14 Miles- ACCOMPLISHED!

Saturday's run was hard, but we finished! I think at mile 11 is where my legs started to feel like jell-o. My teammates did a good job with keeping each other going. Reminder, we're not allowed to run with an ipod (and earbuds) while training for our own safety so we must keep ourselves entertained with each other's company. Which actually is way better. I've said it many times...I have an amazing team!

One of my teammates was able to speak out about why he was running for APLA. In 1992 his wife died of an AIDS related virus. It crushed him and changed his views on how he viewed the disease. It really touched me, since I never knew about it!

Life is too short to not go for what you have always wanted to achieve. Life is too short to hate. Tomorrow is never guaranteed to us, so always remember to make the best out of each hour that you are breathing.

At the end of my 14 mile run I couldn't do anything but cry. I ran 14 miles! I never thought I could run as long as I did and it felt great! To run and raise money for people that are infected and effected by this virus is what keeps me going. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's exhausting. But making a difference in someone else's life is more rewarding.

Thank you for donating. So far you have helped me raise $1660. I still have to raise $3200 in 1 month!

Thank you all who have already donated! YOU are a hero!!!!

xo,
Yoleine

YIKES!

I haven't updated my blog in a while! I promise I've been doing all of my practice runs and team runs. I did miss the last week of July due to a back spasm and the first week of August due to a wedding I was coordinating.

But I've been practicing and running 3-5 miles twice during the week to prepare myself for a double digit run. Last weekend I ran my first double digit of 12 miles. I felt a rush of energy at mile 6 and then again at mile 11. Seriously...I felt like I could keep running!

This week has been tricky with the runs since I've had to be on set bright and early and leaving set super late. Has been rather crazy. Tomorrow our team goes for 6 miles as part of a recovery run and the weekend of my b-day we go for 14 miles! This will be a rather sweet b-day treat for me :)

Thank you all for the continued donations. So far you have helped me raise $1540. I still have a little over $1600 to raise for the next month. I know we can raise these funds to help those less fortunate that are effected and infected with this virus.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the bes!

 DON'T FORGET TO DONATE: 
WEBSITE: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x, Yoleine 

Day 13- Preparing for 8 miles

This weekend we are going for 8 miles and I want to be prepared! Last weekend the sun was blazing and I didn't know how to think. I was planning on running for just 35-40 minutes, but the adrenaline got to me so instead I ran for 5 miles (35 minutes is about 3 miles). I will say It was a fantastic run and the sun didn't even peek out, which was great! 

I did spot garnet and gold houses on my run :) It only means one thing to me and one thing only...SEMINOLE FOOTBALL is around the corner and I CANNOT wait! 

Thank you for your continued support and donations! 

MY DONATIONS PAGE: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x, Yoleine 

Day 12- Pace Goup/ 7 miles

Ok, I heard once you hit 6 miles you can get through the rest...wrong. Or maybe it hasn't hit me yet. Saturday's run was brutal because the sun sent us a memo...it's going to be scorching hot! The first 4.5 miles were good. I felt great, but once I hit mile 5.5 I thought I was going to collapse. I need to learn how to continue to keep myself hydrated without drinking too much water. Which of course is uncomfortable. 

Once we hit mile 6 and was going for mile 7 I really felt the urge to just walk. But I couldn't. I didn't have it in me to just stop. It wasn't that I was in pain, it was just HAWT! Just uncomfortable.My team did a great job at motivating each other as well as plowing through the miles themselves. 

Last week's morning run (Day 11- Friday, July 16th) was fantastic! I ran for about an hour and it even started raining (lightly). During our Saturday morning runs, we're not allowed to run with ipods which is hard bc I NEED to run with music. BUT during my weekday runs I bust out the music. Believe me when I say running to soundtracks are amazing. Yes, soundtracks., movie scores. Those that know me well know I love soundtracks. Not to be corny, but it kinda makes you feel like your a part of the movie. My recent favorite to run to is Transformers. Check it out, run to it, it'll change the way you feel about scores. Trust me.

Thank you for donating! Don't forget to visit my donations page to give to APLA and support the run!
 
MY DONATIONS PAGE: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x, Yoleine

Day 10- Team Jake & Edward

So Tuesday's run was fantastic! I will say this is the first day I didn't get that exhausted feeling! I even ran 30 min later! The sun was blazin' and I was scared. BUT the run felt smoother and I felt like I could run a bit longer! Seriously! I took the same route I've been taking for the past week, but added on 2 more blocks which added on a half mile more. I never thought I could run anymore than 3 miles (on a treadmill) and now I'm running outdoors through neighborhoods and I love it.

There's always something interesting to see as well. I don't think many Twilight fans would like to hear this, but I think someone is after both Jacob and Edward or they're breaking hearts. I found a torn photo of them on my run. Someone is on the prowl. All I have to say is don't kill the cute one!

