September 18, 2008

While there were over 3,000 athletes competing, the two most notable competitors lining up on Zuma Beach were a couple first-timers: actor Matthew McConaughey and actress/singer Jennifer Lopez.

McConaughey and Lopez, who co-starred together in the movie “The Wedding Planner”, were cheered on by their significant others; McConaughey’s girlfriend Camila with their baby son Levi and Lopez’s husband Marc Anthony.

Musician Marc Anthony described his wife as superwoman for taking part in the event just six months after giving birth to twins. Like the other competitors, she completed a a half-mile ocean swim, plus an 18-mile bike race, plus a four mile run!

Other celeb attendees included Felicity Huffman, Tiffany Amber Thiessen, as well as former tennis pro Anna Kournikova who was competing for the second time. The event emcee: Cindy Crawford. In past years I’ve also seen Minnie Driver and Jennifer Garner at the tri.

If this was any other race in any other city, the sight of all these celebrities would be unusual. But this was the 22nd-annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon and many of these celebs call Malibu home.

Even so, with celebs come the paparazzi. As J-Lo and McConaughey walked from transition to the swim start, a swarm of photographers tripped over themselves to snap a shot. 

The multi-talented star Lopez smiled broadly as she finished the gruelling running, cycling and swimming competition. Crossing the finishing line the 39-year old star told the crowd: “Thank you guys so much. This is an amazing day. I feel really great and so glad I finished and that I made it out of the water but more amazing than that, I feel really great that we raised $127,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and hopefully it’ll go to good use.”

BTW: Lopez finished the race in 2:23:38, taking fifth in the women’s celebrity category - not bad for a newbie!

August 20, 2008

Set to take place August 31, 2008, The Nike+ Human Race 10K is truly a global event.  Individuals can either join large groups of runners in 25 different host cities around the world or choose to run where they are and upload their stats via Nike+.

When signing up for the event through the Nike+ website, runners are given the option of choosing a charity they would like to run for including the UN Refugee Agency, the Lance Armstrong Foundation or the WWF.

Registered runners have access to a free Nike training mix that can be downloaded from iTunes. All participants will also recieve an official Nike+ Human Race Day tee (woo hoo), as well as entrance to a free concert (sweet) at the finish line. Performers include the All American Rejects (New York), Kayne West (Los Angeles), Fall Out Boy (Chicago) and Pendulum (London).

Join a million runners for a worldwide 10K like no other. Just do it!

What Are You Getting Into?
What is “endurance?” Simply put, endurance is your body’s ability to maintain uninterrupted exercise - involving your heart & your muscles. The higher your level of endurance, the easier it is for you to keep going at the same speed or intensity. Most sports have different levels of intensity and sometimes have breaks in between bouts of exercise. Running, cycling, and swimming and triathlon require that you maintain the same movements without stopping until you reach the finish line.

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Be it gratifying or grueling, a runner’s first marathon is forever etched in the mind. What first powers people onto a marathon course? What do they learn over 26.2 miles? And how do they feel reaching the finish line?

The marathon is the longest and most difficult race most runners ever attempt. It’s also the most popular. Training for one is serious business. Fail to train properly, and you not only risk failing to complete the race, you also risk seriously injuring yourself. But, that doesn’t mean that training for a marathon can’t be fun - because it can be - especially if you do it with a group of friends. There are also plenty of running clubs and support groups that can help get you ready for your first race.

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