Jun 202011
 

Every year since I was 13 years old, my Dad has taken me on a Father-Son Golf Trip.  When my brother turned 13, he joined us on our annual adventure and over the years we have played courses in Temecula, San Diego, Palm Springs, Mexico, Buellton, among many others.  This year we played golf at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard.

We woke up at 9 AM, and made our way towards Oxnard, stopping at a Farmers Boys for breakfast along the way.  We played a very competitive round of golf.  I shot an 89, my Dad shot a 90 and Rocky shot a 97.  My Dad had a lot of great shots and I was pretty consistent throughout the day, except for my putting.  I had two 4 putts which is not very good, but in my defense, those greens were tough to read.

We made it back to our hotel and got ready for a night on the town.  We headed to a place called Victoria Pub & Grill.  A very fancy establishment.  We played some NTN trivia which you may have seen at a few places, and then played several games of pool.  My Dad ran the table on us in one game which I have never seen done before in a game of cut-throat.  He was on his A game.

We made it back to the Hotel and headed for the jacquizzi, which was very pleasant and we were able to catch up on each other’s goings ons in life.  Then back to our room where we played two games of Gin 13, Rocky took both games.

For the day, I was the best golfer, Dad was the pool shark and Rocky could not be beat in cards.  We called it a night and turned into bed . . . ready for Day #2 of our Father-Son Golf Trip.

Father Son Golf Trip
Jun 192011
 

Our Dad = Our Hero!

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Jun 182011
 

How long have you been running?

I am an avid runner and have been since I was 11 years old, however I have also have been a running coach since I was 15 so I am able to see both aspects.

How has running impacted your life?

While currently I work at a running store, this has enabled me to look at the technology of running, and now I can truly be called a well-rounded runner. Running has caused me multiple injuries, such as stress fractures, however it has made me a stronger person and athlete. It has even led me to my desired occupation of physical therapy, with the countless hours spent in the physical therapist’s office I was able to realize what a life changing occupation this can be.

Do you have any experience biking and swimming?

As for biking and swimming I would participate in these activities when I was injured, so they have helped me along my journey as well.

What’s your greatest memory involving running?

My greatest memory of running would have to be my freshman year in high school when my high school team took 5th in State for Cross Country.

What types of events do you run in?

The events I have competed in have all been longer distances in track, in high school it was the 1600 and 3200, in college it has been the 5000; along with competing in local 5k’s to keep in shape in the off-season. My favorite one however would have to be the Claremont 4th of July 5k.

Do you have any advice for us when it comes to running?

Keep up the hard work and never give up, training is key as well, start early, set a goal and go for it.

Jun 172011
 

Katie Lowrie

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Katie Lowrie and I attend Cal State Fullerton while majoring in Kinesiology. I also run Cross Country and Track for the School and work for A Snail’s Pace Running Shop in Brea. I enjoy running on the beach and on trails around the city so I am able to enjoy my surroundings while exercising. I also enjoy babysitting and photography and on day hope to become a pediatric physical therapist. My family is also very important to me, I have one younger brother Michael and a younger sister Emily who are also competitive runners, we definitely make running a family affair. Michael is 13 years old and can run laps around me, he keeps me motivated to keep on improving, while my sister Emily finds great joy in running and she inspires me to enjoy what I do and make sure that I am doing it for the right reasons.

May 292011
 

Michael Nunez and Erin Rogers got married on May 29, 2011 at the Forster Mansion in San Juan Capistrano at 4:30 PM.  Michael and Erin are two of my best friends and also happen to be two of our heroes.  We have a lot of great memories together and I am extremely happy for the two of them.  After dating for nearly ten years they finally tied the knot at the gorgeous ceremony this past weekend. 

You may remember Michael Nunez from some of our earlier posts, http://runningbrothers.com/?s=Michael+Nunez, Michael has joined me on several runs and we have also spent a lot of time together working out at the gym. 

Erin Rogers has also been featured as one of The Running Brother’s heroes, http://runningbrothers.com/?s=Erin+Rogers.  Erin and I have been on a walk or two in our day and she is one of my greatest friends.  I think that if I really ever do need to talk to someone about serious events in my life that Erin has always been there for me. 

Michael asked me to be a groomsman in his wedding and I could not have been more honored, because both he and Erin are two of my best friends.

I think Michael might have obseessive-compulsive disorder, it doesn’t matter where we are, but you will frequently find Michael cleaning.  I remember the nights when we’d used to go out and party every weekend and Michael was always the last one to leave, when everyone else was trying to get home, or passed out from drinking too much, Michael was always up and helping to clean up whoevers house we happened to be partying at.  I remember him cleaning up at my house after a raging party and I told him to stop cleaning and that I’d clean everything up in the morning . . . He continued to clean anyways, because that’s the kind of guy he is . . . always thinking about others before himself.  Michael is truly one in a million.  As a friend, he can always be counted on, as a man, he can make you think and value your opinions, and as a businessman, you will not find a harder worker.

