July 14, 2012 Getting to know the Turks

July 14, 2012 

Getting to know the Turks

It’s Saturday night and I’m back in my usual blogging spot, the couch of the apartment we are staying in, kids snoozing in the bedroom like good little babies, hubby out partying it up with the groom & other guys.  Maybe it’s time for a little explanation into our Turkey trip.  A friend of a good friend of Tony’s, Deutron, who has become a good friend himself, was marrying a very nice Turkish girl named Evin.  We were invited to their wedding.  How could we pass up sharing our friend’s important day…esp. when it’s in one of the countries on my bucket list?  Oh yeah, Tony was also one of the groomsmen so we really couldn’t pass it up. 

Here are the story players:

Deutron & Evin – Groom & Bride, live in Watsonville, CA

Rebecca & Nate – Friends, live in Berkeley, CA

Segar & Avni – Friends, live in Baltimore, MD

Ray & Dawn – 2^nd parents to Deutron, live in Milpitas, CA

Alison, Novi, Fiduce – Friends of Deutron, living all over US

Posi (Positron), Nibobby (Neutron), Elec (Electron) – siblings of Deutron (their father was a scientist ;) 

Various other family from Turkey & Ethiopia

So it’s been a fun, crazy, interesting & HOT few days.  The good & the bad aspects of my not writing at the end of each day are that I can’t possibly remember everything or have the enthusiasm to write about every little thing that happened but then some fun or at least randomly interesting details are forgotten, lost or untold.  Not as much to read but not as much to read J In my pre-parenthood travel days I would write at the end of each day, late late into the night/morning but alas sleep is much more precious to me now!

Our little apartment is quite sweet, modern but retaining the feel that we are in a different country.  We are on the top floor and have to climb 6 flights of narrow stone steps to reach it.  We have a little kitchenette that we thought we’d use but aren’t really.  The little fridge is key for milk for Teagan and beer for us adults.  Probably the best feature is the air conditioner which is absolutely essential here, at least for this San Francisco girl.  Same goes for my babies who have been melting and miserable when we go out, often just turning into a puddle of sweaty, sleeping baby in the stroller.  What do they care about the mosques and bazaars?  Poor angels.  Tony & I have questioned our parenting decision to put them through this several times.  After being out for the day, cranky, testy, sleeping, not eating, we come back to the apt and the cool air revives them like a magic.  I’ll take Teagan into the little box shower with me to rinse off the sweat and sun block and further revive.  Soon enough though we are heading back out into the heat, which subsides a little after the sun sets but not much, to see more sights, get some food, meet the group for some wedding events etc.

The Spice is Nice

Thursday we made our way to the tram station, a 15 minute walk along the main Taksim shopping street with all the big clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. shops including Gap, Swatch, United Colors of Benetton to name a few I recognized.  Then down a long, steep narrow road where smaller, local boutiques are located as well as some little eateries, many with the big vertical meat things they shave off of for wraps etc., house ware shops, bakery, fresh squeezed orange juice carts, mini-markets displaying some very nice produce out front, a little barber shop, etc.  Plus lots of cats lounging, begging for food, etc.  The trams are nice (clean & air conditioned!) and come frequently.  It costs 2 TL (Turkish Lire) to ride which is about $1.50’ish.  They ride above ground which gives us a good view of the areas in between our stops.  We decided to hit up the Spice Bazaar after getting a mid-morning snack of the most amazingly & ridiculously yummy (read: most definitely terribly fattening) buttery philo thing filled with a white cheese.  The trouble with it was that it was neither too rich nor too salty so I could easily see myself  gaffling enough to surely clog my arteries in one sitting.  Think of a moist croissant in the shape a raisin Danish but as big around as your face and about 1 1/2” thick.  A guy wearing plastic gloves (to protect from being burned but also because his hands would be so slippery from the buttery goodness) slices it up with a half circle knife with a handle as the other part of the circle.  I know there’s a name for this kitchen utensil but I don’t know it.  Et voila.  Not sure what kind of cheese was inside, it looked like cottage cheese but wasn’t, and it was sparse, just enough for flavor.  I think you can get one of these with meat inside too.  I should figure out what the name of it is, I see them everywhere here.  Moaning in delight as we devoured the snack, we made our way through the narrow, curving streets, making us feel like we were in some spider web, up this way, down that way, cars & delivery trucks carefully but swiftly making their way with barely enough clearance, often stopping or backing up to let another maneuver through or make a turn.  There were lots of shops here too, lots of textiles with more bolts of colorful fabric than I think I’ve ever seen in one place; piles of scarves (since so many of the women here need to cover their heads if not their entire bodies save their eyes), etc.  We asked several times for directions to the Spice Bazaar since we didn’t yet have a map but no one really spoke English…nor seemed to know where the bazaar even was!  We began to feel like we were in a candid camera video where each person tells us different directions and we seem to be going in circles.  After maybe 15 frustrating minutes of that we finally found the bazaar which was a covered “T” shaped market lined with stalls containing mostly spices, teas, Turkish delight, coffee/tea cups/supplies (it’s very unique & specialized here) and some other souvenir stuff thrown in for good measure.  Aside from the colorful mounds of powders and crazy piles of squares & bars of Turkish Delight, there is another common item for sale in the bazaars and Everywhere, the nazar boncuk or famous ‘evil eye.’  It’s a pretty dark blue circle with a small white circle inside then a light blue circle inside that and finally a small black circle – it looks like an eye.  It’s quasi creepy but also kinda abstract art looking.  It comes from an age-old superstition, clearly persistent today apparently throughout the country, whereby some people are thought to carry within them a malevolent force that can be transmitted to others via their eyes.  The eye charms (nazar boncuk) are used to reflect the evil look back to the originator.  You find them as charms, beads and emblazoned on all kinds of artifacts.  I bought one that will hang on the wall and has a large silver butterfly in the design.  Tyler laid his eyes on a little drum with a Turkish design on the base and so soon he was happily drumming away in the stroller as we headed out J 

Fish Boats

On our way to meet the group we passed the New (only 400 years old –hah!) Mosque or Yeni Cami.  We took a brief look around the forecourt with all the columns and painted dome ceilings on the perimeter of the square, took some pictures and moved on without going inside.  It was cool but nothing to spend much time on.  Perhaps if we’d gone inside I’d have more to say about it.  It was midday and the sun was in full force and Tyler was hungry so we got him a donner kabap (that rotisserie meat thing in a pita with lettuce & tomato and a yogurt drink called Ayran which all the Turks drink to go along with) and then we sat in the shade of the Balik Ekmek (fish bread) cafes where I bought a canned ice tea to ear our seat.  Basically there’s these ornate boats floating right along the dock and on them is this giant grill where they’re cooking up fillets of fish (not exactly sure what kind or if they are caught right there or what) which they slap on a roll and pass across to a “waiter” on the dock and into the hands of the orderer.  I’m not so much eating fish these days and even if I was it didn’t look too appetizing to me but it wasn’t stinky and lots of people seemed to be enjoying it.  Tony went off to find a beer but ended up getting lost so I was sitting there with Tyler & Teagan for upwards of an hour, feeling the pressure of taking up a valuable table under the shade for patrons actually buying the café’s specialty while fending off children trying to sell us gum & other junk candy.  After Tyler told me for the 3^rd time he had to go peepee, instead of telling him again “ok, daddy will be back soon and then we can go” I just packed us up and hoped Tony would wait for us there when he came back and didn’t find us.  I headed us toward the big “WC” sign in an underground walkway and there we ran into Tony! 

