Apparently someone thinks I am gorgeous! Or more to the point, a gorgeous blogger!

Lindsay, the gorgeous girl who chases Kenyans posted her MeMe the other day and basically send a shout out to all her loyal readers to follow her lead. Since she follows Kenyans who am I to resist? That’s right, if you know me at all you will remember that I am a total sucker for MeMes. Lots of people hate them with a vengeance. I am not one of those people. In Lindsay fashion I will try to come up with six things you might not know about me. Yet:

• my parents were step siblings! Now before you get all bent out of shape by this and try looking for the extra appendages I might have grown as a result of this rather extra ordinary union, let me assure you that there was no mixing of the same genetic code involved in my creation! Let me explain: my grandparents knew each other as children but as adults they both married different spouses and lost contact with each other. My father’s mother passed away when he was 10 and my mothers father died when she was 14, leaving both of my grandparents widowed. While in their early 20s my parents met through mutual friends and started dating and eventually got married. Through their marriage my grandparents met again and romantic sparks started to fly. So much so that they also got married. To make things even more cozy, they all lived in the same house, the house I eventually grew up in with a set of parents upstairs and a set of grandparents downstairs. As a young child I thought that this family dynamic was totally normal: the grandpa is always the father of the dad and grandma is the mother of the mom. No wonder I often got strange looks…

• I hate (I know this is a strong word but I cannot express this in any other way) eating during the day! Forget water boarding for torturing me, instead force me to eat a big breakfast or lunch. I literally feel poisoned all day. I can go for coffee or tea in the morning and even enjoy hanging out at Starbucks nursing a soy latte, but don’t ever take me to that place that’s famous for their breakfast specials. The same holds true for lunch. I truly enjoy having a banana with (pea)nut butter every.single.day. and don’t need to deviate. You will however always find me enjoying a rather large dinner. For some reason I have no problem feeling full at night but during the day I will be absolutely miserable with a full belly. This approach has worked for me for decades, thank you very much, so save yourself effort and breath trying to convince me to change my habits.*

• I once fell in love with a married man! And no, I am not ready to elaborate publicly. Let’s just say that it was the most painful experience of my life.

• Even though I can eat peanut butter by the spoon full I despise peanuts. I even eat crunchy peanut butter, although I prefer the all natural, salty, smooth kind, but hand me a bag of peanuts and I will hand it right back to you. And no, I don’t have an explanation for this weirdness either.

• My biggest regret in life is not having chosen the health care field for my profession and it is the one thing I would do over if I had the chance. But… there is still time so stay tuned!

• Although I love the desert and the incredible heat in the summer I will always miss living near a body of water and actually prefer humidity to dry heat. As David and I are making plans for our future this longing plays a big role. Unfortunately living near the water in California means cold, foggy summers, so we will either have to move east (I am dreaming of Caribbean breezes) or to a lake (I am envisioning water sports in the summer and lots of skiing in the winter).

* the exception to this weird approach to eating happens during marathon training. The only time I will force myself to eat before and after a long run.

Today’s Running Tip: A Jump Start!

If you are having trouble eating solid food after a long run try a smoothie. Combine 1 cup low fat flavored (soy) yoghurt, 1/4 cup (soy) milk, 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (not berries), 1/2 packet of plain instant oatmeal, 3/4 cups of frozen berries and 2 tbsp of dried coconut. Blend until smooth.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I woke up in March yesterday morning! To a blue and sunny sky none-the-less! MARCH! The month we welcome spring and celebrate David’s birthday on the first day of the new season! I cannot wait!

February wasn’t bad, I admit. We were hit with a few major rain storms which always lead to flooding in this part of the country, but we were also blessed with days when the temperatures actually reached the upper 70s which translates to 80s in our yard. Not warm enough to get into the pool yet, but definitely warm enough to enjoy the first outdoor BBQ of the season and bring a big smile to my face.

After the last couple of months filled with road trips up to Northern California and Santa Barbara, we spent the entire February in the desert and got to know our neighbors better. When we first bought our house here 4 1/2 years ago we bought into Phase I of our development. Surrounding us were mostly empty houses and construction fields. There were Shelley and Pam right next door, Charlie and Alice, and Debra across the street but no one else, except in the older part of the complex. Add to that the fact that Debra spent most of her time in San Diego where she worked, Pam and Shelley are snow birds, Charlie and Alice and elderly and very frail, and David and I only came every other week, and our original home developer went belly up and stopped finishing the existing homes and building the rest.

