I am at that point in a new training program where everything has started to break down and it is a lot of work to push through it. I have completed every workout on the training plan for the last two weeks, not always on the day I was supposed to, but I did get to everything. Today was my long run/walk day and I'm going to count the University District Street Scramble for my workout.
This week was a better showing for team Same Same but Different than the Alki scramble. We came in 5th out of 14 teams so I'm happy with that finish. There was one tricky checkpoint behind McCarty Hall that a lot of teams had trouble with and we couldn't find. That would have put us in 4th place, but still not too shabby.
We managed to cover around 10 miles (if you take the average between Tim and my activity tracking apps) in the three hours. Once RunKeeper fixes their embedded maps, you'll be able to check out our course.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Training Week 1
The running app I use has had it's embedded map function broken for quite a while now so I have not been logging my runs. Hopefully they'll fix the problem soon as the community is getting pretty impatient.
Anyway, I figured that since I'm doing the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in June and the RSVP bike ride in August, I'd better start getting back in shape. I found a half marathon training app and am slowly working up my duration and distance. Today was my first "long run" training day and I have to admit I cheated a little by taking the mostly downhill route, but at least I got out and did the run. I am hoping a nice side effect from all this training is that I'll actually look OK in my bathing suit in Costa Rica over Thanksgiving.
One day Runkeeper will fix their embedded maps and you'll be able to see my route.
Until then, here are the vital stats:
Distance 5.01 mi, Duration 1:04:46, Average Pace 12:55 / mi
Anyway, I figured that since I'm doing the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in June and the RSVP bike ride in August, I'd better start getting back in shape. I found a half marathon training app and am slowly working up my duration and distance. Today was my first "long run" training day and I have to admit I cheated a little by taking the mostly downhill route, but at least I got out and did the run. I am hoping a nice side effect from all this training is that I'll actually look OK in my bathing suit in Costa Rica over Thanksgiving.
One day Runkeeper will fix their embedded maps and you'll be able to see my route.
Until then, here are the vital stats:
Distance 5.01 mi, Duration 1:04:46, Average Pace 12:55 / mi
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Photos from Switzerland
Here are some of the photos I took on our trip.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116079012967054229541/albums
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116079012967054229541/albums
Torino
We've been home for about a week now and I am just getting around to writing about Torino. We stayed in a flat in the business district of Torino which allowed us to buy food from the local shops and cook dinner each night. They eat dinner around 9 PM it was nice to be able to eat a little earlier.
Torino is a neat city to visit, but did not have anything really special that you can not find in most other old, Italian cities. The Cinema Museum was definitely a highlight. After checking out the view from the panoramic lift, you can spend hours wandering around watching movie clips and looking at old photos, costumes, sets, and movie posters. There were a surprising number of American movies featured.
We ventured out to Sacra di San Michelle and had a beautiful hike up the hillside to see the church that was the setting for Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose. The path up was an old mule track that had been laid with slippery stones to make dragging supplies up and down easier. This made walking a bit treacherous so going down was a bit of an adventure. It's a beautiful church with great views of the countryside.
Our day trip to Milan was aborted after a few hours due to heavy rain. We did wander around and took pictures of a majority of the tourist sites, but decided relaxing in the warm apartment was a better way to spend the afternoon. I will have to give it another shot when the weather is better.
Up at 4 AM to catch our plane home. A long, but uneventful flight later and we were welcomed by Nomar and Raul who were mad we left them, but forgave us pretty quickly. We had a great time overall and now just need to find a way to move to Europe permanently.
Torino is a neat city to visit, but did not have anything really special that you can not find in most other old, Italian cities. The Cinema Museum was definitely a highlight. After checking out the view from the panoramic lift, you can spend hours wandering around watching movie clips and looking at old photos, costumes, sets, and movie posters. There were a surprising number of American movies featured.
We ventured out to Sacra di San Michelle and had a beautiful hike up the hillside to see the church that was the setting for Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose. The path up was an old mule track that had been laid with slippery stones to make dragging supplies up and down easier. This made walking a bit treacherous so going down was a bit of an adventure. It's a beautiful church with great views of the countryside.
Our day trip to Milan was aborted after a few hours due to heavy rain. We did wander around and took pictures of a majority of the tourist sites, but decided relaxing in the warm apartment was a better way to spend the afternoon. I will have to give it another shot when the weather is better.
Up at 4 AM to catch our plane home. A long, but uneventful flight later and we were welcomed by Nomar and Raul who were mad we left them, but forgave us pretty quickly. We had a great time overall and now just need to find a way to move to Europe permanently.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Technically in Switzerland
We spent two full days in Locarno on Lake Maggiore. While officially in Switzerland, you would never know it by looking at the menus or listening to the conversations around you. Everything here leads you to believe that you are actually in Italy. Ticino Merlot is the product of this overlapping of Swiss terrain and Italian gastronomy and is quite tasty.
