No more secrets - I'm pregnant!!!

The word is finally out (thank goodness because it was hard to hide much longer) I'm pregnant! 4-months along with twin boys. I'm sure they'll provide plenty of isms for the blog world.

You can check out my new blog at:
http://mommiesontherun.blogspot.com/

Running in circles

Because I didn't get off work until it was dark out today, and I don't want to forge a new path in the dark and rain, I went to the gym for a treadmill run instead. Consensus? I don't love the treadmill. The pounding on a semi-solid surface didn't help my ongoing knee problems. Also, the indoor running in circles made me realize even more why I like to run - I like to be outside where I can get fresh air, where I have to think about my world (not that of the gym or what's on TV), and where there's dirt and branches to duck.

Treadmills aside, I do like the elliptical every now and then - it's a nice way to turn body and mind off and just gooooooooooo.

I fall to pieces

This morning walking to work I dodged rain and roof water slides as I wove through Broadway's remnants from the weekend. Rounding a tight corner (and just missing a man walking out of a cheap hotel) I came to a grate where I ATE IT so hard. Ouch!!! Another man was walking by and he turned - in what I thought was a random act of kindness - to blow smoke in my face and then keep on walking. Nice.

Side-note: "I fall to pieces" is from an old country song. My mom's cousin once told us a story of when he was dancing with the Austin ballet and did a performance on a unicycle to this song. When cheered on for an encore, instead of wheeling perfection, he spun around and promptly fell into the orchestra pit.

The physics of running

Yesterday during our Sunday run we started talking about form - there are many pointers for runners:

• Knees up
• Chi run
• Move arms like you're beating a drum
• Breath like your tummy is a balloon
• A million more

Running Times has a good run-down (heh) on what you're body should be doing:

Running through the rain

I love the rain - I love listening to it as it beats on the windows and being curled up with a good book. I also love running in the rain and this weekend was perfect for that! Saturday I met up with the GGRC'ers for a good muddy hilly run - the best kind.

The route:

• Started at the Warming Hut
• Up to the bridge
• Along the water
• Across the planks and into the park
• Up along side the golf course
• Down through Presidio
• Back to the Warming Hut along the water

Tonight we met up for the Lulu run and the rain stopped just long enough to give us a clear skied run - we must have good running karma because we haven't been rained on once since we started the group.

Skunked

Running to Queen - great
Getting on the road early enough to have the whole thing for myself - rad
Tiny raindrops falling just as I was getting too hot - awesome
A skunk running in front of me as I crest the Ft. Mason hill - not cool

I've got a lot of work to do

7x7 Magazine recently published "The Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before you Die."

I've had the highlighted - still have a looooooong way to go.

Photo by Stefanie Michejda, Joe Budd, Sandra Silbereisen, courtesy of Piperade, Ed Anderson, Aubrie Pick

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range

3. Carnitas taco at La Taqueria

4. Spicy crab and grits at the Front Porch

5. Chasu ramen at Katana-Ya

6. Burger with fries at Slow Club

7. Shaking beef at the Slanted Door

8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery

9. Tofu soup with kimchi at My Tofu House

10. Baja-style fish tacos at Nick’s Crispy Tacos

11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina

12. Salt-and-pepper squid at Yuet Lee

13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai House

14. Beef brisket at Memphis Minnie’s

15. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

16. Katsu curry from Muracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill

17. Tea-leaf salad at Burma Superstar

18. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco

19. Tuna tartare at Michael Mina

20. Chicken pot pie at Liberty Café

21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina

22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich

23. Beer sausage with sauerkraut and grilled onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill

24. Blue Bell Bitter from the cask at Magnolia Pub

25. Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine (bonus: sliced while still warm and slathered with Brillat- Savarin cheese from Bi-Rite, down the block)

