Category Archives: running

North Face 50….it’s happening

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So, we realized that the North Face Challenge had opened up, and despite everything we have put and need to put into Nepal, the 50 miler is happening in December.  I’m actually really excited about it.  And, I can’t blame it on the wine this time….haha. I celebrated by eating half of a container of gelato. Not a bad idea for someone who slept in….did a little bit of work…and slept some more.  Do nothing all day….sign up for a 50 mile race….consume a container of ice cream.  Haha.

In all seriousness, this is going to take a killer training plan. I’m envisioning a lot of early mornings in the headlands. At least I live close enough that I can train on the crazy hills. I’m pretty sure I’m not currently running fast enough to finish in the allotted time. But, I know I can get there. It’s gonna be an adventure :).

In other news, I think I’m really bad at doing nothing. I’ve been sick or coughing or something and have had no voice all week, so I decided I was just going to rest all day.  So, of course, I was up at 8:30….when was the last time that happened?  After a bit of NyQuil, I was able to get some more sleep.  Then, after dealing with a work issue, I was really restless. Couldn’t I go run or something. No.  I forced myself to rest a little longer, but then got up and started cleaning. Haha…even when I’m sick, I can’t do nothing.

We’re planning a longer hike for tomorrow…maybe a picnic.  I’m excited for that too (see, really bad at sitting still). Hopefully the NyQuil endured haze in which I spent most of today works and I’m close to 100% tomorrow. I have real hiking pants to try for the first time….and I really like my bag. Despite the whole everything is black theme I have going. I’ve decided not to list the gear in the individual posts, but will post a list at the end of my trip, after I post all the trip blogs. While it won’t matter to most, based on how much I’m relying on blogs from previous travelers, if someone googles and finds my blog, I want to be helpful :).

Other than that, it’s been a week of watching the Olympics and nursing the hot, sexy, smoker voice back to normal. Until next time….

Long December

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So, this probably be a long post, written over several days, because…well, it’s been a long December.  Apparently, the year decided to go out with a bang.

The month started out normal enough…marathon planned, zero training, first trail marathon.  Typical me.  haha.  and, as I mentioned in a previous post, it was so much fun.  I need to train better, but I do really want to do the 50 mile race next year.

After that, it seems like it all went crazy.  Some good crazy, some not so good crazy.  The following Tuesday, I had my last class ever.  Very surreal, and a stressor ’till the end, but it was over. Brian surprised me with some wine and a poster when I got home. Thursday that week our good friends got married at city hall.  It was a beautiful wedding, city hall is really pretty, especially all decorated for Christmas.  I can’t believe I hadn’t been there before.  Following the wedding, we spent the day in Sonoma and had dinner at Seven Hills here in the city.  The following day, my parents arrived for my graduation, which was later that evening.  Graduation was fun, and I still can’t believe it’s over.  But, I am excited to have more free time.

Throughout all of this, Gordon, our oldest cat, got sick and kept getting sicker.  He had stopped eating his regular food, so we changed him to wet food, and he started eating again. The. He stopped eating that…sometimes, he’d pieces of ham, or chicken, and we started feeding him baby food. And then, force feeding him baby food when he quit eating all together.  We took him to the vet, and they couldn’t find anything wrong, and then took him back to the vet, and for an ultrasound. And, they still didn’t see much wrong…a kidney infection, but his numbers weren’t bad.  Ugh…poor kitty.  They gave him pain pills and antibiotics and different food, and he seemed a little better for about a day.  They were going to give him a feeding tube, which was a little more invasive than I wanted to sign up for, but if for some reason getting him to eat was the key to him getting better, I wanted to give him that chance. But then he started to have trouble breathing. We took him back to the vet, and she let us know that there was something pretty bad going on – brain tumor, advanced heart disease, or both. None of which are good. She offered to send us to a specialist, but, what would come of that?  Torture him a little longer to find something we can’t fix?  No, that’s not right. So, we made the tough decision to let him go.  Which, was awful, but the vet was wonderful.  Seven Hills Vet in diamond heights. Highly recommend. Highly. The vet called later that night to let us know she was thinking about us.  Today, we received a card in the mail with a sweet note from the vet and a paw print from our kitty. Very touching and very nice.

