I See DC

I have been lucky enough to have been to DC a few times. My grandmother lives in Baltimore and my Uncle lives in Virginia; both are less than an hour away from the city. So this trip was nice and relaxed; I didn't feel pressured to see all of the Smithsonian Museums in one day (by the way: NOT possible); I didn't run around like a chicken trying to make sure I went to the Changing of The Guards at Arlington Cemetery and the White House and all the other Federal Buildings. There weren't really very many cherry blossoms, so I didn't even feel pressured to get the perfect photo from the perfect angle. And, like I said, I was there by myself. So I did what I wanted.

I just strolled. And by strolled I meant walked really fast, because that is the only way I walk, much to the annoyance of people like my boyfriend who always asks why I am in "such a hurry". I just strolled, and even ran a little. Here is a quick recap.

Saturday

On Saturday, I arrived in the afternoon and went to pick up my packet for the race (see B). Then I walked over to the Mall (C/D). From there I walked past the Washington Monument (F), where there was a kite flying free for all! I walked to the Lincoln Memorial (H) via the WWII Memorial (G) and the Korean War Memorial (I). Unfortunately, the reflecting pool was closed. It seems like they may have done this sometime NOT during the 100 Year Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival, but whatever.

After that, I went to the Tidal Basin (J) to see if there were any blossoms. There weren't. But I got to see the new MLK Memorial (K) which was neat. Then I went back to the hotel to get ready for the next day's race!

Day 1 walking route: 7 miles

Tidal Basin

WWII memorial

I love photos of people taking photos.

Reflecting pool = closed

Lovely kite flying day!

Random DC

Lincoln

Sunday

The race. And then I went over to Arlington, where I stayed the night. From my hotel, I walked to lunch and then to Georgetown, where I found my new house. Or a few of them. Once I make billions of dollars, that is. It was so crowded there. In hindsight, I should have waited until Monday, because this speedwalker was quite annoyed by the slow, looky loo walkers who stop in the middle of the sidewalk to talk on their phones while walking their dogs. I did escape to the less crowded streets, which were beautiful.

In the evening, I met up with the aforementioned Uncle for a stroll around Old Town Alexandria and dinner at the Fish Market. 

My new house, thank you very much. (Georgetown)

Alexandria

Monday

First I went for a gorgeous run (my 10k for the Jelly Bean) along the Potomac on the Mt Vernon trail. The trail runs along the river directly opposite the Mall, so the entire run I got a view of the monuments! Also, it was a nice sunny, although super windy day and there were tons of people on the trail with me.

My ingenious plan was to go to the Museum of Natural History (my favorite!) on Monday, since it would not be as busy as the weekend. I was wrong. It must have been field trip time, because it was PACKED. I did a quick skim of the Africa room, the ocean room and the dinosaurs and then headed to the Museum of American History. It was equally as crowded. Bummer. I couldn't handle it. If I hadn't been there before I would have stuck it out, but I have, so I left. I went via the Mall so I could take a few photos of the Capitol building (and maybe I "accidentally" caught this runner in the photo. Oops)

I went back to my hotel and went to bed early because I had to get up at 4 am the next day to catch my flight home! That sure made for a tired lady when I got back home (12 pm PDT + getting up at 4 in the morning EDT = confusion and fatigue).

Mt Vernon Trail

Half Naked Guy Running Capitol Building / Mall

 What is your favorite museum to go to? Do you do a lot of walking when you travel? Do early morning flights (and time changes) wear you out?

WIAW (3) & Stone Soup

Do you remember the book Stone Soup? If you haven't read it, the premise is that a bunch of travelers, who have only a large pot, arrive in a village and ask for food. The villagers state that they do not have any to spare. However, as time goes by, each villager adds their small item (veggies, spices, herbs) to the boiling pot of water with a stone in it, and it eventually becomes soup. In the end, everyone shares the soup.

