I've had tons and tons of times I thought I was injured in the last 10+ years of running. Usually random pains that go away after a few days off, usually coinciding with peak weeks or taper time. I've also had a few falls, resulting in a couple sprained ankles. Plus I've had two legit injuries -- a pulled muscle back in 2005, and then I broke my ankle in 2015 when I stepped on a rock. Those are the only two times I've been off running for over a month.
Oddly enough, in all this time running, I've never had real knee issues that I can remember. It always seems to be my feet, ankles and calves that get hurt.
But suddenly, knee pain!
Oh yeah, the Italian word for knee is "ginocchio." (Pronounced -- jin -OH -kee -oh, which is odd, because occhio means "eye.")
Well, somehow my left knee is about the size of a softball right now.
Here's the chronology:
Sunday: half marathon, pretty slow. Well, 5-7 miles as planned, then a very slow slog to the finish. It got into the upper 80s that day, super sunny, not fun. No pains.
Monday: boot camp, less than one mile of running included. Quads somewhat sore for no clear reason.
Tuesday: 5 miles, mostly about my average pace from Sunday (so I'd say medium effort). No pain.
Wednesday: boot camp, including probably 1 mile of running, and then about 28 flights of stairs up and then down (Mount O) (not something we do often, but probably once a month?). No pain. Came home from boot camp, had breakfast, then ran to work. No pain. Walking through the lobby and noticed my left knee hurt. Like hurt. Went to my desk, went down the stairs to shower (8 flights). Showered, took the stairs back to my office. By then my knee really hurt. It was popping at times, especially at angles, and it felt pretty swollen. Almost screaming pain when I tried to move my leg certain ways while seated at my desk (so no pressure on my foot). Wasn't sure how I was going to run home. Considered getting an uber, but decided to set out after work. Did a very slow run-walk thing to get home, no pain while running or walking.
Thursday: 5 miles, again, no pain while running. But my knee was so swollen other people could tell something was horribly wrong. Again, crazy pain when bending it at certain angles, very painful pops.
Friday: rest day. Maybe getting less swollen and painful? Laying on my back, trying to bend my leg all the way and get my heel toward my butt, I feel like I can't get within 12 inches on the left side, my knee hurts and is so swollen.
Planning to rest today, and maybe skip my planned "long" run for tomorrow (only 7 miles since there's no race on the calendar now).
What the heck?
Part of me thinks it could just be sore from the stairs since yesterday I seemed to feel pain mostly when going up stairs at home. Maybe it will blow over with a weekend off? I really don't want it to be anything real.
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Taxes Question
I have a "what would you do" question and I need some good advice within the next 10 days.
When we went on vacation this year, we'd been warned in advance about beggars in India. And we'd been warned that in particular, there are lots of children begging.
We know enough about that cycle to know that you should never give money to children, so we knew we would avoid doing that. And we decided we'd do the same thing if we were asked for money by adults. Our strategy for children and adults who were begging: say no respectfully, meeting the person's eyes. And when we got home, we would pick two charities working in India to make donations to. To help end the cycle of poverty and need.
As an aside, we actually encountered far fewer people begging than we expected. And pretty much none aside from at the train stations once we got off the main tourist loop of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur in the north. But even without having people ask for money, and even with people largely seeming so content and friendly, it was obvious that there is a lot of poverty and need, so we think giving year-end donations is very important to us this year.
So now it's nearly year end and I've done some research into charities that look like good options. And now I'm reconsidering my plan, so I need help.
I found 2 perfect charities that look amazing -- one works with children in a city in the north that we visited that seemed to have a lot of need (Jaipur) and one that works in a city in the south that we loved (Goa) that has a particular home they're helping. So easy, peasy, right? Just give donations to each of them and it's done.
But in addition to thinking about taxes this time of year, I'm also looking at some of the things we bought in India to give as Christmas gifts to people and I'm remembering how cheap they were compared to what we'd have paid here. I'm thinking about how a little money can go so far in India.
The company I work for matches donations to 501(c)(3) organizations as long as the donations are big enough. I can't remember if the threshold per organization is $100 or $250. Either way, we would be meeting the threshold with our donations to each, so my company will double the donation, and we can help out twice as much.
But my company match applies only charities with the 501(c)(3) status.
The charity we found in Jaipur is based in India and the one in Goa is based in the UK. So we could donate to each of them and that would be it. Or we could try to pick 2 charities here in the US that work in India and donate the same amount to each of them, and then my company will match it so they'd actually get twice the money.
I've found a couple 501(c)(3)s that are working on projects in India that seem important but the options for designating money for a specific project means that we would be choosing to support an important project in an area of the country that we didn't visit. Somewhere I'm sure there is need, but we have no real connection to that city or project.
What would you do? Doubly large donations to charities doing important work in places in India that we didn't visit? Or donations not doubled to overseas charities doing important work in places in India that we feel very connected to?
Friday, November 7, 2014
Back in the Swing of Things
Well, we've been back from India for just over a week and I think I can finally say that I'm back in the swing of things. Jet lag is gone, some level of fitness is slowly returning, my henna tattoo has faded, and we're back into our routine for the most part.
While on vacation, I managed to miss two of our three annual audits, which my boss hated, and the final one wrapped up yesterday, so I will promise more vacay details next week (for anyone who cares; the one word version is that it was amazing).
For now, some fun beer mile record news, if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/44-year-old-mother-of-six-shatters-beer-mile-world-record
For the record, in my own beer mile feats of strength, I have ALWAYS held the empty can upside down over my head to demonstrate all contents were ingested. But yeah, 6:28 is waaaaay out of my league.
Full text of the article:
On Sunday afternoon, Chris Kimbrough, a 44-year-old mother of six, shattered the women’s beer mile world record by 13 seconds, running 6:28.6 in her first attempt at the event. The previous record was held by Seanna Robinson, who ran 6:42.0 in 1997.
Beer mile records are not recognized by USATF or the IAAF, of course, but they are tracked at BeerMile.com, where a list of widely used rules can be found. The general idea is that competitors drink a beer, run a lap, and repeat the sequence three times.
The beer mile originated in Canada in 1989, and for a while, was mostly run by college-aged males looking for some fun. But with several high-profile record attempts in recent years, combined with Flocasts putting on its first Beer Mile World Championship in Austin, Texas, on December 3, the event has become more popular than ever.
Indeed, it was the announcement of the World Championship that eventually led Kimbrough, who lives in Austin, to the event. Over the summer, members of the Rogue Racing Team, which Kimbrough trains with, were discussing it and encouraged her to give it a try.
As the owner of several masters national championships and one of the best local runners of any age, Kimbrough knew she had the speed. She hasn’t done a lot of track racing, but she estimates that she could run about 5:00 in a beer-free mile right now. When she heard that she was being considered for inclusion in the beer mile field, she decided she had to see what she would be getting into.
What was meant to be a low-key testing of the waters turned into something much bigger.
