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.

Insomnia

8:30PM - Watching the CAL/Maryland football game. In the midst of my screaming boys, a neighbor's rumbling hot rod, and the TV at full volume, I could swear I hear/feel a tremor. You know, one of California's natural wonders. Nothing confirmed and no harm done, so I chalked it up to be my imagination.

9:30PM - CAL is taking care of the Terps. I'm losing interest and have gone in-and-out of a state of sleep. I'm now grumpy that someone has hijacked the TV during one of my states of unconsciousness, so I get my arse off the couch and head upstairs to bed. Mr. Sandman is calling.


2:47AM - Something awakens me. With all the bedroom windows open, I hear the barking and howling of the neighborhood canines. They too, felt/heard something just now. I'm not a big fan of shakes or earth movements of any sort. This, especially, being a home owner. It was a short tremor, but enough to get me out of bed and see what's going on. I check the USGS website and they confirm that the dogs aren't barking at the moon. It's a 3.9 - 4.0 magnitude with the epicenter just down the road from me (Hollister). A little too close for comfort.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc71271995.php

4:00AM - After reviewing the USGS website, Tweeting, updating Facebook, and paying my DMV registration, I come to the realization that this is the second morning in a row in which I have been awaken at this god-awful hour. I am not very happy about this, considering I have been making an effort to get to bed early to get some much needed rest. Typically, I can function on about 5 to 6 hours of sleep, but averaging 3-4 hours the last two nights is not cutting it! I just feel worthless during the day, especially with all the energy and effort I usually exert on my morning runs. Now I'm really concerned because I have a 15 miler scheduled later this morning. UGH!

4:36AM - I had already made the decision to attempt to sleep. I had grabbed a book to read which usually does the trick. Nope. I'm enthralled in my read. It's a book of poetry/short stories at that (Ryan Adams - Infinity Blues)! Things do not look good. Is it too early/late to have a glass of wine or some Jameson's?

I find it interesting that back in my youth, I could stay up all night and party and such. Get a couple hours of sleep and still be fully functional the next day. In my college years (and there were many), I had only accomplished one "all-nighter" ever. I remember staying up all night with some roommates, drinking bad coffee, popping No-Doze, and attempting to cram for our finals. I ended-up completely bombing the final the next day and swore I would never do that again. I felt that if I am going stay up all night and bomb on a test, I better be at a bar enjoying some beverages and the company of some co-eds. That never really happened :)

Funny enough, two nights ago when this bout of insomnia had decided to pay me a visit was when I read the following Runner's World article about Tera Moody, a U.S. marathoner who has been dealing with insomnia since the 6th grade.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13267-0,00.html

They say some causes of insomnia can be related to stress, anxiety, and/or depression. Believe me, I have none of those symptoms. I've recently been promoted at work, have a wonderful family, great friends, etc., etc., but is there something that I'm missing? I don't think so, but being up this early in the morning gets you to analyze things a little closer than usual. I'm sure this is a one-time deal and it will go away sooner than later. By the way, I hope you realize at this point, I have given up the idea of going back to sleep :(

The sun is about to rise. My office window is open with cool air coming through and a whiff of skunk. WTH! Another blog in the books. I hope this early wake-up call isn't what it takes to keep up with this blog.

This blog was brought to you by a 3.9 tremor, the cool sounds of Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane, the country vibe of Whiskeytown, a classic Grateful Dead show (07/18/09, Deer Creek, IN), and a couple of cups of Daybreak Caribou Coffee.

Oh, and about that run...

CHEERS,
G.

Lead-Off Batter

Hello All!

My 1st official blog post! After several months contemplating this idea, it took a sleepless night to get me in front of the tube and start hammering away. I am not sure what I am getting myself into, but I hope that there is someone out there that will read my random thoughts on my life. Content will consist of everything from eating, drinking, running, traveling, sports, music, and anything else that I may partake in this thing called life.

I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain and his show No Reservations. This guy stole my gig! I envy the guy who is paid to travel worldwide, eat anything in sight, absorb various cultures, drink enormous amounts, and to display a sense of sarcasm and wit. Does he run, because I still don't know how he stays thin?

Speaking of running, or in my case plodding, this is one of my favorite activities. There was a time where I would run 10Ks and marathons on a consistent basis. Somewhere along the line, I stopped running for whatever reason. Oh, I think it was something called marriage and starting a family. Excuses aside, I have come back to the activity that I love. I have never been a fast runner, but I would always find a way to finish. I think what's important to me now is just being able to get out and soak in the surroundings and have that feeling of freedom alone out on the trail. Which brings me to my recent conflict. I started running about 4 months ago and have been training for a marathon this fall. I've enjoyed the runs and the workouts, but part of me doesn't want to commit to a race anymore. Am I crazy? I still want to follow a training program, reap the results, and feel a sense of accomplishment, but I am not sure about signing up for a race. We'll see what happens. Long Beach and Big Sur are around the corner.

And then there is the wine. Living in California, we are very blessed to have access to all the wineries in our area. I'm lucky to have wineries literally minutes away and wonderful owners and growers that are willing to take the time to talk about their wine, their craft. My love and intrigue of wine has me wanting to learn everything about Vinticulture from the ground up. With that in mind, I'll start taking wine academy classes this Fall, hopefully prepping me to get my CWS certification (Certified Specialist of Wine). If not, worst case scenario, I'll be an edumucated wino :)

Funny thing, the hardest part of the blog was coming up with a title. It had to tie in all the things I love, not just one aspect. Food, drink, running, music, sports...geez, what in the world could that be. I played around with "Fill Your Glass", "Fill Every Glass", "The Long Run", "Making A Run", "Plodding Along", and some others which were references to a Grateful Dead, Eagles, or Ryan Adams song. So, "Life In My Years" made the final cut. There is another blogger out there using the same title, but I'm sure we won't get confused based on my screen name and my blog content. Anyway, here's the quote that did it for me and I felt very fitting:

"It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln.

Well, this zombie has just seen the sunrise through his office window and is going to muster up some energy to go out on a morning run. Let's see what happens.

CHEERS!
G.