11th California International Marathon in the books. A little over a week after I had pulled up with my hamstring issue during the annual Thanksgiving Run to Feed the Hungry, I decided I’d give the CIM a try wanting to keep my streak alive (plus, I just really enjoy the CIM and running through the neighborhood I live in East …

This last weekend we went to Santa Cruz and later on to Monterey. Both René and Nick are vivid kite surfers and wanted to get a peek at the Californian surfer scene. What better place than Santa Cruz? So, in the early morning we went to the beach on 43rd street, right in time for the early tide. We found …

Family time! My sister Anke is in town from Germany with Lynda, my niece, my sister’s boyfriend René and his son Nick. Full house! I will take some time of work to show them all around California. We went to the usual tourist spots first – the Capitol and Old Town, including breakfast at IHOP. This is the embodiment of …

My friend and practice partner David san posted recently about our Sunday coffee ritual. Same as for him I enjoy this quiet time with discussions and good hot brew. I already talked about the positive impacts of turmeric and curcumin, which I use regularly to improve my heart and joint health. However, there are a few benefits coffee gives you …

The numbers for “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer – Sacramento” are in. The whole event raised $413,640 with a goal of $277,000. This is truly amazing to end the fund drive with a plus of over $130k! The vision of this event is to a future where our children no longer live with the threat of breast cancer and where …

Another ailment…but pressing on! It has been a rough past few months for my body. First I had an extended period of painful bursitis in my right foot/heel. It didn’t really bother me too much when exercising or sparring, but would throb at night while trying to sleep and wake me up. It has since gotten better and has thus …

Sparring and post-sparring coffee–the ultimate WAKE UP! Dirk-san and I have a bit of a tradition whereas we go to our favorite local East Sacramento coffee shop after sparring and have some coffee (and often a pastry). After sparring for 20-30 minutes there’s not much better than sipping on a cup of joe and feeling awake and alive! Awake from …

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” – The Hollies I carried a 60-pound load on Veteran’s Day, doing 5 laps around the State Capital (5.5 miles). Some have asked, “Why?” Carrying a heavy military rucksack was not solely rooted in the challenge of doing so, but more a symbolic action and metaphor to highlight many veterans today are shouldering a …

Not just the destination; it is the journey! A friend of mine is planning to run his first marathon. Interestingly enough, not more than a year ago this same friend was overweight and expressed concern about his lack of energy. It has been wonderful to see him shed many pounds, tone up and have a bounce in his step! Last …

Martial Arts Open Tournament – No medals but a good experience! Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend a tournament in West Sacramento with a group of others representing our dojo. Well represented we were! I only participated in one event, being kata. I was assigned to the same group as sensei Oliver and some other black belts from …