My second half marathon did not go nearly as well as I hoped it would. I trained for eight weeks and then of course got sick the week before the race. It was a bad cold complete with fever, aches, and stuffy nose. I knew my loss of appetite would not be good for my training (yes, I still ran during the week, but not as much as I was supposed to).

I asked our Twitter and Facebook fans if they'd run if they were sick. The response was an overwhelming no. I know, I should have listened, but I'm stubborn! Plus I spent a total of $90 for registration and transportation.

But much to my surprise, my being sick was not the worst part of the race. The Tyranena Half Marathon ran out of water cups at miles 5 and 10! Come to find out later, they were reusing cups. This may have been the reason why I was able to get water at mile 8.

Let me back up and give more details on this excruciatingly awful race day. It was sunny, in the lower 70's, and the race began at 11:30. Race directors should have taken all of these conditions into mind and planned for more water.

As mile 4.6 approached, I was in need of water. I had the dehydration head and side aches. Mile 5: Where's the water?! Finally, after running up a hill nearing mile 5.5, I saw a table...but it was empty! Needless to say I was upset. They got water out of a well and poured it into my hands to drink. What was this?! This only exacerbated my horrible feelings.

The rest of the course was on a state trail. There were no first aid stations or patrol people to make sure everyone was at least alive. This worried me. Mile 10 came. No water. So I walked the rest of the race. I finished in 2:45, but I was a-okay with that. Oh, and they ran out of water bottles and bananas at the end of the race.

To cap it off, there was no medical tent at the end of the race. The DJ had to ask over the speaker system if there was a doctor on the grounds. I'm glad I didn't need any medical attention.

I've began training for my third half marathon. This one will be in Los Angeles. Even if it's bad conditions, just this fact alone will make it my favorite race. It already is!

Have you had a bad race experience? If so, please comment below.

I am a big audiophile, and loving music really lends itself to running. When running you can just drift off. I find it's a great time to listen to new music, or just let it be apart of you and the run. That being said, I listen to a lot of different things when running. One of my favorite things to do is to create a playlist of new stuff or music with a theme and run to it to see how it works for me. So you are going to be reading all about my random ten song playlists with themes. I figured I'd start ridiculous so that you can get to know my tastes. Also, if you couldn't tell, this is partially an homage to High Fidelity (such a good movie), and because I love music so much. Please post in the comments what your playlist would be for the theme.

You can pretty much see me rock out to any of these songs while running. The worst part is I have a tendency to sing along while running, but not always because I'm catching my breath.

My embarrassing song list

1. Lovefool by The Cardigans
2. I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
3. Hoochie Mama by 2Live Crew
4. Elephant Love song medley from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
5. Barbie Girl by Aqua
6. Anything by Britney Spears
7. Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
8. Fraggle Rock theme song by The Fraggles
9. Mambo #5 by Lou Bega
10. Safety Dance by Men without Hats

A good race, while we all know what it means to us, is a very ambiguous term. Does it refer to the actual run, or the event, or is it only available to those elites for whom it is actually a competitive race. Can someone have a good race while running the worst time possible? Its all on your outlook and how your perceive races. A race is definitely good if you win, or pr. Races are still good if you do a good job and know you did the best of your ability. The actual race that someone put together is also important. Well organized and good scenic routes with ample room are big pluses. Good schwag is always loved, I'm a big fan of free food and clothes :) Medals and food after finishing, for the effort i put in are great too.

You get out of a race what you put into it. If you dont care what the scenery is or the widths of the course, your more likely to buckle down and run a fast race while all along hoping for the flattest course ever. Which is great! Running at a decent clip is always enjoyable and leaves you feeling accomplished and strong. But if your an ambler like myself, the different aspects of race organization come into play. I don't mind hills because they give me an excuse to walk without looking too weak as well as usually providing a good view from the top. Im not going to lie I also like to race my running buddies up hills, I'm kinda a little kid like that. I am also a needy runner. I need water stations, porta potties, and (depending on the length of the course) some sort of nutrition (read FOOD).If you are for the race and nothing else, then again the race organization plays less of a part on what you want from a race. But I like being a runner because of the community and am a sociable person. So expos or after parties are a big plus for me. I like wondering about meeting new people after a race, preferably with a beer in hand.

