We hope this greeting finds you in great health and spirits! It’s been another exceptional year for Team Marv.n.Jo. And as we prepare for the holidays and are filled with excitement on the possibilities the new year brings, we hope our blog has been instrumental in helping everyone stay in tune with us in 2008, as well as recognizing and celebrating the all-star cast who continues to make a difference in Marv.n.Jo’s lives!!
When 2007 was nearing to an end, we decided for 2008 that our wellness would be top priority and this meant realizing our dream to complete a triathlon! We agreed to do this together and to have fun along the way! And boy what an amazing life journey 2008 has been for us. Together we completed not just one, but multiple triathlons…that is 4 triathlons for 2008 (2 sprints and 2 olympics) and Team Marv.n.Jo was proudly coached primarily by Marvin! Marvin’s physical ability, mental toughness, competitive streak, and anything-is-possible mantra carried us through every race in 2008! Marvin eagerly and willingly took on the challenge of training us with unwavering fortitude as well as a smile every step of the way!
While training for these triathlons throughout the year, we also made time to connect with family and we also forged new friendships with some amazing people who are incredibly supportive and are all always ready for fun, food and laughter!
I want to thank God for blessing us with an incredible life experience every day and for blessing Marvin and I with a wonderful marriage and life together. Our life continues to bring us indescribable joy, spectacular life experiences, and inspiration to live life to the fullest!
Additionally we are grateful for our family and friends who continue to be a source of strength, inspiration, support, and encouragement to us. Your generosity with your time and talent throughout this past year are greatly appreciated!
We hope you enjoy our annual update, and we hope we get to see or hear from you in the near future. Please let us know how you're doing too! We would love to hear from you.
Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and every happiness in the new year! =)
A Beautiful Day! There was just no other way to describe it!
Nov. 8th 2008, San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island. 1-Mile Swim, 25-Mile Bike, 6-Mile Run
This was the last race of the year, my "A" race that I trained extra hard for. It was such an awesome day, that I was wishing I could go right back to the beginning and play it back again, kind of like when you have a favorite movie that you watch over and over again, trying to memorize the lines.
The day went something like this...
3:30AM
Beep...beep...beep...I hit the alarm, finally annoyed at its constant nagging. I had already been awake at 3:00 anyway...just laying there preparing my mind for what was to come in the next few hours. "Good morning Jo!" I say, as I hop out of bed...a gentle reminder to her that breakfast is but 15 minutes away. I quickly get my compression top and sweatpants on as I prepare our breakfast in the microwave.
Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, a slice of toast with honey peanut butter, and a cup of coffee...it is the breakfast of champions, which Jo and I eat almost religiously every morning. 250 calories...just the right amount to fuel me for the next 3 hours without overfilling the tank. Don't worry, that bottle of Crown is the "break in case of emergency" bottle. :)
Jo and I like to be prepared whenever possible, and for this day it would be no different. Everything was loaded into the car the night before. Some of my key equipment that I used for this day:
Felt F75 Racing Bike Ironman Instinct Full Body Wetsuit BlueSeventy Skull Cap Pearl Izumi Vagabond Shoes Speedo AirSeal XR Mirrored Goggles
4:45AM
Vroom! We are out the door! Fired up! Ready to go! Jo is such a trooper...to give me time for mental rest, she drove the Tundra. Rain was in the forecast, but thanks to The Man upstairs...we were given reprieve. We only had to deal with a light fog, which would eventually burn off just in time for the race. 35 minutes later, we arrive at our destination, Treasure Island.
5:30AM
Woo-Hoo! We're here, and none too soon. The parking for the event was about a 15 minute walk away through some sparsely lit streets. Thankfully, we brought along our trusty headlamps from REI. Not the coolest looking things, but boy they sure do leave your hands free to gather and setup all your equipment, and THAT is cool. ;) So we gathered everything into a wheeled cart and made our way out to check-in at race registration.
6:00AM
Check! As in...checked-in, official, locked-and-loaded, lllllets get ready to rumbllllllllllleeeee! Can you tell I'm excited? :) Got my eco-friendly "goodie" bag, which includes among other odds and ends:
White latex swim cap (color specific to 35-39 age group) RFID Timing Chip (Used to accurately capture my time on the course) Copy of Triathlete Magazine (WooHoo! This is $5 at the newsstand!) 15% Coupon for Sports Basement (Shopping anyone?)
