My Great Marathon Journey

Our Marathon Adventure

2008-12-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

Marathon Day

2008-11-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

It has all come down to this weekend. The five months of training, the early Saturday morning runs, the daily stretching & icing and the countless miles of earth pounding have all amounted to this one day.

The days approaching the weekend were charged with some pretty nervous and excited energy for me. We flew up to San Francisco on Thursday night so we could be in the city and well acclimated by Sunday. On Friday we picked up our race bibs and timing chips - my bib number was 5338 and Jamie’s was 6127. The timing chip was a small piece of plastic that we attached to our shoe that kept track of our time throughout the marathon. The rest of Friday and Saturday were spent relaxing.

On Saturday night Team In Training hosted a pasta dinner for the runners, and holy CRAP was this thing AWESOME!! Upon entering the convention center we were greeted with hundreds of cheering people armed with noise makers, crazy costumes, signs, and an extraordinary set of lungs. The amount of energy given out by this crowd was amazing!! I have to say I was completely overwhelmed. The pasta was awesome and the speakers were inspirational. Sleep was the order of the night though and the dinner was wrapped up pretty quickly to get us crackin at some much needed Z’s.

Sunday morning brought our earliest wakeup time yet… 4AM. I have to say, when I was living in the Bay area I saw the city many times at this hour, but never had I seen it in such tranquility. It was the calm before the storm I guess you could say, and the storm was beginning to gather inside of me. I was getting pretty pumped for the marathon and could not wait to burst across that starting line. Jamie and I went through our usual routine, of stretching, hydrating and slamming a smoothie (thanks mom and dad for bringing a blender over for us!)

We met up with our team in the hotel lobby and headed out to the starting line in Union Square. At the starting line my parents along with Jamie’s cousin SonHui and her friend Stephon met up with us to give us huge cheers and a lot of love before we were off.

After a little Star Spangled Banner and a firing of the starting gun we were off… well sort of. It took about seven minutes for the mass of people in front of us to get going and then for us to cross the starting line… then WE WERE OFF!!

Down Post Street we ran towards the Embarcadero and the famous San Francisco Piers. We had bundled up in sweat suits to keep our muscles warm for the first few miles, but as we gradually heated up the layers came off and were thrown to the side for Goodwill donations. The first mile seemed to take for ever, and we crossed over it just before hitting Embarcadero.

The streets were lined with all kinds of people – some just there to observe, some there to cheer on a friend or relative, and others just there to cheer, act silly and belt out motivational rants. The color purple was everywhere – from runners to spectators, many were there to support fight against cancer.

Time seemed to fly by between mile 1 and mile 5. There were a lot of runners around us and a tremendous amount of excitement in the air. I took in this energy and knew that as time went on and mileage dropped off, so would the energy level of us runners. The strategy that Jamie and I were using was to start out at an easy pace and try and conserve energy. Our mentor Paul was running with us and he was extremely enthusiastic, breaking in to bouts of song and chant. It served as a catalyst for energizing the runners around us (including myself), but required too much of my energy to commit to.

Aid stations were scattered throughout the course providing us with water, gatorade, fruit, light snacks and tons of entertainment. The volunteers at these stops were awesome - giving us motivation to press on to the next station.

We hit our first hill at mile 6 and with it brought a sense of sobriety to the brutal nature of the beautiful course. We were running through the Presidio area of the city and capturing beautiful views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, but the hill beneath us was relentless and continuously pushed back at our legs, testing their physical limits. This was not a day for defeat though and we passed through (well more like under) the Golden Gate and conquered our first gnarly hill.

There was little time for recuperation before next beast of a hill was upon us. We were ready though. Our training prepared us for this constant bombardment of hills, and this was no match for us. We attacked it full force and before we knew it we were on the back side of the hill enjoying panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. On our descent down the hill Paul had to make a stop for the bathroom – unfortunately due to some miscommunication we got separated from him. From this point on it was just Jamie and I.

The backside of the hill spit us out into the beautiful green landscapes of Golden Gate Park (much like New York’s Central Park for those not in the know). As we began our five mile trek through the park I noticed the inevitable onset of pain begin to hammer away at my knees and ankles. I took this a positive sign, because we were only two miles from the half way point.

As we approached the 12 mile mark there was a split off point for half marathoners to take to get to the finish line. It was amazing to see how the road cleared in front of us as runners branched off to their easy 13.1-mile victory. The course felt like a ghost town - though there were still clumps of cheering people on the sidelines, I still found quiet spots where I could feel the calm of the park and tune in to my internal thought engine. I found myself thinking about how with every mile I ran $207 was going to fight cancer, and together Jamie and I were raising $414 per mile… WOW!!

The loop through Golden Gate Park lead us out to the Great Highway, and a breezy 3-mile run along side the Pacific Ocean. My parents, Sonhui and Stephon were waiting for us at mile 16, and seeing them gave us an enormous boost. At about mile 17 every ounce of bone and muscle in my legs was screaming at me. I was surprised at how severe the pain was. My only rationalization was that our time spent training was mostly on soft dirt trails, and on this day we had been running on concrete and asphalt since we first crossed the starting line. Our training paid off though, because I was able to press through the pain and focus my attention elsewhere.

At the end of our trek down the Great Highway was Lake Merced. In my mind I pictured a small picturesque lake that we would quickly jaunt around and then make our triumphant return back down the Great Highway to the finish line. As we approached the lake though, reality quickly set in – this thing was GIGANTIC. No way, I thought, no way was this massive puddle the lake that we have to run around. I even reassured Jamie of this. But there was no denying it as the course started hugging its banks and following its curves.

The time we spent running around Lake Merced was definitely the most agonizing part of the run. The mileage seemed to drag by as the pain in my legs mounted a war against my will to press on. The pavement started to feel hard and unforgiving against my feet. Every detail of the asphalt underneath my shoes was ridiculed by my feet. The demons were starting to snarl and make themselves known. It was a rough patch along the course, but with Jamie by my side we were unwavered. Our pain was intense, but by no way was it comparable to what cancer patients endure, and we need only to cross the finish line to put it to rest. This change of perspective brought about a fighting spirit in us.

We finally pulled out of the never-ending loop around Lake Merced and were on our final 3-mile home-stretch to the finish line. There was however just one last trick up the sleeve of this beast, a final farewell hill. It was a small hill to say the least, but a big one considering how close we were to the finish line. Jamie and I made a pact to take it on without resolve. Halfway up I could tell she was struggling, so I pressed my hand to her back, looked her in the eyes and said ‘lets kill this baby... you and me… grrrrrrrrr!’ She met my challenge with a decisive growl back and we climbed on. My eyes met the top of the hill with a predacious scowl as my feet frantically consumed asphalt. Jamie was running tough and the frenzied look of determination on her face told me the hill was no match for her drive. As the crest of the hill passed under our feet a sense of victory swept over us that served to open up untapped energy reserves – it was go time and the finish line was just two and half miles away!

Our final approach to the finish line was met with strong resistance. My energy level was great, but the constant bombardment of pain was challenging my will. At one point a Team In Training coach yelled out to us “You see the white tents off in the distance?.. they are AFTER the finish line!” My attention suddenly fell onto the two great white pieces of plastic with terrible engrossment. Knowing that I could see something just beyond the finish line drew me in and allowed me to forget about the pain raging through legs. I became so fixated that I nearly ran past my brothers who were on the sidelines with their families yelling and going crazy. Seeing them was f’n AWSOME. They all seemed to take off after us… my brother Trevor ran next to us with a cup of coffee in his hand, David jogged with his son in his arms and Kevin brought up the rear. Seeing my family out there supporting really brought it home for me. Thanks guys; you are badass and I love you.

