Friday Leftovers (March 5)

Weekly post of thwarted weekly posts and leftover ramblings.

Word Association

As always, play here.

1. Harm :: Hurt
2. If :: Ands
3. On My Own :: Alone
4. She Said :: He Said
5. Illegal :: Immoral
6. Broke :: Money
7. It's A :: Girl
8. Chatting :: Talking
9. Cottage :: Cheese
10. Podcast: iPod

Explanations: This one was kinda lame. No strange answers or anything. Oh well.

Vote!

I've posted a little poll on here. I just wanted to see what the opinions were as far as who the favorite in the 5K race is, myself or Danny.

I'm going to be focusing some of next week's post on the race within the race, so if you want to save your vote until then, that's fine. However, you can always change your vote.

Dinner: Success!

I made the Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches on Thursday and it turned out very well. It was delicious, actually. How good was it? Yvie actually ate some!

I altered it a little. A five-pound roast was way too much meat so I used a two-pounder instead but left all the seasonings as is. I also used chicken broth instead of water. I served them on a hoagie roll with some provolone cheese and toasted it in the oven for about five minutes. For the side I made Sweet Potato Wedges, a recipe from Paula Deen. Those turned out well. We're not big potato eaters at all but I like sweet potatoes. These were quite tasty.

I think my only complaint was that the sandwich was a bit dry but that wasn't the meat's fault, rather mine.

Disneyland

I mentioned on Thursday how I'd gone to Disneyland with Kennedy the day before. Well, we had a great time. A really great time. This week was the last week Disneyland opens at 10 a.m. in the middle of the week, which leads me to believe the crowds will come back starting next week, when the park opens at 9 a.m. Yvie was going to be picked up afterschool so Kennedy and I had a lot of free time on Wednesday, so we set out for Disneyland.

We got there at about 9:20, and were on Main Street USA at about 9:40. Once it was 10, we strolled directly towards Pixie Hollow and got some pictures with Silvermist and Tinkerbell.

Here's what the rest of our day looked like:

Autopia (Kennedy had fun)
Space Mountain, twice (no line the first time, waited about 5 minutes the second time)
Captain EO (awesome!)
Buzz Lightyear (how do some people get a million points? I can't crack 200,000)
Finding Nemo (fun, hadn't done that in a while)
Lunch at Pizza Port (Kennedy and I split a piece of pizza)
Snow White's Scary Adventures (Kennedy enjoyed it)
Casey Jr. Circus Train (fun)
Thunder Mountain, twice (tiny line, couldn't resist doing it twice)
Pirates of the Caribbean (one of my favorites)
Tarzan's Treehouse (Kennedy had fun)
Ice Cream Sundae (yum, split with Kennedy)

Just to give you an idea of how little the lines were, here is our first trip to Space Mountain.

run, Kenna!

That also happened to be Kennedy's first two trips on Space Mountain! She was scared at first but enjoyed it, enough to ask to go a second time in a row.

All in all, we waited very little in any of the lines. We left the park at about 3 or so, and we could have easily done the rest of the rides in the park - well, the rest worth doing for us anyway - had we planned on staying until closing time, which was 8 p.m.

I want to go soon with Yvie and Mrs. LB, but not sure if that will happen. If it does, it's likely the crowds will return. Oh well. At least Kennedy and I had a crowd-free day.

LB's Song of the Week

My weekly nod to children's music...

The girls are really into this song. It's a song by Los Lobos, a Disney song. Heigh Ho from Snow White, except done in Spanish with a Latin beat. I like the song quite a bit. It's got a pretty catchy beat.

Lovin' It

I love to run.

Were you aware of that?

Well, in case you weren't, I do. Thursday's run only validated that.

For the third consecutive Thursday, I went to Mt. Rubidoux for some hilly running. I didn't want to start out too fast, didn't want to burn out before I even got going, so i kept it steady. But I was feeling pretty good so I stretched out my legs a little bit. I wasn't setting any speed records but I was going at a pretty good clip, for an uphill portion anyway.

Now, on Mt. Rubidoux there are lots and lots of people. Some walk, some run, some push strollers, some walk their dogs, and some ride bicycles. There are actually fewer runners than walkers, stroller-pushers and dog-walkers. A few of the runners you can tell are veterans, mostly by the way they dress. Sometimes I'll say hi to a fellow runner, vets or not, if I make eye contact with them.

Today, I was probably nearing the one-mile mark when I noticed an older gentleman. He was coming down the path and going at a good speed. As we were about to cross paths, he smiled, waved and said "Good pace!"

I can't really describe how great that made me feel. He didn't have to say anything, didn't have to acknowledge me. He's probably ran a few marathons in his life, maybe more than a few. By the way he was running, I'm guessing we could run a 10K on Saturday and he'd finish before me. But his words of encouragement were so uplifting I could have closed my eyes and finished the run on that high alone.

When I was running Ragnar, I experienced similar words of encouragement from fellow runners and it was always uplifting. When I was not running, I tried to congratulate all the other runners I saw, particularly when it was the middle of the night and only us crazy Ragnar runners were out there, in Middle of Nowhere, Nevada. So when I'd see runners chugging along, either struggling or gliding across the asphalt, I'd say "Good job, runner" or something to the effect.

I wish I could bottle up that feeling and use it like Gu. I'd pop that in the middle of my long, challenging runs and I'd be golden.

Now, I reached the top of Mt. Rubidoux but took the backside down. I'd intended on turning around, going back to the top and run down the way I originally had gone up. Instead, I ended up doing a complete loop back up to the top, so I went uphill the same way twice. At the top once more, I was at about four miles, a little less, so I figured I'd run two miles downhill and get to six and call it a run. Mile 4 was particularly tough because the way I'd gone up wasn't a way I'd done before, and it is pretty steep. But with about a mile and a half to go, my legs felt like going a bit faster and I didn't want to deny that feeling. So off I went, running at a good, fast pace and I closed out the run feeling quite strong.

Here are my splits:
Mile 1: 9:38
Mile 2: 9:36
Mile 3: 8:39
Mile 4: 10:05
Mile 5: 8:34
Mile 6: 7:52

6.02 miles, 54:51

What a run!

Cooking The Plan

This week, I finally had the chance to try out my new cooking routines. I'd wanted to do nights of different dishes, as I blogged about here.

The last couple of weeks Mrs. LB has been working strange hours and traveled so I couldn't really get to it but this week has been sort of normal. And I know the week is not over yet but I have my dinners planned for today and tomorrow.

I was thinking about dedicating one post a week for the dinner stuff, to try and hold myself accountable. I may still do that but for now this might be more sporadic than anything - in many ways much like my weekly meal plans.

On Monday, I made tacos, like the kind you'd get at some Mexican fast food place. I bought the taco shells. For the meat, I cooked up about 3/4 pounds of ground beef and about 1/4 pound chorizo. After the meat browned, I threw in some chopped onions and chopped red bells and let it all cook down. I made my go-to rice recipe, Mexican Rice from All Recipes. The dinner was a success, very tasty and not difficult to make. This served as my Mexican night, and really that will be a lay-up for me every time. That's what I know best, Mexican food, so we that shouldn't be too hard.

Tuesday I went for... well, I don't really know. It wasn't Pasta Night, although it could have counted. I made a recipe out of a cookbook Yvie got for Christmas, a Paula Deen cookbook. It was called Cheeseburger Casserole. I wasn't quite sure about it. First, I browned some ground beef (I again used a ground beef-chorizo mixture), threw in some onions, red bells, garlic, then some canned tomatoes and oregano. I boiled some egg noodles, then threw everything together in a 9-by-13 baking dish, topped it with shredded colby Jack cheese and baked it for about 15 minutes. I wasn't expecting much but this was a very tasty and excellent dish. Score one for Paula Deen's cookbook!

