The Power Of Music...

   As a teenager in high school I was what you may call a "rough" looking individual. I had long hair, wore black jeans, black rock t-shirts, a leather jacket and listened to heavy metal. If that wasn't enough, my high school yearbook listed my nick name as "hair". I liked music and then some. AC DC is and will always be my favorite band.

   Unfortunately, my music talent was non-existent. So my hopes of being in a metal band and becoming famous were just dreams. But even then I realized the power that music had over me. Think about it. Even if you're a mediocre music lover there were times through your life that certain music reminds you of. Your rebellious teen years, your carefree college days, your wedding song. There's a song for every occasion of your life. 

   When I started running I used to listen to music on my Sony Walkman cassette player. Really dating myself here for those of you that remember what I'm talking about. That eventually got upgraded to a Sony Walkman CD player. Then MP3 players appeared on the market. Now I can't live without my Ipod. 

   Some runners enjoy the music free noises of the run itself and run without a music player. But not me. I've tried it and it's nice. But I definitely like listening to something better. When podcasting arrived on the scene I was immediately hooked. It was like running with a partner that could keep perfect pace with you and you didn't have to say a thing. But that story is for another post. 

   After running ten marathons and numerous other distance races I'm here to tell you music affects your performance. There were times during training and during races where I had absolutely nothing left in the tank. Thanks to music I was able to get the kick in the ass that I needed to get going again. I will always think of breaking that four hour marathon mark during my most recent marathon when I hear Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue. That song motivates the hell out of me!

   To be fair, as I've gotten older my music tastes have changed. Metal will always have a special spot in my heart. But I now find all varieties of music in my ipod. I like everything from classical, I love the Chariots of Fire theme by Vangelis, to rap, Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z will always remind me of NYC and the two marathons that I've run there.

   As I started to cross-train today with weights I was originally going to listen to some podcasts. But I was really tired. So I opted for the "workout" playlist. Before I knew it people were starting to look at me funny. I probably shouldn't sing out loud the lyrics to Shake That by Eminem when I exercise next to someone thirty years older than me. Oops!

   My workout was great and I was once again reminded the power music has over me. My whole point is this: put music in your workout and you may be surprised by the results that you get!

   Little update on the lock situation. My new lock worked horribly at the gym today. I had to wedge it into the hasp of the locker to get it to lock. When I was done with my workout it took me five minutes to get the dang thing off. When I managed to pry it off, it flew through the locker room barely missing somebody. Ugh! Another trip to Lowes home improvement for yet another lock! I decided to try the same one I'd used before that I could set a personal combination. I know that this type fits onto the gym lockers easily. Lo and behold after watching an online tutorial I was able to set the combination without any problems! The little man picked out the color, superhero Flash red. Perfect! 

   Today was a good day. Feeling tired didn't matter. Bills didn't matter. Had a great workout while the little man played at the gym's kid center. Got my remaining chores done around the house. Made some awesome homemade chili and cornbread. And got to write this blog sitting in front of my fireplace. Back to the grind for me tomorrow. Run for your life my friends and put some music in your life...

Sweat Freezes...

Great early run this morning! I had to get out there by 7:15 AM or it just wasn't going to happen. Wanted to spend a lot of the day with the little man while he's on vacation. Slammed some runner's fuel, AKA Starbucks, chatted with the little man and I was off!

I was anticipating being a popsicle by the time I was done. But I never got cold. It was even comfortable wearing my face mask. Finally getting the hang of winter running apparel.

Hope everyone's keeping warm if it's cold where you are! Run for your lives my friends...

Be A Good Parent...

  Today's post is about something dear to my heart, children. Having a child is a funny experience. You go through your teenage life getting told about the dangers of sex before marriage, the huge responsibility that children represent and that if you make the mistake of having a child in your teens that it will negatively affect the rest of your life. 

