Intervals and Photographic Time Machines

Intervals at Temple University!

So I was able to feel relive college again today...briefly...and at 6:00am...but it was fun! It did not involve beer funnels, fried food, or taking exams. SMG and I went to Temple University early in the morning to do our intervals on the track. This is where I used to run when I was in law school there. It was great to do the intervals on a track, so we really didn't have to look down at our watches to see if we had gone 400m. Every other week, our training plan has Interval training, each week adding 1x400m to the routine. Today was 7x400. You are supposed to run the 400's at about a 5k pace, but I like to push it a little and ran then at about a 6:30 min/mile pace - which in my wildest dreams would be my 5k pace. Behold, the lovely Garmin Graph.....

Song Memory of the Day

A Time Machine...well sort of...

Do you ever look at pictures of yourself from your childhood and stare at the pictures in amazement - knowing that the pic is of you? Sometimes I look at pictures and can't believe that those pictures are of me...same thoughts, same face, same mind...

Part of me wants to go back and tell that little kid so many things - not to worry so much, to remember all of the good times, to let the bad times bounce, to enjoy recess while it lasts, that the Phillies eventually WILL win the World Series...but most importantly, that anything that seems impossibly difficult really isn't so bad. It's just a strangely amazing feeling to take a few minutes look yourself in the eyes 25 years ago..

And finally, I cannot be the only person who misses this little guy!

Have a great Wednesday!

"I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly."-Bill Kirby

We are officially in Week 5, and officially 1/3 of the way through the Hal Higdon Half-Marathon Intermediate Training Program. I know we have a long way to go, and that the runs get longer from here on. However, the relative success of Sunday's 7 mile run convinced me that the program is working! So far, we have complied 100% with the prescribed runs on their scheduled days and today, Week 5 began with a 4 mile run. I decided to run in the city to make it a little more interesting. It was great - except for the little tripping incident I had on Broad St., to the entertainment of the rush hour drivers...total wipe out. On that note - here are my splits:

A Great Marriage Proposal Story

Recently, I was a groomsman in the wedding of D&R. D's proposal was a great story, so I decided to share it with everyone (of course, with his permission). Here is his account:

Around 8:30pm, approximately 90 minutes after we arrived at my cousin T's house, I received an emergency phone call from a  supervisor at work, advising that there was a huge disaster in town, and I was required to go into work at the Communications Center.  Twenty minutes later, while at work, I received a frantic phone call from T, advising that the Carbon Monoxide detector was activated in the house.  I advised him to have everybody evacuate the premises, and that I would send over a fire chief to evaluate the situation. Within 5 minutes, 2 fire chiefs & 3 police units responded to T's house, and they gathered everybody into the driveway, clearing the home for the responding fire units to enter and check the CO levels. Shortly after that, 2 fire trucks responded to the scene, with 8 firemen exiting the trucks, and entering T's house.  Each of the firemen were fully "geared up", with air tanks, helmets, masks, hoods, etc. Upon finding that it was just a faulty wire, and there was no CO readings at all in the house, the firemen exited through the garage door, & into the driveway.  As the fire chief announced to the crowd that everything in the house was okay, one of the firemen stopped in front of R,  removed his fire helmet, mask, and hood, revealing himself as D, knelt, and proposed. It was embarrassing, shocking, and as attention-grabbing as I like things to be.  With all the cheering, camera flashes, and video cameras running, one neighbor even came over and asked if we were filming a movie.

Interesting Website of the Day:

The Speech Accent Archive: Located here, the Speech Accent Archive presents samples from several different language backgrounds. Speakers read from the same paragraph. I had my doubts but I clicked on "Boston" and it was hilarious. Can't wait to click around some more!

Today's Mindless Entertainment

MIRROR MOUSE! You will actually stay on this website longer than you will admit!

