So Cal Half Marathon - Do we smell retirement/A Visit from Dad and Neil

With our 7th half marathon together under our belt, Eddie has threatened retirement after this cold and rainy half marathon. Those that don't run probably wonder why we keep doing the same thing. Those that do run realize that every race is different providing a totally unique experience and let's just say our readiness seems to vary per race also which also makes things interesting. This time, we were both not as prepared with Eddie running up to 5 miles and me up to 8 miles prior to the race. Miles 10-13 were the toughest - note to self- don't forgo water stations! Crossed the finished line and orange juice never tasted so good. My wonderful hubby waited for me at the finish line, but unfortunately, we missed each other. He hadn't even eaten yet when I saw him, but he brightened up after a bagel and banana. Overall, we enjoyed the race, and I'm really proud to have another half under our belt.

The best part was yet to come - a dim sum lunch fit for a king. Lucky for us, our hotel was close to our favorite haunts. We ordered a ton of food to go and ate outside, devouring it all in 15 minutes. It was way better than waiting in line to eat inside! The best meal ever! I love that food just tastes 100x more amazing after a half.

Dad and Neil visited after Christmas. It was great to have them, I felt like having them here gave as the green light to try new restaurants and eat out the entire weekend. My family insisted on BBQ so I took them to Phil's and as you can see they did not go home unhappy. The visit flew by too quick and ended with a home cooked meal by yours truly. For my 5 year anniversary gift at work, I chose the T-Fal steamer. It's been a great gadget for some really delicious meals.

As for our racing future, it remains undetermined, however, I have a feeling we'll get the itch for the next one soon.

So Cal Half Review 6.5-7 Rating

Pros
Well organized
Clearly marked mile markers and timers
Plenty of post race food/caffeinated OJ, Einstein bagels, cookies, bananas, water bottles
Flat course
Plentiful Parking
Convenient location near really good restaurants
Inexpensive hotel
Plentiful water stations
Saturday race so we can recover on Sunday

Cons
3 porto potties per rest stop - line backed up with 15 or more people - a 15 min wait at least
No real expo
No tech t-shirt just a white t-shirt
Medal was incorrectly labeled 2014
3 block walk to the car (Eddie's complaint)
Smallish race
Sparse Gatorade stations
Loop course was all streets nothing scenic
Crowded race - you're never going to alone - shoulder to shoulder at times
No real time race results

Getting excited to start the race!



How Eddie still loves me after getting him to run 13.1 miles on a cold rainy Saturday is beyond me.

Limbering up.

 

My first time seeing Eddie after the race. He waited at the finish line for me - what a guy!

Chipper!

Still smiling after 13.1!

 

Dad loved the beef ribs at Phil's.

My brother and Eddie who was too hungry to stay still.

Walking off bbq in Old Town visiting the Sheriff's Museum. Dad's always curious about how things work.

 

 

Merry Christmas!

The holidays came and went in a blink of an eye . We had a great time at our work holiday party and then rung in Christmas Eve with a surprise for Eddie, an American Christmas at the Hotel Del Coronado, a dinner and musical in one. We left work at 4p and while Eddie had no idea where we were heading, we arrived at the grand hotel at 5p, scoring the few spots left in the lot. Since we had a time before the show start, we sat outside next to a firepit and ordered a caprese salad and a beer for Eddie. It was a picture perfect night with a toasty fire and carolers nearby. As we neared the start of the show, we ran into a co-worker who was kind enough to take our photo. From there, we were welcomed into the grand ballroom by the performers who greeted us in character with cups of hot cider, salami, mortodella, and other goodies awaiting us. The show kicked off with introduction to the characters who set the stage for the early 1900s. Each course was introduced with a song. The four course meal ended with silent night and cheese cake (the best cheese cake ever by the way). By the time we got home, it was 10:30p. Eddie loved it!

The next day, I slept till 11a (which never happens, but I guess I needed it). Eddie went to church and picked up bagels and donuts. A great start to a great day as we ended up opening gifts and sharing some laughs. Thankfully, Carls Jr. was open since I forgot to get us something for lunch. Dinner included ham, corn, rice, stuffing, and crescent rolls. Too full for the apple pie I bought. As the meal concluded, Eddie remarked he was sad it's over. However, there more to look forward to. My dad and brother's arrival tomorrow, New Years, the So Cal Half, Las Vegas, National Conference, Eddie's birthday just to name a few.

 

Company Holiday Party...and the best dressed award goes to...

