Author Archives: Layla
Oakland 2012 half-marathon race report
Two-word Oakland Half-Marathon summary: No pain! One-sentence summary: I met my goal of running pain-free, though I missed my time goal by one measly second; who runs an official 2:00:00?! Background: I ran this race last year, two weeks after … Continue reading
Tuesday Time-Waster: Dancing in Public
It’s the Tuesday after Daylight Saving Time, and I’m still in denial that it’s so dark for so long in the mornings now. The rain finally came, which is a good thing, but it was accompanied by wind. In other … Continue reading
Defining 2012
Before the dead rat and the angry goose and the wayward fence distracted me, I was mentally composing a blog post while running before dawn this morning. How’s that for an opening sentence? In the journalism world, that’s called a … Continue reading
No 50k finish
I suppose I should follow up on my last post, in which I said I was embarking on my first ultra-marathon and third marathon-or-longer within 90 days in order to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs club. Long story short: I … Continue reading
Ultra competition
So I have this ultra-marathon on Saturday. Yes, folks, I am apparently going to try running a 50k, also known as 31 freaking miles. And I may have done some stalking to size up my competition in this weekend’s race. Now, … Continue reading
Tuesday Time-Waster: Penguin cam
I kind of like penguins. OK, I really like penguins. One indication is my shelf crammed full of stuffed penguins, all of which were given to me and the oldest of which is about 25 years old. Then there are the … Continue reading
Tuesday Time-Waster: Yosemite time lapse
If you’ve never been to Yosemite, go. If you have been to Yosemite, go back. In the meantime, go watch four minutes of time-lapse videos from the national park. It’s a way to see a bit of the beauty while … Continue reading
Double Dream Hands Vanderbilt fire
An 8,000-square-foot home burned to the ground last week in my hometown. Of course, the photo of the fire is pretty intense. But the history is what’s interesting. The house was built by one of the famous Vanderbilt heirs. Clark Gable, … Continue reading
Tuesday Time-Waster: Grinch
Today’s 11:11 time-waster is, in my opinion, not a time-waster — regardless of whether you’re a runner or your opinions on the causes of autism. It’s the story of a fundraiser that got shut down by someone who decided, “If I can’t … Continue reading
Texas Marathon race report
The four-word summary of Sunday’s Texas Marathon: I broke four hours! The one-sentence summary: At times it was a tough fight, but I pushed through and finished with a huge smile on my face and the realization that a years-old … Continue reading