Currently: November

Current Book - Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton (it's not what I thought it would be, as in, it's not as good as I thought it would be).

Current Favorite Celebrity - Paul from Top Chef (my Mom and I just watched the finale)

 

source

Current Drink - Water. I have been drinking a ton of it! 

Current Excitement - A good friend is coming to visit the Bay Area for the first time and I can't wait to show her around my city, to do some running and to catch up!  We have both been busy lately and haven't had as much time to do so. 

Current fashion trend - Leggings. Are. Not. Pants. 

source

 

Current Favorite Blog/Website - My Life as a Foreigner -- her last post was about some of the things that may make her crazy. And let me tell you, one of them involves a pet snail.
 

Current Garden Item - tomatoes / lemons

Current Love -  Seeing my family not one, not two, NOT three, but five times over the last five weeks! 

Current Food - This Philippine dried coconut from Costco (ps. It's only 8.99 at Costco!). They also have mangos by the same brand. They are equally as good.

Currently Pondering -What my #12 race for 12 in 2012 is going to be!

Current Indulgence - NOT running, although it just feels wrong. The darkness is facilitating it though. 

Current Mood - Happy but a bit tired out. 

Current New Find - Samsung Galaxy S3. Yup, I got a new phone!

Current Outfit - I've spent a lot of time in running clothes lately. Plus I wanted to post this photo. Look at Broski. He is concentrating on getting over that finish line! Grrrr. 

source

 

Current Peeve - People who walk and text. Pay attention or get out of my way! Or learn to walk straight and fast and pay attention while you are doing it! 

 

Current Song - 

 

Current Triumph - I still have not bought a book this year. In fact, I haven't even missed it! Its funny how you really don't NEED many things and how there are usually easy alternatives to certain things you thought you wanted! (Next up: A no pantry buying spree!) 

 

Current TV Show - I have been tuning the TV to the local radio station. They just put out a new CD called Live From the Archives, which is all live music that was recorded in the studio or at a KFOG concert. It is a pretty good line up. You should check it out if you are looking for some good new music! (Especially if you like the song above, there will be lots on the CD that you will love!)

Current Wish-List - An apron, a new Garmin (Mine JUST stopped uploading to my computer). 

Currently Delaying - Calling DMV. What I need will probably take 4 seconds but I keep putting it off! I don't know what my problem is. 

What things do you put off a lot? Any new music you are loving lately? What's your biggest pet peeve right now? 

An Apple a Day Monday: V

Last year, through the month of November, I did a Fall cooking series called An Apple a Day Monday. I was lucky to have an available and very productive apple tree nearby last year, which facilitated dishes like Apple Bundt Cake, Apple Crisp, Apple Cider and Apple Bran Flax Muffins. This year I am not as lucky to have the apples, but have been experimenting with some other items instead.

This weekend, my Mom was in town and we had a great time exploring the area and shopping and eating! On Saturday night, Broski came over with the lady friend and they all had a chance to try my Screamin' Hot Habanero Sauce that I made out of the peppers that they gave me. Remember the one that gets rid of your socks? They both loved it and wanted the recipe (Mom is not as fond of hot stuff), so I decided to share it with you too, in case you feel like making some of your own. I got my peppers from the garden, but they are pretty cheap at the market, especially if you have a Latino market nearby. They always have the best peppers!

It's a great addition to any dish and I like it because it doesn't taste of vinegar; it mostly just tastes of pepper /  heat! And a little dab'll do ya! The problem with my cooking sometimes is that I just toss stuff in, so you may need to tweak this a little to make it to YOUR liking, just like I did. The recipe was inspired by this.

Screamin' Hot Habanero Sauce

2 cups of hot peppers (I used Serrano and Habanero)
1 tbsp salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (I used Champagne, but you could use red wine, apple cider or white vinegar)
1 tsp garlic salt

First, cut the stems off the peppers. I put gloves on to do this just in case. I would hate to touch my eye afterward or something silly like that. Then blanch them in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove them and run them under cold water (see how to blanch here).

Place them in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend. Voila. Now you have sauce. This will keep in the fridge for about a year. A spoon full in any dish gives your dish a nice kick, or you can do like we do, and just spoon it on your meal, one plate at a time!

The original recipe suggested removing the seeds, but I did not. If you want it to not be as hot, you may want to remove the seeds. If you want it more vinegary, you may want to add more than I did, but I prefer it not as vinegary.

Do you like spicy things? What dish do you use peppers in? Have you ever made your own hot sauce? 