I think this story is supposed to teach children to share, and that together they will have something wonderful. However, I don't want to dwell on that. What I like is that they just throw whatever any passing stranger happens to have handy right into the pot. One of my favorite things to make is soup, and although once in a blue moon I follow a recipe, generally I just throw whatever I have right into the pot. And Voila, I have stone soup. Sometimes it's vegetarian, sometimes it's not, and sometimes it has rice, or barley or quinoa. It almost always has beans. It is a cheap and easy way to have meals throughout the week. I usually make a big pot on Sunday and eat it for several days.

Today's stone soup recipe is just a guideline. If you have the ingredients, great. If not, you can substitute any bean, rice, pasta or meat you want. The key is the base. I usually do the base the same way and then where it goes from there is a surprise to everyone. (I apologize in advance for the crappy iPhone photos this week)

Stone Soup

Ingredients for base:
1 tbsp (roughly) olive oil (or any oil you like, or butter)
1 yellow onion, diced (Want an easy way to dice an onion? Go HERE)
2 or 3 or infinity number of garlic cloves, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced

Ingredients for soup: 
- 2 cups (dry) mixed beans
- 4 cups (you may need more) water or chicken stock**
- 1 can of corn

Optional: 
- 1 cup cooked or uncooked quinoa/barley/rice/pasta
- 1 large chicken breast, diced or shredded (or more, or a sausage..)
- Any other veggies you have on hand. Watch out for broccoli though; it tends to overpower the others.

A few notes before we start: If you are using beans, I usually soak them overnight, or if you don't have the time or you decide to make this late, you can use hot water and soak for about 2 hours, OR don't soak them at all; you will just have to cook everything a little longer. You can also used canned beans if you prefer. Today I used dried mixed beans, which you can buy pre-packaged. It usually consists of pinto, kidney, black, white, navy, black eyed peas, lentils, and green and yellow split peas). If you are using canned beans, I would use 2-4 cans, depending on how much soup, or how many different types of beans you want.

For the water part, I usually use the bean soaking water and add a little more. You want all the ingredients to be covered with about an inch or two of extra liquid. It will cook down. If you are using canned beans, go ahead and just dump the entire can into the pot, juice and all (if you are using black beans beware, they make the water kind of grey).  You still may need to add more water. **I am currently using Trader Joes Savory Broth Chicken Flavor which comes in a concentrated liquid form. It also comes in veggie. Or you can use a few bullion cubes if you like. The sky's the limit. Most of them are 1 packet to 1 cup of water, so add accordingly. If you use liquid chicken broth, just use that in place of water.

Directions: 

- In a large soup pot, sweat the onion, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. (a quick how to on sweating veggies)

- Add the chicken (I am usually lazy and want to "set it and forget it" so I add everything all at once. You could also add the chicken near the end, once the beans are done).

- Add the beans, corn and stock/water.

- Cook for about 3-5 hours. 

- If you are adding uncooked quinoa or other grains, add them about 30- 45 minutes before the soup is done.

You could also just dump everything in a crock pot in the morning and it would be done by dinner time! So there you have it, stone soup!

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This week's What I Ate Wednesday is the traveling alone version. When I am traveling alone, I tend to eat more healthy than if I am with someone else. Maybe because I don't go out to eat as much? Here is one of my travel meal days from Washington DC! Thanks to Jenn for hosting!

 Breakfast: Single serving cereal, Single serving milk, Banana

Lunch: Chipotle Chicken Bowl 

Dinner: 3x yogurt with strawberries / Peanut Butter Lara Bar

Snacks: 2x Apple

I ate a lot of that yogurt because I bought the big size and then was about to leave, so I decided to just finish it off for dinner (along with a lara bar). And you thought I ate weird stuff... Pshaw.

What weird thing do you eat when you are alone? Do you have a "go to" one pot meal that you throw together all the time?

On Traveling Alone

This weekend I traveled to DC alone, because I wanted to go to DC and run the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race. So I did. I often travel alone. It's not that my friends don't want to travel, or to come with me, or to support me. They just don't have time, or the money. That's okay though. I realized some time ago that if I wanted something, I needed to get it myself. I have to work for it; I have to plan it; I have to do it. Myself. This is not to say that if someone said they would come with me to DC I would have been unhappy. I wouldn't have. I would have loved it. However, I have learned not to hold my breath.

