Goodbye September, Hello October.........

Ethan's Team Tat!!

First off, I'd like to congratulate Mary,Tiffany, Chrissy, Jeremy,Skylar and all the others from our neck of the woods, who participated in the St. George Marathon. Proud of each and every one of you, and the dedication it took to just even get to that point. Bravo!!!  I also have to shout out at my Brother in Law, Rick Nelson from St.George, you're awesome Rick!!!!
September was a good run month personally for me. I ran 146 total miles for that month and that has inspired me to run even more!! LOL

All three of them!!!

I'm getting there!!

I finally pulled the trigger and go tmy "Ethan's Team" tattoo.....having to go back and get some more work done on it. This little boy, is nothing less than a stalwart warrior, having to have done battle, every single day of his innocent life, to defeat Cancer! I know, I am not the only one in this community, that uses his daily strife, to admonish myself to be better....when I'm tired, I think of E and push through it....when I complain about pain, I think of him, and it's gone.......when I think my life is crappy, I realize what he goes through and stop my whining. He is my little hero....my inspiration to do whatever I need to do....simply because he may not be able too! I am lucky....and I am even luckier to know that sweet boy and his Family!!

So.....Rand Bracken came to me and said he wants a team for a Trail Ragnar.....I of course am in!! Not sure what we're calling ourselves....Bracken Express.....Running Carrots......but anywho, the event we want to do is in Zion in April. Should be a lot of fun!!

To all my friends out there, I want to thank you for all you love and encouragement, and I hope one day, I can repay the favor!! As always links below.........Remember to run!!

Running Trails, Fast or Slow.....Beautiful!!

Cancer BLOWS!!!

No More Rocks!

Nature Pics!!

All Races on Hold.....Tough Mudder in November!!!

So, it's been a very productive month for me, fitness wise....I've run 90 miles, lost a few more pounds ( 222 ) and body fat  percent is down ( 20.5 ), changed my lifting routine to be less bulking and more cardio/toning. I had planned to do a few races this fall....Cedar City Half, Gold Butte Half......and a Skydiving thing in September, but then Jake texted me......Super fit, Marine, Jake Hunter ( Whom Shelby is the proud child bearer of ) is putting together a Tough Mudder team for the November 9th-10th event in San Diego and wants Uncle Gio to do it with him!!! What could I say....OORAH!!! So, everything else I was going to do is officially on hold do to Tough Mudder training. This is actually going to force me to run with Terri and the gang doing trails, since the course is 12 miles cross country, and I suck at that......I'm a pavement pounder, and a  "Lone Wolf " runner! Of course this is also a public call out to Rand, who I know is yearning to do this event......and it'd be nice if my friend and personal Physician Assistant / Sports Photographer, Jeromy Mendenhall, would tag along, take pics, have fun and keep my ass out of trouble!!!  If you couldn't tell, I'm terribly excited about it......It was and probably will be the hardest event I've ever done or will do. Period!

I'm 60 lighter and in much better physical shape than the last Tough Mudder I did, so I'm hoping for a better performance on my part. There are 25 military obstacles through 10-12 miles of cross country terrain and it's mentally and physically tough....and when it's over, that beer at the end, is like the best thing you ever had in your life!!!
There are people I need to thank, for their good works, love and support......Dr. Empey, for motivating me and being my Internal Med Doc, Ur the best buddy!.......Dr. Scott Parry, fixing my knee and taking my abuse in the O.R. for 16 years!!......Jeromy.....my very good friend, and fixer of all my ailments, can't wait for our next fight! LOL.....The Thane Hafen.....the Vault.....has my back, no matter what.....been through a life of stuff together.....and my Daughter, Sydney, truly the only woman who has ever loved me despite all the shenanigans that have gone on in our Family. Love U.....As always, links below. God Bless!!
Tough Mudder.....Watch the Vid
EthansTeam
Trail Runner

Belated Blog for July, as well as stuff for August.......

