Surf City USA Half-Marathon 2010

EVENT: Surf City USA Half-Marathon
DATE: Sunday, February 7, 2010
LOCATION: Huntington Beach, CA
RACE BEGAN: 7:45 am (wave start)
FINISH TIME: 01:54:12


The above picture can summarize a lot of the happenings this weekend, because I'm sure my race pictures were pretty bad this time. It did not start off the best, because the week did not end well for me due to the realization that doing my dissertation is pseudoly impossible for me both time-wise and cognitively. By Saturday morning, I was back on the task, and I will continue to be. However, my morale is low and will remain so, and the extent to which I care is not the greatest at this time.

Anyway, onto better things. "The Ukrainian" and I didn't have that many coins to fill the far-away parking meter at the Expo for this race, so we scurried in the rain to simply pick up our packets and get back. However, I did pick up the shirt I am wearing in this picture, a token of my third run at this race (see here and here for my other experiences with this race).

Also, as you can maybe see in my picture, I re-acquired a Phiten X30 necklace at their booth. It is a different design as the original one I got for "The Ukrainian" and I, but the potency is the same. I missed having one of these, even though I've gotten along fine with it over the past two months. With my purchase, I got some titanium-infused patches and stickers. Perhaps that will be the subject of another entry.

Finally, I picked up some GU gels for a good deal in several flavors as a bit of a sampler to me.

The evening before the race (and I wish I got a picture of this), "The Ukrainian" and I went to In-N-Out Burger for dinner. He wanted to eat burgers, and I said I wouldn't mind eating fries the day before a race like I did for my last race. I didn't (over)indulge myself in animal-style fare (fries topped with some variant of 1000 Island dressing, grilled onion bits, and cheese), so I got a regular order of fries and back topped with with a melted vegan cheddar slice from a pack that the man and I picked up the other day. I rounded out dinner with some dry Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch.

Early the next morning, we left at 4:30 AM to beat the parking rush at this race. I took a few naps in the car, ate a banana, and used the facilities before heading to the start line. It was amazingly sunny. While running, I realized that my two-shirt ensemble (long sleeve under short sleeve tech shirts) was a bit too much.

As for the race itself, you can read my other reports for details about the course, but I do recall thinking a few times that I didn't remember the course having so many long (albeit subtle) inclines and even a few tougher inclines toward the beginning. I didn't check my Garmin very often, only at the mile-markers. I noticed I was running pretty well, though my predetermined goal was just to beat 2 hours.

I saw "The Ukrainian" at around mile 7 as he was approaching mile 9. Sometime after that point, or maybe even after the turnaround at mile 8.2, my pace slowed. I was running out of energy and have never really been any good at running after 7 miles. NOTE: TMI part begins here [ Around the 10th mile, some of my mini-breakfast made a visit. I didn't stop, and none of it got on me, so I pretended I was just one of those spitting runners. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not the first time this has happened to me as of late, so I wasn't too freaked out or deterred by it. ] End of TMI. I tried my best to hold a decent pace, and finally, the long, straight last few miles ended. It was definitely a struggle, as my back was tiring and the sun was blinding.

During the last few miles, I had a strong feeling I was going to beat my previous PR(1:57). Somehow, my stomach managed to suddenly hurt during the last mile, but I kept going, and I beat my PR by almost 3 minutes. I had been wondering when I'd come in under 1:55, and it only took me 15 tries to do it. Yep, this was my 15th half-marathon and first race of 2010. That was a great way to commemorate both of those milestones! I got my medal (see the picture above) and met up with "The Ukrainian," Tea Time & M, and her friend D. Everyone did really well (including spectating M, lol).

As I was watching/passing some of the marathoners today, I realized that I have LA Marathon on my plate for my next race in March. I know I said this last year, but I am not ready to run a marathon right now. And this time, it's not because I am lacking training. This half-marathon felt very long to me, and I still have some psychological remnants from my marathon in December. I hope that over the next few weeks, the hectic burdens of my everyday life start erasing those memories.

Best Decisions Ever

Although I've been ultra-busy lately, I've been extra reflective to keep things in perspective. It is very easy to lose sight of things when stimuli and priorities bombard you at every turn. So you may see more of these entries where I evaluate/plan aspects of life.

I was thinking about the best decisions I've ever made. It was hard to think of just five, but I think they are interlinked anyway, as is life itself. I barely even know who I am and the true impact that my decisions have. However, I do know that there are choices I've made that have caused a lot of change and personal growth.

I tried to site specific actions (e.g., I did THIS) rather than general (e.g., I did this).

Best Decisions I've Ever Made (in no particular order):

1. Went for an internship at the company I current work for (3.7 years ago)

I didn't even think I was qualified for the position based on the desciption, and I recall walking to my interview after taking the bus for 25 miles with my large gym bag.

Because of my entry, I've met so many great people, learned a lot about business and related skills, am able to pay for things, and was able to take the stuff I learned at work into school.