   You get older, meet someone, probably get married and WHAM, it's suddenly your job to procreate! The faster that you can pop out the little ones for grandma and grandpa the better! I personally always thought that that shift in viewpoint after marriage was a little weird. I know a lot of good people who survived having children in their teens and without a wedding ring. 

   But that's not what I want to talk to you about. What I want to talk about is making healthy choices for your children. I'm not rolling in money. If you want to be wealthy, do not pursue a career in law enforcement! I work for a living and have the same responsibilities as everybody else. There's only so much time in a day to get everything done that I need to. Sometimes that means prioritizing!

   Today was a typical crazy day for me. Started with the iphone alarm blaring at 5:25 AM in the morning. I almost threw it across the dang room. I have a 12 year old beagle who thinks that he's the head of the house and should be allowed to lay on anyone's bed or either couch. I'd be fine with that. But the old man's bladder isn't what it used to be. Our carpet is less that a year old. So, sorry old man, but you're getting gated in the kitchen to sleep in your dog bed. The beagle howl sounded so cute 12 years ago. Not anymore. Beagle howls aren't very conducive to getting sleep. 

   Work was good but what a long day. I think I single handedly keep Starbucks in business! At the end of my shift I had a nice sensation of feeling exhausted and amped from the coffee at the same time. Strange how those two sensations can be felt at the same time. 

   Raced to the gym to get my workout done as fast as I could. It's a vacation week from school for my son and grandma has been gracious enough to pull extra hours with him. So I needed to get it done and fast. I somehow had an amazing six mile speed workout. Rushed to my mom's, snagged the little man and proceeded to fly home to get dinner on the table. My night to cook!

   Walked in the door and sighed. So much to do. So little time to do it. Had about a half hour before I really needed to get things going for dinner. Choices. Shower? Start prepping for dinner? Knock out my AB workout? Do some yoga to stretch? 

   Looked at the little man. Why not kill two birds with one stone? I opted for listening to him tell me about his day while I did my AB workout and some yoga in the living room. It was great! He even got down on the carpet with me and did some exercises of his own. How many seven year olds do you know who can do yoga? So cool that he does. Finished up and made an amazing dinner.   

   What you make important in your life becomes important to your children. Make time to model good healthy behavior. I could've hopped in the shower, grabbed a beer and waited for my wife to get home only to go out to dinner to get fast food. But what message does that send? Not a very good one I think. Think creatively and make fitness fun for you and your family. It's easier than you think! 

   As always, thank you for reading my friends and run for your life...

   

Day 50...

   

   Well my friends day 50 is here and I'm still putting one foot in front of the other! To celebrate the occasion I've decided to make a rare mid-week post today to update everyone on how it's been going.

   It's been an interesting journey so far. A lot easier than I thought it would be. But then again, just adding one more day of running to a schedule that already includes six isn't that overwhelming.

   The old body seems to be holding up fairly well. No serious injuries, aches or pains to speak of. Although, yesterday and today I've had some anterior ankle pain on my right foot. The little man is off this week and grandma's pulling extra hours babysitting. So, I opted for just an easy three miles today at the gym. That way I won't push the ankle and grandma gets a break. Realized that I left my lock at the gym last time I was here. Gone now. Bummer! I loved that thing!

   Originally I was thinking that I would take it easy on Sundays, my additional day of running, and run a slow easy mile. But as this project moves forward I'm surprised that it has progressed into something else. Something much, much better.

   As runners we love our watches, our mile splits and setting PR's. It can be quite addicting seeing constant self improvement. After last year's four PR's and finally breaking four hours in the marathon I'm eager to do even better this year.

   But I realize that at some point I'm going to crest that hill and watch my times slow, PR's becoming a thing of the past. I am turning 40 this year after all!

   One of the many reasons I started this project was to re-ignite why I love running so much. Over the last ten years I've focused so much on breaking that four hour mark that now I'm a little scared of what's next.  I've been trying so long to accomplish this one thing that I've forgotten why I loved running in the first place. What the hell is next?

