Brian's Weblog

Summertime Fun!

2009-07-18T22:52:00.013-04:00

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!

2009-05-24T22:03:00.015-04:00

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!

2009-04-12T23:26:00.007-04:00

Twice in one week!! :)

Ella's newest gift from cousin Lauren!

Loving it!

Static

Mischief...

Easter egg hunting!

Latest family photo

Sorry

2009-04-10T21:47:00.011-04:00

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

2009-03-07T22:32:00.018-05:00

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...

2009-01-20T16:42:00.003-05:00

...and Yes We DID.

The Eve of History

2009-01-19T23:05:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-06T22:08:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-12-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-12-27T22:14:00.003-05:00

The Joy Fit Club

2008-12-01T17:33:00.014-05:00

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...

2008-11-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

...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!

2008-11-22T17:39:00.062-05:00

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

2008-11-19T14:39:00.007-05:00

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.

2008-11-03T23:31:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-02T21:40:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-11-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-10-27T16:10:00.002-04:00

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

Monday = Media Day

2008-10-21T23:09:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-10-13T21:14:00.021-04:00

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.

New Stuff!

2008-10-07T18:50:00.003-04:00

Lots of good stuff going on the past couple of weeks!

1) We closed on our house and are all moved in!

2) My sister and her boyfriend Dan got engaged!

3) My Runner's World article is out on stands now (November issue, page 26)!

4) I was interviewed by Monica Morales from NBC, and should be on the NBC news sometime on thursday! I will try to record it and put it on YouTube for those of you not in NY...! Will keep ypi posted as to what time it will be on NBC for those of you in NY who want to watch it LIVE!!

Mel, Dan and Mom at the engagement party.

The article!

Runner's World!

2008-09-15T20:22:00.005-04:00

So, the photographer for my Runner's World photo shoot was allowed to send me a few photos, namely ones where Ella strolled into the frame - and they are SO adorable, I had to post a few here. Enjoy!

This is my favorite!!

Lots of STUFF!

2008-09-10T20:33:00.012-04:00

I know it has been a while since I posted - that is because, between trying to close on our new house (yes, we are in contract FINALLY!), training for the race, and Ella deciding she no longer wants to sleep through the night anymore (i.e. we are now sleep deprived and thus going to sleep early!), I just haven't had the time or energy to upload pics and update the blog! I will do some bullet points and then get on to what most everyone cares about - the pics.

- The house is soon to be ours. We will be moving to Oceanside in the not too distant future, hopefully within the month. The financial implications of this are staggering and frightening as hell, but I am told it will be worth it. That is to be determined...

- Training has been going great. Until Sunday that is, when I was doing a 17 mile run. The first 14 miles went just fine. Then I tripped on a loose board on the boardwalk and went down HARD on my hip. I finished up the 17 miles, but the past few days, running has not been going well - the hip is sore, so haven't been able to do as much as is scheduled. I shall now start the advil/ice/cold laser therapy routine (we have the laser at work). Hopefully I will be ok for the 18 miles scheduled for Sunday.

- I almost got a chance to go to see Dave Matthews Band tonight from 2 separate people, but alas, my luck was not with me, and I did not secure the tickets. :(

- Michelle is visiting with us from Canada, which has been lovely. She is off home tomorrow.

- Had my photo shoot last week for "Runner's World" magazine - that should be out next month! Go and get it!!!

- I was recently contacted by NBC TV network to be on a show called "My First Time" - they have had 2 episodes already, this will be the third, and it will be about people with interesting stories who are running the NYC marathon for the first time. Apparently, I will be followed around by cameras for a MONTH. It will be like "The Real World" or something, how cool is THAT!??! I am PUMPED.

OK, that about covers it. Here's some pics:

My little burrito

Ella's first haircut

Me and my munchkin checking out the surf.

Pre-run

Planting Fields - Family shot #1

She knows how to use this thing...trust me.

Family photo #2

#3 - fuzzy, but too good to leave out.

Me, Ella and Michelle getting ready to munch our Whole Foods picnic!

Mommy and Ella

RIP LeRoi

2008-08-20T08:56:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me worth a damn knows of my fondness for Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Most of my chat screennames and email addresses begin with DMB. I even have DMB tattooed on my arm. This morning, one of the founding members of the band suddenly passed away at 46 years old from complications from an ATV accident suffered in June. Noone is sure what DMB will do without him, as he was an integral part of the band's creative process and unique sound. Hopefully the band finds a way to carry on, and he will surely be missed by any DMB fan. RIP LeRoi.

Training Update #4!

2008-07-29T20:54:00.007-04:00

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.

Ella's 2nd Birthday!

2008-07-27T22:35:00.010-04:00

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!"

Seattle and the Herald

2008-07-24T22:19:00.014-04:00

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.

Training Update #3!

2008-07-13T21:05:00.017-04:00

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...

Random Thought of the Day

2008-07-08T19:48:00.002-04:00

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.

Training Update #2

2008-07-02T20:38:00.002-04:00

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.

Training Update!

2008-06-22T18:04:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone!

As part of this marathon preparation/charity process, I swore I
would send out updates on a 1-2 weekly basis for all to read...
and probably snicker with delight at my insanity!  So, here is
the first installation of "Brian's Training Log" aka "That Idiot
is Doing WHAT???"

Today I ran another half-marathon - my second in 2 months,
and that is not counting my 2 10-mile races in that same period
of time.  This one course is a KILLER - it is in Fairfield,
Connecticut, and it was the first half marathon I had ever
attempted last year at this time.  It is the hilliest race I have ever
done (until I do the NYC marathon, so I hear), and the hills do
NOT quit.  From mile 2 up until mile 11, you are going up and
down hills the ENTIRE time.  Whether they be gentle, rolling
ones or steep morale-killers, they are "challenging" (read as
soul-destroying) and they last literally about 9 miles.

So, I really haven't trained for this race particularly - I trained
properly for the LI half marathon, and had great results - but I
didn't have time to put in a proper training schedule again
for this one.  I figured since I did the 10-mile race in Long Beach
a few weekends ago, and performed quite well, that I would be
up for the challenge of the Fairfield Half.  Thus, I signed up,
and away I went.

I tried to tell myself before the start to just think of it as a long
training run, do not even TRY to set a time to finish it in.  That
lasted about 30 seconds, as I told myself I wanted to at least
beat 2 hours.  This morning we awoke, with the previous
evening's weather forecast fresh in our minds (calling for rain
and thunderstorms).  It looked decent enough outside, so that
made us happy.  Until we stepped outside.  It was warm, yes,
but it was HUMID.  Humidity = run killer.  BIGTIME.  The new
thought going through my mind?  "SHIT" and "I hope I don't
end up in the hospital."  Off we went to the race.

