San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon....CHECK

Fifty three days before my 30th birthday, I completed my first full 26.2 on Sunday participating in the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It was awesome. Signing up a couple of months ago, my wife chose to run the half (13.1) while I convinced myself that this was something I would need to do before "growing" old. If you're not interested in reading the details, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post for my Garmin data as well as the official Rock 'n' Roll Results.

Training: None...more or less absent in terms of distance. It was definitely a bad idea and not a bright one to say the least. I had planned on running at a lighter weight (165 lbs. compared to my current 180 lbs. ) and even planned out a running schedule. Those "plans" didn't take. The longest run I would have done would have been the 10 miles the previous Wednesday while using Gu once at the half way point. A couple of weeks of ago, I completed running ~16 miles on the Ragnar Relay but that was during a 24 hour period so I guess that didn't count?! Next time...(if there is another one) I will definitely train appropriately.

Day -1: Drinking lots of water, picking up Runblondie26 and her husband, hanging out at the Expo (buying my first pair of Newton Running Shoes from Ryan, buying some 2XU Calve Guards and officially signing up for the San Diego TriRock), attending a Padres game followed by some carbo loading w/ Bronx Pizza and carne asada fries. I got the gear together, set the coffee maker and went to bed early.

Day 0: Waking up w/ around 7 hours of sleep, I took a shower, dressed and got ready. Eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, drinking a can of FRS, and sipping some coffee was it for the pre race meal. Adelle, Lindsay and I walked 1.7 miles from the downtown apartment to the start line arriving a little later than originally planned but it worked out after checking in our gear bags which by the way was really quick and easy. Lining up and finding my 4:45 pace group in corral 23, I awaited the starting gun. About 30 minutes later, looking down at my heart rate monitor on my Garmin Edge 500, I noticed that my adrenaline was pumping 100 bpm. Trying to slow it down and calm myself...it was time and off we went!

The pace leader took off to a great start and I purposely lagged behind. The first four miles flew by like none other and when the fork in the road was coming up for the half marathoners to turn north, I'll admit that it did cross my mind, but on I went toward into Downtown. Running in familiar territory was exciting and easy and when I came around mile 9 onto the 163 freeway, I was feeling like a champ! I happened to run into my sister who was just approaching the four mile marker on her way to completing her first half marathon so that was nice. Now this part of the course was pretty awesome in that the marathon closed both sides of the freeways. Running under the bridges were amazing because I actually got to see and appreciate the structures. Running on the freeway was fun up until the downhill portion came up. The road was uneven and sloped towards my left causing a imbalance in my legs and ankles and it only got worse. That's when I can remember first time thinking about the hot spots and ankle pains. Finally getting back towards on Friars approaching my half way point, I once again felt like I could keep on going. Nothing was going to stop me. I was drinking and maintaining hydration along with Gu's, salt packets and FRS chews...things were dandy.

Did I forget to mention that the sun was now beating down and the heat was picking up. Passing by Rose's Donut Shop, (yes I did think about grabbing one to go) Morena Blvd. would prove to be my nemesis. Around mile 18, the walking would start. It probably started around 16 as my feet just started to feel heavy. With 10K to go, I looked down at my watch and was still on pace. Then, it happened... the pace group passed me. I found myself walking a lot more then finally getting over the bridge towards Mission Bay, I knew I was going to finish it.

Motivation was found all along the course. I ended up walking next to a guy that has been doing the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon since the inception in 1998 and was telling me that only 101 runners remained of the original 20,000. He had a pace watch and he told me that we were still good to go even if with a target of 13 minute miles. Easy right?

I just couldn't get comfortable anymore. That's the bottom line. My calves were fine (thanks 2XU), but my quads, hamstrings as well as feet were just about done. I would force myself here and then and it wasn't until right before Fiesta Island did I give it another go. I got a call from Lindsay (who ran a PR 1:36 half marathon) saying that she was waiting for me at the 5K to go mark and would run with me. That was just awesome. She met me at the beginning of Fiesta Island and off we went. Then I came to a halt. I just couldn't do that much more. I was falling far behind and next thing you know, I'm aiming for 5:30. With .2 to go, my fan group cheered me on, Lindsay broke off and I finished strong. Coming in at 5:24, I can say proudly that I finished. Taking my "official" post race picture, I witnessed a couple getting engaged which was pretty awesome. In face, the guy carried the ring w/ him the entire time while running alongside and finishing with his girlfriend. I walked at a very slow crawl grabbing my gear bag and hopped on the bus back to the trolley then over the car. Good times.

We have runbondie26 all smiles, me with a red vine in my mouth the last .2 miles and me trying to look cool like I still have energy left in me.