Then we were off for the holidays!  Somehow, we flew first class to buffalo – I’m still not sure how we swung that, but it sure was nice. It was nice to get home and see the family and extended family, really busy though. Lots of people to see, but it was a good time. I did have a bottle of wine crack/burst/something in my suitcase, luckily, it didn’t escape the plastic bag it was in. We also ordered a bunch of stuff – coats, pants, etc. for our trip after consulting with Brian’s uncle. Getting excited about that….other than having to buy a bunch more stuff. Fun, but ugh….

Work wasn’t that crazy, what was it I said….an alert a day keeps the boredom away…haha. A couple of fire drills at odd times, who doesn’t love working at 3am ;).  But, it’s been fun, and I had a really good store visit while I was there. However, I am looking forward to some time to relax.

And, now 2013 is coming to a close.  Where did it go?  It really doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was eagerly awaiting the departure of 2012, and  announcing that 2013 was going to be the best year ever. I had goals, wishes, things I was going to accomplish.  Did it all happen?  No, but…I do feel like I’m in a better place than I have been the past couple of years. It must be all about a positive outlook.

So, what was 2013?  It was a year of a second ironman, which I still didn’t finish….it was the year where one of my neighbors tried to blow up the apartment building, nothing like hanging out in the street all afternoon..the Jetta exploded and now we have another car payment….it was the year my first pet died, and I’m sure the year of plenty of other things I don’t care to revisit.

However, it was also the year I turned 30 and had one hell of a party. It was a year where I presented a paper at not one, but two conferences.  It was a year where I got to visit and find my way in Germany and had so much fun doing so. I visited a lot of places – Colorado, Louisville, Raleigh, Chicago, Arizona, Bremen, Hamburg, and I’m sure there are others.  I met up with a lot of friends, both near and far, and realized I know some pretty amazing people. I heard Hillary Clinton speak and saw Kelly Clarkson sing.  I discovered the headlands, and know I will always have a place to lose myself.  I bought a bright green car because I could and drove it home blaring Katy
Perry’s Roar. It was the year I finally got to walk across the stage at USF, something three and a half years in the making. It was a great year, for these reasons and more. But, I’m ready to turn the page.

So, here’s to 2014 – here’s to new adventures and getting back in shape.  Here’s to Everest basecamp and a Rhone river cruise.  Here’s to more free time and finding something to do with it all.  Here’s to another exciting year that’s better than the last.

North Face Endurance Challenge

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So, let me preface this with the fact/thought that I should have done a training run (or six) that were longer than 15 miles.  But, I do what I can.  And, I was able to finish and have a great time doing so.  That being said, race report…

The start line was a pretty cool experience.  It was cold and somewhat windy, but they had heat lamps and fire pits going, which was a nice touch and made the cold bearable. There was also a welcome tent of sorts that had coffee and hot water and snacks (and more heaters).  I thought that was really nice, and not something I’ve seen at a race before.  I was nervous about drinking coffee before running, since I didn’t know how it would affect my stomach. But, one of the volunteers offered me a cup of hot water to hold, which was a great help with the cold.  While we were in the tent, we looked at the course maps and Brian talked me through the flow of the marathon. While we had run or hiked most of the course, we hadn’t done it all at once.  A couple of other runners joined us and we chatted through the course with them too.  The hour or so we spent there went pretty quickly, and was overall low key.  By the time we started the race, the nerves I had about not finishing had been replaced with the thrill of another adventure.

The course was a kind of figure 8 with a couple of loops.  The first loop went from the start line near the visitor’s center at the headlands, up miwok hill, then down the back side into the Tennessee valley, up marincello hill, over to bob cat and altar before dropping back near the start.  The first hill climb was tough, especially on my calves, especially so early in the race.  But the decent into Tennessee valley was fabulous. I ran all of it, despite the run walk I usually do.  The only drawback was the rude runner with the headphones who yelled at me once I started running after a walk break….I’m not sure why.  Maybe she thought I didn’t want her to pass me?  Whatever, wasn’t going to ruin my day.  Coming into the Tennessee valley, I said good morning to a couple of guys tending a stable, had my photo taken, and ran into our friend, Drew.  He said hello, I told him I was feeling good, and he said, ‘great! Now you get to run up the big ass hill’.  Haha….I think I told him I had just come down one.

