Let's Try This Again

It's been nearly four months since I last wrote. I'll chalk it up to a lack of creativity and reader interest. But nonetheless, I'm back at it one more time. 

I figure the best way to get it going again is with a brief recap. Deep breath and here goes:

Wendy and I adopted another doxie to be pals with Beans. Her name is Frankie and she's adorable. She too is quite unique like our double dapple Beans, in that Frankie's an Isabella Pieball. Thankfully the two of them get along very well, although we think our three cats are not too fond of having two dogs around the apartment. 

The job continues to go very well. During the months of July, August and September, I visited Vegas, San Diego, and then made a trip to Hong Kong and India. Hong Kong was great and I look forward to making the trip again. India on the other hand was both an interesting and humbling experience. While I'm glad I made the trek out there, I have nooooooo desire to go back. As my dad would say, not my cup of tea. 

In between those trips, I trained for and competed the Disneyland Half Marathon. I finished with a time of 2:02, while my better half crossed the line at 1:47.56.  What a shock, huh? Now its time to get ready for the Huntington Beach Half Marathon in February 2009. Mark my words: I will beat her this time, or at least tie her. Time will only tell. 

Outside of the dog, trips, and running, the rest is same ole thang. I did celebrate my 33rd birthday and got the best present ever - coffee maker with an automatic grinder and program capabilities. 

So there you have it.  

Ah, The Smell of Wet Grass

Certain aromas always have a tendency to trigger the mind to different thoughts and feelings. Could be good or bad emotions, but nonetheless they make the mind and heart travel to a different place.

During this morning's run, the smell of Wet Grass took me back nearly 15 years, to my days of running cross country for the high school track and field team at Monsignor McClancy High School. Wet grass was synonymous with the start of the season which was always cross country, held from September through November.  I being a distance runner would be one of 30 runners or so on the team competing in meets at Van Courtlandt Park in Bronx, NY.  

The cross country course at Van Courtlandt Park varied from 2.5 miles to 3.1 miles, beginning with a vast stretch of....you guessed it....wet grass. At least a half-mile into the race, we'd make our way into the back roads featuring hill after hill. Sadly, no wet grass :(  Typically the races would be 100-plus runners deep.  So getting out of the box onto that path of wet grass was critical to your success. Our coaches would encourage us to elbow our competition, sometimes even trip them. These tips served crucial, especially if you would get caught in the middle of the pack and needed to create space for yourself. An elbow here and there made it difficult for runners to keep their balance while running on the wet grass. Plus it was always fun to hit people. 

Eventually the smell of wet grass during today's 3-mile morning run had me wandered to the first few months of my freshman year. Being a track and field athlete during your freshman year is very humbling. You get the hand-me downs in regards to the running shirts and tanks. And there was only one van to squeeze all of us runners into for a meet. Wasn't a bad thing en route to a meet, but we never looked forward to our return trip home. In addition, weekend meets were dedicated to the jv and varsity teams. Freshman teams would have weekday meets, typically at 4 or 5 p.m. as the sun set and the cool night descended upon us. If you were slow like me, your goal was to get to the finish line before the sun disappeared or you're all alone in the back trails. Being in any type of back trails by yourself at night is bad, but in the Bronx, you're screwed. 

I couldn't recall any of my freshman times during today's, but I do know that I finished each race and enjoyed the competition. Little did I know back then, I'd still be out here putting one foot in front of the other and have the chance to reminisce of my so-called glory days thanks to the smell of wet grass. 

~jt

Playing Catch UP

Key thing to training for a marathon is to stick to the training plan. Unless you have a serious injury, there are very few excuses to miss out on a run.  Due to a crazy work week, which included working from 8:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning on a film shoot, I immediately fell behind on the first week of training. Years before I would have just let the training go, and tell myself that it's no big deal. But this time is different. That's in large part to my goal of running a 1:45 half marathon and having Wendy as my running partner. She's not one to let things get in the way of her runs.  As a matter of fact, not much gets in her way. This is the same woman who ran the Boston Marathon in 3:45 with a blood cot. And today while I handled some errands including getting a new car battery, taking Wendy's car for a smog check and going on a walk with Beans, Wendy cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the apartment. Once she was done, she hoped right onto the treadmill.  That's what they call dedication. No wonder she kicks my butt every time. But we'll get to that later. 

