Stupid Runner Problems

A few weeks back, in the final days before running the LA Marathon,  I had to decide what to wear.

When I ran San Francisco last year, it was an easy call, I tie-dyed a cotton Nike running shirt and lead my inner-hippie run wild for 26.2 miles.

Originally, when I saw that the LA Marathon would be held on St. Patrick’s day, I thought I would wear the “Irish you Were Here” shirt that I purchased a while back.  I had also purchased the same shirt for my sister, who lives in London.   Wearing the  shirt during the race would be a reminder of friends and loved ones who for various reasons (distance, other commitments, death) couldn’t be with me that day.

I had a few training runs in my Irish shirt and it worked just fine.  No problems what so ever.

Brother and Sister in our “Irish You Were Here” Shirts in 2008

Then, about a month ago or so, I came across a “We Run Santa Monica” shirt on clearance at a Nike outlet for $5.  I normally loath shirts like this, but as the LA Marathon ends in Santa Monica, I thought it would be a nice keepsake.   A week or so later, I started thinking it would be nice to wear that shirt instead during the race.

I struggled about which shirt should I wear, the one that was perfect for this day and reminded me of friends and family both alive and departed or the one that is most apropos to the venue of the race.

So I  sought council of my wife and explained the long story of the dilemma. She understood the points and struggled the same way I did and had no clear guidance. So I decided to ask The Child.

The Child paused the DVR to listen to my long tale of the two shirts. She looked at me somewhat disdainfully and said, “wear the one that is more comfortable”.

With furrowed brow, I replied, “they are both comfortable”.

Barely hiding her contempt for my obvious stupidity, she said, “they’re just shirts” and she dismissively released the DVR from its pause.

Sophie’s Choice – I Think Not

Clearly she did not understand the nature of my ontological crisis.  Or, perhaps she didn’t see it as being as being an issue as I did.  In her world there are no great messages being sent to the universe in the wearing of a shirt.

Maybe I put too much significance in something insignificant?  Besides, who cares how you look in LA?

I Want a Beach Cruiser; Or Do I? Yes! Yes, I Do! Maybe Later?

I was scheduled for a 12 mile run on Saturday morning, but the Sturm und Drang of Friday afternoon at the office left me seething.

I can’t run when I am angry and processing.   Cycling, however is great for thinking and working through feelings.  Just pedal and think, think and pedal, converting the emotion into fuel.

So I broke out the 24-year old Schwinn 10-speed, the hydration pack, the sunscreen, riding gloves, the iPod, the GPS, the helmet and tossed everything in the car for a short drive down to the Santa Ana River trail.  It struck me that this was a lot of crap to take on a bike ride.

I hadn’t ridden about 6 months, but I kept a pretty reasonable pace.   It wasn’t the pace that I kept 20 years ago, but I was happy with it.  I was pushing.

In the two to three miles before the trail, one starts to see the small families riding their bikes towards the beach as well as people making their way on their beach cruisers.

Cruising the River Trail

On this beautiful day, I found myself passing beach cruisers in both directions.  Overtaking a beach cruiser is no big deal as they only have one gear.   I have 10 and I use them.  I use them to keep me going at best possible speed I can manage at that moment, much like I do life.

I saw cruisers in all shapes and colors, even a pink one ridden by a lady of advanced years. The words of Jenny Joseph mangled in my thought,  “When I am an old woman I shall ride a pink beach cruiser with a white basket and orange tassels  which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me“.  The lady just casually rode along the beach  on her cruiser alongside her husband, like she had nowhere to be.  I was thinking about how long I could sit before I had to head back so my family and I  could get on to the next commitment of the day.

The beach cruisers far outnumbered the road bikes on this day.  I found myself thinking about the word cruise;  such a nice word.  An easy-going word:

cruise : Verb: Sail about in an area without a precise destination

I repeated the word many times in my head listening to it.  The tune from Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville rolled through my head, “I hurt my heel had to cruise on back home”.  The word is used as a verb, but it’s also reflects a state of mind. A simple and peaceful state of mind.

