snarfalicious

The Engagement

2011-08-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

One minute floating in the clouds...

the next reveling in the moment...

celebrating from on high...

and soaking it all in...!

Napa to Sonoma Half

2011-07-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

Chinaman's Beach Run

2011-07-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Redemption Run: The Dick Woodminster 9M XC Trail Race

2011-06-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

If you are a fan of "local" foods, business, or what-have-you... this event is an extension of that in race form. Organized by volunteers for 46 years running, the vibe is low key and backyard cozy. Not over-marketed and flooded, this race feels like your uncles organized it in the park down the street for the annual family reunion. The handicapped system evens the playing field so all have a legitimate chance at winning and with the new timing chip system this year the results were known within the day. I love the local scene and beautiful setting.

Last year, I ran this on a whim and loved everything about it except taking a fall around mile 7 that left a scar on my right shin. This year, I raved and rallied and got Clayton to join me for what would be my personal conquest - I no longer would be scarred but prevail having shaved time off my finish time and without injury!

Check out my AVERAGE heart rate... how is that even possible?

I would say that my typical race pace is more like mile 4 or 3 below however due to the crazy elevation changes, my pace was really impacted (as evident by mile 6).
This next image shows my heart rate (in red) with the elevation (in green). Ridonculous.

Actual finish time: 1:52:20.9
Handicapped finish time: 2:00:20.9
Place 179/200 (not last!)

5th Half: The 2nd Annual Oakland Running Festival

2011-03-27T22:15:00.001-07:00

Both Clay and I set new personal records for our half marathon pace! We both shaved 4 minutes off of our previous bests.

Couple notes about the race:

easy to get to by BART
well signed - easy to figure out where to go for bag check, bathrooms, etc.
LOVE the Greenlight apparel souvenir race shirts
like the 2 free drink tickets after the finish!
highly recommended race with 5K, marathon relay, half and full length races

That breaks down to a 9:53 min/mile average pace over 13.1 miles.
My very first half marathon, I ran at a 12 min/mile average pace!

Kaiser Half Marathon

2011-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

10 miler to Fisherman's Wharf

2011-01-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

10 miler to Fisherman's Wharf by knishi222 at Garmin Connect - Details

With a 9:29 average pace for 10 miles, you would think I could break 2:10 for the half....

Bootcamp Discovery

2010-06-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Clayton is traveling in Africa and I'm left with lots of alone time on my hands. On a run in my Potrero Hill neighborhood, I see a paper flyer for a free bootcamp class...try before you buys sorta deal. I've never taken a bootcamp class and am curious... why not?

One class... and I was hooked!

I can't say enough positive things about I Luv My Body Fitness. Kristen, the owner and trainer is fantastic and I'm constantly challenged. The first class I made the mistake of telling her I thought the classes were going to be harder. Well now, every class I am challenged to the limit - in just 45 minutes. At first I scoffed at such a "short" workout, but the HIIT style of workout or High Intensity Interval Training packs a lot of strength training and cardio in short bursts to get the most effective burn in a short period of time. You don't waste a single minute of that 45 and there's rarely a class where I'm not sore the next day. I say check it out.

Clayton Climbs Kilimanjaro

2010-06-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Woodminster Dick Houston 9M Race

2010-06-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

Oakland Running Festival - Half Marathon

2010-03-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

I ran using Aimee's Bib. Thanks Aimee!

President's Day Bridge Run

2010-02-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Kaiser Half Marathon

2010-02-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

Today is Better Than Yesterday

2010-01-21T00:12:00.000-08:00

...but can you imagine a day when:

- Every 10 minutes someone would NOT die of blood cancer

- There would only be stories of SUCCESS, like Michael C. Hall, of famed HBO show Dexter, successfully battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma

- There would be a 100% SURVIVAL rate of blood cancer

- Bill Walsh, builder of the 49er dynasty might have lived to see his team's resurgence instead of dying without a CURE

I don't know about the future fate of the 49ers, but I do know you and I can help fund a cure for the disease that killed him. So far this year alone my team-in-training has -- funded 5 research fellows with 40-100 thousand dollar grants for three years. That was done through donations from individuals like you, to fundraisers like me, towards a single mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

I run for the cure February 7th -- Superbowl Sunday (a day that the 49ners have not played since '94(?) -- and I hope you will join me to be a part of the cure.

If you have even five dollars to donate to the cause, now would be the time. Many thanks.

Donate here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/mardigra10/knishikawa

No Limit for Better

2010-01-14T12:33:00.001-08:00

I have been "working" the same job(s) going on 7 years now and its taken me a long time to allow myself to say aloud that I need more. More growth, more progress, more meaning. I continue to feel valued and impactful, and I've learned to problem solve and think of my feet, but increasingly feel the need for other kinds of growth.

Outside of work I've trained and ran marathons, and continue to strive for better... techniques, exercises, remedies, finish times.

These thoughts of the unknown and personal Drive are foreign and scary to me. Yet, 2010 has me thinking beyond self... I am in search of mastery. (Mastery of what, I'm not quite sure, but that is part of the mystery!).

Check out this video by Daniel Pink, who's book Drive just came out this week. His NPR segment on this morning's forum was insightful, bright and eye-opening... made me crave better in my life. So, I'm sharing... and as he put it "joining the conversation" because the "way the world really changes is conversation by conversation."

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

YOYO Run Thru the PresidiO

2010-01-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Part training, part resolution: Beautiful weather and the need to catch up on a team run I missed yesterday.

Resolution #1: Don't waste a beautiful weekend, if you can help it.

So, as much as I wanted to stay in bed, the sun and presidio called. So, from the Sports Basement, I ran down towards single Safeway and back, up into the Presidio, past Clay's childhood home on Kobbe Avenue, down the Presidio Promenade to the lookout and down the stairs to Hopper's Hands and back to Sports Basement.

7.33 miles in 1:16:25 = 10.36 min/mile.

If I keep this pace for the Kaiser Half, my finish time will be 10.36*13.1 or 2hr:16min which is 5 minutes faster than my last half marathon time... which makes it a PR (assuming I can do it).

This my pep talk to self, can you tell?

Santa Monica Sunshine Run

2009-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Knowing the New Year's gluttony ahead of us, we opted for a short jog while in Santa Monica. From the Ambrose Hotel where we were staying on 20th and Arizona, we jogged to the pier and back through 3rd Street Promenade. Still early and having rained just the day before, the air was crisp and clear. The shops hadn't opened yet and we got an uninterrupted view of Santa Monica before the tourists generally wake. Was lovely.

$1 Billion - For Charity!

2009-12-27T16:38:00.001-08:00

Endurance Athletes Cross Major Fundraising Milestone

Team In Training ^®(TNT), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) groundbreaking charity sports training program, has reached a remarkable milestone of raising $1 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services.

For more than 21 years, TNT has been the pre-eminent charity endurance sports training program, preparing amateurs and seasoned athletes to complete a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile century cycle ride or hike adventure. Through the program's expert coaching and support, more than 420,000 people have experienced the exhilaration of embracing and achieving a major athletic feat. The enormous success of TNT has made possible advances in blood cancer research, helping to find better therapies and treatments that have prolonged and enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients.

TNT began in 1988, when Bruce Cleland, a Westchester County, NY, businessman, spurred on a group of 38 to train for the New York City Marathon while they raised money for leukemia research in response to his own young daughter's diagnosis with the disease. Cleland enlisted friend and Olympian Rod Dixon to train them. That first team raised $320,000 for LLS; and so a movement was born.

"I had been supporting LLS, organizing galas and other events like that, but I wanted to do more - something different. And then it occurred to me: let's bring a group of non-athletes together, train them, and run a marathon together for the cause," recalled Cleland. "Who would ever have thought, way back in 1988, that this program would have grown into the force that it is today? I am so awed at all the effort that has gone into the program, by LLS and the TNT staff, by the 420,000 participants, and of course by all the extraordinarily generous donors."

The idea quickly began to catch on with other chapters, and during the 1990s, walk, cycle and triathlon were added to the mix. Spectators at the events quickly began to recognize the signature purple jersey worn proudly by TNT participants. The advent of online fundraising has also helped the program grow.

TNT continues to provide high caliber training by certified coaches and participants have the camaraderie of a group of supportive teammates while they train. In addition to weekly training sessions TNT offers clinics on nutrition, equipment, injury prevention and safety.

Among the more than 200 national and local events TNT participants can attend, the program has increasingly been adding more co-branded events to its roster, including The Nike Women's Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; the Nation's Triathlon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; theWomen's Running Magazine Women's Half Marathon and 5K to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

"TNT helps participants realize their dream of taking on the most challenging of athletic events while raising money to conquer blood cancers," said LLS President and CEO John Walter. "There can be no denying the influence TNT has had on the world of endurance sports, granting everyday athletes access to venues that were once only the realm of the sports elite. And TNT has been the big engine driving LLS's progress, enabling the expansion of our research and patient services initiatives."

TNT is currently recruiting for its summer season, which includes the and Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe and the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, AK. To learn more visit www.teamintraining.org or call 1.800.482-TEAM.

Mill Valley and the Tennessee Valley Trail

2009-12-19T23:54:00.000-08:00

This was Saturday's run route. Mill Valley Middle School to Tennessee Valley Road to the trailhead and out to the beach and back. The landscape alone is pretty amazing and the trail to the beach rewarding if not seriously challenging with the wind blowing in your face constantly. Running this route reminds you of how fortunate we are to be living in beautiful California and especially, the Bay Area.

Double Down

2009-12-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend of LLS,

I write today with the good news that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has received a research challenge grant.

An anonymous friend of LLS will match $100,000 in donations made by December 31st to support an important research focus - to reduce the long-term and late effects of some of today's intensive treatments.

Cure rates for many blood cancer patients have improved dramatically in past decades. But harsh treatments that save lives can come with a cost. Too many cancer survivors experience long-term negative effects from their treatments. Some are chronic conditions that affect quality of life. Others, which might occur years later, can be life threatening.

What patients need now is for current therapies to be made less harmful without sacrificing their effectiveness. This matching challenge will help accomplish that.

Please take advantage of this challenge and double the impact of your gift by December 31st. Your donation of $25 will become $50; your gift of $50 will become $100. Whatever you give will go twice as far. Don't miss this chance to make a gift here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/mardigra10/knishikawa

Thank you again for your valued support.

Best of health,
John E. Walter
President & CEO

power of pause... and connection

2009-12-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

I can't get real work done with the radio or TV on. As I write this, no one is home, it's peacefully quiet and I'm comfortable in the silence. I can no longer procrastinate. I am more and more convinced that “change” comes in moments of peace, during pauses—when we get to ponder ideas, causes, concepts, practices, etc.—and not in the heat of the moment when we are pressed with life and it's ever-constant challenges.

So I just turned 32, which gave me pause. Getting older doesn't really scare me, but what does is that awareness of time passing and having yet to make my mark. Continually I ask myself, "What am I doing that will make a difference?" I'm not a person of big ideas or visions of grandeur, but however small or large, I recognize that each of us touches others in ways we cannot put a price tag on. So this season, my way of making a difference is to again, run for a cause.

With the economy as it is, I find it hard to ask my friends and family to join me in this effort, but my glass remains half full. No matter our situations, I remain hopeful and believe that the holidays especially are when we can a take hard, deep look within and see ourselves in others -- "what if you were the one fighting Hodgkin's disease and relied on the help of cancer organizations like LLS and its volunteers?" You would be so grateful that there are people out there who fight to end cancer and support those who live with it.

So, I ask you to take YOUR life pause, right now and look within. Can you help make a difference with me and donate whatever you can to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society right now? Click to make a difference. Your donation is tax-deductible and 73 cents of every dollar goes directly to the mission -- see where the money goes here. I am training to run yet another race this year (haven't decided which one, but no more full marathons for me thank you, at least not yet...) with the Team-In-Training arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (This is the first of a few emails I intend to send before my mid-January fundraising deadline. If you'd rather not hear from me about this stuff, it's cool; just let me know. Otherwise, thanks for listening to me on my soapbox.)

As we pause together, it not only gives us reason to be thankful, but also a time to connect with family, friends and each other. I challenge you to pause... connect... and rally others to do the same, for I believe connection is why we are here.

Merry Christmas and much love,
Kimi

mmm...b-a-c-o-n!

2009-11-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

Portland Marathon? Mardi Gras Marathon?

2009-11-14T13:16:00.001-08:00

Yes, I did run the Portland Marathon October 4, 2009.

And yes, I plan on running the Mardi Gras Half Marathon February 28, 2010. This training season I'm committing to blogging. Last season, it just didn't happen.

So today, 42 days after running the Portland Marathon, I ran my first run... 3.5 miles with the Winter season of Team-in-Training... and it felt good. For weeks after the marathon my knee bothered me and I sort of felt a hamstring twinge. Those things hopefully safely in the past, I'm off to a good start. And, for now, I've sworn off full marathons and going for the half. Boo-ya.

Portland Marathon (mostly photo) Re-cap

2009-10-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Night before race, outfit preparation (aka running mini me).

Pre-race photo op... so cold I resorted to the (unused) hotel room trash bag for an extra layer.

At the start line.

A top the St. John's Bridge.

Taking a break with Joe.

Another break with Jeff and Asher.

The cutest middle school girls handing out roses to all the finishers.

The SF/Marin Summer TNT team!

Admittedly, I was not prepared for this race. Frankly, I ran weekly and did the long distance runs as recommended, but skipped most mid-week short runs and strength training. In the end, I paid for it.

Though we made it to the finish line, my body hated me and I was in pain like I hadn't experienced before. In short, it takes more than just running the distance runs... you have to put in the short endurance runs and strength training too. I suppose the same can be said of life, something like checking in with those you care about on birthdays and holidays but neglecting to connect in between... after a while, your relationship suffers.

I am newly inspired to check in (and run) more often.

Happy running :)

Fitness Glossary

2009-05-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Something my friend Sam mentioned made me curious about HIIT. I was going to research and do a whole write up on that subject when I kept running into terms I was unfamiliar with in the articles. Every other word it felt like I had to look up the damn definition. So, instead of HIIT, this is my glossary o' fitness terminology.