Usually before races, I get the pre-race jitters - a nervous
feeling in my belly accompanied by extreme jittery jumpiness. 
I had none of it today, probably because I had resigned myself
to the fact that this was not going to be a personal-record
setting day.  This became even more evident when I tried to rev
up my ipod and the memory was wiped clean.  We postulated
that this was due to a jamming frequency set up by the race
coordinators due to the fact that they made headphones and
ipods outlawed for the race.  Whatever. I wolfed down my Clif
bar, and headed to the start.  We stood and chatted for a bit,
and then off we went.

I am going to condense this down, for the sake of everyone's time,
because it was 13.1 grueling miles... but basically, before the
start, I was hoping to maintain a nice 9 min/mile pace and finish a
shade under 2 hours.  That lasted for about 6 miles.  I am surprised
it lasted for more than 1/2 mile, considering I was hypoxic and
probably blue from 1/2 mile onwards, but I kept up the pace for a
while. Then, I could no longer take it, and my pace dwindled. When
I got to 10.5 miles, my hands went numb and my head started
throbbing - at this point, I thought it was probably a smart idea to
stop running to avoid that whole hospital thing, so I walked for a few
minutes to regain composure.  From here on, everything REALLY
sucked.  I had to stop at every water station to drink a cup, pour a
cup over my head and arms, then use another cup to swish around
in my mouth and spit out.  Usually I would do this whilst running....but
the last 4 miles or so I took the opportunity to actually STOP and
consume fluids.  I sputtered across the finish line in 2:04:04, which
was 3 minutes better than I did last year at this race, but is 12 minutes
slower than my time for the Long Island half in May. Truly appalling...
but I managed to avoid the hospital, engorged myself with watermelon,
bagels and chocolate milk, and drove home.  All in all a disappointing
day, but not surprising!

That's about all for now - for all those who have been donating to the
cause, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! For those who have been meaning to,
I 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.

And now...some pics!

Ella eating "fruit"

Ella and Mommy

"Helping" with the laundry

At Shea Stadium for the Mets vs Diamondbacks game 6/12/08. The new Citifield is in the background, will be the new home of the Mets starting next year.

My friend Jim and his bro Bill, the Biggest Losers from Season 4.

Throwing out the first pitch!

The starting pitcher = the $140 million dollar man, Johan Santana!

The pitch...

One of Johan's 10 strikeouts on the day!

Ah Willie, we hardly knew ya....

Today's race - pre-torture.

Family photo...pre-torture.

The 3 lunatics...pre-torture.

Ticker

2008-06-17T18:26:00.002-04:00

Please Help!

2008-06-14T13:49:00.005-04:00

Most (if not all) of you have known me for a VERY long time, and remember well the time in my life when I wouldn't pass up a quart of italian ices or even consider a walk around the block. When I would have to buy XXXL clothes, which I would have to special order online because no store carried such large sizes. The time in my life where I would literally start sweating with the effort of bending over to examine a dog at the office. To say I was overweight would be a drastic understatement - I was most certainly morbidly obese.
It is a proven fact that the majority of children who are obese become overweight adults. Obesity can lead to many health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney problems, certain types of cancer and diabetes, to name a few. I was overweight for my entire life - until I was fortunate enough to have a switch flipped inside my head, and I was able to remedy my problem before it became irreversible. I feel very lucky and proud to have accomplished this feat with love and support from all of you.
You all probably also know of how I spend most of my time outside of work and home - I have become a runner. If you would have told me that I would have uttered those five words 4 years ago, I would have told you to either see a psychologist or get help for a drinking problem. I have run numerous races to this point, the longest being the half marathon (I have done 4 of these in the past year). My ultimate goal is to run a full marathon, specifically the New York City Marathon this November.
The NYC Marathon is the most popular marathon in the world, with over 40,000 runners participating. The crowd support is unparalleled. I have been told that running this particular race has been one of the best moments of a runner's life. This is the feeling I want to get from my first marathon, no matter how hilly or difficult the terrain.
It is for these reasons that I decided to kill two birds with one stone - run my "dream race" while trying to help educate a new generation of children on how to live a healthy lifestyle. I am going to run the NYC Marathon in support of Team for Kids.
Team for Kids members support acclaimed youth running programs that improve health, combat obesity and enhance personal development of children from low-income communities. Since 2002,Team for Kids members have raised more than $8 million to fund NYRR Foundation programs now uplifting almost 50,000 children a week in more than 200 schools and community
centers. Programs are transforming kid's lives in New York City and throughout the United States as well as the Cape Town region of South Africa.
Team for Kids plays a decisive role in responding to the devastating human and economic toll of childhood obesity, a deadly scourge whose long term consequences will diminish tens of millions of lives and cost of hundreds of billions of dollars if left un-reversed. With primary support from Team for Kids, NYRR Foundation's model programs teach children the fundamentals of lifetime fitness, while building their fortitude and focus and increasing their
self-discipline and self-esteem.
Please help me fulfill my 2 goals: 1) To run a previously unthinkable distance in the best venue in the world, and 2) Support a charity which will help our future youth live healthier, happier, longer lives. If you can donate any amount, it will get me that much closer to accomplishing 2 amazing feats that I would never have imagined I could do. When I cross
that finish line, I will have all of you in my thoughts...as well as being thankful that I have made
it alive!!!

I have pledged to raise $2500 - To donate, please click here.

My Entry Number is 211355 - you will need to put this number and my last name in the appropriate boxes in order to donate.

Thank you in advance, I will keep you all posted on my training progress!

HOT

2008-06-08T12:37:00.007-04:00

As I sit here and sweat my cojones off in the 90 degree heat, and as I continue to ponder what marathon I shall commit myself to, I figured...why not post some photos?

Movie starlet in her latest role.

Nice stems!

"CHEEEEEEEEESE!" again...

"Mess? What mess?" *innocently bats eyelashes*

Ella and Poppy!

Bummed

2008-06-05T21:11:00.004-04:00

I didn't get a number for the NYC Marathon this November. I am majorly bummed out right now. I will, therefore, have to look into signing up for a charity to get a number, but most of them require $2500 to be raised for the cause, and I am not sure I will be able to get that much together. So we'll see what happens. I am bummed.

Memorial Day Racing!

2008-05-26T21:50:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, my sister and I ran a 10 mile race in Long Beach. I wouldn't have done it if it weren't so close to home (seeing as I hadn't really run much over the past 3 weeks after my knee hurt post-Half Marathon), but I figured "What the hell." Weather was perfect, and thus both of us did very well - I bested my last 10 miler time by about 30 seconds, and Melissa ran her fastest long run ever, averaging a 9:30 min/mile. The last mile of the race I actually ran in 7:55, which is quite amazing for me considering I felt completely drained...oh, and my knee doesn't hurt either...! Here's some finish line photos, courtesy of Angela (and Ella was there cheering us on!):

Still smiling, probably at the sight of wifey and my clapping munchkin!

The camera battery died before we could get Mel crossing the line, but she is that blue dot.

