It is so annoying to me when cheerful people admonish the surly grouches of the world like me that “happiness is a choice.”

The frustrating reality is, of course, that this is true.

When I look back on the 2 to 3 years of sheer gloom and depression in my life and the transformation when I emerged from it all, if I can say that I had an epiphany it occurred when I made the distinct choice that I would no longer accept depression and that I would choose to be happy.

To be sure, most anyone who knows me would not accuse me of being a cheerful canary of song and smile. Truth is, I am a downright moody person, so much so that I annoy even myself – which is a good thing because it serves as an easy reminder that I will not tolerate such ridiculous behavior and that I choose to be happy.

Happiness is a state of mind and most honestly reflects, in my opinion, contentment. Happiness is not necessarily exaltation, jubilation, or glee, which more accurately represent levels of happiness. No, the happiness I describe is across-the-board, everyday contentedness.

Sure, there are certainly moments of pants-wetting joy in our lives, but such occasions are infrequent. Besides, living with that much excitement in our lives might be fun for a while, but our hearts couldn’t stand it, let alone our pants.

I also believe that most people base their happiness as a reaction to some external stimuli. They laugh when they hear a joke. They smile when they see a baby or puppy. They sigh at a beautiful flower-carpeted meadow. They cheer for their team. And they cry at their child’s birth.

When there is a dearth of stimuli, such people might find themselves bored, uneasy, and even unhappy. In the void of happy thoughts and good feelings creeps in the specter of disappointment, annoyance, aggravation – and worse – depression. Without something to react to, reactionary people find themselves less-than-happy.

80 degrees in Nov?? R u kidding me?

Just ran 6 mi. in 80 degree weather in Baton Rouge. If I weren't running today would be another great "spring" day in the Louisiana fall. Gotta hydrate. Hydrate like the wind!

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"If you want to be happy, be." - Leo Tolstoy

"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

A Dog’s Life... Aspiring marathoner, live like a dog...

This nugget has circulated the World Wide Web since the Internet became a popular work-time diversion in the mid-1990s, so I don’t know whom to properly attribute. Its wisdom is timeless.




 

What we can Learn from Dogs:

1.    When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

2.    Never pass up the opportunity to go for a  joyride.

3.    Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

4.    When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

5.    Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

6.    Take naps and stretch before rising.

7.    Run, romp, and play daily.

8.    Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

9.    Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

10. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

11. On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.

12. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

13. No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends.

14. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

15. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

16. Stop when you have had enough.

17. Be loyal.

18. Never pretend to be something you're not.

19. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

20. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

New runner's must exercise. Everyone must exercise.

The USDA, government’s plump, pink-cheeked marm of food and farm recommends that humans exercise at least 30 minutes or more each day. Actually, just about every doctor, medical professional, PE teacher and grandmother will express to you the importance of getting daily exercise.
Thirty minutes doesn’t seem like much does it? That’s the time it takes to get to work, watch a television show, sit down for a meal.

It is often difficult to budget this much time a day for exercise – but it is precisely what you must do in order to prepare for the Big Thing. In fact, setting aside time – or building your schedule around – any important Big Thing is necessary.

You need to set aside exercise time to have a healthy, longer life. You need to set aside time for a marathon/Big Thing to have a happy, fulfilling life. In other words, the USDA (and me) is saying that you have to set aside time in your so-called busy schedule for the important stuff. Your life depends on it.

We all need to choose to be healthy and actively pursue a life of physical activity. If you’re not active, get active. If you are active, stay active… and try your darnedest to be active the rest of your life. Make it part of your daily life… and while you’re at it, make it part of your kids’ lives too.

Why Exercise?

•  Physical activity for 30 minutes a day reduces risk of developing or dying or heart disease.
• Increases  physical fitness
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, joints, and muscles
• Builds endurance and strength
• Helps manage weight
• Lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and Type 2 diabetes
• Helps control blood pressure
• Promotes psychological well being and self-esteem
• Reduces feeling of depression and anxiety
• Decreases the need for Viagra!

And there are so many simple ways to make exercise part of your routine:

• Walk or ride a bike
• Use stairs
• Get off bus a few stops early
• Mow with manual lawn mower
• Rake leaves
• Garden
• Push stroller
• Clean house
• Watch TV on exercise equipment
• Play with your kiddos
• Walk 10 minutes to work, during work and after work
• Oh, and train for a freakin’ marathon!

4 miles this morning in DC. I sure miss running in this city.

DC is one of the most runner friendly cities in the country. At least by my humble estimation.

