It's been a while since I updated because these past couple of weeks have been chaotic to say the least!! It started off with a quick jaunt to Seattle for my buddy Nate's wedding. I was only there for 3ish days, so didn't have much time to explore the area, but the parts I did get to see were really nice. The wedding was lovely and I had a great time. I was happy to get home, however, to see my ladies, because that was the longest I had ever been away from them. When I got home, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were here visiting for a week, which flew by. Then, after they left, my grandparents came in for Ella's birthday! They are leaving tomorrow - we will be sad to see them go. Oh, and we are trying to buy a house as well - went to see it the Sunday before I left for Seattle, had the offer accepted by the Wednesday, now still waiting for contract to be settled and signed.
So, to summarize, over the past 2 weeks, I have been across the country and back, had a house full of people, my daughter turned 2, we are in negotiations for our first house, and I am about to turn 32 on Saturday. Where does one find the time to train?!?!
I had to take a bit of a hiatus while in Seattle - there simply was no time. Once I got home, I was right back into it. I have been running 4x a week, with a long run once a week. My long run this past Sunday was 11 miles. Not too bad yet...I am dreading the 20 milers in a couple of months!! The biggest obstacle, really, is the weather. The humidity is stifling, more so than any summer in recent memory, which really hinders my performance. In order to avoid the excessive humidity and heat, I wake up very early and try and get out on the road by 6-630am. That way, the sun isnt very far up yet, and it is still relatively cool outside. Other times, when this isnt possible, I hit the treadmill at the air conditioned gym. This is fine for the shorter runs, but for the long ones....it is truly awful, so we try to avoid 10+ miles on the treadmill at all costs!
My article came out this week in the Long Beach Herald - quite a nice spread, I am on the cover as well as 2 pages inside! If you haven't seen it, I have scanned it onto my blog in full - quite a flattering piece, of course the author forgot to put in the website for donations....! I have emailed the editor, he said he will get it into next week's issue. I actually was contacted by one of my old middle school/high school teachers after seeing the article - he kept saying how proud of me he is, and how I am an inspiration to so many people. That sotr of thing will never get old, and is one of the reasons I keep going to the gym every day. Next up: Runner's World, November 2008 issue!! I can't wait!
The thing about running is that it gives you a lot of alone time with nothing to do but think. On one of my runs this past week, I started to think about motivation. Not the usual motivation stuff, i.e. staying trim and fit, running faster, making people proud of me, etc. What I started thinking about was the actual race itself - it is going to be a long, hard road, something that I have never done before, something that is going to put my body to quite a test, and I am sure I am going to be shattered well before the finish line. I want to have something to think of that is going to drive me to that finish line with determination, ferocity even. I don't know if it will be possible, after 26 miles, to have anything resembling ferocity left in me, but you get what I mean.
Of course, my wife and daughter serve as my inspiration daily for doing what I do. So do all of my family and friends, and the thought of them being proud of me for accomplishing what I have done and what I will continue to do. I am also motivated by everyone who has donated to Team for Kids in my name, whether they know me or not, because they are supporting my goal of finishing this race, but also are supporting my hope for the future, trying to eliminate obesity as one of the leading causes of preventable death.
These people motivate me daily, and will do so during the race. But one person keeps popping into my head. I flash back to the end of February this past year when I learned of my childhood friend Tara McConnach's death and I get chills down my spine every time - I know this will happen for the rest of my life. I think of how I felt when I realized that we hadn't seen each other in YEARS and how I would never see her again. I think of how devastating her wake was, seeing photographs of her smiling face everywhere. I think of how horrifying her funeral was, seeing this family I grew up with in absolute despair as her coffin was brought into the church. It shattered the innocence of my childhood, and these images will never ever leave me. Tara was a beautiful soul that left us too soon.
It is for these reasons that I decided to dedicate this race to Tara's memory, and the hope that the McConnach family can regain some happiness and normalcy in their lives.
Until next time,
Gotta run!
-B
To donate, please click the following link:
https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2008/donations.htm
My Entry Number is 211355 – you will need to put this number and my last
name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Ella's 2nd Birthday!
