Yesssss.....

Woohoo! I had an amazing day of training today. After a very bumpy road I feel like I am definitely back on track. I ran for an hour today without stopping, and felt like I could keep going when I finished. Things are lookin' up!!

Still training!!

Gosh, I haven't written anything here forever! Its been a crazy month, what can I say?
Without getting into too many details, I've definitely been on a roller-coaster physically and emotionally.

Physically, I had to basically start my training over when I returned from Spain. Although Spain was wonderful, I didn't get any running in for 3 weeks. When I got back, my coach put me on a run/walk program. At first I was pretty bummed because I REALLY wanted to run. But I understand the importance of injury prevention (as someone who usually runs through shin-splints, I have since learned my lesson). I am doing really well on the program, increasing my time and getting back into full-on running. I even got the flu but (after a couple days rest) kept on truckin.

Emotionally, its been hard. I recently moved back to Portland and am looking for a job in a VERY depressed economy. I've also had a lot of close friends and loved ones dealing with some really rough issues (serious medical issues and even death). I'm optimistic that November HAS to be better than October...right? Thank goodness for amazing friends, good food and dumb comedies!!

But the important part is that we still need to find a cure for Crohns and Colitis. And I may not be as fast as I hoped, or even as upbeat. But I WILL run this race, I WILL finish...because its too damn important not to! :)

Spain part 5

DAY 14: Our second day in Malaga...it did not start off well. It started with a complete loss of water in the hotel room, which makes it very difficult to shower, brush teeth, flush the toilet, etc. Luckily I had enough water in my water bottle for teeth brushing and to take my pills. When dad and I stepped out to use the Internet it was pouring down rain. But after a siesta, things started looking up! The sun came out (always a plus for touristing), so we went to Alcazaba-Gibralfaro, a walled fortress dating back to the 11th century. It was originally the palace of the Muslim rulers in the city and consists of two separate areas: the palace at the base of the hill and another walled fortress at the top of the hill. From the top fortress you can look out at panoramic views of all of Malaga, from the sea to the mountains. The palace itself contained three separate courtyards, one containing orange trees, a second with a pool, and a third that we were unable to access. Alcazaba was built mostly of limestone and crumbles easily, so apparently it requires frequent rebuilding. In the upper portion, reconstruction of a courtyard was underway. Once I get pictures added it will be much easier to understand the grand scale of the fortress, it was really incredible. Plus hiking up the hill to the higher portion was a great workout! Unfortunately it highlighted the lack of training I´ve been getting in. Dang!

DAY 15: Dad and I took a bus from Malaga to Granada. We had hoped to take a train...the train system is much nicer because its faster, you get to see more countryside, and it has a cafeteria and working bathrooms :) The bus ride took about an hour and forty-five minutes, so it wasn´t bad at all. We didn´t get to see a lot of Granada, but I could tell it is very beautiful. Apparently Granada was the last remaining Arab city in Spain, and it is clear that it has a lot of Arab influence in its food, shops, architecture, etc. Dad and I went to our hostel, then out for dinner. I also finally splurged and got a pair of jeans (for 16 €!) because the hiking pants I brought are literally hanging off me right now. I must have lost weight at some point between the travel and colitis. Cest la vie! The restaurant dad and I went to for dinner was great because (1) the food tasted good (2) it is close to our hostel (3) it doesn´t charge for bread and (4) they actually give you a complimentary dish! Muy excellante! (ok, I think I may just be making up Spanish now...)

