Sunday, September 11th: Jinshan-Fengxian-Pudong (3 districts of Shanghai) Another 61 mile ride in the books. So, within 32 hours, we cycled about 123 miles. But whereas Day 1 took about 5 hours 45 minutes including breaks, Day 2 took a total of 7 hours 25 minutes😩 Stiff headwind, some posterior fatigue and heavy packs full…
Category: Fitness
42 for 42 Challenge Completed
“No Trespassing” during my 42 for 42 Challenge?! Shame, shame, shame! (even though it’s to keep us safe near river beds during flash flooding) [42.195 km is 26.2 miles=a marathon >>born on this day in ‘78 in this county, about 2 hours east of here, in Twentynine Palms] Here’s to every one we have lost,…
How is New Zealand Different?
Running down the trail, sulphur fumes permeate my nostrils. Steaming gases rise in the distance. Blackened craters spew acidic steam. Just down the road, a traditional Maori village welcomes foreigners to watch–and learn, for men–the Haka war ritual. Sacred Maori lands are home to Middle Earth, where I ran as close to Mount Doom as…
New Zealand Adventure!
I have to use the ! when writing about this place. There’s a reason it’s become the place to be. Here are annotated photos from my first full day in Auckland and running on Waiheke Island. 😭😭😭Her visa application was rejected. So, my beautiful girlfriend is in the Philippines right now. 我是一个人。 This tree is…
China: Marathon Training Weekend
Friday, October 25th: 10 x 1 mile “Square” relay around Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. Our InterSport team up against 106 other corporate teams from around Shanghai. Leigh & I rushed in from work, way from the other side of the city. Very little time to warm up–enough stretching time but only about 3/4 mile…
This is the Chinese Dream
I’m living it… Saturday, October 19th on the East Bund Cruising, relaxed, from Rob’s Tower to within .8km of the East Bund’s terminal northern point. My longest training run in China. It’s one of the world’s nicest urban waterfronts. On Sunday, nothing like a trip to Disneyland with my wonderful girlfriend:
A Year in China, III
9/15: That was eerily rational. Chinese folks, at least 4 at once, stood fast as several of us exited the train at South Shaanxi. Wow. 9/16: Tired but less humidity, breezy, good air. I’m heading to InterSport. 4 classes today but felt like 2. 3 were 80 minute periods. But these sixth graders are great….
A Year in China–Part I
8/18: LA to Shanghai. Am I the only one who enjoys 12-14 hour flights? Watched “blackish,” “Pet Sematary.” Read LA Times, New York Times. Studied Chinese. Did sets of squats. Looking forward somewhat to Shanghai but anxious about training being interrupted by bad air quality. I should be positive. In typical Chinese fashion, Guilin pops…
What if I Fall?
I could fall straight down Through to oblivion Crumpled, broken at the bottom Fuck that! I’m moving up! This thing is bigger than each of us Trashed, abandoned, hopeless (?) Never Catch yourself Allow yourself to be caught Never lose sight of the One… There is a passage ahead Get back into it Hold each…
Hanging On
5 more days in the gym since Monday. XXXVII days now in the gym with air cast. 6 weeks, 3 days since fracture. I hiked around yesterday for about 23,000 steps. It was a cool winter’s day. And it felt great. Eagerly, I await my final x Ray on Tuesday. I hope it shows complete…
Counting Down, I Hope
Thursday, 11/29-Monday, 12/04: 4 of 5 days in the gym. Basically, same routines–alternating arm-back days with legs days. 2 days with more abbreviated workouts. That’s now XXXII days in the gym since my air cast was put on 5 weeks ago. Lifetime record number of days in a gym within such a time frame. It…
Gym XXVI-XXVIII
Wednesday, 11/28: Arms & Back (minus shoulder press, bicep curl) Tuesday, 11/27: Legs Monday, 11/26: Arms & Back (minus lats)