2009 in review...

Hey runners! Been a long time since I posted anything here. Nine months to be exact...but I was reflecting on my 2009 running goals and had a few thoughts to share...

Over the course of 2009, I've trained for over 1100 miles, run 4 marathons and made bunches of great new friends on Twitter. I ran injury-free for the better part of 2009 and brought my average pace to a new level. All in all a fabulous year in running. However, I didn't meet any of my time goals. No sub-two half and no sub-four full. No BQ either, and I'm OK with that. But there is one goal that I achieved this past year that takes the proverbial cake. I've inspired others to lace up and get their run on.

Yes there are now a total of 3 people from my neighborhood running on a somewhat regular basis. Best of all, my wife can be counted among the newbies. She ran her first 5k back in November with a friend from down the street. It was mostly a "fun run", but the important thing is that they set a goal, trained for it, showed up, and finished it. She says she won't be running marathons anytime soon, but I know how this running thing can get under your skin.

When I looked back on the running goals I had set for 2009, I was mildly disappointed in not having completed all of them. But after some reflection, I see that I can check off the one that means the most, has the most impact and will always be a part of why I run: inspiring others to run.

Take care of yourselves and your running...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Running Bucket List...

Hey runners! Hope your training is going better than mine! I caught a virus 4 weeks back and I'm just now feeling human again. Boy, I remember when the common cold (which the doctor informed me this was) was just a few days with a scratchy throat and a runny nose.

Now it's like 5 days of fever and coughing, 10 days of sinus infection and 5 days of "Am I ever gonna feel normal again?"

Well needless to say my spring training is blown. I've run 2 times in the past 4 weeks for a total of 13 miles. I should be up around 40 miles per week at this stage! Not good. Hey at least I'm not injured, right?! I ran on Sunday, burning lungs and coughing mucus the whole way. I took Monday and Tuesday off and yesterday was my "rest" day anyway. I always hold true to my rest day even when my schedule is off. Today I'll attempt 4 miles just to try and get my legs under me again.

Now onto other business...Kevin at the Extra Mile is wondering what folks have on their running Bucket List, that's the list of running challenges or goals you'd like to achieve before kicking the bucket. My list, in no particular order, looks something like this:

• Run a sub 3:30 marathon


• Run a sub 2:00 half marathon


• Qualify for Boston


• Run Boston Marathon


• Run New York Marathon


• Run Chicago Marathon


• Run a marathon in all 50 states


• Run a marathon in a foreign country


• Run a marathon with my sons


• Inspire others to run

What's your running Bucket List?

Take care of yourselves and your running...

Quickie...

Hey runners! Here's a quickie to check out from RuncastTV. Join in on the fun by sharing your St. Patrick's Day running activities. There's a Guinness t-shirt on the line here, so cowboy up everybody!

Take care of yourselves and your running...

Resolution Update - FEB

Hey runners!

I've heard it said that one way to be a better blogger is to put yourself out there. Share a little bit of who you are, what makes you tick. I guess it's like saying, "Hey, can I trust you with this?" Anyway, here goes.

My New Years resolution is in answer to a great New Year's Challenge I found on the web. Instead of a list of lofty goals and aspirations, you were to boil it down to one word that represents the change you would like to see in yourself for the New Year. Sum it up in one word. My word? Execute. I do have a running list of goals and aspirations, but the single thing I need to improve on, the thing I resolve to do this year is to execute. I need to be better at bringing things over the goal line. Pulling the trigger. Gettin 'er done. It isn't anywhere near enough to want things, you need to do things. I heard somewhere the other day that you aren't paid for what you do, you're paid for what you know. That's great and I get it in terms of career and comp, but let me tell ya, when they're pullin' the curtain and someone calls out, "Fat Lady, you're up", folks will always remember you in terms of what you did as a person, not what you knew as a person.

