CasITa-to-5k Transition to Bridge to 10k

The Green Girl wants to formally congratulate the CasITa-to-5k on their graduation from the Cool Running Couch-to-5k Running Program at the Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) Kids 4 Kids 5k RUN/WALK this weekend.

I'm thrilled that one of the graduates, Brandy, will be continuing with the Bridge to 10k program. To maintain my clever naming scheme, I will be referring to this as the 'Brandy to 10k' training plan.

Brandy to 10k Training Plan
Each workout includes a 5 minute warmup walk and 5 minute cooldown walk
Week 1	Duration: 53 min. Run 10 min/walk 1 min Repeat x 4.
Week 2	Duration: 57 min. Run 15 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 3.
Week 3	Duration: 63 min. Run 17 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 3.
Week 4	Duration: 66 min. Run 18 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 3.
Week 5	Day 1: Duration: 55 min. Run 22 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 2. Day 2: Duration: 61 min. Run 25 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 2. Day 3: Duration: 71 min. Run 30 min/walk 1 min. Repeat x 2.
Week 6	Duration: 70 min. Run 60 min.

I'm really looking forward to going through the Brandy to 10k program. It's exciting to be able to share my love for running with others.

CasITa-to-5k Kids 4 Kids 5k Race Report

The CasITa-to-5k graduated from the Couch-to-5k training program this morning at the Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) Kids 4 Kids 5k RUN/WALK.

The race benefited the Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF). The CCRF is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing national support for pediatric cancer clinical research and improving the medical environment for all children.

Raadio Disney provided the pre-race entertainment.

The Start Line was in front of L.A. Live, across from the Staples Center.

Davis Gaines from The Phantom of the Opera performed the National Anthem.

By the time the race started at 10:00, it had warmed up significantly.

The course was fast and flat but there were stretches with no shade to provide respite from the intense sun.

The route looped so the first time around, you were forced to run past the Finish Line.

We took multiple walk breaks and tried our best not to overheat. We poured cups of water on ourselves to cool off.

We managed to sprint the last quarter mile to the Finish Line. According to Mr. Green Garmin, we finished in 41:18.

We received an MVP Finishers Flyer with a section for autographs on the reverse side and a reusable goody bag full of candy, snacks, and sports nutrition.

I was pleasantly surprised by the All Star Carnival. It featured several carnival games, multiple bounce houses and mazes, a giant slide, a Ferris wheel, and a swinging pirate ship. There was also an arts and crafts booth where you could make art to be given to children in the hospital.

The Yum 4 My Tum food court featured food from In-N-Out.

The race was extremely well organized and there were lots of volunteers. The course was clearly marked and there were ample support staff at all times.

It was great to see so many families with small children participating in the race. I saw a number of strollers with bibs pinned on.

Numerous runners had pictures of the child they were honoring on the run printed on their shirts.

It was the perfect graduation day for CasITa-to-5k.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. Dr. Seuss

CasITa-to-5k Hits The Playa Gym

The CasITa-to-5k made its first foray into cross training last week by visiting the newly built gym at work.

I am not a fan of gyms but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled when I heard the announcement.

The Playa Gym just celebrated its grand opening. The facility is open 24/7 to all employees at no cost.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Playa Gym.

The facility contains a cable station with leg press, a couple of ellipticals, a treadmill, and a stationary bike. Free weights, a bench, mats, a stability ball, and a Bosu ball are also available.

I was pleased to see the cable machine because I've been wanting to integrate some shoulder strengthening into my workouts for awhile now.

We started our workout off with some cardio on the elliptical and treadmill.

There were two televisions with closed captioning enabled which we watched in between chatting.

Towards the back of the Playa Gym, there are changing rooms for men and women complete with lockers and showers.

CasITa-to-5k is going to make an effort to hit the gym once a week. I think having workout buddies will help me hold myself accountable.

And hopefully, once I get into the habit, it will feel less like a chore and I'll look forward to it like kickboxing and running.

