NY and Dublin Part 2

Arrived at Dublin airport to run into yet another passport check!  Bernice and Pauline were waiting and it was great to see them and very exciting to finally be in Ireland.  The adventure just got better and better.  Turns out they had a little pad right near the center of town and within in easy walking/cycling distance of most everything we wanted to see.  Delightfully too Joyce, Irish friend who lives in Auckland and who I also worked with at Fletchers, was visiting (she now runs her own wine importing business and visits twice a year).  Yippee, total bonus we all ended up going out to dinner, starting out at a traditional irish pub before moving onto a very stylie lovely restaurant with gorgeous food and a very impressive wine selection (thanks to Joyce).  So weird to suddenly be surrounded by folks from NZ, also very easy.  Chatter flowed easily and it was a delightful night.  The body was still weary I have to say and I fell into bed relaxed, happy and ready for a good nights sleep.

The next morning we headed out on a bus tour around the town.  This was an excellent way to get our bearings as we travelled past all the landmarks, including the Guinness factory.  As always these trips have lots of interesting little tidbits about the town and, while they can sometimes be a little contrived, the easy Irish lilt of the bus driver made his terrible jokes almost funny (okay a couple of them were, even if a little obvious).  After the bus we decided to hire some bikes.  They are public bikes, you use your credit card to unlock them and they are yours to ride around and lock up anywhere you choose.  I think a measure of a city's character has to be whether or not they can sustain this type of thing.  Dublin surely can and people are hugely tolerant of the cyclists on footpaths (there are also bike paths) and the bikes are well cared for.  As you can see in the picture - they aren't glamours but they are functional and the very best way to get around.

After biking for a few hours we wandered around the shops some and then, finally, committed to having a Guinness.  Bars in Ireland are great places - always humming and always something to look at.  One of the highlights had to be Temple Bar, which is everything you would want and imagine in an Irish pub!  For those that have been to Dublin you will already know it as a famous destination.....the place hummed and we had some live music as well (most everywhere seemed to have live music).  I'm not really a big Guinness drinker but Guinness in Ireland was hugely nicer than any Guinness I've had anywhere else - it wasn't as bitter or strong tasting as I usually find Guinness.  Could have just been the romance of the thing (well and post marathon everything tastes good!).
The next day we headed to Howth on the train.  This is a sweet little fishing village that has working boats and great seafood restaurants.  Bernice didn't come along on this adventure but the three of us arrived to a very blustery day with impressive seas and a very cool breeze.  After wondering around a little (I'd confess to feeling quite weary on this day, the body was definitely looking for some down time) we found a nice little seafood restaurant beside the harbor, complete with something resembling a fire.  Afterwards and before catching the train back into Dublin we went into a local fish shop where Rose charmed them all and we bought some fish for dinner, having decided that this night was a stay at home kind of night.
Our final day (or morning) was spent shopping and enjoying the most yummy Guinness Beef Stew.....everything and more you would hope for in a stew.  All washed down with a Guinness and, yet again, accompanied by live music.  Irelands a grand wee place and Dublin and grand wee town - with a total population of 4 million I couldn't actually imagine living there as it does seem a little small.  That said, lovely to visit and with delightful company.

Dublin to Heathrow where Rose and I parted company as she met a friend and stayed an additional two days.  Meanwhile I headed off to my little "pod" Hotel in Terminal 4 and was more than delighted to hole up in the cutest little room I've ever seen!  I was "sitting" in the bathroom taking this shot.  Might not be big but it was all very functional, clean and relatively cheap given I had to be at Terminal 1 by 8am it was a fine option.
My 11 hour flight home turned into 16 as we ended up with someone on board getting ill so had to divert to some place in Canada to drop them off.  Upside though, Virgin Atlantic crew are very pleasant, they happened to have three pilots on board so we could continue on and the movie selection is excellent.  I figured if it was me that was ill I'd like to be dropped off too so was happy enough to surf movies, doze and reflect on the whirlwind of SFO - JFK - 26.2 miles - JFK - Heathrow - Dublin - Guinness - Heathrow - SFO, all in a mere 8 days!

NY and Dublin Part 1

Back home having had a grand time, both in NY and Dublin.  As promised, posting some photos, didn't take a lot but Rose is sending more so will post those when they arrive too. On the left the post race shot, on the right the glamourous attire I wore for the mile walk home - heat sheets may not be the warmest thing in the world but they do, at least, keep the wind off! Bottom left.....yummiest glass of wine ever!  Also included a shot of the first bridge at the start of the race (1 mile up hill, didn't feel a thing.....and yep, seriously it's that crowded and then some!).
Rose and I didn't really do a lot of sight seeing in NY, it was all about the marathon.  But the one thing we did do was the entire route on a bus as part of the Friends and Family tour.  The great thing about this was it allowed Rose to see exactly where I would be running.  The weirdness being spectators have to be very selective about where they are on the route as it's really challenging to traverse the crowds.  The bus trip was totally fascinating, taking us past some well known landmarks and introducing us to new ones.  Both of us really enjoyed it.

The night before the race we also stumbled across this really fab Japanese restaurant.  A second floor venue we noticed it from across the street.  Gyu-Kaku is Japanese BBQ.  We sat at our table with a little BBQ inset and watched as food was rolled out to us (chose a set menu) with a range of delicious meats and fish and mushrooms, we then BBQ then one slice at a time.  Totally fab and the perfect pre.race meal for me.  I didn't have the wine but Rose certainly enjoyed it!
Monday morning I woke up feeling a little stiff but we had a leisurely start.  We set off to go and look at the marathon store post race but when we got there it was crazed so we both shrugged it off and started walking down 5th avenue.  While I did get my medal and my tee shirt I'd confess to indulging in something a little more glamorous as my remembrance.  Tiffany offer a line of commemorative items around the race. The whole collection is here, but I opted for the oval ring tag that you can get engraved.  Made me very happy I have to say.
Rose and I spent the day wandering the streets, good for my aching muscles and weary body, but I did, perhaps, over extend a little and we ended up needing to get a cab back to the hotel so we could catch (what turned out to be) our stretch limo to the airport!  Before you all groan we had ordered a town car (which isn't much more than a taxi cost wise BUT, for whatever reason a limo turned up).  Needless to say Rose and I giggled liked fools about the whole thing - it was a lovely ride though!!!!
Security done we settled in for the flight to Heathrow.  While we had a four hour layover most of it was sucked up being sent to the wrong terminal, all of which involved numerous security checkpoints....it was tedious and I was struggling a little with the amount of walking required (turns out marathons are quite wearying on the body).  Enough to say that bloody mary's at 10am in the morning ease many pains (well technically it was more like 1am NY time).  Of course that also meant that we were both asleep for wheels up and woke as wheels came down.
Meeting Pauline and Bernice at the airport was the start of our Dublin adventures.

