I’m back in SUNNY Southern California/home for the race! I wish I could say the last 11 days treated me well leg-wise, but after doing a 3-mile run a few days after the 7-miler, I felt some uncomfortableness in my left knee. It didn’t quite feel like my usual tight ilotibial band, but more of like a tendonitis thing. I’ve been doing lots of stretching, icing and foam rolling, and hopefully along with my ITBS strap, I’ll be fine for the half. I am honestly hoping to finish without completely hobbling myself, since I’d like to go snowboarding as soon as I get back to Denver!
Huntington Beach
I went with James to pick up race packets today in Huntington Beach and the weather was beyond fine. As we drove along PCH, I really wondered why I left Southern California at all; I guess I needed to be away from it for a while to truly appreciate it. That’s not to say I don’t love Colorado, but knowing I was able to take a stroll on the beach while my friends were getting pummeled by 14″ of snow really put some things in perspective weather-wise.
I chose the Oakley package for the race because (1) I love Oakley sunglasses/products and (2) it wasn’t much more to get the sunglasses if you signed up for the full 26.2. But of course I had to drop classes into the half-marathon and it really wasn’t much of a deal to get the sunglasses. And considering I have two pairs of Flak Jacket XLJs already, this didn’t seem like much of a deal. Butttt as soon as I picked up my race packet and sunglasses, I was happy to add these guys to my stable of sunglasses. I’ve never had Fire-tinted lenses before, so this was really nice to add. I just wish they were polarized…oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
I also really like the race shirt this year. It has the look of a wetsuit; very creative!
Here’s hoping that this half-marathon goes better for me than the Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll! Lots of friends are running this one with me so I definitely don’t want to embarrass myself and receive a DNF. Since I left my medal and bib from my first marathon at my parents’ house, I’m letting it serve as inspiration for me.
Race bib and medal from my first half marathon
Douchey video of me making fun of my Denver friends:
I learned to love these street-style tacos from the taquerias in Santa Cruz, especially Mission Taqueria. For a while there were two locations, one on campus and one less than a mile from where I would eventually find an apartment. I could always find a roommate (Wangden, Eric, Nick, Geoff, in that order), a bro or a friend to meet me for lunch or dinner at a taqueria. Super nachos, super burritos and tacos…we would never get sick of these things.
I was able to find some passable tacos are from Viva Burrito, a Mexican chain in Denver. They are definitely tasty, but I have yet to find anything that compares to the tacos in Santa Cruz: two corn tortillas, carne asada, cilantro and onion. It’s like chasing that first high…(not that I’d know anything about that.)
A friend shared this on Facebook and I had to share it. This is definitely a tear-jerker, based solely off of reactions of friends on Facebook. But I wonder why it is mostly Asians/Asian-Americans that are moved by this video; the story is definitely sad on its own merits, but I think it resonates a lot with Asian/Asian-Ams because most of us grew up with strict, disciplinarian fathers of varying degrees. I think we can see bits and pieces of our own dads reflected in the father in the video. When the dad finally breaks down and shows his unspoken love for his son, perhaps we all feel a sense of validation in ourselves.
Just my two cents Happy Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon!
I’m about two weeks out from the Surf City Half-Marathon!
Up until today, my longest run was a 5-miler last week, but I was able to pound on 7 miles this afternoon between classes. So far, my Pro-Tec Athletics IT Band Compression Wrap has been working. No debilitating shocks of pain during my run! I do wish that the race was in three weeks though; I would have liked to have squeezed in a long run of 9 miles two weeks before the race, but I don’t want to risk overdoing it by doing it this weekend and end up hurting myself before the race.
So on the plus side of things, knowing that I’m able to run 7 miles is a big confidence boost. Factoring in my “altitude training”, I’m guessing I can run at least until mile 9 of the race; after that, it’s a crapshoot.
Just a few more 3 to 4 milers between now and the race and that’s it!
I just watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix streaming and I absolutely recommend giving it a watch. While it showed how severely overweight people can benefit from juice fasting, it also showed how juicing as a supplement can be beneficial for everyone.
I think the key takeaway from the film is that a balanced lifestyle that includes healthy eating choices (including juicing) and exercise will lead to a healthier life period. Pretty straightforward stuff, eh?
I went to the National Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show yesterday at the Denver Coliseum since apparently it is a “Colorado must-do” and came highly recommended by some of my coworkers. Apparently, for the past one hundred years, farmers and ranchers from Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana and other states in the region have been bringing their livestock (hence the name Stock show) to showcase, sell and trade to each other. It’s a lucrative business since for a lot of ranchers that live in remote ranches in Wyoming, this is their one chance to go shopping in the “big city.”