Had awesome dinner last night at Fiola's near 7th and Indiana. The lobster ravioli hath smitten me. The appetizer with a name I can't remember, but which was tuna tar tar and roasted bell pepper that spread on fresh bread like marmalade likewise smote me. Lots of politicos there -- Nancy Pelosi and entourage along with Pete Roskam.

Wine and politico watching at Capitol Grille - another predictable but favorite menu.

Notwithstanding last night's near excessiveness, the DC run this morning was exceptional.

Even with light rain, the Mall is a great, soft path to run. A few blocks in downtown make for good people watching too.

As I said, I sure miss running in DC.
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Marathon Travel

Something really fun and exciting to consider is combining a marathon with an exotic trip. Though my wife specifically prohibits me from engaging in such fantasy, I am determined to take a trip somewhere fancy shmancy and run a marathon. Indeed, I want to run marathons in Antarctica, Australia, South America, and across the sandy dry deserts of Morocco in the infamous 150-mile Marathon des Sables (oooohh yeaaaaah!).
While there might be travel agencies in the world that accommodate such fetishes, the granddaddy of them all is Marathon Tours & Travel. www.marathontours.com

It may cost a little more than “regular” travel, but Marathon Tours and Travel will:

·         Arrange your travel

·         Minimize hassles

·         Group you with likeminded travelers

New runner, see a Doctor

Before you throw yourself into a structured training regimen, be sure your body is prepared. Even though the schedules that I’ve designed are for the beginning runner and the beginning marathoner, they assume that you are active, or at least capable of being athletic. If you’re jumping into this from the comfort of your couch, well, first of all, I salute you, but more importantly, I recommend that you see a doctor.

Now, I did not see a doctor, I’ll admit – at least not for the express purpose of running a marathon. But I do get a physical and blood work done annually to ensure that I am ticking at optimum tick. Absent regular visits to the doctor, it is important that you know that your body is up for the challenge. Marathon running – and training – is tough and can wreak havoc on the unprepared, unhealthy body.

If this is your first marathon, you should start slowly by walking, and then graduate to interval training or jogging and walking. At this slow, methodical pace, your body will tell you if you need a medical look-see. And at the risk of being blunt, if your body is stressed out from walking, you’ve got bigger trouble than marathon training. See a doctor, fix your body, and pick up this book again. Your immediate goal is life is to be healthy.

Look, you need to see a doctor anyway. You need an annual check-up. Go, go see the doctor and then hit the road.

30/30 Plan - A clever way for the running beginner to get started

The 30/30 Plan. An excellent way to get started is a favorite routine of famed runner/writer Hal Higdon. Higdon recommends the 30/30 plan, which in its elegant simplicity begs the new aspiring runner to exercise for 30 minutes a day for 30 days – ergo 30/30.

The plan does insist on 30 days. A beginning runner who exercises every day will be done in a month. A runner who exercises every other day, two months.

Higdon’s 30/30 plans requires the runner to locomote 15 minutes, turn around and come back.

The plan emphasizes that beginning runners (1) WALK the first 10 minutes, (2) Trot, jog, skip, whatever for 15 minutes, and (3) WALK the last 5 minutes.

The walking is very important. You are just beginning. Ease into the program.

The goal is to acclimate you to running. It is designed to introduce your legs to sustained periods of running, while at the same time conditioning your mind to accept and enjoy this new form of exercise (“new form” which has been around since humans were picking fleas off each other in caves).

I like the 30/30 plan a lot and highly recommend it. “But, Paul, you Phidippedes of running literature, that’s not what you did!” To which I respond, “ Hugh damn right!” That’s correct. I threw convention and wisdom to the wind as I embarked on my lifelong journey or running. And, I believe, I have been successful. On the other hand, my “beginnings” lasted about two to three years. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I presume that you did not buy this book to start running in 3 years. I like to think of Arnold Palmer’s golf swing, which is perhaps the ugliest form and most offensive violation against aesthetics in all athletics. But damn it ain’t he good. So, I say, it doesn’t matter how you do it, just get to it.

Do the 30/30 plan for about, you guessed it, 30 days. From there, extend it to 45/30, 60/30, 75/30. Mix it up with hard runs, easy runs, walking, cross training, etc. Do whatever it takes for you to enjoy running. And extend your runs as you feel comfortable. Just take it easy. Running is very Zen.

OK, new runner. Get started. Take the first step

Humans have been running ever since we evolved from fish. Ever since sprinting from saber tooth tigers or Genghis Khan, our ancestors have enjoyed great capacity to run.

