"Things to Know Before You Ski to the North Pole"

Inspiring Arctic explorer Ben Saunders shares the story of his incredible solo-journey across the frozen seas in search of the North Pole! I couldn't agree more with Ben's message as he hopes to inspire others to reach their potential in life and challenge the perceived limits of the human body. This video is well worth 18 minutes of your time!!!
Enjoy, Z
(Thank you Jessica for sharing this!)

MEDEVAC Shenanigans...

Every day here in San Antonio at the Medical Service Corps Officer Basic Course, I sit through a seemingly endless barrage of PowerPoint presentations. Every topic from military law to echelons of medical care on the battlefield is covered. Although it is certainly useful information that we will use throughout our career, the classes have been termed "Death by PowerPoint." The reality that life as an officer isn't always fun & games is just hitting people for the first time. For myself, I'd like to say I've been warned of all the menial tasks that go with the job, but the true reality is still setting in. Then again, I remind myself I have made the cut into one of the most honorable and challenging jobs in the military: aeromedical evacuation. Of course, I haven't earned my wings yet- but I'm just itching to get in the cockpit and start flying! The anticipation is almost intoxicating at times. So nearly everyday, when I come home from class a bit fed up with all the boring presentations, I pull up this video on YouTube and get myself excited for what lies ahead. I hope you enjoy...

(Notice the guy on the last shot of the video with the hanging boog...needless to say I think I'll fit in well with these guys!)

The Grand Finale of a Great Season...

Well, every good season must come to an end. As I look back on the past 11 months of racing, I have a sense of disbelief towards all the amazing places I've competed! But most of all, I remain excited for the future- I have high hopes for the coming years- goals which include Xterra (offroad Triathlon), Adventure Racing, and of course Ironman Triathlon!!! But it's time to reflect for a moment...

For the first time this year, I've felt the burden of training in less than perfect 'conditions.' In Jerusalem over the first half of the year, time was an infinite gift but space was incredibly precious. Planning long runs and bike rides without running around the city block 75x's was certainly tricky and found me in some locations I would never have seen otherwise! I know it's difficult to picture, but just take my word for it- planning a 15 mile+ training run in East Jerusalem is not easy! The end of those countless hours of running brought me to the start line of the Dead Sea Marathon in Amman, Jordan. The race start outside of Amman at an altitude of 2493 ft would descend over the 26.2 mile course to 1200 ft. BELOW sea level, for a total descent of over 3600 ft! Talk about a fast course!!! Completing the 'Lowest Marathon on Earth' in a PR of 3:28:45 also brought me one step closer to my goal of running a marathon on every continent- Asia & North America down, five more to go!

Fast forward a few months and I found myself a full time working man! With days in the Army often lasting 12 hrs or more, training for the NYC Marathon become a whole different challenge. I was forced to focus almost solely on my long weekend runs and let go of other weekly mileage goals that I normally would have met. Gone are the days of Academia when many hours of the day can be devoted to cooking, working out, snoozing, and training some more. Yet it all seemed to work out and I proved to myself that I don't have to give up on the Endurance Quest just because I have a full time job!

Following my wonderful experience in NYC (see previous post), I felt content to 'hang it up' for the year. Of course I wouldn't stop working out, but it was time to relax a bit more. And then the inevitable happened- I was searching the net and came across an Offroad Duathlon outside of San Antonio. Okay, ONE more fun race will help bring closure to the season! This Sunday morning will consist of a 3.1 mile trail run-12 mile Mountain Bike- 3.1 mile trail run, done in consecutive fashion! I am beyond excited to start racing off-road since that is where I feel most at home. Ironically, old Gary has never raced before and even though he is a dinosaur in bicycle years, I think he's up to the challenge.

And I'm additionally excited for the trail race this weekend since I just got a new pair of kicks- okay, so I buy shoes like it's my hobby. But seriously, these shoes are pretty sweet...my first ever pair of La Sportivas! Run on... Have a good one!
-Z-

The Invitation...

The following is an excerpt from a powerful poem I recently found, written by Oriah. "The Invitation" was used in a Ironman Triathlon video chronicling the heroic life of Jon Blais- better known as the 'ALS Warrior Poet.' Like Jon, I find myself being uninterested in the superficial qualities and experiences of other people. I really don't care where you're from- I want to know where you've been!!! Like other servicemembers in todays military, I meet people everyday who I could potentially go to war with. Were it not for the lengthy training required for aviators, I would very likely be leaving for Iraq or Afghanistan in January 2008. With an understanding of the challenges ahead I find myself constantly judging others- to see who I can count on when things go bad- and certainly being judged myself. As people's true character doesn't shine until they are at their very worse- tired and hungry, it is certainly difficult to come upon a final judgement when we are well fed and rested, or 'fat & happy' as we like to say. I know I'll get that chance, to see myself at my very worse- exhausted and empty- in the very near future. I just hope I meet the same high expectations I hold for others...

The Invitation
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for

and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.

I want to know if you can see Beauty

even when it is not pretty

every day.

And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure

yours and mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon,

“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me

to know where you live or how much money you have.

I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know

or how you came to be here.