Today was a nice relaxing day - this morning, Angela took me along to her Stroller Strides class again, which was supposed to be a family day, but I was the only daddy there...yes, I felt a bit awkward at first, but it was nice to be outside with my ladies, and Ella helped me by sitting on my belly while I was trying to do crunches. By "helped," of course, I mean the exact opposite, but she was smiling and giggling, so who can argue with that? When we got home, we all napped for a couple of hours, and hung out for the rest of the day. Now, it is off to snooze-ville, tomorrow we are all back to work! Happy Memorial Day to all!

HOT

2008-05-21T22:17:00.013-04:00

So I started doing something new - it is called Bikram Yoga. Yes, it is yoga, but it is not your average run-of-the-mill, contort yourself while chanting "Ohmmmmmmmmmm" type of thing... no, of course, I have to take everything to the extreme these days. Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 poses in succession, performed in a room that is heated to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That is not a typo... it is f**king HOT in there people. The second you get in, lay your mat down, and try and adjust to the temperature, the sheen of sweat immediately starts on your body. When you start with a simple breathing exercise, the sweat starts rolling down. By the time you have finished your "warm-up" breathing exercise (keep in mind, you are barely even moving at this point), your clothes are nearly saturated with sweat. Then, you have 90 minutes of stretching and posing and doing things which seem completely unnatural to your body. By the time you leave, you are 4lbs lighter, and could use a couple of gallons of Poland Spring to re-hydrate. Pleasant? Not really, but I figure it can only help...if I can continue to live through it. Anyhoo...here's some pics/vids!

Ella feeding waffle to her "baby"

At the childrens museum a couple of weeks ago - Ella the Builder!

Mirrors are cool.

Bricks are cool too.

Ella and daddy up a tree.

Family photo on the boardwalk

Angela and Ella (and their Stroller Strides friends) after a 5k walk a couple of weeks ago.

Ella with Angela's Mommy's Day flowers!

She's a coooooooooooool rider. A cool cool cool cool rider. (Yes, that is a nod to "Grease 2")

My lovely ladies enjoying the sunshine.

"Found you!"

"All through the toooooooooooooooown."

"CHEEEEEEEEEEESE"

"HONK!"

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Long Island Half Marathon

2008-05-04T17:46:00.003-04:00

Today was the day. The day I had been training for the last 4 months - the Long Island Half Marathon. My goal was to break 2 hours for the race - my previous best time was 2:03:50 at the Hamptons Half Marathon this past September. I have been busting my butt, running 4-5x a week, just for this one race. The weather called for thunderstorms, yet they never materialized...in fact, it didn't even rain. Mike and I met up before the race, and we started together. We stayed together for the first 2-3 miles, and then it happened - my right knee "twinged." I don't know exactly what happened, but I knew it hurt. And I still had over 10 miles to go. Needless to say, I toned my pace down a notch, and Mike took off. At around mile 6, I felt the rubbing sensation on the bottom of my left foot. I knew a blister was forming rapidly, and within minutes, it started to HURT. And I still had over 7 miles left. This was not going according to plan. I plodded on, pretty much in agony, for the rest of the race. Oddly enough, as I looked down at my GPS watch, I never went much slower than 8:30 min/mile, despite not being able to bend my right leg and each step on my left foot resulting in pain. I carried on as such, and finished the race in 1:52:28, which obliterated my old personal best! I was thrilled. Mike finished in an amazing 1:47:35, an average of around 8:08 min/mile. This made me think that if I weren't in acute pain, maybe I could have done even better. It was a great accomplishment, and as I sit here with my knee wrapped with ice packs and my foot covered in bandages, I am also filling out the forms for my next 10 mile race in 3 weeks, and am going to see how I can do on the extremely hilly Fairfield Half Marathon in June - can I match this pace? Better it? Stay tuned...

Mike and I at the finish.

Oh, yeah, and for everyone who doesn't give a poo about running........here's some Ella pics:

Think she likes the slide?

Ahoy!

Eyes?

Yahoooooooooooooooo!

Finally she is old enough to earn her keep around here.

PS - I must give a shout out to my sis and her man Dan for completing a full marathon today in approximately 5 hours - SO impressed with them both!

Race for Spinal Victory

2008-04-13T21:13:00.004-04:00

Today was the Race for Spinal Victory at Jones Beach - this is my 3rd time partaking in this particular event, although this year I ran the 10 mile portion rather than the 5k as in years past. I was hoping to break 1 hour and 30 mins, which would have been 9 min/mile....and managed to finish just above 1 hour and 25 minutes, at an average pace of 8:30 min/mile! Very pleased with the result, I finished 38th out of 133 runners - not too shabby. I managed such speed despite pretty high winds for the westbound half of the race, and an ankle-deep inescapable puddle of ice-cold water right near the end, which soaked me from knee to toes as I splashed through it. Click here to see the full results! Angela and Ella finished the 5k in a speedy 48 minutes (they walked it) - 4 minutes better than last years race, so they also kicked ass! Next up... Long Island Half Marathon in a few weeks. I am hoping I can maintain that 8:30 pace for an extra 3.1 miles!

I am that red/white/black dot running past the Jones Beach Amphitheatre.

Bummed that Angela didn't manage to get a pic of me crossing the finish line. She says I was too fast. Whatever.

Almost Famous

2008-04-07T22:43:00.003-04:00

April Fool

2008-04-06T13:54:00.004-04:00

So, its April, and I have now entered the world of "new-jobness" again. I have been through this situation several times in my life, beginning as a camp counsellor when I was 12, continuing through the shopping cart gatherer at Caldor when I was 13, on through Burger King, McDonald's, Movie Theatre ticket taker, Starbucks barista/supervisor, Terry Animal Hospital associate, and now, finally, on to Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital. Each time I start a new job, it can be awkward at first, working with new folks, not quite comfortable enough to be myself yet, unsure how people will handle my humor, you know, that sort of thing. Luckily, I had spent a lot of time at Crawford while in vet school, so I know the majority of the people working there. So, it spared me the awkwardness of that, although I haven't quite had the balls to start burping out loud and singing out loud to the radio (often replacing the word "you" with "jew" because it is fun). I will get there.

But for now, my major area of "I-need-to-get-used-to-ness" is with the pace of the practice, the comprehensive nature of the place, the fact that the techs do SO much, and the fact that it is all computerized. In a nutshell, Crawford is much different - Terry AH was much faster paced, much higher volume of patients, not a lot of down-time at all. Along with that, sometimes, you aren't as thorough as you could be when you have 4 appointments stacked up waiting for you, barking in the waiting room and scaring the poor cats in their carriers. Where I am now, it is lower volume, but I feel higher quality of medicine - its not just "have a shot of this and that and let's see how it goes" anymore, now it is "let's get to the bottom of this problem without guessing." Very different.

