Food poisoning while trying to get home for Christmas - not cool

Not cool. At. All. To make a long story short, I ate lunch in the afternoon (I choose not to identify the restaurant as I won't go back there soon, if ever, although I would still eat at its other locations), and very nearly did not get on the airplane to Massachusetts for Christmas. In fact, as I told my mom, had I still lived in Colorado and had a 3 1/2 hour flight as opposed to 1 hour, I would have gone to the hospital instead. There was a period of about 6 hours where I was thinking I would spend Christmas Eve, if not Christmas Day, in a hospital being fed by IV. But luckily, I was able to survive the flight, and slowly got better with the help of crackers and ginger ale. By 9 pm on Christmas Eve, 30 hours after everything first hit, I felt like myself again. I never wish to re-visit those 30 hours again. So I'm going to be a total tightwad about keeping everything super, super clean.

New Race Plans for next year

I've done some thinking and figured that some races, including the first Maryland Half Marathon next May 31, are too expensive for my budget right now. Plus, the Charlottesville Group is not going to be formed, which may not be a bad thing. It's pricey and hilly. On top of that, it requires a hotel stay the night before (so doesn't the March 1 race in Severna Park but I had great luck with Priceline last time). Besides, there are other half marathons to run closer to home.

So, here is my new plan, going hardcore in the spring before focusing on just training runs during the summer:

March 1 - Half Marathon north of Annapolis

March 21 - National Half Marathon in DC - unless I skip it because of the $70 Registration fee

April 5 - Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

April 19 - Maryland Mountain Marathon in Cumberland - under consideration

April 26 - GW Parkway Classic 10 Miler, I did the 5K this year and my chip time was never recorded

May 3 - Potomac River Run Half Marathon - I can walk to and from the start/finish line, always a good thing

May 17 - Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg

Then no racing until the Annapolis Ten Miler in late August. I get frustrated in racing in the summer heat so it will be longer training runs instead. And remind me if I ever see New Balance 725s on sale at a DSW blowout for $29, buy every single pair of my size in the store, then order some more online beyond that. I went for an hour long run in my 725s today and absolutely love them. Thanks.

60 degrees at 6 pm: Yeah, another running tour!

Well this was just a 100-105 minute run that I felt like going on since it was unseasonably warm out today. The Appalachian Mountains are near and dear to my heart for many reasons. Today it was because they were a buffer to a cold snap that seemed to be spread out across several thousand miles. Everywhere else in the US except for the far southern reaches was damn cold today. Not where I am, so it was running time!

Quick recap, I probably ran 10-11 miles all together, here's where I went:
- Outside my workplace, up the hill on Constitution near the Capitol
- Just west of where they're setting up the Inauguration Stage, and around the reflecting pool
- Down the mall to and past the Lincoln Memorial
- Across the bridge that takes you to Arlington Cemetery (I don't know the names of all of the bridges), just where they go
- Crossed a couple streets to get me to the Mt Vernon Bike Path
- West towards and past TR Island, runnin' on the boards
- Up the ramp and across the Key Bridge
- Through Georgetown, well at least next to the Canal path. Drivers here, to the surprise of no one, don't stop at stop signs until the last macromillisecond.
- Someone asked me where I got my headlamp, of course I told her (Pacers!)
- Down past the Kennedy Center on Rock Creek Blvd
- Back down the mall to 4th Street NW

That was pretty much that, not a superfast pace but not a casual job either. Enjoyable. Random, unrelated note, I got some Bialetti Cookware yesterday and can't wait to try to out.

Help me: Cure my addiction to baseball

Major League Baseball that is. I really don't want to hear about $20 million per year contracts with the economy in the state that it's in. I don't want to hear about franchises asking for public funds to help finish stadiums after dropping $243.5 million on two contracts. I don't even want to hear about my beloved Red Sox spending nearly $200 million to sign free agent Mark Texiera, since that's what it looks like it would take. I'm tired of it all.

But, you see, I've been a baseball fan my whole life, save for a season and a half after the 2001 Red Sox disgusted me to the point of near no return. I find myself checking the web sites ten times a day to see who signed or traded for who. I still check hotel rates and wonder why I even bother seeing as I'm in no mood to drop coin on hotels to see back to back games on two weekends in Baltimore. The Sox are coming to DC this coming June but I haven't even looked at when Nationals tickets go on sale. Yet I still check sites and follow the sport day to day, especially in the summer. Even though I'm tired of it.

