Short Angry Person

Drymax Love

2010-05-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

So the other day as I prepared for my first run in ages, I could not for the life of me find a clean match to my one drymax sock. So, as shameful as it was, I grabbed what I hoped was an equivalent thicker sock from the drawer and stuck it on my other foot. Luckily I wear ankle braces, so it wasn't really an issue from a fashion standpoint.

So, long story short, 5 miles in, I get a hotspot on my right foot which causes me to change my gait a bit. Not good for someone with back issues, plus with more runs in the works for the following week, the last thing I needed was downtime to heel a blister. I walked the last mile to the car cursing my poor laundry skills and thinking sweet thoughts of my one drymax sock which was lovingly encasing my pain free foot. Drymax, I love you.

Chinese Medicine for Altitude

2010-04-13T15:50:00.001-07:00

Altigen optimizes the use of oxygen, minimizes fatigue and can help to pre-empt or relieve symptoms of altitude sickness such as dizziness, shortness of breath, headache and nausea.

There was also this one: Sheng Mai San

These are untested by me, but if anyone wants to volunteer and let me know how it goes, please do!

It's official. They stink!

2009-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's official, there is something about the Vibrams that promote the stank. I washed mine for the first time on Friday night because something about the smell was bugging me, and left them in the sun to dry on Saturday. One shouldn't take off shoes at the end of the day and get a light whiff of foot. That's just wrong.

Sunday comes along and for my afternoon in the park, I grab my Vibrams and put my nose to the shoe. Hmm, ok, mild something something, but maybe I'm imagining it. Monday comes along and I whip them on and spend a day at school. 7:30 I'm home, peel them off and decide to give them another whiff. Eww, now something's just not right, I just washed these!

I immediately hopped onto the computer and found this thread. A must read for Vibram owners. Seems like the most effective (and luckily chemical free) way of eliminating the smell is to soak them in vinegar! So, they're sitting in a pot of vinegar & water (1-3 cup ratio) right now. I'll rinse them out and dry them in the sun tomorrow. Will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, my shoes continue to be the topic of conversation both at school and public places. It's kinda fun. And other than the smell, they really are super comfortable.

KSO Vibrams - Week 1

2009-09-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Rating: Pretty Awesome

Pros: very comfortable, conversation starter

Cons: feet feel cold and clammy, maybe smells easily

After what seemed like a 2 month wait (it was probably less), I finally got the call from Zombierunners that my KSO's were in! I was so excited to try them out. Curious to see how they felt and hopeful that, in the end, they will be what I need to really strengthen up my perpetually sprained ankles.

The plan was just to wear them as much as possible at school and out doing whatever errands I had outside. One thing that concerned me from the time I tried them on at the store was how difficult it was to slip them on. It wasn't maneuvering the toes into the right sockets so much as trying to pull the heel out to fit the rest of my foot in. It seemed to take a lot of effort and strain to drag the back of the shoe back and out to allow you to squish the heel in. There is a tab at the back of the shoe that helps with this, but it took me a better part of a week to get a rhythm down. I found with the KSO's that it helps to make sure that the mesh on top is smoothly pulled over the dorsum of the foot first before you try putting the heel part back, and I found that by the end of the week, there was a tiny bit more stretch in the shoe, so it's not too bad now. And getting my toes in the right place has become a lot simpler. They just seem to know where to go now.

Comfort-wise, I was in heaven. I am not an avid barefoot walker so I was wondering how I would feel very flat to the ground with no heel support. Mentally, it almost makes you feel like a kid again. It's an oddly freeing sensation to feel as if you're walking barefoot everywhere. I also found it easier to manage my comfort when sitting in chairs. I'm short. Rarely do I spend much time with my feet dangling from a chair. I tend to tuck them to my side or sit cross legged. With the Vibrams I didn't have to take off my shoes to do it. Nice.

I have not tested the Vibram's comfort level on any type of rough terrain. The roughest I got was some broken up pavement in a parking lot just yesterday. The rest of the time has been on smooth pavement, rug, linoleum, sidewalk and the like. I am curious to see how my feet will feel on a trail hike. Maybe next weekend. This weekend is just trail running for which I still wear trail shoes and ankle braces.

My only 3 concerns were the cold, the clammy-ness, and the possibly/maybe smell.
I sit in a lot of cold classrooms with linoleum floors. It doesn't take too long before my feet feel very cold. I don't think my foot will fit in the shoe if I wore Injinji's so I'm a bit concerned about what to do when the colder weather comes along. Tucking them underneath me only helps a tiny bit.

The other issue I had was the feeling that my feet were wet and sweaty in the shoe. When I stuck my finger along the edge to check and when I have taken the shoe off, I have never found them to be "wet". Just a bit clammy. The bottom of the shoe just doesn't breath at all which I suppose is a big duh since the foot is pretty much encased in rubber. It's an odd sensation, but something I can probably get used to.

I read somewhere online that there was a smell concern with some people. To be honest, I didn't think I would have a problem. My shoes and my feet have just never gotten that smelly. Well, except maybe 20 years ago when I was wearing Keds with no socks. During this past week, I would check the shoe every now and then . It pretty much smelled like strong rubber to me. But just in case, I threw them in the wash this morning. Love this feature by the way. Upon coming back from my run, I took them out and gave them a good sniff. I can't deny it, I think I smell feet. They're sitting in the sun right now to dry. I hope this doesn't become a bigger problem. Maybe I should start powdering my feet? Really don't want to do that though.

But all in all, I am loving how they feel. I have experienced no pain or jarring. The grip on the ground is awesome. I do have to remind myself that they are, in fact, shoes and shouldn't really be put on tabletops, couches, and other places where maybe feet are allowed but shoes are gross. It's hard to remember though since they feel so feet-like. :)

Quicksilver 1/2 Marathon

2009-09-14T16:49:00.001-07:00

Just a quick recap of my "comeback" run of the year. Have I actually completed anything this year? I think I finished a 25K at Angel Island in June (yup, just checked), so it's not really like I haven't done anything this year; but after spraining my ankle again in July, it sure feels like it.

More than anything, I was scared to death of re-spraining one of my ankles. Which, in another sense is rather an accomplishment since I wasn't scared to death of injuring my back. And more than anything, I was afraid of the complete mortification I would feel should I injury myself again and everyone were to find out. My ankle sprains have actually become extremely embarrassing for me. I mean, come on, how many times does it have to happen before somebody feels compelled to set up an intervention. I was actually very happy it was a non PCTR race so I wouldn't know as many people. Crazy eh.

I am not going to recap every great moment. Just suffice to say that I did my best. Todd (best friend galore) was my lead. I did everything I could to just to try to keep him in sight and he was gracious enough to wait for me at every aid station before he would take off again. And the sheer number of runners who just DIDN'T STOP RUNNING on the insane uphills were enough make me dig in deep and keep a nonstop forward motion plod. Todd and I ended up with a nice little posse in the last 5 miles or so. All in sync and all pushing each other to finish those last miles. I loved that. It's part of what I miss at races.

Anyways, it was a great day. I have done practice runs longer than this, but have never ended up as sore as I am today. Goes to show what pushing yourself will do. The weather was blissfully cool on those Quicksilver hills, but about 15 feet from the finish I ended up with what would be my first small muscle cramp in my right calf. I'm sure it has something to do with my nutrition. I am avoiding all the processed sports drinks and gels and am trying to rely just on homemade stuff, but I need to make sure that I am doing it right. But hey, first calf cramp! Exciting!

Thanks Adam Blum for RD'ing a great race and a thank you to all the enthusiastic volunteers. It was a gooooood day.

Injury. Recover. Run. Repeat.

2009-08-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

Due to the monotony of constantly writing about health issues, I have stopped blogging for a while. Not quite sure why I'm writing anything now except that I feel compelled to avoid studying for my finals for as long as possible today. I've been doing a pretty good job at it actually.

So, really, it's been a great year. The low back has been, except for a bad bout early this year, pretty darn stable. Running has been ramping up. Not so much in weekly mileage, but my muscle memory was sure starting to kick back in with long runs up to 16 miles with little wear and tear. So I sprained an ankle again 3 weeks ago. So what!! All par for the course. A little embarrassing, yes. Okay, a lot embarrassing actually, but hey, been there done that. Ran twice this past week with a hike on the trails today. Feeling pretty good. Both ankles are now and forever lashed into ankle supports. I hate wearing them. They get really hot and itchy, but hopefully they'll stop me from rolling them as often as I do. Felt good to smell the dirt again today at Hidden Villa.

Vibram Five Fingers are on order. I hate being so trendy, but if they can help strenghthen my feet and structure, maybe it's worth a shot. I will probably write a bit about that when I get them.

So, off she goes. It's the "Run" part now. Maybe I should start a betting pool for when "Repeat" might happen. (sigh)

Runner Food of the Month :: Pho Ngon

2009-04-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

New pho place in Mountain View that I loooove. Granted, all I ever get are spring rolls and Pho Tai, but what else does one need! This place didn't get great reviews in yelp which I usually think are pretty helpful, but for the items that I get, I think they are outstanding. The broth is clear, clean, and incredibly flavorful. You get real-looking slices of non fatty beef and the spring rolls actually seem and taste freshly made with fresh ingredients instead of the mishmash of mystery ingredients you usually get (sorry about the run on sentence).

They're a little pricey compared to the typical Pho Hoa type places, but since I don't eat out a lot, it's worth it to me. As a new little shop, the service is very eager and helpful. I love them, so help me keep them in business.

Pho Ngon
2500B El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040

Quote of the Day

2009-04-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

"They are not as alarming as they used to be"

In response to my question of whether I had lost a lot of muscle tone in my calves.

OMG! Edit! Edit! Delete and check mental thesaurus for god's sake!

2 days!

2009-03-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 2nd day of "practice" jogging on the trails. My purpose was to hike and get myself a much needed outdoor fix, but come on, when you're in your trail shoes on a trail, it's hard to not run. Maybe next time I wear heels.

Both trips were to Arastradero which like other parks around here right now is so beautiful and green and pristine it looked like a photoshopped image, animals included. Both times, I have come away with a lot of tightness and today in particular, a sore spot on my left hip. But, no nerve pain, it just feels like a bad knot. I can deal with that.
Hopefully I can keep this up and start training already. Meanwhile, it's yoga day.

2009-03-15T14:32:00.001-07:00

Hiked Quicksilver with the mom, the cousins, and the dog. Such an awesome park with everything so green. Was able to jog a bit here and there with the dog and have high hopes that it will not bite me in the ass later today or tomorrow.

2009-03-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Was supposed to hike Sierra Azul today with the boy. Instead we got up at 9, had breakfast downstairs, then went back to bed with mugs of coffee and season of House DVD's. Oops.

2009-03-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I want to run trails. Badly.

