I'm doing Hood to Coast! Lindsay sent me an e-mail last week.. Paul is organizing a team, and he needed one or two more people. I'm so excited. After Reach the Beach, I mused about doing the west coast equivalent (and the original 200 mi relay). However, I didn't expect to get the opportunity to participate in it for quite a few years. It's still nearly a year away (Aug 28-29), so I will have to tame my excitement!

In other news, I finally got a new pair of running shoes. My old Mizunos were so shot that the mesh in the front of both shoes was actually torn. New shoes were much needed. Especially since the Big Sur half marathon is rapidly approaching!

Jon's in town :-D We camped in Yosemite for the 3-day Columbus Day weekend (trivia for the day: Columbus was a whoppin' 41 when he sailed the ocean blue). It was hella freezing, but we had a great time. I must say that with all they hype about bears and bear boxes, I was a little disappointed to not see any bears. Consolation: we did see a coyote. and some squirrels.

Wow, I have to say is that I understand why everyone raves about Yosemite. The shear cliffs, the panoramic views, the majestic Half dome, the sequoias, etc. Many of the waterfalls were dry, but we did get to see a smaller year-round waterfall, Vernal Falls (name is deceiving, eh?).

While we were there, a two-man team of climbers broke the world-record by climbing El Capitan in 2 hours and 37 minutes (San Fran Chronicle news story). Personally, I think that they were insane. Note the bit: "Had he lost his grip, he would have plunged 150 feet until the rope caught on an anchor. Such a fall could very well prove fatal - or at least crippling. If, for some reason, the anchor itself didn't hold, Hirayama would in all likelihood have pulled Florine off the wall and they both would have fallen at least 2,600 feet to their deaths." Anyway, I don't even think that I could run up a 3000 ft mountain that quickly! Plan for my next trip to Yosemite: tour the waterfalls and hike Half Dome!