Diez! Desyat! Zehn! Das! Dix! Ten! 10!!!

I'll go ahead and say it:  I really, really didn't think I would make it to ten miles on Saturday. Upon arriving however, I quickly realized that everyone else who showed up to the group run was training for full marathons, and the shortest distance that anyone else was going was 14 miles.  Even though I knew that they were more advanced and that I really was doing just fine...  I couldn't help but feel entirely deflated.  Great, I thought. I've only made it to 7 miles.  My longest distance was their shortest.  Not the best way to start an aggressive workout.

Off I went.  Determined to show them that I was capable of reaching the double-digit mark, I matched their pace (which was naturally faster than mine), but soon found that I just couldn't hold on.  Within minutes I had fallen behind the group, and was on my own.  After running around Lake Merced (4.5 miles), I was already feeling a deep burn in my legs and chest.  I stopped, sipped, stretched, and took off once more. My breathing at this point resembled that of a pregnant woman in her first lamaze class more than a runner's.  "hee-hee-hoooo... hee-hee-hoooo"... no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to draw enough air.  Towards the end I had to walk a couple of times.  Now normally this wouldn't have bothered me, but in passing an elderly woman waiting for the bus, she called out "Come on, sweetheart. Pick up the pace!".  Seriously?!  I really hope that my smile covered the nasty glare I was unable to suppress.  I was starving, thirsty, dizzy, achey, and stiff.  I even thought that a person wearing red shorts and a white top in the distance was a water cooler.  (no joke).  Pathetic?  Maybe.  But that mirage certainly kept me running for quite awhile before I realized I was seeing things.

Days later, I'm still having trouble walking.  But I'll tell you this much:  the way that I felt after... that amazing, "I did it!" feeling...  it made it all worthwhile.  

Six more weeks.  Three more miles.  I can do this.

The Great Pacific Garbage Catastrophe

Let's do an exercise. I want you to think of the largest pile of trash you can possibly imagine. Now multiply that by 100. Then go ahead and multiply that by 100, and you might just be starting to scratch the surface of comprehending the size of the world's most massive collection of man-made debris.

Reader, meet The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. At least 100 feet in height, it's a mass of waste that floats within the North Pacific Gyre - the center of a number of currents that create a circular effect, pulling clothing, lighters, plastic bags, toys, toothbrushes, wrappers, bottles, fishnets and other pollutants together. Located between the California Coast and the Hawai'ian islands, this mass is estimated to weigh 3.5 million tons, and is at least the size of Texas (yes, I said at LEAST)... and quite possibly as large as 1.5 times the size of the entire Unites States. (Go ahead and take a moment to digest that before reading on). Of course the size is constantly changing, with pieces breaking off and either dropping to the ocean floor or drifting to one day find itself on a faraway coastline.

Surprisingly, the patch was only discovered a dozen years ago. It's beyond ecologically detrimental - with the plastic to sea life ratio standing at a whopping 6:1. That's probably because the local mammals and birds are ingesting its contents and getting caught in its tangled mass.

It was the discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that lead me to being together a team of colleagues to clean up Ocean Beach back in October of 2008. Though our efforts were minuscule in the grand picture, it was an amazing and very successful event. I have personally developed a zero tolerance policy for people who are too lazy to wait for a trash can... and become increasingly irritated with each plastic bottle that I see being thrown into the trash as opposed to being properly recycled. Call me the Recycling Nazi. I'm just that much of a stickler.

What I'm hoping that this entry will do is encourage you to make one change in your life - small as it may be - to better the environment. Does your office not have enough recycling receptacles? Call in and request for more. Find yourself collecting too many paper and plastic bags? Bring your own re-usable bags to the grocery store. Don't have any? I'll give you some - I have an abundance! Volunteer at a local tree-planting or beach clean-up. Offer to recycle that Coke can you see somebody chucking into a trash bin. Turn off your lights when you're not around. Un-plug your cell phone charger when you're not using it, because guess what? As long as it's plugged in, it's still pulling power.

There are a million things you can do! The opportunities are endless. Make these small changes habits - because these are the types of habits that very soon become a lifestyle.

Puttin' on the Ritz - Country Style

If you know anything about me, you know that this is an absolute dream come true for me..... The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has gone country! For the better part of a week, Texas Roadhouse has bought out every room in the hotel (as well as the Fairmont up the hill). What does this mean for the Ritz? We're sporting cowboy hats, boots and jeans. There's a giant, 20 foot blow-up Armadillo on the roof (his name is Andy and he's their amazing mascot). And I'm loving every second of it!

One of the best parts of this transformation is the positive publicity that Texas Roadhouse has brought with them. In an effort to counter what has been labeled "The AIG Effect", Texas Roadhouse arranged for an interview with NBC to promote business meetings and corporate travel in our current economy. This interview, along with articles and websites such as meetingsmeanbusiness.com (check it out!), are taking a bountiful stand in the fight against business cancelations. While I appreciate those who are holding onto their purse strings, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that as long as money's not moving, this recession isn't going anywhere. And while I'm not suggesting that you go bananas and spend a fortune on a vacation that's out of reach, I'm also not encouraging you to stop spending altogether. I'm a firm believer that there's almost always happiness to be found in the middle. That being said, I'm of course thankful when I see those with deeper pockets spending.

So, I'm throwing out a whopping "THANK YOU!!" to Texas Roadhouse - not only for keeping me employed (at least temporarily)... but for showing that they're not afraid to recognize the dedication and tireless efforts of their star employees... even in these trying times. The next time my tummy is rumbling and I see a T.R. on the horizon, you can bet I'll be swinging by to support them and return the favor.

Now, as my new friends at the Roadhouse would say, "Make it a legendary day!".

Yee-Haw, Y'All!!!