Post Run: Once I got home, I took a shower, changed and off we went to grab a Smash Burger. It was good but I couldn't really eat that much. My appetite wasn't all there as my stomach was full fo Gu Gel and whatever other things I was filling up with along the way. When I got home, a little post race ice cream then I crashed for an hour and half. Waking up with a massive, what it felt like hangover associated headache, I hydrated with Gatorade, another can of FRS and got ready for dinner at couples night. I put on more KT tape around my quads and around my feet, and set out. Good times!

Day +1: I woke up feeling good. Sore for sure, but better. Sleep was good, lunch was great and I'm walking again. I hear that I'm suppose to hurt a little more on day +2, but we'll see! I got some great seats for the Padre game, even got a pedicure and ate some good pizza. Yes I said pedicure. At the Padre game, on the way out, I also got a chance to shake hands and snap a photo with the Woz. Yes, the Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and who is a Padre fan through and through! Exciting weekend for sure!

TriRock San Diego: My First Triathlon (Sprint)

Preface:I knew that I wanted to participate in a triathlon ever since I started cycling. The idea might have actually been planted in my head when I first found out that my AP Biology teacher, Mr. Rankin, was rumored to be an Ironman contender. Maybe it was after I completed my first 10K (Cow Harbor Race 2006), but that's all history. I will admit, that from couch potato to 10K taught me an important lesson in how sore one can get after a race like that, but it also started a chain of events that led to me to this.

First and foremost, I never really enjoyed running. Dating back to fifth grade, I was always a middle of the pack runner panting and breathing heavily and was the guy that insisted on walking around each of the four backstops that made up our track. I knew that I could swim since I was in the "advanced" swim class in high school phys ed. but it's been a ages (~14 years) and cycling extended distances with my Uncle Romeo and friend Ryan Espiritu forged the thought that hey, I just might be able to finish a sprint triathlon. My roommate for a short 2 months, Michael Mangan, another tremendous athlete, provided a little bit of encouragement to sign up, so I said, "Why not?" I also had another friend Kristen that was considering the goal. For my first triathlon, I set out two goals: To finish under 1:30:00 and not at the end of the pack; second to last would suffice.

I bought a book entitled Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel and began reading. I should have probably finished earlier than 1 week prior to the race and followed the 12 wk plan (being that I had a full 14 weeks before the race when I took delivery) but I guess I do what I do best; procrastinate.

Training: I did a couple of bricks (bike workout followed by a jog or a swim followed by a bike) and began the slow and steady journey to getting into shape. That is until the month prior to my wedding when things started really piling up, I fell off the face of the earth. In other words, my training went from semi-existent to non-existent. I never really swam that much (laps in an apartment complex pool) or trained for that particular event and sporadically the occasional light treadmilling. I knew that I was just doomed from the start but I didn't give up on the idea. Essentially, you might as well just say that I did not train.

Day before: I decided that I needed a wetsuit primarily for the water temperature but more importantly, I knew that it would provide extra buoyancy. It's more than awesome that Xterra Wetsuits happen to be not only one of the best triathlon wetsuit companies but the fact that it is headquartered in San Diego fits into my procrastinating habit! I set out, tried one on and decided to rent last minute as the price tag proved to be a little steep. I missed the 40% off sale by one day and it was my first sprint tri so I settled on the Vector Pro. That same Saturday was the TriRock Expo and packet pickup so I went back downtown, grabbed my bike and I decided to head over .5 miles to the Embarcadero Marina Park.

Organized and well put together, I signed up for USAT membership, picked up my packet and swag (schwag), watched a well put together Basics 101 by one of the San Diego VAVI representatives. (I recorded it on my iPhone 4 but unfortunately the sound didn't come out that great at all but at your request, I can make it available)

I felt good after watching the him set up his mock transition area using my bike as his example and then that night, I laid everything out. I don't usually go that far but my nerves got the best of me so setup my own mock transition area. Every piece of clothing and race equipment I would be using, I checked it off using the checklist provided by Joe Friel with my wife calling out each item. I was a definitely nervous and then I found out that a buddy of mine, Renato Villena, was also racing! I had a buddy and that alone makes things a lot better. I put on the race tatoos (I got the age group one upside down, but I rocked it like it was intentional) and then went to sleep.

Race Day: I woke up, already packed and just threw on some clothes. I threw on my new 2XU Tri Comp Short and Vest which ended up being a little tight and as Ryan Espiritu would later say, it make him feel like he wanted cupcakes! I was lucky to have my wife drive me to the race where I met up with Ryan and we set out to find our cubbies in the transition area. We got there rather early but it was relaxing. Near the time of the race, we put on the wetsuits and made our way to the start. The swim portion was starting off in the water already along with a band on a catamaran to entertain (as part of the Rock 'N Roll experience) but I would later find out I would be able to pay any attention to them. My nerves were calm, the swim didn't look too bad, I was ready.