Wednesday's speed workout was a no go, so we picked things up on Thursday through Saturday. Each of those days called for 3 miles. It's not far, but sometimes when you're on the treadmill, it seems like an eternity. To help get through these past few runs on the mill, I threw in some variety. On Thursday I challenged myself by adding the speed every five minutes, eventually getting to a sub 9 minute mile. For Friday and Saturday, I went with the approach of starting fast at a 10 minute mile, then picking up the speedometer to a sub 8 minute mile. The main goal here was to maintain that sub 8 minute mile for the last mile and a half. Surprisingly I did and its step in the right direction. 

Week one comes to a close tomorrow. A five mile run awaits me at the finish. 

~jt

Let The Training Begin

Today marked the official start of my training for the Disneyland Half Marathon, which is scheduled for August 31. For the next 16 weeks (yes you read that correctly) I will adhere to a training program that has me running 6 days out of the week up until the 13.1 mile foot race. In the past for marathon and half-marathon training, I have followed Hal Higdon's running plans. The training consists of logging anywhere from 20-30 miles a week of both distance and speed work.

This morning's workout called for a 3 mile run. Piece of cake! I prefer to get my runs done first thing in the morning. Therefore, I don't have the run hanging over my head all day, plus its a great way to start a weekday. The alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. and I was up immediately. Per my routine, I get the coffee brewing and throw on my running gear. For some odd reason, I like to have a cup of coffee before I head out. I think over time I've convinced myself that the coffee wakes me up and provides a burst of energy to get things going. In addition, it gives me those few extra minutes to get into the right mindset. Some people can just lace up the shoes and go run. I on the other hand need to mentally prepare myself with what I want to accomplish during the run. On this occasion it was pretty easy, get my 3 miles done at a 10 minute pace or less. 

I grabbed my headphones and Ipod, and headed to the apartment's fitness center. Wendy had planned to join me, but she didn't have the best night of rest, so she opted to get her 3 miles completed after work (which she did). Fortunately I was the first at the fitness center, because only two treadmills are available.  Following a bit of stretching the hammys and quads, I punched in the info for the treadmill and headed off. Lately, I have learned that running on a treadmill is beneficial to my knees despite being boring . Thankfully the tunes on my Ipod distracted me from the confinement of a mill. 

Since I had not run in the past few days, I started off slow - 10:49 minute pace. Eventually five minutes into the run I sped up the pace, getting it to 10 minutes a mile. Overall I felt real good. Just concentrated on my form, making sure my arms did the swinging, thus alleviating any pressure on my legs. It's something I learned in reading Chapter 1 of the book "Chi Running." Can't wait to get to Chapter 2. Probably won't happen anytime soon, since I can remember where I put the book during my relocation to SoCal. 

With day one of training complete, comes day two. Speed work is on the horizon. Slated to do 5 x 400 meter runs at 5k pace. What that means, I have no clue, but I am sure that I will improvise. 

"If you ain't first, your last."

jt

Beans Sure Does Like His Hot Dogs

DLR
For several months now, Wendy and I have been putting our dog Beans through training. Our decision was two-fold. First, we were getting frustrated with his "cujo" like behavior when on the leash towards other dogs and people. Secondly, we feared him as a liability due to his aggressive nature. Not that we felt he would do anything bad, but we didn't want to take that chance.

We called upon Tom at Paw Lite to help us grapple with Beans' inappropriate behavior. Instantly we began to see results. Partially because Tom was able to break down Beans' fear and nervousness around people and other dogs. The other factor had to do with Beans' love for hot dogs. Tom encouraged us to work with Beans on a daily basis and use hot dogs as that special treat when he behaved well and responded to our commands of: 'sit,' 'down,' and 'leave it.' The use of hot dogs came in handy during our training sessions, and when we met new people or took him to our family. The hot dog, chopped into a little pieces, became our saving grace.