Wine Country Half Marathon

Remember I said that the Broski was talking about running another half? Let me tell you why. When we decided to run the Cloverdale Half, we did it only because the race we wanted, The Wine Country Half, was full already. It wasn't heartbreaking or a difficult decision; it was quick and easy to pick a different harvest related race, since Broski works in the wine country and so not only does this mean it is fun to do it on his home turf, but secondly, he is also busy with harvest and so it makes sense to do something closer to him at this time.

So we ran the Cloverdale Half as planned. The next day, Broski's friend Dave, who owns a winery in the area, said that he was running his first half and had put together a team for his winery and still had a couple of spots open. So, in the typical crazy runner fashion, Broski and I decided to fill the empty slots.

First of all, let me say that Dave ROCKED his first half! He finished in under 2 hours! We ran together for most of the time and it was great to get to know him and to be a part of his first big race! Second, I must mention how much I love hanging out with Broski and the Lady Friend. I always go up and stay the night and we have great times cooking, eating, drinking and hanging out.

Unfortunately, this time, Broski was nursing a cold and a fever, so he ate and went to bed early to try to be at his best for the next day. Lady Friend and I stayed up and shot the breeze for a little while. We solved the world's problems, planned a trip to Vegas and decided that we are going to create our own Thanksmas Holiday where we don't have to fight the crowds on our special day. It's sure is nice to know people who make wine, let me tell you. I had to sample the wine from the winery that I would be running for the next day!

The race couldn't have been better. The weather was perfect at the beginning. The course started off in Geyserville with a huge hill, which really separated the men from the boys right from the get go! It then meandered around with some twists and turns and ups and downs, much of it through the vineyards, which are beautiful and all fall colored!

We all ran together until mile 9, when Broski's fever/cold started to catch up to him. By this time, he must have drank 40 oz of water, and it was starting to get hotter. Plus the shirts that Dave gave us to wear were cotton and black and they were hot! We both took off our shirts and kept plugging on, but we had to do some walk breaks up the hills (and there were a lot of them!) It got warmer and we drank more water and tackled more hills until mile 12 or so, when the course went into downtown Healdsburg for the finish.

We finished in 2:06, which was a little over Broski's goal of under 2 hours, but that just means that he needs to try again! I think he did very well, especially since he (a) ran his first half marathon LAST weekend, (b) has only run a long run distance of 8 miles before this and (c) was battling a cold/fever! We also started off a little fast and therefore pooped out a bit early (but like I said before, you have to learn this on your own sometimes).

Afterward, we got a wine glass, some snacks and some red licorice (my opinion? they should have this at every race) and our choice of not only dozens of different wines to try, but Lagunitas beer as well! And the best thing of all? The medal is a wine stopper! Now that is what I call a great after party! So when is the next one?! Broski?

*This race is race number 11 in the 12 in 2012 challenge! Only one more race to go to make 12. 

Have you ever tried exercising when you were under the weather? Have you ever run as part of a team? If you could design a fitness related item, what would it be?

Then and Now: October

Another month over, another month closer to a new year. October was a fun filled month and I love sitting down and looking for photos to put on my monthly round up. However, as I was sorting photos to do this post, I got a little sad. Last year in October, I went to California, Missouri, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. This year, I went to....California, and I didn't even move around very much. Comparing the two years makes me realize where I am doing things differently. Sometimes this is a good thing and other times it makes me realize that there are areas where I need to get back on track.

Without further ado, here are the Who, the What and the Where of October 2011 vs October 2012.

THE WHO:

In 2011, I got around. 

I hung out with the Parentals, the East Coast family, running friends, 

work friends and high school friends.

 In 2012, it was local family all the way. 

I even accidentally ran into some of them at a Giants game! 

I also spent time with my favorite girls and some new friends too!

(The bagpipe player is my cousin. He can wail on that thing!)

THE WHAT:

Running Miles:
2011: 147 / 2012: 149

In 2011, I was ramping up for my first marathon, so I was putting in a lot of training miles for that. In 2012, I was busy doing more races with only a few miles thrown in on the weeks between. Raced miles counted as about 40% of all miles run this month.

Races:
2011: 2 / 2012: 4

In 2011, I did the cupcake classic (virtual race) and The Green Stride Half in MA. This year, October was the month of races and I had a race every weekend of three different lengths! They took me to Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Cloverdale and San Francisco! See my races page for more info.

Reading:
In 2011, I read a whopping 7 books, my favorite probably being The Hunger Games or Room. In 2012, I read three books and all of them were about running. None of them knocked my socks off. Check out my bookshelf for more info.

