Love the strings

I figure some of you will give me a hard time for this Cheap Trick post, but I have to share it.

I REALLY like Conan's show on TBS.  I record it every night then watch the first 20 mins or so the following day unless he has good guests where i watch the entire thing.  His sense of humor fits me to perfection. (Incidentally, I do the same for Jimmy Kimmel whom I think is a genius)
Conan and Jimmy are clearly superior to many things on TV these days, give them a shot for a week.

Last Thursday, Conan had Cheap Trickon.  Yeah, their music isn't for every one, (i don't own any of their CD's) and yeah, they've been around longer than a caveman, and this song isn't new, but you can't help but love a rock badn that brings in a whole ensemble of strings to perform with them (like GNR did in the November rain video)


Want more proof that Conan is awesome?  Check out what he did to his set for the week of Christmas!  This was the best thing I saw during the entire month of December!


Finally, here's just the monologue from Jimmy Kimmel last week when his show was directed by the Director of the Green Hornet.  This was fantastic.
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You can search for the entire show on youtube.  It was great!

Fire

So all of you that live in Austin heard and saw the story of the plane crashing in to the building yesterday. However, it's interesting that even my mom that lives in Sweden emailed me wondering if that was close to where I live, etc.

I don't mean to sensationalize the whole thing, but to me it was kind of weird, because I used to work in that building. It was the very first building I worked in when I moved to Austin back in 1995-1997'ish.

I took an early lunch yesterday to get my monthly leg massage (way overdue, by the way), and saw the billowing smoke as I was many miles away. Figured it was yet another car on fire. I drove by at 10:18am, and it turns out the plane crashed into the building at 9:45am.

As I approached I realized it was the building I worked in. Even weirder was when i drove by, I realized the actual window cubicle that I sat in for close to a year was right where these massive flames were. I had no idea it was a plane, and just figured it was a fire.

Here's a brief online conversation I had with an ex-colleague that worked with me back then:

Nathan: So, it was the exact building we used to work in? I have been trying to figure it out.

Me: Yep.

Nathan: (later on at 9:15pm) Drove by it a minute ago, saw the pictures on the internet, looks like he crashed right into your old cubicle.

Me: Yep.

So, since traffic slowed WAAY down, and came to a stand still, I put my hand out of my car window and video taped as i drove by. Looks like i did a good job of just pointing at the right area.

I got this weird hollow feeling in my stomach as I drove by. Obviously because of the horror of that was happening, but also looking at seeing my old window destroyed and in flames. I know it was close to 13 years ago, but wow, still made me feel almost lucky in a strange way.

Why a buckle.

My friend (and dietician) (and consultant) (and kick ass trail runner) Meredith will be participating in the Western States 100mile Endurance Run this June.

Definitely the very first 100 mile trail race run by a man in the world. Arguably, the permier 100mile trail race in the world. It started off as a 100 mile trail race for horse riders. One year, one of the riders' horse was unable to compete, so the rider asked for permission to do it without his horse. He completed the race, and there began ultraracing as we now know it.

There's a video called "A race for the soul" that you can buy.

A guy says at the start of a video:

"It's the Boston of 100 milers."

Another ones says

"All the top runners come to this one. It's their Wimbledon. This is how they want to prove themselves to the best ultra runner, the best 100 miler in the country."

David H over at www.endurancebuzz.com (a great website by the way), has a link to the actual video so you don't need to go out and buy it. On his site, you can watch the video in 6 separate sections. Here's a link to those videos. At the very least, check out the first few minutes of the first video. You'll see a bearded man in a turquoise T-shirt... that is Gordon Ainsleigh, the man that ran without his horse!

So it so happens that the prize that every horse rider got when successfully finishing the Western States race was a new shiny belt buckle. This became tradition for ultra races around the country, if not the world.

On Saturday, I set off to earn my first buckle for my first 100km ultramarathon trail race. I'm a little nervous, not nervous of not being able to complete it, but excitedly nervous to get it going.

Next time you see a photo of a Bandera buckle on this blog, it'll be in my hand, or on my belt. ha!

Love this video!

UltraRunning from Matt Hart on Vimeo.

(I've seen it several times on other blogs, but finally decided i needed to post it too!)

This is just ridiculous!

Burj Dubai... just a few dozen feet shy of being twice as tall as the Empire State Building!

The tallest building in the world that was just unveiled in the last 24 hours...

You can find all kinds of videos of the fireworks that unveiled it on news sites.

But here's one that I found much more interesting!

More Bandera 100km trail videos

Mom,

Per our conversation, here are some more videos of the race course in Bandera. As you can see, it's not all horribly rocky and dangerous! hahahah

During this run, I helped take down direction markers from the prior day's run, in case you wonder what I'm doing.