Row, row, row your boat…

We met up with some of the group and did some negotiating with one of the many roaming boat tour salesmen (who incidentally had spent some time doting over Teagan while we were sitting at the fish bread café) and were soon cruising the Bosphorous strait which runs from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.  Istanbul is on both sides but one is on the Asian continent and the other the European.  Our ride was around 2 hours, we sat up top covered but open and the wind felt great despite the blazing heat.  On our left, on the European shore, we passed several grandiose palaces, described in our tour book from a French writer’s travelogue as ‘a line of palaces white as snow, placed at the edge of the sea on marble docks’ and this description is as accurate as it is evocative.  I felt like I was in France or even Italy!  The boat was playing some crazy, loud Turkish club beats which had us all up & dancing off & on through the ride…we actually did hear Katy Perry’s California Girls too which really had us girls up dancing & feeling proud!  Then, the highlight of the ride, we’d heard rumors dolphins swim in the strait but that just seemed silly.  Well, silly or not, it’s true and after we turned around at the Golden Gate’s  silver colored little sister and as we were passing by the Kiz Kulesi or Maiden Tower (a small island with a pseudo lighthouse and ritzy restaurant inside – more on that later) there they suddenly were.  I might have screamed out, pointing, and everyone on the boat jumped up to check the 2 beauties out.  How is it that dolphins in the wild just seem so magical?  I remember seeing them in New Zealand once, on a ferry ride at the bottom of the south island and I was just as awe struck and taken by them then as now.  So graceful and somehow ethereal, as if they were a mythical creature like the unicorn.  Just as I was recovering from the excitement we saw another little cluster of them, including what seemed like (in my fantasy mood) a baby!  I got a few pictures but of course nothing captures seeing it in person.

Once off the boat, still feeling the swaying motion beneath me, we walked across the Galata bridge from the top of which there are many, many fishing lines in the water  as well as a an endless line of fish restaurants below.  We headed to Galata Tower which unfortunately was up a very steep hill (vs. the very long sets of stairs we avoided because of our stroller) which Novi was so kind (or stupid) to offer to push said stroller up.  There was a lift inside the tower so we all went up but once I saw the narrow viewing deck that surrounded the top of the tower I opted to stay inside the café on the next floor down.  There were still windows all around inside the café so I could see the amazing 360 view of the city, with all the minarets dotting the skyline. 

Feast

In lieu of a rehearsal dinner, the bride’s parents hosted a dinner for all the guests who travelled from outside of Turkey for the wedding which basically consisted of a bunch of us from the US and a few from Ethiopia.  After going back to the apt for a rinse off & clothes change we took a cab to this area of side by side by side restaurants with tons of outdoor seating (again reminiscent of France or Italy) and a small cobblestone walkway between where street vendors roamed with armloads of stuff you don’t need…unless you count the cigar guy who managed to sell a nice Cuban to Tony J  There was a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd course as seems to be the norm here and it was all DELISH!  When we sat down there were all these small plates of – lucky for me – vegetarian starters including fava beans, a stewed greens mixture, a yummy green salad and a few others I can’t even remember now!  There was a little plate of sardines which I avoided though ;)  My vegetarian main meal was to die for, a cast iron skillet full of eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, favas and herbs.  Tony got some whole fish which kinda grossed me out.  The alcohol was flowing; esp. the Turkish drink Raki (pronounced rah-coo) which is like Ouzo flavor-wise (anise) but like Absinthe in that you add water and the appearance turns from vodka-like to a cloudy white.  There were “musicians” coming around to play for the patrons of the various restaurants and they put on quite a show, getting guests up one by one to dance with the main guy, doing silly, crazy, flirty moves.  I think everyone got pulled up there but me since I was holding Teagan in my lap most of the time, so I got videos of everyone else.  It was a lot of fun.  The night flew by and before we knew it, as happens most of the time in Turkey we’ve found, it was LAAAATE & it was obvious most of the childless/unmarried people were going to be going out after the dinner so we got a cab and called it a night.  Probably for the best.

July 12, 2012 Istanbul

July 12, 2012 Istanbul

While The World Sleeps

Well or at least this part of the world.  Not really sure what time it is here in Istanbul, I just know it’s dark and quiet outside the window of our top floor apartment in the Taksim district.  I’d like to blame jet lag for the reason I’m awake but I could be snoozing away as soundly as Tony & Tyler in the bedroom if it weren’t for little miz Teagan being wide awake and I’m kinda not sold on jet lag being HER reason.  It’s my thought that if she were just purely jet lagged she would be acting as she normally does when she’s awake – happy, active, playful, inquisitive, etc. but she is none of these.  She is cranky, crying, fidgety & discontent.  I hope I’ve just got the real image of jet lag wrong in my mind because then perhaps it means she will get over this in a few days and be back to normal instead of my real concern which is that she’s getting or is sick.  One things for sure, she’s not the superstar travel baby that Tyler was/is L  Oh well, guess you can’t have everything perfect in life.  Sigh…

I went to bed early (read: passed out on the couch in our apt) last night and opted out of dinner with the group so Tony went on ahead while me & the kids got a head start on getting some rest.  Maybe that was my error.  Anyway, here I am and I’m hoping it’s going to be a great trip despite the bumpy start we’ve had. 

