My Life as a Dog

Saving Breasts

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Erik, Bryant, Ty, & Me

May 12th I woke up bright and early and joined some of my running buddies for the "Susan K Komen Race for the Cure" 5K in downtown Salt Lake City. There was a huge crowd there. I heard that there were as many as 12,000 participants. It was a pretty flat course and it was my first 5K that didn't involved any walking. That is unless you count the part where I needed to walk in order to get a little water into my mouth. I was shocked really when I ended up with my best 5K time ever: 26:30 minutes. That includes all my treadmill times which have usually been much faster than my outdoor runs. I think my half marathon training has definitely given me more endurance. This is good!

My Nike Plus Information

With Kyle in his pink body suit. He goes all out!

With Erik in our Team eBay shirts!

Brian Takes Manhattan!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Last week I spent 5 days on vacation with two of my good friends: Ty and Bryant. We left early on the morning of the 18th headed the Big Apple. I had never been to New York before so I was pretty excited. I had wanted to go for some time. So when my friends suggested that I go, I was all over it! In an effort to remember what all I did (I seem to have short-term memory sometimes) I decided to try my best to remember many of the details.

Wednesday April 18th

I met Ty and Bryant bright and early in SLC where we carpooled to airport. Bryant was flying on Delta and he flight departed first. We dropped him off at the curb and headed for some airplane snacks since our flight departed an hour later. Ty and I flew on the same Southwest flight to Newark Liberty International Airport via Denver. We had a few hours in Denver so we stopped and ate a burger at the Denver Chophouse. We arrived in New Jersey around 9pm where we met back up with Bryant. The airport we took the AirTrain to Penn Station in New York City which took about 30 minutes. We bought $10 metro cards and then we just hopped on the subway to get to our hotel. I was pretty amazed coming up out of the subway and seeing the city. Just down the street was the Chrysler Building all lit up in the night sky. It was an awesome first impression. We stayed at the New York Hilton. It was nice and close to almost everything. In fact after getting checked into the hotel, we took a nice walk over to Broadway seeing the Ed Sullivan Theater where the Late Show with David Letterman is filmed. Right next to the theater is a bakery called Pie Face. They make sweet and savory pies. The savory pie flavors are identified by the faces on them. I got a Thai chicken curry pie and a mini lemon pie. Yum! Then we wondered down Broadway to Time Square and back to our hotel.

Thursday April 19th

We began our first full day on Manhattan by visiting Jamba Juice for some nourishment. Surprisingly its just like it is in Utah. ;) Then we hopped on the Subway and headed downtown. I could have sworn that we were downtown my my definition but apparently downtown is the business section on the southern end of Manhattan. We were headed to see the World Trade Center Memorial. There was still a lot of construction but things seemed to be starting to take shape. The two large fountains were pretty impressive. It would have been interesting to see at night. Admission was free but a donation was strongly suggested. Ty bought our tickets online and they were for a specific time which made it so that there was no long lines to wait in. We hopped on the subway and headed over near the Brooklyn Bridge. I was really looking forward to this as the bridge would be great to photograph. Unfortunately there are a ton of people on it too. So every photo kind of felt rushed and not exactly the masterpiece I was hopping for. Nevertheless the bridge was impressive and fun to walk across. On the Brooklyn side of the bridge is a famous pizza place called Grimaldi's. We waited inline for around an hour to get us some lunch. It was worth the wait. The pizzas were made with fresh basil and mozzarella. After pizza we walked down to the pier to take photos and eat some ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. We walked back over the bridge to Manhattan again and took the subway over to Battery Park where we could get a good view of the Statue of Liberty. We could have gone out there but I thought since we were on a tight schedule that I'd rather not spend that much time there. I'm saving that for the next trip! Since we had some more time before we had to get to dinner, we hopped on the subway again and got out at Canal Street. I bought me some lovely knock-off Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. I also tried to barter for a belt but apparently upset he store owner with my offer. Oh well. We also got to see a bit of Chinatown and Little Italy then it was back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening. For dinner we went to a Thai restaurant called Pongsri. I ordered Gang Ka-ree, a curry cooked in coconut milk with yellow curry, onion, bell pepper and sweet potatoes. It was yummy but not better than the pizza! Following dinner we walked over to The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to watch our first show of the trip, Ghost. The show was great. It had an cool set. The show was still in preview I guess and at one point they had some difficulties with the set and needed to stop the show for a 15 minutes or so. Fortunately it wasn't something that prevented the show from continuing. For me the star of the show was the character, Oda Mae Brown. After the show we stuck around to meet the cast and get autographs and photos. Then it was back to the hotel. Right next to the hotel is street vendor called The Halal Guys. Their food smelled delicious and there was a super long line even though it was close to midnight. We couldn't resist trying it out. I bought a sandwich with chicken which I ate at the hotel followed by a cupcake that I had bought earlier in the day when we stopped by Crumbs. I knew before I got to NYC that this was going to be a "bulking" trip and with 4 meals a day, I was right!

