A Case Of The Marathon Mondays
Monday, August 11, 2014
Thumbs Up Express looks towards Falmouth Road Race
Friday, November 1, 2013
MOvember 1st 2013
a World Series Championship in Massachusetts, the leaves have mostly
fallen and the unpredictable weather is upon us. Novemeber 1st also
means we are upon Movemeber. Movember, what is that you may ask? So
taken right from their website, they could not say it any better.
Movember (a portmanteau word from moustache and "November") is an
annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during
the month of November to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other
male cancer and associated charities. The Movember Foundation runs the
Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember
is to "change the face of men's health."
While cancer has touched most of our lives, the campaigns for Breast
Cancer awareness are quite common and popular. Both types of cancer
have touched my family. Both of my grandfathers passed while I was in
my early teens from prostate cancer, so last year I tried this for the
first time. Being in the Air National Guard since I turned 19 hasn't
helped me either in growing facial hair. Going to a Military college,
and having Drill weekends once a month for over a decade now, facial
hair is frowned upon in military standards. However a mustache,
within the standards of appearance is acceptable. So I made it about
half of the month last year, supporting "movemeber" before having it
drive me crazy. I saw the mustache out of the corner of my eye, it
overtook my life. I got ingrown hairs, I itched, it was an
uncomfortable experience.
This time around I am determined to make it the entire month. 30 days
to a cool mustache and hopefully raise some money on the side for
prostate cancer. Look out Tom Selleck, you may have met your match.
JJH
Sunday, October 28, 2012
P Bruins, Scorpion Bowl, Bigger Pants weekend
Monday, October 15, 2012
Catching up with the obese airman
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Bring the teacher an apple
Monday, July 30, 2012
I guess its gross to want to win
So I have been getting better, slowly shrinking in size, as the lesson learned sank in. Until tonight where I pulled off the same thing. What possessed me to do it, we will never know. See pics of 2 weeks and and then again tonight when I hit another "double"
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Its been a week, and trying to stick with it
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A new approach, with greenly leaves?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The last day of January, woo hoo!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Penn State
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Off to drink
Well anyways I live in Lowell, Massachusetts now. I will have plenty of posts about home ownership, what it was like to undertake this huge act of painting every wall (still not done yet, about 91% complete) and have a company come rip up tile, carpet and existing bamboo flooring and lay hardwood floors, and then the adjustment of the new job which drives me flipping bonkers sometimes. However I am very great to have a job, have made my first mortgage payment, and now I can walk to Lowell Beer Works and try the newest Brew. They come out with a new beer every month and I am looking forward to it.
I ran tonight, not much at all, but a HUGE amount compared to what I have ran lately. To say I am unmotivated is an understatement. To say I lack direction in the area of fitness is the truth and for the first time in my life, it hasn't bothered me.
I miss having friends that are active and hold my feet to the fire when it comes to something like athletics. Gone have been the days of calling a friend close by to go run 5 miles at a good clip and talk about the days events. I ran short of 4 miles tonight, however its almost double my mileage over the last 6 weeks or so.
Anyways I will write more later, plenty to catch up on. But this, November 1st 2011, in my flannel shirt, I will be the guy at the bar, alone, watching some NHL game I could care less about, trying the beer of the month. Life is grand. Josh
Monday, September 5, 2011
New approach and FFB results from draft
My running right now sucks. And when I say sucks I mean really sucks. I ran tonight a 4 mile loop not because I wanted to, but because Danielle, the fiancé insisted it will make me feel better. I feel bad for her. She doesn’t know the once motivated athlete. I have progressively ballooned in weight and struggled with motivation. Everyone has an idea of what their ideal shape should be. Whether it is the number you see when you step on the scale, or the way your favorite jeans fit, or the numbers on your watch when you run the loop that you have known for years.
For a decade or so I would sign up for races as a way to keep myself true to myself. If I signed up for a marathon in 2 months I knew I couldn’t be pounding beers and slamming down double cheese burgers every day. I knew what it would feel like on the day of the race that way I knew what to avoid. IN both actitivites and eating.
So we will see how this goes. The time of transition with the condo purchase still a month a way and long days in the car to go to a job where I feel like there is so much to learn, I guess it’s a matter of time before it seems routine once again. Until later, Josh.