I don’t think that Michael has ever been wrong about anything.  In 2004, I can remember watching the Super Bowl between the St. Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers, which finished with New England winning the game 32 – 29.  Somehow, we got into a discussion about the score of the game and Mike swore up and down that the score was 32 – 28.  I don’t know how the discussion went, but basically we enlisted the 20 or so people in the house to all confirm that the outcome of the game was 32 – 28.  Michael still disagreed and we eventually made the commitment to look it up online.  Mike was in charge of the mouse and found a website that showed the final score . . . 32 – 28 and Mike turned around and said three words, “The Internets wrong.”  And the funny thing was, was that he “knew” that the Internet was wrong.  Out of all of my friends, Michael is by far the most opinionated.  He and I have had long conversations about a variety of different topics and while he and I don’t agree on everything all the time, he makes me a better person, by helping me to see a world through a different lense . . . by helping me to think for myself and develop strong opinions about the world around me.

Ask any one of our friends one thing they can say about Michael and the first thing they will say that he is a loyal friend.  One thing that Michael does, that none of my other close friends do is he calls me just to see how I’m doing.  It doesn’t take much effort on his part, and to be honest, I’ve always thought it’s a little weird, but it’s something that I wish I did more of myself.  Getting these phone calls from Mike have always cheered me up, to know that I have a friend out there who is thinking about me when I’m not around.  Sometimes, we don’t let others know that we care about them . . . I know that Mike has always valued our friendship and, in that respect, I wish I was a lot more like him.  

Mike and I talk about business quite a lot and I have always said that out of all my friends, if I were to go into business with anyone it would be Michael.  I don’t know anyone who has a greater work ethic than Mike.  I think of him as this Renaissance Man that knows how to do a variety of different things.  Throughout the time that I have known him Mike has taken on a variety of different tasks for different people over the years.  I know he has worked with just about every single one of our friends and has performed different functions for each of them.  I can remember one time being called by Mike to pick up a tanning bed from Richie’s Mom’s tanning salons.  I agreed to come by and help out and we eventually moved this tanning bed out of the salon.  And Michael directed us every step of the way.  What struck me about that was that situation was that it was something that he chose to do because he was helping someone else.  He has always been able to enlist the help of others, to get something done for someone else and Mike has always been that way, always willing, able and eager to help other people.  And when he does, he does the best job he can.

I feel like I have known Erin forever and since High School have always considered her my best female friend.  We have a lot of memories together and I think the greatest of which came from our Prank Wars just after High School.  My friend Jimmy and I played one of the best pranks on Erin of all time, I gave Erin’s Mom a call and asked her if we could come over to toilet paper her room one day when Erin was out to school.  We filled all of her pants pockets with little pieces of paper that said “Haha” on them.  She says she still finds those to this day.  We spent hours toilet papering her room and giggling the entire time.  The last thing we did was have her Mom take a picture of us inside her room and taped the Polaroid picture to her door.  Erin wears her expressions on her face and to this day I can still imagine the look on her face.  If only there was a way that I can see the look on her face, knowing that she’d been had. 

In retaliation, Erin drove around for hours looking for road kill during one of my soccer games.  And yes, I mean she literally went out looking for road kill and found a gigantic possum.  I mean, this thing was huge, with nails that were at least an inch long.  She then proceeded to put this possum on the back of my Honda del Sol.  After my soccer game, I came to my car and found this dead possum lying on the trunk of my car . . . I knew it was Erin and as Erin says, I was furious.  She said she had never seen me so mad and that ended our prank war. 

And although Erin says I was mad and upset at her, I know that it may have looked that way, but it couldn’t possibly be true.  Erin has been one of the sweetest, most genuine girls I have had the pleasure of calling my friend.  She has been there for me during the times in my life that I have needed someone to talk to and has always left me with a more positive outlook on things then I had before talking with her.  Her attitude and the way she treats people is infectious, it’s no wonder she became a nurse.  She always treats others with respect and attacks her problems with a smile on her face.  I can’t think of a single person that would have a negative thing to say about Erin, because there is nothing negative anyone could possibly say about her.  Mike is a lucky guy. 

Erin, with Michael you will never have to worry about having a messy house because Michael will clean it.  Michael will always be right, at least initially, but give him time and he will see your side of things.  In him, you will have a great group of friends that are vested in your well-being and care about your relationship with each other.  And, you will have someone who will devote his life to helping the lives of others.  Mike and Erin are two of my best friends and I could not be happier that two people who I consider my friends and who The Running Brothers consider our heroes found each other.

May 272011
 

What do you think about our website?

Your website – is very adhd – BUT don’t change it – I had to figure out who was who and had trouble placing your ages. Your mum must be an amazing person.

