Good things will come

I had hoped for a sub deciduous tropical forest run while in western Mexico. After hiking an hour or so we learned about the forest’s abundance of ticks, snakes and spiders. Over the years, I’ve battled many a snake for the right of passage. Slithering reptiles rank low on the fear factor, but arachnids land at a solid ten. I saw tons of the eight legged creatures in webs and crawling under foot along the way. Midway through the hike, I was introduced to a baseball sized spider, up close and personal. This gave me cause to rethink the topical forest run.

I struggled, seriously I did, but I found solace knowing we had time scheduled on a secluded beach in Nayarit. We turned up on a romantic dream come true--waves crashing on shore, soft tropical breezes, warm rays of the midday sun and a stretch of flawless white sand. Did I mention this outing took place during the week of our thirteenth wedding anniversary? Anyway, upon arrival Shannan and I relished the privacy and beauty of our remote destination. Mentally, I bemoaned the lack of open space. Only a quarter of a mile or so made up the beach, captured within rocky outcroppings. Given its surreal beauty and charm I considered running back and forth twelve to sixteen times. That thought waned as quickly as it came.

Vacation expectations reigned supreme. We strolled along the beach hand in hand, took a self timer picture or two and chatted about our dreams and visions. Time passed much too quickly. I had noticed a wash-out gulley midway on the beach. It cut a small path into the dense green growth. Shannan knew I wanted to explore, I wanted to run. I ambled to the opening. I looked at her and held up two fingers. She smiled.


I disappeared into the tree line. Shannan knew it would be many more than two minutes before I emerged. She took a seat and left me to my obsession. A sight to behold, yes, but a path to run, no (see photo to the left). Rocky, uneven and low lying palms made it nearly impassable, but definitely awe inspiring. I hiked five minutes or thereabouts before turning back. Even Shannan has her limits.

Not to be denied, later in the day I enjoyed a short run along the beach, across the pier and through a resort. Each gave way to beautiful views of nature and people. I slowed long enough to snap a few photos of the mesmerizing sunset (see picture below).

All in all it was a great day exploring diverse regions and enjoying creation.

Explore, love and live.

Tom

The Wages of Wireless are...

Greetings! I broke the rule. Not the Golden Rule, but close. Rule number one in blogging, according to experts Duane Forrester and Gavin Powell, is to never ever go more than a week without posting. I stand guilty. I have sinned against devoted bloggers, faithful readers and the ever present cyber gods. Thus I throw myself on the mercy of the Internet.

As I prepared to launch into online chronicling of The Streak I considered the numerous and interesting events that happen on the road. With that in mind and after reading Forrester and Powell I began dropping monumental hints until my lovely wife gave me a very early birthday gift of a nifty high powered Netbook.

I took said portable computer with me for our annual winter vacation. The Streak did not disappoint. Like all the other out of town runs, I encountered intriguing people and sublime landscapes. From Baja California to the end of land in the Mexican Riviera wireless access was available through which to share these adventures with you, but at a cost.

Hence the dilemma and my lack of posting for more than a week. I have two defining constants in my life. One is the nearly 13 year old Streak, where I exercise every day. The second, I despise spending money. I make no apology for my frugality, but I do hope the cyber gods, Forrester, Powell and you will forgive my grievous transgression.

I did have a pen and paper at my disposal with absolutely no hidden fees. I wrote volumes on my journey. I plan to upload a blog along with photos every other day for a while. Hopefully this indulgence will spare me more severe penance.

Until next time read, write and exercise.

Tom

Slow out of the Gate

Greetings! When I know I have a long and fully-packed day, I make every effort to get up early and exercise first thing in the morning. This practice has had me up as early as 1:00 am on International travel days to ensure that I meet my self-imposed exercise requirements for the day. Today, I needed only to get up slightly before 5:00am, my normal wake-up time, in order to exercise before work. I did not get up with my alarm, however, and as it turns out nothing about the morning has been normal.

I’ll spare you the bizarre set of circumstances that led me astray, stretching from the pre-dawn hours until just before now. Suffice it to say the day moved like a whirlwind. Then my lunch break arrived and I found myself staring at a blank word processing screen. For more than twenty minutes I nibbled at my meal and was completely unable to think of a single word to write. I hadn't exercised, had been off kilter all morning long, and I just wanted to tap out. I was empty. I had nothing in the tank.

