Yeah, not so much

I started with such high hopes.

After two days of spin and one run, I am here to report that my ankle is not 100% and I am 100% out of shape.

Nothing else to report, but I feel obligated to note that my high hopes of 3 runs and 3 spins is already off course...perhaps I will work up to it...or I will just complain about.

And the dreams begin

It looks like this...but glows in the dark.

I am late to the start.  It is usually due to some back up of a flying buffalo or something that only makes perfect sense deep in the REM cycle.

I get to the start, futz with my bib -- there is always something wrong with the bib -- and I get started.

There are strange things going on around me.

I run at Olympic Trial pace which is faster than I can run a two mile time trial for the first 16 miles and I feel great...and then I wake up.

I don't get to find out if I run for the US Team in Rio. I also don't get my victory ride on the flying buffalo.

Clearly it is getting close to marathon time.

Next Week and Possibly Beyond

Working is about to be like whoa.

So I won't be blogging.

I know you are totally bummed.

To make you feel better, here is a picture of puppies.

They are running.

Glad you got over it.

See you soon.

Actual Rest

After speaking with my almost-a-doctor sister on GChat and she consulted her almost-a-doctor friend, I took her advise. No lifting. No bike. No core.

My work out yesterday included eating peanut butter M&M and watching Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Shockingly my ankle feels better this morning.

But I am already a bit stir crazy.

Over the past three-ish years I have run all the time.  I used to brush-off those people who complained about being side-lined due to injury as mental cases.  But now I am one of those mental cases.

I saw three people finishing up their morning runs as I went to work and I was jealous. Holding out hope to be able to run on Saturday and Sunday...but we will see. 

Changes are coming

You may notice a new look.

You are smart.

Changes are coming.

Llama: As Transportation

I wanted to write something deep and meaningful about being busy but I am at a loss, because this picture is just too fantastic.

Thanks Ali on the Run for the image.

Sometimes you just need to enjoy something absurd and often times my friend Josh Heller is my place for those things. In recent weeks he has provided a few good Spotify play lists and other such fun. 

However, back to the picture. 

I suppose this photograph begs one clear question: Why is there a llama on a beach and not the highlands of central South America?

Discuss. 

Also important: What does a llama say?

...

LLAMA  LLAMA  LLAMA  LLAMA  LLAMA  LLAMA  

Ok I am done. 

Going Mental

This week has not lead to great mental preparation for the California International Marathon. There is that mega storm system that will dump a "moist flow" on Northern California. Work has been so work like, which isn't great but isn't bad. Our apartment has decided to bite us at night and our fantastic management company hasn't been able to call an exterminator for well over two months. But after bugging them (sorry) for that entire time they finally did schedule a bug guy and he is "scheduled" to come an hour after we had planned on leaving for Sacramento. Nice. At least the organizers say the race will go on no matter what, so it is reassuring that we will at least get to run. (Where have I heard that before?)

So I have turned to the wonderful world of videos and GIFs to get me going.  Here are some of my favorites. Let me know if I should add more.


YES I DO BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


YEAH GO OUT AND KICK ASS, and stuff.


Sorry about the music but come on!! This is the best. I remember this like it was yesterday. 

USA USA USA USA

A great race.


I love this commercial.  Nice work Dick's Sporting Goods.

Again: USA USA USA

I mean can you have one of these without this scene? No. You can't.


#makeitcount

Ah, good times

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH....

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It speaks to my social and religious world view. It is a forces slow-down to be grateful and to acknowledge what you got. 

Like every year, this year other stuff is happening making it hard to be comfortable with being able to be Thankful. 

Gaza is Burning, Israelis are Running
While I stay far away from the blame game, it is clear that both sides have skin in this game. Israel shouldn't launch a ground offensive.  Hamas should stop lobbing rockets towards civilians.  The world should see this for the extremely complicated and convoluted situation it is and stop placing all the blame on one group. Ach.  Anyway, it is hard to be all happy happy joy joy when I have friends in harm's way and others digging out their boots and greens.

Remember that Storm that we Forgot About?
Yup people still don't have power and such.  Kids are still out of school.  Pets are still unclaimed. Sandy's impact won't be fully calculated until Q3 of next year.  That is nuts. We are talking BILLIONS and BILLIONS in damage but we should get back to talking about idiots waiting in line for Black Friday deals.

