A Mini Break

A favorite way to spend a long weekend, getting in a bunch of exercise.

On Saturday I did the usual long run with the ladies. I finished 8 miles at a 9:45 minute/mile pace. [pat, pat] I haven't run faster than a 10 or 11 minute pace so far this year, I'm quite proud of myself.

Sunday I took step class taught by my girlfriend. Her routine is choreographically, as well as physically challenging and she's known to play good tunes. Gotta love movement and music!

Today was a gorgeously sunny day and with the wind rushing by my ears, I took Monchichi out for her first ride. No more will she sit patiently in the corner of the living room, there's no turning back now, she's had a taste of the road.

Its a different experience, riding...Being on a a pedal driven, human-powered vehicle, I'm expending a bit less effort than running. More time to contemplate the scenery and listen and hear what's going on around me. A few chuckles from the road...

The little boy on a walk with his brother and parents said, " I don't want to get out of the way of the bicycles" (Little sassy pants!), the man reading while he was jogging (All that bouncing would make me nauseous) and the dog trotting after his owner, carrying his leash in his mouth (Way to take yourself for a walk, Puppy!), last of all, the happy guy, pacing behind me, greeting absolutely EVERYONE on the trail. (Okay, it must be the endorphins, no one is that perky that early in the morning!!!)

A suggestion for multi-use trail compadres...Lets share the trail! Peds, we know you have the right-of-way. We are willing to ride around you. Help the riders out. Please pay attention!!! You're not the only person on the trail. Don't hoard the entire trail. Don't stop in the middle of the road. If you want to look at the squirrels and the birds, please step off to the side. Also, look both ways before you step back on the trail. Its a lot easier for you to stop and start than a bicycle rider. I think we can all get along and enjoy the trail with a little effort.

The area beneath my sit bones and my calves are sore (I did wear padded biking shorts), AND my nose ran, A LOT!!! Overall it was such a good time.

(Today wasn't just a day off either...It was a day for honoring the Soldiers who have fought and died for our country. Thank you for your bravery and courage, and making the supreme sacrifice in protecting our freedom. You have a special place in all of our hearts.)

Cutesie Tootsies

Its that time of year again. I'm breaking out the sandals. That means a pedicure was in order. I just wanted the icky thick winter skin removed, and, and all those calluses from running. Nope, I don't care about french pedicures, cute flowers and rhinestones, sheesh! Its so girlie!

Really, I don't... : .)

100% Cotton

I'm not known for my abilities as a domestic goddess. One task that I'm notoriously lax in is folding laundry. I usually have a gigantic pile of clothes from which I pull the daily wearables, work clothes, running clothes, socks, jackets, etc...Well, today I decided to do something about it and I folded every last piece of clothing that was in the baskets in my bedroom. As I was putting items away, I notice the stack of t-shirts in the corner of the closet, mostly comprised of the shirts I received for running in races.

So, this is my collection of running t-shirts. I thought I'd share. Its just so completely excessive. This isn't even all of 'em. I'm also wearing one. When I moved a couple of years ago, I went minimalist and got rid of part of my collection. Yep, I had oh so many more. Really now, just how many t-shirts do I think I need?!

I heard that you receive a Tiffany's bracelet placed on your wrist by a gorgeous man in a tux upon finishing the Nike Women's Marathon. I think I'd like that more than a t-shirt!!!

My favorites...Of course, my BSIM shirt (the one I'm wearing in the Big Sur International Marathon Happy Dance avatar photograph on this very blog), but I also dearly love the Christmas Relay shirt in the top left corner, the one with the skinny Santa and his hairy legs, in the running gear.

Recent Acquisition

I picked up my newest toy today, a 2006 Fuji Tahoe Comp mountain bike. (For those who are interested you can view the specs at Fuji Bikes.) I couldn't exactly participate in a triathlon without having a bike to ride, could I? I think I may be in love!!! I really don't like to be attached to material items, but boy oh boy!!! I can't wait to hit the trails, navigate rocks, ruts, sand, and be barrelling down hills at top speed, WHEEEEEEE!!!

Nate at Performance Bike in Mountain View was so helpful, disscussing sizes, components, tire types, etc...He let me try out multiple bikes and almost convinced me that I wanted a road bike, (yes, there is a difference) but I truly see myself doing trails more than riding on the road. I may be putting myself at a disadvantage during the tri, riding a mountain bike instead or a road bike, but I wanted something I would ride after I trained for the event.

