tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51865832551300807212024-03-13T11:11:45.124-05:00IRun4MyLife.comSharing my experiences as a runner while trying to encourage and motivate.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-5429310055349180282018-01-02T17:00:00.000-06:002018-01-02T17:00:12.472-06:00A New Year...A New MeThe beginning of 2018 is finally here and it's time for me to get serious to start writing again. I really didn't want to start blogging again but I feel it's the only way for me to stay accountable to myself. I did end 2017 with a 2.2 mile walk on December 28th. I'm having to walk again because it has been so long since my last run.<br />
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I did not start off this year with a walk or run. Instead, I went to eat breakfast with lots of my running friends. It was a resolution run, however, the weather was so cold, many of us decided that it was better for us to not run. It didn't get much better up in the day either.<br />
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Now to let you know what has happened over the last two or three years. Life happened in 2015 and I just didn't have much motivation to get out and get it done. We all know what happens when we stop doing something for a week or two. We are all of a sudden not doing it anymore. I really haven't walked or ran much in the last two years. In early 2016, I found out that I had high blood pressure and then this past October I found that my blood glucose was really high and had to start taking medicine for that. I started getting serious about my health the first of November. I changed my diet and haven't had any sugar from cake and other sweets in two months. My sugar is now within normal range and I intend to keep it there. Since the beginning of 2017, I have lost about 45 pounds and am below my pre-marathon weight.<br />
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My goal for 2018 is to cover 500 miles anyway I can get it. Walking, running, or biking.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-16344767971774735742014-12-08T12:00:00.000-06:002014-12-08T12:00:01.908-06:00St Jude Marathon WeekendThis past weekend was the St Jude Marathon Weekend in Memphis and I ran the half marathon instead of the marathon like I had planned, as a hero. As I sit here on Sunday night writing this, I really don't know where to begin. I posted on Facebook shortly after the race that I had so many thoughts and emotions about it and one friend wanted me to share. A thought a blog post was more appropriate than I Facebook status.<br />
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I woke up at 4am and just couldn't go back to sleep. I just tried to relax and watched some television and finally got up about 5 o'clock. Jason was going to pick me up and we were going to make the trip to downtown Memphis together. After breakfast sandwich from McDonald's, I was ready. We met some of the runners on our team, Team Corinth, in the Double Tree Hotel lobby and had a good visit with them.<br />
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I decided to call Kade and we finally met up with each other and started our third race together. Although we didn't know each other at the beginning of our first race<br />
, we still count it. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long to actually start our race. It was about 20 minutes after the gun went off.<br />
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I couldn't believe all the people that were lined up along the streets! Many holding signs and many cheering! The weather was cool and it got worse. Along the river, the wind was blowing and I got really cold and then finally the wind calmed down. Unfortunately, it picked back up again and never died down again.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7Og2LOJy5s/VIUpNwbpcFI/AAAAAAAAFT0/tQrvm0Omkvc/s1600/St%2BJude%2Bfrom%2BJeff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7Og2LOJy5s/VIUpNwbpcFI/AAAAAAAAFT0/tQrvm0Omkvc/s1600/St%2BJude%2Bfrom%2BJeff.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>One of the most amazing parts of the course was on the St Jude campus. The emotions that I felt as I saw those kids and gave many of them high fives, is more than I can describe in print. After I exited the campus, I wanted to just sit down and have a good cry. I carried a picture of a little girl with me the entire race. I was thinking about her and her family and just when I wanted to quit, I'd look at her smiling face in that picture and keep going. The energy along the course was awesome too!<br />
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As a St Jude hero, we committed to raising money for St Jude and got to wear a special singlet that identified us a such. Many people along the course were shouting, "Thank you heroes!" These people were thanking us! Although I felt like, to borrow Jeff's term, a superstar, those kids and their familiar are the superstars. We as runners endured wind, rain, heat, cold and many other things during training, but these people that we thanking us, endure far more than I as a runner will ever endure.<br />
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I am so thankful I have the ability to run and can use it to help a great cause. This was my final event of 2014 but it won't be my last St Jude event. I am so looking forward to running again next year and helping the kids.<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read this post and if you have comments or if you ran this race, please share your thoughts in the comments below.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-23684087278088842712014-05-19T12:00:00.000-05:002014-05-19T12:00:03.023-05:00Start, Endure, and Finish<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As most of you know, I ran my first marathon just over 5 months ago on December 14th in Huntsville, AL. The thought of running a marathon wasn’t even a possibility just three years ago. I didn’t even think I’d want to run more than a 10K. Fast forward three years and I am a marathoner! I’m not saying that to brag but to encourage you. If you set your mind to do something, then it’s possible. I’ve read many times, “The body can do anything. It’s the mind your have to convince.” When I first took those first steps on October 1, 2010, I would have thought you wee crazy if you would have told me I would run one day. I just wanted to walk and get healthier. I thought me walking 3 miles was impossible but it wasn’t.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AY9iuG5tLMY/U3Tn8MyHqDI/AAAAAAAABl4/zdS3T6cSUIg/s1600/IMG_3295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AY9iuG5tLMY/U3Tn8MyHqDI/AAAAAAAABl4/zdS3T6cSUIg/s1600/IMG_3295.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I learned many things about myself over the course of training for and running that 26.2 miles. I’ve shared some of those things in past post but there is another person that doesn’t get much credit for the sacrifices she makes. For Valentine’s Day this year, Tish put together a collage of photos from that marathon and stuck a quote on it. The was just the frosting on the cake. Training for a marathon isn’t easy. If it was then everybody would be running marathons. It takes so much out of your physically and mentally. She had to put up with me getting up early on Saturday and Sunday to go and get my run in. Although I’m sure she would have much rather me be at the house, she endured all the hours that I spent out pounding the pavement to accomplish something that was important to me. She has even had to come and pick me up a few times because I’d call her and tell her I could make it any farther. One of those time was during what was supposed to be a 20 miler that turned into a 16 miler.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The quote that she put on the collage was, “Courage to start. Strength to endure. Resolve to finish.” When Jeff asked me about doing the Rocket City Marathon, I really wanted to say I didn’t think I could do it. Just a couple of months before, I had told Koach that I didn’t think I had time to train for a marathon and that I was sticking with half marathons. He understood. Jeff had faith that I could do it. Courage wasn’t about putting my name and address into the online form to register. That was easy! It was actually pressing that SUBMIT button and then doing what it took to make it to the start line.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Strength to endure was something we all need in all walks of life. It doesn’t take just physical strength to finish a marathon. It takes mental strength too. I found that out late in my training while trying to finish those long long 17, 18, 19, and 20 mile runs. It was hard at times to get up at 5am and hit the pavement an hour later and stay out there until almost noon. Planning your route carefully so you could either stop by the store or the house for hydration.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Resolving to finish is one of those things that is easy to say but hard to do. I had it in my mind for weeks that DNF was not an option. I was going to finish! Somewhere around 23 miles, I decided that I just couldn’t go on and I was finished. The finish line was still over 3 miles away and there was no way I could make it. Jeri, one of the sweepers, said something about that time that I’ll never forget. (You’ll have to ask me about it sometime.) It made me dig deep within myself and muster up all the strength that was within me that I knew would carry me to the finish line. Finally after 6 hours 5 minutes 9 seconds, I crossed the finish line!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shortly after finishing, Tish gave me a gift. She had bought it even before I had finished. It was a tag, as she calls it, to go on my necklace. It has 26.2 stamped on it. I still wear it now and will continue to wear it as a reminder that I can do anything that I set my mind to do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The photo collage hangs next to my side of the bed and every morning when I get up to run, it reminds me of the reasons I do what I do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for stopping by this week and I hope you enjoyed this post. Comments are always welcome.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-9149789317999853252014-05-13T11:00:00.000-05:002014-05-13T11:00:01.104-05:00Time of My Life<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The 33rd Coke 10K was held a couple of weekends ago and all I can say is “WOW!!!” I had the best time at this year's race. I didn’t run my fastest 10K but I enjoyed myself so much. In the past, I was serious about it and was racing against myself. This year was different. I decided that I was going to do my thing and whatever time I got then that’s what it was.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jeff and I met downtown to get in a couple of miles before the race and we ended up walking probably two miles or so. We really don’t know because we didn't have our watches going. We just enjoyed a good paced walked and talked.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before we went back downtown, we stopped by my house so I could change into a different shirt. It was cool that morning and I had worn a long sleeve for our meeting before the race. As we and my two oldest kids were walking to downtown, I realized I had forgotten my number! I didn’t have but about 40 minutes and we were almost to the start line. Jeff let me borrow his van to go back to my house and get my number. Now that is a great friend!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After the gun was shot and the runners were off, I quickly settled into a good pace. When I arrived at the water stop just before the 3 mile mark, I saw a familiar face. At first I didn’t recognize her. It was Christina that I had ran with a couple of times before. I decided to stop and chat for a few minutes. It was good the catch up with her. I saw a guy I knew coming down the hill and told Christina that I had to go. We said goodbye and then I yelled, “Hey, Mr James, where you been? I’ve been waiting 15 minutes for you!” Everyone got a good laugh out of it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I continued on and made it around the loop and back to the street behind the Presbyterian church, I took a couple of minutes to chat with a man that worked for the Coke company and lives on the course. I had talked to him a few weeks ago while he was out in the yard and I was out running. I also got to see the plastic fish that his grandson had caught earlier that day too.</span></span><br />
