blvd!
Starting out at Mile 14 on the Sunset Strip. There is a lot going on down this street, including many intimate venues for concerts and bars and well known ‘places’ where celebs hang out. Tons of stores, eclectic places to hang out, and people watching to be had. All I wanted to see was a celebrity and I didn’t see one the entire day! Unlike last week when I saw Tim Robbins on a bike while I was riding around wearing a tutu.
This is in front of the Whiskey a Go-Go. It’s a pretty cool bar and they have a lot of cool shows there. I’ve never been inside but I’ve heard about it a lot and a lot of people play there, seemed cool.
The Troubadour also has a lot of smaller shows and seems like it’s a fun venue. From the like three concerts I’ve ever been to in my life, I really enjoyed the smaller shows. Perhaps one of these days I’ll make up there for a concert.
At mile 14.5 there is a pretty steady downhill as you can tell. It is nice because most of the streets are very wide and seem to be able to take on a large crowd of people, perfect for the marathon route.
I love the signs in Beverly Hills. Everything seems so nice and uppity. I definitely don’t belong there! There were again, like last week’s route, tons of really nice houses, and lots of cool sidewalks to run on and a grassy median in the center of the street. We veered to the sidewalks though because I don’t like the grass, Billy complained.
Mile 15 was at Santa Monica Blvd and all I could think of was that one song that goes, “When the sun comes up over Santa Monica Blvd…” The sun was just coming up over the buildings and it was a nice area to be running in. We stayed mostly on the sidewalks at this part too.
Then we entered the area that was mostly residential again. Not the most exciting area, but it was alright and I knew that Rodeo Drive was coming up and I was excited to run down that!
We passed in front of a huge, very nice fire station, this art sculpture looking thing, the Beverly Hills Courthouse and then we were at mile 16. As you can tell the clouds were moving in but it was still fairly warm out. We were getting close to Rodeo Drive!
Billy caught me looking up and down the street at all the expensive stores that line Rodeo Drive. It’s crazy how many stores are down there and how nice everything looks. So different and I couldn’t believe I was running down Rodeo Drive looking like a little bum. I do think the oversized sunglasses helped though!
Me trying to look everywhere to see everything and take in as much as I could while running. There was Hermes, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Chanel, Harry Winston, Cartier, everything you see in all those fashion magazines. It reminded me how poor I am.
Those huge Chanel Bags. AHHHHHH. The window displays we ran by were even crazy! It was so fun to see everything though, and Billy and I ran slow so we could look at everything around us.
Yup, who would have ever guessed I would be running down Rodeo drive, and not because I stole something?! There were so many great things to keep us looking in every direction.
There was a little trolley sitting on one of the side streets so we took a picture by it. I thought it was so cute that it said Deck the Hills! Oh Beverly Hills, you are a place all of your own.
There’s the little mini side street where only people can walk and we decided to walk through it just for fun, it’s really short. There are the high-high name stores on this street and just looking in the windows was crazy. They had guards at the doors and it seemed insane that people could actually buy things from these stores.
Trying to take a double picture to capture both of us on the little mini side street. It’s like another world in there. You can see the Tiffany and Co. guard in the background.
um… OBVIOUSLY this was a must have picture, minus the fact that I’m not dressed cute, but oh well. T&Co. :) <3 By the time we drove by later the big doors were open!
Mile 17 is actually right after Rodeo Drive just a bit but you are still in an area surrounded by some really nice stores. Obviously, you can see the Neiman Marcus behind me. There was a Saks and some other stores too that were bigger than the stores on Rodeo.
Then, as we went on Sunday, the Golden Globes were being held! I thought for sure this would equal some celebs, but alas they were not out yet! This is the police and security setting up for the award show. We weren’t allowed to run down this street, Billy even asked, but it was cool to see all the news trucks and people getting ready.
Then we ran down and found out that we were right on target! This was the first time we’ve ever seen these mile markers and I got so excited to see them! Mile 18 is in front of a big shopping area with a restaurant called Pink Taco and Gulf Stream and a few others. I have never been there but it looks like a fun place to go. There is a slight uphill right around mile 18 as well. Along the course, this is the biggest uphill I’ve seen thus far.
