Before the Blog

Around five years ago I submitted an article to a travel site noting good places to run in the Atlanta area. Time to time I receive a message from someone who read the article. Most all the notes are positive in nature. I had a two in a row from the same aged article in the last couple of weeks.

I always appreciate folks who take the time to jot and send a friendly word. It has always been my intention for all the information in this blog to be informative, encouraging and positive as it relates to exercise in general, and running in particular. It's nice to know the information is out there and periodically fulfills its intended purpose.

Thanks for reading. Keep running.

Tom 

Divide and conquer

We planned a wonderfully wacky Friday from bagels with friends at 6:00 am, to Educator Night at Fernbank's Martinis and IMAX in the evening. The middle portion of the day included: teaching, working on a research project, attending Jumma, and jogging with the Running Club for the first time since the new school year. Wow, what a day!

Part of the perfect plan involved exercising at 4:30 am. In an abnormal sequence of events I did not get up until a few minutes before 5:00. Thus, exercise was out as I had to get across town for the bagel gathering. Travel time between midday events never left enough time for a full 30 minutes of exercise, then clean up and get to the next place.

 So, I divided and conquered. First, I ran 2.2 miles cleaned up and went to the next stop on the agenda. Afterwards I put up another three miles with the Running Club. The split decision was a new one for me, and it worked pretty well. All the day's events came together perfectly.  Funny, enough we have a very similar plan for this week. The only difference is that it's Educator Night at the Carlos Museum. I hope to get up on time this go around.

The most common reason people give for not exercising is lack of time. Divide and conquer. Do whatever it takes. Run.

Tom

A reflective prayer in Fiji

During the first week of April I writhed in physical pain, mental anguish and torment. Physical pain emanated from a mystery injury to my lower back, which led to said emotional distress. Mostly my laments related to the future plans. I had just secured a new teaching position, an ideal one at that. Shannan and I had a trip planned to visit Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in the summer, and finally I had arranged to engage in religious studies research at GSU. As the aching in my back grew worse and continued over time I feared our grand plans lost. Even more disturbing I envisioned a lifetime off back problems would become the mosaic of my life. This was not the ideal future we were diligently piecing together. 

God had mercy. Indeed, as mentioned previously, when the mysterious back throbbing arrived I immediately started a regime of stretches and carefully tended to the injured area. In a matter of days the intense pain dissipated. All that came crashing in on me during a run on the beach of Sigatoga, Fiji as I prayed. I was mindful that that very day, the travel and the running, had been in jeopardy. I am grateful for the little things in life, like running. Life would have gone on with a lingering injury. I am so thankful things worked out as they did. I still have no idea what caused the four days of excruciating lower back pain. I do know that with gratitude and great appreciate I remain committed to health, fitness, The Steak, and doing my very best in my new scholarly positions. Thanks be to God. Allah akbar

Pray. Run.

Tom

Sweet New Year

What a difference a week can make! As I suggested in the Happy New Year piece, I decided to make use of the university gym. So I did, and realized two great benefits. First, I engaged in all cardiovascular activities at a fairly high level. This included using a variety of machines and regular running with college age people. The latter caused my ego to get in the way, and I ran faster than my standard workouts. This helped in shedding a couple of pounds.

Secondly, all the running and cardio activities gave my long troubled shoulder a rest. As of today it is feeling fine. I plan to ease into some resistance training in the weeks ahead. I hope it's not too soon.

Mix it up. Exercise.

Tom

Autumn Running

Autumn is closing in much faster than I appreciate. In 1997, the first full year of The Streak, I began training to run a marathon on Thanksgiving morning. Much of the fall was filled with a rigid schedule of mileage, strength and speed workouts. I was running more than ever, and weekends were reserved for long runs.

 

I found it somewhat humorous that over a short period of time that an easy 30 minute run evolved into an hour and then to three hours just to have a training run for the day. I often think this early contextual experience of methodical training paved the way for the success and longevity of The Streak. I was firm in my resolve to run that first marathon. I'm sure that focused practiced led to daily exercise becoming a non-negotiable in my life.

 

Another interesting side effect is that I tend to associate Fall as the time to take long runs. I have a 10 mile race in early October. To date, I haven't done as much training as I should. I've been running around six miles. That said, I think it's time to stop writing, put on my shoes and start running.

 

Enjoy the lovely weather. Take long runs.

 

Tom

 

Get a Go Bag.

Scheduling worked out so that last Friday the Hembree running group got together for our first run since the summer. One of the regular members didn't get the impromptu message from the night before about the plan to run. She woefully missed out.

Last spring I encouraged the group to pack a "go bag.” This includes a tee shirt, shorts, underwear, socks and an old pair of running shoes. The idea is to keep a packed bag in the trunk of your car. I rehashed this concept with the gal who missed the memo, and in the process realized I had not packed shorts in my bag for the day. Luckily I had a "go bag” in the trunk of Shannan's car, with very ugly shorts. It served as a further example.

Hard core runners might want to include a watch, water bottle, towel in the BAG. Really serious folks will want to have a secondary “go bag” in the trunk of your significant other’s car.

Be ready to go. Run.

Tom

Happy New Year, Again

Are you ready for something new? I regularly say Happy New Year in early September. Schools have started, college semesters are up and running, for those who watch television new episodes and shows are beginning, sporting events are shifting and a new season, Fall, is upon us. This time marks a personal change as well. Shannan and I both are taking new turns on our career paths, nothing major, just turns. 

 

For me, the new turn places me on a university campus a few days a week. As it turns out, the school has a very nice newly constructed recreation facility. I think with the New Year at hand I'll go for a change of pace in exercise activity and location. Some months ago a shoulder injury prompted an unplanned end to my yearlong intense fitness program. So, I see this as the perfect time for a change of pace. I'll run, workout and take exercise classes on campus.

 

This grand plan started a couple of weeks ago and I have been delighted. I joined in the cardio sculpt class, worked hard and had a blast. I love the array equipment in the gym and I’ve shed a couple of pounds just with the introduction of variety into my workouts.

 

I wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

 

Tom

Leaving Los Angeles

Ten hours in the air from Fiji was to be followed by nine hours of layover in Los Angeles, CA. After all that we had the final leg of our trip, a five hour flight to Atlanta. I don't mind long travel days. For me, layovers are simply an excuse to go out and jog in the city surrounding the airport. As I prepared to hit the streets of the City of Angles it occurred to me that it had been a long time since my last run here. Then the penny dropped. It was March 8 of 1997. I ran in Pomona, CA, a suburb of LA. That night I missed a plane and stayed up all night in the airport. I caught the first flight home in the morning.

I didn't exercise immediately upon arrival. Shannan picked me up and we went out for dinner to celebrate her brother's birthday. Exhausted, I fell asleep in the car on the way home. Once we arrived I couldn't muster the energy to exercise. March 9, 1997 that was the last day I did not exercise. The 15 year old memory suddenly seemed raw and fresh. I hurried to get out and run. I relished in each stride as I clicked off four miles.  

The real trick would come the next day. To top off a long travel day we had a red-eye flight home. Yes, was a little out of sorts from traveling, time changes and the like. Nonetheless, the first thing I did when we got to the house was preserve The Streak. Alas, the curse of The Streak has been left in Los Angeles. 

Keep running.

Tom