Running Video Diary #1: Sayin' Goodbye to Honolulu

Hey bloggy friends, I’m leaving Hawaii today and heading back home, where it’s currently 27F with a wind chill of 10F. Yeah, not fun! But before I do, I thought I’d take one final video of paradise and share it with you all. I took this during my early morning run along the boardwalk of Waikiki beach on my last day in Honolulu.

I hope you all enjoyed my first little “Running Video Diary”. Like I said in the video, I’m thinking of making this a regular feature here even when I’m back home, so please let me know yea or nay to more of this. Any suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism will be welcomed too! (Just cut me a little slack while I getting use to capturing videos with my phone…it’s still a work in progress.)

Enjoy the rest of your work week everyone. My next post will be my race report of the Honolulu Marathon, so stay tuned!

Observations from A Running Non-Hawaiian

So I’ve been in Hawaii for less than a week and already I know I don’t belong. Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a truly wonderful time here and am already regretting having to say goodbye. The weather’s been fantastic, the views spectacular and I’ve already gotten addicted to 7-11 spicy ahi poke and deluxe spam masubi that I know I won’t find anywhere at home. (I've already had these for lunch for three days straight!) But the one thing I’ve noticed though is that I have a hard time identifying with the sports people around here are most passionate about. For one, I am not a swimmer (although I am signed up for beginner lessons once I’m home) so it’s hard for me to appreciate endurance swimming, surfing, jet-skiing or other athletic pursuits that involve submerging one’s body into a bottomless body of water. Second, because of the widespread access of bike routes, running paths and picturesque scenery at every turn, training here occurs year round and endrance race events seem out of proportion to what I’m used to back home. Instead of 20 mile bike rides across a state, people here routinely do 100 mile bike rides along the north shore of Oahu or up on the side of a mountainous range and back down. Similarly, instead of training for marathons, people here speak of 40-60 mile runs on trails, overnight, to train for 100Ks and an annual event known as the H.U.R.T. 100 miler! Umm, no wonder I wore my Honolulu Marathon finishers shirt around town yesterday but haven't felt like much of an athlete.

Now, I know I probably have a warped sense of reality because I’m hanging out with F.L. who ran the marathon as a training run for her 100K race this weekend (Go ahead, you can go over there, shower her with words of encouragement, then come back…I'll be here...) but still, I can’t help feel as if I’m such a wimp for never having completed a single run longer than 26.2 miles, when her and her local running group friends are chattering about so and so doing 50 miles on the H.U.R.T. last week and another person is tacking 45 miles after the marathon to train for Western States (100 mile) race and so-and-so’s going to pace someone for 40 miles in the H.U.R.T. 100 mile race next year. It is an intimidating bunch to say the least. I’m just glad I’m not here on a daily basis and am going back soon to my own neck of the woods where running 20 miles in the wind, cold, and snow one or twice a month is considered hardcore and somewhat of an accomplishment. Maybe one day I’ll be up to tackling 32 hour runs on an steep and arduous trail run here fighting hallucinations, nausea, vomiting just for fun, but for now, I’m content to just revel in my own marathon accomplishment, eat all the crummy food I want, hang out at the beach all day, rest and recover in paradise and NOT think about running, racing or marathoning for the foreseeable future!

Towards that end, here are a few sun, fun, and sandy beachy pictures for you all to enjoy! Don't judge, it's the best I can do short of a personal invite to come over and experience paradise for yourselves! Aloha!

Brief Recap From A Californian Adventure

It’s been less than a day since I’ve returned from my weekend escapade in northern California and already I’m missing the beautiful scenery, the cooler climes, and yes even the unforgiving mountainous roads that decorate the Bay coast area. Although I had every intention of running little and blogging lots while I was over there, due to some unforeseen difficulties with the cable service at the summer home we were renting for the weekend, I was left without internet access for the duration of the trip. Luckily, my lack of virtual contact did not interfere with either of my main agendas for the trip (seeing my cousin walk down the aisle and running my epic long run across the Golden Gate Bridge), which means that generally, the trip was a giant success!

The salient non-running highlights from my trip were being reacquainted with extended family I haven’t seen in quite a while, adapting to constant fog and cooler temperatures than I’m used to back home, and relaxing in style servicing as a witness to my younger cousin’s tying the knot of matrimony. In between these highlights, I also visited Sausalito with its picturesque view of San Francisco, ate amazingly fresh seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf and danced the night away at Half Moon Bay. It’s my sixth time to this area within the last four years and everytime I’m here, I’m taken back by the flavorable culture, the magnificent views and the overall grandeur of the area. I can imagine if I was a bit younger, a bit more cavalier or less attached to my family and friends in NY, I could definitely see myself settling down here!

