Category: Fitness

Exercise, training, races, and physical activity — from triathlons to daily workouts.

  • I miss sports

    I miss sports

    I didn’t quite realize how active our family and I was until we’re now on home isolation due to coronavirus.  Between the sports the kids play after school, their gym class and recesses at school, playing with their friends after school, and general park and playground time they used to get a LOT of exercise.  Similarly I used to get to the gym early in the morning and then plenty of other activity running the kids around town for their after school activities.  Now, we get outside 1-2 times a day, weather permitting, for a long walk or a bike ride around a blacktop nearby.  It’s just not the same.

    On top of that, with no live sports on tv, we’re now realizing how much we all watched sports whether that was our kids games or college and professional games on tv.  There are some great historical games being replayed, but for the most part unless you had zero idea of the outcome it doesn’t hold the same level of suspense.

    So in order to bring some sports back to my daily life, I’ve decided to limit my wardrobe for the foreseeable future to the various sports jerseys that I’ve accumulated in my closet.  Starting with a fantastic Orioles jersey featuring the long lost 2005 season Sammy Sosa had with the team.  A big thanks to Dan Baldwin who gave me the jersey, though I think it was mostly as a gag.

    Zachary Tatlock standing in front of a building
    a man standing in front of a building

    Let’s see pictures of you all in your favorite sports gear in the comments or over on Twitter! 

  • Now Accepting Bitcoin!

    Now Accepting Bitcoin!

    We’ve recently added the ability to donate to Race For Vets via Bitcoin.  If hand-writing a physical check is too pedestrian for you and credit card donations via Got Your 6 (“In Honor Of”: Race For Vets), then hop on the digital currency trend and donate with Bitcoin (via Coinbase).  We’ve gone through months of testing this new payment gateway and are happy with how it works, so how about tossing a few BTC our way as a donation to help veterans and their families?  We’ll essentially convert your Bitcoin donation into USD and transfer those funds to Got Your 6.

    As always, every penny donated supports the work of the six pillars of the Got Your 6 campaign. 100% of all donations made online—free from any overhead or administrative expenses—are distributed to the nonprofit organizations that lead the six pillars of the Got Your 6 campaign. No portion is ever retained for overhead or administrative expenses. Donations made to Got Your 6 are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

  • Less than 2 weeks until Malibu!

    Less than 2 weeks until Malibu!

    I’ve got less than two weeks until the Nautica Malibu triathlon and am hoping you can help me reach my $6,000 fundraising goal.  I’m currently at $2,798 which is 47% of my goal.  A donation of $20 would greatly help me achieve my goal and go a long way in supporting veterans via the Got Your 6 non-profit initiative.  Can I count on you for this tax-deductible donation to empower returning veterans and military families.

    You can make a check donation with details posted on RaceForVets.com, but we’ve recently worked with Got Your 6 to enable online, credit card donations at GotYour6.org/donate.  If you decide to donate via Got Your 6, please make sure you list “Race For Vets” at the In Honor Of section so that your donation gets included in our fundraising total.

    As a reminder, many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match your charitable contributions, effectively doubling your donation to Got Your 6.  Check with your Human Resources Department to learn about your company’s matching gift program.

    Any amount, great or small, helps. I appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress… thank you!

  • Race Recap: Honoring Our Heroes 10k

    Now that my ankle sprain has healed, I’ve managed to get in my second virtual 10k race.  The Honoring Our Heroes 10k was a race done at each participants schedule and location, my choice was in beautiful Los Angeles.  The virtual race was sponsored by Will Run For Bling and each participant received a personalized bib to wear while they completed their race as well as a medal (aka “bling”) to wear proudly after competing in the virtual race.

    My 10k course included a nice downhill to start, but a bloody long uphill in the second half; it would seem that I need to do a better job finding flatter courses to run!  While not elated with my finishing time of 53:50, I cannot truly complain as its my third fastest 10k that I’ve run to date and a good sign that my ankle is still feeling good.

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  • Race Recap: Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge

    Race Recap: Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge

    While visiting family back in Maryland, I was able to convince one of my sisters to run the Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge with me.  The race was my first full day back east and thus was a very early morning wake-up for my body and I could tell immediately upon starting the race that my legs were none too happy to be recruited for a performance on so little sleep and at such an early time for them.  No matter, my sister was running the race after giving birth to her second child only four months prior.  So, no complaining from me, she’s the one manning up!

    The race started off with an immediate uphill run followed by several other hills along the way.  The back roads of Milltown were quite beautiful and made for an enjoyable course.  The people of Milltown and the staff putting on the race were super kind and helpful with the various twists and turns out on the course.  Best of all, the race ended with a massive downhill on what was the initial climb.  Nothing like letting momentum carry you to and across the finish line.  The official race results had me coming in 16th place overall (7th in age group) at 24:40.37 and my sister crossed in 23rd place overall (4th in age group) at 26:21.02.  Pretty darn good placings for our tired and post-maternity legs!