I went to the matinee showing of the rodeo and I brought my 5D2 in tow because I definitely wanted pictures of something I will probably never go to again. The rodeo was pretty long, about two and a half hours. It was a pretty exciting show despite the fact that this wasn’t a championship round for any of the events. I admit I winced a few times when the cowboys would bring the steers down hard. But I breathed easier since the cows always got back up and trot happily (seemingly) back to their pen.
Miss Rodeo Colorado
Team calf roping
Team calf roping It hardly seems sporting at all.
Calf wrasslin'! Pretty wild.
His day is about to get a lot worse... That bull is not messing around
Amazing bucking action That horse is in full buck
Cowboy got trampled... ...but he was okay!
HAHAHA TAKE THAT, CLOWN This bull was on a mission to hurt and maim whoever he could!
About to go into full buck
Airborne Bull A bull completely off the ground; you don't see that often
Miss Rodeo Colorado
I used my Canon 5D Mark II paired with a 70-200 F/4L IS. Because of the 5D2′s high ISO capabilities, I was able to push the ISO up pretty high while still being able to freeze the action. Pretty impressive! The focal range was about perfect, but a 100-400 f/4L probably would’ve been the “ideal” lens to use. You can view the full set of 20 photos on Facebook or on Flickr!
The stock show itself had a feel of a state fair. Lots of food (I treated myself to a pulled pork sandwich) and lots of vendors selling a variety of Western attire, tsotchkes, industry-goods (tractors, tillers, etc.). There was also a viewing area that I mostly ignored where stock was actually showcased. I bought myself a jar of spicy pickled green beans, Landon got a new harness and I got Jessica a mason jar wine glass.
In spite of my initial reservations, I did have a lot of fun at the rodeo. I could even be convinced to go again in the future…
I really like my Breville since cleanup is a breeze and the motor is powerful enough to power through anything I’ve thrown at it so far. It usually adds an extra 10-15 minutes to my morning routine, which isn’t too unreasonable. There are 5 total parts to clean (mostly just rinse and a quick scrub); I’d say the hardest part of cleaning the machine is the wire mesh strainer. Luckily they include a brush to clean the mesh strainer and at most it takes a minute or two to completely get it clean and clear.
My current juice recipe that I adapted from Vu:
Two to three handfuls of kale or spinach
Two to three carrots
Two stalks of celery
One apple
Half of one lemon
4″ of cucumber
1-2″ piece of ginger
The taste is okay, but I usually just suck it down as fast as I can anyways. Because I purchased almost all of my veggies and fruits from Costco, I’ve been limited to the variety of juices I can make. My current supply is dwindling though, so I may substitute apples for pears and lemons for oranges. But so far I’ve been happy with the results of what I’ve been drinking.
I’ve been juicing daily for the past two weeks, primarily to supplement my diet since I probably don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables in my daily diet. I’m sure my body appreciates getting all those extra nutrients!
Ever since last season, I’ve disliked the Miami Heat with a passion. Lebron James’ cocky TV special to announce his choice to “take his talents to South Beach”, the attitude of the Heat thinking the NBA Championship is theirs and the ridiculous “pep rally” really fueled my odium of that team. Compounded by the fact that Chris Bosh looks like a velociraptor, I have no love for that team.
Because of that, going to see them play live has never been a high priority for me. Mostly because I didn’t want to seem like I was being taken in by the “spectacle” of seeing the Heat play.
But lo and behold, Jessica and I got a Denver Nuggets 10-pack this season, so we ended up going to the game. I was thrilled to see the Nuggets smash the Heat and watch crybaby Lebron continue to be un-clutch in the 4th quarter. This came only a couple days after my Clippers beat the Heat in OT.
And to imagine, we almost sold those tickets…
And yes, I am wearing a Nuggets tshirt in the picture! As a rule of thumb, I’ll cheer for the local team as long as it doesn’t interfere with the outcome of my teams. I’m still first and foremost a Clippers fan (and kiiiiind of a Lakers fan.)
Broncos vs. Steelers view from my seat (iPhone, stitched in Photoshop)
I was given a ticket to the Broncos vs. Steelers AFC Wild Card playoff game at the last minute from my bosses at work; I hightailed it over to the stadium and made it just after kick off.
I consider myself a San Diego Chargers fan (a loose fan affiliation if anything) but this game was a blast to be at. Tim Tebow was on a roll and the Broncos defense was causing all sorts of problems for the Steelers. By the time I left the game, I was cheering wildly for the Broncos; they won me over for at least the remainder of the post-season.
Go home team!
Going to an NFL playoff game has never been a dream of mine or anything since I’m not a huge NFL fan, but actually going was a fun experience I’ll never forget.
Happy Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon!
