Gym Review: Aliso Viejo 24 Hr Fitness

If I were to rate this gym using the standard hotel star-rating system, this gym would get one star. It's the gym equivalent of Motel 6. Pathetic.

On Monday evening I went to the 24 Hr Fitness in Aliso Viejo to run 3 miles. When I walked in the girl working at the front desk hardly even looked at me, let alone scanned my membership card or checked my ID. I walked over to the treadmills and found one in front of a fan and next to some other dude (everyone was huddled together beneath the fans because they keep the thermostat so freakin' high there). The dude on the treadmill next to mine informed me that my treadmill didn't work. Wonderful. So I find another treadmill beneath a fan that isn't on and I climb over the treadmill and reach up and turn on the fan. I'll have nice breeze now, right? Well, yes, if by "nice" you mean a disgusting, dusty, dirty, germy breeze. The fan was covered--caked--plastered with grey dirt and dust--all blowing in my direction. Gross! As I look around I notice dust and dirt everywhere--all over the floor and the machines. And now that I'm looking, I see that the windows in front of me are streaky and dirty. What are my $16 dues a month going towards?? Well, I guess I'm getting what I pay for (which isn't much). After my 3 mile run (during which I had two guys, on both sides of me, running...one would increase his speed and then the other would...it was commical) I figured I would tell that girl painting her nails at the front desk that as a paying patron of this facility, I expect better service! Clean fans! Clean equipment! Streak-free windows! I demand to have a cool, clean breeze blowing the wisps of my hair as I run in place on the treadmill! Yeah...well, she had vacated her post at the front desk and no one was there.

So wiped my dirty, sweaty face and hands on the jacket she had left on her chair.

Just kidding...maybe...

Registered!

I've actually been registered for the race for at least a month now. There's no backing out now. I'm really looking forward to running this race with Katie and possibly her husband, mother-in-law, sister, brothers, and friend (Andi). It's going to be fun to have a supportive running group and cheering squad!

Last year Katie and Andi ran this race together and they are now semi-famous after having their picture taken in matching pink shorts at the start of the race. Their picture has been plastered on the race's Web site at http://www.rnraz.com/ and on brochures, promotional e-mails, and other marketing materials all over the country.


When I was in Fort Collins, CO, in September I was excited to see them on a brochure at a bagel shop!

The Official Schedule

Here it is...the schedule I'll be following to train for this beast of a race. Props go out to Hal Higdon for devising it.

On your mark, get set...

...train!

Yup, my training for the half marathon has officially begun! This morning I woke up well before the crack of dawn and met Diana at her house at 5:40am. We went over to her association's fitness center in Rancho Niguel and I ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I walked for about another .4 miles and then we worked out on the elliptical machine for 10 minutes before I stretched and went home to shower and head off to work. Tomorrow we plan on meeting at 5:20am...yikes! It's so nice running with Diana again though! The workout flies by and even though it's hard, in the end I like waking up early and getting my workout done before work instead of after work (especially since it's getting darker earlier and earlier). After the smoke from all of these files clears we'll be able to run outside again. Until then, we be up in the gym just workin' on our fitness...

She said I think I'll go to Boston...

I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly 'em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah

**************************

I spent last weekend in Beantown, exploring the historic city with my Mom. I brought all of my running clothes, but didn't end up actually going out for a run. But, we did a TON of walking--all along the Freedom Trail, Newbury Street, the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Harvard, and so much more. We toured all of the historic sites, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the state capitol. We also saw a musical at the Boston Center for the Arts (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and cheered on the Red Sox at a pub near Quincy Market. Good times.

I've heard the song I quoted from above, by Augustana, many times on the radio. Each time it plays I swear it's being sung just for me, luring me to leave the stucco-sided buildings, palm trees, and celebrity-obsessed everything of SoCal for the traditional brick buildings, maple trees, and intellectual minds of New England's beautiful Boston. I loved visiting Boston and learning more about the city, but after visiting it I had a hard time picturing myself actually living there. Perhaps it's too big of a city for a girl who's originally from a small farming town with less than 300 inhabitants. So now my dreams of moving away from the Orange Coast are focused more on Portland, or better yet, Denver, where at least one person will know my name (my sister!).

Today's song of the day is obviously Boston, from Augustana:

In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed... you said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across
An open field,
When flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you
You said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

She said I think I'll go to Boston...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly 'em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

You don't know me, you don't even care...

Boston...where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Yeah Boston...
Where no one knows my name.

Running in Portland

This past weekend I went to Portland with a co-worker to work at our company's booth at the Great Western Council of Optometry meeting. Even though we were there to work, we still had time for a little fun, and I had time for a little run:-) In addition to working on Friday, we also walked around NW 23rd Street and went out to eat at an amazing restaurant called Papa Haydn. On Saturday morning I woke up early and went for a three mile run in the morning mist. I ran on the Riverwalk (next to the Willamette River) and across the Steele Bridge. It was very invigorating to be running around a new city.

After my morning run we went to the Saturday Market, back to the convention center to work, and then to lunch at Mother's Bistro...where we ate at a table next to Jennifer Aniston and her mom!!! My co-worker commented that it was ironic that we had to come all the way to Portland to see a movie star (especially considering how close we live to L.A.). After lunch with Jen (that's what her peeps call her), we browsed through Powell's Books before heading back down to sunny, superficial SoCal.

Sigh...I think I could run and live in Portland on a permanent basis...

New Running Partner!

Last night I went for a run with a new running partner—Sara. She met me at my house after work and we drove down Alicia and parked the car and then ran around Lake Laguna Niguel in the Laguna Niguel Regional Park. I love that park! The run was probably a little less than 3 miles, but it felt good to be outside, to be running, and to be chatting with a new friend. Most of the run is pretty flat, with one small hill. The trail hugs the lake and at one point is crowded with 50+ ducks and geese. Autumn is definitely in the air and on the leaves. Reminds me of my old cross country days...ah...