Friday April 20th

Friday morning started with a visit to Au Bon Pain where I got me a cinnamon crunch bagel and a diet soda (of course). We sat and ate our bakery goods outside next to Radio Music City Hall. Then we were off and on our way to the Empire State Building passing an empty Bryant Park and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (New York Public Library) on our way. We stopped to take a few portraits in a pretty spot. Once we were to the Empire State Building we paid $23 to ride up to the 80th floor. The observation deck is on the 86th floor but you have to switch elevators a few times. We opted to hike the last 6 floors instead of waiting for an elevator. The hike made me think what it would have been like for the people stuck in the World Trade Center during 9/11. It would have been madness! Anyway on the 86th floor we got an awesome view of the city. I thought it would be cold and windy but it was neither. There were loads of people making it difficult to get great photos but we tried. They say that you can see 10 miles away from up there. We did have a decent view down to the Statue of Liberty even though it looked a little hazy. Then it was time to think about lunch. We headed to the Hale & Hearty. I got some delicious tomato basil soup and a sandwich. We took our lunch and walked across the street to eat it in Bryant Park. The park was empty when we passed through it that morning but now it was packed. Even the lawn was no longer roped off and people were out lounging on the grass. We found a little table and enjoyed our grub. The park is pretty cool. They have an outdoor "library" containing books and magazines that anyone has access to. They also have ping pong tables for anyone to use. Having eaten something savory, we then felt the need for something sweet. Fortunately for us there was a Crumbs close by. So we all chose a cupcake to eat as we walked over to do a little shopping at H&M. Sure we have two in SLC now but maybe they would have different stuff in NYC. It was pretty much the same but that didn't stop me from spending money. Fortunately I did find a sweatshirt that I had seen on a mannequin in SLC months ago. I couldn't ever find it after that and at the time the sales clerk said I couldn't take the one from the mannequin. So I was happy about that! With our purchase in hand we wondered over the the NBC Studios and Rockefeller Center. A few people on Facebook had commented that we should visit the Uniqlo store in Soho. After looking it up, we found that there was one on 5th Avenue pretty close to our hotel. So after a brief stop at the hotel to freshen up and grab Suzie, we did a little more shopping walking along 5th Avenue heading towards Central Park. At The Plaza we took Suzie out of the backpack for a few photos. Then over to Central Park for a few more. We got a few funny looks but my favorite was an older man who was getting a good laugh. Then he started taking photos of me and Suzie, I'm sure, to show the folks back home of the "crazies" in NYC. :) We dropped Suzie back at the hotel and headed out for dinner at Brooklyn Diner. I ordered Shelly’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese (fresh tagliolini pasta, Parmesan cheese, Black Forest Canadian ham). It was delicious and artery-clogging! I tried Ty's lasagna and decided that next time I am ordering that! With full tummies we headed over to the Bernard B Jacobs Theater to see Once which was just nominated for 11 Tonys! It was a great show. We stuck around afterwards for autographs and photos. Then it was back to the hotel. On the way I decided that I needed to try a little more street food. I got a polish dog with everything on it. It was good but it was no JDawgs! At the hotel I then ate another Crumbs cupcake because, hey, I was on vacation!

Saturday April 21st

Saturday morning we woke up fairly early and I was feeling like I had a brick in my stomach. All that food from the night before was just sitting heavy and undigested. I didn't feel like it but the plan was to go running in Central Park this morning. I knew that it would do me good after all the eating. So we walked a few blocks to the park and got our run on. We decided to run for 30 minutes. Each of us at our own pace would go for 15 minutes in one direction and then turn around so that we could find each other without taking our cell phones. Here's my Nike Plus information for the run that morning. This was actually one of my favorite things that we did. The park was beautiful and the weather was perfect. It felt like I was in the middle of a race there were so many people out running, walking, biking, etc... After the run we got to wonder around the park a bit. I wished that I had my big camera with me and that we had more time to explore. Before long it time to head back to the hotel to get cleaned up. We then stopped at Europa Cafe for a sandwich and some salad. While we were sitting there eating the Asian woman sitting next to me had an endless commentary to her friend about what we were doing, eating, etc... She said things like "They are sharing a large salad and he is a big boy!" When we were all done eating she asked if she could have the lid from my Diet Dr Pepper. Strange! Next up was our only matinee of the trip, Newsies. Apparently getting tickets to this show was the hardest and none of us were sitting together. In fact, the tickets were all in different price ranges. Bryant mixed the tickets up and had me pick one. I felt bad that I ended up with the best and most expensive seat but he insisted on everyone keeping the seats that they drew. I was pretty excited for this show because there were 4 guys from previous seasons of So You Think You Can Dance. So I felt like I kind of new someone in the show. One of them was Thayne Jasperson from Springville, UT. The others were Alex Wong, Evan Kasprzak, and Jess LeProtto. This was my favorite show of the trip. Since our viewing it has now been nominated for 8 Tonys. After the show we got to meet a bunch of the cast and get a few photos. Since we had a little time before dinner and the evening show we caught the subway and headed back up town to do a little shopping at Century 21, which is a nice department store with good prices. I picked up a few things including a new bow tie. Next on our list was the Manhatten LDS Temple as we were trying to figure out where it was relative to the shopping I just happened to look up and see Moroni. It was literally across the street. I had seen plenty of photos of the temple but it was interesting to see it in relation to everything around it. It looked so small and no not temple-like. As I was taking a few photos of the building I noticed several people trying to see what I was photo graphing. On the way back to the hotel we wanted to find a Mister Softee, a mobile trunk selling ice cream. It was fate because we must have passed a 4 or 5 on the way back to the hotel. I got a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. After freshening up a bit we headed out to Carmine's which had been recommended to us my my friend Melissa. When we got there we found out that the wait would be two hours. So that was out! Instead we went over to Junior's Restaurant which was right next to the theater for Evita. We still had to wait a long time to get seated. I got the SwissBurger (with Sautéed Mushrooms, Onion Rings & Steak Fries.) It was super tall and kind of messy but pretty good. We ate pretty fast so that we could make it over to the Marquis Theatre to see Evita with Ricky Martin as Che. This was the show that I was most excited to see. There were many things that I loved about the show: the music, the stage, Michael Cerveris, and the ensemble. But I really didn't care for Elena Roger was Evita. I just thought she was not very likable or sympathetic. As much as I was not a Madonna fan when I first saw the movie, I really felt for her. This Eva, not so much. After the show we waited outside a bit and caught a glimpse of Ricky. No one else came out at least not for a long time and we were some of the few still waiting around when we left. After the show it was time for evening treat and tonight we headed back to Junior's Restaurant to get some of the famous cheesecake. I bought the raspberry which I took back to the hotel. It was delicious! As we started to head back to the hotel our beautiful weather suddenly changed and the rain began to pour down in sheets. We tried waiting it out for a bit but decided to run instead. So we started the day running through Central Park in the beautiful sun and ended the day running through Times Square running through the pouring rain. I think we got it all covered! :)

