Gaza war day 11: ground operations started, flights to israel suspended

Last night Israel entered Gaza, starting the ground war.

When asked to change tickets, travel agent advised that my future company stopped travel to Israel due to security concerns. Awaiting further instructions.

Running:
- yesterday treadmill tempo (7 miles, 4.45 @ 6:40 or  under).
- today slow run to work with backpack, 8.2 miles


Decent training week overall, except missed speed workout.

Gaza war 2014: Day 8/9. A bit of running, lots of worrying.

Running:
Friday did a nice tempo run on treadmill (6.22 miles @ 45:00, with a good effort 4.1 miles with .5@7:08, 3@6:40, .6@6:27). All at 1.5%+ incline. Slowly starting to improve fitness, but a long way to go back to marathon shape.

Today went for a 11.2 run (planned 13, but was feeling like crap). Hot, humid, and congestion+cold have come back. Not a pleasant run at all. Some nice hills, and brought a gatorade. Result: 8:55 pace.

Israel:
My running friend living in Israel posted that he had to cut his run short, twice, due to sirens in Modi'in. He joked it may be the end of his running career. Starting to wonder how I will get long runs in, with sirens going off almost every day in Zichron and Haifa.

Wondering if i should buy a treadmill, or if there will be any races this year, not with the "forecast" of "fireworks" every day and night.

On top of all this, reports are not done, family is worried, i am checking Israeli news obsessively (not productive). Will find out whether i can postpone flights to Israel, either for the whole family or for just wife and kids.

Gaza war day 3: starting to worry

It is now 3 days into operation "protective edge". Multiple missiles have now fallen in TA, Jerusalem, and a couple even near Zichron Yaakov. Wife is justifiably nervous, me too. Thinking about postponing flights or perhaps me going first and family joining a few weeks later, after the situation improves.

Importantly, i wonder how do people run in Israel during rocket attacks? Thinking about installing a treadmill in the Mamad (secure room, a new word I learned that I wish I didn't know). Along with keeping my laptop+monitor, speakers snacks, water, and cat litter there...

Peachtree Road Race 2014 recap: last race in U.S. before moving to Israel

Peachtree: PR, basic stats

Happy to report a PR at Peachtree: 39:29 is the official net time (455/57K+, 34th in AG).

Perfect conditions (65 and not too humid). nice 1+mile warmup, got to corral 15 minutes before start, 1 gu (chocolate+caffeine) 10 minutes before start.

Crowded start, opened up about 1 mile in, but stayed crowded for another mile. People started falling off after that. Held back but still ended up running first 3 miles at around 6:00-6:10 pace. Slowed down on cardiac hills to 6:45-7:00pace, then managed to recover and finish at 6:20-ish pace for the last 1.5 miles.

Happy overall with my performance and training.  I feel know that on a flatter course, 38:xx or even 37xx are reachable.

Last speed work before Peachtree. 3 x 800, 400, 200 at decent clip on track. Having a bunch of crossfitters on track to pass helped with motivation. First 400s felt good, was running out of steam for the second halfs.

Barely was able to jog up the hill home afterwords. Will chalk it up to the hot and humid long run on Sunday, while taking antibiotics for sinus infection.

Easy runs tomorrow and Thursday to recover for Peachtree.

Step 5 of ... : Nativ determines that I am, indeed, Jewish.

After almost 2 months of back-and-forth, Nativ has finally approved my old Soviet birth certificate (and my Mother's) and determined that yes, indeed I appear to be Jewish. I still have a bad taste in my mouth about the whole thing.

Let's go back a couple of months. On May 8th, my family and I applied for the A1 (temporary resident) status, which is granted, same as Aliyah, to those eligible under the law of return. To be eligible, if one has "Russian background" (no matter what the circumstances are otherwise), the Jewish Agency (JA) requires the birth certificates to be checked by a special service, Lishkat HaKesher, ak.a. Nativ/Consul. Here is the catch: Nativ only claims they should check the docs if one is making Aliyah. Temporary resident -- not their job. So after weeks on sitting on my docs, they kicked them back.

Next move: JA tries to "escalate" but nothing happens for weeks. Finally, I ask the company that invited me to visit, to intervene. After a letter from the company, personal contacts from the the interior ministry, and multiple phone calls, Nativ is *instructred* to review the docs, urgently.

Two weeks more pass.

Finally, today, July 1st (almost 2 months later) Nativ finally reviews and approves my documents. Hopefully, JA will now move reasonably quickly to approve the application.  So, I am thinking they would apologize and be extra nice to me because of the crap they made me go through. Hah!

So, I call the local JA office to make sure things are moving... and the first thing I hear is "What is your problem?". Nice. maybe that JA wasted 2 months of my life, and I still don't have my application approved? It's not like I want any benefits or money or flights from them. All I want for them is to say yes, I and my family are indeed eligible to *apply* for a visa to go to Israel under a law of return. Only then can I go to the Isreal consulate in Atlanta and apply for the actual visa.

Hopefully all will get done before we get on our flight to Israel on July 27...

Getting stressed and nauseous just thinking about this process. Well done, JA.