Since our social schedule was pretty much packed when we were in Santa Barbara we always looked forward to just hanging out the moment we got to the desert every other Thursday, with no scheduled activities and no real plans for the weekends. All that changed of course when we moved down here full time. Just by the virtual fact that we now lived here year round we got to know people. I at my group classes at the gym (Hi Larry!) and through my political campaign work (Hello Barbara!) and David through his consulting. And then, then we got neighbors!!! A new builder came in who finished the existing empty homes and people flocked to our neighborhood! And I have to say that the wait was well worth it because we have the best neighbors ever! EVER!!! Unfortunately no runners, but I can live without that since their awesomeness makes up for my loneliness on the road and trails. Over the past few months we have truly became a small community in which doors are always open for a drink at sunset, impromptu dinners, and a helping hand if needed. It is something I always envisioned when I moved into a gated community but had been disappointing until last fall.

I cannot wait for summer!

Changes have also emerged in my exercise routine thanks to Isabel, one of the trainers at my gym who gave a sample Spinning Class when my Yoga class was canceled last Saturday! It took it and got hooked! I took Spinning many years ago when I was training for the Tahoe Century but not since and had forgotten how much I enjoy it and what great exercise it is. Since it takes a lot of cardio work for me to break into a sweat I always look for that routine that brings the sweat best out of me. There is no better feeling! So I went back last night and I suspect that will be a regular class I will take from now on. Look for it in next month’s stats. But for now, here are the numbers for February:

• Shortest run: 5.3 miles
• Longest run: 8.5 miles
• Average speed: 7:25 min/miles
• Strength & Endurance: 4 hours
• Weight Training: 2 hours
• Yoga: 3 hours
• Bike: 4 miles
• Spinning: 50 minutes

Today’s Running Tip: Spinning can be beneficial to runners!

If you are getting bored with your running routine and want to mix it up a bit, Spinning is a great cross training exercise, especially if you do not own a proper bike. Your legs will get a break from the high impact of running but you will still exercise your legs and glutes. Some people report that they finally got over calf and achilles pain by taking a break from running and go Spinning instead.

So (it is always a good sign when your blog post starts with “So”! Me thinks) the other day I received an email from one of my oldest and dearest friends. And by “old” I am not referring to her age but to the length of our friendship. I met Annette on the first day of my very first class at the Ludwig-Maximillians Universität in Munich, a class I showed up to a week late… By the time I made it to class everyone had already gotten to know each other the previous week when yours truly was missing because she had no idea when her “Introduction to English Literature” was actually going to take place. It sort of set the stage for the remainder of my years as a student. When I finally showed up a week late all seats were taken but the one next to Annette and we became friends instantly. I guess when you have to analyze Jane Austen’s “Emma” and her match making skills you have no choice but to bond and bonding we did. For the next 4 1/2 years our friendship grew through the good times and the not so good times.

We only lived a few miles apart, Annette in one of the student bungalows in the Olympic Village (which were torn down a couple of years ago), me just up the road in Fasanerie, and many evenings and weekends were spent together. In the summer we often packed up our picnic baskets with caprese salad and trifle and headed to the nearest Biergarten on our bicycles, meeting up with friends over wheat beer and soft pretzels. On days when we had no class and on weekends you could find us along the banks of the Feldmochinger See catching sunny rays and enjoying the summer heat in Bavaria. Then there was our annual white asparagus feast in May. We survived the long and cold winters with ski aerobics at the Olympic Village Gym, followed by hot tea and crispy bread with honey or Nutella, Kaesespaetzle at the “Scheidegger” and the annual holiday baking in my kitchen.

We only spent time apart during spring breaks, when Annette went off to South Africa where her aunt and uncle owned a farm and I worked, and summer break, which I spent in California every year.

Sounds lovely? Well it wasn’t!

I know that for a lot of kids out there college is the most fabulous time of their lives and they can hardly wait for it. The partying, the endless supply of alcohol, and finally escaping their parents’ prying eyes. For me it was anything but.

