Summertime Fun!

Grandma Karen, Ella and Uncle Daniel

Swingin'!

"Look, it's Mommy!"

"See, its Mommy!"

The budding artist

Proud of her work!

Supermodel pose.

LONG legs!

Lady of leisure...poolside.

Man of leisure....in the hammock.

Picture day at school!

My stunning little girl.

How can you not love this?

No, let's roll the videotape!

Yoga!



More Yoga!



Itsy Bitsy Spider



Picture day!

Stuff!

Today was the annual Long Beach Salute to Our Veterans 10 Mile Run. Me, Mel, my boss Keith, step-mom Maura, and Mel's friend Brooke (along with around 400 other folks) came out to salute our veterans. Dad helped direct traffic as one of the Auxiliary Police that lined the course. The weather was a bit warm and muggy, but all in all not bad conditions. I, of course, have not been training at all, so was pleased to finish in 1:26:15 (8:38 min/mile). Melissa knocked about 6 minutes off of her time from last year, which was awesome. Keith finished very respectably, especially considering he did a ridiculous 45+ mile HILLY bike ride the day before. Brooke also finished in good shape, so fun was had by all.

In honor of our veterans, I shall now post pictures of Ella. :)

My Little Ballerina

Ella's proper tartan dress, straight from Scotland, courtesy of Nana and Granddad Nick.

Ella's proper tartan dress, direct from Scotland...covered in chocolate.

LONG legs like her mommy.

More chocolate...

Quick on the draw.

Having fun with Nana (note Ella's bib around Nana's neck)

Learning how to play footie from Granddad Nick.

Ball!

Pimms anyone?

Chillin'!

The New Yankee Stadium - courtesy of Alex. :)

More!

Twice in one week!! :)

Ella's newest gift from cousin Lauren!

Loving it!

Static

Mischief...

Easter egg hunting!

Latest family photo

Sorry

As usual, life gets in the way of updating this blog, so while I haven't got much to say at the moment, here's some photos to satisfy the masses:

Ella's favorite new rain jacket!

Ella flying on her broom (with a little help).

Playing hopscotch!

With Aunt Melissa!

Posing.

Playing ball with cousin Lauren

"So this is what Mommy felt like when I was in her tummy!"

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

I know it's been a while. I have been getting yelled at from around the world for over a month to update this - I have no excuse, other than I am just WIPED. But the masses have spoken, so I have no choice but to deliver. Here's pics of the munchkin:

Look how long her legs are...!

Mischevious...

Ready to cause some mayhem...

SNOWBALL FIGHT!

Elegantly enjoying a nice chocolate cupcake.


Princess time!

Check out those earrings........!

Watching daddy make lunch.

Shoulder time!

Snow day! UGH. Used to LOVE snow days...until I became the snow shoveler.

Note the depth of the snow. Not normal for here. Not normal at all.

From a snow day to a beach day....kinda. It was 66 degrees today!

CHEEEEEEEEEEESE!

Yes We Can...

...and Yes We DID.

The Eve of History

Tomorrow, history will be made - not only here in America, but in the world. FINALLY. Not only are we rid of the talking monkey who for 8 years made most of the world dislike (if not despise) Americans; he who has brought this country to the brink of economic meltdown; he who has embroiled us in 2 simultaneous wars with no obvious mission or end in sight, and worst of all (to me), made me EMBARRASSED of my country of origin. Yes, he shall go retire to some zillion dollar home in Texas, to spend the rest of his life doing what has been doing all along - i.e. whatever the fuck he feels like with no regard for anyone else.

There is renewed hope, and it begins tomorrow. I feel honored to be a part of this time in history, where our new leader brings feelings of pride to the forefront. Of course it is a big deal that he is the first black president. An even bigger deal, to me, is that I feel confident that he will make this country, if not this world, a better place to live in. My biggest concern in this life is that of the future for my daughter (and should I be blessed enough to have other children at some point, for them too) - and I FINALLY feel that the future is bright, and I am PROUD to be an American again.

I can't wait until tomorrow - I am already bursting with anticipation! Until then, here's some images of my future.

Catching snowflakes...

...and making snow angels.

4 generations in one photo - how cool is THAT?

Nanny and Ella



Video of Snow Angel manufacturing.

A New Season

As all of you probably know, I am (for obvious reasons) a fan of "The Biggest Loser" TV show. For my international readers, "The Biggest Loser" is a very popular show in which obese contestants are taken to a secluded location and shown how to eat right and exercise and by the end of the season...WHAM...everyone looks fabulous.

Tonight, a new season of the show began. And for the first time in several seasons of watching the show, rather than feeling excited about the potential for the contestants, I felt pure sadness. Here's why: Obviously, every season they choose obese people for the show, but this season, the morbidity of the obesity in almost every contestant overwhelmed me. They had 2 teenagers, one was nearly 400lbs and the other was over 450lbs. It seemed like every contestant was well over 300lbs (I know this isn't the case, but it is what it felt like while I was watching). They had a man on who had gastric bypass surgery in the past, which failed, and his skin on his abdomen was all messed up. They had on a 63 year old couple who's average weight was over 300lbs. I could go on, but the point is, this season, the contestants seem bigger than ever. As I watched, the enormity of the obesity epidemic that is sweeping through our country (if not the world) overwhelmed me. I felt SO SAD that people have to turn, in desperation, to a television show for hope of a long life and education on healthy living. I feel even MORE SAD for those millions of people who were not fortunate enough to make it on to a TV show, and therefore have no hope, and they continue to spiral downward into oblivion.