Hello my friends. First off I apologize for no blog in July, but it was a busy month for me. Started off on the 4th with the Mesquite Firecracker 4 Mile run. Terri and Gary, did a great job putting that event on. I ran pretty fast in that little event for most of it. I got a little lonely, so I waited for my buddy Sean, who was huffing and puffing his way on the trail. Made sure he crossed over before me.....That's friendship baby!! I made gains and losses in July with Bodybuilding....Yes, I am doing it in earnest!! I'm down to 225lbs, lost 2% in body fat and I'm back to being strong like a bull!! I am projected to be 190lbs, 10% body fat by the end of December. Then I'll make a decision where I am and what's next. ultimately, my goal is to do 1....at least 1, amateur contest. I have a crazy workout schedule of about 6 days a week in the gym plus I do what I lovingly refer to as " 5 at 5's"....5 mile runs at 5 am, Mon-Thurs.
The month of July was a big running month for me. I broke the 100 mile mark for the month and I did it on my Birthday, the 31st!! As Gary put it so eloquently, I am no longer a " Two digit midget"!!!
Now, I just need to work on my speed!!!
Yesterday was the Parowan Half Marathon, and Mesquite was in the house baby!!! & people were there, and Mary and Diana burned up the course!
Funny thing is, now that I've done a few of these events, you start noticing a lot of the same racers at each event. It's nice....there's a certain familiarity that makes me comfortable. And just fyi....I didn't like, run the whole thing with my shirt off....just the last 3 mules...I couldn't take the wetness of my shirt any longer!!! Sorry.
K, any ways, the Cedar City Half  is Sept.14th, the Gold Butte Half is Oct.19th , the Snow Canyon Half is Nov.2nd and the Tri-State Marathon/Half is on Pearl Harbor Day......Lets get out there and run folks!!!
I would like to thank all my friends for there love and support in all my endeavours . And to my buddy Ethan, who I ALWAYS run for....Love U E.
As always, links to stuff are below....lets get out there and do something good folks. God bless us all!
Parowan Race Results!!!
Kids with Cancer have stories to tell....LISTEN!!
 Running.....It can save U too!!!
Just in case U wanna lift with me....

Nevada is Too Hot for the Devil.......

Long story short, my race, " Running with the Devil " has been cancelled. Projected heat at Lake Mead will be OVER 120 and even the alternate site, located at an elevation of 4600ft, is to be OVER 100.On top of that, the Park Service, Forest Service and the USATF, said no and pulled the sanctions. Calico Racing is 

just going to refund the entry fee, or let you use it as credit towards another race, which works for me, since they have more races I want to do.

Well, on another note......even with all the heat we've had here in Mesquite, I've managed 55mi so far and will try to make that 60 tomorrow. I was perusing through a fitness site,which is promoting people 50 and over to, well basically, body build. Apparently, adding lean muscle mass at this point is  beneficial since it will help you maitain an active lifestyle in your latter years.....Therefore, come Monday, I plan to start that up.Mostly upper body and Abs. I run, so my legs are lean and mean...and yes, I still plan to run and race too. I just think that having gone this far....losing 60+ pounds,running and being in the gym anyways, I should bump it up a notch and see what I can do.I mean really, I can rest all I want when I'm DEAD!! Now is the time for action!!!

I'm planning on doing the ET Hwy Run Marathon/Half Marathon, Aug  17th, so if anyone is interested, the link will be below and we can go together or whatever. I'm always open to suggestions if anyone has any or advice too. May God bless you all....Links below.

ET HWYMarathon

Join a Running Club

Over 50 Body Building....That means YOU!!!

New Harmony Mud Run, and Why I wasn't there!!

So Gio's Summer of Races, hasn't started like it should've . Friday before the NH Mud Run, I had a friend come over for dinner.....opened up a few bottles of wine....and had a grand ol' time, but awoke the next morn to what felt like someone trapped in the walls of my skull , who was using sledge hammers to break out!!! Shelby, my dear friend, who I had talked into competing with me, was there, whilst I lay in pain and shame in my bed, eating NSAID's like candy, and regretting that last glass of tasty Merlot!!