The next part of the course began like the first, but after going up miwok a second time (ugh), we made a different turn at  Tennessee valley and headed out toward pirate’s cove and muir beach.  This was when I started to get the Fun song, ‘put one foot in front of the other….lalalala’ stuck in my head. It remained there for most of the rest of the day. I met two other runners on the second trip up miwok.  Up until that point, I felt like I was pretty much in no man’s land. They thought they were lost, but since I had talked through the course that morning, I reassured them we were on track.  Pat was from Connecticut and Holly was from LA.  It was nice to have some people to chat with on our trip up the hill.  However, I lost holly on the way up the hill.  But, I did trade off position with Pat until we hit Pirate’s cove.  This was the one part of the course that was on pavement.  It was also where we started to see 50k runners coming back. I looked out for my friend Toby, who was running the 50k, but he was way ahead of me.  This was also a fairly easy portion to run….or run walk in my case.

The next part of the course went through pirate’s cove, out to muir beach, and then back to the Tennessee valley.  That was by far the most difficult part of the course.  I think the hill up to pirate’s cove was pretty rough, but quite honestly, I don’t remember it.  I remember the descent was pretty scary.  At one point, I stopped to dig a stone out of my shoe, mad had my feet fly out from under me. Luckily, they crashed on to the next step, and I was able to remain upright. Thank god for small favors.  The course between pirate’s cove and muir beach was pretty, but also pretty rough. It was a single track up hill, followed by a steep descent to the beach. Of course, it was an out and back, so all I could think was – I can’t wait to run back out if this. There was an aid station at the turn around, for those do us that turned around. If you’re me, you keep going and over run the turn.  Haha…luckily, I noticed the pink ribbon course markers had disappeared and I asked a volunteer, who turned me around, and I was back at the aid station shortly.

My friend Ed was working the aid station and gave me some water and electrolytes, as well as some Mountain Dew, which I hadn’t had since college, but was amazing at mile 15.  He asked how I was feeling, and I’m pretty sure I told him I had muscles I forgot I had hurting.  Then I finished my stretch break, grabbed some pretzels, had another drink, and took off.  I saw Pat on the way back, gave him a high five and told him we were getting it done.  I also saw Holly, she had hurt her knee and was glad the aid station was only half a mile away.  And, that’s where the course got ugly. After climbing the rollers out of muir beach, there was another never ending hill.  It felt like miles. Luckily, at this point there were plenty of people on the course since the 50 mile runners were on the same course. Most said hello as they jogged by me, and it was great to hear some friendly voices – even if they were running twice as far….

Upon returning to the Tennessee valley, I was glad to see the rest stop, and stopped to grab some more Mountain Dew and a pb&j.  I don’t think it’s ever tasted so good. I also overheard a pacer asking where he could meet his 50 mile runner.  So, of course the wheels started turning, and as much pain as I was in, I wanted to train better and do that one next year.  From the rest stop, we headed up marincello for the second time (ugh), but I knew what to expect, and I love the alta and rodeo trails.  And after that, less than a mile to the finish. And my Fun song about one foot in front of the other was back. Going up marincello, I walked by a couple of other runners, and was able to say hello.  It was nice to have some friendly faces through the final miles. Hitting the rest stop at the top of altar was nice too…great to see the friendly volunteers and have another mini sandwich and soda.

Coming out of the flat end of the rodeo trail, a volunteer at the last water stop let me know I had less than a mile to go, and offered me any last minute aid items.  I knew I was close, and didn’t want to stop moving, so I thanked her and told her I was good. Then, despite the finish being just across the
street and up a small hill, I started singing my song from the Honolulu marathon….’this is the race that never ends’. Approaching the finish line, there was a lady cheering, who told me to run like I was Black Friday shopping. Haha….then I entered the finish line chute, and heard Brian and our friend, Drew, cheering for me. The announcer got my name from Brian and said, ‘we’re all cheering for you, Kim’.

And, like that, it was over.  Am I thrilled with my time, not really.  Am I happy I finished, definitely.  It was my first trail marathon, and my first marathon in at least two years, and I didn’t train.  But, wow…so much fun.  As much as I knew I would be sore, and as sore as I am right now, I can’t wait to sign up for the 50 mile next year.  And train for it….that too.

 In other news, I had my last team meeting for school ever today. So exciting and surreal…

Berkeley half

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So the race was good – well organized and plenty of water. Sadly, an anomaly for an inaugural event. But, this one had it pretty much together. The course was flat, net downhill, with a short, steep hill at the end. The start and sweat check were well organized, and there’s always good people watching. What people choose to wear for these things is always entertaining to see….costumes, glitter skirts, back packs full of water and food, people wearing the race shirt at the race….and me….in whatever happened to be the first running clothes I found. At least I didn’t have brand new shoes for this one…or drink a bunch of saki the night before.  Haha. I also tried running gloves…..bright blue ones. Went great with the light/off blue shirt I had on. Classy…. But anyway, I digress….the start line was the start line….20 minutes after the official start (yeah wave four), I was off….

