13.1 - I'm doing it

Since I started this adventure in running, I've kept my goals very attainable and that's been intentional. I did not want to set myself up for failure. I know myself too well and fear that not hitting a big goal early on would have kept me from pursuing it any further. So I've made them manageable. I've been inspired by what I've read in Runner's World as well as friends and other bloggers who have made running a key part of what and who they are.

So I've run a few 5K's now and covered a 10K distance a time or two. And I had the time of my life crewing and even running part of the Kettle Moraine 100 Ultramarathon. And now it's time for me to make a run (no pun intended) at a bigger goal: a half-marathon. And today, I put money up and registered. I'm doing it. I'll run the half-marathon component of the Illinois Marathon on Saturday, 1 May 2010 at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, IL. I'm in.

I've decided I'm going to hook up with a half-marathon training group too. CARA, the Chicago Area Runners Association, puts on a winter clinic and I'm going to do that, too. I want to run this one well. 13.1 miles...wow. 18 monthis ago, one mile was not even on the radar and here we are...thinking 13.1 is doable. Am I crazy?

5 Spiced Pork Belly Sandwich

I'm just back from two days in Manhattan and need to get caught up a host of things, but had to post this. As you know, I've been obsessing about eating at Num Pang Sandwich Shop for quite awhile now and that became a reality on Tuesday. Nothing was going to stop me from getting there. Not even the rain, of which there was plenty in NYC the last two days.

Anyway, I took two of my staff and we jumped on the N train to head down to the 14th Street Station and then it was a quick walk to this little temple of goodness. You order outside and then if you choose to eat in, you head upstairs once your sandwich is done. That's what we did.

I ordered the Five Spiced Pork Belly Sandwich and in the simplest terms possible, liked to have died. It was an incredible sandwich. The bread, a crusty on the outside but tender on the inside, French roll enveloped the pork belly, the cucumber, and the other goodness that this sandwich possessed. Even the grilled Asian pear added an unexpected but good sweetness and crunch. I loved this sandwich.
Unbelievably good!

On the way back we dropped into one of the Crumbs for cupcakes. Oh my! The Cookie Dough Cupcake was outrageous. As in outrageously good - I mean a creamy mashed up Oreo in the center. Awesome. The Red Velvet, the standard bearer of cupcakes in my book, was a slight disappointment - a tad dry and too much icing and way too much of those waxy sprinkles. I'm glad because then it made me feel a little less like I was cheating on Foiled Cupcakes.

Those indulgences led me to my morning run up 5th Avenue this morning in the rain. It was one of the best runs in terms of just plain fun that I've had in a long time. It was really good. It was about 52 degrees and the rain wasn't too hard that it made things miserable, but when I got back after a quick three miler, I was drenched. The bellman at the hotel wasn't completely sure he should let me back in. He did and now I'm home again. It's good to be home.

Now to contemplate what sandwich I'll order next...

The Week Ahead

Today was Stake Conference which meant a reduced Church meeting schedule for me, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's allowed me to get caught up on a lot of things, including a slew of things for my Mom. I've also spent some time in the wreckage that is our basement. We are awaiting a bid from a contractor and the approval of the insurance company so we can move forward on the repair work from the stupid exploding water heater. I get the feeling we are in for the long haul on this one.

I have also had some time to think about the week ahead. Here's a look at what's on tap:

- New York City. Couple of days of work meetings-staff and suppliers. A fancy pants Star Alliance event for Continental Airlines as they bid farewell to Skyteam. Lunch at Numpang. A run through Central Park. Probable delayed flight on the return (weather isn't looking great this week for NYC or the Midwest) which means bonus miles - thank you, Mother United. Can you guess what I am most excited about? If you said Numpang, you would be correct.
Cannot WAIT to try one of these!

- Phoenix. Seeing Mom. It will be good to see her. I am so proud of her for how she is handling her new situation. She's tapped into a strength that she's always had but it's been dormant for awhile. Like I said, I'm just really proud of her.

It's been a good day and it's not yet over, but I'm ready to crawl under a blanket for a little while and read a book. I've just started reading Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's book, Highest Duty. I'm barely into it but I can tell it's written in his voice. Having had the honor of meeting him, I can totally hear his voice in these pages. It's a good read.

Why I love my alma mater

Tomorrow, my alma mater, Brigham Young University, will be the home for ESPN's College Game Day and that is cool. Tomorrow's game is big - #16 BYU goes up against #8 TCU. TCU spanked us last year so it promises to be quite a game. I'm proud of my school's football team, but honestly, it's not why I love the school. It's for gems like this that appear in the school's newspaper, the Daily Universe:

Trespassing

Oct. 11 Several female students left their apartment for 30 minutes to attend ward prayer. When they returned to their apartment, they found a severed elk head on their kitchen table. The suspects could not be identified and the elk was disposed of at the materials handling building.

I am not making this up. I only wish I were THAT creative. Read it here if you don't believe me. Awesome. Just awesome.