We spent our first full day on a recommended walking tour which only lasted a few hours. The itinerary included the usual churches, cemeteries and castles that you would expect in this region. Locarno is small, but has its fair share of these attractions and the tour is easily extended with some window shopping. As we had already explored one side of the lake, the Lido, Botanical Garden, and river walk the afternoon before, we decided to pedonale along the other side of the lake before heading to an early dinner (by Italian standards).
Our last full day in Locarno we headed for the hills to squeeze in one last gawk at the surrounding mountains before we left the region. The first stop was Modonna del Sasso, a short funicular ride from Piazza Grande. This is a beautiful church perched on the rocks above Locarno that is currently undergoing restoration. You could tell by the work already completed that the results will be amazing when the restoration is complete.
A gondola and a (sideways facing) chairlift took us got the top of the mountain. The weather cooperated so we passed the afternoon drinking beer in the sun with the local ski bums. It was a perfect way to wrap up our visit to the Swiss Alps.
On to Torino for nearly a week with some day trips out to Milan and other nearby sites.
We spent our first full day on a recommended walking tour which only lasted a few hours. The itinerary included the usual churches, cemeteries and castles that you would expect in this region. Locarno is small, but has its fair share of these attractions and the tour is easily extended with some window shopping. As we had already explored one side of the lake, the Lido, Botanical Garden, and river walk the afternoon before, we decided to pedonale along the other side of the lake before heading to an early dinner (by Italian standards).
Our last full day in Locarno we headed for the hills to squeeze in one last gawk at the surrounding mountains before we left the region. The first stop was Modonna del Sasso, a short funicular ride from Piazza Grande. This is a beautiful church perched on the rocks above Locarno that is currently undergoing restoration. You could tell by the work already completed that the results will be amazing when the restoration is complete.
A gondola and a (sideways facing) chairlift took us got the top of the mountain. The weather cooperated so we passed the afternoon drinking beer in the sun with the local ski bums. It was a perfect way to wrap up our visit to the Swiss Alps.
On to Torino for nearly a week with some day trips out to Milan and other nearby sites.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
This is not Disneyland
Growing up as a kid who made frequent visits to Disneyland, the Matterhorn to me is a fun ride and part of Tinkerbell's flight during the nightly parade. I can now say that Mickey has nothing on the real thing. Our stay in Zermatt reminded me a bit of Whistler Village with its sport shops, restaurants, and après ski bars. We stayed in a newly open hotel and were once again reminded to never stay somewhere that has not been open for at least one year. The Backstage Hotel will be cute once they finish construction and work out the kinks, but it was a bit too soon for guests. One thing the hotel had going for it was location. We were minutes from the train station and he main street through town. The historic old town and the Matterhorn Glacier were an easy stroll away.
Our first full day in Zermatt we took the cog railway up to Gornergrat one day where I was able to take some great pictures of the Matterhorn. After gawking at the view for a while, we abused ourselves sledging away the afternoon taking the cog railway back up for each run. I still am not quite sure how to steer, but I had a great time and managed to make it through the afternoon without any major crashes. Tim got a lot of practice with tuck and roll.
The next day we went up to Klein Matterhorn at 12,736 ft. That is the highest altitude I've been at outside an airplane and you could really tell if you moved around too quickly. Up close and personal, the Matterhorn does not stand out as much, but it is still an impressive profile. Tim was able to ski both the Swiss and Italian Alps from the top.
With all of the gondola trips over the last couple of weeks, I am getting better with my fear of heights. I am still not keen standing too close to he edge, but I can ride a gondola with my eyes open now.
The trip from Zermatt to Locarno was fairly uneventful with only four train changes, no gondolas or funiculars this time. We switched from Swiss trains to an Italian train in Domodossola and the change was quite obvious. Swiss trains are fast, clean and run like clockwork. The Italian trains are a bit more run down and the timetable is more of a suggestion than a schedule.
Locarno is just back over the Swiss border on Lake Maggiore. Known as the banana belt of Switzerland, I expect to thaw out for a few days before heading off to Torino. Forecast is for more sun so keep your fingers crossed it holds. Switching up the diet from cured meat, potatoes and cheese to pasta and olive oil tonight. Even though we are technically still in Switzerland, Italy is just down the lake and the local menu reflects the proximity. We are definitely eating well this trip.
Our first full day in Zermatt we took the cog railway up to Gornergrat one day where I was able to take some great pictures of the Matterhorn. After gawking at the view for a while, we abused ourselves sledging away the afternoon taking the cog railway back up for each run. I still am not quite sure how to steer, but I had a great time and managed to make it through the afternoon without any major crashes. Tim got a lot of practice with tuck and roll.
The next day we went up to Klein Matterhorn at 12,736 ft. That is the highest altitude I've been at outside an airplane and you could really tell if you moved around too quickly. Up close and personal, the Matterhorn does not stand out as much, but it is still an impressive profile. Tim was able to ski both the Swiss and Italian Alps from the top.
With all of the gondola trips over the last couple of weeks, I am getting better with my fear of heights. I am still not keen standing too close to he edge, but I can ride a gondola with my eyes open now.