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I returned to race mode and got on with my run to the finish line. After finishing I met up with family and friends and visited with a few folks that I hadn't seen in a while. The kids and I finally made out way back to the house and it was time for a shower. We then broke with tradition of going to the Mexican restaurant and went to the Chinese place instead.<br />
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I honestly can't remember much of the rest of the afternoon but it had been a great day and I had a blast!<br />
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The Gum Tree 10K in Tupelo was this past weekend but I chose not to participate in it because of the two previous busy weekends. I also know that if I went down there to just run the race and come home, that it wasn't gong to happen. Jeff and I met at the church and ran a few miles together. I ended up with just over 11 miles and that is all I got in all week. They were good miles and Jeff and I enjoyed the conversation together.<br />
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Sorry this is a week late and I'll try and do better next week. I already have an idea for next week's post unless something else comes up. Have a great week and I hope to see you again next week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-83699776475618451842014-04-29T12:00:00.000-05:002014-04-29T12:00:03.875-05:00It Is a GiftIf you read last week's post, then you know that I was running the St Jude Country Music Half Marathon this past weekend. I could say so much about this event but you probably wouldn't want to read that much. I learned a couple of things along the course and was reminded of so much more too.<div>
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One of the things that I learned was that there are "only" 242 days until Christmas. Of course, that was as of Saturday. I also learned that there is a club of women that have tried running before but they kept spilling their wine. You would think they would leave the wine at home during their run. One more thing that I learned and I'll move on. It was that some cities will put anything in the middle of a round-a-bout to get your mind off of the round-a-bout. And that is all I have to say about that. You'll have to ask somebody else.</div>
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Let me tell you, I have never seen so many people in one place at one time in my life! Although I didn't care for the huge crowd, I did enjoy seeing all of the sights along the race course. I couldn't believe all the people that had lined the streets of the route and so many signs.</div>
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One of the highlights of our stay in Nashville was getting to eat with Jeff and his family. We went to the <a href="http://www.rainforestcafe.com/" target="_blank">Rainforest Cafe</a> and had a fabulous meal. Another highlight was getting to reunite with Kade. As you may recall, Kade and I finished the Rocket City Marathon together back in December. We have stayed in contact with each other since the marathon. It was great to see him again.</div>
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Now for the things that I was reminded. I know that I have touched on this in the last few months but it doesn't hurt to hear it again. I was reminded that we shouldn't take this gift of running for granted. I think I was at about mile 4 when I saw a lady in a wheelchair just a clapping and yelling for all of the runners. I just had to make my way over there and give her a high five. I don't think she saw me at first but when she did, she stuck that hand out. It made my day!</div>
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Somewhere about mile 11, I was reminded again. This time it was a blind runner. The blind runner was tethered to a sighted person and was being escorted by three others. They wore bright yellow and had signs on their back identifying them.</div>
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I'm so thankful to Joy Stark for teaching me the fact that running was a gift early in my "career". Each time you see things like the things I saw this past weekend, it comes as a reminder of that fact.</div>
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That's going to do it for me this week. Thanks for stopping and I hope to see you again next week again. I'll be sharing about the Coke 10K then.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-14922868493972156142014-04-22T12:00:00.000-05:002014-04-22T12:00:00.953-05:00To Be Helped, To Help or BothI can hardly believe that three months have passed since I have written here. School assignments have certainly kept me busy for all this time. Now that I am out for the summer, I plan on writing here weekly. It's something that I enjoy doing and looked forward to it every week until last August.<br />
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This past week I signed up for my second marathon! I will be running the St Jude Marathon in Memphis on December 6th! Am I excited? Of course, I am! Training doesn't start until the first part of August and we all know that is one of the hottest times of the year in Mississippi. Since this past winter was so cold and I didn't get to run as much as I would have liked, I won't be complaining about the hot weather. I'll just go out there, get my run in, and be done with it. I already have my entire schedule planned out and with any luck, will be able to keep up with it.<br />
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Last week I posted on Facebook that I was going to post a status update but decided that the subject deserved it's very own blog post. I wanted to get this post written and posted by Thursday but life happened and I didn't get it done. With all the irons in the fire that I have, I love the challenge of juggling them all and keeping everything in balance...most of the time.<br />
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Over the course of a lifetime, many people come into your life. Some stay for just a short while. Some stay for a while longer. Some remain for the rest of your life, while others were just passing through. No matter how long a person stays in your life, I believe they are brought there for one of three reasons: so you can help them, so they can help you, or both. <br />
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Over the past three and a half years, I have met so many wonderful people. It has definitely been a journey. Some of them I have met in person and some I haven't. Hearing their stories have made me a better person and have changed my life for the better. Hopefully, some of the things that I have shared have changed them in some small way too.<br />
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This brings me back to this <a href="http://irun4mylife.blogspot.com/2013/12/dead-last-is-better-than-dnf.html" target="_blank">post</a> about running the RCM back in December. The three new friends that I made in Huntsville that day and my running partner, Jeff, have continued to encourage me. Since Kade, Jeri, and Dave live so far away, they encourage me from a distance and probably don't know it until now (if they read this). As I said in that post, Jeff and I had ran many miles together and we continue to run almost every weekend together. If not for Jeff, I'm not sure I wouldn't have just quit running for the winter and started back when the weather got warmer. I'm glad he was there to make sure I was out there pounding that pavement now.<br />
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I could go one with so many of the folks that I have met and how they have changed my life but that'll have to wait. You don't have the time to read all about them and I don't have the time to write about them all right now. In the coming weeks and months, I will introduce to you some of those people.<br />
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Many members of Team Corinth are going to invade Nashville this weekend and run the St Jude Country Music Marathon/Half Marathon and I'm so looking forward to it. I still haven't ran over 12 miles since the marathon but I be crossing that finish line of the half. I'll share with you next week what my experience was.<br />
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Thanks for stopping and if you'd like to leave comments then feel free to do so below.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-37289165100559035502014-01-28T12:00:00.000-06:002014-01-28T12:00:04.438-06:00Thankful for the GiftAs I sit here tonight (Saturday), I have just finished my assignments for the week and had something on my mind. Over the last couple of weeks, I have thought a lot about this gift. The gift that I have been given and how sometimes how I need to see it from a different perspective. I have thought about this the last few runs that I have done since the marathon.<br />
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As Jeff and I were mingling around the lobby of the hotel in Huntsville before the start of the marathon, we see a guy come in the front door in a wheelchair. I can't remember exactly what Jeff said but said something to effect of having a different perspective. And it does!!! I have thought many times how fortunate I am able to run.<br />
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I just needed to write this and I hope that the next time you see a person in a wheelchair, a blind person, or a person that has lost an arm or a leg, that you will look at yourself and consider how fortunate you are. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that we forgot how things could be and then God puts a few of these people in our paths to remind us that it isn't all about us.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-5624558077669583702014-01-02T12:00:00.000-06:002014-01-05T18:25:22.497-06:00Totals for 2013This past year was an awesome year for me! I didn't run many races but the ones I did run were great. I ran three 5Ks, two 10Ks, a 4 miler, and a marathon. I set new PRs in both of the 10Ks and the most challenging race was the marathon.<br />
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Since the marathon, I have ran 47.3 miles and have actually ran faster. On New Year's Day (yesterday), I ran with Team Corinth from downtown and around the Coke 10K course. I started a little early and then made a detour from the Coke course so I could stretch it out so I could get in 8 miles for the first day of 2014. It was the best run that I've had in a long while and my fastest at an 11:08 pace.<br />
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Here are my totals for 2013...<br />
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Total miles: 970.00<br />
Total time: 7 days 19 hours 17 minutes 9 seconds<br />
Average pace: 11:26 per mile<br />
Total runs: 124<br />
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Total All-time miles: 2504.04<br />
