Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday. I made it through a glorious year. Here are the top-20 big events since my last b-day:

1. Ran a marathon in Peru, China and South Africa.
2 Accomplished my goal of running a marathon on all seven continents.
3. Got press for it. Here's one example.
4. Cut off my waist-length hair and went brunette. The jury is still out on that one.
5. Got a new job
6. Moved to California
7. Signed up for my 2nd Ironman. This time it is New Zealand.
8. Got a new car
9. Rented out my house
10. Had my trichotillomania spiral out of control
11. Haven't been able to get it under control
12. Interviewed a few celebrities
13. Pretended I'm BFFs with such celebrities
14. Ran 6 half marathons from Santa Barbara to Arizona to Utah
15. Completed another few triathlons
16. Finished my book. Now in revision stage.
17. Done some public speaking events about my running a marathon on all 7 continents
18. Got pulled over by a cop for the first time ever. Got let go. (Thank you officer!)
19. Got published in some national magazines
20. Traveled to Costa Rica to write about triathlons

Whew! What will next year bring? I hope happiness, an ability to change my relationship status on Facebook (pretty sure that's a long shot), wealth (another long shot), Daniel Craig at my door step declaring his undying love for me (not likely), Curtis Stone fighting with Daniel Craig because he also has declared his undying love for me (it could happen), the cancellation of The Real Housewives of Miami (listen up Bravo--it sucked), Modern Family and Cougar Town having new episodes every week (pay the writers more money, they deserve it), successfully crossing the finish line of Ironman New Zealand, getting over something personal (probably will take therapy), and getting a PR in a race. All that would make me a happy thirty-something.

Easter Weekend

I ran a lonnnnngggg 20 miles and also visited the famous San Diego Zoo. Being fairly new to San Diego and without family around, I had no plans for Easter weekend. No ham dinners, no Easter dresses, no Easter bunny visits. So I went to the zoo. I've always had mixed feelings about the zoo. As I've seen wild animals in their natural environment, whether it be in the Amazon, on an African Safari or sitting on glaciers at the bottom of the world, I feel badly for the animals in confined spaces with strangers watching their every move. Granted, they are treated properly and fed well and do not have to survive in the beastly wild. Maybe I just feel like it's not the same as traveling to a foreign country and seeing them in nature.

But I did get to see a polar bear doing a horny dance looking for a receptive mate. So, there's that.

My New BFF

I have a new BFF. His name is Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I got to interview him at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. You may know him from CNN or his books or his traveling the world and all his television appearances. We're now BFFs. No, not really. I did, however, get to speak to him about triathlons and there is no better topic of conversation. But I did feel significantly out of place at this hotel. I parked my Kia down the street (I'd hate for it to get confused among the line of BMWs out front) and walked in thinking about how many race entries equals the price of one night in this hotel. I figured I would need two hands to count. Then I saw men in power suits eating power breakfasts looking snazzy in Gucci. I was wearing heels for the occasion, not something I typically do (as 6'0 is just too tall). Turns out my BFF Dr. Gupta is not tall at all, so I was even more ridiculously tall. But we spoke about racing and I asked him questions and he was super nice.






This weekend I traveled to Salt Lake City and finished my 31st half marathon. I love this course, but it was cold that day. It started raining as I was driving to the start and then magically for once the God of Marathon listened to my prayers and the clouds held onto the water. I ran okay and finished in my normal time, which I was fairly happy with--no PR, but finally feel like my fitness is returning (sing Hallelujah!). Then five minutes after I crossed the finish line, it started raining again. Thank heavens I was off the course and heading back to my car when little drops started hitting my head. I got to also see beautiful flowers, including my favs--daffodils.

Exercise is my friend

Saturday I spent at a CrossFit seminar in Little Italy--these guys are almost masochistic. I'm going to do it. It is a new exercise venture for me. Then that night I watched the triathlon races in Sydney, Australia on my computer. I was reporting on it for work and it made me long to be back in Australia. These athletes were racing through the city, on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and jumping into the water right next to the Opera House...sigh. The next morning I got up to report on the South Beach Triathlon. Then I went running for over three hours and got super tan...yeah! I go to Salt Lake City this weekend...brrr.

Triathlons, Triathlons, Triathlons

Last week I went to a triathlon training camp with some professional triathletes in Morgan Hill, CA, just outside of San Jose. Talk about beautiful! I didn't know if I was in the south of France or the South Bay. I went on some spectacular bike rides :)

Then I got to spend two days in Oceanside, just north of San Diego covering the Oceanside 70.3 triathlon for work. My friend from Phoenix was also competing in it so I got to cheer him on and get a few photos. My office for those two days was the beach. Can't complain. I did get put on camera interviewing about 7 or 8 professionals....um...scary!

My interview with Jordan Rapp here

My interview with my favorite triathlete Matt Reed (I am biased because he is tall and has an Aussie accent. It's nice to see tall people winning). Click here

Another 5K

I ran another 5K race in beautiful Balboa Park on Saturday. No PR for me, but what a lovely place--green, amazing architecture, grand museums. What a wonderful place to race and run. I will definitely be at this place doing long runs--so much to see. I've had lots of races either begin or end in Balboa Park, but this was the first run entirely in the park.

I also discovered a new area called North Park and went out for dinner with an old Phoenix friend who lives here.

I also was told by a guy this week that I am vain because I go to Starbucks. Huh? Well, color me narcissistic because I love my tall non-fat chai and pumpkin scone. I like to support Seattle companies, as I am a Seattle home girl. I shop at Amazon, love my green caffeinated company, and use Windows products. I heard that boys are classier in San Diego, but I am just not seeing it. Boys are boys wherever I go.

Is there anything more fun than running in your underwear? I can think of plenty of more things that are more fun, but definitely not funnier. I did an Undy 5K this weekend and instead of asking for my T-shirt size, I was asked for my waist size. That is because Undy means underwear and we were all given boxers to wear. Loving it! It was for a fundraiser for colon cancer, so it was fitting. Several fundraising teams also raced and they were all appropriately named things like “Big Blue Booties” and “Queens of Colon” and “It is All ‘Behind’ Us Now.” Some really did run in their underwear. I was able to PR in this 5K and came in 12th out of 288. Not very many hardcore runners were there, which is why my higher placing finish.

I also had dinner with some people I was on tour with for the Great Wall of China Marathon. Five of us live in San Diego/Southern CA and we met and ate Korean BBQ. I have some built-in friends in CA because of my races around the world, which makes me a pretty lucky gal!

I am also discovering new places in San Diego and the more I learn about the city, the more I like.