   This project has become the answer I was looking for. Each day of the week I have different workouts that I try to do. Pace runs, cross-training workouts, speed workouts and long distance runs. Rarely do I stray from my self imposed schedule. OCD is awesome if you love to run! If I want to clock a 3:45 this year in the marathon, then it means working hard, sticking to a plan and kicking my butt on a daily basis!

   But Sundays, ah Sundays, how I've come to love thee. It's become my most favorite day of all. No schedule, no specific workout, no time goal. Just a simple run. Every one of them have been nothing short of amazing. Each one reminding me that it just feels damn good to be able to do this.

   These runs remind me that my body was designed to enjoy this. This is what it was made for after all. Our ancestors didn't have fully stocked refrigerators. They had to chase every meal down. For far too long, day after day we sit at our desks, commute in our cars and come home to plant ourselves on a couch all night long. Where's the fun in that?

   Think about what that's doing to your body. Think about what that's doing to your mind. Think about the things you're missing out on.

   Running everyday is a challenge. It's something that requires dedication. But it's not the mileage that matters. It's the brilliant sunshine on a Sunday morning as you run by hills of pristine white snow. It's the beauty of the biggest snowflakes you've seen since you were a kid as you cut a swath through them. It's the surprise in a deer's eyes as you run by her on her early morning walk through the woods. It's the quiet peace that's almost tangible as you you run on the trail where your's are the only footprints to be found. 

   So often I hear runners talk about this PR, that race, that mile pace. But when I think of all the running that I've done in ten years it's not those things I remember. Sure, I love my races, PR's and fast miles. It's all the small things, the training memories, the silly little experiences that you have while out there on the roads that mean the most. 

   As I continue on this 366 day project I'm starting to realize more than ever, that life, that running, is not about the destination, about the finish line. But about the journey. Only 316 days to go! Get up, get out there and get your own journey on my friends! Run for your life...

Listen To Your Body...

   Today was not the day that I'd hoped for. Got to bed a little too late which caused me to get a late start to my morning. I was really sore from the cross-training that I'd knocked out yesterday too. The weather had turned colder and I was looking forward to running around ten miles on the trail near my home to block some of the wind and snow. But as I started to run down the trail entrance I quickly realized that the snow on the path had iced over and was super slick. So I scrapped the trail idea and decided to hit the roads. The roads were slick from giant snowflakes. After about two miles of feeling miserable I turned around and headed home. My ten mile long run was not going to happen. Grumbled as I trotted into my garage after  barely surviving four miles. What the hell? I'm a distance runner for God's sake! I'm better than this!

   But then I remembered something that I'd told a friend at the gym the day earlier. She'd been telling me how she was pissed that she wasn't as fast as she was last summer. Her speed just wasn't there anymore. I told her that being an athlete means training smartly. Some people think that they can maintain a super high level of fitness year round. Well, that's impossible. You can definitely maintain great fitness all year long. Training should ebb and flow. Hopefully if you can get it right then you'll peak in time for your event. 

   Of all the skills that I've learned becoming a distance runner the most important one is being able to listen to your body. It's something I've ignored numerous times and paid a price for. Today I didn't ignore what my body was telling me. I probably could have pushed through the other six miles. But I'd worked hard all week and taking a scheduled mileage reduction is always a good thing. I'd been feeling a little more fatigue than usual lately and scheduled reductions can help get rid of that.

   I want to have another amazing year of running. But while visiting my 95 year old grandmother later in the day I was reminded that growing old doesn't mean giving up. Setting personal records (PR's) is great. But the only race I want to win is life. When I turn 95 I definitely won't be running 7:30 miles anymore. But as long as I can still manage a slow trot, feel the wind through my hair and feel the rush of doing something my body was meant to do. Then I'll be satisfied. Hell, I may even finally qualify for Boston!

   Open your ears my friends and run for your life...

Are You Ready For Tart Cherry Juice...

