Coffee vs Tea - the Vote

Well, it's Wednesday, Christmas is a week and a half away, kids are still in school but are ready to be done, inlaws (or outlaws depending on how you look at it) are going to be arriving soon.  I ain't bought my wife anything yet - don't know where to start.   I would rather be running outside than sitting at a desk or driving round in circles.  My favorite socks have a hole in them.

I got distracted this morning thinking about coffee and tea.

(Very) Generally speaking - people in New Zealand drink tea.  They drink a lot of other stuff too.  But I think it is safe to say, they drink more tea than coffee.

Here in the US, having now lived here for about 20 years I think I am right to say that more Americans prefer coffee than tea.  I realize in the coffee "family" there is expresso, latte's, caputhingys and more - but lumped into one "class", coffee drinkers outnumber tea drinkers.  At least that is what I have noticed.

I drink both.  In my younger (living in NZ) years I drank tea.  Actually just about the whole country shuts down at 10 am and 3 pm each day for 10 - 15 minutes to have a "cuppa tea".  There is also usually tea at breakfast, lunch, dinner (sometimes also known as teatime) and before you go to bed.

When I first took my wife to NZ many moons ago, we got off the plane after many hours of travelling, changing time zones, were met at the airport by my Grandparents and after they initially said hello to us (my wife had never met them before - nor been to NZ), within 5 minutes of being at their home - we were drinking tea.

As an observer of US culture - I think it is safe to say that coffee is in the top 3 for "drug of choice".   People blame it (or lack of it) for the mood they are in, the choices they make and other things.  People have their favorite brand, or style, or flavor.  Nothing wrong with that - I do too.

Every so often I see (don't usually read or watch though) reports that "coffee is good for you because....." or "recent study shows coffee is bad for you because....."  I'm sure there are similar reports and studies for drinking tea.  Then there is the whole decaf vs full caff thing too.

I like to run, sometimes before or after a run I drink tea, sometimes coffee.  I don't know if or how either affect me, either good or bad.

At my house - and possibly those of you who also drink both tea and coffee - we have "tea cups" and "coffee cups".  It doesn't seem right sometimes when a cup is used for the wrong beverage.

Well you made it this far - to my point of this post.......
I'm curious to see if there are more tea drinkers or coffee drinkers out there.  So, my first poll going up.  Is a simple question:  Do you drink more coffee?  Do you drink more tea?

Feel free to comment and to post on your own blogs - while drinking your beverage of choice.

Review the week of Dec 4 - 10

I have decided that 30 miles per week for the next few (Winter) months is a good goal, with an eye on "peaking" for the new Super 1/2 Marathon on Feb 5th in the Springs - put on by the Pikes Peak Road Runners.

Course of the race from PPRR website

Having really only getting back into running for 2+ years now - Winter months have been very non structured and definitely sporadic for my running.  2 years ago I did the Winter Distance Series w/ my son, then last year I did it w/ my oldest daughter - I'll do it again with her this year, moreso for her as she likes running a lot but doesn't like to go alone.  During those years I never really followed a plan at all.

This year will be different - I came up w/ a plan for the next 8 weeks -putting some structure and a format into aiming for the 1/2 marathon.  Ideally I would like to PR it - and get that down to 1:35.  We'll see how that goes.

For 11 of the past 12 weeks I have done 30 mile weeks - some a little higher.  So the next 8 weeks is not really much new - aside from having that kind of base work already established as I look forward, but become a little more race goal specific.

Likely obstacles will be weather and health - which is why I am planning on running only 4 days a week, consisting of a long run, a hill run, a tempo run, and a short run - likely w/ the kids as part of their getting ready for the Rescue Run and then the Winter Distance Series (4 races in Jan and Feb).

The past week the knee flared up so I was kind of forced to take 3 days off, but still ran 12 miles around the rolling roads near home last Sunday, by Wednesday I was able to get out again and did 8 miles on the home (dirt) roads in the morning.  Friday evening I hit the Santa Fe Trail at Goose Gossage Park and went North 3 1/2 miles at an 8:15 pace, then back at a 7:30 pace in a nice full moon.  Was a good sign for me to keep up that pace for that amount of distance.  Something to build off. 

Saturday the family decided not to go to the site of the Rescue Run (Palmer Park) - instead we have a good and similar course near home - complete with a similar hill climb.  So we all did 3 miles - at varying paces and times.

