Excuses

At our first-ever Turkey Trot

It’s been a while, my friends (all 4 of you who may actually read this, ha!).  But – I just wanted to provide an update as to where I am (still in San Francisco, thank goodness), and why I’ve been silent.

It hasn’t been for the lack of tasty adventures. We took a trip to Florida, for the wedding of DD’s younger brother, and ate at a couple of memorable restaurants (Pubbelly Sushi and Sugar Cane Raw Bar & Grill).  When we’re not traveling I’ve still been cooking during the weekends for our weekly meals, but haven’t been as assiduous with documenting those attempts. We’ve also been eating out while in the city, but I’ve a backlog of photos needing to be processed and uploaded. During Porcini season, DD had been in full-forage mode, and we tried to come up with more recipes to use up the lovely mushrooms he’d been bringing home.

And so perhaps I should let on about another obsession that’s taken over me – and that – oddly enough, has been this thing called running.

I have never, ever, been a runner. In high school, the best I could muster was a 13+ minute mile, and that was with a lot of walking and wheezing and complaining. But this year I learned about a Couch to 5K iphone app called Get Running from a friend, and decided to give it a go. Perhaps what was key was the fact that DD was also interested, and we completed the training program together. At the time when I started, I wanted to use it as nothing more as an intro to get started with including running as a regular form of exercise for me – if I could run 3-5 miles 3 times a week for fitness and health, that would be a good goal.

But DD had loftier ambitions, and declared that we should sign up for an actual race – a 5k – to run just as we were finishing our Couch to 5k Get Running program.  And sure enough, there happened to be one, put on by the Dolphin South End (DSE) Running Club, billed as San Francisco’s oldest club of its kind, the very week we ran our final 30-minute jaunt with Get Running.

I’ve told the story of our meal the night before, of how I foolishly, somewhat wilfully “forgot” that we had a race the next day, and whipped up a batch of very spicy pork and rice cakes. The havoc this spicy dish wreaked on our insides and the hilarity that ensued is now recorded, for posterity, on Facebook.

DD places 3rd in his Age Group - first ever Half Marathon Race

But by the end of 2011, Danny and I had run about 5-6 races officially between us (from a 5k, 7k, 10k, 12k, and our first ever Half Marathon with Brazen Racing over Thanksgiving Day weekend (where DD placed 3rd in his age group, btw!), while DD continues to train for his first-ever marathon in Napa on March 4th, his first before he turns 30 this year. We run 2-3 times during the work week, and make sure to never miss our long training run on the weekend. Danny has made it up to 18 miles; I’m topping out at 13.1, sticking with Half Marathons for a bit this year.

We’ve been inspired by Endorphin Dude, who completed 52 marathons in 52 weeks(!) this year, and the Not That Lucas Family, with a truly awe-inspiring and almost mind-blowing spreadsheet of races from 2011.

And there you have it – a little explanation about why I haven’t been posting too much. Oh – and we’re in contract to buy a house of our own! (But that’s for another blogpost…)

And, just in case you’re interested, here’s a summary of our races from 2011:

  • 09/04/2011: DSE Marina Green 5k (CC + DD)
  • 10/02/2011: Glide Floss Bridge to Bridge 4k/ 7k (I did the 4k; Danny the 7k)
  • 11/12/2011: Mermaid Series 10k (CC)
  • 11/24/2011: Brazen Racing Nitro Turkey 5k (CC + DD)
  • 11/26/2011: Brazen Racing Quarry Turkey Half Marathon (CC + DD)
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  • Nora

    GIRL. I’m SO PROUD of you both 🙂 Love this quote:
    “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day, or if you have been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” -John Bingham

    • That is a fantastic quote! Thank you! I’d love to be able to run a race or two with you someday!

  • Oh, I was wondering where you were! I know, sometimes “life” gets in the way of blogging. 🙂 I can see how running is addicting. I think it’s something about the endorphins that gets released. I almost got addicted to it too when I started slowly on the treadmill at the gym but my knees always bring me back to reality! I wonder if this is going to turn into a running blog? Does make make it ikimasu? Sorry, my high school Japanese is so bad.

    • Hi Ben! Thanks for stopping by… heh, I haven’t thought about changing the title of the blog just yet, but there *will* be posts on running. AND there will *still* be posts on food! Because one of the reasons I run is so I get to continue to consume as much yummy food as I want (within reason…). 🙂

  • I missed this post! I didn’t realize you two started such a short time ago – you’re doing great – especially with keeping up the training during the week (the thing I have the most trouble with). Hopefully Harlow is getting to join you (I know she did the 5K turkey thing).

    • Harlow, alas, does not like to run with us. We’re too structured and a bit too slow for her natural pace. When we first started trying to take her on runs, she’d want to stop every few seconds to sniff, potty, explore. She’s a bit better now, but still doesn’t like it. She’s learned to recognize when we put on our running clothes and will go hide in her bed, tail between legs if we try to get her to go with us. She does, however, like to trot along if we’re on bikes.

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