Sum of my runs...

Leaves turning and falling
cover the trails.
Squirrels fattened
for the Winter.
Eyes in the dark
shine back from the beam.

Notice is taken,
but an audience is not given.

Recent and Upcoming...

This week has been really foggy in the morning when I am supposed to be running. The fog, and the dark, necessitated a head gear addition. Yep, it was time to break out the head-lamp. I would rather not have to wear it, but I got the lightest one I could find and it works wonders. There are now two specific times I wear it running. The first was last Winter in the dark and now it is mostly because I don't want to get hit while I am running in the fog.

Although I must say I have used it for more than just running in the morning. It worked great when we were redoing our little bathroom downstairs. I had the light fixture off the wall so that I could paint all the walls and eventually replace/upgrade the fixture. I also walked around the house in the dark when I first got it. Why? Because I could...

Okay, so this post was supposed to be about me running a half-marathon this weekend in Peoria, but I saw a head-lamp on my head and couldn't resist. This weekend will be my fifth half-marathon and I am far from learning exaclty how to pace to be the fastest I can be, but I have really started loving this particular distance. It is not like a full marathon that has always taken me quite a bit more than 4 hours to complete, rather it is doable, for me, in under 2 hours and because of that, a lot more fun. Maybe some day I will want to try the full distance again, but for now my time is better spent with that crazy kid B-Town.

The IVS half-marathon this weekend is put together by the Illinois Valley Striders and it is run through the Springdale Cemetary. I have done a little bit of mapping of the course and noticed it has a lot more hills than I am used to in B/N, but it is a two lap course which means I can run the first lap conservatively and push it once I know the course.

And, because I just love this picture, even though it has made the rounds in other places, I must post it here...

It's from last Saturday and he had just gotten out of bed. He was in a good mood like he always is in the morning and happened to pop this gem of a face as I was licking him back. Yes...I know this makes me no better than a 4 month old, but you gotta understand. He licks everything and I mean everything. He was playing in his exer-saucer tonight and started licking the turtle toy that is attached. Does it have a taste? No, it was cleaned before he used it. Ergo, I lick him back.

Hitting the Hills of Jersey...

Today was the day for my long run and since I have made plans to prepare for the IVS Half-Marathon I decided to throw in some hill work for fun. It was the first time I have done the route in quite some time, so, there were a few things I noticed/thought about.

• That guy still parks his Mitsubishi Montero at the bottom on the first hill.
• That house by the intersection still has the life size version the NASCAR driver in the upstairs window so I know where to turn on the way back.
• Saw some thoroughly flattened road kill that was unidentifiable (luckily no smell)
• Saw a condom on the side of the road.
• That house near the turn-around point still has the garage boarded up.
• Wow, I can tell I haven't done this in a while.
• Random thought: I don't need the whole thing, do you want to share a GU?*
• I have some friends with the last name of Cheek and I think it would be funny to get a picture with me between them. And then, tell people "I AM NOT AN A-HOLE BETWEEN TWO CHEEK'S."

Overall it was: good run, good hills, good hurt. Can't wait for more.

*Didn't really ask someone this. Just a thought...

Bona Dea Park Trail Run...

This morning I drove down the hill to a local park area called Bona Dea to check out its trails. In the many times I have been down here I had yet to make it down there. Oddly enough we drive past it every time we come to visit. This time would be different.

I decided to take the long route and just take it easy throughout as I knew it would be a short easy run. I ended up running 3.526 miles for the route. If you look at the map, the parking lot is on the far right and I ran along the top side essentially taking right turns at every intersection. The trail was well maintained and included a few bridges to cross over some marshy areas. I was half expecting to see some wildlife as I strolled through, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. It may have been because of the number of people on the trail. Most were walkers, but there were at least three other people running. The actual trail looked to be made of concrete with rocks pushed into the top, in parts, and it other parts looked to be some derivation of asphalt. In most places it was about 5 to 6 feet wide with plenty of room and throughout the course was as flat as a pancake. There were even dirt trails jutting off to lookout areas overlooking ponds where I am guessing you could see some sort of water fowl.