THE WHERE:

2011: 

Home, Newport RI, NYC, Missouri, Cambridge MA

2012: 

Oakland, San Francisco, Marin Headlands, Sonoma County

The Verdict? Like I said, last year I went all over the place, but this year I only went to the four places where I had races (see above). I am realizing I need to make some travel plans! However, this year, as far as the Who portion, I am really loving getting more time to spend with some of my favorite people, which I was not able to do as often when I was traveling for work. It's really nice to be able to do things with people on shorter notice (and more often) rather than having to make a big thing out of the times when I was home. I have been having lunches or brunches with friends and I am remembering how important those little half an hour visits here and there really are!

How has your year been different than last year? How has it been the same?

Fall Back

I have always LOVED Fall Back. When I was a kid I had a great theory. It went something like this:

In the morning, we got to sleep in an extra hour. This is because if we fall back, the clock SAYS 6 now, but "really" it is 7, so we get to sleep in until what used to be 7 o'clock. Score.

In the evening, we get to stay up an extra hour. This is because if we normally go to bed at 10, when the clock says 10, it will really feel like 11, so really we gained an hour in the evening too!

After Fall Back comes Winter!

However, last night I was running on the trails and it was about 6 o'clock and it was starting to get dark and I was thinking about the whole daylight savings thing. I have said it before, thinking and running (especially math!) don't always work out well for me. I have been known to have run several extra miles due to bad running addition.

Last night it was almost dark and I was thinking about how great it would be next week because at this same time it would be light, because it would technically be an hour earlier.

But wait. Then my mind got a little twisted. Is that right?

No.

Then it dawned on me. Next week when the clock says 4, it will really "be" 5. So this means we will be getting LESS light in the evenings! Wait a flipping minute, that's not fair! Who's idea was it to have less light in the evening? Darn farmers! Who needs extra light in the morning?

So I grumbled my way down the rest of my running path in the near dark, thinking that I guess I should get in my trail miles THIS week because I wasn't going to be able to enjoy them as much next week, or for the next several weeks afterward.

I also wondered why it took me three decades to figure this out.

Now Fall Back is ruined for me forever. I liked it better when I was oblivious to it's flaws.

Do you like Fall Back? Why or why not?

Creature of Habit

I am a creature of habit. I find that it makes things easier. Rather than scrambling around in the morning or forgetting something, I feel like if I always do it the same way, it is less likely to go wrong. There are a few things I always do.

Keys: The keys always go in the same place. It a nice empty place where they can't get piled in with a bunch of other things. They have their own place of honor and they always go there. When I am on the move, they always go in the same pocket of my purse, every time.

Coffee: I almost always set up the coffee the night before if I am working the next day. That way I can get up, turn on the pot and then start getting ready for my day while it's brewing. However, I am not really a coffee snob. I have been known to make a whole pot and just nuke it the next day if there is some left over.

White Board: I have a white board where I write my weekly schedule: to do, running, shopping and evening activities all go on the board. Each Sunday, I wipe away all the things I got done and rewrite my coming week's items. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something, even when it's minor (I also leave the finished things up on the board until Sunday so I can revel is the joy of getting them done).

Black Pants: I own several pairs of black slacks. I find it's much easier to just grab a random pair of pants and snatch up a shirt and voila, I have an "outfit". It's not super exciting, but it's efficient.

Water Plants: I have this little ritual when I get home where I water the veggies and pick anything that's ripe. It feels good and seeing food that I have grown (not killed!) is very satisfying and I find it's a great way to wind down after a long day.

Alarm: I like to get up early and have a bit of extra time to get a few things done. Sometimes its something online, or maybe it's updating my planner or organizing a little bit. Either way, it makes me feel more productive during the day to not have rushed around in the morning.

Lunch: I always pack my lunch the night before. I suppose it's all the same, since it takes the same amount of time whether you do it at night or in the morning, but by doing it at night I have that little bit of extra time to do my organizing or whatever in the morning.

Shower: The routine is always the same. Get in, wet everything, shampoo, shave, rinse, condition, soap, rinse, done. I do not dawdle.

Read on Bus: I have a half an hour bus ride to get home and lately this has been the only (sigh, I know) time I have been reading. So, no matter how much I feel like I need to reply to that email or google this or that, I always take that half an hour to read my book.

As you can see from this list, it could probably be summed up by saying (1) I like to prep in the evening to save time in the morning and (2) I like routine. True. So true.

What habits do you have? Are there any weird ones? What is your shower routine?

Wordless Monday

Did you watch the game? If not, what did you do yesterday?

Cloverdale Harvest Half Marathon

My first half marathon was hard. It was hot, by the end of the race my feet were hurting and I was tired. I finished in 2:13 and change. I remember the feeling of pride and amazement when I was finished.