Looking forward to a great show at the Hotel Del Coronado

An Active Thanksgiving

Eddie often remarks, "Wow, we've had an active day." I'm not sure if Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of rest. I suppose some look forward to doing nothing and watching TV, but it's so much more enjoyable to do something out of the ordinary, get outside, and use Thanksgiving as a kick start to the holidays. So this year, I signed us up for our first ever Oceanside Turkey Trot and donned our Carlsbad Running Lab shirts courtesy of my running coach who registered us as team for the race. It wasn't easy getting out of bed at 6a on a holiday, but once we were up, we were so glad to be together at the start line of a fun and fast race by the ocean. The mood was festive with many runners in costumes and turkey hats (much to Eddie's disappointment he never got one). Here's our take on the Turkey Trot and there's not a lot we would change.

Pros
Well organized
Nice quality shirts
Awesome medals
Plenty of bars and fruit at the finish
Flat course
Late start time 8:20a
Announcer continuously reminded the crowd to line up in the right corral

Cons
No water bottles - cups of warm water instead

While few places were open for breakfast, I managed to find a pho place close by. That meal was highly forgettable, but I did take Eddie to a new donut place that he really liked. Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey legs, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, roasted vegetables, rice, biscuits, and cranberry sauce. My favorite was the lingon berry/apple cider from Ikea that was slightly tart. We set up our first artificial Christmas tree while celebrating our first Thanksgiving in our new home. I love our scented tree ornaments that makes our home smell like a real tree. We decorated while listening to holiday classics.

My surprise for Eddie delivered to the office.

 

Eddie high fived this gnome named Jerome during the race.

Feeling chipper and ready to start the race.

 

The start line on a gorgeous sunny 65 degrees day.

Done! When do we eat?

The Carlsbad Running Lab Team

 

0 miles and Tons Food

We went way off the grid on this most recent trip to San Francisco. With heavy rains and cold weather, it wasn't exactly enticing to run outside. So we dined on dim sum, pizza, beer, and then my Aunt Tina surprised us with an early Thanksgiving dinner. While we could have saved Eddie some dough by not stopping at the casino on the way home from Russian River Brewery, I guess it wouldn't have been as memorable as we had many firsts on this trip such as the first time doing a beer tasting with my family, first time eating pizza at a restaurant as a family (always done delivery), first time I saw my brother and Eddie get a little tipsy at 12p PT. Just did my Monday run and feel every mile of it. 3 day work week - here I come!


My brother and Eddie - it's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Dad's Masterpiece - a hot pot dinner.

Eddie and Pliney the Elder

 

7.5 Miles and a Surprise Trip to Irvine

Our weekend didn't start or end the way I expected. The schedule said 10 miles, but we ended up both running 7.5. With the sun glaring and the finish location just too close, I opted not to run the extra 2.5 miles. I just wasn't feeling it, but I was delighted to see Eddie walking towards me at the finish, greeting me with a huge smile. It was the toughest 7.5 I've done in quite some time. As all runners know, we all just have those days. After our run, we were eating breakfast when Eddie said he had a surprise for me. He had booked a getaway for us in Irvine! I had been wanting to get away for a while and I couldn't believe he had planned this for us. He took me home so I could pack, and after lunch, we headed up north.

Eddie had scoped everything out in advance. The hotel we stayed at was nearby plenty of shopping and entertainment. We saw Beyond the Lights, a romantic comedy that I'd wanted to see, and we both really enjoyed it. It was really nice to spend some time with my hubby. It was so thoughtful of Eddie to surprise me! What a gentleman.



Irvine Spectrum - it was great to spend the day walking outside.

They even have a ferris wheel.

9 and One of Us it Not Feeling Fine

After a strong finish of 9, one of us is not feeling all that fine. With a headache and a bit of fatigue, Eddie isn't totally in tip top shape, but maybe corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage will help him feel better tonight. We had a nice breakfast with eggs, pancakes, and sausage. Eddie had his usual eggs omelet. We couldn't find a good comedy on Netflix so we opted for Side Effects, which was a thriller but we found it terribly slow. Eddie fell asleep but came to when Clueless came on. I guess the thriller wasn't so thrilling. We're getting some house stuff done tonight, and I'm looking forward to a productive week and more activities next weekend!

Traning Schedule - 10 weeks to Half Marathon

17 11/8/2014 9 mi
18 11/15/2014 10 mi
19 11/22/2014 8 mi
20 11/29/2014 10 mi
21 12/6/2014 11 mi
22 12/13/2014 8 mi
23 12/20/2014 10 mi
24 12/27/2014 12 mi
25 1/3/2015 8 mi (or 6 mi since we're running the half next week)
26 1/10/2015 So Cal Half