The first four miles were pretty cool – wound through Berkeley, somewhere I haven’t spent much time, so it was cool to see.  Mostly downhill, with a little flat.  On our way out of town, mile four or so, my left calf or Achilles tightened…..it’s still sore now.  Hopefully this is not an issue for north face in a few weeks.

Miles four through thirteen were ok, flat and everything, but pretty boring.
Ran along side the highway to emeryville, looped around, ran back…..looped around again…and again.  Ended up on so e gravel path that I don’t think was meant to be a path….looped around again.

Final three miles…at this point, my Achilles was really tight, despite stretching multiple times and my hip flexors started to tighten too. This is not goi g to bode well for north face. But, I was on the path to the finish….or not…loop around again…and finally, we were on our way.  There was some guy yelling that we were almost there and that we had this….the hill at the end had nothing on us….there’s a hill AT&T he end??  This is supposed to be flat…..but, we were on the final straight. Or so we thought. First, we had to wind through a parking lot – think Disney world lines. Couldn’t we have done an extra block or two in Berkeley?  After we made our way through the Disney line, we were finally on our way.  Just, up the now giant looking hill, and down the other side of it to the quietest finish line ever. Funny that we could hear it across the water, but not over the hill.

So, 2:27 overall.  Not my best time, but also not my worst. Not bad for having about half as much time to train as I wanted.  Someday I will have more time…someday.  Crossed the line, got my medal, and then a special medal because I did the SF half in June. Then, into some warm clothes and off to lunch and an amazing post race nap.

We have the football game on, and they keep showing random boston scenes. It makes me smile…and  reflect on my time there. Looking back at, I realize how young I really was and how crazy most of what I did was.  They showed Quincy market….oh Quincy market….I think I spent my birthday there one year.  I know we spent Fourth of July there….and many a mapping session for gap. And the random times I worked in the store there….and how they were the only ones to call and check if I was ok after the protest. And dunkin donuts, how I miss dunkin donuts. I’m pretty sure I ate a lot of it outside the t stop there hahaha….

So, for now I will relax, watch the football game, and enjoy the random boston scenes they’re showing. Happy thanksgiving week. Over and out…..

Weekend Adventures

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Oh, what a weekend….maybe the most adventurous in awhile. A lot of fun, but not the most restful…haha.

Saturday, I did my last long run before the north face marathon. And, I might be in trouble (I only made it to 15 miles…maybe 15), but it’s such an adventure every time I’m out there.  Saturday I had planned to run to the lighthouse, back to the car, and then do another loop in a different direction. But, I couldn’t figure out how to run to the lighthouse…why would the trail be labeled on the map?  So, I went a different route, and ended up finding one of the trails on the race course, so I ran Alta until it ended, and then all the way to the starting end. And, found several places where the trail went off state land and onto private land. Which you were allowed to cross, as long as you stayed on the path, kept your dog on a leash, and cleaned up after your dog. The benefit to running through the trailhead was that there was a map, so I figured out how I would get back to the car…what fun is simply going back the way you came?

So I planned a new route…Alta to the end, pick up SCA, then the costal trail back to the visitor’s center.  Then I could assess the distance and decide if I needed another loop on one of the closer trails. Of course, nothing goes according to plan….especially when it comes to trail running. So I’m running along, feeling great, enjoying the awesome views of the SCA trail (single lane trail on the side of a mountain), when I see it…….

A kitty….a rather large, muscular, kitty. Crossing the trail and running up the hill. Too big to be a bob cat….which leaves one option. Yup, definitely a mountain lion. And, as I later found out, there is one living in that area, and they’re warning pets and small children to stay away….

Good times. Luckily, I had plan B – there was another trail a bit back that would take me to the trail I started on that morning, thus taking me back to my car. So, I backtracked. And got back…but then it was cold, and I was stiff, and it was windy. I got back to the visitor’s center and actually went inside, and….it’s pretty cool. Half store and half museum, lots of cool stuff to look at. And a good place to thaw out. Of course, then I didn’t want to run anymore….but I made myself walk a few miles to get them and some more time in. Saw the hostel and the art center…cool to see, but still cold, so I called it a day. Despite the race….I decided that I was doing it (and trail running) to have fun. So, I’m going to have fun…have an adventure…and hopefully finish. If not, well I’m the first to admit that I probably bit off more than I could chew with this. And I’m still up for next year….50 miles would be cool, right??

