6 Wide Down the Mountain

The Martino family is now 6 wide down the mountain!

Giuliana and Marco both tried downhill skiing for the first time last week. They both took to skiing with ease and seemed to really enjoy it. I think the younger you start them - the better. The little kids don't seem to have any trouble with crossing their skis, etc. Marco earned himself a mid-day nap on my chest. And, Giuls fell asleep while eating her crackers in the lodge at the end of the day. They were happy & pooped!

Gabby and Rocco are both skiing like champs and ready for more challenging runs.

There is a lot more snow in Tahoe this year compared to last. So, we decided to buy season passes for the family. We were able to get them up the mountain 4 times over the holiday break which was nice. It's a hop, skip and a jump from our house so it's quite easy to cruise up for even half days of skiing after school or the kids weekend basketball games.

Now we just have to HOPE for more rain storms in northern California this winter, bringing even more snow to the mountains!

Oh, and check out this ADORABLE photo some guy took of Marco and Dan on the chair lift. Marco's face is SO CUTE! Their chair lift buddy had this tiny little digital polaroid camera... pretty cool.

Qualified for Boston!!

Hot Diggity Dog!!

I qualified for the Boston Marathon on December 7th at the 2014 California International Marathon with a time of 3:35:43. This was a new PR (personal record) for me in the 26.2 mile distance.

It was an incredible experience. I felt so strong, both physically and mentally the entire race. The result of both a lot of running preparation and a solid race day plan (the later being something totally new for me). 

This was my 5th full marathon, and my 2nd true attempt at qualifying for Boston. This was also my second full marathon this year--separate post to come regarding the San Francisco Marathon 2014. 

I hadn't planned to run two full marathons in 2014. But, when I didn't qualify at San Francisco in July, I couldn't put to rest the fact I should have qualified. And, I was arguably in the best running condition I have ever been in. Not trying again felt like I was tossing out all of the hard work.  I had to prove to myself it was achievable. And, it was a dream.

The race start time was 7am. I had my alarm set for 4am so I could eat eggs, toast, and drink a few espressos approx 2 hours before the start. The alarm sounded WAY too early because I think I last looked at the clock at 1:13am. I maybe slept for 2-3 hrs--clearly too much nervous energy. It's normal to not sleep well on race nights - but this was the worst I've experienced to date. Definitely need to learn how to manage that better! 

In addition to not sleeping, there was one other issue. We had planned for Dan to drop me off near the start line. We got the kids up and piled into the car at 6:20am. It was chilly (low 50's - but perfect running weather)--so I wasn't looking forward to the drop-off. Well, on our way to the start line area... the police had a blockade up. I saw other runners hopping out of cars. Wait...what?! We must have been over a mile from the start line?? CRAP! So, I yelled out my window and asked the cop if he could let us through to get to the start line. Nope. Nobody was allowed through. He said it was 2 miles from the start and it was the closest we were going to get. Sweet freaking Moses!! I looked at my Garmin--it read 6:38am. The race was starting in 22 mins. I jumped out of the car so fast, didn't even think about the chill in the air... and started my unplanned, nice and easy run to the starting line in the dark. Dang! For someone who normally doesn't do a race warmup, I sure got mine! 

I arrived at the starting line area just as they were finishing the National Anthem and the gun sounded. I wasn't able to start the race with my pace group. This could have been a mental barrier - but it wasn't. I felt confident and strong and knew I trained well. So, oddly enough... no sleep, arriving late... nothing was going to phase me. 

My main goal for the race was to finish in 3:40. If I wanted to qualify for Boston 2016 (Boston 2015 was already filled), I had to finish in 3:45, or a 8:28 minute per mile pace. 

My other goals for this race were to not start too fast, and be super conscious of how I "felt". I wanted to run strong, feel good, and not get tired early. I have a tendency to start too fast, pacing 7:30/mile (6:40-7:30 in half marathons). I'm simply not good enough to sustain that speed for 26.2 miles. So I had to control the adrenaline.

In stealing an occasional glance at my Garmin, I realized I was clipping out a steady stream of 7:35-7:55 per mile pace for the first 4-6 miles. So, I tried to turn down the adrenaline a bit and keep it in the upper 7's or low 8's. I didn't want to go over 8:05. I wanted to have some room (time) if I needed wiggle room at the end of the race. See... this is what I'm talking about with a "plan". I had never had a true race plan before. This time, I had it strategized in my head the night before. (Likely the cause of only 2-3 hrs sleep!)

