2009: A Year In Review

This year has been a pretty good year for me, especially in comparison to 2008. While 2008 wasn’t all bad, there were many challenging moments and a lot changes and adjustments. The most striking of course being my return to being a brunette! OMG I KNOW! haha (Well, it was *kind of* a big change after 10-15? years of blonde highlights!) :o)

2009 Travel

I traveled a lot this year, but not quite as much as last year. Though both years of flown miles in US Airways have resulted in me achieving Gold Elite status, this year I just barely made the cut (50,385 preferred miles of 50,000 required) while last year I just came shy of making Platinum Elite status (71,562 preferred miles of 75,000 required .. DARN! SO CLOSE! I knew I shouldn’t have taken those two Southwest flights! GRR!!!)

The cities I got to visit this year were a mixture of old and new. The old being New York, Lake Tahoe, Austin, Paris, Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans, Arlington, Washington DC, Sonoma, Phoenix, and finally Charlotte. The new being two cities in Canada! I had never been to Canada before and oddly enough went there twice this year for tradeshows for work. The first was in Vancouver and the second in Toronto.

2009 Races

I ran a number of races this year including a 5K, 5 mile Turkey Trot, a 15K trail race, two half marathons, and two full marathons!

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And now, a brief review of each month and significant events during that month. Are you sitting down? Do you have your popcorn? Is your DVR set in case you read this three times and miss your favorite show because its so entertaining??

January 2009

In January I thought .. what could I do to totally limit my freedom from work this year? How about using up 5 of the 10 days I get for vacation for the whole year? Okay lets do it! Let’s head to New York for a week! David and I headed up to the Big Apple for 5 days to enjoy the sunny warm weather that New Yorkers enjoy each January. Okay can you sense the sarcasm? It was freezing and the weather was awful the whole week there, but we went with a purpose and had a great time. Really!!

Times Square New York

We are both big fans of Malcolm Gladwell, author of the Tipping Point, Blink, and his latest book at that time – Outliers! I saw that he was speaking on his new book at the 92^nd Street Y and bought tickets as a birthday gift for David. The book itself is really interesting and I’d recommend it, along with his others, to just about anyone!! His latest book (at that time) "Outliers" looks into how people become successful. The format of his appearance at the 92nd Street Y was a conversational interview where he discussed his book and answered questions with a moderator. After the conclusion of the interview/discussion he then did a book signing! Luckily we both had fresh copies of our books for him to sign!! Yay!! (Nerds!)

Meeting Malcolm Gladwell

After New York I zipped back across the country to Lake Tahoe for my company’s annual sales meeting. We stayed at Squaw Valley resort, home of the 1955 Winter Olympics! It was an absolutely beautiful resort and on our free afternoon I got to go skiing for the first time in years! What a great trip! I love my job!

Squaw Valley - Lake Tahoe

February 2009

February (being the shortest month of the year of course) came and went fairly quickly. The most notable event of February 2009 was running the Austin Half Marathon! This was David’s first half marathon and my sixth. (For additional reading on my Half Marathon Protégées, check out my blog on Sharing My Obsession.)

Austin Half Marathon - Before & After

March 2009

In March of this year I ran my second race, and David (my favorite race partner) was my companion. We ran the XTERRA Black Mountain Race in the Black Mountain Regional Park just east of Del Mar (which is just North of San Diego). I had only run one trail race several years before and was not quite mentally prepared for what this race would entail. (EEK!!) We started out the race running on a trail as a pack, then thinned out to a single file line, then we were able to spread out a bit as the trail widened, and most of the race after that proceeded as normal. We ran up and down and UP and down hills, ran through a small creek (EWE!), and then finally ran about a mile and a half UPHILL to the finish line. Um yeah, I don’t think I’ll run that race again. I find racing on flat ground challenging enough! It was fun and different though and I’m glad we did it. I enjoy new experiences!

After the race, we went to my first World Classic Baseball game! Korea and Japan were in the finals in 2009 which happened to be played at the Padre’s home Petco Park in San Diego. Lured by the bold design of the “K” hats that the Korea team had, I decided to become a Korea fan. Go Korea!

World Baseball Classic

"K" For KOREA!

April 2009

I made my first trip of the year home to San Francisco in April for Easter. I drove up with my dogs (and thanks to my company observing Good Friday as a holiday) I was able to enjoy a nice 3-day weekend in my hometown. Easter morning my BFF Garley and I attended an Easter service at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and then met up again later that morning for brunch with my dad, her husband, and son.

Easter Service at Grace Cathedral

Easter Brunch at the Cliff House

May 2009

May was a big month for me this past year, mostly because my 10^th marathon was coming around! About a month before the marathon I received one of the marathon’s newsletters advertising the “Foot Locker Challenge”.

