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Wed, 30 May 2012 10:41:07 -0400

What do I believe?

Family
That a book can change everything
A type of God

What do I enjoy?

My body in motion
Sunshine
Coffee
Someone who challenges my belief system

My faults

Judgemental
Laziness
Living in the now (not planning for the future). Yes this is a fault.
Overly sentimental
Heart on my sleeve

Is Marathon Running Bad for the Heart? [NYTimes.com]

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:34:11 -0400

Is Marathon Running Bad for the Heart? [NYTimes.com]:

“It’s sensational news when someone dies during a marathon,” Dr. Pham says. “It makes headlines,” and the coverage skews public opinions about the safety of the event. “Tens of thousands of people finish a marathon, but people hear mostly about the one who dies,” he says.

Jamie Summerlin is running across America.

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:47:35 -0400

Jamie Summerlin is running across America. :

He started in Sunset Bay, OR on March 26th. He’ll finish on July 4th in Annapolis, MD. Right now, he’s somewhere in Missouri.

My name is Jamie Summerlin and I’m a 39-year-old former Marine from West Virginia.

On March 26, 2012, I will start a 100-day cross country run as a fundraiser to support my fellow military members through the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and other Veteran’s organizations. It’s going to take 30-40 miles a day to complete the run, starting in Coos County, Oregon, where my wife is from, and finishing on July 4, 2012 in Annapolis MD, a total of just over 3300 miles.

If you’re doing the math, it will take him 100 days to go from coast to coast. If you’re still doing the math, you’ll realize the former Marine is running more than a marathon a day for 100 straight days for Wounded Warriors.

Wisdom

Mon, 28 May 2012 11:52:14 -0400

I thought about how running is a gift we give ourselves. It can take a lot of time away from other stuff — family, work, books, social time. We need it though. The physical ordeal opens the door to a room of our own and a clarity of thought that can’t be accessed any other way. Running is more than a hobby, or a diversion, or a way to keep ourselves from getting fat. It feeds us, body and soul, in ways nothing else can. You know what I’m saying? It’s a vital goddamn nutrient.

~ Sarah on the subject of life/running.

#Running ~ Bob the Squirrel

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:00:53 -0400

#Running ~ Bob the Squirrel

You just do.

Mon, 28 May 2012 08:47:27 -0400

Anonymous asked: I don’t know how you stay so motivated all the time. Don’t you ever just want to say to hell with it all?

This was asked a while back and I thought that I would save it for some time when I felt it was appropriate. After the run I had last night…

To answer your question, of course there are days I want to say ‘to hell with it all’. I have many of those days. I work some fairly ridiculous work hours: 12+ hour shifts and I do this about 6 times a week with only two days off every week. It’s not an ideal situation. I get home most days around a 6-7pm and I’m like everyone else in the world. I want to sit on the couch, eat some food, watch some television, & decompress. But, I force myself out there at least 3 times a week.

The days that you feel at your absolute worst, those days where you want to scream and throw your equipment across the room, those are the days that you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO RUN.

My run was terrible last night. My mind, my heart, my body, just wasn’t in the game. I was about two minutes slower than where I normally pace myself and I found myself shuffling through most of that run with the worst form.

I didn’t feel that much better after my run, probably a little crankier but this morning I woke up happy that I had forced myself out there. There’s just something in you that nags at you and forces you to get out there.

I’ve given the following advice in the past on this blog, but I’ll share it again for new followers.

Ways to stay motivated on days you feel like quitting it all:

Dress the part. - Put on your running gear, shorts, shirt, shoes. Now stand in the door. If you turn around, you’re kind of a dumbass. I mean, why go through the motions, why spend all this effort dressing up and then not take a step out of the door, you could be on the couch. But seeing as you’re already dressed and ready to go, you might as well get on out there.
Break it up. - Run to end of your drive way. Now to the end of your street. Now run the next four houses. Now run until you hit that street lamp that is bent weird, etc. Run small bits and pieces. Run for a small and easily achievable distance, run for 10 minutes, now run for 10 more.
Talk about it. - Tell someone you’re going for a run. It’s one reason why I tweet/blog about my running so much. It makes you accountable. If you say you’re running to stay fit and you’re not. People will know. They’ll see that you’re out of shape or that you’re gaining back some of the weight you lost. That just makes you a lazy lying asshole. No one wants to be that.