I knew at 13.1 miles I was going to finish in 3:45 or less. I mean, unless something majorly wrong happened. I felt amazing. I wasn't tired at all; rather, holding back a bit to keep an energy reserve. I had even caught up with the 3:35 pacing group back at mile 4 or 5'sh  I knew at this point finishing in 3:35 was a very real possibility. Shocking as it seemed. And, I also knew I could slow to a pace in the high 8's for the remainder of the race and still qualify for Boston. Mentally, I think this also gave me an edge/adrenaline. I felt very "in charge" of the race I wanted to run.

I didn't listen music at all the entire race. I normally DO listen to music during full marathons once i'm a good 8-10 miles in--just to distract the brain. But, this race was different. I felt like I was kept busy calculating and strategizing and enjoying the crowd. I have to say... it was awesome to not rely on music for a mental distraction! 

This race was also different for me in that I only sipped small amounts of water at each of the water stations (5 or 6?) until the 13.1 mile mark. And, as for GU, I downed a quarter GU at the half (13.1 miles), and then again at miles 15, 17 , 19 and 21. It past full marathons - I've consumed 3-4 entire GU shots. I didn't want to overdue it based on my awful intestinal experience in San Francisco. Oy! So, this worked perfectly for me. And, in training I never take GU shots. Just water. Even on the 20 mile runs.

So, it's true what the say--don't try anything new on race day. Do what you train your body to do. 

I held my mile past stats between 7:45 - 8:08 until mile 18. I continued to feel really strong until mile 21. Then, I started feeling a little fatigue in the legs. I knew I was lacking salt and calories, but I didn't want to deal with any intestinal issues. So, I sipped a bit of NUUN before I'd sip a bit of water at the remaining water stations. 

Mile 20 = 8:06
Mile 21 = 8:11
Mile 22 = 8:30

Mile 22 is usually my mental tough spot in full marathons. When I physically crossed the 22 mile mark, I noted it mentally. But, I wasn't crashing mentally at all. 

Mile 23 = 8:21
Mile 24 = 8:40

My legs got real tired at mile 24. I could feel the burn and some fatigue setting in. Only two miles left though. I sent Dan a text letting him know. And, I sent him another at mile 25. 

Mile 25 = 8:45
Mile 26 = 9:00

Then, I saw Dan and the kids right as I rounded the corner to the finish. I tried to pick it up to the finish line and just give it whatever ounce of energy I had left. 

I could not believe I finished in 3:35:43!  WOOT! I had 9+ minutes to spare in qualifying for Boston. 

I finished in the top 14% of ladies age 35-39, and in top 12% of all female runners. And, I finished in the top 25% of all runners (male and female). Not so shabby for a 39 year old!

Hard work DOES pay off. Never give up on your dreams!

This was a super fun race! Fast course. Perfect running weather--54* at the start and 59/60*'ish when I finished.  Awesome crowds! I earned a few new blisters. Finished off another pair of running shoes. The legs were stiff walking to the car and definitely sore the next day. 

Oh... and check out the lady in the finishing photo with me at the top--I did! She is 53 and her official finish time was maybe 1 second behind me. Ummm... can we all say A-MAZING?!? Dang! I want to be her in 13 years - that is just unreal to me! I mean... this was NOT a walk in the park for me... I can't imagine being 13 years older and finishing in this same time range. What an inspiration!

Ciao, Italy!

Dan and I went to Italy for 10 days. Just us. No kids.

That's right... NO KIDS!!

Since this was our first solo vacation in a really long time, we sort of played the honeymoon card and booked first class tickets there and back. 

As much as it pains me to admit it--it was totally worth it. Hands down the most relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable flights I've ever been on. 

Granted, THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME ALONE WITHOUT KIDS (for longer than like... 4 hours) IN A VERY LONG TIME!

Did I just scream that? :))

Yes. I did. It was R E L A X I N G!

(doesn't mean I didn't miss my little rascals)

It was a long trip. San Francisco to Seattle, to London Heathrow, and finally landing in Rome. We spent 4 full days and three nights in Rome, then traveled south by train to Naples. In Naples, we hired a private driver to show us the Amalfi Coast and drop us off in beautiful Positano. After two nights in Positano, we took a train north from Naples to Tuscany where we spent three days in Florence. I wish we would have had more time to explore and enjoy Tuscany. Next time! After Florence, we took a train to Venice. We spent two nights in Venice. In hindsight, we would have spent one less day in Rome and one additional day in Venice. We loved everything about Venice. We ended the trip with a train ride from Venice to Milan and flew out very early the next morning.