Kids 4 Kids 5k CasITa-to-5k Graduation Day

The CasITa-to-5k has set an official graduation date of Sunday, April 17th, at the Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) Kids 4 Kids 5k RUN/WALK.

The race benefits the Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF). The CCRF is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing national support for pediatric cancer clinical research and improving the medical environment for all children.

One of CCRF's initiatives was to donate children's hospital gowns with Disney and Warner Bros. characters to hospitals across the country. This small gesture was significant to me because I distinctly remember visiting a pediatric oncology ward and thinking that the Disney hospital gowns and masks were a cheery touch in an otherwise sterile environment.

The CasITa-to-5k will also donate money to sponsor a couple of families with children with cancer to attend the event.

The Kids 4 Kids 5k will feature an 'All Star' Carnival with athletes and celebrities at the Finish. The CasITa-to-5k will have the opportunity to meet Walkaround Elmo and maybe even get a graduation picture with the guy.

CasITa-to-5k Overcast Run on The Strand

The CasITa-to-5k went for a run on The Strand after work on Tuesday.

The CasITa-to-5k has strayed from the Cool Running Couch-to-5k Running Plan and instead, we've just been alternating between maintaining and increasing the walk intervals.

One of the outcomes of my RRCA Coach Certification has been a paradigm shift in how I will approach training going forward. I will be applying my newfound knowledge as I put together a first time half marathon training plan for one of the CasITa-to-5kers.

Using the walk/run intervals, we are able to comfortably and consistently run 3 miles so we will continue to increase the running time. I still have my hopes set on a Spring graduation.

The Spring 5k race will be twofold. It will be the official CasITa-to-5k graduation but it will also give me a baseline to build the half marathon training plan.

Happy Holidays, CasITa-to-5k! Happy Running!

The Green Girl wanted to do a little something for the CasITa-to-5k for the holiday season.

I decided to order some customized Softie Shoe Keychains from Mostly Even, Sometimes Odd to give as gifts.

The Softie Shoes are replicas of the CasITa-to-5k's Saucony shoes.

Our little running group is currently on hiatus but I am hopeful we will be able to get back into our routine in the new year.

I'd love for us to be able to do a 5k together in the spring for a CasITa-to-5k graduation celebration.

The Green Girl's MOO MiniCards

The Green Girl ordered a set of MOO MiniCards to give out for personal contact cards.

MOO MiniCards are half the size of a standard business card. The MiniCards are printed on a thicker paper stock and finished with a matte laminate. They are acid and lignin free.

On a few of the CasITa-to-5k runs, I had asked one of the CasITa-to-5kers, Brandy, to take some pictures of me for my MOO Mini's.

I ultimately chose a shot from the CasITa-to-5k Moccasin Trail run.

Even though I was appalled by my blatant heel striking, I really liked how it came out.

On the back side of the card, I had my contact information printed along with my favorite quote:

The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu
My mum knows how much I love this quote so she had it engraved on a ring for my birthday last year.

Since I am slightly obsessed with storage and organization, after I placed my order, I headed over to Etsy to find a little holder to store my MOO Mini's.

In my search, I came across the Splatgirl Creates store and the MOOPockets.

The MOOPockets were available in the leather or suede color of your choice and the trim and lining could be customized as well.

I placed an order for a pea green leather MOOPocket with orange lining and trim. (It's a little known fact that the Green Girl's second favorite color is orange.)

I am absolutely thrilled with how my MOO Mini's and MOOPocket turned out.

The Green Girl Gets Fit On Route 66

The Green Girl joined the Get Fit on Route 66 challenge at work.

The challenge is to get fit as you cruise the historic Route 66 highway from from Chicago to Santa Monica. As a participant, I received daily motivational articles, activities, tips, and recipes.

To raise the stakes, we were encouraged to try to match our CEO, or 'Mayor', along the way.

When you embark on your fitness journey, you pick a vintage car to represent you. I chose a woodie station wagon in honor of all my childhood road trips in the back of my dad's woodie.