Procrastinations & The Past Come Back To Haunt Me

It was a long day Sunday before our original flight plan Monday morning.  Tony & I were busy getting things taken care of for his mom at her house in Ventura since she recently broke her hip and was finally home from the rehabilitation center but not quite back on her own two feet.  Tony ran errands for her and I cooked up several big meals that she could just heat up quick in the microwave that would hopefully see her through to our return in two weeks.  I’d like to blame my lack of sleep on trip excitement but it was a lot less lame.  I went to bed early with Tyler but was sleeping on the couch and although I logged maybe 4 good hours initially, the rest of the night was lost to worrying Tyler was going to fall off the couch to trying to move him to his own spot to dealing with him crying and wanting back with me to not being comfortable trying to sleep again with him next to me, blah blah blah.  The alarm went off at 345 and that was that.  We’d wanted to be out of the house by 5 but we weren’t pulling away from Sophie’s until 545 which put us finally at LAX, after parking at the long term company & catching their shuttle to our terminal, at 725 for an 830 flight.  No bueno.  It was the domestic leg of our itinerary but still, the terminal was packed with needy passengers and soon we were one of them.   You see, there was this little problem with my passport…heh heh…it still shows my previous married name.  I just never got around to changing it!  I meant to a zillion times, it was on countless to-do lists, but whether it was general procrastination or an upcoming trip that meant I wouldn’t have it back from the government in time, it just never got changed.  And now the day it would bite me in the ass.  Had we got to the airport the two hours ahead of our flight like we wanted to we probably still could have made the flight even with the name change drama, but who really knows.  Had Tony booked my ticket under my passport name instead of my current name none of this would have been an issue at all, but it’s not his fault, why would he think to purchase my ticket (thanks sweetie for the trip!!) under any other name than the name I go by today?  Had we picked a more competent United counter agent we may also have made the flight, but the what if’s got old fast.  Fact is we didn’t make the flight.  Instead we stood in front of said counter agent for about 2 hours, seriously, trying to work out what really should have been an easier problem.  Then again, I worked in the airline industry recently, I know how archaic and convoluted their computer system and procedures can be.  To make a really long, boring, ridiculous story short we got my name changed over the phone with reservations (despite standing at the counter while on that call as the counter agent tried to get the same thing done, albeit a lot slower and for $150 which we didn’t have to pay on the phone) and got us all rebooked on the same flight schedule the next day.  But then suddenly Tony & Tyler’s itinerary disappeared from the system and had to be rebooked!  Good thing that was caught before we showed up the next day and again couldn’t fly!  After 3 hours in the airport we caught the shuttle back to our car and joked with the same driver about our short trip and were off to Santa Monica beach to make lemonade out of lemons.  I’ve never walked along the beach there, nor the boardwalk, nor been to the infamous Venice beach so it was all new and exciting for me.  We had some drinks and people watched and saw the big Jim Morrison mural being repainted and some silly muscley men lifting weights at Muscle Beach!  Haha, good times.  The kids were great all day, not an incident at the airport all that time and then happily riding in the stroller taking in the ocean view with a breeze in their hair.  I guess they were saving up their ill behavior!

LAX Round 2

Getting to the airport plenty early this time was not a problem since we’d stayed overnight in Santa Monica and everything was all packed up from the day before.  As we pulled out of the hotel parking lot we were amused to see Captain Jack Sparrow, or a dead ringer for Johnny Depp as the pirate, camped out under the carport with his 3 exotic birds.  Yep, we’d seen him the day before on the boardwalk, luring tourists in with his fake smile and bird act, earning money for letting people take pictures of their spouses holding a big, colorful parrot.  What a life…and I don’t mean that in a good way, but who am I to judge, maybe the guy is happy?  Anyway, I digress.  At long last, with Starbucks in our hands, and a fidgety baby on our laps, we were on the plane headed to Newark, NJ, for a short layover and then on to Istanbul. 

The flights were actually relatively, in the grand scheme of things, not so bad.  I mean sure, Teagan drove me absolutely nuts and I wanted to chuck her out the window at 35,000 ft but I wasn’t traveling alone so I was able to hand her off to Tony where she suddenly became a total angel.  She is seriously turning out to be a daddy’s girl.  She just LOVES her daddy and is so good for him and happy with him.  Tyler was hypnotized in his seat by The Lorax and Cars movies playing on his personal tv screen.  I, for once, actually watched some movies myself and was pleased that I picked two I don’t want my time back for, even though it was just time sitting on a plane.  I watched the sad and sweet “The Vow” and then heart wrenching but somehow uplifting “A Little Bit Of Heaven” which had me crying like a baby at the end.  I tried and only slightly succeeded at getting some shut eye when my first view of Turkey over the wing of the airplane woke up my spirit. 

I Think I’m Goin’ To Kathmandu…er CATmandu

It’s never quick getting out of the airport when you travel abroad so all the excitement of that view out the airplane window and anticipation of fun to come takes a back seat for a while as you stand, exhausted & grody, in a long line in a humid & almost too warm terminal waiting to buy a visa to enter the country and then another line to have passport control officially allow you in & give you a fun stamp to brag about later.  Bags collected and stacked precariously on our stroller (we left a little room for Tyler to sit!) we headed out into the real heat & humidity (guess there was a/c on inside the airport after all) and luckily caught the bus we needed without issue, securing the last 2 seats on board.  Here’s where I finally had the real thought though that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t actually such a fun idea to travel with kids.  Sure Tyler slept some on the plane but he was groggy & grouchy anyway - who wouldn’t be after pee’ing in his pants on the plane and not being able to get them changed-my bad, I totally forgot to pack an extra pair for the flight but by now they were dry…and stinky.  So when we pulled up to the bus and told him he had to get off the stroller and onto the bus he started melting down, just as the driver was trying to usher everyone on so he could leave on schedule.  We got onto the bus but the last 2 seats available were totally separated, on opposite ends of the bus, and since I was wearing Teagan in the Ergo carrier I just headed for my seat in the front.  But Tyler wanted to come with me and was soon crying & screaming & jumping in the aisle.  My patience was left long ago somewhere over the Atlantic and I just said to him “you have to go with daddy!” in a voice that could have been nicer.  I settled into my seat trying not to squeeze Teagan to death between the seat in front of us and all the bags I was carrying, shushed her brief cries of revolt and then thought about how much easier this would all be without 2 little kids.  I reminisced about the many trips in my days before motherhood, when it was just me & a backpack, or me & a rolling suitcase, and a friend/mate who I didn’t have to watch over, feed, discipline, corral, etc.  Oh well, maybe this will be the last big trip we take for a while, until the kids are much older and can travel better or we are able to break ourselves away from them for a few weeks if they have a place to stay.  That’s fine; who has the money to do these kinds of trips with kids much anyway?!