We both preferred northern Italy over southern Italy. Oddly enough, there is a noticeable difference, between the north and the south. Southern Italy being more relaxed--the people and culture all revolve around family, food and religion. Whereas in the north, the general feel is much busier and business-like. More money = less gypsies. The people in the north also seem to have a general hustle and bustle about them while working their way through the streets. 

Rome was amazing. The history, the ruins, the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, the cathedrals, Vatican City, the culture, the food (ohmygosh - the FOOD!!), etc. We spent 4 nights and 3 full days there. It gave us plenty of time to see everything we wanted to see, and eat as much as we could. Did I mention we ate a lot? As in, Dan set a record at one restaurant for most entrees ordered. Five. It was insane. We did feel a tiny bit guilty. In a solid effort to alleviate the guilt, we also ran a lot, allowing us  see even more of the city. 

The Amalfi Coast is beautiful - the views from the cliffs, the seaside communities, the people, the food, the culture in general... just fantastic and really fun to explore. It was exactly as it looks in pictures, but more beautiful in person. It seemed to have a hint of the touristy experience if you went to "those places". And "those places" gave you what you'd expect... average food, lots of tourists. Dan and I tend to prefer a more local experience, less touristy... so we find the hole in the wall restaurants. Ask locals what to see & do. We also took an 8 mile run as far up the mountain as we could w/in Positano. We saw how the locals farmed on these steep hillsides, the homes people lived in, visited the local butchers, got caught in a parade of tiny cars going to church on Sunday. Such simple living in Positano. All about family, food and religion. A beautiful life, right?

Florence was incredible. Things that stick out in my mind... it's a college town, El Duomo (ummm... quite literally the most amazing structure I have ever seen), The David (enormous, and so incredible in person), more upper-class dining/restaurants, gelato and pastry shops everywhere, aristocrats, artists, academics, you name it. One of our favorite experiences in Florence was dining at a restaurant that our good friend Marco recommended. He grew up outside Venice and this was one of his favorites. No menu. One of the staff sat with us to explain each of the courses and our options, followed by the proper wine recommendations. This was my first experience at a restaurant that served “brain” as a delicacy. We didn’t partake in eating brain, but everything we did eat was melt-in-your-mouth, wish-you-could-freeze-time, write-home-about goodness. Yeah. Everything was amazing. I was certain my stomach was going to explode.

Venice. Love! If I was given the right opportunity, and had to choose a place to live other than the USA, I would choose Venice. So beautiful, fun, busy…the food, the people, the culture. I felt like we didn’t have enough time in Venice. We ran 6 miles through the city—it’s super easy to get lost with all the bridges over the canals and narrow pathways, etc. All the buildings and homes are eye candy--unique and fun to look at. We enjoyed lattes, cappuccinos and dessert at the famous Cafe Florian in San Marco Square. We hired a gondolier for a ride on his gondola—another great way to see the city. We must have ate 5 meals a day since we couldn’t pass up anything that caught our eye food-wise. SO many amazing cafes and bakeries in Venice. My mouth still waters when I think about this “special toast” we enjoyed at a dive bar. Cheese, mushrooms, the most perfect tomatoes, prosciutto, and I don’t know what else. Special doesn’t begin to describe it though. Wish I could recreate that! Taking a taxi boat through the Grand Canal is really quite an experience in and of itself too. Pretty awesome.

It was such a great trip! Dan and I need to try and make time for just the two of us more often.

It’s just really tricky with 4 kids.

The journey home was long. Milan to London to Philly to San Francisco. It was exhausting. We woke up at 5am in Italy, and arrived home at 3am PT.

The second I walked in the house I had to go look at my babies and give them kisses on their sweet little foreheads. I could NOT wait to wrap my arms around then when they woke up.

10 Years of Togetherness

Dan and I have now been married for 10 years. Ten years that have been both short and long. Ten years that have been filled with the best moments of my life, and our greatest achievements in life. Ten years that have been somewhat tainted by the most horrific tragedy I can imagine any one person, or any couple ever having to experience… that being the loss of a child. Sometimes, I wonder where the past 4 years went. Sometimes I wish we could completely rewind. We’ve been through the best and worst as a couple… and here we are ten years later. Still together. Still in love with each other.

