Looking Back: October

November is well under way, and like many have said before, October was a full and busy month, which of course made it go by quickly!

Reading: October was not a great reading month; I finished two books, which I liked, and started two books, which I could not get into and did not end up finishing. The two books I read were Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, which was a fun book about the juxtaposition between computers and books, and And The Mountains Echoed, which was good but not as good as A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Running: I am having issues with my Garmin; first the strap fell off and now I am having trouble uploading it to Garmin Connect, but I think my mileage was around 170 miles for the month of October. I had one 50 mile race, but other than that, I think I did not have a run longer than about 15 miles. It feels nice to take it easy a bit, but I do feel my waistband getting a bit tighter! This is what happens when you are still eating as if you are running long runs every weekend (aka candy and snacks right before bedtime!) but you are not running as much.

Near Sonora Pass

Travel: I met up with my Mom twice (along with Dad, brother and his lady once) in Auburn, where we took a nice hike and swim on the Western States Trail and then had brunch in the town. For those who don't know, the Western States is a 100  mile race from Squaw Valley (Tahoe) to Auburn, and it was fun to take my family on the trail and show them a few miles of it. We also swam in the American river twice, the last time being on the 19th of October. It was not very warm, but it sure was fun to be able to swim in October! Auburn is a cute little mining town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas and we found a great breakfast (brunch) place where we ate 4 egg (I know!) omelets with pancakes and biscuits and gravy.

Schat's Bakery

I also went to Santa Rosa and hung out with Broski and the lady a couple of times. First was the day after my 50 mile race, and Broski punished me by making me hike straight up a hill in 90 degree weather. The other time was during the World Series when I went to their house to have dinner and watch the game. They came down to the city for game 6 (the one that we lost) as well. Broski has been doing harvest (he is a wine maker) and so has been working 24/7, so it was nice to see him and his lady a few times!

Lastly, my Dad, brother and I made a trip to Mt. Whitney, where we had a great time hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which we consider our "backyard". We had a great time in Lone Pine afterward, wandering around and watching the World Series in a town where most of the locals are Braves fans. We also stopped in Bishop at the Schats Bakery for some sheepherder bread and pastries on our way out, as well as stopping near the Sonora Pass for a quick run/hike to stretch our legs after being in the car for a while.

In addition to all of that, there were many week night activities in October, which made it feel as if I didn't get much of a break. I am currently reading the book Quiet, and in it, it talks about how introverts need to be alone to recharge. I definitely do! Hopefully November will have a few more days for "recharging"!

How was your October? What is your favorite thing about Autumn? Have you read any good books lately?

Orange Friday

This week was a short and fast one, as I had Monday off. It was nice to have a four day week, especially with some of thing things that have been going on around here, but it really did make for a busy and quick week!

The high of my week was...I will say it in a photo. What an exciting week! This photo is from 2012, but today, we will have another parade. It has been a very interesting season.

Giants Parade 2012

The low of my week was...this week I didn't really have a low! I guess I would say that I am disappointed in the way that the Whitney hike went on one hand, but on the other hand I had a really good time with my brother and Dad, so it's not really that much of a low really. It was very cold and windy and my brother had a bit of sickness so the hike didn't quite go as planned.

The favorite thing I read was....Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore. What a fun and quirky book!

My favorite thing I heard was...a few episodes (podcast) of Freakanomics. I listen while I run and it is a fun way to pass the time.

The best thing I spent money on was...The trip to Whitney...gas, food, beer and lots of pastries! It was an 8 hour drive each way, but was totally worth it!

My plans this weekend include... a trip to Phoenix to pace/crew some friends of mine at the Javelina Jundered (100 miles) race! It will be a good time, as it is at a park where we will set up a tent and it is a multi loop course, so we will be able to see them a lot and to run as many loops as needed with them.

How was your week? What plans do you have this weekend? Do you know what a Javelina is?

End of Week Musings

And then it was Friday again. I always prefer a job where the time goes by too fast over one where it is too slow. However, lately, its like Monday and Friday are the only two days of the week! If only Saturday and Sunday were really long, it would not be too bad, I guess. I am still learning a lot of new things each day at work, and this, coupled with the regular day to day, makes the time just fly by.
 
The high of my week was... after work festivities, usually involving the Giants game. On Tuesday, I met up with some coworkers at a bar near the office; on Wednesday I had "Sunday night dinner" and the game at my brother's house. Both nights were a lot of fun, even though the Giants did not win both games!

The low of my week was...lack of working out. I am feeling a bit of blah lately and have been snacking too much and not exercising enough. It's like a long taper without actually training for anything. It's a vicious circle, as not working out makes me feel like eating snacks and eating snacks makes me feel like not working out.

The favorite thing I read was.... a poem that my Mom wrote when she was in New York. She gave it to my Dad and he shared it with us. I think it's sweet that they still do things like that for each other. The best thing is that my Dad may have written one back. I will have to ask him about it this weekend.

My favorite thing I heard was... the song "Baby Got Back" on the radio. I was in the car at the time and I turned it way, way up and got my groove on by dancing and singing along while waiting at a red light. What a great way to put some pep back into my step. LA face with an Oakland booty!

The best thing I spent money on was... gas. I don't really drive very often, so when I do, its usually for a good reason, and so buying gas = an adventure! This week I used it to go to my brother's house for a Giants game / birthday bash / dinner. It was well worth both the money and the time!

My plans this weekend include...hiking Mt. Whitney with my brother and Dad. We did it all together in 1995, when I wore flannel pants (it was the style then!) and my brother's old Reeboks. I don't remember having any altitude sickness but I do remember it being really cold at night (in September) and being really happy to reach the top. I wonder how it will be nearly 20 years later... (that kind of made me feel old just knowing that I can say "20 years later" and it not mean that I was a baby that long ago)

Mt. Whitney -- 1995

How was your week? What are you doing this weekend? What did you wear hiking when you were a kid?

Friday Fun Day

Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend. Here's a quick recap of the week.

The high of my week was...the Giants making it to the World Series! Let's go Giants, let's go!

The low of my week was...the volatility of the market this week. Although I did take advantage of it and I bought a few more shares of stock. It can be fun, but also stressful at times!

