Reflections of 2011

REFLECTIONS OF 2011

WINTER:  The year kicked off on an adventurous note with my first trip up to Big Bear with my bro Kevin who treated me to a day of skiing (my first time on the downhill front in 10 years). With temperatures in the 50s (gotta love California for that), the powder wasn’t great but nonetheless, we had a blast.  The following weekend, I took a scenic coastal train ride up to Santa Barbara for a fun weekend with friends. Cool little seaside town, will definitely be back.

Skiing at Big Bear Mountain

Train Ride to Santa Barbara with friends

SPRING: The start of spring coincided with the kickoff to my 2011 racing season at NYC Half Marathon, my second consecutive trip back to Manhattan for this gorgeous 13.1 mile tour of Central Park, Times Square, and an eventual finish at Battery Park.  For all the runners out there, I highly recommend this race.  Pre-race, I had the honor of joining Olympian Meb Keflezighi and my friends from Infinite Running (a coaching company I serve as nutritionist for and with whom graciously supports my running goals) for dinner in Manhattan. Race day this year was a cold one though and my San Diego blood wasn’t quite ready for the sub-freezing temperature and winds at the start.  Nonetheless, it was exciting to brush shoulders with some of the fastest runners in the world (everyone LOVES racing in NYC) and as the gun went off, I quickly forgot about the cold, cruising toward a new 13.1 PR of 1:22:20.



Pre-race dinner with friends



A few weeks later, I returned to Vancouver to race the Vancouver Marathon (I’ll be back in Vancouver this upcoming May) and while I wasn’t able to secure the time I wanted, I moved up a place in the standings, placing 3^rd overall for women

and breaking 3 hours for my second time (2:59).  While accepting my award, I got to meet running legend Kathryn Switzer (pictured to the right of me) which was a huge honor and inspiring. I had a blast meeting new athletes from all over the world, hanging with some of my San Diego running family, and visiting my friend Greg who graciously offered a place for me to stay post-race as well as gave me the inside tour of the city, which included a nice dinner at the English Boathouse with fellow podium runners from the half and full marathon.

Beautiful Vancouver

Receiving my 3rd OA award from women's running icon Kathryn Switzer

Dinner at English Boathouse post-race

With 2011 marking the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, a dismal day in history, it was nice to see some justice finally being served with the take down of Bin Laden one day post-race. I am forever grateful for our soldiers who bravely and selflessly fight for our freedom. 2011 has been a particularly hard one for many, including myself. For the first time, the war on terrorism hit way too close to home as one of my friends, a decorated Navy Seal these past 17 years, was KIA along with 30 others while on a mission in Afghanistan.  I just don’t understand where the hatred of a terrorist originates.  Sad (and scary) to think that there are many more like Bin Laden being bred with the same disgusting mindset. 

Justice is served

I ended spring on a happy note with a fun trip out to Charlotte, NC for my long-time friend Sue’s bridal and bachelorette party, which turned out to be a nice mix of Southern hospitality at Duke Mansion (pictured through the trees), bubbly (lots of it), race cars (Charlotte is home to Nascar), and VIP clubbin’.  Beyond the excitement of getting married, Sue & her hubby Ben also purchased a beautiful new home, which no doubt will generate a lifetime of sweet memories. So pumped for them and can’t wait to come back to visit in 2012.

Duke Mansion through the trees

VIP treatment for the bride at Butter Nightclub, Charlotte

SUMMER: To kick-off summer, I headed back to the Midwest for Sue & Ben’s wedding at Gun Lake in Michigan. I thankfully didn’t have any encounters with guns while running the country roads that circled the massive lake but did enjoy jumping in it post-run.  Wedding festivities were a blast; can’t get much better than 80 degree sunshine in the best of company on a summer evening in the Midwest.  Even the sunset was spectacular with the entire wedding party taking a boat onto the lake to witness the gorgeous display of colors. 

The happy couple on Gun Lake at sunset

Sue & Ben’s wedding was definitely the highlight of the summer but I did manage to get out to a few shows (still a lover of live music). My fav was Independence Jam held in Oceanside (yep, you guessed it, an oceanside concert venue) where Cold War Kids brilliantly performed their new album. Outside of that, the bulk of summer was spent working on my book, Functional Ingredients and Supplements for the Athlete. Submission to my publisher, Human Kinetics, is in March, hopeful release by year’s end 2012 or early 2013. It has definitely proven to be a challenge balancing deadlines with full time duties heading up my business and chasing after my running dreams. 