Abdominals or "abs" - The collective name for the muscles on the front of the torso, below the chest. Swimming, rowing and Nordic skiing work these muscles.
Abductors - Muscles of the hip that pull your legs apart. Gluteus medius and minimus pull your legs outward. Inline skating, skiing and dance work these muscles.
Adductors - Muscles of the inner thigh that pull your legs together. They attach the pelvis and the femur (or thigh bone). You use these muscles when inline skating, skate skiing or swimming the breaststroke.
Aerobic - Literally, "with oxygen." Aerobic exercise is the body's process of producing energy with oxygen in the bloodstream. Byproducts are carbon dioxide and water (breathing and perspiration). It's great for burning fat and strengthening your heart and lungs.
Anaerobic - Literally, "without oxygen." In anaerobic exercise, energy is produced without oxygen, usually because the exercise intensity is such that the heart and lungs can't get enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic exercise creates a byproduct called lactate, which builds up in the muscles and causes soreness and fatigue.
Antioxidants - Substances such as Vitamins A, C and E and minerals such as copper, magnesium and zinc. Believed to destroy free radicals, which some scientists think may not only accelerate aging but also contribute to the formation of cancers and cataracts.
Asana - The term for any of the many poses done in yoga.
Ballistic stretching - A kind of stretching that advocates bouncing to increase the amount of stretch. This is no longer recommended as it has been found to cause muscle tears and soreness.
Barbell - Weights attached to a long bar which requires both hands to pick up.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) - The lowest rate of body metabolism (rate of energy use) that can sustain life, measured after a full night's sleep in a laboratory under optimal conditions of quiet, rest and relaxation.
Bicep - The muscle running along the inside of the upper arm which bends your arm at the elbow. Paddling a canoe (and a kayak, to some degree) exercises your biceps.
Biomechanics - The study of the mechanics of muscular activity.
Board-lasted - Shoe construction featuring a piece of stiff fiberboard glued to the upper and then to the mid- and outsole. These shoes offer a lot of stability and motion control, appropriate for the over-pronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Body fat - The percentage of your body mass that is not composed of lean muscle, water, bones or vital organs.
Body Mass Index (BMI) - Body mass index (BMI)A number that describes a body's relative weight and strongly correlates to total body fat content in adults.
Burnout - State of being bored or tired with exercise, frequently the result of overtraining or unvaried workouts. Cross-training and rest are good remedies for burnout.
Cadence - The beat, time or measure of rhythmic motion or activity such as pedaling a bicycle. Your cadence is the speed of your pedaling.
Carbohydrates - An energy source in the body. At rest, the body derives energy almost equally from the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats; during exercise, the main energy source depends on the intensity of the exercise.
Cardiovascular - Relating to or involving the heart and blood vessels.
Century - A cycling reference to a 100-mile biking event.
Complex carbohydrates - Starches, such as grains, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans. They get their name from their complex, chainlike structure. During digestion, starches are typically broken down into sugars and used by the body for energy. Complex carbohydrates offer you more sustained energy levels than simple carbohydrates.
CoolMax - DuPont CoolMax is a high-performance polyester. It uses DuPont's proprietary Dacron fibers to move sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.
Cool-down - Slowing down at the end of a workout to allow your body temperature and heart rate to decrease gradually.
Creatinine - A proteinlike substance manufactured by your muscles (but also found in some meats) that has been found to increase athletic performance and delay fatigue. Gives the muscles strength and a greater ability to do high-intensity exercise such as sprinting. Also helps buffer the lactic acid that accumulates during high-intensity exercise.
Cross-training - Mixing different activities into your regular workout routine to avoid overuse injuries and to prevent boredom. Cycling, running and swimming are 3 common activities used to cross-train different muscle groups.
Curved last - Shoe construction with a curved sole. This shape provides cushioning and promotes inward motion. Good for feet with rigid, high arches that underpronate. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Dehydration - The abnormal depletion of body fluids, easily detected by dark, concentrated urine. Prevented by drinking water or sports drinks before, during and after exercise. When you are fully hydrated, urine is plentiful, pale and odorless.
Deltoids or "delts" - The triangular, 3-part muscles that wrap around the tops of the shoulders. They allow you to raise your arms forward, backward and out to the sides, and also rotate them inward and outward. Rowing, rock climbing and swimming work the deltoids.
Dumbbell - weights attached to a short bar that can be held in one hand. Often used in pairs.
Electrolytes - Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that act to keep your nerves firing and muscles moving, especially during exercise. They are lost through sweating and can be replaced by drinking sports/energy drinks.
Endorphins - Any of a group of proteins with potent analgesic properties that occur naturally in the brain. These are the brain chemicals that contribute to the "runner's high" or good feelings during and after exercise.
External obliques - Muscles running diagonally downward and inward from the lower ribs to the pelvis that allow you to bend forward and twist at the waist. These lie on top of the internal obliques. The kayaking stroke uses these muscles much more than the arms!
Fartlek - Swedish for "speed play," a type of loosely structured interval training for runners, cyclists, and in-line skaters. It combines high-intensity segments with your regular training pace in order to build strength and speed.
Flexibility - The range of motion around a joint. This can be increased with stretching and yoga.
Free weights - Weights not attached to a machine nor driven by cables or chains. Barbells and dumbbells are examples of free weights.
Gels - Calorie and electrolyte supplements often taken during endurance training to maintain energy level.
Glucose - A sugar, the usual form in which carbohydrates are assimilated by the body.
Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus or "glutes" - The 3 muscles of the buttocks and hips that extend your thighs forward and to the side (abduction) and rotate your legs at the hips. Walking, running and climbing all work the gluteus maximus. Side movements such as skating or dance work the abductors.
Glycogen - The form carbohydrates take when stored in the muscles.
GO TEAM! - The universal Team-In-Training cheer!
Hamstrings - The group of 3 muscles on the back of your thighs that runs from the lower part of the pelvis to just below the knees. They allow you to bend your knees and straighten your legs at the hips. Climbing, hiking uphill, running and cycling all work the hamstrings.
HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training - HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise.
Internal obliques - Muscles that run upward and inward from the hip bones to the lower ribs, allowing you to rotate and bend at the waist. These are located underneath the external obliques. These muscles are used when you paddle a kayak.
Intervals - Speed workouts, usually run on a track, with distances and target paces decided before you run. They typically consist of relatively short sprints of 220 yards to 1 mile interspersed with rest periods of slower running.
Ironman - See Triathalon. An Ironman triathalon refers to these specific distances... 2.4 mile (3.86 km; 77 lap) swim, a 112 mi (180.2 km) bike ride, and a 26.2 mi (42.195 km) run.
Isometrics - Exercise or a system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted that there is little shortening but great increase in tone of muscle fibers involved.
Kickboard - Small foam board used for short sprints to develop leg power and speed when swimming. Held under the chest so that the arms are not involved in the swimming stroke.
Kilometer - Metric measurement used in athletic events. One K equals 0.62 miles. A 10K race is 6.2 miles, and a 5K is 3.1 miles.
Kinesiology - the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.
Lactic acid (lactate) - A byproduct of anaerobic (or high-intensity) exercise that collects in the muscles and causes soreness, stiffness and fatigue.
Latissimus dorsi or "lats" - the pair of fan-shaped muscles across your middle and lower back that attach the arms to the spine. They work to pull your arms down and back, and give you good posture when they are toned. Rock climbing, swimming and rowing all use these muscles.
Ligament - A flexible, non-elastic tissue that connects bone to bone. For example, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee connects the kneecap to the femur (thigh) and the tibia (shin). Ligament injuries can be sprains or tears.
Marathon - long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards) that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.
Microfiber - Fabric of tightly woven polyester or nylon fibers that offers good resistance to wind and light rain, as well as breathability. Shells used for high-energy, outdoor workouts are frequently made of this lightweight fabric.
Nutrition - The sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances.
Osteoporosis - A condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing porosity and fragility.
Overpronation - Excessive inward foot motion during running that can lead to injury. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Pectorals or "pecs" - The 2 pairs of muscles in the chest that work to pull the upper arms toward or across the chest. The pectoralis major covers the chest from the top of the arm to the collarbone, down to the sternum and upper 6 ribs. The smaller pectoralis minor is located underneath, and runs from mid-chest to shoulder blade. Push-ups work the pecs!
Perceived exertion - The level of intensity you feel your body is exerting during exercise on a scale of 0 to 10. An unscientific way of staying within your target heart rate zone.
Pronation - The natural inward motion of the foot after heel strike and before pushing off again with the ball of the foot. Overpronation is excessive inward motion and can lead to running injuries. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Pull buoy - A foam flotation device designed to fit between your legs and keep the lower part of your body afloat without kicking. It allows you to work only your upper body and concentrate on your swimming stroke.
Pyruvate - A nutritional supplement that has been found to enhance athletic performance and possibly aid in burning fat.
Quadriceps or "quads" - The group of 4 muscles that make up the front of the thigh. Quads straighten the knee, and keeping them strong can help ward off knee injuries. Cycling, skiing, running and hiking downhill work these muscles!
Rectus abdominis - The muscle extending the entire length of the abdomen, from the lower 3 ribs to the top of the pubic bone (below the navel). Works to keep you upright and lets you bend at the waist. Strengthening this muscle can help prevent lower back pain.
Recumbent bike - A bicycle on which you sit in a reclined position with your back supported and your feet out in front. It can be an indoor, stationary-type or a moving, outdoor-style bike. It works the buttocks and hamstrings more than upright bicycles, and unlike uprights, supports the back.
Repetition or "rep" - A single movement, as in doing one squat. This is going down and then going back up. For toning, strength and endurance, do more reps at a lower weight.
Resistive cuffs and boots - Foam buoyancy devices placed on the ankles and/or wrists to create extra resistance for water aerobics and water running. Shown to increase workout intensity up to 5 times.
Resting Heartrate - This is a person's heart rate at rest. The best time to find out your resting heart rate is in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before you get out of bed. The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when we're at rest. Resting heart rate usually rises with age, and it's generally lower in physically fit people. Resting heart rate is used to determine one's training target heart rate. Athletes sometimes measure their resting heart rate as one way to find out if they're overtrained. The heart rate adapts to changes in the body's need for oxygen, such as during exercise or sleep. [Mine was 62 the other morning. Does that mean I'm an athletic badass? j/k]
Rhomboids - The muscles that pull your shoulder blades inward. They attach to the vertebrae at the base of the neck and go diagonally to the inside edges of the shoulder blades.
R.I.C.E. - The formula for treating an injury such as a strain or sprain. The acronym stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. [Also a favorite staple of mine, a milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This is done largely to prevent spoilage and to extend the storage life of the grain. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a bright, white, shiny appearance. The polishing process removes important nutrients. A diet based on unenriched white rice leaves people vulnerable to the neurological disease beriberi, due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1). White rice is often enriched with some of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing. Enrichment of white rice with B1, B3, and iron is required by law in the United States.]
Runner's High - the endorphin release and feeling of euphoria after a prolonger period of exercise
Set - A number of repetitions of a movement, such as an arm curl or a squat. A set may have 8 reps, for example.
Shin splints - The generic term for pain in the front of the lower leg. Most often caused by inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis), which can result when the tendons are subjected to too much force or repeatedly overstretched. Running or walking on hard surfaces can contribute.
Simple carbohydrates - Sugars, such as fructose, glucose, maple syrup and honey. So called because their chemical makeup consists of only 1 or 2 units as opposed to complex carbohydrates, which contain many.
Slip-lasted - Shoe construction made by sewing the upper into a sock, which is then glued directly to the mid- and outsole without any board in between. These are flexible shoes with lots of cushioning and little motion control and are ideal for the underpronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Spinning - The Spinning program utilizes a revolutionary stationary bike, the Johnny G. Spinner by Schwinn, which is designed to simulate a real outdoor biking experience. There are no computers attached to the Spinner, and the bike has a fixed gear, racing handlebars, pedals with clips or cages, and a seat that can adjust up and down, fore and aft. Each Spinner also has a resistance knob that you can use to adjust the intensity of each workout.
Sprain - An injury to the ligament.
Supination - Rolling motion of the feet onto the outer edges. Typical of high-arched, stiff feet. Also called "underpronation." Learn how to choose running shoes.
Static stretch - A simple muscle stretch that goes just to the point of gentle tension and is held steadily for several seconds without moving or bouncing.
Strain - An injury to the tendon or muscle.
Straight last - Shoe construction with a straight shaped sole. A straight last is appropriate for the overpronater with a flexible, flat arch. It helps to control inward motion. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Stretch reflex - A protective, involuntary nerve reaction that causes muscles to contract. Bouncing or overstretching can trigger the reflex in which muscles are trying to protect themselves from damage.
Target heart rate - The ideal intensity level at which your heart is being exercised but not overworked. Determined by finding your maximum heart rate and taking a percentage (60% to 85%, depending on fitness level) of it.
T.E.A.M. - Train. Endure. Achieve. Matter. Over the past 20 years, nearly 400,000 Team In Training® (TNT) participants have raised close to $1 billion for lifesaving blood cancer research.
TNT provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons or participate in hiking adventures, triathlons, cross-country ski marathons and 100-mile century bike rides.
Tendon - A flexible, non-elastic tissue that connects muscle to bone. The Achilles tendon is the large connector from the heel bone into the calf muscle.
Tether - Attached to a belt and then to a ladder or some other fixed point at poolside, a tether helps you turn a too-small pool into a swimmer's treadmill. For example, you can have a great workout in a hotel pool or any other pool that's too small for laps.
Threshold - The heart rate at which lactic acid begins to build up faster than you can break it down. You should do the bulk of your training at just below that level.
Trapezius or "traps" - The triangular muscles stretching across your back from the spine to the shoulder blades and collarbone. They work with the deltoids to lift your arms and shoulders. Good to have strong ones for carrying a backpack!
Triceps - The muscles on the back of the upper arms that straighten your elbows and allow you to push your arms forward. You use them when you're fly-fishing or pushing a running stroller.
Triathalon - multi-sport endurance event consisting of swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances
Underpronation - Another term for supination, or the excessive outward-rolling motion of your feet. The opposite of pronation, or inward movement. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Vastus intermedius, lateralis and medialis - 3 of the 4 muscles of the thigh that make up the quadriceps. Strong quads help protect your knees. The 4th muscle is the rectus femoris. Cycling, skiing, running and hiking downhill work these muscles!
VO2 max - The largest volume of oxygen your body can take in and assimilate. This figure is very high in trained endurance athletes.
Warm-up - Gentle, slow exercise at the beginning of a workout to prepare muscles, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature for the activity.
Water dumbbells/water barbells - Flotation devices shaped like paddles that provide extra resistance to your arm muscles when used underwater. They can also be used to hold you at the surface for back and leg exercises.
Water Stop - The so-appreciated voluteer supported stations along a training route for trainees to partake in sports drinks, water, gummy bears, trail mix, gels and/or random snacks.
Weight-bearing exercise - Exercise in which you support your weight or lift weight. Lifting weights or doing weight-bearing exercise (such as running, skiing or walking) can help slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis, and therefore reduce fractures.
Wicking - Moisture movement by capillary action. It usually refers to technical fabrics that move sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.
Yoga - A system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being. Various forms of yoga include poses (or asanas) for building strength and flexibility, breathing exercises for cleansing, and/or meditation for relaxation and stress reduction.

Tip TNT Beer Servers This Sat @ Oyster Fest!

2009-05-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: We raised over $10,000 for TNT...THANK YOU!

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About 120 of us volunteers will be pouring beers this weekend where all tips benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Please come out, get some sun, drink some beers and support us!

Nutrition Rant

2009-05-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

Practical Nutrition should have been a required course in high school or something. It seems we all know tidbits about good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs, but when it really comes to applying those lessons to daily life the connection seems lost. Our parents were taught that smoking and butter were the way of life growing up so you can't blame them for a misguided food education, but now we know better and yet it when is it really taught????

We should be sat down and taught to dissect a Nutrition Label. Sure it says how many grams of chips we can eat, but how many is that really? We should compare cups to grams to tablespoons visually as well as mathematically. This way we can estimate truer portions day to day.

I've always wondered what MY personalize nutrition label should read. I want to know for my weight, height and age how many calories per day is recommended. Of those calories what percentage should be fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sugar, cholesterol, etc. Then armed with that guideline I could have something to compare my actual intake with.

I use the Lose It App on my iPhone now and love it, but it feels incomplete. Based on my age (31), height (5'1) and weight (124), and with a goal weight of 115 lbs, it suggest consuming 1281 calories per day to lose weight at a pound a week rate. You input gross food calorie consumption and exercise burn for a net calorie per day. It then calculate your weekly log and nutritional intake. The missing link is a comparison between my actual and what my nutrition consumption should be. Armed with this I could modify my diet to increase fiber let's say and reduce fat or whatever.

Ok, rant over. I'm just saying, information is power.

Join Me. Change Lives, Starting with Yours.

2009-05-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

After telling myself and supporters that I would not do another marathon after completing the Honolulu Marathon last December, I have come full circle and joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for Summer Season 2009 and yes, another marathon!

2008 TNT recap:

went to an information meeting mid-July and signed up to merely try it out for a $100.
season kick off Aug 2nd -- I met the other mentees in my group and all participant bay area wide.
before kick-off I ran 2 miles on the treadmill, m-a-y-b-e once a month.
first training session on August 9th, ran 3 miles outside with the team.
by Sept 9th, first 8 mile run ever!
by Oct 26th, I had run my first ever Half Marathon and raised my fundraising minimum!
by Nov 8th, up to 17 miles.
Dec 14th, completed 26.2 miles on marathon day!
the most common question about my training was, "how long did it take for you to recover?" I think I was tired for a couple weeks, but my muscles were no longer sore after about a week and by Dec 25th, after opening presents Christmas morning, Clay and I went for our first post-race run!
after raising $5000+ for LLS, running 216 miles and enduring 134 days of training...the rest is history!!!

