Running up the hill from Crissey Field in San Francisco, a wide expanse of ocean unfolds and I take in the breathtaking natural beauty of the Pacific Ocean. It was an incredible race last weekend at the San Francisco Marathon with pristine views from the Presidio, the retro chic of the Haight, and the bustling tourism of Fisherman's Wharf. It was a visual experience to savor.

San Fran is the third marathon that I have participated in. I was actually a bit worried about how I would do, gauging from my previous experiences. Both Chicago and San Diego were good races, but they are both relatively flat. I also misjudged the preparation necessary during training for the San Diego, which caught up with me at mile 16 of the race. I was really overcome by my aching legs and my cottage cheese brain, but had friends to pull me through to the end. This time around, I was not only training by myself, but also the course was ten times hillier. What am I thinking?

I had some real concerns. I stepped up my training equivalent or better than what I had done for the Chicago. I also had been training at Lake Chabot, which is very hilly, to get accustomed to what I would be facing during the race. Remembering back to my days in San Diego brought back painful memories of how that race ended. I was hoping all my extra training would be enough. I had also taken the time out to run the actual course in SF to get an understanding of the hills and how I would attack them.

Race day came all too fast. Four months of training brought me to the starting line on Embarcadero Street. The weather was overcast but the temperature was fairly mild. Ready. Set. Go! The gun shot rang along the downtown skyscrapers and we were off. The first five miles were relatively uneventful. I had run this route a few times during my training, so it was very familiar. After passing Fisherman's Wharf, it was time to test some of the hill training that I had done. Ft. Mason hill was very short but steep. As we climbed the hill, I felt propelled by the adrenaline of race day. No problem. We then went through relatively flat areas of the Marina and the Palace of Fine Art. The largest hill of the race to the top of the Presidio was coming up next.

We climbed Crissey Field Rd. which was steep and arduous. I was breathing heavily by the top, but it was no time to stop. We still had another mile or so of incline. Suprisingly, I made it in a relatively short time. I even recovered my breathing quickly. My training must have helped! The next few miles through the Richmond and Golden Gate Park were fairly easy. I was concerned with the run down Ocean Beach, since it was usually long and windy. Yuki joined me on the run, so it wasn't really all that bad. I made it down to the half marathon mark and back to the park without any major problems.

But, this is where my real problems started. I didn't realize that the course back through the park was so hilly. I hadn't practiced that portion of the course during my training. I was starting to get really tired and my legs were really sore. I hit mile 18 and my quads were dead and my mind was going numb. Not good. I struggled along for a few more miles having to stop and stretch every so often. I went from a 9.5 minute mile to a 11.5 minute mile and there was nothing I could do about it. I managed to get to a water station and had a banana and an orange. I had been taking GU the whole time, but the potassium was just what I needed! My pace got faster and I felt much better. While my legs still hurt, I just ran though it and tried to block it from my mind. The last five miles weren't too bad. I went throught the Haight, Mission, and then by Pac Bell Park. I knew I was almost done. Yuki joined me for the last few miles, but I couldn't really talk. I was just concentrating on getting to the end. When I saw the finish line in the distance, I just sprinted. I just had to finish.

It felt great. I finished and I was still alive. My legs ached and I couldn't really walk but I felt good. I didn't do as well as I wanted to but I still beat my time from both of my previous marathons. I was happy. Who knows. Even through all this pain and training, I might consider doing another on in the future.

Shrek 2 

I just wanted to make a note on one of the movies I saw a couple of months ago. I think Dreamworks is the only other company that can compete against Pixar in animation. Shrek 2 was definitely as witty and entertaining as the original, although some of the jokes bordered way on the adult side (Pinnochio in a thong?). I definitely dug it.