The favorite thing I read was....And The Mountains Echoed, a book by Khaled Hosseini. It was not quite as good as A Thousand Splendid Suns, but it was a really good read and it gave me a bit more insight on life in Afghanistan.

My favorite thing I heard was... this commencement speech from Navy Seal William McRaven, about why the little things, such as making your bed every day, do matter.

The best thing I spent money on was... nothing. I actually did not really spend any money this week. I guess if you count last weekend, I went out for lunch with my brother, and that was fun! However, during the week, I really only spend money on commuting and groceries, but this week I did not even go grocery shopping!

My plans this weekend include... meeting up with my parents for lunch and maybe a walk or hike on Sunday, and probably a nice long run and a bunch of much needed errands on Saturday.

How was your week? What do you have planned for the weekend?

The City

My Dad has been working on a temporary assignment in New York City for some time and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him, as well as one of my favorite cities, before his assignment was over. To top it all off, my Mom was game too, so we decided to all meet up in the city and do a bit of exploring.

The great thing is that my parents have both been there long enough that they were not as interested in the touristy side of things, so we did what I love, which is to wander around the neighborhoods exploring, eating and people watching. Also, they have both been doing a fair bit of walking and so they had built up a good stamina. In addition, they have figured out the subway system and enjoy utilizing the public transportation options. As you may know, my parents live in a very rural, mountainous area where there are only about 12 neighbors in a 50 mile radius, so it was fun and interesting to see them in a city setting. My Mom has discovered a new-found love for blogging, and was snapping photos of everything along the way.

I arrived very late on Friday, after taking an after work flight from San Francisco. I thought this (and the three hour time difference) would cause me to sleep in a bit, but we were up the next day around 6 and were ready for some action! We started by meeting in Central Park. Dad and I ran there and Mom walked. After meeting up, I went for an additional few miles while they headed down toward the breakfast place. Later, I met them in Hell's Kitchen at the Galaxy Diner, which was okay, but was nothing special.

Who you gonna call?

Afterward, we headed down to the Staten Island ferry, them via subway and me via the East river. We took the ferry over to Staten Island, which is free, and affords a really nice view of the Statue of Liberty and the city skyline. After we got back to Manhattan, we wandered up toward SoHo. We wanted to get a nice pastrami sandwich at Katz' deli, which is where one of the scenes in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. However, it was overcrowded and overpriced, so we walked over to Chinatown and had a really great pho at Pho Grand.

Mural along High Line

On Sunday, we got up and headed toward the High Line. Once again, I ran and my parents took the subway. The funny thing is that I beat them every time! We walked along the High Line to Chelsea and stopped for a bagel and coffee, before heading down through the meat packing district to Tribeca, where we were going to see the Ghostbusters firehouse. It looked just like it did in the movie! Next, we headed over to Brooklyn and took a really nice walk along the promenade and over to Dumbo, where we rode the merry go round and ate yummy pizza.

Brooklyn Promenade

After a shower and a small break for me, I headed back out to meet Mom and Dad in the upper East side, where we were planning on having dinner. However, it was pouring rain and it took me a long time to make my way up to see them. I even had to buy a $5 umbrella from the guy on the street! I finally got up to meet them, and we wandered around the upper East side to the Heidelberg, where we ate pig knuckles and sauerkraut and drank liters of beer. I think with this, I sufficiently tired the parents out, because as soon as we got home, everyone pretty much passed right out!

Manhattan Bridge

Monday was Labor Day, and we got up, went for a run, and then met up with a coworker of Dads (and a former coworker of mine) for breakfast at The Comfort Diner, where I had the most delicious lemon ricotta pancakes! To walk off the pancakes, we headed back over to the East River and then just sat in the shade and watched the boats on the river for a while.

Run / Walk Schedule

That night I took a bus to the Newark airport where I flew to Germany, but that is a story for another day!

What is your favorite thing to do in a big city? What is your favorite city to visit? Do you ever split up your runs into smaller pieces?

Miwok 100k

I was talking to Lisa the other day and she said something along the lines of how my next 50 mile race will be my second, but actually it will be my fifth. I realized that I have been very, very lax about posting my race recaps, and I do want to get them down on paper now so that I will remember it in years to come. So, here is the first of several very late recaps. I understand if you want to skip it and go read about something important, like Syria.

I put my name in the lottery for the Miwok 100k with the high expectation that I would not get in, and therefore would not have to run it. Little did I know that if you volunteer for them, you get preferential treatment for the next year's lottery. In 2013, I volunteered. In 2014, my name was picked for the lottery.

I had a good base of miles in early 2014, but then in March, I was injured (Achilles). I took about 4 weeks off from running leading up to Boston, and then had a really crappy race. Miwok was two weeks later. My goal was to finish, naturally, which seemed doable. The cut off time was 16 hours, which would mean I had to do about a 15 and a half minute pace the entire time in order to finish. However, I was still feeling the Achilles a little, and Boston had also kicked my butt, so I really was not sure what to expect. My plan was to stick with a friend of mine, Kelly, who is usually in the back half of the middle of the pack. This way, I would have moral support, as well as hopefully not overdoing it physically.

Approximately 12,000 ft of climbing

Miles 1 - 10: It started off with a pretty gradual uphill on a single track trail, where we all did the conga line for a while. This went on for about three miles and then it leveled out on the Bolinas ridge trail, which was good, except that it was still a very narrow and rutted single track through tall grass, and it was still pretty slow going, due to the conga line. It didn't spread out until maybe about mile 6 or 7, when it became a fire trail. The good part about this, is that it was an out and back section, so from mile 7 to the aid station (and turn around) at mile 10, you could see who was ahead of you and then afterward you could see who was behind. This often means cheering for a lot of your friends and/or fellow racers.

Bolinas Ridge Trail

Mile 10 - 20: There was an aid station around mile 10, where we got sunscreen and cheer from our friend Jenni. The aid station was also back at the bottom of a small hill, so afterward we hiked back up the hill, and back along the fire road. I remember talking to my running buddy about everything under the sun: her parents and their wacky ways, life in general, the price of gas when we started driving. At this point, the guy hiking up the hill next to us, who was wearing the craziest Hawaii printed swimming trunks, said gas was about .24 cents when he started driving. After that it was a really long uphill trek along the Matt Davis trail to Cardiac aid station, which is at the top of the hill. I was already starting to feel my Achilles and I wined to Kelly but she was not having any of that. She basically told me to shape up and get over it, and that there was no way I was going to quit this race. So I shut up and got over it (mostly).

