Looking Back: April

And then it was April. With it comes the start of baseball season, the tiny curling leaves of the tomato plant and the knowledge that before you know it, summer will be here!

Running: This month should have been one of my higher ones due to upcoming long races. However, a fluke pinched nerve in my back caused over a week of rest, which threw me back a bit. In the end, total miles run ended up being about 211 with about 32,000 feet of climbing. My next race is the Quicksilver 100k and I feel a bit under-trained but will see how things go! As for biking miles, I logged a big fat zero again. Shame on me.

Reading: Lucky for my reading goals, I had over a week where I was unable to do pretty much anything, so I got a lot of reading done! In April, I read 10 books. I knocked off another book from my own shelf (in bold) and also read a few goodies to boot! I actually gave four stars to five of them, which is saying a lot for me (I almost never give five stars and don't give four very often either). In order of favorites, here is what I read last month.

The Underground Railroad ****
The Year of Yes (audio book, read by the author) ****
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle ****
Love Warrior ****
Hillbilly Elegy ****
The Paris Winter (audio book) ***
Modern Romance ***
The World We Found ***
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget ***
Seven Brief Lessons of Physics ***

Travel: I spent a great weekend up at my parents house on Easter weekend, doing some snowshoeing and hiking and eating. We went snowshoeing at an old ski hill and we were the only ones out there aside from the mountain lions (we saw fresh prints but no cats) and the birds. It was a great way to get some sunshine and fresh air and exercise!

The Parentals

I also went on my semi-annual New York work trip, which was a lot of fun and another successful trip. It was a nice change from last time, when it was cold and snowy and icy and wet! It was in the 80s and I added on a couple extra days in order to spend some time with some old friends who I haven't seen in about 7 years!

The East River

Bonus: I know you are wondering....but what about the garden? Well... I can happily say that I reorganized the back yard, set up the drip system, and planted a bunch of tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, peppers, beans, beets, radishes and carrots. Unfortunately, I have a pest (slugs?) that loves vegetables as much as I do, and it has eaten everything but the tomatoes and radishes. I saved one pepper from certain death by moving it to a pot on the porch, but I think I will have to replant a lot of things. Boo hoo. Back to square one.

Meow!

What was your favorite part of April? Are you stingy or generous with your five star reviews? What is your favorite spring activity?

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Looking Back: April

What's the saying about April? It it the one who goes in like a lion and out like a lamb? Or is it that April showers bring May flowers? The latter is probably more fitting, as it did rain a bit in April and now the days are sunny and bright and the tomatoes are starting to grow!

Running: April was a good month for running! I ended up doing a couple of really long weekend runs with some wicked elevation (one on Mt. Diablo was 25 miles with over 6,000 ft of gain) which helped achieve a total of 223.2 miles of running with 37,500 ft. of climbing. In addition, a couple of commutes plus riding around Brooklyn got me 39.6 miles of cycling with 1,300 ft of climbing. I also clocked one hike, which was 8.1 miles.

Reading: I feel like April was not a good reading month, probably due to the fact that I was often with people. However, once I checked I realized that I actually read 5 books, which is more than my goal of one per week! Here they are (starred ones are for the Read Harder Challenge):

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee -- 3 stars
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel -- 3 stars
Finding Someplace by Denise Lewis Patrick* -- 3 stars
Spinster by Kate Bolick* -- 3 stars
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline* -- 4 stars

Travel: I actually did not travel that much in April, but I did have events each and every weekend. The first weekend I did some canning with a friend and some trail maintenance volunteer work in Pacifica. The weekend after that, I volunteered at a race, had dinner with my brother and friends in Santa Rosa, and then my parents came to visit and we had a nice dinner and a catch up. The weekend after that, I had breakfast with my grandma in Mill Valley and went to pace/cheer on a friend at a San Francisco race. Then I hosted Lisa and Phil and we had a great time gadding about the city, hiking, walking, going to a Giants game and just hanging out and chatting.

Marshall's Beach

View from Green Point

For the last part of the month I flew to New York and spent a couple of days in the office before heading over to Brooklyn to spend some time with friends. We rode bikes around the borough, drank beer, ran in the park and had lots of fun reliving the "good old days" when we were all traveling around Africa.