As I sat and looked at the ocean, I wonder why I’ve never cruised to the beach.  You know, using gears that don’t max out my heart rate or require a hydration pack.  My first response is that “God didn’t make me that way”.   Those were the words of my step-father, I laughed the lack of personal responsibility the excuse exposed.    One good heart attack and I could learn to cruise.   I could learn to push a lot less harder.  I just have to want to.

I wondered if I actually could be happy cruising to the beach.  Living a slower life.  One with less drive and fewer airplanes.  Would it be boring?  There’s just always so much that I want to get done and time is moving very quickly.  The words of Ferris Bueller came into my head, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.“

I thought I would try cruising home from the beach. It looks easy enough.  I locked in behind a kid slowly riding up the trail inland.  He veered off the trail about a two miles into the ride home and I was on my own.   When I exited the river trail, I turned my GPS off with astonishment.   Even with the slow start, I made the sixteen mile ride an average of a half-mile an hour faster than I did on the downhill ride there. Clearly, I don’t do cruise, yet.

On my father’s side of the family if one were to say, “the phone is broken, when are you going to get it fixed?”, the answer would more than likely be mañana,  which does not mean tomorrow, it means, sometime in the future; maybe next week, maybe next month, but someday.  Time moves a little slower in that part of the world. Likewise, if you ask me when I am I going to learn to cruise the beach without a GPS, an iPod, a hydration pack, two cellphones, the answer for today is going to have to be mañana.

Even Though It Might Be Convenient, You Shouldn’t Use A Match to Observe your Tonsils.

Don’t ask about the title.

I haven’t been writing much.   I was taking part in a Reverb challenge in December and I stopped about 13 days into it.   I quickly tired of writing repetitive crap.

I have not been happy with my writing for a while.  I ‘ve been “writing from the hip” as it were and not structuring my work.  As a result, I have been unhappy with my output.

The unhappiness has grown from being out of balance.   There are only so many hours in a day, a week, a month and months in a life.   December and January have been about marathon prep (running) and working.  The time required to do thoughtful writing has been sacrificed.    Now in February, the running has also started to give way to work.   Not good as I have a marathon next month that I should be training for.

Work interferes with my running and the rest of my life.  I let work carve it’s way into my running time.   Worse, when I do run, my mind drifts back to work and next thing I know, I’ve stopped and walked a quarter mile in deep thought.

Next week, we enter the period of Lent.   Like I have time and energy for reflection and prayer.   Life on life’s terms I guess.

So tell me, what sucks up your time?   Are you giving anything up for Lent?

The Problem Isn’t that Youth is Wasted on the Young

The problem is that the old forget what it is to be young and then blame their misery on age.

Cast off your shroud, no matter how old it is and run.

Run for joy, run to feel your heart pumping and your body sweat.

Run so that your body learns that it’s not winning.

And if you can’t run, walk.
And if you can’t walk, crawl.

And if you can’t crawl, then get your ass in a wheelchair and have someone push you down a hill.   You will figure something out along the ride, hopefully for the better.

Happy New Year.

Prompt for 12 Dec: Benign But Pre-cancerous

Today’s prompt is courtesy of Cultivate 2012 Daily Prompt list

 Health: How did you treat your body this year? You only get this one vessel one time around. In what ways can you cultivate better health for your body next year?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

                                                         December 2012
Dear Mr. Smplefy,

Thank you for allowing me to participate in your health care.  
The following information is regarding you recent Colonoscopy.

The polyp was benign but was pre-cancerous.  The polyp was 
completely removed. 
I do request that your repeat your Colonoscopy in five years.

Sincerely,

Your Doctor
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is the point where one discovers if one is as much a “glass half-full” person as one pretends to be.

On one hand, the polyp was removed a good 3 years before I would have normally had “the 50 test“.

To paraphrase Monty Python “this Polyp is no more.  It has ceased to be. It is expired and gone to meet its Maker.  This is an ex-polyp“.   Its little baby ass never had the chance to make the transition to cancerous. So score one for the 47 year-old guy with the health insurance.

On the other hand, the fact that the little shit (pardon the expression) was there, growing… waiting… messes with my head.

