Kicking Back in Santa Cruz

Fire is the theme for Theme Thursday. Here's how I spent my evening after running my first 20 miles last September with my fellow TNTers and friends. There's nothing like drinking some beer, bundling up in a warm cozy sweater and cuddling with my hubby and hanging out with friends at a bonfire.

Back to Reality

I just got back from my trip to New York City and I'm wiped. Walking all over the place, taking the subway and running nine miles for my training in the middle of the trip, eek, I was done for. Now I'm back at work, training for my half marathon and going to ballet. My feet hurt.

New York was fun despite the weather going from one extreme to the other-high 70s to high 40s, sunshiny and warm to cold and rainy. Spring was in the air and everything was blooming. So, from everything I shot I'll show you a few of the beautiful blooms around Manhattan.

44th street in front of Grand Central Station.

Lunch at the Bowling Green.

More blooming tulips at Trinity Church on Wall Street.

A small patch to sit and eat chocolate near the South Side Seaport.

Strolling through Central Park during a short heat wave.

More blooms in Central Park.

Easter lilies line Rockefeller Plaza at midnight!

Behind the Metropolitan Museum between showers.

Sigh, now I'm in California where spring had sprung and gone away. With record temperatures over the weekend, summer is definitely on the way and the start of TNT summer season! I'm going to be a mentor!

A View From 35,000 Feet

It's Theme Thursday and today's theme is Earth. Here are a few views from my air travel to NYC form SFO this morning!

Recognize that panhandle?

The TransAmerica building and the Golden Gate Bridge are in this one.

The Rockies.

Lake Michigan.

Hey, it's New Jersey! A view before landing at JFK.

Getting up There

I just got back from my run with Victoria. We ran eight miles today! We did a run-walk at a pace of 5:1. The run-walk is great for longer distances and helps prevent fatigue. I don't want to over do it. Plus, its great training when recovering from injuries. So, with that said we ran our eight miles in 1:24 and I don't remember how many seconds. Not too bad.

Of course we ran at our usual Campbell Park and it was busy as usual. Lots of running, walking and cycling groups crowding the trails. Families walking their dogs to the dog park and lots of strollers. And, of course, TNT running groups. Campbell Park is literally the most active park I've ever seen. It's busy at all times of day, early mornings, and evenings. It's a great park.

Overall it was a great morning! :-)

Gnats, Gnats, and more Gnats Everywhere

Yesterday I managed to wake up at 5:30 am to meet up with my old buddy run group at 6 am. I'm tired. I ran four miles with my running buddy Victoria, captain Steve and coach Tim. John, Brian and Jesi went further and faster than us, but that's them.

Rain still being in the forecast the dark grey sky quickly lightened into a light grey sky. As this happened large clouds of gnats gathered over the paved trail. I mean large. You couldn't run without breathing one up your nose and in your mouth. In my lucky case some in my eyes. YUCK was the least I can say. Coughing is what everyone did. Screaming and swatting are what Victoria and I also did.

At the end Jesi ran up asking how everyone liked their gnat breakfast. Oh Jesi...how many did you swallow?

Eggsactly My Kind of Afternoon

Baking and decorating and eating!

That's right, it's theme Thursday and today's theme is the incredible edible egg.

My friend Alison invited us over to her place to decorate and eat Easter egg cookies. Here are some of the nicer cookies I decorated.

Easter egg cookies!
My husband made the yellow frosted one for me.

This guy is not shaped like an egg but eggs are in the dough. I know, I'm stretching.I have to admit, this little guy looks a little creepy.

And the stretch continues with more baked goods. I baked these gluten free peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies the next day. There's egg in there...

...and in these scrumptious strawberry muffins.
Mmm, pulled right out of the oven.

Five, That's Five TNTers

One TNT runner, two TNT runners, three TNT runners, four TNT runners, five TNT runners-five TNT runners at Campbell Park today, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! One spring TNT buddy run group! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! (Insert traditional trademark thunder and lightening here.) Go Team!

Come on, who doesn't love The Count (full name Count von Count)?

I originally planned to run four miles today but I'm still sick from the cold I caught this weekend and decided to cut it short to three miles, on a cold windy cloudy rainy day. Stupid? Perhaps, but exercising usually perks me up and helps chase my colds away. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I was a little weaker than normal but the run went well. Besides, it stopped raining by the time I went out.

I ran into Diana at my three mile turnaround (14 minutes) and ran the rest of the way in with her. Diana ran 12 miles this weekend and was a bit fatigued and was running a 4:2 (run four minutes walk two minutes). Being a little weak myself I was glad to join her. Having someone to talk to also helps the time fly by. That's when we saw Jesie and Jason and a couple of their friends, Troy and Corina, and a buddy run team. A lot of TNTers for a cold cloudy evening in a relatively empty park. Campbell Park is never empty!

