Thanks, Aron, for tagging me! (I love being tagged!) And since I've already been procrastinating at work today...
2008: a year in review
4 favorite memories from 2008:
1. Spending lots of time with my nephew and seeing him develop this really funny and playful personality
2. Meeting up with the running bloggers!
3. Hanging with the gals - happy hours, brunches, nights out, etc.
4. Chopping off my hair and loving it (saves me so much time in the morning!)
4 favorite movies watched in 2008:
1. Twilight (you don't want to know how many times I've seen it so far...)
2. Sex and the City
3. High School Musical 3 (It was fun!)
4. The Dark Knight
4 of my favorite foods in 2008:
1. Pizza (any kind!)
2. Grilled cheese
3. Chocolate chip cookies
4. Chocolate Chex cereal with vanilla almond milk
4 places i loved in 2008:
1. SF bay area
2. West suburbs of Cleveland, OH
3. Disney (any of them)
4. Tokyo
4 events i loved in 2008:
1. Weekend in Orlando with my family for the WDW marathon (shared two adjoining rooms with my parents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, and baby nephew - I loved all the quality bonding time with my family!)
2. My friend A's wedding in Austin, TX
3. Go Red for Women weekend in Disney with just me and my sister
4. Nike Women's Half Marathon
4 things i liked in 2008:
1. Facebook
2. iPhone & MacBook Pro - became an Apple freak last year!
3. Garmin (Christmas 2007 present)
4. Make-up
4 things i am looking forward to in 2009:
1. My friend G's bachelorette weekend and wedding
2. Napa to Sonoma half marathon with Team ROHO
3. Holidays - yes, I know we just finished but I always look forward to them
4. Release of Twilight DVD and premiere of New Moon ;)
4 people I tag:
1. Cindy
2. JoyRun
3. Chic Runner
4. Roadbunner
On a side note, I have some 2008 pop culture-related recap posts on my other blog here and here.
*****
A couple of people had posted questions related to my threading comment in my previous post. Yes, it totally works and I love it. I used to always get my brows waxed but I switched to threading a few years ago when I was on Accutane and my skin was too sensitive for waxing. It works great and they totally get all the little hairs. It's pretty quick too and not really painful at all - no more than waxing or tweezing. I guess the way it pulls out the hair compared to tweezing is much more gentle and won't cause the hair to grow back thicker like tweezing would. Also, the nice thing is that you don't look like a mess afterward - other than having to brush away all the little hairs off your face. I personally don't have any redness or irritation like I would with waxing.
Even though my skin isn't as sensitive now, I still have my brows threaded. It's only $8 where I go so it's a great deal!
You can see a pic of how they look on my other blog here. This was taken a few days after I got them done. A couple of warnings: 1) The lady that threaded my brows made them uneven which normally never happens and 2) they are filled in with a little bit of eyeshadow to make them look more full but the shape and all that is strictly from the threading.
P.S. Do you like how I keep referencing my other blog? I just don't have much readership over there so I'm trying to throw some readers over :)
Good luck to all the Disney runners this weekend! I'll be thinking of all of you. I most likely will be back at Disney for the 2010 Goofy Challenge (yikes!).
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Biking on Canada Road...
I went biking with a buddy of mine on Sunday. It looks like I hadn't taken Gigi for a ride since before Thanksgiving so it was nice to get out there again. And I always feel just a little bit more hardcore when I put on my bike shoes, gloves, sunglasses, and helmet - heehee.
Neither of us had biked in awhile so we did a relatively easy but pretty route on Canada Road up north of where I live.
It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. It's got great scenery as you bike along the Crystal Springs Reservoir and there are some nice houses further along on the route. Even better, it's about a seven mile stretch before you even hit a stop sign! This route is perfect for scaredy-cat bikers like me. The shoulders are really wide and there are hardly any cars on this road. (They actually close the road down to cars on Sundays but not during the "winter". ) There are lots of rolling hills to make it a challenging ride but not too bad as I never had to shift into total granny gear mode. There are even dirt paths along the road for runners, too.
When you do hit the stop sign, there's a little market nearby that's perfect for refueling and stuff. (Not that we needed it for biking 7 miles.)
Anyway, it was a great day out, although maybe a little bit chilly (which I know I should shut up about as it was nothing compared to the 1 degree weather I had in Cleveland while I was home for the holidays), and we had a perfect 15 mile bike ride.