Since I had already lived away from home for two years before I moved to Munich – and when I say “away” I mean “far away”, 7000 miles to be exact – the novelty of escaping your childhood home had already worn off. And as German kids are allowed to officially have a drink at the tender age of 16 – although most have their first taste unofficially at an earlier age – my experience with alcohol poisoning had happened in high school and I had no desire to repeat the joys of losing two days of my life. The only time I got even remotely drunk was on my very last night in Munich when I celebrated my departure with margaritas and ended up falling asleep on the last subway ride of the night which resulted in instant sobriety when I realized I was one station short of the end, 50 miles out of Munich. At 2am! Without a penny of change!

When I was still living at home I often dreamed of the day when I could just do whatever I chose to do, spend nights away from home and never having to explain myself afterwards to my parents who were strong believers in curfews even after I had turned 18. The amount of nights I did not come home while I was in college: ZERO! For some reason nothing seemed as exciting as sleeping in my own bed every night and waking up to my room mate playing classical music CDs and the smell of her brewing coffee and baked goods on weekend mornings.

Instead of partying I hunkered down for the first times since 7th Grade and actually worked hard at getting through the Master’s Degree as fast as possible and move back to the place my heart belonged to. And studying hard I did, often taking on more than double the workload of the regular degree requirements for the semester while completing and handing in term papers before the term was actually coming to a close in the summer. But I did not mind as it allowed me to fly back to California the beginning of August, rather than the middle, meaning that I could spend three full months on the west coast. A time I waited for nine months out of every year. June and July were some of my favorite months even back then, but for different reasons as they are now, and November SUCKED, even more so than it does now!!! Stepping off the airplane in Munich on a cold, damp November evening after having spent three glorious months in the Bay Area was about as depressing as it gets. The only positive (if you can even call it that) was the fact that I had usually scheduled my return flight a day before classes started up for the winter semester and was therefore right back in the swing of student life within 12 hours of touching down.

The most fun I had in Munich was my last year there and the fact that I knew my time was coming to an end helped me skip along through my thesis on victorian women (don’t be jealous now!), my final exams in English comprehension, American History and Political Science, and my summer that, for the first and last time, I spent in its entirety in Munich.

17 years have gone by since that last endless summer at the foot of the Bavarian Alps. Annette graduated six months after me and when I left she inherited all my IKEA dishes, some of which she still uses today. After her graduation she worked in Munich for a year before meeting the love of her life in South Africa and settling into her new home in Johannesburg where she has been raising two boys. We have not seen each other since she visited me in 1995 but we have remained in contact and are able to pick up where we left off. One of my future travel plans does include an extended trip to South Africa and I am sure it will be just like old times when I get to see her again. We will probably eat caprese salad, trifle, and crisp bread with honey or Nutella.

I have noticed that Annette often wants to write about our days in Munich and although she does not say it directly I can read between the lines that she misses her days as a student. I understand that her experience was different from mine in that she did not have to overcome constant heart ache but I also remember how stressed out she was about school and getting her degree, something I hardly ever worried about. I had never worked hard in high school (my mom always blamed hair graying hair on my lack of interest in school work during my teenage years) but I realized early on that I was making up for my disastrous high school years when I became a university student. Annette on the other hand always doubted herself which overshadowed the good times she had. It is curious that she only wants to remember how fun her life was and on several occasions she has mentioned that she would love to go back in time. I say: NO WAY!!!

On Twitter I follow “MunichPhoto” and get to look at a new photo of places in and around Munich every morning. I truly and utterly love it as I recognize most of the places in the photograph and can usually recall that last time I went by. But I realize that the enjoyment is due to the fact that I can reminisce from the place I call home, the place my heart belongs to. For the same reason I also thoroughly enjoyed visiting Munich a few years ago, dropping by the house I lived in and revisiting all the old familiar hang outs. I even went back to Annette’s old bungalow. All with the comfort of knowing that I would be going home! The place I love most!

Yes, we did have some good times during our years in Munich but I was glad when I could close this chapter of my life. I never looked back from that day my dad picked me up, the day I said “Good Bye” to the hardest four 1/2 years of my life!

Today’s Running Tip: Staying warm and injury free while traveling to alpine climates!

One of the ways to warm up in icy conditions is to run on the treadmill, run up the staircase, or jump rope for 10 minutes before hitting the road!

Before he could bark “cookie” he and his Uprights no longer wondered where his breed got the name SHEEPdog from…

But soon enough he found himself as the Lion King

Only to end up as a Muppet

And just in case you are wondering how it all came about:

Anyone need a sweater?