Kennedy and I spent the day at Disneyland on Wednesday, so no cooking. We went out for dinner, so that's okay because I give myself an out once a week. Well, at least I will give myself one out so I don't feel like I have to cook every single night.

Today I have this planned: Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches, another All Recipes recipe. I have all the ingredients and just have to get it together before I take Kennedy to school.

This looks delicious, and really not a whole lot of prep work for me. It's a slow cooker so that will do all the work. I've only recently been using the slow cooker so I still am getting used to it. I think this counts as my Slow Cooker Night.

I'd wanted Fridays to be Pasta Night, just beacuse the carbs will help with my running. But Tuesday's dinner might fit that bill. I might go for some chicken. Actually, now that I think about it, Mrs. LB has a late night at work so I'm not sure if I will get to anything substantial. Might have leftovers as I anticipate the Italian beef sandwiches will yield some leftovers.

I think I strained my brain enough just to have planned this stuff out, so as of yet I have no plans for the weekend's dinners. Usually we have something going on during the weekends so it's just a matter of fitting it all in. We'll see how I fit in dinners on the weekend.

Marathon Training

It's been a few weeks now since I ran my first marathon, and I'm still quite excited about it. I know there will other marathons in my future, hopefully one more in 2010, and I know I will have great experiences but Surf City was really fantastic and unique.

It turned out well because of how I trained for it. Knowing what I know now about running and training for races, I know I was undertrained for several races before, namely the 2009 Run Through Redlands half marathon and the 2009 Seal Beach 10K, both in April of '09. I shaved 5:36 from my time in that 10K to the next one I ran, the Mission Inn 10K in November, and I know I can smash my time in the half marathon because I know I can train better.

In many ways, though, that's why I joined the Loma Linda Lopers. I wanted to make sure that I did everything right in terms of my preparation for my first marathon. I knew that I wasn't doing everything right and that to tackle the marathon by myself could have been suicidal.

But how did my marathon training help me cross the finish line in one piece? I figured I'd share some of the reasons how my training helped me get across the finish line.

No Surprises

I didn't have many surprises during my marathon. I had encountered a wall before. It wasn't the proverbial wall you hit in marathons but it was a wall nevertheless. During the Cedar River Run, the last two miles were just beyond challenging. They were probably the toughest miles of any I had to endure in my whole marathon training. I was alone, it was raining, I was wet and cold and fatigued and exhausted and just downright miserable, and mentally I was a bit of a mess too. That was an 18-mile run, the longest I'd done to that point, and I only had 18 miles in me that day, not one step more. But I met my goal, and that run gave me so much confidence.

At Surf City, I was still going strong at 18 miles. It came and went and I didn't even realize it.

My Halfway Point Was 22

I've heard that a marathon is divided into halves - the first half is Mile 1 through Mile 20, and the second half is the last six miles. I did not feel at all worn out at the Mile 20 marker. In fact, I was enthused at Mile 22. While I hit the wall at Mile 23, that was preferable than hitting the wall at Mile 20, or before. I had the confidence in myself that I could get to Mile 22 because I did just that during training. The last four miles were tough, sure, but it could have been much tougher had I only run 18 or 20 during training, or even worse, if I'd only gone to 15 or 16.

Used To The Pounding

I've kept track of my mileage since Jan. 1 so I know exactly how many miles I've ran this year. Through Wednesday, that figure stood at roughly 265 this year alone. I did not keep track of my mileage during marathon training but I ran double-digit miles every weekend from late September all the way through Surf City with the exception of Dec. 7, when I ran a 15K race.

Consequently, my feet were used to the pounding, used to the demands of a marathon. I didn't develop any blisters, didn't have any toenail issues (well, any more than I usually have), didn't have any nipple issues (taped them up, never heard from them at all during the race), didn't have any chafing issues. I bled a lot, and that was a bit odd since it was on my back, but that I think/hope was an isolated incident, and didn't bother me during the race.

I've heard horror stories about blisters developing during races and marathons, but I had no such misfortunes. My feet had been there and done that, save for the last four miles, which were uncharted waters.

Locked And Loaded

Before I joined the Lopers, I had no concept of Gu, fuel belts and how effective they could be. In fact, they are not only effective but necessary I believe. Sure, many runners out there did not have them, but to me my fuel belt has become an indispensable part of running when I'm out there doing 10-12 miles or more.

I got used to running with the belt, got used to drinking Gatorade every now and then, and got used to Gu. This all became part of my routine, so it was no surprise to me. The only thing I had to be aware of was not to drink all my Gatorade too soon and to time it so it wouldn't run out by Mile 12 or something.

Solid Foundation

Everything I did in training I did with Surf City in mind, at least all of my Sunday runs. I wanted to get into a routine and a rhythm, finding my pace and getting the miles in. Since I hadn't run more than 13 miles before joining the Lopers, and had only ran more than 10 miles a handful of times, a lot of what we did was new to me. I remember feeling nervous about our first 11-mile run, and actually feeling nervous and anxious before a lot of our runs.

But when start to run 15 miles and 18 miles, suddenly a 12-mile run is quite appealing. I cannot tell you how tiny the half marathon seemed to me when I was at the start line at Surf City.

I did fear the marathon distance but I knew my legs had it in me. And now, 12-milers are challenging, sure, but not the daunting monsters they once were.

Speeding Up

It's been said that speed kills, but I'm not sure my speed is going to mortally wound anyone.

However, I am working on speed. I want speed. I need speed. I need a fast run on March 13 in order to beat my brother Danny into submission.

Danny, if you aren't aware, is the most physically gifted of the Bueno brothers, of which there are four. Danny can out-bench me, out-pull-up me, out-soccer me, out-basketball me, out-anything me. He's like that after enduring years of abuse from me, so I like to think that I toughened him up, and that he owes me a lot.

Still, on the 13th I am going to race Danny in a 5K and I know he's been training hard for it because he does not want to lose to me. Trust me, the last thing he wants to do is to lose to me - in anything.

I haven't been doing much speedwork recently because I've just been recovering from Surf City, but I have been doing a lot of hills the last few weeks.

Today, I went to the gym and had 30 minutes to get in a run. Even though I got there before the kid's club opened, I still had to wait until 8:10 (10 minutes longer than I'd intended) to get Kennedy in and head over to the treadmills. I got on, walked briefly and then got to running. I didn't count the mileage or time of my warm-up, by the way.

Here are my splits.

Mile 1: 9:44
Mile 2: 8:44
Mile 3: 8:02
Mile 0.4 : 3:30 (8:49 pace)

I started out too slow I think. Last Friday's seven-miler, I ran about a 9:13 mile to start, so I could have cranked the treadmill higher at the beginning.

Now, while this seems great, I will have to run faster than the 8:02 pace if I want to A) beat Danny and B) beat my one-and-only 5K time of 25:05. I know I can run faster than 8:02. I ran the first two miles of the Mission Inn 10K last year in less than 16 minutes, so I know I can do it. I just have to try and squeeze in at least one interval session here soon and maybe that will help me gain a mental edge that I need.

Also, I have another bit of good news. There is another FREE 5K nearby this month!! One of my good Loper buddies, Stella, told me about this race at the banquet, and I just ran across the Web site.