At this point, Jo and I spent the next hour setting up all of my equipment in advance of the transition stages, getting my race # and age marked up, and then proceeded to the race start area.
7:00AM
Suited Up. The first wave is getting ready to start at 7:15. My own age group does not start until 7:45...so I take this opportunity to don my wetsuit and other essentials, and then ham it up with my mother-in-law Daisy, my cousin Tom, and of course my cheerleader, teammate, and incredible wife Jo !!!
I really enjoy this part of the race. It is the one opportunity that I have to calm my nerves, get rid of the butterflies, and really try to slow my heart rate down. The last thing you want before a race is to have an elevated heart rate. It can spell doom later in the race in the form of "dead" legs and energy-sapping fatigue. Good thing that I have world-class support to make sure I relax and have fun! ;)
7:30AM
Calm Before The Storm. This is the point at which I calmly entered the nice 58 degree water, and allowed myself to acclimate to it. While it does feel quite chilly, the wetsuit and skullcap eventually did their job of warming up the thin layer of water suspended in them which insulates my body from the teeth-chatter-inducing cold of the Bay water.
Click The Picture for VIDEO.
7:45AM
We're off! Chaotic does not begin to describe a wave start in triathlon. Often referred to as the "washing machine", picture yourself trying to swim as fast as you can while being splashed, kicked, and pulled in a writhing medusa of limbs...all the while attempting to swim in a straight line so as not to lengthen the overall distance that you must negotiate between the buoys.
Click The Picture for VIDEO.
I sprinted for a good 75 yards before calming myself down and getting into a rhythm. This is crucial, as I must manage my energy to swim the two 750 meter laps round the buoys. To give you an idea of how far that is, imagine swimming 16 times back and forth across a football field. Undaunted by this challenge, I found solace and energy in the tremendous outpouring of support from our family and friends that day.
As I rounded the buoy the first time, I looked up and saw them...Jo, Alex, Mom, Dad, Tom, Thomas, Venus, Dawn, Dave...and that was only half the crew, the others...Sandy, Jenny, Kristine, Paul, Nikki, Sydney, Karthik...were at the entrance to the transition are as I exited the swim! Thanks for the motivation everyone!
Click The Picture To See Some of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Roughly 30 minutes later, I say goodbye to the chilly waters of Treasure Island, and make my way to the transition area, where my trusty race horse awaits me. Average swim speed: 2mins/100yds Click The Picture for VIDEO.
8:20AM
Hi-Ho Silver...Away! Hahaha....this is my favorite sport within the triathlon. It is the most exhilarating part of the race, both for it's challenge, but primarily for its speed.
Oh yeah, the danger factor also drives the rush of adrenaline that one experiences with the bike portion of the race. The feeling is so addicting, that I am almost embarrassed to admit that this year alone I've spent nearly 1,300 miles on my bike. Yes, I LOVE this part of the race!!!
Click The Picture to See More of My Favorite Part of The Race.
I was so ecstatic about having a World Class support crew. As much as they did to support me that day, it was such an awesome and uplifting experience to see them each time I came around on the bike. Normally in our past races, Jo and I would barely be seen for about 2 minutes and then we would disappear for an hour or so while we went out and did our bike thing. But at Treasure island, I had the pleasure of seeing my family and friends every 15 minutes as the bike route is a 6-lap loop around the island. And if you saw the kind of support I had that day...you can understand why I almost would wish every race was a looped circuit with many laps !!!
Click The Picture To See More of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Thanks for the amazing support everyone! I TOTALLY LOVED THE AWESOME SIGNS !!! :)
1 hour and 20 minutes later...I pull into the transition area to throw on my Saucony Progrids for the final stages of this awesome race! Average bike speed: 19.89 mph
9:40AM
Run Forrest, Run! LOL...The home stretch...almost there. Having swam a mile and biked 25....I have but 6.2 miles to run and I'm home free! I quickly exit the transition area after dismounting from my bike. As a matter of fact, I was in such a rush that I nearly forgot to take my helmet off! hahahaha. I DID forget to remove my red compression top, but after my first lap I handed it off to my awesome support crew and was in my blue tri-top for the rest of the race.