Today’s Running Tip: Taking your best friend for a run!

When running with your dog be sure to adjust your speed and the length of your run to your dog’s needs. Chances are your best friend is going to try everything to keep up with you and will not slow down when he or she needs to. I have seen dogs collapse mid run and suffer from extreme overheating and/or dehydration. Only take your dog for a run on cool, preferably overcast days and bring plenty of water for both you and your four legged companion.

]]> http://www.thatgirlruns.com/2587/shorn/feed/ 0 http://www.thatgirlruns.com/2570/gestohlen/ http://www.thatgirlruns.com/2570/gestohlen/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:51:25 +0000 Chris http://www.thatgirlruns.com/?p=2570 I stole the following shamelessly from Schmutzie, whose blog I have been following for over a year and whose name I love. The name alone should tell you that she is all sorts of awesome. I actually use the word “schmutzie” on almost a daily basis to describe anything not 100% clean.

view from our kitchen window, photo was taken with the ShakeIt iPhone application and edited with Mill Colour. I love the way it looks so old school, like the photos in my parents’ albums.

A – AVAILABLE: It depends on who is in need of my availability. For my friends I will go to the enth degree at a moment’s notice, on the flip side I have no problem saying “No” to those that annoy me.

B – BIRTHDAY: June 6th! I love that day.

C – CRUSHING ON: LANCE

D – DRINK YOU LAST HAD: green tea lemonade

E – EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: David, of course.

F – FAVORITE SONG: Chocolate by Snow Patrol.

G – GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: Worms

H – HOMETOWN: Somewhere in the middle of Germany.

I – IN LOVE WITH: David

J – JUGGLE: No way. I cannot even throw properly.

K – KILLED SOMEONE: No, and never will.

L – LONGEST CAR RIDE: Besides driving on Highway 5? Driving from my home in the middle of Germany to Italy when I was six.

M- MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Strawberry

N – NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: Zero

O – ONE WISH: To work in the field I love most: medicine. The Obama White House is a very close second.

P – PERSON YOU TALKED TO LAST: does Nelson count?

Q – QUESTIONABLE LIKE: “Reality” TV

R – REASON TO SMILE: Summer is on its way!!!

S – SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.

T – TIME YOU WOKE UP: 6:15 a.m.

U – UNDERWEAR COLOR: blue

V – VALUES: integrity!

W – WORST HABIT: sucking my thumb.

X – X-RAYS YOU’VE HAD: including scans – teeth, ankle, lower back, shoulder, chest, neck, lungs.

Y – YOYOS: I used to have one.

Z – ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini (they rule)

Today’s Running Tip: Try running a different race!

Running and racing can easily become a serious undertaking and soon enough the fun in running could be replaced by something you might actually be dreading. Try finding a race just for fun, like a mud run, an all uphill race, or one that you show up in costume. Go all out and don’t run it for time. Run it just because!

David and I had a busy one. We went back to the Bay Area for a few days (THANK YOU, Chris and Greta for making us feel welcome again!) and a couple of weeks ago spent a long weekend in Santa Barbara. A few of my former students whom I stayed in contact with over the past two years (Facebook ROCKS!) graduated and I did not want to miss the ceremony and party.

We stayed with my dear friend Dilys, someone I also met at work when she was hired as the Director of Alumni Relations, a job she had previously held at Claremont McKenna where Adrienne went to school. While David met up with his best friend and business buddy Nelson and I had a great time hanging out at Winter Session. It was really like old times and I almost felt as if I had never left my job. A job I loved every day!

Before we left to go back home we met up with some of our best friends for breakfast:

I spent some of the best years of my running life with these people and love them beyond measure. The Mullens, who are a gazillion shades of awesome, live in New York City now so it was extra special to have them present for our little reunion. And I had not seen Becca, who has the biggest heart of anyone I know, in four years! Four years!!! She is a nurse (I am so jealous!) and two days after this photo was taken she traveled to Haiti with Project Hope to volunteer her time and services on this ravaged island. And then there is Analise whom I had last seen at Adrienne’s funeral. We all met through Ana, someone who has an almost uncanny ability to connect people, not to mention that her fashion sense puts us all to shame and that she kicks my butt on the track. That girl is one awesome runner and definitely helped me step it up to the next level. We trained and ran San Diego in 2005 when we both qualified for Boston and then trained and ran Boston together as well. I could not have wished for a better partner in running. And boy did we run! Hard! And solved many a problem on those long, endless routes. Problems that shall remain unwritten!