Last weekend was Broski's first half marathon. I want him to get the bug. I think running is fun and racing is fun! It gives you that runners high and makes you feel strong. So I was a little nervous that he would run it and it would suck and at the end, he would never want to run again. To make it worse, he hadn't run since the Harvest 10k, which was two weeks ago. So I was a little worried, because I wanted it to be FUN!!

The weekend before last, we got together with the family and all my relatives were giving my brother advice. I try not to give him advice unless he asks for it, because I know that he is like me and sometimes just needs to learn the hard way. However, some of my family members still do it. Their advice was good! My uncle said, "the hardest thing about running is lacing up your sneakers". Ain't that the truth! My father said that my brother should try to "start out slower than you think you should, in order to save gas for the end". Also true and a lesson that doesn't really make sense on paper, until you have done it wrong in a race!

My goal for this race was to let Broski run it how he wanted, only offering encouragement, not handing out too much advice (only Pink Lemonade chews when needed). I will leave that part to my other family members. Broski's goal was to finish with a smile on his face and to do it hopefully under 2 hours. Did we achieve our goals? Let's find out!

Before: It was about 44 degrees in the morning, so you know how it is trying to figure out what to wear. Broski went with the short sleeved tee, while I decided to keep my long sleeves on. In a rare show of enthusiasm, I wore orange and black. I don't have to tell you why. The lady friend and her sister came for the 5k, just like last time. They are becoming our best fans!

Beautiful morning for a run!

During: The course was beautiful. It went along the vineyards, where people were RUSHING to get the grapes off the vines before the rains came. Broski looked good. The first few miles were good, we did a little out and back loop on a creek path, which was fun because we could see all the other runners. Then we started going uphill! The hills were rolling, but they were plentiful! (Splits Miles 1-5: 8:43, 8:42, 8:45, 8:44, 8:52)

At the turn around

Around mile 6, Broski's right foot was hurting just a tad, but we kept going strong. The pink lemonade chews were a welcome distraction! Then around mile 8 (where Broski passed his longest mileage run ever), he started getting tight calves. I was a little sore as well, as I had run the headlands the day before and had hit the hills pretty hard. The entire time though, the course was beautiful and after the turnaround, everyone was cheering each other on and even when we got passed or were passing someone, everyone was very encouraging of each other. (Splits Miles 6-10: 8:55, 8:59, 9:06, 8:49, 10:23)

We had to stop and walk for a few minutes here and there in the last 4 miles, but we finished it off strong. However, my Garmin read 13.6 at the end! Our finishing time was 2:05, so by our calculations, if the course would have been correct, we would have made it in under 2 hours! (Splits Miles 11-13.6: 9:34, 9:28, 10:01, 9:09)

Finished! Wine in hand!

After: There was lunch and WINE (hurray for Harvest) and Dolly Parton was there! Okay she was a cardboard cutout. We had fun hanging out with the lady friend and her sister and enjoying a great live band to boot!

So, in my book, we made our goals. We had fun, lemonade chews were dispensed, encouragement was given and 2 hours would have been achieved if the course was not long! Plus, Broski beat my first half marathon time. I better watch out, he will be running circles around me in no time. The best thing? He's going to run another half marathon.

Tomorrow.

No, I am not kidding.

Have you ever been to any Sonoma County wineries? Do you ever stay for the after party at your races? After your first race, did you want to run another one?

Don't forget to join Jill for her Fitness Friday link up!

Random Rambles

Lately it's pretty much all Giants all the time around here. Sorry. In a week, we will have won and you won't have to hear about them for...5 more months. Actually there are a few other things going on in my six minute mind these days.

- (Spoiler Alert: Mom, don't read this part) Last night after work I went running out on the trails and it got dark a little earlier than I thought it would. I think it was partly due to the cloud cover and also due to the tree cover. So I was just finishing up my run up the last hill when I saw two pairs of eyes. You know how they reflect in the dark? Two pairs, maybe a foot or two off the ground, but it was hard to tell, as I was going up a hill. I clapped and shouted and made a fool of myself and at first I thought they were coming toward me (and I had a moment of "huh, what the heck am I going to do now?") but then they retreated. Up the hill. Where I needed to go. To go back around the other way, I would have had to go about 5 miles. To go up the hill, I would be back at the parking lot in about .2 miles. So I flapped my arms and clapped my hands some more and they finally went into the bushes. I took advantage of that to get the heck out of there! I could hear them in the bushes and for the entire rest of the way I kept checking behind me to make sure they weren't chasing me.

It was probably just a couple of deer.

Lesson learned. Maybe trail runs should be done a little bit earlier in the day. 