2. Set out to run LA Marathon when I was 21 (3.9 years ago)

I went from not being able to run more than a few miles to a full marathon. This is obviously how I got into running. Running has been such a character-builder. It has been my love, my hate, and sometimes my only companion. It has built my patience, forced me to look at the "big picture" of things, and most of all, it has made me more outgoing, which I definitely, definitely need in my current job (e.g., I have a presentation to make in front of management this week).

3. Agreed to go on a date with "The Ukrainian" (1.7 years ago)

I still remember avoiding the gym the day he called me because I noticed him giving me one of those "looks" the day before. I thought I was in for an awkward time and a free meal, which I guess is what I got, but my open-mindedness allowed it to grow into so much more. I never thought I'd find anyone who gets along with me so well. He has encouraged me to be more ambitious, which has basically been a blueprint for the rest of my life and build on the decisions I've already made.

4. Chose UCLA over USC for undergraduate studies (7 years ago)

I wanted to go to USC because they had accepted me early, and they sounded so elite! Plus, my older sister had already gone to UCLA, so I wanted to represent a different school. But some thought and financial analysis later, I became a Bruin and was exposed to my current field of (I/O) psychology. Additionally, I came out of school free of debt! Can't say the same now, though!

5. Applied to graduate school (4 years ago)

I often struggle a lot with balancing full-time school and full-time work, but my work and studies really play off of each other and have each grown me into a professional. Like running, it is a character-builder and has taught me how to juggle multiple priorities, how to stay alert after a long day of work and gym, and I have met some very nice people here as well! I can't promise I will finish, but those are the things I've taken away from the experience so far. Yes, my debt is mounting (I am vowing to pay off some this year), but it has been worth it so far.

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So there you have it. Anyone want to share their best decisions? Are they all work/school related like mine??

Just for kicks, here are what I think are the 5 worst decisions I've ever made. I am trying to avoid ones like "I never learned ____," because those can be remedied -- I'm talking about the stuff you cannot take back.

1. I did not ask my parents whether I could go on a Washington DC trip in high school, figuring they would say no. Besides not knowing for sure they would not allow me to go, part of me was just afraid of the unknown.

2. Getting a "boyfriend" during my first year of high school for 6 weeks. Sorry, but I didn't know what I was doing. And I think we both came out of that angry. Because of that, I didn't date anyone else until "The Ukrainian."

3. I didn't go on any real trips between undergraduate and graduate school, even though my boss encouraged me to. I didn't feel that recreation was all that necessary back then. Whhhhyyyy?

4. On that same thread, I think that isolating myself a lot during college was not good for me. Sure, I got good grades, but I probably missed out on some fun and friends. I know this because I did keep some of my college friends, and they are nice people.

5. Developing a love for sweets. I wasn't as much into sweets until I started college, and I constantly grapple with my addiction to all things sweet! Not healthy, and it has caused weight struggles, wasted money, and a general blah feeling. I guess this one is cheating, as this is something I can work on. However, damage was done and now somewhat undone.

Over-Outage

This week has been such a blur. I've been getting in some good running/training, but really, besides the start of school, I can only remember this week by the numerous times I went out to eat. I'm not used to eating out that much, as I never did often as a child. I remember in high school, going to an end-of-the-year banquet not knowing how to use my napkin and cutlery at my table. I much prefer cooking and dining in with "The Ukrainian" than going out, but that is what the schedule had brought us this week.

But with the Surf City Half-Marathon coming up next week, I need to make sure I keep my eating much, much healthier than it has been this week!

At least I can now bring you some pictures, which is good, since I think more people have been coming to my blog to see them!

Wednesday:

Above: Before my Wednesday night salsa lesson, "The Ukrainian" and I want to New Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant in Rosemead, CA. This place serves fancy seafood Asian dishes minus the seafood. This picture above is fish curry. It was not bad, though I could have had the curry thicker. What can you expect without butter?

Above: A skillet. Note the fake shrimp. I apologize for forgetting to shoot a pic until we were halfway done with the meal.

Above: This came free with the meal -- fried rice. Yes, that's fake ham. It was tasty. Again, we ordered too much food, so this became another meal.

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Thursday:

Above: My co-workers and I stopped at Waba Grill in Chino, CA during our software training. This is a veggie bowl with brown rice (sorry the rice is not pictured). They claim to be healthy, and I could definitely taste that -- in the best way possible.

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Friday:
Above: No, I didn't go to Japan... this is actually Genki Living, a crepe place in Arcadia, CA.

Above: I got this oden bowl, which came with fish cakes (not eaten by me), fried tofu, a boiled egg, udon, and daikon.

Above: And here are the crepes -- kiwi/red bean/custard, cheesecake with nutella and peach, and a taro taiyaki that I brought home to my sister.

Above: A sign I passed on the way out. Interesting food they had next door...

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Sunday:
Above: One of my lunches this weekend was with two of my closest friends, who I will refer to as "Choir Girl" and "Councilman." We went to Hot Stuff Cafe in San Gabriel, CA as part of dineLA Restaurant Week. They had special three-course meals for a discounted price, although I ended up ordering off the regular menu due to lack of vegetarian options. Here is the starter garlic bread (nothing special) and cream of corn soup.

Above: The appetizers -- duck pate with crutons, scallop sashimi with fennel and ham.