“A friend of mine videotaped it,” Kimbrough told Runner’s World Newswire. “I didn’t want it to be a public thing [laughs], and then it ended up being a public thing. I really didn’t think I could do it. That’s a lot of beer in six minutes!”
Chris Kimbrough with friend Andy Bitner after a 0.5K "Micro Marathon." Photo courtesy of Chris Kimbrough.
As she looks ahead to the World Championship, Kimbrough knows that drinking is the area where she has the greatest chance for improvement. While the men’s world record holder, James Nielsen, spent approximately 30 seconds drinking his beers, Kimbrough took roughly 72 seconds to drink hers.
In Nielsen’s video of his run, it’s clear that he put significant planning into his record attempt. He trained his stomach to expand to handle large amounts of carbon dioxide, and gave thought to details such as the angle at which he held his head while drinking his beers to maximize his speed.
Kimbrough, in contrast, has not yet put as much thought into how to maximize her beer mile performances. She did make sure to drink room-temperature (actually, garage-temperature) beer because it goes down quicker, and said she did read the rules in advance, but that was about the extent of it.
It’s evident that, as with any competitive person trying to excel at something, the wheels are already turning as she looks ahead. “If I could break 6:00, now that would be good,” she says.
“The run part wasn’t that hard for me. The last two [beers] were harder to get down because I felt like there was this air there, so it wasn’t going down. Having all those beers in [my] stomach didn’t really bother me as much as I thought it would. I think learning how to get the burp out more before you get to that next beer would probably help,” she mused.
But at the same time, she says, “I have six kids. It’s not like I’m going to be doing a lot of practicing.”
She also admits that she might benefit from going into her next record attempt better rested. The morning of her record, Kimbrough ran 11 miles. Including her warm-up, she was on her 13th mile of the day by the time of her record performance.
Kimbrough says it’s the carbonation, not the alcohol, that is the hardest to deal with. She notes that she didn’t feel the alcohol until after she finished her run, at which point she went for a long walk with her husband, the man holding the beers for her in the video above.
“Over the next 10 minutes, my friend said I was very funny,” said Kimbrough. “I definitely needed to go walk around for a while.”
Beer Mile contestants can drink almost any type of beer, but it must be at least 5.0 percent alcohol by volume. Kimbrough drank Alteration Ale, made by the local brewery Hops and Grain, because it’s one she enjoys; it has 5.1 percent alcohol. Nielsen, on the other hand, chose Budweiser because of its lower carbon dioxide content.
As a stay-at-home mother of six kids, Kimbrough says of her training, “I kind of fit it in the cracks,” estimating that she runs 45-55 miles per week. Her children—five girls, one boy—range in age from 17 months to 16 years. She’ll begin massage school next week, which will add another factor to the equation.
Kimbrough didn’t take up running competitively until she was in her 30s, after she had four kids. She had been a point guard for Rocky Mountain College’s basketball team, but did not have a running background. She began cycling, then moved to triathlons before focusing on running.
In early 2006, she began working with elite masters runner and coach Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, who helped Kimbrough take her running to the next level. Kimbrough qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2007 and finished 39th in the 2008 Trials, running 2:42:54.
Chris Kimbrough runs in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. Photo by Alison Wade.
Ayala-Troncoso still coaches Kimbrough, who said, laughing, “I made sure that I told her I did [the beer mile] before it went viral.”
Kimbrough will turn 45 next week, but says, “I’m still trying to hit some of the times that I used to hit. Maybe it’s the breaks I’ve taken and the not running early [in life] that I still have some longevity.”
Kimbrough’s recent race results include a 17:02 5K, a 35:56 10K, and a 59:54 10 miler. She bounced back quickly after her last pregnancy, having her 17-month-old daughter in May of 2013, and running 1:03:46 for 10 miles about five months later.
“After having six, you kind of know what your body’s doing…It [isn’t] hard to come back when you exercise a lot during the pregnancy,” said Kimbrough.
Aside from the upcoming Beer Mile World Championship, Kimbrough also has her sights set on the USATF National Club Cross Country Championship in December, as well as future masters national championships.
She’s not sure if she’ll do any training or time trials involving beer as she prepares for next month’s Beer Mile World Championship, but says, laughing, “I don’t know. If I do it, I’m going to maybe keep it secret.”
While on vacation, I managed to miss two of our three annual audits, which my boss hated, and the final one wrapped up yesterday, so I will promise more vacay details next week (for anyone who cares; the one word version is that it was amazing).
For now, some fun beer mile record news, if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/44-year-old-mother-of-six-shatters-beer-mile-world-record
For the record, in my own beer mile feats of strength, I have ALWAYS held the empty can upside down over my head to demonstrate all contents were ingested. But yeah, 6:28 is waaaaay out of my league.
Full text of the article:
44-Year-Old Mother of Six Shatters Beer Mile World Record
Chris Kimbrough runs four laps, drinks four beers in 6:28.6.
By
Published
November 5, 2014
On Sunday afternoon, Chris Kimbrough, a 44-year-old mother of six, shattered the women’s beer mile world record by 13 seconds, running 6:28.6 in her first attempt at the event. The previous record was held by Seanna Robinson, who ran 6:42.0 in 1997.
Beer mile records are not recognized by USATF or the IAAF, of course, but they are tracked at BeerMile.com, where a list of widely used rules can be found. The general idea is that competitors drink a beer, run a lap, and repeat the sequence three times.
The beer mile originated in Canada in 1989, and for a while, was mostly run by college-aged males looking for some fun. But with several high-profile record attempts in recent years, combined with Flocasts putting on its first Beer Mile World Championship in Austin, Texas, on December 3, the event has become more popular than ever.
Indeed, it was the announcement of the World Championship that eventually led Kimbrough, who lives in Austin, to the event. Over the summer, members of the Rogue Racing Team, which Kimbrough trains with, were discussing it and encouraged her to give it a try.
As the owner of several masters national championships and one of the best local runners of any age, Kimbrough knew she had the speed. She hasn’t done a lot of track racing, but she estimates that she could run about 5:00 in a beer-free mile right now. When she heard that she was being considered for inclusion in the beer mile field, she decided she had to see what she would be getting into.
What was meant to be a low-key testing of the waters turned into something much bigger.
“A friend of mine videotaped it,” Kimbrough told Runner’s World Newswire. “I didn’t want it to be a public thing [laughs], and then it ended up being a public thing. I really didn’t think I could do it. That’s a lot of beer in six minutes!”
Chris Kimbrough with friend Andy Bitner after a 0.5K "Micro Marathon." Photo courtesy of Chris Kimbrough.
As she looks ahead to the World Championship, Kimbrough knows that drinking is the area where she has the greatest chance for improvement. While the men’s world record holder, James Nielsen, spent approximately 30 seconds drinking his beers, Kimbrough took roughly 72 seconds to drink hers.
In Nielsen’s video of his run, it’s clear that he put significant planning into his record attempt. He trained his stomach to expand to handle large amounts of carbon dioxide, and gave thought to details such as the angle at which he held his head while drinking his beers to maximize his speed.