Sunday April 22nd

Sunday morning we got all cleaned up and packed, caught the subway over to Penn Station stopping by

Au Bon Pain for a little breakfast. Then we purchased AirTrain tickets to Newark Liberty International Airport. It was then that we realized that the train schedule was different because it was the weekend. We ended up barely getting Bryant to the airport in time to make his flight. We even checked his bag with us to save him time.

It was a great time! I'm looking forward to going back. :)

Sorry for the lengthy details. I just wanted to make sure that I remember it all!

My "Journal"

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:45:00 +0000

I'm not much a person for keeping a journal but I do see their value. Often times I have wished I would have kept one. Then I could go back and check what happened when and what the details were. Well fortunately for me technology is making things so much easier.

Some time ago I started using an iPhone application called Foursquare. It allows you to "check in" at various places that you go and let's your friends know where you are. There are other features but this is the main gist of it. So I've been checking most of the places I go for over a year.

Well a few months ago my nephew, Josh, told me about a site called ifttt.com. It's short for "if this than that." It is a service that connects other technologies so that they can inter-operate. It connects with Foursquare. But the other technology that it interacts with that I use for keeping track of my "journal" is Google Calendar. I have it set up so that when I check in on Foursquare, ifttt automatically creates an event in my Google Calendar on a specific calendar called check-ins. This allows me at some later time to go back and see where all I went on a specific day. I can also add notes to the Foursquare check in if I want more detail. I often use this to remember who I was with or what movie I saw, etc... And one more great thing about it is that Google Calendar is searchable.

Who Loves Going to the DMV? Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:22:00 +0000

2012

I was surprised when I got a letter from the state telling me about how I needed all sorts of documents to renew my driver's license. I was surprised because I didn't even realize that it was expiring anytime soon. So I'm glad they sent the letter even if it meant that I had to gather up my passport, W2, and utility bills. Soon I realized that this would mean that I would get a new photo and I would get to reduce the weight listed by 30 lbs without fudging any numbers. That is when I really got excited. I also found out that the DMV now allows you to schedule an appointment online. It was super easy and I was in and out in about 10 minutes. Best trip to the DMV ever!

2007

My First RSL Game

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:01:00 +0000

(Photo credit: Marc Edwards https://www.facebook.com/marcedwardsphoto)

Last Saturday I went to my first ever professional soccer game. It was Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado. RSL won 2-0.

I'm not a super huge sports fan. Especially when it comes to watching them on television. But I have found that I enjoy live sporting events almost always. This year I bought a Pass of All Passes from a Groupon deal. As part of that deal there are 4 RSL games that you can get into free. I had tried going to one previously but it was sold out. Fortunately they give you a rain check to guarantee you entry to another game. So my buddy, Stephen, and I went to check out our first game. Neither of us had been to game or to the Rio Tinto Stadium. The weather had been so nice for the days prior to the game and even that day it was much nicer earlier. I'm glad that I ended up wearing pants though rather than the shorts that I was considering. I also brought a zippie which ended up being very valuable. I could see why they sell all sorts of REAL scarves and blankets! It was a good time especially since RSL won. Below is the view we had most of the game. We had some zealots that felt the need to stand through most of the game.