I guess this makes me sound kind of jaded. Well I am. Some people make time to read; some people spend their money on shoes or booze or a cruise. I spend both time and money on travel and lately, I have been spending it a lot on running. Signing up for races, traveling to get there, paying the price to stay where I am running (or hopefully having a friend to stay with) adds up. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I love it, both the travel and the running. Two things I can and will do alone.

A while back, the NY Times published an article about living alone and how weird you get when you do it. This article went to extremes, using examples such as people who talked to themselves, didn't always leave the house fully clothed, who left the bathroom door open or ate strange foods at strange times.

I admit, this trip as well as most of them, does make me realize that I do have some quirks. I like eating when I am hungry and not having to worry about when someone else is hungry, or the plans someone else has made. I don't always eat "real meals". I can have 3 apples and a carton of yogurt for dinner (ie I like eating strange foods at strange times).

I like going to the museums and deciding, after being trampled by 6 million elementary school children, that I want to leave, and go get a hot dog (which I will eat standing up, on the sidewalk, at a weird time of day).

I like stopping to take millions of photos of one tree (is that weird?), and not having someone trailing ahead of me, sighing heavily. I like doing what I like to do, and not having to worry about anyone else (and I like leaving the bathroom door open. What's wrong with that?)

Does this make me selfish? Yes. I am listing extremes, of course. On the other hand, I like planning out which museums to see with someone, and having their ideas, which you didn't even consider, turn out to be your favorite part of the trip. I like trying new things, that I may not try alone, not out of fear but out of ignorance. I like having someone to share exciting new discoveries with. I even like sharing a meal, at a regular time of day, sometimes.

So, I figured out how to have it all. Mr Lovely, who did not come with me, was subjected to a barrage of text messages and photos of "cool stuff". I frequently updated him on which museum I was in, which one of the 6 million kids were annoying me, or how cold it was before the race. He helped me decide to go to the Museum of American History (cool) but I vetoed his vote for Air and Space (I've been there several times already). Luckily, he is very patient and is a good sport and he even responded once or twice.

So, through the miracle of technology, I can still be alone but I can still share the joy, some of the decisions and...(blurry photos of) a strange meal in a strange place at a strange time.

Do you travel by yourself? What is your favorite/least favorite part of traveling alone? Who is your faraway text buddy when you have something to share?

Cherry Blossom: Pros and Cons

Yesterday I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race in Washington DC. I have been lucky enough to have been to DC several times before, so I did not feel pressured to go and see all the sights or stand in really long lines to get into the museums (the line for the Natural History was all the way down the block!) I had a great (leisurely)  day on Saturday wandering around, meeting up with these girls, checking out the "new to me" MLK Memorial and trying to find a few cherry blossoms. There were a few, but you could tell that the early warm weather and subsequent rain kind of ruined the timing for most of them. That didn't stop me from taking a bazillion photos, but that deserves a post of it's own.

PROS:

- The expo. I was in and out in 10 minutes. Everything was well signed; the volunteers were directing you to your next stop; there were plenty of bathrooms. Plus it was in the National Building Museum, which is a gorgeous old building. I didn't really check out the booths since there were so many people, but there were a ton of options!

- The commute. I got a hotel about a mile from the start line and it was SO NICE to leave only 15 minutes before I wanted to get there. Usually racing involves some kind of commute, but this one was a nice short one! It was so convenient! Even if you did not stay in the city, the metro is very handy. This is a definite plus!

The weather. It was not too hot. On the other hand, I was going to wear shorts, but opted for pants at the last minute because I am a wimp and I would rather be warm during the race than stand around freezing beforehand. It was probably about 45 - 50 degrees during the race.

- Port-a-potties. There must have been a couple hundred of those bad boys. Plus they had them along the course every couple of miles. However, this didn't stop the lines at the start from looking like this. I waited in line for 30 minutes even though I didn't even have to go when I got in line!

- The wave start. There were 6 (I think) different waves, which made for a much less confusing start. I was in the Red. Wave. Haha. The race began at 7:30 but the red wave didn't start until 7:33. The only thing about that is that the elite runners started at 7:20 and that is when they started the clock, so every time I got to a mile marker, the clock scared me a little bit. For example, at the first mile, the clock said 21 minutes or something like that. Ouch.

