Hello Again Mr. Blog

What Happened?

Hello again Mr. Blog. How have you been? I see it's been awhile since we last spoke. Since last September to be exact. And to think every week since my last post, I've had a note in my Task List to "write blog". Maybe it was a case of not having enough time. Maybe it was a bad case of writer's block. Well, whatever it was I am hoping the New Year will bring about more thoughts, more insights, and a steady stream of blog entries for my small audience to read. As they say, a new year, a new start.

The Blog Itself

One of the things that I know that was an obstacle for me was trying to understand the direction that I wanted to take this blog to. A glance at my bio will tell you that I have many different interests. Would this be a running blog talking about my physical struggles with speed and endurance? Or would this be a wine blog discussing my studies towards achieving first level sommelier and a CSW (Certified Specialist in Wine)? Maybe I talk about all the different cuisines I endulge in and the various recipes I am always experimenting with? Or do I do my best William Miller http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/ and report on the wide variety of music performances that I attend on a regular basis? Lastly, maybe I go into full jock mode and just talk sports and emulate every sports talk radio station out there? Well, the answer ends-up being (D), all of the above. At this time, I've come to the conclusion that I cannot have a blog dedicated to just one subject. If this blog is about me, then it will have to talk about all these different things that encompass me. As you will see, it will all make sense in the end!

Where Am I Running In 2010?

For the past couple of weeks I have been contemplating what races I should run this year. I actually wanted to "plan" my year out so I could train accordingly. Well, here is what I came up with:

March - Initially, I had myself scheduled to run the L.A. Marathon http://www.lamarathon.com/. Way back when (1989), L.A. was my first marathon. With this being the inaugral year of the new course and myself just recently reviving my running last June, I was looking forward to this race. Unfortunately, as I started mapping out my year, I saw that the race coincided with my sommelier exam http://www.mastersommeliers.org/.org/. Having to train/study for both which occur in the same week was a bit too much for me. So I decided, no race, as I go forward with my sommelier exam. L.A. will have to wait another year. As Ryan Adams would say, "Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard, see you sometime..."

April - A little birdie told me about the Santa Cruz Half Marathon http://www.firstwave-events.com/sc_half/. For as long as I have lived in the Bay Area and the numerous times I have surfed the area, I have never ran a race in Santa Cruz. In the summer, I can easily say that I spend over half my time there either surfing or hiking this amazing area. I'm really looking forward to this event. Oh yeah, don't forget to visit the Dooniverse called Bonny Doon Vineyard. The vineyard is tucked away in the Santa Cruz mountains, but you can visit the tasting room in downtown Santa Cruz. Say 'hi' to Randall! https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/

May - Last year, I had the pleasure to make a road trip up to Eugene, Oregon with my brother, who is a Duck Alum. I was looking forward to visiting the University of Oregon (Nike University), but was excited to see Pre's Rock and Hayward Field. For any runner out there, these are mandatory to visit. This is an area that is rich in running history. I left that campus very inspired about running again. With that in mind, I am planning to run the Eugene Marathon as my first of the year and my first in over 5 years. I'm hoping Pre's spirit guides me to a PR! http://www.eugenemarathon.com/w.eugenemarathon.com/

June - My birthplace and one of my favorite cities, San Diego! I'm planning on running the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon http://san-diego.competitor.com/. Looks like there is a 1/2 marathon option now. This was the last marathon that I ran (if you want to call it that) over 5 years ago. A good excuse to run and then surf La Jolla afterwards!

July - It's back to my childhood roots to the city of Chicago! If you don't already know, I am a huge fan of the Grateful Dead. Yes, looks can be deceiving. I'm a Deadhead, but not a burnout. The Terrapin 5K celebrates running and the love of the Dead http://www.terrapin5k.com/in5k.com/. I'm going to bet that this is more of a "fun run" and not so competitive. The route is based around Soldier Field and there is post-race entertainment, usually a Dead cover band. C'mon, this race is all about the vibe and a bunch of cool people. You can't beat that! The Thursday race also gives me a chance to enjoy the city, hang out in Wrigleyville, and take in some CUBS games!

October - Back to the Midwest for the Chicago Marathon http://www.chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/chicago_marathon/. I've been literally chasing this race for over 10 years! Back in college I trained for this race only to get sidelined due to a back injury forcing me to cancel the race. I've come to seek my revenge. Hopefully my bag of bones can handle all this training and make it to October for this race. If not, also a good excuse to visit my alma mater, Purdue University, for a football game. Plus, I am pretty sure the CUBS will be in the playoffs at this time.

So, that is what I have brewing on my running calendar for 2010. I've left some months open on purpose, which includes the latter part of the year for some tentative races. I would like to do at least one trail run this year and possibly an ultra, so the Skyline 50K may be a possibility http://www.skyline50k.us/. This will be my first ultra, but I will have to see how I progress through the Spring and Summer. In November, I may decide to run the Big Sur Half Marathon again http://www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org/. Finally, December brings the Honolulu Marathon http://www.honolulumarathon.org/. I would really love to finish off the year with this race, but I also have to consider the travel costs. Maybe I can ask Santa for an early Christmas present?

Outside of running (and attempting to complete at least 1500 miles this year), I still have to fit in studying and taking the CSW exam. At the same time, I will be coaching two Youth Basketball teams and helping out with our local Little League baseball teams. Where is all this time coming from? How is this all going to come together? I still don't know how my family puts up with me.

Did I mention that the last time I submitted a blog entry, we had just experienced a small earthquake? And what happened in Northern Cal this weekend? http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc71338066.php

OK, that was easy to write...now the real work begins. Wish me luck!

This blog was brought to you by the sounds of Further (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 12/30/09), Ryan Adams - Gold, The Best of Busta Rhymes, and a bag of Mike and Ike Zours.