Kimbrough, in contrast, has not yet put as much thought into how to maximize her beer mile performances. She did make sure to drink room-temperature (actually, garage-temperature) beer because it goes down quicker, and said she did read the rules in advance, but that was about the extent of it.
It’s evident that, as with any competitive person trying to excel at something, the wheels are already turning as she looks ahead. “If I could break 6:00, now that would be good,” she says.
“The run part wasn’t that hard for me. The last two [beers] were harder to get down because I felt like there was this air there, so it wasn’t going down. Having all those beers in [my] stomach didn’t really bother me as much as I thought it would. I think learning how to get the burp out more before you get to that next beer would probably help,” she mused.
But at the same time, she says, “I have six kids. It’s not like I’m going to be doing a lot of practicing.”
She also admits that she might benefit from going into her next record attempt better rested. The morning of her record, Kimbrough ran 11 miles. Including her warm-up, she was on her 13th mile of the day by the time of her record performance.
Kimbrough says it’s the carbonation, not the alcohol, that is the hardest to deal with. She notes that she didn’t feel the alcohol until after she finished her run, at which point she went for a long walk with her husband, the man holding the beers for her in the video above.
“Over the next 10 minutes, my friend said I was very funny,” said Kimbrough. “I definitely needed to go walk around for a while.”
Beer Mile contestants can drink almost any type of beer, but it must be at least 5.0 percent alcohol by volume. Kimbrough drank Alteration Ale, made by the local brewery Hops and Grain, because it’s one she enjoys; it has 5.1 percent alcohol. Nielsen, on the other hand, chose Budweiser because of its lower carbon dioxide content.
As a stay-at-home mother of six kids, Kimbrough says of her training, “I kind of fit it in the cracks,” estimating that she runs 45-55 miles per week. Her children—five girls, one boy—range in age from 17 months to 16 years. She’ll begin massage school next week, which will add another factor to the equation.
Kimbrough didn’t take up running competitively until she was in her 30s, after she had four kids. She had been a point guard for Rocky Mountain College’s basketball team, but did not have a running background. She began cycling, then moved to triathlons before focusing on running.
In early 2006, she began working with elite masters runner and coach Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, who helped Kimbrough take her running to the next level. Kimbrough qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2007 and finished 39th in the 2008 Trials, running 2:42:54.
Chris Kimbrough runs in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. Photo by Alison Wade.
Ayala-Troncoso still coaches Kimbrough, who said, laughing, “I made sure that I told her I did [the beer mile] before it went viral.”
Kimbrough will turn 45 next week, but says, “I’m still trying to hit some of the times that I used to hit. Maybe it’s the breaks I’ve taken and the not running early [in life] that I still have some longevity.”
Kimbrough’s recent race results include a 17:02 5K, a 35:56 10K, and a 59:54 10 miler. She bounced back quickly after her last pregnancy, having her 17-month-old daughter in May of 2013, and running 1:03:46 for 10 miles about five months later.
“After having six, you kind of know what your body’s doing…It [isn’t] hard to come back when you exercise a lot during the pregnancy,” said Kimbrough.
Aside from the upcoming Beer Mile World Championship, Kimbrough also has her sights set on the USATF National Club Cross Country Championship in December, as well as future masters national championships.
She’s not sure if she’ll do any training or time trials involving beer as she prepares for next month’s Beer Mile World Championship, but says, laughing, “I don’t know. If I do it, I’m going to maybe keep it secret.”
Thursday, September 18, 2014
My Calling?
For the last week or so in particular (especially since there's been another bout of coverage regarding US military assistance), whenever I see any news coverage of the Ebola outbreak, I feel like it really hits my heart. Sometimes I almost feel it on my shoulders. Sitting there, weighing on me.
I just want to do something. I want to go there and help, just fix it and end these thousands of deaths.
I read the Roads and Kingdoms blog pretty regularly, and there was a post last week by an anonymous international in Liberia who I assume to be working for the UN. The bulk of the beginning of the post was about the process of training to drive a UN vehicle in Liberia, but then it got to life right now:
Reading that intensified this weight of horrible suffering and needless death that is sitting on my shoulders.
I googled, "what can I do to help Liberia?" Sadly, even with the "what can I do to help" start, Liberia wasn't one of the google suggestions. (Probably poor phrasing on my part, if I go with "how can I help with", "the ebola outbreak" is the first suggestion.)
My husband worked in Liberia during the civil war (he was in the military, evacuating US citizens), and said it was a horrible and sad place and before we got married, it was the only place in the entire world that he said he wouldn't go with me. That makes it particularly odd that it's one of the only places in my entire life I've felt a "calling" to go and help.
Of course I'm not going to Liberia. I don't have any skills that would be useful (though hmm, maybe those crazy drivers result in accidents, and baseless injury claims need to be strenuously litigated, so maybe I could help with that?). I don't have any more vacation time (using it all next month).
When I got the google results about what I can do to help in Liberia, it appeared to be a list of charities working there to which I could give money. To help buy medical supplies primarily, which I'm sure is urgently needed, and if I read more, there may even be something where you can contribute money to pay for a physican to help, or vaccine, or more hospital building. There may be even "real" work I could do from here, writing appeals for assistance, helping with any online work, etc. I actually found something that involves looking at satellite photos and attempting to help create maps -- I may give that a go on Sunday morning for a couple hours before Chinese. And of course I know it's important to vote for politicians who have similar views about our government's role in the face of an overseas epidemic.
In reality, I feel like I don't have enough money to give to make a real difference (but obviously, that's no reason not to give some money, particularly in some parts of the world, giving what is a bit to us helps them immeasurably). But at the same time, I don't feel like giving money is going to fix the weight on my heart. Maybe giving time will -- I need to look more seriously for options. The mapping project might be just the ticket.
Perhaps the best solution, longer term though, that I came up with was the idea of maybe in a couple years, doing some kind of organized volunteer work in connection with our annual overseas trip. I understand there are people at home in need, but it's not the same as thousands dying from Ebola in West Africa. And I do think there's some value to just vacationing -- going to someplace other than the typical American vacation spots to bring them revenue, spending our money directly into that economy.
I know doing some kind of community service trip would entail work at the outset in picking the right organization that is a good fit for us. My husband and I both have some issues with some faith-based charitable organizations as we feel strongly that our religion (Christianity, he's Catholic, I'm Episcopalian) shouldn't be pushed on anyone, that everyone's individual religious beliefs (or lack thereof) deserve respect, and that no one should be denied assistance because of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). I like the idea of building schools, digging wells, things like that that offer long-term assistance, but I also like the idea of helping someone in immediate need -- providing that very next meal, the shoes with durable soles to get home, a typhoid vaccine, etc. I'm certain there are some organizations (probably even many faith-based ones) that would be able to work within the scope of what we'd be comfortable doing from a moral standpoint, and what we'd be capable of doing in terms of skills, time, etc.