Mile 20 - 30: After Cardiac, it is downhill to Muir Beach. This was one of my least favorite sections. The downhill was not too bad, but after the big downhill, you get to the highway, and have to run along that for a couple miles to get to Muir Beach. I was not a fan of the highway. After the highway, you reach the Zen center, but at that point, I was not feeling so zen. At Muir Beach, Jenni once again was there for moral support. We loaded up on watermelon and potatoes and started the climb up the Miwok trail.

Mile 30 - 40: At this point I was feeling okay. My Achilles was aching a little and my muscles were definitely reminding me that I was under-trained. At this point Kelly and I were not really saying too much to each other anymore. We had pretty much chatted non-stop for the first 30 miles, but now we were focusing on the path ahead of us. Of course it was another big uphill and another long down to get to the place I was most looking forward to, which was the Tennessee Valley aid station. Here is where I had my drop bag with lube, sunscreen, extra food and best of all, an extra pair of shoes and socks.

Changing my shoes and socks at mile 36 (TV) was the best thing I think I have ever done in my life. I felt refreshed and my toes felt happier. I resupplied my pack, threw away my garbage, grabbed a hummus and pita from the aid station and we hit the road again. Jenni was there again, which was mostly because her husband, who she was crewing, was running at about the same pace as us. I was even more glad to see her this time, as my spirits were starting to flag a bit by now. The fact that she was wearing a super woman outfit and a sparkly tutu was probably a big plus.

Trail angels

Mile 40 - 50:  The last section was a 11  mile loop around the coast and back to TV before heading on the final stretch home. This included one of the most beautiful parts of the course. First you go around on a bluff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and the city. Then you head back around to the TV aid station at mile 47. At this point, I was pretty tired. I recovered my drop bag and was fishing around for more food when I ran into Dennis, an running friend of mine, who was pacing someone else. He told me to stop lollygagging and to get a move on. I was a bit bummed by the remaining aid station food, which consisted of jelly beans and cold pizza. I was feeling kind of hungry though, so I ate a few jelly beans and we headed out. Joining up with us was Kelly's pacer, John.

View of the city from the Coastal trail.

Next you go up, up, up the Coastal trail and then down to Pirates cove and then back up to the top of the hill again before heading to Muir beach. On this section we caught up again with Hawaiian shorts dude, whose name turned out to be Bob. We had been leapfrogging him for quite some time and as we headed up the hill on the Coastal trail, we chatted with him once again. I was really dreading the downhills more than the uphill.

Pirates Cove

Mile 50 - 62: Around mile 51, we got back to the Muir beach aid station. At this point I was pretty ready to be done. I knew what I had left: the paved section again, then back up the Cardiac hill to the Cardiac aid station. I knew that once I reached this, I would be fine. However, I was dreading the final downhill from Cardiac, as I remembered it as quite steep and my quads were pretty mad at me right now. Also, I was not sure if we would make it to the finish before dark, but I really wanted to try. We headed out. As we hit the pavement, my mind said, "screw this, I am going to move as fast as possible in order to get this over with" and I left Kelly and John in the dust. Okay, not really the dust, since (a) we were on pavement and (b) I was only running a few seconds faster than them. I passed about 10 people on this section, as many of them were walking, but I did not want to slow down; I just wanted to be done.

Next was the hill to Cardiac. This was not as bad as I thought it may be. I plodded along, passing people, getting passed, until I reached the aid station at the top of the hill. At this point, the sun was halfway down and it was getting  bit dusky. The aid station only had dry PB&Js and warm sports drink, so I left without getting anything and headed down the hill. The good thing was that it was not as steep as I remember it being and I actually ran down it the entire way. The other plus was that the sun was going down and I had a beautiful view of the sunset and the ocean as I was coming down the hill.

Dipsea trail to Stinston beach

I crossed the finish line with a time of 15:11, just as dark was beginning to fall.

The Verdict? Was this my fastest race? No. However, it was all in all not as bad as I thought it would be, having gone into it with a minor injury and not enough training. Would I like to do it again? Probably, because I know that I can do it better. Was I proud of myself? Definitely. This, to date, is my longest distance ever and I finished the race before the cutoff. That is something to be proud of. And actually, I was less sore in the days after Miwok than I was in the days following Boston.

Now the question is...since this is a Western States qualifying race, will I put my name in the lottery for WSER next year? I think I have to. Don't I?

What is the longest distance you have ever run? Do you ever post recaps really late just to have a record or would you say, "forget about it" after a certain amount of time has gone by?

Flowers in Their Hair

The last weekend of September, as I mentioned in my September recap, was a great, fun (and eating) filled weekend with a few of my blogger friends (turned real life friends). They have been all meeting up together for a running weekend each year for about the last 3 or 4 years. This year, I was lucky enough that they chose my city to have their adventure in. I have met up with a couple of them before in various places around the world (Minneapolis, San Francisco, Charlotte and Squamish) but it was especially fun to host them and to show them some of my favorite places. In addition, they all rented a house in my old neighborhood, and it was so nostalgic being back there again, especially since their house was laid out just like the place I had when I lived there!

It started on Thursday, when Lauren and Lisa arrived. I met them in the city and they came over to Oakland with me on the bus. They were really troopers, hauling their suitcases on the public transportation during rush hour. We all went to one of my favorite Korean restaurants, Jong Ga House, which was really fun, as both Lisa and Lauren had never had Korean food. If you have ever had it, you will know that you get several "side dishes" called banchan, which vary in number. In this place, we got about 20 different ones! Of course we also had the traditional spicy tofu soup as well as a variety of barbequed meats.

Old photo, same restaurant

On Friday, I had to work all day and then I had a work event afterward, so the girls were on their own. However, on Saturday, I met up with all four of them (Leigh and Amber had arrived the night before) and we all ran the Berkeley Trail Adventure in Tilden park. Afterward, we went to Sam's Log Cabin in Albany for some delicious pancakes, eggs and fried chicken. I dropped the ladies back off in the city, went and dropped off the car and then rode my bike back to meet up with them again.