It is hard to believe that 2 years ago today, my little munchkin joined us in the land of the air-breathing human-folk. It seems SO long ago, yet just like yesterday that we were in that hospital room, and after agonizing hours, Angela finally popped out this little shriveled screaming stranger. She didn't look particularly cute in retrospect, although everyone told me she was. I think they were just being nice - she looked like any other little baby I suppose. All she did was scream, drink, poop and pee, and occasionally sleep for a bit. Quite a chore. Flash forward to today, and we have an independent, sentence-speaking, cartoon-loving, intelligent, hysterically funny, cuter-than-anything-ever, free-thinking little lady. She (along with Angela of course!) is the love of my life, and I am thankful for her presence every day, even when she is being IMPOSSIBLE and yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" at any word you speak to her. She is a joy and the world is a better place having her in it. Hopefully we will read this together 13-14 years from now, when she is in her "I HATE YOU" phase, and I will remember the happy days of parenting, and perhaps she will see that no matter what she thinks, daddy will always love her even if he won't buy her a new Mercedes.
Here's some pics of her birthday party!
Mmmm. Chips.
Huggies with mommy!
Engorging.
Dan, Mel, Mom, Martini.
Practicing?
Pinned...
Damn shame how dark this one came out - Nanny, Poppy, punkin-head.
Dora cake, made by Angela and Melissa
Mmmmmmmm. Dora Cake.
"MY HATS!"
Here's some pics of her birthday party!
Mmmm. Chips.
Huggies with mommy!
Engorging.
Dan, Mel, Mom, Martini.
Practicing?
Pinned...
Damn shame how dark this one came out - Nanny, Poppy, punkin-head.
Dora cake, made by Angela and Melissa
Mmmmmmmm. Dora Cake.
"MY HATS!"Thursday, July 24, 2008
Seattle and the Herald
Last week was a busy one - had to take a short hiatus from life/training to go to Seattle for Nate's wedding. We were busy going from one function to another, but had a great time seeing the sites of Seattle and meeting plenty of lovely people. Then, upon coming home, I see that the article written about me has been published in the Herald - I am on the cover AND there are 2 pages about me inside! All scanned for those of you not in LB. :) Back on the training saddle, all is well. Here's some photos!
Trying on the pimp-tux.
The view from Nate's suite. Sweet.
Nate doing the YMCA dance with the belly dancer at his bachelor party.
Me and Brucey trying to avoid being trapped under this giant traffic cone.
The Space Needle
View from the Space Needle. On the right, you can see the stadiums where the Seahawks and the Mariners play.
Pike's Place Market
Home of the famous Flying Fish shop...
...and the first ever Starbucks!
Pic taken with my cell phone at the wedding. I have no other photos from the wedding itself.
Yeah, thats me, the MARATHON MAN, bitches.
How bad-ass am I? Yeah, I know. Pretty bad-ass.
Trying on the pimp-tux.
The view from Nate's suite. Sweet.
Nate doing the YMCA dance with the belly dancer at his bachelor party.
Me and Brucey trying to avoid being trapped under this giant traffic cone.
The Space Needle
View from the Space Needle. On the right, you can see the stadiums where the Seahawks and the Mariners play.
Pike's Place Market
Home of the famous Flying Fish shop...
...and the first ever Starbucks!
Pic taken with my cell phone at the wedding. I have no other photos from the wedding itself.
Yeah, thats me, the MARATHON MAN, bitches.
How bad-ass am I? Yeah, I know. Pretty bad-ass.Sunday, July 13, 2008
Training Update #3!
Hello again!
My boss Keith, himself an avid runner/triathelete, tells me I must learn
to run without music in order to fully be able to appreciate the
atmosphere of the NYC marathon – the fans, the sights, the sounds of
45,000 feet pounding the pavement of NYC. However, I don't know if I am
going to be able to do that, and today was a prime example of why.
I was up at 6:00am to get my long run in before the heat of the day
really kicked in. I ran out the door at 6:30am, threw my headphones on
and headed for the boardwalk. As soon as the music starts, the memories
begin to flow – almost every song on my iPod is firmly attached to some
memory, most happy, which transports me to a different place/time, and
makes the time fly...
“Hot in Herre” by Nelly
***FLASH BACK***
I look up at the clock. Only 3:00am?? I swear it feels like we have been
here ALL NIGHT. I am surrounded by surgeons and students alike, all
wearing scrubs, all extremely tired from this barrage of emergency cases
hitting the equine clinic at the Royal Veterinary College. Of course I
had to be on call tonight of all nights!
