Lisa Gonzales Looks Back at Her First 100 Races

Race 100

My 100th Race!

My name is Lisa Gonzales and I am RIF #5 (Run It Fast Club). This past weekend, I ran my 100th race! If anyone had told me 10 years ago that I would be running 100 races, including marathons and ultras, I would have said they were crazy. But racing is so fun! And addicting!

I have been keeping track of my races in my running & cycling log (an Excel spreadsheet) because I’m a numbers geek and it makes me happy to see all that I’ve done. The bonus to keeping them in Excel means I can keep a few stats on them. Here’s a summary:

Race Distances:
Ultras – 8
Marathons – 15
Halfs – 36
10Ks – 14
5Ks – 17
Other races – 10

Races in California: 77 (not surprising since I live in Southern California!)
Races in other states: 23 (AZ-5, KY-1, NM-1, NV-4, NY-1, OR-1, SD-3, TN-4, TX-1, UT-1, WA-1)

Races By Year
2009 – 2
2010 – 4
2011 – 12
2012 – 29
2013 – 19
2014 – 14
2015 – 20

I took 9 months off in 2013/2014 because I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on 9/30/14 and I had to have surgery and 6 rounds of chemo. If not for cancer, I would have hit 100 sooner. One of things that made me so angry at cancer was how many races I had to miss. Racing, to me, is a party and I was mad that I missed so many parties! Sure, it hurts when you run hard and sometimes you want to puke your guts out at the end of a race… but I love seeing friends and running with people who are just like me and knowing that you left everything you had on the course is very satisfying!

So without further ado, here are the races I’ve run since April 2009.

  1. 4/5/09 – Renegade 3 Mile Trail Run – San Dimas, CA – The start of my addiction. This race was hilly, hot, and hard but I was proud of myself for finishing it. 
  2. 11/28/09 – San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K – San Dimas, CA
  3. 2/14/10 – Lost Dutchman Half Marathon – Apache Junction, AZ
  4. 5/2/10 – Eugene Marathon – Eugene, OR – This race finishes in Hayward Field. Very cool to run on the track where so many fast, fast, runners have raced.
  5. 10/10/10 – Mohawk Hudsom River Marathon – Albany, NY
  6. 11/27/10 – San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K – San Dimas, CA
  7. 1/22/11 – Buffalo Run Half Marathon – Catalina Island, CA
  8. 2/20/11 – Lost Dutchman Marathon – Apache Junction, AZ – This is a very cool race. Fun start and fun course. This was the first marathon I did where I actually ran the whole thing. 
  9. 4/9/11 – Labor Of Love Half Marathon – Lovell Canyon, NV – I won my Age Group!
  10. 4/10/11 – Labor of Love Half Marathon – Lovell Canyon, NV – I won the Women’s Half Marathon on the 2nd day! I wasn’t sure that running back to back half marathons was a good idea but it went really well, even with the big hill! It was my first time going sub 2 hours too. Woo!

    LaborOfLoveAwards

    Labor of Love Half Marathon

  11. 6/25/11 – Seattle Rock & Roll Half Marathon – Seattle, WA – This is where I set my half marathon PR.
  12. 7/4/11 – Freedom 5000 – Claremont, CA
  13. 8/28/11 – Santa Rosa Marathon – Santa Rosa, CA – This is where I set my marathon PR.
  14. 10/16/11 – A Hurricane Jem 16.5 Trail Run – Hurricane, UT
  15. 11/26/11 – San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K – San Dimas, CA
  16. 12/4/11 – Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon – Las Vegas, NV
  17. 12/31/11 – New Years One Day 12 Hour (45.6 miles) – San Francisco, CA- My first ultra! And I picked a 12 Hour! LOL. This was a really fun race with great views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. It ended at midnight on New Year’s Eve and we watched the fireworks go off over the city. Very cool!
  18. 1/7/12 – Southern California Half Marathon – Irvine, CA
  19. 1/28/12 – Wild Horse Trail Half Marathon – Chula Vista, CA
  20. 2/4/12 – Jackson Jackass 50K – Jackson, TN – This was my first 50K and it was a mudfest!
  21. 2/26/12 – La Jolla Canyon 50K – Malibu, CA
  22. 3/11/12 – Mesquite Canyon 30K – Waddell, AZ
  23. 4/22/12 – Foxy Trail Half Marathon – Rancho Bernardo, CA
  24. 5/6/12 – Safari Park Half Marathon – San Diego, CA
  25. 5/26/12 – Nanny Goat 12 Hour (45 miles) – Riverside, CA
  26. 6/10/12 – Cougar Trail Half Marathon – San Diego, CA
  27. 6/23/12 – Billy Goat Half Marathon Hill Climb – Corona, CA – This is a challenging but fun race. “It ain’t got but one hill” but it’s 6.5 miles long.
  28. 6/30/12 – Mojave Narrows Half Marathon – Victorville, CA
  29. 7/5/12 – Freedom 5000 – Claremont, CA
  30. 7/14/12 – Stonewall Peak Half Marathon – Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, CA – This was one of the prettiest races I’ve done. This was the first race I got lost at but only added about a mile onto my race. Oh, and I got stung by a bee on my ear! What an adventure!