Don't get me wrong - I feel so blessed to have been able to overcome the adversity that I have, and I do not blame anyone for my previous weight problem but myself. But the state of the world alarms me, in that obesity continues to skyrocket, and people sit and pray that they will be chosen for "The Biggest Loser," thinking that will solve all of their problems, hoping for the magic answer to weight loss, rather than recognizing the problem and doing something about it. I was one of the lucky ones. So many others are not as lucky. And I think society is partly to blame as well - ever see any commercials on TV for healthy restaurants? Gyms? No? I can't think of any off the top of my head. How about fast food restaurants? Coca-Cola? Beer? Ever notice how you can engorge yourself at McDonald's for under $5, yet you can't get a healthy meal for under $10?

How are people expected to know to do the right thing? Especially kids, when they are surrounded by commercials for sugary cereals and drinks and Happy Meals that they will demand their parents buy for them? Ever wonder WHY they put TOYS in cereal boxes?? How about people who can't afford to buy healthy food? What are they supposed to do?

I am adamant that this problem is expanding as fast as our collective waistlines (thank god not mine anymore), and it makes me so very sad...and furious. I think people need to be educated, and something needs to happen to make healthy living less of a bank-breaking expense. Putting an "obesity tax" on fattening items is not going to help matters, in my opinion.

I have to help do something about this. I can't start my own TV show, but hopefully there is something I can do. Any ideas?

Happy New Year!

As 2009 approaches, I felt the natural urge to reflect on 2008. It was an AMAZING year for me - amazingly wonderful and at the same time amazingly sad. I am sure everyone has their share of good and bad stuff happen in their lives, but this year seemed to have extreme highs and lows for me. So where to begin?

Let's start with the good stuff - Ella is growing into a proper little girl with such rapidity that it astonishes me. She is nearly completely potty trained, is speaking fluently (even some spanish, thanks to Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego) and loves to play with her friends at daycare. Her mommy is the most amazing mommy EVER, and I give her all of the credit for Ella turning out to be such a wonderful little chick. Ella also has her mean streaks, stubbornness, and meltdowns...all of which I attribute to me.

I have reconnected with SO MANY folks from my past via Facebook - and I am very thankful for that. It is amazing how time flies and people leave your life without warning. Having you all back in it is a great gift.

I changed jobs this year, which was the best professional move I could have made. I am SO happy at my new place - my techs are AWESOME, the staff in general is great, and it actually feels like my opinions matter and my work is appreciated. Now I just have to get Angela over there with me...

My grandfather has been battling esophageal cancer for the past couple of years...and is winning the fight. So far, he has made a miraculous recovery, and we anticipate him being around for a LONG time.

Of course, the highlight of the year has been the marathon and all of the attention that came along with it. Who ever would have thought I would have been in magazines, newspapers and on TV? I met so many awesome people - including my new favorite news reporter (Monica) and a couple of Big Losers (Jim, Dan, Coleen) - who have been incredibly encouraging and supportive. All of my friends and family have sent me tons of messages of support which helped me through the rigors of training, and I had EVERYONE on my mind as I was running those 26.2 miles. I will forever remember 2008 for this reason - I have never felt more special or loved than I have this year. I thank EVERYONE for that.

Now, the sad stuff. We lost more people this year than in any year I can remember. From an unborn child at 8 months of gestation (a colleague and friend's daughter) all the way up to my 98 year old great-great Auntie Hannah, the loss has been devastating. My friend Tara, who I dedicated the marathon to, will always hold a place in heart for as long as I live. Jessica, the twin sister to Alyssa, who grew up 2 doors down from me also passed away almost exactly 1 year after her mother did, leaving Alyssa and her dad shocked and horribly saddened. Another guy from high school, who I wasn't actually friends with at all, but was in the same class as his sister, just died as well. My heart is heavy with the fact that I will never be able to meet this little baby who I was watching grow inside her mommy's belly. That I will never be able to talk to Tara or Jessie again. That I will never hear Auntie Hannah yell at me that I am too fat (or more recently that I am too skinny), yet feed me till I was about to pop.

Also, another good friend of mine, who along with his wife has spent the last 3-4 New Years Eves with us, had his life turned upside down this year. They were overjoyed at the news that they would be having a baby this year...yet at a routine ultrasound, found out the awful news that their son had fluid building up in his brain. After an emergency C-Section and several tests, he was found to have a rare tumor attached to his brainstem, which was removed, yet he has been going intensive chemotherapy ever since and has barely been able to leave the hospital. Another heartbreaking story of 2008, yet luckily he seems to be responding well, and we all have our fingers crossed for a complete recovery.

Time stops for no one, and life goes on - who knows what 2009 will bring? Hopefully more of the happiness and less of the sadness of 2008. Maybe I'll have my own talk show? Doubt it. In any case, here's to hoping that 2009 is a year full of life, love and prosperity.

Loving you all!

-B

Happy Holidays!

The Joy Fit Club

What a DAY! I had such a blast, I cannot even begin to describe how much fun the whole experience was!! But let me try anyway, by telling you the events of the day:

We woke up around 530am, and the Escalade was already outside waiting. I didn't allow that to hasten my preparation, however, because Dad and Lenny still weren't here, and wouldn't be til 630am. So, I hung with Angela and Ella for a bit, ate my bowl of cereal and got dressed. Dad and Len got here, and off we went. Sat in a bit of traffic, but were settled in the green room at NBC by 8am. We hung out in there for a while - saw all of the on-air guests come and go (except the more famous ones) and saw them make their TV appearances and come back into the room to grab their stuff and head home. Joey, my contact from Runner's World Magazine (she is the one who actually set this whole thing up!!) came to watch too, and was with us the whole time. They had a nice spread of food there, complete with breakfast wraps, bagels, cookies, cheese and crackers, etc. Not too shabby.