Crossing my line

Back from adventuring so will keep telling the marathon story.
Running across the finish line brought a mixture of total relief, elation and aching legs! I felt overwhelmed at the thought that I'd actually done it. August 2009 I could hardly run 3 miles. In December I decided to run the marathon, it was craziness. Running with 44000 people is....big. Parts of the course are really congested and the water stations crazed and a little dangerous as it's easy to run into someone or slip on the thousands of discarded cups. Along the way people have also dropped kit so at times it's all pretty treacherous. Crazily at times spectators would cross in front of runners, really dangerous for both runners and spectator. Despite all of that people were amazingly good natured. You see some remarkable courage from other runners; people with disabilities hanging in there, exhausted folk determined to finish, friends and strangers supporting one another.
Crossing the line everyone is out of it and crowded into a small space as we get channeled through to pick up our medals,get our heat sheets and our bags with food and water. I quickly cooled down and had to figure how the hell to get out of Central Park. Took me a little while and it was with no small amount of horror I realized that I had to walk up and down some stairs OMG. Navigated that and worked my way through the crowd to meet up with Rose who had warm clothes and chocolate milk. Got to our meeting point, no Rose. In the end I had to leave and would confess to it taking me an hour to walk a mile. I just wrapped up in the heat sheet and concentrated on taking the shortest route possible back to the hotel. I felt bad for not seeing Rose but had to keep moving or risk seizing up entirely. Real highpoint had to be random strangers congratulating me!

Done done done

Can't load photos here yet (not until after Ireland) but had to capture the buzz that is running the NY Marathon. This was a totally awesome experience beginning to end! Fortunately the TFKs pick up was just around the corner from the hotel. Rose walked with me at 530am and I boarded one of the 10 buses on hand. People were friendly but we were all a little wound up. 45min trip to Staten Island. Rose and I had gone on the marathon bus tour on Saturday so I had some insight into what to expect once we arrived. With around 45000 people running and all the volunteers Fort Wadsworth had turned into a little village. TFKs had a separate tent space while most others had to find a place on the ground. I sat in a sunny patch and tried to keep warm. I had new "throw away" sweats so was reasonably warm. While we were there around 730 I wasn't due to run until 1010.....three waves starting from 940.....wheelchairs and the professionals had gone out already. 45mins before the start we did a warm up and in the end all went into one corral to run as a team. The place was jam packed. As we moved toward our start people shed clothing, which is then collected and given to charity. As we prepared to start they played New York New York over the speakers and everyone sung! Then we were off. Course starts at the Verrazano Bridge and all up hill for the first mile. Honestly you feel so high you don't even notice. I just tried to not go out too fast and keep a steady pace. As we ran through the various boroughs the crowds were totally amazing cheering yelling encourage place just hummed. I never even put my I-pod on. The only area with no spectators was the orthodox jewish area in Brooklyn. These folk wear traditional garb and live very strictly by religious laws. It was very surreal as the suburbs on either side were crazed. Definitely to big highlights....turning onto 1st ave in Manhatten and seeing the sea of heads bobbing along for miles ahead and turning into Harlem coming over the bridge from the Bronx (which as a hard section.....people starting to lose it as we were coming up on mile 22....if you had gone out too hard this was where it hit you). Rose and I had preset some meeting places but we totally missed each other. A bummer for rose....looking for her kept me distracted though. I really started to feel the pain with two miles to go (no matter what distance always at 2 miles to go). Turning into Central Park for those last 400 feet was crazed and I determinedly attempted a little sprint at the end - crossed the line grinning from ear to ear, legs aching and close to happy tears....more later, in Dublin now and about to go out adventuring.

NYC and the marathon expo

We landed in NY at 730am having taken the redeye overnight from SF. A good way to travel as it turns out.It's a 5 and a half hour flight overnight so we basically slept all the way. Checked into the hotel in midtown Manhatten and headed off to the expose. Gave up on the free shuttle when we realized it was only going to be 10 bucks to catch a cab. Expo was totally full on. Rose went in search of coffee and I joined the que to get my race number and goodie bag. Met a really nice doctor who was running NY for his 8th time. Really nice guy who had been to NZ. Got my stuff and checked in with Team for Kids to get more stuff and confirm the shuttle to the start line. Turns out pick up is 630am and just around the corner from our hotel. We also get a special tent to wait in as we don't run until 10:10. Rose and I wandered around the expo....it was mega busy today, going to be crazed tomorrow as the next wave of runners arrives in town. Afterwards headed of to Times Square to eat and have a look around. Back at the hotel now. Me taking it easy, Rose going out sightseeing. It's all amazing and very excited to be here.

SFO - NY - 26.2miles - Dublin - SFO

Let the games begin.......

Days to go and Rose has landed!

Counting down single digit days now......wow!  A lot of logistics involved in this thing.  Fly out of SFO late Thursday night, land NY 7am Friday.  Got to go to the expo and pick up my race packet (number, timing chip, teeshirt....and whatever goodies are included).  Also got to go to the Team for Kids desk and confirm my ride to the race start - special bus leaving at 630am from Manhatten.  They have a TFKs tent we can hang out in then we go to our start corrals.  I'm not due to start running until 10:10am.  There are three waves with a bunch of corrals.  TFKs have cheering stations along the way so going to see if I can get Rose into one of them so we are at least guaranteed to see each other once on the run.  My butt is finally coming right - ouch, that was quite a moment!
Post NY we fly to Dublin for four days then back to London overnight.  Because of the way my flights work I am go to stay at the airport in this cool little Yotel.  Tiny little PODs which suit me perfectly and they do have a bathroom.

Rose arrived Friday - yippee, lovely to see her.  Friday night we headed to the local Japanese restaurant and had a mega feast.  Photo on right shows the very impressive sashimi dish we ordered, complete with dried ice....made for quite and impressive feast.
Also had her shopping at Cosco for party goodies (this is a mega mega sized warehouse type place, everything comes in supersize).  Saturday we went dog walking with Irene and her pal Julia, beautiful dog park on the coast, little bit of wandering around the Mission (including Mexican food) and then parrrrrtay.  It was fab!  Around 30 people showed in the end and the whole thing just took off.  Some were meant to head off to other places and they just stayed around.  It was a very eclectic mix of folk so could have gone either way I guess.  As it turned out, went our way and there were lots of laughs and chatting.  House now totally warmed.  Sent Rose off to Santa Cruz with Michelle and Marcia so she could see the ole hometown.  She arrived back today and has dutifully headed off to the gym.  I've had to work throughout but still getting some nice time together.