   Well my friends another good day off! The weather here in upstate NY was amazing. The temperature was only in the 40's but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I just love days like today. It's only an illusion. But when the sun is blazing in the winter sky it just feels warmer to me. 

   Today's workout was decent. I was a little sleepy this morning. Stayed up a little too late last night catching up on my run-net related material. Our 13 year old beagle didn't like the fact that I was trying to continue to sleep after my wife left for work today at 6:45 AM either. Amazing how much a beagle howl resembles an alarm clock! Slammed some Star Bucks coffee, ate a bagel with peanut butter and it was off to the YMCA.    

  Cross-training went amazingly well after I got warmed up. I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger everyday. But I could do without the packed weight room. I'm not a social exerciser. I saw some people that I knew. Chatted briefly and went on with my business. Don't waste my my time and I wont waste yours. 

   After my workout I went to my local GNC store on a little bit of a hunt. A friend of mine, the famous Zen Runner mentioned in a recent podcast the amazing properties of tart cherry juice. He swears by it and after a little research I found out some interesting facts. Apparently this product is high in antioxidants. It offers several benefits: it combats inflammation, protects against heart disease and is a good source of Melatonin (the stuff that helps you sleep). So I bought some. 

   As a runner I'm no stranger to aches and pains. If you run all the time, you will be sore. Not a bad thing but definitely annoying. So anything that I can do to combat this, I'm all for. I'm not a big fan of taking OTC pain medication. Some really good research suggests that taking NSAID's after an injury can cause the injured area to not heal to 100%. A few years ago I stopped taking them altogether and have had really positive results.  

   Going to start taking it tomorrow. I will keep everyone posted on the results that I see. If it's half as good as the experts say it is then I'll be happy!

   Run for your life my friends...

Love Yourself This Valentine's Day...

   Well, it's been a while since I've put anything up here. Since my wife has started a new job things have been, well, pretty darn crazy around here! Unfortunately that means rushing around at warp speed through most of the day and then crashing and burning at bedtime. But, it's my Friday today and Valentines Day. So I  have some thoughts.

   First of all let me catch everyone up a little. The mild frostbite is healing up nicely. Fortunately, it looked and felt much worse than it really was last Saturday. Lots of laughs about it at work! I'm thinking about mass marketing a wool jock strap. There could be a market for that...somewhere. It's given me a new appreciation for winter athletes. Mark my words, it will never happen again to me. I learned my lesson! 

   Had some nice runs this week. But they were mostly inside on the treadmill. I wanted to give the frostbite a chance to heal and the weather's been downright nasty with rain, snow and high winds. I did manage to make it outside today before the rain hit. 

   I've been feeling fairly beat up lately. Two weeks ago I increased some of the weight amounts for my cross-training exercises and it's kicking my ass. Funny how a five pound difference can affect your whole week. Regardless, I'm still plugging along. Hopefully I'll adjust soon. Only to increase it again! Someone once told me that being fit means that at least one body part is always going to be sore. I must be pretty fit because more than one part always seems to be sore!

   Hope everybody had a good Valentines Day. I'm not a big fan of this holiday. It was created by the greeting card company. Worthless excuse to spend money to show the people you care about in your life that you love them. You should already be doing that everyday. But when you have a seven year old, it's all about the holidays. So we went out to dinner, exchanged gifts, cards and someone's going to be cranky as hell for getting bed to late on a school night!

   As I sat there during dinner I looked around the room I thought about something. All these wonderful couples were there professing their love for one another through cards, flowers, gifts and wonderful tasting food. But how many of those couples took time out of their day to take care of themselves as individuals? Judging by mostly everyone's waistlines I bet not. Why? 

   Most people live busy lives. You've got to get to work, you've got to get the kids to school or practice, you've got to walk the dog, fix the house, make dinner...the list goes on. Like I said, my life has gotten a lot busier in the last month. All those responsibilities leave you with very little free time. But my friends, you need to make time to do some form of exercise. 