PS My fantasy football draft just finished. I am the Lowell Mill Girls, how do you think I did?
Round: 1
(1) Acton Lone Drinkers - Adrian Peterson RB
(2) Team Patsies - Chris Johnson RB
(3) BOOT N RALLY - Arian Foster RB
(4) Team Nichols - Jamaal Charles RB
(5) C WELL - Tom Brady QB
(6) Team Chamberlain - Michael Vick QB
(7) Chernobly Energy Tub - Philip Rivers QB
(8) Team Buckley - Ray Rice RB
(9) Maroney's Marauders - Aaron Rodgers QB
(10) First Class Citizens - Rashard Mendenhall RB
(11) Team Holland - Maurice Jones-Drew RB
** (12) Lowell Mill Girls - Drew Brees QB
(13) Safe And Snug - Matt Forte RB
(14) Team Pritchard - LeSean McCoy RB
Round: 2
(15) Team Pritchard - Andre Johnson WR
(16) Safe And Snug - Roddy White WR
** (17) Lowell Mill Girls - Darren McFadden RB
(18) Team Holland - Michael Turner RB
(19) First Class Citizens - Ben Roethlisberger QB
(20) Maroney's Marauders - Peyton Hillis RB
(21) Team Buckley - Frank Gore RB
(22) Chernobly Energy Tub - Steven Jackson RB
(23) Team Chamberlain - Greg Jennings WR
(24) C WELL - Ahmad Bradshaw RB
(25) Team Nichols - Calvin Johnson WR
(26) BOOT N RALLY - Larry Fitzgerald WR
(27) Team Patsies - Hakeem Nicks WR
(28) Acton Lone Drinkers - Matt Ryan QB
Round: 3
(29) Acton Lone Drinkers - Felix Jones RB
(30) Team Patsies - Mike Wallace WR
(31) BOOT N RALLY - Vincent Jackson WR
(32) Team Nichols - Miles Austin WR
(33) C WELL - Marques Colston WR
(34) Team Chamberlain - LeGarrette Blount RB
(35) Chernobly Energy Tub - Antonio Gates TE
(36) Team Buckley - Knowshon Moreno RB
(37) Maroney's Marauders - Reggie Wayne WR
(38) First Class Citizens - Dwayne Bowe WR
(39) Team Holland - Jahvid Best RB
** (40) Lowell Mill Girls - Dez Bryant WR
(41) Safe And Snug - Ryan Mathews RB
(42) Team Pritchard - Tony Romo QB
Round: 4
(43) Team Pritchard - DeAngelo Williams RB
(44) Safe And Snug - Santonio Holmes WR
** (45) Lowell Mill Girls - BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB
(46) Team Holland - DeSean Jackson WR
(47) First Class Citizens - Wes Welker WR
(48) Maroney's Marauders - Matt Schaub QB
(49) Team Buckley - Mike Williams WR
(50) Chernobly Energy Tub - Beanie Wells RB
(51) Team Chamberlain - Ryan Grant RB
(52) C WELL - Cedric Benson RB
(53) Team Nichols - Shonn Greene RB
(54) BOOT N RALLY - Peyton Manning QB
(55) Team Patsies - Jeremy Maclin WR
(56) Acton Lone Drinkers - Percy Harvin WR
Round: 5
(57) Acton Lone Drinkers - Jermichael Finley TE
(58) Team Patsies - Jonathan Stewart RB
(59) BOOT N RALLY - Tim Hightower RB
(60) Team Nichols - Dallas Clark TE
(61) C WELL - Jason Witten TE
(62) Team Chamberlain - Anquan Boldin WR
(63) Chernobly Energy Tub - Brandon Lloyd WR
(64) Team Buckley - Steve Johnson WR
(65) Maroney's Marauders - Vernon Davis TE
(66) First Class Citizens - Kellen Winslow TE
(67) Team Holland - Kenny Britt WR
** (68) Lowell Mill Girls - Rob Gronkowski TE
(69) Safe And Snug - Mario Manningham WR
(70) Team Pritchard - Brandon Marshall WR
Round: 6
(71) Team Pritchard - Marshawn Lynch RB
(72) Safe And Snug - Josh Freeman QB
** (73) Lowell Mill Girls - Packers D/ST D/ST
(74) Team Holland - Mark Ingram RB