As for running, even though I was anticipating way less than 30 miles, I managed to log 34.7 miles in 3 runs during my trip. Here’s a quick description of my adventures on the road:

8/20 – 7.36 miles (8:15 avg pace): I hadn’t planned on running on the first day of the trip, but since my younger brother offered to accompany me on this short jaunt and I was super excited to check out the new sights, I found myself out on the road within an hour after my arrival at Half Moon Bay. Since I was not familiar with the surrounding landscape, we started by picking a general direction and just running. Unfortunately for my brother, who’s idea of running is two miles max on a college track, he was ill equipped to deal with the steep turbulent hills that awaited us seemingly at every turn. He moaned and groaned with each passing street and slowed the pace tremendously until he couldn’t take the beating anymore. I circled back the same way we came and dropped him off at 4 miles then ran another 3.36 at a much more comfortable pace on my own. Toward the end of my run, I spotted a trail that lead to unexplored wilderness and wondered aloud whether I should check that out the next time I run.

8/22 – 21.06 miles (7:37 avg pace): This was the run I had been anxiously awaiting for so long! After a short rest day, I took the earliest train into San Francisco on Saturday morning and began the same journey I had taken a year ago in th 2008 SF Marathon. Although the day started with wind and fog, I felt comfortable and rejuvenated by the cooler temps as I began my run near AT&T Park. From there, I ran to the Ferry Building, along the Embarcadero, over a steep hill to the Marina, then up through the steep ramp climb to the Golden Gate Bridge, where I crossed, returned and then retraced my steps to the Ferry Building and AT&T Park. Compared to the epic version of this run done a year ago, this year’s episode was a bit more subdued as the temperature never rose above 70 degrees and the sun never made an appearance hiding behind the dusty clouds. Still, the run itself was absolutely breath-taking, especially running on the Golden Gate Bridge under a significant fog. At times, I imagined I was an airplane, fighting through the thick fog. As I ran, I was glad the fog covered up so much of my view that I couldn’t see the water down below and be intimidated. I was constantly reminded of the last time I did this run, in the marathon a year ago. Although most of the details from that race have faded into distant memory, I remember distinctly running along the Golden Gate when night hasn’t yet sold out to day and watching the bay city skyline slowly unfolding in front of me.

8/23 – 6.32 Miles (7:37 pace): I got up the next morning before anyone else and snug out for a nice recovery run at the crack of dawn. Instead of running on asphalt, I decided to tackle the trail I found at the end of my last run here at Half Moon Bay. Although the trail itself was clearly marked, it was situated on a series of hills, which made running quite an adventure and a bit treacherous. Because of the ever changing elevation, I had to slow down my pace quite often. It was quite an effort to scale to the top, but once I paused and look back, the views from the bay was actually quite stunning. I trampled on for about a couple of miles before doubling back to where I had started from. I ended the run with a couple of easier miles on some soft trails before heading home.

Aside from the steady diet of hills and mountains, I really enjoyed running in California! Even though some of the natives tell me that due to the roughness of the terrain, running isn’t as popular in the Bay Area as cyling, I saw many locals out running the same routes I was during my stay. Although I have no immediate plans of going back, I look forward to my return there as soon as I can find another suitable excuse!

Travel Plans

So today I have some good news and some bad news to report.

The bad news is that it looks like the 54 miles I had planned for this week is not likely to happen. The reason? Well, that’s the good news. I’m taking an impromptu vacay to northern Cali this weekend to watch a cousin of mine walk down the aisle! This is so exciting for me on so many fronts. First, I get to hang out with extended family and cousins who I haven’t seen in quite a while. Second, I get to escape the brutal heat/humidity of NYC, where it’s expected to be in the 90s for the rest of this week. Third, I get to continue my annual pilgrimage to San Francisco, where I’ve been at least once a year for the last five years. And last but not least, I’ll have an opportunity to repeat my epic run from the Ferry Terminal over the Golden Gate Bridge again (I’m hoping anyway!) Yeah, I’m really excited. I haven’t gone traveling in so long that my frequent flyer miles would have expired had I not use them for this trip.