Above: The drinks we got -- strawberry/lemon/plum slush and kumquat/honey/lemon tea. Somehow, the entree pics (pecan-crusted salmon and my sweet potato ravioli) never turned out, so you'll have to settle for these!

Above: These were our desserts (from upper left, clockwise -- whipped brie, bread pudding, and chocolate pasta). The pasta was a big fail and was left rather untouched. The brie was good, but the bread pudding turned out to be my favorite.

Random Photo Entry 10: Wake Up in the Morning Feeling Like P Diddy

I'm already at my tenth "Random Photo Entry," and to make up for the relatively shorter ones, here's an extra large one.



Above: Lo and behold, training binders. Nobody told me that my job requires lifting ability, but hauling these things is good exercise!


Above: This element of my job requires little lifting -- training evaluations! Now this is what I'm talking about!


Above: My new camera was put to good use here, wasn't it? I have to get to our training hotel as the sun is rising, but on this particular morning, I had to whip out my camera. My sister Tea Time wonders how I ever got a blog readership using my Moto-Razr phone to take pictures. I'm still going to be using both!


Above: Another early-morning shot.


Above: Gummies from the UK that we bought at (Cost Plus) World Market. I am a huge fan of this place, which sells imports of house stuff and food. I always fall victim to candy here, but these were particularly good -- very chewy, and comes in yummy flavors like pear and black currant.


Above: Another procurement from World Market. This dark-chocolate graham cracker with sea salt was shared by "The Ukrainian" and me for dessert last night.


Above: We bought a partially-baked baguette from the local supermarket, and due to my over-adherence to the directions, it came out a little overdone... but still good.


Above: On one of the stormy days this week, I took refuge in front of the fireplace. "The Ukrainian" joined me, and dinner turned out to be a fire-side picnic. Picture courtesy of self-timer!


Above: Ahhh, toasty! Another self-timed picture!


Above: Finally, I told "The Ukrainian" that I could post his unwanted engineering books to sell online if he provided all the critical info. I do this, and most of my books sell... eventually. Anyway, this is a partial screen shot of the appraisal I did. An estimated sell-total is the lower right-hand corner. If even half of this amount is wheeled in, I'm going to demand a fancy dinner... just kidding!

Unfortunately, school starts tomorrow, so my winter break is over. It's not like I actually had a break, as I pretty much worked all possible days at my old job (save 1 day to go to Mammoth, and Christmas/New Years') and have had to make a transition to the new one.

Loving the Loving Hut

I am catching up on some posts on this lazy Sunday. I have had a great weekend so far just relaxing, running, walking, and trying to stay warm after a week of stormy weather. This post features more output from my new camera (shrunken down for storage purposes).

Last Friday, "The Ukrainian" and I went to Loving Hut for some dinner. I needed some fuel for a 17-miler the next morning. Just as some background, since "The Ukrainian" and I work for the same utility, we're usually in and out of work earlier than most people, work out in the late afternoon, and sometimes go out to eat afterward.

The Loving Hut is vegan, which was surprising to me, since there aren't too many vegan places in my area. I don't order meat or tolerate dairy very well, so vegan places are a safe haven for me. I was excited to know that I could order anything on the menu and kept asking the waiter what I'm sure were annoying questions like, "Is this ice cream made with dairy?" I was so skeptical, and I had trouble deciding what to get!


Above: "Beef" chow-mein. This was really good... they really maximized the wok flavor in these noodles. The "beef" was chewy and actually reminiscient of beef. I rarely eat beef substitutes, but this was rather good!


Above: Ocean Basket. This came with fake fried shrimp, chicken, and fish. Not shown too well in this picture is some fake tartar sauce and sweet/sour dip. Neither of these were exactly like the "real thing," but they were passable. The french fries did not wow me, only because those are easily vegan, anyway! I liked the fake chicken the most, since the texture emulated the source the best. I didn't like the taste of the oil used, though. I think it was grape-seed or sunflower, and although I dig the attempt at healthiness, it kind of weirded me out a little. Also, most people would probably do better adding salt. Overall, though, this got my fried-food fix out of the way for a little while!


Above: Won-ton noodle soup. This came with egg-less noodles, a flavorful broth, fake-pork wontons, and fake char-siu (barbecued pork) slices. The char-siu was a little weird due to texture but was tasty. The noodles and soup were great, though, and the wontons were not too far off from the real things. I am often searching for non-meat dumplings, and this really got my craving out.


Finally, dessert. I reviewed Real Food Daily a while back, and I must say that Loving Hut's desserts are a third of the price of RFD's. Besides that, I wasn't disappointed by LH's rendition of carrot cake. The middle layer definitely tasted cream-cheese-ish, though I learned not to try to sample each layer on its own. Really, to get the realistic effect of carrot cake, all layers should be included in each bite (same is true with RFD's desserts).

All in all, we ordered too much food that had to be taken home. Anyway, my 17-miler went beautifully, and I'm wondering if it's because of this yummy vegan food. =) Either way, I will be back. I should mention that the meat-eating "Ukrainian" liked it as well.

By the way, Loving Hut is a nation-wide chain, so maybe there's one in YOUR area to try??!