When we made the trip to Central California, we took the beast to expose him to the wine country. As Wendy and I packed the doggie bag, we made sure we had plenty of treats for the weekend. And when I mean plenty, I'm talking about 5 whole hot dogs cut into tiny, tiny pieces.

On Saturday night, Wendy, me and the Sosas went out to dinner. Prior to leaving, we fed Beans his meal and left him with the television remote control. We returned from a delightful dinner to a dog who looked like a stuffed turkey. He lifted his head at us when we walked in with a subdued expression. Keep in mind, anytime we come back from work or being out, Beans is awfully excited to see us. This evening was completely different. A few steps further into the hotel room we noticed a snack bag on the ground empty. Immediately we realized holy cow, Beans just ate FIVE hot dogs. And it showed! Poor guy moved around slowly when I took him out to go poop and then again in the next morning. Needless to see, the end result of those potty breaks was not pretty. Shockingly, I had to do the clean up for the better part that weekend.

While Beans didn't have a taste for hot dogs for a few days, his appetite for raw wiener has come back full circle and we are back to using it during training sessions.

Sideways Tour

While many honored our fallen heroes and today's veterans with a few brews and the savory taste of a bbq during Memorial Day Weekend, Wendy and I drove three hours to central California for our version of a Sideways Tour. We met up with friends and wine gurus, Lisa and Edison (aka E-Bone, Big Ed, Eddie, E-Dog, E, EZ-E), who suggested the 3-day wine tasting debauchery in celebration of Wendy's 30-something birthday. 

As you may recall, Sideways is the 2005 flick directed by Alexander Payne featuring actors Paul Giamatti (Miles), Thomas Hayden Church (Jack) and Virginia Madsen (Maya). The plot is about two middle age men, who venture up to the California wine country just as Thomas Hayden's character (Jack) prepares to settle down and get married. Between playing golf and drinking wine, the boys try to search for their identities. In Jack's case, he tried to find it in the pants of Sandra Oh's character (Stephanie), while Miles stalks Maya by frequently visiting the eatery she works at, in hopes of forming a relationship. It's a good flick. So good, it received an oscar for best adapted screenplay and nominated for a slew of other oscars. 

More importantly though, Sideways generated a buzz for the California wine country and in my opinion, has led to the demise of Merlot - watch the movie and you'll understand wine. 

From a capitalistic standpoint, Santa Barbara County marketed the movie to draw its fans and wine tasting newbies to the surrounding area and in return, cashed in big time. Just do a quick google search of Sideways tour and you'll understand what kind of gold mine SB found. Hell, it was one of the reasons we made a trip. 

Now I must admit, our version of the Sideways tour had very little similarities to the movie. Actually there was no common link...thankfully.  But I did pick up a few things to suggest in the event you're planning to make a trip. 

First of all, go with a cheap hotel because outside of the normal tasks, you'll spend very little time in your room. The four of us met in the city of Buellton, just 45 minutes past the heart of Santa Barbara and adjacent to Solvang (where a good part of the movie was filmed at). We stayed at the Quality Inn right off of the 101 freeway. Although it may have lacked the quality of a Four Seasons Hotel, the Quality Inn allowed us to bring the beast, better known as Beans the dog. And again it was right off the 101 freeway which mean, it was easy to find after a few glasses of wine. 

Second key is the fact that its good idea to go with someone who works in the wine industry. Not so much to serve as an expert on wine to help understand the smells and what not of a grape or two. Rather, utilize the wine industry rate of FREE when it comes to wine tasting. Being that Lisa is an employee of a fabulous winery in Sonoma County, she was able to get the industry rate. This is crucial in the standpoint that you're not paying $10 at every place to sip some of their wine. And at times, bad wine. That extra mula can go towards purchasing the bottles you're enjoying. Trust me, you're going to buy bottles, because at that point in time, this is the best wine you've tasted. Even better than the two-buck chuck from Trader Joe's.

