The Adventures of Familia Bajaboy

Gabriel has reminded me that its a great thing to act like a child....contrary to what others might say or claim. Statements such as "act your age" or "quit being immature" or "you need to act like an adult" are far over-rated. There are certain times and places where age-appropriate behavior is recommended but I have been having more fun acting like a child lately than acting like an adult. I smile more often, laugh without reserve, and tend to be less cynical about the world. I suggest that you give it a try. Find a child and let yourself go....don't worry about what other adults around you might think....have fun and play like a child. One of my favorite places to do so is while grocery shopping with Gabriel. We play all sorts of games together. We have fun with each other and I enjoy the reactions of people around me. I suppose I might have reacted that way prior to Gabriel's arrival but not now. My kid spirit has been released once ag

Wow-2009 is here in full force. Tracy went back to work this week and now I've started my new job as a full-time stay at home dad. We had a great time spending time as a family and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity. Since Gabriel was born about 4.5 months ago, we spent about a month in Baja, over a week in Grass Valley, four days in Arizona, three days in Santa Cruz, and a couple days camping in the mountains east of San Diego. In that time, Gabriel was introduced to so much. From time at the zoo, to experiencing Ironman Arizona, watching Papa finish his first 50K trail run, or Mama coming back from pregnancy to complete her 15K race, Gabriel was constantly exploring. Now it's time to look at the upcoming year. Well we have a full schedule. Tracy is signed up for a number of races already and well I've gone overboard. Tracy and I are running a couple of half marathons together. I really enjoy when we do races together. Words cannot describe how proud I a

So Tracy and I were blessed to have a healthy, happy young boy. Gabriel has blessed us and now it's time to get back to business. Actually, it didn't take long for us to get back into a workout rhythym. In fact, I raced the Bulldog 25k ( http://www.trailrunevents.com/bd/index.htm ) just a few days after Tracy was released from the hospital. A month after Gabriel was born we were in Santa Cruz as I ran the PCTR Skyline to the Sea 50K trail run ( http://www.pctrailruns.com/Skyline_to_the_Sea.htm ). Gabriel was out on the trial rooting me on. So now it was time to root mom on as she came back from her Ironman race (having Gabriel). From our jog/walks in Bahia Asuncion to our runs in Coronado, Tracy had been pushing hard for her race. We had volunteered last year at the Xterra Mission Gorge race and had earned a complimentary entry. As such, Tracy decided she would use her entry for her post Gabriel race. She picked out the Crystal Cove 15k http://www.trailrace.com/crystal

It's been some time since I posted. With the arrival of our newborn son, Gabriel Adam, I've had my hands full. He's a wonderful child and we are blessed with his arrival. With some good planning and a little luck, Tracy and I are both home with Gabriel. As such, we decided to extend our already planned trip to Santa Cruz for my race and also visit Tracy's parents in Grass Valley. This would be Gabriel's first big adventure at one month of age. I decided early in the year that I would attempt a 50k race. And when I hear d Pacific Coast Trail Runs was creating the inaugural Skyline to the Sea 50K trail run taking place near Santa Cruz, I knew it was for me. I shot off my check and began my training. As I mentioned in prior posts, I had run a number of trail runs in preparation. I was feeling great up until about a month before the race. About that time, Gabriel was born and my training went out the door. And about a week later, I received a call asking if I

Well my love for the trails is getting more intense as the miles unfold. I've always enjoyed getting off the beaten track whether I'm on my bike, in my truck, hiking, camping, or running. This year, I've spent a great deal of time trail running and it's quickly becoming habit-forming. As many of you may recall, Tracy and I ran a 30K trail run at Sycamore Canyon last November. Turns out, Tracy got pregnant that weekend so trail running must be a good thing. Since that race and the news of a baby boy on the way, I've decided to dig a bit deeper and longer with my runs. I'm signed up do race a 50K later this year. The race is the inaugural Skyline to the Sea 50K Trail run put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs ( http://www.pctrailruns.com/Skyline_to_the_Sea.htm ). As part of my training for that race, I've been running on Thursday nights with a group from Tri Club of San Diego headed by Florian Hedwig. He's a great guy with a positive attitude...but don&

Tracy and I have been enjoying the beautiful weather San Diego has offered recently. With a busy work schedule, a baby on the way, and planning for our upcoming trip to Baja, we've been on the go. But we're also making the time to get outside. We're both committed to living a happy, healthy lifestyle and today was no different. This weekend, we went for a 5.5 mile hike at Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. Our hike started on the Tierrasanta side of the park climbing a little over 920 ft of total elevation. The weather was perfect with temps in the mid to upper 70s. The best part of the hike was smelling all the wildflowers along the trails and taking in the wildlife. We have enjoyed the park for many years and this year is no different. Enjoy the pictures and get outside to smell the flowers.

I've been raving to Tracy for many years now the benefits of trail running. Up until recently, Tracy had primarily run on pavement. She has even completed The San Diego Rock and Roll marathon. But trail running was a new adventure and with a bit of coercion, she agreed to sign up for the Santa Monica Mountains Trail Run put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs. There were 4 different distances but we set our sites on the 30K distance which translates to 18.6 miles with about 3,200ft of climbing. While visiting my mother, Zoe, in Sebastopol over the summer we opted to volunteer at the Salt Point trail run put on by PCTR. As a result, we each received a free entry. But more impor tantly Tracy got to see first-hand the laid-back nature of trail runners and the sport itself. The runners talked with each other, joked around, and were more concerned with the scenery than with race splits. I think this helped ease both of our nerves. At the suggestion of the race directors, we reserved