Click The Picture to See Highlights of The Run.
Unlike at my previous olympic-distance triathlon in Folsom earlier this year, I felt much more of a spring in my step here at Treasure Island.
Could it have been the beautiful 70-degree air temperature that day? Or maybe I was in much better physical fitness than last time?
While both of these were certainly contributing factors, I truly believe that the biggest determinant was my mental fitness that day. Your mind can push you to truly great heights when you don't allow it to limit you.
And you know what was the biggest mental boost that day? The incredible love and support of my amazing wife, family and friends who came out to cheer me on. If they could only feel the energy they gave me with every ecstatic cheer they exclaimed when I came around, it can only be described as the ultimate high. Even Red Bull can't match the wings that you all gave me that day...THANKS EVERYONE !!! Avg Min/Mile: 8:50
Click The Picture To See The Complete Cast of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Click The Picture To See The Finish Line Video Captured by Tom!
The next few hours after the race, we jammed on over to the Pyramid Alehouse Brewery and Restaurant, because there's nothing like bar food and a great microbrew to celebrate both a 36th birthday, and an amazing day at the races!
We also took a moment that weekend to recognize a couple of our top supporters for their unwavering support of our races. Mom and Dad have never missed a single Team Marv.n.Jo event, and have earned the title of #1 Fans!
And of course, we could not have had such a banner year in triathlon without our top teammates in tow. Thanks Venus and Dawn for being our #1 teammates. You two rock!
And finally, to cap off an already excellent birthday weekend, Jo's brothers graciously hosted us on my actual birthday for some great eats and equally great conversation. Thanks a bunch Sandy and Jenny for having us over for a little birthday dinner, and thank you Alex and Ida for the Lance Armstrong book...I'm halfway done with it!
Until our next post...the adventure continues... ;-)
P.S. A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who contributed images and videos to make this story possible:
Now...say that 5 times really fast without biting your tongue! :-)
We enjoyed a relaxing weekend of some light training and light chores this past Columbus Day weekend. After taking care of the requisite "honeydo's" on Saturday, we called up Mom to hang out and pick up some fresh produce from local vendors, courtesy of the downtown Vallejo farmer's market, and Larry's Produce in the Suisun/Fairfield area!
Last Sunday, Oct. 5th truly was a "fun-in-the-sun" experience for us. We started out doing our usual Sunday bike ride from Dublin-WalnutCreek-Dublin. As soon as we got home, though, we quickly freshened up and jammed down to San Jose to support the gals running in the San Jose Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon.
This 13.1-mile footrace featured live bands playing at every mile marker, vendor booths with free giveaways, and of course...some of the most amazing and inspiring athletes who each earned their way to a nice medal by triumphantly crossing the finish line!
Congratulations Venus, Kathleen, and Chia-Lyn...you did it!!!
What an amazing story. Too bad the human world rarely works this way. Our planet would be a safer place.
Dogs and cats don’t always see paw to paw, but in an amazing story of animal kindness, one golden retriever named Isabella adopted three white tiger cubs that were abandoned by their mother.
Don't look now...but this triathlon thing that we and our friends have immersed ourselves in just might become the next trendy thing in Hollywood. A little over a week ago...some A-list celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, and others completed in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon to challenge themselves and raise funds for their charity.
Source: People.com
Jennifer Lopez had the support of several important men in her life as she successfully competed in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon on Sunday, finishing the ½-mile swim, 18-mile bike ride and 4-mile run in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 28 seconds.
The singer-actress was cheered on from the sidelines by husband Marc Anthony, who escorted her to a VIP area with his arm securely around her after she crossed the finish line, exhausted, but with her fists pumped in victory.
In the VIP area, Lopez met up with Matthew McConaughey, who also competed in the triathlon at Zuma Beach. The actor, who finished in 1 hour, 43 minutes and 48 seconds, greeted his former Wedding Planner costar with a big hug. And Lopez was accompanied along the way by her trainer Gunnar Peterson, who was not racing himself, but was there to help out.