And then it happened!! The finish line reared its beautiful self on the horizon. What a glorious site! As we tore into the last mile smiles broke across both of our faces – reality was setting in that we were about to complete one of the most amazing challenges of our lives. The crowds began to thicken and the cheering started to rage as we slugged away at the last bit of mileage. The energy was so intense that my skin began to tingle. As we neared the finish line I miraculously picked my parents out of the see of faces and flung out high fives to them. We were within a couple hundred feet of the finish line when laughter overtook me; every bit of pride, fear, joy, anxiety, grief, love and hope surfaced as an uncontrolled laughter. I turned to Jamie and saw that she was feeling the same way, so I grabbed her hand and we raced toward our final milestone together.

I wish I could detail the rest for you, but everything beyond about an inch before the finish line is a blur to me. The next thing I knew I was holding Jamie in my arms and blasting her with kisses. We had DONE IT!! We had run 26.2 miles and raised $10,880 together for the fight against cancer. What an amazing feeling! What an incredible day! All of my family, including my best friend Adam and his dog Auggie (who drove nonstop to make it there from AZ, only to turn around and head back the same day… thanks bro you are a damn good friend) were at the finish line to congratulate us. My proud moment was hugging my dad and giving the Tiffany pendant that was bestowed to me upon crossing the finish line to my mom as a symbol of our family’s perseverance. We are all strong and we all have it in us to achieve the unimaginable... my dad is well on his way to winning his battle, and I cannot wait to be there to high five him as he goes flying by to his victory!!

Thank you to all of my gracious supporters! Thank you for your love, thank you for your words of support and THANK YOU for your generous donations… YOU are what made all of this possible!! You have helped change the lives of many cancer patients and their families, and you have helped change the face of cancer. No longer will we sit and watch cancer decimate lives, we will run, we will Train, we will Endure, we will Achieve, and WE... WILL... MATTER!!

Much Love.

Brian

a walk... ur... run in the park

2008-10-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Our training is winding down and marathon day is quickly approaching. What seemed like a vast distance to me three months ago is now just a walk in the park. This may not seem like a significant change in perspective, but if I were to contemplate the idea of running 6 miles six months ago I would've considered it a vast and arduous task; now I can't see myself running anything less then 5 miles if I'm going to lace up my running shoes.

The run on Saturday was pretty uneventful. I ran with Elaine and Debbie for the full six miles, and we made no stops... well I take that back we made two quick stops to grab some gatorade from the water stations... but then it was right back at it. The run seemed to blow by, and before I knew it we were done. Jamie went and tackled the bike today at the gym to give her groin a little rest (check her blog for the details on this).

Our post run recovery has also been winding down; ice baths are no longer a necessity, instead we are back to putting packs of peas on the sore spots (remember this pic); and our mid-day nap now is more of a slight snooze. Normality seems to setting in - soon Saturdays will be ours again.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to the Long Beach Marathoners!! This is their weekend to shine... come Sunday they will take off down that marathon trail and achieve greatness. It has been GREAT training with you guys, and I wish you guys unlimited strength and determination! GO TEAM!!!

simmer down now

2008-10-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

This week marked the beginning of a gradual decrease in running mileage called the "taper phase" of our marathon training. This decrease in mileage over the next three weeks will give our bodies the opportunity to rest and recover from our previous training, and will culminate with a one mile run the Saturday before our marathon.

Not only will our mileage decrease, but our caloric intake will also wind down; as we do less mileage less calories will be required for recovery, so that means I gotta cut back on those extra helpings. Three days before the marathon however we will begin to carbo-load in preparation for the event; this means tons of pasta, bread, potatoes, rice... well you get the picture.

The run this past Saturday was at our usual Balboa Lake location. We all arrived early and were off running before 7:00. A measly 8 miles was on my plate today, and I was ready to devour it. I took on the first five miles with a moderate pace and then kicked it up significantly for the last three miles. I pushed myself harder then I have before, and tried to invoke a feeling inside of me that might resemble the last three miles of the marathon. I never let my pace slip and kept it strong. It was extremely tough, and I wanted to quit at times, but I pushed my fatigued body past its mental and physical barriers.

The last quarter mile hit me hard and I knew that finishing out at this pace would be a true testament to my will power. I pressed on though and ignored the tormenting thoughts raging in my head. As I neared the finish line my legs began to explode with energy and quiver tirelessly all at once. My feet feverishly consumed the path as I finished out the run forcefully, clocking in a time of 1 hour 6 minutes - that put me at about an 8 min 22 second average mile time!

Jamie put back a good run today too. Although she ran hard today, she ended up bringing in the last half mile at a walking pace so she could hang out with a fellow teammate who sustained an injury. What a team player!

Try and keep up with me!

the pinacle of our training

2008-09-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday we embarked on what was to be the longest run of our training program... 20 MILES!! That's like running from Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles to the end of the Redondo Pier in Redondo Beach... or running from Pac Bell Park to Walnut Creek.

This was our last 5 am wake up call and I was glad. We woke a bit later then normal and were slow to get going. My motivation to get out the door was unusually low; we weren't meeting with our team today and would be doing this run on our own.

Our plan for this run was to do it together... side by side for every mile. This would be good training for marathon day when we plan to run together. We had prepared enough gatorade for our water belts and for two water stops. The plan was to stock each of our cars with a cooler full of gatorade and post one at the starting line and one at the half way point.

We got out to Balboa Lake at about sunrise. We went through our usual stretch routine and then took off from the usual starting spot. Everything was as usual until we began running. Running with Jamie meant ratcheting back my speed a bit. My legs were confused by this; they wanted to go faster, but I wouldn't let them. It was a back a forth battle for the first couple miles, but my will to make this adjustment was strong and I REALLY wanted to run with Jamie.

Running along side Jamie was great. We attacked the twenty miles in three phases. The first lap was our warm up lap, and then we had two laps of running and then a cool down lap. Having this plan really helped break down the run into manageable portions.

The first couple laps Jamie feverishly struggled with her water belt. The wait of the bottles caused her belt to bounce around her waist and then inevitably up the curves of her hips to rest around her abdomen (which impaired her breathing). After messing with this thing for two laps Jamie finally gave into the notion that she did not need the belt and she could share my gatorade with me. We had plenty of gatorade at our stops and could refill every two and half miles.

We knocked back the laps one by one, and when we hit lap three Jamie erupted into song. Yeah she busted out SINGING!.. she was energetic enough to sing the Bon Jovi classic 'Living on a prayer'... "whoooooa we're half way there!" That's my girl!!

Lap three went by pretty smoothly, but when we hit lap four I began to feel a cramp in my lower calf. I was not happy about this, but I pressed on. The pain hung with me the entire last lap. I tried taking my focus off it by concentrating on other pains in my legs that I normally overcome. This worked for a few miles, but the pain kept festering on me. I was not about to give up though... 20 miles was the goal and I would not be one foot shy of it!

As the fourth lap wound down I was talking both Jamie and I through it... "this was just a cool down lap - just a nice EASY jog in". This took my mind off my pain and allowed my legs to take it easy. I heard Jamie repeat it a couple times to herself to try and convince her weary legs of a not so gloomy future.

As we approached the finish line the concrete felt smooth and sublime under my feet. Just the thought of completing 20 miles made everything wash away for me. I grabbed Jamie's hand and we rushed over the finish line together... WE DID IT!! We knocked back the longest run of our training, and we did it together. RIGHT ON BABY!.. YOU ROCK!!!

