This you must do

Take 10 minutes and think about what you wanted to be when you grew up. Think about what you now want to be when you grow up. Think also about what you want to have, do, experience. Be the little kid and dream the ideal life without the entanglement of caveats and disclaimers. Meanwhile mediate on what Tom Robbins, one of my favorite authors, says: “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”

Or, take the approach that Seven Habits of Highly Effective People guru Stephen Covey would suggest, which is: begin with the end in mind. In other words, if you can pretend that you are now at the end of your life looking back over your personal history, what do you wish you would have experienced, accomplished, enjoyed? How do you want to be remembered?  In other words, if you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently? Write it down. Mediate on the list. What has happened between then and now? What can happen between now and forever? What’s stopping you?

 Oh, and try to shove a marathon or two in that list.

I confess, when I was growing up – and by “growing up” I mean from childhood up until last week – my list included the following:

• Veterinarian
• Pilot
• Architect
• Artist
• Astronomer
• Writer
• House on the beach
• House in the mountains
• Indiana Jones

Again, these were the dreams of a child, and they reflected my reality at that moment in time. I am sure that at the time I expected 95% of the means by which these dreams were to be attained were based on my parents getting them for me.

And that’s the great things about dreams: they evolve based on your reality. A BIG THING of today quite literally could be your “yawn” of tomorrow. Better still, even BIGGER THINGS come along that strike up your band.

Obviously, very little of my list actually materialized. Did I fail? What happened to those childlike ambitions? When I was 12 years old my family visited the Nation’s Capital. Touring the monuments, the White House and the FBI filled me with amazement. I was so charged I couldn’t stand it. Then, on a tour of the U.S. Senate chamber floor, I walked in the place and among the desks of American legend where the history of our country was forged.

It was there at that time I got bit by the bug. That moment so transformed my life that it shaped everything about me since then. As much as Americans despise their government, I love it. I love it so. It is the living legacy that links us from present-day United States directly to the Continental Congress.

Because of “Potomac Fever,” my life’s other desires seemed to diminish. I was less interested in becoming architect, artist, astronomer, and so on. Still, I maintain amateur biologist’s interest in flora and fauna, a working man’s pursuit of stars and planets, and I love love love to write. Despite your opinion of my skills to the contrary, I thrive on writing and will do so forever.

So you see, I never gave up on that youngster’s deep thoughts of chasing down the possible. I discovered what was truly important to me and chased it down. And one day, I promise you, I will become Indiana’s distant, less handsome cousin, Louisiana Jones.

 More importantly, I dream now all the time. I think BIG THING thoughts constantly. That’s why running for me is such a personal enjoyment. Others choose to plug their ears with headphone; I like to think. The time spent on the road is as therapeutic as it is inspirational because it allows me the special “me time” where I visit the child and imagine all the wonderful things ahead in my unfolding happy childhood.

OK, time for a goofy but very meaningful exercise

When I began seeing things differently, it was almost as with a brand new pair of eyes, the world appeared to me as a new frontier. This slow learning process took quite some time. It did not occur overnight, but what was important to me was that the process led me to one conclusion: Life is beautiful, and you can make into whatever you want.

During the metamorphosis, I resolved to be happy, to experience new things, to be ambitious with my dreams and to make them happen or die trying.

Now, before you accuse me of infomercial Don Quixotism, let me propose that we all of us humans want meaning and purpose in life, be it in the form of religion, happiness, vocation, family, experiences, money, possession, relationships, influence… you name it. If you don’t crave fulfillment, I submit that you are where I was those years ago with no faith, hope or love. Please read on, this book is for you. If you do have the faith, hope and love, and even know what you want in life, read on. This book is for you too. You know what you want, allow me to help you get it.

Our dreams can come to us at the weirdest times: moments of inspiration, moments of anxiety, moments of boredom, and moments of desperation.

Neil Armstrong bouncing on the moon might inspire some to become an astronaut. An imminent foreclosure on the family’s home might motivate some to seek greater wealth and security. Gazing blithely out the office window might lead some to a new career choice. Vagabond shoes and small town blues might press the wanderer to seek a new life.

However the process, whatever the dream, the aspirations in our lives appear to us frequently and with little prompting.  Recognize, if you will, that these hopes and dreams are our heart’s unvarnished aspirations. They are what we long for.