The trip from Zermatt to Locarno was fairly uneventful with only four train changes, no gondolas or funiculars this time. We switched from Swiss trains to an Italian train in Domodossola and the change was quite obvious. Swiss trains are fast, clean and run like clockwork. The Italian trains are a bit more run down and the timetable is more of a suggestion than a schedule.
Locarno is just back over the Swiss border on Lake Maggiore. Known as the banana belt of Switzerland, I expect to thaw out for a few days before heading off to Torino. Forecast is for more sun so keep your fingers crossed it holds. Switching up the diet from cured meat, potatoes and cheese to pasta and olive oil tonight. Even though we are technically still in Switzerland, Italy is just down the lake and the local menu reflects the proximity. We are definitely eating well this trip.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Schilthorn Piz Gloria
Wrapping up three and a half days in Murren, Switzerland. The weather was sunny and clear the entire time we were here. While the skiers wished we had some fresh snow I was perfectly happy hiking in the sun and enjoying a cold Rugenbrau on the patio. We had a great view of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains, which are the local attraction, from the top of the mountain. When we come back I would like to stay in Grindelwald and explore the other half of the region.
Murren is a small resort town that reminds me a little of Sun Valley only smaller, nicer and with better food. They filmed Her Majesty's Secret Service at the top of Schilthornbahn so there are a lot of 007 themed items at the top. They even have a Touristorama exhibit which is really just a hallway with pictures taken during the filming.
I got my first shot at sledging while we were in Murren. Old fashioned, wooden sleds with no steering or brakes except your feet. It was fun one I got the hang of it. Unfortunately the only sledge run was a mixed use trail for sledging, hiking and skiing. Once it started to get busy, we had to throw in the towel. It seems to be a popular thing to do around here though.
Today we are off to Zermatt for some more skiing and hiking. I may try my hand at cross country skiing if the trails look good. Forecast is for sun at least for a few more days so we should have great views of the Matterhorn.
Murren is a small resort town that reminds me a little of Sun Valley only smaller, nicer and with better food. They filmed Her Majesty's Secret Service at the top of Schilthornbahn so there are a lot of 007 themed items at the top. They even have a Touristorama exhibit which is really just a hallway with pictures taken during the filming.
I got my first shot at sledging while we were in Murren. Old fashioned, wooden sleds with no steering or brakes except your feet. It was fun one I got the hang of it. Unfortunately the only sledge run was a mixed use trail for sledging, hiking and skiing. Once it started to get busy, we had to throw in the towel. It seems to be a popular thing to do around here though.
Today we are off to Zermatt for some more skiing and hiking. I may try my hand at cross country skiing if the trails look good. Forecast is for sun at least for a few more days so we should have great views of the Matterhorn.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
First Full Day in Switzerland
First impressions of Zurich are favorable. It is a small city by US standards, but there is still a lot going on. Surprisingly a lot of the buildings are under 100 years old which seems odd considering how old the city itself is. Any place where the major food ingredients are starch, pork, cheese, cream, and beer (sometimes all in one dish) has my vote.
Today we walked around the old and new parts of Zurich. We saw several churches, climbed the obligatory bell tower, peered at the lake through the fog, and tried to walk enough to keep warm. Museum stops included the watch and clock museum, trolley museum, and the toy museum. All were fairly small and hidden in other businesses except the trolley museum which was a quick tram ride across town. Very cute overall.
It got up to maybe 2C or 3C today with an icy wind that thankfully only came out once in a while. The curator at the toy museum said this is unusually cold for Zurich. It is good training for our next stop, Murren, where highs are forecasted somewhere around -12C. After a certain point it does not matter what the thermometer says, it is just plain cold.
A little sleep in tomorrow and then we'll catch the train to Murren. Should be about three hours assuming we catch all of our connections. Train travel is so much nicer than flying.
Today we walked around the old and new parts of Zurich. We saw several churches, climbed the obligatory bell tower, peered at the lake through the fog, and tried to walk enough to keep warm. Museum stops included the watch and clock museum, trolley museum, and the toy museum. All were fairly small and hidden in other businesses except the trolley museum which was a quick tram ride across town. Very cute overall.
It got up to maybe 2C or 3C today with an icy wind that thankfully only came out once in a while. The curator at the toy museum said this is unusually cold for Zurich. It is good training for our next stop, Murren, where highs are forecasted somewhere around -12C. After a certain point it does not matter what the thermometer says, it is just plain cold.
A little sleep in tomorrow and then we'll catch the train to Murren. Should be about three hours assuming we catch all of our connections. Train travel is so much nicer than flying.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Fun of Getting Lost Goes Frozen
We will be taking off for three weeks in Switzerland on Monday. I'll try to post some routes and tidbits while we are there. We will find out just how much you can do on a smartphone.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Resolution Run 5K
Just completed the annual Resolution Run and Polar Bear dip. Air temperature was 28 degrees and the water temp was 41 degrees. While it may have felt warm jumping in, no one looked all that happy getting back out again. No thank you, I'll take the dry option.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)