I read in the travel book that Istanbul has the least amount of green space per capita in all of Europe or something so I was preparing myself to see nothing but concrete but I was quickly surprised as our bus passed down beautiful tree lined streets with center divides covered in lush lawns and manicured, colorful flower beds.  Hmpf.  Of course there was plenty of concrete too and once we got into more of the city center, or one of the many city centers (Istanbul is so huge) the green did largely disappear.  I was reminded a lot of  Europe, of Portugal and various cities in the south of France & Spain by the architecture & street layout.  That last part soon proved to be a challenge after we got off the bus and attempted to locate the apartment that was rented for us all from a map on Tony’s phone which was hard to read in the blinding daylight and was hard to really figure out as we zoomed in & out & around trying to get our bearings.  The next solid hour to 90 minutes we spent looking for our place, trying to read Tony’s phone, asking people for directions, etc.  We had TONS of baggage, Tyler was passed out in the stroller, Teagan was passed out in the Ergo I was wearing, we were all sweating profusely and it seemed for a time we were looking for an address that didn’t exist.  At one point Tony left me with the kids, stroller & bags as he went to look and I stood there so long in this side street of cafes & little shops that I began FEELING eyes burning into me and my ears were BURNING from the whispers about me.  Not that it was negative so much as just inquisitive, and in my mind comical.  Sorta.  After a while I actually muttered aloud “seriously? I’m STILL standing here waiting for tony?!”  There was a little (VERY little) café that I think had nothing inside except the kitchen and there were half a dozen men sitting outside on these short stools all drinking tea in the traditional Turkish way.  Before coming to Turkey if you told me someone was having “tea” I would imagine a…tea cup & saucer.  Well they have a slight twist to it here.  The cup is glass and is like the top half of an hourglass shape, tulip at the top then curves in then bells out at the bottom, like the size of a large shot glass.  The saucer is glass too and there’s a teeny tiny spoon to stir in the sugar.  They all seem to drink this tea that I would find out later is a mix between Early Grey and, oh hell now I forget, maybe black tea?  Anyway, there’s no cream and it seems like everywhere you go all the men are drinking it.  Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen any women drinking it!  Interesting…  SO, Tony gets on the phone with the property manager of the apt and finally gets a more “real” address, as if what we had before wasn’t real.  We decide he should go scope it out first instead of us lugging and dragging everything in case it’s another dead end.  I was starved and thirsty so I found a place for me & the kids to camp.  At that point I didn’t want any guesswork, no unknowns or at least very little, so when I came upon a “Mexican” place that was that.  I ordered a “dark” beer and nachos & then tried to relax a little while crAzy American videos played on the many flat screens in the place, the bass pounding for the few ears that were there.  The waiter was TAKEN by teagan who I’d plopped on the long table so she could stretch out and move around.  He held out his arms, looked at me briefly as if to ask “it’s ok?” and then scooped her up.  He was a youngish guy, it was random but sweet and genuine.  He stood there with her a minute goo’ing and bouncing her before looking at me again, this time with the “it’s ok!” look and then walked the few booths distance to the end of the restaurant where 2 girls were sitting and then he showed Teagan off to them like she was his own and the 2 girls were loving it!  One of them even stretched out her arms to hold Teagan but I think maybe the waiter knew that would be crossing the line considering he already carried her away from me.  I wasn’t so much worried, I actually would have even been ok if the girl had held her, it was much more secure that the place was virtually empty so I couldn’t lose sight of her or have any obstacles in my way if I suddenly had to jump up and run after her.  Yes, all this crossed my mind.  But I felt at peace and knew it was all ok.  The waiter brought Teagan back to me and then my Efes Dark beer (which is my new fave, at least while in Turkey) and soon my nachos.  I’d figured there probably wasn’t going to be an issue with the nachos, I mean how much different could they be made?  I was pleasantly surprised, they were pretty good, tho I think I counted only 7 pinto beans, there was some nice tomato, white cheese, roasted red pepper and…julienned pickles!  Tony showed up just as I was about to shovel the last 2 chips into my mouth and I innocently said to him “Hi sweetie, here have some nachos, I saved some for you!”  He told me he found the place but there was yet another glitch, our key had been given to another friend of the wedding party who was staying in the apt next to our’s but he was out sight seeing & we didn’t know when he’d be back.  Lovely.  I’m not sure what the alcohol percentage of this Efes Dark beer was but considering I was running on next to no sleep and next to no food, the beer had gone straight to my head and boy was I feeling Goooooooooooood!  I was cool with whatever at that point.  We packed up our stuff, paid the bill and walked the few blocks to our apt but then of course we had to camp out at the café across the small street as we tried to contact anyone who could contact the guy who had our key. 

As we sat we saw countless cats & kittens running here and there, lounging, dodging people, standing in the way of cars, etc.  It reminded me of Rome and I later found out that just like Rome, Istanbul has a “problem” with cats.  There are just so many and they roam free and aren’t fixed so are constantly having litters.  It’s sad and many of them don’t look so good, and many probably don’t even make it, but it seems the Istanbulis live harmoniously with them and put out water & even food for them and treat them like they are just another neighbor in the hood.  I decided shortly I was probably going to do a “Cats of Istanbul” photo book!

We sat on little stools at a little table outside a little café you stepped down into off the very narrow one way street, waiting, and having another beer.  Suddenly a familiar face appeared, it was Deutron, the bridegroom of the wedding we were here to attend.  He is a friend of Tony’s and is marrying Evin, a Turkish girl.  He apologized profusely for all the  mix up and sat with us while he continued trying to figure out how to get us into our apt.  It was just a joke to us at that point, after all that travel, with the kids, exhausted, hungry, dirty and we couldn’t even get into our place!  As we sat there the small street (basically an alleyway) would suddenly fill up with people chatting & smoking and then they would disappear.  This happened a few times before we realized there was a school of sorts (trade college) right there and it was probably break time whenever all the people would come out.  It was just a hint of what was to come in Istanbul.  Soon we took Deutron’s offer to stay at his apt that night and we walked to his place (leaving our bags inside the building in front of our door) which was 15 minutes away.  No sooner did we get there did someone show up who was staying there too that said he’d just said goodnight to the couple that had our key and they were heading back to our building.  I told Tony I just wanted to be in our own place so we schlepped back and knocked on their door and FINALLY had our key.  It wasn’t their fault at all, apparently the property manager was a shuck and was going out of town and just wanted to offload all the keys even though Sager & Avni didn’t think they should take the keys in the first place.  Alls well that ended well, we were in our own little apartment and finally could get some rest. 

The notes in my little 4”x3” notebook have lots of scribbles of memories from the day, including seeing a guy with a shirt that said “I’d Do Me” to another who had a totally killer tattoo of Darth Vader on his forearm to the fact that the smell of the Hookah pipe was totally in the air everywhere and while we were sitting with Deutron and his fiancé Evin joined she brought some traditional, special food that I couldn’t resist trying even though it was meat.  It’s called Tantuni and is basically a wrap of veal, parsley, tomato & herbs and then you tuck in a very thin, long yellow-green chili pepper.  Oye!  SO good!  Deutron also taught me how to say “thank you” in Turkish which is basically “t’sh-ook-ar ear-ah-deem.”  I wasn’t quite sure what to make yet of Istanbul or this trip but it was starting to look up. 

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Well it's finally here...ok, it's almost finally here.  On the eve of our departure to Istanbul, Turkey, what might you find Tony & Tiffany Baer doing??  Yep, having a drink and fiddling around on the internet!  Haha!  Well we deserve both vices after the last few days of crazy Ventura life taking care of getting Tony's mom, Sophie, back in the groove of things as best as possible.  She fell and broke her hip on a midnight bathroom trip almost a month ago now and has been in a rehab facility since.  She came home Thursday, a little earlier than we expected, or at least quite suddenly in relation to our packing/preparing for Turkey trip.  It's been an emotional ride for us ever since the break, feeling very guilty for leaving the country just when she needs someone most.  Hence the insane day of madness for me Thursday getting us & the house ready for us to leave then piling in the car at 745 pm and driving 6hrs to Ventura.  We arrived after 3 a.m. and the sun rose way too early Friday morning, the kids not knowing the difference.  Ugh.  Ever since, over the last 3 days, it has been non-stop running errands (for an "elder potty" and a shower chair and a grabber) to help Sophie plus buying groceries and cooking up a bunch of ready-made-just-throw-in-the-microwave meals (big pot o bean soup, big lasagna, veggie quiche) so she won't not eat.  She's a feisty, agile woman for her age and situation so we're not too worried but none the less we've arranged for someone to come help her out a couple hours each day.