Slow Beginnings

2009-03-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Still in recovery I'm afraid and making some progress this past week. There are multiple reasons that I think this setback not only occurred but lingered, and I'm afraid it was because of my new diet. I have been experimenting of late after reading Gary Taubes, Good Calories Bad Calories. I still highly recommend the book. I do not highly recommend screwing it up like I think I did. I followed his concept of eliminating all processed carbohydrates which I think is absolutely valid. However, while I upped my protein intake tremendously (beef, chicken, pork, cheeses, nuts, etc), I did not keep an even balance with vegetables and fruits. As a result one of my acupuncturist's checked and found that I was on the end of the scale for acidic ph balance in my body. If you read up on acidity in the body, it contributes to a whole host of ailments, from depression to inflammation, to cancer etc.

This past week I have been eating my veggies, taking supplements (alkaline balancing drops in my water, fish oil pills, vit d supplements, and a multi vitamin), and doing a lot of moxa (deep heat treatments for my back). I am seeing slow improvements, but significant ones. My depression has decreased quite a bit from the previous weeks, my teeth are no longer sensitive, and my back no longer hurts during the day, though it is still uncomfortable in the mornings.

My depression is worth explaining a tiny bit more. I am used to disappointment from not being able to run. I have dealt with it pretty well over the last 2 years. The depression that hit me this time around was nothing I could wrap my head around. It was deep and it actually didn't make sense to me. I am nearly positive it had everything to do with my ph and not just back pain which, really, I am so bored with in a sense that disappointment hardly registers anymore.

So I guess the lesson learned is balance which I will be doing in earnest this time around. I am looking forward to seeing if next week is better and the week after better still. I think I may have delayed my return to ultras yet again, but it's still on the schedule for 2009.

And thanks to Victoria again for tuning me into yogatoday.com. It has been helping me a lot in my down time.

2009-02-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

cuz it's funny

2009-02-02T11:27:00.001-08:00

I guess there was a reason I haven't put anything on the race calendar this year. After a stellar 8 months or so of steady recovery, improvements, and little in the way of setbacks, my lower back went kabloooey (sp?) on Saturday. Not quite sure why. Maybe it was running pavement 2 days before, maybe all that traveling the first 2 weeks of January finally caught up with me, or maybe it was that rather, umm, fun evening a week ago. Either way, something caught up with me and I am going thru the likes of which I have not felt in a long time.

Soo, here we go again: stretching, physical therapy, acupuncture, qigong, a few Advil here and there, and that oh so yummy friend, Scotch Whisky. When I can actually move like a normal human again and lift items that weigh more than 8 ounces, I will start pounding the volunteer trail again. Til then, pray for rain, but meanwhile enjoy the killer weather.

Fair Trade Shopping

2009-01-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the assuagement of guilt for being a free wheeling tourist in Cambodia, I am finding a lot of sites online that deal with fair trade sale of merchandise from "disadvantaged artisans" from around the world. This one is pretty neat, with stuff that even a student can afford.

Ten Thousand Villages

Finally!

2009-01-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Got my lazy ass out the door to do a run around Mountain View in insanely beautiful weather. Felt...sooo....goood.

This Has Been January 09

2009-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've disappeared for about a month and this is what I've been doing.

Visiting temples.

Exploring ruins.

Going native.

Attending wedding ceremonies. Not mine.

Chilling out.

Contemplating poverty.

And generally being fascinated by a different world.

My trip to Camodia recently was mixed. It was a wonderfully rich chance to explore a world I have never seen and to enjoy the company of acquaintances that I got to know better. On the other hand, I have never been exposed to so much poverty before. That was very difficult to reconcile with just being a tourist. I would definitely go back (Angkor Wat and surrounding temples were incredible), but would try to work with a relief agency for part of the trip. I am no saint, but it seems like it would be rewarding, and of course allay a bit of the guilt complex I am very good at.

My running has been almost nil of late. I ran in a hotel gym once while in Cambodia and ran on the streets the day after I arrived. I didn't repeat the outdoor running for the rest of the trip. It felt wrong to "jog" by women, babies, men, amputees sleeping in fields and street corners with no shoes, shelter, or food. Am I crazy? I know we see it here, especially in places like SF and Santa Cruz, but the sheer abundance of it and the fact that there is no stable social system in place made it uncomfortable. And yes, you can add that the jetlag and ensuing activities encouraged the lazy in me, but still.

But back in the real world, the cold (California cold that is) is killing all motivation to get up in the morning and run. I had great hopes this morning of starting a training schedule with an alarm set to go off at 6:15 in time for me to hit the gym by 6:30, but umm, I got up after 8. But there's always tomorrow...

Book Recommendation for 2009

2009-01-20T10:51:00.001-08:00

Happy new year everyone. Just in time to ruin modern foods for you forever, I present a great book that I have been reading this month. Science writer, Gary Taubes, presents all the research, methodology, and reasons behind all the diet jargon that we have been fed for the last century.

It makes you think twice about the information we have been given over the years on refined carbohydrates, cholesterol and saturated fats, etc..

Anyways, use your own judgment. Theories on nutrition seem to change all the time. But, above all, educate yourself. If preventing cancer and other diseases is as simple (and painful!) as eliminating a few things from the diet, isn't that worth it?

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs and the Controversial Science of Diet & Health

The Comeback Race of the Year

2008-12-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

Rodeo Pix

I was really nervous going into this race. Not only was it going to be slightly longer than my recent Woodside run which I found successful but painful, I was going into the race very very sore from a workout 2 days before. Training has been nothing but light all year, so that wasn't so much of an issue. It was knowing that I was starting with more than my usual deficits that made my stomach ache on the drive in.

I had run/walked the course backwards from Tennessee Valley to the Start/Finish last year for PCTR's Inaugural Headlands 100 race hanging glowsticks, but I was still pretty intimidated after seeing the 50 and 30K'ers take off and after 15 minutes still seeing them way in the distance wending their way up the steep hills. The goal this time, as it had been at Woodside was to maintain and more importantly keep the slow ultra shuffle all the way thru the race. No racing for time, no trying to catch other runners, just keep it cool and try not to walk. Walking always seems harder anyways, so I just had to keep my pace and breathing under control. I didn't follow my plan so well at Woodside which is why I think I felt so bad about that run.

As everyone knew that day, the weather gods were shining on all of us. I was dressed "for Wisconsin" in winter is how Sarah put it and I was! I came prepared to freeze my ass off. But on several folks' advice, I peeled off my windbreaker and my hat but left my gloves on. And thank goodness, it was perfect running weather. We started up the hill and I took it very easy inevitably worrying about how close I was to last and wondering if I could push it harder than I was. I hate my brain sometimes. But before I knew it I was climbing down into the Tennessee Valley AS feeling completely relaxed, not out of breath, with body and mind feeling really strong. I couldn't believe it. Nowadays, before it hits 3 miles in I'm usually wondering how I'm going to finish. This time around it had not registered into my consciousness and I was over 6 miles in! Unbelievable.

After piling some M&M's and Goldfish into my vest pocket, I started up a mild but impossibly long long long uphill climb. The ultra shuffle took over and except for 1 short stint of hiking, I pretty much made it most of the way up with a slow run. 2 runners passed me on this section, but I was pleasantly surprised at how I was steadily ticking past one runner after another. The views were nothing but beautiful as I wound up and down around those hills.

Before I knew it I hit another AS which was a happy surprise for me. I did not prepare in any sense for this race and didn't expect another AS after Tennessee. With a quick hello and a pic of Steve A and another volunteer, Steve helpfully kicked me out of there, which in hindsight was great because I was all ready to kick back and chat. He probably shaved a good 10 minutes off my time. :-)

The run out of that last AS was very fun. Winding all the way down around those hills found me ticking off more runners and trying to catch up to a huge group way up in the distance. It was near the end, so I allowed myself to push myself a little bit. The hardest part of this race was hitting the flats. I am horribly slow on hilly trails, but I am somehow even more horribly slow on flat ground. Not only that, the anticipation of hitting that finish line was playing brutal tricks with my mind and endurance. But finish I did with a time of 2:17:32, 11:11 pace. Considering I had a rough estimate of 3 hours in my head, I was extremely happy.

A great race to end the year. Happy holidays and wishing everyone a fabulous 2009.

Chikara Omine racing past me to win the 30K.

Ouch again

2008-12-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Did what for me was a fairly torturous sprint from the car dealership and back yesterday. The car (not me) needed an oil change badly. Not much more than 2 miles combined (maybe!) and today my back hurts like hell. Back pain is a bitch, and so is cement.

(just in case you forgot what cement looked like, I found this photo for you. No kidding, but this guy is someone named Councillor David Pickles from the city of Pickering.)

Warning:: A Look into Miki's Brain

2008-12-12T07:30:00.001-08:00

It was a dream. I was entered into Western States 100 and was on my way there in a huge RV with Chris along as crew. Upon getting there, we, along with others, were swallowed up by a huge lake. The first image was of me and Chris in crystal clear deep waters struggling to stay afloat but then me being dragged down by the huge backpack I was wearing. I eventually let it go and watched it sink to the bottom. The next image was of us in the RV sinking down. Chris opened a window but somehow the water didn't come rushing in quite yet and we didn't bother getting out until the RV had sunk to the bottom, at which point I yelled at Chris to suck in some oxygen and get out of here. For some reason he was confused, so I pushed him out and we both slowly floated to the top. I eventually swam down again to retrieve my backpack since I figured I would really need things from it for the race. I never swam back to the RV.

Next was the mission to find Olga's house whom I have known of for a while, but only actually met this past summer. She had invited me to stay at her house during Western States. I eventually found her house which turned out to consist of a small room, and it was already full of other runners in sleeping bags all over the floor and in her bed. Olga was camped out on the floor for some reason and not in her bed. I remember thinking that was strange. Anyways, she did not seem very pleased to see me, and as her place seemed very full already, I left. Besides which, I needed to prep for Western States the next day.

This is when I realized that I had brought nothing with me. No water pack, no drop bags, no special foods, nothing. There was a store around that wasn't open yet, but I was allowed to wander around and noticed that they had the Nathan's pack that I had left at home. My strategy became that I would start the race with nothing but that meanwhile Chris would purchase the things I needed and give them to me at the aid station around noon.

It was then that I considered not starting at all since all these turn of events had been very stressful and had left me feeling completely unprepared. However, I began to think of all the people who were expecting me to run and felt the pressure to at least toe the line.

That's it. Have no idea what it means. Probably a look into my brain that no one should see. It's not my usual anxiety dream. Or maybe it is. Finals are next week after all.

Palo Alto Baylands Trail, Stevens Creek Upper County Park, Larry Visak Memorial Run, Wunderlich Park

2008-11-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

..and Thanksgiving. I'm tired guys. Really really tired, but it's been a wonderful week of trails, family, friends, food, more friends and a real feeling of being blessed. Thanks to all of you that I was able to see in person and those many who texted from far away. I was surprised by the number of text greetings this year for turkey day. It was really nice!

I was going to post a few more photos, but seems Blogspot is not being cooperative. Here's a link to more Larry Visak Memorial Run photos. The fact that it was a memorial run for a dear friend of friends made for a sad premise, but for bringing together friends and familiar faces it was truly a celebration of life and how lucky we are to have been able to share that morning together. Cheers everyone. Stay healthy.