I so enjoyed Fall Season 2008 that I wanted to do more...the chance to again be part of something bigger -- to spread the word on the cause, the training and the social connection. In a time of such hard financial times, I figure if I can't donate money, I can at least donate time, energy and enthusiasm!

This season I am not going to ask you for money (though donations are always encouraged), rather I am inviting you to JOIN ME.

This year, WE could help make the LLS a one BILLION dollar fundraising organization, of which 75% of all funds raised goes towards finding a cure to blood cancer and improving the lives of patient and their families. The SF team alone, which you could be a part of, has the potential to raise $1,000,000 for the LLS, but we need all the help we can get (ahem, that means you).

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Be my "guest" at any of the initial training sessions. See what all the "fuss" is about.
If you like what you see, you can sign up for 6 weeks of training -- think of it as a deposit for your own set of personal trainers and support team -- for just a $100. 24 Hour Fitness charges $129 for just 3 sessions. Makes TNT look like a really good deal. (If after this you decide not to continue, you have that option, but I would bet otherwise.)
You may surprise yourself by not only getting the personal training you couldn't buy for less, but actually connecting to the cause -- in your training you will meet honorees, those who are battling blood cancer or have survived it -- and you know what that warm-fuzzy feeling of doing something for a good cause really feels like.
You may be so inspired by how you feel once you make that connection to the cause they you will start to talk to and inspire others. Before you know it, people will offer -- without you even having to ask -- to donate to LLS. When you really try to fundraise you will be blown away at how fast and easy it is to raise the money (especially with all the tools offered by TNT).
After your 6 weeks of training, you will be asked to re-commit. To say without a doubt that you WILL raise a minimum amount.
Run the race of your life and with any endurance event, be changed ever after.

Incentives (beyond the obvious). Not only would you be part of the mission -- finding a cure to blood cancer and improving the lives of patients and their families, but you would get the opportunity to:

Train with world-class athletes. The head coach this season has been named one of Runner's World Top 10 Coaches. Last season, my coach had won the most Olympic trials of any female runner. They pretty much kick ass. And they are girls.
Gain entry to races already sold out to the general public! You could run the Nike Women's Half or Full Marathon this October. This race is sold out year after year because of the coveted participant gifts and goodies, the spectacular course and Expotique amenities. Read more on my write up from last year's race here. Or you can experience Kauai's inaugural Half Marathon. It's hawaii, need I say more? Or better yet, come with me to the Portland Marathon, for what Runner's World calls "one of the friendliest, best-organized, most family-oriented running and walking events in the country" and "one of the ten Greenest races."
Create lasting relationships. These days that seems so cliche, but as I get older, I think more and more how hard it is to really meet new people and sustain those acquaintances long enough to really become enduring friendships. I know I am not alone in this thought. It is candidly so much easier to fall back on what is comfortable, the friends and family you already have, than to reach out and bring new people into your life. When you meet people, run with them for 5 months straight, experience struggle and triumph during your training, you will share something unique and that will endure long past the end of your training season.

If you've read this far, something I've shared has peaked your interest. Won't you join me???

Women's Diet and Fitness Summit

2009-05-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

I found out about this inaugural event from the Bay Area Business Woman, a networking group that I subscribe to and was given free tickets to attend.

This summit was hosted by CNN Health's diet & fitness expert, Dr. Melina Jampolis and KGO's Joanie Greggains at the Jewish Community Center from 1-4pm.

Dr. Jampolis is a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist (one of only 200 in the country). She specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment.

Dr. Jampolis is a published author (of The No-Time-to-Lose-Diet, released in January 2007 and the paperback version, The Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight loss, released in May 2008) and maintains a small private practice in San Francisco. She believes whole-heartedly in the role of nutrition in preventative medicine and achieving optimal health. She teaches a balanced and sustainable lifestyle based eating and exercise program and has helped over one thousand clients over the past eight years improve their health and well-being.

I put all that background there because maybe you are like me, and if you are going to get lectured, it should at least be from someone who is qualified and as much of an expert in their field as possible. She was peppy and fit, smart and articulate and backed up her talk with statistics and data! Wasn't just fluff. Love that.

Ok, what were the take aways you ask? Before you read on, know that these are all things you've heard before but were presented in a way to help make diet and fitness work for you as an individual.

As of today, Obesity has killed more people than H1N1 (the swine flu) this year and is a real threat to our society. It has been on the rise for many factors including the development of high fructose corn syrup an portion size.

Since 1966 when high fructose corn syrup was developed our "sugar" intake has increased dramatically with it being included in many every day foods and drinks while refined sugar has actually decreased. In her words, our brains don't know how to process HFCS and don't tell our bodies to stop eating after a certain amount or give you a feeling of fullness. So ultimately you consume more. And your glycemic index yo-yos making you chase your next sugar high, again fueling the consumption cycle.

The Big Gulp didn't exist in the 60s and burgers were 2/3 the size. This might be OK except for the fact that we generally don't stop eating until our plates are empty.

She shared several studies demonstrating how we eat with our eyes. A study was conducted where a group of people ate a bowl of soup one day and filled out a survey afterwards stating their level of fullness and impact on how much they consumed at the next meal. The following day they were asked to eat the same bowl of soup except there was s small tube insert in the bottom of the bowl that slowly and indecipherably filled the bowl as you were eating. People ate 56% more AND when surveyed said they felt exactly as full as the day before and ate just as much in the subsequent meal. In another study she showed how variety can fool you too. Two groups were given jelly beans to eat. One group had all the same color jelly beans. The other had 6 different colors. The group that had the variety of colors ate 73% more jelly beans (and when surveyed said they didn't feel any more or less full than the other group).

Now when applying these studies to my life...

*This made me not feel so silly intentionally using salad plates and/or small bowls at home instead of the large dinner plate to trick myself into feeling fuller by filling my whole plate up, even tho it was a small plate.

*The next time I go to a holiday party or one where appetizer plates keep floating by I'm going to stick with one vice. If I feel like having a sweet thing, fine, but just one kind of sweet thing. I'll eat less of one thing that I will of a variety of things and still feel indulged!

Then she introduced the idea of Energy Density. Past research has shown that by eating a large portion of a low-energy, dense salad (filled with veggies and low-fat or non-fat dressing) prior to a meal resulted in the participants eating fewer calories in the meal. Another study showed that participants who ate soup twice a day for a snack lost more weight than a group of participants who ate dry snack foods such as crackers and chips. In other words, increasing fullness while adding few calories reduces the total calories consumed. This concept of energy density, also known as caloric density of foods, can be defined as "the number of calories in a given weight of food".

This can be calculated by using the following equation:

Energy Density = calories per serving / weight of serving in grams

The idea is to feel fuller on less calories. It sounds like a diet gimmick. But in reality, the concept of energy density can indeed help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. By consuming fewer calories, you can lose weight over time and keep it off long term. All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, candies and processed foods, are high in energy density. This means that a small volume of that food has a large number of calories.

Alternatively, some foods — such as vegetables and fruits — have low energy density. These foods provide a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories.

Three factors play an important role in feeling fuller longer.

Water. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water and has just 38 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.

Fat. High-fat foods are high density foods. So a small swab of butter provides little volume or fullness and is high calorie. So you are left still feeling hungry and having consumed a lot of calories. Bottom line...focus on the low-fat foods, (avoid the high fat foods) so you consume the same amount of calories for more volume of food to feel fuller longer.

Fiber. High-fiber foods — such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains — not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer.

By eating larger portions of foods less packed with calories, you squelch those hunger pangs, take in fewer calories and feel better about your meal, which contributes to how satisfied you feel overall.

Overall, Dr. Melina recommended:
-Eating a higher protein diet
-Eating foods with lower energy density
-Don't rule out all carbs, but focus on healthy carbs with soluble fiber
-Avoid things with trans fat or anything labeled with partially hydrogenated oil
-Avoid things with high fructose corn syrup
-Watch your portions
-Work physical activity into your routine

Basically, all stuff we've heard before. But the kicker is trying to do things in an everyday, manageable way so that its not a temporary diet, but a way of living healthy and happy!

Attitudes of Success

2009-04-07T10:45:00.001-07:00

I battle between thoughts of the dreamer (or what I deem as over-optimist) and realist. I'm still not sure what the 'right' path or outlook is, but just reading this article made me f-e-e-l better. It not only applies to retail business, but business or plain life, in general.

The Attitudes of Success
By Doug Fleener, Dynamic Experiences Group, 4/7/2009

"Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present." - Rudy Giuliani

One of the biggest differences I see between high-performing managers and everybody else comes down to one very important attribute. The same attribute is also shared by store owners and executives as well. And just what is that one attribute, you may ask. It's attitude. That's right, attitude. While experience and skills are unquestionably important, the biggest differentiator is a person's attitude.

These are the four key attitudes successful retailers have in common:

We Can Do - The manager/owner/executive hits the store everyday with the attitude that it will be a successful day. She believes every day that the store will achieve the daily sales goal regardless of that day's news.

But a "We Can Do" attitude is much more than confidence. It's a leader showing the way with enthusiasm, passion, positive energy, and confidence. These managers have the entire team believing it will be a successful day. This manager/owner/executive doesn't make excuses or place blame when she falls short, she just goes into the next day even more determined to make it a successful day.

Sales Determine Our Success - Successful managers/owners/executives are focused on hitting a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual sales number. They know that to do this they have to be a smart retailer. They know that it takes a well-merchandised store staffed by a motivated and trained team. And they know those elements are the means to an end, not the end itself.
One mistake many retailers make is deeming themselves successful because they receive many compliments on their store or on their staff. Compliments are nice and it means you're doing the right things, but success comes from achieving sales goals.

You Grow, We Grow - High-performing managers/owners/executives achieve their goals through people, not with people. They are always challenging and developing all of their people. When I worked at The Sharper Image I had a manager who always took the time to sit down with every single employee and discuss how he/she was doing. I once asked him if it was really that imperative to spend time with a part-time cashier who had told me she basically wanted to come in, ring the sales, and leave. He responded that it was important that everyone improve and develop in their position. He told me that when the individuals on the team are growing, the store as a whole will grow. He was absolutely right.

An Attitude of Gratitude - Top performing managers/owners/executives always see what they have, not what they don't have. They're grateful for both the opportunities and the challenges that lie before them. They appreciate and never forget who helped them get to where they are. They're always helping others as a way to give back for what has been given to them. They live with an attitude of gratitude.

So let me ask, how's your attitude?

Reading this made me think...How can I apply this lesson to MY LIFE?

A Convert to the Cold

2009-03-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

I've been to a LOT of the United States National Parks (seriously) and yet have really only enjoyed them during summertime. Until this past weekend, I had no idea what I was missing out on. I had assumed that 'Winter = Cold + Misery' probably because my wardrobe doesn't include cold weather clothes, but dressed appropriately, I discovered 'Winter = Brisk + Breathtaking'.

Yosemite in the summer automatically includes throngs of visitors and traffic jams in the Valley, but winter visits like the one we made last weekend, had neither. It was my first attempt at snowshoeing...which sounded much more ominous that it actually was. Really, it was hiking in winter with your everyday hiking shoes with an added metal/plastic bit strapped to your foot.
This shoe allowed you to distribute your weight across a bigger surface area making it easier to traverse across, and on top of the snow, rather than into, and through the snow. Without the snoeshoe, you posthole (a fancy word for stepping into soft snow creating a sunken in hole) and it takes a lot physical exertion and effort to go a far distance like this.

Check out the pics from the 7-mile loop from the Badger Pass / Glacier Point Trail Head to Dewey Point:

Toby leading the charge!

The amazing view once you reach Dewey Point.
Complete with sheer drop-offs.
A proud 'Captain' moment together.
Followed by a hearty pre-packed lunch, including brownie bites, overlooking the Valley.
More snowshoeing is in our future!

Random thumbs up: GOOD instant oatmeal

2009-02-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

I tried Quaker Oats, Go Lean, organic this and low sugar that but THIS ONE is the best! One packet of instant oatmeal 1-hour before race start is my routine (works on normal non-race days too!) for slow-release, lasting energy!! Mmmmm.

Available at Rainbow Grocery.

2nd Half Marathon: Superbowl Sunday

2009-02-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

This was Clay and I just outpacing 'Grandpa' right behind us.

We finished in 2:21:24, 16 minutes faster that my last half marathon time!

The 1000 or so calorie burn justified us pigging out on junk food the rest of the afternoon while watching the game...!

homage to butter and and eggs...

2009-01-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

I feel like this mound of butter after eating for 4 days straight in portland. All it's missing is a huge mound of bacon, too.

As if walking isn't enough

2009-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a fellow friend starting their training journey, I thought it would be more fun to go walking with her. Kim is training for a half marathon in Florida in late February and has not made time to train but is still determined to finish the race. So, we met today to try out walking legs out on one of the prettiest trails in SF.

We started in the parking lot across from Beach Chalet at Ocean Beach, walked up the hill towards the Cliff House, down the path through the Sutro Baths, up the stairs to the Coastal trail out towards Land's End and back. 6 miles and 2 hours later, we stretched and were done with a full day ahead of us...it was only 10am!

Though the scenery and company was great, something seemed unfinished. I felt like I needed to RUN. So I headed to Kezar Stadium and ran the track for 2 miles just to get it out of my system. The flat, level course seemed a breeze compared with the hilly uneven pavement of the coastal trail. For an added challenge, I did interval training spurts to play with my speed, running hard for the straight aways and jogging comfortably around the corners. In a short period of time, its a great way to get an impactful workout.

I was supposed to run 10 miles today, but ran 2 and walked 6. When I say 'supposed' to I mean in terms of my mental preparation calendar for the Kaiser Half Marathon coming up on Superbowl Sunday. The whole point in keeping up with the this running this is to improve my time. So, I want to stay on top my training, but am slacking. Clay thinks we will run 10 during the week which is doable just difficult after work. I must hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and kick this damn cold in the butt if that is going to happen this coming week!

Blackie's Pasture

2009-01-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

8 miles. Well that was the goal anyway. Needless to say, it didn't happen. After 6 miles, I was spent, had no drive and was unmotivated. The day was beautiful but for whatever reason just didn't have it in me.

Afterwards, we picked up lunch in Sausalito and ate by the Ferry pick up. The solo guitar playing dude was playing sad love songs for his late dog who had passed on New Year's eve. Tourists were out in flocks enjoying the day, click happy with their digital cameras. We sat woofed on the benches people watching.

Then we visited Stephanie, Clay's roommate, and her bf Toby on his boat in Sausalito. Was cozy and quaint, right on the water. I couldn't imagine sleeping there during a rainstorm, but on a gorgeous day like today it all seemed worth it. During our visit we learned that 'nappy rash' is actually auzie for diaper rash, not a rash you get while napping. And, vegimite is some sort of black, caviar/peanut butter looking spread auzie's put on bread for snacks. (I thought it sounded like some sort of insect). Was an enlightening afternoon.

That evening, Harmonique celebrated 2008 with out annual 'Holiday Dinner' hosted by Pat and Jerry. Many cocktails and 3 courses laters, we passes stockings full of presents and packages like it was a replay of Christmas! Surprisingly, one of mine included a new iPhone!!! Nice way to end the 'year' and weekend.

The 'Race' Continues

2009-01-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

The conversation in my head goes something like this...

"So we finished (yay!).
Could we have done better? Definitely.
Maybe we should try again......."

I'm not vowing to do another marathon (yet) or anything but I do have a little bug in my ear to do another race. It's that feeling of knowing you can do better and desire to make that notion a reality.

Looking ahead: Superbowl Sunday HALF Marathon. Seems doable.