My very cool artwork is now in residence and looks very fine hanging above my bed.  Love my room, this completes it.
Also got a little extra added bonus gift on the right, so little tastes of kiwi have landed (well not to mention all the kiwi lollies now sitting in my cupboard!).

The week that is

The week has flown by and mostly consisted of days starting with 7am conference calls and ending around 8pm; long and a little stressful as folk aren't necessarily playing nice with us!  I've been pulling together a bunch of training materials, having items reviewed and working on a daily basis with the boys in India.  I do like them, they are very sweet and responsive.  I have learnt so much in these last four months and think that (so far at least) the move to the new job has been a good one.  I think too, as I learn more about how the company operates, I will be able to make an even bigger contribution and feel there is lots of scope to grow.  Seems it's all been a risk worth taking.
Sunday I went to Zoe and Pam's for the football event.  It was great fun.  The folk their were just hilarious, total football nuts and, I have to confess, that even I was able to follow some of the more exciting plays.  They also all knew all the football gossip including stories about one of the star players sending nude photos of himself to some chick, while wearing crocs....not sure if it was the nude pic or the crocs that horrified people more.  Some did speculate that perhaps members of the All Blacks might behave in a similar way.  I assured them All Blacks wouldn't wear crocs....beyond that I couldn't comment!  Because Wisconsin were playing Zoe put on a "Wisconsin" food festival.  The local food seems to consist of brats (and the attendant condiments), potato salad, cheese, meat, gherkins etc etc followed by some pastry things that, in sum, could all be summed up as a heart attack waiting to happen.  I was assured by the ex.natives of the region that this was, in fact, exactly how the locals ate, every day!  So I can tick this one off as another little cultural moment in the U.S of A.
Tonight I went for a four mile run.  I am tapering for NY now but, given the butt drama combined with work, I've run even less than I should.  Today is the first day though where my butt hasn't hurt, so I guess it's getting better.  The bruising is still rather impressive.  Too bad, running NY, so it better keep up!
Rose arrives tomorrow.....yippee.

A taste of Cat Power

This concert was a riot.  I recorded this on my Blackberry to give you a flavour of the music.  This chick is totally awesome to listen to, the sound that comes out of her mouth doesn't quite fit the "look".  Irene had somehow managed to get us tickets front and center so we had a fantastic view of the whole show.  While "Cat" is awesome she is also totally crazed - her body and facial movements were an endless source of fascination and, at one point, she just walked off stage.......the band just carried on while we waited for her to return.  Five years ago she did this more than once and often didn't return (Irene went to one concert where she just announced she couldn't do this, sorry and walked off stage).  Cat also has some seriously crazed groupies - all relatively young women who clearly idolize her - watching them "perform" was equally entertaining!  Anyway, great night, drove up to Napa (about an hour or so away) in driving rain, met up with Irene's friend ("our" hairdresser, Connie) her mother and husband had a quick dinner and headed to the theater.  Got home around midnight, both buzzed and delighted by the whole thing.

Well that was a week.....

So the whole butt injury has proven to be quite the challenge to manage.  I did go for my run midweek but it was a challenge and I realized I needed to give myself more time to recover. Arrrrrrrgh - resting is lovely but it isn't exactly the right time to be "resting".  Fitness wise I probably have lost a little of my edge but the real challenge is your mind, losing confidence is quite a challenging thing to correct.  The mind plays tricks, telling you your body isn't up for it and, really, you don't have to do that (okay that would be a part of my mind that doesn't really take that type of rationale seriously) - it's a battle of wills at this point.  So today I made it my goal to run to the Ferry Building and back, no compromises, no changing my mind, no whimping out, just get out there and do it.  It's only 8miles (13k), that's a little under a third of a marathon distance.  So run it I did.  Three awesome things to come out of it. 1.  I can still run; my mind and body are willing. 2.  Some of the other little niggly muscle strains I have been nursing appear to have eased, given the break. 3.  My butt is not yet a 100% functioning muscle but it is good to run on (and ice now I am back) and should be fully functioning by the time the marathon comes around.  Keep the mind focused and the body will arrive.

Work was at an all time peak.  Most of my deliverables are coming due and I am still on a big learning curve around managing the training.  As is always the way, as we lead into a release people go a little crazy so I've also had to manage down some expectations and hose down some other people who are, quite frankly, insane.  My old job involved a lot of hosing people down so stepping back up to the edge of that has reminded me that, sooner, rather than later, I will be back in the point role.  Although I have no idea where I might land next (almost 100% sure it will be Cisco....and that is what I am asking/looking for) - current role is due to end at the end of December - so we shall see.  It seems, too, that I've got myself involved in writing a second white paper.  So enough to say that I am busy.

Irene and I off to Cat Power in Napa tonight.  Irene's playing the music around the house so that I can know what to expect.  I like it so all going well should be a fun evening.

Butt update

Because I know you are all fascinated......I have THE most impressive bruise on my arse!  I refused Irene's kind offer to photograph it and post to the blog, you will just have to imagine.  Today I am going to go for a run - it is still tender but nothing like it was.  Clearly nothing terminal has happened - Monday my body ached from the fall and I got to notice all the other bumps, including the bruising that is around the lil gash I have in my arm - I was a wreck, today I feel positively sparkly by comparison.
Last night I got on a conference call to NY that TFK run about preparing for the marathon.  Apart from the fact that some people are ...... hmmm ...... less than stellar at knowing how to mute their bloody phones so we can hear what the presenter is saying.....it was excellent.  They took us through the entire course and talked us through pacing, what to watch out for at various stages and even had this very cool idea for surviving the last four miles (given all of us have now run 22).  They suggest dedicating each mile to a person, someone who would never let you down and that you would do about anything for.   Idea is as you start the mile you are focused on that person.  You won't think about them the whole way but when you doubt (or your body does) you just refocus, then the mile is done and you move onto the next person.  I thought it was a cool idea and as good as any to help the mind get over what the body can do but the mind isn't entirely convinced about.