Soothing the Sore Throat

2008-11-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

After a week of randomly trying different things for my sore throat, the only thing that seems to have made a difference is turmeric. I have been drinking cups and cups of hot water with a tsp of turmeric in it and for the first time, this morning, there is a reduction in the pain in my throat. Adding a slice of fresh ginger and honey can also help.

And speaking of health,

for you ultrarunners, winter should be a time to heal and nourish the body for the coming year. As much as you can, hold back a little on the craziness and let your body heal so it can continue strong in the years to come. Enjoy the outdoors but don't push yourself as hard as you might in the summer.

The following excerpt is from a 16th century poet and medical scholar of how to live the 4 seasons. It is in itself a simplified translation of the Nei Jing which was written centuries before that on how to live a healthy life in touch with the seasons. The Nei Jing is considered to be the basis of Classical Chinese Medicine.

Winter:
During the three months of winter, heaven and earth shut down and go into a state of storage. Water turns to ice and earth splits open, and the yang qi of nature stays unperturbed. Go to bed early, therefore, and get up only after the warming rays of the sun have appeared in the morning. Avoid cold and seek out warmth, and be careful not to purge the body's skin layer [with extreme diaphoretic measures]. Otherwise harm to the kidney network will occur, and consequently the germinating forces of spring will be impaired. During the following season of spring, then, offenders may suffer from diseases like muscular atrophy, paralysis, or stroke.

In winter, the yang is submerged within. If somebody suffers from an ailment, therefore, it is advisable to dispel existing pathogens from the body with emetic methods. Diaphoretics should not be used excessively during this time, since they easily drain out precious yang qi; the heart and diaphragm region, moreover, tend to easily accumulate heat in winter. This is the season to take a combination of tonic materials steeped in wine, or to drink 1-2 small cups of shanyao (dioscorea) wine every day to foster yang qi. At night, do not immediately collapse into bed, but settle down with leisure. Wear padded winter clothes during the coldest time, but add them gradually and not all at once; stop increasing the layers just when you have added enough to not feel cold anymore. Do not warm yourself in front of a roaring fire, since this winter habit may bring about particularly harmful consequences. The hands and feet, namely, have an affinity to the heart network, and should therefore never be toasted over a fire. The fire may otherwise be enticed into the heart and create symptoms of restlessness. For the same reasons, avoid grilling food over an open fire. Keep in mind that just as cooling medicines are not effective against extremely hot disorders, warming medicines do not work for extremely cold diseases--the nature of water is damp, while fire is dry.

One should nourish heart qi by decreasing salty foods and increasing bitter ones. This is because the winter months are associated with kidney water which in turn is affected by salty flavors. To prevent water from developing an overbearing influence on fire and thereby plunging the heart into a state of disharmony, it is best to nourish heart qi in a preventative manner. Also, it is best to withdraw to a tightly sealed dwelling in winter, and to make sure that one's food intake is regulated and the clothing adjusted to the changes in temperature. Do not try to be daring and expose yourself to cold wind, especially if you are old, because winter poses an increased risk of catching wind cold, which will result in symptoms such as coughing, numbness of the extremities, dizziness, etc.

In winter, the earth's yang qi resides within, while the yin qi is at the surface. Old people who often tend to exhibit heat symptoms above and cold symptoms below should therefore not take hot baths during this time. At a time when the yang smolders inside, extreme sweating may occur when one is exposed to scorching heat. At an advanced age the bones are brittle and the flesh is frail, and the body is thus easily influenced by stimuli of this sort.

Since winter is the time when external disorders are easily contracted, do not go outside at an early hour, or you will be in danger of being assaulted by frost. Drink a small cup of wine in the morning to expel the cold; in the evening take some herbs that eliminate internal heat. In this fashion, you will harmonize your heart qi and prevent pathological heat qi from flushing up. In winter, avoid the following: sex, excessive consumption of baked foods, meat, flour products, won-ton dumplings, etc.

Lake Chabot

2008-11-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since Todd and I did a run together, so last weekend we decided on a simple 9 miler around Lake Chabot. Totally nostalgic for me. I volunteered at Dick Collins last year so I have been back to the Finish area, but I had not run those trails since my race there in 2006. It was a beautiful clear day and not at all muddy considering it had stormed the night before. It was good to have Todd there. He pushed me at the end and it seemed that I pushed him in the middle. Such a great run when you just want to chill out and not deal so much with steep mountain climbs. Can't wait to go back and see if I can push the mileage up a bit.

More Rain on my Parade

2008-11-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Tobiko with uzura (fish roe on top of rice with raw quail egg) has got to be one of my most favorite foods on the planet. A visit to the sushiya is never quite complete without those flavors in my mouth. To my dismay, I just found out that the way they process the tobiko includes aspartame. Others like Mirin Rice Vinegar (a staple in sushi rice), Ajipon (common citrus sauce used in japanese cooking) and the ginger that comes with your sushi include msg and/or aspartame. This crushes my soul. The advent of cheap synthetic sugars is totally ruining my life.

However, I did google around and found that companies are offering non msg versions of japanese sauces and I have found a ginger recipe that I can make at home. I will have to sneak my ginger in restaurants under the table. Sad. So far though, I think the sake is safe. glug glug.

Yapping

2008-11-07T13:13:00.001-08:00

My neighbors breed chihuahuas. Sometimes they're cute and sometimes I just want to feed them to my cat they're so friggin noisy. And no, the image is not of my neighbor. :)

Hopefully I will be joining Todd this weekend for a run around Lake Chabot. I have been lucky enough to have run quite a bit in the last week and as a result, my stress levels have shot down dramatically. Go figure.

Reminder to self

2008-10-31T09:04:00.001-07:00

After a year and a half of minimal running, it is okay to have multiple crappy runs. Just give it time and meanwhile, enjoy the view.

Just Avoid the Center Aisles

2008-10-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

To add further to the food scare, is another list of items to avoid. The following list is a list of common items found in packaged foods which contain MSG (monosodium glutamate) which is an excitotoxin , triggering a process in the body which is believed to be linked to spinal cord injuries, stroke, alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, etc.. It sucks big time to have to be so careful of the foods we eat, but that's the world we live in. To be safe, try to shop as much as possible on the outer perimeter of grocery stores which have the fresh vegetables and meats. And yeah, organic if financially feasible.

Check your labels runners, especially your supplements. Be safe and healthy.

Additives that always contain MSG

Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Additives that frequently contain MSG

Malt extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavoring
Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

Additives that may contain MSG or excitotoxins

Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate

SF One Day

2008-10-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

Once again SF One Day arrived and I was prepared to watch Todd Wong conquer the 12 hour instead of fizzling into a huddled shivery mess like he did last year. And I mean "mess" in the nicest way. A shivering, nauseous, mass of weak wet noodle mess. And this was at least 2 hours before actual cutoff.

The day was unseasonably warm as I arrived around 3:30 after having gone to a class in Santa Cruz that morning. As usual I drove around for a good 15 minutes before I figured out where the tents were set up, but found them I did and parked close by so that I could unload the 3 pumpkin pies and whip cream that I had made the night before. Last year, Todd guiltily professed to me that he had probably eaten most of a pumpkin pie that was left out for the runners; eating slice after slice on each loop. So this year, I made 3 of them so there would be enough left for others. Turns out Todd barely touched the stuff this year so no more perks for him. Ungrateful......

Anyways, no big stories from me. I stayed until 10 on Saturday night, helping to man the aid station, helping myself to the fantastic food, and having a great time as usual. I ran a few laps with Todd and saw him finish strong having achieved his longest run to date at a whopping 47 miles. Toni Lambio ran her very first ultra and despite painful cramps, persevered to reach 35 miles. Toni, I think your fried fish for lunch was key!! :D

Andy Kumeda, whom I had picked up from the airport the day before came damn close to his goal of 115 and came in at 2nd place overall and 1st in his age group with 114.2 miles for the 24 Hour. Coolio! He's taking a nap right now (shhhh).

Another wonderful race in a beautiful place for PCTR. Loved hanging with all of you again.

SF One Day pix

The Curse of Higuchi

2008-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

(update)

Chihping found the full 500 page pdf online!

Noteable clips I pulled from the text...

"...lost souls of Higuchi."

"After losing Xena at Higuchi..."

"Whatever had happened at Higuchi was evil..."

"She felt the strange sensations that she experienced on the shores of Higuchi."

From what I understand, Xena was killed in Higuchi. Bummer. Sorry bout that.

Every once in a while, aimless internet surfing can bring about some amusing discoveries. I'm studying for midterms but needing to break free every now and again, I turned to the keyboard to google my brother's name. He's going thru some "employment" issues shall we say and I was curious to see if 1: he had written anything blog-wise or 2: someone had written about him.

What came up in my search were multiple links to "The Curse of Higuchi". Wondering what on earth that could be, I clicked on the links to find it to be a piece of fan fiction written by a fan of Xena the Warrior Princess. "Higuchi" is apparently a city. While Xena is a personal hero of mine, I am not inclined to read it. However, I think the title is brilliant! Curse indeed.

Mrs. May's All Natural Coconut Almond

2008-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

I grabbed a bag of these from Zombierunners since they were expired. All I can say is that they're damn tasty and plenty addictive. They're "all natural", no cholesterol, dairy free, no additives, wheat free, preservative free. The only caveat is that it's not "organic" that I can tell and contains cane juice (which is at least on the preferred list of sugars). The package also doesn't seem to be recyclable. But overall, pretty good for packaged goo.

The Skinny on Sugars

2008-10-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Most of our daily diets are loaded with sugar whether we realize it or now. Take a look at the labels on the packaged foods in your home. It's hard to find the ones that don't contain any sugars, including the natural ones such as cane or rice syrup. I remember searching for spaghetti sauce a few years back and so far have only found 1 that contained no sugar. It was a Trader Joe brand, and only 1 flavor out of their selection passed that test.

Our bodies and exercise habits as a modern society have failed to keep up with the sugar load we get everyday which is a source of inflammation and free radicals and excess fat. Ultrarunners do their job in balancing this mix more than sedentary people, but we are also known to justify overindulgence because of what we do; not to mention the GU's, Cytomax, Sports Beans, and Cliff Shot Blocks that go into our mouths that are often loaded not only with processed sugars but other artificial ingredients that our bodies do not naturally digest.

The best advice would be to avoid all processed sugars, unnatural and natural. It's not a food group and simply causes more damage to the body than its worth. It's something that we have just gotten used to in today's world. But habits are hard to break and time makes it difficult for most of us to eat whole foods for every meal of the day, everyday! So, if you must eat sugar, at least go for the sugars that our bodies are equipped to handle instead of the synthetic ones that get stored in our bodies as toxins.