   You don't have to be a fitness snob and rock out at the gym for two hours. It could be taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, walking the dog an extra block or simply just parking further away from the grocery store entrance. Find time. Every little bit counts. Even eating right plays a huge role in this!

   I bet if you asked each one of those couples I saw tonight what the most important thing in their relationships were, that they would answer each other. Life is about the experiences. You can't have those experiences and create wonderful memories if you're too obese to get off your couch, can't play with your kids outside because you're short of breath or too tired at bedtime to work on making your family bigger by one.    

   Start small and build your way up to longer time frames. Find something that you enjoy and enjoy the hell out of it. Be selfish and make that time for yourself to do some things to improve your well being. You'll improve your health, your mental state and your loved ones will appreciate you being around to enjoy those special moments. Some days it'll be easy to fit that stuff in. But there'll also be days when it's a challenge. That's when you have to ask yourself, do you want to exist or do you want to live. I want to live my friends! Run for your lives...      

When It's Chilly, Wrap Your Willy...

   This winter I've come to really love running in the wintertime. As I've mentioned before, typically I opt for a treadmill at my local Y during this time of year. But with the 366 project in full swing and the fact that I now live an additional 10 minutes further away from my gym, sometimes running outside is a better option. 

   So far so good. Running outside has been a really positive experience. I thought that I've been doing everything right. I've been wearing my winter running clothing. I've been opting for mittens instead of gloves when the temperature drops into the teens. I've been stocking up on wool running socks and Gore-Tex lined shoes. I've been wearing my Yak-Trax for better traction and watching out for ice. Well, today I met my match with Old Man Winter!

   New England, Massachusetts and New York woke up this morning to record snowfall amounts after a huge blizzard that rolled in Friday night. My hometown Rochester even broke a record that was set in the 1800's. Perfect considering that I actually have the entire weekend off this rotation. The snow blower was filled with gas and I didn't mind the beautiful scenery!

   I try to usually run my long distance on Saturdays. Today was the day and I was originally planning on driving to my gym to experience 10 miles of boredom on the treadmill. But after blowing and shoveling the remaining snow out of my driveway I thought to myself, boy it would be nice to run outside again!

   I laced up the trail shoes and headed out the door. It was a balmy 25 degrees and I'd run in much colder temperatures this year. So I wasn't all that worried. 

   The run was nothing short of amazing. Everybody was out clearing their driveways, the roads were fairly deserted and I enjoyed listening to my all time favorite running podcast Phidippidations. It was Steve's 300th episode and I was featured in it with some special content. I normally religiously run my long run at my easy pace. But today I just let the legs do what they do. I finished my run in a faster time than usual. 

   I got back to the house and slammed some zero calorie Powerade mixed with some protien powder, stretched and was looking forward to taking my seven year old sledding. 

   Back in the heat I started to  feel a little something funny in the nether regions. It started to hurt and just got worse the warmer that I got. I limped to the bathroom to confirm what I thought. Yes, I had gotten a very mild case of frostbite during my run. I'd run the day before during the blizzard wearing my "running" underwear and had opted to run this time with nothing but my running tights. Bad idea to say the least! 

   Thankfully I ran this run fast because after warming myself up with a lukewarm shower the package looked a lot better! But it still hurt like crazy. After a little research I discovered that this particular problem is not that uncommon. Hikers, cross-country skiers and runners like me encounter this embarrassing problem a lot. 

   As the day went on it got better and I became thankful for a good lesson that didn't leave me too bad off. Word to the wise my fellow winter runners, wear some insulating underwear. Otherwise you run the risk of damaging your manhood. 

   Run for your life and protect your private parts my friends... 

Snowstorm Running Rocks!

   Like everyone else in NYS I was bracing for the big snowstorm poised to hit the eastern seaboard. It's not something that I'm unfamiliar with. Living in this part of the country means that you learn to accept things like blizzards and cancellations. 