We had a somewhat low key night….friends over for dinner….cookie baking….sent a pizza back for the first time in my life. Let me back up, we ordered pizza from Paxtis, the only place that delivers to us…not the first time, and probably not the last. We get the pizza an hour later….and one of them looks like it’s been tipped over. The other, well, it looks like its been kicked down a few flights of stairs. So, I call them…not sure what I’m hoping to get, because this has never happened before. They were very nice, and offered to bring us new pizza. An hour later, we had decent looking pizza to eat. Great customer service. And lunch for the rest of the week.

Today we went on another hike, to further break in our boots for Everest. I took Brian and one of our friends on the trail I ran a few weeks ago. Great views of the bridge, and of course we went off the main trail and found a bunch of bunkers in the hillside. Some connected underground. Sadly, they were all covered in graffiti and full of garbage. But, still really cool to see. I love the headlands…so much cool stuff to see.  I also ran into one of my former classmates…cool to see him too.

I can’t believe the weekend is almost over…and I’m back to the craziness. Is it December yet?  Really, is it mid December yet?  Then school will be over too. I can’t wait for graduation. Really, I can’t wait for Black Friday. I definitely had nightmares both nights this weekend….that I hadn’t set the alarm, and was late for work/to deal with whatever crazy had come up now. Just like I used to dream about new flow and inventory when I was an assistant manager in college…glad to see some things never change. Haha….it will all be over soon.

Until next time….over and out.

Time flies….

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so i realized today how long it’s been since i updated this…where does the day go…

really, where did today go.  and why did it end with a meter eating my money, a broken microwave at school (thank god for 2 folsom), and birds not liking my bright green car…..

anyway…since its been so long…

puerto rico was amazing.  just what i needed – not that germany wasnt fabulous, but it was so nice just to be able to hang out…not worry about a presentation or a race or needing to be anywhere.  i also bought my first new dress in probably eight years…pretty cool.

other than that, life has pretty much gotten back to normal.  well, normal with a side of school and work craziness.  i cant believe its holiday again…yikes!  its crazy, but we all know that on some level, i love it.  and school…well, last class.  thank god!  but its so much work.  so.  much.  work.  ugh…but, its over in a few weeks and then….GRADUATION!  haha…i cant wait.

other than that….as if there is time for anything else….

im on a crash course of training for the north face endurance marathon.  hardest trail marathon in the country.  oh the things that sound good after several glasses of wine.  anyway, its the weekend before graduation and ive run a grand total of 11 miles.  must do 20 the next few weeks.  hopefully ill be able to finish…hopefully.  im sure it will be an adventure anyway, and i love an adventure.  even training has been an adventure – bob cats and trails and terrain and new shoes and training adventures.  always a good time.

we’ve also started to plan our next adventure – nepal/everest in april.  its almost still too far away to be real just yet, but all the forms are signed, we’re looking at flights, and travel shots have been ordered.  we’ve also looked at all the gear we need – eeek….so much stuff.  so crazy, but hopefully it will also be an adventure :).

ok, im pretty sure this is the most pointless blog ever, but i wanted to get something up since its been so long.  until next time….

Exploring Germany…

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From last night, since the wireless went down….

So, I started off the day with an, ‘OMG, I’m in Germany’, thought. After a little bit of rest, I couldn’t wait to explore. I didnt have anything for the conference until three, so I had most of the day to myself. 

The hotel breakfast was simple, yet filling. For some reason, I felt like I was doing something wrong and everyone was starring at me. Oh well, I’m sure it was just in my head. 

After breakfast, I went on a long three mile run – long because I stopped to take pictures every few steps. The more things I saw, the cooler I realized everything was. So much of it was exactly what you would expect to find in Germany, yet a lot of it was different. And, while there are tons of bikes on the road, I was the only one running. Maybe because it was cold and rainy?  Maybe because people here don’t run?

After my run, I got ready and headed into Bremen for a tour the conference was offering. I found a cute restaurant by the hotel that I wanted to try, but ultimately decided that I needed to get on the train and get to my destination first. This turned out to be a good thing, since of course I got on the train going the wrong direction the first time. 