Natural Sugars ("reasonable" substitutes)

Molasses
Maple Syrup
Rice Syrup
Honey
Agave
Barley Malt
Chicory Root
Beet Sugar
Cane Juice (raw)
Stevia

Process Sugars to Avoid

Anything that ends with -ol (Zylotol, Sorbitol, etc.)
Splenda/Sucralose
Nutra Sweet (Aspartame)
High Fructose Corn Syrup

Just a thought. Stay healthy and injury free everyone.

Windy Hill 8 Mile Route (approx)

2008-10-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

From Portola Road Parking

-Betsy Crowder Trail (or alternative)

-Hamms Gulch Trail

-Lost Trail

-Anniversary Trail

-Spring Ridge Trail

-Meadow Trail

-Betsy Crowder (or alternative) back to parking lot

The loop starts with a long long but rather mild incline up to Skyline Boulevard, with a flat run parallel to Skyline for less than a mile until you reach the viewpoint and run down back to the parking area. A happy place for dogs and the recent rains had the air smelling oh so nice.

Firetrails Runners, with love.

2008-10-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

(I hate my runner photos. But for nostalgia sake, I humiliate myself for you, for me.)

This past week, I was happy to be able to put together the Zombierunner goodie bag for you Firetrail 50 and Goldenhill Marathon runners. I'm not able to attend this year due to yet more schooling, but have a grand ole' time! As my longest and 2nd to last ultra since my injuries, I have fond memories of finishing that race. So sweeet. Hope to do it again one day. Have fun!

Better Late Than Never? PIx of Cascade Crest & Skyline to the Sea

2008-09-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Me and Chiping Fu at the Cascade Crest finish line.

I encourage everyone to avoid Cascade Crest 100. The scenery is awful. The AS's were unprepared and the volunteers were nothing but discouraging the whole way. Let's keep this the small race that it is. This is a public service announcement. (addendum: **this was total sarcasm. I loooved this race)

My logo on the finisher shirt at Skyline to the Sea. The colors turned out really nice! I have worn my twice since 3 days ago, not to mention that the Patagonia material feels like a dream.

Cascade Crest. This weekend!!

2008-08-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

I'm off! At least I am tomorrow morning. I leave in the am to meet up with Hao Liu (the runner) and his girlfriend Tony to help crew Hao over the weekend. Should be good fun. I am planning on pacing from mile 68-73 and possibly 95-100. I'm just hoping it doesn't rain.

The Strength to Let Go

2008-08-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I fought. Literally. Fully padded, mind you, but hand to face, punch to midsection, kicks to legs and so on and so forth. In order to be allowed to do this, I was told to remove all my earrings.

It seems silly, but this wasn't easy. Not just because my rings are difficult to remove and put back in, but because most of them had been with me for well over 12 to 15 years. It is one of the few remaining remnants of who I was and was part of who I am today. So much profundity invested in small pieces of jewelry. Crazy I think, but it was extremely emotional to remove them. In fact, I was not going to, but my instructor refused to hear that and insisted that they were coming out, end of discussion. I began to tear in what I think was both fury as well as disappointment in not being able to avoid my scheduled fight. I really really did not want to spar. But, to make a short and painful story even shorter, with a help of a few gals, they came out and were dropped one by one into a plastic cup and covered over with tape for safe keeping.

I am home now, and as I rummage through my bags unpacking, the cup is no where to be found. 10 or more pieces of my old self are irretrievably lost. While I had already considered not replacing them anyways, this situation kind of forces my hand, which makes something inside my chest ache. A little. Not much. It does feel a little freeing; as if I let something go that needed to leave and it's now time to move on. Ack, more profundity. But I think it's good. As much as I hate to admit it, I think it's good.

In the Land of Tuscon

2008-08-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sure wish this resort hotel had free wireless. Instead, I am sitting in their "business center" with the few minutes of free time that I have had in the last 5 days. I have been attending a Tang Shou Tao martial arts sparring and medicine conference and it is b-r-u-t-a-l.
Very little down time, lots of qigong, martial arts forms, 2 man forms, and yesterday to top it all off, my instructor forced me to remove all my earrings ( I almost cried), don protective gear, and fight. It's insane how much you can't breath after a one minute bout of trying to kick the crap out of your opponent while they try to kick the crap out of you. Not sure if I actually enjoyed it which people told me I would.

Anyways, on top of the bruises on my arms and legs, add an incredibly stiff neck and generally stiff everything on top of it and you could say I have been seriously worked. I am in the medicine portion of the conference and it is the same tight schedule. We have been starting at 6:30 am every morning and ending around 9:30.

Anyways, that's it. Off to shower before the dinner and the evening lectures. No fighting today. Thank god.

Need I Say More

2008-07-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

What has my blog turned into???

Pet Peeve #782

2008-07-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Canvas shopping bags. The handles are too long for short people. When I hang my arm down with my bag full of goodies, the bag drags on the ground. Oh..my...god....irritating.

Western States Cancelled 2008

2008-06-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to those who trained so hard and were so excited for this years race. You are still my heroes.

I Dwell Amongst the Gods

2008-06-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Had a special sneak preview of the Western States 100 2008 Program Guide today. Page 12 baby! Page 12!!!!
There's a large photo of the Devil's Slide volunteer crew from last year and who stands somewhere in the middle, but little unassuming me. Pretty cool! I swear...it's a sign...

And speaking of gods, I am now an official Zombie Runner. My first day working for Gillian and Don started today and I am very excited to get to help them get their retail venue off the ground, not to mention just basking in all kinds of running gear. Opening date still TBD.

Mt. Diablo 8K

2008-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

50K Race Start

There is one distinct advantage to the small races. There is absolutely zero pre-race worries. You don't worry so much about finishing, you don't worry about packing enough salt tabs and other supplements. You don't worry about which water bottle or pack or bring. You don't worry about lots of things. You just get up in the morning, put on your run clothes, grab your hand held and get in the car. Simple. Easy. And that's pretty much the way my day started on Sunday morning, almost.

The sun shining through the window startled me for some reason and I panicked for a moment thinking that I had overslept my 6 a.m. alarm. But nope. I was 15 minutes early with plenty of time to get out the door. By 7:30, I was in Oakland, picking up Todd at his apartment so we could carpool to the start.

There's something about driving into the Mitchell Canyon parking lot at Diablo that gets the adrenalin going. Maybe because this was my first 50K 2 years ago. I remembered being so excited at first and then terrified after I started hearing words like Badwater and Western States in conversations all around me. This race always seems to draw those names you hear over and over again, and the intimidation factor is always present but now more thrilling than the terrifying that it was a few years back.

It was on to say hello to some familar faces, and throughout the day I got the opportunity to ogle superheroes or blogstars or both like Jean Pommier, Jasper Haleks, Scott Dunlap, and Graham Cooper. The 4 star crowd also included those runners who were upping the ante by adding a 3rd loop to the already difficult 50K. I saw a bunch of them come in from their 2nd loop as I was volunteering and none that I saw look beat up. Seriously...superheroes. Superman, Spiderman got nothing on em.

The Race Begins
I was chatting with Hao's girlfriend Tony (who is incredibly nice Hao. You're a lucky guy) before my 8K start. For once, instead of meandering near the back, I was posted in the grass next to the start line, so when the countdown went to zero, I just trotted into the front group knowing that the speedies would have plenty of time and room to scream by me if they wished. My complex plan for this race was for plodding, constant, forward motion. No speedy ups. No speedy downs. Just even, methodical, consistent plodding. The most difficult thing in the world is to stick to this plan with people around, period. It doesn't matter if it's a race or if I'm running around on the local trails. I just have a hard time not picking up the pace beyond what I can maintain. But, I've been getting better during my training, and it seems to have held this day. For the most part, I was able to let go of the urge to speed up when passed and just took my time in the hopes that the constant plod would catch me up with a lot of the runners who passed in the first place. And the hills kept coming.

That Hill. Nooo. That One.
My memory of this route last year told me that there was this one spot where you turned a corner and came upon a distinctive and impossible looking hill, AFTER which, you were home free and running the happy down hills all the way to the finish. The problem was, I kept on mistaking one hill after another and they kept on coming and coming, so I had to keep on plodding and plodding. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up the plodding forever and the mental game I was playing with trying to find that one dang hill dimmed my enthusiasm a bit, so I did start walking a little bit, but not too much. I broke up the walks with more plods to try to keep up the relentless forward motion. Meanwhile, it was getting hotter and hotter out there, but I thought my pace was decent. I was steadily passing runners on the up hills which was the only place I had a shot. I'm not very fast on the flat (not that there was much flat), and slower than I used to be on the down hills. Finally, the gal I was chatting with and I came upon the final "hill" that I was looking for. Once I saw it, I couldn't believe I mistook all the others. It really looks ominous. And then ...the downhills were upon me. My trail pal took off like lightning which was not unexpected based on our conversation about her previous races. I kept up for a while, but slowly saw her pulling ahead. About 4 more runners passed me on down which was perfect as the last group had a good downhill pace that I was able to follow pretty easily. Very technical. Very fun.

The Finish
We all soon came to the trail split we hit on the way out. Almost finished. I knew there were still a few hills left and was afraid to push much since my endurance still isn't that great. So, forward plodding motion it was, and it was getting harder. The group I was in was flagging as well. I was able to pass them, as well as another gal I saw earlier in the race. I was finally on the meadowy single track back to the finish line. And I almost bonked. Or at least I felt like I did. For about 20 seconds or more, I felt like my legs were about to misstep and that I could not keep up the breathing. It wasn't even steep! I looked back to see who was on my tail and saw no one. Luckily I was able to push and finish really really strong at 1:02, almost flying into the volunteer at the last sharp turn to the finish. I was able to come in 26 our of 91 and place 3rd in my age group. Bonus!

Best for Last
And sometimes, if not most times, it's not the race that makes for the perfect day. It's the connection you have with the people there. It's sitting in a lounge chair marking the finishers as they cross the line, chatting with friends, and letting people's excited run conversations wash over you as you relax in the shade. On this day, there was that, but no race is quite complete with the charm of Aaron Doman, whom I am convinced has the potential to be the best videographer you can get at a trail race as he knows people and will get images that no boring adult could probably get. Not to mention, the kid is just funny.

So, I present to you the many faces of Aaron Doman and his award winning home video (Video if you click the link below). Unfortunately, he seems to have deleted his Electric Eel and many other dancing videos I took of him that day from my camera. The Earth Dance. The Moon Walk. The Hip Hop Moon Walk. The Ocean Dance. The Robot. Alas, maybe next time.

((Captions Courtesy of Aaron Doman))

Confused Aaron

Sad Aaron

Japanese Anime Eating Something Sour Aaron

Creepy Aaron

And More!!!

Change of Plans

2008-06-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Diablo is out. I am returning once again to LA to see my cousin who has ovarian cancer. The news I've been receiving in bits and pieces over the mere last 2 weeks since I was there last has changed from bad to worse. Call it naive, but I just don't believe it yet. I found out she is now on some serious pain med, delautid which from what I have read so far can make you look worse than you really are. But then again, why put her on delautid unless it was absolutely necessary? Maybe. There is a serious case of over-medication in our society so I guess I need to see for myself before I put her on any death sentence which the doctors' already have. She looked soo good several weeks ago. I mean really good. There's hope yet. I refuse to say otherwise.