I've packed and repacked and will do a final "oh geez we might need this so let's stuff it in this corner of my suitcase" tonight along with making some sandwiches and cutting up some fruit for our flights tomorrow.  Of course they feed you on international flights, but tomorrow morning we fly to Newark for a small layover first before officially taking the "red eye" to Istanbul so I figured some "domestic travel" food was needed, esp. while flying with kids.  Apparently there's been a bit of drama where our tickets are concerned as I've overheard Tony talking with United the last few days but fingers crossed it has all been squared away.  Tyler keeps asking if we are going home and I tell him "no sweetie, we're flying on a big plane to the other side of the planet to Turkey!" and then he'll ask if we can drive there or take a hot air balloon instead!  Too cute.  I think he gets a little nervous around giant machines he normally digs on, like trains and planes.  Thankfully this time there will be two parents to quell the uneasy micro traveler...of course there will be two micro travelers this time, but I suspect not much angst out of the littler of the two.

In the weeks leading up to this trip I purchased on-line and at a store in Marin I had to drive 30 minutes to (the same company incidentally that I ADORE, at least in pictures in the catalog) a travel bag with multiple zippers on the front  that sadly were as sticky & jerky as anything I've ever had ($98!! tho vegan!?!) and travel shoes that looked airy & breathable in pictures but proved at home for a day of breaking in to be total feet destroyers ($80) which I brought with me to Ventura anyway because I had no choice but have been bumming on.  So yesterday while out on my hunt for a much needed pedicure - harder to find than I imagined - I ended up at the Ventura mall and scored on a totally cheap ($19 on half price sale) bag that was almost identical to the much pricier one but with zippers that slid back and forth like buttah and actually a much cuter color (dark violet vs cocoa) and I'm quite sure vegan as well...ok, probably plether which is probably just as environmentally rude but hey.  And then I found some totally cute, totally comfortable travel shoes that I KNEW would need no breaking in and wouldn't turn into razor blades on my achilles after a day of walking.  Yep, gotta love Payless shoes.  $19!!  OH and while I was in line at the check-out there I saw MY NEW PURSE!!  It was one of those moments where you just go "OH YEAH!" and grab it and sling it over your shoulder for a little prance in front of the full length mirror just to make totally sure what you already know which is that you've just found a "simple" piece that will make you smile every time you see it hanging on your dining chair or off your shoulder as you catch your reflection in a store front walking down the street!  My "simple" piece is a black and white thick horizontal stripe boho bag not dissimilar, ironically, to the purse I picked up in Madrid several years back in a yellow & white thick horizontal stripe that I adored the whole season I used it.  Sigh...I'm so happy :)  So to recap I picked up $45 worth of travel bag & shoes which will replace the $160 I already spent  for the same that didn't work out but will return for refund when I get home.  And if that weren't enough I got a cute pair of black, strappy, cork wedges from Payless at half price that will look totally adorbs with the strapless striped black & white dress I'm wearing for the evening wedding in Istanbul Wednesday.  The formal wedding is on Sunday and I've got a much fancier outfit for that.

Now if only my daughter's goopy gross "pink eye" or whatever infection will just go away I would be a totally happy woman.  Got some more eye drops today for her and waiting for it to clear up as I cross my fingers it's not something else.  Yucko & sucko. 

Ok, flight is 830 am tomorrow out of LA and we're driving to some special parking place near the airport from here (about an hour'ish away) so leaving at about 5 am which means I'm up at prob 345 so I can shower, wash & dry my hair and finish making sandwiches...as well as get my kids up and dressed.  We arrive in Istanbul Tuesday noon'ish.  It's gonna be a long trip!!!

Stay tuned for all the fun details of the trip there and our initial impressions of Turkey!!

Going The Distance

Well as Nike says, Just Do It and that's what I did.  That's the quick synopsis anyway.  If you are interested in more of the nitty, gritty details, read on.  Be warned however, it's not all pretty.

I think I've learned more in the 24 hours post half marathon than in all the weeks of training and all years of casual running prior.  Thank you, Google, for having answers to my ailments right at my fingertips.  I only wish I'd read them BEFORE the big run.  Side note: I'm tempted to keep typing "race" instead of "run" (which isn't very specific) or "half marathon" (which is just long to keep saying) but it wasn't really a race...for most people anyway.  I mean, the few women who were off like a light at the sound of the starting gun with one goal in mind, to cross the finish line first, yeah it was a race for them.  For the rest of us I think it was either a "race" to beat a previous run time or like me just to actually cross the finish line, preferably by running the whole distance. 

But to finish up my original thought above, this half marathon was a HUGE learning experience for me.  I think often "learning" refers to the fact that you made some mistakes and I'm sure I made my share.  Why else then would it have gone the way it did, less than desirable?  Why else would I be on my computer the day after reading about what I should or shouldn't have eaten/drank before the race, what I should have eaten/drank while running the race, why I was suffering from crippling diarrhea - that last part apparently not so uncommon and even has its own special term "runner's trots" (lovely) but actually isn't a given for all runners or long races.  In the wee hours of Sunday morning I partook of half a cup of half-caf/half-decaf coffee (I normally only drink decaf) & nibbled on half of a ProBar (which was recommended to me by a personal trainer to eat before my big run) as well as moved my bowels (took a dump) and pee'd one last time before heading out the door.  Oh yeah, I was also sipping this yummy Synergy drink with Kombucha & Chia seeds, supposedly good for energy.  I think all of the above, except the potty parts, were wrong!  Or were they?  I read later that I shouldn't have any coffee because that dehydrates you and that eating anything before the run compromises your body's ability to process it since it will be taking all the blood from your tummy and pumping it through your legs, etc. to get you through the run.  Well I thought a LITTLE food was not only ok but necessary, how the hell else am I supposed to have any energy to run at all??  I mean sure, when I get up and run at the gym at 6 a.m. I don't eat or drink a single thing beforehand but I'm only running a few miles, not 13.1!  Ok, so what else did I do wrong?  Well I'm not sure you would call it "wrong" but rather not optimal, beyond my control.  I've been sick for two weeks and just found out 2 days before the run that I actually had a sinus infection!  Antibiotics are a beautiful thing though and come race day that was the least of my problems...except at the expo afterwards where I was going booth to booth pleading for tissue or napkins as snot was running down my lip. Ok that's a dramatic image, i do have some self respect and so was wiping it on my shirt sleeve! I finally got some paper towels to blow my nose.  Sure, I'd stuffed some tissue down in my shirt before the race but at the end it was just worthless, having done a great job soaking up sweat from my chest.  Two weeks ago, just before I got sick, I ran 11 miles on my long training run day - 7 miles of it in the Bay to Breakers and then 4 more right after to complete the 11.  I had no problems that day.  Sure the last 4 were a bit tiring but still manageable.   I thought I would be ok for the half marathon even though I hadn't run for 2 weeks.  The fact is I almost couldn't run and it had nothing to do with my physical condition - Tony had to be in Orlando for the big annual IBM conference and there was no getting out of it.  Who was I going to get to be at my house at 645am to watch my kids while I ran?  It actually ended up being an easy answer and fortunately her schedule was free.  A very dear friend of mine, and Tony's ex-wife, Gerry, was more than happy to help and she was wonderful, staying overnight Saturday so she would already be here in the morning.