Some of my best memories include the people in this photograph and I am positive we will remain friends forever no matter where life will take us (although Nick and I have been dreaming of becoming neighbors for years!).

A few years have gone by since we all first met and we have definitely been through changes, some minor, others major, in our respective lives but in the end we have remained the same. Good people, who can just pick up where they last left off!

Through it all I ran of course. I do like to get out of town for a lot of reasons but one of them is definitely the chance of running different routes and exploring new trails. In Santa Barbara I took the opportunity and ran hills for all three mornings I was there. One of them in an hour long torrential down pour. If nothing it made me feel alive.

Shortest run: 4 miles

Longest run: 6.1 miles

Average speed: 7:28 min/miles

Strength & Endurance: 3 hours

Weight Training: 2 hours

Yoga: 3 hours

Today’s Running Tip: Mix it up!

Once you’ve made running a routine it is easy to get into a rut and run the same route every day. To keep challenging yourself and improving your endurance it is important to mix things up by running different distances and terrain at different speeds. That way your body can never get used to your workout.

• summer, which delights us with temperatures of 100 plus degrees from the beginning of April until the end of September, the height of which is reached in July and August when temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit are not unheard of. I always find it ironic when I compare running habits with runners from different parts of the country who are usually forced to run on the treadmill during winter months whereas I tend to hit the gym more often during the summer, although over the years I have gotten used to running in 100 plus degrees
• and fall, which usually does not set in until Thanksgiving when right on cue the thermometer does a double digit dip from the 90s into the 70s

We do get the occasional rainfall during the months that the rest of the country experiences as “winter” and have even had some night frost in the past. In August we also tend get monsoons that come over from Arizona and bring humidity not unlike the one Florida is known for. For someone (yours truly) who loves heat, and by love I mean LOVE!!!, the summers in this region are my favorite time of year and if it was up to me, they would go on forever. I even love the humidity that the monsoons bring and make my hair curly and my skin luminous. When you live in parched conditions every bit of moisture is welcome!

So for the most part we bathe in eternal sunshine and live under endlessly blue skies, even when the rest of our nation is digging out of five feet or more of snow. And then, then a winter storm hits us and everything comes to a screeching halt. Literally! If you followed the news this past week you probably know that I am talking about this puppy that came upon us in California:

MODIS

If this looks Hurricane like to you you are not far from imagining the reality that hit us Californians. And yes, most of us do not know how to handle such a force of nature, let alone know how to drive in it… and that’s only the beginning of our troubles in the rain. Our roads turn into raging creeks, fit for white water rafting – people have been known to kayak down Mission Street in Santa Barbara -, our hillsides slide towards the ocean and the entire state threatens to erode into the Pacific.

But after a massive rain storm like the one from last week also has us waking up to the this scenery:l

The white stuff you see on the top is real snow! As seen from the desert (!!!) floor. And so yesterday morning, as we woke up to observe the image above from our kitchen window, we decided to play hookie and let Nelson experience something he has never experienced before: snow under his paws

I am honestly not quite sure what exactly it was we expected but Nelson could have cared less about the strange white substance except for the fact that it made us walk awkwardly to the point of him looking at me as if to say: “What the heck, Woman! Why are we walking in this that makes us sink to our knees if we can just walk on the road?”

Unfortunately the snow was not as powdery as it looked from our back yard and did not invite for a snow ball fight or snow angels. Next stop: Big Bear!

Today’s Running Tip: Running in snowy conditions!

Running after fresh snow has fallen can be quite treacherous and you need to be extra careful. Even if the snow seems soft and non slippery there can be ice hiding underneath. If you live in a climate where snow is a regular part of winter invest in running shoes that have a a sole appropriate for less stable road surfaces. Trail running shoes are a good option. Beware of black ice!!!

As unbelievable as it might have seemed only a few weeks ago, the seat held by the “Lion of the Senate” for 46 (!!!) years, a man who was re elected to said seat nine (!!!) times and who had made it his life goal to get affordable health care coverage for all citizens of this country, has been replaced by a Republican! In the bluest state of the nation! On the eve of passing a major reform bill that would bring this country closer to universal health insurance coverage than ever before in its history! No, the irony is not lost on me. Neither is the fact that the unimaginable took place exactly one year after Barack Obama’s inauguration as our 44th President.