So it occurs that this dissertation on marathoning should include an introductory instruction manual on how to start running.

As you can guess, not only do we no longer run from predators or chase after wooly mammoths, we modern humans do very little running at all. That is, at least most of us. There are those jocks who play sports and kick sand in my face, but honestly, most humans – especially Americans! – prefer our sports on the couch.

So, believe it or not, many beginning runners need a primer. In fact, I wish I had one when I started out. I had to learn the old fashioned way of trial and error, with emphasis on the error.

Take the First Step

Getting started is probably the most important part of marathon training and pursuing a big goal. Really, the most achievable part of reaching your goal – that is, getting started – is likely the hardest, and it is so important because nothing else matters if you do not start.

Getting started is sometimes a daunting task in itself, especially when the goal is a Big Thing like running 26.2 miles. It is easy to stand at the starting line of your journey and behold the magnitude of it all and ask yourself, “How am I going to do this?!”

Perhaps runners see the marathon as the whole 26.2 mile journey when they get started. In other words, they may wake up on day one and imagine today’s workout as the beginning of a daily ritual that will last for several months, maybe even a year. And while it is important to keep the goal in mind, to have strategized and plotted out the journey it is only necessary to focus on the steps to get you there, which on day one means walking a mile or jogging an easy mile... whatever first step you’ve given yourself to begin. And tomorrow’s next step may be to take a day off or to jog an easy 1 to 2 miles.

Remember, a collection of small, attainable goals strung together is what gets you to the ultimate goal. Like eating an elephant, which is done how? By eating one bite at a time.

Every thousand-mile journey, we are told, begins with one step. So it is true with marathons and life. And the only way to accomplish something BIG is to accomplish something small, which in this case means getting started.

In the case of a physical endurance test like marathon training, it is wise to take the steps below before lacing up shoes for the first run.

Pick a race

I will never run (or at least will try to avoid running) the same marathon twice.

Come on. Twenty-six miles is a lot of work. I need as much distraction – and stimulus – to keep me inspired. I choose my marathons specifically for what they may offer by way of stimulation. New York and Marine Corps? That’s obvious. Racing though DC and NYC is more like a sightseeing trip. The others, Alaska, Montana, Atlanta and Chicago were chosen for purely aesthetic reasons. There are several marathons that bill themselves for what they have to offer as distraction, like Big Sur and Cape Cod, which strive to appeal to your sense of beauty. Others like Disney, San Diego, and Nashville hope to distract you like an A.D.D. patient at a whistles and bells convention with their productions and theatrics.

My criteria for race selection include:

• Place – city, scenic vistas
• Time of year – spring and fall are pleasant racing seasons
• Course – flat, scenery, distractions
• Scenery – cityscape, ocean view, mountainscape, etc.
• Temperature – 72 degrees or lower is good for running.

Races are easy to find by visiting Runner's World Race Finder or Active.com, among others. Running clubs, stores, and other running web sites are also great sites to explore.

11 miles, 35 degrees in S. LA (that's Louisiana, not Los Angles) - very nice www.theTaoOfPo.blogspot.com

Like anything important to you, schedule time to train

Perhaps my number one obstacle to training is not energy, motivation, or injury; rather, it is time. Training for a marathon is an exercise in efficient time management. Like going to school part-time or even spending time with your kids, one needs to establish a schedule and stick to it. I honestly believe this is the biggest challenge to prepare for a marathon.

If you don’t set a regular time in your daily schedule for running, you will find yourself each day trying to figure out the best time to run, which increases the risk of allowing routine matters to get in the way and push out the new kid on the calendar.

Missing a run every now and then is forgivable, but two or more misses messes up your progress and possibly exposes you to stressed muscles, cramps and soreness, and injury. Also the first run after a few misses is not often a comfortable, relaxing run. If by missing some runs leads to unpleasant running, you’ll be more tempted to avoid running. And if you establish a pattern of missing more and more training runs, well, I don’t want anything to do with you.

Take it seriously. Look at a calendar now and determine a sort of protected “church time” on your daily schedule that you’ll devote to training.

Find a Place to Run

A new runner or marathon trainer should find an accessible, reliable, comfortable place to run.

Finding a place to run as well as a race to run is as important in my mind as the whole activity of running. I run to explore and mediate (not in the yogi sense of the word; just deep thinking). Well, ok, I run for other reasons too, but one way I break the occasional monotony of running for 30 minutes to an hour each day it to change the scenery. It’s easy to put off running itself when it becomes routine. Like most exercise, a boring routine requires motivation just to get started. And even then, going through the motions without passion, interest, or zest does little to improve your mental and physical state.