We ran 6 miles last weekend and I was sore until Wednesday. WTF? It seems to me if I have a marathon under my belt that just shouldn't happen, but I guess you take 3 weeks off and pick anything back up and it takes adjustment. Dammit. Here we go again......

Merry Xmas!

2008-12-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

This morning, after opening our presents, Clay and I went on our first run since the marathon. Even though it was biting cold and pouring today, it felt good to again stretch our legs and get our fill of fresh air.

It took me over a week but I finally updated the running blog. IT WAS GREAT. Our time wasn't what we had hoped, but we did survive, finishing in 5:56:54 (chip time).

Looking ahead, I encourage anyone to take a similar journey..."from the couch to the finish line." I have only positive things to say about the LLS's Team-In-Training experience. They are organized, cheerfully positive and remind us all of how fortunate we are, what real struggle is and how powerful we can be in the face of life's challenges. So, if you are contemplating your 2009 resolutions, consider challenging yourself with TNT.

Wishing all the health and happiness in the new year,
kimi

Post-Race Days

2008-12-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

After crossing the finish line, we walked right under a set of piped showers fully clothed. The perceived heat was intense. Our clothes and even shoes waterlogged, we walked through Kapiolani Park to gather our finishers T-shirts and snacks at the TNT tent.

TNT provided the same plush shuttle buses back to the hotel where we loaded up two huge plastic bags with ice from the hotel ice machine. After taking a hot shower, we sat for 10 long minutes in tub of i-c-e then proceeded down to the pool for an afternoon in the sun.

Many of the hotel patrons were also race finishers, boasting proud finishers shirts and hats.
That afternoon Charlaine, Clay's sister flew in for Christmas at home, and we all had a 'victory' dinner together. Needless to say we called it a night early, but after 18 hours we were pooped.

Auntie Kay and Uncle Walter, and Auntie Fay and Auntie Vicky took us to brunch the next morning at Wailana Coffee House, right across the street from the Hilton Hawaiian.
This day proved to be the most beautiful and our legs the most sore. We made time to lounge by the pool for most of the day until heading to Kailua to spend the night at Clay's parents house.
Sadly, our whirlwind trip was already coming to an end. We left the next afternoon after an early lunch at Helena's with some of Clay's friends. My Auntie Amy and her 'nephew' (?) were in town from Kauai visiting, too.
Its a shame we couldn't stay longer, but seemingly did so much while we were there. Neither of us can wait until the next time...!

Race Day

2008-12-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine what running beside 20,000 people feels like until you are literally IN a sea of runners, the size of a small city. Maybe it was the fact that this was our first marathon, not just a half marathon, that the enormity of it all seemed more profound, or that Honolulu 'felt' smaller than San Francisco. Either way, our bodies and will power were tested and pushed to the limits on this rainy Sunday as we overcame challenges large and small.

The 26-mile extravaganza had 20,302 people who started the race this year. And 20,058 of them finished. 60% of the participants were from Japan. A little more than an hour into the race along the midpoint at mile 14, a group of elite runners flew by on a whisper, barely making a sound as their shoes slapped the slick pavement.
Few supporters were out at that hour, and an army of volunteers waited with cups and sponges and medical supplies, while the rain pelted.

The top five male runners finished the marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes during the 26th annual event. Patrick Ivuti, of Kenya, finished first at 2:14:35.

The first female runner to finish was Kiyoko Shimahara, of Tokyo, at 2:32:36.

But the Honolulu Marathon, also known as the people's marathon, is not just about the elite runners. It's also about regular folks on personal quests.

Like Gladys Burrill, 90, a great-grandmother. She was on a record pace for her 90-94 age group through 24 miles, but became ill. Medical personnel advised her not to finish but when she felt better she went to the finish line to greet friends, family members and congratulate finishers. She dedicated her race to her husband of 69 years, who died just three days ago.

Or Darlene Heck, 70, of Haleiwa. She was aiming for a 6 hour finish and ran on pace with Clay and I probably the first 4 miles or so. During that time, we learned that she had successfully completed 18 previous marathons and had survived leukemia just a few years back. This was her second time training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team-In-Training group and surprised even herself by raising over six thousand dollars for cancer research and patient services. Needless to say, Clay and I were blown away by her spirit and determination. She was truly an inspiration.

This people's marathon is one of the few in the country that does not close the course until every runner who is willing and able finishes the course. That means 90-year-old Gladys could have taken 16 hours if she needed it to finish and they would have let her. By comparison, in San Francisco, they close the course after 6 hours.

The start got off with a bang. Literally. A fireworks show and a the shot of Howitzer signified the official 'gun time' start. Clay and I were so far back in the crowd, we took 15 additional minutes to cross the start line after the gun went off. And, it was raining...which actually was a good thing.

It keep the race cool until around 8am when the clouds started to part....

As we were schlepping up Diamond Head around Mile 8, Patrick Ivuti, the first place finisher was blowing down the hill at 2:06:15 minutes on his Mile 24+.

All along the race course, supporters with bullhorns, signs, whistles and clackers spurred on the runners. Even when the rain pelted down they did so from under slickers and umbrellas. As the sun came out, their numbers grew.

Along the way, scores of characters could be seen traversing the course.

Couple other personal favorites that I couldn't get captured on camera were: 1) the guy doing the marathon in wooden japanese clogs or 'getta', 2) a guy doing the marathon barefoot, 3) a full guy in full leopard bodysuit including a lucha libra style full head mask and a j-pop blaring backpack, and 4) a guy in a full body chicken suit with not 1, but 2 heads.

At Mile 15, Clay's long time friend Joe Monoco, met up with us and ran the Hawai'i Kai loop. Words of encouragement can be a powerful thing. And, Joe pumped us up with the right dose of kudos to keep us going.

At Mile 18, Joe's brother Kamu Monoco, joined us to run with us to the finish. We passed two bands along the route including this one just before Mile 22.

Clay's parents waited patiently as thousands passed at Mile 22. They arrived at 7:45am, a good 2.5+ hours BEFORE we came through with Kamu.

The last set of baby hills before the finish proved to be real challenges. Though the were hardly speed bumps compared to SF's hilly landscape, they were tough after the previous 24 miles. At the finish line at Kapi'olani Park, runners raised their arms over their heads as they crossed the finish line. Some had smiles. Some grimaces. And some even cried. Hideki Okajima of Boston Red Sox fame, pumps a peace sign upon his finish of 6:08 (gun time).Clay and I proudly finished together. Yes, hands raised to celebrate a triumphant moment.

Officially, our stats were as follows:
Clayton Katsuyoshi
Gun time: 6:12:09
Pace time (start to finish): 5:56:54
Category: Men's 30-34
Category Place: 791/1197 (66%)
Gender Place: 6742/10624 (63%)
Split 10k: 1:13:26
Split 21.1K: 2:59:10
Split 30K: 4:06:35
Split 40K: 5:34:48

Kimiko Nishikawa
Gun time: 6:12:09
Pace time (start to finish): 5:56:54
Category: Women's 30-34
Category Place: 820/1719 (47%)
Gender Place: 4285/9665 (44%)
Split 10k: 1:13:26
Split 21.1K: 2:59:10
Split 30K: 4:06:35
Split 40K: 5:34:48

Pre-Race Days

2008-12-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

Friday, Dec 12

6:30am Wake up
7:30am Arrive @ SFO
9:05am Fly from SFO to HNL
1:10pm Land and take plush shuttle coach to Hilton Hawaiian Village3:00pm Get settled in our 28th floor Tapa Tower hotel room
3:30pm Go for a short, 30-minute run to loosen the legs and test feel of the humidity
5:00pm After showering, walk to Hawaii Convention Center to check out the expo and get our race bibs
6:00pm Walk to Ala Moana Shopping center and have dinner
7:00pm Back in the hotel room for a movie and bed!

Saturday, Dec 13
9:00am Meet the team for a group pep talk
11:00am Meet the Youngs and Clay's parents for dim sum at Legends...yum!
1:00pm Run errands...drop off post-race clothes at Kapiolani Park, drop off extra gel packets and gatorade with the Kamu for him to meet us along the race route with goods in hand
3:30pm Back in hotel to rest (literally the view from the window that afternoon)
5:00pm Meet entire LLS TNT runners, staff and honoree for Pasta Party
7:00pm Done...and back to room for clothes layout, a movie and rest
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate................

Sunday, Dec 14
3:30a Wake up and eat Oatmeal for breakfast
4:15am Meet team downstairs and walk to race start
5:00am Fireworks and race start!!!

13 days to go: Taper and Detox

2008-12-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

To all those who have listened to me blab, donated to the cause or just read my updates from afar, the time in near. Honolulu Marathon is in just 13 days away, on Sunday, December 14th.

At the last water stop of my 17-mile long run, we were struggling. Mentally we had miscalculated and thought we were closer to the finish than we were. All we wanted to hear was that the finish was just around the corner and close by. When we asked the volunteers how much further we had to go, they replied "TNT never tells you how far you have to go, but will always tell you how far you've come." It's a simple thought, but really meaningful, especially if put into the perspective of someone fighting a disease (or in my case, training for a marathon).

How far I've come:

4 months of build-up towards this event
successful completion of Nike Women's Half Marathon (13.1 miles in 2:37:35)
200+ miles of training (buddy runs, track runs, mentor runs and group long runs)
$5500 RAISED FOR PATIENT SERVICES AND CANCER RESEARCH!

Come race day, I will have armed myself with as many tools for success as possible.

It is my sincere hope that if any of us or our loved ones must step up and fight the fight against cancer, we too will be armed with all the medicine, treatment and services to help us WIN that fight.

Together, WE have made a difference. YOU have listened, read, donated and/or encouraged me in my training. Thank you.

Aloha,
Kimi

Donate a Box of Produce to Families in Need for Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

If you're reading this on the day before Thanksgiving, it means you're probably one of the last people still in the office. Far be it for me to discourage you from playing hooky on the most hooky-friendly day of the year, but before you do, I'd like to invite you to do something quick and easy that will be very impactful.

For the last five years, Goldstar's members have generously supported an organization in their city that helps bring Thanksgiving to people who might not otherwise have it, and together, we've fed tens of thousands. We've made it easy for you to help by spending just a few bucks right from your computers, so give $10 (or more) to make Thanksgiving special for someone else.

Thanks again for your support of our Thanksgiving appeal.

Jim McCarthy
CEO, Goldstar

Goldstar and Delancey Street Foundation's Life Learning Academy invite you to donate a box of produce and a specialty gift basket to families in need for the Thanksgiving holiday. Each monetary donation you make provides a box of food items, such as fresh apples, persimmons, lettuce, carrots, collard greens, spices and more, packed and delivered by Life Learning Academy students directly to needy families. Learn More

"There is no better gift than to teach a young person about helping someone else. The generous support of Goldstar members truly helps make a new life possible for our students." --Mimi Silbert, President, Delancey Street Foundation; Headmaster Life Learning Academy

To donate, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving.

i ran 20 miles

2008-11-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

so it took me 4 hours but i did it....

more later. too tired. still.

*UPDATE*

To date, this is my proudest running achievement. I'm not sure if it's really because of the distance or because my competitive spirit is coming out and this run is longer than Clayton has ever run himself.

It was a perfect day for a run: sunny and cool. We were on the water's edge and enjoyed a slight breeze, too. We started at the Berkeley Marina, just past the Doubletree hotel along side the Cesar Chavez Park, headed out to the biking path along the Highway 80 frontage heading north east. We past University Avenue, then into Golden Gate Fields at Gilman, up and over the parking lot, down past the stored hay, then back out towards the freeway, to Central Avenue, around Costco and to the Eastshore State Park, down the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Trail until the end of the Richmond Marina Bay Trail and ALL THE WAY BACK.

The hardest part for me was mile 1-3, mile 8-9, and mile 16-18. It takes the first couple miles just to get warmed up and into a rhythm. By mile 8 I'm wondering where the heck the mid-point turnaround is, and mile 16 I'm wondering if I'm close to done yet! I love mile 10 because I know I've finished half and I cruise the last couple of miles knowing I'm almost done.

Nutrients wise I heavily hydrated the night before (imaging having to go to the bathroom at least 5 times in 2 hours). The morning of I had oatmeal, half a gatorage and 2 Ibuprofen BEFORE the run. There were 7 waterstops along the way where I drank gatorade/water and had a few pretzels. I also brought along 1 packet of shot blocks (2 servings) which had 6 chewy blocks. I ate these over miles 8-16 or thereabouts. And I had one Gel around mile 17 for my last push to the end. I'm not sure what mix or intervals are best, but something seemed to work as I had energy throughout and didn't cramp up. Afterwards, I had half a bagel and cream cheese, half a banana, more gatorage and another Ibuprofen for kicks. As soon as I got home, I treated myself to an oh-so-lovely ice bath, followed by ice packs on each knee. My afternoon snack was spam musubi and hot tea lol.

I even managed to celebrate my birthday that evening as well :D

Help raise money for the month of "Mo-vember" for prostate cancer!

2008-11-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'm supporting guys (Brian included! and boy is his moustache/beard scratchy!) who are bringing the moustache back to help the fight against prostate cancer. As a "Mo Sista" I'm helping raise funds and awareness because I'm passionate about getting guys to tackle their own health issues by being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer.

To donate you can either:
Click this link https://www.movember.com/us/donate/donate-details.php?action=sponsorlink&rego=2022676&country=us and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account, orWrite a check payable to the ‘Prostate Cancer Foundation', referencing my Registration Number 2022676 and mailing it to:

Prostate Cancer Foundation
Attn: Movember
1250 Fourth St
Santa Monica, CA, 90401
All donations are tax-deductible, so please help us raise money for a great cause!

The money raised by Movember is donated directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation which will use the funds for high-impact research to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the details at: [ Fundraising Outcomes ]. Movember culminates at the end of month Gala Partés that will be held in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, San Diego, and other fun cities. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a [ Gala Parté Ticket ]. I'll be at the San Francisco one, so come out and join me! Thanks for your support, and go Mo Sista's!

--Aileen.

More information is available at http://www.movember.com/.
Movember is proudly grown by Canadian Club and Philips Norelco.
Movember is proud to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

(Pardon me, but) I Think Running Makes Me Poop

2008-11-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

After I ran last Saturday I failed to mentioned that I had a 'record-breaking movement' that evening. I was a little shy mentioning it to the girls, with the topic and all, but it was mighty impressive.

I think I'm like most girls (or at least some) that are NOT 'regular'. So movements like these are memorable lol. Then again tonight, Clay and I ran on the Embarcadero and I had to visit the Ladies' Room at the Ferry building, twice.

There has to be some empiracal data that supports this. It can't just be me, that thinks...running makes you poop.

36 days until race day...and up to 17 miles

2008-11-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

After manning the door of Gravity last night, trying my best to hydrate between bottles of water and so-called 'carbo-loading' on champagne and pizza at midnight, I ran the longest run of my life to date...17 miles.

We started at the parking lot of Lake Merced, did one 4.5 mile loop, we down Sunset, turned right down MLK into the Park, right on JFK past the De Young and Conservatory of Flowers, turned around and headed back towards the water, left on Great Highway, and a final left onto Sloat before returning to the Lake.

TNT had 7 water stops along the way -- with gummy bears, water, Gatorade, pretzels and Gels to help keep you hydrated and nourished. Thank goodness for them because the support is soooo helpful. They are endlessly encouraging and cheerful. Before the second to last waterstop I thought I might have to run the rest of the distance with my arms raised -- the shirt I was wearing had seams around the arm holes that were starting to chafe the inner under arm -- each swing of the arm causing pain. Thankfully, someone had Body Glide to relieve the rubbing and pain. From here we knew we were in the home stretch. We felt powerful and strong all along the great highway until...we saw another water stop. We thought the 2nd to last one was THE last one and seeing this one, meant the end was further than anticipated. The difference between 1 mile left and 2.2 miles left seemed almost insurmountable. This last leg was by far the biggest mental challenge of the training season...to keep going until the finish.