Thank you for donating! So far $775 of $3200 (my goal is $5000) has been raised!

MY DONATIONS PAGE: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x, 
Yoleine



Update on Saturday, July 10th run. My pace group team finish on pace time clocking in at 1 hour and 18 min for our 6 mile run! This upcoming Saturday we're heading for out 7 mile run! Wish us luck!

Day 8- 35 minutes

I had to be at work early today, so time was definitely not on my side this morning. That's ok (for today)! Last night I pulled a no-no and stayed up till 2:00am watching "Up". Such an enlightening film. I think I was the last one to see that film and I'm glad I did. A movie about change and adventure. Such a sweet ending and I cried one too many time throughout the film. So when I set my alarm clock for 6am and woke up at 6:30am, I knew I had to get a move on it this morning. Pace is the most important thing about this marathon. Going to fast at any point will mess up your pace and you're eventually going to get tired (and quick). The whole point of training is to finish the full race and finish strong. So no more late evenings before a run!

As always, thank you for your continued support and words of encouragement. They mean a lot to me and more!

x,
Yoleine

Day 8- 5.2 miles

I was very difficult for me to wake up from my cozy bed this morning, but I had to do it! 6:30am run, have to get it done! And I did it...best part about this run, my back wasn't killing me like it used to!

The Mexican Restaurant I pass by for every run. Yum!

Thank you again for your continued suport! We're at $500 so far!

X, 

Yoleine

Day 7- 6:57am! CRAAAP!/ 5 miles

That's what time I woke up this morning and it didn't feel good. Last night before I went to bed, I set my alarm clock for 5:45am. I had to make sure to make it to my Pace Group Meeting at 6:30am at Griffith Park. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, but it took damn long to wake and it sure as heck didn't take long for me to get ready (5 minutes)!

I hate being late. It's embarrassing and when you have 7 other people counting on you to be their leader...it's 10x more embarrassing! I knew I had to at least make it to the site by 7:15am in order to start my group. When I got there...they had already started :( When I walked up to the Pace Group Coach, Coach Scott, he took one look at me and said, "Man oh Man...I thought to myself...now that's not like her...Happens to all of us!" Lucky enough my group was working on their first mile and I was able to jump in and join them for miles 2-5. When I'm embarrassed, I end up making fun of myself to wash the embarrassment off. They were understanding. It ended up being a fantastic run. It really does happen to the best of us..sucks...but it does. I'm sure Obama overslept for SOMETHING, but you know he didn't again 'cause I'm sure Michelle got him in check!

At the end of mile 5, I ran an extra mile to make up for the first mile I missed. I wanted to do this right (next week is 6 miles).

So lesson for Saturday morning...make sure your alarm clock works, wear your Timex watch to bed, wear your running clothes to bed...sans the sneakers ;)

Thank you for donating and running with me to the finish line!

Donations page: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x
Yoyo

Day 6- This time I found Spaulding/ 4.8 miles

This morning's run was difficult to be honest. But it felt good at the end.

The elevations on this run proved to be butt kickin'. It hurts! This Saturday, with my pace group we are running 5.0 miles. Let's hope for a strong finish on this one! Below is the route I ran this morning.

 

Inclines are no joke!

Thank you so much for those that have donated, and thank you for those that have visited the page. There's no amount that's too small, so if you have $5.00 you can donate, thank you! Because of you I'm making this an ultimate goal of mine. Because of you, you are helping the many Americans that are affected with this virus, they are able to get the proper assistance needed to live a long and healthy life. Your words of encouragement are what drives me to wake up at 6am and run it.

Thank you again, you are heroes! Seriously, you are!

DONATIONS PAGE- http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

x, Yoleine

Day 5- Pretty Little flowers/ 3.71 miles

Sorry I'm posting this 2 days later :(

I mapped my route before I headed out for my run Monday morning and I was really excited about adding an extra half mile to my run. I first woke up to fantastic news, my cousin Jojo had her baby Sunday evening at 11:30pm in Florida. Little Adley Elijah said hello to the world and I was thrilled! He is so handsome and I can't wait to hold him when I visit later in the year!

My goal was to run 4.5 miles going up La Brea then going east on San Vicente and make a turn South on Spaulding and run back East on Venice. Well, I wish I could say it went that way. But it didn't. I was so busy trying to figure out my TIMEX IRONMAN WATCH I thought I passed Spaulding Street. I relied on my GPS to help me figure out if I had indeed passed it, and it said I did. So I turned down one of the upcoming streets. I was so excited about passing Spaulding I thought I ran even longer. When I got home..boy was my GPS wrong. Not only did I know pass Spaulding (I was short by 6 blocks) but I came in at under 3.7 miles. So on Thursday I will attempt to run 4.5 miles and hopefully I'll do it right this time! But this route is nice and pretty. Many of my nearby neighbors have amazing flower beds and fruit trees. I mean full on hydrangeas are sprouting from their lush green bushes. The only drawback to where this pretty scenery is...it's on a gnarly incline. Ouch!

