Didn't see that coming.....

Been a big week and it's only Tuesday!  Performance reviews aka laddering came out this week.  Davin called me first thing Monday to let me know how I had performed......it was all good THEN he told me I had been promoted......WOW.  Ummm, seriously unexpected.  I was so shocked and surprised that I was speechless on the phone for a while and I delayed my commute to work, couldn't quite believe the promo and had to think about it for a bit.  Funny too, I had to think about who I called/texted.  I didn't want to be a jerk but so wanted to share and make sure that I shared in the right way!  This promotion is kinda big; I had thought I was about to embark on a campaign for the next year to make the jump.  I'm not sure I still really get it and it probably sounds ridiculous....but this is a big leap in a kick arse, hardcore consulting firm.  It really does mean stepping up to the "next big thing".  I am not sure why I am compelled to keep on this corporate treadmill, but I am.  I still feel very privileged to be here. I do work hard but I've also met some incredible people and some of those people have just backed me, big time.  It's a fragile world though and you are only as good as your performance today.  I'm humbled (again) by my professional life.  I'd like to do those that backed me proud - 48hrs in and the demands/expectations have changed, gotta step up!

Angel Island

I am waiting to head down to the Ferry to go for a run around Angel Island.

It's a State Park and I'm going with my new running buddy.  This is the second time we have run together  - she is training for a triathlon sprint event the weekend before my 50 miler, so she runs shorter distances.  I am going to run to the Ferry Terminal (5.5 miles) then catch the ferry and we will probably do 5 or 6 miles around the Island.

Last night I went to see Les Miserables, which is my all time favourite musical. Before the show we went to Le Colonial  for a light dinner.  Described as Vietnamese French Cuisine it was a really lovely setting, that kind of made you feel like you were in Vietnam!

It's in a slightly odd setting down an alley way but a really delightful surprise when you enter; food was great.

Work wise I am now at HP in Cupertino.  Not quite doing the change work I have been doing.........I suspect I won't stay on this particular project for long but it is good to be at a different client.  We are in a "temporary" building as HP are moving to Palo Alto.  The Campus we are currently on is going to be demolished to make way for Steve Jobs (Apples) new spaceship/donut building.....surreal.

Including some random photos that I haven't shared before.

This is how the yard looks with the rocks, it's really nice and brightens the whole area.  We are going to replace the little stool, temporarily sitting on the deck, as it's rotting away!  Irene has been adding more plants too.

From the 50k, this was how they marked the track; pegging yellow ribbons along the way.  Unbelievably useful I have to say, there was more than one tricky turn in the trail and you really don't want to be running extra miles because you went off the trail.

Another shot from San Diego.  Here you really get to see just how "southern California" it is.  It was so hot I felt like I was on a tropical island.

This from yesterday out running to Sausalito  The America's Cup is in town and I spotted the kiwi boat among the many moored.  Coming back on the ferry we got to see some of the boats out training, very cool!

Quietly watching

Photo Credit to NZDF, courtesy of stuff

I've been very quietly watching the coverage of the fallen NZ soldiers in Afghanistan.  It touches me on many levels.  During my service in Bosnia I was acutely aware that if any soldier were killed part of my job would have been to manage the media engagement (knowing full well NZ would have been at the center of it all but I would have been the person on the ground, coordinating comments from the field or commenting directly if needed).  It was a burden I felt and I frequently thought about how I might handle it,  particularly as I would have likely known, at least by sight, if not by name any soldier from the contingent involved; in the worst case it could well have been someone within my more intimate circle, thankfully it was never tested.
I was never particularly concerned about being killed while in Bosnia.  To this day if you were to ask me how I would prefer to die it would have been in service. I was very clear when I deployed that dying doing this particular job would be entirely honorable and preferable to many alternatives.  I was young, in fact a little younger than Jacinda Baker.  Seeing her photo she appeared sooooo young!  Had I ever looked that young?  Now I think on it I, perhaps, understand a little more my mothers angst and fears about my deploying (she wasn't the only one) - I really must have looked that young.  I was the only woman to serve with that contingent, if I had died it would have been a disaster.....not so much for me but the drama that would have ensued around "why woman should not serve in combat etc etc etc".  We are 18 years on and Jacinda's loss is a tragedy but the debate has not (at least as of today) deteriorated to some  ridiculousness that would have one soldier's life (a woman's) valued over another's (a man).  This is tragic and sad and the politics of it complex.  I am certain in my mind that anyone serving in the NZ Army today maintains a sense of service and knows the risks; NZ soldiers have choices about when and how they serve.......the US Army, by contrast, is a far more complex choice - many complex social, political and economic issues bring those men and women to service.  How NZ manages the loss of these soldiers will be a measure of who we are and, perhaps, a little wake up call about what wearing that particular uniform really means; it's not all ANZAC day and parades.