Also, my new boss Keith is quite adventurous - not only does he attempt most any surgery that is feasible in our practice, but the guy is competing in an Iron Man race in November (for those of you who don't know what it is...it's fucking CRAZY - 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, ending with a 26.2 mile marathon run. Yes, one after the other, all in the same day). This is contagious, obviously, to one as mental as myself. NO I am not signing up for an Iron Man, but you never know what he could talk me into attempting. So, yeah, we do cool surgeries. With LASER. That's right, a (my fingers do quote signals like Dr. Evil) LA-SER. Yeah baby.

The techs do EVERYTHING. I am talking EVERYTHING, they take the history for me, they enter all the notes into the computer, they work out medicine dosages, they place the IV, knock the pets out, take the xrays, do the dentistries, etc etc. I find myself wondering why the hell I am even there at times...oh, and speaking of computers, EVERYTHING is computerized, I haven't written a single word since I have been there. A bit of a change from 3x5 index cards.

So, so far, so good. All being well, as I am expecting it will be, I will never have to go through the "new-jobness" feeling again.

And now...your fix of my demon-child!

WEEEEEEEEEEE!

Getting ready for potty-time!

This is how we sit for probably 1/2 hour EVERY TIME. Even Ainsley looks bored.

Love it!

Eh?

Oh! :) My munchkin!

Pigtails.

It's Beach Weather!

Sandy!

Blueeeeeeee!

I KNOW!

2008-03-22T21:45:00.012-04:00

Yes, YES already, I know it has been ages since my last post, but this time it was my computer's fault - all of my computers died at the same time (as well as my living room HDTV), so was left scrambling. My desktop's memory died and had to be sent back for replacements (still under warranty - YAY!), and my brand new 2-month old laptop's hard drive DIED, so I returned it to Costco and had to drive out to Walt Whitman Mall to buy a new Macbook (the Apple store at Roosevelt Field had closed that day for an entire month for renovations!)! LOVING the macbook by the way! Windows...NEVER AGAIN. Sent my TV back to the manufacturer for replacement (extended my warranty - YAY!), so still awaiting the arrival of either a fixed or brand new TV! YIPPEE!

Anyway, enough nagging, here's some god damn pictures already. :)

My future's so bright...I gotta wear shades.

Future supermodel?

Ella G and Grandpa playing with her farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Slip sliding away...

Slip sliding awa-a-a-ay!

Ahoy mateys!

Early fireman training.

I love it when she calls me Big Poppa.

Happy 3/17!

No Words

2008-03-03T22:38:00.004-05:00

Tara's wake was yesterday. It was probably one of the most surreal sad experiences of my life - Tara's parents looked like robots. They were hugging everyone with absolutely no expressions on their faces. I am sure they were just in a complete state of shock. Rob, the older bro, was laughing alot, I am assuming it was his way of trying to deal with the severity of the situation. It was really really scary to see. Tracy, the oldest sister, was the only one i can say looked composed - and I am told she was dressed completely in Tara's clothes. At least Rob and Tracy knew who I was - I am sure their parents didn't recognize me. There were tons of people from LBHS there, most of them i was too dazed to notice or talk to. Just seeing the pictures of her all over, seeing her family in such a state, it just is hard to wrap your head around that someone so young is actually DEAD. It was truly an unreal day.

I think I pretty much know that people of all ages die - that isnt the shock...the shocking thing is it wasn't cancer or even a murder. It was someone I grew up with, a family I spent a lot of time with, and it was something totally absolutely preventable.That is the shock and the horrifying truth - that we are all mortal. Never really thought about that before.

The other thing that tears me up enough to break down as I write is watching that family suffer, and then coming home and looking at my perfect little girl sitting there. Tara was their perfect little girl 30 years ago. I could not fathom losing my baby, I don't know how I would go on living...and I can only imagine that 30 years worth of time makes that attachment even stronger, and I cannot fathom how they are feeling. Just the tiniest thought of Ella dying before me is enough to send me into insanity.

Today was the funeral. It was like a bizarre warped Harmon Street and Long Beach High School Class of 1994 reunion where noone was happy to see each other because noone was happy. It was the most horrifying and heartbreaking experience of my life. Seeing the family in absolute despair, watching all of the pallbearers in hysterics, one of them with a Billy's Beach Cafe t-shirt draped over his shoulder with a bunch of signatures on it (Tara's, I am presuming, being one of them), seeing that casket right next to me and knowing that inside of it was a 31 year old girl who I used to be very close to...it defies description. The ceremony was short and touching. The crowd was so large that they had the front doors open so people could watch from the street, and they also closed down Park Avenue.

I left feeling hollow inside. Again, I wondered as to why this was tearing me apart so deeply. I now think it is a combination of factors. I think it feels like a part of my childhood, a part of my innocence has been destroyed forever. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that my gym is right next to where Tara worked, and I knew that, and I never stopped in to say hi, even though I am there 3-4x a week. I will always think of her when I drive down the block to see my mom, and think of how I'll never see her again. Another reason, I think, is that I never knew Tara as an adult. I am pretty sure the last time we really spoke was high school. At the wake, there were a zillion photos of her lining the walls...she had the same smile I remember, but I didn't know her anymore. I didn't know any of her friends. I had nothing whatsoever to do with her adult life. And now I never will.

Ella has been getting an extraordinary amount of extra squeezes the past few days that she is fit to burst...today she got teary ones, and she looked at me and couldn't understand why. Someday I'll tell her, but for now I just put on "Go Diego Go" and watch her laugh and dance, and I know all will be right with the world.

This is the only picture I have of Tara, from our 1994 LBHS Yearbook. This is how I will always remember her.

This is what Tara wrote in the back of my yearbook - I have read it over and over since this afternoon, and the fountains of tears erupt every time. It is just classic Tara, completely describing our childhood and our relationship in a short paragraph. Now, in retrospect, it seems like a goodbye note, saying how she felt I would be successful and I shouldn't forget her. That I should stop by and see her sometime. And I should always be happy and always stay crazy. I promise you, Tara...I will ALWAYS stay crazy. And when the sadness of your leaving us fades, I will be happy again. I just hope your family will be able to regain some happiness in this life now that you aren't in it.

Rest In Peace, Old Friend

2008-02-28T23:37:00.002-05:00

Why these things happen, I don't begin to try and comprehend, but tonight one of my old friends passed away. She was in a car accident very early this morning, and according to witnesses, only a miracle could have saved her - which, unfortunately, did not happen.

I hadn't seen Tara in years, at least 10. Doesn't make it any easier though. You know how you fall out of touch with people? And sometimes you happen to have flashbacks of the good times you had when you were younger, and you tell yourself "I should really stop by and say hi when I am on the block," but you never do, thinking that there's always tomorrow.

There isn't always tomorrow. Not for Tara, anyway.

We weren't the BEST of friends - I was probably closer to her older brother Rob than I was with her. But we were in the same grade throughout elementary, middle and high school. We had the same friends during our school days, and used to play Ringolevio and Ring n' Run at night in the summer time. We grew up together, then, as always happens, grew apart. No helping that.