I wonder if I'm just bracing myself for some of the need we are bound to see on vacation in October? Maybe I should be googling "what can I do to help India" so that we'll have an idea of where to give money when we get home and are filled with an urge to help. I've already told my husband at least 5 times that we cannot ever, ever, ever give to children who are begging, and even giving to adults is not a good idea, that we're better giving to a charity that can help, but I know it's going to pull at us both.
I just want to do something. I want to go there and help, just fix it and end these thousands of deaths.
I read the Roads and Kingdoms blog pretty regularly, and there was a post last week by an anonymous international in Liberia who I assume to be working for the UN. The bulk of the beginning of the post was about the process of training to drive a UN vehicle in Liberia, but then it got to life right now:
That was two months ago. So much has happened here since then. The pressure that the country is under is unbelievable. You can feel the already rickety structures that underpin society creaking and splintering and swaying with the weight. Ebola has devastated the place. It has changed everything. The health care system is in ruins. People who are sick with Ebola can’t get a bed. If they are lucky they can get into a containment tent on the hospital grounds and wait for treatment. So people stay home. Or are pushed into the streets. Bodies can take days to be removed. Businesses are closing their doors, there are food shortages in some parts of the country, security forces are being deployed and there are reports of beatings and violence and corruption throughout the country. We are teetering on the brink of a serious, sustained humanitarian crisis and we don’t have the resources here to deal with it. And people don’t want to come here to help. Not in the numbers we need at any rate. If this was an earthquake that killed more than a 1000 people and injured another 1000, the ground would be flooded with international workers. The best-case scenario here is that five times that number will die.
Reading that intensified this weight of horrible suffering and needless death that is sitting on my shoulders.
I googled, "what can I do to help Liberia?" Sadly, even with the "what can I do to help" start, Liberia wasn't one of the google suggestions. (Probably poor phrasing on my part, if I go with "how can I help with", "the ebola outbreak" is the first suggestion.)
My husband worked in Liberia during the civil war (he was in the military, evacuating US citizens), and said it was a horrible and sad place and before we got married, it was the only place in the entire world that he said he wouldn't go with me. That makes it particularly odd that it's one of the only places in my entire life I've felt a "calling" to go and help.
Of course I'm not going to Liberia. I don't have any skills that would be useful (though hmm, maybe those crazy drivers result in accidents, and baseless injury claims need to be strenuously litigated, so maybe I could help with that?). I don't have any more vacation time (using it all next month).
When I got the google results about what I can do to help in Liberia, it appeared to be a list of charities working there to which I could give money. To help buy medical supplies primarily, which I'm sure is urgently needed, and if I read more, there may even be something where you can contribute money to pay for a physican to help, or vaccine, or more hospital building. There may be even "real" work I could do from here, writing appeals for assistance, helping with any online work, etc. I actually found something that involves looking at satellite photos and attempting to help create maps -- I may give that a go on Sunday morning for a couple hours before Chinese. And of course I know it's important to vote for politicians who have similar views about our government's role in the face of an overseas epidemic.
In reality, I feel like I don't have enough money to give to make a real difference (but obviously, that's no reason not to give some money, particularly in some parts of the world, giving what is a bit to us helps them immeasurably). But at the same time, I don't feel like giving money is going to fix the weight on my heart. Maybe giving time will -- I need to look more seriously for options. The mapping project might be just the ticket.
Perhaps the best solution, longer term though, that I came up with was the idea of maybe in a couple years, doing some kind of organized volunteer work in connection with our annual overseas trip. I understand there are people at home in need, but it's not the same as thousands dying from Ebola in West Africa. And I do think there's some value to just vacationing -- going to someplace other than the typical American vacation spots to bring them revenue, spending our money directly into that economy.
I know doing some kind of community service trip would entail work at the outset in picking the right organization that is a good fit for us. My husband and I both have some issues with some faith-based charitable organizations as we feel strongly that our religion (Christianity, he's Catholic, I'm Episcopalian) shouldn't be pushed on anyone, that everyone's individual religious beliefs (or lack thereof) deserve respect, and that no one should be denied assistance because of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). I like the idea of building schools, digging wells, things like that that offer long-term assistance, but I also like the idea of helping someone in immediate need -- providing that very next meal, the shoes with durable soles to get home, a typhoid vaccine, etc. I'm certain there are some organizations (probably even many faith-based ones) that would be able to work within the scope of what we'd be comfortable doing from a moral standpoint, and what we'd be capable of doing in terms of skills, time, etc.
I wonder if I'm just bracing myself for some of the need we are bound to see on vacation in October? Maybe I should be googling "what can I do to help India" so that we'll have an idea of where to give money when we get home and are filled with an urge to help. I've already told my husband at least 5 times that we cannot ever, ever, ever give to children who are begging, and even giving to adults is not a good idea, that we're better giving to a charity that can help, but I know it's going to pull at us both.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Mini freak out
I think I've mentioned before that my husband works every other Saturday -- he was off this past weekend but we didn't do much of anything. I ran 17 miles, had a beer with my running buddies, and then went out for brunch with other friends and hubby met up with us. Somehow we sat around until almost noon, so it ended up sucking up a lot of the day. I spent a lot of the afternoon napping since I am still feeling a bit like I was hit with 1,000 baseball bats (mostly on my knee and shoulder). The rest of the weekend also passed in a bit of a blur. I managed to get in 10 miles on Monday morning (plus boot camp, bleachers at the nearby university, and Bikram yoga) so I guess that kind of explains the loss of that day. No complaints!
Anyway, this morning I realized that holy crap, we only have two more weekends before we go to Asia!
Well, not really two more weekends, but two weekends he's off!
The next one (9-13) will be the aftermath of a (surprise) party at our house.
The next one (9-27) will be with my parents in town for a visit.
And the next one (10-11) will be in Nepal.
And the next one (10-25) will be in Dubai.
OMG.
I have so much to do before then!
Anyway, this morning I realized that holy crap, we only have two more weekends before we go to Asia!
Well, not really two more weekends, but two weekends he's off!
The next one (9-13) will be the aftermath of a (surprise) party at our house.
The next one (9-27) will be with my parents in town for a visit.
And the next one (10-11) will be in Nepal.
And the next one (10-25) will be in Dubai.
OMG.
I have so much to do before then!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Officially India
One big accomplishment on Saturday was the purchase of more plane tickets. Before, we had bought tickets from Dallas to Kathmandu, and from Mumbai to Dubai, and from Dubai to Dallas. But we were still sorting out the Kathmandu to Mumbai plan.
Finally, after a ton of research and planning, and multiple internet issues, including once moments after hitting purchase (ugh), we bought tickets from Kathmandu to New Delhi.
And the coolest part is that we are flying to New Delhi the day before my husband's birthday. So I think the plan will be to take a train that afternoon/evening from New Delhi to Agra, and then, my predicted highlight of the trip:
We will wake up way before the crack of dawn in Agra and watch the sun rise at the Taj Mahal.
Eeee! So excited! We will definitely be going to India. And now we have plane tickets to prove it!