Jennifer, otherwise known as Sniffer (i.e. Butt Sniffer – yes, I came up
with the nickname. I know, I am SO mature), was standing next to me. The
surgeons just anesthetized the second surgical colic case of the
evening, and we were definitely going to be stuck in the theatre with
them until daybreak. Us students were of SO much use to the surgeons –
standing around, occasionally having a look to make sure the horse was
still breathing, etc, was definitely an important job. Before this, my
latest surgical “assistance” included standing in one place, scrubbed
up, wearing surgical gown, mask, gloves, etc, and holding a bowl for 5
hours. Now this.
“UGH it is SO HOT in this room! Can't they turn on the AC or something?”
says Sniffer.
At this point, the fatigue started to overtake me, and I became
delusional. Despite one of the surgeons preference for Led Zeppelin
(which was on the CD player at that moment), I jumped up and started to
sing...
“It's gettin' hot in hea! So take off all yo clothes!”
“I am...getting so hot...I'm gonna take my clothes off!” shouted
Sniffer.
We continued to dance around and sing in such a fashion, and luckily the
surgeons and the rest of the staff found us amusing rather than
offensive, as they continued to examine the intestines of this poor
unfortunate horse. Once the horse was in recovery, the surgeons bought
us bacon sandwiches and diet cokes and sent us to bed, correctly
assuming that we were going to be useless in the hospital for that rest
of that day.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Sexy Love” by Ne-Yo
***FLASH BACK***
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
I am watching Ella on my own for the first time today. Angela just
started back at work this week, and this is my Monday off so Ella gets
to hang with her pop for the day. I was so excited at the prospect of
this day finally arriving – I had thoughts of her having a nap on my
shoulder while I watched Sportscenter, giving her her milk and maybe
even going for a walk in the lovely September afternoon. Of course I was
planning on her being a little angel for her daddy.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“HOW DO I GET HER TO STOP SCREAMING!??!” I frantically howled down the
telephone to Angela. “SHE WON'T STOP!!!!”
“I'm sorry babe, I haven't quite got that mastered yet. Woops, an
appointment just walked in, gotta go, good luck, bye!!!” Click.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
I hear singing helps soothe savage beasts from time to time. Let's give
it a try. I click on the iPod, and the first song on the “Baby Mix”
comes on...and we sing...
“She makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, just one touch and
I erupt, like a volcano and cover her with my love baby girl you make me
say...Sexy Love, oh the things you do...”
She stops crying, and falls asleep. I put her in her little vibrating
chair contraption and watch her snooze. I finish singing the song,
because I feel like it, and turn the iPod off...
..and savor the silence.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“September” by Earth, Wind and Fire
***FLASH BACK***
Damn, this girl can DRIVE. Hurtling down the M-25 at 8 million mph
(approximately), heading towards Heathrow Airport, Siobhan and I were
having a grand old time singing along to everything that comes on the
radio. This is it, my final trip back to the states from London, my
second home. I have already said goodbye to most of my wonderful friends
from vet school, and Suzie G and I are heading back to reality. Suzie is
in Ros's car with her luggage and puppy Joey. I am rollin' with my
singing partner Sio in her ride. This is a bittersweet day – whilst I am
SO very sad to be leaving this country and these people, my girlfriend
Angela is back on Long Island with our cat Ainsley, awaiting my arrival.
It has been 3 long months since we have seen each other, and I cannot
wait to hug her and never have to be apart like this again.
Although it is July, for some reason, “September” comes on Heart 106.2
FM...and Sio and I are belting it out like rock stars. I am going to
miss these days, but can't wait to see what the future holds. Could I be
smiling any wider??
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Where the Green Grass Grows” by Tim McGraw
***FLASH BACK***
MAN, did I need that nap! I have never been out of the NY time zone
before today, and now my internal clock is all messed up. When I arrived
in “Clandon Gardens,” I expected some posh neighborhood, and found
instead a run-down block of flats. Good ol' University of London – so
much for first impressions, eh?
When I arrived this morning (which, to my body, was still last night), I
got my key, let myself into an empty flat, and passed out. Now I hear
some rustling in the kitchen, so I guess I should go meet my new
flatmates.