26. A classic gin martini at Bourbon & Branch

27. Papaya salad with salty crab at Sai Jai Thai

28. A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Café

29. Spaetzle at Suppenküche

30. Laughing Buddha cocktail at Cantina

31. Pan con chocolate with sea salt and olive oil at Laïola

32. Pupusas at Balompie Café #3

33. Prime rib at House of Prime Rib

34. Yellowtail collar at Oyaji

35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung

37. Rotisserie chicken at Limón Rotisserie

38. French fries at Hayes Street Grill

39. Pierna Enchilada torta at La Torta Gorda

40. Cheeseburger at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower

42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food

43. Mint julep at Alembic

44. Cannelé at Boulangerie Bay Bread

45. Galapagos cocktail at Absinthe

46. Chips and salsa at Papalote

47. Ceviche at La Mar Cebichería Peruana

48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope

49. Ginger snaps at Miette

50. Giant pretzel with mustard at The Monk’s Kettle

51. Maccaronara with ricotta salata at A16

52. Fried brussels sprouts at SPQR

53. Garlic soup at Piperade

54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut at Dynamo Donut with a Four Barrel coffee

55. Milk-roasted pork at L’Osteria del Forno

56. Caponatina with burrata at Beretta

57. Goat stew at Kokkari Estiatorio

58. Absinthe daiquiri at Jardinière

59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco

60. The Brass Monkey at Little Star Pizza

61. Crab soufflé at Café Jacqueline

62. Shrimp-and-chive dumplings at Ton Kiang

63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza

64. Paper masala dosa at Dosa

65. Crispy eggplant at Jai Yun

66. Pig parts at Incanto

67. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill

68. Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe

69. Licorice parfait at South

70. Omakase menu at Sebo

71. A Fernet at R Bar

72. Arancini at Ducca

73. Popovers with strawberry butterat the Rotunda

74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyère at the Sentinel

75. Fried green beans at Coco500

76. Chicken hash at Ella’s

77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie

78. Chilaquiles with a fried egg at Pastores

79. Onion strings at Alfred’s Steakhouse

80. Apple fritter at Bob’s Donuts

81. Chicken curry at Punjab Kabab House

82. Fried chickpeas at Piqueo’s

83. Sweet-potato fries with banana catsup at Poleng Lounge

84. A margarita at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant

85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ

86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza

87. Fresh spring rolls at Out the Door

88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz

89. Lamb schawerma at Truly Mediterranean

90. Slow-cooked egg at Coi

91. Albondigas soup at Mijita

92. Bacon-wrapped hot dog from a cart in the Mission (preferably when you’re drunk)

93. Seven courses of beef at Pagolac

94. Mango with chile, lemon and salt at Doña Tere’s cart

95. 3 a.m. bowl of caldo verde soup at Grubstake

96. Baby-coconut ice cream from Mitchell’s

97. Sesame balls at Yank Sing

98. Basil gimlet at Rye

99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.

100. Cheese course at Gary Danko

Packing pains

We're getting ready for our move on Friday (we're moving into a 2-bedroom just over the hill in North Beach) and the packing brigade is well under way. In fact, Saturday we managed to make a sizable dent and have most of our clothes/dishes/etc. in boxes. So much stuff is packed, in fact, that I can't show pictures of the box chaos - so, instead, you get pictures of our new apartment...

The front of the building:









The kitchen:









Either our room or the living room:









Views!

To tell or not to tell?...

We've all had those instances where we're with someone who has a giant something in their teeth. So here's the age old question - do you tell them, or wait for them to look in the mirror to figure it out themselves? I think the hope with doing the latter is that it'll be less embarrassing for the food-endowed-tooth person. No way! How would you like to walk around with food in your mug all day knowing people have been staring and not saying anything?

Take it to the next level - the stranger. Do you tell or not? Here are some circumstances to think on:

• Price-tag lady - yesterday I saw a label clad woman walking down the street with dressed up men on either side (co-workers?) talking about the "posh life." As she walked, the red Lohman's clearance sticker kept flashing before my eyes - from the bottom of her shoe. Posh life my right foot. To tell? Or not to tell?
• Lettuce teeth server - I frequent a place called "Mixt Greens" for an over-priced salad lunch too often. One day, a server had some mixed greens in their teeth (oddly enough, the green matched that of my spinach salad). To tell? Or not to tell?
• Booger boss - let me preface this with my boss is perfect in every way (and reads this blog from time to time) but what would you do if your boss had a giant boogy? Take it to the next level - what if they had a biggun and were going into a Board Meeting just after talking to you about a project that would require all weekend long work? To tell? Or not to tell?