Mix things up a little bit. As I said, I like to explore places. I love seeing the world and the people in it. Fortunately, I was blessed to have started my running career in arguably the premier runner-friendly Mecca in the U.S. of A.: Washington, DC. The literally hundreds of miles of trails in the city and the burbs weave their way quite literally through the history of our nation. I used to live on Capitol Hill where I would run through the grounds of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court – all too beautiful to take your eyes off. I’m sure I’ve jogged past those sites hundreds of times. Each time my heart thumps and my jaw drags. I’ve passed (and have been passed by) our national leadership and other celebrities. Sigh. I’m getting goosebumps right now.

And then there’s the National Mall. This is the El Paradiso de Running. The gravel pathways are soft and foot-friendly. The multi-ethnic, multi-national, and exceptionally multi-goofy crowds take a runner’s mind off the traffic, fatigue, sores, aches, cramps, whatever. Running on the Mall is like people watching. Not to mention the Mall features the great red Smithsonian Castle, all our national museums, the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, a few reflecting pools… so satisfying. Oh, Lord. I need a cigarette.

Anyway, my point is that location and destination can play a significant role in training and reaching your goal. It allows you to associate a “chore” and “work” with something pleasant. Indeed, it is another distraction that takes your mind of the “work.”

Some people accomplish this with headphones. As one who uses his running time to think, I avoid the headphones. Instead, I run in quiet neighborhoods or occasionally along the Potomac River and near the National Airport. The sounds of the river and the passing jets are likewise pleasant distractions.

So, in a word: EXPLORE!

And that’s just the training part. Apply that same philosophy when choosing a race. Pick a race that’s exciting to you and in a place you want to go. Consider it travel.

Week 5 of 16 marathon training report

This is my first weekly report. I knew already that I was behind in training, so as I counted up the weeks to see where I should be and I noticed that my training schedule is only 15 weeks, not 16. I neglected to include week 11. Dumbass.

Oct 31 - ran 3 mi.

Nov. 1 - Ran my All Saints behind 4 mi.

Nov. 2-5 - bupkiss. My wife had minor surgery but major recovery. Even with her parents in town, we all had to pitch in all week. Bringing kids to and from school, kids activities, work, errands, dinner, etc.

Nov 6 - 3 miles in prep for a long run

Nov 7 - ran 8+ miles and could have easily gone 11+ were I not gonna be late for work already.

Such is the challenge to effectively train for a marathon. It is hard to find the time while balancing other equally important activities in your life.

You might actually have to sit down, stare at a calendar and really figure out when you're going to run. I actually have to do this periodically. Despite my best efforts to stick to a routine, a major project at work will interfere, or one of the kids' sports practices conflicts with previously planned runs. Sometimes a training plan has to adapt.

I'm in the process of adaptation now. Since I'm behind I'll have to figure out how to manage long runs while maintaining base miles. There is no such thing as miles in the bank -- that is to say, running extra miles one day for the sake of logging more.

Remember, you are conditioning your body to run the big one, not just cramming down miles to say you've run them.

If this means anything to you, please email me and explain. Thanks. One day I hope to quit the Dumbass and be the man I know I can be...

If you're a new runner wanting to marathon one day, Easy Does It

Here is where democracy meets the feet.

Most everyone who can walk can run. It’s that easy. And, I argue, if you can run, you can finish a marathon. The key to getting started – be it simply taking up the sport or preparing for a long distance race – is pace.

You have to learn to listen to what your body tells you. Indeed, you’ll benefit more from running and enjoy yourself more if you try to do less than what you’re capable of doing. Sure you can push yourself to the limit, but there will be a time for that, believe me. As you’re getting acclimated to locomoting around under your own power, just remember to take it easy at first. The same is true with preparing for a marathon. If you just started running for the first time ever, Stop. You should walk. Condition yourself to walk a few minutes a day. Gradually extending each walk. Eventually cabin fever will create the urge to move faster. Still, take it easy. You should mix up your outings. Jog, walk, jog, walk….

To determine if your pace is right, you should be able to talk comfortably while running. If out of breath or feeling fatigued, take a breather.

When I first started jogging breathlessly, it began as walking. Washington, DC, enjoys the beautiful, peaceful, lengthy National Mall. The Nation’s Capital is blessed with beautiful, interesting scenery, interesting people to watch, comfortable weather and hundreds of miles of jogging, walking and bike paths. DC is quite the walkable town, which is why this form of exercise is how I began my illustrious running career.