This one is called the Lefty's Family Fun Day & 5K, and it costs 0.00 to participate. The best thing about this one is that it's at the Auto Club Speedway, where they have the big NASCAR races. They just had one recently, and will have another big race in October. I'm not sure if the course itself is on the track but it's still awesome to have the chance to run at the speedway.

Not sure what my goal will be for that one but I do plan on running it. If I don't beat Danny, then I'll just try and beat his time in that one. If I do beat Danny, maybe I'll just run it nice and slow and that will serve as my victory lap.

Loper Pics

Among the fantastic benefits of being a Loper is our resident photographer.

At certain races where lots of Lopers will be on the course, a Loper/photographer snaps pictures of us. He sells them to us - the actual picture, not a digital image - afterward. He could probably charge a lot more but a 5-by-7 print costs us a whopping five dollars.

I bought these from him. This first one was an 8-by-10 and it's probably one of my favorite pictures of all the ones I got, either from the pictures I ordered or the Loper shots.

11-minute pace group in action

From left to right, there are seven Lopers. Five are wearing their pink the gentleman in the white hat in the middle is Art our pace leader (this was his 56th marathon) and the girl in the white tank top to his right is also a Loper. Aside from Art and the third Loper from the right, the rest of us were running Marathon No. 1.

I'm not sure what mile this is. The gloves were off so it was probably after Mile 10, but Marilu and I were still with the group so I'm guessing that this is between Mile 11-14.

This next one is of me somewhere around Mile 21 or 22.

chugging along the course

You can tell I'm having a rough time at this moment because of how my thumb is. I do that sometimes. I'll put my thumb in my palm and close my other fingers around it. It's not very comfortable or anything, doesn't make me run any faster or help me exert more energy. It's just like a nervous tic or something I guess, something to take my mind off of things if you will.

This next picture isn't from Surf City, but it's a great picture nonetheless.

haulin' ass down the stretch

That was during my sprint to the finish after the Loper Holiday Classic 15K in December. I remember reaching deep down and sprinting to the finish, sprinting from way back. It wasn't like it was just the last couple of feet or whatever. That probably means I could have been running faster the previous miles before then, but I just had a hard time wrapping around the race distance and when I should push myself or how I should handle the distances.

I remember seeing the photographer but I was too focused on the course (I was just about to turn the corner and head into the finish) to give it much thought.

Those three pictures - two 5-by-7s and one 8-by-10 - cost me 15 dollars. Can't beat that.

Motivational Mondays (March 1)

What's beyond the mountain? Now that I'm on this side of the mountain, past the marathon finish line, what's here?

I expected to meet some depression, some down time. After all, I had set my sights on the marathon for quite a long time, had worked diligently and prepared the best I could have, and the moment has come and gone. I think I've fully recovered from it, so the only thing left are the pictures, my medal and the memories.

I was worried that the after-marathon would be similar to January and the post-Christmas letdown that comes along with it, for me anyway. Christmas is usually a fun time, and then New Year's comes, but then after that it's like, what now? I expected something similar after Surf City.

So far, no depression. Yeah, it is strange not having a big race to prepare for. I signed up for a free 5K (on March 13) but I haven't yet signed up for the Run Through Redlands half marathon (April 18) even though I intend to run it. The Mud Run is still a bit far away and beyond that, well, that's really far off.

In many ways though, what I've done and what I will do after crossing the finish line is just as important as what I did before. It's not easy, necessarily, to train for a marathon, but it's easier to find motivation before one than after. Every run - at least every long run - before Feb. 7 was with the marathon in mind. Now, the marathon is simply a memory. And while it is a great accomplishment, it is just one of many more things I hope to accomplish.

Having completed two monumental tasks in the last four years - dropping 100-plus pounds and running a marathon - I can draw some parallels between the two. However, I've not been able to maintain my disciplined eating habits as well now as before. I know it's not the healthiest but many times I have a sense of entitlement over food, as in "I just ran 12 miles, I think I can get away with eating a bit more." That doesn't work and I try and shoo those thoughts away almost as quickly as the little devil in my shoulder brings them to light. Still, I know my eating habits can be better.

I had hoped to not have a similar drop in discipline after the marathon. I had hoped to not have the attitude of "Well, I don't need to do all these little midweek runs" or whatever, to not get too relaxed with my training.

So far, though, so good. I consider myself a runner and I feel that I have to live up to that label. Runners run, no matter what race they have coming up. I want to have the attitude that the most important race I have in my life is my next race, and now that's the 5K in two weeks' time. I also want to have the attitude that the most important run in my life is my next run. I mean, if I'm not taking runs seriously, than why bother going on them? Why bother getting dressed and taking time away from my family, my work, my household duties to run, just to half-ass it?

When I run, I focus and concentrate on the task at hand. I try and figure out what purpose the run is serving (distance, tempo, interval, whatever) and then try to figure out what is the best way to meet that objective.

I used to be a lot like that with food. How does what I'm about to put in my mouth fit into my meal plan? How will it affect everything else I eat that day? But again, I've lost a bit of that discipline but lately I've been trying to re-focus and have had some good success in the last week or so.

Having successfully met and conquered my first three weeks of post-marathon training, I feel confident that my upcoming runs will again help me meet my objectives and maintain my mileage and fitness levels.

Because now I'm a full-fledged runner and marathoner. And I need to act like it.

Cooking With Yvie: Pork and Hominy Stew

Welcome to another edition of Cooking With Yvie!

With all the cold weather we've been having, we figured we'd share a recipe we recently came across. It's Pork and Hominy Stew, and it really goes well in cold and rainy weather.

This actually goes with the Jalapeño Corn Bread recipe Yvie brought to you recently.

I didn't get a great shot of the stew at the end, so here's what it looks like.

First the video, then a few things.



* Yvie doesn't really like soups and stews, hence the no tasting at the end.

* She had said the hominy was undrained but I edited it out, so that's why she said something about the tomotoes being undrained.

* I initially forgot the cumin, hence the "I think" remark. My bad. Oops.

* Here's the recipe, which I got from Cooking Light.

2 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (we used a poblano pepper)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (28-0z) can hominy, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1. Combine first five ingredients in large bowl; set aside 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

2. Heat two teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; cook five minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally; Remove pork from pan; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil in to pan. Add onion, pepper and garlic; saute five minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add reserved 1 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture, broth, hominy and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Partially cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.

Get Ink Done

I want to get some ink done.

Now, I have two tattoos already - one on my left calf and the other on my back. But I want more. For awhile I've actually wanted to get ink. After I dropped my weight, I wanted something that would both remind me of all the things I went through to get it off and I think that would in turn help me stay disciplined.

What do I want, exactly?

This:


What is that? Gibberish? Actually, it's Japanese lettering, or kanji. The words' meanings are beneath each word.

Now, there's a reason to my madness. I've been to Japan, so it's not just some random lettering that I don't have experience with. Actually, being in Japan felt like I was on a different planet. And a lot of that feeling was because of the alphabet. I couldn't tell what was what, and it was all overwhelming.

Anyway, the words above mean something to. I try and be disciplined. I have commitment and determination as well.

Where do I want these?


On my arm.

Will it hurt? Yeah, probably. But I want to get some ink done, and that's what I have to go through I suppose.

I'd like to get either "discipline" on one arm and "commitment" on the other, or get them both on one arm and "determination" and another adjective befitting of my journey.

Maybe it's just more window shopping than anything but something I'd love to get.

Friday Leftovers (Feb. 26)

The Leftovers, last one of the month.... can you believe February is already almost over? Crazy.

Word Association

Play here.