    The post-race party and awards were on the Courtyards of Tonge Row at the Little French Market Cafe and River House Pizza Co Courtyards.  The Ellicott City Old Town Farmer Market was in full swing and the party featured live music, beer garden (first beer free for runners!), and wood-fired pizza and pulled pork and pit barbecue.  Those folks in Ellicott City sure do know how to party after an early morning race.

    Thanks again to everyone who has donated to the Race For Vets cause so far, all the veterans and their families that you have helped via Got Your 6 thank you graciously.  Now for the pictures from the race… enjoy!

    Milltown 5K finish line
    Milltown 5K finish line
    Milltown 5K celebratory drinks
    Milltown 5K celebratory drinks

  • Race Recap: Run For Our Heroes 10K

    Race Recap: Run For Our Heroes 10K

    While I was back east visiting family, I participated in a “virtual race” benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.  The Run For Our Heroes 10k was a race done at each participants schedule and location from May 24th to 31st.  I convinced one of my sisters to do the run with me while visiting extended family in Mt. Gretna, PA.  The virtual race was sponsored by Step2Leap and each participant received a personalized bib to wear while they completed their race as well as a medal to wear proudly after competing in the virtual race.

    While the 10k course I mapped out in Mt. Gretna included a massive hill to finish and an overabundance of non-shaded roads (note to self: run on the shady side next time!), I was pretty happy with my finishing time of 46:36!  That ended up being my second fastest 10k that I’ve run to date and a great precursor to longer races coming up later this year.  That time also places me for 3rd overall for the 10k participants, not too shabby!

    Run For Our Heroes, 10k race bib
    Run For Our Heroes, 10k race bib
    Run For Our Heroes, post-race cooling down
    Run For Our Heroes, post-race cooling down
    Run For Our Heroes, race results
    Run For Our Heroes, race results
    Run For Our Heroes, race medal
    Run For Our Heroes, race medal
    Run For Our Heroes, race medal (closeup)
    Run For Our Heroes, race medal (closeup)
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  • Race Recap: Race for Success 5K

    Race Recap: Race for Success 5K

    There’s no better way to kick off the race season with a nice and easy tune-up race; something with a small entry group, in a scenic location, and a short distance.  That tune-up race was the Race For Success 5K on Saturday, March 8th at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.  They had a 1K kids run after the “big kids” 5K so I dragged my wife and kids along with me; I pushed my son in our jogging stroller through the 5K course while my wife guided our daughter through the 1K.

    The proceeds from the Race For Success benefited the local middle and high schools in Westchester, Playa Vista and Playa del Rey.  The event has been able to raise funds each year to save programs that would otherwise have been cut due to decline in budgets.  Each year local schools face financial hardships and must find many ways to raise more funds just to keep up existing programs and staffing levels.  While the race itself did not directly benefit veterans or their families, it was a great tune-up race to get ready for the race calendar to kick into high gear!

    While there wasn’t an official category for “stroller pushing dudes”, I was told by an official at the finish line that my son and I were the first to cross the line in the category.  So while our time of 25:48 only manage to get us placed 182nd out of 1,127 overall, 137th out of 531 men, and 12th out of 46 age group men we were “1st” in the stroller group!

    Overall the most fun thing about the 5k race with my son was him alternatively screaming “go go go”, “faster”, and “weeeee” as I pushed him along the course.  That’s better than any pre-programmed computer voice that you might have piped into your head from a fancy smart phone.  My son, the race coach!

    Pre-race pep talk from my mini coaches
    Pre-race stretching
    Ready To Race!
    a group of people standing next to a little girl posing for a picture
    They’re Number One!
    a group of people posing for the camera
    1K Starting Line
    a group of people walking down a street
    Just after the starting line
    a group of people walking down the street
    1/3k mark
    a group of people standing in a parking lot
    2/3k mark
    a group of people standing in front of a crowd posing for the camera
    Crossing the finish line!
    a group of people walking down the street
    Hugging friends just before the finish line
    a group of people walking down the street
    Bringing friends across the finish line
    1K Finish Line
    5k Halfway Point
    a group of people walking on a road
    Finish Line
    Post-race snack
    Post-race Hydration
    Race For Success – Finley’s race bib
    Race For Success – Jeff’s race bib
    Jeffrey Paul – Result
  • Nautica Malibu Triathlon training #throughglass

    Nautica Malibu Triathlon training #throughglass

    I’ve worn my Google Glass(es) while training for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon the last few weekends and wanted to share some of the pictures of the area around Zuma Beach that I’ve taken with Glass… enjoy! If you’d like to donate to my fundraising in support of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, then please graciously do so here: http://nauticamalibutri2013.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=1059352&u=1059352-322595231&e=7084305771.

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  • Happy Birthday To Me!

