Today's Run

This is a test; want to see if this little experiment works. In the event it does, attached is a map of today's two hour run up the Dipsea trail. This is my 7th two hour run over the past ten days and boy am I cooked. I have one last one tomorrow and then a big race next week -- and then taper time. Think this block of training is working though; I definitely feel stronger and more fit.

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Spook Run

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In the spirit of Halloween i went on a run today through Muir Woods that was pretty spooky. It had the full effect: mist, fog and complete and utter silence. It was also incredibly beautiful and I was glad to be one of very few people out there today.

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Run Through Sausalito

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Went for (another) two hour run today through Sausalito. I think Sausalito is very underrated. It's known as a bit of a tourist destination, which is true, but it boasts some of the best views the area has to offer. Today's run took me through the pier area, which back in the day was a cannery region. Note the Marin Fruit sign - that's an original cannery building.

I went through the pier to Cavallo Point, a fancy new luxury hotel that sits literally at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other photos are of sundry views, each of which is unique in it's own right. I've said this multiple times to the point where I'm sure it's getting old, but this is one spectacularly beautiful part of the world.

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Los Gigantes!

You are probably getting tired of all these baseball posts. I suspect they are getting to be a bit too much, so will try to limit them moving forward. But, this one is not so much about baseball as it is about the City of San Francisco. This might sound strange but you tend to learn a lot about a locale when their hometown team is performing on a national stage and I have to say that San Francisco is really rising to the occasion. The entire town - and I mean entire - is rallying around the Giants and it's created a very real sense of community. This is a hardcore baseball town and they get full props. These past few weeks have been a cool thing to experience and the overall experience reminds me when we lived in Chicago and the Cubs last made the playoffs.

Anyway, it's a very cool thing. I'm enjoying it greatly - more so than I would if the Yankees were in the Series (that would be torture) and I'm really happy for this town. Here is to hoping they win the whole thing. And I think it just might happen.

Big Block of Training

I'm in one of the bigger and more interesting blocks of training that I have done in a while, courtesy of Coach Phil. Starting Friday of last week, for four consecutive days, I did 2 hours of running. Two days were on the road; two on the trail. Total for the four days was 51 miles. I get three days of rest (not rest per se, but active recovery including swimming and weightlifting) and then this Friday I do the same thing over again. The week following that I have a 33km run - and then I start my taper. The challenge is that I have two very big (read: hard) races on back-to-back weekends: the Quad Dipsea (considered by many to be one of the more challenging ultra's in the country) followed the next week by the North Face 50k, which I think might even be harder. Will be very interesting to see how/if my body recovers following the Quad.

And then to top things off, Todd and I just signed up for the American River 50 miler. Fortunately, that one is in May so we have some time to prepare. Should be an interesting next few months though, running wise.

World Series

Well, my Yankees season has come to a conclusion. I should be bummed out and to an extent I am but the fact of the matter is we lost to the better team. I can live with that. And I picked a good year for my test to puke out because now I can full on get into the Giants. They've long been our second team - we go to a ton of games each year - and they are a fun group of misfits and cast offs. It's easy to rally around these guys. And lastly, the entire region is caught up in Giant's fever. I haven't seen anything quite like this since the Cubs made the playoffs when we lived in Chicago. The whole town is into this and as I noted previously, San Francisco is a *very* underrated baseball town. I think they are going to have their hands full against a loaded Ranger's squad, but they strike me as a team of destiny. Regardless of how it shakes out, I'll most certainly be in their corner. Go Giants!

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Run to Work Day

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I ran to work today for the first time in a long while - trying to get ready for my final two big races. It was all good until I got caught in a freaking monsoon. But before the rain started coming down I was able to catch an amazing sunrise over the Golden Gate bridge. These pictures don't nearly do it justice. I'm not terribly religious but this sight really made me believe in a higher power.

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