Good luck, enjoy the pavement.

RE: 100 Push Ups

Sun, 27 May 2012 09:54:00 -0400

Mandy asks: @amandalea_b @theGsayeth how does this push-up program work? My upper body strength is pretty much non-existent.

One hundred push ups. It works pretty well. Highly recommended. And if you’re a runner, even more so. Many studies have proven that a strong upper-body is conducive towards a better run, overall fitness level.

When you start the program you will take a test which will determine at what level program you should follow: one, two or three (one being the most basic, three being the most intense). The test consists of doing as many push-ups as possible until your arms give out. After you figure out how strong (or not) your arms are, you just follow the recommended program level.

Three times a week you perform a series of push-ups with 90 - 60 second breaks in between. For example, level 1 week 1 consists of the following: 2, 3, 2, 2, 3+ The last set you perform, you go until your arms give out doing as many push-ups as possible.

As the weeks progress, the number of push-ups increases and the break times reduce. You can modify as necessary, as I’m currently repeating week 2 in order to build up a bit more muscle.

And yes, I’ve noticed a big difference in just two weeks of this program. I can do about 20-23 push ups non-stop before my arms give out. I’ve noticed some definition in my arms, it feels good & it also has the added benefit of looking good. Last night I managed to do 73 push-ups total, 22 of those in a row without stopping for any breaks. It gets better and more intense.

Oh and the great thing about this is that you only need about 5-10 minutes out of your day. I usually do mine right before bed. It’s a great way to end the day and you usually feel so wiped out that you crash right into the bed, really knocks you out. A great drained feeling.

Don’t forget that it’s also completely free and available online. There is even an option to print out weekly program sheets from off of the web. You can also choose to spend $1 on the app if you have access to a smartphone. I went ahead and did this. It’s a handy tool that keeps your program organized and tracks your progress.

Definitely worth doing my friend. :)

Fuck it.

Sun, 27 May 2012 09:05:11 -0400

I just wrote out this rather large rant on people who make unhealthy choices, but I’m not going to post it. Fuck it, you do what you want to do. You live with the choices you make. Eat right, exercise, feel good. Or don’t. I’m not you, you’re not me.

"The long run puts the tiger in the cat."

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:37:50 -0400

“The long run puts the tiger in the cat.”

- Bill Squires

"The dark scissors of his legs cut the moon’s raw silk, highways of wind torn into lanes, his..."

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:53:53 -0400

“

The dark scissors of his legs
cut the moon’s

raw silk, highways of wind
torn into lanes, his feet

pushing down the shadow
whose patterns he becomes

while trucks, one by one,
pass him by,

headlights pouring
from his pace, his eyes

cracked as the Hudson
wraps street lamps

in its rippled blue shells,
the summer’s thin, thin veins

bursting with dawn,
he, now suddenly free,

from the air, from himself,
his heart beating far, far

behind him

”

- The Jogger on Riverside Drive, 5:00 A.M. ~ Agha Shahid Ali

#status #howifeel

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:26:32 -0400

#status #howifeel

Some days are better than others. Yesterday was not one of those days. Wipe the slate clean.

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:19:16 -0400

Some days are better than others. Yesterday was not one of those days.

Wipe the slate clean.

Consequences, Choices, Children in Crisis, Challenges.

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:32:00 -0400

Consequences, Choices, Children in Crisis, Challenges. :

HBO’s multi-part research documentary The Weight of the Nation examines obesity in America in four parts, marshaling leading doctors, epidemiologists, economists, researchers, and community leaders to understand and explain the individual costs and public solutions to a multi-faceted social and individual problem. The documentary both explores large picture statistics, while giving voice “to those that often too seek to be invisible: members of the nearly 70 percent of Americans currently diagnosed as overweight or obese.

Should mention that it’s completely free and available online. I’m partially through the first of four films and it’s shocking and disturbing to say the least. Definitely worth your time. Even if you’re healthy, stuff like this impacts us all.