Here's a recap of the game: http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2012/04/recap-saborio-espindola-fuel-rivalry-win-against-rapids

Here are the highlights: http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-07-rsl-v-col/highlights

Did Someone Say Free?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:04:00 +0000

If you know me at all, you know that I love free things. I mean who doesn't, right?! Well not long ago Runner's Corner posted on Facebook that they were having a contest for a tech t-shirt. All you had to do was post why you "run like an animal." Easy enough I thought. Here is what I posted with my before/after photo:

I was never a runner but after 42 years I decided to give it a try. It wasn't easy and I felt foolish in my initial attempts. Even a year and a few months later I have a hard time calling myself a runner and yet I go running regularly, have run 5Ks, relay races, and am signed up for my first half marathon in June. The determination has kept me going and in the process I've shed around 40 lbs. I run like an animal!

I was the first to enter the contest and I thought that would give me the edge I needed to win. It wasn't too long after my post that the second one came in about a guy who was on dialysis three days before running a marathon and now he was having a kidney transplant and still running. Suddenly my post was feeling inadequate. But it didn't stop there. The next entry was a girl who had been hit by a car while running and how she was still running after than. The next entry was a guy who had lost 90 lbs. Oh and then there was the guy who's ankle was composed mostly of screw to reconstruct it.

Had any of them posted before I entered, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have even bothered trying. After all I would vote for any of them over me. But being the competitive guy that I am (and, yes, I am competitive) I kept soliciting my Facebook friends to vote for me. In fact towards the end of the contest I added this to my solicitation for votes: "Don't let the dialysis patient win!" If someone didn't know me they would think I was horrible person. But it was really me saying "I know I don't deserve this one." My favorite response came from my buddy, Stephen. He said, "Brian Borup, you let him win!" :)

In the end the dialysis patient did win. At least this was one time where I could feel good about losing.

Half Marathon Training Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:02:00 +0000

In an effort to track my training for the American Fork Half Marathon and to keep it separate from my usual blog, I have started a new one. You can follow my training blog here: http://myafhalf.blogspot.com/

This is the basic schedule that I will be following:

Date	Week	Sun	Mon (Run)	Tue (CT)	Wed (Run)	Thu (CT)	Fri	Sat (Run)
4/1/2012	1	Rest	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	Rest	4 Miles
4/8/2012	2	Rest	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	Rest	5 Miles
4/15/2012	3	Rest	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	30 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	Rest	6 Miles
4/22/2012	4	Rest	35 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	35 Min (3 Miles)	30-40 Min	Rest	7 Miles
4/29/2012	5	Rest	45 Min (4 Miles)	30-40 Min	45 Min (4 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	4 Miles
5/6/2012	6	Rest	45 Min (4 Miles)	30-40 Min	45 Min (5 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	8 Miles
5/13/2012	7	Rest	50 Min (5 Miles)	30-40 Min	50 Min (5 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	9 Miles
5/20/2012	8	Rest	45 Min (4 Miles)	30-45 Min	50 Min (4 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	6 Miles
5/27/2012	9	Rest	50 Min (5 Miles)	30-45 Min	50 Min (5 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	10 Miles
6/3/2012	10	Rest	45 Min (4 Miles)	30-45 Min	45 Min (4 Miles	45-50 Min	Rest	7 Miles
6/10/2012	11	Rest	35 Min (3 Miles)	30-45 Min	35 Min (3 Miles)	45-50 Min	Rest	6 Miles
6/17/2012	12	Rest	30 Min (3 Miles)	30 Min	30 Min (3 Miles)	Rest	Rest	13.1 Miles

CT = Cross Training

Source: http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/your-step-step-half-marathon-training-schedule

Dizziness & Dehydration

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:07:00 +0000

The last few months I have been experiencing some temporary dizziness upon standing from sitting or laying down. I kept on meaning to do some Internet searches to see if I could figure out what was going on. In my first search I started to realize that it was probably dehydration. I drink a lot in a day. A lot of it is caffeinated soda but I do drink lots of water too. This is not a new pattern though. So I was confused as to why I would start to get dizzy now as opposed to previously. This year I've lost close to another 10 pounds. My only thought was that maybe my decreased body mass wasn't enough to handle the amount of caffeine that I had been consuming previously. It wasn't until last night that it registered with me that my dizziness had also started about the same time I started taking creatine monohydrate. I googled it yesterday and sure enough dizziness is one of the listed side effect. I didn't realize that when I started taking creatine that I also should have upped my water intake. I knew that it was supposed to make you retain more water but didn't think that I would need more water to compensate. Anyway, knowing this I'm going to try to be more hydrated and see if this is in fact does get rid of it.

Fun.

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Last Saturday was the Fun. concert. Yes, the concert was fun and that is the name of the band too: Fun.

A few months ago my buddy, Taylor, inadvertantly introduced me to Fun. via Facebook. He had posted a link Fun's new album on iTunes. When I listened to their music I realized that the lead singer's voice was familiar. In fact, it was Nate Ruess from The Format (who I already loved). Shortly after that I started hearing their "We Are Young" single all over the place.

Taylor had informed me that he would be coming down from Idaho with some friends to see Fun in concert at the end of March. I was not only looking forward to seeing Taylor but I thought it would be great to see Fun in concert. I had seen The Format several years ago and really enjoyed that show.

