What is the most important facet of a healthy, sound, long-lasting life as a runner/walker? Without a doubt, it’s the shoes. That’s what I love about running. To run for exercise, you don’t need a partner, fancy clothes, any kind of equipment; just open the door and out go for immediate stress relief and heart-pumping health.
The only thing that can really mess things up is running day after day in the wrong shoes.
Take it from me. I almost crippled myself running in the wrong shoes and other than goofy missteps that resulted in twisted ankles, every injury I ever had running wise can be traced back to my shoes. Most often, these injuries were a result of wearing a pair of shoes for too long. Shoes wear out long before you can see the wear in the sole. The cushioning in the midsole breaks down – and that can create lots of problems. Especially the older you get — when cushioning is key.
When I started training for my first marathon, I asked Madison running guru Michael Naples for advice. He asked, “How many of running shoes do you have?”
About a billion.
All stuck in the closet somewhere. But those are old shoes. Even I knew enough at that point that I needed to change my shoes often. But I only had one pair I ran in every day.
BAD.
Michael advised getting at least two pair, better three, that you feel comfortable running. Different brands too. (Don’t just have three pairs of the same Asics). He explained when you run your foot strikes in its own way, over and over in the same position. Your foot will strike differently in different shoes. That’s good. I followed his advice and was able to train without any serious injury and complete my race.
Keep track of your mileage, 300 to 500 miles and they’re toast. Once again, long before they look worn. This means for a 25 mile per week runner three to four months.
And in my stupidity file, it took me 30 years of running before I went to a specialty store to have my running gait evaluated. Overpronate (roll to the inside of the foot), Supinate (roll to outside) or just normal – all makes a HUGE difference as to what shoe you should be wearing to keep injury free. After my visit to Phidippides last fall (http://www.phidippides.com/blog/), Sam pulled out dozens of shoes and watched me run back and forth. I found three pairs I loved! And rotated them through my successful marathon venture. I was so ecstatic after my shopping experience – I gave Sam a hug saying I feel like I have been healed. (Or heeled.)
Best part was that I told Sam I was on a budget and he got me into three pairs of awesome shoes for less than I had been buying two pairs of the wrong type of shoes online. This was me – the 30 year runner. Finally getting smart.
Good shoes are the best investment – next to time on the pavement – that you can make in long-lasting, healthy running. And nothing, I mean nothing feels like a run in new shoes. Especially, shoes for your running gait. I just get all warm and fuzzy thinking about it. If you’re a runner, you know exactly what I mean. I hope.
University of Georgia won on a last second field goal.
The Morgan County Bulldogs won their Homecoming game against previously undefeated Jackson County.
My dear friend Karen Spence completed the inaugural Georgia 70.3 Ironman yesterday. (Along with Madtown locals hubby Rick, Chanin Gill and Kate Shepard.)
Tim Tebow and the Gators battled an undisclosed “respiratory illness” to steamroll Kentucky.
Funny, when I was young I supposed champions were genetically gifted souls. People who just walked out their front door in the morning and conquered the world whether their arena be business, sports, high school popularity, humanitarian effort. They were people God waved some large magic wand and said – you are chosen. You will excel against all adversity. You will have mighty courage and never know pain.
That wasn’t me.
Like a lot of lies we believe in our youth, I was captive to that mentality.
I now know differently.
The only way champions are different than most of us is that they persevere. They don’t expect things to be easy, and when thing get tough – they stay tough.
Life just is hard. It’s wonderful and deep and filled with cashmere. But not easy.
Enjoy the pain sometimes. Persevere to the other side and win. Same you different result. You didn’t throw in the towel because things weren’t the way you planned.
Seeing those UF football players throw up into red plastic bags and keep playing. There were no, “I feel really, really sick. Guess this wasn’t meant to be.” They must have felt horrible. But they got out there and did their job.
My friend Karen’s text after the 70.3 Ironman — 1.2 mile swim, 56 bike and 13.1 run. “It was really hard. Every muscle group in my legs cramped. But I did it.”
When life gets tough, get tough right back. Call on holy power from above. That’s what it takes to make a champion. Don’t expect ease and comfort. Just do it. You’ll look back and be proud.
Wearing white shorts past Labor Day. Doesn’t that violate some kind of rule? But no one else could ever sing this song — though interesting choice for concert hydration.