I walked into the kitchen and am greeted by the backs of 2 people
wearing nearly identical clothes – flannel lumberjack-style shirts and
jeans. “Hi!” I joyfully exclaim.
They turn around and look at me, with my bleach-tipped hair, 7 earrings,
tongue-ring, and larger-than life-ness (all 340lbs of it), and stare for
an instant before responding with “Uh, hullo.” I notice the t-shirts
underneath the flannels – his was a Garth Brooks concert t-shirt, hers
had the Budweiser clydesdales emblazoned upon it. “Holy crap,” I think
to myself, “I am going to be shacked up with a couple of hicks from the
middle of nowhere!”
Shocked as they were, Brittany and her husband Darren finally got to
talking a bit – Brittany was my classmate, Darren just came to get her
settled in, and was heading back home to Illinois next week to help with
the harvest. They used funny words like “erl” instead of “oil” and
“crick” instead of “creek.” Silly little folks from Bumble-Fart,
Nowhere, USA!
One night sometime during the beginning of our first year, “When the
Green Grass Grows” emanated from Britt's room. Her door was locked. I
came to find later that she was crying from homesickness, especially now
that Darren had left.
We ended up becoming the closest of friends, and lived together
throughout our 5 years of vet school. I guess opposites do attract?
Maybe we aren't so different after all. Britt did get me into Garth
Brooks and Dixie Chicks, and I think I managed to get her to listed to
Dave Matthews Band once or twice. I continue to make fun of their
“wershing their feet in the crick” and “filling the car up with erl” to
this day. It never gets old.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Hotel California” by The Eagles
***FLASH BACK***
“Feed it some beer. That would be hysterical.” We were huddled around a
little frog we found in the woods of Vermont, all 4 of us in our second
year of vet school on a camping excursion. All 4 of us drunk.
As the evening went on, and the drunkenness continued, we were sitting
around a picnic table listening to the radio. “Hotel California” comes
on, and Matthias, drunker than I had ever seen him, looks up and
exclaims “Turn that shit up. This is the best song ever!” And flops over
head first onto the table. Nate, Jeff and I decide to go for a wander,
to let Matthias work through whatever gastrointestinal problem he might
have. We circled back to the campsite, and heard Matthias retching in
the woods. We figured he'd need another few minutes, so we wandered some
more, came back, and found him passed out in his tent. He was breathing,
so we thought he'd be ok. After a few more bags of Doritos and a couple
more beers, we retired for the night – tomorrow would be a long day of
driving back home to Long Island.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Crazy in Love” by Beyonce
***FLASH BACK***
Dancing like loons in the seedy clubs in Corfu, Greece on our Vet School
Final Year Holiday, all of us together for the last time in the most
disgusting place I have ever been.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Lover Lay Down” by Dave Matthews Band
***FLASH BACK***
Angela and my wedding song (I chose it, of course). One of the best days
of my life.
Also, one of the songs played into Angela's tummy while Ella was
incubating nicely. Ella's birth being the other best day of my life.
***FLASH FORWARD**
I look down at my watch...and the 9 miles are done.
Hopefully the music of my life can help me get through the 26.2 miles on
November 2nd...because I am going to need all the help I can get!
Until next time,
-Brian
To donate, please click the following link:
https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2008/donations.htm
My Entry Number is 211355 – you will need to put this number and my last
name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.
Now....pics!
I SWEAR she climbed in there herself!
In Ella's own words..."SIMMING!"
Beach BBQ!
Family Photo!
James and I grillin'
Some of the TAH crew.
A day at the park!
Daddy, Ella and Mee-mah.
Loving the slide.
What a profile...!
My new clothes for Nate's wedding rehearsal dinner
You LOVE the white socks, don't lie.
"CHEEEEEEEEEEEESE!" She is seriously saying that right here.
Ah the happy times...if only she wasn't screaming "NO!!" so frequently these days...
My boss Keith, himself an avid runner/triathelete, tells me I must learn
to run without music in order to fully be able to appreciate the
atmosphere of the NYC marathon – the fans, the sights, the sounds of
45,000 feet pounding the pavement of NYC. However, I don't know if I am
going to be able to do that, and today was a prime example of why.