So, how does one celebrate a 10 year anniversary? Well... you should go ask someone who has celebrated it! Because we certainly didn't. For multiple reasons. Don't get me wrong - we both had dreams of taking a trip to Italy to visit some sites, eat good food & drink yummy vino. Or... maybe just taking a trip down the coast and hitting a beach in Mexico for a few days.

But, with a newborn who's breastfeeding, and nobody who can take care of our other 3 kids overnight... the dreamy celebration is just that. A dream. I guess it will have to wait. I’d like to say I’m completely fine with that. But, I’m not. I’d LOVE to have two nights away with JUST my husband. We have not had one child-free vacation in almost 7 years. That’s just ridiculous. Right?! I think even one night away would be so healthy and good for us.

Instead, on our ten year anniversary, I talked to my husband more via text message and voicemail. This was actually the case that entire week because our au pair was on vacation. I worked all week and Dan had the week off (technically, but he still worked a quite a bit too). Poor Dan though... his days off were filled with helping watch the baby while I worked, running errands, grocery shopping and then our taxi service for all of the following quite literally consumed him:
· Gabby to and from swim & tennis camp every day from 9-5

· Rocco to and from school 3 days

· Gabby to and from gymnastics Mon & Fri nights

· Rocco to and from gymnastics Tues & Thurs nights

· Giuliana's parent/tot gymnastics class on Monday morning

It was just an absolutely nutty week… and perhaps that’s a good thing. Our anniversary week is also the 4^th of July holiday week, and the week that Matteo died. So, instead of being excited about and looking forward to our anniversary… the approaching date makes me want to vomit and I find myself being irritated/upset for most of the week. Matteo’s death is so much bigger and life-changing and emotional than any silly holiday or anniversary. So even though I would like to have celebrated the big TEN… I’m not sure my heart would have been there.

So, I think we ate take-out food with the kids, dealt with multiple tantrums and a fussy baby. By 10 o'clock, Dan was asleep on the sofa and I was cleaning bathrooms. Doesn't that sound exciting and glamorous?!

Dan is an amazing guy. He’s kind, he’s got a big heart, he’s handsome, he’s so understanding and forgiving. He’s the best daddy and playmate to our children… and he truly enjoys them and loves them so much. I know for a fact I surely am not the easiest person to be married to… so perhaps Dan even wears a bit of the *saint-hood hat*.

I know I love Dan with my whole heart. And, I know he loves me. Hopefully someday soon, we’ll get to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. (And, yes, I totally realize at the rate we’re going… this might not actually happen for another 10 years!)

Arizona Girls Weekend

I was able to spend a few days in Tucson with these lovely ladies at the end of January. Two of us were very preggers at the time (27 and 29 weeks along), three of us were escaping the constant business of children, four of us were escaping the chaos of the daily work life, one of us was ditching out on classes for her MPH degree, and all of us were enjoying a little break from the fabulous men in our lives. So... quite literally... we spent a majority of our time together just relaxing and catching up. It was wonderful.

Lots of chit chat and stories being swapped. Lots of laughs. A whole lot of yummy food being consumed and fruity beverages, poolside (by the non-preggers people, of course).

I've known most of these ladies since grade school. They are a handful of my closest high school girlfriends. I have both heartfelt and hilarious memories with some of them dating back to the 1980's. This handful of ladies includes some of the people I like to call my best friends. We've been through thick and thin together. They've been there for me to support me through my darkest days and I would do the same for them. Each of us has traveled a different path through life, not always by choice, but we've somehow always kept connected through the tangled web life has spun for each of us.

The last time we ALL got together for a get-away was in January 2005 (six years ago!). They all flew to the Bay Area and we spent the weekend exploring San Francisco, and Carmel/Monterey.

On this trip, we definitely noticed how strange and old we're all getting, as conversation has turned from hitting life's big milestones to things like what we feed our kids, what we make for dinner at night, what types of exercise we prefer, if we're happy in our careers, etc. And, as Kelly was disinfecting our rooms upon arrival (which I would have done if she hadn't!), and me pulling out the soft soap for the bathrooms... we realized we're also very weird. We like to be clean. We like to be regular (yes - we happened upon many discussions discussing our bodies! ha!). We like *us* time, which seems so rare these days. We like to exercise. We love the conveniences the internet provides. We love Facebook. We love to read (well... when we have time to read!). And, we like good food!

I always think of this quote when I think of these girls: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold." - unknown