Greetings! Thanks for somehow stumbling onto JoggerJoel. I hope you'll come back in the future as I blog about my road to being fit, lean and a little bit insane.
Here is a quick biography on who I am, and what makes this blog different or the same as all the rest.
Blog
Firstly, when I started to blog about my running, it was a little after my first 5k race in Hong Kong and I thought I would use this opportunity to just keep a place for statistics since a long time ago I ran and never really wrote down my times. (25 years to be exactly, I started to run in High School for track and cross-country because I wasn't very good at much of anything else). I'm just an average runner!
1985-1989
My monumental moments in High School was that I ran for 4 years being able to run around sub 19 for 5k and ran 25k when I was 16 years old beating my coach who never paid his bet. (Sorry, Coach Steve Tchozeski: A Bet is a bet). Growing up in Belding, Michigan and being Korean wasn't quite the easiest, but it proved to be a battle ground for my competitiveness and pursuit to be the best that I could be (being quite average). I tried wrestling and baseball and failed miserably, so cross-country and track was my way to spend my days after school since my time with girlfriends were 0.
1990
Once after high school, life became busy with college and paying my way using creative methods such as joining the Virginia National Guards. Did a little exercising, but hardly warrants talking about it.
2000
Work in technology is pretty long, tiring hours as a programmer. I remember spending 18 hour days and consistent back-back 100 hour work weeks. I eventually became lucky and wrote a Electronic Trading Platform System in Wall Street. But, no time to exercise. As I tried to live the "American" Dream, the commute took close to 4 hours a day. Probably, the most running I've done during this period was on 9/11.
2008
Right before the financial crisis, I was offered a job at Lehman Brothers and now Nomura in Asia specifically Hong Kong. I took the job and after a few months of learning scuba diving, I realized how fat I became. Although my frame never became hit "obese" levels, I decided to turn the tide and change my lifestyle. I started working out in the gym. I figured I'd work out on my body in the clubhouse gym. My first attempt at social fitness networking was to keep stats for my personal self at http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/jlabelle/. I started to 'jog' on the treadmill, but it became so boring. So, I decided to try HITT where I would ramp the speed control to max: 25. (6 is a brisk walking speed). I would do 10 intervals.. This eventually became boring, so I decided to run my first 5k. It was mighty painful at the end and I even had a splitting headache when I completed. This was the kick start to my active life. After that I was hooked!
2009
Since I am a technologist by nature (I wrote a balloting system in high school on a TRS-80), I love gadgets and so I bought a GoPro POV. I used it this summer and saw it brought a lot of hits to my blog. So, what the hell, if it's not too heavy - why not give back to running community by showing people their photos when they run past or by me. Because of its small footprint, I can even use it on a swim or bike ride. I believe I get amazing shots and it's worth the money and effort to keep it going.
In terms of running, one race led to another.. and pretty soon I was running the Hong Kong Full 42.2km marathon. After a disasterous finale from overheating and exhaustion by collapsing right at the finish line - I got the fever for some ultra trail running and went to Vietnam and Laos. After the ultras, I wanted to do something different and decided to get ready for a local sprint Triathlon. Well, hook line and stunker.. I started swimming in my clubhouse pool realizing that I really swam like a rock. Quickly afterwards, I bought a bike and started training 4-6 days a week. Everything went so fast and I went on to complete the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker and 2 weeks later Half Ironman Phuket, Thailand.
2011
My blog is my expression of my active life…And luckily or not, I have lots of pictures and videos for my viewing audience. I'm always looking to figure out a way to make money out of this.. So, if you have any thing to throw at me such as reviewing products or maximing your business via sponsorship, I would be very interested in a partnership.
I'm upping the notch for 2011 year which will include a few more triathlons and looking to PR on my marathon time. I'd like to even get an award. (Like best improved Rookie of the year with a funny looking camera on his head award) Look out for Phillipines HIM, HKSCM, Ironman Nice, Ironman Western Australia... JoggerJoel will be present!
Keep in touch and find me on facebook/twitter. I enjoy linking up with people who come from all walks of life! Remember, if you are active or not - let's inspire each other for a fitter life!
-JoggerJoel