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Thank you all for being a part of my journey this past year and for reading my blog. It's not always easy to keep putting one foot in front of the other but the journey is well worth it. Hope you had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-23594460358923407472013-12-19T12:00:00.000-06:002013-12-19T12:00:06.029-06:00Dead Last Is Better Than DNFWay back in June I posted <a href="http://irun4mylife.blogspot.com/2013/06/small-changes-add-up.html" target="_blank">here</a> that I was going to be running the Rocket City Marathon. The event was this past weekend and it was an experience that I'll never forget! I made some new friends, that I'll tell you about later, and was thrilled to have my running partner, Jeff, waiting for me at the finish line.<br />
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The wife and I left for Huntsville on Friday morning and had a nice quiet lunch together at Olive Garden then we went and picked up my race packet. We went and checked into our hotel and then off to the mall we went.<br />
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The weather wasn't looking very good for us because there was rain in the forecast. Tish and I picked Jeff up at their hotel about 6:30am and it was pouring down. Tish dropped us off at the host hotel and she said by the time she park, it had stopped raining. It was a miracle! At race time it was only misting rain and that stopped soon after the start.<br />
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Since I knew it was going to be cold just standing around before the gun went off, I wore a sweat shirt that I was willing to leave on the course. I took it off after a mile and a quarter and got rid of it. I was warmed up by then. Just past mile 2, I saw Bart Yasso standing on the sidewalk. It took me a second to recognize him but I turned around and got my phone out and asked if I could have my picture taken with him. He was kind and more than willing to do it.<br />
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At mile 3 it I was thrilled to see someone that I knew and went over and hugged Patricia's neck because I hadn't seen her in a long time. Little did we know that the photographer that had just taken my picture before I went around the corner took our picture too.<br />
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I remember many details about the next 23 miles but I don't remember what mile I might have been at. As I went along I saw a mailbox made up of many different bird houses. It was unusual but nice. Going through the different neighborhoods and seeing all of these people cheering was great! I ran most of the race alone but the spectators were still cheering for me long before I got to their post.<br />
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A couple of places where folks were out really stand out in my mind. The first was when I saw a few kids dancing and singing. I'm not sure exactly what they were singing but they were. After the runners in front of me went by them, they were about to go back into the house and their mom said, "Here comes some more." Two of the little boys ran back out to the side of the road and yelled, "High-fives are free!" I gave them both high-fives as I went by. Another place there was a young lady holding a big sign that said, "Touch Here for Power", so I did!<br />
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The course had one really long stretch of about 4.6 miles that seemed like it was three times as long. Another runner had told me that it was 6 or 7 miles. Along that stretch of the course was a guy playing a violin too. He was great!<br />
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There was so much to see along the course that it's just hard for me to remember really. Another guy was just standing on the side of the road and had music playing from his car. The song he was playing got stuck in my head for over 2 miles and I was finally able to stop singing it. Can you imagine singing "Santa Clause Is Coming to Town" while running for over 2 miles? I did!<br />
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At mile 23 I was ready to throw in the towel. I had to dig really deep and keep telling myself, "You've come this far, you can't quit now!" The last 5K was the hardest part of the entire race. It wasn't the course. I just didn't think I could make it another step and I just kept going to putting one foot in front of the other.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LbS0mkApTj0/UrMOPsIZbcI/AAAAAAAABRg/S-3E7sgLdWo/s1600/IMG_2751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LbS0mkApTj0/UrMOPsIZbcI/AAAAAAAABRg/S-3E7sgLdWo/s200/IMG_2751.jpg" width="200" /></a>The highlight of the entire event, besides crossing the finish line, has got to be the three new friends that I made while trying to get to the finish. After getting rid of the sweat shirt, I got really warm and told another runner that I wished I had've worn a short sleeve. Not long after that, I was glad I had on a long sleeve. The wind started blowing and it cooled things down quite a bit. After the wind stopped blowing it warmed back up a little and I got hot. Little did I know that I would come upon that runner again. His name is Kade and we made friends while walking and talking. The sweepers were quickly approaching us from behind and we knew we needed to stay ahead of them. I stayed ahead of them for a while until they caught me. I stayed with them until about the last two miles and they steadily pulled away. During the 4 miles or so that I ran with them, I made friends with them as well. They are Jeri and Dave. I promise you, if you ever need some motivation to run, let these two get behind you. They will encourage you to the very last. "That's it, Jeremy! Strong and steady! That's the way!"<br />
<br />
Kade crossed the finish 9 seconds ahead of me but guess who else was waiting on us. Jeri and Dave! They were so proud of us for sticking it out and not dropping. The four of us had a little celebration right there at the finish line.<br />
<br />
After I finally got into the host hotel, Jeff handed me a plate with my favorite food on it...a PB&J sandwich! I was so ready for some real food and that hit the spot.<br />
<br />
The title of this post says it all...almost! I did come in dead last of the finishers that got a time but that's okay. I remember a saying that I've read many times over the last year: "Dead last is better than did not finish, which trumps did not start."<br />
<br />
It was so good to see my wife, Jeff, Ginger, and Julie there at the finish line. I know they were getting a little worried. Jeff texted me to see if I was alright and about that time I came around the corner to the finish. Jeff and I have ran many miles together and he has seen me grow from doing 10Ks all the way up to a marathon. I know it's not over because I'm sure we'll run many more miles together in the coming years.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by for this long post and I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience of running my first marathon.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-25182800973641700722013-12-06T13:11:00.000-06:002014-01-04T09:43:53.862-06:00Greatest Lessons Learned<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm getting pretty good at writing essays and had to write another one for my final exam yesterday. The topic we had to write about was three of the greatest lessons we have learned over the last year. I put this together and revised it in just under an hour. Hope you enjoy it! </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I can see the picture in my mind. It is a picture of a pelican that is about to swallow a frog. However, the frog has it's arm out and the hands of the frog are wrapped around the pelican's throat. Below the picture in bold letters are the words, "Never give up!" The lessons I have learned over the past year have given me that exact attitude.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Losing weight for me is easy. It is keeping it off that is the hard part. Experts say, if someone can keep weight off for three years, they probably won't gain it back. This past October has been three years since I started on my weight loss journey. I have kept over thirty-five pounds off since I lost it. After all this time, I have learned that if I set my mind to it, then I can do it. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Running a race is one thing, but seeing things from the other side is entirely different. During a recent race, I was working at a water stop and as most of the runners ran by, they would offer words of thanks. I now understand what the volunteers at events do. They give their time to others, so they can have a great experience. The lesson I learned here is that a person should be willing to give of themselves to make life more enjoyable for those around them.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This past summer was so hot for me as a runner. Every Saturday, I would hit the floor early, drive out to a certain spot and meet my running friends. The heat was just brutal to me. I wanted to give up and go home. With encouraging words from my friends, I learned to not give up because in the end it is worth it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Can these lessons be applied to other areas of life? I am sure they can. Those areas might include marriage, friendships, or a job. I do believe that when a person sets their mind to do something, gives of themselves, and doesn't give up, anything can be accomplished.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-4623194962971549332013-11-19T14:00:00.000-06:002013-11-19T14:00:01.649-06:00Healthy and More ConfidentAs most of you know by now, I have been taking English Comp this fall and haven't really had loads of time to sit down and write in my blog. Since the beginning of the semester I have written two essays and I am working on a third. The first one was posted here on the last post. Although it wasn't about running or healthy living, it did contain a lesson that can be applied to many areas of life.<br />
<br />
My second essay was a process essay. I won't go into all the details but I did write mine about how to live a healthy lifestyle. Before you read it though, I want to give an update on what I've been accomplished since my last post.<br />
<br />
I am still training hard for my marathon which is coming up pretty fast. I have ran my longest distance of 19.1 miles just a few weeks ago and will attempt another 20 miler this coming weekend. I haven't gotten to run during the week like I should but I've been busy on the road too. For the most part it has been great weather for training the last few weeks.<br />
<br />
Now that that is out of the way, here is the essay that I wrote for my class. Thanks for taking the time to visit and read it.<br />
<br />
<br />
-----------------<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Healthy and More Confident<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since I started on my journey to a
healthier lifestyle over three years ago, I have heard,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How did you use lose all that weight?” “What
diet are you on?” “I bet you feel so much better.” and “I wish I had your will
power.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not have believed it
before, but I am convinced, now more than ever, that a person can make small
changes in their lives that will make them feel better and more confident to
reach any goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I first started on this journey, I
set some goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set small goals that I
wanted to accomplish in a short period of time and some larger ones that I