My butt hurts

This might be a little TMI but I am 19 days out from the marathon so I get to be a little crazed.  Yesterday I fell down the outside stairs at home.....and my butt hurts!!!!  Clumsy I know but it was raining, the stairs were wet, I was on Lotte watch and taking her out (being on Lotte watch is actually quite nice, it's lovely to have a beastie around again and she is quite a character.....strong character.....anyway back to my butt).  My foot slipped out from under and my right buttock slammed into the step and I promptly slid down two more.  Arrrrrrrrrgh - first thought "fuk, the marathon, I better not have chipped anything", second thought "gotta take Lotte outside".  Poor thing, I gave her about as big a fright as myself.  Apart from the shock, which had me feel kind of ill (but I think that had more to do with thinking maybe I'd screwed the marathon) I appeared to be in reasonable order.....well nothing appeared broken.  Fact is my butt isn't the most heavily padded of places so I still wasn't entirely sure how much damage I had done.  Needless to say spent a good part of the day variously icing my arse and waiting for the bruising to show through.  I am still able to walk but can't run (yet) as I've clearly done some soft tissue damage......so there, that's why my butt hurts!
Other things.  I've been involved in some recruiting at work.  This is fun and kind of funny to think I've only been with Accenture for three months and now I get to comment on whether or not someone is a "fit".....funnier still that I have no qualms about saying "no", even if they are a skill fit, much like my old job - people have to fit into the team as well.  All good practice/learning for me and something outside of my day job.  Speaking of, I've learnt more than I ever thought I would about pulling together a training plan....herding cats in the process and generally how bloody complicated it is.  Fortunately Melissa (my current boss) is a guru at this stuff so has been excellent at pointing me in the right direction.  Other fun thing, as a team we've decided to put together a "white paper" on using offshore vs onshore resources for projects.  It will be grand if it all comes together and we get it published (internally)......will see how it goes - just something on the side!
This weekend Irene and I are driving up to Napa for a Cat Power concert.  Needless to say I had never heard of her but Irene is a fan.  Her music kind of suits me, a little mournful and ballad like.....well and she also has some more techno sounding stuff (all of which is a terrible description - so go listen!).
Sunday going around to watch Football (american football) at Zoe and Pams.  They have a bunch of folk coming over - I won't understand what is going on but I'm sure someone will explain!
Then one more week to Rosie.........yippee, then one more week to NY......then four days to Dublin....

Totally awesome

And now they are all free.....but I so loved this guys accent that I just had to post this!

Fleet Week, 22 miles/35 km and adventuring

So these things have been buzzing over the city for the last few days - they are the Blue Angels.  It is Fleet Week.  To save myself alot of grief this is how Wikipedia describes it:
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist attractions. At certain hours, the public can take a guided tour of the ships. Often, Fleet Week is accompanied by military demonstrationsand air shows such as provided by the Blue Angels.


We all know I like things military but Fleet Week proved to be an added bonus for me today as I did my longest and last big run before New York (22 miles).  8am this morning I set out to (again) run from Potrero Ave to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge (with an added leg to get me the extra two miles I needed).  As I hit the Embarcadero there was a lot of action going on (although, thankfully, not yet a lot of people involved).  Various military types and vendors were gearing up for the flood of people that arrive at the waterfront to enjoy the show, visit the ships and generally hang out.  As I got closer to the Golden Gate Bridge more and more folk were setting up "camp" and I started to see the Destroyers coming into port.  Place was humming.  All types of military folk decked out in full regalia.  Although I did make one slightly disconcerting observation.....why is that the adults that are in charge of the Cadets look so god awful in their uniforms and are, inevitably, overweight and unhealthy looking?
That aside, I think I can say with some authority now that 22 miles is a long way........so I was very grateful for all the distractions!  I arrived home in better condition than I might have expected, although still stiff and wondering how tomorrow might feel.
Given that little adventure took me four hours I was cutting it close to get to my haircut.....yay to Irene who dropped me off and picked me up (walking Lotte in between).   Given it was Irene's hairdresser the salon wasn't hard to find....for her, I think I might well have got a little lost as it sits in a nest of one way streets!
Tomorrow morning I'm having breakfast with a new friend (or potential new friend I guess) that Michelle and I met at Mango.  I am being brave about getting out and meeting more new folk, which was the whole point of moving to the city.  After that taking the bike down to Santa Cruz to spend a day helping clear Marcia's yard (all part of her 40th birthday present).
Nice busy weekend and running the 22 is a great confidence booster.....which is, I guess, why they have you do it now in the training program.

The things nobody tells you.....

about running a marathon......well actually about preparing to run a marathon.  29 days out, things to know:
1.  Paranoia - alive and well, deeply fearful about getting injured.  Every little tweak, odd new pain or ache sends the mind into a spiral of "what if this is really bad".  Not at all helped this week by Zoe having discovered she can't run the Nike Women's Marathon two weeks from now (and she has been insanely training for it and we ran 20 miles together a few weeks back) because she has a stress fracture in her foot.  Stress fractures are special badges of honour.....they mean you have been training hard.....too hard and they are scary and they are common among "novice" runners training for marathons.  Deep breathes, breathing in and out!  Zoe chose a different training regime from me, she is an icon and she is tough, she is two weeks out, I am four.....
2.  Anticipation - mine, and others.  Okay so I'm my own worst enemy on this one.  Of course I'm anticipating it but I enrolled a whole bunch of folks in this as well....talked/talking about it obsessively etc etc etc.  Well now everyone is anticipating; it's good and it's weird and and and
3.  Fear - blood curdling cold fear.  Although I'm not sure what of.  Frankly I think I'm more scared of not being able to run it than actually running it!  See point 1.
4.  Surprise - ummm yeah, this "thing" might actually be going to happen.  Seriously, I remember the day I thought "I can do that, I'm going to do that".  December 2009 (not that long ago), sat in the cottage having read Ultra Marathon Man and decided "...if he can do that then I can do this.....".  No one close by to say "wtf?", instead everyone said "okaaaaaay, then go for it" or variations on a theme.  One notable "well, that's ambitious..".  September 2009 it took me an hour to run 5 miles / 4 kms.....and it seriously seriously hurt. Tomorrow I run 22 miles / 32 km....and I will feel exactly the degree of hurt I felt when I ran that first 5 miles (maybe more)......understanding that is totally weird.
5.  Elation - I might actually pull this off.  This not unlike how I felt immigrating to the US.
6.  Finally, over it - over thinking about it, focusing on it, being angsty about it, worrying about it, anticipating it, wanting it, dreaming about it, feeling guilty about not training or not training hard enough or drinking or eating the wrong things.......ready. to. run. now.

Rock n Roll

Picture of the team who ran on Sunday.  Lila and Jon (who I stayed with and ran in Nashville with), Julie (who replaced me in my old job and was on the team with Lila and I), me and Lynda (a friend of Lila and Jon's).  Funny too - I mentioned that I had signed on to the Big Sur Marathon in May..........Jon's signed on now too and Lila is planning to run the 5k! Yay, running buddies!