That's an Awful lot of Probing

2008-06-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone else getting numerous "probing" hits a day by the Ultra listserv lately? I'm still HERE LISTSERV!!!
I never have time to look at the ultra listserv emails. I really should just unsubscribe, but seriously, I get so confused when I'm on their website. I get at least 10 emails a day from them (most of which, but not all, seem to pop directly into junk mail), and I cannot figure out for the life of me how to only get 1. I've tried multiple times over the last several years to no avail. How sad is that. Anyways..

16 Miles and done.

2008-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm cheating and adding Sunday to my weekly mileage count. 5 more miles added at Fremont Older today. It's very exposed, but that park is a fun place to run around.

11 miles and counting

2008-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today's run at Arastradero was what could be called Dee-licious.

6 Miles and counting

2008-05-28T10:49:00.001-07:00

6 miles today and some fun facts to go with it that have nothing to do with anything.

#1 My dirt filled yard is now the community litter box and smells like poop

#2 The local rockery (place that sells stepping stones, gravel, sand, paving, etc.) has a huge truck sized weighing scale that is pretty darn accurate with only little me standing on it. I think I weigh 5 lbs more than high school which considering all the running makes one think, wtfuh. Kinda goes along with this thread.

#3 The 5 gallon jug of water in the back of my car which was supposed to save my life in case of disaster, leaked and now my trunk smells like old musty cardboard

That's about it. Back to studying for finals next week.

You Know What's Tiring

2008-05-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

thinking you're back on track finally one week and then realizing the next week you have to lay off again. It's become boring.
Back is sore from physical therapy and whatever else. Need to lay low again for now.

In good news, my crew did massive quantities of work on Saturday for me. The yard is, again, a huge huge mess, but this time instead of being filled with useless junk, it is filled with material that I need to start my projects. And the raised planter is done. Chris and I finished putting it together yesterday. We are going to be the self sustaining commune that I always wanted to be one day. Anyone wanna join?

Queen for a Day

2008-05-23T20:22:00.001-07:00

Workout skipped today. Body is ultra sore (ultra sore. heh) from physical therapy with martial arts practice on top. I do intend on running the Baylands tomorrow morning if my body has calmed down. Also, if the smoke has dissipated from the recent fires too. It was pretty thick here today which was another reason I didn't run outside today.

But even more exciting is that tomorrow is Phase 2 for working on my yard. My yard started as a big pile of doggy poo laden lava rock mess 2 1/2 years ago when we bought the place and not much has been done with it since except a lot of trips to the dumpster shoveling out the doggy poo laden lava rock mess.But that was a year ago.
Recently, I tackled the whole monster again, dug out all the weeds, rototilled dirt, and generally prepped it for the real thing. And of course, destroyed my back in the process.

(Yard with weeds and a sundry of crap including stair rail on the deck)

Tomorrow we have a van rented (no trucks available) so we can buy gravel and sand for the path that I have planned out and hopefully some more landscape dirt and a bunch of 2x4's so I can build my raised planter.

But what's funny about tomorrow is that I have two "workers" who will be following all my orders. Having learned a hard lesson a few weeks ago, I will be leaving the heavy labor to Chris and Todd. They have both graciously agreed to do all this hard work under my watchful eye. And really, I'm not exactly an easy boss, so this is most gracious indeed. I'm very excited to see what progress we can make.

Not very runner-ey is this. Maybe I should start a new blog. I am trying though. I plan on doing Diablo in a few weeks. Short distance of course, and need to plan on an end of summer goal. I believe I still need to stick to 25K max for the rest of the year to allow my back to fully heal. That won't be very easy if I am able to comfortably hit 25K by the end of summer. I still love reading all the ultra blogs and being there with folks vicariously as they hit their highs and lows throughout their races. It's so fun and amazing to hear about. I really can't wait to get back to it, even as I slog through 5 milers wondering how in the hell I can ever make 31 miles or 50 ever again. I have my eye on the prize yet. :)

8 Whopping Miles!

2008-05-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

That's my total so far for the week. The goal is..hmm....let's see. 5 on Friday.....6 on Saturday.....19? Can I do it injury free? Ooo, excited.

And just because, me and my glamorous cousin. She runs too. Or at least she used to.

Trainus Returneth....or something

2008-05-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Update: So it turned out to be a 5 miler instead of 6, but it was fuuun. I held to a slow plodding even pace, even on the downhills and flats, and was able to consistently hold that the whole way, even on the steeper hills. The longest breaks included having to fix my ankle brace and the other to say hello to a beautiful Malamute. Because it was going so well, I chose to forgo that last mile and save it for the next time. I really needed to have a happy run for once.

I'm back in town so there's nothing to do but get back on the treadmill so to speak. My back has never fully recovered from my previous stupidity, but nothing too severe. Mild ache and a lot of stiffness, at least today. Tomorrow, I"ll hit Arastradero and try a 6 miler and just see how that goes. If it's like anything I've done recently, it will be torturous, painful, and disappointing. Gotta love it.

And just because... I present Mr. Chips Kitty Fantastico!!!!

Trainus Interruptus

2008-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's been over a week since my gardening debacle and I had my first successful gym trot on the treadmill this morning. Not quite 100% but feeling mobile and stronger. I'll definitely need some more time to get back to my pre-gardening body. But this week I am being given another hiatus from any serious form of exercise, which is fine, but I wish the circumstances were better. My cousin (dad's youngest sister' daughter) is in bad shape from her second bout with ovarian cancer. The Higuchi clan in the Bay Area is shuffling down, en masse, to the Los Angeles area to see how we can help. Sounds like they are now relying on any alternative therapy to help with her condition. Chemo is apparently no longer an option.

The following are chinese herbs that I will be taking down with me:
Ling Zhi Xia Cao Tea
Anticancer Lin (pills)

The following pills on their own have also been found to help:
Dong Chong Xia Cao (cordyceps)
Ling Zhi (japanese mushrooms)

And a kind friend just dropped off a book that he thinks is a good resource for prevention and therapy:
Outsmart Your Cancer (Alternative Non-Toxic Treatments That Work) by Tanya Harter Pierce

Cancer is a rare thing in my family. And because of who it has affected, it hits closer to home than any other illness that has befallen a relative or friend in recent years. I feel for my dad who I feel might be affected most by the injustice of a younger family member being stricken more ill than he in his late 70's But there is hope still. I'm mostly glad right now to be going down south to visit instead of just sitting miles away by the telephone. I have this idea that it will feel better to be useless 5 feet away versus useless over a 100 miles.

Lesson Learned

2008-05-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

At the acupuncture clinic this afternoon getting a treatment from my teacher....

Me: (a bit despondent and weepy) "So, yeah, I screwed up my back this past weekend. My fault. I was stupid. But, since then, I'm in pain, I have insomnia, and yeah it's stupid but I'm really really depressed. I was getting so much better and now this. I need needles and an herb formula real bad."

Dr: (in somewhat broken english) "My husband does this. He work outside like he 20 year old boy and next day he look like this (mimicking him trying to get out of bed) and in pain. I tell him, 'You can't say ANYTHING. YOUR FAULT!!' I understand you depress (she says to me) but you do it.

Me: (me snickering, along with my 4 other colleagues who are observing the treatment.)

I got it. I got it. And it was such a classic way of slapping someone out of their self pity. Thank god for people like Dr. Zhu. She's good peeps.

How Gardening Kicked my Ass

2008-05-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have a back yard full of dirt and about 10 weeds. I dug out the rest weeks ago. Meanwhile, the soil level is too low, my back deck is full of garbage making us look like fancy trailer trash and I was in a Saturday frenzy to finally tackle all the stuff I should have tackled oh...say.......over a year ago.

So I did.

I rototilled in about 44 cubic square feet of dirt, I broke apart a wooden pallet that somehow traveled with us from the old apartment over 2 years ago and has just been sitting against the house. I tore off the awful screen door off the front of the house and sawed it into pieces. Gawd it was hideous and useless. I sawed up other pieces of rotting useless wood that were strewn about the yard. I organized our random pieces of potted plants, emptied out dead ones, and re-potted suffering survivors. I hauled all aforementioned junk to the dumpster. I tipped the garbage can on one such outing and was unable to pick it up again due to the weight until a kind neighbor helped me out. I removed 2 bars (the kind that goes in a closet) and hauled them away. Those damn things (1 out back and 1 behind the front door) have been there for 2 years. What is wrong with me!

I also re-glued in some trim around the fireplace, did a touch up paint job in the same place and cleaned the whole floor downstairs since it was filthy.

There is so much more work left to do, but it looks 10 times fabulous-er because of my toil. However, I probably did too much as today my run with Chris was cancelled due to sore bones and a very very sore back. Not good. Instead we walked around the baylands which I love. Either way, it looks like it's a take-it-easy week for me. Hopefully I didn't do too much damage.

Good Luck Miwokers. I'll Think of you Tonight.

2008-05-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

To kick off your fabulous weekend, I will wish you luck as I drool over my other "boyfriends" tonight at the Concord Pavilion.

There are admittedly many things that I have not been able to let go of when it comes to the 80's. Duran Duran is probably the biggest. I love them. I love them. I looooooooooooove them.

Waiting for that Muscle Memory to Kick in

2008-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

I am finding running 5 miles very very very hard. Like I can't breathe hard. Like I feel my leg muscles weaken hard. Like I can't make it up that tiny hill without stopping hard. Like I can't believe I ever ran longer than that hard. So...tomorrow, I am going 3 miles flat.
But no worries I think. I haven't been running consistently at all. It's time to start now. My back has been incredible. My ankle is great and best of all the fear that became a part of doing anything downhill has dissipated to healthy levels. Was a bit worried about that for quite a while.

What is one to conclude of feet like this?

2008-04-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

In running shoes, my big toes always get blisters.

In high heels, my little toes get the shaft.

Aside from blisters and calluses, my feet are rather nice I think, but they are not easy to get along with.

Running and Stuff

2008-04-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

So I guess the Stinson Beach report is a no-go. It's too long ago now. Suffice to say that I had a hard time, wanted to die after a 1/2 hour, for the first time experienced quads so fatigued that my leg would give out now and then, and took over 4 hours to finish. For all that I learned that I am not quite ready yet for a 25K (sad!) and that the trails out at Stinson beach and Muir Woods are very very beautiful. I didn't achieve my Bottom Ten but did place Bottom 20, coming in 12th out of 139 runners. Achievement.

I went over my allotted 5 mile limit for the race and probably ran closer to 9, but luckily my back held up nicely the next day. I had the usual hip tighness and muscle soreness, but nothing more.