Personally my favorite races have been where ive had the mindset that I'm going to have the best race ever. Running to the best of my ability Whether i run barefoot, backwards or with as many people as possible, as long as i go into a race knowing its for fun, i will have fun. I have done all of those! Backwards running is fun because its the only time you actually get to see other runners faces unless its an out and back course.* It doesn't matter what adversity you face on the course as long as you triumph (meaning run through the pain :P ) As someone commented on our facebook page "If you can finish the race and end it still smiling it means you've enjoyed it." There are too many variants of running that I enjoy to say whether what my perfect race would be. I don't even know if i would want it be a race i have become familiar with and come to love or a new adventure to explore.

All I know is, for me, there are three concrete things that will always make it a great race day for me. 1. 70 degrees and sunny. I love the warmth and you know if the suns out, my guns are out :) 2. Knowing my abilities and enjoying the runners high and healthy aspect of running. 3. Remembering why I run, and who started me running (my mumma) which will always make me smile.

That's my perfect race, Whats yours?

*running is backwards is never advised unless you have someone looking out in front of you.

I have my second half marathon coming up on Saturday. I'm running the Tyranena Beer Run in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. It's a small race- with the 1/6th marathon and half marathon totaling 1500 participants. When I told this to Adam, he said, "You could probably place!" So, as usual, this idea was put into my head. I've been jazzed about the race for a good week now, and even more so after I drove by the route the other day.

I mapped it out and it's a relatively flat race, much less hilly than my first in Madison, Wisconsin. Because of this, I hope to PR this race. Can I place? I looked up last year's results. Answer: I'll place pretty much smack in the middle of everyone. Oh well, this is just my second race! My goal is to eventually get to that point where I know I have a good shot at placing.

It'll be my first race for which roads are closed, I'll have to run on the left side, and run single-file. This will be interesting, but definitely a good experience. Knowing that I won't place, I now look forward to the lasagna, brewery tour, and the UW-Badger football game playing in the tent afterward!

As this is my first entry I thought it prudent to let you know a little about myself.

I am proud to say that I am originally from Sri Lanka, a small island nation south of tip of India. I spent my formative years however living all over the world spending most of my time in Sri Lanka, Oman, California (Garden Grove represent), and Chicago. I am currently a student and have been living in Chicago for the past 12 years.

Running was never something that I enjoyed unless it involved chasing a soccer ball, a tennis ball, or a cricket ball. These sports and swimming were the main things I played and were among my main interests. It would be my mum that really introduced me to my love of running.

After my mum was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005, she joined Team In Training and started training for the Chicago Distance Classic, a half marathon. She asked me to train with her, and I reluctantly agreed. Training with my mum was an inspiration, and it showed me that anything is possible if you put the work in. Both of us finished with my mum finishing two days after her first chemo treatment. My mum is now in remission and we both still share the joy of running, though at different paces.

Since then I have completed the Chicago Marathon, about 7 other half marathons, and just this August the Chicago Triathlon. During the marathon last year I tore my hamstring and had to start over with my running program; hence training for the triathlon instead of the marathon. I have had a myriad of running injuries and like to think I am quite knowledgeable on the subject. I am working towards my next two goals for 2010, which are to get back down to a 9-minute mile pace for the marathon and to train for a half ironman.

I also have quite a few odd running habits, but I'm sure you'll hear all about that later :)

Last week, three men died while running the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. If you're not familiar with the story, three men, ages 26, 36, and 65, died within a 16-minute span. The 26 year old, Jon Fenlon, was diagnosed as a child with having a large heart, but was cleared to race numerous times. For Rick Brown, 65, this was one of over 50 marathons he ran. You can read more from the Detroit Free Press.

Reading this story has made me rethink my new love of running and my goals to run half marathons and full marathons. I'm pretty healthy, but I'm scared of sudden death caused by an unknown health condition. Then again, we face danger each time we step out of our homes. Should I also be scared to leave my house?

Running has taken over my life. If I stop now, what will I do? It's my exercise, my therapy, and my hobby. There's not much like it that can replace it.

For now, I'll continue running and let my fears subside...

Cut to the end of this entry, Adam may have inspired me to run a marathon!

Sunday began bitterly cold, but I figured if Adam was out running 26.2 in that weather, I could stand all bundled up and watch him! So, I bundled up, in clothes that I thought would keep me warm, and headed out to mile 8. If you were in Chicago on Sunday, you know that the city was hard to navigate through with all the street closures and crowds walking in all sorts of directions. My first "this is awesome" feeling came when I could hear roaring cheers before I could see any runners. The crowd was amazing, even in such cold weather! When I reached mile 8, I picked out a spot where my line of vision wouldn't be interrupted.