But Tara never met my daughter, and now she never will. She hadn't seen me since I lost all my weight, and now she never will. She never met my wife, and now she never will. Because there is no tomorrow for her.

So, I guess the lesson here is the old cliche, "Life is too short." Kiss your wife/husband/significant other/daughter/son/cat/dog. Often. You can never tell someone "I Love You" enough. Who gets tired of hearing "I Love You?" Share and spread your love wide and far, and embrace all the love that is given to you. Cuz you never know when your next tomorrow may be your last.

Rest In Peace, Old Friend.

More!

2008-02-25T22:24:00.007-05:00

Not much going on, but to satisfy the masses, here's some more pics:

The Dread Pirate Ella

Ella and Mommy at United Skates

Playing with some strange, cold, fluffy white powder.

Grandpa Marty and Ella

Stroller Strides

2008-02-18T21:52:00.003-05:00

Today I accompanied my ladies to their weekly workout session, known as "Stroller Strides." I assumed that this consisted of a bunch of mommies and babies strolling around, chatting away, sucking down coffee and watching the babies play for a couple of hours before coming home and telling me how great of a workout it is. When Angela approached me a few weeks ago about a family session, where the daddies were also invited to attend, I told her I would come, thinking it would be a doddle around the mall where I would score some points and a lunch at Cheesecake Factory afterwards.

So, when I arose this morning, I was getting ready to go by putting on my jeans and t-shirt, when Angela tells me I need to wear workout clothes. "HA!" I scoffed! Me, the newly "athletic" guy, he who barely sweats during a 4 mile run, he who works out 4-5x a week, He-Man, need to wear workout clothes to Stroller Strides with a bunch of girls?? "COME ON!" I proclaim! "This is going to be a walk in the park, I don't need to wear workout clothes!"

"Yes, you do. I promise you will be sweating by the end of it."

"WHATEVER, I daresay I shant sweat a drop!" (note the british accent in my writing - I feel british today)

"You are not wearing jeans. NO JEANS!"

"Yes ma'am." I said, fully intending to do as I pleased anyway.

"I bet you that you will sweat during class today."

"You are on!"

"What are we betting for?"

"Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory!" (YES!)

So, I popped on my jogging pants and Thundercats T-shirt (a compromise - marriage is all about it!), and off we went.

I was sweating my balls off within 10 minutes.

These mommas do NOT mess around. The instructor had us trotting around, doing wall-sits, bicep curls, tricep extensions, squats, lunges, pushups and crunches....all while singing the alphabet song and "The Wheels On The Bus." I actually had to go into Old Navy and buy a t-shirt because I was sweating so badly, I didn't want to go to lunch smelling funky.

So, I hereby eat my words and pour much respect upon my wife and all of the Stroller Strides mommas.

Upside down, fully shaven smooch.

Attempting to engineer a new breed of rose - the Guinness Rose.

1-2-3-4-5...6-7-8...NINE!

Do YOUR ears hang low?

Yes!!! YES!!!!!!

2008-02-14T21:59:00.001-05:00

OK OK OK

2008-02-09T23:38:00.001-05:00

Yes, I KNOW, it has been a while since last writing - sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging - who knew? Anyways, since last writing, what has happened.....um, well, Ella pooped in her potty. I have booked my trip to Nate's wedding in Seattle. My TV is pissing me off, shooting red lines all over the screen. I owe $2800 in taxes this year. And Angela made a splendid whole wheat turkey lasagna for dinner tonight. YUM.Looking forward to a nice run tomorrow....indoors. Which is boring, but temperature controlled. It seems I am always running at the moment. People ask me if I like running. Do I enjoy the act of running? Not particularly, no. At this point, I have no choice but to run. It's like breathing: do I like breathing? Enjoy the act of inhaling and exhaling? Not particularly, but I have to do it. So, on that note....Ella!

Pigtails!...and hairy chest (UGH)!

Probably dancing to "Go Diego Go," her new obsession.

I cannot believe how big my little pumpkin is...

Yes, I am sleeping, and Ella is lounging, chillin' watching TV

Enjoying her new "hat."

"You lookin' at me, punk?"

Doing our best to wean her off that damn pacifier...

Fun with Grandma!

Fueling up before her first space voyage/moon walk.

Toddler

2008-01-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tod·dler (tdlr) n.

1. One who toddles, especially a young child learning to walk.

2. A size of clothing for children between the ages of about one and three years.

Today we decided to change Ella's crib into a "toddler bed" which basically means we took the front of it off and installed a separate little thingy which has a much lower frame and a hole in the frame where Ella can come and go from her bed as she pleases. Not my idea, believe me. I had the pleasure of being the first to try and get her to go to sleep in her new toddler bed. Upon reaching bedtime, Ella happily ran into her room and closed the door, which had me thinking things might go quite smoothly. Well, she hopped into bed and flopped down. Super! Then she promptly sprung up and jumped out of bed and into my lap. Then back into bed. Then back into my lap. Over and over. For an hour.

"I am going to KILL Angela for suggesting this and then leaving me to deal with it myself!" I thought.

Finally, I just picked her up and told her to lay her head on my shoulder, which she did, and she fell asleep. I put her down in her "toddler bed" and all has been quiet since. That was about 2 hours ago...we'll see how it goes! I anticipate being woken up by Ella smacking me in the head at around 3 am, her all bright eyed and bushy tailed, myself again professing hatred for the suggestion of allowing her such freedom at such a tender young age. *SIGH* I guess we had to do it at some point.

OK, here's some photos/video.

Gymnast in the making?

Alexa and Ella eyeing up the same blue balloon

Ella settled for a white one.

A budding Sarah McLachlan fan.

*WARNING* - The following video is now officially the cutest thing ever. Just wanted to let you know before you indulge in its splendor.

Dr. Doolittle?

January Beach Day?

2008-01-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

As the unseasonably warm weather creeps its way to the area, we decided to take Ella for a walk on the beach. Below are the cutest pics/video ever of us frolicking around, and Ella showing mad love for her mom and pops. Tomorrow I am heading out for a nice leisurely hour long run on the boardwalk in 50 degree weather. Tuesday is meant to hit 60! Greenhouse effect anyone?

Obligatory posed shot with daddy...

...and with mommy.

Soccer! With a pink ball! Yippee!

More soccer fun!

Showing love for pops.

And for mom. Look at that sly eye on her...!

How could I resist some video of the frolicking?

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first post of 2008! Today we got up, did the usual morning routine (i.e. Angela up with Ella, Daddy asleep until Ella walks in and starts smacking him in the head saying "Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi." It's like a cartoon or something.), I hit the gym for a while, and then we had a nap!! By "we" I mean all 5 of us (Ella, Angela, Ainsley, Silvio and I). It was AWESOME. Then we got up, went and saw Susan and Dave and finally met their adorable daughter Eden. Pictures attached! We went straight from there over to Dr. Niesenbaum's place for a New Year's Day Party, where we overindulged in delightful food. Ella behaved exceedingly well, probably because of the presence of doggies at both venues. We headed home, got Ella bathed and in bed, then watched the newest installment of Biggest Loser (couples edition!). All in all, a superb way to start the new year. Here's hoping that 2008 is filled with happiness and wonder for all of us - appreciate each day, because no matter what...life is beautiful.