Yes, I admit it... I LOVE this song!

I bet you never thought I'd publicly admit to this, but this is one of my FAVORITE running songs ever.

They lyrics provide me great avenue for positive visions, and the beat just make me want to run faster than a ray of light!!

When you hear that I ran alone in the greenbelt and I was absolutely flying down the trails, barely touching rocks as I hop from spot to spot negotiating the terrain, whizzing by trees, jumping and sprinting down the hills, attacking the ups, this song is quite possibly the culprit. I will be using this song this weekend to destroy people out there!

Now turn your speakers up, close your eyes and envision yourself just running faster than you have EVER RUN before!!!

Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder
Do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun
She's got herself a universe gone quickly
For the call of thunder threatens everyone

Chorus:
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel

Faster than the speeding light she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
She's got herself a little piece of heaven
Waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one

(chorus)

Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light

(verse)

And I feel
Quicker than a ray of light
Then gone for
Someone else shall be there
Through the endless years

She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe

And I feel

Quicker than a ray of light she's flying
Quicker than a ray of light I'm flying

YEAH!

Testing Flip Camera

Why do you run?

I just love this video.

So inspirational a few days before a big challenge.

Ryan Hall - 2.5 week from Boston...

removed because it plays automatically.

Last Weekend: 13 Kenyans under 2:09, 2 ran 2:04:27, and 18 year old runs 2:06

(I grabbed all this text from www.letsrun.com . All credit goes to them.)

- On Sunday, Rotterdam had a race for the ages as James Kwambai, the guy who pushed Gebresellasie late in his world record run in Berlin, and Duncan Kibet waged an epic duel all the way to the finish line.

Twice Kwambai had Kibet on the ropes as he opened up a gap between 35 and 40k and then in the last 500m. However, both times, just when it looked like it was over Kibet was able to respond. In the end, Kibet led the race for maybe 5 steps - but he led for the only five steps that mattered - the last five as he got the win as both men ran 2:04:27 - a time only bettered by Haile G. Abel Kirui ran 2:05:04 for 3rd and Patrick Makau ran 2:06:14 in his debut for 4th. The winner, Kibet, is not your normal Kenyan running success story. He grew up in a city, got a late start to running and is now a marathon star. 30-years old, he only ran his first marathon last year when he ran 2:08:33 for 2nd in Austria and 2:07:53 for the win in Milan."

Check out the last 2 mins. Look at this crazy finish!:


Remember, these guys are running 4:40min /miles or FASTER at this time!!

Here's his post marathon interview, where he predicted a 2:05 or 2:06, and says his goal is to break Haile's world record:


- In Paris, the winning times weren't as fast (Vincent Kipruto's 2:05:47) but the depth was unreal as the race set a new record for most sub 2:09s in a single race (11) and tied last year's London with most sub 2:07s (6).

- So taken all-together, 13 different Kenyans broke 2:09 in a single day. One way to really show how incredible this is, is to ask this question:
How many Americans have run under 2:09 in history? The answer..... Six. (wow!)

- To see the revolution in running look further at the Paris results. The winner
Vincent Kipruto-23 years of age, the runner-up, Bazu Worku Hayla, 18 years of age. Yes ladies and gentleman an 18 year old ran 2:06:15.


Boy do I wish the US had better sports channels.

Boston Homework

 Chuck posted a video on Kara Goucher running part of the Boston Course, which reminded me I haven't been doing my homework lately.  Hopefully she does well. 

So I need to get back to it, and watch this 8 min course review every day again, or at the VERY least, start it at 4:30 in, and watch as we drive into Newton and face the hills in Newton and Brookline. 

I just wish I could change the music, because it gets old pretty darn fast. 

SXSW Showcase - BISHOP ALLEN

As we headed back to The Mohawk one of the afternoons, we walked in for the last two songs of a band that had the crowd poppin', and they were having a blast on stage.  

I'm sad I missed their entire 30 minute set, but I found out who they were....

I present to you 3 songs by BISHOP ALLEN.  

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

Bishop Allen - "Middle Management"

RAIN

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK

HA HA HA HA!

"You didn't have a grotto??"

In The Know: Are America's Rich Falling Behind The Super-Rich?

This guy is awesome!

Mr. Kunio Kato just won the Oscar for 

Best Animated Short Film for "La maison en petits cubes".

Here's a sample of that movie: 

And here's where it really gets good, his acceptance speech.  

I love this guy!

(His production company is called "Robot") 

Too funny!

I've watched this over and over, and can't get enough of it!

P.S. there are many other skits like this one on youtube with these two ladies. Hysterical.

Why do you run?

Scott shared this with me, and it's too good for me not to post.

Ninja Cat

The Ninja Cat - Watch more free videos

HAHAHAHAHAH

Banned SuperBowl Commercial