Looking Back: October
After the month of September, where I did a lot of running but no races, October was the month of races but not as many miles. Having a couple of taper weeks really gave me a chance to do something besides running for a change! Here are some of the highlights of October:
Running: Like I said, although I had two races, my monthly total was not my highest. The first weekend was taper week, then it was the big race, then it was taper and then it was another race. Total miles for October = 140. Over half of them (76) were race miles.
Books: Hurray! This month I actually read 8 books. This is mostly due to the fact that I have not been on the internet, but it also due to one weekend of flying, in which I read almost two books. I finished the Percy Jackson series. The others were State of Wonder, Bossypants, The Art of Fielding & Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Of all of them, my favorite was probably State of Wonder. The Percy Jackson series was fun, but was probably about 3 out of 5 stars across the board.
Travel: I went to Philadelphia and DC for the Marine Corps Marathon, but that will be another post in itself. I also went up to Sonoma county with some friends for a nice day of eating and wine tasting. We had brunch at Parish Cafe in Healdsburg and then went to the Williams Seylem winery for some wine and treats. They were having an event and there were tasty treats like local cornbread with bacon, olive oil and chocolates. To be honest, we never made it to a second winery! But we had a very good time.
Friends: I spent one weekend with my brother and his lady. It was fun, as it was the one year anniversary of Broski's first race. In the last year, he has gone from running a few miles a week to wanting to try his first marathon soon! His longest run to date has been about 21 miles! I am so proud of how far he's come and it was really fun to do this race again together. This time, since it was the day after my 50 mile race, I walked the 5k with the lady and her sister while Broski ran the 10k with Dad. I also had some friends from the Midwest visit on Halloween, and we had a great time wandering around the city, eating burritos in the Mission and enjoying all the great costumes.
Food: It's that time of year again! I made an old favorite, Pumpkin Spice Muffins and of course lots of curries, stews and bean dishes. However, due to tapering and too many office parties, traveling and friends being in town, I did not really make very good food choices in October. I ate way too much! I need to get a handle on that before the "real" holidays are here! I sure do love me some desserts, fancy dips, carb heavy brunches, wines, cheeses, and meals out with many courses though! And let's not forget nuts. I ate a whole (16 oz) jar of peanuts at my desk the other day.
Music: I really love our local music venue, The Fox Theater, which is small enough that no matter where you are, you can see the band clearly. This was the month of concerts! I got to see Passion Pit, Joy Formidable, and Two Door Cinema Club. I also had a great time at a Bryan Adams concert in Santa Rosa. Have I mentioned that my first concert ever was Bryan Adams? I have to say; he still rocks it.
Other Highlights: Finding a great new brunch place with fabulous corned beef hash (they also have duck confit, which I love!), hosting my Aunt and her boyfriend in San Francisco for the day, only falling off my bike once in the middle of traffic, the regrowth of my new toenail, the BART strike, a really great team pot luck at work, the Government Shutdown and a gorgeous sunset over Lake Merritt.
How was your October? What is your favorite Autumn recipe? What is your favorite brunch item?
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| Lake Merritt |
Running: Like I said, although I had two races, my monthly total was not my highest. The first weekend was taper week, then it was the big race, then it was taper and then it was another race. Total miles for October = 140. Over half of them (76) were race miles.
Books: Hurray! This month I actually read 8 books. This is mostly due to the fact that I have not been on the internet, but it also due to one weekend of flying, in which I read almost two books. I finished the Percy Jackson series. The others were State of Wonder, Bossypants, The Art of Fielding & Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Of all of them, my favorite was probably State of Wonder. The Percy Jackson series was fun, but was probably about 3 out of 5 stars across the board.
Travel: I went to Philadelphia and DC for the Marine Corps Marathon, but that will be another post in itself. I also went up to Sonoma county with some friends for a nice day of eating and wine tasting. We had brunch at Parish Cafe in Healdsburg and then went to the Williams Seylem winery for some wine and treats. They were having an event and there were tasty treats like local cornbread with bacon, olive oil and chocolates. To be honest, we never made it to a second winery! But we had a very good time.
 |
| San Francisco mini tour |
Friends: I spent one weekend with my brother and his lady. It was fun, as it was the one year anniversary of Broski's first race. In the last year, he has gone from running a few miles a week to wanting to try his first marathon soon! His longest run to date has been about 21 miles! I am so proud of how far he's come and it was really fun to do this race again together. This time, since it was the day after my 50 mile race, I walked the 5k with the lady and her sister while Broski ran the 10k with Dad. I also had some friends from the Midwest visit on Halloween, and we had a great time wandering around the city, eating burritos in the Mission and enjoying all the great costumes.
Food: It's that time of year again! I made an old favorite, Pumpkin Spice Muffins and of course lots of curries, stews and bean dishes. However, due to tapering and too many office parties, traveling and friends being in town, I did not really make very good food choices in October. I ate way too much! I need to get a handle on that before the "real" holidays are here! I sure do love me some desserts, fancy dips, carb heavy brunches, wines, cheeses, and meals out with many courses though! And let's not forget nuts. I ate a whole (16 oz) jar of peanuts at my desk the other day.
Music: I really love our local music venue, The Fox Theater, which is small enough that no matter where you are, you can see the band clearly. This was the month of concerts! I got to see Passion Pit, Joy Formidable, and Two Door Cinema Club. I also had a great time at a Bryan Adams concert in Santa Rosa. Have I mentioned that my first concert ever was Bryan Adams? I have to say; he still rocks it.
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| Angst over the Government Shutdown |
Other Highlights: Finding a great new brunch place with fabulous corned beef hash (they also have duck confit, which I love!), hosting my Aunt and her boyfriend in San Francisco for the day, only falling off my bike once in the middle of traffic, the regrowth of my new toenail, the BART strike, a really great team pot luck at work, the Government Shutdown and a gorgeous sunset over Lake Merritt.
How was your October? What is your favorite Autumn recipe? What is your favorite brunch item?