Independence Jam, Oceanside (California)

Towards the end of summer, I was finishing up a workout with Coach Kevin McCarey (a great coach here in San Diego) when I received the horrific news that my friend JT, a total bad arse athlete and long-time Navy Seal, was in a helicopter that had been shot down by enemy fire just hours earlier in Afghanistan.  It is hard to describe the emotions that entered me that morning but let’s just say they were running at lightning fast speed bringing all sorts of weather that made it really hard to focus on anything for some time.  A week after this occurred, I flew out to Chicago to run Chicago Rock n’ Roll Half as part of my training for my Fall Marathon.  I decided to dedicate my race to JT and all his fallen comrades of 8-6-11.  It was the least I could do and also served as my way of coping with the loss.  I don’t think I have ever sat on the starting line of a race with tears in my eyes but I didn’t’ care.  The tragic events of 8-6-11 serve as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice our soldiers make day in day out to serve our country proud.  Thanks to all of you who have served or continue to serve; you will forever have my utmost respect. JT’s energy from above no doubt helped me that morning as, despite windy conditions, I broke another personal 13.1 record, dropping my time down to 1:21 and finishing 5^th overall in stacked competition.

Never forget 8-6-11

Running in honor of JT and our fallen brave

With my dad post-race

Fall: Fall kicked off with a couple cross-country running races in San Diego followed by my “A” race of the year, Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis.  I entered the race in honestly the best shape of my life, running faster than I have ever run so I was extremely excited to lay it all out on the line, to chase after the Olympic Trial Qualifying standard.  Unfortunately, some things are out of my control and on this particular day, my asthma bore its ugly head and I knew after posting nearly 20 miles on pace, my shallow breathing/wheezing was doing some damage as I couldn’t inhale a full breath and when I tried, my abdominal wall went into spasm state.  Long story short, I did finish, but had to walk/jog the final 10k.  End Time: 2:57.  I was extremely let down that my hard work didn’t culminate to what I had envisioned but sometimes as an athlete, it are these tough moments that pave the way to better things.  After the race, I had a blast catching up with a couple of my college running teammates from Illinois State…thanks again Jenny and Heather for coming out to cheer me on!  Love you gals!

With my former Redbird XC teammates Heather & Jenny at the finishline.

One week after Twin Cities, I had the honor of returning to Chicago to run Chicago Marathon as part of a charity relay with Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan of the US Women’s Soccer Team on behalf of JT and Got Your Back Network (GYBN), a charity organization dedicated to helping families of fallen soldiers like JT’s.  This opportunity came about when I submitted an essay about JT that was chosen by Bank of America as a winner, which allowed me to join 11 others in honoring our respective charities and raise $5000 for GYBN , all of which was donated to JT’s memorial fund that will help build a memorial statue honoring the fallen soldiers of 8-6-11 as well as launch an annual road race to raise money for other families of fallen soldiers.  It was an experience I will never forget.

Running with US Women's Soccer Star Alex Morgan on behalf of Got Your Back Network in honor of JT

Bank of America's Let's Run Together Charity Relay Runners

Honoring JT with US Women's Soccer rockstars Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan

This Fall, I also enjoyed serving as an assistant coach for Biships High School in La Jolla.  Both teams won the conference title this year and the boy’s posted the highest finish for a Bishops XC team ever when the clinched 8^th OA at a stacked state championship meet.  The weekend of the state championship meet, one of the gals on the team came up to me and told me that she was most thankful for me this holiday season; the comment just about melted my heart and really solidified why I love coaching especially at this age.  Being able to share my knowledge of nutrition and fitness and experience in sport with these kids is a pure joy.

Bishops XC Knights run their way to a Conference Title, I'm a proud coach!

While the kids season winded down, I was enjoying focusing on shorter, faster stuff in preparation for the USATF Club XC Nationals Championships with which I was joining my San Diego Track Club teammates for in Seattle.  It is always fun visiting new cities during the holidays as everything is generally all decked out pretty.  Seattle was no different with a spectacle of lights in the city although it was the library of all places that moved us most.  It was like one big art exhibit in city center.  The race, despite the chilly damp air and slippery terrain, went extremely well.  I ended up running 20 seconds faster than last year on a slower course, clinching a spot in the top 15 nationally for woman 30+.  It was a nice way to end a year of racing that included many compromises as
 I chased after dreams.  After the race, we had fun celebrating and exploring the beautiful trails of Discovery Park before returning to San Diego.

Starting line, USATF Club XC Champs (I'm on the far end with the hat on)

San Diego Track Club at Club XC Nationals in Seattle

San Diego Track Clubbers at dinner

Enjoyed beautiful vistas during a trail run at Discover Park, Seattle

This holiday season, I feel really blessed to have my health and my happiness in the company of my amazing friends and family and am looking forward to the many adventures that lay ahead in 2012.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with peace, love, and happiness.

Love always,

Kim