DAY 16: Our first full day in Granada. Dad and I started the day by going to La Alhambra (a very famous, much larger version of a walled fortress and palace like the place we went to in Malaga). At least our PLAN was to go to Alhambra. La Alhambra sits on a hill above Granada and consists of a palace, bathing area, patios, a fortress, a cathedral, and many gardens. After touring part of the palace of Carlos V, the bathing areas, the cathedral, the museum and some of the gardens, we learned that we needed tickets to enter the remaining areas. The ticket situation was quite confusing because we entered in what looked like a main entrance, but tickets were sold at the complete other end (and far back area) of Alhambra. We walked around to the other side and found that the automated ticket machine wasn´t a fan of dad´s credit or debit cards. The cash purchase line was extremely long and hadn´t moved forward in the time we had been waiting, so we decided to nix the rest of the visit. If this had been our first stop on our vacation, I´m sure we would have waited, but we have already seen so many amazing things! Plus the part of La Alhambra that we did see was beautiful, again with strong Arab influence and intricate tile and engravings. Instead, dad and I went to a restaurant for lunch where I had delicious pork loin in fig sauce. Mmmm, it was sooo tender and juicy and flavorfull! I just LOOOVE good food! Dad and I then walked along a street called Carrera del Darro, a beautiful cobblestone street that runs along the river. It was full of old residences pained white, with clothes hanging outside to dry, bicycles parked along the side, etc. Again, the Arab influence was present in the architecture and souvenier shops...many shops contained gifts from India instead of Spain. For dinner, dad and I went to a delicious restaurant called Ermista. I got tapas (small dishes) of codfish in garlic and chile sauce, and serloin in brandy (which actually tasted an awful lot like maple syrup). But the HIGHLIGHT of the day was finding dad´s book in the local bookstore!! We got a picture of course :)

Spain part 4

DAY 11: Our last day in Sevilla. So sad. I really love this city. Barcelona is amazing, the architecture is completely unique and spectacular, but I could actually see myself living in Sevilla. Dad and I got up late in the morning (dad actually slept till 9!) and went to the same breakfast place we had been to the day before, a little cafe near our hotel. I saw a few more of the same cafe downtown, so I figure it must be the Starbucks of Spain. I had a very tasty apple bread and a soda to wake up. We took the bus into town again. Our first stop was the Hospital de los Venerables, which once served as a retirement home for old and poor clergymen. It was very nice, had a lovely courtyard. It also had lots of paintings in the interior and a very ornate chapel. For lunch we went to an incredible little restaurant, I wish I could remember the name. It was in one of the many plazas, and specialized in olive oil. I had anchovies and tomatoes in olive oil, and creamy and sharp cheese made with sheeps milk. After lunch, dad and I toured La Catedral y la Giralda, which dates back to the 1400s. The cathedral displayed incredible architecture (as all of them have), but what really stood out to me was a group of demonstrators/protestors who were living in the cathedral. The story is this: over ten years ago, in 1998, a group of miners found themselves out of work after an accident in a mine. The miners, who had been working for the government, had been guaranteed different and full employment in another mine. The government then backed out of their agreement, and all of the miners became unemployed. In 2007, a new agreement with the government was reached, and again, the government did not uphold its end of the agreement. This year, the miners began living in a small space inside the cathedral. They have cots set up with sleeping bags and a few essentials. Twenty-five of the miners have been on a hunger strike since June 25, 2009. The situation was very sad to witness, especially to see the lengths that the former-miners would go through to hold the government to their end of the agreement. After dad and I left the cathedral, we walked down to the Parque de Maria Luisa, which was, without a doubt, the best part of the day. The park was enormous and tropical, with ponds, bridges, incredible vegetation, many birds including peacocks, and the Plaza de Espana, a huge semi-circular buildings which is impossible to describe without seeing it (I hope my photos can do it justice). The building contained images in blue tile to represent the different regions of Spain. We finished the night with dinner at a little restaurant; I had cheese, olives, fish and white wine. The food here is soooo amazing!

DAY 12: We got up at a reasonable time (around 8 am) to catch a train to Malaga, a city on the coast. The train ride took three hours (we left around 11), and again the countryside consisted mostly of olive trees. I had found the third Twilight book, Eclipse, in a bookstore at the train station, and read the book before the nights end. I am SUCH a nerd, but I heart it. When we arrived at Malaga, we went to an American style restaurant for lunch, where I had a burger and fries. My colitis went absolutely berzerk. It had been doing so well on the trip (after my first few days), I was shocked to see how bad it got so quickly. Prior to going on this trip I had stopped eating most gluten (especially wheat), which basically was keeping my colitis in check (with the aid of my nine pills per day). But on the trip I had eaten plenty of baguettes, which didn´t seem to upset my stomach at all. And yet, one burger and fries sent my system into total shock. When we got to our hotel in Malaga, I spent most of the remainder of the afternoon in bed, which worked out ok because dad took a siesta. A bit later we went out for dinner, where I had anchovies with olive pate, and baby eel in garlic sauce. Dad got a salmon, tomato and cream cheese salad. Dinner was delicious, though it didn´t do much to aid my colitis. On our way to and from dinner, dad and I could barely make our way though the streets because they were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with teenagers. It was actually incredible. I´ve never seen anything quite like it, except perhaps at a Dave Matthews concert. There must have been hundreds of teens within a 1/2 mile radius! That was enough for me...time for bed!