1. Teeth :: Dentist
2. Sweeten :: Pot
3. Demons :: Angels
4. Pizza :: Party
5. Protector :: Of Evil
6. Smooth :: Criminal
7. Coat :: Winter
8. Pebbles :: Bam-Bam
9. Pregnant :: Twins
10. Sing :: Song

Explanations: Hmm... I guess you can say I am a Protector Of Evil around here. I keep the evil scary monsters away from Kennedy. Pregnant with twins, funny, just thinking yesterday how my mom was hoping for twins from me. Two Yvies would have been, well, much less stressful than two Kennedys. One Kennedy is hard enough.

Surprising Delivery

One of my awesomest blog buddies, Willoughby of This Stop Willoughby, sent me something unexpectedly. I got a package with a t-shirt inside, a t-shirt she made for me! It says "Marathon Runner" on the front, and was the first shirt Willoughby and her husband printed from their new screen printing press. What an honor!

I'm going to take a picture of myself in that shirt and post it, but I just wanted to mention it here right now. Really, I'm flattered. And I'm also lucky to have a bloggy pal like Willoughby.

Gracias!!!

Marathon No. 2

No, not for me. The super-fun Morgan of Caution: Redhead Running is running her second marathon, the Gasparilla Marathon in Tampa Bay, on Sunday. Morgan tore through her training runs for this marathon and may set a new PR. She ran a 4:08:26 in Chicago in October, her first marathon.

Either way, new PR or not, she's going to destroy Tampa. Have fun, Morgan!

Disney Stuff

Not sure if it's going to happen but I'd love to hit Disneyland next week and make it at least a weekly thing once more. There's a big game around here that's going to require my attention and time, so that's going to complicate things. But if it doesn't happen next week, for sure the week after. On March 10, there is supposed to be some activity. The Pixies are supposed to take over Fantasyland, or something. The Pixies as in Tinkerbell and her friends, which should make for an interesting time.

Earlier this week, I wrote a guest post for my blog buddy Tattoos and Teething Rings, and I decided to write something on Disneyland. Big shocker, right? To write something on the Happiest Place on Earth. I just wrote a bunch of tips on Disneyland, kind of as a rough draft if you will of something that I've been talking about doing here forever. But I'm finally wrapping my head around the concept and will try and roll it out soon.

One thing I'll have to go scout is Captain EO, which opened on Tuesday. I'm not sure if the girls will enjoy it a whole lot (they don't care for 3D that much) but we're going to watch it for sure. My buddy Angie went and watched it since she's a big Michael Jackson fan.

And one more thing. If you're planning a trip soon, check out the closures :(

Matterhorn – NOW CLOSED through 3/11/10
Rivers of America Attractions – NOW CLOSED through 5/6/10
(Columbia, Canoes and Tom Sawyer Island)
Mark Twain – NOW CLOSED through 5/14/10
Honey I Shrunk the Audience – NOW CLOSED until further Notice
King Arthur Carousel – 3/8/10 through 3/10/10
Star Tours - October 2010 through Late Spring 2011
Golden Zephyr – NOW CLOSED through 4/2/10
Silly Symphony Swings – NOW CLOSED through 5/28/10
It’s Tough to be a Bug – 3/8/10

I got that list from a friend of mine, also a passholder. Some of those are good, because they will revamp Star Tours, and Captain EO pushed aside H.I.S.T.A. Oh, and the last three are at California Adventure. The only ones of those we do regularly are... none, actually. Kennedy wavers on the Matterhorn and whether she likes it or not, plus it's got a big line sometimes. I'd say the Carousel is the one we've been on the most of that list.

LB's Song Of The Week

My weekly nod to children's music.

My blog pal Polly of The 5th Sister has a post every Thursday where she plays around with a letter of the alphabet. For instance, yesterday she had the letter F. It's actually part of some whole blog conspiracy to set Thursdays aside as alphabe-Thursday. Okay, maybe not really a conspiracy. It would be nice to participate but that might be too much strain on my brain.

Anyway, next week will be the letter G, so in spirit and anticipation of that, this week's song is from They Might Be Giants.

This song is called "Go For G!"

Tearing Through A Run

I had a great run on Thursday and I just had to share. And then I have some other stuff to share below so stick around for that.

I hadn't intended on running because my morning was crammed since I had somewhere to go this afternoon, but my afternoon suddenly and unexpectedly cleared up for me so I had some extra time. Thus, I dropped Kennedy off at preschool and off I went to Mt. Rubidoux.

Now, before I get into that, let me talk about last week's run there. I went last Thursday (I'm thinking this may become a tradition) and I actually ran six miles. It's four miles from the entrance, all the way to the top and back, so last week I ran one mile up, one mile down, then ran the two miles up and two miles back down for a total of six.

Those splits: 8:40, 8:19, 9:56, 10:27, 8:39, 8:49.

Today, as I said, my afternoon was cleared up for me and I won't get into it but I was actually a bit upset. I was in WTF-did-I-do? mode, a little angry, and maybe that contributed to my kick-ass run.

Today's splits: 9:53, 9:36, 7:57, 7:29.

So the first mile I ran about a minute slower today than last week, but last week I got gassed right away. I know it's downhill but look at those last two splits! And if it was just the downhill contributing to my time, last week's last two miles (the 8:39 and 8:49) would have been much faster.

New Blog Buds

If you have a blog, then you went through the initial stage where you could count the number of readers you had on one hand. For me, I could have counted the number of readers on this blog with one finger for the first four months of this blog. That's why I blogged exactly zero times from mid-July to mid-October of 2008, but life was breathed into this blog after I started getting some readers, and the rest is blog history.

I always felt back then that I was in an abandoned warehouse, talking loudly but to a vast, empty space. I wondered "Is anybody reading this? Am I pouring out my feelings for them to go into a cyperspace wasteland?" Times have since changed, and while I don't have a readership in the hundreds or anything, it's nice to know that someone's reading my stuff.

Anyway, I came across a few start-up running blogs if you will, and figured I'd spread the word, since I know how nice it is to have regular readers.

* Jacqi of Engineering The Run is an engineer (hence the creative title) based somewhere in or around DC or Virginia or Maryland or wherever. It's the East Coast, it's cold, it's not SoCal. Anyway, she's training for a marathon and recently signed up for a half-marathon, race distances she's never raced before.

* Brandi of Run Bundles, Run! just got into running and signed up for the Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon in June. She lives in Alaska! That's awesome! She has to deal with polar bears and narwhals and stuff... no, actually, I don't think she does, just some bitterly cold weather. I'm such a wimp, I'm not sure I could last for very long at any temperatures under 30 degrees, and that's a warm day for her.

* Whitney of It's What Moves Me came recommonded by Christy of It Just Looks Like Slow Motion, so with that stamp of approval you can't go wrong. Whitney has run five half-marathons... and no 5Ks, 10Ks or any other race distance. That's pretty cool actually. Here's a little Q&A with Whitney on Christy's blog.

Anyway, just wanted to share these blogs and try and spread their words. Keep on running ladies, whatever your goals are.

Marathon Ambassador

In an earlier post, I mentioned the Marathon Ambassador qualities that I now possess. Well, since I crossed the finish line I am now apparently a Marathon Ambassador, and as such I have duties and responsibilities to live up to, qualities and traits that I must display and things I must and mustn't do. This comprehensive list was on the back of our program at the Loper Banquet, and I felt it necessary to share.


Marathon Ambassador is an honorary title bestowed upon us the moment we take our first step over the finish line at our first marathon and receive that very first marathon medal around our neck.

All Marathon Ambassadors do everything they can to help the first-time marathoner become a fellow Marathon Ambassador. Marathon Ambassadors always lead by example.