wanted to accomplish in the coming months and years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, a small goal might be to lose
five pounds in a month and walk three times a week for the next six weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, a larger goal would be to keep those
five pounds off for six months or walk one hundred miles in the next four
months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Second, I started weighing myself on
Sunday morning, and this was really motivating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It let me see the progress I was making and let me know if I was headed
toward or away from my target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experts
say people should weigh themselves everyday, but that can be demotivating
especially if weight was gained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">After setting my goals and weighing, I
decided I would start to exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
I didn’t want to disturb the normal family routine, I thought it would be best
if I woke up early and went for a walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I started out walking thirty minutes and then increased it by five
minutes every two weeks until I worked up to an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, I decided that I would try
running and now I am half marathoner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the same time, eating the right foods
plays an important role in my pursuit to a healthier lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began to eat healthier foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of eating a candy bar for a snack, I
would eat some grapes, a banana, or a serving of almonds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For breakfast I would eat oatmeal or some other
kind of cereal with almond milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
changes were gradual and not all at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To help me stay focused I used an app on my iPhone to track my calories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Equally important is getting plenty of
sleep and rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are just as
important as doing the exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
during sleep that the body repairs all of the damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body always builds back stronger than it
was before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is generally accepted
that getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night is best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a while, I started looking for
others that were on a similar journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over the last three years, I have met some of the greatest people
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the ones that have been
there to give me advice and encourage me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It also gave me a chance to help them out as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, I began a blog and wrote in it
weekly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This kept me accountable to
others and kept me focused on what I wanted to accomplish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would write about my activities from the
previous week, whether or not I tried any new foods, and how my weight loss was
progressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote about the good and
the bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, I started writing
about other running related subjects that I found interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t just
about being healthier but it is the person that is revealed during the
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After losing over forty pounds
and becoming a healthy runner, I am confident that I can set any goal and
accomplish it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can do it, then
anyone can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-76936034307648474822013-10-07T16:00:00.000-05:002013-10-07T16:00:07.059-05:00Small acts of kindness make the world a better placeAs promised on Facebook, I am going to post my essay that I wrote for my English Comp class but first I have a few things I'd like to write. First, I want the world to know that I have the best running friends in the world! Although they are scattered all over the place, they are still the best!<br />
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Second, this past Saturday was one of the best running/walking days. It started for me at 4:15am. I started my run just before 5am and made a loop around the Coke course. I was going to run for a while but for some reason I was just having a bad day and I stopped at 7.5 miles. I got cleaned up and made my way to downtown Corinth for the start of the Rotary 5K. This was a race that I ran a couple of years ago and last year I attended and took pictures. I did the same thing this year and really enjoyed it.<br />
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While I was doing that, some of my friends were running the race and some of them were in Winchester, TN, running either a half or full marathon. A couple even completed their first marathon and got a spot on the Wall of Pain. Congrats to all of you that crossed the finish line no matter the distance!<br />
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I also got to participate in something awesome too. As you may or may not know, I am running as a St Jude Hero in December. That simply means that I have committed to raising funds for St Jude. My goal was to raise $500 and as of this writing I have reached that goal and then some. I am a member of Team Corinth and we had a roadblock in Corinth and I got to work the 11am-1pm shift. It made me feel so good to see so many folks come through and give. If you came through and gave while we were out there, thank you so much! It's still not to late to give if you want. You can go to my personal fundraising page and donate by clicking <a href="http://stjude.irun4mylife.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. (I'll take this link down at the end of my fundraising)<br />
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Now for what you have been waiting for. When I was coming up with ideas for what I wanted to write my essay about, my instructor gave us some guidance. I won't go into all the boring details but I knew almost immediately what story I was going to tell. This is a story about Nanny and me. It is also about something little that she did for me many years ago that I have always remembered and have told on occasion but never wrote it down. Anyway, the topic applies to so many areas of life but since this is a blog about my running I will tell you about how it applies here. So many people have come into my life over the past three years and all of them have made a difference in my life. It doesn't matter how simple they might have thought it was but I can tell you that it changed the direction of my life. For example, those three people that kept posting their runs on Facebook until I finally said, "If they can do that, so can I." I could go on and on but I won't. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the essay.<br />
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The Ice Cream Cone</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Small acts of kindness make the world a better place.” That was one of the many sayings my grandmother, Nanny, used to tell me while I was growing up. She set the perfect example for many others and me during her lifetime. Every time I go out for an ice cream or drive by the local dairy bar, I am transported back in time when I was on the receiving end of one of her acts of kindness. Even though I was only six or seven, this one small gesture would stick with me throughout my life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a hot, summer day in 1978, and my parents, sister, and uncle decided to go swimming. I wasn't going because I had just recently had tubes put in my ears and couldn’t allow water to enter them. Instead, Nanny was going to carry me to the dairy bar and treat me to some ice cream. Before we even arrived, I knew I was going to choose vanilla because it was my favorite flavor. As we pulled up to the front of the building, Nanny asked in her soft kind voice, “What do you want?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“A great big vanilla ice cream cone!” I replied excitedly.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As she handed me some money, she told me to go order and pay for two large ice cream cones. Ordering at the pickup window wasn’t something that I had done before, and this made me feel like a big boy. After I ordered the cones, I was going to carry the first one back to the car to Nanny and then return for mine. What happened as I was returning with the second cone was totally unexpected. As I was walking from the pickup window to the car, which couldn’t have been more than 15 feet, the top part of my ice cream slipped right off the cone. I didn’t know what to do and just stood there and looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As luck would have it, the lady, who had given me the ice cream cones, had seen and opened the pickup window and said, “Come back here, sugar! I'll put some more on it.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I returned to the window and she topped me off with more ice cream. As I was making my way back to the car, the ice cream fell off a second time. Again, I didn’t know what to do and quickly made my way to the car and sat down.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nanny could tell that tears were beginning to form in my eyes and she looked over at me and said, “Here, son. You can have mine and I’ll eat yours.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As we exchanged cones, a big smile came over my face and as I looked into Nanny’s eyes, I could see the love she had for me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Although this small act happened over 35 years ago, I still look back at it and am reminded of the times I pay it forward to my children, hoping one day they will look back and pass it on to future generations too. It is truly those small acts that a person does that really count and do make the world a better place.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-63450644687507106962013-10-01T12:00:00.000-05:002013-10-01T12:00:03.433-05:00Has It Really Been 3 Years?<br />
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I wrapped up my running for the month of September this past Sunday and with that I also wrapped up another year. I can’t believe that it has been three years since I first stepped outside and took that very first step to a new me. In just under 11 weeks I will arrive at the start line of my very first marathon. Something that I would have never thought I could do even one year ago. This past Saturday I reached a new personal best in distance of 16.5 miles. It had been a while since my last PR and it was worth the wait.</div>
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I’m actually going to do my marathon a little different that most of the runners that I know. I am going to be running 16 minutes and then walking 4 minutes. This will have me running 80% of the time. I first tried running 8 minutes and walking 2 but that just wasn’t working out for me.</div>
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Today I want to share with you some stats that I’ve accumulated over those three years.</div>
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Total Mileage: 2,254.46</div>
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Total Time: 2 weeks 4 day 21 hours 54 minutes 1 second</div>