Insane video! I vote that it's real

"Americans eat 75 acres of pizza a day." -Boyd Matson

Sunday's 7 mile run

Phenomenal. Our friends showed up around 9:45 am on Sunday at our place, all ready to go. Everyone was a little nervous (well not G & T, 7 miles is normal for them!). G & T and their 11 month old were all ready to go, with their jogging stroller! We started out all together in a pack, and then gradually started to split up into our comfort zones. G&T ran with the baby (VERY impressive) in the stroller, and we all kind of split up into our speeds and periodically crossed paths. I felt really good - staying under the 9 minute/mile mark for the whole run - and I felt great afterwards. I think I will no issues doing the half marathon under the 9 minute/mile mark and by the time it rolls around, will be ready for the distance. I am a little tight in the hamstrings, but having the day off today plus this morning's stretching has already made a huge difference. We did the Kelly Drive Loop in Philadelphia...Here are my split and our run (obviously miles 8 and 9 were walking the warm down)

And the map of where we ran (this is the Art Museum area in Philadelphia, PA).

The weather turned from an annoying rain to a very pleasant mist...it rained consistently in the first half of the loop and about 1/2 of the way through, the rain held off and the rest of the run was a very light spray of water - actually pretty perfect! And then......

The best part: the post run meal - Pizza, pizza and more pizza

I had made two batches of my pizza dough Saturday (enough for 4-6 pizzas - depending on thickness) and then woke up early on Sunday to roll it out and prepare the shells! After that, my work was done, as SMG is the officially designated pizza topper. We had a four cheese pizza, a cheese and artichoke pizza, and then a regular mozzarella/basil/tomato pizza. Between 6 of us, we ate 5 pizzas - but since the dough is so light and we were so hungry - it was hardly a thought!

The long planned day of running 7 miles and the post run party was so much fun...we are all VERY excited about the race!

SMG and I are now considering going to Disney World in January for a mini-vacation to run the Disney Half Marathon!!!

Fun Optical illusion Pictures

Courtesy of snackaday.com

Can you find the illusions?

Awkward TV Moment of the Day

Ouch, Tony.

Do the dance of joy!!!!!!

Of course it's Friday, don't be ridiculous!!!!!!

I'm not going to complain about how long of a week it's been because I'm sure we can all relate. The fact is that it is Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, and we can smile about it. So let's enjoy it - together.

The good news for my poor feet and legs is that per the Half Marathon schedule, today is a rest day! Tomorrow is a 3 mile run and then Sunday is a 7 mile run with some friends (G, T, J, K, and of course, SMG). We are doing the Kelly Dr. "Loop" in Philadelphia - shown below in blue. The actual loop is 8.4 miles, so in order to stick to the schedule, I plan on stopping 7 miles through and then walking the rest (maybe a sprint here and then to torture myself). This 7 mile run is to be followed by a pizza/salad feast!!!!

THE DREADED GRAY DOT!!??

Somehow, we all got through yesterday's tragic events. Yes, for those of you still drawing on the walls of caves with aol and yahoo, let me inform you that gmail chat was down for an hour. The Facebook world was buzzing with conspiracy theories....how could this happen? Is it my error or gmail's error? What would we all do? Does google work? Will this affect MrTrig.com?

All of us (even those who set their status as "busy" even though if you were really busy you wouldn't be on gmail chat) were now left only to Facebook and Twitter to stalk our friends...and of course, the people who randomly end up on our contacts list...

PS - if you have someone you have never spoken to in your life on your gmail contacts list and you left them on there just to see what they are up to - you are definitely a stalker, you definitely have a problem, and you definitely are not alone.

Funny Article of the Day

10 Best Things We'll Say to Our Grandkids (Courtesy of Wired.Com)

1. Back in my day, we only needed 140 characters.
2. There used to be so much snow up here, you could strap a board to your feet and slide all the way down.
3. Televised contests gave cash prizes to whoever could store the most data in their head.
4. Well, the screens were bigger, but they only showed the movies at certain times of day.
5. We all had one, but nobody actually used it. Come to think of it, I bet my LinkedIn profile is still out there on the Web somewhere.
6. *
7. Our bodies were made of meat and supported by little sticks of calcium.
8. You used to keep files right on your computer, and you had to go back to that same computer to access them!
9. Is that the new iPhone 27G? Got multitasking yet?
10. I just can't get used to this darn vat-grown steak. Texture ain't right.