We did finish. And it was a great feeling of accomplishment. Even better was knowing I had a massage scheduled the following afternoon! Immediately following this run, I headed down to Carmel with Julia and Jamie for a 'girls weekend.'

We hit up the Monterey Sunset Idea House, stayed at the Butterfly Grove Inn and went to the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa the following day for a relaxing treatment and day on the outdoor lounge,
complete with 2 Jacuzzis, a steam room and outdoor fireplace atop view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. If you ever had the opportunity, Lisha, my masseuse was wonderful and the experience awesome enough to go back.

38: back on the running wagon

2008-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

So after a week-long hiatus playing bridesmaid and sister to the groom, I did my first run on the Embarcadero. Clay and I only intended to run for about an hour or 5 miles or so. Thought I had packed gym clothes and was 'prepared' mentally, I physically hadn't drank any water the entire day and didn't eat well. When it came time to pound the pavement I was in hell. What should have been a breeze, felt like a sucker punch to the gut and we ended up walking the last mile since I was cramping from dehydration. Really I think I was just not being mentally tough but still I hated every minute of it. Clay was trying to encourage me saying at least after every bad run you have a good one...knowing that our long run was just 2 days away. I really hadn't had a 'bad run' before and was shocked into reality that without proper preparation -- mental and physical -- your runs can be down right bad.

I was SORE the next day...from my short run. It made me a little scared about the 2-week taper we do prior to race day. If I could go 2 weeks without running and be this sore after 5 miles, HOW IN THE HELL was I going to taper down (run only a little) the last two weeks before running 26.2 miles on race day?! S-u-p-p-o-s-e-d-l-y you have built enough of a running base in your training period that you are just properly resting and will be able to run just fine come race day.

We.
Shall.
See.

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

(as prepared for delivery)
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

OPEN BAR @ Gravity on Nov 7th!

2008-10-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: We raised over $2000 that will go DIRECTLY to patients and the LLS. THANK YOU.

Click here for the evite...you're invited!

It's a Friday night and you're going to party, so why not drink for an awesome cause at Gravity? Cover will be $10, and all proceeds until 11pm will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society via Team in Training.

In exchange for your $10 donation, we'll be having an OPEN BAR until 11pm, so arrive early! The bartenders will be serving all you can drink 42 Below Vodka, Dos Equis and delicious bubbly.

Please include first and last names in your response so you can chill in the private VIP area upstairs and avoid the crowds.

See you at Gravity!

Up'ing the pace

2008-10-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

57 minutes
5.6 miles
10:10 min/mile

Washington and Embarcadero to Singles Safeway and back, past the Ferry building to the spider. Typically I run a 12 min/mile so this is lighting fast for me!

Now it's icing on the fundraising cake!

2008-10-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Because of my supporters, I have reached my fundraising minimum for the Honolulu Marathon that I plan on running in just 49 more days!!! On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), THANK YOU AGAIN. I have raised $3,960.00 with more on it's way. 75 cents of each of those dollars goes directly towards patient services and cancer research.

Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in blood cancer research. We fund more blood cancer research than all other voluntary agencies combined.

An LLS-funded researcher developed Gleevec, a pill for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Now, more than 95 percent of newly diagnosed CML patients survive more than five years with a good quality of life. LLS was also instrumental in the development of Velcade, the first new treatment in more than a decade to be approved for patients with multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.

While much has been achieved, there is so much more that can and needs to be done.

I continue to fundraise and to training. Two weekends ago, I finished my first ever Half Marathon and loved every minute of it. The Nike Women's Marathon that I participated in is the single biggest fundraising event for LLS, raising $18 million for cancer research and patient services. This past weekend, I up'd the ante and ran my first ever 15 mile training run on Saturday then had a Pearls for Girls jewelry trunk show fundraising sale at my home yesterday.

Mark your calendar for November 7th, when I will be helping host a night at Gravity in SF where all door proceeds with go to the LLS. For just $20, you get FREE DRINKS from 9-11pm so get there early.

And, I'm thinking of celebrating with a post-race party @ Hukilau, date TBD. Even though my training season officially ends with the race, they will continue to collect donations a month after my event...so beer proceeds will again go towards the cause!

More to come as the weeks countdown towards December 13th!!!

Light Ladies Bruncheon and Pearl for Girls Party

2008-10-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came on Sunday! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and being bathed in freshwater pearls, even if only for a couple of hours :)

Couple random notes...Wonder Bread is not panini friendly, Bacon (and pearls) go with EVERYTHING, croutons fried in bacon grease are better than sliced (wonder) bread, Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate covered Pretzel Bites are like crack, Guava and bubbly is the popular choice over OJ and cheers to Johanna for bringing a bottle of Veuve!

You are cordially invited to a Ladies Light Bruncheon
(Yes, I just made up that word)

Sunday, October 26, 2008
10:30am-1:30pm

140 S. Van Ness #621, SF, CA 94103
(dial #248 at entrance key pad)

In honor of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,
Pearls for Girls will hosting a special Jewelry Trunk Show
25% of the proceeds will be donated to the LLS
toward their mission to curing blood cancer
and providing patient services
and much needed research.

Pearls for Girls offers quality freshwater
cultured pearl jewelry designs
from $14 to $200 and as we like to say,
"from Classy to Sassy."

We hope you can join us for this FUNdraising event.
Your company is all that is required.
If you buy something, that's just a bonus.
Look forward to see you Sunday.

(Just for fun...) Luncheon attire welcome!

Open invitation to you and your friends as well.
RSVP kindly requested by Friday, 10/24

15 miles down, 51 days and 11.2 more miles to go....

2008-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Middle School was an awkward time for me. I think I still had reminants of a perm my mother made me get from the 4th grade, I wore my my auntie's hand-me-down clothes and I lived across the street from school which justified staying in bed until 5 minutes before class started to get as much sleep as is possible before facing the world.

The above stream-of-conciousness thought above has little to do with today aside from the fact that we did our long run at Mill Valley Middle School today. My fingers just started typing the thoughts that poured out from the memories of middle school lol. Anyways, awkward though the times were I was a happy kid and turned out alright (I think). And now, I'm happy to report that I have successfully run for 3-HOURS-STRAIGHT or 15 miles.

Not knowing the north bay well at all, here's my attempt at describing the route. We started at Mill Valley Middle School, crossed the water bridge to a neighborhood bike path that ended up crossing the 101 to the McDonalds. Then you followed the bike bath behind McD through more residential and eventually we ended up on Strawberry Lane where we passed the Richardson Bay Autoban Society, soccor fields, Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon, a great bike/running path, down around some cove and back.

Turket Trot anyone? Deadline Nov 12th

2008-10-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone overeats on Thanksgiving day. It's almost a given. Why not make a pre-emptive strike against the gorge and run on Turkey Day?

I've been daydreaming about actually waking up early on Thanksgiving morning to do this damn Turkey Trot for years, literally. Well since this seems to be my year of running, what better time than NOW?!

So I'm inviting any and all to join me. This event SELLS OUT every year. So if you want to join me, please SIGN UP NOW. The only way to register is online BEFORE the event. Cost is $27.

When you sign up, email me so we can meet up, maybe even run together!

Milestone Run: My 1st Half Marathon

2008-10-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

In spite of their evils, I gotta give it to the corporate (wo)man: Nike.

They may not have the best product, but they usually look good.
Their marathon website sucked, but the race logistics were flawless (at least to a 1st time novice).
Yes, they take advantage of global workers, but they also do some major philanthropy (I know, still in the name of marketing).
And regrettably their hype was totally cheesy, but I ate...it...up. Dammit.

Sunday was supposedly just another training run. At least that is what I told myself. And for the most part it worked. I didn't really feel nervous or worry about my time. I was there to run and practice running in a race setting. What I didn't expect was to be...in awe.

20,000 runners is quite a spectacle, especially when the crowd envelopes all 4 sides of union square. Pre-race on Thursday and Friday, the square itself was transformed into an 'expotique' with mani/pedi station, sponsor booths, volunteers, and packet pickup stations for the runners. You were required to pick up your bib BEFORE race day.

As we stood on Geary, the buildings were still shrouded in darkness except for the lights brought in just for this event. They illuminated a sea of runners in every direction.

This event drew runners from across the nation. People flew here. So what, right? Well for a novice runner, the concept of flying anywhere for a race, a race, is still crazy. Now, it seems a little less crazy but still.... Groups from NY, from Oregon, from Florida, Georgia, ...everywhere. To put it in monetary terms, this event helped raise over $18 million to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. E-i-g-h-t-e-e-n-M-I-L-L-I-O-N-$-$-$-$.

Mabel and I had parked at AT&T Park, Lot A and taken a very shmancy leather seat Bauer Limo bus to the square. Runners were lined up in sections by time. We anticipated running an 11-12:59/minute mile. 'Elite Runners' went first, followed by the Nike Run Club, followed by the 8+/min, 9+/min, etc.

Each runner was given a timing chip to attach to their shoelaces. Your official time did not 'start' until you physically crossed the start line. For the half, there were timing check points at the 5K, 10K, half marathon (13.1 miles) finish.

Running beside the Transamerica building as the sun is rising is a tad surreal. Speaker blasted music as you ran through the financial district towards the Embarcadero.

We passed water stations, coat checks, porto-potties, people passing out Luna Moons, sliced oranges, free socks, gatorade, bananas, water, water and more water.

The course was awesome and challenging with two major inclines and a few other minor ups and downs.

Most memorable was the mom carrying her baby in a carrier on her back, RUNNING; the group of women who's shirts screamed 'Run Like a Girl' and 'I may be slow, but I beat Breast Cancer'; and the brave woman standing on the great highway holding a handmade sign like John Cusack in Say Anything that reads "Thank You From a Leukemia Survivor."

All things that make go, d-a-m-n.
All in all, I'm a proud finisher of my first half marathon and can say that is was quite an experience. I hear there are those that want to win the lottery to register for this race, just to win the goodies, namely the Tiffany necklace for the finishers. And sure, the necklace is great, but I could live with just the image alone -- handsome men, dressed in tuxedos holding silver platters of boxed jewelry. Even if that's not your fantasy, it sure is a sight to relish. So, amidst the cheers by spectators, giveaways by sponsor, honest-to-god Leukemia survivors beside you and thousands and thousands of other participants, I was the sucker and loved every minute of it.

Update: Race results: 2:37:35

Guest Bartending Gig @ Elixir!

2008-10-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: We raised $325 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Thank you everyone :)

Talk about getting thrown in...my girls did well for a) no bartending experience and b) not knowing where anything was located in the bar.

Amy, Mae and I got 10 minutes of "training"...."here are the bottled beers, here are the draft beers, this is the well, here are the cups...OK go!" Thankfully we didn't have to use the register at all, Ben told us how much everything was and we just fumbled out way through making drinks!!

We had the honor of volunteering our time and efforts to earn tips that would go towards our Team-In-Training fundraising efforts. By the end of the night, we had two pint glasses full of very large bills! I'm waiting with baited breath for the manager to inform us on how much we actually made.

All in all, Elixir was a great host and our friends did not disappoint!! The place was medium/steady until about 1am...on a WEDNESDAY! Thank goodness for hump day, yah?

Shout out to Georgette for actually reading my blog and saying so; Mapa and her (old) man for coming out after their anniversary dinner; Aimee for dragging her entire MBA class to the bar after their last class of the session; Mabel for being a super supportive teammate even tho I'm "old"; miss Asia for just being plain sexy-mama; and Julia, Jon and Caroline for doing shots on a 'skool nite'!

61 days to go: Little Triumphs

2008-10-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

So in the beginning I told myself that I would continue with my indoor treadmill regimen if for no other reason that I needed to get used to the heat. With the extended runs outdoors, running inside at the gym happened less and less. Typically, at mile 1, I was already watching the (mileage) "clock" to see how close to done I was and at mile 1.5 I was ready to throw my hands up in defeat.

Just yesterday I ran 4 miles on the treadmill like it was cake. Well maybe that's exaggerating slightly but I felt at 4 miles what I normally feel like at 1! So I guess the training IS making a noticeable difference (even if I do weigh the same!).

63 Days To Go: A Great Weekend

2008-10-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

7:10am Alarm goes off

8:00am Attempt to find parking near the Marina Green Monkey Bars with no success. We intend to run with the TNT group for the Saturday morning Mentor Run.

8:20am Finally park at Sports Basement and do our own run. 78 minutes and approximately 7 miles later (still need to map this out), we finish.

10:00am Go to Kara's Cupcakes on Scott between Chestnut and Lombard to pick up Naomi and Rich's rented Cake Tier.

10:30am Go home, shower, change, pack for the rest of the day/evening.

11:45am Pick up Clay and head to the Ferry Building to do our now weekly weekend Farmer's Market shopping trip. Meet Clay's former high school classmate Dina. We have reservations at Slanted Door but cannot believe it when the close the dining room for lunch due to plumbing problems. Settle for a rotisserie chicken "snack" before heading across the street....

2:00pm Check out FallFest. Little did we know that we should have ditched the chicken and headed straight here to wine and dine on fresh foods and wines from local restaurants and wineries. These $100 tickets were comp'ed by Scott, Dina's boyfriend. Sadly, we only had a half hour to scarf food and drink before having to leave to set up for Naomi's wedding.

3:00pm The time we are supposed to be at Kabuki Hotel setting up the cake stand. Instead we are quickly getting dressed, added the paper detail around the edges to the cake stand!

3:45pm Do a drive by. Clay lets me off at the Valet of Kabuki. I bring in the stands to the ballroom and he finds parking. I set up the table with the traditional Groom's cake on top, and Beard Papa's on the bottom two tiers.

4:30pm Wedding Ceremony begins with an exhuberating Taiko performance and calming ukelele processional. A reading and poem are done in front of the Japantown Peace Pagoda and Naomi and Rich exchange vows.

6:00pm Reception begins complete with Pikapika photobooth, Peking duck and Rich's dad doing an Elvis impersonation (my personal highlights).

10:30pm I am done. So pooped I can't even rally to party with Table 15.

11:00pm Passed out in bed...sleep for 10 hours s-o-l-i-d.

10:00am Pick up Cake Tier from Kabuki Hotel and return to Kara's Cupcakes.

11:00am Join the wedding party and friends for Brunch at da Hukilau. Shots ensue. It is Rich's birthday.

3:00pm Head to Crissy Field to watch the Blue Angels. Walk the beach. Shop at Sports Basement...get new running capris. (So excited to go running and try them out!)

7:00pm Head home for dinner with Julia and Jon and an evening of True Blood, Dexter and Grey's Anatomy.......

66 days to go: Back on Track

2008-10-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

So after, I don't know so many weeks I lost count, of not going to the weekly track workout, I made it back last night! And it was good.

Broken up in little segments, it's not so bad and before you know it you've run 3 miles without noticing.

First we warmed up on the outer ring above the actual track, by going around twice. Then stretched.

Then ran 400m or one lap at what we thought was our "5K pace" or how fast we would be comfortble running 3.1 miles on race day. It was timed and we all failed but running TOO FAST. The lesson was to learn what your body feels like when running too fast.

So, the next exercise was running 1600m at our marathon pace...so much s-l-o-w-e-r. At every lap we were given our times so we knew what pace we were running.

To reinforce the whole enphasis on how your body feels and not what your watch says, we were asked to run 1000m or 2.5 laps at again our marathon pace. We were right on.

The last 600m was again at our 5K pace followed by a cool down of 800m at a slow jog and stretches.

Lesson learned: We should be able to feel if we are going the right pace and if we are going too fast on race day, we MUST slow down or we will regret it at the end. Must. slow. down.

Just Sharing: A Long story...about Multiple Sclerosis. Read Susan's Clever Poem

2008-10-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dear FOM (Friends of Mark):

This is a very difficult letter for me to write for obvious reasons. I'm sending this to everyone I know. If you are in my address book, you're getting this email.