I want you all to help me cure my addiction, because I am pretty much fed up with the whole baseball spectacle. I simply cannot stress over sporting events anymore, there are too many things that are too much more important than life. But I know come April, everytime I'm on line I'll check scores and mlb.com GameTracker. While I'll still wear the Sox cap I'm getting for Christmas, I want to stop following everything more than very casually. I've reached the point where it's more stressful and aggravating than it is fun.

What should I do to wean myself off baseball? I already have my running on Tuesday / Saturday and sometimes Thursday, spin classes on Monday and sometimes Thursday, not to mention my hiking forays. And I need to start studying for my MCSA and then CISSP after the new year. All of this takes time, but I'm looking for some honest suggestions on what other things I can add to my activity list. I'd love to hit all of these museums but they're not open during the day. Maybe I should go to Politics and Prose and other haunts. But I'm trying to wean myself off of politics too. When it gets too hot to do too much outside, I'd like to think I'd spend my weeknight time studying, but I need as many ideas as possible.

I'm tired of millionaire contracts when most of America is worried about where their next check is coming from. But old habits are hard to break. So, throw some ideas out for me. In other news, I haven't used the Expresso Bike in two weeks, I'll use it tomorrow morning at the gym. Then it's go pickup my fleece for The Celtic Soltice 5 mile race on Saturday, then Trader Joe's to pick up stuff for a holiday party. The key is to keep my weekends that busy in 2009.

Trader Joe's: My New Beer Store!

Not only are their "formerly plastic bottle" shopping bags as cool as hell, but I never knew how much good beer could be found there! Yeah, at Trader Joe's. For my friends' holiday party, I contributed some high quality beer: Stockyard Oatmeal Stout, friends liked the Trinity Red Ale, and the latest Winterfest Double Bock. Now I know Gordon Biersch and other brewers have contracts with Trader Joe's to brew beer. But I got the beer at Trader Joe's, it was good beer, and for a good price or $5.99 per six pack. So it's now my beer store on the rare evenings I drink. I no longer have to be frightened by the $18.49 "sale price" for a case of Bud Light cans.

Convicted Felon and still not a Jew - and some football - and I am an icicle

O.J. Simpson
Still not a Jew
But he's headed to the Big House
And not a golf course near his house

Okay, so I am not a poet. Nor am I Adam Sandler. But O.J. can't scheme any more (although I would not have convicted him if I was on the jury in 1995 because the prosecution fudged things up so badly that there was a lot of doubt as to his guilt).

But I am a tired football run and runner. Florida and Alabama have just kicked off in the SEC Championship game that is basically a national semifinal. This will live up to the hype, I think.

Runner, yeah I ran 14 miles today on the Capital Crescent Trail, from Mile 10.5 to about Mile 4 and back; the rest was to and from Theodore Roosevelt Island. I was still cold over an hour later, even after changing into dry clothes and then showering at Gold's Gym in Rosslyn. But the run was very nice, a group of 5 of us from the Pacers Fun Run Group ran to the 10 mile turnaround, Kate and I kept on going, Kate wanted to run 14, I decided to as well. I am very tired and cold since it was really chilly this morning, and having lost all this weight makes me cold a lot more easily....

But I will make the trade-off of being more cold 24/365, and for life. 7-0, Florida! Forced a three and out, then save for a botched QB draw, moved the ball with ease against a very good Alabama defense. Okay, back to running, 14 miles is one of the longest ones I have ever done, but the only time I was struggling to finish was going up the steep mini-hill at the Georgetown waterfront/Key Bridge. So I was very happy with my run. 60 yard plus pass play for Alabama! Touchdown, Alabama, on the next play! It was cold and nasty this morning, but I out-ran my own expectations. I can't wait for Tuesday!

First things first, my friends' holiday party is tonight. I get to be an icicle again! This will be a good time. All in all a good Saturday that several years ago would have kept me inside and half-sheltered all day. That's for tomorrow. He he.

Over-ambitious race plans for 2009?

If I want to complete a marathon next November, I am going to have to push myself in training like never before. That involves longer runs, more intense runs, and more intense cross-training than this year, a time I pushed myself harder than I had in a very long time. Today was a 9 mile run, nothing real intense but a good run with friends. That's still a good thing, but I will be cranking up some workouts, with a very ambitious spring on tap.