Sunrise in Delhi tomorrow is at 5:53 a.m., per my iphone, so maybe it will be about 6:15 by mid-October? Either way, if we sleep past 4, it will be better than I expected. And I think, since it's his birthday, the Taj may be the only thing on our agenda that day. Maybe the Agra Fort, but ample time for coffee, napping, and mostly people-watching, all his favorite things on vacation. He would be content every where we go to find a coffee shop, watch people all morning, have lunch, a short nap, and then aimlessly wander the streets for the afternoon. I'm much more the opposite -- I'd like to have a list of the three coolest things to see in that city, and a time-table for how long at each and what order is most efficient, and I'd go, go, go, with a quick stop for street food eaten on the move for lunch. In general, I feel like we're able to merge our styles fairly well, but for his birthday, I'll make an extra effort to make sure it's exactly his kind of day.
Finally, after a ton of research and planning, and multiple internet issues, including once moments after hitting purchase (ugh), we bought tickets from Kathmandu to New Delhi.
And the coolest part is that we are flying to New Delhi the day before my husband's birthday. So I think the plan will be to take a train that afternoon/evening from New Delhi to Agra, and then, my predicted highlight of the trip:
We will wake up way before the crack of dawn in Agra and watch the sun rise at the Taj Mahal.
Eeee! So excited! We will definitely be going to India. And now we have plane tickets to prove it!
Sunrise in Delhi tomorrow is at 5:53 a.m., per my iphone, so maybe it will be about 6:15 by mid-October? Either way, if we sleep past 4, it will be better than I expected. And I think, since it's his birthday, the Taj may be the only thing on our agenda that day. Maybe the Agra Fort, but ample time for coffee, napping, and mostly people-watching, all his favorite things on vacation. He would be content every where we go to find a coffee shop, watch people all morning, have lunch, a short nap, and then aimlessly wander the streets for the afternoon. I'm much more the opposite -- I'd like to have a list of the three coolest things to see in that city, and a time-table for how long at each and what order is most efficient, and I'd go, go, go, with a quick stop for street food eaten on the move for lunch. In general, I feel like we're able to merge our styles fairly well, but for his birthday, I'll make an extra effort to make sure it's exactly his kind of day.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Finally on Pace
I feel like I've been in a lackluster training cycle(s) pretty much since the Berlin Marathon last September. I dutifully took time off to enjoy Oktoberfest and time with my husband's family in Italy (who treat us like we're geese destined to become foie gras). But I just haven't felt like I ever bounced back from that time off. Even with no spring marathon, I started fall marathon training and have just remained out of the groove.
And it's dangerous to be 10 weeks into a training cycle (albeit a long-ish one) and be out of the groove still. Because at this point, the runs are getting more intense.
This past Sunday's long run was 16 miles with 8 miles at marathon pace (which for me is not a pace, but a target heartrate zone based on my last lactate threshold test).
I just didn't do it.
I mean, I got in 16 miles, but they were all easy. Looking at the pace of the last few was kind of scary. Very, very slow.
Monday was boot camp, I took it easy per my usual rule for the day after any run of 15 miles or more. I've found pushing hard is an easy recipe for injury.
Tuesday was 8 miles with 2 at pace. The plan was 4 easy, 2 pace, 2 easy. Instead I did 1 easy, 7 pace. I was aiming for 1-6-1, but I couldn't bring my heartrate down enough of that final easy mile. But it actually felt okay. I was anxious for each water stop, about every 2 miles, but I survived.
Yesterday was boot camp, followed by a run to work, then a day of work, followed by a run home. I was a bit nervous because I haven't been commuting more than one day per week lately and yesterday was 100 with an ozone alert. The temp dropped a bit by 6:30 when I left work, but it was still over 95. I took it easy, and it was fine, just sweaty and chafe-y.
So I had no idea what was in the cards today. The schedule was 6 miles with 4 pace. The plan was 1-4-1. By the time I started pace work, I was considering modifying the plan to 1-1-4 (which is to say 1 pace mile, followed by 4 easy). I survived the first pace mile and had to go another quarter mile to get to the water stop, so I tried to hang on til then. My heart rate came down a little when I grabbed a drink, and then I decided to try to push to the u-turn point, which would have given me 1-2-3. That had a nice ring to it. I hit the u-turn and the mile ahead seemed fairly brutal. Somewhat uphill, and I was pretty much solo, though a few of my buddies were within shouting distance in front of or behind me. I tried to push up the hill and while I was going fairly slowly, my heart rate was high. I crested the hill and decided to push the last bit of down/flat road to get to the water stop. After the water, I decided I'd just finish out the pace mile since it was just another quarter, which would give me 1-3-2. We had a sharp turn in between miles 4 and 5, and my watch beeped in the middle, but one of my friends was right there with me, so I decided to try to hang on pace until the stoplight, which was about half a mile away. And as luck would have it, no cars in sight, despite the fact that it's a fairly busy road 24/7 (Mockingbird). So instead of getting the breather I hoped to wait for traffic, we sailed through the intersection. Another friend caught us and by running with the two of them, I decided to try to hold on the final half mile. I kept asking Laura how much further. I was desperately hoping she wasn't irritated by it, especially since I had my own damn watch showing distance, coupled with the fact that this part of the run was actually part of my commute and an area within a mile of my house that I know insanely well, so I could have estimated very accurately how much further to finish the pace mile. She said .4, then .3, then one lap around the track, then .1, and then ... it was over. I managed the planned 1-4-1. My final mile actually ended up being solo because I really tried to bring my heartrate down and relax. I kept telling myself the real work was done, there was no need to push anymore.
I felt so friggin' proud when I got done that I high-fived about 8 of my friends.
It seemed like this was the first time I've actually run the plan in all of 2014 (aside from days when the plan was all easy miles).
It was the first time that the voices wanting to dial it back were as loud as ever but didn't prevail.
Does this mean I'll get my goal time in October? No.
Does this mean I'll even PR in October? No.
But does this mean I have some chance at either or both of those? Maybe.
I'd really been having second thoughts about having registered for a marathon this fall. Especially since my husband was adamantly opposed. He thought it was ridiculous to spend money on a race, flight and hotel, given that we have a massive trip just a few days afterward -- meaning massive packing, massive chaos at work trying to get ready to leave, and massive expenses hitting the bank account. He also thinks it's a very bad plan to be in India with a post-marathon immune system. So as I completed lackluster run after lackluster run, I started to think registering was in fact a very bad idea.
But as of right now, 3.5 hours after finishing my first solid run in ages, I'm thinking I'm glad I've got a race on the horizon this fall...
Perhaps all is not lost.
And it's dangerous to be 10 weeks into a training cycle (albeit a long-ish one) and be out of the groove still. Because at this point, the runs are getting more intense.
This past Sunday's long run was 16 miles with 8 miles at marathon pace (which for me is not a pace, but a target heartrate zone based on my last lactate threshold test).
I just didn't do it.
