Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Day 726 - 732: Money Jug

Can you Guess how much Money is in this Jug?

**Leave a comment below with your best guess.  If your guess is within $5.00 of the actual total, I will award you $20 in Free FroYo at Chill Out Frozen Yogurt - Opening in December!!!


Day #726 * Hike #880 * New Track #700
Sunday November 11, 2012
Sun Valley Park - Burbank, CA
My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 1.5 Miles * +25 Feet

From I-5, take exit 150 and head south on Sunland Blvd.  Cross San Fernando Road and the park will be on your right.  --We went for a drive and along the way I turned this visit to the park into my daily hike.  This was a bit of a let down but it's always nice to enter nature, especially if you are stuck on San Fernando Road.  Beyond the playground where my wife stayed back with the kids, I ran across the muddy field to the far reaches of the park.  Across some random road was a barbed wire fence rejecting human life and protecting something over the hill.  I ran up and down the road but I did not locate a legit opening to warrant a trespass.  Oh well, at least I got the hike in...

Earlier in the day Ayden participated in diving at the local Ventura pool; rec level.  It was way cold - chill weekend.  In the evening, we opened our Jug, as seen in the picture above.  For over seven years we have been saving all of our change.  Occasionally I would deposit a few dollars as well to help accumulate wealth :).  The goal was to fill it up to the top and then take the kids to Hawaii.  However, with the Frozen Yogurt Shop opening up soon, I figured now would be a good time to raid the penny bank.  We could use the cash because we Need the Cash!  And, the change will be useful for the business.  In final, we have a 10 day vacation planned out - next week, so there you go - our whole life savings has been counted.  Want to guess what it is?

Day #727 * Hike #881 * Duplicate Track
Monday November 12, 2012
Double Figure 8 at Arroyo Verde - Ventura, CA
My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 3.5 Miles * +350 Feet

What a Hard Run today!!!  I ran approximately 4.5k +300 Feet in 22 minutes.  (I gained the extra 50 feet and distance in warm ups and cool downs).  The Double Figure 8 pattern will start you in the middle of the grass and race you down to the park entrance.  You then run up Caretakers and then back down the grass to the entrance of the park.  You then run up Vista Bluff and then back down to the entrance of the park.  Lol, that's just one figure 8.  Now do that twice and tell me how you feel. 

As I write this a week later, I am still wrapping my shins in ice.  Man, I have been running a lot lately as you will find out...


Day #728 * Hike #882 * Duplicate Track
Tuesday November 13, 2012
Easy Run at Arroyo Verde - Ventura, CA

My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 3 Miles * +250 Feet

Hmm, not so easy.  We ran across the cross and stayed in the center of the park the entire time.  We avoided the steep trails but the elevation gain from front to back is still 100 feet.  We did that twice.  Running around the way back parking lot, we than ran up the hill toward the baseball fields to add a little more elevation and distance to the run.  The goal was to simply jog, to help recover from yesterday's torment.  For some, it was relaxing.  For me, I was huffing and puffing and I gave it all that I had.  Cool Down This...


Day #729 * Hike #883 * New Track #701
Wednesday November 14, 2012
Cemetery by Bob Hope Airport- Burbank, CA

My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 2.5 Miles * +25 Feet

Okay, who jogs through a cemetary?  --I do!  I was in Burbank again for a confidential medical screening for my upcoming tv show.  Good News, I passed - however my eye site is somewhat suspect.  I guess I'm not as young as I used to be.  Anywho, I had time to kill before my appointment and just before the sun set, I ran through the cemetery.  It was a vast, beautiful place.  I was a bit creeped out - which made me run even faster...


Day #730 * Hike #884 * Duplicate Track
Thursday November 15, 2012
Ventura High School- Ventura, CA

My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 2 Miles * +0 Feet

With my 3k race coming up on Saturday and my shins killing me, I took it pretty easy at practice today.  As the groups alternated runs, I alternated between the alternates.  Essentially, I ran a 400 meters in 1.12 and then ran four more 400 meters and two 200 meters.  I then closed it out with a simple 800 meter jog.  In total, I covered two miles and opened my legs up a little with each spurt.


Day #731 * Hike #885 * Duplicate Track
Friday November 16, 2012
Arroyo Verde - Ventura, CA

My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 1.5 Miles * +125 Feet

It was cold and it was rainy.  I walked with my dogs just to keep the legs moving a day before my big run...


Day #732 * Hike #886 * Duplicate Track
Saturday November 17, 2012
Arroyo Verde - Ventura, CA

My Tripometer: 17 Minutes * 1.8 Miles * +350 Feet

It was the day of the event, and it was raining and cold.  Today was supposed to be a grand event to help raise money for the VC Express.  Unfortunately it was a dismal turnout but that did not prevent me from running.  I have not competed in anything since the half marathon at Pt. Mugu, which was about 18 months ago.  In fact, I have never in my life competed at this distance before.  So here goes...

And they're off.  The young Rebel boys go out fast to the right of me and a few of the VC Express go along with.  I keep my pace fast and steady and maintained the lead pack in my grasp.  It was a race of about 25 kids and oops, two adults.  I realized later that the adults ran in the second race, but oh well.

We hit rattlesnake canyon and this separated the men from the boys.  Or in this case, took the man out of the only man, me, and promoted the boys to men.  Okay, in any event, the hill was slippery and I was losing ground.  I could not deny that I was being denied.  I went out to fast and I just sort of jogged the rest of the way.  One by one, kids passed me but I held pretty tough over all.  I finished somewhere in the middle of them all and I finished a minute ahead of my son. 

I was very disappointed by the 17.02 final 3k time.  I know for a fact that I could run this in 15 minutes or less but it wasn't my day.  I've come to realize, now that I am older, not every day is going to be consistently better than the day before.  That said, I am gradually losing weight, eating healthier, hiking or running every day and I just feel pretty dam good overall!!!


Day #732 * Hike #886 * New Track #702
Saturday November 17, 2012
Riverpark - The Collection - Oxnard, CA

My Tripometer: 4 Hours * 1.75 Miles * +0 Feet

The Century theater in Ventura is now closed.  The new complex at the Collection in Oxnard is now open.  Tonight we saw Sky Fall.  I was utterly disappointed.  There was so much hype for this bond film and IMHO, it did not live up to the expectation.

The only good news coming out of this experience was that I ventured off nearly 2 miles before and after the showing.  The shopping center isn't fully open yet but many of the businesses like Target are open.  Overall, pretty blah.  The place was not astonishing.  I was hoping that they would have designed it like the center in Valanceia, or many of the L.A. shopping areas.  What would you expect, it's Oxnard!

**Hey, if you read this whole blogpost, good for you.  Posts like these are more like diary entries.  For that reason, I do not share them on FB or include them in my Search for Local Hikes Tab.  I basically just write these entries to keep a record of my hikes, just in case Guinness Book of World Records Decides to accept my application for the most consecutive days hiking.  --Hey, if you did read this, take a stab and guess how much is in the Jug.  Good Luck...

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