If I actually go through with these plans for 2009, in an eight to eleven week period next spring, ranging from March 2 to May 17, I will be running five of the six of the following races pending being able to afford the entry fees:

March 1 - Half Marathon north of Annapolis

March 21 - National Half Marathon in DC

April 5 - Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

April 18 - Charlottesville Half Marathon

GW Parkway Classic 10 Miler, I did the 5K this year and my chip time was never recorded

May 18 - Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg

The National (cost) or Annapolis (lodging cost because I'd be going solo for this one) will be the race I drop. After these races, I plan to continue long training runs all summer and fall to get ready for Richmond in November. Can I do it? I'll find out next year.

I found a new way to cross train yesterday. At the Gold's Gym that I most frequent, I found the Expresso Bike. Basically, it's one of the new bikes were you ride along a simulated course, complete with grade, calorie, and mileage statistics, which are kept for 90 days on a free account. I rode the Challenging Stormy Hollow course. The next step is to ride a new course and figure out how to use the audio component. This will be a great compliment to my spin classes, or an option should I get out of work late and miss class.

Feel free to tell me I'm going overboard. The journey is to see how far I can go with this, I feel much better physically than I have in a long time. Can I get better? I hope so.

<

Old Rag Mountain scores a takedown over Jeff

While watching some college football, I decided I needed to post about my trip to Old Rag Mountain on Thursday. I was expecting somewhat of a challenge but this trip really kicked my butt. 8.8 miles round trip because I parked in the lower lot, even if at 10 am I was only the fourth car in said lot. The walk up Something Route 600 (I have no idea how VA designates county roads, there are three 622s on the way to Mount Marshall) was easy, so I begun the hike up the Ridge Trail.

First 1.9-2 miles, one hour at a fairly casual pace, no problems, an east, relaxing hike. Remaining .9 miles to the summit, okay I knew there would be some scrambling and rock-hopping, but not any scary rock hops, drop your pack into an eight foot crevase so you can pick it up after sliding down a rock, none of that. This was a lot tougher than I thought. A family reached a tough rock pattern I described at the same as me. A big thank you to the ten year old who took my pack after I tossed it over a rock and tossed it out of the way so everyone could climb the rock. I returned the favor for other members of the same family.

I ran into a half hour delay at the toughest of the rock climbs because my left foot could not grip the small foothold because it was too slick, even with a great pair of REI boots with Vibram soles helped me. There were very few hikers on this Thanksgiving morning so there was no hiker pileup at the rocks where hundreds of people are waiting for their turn at the rocks. This was a pile up because we were either too short to reach a spot where we could simply pull ourselves over the rock to safety, couldn't get the aforementioned foothold, or a bit apprehensive about wiping out. I admit I'm a strong hiker but not a rock climber so I was a bit worried too, not to mention more tired than I figured I would be after hiking less than three miles.

This turned into a dozen or more strangers helping each other through the narrow passage. I ended up using someone else's leg/knee as a anchor, someone of top of the passage pulled me the one foot I needed to get through and pull myself the rest of the way, someone just sprinted down the hall in my apartment complex (sorry about that), I returned the favor by helping people up the passageway and moving packs out of the way, the family who helped me the first time caught up to us. That was a very uplifting feeling knowing that people who didn't even know each other pulled together as one hiking team so everyone could get through the rocks and enjoy their trip to the summit.

I got to the summit just before 2 pm, considering I started hiking after 10 am, ate the second half of my lunch, and scrapped plans to add Robertson Mountain and Corbin Hollow Trails to the itinerary. I have the gear to hike after sunset if need be, but never deliberately plan a hike at that hour after hiking all day, so I'll have to wait for that and this loop. No big deal, I can always go back, especially since I plan on buying a Shenandoah National Park Pass next year, if not a full national park pass. For just Shenanadoah it's $30, $20 for Great Falls, which I have for this year, $80 for all passes. But those are the only two I plan on going to a lot, so getting the two separate passes may be the best deal for me. Damn, I didn't know Maryland QB Chris Turner's dad was the drummer for Ratt, that explains the 80s hair band do. Back to GA Tech - Georgia as they get back from commercial.

Passes will be ordered around January 1, or maybe in time for my first hike or trail run in the spring. I'll hike in winter but am a bit apprehensive about icy conditions so I may wait until March. The Old Rag hike kicked my butt, I was super tired when I was done, but if that's the last hike of the year, I ended the hiking season with a great one.

