Mother’s Day Marina Green 5K

Ever since the switch was flipped to BEAST MODE, I've been seeing consistent results. I am very excited to announce that I shaved off a whopping 5:43 minutes off my last 5k. I finished the Mother's Day Marina Green 5k in 32:11. I still have a long way to go before I break my 28:53 PR from way back in 2009, but I am certainly going in the right direction. Here is my 5k progress so far this year.

38:50 - Conservatory 5k - 02/19/12
37:54 - St. Patrick's Day 5k - 03/11/12
32:11 - Mother's Day Marina Green 5k - 05/13/12

Not a PR, but getting close!

I am nowhere near my pre-Titanium form, but I have greatly improved since my dismal showing at Surf City. This BEAST MODE thing is really working for me. I've lost a few pounds and I'm getting a little faster. It is my goal to return to pre-Titanium form by the end of this year!

Diablo Trails Challenge Half Marathon

El Diablo. What can I say about that little Devil. There is just something about those horns and pitch fork that gets everyone worked up. I, for one, am not a fan. You may recall that I DNF'ed at Satan's playground last September and I want more than anything to avenge that loss this year. 26.2 miles in hell is quite daunting, so I figured I do a little warm up by running the Diablo Trails Challenge Half Marathon.

A part of me wanted to just go for broke and run the 50k. What better way to kick that El Diablo in the Beelzebub than to conquer 31 miles in his backyard? I thought about going for it, but there was no way this was going to happen. I am not trained for this distance on this hellish terrain, so I am not going to take any risks. I can't imagine why anyone would upgrade to the 50k knowing that they are not physically nor mentally prepared for it. Had I done this, I would have just set myself up for failure. It's no fun having to stop your race halfway through with the park ranger taking you back to start line.

I showed up to Diablo ready to rock and roll. Along with my Camelback, salt tablets, and GU, I stuck devil horns on my head to scare away Lucifer and his minions. I'm not going to let El Diablo stop me this time!

Take that, Diablo!

I'm glad I made the decision to stick to the half marathon. It only took a quarter of a mile before the climb started. It didn't help that Mother Nature turned up the furnace. I bet Mama Earth is having some sort of debaucherous love affair with the devil. Why oh why would she do this to us? She definitely sold her soul! In any case, I tried not to let this get to me and I kept plugging along. I wasn't fast, but I kept moving. Had I attempted this race two months ago, I don't think I would be able to get too far. However, I am in BEAST MODE now, so I will do what it takes to get to the finish line. 

As I got deeper into the race, I got more delirious from the heat. The sun penetrated through my skull and pounded at my brain. I quickly developed a migraine. I had to pull over to sit on a rock in the shade and catch my breath. I popped in a pain killer and prayed that the headache would quickly disappear. I was only a little half way through this race and I was already feeling like I wanted to quit. I could only imagine what the 50k'ers were going through! Since I was out in the middle of nowhere, I knew that I had to keep moving. I got up and put one foot in front of the other, whining and complaining as I did so. When I got to the final aid station, the volunteer gave me some ice and a shot of caffeine. Those two things along with the down hill finale helped propel me to that finish line.

Almost there. Almost there. Almost there.

Love seeing the Brazen arch. I'm Done!

HA! Take that Diablo! I win, you lose!

Getting my much needed massage.

Oh Dear! I think the masseuse just hit a nerve!

This guy cracks me up. Remember Chris Jones from Lagoon Valley, the guy who made me luge down that muddy hill? 

Group pic! Check out that giant dog in the front row. No, it's not Chewbacca on steroids.

I learned something very valuable today. When I attempted the Diablo Marathon back in September, I created drama in my head. Yes, I was dehydrated and physically drained, but I let that get to me. I kept pushing myself to get it done when I should have pulled out sooner. I lost my cool, had a few panic attacks, and DNF'ed in the most pathetic fashion possible. I learned today that I must stay focused and run my own race. Even when I mentally lost it, I kept plugging along. I knew when to stop and rest. At any point if I felt that I could not physically move forward, I would have pulled out, unlike back in September. I see too many people trying to achieve other peoples' goals. Running a race to impress someone else is wrong. I learned quite a bit of running and life lessons on the trails today.

I am very happy to complete this very difficult race. I ran smart and was able to finish under five hours. I'm slowly getting back to my pre-Titanium form, which is awesome. There was no way I could have completed that 50k today, and I'm fine with that. Upgrading would just have been plain stupid, being that I am in no shape to do it. Oh how nice it would have been to stick it to the devil though! Nonetheless, I am very proud of my accomplishment today. BEAST MODE!

Yeah Baby!

Pleasanton Half Marathon

Now this is runner's high!

BEAST MODE!!! Endorphin Dude went incognito for the Pleasanton Half Marathon. No cape, no headband. There were plenty of endorphins though. Your marathon caped crusader scored another major improvement. 2:33:23 half marathon baby! Woo Hoo!! Guess who's bouncing off walls? As if that was not enough, we all headed to my favorite place for lunch: HOOTERS!