I tried getting some of my buddies down this way to go with me. By the time I got some excitment about going I went to buy some tickets only to find out that they had sold out just before I got there. I had made plans to at least meet up with Taylor and his friends before the show to get some dinner. Then the hope was that somehow I would be able to score a ticket to get in. The day before the show I updated my Facebook status saying, "Brian knows this is a LONG shot but who has a Fun concert ticket that they need to get rid of?" To my surprise, my nephew had a ticket for me. Yay!

I met up with Taylor, his brother Joel, and his friend Julene at The Gateway for some dinner at Biaggi's. It was a good time. Plenty of laughs, great food, and an entertaining waiter.

After the dinner we wandered over to In the Venue about an hour early only to find a super long line. As we moved to the back of the line one of my cute nieces (Brooke) flagged me down. We huugged, chatted for a bit, and joined them in line. No one seemed to mind too much. Whew! Before long my other cute niece (Bri) and her friends joined us too. One of the best parts of finding my neice was that her and Taylor were wearing similiar outfits! ;) Taylor being funny said, "This isn't the first time this has happened."

Taylor is a great photographer. He decided that he was going to get his DSLR into the concert by disassembling it and putting it in Julene's purse. As we got to the front of the line we saw that they were doing purse checks. Julene and Taylor quickly arranged things so that the camera parts were at the bottom of the large bag. When the bouncer guy was checking the back he was easily distracted by Julene's monkey butt wipes. (I still don't know what they are.) The point is if you are trying to sneak something into a concert make sure that you bring plenty of random crap to distract the purse inspectors. :)

Needless to say the concert was lots of fun! Fun put on a great show. Lots of high energy! All the photos of Fun were taken by Taylor. Checkout some of the videos I took with my iPhone.

Holi Fest - 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150652193703110

So I've been to the Holi Fest in Spanish Fork before and this year I thought I would probably skip it since I have gone in 2010 and 2011. But it turned out that I have friends who had not been yet so I went back for another dose of colored corn starch. It's something you should experience once and as long as I have friends who haven't experienced it, I will probably continue to go back. If nothing else it makes for some fun photos.

Holi Fest Tips

Only wear clothes that you are willing to throw away. Sometimes the color will come out and sometimes it will not.
A bandanna and sun glasses can help protect yourself. Contacts are a bad idea.
Bring a change of clothes for wearing to keep your car clean.
Be prepared to be hit with colors long before you make it to the temple. If you are bringing a camera make sure its protected.
Bring garbage sacks to put your colored clothes in or to protect your car seats.
Bring a camera. This is an event that deserves photos. Even if you leave the camera in the car while you are at the festival.
Save some of your colors to apply right before the photos. Otherwise you might just look purplish gray in all the photos.

Matt Nathanson & Kelly Clarkson

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:51:00 +0000

A few months ago my buddy, Ty, asked if I wanted to attend the Kelly Clarkson concert with him and some friends. I love Kelly but I'm normally a smaller concert venue kind of guy. Despite that I knew that I would have a great time with great friends and some amazing talent. So I said, "Yes!"

Fast forward four months and it was time. Yay!

Matt Nathanson was the opening act for Kelly. If you've heard anything from him, you've heard the song, Higher, in the video shown above. He was great but didn't play long enough for me.

Kelly came out and played for about an hour and a half. She's got an amazing voice. I loved how personable she was in between songs, just so "girl next door." She seemed to play most of her hits and she also performed two covers. One of the covers was Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't (which I love!) It also happens to be one of the songs I recorded. Check my recordings out below:

Rex Lee Run 5K - 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Last Saturday I rejoined two of my good friends to rerun the Rex Lee Run 5K. We did it together last year with a few other friends. You can read about it here: Rex Lee Run 2011. When I first thought about running this race again this year I thought that I would do the 10K instead but the close it got, the more I realized that I was not prepared for that. So we all ended up running the 5K. The weatherman had said that it was supposed to be rainy and windy. I was pleased that it was neither until we finished the race.

The course starts with a lot of up hill for the first mile. I was determined this time to take it slower and not expend all my energy passing others getting up the hill. I think it worked out better for me. This year I finished about 50 seconds faster than last year with a time of 29:49 minutes.

Here's a little comparison between this and last years stats:

This Year - 2012	Last Year - 2011
29:49 Minutes	30:40 Minutes
196/452 in Gender	323/581 in Gender
8/25 in Age Division (40-44)	10/19 in Age Division (40-44)
314/1144 Overall	489/1356 Overall

My friend, Bryant, who placed 1st in his division

It's just a tradition now! :)

At one point this white-haired guy runs up by me and passes me a bit. Later I catch back up with him and run along side him for a while. Soon I realize that he is talking to me even though I have my headphones in. I removed my headphones from my left ear to hear what he was saying. He said, "We're not that old." What?! I'm like, "I may not be super young but really? You are putting us in the same category?" Well he did finish before me so I guess I shouldn't be too offended. :)

Guster & Submarines

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Last Saturday (March 10th), my friend, Robbie texted me and said "Brian we should go see guster tonight!" I replied, "Hey stranger! You're a Guster fan?" But my fancy iPhone decided that I actually meant to say, "Hey stranger! You're a hustler fan?" Ooops! Fortunately I read the text before I actually sent it. :)

Long story, short, we got tickets and headed to In the Venue after a stop a Crown Burger. It was Robbie's first time there and he was quite taken with the ambiance and the burger.

