So happy to have this wonderful lady, mother of two and excellent runner with Team Lucca

Meshell and her daughter, KatieBeth

at the inaugural "Whole Foods' Run

For me the worst part of any race is the waking up early. Way earlier than my natural eternal clock would wake me up. No surprise that I would wake up 30 minutes late on this particular race day too. So the rushing around starts. The inner questions begin "do I have my water bottle, do I have my ipod, do I have my gloves, do I have my bib and shoes"? Not only for myself but for my my two runner children as well. Zack,17 and KatieBeth, 15. I could write in detail the amount of good it does to keep your mouth shut (nagging) as a parent and set good habits by example, but that's another story. So, we are off....flying out the door with our backpacks and gear.

Whole Foods Running School www.runningschoolfunrun.com started this run to promote good health in the community and among our youth, where we all know obesity is running amok. A very good reason to wake up early and drag my children out in the cold.

Organized at the Whole Foods in Roseville, gathering in the parking lot, the festivities began and ended at this location. I appreciated plenty of room for parking and easy access to registration and the start. Due to my lack of organization skills I had not registered yet, so had to do so before the buzzer went off. I easily found the reg table and all the computers set up for easy accessibility. Because my children were running the 5k and were not that excited about waiting 2 hours for me to run 13.1, I decided to run the 10k instead. It turns out that was a very good idea!

The 10k and 13.1 runners all started together, and for an inaugural event, there was a huge crowd. Shout out... to Rich Hanna who pulls Sacramento together. Running the 10k and not the 13.1, I had enough energy to just go for it and run hard and have some fun with it. I was not prepared for the hills. Not huge hills, but hills nontheless. I powered up the hills and recovered on the down. What I loved the most about this event was the community coming out and the type of runners that challenged themselves. Running up those hills were mothers of new babies, friends out to challenge each other, people who just wanted to get off the couch and start a new life. I love the diversity that community events bring together. I am reminded that people run for so many reasons and very few run to "win" something. On the turn around and running past those that are behind my pack (mind you, I am a slow runner) is the most fun. Seeing the faces of those who won’t give up and the personal challenges all around. It is so inspirational, and keeps me going. So for me, as a distance runner I start to warm up around mile 5. My muscles warm up, I'm relaxed, my rhythm and my breath and muscles begin to work together. I have found the sweet spot. I am in my element and could run easily for another 15 miles. But today...it's about going a fast (for me) 6 miles. I have to remind myself that I don't have another 2 hours to go and I can kick it into gear. I have a hard time with running speed. That is something I will want to work on this season.

The course is easy and relaxed, and good for all levels. As I come into the finish my two beautiful children are waiting for me with the medals that they received 20 minutes before and I am reminded why I do such things. We get our cytomax and walk around waiting for the food line to open up. After standing in line for food, that really wasn't that good. Some type of flax cereal, yogurt, fruit, and apple juice....where are the bagels and cookies? I'm just say'n. Haha, Whole Foods....go figure. After we eat and the kids are still starving, we watch the half marathon runners come in. So far and few between, no medals left, no food left, and festivities are winding down. So...in retrospect, I am glad I did the 10k and not 10k and not the 13.1. This event was better for the short distance, for sure. The cost was also a bit steep for this type of event. For sure it goes to a great cause but for a family with lots of children,...could be an expensive day.

So, as for if I would do this one again?....Only with the kids, it is definitely a family event. However, a good way to kick off our 2011.

Dan: Redding Marathon

Thank you Dan for representing Team Lucca at the Redding Marathon

Hi Terri,

Thank you once again for a fantastic team building evening last night. You always amaze me and are such an inspiration. Attached are the photos from the Redding Marathon last weekend (16Jan2011) with all the Team Lucca gear in action. The race started above Shasta Dam, crossed over the dam and continued and included some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever had the privilege to run in and it finished at the Sundial Bridge (some of the views that I got to see along the way are also included in the photos, thanks to my folks who took the photos. And yes, I do use my cell phone as a camera, just in case you were wondering, but these photos are not from there).

I ended up finishing 39th overall in the race (only 3 people finished under 3 hours---my time was 3:46) ---a race that included a hellish 2 mile uphill climb that hit 4% to 6% grades for good chunks of it at miles 12 through 14 and other quad-pounding hills along the way, primarily the start. The most beautiful part was the scenery and the friendliness of absolutely everyone encountered during the race on the course--runners and spectators. The most painful part was a cramp that literally stopped me in my tracks at mile 21 that took hold first of my right quad, then, upon stopping, my left hamstring, followed by my right one. That hit required me to hobble-bobble the last 5.2 miles (which took a grueling 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete, if that gives the picture of how impaired I got. If you look closely at the pictures of me running across the Sundial Bridge the pain is pretty visible). I owe tremendous thanks to angels from Redding, Sue and Lynn that were monitoring the course and inspired me all the way to the finish line.

All the best,

Dan

Team Lucca 2011 Meeting and Mixer

2011 Team Lucca

Meeting and Mixer at Lucca

Wednesday evening, January 19th

6:30 pm

If you are interested in recreational running with a great group of joyful, happy to be running runners, stop by and hear what Team Lucca 2011 is all about.

Hope to see you then!

Terri, Emily, Becky, Joanne, Dale and Bob

Running like dogs

Not the kind of story one usually admits to but as a kid while tagging along with my veterinarian dad when visiting farms or ranches - if there were dogs there to be had, of all of us kids they would often find me - cover me with licks, knock me over, chase me around and cause in this kid anyway an early onset love/hate relationship with dogs.

I was about seven or eight when dad hopefully meaning it as a kind of comical reassurance said, "Sweetie don't take this the wrong way but I think in another life you were a dog".

Thank goodness I was only seven or eight and not the awkward thirteen or I may have never recovered from the comparison.

I now pretty much completley love dogs and while my Lucky will run like the wind chasing cattle he is not a good runners dog. Unlike Team Lucca's Rosie girl who Emily adopted about a year ago and who accompanied us on runs along the trail as part of her, learning to behave with humans process. Then there is the famous Bolt, who trains with Karyn H. on all her endurance runs. Craig's dogs, Jerry Lee and Nadine make me feel like a cartoon character as they do not run with you, you instead run with them whether you are capable or not at about a 7 min mile pace.

Watching a dog running in the rain is like watching an unabashed furr ball of joy on four legs.

So sometimes you have to think like a dog. With that said, if you are not running at this time of the year, you are really missing out. There is something so sublime about running in the rain. This here right now, is perfect running weather. Wait until July and you will find yourself longing for these mother nature provided cooling mist nornings where you can sink into your own little silvery world in shrouds of fog of rain.

So bring your dog or just yourself and come join us this Sunday morning 9:00 am, back up on the levy for our first 2011 group run.

Rain or shine we will be there.

Two suggestions for this winter of 2011, plan on running at least once in the rain and if you ever get a chance watch this little gem of a movie titled, "My life as a dog" made in Sweden in 1985 by Lasse Hallstrom. It is a rare and precious heartbreakingly hysterical portrayel of the hopes and longings of one little boy.