Suzie and Eden

Look! How friggin' cute! I think she looks exactly like Susan's mom.

Angela, Ella and my nephew, Joey. The best dog EVER.

Eden, meet Ella. Ella, say hi to Eden.

Mighty Mite-y!

2007-12-29T19:42:00.000-05:00

On a veterinary-related topic, today at work I saw a little puppy for his first vet visit. He is a cute miniature schnauzer, and he had a dry patch of skin by his tail, very scaly. I decided to have a look under the microscope at the scaly-debris, in the hopes of finding a cause for the problem. Oh, did I ever find a cause:

Cheyletiella mites!

Close-up view of the head and mouthparts!

We don't often get such a great specimen, neither Angela or myself had actually gotten a positive diagnosis of Cheyletiellosis since vet school! These mites are surface mites (as evidenced by their long legs) which can be positively identified by their nice "waist" at the middle, and they also have a "fingerprint" appearance which doesn't show up in these photos but was very obvious under the microscope. This infestation can be quite itchy! Now that we got the diagnosis, its just a matter of a special shampoo and it should clear up nicely - all in a days work! Since it was such a rare occurrence, I had to take pics with my cell phone and post them here! Enjoy!!!! :)

PS -> If any of my readers remember the case of the Airdale terrier who had the uterine infection back a year or so ago, a bit of a sad update - she just passed away a couple of days ago at home, of old age (presumably). But we got an extra year and a half out of her, so I still feel quite accomplished at that!

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-25T07:07:00.000-05:00

Ah yes, it's that time of year again - time for sharing, caring, giving...and RALPHIE! The annual tradition continues...BEST MOVIE EVER. This year, Ella is more coherent, so I can begin her education in all things Ralphie. Angela is not too pleased about this, however some things are too important to argue. Ralphie shall live on indefinitely. Amen.

So, we awoke at about 5am via our alarm...er, Ella crying. There was no getting her back to sleep, so I turned on Ralphie and let the present giving begin. I got a SWEET new GPS watch for running as well as some Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards, new weight lifting gloves, some hand wraps (for boxing), and some other assorted goodies! Angela got tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, a new webcam (to chat with her folks back in the UK) which also has a microphone and should theoretically work well with our new computer operating system, Shrek the Third on DVD, some kitchen stuff and some giftcards to Target and Gap. Of course, this day belongs primarily to Ella now, who received a new Rose Petal Cottage (this HUGE house-thingy), and a zillion other toys. This year Ella is much more appreciative of her toys than last year, however she's not quite there as far as knowing what the hell her gifts actually are. For example, she got a Beauty and the Beast tea set, which she is continuously unpacking and re-packing. She got some dominoes with animals on them which she promptly put into her Rose Petal Oven. Luckily, the oven doesn't actually heat up or else we would have to call the Rose Petal Insurance company to put in a claim when the cottage burns to the ground. It looks like a splendid day out, so hopefully we will go for a little walk later. I will go to the gym despite slipping on the hardwood floor yesterday and landing on my left femur with all of my weight (yes, it friggin HURTS). We will then get cooking our Christmas dinner, which will include Ham, grilled veggies and steamed broccoli. Most of all, I will enjoy my time with my family, even if Ella is battling another ear infection and teething. And so, for your viewing pleasure, the photos/videos!

Ella in her most peaceful form.

Trying on Mommy's gloves!

Playing on her new bouncy toy thingy from Auntie Mel and Uncle Dan

Entering the cottage for the first time

I think she likes it...

MMMM. LOVE the smell of freshly baked dominoes!

Sharing some tea with daddy.

Kisses with daddy!

Cracking up at Daddy's pain.

Christmas Morning!

Flying With The Owls

2007-12-09T22:03:00.001-05:00

Today was the annual "Fly With The Owls" race in Lynbrook, NY - it is 4 miles long. I was aiming for 32 minutes (an average of 8 minutes/mile), but ended up finishing in 32:25. Not too shabby considering it was like 32 degrees out. Next up - gonna try and hit up a 5k next Saturday if mom can watch Ella for me for an hour or 2!

Ella's New Class Pic

2007-12-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

I wonder if any of these kids or their teacher could appear any more bored if they tried....

Running Ninja

2007-12-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I was signed up to run a 4-mile race in Lynbrook. So I started suiting up...

...and posing like an idiot. Then I added all my layers, and became...

...the Running Ninja! I got all ready to go, hopped in the car and started driving to the race. I was sliding all over the road, but figured, if I dropped dead running, at least my body would be well preserved in the snow and ice. Just as I was skidding to a halt at a red light (OK, I slid through the light into the middle of the junction, but noone was around, so it didn't matter, right?), I got a text message from X-tina telling me it was postponed. WHEW. Off home I went to run my 4 miles in the gym instead. :) We'll see what Mother Nature throws at us next Sunday!

Next up, I was going through my closet and found my old Fat Suit, so I decided it was time for a new installment of Fat Suit Picture-Time! Here's the original picture which inspired me to lose some poundage:

And here I am in the suit today:

Pretty cool, eh? Here are some more random pictures:

While daddy sleeps, the reindeer play...

OK, now seriously, how cute is this kid?

Tree-Time!

2007-11-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

Our annual tradition is to get our Christmas Tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. So, after I dropped Michelle off at the airport, we went to get the tree!

Ella and I shopping.

Playing with lights!

More fun with electrical wires.

Psychod-ella-ic! My god, I am way too cheesy.

Finished product (with flash)...

...and without flash.

Thanksgiving Fun!

2007-11-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

We had a HUGE meal for thanksgiving dinner - I, of course, cooked WAY too much stuff - an 18lb turkey for 6 people (one of which cannot ingest poultry), a ton of mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, etc etc. We have so many leftovers...which is my favorite part of the whole thing...! Here's some photos of the event, along with Ella on the beach in the morning. This weekend we get our Christmas Tree! Should be a pleasure trying to keep Ella from pulling it down...

Staring out to sea...

Those shoes are unreal.

Ella's first shell.

Gobble, Gobble everyone!

Happy Thanksgving!