Of course, as always with a purchase of this magnitude, I had that moment of panic, of buyer's remorse, but this isn't as frivolous a purchase as that $400.00 handmade/hand-dyed sweater I bought at an art festival last summer. Yes, the one that the artist promised wouldn't shrink. I will so ride this bike more than I will wear that now itty-bitty sweater.

I think I'll name my new friend Monchichi, which means monkey in Japanese.

Chaos Theory

Wikipedia sez:

In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos. Chaos appears to be random, and the word suggests disorder, however there is underlying order and determinism. Every action, or cause, produces a reaction, or effect, and every reaction, in turn, becomes the cause of subsequent reactions.

Life these days seems really chaotic. I haven't had time for anything except work and a few workouts to maintain my sanity. Life seems all about the "no" right now. I don't feel like I have control over anything. However, as noted above, there is underlying order and determinism in chaos and actions produce reactions, so that must be a sign. Maybe my reactions are creating the situations that I'm in now. I'll have to ruminate on that for awhile.

Many thanks to my blogger friends who have checked in on me! I appreciate it!!!

Photo courtesy of http://www.free-nature-animal-butterfly-wallpaper.com/wallpapers/butterfly5.jpg">

Eau de Chlorine

Beginning Swimming

Today we finally got to go into the pool. Aside from the deep goggle marks around my eyes and an upset stomach from breathing water, it was a good class. Before the serious workout started, we had to prove that we could swim by traversing 25 yards across the pool, we learned proper kicking form, the freestyle stroke, how to breathe (obviously I need to work on that!), and even how to do push turns.

Coach Eve said I did a really good job : .)

Swimming tip: You can protect high maintenance hair (read: dyed) from the damaging effects of chlorine by a dousing it with non-chlorinated water and applying a coating of conditioner that you don't rinse out until you finish swimming.

Running Monkey Photos

Some photographs taken during the race last weekend. I forgot I had these!!! hee!


Van 2 - Mike F. (Turbo), Lynne (Mrs. Turbo), Me , Mike G., Sammy, Rob


Finally making it out of the vineyard! Rescued by my van mates!


Runner exchange. Note the cool Kittyville hat made 'specially for me by Ragged : .)



Very early in the morning at the Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco's Wild Kingdom

Listening to the radio this morning and they reported that there was a Mountain Lion sighting in SF this weekend.

Maybe I wasn't near the zoo...

Oh the Places You Will Chafe...Thots and Reflections on "The Relay" 2006

TMI? Actually, I got a few blisters : .D nothing more!

Just got back home from Santa Cruz. I am tired. My team, the Running Monkeys, ended up third from last place in a field of 110 teams, based on the preliminary stats after 32 hours of running. As you can probably guess, it was an *interesting* weekend. The weather held out, which was fantastic. It rained only briefly, the sun made an appearance Saturday and Sunday, and the days and nights were cool. Van 1, made up of all rookies did a great job. They were where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be. Kudos to them for a job well done.

We ran into trouble with our pace times. Most of us ran slower than anticipated. An injury in Van 1 made it necessary for the other 5 van mates to pick up the slack. Of course, that made them tired and therefore, affected their pace times. One of my van mates had strep throat last week. That definitely affected her pace times. As for me...Well, I would like to say that I was fighting off the mountain lion (see Santa Cruz or Bust) that appeared while I was running my first leg, but truth be told...uh, I got lost. I took a wrong turn, ending up at the top of a mountain (yes, I ran EXTRA hills!), 4 miles out of my way. By the time my van mates came looking for me, I had already realized my mistake and was on the way back down the hill. My arduous trek thru the wild vineyards of the Napa Valley was made all the better however, because the sun was out, there was a little stream bubbling next to the trail, I went up and down rolling hills that were awash with green, and came across a big, yellow farmhouse on a little lake complete with cattails swaying in the wind and cloud reflecting on its surface. In the distance, I could see the end of the bay. Amazing!!! I couldn't complain.