It was there,  like that first cockroach hidden inside a wall all by himself.  Silent.  Waiting. Growing.  Thinking (as much as a polyp can think) that it was going to take me out.  What if my close relatives hadn’t recently been diagnosed with colon cancer?  What if I had waited once I turned 50?  What might have happened?

“IT DON’T MATTAH WHA’ IF, ‘CAUSE I TOOK CARE OV  IT”.  Can’t waste life wondering what would have happened if you hadn’t taken care of business that’s been taken care of.

But I know many people who put off their colonoscopy and regretted it.

So now, on my calendar in September 10, 2017 is a little alert.  A reminder to make an appointment for another check inside the walls to make sure none of little ugly’s  friends rear their  little polypy heads.

In the meantime, please join me in a toast, “To the ex-polyp”.

Lift one glass to cultivating better health way beyond 2013.

Half full my ass.  I am cultivating health in 2013 but I ain’t cultivating no polyps!

How about you?   Have your relatives had colon cancer? Are you over 50 and cultivating polyps?

Prompt for 9 Dec: Nutrition

Today’s prompt is courtesy of Cultivate 2012 Daily Prompt list

Foodie Friday — Cultivate Style: Food nourishes us. Some foods give us more enjoyment than others. Some foods leave us feeling less than ourselves. What foods nourished your soul and body this year? What food choices can you make in 2013 to cultivate more self-care?

One word: Salmon.

I’ve never really enjoyed salmon.  It’s always been a bland fish with not a lot of flavor.  Until….

In 2011, we took a Disney cruise to Alaska.  On the third day of the cruise, there was a huge barbeque which included freshly caught King Salmon.   Given my just below boarder-line high cholesterol, I thought I would try the salmon.  It was like no other piece of salmon that I had ever eaten before.  An abbondanza of  flavor exploded in my mouth and I became much more interested in salmon.

Fast forward to the Lenten season of 2012.  My wife and I abstain from meat during the Fridays of Lent.  We have found that the California Fish Grill is a great place to eat during Lent and we’ve gone there religiously  since.  It was there I discovered their very tasty Cajun Salmon salad. After Lent ended, I had a two-week, six country business trip in Northern Europe.  During that trip I found myself able to order and enjoy freshly caught salmon every day.

I have eaten more salmon in 2012 than I have eaten my 46 years previous on the plant. What I have learned this year is that there are two types of salmon.  Free and farmed.  Farmed salmon tends to be less expensive as well as bland.  Farmed salmon is best served with sauces and preparation that bring flavor to the fish.    Fresh salmon that has been caught (typically in Northern regions) is usually much more expensive, much more enjoyable and does not require a great deal more preparation other than grilling.  The rich flavor of the fish stands on its own.  I have also learned that in certain areas that do not have access to fresh free salmon, all one will get  is overpriced farmed salmon.  Never pay high prices for farmed salmon unless the preparation will justify the cost.

I have cataloged some of the best salmon dishes that I have come across on my blog.  The list is presented in order from most favored to lesser favorites.

1. Salmon & Asparagus on Orzo

2. Simple Salmon

3. Cajun Salmon Salad

4. Smokey Applewood Salmon Filet

5. Roasted Salmon with Blackberry Jalapeno Butter Sauce

6. Grilled Salmon from California Fish Grill

7. Thai Specialty Salmon

8. Chipolte Veggie Bowl with Smoked Salmon

9. Salmon with Pesto and Pasta

Even if you don’t like salmon, may I suggest just trying the Salmon & Asparagus on served on Orzo.  If you can serve it with a nice fresh piece of Alaskan or Northern Atlantic salmon, it will be even better.

Salmon & Asparagus on Orzo Pasta

Bon appetit!

A Veteran’s Day Run Around the National Mall

I flew from Newark to Ronald Regan Airport in D.C. early on Sunday morning. My three-day seminar was scheduled in Alexandria and I was planning on getting in a long run about the town before meeting up with an old friend from high school around 4ish.  That was the plan, anyway.

On approach, the plane banked around the Washington Monument and passed by the Capitol. I  realized that if I didn’t take some action, I was going to spend five days in the D.C. area without visiting these great monuments.