- The location. The race started and ended at the Washington Monument. You couldn't ask for a nicer place to run. Much of the course was along either the tidal basin or the Potomac, which meant running near water a lot of the time.

- Meeting up with the girls (mentioned above). It was so nice to finally put faces to the names. We did not get any photos. I am so bad at that.

- The bibs. They had our names on them! This is the first time I have ever had one with my name on it. It made me feel special, like I was an elite runner or something. I liked it.

- Water stops. There were a lot of them and they were nice and long. However, with all the people, I missed the first one because I was all the way over to the left and it was on the right. I noticed later there was a sign before each stop, but it didn't say which side the stop was going to be on and they did change sides.

- The website was very easy to navigate, was packed full of information and you could even watch the race on live streaming video if you wanted.

CONS:

- The crowd. There must have been 20,000 people. I really don't know how many there really were, but there were A LOT. Usually everyone spends the first mile or so finding their pace, passing a few people, getting passed by a few people...this happened for the entire 10 miles. There was never a time when I had a little bubble of space around me. It was very claustrophobic and I had a hard time maintaining a pace when I was constantly having to pass people.

- Speaking of passing people, and this is not the race management's fault, but what is up with people who get into a corral that is faster than their pace? It really irks me. This race was done on a wave start. I think my wave was 8 - 9 minute mile pace, yet clearly some of the people who I was passing at the beginning were slower than a 9 minute mile. Do people feel like they have to prove something? Like they are wimpy if they get in the correct corral? Because that is not the case! It's just that it's hard enough having to pass people that are going 2 seconds per mile slower than you; it's nearly impossible when they are going a whole minute slower. Get in the correct corral please.

- The "goodies" after the race consisted of water, Gatorade, bananas and muffins. That's it. Really, people? You can't get some better treats than that? I know that most of our race entry fees probably went to the street closures and security and stuff like that, but I expected a better spread.

- In fact, to top the above cop out, you also had to pay extra for a medal and/or a technical tee-shirt.

- The corrals (ie the wave start) were packed! I don't know how you were supposed to get into them either; I couldn't find a doorway. I ended up squeezing through the bars of the metal barrier in order to get in. And then I stood there, back to front with all my fellow runners. I guess I should have showered beforehand. 

- Not meeting up with Jill. She didn't have her phone with her and we set up a meeting spot for before the race but I didn't realize that there were going to be a million other people on the same corner, so we missed each other. Blogger meetup: fail.

Verdict? I probably will not do this race again. I bet that if you want to run in DC, there are a ton of other races which probably have just as nice of a course, but less people. It was a fun race on a nice course in a beautiful city, but I prefer smaller, more personal races. Besides, there are so many other places I need to see!

Now, an important question. On my 50 states list, where does this fall? Do I need a "50 states and a District" list? 

Have you ever been to DC? Have you ever been to a Cherry Blossom festival? Have you ever gotten a bib with your name on it?

Diva Dash: Race Recap

Last weekend I ran the Diva Dash 5k in Kansas City, KS. It was a pretty nice day with approximately 50 degree weather and pretty strong winds. I was wearing pants, a short sleeved shirt and a long sleeved shirt. Once again, I was overdressed. I did not carry water. I finally got a chance to use my iFitness belt and my Chica Band!

Pre-race excitement

Mile 1: 7:00/mi
I made sure to try and get in the beginning of the pack. I knew this race was a run/walk and the last time I did one of these, I did not get in the front, and ended up having to pass a lot of the walkers, who for some reason were in the beginning of the pack. My first mile is always the fastest. I think the combination of trying to pass people and thinking that maybe I will slow down later gives me the energy to push it for the first 10 minutes, or whatever it takes. So the first few minutes were spent passing people and then the pace evened out a bit. I think at this point I had maybe 20 people in front of me.

Mile 2: 7:02/mi

I spent this mile trying to pass as many people as I could. I probably passed 6-8 girls in the 2nd mile. This course was variable with a few ups and downs and I noticed that I can usually pass people on hills, when they typically slow down. I guess that hill training pays off! I was pushing pretty hard and my legs were getting pretty tired, but I was pushed on my the fact that on the straight stretches I could see the front of the pack and they were not too far ahead of me. 

