So, I was in Massachusetts last weekend for Tracy's wedding, and I stayed in Boston with Brandy for a couple of days. I met some of her friends who are involved in triathlons. It was inspiring - most of them have done 1 or 2 ironmen.

I really need to get into better shape if I want to do the Wildflower Tri this spring. I haven't done much swimming/biking training since I got here in Monterey. Well, I've done a fair amount of recreational biking, which is good, but I need to get more intense with training longer distances (and practicing with clipping in/out). ASAP.

Well, I've been super busy here in Monterey with TPARC stuff, but I can always find time to run ;) (but not blog about it, I guess).

I actually signed up for the PG triathlon, then realized that it was the same weekend as Tracy's wedding. Sooo I got a 50% refund on that, which is good. Plus, I'm really excited for Tracy's wedding and to see all of the gymnasts!

Anyway, I was a little sad that I couldn't to the triathlon, but I signed up for the Big Sur half marathon (which is actually in Monterey and PG) on Nov 9. Yay! After I get my long runs back to 15+, I want to do a test run of the course. The run is mostly along the beach and very flat. I actually did nearly all of the course this morning on my 10 mile run.

Speaking of the beach, here is my AM beach run loop. Jealous?! That's all for now..

yay football!

Being in Boulder last week and seeing everyone running and biking around town, I really wanted to sign-up for some more races. I've been researching the local races, and I have a tentative racing plan. Unfortunately, I don't get paid until Friday, so I am a little bit wary about spending $300-400 on race sign-ups. eek! As long as the races do not sell out I should be fine...

I'm thinking about doing either the Sandman Triathlon on August 3, or the Santa Cruz Sprint Triathlon on August 10. Of course, I have not been in the pool since the beginning of June, but I'm not too concerned about swimming. I am in pretty good biking and running shape, and I am sure that I would be fine for these short distances. Whether or not I sign-up is contingent on 1) if they sell out, 2) if I have enough money, and 3) if I need to buy a wet suit (see #2).

Sept 13, 2008: Pacific Grove Olympic Triathlon

Oct 12, 2008: City to the Sea Half Marathon: "turf to surf" San Luis Obispo to Shell Beach

Nov 9, 2008: Big Sur Half Marathon This race is actually in Monterey, and the start line is < 1 mile from my apt and then passes about 2 blocks away from my apt. Actually, here's the race course if you're interested.

And then for the 2009 season, I want to do the Big Sur Marathon on April 26, 2009, and the Wildflower Half Ironman, which is not announced yet but will probably be the 1st weekend in May 2009. Basically, my race plan for this summer is anticipating the 2009 season. I need to build back into the racing distances. I also need to get back into racing shape and (possibly) lose a few pounds. During the winter, I will need to focus on hills.

I just need to add some unrelated things. I might start running on the weekends with my boss. Strange, huh? He's very active, and, in fact, he biked across the country with a friend, averaging about 115 miles per day! I'm really in awe of that trip. I thought that driving across the country was a big deal! If you look back a few posts, you will see that I considered doing Bike & Build this summer, although it didn't turn out to be feasible because of the time needed to find a job.

It's still unbelievable to me that I live in CA. I walk around with this ridiculous grin, I'm sure. haha. A couple of things that amuse me: 1) I shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and the Monterey farmer's market, 2) I run on and/or next to the beach, 3) I live about 1/4 mile from the beach, 4) it's never too hot or too cold. It's just right. Every time that I bike onto campus, the security person makes a comment that it's a nice day for a bike ride. It's a nice day for a bike ride EVERY day. 5) I get excited when I see a gas station that sells gas for less than $4.50/gallon, and I haven't even bought gas yet. That's all for now.

I miss everyone! I haven't really made any friends that are my age. Everyone's really nice though, and I might call the agent that set-up my State Farm insurance. She was friendly and told me to call her. Aviva will arrive in Monterey on August 1 though. It will be great to see her :)

I found this neat tool online: http://walkscore.com. Here are some Walk scores of places where I have lived... I guess that I just thought that it was interesting. Between living approx 800 ft from the building that I work in and the Tuesday Monterey Farmer's market, I won't need to drive that often. I'm glad that I got the car though because I want to be able to explore out here a little :-D Plus, my car is so cute!

