ROUGH Week!!!

Man what a terrible week this was!! Work was so incredibly stressful and time consuming that I honestly considered not going in a couple of times. We're short because a key team member left the team last week and everyone is panicking. Working 10 to 12 hour days, I definitely found myself being challenged this week. Did not get to run at all and I was so wound up that meditating was more frustrating than relaxing.

I guess we all have them and I'm very happy this week is over. I don't expect this next week to be better but I have been able to take a step back and regain my perspective on things.

I'll be back in NYC next weekend for another race and I'm really looking forward to spending time with Pam (wifey). just her and me. While I was running today I had flashbacks of my old neighborhood in Brooklyn. There's allot of history there from my early childhood. I think I will take Pam and just visit. She's heard allot but has never been there. The irony is that I run through that neighborhood every time I have run the NYC Marathon. Every time I run through it I get goose bumps, my stomach gets tight and a couple of times I've started to cry during the run. Some powerful memories.

I want to give a shout to Titania, today is her birthday, Happy Birthday T!


That's my rant for the week.

Blessings

RDE # 6

Ran a nice 6 miles today. Felt pretty good. I was happy to be back running after a really rough week. Weighed in at 192 lbs. Not bad.

College Dream

I have a dream that I remember. My thought is I'm remembering for a purpose but it does not make sense to me yet. Here goes.


I'm at the USC campus and Coach Pete Carroll is trying to recruit me for their football team. IF you don't know USC is currently ranked number 1. Even though I'm very excited and know I could do the job I'm questioning the logic of hiring a 40 something to go back to college. He tells me not to worry that that have me all set up to be a lab pathologist. I'm curious and notice a crowd of young students headed my way. Next thing I know I'm laying down and there are students suspended about 3 feet above me in sleeping bags. I notice I'm surrounded by students in sleeping bags all looking at me. I can barely move and starting to get a bit claustrophobic. I wake up.


I notice while I was writing this that I had a dream about a coach awhile back. Coach Bob Knight. Currently I don't know if there is any significance.


Blessings

A fresh start

While I run I usually meditate or put myself in a positive thought mode. Sometimes I make plans or do some philosophical thinking. On the beginning of todays run I was being a little hard on myself for being lazy and waiting so long to start the run. As the miles went by and I came into a more positive frame of mind I thought about something really cool. People always like to put numbers or limits on themselves; for example "If I don't get this in 3 attempts, I'm giving up!" or "when are they going to stop they already tried 6 times". Who made up limits anyway? Where does it that we have to put a number on the things we do? I smoked once and I've quit and restarted more than I can count. There were times where I thought "Man, I've already tried this so many times why don't I just stop trying?". But I realized something..

There are no limits!!! Every day is a fresh start a new beginning! We are the ones that limit ourselves by setting boundaries. If my lazy side won and I didn't run today I would've really been bummed out for a time. But the cool thing is that I know tomorrow I can get up and do a run. Sure it's a day later but I can still do the run, there's nothing from stopping me from doing the run except myself. Hence there's nothing stopping us from doing what we want. Will we make mistakes, yes, will we experience failures, yes. But everyday is a new day to build on your lessons and create a better you.

I'm starting to get redundant and I'm guessing this might not be news to some who read this. But I think it's really cool. See to me this means that there is always a chance. Regardless of the obstacles there's always a new day for a fresh start.


Blessings

RDE # 5

Ran 16 miles today and it wasn't that bad, wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad. I ended up starting later than I would have liked. I was in bed arguing with myself to get up and get the run done and it took some time before the runner in me won. Today was weighing day and I lost two pounds(I'm now 197.5 lbs). Not as much as I wanted but it's going in the right direction which is what counts. It was a hot day and I got sun burn. I'm feeling really tired and I know it's a combination of the run and sunburn. I really really dislike sunburn because of the fact that it drains my energy because of my body trying to repair itself. I'm still trying to get a handle on how to deal with this. Diet wise I've been bad but I'm improving. I'm going to try what T suggested and try the grazing method. Keep ya updated




Blessings

RDE # 4

Did a 12 mile run today. Todays run was more painful and required more effort. I definitely did not have the energy I had the other day. I drank 60 ounces of fluid as compared to 40 on my last run. In any case I know I'm going to get a really good nights sleep. Diet wise ate light today, missed breakfast, had salad for lunch and leftover spaghetti for dinner. I'll be sure to include more carbs and protein the next day I do another 12 or higher


Blessings

RDE #3

My coach is always pushing resting after a major run. Normally I would not listen and do another run but this Tuesday my body was telling me to listen to the coach. :o). Diet wise it was a medium day, I skipped breakfast because I was running late had a medium lunch and decent dinner. Felt really tired all day but I also think it is because it was a very hectic day.