Humbled

It has now been four months since I ran my marathon. Not the San Diego marathon, but my marathon. Emil Zatopek said that “We are different, in essence, from other [wo]men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.” And what an experience I had! Running in that race was honestly one of the most inspiring things that I have ever done. I still get a little verklempt thinking about it. Give me a moment. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: A thigh master is neither a thigh nor a master. Discuss!
Okay, I'm better. So, since my last blog, 26 While 26, ended, a few things have happened in my life, as they tend to do. My toenail that fell off is growing back (I’ve been eating lots of roast beef). My right foot’s big toenail that went to the market got its butt kicked while fighting for the last free sample of a broccoli bagel bite at Costco and came home barely hanging on to life. It has been determined that the toenail is not going to make it and right now I’m just waiting for the day when it, too, falls off.

In July I disappeared for a weekend into the San Francisco fog where I visited with my dear friends, the Bells. Megan and I reminisced about the days when we ran together in the OC and we went for a run on a new trail—one that went from her apartment in the tony Russian Hill neighborhood to across the Golden Gate Bridge! She put Madison in the baby jogger and we ran for about 6-7 miles, through the city streets, Presidio, and finally across the very cold and very windy bridge. What an experience! When we got to the other side of the bridge, we called her husband to come pick us up (hey, one way was amazing enough; there was no need to flip it and reverse it back 6-7 miles!).

After my cool weekend in San Francisco, I jetted off to Casa Grande, AZ, to spend a weekend with my other dear friends, the La Salvias. And finally, finally, Katie and I got to go running together again! Katie is my longest running partner—I’ve been running with her since 8th grade! We woke up super early in the mornings to beat the suffocating desert heat. Katie, now it’s your turn to come out to CA and run with me by the ocean!!

In August my Mom, Grammy, and Great Aunt Nancy came to visit me. Since my Grammy is now 87 and my Aunt Nancy is almost 77, they weren’t really up for a long run. Instead, we did a lot of walking—in Balboa Park in San Diego, down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and all around my condo complex. While we were in San Diego we went on a trolley tour of the city and I excitedly pointed out to my family (and everyone else within earshot) all the places I passed while running the marathon. “Look! That’s the hotel I stayed in! And this is where I lined up at the start line! And this is where I crossed the 10k mark! And this is where I saw that guy peeing on a tree! Oh, I ran down this road…and this one…oh! And this one too! Ah! And this is where I finished!!” So basically everyone on the trolley paid thirty bucks each to relive my marathon experience with me. Dang…now that I think about it, they should have paid me that money! I put on a good show!

August was full of birthdays: Sabina’s (30!), Kara’s (30!), Nicole D.’s (29!), Grammy’s (87!), Cameron’s (1!), and, ug…mine:-( It happened. I turned 27. I am still having a hard time adjusting to this new age. Yeah, yeah, 27 is not old. But the thing is, I feel like I’m 27 going on 45. You see, I’ve got an old soul. 26 was a good year—mostly in part to my marathon quest. I’m scared about year 27. What will my goals be this year? What will I accomplish? What good (and…yikes…bad!) things will happen this year? Honestly, the whole thing is freakin’ me out. One day I actually sat in my office in tears because I wanted to be 22/23 again. Now I really know why Hallmark makes all those birthday cards that make fun of age: Getting old(er) sucks! [Note: If you’re over the age of 27 and reading this, please do not send me hate mail. You see, you are the lovely exception to this getting old thing. In fact, you don’t look a day over 17!]

After my birthday I hopped on a plane and flew to Denver to spend Labor Day with my sister. We didn’t go running together, but we, of course, did go hiking. This time, though, we didn’t have to hike through any snow fields.

In September I ran 5K in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Newport Beach with Sabina and Nicole B. I wasn’t super speedy, but I finished in 27:56 and I was happy with that.

In 2 ½ weeks I am going to start training to accomplish my next goal: My first half marathon! Frank Shorter said that “You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.” And so it is time to forget about last year, forget about the seven months of training, forget about my 26 While 26 mission and blog, forget about my marathon, and forget about being 26. It’s time to move on. I’m looking forward to this new goal in my life. I’m ready for my running shoes to hit the pavement (and treadmill!) again. If you can’t join me for a run, you can at least keep up with me in cyberspace as I train to run 13 miles on January 13th.

Bill Rodgers said, "The marathon can humble you." And it has. I pray that this next goal, this next race, humbles me even more. It is fitting, then, that today's song of the day is Humble Me, by Norah Jones:

Went out on a limb
Gone too far
Broken down at the side of the road
Stranded at the outskirts and sun's creepin' up
Baby's in the backseat
Still fast asleep
Dreamin' of better days
I don't want to call you but you're all I have to turn to

What do you say
When it's all gone away?
Baby I didn't mean to hurt you
Truth spoke in whispers will tear you apart
No matter how hard you resist it
It never rains when you want it to

You humble me Lord
Humble me Lord
I'm on my knees empty
You humble me Lord
You humble me Lord
Please, please, please forgive me

Baby Teresa got your eyes
I see you all the time
When she asks about her daddy
I never know what to say

Heard you knocked the bottle
And helped to build the church
You carry an honest wage
Is it true you have someone keeping you company?

What do you say
When its all gone away?
Baby I didn't meant to hurt you
Truth spoke in whispers will tear you apart
No matter how hard you resist it
It never rains when you want it to

You humble me Lord
Humble me Lord
I'm on me knees empty
You humble me Lord
You humble me Lord
Please, please, please forgive me