The run, over all, felt good. I did not push too

hard, as, I am looking to hit the same hill route that I took on Sunday. Now that I have a hand-strapped water bottle, things should go quite a bit more smoothly even though the high is supposed to be around 97. As you can tell in this picture, it is very humid and I started sweating as soon as I got out of the car. By the end of the run my shirt was soaked and my shorts barely had dry spots on them. This heat and humidity is insane, but I am loving every minute of it (on my runs). I can hardly wait for Friday when I get to attack that monster hill again. Grrrrr...

Saying Hello...

Yesterday morning I had a chance to say hello, not ello govna, but a nice warm welcome to my big hill route while down in Arkansas. Damn. It said hello, chewed me up, spit me out, and kicked my @$$ to the curb. The combination of running in the heat, humidity, lack of water fountains, and one big hill really shot me down. So much so that on the way back from the turn-around point I had to stop and walk periodically so that I would not be literally kicked to the curb somewhere. Today, however, we went to Little Rock and I took the time to visit Easy Runner (they have moved to: 11525 Cantrell Rd) to get a hand-held water bottle, and some Gu and Hammer Gel. So later in the week when I run the same route I will politely hand that hill a hand-full of smack-down (or so I think...we'll see).

In other news B-Town seems to be faring well away from home and is getting so much attention I am guessing he will soon go in to overload, especially, after tonight and the baby shower.

I went to bed early last night to try to catch up on sleep, and at this point I feel I should have taken a nap this afternoon. My goal is to not have a crapitude tonight or at later this week. I definitely did not realize how much our family would want to see B-Town after he was born. I think it is my tiredness talking, but I could really use some down/me time. I think tomorrow will be one of those days because nothing is planned, but without and plan anything is possible. My mother-inlaw has scheduled a massage for me on Wednesday afternoon/evening, which, I am so looking forward to and I am sure it will help hinder my crapitude as well.

Okay, I'm done...

Tree Maintenance...

This is a post directed toward the guy who lives along the sidewalk I use to access the trail and the B/N Town Maintenance crew. Thank you. Thank you for trimming back your trees so that there is more room for people passing on that section of the sidewalk. I really appreciate it that you took the time over the weekend to get outside and tend to your trees. As far as the B/N Maintenance crew, thank you for cutting back the brush/trees on the side of the trail, it gives the feel of more room as is esthetically pleasing to me if no one else. I really appreciate it that in this time of recession that taking care of our trail is still seen as a priority and benefit for the community.

So heres to you...Hooaaahhhh

Sleepy repercussions...

I was able to go on a long run this morning (just under 8 miles). Not because I had an over abundance of sleep last night, rather, I was able to use some of the extra "residual" sleep I gained over the weekend. B-Town isn't sleeping too bad, but this lack of sleep is definitely putting a dent in the glamorous attitude I have during the day. It seems a little odd to me, but I actually do and feel better if I get a workout in, in the morning. Some how it readjusts/fine-tunes my attitude and actually gives me more energy throughout the day.

From the very beginning I have been helping G by changing diapers before she feeds. I see this as me helping out while still allowing me to be a productive employee. I understand that G carries the greater burden by staying up and feeding, but her being at home during the day really helps her handle this better (I believe). Finding a balance between the two is sometimes hard for me as being awoken in the middle of the night can lead me to be an insta-grouch. So, as soon as I wake I in a foul mood and am thinking why hasn't G gotten up yet to take care of B-Town. I know, and I hope G knows, that this is only because it is in the middle of the night and I am not fully awake. If it is during the day, or closer to time to wake-up, I am in a much more amiable mood.

Working out in the morning allows me take whatever happened overnight and take out that potential frustration into something productive. If I did not do this I am sure I would not be nearly as nice of a person that I would like to be. It all boils down to attitude, and for me apparently, what time during the day or night I interact with you.

Busy Day/Week...