Blessing

RDE #2

Ran 12 miles today. Started at 5 after work, it was 97 degrees but the run was a good one. Had plenty of fluids, drank about 40 oz during the run. It felt good, I took my time and didn't push it.
Diet wise I had a big breakfast (Denny's (Yum)). Light lunch (carrot) and decent dinner, medium portion of mexican spaghetti. My wife bought dutch crum donuts (my favorite) and I'm debating having one. So for the need for a donut is winning. :o). For me the running is not going to be the hardest part, the dieting will be. But I gotta remember to take baby steps. Also did my normal set of squats, push ups and sit ups.



Blessings

Running Diary Entry #1

Ran 6.5 miles this morning. Weather was cool by Az standards only 87 degrees. Had a sharp pain in my left shin for the first 3.5 miles but then it finally went away (yippee). Did 3x30 squats, 3x20 sit ups and 3x10 push ups. Didn't maintain fluids throughout the day like I should. Currently have a dehydration headache but working on it. had a medium brunch.

Blessings

A hundred thousand Angels

Running 2007

I've been really bad with, what I consider, my normal routines. For whatever reason everything has been thrown out of wack and I think I'm finally starting to recover. I haven't been blogging, running, meditating, etc......

Speaking of running, I am in bad shape. I have a marathon coming up and in my current state it would be a really painful experience. I looked up on the blog what I was doing a year ago and discovered I was in a similar (though not as bad) state. I had originally signed up for two marathons this year, one in October 6 and the other in November 6. I changed the October one to a half marathon and started on building my miles. here's the story, Currently I'm running 6 miles a day, I'm working my way up to 12, then 16 and then I alternate throwing a couple of 20's in their. My weight as suffered the most. I just weighed myself and I'm a wopping 199.5! I should be and need to get to 170 by marathon day. Don't worry I'm not going to starve myself but will focus on obtaining that weight.


I decided I would use the blog as my running journal. This way I could keep track of my progress and hopefully add some colorful commentary or a thought for the day. Maybe I might change the title to " A runners new spirituality"? NAAAAAH! :o)




Blessings

Flying 101

Well, I did it, I went on a flight in a glider! I was scared out of my skin but I actually enjoyed the experience somewhat. A little history.... Ever since I was very young I always wanted to go flying. I wanted to be a pilot!. The first time I went flying in my teenage years I quickly discovered I had an incredible fear of flight. I was crushed. All the plans about what I was going to do with my life and who I was going to be went down the tubes. It took my a long time to rediscover and define myself.



Regardless of my fear I wanted to go up again. Like anything else that got lost in daily life and even though every once in awhile I would think about it, I never really acted on it. Well, my beautiful wife resolved that issue by giving me a glider flight for my birthday. I had a very good pilot and we communicated well. He sensed that I was freezing up in the cockpit and was able to calm me down. I even had control of the plane for awhile and made a couple of turns. When we landed I was so nervous I felt I was going to throw up. But it was a great experience and I'm actually thinking about going back.

Another interesting tidibit... On the way back to the car, after the flight, my wife spotted a big rattle snake in our path. The snake was going away from us and really didn't want to deal with us. My initial reaction was fear but then I just stood there and watched it amazed. I was amazed at how well camouflage it was and how graceful it moved. My wife told the folks at the airport and they were debating killing it Fortunately it got away before they made up their minds. I'm hoping it moves on before they find it again.



Blessings

Hello Again

Hello Again;

today is my birthday, I'm 21 x 2. I'm not as shocked about it as I thought I would be. I think after dealing with 40 everything else isn't that bad. I'm guessing 50 will be my next reincarnation. In any case I went back and looked at my entries from this time last year. I noticed that I didn't put that many entries in at that time either and that the family was going through some very difficult times. I read about how I had to keep reminding myself to be positive. Even though it was a year again it feels very distant. But I can still feel the hurt and fear from that time. That is why I am very happy, thankful and grateful. Not because that's the way I'm supposed to be but more so because I do truly appreciate the love around me. My wife and my kids and my friends (both online and off) are so much a part of me and I can't say enough my profound love and appreciation for them.


So as a birthday present to myself I want to acknowledge those in my life that have helped me become who I am. The folks who've I've had bad as well as good experiences have helped me to grow and recognize "who I really am".


Blessings