It also pretty much marked the end of my nice two week vacation. As I mentioned above, I spent the first week in OH with my family in the midwest to celebrate Christmas. The second week was more of a forced vacation as my company had a mandatory shutdown. I had all these great plans for things I wanted to do last week. Most of it was just wishful thinking but here are the highlights of what I did get done:
I'm kind of mad at myself because I went to all the trouble to pack my gym bag this morning and then forgot to pack the darn thing in my car! Sure I could go home after work, change, and then head to the gym but who are we kidding? Once I'm home, I don't usually head back out.
Ah well...
Neither of us had biked in awhile so we did a relatively easy but pretty route on Canada Road up north of where I live.
It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. It's got great scenery as you bike along the Crystal Springs Reservoir and there are some nice houses further along on the route. Even better, it's about a seven mile stretch before you even hit a stop sign! This route is perfect for scaredy-cat bikers like me. The shoulders are really wide and there are hardly any cars on this road. (They actually close the road down to cars on Sundays but not during the "winter". ) There are lots of rolling hills to make it a challenging ride but not too bad as I never had to shift into total granny gear mode. There are even dirt paths along the road for runners, too.
When you do hit the stop sign, there's a little market nearby that's perfect for refueling and stuff. (Not that we needed it for biking 7 miles.)
Anyway, it was a great day out, although maybe a little bit chilly (which I know I should shut up about as it was nothing compared to the 1 degree weather I had in Cleveland while I was home for the holidays), and we had a perfect 15 mile bike ride.
It also pretty much marked the end of my nice two week vacation. As I mentioned above, I spent the first week in OH with my family in the midwest to celebrate Christmas. The second week was more of a forced vacation as my company had a mandatory shutdown. I had all these great plans for things I wanted to do last week. Most of it was just wishful thinking but here are the highlights of what I did get done:
- Went running twice and biking once (still continuing to neglect the gym, though - DOH!)
- Ventured up to the east bay for a very fun blogger meet up
- Cleaned out and re-organized my closet - discovered a bunch of clothes that I had forgotten about
- Got my eyebrows threaded (TMI?)
- Updated my blogs more regularly than I had in the past
- Discovered a new love for Rock Band drums
- Went to the Leonardo exhibit at the Tech Museum
- Met up with a childhood friend that I hadn't seen since we were kids (reconnected through facebook)
- Had a test run for a virtual/web conference baby shower we're having next weekend (that's how we do it in silicon valley - haha)
- Kinda/sorta helped out my friend with her wedding planning
- Started a special project for another friend that reads this blog so I can't reveal anymore ;)
- Did not do any work - yippee!!!
I'm kind of mad at myself because I went to all the trouble to pack my gym bag this morning and then forgot to pack the darn thing in my car! Sure I could go home after work, change, and then head to the gym but who are we kidding? Once I'm home, I don't usually head back out.
Ah well...
Friday, January 2, 2009
2008 Races Recap and NorCal Blogger Run
Happy New Year! Before I officially say good-bye to 2008, here's another look at all the races I ran this year... fifteen in total (that I can remember). I only ran five races in 2007 (well, technically four since Chicago was a DNF) so that was a big change this year.
Also can't forget Nancy's virtual races:
*****
The year ended on a high note as I joined a bunch of bloggers for a New Year's Eve afternoon run. Alisa was in town which inspired us to all get together for a blogger meet-up, thoughtfully organized by Aron. It was so fun to spend the afternoon with people that love to run and blog.
Liah, Sandra, Aron, me, Alisa and Julianne
(I honestly don't know why I'm doing the tippy toe thing)
I explained that I was fresh off a two and half month hiatus and the girls were great about it. We had a really nice four mile run on the Iron Horse trail. I hung in there for most of it but had to slow down a bit during the second half - thanks Sandra for sticking back with me! I was pretty amused, my heart rate monitor was blinking for about the entire second half of the run because my heart rate was so high. But I was proud of myself for not stopping to walk because I totally wanted to! :)
And after it was over - WOO! Those endorphins felt great! I forgot that great feeling you have after running. 'Course I was just glad it was over, too, heehee.
That night, I went to a house party and discovered that I *love* playing the drums in Rock Band. I thought I was a guitar girl - but no, the drums are where it's at!
