Enough About You...Let's Talk About Me!

I have been reading quite a few blogs for several years now and the one thing I have noticed is there is not a lot of information about the writer. Usually there is a small profile blurb, but you don't really get to know the person. I am often wondering what the back story is on a person and how or why did they get to this point in their lives. Sometimes it takes months or years of reading a person's blog to get some of that information, so I thought I would share a bit about myself with you.
About Me
My name is Bob and I am 42 years old, I live in Northridge, Ca, which is a suburb of Los Angeles.You may have heard of my city as we had a 6.7 earthquake in 1994 that was a life-changing experience for all of us. I have been married to my wonderful wife Tina, for almost 15 years (20 together) and we have two kids, Nicole (26) who was recently married and Ryan (24), a college student.


I know, I know...if you start doing the math, it appears I was a pretty active teenager. Truth is, they are step kids, but since I don't really care for the term "step", I just call them my kids and have since day 1. I sell dental supplies and equipment and have been selling for the same company for almost 20 years. I am fortunate to have some great customers and we are surviving this economic downturn, together.

Interests and Hobbies
I have had a passion for music since I was a child, I started playing the guitar at age 10 and progressed to piano, bass, and drums (parents didn't really care for the drums...wonder why). In college I took a couple of recording engineering classes and I am pretty proficient around a mixing board. My dream at one time was to score for movies an TV, but it is a very tough business to get into. I have written hundreds of "snippets" (short segments of music) that could be used to aurally fill a scene. I have had a couple of pieces used as bumper music in podcasts. I still write record and play when ever I get the chance.

I also have a love for cars...especially my 1969 Chevy Camaro convertible that I have been working on a ground up restoration for the last few years. When I started this project I didn't know much about a complete restoration, but I went and took automotive classes along with welding classes. I am a certified welder in Mig, Tig, and Oxy Fuel and I love burning two pieces of metal together! I have recently renewed my interest in photography and I am particularly interested in sports photography.

Why I Got Started with Running
In 2005, I was 240 pounds and not happy about the way I looked and felt. For years I played baseball/softball and racquetball, but I had given up all of that and was packing on pounds at a rapid rate. I decided to try Weight Watchers after seeing my wife's success using the program. I started on the "points" system and soon realized I was eating way too much. After an adjustment period, I settled in and started losing some weight. I knew that to break through the plateau I was at I would have to incorporate some exercise into the routine. I started walking on a treadmill 3 x a week, then progressed to a jog and finally a run. I have always hated running and it probably stems from a bad PE class in elementary school where our punishment was to run laps. In two years I took off 25 lbs using the Weight Watchers, walking/running plan. (I have since shed another 10 lbs and would like to drop another 10lbs by years end.) In 2007, my wife said she wanted to walk the Disneyland Half Marathon, so I decided that would be a good challenge for me. I started running outside and for the first 2 months, I couldn't run 1/2 mile without walking and I started to question my ability to run 13.1 miles. I got tips from my aunt (multi time finisher of the LA Marathon) and a neighbor who was an avid runner. In September 2007, I started and finished the Disneyland Half marathon( See below) in 2:41:31, wearing the wrong shoes and cotton shorts and shirt. ( I didn't know better) Something funny happened...I enjoyed running, and wanted to do it again. I spent the next year increasing my mileage, got the proper shoes and apparel, and improved my running techniques. I ran my second half marathon in September 2008 (Disneyland HM) in 2:13:30. Since that time I have run 5 more half marathons, numerous 5 and 10K races and ventured into the world of triathlon. I have since gone sub 2 hours in a half marathon.




I think I will make this a two part post so you don't get too bored. Part II will include my heroes, role models and influences along with my goals for the future.
Stay Tuned...