About the Foot Locker Challenge:

Known as the "race within the race," The Foot Locker County Challenge is a unique program in which local Rock 'n' Roll Marathon runners are selected to represent their communities within San Diego County at the race. The group of six will run the first half of the marathon as a team. At the 13-mile mark, each member of the team is free to break away from the pack, and the participant who finishes the marathon in the fastest time captures the title of Foot Locker County Challenge Champion.

The winner of the Foot Locker County Challenge will receive a prize package including a two-night at one of San Diego's finest hotels and an exclusive trophy from Tiffany & Co. All six participants in the Foot Locker County Challenge will receive VIP treatment throughout race weekend and will also receive exclusive Foot Locker County Challenge uniforms courtesy of Sugoi.

Registered runners living within San Diego County who expect to finish the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in an estimated time of 3:45:00 and 4:00:00 hours are eligible to complete a questionnaire about their running experiences and explain why they should be chosen to represent their community. Once the questionnaires are reviewed, a select group of applicants are interviewed via phone and in-person by a panel of Foot Locker and Elite Racing representatives.

As soon as I got the email about this challenge I knew I wanted to apply! I wrote in my story, submitted my application, and about a month later I received a call from someone in PR at Foot Locker who was calling to interview me! OMG! OMG! I then made it through the initial phone screening with Foot Locker and was then invited to an in-person interview with the Competitor Group (who runs the Rock N Roll Marathons) in San Diego. About a week after the interview with the Competitor Group I received a call with the good news … I made the challenge team! OMG! OMG! Being chosen for the team was an amazing honor and fun, exclusive experience that made my 10^th marathon that much more special. For more details about the Foot Locker Challenge team or my marathon experience, you can read my blog "Marathon #10 - Check!"

Foot Locker Challenge Team 2009

June 2009

June is one of my favorite months in the year! First of all, it’s the month that holds two very special birthdays – mine and my dad’s! On the same day! Twinsies!! Growing up June also always marked the end of the school year, the beginning of summer, and the start of a few months of fun and freedom. Whooeee!

Happy Birthday!

This year I decided to come home for my birthday and put together a joint celebration with my dad. We planned a BBQ in Golden Gate Park and invited a bunch of friends. David and his brother Ken made the trip north with me by car, with no dogs for a change! Wow! We stopped in Isla Vista on the way up (Go Gauchos! UCSB4LIFE!) and had lunch at one of my favorite places of all times.. Silver Greens!

We had a pretty packed weekend in San Francisco planned. We had me & my dad's birthday BBQ celebration in the park, we went out in the city, wevdid a quick tour of the major tourist spots in the city for Ken, and went to an A’s vs.Oriole’s game in Oakland. Whew! For more details you can read my blog about the week with Ken & David in CA, including the trip to SF. (A Week of K.A. in CA).

Beautiful San Francisco Day

The trip home and the BBQ were a lot of fun, but my adventures in June were not over yet! As a birthday gift, my mom flew me out to Paris to visit her for a week! I hadn’t been to Paris since I was maybe 8 or 10 years old and could barely remember anything besides eating masses of choclate croissants! The trip was a lot of fun and it was a different and enjoyable experience to be visiting Europe for the first time as an “adult”. More details about my trip are in my blog entry "A Week in Paris: Silver Flats: 7 Ways in 7 Days"

Notre Dame - Paris, France

July 2009

July of last year was the second month in the year that I didn’t travel … at all! I spent the majority of my weekends relaxing, taking my dogs to the dog park, hanging out by the pool, or hanging out by the beach.

Sunny Day at the Dog Park

My Summer Best Friend - Tan Hello Kitty!!

(Thanks Johanne!!)

One significant thing did occur in July, though it was more like the start of quest than an actual event. After a lifetime of solitary faith and religious exploration, I finally decided that I’d like to start going to a church regularly. I looked online for churches closest to me and checked a few out. The first few either scared me or made me feel uncomfortable because they seemed too gloom and doom or way too conservative for my taste. After attending those I decided that maybe a “hip” church was what I wanted. I found one like in downtown San Diego but when I went there I still felt totally out of place. I decided to swing the other way and then check out a Methodist church upon the suggestion of my dad, but decided I didn’t want to bring the average age of their congregation down from 87. No offense to the seniors of the world!

In the end, I found something that was exactly what I was looking for – The Rock Church! I love this church! The first time I went I was a bit intimidated by the size of the church (seats 3,500 and has 5 services a day) and the spectacle that it seemed to be (rock band, light effects, big camera boom arm swinging around taping things like its an episode of Oprah), but ended up enjoying the anonymity of things, the vibe, the message, and the pastors. I enjoyed the sermons and liked the feeling of the church, and after a couple months of searching this one felt right at home! Ahhh!

August 2009

I was back on the road in August and hit Baltimore, Boston, and Vancouver, Canada. While in Boston I got to have lunch right around the corner from the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Wow! That was neat! I of course had to be a running nerd and take pictures!

Boston Marathon Finish Line!