    StonewallPeak3

    Stonewall Peak Half Marathon

  31. 8/5/12 – ET Full Moon Midnight 51K – Rachel, NV- This race is a SciFi running geek’s dream. You run during a full moon at midnight out near Area 51! I’m pretty sure I saw some strange lights out there. 
  32. 8/19/12 – Leading Ladies Marathon – Spearfish, SD
  33. 9/2/12 – Disneyland Half Marathon – Anaheim, CA – The start of my runDisney addiction! Seriously love these races. 
  34. 9/8/12 – Endure the Bear 15K – Big Bear Lake, CA
  35. 9/15/12 – Summer Spectacular 50K – Santa Monica, CA – This is where I set my 50K PR! And then spent the rest of the day in ER from heatstroke. I do not recommend doing that! But I got a PR!
  36. 9/29/12 – Big Sur Trail Marathon – Big Sur, CA
  37. 10/14/12 – Raptor Ridge Trail Half Marathon – Escondido, CA
  38. 10/27/12 – Javelina Jundred (100K) – Fountain Hills, AZ – This was my first 100 mile attempt. Well, my only attempt so far. I dropped to the 100K though.
  39. 11/11/12 – Malibu International Marathon – Malibu, CA
  40. 11/18/12 – Flying Monkey Marathon – Nashville, TN – This is a very popular race put on by Run It Fast Club member Trent Rosenbloom. I was unlucky enough to get into the lottery for it in 2012! It’s a gorgeous place to run but watch out for the Flying Monkeys! And the hills! 

    Flying Monkey Marathon

    Flying Monkey Marathon

  41. 11/22/12 – ARR Thanksgiving Day Classic 10 Mile – Peoria, AZ
  42. 11/24/12 – San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K – San Dimas, CA
  43. 12/8/12 – Santa Monica/Venice Christmas Run 10K – Santa Monica, CA
  44. 12/8/12 – Santa Monica/Venice Christmas Run 5K – Santa Monica, CA – I loved doing the Double. You ran the 10K first and then the 5K. Sadly, they aren’t doing the double this year.
  45. 12/9/12 – Holiday Half Marathon – Pomona, CA
  46. 12/15/12 – Paramount Ranch Trail Half Marathon – Calabasas, CA
  47. 12/16/12 – Holly Jolly Half Marathon – Camarillo, CA
  48. 1/5/13 – New Years Race Half Marathon – Los Angeles, CA
  49. 1/27/13 – Calico Trail Runs 30K – Calico Ghost Town, CA – The scenery in this race is amazing and you finish in a ghost town. What’s not to love?
  50. 2/3/13 – Surf City Half Marathon – Huntington Beach, CA
  51. 2/17/13 – Bandit 30K – Simi Valley, CA
  52. 2/23/13 – Rohring Round The Clock 6HR – Bonita, CA
  53. 3/10/13 – Snoopy Coaster Run 10K – Buena Park, CA
  54. 3/17/13 – Bataan Memorial Death March – White Sands, NM – This race is amazing! Definitely one of my favorites. It’s run at the White Sands Missile Range and it’s a very emotional and moving race that honors the survivors and those who lost their lives in the Bataan Death March. 

    IMG_20130319_164441

    Bataan Memorial Death March

  55. 3/30/13 – Chino Hills Trail Run Series 15 Miler – Chino Hills, CA
  56. 4/6/13 – Hollywood Half Marathon – Hollywood, CA
  57. 4/13/13 – Griffith Park Trail Marathon – Los Angeles, CA
  58. 5/5/13 – OC Half Marathon – Newport Beach, CA
  59. 5/19/13 – Horseshoe Lake Trail Marathon – Palo Alto, CA – I celebrated my birthday with a marathon. 
  60. 6/1/13 – Fontana Days 5K – Fontana, CA
  61. 6/2/13 – San Diego Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon, San Diego, CA
  62. 6/8/13 – Run Under The Stars (50K) – Paducah, KY – Running for 10 hours under the stars in circles on a horse track doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but it is a blast!
  63. 6/24/13 – Asphalt Jackal Marathon – Pinson, TN
  64. 7/4/13 – Freedom 5000 – Claremont, CA
  65. 7/7/13 – Costume Party Half Marathon – San Diego, CA – This was the last race I really ran before everything went down with cancer. It had the largest medal I’ve received!