Share the road! Bikes and cars can be nice in SF ... or can they?

Today riding home from work I got into an ... altercation. I was on a "share the road" street when a car started honking at me. When I stopped at a light I looked left and a guy in a HUGE silver truck with his wife and kid in the passenger seat rolled down the window and yelled:

Guy: "You're not allowed to be on the road! Bikes can't be on the road."

'Um' ... I thought, just over the weekend the front of the newspaper proclaimed California a biking state and the streets all over the city have bike lanes and share the road signs.

Me: "You should read the CA driver's laws again - bikes can be on the road."

Light turned green and we both went off. Next light, I pulled up and stopped and asked the guy to roll his window down.

Me: "Sir, can I get your plate number? Seems you forgot to put it on your car."

A long pause.

Guy: "This is a new car."

Me: "Oh, OK. Still mad about bikes on the road?"

Guy: "I just couldn't get around you" (I had been weaving around the trolly coming into my lane.)

Me: "Oh, where should I have ridden?"

Guy: Silent ... light turned green and guy drove off.

Two things - first, don't ever yell at someone in front of your child. Ever. Second, if you're going to yell or start an on-the-road battle, know the laws!

On the road again

I wasn't able to run all week because I could barely feel my feet let alone stand on them. Those orthodics really did me in. Today, though, I woke, looked at all the empty boxes around our house waiting to be filled, and wanted to procrastinate. How's that for motivation to get running again?! I only made it for a 3-miler, but it felt great. A bit eerie, though - the city was dead quiet this morning (I was running at 8am).

Tips to get going again:

• Think of something you need to do, and procrastinate doing it by running
• Get your running clothes on - it's tough to go back to bed in spandex and running shoes
• Scan Runner's World and Women's Health and Fitness magazines
• Think of the great brunch you'll make post run
• GO!
  

After a marathon

This is hands down the funniest video I've seen in a while ... and so true! I've seen it posted in a few places and couldn't help but post here.

Who designed that??

Riding home from work today I was "Sunday biking" - in other words, I was going at a glacial pace taking in the sites - namely, the tourists and San Franciscans. A few years back San Francisco got voted worst dressed city - I love this city, but I'm afraid I have to agree.

Here are a few of the culprits:

• The off-the-shoulder sweater: if clothes were designed for function and style, was this was designed for big-headed women?
  
• The shoulder pads: I swear, I saw some and I really hope they don't make a come-back. I remember the old blond joke "Why did the blond wear shoulder pads?" The answer? Nodding head side to side with ears hitting shoulders "I don't know."
• The boyfriend jeans: Matt made the best comment on these last night, "So, are those for girls with no boyfriend to wear and pretend they have a boyfriend? Weird."
• The gladiator sandals: I know people love these but I don't get them. The tan they render is awful, the comfort factor minimal, and the style points negligible - they look like nice shoes a dog got ahold of and tore up.

Gosh, 83 plastic surgery visits and I could be a Rivers!

What I learned in grad school, I could have learned in the Kaiser half

Running always gives time for thinking. This weeks half marathon gave me lots of time for thinking (1:39 to be precise) and again my mind turned to work. I find it ironic how many ties running has to the workplace. Why the irony? I run to turn "off" of work - to give my brain a break.

Winding through the streets of the Golden Gate park and around the Ocean, my mind wandered to workplace politics and I found some interesting ties with races.

• Those who start further up, have a better chance of finishing first

I started the race with Linz and Brett - we started at the 8-min per mile mark because we weren't planning on sprinting out in the beginning and we knew we waned uneven splits (slower in the start, faster in the end). After the gun went off, it took a good 2-minutes to even cross the starting line - because we started in the middle of the pack, it was a slow start and seemed to slow down all the way to the starting line - then the crowd picked up. Apparently people don't think the "race" starts until you cross the starting line. Because of this slow start we had to weave around groups of runners and walkers who clearly did not plan to run 8-minute miles thus stalling our races even more.