I was up at 6:00am to get my long run in before the heat of the day
really kicked in. I ran out the door at 6:30am, threw my headphones on
and headed for the boardwalk. As soon as the music starts, the memories
begin to flow – almost every song on my iPod is firmly attached to some
memory, most happy, which transports me to a different place/time, and
makes the time fly...
“Hot in Herre” by Nelly
***FLASH BACK***
I look up at the clock. Only 3:00am?? I swear it feels like we have been
here ALL NIGHT. I am surrounded by surgeons and students alike, all
wearing scrubs, all extremely tired from this barrage of emergency cases
hitting the equine clinic at the Royal Veterinary College. Of course I
had to be on call tonight of all nights!
Jennifer, otherwise known as Sniffer (i.e. Butt Sniffer – yes, I came up
with the nickname. I know, I am SO mature), was standing next to me. The
surgeons just anesthetized the second surgical colic case of the
evening, and we were definitely going to be stuck in the theatre with
them until daybreak. Us students were of SO much use to the surgeons –
standing around, occasionally having a look to make sure the horse was
still breathing, etc, was definitely an important job. Before this, my
latest surgical “assistance” included standing in one place, scrubbed
up, wearing surgical gown, mask, gloves, etc, and holding a bowl for 5
hours. Now this.
“UGH it is SO HOT in this room! Can't they turn on the AC or something?”
says Sniffer.
At this point, the fatigue started to overtake me, and I became
delusional. Despite one of the surgeons preference for Led Zeppelin
(which was on the CD player at that moment), I jumped up and started to
sing...
“It's gettin' hot in hea! So take off all yo clothes!”
“I am...getting so hot...I'm gonna take my clothes off!” shouted
Sniffer.
We continued to dance around and sing in such a fashion, and luckily the
surgeons and the rest of the staff found us amusing rather than
offensive, as they continued to examine the intestines of this poor
unfortunate horse. Once the horse was in recovery, the surgeons bought
us bacon sandwiches and diet cokes and sent us to bed, correctly
assuming that we were going to be useless in the hospital for that rest
of that day.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Sexy Love” by Ne-Yo
***FLASH BACK***
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
I am watching Ella on my own for the first time today. Angela just
started back at work this week, and this is my Monday off so Ella gets
to hang with her pop for the day. I was so excited at the prospect of
this day finally arriving – I had thoughts of her having a nap on my
shoulder while I watched Sportscenter, giving her her milk and maybe
even going for a walk in the lovely September afternoon. Of course I was
planning on her being a little angel for her daddy.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“HOW DO I GET HER TO STOP SCREAMING!??!” I frantically howled down the
telephone to Angela. “SHE WON'T STOP!!!!”
“I'm sorry babe, I haven't quite got that mastered yet. Woops, an
appointment just walked in, gotta go, good luck, bye!!!” Click.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
I hear singing helps soothe savage beasts from time to time. Let's give
it a try. I click on the iPod, and the first song on the “Baby Mix”
comes on...and we sing...
“She makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, just one touch and
I erupt, like a volcano and cover her with my love baby girl you make me
say...Sexy Love, oh the things you do...”
She stops crying, and falls asleep. I put her in her little vibrating
chair contraption and watch her snooze. I finish singing the song,
because I feel like it, and turn the iPod off...
..and savor the silence.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“September” by Earth, Wind and Fire
***FLASH BACK***
Damn, this girl can DRIVE. Hurtling down the M-25 at 8 million mph
(approximately), heading towards Heathrow Airport, Siobhan and I were
having a grand old time singing along to everything that comes on the
radio. This is it, my final trip back to the states from London, my
second home. I have already said goodbye to most of my wonderful friends
from vet school, and Suzie G and I are heading back to reality. Suzie is
in Ros's car with her luggage and puppy Joey. I am rollin' with my
singing partner Sio in her ride. This is a bittersweet day – whilst I am
SO very sad to be leaving this country and these people, my girlfriend
Angela is back on Long Island with our cat Ainsley, awaiting my arrival.
It has been 3 long months since we have seen each other, and I cannot
wait to hug her and never have to be apart like this again.
Although it is July, for some reason, “September” comes on Heart 106.2
FM...and Sio and I are belting it out like rock stars. I am going to
miss these days, but can't wait to see what the future holds. Could I be
smiling any wider??