Try and keep up with me!

beach bummin it

2008-09-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

This past week was truly a blessing to me. Jamie and I got to go up north to Santa Cruz and spend a week at beach house with my dad & mom, all my bros and my grandma. The week was a blast. Most of our time was spent down at the beach boogie boarding, building massive sand castles, relaxing and of course running. At night beach bonfires were'a blazin - I brought my didgeridoo, a hand drum and some clapping sticks, and combined with some pretty entrepreneurial instruments we played bouts of wild music and ate smores to the late hours of the night.

We kept our runs up throughout the week, and on Wednesday, Jamie and I ran what I have to say was the best runs we have done so far. Our run took us along the water front and out a jetty to a lighthouse, and then through the Santa Cruz Harbor. The weather was a little cool, but the scenery more then made up for it.

We kept ourselves well hydrated and stretched throughout the week in preparation for our 20 mile run on Saturday. Sleep was the one thing working against us. The combination of late nights, my nephews early morning playful clamor, and sleeping on and air mattress made quality sleep next to impossible. We actually stayed an additional night foregoing the Saturday run with the team to do it on Sunday. When we got back however we realized that no amount of sleep would prepare us for the demands of a 20-mile run.

We ended up sleeping in on Sunday and set a goal to do the 20 miles the following Saturday on our own. It is going to be rough on our own, but together we will conquer it.

Try and keep up with me!

out with the old, in with the new

2008-09-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

It has been three and half months since I strapped on my first real pair of running shoes. Since then I have taken on over 200 miles of various terrain. My shoes, much like my body, have taken a serious beating, but they wear the scars more then I do. Check it out. Here is what my shoes looked like when I first got them…

…And this is what they look like now…

Pretty crazy, huh? I guess that’s what 200 miles of pounding the earth will do. Jamie and I went and picked up some replacement shoes to begin working into our training. I won’t fully commit to them until after I complete my 20-miler. By then I think I will retire them to some dark place in my closet.

This past week we made another return to the hilly streets of Porter Ranch. The coarse took us through the biggest hill we will see in San Francisco accompanied with six and half miles of moderately hilly terrain. I set out on this run with a new attitude - the last time we did this hill I just wanted to get through it.. this time I wanted to destroy it. My pace was very aggressive and I kept it strong. After about four miles of hilly terrain, the two and half mile hill was upon me. I rounded the corner and began my hunt for the top. My legs were persistent, only needing a single rest break to catch their prey. The hill was brutal and snapped back at my will every chance it got. But my aggressive assault paid off and I dispatched my prey, leaving it bloodied with my tenacity.

With the top of the hill behind me I hit the last water stop where Coach Brett's mom was serving up cold Gatorade and cookies. I gulped down a few cups and hit the backside of the hill with a lighter foot. I have been working on refining my downhill running strategy and today I think I mastered it. I was able to maintain a good cruising speed down the hill without using too much energy and minimizing the impacts to my joints. The bottom of the hill came much quicker then the top, and then it was just a smooth half mile run into the finish.

I made good time today, and Jamie was not too far behind me. We hung around and brought in the rest of the team before heading off to an ice bath. That's all for now.

Try and keep up with me!

I ain't trippin

2008-09-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

CHECK MY PREVIOUS BLOG FOR SOME DAMN GOOD NEWS!!

Well a Saturday came and went without my feet so much as touching my running shoes. It was Jamie’s birthday weekend on August 23rd and my brother Trevor and his wife Rachel came down from the Bay to go to a Dave Matthews Band concert with us in San Diego. The weekend was a blast, and we gave Jamie the full birthday treatment. Thanks guys for heading down; it meant a lot to us!

From Monday on we put ourselves in a serious training mode; 18 miles was on the horizon and we had to ready our bodies for it. Constant hydration and daily stretching were a must; we made a consorted effort to hit the z’s early, but only managed to do so the night before the run. The team also started a new mid-week workout called speed intervals. Basically we run at about 85% of our max speed for a timed interval and then rest for a period of time and then repeat. Repeating this five times put us halfway through our workout and the remainder was wrapped up with a two mile run.

The morning of the big run Jamie and I were up before the sky even cracked a shade of blue. We each downed water and a protein-berry-oatmeal-almond milk-banana-peanut butter smoothie (I know it sounds kinda weird, but it gets me going and keeps me going). We charge out the door into the dark morning sky ready to take on what would be our second longest run in training. The morning air was thick with remnants of a southern tropical storm, but retained the cool temperatures of a typical Southern California morning. We stretched our reluctant legs, and were off pounding the trail before sunrise.

We were doing three loops today; one 8 mile loop and two 5 mile loops. At about halfway through the first loop I found myself running in a small group of runners. This was a bit unusual for me because I typically run alone, but I figured this would be good practice for race day (when I plan to run with Jamie and my mentor Paul). Our pace was a bit slower then I was accustomed to, but I acclimated to it and focused on my form. The loops went by pretty uneventfully until the final loop.

We were pushing through the last miles of our run and fatigue was beginning to set in for me. We were on a stretch of concrete bike path when just in front of us two people walking opposite directions stopped and allowed their dogs to stretch their retractable leashes across the entire length of the path to sniff each other out. As soon as I saw this it seemed too late for me and I yelled out “excuse me!” I got no reaction from them as they condoned their dogs’ indulgence in each other. It seemed like a split second before I was upon their trip line of leashes and having to take evasive maneuvers; I darted off the path hitting one of the ladies pretty hard and shredding through the grass. Luckily I caught my footing pretty well and was able to continue running uninjured.

After this bit of excitement it was back at it. We had about two miles left and they were clocking in as the toughest yet. I found myself convincing my legs that this was a cool down run, and that it was just an easy jog in. My legs fell for this sham and before I knew it the pain and fatigue were subsiding and I was devouring the last mile.

I finished out the run with fellow teammate Debbie, and we were the first to cross the finish line. Our time was not the best, but we were glad to be done. Jamie did awsome today and finished not too long after us… WAY TO ROCK IT BABY!! We hung around for some breakfast and then took off for our post run recovery.

Try and keep up with me.

you gotta read this!!

2008-09-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Since I laced up my running shoes and took the first steps on my marathon journey I have carried with me the battle my dad is waging against cancer. I think about what he’s going through mentally and physically and how on some small remote level I am paralleling his endeavors. I can’t even begin to imagine where he is at in his head though. I do however understand how he pulls from within himself to say “NO! I will not accept defeat!”… “I WILL PERSEVERE!!” It is what I carry with me when I run and hit those rough patches. But just like my completion of those hard training days, my dad pushes through and gets his victories.

It is not often in ones life that we get phone calls that totally rock our worlds. My initial discovery of my dad’s cancer was on a cell phone call stuck in L.A. traffic on Highway 5 coming back from San Diego… not the best timing eh? Well yesterday I got the call that has put a shiny gloss on that experience. On the other end of the phone line was my dad, and he had just gotten back from his doctor appointment... “the results from my bone marrow taken a month ago show that I have 0.92% myeloma cells, and the doctor said that with the additional month of treatment I have gone through since the test was done, he believes that I am in 100% remission” …yeah you read that right ONE HUNDRED F’N PERCENT REMISSION!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Not only that but my dad continued to say that the doctor believes he is in the 60-70% of people who, after a stem cell transplant, will be cured for life. HELL YEAH!! CURED FOR LIFE!! You hear that everyone?!? I’ll say it again CURED FOR LIFE!!

The battle is not over. The roughest part of my dad’s battle is still ahead of him. Fortunately his test results have shown that he is a prime candidate for a stem cell transplant. My dad has a great circle of support, and by you just reading this you are unknowingly sending him positive energy. So keep it coming. Thanks for lending me your eyes.