I'm a person who likes and functions fairly well on a structured plan (as long as I am the one who comes up w/ the plan - being a little bit of a control freak) - so to map out the next 8 weeks and have a goal at the end makes me happy.

Dreaming of a sandy (beach) Christmas (in NZ)

Don't get me wrong, I love the beauty of Colorado.  Winter time is very spectacular - especially when we have a bunch of snow.  Wind I could do without, but to be able to see the mountains, trees and (most days) clear blue skies is really special.

Colorado Christmas is nothing like New Zealand at Christmas.  It is early Summer there.  Beaches, b-b-q's, beautiful in it's own way.  One thing that New Zealand has is a lot more beaches than Colorado has.  Growing up there we spent a lot of summer time on the beach.  I do miss being able to get to the beach.

With that being said, having lived in the US for almost 20 years now, I like the "Winter Christmas" over the "Summer Christmas".  Along with the snow covered trees are the Christmas decorations - especially those not overdone

or half done.

My family and I like to see the lights and there are a few nights we go out cruising neighborhoods just to see the lights.

I get e-mails every so often from Air New Zealand - inviting me to come visit.  Yesterday was one of those times.  My family has the big family reunion coming up there next year at Christmas time.  By then it will be 6 years since I and my own family have made it.

So, curiously I went to their website and checked to see how much it would cost to go.  The answer was not pretty.  The best deal is to fly Christmas Eve / Day or New Years Eve / Day - then come back home any day in January.  (Add an extra $500 per person to travel on different days)

Cost per person (round trip) from LA was $1186.  That may seen okay to some.  However, that doesn't get us from CO to LAX.  Nor does it get us anywhere or do anything in NZ.  Add all that up for a family of 5 and we get somewhere around (conservatively) $8000 or possibly up to $10K.

Now, I'm not afraid of a 10K - have done plenty and will likely do more.  But when a 10K becomes 10 thousand - dollars.  Yikes.

Now if we were not to do anything as a family for next year, no soccer, no piano lessons, no other trips, no birthdays, no new clothes or toys, no food or water, no (gulp) running events - we could likely pay for 2 or 3 of us to go.

Unfortunately - doesn't look like we are going to make it.  Sorry Mum.  So, instead - I'll just have to dream of a sandy beach in New Zealand along with the other pretty scenary there, all the while enjoying Winter in Colorado.


I guess there is the option of a one way ticket....

6 degrees of frozen Bacon

Sometimes I come up with (what I think) are smart Post Titles.  Other times - not so much.  This is probably one of those others.

Was a brisk start to the day - 6 degrees would have been nice, it was minus 8 degrees.  A crisp blue sky with full sun over fresh snow.  Picture perfect Colorado Winter postcard - unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me.

Was hoping to get out and run to really experience it but I likely jinxed myself yesterday when I wrote about recent snow storms coming through not affecting my knee.  Well, as the day wore on yesterday and into the evening my (right) knee swelled up big time and range of motion on it reduced to about 60 percent.

Icing, heating pad, elevating, even wrapping it didn't help.  When it happens like it has done so at least a dozen times in the past 9 months - I haven't found a way to curtail it.  Instead, just have to wait it out.  Usually takes about 3 days for the swelling to go back down.  Is not too painful, is quite uncomfortable.  Is arthritis related.  It sucks.

There seems to be no predicting it - I thought barometric weather changes may have something to do with it - but maybe not.  I really don't enjoy it and really hope that when it come to things like the Pikes Peak Marathon next year, it doesn't happen in the days leading up to it.

Oh well, dealing with what life gives.  Looking ahead, got the Pikes Peak Road Runners monthly magazine and are considering doing their new run on Super Bowl Sunday .  They are putting on a 5K as well as a 1/2 marathon.  Leaning towards doing the half - but will wait a bit to decide.

Family chatter is building on the 5K Rescue Run on January 1st.  Last year was in the single digits - My son and oldest daughter and I did it.

This year it is seeming like #12 might do the 10K version by himself.  My oldest daugher and I will do the 5K together.  My wife, her mother (who will be visiting and appropriately spoiling her grandchildren), and our youngest daughter - likely to do the 5K together.  Hoping it will be a little warmer than last year. 

With 3 weekends to go - seems like we might get some training in, starting this weekend - so if anybody is driving through Palmer Park and sees a knuckledragging family roaming through, don't run us over :)

Thanks to GZ for the reminder about this....