Out With A Bang.

Tonight will mark the start of my last official weekend here in Kansas City. My list of things to do/eat before I leave is getting longer -- mostly having to do with eating at particular restaurants -- and more unrealistic, so I need to get my ass in gear. Let's do this!

KC at night

Another Five Thousand Meters.

I love it when a plan comes together.
- John "Hannibal" Smith, The A-Team

In this case, my hill training for the past few weeks paid off! I successfully ran the entire length of the Susan G. Komen 5K two days ago and even surprised myself by not being exhausted at the end of it. There were a couple of brief periods in the middle when I felt my lungs laboring a little bit during some inclines but they were very manageable.

My main improvement was definitely pacing. Last year, I varied my pace too much during training and subsequently gassed out on the race course, resorting to walking for a minute or two before resuming the run. Not cool. Also it didn't help that I trained on a relatively flat course -- but that had more to do with where I was living at the time. Bottom line, I wasn't fully prepared and it showed. I'd resolved to do better.

This year I don't think there was a concerted effort to organize a team from OMC so I ended up running solo, although it would have been great to participate with some friends. The weather was fantastic: even though it was already in the mid-70s at 7am, there was a nice little breeze and the skies were a brilliant blue. I parked at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial and walked down the gigantic lawn to Union Station, absorbing the vibrant, buzzing energy emanating from below. There were already thousands of runners and walkers getting ready for their respective races and the excitement was building to almost a palpable level.

rising with the sun

Threading through the crowd, I made a quick circuit of the grounds and dipped into Union Station itself, then paused as someone sang the National Anthem on the stage in front of the fountain. After that, the race announcements were made and I joined the people assembling on Grand Boulevard, a block away. The woman on the loudspeaker excitedly counted down the minutes and anticipation swelled. I saw smiles all around -- and then the starter pistol went off. Twenty-six thousand people slowly began surging forward.

course map

It was hard to tell, but there might have been 1000-1500 people in front of me as I began walking. Due to the sheer density of the crowd at the starting line, running was impossible at first and only after about a half-block could we begin to pick up speed. Throughout the race, it was still pretty packed but everyone gave each other enough space to run comfortably -- I didn't see any collisions :)

near the beginning

As I mentioned, I'd been working on evening out my pace for weeks and it helped me out immensely. For a minute or so at a time, I'd match speeds with one or two other people, then either fall back or pass as they changed theirs. As the course wound through downtown KC, past live bands playing upbeat music and the occasional group of cheering onlookers, I felt very consistent and happy with my form.

Since I didn't stop to walk this time around, and maybe because I ran by myself, the race seemed shorter than it did last year. After a curvy stretch on the West Pennway Bridge, we rounded the final corner and saw the twin balloon pillars that signified the finish line, only a few blocks away. Encouraged, I even picked up my speed on the last 40 meters or so (joined by a couple of other runners) and crossed the line at a fairly fast clip to the noise and cheers of the supporters gathered there. Slowing to a walk, I gratefully accepted a water bottle offered by a volunteer and stretched while thousands of other runners completed the race.

post-race rehydration

I had a great time! I stuck around for another hour or so, taking miscellaneous photos [see my Flickr set of the event]. After a quick shower, I celebrated with a French toast brunch at IHOP. I figured I deserved a few extra carbs :)

Anyway, that should do it for the running-based entries, at least for a while :) I'm glad to have achieved one of my goals for the summer. Next, I'll start working on timed runs (yikes.), and I'm definitely looking forward to running in more races in the future!

Now, about those new shoes ...

On Your Mark.

This Sunday I'll be running in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure 5K here in Kansas City. I've been training for it for a few weeks now and I'm ready to rock. Plus having run last year, I know what to expect regarding terrain, obstacles and duration. So yesterday after work, I picked up my race shirt and number at Dick's, along with some free coupons for shoes and athletic apparel (which I will probably end up using, as I need new workout clothes).