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Total Days Walk/Run: 423</div>
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2013 Mileage: 720.42</div>
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2013 Time: 5 days 16 hours 11 minutes 15 seconds</div>
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2013 Runs: 81</div>
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2012 Mileage: 850.41</div>
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Total Mileage from 1/1/2012 to 9/30/2012: 567.41</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have ran 153 more miles this year than this time last year.</div>
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I have ran 1,003.42 miles since last October 1st.</div>
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Thanks for all of your support by reading this blog and I hope to get back to blogging on a regular schedule pretty soon.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-86156166170073988072013-08-31T20:15:00.001-05:002013-08-31T20:15:09.734-05:00Too Many Irons in the FireIt's been almost two weeks since my last blog post and with some reservation I am sorry to say this may be my last for a few weeks. I have had so many things going on the last couple of weeks that I need to get a few irons out of the fire. I have decided that it would be in my best interest to only blog when I can find the time to sit down and write a really good post instead of just throwing one up. That has really only happened a few times because I did sit down and write it out when I had plenty of time.<br />
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As some of you may know, I have returned to college and am taking only one online course. That is what is taking up most of my free time while on the road during the week. My marathon training started a couple of weeks ago and that is really important to me as well.<br />
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I will return here every few weeks and give an update on how I am doing on my training and write some words of encouragement too. If you'd like to keep up with me during the meantime, please feel free to "like" my Facebook page because I will still be posting there as I always have.<br />
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Thank you all so much for reading my blog and I look forward to see you over on Facebook.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-20731804501808029622013-08-21T14:46:00.002-05:002013-08-21T14:46:59.786-05:00How Do You Define Success?Last week I had to deliver in Arlington, TX, and while a couple of guys and I were unloading the furniture, one of them says, "What is the secret to your success?" He just says it out of the blue and I told him I'd have to think about that for a few minutes. I'm not sure how much of a "success" I am as a truck driver but I thought about the question the rest of the week and how it applies to lots of areas in life. I believe we all define success different. Acquiring lots of money may be one person's definition and define it as having what he/she needs.<br />
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Today, I want to look at the question like a runner. I'm sure some of these could also apply to other areas of life as well. The first thing that comes to mind is "Always be nice to others." When I first began this journey, I was almost on my own. I only knew a few runners and really didn't know what to ask. I hope they didn't get tired of answering my question but they'll never know how much they helped me along the way. As began to gain knowledge, I was better able to help others. I still don't know everything, and never will, but I can probably point you to someone who does know the answer.</div>
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The second thing that I thought of is "Be patient." Again, when I first started, it was hard for me to slow down and not do too much too soon. I wanted to walk just a little farther and do it a little faster. I wanted to be out there everyday and not take rest days. I'll never forget when I was about to run my first 5K and saw the start of the half marathon. I was pumped and felt like I could run 13.1 miles! I really couldn't but at the time I felt like I could. It would take me just over a year to run that distance at one time. Since I am following a training program right now, I am sure I will have trouble not going longer than my plans says. For example, on August 31st, my plan calls for an 8 mile run. It has been a while since I've only ran 8 miles on a Saturday. I will enjoy it because that is my shortest long run.</div>
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Thirdly, the "secret" to my success is to help others. It kind of goes along with the first one but this is a ways to pay it forward. I've had so many people that have helped me over the last three years and the best thing is the many friends that I have made along the way. I am thankful for those and also thankful for you that read this blog week in and week out.</div>
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Am I the fastest runner? No! Am I successful runner? In my book, YES! I've never placed in a race but the feeling you get when you cross that finish line isn't something that you can experience anywhere else. I love crossing that finish line no matter the distance. I also love the feeling I get when I go farther than I ever have.<br />
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My first week of marathon training is in the books and I logged 24.1 miles running and 21.3 miles on the bike. I had planned for only 20 miles but got in 4 extra miles last Monday morning before I had to go to work.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by this week and I'll see you back here again next week.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-52828750983252478572013-08-13T17:00:00.000-05:002013-08-13T17:00:04.031-05:00Are You Serious?Does vacation ever last long enough? I know mine didn't and I had to get back on the truck and delivering freight again. My marathon training officially started this week and I decided to take most of last week off from running last week. After a week of eating lots junk food and not eating the most healthy diet, I'm sure my body was glad that I started fueling it with things that are good for it. Although I haven't given up meat, I have reduced the amount of meat that I eat.<br />
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When I first started this journey, I soon stopped eating beef. I went for about ten month without eating any beef at all except for a small amounts that were probably in pepperoni. I love pizza and pepperoni is one of my favorite toppings. Over the next 18 weeks my plan is to still eat the foods that I like but have more control over the portions that I eat. I'm sure I will start getting hate mail from Little Debbie, McDonald's, and Wendy's. I will still have my eye on Wendy's chili because of all the fiber and protein in it.<br />
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While in Murfreesboro, we went to a store named Lily's As Seen on TV. When we walked in the door there were three machines sitting right in the middle. My cousin inquired about them. I was a machine that simply sat there and vibrated your legs. Here is a <a href="http://www.lilystvitems.com/TRIFLEX-P497.aspx#.UgqPsRbOHZs" target="_blank">link</a> to it. The salesman said that it "contracted the muscles in your legs and standing on it for 10 minutes was like being on the treadmill for an hour." I said to myself, "Is he serious?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They were promoting this device as a way to lose weight and relieve pain. I don't know about the pain part but I'm sure that it's not going to help you lose weight. What do you think?<br />
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If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know that I don't believe in using pills or other weight loss products. Sure, those things will help you get started but you can't continue to take them for the rest of your life. You must make some uncomfortable changes in your diet and also the things you do. Although I promote running, you can do other things to be active. Walking and biking are two other things that I enjoy. I had to start walking before I could run. One reason was because I was too heavy and the another was because I needed to get my body used to moving. Losing weight isn't easy but it is so worth the effort.<br />
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I went on three bike rides this past week and only ran one time. I ran 12 miles on those hills of Hwy 350 on Saturday morning with the other Lunatics. My three bikes rides were on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday with a total of about 56 miles. Riding with friends is as fun as running with friends but it's much easier to talk while biking.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by this week and I'll see you back here again next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-70230123331980112222013-08-06T17:30:00.000-05:002013-08-06T17:30:00.725-05:00Thankful I Get To RunMy week of vacation finally arrived and I got a lot of exercise and ate lots of junk food too. Now it's back to work and I'm ready to start eating things that are good for my body again. I still ate some fresh fruit this week but not as much as I usually do.<br />
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I started my week off with a nice run in Murfreesboro, TN, on the greenway. I wasn't sure what route I needed to go and ended up in the Stones River Battlefield. I was a nice trail through the battlefield where only pedestrians were allowed. As I ran along, I saw a deer up ahead of me and she acted like she wasn't even scared. I stopped to take her picture and took some video too. I thought she was going to run off but she stopped and then I went on my way. After getting back on the greenway, I saw lots of people either walking, running or riding bikes. I saw 40 people and then stopped counting. Talked to a guy who said it was crowded on the weekend. After going out and then back to the hotel, I ended up with 9.5 miles and it was just then warming up.<br />
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I had planned on running again on the greenway but going in a different direction on Wednesday but when I got up it was raining so I just went back to sleep. After we got home that afternoon, I had to get the bike out and ride for a while and rode 13.1 miles. It was much needed and was a great ride.<br />
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After making plans to run with Amy and Jeff on Thursday afternoon, I wasn't about to back out. As I mentioned in last week's post, I just haven't felt motivated to run in this heat. Amy and I left downtown and after a couple of miles, I was ready to turn around and just go back home and call it a day. I did run a total of 6 miles but every single step was terrible. After I finished I was glad it was in the books.<br />
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Friday morning was too beautiful to not get out so I took the bike out again. This ride was on a route that I haven't even ran before and was something different. After riding for 18.5 miles I felt that I still had gas in the tank and was feeling great. I was wondering how my long run was going to go the next morning.<br />
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It wasn't very warm at 6am on Saturday but it was humid. As always, I ran most of the first four miles alone and then Jeff and I teamed up and ran another 10 together. It was by far my fastest 14 miler but after 3 hours and 14.3 miles I was glad it was in the books too.<br />
