I have to go catch a bus so I have to keep this short but yesterday was a perfect start to the trip.
After arriving 3 hours late, I spent most of the day wandering around the city and getting lost over and over and over again. Popping into little shops and restaurants whenever something looked good. And after holding out on the lunch timing, I finally stuffed my face with different types of jamon iberico and a couple glasses of crianza.
Then, after getting lost a few more times, I finally made it to my friend's place to drop my stuff. From there, we hopped around the city having beer, olives, and cockles at a place called Godki, then wine, pimientos pardon, setas come jamon, y salmajero at Fenegas, then from there it was (at midnight on a Monday no less) off to Al Mote - an awesome Flamenco bar where we spent the next 3 and a half hours watching a unique group of locals dance the night away while we sipped on Gin & Tonics.
I'm sure I forgot a few things in between and there is plenty left to tell but last night was the perfect start to a great trip.
Now on to Barcelona...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Summer Plans
I just realized that with so few days left before a summer of adventure and change, I should lay out my summer plans in one spot so folks know what I’ll be doing. So without further ado, here is a breakdown of what could possibly be the greatest summer of my life:
May 29 – Depart to Madrid, Spain where I’ll make stops in Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, and possibly a few other towns along the way (Ronda, Granada, Toledo)
June 8 – Return to DC to do a little laundry and have a couple drinks with friends
June 9 – Depart to Santiago, Chile where I’ll spend most of my time visiting my sister in San Juan, Argentina but also check out Santiago and Valparaiso in Chile, as well as Mendoza and Moon Valley in Argentina.
June 20 – Fly all day long back to Washington, DC without any cell service (muahahaha)
June 21 – Arrive in Greensboro, NC and spend the entire time packing the car and tying us loose ends.
June 22 – Depart Greensboro and make my way out west (via the Midwest and PNW)
June 22/23 – Cincinnati to see my birthplace
June 24-27 – Minneapolis to visit all my relatives and a couple close friends
June 27-30 – Grand Tetons/Yellowstone to…no need to explain this one
June 28-July 3 – Seattle to visit two of my best friends Denny and Katie
July 4 – Portland to run a marathon
July 5 – July 9/10 – Slow drive down the California coast so that I can bike along highway 1 and enjoy all the gorgeous cities in between.
July 10ish – SAN DIEGO
July 23-30 – Fly back to North Carolina for a weeklong family (+MN relatives) vacation at the beach
So there you have it. My epic summer with as much camping, lounging, drinking, running, sightseeing, eating, hiking, biking, socializing, and all around adventuring as possible. Let's just hope this poster isn't exactly 100% true:
May 29 – Depart to Madrid, Spain where I’ll make stops in Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, and possibly a few other towns along the way (Ronda, Granada, Toledo)
June 8 – Return to DC to do a little laundry and have a couple drinks with friends
June 9 – Depart to Santiago, Chile where I’ll spend most of my time visiting my sister in San Juan, Argentina but also check out Santiago and Valparaiso in Chile, as well as Mendoza and Moon Valley in Argentina.
June 20 – Fly all day long back to Washington, DC without any cell service (muahahaha)
June 21 – Arrive in Greensboro, NC and spend the entire time packing the car and tying us loose ends.
June 22 – Depart Greensboro and make my way out west (via the Midwest and PNW)
June 22/23 – Cincinnati to see my birthplace
June 24-27 – Minneapolis to visit all my relatives and a couple close friends
June 27-30 – Grand Tetons/Yellowstone to…no need to explain this one
June 28-July 3 – Seattle to visit two of my best friends Denny and Katie
July 4 – Portland to run a marathon
July 5 – July 9/10 – Slow drive down the California coast so that I can bike along highway 1 and enjoy all the gorgeous cities in between.
July 10ish – SAN DIEGO
July 23-30 – Fly back to North Carolina for a weeklong family (+MN relatives) vacation at the beach
So there you have it. My epic summer with as much camping, lounging, drinking, running, sightseeing, eating, hiking, biking, socializing, and all around adventuring as possible. Let's just hope this poster isn't exactly 100% true:
Monday, May 16, 2011
Kinetic Half Triathlon
I feel like I should preface this race report with a little insight into my triathlon struggles. I enjoy triathlons. I enjoy training for them. But I don’t enjoy keeping a schedule and adhering to every little detail of some sort of plan. It’s just not my style. If I want to go for a long run, I will. If I want to skip training and stuff my face with cookies, I will. Also, if I did follow a training schedule, I couldn’t play in my soccer games every week, I couldn’t randomly play a game of softball or volleyball, and I couldn’t spontaneously decide that certain nights are better suited for happy hours and friends.
