Get Focused

Like so many other Fridays, Shannan and I had this one planned from dawn to late night. Our agenda for the day included work, meetings, and travel. Scurrying around in the early hours of the morning I used my limited time poorly. We had to leave before I had exercised. I packed my gym bag with a couple of extras, a laptop and a CD of Shaun T.’s Focus T 25. I’d started the program just over two weeks ago, and I really wanted to stay on track.

After dropping Shannan at work and crawling through Atlanta’s heavy morning traffic, I pulled of the Interstate at the neighborhood of my youth. A park where I spent lots of time as a kid served as my outdoor gym. I placed the laptop on a picnic table and completed the cardio workout in a cool fifty degrees. It was nice to be back on my old stomping grounds, even with this terribly new activity.

Find a way to fit it in. Exercise.

Tom

Blue Ridge, Blues & BBQ

Shannan and I went out early in the season to pick apples. This year we visited Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge. We decided to make the most of the road trip to North Georgia by staying the night Saturday and getting out to the orchard first thing Sunday morning. We didn't have a dinner plan for Saturday; however we did have a list of many restaurants in town. Good fortune befell us. Upon arrival we learned the Blues and Barbecue Festival was taking place downtown. Our choice was made.

We thoroughly enjoyed the festival including a turn through a local art gallery and listening to great music. Our biggest dilemma came in deciding on which BBQ station to patronize. In the end, we divided and conquered. We each went to a different place. Both vendors provided exquisite food. We had pulled pork, sausage and brisket along with traditional sides of mac and cheese, brunswick stew, cornbread and baked beans.

Some years ago we visited a traveling food exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian in Indian Springs, GA. One of the panels noted that sharing recipes affirms the bonds of friendship and family. A year or so later while touring the Agrirama in Tifton, GA I enjoyed a small section about BBQ in the south. Several quotes suggested that barbeque is one of the unique food items which crosses racial lines, and in fact brings people together.

Roasting meat does not happen in nature. It's a practice that sets humans apart from the animal kingdom, and it's intricately linked to human communities across time and place. I plan to explore this topic more as the first theme in forthcoming podcasts, Bread, Beer and BBQ: The Sustenance of Societies.

Read. Eat. Run.

Tom

The unplanned plan

I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted to exercise or to go for a run. So, I walked Shannan out to her car and it didn't start. In order for us both to get to work on time, we had to leave right away. So, the decision was made, not to exercise at the moment. Of course we had fully packed day planned, with an evening outing as well. To add to the dilemma, I was teaching on two campuses. I knew immediately I would have to skip lunch and exercise midday.

On the way between the campuses I stopped off in a park to get in a run. As mentioned before, I have a “go bag” always packed in my car. It has everything I need to fit in an exercise session. The park was small. I explored its fields and trails before I ventured out on the street for a bit. The weather was lovely and I took an opportunity to run in a new place. So even as a rushed unplanned experience, it turned out grand. Our busy day and fun evening went smoothly, including purchasing and installing a new battery for Shannan’s car.

Roll with the punches. Run.

Tom

Unring the Bell

“Unring the bell,” Judge Lance Ito admonished the jury in the O.J. Simpson trial. That was the first setting I heard the phrase. I liked it. A couple of years later my Hebrew Bible Professor, John H. Hayes, instructed the class, “I need you to forget what you know.”  Moreover, he instructed us to read the Bible as if it was the first time. Ito's "Uring the bell" admonition came to mind. I tried earnestly to encounter the scriptures as new throughout out the yearlong course. The more I was able to leave my prior experience at the door, the more useful it was to pick it back up after class. Make no mistake, this was a struggle every single class session. I give the same admonition to students in my Hebrew Bible and New Testament courses.

 

Yesterday, I went out for a run on the route I use most often as it’s close to my home. The sun had not made its daily appearance. I was reminded that this is the time I often run when traveling. When out of town I am very mindful of weather, and surrounding as I run. I try to commit as much as possible to memory out on the road so I can add it to my travel journal and as well as posts on this site. I decided to try to unring the bell. I wanted to look at my own neighborhood and try to see it for the first time, as if I were a traveler new to the area.