Today's adventure was a nine mile run around Burke Lake Park, two laps for the nine miles. Not a fast pace, but a solid cold weather run. Had it been closer to a long race, I would have taken a third lap, which one of my friends did anyway. But I'm not going to over do it right now, I do not have any long races until late March so it's all about maintaining fitness right now. After we waiting for everyone to finish to make sure everyone was okay, we went to the same Starbucks we went to this summer after trail running in Fountainhead Park! I didn't know the parks were so close to each other! We ended up there for at least an hour, closer to one and a half hours. I hadn't just hung out with friends with no real purpose other than a post-run chill out in ages! It was great! The only thing I'd do differently next time is wear trail running shoes to Burke Lake.

More college football time! There are tons of great endinngs to games today.

Happy MonFriday everyone!

It's not Black Friday, it's not I'm scared of Mall Traffic and getting trampled by three fourths of suburbia to get a sale price that isn't really all that much lower than you'll get next week this year Friday, it's not the college football games aren't gonna really get footbal fans fired up Friday, it's not everyone but us contractors and those who want to get stuff done on a quiet day Friday either.

Then what is it? Well since yesterday, the Thanksgiving Holiday, was a no-work day followed by a work day, it was Sunday in my twisted world of something. Since is a work day after a no work day, it's Monday. But it's also Friday because that's what the calendar says, hence the new name for the Friday after Thanksgiving that I present to the world....

Happy MonFriday! It's the one day of the year, well except for Christmas this year for those who take part in that, that is both Monday and Friday at the same time! Enjoy MonFriday! I know I enjoyed the EMPTY Metro, and look forward to hitting the gym after work.

Richmond Half Marathon - I'm pleased with the journey but it's only beginning

I ran in the first ever McDonalds Half Marathon over the weekend in Richmond. I must say that when I went to my first fun run outside of Pacers Running Stores in December 2006 that if you told me I would even run 13 miles at once, I never would have believed you. So to complete a half marathon, 13.1 miles, in under two hours, I still almost can't believe it. I tend to be self-deprecating, but I have always have a very bad habit of not believing what I am capable of doing, and not just athletically. Not believing in myself is something I may always struggle with. But, from a confidence standpoint, finishing this half marathon made me feel like, hey, I can actually do this stuff! And acheive great results if I stick with something through thick and thin! I'll never break any speed records, but get lots of internal pride when I think about how far I've come as a runner in just two years. And I'm close to 35 pounds lost this year.

Now that I've told you about the increased confidence, I'll tell you about the weekend. Drive down to Richmond Friday afternoon, uneventful. Like 950,000,950 drivers before me, I got stuck in traffic when the lanes switch between one side or the other depending on the day and time, around Dumfries, a town that I have no need to go back to. I get to Richmond, pick up my race packet, buy a couple lights that will make me more visible as a runner at the Expo, a souvenir running shirt, then go eat at Piccolo's in the Fan, a great Richmond neighboorhood. The Falfella Salmon gave me a great night before meal.

I went to bed around 9:30 to get a great night's sleep before the race. Well, the loudest boom of thunder I've heard in years, and perhaps ever, woke me up at 2:15 am. For a second I wasn't sure it was thunder to be honest. It was enough of a boom to set off my car alarm, I kid you not. Why couldn't it happen at 5:15 so I'd just stay up and get ready for my race.

I woke up, ate breakfast, found my parking spot, then walked up the steep hill near the State Capitol to get the race start at 7th Avenue and Broad Street. That served as my "warm up" since it didn't want to run a mile or more, as I like to before a race, since this a new distance for me. I wanted to save every bit of energy that I had. And I needed just about all of it, as it was in the 60s when the race started, and very humid. I joked that I thought it was July again, and removed my outer layer after one half of a mile. Yeah it was gonna be tougher than I thought. First mile, 9:23. That's good considering the crowd that everyone had to run through.

I settled into a nice, steady pace, with good form. Went down to the Boulevard from Broad Street, the opposite of my driving route to go eat the night before. I'm running at a good clip, taking advantage of all the water stops, checking my watch at each mile post. My pace soon went below 9:00 / mile and pushed 8:30 by mile 8. The mile between 8 and 9 was my best mile, I counted 7 something. I did stop looking at my watch between miles 4 and 7 and just enjoyed running through the residential neighboorhood.

I ran into my buddy Brian at Mile 10. I was running at 1:23 or 1:24 when I hit this milestone. Right then and there I knew I would be running this race in under two hours unless I suffered an injury. This fired me up beyond belief. My goal was under two hours and I was going to reach my goal! I started thinking about how many goals I have reached this year in my races, and how these races have made a positive collective contribution to my overall outlook on life, and it all made me smile inside.