Mile 3: 7:03/mi

This mile was a little bit of a downhill and then pretty much a slow steady uphill to the end. At this point the wind was blowing right toward me, hard. I passed a few more girls and was neck in neck with a small girl in black. I passed her, but the wind was really taking the energy out of me. Then I noticed she was drafting me! I could see her in my shadow, trying to keep behind me to stay out of the wind. I swerved. I wasn't about to help her, not when I could still see the leaders just ahead of me. I couldn't tell at this time if there were 2 or 3 or 4 of them, but they were right there! 

Mile 3.1: 7:06/mi

The wind got me. The slight uphill got me. The girl behind me passed me. I crossed the line without an ounce of energy left. I felt like throwing up, but instead drank a bottle of water in one gulp and then had a banana.

Results:
Chip Time: 21:36
Garmin Time: 21:49 (7:02/mi) I always forget to stop it right away!
5/1130 overall
2/239 age group**

I won this. What the heck am I going to do with it?

 Notes: I really wish I would have pushed harder and not let that girl pass me at the very end. I think she was in my age group, so if I would have pushed a little harder, I could have placed first in my group. I probably should have worn less clothing because I was sweating pretty hard by the end. I am proud of myself though. **I placed, I got a new PR and I ran my fastest mile ever.

After that, I ran (slowly) back along the course, to meet my friend who was walking, so I could walk with her to the finish line. She finished in about 45 minutes which is a new PR for her as well! I am really glad she could join me; it's always nice to have a friend at any race! 
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Next up: Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington DC this Sunday!! The weekend after that, I have my fourth 12 in 2012 race: The Grizzly Peak Trail Half in Berkeley!
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Don't forget to go over to Jill's and check out the other Fitness Friday posts! 

Have you ever ran a race with a friend? How do you feel about drafting? Have you perfected the race day outfit yet?

Then and Now: March

Looking back on the last year is fun. I like seeing where I was then vs where I am now. Some things are SO different; others are exactly the same. Last year I was traveling around Southeast Asia. I chopped off my hair in Bangkok, I had a few bad days, and I dealt with some money problems. This year I chopped off my hair again, my fire got put out by some hot firemen, and I tried a couple of new things.

Let's take a look at what happened March 2011 vs what happened in March 2012, the Who, the What and the Where.

WHO: 

2011: 

A few monks and a few monkeys

2012: 

Mr. L, Dad, Lucy the dog

WHAT:  

2011 Activities: 

Scuba Diving, Not so much running

2012 Activities: 

Paddle boarding, Running

Running Miles: 

2011: 0 / 2012: 106

March 2011 was a no running month. I did do some hiking and walking, but no running. I am glad that this year I am focusing more on running (as well as still doing some hiking and walking!)

Races: 

2011: 0 / 2012: 6

 Bidwell Classic (Half Marathon)
  Let's Move it Mama's Spring Fever Virtual 10k
Armadillo 10k
Detroit Runner's I Just Felt Like Running Virtual 10k
Spatula Runners Virtual 10k
Diva Dash 5k

2011 Food: 

Fresh Fruit Breakfast and Pad Thai Lunches

2012 Food: 

Veggies!  Oats, fruit, nuts!

Reads:

2011: 8 / 2012: 2

It seems that with an increase in running comes a decrease in reading. I can't say that March's books were all that interesting; maybe that is the reason for less reading. I sometimes try to find other things to do if my book isn't capturing my attention.

WHERE: 

 2011:

Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore

2012:

Oakland, Florida, Kansas City

The verdict? March in both years was pretty good as far as eating and traveling goes, but my activity levels have increased a lot since last March and my reading levels have decreased a lot. I am really having a great month this month visiting lots of friends and family, running and making new meals! I will be happy if April continues along a similar vein.  

What were you doing last March? What things in your life have changed in the last year?