This week will be kind of busy, but especially today. We have laundry intermixed with fixing meals and getting things ready for our trip. We are planning a trip to the Ozark Mountains so that I can get some mountain training in. The "hills" here in central Illinois just aren't cutting it. Okay, so me getting hill training isn't the main reason we are going to the Ozark Mountains, but I am looking forward to the side benefits of getting to tackle hills to the like you would never see here.

We are actually going to see family and introduce B-Town to his Great-Grandparents, as well as, have a shower and enjoy some "real" Mexican food. The Mexican food is one thing G has missed immensely since leaving the area. I am convinced it is her form of comfort food.

This will be our first big trip with B-Town. This makes me nervous about how he will do in the car for an extended period of time. Personally, I compare it to the short 10 to 15 minute car rides around town and think "oh he'll do fine." Like our trips in town are comparable to 6 hours on the road. Some how I don't think they will be comparable at all, but I remain hesitantly optimistic.

As is usually the case whenever I travel, I try to pick out routes that I can run at my destination and, if need be, utilize Map My Run to make my own routes. I usually end up doing the same route once or twice while there and probably need to branch out a little and switch my route. My main route has an ascent/descent of 476 feet, which, will be good for one or two runs, but would kill me if I tried more than that.

Another thing I do when I travel is look for races that will be in the area around the time we will be there. The only races I found would be in Spgfld on a Saturday morning when we will probably be wanting to finish the trip down to her parents. This makes it a plausible idea for me, but realistically, it probably isn't meant to be. Since we will be near her parents during the week, I just confirmed there were no races during the week, which, there hardly ever are (in case you were wondering) and called it good.

It will be a nice week off of work visiting family and running hills

Company Run Volunteer...

This morning was my first time volunteering for the season. It was a company sponsored 5k/1Mile/Kids fun run event. It is actually the third year in a row I have helped with this race and I keep coming back because it is so much fun. I must say I love running in races, but volunteering is where you really get to interact with people have a good time.

Specifically, I helped with the finish line. I helped setup the big clock over the chute for people to run under and setup the ropes to keep people going in the right direction after they have finished. The whole time we are giving each other a hard time about everything. During the actual race, as in years past, I was designated to run the Time Machine. No, not that kind of time machine (but that would be cool). It is a machine that records the times of people by having the user (me in this case) type in the runners bib number and hit enter. I know what you are thinking, what if there is a group of people? In that case just hitting enter will record a time and the number will be entered in later from the bib tab that is ripped off of the bottom of each runners bib. I ran the "machine" for both the 5k and the 1 mile runs.

I slipped out a little before the kids fun run so that I could spend some more time with B-Town and because I knew that G was probably ready for some down time. On the way home I stopped at our local grocery store and purchased some sausage, eggs, and biscuits. Obviously, I made biscuits and gravy with eggs, and yes, they were awesome.

Tomorrow I am looking at a long run with a side of mowing the lawn post-run. Should be a good day, especially if B-Town sleeps well tonight. Speaking of which...Good Night!

Nipple Stand...

Considering how everyone who reads my blog loves it when I talk about taping nipples, I thought I would share some more...and...let the hilarity ensue...

Baby I was born to run...

As many of my vast readership (2 or 3 people) know, I am a new dad as of May 12, 2009 at 11:15 p.m. I can't believe how much it changes the way I look at things. To know that I am now responsible for another human being, is the scariest thing in the world. Additionally, no matter how he turns out I know it is, at least partially, my fault.

For the purposes of this blog I will call him B-town

Being a new father also has influenced my running. For instance on my first run after B-town's birth every thing and every person made me think of him. For instance I saw a mother with her kids on bikes. Obviously, some day I envisioned myself in that lady's shoes. Later, on my way back I saw a baby rabbit frolicking or running. This made me think of him running some day. This is a lead into an email response I got from a running friend. She asked if I had registered B-town for the Kids Run for Fun event on Friday nights. Obviously, I hadn't, but I am guessing this will be one of the first ways in which I share my love of running and I am looking forward to it.

Spontaneous Poem Posting...