Swim: I would just sum this portion up by saying, I need to find a coach and go at this with A LOT more training and effort. If it wasn't for the Xterra suit, I would have probably drowned or panicked but there were times where I was just floating there and near the end, since there were others backstroking, I started to backstroke too! I got out of the water and was definitely exhausted. I didn't come out last, but definitely near.

I also recently read that I could train or find a coach at the UCSD Swim pool and am excited to venture out that way and see what kind of training schedule we could come up with.

Transition 1 into Cycling: Lightly jogging to the cycling portion, I saw and excitedly waved at my wife along the sidelines and got to it. I couldn't take off the wetsuit that easily and had to eventually sit down hence my really slow transition time. I got on what I needed and started to jog out with the bike. I got on thinking I was going to hammer, but then started to feel a light muscle twitch on my left calf. Along with that, my Garmin cadence monitor decided that it wasn't going to work either (off by 1mm???)! Oh well, but I did see my mom on the way out and that gave me yet another boost of confidence! Thanks for the support guys!

I could feel my rhythm but it definitely wasn't fast enough. I was getting passed up by some of the ladies in the 25-29 group that was in the wave behind me but the last thing that I wanted to do was cramp up. The course was longer than I thought but I got through it and then made my way to the running portion. There were quite a few bands along the way to keep me entertained at the rather slow pace. I also made a decision that day that I should at least get some clip-on aero bars. I could have really used the more aggressive position or at least the "rest" position.

Transition 2 into "Jogging and Finish:" As I made my way to the cubby, I saw my fans (Ryan and Adelle + mom) grouped together and was able to start running. Handing them my bicycling gloves on the way out, I started to see the light! My legs surprisingly felt good and off I went. I neglected to put the watch strap adapter for my Garmin Edge 500 so I just ran with it in hand. (I've lost it since) Around 1.5 miles is usually when I start to tire a bit, but I was on pace with a couple of individuals that made it a pleasant run. One young lady told me that I was setting a good pace for her but I insisted that it was her that I was following. She eventually finished before me, but I was proud. Apparently, I would end up with a pretty good 5K time. When we reached the turn around point at the USS Midway, I could feel my mind take ease and my body start to relax but I kept on chugging. As I continued on, I kept on the lookout for the tatoos of people in my age group and felt relieved knowing that there were at least a couple of people behind me. Coming to the finish, I pushed it a bit more and saw my supporters cheering me on. I thought that I was done, but I still had yet to go around the bend for what felt like an eternity! I finally crossed the finish line and eagerly grabbed my first Rock 'N Roll medal, some coconut water, hugged it out and took some pictures. It was a great experience and I cannot wait for the next one wherever it may be. You can count on it to make this my yearly event!

Here are some links and pictures to the festivities!

To see my official times, check it out in the gallery! [gallery columns="2"]

Check out Ryan's Blog and another awesome individual, Mary Harris as she goes through training for half marathons! Also, two other sources of inspiration are Ray Maker as of course Joe Friel.

Books & My First Brick

As previously noted just a day ago, I signed up for my first Sprint Tri.  More specifically, I signed up for the San Diego Tri-Rock which is just under 58 days from the publishing of this post.  I have the bug and I can't deny it.  Buying a couple of magazines tonight and reading the last two editions of Competitor Magazine San Diego Edition, I'm all about getting fit and doing it right.  Well, starting off on the right foot at least.  I thought that I could get off to a simple easy start w/ more magazines so I set out to Barnes and Nobles in Mira Mesa and picked up a couple more.

One of my friend's had a book entitled "Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance" by Matt Fitzgerald which looked good so I thought of picking that up too.  Of course, the only one that they had in stock was on hold but I might as well just buy the book from Amazon anyways.  I also found another book by critically acclaimed trainer, coach and athlete Joe Friel conveniently titled "Your First Triathlon" so I added that to the cart too.  Expect reviews on adellelijah.com in the upcoming weeks.

Click on these links below to check them out via my amazon affiliate link!

Since I decided a couple of days ago to do this sprint tri, I thought that I should get a head start and do the bicycle and running portion of the race.  Apparently this is called a brick with whom I was enlightened by Mr. Espiritu (@ly0n123).  Today was the first full day that I was back in San Diego, so I made it my goal to do the 4S Ranch CC Loop (which conveniently happens to be a 20K (12.4 miles)) followed by a 5K (3.1 miles).  I also got to ride with a new colleague, Mr. Juan M. (@juanrcm)who found me on Twitter as a cyclist in his neighborhood.  I kept a great pace with a goal in mind to beat my previous 55 minute trial and riding alongside Juan made it easier and more enjoyable. Check them out here via my Garmin Edge 500 from Garmin Connect. note: I still have yet to pick up the Garmin Quick Release kit so that I can wear my G500 on my wrist instead of gripping it in my hand while jogging. Maybe I'll pick it up tomorrow at REI in Convoy.