(75) First Class Citizens - Brandon Jacobs RB
(76) Maroney's Marauders - Fred Jackson RB
(77) Team Buckley - Joseph Addai RB
(78) Chernobly Energy Tub - James Starks RB
(79) Team Chamberlain - Julio Jones WR
(80) C WELL - Steelers D/ST D/ST
(81) Team Nichols - Jay Cutler QB
(82) BOOT N RALLY - Austin Collie WR
(83) Team Patsies - Eli Manning QB
(84) Acton Lone Drinkers - Pierre Garcon WR
Round: 7
(85) Acton Lone Drinkers - Joe Flacco QB
(86) Team Patsies - Owen Daniels TE
(87) BOOT N RALLY - Kevin Kolb QB
(88) Team Nichols - Sidney Rice WR
(89) C WELL - Chad Ochocinco WR
(90) Team Chamberlain - Brandon Pettigrew TE
(91) Chernobly Energy Tub - Ravens D/ST D/ST
(92) Team Buckley - Matthew Stafford QB
(93) Maroney's Marauders - Santana Moss WR
(94) First Class Citizens - Aaron Hernandez TE
(95) Team Holland - Kyle Orton QB
** (96) Lowell Mill Girls - Steve Smith WR
(97) Safe And Snug - Reggie Bush RB
(98) Team Pritchard - Jimmy Graham TE
Round: 8
(99) Team Pritchard - Pierre Thomas RB
(100) Safe And Snug - Johnny Knox WR
** (101) Lowell Mill Girls - Plaxico Burress WR
(102) Team Holland - Marcedes Lewis TE
(103) First Class Citizens - Jets D/ST D/ST
(104) Maroney's Marauders - Daniel Thomas RB
(105) Team Buckley - A.J. Green WR
(106) Chernobly Energy Tub - Hines Ward WR
(107) Team Chamberlain - Sam Bradford QB
(108) C WELL - Tony Gonzalez TE
(109) Team Nichols - Lance Moore WR
(110) BOOT N RALLY - Malcom Floyd WR
(111) Team Patsies - Mike Tolbert RB
(112) Acton Lone Drinkers - Patriots D/ST D/ST
Round: 9
(113) Acton Lone Drinkers - Willis McGahee RB
(114) Team Patsies - Mike Thomas WR
(115) BOOT N RALLY - Chris Cooley TE
(116) Team Nichols - C.J. Spiller RB
(117) C WELL - LaDainian Tomlinson RB
(118) Team Chamberlain - Michael Bush RB
(119) Chernobly Energy Tub - Lee Evans WR
(120) Team Buckley - Zach Miller TE
(121) Maroney's Marauders - Jordy Nelson WR
(122) First Class Citizens - Robert Meachem WR
(123) Team Holland - Jacoby Ford WR
** (124) Lowell Mill Girls - Ryan Torain RB
(125) Safe And Snug - Greg Olsen TE
(126) Team Pritchard - Ricky Williams RB
Round: 10
(127) Team Pritchard - Mike Sims-Walker WR
(128) Safe And Snug - Davone Bess WR
** (129) Lowell Mill Girls - Roy Williams WR
(130) Team Holland - Matt Cassel QB
(131) First Class Citizens - Danny Woodhead RB
(132) Maroney's Marauders - Braylon Edwards WR
(133) Team Buckley - Donovan McNabb QB
(134) Chernobly Energy Tub - Brent Celek TE
(135) Team Chamberlain - Eagles D/ST D/ST
(136) C WELL - Deion Branch WR
(137) Team Nichols - James Jones WR
(138) BOOT N RALLY - Thomas Jones RB
(139) Team Patsies - Mark Sanchez QB
(140) Acton Lone Drinkers - Danny Amendola WR
Round: 11
(141) Acton Lone Drinkers - Stevan Ridley RB
(142) Team Patsies - Bears D/ST D/ST
(143) BOOT N RALLY - Dustin Keller TE
(144) Team Nichols - Falcons D/ST D/ST
(145) C WELL - Nate Kaeding K
(146) Team Chamberlain - Bernard Scott RB
(147) Chernobly Energy Tub - Neil Rackers K
(148) Team Buckley - Kendall Hunter RB
(149) Maroney's Marauders - Jerome Simpson WR
(150) First Class Citizens - DeMarco Murray RB