After checking into my hotel, I changed, and headed to the Metro Station. Within 40 minutes I emerged from L’Enfante Plaza.  There is something amazing in the feeling of emerging from underground and having the Capitol building be right there, larger than life.   The first time I saw the Capitol was in December 20, 1987. My girlfriend and I were driving through D.C. and we saw the Capitol from miles away as we approached.   On this day, the Capitol appeared out of nowhere, there in all its glory.

My Route Along the National Mall

I ran towards the Capitol like an excited child, with my headphones on and the Grateful Dead show from 1989 playing in my ears.  I was giddy.   I was also on a schedule with which meant that there was no time to lollygagging.   I wasn’t sure how far I was going to run, but I had a good idea that I had to be on the Metro back to Alexandria by 2:30 at the latest.

Despite being the near side of mid-November, D.C. was unseasonably warm.   The National Mall was beautiful, bathed in the bright sunlight.   There were tourists like myself all through the Mall.   Also like myself, there were many runners, all of them more serious than touristy me.  Other than the traffic lights every block or so, it was a beautiful environment to run in.

 As I made my way around the Washington Monument, the Dead were still playing in my ears. Brent Midland sang the words, “But we never tend the garden and we a rarely pay the rent. Most of it is broken and the rest of it is bent. Put it on our plastic and I wonder where we’ll be when the bills hit.”

Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial at the Conclusion of Services

The song reminded me of the stories of how the construction on the monument stopped when they ran out of funding and how when they restarted construction again, they had to use a different type of stone.   I think I captured that interface between the two in the photo on the right.

After the Washington Monument, the Mall started to get crowded.   There were Veteran’s day activities going on near Vietnam Memorial.  I started passing older gentlemen dress in the colors of their service.  Some wore the uniforms of WWII, others their representation of their time in Vietnam.  I found myself thinking about the Vietnam Vets and the raw deal they got when they returned.  I am glad that as a society we have evolved to the point where we separate the people who serve from the politics of the battles they fought in. I ran past veterans that were younger than me.   It struck me in that the Gulf War (you know, the one with Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf) was over 20 years ago.

I climbed the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial and thought of the two movies that recently were released about the President.  The more recent film seemed a much more historically-based than the rendition earlier in the year that portrayed Lincoln as a vampire slayer.  What a weird and distant world Hollywood lives in.

I stopped for a few minutes at the Lincoln Memorial to look out over the world.   I saw the Jefferson Memorial on the other side of the Tidal Basin.  I knew that it was short of 2 miles, and I could be there in 20 to 30 minutes, but I also knew there was no Metro station nearby to take me home.   I won’t say that I was broken-hearted, but I longed for more time.

I headed back as the services at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial were concluding.   I walked quietly through the crowds of men and women who have serviced this country, like a funeral guest who didn’t know the departed or the family.  I saw one man holding the U.S. Flag as well as the flag for the MIAs.  The MIA flag was a big part of my early experience growing up in New York in the 60′s and early 70′s.   It’s not that prevalent in California, I don’t know why.  I just know that when I see that flag, I am on the East Coast.  It’s a culture thing I guess.  Even the hockey stadium I went to as a kid, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum had MIA flags all around it as I recall.

I wanted to stay and be among these people on this their day.  Unfortunately, I had to go.  I had to get back to my hotel and shower in time for dinner.  I was torn.  I was someplace wonderful that I wanted to be and yet, I had someplace to get to.  Someplace that was equally important to me an my history.  That’s the story of my life, short on sleep, short on time, trying to pack another great experience in on borrowed time.

My Running Playlist

As I look at my twitter stream today I have tweeps running races all over the world.   Good luck to those running today in Long Beach, Portland, Atlanta, London, Chicago,  Minneapolis,  Maryland, and I am sure many other places as well.

For me, a big piece of running is my music, and I wanted to share it with you.   It’s a long list, mostly because  I’m a very slow runner of long distances.

I always start my races at the beginning of the playlist.  Occasionally,   when I want to change it up, I will start a weekly long run somewhere in the middle of the list.  Songs are always played sequentially (none of that random stuff).   Some of the songs are linked to their Youtube video in case you aren’t familiar with them.

