"the boat is making bubbles" - angel island

on january 8th, i ran the pacific coast trail runs angel island trail run. they had many distances but i ran the 8k (around 5 miles) this time. i have always wanted to do this race and i was excited that i got to do it this year. if you aren't familiar with the area, angel island is a small in the bay kinda near alcatraz. the island has a pretty rich history as the "ellis island of the west" and military outposts (there are still old wwII bunkers on the island). there are several trails traversing the perimeter of the island as well as up to the summit. and honestly, the panaramas are breathtaking. especially at the summit where you can literally see 360 degree views of the san francisco, marin headlands east bay, 5 bridges (including the golden gate) and of course alcatraz. sadly, my picture at the summit was not so flattering. although i was having an awesome time, i look like i was gasping for my last breath. and the angle at which the picture was shot showed me less as trail runner and more as jabba the hut with legs. needless to say, i don't like it and i didn't buy it. but you can look it up on their website if you are so motivated (note the absence of a direct link). someday, i would like an awesome picture to mesh with awesome surroundings. but i digress...

the weather was georgeous! hana got to ride on her first boat ( the ferry over from tiburon, ca) and she liked it so much that she didn't want to get off once we arrived. in fact, it took a LOT of coaxing to get her to turn around for this pictures. her eyes were fixed on the water (see below), and she just kept alternating between squealing, giving her excited giggle and exclaiming "the boat is making bubbles!!!" in reference the wake.

anyway, as i said, the race was fun, and hana had fun with daddy while i ran the trails. she cried when the runners left the start line. it was pretty pathetic actually, she just kept calling "mommy, come back!". we all tried to reassure her, but i figured it was best to just go and she would recover. she was fine but it was hard not to have at least a transient pang of guilt.

as i said, despite the beautiful environs, there is nary a good picture of me. this one is the best, even though it's out of focus (or maybe because it is). this is me approaching the finish line. it was so much fun, i'd love to do it again next year, if for no other reason than to try for a better picture.