Day 58: To Be or Not to Be a Runner...

As I get back into running, there are some things I've had to reacquaint myself.  Everyone knows there's a certain commitment to running.  Getting the right shoes and clothing.  Starting out gradually and ensuring you balance running with a good diet, stretching and some strength training.  That's all well and good but there are a number of prerequisites that even most running mags don't address.  So, here are some things you probably won't find in Runner's World but you should consider before you decide to add the title "runner" to your personal resume.

1. You'll hear voices (no, not the kind that tell you to build an ark).  If you're going to get into distance running (over 10K), you'll be spending a lot of time in your head.  That means you're going to have to entertain all those thoughts and feelings you have for the duration of your runs.  I personally believe that what keeps most folks from running, any distance, is that they can't deal with what's in their head.  When you first get into running the first thing you'll hear is the crescendo of voices screaming for you to stop.  All parts of your body will be bitching and moaning to your brain about the madness of this running endeavor.  Feet, shins, knees, hips, back, lungs, everyone of them will be chiming in on what a bad idea running is.  It takes awhile but eventually you'll break through that barrier and those voices will soften to a whisper.  But don't kid yourself.  They never go away, even for experienced runners.  
2. Acquiring badges of honor.  Be prepared for blisters.  That's a gimmie.  We runners always get blisters on our feet and toes.  There are some cool tricks like spreading Vaseline around your toes that will help.  But there will be some bigger issues to face.  Ankle, shin, knee or hip pain.  You can usually work through those with strength training, stretching and LOTS of ice.  Embrace the ice, love the ice.  Ice is your friend.  Now move forward in time.  You've been running for years now, logging over 1,200 miles a year.  By this time there's a good chance you'll experience the dreaded sciatica!  If you don't know what that is, imagine this.  Someone taking a hot knife, thrusting and twisting it deep in your lower back, while bolts of electricity shoot down both legs and toes.  It's all you can do to avoid falling over.  Add to that the throbbing heal spurs you've acquired over the years and you can consider yourself an Executive Platinum status runner. 
3. You'll start to equate "relaxing" to "running".  When work and home get to be a bit much, your escape will be your running shoes.  When mentally or emotionally exhausted, the normal person might want to crawl into a hot bath, light some candles and listen to Miles Davis.  Runners, on the other hand, will want to but on their running gear, dial into their favorite tunes on their iPod and sink into the rhythm of their feet hitting the pavement.
4. You'll learn you can go to the bathroom ANY WHERE.  As runners we all do our best to "blow the pipes" before we head out on a run.  For me, personally, I've been pretty successful at it but there have been a number of incidents where... uh, well, never mind.  When I plan my long distance runs I always include the logistic support that will get me through my run.  Unlike the abundant support you get from race day aid stations, your training runs are all YOU.  Back in So Cal, I established well laid out running courses that included plenty of water stops and the all important bathrooms.  And to answer the question "Does a runner shit in the woods?"  I'm hear to give an emphatic YES!  It certainly isn't the most pleasant thing I've ever done but one can't deny nature's call.  It's funny because if this situation happened to you while you were hiking or whatever, you'd be pretty miserable having to go through this, especially if you had nothing for tidying up.  But a runner, although briefly inconvenienced, will feel relieved and ready to get back on the road. 
5. It's not always sunny weather.  Expect to be cold, hot and everything in between.  The "bug" to run is not influenced by weather.  You're much like the postman - rain, snow, sleet, hail, heat, wind, etc.  Even though you'll want to think twice about going out in freezing or blazing conditions, that inner voice will still be taunting you to lace 'em up and go.  Even in the harshest conditions, a runner will find that inner peace that will actually help you appreciate your surroundings.  In any weather condition you need to prepare.  Have the right clothing, the right foods and plenty of fluids.  

Many of you might be thinking "this is NUTS!", and to some degree you're probably right.  For those of you who are already runners, this will all make sense.  But for those of you that aren't runners but for some reason kinda feel turned on by what I've said, well, you've got all the makings of a runner.  So embrace your true nature and hopefully some day our running paths will cross.  :-)

Day 57: An exercise in futility...

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.  I guess you might call me insane every time I give Sophie a single treat, expecting that to be enough for her, only to have her continue to beg for more.  Leave it to me to think a dog might have the capacity to reason and exercise restraint.  Why not?  They have the capacity to show affection, compassion and playfulness.  They have the uncanny ability to sense when we're hurting and will remain by our side until we're better. Tell me they don't know that when they stare at you with those big brown eyes that they aren't trying to play on our emotions to get what they want.  That would account for why Sophie can crawl up on our bed every night without objection from me.  So why shouldn't they have the capacity to think "hey, John just gave me a bully  stick, I really don't need that tortilla chip."  Perhaps in a perfect world that situation might play out.  In the meantime, I'll continue to succumb to those big, brown eyes!

Day 56: Sunrise over Denver...