Remember, the marathon is a distance - not a time. We always help our fellow marathoners go the 26.2 mile distance, whatever the finish time may be. Marathon Ambassadors always survive to run another day.

All Marathon Ambassadors know every completed marathon is a good marathon... even the ones that didn't quite turn out the way we planned.

Talk about marathoning to non-marathoners, as long as they show an interest. Remember, most people can't comprehend what we do and why we do it. Marathon Ambassadors are always considerate.

Heat, hills, high altitude, etc., are factors that make a marathon more difficult and slower. They are not excuses. Marathon Ambassadors never make excuses.

One foot in front of the other. All Marathon Ambassadors know that a slow marathon is better than no marathon. DFL (Dead Friggin' Last) is always better than DNF (Did Not Finish) which is still better than DNS (Did Not Start). Marathon Ambassadors know that showing up is 90 percent of the marathon.

No one likes a whiner, not even whiners. Marathon Ambassadors never whine.



All Marathon Ambassadors are created equal - some are just faster. The faster a Marathon Ambassador is, the less he or she talks about the finish time. Marathon Ambassadors are always humble.

Marathon Ambassadors make a commitment, at least once, to pace a new marathoner to their first finish.

Bring nothing less than your best, for the conditions and your training, to the marathon every time. Always set a good example. When you become a Marathon Ambassador, it's a lifetime membership.

All that is said on the road stays on the road. Marathon Ambassadors are always loyal confidants.

Share your experiences, during the marathon, when appropriate. Shut up and listen when necessary.

Show appreciation to all race personnel and volunteers. Marathon Ambassadors are always gracious.

Adapt, improvise, overcome. A Marathon Ambassador will always do whatever it takes to help others get the marathon done.

Does not matter if you run, walk or crawl. Marathon Ambassadors know that every 26.2-mile finish is a medal-worthy event.

One day, a Marathon Ambassador will no longer be able to do a marathon - but today will not be that day!

Remember your first marathon finish? Marathon Ambassadors do all they can to help as many people as possible experience that same pride, sense of accomplishment and pure joy.

Lest I Forget

Some moments from the Banquet and the marathon that I wanted to get out here before I forget them.

First, here's a picture of yours truly during the speech.

I had to lean forward for the microphone to pick up what I was saying

I wore a suit but once I got there I just took the jacket off and never put it back on until I left. I chose to wear my red shirt because it's supposedly the color of power and confidence, or something.

This is another shot of me, from my awesome blog buddy Angie.

my bib in lights, if you will

* At one point, all the multi-marathoners were asked to stand. Of the Lopers in attendance, one had run 56 marathons (Art, one of my pace leaders); another had done 90 and another had done 145. And many had done more than 20. When I lovingly called the Lopers "crazy multi-marathoners" during my speech, that's what I was referring to. Seriously, with so much experience in the group, how can you not do well?

* On the back of the program or agenda or whatever, there was something that talked about Marathon Ambassadors. It was a great list of things that happen once you cross the finish line of a marathon. I will post it in full length later this week (it's kinda long) so keep an eye out for that. One of my Marathon Ambassador duties, for instance, is to help a first-time marathoner cross the finish line at least once. Not sure when or where that will be, but that will be a great moment when it does happen.

* When I mentioned that the first race I ever signed up for was the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, I got a little bit of a reaction from the crowd. A few oohs and some murmurs. Yeah, even Lopers know that race is no joke.

* Mrs. LB told the people at our table about how I needed help sitting down after Surf City. I'd forgotten about that. I did need help to sit down. She was with the girls about a block away from the finish line, but I didnt' realize that until long after I crossed the finish line. Since I had no coverage I couldn't communicate with her so I walked and stood for awhile until I finally got in touch with her. I walked over to where she was, well, walking is too strong a word. With the grace and speed of a three-toed sloth, I lumbered my way over towards her. I wanted to sit down but I tried a few times before realizing that my legs didn't want to. They just wanted to remain in the same position they'd been in for nearly six hours. I hadn't sat down, after all, since I'd left the hotel room at 5:30, and it was now about 11:30 or so, and sitting down was a chore. So I asked Mrs. LB to help me sit down. It was painful but once I was sitting I felt okay.

* Back to the speech: I must have practiced the speech about 145 times the week before. I just kind of started talking about the things I wanted to talk about until I formed the basis of an outline, then I wrote that down. I broke it up into three parts: my weight loss, becoming a runner and my experiences with the Lopers. It just seemed logical. When I practiced my speech, it kept coming out to about 18 minutes but I cut it down kind of on the spur of the moment. I don't know how long the speech was -I'm guessing around 12 minutes. It didn't really feel like an eternity, and I think I did okay not to stammer my way through.

* When I was practicing my speech, I would tear up and start to get all emotional. Grrr.... I'd kind of wanted to get all that out of my system so I wouldn't break down in front of everyone. There were a few times I got choked up but overall I did well to just give the speech.

* I still can't believe I ran an effing marathon.

* I suppose the tradition with the Loper Banquet is to wear all the medals you've accumulated from one banquet to the other. Dammit! I didn't know. I just wore my Surf City medal because that's what I was told, to bring the Surf City medal. I would have loved to have sported my Ragner Relay medal too. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to wait until next year to wear the Ragnar medal and hopefully a pair of new marathon medals.

Captain's Return

I had another post ready to go but I realized that I should write about today's opening.

Kennedy standing in the calm before the storm

Today marks the return of Captain EO to Disneyland. The 3D show which stars Michael Jackson ran from 1986 to 1997 and was revived after Jackson's death. I say revived because it's taken months to iron out the kinks and revamp the theater to get it back to life.

notice the empty line behind the poster;
it won't be empty for long

I went to Disneyland with Kennedy on Monday, our first trip to the park with Yvie in school. I felt a little guilty about leaving Yvie behind but Yvie has done a lot of things Kennedy hasn't been able to do, so she understood. Kennedy, for instance, has been dying to go to school since Yvie started kindergarten and Kennedy won't play soccer until this year - Yvie's had two years of soccer already.

Anyway, I was secretly hoping that the show was going to have a pre-opening day viewing and that I'd be lucky enough to nab a seat in the theater for that but alas no avail. I may try and go next week sometime with the girls if my schedule allows for it but I'm guessing the lines for Captain EO will be enormously enormous. Can you use a word as an adjective for that word? Well, I just did.

As far as the trip, Kennedy and I headed over to California Adventure since the rides she wanted to do were over there. She did something for the first time since she now meets the 42-inch minimum requirements.

still dry, but that changed soon

This is a great ride during the spring and summer, when it's a bit hotter. The sun was out on Monday and it was kinda warm so I didn't mind getting wet. This is the Grizzly River Run, and Kennedy had never been on it. The ride features a raft, which seats eight, and goes through a roaring river which is supposed to replicate a similar ride through the Sierra Nevadas.

Her first ride consisted of her and me, alone in the raft. In the summer, the wait time can be an hour or more, but we walked right onto a raft and nobody was around us so we sat on our own raft. We got drenched too, at least my pants did, but it was all good.

So even if we didn't get to see Captain EO, our outing was enjoyable. Sorry Yvie, but we did have fun without you :( Although, it would have been waaaaay better if Yvie and Mrs. LB were there too, but I had their season passes with me, so they were there in spirit and in plastic.

Motivational Mondays (Feb. 22)

Well, Sunday was my long-anticipated speech and while it would be nice to post the speech here underneath, I can't. I wanted Mrs. LB to watch my speech instead of having to worry about recording it so that was that. My blog/Loper buddy Angie was there and said she tried to record it, so we'll see if the video works.

