Hills & Burritos 2: The Wrath of Don

Part 1: Hills & Burritos

Lured again by the promise of a burrito from Anna's Taqueria in Davis Square again, I drove to Tufts with my teammate Brendan for a hill workout.  I wasn't exactly psyched at the prospect of running those hills again but I was interested to see if there had been any improvement in my fitness at all over the past two weeks.  Hills are a good indicator of that.  The increased effort on the hills increases your heart rate and your breathing rate. 

After a slow 1 mile warm up with the other ten people that decided to freeze their asses off, the coach told us to run the same loop we had done at the last hill practice.  But wait, there's a twist.  This time we were told to "attack" the hills.  I thought, "those are fightin' words" which immediately motivated me to visualize my own attack on the hills.  It went something like this:

The assault on the hills went nothing like this but the motivation was there.

The loop we run starts with a shorter hill which I easily taught a lesson by stomping its midsection with my Asics.  Over the next half mile I prepared for what would be the most painful portion of the night, the assault on the big hill.  This hill is about a quarter mile long and it looks like the side of a mountain.  It can surprise you as it comes just after a longer stretch of flat surface, then you take a sharp left onto another street and it looks like you are about to run into a wall, but that's the hill.  Fortunately I had my game face on. 
Can you imagine this running toward you at night?  Super scary.


Motivating myself: "It's just you, me and the moon Big Hill.  Let's do this!"

The first loop was a cinch and I figured I had conquered my enemy.  I could already taste the salsa and guacamole, fundemental elements of my reward for the evening.  Filled with confidence I finished the first loop and started an attack on the first short hill section.  "No problem," I thought.  The arrogance had taken over and I was convinced of my athletic superiority.


Then came the second assault on the big hill.  My hubris at an all time high I began punishing the hill at the bottom with high knees and a strong kick but I began to fade near the top.  It was at this point that the game face began to transform.

Then it was over.

I crested the top of the hill just as my lungs were at their limit.  The light headed feeling and jello legs forced me to walk for about 50 feet.  Then when I felt a bit less dizzy I continued into a jog down the other side of the hill.  The recovery took longer this time and I was now sweating even though it was in the low 20's.  Tired but still upright, I got back to a consistent easy pace for the last 3/4 mile.  We finished with a 1 mile cool down and we were done.

Revitalized by the promise of a warm flower tortilla bursting at the seems with flavors reserved for a king, I summoned my remaining energy for the night's next endeavor.  I knew the super burrito at Anna's would require efforts beyond measurement but somehow I got the job done. 

Overall, there was some improvement so I felt good.  "Attacking" the hills is good mental preparation and I'm sure these workouts will help me on Marathon Monday.

Fundraising Progress: Crunch Time!

Donations continue to come in slowly but surely.  But it is crunch time now.  There are 21 days left to meet the goal.  We only need another $2,305.  A $5 or $10 donation from 100 people could really blow up the beard here.  Please forward this link to friends and family or post it on your facebook page or website.  Any additional exposure for the cause would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

Iron Beard

10 Weeks!

Celebrating 10 weeks trim free!  15 weeks to go.

Jersey Unshorn

BTL: Beards, Tanning Laundry

Awesome Beard Sighting

I got a call this morning from my friend Brooke who takes the train to work in Boston.  We were discussing meeting up for lunch this weekend.  Then she revealed the true reason for her early morning call.  She asked if I knew who Bill Rodgers was.  I said I did.  Then she said he was at the train station and he had an awesome beard.  It sounded epic as she described two long braided sections coming out of it.  After I hung up I immediately hit google images to find a picture.  Most of the images showed a skinny clean shaven guy.  But then I came across a photo from the Bill Rodgers Running Center website showing a man of that exact description.  It turns out it's Bill Rodgers' brother Charlie who has the beard, but that does not hinder the magnificence of this thing.


Left to Right: Charlie & Bill



I mean, this guy committed.  Nothing here is accidental; there is no doubt he is into growing his beard.  Looking at the picture I estimated the length of the beard at about 18 inches.  Knowing that beards grow at a rate of about 5 to 6 inches a year, that is at least three years of growth.  Please note that this estimate is conservative and the hair is probably at least a few inches longer unbraided.  I am clean shaven compared to this guy. 

Anyway, thank you Brooke for contributing with this tremendous beard sighting.  Not only was it a great beard but it is running related too.  Bill Rodger's brothers run his store, "The Bill Rodgers Running Center."  Coincidentally, the team is going to have a clinic there next Thursday night run by Bill himself.  With a little luck I'll get to see his brothers beard first hand.

I'm Still Beard

I started watching "I'm Still Here" the other day.  It's a mockumentary about the year Joaquin Phoenix pretended to quit acting and become a rapper.  It was in the comedy section on Netflix instant movies.  I'm not sure if it's a comedy or not, but I was still inspired by Joaquin's awesome beard.

Kate took the picture of me after a crazy night of watching crappy movies on Netflix.  Shirt, tie, jacket and sunglasses - that's how I dress at home when I'm relaxing. 

Tip of the Day:  Skip drinks with friends or co-warkers one night, donate half the money you would have spent and keep the rest.  It will probably be at least $10.  You'll save some money and feel great about helping to find a cure.

Fundraising Progress

Progress has been made but your help is still needed.  If you have not donated please do what you can.  Don't be afraid to give $1, $5 or $10.  Everything helps.  If you have already donated please pass the word along to your friends, family and co-workers.  Thank you.

Last Week

I joined Team In Training because I love doing endurance races and I beleive the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a very important cause.  It became a personal mission to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society the last few years as my sister Beth battled leukemia.  She passed away on September 24, 2010.   Though she is not with us today, Beth's bravery and comforting personality is still a constant source of inspiration and motivation in everything that I do.  I will never forget the fight she put up during the last year of her life.  Giving up was never an option and neither was a pain free day.

So, during my training last week, when things were not going so well and I wanted to stop running because I was feeling tired or sore, I thought of Beth and I did not stop.  These are the moments that remind me of what I am doing and why I am doing it. 

I am proud to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to ensure essential research and patient services continue until a cure is discovered. 

I would like to thank my friends, family and strangers who have shown their support for this cause.  Every donation I see come through, makes my day. 

Please pass the word on and help the team reach its goal of raising $1 Million.



Beth Ann Rebello
January 21, 1969 - September 24, 2010



Banksy vs. Beardsy

Satirical street art master Banksy versus deferential incompetent blogger Beardsy:

Banksy is making a profound statement about war and violence.  Beardsy's version is far less meaninful and subversive but it is a simple life lesson: "If you want to grow a beard, throw out your shaving cream."  Done.