Division: M 25 – 29; Division Runners: 39; Division Place: 18; Percentile: 53.8%
Sex: M; Sex Runners: 378; Sex Place: 162; Percentile: 57.1%
Overall Runners: ?; Overall Place: 214
Time: 2:04:34
Pace: 9:31
Feb 202011
Feb 192011
I was telling my brother about how boring swimming in the pool can be. It’s repetitive and I feel like I am doing the same thing over and over again. Yesterday, I received a package in the mail from my brother and when I opened it up it was a Waterproof MP3 Player by AquaCube.
I can’t wait to try this Waterproof MP3 Player out in the pool to help make my swim less tedious. If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited . . . I hope I don’t electricute myself.
Feb 192011
Yesterday was for the most part a success, I spent 4 hours at the gym; biking, running, swimming and lifting weights. I made myself breakfast and dinner. Which although still is not three meals, is an improvement. I made cereal in the morning and cooked chicken mixed in with some vegetables for dinner. This is quite an accomplishment since I hardly ever cook. I have noticed; however, that I am much more tired than n0rmal. Today, I slept in until noon and went to bed around one last night.
It is now noon and I’m going to begin Day #2 of The 30 Day Plan. Time to make me some eggs.
Feb 182011
Thanks for all the tips about the best way to lock up my bike. I recently went out and purchased a bike lock for the bike and it is now safe and secure in my garage.
Feb 172011
My birthday is on March 18 and I’m turning 30. At 30, I would like to be in the best shape of my life, so I am starting a personal fitness program that is going to get me in my best shape ever.
Since The Running Brothers started, I have definitely trimmed down, but I have not been building muscle, nor have I been eating healthy, so the next 30 days, I plan on doing something I have never done before . . .
For the next 30 days, I will cook or make breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Typically, I eat one meal a day and if it’s not cooked at home, it’s been fast food. I know that I need to eat healthier, but lacked the time, effort and motivation to do so. I am going to try it for the next 30 days.
I plan on continuing with my Ironman training, but I also plan on building muscle. Therefore, on top of my normal regimen of increasing my distances in running, biking and swimming, I will also be lifting weights on a daily basis . . . for 3o days.
For this to work, I need to be highly motivated and dedicated to accomplishing these goals. I expect that it won’t be easy, but I am going to try my best. I also need to be organized in other aspects of my life and planning needs to take place in order to get these tasks done.
Feb 162011
Going Strong!
Weekly Amount:
Running = 13.5 miles
Biking = 47 miles
Swimming = 4000 M or 2.5 miles
Total Amount: 63 miles
Overall Amount:
Running = 77.5 miles (33.5 miles to San Diego)
Biking = 225 miles (17 miles to Las Vegas)
Swimming = 29,200 meters or 18.2 miles (19.1 miles to Los Angeles)
Total = 319 miles (96 miles to San Fransisco)
Feb 152011
It was 7:55 AM and our first event together was about to begin. I made sure to thoroughly stretch, but it was slightly cold outside. My parents had left us at the starting line so that they could get in a good position to take pictures of us running along the trail. At 8 AM, the Rose Bowl Half Marathon began, just two hours after I found out that I was going to be running one.
Zeb Running at the Rose Bowl Half Marathon
The race started off simple enough, until a half a mile into the race when hundreds of runners bottle necked at the entrance to a one person wide trail, immediately bringing us to a walking pace. Eventually, the trail opened up and I was able to run at my own pace. At the three and a half mile mark, I started to feel a pain in my knee . . . this was not good. But, I had committed myself to trying my hardest to run the entire race.
At the beginning of our race, a fellow runner told us about this killer hill that we would eventually have to climb, so the entire race I had that hill on my mind. We hit that wall around the 9 mile mark I believe and, although, not the hill she thought it was, I sure thought it was tough. I tried my hardest to run up that hill, but I had to walk for a bit, everyone that I saw did. Eventually, after making it up that hill it was clean running from there . . . for the most part.
The trail running was intense, it was full of rocks and pebbles which really did a number on my knees, constantly having to dodge rocks and awkward angles for my feet. The pain did not go away the entire time that I ran. I did not have a single person pass me on the trail for the first 11 miles, at which point I began to slow down. I kept a pretty good pace the up to that point, but at that 11th mile I began to struggle, constantly fighting the urge to walk. I was very close a couple of times, but held strong in my commitment to complete the race, running the entire time.
The last two miles were tough and I was thinking that I was going to collapse right after I crossed that finish line. The course was designed to end at the 50 yard line inside the Rose Bowl. Just outside of the Rose Bowl workers were gathered along the line and were cheering each runner as they came in. Although it was nice, these cheers did not seem genuine, but there was one man, who looked liked he had finished the race much earlier than I, who was encouraging people along. He told me that I had one minute left and I felt the tears well up in my eyes. When you get that exhausted, I think emotions become more intense, but I just kept thinking how great it was. Here was a man, who did not know me, ran his own race and still came by to give support, for no other reason than to encourage others. That kind of stuff gets me every time.