* Translation: "English used to be the dominant language. Crazy, huh?"

Internet Game of the Day

JUGGLER - Kind of speaks for itself!

Friday special!!!! And since it's Friday, a special treat!! Not one game, but a whole slew of video games from the 80's at your finger tips!!!!! Check it out and thank me later!

Do the what?

Ending on the note we started with, let's take a trip down memory lane, and revisit one Family Matters episode we might want to forget...the time we almost lost Steven Q. Urkel...

It started out innocently enough. With a dance he created himself...

But then the night turned dangerous...

Thanks to the hot aunt, however, Urkel was ok!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!

Alarms, Meat Babies and Boiling Points!

4:00 AM.

I'll say it again - Four in the %*(*%& morning, I woke up to leave for my flight yesterday back to Philadelphia from New Orleans. So early, that when I called for my wake up call, the hotel front desk person said "Ouch!!" I woke up and packed quickly (packing my soaking wet clothes from Tuesday's run last) and drove to the New Orleans International airport. Luckily, the trip back was very smooth - no delays, no need to unexpectedly check any bags, and no missed connections. On the Charlotte, NC to Philadelphia flight, I literally sat in the last row of the plane - but no one sat next to me - so there was some saving grace for the fact that my seat didn't recline.

Finally, 7 hours later...landed in Philadelphia....home sweet home!

After heading straight to the office to take care of a few things, I surprised SMG by heading home earlier than she thought I was going to get home...and then the 4:00 am wakeup call began to hit me!

BUT, I did NOT let that stop me from sticking to the....

Half Marathon Training Schedule!!!

I'll admit it - I was close to giving myself a day off. But yesterday (we are in week 4 of the training program) was a 35 minute tempo run and I was determined to do it. And considering how tired I was, I was very happy with the results. My understanding of the tempo run is that it's supposed to start out easy and gradually speed up, with your peek speed coming about 2/3 into the run. I ran 4.10 miles in 35 minutes, averaging a little over 8:30 mins/mile. However, with a tempo run, more important than speed is that you are able to control your speed and increase it to the faster pace, decreasing to an easy run at the end. Although I think I could have run it faster, I was very happy with my speeds - and as you can see, the speeds went according to the plan.

And...as the map shows, I gave myself quite the tour of Center City and the lower end of North Philly!

This morning's run...a simple 3 mile run. And as much as I did NOT want to get up and run, I did it! And now I can rest easy until Saturday morning with no running. My feet definitely need a break. Today's run was another tour of Philly - and at 6am, it was possible to go through the busier parts of town without dealing too much with traffic. As you can see, the first mile was extremely fast, and the other two turned out to be a much more moderate speed.

Strange Food of the Day

I'm sorry, but no matter how hungry half marathon training has made me, there are just some things that never look good. "This is why you're fat" is a website displaying the craziest culinary creations submitted by some very imaginative...umm...."chefs." I periodically check out the entries just to see what's on there. This week, I came upon the "Meat Baby" - and this is definitely one of the strangest I have seen! How can you not love the bacon diaper??

Television Clip of the Day

I will admit it - I really miss MTV's Boiling Points...

 

It's ALMOST FRIDAY!!!!!!!!

Wet runs, Mississippi Rabbits, and Growing Pains!

As I mentioned yesterday, it was raining in the morning, rendering me unable to go out for my run. So last night, in New Orleans, I set out for my scheduled 3.5 mile run.

The good news - I did it! And here is the proof from the Garmin watch (yes, I know, I'm a little obsessed)

The bad news - I might as well have been swimming! About 20% through my run, the heavens opened up and it started pouring - as in I could barely open my eyes type of rain. Water had soaked my shorts and shirt about 5 lbs heavier. I was less than a mile into the run - but I had already started out and I REFUSED to stop. So I kept running, at this point, basically just trying to avoid deep puddles to make the run even more difficult. But then I decided I would at least have fun with it.

So I traveled down Bourbon St. - infamous for Mardi Gras antics and if you haven't been to New Orleans yourself, you've probably seen Bourbon St. on "Cops - New Orleans." It was a lot less crowded due to the rain, so I figured it would be the perfect time to run down Bourbon, unobstructed by the usual crowds.