At the show we hooked up with my nephew and his friend, Eileen. Instead of the normal standing only room there were chairs filling most of the floor. I've been to tons of concerts at In the Venue and never have I seen chairs. By the time we got there they were all filled of course. But we did find a great standing spot not too far from the stage where we could lean against the wall.

Up first was The Submarines. I had never heard of them but immediately decided that I liked their sound. They are a pop duo out of LA and during their whole performance I kept thinking how the girl looked and moved like Ellie Goulding. Here are two of their songs that I recorded. Of course I didn't end up recording my favorite song of theirs.

I believe this was the first of Guster's acoustic shows. It seemed that they hadn't really figured out how it was going to work. But that made it even more fun. I had forgotten just how crazy they are! They took requests and sometimes they couldn't remember how the songs went. See the X-ray Eyes video as an example. Also they took questions from the audience. My favorite was "What's wrong with your hair?" To which he replied, "What's wrong with your hair?!" :) Anyway, check out the recordings I made of them below:

My Kind of Town

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:25:00 +0000

New York, New York. It's my kind of town. At least I hope so! I've never been to the Big Apple but soon that will all change. I just booked my flight for a short visit next month. Stay posted to get all the details upon my return. I can tell you that I will be seeing a few shows and that the one I'm most looking forward to is Evita with Ricky Martin.

Going with the Flowrider

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:24:00 +0000

Another first here... After hitting the gym last night for spin class my friend, Stephen, really wanted to try the Flowrider at Provo Beach Resort. I can't really say that I was super excited about it but I'm usually up for trying new things and challenging myself. I've never been surfing or snowboarding. Nor have I hardly stepped on a skateboard. So needless to say I was not a natural. :)

Thanks to some help from Stephen and the lifeguard I was able to stay up for about a minute on my final attempt. And just when I was ready to give up. My friend, Chris, came too. Stephen is a little camera shy so there are only videos of Chris and I.

Discount Tire -- Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Since it seems that the Internet is full of people who have complaints I wanted to spread some good will to a company has always provided great customer service to me: Discount Tire.

Last week I had taken my car into Discount Tire in Orem to get my tires rotated. I wanted to make it through the winter with the tires that came on my Accord when I bought it last summer. The front tires were getting too worn but I thought still good enough to rotate. Well the guys at Discount Tire said that the legally couldn't because they didn't have enough tread left. I was kind of bummed out. I wasn't expecting to have to get new tires just yet. So Lance, the store manager, said that if they had some used tires that would fit my car they would put those on for me free of charge. Mind you, I didn't even buy the tires on my car from them. I have gone to them for years though for my two previous cars. The Orem store didn't have the right size but Lance made a few calls to other stores and found two that were the right size. He told me to come back the next day and that he would have one of the guys pick them up from the other location. I was still shocked that they were doing this for free. Lance confirmed that there was not any charge. Even after they got my car all fixed up I was still expecting the surprise charges for something. But it never happened. The tires they put on my care were practically new. Now that is some awesome customer service. I'll be back.

Oh and this is not the first time I've had such a good experience with them. See my Discount Tire post from Sept 2009.

Lions, Tigers, and Brian. Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:25:00 +0000

It's official! My plane ticket is purchased. I'm going to Africa this fall. I know it's a long ways away but that will give me lots of time to be excited, right? Nevermind the shots that I will have to get. I'll be going on a guided tour with two of my friends in South Africa for 8 days.

As I was getting my necessary information to book the trip I needed to look at my passport for how my name was listed. In the process I got a good look at my photo. Ugh! I get to keep that for several more years since I just got it in 2009.

Yoga Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Last night I had made plans to hang out with a friend. Sometime in the afternoon he texted and asked if I would go to yoga with him. I told him that I had gone spinning during lunch, that I had plans to play racquetball with my brother in the evening, and that I would be too spent by the time to do yoga. Never mind the fact that I was still trying to get over my cold. The short story is that he was very persistent and I caved in. I mean, I have wanted to try yoga. I just didn't feel like this would be a good time for my first impression. Being the awesome friend that I am I went. It wasn't easy -- far from it! But it really wasn't as bad as I had expected. I wasn't as uncoordinated and unbalanced as I thought I might be. There were a few times that I needed to rest or when I fell out of the poses. But all in all I felt like it was a success. I actually look forward to going again. That is assuming that I can still walk tomorrow. So here is to trying out new things! :)

American Fork Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Two days ago a friend and neighbor liked the American Fork Canyon Half Marathon & 5K page on Facebook. I decided to look the page and as a result the website. So far this year I hadn't really committed to any bigger runs. As I looked at the course description I thought if there was a half marathon that I should start with that this was the one. The majority of the course is downhill. Although I've never run this far in any one time I think I could do it. I may not be speedy but what's new? The half marathon isn't until June 23rd. So I have time to prepare. And I recruited two running buddies to do it as well.