In any case, the speech went well. I was nervous about it and worried about it for awhile but it came out the way I'd wanted it to.

Some of the highlights:

* I thanked Mrs. LB before I started. I said that "Without her, I wouldn't be here today" which is the truth. I wouldn't be the person I am now without my wife. That old cliche "Behind every great man is a great woman"... well, I'm not a great man but my wife is certainly a great woman. But I couldn't resist setting up a bit of a joke because that earned some applause and when it died down I said "... because my wife drove tonight, so I would have needed a ride."

* I had a long-ish speech prepared (it was about 18 minutes) but I was told I'd have 3-5 minutes before the speech. But the speaker before me went long so I figured I'd condense my speech some but still managed to talk about my journey. I talked about weighing in at 308.6, how 7 minutes on the elliptical and 8 minutes on the bike led to three days of soreness and how I lost 10, 13 and 11 pounds the first three months, respectively.

* I'd submitted some pictures and the first one that came up was one of Big LB, and it drew some gasps. Seriously. I think people were like "Wow, is that the same guy?"

* I talked about my weight loss, how I lost 60 pounds with trainer and then 60 by myself in 2007, and how I took up running after that. After briefly discussing my progression as a runner, I talked about how and why I joined the Lopers, how I'd promised my wife that I ever wanted to run a marathon I'd join the Lopers since she was the one who suggested the Lopers in the first place.

* After a brief recap of the marathon and talking about what I'd written on my bib, I closed out with this. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to end it but I figured it out. This was the picture that was on display for most of the speech:

LB, circa June 2005

"If there's anything I would like for you to remember from this speech, it is this. What I wrote at the bottom of my bib is what I believe. Nothing is impossible. Because if you would have seen that guy four years ago and someone would have told you that he was going to lose 120 pounds and run a marathon, you would have said 'That's impossible.' And I'm here today to show you that it's not."

I walked off the stage into the comforting arms of my wife as the entire banquet gave me a standing ovation. It felt strange to be honest, to have a room full of people standing and clapping for me, but not a bad strange. It took me a while to settle down but Mrs. LB was comforting as always.

Awhile later I was able to relax and after the banquet was over more than a few people came up to me shook my hand such, some discussing their own stories of weight loss and how I was able to do it.

The speech was something I'd practiced for days and I was glad that speech came out the way it did. And I'm glad Mrs. LB and my brother Danny and his wife were there to see it. And maybe, just maybe it will inspire someone to do something they once thought impossible.

Cooking With Yvie: Orange Muffins

Welcome to another episode of Cooking With Yvie!

I'm excited to have the chance to bring you another episode. In her latest culinary adventure, Yvie shows you how to make Orange Muffins. We make muffins all the time and I'd made these before, but I think if I had to make them again I might add some more sugar, and my oven burns hot so I think a little less cooking time than instructed might be better.

Having said that, we enjoyed them quite a bit. The recipe is beneath the video.

Enjoy!



Orange Muffins

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon orange oil (optional, we didn't use this)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl, set side.
3. In large bown, whisk egg and yogurt until smooth; then whisk in orange juice, milk and orange oil, if using. Stir in flour mixture until moistened.
4. Fill into prepared muffin pans; bake for 20 minutes.

Reading The Paper

Do you read the newspaper anymore?

Does anyone?

It's a question I often ask myself. As a member of the print media for more than a decade, I have more than just a passing interest in the matter. I have many, many friends and acquaintances who are in or were part of the newspaper industry. It's actually quite sad to see the state of said industry, and sad to think that the future of newspapers is bleak.

At our house, we are loyal newspaper readers. Our local paper might not always have the types of investigative or thought-provoking stories the LATs or NYTs of the world have, but it's got plenty to keep us informed. Now, I do get a lot of my news online, as many others do. I have some e-mail alerts set up for some topics I enjoy plus I'm always checking my blackberry for different things, news updates one of them. Mrs. LB, though, prefers to get informed via the 'paper.

While it's a bit pricey sometimes, the newspaper is a fixture in our house and not just because my picture appears in there once a week.

As a newspaper reader, I like to peruse other newspapers. When I was in college, one of my favorite things to do was to get copies of the PE, the LA Times and the USA Today, and I'd read them all in between classes. Things have changed of course with the advent of blogs, news Web sites and the like.

While the newspaper industry isn't what it once was, the net can provide us some glimpses of things in various newspapers we couldn't see before.

This is one of my favorite Web sites. This site has the front pages of hundreds of newspapers across the country and the world. It's fun sometimes to peruse papers in other states and see what makes headlines. For instance, after Alabama won the college football championship earlier this season, I checked out the Alabama papers and saw how much coverage they gave the event (quite a bit of it). After Tennesssee college football coach Lane Kiffin quit and joined USC, the Tennessee papers had front-page coverage of the happenings. College football is a big deal in the South, and the papers reflect it.

It's also interesting to check out papers from around the world. I'm a big soccer fan, so whenever there is a big game I'll check out the papers from the respective country where the game took place and usually without fail it's on the front page. Sometimes I can't understand what is being written but it's still cool to check out the headlines.

It's also interesting to see what passes as societal norms in some countries. England's newspapers tend to have huge headlines, like SCANDAL BREAKS OUT IN PARLIAMENT or something, but in like a huge, huge type. Not sure how that reflects on the UK or whatever, but the papers look a bit tabloidish sometimes, more than the papers here (though New York papers can be like that). Also, German paper Bild usually publishes some sort of racy picture - typically a topless woman - on the front page. I think that might be a way to sell more papers here, to have a similar display on the front page. I kid, of course. I didn't realize Bild did that until I was scanning the German papers for something and then I was like "Whoa there, what's that?" I took German in college and can understand it a bit, so I like to check out the German papers because I can actually tell what's going on sometimes, unlike say papers in Russia or the Netherlands or the Middle East.

Sometimes it's depressing to see papers elsewhere. Sometimes there are some horrible headlines, like murder or some other mayhem, and that is usually a downer. But still, perusing papers from across the country and the world is always an interesting experience.

Usually the news is of course different in different places. What's front-page news in one county might not even make the A section in another. Sometimes I'll try to see if some big event in the US attracts interest overseas, but there was only one news story in the last eight or nine months or so that I saw made every single front page, and that was Michael Jackson's death. Some papers had their entire front page dedicated to that while others had just a picture and a few words. Most of the foreign papers had a picture or two or three and a story to go with.

Anyway, just some observations I felt like sharing. If you check out the site, you might not see a high number of papers today or Sunday, since some papers don't apparently publish on Saturday and/or Sunday.

Friday Leftovers (Feb. 19)

My weekly post of random items and thwarted blog posts.

Word Association

Play here.

1. Suitcase :: Trip

2. Exhaust :: Fumes

3. Olympics :: Coverage

4. Video :: Game

5. Cargo :: Ship

6. Previously :: Viewed

7. Wild card :: Game

8. Artificial :: Turf

9. Gambling :: Casino

10. Exhibition :: Game

Explanations: Man, I'm just thinking about games today apparently. All sorts of games: exhibition games, wild-card games, video games... funny how I didn't say games for Olympics. If it would have been Olympic, I may have. Instead, I went for coverage because that's how my mind is wired.

Last week, I failed to explain Heels :: Tar, so I'll do it now. That's in reference to North Carolina, the Tar Heels is their mascot.

Sticky Souvenir

Long after the aches and pains from Surf City wore off, I was still left with a souvenir from the race, if you will, on my body.

The tape I used to tape up the nips was still there about a week later.