So, we are sitting there, and WHAMMO, in walks Al Roker. I was like, "Hi Al! I'm Brian!" He said hi back, shook my hand, grabbed some cheese, and headed back to TV land. That was pretty sweet.

Then, Kristen Chenowith (not sure if I spelled that right) popped into the green room dressed like an elf or something before she went out to sing a Christmas tune. She didn't mingle with any of us mortals though, she just let her stylist do her hair by the door and bounced. Whatever, I don't know who she is anyway.

Eventually, around 9:30 or 10ish, they came and took me downstairs to meet Joy Bauer, who lived up to her name - what a lovely LOVELY woman! She started chatting to me as if she knew me, told me what a good writer I am (I had to answer like 8 million questions for her website, and it took me HOURS to do it!), and that I looked fantastic - she actually said I look "genetically lean" or something like that, which, coming from a nutritionist, meant a WHOLE lot. She started going over questions I might be asked during my segment, seeing how I was going to answer, and then helping me re-phrase some things to make it sound clearer and less scattered. Of course all of this guidance went RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW once I got on air, but whatever. They then sat me down in a chair for "hair and makeup" - I found this amusing. Basically, they put some stuff under my eyes (which made me start tearing up as if I was crying) and powdered my head. As I was sat there, Joy was continuing to chat to me, and Tony Danza was standing behind me, looking at me. I was like, "Holy shit, that's Tony Micelli from Who's the Boss!" Except I didn't actually say that, it was just the voice inside my head. He was waiting for my seat for his hair and makeup. So I got up, and introduced myself: "Hi there Tony. My name is Brian. Nice to meet you!" He shook my hand, and off I went. As I was standing there being de-linted and de-crinkled (yes, they actually have people for that), John Legend walked past. I didn't get to say hi, but it was still cool.

Then Joy took me back to the green room to get Dad and Len and Joey, so they could come up and watch me being filmed from behind the cameras...and who was in the green room? A hugely tall Australian Chef named Curtis Stone from a tv show called "Take Home Chef!" Angela and I LOVE that show, so I was WELL pumped to meet him! I chatted for a sec, and got a pic with him, then off we went up to the studio.

We hung out in a hallway waiting for my segment to start. They showed me the set, with all of the pringles and my infamous "fat suit" dangling from a string above me, and where I should stand, etc. Then back in the hallway to wait to be called in. They took Dad and Len and Joey into the studio, to get them situated behind the cameras. I was chillin in the hallway with a couple of guys (can't remember their names) who were going to cue me when to go in to the studio. I could hear my segment starting, and started to get a bit fluttery, but it quickly became genuine excitement - this was gonna be AWESOME!!!

Next thing I know, they open the door, and I jump in - and you can see the resulting 6ish minutes below. Afterwards, Kathy-Lee and Hoda both gave me a big hug and were SO nice. Then we headed back down to the green room - Joy and I took a few photos, and we said our goodbyes, I then thanked Joey for EVERYTHING, because without her it would not have happened....and then our car took us home, back to reality!

So, there you have it - my whirlwind Today Show appearance, and what an amazing one it was. Joy wanted the pics we took, so I emailed them to her, and she emailed me back with this lovely note:

"You should know that EVERYONE at the show (and outside the show)
completely LOVED you. They thought you were terrific!

Brian, you inspired millions of people today. Thanks for that. My best to
Angela and Ella.

Your new pal and fan,
Joy"

Isn't she awesome?? Isn't this whole thing insanely cool? Maybe there is something to this, what everyone tells me - that I have done something special, something that can help change other people's lives, if only I can make my story known - speeches, writing, something. Maybe I should persue this, see if any of my new contacts can put me on the road to helping people live healthier lives? Maybe I'll look into it. But for now..... here's some pics and video!

Some stills from the segment:

Joy and I post-segment - my new bud!

Me and Curtis!! LOVE IT!

Me on the Today Show website: HERE
And...the video!!

Just a Reminder...

...Don't forget to either watch or set your DVR's for The Today Show this coming Monday - I will be in the 10am hour (EST)!!! I will hopefully be able to post a clip at some point, especially for my international viewers, but those of you in the US/Canada can watch it on your own TV's! COOOOOOOOOL! Wish me luck...

Updates!

With the marathon, my trip to Nashville and Auntie's passing, I was unable to update everyone on the multitude of things going on - via photos of course. So, here goes:

October - Halloween!

Ella's 1st outfit - a surgeon, hand sewn by mommy!

#2 - A pumpkin - outfit provided by grandma!

Love the hat!


November - Marathon!

First, some of the professional photos taken during the race:










Now, some of the professional photos of ME!


Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Gun Show.





This was at mile 21. I know this because I am holding the phone NBC gave me to call them when I got to mile 21.



Finished!!!!


Again!


Still finished!


Ahhhhh. SWEET MEDAL.

Ella also thought it was a sweet medal.

EXCLUSIVE - The NBC video taken of me intra-race that was never aired! The man interviewing me is David Willey, the Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World Magazine!