Movie Buff

I don't watch a lot of TV. I don't really watch a lot of movies either. I never have. That's just not what I do with my leisure time. I know there are a lot of people that love watching movies, know all the movie lines and can name all the actors. My friend's boyfriend is one of those. The other day we were talking and I mentioned to him that I had never seen Jaws.

He thought I was crazy, a weirdo, someone who needed to be schooled immediately about fish and boats and Richard Dryfus. He set up a movie night so I could come over and be a real American, so I could see this movie that Everyone else had seen years ago (particularly if you are my age).

source

So I watched it. It was pretty good. I can't say that I have really been missing anything. And I am not sure it had the same effect on me that it would have if I had watched it when I was 8, not only because the scare factor would have been greater, but also in the 80s they didn't have some of the cool special effects that they have now, so that shark was probably awesome.

My boyfriend also made me watch The Godfather (I) in the same kind of "You must watch this! This is a classic movie" attitude as my friend's boyfriend. I thought it too was just okay. I still have not seen II or III. I am in no hurry.

Now, I did grow up in the 80s in America, so yes, I have seen Princess Bride, Spaceballs and The Star Wars Trilogy; I wasn't born under a rock, but I have missed out on some of the movies that other people consider classics. On this list of the Top 100 80s Movies, I have watched 25 of them. Of the 100 Greatest 70s Movies, I have seen 13. Some favorites: Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Airplane, Grease, The Breakfast Club, and When Harry Met Sally (and not on the list: Goonies). 

What was your favorite movie growing up? How many of the movies on the top 100 lists have you seen? Are you a movie buff?

Diva Dash: Pros & Cons

While visiting a friend of mine in Kansas City, I dragged her to invited her to join me at the Diva Dash in the great state of Kansas. I am trying to race in every state and this would satisfy my Kansas quotient. Right now it doesn't matter what distance it is, any race is sufficient! So, after running this race, my number of states is up to 10!

This race was held on city streets, in one of the outlying areas of Kansas City. There was a good turnout; there were about 1200 people for the 5k. There was also a Little Princess dash, which I believe was one mile. This race, as the name suggests, WAS all women. This is only my second all women race; the first was Women Run The Cities in Minneapolis.

All The Ladies

Pros:

- The energy of this race was great. There were tons of spectators along the beginning and end sections, mostly men and children, and the enthusiasm was great. There was one guy at the very last stretch who was cheering everyone on. It was so nice to have someone cheering for me, even if he didn't know me. I am sure he made everyone else feel great too!

- The ladies working the booths were all really nice. Even though the packet pickup was a little confusing (see below), they were all very friendly and chipper, so it was easy to maneuver.

- The swag. Technical tees in women's cuts and sizes. They also had hats you could buy for $5. For food there were cookies, bananas, edamame, water and Neuro, which is a drink I had not tried before. It was good! I tried the Bliss and the Sun. Both were tasty. There are several other flavors; I would like to try them all. 

- The weather. This may not be normal, but it was about 50 degrees and sunny for the 8:30 am race. I want weather like this every time I race!

- The location. This race was only about 10 minutes from my friend's house. I got to sleep in until about an hour before the race! 

- My friend who came with me said she liked that it was all women, she liked the course, which was varied with up and down hills (and not a lot of flats), she liked that people were wearing costumes, which made the race fun, and she liked that there were both walkers and runners, so she didn't feel pressured to go faster or feel too worried about coming in last.

Cons:

- The packet pickup and registration were in a tiny little room. This race was held in a shopping center, so they opened up one of the stores to do the registration in. It was not big enough for everyone to come in and fill out paperwork and get their packets. It was very tight.

- The packet pickup was difficult to find. Usually it's in a tent out in the middle somewhere. We had to hunt around and ask a bunch of people in order to find this one.

- Not enough port-a-potties. 1200 girls. 8 port-a-potties. It does not compute.

So, except for a few logistical difficulties, this was a great race! If you are just starting out running, I would suggest looking for a fun race like this, where there are walkers (so you won't be the slowest), or where it's a fun run, with costumes or kids or a theme.

Have you ever run an all women race? Do you have a 50 state race goal? Do you like to participate in events or go to parties where you can wear a costume?

Rock On

I am going to admit something kind of embarrassing. My first concert ever was...