Where I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA: 8/100

My Senior Year at Rutgers:
77/100

PSU/State College, PA
PA: 66/100

My New Address in Monterey, CA:
71/100

There have been some requests for pictures, so here you go:

i will miss you!


best pie in OH.


we're in indianapolis


"cheap" gas in IL


the mississippi is flooded


the arch


hays, ks!


nuff said


Santa Lucia's in Rawlins, WY


the salt flats


dust devil


view of the peninsula from PG


farmers market


boats


duuunes


the beach


my new car!

sooo Europe was amazing! It was wonderful to take a vacation, and I had a great time with Jon and all of his friends. I also fell in love with Lyon. Paris, Milan, and Bologna were also a lot of fun to visit, but I could see myself living in Lyon. I think that I partially enjoyed that city so much because it reminded me of Pittsburgh, both the local geography and the size of the city. It is situated at the confluence of the Saone and the Rhone rivers and surrounded by hills. Remi lives on Le Fourviere, the hill to the west of the city. There are two funiculars (2 inclines in Pgh..) that you can ride to get to the top. On one of the mornings in Lyon, Jon and I did a run down the hill and back up. whew! We only did one other run on the trip, in a park in Monza outside of Milan.

Speaking of Milan, I don't think that I've ever eaten so much red meat in such a short span of time. Giorgio's goal was for us to try every variety of prosciutto that they have in Italy. I must admit that the Parma ham and the Bresaola were very good tho. OMG, and I ate lardo. You guessed it? It's fat! Imagine extracting the white fatty part from a slice of bacon and just eating it. That's what lardo essentially is. I'm embarassed to say that I actually thought that it was a vegetable when I ate it the first night. Let me see if I can find a good picture of this stuff.



Literally, it was on the pizza that Jon got, and I thought that it was similar to onion. I'm not even kidding. After Milan, I decided to refrain from eating ham for the rest of my life ha. We ate much healthier on the rest of the trip, minus the abundance of cheese in our diet. Really, the entire trip was basically a gastronomical tour of France and Italy :-D

Yeah, in case your haven't guessed, I'm nowhere near prepared for a half ironman. I'm surprised that I didn't gain 10 lbs in Europe. Actually, we did so much walking that it probably would have been difficult to gain weight. The only portion of a half ironman that I can confidently say I am prepared for right now is the swim. classic! I need to find a race in CA to sign-up for! That's right - CA!!!! I actually can't express how excited I am to do the Big Sur marathon. I remember reading about it in Runner's World..

Yes, I am currently wearing the AWFUL boot that I had to wear when I had the stress fracture last winter. Walking around Chicago in flip-flops was not a smart decision. I literally have an egg on the top of my foot. I guess that I first noticed the pain on Monday, and it's been gradually getting more painful since then. Walking home from Walker today (in my flip-flops) was excruciating. After a google search, I'm fairly confident that it is tendonitis in my extensor hallucis longus tendon. I can feel the tendon rubbing against its sheath, that creaky, frictiony feeling. I decided to wear the boot for - at least tonight - as a precaution: immobilizing the tendon usually expedites recovery. This hurts at least as much as tibial tendonitis. Poopies! Hopefully it feels better tomorrow!

The cook-out last night was one of the best birthday celebrations that I can remember from recent years. It was just chill, ya know? Anyway, I've been getting a little nostalgic as the moving date approaches. I did one of my favorite State College runs yesterday, the 10K running trail around the golf course. I'm sad that I only discovered that trail last summer! Who am I kidding though? I love to explore new places, and I will find new favorite routes wherever I go.

The tri club girls were at the pool again today. I was sad that I did my bike ride this morning because they were planning a 4:00 ride this afternoon. It's so much more enjoyable to ride in a group. I need to start planning to do group rides with the tri club and with CenTri. I'll never meet my goal of completing a century ride this year if I continue to bike solo. Actually, looking for local cyclists in my new hometown should be an excellent way to meet new people!

I'm excited for the outdoor pool to open next week :-D

My poor foot!



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