Mountain lion in Tilden Park. Photo by Jim Hale (source)

- My friend's cat died on Tuesday. I went to the animal emergency room with her and we were there until late at night. I don't really know how to deal with with grief or with emotions. I can deal with death, but I have a hard time dealing with the people who are dealing with death. I am the person who is reliable and durable and good at things that are black and white like math, but I am not really good at the grey things, the emotional things and the feelings. What do you say or do? Do you just BE there? Because that I can do, but I am not sure if it's better to talk about other things to take her mind off of it or to talk about it or to let her talk about it or...what!! I feel so inadequate. It's a problem I don't know how to fix.

- Okay I have to throw one Giants thing in here. It is just me, or does Timmy look like that kid from Dazed and Confused?

Timmy (source)

Mitch Kramer (source)

Do you think they look alike? Or not?  It'd be a lot cooler if you did (if you can name who said that you get a golden star!)

Have you ever had to frighten off a wild deer animal in the dark? How are you with grieving friends? Has anyone ever said that you look just like someone else?

Last Week (5)

Have you ever felt like your brain only operated for a few minutes at a time? Do you know how lawyers bill in 6 minute increments? My brain lately has been billing in 6 minute increments. Once the 6 minutes is over, a new billing cycle begins and the old one is forgotten, paid, finished. You know when you walk into the kitchen to get a spoon and when you go through the doorway you just stand there for a few minutes, wondering what you came in for? That's been happening to me more and more. It happens mostly at work but has been trickling into my personal life as well. I blame technology. It seems we  rarely focus on any one thing for very long any more.

Since I can't concentrate enough to form a paragraph, I will let some photos tell my story of last week for me.

MONDAY:

I wore an appropriate outfit to work. Go Giants!

Then I went to the game, which we won. 

World Series Baby!!

Sorry Nilsa.

TUESDAY, it was unseasonably hot. 

I took a nice walk for lunch and enjoyed every minute of it. 

 

WEDNESDAY:

An evening trail run is always nice. 

It always makes me feel refreshed. 

Even when it's halfway run in the dark.

 

 THURSDAY:

I took a walk around the neighborhood to check out the decorations. 

This was my favorite. 

SATURDAY: 

I took advantage of the sun and went for a run in the headlands. 

You could see the city as clear as day.

This is not always the case.

SUNDAY:

Broski's first half marathon. 

He lived to tell the tale!

(more on that later)

 

Since our forecast was rain (which we are getting), 

it's important to harvest your veggies or they may spoil.  

This meant LOTS of peppers. 

So I dried some. And made some into this. 

It will knock your socks off.

 

 Who needs socks, anyway? 

How was your weekend? Do you decorate for Halloween? Have you ever tried canning fruits or veggies?

Squash Galore

Firstly, I want to say GOOD LUCK to everyone racing this weekend! There are a bunch of people doing the RW Half! Go get 'em! Also, a big fingers crossed, for Lisa, who is trying for a sub 4 marathon today! To everyone else, I hope your feet are swift and you end the race with a smile on your face. As you read this, I am currently running Broski's first  half marathon with him!!!

Once again, my "meal planning" consists of making a big pot of this and a big pan of that and eating it throughout the week. This week, the challenge was to use acorn squash, but since the email regarding the challenge came after I had already gone grocery shopping, I improvised. This week's big pot meal?

Butternut Squash Veggie Chili.

The good thing about this is that even though it doesn't have any meat*, the squash gives it some oomph, so it feels really hearty and good. Like I said in my first meal planning post, it's good to have staples on hand, since this week my challenge to myself was to NOT go grocery shopping, since there are quite a few things in the fridge that did not get used up as fast as I wanted last week. So, out came the staples and into the pot they went.

As always, I make enough so that a few can go in the freezer for lunches, and a few cups can go in the fridge for this week's meals. This recipe made about 10 cups of chili. 

Butternut Squash Veggie Chili

1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 yellow peppers (fresh from the garden!)
4-5 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 butternut squash, cubed
2 cups of dried kidney beans
6 cups of water
1 packet of veggie stock
1 thai chili pepper, sliced in half

1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp fennel
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

In frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, sweat the onions. Add the celery, yellow peppers and garlic and cook for another 5-10 minutes*. Put cooked veggies and remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 8-10 hours on low. OR you can put them in a pot and cook for roughly 5 hours to achieve the same effect.

*You could also add ground hamburger to the frying pan if you wanted a meat version. 

_____

In order to get ready for the week ahead, I also baked some butternut squash in the oven. This will be added to either oatmeal in the morning, paired with yogurt for a fun dessert or used as a side dish for other meals during the week. I also cleaned out the freezer and found some chicken, so I cooked up a bunch of that to use during the week as well. That being said, here are this week's dinners.