It was great. Of course, I did catch strong scents of stale beer, cigar/cigarette smoke smacking me in the face, and the occasional hint of fried food - but that only inspired me more on my run!

All in all, the run went extremely well! A few attorneys I know were having coffee in a cafe and saw me running - they couldn't believe I actually continued on in the crazy downpour. Considering the weather, the unfamiliarity of the streets, me being exhausted from sleeping in a hotel, I am happy with the time! I ran 3.5 miles in 30:15, averaging just over 8.5 mins/mile.

Details of the run are here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/13959893

Last dinner in New Orleans

Our dinner in New Orleans was at Mr. B's bistro, a well known restaurant that has recommended by everyone I talk to. In the words of my wife, the menu was INSANE. We started by sharing some oysters and shrimp, and then I tasted the seafood gumbo. For my entree, MISSISSIPPI RABBIT - Tender rabbit braised with apple cider, applewood smoked bacon, roasted shallots and shittake mushrooms ~ served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I then finished that off with lemon pie. Yes, I ate a lot. I believe the rabbit was the first time I have ever had rabbit - and it was excellent. Mr. B's is a MUST go to in New Orleans!



 Addicting Internet Game of the Day

This game is great! The game is called "Eskiv". The goal is to maneuver the circle to hit the square without any of the balls hitting the circle as you move it. Play the game and watch the hours disappear!!!

Random TV Scene of the Day

Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio was on Growing Pains??? Hillary Swank too! Did you know that Growing Pains clips were on YouTube??

Reporting live from New Orleans!

I'm in New Orleans this week for business. I flew down here on a plane full of New Orleans Saints fans leaving Philadelphia after having come up for the Eagles/Saints game. They have been extremely gracious - which is more than I can say for how my fellow Philadelphians would have been! I admit with a little bit of guilt that I felt some pride to be a Philadelphian as I listened to the Saints fans tell war stories. They marveled at how the first walk around the parking lot was uneventful, but as game time grew closer, they encountered flying objects coming their way from all directions. I just told them they were lucky - it would have been much worse had they been wearing Cowboys jerseys.



I sat next to a New Orleans native on the airplane ride down, who told me about the "Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest" at the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans literary festival. Unfortunately, I won't be down here to enjoy the contest, but I thought it was interesting enough to read about. The contest is a tribute to Stanley and Stella Kowalski, from Williams' classic, "A Streetcar Named Desire." Here's a clip of Marlon Brando in the famous scene...followed of course, with a hilarious sample of the festival!

And here is the 2006 clip from the festival...I hope this kid won!

My first lunch was a Muffaletta at Maspero's...consisting of the following ingredients (how did I never have one of these in any of my prior trips to this city!

My stomach is NOT easily filled, especially in the middle of this half marathon training! This sandwich packed a PUNCH! I cannot wait to make this sandwich at home watching a football game in the winter...definitely nothing you would want to eat unless you were very hungry - but something I will have to throw into the rotation of foods that I treat myself (I seriously cannot see my wife eating this - although, she does love a good cheesesteak, so who knows!)

Dinner at NOLA!! We tried dinner at Emeril Lagasse's restaurant - NOLA. PHENOMENAL. The people were friendly and the best word to describe the menu was "fun". Our appetizers were a duck confit pizza and a chicken wing stuffed with shrimp (different, and delicious). I decided to try a local favorite - shrimp and grits. There was a Vietnamese tasting menu, but as one of the guys we were with stated, I did not come to Emeril's in New Orleans for Vietnamese food! I have never had shrimp and grits before and I really did enjoy it. I want to bring my wife down here as soon as we can plan a weekend.


Half Marathon Training Update


Speaking of half marathon training, I was ready to do my 3.5 mile run, but it's raining this morning! I will have to try again this afternoon. I plan on starting (recommended by locals) at the Riverwalk Marketplace and running along the river. I just can't bring myself to run on the hotel treadmill.
I read an interesting article (Men's Health, September 2009) about running on treadmills vs. running outside. A new study at the University of Texas at El Paso had people run on land and they had those same people try to run the same speed on a treadmill. The runners on the treadmills overestimated their treadmill speed by over 40 percent!