Warm up: Sitting Here in Limbo – Jerry Garcia and David Grissman

1. Thrillseeker – Puretone
2. The Best – Tina Turner
3. Let the River Run – Carly Simon
4. Addicted to Bass – Puretone
5. UDU Chant – Micky Hart
6. Hot Legs – Rod Stewart
7. I’m Tore Down – Clapton
8. The Boy Does Nothing – Alesha Dixon
9. On the Dark Side – John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
10. Hope – Shaggy
11. Wild Angels – Martina McBride
12. Touch of Grey – Grateful Dead
13. Don’t Stop Believen’ – You know who
14. Tainted Love (Extended Version) – Softcell
15. On the Road Again – Grateful Dead
16. Eminence Front (Live from Toronto) – The Who
17. Rewrite – Paul Simon
18. Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
19. Heart of Glass – Blondie
20. Mickey – Toni Basil
21. Don’t Fight It – Steve Perry and Kenny Loggins
22. End of the Line – Traveling Wilburys
23. Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC
24. I Don’t Wanna Stop – Ozzie
25. Old Hippie III – The Bellamy Brothers
26. Rollin’ – Big and Rich
27. Take It Easy – Travis Tritt
28. Come Dancing – The Kinks
29. Ripple – The Grateful Dead
30. New York State of Mind – Billie Joel
31. Soft Place to Fall – Allison Moorer
32. Siobhan – The Tossers
33. Landslide – The Dixie Chicks
34. East Bound and Down – Jerry Reed
35. We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billie Joel
36. The Lady is a Tramp – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
37. Turn the Page – Bob Seger
38. I’ve Been to Memphis – Lyle Lovett
39. I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying – Sting
40. New York, New York – Sinatra
41. Desolation Row (alternate version) – Dylan
42. Enter the Sandman – Metallica
43. I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
44. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere – Allan Jackson
45. All Jacked Up – Gretchen Wilson
46. When I Paint My Masterpiece – Grateful Dead
47. Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) – Bill Conti
48. Island Boy – Kenny Chesney
49. San Francisco Bay Blues – Richie Havens
50. Somebody to Love – Jefferson Airplane
51. All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
52. California Deaming – The Mama’s and the Papa’s
53. Scarlet Begonia – Bob Weir and Rat Dog
54. L.A. Woman – The Doors
55. Waiting for that Day – George Michaels
56. Chelsea Dagger – The Fratelli’s
57. Glamorous – Fergie
58. Me and Bobby McGee – Janice
59. Graceland – Paul Simon
60. Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
61. Birth of a Nation – La Gente
62. Looks Like Rain – Grateful Dead
63. Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
64. Stronger than Me – Melissa Etheridge
65. Wake Up Older - Julie Roberts
66. Lord, I Hope This Day is Good – Don Williams
67. China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider – The Grateful Dead
68. Promiscuous Girl – Nellie Furtado
69. Crowded – Jeannie Ortega
70. I Won’t Dance – Jane Monheit
71. Faded Love – Willie Nelson and Ray Price
72. Man Smart, Woman Smarter (Live) – The Grateful Dead
73. Toxic – Britney Spears
74. Long Way Down – Goo Goo Dolls
75. I Don’t Care Anymore – Phil Collins
76. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – The Grateful Dead
77. The Seeker – The Who
78. Rooftops – Lost Prophets
79. Iko Iko – The Grateful Dead
80. Summer Wind – Lyle Lovett
81. Carryout – Justin Timbaland
82. Dance with Me – Justin Timberlake
83. Eyes of the World – Grateful Dead
84. Not Fade Away – Grateful Dead
85. Throwing Stones – Grateful Dead

The last three songs on the playlist from the Dead take a combined 40 minutes to play.  If I get this far on the list I have been running for five+ hours and frankly I don’t want to hear anything else.

So, what’s on your playlist

Race Review: The Disneyland Half Marathon

SUMMARY: 2 miles of running through wonderful Disneyland and 11 miles through Anaheim.