Group shot!

My favorite dining establishment!

Every day I am seeing my goal of reaching my pre-Titanium form come to fruition. I am working hard and I am seeing the dividends pay off. Not only am I down 13 pounds, but I cranked out a strong half marathon today. Check out the incredible progress that I have made this year so far:

3:46:02 - Surf City (2/6/12)
3:15:28 - Hellyer (2/18/12)
2:53:09 - Oakland (3/25/12)
2:41:31 - US Half (4/8/12)
2:33:23 - Pleasanton (4/29/12)

BEAST MODE

Well, it looks like the flip has been switched to BEAST MODE! I blame Chris and Pete! Nonetheless, I scored a huge mental win at this weekend's half marathon and today I stepped on the scale and see that I am down 8 pounds since January. Cue up the soundtrack: DA DA DA DA...Eye of Tiger! Or in my case, EYE OF THE CHIWEENIE! Da Da Da Da...

US Half Marathon: The Other Half

I love you San Francisco!

The Golden Gate Bridge is symbolic of my transformation from couch potato to marathon super hero. I got healthy by walking my dog to that bridge every day. To run across this landmark is a huge deal for me. To finish this race in 2:42-ish is even a bigger deal. I have not seen these kind of numbers in two years! Slowly but surely, I am returning to form. Woo Hoo!

I am very excited to announce that my post-Titanium season is progressing very well! Completing 52 marathons in 52 weeks last year took it's toll on me, mentally and physically. I need to be patient as I work at getting back to my pre-Titanium fitness level. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Check out the incredible progress that I have made this year so far:

3:46:02 - Surf City (2/6/12)
3:15:28 - Hellyer (2/18/12)
2:53:09 - Oakland (3/25/12)
2:41:31 - US Half (4/8/12)

Woo Hoo!

FAB Running Celebration Virtual Run Part II

Today marks the three year anniversary of my heart attack scare. I seriously thought my time was up. Fortunately, it wasn't cardiac arrest, and once everything settled, I took my dog for a walk around the block. The rest is history. For part two of the FAB Running Celebration Virtual Run, I took my dog for a walk around that block. I couldn't help but smile. I like to take this time to thank you all for following my journey and keeping me motivated to stay healthy. There is no telling what my life would be like today had I not gone for that walk around that block with my dog three years ago. I heart you very much Chewbacca!

Walt Stack 10k

After yesterday's mud bath at Lagoon Valley, I was very happy to be out in the sun for the Walt Stack 10k in San Francisco as Race Director. Here I am with my co-director, Jennifer Walker.

Lagoon Valley Half Marathon

It got wet out there at Lagoon Valley. Wet and muddy. It was also very cold. Mother Nature had fun watching us freeze, slip and slide today. To say that I ran this race would be a big misnomer. I trotted along with another fellow Brazen walker. What I love about Brazen is the early hiker's start. This allows the turtles like me to finish the race in a timely manner. I'm trying to work my way back to pre-Titanium form, and one day, I will run again. For now, I will plug along with the other walkers and hikers. I love being with my peeps in the back of the pack, but I do also miss running the race as well.

I registered for Lagoon Valley because I wanted that creature from the black lagoon medal! Oh the things I will do for bling. Had I known that this would turn out to be a mud bath, I would have draped myself in Hefty bags. This was a very tough but fun race. Half way through my misery, fellow Brazenite Chris Jones showed up. I remember seeing this guy's Facebook post that he was running a different race that morning, so it surprised me to see him run up the hill. He explained that his race got canceled so he zoomed over to Lagoon Valley to help sweep the course. That didn't bode well for me because that meant that the sweeper was on my tail! It worked out in the end because this Chris is pretty funny. I hung out with him after the Modesto Half Marathon so it's not like he's a complete stranger to me. I get really nervous around sweepers.

Having Chris around was pretty hilarious. This guy takes pictures and videos during the race. Lots of pictures. Normally, I would be all over it, jumping into every photo. However, Mother Nature didn't really make it too much fun for me. I was cold and covered in mud, and climbing those mountains nearly killed me. Fortunately, my sweeper injected some fun and a lot of humor into this otherwise miserable and laborious muddy chore.

At the end of the day, I got the job done. I finished dead last once again, but that's ok. My finish time would have been a lot longer, but thanks to the my sweeper's instructions to slide down the hill toboggan style, I saved myself about 10 minutes! That Chris Jones cracks me up. I can see myself hanging out with that dude. In any case, after I crossed that finish line, I hosed myself off, changed into some dry clothes, and I proudly displayed that creature from the black lagoon medal!

Virtual FAB Celebration 5k

Feeling FAB! Chewbacca and I completed our 5k for the VIRTUAL FAB CELEBRATION EVENT. Woo Hoo!