I have to say that running with Diana is a pleasure. She talks about anything and everything and has time to answer her iPhone in the middle of a run! I have proof. She's so funny. I plan to meet up with her and Robin, and a few others, to run eight miles this Saturday. I should stop rainning by then.

Tomorrow: TNT mentor/captain meeting and sign up. Summer season here I come!

My Next Event is...

Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon in Humboldt county California on May 3rd. This will be my first major running event since I ran the Nike Marathon last October.

I've been running up to four miles but now it's crunch time. I ran six miles with Victoria, my running partner/buddy/mentor, yesterday at where other than Campbell Park. The most active park I've ever seen! I'll get back to that later. So, six miles in one hour! I am so stoked about our time. I wonder what my time will be on the race?

My training schedule is as follows:

• 4 miles Tuesday 4/7
  
• 5 miles Thursday 4/9
  
• 8 miles Saturday 4/11
  
• 4 miles Monday 4/13
• 6 miles Wednesday 4/15
• 10 miles Friday 4/17
• 3 miles Tuesday 4/21
• 3 miles Thursday 4/23
• 4.2 miles Pat's Run Saturday 4/25*
• 2 miles Tuesday 4/28
• 13.1 miles Sunday 5/3
  

I submitted my schedule to my TNT coach and I'm awaiting his advice. Now I just need to find different places to run. Campbell Park is great but I need a little change of scenery. Plus, I'll be heading to New York soon where I hope to run in Central Park.

*Pat Tillman's friends and family created Pat's Run as a way to celebrate Pat's legacy while raising awareness and funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation.

Ballet and Running

Wednesday evening I donned on my pink tights, my leotard, and put my hair up in a bun. I put my makeup on and stretched for a while before heading off to ballet. This was my first class in a year. I put it on the back burner for many reasons but finally have the time, the drive, and spare cash to attend.

I have to say that running did ruin my ballet. My ballet brain was slow, my feet hurt and kept cramping up, and I couldn't lift my leg as high as I could before the marathon. It was depressing and humbling. I need a lot of practice to reach the level I left. By running I'm constantly pounding and tightening my leg muscles where ballet strengthen and lengthens, the total opposite of running. Stretching, another reason why I went back. I need to do more stretching to prevent another injury.

It was great to stand by the bar listening to the perfectly metered ballet music; the french terms and instructions over the music. Tendus, piles, frappes, degages, fondue, passe; in first, in second, in fourth, in fifth; releve; balance, just to name a few.

It was great to see my ballet instructor Zinnia again. I've missed her pleasant smile and encouraging words. It was great seeing old friends and seeing how much they've improved since I've last seen them. Hugs and smiles all around. I'll be back next week.

Walk, Strut, Run and Dance a Mile in My Shoes

So this week I'm participating in a little thing called Theme Thursday. A theme is picked every week and participants choose what to post on their blogs. This week's theme is Ten. So, me being so physically active, I decided to post my ten favorite pairs of shoes. Yep, those who know me know that I love shoes and I had a hard time choosing only ten. Now I wish the theme was 12 or 13 or 15, but it is not. So here are my TEN favorite pairs.

The most comfortable shoes I own, my Chuck Taylors.

The newest and brightest pair of my collection.

These 3" heels are my everyday heels. They're so battered but I love them.

I was doing a little online window shopping when I spotted this gorgeous pair of purple suede shoes. It was love at first sight.

These shoes are 4" tall and they make me 5'6"! They're also very cute long lean slacks.

Every gal has to own a pair of a classic design, T-straps. This updated version is 3" tall and has brown suede and leather.

Ah, my running shoes. This is the third pair I bought since last May. Running shoes break down and die around 300 miles. Now you know why runners obsess over their shoes.

Whoo, I would dance in these 3" latin ballroom shoes for hours four to five days a week. Yep, this is the pair number four. The soles are soft and pliable and are meant for stretching, bending, and pointing and wear down quickly.

Flamenco shoes have nails in the heels and in the tip of the shoe to make that great loud stomping. There's so much I want to do and so little time for it all.

How crazy is this? I started ballet as an adult to supplement my ballroom dancing and discovered I loved ballet more than latin dancing. By the end of my second year I was taking point lessons. I no longer do point but I still love my points. In the meantime I'll stick my ballet slippers.

There you go, a little glimpse of me and some of my passions. I hope you enjoyed it.