My second leg went much better, except that it was entirely up hill and at 3 am. I was in the beautiful city of San Francisco, on the Great Highway, listening to the waves crash on the beach. I took a right turn and started down Skyline Drive. I paused to remove my jacket and if you can believe this, from across the road, I could hear the gravely growl of a lion!!! No, it wasn't a dog, it wasn't a cat, it was a LION!!! Okay, I thot I was in the clear and was only going to have to deal with 2-leggeds, not 4-leggeds, since I was in the city, but no. I panicked and started to run, which is the last thing you are supposed to do in the event you come across a lion, mountain or otherwise, then came to my senses and realized I was probably running past the zoo. Phew! Unfortunately, since I was so tired from my vineyard run, I ended up getting passed by 10 other runners. In this situation, you are known as 'roadkill'. Some of the teams are very competitive and keep track of their roadkill by making tick marks on the windows of their transport vehicles. Rude, I say!

My third leg was ranked the easiest, but did you know that running downhill is almost worse than having to run uphill? My quads are toast. They are actually screaming in agony. I hope I can walk tomorrow. Maybe I shouldn't have sprinted at the end, but I was so happy to see that runner exchange and pass off the race bracelet that I couldn't resist.

Anywhoo, so much more happened over the last two days, but I fear, I will bore you with the intimate details. To pass the time during my last leg, I did think of awards to give to my van mates.

Rookie of the Weekend Award goes to Sammy, who kicked butt running 18.4 miles total in her 1st relay race.

Best Driver Award goes to Rob, who handeled all the driving, except while he was running, which meant he didn't sleep the entire weekend.

Team Spirit Award goes to Lynne, who jumped out of the van at every opportunity to cheer us on.

Fastest Runner Award goes to Mike F. who ran a sub-6 minute pace.

Best Team Captain Award goes to Mike G. who kept us on track and handled all the details leading to the race.

As for me, I awarded myself the Scenic Tour Award, for my jaunt thru the vineyards.

I need to find my waterwings so I'm ready for triathalon training next week!

Signing off now, Tenacious L

Chance of Rain?

This morning I walked out my door to go to work and I found the sky to be lit by this unusual light.

There were also these bleu holes in the sky.

Oh...wait...OHMYGOSH, I think it was...the SUN!!!

I guess that means we're gonna have to break out the 1 million SPF sunscreen, since we haven't seen that puppy in a while. I don't want to risk a sunburn.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Still waiting...

In the meantime, my Illo Friday submission for Spring.

Detox - Week 3

I want to eat something besides beige food. I'm not craving anything in particular, I just want to eat something different. Pot roast maybe, a piece of pizza margherita, and maybe a little glass of chardonnay.

Food & supplement intake for this week is the same as last week. I am a bit worried about running this weekend (see Santa Cruz or Bust) due to the lack of carbs in my diet, but last weekend I ran on Saturday and did a spin class on Sunday, and I was fine. I'm expecting the same this weekend. Bonus positive side effect - I've lost 10 pounds!

Okay, one-more-week. I can do this.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Here is the world of imagination, hopes and dreams. In this timeless
land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic, and make-believe are
reborn, and fairy tales come true. Fantasyland is dedicated to the young
at heart, to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your
dreams come true. - Walt Disney

Submitted to Moody Monday - Theme: Fantasy

Santa Cruz or Bust!

I'm running in a race this weekend. Its called "The Relay." A 199 mile, 12-member team race from Calistoga to Santa Cruz, CA. The team is split into two groups, each member of the team running 3 parts (legs) of the race, varying distances over two days, kind of frog hopping along. This is the 5th time I'll be participating in a race of this sort.

My collective group of legs totals 18 miles: 7.4 miles, moderate difficulty; 5.9, all uphill, HARD; and 4.7, easy. Continuing with the numbers: 6 sweaty men and women, sharing one van, over two days and two hundred miles, with no sleep, using porta-potties (ugh!) along the way. Highlights of this race include running under a full moon, thru beautiful wine country, across the Golden Gate Bridge, thru San Francisco, thru cities in the Silicon Valley and finally finishing on the beach in Santa Cruz. Did I mention that its rained 25 days in the month of March and it is anticipated that it will rain through the weekend? Did I mention the road closures because of landslides, cracks, flooding, and downed trees? Did I mention that one of my legs is thru a vineyard of mud?