Route 66 was commissioned in 1926 as one of the original highways. In its glory days, Route 66 represented freedom and opportunity to many Americans.

For every minute of exercise I logged, my dad's woodie moved two miles west on Route 66 (there was a daily maximum of 180 miles). For every day I logged at least a half hour of exercise, I earned a Route 66 sign.

It was fun to see the Route 66 signs appear and it was rewarding to see my progress reflected on the map. I also enjoyed learning about the different landmarks along iconic stretch of highway.

After 2,448 miles, I reached the Santa Monica Pier after crossing 8 states and 3 time zones.

Periodically, I would send postcards to the CasITa-to-5k from the different places I visited and I sent them one when I arrived at my final destination.

If you ever plan to motor west

Travel my way, the highway that's the best.

Get your kicks on Route 66!

Swa Frantzen

CasITa-to-5k At Dockweiler Beach

The CasITa-to-5k went running on the Marvin Braude Bikeway at Dockweiler Beach last night.

The Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department named the Marvin Braude Bikeway in honor of the former Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude in recognition of his efforts to develop the bike path and beach facilities.

The 22.3 mile path, commonly referred to as the South Bay or Santa Monica Bike Paths, spans from Pacific Palisades to Torrance.

With autumn, the days are shorter and the sun was already setting when we arrived at the beach. We marveled at the beautiful shades of red and orange cast across the evening sky from the illumination of the setting sun.

As we ran along the coast, aircrafts taking off from LAX flew overhead. We saw a huge British Airways 787 that dwarfed all the other planes.

My legs felt heavy and fatigued. I wondered if this was a result of all the exhausting one-legged squats from kickboxing that morning or if I was still tired from the weekend long run.

Either way, I was grateful each time Mr. Green Garmin beeped to indicate a walk interval.

As we ran, we observed the fiery sphere descending into the horizon and stared at the reflection on the ocean's surface.

CasITa-to-5k Polliwog Park Run

The CasITa-to-5k ran around Polliwog Park last night.

Polliwog Park is an 18 acre park that includes a grassy amphitheater, a botanical garden, a natural wildlife refuge, an outdoor gym under a shade canopy, a pool, multiple playgrounds, a 9-hole disc golf course, winding footpaths, and a large duck pond.

The park's pond serves as an important environmental resource. Local storm water flows into the pond before being pumped into the storm drain system.

This process allows trash in the storm water to settle and be removed before flowing to the ocean. In addition, some of the storm water is absorbed into the ground and provides nutrients for the park's wildlife.

We looped around the park, alternating between 3 minutes of jogging and 1 minute of walking.

At one point, CasITa-to-5k was forced to stop at an unmarked duck crossing.

We followed the walkway past Begg Pool and around to the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden.

The grounds serve as a demonstration garden for drought-tolerant plants, water saving irrigation technology, and sustainable gardening and landscaping. Free classes are offered on a regular basis.

Water flowed down a small rock waterfall in the center of the garden.

Signage identified the colorful indigenous plants and explained how native plants help restore the ecological balance.

CasITa-to-5k was careful to take only pictures and leave only footprints.

CasITa-to-5k Run and Super Harvest Moon

The CasITa-to-5k ran on the Veterans Parkway wood chip path last night.

It was a beautiful Southern California evening for a run and the path was alive with walkers, pets on leashes, and runners.

We started off with our usual brisk walk to warm-up and then moved into the intervals of running and walking.

As we were running, we spotted a set of lost keys hanging from one of the The Mariposa Pathway Butterfly Totems.

After our run, we drove down to the beach to catch a glimpse of the harvest moon.

Yesterday marked the September equinox, also known as the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. An equinox occurs twice a year and is when the center of the Sun is in the same plane as the Earth's equator.

The full moon nearest the September equinox is referred to as the harvest moon.

This year, the harvest moon appeared on the same night as the autumnal equinox - a phenomenon that has not occured since 1991 and will not happen again until 2029.

As the summer sun set last night, its rays blended with the rising autumn moon to create a unique twilight.