I guess the long and belabored point I'm trying to make here is that it's important to do what you say and say what you do. These are the tenets of integrity. If I say I'm a runner and a marathoner, then by golly I better be out there running and marathoning. If I say I'm a blogger, then for crackin' ice dust off the keyboard and blog! If I say I need to improve my execution, then I should be taking the steps to change my behavior to do that. And there it is. It's out there. Folks, I feel like I have hit the wall in terms of being able to change. I guess that's not all doom and gloom, although it didn't work out for the dinosaurs or any other living creature on this planet that failed to adapt to change. I suppose T-rex couldn't keep his New Years resolution either.

Take care of yourselves and your running...

This is gonna be big!

Hey runners! It's no secret that I can be a little slow on the uptake, as the saying goes. Recently, I got an invite to a *new* social networking site called RuncastTV , but didn't think too much of it at the time. Oh don't get me wrong, I click ACCEPT on just about all the invites I receive to the latest distraction engines . I spent about five minutes perusing the site, checking out members, watching videos, looking at pics, and reading posts. Great. Done. Back to organizing my ticket stubs of the 1985 Summer Tour. Ah, patchouli...

But hold on here. I sensed something different. Something larger than just another social network. RuncastTV was different in that I *knew* some of the members. I recognized the names. Most importantly, I was interested in the content. I could see myself contributing to the community (because I already do with this silly little running blog ). I put the shoe box of ticket stubs away and logged in for another look. Comment wall, groups, blogging, pic uploads, videos, widgets...it slowly came to me: RuncastTV is Facebook for runners, by runners!! I get it, I get it!!

And you should too. Sign up and join the community.

Take care of yourselves and your running...

Try this one...

Hey runners! Found this great New Year's Challenge via TK's blog . I've given it some thought and I'm going with EXECUTE.

ex⋅e⋅cute

verb, -cut⋅ed, -cut⋅ing.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to carry out; accomplish: to execute a plan or order.

2.	to perform or do: to execute a maneuver; to execute a gymnastic feat.

3.	to inflict capital punishment on; put to death according to law.

4.	to murder; assassinate.

5.	to produce in accordance with a plan or design: a painting executed by an unknown artist.

6.	to perform or play (a piece of music).

7.

Law. a. to give effect or force to (a law, decree, judicial sentence, etc.). b. to carry out the terms of (a will). c. to transact or carry through (a contract, mortgage, etc.) in the manner prescribed by law; complete and give validity to (a legal instrument) by fulfilling the legal requirements, as by signing or sealing.

8.	Computers. to run (a program or routine) or to carry out (an instruction in a program).

–verb (used without object)

9.	to perform or accomplish something, as an assigned task.

10.	Sports. to perform properly the fundamental moves or mechanics of a sport, game, position, or particular play; show smoothness in necessary skills: We just didn't execute defensively.

Origin: 

1350–1400; ME executen < OF executer < ML execūtāre, deriv. of L execūtus, ptp. of ex(s)equī to follow up, carry out (punishment), execute;

I figure I can do better at executing in all the areas of my life. Definitions 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10 are the most relevant, although I don't want to rule out the assassination of a few bad habits ;-)

What's your one word New Year resolution??

Enjoy!

Goals for 2009...

Hey runners! Get ready because here comes the obligatory goals for 2009 post! I've been lazin' around since I finished the MCM back in November. Now I'm totally healed up, totally holiday'd-out, totally fat and totally psyched to get back on track.

Here are my running goals for '09:

• Run a sub-1:50 Half Marathon - going for 1:50 instead of sub-2:00 because my half splits at the Maine Marathon and MCM were just a tad over 2hrs, so I thought it would be good to have some meat on that bone...
  
• Run a sub-3:50 Full Marathon - yep, I will need to shave 19-21 minutes off my overall, which if I achieve Goal#1 then it should be possible...
  
• Complete 4 more states in my 50 marathons in 50 states journey - 3 down, 47 to go...
  
• Log 1500 miles in 2009 - just throwin' this one out there, I did 1030 miles last year so what's another 470 really...
  

Take care of yourselves and your running...