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I was going to get up and run Sunday morning but decided to stay in bed. That afternoon I did go on a 17 mile bike ride and it was even better the the previous rides. If I had known I would love a bike as much as I do, I would have gotten one a long time ago.<br />
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This past week I also became I college student again. I'm only taking one online course but that will probably be enough for now. With this blog, a college course, training for a marathon starting next week, a full-time trucking job and all the things I do as a family member, I'm sure I will be busy until mid-December.<br />
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A year ago, I reviewed the Fitbit Ultra <a href="http://irun4mylife.blogspot.com/2012/08/getting-fit-with-little-help.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I used it until about a month ago and now have the Fitbit Flex. It is similar in many ways but also different. The Flex is worn on the wrist in a band and only has five lights on it. It doesn't have a display but you can still get live information from it via your iPhone 4S or 5, iPad 3rd or 4th generation, iPad mini, or select Android devices. Since I don't use an Android device, I can only tell you about the iPhone. I only use my Flex with my iPhone 5. If you don't have a compatible device then you can use the included dongle to sync wirelessly. The Flex uses bluetooth to sync with the Fitbit website and you can see live stats via the mobile app.<br />
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Although I never wore the Ultra while running, I do wear the Flex while running because it is water-resistant. They even encourage you to wear it in the shower but I don't do that either. <br />
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One last thing before I go. I saw a quote on Facebook last Friday that I thought was so true. It basically said, "We shouldn't fret over having to run tomorrow. You should be thankful that you get to run!"<br />
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Thanks for stopping by this week and I hope to see you again next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-17503551497444668062013-07-30T17:30:00.000-05:002013-07-30T17:30:02.306-05:00I Don't Want to GoI've been struggling over the last couple of weeks with motivation. I know I have written about motivation several times in this blog and I don't guess it would hurt to write about it again. I'm just glad that it's not two years ago when I was still doing my running alone. I would probably just lay in the bed every Saturday morning and tell myself, "I'll get it done a little later." Later would never come.<br />
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I'm so thankful for my running friends around Corinth and also those truckers that are out there getting it done too. I get to thinking about how hot it is outside and it just takes all of my motivation away. That is when I have to dig really deep and just get up and get it done.<br />
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I have ran a total of 30.1 miles over the last couple of weeks and most of them have been struggles too. Not only have I ran but I have also biked too. I bought a bike a little over a week ago and love it! It's not going to replace running but will give me a chance to get some exercise while on the road. My first ride was on Sunday, July 21, with my running buddy, Steve, and his wife and daughter. I ended up with almost 11 miles that day but I didn't run that morning either.<br />
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I was passing through town on Wednesday and decided I was going to run and bike. I ran 6 miles and then biked 7.5. The next morning I didn't think that was such a good idea. Thankfully I was still able to walk.<br />
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This past Saturday, when I got up to go to Hwy 350, I almost just went back to bed. I had just started my vacation time. Again, I didn't have the motivation. I just didn't want to go run. I laced up my shoes and drove out to our meeting place. I told Jeff that I really didn't want to run but I was going to do 8 anyway. By the time I got to the water stop, I was feeling pretty good. I told Jeff that I wanted to go ahead and go another mile and turn around so I could get 10. After arriving back at the start, I felt I could have ran more but I had to get a move on so the family and I could head out to our vacation destination.<br />
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Are there times when you just can't get motivated and you don't want to get moving? What makes you get out there anyway? Please leave your answers down in the comments box. Thanks for stopping by and I'm looking forward to hearing from you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-79585229637528129952013-07-16T17:00:00.000-05:002013-07-16T17:00:06.222-05:00Lift Each Other UpI know I say it a lot but this past week a little busier than most "busy" weeks. I was on the road all week but I still managed to get in almost 19 miles for the week. I even got to run in a state I'd never ran in before. I got the chance to run Wednesday morning and it was so humid that my clothes were soaked before I even got started good. I just ran a normal route around town and got in 5.2 miles in an hour.<br />
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On Thursday afternoon, I was in Wisconsin and got the chance to run again. Since I have a cousin that lives in Appleton, I was able to get a shower afterwards too. I just left from the house and ran down to a trail and proceeded to run a loop a couple of times and then I went a different way and ran though Fox Valley Technical College. I don't think I ran all of the trail because there were a couple of places I could have turned but decided not to and just went on back toward the house. The weather was so nice that I did 5.57 miles in an hour. It was about 77 degrees and no humidity. I did sweat but not as bad as I had the day before in Mississippi. While on this run I saw three rabbits and a ground hog. I also noticed something that I don't normally notice. It was the smell of wild flowers. I wished I could have captured the smell and shared it but that's just something that you have to experience for yourself.<br />
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I was on the road all day Saturday so I didn't get a chance to run then. I made up for it a little on Sunday morning when Jeff and I went for what should have been a longer run for me. When we got to the park, about 2.5 miles, I was ready to quit. I just wasn't feeling it and didn't want to run. It did get a little better after while but I ended up with only 8 miles at an 11:30 pace. As always, I was glad that the miles were in the book when I finished. During this Sunday morning run, I also reached a milestone for the year. As of this time last year, I had only ran 360 miles for the year but at the end of this run I am at 506 miles for the year. I am still running a little behind on my goal for 1000 miles this year but I'm sure with marathon training coming up, I will be able to reach that goal pretty easy.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6l9YtHvgNY/UeQPqmNFFCI/AAAAAAAAAgY/_h-J5c3TStk/s1600/strong+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6l9YtHvgNY/UeQPqmNFFCI/AAAAAAAAAgY/_h-J5c3TStk/s200/strong+people.jpg" width="200" /></a>I started this blog when I first got started in my weight loss journey and after almost a year, I stopped writing. I didn't think I had anything else to say and it was taking up, what I thought, a lot of time to sit down and write each post. When I started to training last June for my first half marathon I started writing again and have enjoyed every single moment I have put into writing and changing the look of my blog. With that being said, I don't write post to brag about my accomplishments but to help others, like you, and to encourage. I believe if I can do this, anyone can! Since I've been running on 350, I have been given high-fives by some of the fastest and long distance runners that I know. I get them because I ran a new distance or I ran my fastest that day. I "stole" this graphic from Paul in the Truckin' Runners group and had to comment on it. I can honestly say that is what everyone one of the members of this group do. That is also what everyone in my local group do too. I can't help but think that most running groups are like that too because of all the other runners I have been around at running events. I know I'm not the fastest and I can't run as far as some but I am not out there for anyone else. I am out there for ME! I don't care if you are running your first mile or your 2000th mile (like I did a couple of weeks ago), I will cheer you on!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by this week. Whether it's your first time here or you have read all of the previous 101 post, thank you for being a part of my journey and reading what I have to say. Hope to see you again next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-49958697677779036202013-07-10T17:30:00.000-05:002013-07-10T17:30:01.585-05:00Snack TimeI hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day last week and got some great running or exercise in while you were on vacation, if you were off. I wasn't off but did manage to get in just over 28 miles for the week over three days. I ran 7.25 on Monday, 6 on Thursday and 15 on Saturday. I was really proud of Saturday's run too because I was out with my new friend, Steve, and he set a new personal best for distance. We had a great time chatting and running together.<br />
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Three weeks ago, I wrote about some healthy things you can eat instead of the "junk" food that you'd normally eat and how to save on calories. This week, I want to cover another subject that I was asked about right after that and it concerns snacks. I was asked what I snacked and gave a brief answer and thought I'd cover it here for a more drawn out answer.<br />
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One of my favorite things to snack on is a banana. They normally only have between 90-105 calories so that is a nice snack and they full of things that your body needs. Here is a <a href="http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Worlds-Favorite-Fruit/index-banana-nutrition-facts.aspx" target="_blank">link</a> to some nutritional information.<br />
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My next go to thing is an apple. I generally buy the kind that are already sliced because they are almost as cheap that way and I don't have to worry about cutting them up and getting rid of the core. They kind that I get have only 80 calories and have the same amount of fiber, which keeps you full longer, and less carbs than the banana. Here is a <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1809/2" target="_blank">link</a> for the nutritional information of apples.<br />
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Next on my list are cherries. I try to get these on sale because they can be expensive. I bought some this last weekend for $2.25 a pound and that is about the right price range. However, I have seen them as high as $4.95 a pound too. Here is a <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1867/2" target="_blank">link</a> for the nutritional information of cherries.<br />