From the beach, only the setting sun was visible so we headed over to Sand Dune Park for a higher vantage point.

At the base of the dunes, we looked up and caught a glimpse of the setting sun in the distance.

We climbed the seemingly endless flights of stairs to the top, stopping periodically to catch our breath and admire the beauty of the full moon.

From the top of the sand dunes, we observed the changing colors of the round moon and the night sky.

The Japanese believe there is a moon rabbit, also known as 月の兎 or Jade Rabbit, that pounds rice to make mochi. As we gazed into the twilight, I fixated on the dark shadows in the sphere and tried to envision a rabbit making rice cakes.

CasITa-to-5k On The Veterans Parkway

The CasITa-to-5k headed over to Veterans Parkway for our run tonight.

Veterans Parkway is also known as the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt. It is a former railroad corridor that has been converted to a 21 acre park with a wood chip rail trail.

A section of railroad track is still visible in the Fry's Electronics parking lot and is a remnant of the Santa Fe railroad line that was built back in 1888.

We parked and walked timorously under the ominous Sepulveda Blvd. overpass to the beginning of the trail.

Once the path was in view, its quiet beauty calmed our nerves and we eased into our brisk warm-up walk.

This was my first time running on shredded bark so I wasn't sure what to expect but it was similar to running on a sandy trail.

We followed the path as it ran through a strip of lush greenery.

We spotted several butterfly sculptures that were part of the 'The Mariposa Pathway Butterfly Totems' public artwork. The totems were created to honor the trail's Monarch butterflies.

The green way even featured posts with prominent 1/4 mile markers.

The dark marine layer that had blanketed the city all day lifted and the bright blue sky shined through the haze.

Signs indicated leashed dogs were allowed on the path but bikes were forbidden.

As we headed south, large homes and businesses bordered the path on either side.

At this point, the chip path essentially became a traffic island.

When we reached Downtown Manhattan Beach, we were unsure how to navigate the intersections.

The first time we crossed, we obeyed all the street signals and followed the blue paths.

On the way back, we sprinted behind another runner across several lanes of traffic and narrowly dodged the vehicles speeding by.

The view back into the Fry's parking lot from the trail was not nearly as inauspicious as our initial impression from the other side.

I'm looking forward to revisiting this trail in the future and running it in its entirety.

CasITa-to-5k Stair Workout

The CasITa-to-5k did some stair work at the local LA Metro station yesterday before our run.

Over 300 artists have been commissioned for Metro projects since the Metro Art Department was established in 1989.

A couple of years ago, I attended one of the LA Metro Art Tours. The two hour tours are led by volunteer docents and offered the first Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of every month. Included with the tour is a free rail day pass.

From the LA Metro Art Tour website, Metro’s Docent Council is a group of volunteers committed to increasing awareness of the broad range of art in the Metro Rail system through public tours that provide insights into the artworks, the artists who created them, the processes it took to make them, and the communities they enhance. While docent programs are commonly found at museums around the world, Metro is the first transit agency to benefit from such a program.

I found the Metro Art Tour fascinating. I had no idea so much history was embedded in each station. At the Hollywood/Vine Station, actual movie reels line the walls.

The Douglas/Rosecrans Station was designed by Renée Petropoulos from Escudero-Fribourg Architects.

Petropoulos said, People who use this station are daily commuters who work in this area. I wanted the various aspects of this station to reveal themselves over time, for the station to be experienced as a giant art piece in which the understanding of the whole is reached through daily encounters with each of its elements. I chose to focus on the idea of location—places that identify you in terms of where you are in the city, in the country, in the world—including psychological location. I wanted to pose some questions about monuments or markers as identifiers, including seeing the station as a possible landmark.

We went up and down the sets of stairs. Reading the quotes on the steps helped take our minds off the burning sensation in our legs.

When we felt like we couldn't climb another step, we headed to the parking lot to start our intervals. We skipped the brisk walk warm-up since we did the stairs and repeated the Week One schedule with 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking.