Sorry for being away

I am double sorry, for not posting more often and for not having many stories to tell.
Life goes on at a faster pace, and I have devoted my days to work, thankfully being productive on that side.
Today deserved a blog post because I finally found a good app for blogging from my IPhone, and because it is my wedding anniversary.

I thank God for my health, my beautiful and smart wife, and all the comfort I have, able to write a blog post from a warm place.

I recommend you take care of minutes, for hours will take care of themselves. ~ Lord Chesterfield

Older and Wiser

      April 12th was my birthday, and since my last post I can state I am older and wiser.

      On 04/10/11 I started making wiser decisions when I switched my long bike ride from 100 miles to 60 miles as I did not train at all, and that was my first long bike ride of the year. Doing that I was able to enjoy the rest of a sunny Sunday with my wife, and walk straight for the following days. 

      As work has taken the best of me, I am in fault to proper training, but continue challenging myself in order to keep my sanity, and halfway health. On 05/01/11 I ran OC Marathon, in my third consecutive year, and used a run-walk strategy to be able to finish without getting hurt. Pasadena Marathon came next, two weeks later, and the rain on half course and the hills made me slower than LA Marathon, but I was proud of my strong finish. 

      Now thinking about Ironman Arizona I have started to diversify my training (or, in other words, start training properly...), I swam 3200 meters at Coast to Coast Swim Challenge and started making plans. Right on time when Buckeyeoutdoors had a massive meltdown and lost all my training log and plans. 

      Today I ran the Brentwood Run 10K in order to assess my fitness, before starting proper training. I did suffer during the run, but finished right according to my predictions. Pace 8:51min/mile, with bonus of placing 253 overall in 521, 26 out of 41 in my age group, without any speed training. 

      So much seriousness and commitment need a escape valve. Older and wiser, now I have hardened on my music preferences and embraced Heavy Metal. All day long, regular radio does not soothe me anymore. 

      Thinking again, maybe not that wise. For two of the last three marathons, I went to shows four days before the races. But I'll say it is all part of the challenge...

Marathon #32: This one is for the kids!

       LA Marathon has always been a beautiful show, especially after the new course was designed, covering the most prominent LA's landmarks. All ages, all shapes, all fitness levels. Due to work, I came to race day without proper training, but with a full heart as I was running for St. Baldrick's Foundation and all kids battling cancer. I could not avoid to think that kids with cancer always come to the challenge frightened and unprepared. 

       I knew I was not alone in my hopes and questionable fitness, as I met my friends from Marathon Maniacs for a group picture (some of them ran a marathon on the day before, some came running to the start).

       And this was lesson number one: YOU ARE NEVER ALONE, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU ARE.

       As all the runners crossed the start line at Dodgers' Stadium, the first drops of rain started to fall, announcing a challenging race. Winds started to pick up as well, making a chilly endurance statement. Seasoned runners like my friends and I started to worry about risk of hypothermia, but that all added to the race thrill, especially considering we all woke up about three hours before, and now our homes were very far away. The pretty sightseeing kept coming by, coloured by the racers and their jerseys and jackets, but the cold started to pick up. At mile 14 I was soaked, and the cold wind in my chest woke up my asthma, bringing fears of shortness of breath and race quitting. I knew if I was able to continue running I would warm up, get dryer, and breath better, so I kept going.

       And this was lesson number two:

WE ALL HAVE FEARS, WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM.

       One of the nice surprises of this new course was to have the race coming to my  neighborhood, running just few blocks from home. It was a blessing from Heaven to see my beloved wife on the corner, and a kiss was the medicine I needed to cross mile 16 running light with a smooth pace. That made me sure I was going to conquer this challenge without any horrible happenings.

       Lesson number three: YOUR FAMILY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, AND YOU SHOULD COUNT WITH THEM. 

        I came across a lot of concerns during this race, and the worsening weather did not help at all. Having passed the middle point at about 2 hours and fifteen minutes, I knew my finish time would most likely be above four hours and fifty minutes. The rain rushed my stride, and running along my friends reinvigorated my legs. In an attempt to improve my time, and also to avoid the rain, I resorted to my secret weapon: to close my eyes... I always use this in order to avoid looking at the watch or the mile markers, staring the uphills, or getting afraid of the long distances in front of me. I simply look inside my brain and rekindle my courage.

        Lesson number four:

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK.  

        After a sprint over the last two miles, I finished the race in 4:42:42, with few tears hidden by the rain, at least eight minutes faster than my expectations. 

        This is the report of my marathon #32, not my fastest, but my best marathon, because this one was for the kids!  

Boldly Bald

       Now I can say the 2011 season has started. And I started head first. Last Saturday I shaved my head at a local St.Baldrick's Foundation event, in my way to become a hero.            

        It feels like Triathlon season again!!!

     

Becoming a Hero!

      I have been working hard on my resolutions. And so as in my job.

      That means I have been taking somewhat good care of myself; I have kept my weight around 173-174, have done Yoga almost every day, and slept better.  I have run more often than last year, not yet every day. At work, I have been doing a lot, and that has brought a lot of contentment and new tasks. I have been busy for these first months of 2011, but I still have in mind my future races, with the big event being Ironman Arizona.

      Talking about big events, I have been involved with St. Baldrick's Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding childhood cancer research. Everything started on 2000, with a head-shaving event to benefit kids with cancer on St. Patrick’s Day; today the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the leading non-governmental organization funding research in childhood cancer. From their website:

“The St. Baldrick's Foundation has made more than 250 grants totaling over $55 million for childhood cancer research since 2005, its first year as a foundation. In 2010 alone, over $14 million was funded - more than by any other foundation making grants for research to cure childhood cancers. The St. Baldrick's Foundation has made more than 250 grants totaling over $55 million for childhood cancer research since 2005, its first year as a foundation. In 2010 alone, over $14 million was funded - more than by any other foundation making grants for research to cure childhood cancers.”

      On March 12, 2011, LAFD and LAPD come together to host a fundraising event to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation, in North Hollywood. It will be a beautiful morning with music, magicians, free IHOP and Starbucks breakfast, family fun, and, of course, head shaving! Up to now I have counted 82 shavees, myself included  :) !!!

       For more information and donations please go here.

       In preparation for this great event, I am growing my hair, and have started team “Bold Baldrick”, a team for everyone who believes all kids should have the opportunity to be silly, to laugh loud, to play all day long and be happy, instead of being scared by devastating diseases and fearing nurses and doctors. I am going to “baldly” race a series of events this year to honor our brave young cancer fighters: LA Marathon, Pasadena Marathon, Magic Mountain Man Half Distance Triathlon and the Ironman Arizona Triathlon.

       St.Baldrick's Foundation is working hard to save kids from cancer, and I am doing my part giving my hair, sweat and support to their cause.

Resolutions 01/01/11

#1. Keep myself healthy; I'm almost forty, and people are dying around me.

#2. Yoga and run EVERYDAY; same reasons mentioned above.

#3. Keep my weight below 172 lbs; same reasons mentioned above, plus I need to get faster...

#4. FINISH every race I start; even if that means fewer races.

#5. Have a baby before forty;  ... same reasons mentioned above.