Anyway, the point of this entry is to announce that I have registered for the American Fork Half Marathon! Let the training begin.

Then & Now

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Me around 235 lbs in May 2008 / Me around 200 lbs in Oct 2011

I've been thinking for sometime that it would be good to post a before and an after photo. The hard part is that I don't think I'm done so it's hard to do it now. But I have had several requests from friends and family asking me about what has worked for me to make the changes that I have. I posted it on Facebook and have been pretty surprised at the number of comments and likes that I have received. So I thought I'd combine the photo and what I've learned that has worked for me. Keep in mind that I am no expert and what works for me might not work for you. I've really just taken ideas from lots of sources.

Do What You Can Keep Doing / Don't Overdo it / Don't Punish Yourself
When I started out it was important for me to do things that I could keep doing. It's important to have some successes. If the first thing you experience in trying to make changes is failure, chances are that you will give up before you really even get started. So set smaller goals like drink more water, skip the french fries, or taking the stairs. Give yourself some specific goals and for a specific time frame. I would often set goals for a month. People would ask, "Well why not longer?" I don't think I ever answered it this way but really I think I wanted to do something that I knew I could do. Maybe if I thought that I was going to continue for a year, the ideas might be a little overwhelming. This way I was allowed to have successes.

Measure Your Progress
Initially I was tracking my calories. I had no idea how many calories I was eating and I had no idea as to how many calories I should be eating. I had heard of a great free iPhone application called Lose It! I downloaded it. It allowed me to enter some basic information about myself, set a goal weight, and then set how fast I wanted to lose weight. I didn't get all crazy. I told it initially that I wanted to get down to 210 lbs. I was 225 when I started and around 230-235 at my peak. I told the application that I wanted to loose 2 pounds per week. It then told me how many calories I should be eating to achieve this goal. Tracking all this helped me gain better perspective on what I should be eating.

This same application allowed me to track my exercise. I used it but I liked actually writing on a calendar in my bedroom. That way it was easy for me to see how regularly I was getting my trips to the gym in. And later when I started running I started keeping a spreadsheet with each of my runs listed. I would track the distance and the time. This allowed me to see progress and nothing is more rewarding than that.

Make Exercise a Priority
I really had to change the way I had been thinking about exercise. I mean I've had a gym membership for decades now and I would even use it. It wasn't until I started using Foursquare (another iPhone application) and I would see some of my friends checking into the gym early in the morning or multiple times a day that I realized that I wasn't really going to the gym that much. I decided to make sure that I was getting to the gym often. I didn't have a hard number of times a week but it averaged around four. But the more I've gone the more I want to go. I find myself trying to figure out when I can fit in the next run, etc... And now its not uncommon for me to go spin at lunch and then hit the gym in the evening for some weights or racquetball.

Challenge Yourself
In order to keep going its important to have successes and have new achievements. Whether it's trying to run a faster mile, lift more weights, or swim more laps, each new success will help you continue to motivate you to do better. Sometimes it's finding a new sport. More recently I picked up spinning a lot and revisited lifting weights rather than just focusing on running. It's nice to prove to yourself that you can do things that you thought were not possible. When I started running was really worried. I felt totally inadequate. I had never been a runner. I didn't want to look stupid on the treadmill at the gym. After watching The Biggest Loser and seeing their contestants run I realized that I really have no excuses. So I sucked it up and now I'm a "runner."

Develop an Identity
I think it's important to start to develop an identity that goes along with your new goals. Anytime I go to the gym I check in on Facebook. When I run outside I post it to Facebook. When I run a relay I post that information. As a result, my friends all know that I am a runner. Sure in my mind might not ever think I'm a "runner" because I might not run as fast or far as I would like but the reality is that I do run often so I'm trying to own that. Regardless, my friends and family all identify me as a runner now.

Make Public Commitments
I have used Facebook and blog for a place were I could make public commitments. I knew that if I started no longer checking in on Facebook to the gym that I knew people would start to ask or at least think to themselves that it seems like I'm slacking off. I wouldn't want that. Also it's great to sign up for races because it commits you to following through. I'm pretty sure had I not signed up for races so early that it would have been really easy to stop running altogether.

Make It Fun
Exercise shouldn't be a chore. Even though I struggle every time I run and feel like I can barely make it through my spin class, I have come to find it fun. I look forward to it. How does this happen? With spinning you can find fun instructors, the music makes it fun, and bringing new or old friends is always a good time. With running it's been fun to run with friends but when on my own listening to music and exploring a new path always makes it more enjoyable. While on vacation in Florida this summer one of my favorite experiences was getting up fairly early and going for a run around the lake and through Downtown Disney before the stores opened.

Learn to be Comfortable Where You Are Now
I had a lot of anxiety about running on the treadmill in the gym. I didn't want to look stupid. In all honesty I doubt anyone was even noticing me anyway. Just get on and do what you can do and take pride in the fact that you're doing something. I also had a lot of anxiety surrounding locker rooms and water activities where I would have to take my shirt off. I avoided them at all costs. As a result I missed out on a lot of things. For too long I had focused on only the guys at the gym that are super buff and that only made me feel fatter and less okay. The reality is that there are all shapes and sizes that go to the gym. There are even more shapes and sizes that don't. The point is that there is nothing wrong with you and going to the gym is a good thing. I found once I was able to be nicer to myself about my body then it was easier to lose weight.

