Tracking Miles and More

Greetings! One of my favorite parts of traveling comes in the opportunity to go out for a run in new places. Jogging roads of cities, towns, and villages provides an opportunity to get a closer look than being in a car or other forms of transportation. Of course, many times I run very early in the morning and darkness shrouds some of the uniqueness of a place. One other situation is that I usually run for time when away from home. To track my mileage, I assume an eight-minute mile. This is generally good enough. 

Recently I purchased a watch that has GPS and will record my route. It’s a handy little tool that I must confess I really like. Initially, I resisted this technology. I didn’t have a good reason, perhaps I’m just set in my ways. Old ways be gone. Not only can I track miles, but there’s an app (of course there’s and app) that will record where I ran. This is totally not necessary, but again, it’s a nice tool. Like other wearables the watch will keep up with steps, movements and more. The data is collected daily and compiled weekly. Since I began using the latter tools I have lost a couple of pounds. That has eye-opening.

Move in Stride with Technology. Run.

Tom

Event Planning

Greetings! I hope this post finds you well. It’s just over two weeks until the 20^th anniversary of The Streak. As you might imagine, I’ve been contemplating this occasion quite a bit. Every day I am mindful of how and when I will exercise in order to preserve The Streak. Moreover, each year around this time I begin to reflect on the last twelve months of exercise and the set of consecutive days that make up The Streak. The last time I was this focused on the anniversary was 10 years ago. I felt that a decade was big deal. Now here I am 10 years later, and I still think it’s a big deal.

I know I will run March 10. The thing that causes some consternation is I can’t think of how to make it special. I fully understand the accomplishment is something grand. I feel like I should run 20 miles as something symbolic and fun. I know that my schedule will not allow for such on that particular day. I feel certain the right thing will present itself to me.

Plan for big days. Run.

Tom

Climate Dissonance

Greetings! We are expecting another day to reach the high 60s, if not 70 degrees, for our 2017 Saint Valentine’s Day in Georgia. I have enjoyed running in the unseasonably warm afternoons of late.  Sunday, I went for a run first thing in the morning with a temperature of 64. It was in the low 40s at the same time the previous day.

I live in a constant state of value conflict. I make no effort to hide my distaste for cold weather. I am particularly fond of unexpected warmer days in the winter. While at the same time, I have a strong commitment to environmental preservation. I know the many warm winters we have had in Georgia over the last decade are abnormal. Today, I learned that since the 1970’s Mount Kilimanjaro has lost over 90% of its glacier. In time, this will have a major impact on the climate of regions far beyond Kenya and the continent of Africa. Wonder if I’ll appreciate spring like Februaries then?

Reduce your carbon footprint. Run.

Tom

Core Values

Greetings! I took part in an interesting conversation recently. Two questions were asked. What would people say defines you based on your beliefs? What would people say defines you based on your behaviors?  For the latter, other people said the answer for me was The Streak. That’s a good answer and I am happy that people think of my behaviors as linked to health and fitness. Next, month The Streak will be twenty (20) years old. That is a great deal of my adult life.

As to my beliefs, the answers varied in the conversation. No one in this group knew that a few years ago, I did a reflection activity and established four core values for myself. I try to be mindful of them every day. The four core values are Calmness, Moderation, Tolerance and Compassion. Honestly, I struggle with tolerance more than the others. I continue to strive for improvement, as I feel tolerance is important.

I’ve heard it said, “You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything.” What would people say defines you based on your beliefs? What would people say defines you based on your behaviors?

Have core values. Run.

Tom

Ode to Hembree Park

Greetings! There’s a park in Roswell where I’ve been running since 2001. It’s the one place I have jogged the most since The Streak began in 1997. Recently, we have been seriously considering downsizing and moving to a condominium. A property came on the market within a quarter of a mile from this park. I spent a number of days having visions of how nice it would be to live so close to the park, and all the fantastic running options in Roswell and Alpharetta.

We walked through the condo yesterday. The place fit all our needs. Afterwards we had a long and thoughtful conversation. In the end, we decided to stay at our current location for a while longer. The running fantasy was nice while it lasted.

No Matter Where, Run!

Tom