The Team!

Here is a picture of the 2011 Team In Training Boston Marathon Team from a recent practice in Wellesley.  These are the people who are going to raise over $1 Million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with your support.  Thank you.  Go Team!

How to...

I never really thought about how I would go about growing a beard.  Hair just grew out of my face and I decided to neglect that fact. Boom! Beard.  But in some serious beard circles (yes, there are such circles), and even in my personal beard journey, you learn there is much more to managing this crude nest of course bristle that seems to continuously seize prime real estate on your face. 

There are issues like:
1. Choosing a bearded role model to
serve as inspiration for growing your own beard.
2. Picking a beard style.
3. Itch relief.
4. Grooming.



Issues 1, 2 and 3 never really crossed my mind but number 4 is definitely going to be important as the length increases on my beard.  According to my research beard hairs grow approximately 6 inches per year.  So I will be looking at the possibility of 30 thousand (avg) 3 inch hairs growing out of my face.  At that length and volume, disregarding the need for grooming could be dangerous.  I do not want to end up like this guy:

Further reading for those starting out:

-How to...

-Beard grooming

Whiskers

One is me, the other is my cat.  It's almost impossible to tell the difference at this point.

Breaking News

Big news from the Baltic Times: Lithuanian beard breaks world record. 

Fundraising Update

Thank you to all who have donated but we are still far from our goal.  Please forward the link your friends and family.  There are only 3 days left to make a generous tax deductable donation for 2010. Go Team!

Care Beards

BABC Beards of the Day

Paul taking care of important pre Christmas dinner duties.



Jim, after successfully participating in Christmas dinner.

 

What weather?

Keeping to the regular schedule I did my long run on Saturday (8 miles).  Today, I did a 3 mile easy recovery run.  The snow was coming down but it didn't seem too bad.  The road and sidewalks were slick but I was able to plant my feet safely.  Though my vision was blurred by the snow and wind I made it home.  When I got there, I looked like this:

I never really felt the ice clinging to my face.  It seems the beards' insulating capacity has increased.

Week 8

16 weeks to go

Fundraising Progress Beard

We are off to a good start but there is a long way to go.  Right now we are in the Willie Nelson beard area, but I'm hoping to be in the ZZ Top region very soon.  Please do what you can to help fight these terrible diseases.

Obey the Beard and Save Lives

Hills and Burritos

There are four of us from the North Shore that carpool to Saturday practices: me, Mike, Trevor and Brendan.  We try get together for a Tuesday night track workout in Beverly rather than driving to Medford for the team practice.  This week Mike and Trevor could not make it. Brendan and I decided that the track at Beverly High was probably covered in snow after Mondays storm so we cancelled.  It was turning out to be a great day. No boring track workout, yay!  So I was surprised when Brendan, who's affinity for track running is similar to mine, called 30 minutes later and offered a ride to the Medford team practice.  Knowing I probably wouldn't get a good workout in that night without a structured practice, I decided to go.  It turns out Brendan's motivation was Anna's Taqueria in Davis Square.  Getting a burrito at Anna's sounded like a delicious way to recover after a horrible track run.

Well, the track at Tufts was covered in snow and ice too so they made us do hills.  I was not enthused about this turn of events but I was still day dreaming about what kind of burrito I would get at Annas.   Or would I throw that plan out entirely and go with a quesadilla.  It was all very exciting. All I could think of was burritios, quesadillas and tacos stuffed with the various choices of fillings.  The frenzied thoughts of chicken, cheese, rice, beans, salsas and the like all held together in a fresh tortilla were keeping me warm in the 20 deg F night air.   But, due to my burrito induced bewilderment,  I was already running.  Chicken, cheese, rice and guacamole soon faded, reality set in, and I was cold again.

We were told to do 2 loops around the Tufts campus; 3 if we wanted.   The loop was approximately 2 miles.  It started with about 1/2 mile of a gradual climb until we hit a steep 1/4 mile section that on the first pass was a bit taxing but manageable.  Though the second time around I felt like there should have been a sign at the bottom that read "Abandon all hope ye who run up here."  It should be no surprise that I decided to keep it to just the two loops. 