Anyway, I got started because I worked for the federal government. I needed a whole weekend to clear my head. Each Saturday and Sunday morning, I walked from my Capitol Hill basement rat hole to the National Mall and simply strolled. I was a strolling fool. Eventually I ran to the mall, walked around it once or twice, depending on my deep thoughts and head clearing, and ran back home.

Soon I became a rambling man. I had to finish the running job. I had no intention of taking up running. I still did not like running at the time. I was passionate about walking and thinking. But, my beer and pizza passion was imposing itself on the walking. I needed exercise. That’s what led me to build my capacity for running. Even when I ran to the Mall and back with no walking, I was not crazy about running. And boy was it ugly. I ran like a giraffe lumbering along with my head and neck heaving back and forth.

And again, the main reason I stuck with running was not because of my passion, but my passion. I couldn’t afford a health club, and running was the cheapest way for me to lose weight.

You will discover as I did, the more you run, the better you feel. The more energetic you become. The feelings I had during and after runs were incredible. I still don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a “runner’s high” - at least not by jogging – but the sensation I felt from breathing deeply, sweating profusely, and muscles pumping was unlike most any other sensation I’ve ever felt. That’s how I became addicted. I was an endorphin junkie, and each jog was like scoring a fix on the come-back. I had to get some more.

Endorphins are little smiley faces naturally produced by the pituitary gland. Your body releases them as a reaction to intense exercise, pain and l’amor (you know what I’m talking about. Heh).

Endorphins are attributed to the so-called “runner’s high.” I don’t disagree with this concept; however, I’m still not convinced that I’ve been “high” while running. On the other hand on good runs (I hate the way that sounds, “runs”) when my muscles are pumping hard and strong, the sensation is very pleasant. However, I prefer to liken it to the relaxing warmth of a hot tub or massage. Maybe I disagree with the term “high.” I just get the image of glassy-eyed , moon-faced runners floating along making cooing, baby noises. Look, I do that sometimes, but is has nothing to do with running.

The point of this long exposition is this: get started and proceed at a comfortable pace. But do get started. Now that I run, it is religion for me. It annoys me to miss my regular four miles. I pout and ache. Running is my main form of exercise still because I do not like gyms, but primarily because I love it so (sniff).

You ran a marathon. Great. What Next??

“Presume not that I am the thing I was”
- William Shakespeare

This blog asks you to dream and to dream big. It asks you to think of the seemingly impossible – and personally meaningful – life aspiration and to commit yourself to seeing it through.

This dream, this “impossible dream” as it were, can be a life changing event. More than a milestone like high school graduation and puberty (not necessarily in that order), this dream is something that stirs your soul, something that excites you just thinking about it.

Is it starting a business or becoming head of the company? Is it climbing Mount Everest? Is it graduating from medical school? Is it raising kids and seeing them through college? Could it be traveling the seven continents, or designing a world-renowned skyscraper? Whatever it is, it is something so gravitational in your life there is only one way to describe it: the BIG THING.

Metaphorically– and physically – I challenged you to pursue your personal BIG THINGs by learning how to triumph in goal making by training for and finishing the bipedal BIG THING: the marathon. And having finished a marathon – a BIG THING –it is not unusual to feel a sort of postpartum depression, considering you have nurtured a part of you that is, in a manner of speaking, a new life. So one might be tempted to ask, “Now what?”

Hopefully by now you know that your imagination is capable of taking you places you never dreamed possible. You understand how to plot a course to success, maintain the discipline to stay the course, and keep your mind and spirit uplifted though simple decision making and determination. And, Lord and feet willing, you know just what it takes to put it all together to make the BIG THING a reality in your life.

Can I get an Amen?

Now can I get a Hallelujah?

Because you can’t stop now. The rest of your life should be the journey from one BIG THING to another. By swinging on the trapeze of BIG THING to BIG THING your gaze will remain fixed on life’s horizons, your head held high. Your spirit will remain uplifted as you test yourself and prove yourself. Life will be a weightlifting program for your body, mind and soul… and you will be on steroids!

“The achievement of one goal should be the starting point of another.” Alexander Graham Bell

Hopefully now you understand that nothing is impossible and the only barrier standing between you and the next BIG THING is… you. Keeping dreaming BIG! Keep setting new goals. And the more goals you pursue and achieve, the more inspired you are to achieve even greater greatness.