Country Music Awards - Nashville, TN

I have been asked about 5,000+ times the question that I am sure you are thinking right now - 1) How the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? 2) WHY the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? I didn't know you liked country music? Well, to make a long story short, I am not a huge country music fan at all. I am, however, a big fan of the Biggest Loser. The correlation? One of the contestants from last season's Biggest Loser, Dan Evans, has recently put out a country album. His record label did a contest, where you send in your motivational story in under 300 words, and Dan would choose the one he thought was best. The winner would get an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville for the CMA awards. That winner was me! So my buddy Brian Krebs and I went down to Nashville for 2 fun-filled days of beer and honkey-tonkin'. We met up with Jenn and Becki from vet school, which was SO awesome. Dan met up with us the night before the awards, and we went out to a famous honkey-tonk bar called Tootsies, where we drank a ton and stumbled home around 2ish. The next day was the awards show, where we hung out with Dan at a pre-show party, during the show, and at the post-show VIP party. We didn't get back til 4am, and Dan the man crashed out on our couch. We all went for breakfast the next morning, Dan then took off and we waited to fly home. That is a MAJOR shortening of the story, but I think in a lot of ways, what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville. Or has that phrase been taken by someplace else....? :)

The view from our hotel room. Note the Tennessee Titans stadium to the left.

The Somet Center - home of the Nashville Predator NHL team...and the CMA awards.

Chillin with some Honkey-Tonk Heroes.

Jenn, me and Becki

Starting the night off right with Dan.

Tootsies!

At rehearsals the morning of the show.

Sweet, right?

3 pimps at the pre-show party.

Dan and his mom Jackie, also from the Biggest Loser!

Dan during the show.

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban

Brad Paisley and my dreamgir...er...um...Carrie Underwood.

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman

Billy Ray and Miley

Kid Rock!

My other dreamgi....ummmmmmmmm....Taylor Swift.

They brought and actual CMA award into the audience just for us to play with. Yes, I know, it looks like Krebs is holding my hand. Well, maybe he was, but he is simply NOT my type.

Hootie!! Well, Darius Rucker minus the Blowfish.

Keith Urban

Carrie again, accepting an award.

Kenny Chesney and the Wailers

Reese Witherspoon

The Eagles

Crowd shot

Oh sweet lord......SHANIA!

Kenny Chesney accepting his awa......SHANIAAAAAAA

Dan and Jackie at the afterparty

After-party....the dessert table was DIVINE.

Us, drunk, hanging with some college folk, also drunk.

Protesting Coleen's Explusion from the Biggest Loser 10k AKA Long Beach 10k Turkey Trot

As previously mentioned, the Biggest Loser is my favorite show. Yes, I take it all very seriously and personally, seeing as I have been through the weight-loss journey myself. Anyway, I became friends with one of this season's contestants, Coleeen Skeabeck, via MySpace. She wrote me such a lovely email and paid me such a touching compliment by telling me that I inspire her, that I instantly became her biggest fan. She was constantly rooting me on leading up to the marathon, and was my biggest cheerleader. She is just a wonderful girl. Anyway, she got kicked off the show this past week, and it seemed to be in quite an unsavory manner (in my opinion). I therefore told her that I was going to run this 10k race in her honor, and in protest of her being eliminated. So, she promptly fed-ex'd me 2 authentic Biggest Loser t-shirts to wear during the race!!! I ran with her right behind my shoulder yelling "GO GO GO!" (she wasn't ACTUALLY there, but I know she would be cheering me on if she were), and I set a new personal best time of 52:01, despite the frigid conditions. Jim Germanakos (from Biggest Loser 2 seasons ago) is my good buddy now, and he met up with me for the run as well. Had a great time!

Me and Jim pre-race. TEAM COLEEN!

Flexin'

Me being PISSED for Coleen!!!

RIP Auntie Hannah Fisch

A spry 97-yr-old Auntie at Ella's 1st Birthday Party

You know how you can smell something which reminds you of a certain situation or event from your youth? Well, one of those things, for me, is matzo brie. For those of you who are not Jewish, that is basically matzo saturated with egg, almost like a matzo omelet. Auntie served hers with sugar on top, which is the way I continue to eat it today. Whenever we'd go out to Brooklyn to visit with Grandma Lilly and Auntie Hannah, the two inseparable sisters who ran the entire borough (not literally, but it felt that way), my cousins Bonnie and Hy would bring their daughters, my cousins Aimee and Jennifer and us kids would have such a good time that we would ALWAYS want to sleep over. When we did, Grandma Lilly would make us egg creams (chocolate syrup with seltzer, like the REAL seltzer in those old glass bottles with the spritzer thingy at the top) and Auntie would cook up like 10lbs of matzo brie for us. There was never any shortage of food in THAT house. Melissa and I would always go home looking forward to our next trip back.

Unfortunately, those trips became fewer and far between, especially when Grandma Lilly died several years ago (I believe it was 1999 or 2000) and when Grandma Phyllis (Lilly's daughter) died in 2006. Now, those trips will never happen again, as the dynamic duo have been reunited in a better place. Auntie Hannah passed away on Monday, November 17th. She was 98 years old.

Today was her funeral, and I learned so much about her and her life hearing Bonnie and her brother Philip speak about her. Her husband died many years ago (40+ years) when Bonnie and Philip were just children. She never remarried - she got a job and supported her 2 children on her own (with the help of Lilly of course). This may not sound too uncommon these days, but in the 1960's, it was extraordinarily rare to be a single working mother.

She was so loved by so many people. I can still hear her voice in my head - back in the old days, she would always tell me not to eat so much, while at the same time dumping spoonfulls of sugar over my matzo brie or refilling my bowl of mato ball soup for the 3rd time. She was always concerned about my weight and had NO problem saying so. I am so glad she got to see me as I am now - in fact, when I last saw her, at Ella's 1st Birthday party, she said to me "BRIAN (for some reason, whenever I recall her voice, I remember her yelling my name), you are TOO SKINNY, STOP LOSING WEIGHT! Here, eat this cupcake..." I hope she was lucid enough towards the end to have heard about my marathon experience, and I hope she was proud of me.

