Holidays in Mammoth

Kyra and I decided it would be nice to get out of LA for a few days over the holidays, so we headed to her family's condo in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Mammoth is a small mountain town located east of Yosemite National Park.

We were a little concerned about the long 5-hour drive with Liya, but she was a trooper and just slept most of the time (lucky her!). We just relaxed and walked around the town on our first day there.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes sits at an altitude of 7,800 feet and the surrounding mountains rise to elevations exceeding 12,000 feet which makes for great skiing and snowboarding! On the second day we decided to hit the slopes at Mammoth Mountain which is the local ski resort only steps from the condo. I went snowboarding in the morning and then headed back to the condo at noon to watch Liya while Ky headed up the mountain in the afternoon. Overall, the conditions were better than we expected given the limited snowfall and it was nice to get in some runs prior to our Park City Trip in early February!

Liya enjoyed the sites and sounds of a new place and even being bundled up to go out in the cold.

We had a great time and only wish we could have stayed longer!

Saturday Palos Verdes Ride

Most Saturdays I wake up around 6AM to make the 25 minute drive north to the Palos Verdes Peninsula where a group of LA Tri Club members meet at Malaga Cove. At 7:30AM we leave for a 22 mile loop (and normally more) around beautiful Palos Verdes. Normally there are 8 - 10 riders, but this morning there were just five us. The ride started out very cold as my car thermometer was reading just 48 degrees, but it quickly warmed to the low-60's and I had to shed some layers to keep from overheating. It was a clear sunny day so I decided to bring the camera along and shoot some photos along the route.

As part of the route we ride along the Pacific Ocean and pass the Trump National Golf Club which is a beautiful course right along the coast.

Its a truly a beautiful ride and the camaraderie and breathtaking views (not to mention the exercise) are a great way to start any weekend .

Our Little Chubster

So we've always known that Liya was a good eater. She feeds about six times a day and is very efficient at it. Well at her eight week checkup the doctor informed us that she's in the 75 percentile for height (she's quite tall) and...the 95 percentile for weight (she's a chubby little baby). Of course the doctor said this was a good thing and is characteristic of breast-fed babies. We think its absolutely adorable and are so thankful that she's healthy. Here's a photo of our little chubster!

The Ryan Hall Story - Olympic Hopeful

I first heard about Ryan Hall a few months ago in a Runner's World article where he spoke about breaking the long-standing American Half Marathon record in a blistering 59 minutes 43 seconds.

It was obvious from the article that Ryan was not only one of the fastest distance runners in the world, but also a stand-up guy in all respects.

The day before the New York City Marathon, November 3, 2007, the Olympic Marathon Trials were held in Central Park and Ryan broke away at 16 miles, running the second half in 1:02:45 to cross the line in a stunning 2:09:02 and win the race, qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Ryan, 25, lives and trains in Mammoth Lakes, CA (where Kyra's family has a condo).

Below is a very inspirational video about Ryan's faith and motivation for running. Its one of the more powerful messages I've seen lately and will definitely stay with me for a long time (and the run splits aren't too bad either)! Enjoy!

Excursion to Laguna Beach

While my parents were in town we took several little side-trips or excursions to not-so-far-away destinations that Kyra and I had been to in the passed and enjoyed. One such trip involved a drive down the Pacific coast to a village known for its scenic views, million-dollar real estate, and arts and crafts: Laguna Beach. The day couldn't have been nicer as the sun combined with a light breeze made for a beautiful day.

We strolled along the beach (mom

even collected a few sea shells), self-guided ourselves on a tour of the sheik and trendy beach front hotel and resort, the Montage, and just enjoyed the day together.

We had dinner at a great little place on Forest Avenue in downtown called Pomodoro. They had great food and good-sized portions as well.

Grandpa & Grandma Meet Liya

My parents arrived this week from Michigan. Liya is their first grandchild and as you might expect they were a little more than excited to meet our little cutie pie. Liya seems to love my mom and of course my mom has an amazing knack for calming Liya which is so beautiful to see in action.

Here's a photo of them with Liya. And one of my mom working her magic!

Liya Ren Gilbert

Liya Ren Gilbert was born on September 7, 2007 to the proudest parents in the world. Here are a handful of photos from her first few days in her new world.

Mom and I preparing to leave St. Joseph's hospital

Liya just chillin'

Relaxing in the papasan!

Visiting with Grandpa and Grandma Watari

Liya and Kyra at home