When my dad went into the hospital in November, I managed to, um, borrow some tape. I figured that the tape used to hold down needles to skin and such would do well to hang on and protect the nips. It did and has worked wonders since, worked better than anything else I tried.

Worked too well.

That tape has a bit of a death grip sometimes. Honestly, it doesn't bother me too much until I go to take them off. And they won't come off. Well, Mrs. LB helped me take those off. She did a sneak attack and ripped them off while I wasn't paying attention. The first one actually was part me, part her ripping it off but the second one, she distracted me and then RIIIIP! off came the tape. ouch

Anyway, on Thursday I ran six miles up Mt. Rubidoux. It was a great run and I had a good strategy. I wanted to run six miles but from the bottom to the top is two miles, the path I take anyway. I ended up running one mile up, then ran back to the entrance and then back up all the way to the top and then all the way down. I've never really figured out The Garmin but I tried to keep my mileage stats, so my miles were sort of like this: 8:50, 8:13, 9:55, 10:25, 8:53, 9:00. I don't know if that adds up to my total time of 55:15, but it's close enough. I don't know why I went so fast the first mile, but I hit a wall when I went back up the same path. Overall I had a decent time, and while I wasnt' trying to run my hardest I did feel like I needed to get a decent time, which I did.

The only setback was the pain from my nips! I felt them early on and I instantly got frustrated. I had no tape, hadn't wanted to tape them up but apparently they aren't toughened up anymore since I've been taping them so much. Grrr. Luckily I had the ointment my buddy anne had sent me, and I put that all over and it worked to take the edge off.

Blog Biz

I know this is mostly a blog about, well, I call it my motivational/nutritional/fitness blog, but sometimes I don't blog about anything that fits that description. I've got some posts coming up next week that have nothing to do with running or anything. Don't be alarmed. It's just me and my world. I've always felt that I wanted to offer all my readers something from each post, whether runners or non-runners read it. It's tough to do sometimes but I try - if nothing else I try and spin a good yarn each and every blog post.

Dentist Trip

Last week, I blogged about my dentist woes. Seems like we just can't get away from the dentist these days. On Wednesday I took Yvie and Kennedy to the dentist. Kennedy's visit was her first-ever while Yvie had to get a filling for a cavity - dang it. Not sure how that happened but it did.

Funny moment (and if you're on FB you may have seen it): Kennedy was sitting in the chair and the dentist was getting settled in. She asked Kennedy how old she was and Kennedy responded "Four." Then the dentist asked Kennedy when she would turn five. Kennedy paused and said "On my birthday."

Anyway, Kennedy did well. I was a bit worried that she would cry or otherwise freak out but she was a trooper. She didn't flinch once during x-rays and did well with that suction thing that sucks up your drool. Yvie also experienced her first foray into novacaine. She received praise as well for her own behavior. For about two hours after, though, she complained that her lip felt funny. I told her not to bite it or anything because she might not feel it but that when the novacaine wore off, she' would and it might hurt. She didn't bite down and was happy when the numbness wore off. We scheduled another visit, for six months from now, and we hope there are no cavities then.

Kenna, Part Two

Kennedy and I had the chance to lay down for a nap on Thursday. She didn't want to but I knew she was tired since she got up at 5:30. I was tired too since I ran six miles and barely slept the night before. I climbed into my bed and Kennedy followed, reluctantly. I'd left my awesome Dodgers blanket out in the living room, though, and while I didn't really need a blanket, I kinda wanted one so I was reaching for something to cover myself with. I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember was Kennedy covering me with my Dodgers blanket, and then she gave me a little kiss on my forehead. That little girl is so awesome.

Of course, she fell fast asleep and I had to wake her up a bit later since we had to go get Yvie from school.

I don't know why she is so stubborn when it comes to napping. I tell her all the time, "If I was four years old, I would have a party every day. Naps whenever I wanted, food prepared for me, all the books and toys I could want, no school, sleep 'til whenever, Disneyland... I'd be living the life." She goes to preschool twice a week but still, that's not the five-days-a-week grind kindergarten can be. You know, the tough days of kindergarten.

She doesn't realize how great she has it, apparently.

LB's Song Of The Week

My weekly nod to children's music.

The girls are FORKs, apparently. That's what Randy Kaplan calls his fans, Fans Of Randy Kaplan. He's actually kind of a divisive character - either you like his stuff or you don't.

Kennedy had the chance recently to buy songs of iTunes and she chose two Randy Kaplan songs. This one wasn't one of them, but she ran out of choices before she got back to this one.

Hold That Thought

After the pains and aches subsided from Surf City, I was thrilled at the prospect of running another marathon in 2010. I wasn't quite set to jump right back into the fire and sign up for the Los Angeles Marathon, which would have given me six weeks in between marathons, but I was anxious to look for another marathon this spring.

I'd wanted to go for the OC Marathon, on May 2. I figured that would give me time to rest and recover before going back into marathon training without starting from scratch or anything.

Now, I'm not quite as certain about it. In fact, the air has been let out from that particular balloon.

Instead of another spring marathon, I have decided to set a two-fold goal. First, I will train hard for the Run Through Redlands Half Marathon. I am anxious to get a sub-2 hour marathon, and while I think it is a challenge - perhaps one that is out of my reach right now - I want to tackle it head on. The second goal coincides a bit with that. I want to train hard for the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. I want to beat my brother Danny in that race... actually, let me rephrase that... I want to smoke him and drag his time through the mud. I know we should run the race for fun, but I think it will be fun to beat him and shatter his PR there, which is about 1:03.

Another goal that is concurrent with that is to keep my weekly mileage high. I actually want to get to the point where I am running at least 30 miles a week consistently, and if I can get closer to 40 miles a week, even better. I figure that if I run at least double-digit mileage on the weekend and three or four times during the week, I can get to 30 miles at least. I also want to throw in some tempo runs and intervals as well.

Not to say that running another marathon would have impeded all this, in fact it would add to the weekly mileage totals, but focusing on a half marathon isn't exactly part of a marathon training plan.

So does that mean I won't run another marathon this year? Not quite.

Two marathons that several Lopers run in each year are San Diego and Long Beach. However, San Diego conflicts with the Mud Run and Long Beach is a week before Ragnar. If we end up doing Ragnar, it would not be possible to run the marathon and Ragnar.

What about San Francisco? That would be a huge challenge, since the course is so hilly. But I might consider it.

But the one I'm really looking at now is the Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon. That one is in December and I would have plenty of time to train for it. I'm not sure there are any other races that would conflict with it. The Mission Inn Half Marathon is about a month before so that wouldn't be a problem. And since quite a few Loeprs ran in it last year, there stands a chance of a similarly large group participating in it again this year. Thus, I would have several potential training partners for that race. The only problem is that race temperatures for that race in 2009 were in the low 30s to start, and that is pretty stinking cold. But at this point that is not enough to keep me from running it.

On the flip side of Las Vegas would be 2011, and the LA Marathon. I'll most likely run that one, especially if the Lopers go back to training for LA for the 2010-11 season. Either way, I'd love to run at least one more marathon in 2010. Training for Surf City was a blast and I anticipate having a similar experience for Las Vegas.

Tune-related Giveaway

One of the things that the Lopers advocate is running without headphones, and it's one of the few things I don't agree with them on. While I am not as dependent on my headphones now as I once was, I still enjoy music and still prefer it versus not having it with me.

What can make or break my music experience, though, is my headphones. So I was excited that my awesome blog buddy Christy of It Just Looks Like Slow Motion had a giveaway on her blog that would help.