I am also glad she got to meet Ella. I have been told that Ella's picture graced Auntie's refrigerator (which was always FULL of food), which is an honor in itself. Hearing everyone talk today, you can tell that she meant so much to so many, and everyone has at least one amusing story of how Auntie touched their lives. Everyone says, "She was 98, she lived a good long life" but that doesn't make it any easier when someone who seems ageless finally succums to time.

As time goes on, parts of your childhood are taken from you. It's inevitable, just part of life, but it always takes its toll...makes you a bit "harder" as the reality of your own mortality sets in. As people die, you start to realize that you yourself are getting older too. Some people are saddened by this realization, but I choose to look at it differently. I choose to appreciate life, to live and to love and to celebrate the lives people have lived rather than mourn my own personal loss. I am sure Auntie would prefer it that way - with a spoonful of sugar on top.

Auntie, Melissa, Jennifer, Aimee, Mom, Grandma Phyllis, Audrey and Bonnie at our wedding - February 2005

Auntie, Angela, Me, Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa Sonny

Marathon...DONE.

Dear everyone!

I did it!! I write to you now, 1 day post-marathon, and NO I am not one of the unfortunate souls who had a heart attack during the race...although it may have felt that way near the end. I sit here with sore legs, and my medal around my neck, as it has been ALL DAY. It did get in the way a bit as I tried to examine pets today, but I didn't care - I earned this damn thing, and I was NOT taking it off. It sure is pretty.....

So, my official time was 4:40:21. I was hoping to come in under 4:30, but I also had no idea how hard this would be. Let me start at the beginning so I can try to re-create the experience for you all......

I awoke just before 4am in my sister and her fiancee's bed. Yes, they made me take the bed while they "slept" on the fold-out couch (does anyone ever sleep a wink on those things??). I got dressed, scarfed a Clif Bar, and headed down to meet the taxi at 4:30am. I got into NYC at the meeting point for the bus at about 5am. Met up with the NBC producers, and some of the other interviewees and hopped on the bus. I sat at the back with Jock, the Glaswegian (that's Scottish for those of you in the US who have no idea what Glaswegian means) fellow who had run a marathon for every letter of the alphabet, and New York was the last one on his list. We chatted most of the time, he is an awesome bloke. Also back there with us was David, the 78 year old man who was running his 30th marathon...he ran his first when he was 65. GREAT guy. Also on the bus was Debbie, a WONDERFUL woman who has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) which is terminal, but she is still so full of life that she decided to give this one last marathon a go. She had done several before, but this is her last hurrah. There was David, a gentleman who's 5 year old son has cancer, and he has started a charity and written an album to raise money to try to find a cure. Also, there was Ivan, a military man who had a mortar explode in his face, which took one eye completely out, leaving him with one visionless eye. This would be his 6th marathon THIS YEAR. Amazing AMAZING people. What a great way to start this incredible experience!

Then, as we were sitting and chatting, who hops on the bus? None other than my new bestest bud, Monica Morales from NBC, who was running the marathon with her sister Cat! We recognized each other right away, and had a nice big ol' hug and proceeded to chat the whole way to Ft Wadsworth. What a lovely surprise!

Then, we were all asked a few questions by David Willey, the editor-in-chief of Runner's World magazine, who would be interviewing us on-the-run during the race, and once the buses arrived, we hopped off and were escorted to the VIP tent. This, my friends, was the BEST thing EVER EVER. EVER.

It was cold out. I mean, like 39 degrees (fahrenheit) with whipping winds. So, imagine my relief at being whisked off the bus (into the cold) then having a silver plastic wristband slapped on my wrist and shown into this HEATED tent. With chairs and tables. And catered food. Ohhhhhhh yeah, THIS I can get used to. Then, like 10 seconds after I step in and put my bag down, WHAMMO, the lovely Lorraine from the NY Road Runners Club (they set the whole race up) grabs me and says, "I need you right away!" And, no folks, it wasn't in a *wink wink* *love you long time* kind of "need", it was the "get the fuck back out into the cold" sort of "need." So, I dropped my stuff and went into the middle of a field with the ABC weatherman (as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZgAqjD5Gw) for my pre-race interview, where the wind literally took my breath away as I tried to talk. After that was done, I ran back to the heated tent and grabbed a handful of SCONES. YES! SCONES!! As I was stuffing my face, Lorraine grabbed me again, and pulled me out of the tent - she said that Monica was talking me up to the folks from Fox News, who then wanted to interview me. A lovely woman interviewed me, then ran the marathon herself. My interview never actually made it on to TV, but whatever. Then, back inside I went and resumed my scone ingestion.

I hung out for a while, then decided to try and get my bag checked in (you put some stuff in there that you want at the end of the race, like dry clothes, hat, protein bar, etc) and go see what the rest of my charity teammates were up to. As I was searching in the cold, a girl from high school, Estee, spotted me (what are the odds of THAT happening amongst 40000 people?!?) and we chatted a bit as I checked my bag. Then I went by my charity tent, and popped in - it consisted of a bunch of people huddled up for warmth and a table with some horrible looking bagels and bottles of water. I promptly left to be reunited with warmth in the VIP tent...!

So, I stayed in there the remainder of the time. Coming and going were famous folk like Beth O (Howard Stern's wife), Brandi Chastain (olympic soccer gold medalist) and Kerri Strug (olympic gymnastic gold medalist) - who were all running the marathon. How damn cool was THAT?