Of course, the next part was my favorite, because it was in my old neighborhood! We wandered around the Mission, stopping for a burrito at El Farolito and then HAD TO end the night with some ice cream from my favorite place in the city, Mitchells. The only problem is deciding which flavor to get (I got a double scoop of pumpkin and macapuno)! 

The next day we did something I have never done, although I have lived in the area for years. We biked across the bridge to Sausalito and took the ferry back. It is such a touristy thing to do that I have to admit, I have poo-pooed it, but I am so glad that we did it, as it was a ton of fun. We started nice and early, so that there were not too many looky loos on the bridge, so I think that made it even better. Once in Sausalito, we wandered to a breakfast place, Freds, which was pretty darn good! We headed back on the ferry and then rode over to the Ferry Building before all going our own ways. 

It is so fun to see my home through different eyes, as it reminds me of how much I love it here. The girls were taking photos of the fun houses and the interesting food, and it made me remember how lucky I am to live in such a gorgeous place, with good weather, and multiple food choices.

Another plus was the ease of spending time with these ladies. They are like old friends, even the ones I have not officially met before, and it was so easy to hang out with them. There was no drama, no worries about impressing people or worry about what to do. I made them all ride crammed in a mini for an hour in traffic and they were such good sports about it! I dragged them around the city and made them eat weird food and they did not complain once. All in all, I could not have asked for a better group of girls or a more fun weekend. They are welcome back any time (plus there are still so many things I want to show them)!

What is your "tried and true" routine when you have visitors to your home town? What is your favorite type of food? What type of food have you never tried that you would like to try?

Looking Back: September

Right now I am jumping for joy, because September was a very good month! I can't say that I have gotten back into my "normal" routine (because what is that, anyway?) but I am feeling a little more organized, and have actually had a chance to do a bit of cleaning and cooking and, you know, normal stuff, without feeling like I am being pulled in a million different directions, or that I "should" be doing something more important. After studying, and then the hangover afterward, I have felt a bit discombobulated. However, September has been a slow easing of that feeling, and I am hoping October will continue to do the same.

Running: 205 miles. I am counting the miles I hiked through the Alps as "running" miles, as I was power hiking, and I often power hike when I trail run, so I am claiming them. On top of that, I also have been biking to work a couple of times a week, and so have about 40 cycling miles in September as well. I only had one race in September, which was the Berkeley Trail Adventure with some great blogger friends, but that will probably be a separate post.

Reading: Hurray for reading! This is what I have missed the most over the past few months. In September I read 8 books, which is more than I have read in one month for...well, for a long, long time. My favorite of all of them was probably Unbroken, which is the story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, and his trials and tribulations during WWII (including a shipwreck and a long time at sea).

Travel: This is going to be another blog post in itself. However, to sum it all up, I spent two excellent weeks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, mostly hiking in the Alps and eating a lot of bread and cheese!

The hills ARE alive....

In addition: I had a great weekend relaxing and getting some errands done, which was much needed, I went to the eye doctor and the dentist (finally!), met up with a friend for a walk and a catch up session and even went to an Oakland A's game. Then the last weekend of the month was a fun filled weekend with Lisa, Amber, Lauren and Leigh, who came to San Francisco for some girl time, sightseeing and running. I couldn't have had a better ending to my month.

I am hoping October gives me a chance to catch up with some other friends and family who I haven't seen very often, as well as getting a chance to kind of settle back into life again. However, I am known for filling up weekends even while saying that I need a break, so we shall see! You have to make hay while the sun shines, right?

How was your September? Have you ever seen the Sound of Music? What do you do to recharge?

Looking Back: August

August? Yup; I am only a month behind... Bear with me as I try to recap August before September ends!

August was an eventful month for me. I studied for, took, and passed my final licensing exam for work. This was a relief, and I spent the remainder of the month planning a vacation as a treat for all the studying I had done over the last few months.

Miles: 189. I had one 50k race, and I have to proudly give a quick shout out to broski, as it was his first ultra! I had over a 10 minute PR from my last year's time for this race, and broski finished well within the cutoff. I also bought a new backpack and in trying to test it out, I did a few run commutes home from work. It's not quite a true run commute, as I have to take the BART across the bay, but it is about 4 -8 miles with the pack, so I will take it.

Books: Finally I am done studying, so I have more time to do what I really love and...read! I only read two books, my favorite of which was the Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory. It is a historical fiction about Katherine of Aragon, who was married to good ol' Henry VIII. I love learning more about history, and Gregory teaches you in a way that entertains you and makes you want to learn more.

Travel: I had a most excellent time visiting with my parents in NYC. We spent the days tiring them out by walking everywhere, eating a lot and seeing all that we could in such a short time! It was pretty warm and muggy while I was there, but I had a lot of fun wandering around and exploring the city. We went to the Brooklyn promenade, Staten Island, Chinatown, and much, much more. My favorite was the night we went for German food, at a pigs knuckle and a liter of beer, and then wandered back home through the upper East side. We all slept good that night!

The Ghostbusters Fire House

In addition, I spent a weekend with my brother,  his girlfriend and her family, camping in Humboldt county.  We had a great time jumping off the rope swing, hiking, swimming in the river and eating a gourmet campsite meal around the fire! I also met up with my mom for a quick lunch in midtown Sacramento, a nice chat and a wander around before she headed to NYC. This  month was a great month for family visits!

I have to be honest, I am glad, glad, GLAD to not have to study anymore. I will have about 20 extra "free" hours a week! I almost don't know what to do with them. Okay, that's not true. I am sure I can think of something.

What is your favorite thing to do in New York City (or whichever city is your favorite)? What is your perfect summer weekend?

Looking Back & Looking Forward

Goodbye July! Hello August!

Looking back, July was a mixture of study and work with a bit of running thrown in! Here's how it shaped up by the numbers.