2010 T-Shirt Logo

So now that I have my race gear, it's official! I'm excited to participate again. I'm really looking forward to re-experiencing the joyous energy that pervaded downtown Kansas City last year during and after the run. I'm also extra-glad we'll be running at 7 in the morning, while the temperature will hopefully still be in the low 80s! I've been accustomed to training in 90+ degree weather during my afternoon runs, so maybe the cooler temps will give me an additional boost.

I'll be running this afternoon one last time, then switching to mornings tomorrow and Saturday to acclimate myself to the change before the actual event on Sunday. I fully expect to have a great time! Wish me luck!

Escape.

I've been feeling restless and needing to do things lately, which is somewhat foreign to me 'cause I'm usually more of a homebody. So it's weird, but over the past few weeks I've just been wanting to get away somehow.

[via]

With the advent of my three-day weekends (due to working 4 10-hour shifts at the hospital), I'm starting to actively look for things I can get into, especially in the Kansas City area. Someone dear to me once said that I'd missed out on too much of what cities had to offer, most likely because I didn't look hard enough (or just didn't want to look). It was true; I'd only really stuck to the things I knew I liked to do and unfortunately wasn't very adventurous or spontaneous. Obviously this led to plenty of missed opportunities, experiences and memories. This makes me sad, because I like to think that I would've learned from those experiences.

So I'm trying to be more proactive. I'm saying "Yes, okay, let's go!" more often. I've lined up the next couple of weekends, with an out-of-town bachelor party for a close friend and then a 2-day float trip with lots of acquaintances (I'm basically the "new guy" hanging out with a members of a close crew). I'm looking to see what else I can do here in the metro area over the next couple of months. I don't want to waste any more time, nor have any more regrets about not having done something. The experiences will definitely be worth the effort.

It's the weekend, PM readers. Time to escape.

When Being On Filipino Time Goes Right.

So I was in Kansas City this past weekend to drop my mom off at the airport -- she's flying back to the Philippines for a couple of months with my grandma to attend to some family business. Coincidentally a friend was celebrating his birthday on Saturday, so I decided to stay in town for the evening to participate in the festivities. As always, good music and even better company made for a very fun night (even if I had to endure watching a KU game at Mike's and listening to some cheesy music at Shark Bar* before surrendering and retreating to Lucky Strike -- haha!).

Anyway, the next morning found me dragging a little bit. After a unhealthily delicious burger at Five Guys, I left from Corey's house later than I'd intended -- a little after 2pm -- and stopped off to get gas on the Missouri side before getting onto the freeway. The five minutes I spent filling the tank up saved me from getting into a 40-car accident right outside of Bonner Springs as I was heading west on I-70 (this video of the aftermath has to be watched to be fully appreciated). This massive accident happened only a few miles ahead of me. If I'd gotten on the road slightly sooner, I would have been involved.

[via]

In the photograph above, I was about a mile behind the semi trucks you see in the background. I had to take the Bonner Springs exit -- you can see the overpass waaay in the back.

This is when being on Filipino time goes right for once. Although the delays and detours added another hour to my normal 4-hour drive -- and good lookin' out to Jose for being my OnStar representative for a few minutes -- I'm not complaining at all. Needless to say, I was a bit tired from the drive last night. Sunday Seven will be posted later today.

To all my Filipino readers, the next time someone bags on you for being on Pinoy time all the time, let me talk to 'em. Whew.

*Actually somewhat better than my previous experiences there. They had a pretty amazing blacklight setup that night.

Edit: This week's Sunday Seven post will be postponed as I lent my camera to my mom while she's away (hers isn't pocket-sized). I switched out the Memory Stick beforehand so I could upload the pics I took last week, but it turns out that in order for the desktop to read the memory card and copy files I have to buy an adapter for the Duo, which I don't really want to do right now. Sunday Seven will resume next week with Series 025 as I take photos with her camera and I'll add Series 024 retroactively when I can.

Two Different Goodbyes.

