This past weekend was filled with activities, both family-oriented, and fitness-related. Sunday afternoon was spent celebrating Alex's 13th annual 21st birthday. We started the celebration with lunch at a wonderful little pizza place in Lafayette called Pizza Antica.
They specialize in thin crust, Roman style using dough that proofs for nearly three days before pinning it into pies that are both chewy and crispy. Toppings are seasonal and procured from local artisans: savory cured meats, fresh cheeses, wild mushrooms, tender, organic greens. Needless to say, we had an excellent refueling lunch after our very intense training.
CLICK ABOVE TO PLAY THE SLIDESHOW
In other news, training for Nike and Ironman Florida continues to heat up, and some amazing things have been happening!!!
For the latest news on our fitness endeavors...head on over here: http://steel-resolve.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
13 weeks and counting...
I'm 13 weeks out, and next week starts the "peak" phase where my distances in each discipline will increase dramatically. Thankfully this week was a much needed "rest" week. I limited most of my riding to about 20 miles or less, and the longest swim was 2500 yards. Easing back into running, as I still have a little bit of tenderness from a calf strain from a 2 weeks ago. So I haven't pushed much more than about 6 miles three times since Sunday.
I'm enjoying the calm before the storm, which is just about to arrive...
I'm enjoying the calm before the storm, which is just about to arrive...
Friday, March 20, 2009
True Heroes, Truly Inspirational, Anything Truly Is Possible...One of Our Inspirations.
Happy Friday Everyone!
We hope everyone has had a great week! As we get closer to our rendezvous with destiny in Oceanside, we thought to share with our readers one of the many inspirations that we draw from during our journey through life.
Enjoy...
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.'' That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. ``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not try a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI
We hope everyone has had a great week! As we get closer to our rendezvous with destiny in Oceanside, we thought to share with our readers one of the many inspirations that we draw from during our journey through life.
Enjoy...
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.'' That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. ``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not try a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Team Marv.n.Jo Needs Your Help !
...a message from Josephine...
Dear Family and Friends,
Please Join Us In Supporting Our Nation's Wounded Warriors!
As many of you know, Marvin has set a goal this year to join the ranks of the rare breed of men and women who have earned the right to call themselves "Ironman". As part of his preparation to achieve this goal, he will be racing at the Ford Ironman California 70.3 in April. This race is exactly half the distance of the full Ironman. Just having the opportunity to enter this race was a big deal...and now that he is racing for a cause to help the injured men and women of our armed forces, the deal has just gotten a lot sweeter!
He's taking on the challenge of a lifetime and needs your help. By donating to his fundraising effort and helping him reach his goal, you will also be helping our fellow Americans with physical challenges realize their dreams.
Team Operation Rebound consists of the men and women of our armed forces who are trying to make a comeback in their lives after returning from the front lines of the battlefield! Your donation will go to Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound, an incredible 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides funding and inspiration to hundreds of physically challenged athletes each year so they can participate, compete and live life to the fullest.
We hope you will join us as we help to raise funds to support injured troops who are now waging their own personal war to regain their confidence and competitive spirit by participating in various sports. Just like Marvin, these challenged athletes want to participate in athletics and feel the rush of competition, but they face a major obstacle. They don’t lack fitness, desire or skill. It is only a lack of funding that stands in the way of realizing their dreams.
In these tough economic times any donation is appreciated, regardless of the size. Every dollar will help our recovering armed forces members toward equipping them with the tools necessary to complete their new missions, whether it be prosthetics or a handcycle.
Please join us in making dreams come true. Give the gift of sports and help get challenged athletes get off the sidelines – and get back into the game!
To contribute to this worthy cause, to learn more about Operation Rebound and to find out more about Marvin's ambitious goals this year, please visit this website: Steel Resolve. (http://steel-resolve.blogspot.com )
Thank you for your support and God bless the USA!
Josephine Abisia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://marvnjo.blogspot.com
http://steel-resolve.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
____________________________________
"To some extent, we are all labeled by what we're able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt." --Scott Tinley
"There is no challenge too great for those who have the will and heart to make it happen."
Dear Family and Friends,
Please Join Us In Supporting Our Nation's Wounded Warriors!
As many of you know, Marvin has set a goal this year to join the ranks of the rare breed of men and women who have earned the right to call themselves "Ironman". As part of his preparation to achieve this goal, he will be racing at the Ford Ironman California 70.3 in April. This race is exactly half the distance of the full Ironman. Just having the opportunity to enter this race was a big deal...and now that he is racing for a cause to help the injured men and women of our armed forces, the deal has just gotten a lot sweeter!
He's taking on the challenge of a lifetime and needs your help. By donating to his fundraising effort and helping him reach his goal, you will also be helping our fellow Americans with physical challenges realize their dreams.
Team Operation Rebound consists of the men and women of our armed forces who are trying to make a comeback in their lives after returning from the front lines of the battlefield! Your donation will go to Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound, an incredible 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides funding and inspiration to hundreds of physically challenged athletes each year so they can participate, compete and live life to the fullest.
We hope you will join us as we help to raise funds to support injured troops who are now waging their own personal war to regain their confidence and competitive spirit by participating in various sports. Just like Marvin, these challenged athletes want to participate in athletics and feel the rush of competition, but they face a major obstacle. They don’t lack fitness, desire or skill. It is only a lack of funding that stands in the way of realizing their dreams.
In these tough economic times any donation is appreciated, regardless of the size. Every dollar will help our recovering armed forces members toward equipping them with the tools necessary to complete their new missions, whether it be prosthetics or a handcycle.