This is a big day. For the last week (work week), I have gotten up at 4 a.m. Made it a full week. That’s at least 5 waking hours I added to my lifetime.
If I do that for 52 weeks that makes…let me find the calculator…because I am tired and hopeless at math even when I am not tired.
That makes 260 hours waking hours added to a year. I will gain 10.8 DAYS.
If the Lord gives me 30 more years…waking up an hour earlier adds 325 days. I gain almost a full year of life.
WOW. That was a lot of math.
And that is a lot of time. To learn, to write, to study God’s word, to swim, to bike, to run. To work on building up your client base…to hug and to take quantum leaps toward playing Jingle Bells on the banjo. To volunteer or show love in ways you’ve always felt led but never could find the time. Well, we found it!
I found five hours this week.
The sky’s the limit. Just five days a week. Take some time this weekend to think about what you could do with 10.8 days added to your year.
It’s late August and time to pack for vacation. What’s a mom to do? Toss a few pairs of shorts in the suitcase. On second thought, why not wear hiking shorts to be ready upon arrival at destination. A few hours later finds our mom striding down the stairs of Air Force One at the Grand Canyon.
For us in the northern hemisphere, Earth has started its tilt AWAY from the Sun.
BAD.
Well, not so bad but that does mean our time of sun exposure is declining each day.
What gives?
Frigid nights, wind chills and sobs each morning I awake?
No, silly.
Well, if honest it might mean some of those things, but what I’m most concerned about is what that will do to my Vitamin D intake?
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low bone mass and osteoporosis because Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium from the diet. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked with poor muscle strength (What will I do to be prepared for Emily Buck’s boot camp each morning?) and other chronic conditions.
Vitamin D not only helps our bodies absorb calcium for strong bones, new research suggests it may also help protect against chronic diseases such as cancer, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases. Wow.
But what if anything might this have to do with the rapidly declining amount of SUNLIGHT we are experiencing?
Many adults are deficient in the amount of Vitamin D they need. Why? Because (crazy I know) it doesn’t seem we can get enough from food. Vitamin D is most easily acquired through exposure to sunlight and multivitamins.
If you live in the southern U.S., try spending 15 minutes a few times a week with no sunscreen.
Oh, btw it’s also very hard to overdose on Vitamin D, unless you really are into taking in abnormally large amounts of cod liver oil.
Yum.
Okay. To be at optimum health, go spend a few minutes in the sun today.
That’s an order. Because I care. (a little. I really do.)
Dirty Dancing. I paid to see that movie a 100 times or at least three. One time, I dragged mother with me.
Big mistake. She crossed her arms and mumbled disapproval within the first 30 seconds of the opening credits rolling against black and white images of intertwined bodies of dancing Catskill resort staffers.
He could dance. He was beautiful. But funny, I always adored Patrick Swayze not because he was amazing dancer, not because of his perfect physique, not because he stuck up for Baby.
Just because he was so beautiful. Period.
There was something so down to earth, so likable, so committed to his wife, so completely at piece with himself that was irresistable. So more than all that dancing — dancing that sometimes drifted into areas that were a little less dancing and a little more, well, a little more something else. More than anything, it was his inner beauty that so captivated me.
I pray for his wife and those who loved him so…and though my favorite performance he ever delivered was the SNL Chippendale dancer skit with Chris Farley, I shall dedicate this Music Monday to Patrick Swayze and
And, you know the rest. Have a great start to the week.
Spending some time on the beach. Just me and this seagull.
Seagulls usually hang in flocks, but his flock was nowhere to be seen. You think he would like some company – like me, stalking him with a camera?
He tolerated me at best.
How could I communicate that I wanted to be his flock mate? To skim out over the ocean, dive for little fish and scoop bitty crabs out of the sand for lunch.
Take a risk Jamie… stick your neck out and be vulnerable. You might make a new friend. So I asked if he wanted some company. I mentioned skimming out over the ocean, snacking on a teensy silver fish.
He stared.
I moved closer.
He took off, flew right in front of me and landed about 15 yards down the shoreline. So you want to act the lonely seagull. One cast out into the utter regions, banished from his flock, sentenced to a life of solitude — flying up and down the waterline. I yelled into the wind, “Playing the petulant, brooding sea bird is not very attractive!” He glanced over and turned his head. Birds. Ugh.
