My first half marathon

So most of you already know that I recently finished my first half marathon (13.1 miles) yesterday here in Los Angeles. I ran in the Los Angeles Rock n' Roll Half Marathon and I'm happy to report that I finished, and finished strong. Yay!!! My finish time was 2:31:40. My main goal was to finish since I've never competed in a half marathon before, (I really didn't want to pass out) but I did want to finish at around 2.5 hours and I achieved that. I ran this marathon with a group of people from my CrossFit gym. All of them did a wonderful job, and for most of us, it was our first half marathon. So a big congrats to all of my CrossFit Ganbatte family members for finishing. I have been training for this run for about 3 months or so. Running a few days a week, CrossFitting another couple of days. We all trained hard for this big event, and I'm so proud of all of us. I've never thought of myself as a long distant runner or a marathon running for that matter, but I was convinced to participate and I'm so happy I did. I can see why people find this to be addictive. I'm hooked.

As for how I feel today...well I won't lie...I'm SORE!!! Very SORE!!! My knees hurt the most. My arm, shoulders, and back muscles are pretty sore as well. But that was to be expected. I'm sure I will be more sore tomorrow, but we'll see. Despite the soreness I feel very tired overall, but I would do it again in a heart beat. It was such a wonderful experience, and to be able to share this experience with my CrossFit family was awesome. I was also lucky enough to have mom fly down and join me for this event. With cow bell in hand, she endured the crowed and cheered all of us on. She was not only my mom, but the mom of the race as well. Thank you mom for being our cheering section. Love you.

Here are some pictures from the event. Thanks to our Coach JP (and owner of the gym), we have some memories of the experience.

The Friday before the race we went to the Los Angeles Convention Center to pick up our race packet and bib numbers. There happen to be a Health and Wellness Expo going on at the convention center as well that we checked out. Lots of fun protein bars, drinks and energy supplements to try, and we sure did get our fill of them.

Race day hydration. We take our hydration very seriously.

Pre-race photo. Getting ready for some fun...or so we thought. haha

Coach JP's words of inspiration. "You Got This!" It helped.

Smile...

This was about mile 9 or 10, pretty shot of downtown LA. I'm actually running back into that cluster of buildings to get to the finish line. It seems so far away. And I remember thinking that as well when I was running. hahaha

Trying to stay strong.

Some cool running shots. Coach JP kept trying to make me smile. I guess I take running very seriously. The blurry photo is of us running...kind of creepy looking.

Teresa's first half, a mother to a 1 year old and 14 weeks pregnant. She is SUPER MOM!!!

Andrews first half. He did a wonderful job.

The metal. Very cool...I feel like I should wear it all the time like a necklace. hahaha

After the race. Still smiling. I guess we enjoyed it.

Teresa and her cute son Nolan.

Teresa's husband Dave, Nolan and Zach. Dave's time was somewhere around 1:45 which is amazing. Zach ran in sandals designed for barefoot running. Crazy I know, but he says that he prefers to run in those. Awesome job Zach.

I'm so proud of myself.

The group after the run showing off our metals. (The ice on my knees was just helping with some pain and swelling I had. Nothing was wrong other then having bad knees. My knees are not used to running on cement for 2.5 hours)

From left to right

Andrew, Dave and Nolan, Zach, Kirby, Me, Nancy, Susan, Teresa, and Coach JP. We are all rock stars!!!

My next run will be the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10K run in San Jose with Patrick and Melissa on Thanksgiving. Looking forward to that. I definitely know I'll do another half marathon, but I'm not sure about a full marathon yet. Who knows.

Baking as my therapeutic escape...

I have found that my life is really not interesting enough to blog about on a regular basis. My life consist of school, work, homework and CrossFit. See, not interesting at all. I have, however, found myself baking a lot lately. About a month ago I got myself a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer as a birthday gift to myself. Very awesome mixer I might add. I was so excited to use it, that I haven't stopped baking since. In the process of doing all this baking, I found the process to be very relaxing and therapeutic. I turn on my iPod and go at it. I have been baking as much as I can, and taking orders from friends and co-works just to have an excuse to bake something new. I've baked bread, cupcakes, whoopie pies, pies, cheesecake, brownies and more. Here are some pictures of some of my baked goods.

From left to right: Dark chocolate espresso whoopie pies with a butter cream filling (I was told they tasted like Oreo cookies, but better). Strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a fresh strawberry on top. This was a request from my manager. Banana bread with walnuts. This was a request for a friend at my gym.

From left to right: Cinnamon and sugar white bread. Apple sauce cupcakes with maple glaze and bacon bits on top. I was inspired by bacon maple glazed doughnuts Arthur got me for my birthday.

