it’s only 13.1 miles from hooters to church

My wife and I ran a half marathon last Sunday that was sponsored by the Hooters in my home town.

I had no intentions of running this race, as I had spent exactly zero effort training for a race of this distance. My wife, on the other hand did, and I was there to cheer on my sweety pie. (plus she looks hot in her running garb). We got there early enough to give her time to sign in and stretch with plenty of time for us to chat about how cold it was that morning. We kept warm in the car until just before the race and she made her way to the starting line. Somewhere in the middle of that, I decided that I had no idea what I was going to do for two hours while she was gone…

So I signed up an ran the race.

spiritual back fat

re-up (rē-ŭp’)

1. To enlist again for service.
2. To sign a renewed contract for employment or service.

There are very few things in life that we don’t have to reenlists in to continue loyal service. Excluding death and taxes, it takes a concerted effort to continue the efforts that it takes to carry on whatever it is that we are involved in. There are specific moments in our everyday lives, that are often unnoticed but clearly defined (usually in hind site), where you decided to “press on” or “give up” on a desire. There is a distinct fork in the road during every one of these journeys that causes us to make a choice as to where our efforts would be better spent.

(I just read that paragraph 3 times and I am not sure that I understand what I just said.)

Let’s try it this way.

trick your wife into loving you more

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”          —Robert McCloskey

Let the analogy begin:

When (I repeat “when”) I workout regularly, I try to “trick” my muscles. I try not to do the same exercises, reps and sets for each and every workout. I try to shock my muscles into growing and adapting to new stimuli, so I make sure to always switch up my training routines, number of sets and reps for each training session. Also, I make sure to train at a high level of intensity and really push each set to positive failure (barely getting the last rep up).

I focus on increasing the weight lifted or the distance traveled. I know that if my muscles get used to lifting a specific amount of weight or run/bike/swimming a certain distance, then they will never want to get stronger or grow. I try to trick my muscles with different reps/sets and keep my intensity levels up high enough so they always are forced to make changes and grow. This is a proven fact and cannot easily be argued.

Some questions for me, as of late, have been based on this theory and how it pertains to my relationship with my wife.

a greater tolerance for chaos

“Every time I have the opportunity to sin, I have the opportunity to bear fruit of the spirit as well. In a momentary flash; I can choose self-control or allow my eyes to wander. I can choose kindness or let a bit of vindictiveness leak out. What determines which one wins? In my life it’s largely the level of incubation.” 

                       —Ron Martoia , morph! ,  2003

Hmmmm…

I read this paragraph in Ron’s book a few years ago and again, a few days ago. Then I did my favorite thing I do when I come across something I want to absorb for a while; I went for a run. A “business as usual” run except I turn down my headphones to a faint mumble (for background filler only), and allow my kooky brain to grind up what I have learned and make it relevant enough to apply to something that I am going through at the moment.

bench press your kids

Having a workout partner is a big help when you are trying to achieve your fitness goals.

1. Safety - Your partner can watch your workout, make sure you are using proper form and spot you when lifting during heavy sets.

2. Time - When you set up a time to meet at the gym, your partner is waiting and expecting you to be there. If you train on your own you might find an excuse not to show up.

3. Motivation - When you train together you motivate each other to be the best that you can during that session. A little motivation goes a long way, especially on days that you don’t feel like training.

4. Fun - Having a partner makes the workout more enjoyable. You can joke around and talk about your day which helps stave off the boredom of a workout.

5. Competition - A little healthy competition between you and your partner will likely occur - after all, we are only human.

For better or for worse, in thin times or fat, vow to workout with your partner!

I think that we can all agree that raising children is a bit of a workout. In some cases it seems like it would be easier to just sit around and eat the Bon Bons that life places in front of us as opposed to practicing to eat healthier slices of life. In other cases it seems like it would be easier to sit on the couch of exhaustion that parenting provides you, rather than bench pressing your daily responsibilities. I mean, wouldn’t we all rather sleep in a bed of silence rather than run in the noise of reality?

what’s in a name

I Run, therefore I am a Runner.

If I practice running, I can be a better Runner. If I don’t practice running, I will be a poor Runner. If I take care of my Runners body, I can run more efficiently. If I loose focus, as a Runner, I can become injured and possibly loose my ability to run.

I can choose how fast to run, how long to run, what direction to run, and how often to run. I can chose not to run as much or to run twice as much. I can run whenever and wherever I choose to (in most cases). How I run is totally up to me…

…but whatever I choose, I remain a Runner.

I was not always a Runner. It didn’t always suit me. There was a time when I choose not to run and didn’t see myself ever aspiring to be called a Runner. Then I made a choice to learn how to run, practice running, and now I actually enjoy running. It didn’t happen overnight, but by definition, when I decided to start doing it…I became a Runner.

run for your life

I ran six miles today.

Normally that would not be a huge deal, but yesterday I had long workout session. I ran 4 miles, biked 14 miles, and swam ¼ mile. I say this for two reasons: The first is so that I can help explain my condition today. The second is so that I can show off a bit. I am training for a triathlon in September which has me covering lots of miles by foot, bike, and water. I don’t break any land speed records, but I do finish the races I enter. I have never been first, but I have never been last either.

Back to today.

So after about a mile or so today, I started to get a tingle in my knee. I am assuming it was because all the running over the last 3 weeks and very little rest. What was apparent was that it annoyed me every time I put my left foot on the ground and I knew that I had a whole bunch more of these steps to go. I could not help but focus all of my concentration on preparing for each step and the discomfort that accompanied it.

Then I realized something.

fore the fun of it

My 12 year old son and I played golf together for Fathers Day.

Here is what I was looking forward to teaching him about the game and how it relates to life:

RSS for dummies…literally

Here are 5 feeds that you should NEVER rely on RSS to deliver!

I am one of those crazy guys that is suspicious of the intentions of the Internet. I think that there is as much to learn from the World Wide Web as there is to try not to learn. In order for me to explain where I am going with this, I need to insure that you understand what RSS is. If you think this statement is me challenging your smartnestitude, please understand that I just figured it out about a month ago and am assuming that there are others that don’t get it. (I’m betting my wife is one)

So, for your learning enjoyment, please take a brief moment to watch the clip I have provided. Then come back and I’ll put a little hibbity-dibbity on it.

be on the lookout for mailboxes

How to help formulate a game-plan for your kids lives that is realistic and attainable.

I went for a run/bike/swim today. (in that order) My goals were realistic and attainable as I frequently cover the same ground. I was going to run 4 miles, bike 12, and swim for 1/4 mile. As I got started, I traveled a familiar path and ran at a speed that seemed comfortable to me. About 2 minutes into the run I got a bit lazy. My brain started focus on all of the things that were in my way to get to the finish-line.