In fact, this is a great place, right at the beginning, to engage in a quick, easy exercise that will take 10 minutes.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor? A lawyer? A police officer? A fire fighter? A veterinarian? The Crocodile Hunter? An “army man?” A ballerina? A lobbyist for a Fortune 500 chemical company (ahem! But I digress)? Did you want to live in a certain place? Did you want money? Did you want to own the Pittsburgh Steelers or be an Olympic gymnast?

As a child you perhaps were awestruck by certain role models in your life that bedazzled you with their authority or the halo of their aura… or even simply their uniform. It was easy for you then to say, “I want to be that.” More importantly, you, like most kids, simply declared, “That’s what I am going to be when I grow up.”

And it was as simple as that. More importantly, children are unencumbered with self-doubt and limitations.

 

In the meantime, between then and now, life happened and most likely steered you off course. Your grades might not have been exemplary. You might have endured a career ending sports injury or were professionally knocked out by a financial set back.

Certainly, there may have been many life-changing circumstances that have influenced the path you have journeyed. Perhaps the less-than-awesome entry-level job out of college accidentally turned into a less-than-inspiring career. And of course you may have bound yourself to a relationship (or relationships) that took you places you never dreamed about (including hell). Chances are, you are not exactly where you wanted to be when you were 7 years old.

Now, I don’t expect everybody to still carry the torch for a stable of ponies and unicorns or for comic book super powers (well, I sometimes do). And of course, your dreams might have changed anyway. When you turned 8 years old, you decided to be a professional cheerleader or racecar driver. When you turned 15, perhaps you determined that the slacker life was for you, and by college you frankly became whatever your grades and a new employer allowed you to become.

I’ll admit that the dreams and ambitions of a child are more likely to be superficial than practical. After all, said child hasn’t sat through a job interview or sat for the bar exam. Said child hasn’t gotten married and begat his or her progeny. Said child did not have credit card debt or a mortgage or rent.

Still, a child’s dream is an unvarnished, uncomplicated, heart-pounding, pupil-dilating vision of excitement.

 

But I contend, “So What?!” The dreams of that child were honest, simple and from the heart. They were unburdened by caveats like, “When I finish my MBA…,” or “After I make so much money…,” or disclaimers like “I can’t do that anymore…” or “That’s nonsense at this point in my life.”

Why can’t you visit that child right now and channel his or her imagination? What stops you from gazing up into the stars right now (assuming it is night) and telling yourself, “I want to be X”? “I want to have Y.” “I want to do Z.”

This seems goofy, does it not? Why? Why should such an “impractical” exercise that costs you nothing be any goofier than living a life unfulfilled?

Could I be the only person blogging about Nutella today?

Epiphany and Nutella

I was the cynic who nurtured this psychology for many years until I realized one day after years of unhappiness and emptiness that I was living for nothing. Intellectual pursuits had crowded out my spirituality and inner being; thus, I believed in nothing. Unpleasant relationships in my life had destroyed much of my faith in people; thus, I believed in no one. And total disrespect and low regard for myself had diminished my self-esteem; thus, I did not believe in myself.

Aside from family, there was no inspiration in life, no fulfillment. I was not living, as Oscar Wilde would put it, but merely existing. I was, as Henry David Thoreau would describe, living in quiet desperation.

Yet, in a brief, enlightening period of my life dappled with a random pattern of minor epiphanies, I was eventually struck at once with a moment of clarity that revealed to me how wrong I had been. My reality had been so terribly distorted that I could not see the excitement and bounty that life offers.

And let me be clear: “Epiphany” is a loaded word. Epiphanies are major events in people’s lives that cause irrevocable changes. They are so significant that, really, there is usually no more than one in a person’s life, if any.

How many times do you or your friends talk about the great epiphanies you’ve experienced in life? Have you ever been at cocktail party talking to a friend about what you had for dinner, the movie you saw last night, and, oh, the major epiphany that struck you down, raised you up and changed your life, and would you please pass the olives?

True, we often overstate the word, just like one might overstate by saying, “Oh, I could just kill you,” or “I am so in love with Nutella.”

We might use the word after switching from Coke to Pepsi by describing the experience as an “epiphany,” but rarely if ever do we describe to our friends, family and acquaintances such “Road to Damascus” life changing epiphanies.

So I am not intentionally trivializing the word by describing a series of meaningful events in my life as “minor epiphanies.” Each of these occasions were in and of themselves life-altering moments, but it took the whole collection of them to culminate into my transformation (another loaded word, but I am becoming weary parsing my rhetoric). So, yeah, they were epiphanies.

I left agnosticism for faith. I learned that happiness is a choice. I learned that anything is possible. I learned to dream the Big Things. I learned to do Big Things. Etc., etc. It all happened gradually, but it happened.

