Zeb’s Post-Race on the Base

Apr 052011
 

The race was a success.  It was a lot of fun watching Rocky cross the finish line and swimming in the pool.  Quite a crowd had developed cheering on people in the pool and my brother entered the pool just as I was getting out, so I got to watch him make the 200 meter swim in the pool.   He did a great job and my family and I came to meet him as he crossed the finish line. 

Zeb and Rocky Finish The Race on the Base

Afterwards we traveled to a local hamburger shop and were able to talk about the run with our family.  It’s great to have such strong supporters and to be able to involve them in our accomplishments together.

We had completed our second event together and with our next event, the Orange County Marathon, we still have a lot of prep work to do, but we are The Running Brothers after all, so I’m sure when May 1 comes we will be ready to complete our first full marathon together.  It’s only one month away, but I know that this is going to be the toughest thing I’ve ever done, I just hope I can last.

Our Third Hero: Peter Engwall Part 1

Apr 042011
 

When my brother and I began RunningBrothers.com, we did it for a variety of reasons, but mostly because we were both seeking a lifestyle change.  My brother and I needed to get more healthy and we figured that by starting this website, our readers, ourselves and each other would help to hold us accountable to reach our goals.  Peter Engwall was one of our readers and has commented on our blog often and we interviewed Peter, our hero, to find out more about him and allow our readers to learn about one of our heroes as well.  In the process, I was amazed to discover the journey that Peter has gone through.  His story is amazing and his attitude is even greater.

Before Peter changed his life, he weighed more than 300 pounds.  One day, while watching the Oprah show, he came across a program designed by Bob Greene on thebestlife.com and made the decision to get involved in the program.  Thebestlife.com was not a diet, but a lifestyle change.  Peter made this decision for a variety of reasons, he wanted to stop being lazy, to be healthier, but most of all, he wanted to be able to play with his son. 

Peter began the program by making small improvements in his diet and exercise.  His local gym kept tabs on those trying to lose weight and Peter began to see his weight loss results posted in the gym.  He made the top 100 and as the months continued on, Peter began to move up the ladder.  Because of this lifestyle change, Peter Engwall lost nearly 150 pounds.  His weight loss results were so amazing that thebestlife.com wanted to share his story as one of their success stories and even invited him to be a guest on Oprah’s show. 

When I interviewed Peter, I had not heard of his story, I simply knew that he followed our website and was extremely enthusiastic in doing so.  During the interview he made almost little to no mention about the fact that he lost almost 150 pounds and appeared on Oprah.  When we talk about heroes on this website, we are referring to you, our readers, because you help us to stay motivated and encourage us to do better.  Every comment we receive and kind word that we get makes us try that much harder.  Peter, since visiting our blog, has continuously encouraged us to do better through his kind words and willingness to participate on our website.  But, he is also our hero for another reason.  It takes a lot of guts and effort to commit to a lifestyle change and it’s not easy.  Peter’s story is inspiring to all of us because it demonstrates our ability to make a decision for positive change in our lives. 

I want to thank Peter for being our friend, our follower, and our hero.

For more information about Peter Engwall, visit his website, auggiesdad.sweat365.com.

Stay Tuned for Part #2 of our interview with Peter Engwall

Ironman Training – Week #13

Apr 032011
 

Weekly Amount:

Running = 16.5 miles
Biking = 56 miles
Swimming = 4000 M or 2.5 miles
Total Amount: 75 miles

Overall Amount:

Running = 169 miles (73 miles to Las Vegas)
Biking = 534 miles (439 miles to Seattle)
Swimming = 49,200 meters or 34.2 miles (4.1 miles to Los Angeles)
Total = 734.5 miles (238.5 miles to Seattle)

The Running Brothers’ Top 9 Posts of March

Apr 022011
 
  1. How to Cure Runner’s Knee – An article by Steve Jaros about how to cure runner’s knee.  Steve Jaros has over 50 years of running experience and has completed 14 marathons.  Steve also happens to be our Uncle.  http://runningbrothers.com/789/how-to-cure-runners-knee-by-steve-jaros/
  2. The Running Brothers Movie – We’re making a movie!  Here about our exploits as we are writing, filming and creating our first movie.  http://runningbrothers.com/category/the-running-brothers-movie/
  3. The Post Race Blues – The Post Race Blues hit The Running Brothers hard after their first half marathon.  http://runningbrothers.com/859/the-post-race-blues/
  4. Los Alamitos’ Race on the Base – A series of articles dedicated to our experience at the 2011 Race on the Base.  http://runningbrothers.com/category/events/los-alamitos-race-on-the-base/
  5. Ironman Training – Follow Zeb as he trains for his first marathon.  Take some time to encourage him along the way.  http://runningbrothers.com/category/zeb/ironman-training/
  6. The Integrious Project – Our cousin Beau has his own website devoted to making Integrious a word in the dictionary.  Not only that, but he wants to have people think and act integriously.  Read our article about The Integrious Project. http://runningbrothers.com/875/the-integrious-project/
  7. March 18, My 30th Birthday.  On March 18, 2011, Zeb turned 30.  Find out how his birthday went in the following article.  http://runningbrothers.com/863/march-18-my-30th-birthday/
  8. My 30 Day Plan Until I’m 30.  I had a plan to get into the best shape of my life by the time I was 30.  It didn’t work out completely, but I did get in pretty good shape . . .  http://runningbrothers.com/category/zeb/30-day-plan-until-im-30/
  9. Partying or Training – My brother and I planned on getting some training in on our trip to Vegas for Michael Nunez’s bachelor party . . . How well do you think that worked out?  http://runningbrothers.com/845/partying-or-training/

