Brain Training

My goal of running a half-marathon every month doesn't leave much time for real training (at least that's my story). Either I'm recovering from the last one or tapering for the next one. It's been hard to get those long runs in. But I know I've got to do it.

Today I dragged myself out for 8 miles. This route has been a usual one, but one that I've gotten away from. I knew I had to get back to it, so today I did, albeit v-e-r-y ---- s-l-o-w-l-y.

Today really wasn't about physical training. Today I had to get my brain back on track. If I can get back to thinking of an 8-mile route as routine, then 13.1 miles doesn't seem so bad. When I get back to feeling that 8 miles is just another training day, then those half-marathon days aren't so daunting.

I still need to get faster and more physically fit. Those wogging days are important training days. But today was about getting my brain back to half-marathoning and expanding my concept of routine mileage.

Another half-marathon life lesson - we can do whatever we choose to do - we just have to train our brains to believe we can do it. All we have to do is keep increasing our limits of what we believe is doable.

Tool of the Day - Tin Snips

I am now the proud owner of a pair of tin snips. I could have chosen the right or left snips, but I chose the straight snips. The Home Depot man didn't seem to have a preference, so I figured just go down the middle.

I needed the tin snips for a years-forever-long home project. When we finished the upstairs many moons ago, we closed off part for the attic for storage. Unfortunately, just inside the door was the tin spout for the downstairs oven vent. It has always been a pain because anytime you want to take out a box of stuff from the attic, you have to heave it over this vent that sticks out about a foot from the floor.

After we remodeled the kitchen and put in a different vent, I knew I could get rid of this impediment. For the past several years I have made attempts with various tools. Today I got my tin snips, cut and cut and cut tin (and my finger), and finally accomplished my goal. I now have a flat floor to shove boxes in and out.

This all goes to say that sometimes you have a goal that seems to go on forever. You try and try to accomplish it, but just never quite gets there. Then one day, you get just want you need to proceed, and with hard work and the right equipment, the job gets done. The results are even better than you hoped, and life is good.

You just have to keep going until it all comes together.

Tiger, Trevor, and Me

This afternoon as I watched the Masters Golf Tournament, I wanted Tiger Woods to win. Although he didn't have a great tournament, he finished his round in second place. The leader, Trevor Immelman, had two more holes to go. The only way Tiger was going to win was if Trevor really messed up. As much as I wanted Tiger to win, I didn't want him to win just because another player messed up. I wanted Tiger to win because of his superior play. This week, Trevor had superior play, deserved to win, and did.

I think about this because I also have things I want to win. I would love to wake up skinny one day. But it wouldn't last long because all my bad eating habits would still be in play. I would be skinny, but I wouldn't have learned how to stay skinny.

In two weeks, I would like to magically run the Country Music Half Marathon in under two hours. But since I can't seem to break three hours right now, it's not going to happen.

I would like to go to a bookstore tomorrow and buy a book I wrote. But since I have yet to submit any pages to an editor or publisher, I'd better think of something else to do tomorrow.

All of these things are possible, but not in an instant and without time and hard work on my part. But that's part of what makes the victory so sweet - you earned it by working for it.

When I reach my goal weight, I will have celebrated every pound lost along the way and developed healthy eating habits. The closer I get to finishing a half marathon in two hours, I will rejoice in every minute I shave off my time and appreciate every sore muscle it took to get me there. When I see that book on the shelf with my name on it, I will remember the writes and rewrites and edits and cuts that were made along the way.

Trevor Immelman didn't wake up last Sunday and decide to start playing golf and win his first major tournament a week later. He started playing when he was five years old, and today won his first major championship.

I'll let you know when I win mine.

The Goal that Got Away

Today dawned sunny, beautiful, and a little chilly for this year's Purity's Moosic City 5K. Sam and his friend, Zack (who ran the 10k), finished well ahead of Lynnette and me. They waited for us and we finished the morning at Starbucks.

While we had done this race a before, today's course was a little different. We went on a trail high above the river. The winds were quite gusty, probably preventing us from a new personal record (at least that's my story).

As Lynnette and I were finally turning the corner for the final stretch, a man was standing there encouraging the runners. Actually, he was yelling for everyone to keep running (or in our case, to start running), and to catch up with somebody ahead. These words seemed to inspire us, so we picked up the pace. A few feet ahead of us was a guy with an American flag design on his shirt. Lynnette said to me, "Our goal is to catch up with him." We did quite well, until we were almost at his heels, when he decided to do the same thing, and pretty much left us behind. Lynnette's response was, "Okay, so we make a new goal." We kept running and finished.

Sometimes our goals don't quite work out the way we planned. The important thing is to make a new goal and keep going. After all, maybe the goals that get away aren't really supposed to be our goals anyway.

Friday Update

It rained buckets today, so I thought I would update you on how the weather has affected recent events:

Mat the Snake(s) - no sightings. Hoping he/they can't swim, and have sought higher ground. Preferably in the Swiss Alps.

Rain Barrel - full and overflowing like crazy. Would get another rain barrel, but then it would probably quit raining. For years.

Hoe for home defense - haven't made it to Home Depot yet. Had to go buy new suitcase at once-a-year suitcase sale. Just in case it's Mat or me, I want to be prepared for finding new home.

Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be better. Too bad, since I have a 5K scheduled in the morning!