I watched as the front runners passed. Wow. The following group of runners looked so ambitious. This was my second inspirational experience.

I then realized that I had no idea what Adam was going to be wearing or even where he was placed in the pack. How was I going to find him? Well, I remembered he posted a picture of his marathon outfit, so I loaded it on my iPhone screen and stood there with it in hand trying to match my screen to the runners. It worked! I saw Adam as he turned the corner and I started cheering, or "quietly cheering" as Adam would later tell me!

As I walked home, I felt the urge to run. I didn't, but that's not the point! I never gave the idea of running a full marathon much thought until I saw one in action. Perhaps I will do one...We'll see!

I wear pink for my mom: On Sunday, September 27 I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a first of a lot of things for me: first 5k, first Race for the Cure, and my boyfriend's first race. It was quite the experience, one that I'll probably do every year.

This was also my first race I ran that benefited a cause as great as breast cancer awareness and research. So, as we approached the race grounds, I was in awe of how many people were participating-13,000! That, and how much pink was all around!

As great of a cause that this benefits, I was unhappy with how the race officials handled the event. First,it started 32 minutes late. There's nothing like a bunch of anxious runners waiting for the start of a race! Second, there was supposed to be a separation of walkers and runners. This, however, was not the case. There were a lot of walkers in the runners' path, slowing the runners down. Personally, I wasn't running for a PR, but I feel for those who were!

However, the general atmosphere of the whole morning was uplifting. As I stood waiting for the start, I realized that everyone there came in support or in memory of someone who was/is affected by breast cancer. It was a sort of supportive experience for me to know that a majority of the people that had experienced the same loss. I was both sad and happy at the same time. Strange!

Me nice and sweaty after the race:

It's crazy what two days, well now three of five days, off from running has done to my motivation. I woke up Monday morning knowing I had to get three miles in. I didn't do it. That's not like me. I finally ran later that night, but only after I sat and watched my favorite television shows. It also helped that my boyfriend is training for his first 5k and he wanted to run, so I got up and ran with him. Sidenote: I somehow convinced him to do the Susan G. Komen 5k, which takes place on Sunday, with me and my friend. It'll be his first race, and come to think of it, my first 5k.

I should backtrack and explain why I took these days off. I was out of town over the weekend enjoying all that is Las Vegas. I did sneak in 7 miles before my flight out of Chicago, though. So, come Monday morning, I was just not up to running.

I do have six miles to do tonight, which I am planning on doing. Perhaps this will help me get back on track.

iPhone + Running = "severe water damage": Another reason for my slip is my MP3 player situation. My iPhone suffered "severe water damage," according to the guy at Apple, and no longer works. He said it could've happened yesterday or six months ago; there's no way to tell. I had to buy a new one while on vacation.

Considering how much I paid for the iPhone to begin with, I treated it like it was my baby. I don't recall it ever getting wet. Then my friend asked me, "Do you run with it?" Ah ha! I do get grossly sweaty, and so does my armnband, so perhaps this was the reason. Thus, I will not be running with my new iPhone. This presents a great problem for me. I always run with music. I've never gone with out. I do have the first version of the Nano, but this can no longer be updated, so I'm stuck with music I listened to while in college- hardly the music I want to run to!

Such a conundrum.

Apparently I can't get enough running! A few days ago I decided to do the entire 13.1 Series. How and why did I decide to take on such a task, you ask? It all started when I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 5k.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. My thought process goes as such:

1)I saw that Susan G. Komen also has a marathon and half marathon component. My first step in my grand decision was deciding that I was going to run half marathons and commit to raising $250 for the organization.

2) "Well, it'll be quite some time before I can run another half in decent weather. I'm going to run somewhere warm- like L.A.!" I looked up races for the months of November through March and found the inaugural 13.1 Los Angeles Marathon on January 10. Done.

3) "Hm. Why not just do the whole 13.1 series?"

And so, I am now going to complete the series. My goal is to do the eight races in about two and a half years.

The series takes place in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis.

Little did I know that when I started with WalkJogRun almost a year ago that I'd be running a bunch of half marathons... I like it!

Of course I'll blog about all of these, so stay tuned!