Made it over to the Diablo Marathon & 50 mile around 6:30 that same day to help out for a bit. The earlier run was so difficult for me I have to admit I had more fun hanging out at Diablo and just handing out t-shirts. :)

Meanwhile, life goes on, midterms have passed, Chris and I ran 5 miles at Wunderlich on Saturday, and I'm off to a wedding in LA on Friday. Good luck to the Big Basin runners this weekend. Don't get stung.

Stinson Beach photos

2008-04-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

PMS fatigue and impending test makes for no race report. Instead, I crawled to my computer and gathered enough energy to at least post some pix.

Stinson Beach 25K

2 Races, 1 Day

2008-04-11T09:13:00.001-07:00

Granted, I'm only running one. Looking forward to tomorrow. Race days always make me feel like I'm vacation. I'm easy.

I Got Worked

2008-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Remember this plan? Well, as yet another supplement to improving my body strength, I treated myself to 2 sessions with a trainer at Gold's Gym. Mostly, I needed to know how to use free weights and use the machines available to me. I either always seem to hurt myself with free weights, can't fit into the machines, or have no idea how to use them. Well today was my first session with "Scott". He kicked my lily white ass like no other. After only 1 session, I now understand the use of a trainer. There is no way in hell I would push myself so hard doing it by myself. It was truly awesome. I wish I could do a whole plan with him but the student budget doesn't allow for that right now.

I was telling Chris the other day that I felt rather selfish. My life has been very body focused for what seems to be a very long time now. First with ultrarunning and figuring out how to balance it, and now with injuries and figuring out how to heal, strengthen, live strong, and really....go back to ultrarunning. It all feels very vain. What I also keep in the back of my head though is the understanding that as a future healer myself, I will be better able to treat and focus on my patients if my mind and body are well. One positive thing out of all the breakdowns that my body has been through that it certainly gives me a better understanding of pain, healing, treatment, and the experience of being a patient in search of a cure than others who haven't had to deal with injury, both acute and chronic. Would I choose to forego that experience if I had the chance? Mmm, possibly, maybe, likely......

But what I really wanted to say was that after today's workout, it is likely I won't be able to operate my car tomorrow, much less a door knob. If you don't hear from me in the next few days, don't worry, I won't have made it out of the house.

Because you know it's about the food.

2008-04-06T16:00:00.001-07:00

The last 2 days of running plans have morphed instead into intensive yard work, and to ease the pain of muscles overused and abused, I went to an Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley. I don't often do Ethiopian. Actually, that's an understatement. I went about 15 years ago, didn't like it, and have never tried again until last night. Being honored with yet another birthday dinner, Todd, Chris and I decided to be step outside the norm and venture to Berkeley to try out Addis. It ended up being sooo good. I highly recommend it. Also cheap. Only about $50 for the 3 of us with alcohol.

We ordered the Fir Fir which Chris liked more than the rest of us. But it was good and very spicy. The Chicken Tib was Todd's favorite and the Vegetarian Zucchini dish was mine. The guys ordered 2 different kinds of Ethiopian beer but they didn't seem to impress. I ordered the Ethiopian honey wine, which tasted more like mead and was quite nice. Chris ordered one for himself after tasting mine. It all comes out on a big pizza like platter with each dish side by side and you also get a basket full of injera, which is a pancake like bread with which you tear apart, dig into each dish and stuff into your mouth. At least that is how us neophytes ate it.

So, that is your restaurant tip for the day. We hit Piedmont street afterwards and strolled down the avenue, debating whether to get icecream at Fentons (which we didn't) and ended up having lattes at some coffeeshop whose name escapes me.

So, go eat everyone. You deserve it.

P.S.
I am about to go to Chris' mom's in an hour for yet another birthday dinner. Lucky me!

2008-04-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

Got this in my inbox from my favorite girl. She's advanced for a 1 year old. :)

Coal Mine Ridge

2008-03-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Went running today at Coal Mine Ridge (Portola Valley) with Chris today. Running peoples! Running! With Chris!!
It was divine. Coal Mine Ridge has one of thee best slightly sloped, narrow as hell, winding single tracks on the planet. You have to be careful to avoid the hikers around the blind corners, but it is really really really fun and I have not hit a single person yet nor made them fall over the edge. Great place for a nice short local run in a beautiful place.

In news of the stupid, I went and got myself signed up for Enviro Sport's Muir Beach 25K run in mid April. I knew I shouldn't and couldn't run it, but I signed up anyways. Luckily, Todd has promised to keep me to 5 miles only and walking the rest of it. With both of our will powers combined, I think my chances are good not to hurt myself.

Chinese Herb to help with Running at Altitude?

2008-03-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

An instructor recently mentioned that taking the herb formula Sheng Mai San several weeks before going to a higher elevation actually helps to deal with altitude. I'll have to test this out one day.

Name: Sheng Mai San "Generate Pulse Powder"
Ingredients:
Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng) 33.33 %
Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis Japonici) 33.33 %
Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis) 33.33 %

Two Trail Trips Mushed into One Quick Post

2008-03-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

Arastradero Preserve, Palo Alto Easter Bunny who was pretty much the first and probably only rabbit that didn't immediately run away upon being sighted. It even stayed for a photo op. Very appropro on Easter day.

Returning home from another run at Fremont Older, Cupertino. Chris and I saw this guy on Hwy 85 and I made him take a pic.

Chris and I have spent the last several weekends hitting the parks and running. It's been great and it's a beautiful time of year to be out.
More Pix:
Arastradero, Easter Sunday
Fremont Older, the week before

Um..barf?

2008-03-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Upon re-reading my previous post, I have to admit it came across as rather puke-ishly sunshiney. I'm mortified. Even if it was true, it does not fit in with the Short & Angry...at....all.

It's a Good Afternoon

2008-03-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today is a study at home day. Normally I go to the gym in the morning but today things got a little mixed up and I decided to do a workout late afternoon. I did a really nice 40 minute treadmill run at incline, hopped off, did my core exercises and stretches, and then walked out into the beautiful sunny afternoon back to my car. It all felt so good. I had not done a late day workout in so long, I had forgotten what they were like. The bulk of my workouts "back in the day" were late afternoon/evening runs.

Not really anything momentous to report except that it just gave me the happies. The running felt amazing too. I think the running and then walking outside and seeing runners all over the neighborhood as I drove home made things feel that much more tangible. There was a moment of envy as I watched them, but then I reminded myself that spring has barely even begun. I have a whole year ahead of me.

Skyline Ridge

2008-03-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday marked my 2nd trail run of the year and it was as good as the first, if not more torturous in how much sheer willpower it took to NOT run the trails.

Todd and I showed up bright and early to help out at registration, which I actually love doing. It's a nice way to say hello to people, match faces to names, and try to stay warm before the sun comes out.

All distances started at the same time at this race and the shorter 14K distance split off immediately towards the Russian Ridge side of the mountain. The trails wound around the hills, through forested area and then back out into the wide open hillsides with incredible views. The trails themselves were mostly mild inclines and mild descents. There was little in extreme variation. Thus the torture. Turn after turn I ran into the kind of trails that called for you to sprint them with a big smile on your face. Alas, I kept myself in check and hiked it. Technical difficulties arose when I could not decide whether to run the milder uphill slopes or not. They weren't exactly the type of steep incline that I was trying to restrict myself to. My answer came right after hitting the aid station. In front of me was a gentle slope that became a steeper incline towards the top. I decided to start my jog at the bottom and see how I felt. Well, just a few jogs in, my lower back gave me a little jolt, so there was no more of that for the rest of the run. I stuck to the steepest parts and hiked the rest, taking lots of pictures and enjoying myself. The sun had lifted by that point, so the chill was mostly out of the air and it was a nice hike/jog back to the finish where I helped myself to peanut M&M's (yummm) and was teased by Aaron while I waited for Todd to finish.

Bonus: I ranked Bottom Ten this time. Actually #10. Sweet! :D

Scott Dunlap ran up and said "Picture Time!!", so we both stopped and snapped these pix.

More Photos of Skyline Ridge Trail Run

Life Moves On

2008-02-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

The new water heater is in and hot water is back in da house. Yay! You forget how spoiled you are until the hot water disappears. We live in a blessed age.

Aside from being happy not to shower at the gym, I am now running on the treadmill, at an incline, for a half hour at a time, today at 15 minute miles. Baby steps! Baby steps! I am trying to be good. If a couple more weeks of the uphill thing go well, I will then be including flats, and then eventually the downhill. I am also cutting my physical therapy back to once a week instead of two; partly because we want to see how my body takes it and partly because I used up all my available insurance. Meanwhile, I do daily core strengthening and stretching and have started a martial arts class which kicks my butt in ways it hasn't been kicked in a long time. It took about 4 days to un-sore myself from last week's workout.

The real key is to take things easy and gradually work myself up to strength, which as you probably know is dang hard when your feet are strapped in your favorite trail shoes and you are outside at a race where I will be this Saturday. If any of you see me running when I shouldn't, give me a dirty look ok? Uphills only uphills only uphills only......

Help??!! My Water Heater is Broken??

2008-02-23T15:34:00.001-08:00

((Update))Well, for the last several hours, I have had to remove half the floorboards in the family room due flooding. I don't know how many know the pain of having put in laminate floorboards throughout 1400 square foot of house before (seriously it took me about 5 months) , but I do. And the moment it dawned on me that I would have to re-tear out floorboards and most likely be the one having to put them down again, a certain...how to describe it.....pain just tore through my gut and hasn't quite left yet. If I were a crier, I would certainly be in tears. In fact, I would love to be in tears as it would be a welcome release. Instead, I have been laughing hysterically, staring vacantly at the rain outside, and drinking red wine. Seems silly I suppose. It's not like someone died. I think I'm just tired. It's been a busy week. I have been having a good chuckle with Chris though. I told him that I am enjoying the fact that we are sharing (again) one of those disastrous life experiences that we get to talk about in the future when it's actually really funny, whilst hating the whole thing now. Tomorrow I wake up early to take a shower at the gym before I head to a class at 8:30. Mmmm life, don't talk to me about life.

And seems to be leaking in around the fireplace and flooding the laminate floorboards inside the house. Who am I supposed to call?????? Help me!

2008-02-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

I've been given the a-okay by the docs. Uphill running is in baby! Sign up for Skyline Ridge if it hasn't filled up. I'm gonna smoke your asses up the hillS. Never mind that this will only be the 2nd time I've run in more than 4 months. It's the thought that counts. :D

And by the way, nice logo eh? EH???!!!!

Sequoia Trail Run 10K Report

2008-02-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

((Update: the official list is out. I came in 129 out of 149. Damn I'm good. heh. Oh but wait, that means I lost the Bottom Ten thing. Daaaaarn!!))

Hi guys! I finished!! Unfortunately, there was no way I was going to win DFL. Too many hikers and beginner runners who were struggling valiantly to finish. I also cheated half way through. I decided that running uphill would have the least negative impact on my spine and have the added bonus of satisfying some of my run urge. Mmm, boy did it. It is rather amusing (pathetique?) that not only as a staunch middle of the packer and in this case, disabled runner, I immediately felt compelled to go as fast as my legs would take me in the hopes that ... I have no idea what, would happen. I guess in this case, 124th place out of 130. I seem to be a very competitive disabled runner, who might need therapy.

