Browse Category: go beak go

just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’

I tried that swimming stuff again today. Since I’m in the middle of marathon training, I’m supposed to crosstrain…something about “protecting my knees” with low impact activities every other day. *sigh* What is THAT all about? Anyway, I’ve been meaning to start swimming for some time. Jes swims once or twice per week and makes it look so easy. Unfortunately, I am not as “ducky” as he is and feel like a drowning puppy. My first day in the pool was last Tuesday…it sucked. Today was my second day and it sucked just as much. I guess those lessons at CPE back when I was six years old didn’t do much for me. I can only complete 250 yards for now but maybe it’ll get better over time. I hope so…or I’m gonna quit this silly sport.

So long, fishie.

Back in our college days, around…1996, we bought a little fishie that was only 3 inches long. He was an arowana…one of those long fishies that people display in Chinese restaurants or in their doorway to fend off bad spirits. I remember the days when we would hand feed him bloodworms and check the water temperature religiously. Later, he grew up into a big fishie. We had to get a larger and larger tank for him as he got bigger over time. When Jes moved home after graduating from UCLA, we also had to move the fishie. He lived with Jes’ parents for a long time after that…until today. At about 9 years old, 2 feet long, and 3 inches thick, he is now floaty dead. Jes’ mom called me this afternoon with the bad news and sounded genuinely sad. She even said that she no longer wanted to have the tank in the hallway anymore. I suppose it’s just too sad for her. Bye fishie!
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On a lighter note…I did something kinda weird today. At 3:00, after my last meeting, I put on my running gear and headed out the door. Yup, I ran home. It was a very strange experience…I’ve never lived so close to work before! All I could think to myself was, “hey, this is pretty cool!” According to my GPS, the route I took was 3 miles long. Sweet.

Better than “Revenge of the Sith”

Guess what?! Beakatude has just released the final cut of the 2004/05 Snow Season Slideshow!! Click here to download. I recommend that you save the file to your computer…it’s kinda big. Another thing, you might want to watch it at home with the speakers on. This slideshow is packed with dope sounds to get you in the snowy groove. Haha. We had a great snow season this year. If you missed it, hopefully this will throw you right into the action. Enjoy!!

OK…it’s that time again.

Last year I was in a funk and couldn’t quite get myself out the door to run as often or as long as I’d like. With all the ticker problems and all that came afterwards, it just wasn’t a good year. Now that I’m feeling better and stronger, I’ve decided that it was time for me to start training again. I wanted to get my training done this summer while the weather is good and the sun is out later in the day. So, the race that I’m eyeing is the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco on October 23rd. I’ve got the training schedule all planned out with America’s Finest Half Marathon in San Diego on August 14th.
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Today was my first long run – 6 miles! It was soooo hot outside and it was only 8:00 in the morning…*sigh*…I guess I’ll have to start earlier next week. I think one of the challenges I foresee is that I’ll be training on my own this year. In the past, I’ve had a training group with the support of volunteers providing water and snacks along the training runs. This time I’ll have to be a little more creative, but it’s ok. If anyone is interested in running one or both of the races with me, let me know.

Back on track!!

Today was my first day back at work since last Tuesday and I actually felt pretty good. I got a lot of work done and wasn’t dragging as I usually do on Monday mornings. I also went for a run and managed to complete 4 miles. I’m actually feeling much stronger and hills are getting a little easier. Woohoo!! For a while there I thought that I was getting old and falling apart. I think I’m back on track and it’s time to choose a race to train for. Anyone want to run with me?!

slow down, clip out, brake, foot down

I went to SuperGo with Jes today to get him a new helmet and ended up getting a pair of cycling shoes for myself. At first, I was pretty scared to try them out on my bike because they’re the kind where your feet are clipped into the pedals. I’ve heard lots of stories of people out on the road unable to clip out in time and fall sideways into the sidewalk. But Jes taught me what to do and had me try it out back and forth in our driveway. To my surprise (not to mention Jes’ too), I didn’t fall and he didn’t have to catch me either. It’s actually pretty cool “being one with the bike” when you’re pedalling. It’s just going to take some concentration and practice to get in and out without looking like a total newbie. Hopefully, when I try them out on the open road (with real speeding cars around) I’ll be ok. Wish me luck!