   Today is my Friday and I was hoping to get to the gym after work for 45 minutes of cross-training with weights and an easy three miler. But it was obvious as I was driving home that my plans were going to have to be altered. The snow was falling quickly, for once people were driving sensibly and it was going to take me three times as long to get home.

   Runner's are usually very dogmatic types of people. The same workouts, on the same days, done the same exact way, no other options. Today was not going to be one of those days. I got home and snowblowed and shoveled my driveway as quickly as I could. Then I did something that I haven't tried yet. I went running in a blizzard!

   In order to accomplish this crazy goal of running 366 days in a row this year I would have to learn to embrace running in less than ideal weather. So I hiked up the wool running socks, dug out the Gore Tex trail shoes and headed out my door under the awestruck gazes of my neighbors still digging themselves out.    

   Because the snow plows were out in full force as well as the SUV drivers who think that they own the snow covered roads, I decided to try the Hojack trail near my house. It runs about six miles out. Technically that means I could knock out a full twelve. But I was hoping for a mere mile. That's the rule. One mile at least every day.  

   The trail was well, snow covered. It almost came all the way up to my knees. I set my jaw and took off cutting a swath through the high snow. I was doing this come hell or high water! As a runner typically used to an easy pace hovering around a 8:45 mile pace I was appalled to glance at my Garmin and see a time much slower than that. The faster I tried to run, the harder it got and pretty soon I was slipping and sliding all over the place. 

   As I swathed on a smile began to creep across my face. Why was I getting so angry? The scenery was something out of Bing Crosby's White Christmas. Absolutely beautiful! Pictures just don't do it justice. I was huffing and puffing like I was cooking along at a sub 7:30 mile pace. I did work hard shoveling the driveway before I left. Let it go...

   I opened myself up to this amazing opportunity and the rest was magic! I only ran 2.5 miles but it was just breathtaking. I've decided that running during a blizzard wasn't such a bad thing. The looks from stunned neighbors, plow drivers and motorists made it worthwhile. Why is getting out, being active in such beautiful weather such a bad thing? One day my son may say, "Hey dad, remember that really bad storm in 2013 when we ordered pizza for dinner and it took like forever to be delivered?" I'll say yeah, I remember it. That was the first one I ran.....

   Run for your lives my friends!

Storm Of The Century...

   Well my friends it seems that the weather forecasters are predicting a good old fashioned blizzard to come my way by tomorrow afternoon! I'm actually off this weekend and to be honest I'm looking forward to some snow! The little man and me have yet to get out there for some sledding this season and this one might just be the ticket! 

   I'm looking forward to possibly getting some running in during it too! This winter I've discovered that if you are conscious of the plows on the road, that running in a blizzard is quite magical. Everything's covered in the purest white you could imagine, snow is slowly falling, nobody but crazy runners like you are out there so it's eerily peaceful and there's something to be said for that satisfying crunch your running shoes make through the snow. 

   Upped the weight in some of my cross-training weight exercises this week and it's taking a heavy toll on the old body. Everything's really sore. But today's dreaded speed workout was nothing like I thought it would be. Smooth and steady, even with the sore legs!

   Felt pretty good about myself stretching after my run with some light yoga in front of the indoor track at my local Y. Volunteers rolled in some disabled people in their wheelchairs for some lap time. One guy was so elated to be there that he was piratically screaming his head off to get started. Some snobby teenagers rolled their eyes but it made me laugh out loud! Here I was complaining to myself before the run about how sore I felt and this guy who can't even walk is thrilled to just be pushed around a track. Needless to say I left the mat feeling even better. 

   I'm almost 40 and I've been given this wonderful gift of being able to still run. Knock on wood, but no injuries are bothering me and it's shaping up to be another exciting year for me. The project is moving along at 38 days now. Amazed that I'm still going! Thankful I can do it on my own two legs!  
   Might be a lot of 366 posts coming out this weekend. The firewood is stacked, my leather recliner is calling my name and I've got some smoky scotch to warm the cockles! Have a great weekend and if you're anywhere near NYS, get out and enjoy the snow!
   Run for your lives my friends...