San Jose Half Marathon.....done

Had a grand weekend heading to San Jose on Saturday to stay over for the half marathon on Sunday.  Stayed with Lila and Jon, who I housesat for last year.  All the pets are still in residence!  Saturday the local restaurant (renovated garage I have mentioned before) had an Oktoberfest event so we headed on over for dinner to drink beer (not too much) and meet up with Julie (who I worked with in the old team) and her family.  It was a really pleasant evening, meeting the locals and enjoying some very yummy trout!  Afterwards we went back to Lila and Jons' and watched Michael Jacksons "This Is It" - it was fab, totally had me revise my view of him....incredibly talented man; it's a movie worth watching (I'd avoided it like the plague....my bad).  Up very early Sunday (as in 5:30, although start time not until 8am).  Funny thing about running these races is, unless you have running buddies that run to your time, you don't actually end up running with them.  It was nice to have peeps there to go to the event (we met Julie as we walked over to the start) and have peeps at the end.....really nice, need to find more running buddies me thinks (photo to come).  Came in at 1:58, so under 2hrs makes me happy.....feel maybe I should have gone faster but then I remember that I am going to have to do twice that for the marathon so I think my body/mind just goes "nah we're good".  Afterwards headed off for some lunch and a Lemon Drop.....yum.  Headed back to San Fran around 2ish.

"We" have had a minor household trauma.  As part of the regular and rather impressive exercise regime Lotte has she had an unfortunate encounter with "something" sharp, cutting her paw pad quite badly.  Good mother that Irene is off to the vet it was......and so it was, minor surgery, three stitches and a very bright pink bandage (we really aren't going to mention the bucket contraption she's now supposed to sport for 10 days.......omg and no rigorous exercise).  Herewith a shot of Lotte, looking.....Out.Of.It (thank you to my beloved exes who took me through some major surgeries and resisted the temptation to take any photographs).  For those that follow this blog on a regular basis you will note that she appears to be lying on my bed.  Well she is!  Lotte has got every fond of my bed - apparently Temperapedics are the lastest in dog "wear".  She also seems to like my room.  Neither Irene nor I really understand why but enough to say doped out dog belonged exactly where she was placed and drifted off into a drug hazed comma while Irene and I variously hovered!  Lotte is fine, or will be, but it is rather unsettling when the "children" hurt themselves!

Seriously.....check it out

NYC Marathon Route in 7mins 21sec.....ummm yeah, check out the elevation change at mile 14ish and mile 23ish.....well and the course isn't exactly flat along the way either. Best quote I've read so far "....don't think this course will give you a personal best...." Well it will for me, of course, because it will be my first - I am thinking more about survival though, one step at a time.

NYC Marathon....a reminder

Donate......http://www.runwithtfk.org/Member/PublicPage/287.  Doesn't matter if I cross the line or not. Give, it's a good cause.  If you don't give by October 7th then I'll make up the rest.....it was a pledge.  It's okay not to give because you think the cause isn't right, it's also okay not to give because you think I'm personally insane.....it's not okay not to give because you forgot.......my final ask, having already said I'd match what anyone else gave....give a little and I'll run alot.

Kiwi's in the world

Just back from Berkley having attended the Launch of Peter Limbrick's Making Settler Cinemas.  Peter's a kiwi, a colleague of Irene's at UC Santa Cruz and is a Dunedinite.  What can I say, small world!  He read excerpts from his book where he shared some fab stories about how the making of films in small town NZ (Whakatane being one) in the 1930s-1950s impacted those communities.  Not that that is the focus of his book but it provided a lovely context for what the publishers describe as:
"In Making Settler Cinemas, Peter Limbrick argues that the United States, Australia, and New Zealand share histories of colonial encounters that have shaped their cinemas in distinctive ways. Going beyond readings of narrative and representation, this book studies the production, distribution, reception, and reexhibition of cinema across three settler societies under the sway of two empires. Investigating films both canonical and overlooked, Making Settler Cinemas not only shows how cinema has mattered to settler societies but affirms that practices of film history can themselves be instrumental in encountering and reshaping colonial pasts."
Delightful, smart guy.....

The weekend that was.....was busy

Probably the busiest weekend I've had in a long time!  Friday late afternoon I headed down to Santa Cruz having done a house swap with Marcia as her and Michelle stayed at ours.  The trip was in support of going Kayaking at Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing.  Saturday we (Irene and her work colleague Linda) hired open top kayaks and headed into the slough.  It was fabulous.  Pelican's, otters and seals abounded, as well as alot of other unnamed birds!  We spent a good four hours paddling about and generally making the most of the sun.  Haven't got photos of the kayaking but afterwards we went to Phil's Fish Market and Eatery where I got to enjoy my fav thing of cioppino.
Driving home Michelle called about going to Mango, which is a monthly "Tea Dance" in the city......now that I live in the city it's easy to say yes.  So got home, showered and raced out the door to go to the dance.  The weather was fab and the venue is partly outside so the place was heaving (took us 40mins to get in the door).  Met some really nice folk AND ran away from one very insistent.........but so not my type.....girl (at one point asking the pals for an "intervention" and quick)!  Was all good fun (well except for that having to run away thing, which was kind of odd and the first time in along time I've had to deal with that!).
Sunday Marcia had another little birthday celebration at this very fab galleria in the Mission.  Quite an eclectic crowd and a lot of fun.  Some of the art work for your pleasure.  As part of the days events four of us
headed off to the Folsom Street Fair.  Which kind of speaks for itself and I went to in 2007....leather/S&M ALOT of people and alot of sights to see.  It was particularly fun to wander around with one of the woman who has never been before.....watching her was almost as entertaining as watching the "entertainment" and the outfits.
Back to Marcia's event then a few folk came over to the house for a while.  All up a very busy tiring weekend.
Well and because a post can't go by without the mention of running I had a little crisis...Thursday I got back from my run and had this odd shooting pain near my knee, it felt like nerve pain but I was petrified I had a stress fracture (which seems to be a rather common injury, particularly for us amateur and novice marathoning training folk).  Anyway took all my will power but I didn't run for three days.  I iced the area every day (prompting some bruising to come out...so I'd definitely done "something").  After a day of no pain and the bruise having faded I hit the streets last night (sweltering hot here at the moment...as in

early 30s....which is kind of unheard of for SF!).  Yay, all good, did an easy 6.5 k with no ill effects.

This weekend San Jose Rock n Roll half marathon.....all flat so should be fun....although hopefully a little cooler than it's been.