What the fuck happened?

Of course the pundits on both sides are out in force today. I have not looked at anyone’s column or watched cable news as it would be too overwhelming to digest. Everyone is pointing fingers, analyzing, trying to blame the next person. The G(rand) O(bstructionist) P(arty) is gloating of course, as the Democrats would be had their candidate won this special election. Of course looking back it is really no wonder that their candidate did not win. Since she was arrogant enough to think the seat would be hers no matter what she seemed to have forgotten that although Ted Kennedy occupied it for almost five decades, it was not actually his, but that of the people of Massachusetts. And he had earned it! Something she still needed to do! Meeting and greeting the people of her home state would have been a great start. Maybe even at Fenway Stadium! In the cold! Shaking actual hands! Voters like to meet their candidates in person, a lesson Martha Coackly had obviously never learned, or thought she was above!

So, here we are! Down to 59 democratic seats in the Senate, one vote short of ending a filibuster, because one thing is for sure, Scott Brown will certainly not take a lesson from the majority party and break with his own. No, he will align himself right with his own party, the one that is still in the minority but seems to be running the country anyway because the majority lets them. Our Democrats on Capitol Hill actually allow the minority to sabotage Barack Obama’s Presidency into failure. A minority whose main goal it is to oppose our President no matter what, delay or stall confirmation of key administration officials, and bring him down with every step. And so it really makes not much of a difference now that the Democrats no longer have the magical 60 seats in the Senate. It’s not that they accomplished anything when they had all of them and the White House. Instead of standing united behind a President that was elected under such promise, they just showed us once again how little they can accomplish but how much they can screw up.

And of course our general public only makes matters worse. A public who seems to suffer from severe short term memory loss. A public who only a year ago remembered all too well that it took George W. Bush and his henchmen eight long years to burn this country to the ground, yet expects our new President to fix the disaster we emerged from in 12 short months. Do the people of Massachusetts truly believe that Scott Brown is the shining star that can lead this country back to prosperity? Of course I understand that this country has a long history of voting against the incumbent majority every four years as if it will actually accomplish anything. It hasn’t so far, so why would it now? Insanity is often defined as doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different outcome…

A year ago we called for change in an election that gave Barack Obama more popular votes than any other past President. Did we not realize that change cannot come overnight, or even in 12 months? Yes, I am frustrated at times that things don’t get done fast enough but I also realize that change in Washington can only come slowly and with a lot of patience. Moving mountains takes time and can only be achieved if we stay united behind the cause long term. I fear that this year’s mid term elections will be the repeat of the old voting statistics of the past. Which means nothing will actually be achieved. And those who feel disappointed that the promise of change has been unfulfilled might as well pack up.

We live in a Democracy where elections have consequences and yesterday Democracy was certainly at work in Massachusetts! And now we will have to live with it! Just as we still have to live with the consequence of voting in George W. in 2004… And now we also have to live with a guy who is mostly known for his past spread (ahem!) in Cosmopolitan Magazine:

Today’s Running Tip: Misery loves company!

During these cold and dark winter months where it would be just so easy to stay in your warm bed or on the couch, it is a good idea to schedule runs with a buddy or a group of people. It is much harder to talk yourself out of missing a run when others are counting on you.

While on yet another road trip yesterday I checked my iPhone obsessively for Twitter updates as is my habit, when around 2pm PST CNN reported that a 7.0 earthquake hat struck the island nation of Haiti. Not exactly the news I was looking for during a joyride through California, a state that has had its fair share of earthquakes big and small, some that could be felt only this week. Yet, as Californians we are so used to our earth shaking beneath us we hardly ever stop whatever it is we are doing when our immediate surroundings rock and roll. Not that I have even the slightest intention of comparing earthquakes that hit California with the enormous catastrophe that has come upon the people of Haiti, a country that has had challenges of enormous proportions since the beginning of the 20th Century, if not the beginning of time, that has left its people struggling for survival on a daily basis. Without doubt the latest disaster is going to unimaginable consequences for the future of this beautiful nation. Chris Sacca put together a

list of charities and ways you can help.

Remember that no matter how small your contribution, every single dollar counts!

Our thoughts are with the people of Haiti!