Training For The Zombie Apocalypse...

   I've always been a fan of horror movies. I have this weird love hate thing for zombie movies. I love them. But they really disturb me too. Last weekend after the Super Bowl I came across an interesting two-hour special on the history channel about zombies. I was so rapt with attention that I found it really difficult to DVR it and go to bed so my wife, who's even more of a zombie fan than me, could watch it later with me. 

   It had everything a zombie fan would love. The historical basis for the zombie myth. The science behind zombie like diseases found in our world today. The best weapons to use when fighting off zombies. How to prepare your home for zombie invasion. How to evade zombies when on the run. 

   That got me thinking. It would've been interesting for them to discuss what I think is the most important skill to posses during a zombie apocalypse: being able to run for long periods of time. Think about it for a minute. It's great if you can pop off un-dead head shots like Annie Oakley, have ample supplies to last for months in the wilderness and know how to start a fire. But if you aren't in good enough physical condition to outrun the hordes of zombies roaming your neighborhood then you might as well as lay down on a picnic table and ring the dinner bell. You're not going to last long. 

   So, if you want to survive the zombie apocalypse: get out there and put some miles in. Better yet, I think that I'm going to start working on developing those triathlon skills. You never know when those mindless eating machines that crave your flesh might decide to start swimming or riding bicycles.

   Run for your life my friends...  

The Power Of Role Modeling...

   As a young boy growing up I realized early on the power that my father had over me. Physically he was a giant standing 6'3" and weighing in at over 275 lbs. He served in the Navy during Vietnam, was an Army reservist and a police officer. He often sported a military haircut, carried a knife and handgun where ever he went and exuded confidence with every step.

   Everywhere we went somebody knew him! After a while it got a little annoying. The last thing I wanted to do while in the grocery store was stand there for fifteen minutes as my father chatted with yet another person that knew him. It only prolonged the boredom of grocery shopping. 

   He always had to lend a hand to someone in need. I remember driving down the road in his truck and suddenly he pulled over to the shoulder, told me to stay put and jumped out into traffic to help push a disabled car out of the way. He hopped back into our truck and we were off again. Probably to coincidentally meet more people that he knew where we were going. That was the way that it was with him.   

   As I grew older into my teen years our relationship changed. My parents got divorced when I was about three. He saw me every week and on holidays. But as a teenager I longed for more time with him. We discovered a love of fishing together. We began to get to know each other better. Life was good. 

   Then one day while on patrol he suddenly passed out at the wheel. Luckily, he didn't crash into anybody or anything. A person driving by noticed him slumped over the wheel, stopped to check on him and used his police radio to call for help. 

   The prognosis wasn't good. There was a spot on his lung in the x-rays and we soon discovered that it was cancer. Things happened quickly after that. Doctors gave him a future lifespan of about six more weeks. The cancer wasn't only in his lungs but also everywhere else including his brain. 

   One of the reasons I'm so good at distance running is that stamina is hardwired into my genes. He didn't just surpass the six week mark, he blew it away and lived another nine months. Through chemotherapy, through radiation treatments, through losing all his hair and 170 lbs. 

   I was 16 years old and to say that this single event shaped the rest of my life is an understatement. The funeral was like the passing of a president. Hundreds of people who knew my father came to pay their respects. The mayor, the chief of police, regular people that he helped along the way during his life. There was a police and Army color guard, flags were lowered at half-mast across the city and there was even an article written about him in the local paper. He even managed to get buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 

   I dealt with his loss as best I could. I somehow managed to not get caught up with drugs or alcohol. Had a few run ins with the law but came away without a serious criminal record. Graduated high school by the skin of my teeth. 