- 1/13/08 Walt Disney World Marathon (5:25:46)
- 2/3/08 Kaiser Permanente SF Half Marathon (2:13:36)
- 2/18/08 President's Day 5K (28:45)
- 3/30/08 Embarcadero 10K (1:03:12)
- 5/3/08 Disney's Go Red for Women 5K (0:55:57)
- 5/4/08 Disney's Women Run the World 15K (1:34:56)
- 5/10/08 Human Race - 10K (1:01:00)
- 5/18/08 ING Bay to Breakers 12K (1:22:41)
- 7/13/08 Livestrong 5K (28:22)
- 8/3/08 SF Marathon 5K (27:41)
- 8/31/08 Disneyland Half Marathon (2:17:20)
- 9/14/2008 Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon (2:19:23)
- 9/28/08 Mermaid Duathlon (1:23:13)
- 10/5/08 San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (2:17:08)
- 10/19/08 Nike Women's Half Maraton (2:17:03)
Also can't forget Nancy's virtual races:
- Feb: 9 on the 9th
- May: 10K on the 10th (same as the Human Race mentioned above)
- August: 8 on the 8th
*****
The year ended on a high note as I joined a bunch of bloggers for a New Year's Eve afternoon run. Alisa was in town which inspired us to all get together for a blogger meet-up, thoughtfully organized by Aron. It was so fun to spend the afternoon with people that love to run and blog.
Liah, Sandra, Aron, me, Alisa and Julianne
(I honestly don't know why I'm doing the tippy toe thing)
I explained that I was fresh off a two and half month hiatus and the girls were great about it. We had a really nice four mile run on the Iron Horse trail. I hung in there for most of it but had to slow down a bit during the second half - thanks Sandra for sticking back with me! I was pretty amused, my heart rate monitor was blinking for about the entire second half of the run because my heart rate was so high. But I was proud of myself for not stopping to walk because I totally wanted to! :)
And after it was over - WOO! Those endorphins felt great! I forgot that great feeling you have after running. 'Course I was just glad it was over, too, heehee.
That night, I went to a house party and discovered that I *love* playing the drums in Rock Band. I thought I was a guitar girl - but no, the drums are where it's at!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Race Report: Bay to Breakers 12K (better late than never!)
Following Laura's example, here is my race report for the ING Bay to Breakers 12K that I ran on May 18th, 2008. (Do I win a prize for the most delayed race report?) It's been sitting in my draft folder forever and I just never had a chance to wrap it up... until now!****************
As I mentioned when I first signed up, Bay to Breakers is a HUGE event in San Francisco. I've heard anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 people participate. For most people, it's a huge party where everyone dresses up in costumes with their friends and booze it up while they walk the 12K as part of one massive parade of nonsense. My friends and I took this approach for six years in a row and always had a blast!
This year, I decided to change things up a bit and actually try running the thing. I wasn't sure how it would go since the race is so packed (with drunk and/or naked people, no less) plus there was that steep hill on Hayes Street. My friends were suprised that I planned to run it - in fact, one of my good friends that did the six previous B2Bs with me even asked, "Do people actually run that?"
Well, I was gonna go find out! Luckily, my friend Renu joined me for the race - her first B2B experience! We decided to dress up as 80's girls - it was the easiest, last minute costume that met our requirements for something lightweight (we were in a heatwave at the time), easy to run in, and cheap!
[Note: This is as far as I got in my original draft ... so the rest of it comes straight from my memory which is why there isn't much info. Oops - sorry!]
B2B is fun but like many other point to point races with a huge number of participants - it is a huge pain to get there and get back. Actually, it's not that bad to get there. But a lot of trains were packed on the way there. It was pretty cool when we finally arrived - you can see huge packs of people in all their crazy costumes. And the floats! People really go out of their way.
We got into our start corral and participated in the tradition of tortilla tossing. You wouldn't think they would hurt but when they smack you in the head, it kind of does!
It took us about 16 minutes to get to the start line after the race started... and then took us a little longer to weave around all the walkers. It was fun to see people's costumes on the course.
(I was a little disturbed by these old folks. I guess I appreciate their "spirit" but I wouldn't want my grandparents running around with these shirts!)
One of the highlights is seeing the running salmon that always run the race from the finish to the start:
After mile 2, we got to the dreaded Hayes Street Hill:
I planned to walk part of it but Renu motivated me to run most of it. It wasn't too bad.
We still saw some fun costumes once we were past the hill, but eventually it got less entertaining when it was just us runners.
The race was still pretty crowded which surprised me since I thought the race was mostly just party people. Unfortunately, there were still a lot of naked runners. Yikes!
It was pretty nice and quiet toward the end and we finally crossed the finish line. We hung around Footstock for a little bit and then eventually got in the crazy long lines for the Muni back to the start. If I ever do this again (which I probably won't), I would definitely try to have a car somewhere near the end. Or arrange for a pick-up.