Bryan Adams.

If you are my age, you may remember the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves era and the Everything I Do, I Do it For You phase. Remember going to school dances? Where the boys were on one side and the girls were on the other, both of them too shy to ask the other to dance? But you were AT the dance, so obviously you WANTED to dance. Thank you Bryan Adams. Thanks for giving me the courage to grab the guy next to me and dance with him without touching anything but his shoulders.

My Dad took me and my friend to the concert. It was great. We got up to the front of the crowd, closed our eyes and sang along with "Summer of 69". It was some good times, let me tell you.

The other day, my brother and I went to see the Kaiser Chiefs, and it made me remember how much I love going to concerts. Growing up, we lived pretty far from the nearest amphitheater (about 2 hours) but we still managed to see a few shows and through the years I have made it a point to see a concert now and then. There is just something about live music that is magical. Do you know what I mean?

Here are a few of the concerts I've been to since "The Summer of 69":

- Aerosmith
- The Scorpions
- Rage Against the Machine (w/roots)
- Steve Miller Band
- Metallica (w/Korn)
- Sevendust
- Page and Plant
- 311
- The Deftones
- Rage Against The Machine (w/ Mix Master Mike)
- The Rolling Stones (w/ Pearl Jam)
- The Beastie Boys
- Chris Isaac
- Phil Lesh and Friends
- Cheap Trick
- The Trans Siberian Orchestra 
- Medeski Martin & Wood
- Slow Gherkin
- Dave Matthews
- The Crystal Method
- Underworld
- Bumbershoot (Kings of Leon etc)
- Jazzfest (Joss Stone, Paul Simon, Lionel Ritchie, Ellis Marsalis, etc)
- Kings of Leon
- Arctic Monkeys
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Blues Traveler
- Kermit Ruffins
- Galactic
- Teresa Andersson
- Professor Longhair
- Enanitos Verdes
- She Wants Revenge
- Kaiser Chiefs 

My favorite? Its a 4 way tie between Rage / Rebirth / The Kings of Leon at the House of Blues in New Orleans / Page and Plant; they are legends. The most interesting? Phil Lesh and Friends. If you are looking for hippies, go see Phil. The coolest? Enanitos Verdes. I saw them in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was so much fun! 

As you can see, I was into the hair bands for a while. I guess I also pick rock concerts over anything else (although I have been to the Symphony quite a few times and I love Musicals!)  I also really loved being in New Orleans, where you can watch a band at a smaller venue, and oftentimes you may even catch an impromptu show!

Okay, feel free to make fun of me now. I know. You've been waiting patiently.

What was your first concert? What is your most embarrassing concert to admit to? What was your favorite concert?

Gas and Dash

This week, as I mentioned in this post, has been a good one! Although the weather report the entire week was for rain, we had surprisingly nice days, with 50 degree temps and sometimes even clear skies! This is why I love living in the Bay Area, where it is always spring!

I went for an awesome run in the hills. 

The sky cleared up midway through and I had a great view of San Francisco. 

I love it when that happens. 

 

I went to a sale, but I didn't find any good deals! 

Yes, that says $4.29, and actually this photo was taken on Monday. 

On Thursday, the same gas was $4.49. Sheesh. 

 

The Broski and I went to see the Kaiser Chiefs at the Fillmore. 

We can't go to the City without partaking in some excellent food. 

Today's choice: Pho and Vietnamese Coffee at Pho 2000!

 

I bought new running shoes. 

New meets old. 

According to Running Ahead the old ones had 719 miles on them. 

Oops. 

One of my biggest pet peeves? 

Unleashed dogs. 

People that don't follow rules. 

Or know how to read signs. 

(That says "ON". Excuse the paper in the way)

 

I took a plane ride. Wheeeee. 

I got to see Colorado and Utah. 

Beautiful! 

 

My friend and I wandered around town exploring. 

Restaurant or strip club? 

You choose. 

Doesn't everyone need one of these? 

(in case you can't see, it's a singing toothbrush)

I discovered the joy of....wait for it....

Serve Yourself frozen yogurt! 

Where have you been all my life!? 