Finding myself alone for the moment at the beach with the sand, the tide and the breeze on my face, I opened a jar and scooped up a bit of sand, a drop of the Atlantic and quickly snagged a ray of sunshine as it broke through the clouds.
I clamped the lid down with force and twisted it quick. There. All ready to pull out on January 25 when I really need a shot of the beach.
My friend looked back. Definitely wanting me to follow. So follow I did. Walking down the beach for one last moment of summer.
Perfect. Or would be if that darned bird tossed a smile my way. I know he wants to. Maybe he wants to? Surely if he knew me — he would want to be my friend.
The new school year. Freshly sharpened pencils, crisp binders and the timeout room at the primary school. Around our house it’s affectionately called Panda Prison — or Ling Ling. (more…)
So you want to change. Maybe do something a little different.
• Learn to surf.
• Run/walk a 5K.
• Run a marathon.
• Lose 15 pounds.
• Spend less and save more. (boo hiss)
• Make a difference.
Starting a new venture we often buy books, ask questions of people with knowledge in the area. Do lots of looking around, thinking about how we are going to change our life, waiting….waiting. Often the most difficult challenge in conquering a new goal or life plan has nothing to do with shedding weight, running faster or looking younger.
The hardest thing to change – is within the depths of the mind.
We have to believe.
Now this doesn’t mean that one can just sit on the bed and think really, really hard, click our heels and *POOF* we’re standing up on the board with our head in the tube. Looking so cool like we’ve always imagined. (Please tell me everyone imagines themselves doing that). No, to get fabulously large on the board — one must practice for hours and hours.
If we haven’t done anything athletic in years, one can’t buy new running shoes and expect to run 3 miles. It happens step by step. Literally. First walking 30 minutes then running a bit during the subsequent 30 minute walks. Gradually you find you’ve run the full 30 minutes. Looking behind, one can say…I started back 3 miles and now I’m here. Wow.
No change of any consequence happens if there is no belief one can accomplish the task. What is it you want to do?
• Photography
• Start an outreach program in your community
• Swim the English Channel singing “Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?”
We can do anything we dream with a plan and a hook buried deep in our heart.“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13
Commit that dream to God and believe. He pressed desire down into your soul. When doubt comes, cast it aside and press on. Laugh at doubt. Scoff at the scoffers…for they will come. Just because you are fulfilling a calling or desire sanctioned by God, it doesn’t mean the road will be easy. “If you only do what is easy, you will always remain weak.” Joyce Meyer
What is it you want to do? Well, one thing’s for absolute sure – I don’t want to remain on the weak side of things in this lifetime.
BELIEVE then act. Don’t turn back when things get tough.
We (with God’s help) can do anything! Get going…Have a great Wednesday!
Rock bands come and go. Like other intense human relationships, groups that last require love, friendship, commitment and a willingness to let others grow. Well, you better throw in a lot of talent too.
Take the Eagles.
Gi-normous in the 70s and early 80s, they split up and went their own way. But after individual success, they rejoined to make music in the last decade. Like the person you can’t be your best without, they were meant to be together.
I love their latest album Long Road Out of Eden (2007). Though I am a mediocre music critic at best, these songs stand as a testament that life washes the same over all — even rock stars now in their 60s.
The lyrics hold hints, bits and pieces, clues of how life affected these fellow aging sojourners who just happen to have a knack for writing music the world loves. Song writers, music makers — looking back and forward on life.
The boys who lived Life in the Fast Lane wrote Fast Company for latest album. The lyrics sound a lot like conversations with my 16 year-old. Or what I would say to my 16 year-old if he would listen to me more than two seconds.
Fast Company (G. Frey and D. Henley)
“Now it’s alright
To have some fun
This is your turn
Your life has just begun
You’re racin’ out the door
Don’t have very much to say
Your motor’s runnin’ hot
You can’t wait to get away
Lookin’ up the road ahead
You can’t see very far
Remember where you come from
Remember who you are
Be careful what you say
Be careful who you trust
This world is beautiful
This world is dangerous
Fast company
Fast company
You’re going nowhere, you’re going nowhere fast
Fast company
Fast company
You’re going nowhere, you’re going nowhere…”
To start Music Monday – a salute to the Eagles.
Just like the best relationships, they only get better with time if one is willing to make the commitment to stay completely in for the long run.
Winners, winners everywhere.
Spending some time on the beach. Just me and this seagull.