Then, at 8:40am, we were taken to the corrals. We basically were outside standing in the freezing cold for an hour before the start. Then, the gun went off....and Frank Sinatra started blaring over the loudspeakers...and we didn't move. That's because there were several thousand people in front of us. Eventually we started to walk a bit, and then trot. Then we hit the starting line, I hit the "Start" button on my GPS watch....and we were off, running up the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. This was an amazing start, a spectacular view of the city, and VERY difficult to keep my pace SLOW, which was my aim. Especially coming DOWN the bridge into Brooklyn, it was just about impossible for me to slow down. I knew this would come back to haunt me, but what the hell, it was my first marathon, I just did the best I could to maintain my speed. When we entered Brooklyn at mile 3 ish, this was when the fun started. The crowds were in full force, and it was incredible running through the different neighborhoods - each neighborhood seemed to have a predominant nationality, i.e. there was a Latino neighborhood, an Indian neighborhood, an African-American neighborhood, etc. Each one we ran through, the crowds were INCREDIBLE, screaming my name (which was written on my jersey), extending their hands for high fives (the kids seemed especially thrilled when you obliged!), handing out bananas, candy, oranges, water, tissues, Vaseline, etc etc. The diversity of the cultures along with the kindness towards these lunatic strangers who were running through their city was astounding to me, and it makes one wonder why we can't get along like that all the time! Just hearing all of these people cheering for me had me choked up, and nearly in tears - I became very emotional at this point, as the enormity of what I was a part of started to sink in. I think this was my favorite part of the race.

We traveled up Brooklyn like this for a very long way. My sister popped out around mile 10, and gave me a quick hug along the way. At just about the halfway mark, I stopped for a potty break and a stretch...and David the 78-yr old chap happened to see me, and we trotted along for a bit together before he said "Young fella, you go on ahead - I know you are faster than me!" I shook his hand, and said "David, I hope we meet again someday." and took off up the Pulaski bridge. My halfway time wasn't too shabby, 2:13:08.

I still felt quite good at this point...as I anticipated the dreaded Queensboro bridge. I knew this was a killer, yet I was ready for it, because I was waiting for the roar of 1st ave as you enter Manhattan for the first time at the other end. The bridge came up around mile 15ish, and I felt ok - I managed to pass several walking folks, and I felt strong...until I got to the top, and I knew I was in trouble. My legs felt spent, and I still had 10 miles to go. I stopped just before the end of the bridge for a stretch, and forced myself on. On to 1st ave I went, and to be honest, wasn't that impressed. No roar. A zillion people, yes, but pretty damn quiet. Disappointing.

So, we turned the corner and headed UP. ALL the way up. the road was wide, and completely packed with people. It was an impressive sight, yes, but much more impersonal than Brooklyn. Noone cheering my name, just a general cheering sound which I tuned out. I reached a little apex at one point, and all I could see was a sea of people ahead of me as far as my vision could reach. It was astounding...and daunting. I still had a LONG way to go. As I got to mile 18, my legs felt like lead. I had to stop for a stretch again. On I pushed.

Finally, around mile 20, we hit another small bridge which put us into the Bronx. There was a great band there playing some tunes, and as I turned the corner, they shouted "Welcome to the Bronx!!" I felt welcome. Unfortunately, we were only there for about a mile, then another bridge put us back into the city. At this point, mile 21, I called the NBC folks on the cell phone they provided me, and told them my location. I was told David Willey would meet me at the next mile, on the corner of 121st St and some other road (can't remember the name now) on the SE corner. I told them I had just run 21 miles, and I could barely remember my name, let alone determine which corner was SE, so could they PLEASE just tell me left or right. They said left. I said thanks. Off I went.

Just before I was ready for my close-up, I nearly get run over by an ambulance. Which would have been ironic, I guess. But anyway, I ran past a fellow collapsed in a heap on the side of the road with a scarily cross-eyed glazed look in his eyes. I hope he was ok.

Then, I hit my meeting point, saw David, and flagged him down. He interviewed me for like 30 seconds, shook my hand, and was off on his motorized scooter thingy. The interview never made it to TV, but whatever. I got the VIP treatment anyway.

So, now...the home stretch. The crowds started to intensify. We were nearing Central Park - the killer part of the course. Leading up the park was a gradual incline which seemed to never end. We finally made the turn into the park around mile 23ish. I was so weak at this point, my legs were on autopilot. My vision started to blur, my brain was foggy. I just wanted to be finished - I told myself just a half hour more and I could stop. Then I realized that these final 3 miles may as well have been 30 - it seemed like it would never end. I saw my sis and Dan at about mile 24 - I ran across the road to get a hug, and they were going NUTS with excitement. I gasped "I want to die." They screamed at me "GO GO GO GO!" So, I went.

At this point, my tank was EMPTY. I was done. I had no glycogen left for my muscles to burn, and I was dying. This is where the crowd took over. The people were packed in 10 deep. And they were ALL screaming. Screaming my name. "Go BRIAN!" "YOU CAN DO IT!" "YOU ARE ALMOST THERE!" "YOU ARE LOOKING SO GREAT!" "COME ON BRIAN!!!" How did these people know my name? I was starting to get delirious...but I gave everyone the thumbs up and they cheered even harder. This enormous amount of energy brought me home. Mile 25 I exited Central Park and ran along the bottom of it. The cheers and shouts became a droning hum at this point - I could feel my heart beating in my ears. How much farther was this? It had to be close now...

