Virtual Run Journey

The virtual run I signed up for is called Under the Sea Challenge  a 300 mile challenge through Virtual Running Club. The Virtual Running Club host both Virtual Races & Virtual Challenges. A percentage of all the registrations are donated to charitable groups. Some organization they donate to are, Make a Wish Foundation Sierra Club, Sesame Workshop, Wander Project, National Park Foundation and Denali Education Center of Alaska What is the difference between the two? Well, a virtual race needs to be completed by the given date range. The location and when you complete it, it is up to you. A virtual challenge, is a goal you commit to complete. Your are rewarded for meeting each milestone. For example the shell metal displayed, the are small pins on the ribbon, those pins represent each milestone in the challenge.  Mileage you accumulate can be used for different runs you sign up for and make your own rituals . I have 1 year to complete my challenge, I can go at my pace, run,...

 Getting back into the groove and being apart of a " popular culture " isn't as easy as I had mentally pictured it. By now I had hoped to have ran 3 miles a week AT LEAST or maybe a mile a day but that ain't happening.  Did I overthink it? Did I stack on too much? Should I re-organize myself? Is it the age? I know, I know, I'm over projecting  myself. The challenge just started, we are in the 2nd month of the year and I have 1 year to complete it. I have to remember that it isn't a race, I can complete it under my terms.  Anything that has been challenging for you lately? 

       I started my virtual challenge when the year began but I haven't gotten very far. Juggling kids, home, work and school have kept me entertained. Fitting a walk or run has been challenging, no comparison the real objectivity 🤣   So far I'm 6 miles in and March is around the corner. I hope to I'm able to get in a run or two within the next few weeks.  

 I realized that I should probably explain what Virtual Run is for those who are curious and are the casual sport fanatic aka the casual fan . You probably have heard of it or have seen it pop up a lot though social media, well you are not alone. When I first started seeing ads for Virtual Runs I really though it a gimmick just to capture people's information, flood them with spam mail or pop ups.  According to Active.com it is uncertain of when virtual running made its way onto the online media. They believe the concept was taken from when many years ago high school runners would need to mail in their running times in order to be selected for national championship meets.  Slowly small companies began creating virtual races for charitable causes. These virtual runs allowed for many to participate no matter where they were located. There was no stress of being at the starting line on time, no worries about getting a good parking spot or dealing with traffic. Virtual Runs a...

 We did it! We made our objective it through 2023 Bubble Run 5k in Pomona, CA! The Bubble Run was yesterday and surprisingly I am not sore or at least not yet.  Yes it was a run and we took our time in completing it. As much as I wanted to run and be done because it was 59 DEGREES, we performed and enjoyed every step. We split into "teams", my son with me and my daughter with my two friends. My son ran the first mile, jogged the second mile and walked the last leg of the run. My daughter and my friends took their time, they had nowhere to go lol. We completely lost them out of eye site on the last mile.  It was fun, got sud up and created another memory for the books!   

 I'm very excited for this coming weekend. My kids and I along with two of my friends will be doing the Bubble Run 5k. If you are looking for a fun run or a "first time" run, I highly recommend it. I first did this run with my daughter in 2016 as a way to create a nice memory and a First for her and maybe of her becoming a casual fan  of mom. She was 3 years old and she jogged the entire 3 miles! I really didn't think we would do another Bubble Run and thought my girl would forget about it. But when she would browse through pictures she would ask if we could do it again. Due to life and the Pandemic we weren't able to run again until last year 2022 adding my son and friends to our little adventure. That year we officially said we would make it a yearly thing, so here we are 2023 and ready to walk, skip, jump and run through the bubbles. Plus I am able use the mileage of this run to mark miles to my Virtual Run Challenge.  The Bubble Run holds their event in differ...

  I wanted to share a bit more of my small experience and hopefully inspire you if you are thinking of becoming a beginner of anything. Leading up to the school year 1998-1999 and my participation in the Los Angeles Marathon, the only running I did was running from bullies, in P.E. and when I was in track & field during junior high. Little did I know that running would grow to be a passion of mine. Running 1 mile, 6, 13 or 26.2 miles isn't easy, it takes a lot of training and focus. The Students Run LA program helped many students like me prepare to endure each mile while participating in different races throughout the region. I got to see cities and places I had never visited in my own city as a teenager, as a teen I can tell you it is a unique affect and still is to see how the cities have grown.  Through that experience I also learned what the human body is capable of, our bodies are magical. It has an undefined endurance and can be pushed passed its limit. Our body is...

  This post is dedicated to my first Marathon and my first Flashback Friday post. You'll find a few "firsts" through this new experience of blogging, The Los Angeles Marathon XIV being my first full marathon I ran. It took place on Sunday, March 14, 1999, I was 15 years old, only a year older from when the Los Angeles Marathon was inaugurated. At a young age I wonder what really crossed my mind when I decided to join the school's Students Run LA program, at the point and time it was a way of performance  while other school activities took place. I think I may have also used the excuse of running to hang out with my friends outside of school without knowing what running would mean to me one day.