Lopez, 39, has been training for the event – her first ever triathlon – with Peterson and Self magazine editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger. In August, she appeared on Good Morning America, boasting a positive attitude about her workout regimen. "I feel great," she said on the show. "I have more energy – [and] I'm proud of myself." She also revealed that she would be raising money for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Wearing forest green Juicy sweats when she arrived Sunday morning, Lopez changed quickly into her wetsuit before the swim portion as Peterson and a bodyguard held up towels to shield her from the paparazzi. Also watching: Her fans, who offered their love. As Lopez and her entourage – including her sister, an assistant and several bodyguards – made its way to the beach, fans yelled, "I love you J.Lo."
She clearly appreciated the support, smiling and waving back.
But for McConaughey, the event was all business. The actor (and fitness buff) had his game face on before the race as he stretched.
Still, the actor broke his serious demeanor for a moment, though, when he spotted girlfriend Camila Alves – who spent some of the race time in the VIP area, holding son Levi in a baby sling. McConaughey left the line to give her a kiss and rub Levi before the swim began.
Other notables who competed in the celebrity charity event, dubbed the Entertainment Industry Challenge, were Jamie Lee Curtis, Felicity Huffman and her husband William H. Macy.
Why is so much of our culture based on the number twelve? In no particular order, there were twelve apostles, twelve labours of Hercules, are twelve houses of the zodiac, twelve months in a year (but, mathematically, thirteen lunar months fits 365 days a lot better - twelve months of 28 days and a thirteenth of 29), and those pre-metric oldies among us will remember twelve inches to a foot, twelve pence to a shilling, and twelve shillings to a pound. Why not 10? If you think about it logically, ten of everything makes a lot more sense as we have ten fingers: the reason why counting and primitive mathematics developed on base of ten.
Speaking of counting, last night we counted our 12th year as a couple. We have learned so much about each other over the years. We are practically conjoined twins...finishing each other's sentences, even thinking the same thoughts at the same moments! It truly is the power of 12! It was a Monday, so we decided to enjoy a nice quiet dinner at our local Outback Steakhouse.
Jo ordered some awesome "Bushman's 'Shrooms". A delectable concoction of battered deep-fried mushrooms paired with a spicy ranch dressing. This appetizer is to die for!
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, and thanks for humoring us with all of our past musings. The truth is, ever since that last olympic-distance triathlon in Folsom a couple weeks back, Marvin's training has ramped up considerably. It's not a Phelpsian regimen by any stretch...but it's definitely enough to tire out even the most fit person!
This is a "rest/recovery" week in the program, so we're hoping to do some more blogging very soon(including some post-race coverage of Folsom). In the meantime, we hope your week is off to a great start!
Here's a random morsel of news to share. Maybe you can share it with someone who is contemplating a marriage proposal, or is in need of an ultimate apology gift.
Enjoy!
By Luke Baker Source: Reuters, Inc. updated 2 hours, 1 minute ago
LONDON - Miners in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho have found one of the world's largest diamonds, a near-flawless white gem weighing nearly 500 carats, mining group Gem Diamonds said on Sunday.
The diamond was discovered in the Letseng Mine on September 8, the company said in a statement. It has been analyzed by experts in Antwerp and found to weigh 478 carats, with very few inclusions and of outstanding color and clarity.
"It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history," the company said. Video of this amazing discovery below.
We hope you've all enjoyed the Olympic games. These past two weeks have been incredible! Records have been broken, major upsets have happened, but all in all this has probably been one of the most memorable summer games ever. The games themselves have even broken records as far as coverage and exposure to worldwide audiences.
Speaking of coverage...Team Marv.n.Jo were spotted Thursday, August 14th on the nightly segment aired live by NBC11 called "The Olympic Zone".
We happened to be in the area to get work done on our bikes, and had heard that hosts Raj Mathai and Diane Dwyer would be broadcasting live from downtown Walnut Creek. So we hammed it up a bit with them, and shared the spotlight with some future olympic swimmers from the local swim club!
Click the picture below to see video of our 5 seconds of fame! video clip courtesy of proud parents Andy and Daisy Paras. Thanks Mom and Dad!
Last Sunday, the 24th...we went to support more of our Tri family as they raced in the Luna Bar All Women's Triathlon. Pia, Dawn, and Venus did very well that day, braving a 1/2 mile swim, a 20 mile bike ride, and a 4 mile run in some very hot and dry conditions.