We turned back into the park, and there was a big video screen where you could watch yourself. I couldn't make myself out because I forgot what I was wearing. Yes, seriously. I turned in and saw a sign that said "400 Yards to go" - then I decided that I was going to expend every last ounce of energy I had to get to that finish line and smile like a goofy lunatic in the hopes of getting a crazy looking photo-finish. That would rock.

So, I picked up the pace a touch. Hit the 26 mile mark. The crowd vibrated. My legs were a blur below me. 200 yards to go. "GO BRIAN GO BRIAN GO BRIAN GOOOOOOOO!" 100 yards to go. I could see the finish line, I was pushing as hard as I could but my legs were not moving any faster. I put my hands on the top of my head in disbelief - I was going to finish !!! 26.2 motherf**king miles!!! I hit that line with my hands raised in exultation...and it was done. I AM A MARATHONER.

They herded us along like sheep, to get our medals, snap our photos (which I managed to smile like a big doofy loser despite feeling like I was going to die at any moment), hand us our space-suits (i.e. mylar blankets), stick them to us, and give us a bag containing the worst bagel ever made, some water, some granola, and a power bar. The thought of eating any of it made me want to puke my gatorade out, so I didn't just yet. I wandered up to get my post-race bag. Then I collapsed on the floor. I called Angela to tell her I was alive, and that I loved her and Ella so much. Then I called Barbara Barker for my post-race impressions which she printed in today's Newsday. Then I tried to call Melissa to tell them where we would meet. Then I shoved something in my mouth which was in the form of a bagel, but was actually a large round soft cracker. It was so dry I couldn't swallow it. Delicious.

To add insult to injury, in order to get out of Central Park, I had to walk UP STAIRS to cross a bridge, and then DOWN STAIRS. Yeah. That was really pleasant. After that, I met Melissa and Dan, and Dad and Maura on 72nd street. We left the park...and headed home. My 2008 marathon experience was complete.

So, I sit here with my medal and legs that hurt whenever I ask them to move. Yesterday, I SWORE this was the craziest god damn thing I had ever done, and I would never EVER consider doing it again. Today, I am thinking of how I am going to get my wife to agree to let me do it again next year. Amazing, isn't it, how quickly your mindset changes?? We'll see what the next year brings. But in the meantime, I will reflect on the amazing experience I just had. For the past couple of weeks, I have almost been a mini-celebrity with all of this press coverage - I have been on major TV networks, in major newspapers and magazines. How many people can say that??? I spent 5 months getting myself in shape, and pushed my body to the brink of exhaustion in such a way that I could never have imagined doing. I have garnered a ridiculous amount of support from SO many people that I can't believe it is really real. I have met new people, made new friends, and had such a BLAST. I can't wait til my legs feel better so I can start running again...to the exasperation of many (i.e. my wife, my mom), I won't stop running until I can't run any more. Because I am always runnin...from a lifestyle that is long gone, and a person that ate way too many pringles.

Well, there you have it. The 2008 NYC marathon experience is over, and I am honored to have shared it all with you guys. Your comments/emails/messages have inspired me to push on when training got tough. I knew I couldn't disappoint so many people, and I refused to quit, thanks to all of your support and love. ALL of you are very special to me, and I think you for sticking with me through this, the most difficult physical undertaking I have ever done. I endured, and even made it in to work today (albeit quite stiffly) - and hopefully via my fundraising for Team for Kids, managed to help a few people along the way.

And with that, I say: Mission Accomplished.

Until next time (NYC 2009?)...

I love you all.

-Brian

PS: Here's today's Newsday update!

Pre-Race Interview

I made it home alive, with a finishing time of 4:40:21. I am too exhausted to blog about it just now, but here is the video of me pre-race with the ABC weatherman! Will give you all the lowdown on the whole experience tomorrow (ish).

This is IT!