I love you dad!!

A Lesson in Hydration

2008-08-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

We were out of bed and to practice before the sun broke the horizon this Saturday morning. Today we were out at Balboa Park and were set to do 16 miles; fortunately this will be completed in three laps as opposed to the 168 laps that it took me to complete 14 miles on the gym track two weeks ago.

The minute I took off from the starting line I noticed some apprehension from my legs. They were not happy about the task they were just given, and it took me about three miles to warm them up to the idea of doing thirteen more. The first lap I deemed my warm up lap and by the end of it my body had settled in to a pretty good groove. The remaining laps I labeled my big push, and my cool down. Then there was the final mile which I appropriately called my final stretch. Breaking the course down like this really helped with my motivation.

Staying hydrated and energized throughout my runs has long been a challenge for me. I decided for this run it was going to be different and implemented a new strategy to better accomplish this. I prepared two bottles of Gatorade Endurance (one for my hydration belt and the other I would pick up later in my run), and filled a small squeeze bottle with energy gel. For the Gatorade I needed to finish a bottle an hour, and for the energy gel I needed to squeeze a gulp in every half an hour. The energy gel, for those wondering, is a blend of carbohydrates, sugar, electrolytes and sometimes caffeine all mashed into a thick goo. Sounds appetizing, huh? Well as you might imagine, the gel was the hardest part - my mouth never wanted this sticky goo, and always opted for the wet beverage. Getting all that fluid in was also a challenge – the feeling of liquid sloshing around in my stomach as I tromped down the course did not sit well with me.

When I hit the second lap (my big push) I really laid into it. I felt my energy level was good, so I bumped up my pace and shredded miles 6 through 10. I pushed through the water stations, and was totally reliant upon my own hydration system. At mile 10 I made a quick stop to grab my second bottle of Gatorade and was off.

The third lap was definitely the most challenging of the three laps. As I pressed through miles 11 through 15 I could feel a variety of pains pulsing through my legs. These were no match for me though - I had good energy and was able to suppress them and forge ahead. When I reached mile 15 I hit a quick roundabout and headed back out for a mile loop to finish out the 16th mile.

With the idea of the finish line less then a mile away, the final stretch turned out to be much easier then I thought it would be. As soon as I finished though, all those nasty little pains I suppressed hit me at once, and I was inundated with a bunch of screaming joints. HOLY CRAP was this PAINFUL!! Never at the end of a run had I felt this kind of pain before. With a little bit of stretching and hydration the pains soon subsided, and I was able get out on the finish line to high five teammates as they came running in.

Overall I can say my new hydration strategy worked. Although in the beginning I was questioning the effects of all this goo and extra hydration; in the later mileage my energy level definitely reaped the rewards.

Try and keep up with me.

Just Keep Going!

2008-08-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

We made another return back to the rolling hills of Porter Ranch this week. Seven miles was on our agenda, and none of us were leaving without breaking a serious sweat. Coach Brett mapped out an aggressive course with a pretty serious hill for us to climb… 2.5 miles of straight upward. I was looking forward to this run and had high expectations of myself. I wanted bite into it, chew it up and spit it out. My run however did not come with its challenges.

The night before my run, when I typically explore dreamland, I was wide awake - not just for couple hours, but for the ENTIRE NIGHT! I could not for the life of me catch a wink of sleep. ‘Insomnia’ most people call it, more like INSANITY. I tossed and turned and tried to wrestle my eyes to sleep, but nothing that I tried put me out. I entered my morning with blood stricken eyes and a cloud that only I could see.

I took off from the starting line with a bit of a lag. I could feel the affects of the night on my energy level and knew that I somehow had to muscle past it. This did not take long. When I hit the hill my mind turned to fighting mode. This was MY hill, I thought, and I’ll be damned if I’m not the first person up it. My feet were with me and my legs seconded the notion, so… IT WAS ON! The street poured behind me as I forged my way to the summit. I knew that Quincy Avenue marked the highest point on the hill and I chased it down with a fury. As I climbed the hill's gritty face I carried with me the notion that once I hit that crest I will have conquered the largest hill I will face on race day. Check it out...

Though my energy level was lower then normal, I still managed to reach the top just behind Robert (the fastest guy on our team). I felt accomplished and took a quick breather to regroup. I passed through our water station without a stop and continued down the backside of the hill. Downhill running is not my favorite. Though I don’t feel it while I’m running, the aftermath usually tells of a medley of knee pains. I tend to take it pretty easy on the downhills, regulating my speed and periodically walking.

I brought the last mile in with one of my teammates Elaine, and we finished about three minutes behind Robert. I felt my run was good, but I was insanely tired. Jamie came burning in about 10 minutes after us and looked great. WOW!.. she has really pushed passed her injuries and is doing AWSOME!! We hung around to cheer on the rest of the team as they finished up, and then took off.

Breakfast, ice and a shower were all an order, but the afternoon nap was pure unadulterated bliss.

As I run I think of the many challenges that face people each day with cancer. I run for hope, for the challenge, and most of all for the battle against cancer. But sometimes that battle is not always won. Recently the running community suffered a huge loss with the passing of Craig (The Moose) Chambers. Craig was a local running figure who spent most of his spare time running the hills and streets of Los Angeles. His battle with melanoma did not slow his spirit though and he completed the L.A. marathon last year in true form. I would like to take this moment to thank Craig for being an inspiration to us all. I will tag my jersey with your name on race day!!

Just keep going!!

A Kinship With the Mythical Phoenix

2008-08-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Phoenix - a mythical bird which at the end
of its lifespan burns fiercely and is reduced to
ashes, from which a new, young Phoenix arises.

We were away from the TEAM this past weekend and away from the cooler temperatures that typically accompany our runs. Instead we headed east to the sweltering furnace that is Phoenix, Arizona. I know, I know… what the hell were we thinking?? That’s exactly what was crossing our minds. The reason for this gross scenery change was our nephew’s 1st birthday, and that was all the reason we needed.

Fortunately we did not have to drive the usual 6 hour journey from Los Angeles. My beautiful sister-in-law Diana and her husband Matt flew us out for the weekend… THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! This gave us the leg up that we needed to tackle the 14 miles on Saturday morning.

We hit the Z’s early and woke up late, clocking in about 9 hours of sleep. Physically I was ready to take on this challenge, but my motivation to do so was teetering on “E”. We made the decision to head to a local gym to run the mileage on a treadmill to avoid the triple digit heat, but the idea of running in place for over two hours did not resonate well with me. Jamie had the motivation going for her, so I climbed aboard and rode her wave to the gym.

The gym, not surprisingly, was mostly empty. Fortunately the facilities came equipped with an indoor track relieving us of our treadmill duty. This wasn’t your typical track though – 12 laps was the equivalent of ONE MILE!.. someone somewhere was laughing at us.

My run started out slow with my motivation dragging significantly behind me. The first two miles felt like an eternity. The laps seemed to drag by as I saw the same scenery over and over and over. As I pushed myself mentally through mile three I felt defeat fiercely closing in on me. I couldn’t let this happen – I couldn’t let these minuscule obstacles defeat me! So I decided to collect the smoldering pieces of my broken spirit and reemerge with a vengeance. Keeping track of my lap count was my most arduous task, so I resolved to monitor my mileage by using my one mile time. Each time my watch went off I completed a mile – this was easy enough and it allowed me to forget about the repetitious circles. All of a sudden I was in it – my motivation caught up to me, passed me and was blazing my path… I was REBORN!!