As I left the house, clad in my "fast pants" as Tyler likes to refer to them, pink SF Giants hat to block the sun from the top of my sunglasses and wearing items to channel special people & their energy (black socks with big green hearts on them of my sister's that she accidentally left the last time she was visiting from Europe and my late Aunt Nancy's running/cycling jersey that I got from her estate sale) I couldn't shake the feeling I was forgetting something.  Halfway down the block I realized it was the directions to the start of the race!  Hahaha, it might help if I knew where I was going!  So I threw the car in reverse, ran up to the house, got my directions and headed out.  Still had that weird feeling though...turned out it was my sunblock but it didn't end up being a huge deal.   I arrived in Alameda, found parking and was at the starting line in time to take part in the last few minutes of stretches lead by some very amped lady with a microphone in the park gazebo!  When that was done I kept doing my own and just took in the scene.  I think I saw every size, shape & color of woman out there!  Short, tall, skinny, fat, body builder'esque, ballarina'esque, bald so presumably Cancer recovering, post-baby like me, young, old, middle aged, white, black, asian, brown, faux brown (or maybe it wasn't faux like spray faux but just too much sun or tanning bed faux), the list goes on.  It was kinda cool, I didn't feel self-conscious at all and found the ability not to cast judgements.  This is a women's run (See Jane Run) and a few men were participating but most of the men there were carrying babies or pushing strollers or offering supportive chatter to their stretching mates.  It made me sad that Tony wasn't there, although I may not have done so well with that either.  I don't like to make much fuss of these things which seems to falsely increase their importance in a way that makes me more nervous and irritated.  No, I was better off alone.  It was time to put in the earphones and start the playlist I'd put together the night before, all songs carefully chosen and arranged in an order I thought most motivating, going in cycles of higher energy for small jolts of speed to setting the pace & settling in good beats.  First though, a powerful song to really get my higher self into the game, The Cave by Mumford & Sons.  Tony laughs at my love of this song and of the rest of the band's songs for that matter, but it really gets me at my core.

It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
I know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

Because I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's land

So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say

Because I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again       

I could probably write a fat paragraph about why I love that song and how it affects me but this blog is about my run.  Needless to say not far into it I was crying.  I hadn't quite expected that, although the song has made me cry before, but for some reason I never thought it would happen at the race.  But there it was and though I hadn't heard the starting gun go off soon the crowd was moving forward.  I reached into my shirt for my ipod and started the song over ;)  As I passed a handsome dad holding an adorable little boy holding a sign reading "Go Mommy! We love you!" I just imagined they were Tony & Tyler and I borrowed their support. 

The initial mile or two of any run is generally the hardest, just getting yourself going and finding  your breath and getting your heart settled into beating more rapidly, getting the lead out of your legs.  They are generally the hardest for me on the treadmill, swearing I'm never going to make it and threatening myself to drop to a fast walk.  But in races with hundreds and thousands of other people it is difficult for another reason all together, you just can't get moving because everyone is in your way!  I find myself playing poll position, dodging through openings, cutting right, moving left, darting ahead, it can be frustrating to your mind and body.  Maybe one lesson I should learn is just to go slow in the beginning and not work myself into a lather trying to run the pace I would if I had a clear path ahead of me, unless I'm trying to beat some time in which case I should try to be in the front of the pack to begin with.  Maybe this is where I jacked my knee, with all the harmful (to me) motions.  Up and down curbs trying to get around people, running through scraggly, weedy patches of uneven dirt.  It's not like I was trying to smoke everyone, but they were cramping my style!  The road was sloping down to the right along a long stretch which started bothering me so maybe that's where my knee got messed up, since it was the right one not the left.  Hmmm...  By around mile 2 the crowd thinned enough that it wasn't an issue anymore and though the terrain still changed a lot (little zig-zag here, up and over a wooden foot bridge, across some asphalt seriously in need of repaving) for the most part it wasn't too bad although my feet and ankles did hurt a little on some of it.  I stopped at all the water stations, slowing to a walk to take in the welcomed wetness & hydration.  I even took a Gu packet at one of the stops, ripped it open with my teeth and squished half of the espresso flavored muck into my mouth - blech!  I instantly regretted it because of the taste & texture and took more water to wash it down so after that I refused any other Gu offer.  It was warming up but still a nice temp and thankfully no crazy wind like we'd had the day and night before.  It was a nice enough route, mostly flat, could have done without the stinky marshy body of water part for a stretch and I wasn't too fond of the industrial business park scene for several miles but that amazing view of the bay and San Francisco's skyline was awesome.  There was some random guy on a bike with a cow bell that kept showing up every few miles, standing just off of the course ringing the bell and smiling.  Creepy.  I saw one woman slow down and do the plug-one- nostril-and-blow-snot-out-the-other maneuver that I've only ever seen men do.  Classy. 

My playlist was amazing and it really kept me going because I found there were lots of stretches that I thought to myself "oh my gawd, this is not fun and is taking forever!" I timed it pretty well though and just when I needed it most my music would give me a little umph and I was able to break out of the bad, slow stride I'd fallen into to stretch my legs out and feel alive again!  However, those didn't last.  I wasn't gasping for air, I wasn't clutching at a painful stitch in my side, but I felt tired and heavy, just not my optimal.  Sadly that was the case not even halfway into the run :(  I worked hard trying to talk myself through it but I think I thought about it too much.  At that point I'd think about my socks and imagine my sister as one of the people dotted along the course jumping & cheering, telling me what a rockstar I was!  Or I'd channel my late Aunt Nancy via the jersey of hers I was sweating into now, of her love of life and nature, of all the amazing hikes, bicycle trips and other outdoor life-loving adventures she had.  Imagining her eyes light up and that huge smile as I'd tell her about doing this run and of her saying "Go get 'em Tiff!" in her special voice. 

