batu caves, kuala lumpur

i only managed a half day of sight-seeing in kuala lumpur - and the highlight was the 272 step climb up to the batu caves (and an additional 80 steps to the upper cave).  this stair climb was shared with monkeys.  seriously, it was an interesting experience to be accompanied by small gray monkeys as if they were ordinary tourists out for a stroll.  equally interesting were the handful of exercisers (i won't describe them as runners, despite the running apparel, because - they walked the stairs).  back down at street level, i rehydrated with a distinctly local treat :D

greetings from kuala lumpur :D

greetings from kuala lumpur, malaysia! i was on airplanes for a long time - 15 hours from jfk to hong kong, then another 3+ hours from hong kong to kuala lumpur. add in the non-flight time at the airports and the 45 minute cab ride to my hotel, it really does seem like i've travelled to the other side of the world! i've done long haul trips like this one in the past (bangkok, singapore, indonesia) - but it never gets easier.

despite the travel fatigue, i still enjoy these road trips - they never get old! this trip is all business, but i'd like to get over the the petronas twin towers. what i'd really love to do is run up the stairs to the top of one - but i'll settle for an elevator ride to the visitors' bridge :D

stay tuned...

here are some sightseeing photos of the batu caves.

2011 tuckahoe challenge: race photos and results

this morning i ran the tuckahoe challenge - a pair of back to back races (1 mile & 5 mile) where the lowest combined scores win.  i've run this one many times over the years, going back to the days that katie and i did the parent-child team race :D

i didn't have any time goals in mind today.  i ran the mile in 6:14 and the 5 miler in 35:47 (a 7:10 pace).  i was 4th in my age group in the 5 miler, a few seconds behind the 2nd and 3rd place finishers.  but the highlight of the morning was emmy's 1st place in the 5 miler - and 1st place for the challenge!

lots of familiar faces there:  emmy, rob, hiroshi, joe, julie, judy - to mention a few.  and the vctc had a good group running in their purple singlets :D

i'll add a link to the results once they're posted.

never forget: today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11

this is one anniversary no one should ever forget. ten years ago today, three planes were hijacked by terrorists, a manifestation evil incarnate.  those acts resulted in the deaths of 2,977 innocent victims. 

we should never forget that bloody day and the suffering it inflicted upon us.  we should never forget that twisted minds exist out there that want to see us die in the name of their hateful beliefs!

NEVER FORGET!

trip to tepotzlan, mexico!

a small group of us made the 2 kilometer climb to the top of tepozteco mountain to see the aztec pyramid, only to discover the locked gate barred our entrance - argh! but the climb to the summit (2150 meters above sea level) was great - and the views along the way were fantastic!

greetings from cuernavaca, mexico :D

greetings from cuernavaca, mexico. i flew into mexico city this afteroon and, after about an hour and fifteen minute drive, arrived here in cuernavaca - affectionately known as the city of eternal spring.  i can't opine on that since it's been raining on and off since i arrived.

 at roughly 5,000 feet above sea level, it should make running very interesting!  stay tuned :D

2011 westport 10 miler: race photos and results

the 2011 westport summer series came to an end this morning with the labor day weekend 10 miler at staples high school.  this is one of my all time favorite races - no frills, challenging course, and great socializing!  i had a sub 1:20 goal in mind (an 8 minute pace) and met it with a 1:18:16 (7:50 pace).  i was very happy with that one :D

here are the race results.

a few more pictures posted on facebook.

september 2011 race schedule

september will be a sparse month for races. i have two business trips planned, which leaves barely a weekend to race!

the westport summer series ends with the 10 miler this saturday. it's one of my favorite races. the very next day i'm off to mexico. when i return the following weekend, if i'm not too jet lagged, i'll run the tuckahoe challenge - a pair of races (1 and 5 miles).  there are a few other races i'd consider for that sunday, but tuckahoe is a 5 minute drive :D

later that same week, thursday night in fact, will head into the city for an evening 5k - the sunset & suds 5k in riverside park.  i've never run there, so that should be an interesting change of pace.  then i'm off to kuala lumpur that weekend. when i return the following sunday, i've run out of september weekends!

here's the what it looks like.

9/3 - westport 10 miler
9/11 - tuckahoe challenge, 1 mile
9/11 - tuckahoe challenge, 5 mile
9/15 - sunset & suds 5k

as alway, if you're at any of them, say hello!