Here are a few goals I want to accomplish after I finish this book:

1. FINISH the Boston Marathon
2. FINISH the Antarctica Marathon
3. Visit South America and Australia (finishing all 7 continents)
4. FINISH a book of fiction

These are just a few, and while they may not move you spiritually, the thought of facing these challenges and looking back on them all with a sense of accomplishment –well, it downright pumps me up.

“Life without passion is no life at all.” “Wang Dang” troubadour Ted Nugent, from God, Guns and Rock and Roll

And my daily goals – those “small” BIG THINGS that keep me focused in life and springy in my step include some of the following:

1. Rejoice in the gift of my children and teach them as best I can (without ruining what they already know)
2. Honor my wife and cherish every moment we have together (even when she complains about my snoring)
3. Cultivate the planet as her steward
4. Praise the Lord (and pass the ammunition).

Yes, I have plans for every one of these. You should see my pocket calendar. Hey, look. This is a way of life for me. Big Thinging and marathoning changed my life. I’m a believer.

One reason to have a goal or to focus on a pursuit of personal value is to put into practice all that you’re reading here. This book hopefully has given you good advice, and may have offered a pithy quote or two that really connected with you. You will finish the book, perhaps motivated, perhaps energized, but what will you do? And how will you remember the message I’ve communicated to you? Put it into practice. Take action now and practice what you already know.

Form follows function

It seems a funny thing to discuss form in the context of running. Is there such a thing? Humans have been running ever since they became bipedal and when Adam realized Eve was naked. Running is a natural capability that we all share - some faster or more goofy than others, but nonetheless equally endowed with the same propensity to locomote.

Me... on a good day.

Yet, in my experience, I have discovered that there is such a thing as good form, which is important to maximize efficiency and comfort. The more efficiently and comfortably you run, the more likely you will enjoy running. And if you enjoy something, what other motivation do you need to strive for your Big Thing goals?

A runner who lumbers along leaning forward, with hands and arms awkwardly flailing is an inefficient runner. Running inefficiently will lead to quick fatigue, possible injury and certainly an uncomfortable experience. And these symptoms will ruin your motivation to run. All that from bad form? Yeah.

Also, it is my experience that I really don't feel in the groove until about mile 3. My starts are sometimes a little awkward and my pace can be erratic. After about 20+ minutes of jogging - or 3 miles - I am sufficiently warmed up to settle into a good, comfortable stride.

Admittedly, I have just revealed that I do not warm up prior to hitting the streets. Running gods like Jeff Galloway and Hal Higdon would cast down their dour frowns from Olympus and chastise me for disrespecting the sport. True. You should warm up. I don't. I'm not going to preach it to you because (a) I'm no preacher, and (b) it would be hypocritical. If you have time and interest in such things, smarter people than me advise you to warm up before jogging.

Once you've settled into a comfortable stride, I believe you will naturally assume "proper form". Here again, I follow my own running religion when it comes to defining proper form. I have followed techniques described by Greta Waltz and Jeff Galloway but always fall back into my own unique form.

If you’re like me, it will take some time to find it. And on some days, when your muscles are not quite feeling it, or if you’ve missed a few days of running, or sometimes for some inexplicable reason, your body will follow a form of its own.
I prefer long runs over the shorter ones because after 2 to 3 miles I settle into a good stride, which makes the rest of the run more managable and even comfortable. Sure, the longer you run the more pounding your body will endure, so, yeah, you'll eventually feel discomfort. But if you're form is good and your stride is relaxed, you will run more efficiently and comfortably, getting you closer to your small goals (long runs x, y and z) and the Big Thing goal (marathon!).


The best way, in my opinion and experience, to develop and maintain good form is to exercise regularly. Muscles that sit on the couch for days then are called into action are not in peak condition. On the other hand, muscles that regularly feel the burn stand ready to be called into service.

When you do eventually get off your tuckus and hit the road, here are some tips to remember:

TIP 1: Keep hands about waist level, even brushing lightly against your hip. Holding hands high creates tension – not to mention it looks goofy – and it tires you out more quickly.

TIP 2: Keep your body erect, with head up, back straight and shoulders level. Try to envision what famed running guru Jeff Galloway calls the marionette. There’s no point in describing it. You know what a marionette looks like. Just picture it. And please don’t confuse a marionette with a ventriloquist dummy.

TIP 3: Heads up! Keep your head up by looking ahead. I will even look up into the trees and sky. You’d be surprised how well adapted your brain is at keeping you running straight and avoiding obstacles when you look up above. Watching the ground in front of you will cause your head to tilt, which will cause you to lean forward. Leaning forward will cause stress on your back and knees. Also, it requires more energy to support a body that looks like it is chasing a rolling quarter. So, heads up!