Monday: Butternut Chili, Cabbage Salad (an old standby)
Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Salad (cabbage salad with chicken, nuts & Craisins)
Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas
Thursday: Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Friday: Butternut Chili, Brussels sprouts
Saturday: Chicken Salad and Butternut Squash
Sunday: Dinner out / Left overs

What is your meal plan for the week?  What's your favorite way to use winter squash?

Nike Women's Marathon

I got up at 5 to get on the bus to cross the bay. The bus terminal in San Francisco is about a mile from the race start, which is in Union Square. I decided to walk. I got to about 3 or 4 blocks from the square and it was a mad house. Of course that was just when I started to have to use the restroom. So I ducked into the Marriott (thanks JW!) and used theirs before heading over to the Square to line up in my corral.

Like I said before, my corral was 7:30 - 9:00 and actually they were letting the faster corral in at the same place, so they had to go in and then fight their way to the front of all of the people in my pace group. It was a bit of a mess. Everyone had pace bracelets, so you could tell when they weren't supposed to be in that corral, and there were several that weren't.

Once the race started, it seemed like it took forever to cross the starting line, but once I got my results, I realized it was really less than a minute. My Garmin was having a bad day and it kept telling me I was running a 3 minute mile. I was passing a lot of people (trying to get around everyone) but I don't think I was that fast! For the first mile or so, it was a lot of bobbing and weaving, but luckily I had rudely pushed myself to the front(ish) of the start line, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I can't imagine what it was like in the 9:00 - 10:00 group, which was pretty far behind us. I checked out some of the people who came in near the end, and their chip time and gun time were a half an hour apart!

The course was great; miles 3 - 6 were on one of my favorite routes, through Crissy Field, where normally there is an awesome view of the Golden Gate bridge. However, it was quite foggy and there was a view of nothing. I felt kind of bad for the out of towners who came for the views. At this point I started to fuel. I had decided earlier that morning, in a split second decision (dumb maybe) to try dried apricots as fuel. They went down fine with a little chewing, and at about 15 calories each are about the same as a Gu Chomp. Mile 1 - 6: 6:50*, 6:19*, 7:26, 7:34, 7:27, 7:39 (*these may have been Garmin error)

After Chrissy Field, it started to go up, and up, and up, and down and up and up! Basically miles 7 - 11 were about a thousand feet total elevation gain according to the Garmin. This is where I had a lot of trouble. I can run up the hills, but it sure is hard. I could feel my face getting redder and redder. At this point it was kind of misty raining, which was a blessing! Somewhere around mile 11 the marathon and half marathon split up. They went toward the finish and we went toward the park. This made a HUGE difference! All of a sudden, I was running alone. It was great!  Mile 7 - 11: 8:19, 7:37, 8:11, 7:57, 7:15

Uphill, chug, chug

Miles 12 - 17 were all in Golden Gate park and were flatter than the coast, although not flat by any means. They were just more gradual, and more up, up, up and then down, down, down (rather than up, down, up, down). According to Garmin, this was another 900 ft gain/loss. It was fun running this section, as the park is beautiful and I got to see my friends, the Bison. There was also a huge jumbo-tron here. Check out this video  of the 10k, 15k and finish line. You can look at my waddle. All I can say about that is...I run funny! We also met back up with the halfers around mile 16 (their mile 13) and it was a crazy mess for about a half a mile before I popped out into the solitary confinement of the Great Highway. Mile 12 - 17: 8:01, 8:18, 7:58, 7:45, 7:50, 7:32

Miles 18 - 20 were along the Great Highway which goes along side Ocean Beach. I was really looking forward to seeing my family, as I was getting pretty tired at this point. The road was a chip and seal rather than a nice smooth asphalt and it was killing my feet! Also, I just needed a smiling face, which is funny because as I was scanning the crowd for my parents, a person jumped out of the crowd and hugged me! It was my new running buddy! I gave her a high five and kept on. Then there they were, the Parentals and grandma, right near mile 18. Seeing them gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Mile 18 - 20: 7:49, 7:52, 8:11

The Great Highway

Miles 21 - 24 were around Lake Merced. If I would have known how bad this section was going to be, I would have asked the Parentals to be over here. It was dead. I was tired. It was raining on me. There were a lot of cars. The lake was nice though. At one point this guy came out of nowhere and was running right next to me for about a mile. Then he just stopped. I am not sure what that was all about. Maybe I looked tired? Like I needed a push? Well it worked; I was trying so hard to get away from him and to have a little space between us that I picked up my pace by a few seconds. Mile 21 -24: 8:14, 8:13, 8:09, 8:06

Miles 25 to the end were back along the Great Highway. This part was fun, because all the runners behind me were coming the opposite direction. I had a few friends running and I looked for them, but never saw them. Also, I saw two guys that had ridden my bus into the city that morning! What a small world it was shaping up to be! Mile 25 - 26.2: 8:08, 8:15, 7:59

Still feeling good!