(Side note, even though I started with the 8-min group, I ran 7-7:30s. Not too shabby.)

In the workplace, if you're lucky/smart/good enough to negotiate a good job and salary right out of school, it's easier to "move to the front of the pack" in the work place. You can negotiate better "jumps" when you switch jobs in both title and salary. You're automatically looked upon as a "higher up" which gives many advantages including having an easier time running meetings and managing up, down, and side to side.

• Backup plans can hold you back - running with money in your shoe hurts!
  

Not wanting to deal with a 50-minute bus ride to the start of the race, we taxi'd over to the start line. Having no pockets and no-where else to put my cash, I stashed it in my shoe. Matt was going to pick us up (he did) but I wanted extra money in case he forgot or didn't make it. Hence, the backup plan in my shoe. BIG mistake! 3-miles into the run the cash wad was rubbing the skin off my foot. 6-miles into the race my foot was a bloody mess. I wonder if they'll still accept the cash when I go to purchase shoes?

In the workplace, if you're always thinking of an "out" or a backup strategy, you're likely not going to execute on the job at hand as well. There are many examples of this but let's take the careers in general example - if you're always looking for another job for a "backup" you're likely not focused on the job in front of you. Even if you are focused, you're either a scared nilly and not performing to par because you're second guessing, or you just don't care as much as you should. Work doesn't have to be the passion in life, but it should be something you enjoy and aren't always second guessing.

• Don't run someone else's race - it slows you down

The last 4-miles of the race were painful - after emerging from the park's shade and beauty, we ran along the ocean. Two miles up the ocean towards the zoo, then 2-miles back. The back leg was the WORST. I kept looking at the oncoming runners wondering where my friends were, how the other runners felt, what our times were, how people trained - you get the picture. Then I saw a man collapse coming in the oncoming runner traffic and I nearly stopped in my footsteps. He had a crowd around him and an ambulance came in minutes, but I started feeling so much for him that I forgot my race.

(Side-note - I think helping people is more important than winning. But when the ambulance is there, there's not much else you can do).

In the workplace, if you're constantly helping others complete their job because they can't or they have some reason that you need to help, you're "running their race." On the same point, if you're always looking at someone else's job and thinking "I want to do that" you're both a) not doing your job as well as you could, and b) not going to "do that" because you're not proving you can do what was already tasked for you. Believe me, I've seen it happen.

• If you think you can go faster or do better, go faster and do better

In running we all try to pace ourselves or hit certain mile or race marks. I was shooting for a 1:37, which I unfortunately didn't get, but I was shooting for this because I've hit it before. The first time I ran a half marathon I was going for a 2:00 - about 4-miles in I thought I could go faster, so I did. Low and behold, I nailed a 1:37. The point is, don't slow down or stick to a slower pace because you think that's what you're supposed to do.

In the workplace the same rule applies - namely, if you're trucking along just getting "good enough" done because that's what's expected, but you know you can do "better than great" - then do it! Don't hold yourself back because other peoples' expectation is that you can't do better - prove them wrong.

• If you're a walker, don't get in the runners lane - same thing goes for the other way around

The one thing that always kills me in races is walkers in the runner's lanes. I know, this sounds like it's going against the point above but it's different - often people "walk" races - just to walk them, not for time. These are the "walkers" who are supposed to be on the right side of the race lane and they're not thinking of going faster, trying to go faster, or wanting to go faster. They're walkers. As such, they should stay to the left - otherwise, they're putting the races of all those around them in peril just because.

In the workplace, there are people who think "good enough" is OK and who just want to slide by on this logic. That's fine! It's not for me, but it's fine. That said, if "good enough" is OK, don't push it on co-workers. Don't try to hold them down to "good enough." This staying pattern doesn't excel companies, doesn't excel individuals, and certainly won't get you to an IPO or bought (not that I'm wishing or anything).

Curious how I learned all this in 1:39 during Kaiser? I started with the wrong group and got held back from the get go. I ran with a backup plan and got a bloody painful foot because of it. I dodged walkers nearly ripping my groin (again!). All in all, though, I had a good time.