Miles: 141. This was one of my lower running months. I scaled it down to about 2 - 3 times a week in order to study and I really am feeling the difference. The only reason it was even over a hundred is because I threw  a 50 mile race in there, otherwise I wouldn't even have broken the 100 mile mark for the month. I am really looking forward to getting back into the running groove, as my pants are not quite fitting as well as they used to and I miss that great post run feeling!

Books: 2. I read The End of Your Life Book Club, which was okay. I think that my expectations were too high, as many of my friends had said that they loved it and I expected to love it too. It was a book about books, which is usually good, but I just found it did not catch my attention as much as I had hoped it would. I also read The Cactus Eaters, which is a book about the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I found the main character a bit annoying, which was similar to another PCT book I read (Wild). I find this strange because all of the PCT hikers I met while growing up seemed perfectly normal. Maybe just the ones who write books are a bit self centered.

Travel Miles: 400 (by car). I went to South Lake Tahoe for the weekend of the 50 mile race. It was a lot of fun and it is one of my favorite trails and it is always inspiring to see the 100 mile runners and their bravery and grit. Also it was about 90 degrees and then it hailed on us as we were running, so it was quite an adventure overall.

----

And now....Looking Forward!

Today I am looking forward to getting off work! As soon as I get off I am meeting up with my brother and his girlfriend and we are heading north for a weekend of camping among the redwoods. I am going to swim and hike and eat grilled meat and read and take pictures and just enjoy being outside on a beautiful summer weekend in the woods!

In the next  week I am looking forward to planning a vacation! In my last post I mentioned some of the things I wanted to do once I was done with my exam, and camping and planning a vacation were two of them. So, let's get cracking! I want to do an active (hiking) vacation so am leaning towards somewhere in the Alps! Does anyone have any Alps hiking tips?

In the next  month I am looking forward to going to NYC to see my parents! My dad is currently in Manhattan and I haven't seen him in forever, so I am taking the opportunity to visit one of my favorite cities and see two of my favorite people all at the same time. I can't wait to wander the streets with them, take a run along the Hudson and eat lots of yummy food!

In the next year I am looking forward to a September running weekend with the girls, hiking Mt. Whitney, girls night at my house, catching up on my reading, Thanksgiving & Christmas with family, a vacation, and many other little things! I am also looking forward to seeing what life has up it's sleeve for me. The past year has been a busy one and one where I have learned a lot of new things, and I am sure the next one will be equally as informative and full of new things!

How was your July? When does "summer end" in your opinion? What are you looking forward to?

Time is on Your Side

I had a nice chat with my Dad on the phone yesterday (while running), which has been a long time coming. It's amazing how you can keep thinking that you will call someone "tomorrow" or do something "in a few minutes" and all of a sudden hours, days or weeks slip by. I always thought that people who stated that they were, "SO busy" were just bad at time management. I haven't changed my mind about that completely; I have only just gotten worse at managing my own time.

While studying, I made a list in my head of all the things I have been wanting to do or needing to do in the last few months but have put off in order to study. I have mentioned before, but I was never any good at studying. However, this time, it's my job (and my pride!) on the line, so I am buckling down and trying to get it done. In 10 days, I will have literally HOURS of my life back. I am really, really looking forward to that day.

So I thought I would quickly share my list with you and then get back to studying again (and do another load of laundry, and get my lunch ready for tomorrow, and go set the rat trap in the garage, etc).

- Costco trip
- Pickling veggies (almost out of pickles)
- Trip to REI (need a new headlamp)
- Baking/cooking for fun (not just one pot meals for necessity)
- Get a massage (1 hour of bliss)
- Plan a vacation (well deserved!!)
- Catch up/visit with friends/family (on the phone and in person)
- Go camping (summer is nearly over!)
- Start taking more photos
- Organize my room / files (bought containers; now I just need to use them)
- Go browsing at Barnes and Noble (for hours...)
- Buy a few new tops for work
- READ A BOOK!

When you get busy, what takes a back burner? Is there anything you are looking forward to doing soon?

Boston Marathon 2014

I am procrastinating studying, and so am finally attempting to write a quick recap of Boston. For most it is a little too late, but for me it is good to get it down while I still have memories about it.

My training was going well up until the end of March. One day I was running on the trails, doing a 20 mile run, and my Achilles tendon on the left side started to ache. I figured it would go away, but as I kept running, it kept getting worse. Of course, I was about 10 miles into my run and practically as far from my house (and/or a road) as I could have been. So I walked the last 10 miles home. For the next three weeks up until Boston, I ran about 20 miles total. Let me tell you, this is not a lead up to a big race. I could not decide whether it would be better to rest and hope that it was better by the time I had to race, or to "work through the pain". However, I actually listened to my own advice (or the advice that I would have given others) and stayed of it for the most part.

Race day came and luckily it was not too hot. It started off cool, but by race time it was probably about 50, which was perfect. I wore an old button up shirt with a cardigan and tights as my throw away outfit and was laughing at all of the other strange outfits in the athlete's village. For those of you not familiar with the marathon, you first get on the bus around 6 and get bussed to Hopkinton where you wait until it is time for your wave. My wave started at 10:20 so I had plenty of time to stand around in the portapotty line and people watch.

Portapotty people watching

The race started and, as always, the crowd participation was fantastic. I don't even wear headphones, as there really is no need. The sound of other runners' feet, the screams of the crowd, the music and laughter...all of this was my "music" for the day. Of course, with all of the positive vibes and sounds of running feet, I started out too fast. In addition to starting out too fast, I realized that I had not trained for speed very well. In addition to that, around mile 7 or so, my Achilles started to ache slightly.

Beer? Cigarettes? Donuts?

As you may or may not know, Boston is a mostly downhill course. For the first 10 miles, it is a slight downhill, so it's easy to prance along, feeling good. However, around 10 it starts to level out and then your legs (mostly hip flexors and quads) start to scream at you for starting out too fast. That is what happened to me. Miles 1 - 6 were all around 7:50 min/mile. Things were looking up! The Achilles was not bothering me; it was a beautiful day!

Miles 7 - 10 were around 8:00/mile. Things were starting to ache; the fact that I had not trained was starting to show; I was starting to get tired and I still had 16 miles left.

Miles 11 - 18 were around 8:30/mile. Things were falling apart. I wanted to stop. My quads were burning and my Achilles was aching and I wanted my Mommy.