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Now sometimes we can always eat fresh fruit and have to eat "out of a box". What are some healthy choices there? Yogurt is my go to snack mainly because it has so much protein. Next on the list is a PB&J sandwich. I normally will eat a whole sandwich but if it has been a while since I've eaten and I am going on a run I will eat only a half. I make my sandwich with Nature's Own Honey 7 Grain bread and either grape, blueberry, or strawberry Simply Fruit. I don't eat "regular" jelly because it has HFCS in it. I have used the "natural" jelly but only buy the grape because the first ingredient of the strawberry jelly is SUGAR! Sugar is natural but do you really want it to be the first ingredient, which means there is more of it than any other thing listed after. When I get bread, I always choose a bread that doesn't have HFCS.<br />
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What do you like to eat for your snacks? Please leave your comments below. Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-6216641650278280782013-06-25T17:00:00.000-05:002013-07-02T22:35:11.217-05:00Our Local Hero & Rockstar<span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">For my 100th post I wanted to do something a little different to make this post particularly special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I took my first step to becoming a runner on October 1, 2010, but little did I know that I would look back to June 2010 to a day when I met Kenneth "Koach" Williams for the first time. I didn't know much about him but I did know that he could play the blues harmonica and was a runner. I told him I wanted to ask him a question. </span><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I asked, "Can a fat boy like me run?" He told me that it could happen but the most important thing is to avoid injury. While he was answering my question, I was about to chow down on a couple of cheeseburgers. </span><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">After that day, I didn't think much about it until I had "the accident" (you can read about it </span><a href="http://irun4mylife.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-my-journey-started.html" style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">) and I felt I had to do something. I walked out the door at little after 11:30am on Oct 1 and started my journey.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had the chance to ask Koach a few questions. I also found a great site about something that I had heard about shortly after I met him but didn't know anything about. My first question to Koach was, "When and why did your start running?"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I found out that he had starting running in 1977 after a trip with a guy that had "done an unusal thing: he had run a marathon!" Here is what Koach said happened after that trip:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I wasn’t very familiar with that and didn’t run at all at that time. When I got home from the trip I went to the football field the next morning and ran one half mile. The rest, as they say, is history!!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"I moved forward fast. I ran a marathon 10 months after starting running. I ran the Chicago Marathon on Sept 24th, 1978, along with 9,000 people. It was to be my only marathon, I thought, but that was not to be.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"After that marathon, I continued running, but just a few days a week and not many miles. But about 9 months later, the urge hit again, and I decided to try it again. I was running really well at that time and thought I might just qualify for Boston. What a mistake! I went out at a fast pace. At 10 miles, I was just over 70 minutes; my buddy, who was able to drive the course in the car, pulled alongside and said: “You better slow down, you are going out too fast”. I responded back… “Naw, Man, I’m in the groove”. By 18, I was toast and beginning to walk. I did the marathon shuffle in for a 3:32, which was pretty good, considering. He never let me forget me saying I was “in the groove”. I did one marathon per year for years, and finally qualified for my first Boston Marathon in ’90. It took me 13 more years to qualify for a second one, but since then, I’ve run 11 consecutive Bostons.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Most of you know that I’m a big fan of the Coke 10K that we have in Corinth every May and I couldn’t pass up the chance to ask Koach why he wanted to found and direct a race.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“In 1981, Corinth didn’t have a really nice race. We had some that came and went, but not one of our own. My company, Corinth Coke, was celebrating its 75th anniversary and I talked our folks into adding a 10k race in conjunction with all the other things we were planning. We teamed up with a local guy, Jimmy Whitehurst, who was very active with one of the kidney nonprofits. We put together the Coke Kidney Classic 10k. We had 148 runners the first year. The first race our employees ever saw, they hosted. I was very proud of them for that. The kidney folks weren’t interested the next year and we weren’t interested in having those two words in the title of a race, so we went out alone. Again it was successful and we have continued since then. But it has not always been easy and has not always been popular with our own people who wondered if we were diverting too much energy on something that had only an indirect effect. Don’t think anyone has a problem seeing its positive benefits 32 years later.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I love running and it’s my passion. I coach runners that wish to run a marathon and I enjoy doing that so much. My running friends mean so much to me and I love them all.” Although Koach tells me much of his spare time is spent with running and running-related things, he does have other interest too. One of them, and the most important, is his large family. They include his wife, who was his college sweetheart, their four kids and spouses and all of their 14 grandkids!!! He says, “We all live within 50 miles of each other and are very close and supportive.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Koach also looks forward to going into work everyday because he loves the business he is in and the people he works with.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some of the things he enjoys doing is fishing and duck hunting. He says, “I also love playing the blues harmonica and played in a blues band for nearly 15 years. I love kayaking and other water sports and I enjoy checking off bucket list items with my buddy. I am very, very thankful for the life that God has allowed me to live.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My last last question was simply, “What advice would you give someone that is just starting out to becoming a runner?” Not surprisingly, he replied, “Be patient! You will continue to improve for years. Never give up!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With Koach’s help, guidance, and encouragement, I have definitely become the runner I am today.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After poking around online just a little I found that Koach has ran from the Mississippi state line just north of Corinth all the way to the gulf coast. How Awesome is that? Here is the <a href="http://www.stepwithit.ms/log.htm" target="_blank">link</a> where you can read his daily log of his journey. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and read to the top. Here is another <a href="http://runitfast.com/2012/10/04/run-it-fast-the-club-profile-kenneth-williams-28/" target="_blank">link</a> to the Run it Fast website where you can learn more about Koach and his passion for running.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Thanks, Koach, for all that you have done for me in my pursuit to becoming a runner and all that you do for our great running community in Corinth, Alcorn County, and around the globe.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-12261305500685068622013-06-18T17:00:00.000-05:002013-07-02T22:34:58.923-05:00Small Changes Add UpIt's starting to warm up even more here in Mississippi and I haven't made it to the point that I'm comfortable running in the heat just yet. I had to carry my truck by the shop on Wednesday and was going to do loops around the parking lot until my truck was fixed but I only made it 1.55 miles because it was so hot. The temp at the time was 93!<br />
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I tried again on Saturday morning and when the group started it was nice. My first 12 miles or so were pretty good but after that it was all downhill. Jeff and I ran up the ridge road and when we got back I told him, "You just go on ahead and you can just come back and get me when you finish. I'll just take whatever I have at that time." I still ended up with 14.4 miles but my pace was really off at 12 minute miles.<br />
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Last week I told you I had a big announcement to make. I already knew when I posted last week but didn't want to reveal "my secret" until Wednesday. I did post on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/irun4mylife" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for this blog and a little later on my Facebook page. Three years ago this month, I met Kenneth Williams and asked him about running. It has taken me that long to prepare for what I'm going to do in December. I have registered for the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL. I'm excited and nervous at the same time! Jeff is running the marathon at St Jude the weekend before and then running the RCM too! Thankfully I'm only running the half at St Jude.<br />
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Most of you know that I drive a truck and while I'm out on the road it isn't always easy getting a healthy meal. I do carry a cooler with me and that makes it a little easier. Although I am not the only one that has made small changes over the last two and a half years, I have made some. I have written before about what I eat but sometimes we need to hear things again. I have, and still am, making little adjustments in my diet that over time will make a big difference.<br />
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One of the changes that I made was back in February. I started putting almond milk on my cereal and drinking it instead of using regular milk. According to the package, almond milk has 50% more calcium than regular milk. That isn't the reason I switched. The reason was because I had been drinking 1% milk and it has 102 calories per 8 oz. That doesn't seem like a lot but if you compare it to 30 calories in almond milk and you drink one cup a day, that adds up to 1 pound of weight loss every 7 weeks.<br />
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One of my favorite changes are dates. I will eat a serving of dates (5-6) instead of eating a candy bar. They are naturally sweet and are so good. Not to mention the fiber that is in them that makes you feel full longer than a candy bar will. I'm not say I don't eat candy bars anymore. I'm just saying I eat fewer of them.<br />
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I mentioned cereal when I was talking about almond milk. It is hard to find a cereal that I don't want to just eat the whole box in one sitting. Some cereals also require me to eat more than "one serving" because it just doesn't satisfy me. Take for example Cheerios. I will eat two cups of them for a total of 200 calories. Add in the almond milk and a cup of yogurt (80 calories) and I have a total of 340 calories. On the other hand, I also like to eat Kashi Go Lean Crunch. One cup of it has 200 calories. I can eat just one cup of it because of the fiber and protein in it and then add on the other stuff for the same amount of calories. I do change it up from time to time and eat a banana, some apple slices or might even drink a cup of orange juice. I don't want to get bored by eating the same thing all the time.<br />