(151) Team Holland - Saints D/ST D/ST
** (152) Lowell Mill Girls - Mike Williams WR
(153) Safe And Snug - Michael Crabtree WR
(154) Team Pritchard - Ronnie Brown RB
Round: 12
(155) Team Pritchard - Nate Burleson WR
(156) Safe And Snug - Chargers D/ST D/ST
** (157) Lowell Mill Girls - Donald Driver WR
(158) Team Holland - Sebastian Janikowski K
(159) First Class Citizens - Ryan Fitzpatrick QB
(160) Maroney's Marauders - David Garrard QB
(161) Team Buckley - Greg Little WR
(162) Chernobly Energy Tub - Jerome Harrison RB
(163) Team Chamberlain - Jason Hanson K
(164) C WELL - Randy Moss WR
(165) Team Nichols - Stephen Gostkowski K
(166) BOOT N RALLY - Giants D/ST D/ST
(167) Team Patsies - Josh Brown K
(168) Acton Lone Drinkers - Alex Henery K
Round: 13
(169) Acton Lone Drinkers - Michael Hoomanawanui TE
(170) Team Patsies - Jason Campbell QB
(171) BOOT N RALLY - Ben Tate RB
(172) Team Nichols - Colt McCoy QB
(173) C WELL - Darren Sproles RB
(174) Team Chamberlain - Emmanuel Sanders WR
(175) Chernobly Energy Tub - Jordan Shipley WR
(176) Team Buckley - Rob Bironas K
(177) Maroney's Marauders - Billy Cundiff K
(178) First Class Citizens - Jacoby Jones WR
(179) Team Holland - Jared Cook TE
** (180) Lowell Mill Girls - Cam Newton QB
(181) Safe And Snug - Matt Hasselbeck QB
(182) Team Pritchard - Mason Crosby K
Round: 14
(183) Team Pritchard - Cowboys D/ST D/ST
(184) Safe And Snug - David Akers K
** (185) Lowell Mill Girls - Adam Vinatieri K
(186) Team Holland - Montario Hardesty RB
(187) First Class Citizens - Matt Bryant K
(188) Maroney's Marauders - Chiefs D/ST D/ST
(189) Team Buckley - Cardinals D/ST D/ST
(190) Chernobly Energy Tub - Randall Cobb WR
(191) Team Chamberlain - Devin Hester WR
(192) C WELL - Chad Henne QB
(193) Team Nichols - Jermaine Gresham TE
(194) BOOT N RALLY - Robbie Gould K
(195) Team Patsies - John Kasay K
(196) Acton Lone Drinkers - Anthony Dixon RB
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Too much on the plate, and too much on my plate!
Some things haven’t changed. I LOVE biking. I love the feeling of independence on a bicycle. I like cruising, passing people in traffic jams in Old Town Alexandria and I like mashing the pedals along the bike path every once and a while. Every time I am on a bike I say DAMN I miss this. I haven’t done any kind of “bike race” in a long time! My last mountain bike race was just after college. I haven’t raced cyclocross since 2003. And road racing hasn’t been something I have done since 2004. Time certainly does fly when all of a sudden it is almost half way thru 2011 and you realize something you enjoy so much you don’t spend much time doing it. My biking is very sporadic.
So between the struggling to ride, the horrific once every two week attempts to run and the realization that none of my button up shirts for work I can fasten the top button I chose something that I would hope be a change of pace. I have acknowledged the lack of motivation. Races, youtube videos, books, magazine articles, ever a close friends heroic efforts in a race cannot motivate me to get back to training in any kind of normalcy.