So with that said, here’s my slacker race report:
I woke up bright and early to head out to Lake Anna for what could possibly be a disaster. I knew there was a time in my head that I probably would be near just because I had leg strength and speed stored up from keeping active, but I also knew that with absolutely no consistent training this year, I was just out there to have some fun. No watch, no expectations, just good old 5+ hours of stupid fun.
Swim…
Goal: Don’t drown and don’t get a bad wetsuit hickey
Actual: 34:34
This was one of the big reasons I decided not to wear a watch. Sure, I spent a solid amount of the offseason hitting the weight room but when it came to actual pool hours with long swims, those were few and far between. I knew it would be brutal and I was prepared to relax as much as possible.
Right when I hit the water, boom, water fills my right goggle-eye-thingy and I attempt to tread water while fixing it. No luck. Ohh well, this just means I’m swimming the entire leg while breathing left. No biggie. The only two things I actually remember from the swim are – 1. I felt like I was going slooooooooooooooooow and 2. I knew I was zig-zagging the whole time because there were multiple points when I looked up and couldn’t even see another racer. Don’t judge me though, those orange buoys were so hard to see in the early morning fog/rain.
I had no idea what time I swam upon exiting because they didn’t have a clock but I knew it wasn’t incredible. Note to self: next time don’t be slow.
P.S. I failed on the no wetsuit hickey goal. Not cool wetsuit, not cool.
Bike…
Goal: Ride as fast as possible and save nothing in the tank for the run
Actual: 2:38:57
The bike was what it was – a long course that was mostly flat and fast, with a couple small hills and deceptive inclines. I tried to keep the speed above 22-23 mph whenever I wasn’t on a hill and just ate whenever I felt like it. A few times I could feel the bonk setting in and I’d pop a little Powerbar gel but the rest was uneventful. I pretty much just lose my mind out there and get extremely bored. Then I think of something really stupid and repeat it over and over and over again. Last year it was Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. This year, it was the awesome Subway commercial where the lady steals the guy’s sandwich. Try quoting that for 3 hours.
Nothing else that was too noteworthy happened on the bike except for the large quantity of DC Tri members (yea, that’s right, I’m leaving so I can call your sh*t out) drafting off each other for huge sections of the bike. Hope yall enjoyed that free speed.
Run…
Goal: Beat my worst full marathon time
Actual: 1:56:32
This was quite the fun part in the worst way possible. After getting off the bike, I spent most of transition chatting up the race announcer who was conveniently walking around transition calling out each racer and providing an update on their performance. I was in no rush so in between him screaming into the mic, we talked about his past races and how much he loved the half Ironman distance. His PR is 4:11, yeeesh. After we exchanged phone numbers and planned a brunch date for the following day, I decided it was time to hit the old dusty trail and get my lazy a$$ out on the run course.
Now here is where I know I did something stupid. I put two pairs of shoes in transition and decided to make a gametime decision on which one I would wear. The first pair was my training pair that I had run hundreds of miles with. The second was my racing flats that I had run one mile with. Naturally, I chose the brand new pair because I thought saving the weight would help in the long run. The good – it did. The bad – the shoes caused shooting pain in my shins and I had to walk roughly 2-3 of the first 5 miles.
Around mile 7 I finally got rid of the shin splints and could start running a bit faster. I still had to run the whole race on the dirt path beside the road but at least I wasn’t wincing with each step. This was also the time where I realized I was going to bonk hard without some salty goodness. Fortunately, within 10 minutes I was at an aid station that was stocked with Chex Mix. Two handfuls later, I was running faster and smiling wider. Yummmm.
The rest of the run went by like clockwork. I finally started running somewhere around 7:30’s or 7:45’s on the final loop to make up for all that walking and I had a little gas left to sprint past two guys at the final stretch. After grabbing a coke and pizza immediately after crossing the finish line, I realized I came in somewhere around 5:15/5:16 but it wasn’t until today that I checked and got a 5:14:41.