The last few miles featured a run through the outside parts of the Virginia Union University Campus (Charles Oakley!), then the run back into the Center City. I thought about really pushing for a time of under 1:50:00, which would have been ciing on the cake, but blustery winds around mile 11.5 and again at 12.5 killed the chances of that happening. I wanted to finish strong and with good running form. I did that all the way down towards the final downhill on Cary Street. The cheering crowd picked me up quite a bit as I finished the race. Final Time - 1 hour 50 minutes 39 seconds. It placed me in the top 25 percent of male runners in my age group, which thrilled me. Half marathon: conquered!

My first half marathon went better than I ever could have expected. After re-hydrating and getting something to eat, I was able to see the marathon winner break the tape as he run down the hill to a wildly cheering crowd. I ended up congratulating him 20 minutes afterwards when people were randomly milling around. It's just something runners do. It was all in all a fantastic experience that I probably will not repeat.

You ask why wouldn't I want to repeat that great experience?

You get an answer.....

Because next November I plan to run the ENITRE MARATHON!!!! 26.2 or bust! I start training for it tomorrow night at Fun Run. I'm all jacked up for the newest challenge. My goal, one year out, at that distance, is to finish. I can't wait to take the journey to find out if I can do it.

Final note, on the way home Sunday afternoon I went to the National Museum Of The Marine Corps. This was another fantastic experience that topped off the weekend in grand fashion. I recommend that anyone and everyone pay a visit, it's worth it. I learned a ton about what the Marine Corps have contributed to our country that I may not have known before. I respect them more than ever now. The Korean War exhibit was particularly impressive to me, I learned a lot about history, not just the USMC.

Last run before Richmond

Okay, after running at a casual pace on Tuesday, I decided to run pretty hard tonight as a final tuneup before Saturday's Half Marathon. My best run yet! I somehow managed to keep up with the 7:15-7:30 a minute pace group, or at least that's what their watches said. But we didn't start until almost 7:10, I finished a 5.1 mile run that I swear is more than that before 7:49, and that includes getting stuck at some traffic lights. I'm fired up for Thursday, am feeling very confident now, and don't even care all that much that the Patriots are getting smoked by their arch rivals. I guess I care more about running, staying healthy, and getting to bed by 11 pm or earlier.

I'll post when I get back from Richmond.

Another weekend, another hike, another personal record, great!

Another weekend of great weather, hiking, running, and a Patriots win. Life was grand this weekend. Saturday was a hike to Little Devils Stairs, Keyser Run, and Hogback Mountain. Little Devils Stairs is a challenging hike up a canyon at the Shenandoah National Park Boundary. Wet leaves and some bouldering, added to a steep climb? Yeah I was quite tired after that. The other half of the climb saw me go up to Hogback Mountain, which when leafless like it was isn't much to look at but I wanted more vertical so I went to the radio tower nonetheless. Looking down from the tower area where the phone line went, if only the area got frequent snow it would make for a killer ski trail. The climb down was uneventful except for when I thought I walked past Boles Cemetery on the Keyser Run Fire Road.

Today I set another personal record for a 10K Race at the Veterans Day 10K. The course is rather non-descript, the cause is definitely important. I was actually a bit late for the race because of the portable restroom line. My friend wanted to start the race so I said I'd meet up with her at the end of the race. I started about 2 1/2 minutes after the start gun, which actually helped me build a good pace. I did start passing a bunch of people, but with proper etiquette. Onward I went.

To make a long story short, I ran at a good pace, figuring I'd break 50 minutes but not threaten my record, but it was a great day to run and I'd also prove to myself that my 47:55 record was not a fluke. When I got to Mile 5, I felt stronger than I did at Mile 1. I guess I picked up my pace a bit, because I swear I pushed my 7:05 first mile from last week up until Mile 6 because my finish time kept getting lower and lower. With a slight pickup of pace but definitely not an all-out sprint, I ran through the finish line at 47:13, 42 seconds off of my previous record!

I'm competitive but mostly within myself, I know I'll never beat the top runners in a race. But I am pleasantly surprised to be doing as well as I am with these races. This is still a new process for me but I strive to get leaner, fitter, and become a better runner. I didn't really try for a personal record today until the end of the race, to be honest. All I was trying for is a good pace and verify my last 10K result.

The afternoon saw me venture to Murphy's Pub to watch the Pats beat the Bills 20-10. Good game with the biggest crowd of Pats fans of the season. And I got to improve my promotional skills by passing out the paper and pens for the patrons to write their names for the jersey giveaway. This weekend was good.

