RUNNING JUST AS FAST WE CAN...

On Wednesday I not only ran 9.6 miles but I also hiked 5.4 miles... that's a whole hell of a lot of cardio to do in only a few hours!!!

The run (3X) around the Rosebowl with Anna was pretty incredible - and emotional at the same time. Driving to the arena with JJ as my copilot it instantly hit me that when I run the Pasadena Marathon my mom would not be at the finish line waiting to hug me and congratulate me.

When I ran the Honolulu Marathon in 2002 I remember finishing the marathon and looking for my brother, my best friend Joseph and my mom of course. Have you ever been in a large crowd and were desperately searching for a familiar face? It was kind of like that!

The Pasadena Marathon will not have my mom there but it will have lots of friends there waiting to greet me - hopefully!

JJ ran with Anna and I the first 3.2 miles and then we threw him in the car and finished the remaining miles on our own. What a test of mental and physical strength it is to just run!!! I can remember when I was almost finished my body all of a sudden stopped running and started walking for less than five seconds - it was a completely natural and non-cognitive. I quickly woke up out of my daze and started running to finish the 9.6 miles... I am so proud of me!!!

Next week we are going to do 11 miles - cutting the mileage down by one mile to reduce injury, I think its a good idea and so does Anna!

Afterwards I met up with Johnny Hazzard to go hiking with his new dog. JJ and his dog, Petey, could be brothers - they looked so cute together and played nice too. I couldn't believe JJ walked by Petey side the entire time and was so well behaved. Petey was so well behaved and cute, I told JJ to take notes on how well behaved Petey was acting, hoping JJ would learn some obedience tricks - yah right! I volunteered Hazzard to drop of Petey whenever he needs to, I think JJ and him would make awesome play buddies since they are around the same size and both pit bulls!

Next week we are going to try and go hiking again... I can't wait to run and hike!!!

I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN

Sometimes cardio is a real bitch!

On Saturday Anna, my coworker and training partner for the Pasadena Marathon, told me that instead of running the Rosebowl that we should opt for running up this mountain in Pasadena. I am up for usually any challenge someone puts infront of me so of course I accepted with a grin when she said we can go as slow as I wanted to and walk if needed. 'Walk?' I thought to myself, lol, I don't walk if I am training for a marathon.

Little did I know that I woudl end up walking the majority of the time uphill. This 2.6 uphill climb was making my lungs beg for oxygen, putting me out of breath faster than ever. I have to say that for the first 30 minutes I was the Little Engine That Could. Unfortunately after that my body was begging for me to slow down and relax. The mountain we climbed was referred to as The Haunted Forest. I can remember in high school we would go up into the woods that surrounded the infamous mountain and drink alcohol. There were so many stories surrounding the woods that the truth was turned into anything but the truth.

After climbing up the mountain we were treated to a historical lesson of how wealthy Pasadena used to be. Check out the picture above, this hotel used to sit on the top of this Altadena mountain. From 1894 until the year 1900, the rich would take the train up the Mount Lowe trail and stay at this well-to-do hotel for $5 a night - $25 a week. Of course, at the time this was a lot of money for the time. This magnificent hotel operated for six years until a fire devasted the entire mountain top, taking out both the hotel and the railroad. That is the short story, however if you hike up to the top the full story, sans how many were killed, if any, is up there. The foundation of the hotel is still up there and the railroad tracks too - so friggin' fascinating!!! Below check out a YouTube clop someone posted of the top of the mountain, you can see the foundation and the reminents of the historic hotel! Another YouTube clip below that is of the old trolley that would take visitors to the top... amazing huh?


After we poked around Anna and I ran down the entire mountain - about 30 minutes to do 2.6 miles downhill!

Today I am so sore, mostly my chest. Anna said in two months I will be able to run all the way up Mount Echo without stopping once - yah, we'll see about that!!! Digressing just a bit, I have become a bit obsessed with Mount Lowe and Echo Mountain in the last 24 hours. This may sound a bit weird but I felt strange when I was up there yesterday; almost as if the history and people who had stayed here from yesteryear were beckoning me and telling me to stay and poke around more. I think I am going to go up there again this week with JJ and take pictures... I can't wait!

MARATHON BABY... I'M UP AND RUNNING A MARATHON!!!

NOVEMBER 16, 2008 IS THE FIRST EVER PASADENA MARATHON... BE THERE I WILL!!!

SIX MILES AND COUNTING...

I just finished running 6.4 miles with Anna!!

Me blogging about my weekly runs reminds me of when I was training for the AIDS Marathon: Destination Honolulu back in 2002! It was such a momentous (?) experience to train with an extraordinary group of people and raise money for AIDS Project Los Angeles at the same time.

During my six month training program I kept a weekly online journal that would talk about my weekly runs. (Back then I don't think the word Blog was so heavily used or even created yet.) The Web site got deleted on accident I believe, I have tried looking for it numerous times but can never find it... it was such an awesome diary filled with lovely quotes, pictures and, of course, memories!

Anna and I are making our own memories by sharing stories, gossiping (watch out Beckham Grill) and singing almost any song we know! Today I struggled to remember the lyrics for The Golden Girls. I think in total I had to rack my brain for 15 minutes. For any gay man that is 15 minutes too long, huh? We sang Mariah, Justin, show tunes, some Madonna and The Golden Girls... oh lord we aren't running a marathon, we are running a Variety Show!

Okay, my legs are in major pain and I need to soak my ankles! Below, for your enjoyment are just some of the songs we sang today. Can you pick the ones I thought of and the songs that Anna wanted to sing aloud? LOL