Billy and I were starting to get hungry AGAIN… so therefore we contemplated getting fries from an upcoming McDonalds for about five minutes, we went back and forth on it for some time, actually. We opted to pass the McDonalds though. Then we talked about the Chicken Sandwiches and decided that after our run we were getting food because we were both starving. We also realized along our route we ran, we passed by a total of three Subways. Weird, but true fact.
Mile 19 and at this point I was thinking, YAY! one more mile to mile 20! It’s a fairly flat area and there isn’t too much exciting going on the course at this point. Just a commercialish with some apartments and random stores on the side of the road.
Finally mile 20! Our starting point last week. It was starting to get cold at this point and the storm that is coming in and suppose to stay all week seemed to be arriving. I’m glad we got our miles in before I was freezing and stuck in the middle of LA in pouring rain and booty shorts.
It took us so long to take this picture because we had to run into the middle of the street and there were cars driving by. Then it didn’t even turn out right. Oh well!
The food pains in my stomach made me turn angry!
Finally we went to Dupars, this delicious place at the Grove. Shocker, I’ve never been there either. Well this place has incredible pancakes and I got some chicken strips too! They were SO good. Chicken strips are my favorite and I basically get them everywhere I go. Another great course route preview with great weather! By the time we left Dupars it was just starting to sprinkle so I had to make the drive home in the rain. Luckily, I got home safe and changed into my sweats and just to show you that not everything in CA is always sunny, here is the weather forecast this week.
So looks like we got the course done just in time for the torrential downpour! Stay tuned for the next preview Miles 8-14 that hopefully might take place next weekend pending rain and scheduling. So far though, the course is fairly flat with a few small uphills and some decent downhills. I am excited to run it come race day! Hope you enjoyed it!
Friday night was DJ’s birthday celebration. There is a red, touristy looking, double decker bus that many people rent out for events, and DJ rented it out for her birthday. It drives around to around 3 bars and you can drink on the bus and let me just tell you, it was a blast! I’ve been on it twice before for two other friends birthdays and its always so much fun. For fist pump fest 2010 we hit up a few bars and somehow 15 people ended up sleeping at our 900 square foot apartment. Stepping over all them to go on my run Saturday morning was funny.
DJ and I before heading out to the bus. We are a little obsessed with the ridiculous show that is Jersey Shore, so our shirts said Gym. Tan. Laundry and then underneath it said Fist Pump Fest 2010. There was a lot of fist pumping going on, that’s for sure.
Before we even left the Cave there was fist pumping going on! It was so much fun and everyone had a blast, needless to say, getting up early the next morning for my suppose to be thirteen miler and ended up to be an eleven miler because I procrastinated and was tired made my run a little less desirable.
So I started out feeling alright on my run and just took off. I knew I would have to run out for about 6.5 miles and then come back home to finish it off and make sure I got all my miles in. Well somewhere along the route I got kind of lost and was running along side the side of a busy street in the gutter because there was no sidewalk. Not the best idea but sometimes I get adventurous and try to find new routes to run on around my house and then I get kind of lost and I don’t know the terrain that well. Not good on my part, but now I know where I can’t run. It was overall a good run though, once I got out of running in the gutter. Luckily there weren’t too many people out since it was somewhat early, but still, I need to be careful. It got a little warm by the end, but my knee didn’t give me any problems and I only got hungry towards miles 9-11.
Then I swam that evening because my legs were so sore and I knew getting in the pool would make me feel better, which was true. I also knew it would be good since I was going to be running six miles in the morning for the LA marathon course preview, which will be posted tomorrow. Overall, this weekend was a success of working out, but I’ve come to realize that come Monday, I’m SO happy for a rest day since I’m working out so much on the weekends now. Ahhh, sleep!
It’s suppose to rain every day this week so we’ll see how much running and swimming I get in with this crazy weather!