May be I have not read enough but even though the site is very “open” and you share a lot, I feel know v, little basic stuff about you guys – in terns of the “normal” stuff such as professional stuff, education, loves hates, travel experiences, etc….girlfriends???

What are you most passionate about?

We are passionate about life and getting the most out of it! That means that you need your physical, mental and financial health to be in balance and that is what our business is all about. We realized this after we had hit the toppish of our corporate careers – still wanting to grow AND have more time to travel so realized that we needed to do something about it. That’s when we started our business. Through it we teach others how to run their business and achieve the goals that they want to reach and through helping them we achieve our goals.

We are interested in partnering with ambitious, outgoing people who want to get more out of life – be it personal performance, sport performance, financial performance – or all of the above – just have them contact us – wherever in the world they are.

What is one thing that you think every person should do in their lifetime?

Ummm, running a marathon is NOT it – its simply not for everyone and then I might say in a couple of years time – doing an ironman so that won’t do at all.

It has to be TRAVEL – be it take a cruise, get on a plane, drive over the world – open your mind and heart to new stuff and let it stay open! You will be surprised where it leads to.

*Liz Boers-Maynard writes her own blog, http://everyrunsawinner.wordpress.com/ devoted to her experiences as a runner.  Her husband also runs his own blog, http://feelinghealthynet.wordpress.com/.  Be sure to check out both of their blogs and let them know that The Running Brothers sent you.

May 262011
 

What are your some of your favorite websites/blogs to follow?

Do you have any advice for new bloggers?

I guess the sensible way to begin is to have a strategy and think about what type of audience that you want to attract etc etc – I kind of set out that way and ended up just “scribbling” and figuring out what was fun and sometimes its a “frustration” outlet and other times to share something with anyone that is interested but to share it is important. The “it” is sometimes afeeling, sometimes advice – e.g. nutritional stuff…

May 252011
 

Tell us about your website. 

I share my everyrunsawinner site with my geeky husband who posts more frequently on our feeling-healthy blog.

What inspired you to start everyrunsawinner?

The inspiration for starting was a sort of experiment to learn the geeky stuff that Joost does, to reach out to other running nuts, and proving to everyone that you can go from 96 kilos (c. 210 lbs) to marathon runner in 5 years if you are in the right business!

Do you enjoy bloggin?

The blog is fun – I am sort of writing it as I run so it keeps me occupied. I have also made some really nice connections to people all over the world.

What was your most popular post?

My champion post was Paris Marathon – job done – I had 67 hits in one day and it continued to be high for days after – It beat Joosts hits hands down!!

What do you think about the people who interact with everyrunsawinner?

Its a great thrill when people such as you comment – it makes me feel good – and I have some fun exchanges with a few “regulars” from all over the world.

We’ve checked out your website and are impressed with your running schedule.  We’re also amazed that you can run in such low temperatures, how do you do it?

The secret to running in silly weather is the planning. If you have committed to yourself weeks before that you would run X klms on Y day then you just get up and do it!

May 232011
 

What type of events do you compete in? 

Compete in 10K, 15K, 16K (i.e. 10 English miles), half and full marathon.

What is the next goal you are trying to achieve?

Next BIG goal – Amsterdam marathon in October

Do you have any upcoming events?

2012/2013 will be triathlon years…

What are your most memorable experiences?

About running I guess you mean….so getting married, first sex, getting lost at South of England Show – finding way to lost children and moaning when my parents came to collect me as I wanted to finish my game of cards, don’t count!
The running stuff – pain of the first 5 K then the super buzz of running in the cold snowy winter; the numbness of the last kilometers of the marathon, the thrill of passing a club mate whilst chatting with someon who “picked me up” in the 30 K Groet uit Schoorl race… is that enough?

What do you enjoy least about running? 

– hitting the wall  – done it once dont want to do it again so train train train….ooh an seeing other runners keal over does nothing for the motivation.

Do you have any advice for new runners? 

Start steadily and comfortably but always push to feel some pain – in the end you will not feel any pain and/or push through to another level. Don’t take any notice of people who think that you are fast/slow/ training too hard/ YOU know what YOUR goals and your benchmarks are – oh I guess that’s the thing to do – set goals and find your benchmark…. there is always someone faster/ running even more stupid distances/ is silly places such as the desert/ North Pole – so do your thing!

May 222011
 

What is your name?

Liz Boers-Maynard

How old are you?

how personal! 43 when you sent this to me now 44!

What do you do for a living?

Owner International marketing company – Feeling-healthy.net and Risk Manager

Are you single/married?

Married to Joost

What are your hobbies?

Running, fitness, traveling, fine dining, fine wine, socialising, meeting people, blogging, reading other’s blogs, twitter, linking to likeminded souls, recumbant cycling, church, leading others in their quest for their goals