How was April for you? Did you travel? What book are you reading now?

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Looking Back: April

Dear May. You are my favorite month. You are the month of flowers and of long days spent outside where it is just the right temperature. You are the month of my birth, mother's day and a long weekend. You are a month full of road trips and races and friends and family. I am ready for you. Bring it on.

Dear April. You were sweet, but it's time we part until next year. There have been fun times. Let's remember them fondly.

Running: The month started off with the Lake Sonoma 50 miler. Then I had a 7 day rest before running another race, which was a loop course and was boring as heck. Otherwise, I did not really run much, as I was basically "tapering" rather than doing what I am supposed to do, which is to be training for the big daddy in July. However, due to two long races, I ended up running about 150 miles. This is unconfirmed because my Garmin has decided to either eat my run completely, poop out in the middle of the run, or refuses to upload onto the computer. 

Reading: While not running as much, I did end up reading 7 books this month. I also started maybe 3 that I only got half way on and then put down. The books were (in order of best to worst):

All the Light we Cannot See (5 stars)
At the Water's Edge (3 stars)
Tiny Beautiful Things (3 stars)
We are All Completely Beside Ourselves (3 stars)
The Book of Unknown Americans (3 stars)
The Life List (3 stars)
All the Bright Places (3 stars)

Travel: Besides traveling for the two race weekends, I also went to Jackson Hole for some hiking (in the snow) and to NYC for a work trip, where I also met up with some friends for the weekend. Basically I was not home very much on the weekends this month! I would like to say that May will be quieter, but that is not true, as I have something planned for every weekend. In fact, as I write this, I am preparing to go to Yosemite. Vive le spring and summer!

And there you have it in a nutshell. There have been some other things going on which have pretty much consumed any and all of my free time in the past couple of months, but I cannot talk about it yet. Once it's over, I will definitely have a lot to say, but for now, mum's the word. Stay tuned.

Also, sorry I have been slack on commenting on your posts! I am there, lurking on Feedly, but not commenting. I will be back in a month or so, don't worry.... 

Did your month of April go by fast or slow? What month is usually your busiest? What book should I pick up at the library next?

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Currently: April

Current Book - The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory **so far, so good. There is just something about the horrid nature of Henry VIII and all the backstabbing and lying associated with his reign that is just fascinating.

Current Running Path - 

Joaquin Miller Park

Current Drink - Iced coffee. The perfect after-run drink. Or anytime drink, really. 

Current Excitement - May. It's going to be full of fun things! Races, birthdays, Mother's day and vacations! Every weekend is already booked! 

Current fashion trend - What's up with the floral stuff? That was cool when I was a kid but it's not the most attractive pattern. I can't believe it's back in style. 

Current Favorite Blog/Website - This article in Runners World. See the photo down at the bottom of the article? That's the group I ran with and I am in the photo, next to the yellow sign! Pretty cool if you ask me! 

Current Garden Item - Tomato plants. Apparently a lot of the ones from last year self seeded themselves and they are coming back this year by themselves! We are going to have a ton of tomatoes.

Current Love -Watermelon. After a warm day, it's so nice to have a cold piece of watermelon.

Current Food - Salads. Every week I make up four of them for lunches and sometimes I even end up eating them for dinner as well! My favorite lately? Beets, goat cheese, quinoa, spinach, corn and garbanzos! Yum.

Current Indulgence - Mochas! Remember the coffee station? Well, now we also have one of those Nespresso machines and I am loving a homemade mocha from time to time. 

Currently Pondering - Why don't you have to refrigerate ranch dressing before you open it? I mean, it's still made out of diary products, isn't it? 

Current Mood - Great! The weekend was full of beautiful weather and a few great trail runs, brunch with friends and walks about town. I couldn't ask for anything more!

Current New Find - Spitz Chili Lime. If you like sunflower seeds you should try these, because they are good! 

Current Outfit - 

#BostonStrongSF

Current Peeve - All my socks are getting holes in them. I even clipped my toenails super short and bought new socks but after only a couple wearings, they are getting holey already! 