I want to know if you will standin the centre of the fire

with me

and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly like the company you keep

in the empty moments.

Army Strong!!!

My first two months in the United States Army!!!

2007 ING NYC Marathon- 26.2 Miles- All 5 Boroughs!!!

Billed as the "Greatest Weekend in Running," my 24 hour trip to New York City was sure to be full of excitement! I peeled myself out of my comfy bed in San Antonio, TX around 4am Saturday morning and caught my flight to La Guardia International airport for my first ever trip to the Big Apple!

After a 'cultural' city bus ride through Queens & Harlem, I made it to Jessica's apartment in Uptown Manhattan, where I would crash for the night. Jess was my awesome flatmate in Jerusalem and is now studying for her Masters at Columbia University. After some hearty scrambled eggs & fresh fruit, we found ourselves with little time to sit around and chat. We headed straight for the Marathon Expo to pick up my race number and get ready for the 26.2 mile jaunt Sunday morning! So it was sushi for dinner and early to bed for us. Although NYC is a city that doesn't miss a beat, there was a sense of nervous anticipation in the air as thousands of runners from around the world attempted to calm their nerves in preparation for the urban jungle they would face the next morning!

Being the anti city-slicker that I am, finding my way around a place like NYC seemed to be a daunting task. I feel more at home in the woods with a map and compass than studying the map of a subway system- resembling something of a web, spun from a spider high on crack-cocaine, 30 ft below ground! I went to bed Saturday night more nervous about getting to the starting line of the Sunday morning event, than actually running the race itself! This was certainly not a weekend to catch up on sleep since I was up again before the sun. After a quick breakfast in Jessica's 'cozy' apartment, I double-checked my race bag and was out the door. There was a quick two and a half block hike to the subway, where I caught a train from 110th St all the way to 16th St. Indeed, the subway took me below 94 city blocks before I transferred to another train for a quick four block hop. Then it was back above ground to hop a bus to the southern tip of Manhattan! Oh, hold on people!!! We're not even close to the start line yet! At 7:30am I caught the Staten Island Ferry for the very scenic five mile trip across the New York Bay. Are we there yet??? Ohh, hell no! One more three mile bus ride would take me to the staging area for the 2007 ING New York City Marathon. It was game time!

At precisely 10am, the flag was saluted and runners by the thousands headed across the Verrazano bridge. Having spent 18 months of my young life living abroad- and taking part in amazing races from the southern tip of Africa to the heart of the Middle East, I certainly appreciated the international flavor of the New York City Marathon. I have never marched in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games, but as I stood and watched the proud flag-waving internationals, and loudspeaker instructions in a handful of languages, I truly felt like I was part of an International event here on my home soil. There is a funny quirk among distance runners in the way they wear their race number, that you can often tell if they're also a triathlete. As the field slowly moved towards the starting line, a friendly man in his mid-50's noticed my 'race belt' and asked about my previous endurance quests. I told him how I love the multi-sport challenge of TRI's but enjoy marathoning for it's purity. As the conversation carried on, I learned that he was from Alaska and had done only two triathlons in his life- both of them were Ironmans!!! Apparently some people out there are crazier than I am.

Admittedly, I started the race with heavy legs as a bit of soreness in my groin and hamstrings was lingering from a recent workout that I probably should have skipped. Nontheless, I was going to put everything on the line to run my goal pace of 8:00 minute miles. As the race went on, I got closer and closer to the point where I knew I would be battling painful cramps. But the cheering from the enormous crowd often drowned out the shouting coming from my legs. I remember thinking at the halfway-13.1 mile mark that I shouldn't be feeling this 'spent' for another 7-8 miles.

Again, the crowd- literally numbering in the millions- would not let me stop. There was a turning point in the race, where I think every runner hit a mental obstacle and then caught the adrenalin rush of their lifetime. The Queensboro bridge came around mile 16- and was over a mile of silence, just the steady thud-thud-thud of hundreds of runners and their breathing. No fans, no water and a biting crosswind. Then as Manhattan came into view, a low roar from the crowd became audible- just as you can hear the fans cheering in a football stadium from a few blocks away. Then suddenly we turned the corner and burst out into First Ave!!! It was a sight I will never forget as long as I live- the road, five lanes wide, was packed with runners for miles ahead, and fans were shoulder-to-shoulder by the thousands along the road. Suddenly, the painful cramping tapered off and I felt my stride pick up! The frequent cheers of "Go Army" (hence, my Tshirt) were the most motivating of all. I felt like I couldn't slow down one second or I would be letting down every man & women, in uniform in America. The affect was truly amazing.

Eventually, Central Park came into view and before I knew it there was a medal draped around my neck and I was stifly walking past dozens of UPS trucks to retrieve my race bag. With a finish time of 3:33:48 (8:09 minute/mile pace) I was very happy with my very best effort. It was a glorious day in NYC- beautiful weather, amazing crowds, and great comraderie among the athletes. Many parts of NYC will remain a blur in my memory, but the race will remain one of the most memorable events I have ever taken part in, on this Greatest Weekend in Running.

(Thanks to Jessica & Josh for their amazing hospitality and patience over the weekend!)