So what does this mean? Well, for me, it means that if I am going to make the effort to go running, short of a blizzard outside or some other condition making it downright dangerous to run, I'm going to run outside. Like so many other things in our lives, it's probably overall a better idea to just use what nature has given us and just run on land. Of course, it goes without saying that treadmills are better than nothing, but with most of us in offices for the greater part of the week and spending the majority of our lives inside, why not take our workout outside and breathe fresh air for an hour each day?

On that note....if you are going to run on a treadmill, don't do this...

Big wedding in the Big Apple!

I was honored to be a groomsman in the wedding of D, who I feel honored to call a brother, not just a friend. The wedding was in New York city at the tremendous St. Vartan Cathedral (pictured below) in lower Manhattan, center of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian church. D and R, his beautiful wife, handled the pressures of a big wedding with nothing but class. From Friday's rehearsal dinner to the end of the reception on Saturday, they were calm, happy and set the tone for an amazing weekend.

 

One of my favorite parts of the whole weekend was at the rehearsal dinner - where D took the time to say something special about each and every one of his groomsman. It was so sincere and humbling that with all of the things that he had on his mind, he would take the time to think of all of his groomsmen, when we were there for them. 

And that pretty much summed up the weekend - D&R provided a wonderful evening for all of us. I just hope they felt the love and happiness that was in the room from all of their family and friends. The best man quoted one of the greatest traditional Armenian sayings - heard at virtually every wedding:

Meg partzee verah dzeranak... 
May you grow old on one pillow...

D is an EMT in NJ - and another highlight of the weekend (for us groomsmen) was the police escort  he arranged for the limousines from NJ over the George Washington bridge (to be clear, the picture to the right is NOT the actual motorcade)! Classic moment - and such a D thing to do. Later this week, with his permission, I will tell the story of his proposal to R!

 

Off to Armenia...

Tonight we bid farewell to my little cousin, A, who is heading to Armenia for 2.5 months to work for an organization that houses young women who come from difficult backgrounds, and guides them to leading quality lives. It's a long time for a kid (yes, she may be a high school graduate, but I still look at her and remember her as an infant baby, my first girl cousin!) to leave home. I'm extremely proud of her and hope that she's reading this right now. Going anywhere for 2.5 months can be daunting, especially when you have never been to the country before and may have somewhat of a language barrier to overcome. We're always thinking of you, kiddo. And if you are in Armenia reading this right now, have a blast!

Seeing the sis in Brooklyn...

Today, SMG and I went to Brooklyn after the wedding in NYC and spent some quality time with my sis and her bf. They have an amazing 1 BR loft that they have decorated very creatively. They used old looms as room dividers - something that I would have never thought to do. I felt like sitting in that room I was coming up with ideas...they have created a space that definitely encourages creativity (probably a good thing since they both are in the film industry and can't let their minds go stale!) and it's a fun place to hang out. SMG and I drove around Brooklyn and took in the neighborhoods....Brooklyn has its own character and vibe and we can't wait to go back again soon. I love New York and visiting. With all due respect to New York, I don't think I would want to live there, but visiting for a few days - ANY time!

Half Marathon Update: Our disciplined adherence to the half marathon schedule continues! Despite last night's late bedtime, and the last effects of the Ouzo dance, we forced ourselves up to run. We decided to just bust out today's scheduled run (a 5k) on the hotel treadmill...I could literally feel the alcohol bidding my pores farewell...nothing like a good post-wedding run to cleanse the system!

 
Lesson from  the Weekend  Pardon the cheesiness, but this weekend's events remind me once again that NOTHING is more important than friends and family. No amount of money, fame, or success can give you the same feeling as spending time with people you count as your closest friends... From D&R's rehearsal, to the wedding reception, to the cup of coffee I shared with L (another brother of mine) to visiting my sister and Z (her bf), and SMG's cousin in Brooklyn...there is no feeling like being surrounded by family and friends...D&R's wedding reminded me of our wedding - generations of people brought together from all over the world to share in pure celebration and joy. It's quite an overwhelming feeling to walk into a room, look around, and see so many people with whom you have laughed, cried, and shared some of the most defining moments of your life. It's really what this journey is all about. And the only thing you can hope is that each and every one of them knows how much they mean to you. Whether you see them once a week, once a month, or once a year, that they are in your heart and in your mind every day.