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Where the Green Grass Grows” by Tim McGraw
***FLASH BACK***
MAN, did I need that nap! I have never been out of the NY time zone
before today, and now my internal clock is all messed up. When I arrived
in “Clandon Gardens,” I expected some posh neighborhood, and found
instead a run-down block of flats. Good ol' University of London – so
much for first impressions, eh?
When I arrived this morning (which, to my body, was still last night), I
got my key, let myself into an empty flat, and passed out. Now I hear
some rustling in the kitchen, so I guess I should go meet my new
flatmates.
I walked into the kitchen and am greeted by the backs of 2 people
wearing nearly identical clothes – flannel lumberjack-style shirts and
jeans. “Hi!” I joyfully exclaim.
They turn around and look at me, with my bleach-tipped hair, 7 earrings,
tongue-ring, and larger-than life-ness (all 340lbs of it), and stare for
an instant before responding with “Uh, hullo.” I notice the t-shirts
underneath the flannels – his was a Garth Brooks concert t-shirt, hers
had the Budweiser clydesdales emblazoned upon it. “Holy crap,” I think
to myself, “I am going to be shacked up with a couple of hicks from the
middle of nowhere!”
Shocked as they were, Brittany and her husband Darren finally got to
talking a bit – Brittany was my classmate, Darren just came to get her
settled in, and was heading back home to Illinois next week to help with
the harvest. They used funny words like “erl” instead of “oil” and
“crick” instead of “creek.” Silly little folks from Bumble-Fart,
Nowhere, USA!
One night sometime during the beginning of our first year, “When the
Green Grass Grows” emanated from Britt's room. Her door was locked. I
came to find later that she was crying from homesickness, especially now
that Darren had left.
We ended up becoming the closest of friends, and lived together
throughout our 5 years of vet school. I guess opposites do attract?
Maybe we aren't so different after all. Britt did get me into Garth
Brooks and Dixie Chicks, and I think I managed to get her to listed to
Dave Matthews Band once or twice. I continue to make fun of their
“wershing their feet in the crick” and “filling the car up with erl” to
this day. It never gets old.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Hotel California” by The Eagles
***FLASH BACK***
“Feed it some beer. That would be hysterical.” We were huddled around a
little frog we found in the woods of Vermont, all 4 of us in our second
year of vet school on a camping excursion. All 4 of us drunk.
As the evening went on, and the drunkenness continued, we were sitting
around a picnic table listening to the radio. “Hotel California” comes
on, and Matthias, drunker than I had ever seen him, looks up and
exclaims “Turn that shit up. This is the best song ever!” And flops over
head first onto the table. Nate, Jeff and I decide to go for a wander,
to let Matthias work through whatever gastrointestinal problem he might
have. We circled back to the campsite, and heard Matthias retching in
the woods. We figured he'd need another few minutes, so we wandered some
more, came back, and found him passed out in his tent. He was breathing,
so we thought he'd be ok. After a few more bags of Doritos and a couple
more beers, we retired for the night – tomorrow would be a long day of
driving back home to Long Island.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Crazy in Love” by Beyonce
***FLASH BACK***
Dancing like loons in the seedy clubs in Corfu, Greece on our Vet School
Final Year Holiday, all of us together for the last time in the most
disgusting place I have ever been.
***FLASH FORWARD***
“Lover Lay Down” by Dave Matthews Band
***FLASH BACK***
Angela and my wedding song (I chose it, of course). One of the best days
of my life.
Also, one of the songs played into Angela's tummy while Ella was
incubating nicely. Ella's birth being the other best day of my life.
***FLASH FORWARD**
I look down at my watch...and the 9 miles are done.
Hopefully the music of my life can help me get through the 26.2 miles on
November 2nd...because I am going to need all the help I can get!
Until next time,
-Brian
To donate, please click the following link:
https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2008/donations.htm
My Entry Number is 211355 – you will need to put this number and my last
name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.
Now....pics!
I SWEAR she climbed in there herself!
In Ella's own words..."SIMMING!"
Beach BBQ!
Family Photo!
James and I grillin'
Some of the TAH crew.
A day at the park!
Daddy, Ella and Mee-mah.
Loving the slide.
What a profile...!