I mean, I got in 16 miles, but they were all easy. Looking at the pace of the last few was kind of scary. Very, very slow.
Monday was boot camp, I took it easy per my usual rule for the day after any run of 15 miles or more. I've found pushing hard is an easy recipe for injury.
Tuesday was 8 miles with 2 at pace. The plan was 4 easy, 2 pace, 2 easy. Instead I did 1 easy, 7 pace. I was aiming for 1-6-1, but I couldn't bring my heartrate down enough of that final easy mile. But it actually felt okay. I was anxious for each water stop, about every 2 miles, but I survived.
Yesterday was boot camp, followed by a run to work, then a day of work, followed by a run home. I was a bit nervous because I haven't been commuting more than one day per week lately and yesterday was 100 with an ozone alert. The temp dropped a bit by 6:30 when I left work, but it was still over 95. I took it easy, and it was fine, just sweaty and chafe-y.
So I had no idea what was in the cards today. The schedule was 6 miles with 4 pace. The plan was 1-4-1. By the time I started pace work, I was considering modifying the plan to 1-1-4 (which is to say 1 pace mile, followed by 4 easy). I survived the first pace mile and had to go another quarter mile to get to the water stop, so I tried to hang on til then. My heart rate came down a little when I grabbed a drink, and then I decided to try to push to the u-turn point, which would have given me 1-2-3. That had a nice ring to it. I hit the u-turn and the mile ahead seemed fairly brutal. Somewhat uphill, and I was pretty much solo, though a few of my buddies were within shouting distance in front of or behind me. I tried to push up the hill and while I was going fairly slowly, my heart rate was high. I crested the hill and decided to push the last bit of down/flat road to get to the water stop. After the water, I decided I'd just finish out the pace mile since it was just another quarter, which would give me 1-3-2. We had a sharp turn in between miles 4 and 5, and my watch beeped in the middle, but one of my friends was right there with me, so I decided to try to hang on pace until the stoplight, which was about half a mile away. And as luck would have it, no cars in sight, despite the fact that it's a fairly busy road 24/7 (Mockingbird). So instead of getting the breather I hoped to wait for traffic, we sailed through the intersection. Another friend caught us and by running with the two of them, I decided to try to hold on the final half mile. I kept asking Laura how much further. I was desperately hoping she wasn't irritated by it, especially since I had my own damn watch showing distance, coupled with the fact that this part of the run was actually part of my commute and an area within a mile of my house that I know insanely well, so I could have estimated very accurately how much further to finish the pace mile. She said .4, then .3, then one lap around the track, then .1, and then ... it was over. I managed the planned 1-4-1. My final mile actually ended up being solo because I really tried to bring my heartrate down and relax. I kept telling myself the real work was done, there was no need to push anymore.
I felt so friggin' proud when I got done that I high-fived about 8 of my friends.
It seemed like this was the first time I've actually run the plan in all of 2014 (aside from days when the plan was all easy miles).
It was the first time that the voices wanting to dial it back were as loud as ever but didn't prevail.
Does this mean I'll get my goal time in October? No.
Does this mean I'll even PR in October? No.
But does this mean I have some chance at either or both of those? Maybe.
I'd really been having second thoughts about having registered for a marathon this fall. Especially since my husband was adamantly opposed. He thought it was ridiculous to spend money on a race, flight and hotel, given that we have a massive trip just a few days afterward -- meaning massive packing, massive chaos at work trying to get ready to leave, and massive expenses hitting the bank account. He also thinks it's a very bad plan to be in India with a post-marathon immune system. So as I completed lackluster run after lackluster run, I started to think registering was in fact a very bad idea.
But as of right now, 3.5 hours after finishing my first solid run in ages, I'm thinking I'm glad I've got a race on the horizon this fall...
Perhaps all is not lost.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Seeing the World
After lots of hemming and hawing, we had a big weekend on the "travel" front.
We had originally narrowed down the options for our fall 2014 trip to the following:
And the Dubai/Qatar choice was largely going to be shaped by airline. We had two basic options:
Well, it's all done and decided now, and plane tickets are purchased!
We ended up with 3 one-way tickets for now:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We will definitely buy plane tickets to go from Kathmandu to New Delhi or Agra (since that is international travel), but we'll wait until next credit card cycle to do that.
And we'll probably buy plane tickets from somewhere in northern India to Mumbai (but that journey could also be done overland, depending on where all we visit within India).
We also made one more big step in the last week in terms of our trip. We had our global entry interviews (including fingerprinting) and got approved, which was nice.
I'm so excited -- and a little nervous. Going unfamiliar places is always so exciting to me, but there's always a little bit of nervousness too.
We've got a lot of travel coming up on the immediate horizon too, but not quite as exciting and definitely more domestic.
Tomorrow, we're flying to Pittsburgh for 5 days for my husband's step-niece's (?) (brother's wife's daughter) wedding. That will be lots of time with my parents-in-law, and we'll be staying with my brother-in-law and his wife. Another brother-in-law and his wife are staying there too, and we'll actually have the house to ourselves for two nights, since the brother-in-law and wife who own the house are going to be staying at the wedding hotel Fri and Sat nights.
Excited about the wedding. It's going to be at the Pittsburgh Opera and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun.
The happy couple. They are both self-described foodies, dieticians by trade, and love working out. Their first date was at a great restaurant they love, and their second date was the Pittsburgh Marathon. So cute!
Then next week, a trip home to see my family over the Fourth, including lots of good time with my nephew and nieces I hope, as well as some time with my grandpa (who is doing exactly the same, which is to say, not great, but not worsening at all).
I got a message from my sister-in-law saying that they were registering me with them for a 4 mile race on the Fourth, which will be fun -- and I think my nephew and nieces are doing it too (though I'd guess the youngest certainly couldn't be, right? she'll be 5 in August). Buuuuuut, part of me wants to try to PR. I ran a 4 mile at the beginning of this month and finished about 50 seconds off a PR. And on top of that, my 4 mile PR isn't great. On the pace predictors, my current 4 mile time predicts me at a marathon time I've accomplished several times. I much prefer short-distance PRs that predict me at my dream marathon time, but the bottom line is that my 4 mile PR is old and should be beatable. Unfortunately, the 4 mile race I do most often is in June, which isn't exactly PR weather in Dallas. But a 4 mile race in July in Milwaukee certainly could be! But it might be nice to run with my niece who is my goddaughter, that whole thing of getting her into running, family time, etc. Guess I'll wait and see what the course looks like, how I feel, what the vibe is, etc.
We had originally narrowed down the options for our fall 2014 trip to the following:
- India (definite)
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Dubai
- Qatar
And the Dubai/Qatar choice was largely going to be shaped by airline. We had two basic options:
- Fly through Qatar and earn miles, or
- Fly through Dubai and get to visit it (somewhere we really wanted to see, Qatar less so).
Well, it's all done and decided now, and plane tickets are purchased!
We ended up with 3 one-way tickets for now:
- Dallas to Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Mumbai, India to Dubai, UAE.