Today’s Running Tip: There will be no tip today!

Yet! Fifteen years ago today I woke up, went for a 6 mile run, took a shower, put on a pair of white jeans and black hiking boots, went down to the Santa Clara Superior Court House and tied the knot!

When I say I did not want to get married just over a month prior to this event I have to qualify that the subject of marriage had definitely come up a couple of times, but David and I never really elaborated on the possibility. It also needs to be mentioned that he was still legally married on December 1st, 1994, a status that would not change until New Year’s Eve ‘94. Happy New Year indeed!!! Even though marriage was talked about openly I never really seriously considered it until my now sister- and brother-in-law came to visit us that Christmas. Anne and I had always gotten along, even before David’s divorce, and one of the first things she asked after stepping off the plane was when David and I were getting married. The proverbial “Never” flew out of my mouth immediately but Anne did not think I answered to her satisfaction and over the next few days she did not hesitate to bring the subject up a few more times. That New Year’s Eve David’s divorce was officially final and as we toasted to a New Year and a new era, a thought formed in both of our heads simultaneously: “We might as well!” Wait! What?

The next morning we told Anne, who had been in a limo on her way home with her deathly drunk ill husband, when the clock struck midnight and David realized he wanted to not just be any husband again, but mine! Anne was so excited for us and “since we had already decided it was going to happen we might as well do it while she and Phil were still in the States”. Whoa! It was a Sunday so nothing could really be done that day but first thing Monday morning I called the court, asked what needed to be done to get this accomplished and after finding out that all we needed were birth certificates and David’s divorce papers we set the date for the following Friday, even though David had a meeting scheduled in the early afternoon. Yes, that’s right, this is how we like to roll.

And sure enough, Friday rolled (!!!) around and we all filed into the Jeep and made our way to San Jose through pouring rain. David picked up his freedom papers, which quite appropriately were being held in the basement of the Family Court, then we went over to the main court house where we found the “Wedding Counter” (I am not even kidding!), filed all the necessary paper work and got our marriage license which allowed us to get married anywhere in California within the following six month. We chose the venue we were already in and scheduled the afternoon for our ceremony. We might as well! Phil, Anne, and I went to lunch while David went to his meeting at Oracle before we all met up again for the actual wedding on the third floor in Municipal Court Judge John Pasco’s chamber. But not before Judge Pasco presided over a criminal case where the subject was brought into the third floor courtroom in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, and we stood in as witnesses for the happy couple who was in line before us. Afterwards it was our turn and over before we knew it. Anne cried, I smiled!

My mom was stunned into silence when I called her after the fact, . Believe me when I say that this had only happened a couple of times that I remember, one of which was the time I blacked out from alcohol poisoning in High School. Her only daughter, heck, her only child, had gotten married without her even knowing! In jeans! She eventually got over it and both her and my dad welcomed David into their lives as if he was their own son (the son my mother had hoped for when she was pregnant with me!).

15 years have passed since that day I threw out all of my resolve to never be a wife. I never looked back! To say that my change of heart was the right decision is an understatement. Although I had known for quite some time that David was the man I would spend the rest of my life with, license or not, I could not ask for a better husband. It has certainly not been all champagne and chocolate covered strawberries over here but we both realized early on that compared to what we had been through before we finally made our relationship official, nothing could tear us apart. Absolutely nothing! In fact every challenge has only brought us closer. Of course it also helps that David has the patience of a saint, is more driven than any other person I know and as hard a worker. His undying optimism has helped us weather many a storms, and so has his amazing ability to always work through any challenge that might be thrown his way. From the first day we moved in together David has always put me and our relationship first, has supported my need for running freedom, and accepted my weird attitude towards food and eating dinner as late as possible. He also buys me soy lattes or caramel frappuccinos whenever I want one or the other. We have had some incredibly good times together and I cannot wait for the adventures our future may hold.

Looking back on that day 15 years ago I quickly realized that this was really the only way I was ever going to go through with a “wedding”. David was game to do whatever I wanted, big or small, and the way it turned out was truly my day, including the reception dinner at TGIF (hey, it was good back then!).

At least my jeans were white!

Today’s Running Tip: Getting married? Go for a run!

Going for an easy run is one of the greatest stress reducers. So any time you face a situation that could potentially freak you out a run can do wonders for calming your nerves and refreshing your mind!