The Runner
By: Walt Whitman

On a flat road runs the well train'd runner,
He is lean and sinewy with muscular legs,
He is thinly clothed, he leans forward as he runs,
With lightly closed fists and arms partially raised.

Running and irregularity…

No. Not that kind of regularity my fiber intake is just fine. Lately, I have had a couple of nights in the hospital due to an uncooperative unborn child. I have somewhat considered this a litmus test of what it is going to be like when the baby is finally here. It wasn’t easy, but I think I have everything figured out (I don’t have a freakin clue what it will be like).

Sleep is paramount, but running is just below that. Of course, I see this as a means to be a better father. Running for me is personal. I know I am being selfish every time I head out that door, but the ramifications of the benefits on the rest of my life are even greater. Running allows me to relax, when I need it and challenge myself when I need that as well. It is my drug of choice that gives me what I need when I need it.

I run/workout in the mornings before I go to work, which, I know will be difficult after the baby arrives, but I have changed to mornings instead of nights allowing myself more time with the baby after work. As is prevalent, I know this blog will suffer, but then again I never really had a big audience, so, most people probably won’t notice much and I am okay with that.

Well, that’s all I have tonight.

Lincoln Memorial Race Round-up

The Lincoln Memorial Half-Marathon went okay for me. I went in with a plan of taking it easy and taking in the historic route. As planned, they had an Abe Lincoln impersonator all dressed up for the occasion.* Also, as planned, I took it easy and ran it in 1:59:23.

Alternatively, NOT as planned, the weather was in an in-between stage in the mid 30’s. This temperature can make clothing choices tough, as, 40 degrees is my cut-off for wearing shorts and I knew it would warm-up throughout the race. Because it was sub-40 I decided to wear tights and stay warm as opposed to toughing with the shorts. Well, that one mistake made for a long day on the course. I could tell I made the wrong decision almost as soon as I got there because there were a lot of people in shorts at the starting line. A couple of miles in, I could tell once again because I was sweating profusely. There was only one thing I could do; adjust my top layers. So, there I am running along when I take my top coat layer off. Next was a long sleeve running shirt and finally my bottom layer, a long sleeve compression shirt. For a few yards I was running topless (woohoo…oh wait, jiggling isn’t hot), but I eventually got my middle layer back on and had the other two layers tied around my waist. Even then, I slowed my sweat rate, but not as much as I would have liked.

The course contained a few interspersed smallish hills, but overall the course was fairly evenly tempered. I thought it was only fitting that we ran past Lincoln’s grave site and remembered his body is there…under 6 feet of concrete.** We also started at the Lincoln Library and ran past the old capital building. I am sure I ran past other significant sites, but did not recognize them. Overall, the course was good, water stops appropriate, and the race shirts very nice, but if they could just get the weather to decide to be either cold or hot and inform the runners then it would be perfect.

*Alas, unfortunately, I did not get any pictures because I had to shower and checkout of my hotel.
**In case you didn’t know, he was buried this way because people kept stealing his body and at one point he was forgotten about for years under someone’s floor.

Random title here...

I started this post last Saturday and now it is true once again.

"I sit here this morning drinking coffee not thinking about running, rather, about the day ahead. Saturday is my day off from running..."

Last Saturday my post was interrupted by a definite and instant need for shoes. Not running shoes and no not for me. G and I had a baby shower last Saturday and she needed new shoes to go with new dress, ergo, this had to wait.

Once again, this is my day off and I am thinking about my half-marathon in a week. It starts at 7:30 so I imagine I will be done before 9:30. My plan is to start in the back of the pack, slow and steady and then maintain that pace throughout. I tried this same strategy for my half-marathon in Rockford, IL and I had an enjoyable time. Mostly because people were passing me like crazy for the first two to three miles, but shortly thereafter I was regularly passing people through to the end of the race. The biggest difference this Spring is that I have not done a long run of 16 miles. Of course I was also contemplating doing the full marathon then, but not this time. I am really looking forward to running past all of the history in Springfield. Springfield is integral to Lincoln's history and it is my intent is to drink it all in while enjoying an early morning run.