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at it. Having done that, you can do any of three things, I'll never know, unless you tell me. You may:

donate a couple bucks to my sister
hit delete
forward to this to someone you think may be interested

As many of you know, my mom had Multiple Sclerosis. Beginning at age 9, my brother and sister joined me and the rest of the kids on our block to do fund raising carnivals. Over the next seven years, 2 kids raised more than $50,000. Mom was our reluctant "Poster Girl". While my brother and I continued in our fund raising efforts over the years, my sister Susan remained even more committed. She, and now her husband and her three kids, have done the Bike MS event for many years; my mom, who passed away, still her Poster Girl.

Four years ago, the fund raising took a new twist. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis; now that I have joined my mom as "Poster Boy", I understand her discomfort, but we both get the need to put a face on the condition.This past year, it has taken an even more ironic twist. Susan was diagnosed with what may prove to be MS! The tests are inconclusive so far,but over the next year or so, they have indicated she should be prepared for anything.

Here's the thing. Four years after my diagnosis, I'm doing pretty well.I'm working, driving, traveling, writing. Everything I did before.Sometimes a bit more slowly. I know for a certainty that this is all true because of medications that are available to me. Medications that did not exist 5 years ago. And even better meds are going to hit the market in the next 2-3 years. The equipment and techniques they are using to diagnose my sister did not exist a few years ago.And both advances are due to the money raised by Carnivals we did as kids. And the miles she's pedaled for more than 20 years, in honor of my mom,then me, and now herself! And thanks to the ongoing generosity of people like you. Here is her website: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=251540&supid=1676401

Give a little. Give a lot. Or give it a toss. Thanks Much.

Mark Silverman
Producer, The Ronn Owens Program
KGO San Francisco

PS - my sister's letter is below. WARNING - BAD POEM AHEAD!!! BY Dr. SUE-ss Q!

===========

BEFORE YOU READ THIS, PLEASE KNOW THAT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND IF YOUR CHARITABLE INTENTIONS LIE ELSEWHERE. I PROMISE NOT TO BE OFFENDED!

For those that don't know, I had a funky MRI last year that showed one spot that "could" be MS, or may not be. My brother has it, my Mom had it,and at the moment, I am perfectly symptom free and my doctor says that,despite the one spot, I DO NOT have MS. I decided this year to do the 60mile hill-filled ride in order to encourage all my friends, family,Scouters and Clients to donate even more than usual, because maybe one day it might be me, but even if it's not, someone else may have just started the daily shots that help keep the symptoms at bay (and even those shots are courtesy of the money we've raised for research!

A DOT IS A DOT, EXCEPT WHEN IT'S NOT
ESPECIALLY IF THE DOT IS A SPOT
ON THE MRI THAT I GOT

IT MIGHT BE A SPECK,
OR IT MIGHT BE MS
THE DOC SAYS RIGHT NOW IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS!

NOW I CONFESS, THAT EVEN A GUESS
THAT, LIKE MY BRO AND MY MOM, I MIGHT HAVE MS
HAS MADE ME MORE SERIOUS ABOUT RAISING MORE MONEY
EVEN IF THE WAY I DO IT IS SILLY AND FUNNY

HERE'S A DEAL THAT MIGHT HOLD SOME APPEAL,
I'LL RIDE 60 MILES - LOTTS A HILLS ON TWO WHEELS!

ALL I ASK OF YOU, IS TO DONATE ONLINE
OR SEND ME A CHECK, WHICH IS STILL QUITE FINE

THE SAD TRUTH IS, WHETHER I HAVE IT OR NOT
THAT SOMEONE ELSE GOT BAD NEWS
THAT THEIR "SPOT" IS NOW "SPOTS"

NOW THEY HAVE MS AND TAKE DAILY SHOTS
BUT RESEARCH CAN MAKE IT A PILL THEY CAN POP!

HOPEFULLY THIS EMAIL HAS GIVEN YOU A SMILE
I HOPE YOU SEND ME SOMETHING PER MILE!

A Quarter, a half, or even a dollar...$2 would be amazing and make me holler!

IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT, DON'T YOU FRET IT.
WE ALL HAVE OUR CAUSES - I REALLY DO GET IT!
RESEARCH HAS MADE PROGRESS AGAINST THE MS
WE'RE FIGHTING SO I'M GOING TO GO NOW AND PRACTICE MY RIDING!!!

{Susan Quigley}

Pieces Falling Into Place

2008-10-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Wow... okay so the team flight is predetermined, but we modified ours slightly a) to stay an extra day and b) to add Clayton! After some deliberation, there was no additional cost to change my flight (TNT covers up to a certain amount) and Clayton's ticket was reasonble even though it was booked through the travel agent. So at least for me, it's the best of both worlds...I get to travel with the team AND with Clay. YAY!

We are leaving Friday morning, December 12th and returning Tuesday evening on the 16th. While in Hawaii we will be at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the first 3 nights with TNT and likely with family the last night. I'm soooooo excited. And, now completely petrified about the race.

I must run (gulp).

Pleasure is a Serious Business

2008-10-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

So I titled this post as such because we visited the Getty Villa and there was an exhibit on the "Society of the Dilettanti" whose motto was "Pleasure is a Serious Business."

Believe me, I did NOT find our workout this morning pleasurable...we ran a shorter version of the Manhattan Beach Strand and then did Sand Dune Hill.

This is the view from the Top of the hill.

This is the view from the Bottom. I'm not quite sure which is more daunting. Potentially this one because you actually have to go back up the damn thing.
Needless to say, I wussed out after going up and down this thing twice. Clay tackled it 4 times. Supposedly, this place is packed most weekends with Boot Camp type classes and people just getting their exercise in...and the Raiders used to use this Hill too, running up at a s-p-r-i-n-t. F'ing crazy if you ask me.

Anyways, more on the Getty. If you get a chance to visit the Villa in Malibu, make a reservation. You pay $10 for parking but admission is free. Even if you aren't into Ancient Greek and Roman Antiquities, the buildings are amazing, with incredible detail situated in a phenomenal oceanside setting. While here I ran into two friends who I hadn't seen in years! Hi Rito and Kat!! So random.

The Manhattan Beach Strand

2008-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend I missed my group long run since we were visiting LA for the USC/Oregon college football game. (Sadly the Ducks lost but,) We did get to squeeze in a run each morning from Clay's buddy's place in Manhattan Beach. He lives just on the other side of Highland and 36th, almost at the ocean. (It looks something like this, but not exactly since I stole this pic.)

We started off down the hill towards the water and came to what locals know as "The Strand"... a stretch of dual sidewalks down the coast in each direction -- towards Marina Del Rey and Hermosa.

Initially we made the mistake of running on the "bike's only" path (pictured on the right) but soon figured it out and were on our way towards Hermosa Beach. We ran until the building pictured in the distance with the blue window awnings and turned around.

Went we reached the Manhattan Beach pier we ran to the end and back.
All in all a 4 mile run. Not bad for a Saturday morning while on 'vay-kay'.

10 weeks and 4 days to race day (or 74 more days)

2008-10-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is random but I had the day off yesterday and was taking a break from my "To Do's" for the day (running, car wash, take out garbage/recycling, etc) and sat down and watched Oprah (because it was the only thing on TV). Much to my surprise, I became that person - sitting on my couch crying at 4pm on a Tuesday - as they did their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month kick-off. The founder and sister of Susan G. Komen of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was on the show along with countless other survivors and current fighters of the disease all who had one common goal: AWARENESS.

They talked about how when Susan G. Komen was diagnosed with Breast Cancer over 30 years ago, uttering the word "breast" was not OK, there were no "800" numbers to call for patient support and the pink ribbon had no significance. Today, they have given over a billion dollars to cancer and patient research. One Billion.

Just 6 years after the founding of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society started Team in Training - a way for me and many others to learn and make a difference in the fight against another crippling type of cancer...blood cancers.

My hope is to do my little part...and keep spreading the awareness.

1) So in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, if you are woman (or man with women in his life who he cares about), please make sure you know or pass along this information about how to do a self-breast examination: http://www.komen.org/bse/, http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/self_exam/bse_steps.jsp

2) And, if you aren't familiar with Leukemia and Lymphoma, I've pasted a little information below, but do you part and learn what about this disease so you too can be part of the solution. And, get registered in the bone marrow registry.

3) And, as you know, I running the Honolulu Marathon December 14th. Thanks again for your donations...I am up to 11 miles and am excited to also be participating in the upcoming Nike Women's Half Marathon on October 19th!

Did you know? Leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes are cancers that originate in the bone marrow or lymphatic tissues. They are considered to be related cancers because they involve the uncontrolled growth of cells with similar functions and origins. The diseases result from an acquired genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell, which becomes abnormal (malignant) and multiplies continuously. The accumulation of malignant cells interferes with the body's production of healthy blood cells.

# of New Cases this year: An estimated 138,530 people in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2008. New cases of leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma account for 9.6 percent of the 1,437,180 new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States this year.

# Living with the disease: An estimated 894,543 Americans are currently living with leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes.

If we had a cure we could prevent: The deaths of an estimated 52,910 people in the United States this year. These blood cancers will account for nearly 9.4 percent of the deaths from cancer in 2008 based on the 565,650 total cancer-related deaths. Every ten minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. This statistic represents nearly 145 people each day, or six people every hour. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.

75: Marina Monkey Bars to Hopper's Hands and Back

2008-09-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

On a random day off, self discipline dictated that I run. Since I'll be missing my long run this weekend and heading to LA to watch the USC vs. Oregon football game, I need to make sure to get my runs in ahead of time. We've done parts of this run before as a group and since I like the gravel and bridge view, I decided to do this on my own. I started at the Marina Monkey Bars, just past "singles" Safeway and before the Marina Green and turned around at Hopper's Hands, just below the bridge at Fort Point for a total of 4.98 miles (or as I like to say 5 miles!).

77: buddy run near ocean beach

2008-09-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I heard myself saying to someone, "Today was just did a 5-miler."

Afterwards I couldn't believe myself. Just 8 weeks ago I was killing myself over TWO miles. And now, 5 miles is a short run. Crazy.

It's funny too how hydration and rest really do make a difference. I'm tired today still after our "easy" 5-miler on Sunday. I showed Clay the Lands End Trail by starting at Ocean Beach, heading through the Sutro Baths, down the El Camino Del Mar Trail towards Land's End and back.

Yes, I "borrowed" these pics...they are not mine but I wanted to share with you the view we enjoyed while running!

Cause for Celebration

2008-09-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

So they gave us the night of from training to celebrate together in what they coined a "Cause for Celebration."

This catered event was a social gathering and blood typing drive. Also, if you raised at least half of your fundraising minimum by this date you recieved a spiffy TNT sweatshirt. I know you're jealous lol.

80: Did you know…the average 32 oz jar holds about $60 in change?

2008-09-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if you put your change in a Coinstar machine, you have the option of donating that money directly to LLS? There are over 13,000 Coinstar machines (most in supermarkets – go to www.coinstar.com to find a machine near you). Collect your change and (anyone else’s - but you should probably ask them first). When you use the machine, simply select the "donate" option at the beginning of the transaction and follow the on-screen prompts to select LLS as your non-profit organization of choice. Then pour in your change; the machine counts the coins, and then provides a tax-deductible receipt for the full value of the donation.

You can fax the receipt to my team captain at 415.625.1159 and give credit to my fundraising efforts! Easy! Plus Coinstar doesn’t charge their regular fee for nonprofit donations. http://www.coinstar.com/us/PressReleases/941379

Growing Circle of Concern

2008-09-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

I think it's worth mentioning this again because it's amazing what we blind ourselves to until forced to actually observe and ask questions: When I started this fundraising mission for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I thought I knew no one who was affected by the disease. Now, I am aware of 5 people in my personal circle of friends and family connected to the cause.

#1: You know that distant uncle who you sometimes saw at family gatherings but hadn't in a long time? You though maybe he was sick or just too far away to visit. For me, I re-learned that he had suffered from Leukemia AND had a bone marrow transplant some years ago.

#2: A friend and co-worker's mom

#3: A fellow trainee's best friend

#4: A friend's 5 year old kindergardeten student

#5: A close friend's cousin

How many people do you (not) know of? If you start talking about the cause, I bet you'll be amazed at how closely you are connected to those who are living through blood cancers.

82: balancing act

2008-09-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

So you think, "I ran X number of miles this weekend. I can eat whatever I want!" The nutritionist warned us that we might whisper this to ourselves. It's so easy to overcompensate and reward yourself not only on the day of your run, but for days after. In effect, you cancel out all the physical good of running by intaking gi-nor-mous amounts of calories. You feel like you should be shedding weight but in reality you are maintaining or (gulp) dare I say actually putting weight on! Like the nutritionist said, "Of course, treat yourself after the race! Just don't treat yourself every day for the whole next week."

Fortunately this hasn't happened to me (yet) but I have had the "I can eat whatever I want!" moments. I use this site called The Daily Plate to track net calorie intake (gross calories eaten less calories burned through activity) as a tool to work towards overall weight management. You input your height, weight and goal (for example, maintain weight or lose 1 pound a week) and it spits out what your net calorie goal per day should be. Then using the food journal, you track what foods and what activities you do each day to monitor yourself. It's a pretty eyeopening experience and tell you exactly what you should be cutting out all together (i.e. - a super grande carne asada taco salad with all the fixings - 1000+ calories) and what things are reasonable to splurge on occasionally (i.e. - a cone of Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream - 360 calories).

What is crazy is that after running for 130 minutes or 2 hours and 10 minutes straight for my long run this past Saturday, I had burned 1273 calories!! Basically I could eat twice my normal daily "allowance"...CRAZY...! It totally screws up your perceptions of good vs. bad and what to eat and what not to eat. You literally have to pull your reigns in and teach yourself how to have self control again when the next day when you are so sore you can barely walk, let alone work out, and therefore are not burning all the calories you think you deserve to eat just because of the activities of the day before!

So I'm back to reality and thankfully today, I squeezed in a 2 mile run...which justifies me to eat another 294 calories. Don't you love how I quantify exercising in terms of how much it means I can EAT?! I do.

Project Michelle

2008-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

At the TNT Kick off event, we met our teammates for the first time and I happened to sit down next to Mabel. Two weeks later, I strolled through the Nihonmachi Street Fair and participated in a Project Michelle drive, requiring only 10 minutes and no blood, just a simple cotton swab of the mouth. Then on a Saturday TNT run, as Mabel and I jogged through Chrissy Field, Mabel shared the story of her personal honoree, the one who inspired her to take action and run for the LLS: Project Michelle.

Funny how things come full circle. Michelle is Mabel's best friend, practically from birth. 26-year old Michelle was originally diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a cancer of the blood, on February 27, 2007. After undergoing 5 rounds of chemotherapy, Michelle reached a state of remission and slowly began to reclaim her life. She also dedicated herself to helping others by creating Project Michelle, a campaign focused on recruiting people to become potential bone marrow donors. Mabel and her also choose to celebrate life and vowed to certain things, like go to Spain (check!) and run the Nike Women's Half Marathon together this October.
Then, In April of 2008, two months after returning to work, Michelle began to feel symptoms similar to those she had felt prior to her original diagnosis. Michelle’s fears became true on May 7, 2008 when her oncologist confirmed that she had relapsed. She was also blindsided by the results of an MRI that revealed a mass on her brain. For Michelle to be cured of her leukemia, her treatment plan will include even more intensive chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, Michelle does not currently have a bone marrow match and will not be able to undergo a transplant without one. Michelle is determined to win her battle with leukemia, but she now needs the generosity of others to succeed.This October, Mabel and I will keep their vow and run the Nike Women's Half in Michelle honor. She has two registered bibs originally for her and Michelle, but I will carry one of them and the Finisher's Necklace will be given to Michelle's mom.
I hope you are as touched by this story as I was and choose to do your part and register if you haven't already. Go now, to register.