   As an adult I realize now that my father wasn't a perfect man. He drank too much to deal with the stress of his life. Smoked like a chimney. Spent too much time out at bars than with his wife and newborn son. It's no wonder that my mother divorced him. 

   But when a loved one leaves your life their faults disappear and you're left only remembering their good traits. Over my life I've used those good memories to become someone my own son could be proud of. Sure, I've got my problems too. No superheros here. But everyday I try my best to be a good role model for him, the rest of my family and my friends. 

   Being a runner is one of the most important ways that I do this. When you get up day after day and find time to get out there, to not make excuses, to become better than you were the day before. Well then, you are being a good role model. 

   As a parent everything that you do is observed, judged and filed away in your child's beautiful little developing mind. They will model what you do. The good, the bad and the ugly. 

   This was extremely apparent to me just this last year. My wife and I were getting ready to take our son to the first night of a six week wrestling camp. He'd gone the previous year and seemed to enjoy himself. But, as we were putting our coats on I saw tears well up in his little eyes. I asked him what was wrong and he sadly looked at me and said that he didn't want to go. He said that he didn't like wrestling and that he wanted to do something else. He said that he wanted to run like me. It took all of my self control to not breakdown at that moment. Never have I felt so honored in my life. Needless to say, we cancelled wrestling camp. 

   I'm not my father. But if I can teach my son that hard work pays off, that eating healthy is important, that exercise is crucial to his well being, that life is too short to waste sitting on a couch watching TV all day. Then I'll call that a win. 

   Be a positive role model for your family, your friends, the random person driving by you as you live your life one step at a time out there on the roads. Chances are that someone is going to see you out there being a positive role model and maybe, just maybe say they want to run like you. 

   Run for your lives my friends....

   

1st Month Down...

   As I go into my second month of this project I am reminded of how much I've learned through the years of running that I've done and how much I still have yet to understand. 

   Up until this Wednesday I was feeling fairly good with regards to my training. Due to some upcoming social commitments this Saturday I switched my ten mile long run to Wednesday. It was a perfect day! The weather was unseasonably warm with temperatures in the sixties. Very rare for upstate NY this time of year. So the opportunity seemed ideal to fit some miles in and free up my time on Saturday. 

   The run was good. Not great. The temperature dipped twenty degrees by the end of the run and it caused me to stiffen up a little. But I had brought along a windbreaker. So it wasn't that bad. Even managed to catch up on some podcasts. That night the weather changed back to winter with high winds blowing everything everywhere and bitter cold temperatures returning. My old beagle didn't like the noise outside one bit! So he howled practically all night long. As a result I didn't get much sleep. When the beagle's not happy, he doesn't think anyone else should be either. 

   Thursday morning came and I knew immediately it was going to be a long day. I felt terrible. I ached everywhere and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open at work. I managed to survive and even managed to somehow waddle through a six miler at the gym on the treadmill. Got home, ate dinner and I think I passed out around 8:30 PM. As I was drifting off I pondered  whether I could run this many days in a row. Not a very positive day to say the least!

   Today was completely different! I woke up feeling rested, rejuvenated and had a much better outlook on life in general. Work was good. On my way to the gym I was thrilled to discover that someone is actually reading this blog and was kind enough to leave some thoughts. My workout today was 45 minutes of cross-training with weights, an easy three mile run and 15 minutes of yoga. I felt strong and even managed to increase the weight on some of the cross-training exercises. 

   As I think back to last summer. The amazing summer that I trained harder and smarter than I had ever before. The summer when I broke the four hour threshold in the marathon. I am reminded of how hard it really was and how exhausted I was at times. 

   Maybe the magic that I found during my tenth marathon last year wasn't magic at all. Just the result of good effort during my training. Maybe the magic formula is really just as simple as: breakdown, rebuild and repeat. One month down. 32 days of running in a row.

   Run for your life my friends. Get up and do something. You can do it. I go on and the project continues...