The Road to L.A.

Training for my first L.A. marathon has been really challenging. I usually do really good at the start of the run but towards the middle of the run I start to lose momentum and all of a sudden I'm plagued by thoughts of stopping.  Its those damn hills!  I'm still trying to learn to love the hills.  Most of the time I'm chasing my pace group.

My goal for this race is to finish never mind how long it will take me . We are on mile 6 so 20 more miles to go.  Luckily the Loma Linda Lopers has different pace groups you can train with .  There are several groups ranging from the 7 minute mile group to the 17 minute mile group.  Jessica and I started off in the 10 minute mile group but later dropped down to the 10.5 mile pace group.  So far we are keeping up with are two weekday runs and the one long run on Sundays.

Every Sunday we meet at the Drayson center for our short lectures.  This past weekend was on water stop etiquette!    We stretch together and then off we go to our different pace groups.

Here's a picture of the Loma Linda Lopers.  Jessica and I are in the second row in the front. There is usually a flood of pink people running down the streets in Loma Linda on early Sunday mornings.  What I love about joining a running group is that you get to meet so many cool people! Plus everyone is always giving you great running and motivation tips.

Everyone needs a running buddy to keep you accountable.  Jessica is my running inspiration and I'm so glad she's on the road with me to L.A. 

My Top 5 Daily Saipan Reads

Angelo proposed a meme for the month of February. These are my top 5 daily reads in no particular order. I picked blogs that are updated regularly.

The Rules:

1. Once you are tagged, you must write up short review for 5 blogs that you read regularly, including the blog of the person that tagged you.
2. Leave a comment tagging the blogs you've reviewed, telling them to continue the meme.
3. If someone writes a review of your blog, you must respond by writing a review of their blog (unless you've already written one for them).
4. After a few days, you must write a post compiling what all the other bloggers say about you, good or bad, true or untrue.

Adventures of Ken and Crystal: Ken and Crystal exemplify the type of marriage that I want to have someday. They work together, play together, and serve the community together. They've got great underwater pictures and stories to share about their life together in Saipan.

Swim Bike Run Saipan : Lewie is truly an inspiration to me. I love hearing about his mountain bike adventures and seeing pictures of his races. He inspired me to train for the Xterra Tri. As of late, we pass each other on the hair pin turn towards Bird Island early Sunday mornings. He is usually racing down and I am pedaling my butt up the hill. It's true that you start to recognize people with their helmets on! I know its Lewie cause of his Shiny White Smile!

Mai at a Glance : She's Canadian! Need I say more why I love her blog so much?! Mai and I stayed for a second year in Saipan. I feel the most connected with her since we share so many of the same memories from last year. I love that Mai is able to share openly how God has blessed her in her life. She inspires me to try a little harder and be alittle better with my devotionals.

The Journal Online: I want to be like Sean. He's well rounded and super cool. He's such a great writer and I just really enjoy his posts about his daily joys with his students, thoughts about God, and now . . . his new adventures underwater!

Beachcomber on Saipan: He's a genuis! Actually I just really enjoy looking at his artwork. I love how he's so nerdy smart!

The Saipan Blog: I tune into Angelo's blog everyday because I know he ALWAYS has something to say about anything. He's quite entertaining as well as informative. Though some people leave mean comments on his page, I give him props for him not changing who he is for anybody.