November was off to a fine start…

Was looking at my running log today- damn I was kicking ass until I janked my back up. Gonna have to re-assess my goals after tomorrow, and hoping I can be “medically cleared” to get back out there Tuesday morning.

November running log:

Tues 1st – 5 miles

Weds 2nd – 4 miles

Thurs 3rd – 3 mi (obviously a “taper” week)

Fri 4th – Rest

Sat 5th – Lake Chabot Half Marathon (1:48.28, 12th overall & 2nd in the 30-39 men)

Sun 6th – Rest

Mon 7th – 4 mi

Tues 8th – 5 mi

Weds 9th – 6 mi

Thurs 10th – full moon run! 10 miles

Fri 11th – Rest

Sat 12th – 7 miles

Sun 13th – 9 miles (all-trail run, awesomeness)

Mon 14th – 5 miles…

…then nothing since.

Being injured sucks. Here’s to Tuesday morning, I’m hopeful I can get back out and do at least 3 miles.

At least I made some sweet Spotify mixes, watched a ton of ski movies (Attack of La Nina is pretty awesome…)

Keep on keepin’ on.

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Haven’t run in 5 days…

Big time sad face thingy. Damn.

I did it again, “it” being jacked my back (somewhere in the L5 region, if any one has had recurring back problems you know what’s up.)

Just been visiting the chiropractor, trying to get it out of extension/flexion, doing those prescribed stretches and hopefully getting this damn spasm to release. Damn damn damn is all I can say.

Hopefully can run in time for the Piedmont 5 mile Turkey Trot thing on Thanksgiving morning. This definitely sets my training schedule back 7-10 days. Gonna have to build up again and slowly get back to 45-50 miles a week.

22-miler on January 7th. I wonder if I’ll be ready in time for it? I wonder if I’ll be able to ski soon, too.

Pray for Ullr.

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This is why I get up at 5:55 every morning and run.

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Damn I was fast today.

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Love this album so much- bring on the wintertime.

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Today’s run

Oh those damn hills! I knew I was looking at a good 1200+ feet of elevation changes, but they weren’t as spread out as I had hoped. Holy crap.

Here’s the map (oh, I got a new GPS app, it’s called Runmeter and I think it’s okay, so far):

That’s the slowest 8 miles I’ve ever run, but it’s also probably the most hills I’ve ever done in that time/mileage frame. Here I thought I’d be able to rip downhill in my usual crazy antelope fashion; but due to heavy mud and some really rocky technical terrain on some of these downhills I really had to reel it in. Little steps, little steps.

Here’s a shot of Mt. Diablo partially obscured by clouds in the distance:

San Pablo Reservoir right below. Hazy East Bay day, and ‘twas much warmer than I anticipated. Sweat is good, though- right?

So I ran along the Bay Ridge Trail a bit each way on Seaview Trail and Nimitz Trail, then dropped down into Laurel Canyon which was a super cool, shady singletrack that dropped and dropped. Here’s a shot from a bridge over a little creek trough:

Looks like that tree rolled over and decided to grow sideways. Nature is cool.

Anyway, that’s all for now.

Oh, and I listened to some music for part of the run.

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Gonna get lost today.

Going for a run in about an hour, gonna hit up the lovely Tilden-slash-Wildcat Canyon Regional Parks area and just run and run and hopefully get lost.

I seem to run a tad faster when I have no idea where I’m going, frantically adding miles.

I hope I find this:

More, later.

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What do you eat?

Winter is fast approaching, which for some people means packing it in and packing it on. Yeah, not here at the Hotel Excelsior (my joke name for this humble abode I share with my lady and our cat, Aube). We’ve been going healthier, rawer, dare I say gravitating towards a more vegetarian lifestyle. As I write that last sentence I remember we did have chicken last night, and I had a burger on Tuesday night, but before that…

…I can’t remember the last time I ate meat. Like serious red meat. I can’t remember my last steak- I was just saying a few weeks ago that after my next half marathon I’m going to Denny’s for a big-ass steak-and-eggs meal, but what I did was come home and make a protein shake, followed by some eggs and toast a few hours later (and a sweet nap).

So basically, here’s what’s been eaten a lot the last few months here at Casa Excelente:

– red quinoa

– polenta

– beans (most pinto and black)

– tuna

– this awesome “roasted root vegetables” thing I’ve been making: turnips, purple carrots, gold beets, shallots, green and yellow summer squash (I know, squash isn’t a root veg)

– organic free range chicken

– nuts, lots of nuts (almonds, macadamias, what have you)

– seeds (sunflower & chia, mostly)

– Udo’s 3-6-9 Oil

– roasted butternut squash soup

– kale, spinach, collards: leafy-ass greens yo

– brown rice

– banana every morning BEFORE coffee

– berries out the yazoo (blue-, rasp-, tart cherries, booyaa)

You know, this list can go on and on forever. Basically, we eat really well. This is the first year I haven’t gotten sick from our crop of brand new toddlers at school.

I’m contributing this to diet, running 40 miles/week, positive mental outlook, creative love and deepening spirituality.

Sounds like we’re doing okay over here.

What you been eating?

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The undisputed masters of French House- banger after banger on this jawn.

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Kilian kills everything he touches. Love watching this guy run.

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