Do Over! 8K, Great Hike, and Northwest Yuppie Torture Chamber Run, and oh yeah a burger

Lots went down this weekend. A Do Over! Race? Yup, unexpected changes to a construction zone caused the lead runners in the INOVA StarKid 8K to take a wrong turn. The race was re-started after everyone returned behind the start line. It was pretty cool to take part in a Do Over! race. Remember when you played kickball was a kid, something unexpected happens, and someone yells Do Over for the 14th time? That's kind of what it felt like, but it was for a good reason, not someone who made an out and wanted a re-do.

I got off to maybe my best start in a race yet. I felt light on my feet, strong, and ready to run quite fast, at least for me. 7:05 first mile, which is my best known 1 mile split ever. After struggling a bit up one hill, rolling my ankle at the 4 mile mark, and stopping for a second to make sure I got water down and didn't cough (I have not mastered the art of chugging a cup on water in running stride yet), I beat my previous record in an 8K race by 3 minutes, 37 seconds. 54 out of 356 runners, 6th in my division, only 1:54 behind 2nd place in my age group! I was psyched, but the day got better.

I met up with fellow blogger Charlotte for a six mile or so jaunt near Sky Meadows State park, she described it better than I could. Good times, very nice meeting up with Charlotte, I made it home in plenty of time to go to a party at friends' house to celebrate those who ran the Marine Corps Marathon. Lots of conversation, good food, while I didn't drink there was good beer, and a Texas Tech-Texas football game that was totally surreal. Great Saturday.

Normally I'm very sad when daylight savings time ends, but not today. I needed the extra sleep. I got going quite late, but after taking a eight mile detour because I forgot you can't get to Roosevelt Island by car from Rossyln, I began my task: Complete what I call the Northwest Yuppie Torture Chamber.

This involves:
- Running across Key Bridge
- 12 "laps" up the Exorcist Steps, after running 2 by 2 by 2 blocks
- Running to Wisconsin Avenue
- Running all the way up Wisconsin Avenue to the MD border at Chevy Chase Pavillion

It was tough, especially since Wisconsin Avenue is a very long hill with the steepest part just after leaving M Street, but I got through it okay. A challenging run, but not quite a killer. I called it the torture chamber simply because I expected it to be a physically punishing, draining run. Oh I was quite tired by the time I got to Tenleytown, but next time I'm going to add more distance to the run. Not sure if I'm going further to Bethesda because I don't recall sidewalks being real prevalent past the shopping center, so maybe I'll go around Fort Reno Park or add more mileage elsewhere. I've got time to think about that. Now it's just time to relax and watch the Patriots play the Colts.

Oops, forgot the burger I got at Z Burger in Tenleytown after the run. Very acceptable, but it would have been better if I passed on the jalapeno topping. That didn't sit well with my stomach but the rest of the burger was pretty good. No picture though, just take my word that it was good.

The best burrito is at ..... It's the December Election ..... Burrito Election!

Okay, let's have a December Election. Not the possible runoff for the Senate seat in Georgia, but a Burrito Election. Because I said so. And because most people seem to like burritos. And it's more fun to argue about burritos than politics, which guess what Batman?! We get to argue about again in Virginia...next year! Statewide races, Governor, Delegates. Yeah, election overload.....let's talk about food.

Where is it? Chipotle, with the biggest burritos of the bunch but a bit bland in some people's mind? I know I like the burritos but find the chips (a huge food weakness of mine) very over-salted and not in a Cape Cod chips cool way. California Tortilla, the new contender on the block? They have the most variety that's for sure. I really like their Havana Chicken burritos and salads. They've moved near the top of my list recently, especially with the burrito bucks program. Moe's? Very boisterous staff, go on Mondays for the best deals, the fish burritos are really good. Qdoba? Based out of Denver, there aren't a lot of locations around here, but it makes for a great post-Shenendoah NP dinner stop, just before braving I-66. I dock points from them for discontinuing the Mole burrito though. Carlos's cart of 16th and K? Outstanding but I don't work over there anymore, I hope he's still around. That was the best, freshest, quick lunch I ever found in DC. Or is it Illegal Pete's Chicken Pesto burrito in Denver? Hint hint it's this one.

Others I have liked in the last were the Picadillo Burrito at Picante Mexican Grill in Cambridge, Viva Burrito's fish burritos in Denver, which are smaller and more of the traditional Mexican style. In Colorado ski country, Frisco, Dillon, you name it, Fiseta Jalisco's are great too, and they serve tons of chips while your dinner is cooking. If you have any other favorites, please comment on them, early and often, Daley-style. I'm always up for finding new options, and truthfully I could use the help with the independent sit-down Mexican restaurants since I usually order tostadas when I am there.