DAY 13: Our first full day in Malaga...gotta admit, its a tad disappointing coming from Sevilla, but I think just about anywhere would be. The food is meh (although dinner last night was very good). Today breakfast consisted of a croissant, lunch of anchovies and beef, and dinner in a Greek style restaurant. Decent but not nearly as mindblowing as Sevilla. Part of the problem could be that my colitis is still in attack mode today, so its harder to enjoy the food. Dad and I started the day at the Picasso Museum, which has over 155 works of his art. Although the museum did not have his most famous works, it did have a nice crosssection. I had not realized Picasso had lived to be as old as he had. He was born in 1881 and died in 1973, he also died wealthy and famous, quite rare for an artist. After the museum dad and I went to Picassos place of birth; he had been born and raised in downtown Malaga. Around 1 pm the rain started in, and did not stop for the rest of the day. Dad and I went home for a siesta, and a little BBC television, and came back out for dinner time. When we woke up this morning (the start of day 14), it was still raining, so I hope the rain lets up today! Fingers crossed :)

Spain part 3

DAY 8: This was our last day in Barcelona...very sad. This is such a beautiful and amazing city. When we first got to Spain, I couldn´t help but be a little less than thrilled, mainly because it was cold and rainy... which I am more than accustomed to in Oregon and Washington. But Barcelona was in the 70s every day, sunny (with one thunderstorm) and just beautiful. Our last day in Barcelona, dad and I started the day by going to a travel agency and getting train tickets and hotel reservations for Seville (Sevilla), where we were going the next day. The train tickets were very reasonably priced. The train ride was scheduled to take 12 hrs, but luckily I was very excited to see Spanish countryside and I had a good book to read :) Our hotel was located a bit outside city center, but turned out to be very nice with air-conditioning (we actually needed it in Sevilla!) and a shower that didn´t put me at risk for flooding the bathroom :) After booking our reservations, dad and I went to the contemporary art museum (Museu d Árt Contemporani de Barcelona). The museum was a gigantic, all-white building with lots of windows and straight lines. The installations were amazing, and some were very creepy....straight out of the movie The Ring. One room was completely dark except for a row of TVs displaying nothing but black-and-white static, with organ music playing in the background. Dad didn´t seem to be a big fan :) After the museum, dad and I continued down the Ramblas to the pier. A giant monument of Columbus marks the start of the pier, as well as a lot of old and historic buildings. Port Vell has lots of restaurants, shops, an acquarium, IMAX, and other attractions, as well as a harbor with TONS of ships. Everything in Barcelona was a work of art, it was amazing. Street posts, benches, etc. Even the pier has a floating walkway to the above attractions; the walkway is shaped almost like a guitar (if looking at it from above) and gently slopes up and down like waves. Next, we tried to go to the Picasso Museum but it was closed on Mondays...foiled! Instead we went to Ciutadella Park, which was a fantastic substitute. The part contained a zoo (which we didn´t visit), an amazing sculpture and fountain, remains of the Universal Exhibition of 1888 (including a life-size wooly mammoth sculpture), and a lake with gondolas. The park also contained Barcelona´s version of the Arc de Triumph. All in all, it was another fantastic day in Barcelona. I was sad to leave, and highly recommend that city to anyone!!!

DAY 9: Not a lot happened today. We got up relatively early to catch a train to Sevilla. The train ride was fantastic. Bathrooms in working order (un necessito for me), food options, comfy seats, and Slumdog Millionaire dubbed in Spanish :) Finished my book, got some sleep, ahh....also had a wonderful view of the Spanish countryside. Its amazing, in southern Spain there is nothing but miles and miles of olive trees.... mmmm....soooo yummy!! Its like I just found my own personal heaven. The only bad thing was that there was some obstruction on the tracks, so we were stopped in Cordova for 1.5 hrs. Didn´t bother me any, but other passengers were more annoyed.