By mile 9 I was starting to be aware that my right knee wasn't too happy with me, along with my right hip flexor.  At mile 10 I started to consider slowing to a walk since pain is usually a sign something is wrong and I probably shouldn't keep pounding on it.  However, I just didn't want to do that, I wanted to RUN this whole damned thing!  I tried experimenting with my form, trying to land softer and bend my knee less.  It helped for a little bit but then I'd be back in my slow, tight limp-jog.  I swear I must have looked like an old lady, meanwhile old ladies were passing me up!  I didn't really care about either of those things, I just didn't want to have to walk.  I would see some women walking and then before long passing me up and then in another mile walking again.  Maybe for them it was about catching their breath.  I had enough breath to run an entire marathon not just half, but my body was failing me.  Damn it!  I was so mad and so bummed.  I got it in my head that I would be in just the same pain if I ran faster but I would get to the finish line sooner.  That didn't last long either.  Mile 12 was excruciating.  I kept "running" but I was barely passing the walkers! Mile 13 I think I crossed over into pained numbness and it was the longest fucking mile of my entire life!  Seriously, I never thought it would end.  And then there it was, the big arch of the finish line, loads of people lined up on either side cheering & clapping & holding up signs for Diana and Mommy and whoever else.  I suddenly felt so alone.  I tried not to really look at any of them and if I hadn't been in so much pain and so grateful I was finally about to be able to stop I might have cried.  I watched the big red numbers on the timer changing until I could see it no more as I crossed the finish line,  deciding my time had been 2:27:58, although I later found out on-line my actual run time was 2:26:07.  Two hours and 26 minutes and 7 seconds of RUNNING.  Holy crap!

Medals were handed to you just as you crossed the finish line and I put mine on immediately, more so not to have to carry it vs wanting to wear it.  Those little medals feel so silly to me...though I've now hung it prominently and smile when I look at it.  I didn't stop moving as I revelled in the crowded expo of already finished runners (there was a 5K and Kids Fun Run along with the half marathon) plus their families or friends, a dozen'ish booths offering free samples of sports drinks, power bars, etc.  I grabbed a banana, a coconut water and a regular water and did some stretching in the grass.  Then I went off to find the goody bag booth, claimed my t-shirt (a very nice jersey actually!) and then the finishing touch as spelled out in the See Jane Run motto "i run for chocolate and champagne", a flute with race info and very cool picture of the Bay Bridge on it and several Tcho chocolates inside.  Yes!  I got my glass filled up and had a piece of chocolate and tried to relax.  I didn't want to stay long but I wanted to see everything and that didn't take long but then I saw this cool free photobooth which I thought would be fun to do so I got in the long line, after getting my champagne glass refilled.  It was really beginning to get warm and the sun was beating down on the parts of my body exposed (calves & back of my neck) and my stomach & bowels were not feeling so well.  I crouched down in the grass in line as I got the chills and tried reasoning with my body, telling it soon I would be going home where I could properly rest.  I poured the 2nd glass of champagne into the grass - what kind of lame idea is it anyway to give people who just ran 13.1 miles and are most likely slightly dehydrated and are out in the sun Free Bottomless Champagne?!?!  I couldn't bring myself to eat anything other than the banana despite stuffing several free Luna bars in my goody bag.  Bag of Pop Chips?  How about Bag of Barf?  Finally it was my turn in the booth, I put on my best fake happy face, struck 3 poses and was done.  I snatched my photo from the printer outside and beelined it to the port-a-pottys, my sphincter muscles relaxing involuntarily with every step.  Hold it, hold it, hold it, come on, almost there, hold it, pleeeeeeease!  I just barely made it...JUST BARELY...there was a small casualty but nothing too bad.  I sat there for a while after exploding, wondering to myself why runners don't just give themselves an enema before a big race, or maybe they do.  Ugh.  I hobbled the several blocks to my car, called my sweetie to let him know I'd made it and then to my bestie Dan begging and pleading for him to come over and take my kids to the park or something so I could rest since I knew Gerry had to leave as soon as I got home.  He agreed and soon I was on my way. 

The rest of the day was part hell, part blur, part deep thoughts and google searches.  Daniel & Victor took Tyler & Teagan out to the park for a few hours so I limped to the closest nail salon and got a spa pedicure and extra 10 minute foot/leg massage.  Then I iced my knees and hip and layed on the couch.  I managed to make a simple dinner for me and the kids (although I ended up throwing mine up) and give them baths before putting them to bed and watching the last 2 episodes of the Pillars Of The Earth series which were awesome and fully took my mind off my pain.  My body will heal and though it wasn't an all together positive experience, the run was a triumph and success none the less.  Sadly it's my nature to downplay my abilities & achievements but I feel pretty amazing actually.  Sure my training wasn't perfect and life threw me a bunch of curve balls affecting both training and race day but I persevered, I didn't quit.  My body is a machine, a powerful thing when I put my mind to it and I'm on a bit of a power trip now.  Several weeks back I was majorly bummed out to realize I'd only lost 4 lbs since starting my training when I not only planned for but there was absolutely no reason why I shouldn't have lost 1 lb a week, bringing me back to my pre-baby weight by race day.  What went wrong?  Well I knew exactly what went wrong, my nightly glasses of wine or beer, my Friday and Saturday night several glasses of wine or beer.  Liquid calories are still calories.  I have such a love/hate relationship with alcohol, loving the taste and the stress release but with a tendency sometimes to not know when to stop.   I've seen the weight put on before by this delicious evil which caused me to step into action, so I've stepped up again, stopping drinking almost entirely.  I actually no longer feel the pull or desire for it when I  normally would, at the end of a long, tiring, patience testing day with the kids.  No, it's almost like when I got pregnant each time, suddenly there was zero desire for alcohol, zero desire for the buzz, zero desire for the numbness, less than zero desire for the feeling not optimal the next day.  Needless to say I've already lost a couple pounds and feel so strong & clear mentally.  Aaaah feels good. 

I don't think I'm done with the running, at least I sure hope I'm not - unless there's some more serious condition or injury I'm not aware of yet, if my knee doesn't feel 100% again soon.  I've got a lot to learn though and am going to make an appointment with a personal trainer and/or running coach and put together a plan to get stronger and figure out this long distance running thing.  I'll probably at least go for one more half marathon, maybe the one in SF in November, that's plenty of time to recoup, regroup and come back better than ever.  I haven't ruled out the full marathon yet but for the time I'm pushing that to the back of my mind, it IS a bit nutso after all!  I just found out there's a See Jane Run Triathlon & Duathalon coming up in September, I'll probably sign up for the Duathlon at minimum.  Well, I won't be doing both events that day of course, but the Triathlon is another little goal that's developing.  I used to be a great swimmer...as a kid...but that would be where I'd really have to focus my training.  Good thing my gym has a pool, and hey that would be great exercise to get right now while my knee is still sore.  It's just a power trip and such a high to see what your body can do and I'm just learning the potential of my own. 