Winter, come back in a few weeks please

I normally really enjoy winter. I don't know about a lot of you, but I like snow as long as I don't have to drive around DC in it. Skiing rocks, I want to go cross country skiing somewhere this year in the worst way, and one of the most enjoyable runs of last winter was down on the Southwest Waterfront in two inches of snow.

That does not mean I have enjoyed the last two days very much. I wasn't quite ready for the cold, dreary days with rain and high winds. Not yet anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if snow fell in the Poconos or even in WV. Only having a sweater for Monday's walk to get lunch was not a good thing. The temp thing by Verizon Center said 45. Bull. Tonight I ran my normal Tuesday run at a very good pace, but the conditions still sucked. For now, bring back the 60 degree days of fall. Saturday looks like just that. 8K run then hike out near Sky Meadows Park. Yeah!

Stay tuned for the December Election.......Chipotle vs California Tortilla vs Moe's vs Qdoba vs Carlos on 16th and K.

Happiness is the 171 Bus

Or at least it was today. To make a long story short, I changed up my training routine because of the weather. I had been advised that the Potomac Heritage Trail is not a great place to run in wet weather. Yeah, I don't need to get hurt slipping on a wet tree root or a bunch of wet leaves. I couldn't make my fun run either since I was too tired when I woke up at 5:50 am, even if I went to bed at 10:30 the night before.

So I decided to just run down the Mount Vernon Trail a bit, and eventually end up at my gym to pick up my food from Diet to Go. There's a bus stop across the street from the gym so I figured I just needed to be at the bus stop around :35 past the hour and I'd be good to go. I ran through Belle Haven, down the trail, and then through Fort Hunt Park. Okay I got in nearly two hours of solid running in. But then I confused myself with the roads around Fort Hunt Road and ended up walking around in a circle for 45 minutes before finally figuring out that Fort Hunt Road is where I needed to go. I found my route back to the gym, but not before the skies opened up in a cold, hard, downpour.

Needless to say, I was very, very happy to find the 171 Bus to get me in a dry place for a bit. Even more so when I got off and was met with a 30 mph plus wind gust that accompanied the downpour. But it's a 5 minute walk from the bus stop to my building's front door, so I dried off, hopped in the shower, and headed to a pre-marathon pasta party. Good times, I am really looking forward to cheering on runners tomorrow.

Half Marathon Training

Okay, the half marathon is less than 4 weeks away, and I've run more than 13.1 miles in one day once in my life. But after the Army Ten Miler, I was tired but definitely had 3.1 more miles in me should the circumstances have required it. I'd like to get in a couple of 12-15 mile runs before November 15 just for comfort, but when can I fit this in? Weeknights? Not happening, I'm way too tired after the workday. The most I've run midweek is (I believe) 9. Weekends? Possible. Here's the training schedule I've set up for weekends:

Sat Oct 25: 3-4 mile group run, run as much of this as I can, hike the rest if I get tired.

Sun Oct 26: Off day, cheering on fellow runners at the Marine Corps Marathon, then Pats game at Murphy's Pub vs the suddenly dangerous St. Louis Rams.

Sat Nov 1: 8K for INOVA Hospital, then a hike somewhere around Sky Meadows State Park, since I'm halfway there already.

Sun Nov 2: If I'm going to get in the 12-15 mile run, it's probably today.

Sat Nov 8: Long run or hike near Shenandoah NP, it's the last day of daylight savings time after all. Cry knowing daylight savings time is over. I'm kidding!

Sun Nov 9: Veterans Day 10K.

Week before race, taper off distances quite bit.

I know doing lots of hiking may not seem like ideal training for a half marathon, but it does keep me aerobically fit, and I ran a ton, partially because I couldn't hike much, to get ready for Pikes Peak and it worked just fine.

Back on the hiking trail!

I'll be exhausted at work tomorrow, especially if the Red Sox game takes too long, but I was very happy to hit the hiking trails again. I hiked a loop similar to the Tuscaora Trail / Overall Run loop today, although I went down the Weddlewoods Trail before hitting the Heiskel Hollow Trail. Great hike, probably 9-10 miles, with some steep climbs. The waterfalls were barely visible or audible but I saw some good views of the Massanutten Range to the west.