Thursday....running the hills

I expect most everyone is getting very bored with reading about running BUT......NY is seconds away and it's way worse for anyone I actually speak to on a daily basis!  I feel as ready as I will ever be, at this point (madly excited about seeing Rose too and having her visit SF and actually be in NY when I run.....then going off to Dublin to visit with Pauline and Bernice).
This evening I dragged my arse out of the house (working from home so had to ditch the pjs) and "ran the hills".  Saying that in SF has a deep and spiritual meaning.  Well I guess it's like saying you ran the hills in Wellington, minus the wind of course and it's far easier to run a grid in SF.  Hmmm so I'd confess, I'm getting a little obsessed with running the hills because I signed on to run the Big Sur International Marathon in May 2011 (such optimism I have about where my life will be in May next year!).  If you scroll down on the Big Sur site there is a very fab video of the actual course.  It's lovely, it takes us along the Coastal Highway, which is one of the very few scenic drives I've done in the US that seriously rival NZ for views.  Along the way they even have a guy playing a grand piano (yuh it's around about when you do a 2 mile/ 3.2 km up hill.....so hence my obsession about hills).  Well and I know I haven't run NY yet but it crossed my mind that I needed to find goals post NY (well yes I did sign on to the New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon in Feb 2011 - but it's flat, I should be able to do it and who cares - New Orleans, I can just jump off the course and go find me a jazz bar!!!!).
I've actually got some folk I know running the San Jose half marathon in October (old work colleagues, including Lila who I went to Nashville with).  That was a painful run.   I am going to stay at Lila's the night before (the house where I did the mega pet sitting) and then we will walk to the start of the course and plan to have a few drinks after wards with some other folks we know are running.  A half marathon isn't quite as daunting as it was when I did my first race in February and my second in April.....I've run quite a few more in training.  But don't get me wrong 13.1 miles/21 km, it's a long way, it hurts at times and anyone that gets out there and does it deserves the medal, the tee shirt and a rousing cheer!  So my obsession is alive and well.
I've been busy doing something else too - well not exactly me but the sis and the sis-in-law in NZ.  I decided to complete my room (oh last of the furniture arrived, the two bedside tables.....shown with the very funky and much loved light Irene encouraged me to indulge in!).  BSTs are lovely and the guys who deliver this stuff are sooooo lovely I'd go back and spend more money just for the delight of having them deliver.  Anyway back to the point - I decided I would like some NZ art.  Back in the day I was lucky enough to be able to hang some of J & Ks art around my house.  Art is (among other things, one of their "things", they know about this stuff), so I asked where to go, what was out there.  Yeehaa - Kathy sent me a Webb catalogue for art and I found a piece that I loved.....well then Janine was at a fundraiser and....bloody hell, love NZ, met the artist who had a piece in the "series" that he was willing to sell......and so it went.  This is what you have to love about NZ (well and my family, make a connection and make it work!).  So I'm about to be the proud owner of this:

It's not a great photo of the work (it's called Dr Tutu Featuring Tame Iti)..... but it is!  It's four individual pieces that can also be hung in a rectangle.....but I like how he's done it.  Well and I googled to find out more.  It's an awesome reflection of NZ, each panel has a story and a song that goes with it.  Frankly I'm not sure I would have taken as much notice of any of this when I lived in NZ.....but now it just feels totally different.  I am going to love telling people about this art.  I am ridiculously excited about it and cant' wait for it to arrive so I can hang it..... 

Overachievers anonymous

I've just arrived home from the most delightful evening (such a very british turn of phrase), with my work colleagues.  It was fun and totally scary on a number of levels. Fun because it was a "working session" where we shared how each of our projects connects to one another.....my boss is away so I got to be the "spokes geek"......90 seconds or less, "tell us about the project you work on and how it connects to other projects at Cisco"!  As part of the show two of "us", that would be me and one other dude, got to "share".  This ended up being a Q+A where we talked about ourselves i.e fav concert, how long with the company, how long with Cisco etc etc. Revealing moment "what are three things you would share with the team".....well guess what I chose?  Running the NY Marathon for charity on Nov 7, flown solo in a helicopter twice and spent 8 months peacekeeping in Bosnia with the NZ Army.....no idea why those three things so much as I just thought they were interesting things to share.
Why the headline "overachievers......."?  This is a seriously smart, ambitious bunch of folk.....they are also funny, talented and.....I don't know, I just like them.  I hope they like me too.  Tonight at least, I felt like I belonged and could, maybe, see if I work hard and stay focused and decide it's for me that I could be a valued part of the team.
Oh, and best of all, we were at a very fine establishment in San Jose that offered up yum snacks and good vino!

Housewarming

Thought I would share the arty 'lil housewarming invite Irene put together.....  In case there is any doubt or it's not entirely obvious - Lotte is clearly in charge of the household.  See if you can guess which silhouette is mine.

I made a pledge

NYC Marathon Team for Kids - I pledged USD2620 and still owe USD1365.  It's a pledge, I'll pay it come October 8th (when it's due) but I'd really like it if everyone who reads this blog donates (I don't even know who you all are and you can do it anonymously).....why?  Because it's a good cause and backing me personally isn't enough.....October 8th is the last day for you to give and maybe, just maybe, we could raise more than USD2620.
From today, September 17, I'll match whatever anyone gives......it's not about USD2620, it's about the cause.  
Jody's Team for Kids Page

Lady Gaga Rocks

SLDN is the group Zoe co.chairs and is actively fighting against Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Friday - so some random things from the week

Roomie is a lecturer in Film and Digital Arts Media at UC Santa Cruz.  She's currently working on her own documentary.  Over the past weeks I've been hearing random "animal"noises coming out of her office.  She's in the process of filming a doco about how we, as a society, decide which animals are worth keeping and those we kill (I expect she has a much more elegant way of saying it.....or maybe not...anyway).  As part of this little extravaganza she's been filming in various locations including an animal sanctuary north of San Fran.  Here's a little insight into her work to date.  I love the shot of the goat and the pig(s) well and the birds too....actually I'm liking the whole thing!
Wednesday night I went off to the Sports Basement to get some new running shoes (mine are 200 miles over their use by date....seriously).  Lots of lovely things to discover a. place is fab, just like an old warehouse but with cool stuff. b. they have a "free" weekly running group (which caught both mine and Irene's eye as we watched them gather......).  I'm going to go along and check it out - might be fun and full of interesting possibilities.  Tried the new runners out last night on some of the SF hills - cripes, quite different, my bad, should have kept track of this!  Anyway I could almost argue running up and over those hills was a joy as I bounced along.