Runner's World devotes a whole page to Running Form. Read a few entries so you get a grander picture of the importance of good running form. Then decide for yourself what works best for you.

Racing Day! It's Racing Day

If you are running in the Bass Pro, ING New York, Manchester, Indianapolis, Harpeth Hill Flying Monkeys, Seattle, Mississippi Coast, Gobbler Grind, Philly, Mesquite, Valley of Fire, Outer Banks, Pensacola, San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll, Savannah Rock 'n' Roll, Fort Worth, Malibu, Rim Rock, Santa Barbara, SunTrust Richmond, Soldier, Charlotte's Thunder Road, Chickamauga Battlefield, Stone Cat, Lithia Loop, or Stinson Beach marathon, then you need to be ready for game day!

Today is the day you have prepared for. Emotionally and physically, you have put heart and soul into lacing up today’s shoes and finishing a marathon. Congratulations! Though the best is yet to come, think about what you have already accomplished.

1. You have run distances you probably never imagined before.
2. You have pushed your body like it has never been tested before.
3. Mentally, you have endured the solitary confinement of the long run, which is an emotional marathon itself.
4. I expect you have lost a little weight. If you haven’t, no big deal. That wasn’t necessarily your goal.
5. Your heart and vascular system are stronger. That counts for something!
6. Most importantly, you have gazed deep into the wishing well of your heart’s desire and pulled out your life’s dreams. You now know how to get it. You’ve proven it by preparing for – and by the end of the day, finishing – a marathon!

You should be so proud of yourself at this very moment, but as I stated, the best is yet to come. So buckle up.

Last Night

Dinner last night should have been pretty light and almost exclusively carbohydrated. DO NOT stuff your gullet with a pot full of pasta expecting it to perform like nitrous oxide on race day. Eating too much, especially a slow digester like pasta, will cause bloating and running discomfort.

Eat breads and fruits. Pasta is fine, but just a little. Remember, you’re not gorging yourself before winter hibernation; you’re just fueling up for tomorrow morning. Besides, there will be breakfast too.

Race Day

5:30 a.m. - Wake up! Or at least begin the process. The starter’s pistol usually pops round 8:00 a.m. You need time to wake up, eat, get to the race, take care of biznazz, and be ready to go when the race starts.

6:00 a.m. - Eat. You should eat a light breakfast 2 hours before the race. Try a bagel with jam, a banana and juice. This will give you the carbs to turn over your engine.

Paul’s Tip: A cup of coffee ain’t gonna kill you. Yes, coffee is a diuretic, which by definition means it dehydrates you; however (a) you’re not spending the day trekking across the desert in search of water, (b) you are going to hydrate with gusto the rest of the day, and (c) lighten up, would you? A cuppa joe might be exactly what you need this early. Don’t over do it though. One cup only. Otherwise, you’ll cramp up and crap out. Don’t test yourself on this.

6:10 a.m. - Hydrate.

6:45 a.m. to 7:30  a.m - Get to the race. Give yourself enough time to arrive comfortably. Make sure you (1) Know where you are  meeting your friends or ride home after the race, (2) Find the tent or a location to store your gear, and (3) Find the Port-o-Lets.

7:30 a.m. - Pin on your totally obsolete but iconic race number, and lace up the tracking chip you either own or are borrowing.

7:20 a.m. to 7:55 a.m. 

1. Pee
2. Jog around the site for 5 minutes to warm up. 
3. Pee & whatnot 
4. Stretch
5. Pee 
6. Stay warm by jogging in place or walking around the race site. 
7. Pee & whatnot 
8. Hydrate 
9. Pee
10. Repeat

7:55 a.m. - Get in line. Assimilate into the glob of humanity amassing at the starting line. You are now one (at least for the first two miles).

7:59:59 a.m. - Suddenly realize that you need to pee one more time and allow it to burden you for another two miles.

8:00 a.m. - YAHTZEE!

8:02 a.m. - Ask yourself why the hell this mob isn’t moving.

8:05 a.m. - Ask yourself how you expect to finish a race in 4 hours when the scrum of runners shuffles at a pace of 2 m.p.h.

8:10 a.m. 8:30 a.m - Marvel at the shamelessness of elite athletes peeling off the course in 5s and 10s to sneak behind a crowded bush or squat beside the path to pee and whatnot. Ask yourself if you have it in you to get it out of you.