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I've been made fun of for making this change. It's not one that I do all the time but quite a bit. Instead of having chips with my sandwich, I will have celery. I know most people like the salty taste of chips but I think I like the crunch better and celery has that "crunch". Again, here we go with the math. An average serving of chips has 140 calories. And since I usually eat 2 servings of celery I will use it in my example. Instead of eating the 140 calories in the chips, if you changed just three times a week to eating celery you will have saved 330 calories per week or 1 pound in just under 11 weeks. See how easy it is?<br />
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How have you made little changes in your diet to help you? I'd like to hear. Please leave your comments below.<br />
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That's going to do it for me this week and you will want to come back for sure next week. It will be the 100th post and I have something very special planned to share with you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-1768221093418810362013-06-11T17:30:00.001-05:002013-07-02T22:34:41.601-05:00A Must Read: Hey, Out of Shape Girl<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last week was a very busy week for me but I still had the opportunity to get in just over 22 miles over three days. Since I took Sunday before last off and knew I was going to Evansville, IN, I ran on the Greenway Passage again for the third time. I still didn't have my Garmin so used my iPhone to track my mileage and ran 6.5 miles and it was nice. I was hoping to see Mr Don again but didn't.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since I had to work the rest of the week and didn't get a chance to run, I had to wait until Saturday morning to pound some pavement. I had planned to go out to 350 but had to pass this week because I didn't get in until late. I got up and hit the Coke course and ran for 5 miles with my "new" Garmin. Even after 5 miles it only lost down to 89% of battery. Hopefully this one will serve me as well as the old one.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jenni, Jeff and I decided we were going to meet at the church at 6:30 but nature had other plans for us. A thunderstorm was moving in from the south and it had lightning in it. After messaging each other we ended up meeting a little later. I ended up with 11miles, Jeff with 14, and Jenni with 15. I enjoyed the run and enjoyed the company even more. Thanks y'all!!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There may have been a reason I didn't make it out the 350 Saturday morning. As I running up to the 4th street bridge, I noticed a keyless remote laying on the side of the road. I stopped and picked it up and put it in my pouch. I went ahead and had forgotten about it until I saw a car and pickup coming down the road really slow. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The guy driving the pickup was hanging out the window and seemed to be looking for something on the side of the road. I looked on the front of the car and it matched the emblem on the remote. The lady driving the car wouldn't stop but I pulled the remote out and waved it for the guy. Of course he pulled on up and thanked me. It was the least that I could do. I'm glad they came along. I had met the lady earlier in my run pushing a baby stroller and apparently she had dropped it on her way out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One other thing that I want to share with you is something that I came across on Facebook and posted it on the Facebook page for this blog but you may not have seen it. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I do know that 360 people have read it just from the page and I'm sure numerous on other sites. If you are in doubt about starting your journey and you wonder what other runners might think about you, then this is for YOU! I wished I would have written this.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hey, Out of Shape Girl.</span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You are awesome.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I bow to you.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">--- flintland.blogspot.com</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you again next week for a big announcement!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-87708259535681693172013-06-05T06:00:00.000-05:002013-06-06T18:37:18.030-05:00Chasing Our ShadowI got lazy writing my post during the Memorial Day holiday but I didn't slack on getting my miles. The week that ended the day before Memorial Day I ran a total of 25.5 miles. I got lucky and got to run during the week again on the Greenway Passage in Evansville, IN, that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I made it all the way to the Ohio River at about the 4 mile mark. If you ever get the chance to run on this trail then do so. You will remember it for a long time. Unfortunately, I didn't carry my iPhone with me to take pictures because I thought the rain was going to move in but it never did.<br />
During that run, my Garmin 405 decided to die on me. I thought I'd charged the battery but when I plugged it up it had 0% charge. To make a long story short, I called Garmin and was told it was probably the battery and they could send me a refurbished 405 for a fee. Needless to say, I paid the fee and as of this writing my "new" is on the way.<br />
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The Saturday and Sunday before the holiday I ran 10 miles on 350 and 7.4 on the Coke route. While Jeff and I were running on Sunday morning, we were talking about racing and competing. Neither of us really compete against other runners at the race but if we place the that is the icing on the cake. As we were talking and having this conversation, I pointed toward the ground in front of me and said, "That's who I'm competing against right there!" At the time the sun was to our back and our shadows were "running" just in front of us.<br />
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This past Saturday I ran the Butterfly 5K in Waynesboro, TN. Let me tell you, if you haven't ran this race and you live close then it is one your should run next year. Not only does it benefit a great charity but the race is absolutely the best 5K I have ever ran. The race director, Jim Beavers, personally invited me to it during the Rotary Run in the Park back in April and I'm so glad that I went. The course is partly on the highway but the traffic control and the support were great. I heard that it took 60 volunteers to pull it off and they did just that. It's a race that I'm looking forward to running again next year. I had hoped to run a PR and do it under 30 minutes but it was warm and I ran a 31:24. I was still proud and that is a good time too!<br />
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Earlier in the week I two other days of with 7 miles and 3.1 miles so my total for the week was only 13.2 miles. I slept in on Sunday and did run at all. I made up for it on Monday but I'll have to tell you about that next week.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by this week and hope to see you again next week.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186583255130080721.post-3708789327077686752013-05-21T17:00:00.000-05:002013-05-21T17:00:03.382-05:00What Motivates You?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RkErIazqxZI/UZrb0LBkrVI/AAAAAAAAAfs/nbTVs9m4m_s/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RkErIazqxZI/UZrb0LBkrVI/AAAAAAAAAfs/nbTVs9m4m_s/s200/IMG_1196.jpg" width="101" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wqfmkSriZzw/UZrbzamTjdI/AAAAAAAAAfg/R3ghWDLR04E/s1600/IMG_1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wqfmkSriZzw/UZrbzamTjdI/AAAAAAAAAfg/R3ghWDLR04E/s200/IMG_1200.jpg" width="88" /></a>One of the best things about the sport of running is that you can either be a participant or a spectator at a race. I have done both and have a good time doing either one of them. Of course, I love getting out there and running with all the others but there is something about standing on the side of the course and cheering for your friends and perfect strangers. This past weekend I had the opportunity to be a spectator at the Mango Madness 5K here in town. It is ran on the XC course. I decided this year to not to run it because, well, trail running just isn't for me.<br />
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Now that summer is upon us, I decided to search the Internet for some tips on running in the summer. My first summer of running was way back in 2011 and while I was still blogging I wrote this <a href="http://irun4mylife.blogspot.com/2011/07/running-in-heat.html" target="_blank">post</a> on running in the heat. Here are a few others that I found:<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.active.com/running/Articles/20_Tips_to_Stay_Cool_on_a_Summer_Run" target="_blank">20 Tips to Stay Cool on a Summer Run</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.2toms.com/knowledge/seasonal-safety-tips-for-runners/" target="_blank">SeasonalSafety Tips for Runners (this covers all four seasons)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/hot-weather-running" target="_blank">Articles from Runner's World on running in the heat</a></li>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ukMOX7Zw9I/UZrb0a2sfSI/AAAAAAAAAfw/AfALtJH0Juc/s1600/IMG_1194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ukMOX7Zw9I/UZrb0a2sfSI/AAAAAAAAAfw/AfALtJH0Juc/s200/IMG_1194.jpg" width="200" /></a>I know I have written several times about motivation but that is one of the things that we all need and we need it often. I pretty much did the walk/run thing alone for over a year and a half. I really shouldn't say "alone" because I did have people that encouraged me and gave me lots of help. The alone part is that I was alone during all of my runs. My first run with someone else was on Christmas Eve of 2011. The next time I ran with someone was on June 2, 2012. It wasn't because I didn't want someone to run with me it was that I did want to hold someone else back if they ran faster than I did and that someone else was "everybody else". I was a fast runner and had to take lots of walk breaks just to get through the miles I wanted to cover. Little did I know that there was a someone that was faster than I but was willing to slow down to a pace that I could handle and help me along and encourage me. Even though I ran alone sometimes, I ran with the group out on 350 for many Saturdays.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCYbFAJOPeQ/UZrb0RAnwRI/AAAAAAAAAfo/quyz3c0LkLo/s1600/IMG_1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCYbFAJOPeQ/UZrb0RAnwRI/AAAAAAAAAfo/quyz3c0LkLo/s200/IMG_1212.jpg" width="195" /></a><br />
A few months ago, I discovered another source of motivation on Facebook. There is a group called Truckin' Runners. We aren't all truckers but we all are in the trucking industry. When I first joined the group, there were like 128 of us. As of this writing we are up to 190. Most of the time we post our runs in the group but sometimes a newbie might ask a question. It is a really great motivator because we know that if we aren't out there "gettin it done" and somebody post that they walked 2 miles in 38 minutes the we need to get off our rears and do something for ourselves. I know when I see other people post their runs that I feel a little guilty if I haven't ran in a few days.<br />
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What motivates you?<br />
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That's going to do me for this week. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you each have a great week and I'll see you here again next week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0