Overall, it was nice to be back swimming, biking and running. I think my current short term future caused me to care a little less than I would have liked but I’m hoping that once I move to San Diego, I’ll catch the bug all over again. For now though, I’m just running, lifting, and enjoying my last couple weeks in DC.
I’ll be back soon triathlons, but not yet.
So with that said, here’s my slacker race report:
I woke up bright and early to head out to Lake Anna for what could possibly be a disaster. I knew there was a time in my head that I probably would be near just because I had leg strength and speed stored up from keeping active, but I also knew that with absolutely no consistent training this year, I was just out there to have some fun. No watch, no expectations, just good old 5+ hours of stupid fun.
Swim…
Goal: Don’t drown and don’t get a bad wetsuit hickey
Actual: 34:34
This was one of the big reasons I decided not to wear a watch. Sure, I spent a solid amount of the offseason hitting the weight room but when it came to actual pool hours with long swims, those were few and far between. I knew it would be brutal and I was prepared to relax as much as possible.
Right when I hit the water, boom, water fills my right goggle-eye-thingy and I attempt to tread water while fixing it. No luck. Ohh well, this just means I’m swimming the entire leg while breathing left. No biggie. The only two things I actually remember from the swim are – 1. I felt like I was going slooooooooooooooooow and 2. I knew I was zig-zagging the whole time because there were multiple points when I looked up and couldn’t even see another racer. Don’t judge me though, those orange buoys were so hard to see in the early morning fog/rain.
I had no idea what time I swam upon exiting because they didn’t have a clock but I knew it wasn’t incredible. Note to self: next time don’t be slow.
P.S. I failed on the no wetsuit hickey goal. Not cool wetsuit, not cool.
Bike…
Goal: Ride as fast as possible and save nothing in the tank for the run
Actual: 2:38:57
The bike was what it was – a long course that was mostly flat and fast, with a couple small hills and deceptive inclines. I tried to keep the speed above 22-23 mph whenever I wasn’t on a hill and just ate whenever I felt like it. A few times I could feel the bonk setting in and I’d pop a little Powerbar gel but the rest was uneventful. I pretty much just lose my mind out there and get extremely bored. Then I think of something really stupid and repeat it over and over and over again. Last year it was Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. This year, it was the awesome Subway commercial where the lady steals the guy’s sandwich. Try quoting that for 3 hours.
Best. Race. Photo. Ever. (I told you I was bored)
Nothing else that was too noteworthy happened on the bike except for the large quantity of DC Tri members (yea, that’s right, I’m leaving so I can call your sh*t out) drafting off each other for huge sections of the bike. Hope yall enjoyed that free speed.
Run…
Goal: Beat my worst full marathon time
Actual: 1:56:32
This was quite the fun part in the worst way possible. After getting off the bike, I spent most of transition chatting up the race announcer who was conveniently walking around transition calling out each racer and providing an update on their performance. I was in no rush so in between him screaming into the mic, we talked about his past races and how much he loved the half Ironman distance. His PR is 4:11, yeeesh. After we exchanged phone numbers and planned a brunch date for the following day, I decided it was time to hit the old dusty trail and get my lazy a$$ out on the run course.
Now here is where I know I did something stupid. I put two pairs of shoes in transition and decided to make a gametime decision on which one I would wear. The first pair was my training pair that I had run hundreds of miles with. The second was my racing flats that I had run one mile with. Naturally, I chose the brand new pair because I thought saving the weight would help in the long run. The good – it did. The bad – the shoes caused shooting pain in my shins and I had to walk roughly 2-3 of the first 5 miles.
Around mile 7 I finally got rid of the shin splints and could start running a bit faster. I still had to run the whole race on the dirt path beside the road but at least I wasn’t wincing with each step. This was also the time where I realized I was going to bonk hard without some salty goodness. Fortunately, within 10 minutes I was at an aid station that was stocked with Chex Mix. Two handfuls later, I was running faster and smiling wider. Yummmm.