I still have happy chemicals in the brain today from just being part of a race again. And not just any race, but with PCTR's Wendell and Sarah (this is called ass kissing). It was good to see all the familiar faces and meeting some new ones. Maybe it's because I have no life and taking away my run crowd leaves me with a huge empty gap, but it was shore nice to be back out in the woods again with good peeps. Except for the ones who were helping themselves to food not put out yet and generally asking for 5 star hotel service at a trail race. Gros con!! (found that word on a "best french expletives" website". You can google it.)

So yeeeah, nice nice day. No issues with my body at all. My back held up fine and is fine today. My ankle throbbed yesterday, but a few acupoints later, I was good to go. I went hiking today at Fremont Older with Chris. It is about 15 minutes from my house and I had no idea it existed until I was looking at the Stevens Creek Strider's webpage one day and saw that they ran there weekly. It's a beautiful place which I plan on using regularly when I am ready. Today, all I am is blissfully sore from the last several days and loving it.

I believe Skyline Ridge on March 1st is next for me. There was a warning post on the PCTR Message Board that there have been a rash of car break-ins in the parking lots up there. Someone suggested leaving absolutely nothing in your car and even leaving the doors unlocked to prevent your windows from getting smashed.

All in all, a very happy weekend for me. See you at the next race!

((Sarah, when I came home with the tupperware, Chris picked it up, glanced in and said "There's no energy bars in there.". :p))

photos from Sequoia
photos from Fremont Older

I can't wait for....

2008-02-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

my first race t-shirt of the year. I am signed up for PCTR's Sequoia Trail Run tomorrow! It's the 10K and no I am not running. I will be walking it. But a glorious hike it will be. Maybe I can be get the dubious honour of finishing dead last? What is the official acronym for that? Whatever it is, I'm excited.

Yosemite in Winter

2008-02-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Over February 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, I took a little trip with my dad and Todd Wong to snowy Yosemite. I had never been there in winter and since those other two were itching for a trip, I arranged this one as my last hurrah before school started (yesterday). In brief, it was beauitful, snowy, and a total blast. We went snow shoeing, walking, photo taking, snowball fighting, eating, drinking, and enjoying what turned out to be perfect weather. Next time though, I will remember to waterproof my shoes.

This image sums up how beautiful the valley was.

Overlooking the river on Sunday morning after it had snowed heavily all evening.

My dad trying to crawl out from our cabin after heavy snow. His diabetes had a difficult time adjusting to the new environment for the first 24 hours, but by Sunday he was fine.

Me looking cool and listening attentively to the snow shoeing guide, who I think at this point was pulling out various taxidermy-ed rodents from his pockets to show us what lived on the ground underneath the snow.

Badger Pass.

more photos

This Just Doesn't End

2008-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

I came back from an insanely fabulous time in snowy snowy Yosemite and was quite excited to post something with a more "adventurous" flavor on my bloggedy blog. However, since I returned, I have been felled with a fever, the likes of which I have not seen since I was like...twelve? Can I just go ahead and stop having events in my life which just give me cause to whine? Please? Someone?

I almost forgot to mention that this is my last week of freedom before school starts on Monday. Ironic yes? Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. (expletive of choice)

Loser Alert

2008-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Banditing a race is one thing, partaking of aid station food, asking people to serve you, crossing the finish line, and wearing a non-race bib number is another level of a-hole. This guy did it all at PCTR's Pacifica race this past weekend. And he wasn't the only one apparently, but the only one who went that extra mile and brought his own number. Come on children, you're adults, don't be stupid.

This guy's photo is posted on various forums already, but if you recognize him, tell him he sucks.

Things Are Not So Bad

2008-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Figure it's time for a mini back health update and that update is "Grrreat!".

For the first time in months, I am now able to wake up without being in pain. I can lie on my back and it doesn't hurt. I can roll over and get comfy without grimacing. That, by itself, has made a huge difference in my daily life. Huge.

I am currently still going to physical therapy two to three times a week, getting "adjusted" and being put on traction. It seems to be finally taking. For the most part, I do not have any pain during the day. Leaning forwards and twisting at the waist are the only things that seem to induce a small reminder that all is not healed.

I do so much stretching on a daily basis, I am really surprised I cannot just flip my legs over my head. I also have been increasing the core strengthening exercises to strengthen those inner muscles that have atrophied due to underuse and injury. There is still a lot of general instability that needs to be shored up for the long run (literally and figuratively!).

I want to, but I haven't dared yet ask my PT when I might be able to run again. I suspect it's still a long ways out. It will really be interesting to see how all the core work and cross training will affect my running. Meanwhile, I need to stop eating veal, mashed potatoes, chocolate mousse, and wine (that was actually dinner last nite), so I can see the results of all my hard work.

Ringlets

2008-01-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

I know, sooo not outdoors related at all. Indulge me. I have often told people that atypical to the norm of sleek, silky, stick straight asian hair, I, in fact, have wavy, big, frizzy hair which takes me hours to control if I even bother to control it. And my brother, has ringlets. It's kind of hard to believe. So, as evidenced by this Thanksgiving photo, taken before the festivities began, my brother...with ringlets. I figure it's from all the inbreeding on the island of Kyushu. The end.

2008-01-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

Chris and one of thee cutest babies in the universe, Amalia.

2008-01-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

Clyde, the most photogenic dog on the planet belongs to friends of ours. I love him.

I Honestly Never Thought I Would Miss my Face

2008-01-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

That allergic seeming reaction that I was talking about? Well, my face has ballooned. It was so bad when I woke up this morning that it looked like Chris had given me 2 fantastic punches to both eyes. I no longer even need lip augmentation as this condition has nicely swollen my upper lip for me. I am completely unrecognizable to myself. I never ever thought in a million years that I would miss my old face, but I do. Desperately.

I went to the ER this morning basically because I was not sure if I should or not. As I said, my eyes are swollen now and the redness still seems to be spreading. They think it is some type of allergic reaction due to some unknown substance. Clothes has been ruled out since the rash is limited to my face and neck. I will be throwing away all lotions and changing (again) the sheets and pillowcases and pillows. Both cats will be receiving a rub down which I know they will love. I am now on Prednisone which the ER doctor kindly told me is nasty stuff and that him and any patient he gives it to hates it. He said I might get "moon face" before the swelling subsides and that I can generally expect to become an agitated and nasty person. Fantastic.

Lately, I never cease but to amaze myself with all the health concerns that I get to throw into Chris' face. The poor guy. On top of that, my face is gone. Not that I ever really liked it, but he seemed to. Now I really really wish I could have the old face back. I promise to treat it with more kindness and respect than ever before now that I know what life is like without it. I've learned my lesson. Now please....deflate.

Help. Nasty Rash.

2008-01-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Contact dermatitis? Poison Oak? Poison Ivy?
I have no freaking idea, but it's driving me nuts and putting a serious dent in my copious social life. It's on the middle of my face and right ear. Yeah, figure that one out. It started last week and parts of it have dried up and healed, but it's also incrementally spreading slowly to the outer parts of my face. The most telling configuration if you could call it that is under my right eye, it is in 2 distinct lines. 2 lines of bumps that is. Indicative of poison oak or ivy from what I read online. However, I am not experiencing that disgusting blistery issue that I have had with poison oak in the past. Just red bumps that itch like hell and make me look like a ghoul. It's so sad. I'm on vacation peoples. I should not be dealing with this.

If it is poison oak of some sort, I do have a theory. Sometimes the effects of urushiol can take up to a week to manifest. I did go hiking at Garlands Ranch 5 days after Xmas. I did pet a lot of dogs with my mittened hands. I did blow my nose. I do play with my right ear. Makes sense right? Meanwhile I am going nuts putting Hydrocortisone and Neosporin on my face constantly. I am going to try Tecnu in a sec. Someone said online that it even helps after you've got it. I thought it was only good for washing the oils off immediately after contact, but apparently not.

I was kidding about the copious social life. Can one even grammatically put the word copious in front of social life? Anyways, my condition did kind of help finalize my decision about not volunteering at PCTR's Angel Island race this Sunday. I just keep on thinking that people are staring at the barf which is my face and not want to talk to me. I'm going hiking instead. Surrounded by strangers.

My life is so sad.

Who Has the Time?

2008-01-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

This baffles me. I barely have enough time to blog anything in Short Angry Person (I do now since I'm on break) much less keep up to date with Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin, LiveJournal, Friendster, and on and on and on. I have accounts with multiple places just because my friends do and some of them seem to be current on all of them when I happen to check. Add mindless surfing to the mix, and it's more than a full time job. How do you guys do it? And guess what I've been doing all afternoon. Total time suck.

Hiking & Houses in the Woods

2008-01-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Chris had over a week off for Xmas and here are the places we covered.
Wunderlich County Park
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Arastradero Preserve
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Coal Mine Ridge
Garland Ranch Regional Park

It's so wonderful to be able to at least hike, but in a funny way, I still get a little frustrated that after a couple of hours, we only cover less than 7 miles. Walking is so slow!! But really, I'm not complaining. Really...
I've also done a little more exploring of the neighborhoods around me in the last week. Both Chris and I cannot wait to get away from the freeway, and closer to the hills and open space in the Bay Area. The peninsula is really an amazing area for the outdoors. The trick for us is to move about 20 minutes closer to it, on the 280 side instead of 101. My dream is to live next to trails so I can just step outside the door and run for miles in the woods. Once I graduate and get some income again, along with that lucky lottery ticket, there are a few streets in Portola Valley that are calling my name. I need to do a little more exploring along Hwy 17 near Los Gatos too. Quicksilver gave me some pause the other day. It's such a great park, but I think the area around it is a little too suburban and looks like it's growing mc mansions like crazy. Not sure if I want to end up in that mess. But, it's such a great park, it's hard to discount the neighborhood entirely. These may be all pipe dreams, but it's fun to think about.

Remember that Walking with Dinosaurs thing?

2007-12-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

I saw it again! It is really really good.

Have a happy and safe New Years everyone. I am really looking forward to starting a new chapter and closing the book on 2007. There are so many things to be done in 2008, not the least being healing my body and running again. I hope to be training again by summer. Meanwhile, I am sooo looking forward to champagne tonight. Or sparking wine, or whatever champagne is when it isn't from Champagne. The bubbly is so very very yum.

Walking With Dinosaurs

2007-12-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Went to see this last night. It was amazing. Incredible. I think it only lasts a week in San Jose unless they extended the dates. I was close to the nose bleed seats and it was still an amazing show. The 8 year old I sat with loved it, but the 4 year old in front of us was pretty terrified and his parents took him out at the intermission. I can't imagine what the show would have been like in floor seats. The dinosaurs were enormous and they had them looking over the audience and roaring. Pretty cool stuff. Go see it if you can.

