Brrrr!

what a week that was. it went from a relatively cold high 40's/low 50's to freezing in a matter of days. add to that the rain, which we badly needed, and there goes the training plan. either the weather or the fact that the kids are sick, and i think i'm coming down with something myself, and it's been a no ride week for me--the first since i started riding! i was able to squeeze in a couple of 5 milers during the week in the cold and darkness and an 8+ miler today. i'm trying to just keep it easy; i'm not really feeling my oats for some reason. hard to get motivated. it's hectic at home, it's busy at work, and it's cold out. hopefully i'll be able to pick it up come new year.

at least i was able to send out the christmas cards already.

Good Week

i just realize maybe i should start posting my progress for future reference. so here they are, and i'll start with last week's (dec 1 - dec 7):
mon: (bike)
tue: (run) 5 mi, 154 bmp,
wed: (bike) ; (run) 6 mi,
thu: (run) 4 mi, 165 bmp, 7:51 pace
fri: (bike) 21 mi, 16.9 mph, 86 rpm
sun: 14 mi, 156 bmp, 8:28 pace.

total: (run) ; (bike) 63 mi

the long run was comfortable to mile 13+. my unofficial half marathon time is 1:50. still hard to get going but otherwise, it's getting there. i'm still a little concerned about overtraining, but the rainy season is upon us and i'd like to get out as much before then.

tonight, apparently the moon is the closest to the earth and won't be again for another 15 years...that would be 2023! i got the kids to come out into the chilly night to take a look at the moon, too. hopefully they will remember.

Got Roped Again

i specifically intended not to coach ymca basketball this time around. i made an agreement with one of my soccer co-coaches that he take the lead this time and i'll help out--i'll be the assistant for a change. so i get to the team selection and he's not there. so guess what? i got roped into it again. i should have just skipped the whole thing but i wanted my soccer kids to be together as much as possible since i kind of encourage them to sign up. anyway, i'm sure it will work out, and i have fun coaching, it's just that i don't have any time!

today's run was pretty good. 4 miles at 7:43 pace. i wouldn't have imagined that for another year or so. i guess i'm getting faster. too bad my garmin computer data keep reverting to nov 3rd and i have to keep restoring it. unfortunately tonight, it won't recognize yesterday's backup so i lost about 4 days of data. and this has been my best week so far: 4+ on monday, 3.87mi on tuesday, 6.15 wednesday, and 4+ today, all at 8:30 or under. oh well.

i've incorporated some speed work into my routine, mainly the last half mile or so. i've ran it at 7:30 pace, give or take, may not be impressive to the veteran runner, but believe me, i feel like overreaching while i'm running it. it will come with time i'm sure.

tonight was the pacific grove christmas parade. it was a nice night--a clear 47 degrees. met the family because i was busy picking my team. anyway, it was fun to be out...the kinda of fun that you only get in a small town!

Random Reflections

the other day, i got an email from a friend saying she is moving to the east coast to accept a job because she’s "finally figured out what she wants to do with her life". my immediate response was "more power to you" because it’s an admirable feat for someone to be that aware of their being and recognize what they want and actually go and do it. but i don’t know is if that’s a predicament most of us ever wrestle with; if i ever did, i don’t remember now.

it could be because of my upbringing, or maybe even the fact that we didn’t have much growing up, where the options tended to lead towards the practical. i didn’t really have any life plans per se--i knew i was going to college and hopefully graduate with practical and marketable skill (civil engineering in my case). but as far as i can tell, life just happened. went to college, met a girl, graduated, got a job, wedding bells tolled, and four beautiful kids later, here i am blogging. truth be told, i don’t have much time to reflect on life because i’m too busy living it--good and bad, but mostly good. sure i have regrets about things i wanted to do and didn't or haven't yet--join the marines, which, at this point in my life, is all but too late (would they have accepted me with my flat feet, i don’t know); be a traveller (and learn how the other half lives); work for an global firm mainly for the occasional ego trip; a cia spy; but most importantly, for more time: with my family; to ride, run, and train; to volunteer abroad where my engineering skills can save lives instead of dealing with the bureaucratic bullshit for projects that really, in the whole scheme of things, are insignificant compared to the plight for clean water in some impoverished locale halfway around the world.

overall, i truly believe that i have been blessed with more than i deserve: a beautiful wife who’s my best friend, the priceless sound of my kids’ laughter, living in quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth (monterey bay), the unconditional love and support of my extended family and friends, and lastly, a gratifying job that supports a relatively comfortable lifestyle.

that said, i’ll end this entry with a qoute from lucius annaeus seneca, "life, if well lived, is long enough". maybe someday, i will be able to look back and really put things in perspective.