The mileage began to fall away and before I knew it I was on mile 10. With four more miles to go I could almost taste my victory. Unfortunately all was not smooth to the end. At about mile 12 the pain started to settle in and my pace tapered. With my spirits high I tried to look at this in a positive light - with each new mileage milestone my pain has shown up later and later, and this time was no different.

As I steamed past mile 13 a celebration exploded inside of me… I had just completed a HALF MARATHON!! YEEEEAAAAAH! HELL YEAH!!! WHERE"S MY HIGH FIVE??

With that feat under my belt I pressed on to finish out the last mile of my run. Once finished I took a quick breather and then caught up with Jamie to bring in the last quarter mile of her twelve mile run. She was only going to do 10 miles, but she pressed on and conquered 12. HELL YEAH BABY!!

Our post run recovery regimen was put on hold to celebrate our nephew’s 1st birthday. Little Jeffery rocked his birthday party like most 1-year olds, with wide eyed curiosity, smiles and a face full of birthday cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE GUY!

That’s all for now. Try and keep up with me.

A Team For Better or For Worse

2008-07-31T17:47:00.001-07:00

Another early Saturday morning brought another run to our feet. Porter Ranch welcomed us back with an ornery grin, and warmer temperatures. This run would take a shift for the better though – keeping consistent with our alternating weeks of long runs and short runs, we would be running a swift 6 miles today.

I started out my run with a moderate pace keeping with the lead pace group. The hills resonated deja vu with me and I could taste the essence of my previous tribulations through these hills. My reminiscent wander did not last long as I yanked myself back into my run - I was nearing the bottom of the hill and needed to prepare for some climbing.

The hill was as I remembered it, steep and long. I got about half way up when I got the word that Jamie was in some pretty severe pain. I knew this was big. I searched the horizon for her, and as soon as my eyes recognized her tiny blip I diverted my run towards her. When I reached her I could tell she was hurting. She has been going at these hills with a vengeance since her return back, and it has been taking its toll on her. She is a strong runner, but throw anyone straight into nonstop hill runs and they’re going to feel pain after a while.

I walked with Jamie from about mile one to mile three, and enjoyed the quiet time we had together. We bursted in to running spells when the geography permitted, but for the most part we hit a pretty aggressive walk.

When we hit mile three, we said our goodbyes and my feet sprung into action. From this point forward I was set to climb a mile-long hill. My mind and body were primed, and I was ready to wreak some havoc on this hill. My pace was fierce as my feet relentlessly consumed elevation. When I hit the top I simultaneously caught up with some fellow teammates. I shared a walk break with them and then took off down the backside of the hill.

It was not long before I was in the final stretch to the finish line. As I cruised in I saw Jamie heading out to finish up her nine miles… now that’s dedication!! At the finish line I took a breather and devoured some Gatorade and carbs. It was then right back out to catch up to Jamie.

The heat was moving in pretty bullishly and I could not run fast enough to escape it. As I ran my eyes continuously scanned the roadside for Jamie’s profile. At each turn I was expecting to see her, but NOTHING. My eagerness turned to worry as I rounded the last bend and didn’t see her. I slowed to a walk and really focused ahead, nothing but road signs, poles and… WAIT!.. what’s that??.. it’s?.. it’s?.. it’s Jamie!!! On her return back to the finish line! WEW!!

We walked back to the finish line with me constantly lagging behind her - her pace was much to fast for my weary legs. Our coach Brett came and met up with us to bring in the last leg. He offered to have Susan bring the car around to pick us up, and was met with savage ‘NO!!!’ from the both of us.

At the finish line we were greeted with clapping and cheering from our dedicated teammates. I could tell Jamie felt good about her accomplishment, and so did I.

Later that day we met up with some of our teammates at the Children’s Hospital to spread a little cheer. We visited the cancer ward and brought with us gifts, love and a little conversation. Our visit there was not one of ease. Seeing these young soles stricken with such a horrible disease was heart wrenching. As we entered each room the parent’s faces told the stories we dare not ask about. The children were SO grateful, and expressed it with what limited energy they had. My eyes could not help but show what I was feeling inside... yeah I admit it, I got a little misty... SO!! This experience has rocked me to my core and I will carry it with me as I finish out my training and complete this marathon. We ARE doing some good!!

Try and keep up with me!!

A Day of Focus, Falls and Freezing

2008-07-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

As I train for this marathon I feel my body metamorphosing into a running machine. I have adapted quite well to the long distance running on the flats, and the hills have become my challenge. Fortunately our mid-week practice has made a shift to a different training style… hill repeats. What are hill repeats you might ask? Well they are exactly as they sound. We run up a hill for time frame set by our coach, and then walk back down the hill to the start. We repeat this five times. This was excellent conditioning, and I felt this throughout my entire lower body for the rest of the week.

Saturday came way too fast, and my body was still a bit sore from our new midweek regimen. I was excited though, and ready to conquer 12 miles. This was the last weekend we would see in a sequence of consecutive mileage increases. From this point forward we will have long mileage weeks alternated with short mileage weeks. I think I am ready for this.

Lake Balboa Park welcomed us with a vibrant pulse on this early Saturday morning. It was evident some serious mileage was about to be trampled out here today, and our team was ready. The gloomy haze over the morning sky told of cooler temperatures to come; a much welcomed relief to the ardent temperatures that typically accompany us.

As we charged off the starting line in our usual pace groups, I left my group behind to share this run with my Jamie. I was excited for her and wanted to be there when she completed her longest run yet. The pace was slower then what I was accustomed to, but it was good for me; it gave my mind the opportunity to really focus on my running form rather then “what the hell do I have to do to push myself through this?” This was important for me because I am battling the onset of shin splints. I got so consumed in my running form that I failed to notice a robust cobble crouched deviously in the middle of my path. I hit the ground hard, spraying dust all over my jersey. I tumbled it out, bounced back up and sprang back into my run. Jamie was horrified and determined that I was injured, but I pressed on and assured her that I was ok. We hit the six mile mark and the fork in our running path together. I pushed on to chisel away at my 12 miles and Jamie turned around to slam out her last mile. GO GET'M BABY!!

As we separated I felt my legs burst into an excited pace. I was pretty far behind from my pace group, and determined to shrink that distance as much as possible. I maintained a divided focus between my form and the goal at hand. The miles seemed longer with out Jamie, but were unmistakably shorter. I was passing fellow team mates and feeling a sense of accomplishment. It felt good to run hard and run long. My body now craves this, and without any remorse I dish it out. I passed through water stations taking in gatorade, water and an occasional snack. As I hit mile 9 I could feel the pains starting to settle in. I am growing accustomed to the pain, and am beginning to realize that this is just part of the training - we train to not only endure fatigue, but to endure the physical torture on our bodies.

I finished out my run a little under a mile behind my pace group and relished my victory. We hung around for a pot luck of carbs and fruit and then took off for home for icing and a nap. Our icing routine took a bit of a turn towards insanity today - as demented as this may sound, we took an ice bath. That’s right a tub filled with 20 pounds of ice and water. Our neighbors must have thought two girls were living next door. The initial shock was horrifying, but my body gradually thanked me for it. The following day I have never felt better, and I now plan to include this grotesque technique in my arsenal of recovery strategies.

Try and keep up with me...