The rest of the run went by like clockwork. I finally started running somewhere around 7:30’s or 7:45’s on the final loop to make up for all that walking and I had a little gas left to sprint past two guys at the final stretch. After grabbing a coke and pizza immediately after crossing the finish line, I realized I came in somewhere around 5:15/5:16 but it wasn’t until today that I checked and got a 5:14:41.
Overall, it was nice to be back swimming, biking and running. I think my current short term future caused me to care a little less than I would have liked but I’m hoping that once I move to San Diego, I’ll catch the bug all over again. For now though, I’m just running, lifting, and enjoying my last couple weeks in DC.
I’ll be back soon triathlons, but not yet.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Ain't No Party Like a West Coast Party
As of July 2011, I’ll be taking my talents to SoCal and betraying my East Coast loyalties for a little while. But first, let’s rewind.
In three weeks, I’m moving on from my amazing job in DC to venture out into the unknown (kind of). After a wonderful three years with some great people, I’ll be A. traveling, and B. moving to San Diego.
There are plenty of reasons why so if you really want to know them in detail feel free to ask but I’ll just list some here to give you an understanding of the background: timing, adventure, change, sun, risk, beaches, foolishness, youth, sports, and did I mention sun?
Seriously though, it’s a move that I’m making with both excitement and a heavy heart. While I expect to be back in DC later, I can’t help but be sad to leave so many of my close friends here.
Also, before I take off to San Diego and attempt to find stable employment, I’ll be doing a bit of traveling. Why traveling? Well, this is more of a ‘why not’ situation. There are tons of places I want to visit and what better time than now. This means that for a couple months, my updates will turn into a bit of a traveling journal. Don’t worry though, they’ll remain sports-related posts because while I’ll be traveling to Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Chile, I’ll be training for a marathon.
In short, this summer will be one hell of an adventure.
While I don’t intend to plan everything down to the day/hour, here is a rough sketch of my summer plans. 11 days traveling solo and running (literally) around Spain/Portugal – likely city stops include Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Lisbon, and possibly a few small towns. 10 days in Chile and Argentina visiting my sister and enjoying as much ceviche and beef as possible. Then I’m back stateside for a slow drive west. Stops along the way will include quite a few national parks but also all or some of the following cities: Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Fargo, Billings, Missoula, Seattle, Portland (July 4th marathon), San Francisco, LA.
So stay tuned for updates and let me know if you have any good running/biking/swimming routes or locations in any of these cities. I’m open to it all! Oh, and for those who have friends or colleagues in San Diego, there’s that little detail of finding a job that I could use help with.
In three weeks, I’m moving on from my amazing job in DC to venture out into the unknown (kind of). After a wonderful three years with some great people, I’ll be A. traveling, and B. moving to San Diego.
There are plenty of reasons why so if you really want to know them in detail feel free to ask but I’ll just list some here to give you an understanding of the background: timing, adventure, change, sun, risk, beaches, foolishness, youth, sports, and did I mention sun?
Seriously though, it’s a move that I’m making with both excitement and a heavy heart. While I expect to be back in DC later, I can’t help but be sad to leave so many of my close friends here.
Also, before I take off to San Diego and attempt to find stable employment, I’ll be doing a bit of traveling. Why traveling? Well, this is more of a ‘why not’ situation. There are tons of places I want to visit and what better time than now. This means that for a couple months, my updates will turn into a bit of a traveling journal. Don’t worry though, they’ll remain sports-related posts because while I’ll be traveling to Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Chile, I’ll be training for a marathon.
In short, this summer will be one hell of an adventure.
While I don’t intend to plan everything down to the day/hour, here is a rough sketch of my summer plans. 11 days traveling solo and running (literally) around Spain/Portugal – likely city stops include Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Lisbon, and possibly a few small towns. 10 days in Chile and Argentina visiting my sister and enjoying as much ceviche and beef as possible. Then I’m back stateside for a slow drive west. Stops along the way will include quite a few national parks but also all or some of the following cities: Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Fargo, Billings, Missoula, Seattle, Portland (July 4th marathon), San Francisco, LA.
So stay tuned for updates and let me know if you have any good running/biking/swimming routes or locations in any of these cities. I’m open to it all! Oh, and for those who have friends or colleagues in San Diego, there’s that little detail of finding a job that I could use help with.
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