Then it hit me. Nothing--that’s it! I decided to blog about the reality that there are MANY days when I don’t feel like exercising. On those days, the thought of running in the rain or cold seems deplorable, hearing the repetitive noises of exercise equipment works my nerves and the time and pain of resistance training hold absolutely no appeal.

Fifteen minutes ago I didn’t want to write, but now the words are flowing. Here in my neck of the woods it’s a fairly chilly day. That notwithstanding, I am inspired and invigorated to go for at least a 5K jog after work. This epiphany was just what I needed on all fronts. I find that invariably, once I get started running, it’s never as cold, the machines are not as loud, or the workout is not as hard as I imagined. Truthfully, it’s the first step that’s the hardest. Today, I hope that step is an easy one for you.

Let’s get out there and let’s keep moving.
~Tom

Happy and Healthy Holidays

Greetings! I hope you had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. ‘Tis the season of eating, drinking and making merry. Did you know that nutrition professionals suggest that from Halloween to New Year’s Day the average person puts on ten (10) to twenty (20) pounds? That’s a lot of weight to remove, especially if you begin in January. The cold and inclement weather discourages many people from the choice to walk, bike or jog.

In a course I teach we discuss the concept of “moral holidays.” Examples of moral holidays include New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras. These are occasions when people act as if they hold a license to live outside the norm (to be deviant or to sin if you will). This is not reckless abandonment, as each reveler knows that the transition back to normal or ideal life comes via resolutions of January first or the forty days of repentance during Lent. It’s a good psychological process, for sure.

I like to think of Thanksgiving and Christmas in a similar light. They are days filled with cooking, eating, drinking and socializing, none of which burn very many calories. So, dive head first into our cultural milieu of gorging, but afterwards be steadfast to adhere to the tenets of restraint, moderation and regular exercise.

Try something new this holiday season. Go against the grain. Don’t become a weight gain statistic! Maintain or even lose weight this December. You’ll love yourself for it in the New Year.

Be Merry. Stay Active. Be Happy!

Tom

Run for Life

Shannan and I completely enjoyed the Guy Fieri Foodapaloosa Road Show in Atlanta on November 23. It was a multimedia entertainment event not to be missed. Nonstop amusement flowed for nearly two hours as the Food Network Star and self-proclaimed “rock and roll chef” commandeered the stage of the Cobb Energy Centre. In that span of time he barely touched the two entrees prepared on stage. Instead, Fieri danced, told stories, made jokes and brought well over the ticket price of happiness to 1200 plus foodies in attendance.

Guy even mocked a blogger who had complained about the second place status of cooking from a previous show. I can certainly see where one might expect a celebrity chef to be cooking and sharing recipes for two hours, and Shannan and I would be just nerd enough to appreciate such a thing. To that end, let me make this public service announcement. If you have tickets for the Foodapaloosa Road Show a cooking lession is NOT what you are going to get. You get something much better--the circle of life that forms around food and cooking.

The Road Show encompassed the full scope of cooking and eating in our society. Music, singing, memories, family, friends, meeting new people, learning new things and living in the moment all came to forefront in the show. I have come to realize Guy’s Road Show’s is not just a marketing ploy or concept to sell ticks, books or increase viewership. He helped me to understand that cooking and eating are a way of life.

I felt the message strike home in a profound way. For me, running and exercising are a way of life that include: music, friends, travel, family, celebrations, adventure, discovery, aspirations, nature, prayer and health. I run to be healthy. I run to challenge myself. I run for pleasure. I run because I can. I run for life.

During the show we learned two new recipes. We enjoyed the company of 1200 other Atlantans, and under Guy Fieri’s guidance Shannan and I lived life through the common ground of food. I hope via the blogs to come I can raise the level of my posts to make this a rock-n-roll site that helps you to be happy as a runner or an active person and happy to be alive.

Until next time, Run, Cook, Eat and LIVE!
~Tom

Life gets in the way

What about……

Oh ye of little faith. I understand The Streak isn’t for everyone. For some, exercising every single day certainly falls in the category of “ill advice.” However, trust me when I say that exercising every day doesn’t dwell in the realm of impossibility. In response to that very position I have heard a mountain of scenarios over the years such as: What if you’re sick, or injured? What about when you travel?