Exercise Programs

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:27:33 -0400

lowsideoftheroad replied to your post: #100PushUps

good stuff ! I have a “100 push up” app but i haven’t given it a go yet. I’m still getting used to this “map my run” thing…

What app/site are you using to map your runs? I’m on runkeeper myself and I love it. I got tired of Nike+ and all of their web issues. The worst site to use, I go out of my way to tell others to avoid using that site.

And yes, the 100 Push Up program is good. Being sweaty at the end of 7 minutes of exercise is a great feeling.

#100PushUps

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:59:58 -0400

I finished Week One of the 100 Push Ups Challenge. 57+ push-ups with only a minute break in between the sets. And the last set I maxed out at 21 before my arms gave out and I collapsed.

My form isn’t perfect but it’s getting better. I think I need to record myself so I can see where I need to improve. When I started this program, I would have sore arms the day after each push-up program day. But, this morning I have no pain at all in my arms or shoulders. I think this is a good sign. I also recognize it’s only the first week and I still have a long way to go before I hit 100.

I may not be running as much this spring, but I am doing many different types of exercise/strength training and I like it.

Changes

Sat, 19 May 2012 15:47:19 -0400

Tweeting with a friend (someone who helped encourage me early on when I was struggling) and I feel the need to share some unsolicited commentary on running and the way it changes you as an individual.

I stumbled into this sport. Couch to 5K for purely health/economic reasons. It was cheap (not requiring a monthly gym membership) and I needed to do something to change my life. A year and a half ago I did that. I lost the weight and discovered that I enjoyed being on the road. A very weird feeling for someone who had not exercised in more than 10 years. I really wish that was an exaggeration. Sadly, it’s not. But, we move forward…

When I first started to find the passion, that zen, that place where you enjoy the movement of your body - it was about challenging myself. My first 5k. My first 10k. My first sub-30 minute 5k. My first half. And on and on and on. I still hit those marks.

“Running changes as you change.” Can I quote myself!? :)

I don’t have as much free time as I did last year. I’m working longer hours. This has impacted my running in a number of ways. I mostly run in the evenings. I mostly run 5k distances as I don’t often have the time or the motivation to go beyond that mark. I’m trying to change this but it’s been very difficult. And as frustrating as these changes have been, I run more for my health. Not so much about those personal challenges. Oh, they’re still there in the background and I’m not trying to say that I lack motivation or vision. I simply look at running from another angle. This year I’ve started to work on my upper-body. Maybe I should just look at it as a form of base-building for future competitions.

I have no doubt that this will change as I grow older. I’m still learning how to run. I still consider myself an amateur. This is a fluid sport. Your body changes, your mental health, the way you approach every aspect of the sport is constantly in motion.

Speed, distance, time, health? Which metric do you use? Do you race for a loved one? Do you race for a specific goal/charity? All of the above, none of the above.

Just enjoy the pavement.

And remember to kill it.

This week was better than last week. That’s good enough for me.

Sat, 19 May 2012 07:55:28 -0400

This week was better than last week. That’s good enough for me. 　

Photo

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:07:16 -0400

Always Something...

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:48:26 -0400

It’s always something with running: chafing, shoes, weather, etc. This time around it’s soreness in my right knee. It’s not in any type of extreme pain but I am experiencing some intense warmth. I’ve been rubbing it with some astringent and it’s helped but I’m guessing staying off of it for a few days is also in order. I guess that just means I’ll be focusing on strength training: push-ups and planks.

Well, there are worse things with regards to running and injury. I can move around well and I’m not in any serious pain, so I’m thankful for that.

I really do need to hit up a shoe store and make sure that I’m running on the right pair, I have a bad feeling that I’m not and this is one reason my runs this spring have been so frustrating. Ugh, more money I don’t have.

Ah well, more time for push-ups and Diablo 3. :)

So I’ve felt like shit most of the weekend, long hours are killing my motivation. Didn’t...

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:06:10 -0400

So I’ve felt like shit most of the weekend, long hours are killing my motivation. Didn’t really run much at all last week. Hit the pavement twice and did some strength training throughout. I have another 12 hour shift today but I’m going running tonight. I need to. I also have the day off tomorrow so here’s hoping I can start the week off with a bit of positive thought and motivation. Here goes.