DAY 10: Our first full day in Sevilla. Our hotel is a bit out of the way (not downtown), but just a short bus ride from downtown. There are two main districts here: Santa Cruz and El Arenal. We were able to see most of both of them in one day. Our day began with breakfast at a mall near our hotel. Then we took a bus into the downtown area, which only took about 10-15 minutes. We started out in the Santa Cruz district. I should mention the weather...hot and sunny, very tropical feeling.... WONDERFUL. Many of the buildings have the stereotypical Mediteranean architecture...very colorful, tiled roofs and intricate tile patterns on the walls. Tons of lush greenery including palm trees and lime trees. There are also many courtyards with small fountains in the centers, ornate tiled benches, etc. It feels like a mix between Europe and Hawaii. We went to lunch at a restaurant near the cathedral, which may have been a mistake...probably more expensive than other places, but oh well. For some reason, all restaurants seem to charge for bread with the meal, even if you don´t order bread. Very sneaky ;) Its so good though that we can hardly complain. After lunch we visited Real Alcazar, an AMAZING palace (from the 14th century?), which had a combination of Christian and Arab influences in the architecture. It was similar to the rest of the architecture in Sevilla, but more incredible. It was basically Sevilla on steroids. The palace contained tons of beautiful courtyards, arched doorways, high ceilings, tiles, marble floors, fountains, etc. It was home to Pedro the Cruel (nice name, huh?), and later Carlos V and his wife/cousin Isabel de Portugal. After the palace, we walked down the Avenida de la Constitucion to the Torre del Oro, a big circular structure on the waterfront. From there we walked along the waterfront to Plaze de Toros de la Maestranza (aka a bull ring). And no, I did NOT go to a bullfight because the bull never seems to win. After walking around some more, we went to dinner at a restaurant called El Buzo, which we heard about in our guidebook. I HIGHLY recommend it...its located at the corners of Arfe and Calle Antonia Diaz (for those of you planning a trip to Sevilla in the near future :). We had the fish and shellfish special which was a mix of prawns and dorado fish (which I had never had but LOVED). It was so juicy and tender and mmmmm..... Warning: the restaurant is a bit pricey and the fish dish is messy (they give you handi-wipes though :) but soooo worth it. Also comes with olives! I had truffles with cream for dessert. I would recommend sharing the dessert, I ate almost all of it myself and was very full afterward. The wine is also fantastic. We got cheap white wine that was really good! (only 2.40€ a glass!) Finally, we rounded out the night with a flamenco show at the Auditorio Alvarez Quintero near the cathedral. It was a very small venue and small show (one singer, one guitarist, and two dancers) but cheap and intimate (I was practically sitting on the stage). Overall another fantastic day in Spain! I heart Spain!

Spain part 2

DAY 5: Not a very exciting day. We took a train to Barcelona that night, and it rained pretty steadily most of the day. Dad and I went to a bookstore to get books to read....I had bought New Moon (the second in the Twilight series) the day prior, but was up all night and read the whole thing! I am so addicted to that silly series! We spent the rest of the day at the bus stop, reading and hanging out. I tried to do lunges up and down the halls while we were there for a little exercise :) Then we took our 6 hr bus ride to Barcelona and got in aroudn midnight. Was still feeling pretty sick. Blah.

DAY 6: I am soooo in LOVE with Barcelona! Our first day here we spent in the Gothic District where our hostel (Hostal Fontanella) is located. We went and visted some interesting government buildings, and then went to the music hall (Palau de la Musica Catalana), which was constructed over a century ago. It has the most amazing and ornate stained glass and tile work. It was simply beautiful. We went back later that night for a guitar concert by Xavier Coll. He was very good, but the most incredible part came at the end (second encore) when his 10 yr old daughter came out and played the cello. She was sensational!! During the day, after the music hall, we vistied the cathedral of Barcelona, which was built in the 13th century. It was very beautiful and reminded me of the cathedrals I had visited in France. We then visited the history museum (Museu d´ Historia de Barcelona), which was fascinating. Under the museum are the remains of Barcino, the original Roman city. Finally, that night (prior to the concert) we went to the Rambla, a very busy street with a large central pedestrian area and trees lining both sides of the street. It runs from the central area of the city down to the waterfront (which we will visit today). The street was full of booths selling flowers, birds and food, and street performers were located about every 20 feet. I would NOT recommend getting food at one of the central booths though, especially if it says its a ¨special.¨It will end up being quite expensive and NOT good. I think it is targeted at silly tourists (like us) who don´t know any better :)