Time management and commitment are paramount for me, but mostly I employ common sense. I have exercised after major oral surgery, with colds, sinus infections and a whole host of injuries. Suffice it to say that I engaged in low impact activities in those situations like using a stationary bike or Nordic Track ski simulator.

I know when to say no. I once planned to run in three different half marathon races over one Thanksgiving weekend. A few days out I found myself with a chest cold. I ran the local race, at a slower pace, and cancelled the other two, losing my registration fees and hurting my pride, but not my body.

In 1997 I trained for a half marathon and a couple of weeks before race day decided I could run the entire 26.2 miles. Bad choice. Following the race I found myself severely dehydrated, tired and sore in places I didn’t know could be affected by running. The next morning I could barely walk. So for that day’s exercise session I took a hand saw and worked without stopping for thirty five minutes clearing our back yard. Believe you me, I worked up a hearty sweat and later had sore hands and arms to go with the rest of my body.

I’ll post What About scenarios related to travel later in the week.

Until next time--Read. Exercise. Live!

~Tom

Simple Obsession

Greetings! 50 marathons in a year?! To me that’s as extreme as it gets. Believe it or not some folks add to the ante and run 50 marathons in fifty states in a calendar year. Still, the super extremists take it to the limit and spend a year running a marathon in a different state every week. For those of you doing the math, that’s 26.2 miles per race. Many avid runners only log about 25 miles per week. Running a marathon is no minor undertaking. Imagine going the distance, at a race pace, and then you only have a week to recover while training for the next 26.2 miles. You don’t have to take advanced biology to know the human body is not made for that sort of thing.

I have an obsession of my own and it’s a little more time and energy friendly. I affectionately call it The Streak. Though I don’t run a marathon a week, I do exercise every single day and have for over twelve 12 years without fail. In the blog entries to follow I intend to chronicle interesting events along the road and post insights on how The Streak relates to topics covering nearly every aspect of life.

Read, run and enjoy.

Tom

The Streak

Greetings! I hope this blog message finds all of you well. I want to share a one of the most important aspects of my life with you. In August of 1996 I went on a wedding diet. Like many others, I realized I’m not a good dieter. Thus, I resorted to exercise in order to lose weight. I had a trusty Nordic Track and the open road to help meet that end. I initially set out to exercise for at least thirty minutes, four days a week. I once exercised for a whole week, which gave me the idea to see if I could do it every day for a month. That goal eluded me for months. I kept trying, finally reaching my month long goal, and extending that daily exercise pattern indefinitely. As of now, March 9, 1997, was the last day in which I did not engage in at least 30 minutes aerobic or anaerobic exercise.

Now, to my own amazement, over twelve (12) years have come and gone and my “streak” is still intact. Along the way I have learned there are many other obsessive-compulsive folks out there with much longer streaks than mine. I’m not sure if that’s scary or if I find encouragement if that fact. Nonetheless, this whole experience has given me a new respect for time management, nutrition, body mechanics, aspirin, the change of seasons, personal fortitude, ice packs, nature and my spiritual walk (or jog) with God.

In these ten years I have run on four continents, in fifteen countries and in all 50 states! Some highlights include running in every hour of the 24 hour day, which encompassed things such as midnight races, a 1:00am run under the stars with wild dogs in Egypt, a 3:00am run in an Arab family farm in Syria and at 4:00am in the driving snow of a small town in Michigan. I ran up Mount Marathon in Alaska (and slid back down), alongside ten major bodies of water, up the Mount of Olives, around the Sea of Galilee, on the Olympic Marathon track in Atlanta and in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Our trip to complete a run in my 50th state caused us to get iced in Indianapolis and have to stay an extra day. I’ve had injuries in both ankles, my back, hamstring, fingers, head, shoulders, knees and toes. Still, the expense of bandages, new shoes and orthotics pale in comparison to the zillions I save in stress relief, and not needing mood altering pharmaceuticals or therapy.

I want to thank all of those folks who have supported this endeavor over the years, and above all my wife, Shannan, who has waited at no o’clock in the morning and late in the evening in the rain, cold, on beaches, in oppressive heat, on bridges, in foreign countries, at the base of mountains and even parked on a multi-lane limited access highway (yikes, we didn’t realize that was the case when I got of the car--it was before dawn in Ohio).

When I mused if I could make it a month, a decade flashed under my feet. Wonder if I can go for a score!

My best to you all and I hope you keep going, and going and going…..

Tom