Some other random things I saw:

- A Sunoco station that would not take cards, the first I've experienced
- A Questar? food stop that looked like it had some okay pork sandwiches
- I-66 was actually in decent shape until Reston, when it morphed into its usual bleep a hundred times over self
- A deer on the trail heading down from Skyline Drive
- About 18 dry streambeds
- A VA State trooper with his lights off in the same place in the mixing bowl they always are
- A medical helicopter, ambulance, and Warren County Cop car on US 340 South for some reason. Unknown, since there was no car wreck, another hiker saw it and wondered if someone in the hillside houses had a heart attack. They waved us through in under a minute so I wonder if it was a drill.
- There's not a lot to Front Royal, even if I didn't drive US 340 north through the whole town.

I'm hoping to get out hiking a couple more times this fall. We'll see how the calendar works out.

Colds are as irratating as hell - more hiking plans

While the current cold isn't near thsi one, it's still a PITA nonetheless. I ended up missing a group run this morning since my head was congested and my throat was bugging me, so I slept in for 11 hours since I was totally wiped out. Now I don't really have much of a cough, but I hate having to take it really easy so I can make good use of tomorrow, especially since daylight savings time ends on November 8.

Hey, Maryland's about to kick off vs Wake Forest! Hopefully Bill doesn't get into Express' blog Log for the third time since he won't have to rant since the Terps played better but this will be tough. I can watch that for a bit.

This cold is like most I get, weakens me just enough so I can't do what I want to do, but never makes me sick enough to make me sleep off an entire day. The latter is probably better for longer term health. But oh well. I'll take another nap today since if I actually want to stay up for tonight's Red Sox game I'll need it. Even on weekends, unless I'm out I'm hardly ever up past midnight and the game won't get over until at least then.

Besides, more sleep means I can actually take advantage of what's supposed to be the better of the two weekend days and get a hike in. I haven't figured out where I'm going yet but it will come in due time. Rock for the Terps! 7-0 early lead, Darius Heyward-Bey is the best player on the field, and they're getting him the ball!

Add TR Island to Fort Marcy trail run/hike to my planned adventures, this is next Saturday's project. A dry week of weather is expected and everyone who's been on this trail has told me it's real slick in wet weather, so I put this off one more week so it's real dry when I run on it.

I hope this cold is gone by next Sunday, since I'm going to Crystal City to cheer on my friends that are running the Marine Corps Marathon. A lot of us who aren't running are going to cheer those who are. It's the least I can do for the running community. But I don't want to give anyone my cold.

I must go and finally decide where I'm hiking tomorrow.

Sometimes you need a three day weeekend to recover from a three day weekend

Since I'm tired and sleepy, I'll run through what I did this three day weekend.

Friday night: went to the gym, then to Momo's on U Street in DC. Night before party for people like me who are fans of the United States National Soccer Team. Good time, got to see some of the Sox game too.

Saturday: woke up at 8:15, ate three pieces of toast and chugged a Powerade, barely making it to my friend's house for a ten mile run at 9. Finished the run, ate dinner, watched some football, and went to the World Cup Qualifier. USA is on to the final qualifying round in the CONCACAF region after pounding Cuba 6-1. Awesome seeing friends, tailgating for a bit, and seeing the win most importantly. Not even the pizza place off Potomac Avenue trying to charge us extra to sit down and eat put a damper on the night.

Sunday: woke up, chilled, went for a 2 hour plus trail run at Great Falls Park and Riverbend Park, VA. It was one of those times where I wanted to leave by a certain time, but got into a groove running and kept on going until I got tired. Then I walked back to my car and went towards home. I had a good time at Murphys on Sunday even though the Pats got their asses handed to them by the Chargers.

Monday: slept in, did little before going to the gym, then the Caps game. A 5-1 demolition of Vancouver, they were outshooting the Canucks 25-3 after two periods! Michael Nylander scored on a penalty shot and assisted on at least two goals, Alexander Semin had two sweet goals, and the Caps did this without getting much from Ovechkin at all, save for a couple of crushing hits. He had an off night and the Caps still dominated. A good sign for them going forward.

More future events, I want to get some hiking in this fall in the worst way. Some of the trips I plan to take are:

- Part of Ashby Gap to Chester Gap
- Sky Meadows State Park
- Harpers Ferry / Maryland Heights again
- White Oak Canyon link, link
- Old Rag Mountain
- The Priest Mountain

If anyone has any other suggestions for me to hike in the area, please leave comments, I'm always open to new trails.