The last minute of the run was a blur, the second I came down the tunnel onto the field, I saw green shirts beyond the finish line, which I thought were my parents and this spurned me on. Although, I thought I had nothing left in the tank, I turned on the afterburners and sprinted across the finish line. Exhausted and mentally drained, my parents came to congratulate me on a job well done . . .
Stay Tuned for Part #4
Feb 142011
So half way through the race and I was feeling pretty good. I was keeping a good pace and I felt that I could keep going for a while. This particular course was very interesting because you know you always want to stay near the Rose Bowl and it is a very distinguishing landmark. At mile 6 you are right next to where you want to go, its a tuff mind game.
As we are running I hear that we are gonna be running by the JET PROPULSION LABORATORY. Okay, let me start this off by saying one thing, I am a nerd. I have always wanted to visit JPL and see some of the cool things they have going on. I try to stay up to date on their recent projects and I know when all the NASA/JPL launches are. A lot of people think the USA only launches from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral but the US also does a lot of satellite and private space launches from California and both sites get a lot of cooperation from JPL. Nonetheless, I was super excited to see JPL up close for the first time. So that made running away from the finish line a little easier.
As I ran past the Bowl we ran by the adjacent golf course with a lot of older golfers. I see that they are all walking, very few were in a cart. Then I start to notice a ton of non racers who were walking or biking or running. The area around the Rose Bowl is for very active folks. So I tried to look like I fit in and have good runners form.
By mile 7 we are heading onto the trails again. A few step hills and we round a corner with no where to go but up and up in a hurry. I saw a whole line of people line of people struggling to walk up what I thought was a cliff and I joined in right behind them. I struggled up it but the fact that I want to go slow because of everyone else sure was nice.
Just as I started to reach the top the race leader was coming down the very same hill and he was flying. So I continue on in anticipation of finally seeing JPL. The course took us by a natural wetlands area with a frisbee golf course meandering through it. We started to get very close to some buildings and I started to see signs that actually said JPL and “Do not enter” and “Trespassers will be shot” all the stuff that let me know I was getting close. Running up to the security guarded gate I am giddy with excitement and right as I get to the gate one of the very friendly race volunteers kindly tells me to make sharp left and avoid JPL all together.
I didn’t get my first JPL visit but the good news was that we were heading back toward the Rose Bowl. This was mile 8 and my legs were starting to feel it. My goal was to make it past 9 miles without walking. So making mile 9 and one step would have been a success. But mile 9 came and went and I felt like I had enough to make it to mile 10. Then if i made it to double digits why not make it the whole dang thing.
I made it past a small clearing and sweet relief, I could see the Rose Bowl again. My stride had shortened dramatically and it was much slower but I was still running at mile 12. I made the final turn thanked some volunteers and a spectator told me “one minute left,” and I was still running.
I have seen a few races in my days and I always think the guy that sprints in the end when everyone else is exhausted is kind of jerk. But when I knew there was only one minute left I picked up the pace considerably and I was that jerk. I ran down the ramp and entered the Rose Bowl like tons of great athletes. In a near olympic sprint I ran by the cheering masses ( all the other already finished runners) and raised my arms in celebration.
A clock to the side of the finish line read 2:20 something, but to be honest I couldn’t read it I was running so fast it was only a blur. My dad was at the finish line with the camera ready and shortly after my mom and brother joined me. I was tired and the volunteers needed to collect my timing chip.
A great race in 2 hour and 20 minutes but the whole experience was gonna last a few days if not weeks, I was gonna be really sore, I already knew that. Stay tuned to hear bad it was.
Feb 142011
I did not know how Valentine’s came to be, but I wanted to find out. According to several articles that I had read, their are several competing theories on the actual origin of Valentine’s Day, but I want to focus on one story in particular that I found most interesting.
Some historians believe that Valentine’s Day was adapted from an Ancient Roman Festival called Lupercalia. February 15 used to represent the beginning of Spring, was a time for purification and represented a time for fertility. Apparently, priests would sacrifice a goat, which represented fertility and a dog, which represented purification. The local boys in town would then carry the goat hides and slap the single women in town. Women encouraged this as they believed that it led to increased fertility. Later that day, all single women in the village would place their names in a large urn and all the single men would pick names our of a hat and the other person would be their partner for the year. This often resulted in marriage.
My brother and I have decided to return back to our humble beginnings and have purchased goat hides soaked in blood and plan to run around our village slapping single women with our goat hides to represent the beginning of the fertility season and to signal a time of renewed purification.
For more information about The History of Valentine’s Day, click here – http://thecatutoringsolution.com/blog/489/the-history-of-valentines-day/
Feb 132011
A new study has shown that taking pictures of your food is more effective than keeping a diet journal. These dieters counted calories much more effectively and were less likely to overeat.
The thinking behind this is that by photoing your meals you are immediately aware of the food that you are putting into your mouth. Which may help to discourage unhealthy eating immediately, rather than after the fact, with those who log their meals in a journal. This technique helps to rid dieters of guilt and helps them to become responsible about the food they are putting into their bodies.
For more information about Photo Dieting, click on the following link, http://www.healthhabits.ca/2008/09/08/willpower-in-a-flash-the-photo-diet/