And on that note...

TGIF: Snowboarding, Giving Trees, and Little Rat Monsters!!!!

For some reason, I have already gotten the itch for winter sports. I cannot WAIT to go snowboarding this year. Don't ask me why - because by no means would I consider myself a great snowboarder. We went with some friends to Loon Mountain last year in Lincoln, NH. To my credit, in a few short days, I managed to go from falling every second (that is not an exaggeration, I literally could not stand straight up without endangering everyone within a 10 foot radius) and losing my snowboard down the mountain (yes, it slipped off of my feet and flew down the mountain, careening at 20 mph destined to destroy anyone in its path), to making it down from the top in one run and only falling once or twice!!  

One of my first successful runs down the hill...how could you not want to go back to this beautiful place?
 

Although it was a very painful weekend and I left Loon Mountain with severe whiplash (alleviated by 2 bloody mary's at breakfast), it was also fun and it's rewarding to see myself improve! My wife is an excellent teacher (she's insane on a snowboard) - and very encouraging (she does have a tendency to laugh a little too much at me though). After getting the hang of it last year, I really think this year I'll be able to enjoy it and at least keep my snowboard attached to my feet and out of the trees!

Speaking of trees...

I was going through some old pictures and books and came across a book from my childhood - The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. If you don't remember the book, maybe its cover (picture left) will jog your memory. I vividly remember vividly this relatively short book over and over again as a child.

However, as a kid, I had no idea that this simple book would end up cnojuring up such deep thinking later on in life. The book is about a relationship between a young boy and a tree. Throughou thte boy's life, the three provides the boy with branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit, apples to eat, and branches with which to build a home. The tree loves the boy and gives him anything he asks for. The tree lets  the boy cut her down eventually to build a boat on which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree  but returns years later as an old man. The tree says, "I have nothing left to give you." The boy replies, "I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree, then a stump, happily invites the boy to sit down. The boy sits down and the tree was  happy.

I can see now why this book stirred up so much emotion in its readers and I now understand why even as a kid, I sense the sadness at the end of the book. Was the tree selfless, or merely self-sacrificing? Was the boy selfish and manipulative of the tree? There really are lessons in this book about how we view and treat our parents, our family members, and even our friends. What did the boy ever do for the tree? It made me think about what I can do more in my life to be more like "the tree" to the important people in my life.

Read the book this weekend! It's a short read that in its few pages, I found that it does a great job of refocusing you on how to approach relationships and really, how to treat others.

Half Marathon Update 

Training continues and is on schedule! Today is an off day, but yesterday after work (I just could not get up yesterday morning to run), I ran three miles. I actually am very happy with the times, but I think I can do better next time...8:21, 8:05 and 7:53 respectively. And at the end of the 3 miles, I did some sprints to finish off. In case you don't believe me, courtesy of my Garmin watch, here's the report!!!

  

The post-marathon planning has officially begun (okay yes it's a little early, but I honestly love throwing a good party) - I envision a variety of Philadelphia's favorite foods piled on plates in my kitchen for runners and non-runners alike to fill their bellies with. Soft pretzels, beers, cheesesteaks, orange slices (4th grade soccer team style), pizza, veggies, string cheese (I'm Armenian!!), olives, dates (I'm married to a Jordanian!)....(to be continued)

Addicting online games of the day 

Dodgeball, followed closely by Fulfillment.

Disclaimer: You could easily lose a whole week of your life to this website. Stated more accurately, you will lose the rest of your Friday to this website!

  

Classic tv scene of the day  

It's Friday - and we've all worked hard enough this week that we deserve a good laugh. This is literally one of the funniest things I have ever seen and to this day, this scene from Scare Tactics makes me crack up uncontrollably.

Now that you are laughing hysterically, have a great weekend!!!!!