Please join us in making dreams come true. Give the gift of sports and help get challenged athletes get off the sidelines – and get back into the game!
To contribute to this worthy cause, to learn more about Operation Rebound and to find out more about Marvin's ambitious goals this year, please visit this website: Steel Resolve. (http://steel-resolve.
Thank you for your support and God bless the USA!
Josephine Abisia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://marvnjo.blogspot.com
http://steel-resolve.blogspot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________
"To some extent, we are all labeled by what we're able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt." --Scott Tinley
"There is no challenge too great for those who have the will and heart to make it happen."
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
It's Not About The Bike
posted by Marv
Just finished up reading Lance Armstrong's best-selling book,
If you are into edutainment(educational entertainment), then this is definitely a must-read for you. Mr. Armstrong does an excellent job of giving the reader a glimpse into the life of a young man raised solely by his mother, who through his adolescent years finds out he has been gifted with a physiology that is custom-built to conquer endurance racing, yet tragically discovers that he has also been gifted with the blight of testicular cancer and overcomes it to learn not only how to harness his inner strength, but to channel it to heights greater than he could ever imagine.
If you have always wondered at what makes a cyclist tick, this book is for you. If you have ever wondered what a person feels when they contract, but ultimately survive a bout with cancer, this book is for you. If you want to know what kinds of trials and tribulations a couple goes through when they opt for in-vitro fertilization, this book is for you. This book is all that and more, and is worth a read for anyone who wants to peer into the heart of a champion. Surprisingly or not, he is just as flawed if not more flawed then the rest of us.
While he waxes on about his triumphs and conquests of his sport, in It's Not About The Bike, Lance Armstrong does not forget to recognize those who have helped him along the way. From the bike shop owner who gave him his first gig, to the nurse who cared for him in the cancer ward at an Indiana hospital, all of Armstrong's "guardian angels" are revealed so that we understand who and what shaped him to the man he is today. Furthermore, he shares intimate details and technical information on nearly every challenge that he had to overcome (cycling, cancer, fathering his first child, and others). For this reason, the edutainment value of the book is beyond measure.
Beginning with his adolescent years, follow Lance through his formation and transformation into a world-class cyclist. The book was published in 2000, and therefore only covers the first two of his seven-race winning streak of the Tour De France. But that is more than enough to inspire hope and courage into all but the most pessimistic person out there. Relive every detail, from his training to his actual races, all broken down into digestible chunks (even minute-by-minute in some cases). You will share in his exhilaration at victory, and agonize with him in his defeats. Experience the life challenges he went through, maintaining a relationship with is wife-to-be, worrying about his mother, and ultimately the joy he experienced at the birth of his son Luke.
So does the hype of Lance Armstrong deliver? Only if you're willing to recognize that this is one man's take on how to turn lemons into lemonade, and that regardless of whether or not you are a world champion athlete, you too were born to become a champion at something. Attitude determines one's altitude in life, and It's Not About The Bike shows some good examples of how this mantra helped one person overcome some of the longest odds that anyone can imagine.
Are you inspired yet? No? Then you might just want to give this book a spin, and see if it gets you thinking of what you are truly capable of.
Just finished up reading Lance Armstrong's best-selling book,
If you are into edutainment(educational entertainment), then this is definitely a must-read for you. Mr. Armstrong does an excellent job of giving the reader a glimpse into the life of a young man raised solely by his mother, who through his adolescent years finds out he has been gifted with a physiology that is custom-built to conquer endurance racing, yet tragically discovers that he has also been gifted with the blight of testicular cancer and overcomes it to learn not only how to harness his inner strength, but to channel it to heights greater than he could ever imagine.
If you have always wondered at what makes a cyclist tick, this book is for you. If you have ever wondered what a person feels when they contract, but ultimately survive a bout with cancer, this book is for you. If you want to know what kinds of trials and tribulations a couple goes through when they opt for in-vitro fertilization, this book is for you. This book is all that and more, and is worth a read for anyone who wants to peer into the heart of a champion. Surprisingly or not, he is just as flawed if not more flawed then the rest of us.
While he waxes on about his triumphs and conquests of his sport, in It's Not About The Bike, Lance Armstrong does not forget to recognize those who have helped him along the way. From the bike shop owner who gave him his first gig, to the nurse who cared for him in the cancer ward at an Indiana hospital, all of Armstrong's "guardian angels" are revealed so that we understand who and what shaped him to the man he is today. Furthermore, he shares intimate details and technical information on nearly every challenge that he had to overcome (cycling, cancer, fathering his first child, and others). For this reason, the edutainment value of the book is beyond measure.
Beginning with his adolescent years, follow Lance through his formation and transformation into a world-class cyclist. The book was published in 2000, and therefore only covers the first two of his seven-race winning streak of the Tour De France. But that is more than enough to inspire hope and courage into all but the most pessimistic person out there. Relive every detail, from his training to his actual races, all broken down into digestible chunks (even minute-by-minute in some cases). You will share in his exhilaration at victory, and agonize with him in his defeats. Experience the life challenges he went through, maintaining a relationship with is wife-to-be, worrying about his mother, and ultimately the joy he experienced at the birth of his son Luke.
So does the hype of Lance Armstrong deliver? Only if you're willing to recognize that this is one man's take on how to turn lemons into lemonade, and that regardless of whether or not you are a world champion athlete, you too were born to become a champion at something. Attitude determines one's altitude in life, and It's Not About The Bike shows some good examples of how this mantra helped one person overcome some of the longest odds that anyone can imagine.
Are you inspired yet? No? Then you might just want to give this book a spin, and see if it gets you thinking of what you are truly capable of.
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