Smells like Spring spirit...

I can tell it is Spring. Today was quite warm at about 60 degrees and enticed me to get out and do a few things. I got our three shrubberies trimmed and ready to go for the beginning of summer and, likewise, trimmed our decorative grasses that we don't really like, but more put up with.

The second reason I know it is Spring is in my running. Today I did my long run of eleven miles. This entailed two firsts for the year. First, I had to tape my nipples for the first time this year. I had been wearing compression cold weather gear, but traded that in because of the warmth. Second, I used my first GU of the year, which, means my long runs are actually getting long because I don't do long runs in the Winter.

Unfortunately, I did something kind of stupid today. I have been kind of sick for the past week, but I thought it would be a great idea to still run today. Yep, I em so smart, s-m-r-t. Most of the run was not too bad, but the last mile or two was hell. I came in the back door and felt like I had run 18 to 20 miles. Luckily, I am starting to feel a little better as I write this, but the next few days will definitely be about recovery. Racing Abe is a mere three weeks away and I plan to be ready. Now, if I can just learn to take care of myself. So, I now declare it time to go to bed for the night.

Quick Hit: Worms...

I was out running this morning in the 30 minutes it wasn't raining this morning. Lucky me, but of course I had to dress like I was going to get wet, which meant I was sweating profusely, Damn me. While I was out I noticed worms on the sidewalk escaping the drowning water. Worms of course made me think of my childhood living on a small quasi-farm. At home we would think of worms as movers of dirt that helped the garden grow, but I only noticed a few on slabs of small concrete we had around the house. Now, I think of how I would react as a child seeing the numbers I saw between my house and the trail. There must have been thousands. I hate to say it, but I am pretty sure there were some that ended up on the bottom of my shoe. (Squish, squish, repeat. For two miles.) Then my mind wandered to what I would have find most fascinating as a child. Of course, it would be finding the biggest worm that I could. This morning it was about 7 inches long and probably 2 or 3 millimeters in diameter. I could envision my(younger)self picking up one of those big worms and holding it to the sky with delight watching it wiggle around. And, now I know a part of the reason I like a few slow easy runs mixed into my running schedule. They allow my mind to wander and enjoy the easy jaunt. I hope everyone gets their easy jaunt in today. It's totally worth it.

Racing Dr. Abraham Lincoln...

I have been training for a race that is coming up on April 4th called the Lincoln Memorial Half-Marathon. I consider it special because this year is the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. As I am in the process of training I have let my training plan become more of a "what do I need to do today?" plan and have combined this with changing other things as well.

First, I made a change in the time of day that I train. Before, I would get home from work and go meet a group of people and just run the same four miles every Tuesday and Thursday evening. This was great for socializing and helping to push myself faster while with other people. The down-side was that I found it somewhat hard to focus and push myself during a race. I also changed to running in the morning so that I could have more time in the evenings for family and baby prep classes.

Second, I am following a plan from Runners World's Smart Coach that makes things a lot easier by automatically adjusting a training plan to meet your abilities. I have tried using the FIRST plan before, but found Smart Coach easier to use because it did all of the time calculations for you and inserted them into the plan. It is not a big difference, but seemed helpful to me. The biggest change to running plans was that I am actually following the plan. Before, I would do the three token runs and call every other day a rest day when it should have actually been some sort of cross-training. This time I get up every weekday morning early to workout either by running or doing Yoga. So, yes, I am actually doing the cross training this time with only using Saturday as a full rest day. Trying to do Yoga in the morning, on carpet, trying to not to fall while doing a Warrior three pose can be difficult. Especially before the morning coffee.

Lastly, I am trying out ChiRunning. It is an adjustment in how you run and land on your foot. Most people land on their heel, roll through, and toe off. I haven't really had a problem with the way I was running, but have read that landing mid-foot is better in many aspects. The two that stand out to me are not putting on the brakes with every stride and being easier on the body as a whole. Putting on the brakes, as I define it, is landing on the heel, which slows you down, before you push off with your toes after the roll across the mid-foot. ChiRunning develops landing on the mid-foot which eliminates braking. Braking also adds to the wear and tear of joints from the foot up.