I made to the city center for the tour with plenty of time to grab a quick bite to eat – cue German McDonald’s. which, was very similar to American McDonalds. Unfortunately, my inability to find the tour (the meeting spot was lost amongst a protest/demonstration – why wouldn’t there be one right where I needed to be…), had me wishing I had chosen a different restaurant for lunch. Oh well, I ended up making up my own tour, seeing lots of cool buildings, and people watching from a beer garden. While enjoying my beer, i did see two guys in traditional Chinese dress – I figured they had to be with the conference. I also wandered into a church that was open to the public. So cool and very pretty. 

Then, it was time to find the conference check in – that I needed to go to, in order to get my name badge and whatever else for tomorrow. Of course, I couldn’t figure out how to get into the historic building…I saw some people, but they wouldn’t let me in for some reason. Luckily, I walked around the back of the building at the same time the China Goes Global tour was wrapping up, so I was able to follow them inside. 

They had a nice reception with a few speakers, some wine, and finger food. It was a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world – China, Germany, France, Spain, and even Florida. If someone had told me two years ago that my independent study paper would land me here, I never would have believed it.

At the end of the reception, there was even a free shuttle to bring us back to the hotels so I didnt have to take the two trains to get home. The trains haven’t been bad, now that I’ve figured them out, but the ride was a nice touch. 

I found a restaurant with an outdoor pizza window (they seem to have a lot of those here) to grab some dinner on the way back.  Made to order as I watched – very cool. However, the town here (outside the main city), seems very quiet. Not sure if it’s because of the weather or that it’s the work week or what. 

And now the wireless is down…awesome. I didnt have anything I needed to look at for tomorrow, and I totally know where I’m going. Ugh. Well, off to sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s adventure. 

Kim and Jaime (and a couple of other people) take on beijing

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My first two days in Beijing have been amazing.  Jaime met me for the weekend, which was so much fun.  Friday was a little crazy due to my detour to wuhan, but we still managed to get in a foot massage before the spa closed.

Saturday, we went for a run…man I am out of shape, and days of focusing on biking and swimming, not to mention the absence of our weekly runs, are catching up with me.  She totally kicked my butt.  Get back in running shape…definitely on my list for when I get back.  Then we wandered the art district we were staying in and found a place for brunch/lunch.  Im not sure what pizza at 11am qualifies as.  Super cute and interesting area.

Then we headed out to the great wall will two of her coworkers and their families.  So much fun, and I can say ive seen one of the seven wonders of the world.  It was amazing.  There really are no words, and I spent a good portion of time in awe.  And then I got a bunch of cute photos.  Im heading back to the wall on a day long hike at the end of this week, and I cant wait.  I thought about canceling, but it was so fun seeing part of it, I imagine it will be equally as fun seeing other parts of it.  However, im sure nothing will compare to seeing it with the great group of people I was with.

We finished the night with dinner at German restaurant in Beijing.  I don’t  know that ive ever had german food, but everything I tried was amazing.  Then we got our nails fixed and ended up back at the spa…such fun and such a good time.

Today, we went for another run, where I was once again left in the dust….must. get. Back. In. shape.  Then brunch with some French toast, cappuccino, fresh juice, and miraculously, an egg white omelet.  We continued to wander the art district, looked at the statues, came across a wedding photo shoot, and shopped.  Well, she did…im a terrible shopper.  Yet, still so much fun.  I could wander there for hours…and so much more fun with a friend.  Not too much time after that – check-out and airport and dropping me at my final hotel.

so now im at my final asian destination.  and i have mixed feelings.  this has been a ride…an eye opening, amazing, ride, that i wish i could stay on for a bit and get to know a local area.  like today, i needed sunscreen and toothpaste…and my hotel is on a pretty local street, so i ended up finding both in local markets here.  and i was able to say hello and thank them in chinese.  so not like anything back home, yet so amazing.  i feel like i can read so much for school, but actually seeing it, is so different.  At this point, its all come down to kindness – from the person at the store to the girl next to me on the plane, a smile and a nod go a long way.  if youre friendly, people will forgive a lot.  And getting to know it for more than a few days would be amazing.

But, I miss Brian and home and my normal.  I miss my Saturday swims in the bay and my Sunday Canada workouts…and our nights out.  I miss knowing what I’m eating and being able to drink the water and my own bed and my cats.    I’m looking forward to driving my car and eating a real chicken sandwich.

But, this has been amazing, and I plan to continue to enjoy it until Friday.  Starting with tomorrow’s bike ride around the city.  I cant wait to see all the things on the list – forbidden city, Tiananmen square, Olympic village….i cant remember what else, but I’m sure I will love it.  And, they pick me up at the hotel, so I cant get lost.

Until next time…