85: 11 miles down, 15.2 more to go!

2008-09-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever sat in a jacuzzi in the rain? Well that the mental image I was trying to sell to myself as I sat in an ice bath from the waist down with a sweatshirt on, holding hot tea in my hands after completing my first ever 11-mile run!

I hadn't seriously run for a week, so I was a little worried. The past week had been busy with work, self-dubbed pseudo-crossing training (aka staging), and running didn't get squeezed into the schedule. So the mere thought of running 27% longer distance than the last longest run I had completed was daunting. I did make sure to get plenty of rest, hydrated well and woke up an hour early (ahem, 6am and I am not a morning person) before the run to eat oatmeal and drink plenty of fluids so that I was properly prepared for the run.

For the first time, our group run had staggered start times. 7am for the 13+ min/mile, 7:15am for the 12+ min/mi, 7:30 for 11+ and so on. I played conservative and started with the 7:15am group.

The route: We started at Sports Basement Presidio and headed away from the GG Bridge towards past the Maritime Museum, the smell of fresh bread baking at Boudin and turned around at fisherman's wharf back past SB. Mentally this was the hardest part as it felt like this should be the end of the run since we were running back to where we started, but we were really only about 1/2 way through. We continued on towards the Bridge, turned at the road to go up the hill, eventually landed on the Bay Area Ridge Trail, went under the Bridge, down the stairs, back up to Fort Point then turned around for the final leg back to SB.

Overall the hills were challenging and I'm discovering I definitely like running on the gravel paths more than the asphalt. My total time was 2 hours and 10 minutes for an average of 11:50/mile.

Since I braved the ice bath, I was hoping to avoid major muscle soreness. I don't know how much it truly helped, but I can say that my quads aren't sore, but my calves sure are dammit.

Sports Basement ROCKS!

2008-09-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Me and Jim Krause, Marketing and Community Relations guy for SB Potrero Hill. He helped organize this event and generously supplied food, drinks and the 10% off coupon for all guests!

My first guest, John. A fellow runner training for the October San Jose Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon.

Stefanie comes through, like a champion rally monkey, getting her friends to help the cause and join the party! Andrew, even biked here and partied in socks. Thanks for coming guys!!!

Aileen, Brennan and I posing behind the spread.

All in all, we had 13 lucky shoppers! Yasmin and I proudly are showing the sign in sheet (with some funky red color accent setting on my camera being used).

A BIG THANK YOU to Stefanie for encouraging me to have this party...wouldn't have done it (or been half the fun) without her!

87: Fundraising Shopping Party Tonight

2008-09-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is what I'll be doing instead of running tonight. I have 9 RSVPs. Typically 20% attendance rate is expected for guest lists so that means it'll be me + 1.8 of my friends. Someone please keep me company lol.

88: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

2008-09-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

"If you're resting on your laurels — or worse yet, your daydreams — What I Talk About will come as a rousing reminder that there's no substitute for hard work. Indeed, practice makes perfect."

Review by J.K. Glei

For acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, the act of running and the act of writing are inextricably linked — like two sides of the same track-shaped Möbius strip. As his new memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, explains, one begat the other: with the start of his writing career at age 33, the sedentary nature of the activity necessitated an exercise regimen to stay fit. Thus, the book artfully marries two topics that many people don't often see as going together — sports and creativity. The result is a fantastic read with broad appeal; beyond just runners and writers, What I Talk About holds inspiration for anyone who's passionate about an athletic or creative endeavor.

As Murakami writes about the evolution of his running career — from his first marathon to his first ultramarathon (62 miles) to his first triathlon — he constantly circles back to how his athletic experiences have impacted his writing practice, and vice versa. Throughout, he stresses the importance of training in both disciplines, debunking misconceptions about the writerly life as he goes: "The whole process — sitting at your desk, focusing your mind like a laser beam, imagining something out of a blank horizon, creating a story, selecting the right words, one by one, keeping the whole flow of the story on track — requires far more energy, over a long period, than most people ever imagine."

Sure, such advice can sound a little self-congratulatory at times, but Murakami's tough-love take on writing seems bracing in the context of an unending stream of "craft"-oriented tomes.

Whereas a classic writer's book like Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird deals in trade-based tips — "The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth" — Murakami jettisons such undeniable (but not particularly helpful) truisms in favor of stressing the importance of elbow grease. Or, writing as sport.

If you're resting on your laurels — or worse yet, your daydreams — What I Talk About will come as a rousing reminder that there's no substitute for hard work. Indeed, practice makes perfect.

==================

Too bad, I've been daydreaming of running lately more than actually running. Kaori would say it's a "terrible excuse for not running. it's B.S. KEEP RUNNING!!!"

91: a sunday "stroll" down the embarcadero

2008-09-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

This may be complete psychological BS but my knee has been bothering me since Thursday's run and I feel like I hurt it because I was tired. Thursday I pushed myself to run on the frontage road at a quick pace for me and felt heavy, as though every step had a resounding "thud." Anyway, I didn't run Saturday and ran a laid back 3.88 miles today. Clay and I started at his office on 3rd and Brannan, ran down Brannan towards the water, up the Embarcadero to Battery and back. Weather was perfect...sunny and beautiful, not too hot and a little breezy. I feel better for having run but am still pooped and I slept in until NOON today...who sleep in until noon anymore?!

94: east bay frontage road path

2008-09-11T23:09:00.001-07:00

For the next month, my training life will not be "as usual" since most weekdays I won't be able to make the group training events. I'll be at the store in Berkeley until 6pm :(

So for the first time today, instead of making it to the track, I drove to the Ashby exit off highway 80 (basically Berkeley), parked and ran along the paved path parallel to the frontage road back towards University and then back. I forgot my iPod and didn't know the distance so pushed myself to finish as quickly as possible. I used my phone as a stopwatch and clocked in each way at 11:52min. Total distance was 2.54miles out and back which converted to a 9:20/mile!

The nice part about this exercise was the view. The sun was setting and the ocean breeze kept me cool. Now that I've mapped it, I know that I should be running farther and can slow my pace to increase my mileage successfully.

95: pseudo cross training

2008-09-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I swear I'm still pooped from last week/end and on top of that Harmonique is staging a house in Fremont to be put on the market. The thought of staging brings glamorous thoughts of Design on a Dime or While You Were Out programming to mind for some, but the reality is grueling, sweaty days of schlepping, schlepping and more schlepping.

So while this doesn't count towards the traditional definition of cross training, I'm going to go out on a limb and says since my arms, shoulder and back muscles are SORE from STAGING, this pseudo crossing training counts.

Here are some before/after photos in our portfolio so you can get an idea of what is involved with staging a home. Ideally, the house is empty and you fill it up. The particular project we are working on now, the clients are LIVING THERE WHILE WE ARE STAGING. It may sound like no big deal, but imagine having your 3 bathrooms and kitchen torn to shreds for new appliances, cabinets, and fixtures, new paint and new furniture all moving in and out AT THE SAME TIME.

96: Nike+ calibration

2008-09-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

I just learned that the inner most ring of a track is 400 meters. (I knew it was a 1/4 mile but never did the conversion). My last run from Beach Chalet was 7 miles. I knew this because the coach had pre-mapped it with his podometer. Yet, my Nike+ iPod gear said I ran 8.94 miles (yeah right! i wish). So obviously something was a little off.

Tuesdays are Buddy Run days but I ran late and didn't make it to the Embarcadero by the group start time so I decided to go to the track and calibrate my iPod.

It still fascinates me that there is a whole counter culture of athletes among us. Before this whole marathon training thing, on an average Tuesday or Thursday night I might be doing laundry, cooking dinner or meeting a friend for drinks never once aware that there was a whole portion of the community that was t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g. Maybe they were doing a 5K, a 10K, a half or full marathon, a triathalon, speed trials, or just trying to stay in shape. But their Tuesday or Thursday involved meeting at the track and working it. UP and DOWN the stairs, around and around the track, leg lunges, side stepping across the field, and on and on and on. I just looked around in awe. The placed was packed. The solo (white) guy doing Tai Chi in the corner, the pairs of girls who came together to casually run the track, the teams preparing together, the running groups focusing on speed -- all levels, all ages, all focused.

I calibrated my iPod and became one with the counter culture.

97: still recovering

2008-09-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday I went shopping and chilled. Did nothing really, especially no working out.

Monday was the toughest mental challenge yet...to force myself to get into the gym. Just walk the 16 steps. Go from my front door, down the elevator and into the seat of the exercise bike. I mean really, how hard is that? Terribly hard when all you want to do is go to bed at 8pm.

But I did. 22 minutes on the bike. 22 minutes free weight and exercise ball strength training. Hugh! (imagine an emphatic gutteral exclaimation, something like a muscle bulging meat head might make).

99: 8 mile run on the Coastal Trail

2008-09-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

After baking Okinawan Sweet Potato and Haupie Pies until 3 in the morning, I was more than a tad delerious upon arriving at 8am at Ocean Beach. We were tasked with running somewhere between 4-10 miles, depending on what race you were training for and what level runner.

Even though I am a level one runner, I still wanted a challenge so I up'd my mileage to 7 miles since I ran 6 a couple weekends before. We discussed the course -- starting at the parking lot across from Beach Chalet, up past the Cliff House, down thru the Sutro Bath, along the Coastal Trail that sort of parallels El Camino del Mar, thru the Sea Cliff neighborhood, up the highway and back. The course was pre-marked by the coaches in white flour denoting the turn around points for 5-10 miles.

And off we went!

Randomly part of the beach was closed for a photo shoot with these LIFE SIZE wood cutouts of Native Americans on horseback. The Chronicle dubbed it as a tribute to the Wild West. We passed these on the way up to the Cliff House.

After passing the Cliff House, we started our decent down past the Sutro Baths and up towards the Coastal Trail.

If I had to be stretching at 8:15 anywhere on a Saturday morning, this place would be hard to beat.

Lots of stairs.... (and me looking totally dorky).

The UNBEATABLE view made running 8 miles after 4 hours of sleep totally worth it!

101: stride by stride at the track

2008-09-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last week was a blur and I'm writing this a week late. This particular day at the track was cool because the beginner runners got a small group session from Hazel Wood, the founder of Stride by Stride, a Chi Running program that brings the benefits of Chi Running to runners of all abilities. She worked with us one-on-one and then had us run in pairs while VIDEOTAPING us! Then we were able to watch the video of ourselves to evaluate what we were doing right and where we could improve. I felt like I was taking professional golf lessons or something! So coooool.

Other than that, I'll leave you with a Chi Running tip from Hazel:

Feeling an Efficient Lean

Exercise: Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are leaning from the waist or from the ankles. Try this exercise:

- Stand tall and lean (bend) at the waist. Notice where the weight in your feet is. Usually it will still be in the middle of the foot or even in the heels. Note that you can stand in this position without feeling much forward pull; and that your back is working to hold up your torso.

- Now stand in your ChiRunning posture, drop your focus to your feet and lean from the ankles moving your nose forward just 1 inch. Notice how the weight has come forward to the balls of your feet or to your toes. Also notice how you feel the pull of gravity forward. You are leaning so your foot is on the gas pedal. But you are not moving so you must also have your foot on the brake. The brake is being caused by the tension in your ankles. If you consciously shut off this tension in your ankles, you take your foot off the brake and you must fall forward.

This exercise helps to feel how inefficient leaning from the waist is. It also highlights how tension in your ankles is a form of braking.

You can also use this exercise to feel the impact on the lower back/hips/glutes and quads when moving while bent at the waist. Stand tall and lean (bend) at the waist. Now take step and notice what you feel. You will likely feel many of the back/hip/glute muscles and quads tensing in an isometric contraction to stabilize the torso with each step. Take a few steps in succession and get a sense of the impact to the body.

102: cross training and feeling buff...lol

2008-09-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Having ridden a real bike just a few days ago, the exercise bike was a sad follow up, but I did it nonetheless. Then, for an added challenge I increase my free weights up from 5lb sets to 8lb sets doing the following:

sit ups on the exercise ball
shoulder presses on the exercise ball working both arms and abs
leg lifts working the quads
side leg lifts working the IT band
the bridge
...not sure what its called but you start in all fours with your opposite arm and leg lifted then contract in so that your elbow touches the opposite knee. This works your core and gluts
push ups
side arm lifts
biceps 21s...7 from your thigh to your waist, 7 from your waist to your shoulder, then 7 all the way up and down from your thigh to your shoulder
triceps
then repeat, and repeat again

103: incorporating LT training into our runs

2008-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

Today was our standard buddy run on the Embarcadero with a twist. We were to run at our normal jogging pace -- where it is comfortable to have a conversation with others -- for 5 minutes. Then we were to repeat two timed intervals of 5 and 2 -- 5 minutes of running, at a pace where you can't have a conversation, say 70-80% of capacity, followed by 2 minutes of recovery -- or as slow as you want so you can catch your breath -- and repeat, then finish the run at your normal jogging pace.

The coaches say it's a great way to have a challenging workout in a short period of time. I calculated the distance and we ran 3.5 miles today in 32 minutes...that translates to a 9:08min/mile pace! That is crazy time for me. I'm usually at the 10:00min/mile pace.

(above: so fast, i'm blurry...lol)

I'm pretty pooped now but excited to have another try at it to see if this will really impact my speed overall :)

(and yes, I took yesterday off...no training on labor day for me!)

104: okinawan sweet potato and haupia pie...mmmm

2008-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

(the inspiration)

This coming weekend is San Francisco Hukilau's 7th Annual Sam Choy Poke Festival. I look forward to this event each year! They graciously offered to allow me to sell dessert as part of my fundraising efforts for TNT (thank you, Al, Eric, Kurt, and Mike). Truth be told, the idea was Clay's since until today I had never even tasted this yummy creation, let alone try to bake it.

Last night my place turned into "Kimi's Test Kitchen" -- picture flour puffs and purple pototes. (I'm going to come back here and add my own pics) because it's truly amazing how the potatoes transform into vibrant purple!

I used the following recipe from māʻona:

Between the cooking and chilling, it takes several hours to make the recipe, and then a couple more to cool the pie at the end. Allow yourself plenty of time, otherwise you'll find yourself like me, trying to accelerate the cooling phases in the freezer.

Crust
3/4 c. cold, unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. macadamia nuts, well chopped

The very first thing you need to do isn't a "crust" step, but you'll be glad you got it out of the way. Peel your sweet potatoes (from the Sweet Potato Layer section just below). Okinawan sweet potatoes come in wildly different sizes, so I can't easily tell you how many potatoes you'll need to make 2 cups. Just use your best judgement, and if anything, make a little extra. Boil the potatoes until a fork slides easily into them. Drain and mash them, then set them aside to cool while you make the crust. Isn't that purple color amazing? How thoroughly you mash them depends on the final texture you want. I don't mind little chunks in my pie, but other people prefer a creamy texture.

(boiled potatoes before being mashed in the bowl at top and raw potatoes before being boiled at bottom)

Oh yeah, now would be a good time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now we can get started on our crust. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Add the chopped nuts and the butter. Cut the mixture with two butter knives, pulling them across each other in a scissors motion, until the crust mixture is crumbly and no large butter chunks remain. Press the crust mix into the bottom of a pie pan, continuing it up the sides of the pan. You don't need to create a substantial or fancy lip to the crust. Place the crust in the refrigerator.

Sweet Potato Layer
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened (1 stick)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. Okinawan sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Wash your medium size bowl that you used to mix the crust. Cream the butter and sugar together in it until smooth and... creamy. Add one egg at a time, mixing them each until completely incoporated. Add half the sweet potatoes, mixing thoroughly. Add the other half and mix again. Finally, mix in the evaporated milk, vanilla and salt.

Spread the sweet potato layer into the pie crust, making sure not to add too much. The potato layer should fill the pie no higher than 1/2 inch from the top edge of the crust, so that we still have room for the haupia layer. Bake the pie at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the edge of the crust is golden and the potato filling is lightly browning in spots.
Cool the pie completely in the refrigerator.