 

Current Song - I have been listening to the Juanes station on Pandora a lot. It reminds me of traveling in South America.  

Current Triumph - I picked my first veggies this week! The radishes are already ready even though they are only about a month old. They are super spicy though! Anyone know how to tone down the spice of a radish? 

 

Current TV Show - Actually I DVRed some movies, but none of them have really been that good.

Current Wish-List - A pair of earphones where I can change songs without having to get my phone out. I haven't really made a good playlist yet and so I keep having to listen to songs I would rather skip.

Currently Delaying - Booking a flight for a race later this year... I keep hoping the price will go down but it's almost time to bite the bullet and just do it. I'm sure that as soon as I book it, the price will drop. 

What is your current triumph? Have you read any good books lately? Have you joined in on the floral trend?

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Then & Now: April

You know I have to say it: I can't believe it's almost May! May is one of my favorite months of the year; It is Spring time, the flowers are blooming, the weather is great and it's my birthday month. You can't ask for much more than that. However, April is good too! This year has differed a lot from last year in the fact that I have been in one place for an entire month! Usually I move around a lot, be it for work or for fun. So, here is April's monthly comparison of the Who, What and Where of 2011 vs 2012!

The Who: 

 2011: Animals!

2012: The Parentals, My Other Mother, Little A, The Cat

The What: 

Books: 

2011: 4 / 2012: 6

Train Like a Mother by Dimity McDowell & Sarah Bowen Shea (review here): This was an easy to read training book for runners, both beginners or advanced. It was filled with funny stories and antidotes from runners polled. 

Ape House by Sarah Gruen: This was an interesting story about Bononbos (similar to chimps) who can communicate with humans through sign language. The two main characters are a newspaper reporter and the woman who taught the bonobos to speak. Their paths cross in a story that is amusing, enlightening and fun.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory: I read these out of order. Apparently this was number two. However, for my first Gregory, I liked it. I have heard great things about her, and they were no lie. I can't wait to read more of her books. This one was about the sister of Anne Boleyn, during the reign of Henry VIII. It was a great way for me to learn more about that time period while still engaging me in an interesting story.

You can see the others I've read here.

Running miles: 

2011: 0 / 2012: 113

Races: 

2011: 0 / 2012:4

Cherry Blossom 10 Mile
Jelly Bean 5k
Jelly Bean 10k
Grizzly Peak Trail Half

You can keep up with my training here and racing here.

 Hiking:

2011: in NZ

2012: in Oakland

Food: 

2011: On the road 

(pies , kimchi and street meat)

2012: At Home 

(White Bean Chicken Chili, Hummus, Granola)

The Where: 

2011: New Zealand, South Korea

2012: Washington DC, The Bay Area, Table Mountain

The verdict? Last year I ate out (and ate a lot of crap); This year I am eating much more healthy and having fun experimenting with some new recipes! I did more hiking last year, but more running this year! I'm exploring things on the local level this year and am loving it! And even though I only read a couple of books last month, I made up for it this month and am still on track for my 52 book reading goal!

How has your April gone this year? How did it differ from last year?

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Currently: April

Current Book - The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

Current Celebrity Crush - Peter Krause (Adam Braverman in Parenthood)

source

Current Drink - Zico Coconut Water

Current Excitement - Trail Racing! I had such a fun race last weekend, but more on that later!

Current fashion trend - flip flops -- that's as fashionable as I get!

Current Favorite Blog/Website - Self's Nutrition Values

Current Favorite Film - none, really. I saw Hugo and the Artist on the plane. They were both pretty good, but I wouldn't say they are my favorite.

Current Food - Lots of quinoa and tons of veggies! 

Current Guilty Pleasure - reading in the sun on the back porch

Current Indulgence - Pizza from the Cheese Board

Current Mood - tired


Current New Find - Cafe Biere in Emeryville -- Sunday Brunch with bottomless mimosas!

Current Outfit - jeans / sweater


Current Peeve - People on the escalator who stand two abreast and don't move out of your way when you are walking up or down them.

Current Song - anything by the Black Keys

Current Triumph - making a new recipe each week (and liking them!)

Current TV Show - Jeopardy (it's an old favorite!)