Oakland Half Marathon

I've gain some weight, I am not at the fitness level I was pre-Titanium, and I'm still somewhat mentally burnt out from last year's insane 52 in 52 quest. Somehow, I managed to pull out a sub-3 half marathon, a finish time I haven't seen in months. I am deliriously happy. Half marathon #51 completed. Woo Hoo!

I'm not the only one who gained weight. Check out Chewbacca in the front row. She's so ashamed that she turned her back to the camera!

Modesto Half Marathon 2012

Once again, Tony Nguyen emerges from the port-o-potty as Endorphin Dude to save the world, one couch potato at a time!

I hit a major milestone today: 50 life time half marathons. I accomplished this in Modesto, the place where it all started. I ran my first 5k and 10k in this town back in fall 2009. To get #50 here is special. Since October 2009, I have run, jogged, walked, crawled 50 half marathons, 50 marathons, and 10 ultra marathons. I'm not going to be stopping any time soon. Life is sa-weeeet!!

Woo Hoo!

Badger Cove Half Marathon

I am a self proclaimed bling whore and I am not ashamed to admit it. What the finisher's medal looks like will decide if I run a race or not. It really doesn't matter how difficult the course is or if Mother Nature throws a temper tantrum that day, if the bling is cool I am there. That's why I will always give my business to Brazen.

How could you not love this medal?

The Badger Cove Half Marathon is my first race in the Brazen Ultra Half Series. To be a series finisher, I am required to run four of the nine races in the series, plus the mother of them all, Rocky Ridge, at the end of the season. What makes these races in this series challenging is that they are 13.1-plus miles of "serious ascents and descents and variety of tough trails." Badger Cove definitely lived up to these expectations. What made this race even more challenging is the fact that it rained the night before, so the dirt path turned into a slippery mud trail. The last thing I needed was a sprained ankle from an accidental slip on the mud. For that reason, I took this race very easy. Oh, who am I kidding, I took it easy because the rolling hills killed my quads!

Graphical representation of what I had to climb.

Actual representation of what I had to climb.

I was one of the last to cross the finish line. I'm totally ok with this. Badger Cove is a tough course and I'll be running the Modesto Half Marathon tomorrow. I wanted to leave some energy for that race as it will be my 50th life time half marathon. I have come a long way since my days as the insulin dependent couch potato!

And there's the Brazen Badger Cove gang!

St. Patrick's Day 5K

Happy Early St. Patrick's Day, Peeps! Slowly but surely, I'm getting back to pre-Titanium form. I got out there and ran a 37:54 5k, which is 56 seconds better than the Conservatory 5k four weeks ago! Yes, it's less than a minute, but every second counts. I'm still very far from where I was two years ago, but I'm taking those baby steps toward that ultimate goal. I am very proud of today's accomplishment. Woo Hoo!

Hellyer Half Marathon 2012

My plans to take home the biggest marathon medal in the land got changed at the last minute. Fear not folks, there is no injury or drama! I had to pull out of the Little Rock Marathon for a very good reason. 

For those who do not already know, when Endorphin Dude is not saving the world one couch potato at a time, he is out there making movies. Your marathon caped crusader is part of a film making team named It Donned On Me, and we compete in timed film races. What this means is that we are given a time constraint (usually 48 to 72 hours) and required elements (usually a prop, a line of dialogue, and a genre), and we must complete a film given those requirements. I had planned months before to run Little Rock, so I told my team that I wouldn't be available for this weekends International Documentary Challenge. However, when we received the required elements, my director said that I was needed. This weekend, It Donned On Me created "Endorphin Dude And The Quest For Titanium"! Yes! Endorphin Dude has his own documentary!

Woo Hoo! My own documentary!

Fortunately, the Hellyer Half Marathon was not sold out, so I was able to get registered two days before. My film team met up at the crack of dawn to get video footage of me running Hellyer. Of course, I had to appear in full Endorphin gear! It was fun having the team out there. This project gave me the opportunity to combine my two loves in life: running and film making. Often times, my non-running friends don't understand why I do what I do. Different strokes for different folks, some people golf, I run. My film team understands my passion for film, so it was awesome for them to be here to witness my other love. It's a shame that my other non-running friends couldn't be here.

The race itself was pretty grueling. I'm still working at dropping weight and getting back to pre-Titanium form. I struggled through this 13.1 miles, and it didn't help knowing that camera adds extra weight! Nonetheless, I got out there and had fun. 

It Donned On Me's camera guy, Mike Paunovich, capturing footage.

Action shot!

Allen Lucas made this sign. Love it!

I ran with Mohan most of the way.

Yup, they captured the runner's high.

Woo Hoo!

And of course, you gotta have the bling shot.

After the race, we got some more footage and then headed back to the city to get the interview shots in. It was definitely a long day and night in the studio. We wrapped up at about midnight and then jumped into the editing room. I can't wait to show you all this this documentary. 

Yeah, this is how I felt at the end of the weekend.