Rolling Hills and 10 Miles To Boot

2008-07-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Recovering from my run from the previous Saturday took a little more time then anticipated; by Wednesday though I was back in action and ready for our midweek practice. This mid-weeker was different from the rest... we were running our timed mile again, and were destined to see improvement. After a light 2-mile warm up, we lined up and flew out of the gates. I rolled out a moderate pace in the beginning and then kicked it up at about half way. I caught up to our assistant coach Cole and finished the mile just behind him. As I crossed the 1-mile mark I anxiously looked at my watch and caught the glimpse of 6:47.35. “HOLY CRAP!” I thought “I just dropped into the 6 minute realm." I savored the flavor of this tasty victory, and let it roll off my tongue every chance I got throughout the week.

My mid-week victory had me primed and ready to take on our 10 mile run on Saturday. This Saturday was a fairly monumental run, because it marked the return of the Great Jamie Moniz back to the running circuit. Back from her month long hiatus, Jamie was geared up and ready to tear into some asphalt. This was a big day for her as she was running an astounding 5 miles on her inaugural run back from the injury list. YEAH BABY!!

The cool morning air of Porter Ranch welcomed the eager faces of our running team. There was a slightly higher intensity amongst the group then normal. We were all aware that 10 miles was in our future today, and that the course would take use through a constant barrage of rolling hills. Our stretching seemed to have more intent on this day; each stretch was held to its regimented time and no single stretch was left to chance – our bodies were about to get hammered and we had to be ready.

The run started off with pace groups leaving at different times. The slower groups left first followed by the faster groups. The course opened up with a mild downhill slope that lured its guests into a sense of ease. I took the pace slow, knowing that I had to conserve my energy for the deepest end of this trek. From the start I was experiencing a sense of nausea that was hindering my spirit. Most of my mental energy was consequently devoted to overcoming this sensation in the first five miles.

At about a mile and a half into the run, and just when I had tackled my first hill, Cole (our assistant coach) intercepted me and took me back down to the bottom of the hill to give me some tutelage on downhill and uphill running techniques. This I was not enthused about; not only did I get separated from my pace group, but I had to run up the hill I just ran up. The techniques he showed me worked for me, so I kneaded them into my running strategy throughout the rest of my run.

Water stations were every two miles, and reaching them was always a lift in my spirits. A splash of something cold to drink and some words of encouragement was enough to keep my drive going. The course was relentless though; at every turn it seemed like we were either climbing a hill or descending one. The miles seemed long and arduous, and my one minute breaks too short to remember. I was pushing my body harder then ever and I could feel it beginning to take its toll. As I ascended the hill to the final water station, pain was settling into to my ankles, shins and calves. This was not good, I now had to dig deep and claw my way past the pain demons; I had two and half miles to go and I was not about to break down.

I hit the final water stop and my gorgeous wife Jamie was there resting after completing here five miles. Seeing her really lifted my spirits. I slammed a carbohydrate gel, threw a slug of water down my throat and took off. This was the home stretch - just two miles to go. My enthusiasm did not last long and at about a mile out I had my first break down. This was a rough blow, as it was the first time I could not complete my 8 minute to 1 minute regimen. I didn’t let it last long though. I literally slapped myself in the face, and told myself “this was it, this was the final stretch, YOU CAN DO IT!” My legs were somehow inspired by this grand speech and jumped into action.

I rounded the bend to my final mile (and hill) and saw my pace group just ahead of me. Seeing them gave me a huge boost of energy, and I took off up the hill. I saw myself closing in on them and it felt good. I crossed the finish line just behind them and with great satisfaction. I had endured 10 miles of hills, and was still in relatively good shape. I took in some water, carbs and a round of high fives… all the nutrition a training runner needs.

Try and keep up with me...

Nonstop Action

2008-07-08T17:56:00.001-07:00

Dragging myself out of bed on this holiday weekend was pretty rough. Fortunately I didn’t listen to the devil on my shoulder and drink booze with my barbeque the day before. I was pretty energized though and eager to take on our new distance of 8 miles.

Our run started off like previous runs with runners sifting into their respective running groups. Today I found myself running with our assistant coach Cole. My running regimen to date has been run 8 minutes walk 1 minute, but today Cole had it in his mind to change this plan. Upon stopping for my usual one minute walk he lit the fire under my ass and said that this was no longer my strategy… I was one of the strongest runners on the team and I was to run NONSTOP for now on. While his savory compliments fed my ego for the time being, I did feel deep down that the occasional one minute walk would ultimately prevent injury. I pressed on though.

As I made my way through the deeper mileage, I could feel my body starting to fatigue prematurely. Pain had set in - a maddening pain that resonated throughout my entire running system. I was up against the wall, and the demons in my head were rearing there nasty voices. I now had to find it deep within in myself to forge ahead and finish out the last few miles.

I hit the water stand and splashed some cold something down my throat. The final two miles were ahead of me and I was ready to kick my own ass. I found my zone, narrowly squeezing out my demons, and hit the path hard. My pain started to subside and I was able to yank myself back into the game. As I neared what I deemed the ‘final stretch’ our coach Brett met up with me to bring in the last mile.

I crossed the finish line with an uncertain sense of accomplishment. I had run 8 miles nonstop, but I didn’t feel good about it. I felt deep down that my overall run suffered. I fatigued way too early in my run, which led to a significant decrease in my pace. I did like running longer in between breaks though. Hmmmm?.. something to work on I guess.

Hanging out at the finish line and bringing our team in with clapping and cheering was a good end to my run. Our team is starting to get pretty tight with each other, and more people are jumping in to offer encouragement to others. I think the longer distances are sparking a bit of comradery in our team.

All for now. Try and keep up.

Back to the Hills and Parents Afoot

2008-07-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Another early Saturday morning brought a new course to my feet and a new sense of motivation. This time our run was to be on the slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains, and my mom and DAD were in town to witness it all. The 6:30 meeting time was a bit rough for me because my body did not want to fall asleep til about 12:30 the night before. Fortunately the excitement of my parents being in town and getting back to running on some hills was enough to drag me out of bed in the morning. Once up my body struggled to keep up with my enthusiasm; so slapped myself around a bit and chugged some water. After fueling my body with peanut butter toast and a peach, it was just a matter of jumping into my shoes and blowing out the door.

At our meeting spot we shuffled through our usual stretch routine, and then took a small hike up to our starting point. Today, because we were running 6 miles, we were required to wear a waterbelt (basically a belt that holds a water bottle). As soon as we took off my waterbelt made itself known by sliding off my waste and to my knees, a frustrating start to a much anticipated run. As the group scurried ahead, I was stuck feverishly fussing with my belt. Fortunately Coach Brett found me and gave me the tip to wear it across my chest commando style. I slung it on and took off.

My position at the back of the pack was not discouraging to me. I knew that if I remained steadfast I would be able to catch my pace group. I am used to running on hills, so I knew to ratchet back my pace to about 75%; this gave me the energy to run consistently through the whole course. Little by little I inched my way through the pack. As much as I could I gave each of my teammates a “Go Team!”. The closer I got to the front, the more spaced out runners became. "Where was Eloy", I thought. No sooner had that thought crossed my mind, than I saw Eloy on the horizon. With the top of the hill far into the distance I eagerly confirmed to myself that I did it - I caught my pace group.

It was not long before I caught up and eventually passed my pace group. I made it to the top of the path and climbed the stairs to the top of the missile platform. Yeah missile platform. At the top of the hill were the relics of a Nike Missile platform (cold war stuff). Quite a view. I hung out up there for about five minutes throwin out high fives and drinking down water.

The moment hit me and I bolted. Down the hill I went with an ever so slow and dainty pace. I think my pace downhill rivaled in slowness to that of my uphill pace. Downhill is not my favorite because it is way harder on the joints. I took it slow and easy, bursting into faster paces when I could. I hit the final stretch of the course with an ear to ear grin… UPHILL!! I took this hill with a fierce assault, giving it my all and with great pleasure.