Current Wish-List - a house on the beach

Currently Delaying - putting money in my ROTH IRA for last year! I have 3 days left to do it! 


What are you currently up to?

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Apocalypse: Battle Of Berlin: 1945 (LARGE IMAGES)

 Berlin. April 1945. Apocalypse. Hell on Earth. This savage battle on this ancient cultured city is perhaps one of the most brutal battles in history. No quarters were given. An aggressive hatred filled Russian army, large in number with lots of tanks and guns. Facing it was a shattered remains of a once proud army. 
The Battle of Berlin is as important for its fierce fighting as for the great suffering of the German people. Hell on Earth. That was Berlin. In April-May 1945.

Early April, 1945. The Russians were getting closer to Berlin. A battery of Soviet 122-mm howitzers (model 1938 M-30) firing on Berlin. In April 1945

 A dead Volkssturm volunteer lies dead on the street of Berlin.

 A Russian officer checks the documents of captured German soldiers. Berlin. April 1945.

 Nazi Germany was fighting with boys in the last days. This boy was given the Iron Cross.

 Perhaps the last photograph of Hitler. Seen with his officers days before he died. 

VIDEO: BERLIN 1945 APRIL

This German woman killed herself. Berlin April 1945. Was it the fear and anticipation? Or had she suffered and could not take it anymore?

 Destroyed German tanks on the outskirts of Berlin

 A huge Russian 152 mm ML-20 gun batters Berlin

 The Russians hammered Berlin with this B-4 heavy artillery

Russians cleaning up building-by-building in Berlin of German resistance

 These kids from Hitler Youth were sent to defend Berlin in the last stages!

 One of the last images taken of Hitler. He gloomily inspects the damage to the Fuhrerbunker from the Russian artillery with Chief GruppenFuhrer Schaub, who was his companion from early days

 A Russian soldier pulls out a German from a manhole

 A Russian peers cautiously around the bridge on River Spree. May 1, 2011. A fellow soldier lies dead nearby.

 Top German generals who stayed alive and surrendered

 A dead German soldier lies amongst the graveyard of German military vehicles

 German POW, broken men, and civilians get medical attention in the open near Brandenberg gate. April 1945, Berlin.

 German people watch helplessly as Soviet T-24-76 tanks trundle on the streets of Berlin

 A German couple walk past a ACS Stug in Berlin.

Sweet revenge. Polish soldiers in Berlin. 

 A Russian 120mm gun batter Berlin. April 1945

 Russians flush out the Subway of the last Germans resisting. April 26, 1945. Frankfurter Allee 113 station.

 Russians rush past a dead German. April 1945. Berlin

 Soviet troops rush the German Reichstag. End April, 1945

 A Russian SU 76 Self-propelled gun fires in a Berlin street fight. April 1945

Column of Soviet ISU-122 self-propelled guns on the streets of Berlin. In May 1945.

 A Russian soldier, tired from the fighting, snatches some sleep. Beside him is a dead German soldier. April 1945. Berlin

 May 2, 1945. Russians on the streets of a broken Berlin

 After the fighting. A shattered Reichstag. In the foreground, is a German Flak 18 88 mm gun

 May 2, 1945. A building burns in Berlin

 German POW

More German POW

 Taken prisoner, chief of medical service in Berlin, Major-General Carl Emil Wrobel. May 2, 1945

Dead German soldier near the Brandenburg Gate

Column of German POW on the street of Berlin

An ACS Jagdpanther 4 on the Glienicker Bruecke

A Stug near the Ludwig Kirch Platz

 A broken 88 mm gun at Potsdamer Platz

 Broken German military vehicles at Unter den Linden

 A broken Luftwaffe plane at Berlin's Wunstorf Airport

A Panther near the Dankeskirche

 The war was over. German POW walk silently on the street of Berlin. May 2, 1945

 A Russian tank is parked near the Brandenburg Gate. Also seen is American photographer Robert Carmen. May 2, 1945

 Russians enjoy a boat ride past a broken city

 Russian soldiers take a tram ride in Berlin

 Russians bury their dead comrades

Horses pull a heavy Russian gun as the Reichstag appears ghostly

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