My new clothes for Nate's wedding rehearsal dinner
You LOVE the white socks, don't lie.
"CHEEEEEEEEEEEESE!" She is seriously saying that right here.
Ah the happy times...if only she wasn't screaming "NO!!" so frequently these days...Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Random Thought of the Day
Anyone who does this to their car/truck should be dragged forcefully from the vehicle, beaten over the head with a shovel and shot between the eyes.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Training Update #2
Hello again!
This week marked the first official training week for the marathon.
This past Friday, I sat down with a couple of possible training plans
and combined aspects of all of them to create my own 18-week plan. I
wanted to start from scratch, so am starting at a slower pace than I had
been accustomed to, which is pretty sensible considering that I have
never run any further than 14 miles, so I can't expect to maintain a
14-mile pace for 26.2 miles! So far, so good - a 3 mile mellow trot on
monday and a 5 mile tempo run today. Feeling great!
As I mentioned, I promised Angela that I would go to a cardiologist
before attempting the race. I never thought she would actually hold me
to that...alas I was wrong, as she pulled out the medical insurance book
last week and made me pick a doctor and call to make an appointment
while she stood listening. Yes, seriously.
So, today was the big day - would my heart pass the test? Would I be
able to fulfill all of these expectations placed upon myself? Would I
live the dream? Or have my hopes SHATTERED???
I went in to the office, filled out my paperwork and sat down and
waited. The waiting room was filled with, shall I say, "overly mature"
folk, several that needed walkers to move around. I felt a bit out of
place in my running shoes and sweat-wicking shirt and shorts (yes, I was
going for a run after the appointment). People may have been staring at
me, but I was too engrossed in watching one unfortunate woman try to get
her insurance sorted out to notice.
After a few minutes, I hear my name called, and follow the nurse in to
the doctor's office - now, I am talking about his office, not an exam
room - you know what I mean, his diplomas from 200 different
universities plastered on the walls, notes scribbled on bits of paper
scattered on his desk. I managed to sneak a peak at one of these sheets
of paper, and found that the good doctor was off to Toronto next week!
For what, we can only guess...but I digress.
The doctor looks at me as if I just flew in through the window or
something and says, "You are way to young to be here."
Obviously, flattered that this chap considers me a strapping young
stud, I say "Well, nothing is actually WRONG with me. Hopefully. My
loving/paranoid wife wants you to guarantee her that I will not die
doing the NYC Marathon. If I die, she is going to hunt you down and
destroy you, so just keep that in mind." I made that last part up. He
asked me a bunch of questions, including what I do for a living, if I
have run much in the past, etc etc. I tell him that I used to be 150lbs
heavier, I have been running for 2 years, and over the last calendar
year I have done 4 half marathons, 2 10-mile races and plenty of other
runs as well, and that I am a veterinarian. He looks at me and says,
"You are a vet? So you know this is a waste of time, right?"
I say, "Indeed I do, and my wife is also a vet who also likely knows
deep down that this is a waste of time. I just elect not to argue with
her." He laughed, and went on to say, "You have done all this running
over the past year and have had no problems - I highly doubt you will
have any going forward, but let's just do a couple of tests."
So, they weigh me, check my blood pressure and do an EKG - all of
which is perfectly normal. So the doctor gives me the "all clear" and
thus...the dream is alive! WHEW.
Another couple of cool bits of news - the charity I am running for,
Team for Kids, contacted me a few days ago. The person who writes the
newsletter for the organization, a lovely woman named Gail Waesche
Kislevitz (who has also run over 20 marathons and has written a couple
of books on the subject!), heard about me and wanted to have a chat
about my weight loss success to put in the newsletter. We spoke on the
phone for about 20 minutes yesterday, and it turns out she also writes
for Runner's World magazine, and is going to try and get my story
published in there as well! How cool is that!??! Oh, and also I
emailed the Long Beach Herald to see if they would print something about
me, so I could get some publicity in my home-town newspaper, and maybe
get some more donations rolling in - they emailed me back that they want
to do a featured article about me! Yeah, I'll be in the movies in NO
TIME at this rate...!
That's all I have for you for this installment of "Brian's Road To
Lunacy" - please stay tuned for more updates! For all those who have
been donating to the cause, I once again must say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
For those who have been meaning to, I will include the link again, and
appreciate all the good vibes you are sending my way.