Dearest friends and family,

The next time you hear from me, I will be a marathoner. Officially,
no joke, 26.2 miles under these legs in 1 shot. I am so excited about
this entire experience that I have no room left for nervousness. Well,
maybe a BIT of nervousness, but not much. As I sit here and reflect on
the past 5 months of training and fund raising, it really has been a
hell of a ride. I have raised $3286.00 for Team for Kids, and I am sure
it will be put to good use in educating the youth of the world on
growing up healthy and strong. Obviously, this feat couldn't have been
done without you guys, and I thank you so much for it.
Through Team for Kids, I have been offered so many opportunities to
make my story known - it started with an interview for the charity
newsletter...which then turned into a Runner's World article. Then a
Herald 2-page article. Next, an AWESOME interview by Monica Morales for
NBC's Today in New York. Then, CBS Radio with Marla Diamond. I was
then interviewed by Newsday, and there will be an article about me in it
tomorrow. The morning of the race, I will be interviewed by ABC TV. At
mile 22 of the race, I will be interviewed live on NBC. There is even a
possibility of an appearance on the Today Show on NBC in a month or so.
It just goes on and on, and I can't believe this is all happening to me
- I am just a regular guy who happened to finally get sick of being the
largest person in any room I was in, and did something about it. I
hope this exposure can help to inspire others to make some changes about
their lifestyles, and maybe they can even run a marathon someday! If my
story makes even one person lace up their sneakers and go for a run, it
would be my greatest achievement.
So, anyway, yeah, this is it. I am not sure what the deal is during
my live interviews, whether I can say hi to anyone or not, but even if I
can, it is going to be at mile 22 ... yes, 22. i.e. I will probably be
mostly delirious at that stage, thanking my fairy godmother and the
purple elephants for all of their help in accommodating me in
Never-Neverland...so I figured I am certain to forget to thank most
people while on TV, thus I decided to do it now, via email.
I can't even begin to tell you of the support I have received - so
many emails, messages, phone calls, text messages of encouragement and
positivity. It is enough to bring a tear to my eye, and means SO much
to me to know you are all thinking about me. I will be thinking of you
all as I pound the streets of NY.
Of course, I must thank my wife Angela for her support. The training
for this race has been very time consuming - I have had to go to the gym
or hit the road for many hours every week, leaving her to look after
Ella by herself. I know it took a toll on her, my being away so much,
and yet she stood behind me the whole way. It made me feel like the
most selfish bastard from time to time, yet she understands how
important this is to me, and she also knows about my psychosis of never
wanting to be overweight again, so she dealt with it all, and I owe her
more than I can express in writing. She is my soul mate, and I love her
more than anything.
If Angela is my soul, then Ella is my heart...everything I do is for
her, every breath I breathe is for her. I run this race for her, in the
hopes of being a good role model, a great daddy, and hopefully, a guide
on how to live a healthy, happy, long life.
My mom and dad, step-dad Marty, sister Melissa, soon-to-be-bro-in-law
Daniel, Nanny and Poppy, Aunt Gloria, Bruce and cousin Lauren... their
support and love has been invaluable as well. Mike Sabatino also
deserves a shout out here - he ran my first ever race with me, a 5k, and
stayed with me the entire time despite the obvious capability of leaving
me in the dust. He has moved onward and upward...or downward, to DC,
and we miss him (and his wife Susan of course!).
Everyone at work, especially my boss, Keith. He has been more than
supportive of this endeavor; he is, however, much more insane than I, as
he is doing an IronMan triathlon tomorrow, so rather than just do a
marathon, he finds it sensible to precede a 26.2 mile run with over 2
miles of swimming and 100+ miles of bike riding. Without the
flexibility of my work schedule, and the low-stress environment at work,
I don't know how I could have fit all of these runs in. This job change
has been the best thing I have done in a long time, and I look forward
to many more crazy training schedules in the years to come.
I wanted to give a special mention to Alex and Korinne and their new
little man Leyland James, who is having a bit of a rough start in life -
he is a little greek warrior who will battle through this, and I know he
and I will line up 18 years from now at the starting line of some race
some where, and he will dart past me like the old bastard I am. I also
run this race for the Mesimeris family with the hopes that Leyland kicks
ASS and finally can come home meet his new friend Ella.
Finally, as I mentioned in an earlier email, this race is dedicated to
the memory of Tara McConnach, who was taken too soon. Her name has been
written on my race jersey, right over my heart, and thoughts of her will
get me through all of these miles with a smile on my face. Every step I
have run while training for this race, over 480 miles, has been with her
in mind. Hopefully she knows that and is smiling someplace herself.
So I guess that's about all I have to say about that. I'm not a very
spiritual fellow, but the only way to describe how I feel right now is
blessed - to have such people in my life, such love, that I feel like I
could do ANYTHING. This race is for YOU.
Wish me luck, keep your eyes peeled for me, cheer for me, and be
prepared to see a grown man cry if you are at the finish line...! I
love you all.

-B

PS - here's the Newsday article from today's paper!


PPS - http://fanalert.ingnycmarathon.org/Alerts.aspx click there if you want to see how I am doing during the race!

NBC Interview!

Here it is - direct from the NBC website!!!!

Monday = Media Day

As the marathon rapidly approaches, my couple of media "appearances" are going to be broadcast during the marathon week - both my CBS radio interview and my NBC-TV interview will be broadcast on Monday, October 27th. They may be replayed again during the marathon itself on Nov 2nd. Marla Diamond, the CBS reporter, kindly emailed me mp3's of 2 snippets of my interview with her so that I could put it on my blog for others not in the NY area could hear it. I could think of no other way to do this other than to play the snippets in succession on my computer while videoing my computer screen and putting it on youtube. I think the quality is pretty decent, you can at least hear the 2 30-second clips pretty clearly. So here's that:



I am going to record my NBC interview, and should hopefully, with Marty's help, be able to figure out how to get that onto youtube more directly than I did with this radio interview!

Please keep sending me good vibes! I am in the middle of my taper weeks, which means that these next days until the marathon I gradually decrease the amount of running I am doing to try and rest my legs while at the same time trying to keep up the level of endurance I spent the last 4 months building up. Tapering = heaven. I can't wait til the day or two before the race when I get to carb-load like CRAZY! :)

Off I go... enjoy the interview!!

House Pics!

I finally got around to uploading some pics from the camera - these are some photos of the house just after closing, right through to our move in day of October 2nd. I also added some current Ella pics, including some from this weekend's Fall Festival in Long Beach. The house on the inside is currently in shambles, but it already looks better than it does in most of these pics. The living room, for instance, you will see looks half painted - I just finished the trim tonight, so it looks nicer now. :) Enjoy!

PS- I did my last 20 mile training run yesterday, am officially tapering down now for the big race in UNDER 3 WEEKS!!!

Our New Home!

Me shlepping power tools. MANLY.

The kitchen.

Dining room.

Boiler/Laundry Room.

Currently Ella's room, will end up as the spare bedroom.

Currently our bedroom, will end up as the Office/Workout room.

Shlepping more stuff!

There used to be a kitchen in this vicinity here...

Moved in, stuff EVERYWHERE. This is the living room, photographed from the kitchen.

Dining room chock full o' boxes n' stuff.

Beachy.

Smoochie smoochie.

Giant pumpking toting child.

Ella shouting "I got you daddy!" as she holds me steady as I paint the trim. Gross calves, I know.

Playing in her very own backyard!

Cat boots.

Fall festival!

3 generations of Spar.