 

Wow, was it difficult. All I could think about was the process. The shops, scenery, rolling hills, and even smells were all too familiar. I failed to forget what I knew. Afterwards I decided I should have crossed the street. That might have helped. Nonetheless, this experience will help me as I work with students in future class when I call on them to unring the bell on very familiar territory.

 

Run as if it's the first time.

 

Tom

Focus T 25

Greetings!  We purchased Shaun T.’s Focus T 25 exercise program. I liked the idea of having a quick (25 minutes) high intensity workout program for hurried days. Shannan wanted the program for the workout time and because it includes real modifications, unlike Shaun T’s Insanity and Asylum. So far we have been giving each routine a try and plan to start the full 10 week program in September.

The Abs Interval and Speed 1.0 discs in the Alpha series are good workouts. However, they are not as high impact as the others. Some people may want to add other physical activities for these days. My experience has been that you want to make sure you have supportive and comfortable shoes. Generally, the moves change every 30 seconds and your feet do a lot of the work in the Alpha series.

Like Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer, these workouts have many complex and combination moves. You do not have much time to switch from one to the other. You may want to watch the DVDs first before committing your exercise time. Overall, Shannan and I are both pleased with the prospect of the next 10 weeks.  We’ll keep you posted.

If only for 25 minutes, Focus.

Tom

You have to believe

Greetings!  Many times I try to convince folks that to fully embrace running it should begin as a slow process. This is especially true for adults who have never had running as a part of their regular life style, or if it has been several years since they last went for a run. Starting with one slow mile seems to offend people's senses. Many folks want to hit the road for 5 or 10K at an 8-minute mile pace. That's just not realistic, nor is it likely to be good for your body.

If you want to take up running, you have to believe distance and speed will come. It's a progression that you build up to weekly. If you create a safe and viable plan and follow it you can find running to provide numerous health benefits and to be a great individual outlet for exploring and reflecting. You have to believe.

I use belief and moderate progression in many facets of my life, and I have to say it pays off when I truly decide and commit to a cause. I have recently used this very successfully in my fitness and professional life. I set forth a plan in the late spring. I called it the 101 Days of Summer. This plan involved an intense workout regime of cardio and resistance training as well a methodical approach to my career goals in education.

After the 101 days my goals were met in both categories. I made great strides in my fitness and very positive changes in my professional standing. I feel great. All it took was faith that I could follow through and work the plan. I kept a daily diary of progress. This helped me to focus. Ultimately, I met my objectives more than a week early. This is not a "look I'm so fantastic" piece. It's a, “I took my time (slow and steady), I believed and I worked hard.” Everyone can do that. Thus, I am writing to encourage you to do just that.

Work the magic. Believe in yourself and be grateful for the results of your labor.

Believe. Run.

Tom

Ask and ye shall receive

Time and time again when traveling I seek out places to run not crowded with the same old set of retail establishments. This is a problem as we often stay near airports or close to interstate exits. I am not opposed to entrepreneurs or city running. In fact, I quite like running on main thoroughfares filled with local businesses and shops. I find this setting gives a sense of the community, unlike the same old big name retailers found in shopping plazas all over the U.S.

 

I got what I asked for in miles and miles of Cheyenne, WY. The interstate exit had a hotel, a gas station and one other industrial business. All of these were swallowed by vast wide-open spaces. What a joy it was to wind through the hills decorated by streams, ponds and ranches. Once atop of a gradual incline the road looked as if it was a path to the edge of the Earth, a truly spectacular sight to behold. The morning was cool and quiet. My only companion on the road was good-sized snake. We kept our distance. A July temperature much lower than I expected and slight altitude were not enough to diminish the wonder of the run on this day. 

 

I learned only 500,000 people live in WY. I figure a person could have a marvelous run like this one just about any time anywhere in the entire state. That's a beautiful thing!

 

In not in Wyoming, Run where you are.

 

Tom