Since the music really got me through and was so awesome I thought I'd share my playlist:

The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Glad You Came, The Wanted
Tell It To My Heart, Taylor Dayne
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Michael Jackson
Breath Of Life, Erasure
Chasing The Sun, The Wanted
Piece Of Me, Britney Spears
On The Floor, JLo
Kiss Off, Violent Femmes
Dancing In The Dark, Bruce Springsteen
The One I Love, R.E.M.
Telephone, Lady Gaga & Beyonce
Hella Good, No Doubt
Till The World Ends, Britney Spears
Celebration, Madonna
Cover Me, Bruce Springsteen
U Got The Look, Prince
Waiting For Sex, Erasure
What Is Love, Haddaway
Tik Tok, Ke$ha
Papi, JLo
SchieBe, Lady Gaga
Disappointed, Electronic
Manhunt, Karen Kamon
Waiting For Tonight, JLo
Americano, Lady Gaga
Break The Ice, Britney Spears
What A Feeling, Irene Cara
Be My Lover, La Bouche
Goodbye Seventies, Yaz
Shake It Out, Florence + the Machine
Wild Boys, Duran Duran
Back It Up, Gwen Stefani
New Sensation, INXS
SexyBack, Justin Timberlake
Girls On Film, Duran Duran
...there's more but this is where I finished so I figure this is all that's important to share

Perhaps surprisingly missing, for those who know me best, is more Madonna.  Well that's not accidental since I've been training almost exclusively to her new album "MDNA" and LOVING it!  But instead of throwing the songs into the mix in random order I much prefer listening to it as the full album, which I kinda figured I would switch to around mile 9 since I know I can run 4 miles in the time it takes to listen to the album.  Somehow that just didn't happen for whatever reason.  Now I'm not a superstitious person, but maybe my run was off simply because I wasn't listening to my main amazing, powerful, incredible, awe-inspiring muse Madonna.  Hmmmm...

Run Forrest, Run!

The big day is approaching...rapidly.  See Jane Run, I Run For Champagne & Chocolate, half marathon this Sunday June 3rd.  Gotta be there at 730 a.m. ready or not.  Will I be ready?  At this point my best answer is, yes???  I've got some wicked head cold right now, been with me a week with only mild clearing in site.  Will it pass in time or will I run with snot pouring down my face and a pisser of a headache and a foul feeling belly?  Ugh, I certainly hope not because I don't think I could pull that off and this is such a big deal event for me!  I've been training for 12 wks (off and on due to small irritating obstacles, like this cold), looking forward to it and plain 'ol anxious to DO IT to feel that rush and awe at what my body can do.  Well I guess there's only one thing to do now, get over it, or rather get over being worried about it and just plan for everything to be fine. 

As I just mentioned tho, sadly I haven't been able to run much lately between recovering from Bay to Breakers and now with this cold.  But so yeah, a week or so ago (I just can't keep time and days straight anymore since becoming a mom!) I ran the big San Francisco event of craziness (one of them anyway!) better known as Bay to Breakers, a 7 mile run starting downtown, winding its way across the city, up a gnarly hill and then through the beautiful Golden Gate Park, ending on the Great Highway alongside the expansive Pacific Ocean and Ocean Beach.  Tony was a good guy and pushed the stroller since I've been doing my share of training with it and since we didn't have a sitter so it was the kids' first (hopefully of many) B2Bs.  There were your typical naked runners and plenty of fun costumes and the weather was phenomenal.  Considering we started at 7 a.m. and actually ran unlike many people, we were way ahead of all the madness that ensued once people had their morning brews, cocktails or shots to get revved.  As we saw driving home, the course turned into a seething mob of insanity that bled out several blocks in all directions causing major traffic issues and lots of fabulous photo ops from the car window!  Apparently the big alcohol & bib crackdown (not allowing floats (which usually was just a mask for kegs) or drinking/public drunkenness and making sure everyone on the course was wearing a race bib and escorting those off that didn't) didn't work so well.  Or maybe it did because the news report the next day said only 19 people had been arrested for being drunk and I don't think there were any cases of alcohol poisoning, that I heard of.  There was talk that with all the restrictions this year's B2B would lose its umph and become just a...run.  Imagine that?!  Well no chance there, not in this city!  Most everyone came out in creative, extravagant costumes (as well as totally not in our case which felt kinda embarrassing which we'll have to change next year) and just partied!  We runners ran, and so we didn't see or get trapped in the mob, which was kinda a bummer because in a way that's what B2B is all about.  I mean, there's tons of runs all the time in lots of cities but none like this one.  Oh well, whatever.  Tony had a beer circus to get to and I was exhausted so there was no time to reinsert ourselves and check it out. 
Besides, it's like most things SF, and life in general for that matter, if you've seen it once you've seen it all.  Been there, done that, been half naked and drunk and walking the course, taking hours & hours to finish if at all.  These days i've taken the more mature, boring path! lol!  Although I did log 11 miles total since it was my long training run day so after I crossed the finish line and got a swig of water I just kept going...like Forest Gump.  Which reminds me, in the park with the sun on our backs I asked Tony running next to me to check out the shadow I was casting and tell me what it reminded him of.  He didn't get it until I helped him out but I was a dead ringer for Forest Gump on his cross country run with his long hair and baseball hat!! 

Hmmm, the picture didn't quite turn out like it looked at the time, but it's not easy taking a picture while running, let alone of your own shadow.  Hahaha.
But I digress...I've never been so physically exhausted (except for the 1st trimester of my pregnancy with Tyler but even that was a different exhaustion) than Sunday after my 11 mile run.  Laying on my bed wasn't relaxation enough.  I begged the mattress to just swallow me up and suspend me in some weightless animation where my body might somehow actually feel semi-normal.  It was crazy.  I could barely walk that afternoon although it had nothing to do with sore muscles, I'm beyond that.  So I'm preparing myself for that same experience after the half marathon this weekend.  It's not painful but it's not pleasant.  Have I not trained well enough?  Am I running with bad form or do I need better shoes?  All good questions and I have no answers.  A fellow runner friend told me that doesn't happen to her (thumbed nose & wiggly fingers was my Nah-Nah bitter response) and that I should read the book "Born To Run" which I'm picking up at the library today as a CD since I have no time to READ it, or rather I'm prioritizing "Fifty Shades Of Grey" which I just picked up at Target and am anxious to jump into...and will surely talk about in a future blog ;) 

Well, I'm taking Tyler to the doctor today since it's day 5 of fever for him and they want to just give him the full run through and make sure there's nothing else going on.  I think he's just had his first flu and it will all soon be a horrible, distant memory but right now we are still sorta in it.  Miz Teagan is sadly also showing signs of the same now too, fingers crossed she doesn't go through the misery Tyler has.  And as for me, might just google "sinus infection" after signing off of here but surely it's just another case of letting the bug run its course.  Let that course be over before Sunday!!!

LOVED the Otter Pop crew! They were even handing them out! I ate half before I realized I just took candy from a stranger...and candy that I would NEVER normally eat anyway! lol!

The seethe ahead of us as we ran!  This is what it looked like later as well only people weren't running, or wearing running clothes...they were partying and all costumed up!

Those 2 mostly naked guys (I think they were wearing jock straps) caused me to pick up my pace and leave a trail of dust behind me as I ran to catch up with them and snap this picture.  Yep, that's what makes Tiff run - some fine man ass!

Another selection of above mentioned running inspiration!

Relaxing with the fam post race at Park Chalet!