Almost as with a brand new pair of eyes, the world appeared to me as a new frontier. This slow learning process took quite some time. It did not occur overnight, but what was important to me was that the process led me to one conclusion: Life is beautiful, and you can make into whatever you want.

Tree up!

No running today. All day decorating. For a 9' tree it looks small in pictures. Kids are going crazy. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

As much I hate to say it, you gotta follow your dreams and dream big. Seriously.

The first step to changing your life is as simple as it is ambitious. Dream BIG! Throughout this blogI will remind you that the BIG THING represents the biggest, most eye-popping dream your noggin can muster. And of course, in this book the BIG THING specifically means 26.2 miles.

In general it means diving deep into your imagination to discover what really turns you on. It means unshackling any inhibitions or nay-saying that prevent you from being as creative as you can be – as you want to be – when it comes to seeking, finding and fulfilling your beautiful life.

It means channeling childlike wonder and believing – no, expecting – that anything is possible, including that which is seemingly impossible.

For much of my life I had distrusted those who would proclaim that anything is possible and who would encourage us to dream impossible dreams. I was skeptical of these lovable idiots and their Don Quixote smiles and dimpled cheeks. Perhaps I surmised their world as too simplistic, too infomercial. Perhaps I was merely blinded by the bright sunshine reflecting off their toothy grins.

To me, their claims and motivational speeches were incredible. The most conspicuous“positive thinkers” are those who appear on late night television shows preying on the desperate and hawking their DVDs and books, or those who appear at the local Holiday Inn Express pitching their $500-a-ticket seminars. I am incredulous to their emotional, breathless pleas to follow their examples to chase after your dreams.

So the curmudgeon in me asks, what could be more hollow than their pipe dreams? What could be a bigger waste of time than chasing down hopes that have no realistic chance of coming true? And why get worked up over something that will never happen?

I may blog about running, but LSU just scored and took a 21-14 lead over Ark. Geaux Tigers!!!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

14 miles! Why, after 6 marathons was I so anxious about running a simple 14 mi training run?

Is it because my training regimen is so shoddy -- running every other day... 3 mi here... 6 mi there? Well, whatever, I nailed 14 today by running off all my Thanksgiving roast beast. Today I'll ruin it all by celebrating the 2nd of 3 LSU national championships this season (1st Alabama, 2nd Arkansas, 3rd BCS) then I'll return to my running angst until I complete 17 miles.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Wear Sunscreen

Another powerful admonition from mid-1990s Internet trolling emerged in the form of a commencement addressed allegedly delivered by American literary icon Kurt Vonnegut to the MIT class of 1997. This advice – actually written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich – reminds us of the simplicity of life’s happiness.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

 Wear sunscreen.

 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

 Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

 Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

 Do one thing every day that scares you.

 Sing.

 Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

 Floss.

 Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

 Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

 Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

 Stretch.

 Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

 Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

 Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75^th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

 Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

 Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

 Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

 Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

 Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

 Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

 Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

 Travel.

 Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

 Respect your elders.

 Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

 Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

 Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen."

Author: Mary Schmich (USA)
First published: July 1, 1997
Copyright: Herald Tribune

Be the Happiness You Seek

You can start being a happier person now by,

·         Decide to be happy. Make an honest-to-goodness real decision. Commit yourself. What do you have to lose? And make your decision now. Why put it off?

·         Create a world of happiness around you. This is so easy. What makes you happy? Whatever it is get more!

·         Be the happiness you seek.

I admit it. Creating an environment of happiness is sooooo passive-aggressive. And isn’t it simpleminded to assume that “if you build it, the happiness will come.” Well, no. I strongly disagree. Yes, this is a passive-aggressive approach, but it works.

On the other hand, another excellent way to cause happiness in your life is to take action. Many people find fulfillment and purpose in certain actions. Such actions inspire contentedness, or in the context of this passage, happiness.

Small acts of kindness, charitable work, reading to children, cleaning up your neighborhood, donating blood, donating money, cooking a meal for a sick friend, giving me a lift home from the bar… these are all gratifying, deliberate acts we can take that stimulate our desire for purpose and fulfillment. Best of all, the pleasant feelings generated by these acts occur during the act and long afterward.

And of course, do something for yourself: Get exercise, eat right, learn something new, read books, clean your toenails. The satisfaction of doing something good for you is its own reward, but in some cases (like exercise) the benefits are long-lasting.

Everyday is Thanksgiving

Always be thankful. Go ahead. Count your blessings.