A couple weeks after the Baltimore/Boston trip I headed north to Vancouver. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Vancouver or Canada as a whole, but I was pleasantly surprised. Vancouver was a beautiful city with a really nice downtown area and a great selection of restaurants.

Vancouver Convention Center Jenga Wall!

September 2009

(You still hanging in there with me reading this? Wow, either I’m a fascinating writer or someone’s procrastinating at work! Gotcha! Jk

September brought me back to the great Northeast. As with my visit the previous month to Boston, I arrived to the news of “oh, too bad you’re just coming now. The weather is supposed to be bad. But it was *JUST* so beautiful earlier in the week!” Sigh .. great. Cold and rainy, my favorite!

I was in Boston for work for two events and had a day off in between the two. This weekend happened to coincide with my first scheduled 20 mile run of two in my training plan for the Marine Corps Marathon. While trying to figure out where to run 20 miles in the Boston area one of my Nor’easter running friends Martin suggested that I could run a half-marathon he was running in Plymouth and then run 7 more miles after that. HAHAHA! That’s crazy right? Well guess who did it? And David flew in for the weekend too to join in on the craziness.

It rained. We ran. We conquered.

David Beating the Rain

For more details check out my Boston blog "20 Miles in the Rain".

Upon returning from Boston I started my first week of twelve as a coach for Girls On The Run! More details on this blog "26 Girls on the Run".

October 2009

Since I apparently hadn’t had enough cold for the Fall, in October I head back east … back to Canada! The other side of Canada this time .. Toronto! Toronto was also a fun city, though of the two I prefer Vancouver.

Happy 40th Birthday!
(My coworkers sent me a gag 40th b-day cake. Har har!)

A couple weeks after the trip to Vancouver the second huge running event of my year rolled around … the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA! This was marathon #11 for me and I was running with a partner for the first time ever! David was crazy enough to agree to train with me and run this as his very first marathon. We trained for 18 weeks and during that time also raised money for the organization Back On My Feet. (more details on "Running for a Reason")

Marine Corps Marathon 2009

Each marathon has been a special experience for me, and when I ran on the Foot Locker Challenge team in June I thought that my 10th race was my crowning event!

I was wrong.

Running WITH David in such a historic race (with the incredible support of his family) was soooo much better. This was by far my favorite marathon ever! (for more details see my blog on the Marine Corps Marathon.)

November 2009

As the leaves changed from green to yellow and red and orange to brown … my year of business travel winded down to an end. Whew! Finally! I actually like traveling for work, but sometimes I just hit a point where I’m tired and just want to be home on the couch with my dogs and DVR. I know, I'm old.

My last business trip for the year was to New Orleans for a tradeshow. The trip was enjoyable but I tired quickly of purely fried food. Yuck! It was near impossible to order a dinner that didn’t have something deep fried in it! EWE! I’m surprised that they haven’t figured out a way to deep fry lettuce yet! They’ve mastered the tomatoes, pickles, and green beans!

I saw a couple of “celebrities” on this trip which made things a bit exciting! For more details check out my blog "Four Days in New Orleans"..

Street Car - New Orleans, LA

Soon after coming home from New Orleans it was time to pack my bags again and head out. Sigh.. This time by car, and with my dogs. We were headed home to San Francisco for Thanksgiving! I ran a Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving, spent Thanksgiving day and dinner with my dad, and then headed up to Sonoma for two days of wine tasting! There is nothing better than being "Home for the Holidays"!

Thanksgiving Lunch @ Max's Cafe

December 2009

The year went by quicker than any previous ones I could remember. Before I knew it, the calendar said December! Wow!

My first trip of this month was out to MD/VA to celebrate David’s birthday and to take my first trip in TEN years back to my grandparents old farm. It was truly a "Walk Down Memory Lane".

As luck would have it, I got to Maryland ust in time for the first snowfall! Yippee! JK I kid, I kid! Man,I need to stop calling the cold weather spirits out of hiding! This California girl can’t take the cold!!

My Grandparent's Farm
(New Windsor, MD)

The weekend following my trip to MD/VA marked the end of the 12-week Girls On The Run season and the final event – the Jingle Bell 5K! So bittersweet! The event (and the whole experience coaching) was really amazing and was one of the best experiences I’d had all year!! Yep, it came close to beating the Marine Corps Marathon experience. For more details about our GOTR finale 5k, check out my blog "Girls On The Run 5K".

Girls On The Run - 5K Event

This Jingle Bell 5K was my last blog entry prior to this one, meaning it was the last significant event of record this year! No wait ... Christmas and New Years Eve also occurred in 2009! I’m actually on the plane back from that trip right now and I’m thinking the holidays might get a blog entry of their very own next week.

So for now, that’s all folks! 2009 was a good year for me, and hopefully it was for you too. Its incredible to think that its now 2010. Even 5 years ago that date seemed so futuristically funny. And here we are already, a new decade!

Happy New Years and best wishes to you for a great 2010!