I had a 10 minute transition which included changing my outfit + shoes and waiting for my sister. It all worked out in the end, but I copped out and only completed 2 miles. Here's my excuse if you care to know: It was getting dark and I decided that I should head in.

I still think that I did a pretty awesome job with it being my first brick workout and all. I'm going to be at Nite Moves SD tomorrow night anyways for a full 5K so I don't feel that bad. Come check it out!

If you're asking, I'm thinking about swimming tomorrow or sometime later in the week. Not open water just yet, but we'll see.

"Rigged" by Ben Mezrich

Finishing the book in 2 sits is about what one can expect from a book written by Ben Mezrich. For those of you that watched "21" with Kevin Spacey, Mr. Mezrich is the author of the book "Bringing Down the House" from which the movie was adapted. "Rigged" was written in 2007 but I wasn't keen on its exsistence until I found myself and crew delayed for over 3 hours in the Allentown Pennsylvania Airport. Shopping around for something to do and read, I stumbled on the paperback edition and decided to pick it up so with that, here is my review.

Ben Mezrich's captivating and emotional ridden writing style is present immediately from the get go. Thoroughly delightful and pleasantly easy to read, "Rigged" follows the true story of David Russo's (D'Agostino is real life) forray into the New York Mercantile Exchange. Growing up in a traditional Italian family and educated at Harvard Businnes School, the story follows him through his surprise hiring and promotion at the young age of 26 on board with the NYMEX. Impressing his bosses and colleagues around, he ventures into an idea brought forth by a business man of the same age but from half way across the world in a city David knows nothing about, Dubai.

The books' chapters shuffle between the two story lines of David and Khaled until they ultimately intertwine having the two join forces in convincing the Western World that a an exchange in the religion-governed Middle East is a must in shaping the globalization of economies. Each chapter dropping off at a critical stream in one's character and picking up with the other is a style that has become the page turner is today's more fantastic novels and this story never falls short of just that.

Excitement and tension between the young and old are just a few of the emotions that Mezrich does a fine job of illustrating.  Granted there are a few short comings such as the anticlimactic opening of the Dubai MEX and the rushed ending.  The book in the beginning chapters does a great job of pulling you in, but the story just leaves you with too many questions.  

Don't expect a 10 out of 10 but it's a good, entertaining read.  Pick it up at the library or if you see me around, ask me and I'll shoot it your way.

Watchmen Motion Comics Free on iTunes

I can't say that I ever new Watchmen Motion Comics was available for free download on iTunes until tonight.  Check it out!  It's free and it plays awesome on my new toy. 

a 4 Hour Sit in Cincinnati Airport

Oh the joys of scheduling a 2 leg day with a four hour sit getting paid only per diem with no crew lounge.  Contemplating where to adventure to around the CVG airport, I find myself sitting her in the McDonalds in Concourse C with a brand new book that I just bought at the airport Borders Book Store.  I guess I shouldn't complain about that though because I got 10% off for being an airport employee and the #1 at McDs was just as I imagined it would be. 

The books that I picked up by the way at by Atul Gawande entitled, "Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science" and his second book called "Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance."

Today's scheduled block pay (flight time) consists of 3 hours and 8 minutes.  Our total duty time though is 7 hours and 58 mins.  That means with our minimum duty rig of 2:1, I should get paid for almost 4 hours.  Oh joy... =)  Now with the weather slowly starting to roll into the Columbia, SC, our next destination and with more weather forecasted to arrive in ATL tomorrow, just makes sense that the last day of a 4 day, prior to me getting back to San Diego, should pose these anti-on-time hurdles.  It's going to be nice though once I'm on vacation. 

The Possessive Investment in My "I"

I have just finally finished Jacques Lusseyran's Collection of Selected Writings called "Against the Pollution of the I." For everyone out there that thinks that they are the shiznitz (sorry for the slang) and / or believes that they are more important that the other person ordering a tall, non fat, half-caff, 1 shot of vanilla and hazelnut, latte with an extra shot of espresso coffee drink in the local Starbucks while dangling your precious keys and purses, this is a read that should humble you. I say humbling because it talks about someone's journey that puts our plights to shame. Of course, if you are more into yourself than the average Joe, then maybe it might not. I can assure you though that coupled with his amazingly written autobiography, "And There Was Light," both these works will make have you understand that there is a lot more to life than what's inside of your head. Please read them so that we can all just love one another already and just get along. Maybe we can also meet up and have a book club. =)

Unhappiness, I saw then, comes to each of us because we think ourselves at the center of the world, because we have the miserable conviction that we alone suffer to this point of unbearable intensity.

Poetry in Buchenwald, Against the Pollution of I p.179

I will write a more thorough review at a later entry. Hope that you look forward to that.