Key Information
Race Name	The Disneyland Half Marathon
Location	Anaheim, CA
Elevation Profile	Very flat.  There is a gradual gain for the first 7.5 miles that is given back during the remainder of the race.
Organization	Top Notch!
Terrain	Street
Water Stations	More than enough.  Cliff stocked a station about mile 9
Highlights	Running through Disneyland and the outfield of Anaheim Stadium.
Other Events	A 5K and kids run
Good for Beginners?	Absolutely

INTRODUCTION:

This was my second running of the Disneyland Half Marathon.  It is the only half that I have repeated in my short running career.  Many people travel the country to attend this race as part of the RunDisney program.  It is a great race for first time half-marathoners especially those looking for a Labor Day long weekend away with the family.

THE COURSE:
This race could very easily be named the Anaheim Half Marathon Presented by Disneyland.  There are two very fun miles inside Disneyland and California Adventure.  These miles run through both Disneyland and California Adventure.  Another 2 miles of the race are on Disney property including the  backstage areas.  From miles 4 through 12, the runners are on the streets of Anaheim running through mostly commercial and industrial areas.

Phineus and Ferb had a long line for photos in California Adventure

The first major highlight after leaving the park is running by the Honda Center where the NHL’s Ducks play.   It might have been nice if Wildwing, the Ducks mascot had been there, but hey, Disney doesn’t own the Ducks anymore.

The course for the Disneyland Half Marathon. Note how much of the race is outside the park

The Honda Center leads to a brief bit of running on the Santa Ana River Trail and then enters Anaheim Stadium home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (yeah, I know, it’s what they’re called. Make peace with it).  The runners enter through the right field warning track and travel down the first base track behind home plate and then out the left field exit.  This is one of my favorite parts of the race being on the field of a Major League Stadium.

After the runners exit the stadium then it’s just a 5K run to the finish line.  There is one more 3/4 mile run through the back lot of Disney, but there really isn’t anything to see there and you saw it during the first two miles of the race.  The finish line is located on the street between the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney.

Taken Along the Santa Ana River Trail.  Why can’t you run a half marathon again?

Another note about the Disneyland portion of the race is that the course inside the park can change from year to year depending on what construction is going on. In 2011, when California Adventure was being reworked, the course was rerouted to make up the distance in the back lot.   The back lot is fun if you haven’t seen it before.  Disney does its best to put parade floats along the back lot to liven up the scenery and some of them are really cool.  I stopped at one point to sit in the front seat of one of the buses that runs up and down Main Street.

Me! Behind the Wheel of a Main Street Bus.

THE WEATHER:
The race is on Labor Day weekend so the hottest parts of the days could reach the 90s.   As the race starts at about 6am, the heat is not too much of a problem for at least the first three hours of the race.  It is wise to stay hydrated though.  Some runners wore hydration packs, that seemed a bit overkill to me given the ample number of water stations.  Slower runners will start to feel the heat near the end of the race.

ELEVATION PROFILE:
This race is effectively flat.   My Garmin indicates that there is an indiscernible elevation gain during the first 7.5 miles of the race, but it is given back over the balance of the course.

There are two very minor obstacles after the runners leave the park and turn onto Ball Road.  The first is a mostly unremarkable hill over the 5 freeway.  It’s no biggie and you get the downhill benefit right after it.   The other obstacles as one runs up Ball road is for the next few miles is the blinding the sunrise dead ahead of the runners.  Sunglasses and sunscreen are advised.

The sun will rise right in front of these runners.

RACE ORGANIZATION:
It’s Disney.  The event comes off like clockwork.

One weakness of this  the race relates to staging 15,000 people into 7 huge corrals along Disneyland Drive. It gets cozy.  The race starts officially at 5:45.   In the last 30 minutes before the start, it can take a while to get from the ports-potties to the extreme corrals (A, B, F and G).  One might want to aim for being in your corral about 5am if possible, because it can be difficult to move around once the masses start to arrive.   If you get there late and can’t make it to your corral, don’t worry. Just start a lower corral and avoid the stress. Don’t try to climb over the railings that bound the corrals, as others could be injured.  If one is willing to run a few miles, the runners do have access to the bathrooms inside the park.