There is no true itinerary for this vacay except for Sunday when the wedding ceremony is taking place. Otherwise, the rest of the time is free for us to do whatever we want. Since most of my family members aren’t as familiar with the city as I, there will most likely be a lot of tourisy things on the agenda. This works for me because then I can sneak off while everyone else is preoccupied and get my miles in. Since I have approximately 33 miles on the schedule for the time I’ll be away, there will be plenty of running adventures to be had, time and weather permitting. I also purposely scheduled a return red-eye flight back on Monday night (instead of Sunday night like the rest of the people) just so I have a backup day for my 20-mile epic run if I can’t find time to get it in over the weekend. Yeah, I'm overprotective of glorious long runs like that.

While we're on the subject of summertime vacays, as I was arranging last minute travel details yesterday, I got a little overzealous and scheduled my next running vacay after San Fran as well. Although it’s been in the works for a while, I finally overcame my own commitophobia and registered for the Honolulu Marathon yesterday as well as a bunch of local (Queens, Staten Island) and not-so-local (Philly) halves. You heard right folks. I’ll be traveling to Hawaii in mid-December and running in yet another marathon with my female counterpart, FL. This year, just like it was at Vegas last year, she’ll be racing her marathon while I’ll be taking mine easy after NYC (although a challenge from a club member has already been issued…sigh!). Either way, we hope to be hitting the beach and consuming lots of fruity alcoholic beverages in celebration right after the finish. Heck, I might even start the celebratory drinking before the finish...you never know. Omigosh, it’s going to be such a blast! I can hardly wait. (For all the Philly people who I was intending to meet at your ‘thon, don’t fret. I’ll still be there, running the half, and cheering all of you on. Party at Broad Street anyone?)

But first things first…so how many sets of running clothes will I need for my trip to SF if I’m going to be there for five days? I’m going to bring four hoping to use three. With each set, I guess I’ll have to bring matching bandanas. And shoes? Probably just one pair of runners although two would be ideal. Should I go with the older pair of NB that can double as trail shoes or my newer Brooks pair that I haven’t quite broken into yet? Gosh. I’m having such a tough time deciding what to bring that I don’t know how the frequent business travelers among you all do it. Seriously, I think I’ll need to hold a marathon packing session just to get going!

Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend. I’m going to work on a series of posts on speed training for marathoners (tailored individually for newbie, intermediate and veteran ‘thoners) while I’m on the plane so look out for that. I’ll talk to you all when I’m online again on the other side of the country! Happy Running!

The Countdown Begins - Las Vegas and a Boston Qualifier Awaits

It’s funny how things turn out sometimes.

A year ago, I decided to reach out to FL who suffered a broken pelvis while running her very first marathon. She had some underlying hormonal disturbances which caused her pelvic fractures, and since I am somewhat of an expert in that sort of thing, offered my virtual assistance in the off chance she needed any. Eight months ago, I was here, spending some days and nights in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, helping a friend celebrate his final days in bachelorhood. The only running related highlight of that trip was one small incident involving a runner (me), a city bus, a side impact collision, and a story for the guys that I was involved in a fistfight at 9am (link). I vowed after that brush with death that I’d never run in Las Vegas again.

So what do those two stories have in common? Well, both incidents have led me to this day, as I’m sitting in bed in a hotel suite less than 24 hours away from the start of the Las Vegas Marathon with FL in the other room. We spent almost all of yesterday walking and sightseeing all over town: From our hotel on the center of the strip to the race expo at Mandalay Bay (which was right next to a rodeo convention/cowboy marketplace), from the beautiful yet disoriented Italian river décor at the Venetian to the spiraling escalators at the Forum Shops. All the while, we reviewed pacing strategies, course details, and race apparels. The magnitude of this B.Q. attempt on her part weighed so heavily that at times I felt as if I was the one needing to run a specific time to qualify for Boston. I think I’m more nervous this time coaching someone else to B.Q. than I was when I prepared for my own B.Q. race! Oh brother. I did a good job hiding my own anxieties from her however. She never suspected a thing.

At the end of the night, because of some “drama” surrounding her own living arrangements, I invited her to spend the night over at my hotel suite so that she could one final night of peaceful sleeping prior to running the race of her life. After dinner and before retiring for the night, we got to preview the hot tub located right in our suite and make plans how we’d celebrate in it with some champagne come post race Sunday! Wahoo! Both of us can hardly wait…now less than a day away!

We’re officially ready for you, Las Vegas. Bring. It. On.