Headed back to Olathe one more time this weekend -- with Veronica, Gen, Olivienne and my mom in tow -- to finally clear out the rest of the boxes and miscellaneous items from my apartment. All of the large pieces of furniture have already found a good home; it's just a matter of sliding everything else into the back of my dad's Ridgeline and finding space for it here in Hays (not that this house needs anything else stuffed into it, which is why I'm doubly glad that I'm not bringing back any big items). So it'll be a busy weekend of driving, organizing and cleaning before handing the keys back for good and officially closing my experience of living in Kansas City.

This will also be my last weekend with Veronica before she flies back out to Seattle with Gen and Olivienne next Wednesday. These past five weeks have definitely flown by too fast and I can't say I'm really ready for her to go. It's been a wonderful, hilarious and joyous time. I've been continually amazed, delighted and humbled by having her around. It's a powerful way to see a different perspective of the world and my place in it. Needless to say, I'll miss her a lot -- even though I'll see her again in mid-March and we'll Skype regularly until then. It won't be the same, though, and it makes me profoundly sad. That said, words cannot describe how happy I am that she was able to spend time with me.

I love you Veronica! Missing you already.

Roof With A View.

I don't normally pay attention to these kinds of things, but on a whim I entered to try to win a couple of VIP passes to a fashion show on a rooftop at the Plaza in KC next week.

Looks interesting ... I've never been to a fashion show so if I win it could be a cool experience.

More info on Standard Style Boutique's VIEWS Rooftop Fashion Show here.

Five Thousand Meters.

Figured I needed to post about this before too much time passed by. Earlier this month, I ran the 2009 Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure 5K here in downtown Kansas City. Here's my race number.

This being my first real race, I'd attempted to train for it so that I wouldn't end up eating a faceful of asphalt.  A couple of months ago I'd planned out a circuit in my neighborhood for roughly the same distance.  It actually turned out to be about 3.7 miles, a bit more than five kilometers, so it suited my purposes nicely.  Training wasn't quite as consistent as I would've liked it to be -- there were days when I'd just be too tired or busy to run -- but I think I improved quickly and increased my stamina (plus it didn't feel quite like a Couch Potato To 5K program since I'd been a regular runner in the past).

It felt good to train though, and on the circuit I attempted to run a little more and walk a little less every time.

Early on the morning of the race, I carpooled with My Peoples to secure a decent parking space downtown and parked at the World War I Memorial.  Yes, it's cliched, but the mood down at Union Station was definitely electric.

 

We heard later that the turnout was over 28,000 people!  Most, like us, were part of groups and participating in the non-competitive race-walk.  Some were even decked out in funny T-shirts with a dedication to a loved one and/or clever group name, or other various eye-catching pink costumes and attire like capes, angel wings or boas (the serious, competitive runners had already started their race a few minutes earlier).

Before long we had assembled on Grand waiting for our turn to take off -- since we couldn't all go at once, start times were staggered.  It took four of us, the ones who would be running the distance, a good ten minutes to reach the front of the pack and all of a sudden we were off at a brisk pace, weaving in and out of slower runners and walkers.  I'm not saying we were Speedy Gonzales with it but a lot of people were just walking and enjoying themselves, and dodging them took a bit of strategy.

Every few blocks, volunteers handed out water cups, while live bands of all genres belted out upbeat songs to keep us motivated.  They provided a good adrenaline boost especially on some of the uphill sections of the course.  In retrospect I'm really glad I trained outside and not on a treadmill -- it feels completely different.

Nonetheless, a couple of times I had to stop and walk for a minute or two to catch my breath (my lungs always end up fatiguing long before my legs do).  I was hoping to be able to run the whole thing but it wasn't the case.  I didn't mind though.  I was able to soak in the tremendously fun atmosphere of the event and kicked back into high gear.  The course definitely seemed three miles long as there were times when it admittedly got a bit tough due to my relative newness to the sport, but we crossed the finish line, tired yet very proud, to the loud cheers of hundreds of raucous, smiling people.