Sophie and I weathered the blustery winds and chill to see the sun rise over Denver.  This was taken in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain, off of the I70.  Didn't quite get to the location I was originally looking for but I made the best of the situation and managed to find this particular spot.  Would've liked to have a bunch of clouds in the scene but I'll take what Mother Nature gives me.  Took a nice long, leisurely drive home through Golden.  Always fun to explore new places...

Day 55: Stoking the Fire...

I know this blog is technically suppose to be a photography 365 and lately my photos have been somewhat lacking.  My apologies for that however it has been my intent from day 1 to share not only images that hopefully you find appealing but to also share experiences and thoughts I have.  My constant disclaimer - you may not find it all that interesting and perhaps some of it might even be offensive.  Hopefully it does give you cause to think and if it does then I consider this blog a success.

I had an exceptionally good training session today.  And this really didn't have anything to do with the workout in and of itself. It was really about the days leading up to it and then the execution of the session.  You see, it wasn't my typical workout.  My physical training (PT) sessions with Natalie are usually 30 minutes long where she shows me the routines and I go through a couple sets of each.  It's sort of a practice for the real session I do on my own because she usually has me doing a ton of sets/reps and lately they're all timed.  But at the end of this session we also did a run workout together.  You may recall that I committed to running the Mt. Evans Ascent with her so we're going to start training some together. 

I have to admit, I had quite a lot of angst about this workout over the last several days.  Keep in mind, Natalie is exceptionally fit, is a good 21 years younger than me and runs half marathons just cuz.  I was really concerned, hell, SCARED, that I wouldn't be able to keep up.  You see my real fear, and I shared this with her after the fact, is that there was a certain expectation on me to do this and I was truly afraid I would not measure up.  I've mentioned this before in previous blogs and that is the thing we fear most in life is something we've already experienced.  For me it's letting someone down.  I've experienced it before.  The disappointment in their eyes and the tone of "that's ok..." is something I just can't bear.  I don't know what it is, or where it came from.  I can remember feeling this way as far back as kindergarten. 

Over the years this fear has manifested itself as my motivation to accomplish things.  I can't necessarily say it's a healthy thing but it's worked for me.  I tend to do a lot of things out of fear of failure.  Tasks I'm given by my boss get completed not because of the importance of the task but because my boss is depending on it.  Someone depends on you to do something you do it.  To fail them is to fail yourself.  There have been some silly implementations of this practice, such as running one of my fastest marathons ever only because I was needed for something that afternoon and I couldn't be late.  It's funny, I was recently told by someone that I exude a high degree of confidence in the way I carry myself.  I was shocked to hear that because if they only knew, that deep down inside there's a frightened child that has a deep fear of failure.

I don't really know if there's a conclusion to all of this.  Maybe it's just an observation of who I am.  But maybe it's an opportunity for you to look at yourself and figure out what really motivates you and try to figure out whether it's hurting or helping you.  Sometimes we're our own worse enemy.  But on the flip side, we may be our best ally.

So Natalie, keep setting that bar high.  I'll just have to scare myself to the top.  :-)

Day 54: Daddy's home!

This wasn't the longest business trip I've been on but it sure seemed like it.  Meetings were ok, not too much blood-letting.  There was definitely potential for things to get ugly at a couple points during the meetings but calmer heads prevailed.  The real highlight of the week was seeing my dear friends.  Oh heck, let's call a spade a spade.  They're family.  Jane and Darryl have known me from my high school days and AJ's been my "Big Bro" since the early '90s.  They are the ones that have seen the light and darkness of my life and yet still keep me close.  I honestly don't know what kind of life I would've had or what kind of person I would've become if I never experienced their friendship, their warmth, their humor and most importantly their love. 

But I'm home now, with my family.  My beautiful wife and my nutty dogs.  I've missed them so much.  As I walk out the Denver terminal I always look down at the TSA screening area and I actually feel for those people.  Sure, many are probably going home to their families but a great many of them are also leaving behind their loved ones, for one reason or another.  It makes me that much more anxious to get home to a familiar smile, a warm embrace and slobbery kisses.  :-)

Day 52: Creature of Habit...

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a man of routines. Keep it simple, keep it consistent. You mightsay I'm a picture of efficiency and precision. I do what works. I depend on dependability. You might also say I'm lazy as hell and don't want to put a lot of effort in thought. When you've already got a dependable solution, you don't have to think up an answer to "what am I going to wear" or "what am I going to eat?". When I'm on travel and I'm staying in to eat, it's grilled chicken Ceasar salad and bread. It's simple, easy and good and it's hard to screw up. With all the crap and drama that went on during the day, I'd like to know that one thing in my day turned out right. So bring on my salad and let me declare a final victory over an otherwise garbage day.

Day 53: More travel pics...

Here are a couple more photos I took around my hotel.  In the past I'm sure I would've completely ignored this.  Guess the one good thing about this "365" is that it's challenging me, reminding me, to be more aware of my surroundings.  There really is beauty all around us.  We just have to look.