My finish line could not have been better. Both Jamie and my parents were there cheering me on as I came running in. Seeing their faces and hearing their enthusiasm was an incredible moment for me. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family. I felt very proud of what I was doing, and to have my dad there to witness it and cheer me on meant the world to me.

Try and keep up with me.

A Week to Heal

2008-06-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

My run last Monday was quite possibly my most challenging to date. It was a hot summer afternoon in the Valley and my rest the night before left much to be desired. I had also been experiencing some pain in my ankles from the Saturday morning run. Add to all this the fact that I neglected to hydrate myself before my run and I was set for some serious mental training.

As I started my run, I was immediately greeted with my new nemesis… ANKLE PAIN. The pain swelled to something fierce in the first mile, and it was all that I could do to keep my feet chasing after each other. I thrusted myself through the first mile and began to feel a bit of relief from the pain - though it was still there my attention instinctively turned to the dust bowl that was my mouth. Fatigue, lack of water and pain were taking there toll on me as pushed through miles two and three. I wrapped up my run with a final half mile sprint to the local 7-Eleven, where I found myself chugging an ice cold water in front an open cooler; a true moment of bliss that I will not soon forget.

The pain that soon came after the completion of this revelatious run was of significant concern to me. As I sat with ankles wrapped in bags of frozen pees, I contemplated my training schedule for the next week - I want to go to every practice to keep up, but I also want to complete the marathon injury free. My trainer always said listen to your body. And listen I did - when it came time for our midweek run, I got over halfway to our meeting spot and decided to turn around. It was a tough decision, but the right one I feel. Though I have a strong will power, I refuse to let my ego get the best of me.

I ended up taking the remainder of the week off from practice, even missing the 5 mile run on Saturday (which I really wanted to do). Instead, Jamie and I spent Saturday through Tuesday celebrating our 2-year wedding anniversary. We went wine tasting in the Santa Barbara wine country, soaked in mineral springs (ooooooh did this feel good on my beat to hell body) and braved the elements with a night of beach camping in Jalama Beach (which turned out to be a crazy story; ask me about it, I can't post it).

The week off significantly improved my ankles, and I was able to join my fellow runners back on the path for a midweek 4-miler. Although I may be a scoatch behind, I think I prevented a longer hiatus.

Try and keep up with me.

Coagulating Runners

2008-06-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our team is starting to settle into its groove. Now that we are each establishing a comfortable running pace, runners are coagulating into smaller pace groups (assigned by our coach Brett, based on our 1 mile time). There are three runners in my group; me, Eloy and someone I have yet to meet. We are the second group back from the lead group (which consists of just one runner), so we’re not looking too bad.

Our run began with the usual stretching routine. The pace of this routine seems to getting quicker; probably due to a combination of us knowing the routine and that we want to get running before the blistering heat sets in. The run started out fairly chaotic as runners scurried about locating their respective pace groups. I immediately found Eloy and we headed out to the front of the pack.

As we took off, the heat of the day was beginning to set in. I could feel the warm air oozing in and replacing the more favorable cool air. As we surged down the path I could tell this run was very different from previous runs. I was finding it very difficult to get into my usual zone. Running with a pace group (Eloy in this instance) I found myself having less conversations in my head and more with Eloy. This was challenging for me, because I thrive in my zone. I did find it beneficial though because we were able to push each other in ways not possible running alone. As we came up on the last half mile of the run, I could not help bursting into a double time pace. I unfortunately left Eloy behind me talking with our trainer Brett, but it felt damn good to push my body hard.

Greeting us at the finish line was a water/Gatorade station set up by one our great mentors Susan. To the left Susan caught a snapshot of me as I closed in to devour some much needed fuel for my body. Gatorade and pretzels were like a gourmet spread to me.

When I got back home I could feel some new pains setting into ankles. I iced them for a good twenty minutes, and the knees for another twenty. This running is beginning to take its physical toll on my body. I will preserver though, that much I’m sure of. I have a strong will power, and will overcome all obstacles.

Try and keep up with me.

Practice Away From Practice

2008-06-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well I knew it had to happen sooner or later. This past weekend Jamie and I took off for the weekend to visit my family in Pleasanton (Bay Area), so our normal Saturday morning practice turned into a solo run for us. It was a bit tough to hang out with my three brothers and not have some beers with them the night before. One beer led to two and I ended up staying up till about 2ish. Needless to say the 6:00 AM wake-up call came and went. I cracked my eyes at around nine and stumbled out of bed - this was a four mile day, a new bump up in our mileage, and I was not about to let this own get by me. My brother Kevin the night before made the comment in his drunken state that he wanted to run with me, so I roused him out of slumber. He woke with a bit of contention, but eventually met me downstairs for some hydration and stretching. We headed out to a local spot where I had mapped a 4 mile run. He brought his blades and I my running shoes; we strapped up and blasted off.

As we started out Kevin made the stark discovering that the course I had mapped out deceptively turned to gravel. This made for an amusing display of rollerblade acrobatics on his part - a damn funny site. We rerouted and I just judged my distance by my time. The run turned out to be pretty easy; 4 miles did not seem that much longer then 3 miles for me. It was good hangin with my bro and running in our home town. We were able to extrude a few good stories from some of the familiar sites we passed through… aaaaahh reminiscing, isn’t it great (that’s a nice slice of cheese for you, now how about some wine?). I finished out my last half mile with a fierce pace, doubling that of my normal pace. We headed back to the house where I found Jamie wrecking a 30 minute ride on the stationary bike. Give her blog a glance to see why she’s biking instead of running.

So the whole reason for this weekend visit was to head out to an A’s game with my dad, brothers and nephews – a guy’s day you might say. My dad always took us to A’s games growing up, so we still like to keep it going. These games are always a blast; drinking beer, eating peanuts and hot dogs, and yelling obscenities at the umpire for bad calls. It was a damn good time hangin out with my dad like this. That's him above with my youngest bro David and his to boys Owen and Joshua. It is so unbelievable that my dad is battling cancer; he is so fiery and full of energy. His positive momentum seems to be collecting energy by the day.

Speaking of my dad’s battle, he just finished his third round of chemo and can now say the majority of it is behind him now. HELL YEAH!! Three more to go... keep rockin it dad!!

All for now. Try and keep up!!

B

Time Trials

2008-06-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Our second team practice turned out to be a great day weather wise... no soggy rain slowing us down this time. Today we actually got to go through our stretching routine. We learned a total of 18 stretches that covered both our upper body and lower body. After that I felt ready to take on our run.

This day was different though. Today we ran our one mile time trials to get an idea of our speed. We started off with a mile run to the starting line to get us warmed up. Once there Brett prepped us, lined us up at the starting line and let us loose. I have to say that I think I took off a little too hot out of the gates. My pace slowed about a third of the way through the mile. I wasn't worried though, I was still maintaining a good pace, and only two other people were ahead of me. I hit the turn around point, gave Cole (our assistant coach) the thumbs up and headed back. I didn't really pay attention much to the other runners as I passed them (running in the opposite direction) cause I was in the zone, but Jamie was able to break that zone for me as I saw her go blazing past me - she looked so good and I couldn't help but smile at her.

I felt my legs fatiguing under me as I hit the 3/4 mark, this was the moment of mind over matter I thought. My burst out of the gates had cost me too much energy in the beginning, and I was now paying the price - a valuable lesson I guess. I decided to kick up my pace and told myself that this was possible and dammit if I'm gonna let anyone finish close behind me - this, I thought, was a lesson in mental endurance training. I relied on my self talk and pattern breathing that I use when I run my one mile hill runs.