Then I was at the end. Almost. First I had to muscle my way through a bunch of walk/jogging half marathon people who were sharing the finish line (and the 200 feet or so leading up to it) with me! Then I was over the line, and this cute fireman in a tux gave me a little blue box. I could have hung out with him longer; why is the box giving portion so short and the run so long? It should be the other way around.

And then I was done. I was wet and cold and hungry but I felt great!

Final Time: 3:29:16
Overall: 46/4452
Gender: 30/4051
Age: 9/837

A few fun facts: *Dried Apricots = good fuel! This may be my new favorite! * I did not pee once. * Total elevation gain (according to Garmin) = 5000 ft (can that be right?) * Elevation loss = 4860 ft *Fastest time = 2:56 (M) and 2:59 (F) * From my loose calculations, about 3% of the people in this race BQ (compared to 35% in the Santa Rosa Marathon) *

Tell me how you feel about firemen. What is your favorite type of dried fruit? Have you ever seen footage of yourself running?

Listen to This

I thought I would start off with a song that I am loving lately! If you haven't already heard it, enjoy! If you have already heard it, then enjoy again!

I almost always listen to music when I run. However, I haven't bought a pair of headphones in years. I use the ones that came with my iPod. The little padding part came off and one side doesn't always work, but I usually just make do with what I have.

I recently got a chance to try a new earphone, Yurbuds. They are bright pink and they have a twist lock feature where you stick them in and then twist and they stay in your ears really well!

The first time I used them I took them for a test drive because you know the old saying, "don't ever try something new on race day". They worked great. They did not fall out at all and the sound quality is really good. Also, both sides work! Score. The only thing I don't like is that my other headphones have a microphone. I don't use it very often but it is nice to be able to answer the phone when I need to without having to get it out and use it without headphones.

Then on race day, I wore them the whole time. I had absolutely no problems. In fact, they stayed in so good that I almost needed them to come out a little faster when I saw my parents on the side of the road. I was scrambling to get my ear bud out and wave and get my gloves to my grandma all at the same time, but that is my own fault. I need to be quicker on my toes!

All in all, I would recommend these as a new earphone for you to try. Plus they come in a lot of fun colors and different types, like this one, which DOES have a microphone! Now I just need to update my playlist and I will be all set for some serious running!

Here are a few of the tunes I had to keep me company during the race:

Sunshine
Some Nights (this is a pretty cool remix of the song)
1901

What are your favorite headphones for running? What is your song that you use when you need to get pumped up? Have you tried Yurbuds?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry into the Nike Women's Marathon and a pair of Yurbud headphones in return for an honest review.

Swann Dives In

Swann Dives In by Charles Salzberg

Do you know what a tracer is? I didn't either until I read this book. It's a guy who is hired to track down missing, lost or "don't want to be found" people. The main character, Henry Swann, tries to go on the straight and narrow and get out of the game by becomming a cable guy. This job doesn't last long. As soon as a wealthy businessman in New York asks Swann to find his lost daughter, Swann is back in the game.

In trying to find the daughter, he meets a lot of strange people and follows their leads and ends up going all the way to London. He also ends up uncovering a mystery about a bookseller and a special rare book. The book mystery and the mystery of the daughter end up connecting and there is a twist in the end that I didn't see coming.

I am partial to detective novels, so this was right up my alley. I liked Swann and enjoyed the author's cast of characters. There is an English professor, a nutty Book seller, and a mysterious woman. I like that there is an element of danger just under the surface.  I like that Swann is a little bit cocky, but not over the top. I love books, so I enjoyed the information and facts that the author threw in about old books. I also liked the bits of information he throws in about the cities that Swann travels to.

I would recommend this as a fun read to anyone who likes mystery or detective novels, or to anyone who hasn't tried one yet, but wants a fun first try!

I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Do you like Detective Novels? Do you have an interesting rare thing that you collect?

Nike Womens Marathon: Pros & Cons

Marathon #3 is behind me now! It was nice to run a race so close to home. Thanks to Yurbuds, who sponsored me for this race, as well as Fitfluential, who got set it up! Now, here are the pros and cons of the race! The recap is coming shortly!

The Start Line @ 7 am

Pros: 

- Good snacks at the end. Luna bars, bagels, bananas, coconut water, frozen fruit (yum), Ghirardelli chocolates and water.