Official Results:
Distance 12K
Clock Time 1:38:39
Chip Time 1:22:41
Race Pace: 11:06
Overall Place 8162 / 22439
Gender Place 2767 / 11518
Division Place 856 / 3017
To amuse myself, I found the results when I did the party version of this race back in 2002. Here are my results from then:
2002 Bay to Breakers Results:
Clock Time 3:39:03
Race Pace: 29:22
Overall Place 30590 / 31351
Gender Place 15041 / 15501
29:22 race pace??? Is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen or what? I think this can be attributed to making lots of stops to dance on the roofs of people's houses, keg stands (not me, my friends), bathroom breaks, and other nonsense.
As a final "treat", I now present you with a history of my B2B costumes over the years - enjoy!
2001 - The "Pink Slips" : Lay offs were in its hey day at the time... it was hilarious to see a bunch of big guys walking around in pink lingerie (size XXL, of course)!
2002 - Running of the Bulls: My friend and I actually made that paper mache bull that doubled as a large styrofoam cooler for our booze. Labor of love, I tell ya!
2003 - Mr. Personality Rejects: Does anyone remember this show? We actually saw another group that had a similar theme and they even had the host, Monica Lewinsky. (Well, not the real Monica.) Anyway, it was cheap and easy for a last minute costume.
2004 - Doctors and Nurses I had a dance competition that morning so I had to join this one halfway through the course at the panhandle. I learned that B2B isn't quite so fun when you're stone sober and all your friends are drunkity drunk.
2005 - Flight Attendants: I got completely separated from my group at this one and even got lost in Golden Gate park trying to find them once the course was re-routed.
2006 - Schoolgirls: Had fun with my friends but I think we all learned that maybe six in a row are enough B2B experiences for us.2007 - No B2B for me - had a last minute business trip in Asia instead.
2008 - 80's: Totally rad!
Monday, December 29, 2008
I knew it was gonna hurt...
So I haven't really run or done much of any kind of exercise since the Nike half - which was about two and a half months ago.
Since then, I've been home to Ohio a couple of times for some holiday vacation time, went to Japan on a business trip, and oh yeah, have become obsessed with Twilight :) I know a lot of you get antsy when you're not out there running. Me? Not so much. I definitely like being out there with my Nikes and my Garmin but I also am totally content with being a lazy couch potato. And the traveling has kept me busy as well.
But it is time to get back out there and start rebuilding my running base... especially now that I am eyeing some 2009 races.
I started today and took it nice and easy - 2 miles. I just went out there for a nice enjoyable run with no Garmin or heart rate monitor. The weather was gorgeous so it was great. BUT wow - two measly miles took a beating on me. I was kind of embarrassed but I knew I deserved it. I was panting so heavily at the end of my run - I wish I had worn a HRM just because I was curious how high it went up.
I am glad that I did get back out there again. I just need to keep at it. But I am pretty certain that I will not be doing the KP half in February.
For the lovely ladies that I will be seeing on Wednesday, please take it easy on me. ;)
Since then, I've been home to Ohio a couple of times for some holiday vacation time, went to Japan on a business trip, and oh yeah, have become obsessed with Twilight :) I know a lot of you get antsy when you're not out there running. Me? Not so much. I definitely like being out there with my Nikes and my Garmin but I also am totally content with being a lazy couch potato. And the traveling has kept me busy as well.
But it is time to get back out there and start rebuilding my running base... especially now that I am eyeing some 2009 races.
I started today and took it nice and easy - 2 miles. I just went out there for a nice enjoyable run with no Garmin or heart rate monitor. The weather was gorgeous so it was great. BUT wow - two measly miles took a beating on me. I was kind of embarrassed but I knew I deserved it. I was panting so heavily at the end of my run - I wish I had worn a HRM just because I was curious how high it went up.
I am glad that I did get back out there again. I just need to keep at it. But I am pretty certain that I will not be doing the KP half in February.
For the lovely ladies that I will be seeing on Wednesday, please take it easy on me. ;)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thoughts for 2009...
Like everyone else, I've been compiling my race list for 2009 for quite awhile now. So although I haven't been actually running, I have been thinking about it - that counts for something, right? (Right?)
First, here is the list of anything and everything that sounded appealing to me...
2009 "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Race Calendar (blue = bike, green = duathlon) (UPDATE: Just to clarify, I don't plan to do all of these - they are just the master list of race ideas)
But after the craziness of 2008, I think one of my main goals for 2009 is to simply: s p a c e * m y * r a c e s * o u t ! ! !