For Christmas I took on a task of baking gifts rather then buying. It became a little more daunting then I had thought. But I was told they turned out good. In the cupcake picture from left to right: Vanilla cake with cream cheese and chocolate cabernet frosting, dark chocolate cake with Nutella filling and butter cream frosting and toasted hazel nuts on top, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and crushed candy canes on top, chocolate cake with marshmallow filling an chocolate frosting with marshmallows on top, and lastly lemon cake with dried cranberries and almonds baked inside with vanilla frosting and dried cranberries on top. And in the next picture are spritz cookies that are a Christmas tradition at the Tebow house, so I had to make some.

I've also made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a co-worker. Her son really liked those, so much so that he wants me to make him more. Also for a co-worker, Kahlua cream pie. I've never heard of it before until he asked for it, but it turned out very good. Sorry I forgot to get pictures of those.

For my more recent creations I took pictures of the process of making them. First I made Pie Bites, which I got from a cool blog sit called Bakerella.com. If you like to bake check out this site. Lots of fun and great recipes. These pie bite were extremly easy to make. It actually doesn't take any mixing at all from me, but rather pre-made pie crust and pie filling.

Role out the pre-made pie crust on a floured surface and take a rolling pin to make the crust thinner. Than take a cookie cutter and cut out and even number of circles. I actually don't own any cookie cutters, so I used a small glass cup. It worked out fine. I have seen fun shapes as well that I think would be cool to use.

Next take two crust circles and put your favorite pie filling in the center of one of them. I used blueberry and cherry. I found cherry hard to use because of the cherries. The blueberry was perfect. (Not too much or you will find that the filling will leak out the sides) Then take the second crust circle and place it on top and with a fork, pinch the ends closed.

After you have finished filling the crust, place the bites on a baking sheet and brush the tops with egg white. Then place in a 375 degree over for about 12-15mins, and then enjoy. I found they didn't last very long at work. I took that as a good sign. This is also a good baking craft for kids to do. It's very easy. I also made some for a friend at my gym, for which he was extremely grateful for. He actually thought he was able to buy these somewhere at the store. I guess that is a good complement.

Next I tired my hand at cheesecake. I found that cheesecake can be tricky to make and I will do my best to try to master it the best I can. The recipe that I used called for crusted up Nilla Wafers in cupcake liners. The cheesecake filling is 2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese softened to room temp, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. First cream together the cream cheese and sugar in the mixer, then add one egg at a time, then the lemon juice and vanilla last. I found that it is important to do it in this order or the mix will not come out right.

Pour in about 1/4 cup or less of the filling in each cupcake liner. Then place in a 350 degree over for about 15-20mins.

After pulling them out, you need to let them cool. Place them in the frig, that helps. Then, when they are cooled serve with your favorite pie filling on top or just plain.

I thought they tasted good, but I know I can do better. So look forward to more cheesecake to come.

I have been having a lot of fun baking and taking request from friends. It is my time to relax and de-stress from my day. I think my co-workers have gotten used to me bringing yummy goods to work that they just expect it every time. So it is very funny to see there reactions when I don't have anything in my hands when I walk through the door.

I think my next creation will be trying my hand at doughnuts and/or Nutella scones.

Fight Gone Bad 5

So most of you all know that my current workout routine has been going to CrossFit classes in Burbank, which have been amazing. I look forward to working out everyday. (even if the class is at 6:15am)

This past Saturday, I along with most of my fellow High Voltage CrossFitters participated in an event called "Fight Gone Bad 5." This event was created 5 years ago as a way to raise money for the fight against prostate cancer(Live Strong). It was started by 2 guys at CrossFit L.A. here in southern cali. It has, in the past 5 years, grown to be an international event to now raise money for not only prostate cancer, but as well as the "Wounded Warrior Project" and the "CrossFit Foundation." To get more information about the causes visit http://www.fgb5.org/

Me along with other CrossFitters around the world participated in the actual Fight Gone Bad workout this past Saturday. The workout consists of spending one minute at each of the five stations, resulting in a a five-minute round after which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This event calls for three rounds. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of ‘rotate,’ the athletes must move to the next station immediately. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower, where each calorie is one point. The five stations are, Wall Balls, Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, Box Jumps, Push Press and Row for calories. There were a choice of 4 different groups to participate in depending on your athletic ability.

1. Class A: Standard Men = 75lb push-press and sumo deadlift high pull, 20lb wall- ball and 20 inch box jump
2. Class B: Modified Men/Standard Women = 55lb push-press and sumo deadlift high pull, 14lb wall-ball and 20 inch box Jump
3. Class C: Intermediate = 35lb push-press and sumo deadlift high pull, 8lb wall-ball and 20 inch box Jump (step ups are okay)
4. Class D: Beginner/Kids = 15lb push-press and sumo deadlift high pull, 4lb wall-ball (can be lowered to 8 foot target) and 10 inch box jumps

I participated in Class C because I had never done to workout before and I really didn't want to pass out or throw up. It's a very intense workout that last a total of 17 mins. But it feels like it's the longest 17 mins of your life. hehe My score at the end was 227 which I hear is not bad for it being my first time. My gym along with 3 other gyms participated in the event at the Sony Studio in Culver City on Stage 15. (That happens to be the stage they filmed "The Wizard of Oz")  I believe there were close to 1000 people there and a total of 250 athletes participating in the workout. It was crazy.