I'm sure I could have done one more loop but it wasn't worth it to me.  I've not been in a race or trained seriously for about a year so pushing it on my first hill workout this early in the season could be disasterous.
Hills are also a good indicator of overall fitness.  It's very much like hitting the weight room.  A good hill workout will strengthen you as much as the gym with the necessary exaggerated knee lifts, pushing off your toes and driving your arms, not to mention the effect it has on the lungs.  My legs felt good but my lungs could not keep up at the top of the hill on the second loop and I slowed down considerably.  The lesson I learned here is to add one hill workout a week to my schedule.  Making it over Heartbreak Hill at the 21st mile will be worth the painful hill training.

So after doing something that felt bad but was good for me, I went and ate something that tasted good but was probably bad for me.  Overall it was good, the burrito that is.  The bloated amalgamation of many of my favorite foods sealed neatly in a thin flour tortilla was my reward for the evening.  The run reminded me of the importance of hill training so I will be adding a weekly hill workout to my schedule. 

Also, other than the burrito, the best part of the night was that my face was not completely numbed from the cold air.  The beard is coming in handy on these cold night runs.

Weather or Not

Whether the weather is good or not (which isvery subjective I guess), I try to run outside.  Yesterday we got our first snow.  I'm not a big fan, but I'll deal with it and respect it's evil power.  If you want to live in New England this is what you get: three great seasons of clear roads and then this crap.  It's inevitable.  You could be going along great just minding your own business with a windy day here a five degree day there.  Then 30 deg F becomes a heat wave and you train outside in shorts again.  Then BOOM! The side of the road are covered in a cold brown heap of frozen water and who knows what else.

Yesterday was a rest day so I stayed indoors but my training schedule calls for a track workout today.  After a glance outside and a weather.com check, it looks like this track workout may involve skis or skates.

I've been thinking of getting those Yaktrax ice cleats.  I would like to reduce the chance of ending up like this guy:

More Prizes!

Since confirming the date for the wine & beer tasting fundraiser at Pamplemousse (January 28, 2011) we have been procuring prizes for the raffle and silent auction.

Recently FitWerx of Peabody, MA generously donated a BlueSeventy wetsuit, TYR swim training flippers, a Podium Quest Aero Hydration system and a gift certificate to their store.  FitWerx, located at 67 Foster Street in Peabody, MA is dedicated to "helping cyclists and triathletes of all levels meet and exceed their goals."   Owners Marty Miserandino and Dean Phillips have the experience and knowledge to take care of your cycling and triathlon needs through excellent service and the ever important proper bike fit of which they are masters, literally.   With a proper fit from them you will not have to shave your beard to shave minutes off your next time trial.  Thank you Fit Werx!

So, be sure to come down to Pamplemousse on Friday January 28 and enjoy some fantastic wine, beer, food and prizes while supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Supporting a great cause has never been easier!  Stay tuned for more updates.

Training Week 4

The team run was preceded by a presentation by Marathon Physical Therapy.  They went over injury prevention and efficient muscle warm up and stretching.  At the end we were given a few excersizes to strengthen our transverse abs, core muscles which help with balance. 

I am very thankful to be running in Wellesley every week with experienced marathoners since this is my first.  I've been told that getting to know this part of the course will be very beneficial on race day. 



Beard of the Day

Since I started Beards Against Blood Cancer I see beards everywhere.  When I see a picture of an interesting beard on the internet I save it.  Now I have a ridiculous amount of beard pictures of which I will post the most interesting on a daily basis.  So here's this guy:

It looks like this took some patience.

Take That!

Big news!  An awesome fundraising event is coming your way.  I have teamed up with fellow TNT member Trevor to put together a fundraiser to kick off 2011. 

The owner of Pamplemousse, a specialty shop selling gormet foods, cookware and fine boutique wines, has agreed to put on a wine tasting at their downtown Salem location. 

The plans are still coming together but the date is set.  Keep the evening of Friday January 28, 2011 open.  Come by and support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while gorging yourself on great food and wine and participate to win fantastic raffle prizes.

It will be one of those events that I am usually not allowed into because of my desheveled appearance.  Take that civilized society!

Stay tuned for details.

Bearded Hollywood

Here are some famous people with great beards:

Anthony Hopkins
Ben Affleck

Brad Pitt
Conan O'Brien
Bruce Willis
George Clooney
Groundskeeper Willy
Hugh Jackman
Jeff Bridges - The Dude
Peter Sarsgard
Robin Williams
Joaquin Phoenix - the holy grail of beards

Jasper Beardly
Bill Murray
Luke Wilson

Stellen Skarsgard

Tom Hanks
Zach Galifianakis

Viggo Mortensen
Sean Connery
Sam Rockwell
Jeff Bridges - again, awesome!