2007-11-22T10:23:00.001-05:00

Happenings in the LBC

2007-11-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Last week, I organized an informal LBHS Class of 94 Reunion, since we never had a 10 year get together. We met up at a local bar, Sutton Place, and had a few drinks, reminisced, and showed each other pics of our kids. HOLY SHIT did I feel old. Here are a couple of photos, courtesy of Dhanraj:

Today I ran the Long Beach 10k Turkey Trot - it didn't go near as well as last week's 10k, I finished in 54:24, nearly 2 minutes slower than last week, but whatever. I know excuses are like assholes (everyone's got one!), but I got a major stitch in my right side from mile 2 that did not go away until the end. That hampered me quite a bit, but like I said...whatever. Last year, when I was warming up, I noticed Erik from one of my favorite shows, The Biggest Loser, was there. That was awesome. This year, I noticed someone running around with a Biggest Loser T-Shirt on, and I was like, "Who IS that?" It turned out to be Jim, one of the twin brothers who was on the show this season! I said hi to him and his wife, congratulated him and wished him luck on the race. When I finished, Angela came running to say hi, and I said "Jim from The Biggest Loser is here running!" Just as I said that, his wife walked past, and we got to talking a bit, and when Jim finished, Angela snapped a photo of us. He was a super nice guy, and it made my crappy finishing time a lot easier to swallow. Here's some pics!

Crap time compared to last week...oh well!

Jim, myself and Ella

Florida, etc...

2007-11-17T19:07:00.000-05:00

Just got back from our jaunt to Florida! Ella did fairly well on the flights, as long as no stranger came anywhere in her line of sight. We kept a steady supply of snacks and Wonder Pets on DVD (thanks to dad's portable dvd player!), which made her happy throughout. She did not, however, nap. While in FLA, Ella had a great time with Nanny and Poppy, Carl and Rachel, and Sunny the cat. We went swimming, to several malls, and out to eat...and that's about all there is to do in FLA with a 16 month old. Not old enough for Disney just yet. So, here's a couple of pics:

In the pool!

Us with Nanny and Poppy

A vet in the making?

Tomorrow I run another 10k in the cold and possibly rainy weather. Hopefully I don't get sick, although I am already nursing a scratchy throat. All in the name of "fitness." Or should I say "insanity."

Rockville Centre 10k Run

2007-11-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

Just got back, finished in a PR (personal record) time of 52:27 - over a minute better than my last race in April. Now I am aiming to beat that time next week in the Long Beach Turkey Trot 10k...! We'll see what happens. Off to FLA tomorrow to see Nanny and Poppy, Carl and Rach, very exciting...as long as Ella cooperates of course. We are going equipped with a portable DVD player and 100 minutes of Wonder Pets on DVD. Fingers crossed...

Jets...

2007-11-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

Today's Jets game was actually competitive for a while - as the game went into overtime, I decided the Jets needed me. And so, I dressed my daughter and myself in Jets jerseys. Here's the proof:A double-dose of Chad Pennington.

Happy moments...

...alas, the Jets fell to 1-8 as the Redskins defeated them in overtime. The happiness quickly faded. Ella asked for a beer to drown her sorrows, but I declined her request due to the lack of alcoholic beverages in my house. Now that I think about it, maybe "BAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOO" didn't mean "Beer, please, father," perhaps it meant something totally different, like "Listen big hairy man with bald head and oversized green shirt, get this huge scratchy matching dress off me!!!"
Ella is recovering well from her first ever ear infection. She actually developed it in both ears, the poor thing! We noticed a few days ago that she was really cranky and developed a bit of a cold (again) - she then proceeded to rip at her ears and slam her head into the ground. Oh, and she had 101.7 F fever. At that point, we called the doctors, she was brought in immediately and diagnosed. She now is on Amoxicillin and loving it (seriously - this baby could not take medicine any better. She even sucks down her liquid multi-vitamin [which smells like beef-stock] like it was liquid deliciousness!), and is back to her old self. Still battling the sniffles, but she is a trooper.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T15:45:00.000-04:00

Today is Ella's second Halloween (her first where she is not a tiny, screaming parasite) - she, of course, managed to pick up her first cold in months, so she is miserably snotty and coughing, but she is managing to make the best of it. She allowed herself to be photographed a bit before throwing a tantrum, so I shall post a couple of pics and videos to pacify the throngs (i.e. 5) of people who read this! To all, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Keep your fingers crossed that Ella actually sleeps tonight....last night consisted of lots of coughing, spluttering and crying. And not a lot of sleeping for mommy and daddy. Ah the trials of parenthood!

The Princess!!

In her throne...

...and her chariot!

Sharing milk with her loyal subject.

Ella having some kind of weird moment...

Happy Halloween!

Fall Is Here...

2007-10-21T22:59:00.001-04:00

Today was the annual Long Beach Fall Festival - although it felt like summer, being over 70 degrees and sunny! Angela, Melissa, Ella and I walked over and met up with Dad. Had a walk around, allowed Ella to pick a pumpkin and headed home for sushi! I would write more, but I am so disgusted at the Jets loss today that I need to go puke. Here's some pics, courtesy of Melissa.

Big hugs for daddy!

And big hugs for Grandpa Mike!

Showing all kinds of love today...now for Auntie Mel!

Strollin'

Posing with Mommy

Hmmm...which one to choose....

I'll take this one! Wanna see?? Look at my pumpkin!

Ready to ride daddy home :)

I Know, I Know...

2007-10-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

...it has been a while. Give me a break, eh? Things have been hectic around here! What with Ella's horrible teething/diaper rash, coupled with waking up EVERY night til 2am, it is hard to get time to take photos/videos of her in a happy place. But, due to constant pressure and popular demand, I have done the best I can. Please enjoy...!

Ella Talking In The Tub

Ella Squeaking

Ella Running Around

Hamptons Half Marathon

2007-09-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

Today was the Hamptons Half and Full Marathon out at East Hampton, Long Island. The day started with a 4:30am wake up via the alarm clock. UGH. We had most everything prepared from the night before so we could just get up and go. We hopped in the car at 5am (with Ella of course), and set off. 2 hours later, we arrived. The weather was perfect for running - nice and cool with a lovely breeze. The race started at 8am. I finished in a personal best time of 2:03:50. My last half, you may recall, I ran in 2:07. So, managed to knock over 3 minutes off my time since June. Not too shabby! Got home in one piece...and collapsed for a 2 hour nap. Ella had been very cranky all day...turns out she had a fever! Poor little thing - 101.7! We gave her Motrin and an ice pop, and she settled down nicely, went to sleep like a champ. Hopefully she sleeps through the night! Here's some photos!

Pre-race

Just crossed the finish line (Note: the time says 2:04:13 - my actual time was 2:03:50, due to not crossing the starting line until 30 seconds after the start!)

Home - with my medal!

Bonus photos:

Ella enjoying her time with Grandpa Nick and Grandma Sheila!

Nice family photo

Conehead?

Ella LOVES that chair!

My view of the little menace

Pestering Ainsley as usual

Bermuda!

2007-09-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it back from Bermuda, and it must be said, it was hard work - Ella is well on her way to walking now, and all she wanted to do was crawl or walk all over, and we had to restrict her to either our tiny cabin or holding our hands down the hallways, due to the fact that there were 3000 people on board and many stairways for her to fall down. She got frustrated, we got stressed. When dinner came around, she made it through the salad course, then was tired and had to go to bed - which made for a pleasant experience at the dining room. Like I said, it was hard work, but luckily Mom and Marty and Sheila and Nick had a great time - we are glad we gave it a go, but now we know to wait until Ella is a bit older to try this sort of thing again. Here's some pics!

