Mardi Gras Rock & Roll Half Marathon

I ventured out to New Orleans for the inaugural Mardi Gras Rock & Roll Half Marathon. What an awesome trip. Every time I run a half marathon, I feel like I've added 13.1 years to my life. This one may be #6, but it feels like the first time all over again. I've corrected my errors from my previous three races, and crossed the finish line in 2:19:21. Running is not easy. I surprise myself every time. People ask me all the time what runner's high is all about. The only way I can explain it is to show it:



Nola has become my new favorite city, surpassing Paris, Las Vegas, and Cairo. Aside from bad customer service that I received from the Queen & Crescent Hotel, I have no complaints about New Orleans. I will definitely return. Special thanks to Jud and Joanna Wickersham for their hospitality.

Bay Trail 4M

Another Dolphin South End Runners ribbon to add to my collection! I followed up my success at The Presidents Day 10k last week with the Oyster Point 4 Mile run this morning. I finished in 37 minutes at a 9:15 pace. After crossing the finish line, I started again! I jogged a mile out to meet Christine & Luis, and we wogged (walk/jogged) back. This bodes well for my confidence as I prepare for my next half marathon in New Orleans next week. Feelin' Good!

Presidents Day 10K

I was supposed to have run a 5k on Presidents Day, but when I found out there was a 10k as well, I jumped at the chance. Why not? It was at Coyote Point, my old stomping grounds. I'm glad I did, because not only did I get a PR, but I managed to figure out what my problem areas are. As a result, I was able to finish this race in 55:41 at an 8:59 pace. WOO HOO!! Christine Clark did pretty well too!

Surf City USA Half Marathon

Cowabunga Dude!! Half Marathon #5 completed. I am one third of the way to my California Dreaming medal! Now I just have to complete the San Francisco and Long Beach marathons. Today was a good day. My official time is 2:23:58. I will continue to work hard to achieve my personal record, but for now, I am basking in the glory of completing my fifth 13.1 miler. Woo Hoo!


The best part about this race? I got to run it with my friends Brian and Suzy. These two ran the 5k, and I have to commend them on a job well done, considering that they pushed a baby stroller the whole way! Props to the Young family, and thank you for being such gracious hosts to Endorphin Dude!

Golden Gate Park 10K

6.2 miles in 62 minutes. Not bad!!

Arizona Rock & Roll Half Marathon

Endorphin Dude completes another half marathon! This is my fourth 13.1 miler overall. This time around, there were no falls, no temper tantrums, and no melt downs. Endorphin Dude may not have gotten his PR in Arizona, but boy oh boy, did he have fun. Running without a Garmin is not a bad thing. I didn't stress out about time, and as a result, I enjoyed the run. My final time is 2:23:45:00, my third best time to date. Woo Hoo!

Arts & Sciences 5K

Another 5k under my belt. I did MUCH better today than last week. 3.1 miles under 32 minutes. Still got a lot of work to do, but I'm feeling confident about next week's half marathon in AZ!

Lake Merced 4.5 Mile Run

This morning's Lake Merced 4.5 Mile Run was a struggle. I barely finished in 54 minutes. At least I wasn't last. An 80 year old woman was the final participant to cross. Hey, at least I finished! I look so beat up right now that Chewbacca will have to stand in for me for the photo!

Good Morning Vietnam!

I just went on a Garmin-free run in Ho Chi Minh City. What at trip. I somehow managed to dodge scooters, panhandlers, and street vendors. I'm really missing the San Francisco oxygen. Here are some scenes from Saigon, from the eyes of the American jogger.

Packing

Frantically packing! In a few hours, I'll be on a plane en route to Vietnam. I'll try to squeeze in a few runs while there, but I'm not sure how I'm going to pull that off. I'll be on vacation!

Cowabunga!

I just registered for the Surf City USA Half Marathon in Huntington Beach. Why? The medal is shaped like a surf board! Cowabunga Endorphin Dude! Surf City is also one third of the California Dreamin' trifecta. I just need to complete Surf City, San Francisco, and Long Beach and I get a cool medal and a jacket!

Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon

I ran my third half marathon of 2009 in Las Vegas, it didn't go quite exactly the way I had planned. At the halfway mark point in the race, I looked at my Garmin and was ecstatic to see that I was on my way to a person record. My legs were strong, my breathing was good, and my mind was set on shattering the 2:11:32 record from The Eye-Q Two Cities Half Marathon a few weeks before. I was feeling good! However, when I hit mile 9, every runner's worst nightmare happened to me: I kissed the concrete.

I slipped on somebody's GU and landed on both my knee caps. I couldn't stop bleeding. I saw race officials approach me, but I limped skipped away from them. I know what happens in these situations! They throw you onto a golf cart and drive you back to the finish line, and I ain't gonna DQ! For the rest of the race, I limped, I whined, I grimaced, I cussed, and I did whatever I had to do to get to that finish line. I managed to complete the race at 2:32:14.

I was very annoyed with myself, but those feelings of frustration quickly changed when Luis and Christine crossed the finish line. These two members of the Chew Crew rocked it. I remember a few months ago when we first started training, they were skeptical, but if you could see the look in their faces when they crossed the finish line, you knew that these two truly believed in themselves. It was that confidence that brought them to the finish line. Coming into this, I only had two rules: Be on time and show up ready to work, and leave all negative energy at the door. Christine and Luis did just that, and now these two members of the Chew Crew have medals hanging around their necks. I am so proud :-)

Run Wild For A Child

Let's call it what it is: I did *not* run the turkey trot. I like to think that I did, but the bottom line is that I only ran 40% of it. I think I even cheated, and took a shortcut home! Because of this guilt, I made up for it by running the "Run Wild For A Child" 5k after Thanksgiving.

Joining me was Christine Clark, Mary Castillo, and Luis Rodriguez, members of "The Chew Crew." If I hadn't mentioned it before, I formed a little exercise club to people who were in the same shoes I was get back into shape. The name is a derivative of my dog Chewbacca, the little chiweenie that got me off the couch out walking her for hours on end. I am very happy to announce that the Chew Crew did an awesome job. These guys get props just for showing up, but to cross the finish line really shows commitment.

I give double kudos to Mary for being brave enough to show up in costume! Because this race benefits the San Francisco Firefighter's Toy Program, runners can dress up in their favorite child hood toy and compete for two Southwest Airlines tickets. When Mary showed up at my door step at 6am in full Minnie Mouse gear, she nearly had a stroke when she saw me in regular running clothes. I had changed my mind about going in costume because I wasn't too satisfied with my Monopoly Man Get Out Of Jail get up. When I saw that Mary was about to break down, I knew I had to throw on that jail bird suit. I'm glad I did, because both Mary and I walked away with medals for participation!

The Cancer Report - Episode 72: "Cancer Awareness Run & Ride"

On this day after Thanksgiving, I'd like to take this time to quickly break away from my goofy self and post something serious. I am so thankful to have my health. I worked so hard to get my life back on track and as a result, I am proud to say that I have extended the expiration date on my mortality. I am all about outreach now, and my goal is inspire others to get off the couch and make changes in their lives.

Recently, I was featured on a local television show in Modesto called "The Cancer Report." Although the main focus of this series is cancer awareness and prevention, I was invited to participate because my quest to get healthy was noticed at the Cancer Awareness Run & Ride 10k. When I crossed the finish line in under one hour, the endorphins took over and I showed everyone there how happy I really was by smiling and dancing and pretty announcing to the world how much I loved life. An oncologist congratulated me and asked for my contact information. A few weeks later I received a call from the Memorial Medical Center and was invited to share my story. When you get a chance, check out the episode here. My segment starts at 14:01.

I'd like to dedicate this to the three people I know who either have cancer or have a loved one who does: Jeff Crispi, Tony Flandrich, and Saskia Pardo. I'd also like to thank my two best friends, Charlie and Daniel, for kicking me in the butt all these years to get healthy! Good health is something that should not be taken for granted. I had it taken away from me and I fought to get it back. Now I just have to firmly hold on to it. My life is good, and every day it gets better.