Miles 19 - 26 were torture. I went from 9:10 to 9:15 to 9:30...and completed my last couple of miles at around a 9:40. It was not fun. I was so happy to round the corner on Boylston and see the finish line in the distance. The silver lining is that I carried my camera and I got some pretty good photos of myself crossing the finish line, even though I heard someone shout at me as I was finishing, "put the camera down and finish!"

I'm trying to finish Mr.!

I crossed the line at 3:47:40, or an 8:42 pace. This is 24 minutes slower than my time last year, almost a minute slower per mile. It was not a great feeling.

The silver lining? I ran into a friend of mine from Oakland in the finish shoot. Also, afterward I met up with my parents in the Boston Common and we went and had a celebratory Sam Adams 26.2 (or two), which was priceless.

The verdict? I think I am done with Boston. There are other fish to fry. However, I was glad to come back and show those bullies that we are not afraid of them. We will keep doing what we love and not let fear hold us back. Take that, bullies!

Have you ever run a race or done something just on principle? What would be your advice if someone who was injured wanted to keep running through the pain?

Currently: July

I took my series 7 exam on Monday and it was not the most fun thing I have ever done. You know how, no matter how much you are prepared, you feel inadequate when the time comes to perform sometimes? Well, the exam was a two part exam and I took the first half and felt pretty good. I did not feel good about the second half and after I finished, you have to push a button that says, "if you push this, you cannot go back. Do you want to continue?" and I really did NOT want to continue. But I pushed it and 15 seconds later (which felt like hours, my heart was beating SO hard), it gave me my score. I passed! Phew. One down; one to go. 

Current Book - The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. This book got good reviews from all my friends on Goodreads. I have to admit, maybe it's because I am studying at the same time, but I am finding it only so-so. It's about books, so of course that's a plus, but it's just not riveting. 

Current Running Path - The other day I took a run out to the Bay Bridge trail, where they built us a new bridge and are taking down the old one. It was pretty cool to see, and is kind of an end of an era. This bridge was damaged in the 1989 earthquake and it's been a long road replacing it, but it's finally done. Now they just have to get rid of the old one.

Current Drink - Sparkling water. It's my new treat to myself. I even got some mint the other day and have been drinking it with mint and lemon. It's so refreshing!

Current Excitement - See above regarding passing the Series 7. Phew! 

Current fashion trend - These are everywhere. In all different forms.

source

Current Favorite Blog/Website - I have to admit, I have not really been reading blogs/websites lately. The only one I have really visited lately has been the Oakland Library website, and maybe Goodreads.  

Current Garden Item - So far we have tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes and peppers! Summer is here!

Current Love - Running with people. I still mostly run by myself, but have been doing maybe one run a week or every two weeks with friends, and it really makes the time of a long run go by faster!

Current Food - See above regarding garden items. I made the best salad yesterday with radish, cucumber, tomato, toasted pecans, feta, lemon and mint. It was so good and fresh!

Current Indulgence - Trail mix. I have been going to town on it. It's my study snack. Unfortunately, I find it hard to stop eating it! 

Currently Pondering - How long my current computer is going to last. Right now it only has a little bit of space left, and I've gotten the black (not blue) screen a couple of times. To be fair, it's about 5 years old, but I am really hoping it hangs on for a little while longer! Also, I am not sure if I want another laptop, or a tablet. I want it to be more portable, but I really like the big keyboard and operating system on my laptop!  

Current Mood - Great!  

Current New Find - I am probably way behind the times here, but I found these great noodles that are made from yam and I love them!! I don't eat a lot of pasta, but these are a good substitute when you are feeling like a pasta-like dish! I really like them sauteed up with mushrooms, a bit of ginger, some miso and any other veggie that I have in the fridge.  

Current Peeve - People who borrow something and don't put it back. Use what you want, but replace it! 

Current Song - This song has come up on my Pandora a few times recently and I find it very haunting.

 

Current Triumph - Getting through studying. It's been a lot of years since I have had to do that.  

Current TV Show - Greys Anatomy reruns. They are my "reward" for a long study session.

Current Wish-List - New running shoes.  

Currently Delaying - Starting study for the next exam. I don't want to. I want to take a break. However, the train is still moving, so I cannot get off now!

What is your current indulgence? Have you ever tried yam (or tofu) noodles? Have you jumped on the leopard pants band wagon?

Looking Back: June

June started with my Dad's birthday and ended with Western States, and the in between was like a suitcase that you pack so full that you have to sit on it to make it all fit. I wish that I was current with this space, because there have been so many things that I want to report on (and remember). However, it's just not meant to be right now, so the stories will have to wait. Unfortunately, if we don't get things right down on paper, we tend to forget the small details, which are often the ones that make the event/day/story special.

North Matthieu Lake, OR

Study: (50 - 60 hours) Once again, studying ruled the roost this month, which is not surprising, as my exam is scheduled for July 7th. I am not that great at studying, however, after talking to some of the other new people in the office who are also studying, I feel pretty good about my progress. I got through all of the material and then took an overall practice test, which allowed me to go back and focus on some of the areas where I need more work. Since then, I have taken a few more practice finals and have been passing them. So...fingers crossed that I do as well on the exam as I have been doing on the practice exams. Having said that, I will be SO GLAD to not have to get up early every day to study and to come home every night and study.

Reading: (2 books) I actually read this month! Once I started to take more practice exams, I found that I really needed a break from the computer, so I would fit in a half an hour of reading here and there. Also, I did take one flight and had a few days of rest, so I crammed in a bit of reading here and there. I read The Sense of an Ending, which was only so-so, and A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) which was actually quite entertaining. Actually, it was just what I needed for study break material, which was something not too deep or meaningful.

Tahoe Rim Trail, NV

Running: (206 miles) Okay, so this month was not ALL about study. What can I say; running is my release. I am also training for the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 mile run, which is on July 19th. The race is done at an elevation of 6500 - 9000 ft, so I went up to the area one weekend and did two long runs in order to get some kind of preparation for the altitude. Also, I spent some time in Oregon and I love running and exploring the trails up in the Cascades. However, since they are also pretty high up (6000 ft), I ran into snow a few times and could not get past it. Finally, I went up to Auburn and watched a bunch of my friends run the Western States Endurance Run (more on this later) and of course ran around a bit that weekend as well.