In closing, I certainly am no expert on these things. I just wanted to share some of what I think has made a difference for me. Also I have not "made it." I still have lots of work to do but I realize that its a process and its going to be a part of my life for a long time and I'm okay with that. :)

Drama-Free January

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Over the last month or so it fills like my life has been filled with so much drama. In all honesty a large portion has been my own doing. I'm not proud of it. I do and say things too easily and later live to regret. It causes pain for me and those that I care about.

Yesterday I got caught up in my drama. Fortunately I have a great friend who is patient with me and willing to be authentic and call me out when I need it. I've apologized for being part drama before but have somehow continued in similar behaviors. This time I wanted things to be different (not that I didn't before.) I have realized that much of this drama is within my control and even when it is not within my control I still have the ability to choose how I react to it. I want to be more mindful of what I say and do and the effects that if has on others and even on myself. So I publicly declared on Facebook that the rest of January would be a drama-free zone for me. I have found that publicly committing to something is one of the best ways to keep me on track for accomplishing my goals. Interestingly enough my status update on Facebook got lots of comments and "likes." I guess everyone has drama and would like less of it. After having made this decision I feel lighter. I don't think it's going to be easy. I have too many negative thinking patterns or negative behaviors that are second nature.

It's been interesting today so far. I went to lunch with a good friend and immediately I realized that I was going to have to keep myself in check. It was a bit of struggle to stay out of areas where there was potential drama causing topics.

Here's to the remaining four weeks of January! And for those of you who think I should set out to be drama-free for longer, Baby Steps!

Rosca de Reyes / Wise Men Day

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Last Friday was my first Rosca de Reyes celebration. My friend, Mishael, has hosted these parties since I first met him but this is the first year I have actually attended.

Rosca de Reyes is a holdiay celebrated in Mexico also known as Wise Men Day. There is a large "oval" pastry. Within the pastry are hidden plastic babies. It represents Mary and Joseph hiding the baby Jesus from Herod. During the celebration, each person cuts a piece of the pastry in an effort to find the baby Jesus. This represents the wise men finding the baby Jesus. As part of the tradition those who get a baby Jesus are blessed and also they have to throw another party in which they make/provide tamales. I did not get a baby Jesus but my friend Mischael did. So I'm looking forward to going back and eating tamales!

We also sang karaoke. The Latinos were gracious enough to let the Gringos pick a few songs too. It was a fun evening. Thanks Mish!

???, Brian, Ty, Bryant, Ryan, & Mish

Mission Accomplished: 400 Miles

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Sometime before I ran the Ragnar Relay in Las Vegas, I had realized how many miles I had logged so far for running in 2011. I thought to myself I can totally make 400 miles this year. No sweat. Well, actually there would be lots of sweat. It's the only way I get any miles in. But the point was that 400 miles would totally be doable and easily doable. The problem: after running Ragnar I subconsciously or many consciously decided to take a little break from my running schedule. That led to me running a total of three times in November! That would be about a third of what I had been regularly running in the months prior to Ragnar. So when the Santa Run came around I rededicated myself to reaching my goal of 400 miles. It was still really doable. I set out a schedule running right up to the last week of 2011. Well today, December 31st, I thought I could go spinning this morning (I hate to miss Rona's class) and then I could go back to the gym later to get my 5K in which would barely put me past the 400 mile mark. Sure I procrastinated much of the day by doing other activities and even a little lounging around the house. I got over to the University Gold's Gym at 4:20pm and panicked when I realized that they had already closed for the day! I mean who closes at 4 or sooner just because it's New Year's Eve?! That's crazy! I had some false hopes that maybe the 800 North location would somehow be open but of course they were not. I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to run outside in 40 degree weather with the sun starting to set. I had talked about this goal so much on Facebook and to my friends that there was no freaking way that I was going to just forget it. I rushed home, changed into much warmer running clothes, and got off and running. It really wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. And my time was better than I thought considering how the Santa Run went for me. You can check it out by clicking right here.

So now I just need to know what I'm going to publicly commit myself to because I know how well it works for me.

Brooke & Zane

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:49:00 +0000

Brooke & Zane - December 28, 2011

My sweet niece, Brooke, got married yesterday to a super nice guy, Zane. I wasn't sure Brooke would find someone that deserved her. But Zane seems to be just that guy. He's been right at home with our family right from the very beginning. One of the things I love about Zane: he's a hugger. In case you didn't know it, I'm a hugger. It might have taken me a long time to get to be a hugger but I am. I love that Zane doesn't hold back. He initiates hugs often. Brooke is a hugger too! It's just one of the many things I love about her.

Over 100 Facebook Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Borup) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Borup Photography has reached over 100 Facebook fans! Last November I decided to try promoting my business a bit through Facebook so I created a page. Through out the year I have added photo albums as I've had new photo shoots. Now I regularly get inquiries for my services from people that I do not know. Oh the power of social media.