One Week.

One week left till the Pittsburgh Marathon weekend.  To all my friends and family running the half and or the full.  Good luck!!

I will be cheering you along during my 6.4 mile jaunt from the Smithfield st. bridge to Shadyside as part of team "Kiss my Aspirin" (pharmacist humor)...

Of course being the most "accomplished" runner of our group of 5, I get the longest and hilliest section of the marathon!  Don't worry I can handle it!  My goal pace is sub 8:30 mile.  Should be doable!

Update to follow!

8 Months!

Yesterday was Noah's 8 month birthday...I can't believe it has been 8 months already.  Our little man has such a wonderful and pleasant personality.  He laughs (real and fake now), he imitates us, he cocks his head to the side when he listens. (which is rather adorable).  He smiles slyly and giggles.  He eats almost every vegetable we put on a spoon for him.  He climbs all over us even though he isn't quite crawling yet.  He stands and holds himself up with a little assistance from mom or dad, and he is always climbing up to see what's on the other side of the couch.

I love being a father, I love my family days with Christine and Noah, and I enjoy sharing our experiences with you and hope you enjoy them as well.

Thanks for reading.

Here are the 8 month photos:

Motivational Monday.

I read a blog post today from a friend and it talked a bit about quitting.  Quitting is the easy way out, the comfortable way, the route most traveled.  I really liked the post, because it helped me to realize that my struggle with weight is tough, but there are plenty of people out there who have battled harder and longer than I have.  It's people like that who really impress me.  Those are the people I take my hat off too everyday when I see them out exercising in the park, or choosing the healthier options on the menu.

When I first started losing weight I think I was jaded watching people in public who were bigger than me but didn't do anything about it.  I think I was judgmental and unfair to those people.  Maybe they are just falling down, and they need to hit bottom before they pick themselves back up.  Maybe they just haven't realized yet (and hopefully they will before it's too late) that it can be better.  I am sorry I judged anyone who struggled with this, because it's a battle everyday.  My weight loss of 50 pounds pales in comparison to people who have lost two or three times that.  But then I also tell myself that the motivation is the same, my hill was just a little smaller to climb than theirs.  To anyone who is battling or failing, I wish you the best and I hope you can find the motivation to just keep going.

I say this because I got on the scale on Sunday and for the first time in months I hadn't lost weight, I had gained.  It wasn't just a half pound or a quarter pound, it was 3.5 lbs.  Three and half pounds in one week!!  I was bummed about it, I questioned everything I did last week, I wanted to blame my diet, but really the only person I could blame was myself.  I let myself down this week, I alone put that food in my mouth and I alone am responsible to get myself back on track.  To put this in perspective, I weighed in at weight watchers for the Transformation Nation Challenge early last week.  In 2 months I had lost 10lbs, and it only took about 5 days of me eating wrong to gain back 1/3rd  of that weight.  There are a great deal of miles and a whole lot of sweat equity put into those 10 lbs...and I just cheated myself out of that.

I needed some motivation because I was too tired to get up and run this morning and feeling down.  So for my first of who knows how many motivational Mondays, here are some quotes that always amuse or motivate me. Hope they work the same for you.

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
- Beverly Sills

This always rings true for me, the easy way never gets you to the prize.

"You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."
- Percy Cerutty

One thing I am not fond of is being outside my comfort zone, but I always feel better when I push myself and do things that maybe I wasn't fond of.  Hence why I know love speed work...I am not a fast guy, but I have grown to love training days that involve speed work because I feel so good afterward.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." 
- Japanese proverb

Especially if it was the banana's fault!  (Hehe Susan)...or it was the parking meter...(me).  This one is just true in life, because you never fail until you stop trying regardless of how difficult the task, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and GET GOING!

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as you mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” 

-Mary Kay Ash

Mind over matter, in life your mind can take you places you never dreamed possible, you just have to want to get there.  No one should ever be able to tell you, "You Can't,"  you can, and you should...just to shut them up.

Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed. 
- Charles Schulz, Peanuts

This one just makes me smile.  

"Don't give up. Don't ever give up."

-Jim Valvano

"How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it."

-Jim Valvano

Don't know who Jimmy V is (google his speech or click this link)?  His foundation is a champion for cancer research, in his brief time on Earth before he passed away he motivated, he inspired, and he fought.  We should all try to be a little like Jimmy V...

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” 

-Prefontaine

This is just good 'ol Pre, one of the greatest ever.

"Ability is what you are capable of doing. 
Motivation determines what you do. 
Attitude determines how well you do it." 
-Lou Holtz

Lou is just spot on, attitude is everything. 

And finally, I leave you with this...the best possible way to get in a workout when you just feel like you can't, don't have enough time, or lack the motivation...

"Run like hell and get the agony over with."
-Clarence DeMar

This week is going to be better, because I won't let it be anything else.

Thanks for reading.

Swim Class!

Disclaimer, I am not liable if your eyes are scorched by my paleness in these photos.  Please understand that I am just a pale pale boy living in a city that rarely gets sun. 


One of the fun things about being a first time parent is getting to experience things with your children.  Something as simple as a new vegetable for dinner or a new cereal for breakfast.  The first time using a sippy cup, learning to crawl, discovering what a light switch does.   The amazement and joy on their face the first time they figure something out on their own will melt your heart.  I watch in amazement everyday as he grows up, experiences life, and learns.

This past weekend was one of the last few swim classes he has left through the YMCA.  Of course  a newborn isn't going to swim just yet, but you can get him in the water and show him what fun it can be.  Well, until you accidentally dunk his face and he inhales half the pool...my bad, buddy.  Lucky for us the pool water is warm, there are plenty of songs and activities, and great squeaky toys to chase around the pool.  It also helps to have a gorgeous and helpful assistant...ie my wife, to take pictures, dry off Noah, and laugh at us as we stumble through the activities.