Rob Krar, #1 overall at WSER

Travel: Although I have not gone out of the country, this year has been a great one for local travels. In June, I went to South Lake Tahoe, Auburn and central Oregon. Each trip was a great time with friends and I got in a lot of hiking, walking, running and outdoors activities, which to me is the perfect vacation! The trip to Oregon was especially fun because it was with my good friend and her two girls, one of them who is 4, the other is 2 months old. It was great to spend time with them all and it always amazes me how fast they are growing!

Metoulious River, OR

Other than that, I have been tending the garden, running a bit with the dog (Emi -- her mileage is probably about 12 for the month of June) and working!

How was your June? What outdoor activities have you been doing? When was the last time you had to study for something?

**Also, last but not least, I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to my mom and her twin sister!**

Looking Back: May

May, my favorite month, came and left like a whirlwind. It started and ended with a run in the Marin Headlands just the way I like a month to start and end! I have to admit, I was a little worried, as April was not a prime running month for me. April consisted of 45 miles, including the 26.2 of the Boston Marathon. Needless to say, I was NOT ready for the race schedule I had lined up for May. Also, with the new job and the studying, my schedule in general was a bit off. May was a little weird  really.

Study:  Approximately 60 - 80 hours of May were spent studying. I have to be honest; I was never a big fan of studying. In High School, I never really had to study and in college I definitely did not study enough. This time though, I am trying to make up for it. However, it is not easy. But my job is on the line, so I am trying to buckle down.

Reading: Ha! Can we say....zilch, zip, nil, nul, zero? I read about a quarter of the book Quiet (which is good so far), I read half of an America's Test Kitchen magazine and I read a few news articles on Flipboard. Other than that, it's been all business.

Running: 181 miles, including one 100k race (62 miles) and one 50 mile race, bringing non race miles to a grand total of  69. A lot better than April, that's for sure! However, most of them have not been quality miles. However, the majority of them have been with friends, which is not a normal occurrence for me, so that is a nice change!

Final stretch of Miwok 100k: Stinson Beach at Sunset

Travel: Add two race weekends to a holiday weekend and May is just about done! But wait, the fourth and final weekend of May was my cousin's graduation party/Mother's Day/my birthday, which was spent in Sacramento with family and friends, and my mother! Memorial Day weekend was spent at Off The Grid with my friend and her family, including new baby, eating fun food truck foods like chicken and waffle bites, falafel, and creme brulee. The next day I spent at the beach near Bodega Bay with broski and the in-laws, running with the dogs, eating clam chowder and enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

Birthday dinner with the girls

Doran beach run with broski's dog.

Other that that, I rode about 20 miles on the ol' bike, went to a Giants game, weeded and planted a garden, and even took the dog for a walk (everyone needs fresh air sometimes)!

What did you do for Memorial Day?  Has the food truck craze made it to your area? What is your favorite time of year/month?

A Day In The Life

It annoys me when people who have not posted in a while start of a post by saying, "I know I haven't posted in a while, but..." or "it's been so long since my last post". It should be obvious if people are paying attention, but most likely, not as many people noticed as you hoped/thought. So I am not going to do that.

Having said that, I feel like every time I think about writing a post, the enormity of what has happened since my last post makes me hesitant. What do I even talk about? A lot has happened. Do I recap it? Do I just skip it and jump to the present? Where do I even start? I feel like in the past few months, a lot of other things have taken over my life, and now posting does not seem as important. Don't get me wrong; I WANT to post. I want to have things to post about. To be honest though, although I am busy, I am not very interesting lately, and my brain is pretty much useless. Therefore, that is why I am going to do a quick "day in the life" post, so years later when I look back, I can remember what a busy/trying/exciting/crazy time this was.

4:21 am: The alarm goes off. Sometimes I hit snooze and am reminded again in 5 minutes how tired I am and how much I do not want to get out of bed.  Usually I just get up. Why prolong the inevitable?

4:22 am - 5:10 am: Shower, eat a bowl of cereal, down a cup of coffee, and put on a pair of black pants and some sort of top. Study for about 15 - 25 minutes. **FYI, I got a new job which requires me to be licensed and there is a lot of studying involved. More on that in a bit.

5:11 am - 5:59 am: Walk to the bus, commute, study some more, walk from the bus stop to work.

6:00 am - 3 (or 4) pm: Work. I started this new job about 5 weeks ago and it has been a lot of learning new things, new terms, new processes and procedures, new software and new rules. I am also the "new guy" again, the one who people wonder about when I am roaming the halls. A typical work day involves a lot of spreadsheets and computer work, some phones, some handwriting orders (I know; who does that anymore) and some operations/organization items.

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Go to the gym, work out for about an hour, walk to the bus. I injured myself (Achilles) a couple of months ago, so have been doing more elliptical, bike and weights instead of running as much. **However, I do have three races to recap, including Boston, a 100k race and a 50 mile race that kicked my butt in a big way.

5:30 pm - 6:15 pm: Commute, more studying, walk home.

6:15 pm - 7:30 pm: Shower, water the garden (the tomatoes are looking great!), make/eat dinner.

7:30 pm - 8:30 (or 9) pm: Study. Try not to fall asleep.

9 pm: Bedtime. Hopefully.

You can't really get much more boring than that, can you? In fact, as I read over this post, I am falling asleep... So, yeah. The days are pretty packed right now, and not really with very fun stuff. I average about 2 hours of studying a day plus about 6 - 12 hours on the weekends. My exam is on July 7th and then if when I pass the first one, I have to take another one, which is as of yet unscheduled. Basically my summer is shot.

Hopefully soon I will post a couple of race recaps, as well as some opinions on micromanaging, tips on how to achieve having a successful garden and a dirt loving dog at the same time and some funny stories about my roommate's dating life. Until then, happy June!

What have you been up to in the last month? What is your average day like? Do you remember what it was like to be the "new guy"?

In Like a Lion?

Yup, it's my third post this week! Already I nearly have more posts in April than I did in March! 