Complicated Number Things
Yeah the Fiscal Cliff is also getting me down. It could be the end of the world as we know it or other such doom's day things.

But, we get to eat pie.  So that is great. 

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts:

1. I am running a marathon in 10 days and again in a month and nine days.
Back when I was trying to prove to myself that I was able to do anything I set my mind to, I signed up for the California International Marathon. Mind you I was already registered for the New York City Marathon.  All of my training has been focused on New York. My hill mantra is "5th Avenue" and I visualize my kick starting as we run through Engineer's Gate.

But I have another one to consider...and I think that just hit me, especially as I deal with my shin splint. But in reality, I am ready for both and I am just getting into my head.

2. Being the Bandwagon is fun.
Let's go Giants! My lovely wife is a life-long Cards fan and I am sorry she doesn't get to watch her team in the Fall Classic, but come on!  This is exciting. San Francisco is acting like a normal city with normal sports fans.  We were there for the Perfect Cain so it is clearly our arrival to a City by a Bay that took the team back to the World Series.  One down side: Listening to Joe Buck for another baseball series. I really dislike that man.

#PerfectCain

3. This is my soft launch of asking for money.
I have often coveted those with fantastic facial hair. Due to my impatience and my wife's insistence, I have never sported much more than a week and a half of beard, stash, or anything else. However, now I have committed to raising some money for testicular and prostate cancer as part of Movember, in order to be forced into facial hair.  I will be using this forum as a progress report but I will not go all Armstrong and use Rogaine or Just For Men, no matter what.  I want my contribution without controversy. (I intend to make a lot of jokes at Lance's expense.)

4. This election could be over now. 
I am done. And so are most Americans. Here in California we have all these wacky Props that will most likely not work and I am sick of the ads.  I bet FOX is pretty excited that the election is after the World Series...at least they get the reveune from these interminable ads. I will be voting for the goods guys and not the bad guys. That is all.
 
5.  I am now on the Board of Directors of my running club.
I was honored to be asked to join the SFRRC board and I think based both on my presentation of ideas and my outfit, I got the job. 

A Pro Running Outfit

I am excited to take part in organizational management and help our club be even better. Join us for a run sometime.

6. In one week I will fly to NYC. 
I am excited to see friends and family. Also I get to run the marathon...in case I didn't mention that.

My Bib - 42053

Slacking Off

This last week and weekend was the hardest of my moving process. Why? I don't know but it was hard.

Nothing has changed significantly at work or in life. I have sort of kept up with my running goal and I am doing well on my reading goals. Clearly I am slacking on the blogging front. But I am trucking along.

It may have something to do with me being so sick of living without my wife and working completely alone.

So in an effort to not completely fall off the blogging bandwagon, here is a lazy ass blog post in a list-update format:

1. I have shined my shoes 3 times. Current cost: 100 bucks a shine.
2. I was in Austin during SXSW Interactive. This was like visiting a city I like that was hosting a mashup of the worst of a Dungeon's and Dragon's Convention mixed with worst of the cool kids' table in middle school. Thankfully, the wedding we attended was lovely and the BBQ was, as always, epic.
3. I am going to see the wife for a week! It is also our three year anniversary tomorrow.
4. My sister, who is a total bad-ass and a third year medical student, went on a heart harvest. The text messages from that day will be saved forever.
5. It appears that Slap Cancer, Save Lives, a pretty cool and innovative fundraising concept that I am helping promote and such, is already generating some fun attention. It would also seem that hipsters are just snobs who don't shower or have jobs.
6. Something else I have done over the past few weeks and a snarky remark about it.

I told you I was feeling cranky. But that is behind me now...or at least I am telling myself that.

One Benefit

One of the only benefits of not living with my lovely wife is that I can grow facial hair.

That represents about two weeks of bearding. And while I like the idea of not shaving and sporting the hipster identification card, it really isn't me.

While I could pretend that there are deeply philosophical and socioeconomical reasons behind my aversion to beards, if I was being honest, I would have to tell you I don't have the patience have it grow in for real. So I had some fun with the trimmer.