Yesterday, I checked "The Relay" website for updates on the race and course conditions and read this:

"Due to mountain lion sightings on Hudson Vineyard (Leg 8), consider running with pepper spray or a teammate." Remember me mentioning my run thru a vineyard? Yes, this is one of "my" legs. What? MOUNTAIN LIONS!!! I'm a true-bleu city girl. I know nothing about protecting myself against mountain lions. Arrrrgggghhhh!!!

I sent an email to my fellow runners, asking who would be willing to run with me during my leg. What a great idea to bring along a teammate, I throw my teammate to the mountain lion and while the lion has lunch, I run off and meet the van!

It will definitely be a fun weekend!!! ; .)

Beautiful Danger

Un-posted interpretation of last week's Illustration Friday Theme, Monster.

A.K.A. Fang ; .) Look out!!! She'll gnaw your finger off if given half a chance!!!

Detox - Week 2

Today was the beginning of week 2 of my detox. Yeah, I know, you didn't ask for an update, but you're getting one anyway! : .)

I'm feeling good, but easily distracted and sleepy at times, and working out is definitely a challenge because of the lack of carbos. I am getting tired of beige food...beige meat, beige rice, twice a day, every day. The protein/fruit shakes are saving me tho'. And the tons of veggies aren't bad either. I'm only taking 19 supplements a day, instead of the 30 a day I took last week. WhooHoo!!!

I've lost 7 pounds so far. A couple of friends tried to convince me that it was mostly water weight. I beg to differ. I think its poop weight. I've been smokin' in the elimination department! My digestive system feels so CLEAN!!!

I can't wait until I can have a bleu cheese bacon burger!!!

Just kidding!!!

It'll be a Ghirardelli Gold Rush Sundae instead!

Haha, kidding again!!!

Ichthyanabilism - Part Deux

P's Neon Tetras had more babies over the weekend...

E: Can you separate the babies from the adults?
K: You want to deprive the big fish of their snacks?
E: Its like "Hotel Romance."
K: Love Boat.
E: They're sushi.

Tursiops truncatus

Interesting Dolphin Fact: Dolphins have extremely soft, flaky skin which they shed every two hours. The softness of the skin reduces friction. As the skin flakes, it breaks up swirling vortices next to the skin that would otherwise slow the animal down. I've heard it referred to as "dolphin pollen."

Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas Nevada.

Submitted to Photo Friday - Theme: Smooth

Emotional

Watching Ice Hockey, especially #22, Scott Hannan makes me emotional ; .) The speed, the grace, the MAYHEM!!!

Sharks pre-season, from the third row behind the penalty boxes.

Go Sharks!!!

Submitted to Moody Monday - Theme: Emotional

Detox

My witch doctor perscribed a 3 week detox diet for me to overcome my sugar addiction and maybe as a bonus, lose a few pounds. This cleansing diet includes 3 different supplements (Gastro-Fiber! Yum!) and a shake powder that contains protein and various sundry nutrients. Per day, I'm supposed to swallow 30 supplements, eat 2 -3 eggs, 3 -4 ounces of lean meat and half as much fruit as vegetables. 2 servings of brown rice and 2 -3 shakes made with fruit or veggies. No seasoning is allowed. Oh and I'm supposed to consume at least 64 ounces of water, every day.

Today was day one.

Breakfast: 10 supplement capsules, a poached egg, and a shake made with the powder, a banana, and some raspberries.
Lunch: 10 supplement capsules, chicken strips, a cup of brown rice, red and orange bell pepper strips, celery, mushrooms, and a fujii apple.
Dinner: Stir fry made with chicken, cabbage, onion, shredded broccoli, mushrooms, and a cup of brown rice.
Snack before bed: 10 supplement capsules and a shake, I think I'll try some carrot juice instead of fruit, for variety.

My stomach is so full. It must be all the fiber. I was happy because I was able to run my mileage at lunch, since I'm cutting my carbohydrate consumption at least by 75%. I think exercise will become more difficult as time goes on. By the end of the first week, I will have consumed 210 supplement capsules and enough vegetables to feed a hundred thousand rabbits for the next year (well, at least it feels that way). I was projecting into the future and thinking about how I will go about maintaining this healthy eating program. Right now, this diet is such a novelty, I am willing to go along with it. I did however have a moment this afternoon thinking that if I do continue to eat in similarly healthy manner, I will never be able to eat bacon again.

I almost lost my resolve.