DAY 7: We toured more of Barcelona, especially the areas considered the City of Gaudi. Gaudi was an amazing architect, so for anyone who is not familiar with his work, I highly suggest Google searching him! Although nothing really compares to seeing everything in person. First we went to Casa Batllo, one of two homes I toured that Gaudi had constructed for families on request. The house reminded me of a strange hobbit house, but much bigger and with more light. Every room was strangley rounded and curved in different directions, from the walls to the doors to the ceiling in Modernist style. The roof had odd shaped chimneys and looked like some sort of scaled creature, like a dragon. There is a fabulous courtyard with tiles that become more blue as they reach the sky and an amazing use of light! I also went to Casa Mila (also known as La Pedera). The entire building was rounded around a corner block in what looked like waves. The roof was the most amazing part because it had a variable surface (almost looked like a maze of stairs) and sculptural chimneys which were spiral, pointed, etc..all in an abstract style. I cannot even explain how amazing it is unless someone is there themselves. Finally went to the Temple of the Sagrada Familia, which is shaped like a giant cross. It is a cathedral that Gaudi spent 40 yrs working on until his death. Much of it was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and is still under construction to this day. It was difficult to see b/c of the construction, but the inside was amazing and looks like giant trees. Got amazing food yesterday: fresh orange juice and croissant for breakfast, mussels and olives for lunch, and tapas for dinner, with tomato/basil salad, vinegar octopus, and chocolate ¨sin¨dessert, with orange and lemon sauce. Mmmmmm.... I haven´t gotten any runs in, but have walked around many hrs per day and walked a TON of stairs, so hopefully that counts for something as far as workout is concerned! Today is Day 8 (will write about it later, still morning), and we are off to Seville tomorrow!

Spain part 1

Finally, at an internet location long enough to blog! Woohoo! I´m about four days into my trip, so here is a summary so far...

Days one and two: VERY long day of travel. Dad and I flew from Seattle to Pennsylvania to Madrid, then took a bus from Madrid to Pamplona to Roncevilles, where we were to start hiking the Camino de Santiago. The hike in total takes about five weeks and goes across northern Spain from east to west. It was originally a pilgrim trail with religious routes, although my purpose was simply for vacation and exercise. Dad and I only had 21 days, so we planned to hike about half-way. Got into Roncevilles around 8 pm Monday night. The main hostel for travelers on the Camino was full, so we were put in strange little outhouse buildings (that had very good heat system, luckily) :) Note to self: need to learn Spanish!

Day three: Set out late (as far as the hike is concerned), just before 8 am (or 11 pm Pacific time). The hike from Roncevalles to the next destination was about 18 miles through the Pyranees. We started off well, but soon the hike began to take its toll. My poor dad is 70 years old, and had purchased a luggage bag with wheels that happened to have back straps. Let this be a lesson to everyone...the proper bag is essential!! This bag essentially pulled dad backward and really strained his back. By the time we had hiked 15 miles, to a town we could stay the night in, we realized this hike was just not going to happen. There was simply no way we could continue without serious concerns for his health (I did not want to continue if it encouraged a permanent back injury!) So we changed the plans for the trip and decided to take a bus to Pamplona the following day and just become tourists in Spain for the remaining time we are here. My main goal...still getting a decent amount of exercise in each day for training...

Day four: Took a bus to Pamplona with a wonderful woman named Kate that we met at the previous hostel. We all decided to stay the night in Pamplona, and got a hostel with individual rooms (as opposed to the dorm style we had been sleeping in). We also went to a wonderful dinner with Kate, a couple of women from Sweeden, and an Australian couple. Unfortunately, I got pretty sick at night (last night). I am not sure at this point if it is the flu or a pretty bad colits attack...although I sure hope its the colitis bc I really dont want my dad to get sick! My colitis has been acting up pretty bad since I got here, so I assume thats what it is. Getting sick is pretty discouraging (or at least it was at 4 am) but it only strengthens my resolve that doing this race is SO important! We MUST find a cure! Ok, off to breakfast and then a bus ride to Barcelona tonight! I am soooo excited for Barcelona! I´ve never been there and heard its beautiful :) More posts to follow in a couple days, and photos to follow when I get back.