Overall, this has been a training period of changes. Hopefully, these changes will allow for a better experience for my family, with more evening time, and for me, with fewer injuries and better running times. I guess I will just have to wait and see how things transpire, but I consider my efforts to be headed in the right direction.

*President Lincoln received an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 1864 from Princeton.

Spring Shave...

The first day of spring is a little over two weeks away, but I am already feeling the warmth invigorating me. As a gesture to the weather I thought I would take the first step in believing that it will turn from its cold ways. As you can see I decided to shave my beard. I did this over the weekend and when I went to work today most everyone noticed, commented, and asked why I decided to cut it off. Well, of course I told them. It's getting warm outside. They promptly looked at me like I was crazy. I guess it could have been the snow that was falling that threw them off today. Luckily, we did not get anything near what they did on the East coast, but it quickly deflated my reasoning. I, being the ever optimist, explained that it was going to be warmer this weekend. They didn't buy that either. In one explanation, I went on to describe how when a person goes running it feels 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature. As her eyes started to glaze over I knew that must not be the approach. After attempting to help co-workers understand I conceded defeat, but the one thing I do know is if it really is in the mid-50's this weekend I will running in shorts.

Here is my "Welcome Spring" picture dedication:

Pre-Workout/Pre-Dedication

Half way there!

Just about done!

Post 10 mile run on Sunday. It was kind of cold, but I am welcoming Spring with open arms.

Special drinking edition...

This is a special post in reply to a request from Zog to delve into the particulars of a certain visit to a certain establishment that sells beverages of a certain style.*

Brewery: Black Sheep Brewery
Beer: Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale
Appearance: Dark like the color of soda, but without the bubbles.
Thoughts: Very smooth and drinkable. It reminds me of an O'Hara's Celtic Stout quite a bit because of the smoothness. Definitely something I could sit back and relax with. I highly recommend it. Just to get all of my plugs in: I would also recommend Black Sheep's, Black Sheep Ale . It is not as strong, but still one of the beers I have enjoyed the most overall. And one more: Gray's Brewing Companies ' Oatmeal Stout. As they put it: "Big. Black. Bold." Yes. Yes it is, and quite good at that.

Zog, if you can find any of the beers mentioned above, try them. It will most definitely not be a waste of money. If you have questions leave them in the comments.

*This a post about one of the two beers I purchased at Binny's while near Chicago. I have another one, but just noticed it is an Imperial Stout and not a regular Stout. Instead of bashing the Imperial, something I know I won't like, I will let it go and drink it later.

Treadmill Love...

This weekend we went on a trip to Schaumburg near Chicago to finalize our shopping before the baby comes and while G still has some stamina. We went up on Friday night full well knowing that we would need to stay another night because of a dumping of snow that was coming. Staying another night meant I would be running 9 miles on a treadmill for some LSD. My thought was that I had run on a treadmill before and knew if I could zone out watching television I would be "fine." No such luck. The hotel got 13 channels and there was nothing that grabbed my attention. It was going to be a long run. What made it worse was there was no fan to cool off. That made my sweat almost useless for cooling my body. It was a big psychological and physical killer. It was hard to zone out and felt quite hot because I was use to running outside in the subfreezing temperatures. I am glad I got my Long Slow Distance (LSD) run completed, but I am also glad it is over. So...here's to my love of the treadmill this morning...up yours...

It was one of those days...

But not one of those days. This morning I rose at the early hour of 5:00 a.m. because...because... Well, I guess because I'm addicted. My chosen vice, of course, isn't just waking up early. "Hi my name is Rakicy and it has been over 15 hours since my last run." This morning was the first bout of speed work that I thoughtfully added to my schedule.

