Team Member Spotlight

Although Bob Marabella of San Antonio has been on the Texas Beef Team for just one year, he’s definitely not a newbie when it comes to running. When Bob was 13 years old, he had hopes of joining the middle school basketball team, but discovered he was too small. So, undeterred, he went out for cross country. “Even at the start of high school, I was only five feet, two inches and barely over 100 pounds,” remembers Bob. “Thankfully, running long distances was a natural fit. Finally, I shot up seven inches at the beginning of my senior year!”  

Bob grew and so did his love of running and endurance sports. He finished his first triathlon in his twenties and also qualified to run the Boston Marathon after completing his first ever marathon (Dallas White Rock Marathon). To date, he has run too many races to count, but has not forgotten his nine marathons, three of those being the Boston Marathon, and a P.R. of 2:46 at the St. George Marathon in Utah.

Bob thrives on the competitive aspect of running and triathlons and is very goal-oriented. Although he typically trains alone (unless with the “Wolfpack” in San Antonio), he did miss the race scene during the beginning of the Covid pandemic. However, he has managed to run 41 races so far in 2021! Bob is currently training for Huntsman World Senior Game Triathlon this October in St. George, Utah and has a goal of 52 races in 52 weeks.

Consistency has been a major key to the success of this lifetime runner. “It takes too much work getting in shape to get out of shape,” says Bob. “I like to encourage others to be consistent, set a plan and reward yourself for weekly accomplishments. For more than 10 years, I have run at least 100 miles a month.  I keep that streak going each month by mapping out my plan at the beginning of the month and rewarding myself with a giant juicy cheeseburger for reaching it.”

Bob, a real estate broker by profession, has three children (all are runners), two grandchildren (too young to run), and has been married to his wife Jodie for 32 years.  In his spare time, he has also organized many charity races and assisted as race director for non-profit runs. He enjoys golf, softball, pickleball – and following baseball! “I have watched spring training in Arizona for the past 26 years, catching many homerun balls and collecting autographs over that time,” Bob elaborates.  In season, he can be found watching the Dodgers and volunteering as an usher for the local Minor League Baseball team, the San Antonio Missions.

Beef Team Feels: I joined the Beef team after seeing how happy and energetic everyone was at various races.  I did a little research and found that it was a perfect fit for me since I love beef and running. I also really love the volunteering aspect of the Beef Team.  Each week, I try and find a volunteer activity and have made great Beef Team friends this year.

Beef Team Memories: One of my favorite memories is participating with teammates in the small town of Gustine at the Larry Don’s 7 & 7K. While volunteering for the team, I have enjoyed helping the struggling runners in the “Girls on the Run” group by pacing and cheering them on.

Favorite Races: Remember the Alamo 5k in LaVernia has been my favorite Beef Team-sponsored race to date.  My son flew out from San Francisco to visit and ran the race with me.  He finished 2nd overall and I finished 6th overall and won the Master division! Another favorite race was the 2015 Boston Marathon where I ran side by side with my son. It had always been a dream of ours to qualify and run together.

Favorite Beef Cuts: Ribeye and brisket.

Favorite Beef Recipe: Homemade beef tacos by my wife.

What I’ve Learned About Beef: I really enjoyed the recent Grilling 101 class.  My biggest takeaways were proper grilling temperatures and all the various cuts of beef available.

Running Obstacles: I have lived in many places including northern Utah. At times, the only motivation to get out to run (when it was 18 degrees), was asking my wife to drive me out and drop me off so I had to run home.  Also, my goal of running 100 miles each month always keeps me moving forward.

Inspirational Quote: “Get busy living or get busy dying.” From the movie, Shawshank Redemption.

Pre-run Food:  Oatmeal.

Must-Have Running Gear: A pair of Asics running shoes and my Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch.

Running Music: 70’s classic rock.

Fun Fact: My wife and I are pretty new to Texas and are attempting to visit all of the Texas State parks.  So far, we have been to 40 state parks.