The exhilirating experience of running downtown with thousands of other people, combined with the positive energies of all the volunteers and racers, was one of the best things I've done for myself this year.  I'd definitely run again, and now that I know what to expect, train a little more consistently for it so that I won't gas out during the more difficult portions of the course.  It was such a great time though, and thanks to everyone who shared this day with me.

The Ties That Bind.

Some brief, yet insightful social commentary from yet another one of my daily reads, A Softer World:


Sometimes it feels good to be just another number, a random face in the crowd. Especially when I'm feeling introverted, it's comforting to know that I can nestle inside a pair of headphones, cloak myself in anonymity and slip through the human sea unnoticed. Part of that comfort lies in the knowledge that life in this city goes on even if I choose not to participate visibly in it, that it can and will play exhibitionist to my voyeur (what can I say, my people-watching skills were honed in college). Sometimes, though, it's nice to be a part of the action, to find that connection and attach oneself somehow to the outside world and the people in it.

So this weekend I'm planning on going to the Singgalot (The Ties That Bind) Exhibit at the Kansas City Central Library. I figure that since I've basically been a hermit the past week or so, it's a good way to get out of the apartment and do something "cultural" for a change. It's been a minute since I've read Strangers From A Different Shore, and I wouldn't mind a refresher on Filipino immigration history. Plus, both admission and parking are free, so I really don't have an excuse.

Have a great Friday -- it's finally warming up here!

Westport Rocksteady.

Last night was a good one in Kansas City. My brother, cousin and I rolled down to the Westport District and met up with a few friends for a Thai dinner and Detroit hip-hop. I'd eaten at Thai Place before so I knew the entrees were tasty. I think the only slight issue I had was that the sauce in my Pad Kee Mow was a bit bland, but overall the dishes were excellent and I had enough to take home.

During dinner a conversation ensued as to which cuisine lent itself to the best-tasting leftovers. The general consensus was that Thai held up fairly well to reheating, and that Japanese food was one of the worst. Obviously you don't want to keep raw fish any longer than you have to before shoving it down your gullet. I should add that I love cold Italian food -- this includes all the noodle dishes, lasagna and pizza. (Go ahead and make all the ewww noises you want -- I'll still eat fettucini alfredo straight from the fridge.)

We decided to hit up One80 Lounge up the block after a satisfying dinner to kill a few minutes (and brain cells) before the Black Milk show. I don't think Jose will ever get over the low drink prices here. Not that anyone's trying to make it a habit, but it's a good way to get buzzed and still ball on a budget. Midwesterners don't know how good they really have it with the miniscule bar tab.

recordBar was an intimate venue situated in a strip mall a few blocks down. It was kinda strange to see it wedged next to a dry cleaners and Half-Price Books, but whatever. DAMMIT THIS WAS HIP-HOP. We paid cover and found a large table near the back with a decent view of the stage. The DJ was spinning some underground records/remixes and Corey and I played the "Who's This?" guessing game. Meanwhile the drinks kept flowing and I maintained with Sapphire and tonic.

Out of the two opening acts, Approach smashed it with more than a few high-energy bangers and acapellas that got the crowd moving and hyped for the headliner. I may have to check for this cat at some of his future shows here in KC -- he's pretty ill, has a sick stage presence and seems to have a decent fan base in town. I shoulda copped a CD. The buzz built up steadily and I wove my way to the front of the crowd as Black Milk took the stage. Getting right into it, he ripped through cuts from Popular Demand and Tronic and people were wildin'. Several times I do believe I almost snapped my neck from noddin' so hard.

Anyway I only wish the set had lasted longer because it was a great feeling to be in the crowd once again after a long break from going to shows. I couldn't help but reminisce about when J-Pros used to rock venues in Seattle, so I know the sensation of a hundred hands in the air with waves of bass exploding through the room. Ah well. Gotta keep it movin'. In all it was a great night, and one I hope to recreate again when the next opportunity arrives.