- Dubai to Dallas.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We will definitely buy plane tickets to go from Kathmandu to New Delhi or Agra (since that is international travel), but we'll wait until next credit card cycle to do that.
And we'll probably buy plane tickets from somewhere in northern India to Mumbai (but that journey could also be done overland, depending on where all we visit within India).
We also made one more big step in the last week in terms of our trip. We had our global entry interviews (including fingerprinting) and got approved, which was nice.
I'm so excited -- and a little nervous. Going unfamiliar places is always so exciting to me, but there's always a little bit of nervousness too.
We've got a lot of travel coming up on the immediate horizon too, but not quite as exciting and definitely more domestic.
Tomorrow, we're flying to Pittsburgh for 5 days for my husband's step-niece's (?) (brother's wife's daughter) wedding. That will be lots of time with my parents-in-law, and we'll be staying with my brother-in-law and his wife. Another brother-in-law and his wife are staying there too, and we'll actually have the house to ourselves for two nights, since the brother-in-law and wife who own the house are going to be staying at the wedding hotel Fri and Sat nights.
Excited about the wedding. It's going to be at the Pittsburgh Opera and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun.
The happy couple. They are both self-described foodies, dieticians by trade, and love working out. Their first date was at a great restaurant they love, and their second date was the Pittsburgh Marathon. So cute!
Then next week, a trip home to see my family over the Fourth, including lots of good time with my nephew and nieces I hope, as well as some time with my grandpa (who is doing exactly the same, which is to say, not great, but not worsening at all).
I got a message from my sister-in-law saying that they were registering me with them for a 4 mile race on the Fourth, which will be fun -- and I think my nephew and nieces are doing it too (though I'd guess the youngest certainly couldn't be, right? she'll be 5 in August). Buuuuuut, part of me wants to try to PR. I ran a 4 mile at the beginning of this month and finished about 50 seconds off a PR. And on top of that, my 4 mile PR isn't great. On the pace predictors, my current 4 mile time predicts me at a marathon time I've accomplished several times. I much prefer short-distance PRs that predict me at my dream marathon time, but the bottom line is that my 4 mile PR is old and should be beatable. Unfortunately, the 4 mile race I do most often is in June, which isn't exactly PR weather in Dallas. But a 4 mile race in July in Milwaukee certainly could be! But it might be nice to run with my niece who is my goddaughter, that whole thing of getting her into running, family time, etc. Guess I'll wait and see what the course looks like, how I feel, what the vibe is, etc.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Planning for India
Friday night and Saturday were spent at home doing NOTHING other than working on trip planning. (Sunday was all running, Chinese dumpling fest with neighbors, Chinese class, and blueberry festival menu planning, I'll have to post about that separately.)
In terms of trip planning, we accomplished two main things. We narrowed our flights to two basic options. And we narrowed our list of possible destinations to a list that is close to do-able.
We've both gotten clearance at work to leave on October 8, so I'm hoping that we'll have some concrete plans (cities, maybe some hotels, transit between places) by the end of June, and likely flights booked across the pond by mid-June.
As for flights, we have two basic options, and I'm torn.
Option One Cons:
Takes longer to get to Stop One (likely Kathmandu or New Delhi).
Airline will be very average and unremarkable.
Flight is earlier in the day on Wednesday (I have to work that day, it's not so early it's unmanageable, but it would be tough).
Slightly more expensive (difference is negligible).
Option One Pros:
Miles. About 16,000 of them on my first choice airline.
New to me country. We'd have about 14 hours in Qatar (why it takes longer).
Option Two Cons:
No miles. Well, 16,000 of them in an airline network that is fairly useless to me.
Option Two Pros:
Flying in the lap of luxury (Emirates airlines).
Faster (regardless of whether Stop One is Kathmandu or New Delhi)
Cheaper (by the tiniest bit)
Leaves Wednesday night, allowing a full and honest day's work.
Layover on the way home in Dubai, somewhere I'd love to see, new to me country.
Thoughts? It really comes down to how much are those miles worth for us. It would buy me another year of elite status basically.
As for destinations, this is how it shook out for us:
90% certain we will visit:
Agra/Taj Mahal
Jaipur
Pushkar
Jodhpur
Goa
50% certain we will visit (no chance we'll have all of these on the itinerary, but maybe some):
Varanasi
Gaya
Udaipur
Hampi
90% certain we will not visit (i.e., places we cut from the list of options):
In terms of trip planning, we accomplished two main things. We narrowed our flights to two basic options. And we narrowed our list of possible destinations to a list that is close to do-able.
We've both gotten clearance at work to leave on October 8, so I'm hoping that we'll have some concrete plans (cities, maybe some hotels, transit between places) by the end of June, and likely flights booked across the pond by mid-June.
As for flights, we have two basic options, and I'm torn.
Option One Cons:
Takes longer to get to Stop One (likely Kathmandu or New Delhi).
Airline will be very average and unremarkable.
Flight is earlier in the day on Wednesday (I have to work that day, it's not so early it's unmanageable, but it would be tough).
Slightly more expensive (difference is negligible).
Option One Pros:
Miles. About 16,000 of them on my first choice airline.
New to me country. We'd have about 14 hours in Qatar (why it takes longer).
Option Two Cons:
No miles. Well, 16,000 of them in an airline network that is fairly useless to me.
Option Two Pros:
Flying in the lap of luxury (Emirates airlines).
Faster (regardless of whether Stop One is Kathmandu or New Delhi)
Cheaper (by the tiniest bit)
Leaves Wednesday night, allowing a full and honest day's work.
Layover on the way home in Dubai, somewhere I'd love to see, new to me country.
Thoughts? It really comes down to how much are those miles worth for us. It would buy me another year of elite status basically.
As for destinations, this is how it shook out for us:
90% certain we will visit:
Agra/Taj Mahal
Jaipur
Pushkar
Jodhpur
Goa
50% certain we will visit (no chance we'll have all of these on the itinerary, but maybe some):
Varanasi
Gaya
Udaipur
Hampi
90% certain we will not visit (i.e., places we cut from the list of options):
Ajanta Ellora
Lakshadweep (island) (no visit permits being issued!!)
Jaisalmer (too close to Pakistan per husband)
Kerala
Andaman and/or Nicobar
Amristar (too close to Pakistan again)
If you have any experience or thoughts on these options, I'd love that as well of course.
Definitely starting to get excited. Possibly buying plane tickets in the next couple weeks. It's almost shocking how many hours of two adults researching non-stop it took us to come up with the info I summarized above. Researching flight options, researching cities to try to decide which ones we want to visit, sites of interest.
If you have any experience or thoughts on these options, I'd love that as well of course.
Definitely starting to get excited. Possibly buying plane tickets in the next couple weeks. It's almost shocking how many hours of two adults researching non-stop it took us to come up with the info I summarized above. Researching flight options, researching cities to try to decide which ones we want to visit, sites of interest.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Vacation planning commences
So it's official, as of today, we are clear to proceed for vacation for a few weeks in October! I suppose I should technically put in a vacation request as well, but my work is never an issue -- husband's is much more finicky. But his vacation is officially approved now, so no work and no on call for him.