Back From Vacation

Hey All! I’m finally back; back home after a long holiday hiatus. Hope you all have been well. Although I’m still recovering from jet lag somewhat, I cannot wait to tell you all about my overseas adventures. On my trip across the pond, I saw, heard, touched and experienced many things that were beyond imagination, at least for me. In the process, I learned and developed a new appreciation for nature that I never had before.

So about three weeks ago, I took the opportunity to escape city life and embarked on a twenty-two hour flight across the country and over the Pacific Ocean to the island country of New Zealand. It was sort of a spontaneous trip originally proposed by a friend of mine. She wanted company on her travel and since I needed time away to recuperate from my broken clavicle, I decided to join her for the trip.

The journey began with an auspicious start. My flight out of NYC was delayed for 4 hours, causing me to miss my original connecting flight in Los Angeles. It ordinarily wouldn’t have been too much of a problem, except that because of the flight change, my bag was not yet there by the time I landed in New Zealand. Not only that, but because I miss another scheduled flight on the night of my arrival that was supposed to take me from the North Island to the South Island, I had to spend my first night at the airport waiting for the first flight to the South Island. So, no bags, and no place to stay that first night…not a good way to start vacation.

But once I got to my first destination, Christchurch, the next morning, everything seemed to work out pretty well from there. As backpackers, my friend and I drove up and down the South Island, through most of the important towns. We stopped frequently along the way to do a lot of hiking. And boy, were there lots of hikes. There were hikes up mountains, hikes alongside rivers and streams, twenty minute hikes and six hour hikes. Honestly, I had never hiked as much as I did during this one trip. I guess the reasons they have so many hiking trails is to take advantage of some of the most breathtaking scenery that nature has to offer. Although the trek maybe difficult at times, the sights at the end were so spectacular that you never felt like you were disappointed by your efforts. Not only so, but at times, you got to see beautiful flowers, mushrooms, and the occasional animal in their natural habitat. I mean, where else, can you see a penquin walking in front of you, seals and sea lions sunbathing close enough for you to touch, and dolphins jumping in and out of the water less than 5 feet away from where you’re treading water. I am saying all of this because I have never been a big nature person before, having grown up in big cities all my life. But after this trip, I think I might have to rethink that.(I have included some of the better pictures for your enjoyment. I hope they do some justice to what I have witnessed, because what I witnessed was all pretty amazing.)

As for the people of New Zealand, they were for the most part, very cordial, friendly, and helpful. Although their pace of life was not surprisingly a bit slow for my taste, they took their time to make me feel welcomed in their country. One of the bartenders even sat with me to explain the esoteric rules of cricket, which I previously never understood on my own. (Just as an aside, the only reason I was in the bar in the first place was because they were showing highlights of Super Bowl XLII. I still cannot believe my football team, the NY Giants decide to wait until I left the country to play the most exciting football game in recent history, beat the New England Patriots and make history. That’s alright. I’m mighty proud of them anyways.) They are pretty fanatical about their cricket, just like we are here about baseball. Same thing with rugby. In the few conversations I had with the locals, I get a sense that they secretly despise Americans almost as much as they hate Australians. Don’t know if it’s true but just a gut feeling.

Overall, it was a great trip; much too short, in my opinion. I know I have a lot of running blogs to catch up on. Will also update the status of my left shoulder as it pertains to my running plans in the next post…(for a hint, see that counter on the right side, it’s still running!) In the meantime, I have to sleep off this jet lag.

A Quicky from Me!

To those precious souls who still check this poor excuse of an ex-BQer, ex-runner's blog waiting for an update on my injury status, I am honored yet embarrassed that you're still here. Who am I to deserve such attention and loyalty? Let me start by thanking you all for your well wishes and kind words. And although you might have worried that I must have gone over the deep end waiting for my shoulder to heal, the truth is that I'm secretly hiding out in a very beautiful and remote part of the world for the past three weeks rehabilitating my injuries (you know, the way the pros do!) I'll be back in the states this weekend, and will have a full report on my travels (including pictures) and my bum shoulder for all my faithful followers. In the meantime, have a Happy Valentine's Day for all the lovers out there and keep running strong!

Taking A Break (in Myrtle Beach...)

I think my cold/flu is finally over. Just in time too. I'm taking a much needed vacation break from the running and the city in Myrtle Beach this weekend. Will try to fit a bunch of short runs whenever I can fit them in. The heat wave is preventing me from doing much outdoors, so I have access only to the treadmill. It's not my favorite place to do runs, but I'll do the best I can with the circumstances. Meanwhile, I'll try to eat and rest. Marathon training will resume again when I'm back in town in a few days.