Haupia Layer
1 can coconut milk (usually 13.5 oz)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch

When the cooked pie has cooled, begin preparing the haupia layer. You do not want to prepare the haupia early or it may solidify into an unwieldy block of coconut goo.
Place the coconut milk and water in a saucepan, but don't turn on the heat just yet. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl then add them to the liquids. Heat at medium, stirring constantly, until thickened. You can tell it's thick enough when you lift your spoon out, and the bits that glop off the spoon back into the saucepan basically hold their shape.
Immediately pour the haupia mixture over the pie and return to the refrigerator to chill for several more hours. Serve when cooled, making sure to step back so that you don't get trampled!

Credit where credit is due: there are many recipes out there for this pie, all very similar to each other but no two identical. I borrowed the idea of evaporated milk from the Honolulu Advertiser, and macadamia nuts in the crust from Reid.

105: the BEST kind of cross training involves adventure!

2008-08-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Before today I hadn't ridden a real bike since my middle school 10-speed in suburban San Jose. Clay's roommate Stephanie graciously let me borrow her mountain bike so I could test the mantra "you never forget how to ride a bike." And I'm happy to report, it's true! I survived the day without crashing or scuffing any knees or elbows.

From Clay's house at 19th and Vermont Street, we headed down Potrero Hill to 3rd Street to the ballpark and onto Embarcadero where we joined thousands of pedestrians and bicyclists kick off SF's first sundays event (click to read article). It was a great feeling to freely ride ON the street on our bikes, not being restricted to the sidewalk.

At Gate "B" to the left of the Ferry Building, we boarded the Blue and Gold Ferry bound for Angel Island with bikes in tow. For $15 round trip, bikes were no extra charge and left twice daily on the weekend, at 9:20 and 11:20am. It would have been ideal had we had time to pick up some snacks at the Ferry building itself, but the last Ferry was nearly boarding by the time we arrived. Snacks aboard the Ferry were reasonably priced...! We stowed a pretzel and peanut M&Ms for the trail ahead.

Per the Ranger's advice, we traveled counter-clockwise around the island on Perimeter Road. This made for an easier (less uphill) ride around the island. The views were fantastic with 2 bridge views, Belvedere, Berkeley and SF in our sites!

All in all, we rode 10.25 miles from Clay's house and back, including around 5 miles on the island itself. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend this day trip. Couple suggestions would be to definitely pack your own snacks before getting on the Ferry. If you don't have a bike, you can rent one, and bring sunscreen and a camera!

106: a jog thru golden gate park

2008-08-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sounds almost romantic, right?

Except Hukilau was packed Friday night and I didn't get to bed until 2am. Then I woke up at 7am to power up with a toast and peanut butter snack, 12oz of water and off I went to Kezar Track. I assumed we would be running around the track, but apparently Saturday's peewee football day at the track. Instead we met up and headed down Martin Luther King Street in GG Park. It made for a beautiful, scenic route, but very slightly hilly. The grade up and down was minor but repeated over and over, taxing my body to the limit. Was harder than I imagined, especially on the little sleep (5 hours is not enough for me) I got. Overall, 4.2 or so miles wasn't half bad!

I told myself I would have to do this one again to learn to conquer the inclines.

107: back on track

2008-08-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

After 2 days of no exercise, I felt like a gym-phile junkie...just a little "off" without my (gym) fix. It's almost sick, really. It was both a physical and mental desire to get my butt (literally) in gear. My needs had expanded past my own personal selfishness to the needs to my supporters and now TWO personal honorees -- those in my extended circle of friends and family that have been affected by blood cancer. I could not, NOT train. Sound gung-ho enough? I hope so. I'm setting myself up to not let this happen again (the two days off) only because I know myself. I need a routine and if I falter, I falter. And I do not want to falter.

Some facts for ya:

Approximately every 5 minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.
An estimated 118,310 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma in 2007.
New cases of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma account for 8.5% of the 1,399,790 new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States this year.
Every 10 minutes, another child or adult dies from blood cancer.
Leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma will kill an estimated 53,920 persons in the United States this year. These related cancers account for 9.5% of the deaths from cancer each year.
More than 823,000 Americans are presently living with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma - approximately 14,000 of these people live in Northern California.

Whew...nuff on my soapbox!

So this morning, I was a determined woman. At my home gym, I pushed through quarter mile speed bursts on the treadmill, spread apart by arm free weights, core strengthening exercises on the exercise ball and adjustable grade bench (you know the one where you lay down with you feet higher than your head and you ankled tucked under the padded bar?) where I did situps and over the body medicine ball tosses. Thank god no one else was in the gym, otherwise my superheroine prowess would have shrunken to a self-conscious wannabe.

After the workout, I felt gooood. Clean almost, if that makes any sense. Ready for my long run tomorrow at the real track!

108: sloth, i am

2008-08-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today was day # 2 of not working out and I feel like a behemoth. I packed for the track but didn't make it out of work until 7pm (track started across the bay at 6:45pm) and there was a fire earlier in the day on Treasure Island which clogged east and westbound traffic on the bay bridge past 7:30 when i was driving through. Needless to say, I didn't make it. We opted to go to a friend's going away dinner and gorge ourselves furthering the sloth-like feeling. Bleh.

So with two days of rest under my belt, I AM running tomorrow, scheduled rest day or not. And I will be going to the track on Saturday morning. GRRRRrrrr.

109: off schedule but top of mind

2008-08-27T12:14:00.001-07:00

So, I ran out of time this morning to squeeze in a cross training schedule, but as I drove to work I reminded myself of a Chi Running lesson. An easy, everyday, ever (wo)man workout: when in the car, tilt your rear view mirror slightly higher than normal, forcing you to sit up straight to see back. This is not intended to risk your safety but rather to re-inforce your body to learn to sit up straight, not scrunch your diaphram a-n-d engage your core muscles. This little exercise is meant to strengthen your core and develop good body form for running.

I'm crossing my fingers that I don't have to work too late at Hukilau tonight and that I have the energy to make time for the gym after working the bar!

110: worst 3 mile run ever

2008-08-26T22:58:00.001-07:00

I think I'm mentally weak. For the first time I ran alone outside. And it sucked. I'm not sure if I pushed myself too hard in the beginning, not having anyone else to pace off of or what, but by the end I was huffing hard and my chest was tight. I worked late and wasn't able to join the buddy run group under the clock tower on the Embarcadero. Instead, I parked at Folsom and Embarcadero, right beside the arrow and ran towards the Ferry building to Pier 39 and back. I don't know how Clay runs solo all the time. I found it really challenging, but was encouraged to keep at it knowing that there was a high probability that I would be running the marathon solo as well. Gotta toughen up.

"Few of us know what we are capable of doing… we have never pushed ourselves hard enough to find out." - Alfred A. Montapert

111: lame attempt at working out and a little on lactic acid

2008-08-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

So, I changed into my gym clothes with the intention of working out. Then I was so lazy I decided I would just do some strength training in my room on the floor (saving the 16 steps to the gym from my front door). I laid back in the sit-up position and promptly fell asleep on the floor until Julia knocked on my door to say goodbye. By that point, I needed to get ready for work and skip the attempt at a workout.

I resigned to running the treadmill for 2 miles this evening to justify eating the yummy dinner Julia cooked.

On Lactic Acid: Beginning this week and next week, TNT runners will see an addition to the normal workout, "LT" or Lactic Acid Threshold. Without getting into the hard science of LT's we'll give you a quick run down and why we use them.

Carbohydrates are broken down by the liver and converted to glucose (sugar). Muscles then either use the glucose or store it as glycogen. During exercise glycogen is broken down to glucose. This reaction produces energy which fuels muscles. There are two routes that can be taken during this conversion. The glucose can be converted into pyruvic acid, yielding a high amount of energy, or it can be converted to lactic acid. Lactic acid is a temporary end to the energy yielding process. Lactic acid is not bad, without it we would not be able to have brief but high intensity exercise. Too much lactic acid accumulation however will slow you down. The heavy leg feeling we are sure you have all experienced is a result of lactic acid accumulation. This accumulation inhibits muscle contraction.

Organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys are able to convert the lactic acid back to pyruvic acid. So it comes down to balancing production and conversion back to usable energy. To do this you train your body to "deal" with increased amounts of lactic acid. For runners, we need to push our individual limits. During increasing exercise intensity, lactic acid begins to accumulate. Our goal is pushing this threshold (LT) and increasing you bodies' ability to clear the lactic acid. The end result will allow you to run longer and further, while holding off fatigue.

So this is how we use them in our workouts: After warming up for 10-15 minutes at your normal running pace, increase your effort to 75-85% for the next 5 minutes or whatever the schedule dictates. During the LT portion of the workout, maintain good form and concentrate on your breathing. After the timed effort return to 60-70% effort and finish the run.

112: recovery run

2008-08-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated Ryan's birthday and I drank too much red wine. I only mention this because I was the most hungover I've been in a loooooooooong time. Running didn't seem like it was going to happen, but then after brunch and a lazy stroll through the haight, I managed to squeak out a 2-miler on the treadmill. My legs feel surprisingly good. I'm actually looking forward to my buddy run on Tuesday to again, get outside and put my new Nike+iPod to use :) Kelvin got it for me to help track my pace and progress...thanks Kel!

113: first ever 6 mile run!

2008-08-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

After working the bar until 1am, getting up at 7:15 to get to the College of Marin by 8am was brutal. I even slept in my running gear. Once there though, the sun eventually came through the clouds and the group energy was uplifting.

The coach, Leslie, pictured below with her arm raised by the water station, marked the trail with flour for the 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 mile turn around points. My original goal was 5 miles but I was feeling good and so we went to the 3 mile turn around and did a total of 6 miles!

The run had one water station and a light brunch at the end (I'm eating a soy yogurt below :). The run was followed by a Nutrition clinic by an endurance trainer. For long runs, she suggested:

before a long (10+ miles): 200-250 calories
during: 200-250 calories every 60-90 minutes, 8 oz of fluid every 15 minutes
after: 200-250 calories
suggested "calories" was a balanced high carb, med protein and low fat diet
using training time to experiment with different bars, sport drinks, gels, etc to see what you like the best and as often as possible eat real food

20 days down, 114 to go 'til race day

2008-08-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

I wanna write something but today is our rest day so we don't train and supposedly stay off our feet. Or are supposed to anyway. Ironically, Fridays are the one day I typically am on my feet the longest... currently Harmonique is looking to fill our store sales position and until we do I am temporarily manning the store and I work the bar at Hukilau Friday nights right after Harmonique. Thank god for stools and rubber bar mats or my feet would be toast.

Tomorrow's goal 4-7 miles. I think I'm going to shoot for 5.

115: Track Workout #2

2008-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm in discovery mode. Figuring out what my body is trying to tell me about how it's feeling. I've been given lots of good information from the coaches and mentors about what to watch out for and how to prevent injury. Now I find myself questioning even minor soreness as potential injury flags. I suppose its for good reason though i feel like a bit of a wuss. For example, the foot doc gave us a whole low down on knee pain -- to expect front knee soreness with mileage increase and that outside or inner knee pain is a red flag. So when my left knee started bothering me last night, I was psyching myself up about front vs. inner and where mine was actually hurting. So I busted out the ice pack and iced the left knee before going to bed and when I woke up this morning for 20 minutes. Better safe than sorry, right?

I suppose this small ice exercise is a mental strength builder for later down the training road when after a very long run, lets say 12 miles, I'll be so woofed that I'll need a full-on ICE BATH so that my recovery time will be faster. Who the hell takes ice baths anyway? Ice baths are included in our training packets as recommended regimen to improve recovery time. Supposedly Olympic athletes do this regularly, and since they mentioned it I now notice on TV when they show Olympians with small ice packets plastic wrapped around specific body parts. But really, can you imagine sitting in a tub full of ice for 20 minutes? All I know is I better not feel any pain after that!

Kezar Track, 6:45pm

An introduction to Chi Running and more circuit/strength training: ChiRunning combines the inner focus and flow of T'ai Chi with the power and energy of running to create a revolutionary running form and philosophy that takes the pounding, pain, and potential damage out of the sport of running. Who knew? Our speaker shared that she ran a 50-mile endurance running utilizing the practices of Chi Running. The biggest take away was the focus on form and efficiency.

1) Visualize a needle and a cotton ball. Picture a straight needle running through your entire body from head to toe. Your limbs are the cotton ball surrounding the needle at your core. They should flow smoothly and lightly around the needle....
2) Your feet should be aligned straight and fairly close together.
3) Your shoulders, hips and ankles should be the 3 main points you concentrate on keeping aligned.
4) Your core should be strong with your pelvis straight and not allowing your hips to dip forward or back.
5) When thinking about your arms, hold them at a 90 degree angle, focusing on the back swing and with your arms held close to your body.
6) To position your body to move forward, lean forward starting at your ankles...not your hips or waist allowing gravity to work with you while keeping your "needle" straight and your core strong.

There was more but thats all i can regurgitate in one sitting. It made for a very...concentrated run. Trying to keep all that together and still move in a forward motion is challenging.

116: learning to love water

2008-08-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

I like water. I drink it over soda or any other beverage. I just don't drink that much of it. Clay can pound two 8oz glasses before I've finished half of my first. So, I've made a conscious effort to try to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. This morning, before my cross training workout, I dithered about for a half an hour, opening mail, starting a load of dishes, etc just so I could finish the glass of water I had started drinking prior to going to the gym. Seems silly, I know I could have just tanked the whole glass if I really wanted to in one sitting but that always comes back to bite me if I immediately go to the gym.

They say Cross Training is broadly defined as any activity that increases fitness while minimizing the risk of overuse injuries and burnout. They suggest swimming, bicycling (road, mountain, spinning), yoga, rowing, rollerblading, skiing, and deep water running. The point is to improve your heart and lungs without using running muscles. Hmmm. Well, I opted for convenience this morning and used the exercise bike at the gym. I can't say that I pushed myself that hard that I felt like I was improving my heart and lungs but eh, I sweated.

117: Team-In-Training is like a being in a Sorority

2008-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

They have an acynym for a name (TNT).
They have colors (Purple).
They have a "secret handshake" ("Go Team!").
They have weekly meetings (Tuesday buddy runs, Thurs track workouts, Saturday long runs).
They have a pledge period (Between registration and re-commitment).
They have initiation (Re-commitment).
They have an active period (Re-commitment to race day).
They have alumni (Race completion).
And, they have a philanthropy (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)!

Anyway, it was a funny realization that I had joined yet another "sorority" post college. There are a number of social aspects: post workout events, happy hours, and new friendships made during the training season. As Clay's co-worker Diana, a TNT alum put it, "You get to know someone pretty well after training with them for hours at a time, especially those several hour long runs." She is still good friends with some of those she met during her first season with TNT. Sounds like the bonds of sisterhood to me....

Aimee, my mentor, and me on the Embarcadero..yay!

Tonight was my buddy run on Embarcadero. Again, we met under the clock tower @ 6:30 and this time ran towards Fisherman's Wharf to about Grant Street and turned around. The goal was to run 15 mintues out and back for a 30 minute round trip run. Mapped it out and distance was 2.77 miles.

118: circuit city...where training is state of the art

2008-08-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember that slogan from Circuit City (...where service is state of the art)?!

Anyway, today was a cross/strength training day for me. I was planning on doing the elliptical machine but they were in use so I hoped on the treadmill and decided I would mimic our circuit track workout, but in the gym. It must have looked a bit odd as I would run a 1/4 mile on the treadmill, go to the adjacent stretching room and use the exercise ball for crunches, then do the quad strengthening leg lifts, the "jane fonda" side leg lift, push ups, hold the bridge for 30 seconds then do it all over again, and again, and again. The only thing I did differently than last Thursday's actual track training was push myself on the treadmill speed.