As I approached the finish line I could see Brett standing there looking intently at his stop watch. We was yelling out and cheering me on as I made my final sprint over the finish line. As I hit a fast walk he yelled out my time to me... "7 MINUTES 13 SECONDS!" ..wew, I thought, that sounded like a pretty good time for my first timed run. Jamie was not too far behind - but you'll have to check in to her blog to hear what she has to say about her run and time.

Our team is awesome. Everyone clapped and cheered and flung out high fives as other team members crossed the finish line. We are all going to rock it in SF this October!

We hit a nice easy run back and finished up with our stretching routine. Jamie and I headed back to our pad to sink into the couch and ice up our joints. WHAT A DAY!

Try and keep up with me!

First Day of Training

2008-05-24T18:59:00.001-07:00

Our first day of our Team In Training.. training and I was soaked by the end of it all. Not dripping with sweat as you might guess, but with rain. Yup, it rained our first day of practice.. in So Cal of all places!?!.. and in May of all months. Our 7 am practice time turned soggy on us. It was all good though. The energy of the team was pretty intense and I could tell that the little bit of rain was not going to stop this beast. Our coach Brett took the runners through some brief warm up exercises and talked about proper running technique... "chest out and push the tush (forward that is)" as he put it. After a brief warm up walk WE WERE OFF!

Jamie and I started about 30 seconds after the first group. We got to run together for the first three minutes where she then stopped to take her one minute walk and I continued on to my eight minutes run to one minute walk regimen. As I ran I found myself passing many of the people that started ahead of me. I eventually made it up to the lead group and kinda hung with them for the rest of the run. We found our half way point and turned back for the second 1.5 mile trek. Heading back I got to see all of the other runners including my beautiful wife, who was not very far back from the front pack (HELL YEAH BABY!!). As we passed our team mates it could not be helped to throw out a high fives and shout some encouraging yelps. The three miles ended a lot sooner then expected... that's a good thing, right? Maybe it was because I was focused on my newly acquired running techniques.. "chest out - push the tush".. which by the way made be feel a little bit too proper. I finished my run in about 21 minutes which put me at a 7 MINUTE MILE!! WOOOHOOOO!.. I'm getting faster! Jamie was not too far behind with a 24 minute run time.

The practice ended with a potluck, where we gorged ourselves with carbs, fruit and cheese. Water was at the top of my list and I killed my entire bottle. Back at home we powered out some stretching and then hibernated for a good part of the day (being up at 6 AM already had my butt kicked).

Aaaaaaaarg the pain!! The next morning proved to be very painful for me. I thought I had made it through most of the start up pain, but I guess Brett's running techniques challenged my body in new ways. THANKS BRETT!! Epsom salt and ice packs were added to our equipment list, and we headed out to Walgreens.

Keep up with me... if you can.

B

Pre-trainnig... arrrrrrrrg!

2008-05-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our "official" training starts this Saturday (May 24) where we run our first 3 mile stretch out at Lake Balboa. If any of my story has at all inspired you, then head out to Lake Balboa Saturday morning (around 8'ish) and check out our first practice. Who knows you may find yourself asking the question "Am I freakin insane??" as you fill out an entry application.

So to prepare for myself for this grueling training I have been doing mile long runs up hill in the Hollywood Hills for the past two weeks. Nuts!..huh? As crazy as that sounds, it actually is a damn good workout accompanied with some good scenery. The hill I am running is actually steeper then any hill I will encounter in SF, but what the hell, eh. If I can do that consistently I will be at least somewhat prepared.

Last Sunday Jamie and I started our pre-training program that is outlined in our runners packet. This consisted of running for 8 minutes, then walking for 1 minute, and repeat for 20 minutes total. I actually impressed myself and was able to jog about an 8 minute mile. So get your math head out... that's right, I ran about 2 1/2 miles my first time out!! Holy crap! That's just a half-mile shy of what I will be doing this Saturday.

I'm out for now - try and keep up with me.

B

Team Kick-Off Meeting

2008-05-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well it is official, Jamie is now part of the Team. We had our regional kick-off meeting this past weekend, and Jamie filled out her application and submitted her fee. She was a bit nervous, but I can tell she was exploding inside to be a part of this great engine. Hell yeah baby, you're gonna rock this race!!

Today we got our official training jersey - a white Team In Training, coolmax tank top. Helllll YEAH!!.. now I am truly an f'n marathon runner in training!!

The energy of the regional meeting was mind blowing. Over five hundred people shouting, cheering and giving their energy to this great cause. We got to hear some truly inspirational stories and meet some amazing people.

After the regional meeting we separated out and had our first team meeting. We got to meet all of our support staff and most importantly heard from the guys that are going to get us across that finish line... our glorious coaches. Brett (the lead coach) and Cole the (assistant coach) are both very experienced with marathon training. We were given our runners packets, and they gave us specific instructions for our pre-training regimen... GOOD GOD!.. am i ready for this?? The training schedule has us training FOUR days a week! That's on top of my normal training that I do. What the hell have I gotten myself in to?!?

For now I shall smile happily and weather the storm inside.

I gotta get a shout out to my mentor Paul. I am very excited to take this journey with you bro, and I look forward to conquering many milestones with your help. Thanks for all of your helpful advice so far.

More to come.

B

Team In Training

2008-05-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

The first bite I got from the Team In Training organization was when my good friend Ashanti Branch conquered the 2007 San Diego Rock N' Roll Marathon and raised $2,900. This inspired me to take on a similar challenge, and do a marathon the following year (this year) to support Team In Training and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. When I found out about my dad's condition, it only reaffirmed my decision to take on this great challenge.

My first meeting with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training I was immediately hooked. The room was energized with a sundry of inspirational forces. People were there to donate their time and their energy for a much greater cause then their own. I must say, I was compelled to fill out the application and submit it as quickly as possible. In fact I can't say that I remember much about filling out the application... I'm really hoping I gave all the correct info??

I elected to do the San Francisco Marathon on October 19, because not only is it in my favorite city, but it will put me close to my family. The name of this marathon (Nike Women's Marathon) eludes to female only participation, but I assure you that this is just as much a man's marathon as it is a women's - 26.2 miles a of hilly terrain is challenging for either gender.

My wife Jamie has recently decided to take on the same challenge and run by my side in this great journey. I feel very humbled by her support for me, and am very proud of her for challenging her physical being. Our training is going to be pretty brutal, so be sure to check in to her blog as well to follow her triumphs and tribulations.

I guess one of the big questions on your mind is about my dad. He was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which is a cancer of the plasma cell. Currently he is seven weeks into his treatment and his progress is remarkable!! He has a 17 more weeks to go before he conquers this beast. Rock on dad!

So I guess I have a bit of explaining to do... To be honest at first I was very uncertain whether to mention my dad's battle with cancer to my friends. It wasn't that I had a lack of trust for my friends, it was that I really didn't want to have to talk about it, or have people ask me "How is he doing?" But I soon came to realize that it is something that I need to tell my friends and talk about. So for 99.9% of my friends, I apologize that you are finding out this way. This is a sort of "coming-out" for the really bad news in my life. I look forward to your emails and phone calls.

So on a more positive note, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training is the world's largest endurance sports training program. Money raised through this program goes to support research for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and patient services for those battling these diseases.

I encourage you, if have not already done so, to support this cause and donate a little bit of tax-deductible bread to help me achieve my fund raising goal.

I will keep you updated as I begin to prepare for this great adventure!

Much love. -Brian