The Pacific Ocean, looking Southwest

This week our tapering for the Maui Oceanfront Half Marathon continues.  Tomorrow we enjoy Hawaiian’s Boeing 767-300 (ETOPS) service southwest to Northern Polynesia for the run (T -7 days). No in-flight Wi-Fi for the 5.5 hour flight means reading a thick guide to the Linux operating system.   No spoilers, please.

The weather was not conducive to outdoor runs last week here at the Western Outpost, so we spent a lot of time on elliptical machines and treadmills.  Running on the treadmill twists and contorts muscles in ways unseen in actual road running. I advise against it if at all possible.  Yesterday we managed 2 miles on the Guadalupe Trail to break in new shoes, S with the latest Brooks Ghosts and myself with new Mizuno Wave Rider 19s (retail plug: Sports Basement in Sunnyvale).  I’ve been running in Wave Riders since the get-go, starting with the yellow/blue Wave Rider 15s. It might be time to switch things up. Any recommendations for a good lightweight, size 10, medium arch running shoe? Brooks makes some in burnt orange and white, colors to which we have some affinity.

New Shoes

The experts say never run a long race in brand new shoes–break them in first.  Good advice, and here’s another data point for their studies.  S ended up with a blister yesterday, but that may have been a function of the socks.  Nonetheless, we have a few more days to break them in. It will be a race day decision whether we run in new shoes or the old ones. Our old shoes probably have 250 miles on them.

Today, we ran 5 miles on the Guadalupe Trail, almost to Bayfront Park.  Although the sun was out and the temp was about 60 degrees, we suited up as though we were at the Seattle-Minnesota playoff game.  Layers of sweats, gloves, knit cap induces extra sweat and work, so that’s the positive in going all Michelin Man.

We took a break yesterday to head to Half Moon Bay and Pillar Point to check out the waves, which, unfortunately, had gone flat. The surf hippies continue to watch the ocean hoping for the 48 hour notice announcing the 2016 Mavericks surf contest.

Mavericks Surf Contest is named after a dog.

The morning drive over the Santa Cruz mountains via the pass and switchbacks was not a total bust as, by lucky happenstance, we found a place to buy squid bait 24/7.  For friends back east, identify the words in the previous sentence rarely used when planning a Northern Texas day trip.

What role will this machine play when robots take over the earth?

Finally, there are those who complain that California is a nanny state. Based on what, I ask?

I’m glad that California is keeping me safe.

It didn’t take long to get those printed up. Kudos to the California prison system for adopting Just-In-Time manufacturing techniques.

Again, thank you.