The Los Angeles Galaxy are the 2011 MLS Cup Champions . . . And The Running Brothers Were There to See It

Nov 242011
 

The Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in front of a sellout crowd at the Home Depot Center in Carson City, CA on Sunday, November 20, 2011.  Landon Donovan scored the winning goal on an assist from Robbie Keane and David Beckham. 

When David Beckham was signed by the Galaxy five years ago, I could not have been happier.  I have played soccer for over 25 years and even coached High School Soccer for seven years.  Needless to say, I love the game of soccer, but soccer has always been a secondary sport in the United States and I hoped Beckham would change that. 

The Running Brothers at the 2011 MLS Cup

My brother bought us season tickets with the Los Angeles Galaxy the first year Beckham signed with the team and we have been watching Galaxy games ever since. 

The atmosphere on Sunday was amazing and watching our home team take home the MLS Cup was an amazing experience . . . something I will always remember. 

And the greatest part was being there with my brother. 

Thank you Rocky for your amazing birthday gift five years ago.  I can’t tell you how great a gift it was.  And thank you for having the forsight to purchase the tickets in advance for the MLS Cup.  You’re an amazing brother, an outstanding person and a true friend.

My Brother Pees After The San Luis Obispo Triathlon

Oct 152011
 

Because my brother had his appendix removed the day before The San Luis Obispo Triathlon, he could not complete our second triathlon.  Fortunately, the Triathlon course took me right by the hospital my brother was staying at and I was able to complete it and still be close enough to my brother in case he needed me. 

My brother was hoping he would be released on the day of the Triathlon, but unfortunately the anesthesia they gave him made it impossible for him to pee.  The doctor’s needed to make sure that he could pee before they could release him from the hospital.

When I came to visit my brother the next day, he was proudly displaying his urine for all to see with a huge grin on his face.  He was going to be released from the hospital.  After a wild and adventurous weekend The Running Brothers left San Luis Obispo with one 60th CSPA Anniversary under their belt, one completed Triathlon and one less appendix then they came with.

The San Luis Obispo Triathlon – The Run

Sep 012011
 

At the transition zone, I jumped off my bike and my legs, still used to moving from the pedals got me started on my run.  I have never immediately started running after getting off the bike, but it was an interesting feeling.  My legs seemed to move as if I was still pedalling.  I was definitely running faster than my legs wanted to, but they were used to that motion and continued to move quickly despite me trying to slow them down.

I got tired quickly on the run and despite my goal always being to run the whole way, I had to walk.  Briefly, I walked in order to catch my breath which was heavy from the swim, the bike, and the breakfast burrito I had eaten earlier that morning.  I caught my breath fairly quickly and was able to do sporadic bursts of runs in between my walks.

The run was hillier than the bike ride was.  Steep elevation changes occurred throughout the run, making it difficult to catch my breath and run the entire course.  I ran through the train station and onto the road which would lead me to the hospital my brother was staying at. 

I wanted to run by the hospital and pound on his window, letting him know that I had ran right past him, but it was out of the way and I couldn’t be certain that I would be pounding on the wrong window and disturbing someone who might be seriously ill.  As I ran past the hospital, my Mom was outside cheering me on. 

I pushed forward up the enourmous hill and once I reached the top, I knew I was at the home stretch.  The rest of the race was downhill and I was able to fly.  I let my legs take over and I ran as fast as I could down the final straightaway when I heard my name through the speakers, announcing everyone of my presence.

My Dad and sister were there waiting for me at the finish line.  The race was complete.  But somehow it felt incomplete.  The other Running Brother was not there.  It has always been a great feeling for me to cheer my brother on after I have beaten him and I was looking forward to doing it again.  But, he was in the hospital.

After the race, we quickly gathered our things and went to visit our brother at the hospital.  I was eager to tell him everything I had done and everything he had missed out on.

 

Race Day – The San Luis Obispo Triathlon

Aug 232011
 

Just one day before my brother had surgery to get his appendix removed.  And today was the San Luis Obispo Triathlon.  I was without my other half . . .

It was a beautiful day in San Luis Obispo and I headed to the race early to check in.  The check in was easy and I was able to inform the race officials my brother had his appendix removed and would not be able to enter the race.  We asked if a refund was possible and they kind of shrugged me off.  I thought having an appendix removed was a bigger deal than they seemed to think it was.

My sister and I went for breakfast after I checked in to the race to this nice little Mexican restaurant and I ordered a breakfast burrito.  My Dad suggested I order something light for the race and when I ordered the breakfast burrito my sister reminded me of my Dad’s advice. 

I explained to her that running is a lot like golf.  I used to be a really good golfer and when I was playing golf every day, I needed to maintain my focus through the entire round and practice between rounds.  Since I can not play golf every day anymore, I am not as good as I used to be.  Now, when I go out and play golf, I do it for fun.  I don’t concentrate or focus on my game, I just go out, hit shots, hang out with friends and have a good time.  Running is a lot like golf, sometimes you do it competitively and sometimes you do it for fun. 

Today, since I knew I wasn’t in peak physical shape, it was going to be for fun. 

The breakfast burrito tasted great!

I drove to the hospital my brother was staying at, just two blocks from the check-in area. 

Were my eyes seeing what I thought they were seeing???

They were!  The racers in the SLO Triathlon were running right past the hospital my brother was staying at.  What are the odds, I thought to myself. 

I went in to visit my brother who was eager to be released from the hospital, but it didn’t look likely that he would be able to.  The doctor told him he had to pee on his own in order to be released.  He could not. 

We talked strategy about the race and I headed for the check-in area, ready for my race to begin.

 

Rocky’s Surgery was a Success!

Aug 202011
 

The last time I saw my brother, I whispered in his ear, “Just in case . . . I love you.” 

You never know what could happen in surgery after all.

The surgery went extremely well and Rocky seemed to be doing just fine.  The doctor assured us his appendix came out smoothly and that night we sat by Rocky’s side until visiting hours were over. 

The next day was the San Luis Obispo Triathlon and to be honest, I didn’t really want to do it without my brother.  But my Dad encouraged me to do it anyways and, deep down, I knew my brother would have wanted me to continue on without him.

I had one of the latest start times and knew I could get a good nights sleep in order to rest myself before the race.