8:31 a.m. - Surrender to Mother Nature.

8:35 a.m. to 1:00 p.m - Run! Run like the wind! Only, run like your grandparents. Slow and steady is what wins this race.

Be sure to:

1. Take advantage of every water, sport drink, bagel bite and Goo station. You need it. And it’s free!
2. If you need to walk, walk. In fact consider stopping at every water station and walk for one minute. 
3. Thank the spectators. They are actually doing more for you by cheering than you will know.
4. Resist the temptation to speed it up. You can save this for the finish line.

FINISH LINE - Veni, Vidi, Vici! Put on your medal and Mylar and get out of the way. Nothing is uglier than the entangled nastiness of fatigued runners clogging up the finish line.

POST RACE - There will be snack tables with bananas, energy bars, sports drinks, bagel

bites, and other good stuff. Go straight there and replenish your body with the carbohydrates and nutrients it is ravenous for.

Stretch. Stretch ever so delicately. Your body is vulnerable. Be tender.

Walk around the race site if you can. If not, Go home or to your hotel room and clean yourself up.

Take an ibuprofen and walk around for an hour or so. Walking is necessary to help your body repair. Otherwise, if you sit and stagnate, rigor mortis will take over and you will be doomed. if not, you’ll at least be very stiff and feel it for a few days.

THAT NIGHT - Just soak it all in. You did it! You did it, you baad mother-(shut yo mouth!)!

You rock! In my book, you are the one who rocks. Congratulations.

Marathon = The BIG THING

The marathon is your goal and it is not as hard as one would think.  In fact, like life, it is not as hard as you make it to be.  Sure there is a long distance, you get tired, and sore.  Sometimes you ask yourself why you do it.  That’s a marathon.  Just like life.  So there is no reason why anyone should not do it.

Running a marathon, or setting an “unattainable” goal is something that everyone should do.  Marathons used to be considered prohibitive, meaning that they were too hard for the average person, and that such races should be exclusive only to the elite.  Well, in the beginning, that may have had some merit.  Most folks were not running, let alone running distances beyond their mailboxes.  A marathon was one of those untouchable things.  It just wasn’t something most people did.  So, as a result, only the elite folks ran them.  Now thousands of people run marathons, ultra-marathons, and other long distances each year. The secret got out that the marathon – though a hard race – is not impossible. Like climbing Mount Everest, it used to be a monumental task but is now pedestrian.   

The lesson?  Anybody can run a marathon. And anybody can do anything they set their minds to.

Wow, that was a logical leap to a conclusion!  Well, not really.  In life, things only appear hard.  Humans build barriers in their minds based on no logic whatsoever.  Marathons, for instance, were long distance races only Olympians could run.  The distance was too far to survive.  The training was impossible. 

And that is why I have drawn upon the marathon as my metaphor for dreaming all of life’s big dreams, shrinking them down to your size, breaking them up to bite-size bits, and consuming them like you would vitamins.

In fact, throughout this book, every time you see the word marathon, you may substitute it with life or life’s goals.  There are so many unlimited opportunities on our planet.  There are zillions of dreams that are not realized b/c people place unnecessary obstacles in front of themselves before they even get started on their dreaming or realizing their dreams.  This means that folks start by saying, “Wow, I wish I could do that,” or “One day I’d like to be able to do that,” or “That’s always been a dream of mine.”  However, they do nothing to make those statements – those statements from the heart – come true. 

Do you realize that when you say things like that you truly are speaking from the heart?  These kinds of ideas and dreams are the things that quicken your blood, send you day dreaming, make you feel good, yet you likely do nothing to make that dream become a reality.  Ask yourself, why is that?  Why do I stand in my own way?  Beats the hell out of me.  People just do it.  They say things like, “Yeah, I’d like to do it, but….”  “That would be great, but….  Too many buts. 

William Shakespeare once wrote, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we often might win by fearing to attempt.”

You can realize your dreams.  They are yours for dreaming and they’re yours for coming true.  Your goal is to dream big, understand why it is important to you, map out a way to get it done, and do it.

Personally, I think if you will indulge in this one exercise to run a marathon, you will see what I mean.  And most importantly, it will change your life forever.  After you read this book, I hope you are just around the corner from completing your first marathon.  I want this book to motivate you to run your first marathon, and more importantly, I want you to run that marathon and finish.  When you do, you will understand the steps outlined in this book.  You will understand the reward of dreaming, planning, and doing.

By running just one marathon, you will absolutely change your life.