Lastly, you want to get a good base to start your day. That means munching down on a hearty breakfast. We began each morning at Buellton's popular eatery, Mother Hubbard's restaurant, which is located a mere three blocks from the hotel. The place is fantastic, largely due to the food portions and friendly service. It is very crucial to get your tummy filled up for there is very little time to stop for lunch when trying to hit up the wineries that are open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

These are my three keys to a Sideways tour. Nothing mind blowing, I know, but it's all about the wine. Coming up I'll suggest a handful of wineries to visit, and I'll share the story of how Beans got into a bag filled with not one, not two, but five hot dogs.  The hotel room was NOT a pretty site upon our return from dinner on Saturday night. 

Cheers!

~Jt

Let's Get Physical...

Those words once were uttered by Olivia Newton John. This morning, those lyrics to the infamous song bounced around in my head during Wendy and I's morning workout. This wasn't our typical workout, which usually consists of heading to the gym for a 3-4 mile run on the treadmill. 

A few days ago we agreed to run to the park and participate in those "exercise stations," that you normally see grandma and grandpa struggle through. Or better yet, the ones you had to complete in 5th grade PE class. The tasks at hand included doing as many push ups, chin ups, standing broad jumps, and crunches you could do and then test your eye-hand coordination on the balance beam. And if you did them poorly, the gym teacher would write a note to the parents, stating that their child is not fit or worse, on the brink of obesity. 

Now, when I came up with the idea I thought, 'hey this would be a nice change of pace to our morning runs.'  So, I suggested it to Wendy, while we ate artichokes, wood-fire prawns, roasted chicken and bread pudding at Sparks Woodfire Grill during a romantic dinner date. She went along with my notion, because if there's one thing Wendy will not do, she won't say no to any type of outdoor activity. 

So this morning at the 6 a.m. we set out to the park. The distance from our apartment to the park is about 1 mile. It's a good warmup, but more importantly, it allows me ample time to mentally prepare myself for what lies ahead. First station was the pushup. Couldn't tell you the last time I did a push up, but I positioned myself parallel to the wet grass and did...7. Wendy on the other hand, did 8. From there it was chin ups. Wendy and I each did...2. By now she and Iare  laughing at our incompetence at completing a 5th grade gym class exercises. Nonetheless, we laughed at ourselves as did some fellow walkers and joggers. 

Along the 1.2 mile course, we also encountered monkey bars to test our upper body strength, which we both failed miserably. I couldn't swing my arms without falling. In addition, there were parallel bars much like you see in a gymnastics event. She pretended to be Olympian Kerry Strugg and I was Mitch Gaylord from the 1984 Olympics. We attempted to perform dips. Looks much easier than it appeared, because I could barely bend my arms on the bars. You'd think that I was Andre the Giant. Meanwhile Wendy, dipped but never really came back up from her dip. 

In all, despite the fact we didn't pass the exercise test, Wendy and I did get in more than a 3-mile run and shared a good laugh or two to start our day. Couldn't have asked for anything more. Well..maybe to do one more pushup than her. 

~Jt

Hello, is anyone out there?

Nearly 10 years after blogging was the thing to do, I've decided to start one. Better late than never. 

Now, don't let the title fool you. It may appear posts after posts will discuss running. But that's not the case. I came up with the title and really liked the sound of it. Plus, how can you not giggle when you read the name "Johnny Taco." 

As a matter of fact, this blog aims to cover all and anything that comes to mind. For those of you who know me well, that's a scary thought. As my jolly, good old friend Drew said the other day, 'don't limit yourself.' Of course, now that I think about it, he might have been applying to something else. 

Anywhoo....this is my blog. What I write is just my opinion, not those of the company I represent, nor the friends I associate with or the family members whom I speak to every once in a while. 

And let me forewarn you know: Do not expect witty writing. Must I remind you,  I was born and raised in Queens.  

Thanks for checking the blog out. 

~Jt