Until next time,
-Brian
To donate, please click the following link:
https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2008/donations.htm
My Entry Number is 211355 - you will need to put this number and my
last name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.
This week marked the first official training week for the marathon.
This past Friday, I sat down with a couple of possible training plans
and combined aspects of all of them to create my own 18-week plan. I
wanted to start from scratch, so am starting at a slower pace than I had
been accustomed to, which is pretty sensible considering that I have
never run any further than 14 miles, so I can't expect to maintain a
14-mile pace for 26.2 miles! So far, so good - a 3 mile mellow trot on
monday and a 5 mile tempo run today. Feeling great!
As I mentioned, I promised Angela that I would go to a cardiologist
before attempting the race. I never thought she would actually hold me
to that...alas I was wrong, as she pulled out the medical insurance book
last week and made me pick a doctor and call to make an appointment
while she stood listening. Yes, seriously.
So, today was the big day - would my heart pass the test? Would I be
able to fulfill all of these expectations placed upon myself? Would I
live the dream? Or have my hopes SHATTERED???
I went in to the office, filled out my paperwork and sat down and
waited. The waiting room was filled with, shall I say, "overly mature"
folk, several that needed walkers to move around. I felt a bit out of
place in my running shoes and sweat-wicking shirt and shorts (yes, I was
going for a run after the appointment). People may have been staring at
me, but I was too engrossed in watching one unfortunate woman try to get
her insurance sorted out to notice.
After a few minutes, I hear my name called, and follow the nurse in to
the doctor's office - now, I am talking about his office, not an exam
room - you know what I mean, his diplomas from 200 different
universities plastered on the walls, notes scribbled on bits of paper
scattered on his desk. I managed to sneak a peak at one of these sheets
of paper, and found that the good doctor was off to Toronto next week!
For what, we can only guess...but I digress.
The doctor looks at me as if I just flew in through the window or
something and says, "You are way to young to be here."
Obviously, flattered that this chap considers me a strapping young
stud, I say "Well, nothing is actually WRONG with me. Hopefully. My
loving/paranoid wife wants you to guarantee her that I will not die
doing the NYC Marathon. If I die, she is going to hunt you down and
destroy you, so just keep that in mind." I made that last part up. He
asked me a bunch of questions, including what I do for a living, if I
have run much in the past, etc etc. I tell him that I used to be 150lbs
heavier, I have been running for 2 years, and over the last calendar
year I have done 4 half marathons, 2 10-mile races and plenty of other
runs as well, and that I am a veterinarian. He looks at me and says,
"You are a vet? So you know this is a waste of time, right?"
I say, "Indeed I do, and my wife is also a vet who also likely knows
deep down that this is a waste of time. I just elect not to argue with
her." He laughed, and went on to say, "You have done all this running
over the past year and have had no problems - I highly doubt you will
have any going forward, but let's just do a couple of tests."
So, they weigh me, check my blood pressure and do an EKG - all of
which is perfectly normal. So the doctor gives me the "all clear" and
thus...the dream is alive! WHEW.
Another couple of cool bits of news - the charity I am running for,
Team for Kids, contacted me a few days ago. The person who writes the
newsletter for the organization, a lovely woman named Gail Waesche
Kislevitz (who has also run over 20 marathons and has written a couple
of books on the subject!), heard about me and wanted to have a chat
about my weight loss success to put in the newsletter. We spoke on the
phone for about 20 minutes yesterday, and it turns out she also writes
for Runner's World magazine, and is going to try and get my story
published in there as well! How cool is that!??! Oh, and also I
emailed the Long Beach Herald to see if they would print something about
me, so I could get some publicity in my home-town newspaper, and maybe
get some more donations rolling in - they emailed me back that they want
to do a featured article about me! Yeah, I'll be in the movies in NO
TIME at this rate...!
That's all I have for you for this installment of "Brian's Road To
Lunacy" - please stay tuned for more updates! For all those who have
been donating to the cause, I once again must say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
For those who have been meaning to, I will include the link again, and
appreciate all the good vibes you are sending my way.
Until next time,
-Brian
To donate, please click the following link:
https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2008/donations.htm
My Entry Number is 211355 - you will need to put this number and my
last name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.
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