Ella and Grandpa Nick in the cabin before departure.

Mom and Marty on the balcony.

View of Lady Liberty and Empire State Building on our way out.

The Verrazano Bridge after we just went under it.

Hangin' on the balcony.

Sharing breakfast with mommy!

Ella at playgroup on the boat with her new friend Austin.

Her eyes match the stroller!

Strolling with Grandma Karen!

Somewhere over the rainbow...Skittles fall from the sky?

Well, HELLO!

About to climb the rock wall...

...last minute instructions...

...and we're off!

Up...

...halfway there...

...nearly there...!

Made it to the top!

Fallllllllllling down...

Angela's turn!

Up she goes! Made it halfway :)

What goes up...must come down!

Views from the boat.

Royal Naval Dockyard

The Explorer of the Seas

Family photo!

The ship at night.

The cruise is nearly at an end...

Ella strolling with daddy, holding her present from Grandma Karen

And finally...the required posed studio shot of the family - note the gleaming smile on my daughters face - such a delight to see her so happy to be alive!:

Labor Day

2007-09-03T21:20:00.000-04:00

Today me, Melissa and Dan ran the Long Beach 5-mile Race - it was Mel and Dan's first race and they both finished and did awesome! I did pretty good, although not as fast as I was hoping (42:33 which is an average of 8:31/mile). In any case, the weather was fine and we had a good time. Here's some photos of the race (some taken by Marty and some by Angela) and some other randoms thrown in:

Ella and Brucey chillin'

Ella in her do-rag getting ready to clean!

In the pool at Rob and Gina and Alexa's house

Alexa helping to arrange the poolside furniture.

The start of the race (with me just right of center)

After about 1.5 miles, leaving the boardwalk and starting the road portion of the race.

Dan on the road.

Mel on the road.

Me just about to finish...

Finished!

Recovering...

Smile!

Dan finishing

Mel finishing

Done.

Pictures...

2007-08-27T21:49:00.000-04:00

...speak a thousand words.

Grandma Karen and the little hippy girl.

Having fun on the swings!

Ah...just the way I like her.

Two of a kind.

Cutest swim-shoes ever.

"Wading pools RULE."

Enjoying a leisurely ride.

Walking...!

"That's All Folks!"

And now, finally, some video of Ella giving us kisses...and walking!

Men's Health - Outtakes!

2007-08-24T22:56:00.001-04:00

So, I got an email today from the Men's Health photographer, Justin, with a link to all of the 237 photos that we took on the day of the photoshoot - there are some AWESOME ones, but mainly they are me in various states of running with bizarre expressions on my face. Here are some of the highlights:

One of the first shots taken - just getting into the groove.

Justin was stood on a bench while taking this one.

Doing a Jig...?

Graffiti.

Action Jackson! I look intense as HELL.

I like this one cuz I look CRAZY slim.

For this one, Justin was lying on the ground and I had to virtually jump over him after he shot.

On a bench...again.

The sky is getting blacker as the storm rolls in...

Awesome side shot...check out those calves...

...and quads/hamstrings! :)

Not sure why I included this one...it just looks cool :)

Concentrating...

...harder...

"I crush you, little ant, beneath my large shoe!"

This is the coolest picture ever taken of me...EVER.

The second coolest picture taken of me....EVER.

Running away from the rapidly approaching storm...!

Resting after 2.5 hours of RUNNING...in circles.

And finally...the picture that was chosen for the article:

WHEW! Amazing how professional photographers can make even the worst of train wrecks look good, eh? Thanks again Justin!

Beach Day!

2007-08-18T22:14:00.000-04:00

Today, after I got home from work, we took Ella to the beach for a bit of sun and fun. The temperature was a perfect 75 degrees F, twas a beautiful evening - so off we went to meet some of the Terry Animal Hospital crew at James' family's cabana. We got there around 6 and hit the beach with the babe. James et al arrived around 7.... once they did, I got the BBQ started for them and we left due to Ella's bedtime crankiness. We took her in the shower (in preparation for bathing her on our cruise!), and off she went to snoooooooooze. I am now set to follow her. Enjoy the photos!

I like big butts and I cannot lie.

Ella playing with her newest friend Emily (Josh and Jan's daughter)!

Now...on to the beach!

Momma and Ella

Poppa and Ella

Standing!

Touching the water

Family photo outside the cabana

James (and Patricia assisting) attempting to start the BBQ. After 20 minutes, I stepped in and took control and had those coals flaming red in no time. *Patting myself on the back*

Hyundai Santa Fe

2007-08-12T22:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, well the inevitable has happened - the time had come to say goodbye to my sporty little Mazda that I loved so well (the lease was up) and move on to an old-man car (i.e. a baby-mobile). I settled on a 2007 Santa Fe. Picked her up yesterday. This lease won't be expiring, as I bought the car...so, she'll be with me for a while. We are still in the getting-to-know-you phase, but so far so good. Attached, you may see her in all of her glory (she will probably never be this clean again!). And, of course, a picture of Ella, for what would this space be without one of those?

My newest baby.

My cutest baby.

Belly-Off!

2007-08-08T23:45:00.000-04:00

Well, my article in Men's Health Magazine has finally hit the stands (the September issue) - and here it is!

Ella's 1-Year Doctor's Appointment

2007-08-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

Today we took Ella in for her 1-year check up - she is now 22 lbs, and 28.25" long. That's the abridged version of the visit. The longer version involves a blood test (routine stuff, apparently) where they pricked her finger and milked blood from her while she screamed like a baboon in heat. Then, after she was examined by the doctor (more screaming, of course), she had to get 2 shots - they told us that they would sting. I think by "sting" they meant "searing pain" because I have never seen her get so hysterical since she has been alive. Not even her birth compared to this - she started with a silent scream while her face turned redder than a lobster, this then moved on to shrieks so piercing that you'd swear someone just drove a knife into your back, and finally we had racking sobbing the entire trip home. My poor little munchkin fell asleep in the car with about 5 minutes to home, and was then moved to her crib where she slept for an hour or so. Upon waking, she has been cranky as hell all day...didn't stop her from inhaling all of her food though...she just went to sleep (it's now 7:45pm), and I managed it in about 30 minutes without even having to walk her. Twas quite a sad experience, I have to say...but on a more positive note, she doesn't have to go back for any more shots for 3 months!!! And back to a less positive note, I did something to my right shoulder at the gym today, and I currently am unable to turn my head in either direction without shooting pain travelling down my neck. Cool, huh? I thought so.

Here's some pics of Ella because she is beautiful and I am not.

Ella and Elmo sitting in a tree...

Ella LOVES her new chair, courtesy of Aimee, Rob and Alexa!

Ella and Nanny Ridin' Dirrty

Rollin'