Keyboard for one of the first Palmtops. Photographed by Chuck Nacke 

I recently discovered an amazing photo journalist named Chuck Nacke, who lives in the Bay Area. His works have been published in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News. I'm sure I've seen his work before. He tells some intriguing stories with his photos, whether it is in Moscow or in San Francisco. His website, chucknacke.com, also contains photo projects from other photo journalists.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater 

Yuki and I went to Fallingwater the other day just outside of Pittsburgh, which was very cool! Frank Lloyd Wright has created some amazing stuctures in his time. He was in his seventies when he designed this private residence for the Kauffman family (of the famous Kauffman department store? I must be too young to remember). One interesting fact about the building is that it had to undergo major repairs because the overhangs were deflecting 7 inches! Quite an imperfect structure for such a well known architect!

I can't say that I didn't have reservations about going to Pittsburgh, being from the West Coast and all, but it was nice. We went to go see Yuki's brother's graduation from Carnegie Mellon University. He graduated from business school which is quite an impressive feat (even with the less embracing view of MBA degrees in recent years). All the people that I met were very interesting to talk to. It might inspire me to go someday!

I am still trucking on with my marathon training. It's tough finding places to train while you are traveling. I had to run 12 miles while I was in Pittsburgh, which made it interesting. I did find a path that took me along the Ohio river to Three Rivers Stadium. It was pretty empty at 8am on a saturday morning.

Awesome New Blogger

Google bought Blogger a few years ago and now has released the new
version. So far, it's been a great improvement! I used Blogger for a
while and it had its quirks. But now, all the navigation works
smoothly. I can sort and create new postings seamlessly. Another great
feature is that I can now email my blogs to Blogger and it will post
automatically! Wow. That's great.

I've noticed that the more that I learn about the world, the more I want to do everything. For instance, when I was in school, I really liked what I was learning. Science was definitely very interesting and I was pretty good at it, so I didn't put that much thought into possibly working in another profession. Back then, I didn't know very much about computers or the stock market, but I didn't mind. I knew OF them, but it never struck me to really research it further. After school and learning a lot of new things in the real world, I realize that I might be suited for other things other than just engineering! Go figure. I still like the profession, but there is just so much out there.

Talking to friends that didn't grow up in the US made me realize that we have too many choices! America is supposed to be a place of infinite possibilities and the land of opportunity. Is it possible that we have too many opportunities? Unlike in the US, many foreign countries dictate your occupation on test scores, family associations, and individual capacity. It doesn't sound like it's very different from the US, but these factors are determined well before you even get into high school. The decisions are made and there is no turning back. You don't have the opportunity to explore your interests and make the average seven career changes that is so common in the US.

Looking around, I am grateful that I CAN make these choices. You are not immediately bound at birth by a cast system. You do not become one of the "untouchables" that are shunned in Japan. You have an opportunity to grow up poor and make it rich. You can decide to be a chef one day, a mechanic the next, and end up being the President. Where else is that possible?

So, now that I realize how fortunate I am, what do I want to be tomorrow?

Music in the media. I'm such a sucker for advertisement. Every time a commercial comes on with a melodic tune that can only be described as "groove'in", I find myself tapping my feet and humming the sounds. Actually, it kind of freaks me out that somebody out there knows exactly what I like. Or, is it that we've been bombarded with this stuff for so long that what we think we like is a product of the media's creation? I'd like to think that just because they attach a familiar or unfamiliar song to a product, I'm not influenced to go out and buy that product. I think we'd all like to think that, but really, subconsciously, I think that we are all suckers.

Beetle. Mitsubishi. Lincoln. Gap. So far, I think I have only found myself succumbed to music in car and clothes commercials. But soon, what's going to happen when I start humming tunes projected by commercials for Tide, Nexium, and Uncle Ben's? Will these be the next sexy must have? Maybe not, but the mating of music and media has definitely made an impact.

Arriving at a friend's house for dinner, I tell a friend to throw on some music to add to the ambiance. When asked what I wanted to listen to, I said, "anything". The next thing I know, I feel like I'm in a nice new sheek car, dressed to go clubbing, and surrounded by dancing beautiful women. The music is not just being ingrained in me by the tube, but has spread like overgrown ivy, into every part of our lives. The impact is astounding. No wonder Moby has sold all the rights to his music to companies that want to use them in commercials (which can be a whole other discussion in itself).

I love music and even some of the products that they are presented with, but will my collection of music eventually consist only of commercial soundtracks?