I woke up this morning and noticed it had snowed and was still snowing a little. Awesome.* For some strange reason I love running in the snow. It give me a feeling of being closer to nature. As is snow indicative of the Winter; so is my facial hair length indicative of the cold outside. Once again, having facial hair makes me feel closer to nature. Then there is another aspect of seeing wildlife during my run. Luckily, nothing bigger than rabbits. As I went cruising along the trail this morning there seemed to be rabbits everywhere. I can only imagine what they are thinking. "Here comes slow-poke again, thinking he is spry." or "This trail hasn't had trains on it for a long time...what is that rhythmic noise...Oh just that running chugging by." Even though the rabbits laugh at my attempt of speed and bound away at the sound of huffing and puffing, I enjoy seeing them move about. After I finished my mile repeats I was glad to be home.

Upon returning from my run this morning I was unaware that it would be one of those days, but it was. Apparently, it has been a while since I've revved up my engine and blown out the attached carbon build up. After finishing seven miles this morning I assumed I would be mostly shot for the day, but I was wrong. Some how things worked into a "Runner's High" for most of the day. I felt super focused and seemed to accomplish many things quickly and easily all with an overwhelmingly calm feeling. This never happens. Rather, rarely happens, but when it does it is an awesome feeling. That in a nut shell made it "one of those days." Here's to tomorrow, my two mile run, the fact that it is Friday and mostly to my "understanding" and "loving" wife.**

*never mind the fact that it was single digit wind-chills. I guess it is all about perspective.

**It is very commendable that she is able to withstand and put up with my addiction. If you run into her please extend your condolences and understanding. She puts up with more than one person should.

What does your leg mean to you?

I just finished watching Dateline tonight and Tom White (below the knee amputee) was featured. In his school days he was pretty good runner, but then a drunk driver caused a motorcycle accident and took away a majority of the functionality in his left leg after it was reattached. Even after this he fought his way back and began running again completing 26 marathons and ultra-marathons. After all this his left leg began to give out on him and he decides to take drastic measures. I sympathize and understand why he did what he did next. He decided to take things to the next level and regain running by having a voluntary amputation 25 years after the accident. Then, the in the same year he completed the New York City Marathon .

After everything he has been through, he exudes what most every runner feels with his actions. Some times we all have that second thought before dragging ourselves out the door to run because we have "excuses." Tom really puts things into perspective. When you really want something some times you have to sacrifice to keep it. I have begun to realize this in a much more minor way because of my wife, G, being pregnant. I have started running the morning to have more time to spend with her and the impending baby, but to love running so much that a person would cut part of their leg off to be able to continue sends a powerful message and puts things into perspective. I hope when the day comes that I am tested that I have just as much courage as Tom and can overcome whatever it is that is my "degenerative leg." No excuses.

Inspiration...

So I was reading posts that came up on my reader and found one that I thought I should share that tells me I am a youngster with respect to running. Rosario Iglesias has recently passed away at the age of 98. That alone is quite an achievement, but she defied the odds and at age 80 took up running. Not only did she begin running, but started setting records as well. This all started when she took up a paper delivery route covering 6 to 7 miles a day and someone suggested she try a race.

I would have probably thought they were nuts. I only hope that I am half that agile when I get to be that age. This makes getting up in the morning to go running seem like a non-decision.

Its been a while...

Yep, it has been a while since I have been on here, but in my (read: lame excuse for a) defense the holidays have been crazy. To make up for this lost time, I have included a picture of me to show how much I have changed. As you can see my beard is changing colors to gray, but with an optimistic face underneath. I am aging beautifully!

Usually about this time of year, people are discussing their New Year's resolutions and what they want to accomplish for the coming year. I, too, have thoughts of how I want the future to turn out with careful planning. I have not made it public on this blog, but my wife is pregnant and just over half way through. This as opposed to my 30th birthday, which was a few days ago, has been keeping my thoughts.

How do I blend my time running into family time? I have thought about this and I think the only way to do this is to start running in the morning. I have already been doing 45 minutes of yoga three days a week, so, I am somewhat used to working out in the morning, but now I must transition to everyday and incorporate running.

Well, I am out of things to write and/or the desire to write more, so, I end here.