That means it's time to start planning for real.
We know we want to go to India, but we have to decide if we'll go anywhere else or not. We did some research in February about where else we may go.
And India is a big country with lots to see. We only have the Taj Mahal on the agenda so far, but I'm sure the more we look, the more we'll want to see.
Excited! And this means I also need to start saving for plane tickets. I haven't researched yet, but I'm guessing they won't be cheap...
If only money could grow on trees just for me (well, and any of you, but not everyone because then it wouldn't have any value)...
That means it's time to start planning for real.
We know we want to go to India, but we have to decide if we'll go anywhere else or not. We did some research in February about where else we may go.
And India is a big country with lots to see. We only have the Taj Mahal on the agenda so far, but I'm sure the more we look, the more we'll want to see.
Excited! And this means I also need to start saving for plane tickets. I haven't researched yet, but I'm guessing they won't be cheap...
If only money could grow on trees just for me (well, and any of you, but not everyone because then it wouldn't have any value)...
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Fall Vacation Thoughts
A weekend with a lot of research! We decided to spend tons of time this past weekend doing research about potential destinations for our fall vacation.
All we know for sure is that we'll go to India. Whether we also go to any other country (or countries) is something we have yet to determine.
We spent time trying to pick sights or cities we'd want to see.
I think we're going to leave on about October 8 and go for about three weeks.
India -- need to get visas in advance.
Only true must-see for me is Taj Mahal, any other destinations will be just to see and get a sense of more of the country.
Other places that are in the running:
Jaipur
Jodhpur
Goa (and/or Andaman or Nicobar)
Kerala
Jaisalmer
Udaipur
Varanasi
Ajanta Ellora
Hampi
Pushkar
Amristar, Punjab
and a royal palace somewhere in Rajasthan.
Nepal -- can get a visa at the airport on arrival.
Likely just Kathmandu.
Want to see:
Swayambhunath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa
Durbar square
Bhaktapur
Pashupatinath Temple
Narayanhiti Palace Museum
Sri Lanka -- need to get visas in advance.
Have heard good things but did no research other than the visa stuff.
Maldives -- no visa necessary.
Hotels looking very expensive, many are all-inclusive, which is probably good given some of them are on private islands, so no other options.
Also looking like it will take a long time to get there, almost a day from Delhi, given long connections, most flights in Sri Lanka. Hmm, not loving this either.
But it looks spectacular, beautiful beaches...
Qatar -- can get a visa at the airport on arrival.
Main reason this is on the list is flight schedules. If we stop here, just a day or so on the way home to enjoy a direct flight back. Hubby has already been here.
Museum of Islamic Art
Villaggio Mall
Souq Waqif
UAE (Dubai) -- no visa necessary.
This would be a short stop on our way home, maybe 2-3 days if we do it. Hubby loves the idea of calling this trip the Mumbai-Dubai Extravaganza. Mostly just looking around in awe, but a few sights that sound cool:
Burj Khalifa (of course)
Waterfront in general, maybe a Dhow dinner cruise
Shopping at the Gold Souks
Saeed Al Maktoum House
Grand Mosque
Desert safari (preferably with a camel ride)
Dubai Fountai
As an exciting side note, just a mere week and change after completing our Global Entry applications so we can use expedited processing in US customs, we got our conditional approvals and have set our interviews!
Unfortunately, DFW is one of the suckiest Global Entry interview options. In Chicago (downtown or at the airport), you can get an interview this week. Same with Milwaukee. In San Antonio, the first appointment is two weeks away. But in Austin, there's nothing until late April. DFW is even worse -- nothing until late May! And it's kind of frustrating because the appointments are weekdays from 8 until 5:30. So I figured I'd look through the calendar for a day when we could get the 5:30 appointment. Nothing. Nothing until July anytime after 3:30. Somehow, I don't think it's just that other people took all the 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30 slots for every remaining day. I think it's that they're not bothering to actually offer interviews at those times. Very frustrating, but oh well. We took a 3:30 slot on a Friday in June.
All we know for sure is that we'll go to India. Whether we also go to any other country (or countries) is something we have yet to determine.
We spent time trying to pick sights or cities we'd want to see.
I think we're going to leave on about October 8 and go for about three weeks.
India -- need to get visas in advance.
Only true must-see for me is Taj Mahal, any other destinations will be just to see and get a sense of more of the country.
Other places that are in the running:
Jaipur
Jodhpur
Goa (and/or Andaman or Nicobar)
Kerala
Jaisalmer
Udaipur
Varanasi
Ajanta Ellora
Hampi
Pushkar
Amristar, Punjab
and a royal palace somewhere in Rajasthan.
Nepal -- can get a visa at the airport on arrival.
Likely just Kathmandu.
Want to see:
Swayambhunath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa
Durbar square
Bhaktapur
Pashupatinath Temple
Narayanhiti Palace Museum
Sri Lanka -- need to get visas in advance.
Have heard good things but did no research other than the visa stuff.
Maldives -- no visa necessary.
Hotels looking very expensive, many are all-inclusive, which is probably good given some of them are on private islands, so no other options.
Also looking like it will take a long time to get there, almost a day from Delhi, given long connections, most flights in Sri Lanka. Hmm, not loving this either.
But it looks spectacular, beautiful beaches...
Qatar -- can get a visa at the airport on arrival.
Main reason this is on the list is flight schedules. If we stop here, just a day or so on the way home to enjoy a direct flight back. Hubby has already been here.
Museum of Islamic Art
Villaggio Mall
Souq Waqif
UAE (Dubai) -- no visa necessary.
This would be a short stop on our way home, maybe 2-3 days if we do it. Hubby loves the idea of calling this trip the Mumbai-Dubai Extravaganza. Mostly just looking around in awe, but a few sights that sound cool:
Burj Khalifa (of course)
Waterfront in general, maybe a Dhow dinner cruise
Shopping at the Gold Souks
Saeed Al Maktoum House
Grand Mosque
Desert safari (preferably with a camel ride)
Dubai Fountai
As an exciting side note, just a mere week and change after completing our Global Entry applications so we can use expedited processing in US customs, we got our conditional approvals and have set our interviews!
Unfortunately, DFW is one of the suckiest Global Entry interview options. In Chicago (downtown or at the airport), you can get an interview this week. Same with Milwaukee. In San Antonio, the first appointment is two weeks away. But in Austin, there's nothing until late April. DFW is even worse -- nothing until late May! And it's kind of frustrating because the appointments are weekdays from 8 until 5:30. So I figured I'd look through the calendar for a day when we could get the 5:30 appointment. Nothing. Nothing until July anytime after 3:30. Somehow, I don't think it's just that other people took all the 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30 slots for every remaining day. I think it's that they're not bothering to actually offer interviews at those times. Very frustrating, but oh well. We took a 3:30 slot on a Friday in June.
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