Remember how Mrs. LB was able to call me several times during my marathon? Well, one of the headphones that allowed me to talk to my wife during Surf City ate it. There is a little plastic covering that just came off, and I can't find it. And without it, it won't stay in my ear.

Sad face.

I have another set, though, so not all is lost. Still, I'm excited about the possibility of having this chance to win these headsets. They are called Yurbuds, and they are supposed to fit on the end of your headphones and help them stay in your ear. This is right up my alley, something I need, so I'm hoping to win the giveaway. She's actually giving away 10 pairs so I might be able to snag me a win from one of these giveaways finally. I've entered so many giveaways and have yet to win one. Ugh. What luck.

Anyway, go check out Christy's rockin' blog, help cheer her up (she's injured) and read about her own running journey. Just don't enter the giveaway because that will lessen my chances of winning. And if you've already entered, you should retract your entry so I can improve my chances of winning.

Water, Water Everywhere

Water is good for you.

Not exactly news flash material, huh?

Well, it is. But it isn't always the first thing on your mind. Sometimes I wake up with a strong craving for coffee, or other times I want to drink something with flavor, maybe something sweet.

But I try and do my duty and drink the water I'm supposed to, the water my body needs to get by. Exactly how much water is that? That varies, though. And with all the research and information out there, you could easily get lost with that simple question.

Water, though, was central for me losing weight. My trainer told big LB to drink 80-100 ounces of water each day, so about the equivalent of about six half-liter bottles of water. Recently, during one of our Loper meetings, a running coach told us to drink at least eight, if not 10 of those bottles a day as we prepared for the marathon. He likened water to oil in an engine, helping keep everything lubricated.

Still, no matter how you break it down, drinking enough water can be tough.

I would not recommend drinking bottle after bottle of water if you are going to be driving a lot, for instance. You will have an accident, and not the kind where you exchange driver's license information with someone else. I've absent-mindedly drank water before the long drive out to the stadium and had near-misses. I had to pull off the freeway and find a store on more than one occasion. And those were times when I went to the bathroom just before I left the house.

There was another time when I was almost there, literally waiting for the light to turn so I can go into the stadium and I thought I would have to turn around and go home because I was certain I was going to have an accident right then and there. I still don't know how I made it, but I found a bathroom. I would have taken a bush at that point, but I made it to a porta-potty (honey buckets for you Seattle peeps).

If I'm going to be at home for a while, then I try and drink as much as possible. Sometimes that means trips every 15 minutes to the bathroom, but it's worth it.

We go through so much water a day, it's ridiculous. We get water delivered to us because our tap water here is not the best. We used to use a water filtration system but that was at our old house; our area now doesn't exactly have the best water. We get five of the five-gallon waters delivered to us every four weeks or so, and we always run out. Our last delivery was about two weeks ago and we're already on our last gallon. I'm the biggest culprit for that, so I don't feel so bad getting water when I run out.

The color of your, um, well, I don't want to get too graphic but if it's light then it's good. I get upset when it's not because then I know I haven't been drinking enough water.

I've been up for about an hour and have drank about half of one water bottle. I'm taking Yvie to school in about another hour and my goal is to drink four times that by then, so I'll have two full bottles in me by about 7:30 a.m. That's a good start for me. I'll probably spend the next few hours alternating between drinking water and going to the bathroom, but that's fine with me. I probably won't have an accident here at home.

Meal Plans

I've got a bit of a question for you trusty blog readers, those of you who cook anyway.

First, let me give you a bit of background and my quandary.

I'm solely responsible for meals around the LB house. I got into cooking about three years ago and I'm fairly comfortable in the kitchen. Well, not entirely totally 100 percent comfortable because there are still foods and ingredients that confuse me (yeast, for instance) and a lot of times I still need recipes to make something. I can "wing it" sometimes but usually only when making Mexican food, since that's what I'm familiar and comfortable with.

But for the longest time now, I've felt a bit uneasy. I don't necessarily think I'm in a rut but it sure feels that way. So to help combat this feeling, I've decided to try something different. Although I'm not 100 percent sold on this idea.

Now that I don't have to referee soccer games, I have my afternoons free once more. I'm at home pretty much every day in the mornings although some of those days I do a bit of running around (literally and figuratively). Still, I have time both to do the shopping and cooking, and I'm actually looking forward to settling into a rhythm.

Which brings up my predicament. I've thought for the longest time to designate nights with certain dishes. For instance, have a pasta night, Mexican night, chicken night, etc. That would help me not only get more organized but also force me to try new things. If I have a chicken night, I can't keep making the same chicken dishes I normally make over and over again.

So, my question: is this an effective system?

I'm thinking right now of something like this...

Monday: Chicken
Tuesday: Mexican
Wednesday: ______
Thursday: _____
Friday: Pasta

Obviously there are some _____s there. Still trying to fill out the holes. I do have some thoughts:

Pork and/or Beef night
Ethnic night (Asian or some other type of ethnic dish)
Veggie night (not sure this would go over well, but I wouldn't mind doing it)

You won't see Seafood night on there because we don't care much for seafood. And we do breakfast for dinner every now and then, but not often enough to designate it as a weekly thing.

Anyway, help a blogger out! If you'd be so kind...

Finish Line Etiquette

Well before I even got to the start line at Surf City, I thought about the finish line. My Loper pace leader had mentioned it once, almost casually, to not look down at your watch as you crossed the finish line of a marathon. She said that you don't want to have a picture of yourself looking at your watch as the finish-line pose of your first (or any) marathon.

Then, the week before the marathon, she stressed it to us.

"Don't stop your watch until a few seconds after you cross the finish line because you don't want to be looking at your watch on your finish line picture," she'd said.

So when I approached the finish line at Surf City, hitting stop on The Garmin was the furthest thing from my mind.

Maybe some people don't care about their finish-line picture. Or maybe they really do care about what their watch says. Regardless, there were some finish-line shots that, had they been mine, would have destroyed my great moment.

checking the time

more checking

Now, I don't mean to pick on those guys or anyone. They probably smoked my time, so I'm sure they know what they're doing. And maybe when you get to the point where you are running marathons to try and beat a certain time, you don't care about the finish line photo because you're there to compete. Who knows?

To offer a contrast, here are some pictures of people who had great finish-line shots:

First-time marathoner coming in all smiles

That's my uncle Jorge, who was also a member of our Ragnar Relay team. Check him out. He definitely looks happy, relieved and excited to be done with his first marathon.

another shot of Jorge

Of course, if I could finish my first marathon in 3:46:34, I'd be super happy too. Jorge, by the way, already signed up for LA and might run San Diego and/or Long Beach this year too. Dang overachievers...

Anyway, here's another marathoner, though not a first-timer (and I hope she doesn't mind me posting these pics here):

third time's a charm

Blog buddy Lisa kicked major behind on this marathon, her third overall. She finished in 3:57:17, nearly one full hour faster from her first marathon time.

job well done

Look at her? Doesn't she just look super-excited and overjoyed? That's a great shot.

This next one is of my fellow Loper Marilu. It's another great picture.

point to the skies

This one is awesome. I really love that shot of her. I haven't gotten the chance to ask about her reasons for celebrating this way, but it looks great no matter what. That's a picture worth framing... all of the ones I posted are, really. Well, the last batch anyway.

I'm not sure how many marathons I will run, but I'll make sure that after every one I'm happy or proud or displaying some other emotion because I like those kinds of finish line photos.

ADD:

Here's my finish line photo :)

crossing the line

Incidentally I ordered the pictures from the race site so I'll have a better picture of myself, without the watermark, once I get those shots.