Post Holiday Ache

2007-12-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

I started out this morning (post Xmas) reading the paper and munching on some tiramisu that my cousin made from last night's Xmas feast, followed by some potato salad made by my aunt, followed by a california roll also made by my aunt. My stomach started to hurt so bad right after that I worried about the hike I had planned for today. 2 cups of warm water later, I feel okay, and Wunderlich is still on. Phew. Gluttony is a dangerous thing.

One of Those Perfect Days

2007-12-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

(More photos)

They happen so infrequently these days, that when one happens, it stands out. Volunteering out at Rodeo was one of those days that made me realize how much stress and worry I have been in for most of the year. It's telling when a day of sitting in a chair out in the sun, next to the ocean, with a clipboard in hand writing down runner times, makes for a perfectly beautiful peaceful day, but that it was. I had no appointments, no tests to study for, no schedule, nothing to do except enjoy where I was at then and now.

The day started at 5 in the morning. Under normal circumstances if I were to run that day, I am usually up before the alarm, but the difference this time was I was truly AWAKE. I was happy before I even rolled out of bed. I was out the door by 6:15 to go pick up Todd in Fremont. We took a route across the Golden Gate Bridge and knew that the weather was going to be divine. It was beautiful outside.

We made it to the start by 7:45 and immediately ran into Todd's co-worker, Juan. Todd had run the North Face Challenge a few weeks back with Juan and his wife who was running the 20K at Rodeo. His wife is speedster and came in 2nd place for the 10K at Northface and received tons of schwag, including a hug from Dean Karnazes ( I gave her crap about that. As a road racer, she had no appreciation of being able to hug Dean K. Blasphemy!). The registration table was already buzzing away and Wendell and Sarah didn't need my help. I was told to stand by, so I stood around and chatted with Juan and Todd and watched the runners milling about looking for familiar faces.

The runners took off in 3 waves. 8:30 came along and I cheered Todd who went off in the 30K/50K group. Todd, in his ever self-deprecating run starts, slowly hiked with shoulders hunched and I could see him about 4th to last in the long queue of runners up the hill. 9:45 and I cheered the 20K runners. As I waited for the 8K wave to start at 9, I stood around chatting with Aaron, the RD's son, about his county spelling bee before the 8K runners were lined up and sent on their way. It was pretty cool to see all the runners immediately take off up the switchback.

After seeing the last of the runners off, I walked back to the Finish area to see what I was going to do that day. Luckily, I was given the task of clocking runner times near the Finish Line. Most of the time I have volunteered has been either at the merchandise table or the aid station table, both of which give me way too much proximity to stuff that non-runners should not be eating for hours on end. So I spent the day, sitting in a chair, next to a heat lamp with a view of the ocean. The only thing I was missing was a foot stool. There was plenty of down time waiting for the runners during which I just sat back and relaxed. This was the life. My finals for school had finished the day before and it felt like the first time I wasn't feeling anxious.

It occurred to me during the time that I was watching the different waves of runners take off, that I didn't feel any self pity that I was not going to be joining the runners on the trails. It's not that I don't miss it, but I think just like with anything, you choose to move on or you don't. My long term goal is to be out there again, but in the meantime, it's impossible, so why torture myself. Or at least that's the way I look at it. How mature am I!! And seriously, while sitting at the finish line, I heard one story after another of various injuries that kept the runner from finishing the 50K, or to explain why they were doing so badly. Runners get injured. It's just part of the whole sport. So, we slow down, take time off, back off, heal, and then come back. I'm just part of that cycle.

I think Todd and I left the race around 2 in the afternoon when most runners had already trickled in. We headed to SF to some tapas/brewery near the Metreon where we gorged on tapas, wine, and beer. Me with wine, Todd with beer. And again I got that sense of not having any urgency to leave. Though leave we finally did and I made it home by about 6:30. Just enough time say hello to the boyfriend, pet both cats, have another glass of wine, and then crawl into bed to watch a movie. Just one of those perfect days. :)

The race started with this hill. Fun to watch from a spectator point of view. Not sure about running that from the very beginning.

20K Race Start

In an attempt to make the race more challenging, the RD's put a stone water fountain directly in line with the Finish banner. Runners were actually supposed to be following the cones to the left, but I would say that about 80% of the time, runners would veer towards or run through the cones to run underneath the banner.

Happy Holidays everyone. Keep warm, safe, and happy.

Health Update

2007-12-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

In brief, the MRI showed that I have disc degeneration in most of my lumbar spine, including bulging and possible tears down to the sacrum. I am starting a new PT plan in January as well as continuing with acupuncture and starting Xing Yi martial arts, all to help rebuild my back. I suspect that I won't be running again for at least 6 months minimum. With my last run being on Sept 16, that adds up to a very very very long time.

So far, the effects of physical therapy are decent. There are distinct differences from when I started. Things like, I can put a sock on in the morning while sitting on the floor without fearing that I can't get up. I have more range of motion than I did before. The things that I don't quite like but am not sure if it's just part of the process, is a more extreme flattening of my lordotic (lumbar) curve which I think in turn makes it quite awkward to walk. I feel very stiff and uncomfortable as if I am not sure how to carry myself when I walk down a hallway. It's hard to describe. I have recently been put on the Uber traction machine. I like it. It is painful to do and painful when I get off the table, but 20 minutes later and for at least 4 days afterwards, I feel loose and almost normal again. It's purpose is to loosen all the scar tissue that has built up over my discs, vertebrae, and muscles. My doctor also did a massage technique on my ankle recently that just about eliminated all the residual pain in my medial ankle. Amazing. It's great. I did a small jog today from my car to the lounge because I forgot something and the pain was truly minimal for the first time in months. Gotta love it.

Acupuncture has helped me a lot.. My LAc has helped with the pain that I get in the morning upon waking. She has also helped with sleep. Anyone with chronic pain can tell you that if you don't sleep well, the pain gets worse. And I have a long history of not sleeping well. I am also on an herb formula that is starting kick other things back into "normal" gear. I will not bore you with the details as I am already boring myself with this post.

Anyways, I am doing my best to heal and heal I will. But damn I miss being out there with you guys.

It's Just Not my Thing

2007-12-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

It has come to pass that I am being "persued" by someone at the gym. I hate that. I really really really hate that. Granted, that's me and there is a whole slew of different takes on being hit on at the gym as evidenced by this thread. But while I don't mind a friendly conversation, anything else is just irritating. And no it doesn't matter if one is good looking or not, male or female, whatever. Now, if you were an ultrarunner, I might think differently....

Who Knew

2007-12-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Typically, I have been spending an hour to two hours at the gym 5 to 6 times a week doing the elliptical, bike, and some weight work. Yesterday, I could not bear the thought of gyming it again, so decided to take an hour and a half walk on the baylands near my house. Totally flat, hard packed dirt. Today, I woke up insanely sore. Sore ankles, sore glutes, sore calves, sore everything. Conclusion: The gym sucks.
Oh yeah, I knew that.

Lofty Goals

2007-11-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit limited when it comes to exercise because of my damn back (DB for short). I do the bike at the gym, the elliptical, and a bunch of stretches. I cannot do any weight bearing exercises and cannot do any ab work because I flare up each time. However, I did discover that my gym has this arm rotating machine thing which seems safe enough, so I added that to the mix. The great thing about all of this, is that I can possibly end up with biker legs (which next to runner legs, are the hottest things on the planet), and amazingly toned arms. The problem however, is to actually be able to see any muscle tone underneath all the holiday stuffing and pumpkin pie. I think the best I can hope for is well muscled rotundity.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

2007-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you Sarah, for a timely post. In a time when I am wondering how to stay connected to the ultra community and wondering where I even stand, whilst being on an indefinite hiatus, this had a few sentiments which made me feel better for lack of a better phrase. There are still regrets and sadness in having to bow away for a time and maybe I am being more melodramatic than need be. But, as I do not know the outcome to my own personal saga ( I *am* being melodramatic), it was a poignant read. What I will always miss if I cannot do the distance again is the feeling of being out on the trail alone after 5 hours and wondering if I'm insane and conversely being out on the trails with other ultrarunners and wondering the same thing together.

(And as I wax pathetic, I am not sure that I even posted anything about what is going on. As it is not too interesting to read about one's daily health, I started a separate blog for myself to keep track of my progress. In a nutshell, 2nd sprained ankle in one year that is taking forever and a day to heal and the more depressing issue of degenerative discs in my lower back causing more than the usual back pain. Running is on hold until I get this stuff figured out. My hope is to make myself strong and be able to run again forever despite what people are saying. And folks, running didn't cause this. I have had back pain for over 20 years. 15 years diagnosed as "nothing" by the MD's. Running used to keep it in check. I think it is when I could not run due to the first sprained ankle which caused my structure to deteriorate over this year and manifest the way it is now. So keep running!)

REMINDER: STINSON BEACH TRAIL RUN THIS SATURDAY. GO HAVE FUN!!!!

I remember.

2007-11-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

Katie Holmes finished her first marathon. Seeing pix from it made me remember how amazing it felt when I finished my first only 3 years ago. I remember it hurting sooo sooo goooood. Way to go Katie.

The Trials and Tribulations of Being Chip

2007-10-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that I am not the only one in this household that finds if funny posing Chip with objects that he does not particularly like.

San Francisco One Day

2007-10-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

((Update))
Photos courtesy of Wendell. Todd looks a lot better in these photos than in reality. Can you imagine trying to smile when you feel nauseous, exhausted, and in pain. Ultrarunners rock. :)

************************************************************************************

(photo by Don Lundell)

Beautiful location, beautiful weather, great peeps. Todd did his longest run ever at 40.7 miles, 5.7 miles longer than SB 9 Trails last year. He conked at 10.5 hours and looked as bad as I have ever seen him. He was shaking uncontrollably, eyes glazed over, and unable to eat. He was on and off nauseous but had not thrown up. I had seen people like this at WS, but had never seen my own runner this way so I was pretty worried. I asked Sarah what I should do, but in the end he was fine with a bit of rest. A couple hours later, he still didn't want to move out of his chair but was lucid and talking again. Phew.

I stayed until midnight "volunteering". My volunteer duties lately seem to consist of smiling, talking and taking up space. Not a bad gig as long as no one minds. Not to mention inhaling lots of cheetos and candy corn. It's pretty fun.

Congratulations Todd. Hope you aren't broken today and will keep on running so I can continue to show up at races and not look like a stalker.

And you thought you knew me..

2007-10-18T16:32:00.001-07:00

Jessica is good at distraction.

You Are An ISTP

The Mechanic

You are calm and collected, even in the most difficult of situations.
A person of action and self-direction, you love being independent.
To outsiders you seem impulsive, surprising, and unpredictable.
You are good at understanding how all things work, except for people.

In love, you tend to be very easy going and flexible.
The only thing you can't stand for is someone trying to change you or your life.

At work, you can stay completely calm under pressure. You handle stress well.
You would make an excellent pilot, forensic pathologist, or athlete.

How you see yourself: Logical, flexible, and unconventional

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Indecisive, flippant, and disrespectful

What's Your Personality Type?