Here are some pictures from the event, taken by Adelita Alvarez and Robb FordHam.

Some cool shots of the rowers and the 20in. boxes. The boxes are very intimidating.

They also had booths selling shirts and giving away free food and yummy healthy drinks.

Some guys wore some crazy clothes. I'm not sure if it help with their workout or not. hehehe

Me and some of my fellow CrossFitters from CF High Voltage. (Left to Right) Tveen, Carly and Me. We all look so happy...this is before any of us did the workout.

Me, Marvin and Nancy.

This is me happy and pumped for the workout....that smile leaves my face in the next killer 17 mins of my life. hahaha

Me doing my wall balls.

Me on the row.

Me on box jumps....I HATE BOX JUMPS.....see no more smile. hahahaha

Me on Push press 35lbs.

The aftermath...and trying my hardest to recover. No more smile at all....hahaha But I didn't pass out or throw up.

Some others and their pain through the workout. You'll notice that several athletes ended up on the floor after their workout.

(Left to Right) Kirby on Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls (SDLHP), Debbie on Box Jumps and Marvin on SDLHP

(Left to Right) Lisa pumped and ready to go and Jade (one of our coaches) recovering from his workout.

Tom (another one of our coaches) really worked his butt off. Steven trying to catch a breather, which he deserves because he got the highest score out everyone that participated. 451 I think...which is amazing.

Carly taking a break before the next round. Kirby rocking out the row with me behind for a little extra support.

Shot of most of the athletes that participated. Gyms that attended, CrossFit High Voltage, CrossFit Dog Town, CrossFit Hollywood and CrossFit L.A. All four gyms raised a total of $100,000 for the cause. Awesome!!!

The CrossFit High Voltage Crew!!!

This event was so much fun and a great honor to be a part of. It was great to be able to share this experience with my fellow CF High Voltage friends. It was a great day!!!! Thanks to CF High Voltage for getting me to do it. It was totally worth it.

CrossFit...let's get FIT!!!

So a lot of my family and friends knows that I have been working out a lot lately at a CrossFit gym. For those that don’t know what CrossFit is, here’s some information about it. http://http://www.crossfit.com/ CrossFit, an exercise concept, was originally developed as an exercise program combining training techniques from various sports that could benefit everyone. This multi-faceted fitness program, by scaling the intensity and skill level of each workout, has universal appeal and application; it is ideal for people of all ages and experience levels. CrossFit training is designed to improve fitness in 10 areas; cardio/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy. The CrossFit program incorporates dynamic, full body motions and specific body weight exercises including but not limited to: gymnastic movements, jumping, climbing, Russian kettlebell training, rowing, and more randomly combined movements at various intensities with short rest periods to achieve optimal results. Because each CrossFit workout will be constantly changing and consistently challenging, there is little room for your body to plateau, your results to stagnate, and for your routine to bore you. Knowledgeable and certified coaches constantly and consistently measure results.   You will always know how much you are improving. http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html

I started CrossFit in the middle of April and have been going from about 2 days a week to 4 days a week depending on what my work schedule is like. The process has been rough, especially in the beginning when I first started.  But since I started I have notice a difference. I feel stronger and have more energy, work is a little easier for me, which is nice because I’m a server. At first I didn’t see a change in my weight, and that was hard for me to except, but I did see a drop in inches. In the first month I dropped a total of 4 inches around my body. That was kind of exciting for me. I feel that I hit a benchmark in my workout at yesterdays CrossFit session. I came to realize that all the hard work I have put in since the beginning has really paid off. I notice that my pull ups are getting a lot better as well as my push up. It’s a really great feeling to see that all your hard work is really paying off and that CrossFit works.  I have however, lost a total of 9lbs. since starting CrossFit. Not as much as I would have liked, but it’s better then nothing, and that makes me happy.

CrossFit has been such a great experience for me living here in L.A. I always look forward to going to CrossFit no matter how hard the workout really is. It’s such a great community full of VERY supportive and wonderful coaches as well as other that are there for the same reason I am…to get FIT.  I’ve met some great people that come to the same classes as I that help to push me to do better.   It's a very open and supportive community that is there to help you in your fitness needs. At first it can be very intimidating, but after getting started those feelings just drift away and your there for an awesome workout and a great social atmosphere.

Currently New Super Mario Bros By Nintendo see related

Thanksgiving!!!