So what would any logical person do? Try something you have never done before and see if you like the results. I love that quote that reads something like “if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got” so why continue down that path that seems to be a broken one. Well the path is there it just has too many obstacles to make the journey a fun one. So I found an advertisement online for a local martial arts studio that offered a free private 30 minute lesson with an instructor. I do not think anyone in my bloodline has ever attempted Martial Arts before. Well nephew Zachary has tried Tae Kwon Do and liked it but he’s my nephew. It’s not like someone in my family tree before me has passed on some Martial Arts gene to me. I think I just got the potato eating and beer drinking from my Irish roots.
So Friday I went to my first lesson, with the instructor Mike. I loved it, quite the challenge. I am sure I look like a damn fool out there, but I have had that one 30 minute lesson and Saturday and yesterday were hour long group lessons. I can’t even tie my white belt correctly yet but it’s been fun riding my bike to the stupid only a couple miles away, feeling spent, and then riding home. More to follow on that subject as time progresses.
I think my biggest issue right now may be involvement with organizations. I have the following 4 memberships. I have a gym membership. I have a recreation center membership. I have a Kempo / martial arts studio membership, and a membership to the rock climbing gym. The climbing gym I have only been to 4x, and it has been almost 3 months since the last time. The rec center I have swam at twice since I joined in February, the gym sees me 1-2 times a week on average now, but I have this determination to get my money worth with the studio.
Tonight is a great example; I have a Jaycees meeting about a committee I am on that is mandatory. I have a teleconference for another committee today (during my lunch hour) I am on at the Capital Chapter IFMA organization where I am on the communications committee. I haven’t been to a meeting in almost a year but I wanted to go to the Northern Virginia Photographic society meeting in Old Town tonight. The Kempo studio has Workout Wednesday from 730 – 800pm tonight all the while the Bruins face off at 7pm in Game 7. Oh and the Tri Club has group swim at 6pm.
Bruins. Game 7 tonight. 7pm EST. Beasts of the East versus the hated Montreal Canadians. I won’t sugar coat it. I don’t follow hockey at all. There is too much else going on in my life, I didn’t play hockey ever in my life, the Warden ensured I never got injured by putting me in non contact sports. This year I didn’t watch 1 minute of a regular season game. Now I have watched more than 9 playoff games in their entirety and it is still the first round. Hockey is exciting. I really don’t follow the line shifts because I never played, but it is nonstop action. And after seeing the Capitals come back from being down 3-0 in the 3rd period, or the Bruins coming back from being down 3-1 and winning in Overtime, you can’t beat that kind of excitement. So while I don’t think I would consider myself a “pink hat” when it comes to hockey, I really enjoy the playoffs, and you can’t really beat the excitement of a game 7 between these two franchises, who have squared off in more game 7’s than any NHL or NBA franchise in history. Should be a good one!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Rock Bottom, stuggle to run a mile, and a new approach
I miss the days of doing some kind of race, running, biking, a sprint triathlon, feeling healthy, feeling good, my only complaint would be sweat in my eyes and maybe too much sun. The winter was a depressing one. Lots of cold windy days, not as much snow as the two previous winters I have been in Virginia, but the lack of daylight makes it unbearable. I had the fibula injury at the beginning of February, and with that was any attempt to cross train into something else.
I began the year 2011 a little over 200 lbs. I set a goal of being 170 lbs by July 1st as a far fetched New Year’s resolution. Not exactly what some would say healthy. I have continued a recurring cycle of failing to prepare for a marathon correctly (I have never trained for one correctly, EVER) but it got worse. I have been successful into fooling my mind that I have done a marathon in the past I can do one now. Well when Hartford Marathon happened in Oct 2010, I realized this body of mine isn’t bouncing back like it used to. I feel aches and pains, and at 32 years of age now, I never had any of these before. If I did I would probably be over 400 lbs at this point.
I have realized that I lead a life of convenience. I don’t make my lunch, it is easier to buy it. I don’t go to grad school because life is hectic enough and I like having free time. I like having everything on my Droid smart phone a couple clicks away. I have kept the same passwords for most every account I have logged into for almost 10 years. So now I find myself on April 21st 2011 at 206.7, had my Gmail hacked, struggle to do anything aerobically outside of biking, and can’t button my top button on any of my dress shirts with the exception of 1! That is no exaggeration. And I wear dress shirts for every day at work.