Generally speaking, most humans are typically thankful for the things in life they value. Valuable things, I believe it is safe to assume, bring us some degree of joy. By regularly giving thanks to God – or simply by counting your blessings for you heathens out there – you are basically taking inventory of your valuables and expressing their importance to you.

Thanksgiving is, I believe, an important act that will remind you of the purpose and value of your life, and by association, will cause you happiness.

Problems running 14 miles

I wanted to run 14 miles Sunday. Guests in town. Couldn't do it. Ran 6 instead. Wanted to run it again today. Had early work meeting. Couldn't even run. Want to try tomorrow but busy work day. When the hell can I do it? Looks like I might run Wednesday, but what a day that will be. Getting the yard, house and food ready for T'giving guests. I feel like I'm sor far behind on training. And to top it all off, I'm adding to my anxiety by watching the totally annoying cat fights of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" with my wife. Did I just admit that?

Create a Happy Spa." The sound of that is so awful, but...

That is why it is important for these people, and any person, to create their own stimuli. Arguably, we all gain our happiness based on the environment and stimuli that affect us each day. So, if that’s the case, we can choose to be happy by controlling the environment and stimuli. In other words, give yourself something to react to.

What causes you to be happy? Jokes? Family? Meadows? Sports? Whatever it is, you know what it is. Find a way to be around these people, places, activities, things as often as possible.

I don’t care too much for massages and spa treatments – my wife loves them – but I have to admit that the spa is an environment carefully designed to nurture relaxation and comfort. If you have been to a spa, you know what I’m describing: the music, the smells, the lighting, the comfy robes and chaise lounges, the delicious finger sandwiches and exotic teas, and even the temperature. Of course, there is the actual massage or facial or whatever voodoo they do to you in there. But the point is this: the spa is a deliberately designed environment engineered for your comfort. The spa has gone out of its way to immerse you in relaxation.

Should it be so different with happiness? Can’t we go out of our own ways to ensure that we are surrounded by people, places, activities and things that bring us joy? Because you already know what makes you happy, you can make your world a “happy spa” (yes, I poked my dimples when I typed that) just as simple as that.

There is no elaborate architecture to creating an environment around you that cultivates joy. Here is how I do it: I like music, singing poorly, cooking, time with my kids, time with my wife, running, traveling, adventure, reading, eating, drinking wine, drinking scotch (I like this a little too much), admiring beauty in nature, art, and so on and so on.

The point is not to share with you my turn ons but to point out that I am cognizant of the stimuli that improve my mood and generally preserve my contentedness. Equally important, these items are my refuge for when I am blue, red, green, yellow, and any other color of disquieting emotion.

These “happy items” are like devices I can use to elevate my mood. As I say, happiness is a choice that only I can control. If I choose to be happy, or if I need to be happy, I seek these devices like they are medication and relish them.

“You mean: find a ‘happy place’?” you say.

“Ugh.” I reply. “Yes, smart ass, find a ‘happy place.’ I hate that term, but that is essentially what I am suggesting.”

So as I was saying, here is how I do it: At work there are many frames of my wife, kids, parents, favorite dog, friends and travel photos. They are totems representing happy times, places and people. Though I am easily distracted, I will sometimes play music. I always play music in the car and sing until most motorists around me are embarrassed. I try to find time to run and read and cook, etc.

You see, I know what things make me happy and I strive to populate my world with them. They become the wallpaper of my life.

Alas! You say. There remain those a-holes in the world who conspire to do me harm, bring me down, and cut in front of me in traffic.

True.

There is no avoiding this. For as long as the sun shines and gravity pulls, jerks will populate this planet until the dinosaurs return. There is no changing this fact. There is no controlling it either.

The only person you can change and control is the one currently occupying your skin (unless you are a Siamese twin. I don’t know what to say to you other than “thanks for buying this book”). Just like happiness is a choice, so too is anger. And because we humans we react to stimuli, we can condition how we react to the negative ones.

Again, I must confess: I’m still working on this. Some people – and their middle fingers – are better engineered to allow frustration and anger to roll off their backs. I tend to try it on for size and wear it around the house before I clear my head and shrug it all off.

Still, when I find that the “world” is bringing me down, I have the choice to be happy, or at the very least, choose to deny my anger the power to consume me. This takes practice, but it is a choice. And the choice is yours.

Running tip: red wine is not a sports drink.

I didn't really tear it up last night, but the lasting impact of red wine on the morning run is striking. Marathon training during LSU football season is harder than running a marathon.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

"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.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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...