The History of April Fool’s Day

Apr 012011
 

April Fool’s Day originated in France in the 16th century when the French leadership decided to change the day for the New Year to January 1 from April 1.  Many French citizens continued to celebrate April 1 as the day of the New Year and the French, being the fine people that they are, called those people Fool’s.  They then began inviting them to imaginary parties and developing pranks to make fun of these people. 

Some of the best pranks had to do with taping paper fishes to people’s backs or putting kick me signs on people’s butts.  April Fool’s Day is a great day for pranks.  I remember once when I was a kid giving my teacher an envelope that said Rattlesnake Eggs on it . . . when she opened it, the letter rattled as if a live snake were ready to strike and my teacher fainted as a result . . . ah . . . memories.

30 Days Until Our First Marathon

Mar 312011
 

My brother and I will be participating in our first marathon in 30 days.  I’m not quite sure how my brother is preparing for the event, but I know that I am going to be devoting a large amount of time to running over the next 30 days.  I want to make sure that I can complete the full marathon running the entire way. 

When we ran the Rose Bowl Half Marathon in February, I completed the entire run, but knew that I would not have lasted any longer.  I actually thought about stopping at around the 11 mile mark, but was able to push through it to continue running.  I knew I only had 2 more miles to go to complete the half marathon.  But, I think mentally I would have stopped knowing that I would have had to run another 15 miles before I could stop. 

I’m excited but nervous about our upcoming marathon.  I know that I will not be as prepared as I would like to be, but I am going to try my best to get in the best shape I can by then.  I am officically starting my marathon training today and would love some company.  If anyone is interested in running daily with me I would be more than happy to have you along.

Zeb’s Race on the Base Swim

Mar 302011
 

I hustled my way over to the pool to perform my 200 Meter swim.  And I had been practicing for months and really thought that I was going to demolish my swimming time from the year before.  I jumped in the pool and immediately began to pass people, until I got behind some idiot who was doing the breast stroke. 

Everyone was swimming at his pace and there was no way that I could get past the guy because his legs were continually spreading out like you would imagine a frog would in the pool of water.  I kept trying to get past him and that really sapped my energy. 

Zeb Race on the Base Swim

The pool that I had been training in was half the size of the pool that I competed in.  I did not think it would make that much of a difference, but it did.  Each lap felt so much longer than the laps I had been used to and when I sprinted the last 50 Meters in the pool, it just seemed like the end was never coming.  But, eventually I made it, completed the swim and ran into my Dad, Mom, sister and Dusty.  They congratulated me on a job well done, but man . . . was I tired. 

Now, it was time to wait for my brother . . . who I had not seen since I pushed him at the beginning of the race.

Zeb’s Race on the Base Bike Ride

Mar 292011
 

After reaching the staging area, I was in good shape and rushed out with my bike and took off . . . but that didn’t last long as bicyclists began to pass me left and right.  I do remember passing one bicyclist who looked like he was either drunk or had never ridden a bike before . . . as he riding a mountain bike which was wobbling all over the road.  Had the police been following him, they would have made him perform a sobriety test for sure.

Overall, people were passing me pretty consistently on the bike, but they were not flying past me like they had the year before.  I’m still not quite sure why I was getting passed though.  I’m not sure if it was because of my bike or because I am not riding my bike using the proper technique.  Either way, I know that my legs were working faster than many of the other riders. 

After evaluating my results for the race, I saw an interesting statistic for the race.  Almost everyone who finished ahead of me had a better bike time, while my times in the run and the swim were in the middle of the pack compared to those who performed better than me overall.  So, it appears to me that my bicycling skills need to improve if I’m going to be able to compete at a higher level in these triathalon events.

I knew that a lot of people had passed me by the time I made it to the staging area for the second time.  But, I had a feeling that I was still outperforming myself from the year before and made my way to the pool.

Ironman Training: Week #12

Mar 282011
 

Weekly Amount:

Running = 16 miles
Biking = 54 miles
Swimming = 4000 M or 2.5 miles
Total Amount: 72.5 miles

Overall Amount:

Running = 152.5 miles (89.5 miles to Las Vegas)
Biking = 478 miles (495 miles to Seattle)
Swimming = 45,200 meters or 31.7 miles (6.6 miles to Los Angeles)
Total = 659.5 miles (313.5 miles to Seattle)

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