Thursday Thoughts - Pumpkins, Penguins, and Pizza!

Now that we have turned the corner and are heading toward October, it's time to get the ball rolling on a very important decision we are all faced with every fall....
 
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!!

I've brainstormed a bit and have a few ideas, but I haven't really stumbled into that one great costume that will set me apart this year. My last few costumes have been solid performances.....

There was the great penguin of 2007....this costume basically afforded me free (and quick) entry into the bars and clubs in Philadelphia that night. I assured my friend, D, that if we went out Halloween that EVERYONE would be dressed up. That was definitely not the case. Nevertheless, people enjoyed the show and the penguin was a hit. It was around the time when March of the Penguins was popular, and well, what can I say - timing is everything. Penguins were hot that year.

  

 In 2008, I brought out an old costume, but it hadn't lost its charm one bit - the pumpkin. This costume boasted a fan on the inside pocket and with the flick of a switch inflated to true pumpkin size. The costume was comfortable, came with a hat, and although one would think its size would have been a burden, it was great! Best $20 I ever spent (gotta love Target!)

  

So here I am, in 2009 without a costume idea. As newlyweds, are my wife and I compelled to do the "couple costume" thing? Let's be honest, there are VERY few couple costumes that are not incredibly cheesy and/or just plain annoying to your friends. But, with the right amount of creativity, you can really achieve Halloween greatness with a carefully selected couples costume. I have some ideas, but all have been met with an unenthusiastic "ehhhh, that's an idea" from my wife.
 

In other news, today in our house, it's pizza Thursday...
 

  
Over the last year or two, I have become quite famous among my family for my pizza dough (maybe that's just because nobody wants to bother with the mess!) We have decided that every Thursday or Friday we are going to designate as homemade pizza night.

This is my recipe that I use for dough - by no means is it the only way to make pizza - but this is what works for me!
 

  

 I'm not sure what we are going to make tonight as far as toppings, but some of the best ones I have made this year were the simplest - cheese (obviously), cheesesteak pizzas (steak, peppers, onions), buffalo chicken (with blue cheese on the side), and bbq chicken. I think tonight will be most likely of the simpler variety, but nevertheless, I admit, I'm craving a good slice of pizza!
 

Any good unusual pizza ideas, anyone?

 

Flashback of the Day: Dreams really do come true.
  

Fun web distraction of the day: To explain this would be to take the fun out of it...Click here - you won't be able to stop.

Phillies, Interval Training, and 50 pound hamburgers.....

Going to start this Wednesday morning with a great clip courtesy of my wife (SMG) from last night's Phillies game...PRICELESS!



After a 31st surprise birthday party celebration for one of my buddies last night, I was feeling less than confident that I would be up for this morning's run. But my desire to stay on schedule outweighed my slight hangover, and even though SMG rolled over and said, "Do you want to run later?" - I did not relent and got up and we did our run. On today's schedule was Interval Training. Six 400 meter runs at a fast pace, with jogging/walking in between. It was great - the variety in this training program is a huge plus. Here's the information from this morning's run -straight from the Garmin!

 

 To explain, the Y axis represents minutes/mile, so the low points are where you ran faster. Thus, each "valley" on the graph is where I sprinted the 400 M (.25 mile)....6 valleys = 6 x 400 m...it was great...and even better to come home and see the results! My sprints were about 6:00-6:30 minutes/mile pace, which is great for me. A friend of mine told me that interval training definitely makes you run faster in your normal long distance runs - we shall soon find out!

 

And now, the fun part...

 

I desperately want to make a pilgrimage to Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, PA.

  

Why do I want to go there?

 

Yes, that is a 50 lb hamburger.

  

And here are the challenges...

  

 

 I have no doubt that I can finish the 3 pounder...the 6 pounder I think would take a lot of effort, but considering all of the running and the appetite I have had lately, I would not put it past my abilities at this point. It wouldn't be pretty, but I think it could be done. Clearfield is a good 4 hours from Philadelphia - but I think it's worth it. The people seem super friendly and honestly, why not?!?!

  

Goal for the day: Convince 10 friends to go to Denny's in Clearfield, PA to eat more meat than any normal person should.