I would definitely run this route again!

Thank you for continuing to donate! You all are making my year!

 My donations page: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

See you at the finish line!

Yoyo

Day 4- Pace Group day/ 4.0 miles

Saturday was the first day we were to run w/ our pace groups. I volunteered to be the Pace Group Leader for the duration of the training.

I knew it was official when I got my Timex IronMan watch!!! Of course I didn't know how to set it. Gah! The watch tells you when to walk and when to run...but the newspaper size instruction sheet didn't get me anywhere when it came to setting it.

Running with our Pace Group begins at 7:15am (sharp). I had to be at the site at 6:45am for a Pace Group Leader meeting. Yes, I volunteered to be a leader for my team. Being a leader meant, you are the cheerleader for your team. You make sure everyone is comfortable, motivated, and on track!

Saturday we ran 4 miles and it felt great! While training, we do a walk-run ratio. For my group, we run for 3 minutes and walk for 1 (and we did that for 4 miles). You actually aren't as tired when done and you feel like you can go on a bit further. The greatest part about this training is that EVERYONE motivates each other. When you pass another group running, they cheer you on! It's amazing to know that we're all doing this together...all 150+ of us. It makes the race that much worth while.

As for not having my ipod to run too, I didn't even notice I didn't have it.

Next Saturday we're running 5 miles. So during the week, I'm training on my own to run at least 5 miles. Pray for me :)

Thank you to all who have donated already! YOU are the best!

Yoleine

Day 3 Training (7:00a)- I passed 2 breakfast trucks/ 4.1 miles

Today was a bit easier to get out of bed and go for a run. Once again I failed to pre-route my route, so it's another day of guessing. Yesterday's run was around 3.2 miles, so I thought going an extra 2 blocks north and around would add on an extra mile.

I loaded up my phone w/ music and set out. Again, as hard as it is to get out of bed to go running, it's very exciting knowing I'm running for a cause and helping people who are less fortunate than me.

I passed not 1, but 2 breakfast trucks!!! The nerve! The tease! The smell was delicious. The thought of eggs, bacon, bread, coffee, mm-mmm...I could almost taste it! The thought just made me run quicker so I can get home to have exactly just that ;). The hardest part about my run today were the many inclines I encountered. I don't know if the actual marathons will have steep hills/inclines, so I might as well practice. It ain't easy.

Below is the route I took today. Again, if you have an scenic routes to suggest, I would love to know about them. I don't mind driving to that location and running.

The breakfast I quickly made bc sistah girl hungry! Not at great as the breakfast trucks I'm sure. But this will do for now!

Thank you for reading and donating!

MY DONATIONS PAGE: http://apla.convio.net/goto/runwithmetothefinishline

You're a hero today and forever!

Yoyo

Day 2 Training (6:00am)- On my own this time/ 3.2 miles

Hello friends,

Today was my 2nd day of training for the marathon. I'll be running a few times every week on my own (or with you!) to build up running long distance. I'm not going to lie...waking up at 6am this morning was brutal. It hurt. I was in pain. I was tired. But once I took that first step, I couldn't stop. I think it would have been smart to route my path before I headed out, but I had already figured out in my mind that I would run up to Pico Blvd and circle around. I knew it would have been at least 3 miles.

One rule APLA has  is that during training, you can't run with Ipods!!! I don't know how I'm going to survive without BEP, Jay-Z, Hans Zimmer, and the rest of my running gang! Now that I'm my pace group leader, I definitely can't run with an ipod. This will be a challenge that I will overcome.

Below is the route I took this morning. I thought about changing it up every so often every week. If you have any ideas on good scenic routes, let me know! I'm open for suggestions!

 

Disregard the little U-turn on Washington, google maps wouldn't allow me to fix it. Never made a small u-ey

Until next time!

See you at the finish line!

Yoyo

DAY 1- First day of Training for APLA

I'm running a full marathon in December!  Full Marathon = 26.6 miles.

I've always wanted to run a marathon, but I never pushed myself to do it. This year I wanted it to be different and I wanted to accomplish that goal. I signed up to run for APLA(AIDS Project Los Angeles). APLA provides assistance to people affected with HIV/AIDS by providing food, education programs, and home health care.  So I'm excited to help support such an amazing cause.

Saturday, June 19th was my first day of training at 6:45am. It was going to be a light morning. Run 3 miles. The coaches were going to determine our running pace and put us into groups. I ended my run w/ 41:47, which put me in the 12:00 per mile group.

My goal is to raise at least $3,200 by September 25th ($5,000 total). Please visit my APLA Fundraising page or Facebook page to help support me in crossing that finish line! 

Much Love...and here we go! 

Yolie