 So, I still have the Running with the Devil race at Lake Mead
next Satuday......which come Hell or high water I will go!!
My buddy Rand, who just finished a 30k trail race, is lokking at other trail races we can do together, so anyone in Mesquite or STG interested in that, drop me a note and let's team up.
Anyone interested in doing the Midnight Extraterrestrial HWY race in August in Rachel,NV let me know. I wanna thank all who read these blogs, and if you have any suggestions for me, race wise, running or general, feel free to to express them.
As always, links are below.... God bless us all!!
Zombie Dash Mesquite!!!
Warrior Dash
Mesquite Needs This!!!

Gio's Summer of Racing!!!!!

Yes, I have made this proclamation, and am determined to have a few races per month until Autumn starts!! My running has dropped of somewhat this month, especially compared to last months total of 95mi, but it's just so bloody hot during the day, that I kinda just run in the AM on my days off, and try to do a short run that same night.I'm also doing double duty at Anytime Fitness.....3 days a week, 2 workouts....but really need to swim BAD!! Race line up is like this: June 22nd New Harmony Mud Run,10K, June 29th, Running with the Devil,10k.....this is at
 Lake Mead, where it'll be a cool,115-120 degrees...
Will do the Mesquite Firecracker 4mi on July 4th, but need to find another race that month......Sept is the Kokopelli Tri, which I will desperately trying not to drown, along with Sean and Shelby!!! At least I'll go down with my friends!! LOL.
I'm looking for anyone who wants to do the Extraterrestrial Half Marathon in Rachel,Nevada. It's a midnight run down Extraterrestrial Hwy, which we all know is near the infamous, and supposedly non existent Area 51, where we keep all the dead aliens that crashed here on Earth!! Also the place where we developed the Stealth fighters and bombers.Anyone up for it let me know.
I'd also like to give kudos to my buddy Rand Bracken, who is in the mountains of Wyoming, competing in a 30k trail race! Your awesome baby!!! I'd also like to invite any MVRH employees, or anyone else, to come out on Wednesday mornings for a run. We start at the MVRH parking lot, and take off running around 5am.
God bless and God speed to all.....Links below!

Why I Run
Love U Ethan!!
Parenting....One Tough Job!!

Sorry, but I Have to Get This Off My Chest!!!!!

First off, I'd like to say that I not only went over 95 miles last month, but the 5 miles I did today put me over 500 miles since I started this wholeheartedly last May!! K, if I offend anyone, I apologize.....but.....
Walmart is my favorite store PERIOD!! However, getting through the morass of super obese people in the Walmart scooters, is a daunting and joy killing process!! I have been to Walmart, 3 times last week, and I noticed that, the majority of people using the scooters are not your, aged and infirmed, disabled people but rather the 40 to 55 year old people, who have given up on life, and seemingly have eaten there way to the 100lbs plus club!!

Not only are they jamming up the aisles with those dang scooters but, they can claim there self made obesity as a disability and receive both State and Federal aid for this. Here's my issue...... a self made disability should not be rewarded and enabled with sympathy and monetary gains. Help them, yes.....pay them, and say "it's OK, you don't have to change, we'll change everything for you" is BULLCRAP!! In my, small mind, a real disability is like...... a 9yo boy battling neuroblastoma for half of his life.......it's a woman who crossed the street and got paralyzed when a car struck her...... it's a sweet 20yo man child, born into Autism, that will never escape it.....THOSE are disabilities that need and deserve all the support

this country can give. My weight has fluctuated my entire life...I know how hard it is to battle food
desires, but that doesn't mean I quit or that the
tax payers of this country, should foot the bill for
me because of my impulses.....I mean, where
would we be if that happened in our countries past?
GET UP!!! walk...have some cake, not the whole cake....eat some fruit, heck, over eat on fruit instead
of cheeseburgers and fries....turn the telly off, put music on and dance....ANYTHING is better that what they're doing. Obesity causes:

• Heart disease and stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Cancer.
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Gout.
• Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for a short episodes during sleep) and asthma.
• 
  

 If you have a loved one, or if this is you and I've offended you, I am sorry, but it's time to change.
Change is very hard to do, but very necessary for all of us for one thing or another and frankly, it's action of doing something that difficult, that will give  you blessings, more than what you could wish for.
As always....links are below. May God bless us all with the strength we need to do what we must!!

Change is Hard
Champion of Obesity!!
Obesity Cancer Risk!!!
Run that Fat OFF