Also, I've really only run once since Nike so when I get back to running next week, I'll have to rebuild my base all over again. I might be interested in running the KP half again (especially now that it is chip timed - FINALLY!) but I just don't think a month will be enough training for me to run a decent race.
So here is what I *think* I will shoot for:
First, here is the list of anything and everything that sounded appealing to me...
2009 "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Race Calendar (blue = bike, green = duathlon) (UPDATE: Just to clarify, I don't plan to do all of these - they are just the master list of race ideas)
- Feb 1st: KP Half Marathon or 5K
- March 15th: Emerald Across the Bay 12K
- March 22nd: Mermaid 5K/10K/Half Marathon - Mountain View, CA
- April 4th: Cinderella Classic (65 mi)
- May 17th: Cleveland Half Marathon
- May 30th: See Jane Run Half Marathon - Alameda
- June 7th: Mermaid Duathlon - Fremont
- June 7th: America's Most Beautiful Ride - Lake Tahoe
- July 12th: LiveStrong - 5K or Bike ride
- July 19th: Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon
- July 26th: SF Marathon / Half Marathon / 5K
- September 27th: Mermaid Duathlon - Santa Cruz
- October 18th: Nike Women's Half Marathon
- November 1st: ING NYC Marathon
- November 14th: Mermaid 5K/10K Run - San Francisco, CA
- November 15th: Big Sur Half Marathon
- November 26th: Cleveland Turkey Trot
- December 6th: California International Marathon
- January 2010: Goofy Challenge, Walt Disney World
But after the craziness of 2008, I think one of my main goals for 2009 is to simply: s p a c e * m y * r a c e s * o u t ! ! !
Also, I've really only run once since Nike so when I get back to running next week, I'll have to rebuild my base all over again. I might be interested in running the KP half again (especially now that it is chip timed - FINALLY!) but I just don't think a month will be enough training for me to run a decent race.
So here is what I *think* I will shoot for:
2009 Race Targets
- May 17th: Cleveland Half Marathon
- June 7th: Mermaid Duathlon - Fremont
- July 19th: Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon (already registered with Team ROHO!)
- October 18th: Nike Women's Half Marathon (assuming I get in)
- November 1st: ING NYC Marathon (*** at least do the lottery to maintain my shot for 2011)
- December 6th: California International Marathon (goal: sub-5:00 finish which would mean a PR by 25 minutes - shoot for the stars, right???)
- January 2010: Goofy Challenge, Walt Disney World (goal: finish and have fun)
I might try to squeeze in some 5Ks and bike rides in there as well, but I will just play it by ear.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is planning to do!
Monday, December 22, 2008
TIART: A Year in Review and Blogger Meet Up!
Better late than never, right? After a month's absence from my blog (bad Audrey), below is my response to last week's theme from Take It and Run Thursday - A Year in Review in 52 words or less.
2008 Running Highlights (52 words on the dot!)
In more fun news... I had a blind date Friday night.
... with the awesomely fun Aron, Maritza, and Tara! Let me just tell you, it was so wonderful to meet such great girls that share my love for running (OK, maybe not so much love from me in the last couple of months) and Twilight!!! Is it wrong for adult women to squeal and giggle at a movie? No, I don't think so. If you haven't read the books, just give in to the hype and check them out. You will thank us later. And be sure to get the entire 4-book series, you won't stop at the first one. :)
Here's the four of us at the movies (thanks for the pic Aron!):
These girls are just as nice and fun as they are on their blogs - can't wait to hang out with them more!
Happy holidays everyone!
2008 Running Highlights (52 words on the dot!)
- Ran my second marathon with a new PR
- Scored 2nd place female finisher overall in 5K
- First international run
- Joined my sister for her first 5K
- Ran my first 15K
- Ran my first 12K
- Celebrity running
- Participated in my first duathlon
- Ran four half marathons in eight weeks
- Lost my first toenail
In more fun news... I had a blind date Friday night.
... with the awesomely fun Aron, Maritza, and Tara! Let me just tell you, it was so wonderful to meet such great girls that share my love for running (OK, maybe not so much love from me in the last couple of months) and Twilight!!! Is it wrong for adult women to squeal and giggle at a movie? No, I don't think so. If you haven't read the books, just give in to the hype and check them out. You will thank us later. And be sure to get the entire 4-book series, you won't stop at the first one. :)
Here's the four of us at the movies (thanks for the pic Aron!):
These girls are just as nice and fun as they are on their blogs - can't wait to hang out with them more!
Happy holidays everyone!
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