To work off said yogurt, my friend and I ran the Diva Dash 5k. 

It was great! 

More on that later. 

How was your week? Have you ever tried Vietnamese coffee? Have you ever had self serve frozen yogurt (if so, what is your favorite combination)?

Race You to The Finish!

Have you ever signed up for a race via lottery? What about a race that was not close to where you lived? I have done it twice. The first one was the NYC Half Marathon. I had just completed my first half marathon and when my friend said he was going to put his name in the lottery, I thought why the heck not. So I did. This was in April. The race was in August. I got in. The next several months consisted of a steady decline in training, culminating in a 90 degree, 2 hour and 14 minute, painful race. The view was spectacular. I think that is the only thing that got me through. 

I should have learned my lesson. 5 months ahead of time is a little bit too far in the future for me, planning wise. Even though I am a planner. But I didn't learn. In December, I put my name in the lottery for the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race, which is in Washington DC. In April. I got in. In case you were wondering, I live in California.

So, now the race is about a week away. I contemplated saying, "forget about it" and staying home, but it just so happened that I had a couple extra flight miles, so I used them to get myself a ticket to DC, where I will run the race. I am  also hoping to meet up with some blogger friends for lunch, play tourist, look at the pretty flowers, see some family and to go back to a couple of the Smithsonian Museums that I haven't been to in a few years. All I can say is that there better be some cherry blossoms there or I am going to be really mad.

In the meantime, I decided to keep up my fitness by doing a few smaller and virtual races. In case you need a little motivation, some of these are a great way to get it, without having to pay for a race, travel or even leave your neighborhood! Click on the thumbnails to go to the sites and sign up!

March 10: 10k -- time: 47:28

March 20: 10k -- time: 54:47 / 8:50/mi (goes until March 25th)

10k -- March 19 - 30

5k -- March 24

5k/ 10k/ Half Marathon -- April 1 - 8

Have you ever been to Washington DC? Have you ever signed up for a race but not ran it or not trained enough? Are you signed up for any of the above virtual races?

Wine and Love (6)

It's time for this week's Wine and Love, hosted by Nora. This is where you list the things that are happening this week that are making you reach for the wine and all the things that you love!

WINE: 

- Not working. It sucks. I wouldn't mind it if I knew that I had a sure thing coming at some point, but not knowing the when or where is hard sometimes. I knew it would be like this going in, and I have money saved just for this reason, but still, when there is no "end" in sight, it is hard to plan the rest of my life.

- My running headphones are broken. I can only hear out of one ear bud. I guess it's time for new ones, but I swear, I go through about 2 pairs of them each year! It's getting to be an expensive habit!

- I haven't been reading. In March, so far, I have only read ONE book. I know it's my own fault; I am not making time for it, but I miss it. I need to fit it back into my schedule. I am pretty much on track for my 12 in 2012 reading challenge still, but I need to get in gear or I may fall behind!

- Gas Prices:

LOVE: 

- That I have more loves than wines.

- Today, I am on a plane headed to see one of my best friends! She and I plan on doing LOTS of catching up, eating, window shopping, walks and time spent together. I can't wait.

- This week my brother met up with me in the city and we went to the Fillmore to see the Kaiser Chiefs. I haven't been to a concert in a long time, but it reminded me how much I love going to see live music!

- Sunday I had a great chat on the phone with both of my parents. It's nice to catch up and to hear their voices. I miss them.

- I finally bought new running shoes! I wore them for the first time on Tuesday for a 6 mile run and they feel GREAT! I was waiting to get a good deal; I looked online and compared prices and then ended up going to Sports Authority because they were having a sale PLUS 20% off one item. I scored my shoes for $50! Hurray! I was hoping to spend less that $70, so this was a steal of a deal!

- The weather. Right now we are having perfect, 45-50 degree days. It is great running weather, the sky has been clear and on my runs I can see all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge! I love it.

- One of my goals was to do yoga one day a week. I am doing it, although only for about 15 or 20 minutes, but it feels great. I am trying to build it up, little by little and am looking forward to seeing where it takes me!

What's on your wine/love list this week? What earphones do you use? How much is gas where you live?