I've mentioned before the view from my bedroom window, well I've been taking some random shots (hey I'm a point and shoot girl....so no claim to art here!).

Check out how the mist rolls in over the Twin Peaks.  Some days I get to watch the tower emerge top down....it's quite surreal and the first time I saw it I had no idea what the hell I was looking at.

Okay here's the other shot of the day....eventually everyone is going to discover that I really am going to run the marathon in a bright fluorescent green vest!

This is my practice shot for when I cross the line.....things to note - shoes are unlikely to be quite that bright and sparkly (alot of running to be done between now and Nov 7), face likely to be somewhat redder and most definitely sweaterer.....so there you go, you saw it here first.......

40th Birthdays, 20 milers and new furniture

Sunday, lounging in bed....last night Irene and I hosted a small dinner for Marcia's 40th birthday (she's having a series of events so this is one of many!).  When I say "we" hosted I mean Irene cooked and I did other stuff!  It was great fun!  This is our first real dinner party and the house is perfect for it as we have the lounge and dining room separate and the house is big enough to not have folk tripping all over one another.  Andreana and Joan made the carrot cake to the right and Irene and I supplied the very stylie, adult plates to go with.  Of course in time honoured tradition nobody remembered to bring birthday candles so Joan improvised with her lighter.

Friday I went for another 20 miler.....this continues to feel like a very very long run.  I ran from my house to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge - so it took me along the waterfront, which was very lovely and also had me run through some areas I haven't been into before.  I left late in the day as it was really hot (around 5ish).  I had to dodge folk around Fisherman's Wharf and figured I probably looked like a bit of an idiot....didn't much care though, on a mission, gotta keep going.  I also thought that maybe this was good practice for NY as the start of races are always congested and I expect there are parts where dodging people (and being dodged) will all be part of the experience.  What was most unexpected and really delightful was being in the perfect position to see the most gorgeous sunset. The photo on the right, above isn't mine but pretty much captures the view - this as I was heading back home, so a lovely boost as there was a little hill to traverse along the way!  The last three miles were predictably painful, particularly as I missed a turn and had to run an additional hill.......I continue to be my own worst enemy sometimes.  Hilariously I ran exactly the same time I did with Zoe two weeks before (but frankly didn't feel as good as I had after running with her) - although I guess this route had hills, no evil wind though - unpredicatable.....I think I have to do two more 20s before November.

Friday some of my furniture started to arrive too - YAY.  It's all quite as lovely as I remembered.  The little table works perfectly in the lounge and Michelle was happy to model it for me.  The bookshelf on the right fits perfectly in my room as well and now you can see my desk (and new filing cabinet) - my room is starting to come together.  The rest of the bedroom furniture arrives in two weeks so I think I am about done.....hmmm although I am trying to buy a piece of NZ Art work at auction in a few weeks time.....now that would really complete the room !

Meet Accenture

Accenture Corporate recently sent out this video.....it's designed to help clients, friends and family get some insight into who Accenture are and what we do (given world wide there are 200,000 of us....it's not exactly a small company). Anyway, enjoy, get enlightened (or not).....

The real dirt.......60 days to go

NY is looming, fast - well I guess it's coming through in the obsessive writing about running.  But here are some cool metrics:

This is a snapshot of my NikePlus site where I record all my runs.  The Nike band is a pretty basic tool for measuring how far I run, how fast, the calories I burn and the time it takes.  I like it - I get back from my run and it tells me stuff about the run and I can enter in notes about how I felt and compare different types of runs.  It's so simple - I love it.  Because it is just 60 days out I thought I'd check in.....some cool things to reflect on since I started running in August 28 2009; I have:

• run 100 times
• clocked 103hrs
• run 642 miles / 1033 km
• averaged 9'34s miles (yeah, average....don't be looking for that for the marathon)
• burnt 63422 calories
• my longest run as 20.8 miles

So here's hoping all THAT pays off in 60 days time, as this doesn't take into account the amount of time I have spent at the gym, lifting weights and doing circuits.

Yesterday was Labour Day - I mostly did "not much".  Stayed in bed late (which is particularly lovely these days now that I have a Tempur-Pedic bed!).  This thing is insane and insanely comfortable.....ruined!  I did go the gym but that was about it.

Sunday I went over to the East Bay and visited with my pal Dee.  Haven't seen her in months and was entirely startled when she opened the door and had cut all her long hair off.  She was equally startled at how much weight I had lost - so we met as two physical strangers over a very pleasant brunch and solved the problems of the world!

Not much else to report....work is busy and getting busier as we are rolling out some training......I continue to do the business development stuff and getting very excited that we might actually be about to kick off a whole new service line...which will be mega-kudos if we pull it off!

Triathlons and why they aren't for me

I've been reading up about triathlons (yes, yes I've become the girl that reads runners magazine).  I'm not reading because I think I want to do one.....seriously it has no appeal at all, I'm reading because people keep telling me that's what I will want to do next.  Honestly, no.....I'm just not interested.  The fact I'm a terrible swimmer and/or may or may not be a terrible biker has nothing to do with it.  Really I just can't be bothered to think that hard about it.  Really, it's very technical, you have to think about a lot of things.  When I run I throw on my shoes (thought hard about that), my running gear (thought about that too), may or may not need to think about hydration/energy......done.....hit the road.  Jeezus the whole tri thing soooooo complicated, gear, bricks, x-training blah blah blah.  In theory I am a candidate for it and I've been pondering why not......hit me tonight (as I finished reading, yet another, article on training for tris).  On a daily basis my day job is actually very complex, lots of moving parts, lots of relationship management, lots of stuff.  Personally I don't need to translate that into my other world.  Lots of tri (ironman) folk have very complex day jobs.....clearly they like the complexity.....me, after the day is done (and it never is which is also what makes it complex), I just don't want to have to organize all that stuff....I really do want to keep it simple.  Now ask me about ultra -marathons.....now we might have a conversation........

Long weekend

It's Labour Day Weekend here, so Monday off.  One of the oddities of being here is that my body still runs to a different time clock.   Public holidays still don't land quite when I need them.....I'm ready for Easter (yeah not a holiday here), Christmas.....not quite happening, Waitangi day - yuh all not happening for my body clock that says "I need a long weekend".  These are the things nobody tells you when you immigrate!
Last night Irene, me and Lottie went for a little walk into the Castro. Irene needing to buy a gift BUT so random......I'm holding Lottie outside the shop (she attracts a lot of attention btw) I have on a NZ teeshirt, guy walks up to me and starts a whole conversation about NZ......seriously, even knew about the earthquake!  Anyway, odd dude but perfectly pleasant, although totally disheveled looking and smoking, what looked like, a very expensive cigar (I should probably add that last week when I was walking to Wicked.....same thing.....okay no cigar, different tee but same type of interaction.....go figure).

