18.03

18.03 miles. The furthest distance I have run to date.

Jake and I were to run CIM with Chris this past December, but neither of us were able to participate due to various ailments. Jake had also been planning on doing the Surf City Marathon with his father in February, so I decided to join in the adventure. I want to have a marathon under my belt before running one during Ironman.

In preparation for Surf City, Jake suggested that we run from our homes in San Francisco to Tiburon and then ferry home. Starting from Pier 39, this run is just over 20 miles. To date, my longest run was a half marathon, so this was to be quite an adventure. Jake and I planned to meet at Sam's in Tiburon post-run, as I set out much earlier than he.

Instead of starting at Pier 39, I set out from home and headed out towards the Golden Gate Bridge. As I was running along Crissy Field, I looked north towards Tiburon and thought, "That is a LONG way!"

The run was beautiful and surprisingly fun.

While tired at the end, I knew that I could keep going, which is exactly what I needed to mentally prepare for the Surf City Marathon. Jake also had a great run, so we celebrated with brunch at Sam's.

Neither of us had ever taken the ferry from Tiburon to San Francisco, so getting home was a fun adventure. While the run left me feeling less apprehensive about Surf City, I must admit that I am not all that excited about running a marathon. But, I know that the race atmosphere always excites me, so I am hopeful it will be a great event. Time will tell.

Power and Speed

Paul is a HORRIBLE influence on me. Not only has he "inspired" me to purchase a Zipp race wheel for our IM race, he also somehow talked me into purchasing a SRM power meter for my bike. Disaster. (Actually, to be fair, I cannot put all the blame on Paul. Most of it, yes, but the remainder lies with Christopher.)

I picked up both my SRM and the Zipp race wheel today and I am now VERY excited for my upcoming races!

Ian Christopher

I am happy to announce the arrival of my first nephew, Ian Christopher!

Congratulations Annie, Chris and Alex! I can't wait to meet the little one.

Love you.

Weekend Warrior

This weekend was the first time I felt like a true "weekend warrior." Getting my workouts during the week proved to be challenging and the weekend was a busy one with training.

Saturday began with a 3 hour ride from Fairfax to Pt. Reyes to Olema and back. This loop typically wouldn't be all that difficult, however, Christopher and some of his friends kept the pace a bit faster than I normally ride. Needless to say, by mid-afternoon I was beat and fell asleep in my comfy chair while I was attempting to work. I knew I was was in trouble for the next day when I went to sleep with sore legs.

Sunday I met up with Jake and one of his friends for the PCTR Angel Island Trail Run. I had debated back and forth between the 16K and the 25K distance and ultimately registered for the 25K, knowing that the course setup would allow for a shorter run should I not want to run the full 25K.

I had never before been on Angel Island and was spoiled with a GORGEOUS day. It could not have been a more beautiful day to run on the island. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was perfect.

I very much enjoy PCTR events as they are extremely well organized and just fun. This event was no exception. As I set out on my run I was stunned not only by the exceptional views, but also by the architecture of the buildings on the island. I would have loved to have seen them in their prime.

A highlight of my run was to discover that I was running next to a gentleman I had met while participating in the PCTR in Woodside in December. We both laughed when we recognized one another. Jeff and I ran most of the rest of the event together, and both opted to make it a 17K vs. a 25K, due to a desire to make the earlier ferry. Good thing for me, as I was SORE after the event, due to some brutal stairs and climbs.

All and all it was a great weekend. Can't wait to do it again.

Finally... Improvement!

As many know, last fall was extremely frustrating for me with the training setback due to the MRSA staph infection and broken elbow.

However, today I was thrilled to discover there has been at least some measurable improvement in my fitness level.

Last winter, I started cycling training with Michael McCormack (aka "M2"), two time winner of Ironman Canada. Michael's cycling classes always prove to be a great workout.

As part of his training, we periodically test our maximum cycling power output. While I admit last year's testing performance was pathetic, this year's test was vastly improved. It was thrilling to finally see some measured gain resulting from my hours and hours of training.

This discovery has given me a renewed dedication to my training -- important as Ironman is merely six months away!

A New Year

Before I move on to 2008, thank you to my friends and family for making 2007 a memorable year. I feel so fortunate to have such a loving family, supportive and wonderful friends and quite simply amazing people in my life. You know who you are. I try to tell you often how much you all mean to me... please know how important you are and how thankful I am.

As for 2008, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what I want to accomplish in the next year, both personally and professionally.

I am a goal oriented person and to better myself I always set a few goals, lofty and otherwise, for a New Year.

A few of my goals for 2008:

My "biggest" goal for 2008 is to complete my first Ironman distance triathlon -- Ironman Coeur D'Alene. Beyond simply completing the race, I would like to finish this race in under 14 hours. It is going to take a huge commitment of time and perseverance to reach, and will likely put a damper on my social life, which I do not look forward to. However, my time goal is something I will strive for.

I feel as though professionally I have been on a very good track for the past few years with the exception of the past few weeks. I hit the normal end of the year burnout, which has been remedied by an amazing week and a half of fun-filled adventures. I will continue to strive for partnership in my firm, and am hopeful that my clients continue to praise the work I do for them. I still feel as though I am in my dream job, which I know is extremely rare for many in the legal profession.

I strive to be a better daughter, sister, aunt, girlfriend, and friend to my family and friends. Those who know me and whom I love know I will do anything for them. That being said, I want to do more and let those know who thankful I am that they are in my life. Additionally, over the past year I have made a real effort to put my needs and wants in the forefront (something that has been neglected in the past) and I hope to continue in these efforts in 2008.

While I have many other goals for 2008, some are better left kept to myself.

I wish everyone health and every happiness in 2008. Happy New Year!

Northern California Christmas

This photo sums up my second Christmas celebration.

I cannot remember a better Christmas, ever. I not only spent the holiday with my family, which was fabulous, but also with Chris and his family, which made it all the more perfect.