March is supposed to go in like a lion and out like a lamb. As you know, I live in a pretty temperate area, so we don't get a lot of temperature fluctuations. However, we had some rain (yay), which was very much needed, and a little bit of snow in the mountains toward the end of the month. So I am not sure if the lion/lamb theory is true.

The stats of March are thus:

Reading: March was a month of Non-Fiction and half read books. I got a bunch (aka too many) of books from the digital library and they expired before I could finish them. When that happens, you have to put them on hold again, and so I will finish them later, but currently, I am half into several books. I did finish two books: Don't Know Much About History (audiobook) and Economics for the Rest of Us: Debunking the Science that Makes Life Dismal. As you can see, they are not the most "exciting" books ever, and were hard to get through at times. I am also trying to read the news every day, which is taking away from book reading time. The number of books I "half-read" was 3.

Running: I ran one race, Way Too Cool 50k, at the beginning of the month. I am currently training for the Boston Marathon on April 21st and the Miwok 100k on May 3rd. I have to admit, I don't think I am doing it right. I feel like I have the legs to run the 100k, but not the speed for Boston. I am not really sure how to train for them both at the same time. Knowing this, I don't expect much at Boston, but I am okay with that. Total miles run in March: 208. An interesting stat: last year in March, I ran 215 miles at an average pace of 8:55. This year, my average pace is 13:06. What a difference!

Travel: I went to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and beautiful Bakersfield by the sea this month! I also had a trip to Cool and another one to Dublin (CA, not Ireland) for brunch and a walk with a very pregnant friend. I had a great time with Amber, on her short but sweet layover in San Francisco. I forced her to eat a burrito (naturally) and we had a great time catching up. I even tried to take her to the transvestite Mexican bar in my favorite neighborhood, the Mission, but it was closed down! Darn it!

Work: One of my coworkers just quit, so we are handling his cases as well as our own, which I am learning is pretty much par for the course. Every time I start to feel like I am catching up on things, they throw something else at us. We also had our performance reviews. Mine was really good; I am very happy with it, however I was not super impressed with my salary increase. I am not complaining too much, because at least I got an increase, however, I expected it to be higher.

How was your March; was it a lamb or a lion? Do you get an annual increase/performance review at work? What is your favorite kind of book to read?

Way Too Cool 50k

I was picked up from my house at 3:30 am. Yes, that is A.M. This is what happens when you catch a ride with other people; you have no control over the timelines. Ha! The reason for this was that we were driving to Cool, CA to run the Way Too Cool 50k. To get into this race, you have to put your name in a lottery. When I received the notice that I got in, I was so excited, and I went to the entrants list to find out who else had gotten in that I know. There were 1200 entrants on the list! This is not normal for a trail race. Usually it is anywhere from 200 - 600 people. I have to admit, I had to groan at this a bit, because this is a lot of (too many) people. However, I was excited to run in a place where I had only run a couple of times before. Plus, part of this course is on the Western States course, which is kind of fun.

Cool is in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 20 miles from Sacramento, near the American river, in a gold mining area. It was a stagecoach stop during the gold rush.  It's a really pretty area and there are tons of trails to hike, and swimming and fishing in the river to be had.

We arrived in Cool before 6 am. We got a great parking spot, thanks to the early departure, and went to pick up our bibs etc. I was there with two other people, one who was running and another who had not signed up, but was going to wear the bib (without chip) of a friend and run with the other friend for a while. It was pretty cold so we stayed in the car to keep warm until the start. Once the sun came out, we got ready to go. This race has so many people that there is a wave start. I was in wave one, which started at 8 am.

The race started and we were all running in a pack. There were so many people; we could not really run any faster or slower; we just had to scoot along with everyone else. I stopped for a pit stop and then caught back up to my friends. The first mile was on a paved road and then it turned into a single track. The single track was brutal, as there really was no room to pass. I was going at about a 10 minute mile, which was slower than I wanted to go, especially since it was fairly flat.

Around mile 3, we went through our first water crossing for the day. It would not be the last. It had rained the week before and the creeks were running full, and the trail was very, very muddy. Everyone was slipping and sliding around and trying to avoid the really big, slippery sections, but it was difficult. The single track loop lasted for about 8 miles, then we looped back around to the start.

The next loop started out kind of flat, then there was a downhill section leading down to the river, where we ran along the river for a while. My legs were getting tired, as by this time, I had been running for a while. This course was so far the flattest trail race I had ever run. Usually there are some ups and some downs, which give you a chance to regroup a bit and regain your strength, but this was flat our running for a really long time. Until about mile 15, I was running about an 8:30 pace.

At mile 15, we started up a hill and my pace slowed to about 10 minutes, then as the hill got steeper, it became 13 minutes, then 16 minutes. Around mile 15, I also started to have to use the restroom, but I thought that at the next aid station there would be a portapotty. There wasn't, so I waited until the next one. Still nothing. By mile 26 or so, I was bursting. I would have just pulled over and gone in the bushes, but there was poison oak everywhere! Around mile 20, the hill stopped and the course flattened out a bit. It was rolling up and down a little, but was still pretty runnable the whole time. My legs were pretty tired by this point and I started to slow to about a 12 minute pace. The only reason I was even keeping it that fast was because I really had to use the bathroom!

I crossed the finish at 5:12 and ran straight to the portapotties, do not pass go, do not collect $200! Afterward, I went back to the race expo, where there was recovery drink, pizza, and the famous frog cupcake! The day had turned out really nice and it was really great to just sit in the sun and eat pizza. I hung out for a while and chatted with some of the other racers.

The verdict? I don't think I would do this race again. The sheer number of people is a turn off. It feels commercial. I didn't really like the big expo full of people trying to sell things after the race. However, the shirt is great and the food afterward was pretty good. The location is good and if you are brave, you can even go for a dip in the river afterward. Also, I feel that it would be a great race for your first 50k. Its well organized and there is not too much elevation gain and it's almost like a road race feel in a trail-like setting.

Also, unless you are super fast, it is really hard to place in this race! I was number 11 in my age group, 203/1026 overall, and 41/422 in my gender. The number one guy finished in 3:16; the number one girl finished in 3:53.

Have you ever been to gold rush country? Do you like it when a race has a big expo? What is your favorite treat after a workout?