Today I took myself off to the Marin Headlands, the site of my first, and terrifying,  race. I ran the same circuit and then some.....well quite a lot of some.......6.2 miles vs 12 something.  Knarly hills and the most remarkable weather.  See the shot that I actually stopped to take, mostly because it really was amazingly beautiful and, yes RR, spooky.  The fog was "rolling" over the hills.  In a lovely twist, to get to the Headlands I drove across Golden Gate Bridge.....also cloaked in fog.....day was quite surreal on many levels.  Now that I've run 20 miles with Zoe I really get why it's nice to run with others, but I also love running alone.  What is nicest of all is that I capture the most amazing images in my head...trail or road running, there's always something that makes me pause, look at the world differently.  Oh and it still holds true, folk are so much friendlier on the trail....road runners, grumpy folk we are, self included!

Trapped miners

So I am finding this whole thing fascinating.  Given they are all alive at this point I'm feeling fine to feel very voyeuristic about it.  A couple of years back I went on a tour of the submarine down on SF wharf.  I think I did it with Brice....it is a WW2 submarine, so really tiny.  A lot of folk on the tour commented  how they would hate it, find it a terrible living environment and difficult to cope with.  Oddly enough I think I'd do fine.  I'm very self contained at the best of times and, honestly, think it so much easier to physically navigate little spaces.  I'm watching the miners and wondering how I would do.....then I remember Bosnia and think "well ummm.....yeah, I'd do fine".  Physically (and emotionally) that was 8 months of total constraint.  Yeah I was lucky, I could travel through the country more than most, but it wasn't exactly a Contiki Tour.  I navigated it through self containment; on one level totally participating.....on another, really not.  I think I'd be fine in the mine......but really hope I never get to put that hypothesis to the test!

4th Anniversary

Life is different, very different, from how it was Sept 1, 2009 (well 7th) last year.  I most definitely hadn't decided to run the NY Marathon, let alone complete 4 half marathons.  I didn't see such a big work change on the horizon, nor that I would be living in San Fran.  I certainly didn't know that my personal trainer would become such a big part of my life and that he would also be gone.  I didn't know that I would lose 20lbs, join a top five consulting firm and feel committed enough to "things" again to start buying furniture!  I also didn't know that along the way I'd meet some great new people, make some new friends and connect with some old friends unexpectedly, March in SF Gay Pride, visit Yosemite National Park,  Nashville,  NZ and Chicago, have lasik surgery,  have the mother come visit and and and.  The things I didn't know or anticipate are so overwhelming I just can't think about it too much or I'd be a possum caught in the headlights.
The things I was sure of......I'd make good, everything would become clear, hard work pays off (but don't get complacent), I'm loved - very well loved, by my family and friends (distance doesn't matter) and and and.
So here's to a remarkable year of change that's followed several years of change and will, undoubtedly, lead to more change.

Power shopping

Irene and I have just arrived home from here where I've spent suitable amounts of cash buying the most gorgeous furniture for my bedroom......so happy, this place is my nirvana for shopping.  I have to share photos now because none of it actually gets delivered for two to six weeks....

Purchases:

Side table x 2 but the draw handles on mine will also be chrome.  Cute story behind this.  Each one is crafted in the factory by a single person....they choose the grain of the wood and build the item from beginning to end and then sign the back of it, just so you know they made it!

Lamp to go on the side table.....no backstory beyond Irene pointing out that it looks like one of those wands they use on CSI - you go fill in the gap about what they use it for!  Actually I had thought buying this was an over indulgence but Irene quite innocently asked if I thought I might get it as I was listing off the other things to the nice lady who was "happy to help".....Irene is also asking when I might be traveling next so she can move into my room!

Quirky bookcase....somewhere to put my 'lil nic nacs and the few books I own here.

This one does have a backstory.....it's for the lounge btw, not my bedroom; it was actually designed by a woman, Eileen Grey, it's cleverly done and is adjustable so you can lower the glass top.



Most happy about all the purchases and starting to feel quite grown up again.....all bodes well for the future home as I decided to buy based on how I might like my house to look (when I get around to buying it that is).  Oh and just for good measure here is a picture of the Butchers Block we are waiting to have delivered........seriously even I'm startled that it made it on to the "must have" list.....but it's kind of cool too.

Okay douche bag bragging over.......

Went and saw Wicked again on Saturday night....love that show.  It was great fun and the audience was so excited by the whole thing.  Sunday I tramped the streets looking for furniture (well that was how I found Room and Board) and, delightfully, found a little tiny shop that specializes in PJs; owned and run by a very eccentric woman who was entirely joyful that I was so enthusiastic about the PJ range and prepared to buy several pairs....it's the little things that make life happy don't ya think?

20 miler

Got up really early this morning (6am early) and road BART (train) out to Alameda to run a 20 miler with Zoe.  Alameda is on the other side of the bay - about 25mins by BART.....saved me battling the traffic coming home.  Run was grand, looping around "the Island".  If you look on the map you can see Alameda next to Oakland on the right side of San Francisco Bay (that's the East Bay I refer to).....looking left (West) from there the 101 marker furthest North is around about where I live.  BART actually goes under the Bay; too weird to think about when you are riding it I have to say.
The map isn't that clear but Alameda is actually an Island and there is an old Navy Base where Zoe used to serve.  For those who've visited SF you might know that the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier is moored here and is now a Museum.  When Zoe retired from the Navy they had her retirement ceremony on the Hornet.....these were the things I heard about as we ran around the Island, battling Wellington winds for the first three miles but still enjoying beautiful coastal views and a fine vista of the city.  It was a flat run and grand to get another 20 miler under my belt.  Although it's fair to say that for both Zoe and I an arthritic 90 year old could easily have walked past us as we completed the 20 and walked/hobbled the last half mile to Zoe's house.  20 miles is a long way and the legs really feel it (mine ache for about 20mins afterwards and feel fatigued for the rest of the day).  Still, a grand way to start the day and great company.
Just as an FYI if you go South from the 101 marker, down to Palo Alto about 14 miles South/South East from there is where I work (an 87 mile / 140 km round trip), mostly on the Freeway.  Distance here takes on a whole new meaning; this is like driving the equivalent of Wellington/Greytownish daily but on a Freeway, so not quite as stressful.....believe it or not!