- The race shirts are made from recycled plastic bottles.  (*however, they did not hand them out until after the race)

- All the money from this race goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I think I heard someone say that they had raised over a million dollars.

- The spectators and volunteers were awesome. They were very cheerful, cheered for everyone and were so encouraging and helpful.

- There were plenty of aid stations. I don't know how many, but there must have been one about every 2-3 miles. The fuel was Clif shot blocks, which were opened for you already.

- The firemen in tuxes handing out necklaces at the end. And the necklace is pretty cool as well.

- The weather. It was overcast / misty / foggy the entire time.

- The TNT coaches (pacers). They cheered for everyone, not just the Team in Training folks. Also they were very inspiring because they would run with any TNT person who was having trouble. I watched a few of them really get their partner going again when they were lagging.

- Free bras. I am not sure whether to put this as a pro or con because at mile 6 you could exchange your old bra for a free new nike sports bra. However, I wasn't clear as to HOW.  Do I take off my bra I am wearing, in the middle of a run, and change if for a new one? Or am I supposed to carry an old ratty bra for 6 miles and then carry a new bra for the remaining 26? I don't get it.

Cons: 

- You could sign up to have automatic posts to your FB wall, which is pretty cool. I did sign up; none of my posts got posted. I spoke with a friend who said she had the same problem.

- I had to pass a bunch of walkers who were in the way of the runners. I think they started the walkers earlier, which is fine. I just wish they would have reminded them to keep to the right and not to walk 3 (or 5. My dad said he saw one group walking 5!) abreast.

- There were no spectators on the hardest part. They used buses to get the spectators from place to place. They should have had a drop off at mile 20 or 21. Miles 19 - 24 were dead and hard and boring.

- The hills. They kicked my butt.

- The start line. It was a mess. I saw a lot of 10 minute mile people (we had bracelets) in my pace corral. Also, my corral was 7:30 - 9 minute miles. That seems a bit broad to me.

- The crowds. I have said it before and I will say it again: I prefer small races. The start and end and the expo were all extremely crowded. It really did not make me want to hang out AT ALL. I got my bib, shirt and food and got out of there each time. (I did try to find my results, which took me nearly a half an hour!)

- The half marathoners. This race has about 25,000 people. I am not entirely sure about this year, but last year only 4700 of them were marathoners. I really wish they had started the half marathoners later, and given them a separate finish section. At the end I was trying to dodge and weave around them to cross the finish line!

- Their website. They only have a FB page, no actual website. It's a pain. For a company so big and a race so big, I think they can afford to design a REAL webpage! 

All in all it was pretty good. Luckily I got pretty close to the start line, since a lot of the reviews I read complained about having a hard time getting around people in the beginning. I still like the smaller races better, so I probably won't do this race again, but I did have a lot of fun doing it this time!

A few fun facts: * The Nike Women's Marathon is not just for women, despite the name.  * Last year 10% of the runners were male.

Do you ever go and spectate a race just for fun? Would you rather run in rain or heat?

My Bye Week

I have to admit, this week, I am taking the lazy man's way out and having a cleaning out the fridge week! Luckily I made a few staples this weekend, so it should be pretty easy! Planning consisted of a couple variables this week.

(1) I got a food box. In it: broccoli, carrots, apples, pears, radishes, arugula, bok choy and oranges. I already ate all the fruit. For the veggies, I chopped up the carrots with some potatoes for an easy on the go dinner. The broccoli will be an easy five minute dinner as well. Yes, I often eat a bowl of veggies for dinner with a fruit and/or yogurt dessert.

(2) I went to the grocery store to get a few more fresh fruit and veggies. This week's buy: Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, a pumpkin, bananas, apples and persimmons! I love persimmons! These will also be used mostly as side dishes to other vegetables. Like I said, this is a lazy week. I am calling it a bye week, or should I say a NO BUY week. Ha.

So, because of that, dinners this week will look like this:

Monday: GIANTS game! Dinner = nachos and beer!

Tuesday: Turkey Chili (freezer meal), broccoli

Wednesday: Cream of mushroom soup (freezer meal), Brussels sprouts

Thursday: Garbanzo stew (last week's freezer meal), rosemary carrot and potato medley

Friday: Curried Chicken and Rice, roasted sweet potatoes

Saturday: Dinner w/ the Broski -- carbo load for tomorrow's Half. Mexican Fiesta (make your own burrito)

Sunday: Whatever is left over / Grocery shopping day

Head over to Laura and Jills for this week's link up! 

What's on your menu this week? Do you ever give yourself a bye week? If so, what do you eat?