    Costume Party Medal

    Costume Party Half Marathon

  66. 8/10/13 – Dove Canyon Half Marathon – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – My last race before my doctor said I had to stop running. It wasn’t a spectacular run for me but it was fun and I was happy to finish.
  67. 5/17/14 – Renegade 3 Mile Trail Run – San Dimas, CA – My first race post cancer. I went back to my first race from back in 2009. I thought it was a fun way to get back into racing. I was still battling fatigue from the chemo so my time was about the same as back in 2009. 
  68. 6/7/14 – Fontana Days 5K – Fontana, CA
  69. 7/4/14 – Freedom 5000 – Claremont, CA
  70. 8/17/14 – Leading Ladies Half Marathon – Spearfish, SD
  71. 9/21/14 – Girls On The Go 10K – San Dimas, CA
  72. 9/27/14 – San Dimas 5K – San Dimas, CA
  73. 10/11/14 – Brian’s Home Run 5K – Fontana, CA – 3rd in my Age Group! Starting to finally feel like my old self again.
  74. 10/26/14 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half – Los Angeles, CA
  75. 11/16/14 – Avengers Half Marathon – Anaheim, CA
  76. 11/22/14 – San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K – San Dimas, CA
  77. 11/27/14 – Claremont Turkey Trot 5K – Claremont, CA
  78. 12/6/14 – Santa Monica/Venice Christmas Run 10K – Santa Monica, CA
  79. 12/6/14 – Santa Monica/Venice Christmas Run 5K – Santa Monica, CA
  80. 12/14/14 – Dallas Half Marathon – Dallas, TX – First time visiting Texas! Great race and a lot of fun. Got to see lots of friends and fellow RIFers here.
  81. 1/3/15 – Resolution Run 10K – Los Angeles, CA
  82. 1/18/15 – Star Wars Half Marathon – Anaheim, CA
  83. 2/1/15 – Surf City Half Marathon – Huntington Beach, CA
  84. 2/21/15 – Cummins Falls Half Marathon, Cummins Falls State Park, TN – This was my first race in snow & ice and I didn’t die! Hey, I’m from So Cal, it was 80 degrees when I flew it out. It was worth it though it was a fun race and I won my Age Group! 

    IMG_20150221_133548

    Cummins Falls Half Marathon

  85. 3/8/15 – Snoopy Coaster Run 10K – Buena Park, CA – 10K PR! I love this race! Mostly because I love Snoopy but also because you run through Knott’s Berry Farm and there is pie at the finish! Also, did I mention the pie?
  86. 3/15/15 – Los Angeles Marathon – Los Angeles, CA – This was my first marathon post cancer. I swore I was never going to do big city races again but this one was a great race. It was really well organized, you see some great sights, and the crowd support is awesome. I signed for 2016!
  87. 4/4/15 – Peter Cottontail 5K – Rancho Cucamonga, CA
  88. 4/18/15 – Cosmo 7K – Pomona, CA – 1st in my Age Group! This is a women’s only run.
  89. 5/4/15 – OC Half Marathon – Newport Beach, CA
  90. 5/9/15 – Tinkerbell 10K – Anaheim, CA
  91. 5/10/15 – TinkerBell Half Marathon – Anaheim, CA – This was another race that I missed because of cancer. I was supposed to run it in January 2014 but had chemo just a few days before it so did not get to do it. So happy to finally run it!
  92. 5/16/15 – Renegade 3 Mile Trail Run – San Dimas, CA
  93. 6/6/15 – Fontana Days 5K – Fontana, CA – 5K PR and 2nd in my Age Group! This is a very fast course. The half marathon fills up fast because it is a great PR course.
  94. 7/4/15 – Freedom 5000 – Claremont, CA
  95. 8/16/15 – Leading Ladies Marathon – Spearfish, SD
  96. 9/5/15 – Disneyland 10K – Anaheim, CA
  97. 9/6/15 – Disneyland Half Marathon – Anaheim, CA – My favorite part of runDisney races is dressing up. This was my 3rd time running as Minnie Mouse. I was Chewbacca Minnie at the Star Wars Half! LOL!IMG_20150906_041614
  98. 9/20/15 – Girls On The Go 10K – San Dimas, CA – 1st in my Age Group!
  99. 10/11/15 – Long Beach Marathon – Long Beach, CA – This was a hot day! Like 98 but I finished! It was the completion of the Beach Cities Challenge (Surf City, OC, and Long Beach) so I was really happy. I had started the Challenge in 2013 but didn’t get to complete it because I had surgery just 2 weeks before Long Beach. Every time I ran a race that I missed because of cancer, I considered it a Revenge Race. Getting to run/race again is the best revenge of that stupid, ugly disease. I win!
  100. 10/25/15 – Terrifying 10 Miler – Dana Point, CA – 2nd in my Age Group running as a Pirate! Hard course but great race.

You may have noticed I have a few races that I repeat every year: Renegade 3 Mile Trail Run, Fontana Days Run 5K, Freedom 5000, San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K, Snoopy Coaster Run 10K, runDisney races. These are local races that are a lot of fun! But mostly I use racing to travel and see places I’ve never been. I don’t have a specific plan to race in all 50 States but I’m sure I will eventually. I keep saying I will race less. I don’t know if that’s going to happen though. We’ll see…

Thanks for reading!

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Twitter: @runlikeacoyote
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- who has written 717 posts on Run It Fast®.

Lisa (RIF Club Member #5) has completed 27 half marathons, 13 marathons, 5 50Ks, 2 12 Hour races, and 1 100K. Her favorite races to date are the Disneyland Half Marathon, the Leading Ladies Marathon, the Bataan Memorial Death March, and the Jackson Jackass 50K. You can follow her on Twitter @runlikeacoyote

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