    Its official, I’m 31. Old? Nah. Mature? Hmmm, nope. Ready for what the next year brings me? You betcha!

    Thanks to Jessie & West I got an amazing early birthday gift of being an Uncle. Thanks to Crystal, I’ll get an amazing after birthday gift of being a Father. What more could I ask for?

    I’ve given it some thought and I’m hoping to that on top of the blessings of becoming an uncle and father, that I’ll be able to accomplish the following in the next year.

    1) Be the best father, husband & friend I can be.
    I’m certain that the next few weeks & months will be difficult with the lack of sleep and any additional stresses of becoming a new parent. I just hope that I can keep my head out of my ass and be patient with “Uno”, helpful with Crystal and dependable with my friends. I’m hoping all of you out there will keep me honest on this one.

    2) Blog regularly.
    I’m not going to say blog every day or blog once a week, because I know how spare my time will be. Regardless, I want to keep up this site as a way to keep everyone updated on “Uno” and for me to continue playing with all the fun technology in WordPress. If anyone has tips on great WordPress plugins or a lead on a great customized theme maker, let me know!

    3) Read 6 books.
    I figure a book every 2 months has to be a reasonable goal. And yes, parenting books will count. I recently read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and am partially through several other books. I hope that reading will give me some material to help generate blog posts to help accomplish goal .

    4) Make something.
    No, not another baby. I’m hoping to work on making something tangible outside my normal work. Maybe its a coffee table, maybe its an iPhone app, maybe its a web TV show. Who knows, but I want to make something, I want to be a producer and not just a consumer. Got an idea or want to work with me on something, let me know!

    5) Get my fighting weight to under 200lbs.
    Its been quite some time since I saw 190 something on the scale. Ok, its been a looong time. I felt really great last year as I was training daily at the Core Performance Center in Santa Monica for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. I’m hoping that I can work in some regular workouts into my schedule and get back to under 200lbs, which if I recall correctly the last time I was in this ballpark was my honeymoon. Ouch, that’s 5 years ago.

    6) Participate in 6 races.
    I did 2 5ks and 2 triathlons last year, all were enjoyable. Well, the swim at the LA tri REALLY sucked (I now know more-or-less what it feels like just before you drown) and the 2nd half uphill run at the UniCity 5k sucked as well. Regardless, the feeling of crossing the finish line is amazing. I’m planning to beat my Sprint times at the Nautica Malibu Tri, to aim for the Olympic distance at the LA Tri, to do a duathlon and triathlon with Brian C. down in the OC, and to round out the rest with my friends on the NBCU Race Team (you guys rock!). Plus, all these races should help in accomplishing goal . Know of a race in the LA area that you’d like to do, let me know and let’s race it together!

    7) Homebrew.
    Ok, so this definitely isn’t going to help with goal , but I’ve got the supplies for home brewing with the somewhat-ghetto intro-to-homebrewing Mr. Beer kit. I’ve done one batch before back in 2007 or so. If you live in the LA area or are planning to visit LA, let me know and I’ll reserve a special bottle for you!

    8) Go to church.
    Let the record state that on more than 3 occasions in the last 2 months that I’ve tried to get Crystal to go to a Catholic church out here in LA. Not a Lutheran church where I’d be welcomed at communion, but a Catholic church where I’m not welcome to eat Jesus. Should I consider converting to Catholicism? Maybe. I want to bring some more spirituality back into my life and for “Uno”. Know of a great church in the LA area, let me know!

    9) Vegas.
    As in, visit Las Vegas. I drove from Bullhead City, AZ to Vegas last year to drop Crystal off at the airport there, but didn’t stay or stop off in the city. I live within driving distance and have for almost 2 years. Its about time I make a trip. Now just to convince Crystal that I its a good idea. Want to hit up Vegas with me, let me know and we can plan it together!

    10) Enjoy SoCal, enjoy life.
    At the end of the day, I want to be able to say that it was a good day and that I cannot wait for the next. To me, right now, that means enjoying the sunshine & warm weather that SoCal affords me, enjoy outdoor activities, enjoy good food & drinks, enjoy friends & family, and be grateful for all the I have.

    Ok, so that’s a pretty good top 10 goals to aim for. If I can wake up on February 25th in 2011 and say that I managed to accomplish each of these, then I’ll be in a pretty good place. So, that’s it, those are my goals. Happy Birthday to me, now let’s start partying and get working on that “enjoy good food & drinks” this weekend… cheers!

  • High Levels of Prolactin is Good!

    Worried about dementia? Do you have a family history of degenerative conditions? If you don’t like crosswords or running, then you’ve only got one option left…

    …according to a professor in Australia, certain “physical activities” help create and nurture new nerve cells in the brain. This is a good thing. “One could think of a number of more entertaining activities than running in order to regulate the production of nerve cells” says the Aussie.

    So, to recap, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s bad, sex good. Class dismissed.