There are ample number of well stocked water stations along the course offering both Dasani water and Poweraid.  The first tables were being drained by all the runners, On this particular race, if your time is important to you, I would skip the first water table you see and going for the second or third which are usually less depleted than the first tables.

Cliff offers gels after the runners come off the Santa Ana River trail about mile 8.   As I don’t train with Cliff, I made it a point not to start using them during this race.

On the topic of porta-poties: There were plenty along the route.

MY EXPERIENCE:

I am having trouble describing my experience.  I have read other reviews of this race and I wish I could express the joy and seen the magic that so many others who experienced during this event.  I have run the 5K three times and the half twice. Maybe I am too familiar with Disneyland having owned an annual pass.  I do like park as a running venue.

A popular photo-stop for in California Adventure

At the end of the race, I was disappointed that the medal was the exact same design as the previous year.  I was also disappointed by the snack boxes that were handed out.   They were the exact same boxes that were handed out the day before at the 5K containing prepackaged food that could have been delivered six months earlier without the risk of going bad.   They included crackers, raisins, a tube of peanut butter, some candies etc.  Bananas,  Dasani water and Poweraid were also available for finishers.

Medal from 2011 and 2012. Not much different.

MY RESULTS


This half marathon in my mind is the equivalent of a fun run.  I did want to finish in the top half of all the finishers. My plan was to enjoy the time in Disneyland as best I could, see my daughter who was volunteering with her cheer squad to rally the runners on.

A sign from a local lumber yard that is located along the race route.

I knew from experience that the first 5K in the park was going to be slow, after all, life is too short to run through Disneyland.

By my GPS my first 3.1 miles were at a 12:59 minute-mile pace.  The next two 5K legs were both at  11:44 pace.  After I came across my daughter’s cheer squad outside Angels Stadium, I decided that it was time to put this one in the books.  The next 3 miles were at 11:17 and the last 3/4 of a mile were at 10:14.  I guess I still had something left in the tank.  Hey!  I ran negative splits!

In 2011, I finished in 2:44:51. I Finished 7131 out of the 12,785 finishers. In 2012 I finished in 2:35:55. I finished 6700 out of 14, 823 finishers meaning I finished in the top 22% of the finishers.  No complaints.  Borderline magical.

Salmon Saturday Afternoon: Salmon with Pesto and Pasta

Salmon Saturday: Because there are so many great ways to prepare salmon and someone has to start writing them down.  Take these ideas and make them your own.

It’s about 6:30am on Saturday morning and I have no Salmon Saturdays ready to launch.  I have ideas of what I could write, but nothing really inspired me to write this month.   Then I saw Kat’s Friday Food round up and the picture of Great Grandma Turano’s Meatballs   and then I knew what I was going to write about and what I was going to have for dinner tonight.

A few months back, I had lunch with wife at Lascari’s grill near my work.  The special that day was a salmon with pesto sauce served with a side of pasta.   Sounds great, right?

This dish should have been advertised as a pasta dish with a side of pesto salmon.  The pasta sauce had a tangy rich flavor that more than made up for the the unremarkable salmon.  I am guessing that the salmon was previously frozen and very little went into preparing it prior to it being grilled.   The pesto sauce added nothing to the flavor and it sat there under a green death shroud.  I suspect this was once an inspired creation developed by a chef and edited by a bean-counter, who in his attempt to cut the total cost concomitantly destroyed the product.

One has to decide if the flavor is going to come from the fish, the pesto sauce or both.  In this case, I would probably lean on the pesto.  If I were to make this at home, I would start with a fresh piece of salmon.   The only reason I would use frozen salmon or farm-raised salmon is if I had a killer pesto sauce that I could trust to pull off the meal.
Now, back to Lascari’s…..

This one dish aside, I will say that the food at Lascari’s is always good.  The portions are filling and there is usually leftovers to take home.

What really stands out in my mind about Lascari’s is their commitment to the community.  Having had a daughter in Pop Warner and High School competitive cheer, Lascari’s has always been there to help the teams in the area with fund-raisers, both in their restaurant and on-site at football games and cheer camps.  I have had my fill of fund-raiser food over the many years.   Lascari’s is the one place that will always provide a high quality tasty meal.