So I decided to make a commitment to myself that I am not signing onto Facebook until I am 190 lbs. Easier said than done for a lot of people. I can’t remember when I was 190, probably right around when Danielle and I began dating, April 2008. Facebook, which I was totally against when it came out I have become some accustomed to following it. You don’t realize how much time you actually spend on it until you start tallying it all up. I keep track of my family, Jake and Alicia never call me, but they will post something to FB. And same goes for many of my friends. My minutes on my cell phone are not used each month since the social networking craze is alive and well. I realize sometimes I haven’t actually TALKED to friends of mine in well over a year. But you feel like you have been via status’ and pictures and everything else.
So no Facebook, perhaps a different outlook, and some conscious decisions on how to get there. More to follow. Josh
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Atlantic City, boardwalk shithole
So as the rain pours around us Danielle and I drive back from a day trip to Atlantic City. I haven't been since Jake and I BMX raced in the National Series approx 1992 when there was a East Coast National at Egg Harbor Township. We went as a family then and I just remember being 12 years and seeing filth along the famous boardwalk and never feeling comfortable. Now I am 32 years old and the one time was enough for me, again. The boardwalk is filled wit casinos some nice and some dimly. Inbetween there are salt water tarry joints and asian massage parlors with their dollar a minute specials. If the weather were not raining I am sure these desperate asian women would have propositioned me on the boardwak. Instead they layed it on heavy from their side of the glass.
Two bright points. The Tropicana had some nice bars and reaturants and bars in it, which included a bar that had 5 dollar 40s. That's right I had my first 40! I enjoyed Miller Life as Danielle had Bud Light. One of the classier moments of our relationship.
Plenty more to talk about but sitting shotgun as my head bobs all over as Danielle hits the breaks while dodging crazy Maryland drivers on I95 who seem to forget how to drive when its raining out.... well its not that enjoyable. Tomorrow is a huge day for me, and I hope its an enlightening one by the close of buiness. Between that and going to H&R Block to get my taxes done once again.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
This hurts..
So I should be on the road to the Hyannis Marathon however I sit in a bed in Franklin, staring at the ceiling wondering if I made the right descision.
Its been less than 4 weeks since I was on crutches and wearing a brace. I have yet to have a follow up appointment with him to see if it has healed. I have run on it 3 times in the last week. The 5 mile loop with Steve and Courtney in 02360 most recently on Thursday.
So I lay here wondering, and I have a pit in my stomach.
Friday, February 25, 2011
A trip home with many uncertainties
I flew home to Plymouth Massachusetts today with the anticipation of meeting my newest nephew Daniel who turned 6 weeks old today.
Also many of you may have remembered that this was also supposed to be the weekend of the Hyannis Marathon however things have gone art in that area.
So the question remains should I even consider this. It would be completely against the instructions of the Orthopaedics Doctor who saw me last month.
While I can talk at length about so much I think I will just give two thumbs up to my first Jetblue experience today. I would not have changed a thing about it. Heading to bed more tomorrow from the 02360.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Can you run a marathon on one leg?
When I ran last night with my friend Melody (approx 5 miles) I felt fine, yet when I rose for work this morning I got a pain in my leg unlike any other I have had before. It caused me to partially collapse, my leg felt weakened. I tried to tough it out at work but I figured I should have it checked out since I was unable to bear weight on it comfortably. Their findings from the XRays weren’t very helpful. They noticed the posterior change along the distal fibula. Stating “inderminate ossification arising from the distal fibular shaft possibly posttraumatic or related to “ … my 1994 East Coast Nationals previous surgery where I made my main however never raced BMX again. So anyways more to follow tomorrow with an orthopedic doctor in Fairfax, VA. In the mean time I was told to pop ibuprofen and do the ole R.I.C.E. routine. For those of you new to my life YES those three screws were put in my gorgeous leg in May 1994 when trying to qualify for the Main Event of a BMX race in Mullica Hill, NJ. Surgery performed by the Dr. Joseph Zabilski, MD, of Duxbury, MA.
The staff at the Arlington Urgent care Clinic was actually quite good, they seemed genuine and cared. Besides the ghetto fabulous chicks that check you in and hustle you for your money the people who actually ran the place did a good job.