Through commitment and perseverance and of course, Tri-Girl power, they triumphantly crossed the finish line that day and are able to add another notch to their finishing records. Great work ladies!
It was an inevitability, a foregone conclusion, an axiom. Call it what you will, but the fact remained that we would not be a one-hit wonder in this newfound passion for the sport of triathlon.
With the wisdom and experience gained from our previous bout with Shadow Cliffs Park, we set out on August 16th to conquer it once more, but this time with more than just a casual expectation of finishing.
We triathletes are a rare and eccentric breed. It is hard to explain, but there is a strange power that draws us to do what for most is a daunting endeavor. It might be the serenity of the lake as the sun rises above it, beckoning us to explore it depths. Or perhaps it is the uncertainty of the moment, as we ponder whether or not we will find out what we are truly made of today.
Is it the camaraderie that so strongly binds us with our partners and teammates? Maybe it is the knowledge that through this process, we will come out wiser...faster...STRONGER.
Well, the answer should come as no surprise. For it is all of these reasons and much more beyond them, that drives us to push the envelope as hard as possible and cross that finish line.
And so with God above us, our families behind us supporting us all the way, and our triathlon "family" beside us, we set out to prove that we could not only repeat history, but better yet, we would improve on it.
We did so much better than we could have possibly hoped for. I was proudest of Jo. Despite the injury that had befallen her just five days before...despite the 5 days of downtime, unable to train and maintain...despite the fears and anxiety that creep into one's mind following a fall from a bike...my amazing wife overcame adversity to shatter all doubts, dispel all fear, and to promptly OBLITERATE her original time, finishing 23 minutes faster! That day, Jo truly epitomized what it means to be an ENDURANCE athlete.
My own performance was likewise an improvement. About eight weeks time between this race and the last, gave me plenty of opportunities to improve. My proudest accomplishment that day was on the swim leg of the race. I attended a swim clinic, learned new drills, refined my stroke, and 7000 yards of swimming later...I swam the exact same 400 yards in 4 minutes faster time than I did back in June. For the uninitiated, let me tell you...4 minutes improvement in a swim is MONUMENTAL! Overall, my time improved by 13 minutes since our last race! This was definitely a successful event for both of us!
A warm and heartfelt congratulations goes out to some of our Tri family who also raced that day: (clockwise from bottom left) Tom Nguyen, Kathleen Ajero, Pia Barton, Marcely Narcisso-Ackley. Great job and great finish everyone!
A slideshow of more images from this day. Click Below. photos courtesy of Jackie DeGuzman
Don't know if everyone has been following the Games this week, but all we can say is WOW. This has got to be one of the most exciting summer games in a long while! China pulled out all the stops to make this event one of the most spectacular Olympics in history. If you missed out on the ceremony and don't have a Tivo....never fear, NBC has you covered:
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW FOR VIDEO OF THE CEREMONY
Something else that we're crazy about around here is the medal race that Michael Phelps is currently on. Phelps has got to be one of the most dominant swimmers of all time. He's already earned 3 Golds, which puts his career gold medal count at 9....tying greats such as Mark Spitz(swimming), Carl Lewis(track), Larysa Latynina(gymnastics) and Paavo Nurmi(running) for the most in Olympic history. Don't expect the tie to the last though...Phelps is on a runaway train to shatter all kinds of speed records and of course a record number of golds.
If you missed the dramatic gold medal performance from the 4x100 relay, check it out here where Phelps, along with his teammates Jones, Weber-Gale, and Lezak totally come from behind to blow away the smack-talking French team into the annals of history as one of the most incredible and amazing relay races of all time!
CLICK THE PICTURE TO VIEW THE VIDEO CLIP
In other news this week, the better half of the dynamic duo affectionately known to all as Team Marv.n.Jo has been added to the disabled list for the time being. During a routine training ride leading up to this Saturday's race in Pleasanton, Josephine and her race horse Ruby suffered a minor fall.
Both race horse and rider are in good condition, albeit with a few minor scrapes and bruises. While both Ruby and Josephine are healing up nicely, their participation in the Tri for Fun this Saturday in Pleasanton is listed as "questionable", but they will be monitored day-to-day leading up to the race. Stay tuned...
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