San Diego

Flew to SD Friday night to spend the weekend with Katy (Crazy Ironman Girl). Been having great fun. It's been ridiculously hot here! Yesterday we ran a 12 miler and it was 86 degrees, this at 9 am....good grief. We went and visited with another work pal - Kirsten & he husband. K & I first met when I was at Cisco. She worked in the wider change team. We struck up a friendship when she came onto the NetApp account. She's fun and funny and we get along well, also helping each other deal with some work stuff. After lunch by the sea with K & hubby Katy and I went car shopping for her. Test drove a Mazda crx-5 (2013). Sweet ride and perfect for Katy as she can put her bike etc in the back. Early evening we walked around the water front near her house - pretty.









Off to run a 10 miler today and see a little more of SD. Fly home early evening.


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More running schmack

The weekend is done; it was big.  Really it may not sound like much to add a few miles to a marathon, but it's big and I was a little afraid.  Trail runs are tough in a different way.  There are some simple formulas........times are easily doubled on the trail for equal distances on the road.  Different muscles come into play, you are out there for longer, your body more depleted.  Road running is a pounding slog, trail running is artful. For the first time I took salt tabs, really needed to as it was so hot.  I discovered rock mellon, water mellon and bananas are what I gravitate to (they won't get me through a 50 miler but they ease the pain). Cute moment, a very grizzled veteran of ultra's offered me some of his salt tabs at one point, reminding me they were important, he was running his second 50k in 2 weeks.....awesome; I had my own but it was sweet of him to offer.  I met some interesting characters (including a Vet......Coast Guard) and also spent big chunks of time running alone, not another soul in sight.  Thankfully the course was well marked.  The folks on the aide stations were fun and engaging and as you near the end they know you can't quite coordinate yourself, taking your water bottle and filling it up as you struggle to bring it all together.  A couple of times I had to take my shoes off, get rid of little stray pebbles (there is a clothing solution for this.....got to get on to that).  Little insight, on the 50 miler it's most likely the crew will need to help "manage me" as time goes on and tying shoelaces becomes more complex as the hours tick by.  I have a very vivid memory of my Army training, humping a pack for hours on end, stopping to rest, taking the pack off and then, as we were told to gear up, turning to my pal and telling her that if she didn't lift my pack onto my pack I wasn't going anywhere.....humbling moments, ultra's feel like that.

50k done

Finished in 6hrs 42mins. Temps in the mid 30s. Beautiful course including some tricky trails and good sized hills. Learnt alot along the way but kept well hydrated and some how figured the electrolyte stuff. Great rehearsal for the 50miler. Cool tee, not so sure about powder puff blue socks tho!




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Rock on!

Rocks got delivered on Wednesday:






Now Irene (with Lotte's supervision) gets to rock it out:





It's glamorous work:



But making things look very pretty:






Got my 50k Sunday - feeling a little nervous. It's in the East Bay so going to stay with a friend so I'm there in plenty of time to pick up my bib for a 7am start. Gonna take me some where between 7-8hrs, what are you doing this Sunday?


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Weekend update

Over the weekend we advanced a few projects. My task to lay the weed mat under Lotte's watchful eye:






Which translated into an opportunity to play:


But the task was eventually completed:






Next week Irene has the dubious honor of adding the rocks we are using to replace the wood chips that were there.
I will be watching as I am running my 50k on Sunday - lugging rocks not part of the training plan.


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Tapering.....

My 50k is two weeks away so I am tapering down the number of miles I am running per week.  It's weird going from 50+ miles down to 20-; not sure what to do with all this additional time!  I've maybe got a new running buddy, meeting on Friday to go for our first run.  She's training for her first triathlon so hopefully there is a click and more opportunities to run together.  Ran with someone else new last weekend too, that was fun.  It's not really easy to find people to run with, given I don't want to join a running group.  I am hoping at the 50k to at least talk to some other runners and start to meet people doing the sort of distances I am doing....get some good tips at the very least.
I've been following the Olympics on line - reading lots of the background stories of the athletes.  Hard to imagine the sacrifices every competitor has made to get there.  Kiwis seem to be doing alright, although I'm not sure what the expectations were going in.