Week 7 - Night Runner

Almost 2 months in:

Yes that is an awesome reflective running vest, sometimes referred to as a pinny.  Jealous much?

Bearded Music

Here's a list of bearded musicians I listen to sometimes:

John Lennon
Harry Nilson
Leon Russel
Pete Townshend
Paul McCartney
Joe Cocker
Isaac Hayes
Bob Dylan
Greg Allman
Duane Allman
Jim Morrison
Willie Nelson
Eric Clapton
George Harrison
Bob Marley
Cat Stevens
Jimmy Page
Robert Plant
Neil Young

Posting About Beards

I realize I haven't posted enough beard related material.

So, what's the deal with beards? Everyone loves beards, what's not to love!? It's a permanent living ski mask that, when groomed correctly, can make you look friendlier or scarier, depending on your mood. It can be a fashion statement which takes a lot of hard work and care or, in my case, can be a sign of pure laziness. Either way, it is definitely a unifying element in society. From Vikings, to Rastafarians to the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies; all grew beards for one reason or another, whether it was due to religious beleifs or general hygiene neglect.

Marathon Training

The marathon training is going well. Usually by now I have shin splints due to my overpronation not to mention my poor mechanics. But after some research I've been running in new sneakers that seem to be helping. They are called Newton's and they are helping to improve my stride and strengthen muscles I didn't know existed in my lower leg. They are very light force me to strike the ground correctly due to the "lugs" on the bottom of the shoe directly under the widest part of the foot. They took some time to get used to but they feel great now.

For my longer runs I use my new Asics, which are heavier but they make me feel like I'm running on very stable pillows after training in the Newtons.

Mileage will start to increase next week. My coaches Kelly and Sarad stressed the importance of strength training on cross training days. So, I will lift weights on those days to strengthen my core. If done efficiently, I should be able to get through any wall (mental or physical) I might encounter late in the race. Fingers crossed.

Every Dollar Counts

I just got an email from our campaign coordinator and she has informed us that the team has raised $120,000 so far. This is excellent. You can help us continue towards our goal and beyond by donating through the link on the right. If everyone I know donated just $10 I would have several thousand raised already. Every dollar donated is going to benefit someone who is fighting for their life can serve as a tribute to those who have lost that battle. Please do what you can to save lives. Thank you.

Week 6 - The Tired Beard

Rubbing 5AM out of my eyes.

My Pledge

For those of you new to my blog, welcome and thank you for visiting. I have joined Team In Training to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Also, I pleadge not to shave my beard for 6 months and run the 2011 Boston Marathon in full beard regalia.

Team In Training is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's endurance sports program whose members raise funds to support the Society's blood cancer research and patient services.

Donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are essential to acheive their ultimate goal, a cure.

Go Team! $100,000+

Saturday morning was the kick-off event and first practice for the 2011 Team In Training Boston Marathon team. During the kick-off we heard from two patient ambassadors, Deena and Lindsey who told their inpirational stories. Both described the importance of the goals of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and how it helped to save their lives. Then, Jillian, the team coordinator, announced the team had raised over $100,000 so far. We would like to carry this momentum through the holidays, so tell your family and friends to donate in honor of someone they know is battling cancer or in memory of someone who fought bravely. These donations are 100% tax deductable so make your generous donation before the end of the year!

Hitting The Books

I'm trying to become more acquainted with the history of the beard. So I've started by reading the wikipedia entry on beards which covers a wide range of beard facts including: biology, history, beards in religion, styles and even prohibition. According to the article:

"...men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom, knowledge, sexual virility, masculinity, or high social status; and, conversely filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition."

I'm positive I have the last 3 but I'm not as sure about the others.

This guy is rocking it. Definitely a beard expert.

Week 5

Post cycling beard pic, sweat included.

Logo Coming Along

In an effort to make the fundraising a bit more interesting I've come up with 'Beards Against Blood Cancer.' My wife has created the following logo which we plan to put on t-shirts very soon. The t-shirts will be sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please support LLS and fight cancer by donating through the link on the right side of this page.