B+POSITIVE

In my last blog entry I mentioned a coaching training tool that I started using in February. A running coach/physiologist named Jack Daniels, PHD developed the tool which contains sections from other running and physiology experts as well. I told you how this tool gave me the motivation to work harder on running and to continue my weight loss mission because it theorized that my finishing times in various races could drop significantly by losing weight and following suggested paces for training runs. I entered the Atlantic City Half Marathon yesterday. According to the Jack Daniels spreadsheet that I used to do my training, my goal time for the race should have been 1:42:29 which was 8 minutes faster than a half marathon I did in November 2011. That was based on me running a 22:26 5K at 195 pounds on March 11th. If I got down to 190 pounds for the half marathon yesterday I could do a 1:41:35 with a heart rate averaging 170, so says Dr. Daniels. I did drop to 189 a couple of day...

I’ve always been excited about running. Ever since I started at 14 years old, I’ve been passionate about heading out of the door for a run. An off day is tough on me, but I know they are necessary. When I was in high school I did pretty well running longer distances. I qualified for the state championships in the 2 mile run, ran in the 4:20’s for a mile in my senior year, and then dropped the ball after I left high school. I never took advantage of the genes that my parents passed on to me. I didn’t run again after my freshman year of college until 12 years later. When I started back up I rekindled the love for running, even though that first day I tried to run I remember vividly the pain of not being able to finish a mile. Here I was a former high school runner who won every regular season race he ever was in as a senior. Now I was feeling the bad choices I made with food and drink. I thought to myself, can I ever get back to where I left off? Within a year I had completed my first ...

I haven't blogged in a long time. No reason other than I really am not a great writer and see so many good writers out there blogging away and I feel intimidated. I love putting my thoughts down and do so with hopes that it helps me or someone else now or down the road. Since I last posted anything I have become an RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) certified running coach. I took 16 hours of classes which covered much needed information including physiology, how to build training plans, and how to train injury free. I also had to get certified in CPR and First Aid. I have a lot of years of experience running and that helped tremendously as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the coaching classes. I am a person who loves to know 'why'. I have always read certain things about how to train properly, but to understand why is a major plus for me. The instructor kept apologizing for the 4 hours of physiology boredom but I loved that part the best. Now I understand why I shou...

April 6, 1980. It was Easter that year. I was in Atlanta, Georgia visiting my cousin on my way to Tampa, Fl where my cousin and I were going to meet up with another cousin and enjoy a week of spring break. I was 24 years old. The night before my cousin and I had went out on the town and had a good time. Because of that we slept in later than we had planned. We planned to get up early, go to the first Mass and then head to Florida. Somewhere around 7:30 or 8:00 AM I heard the phone ring (no cell phones in those days). I heard my cousin answer it and then he came into the room where I was sleeping and before he said a word an eerie feeling came over me. It was for me. It was my younger brother, Shawn. He said the words I had feared my entire life, "Dad just died." My father had suffered from Melanoma for over two years. Before that, we had the perfect family. Not even a trip to an emergency room for anyone for even stitches with a family of 7 boys and a girl. Beating on e...

One of the greatest things about runners is that most of them seem to have a very similar perspective on life.  I don’t think I have ever participated in a running event where I didn’t come away smiling, regardless of my time or the difficulty of the course.  That is because I always seem to meet some great people and the majority of runners have a blast.  I am a pretty quiet person. I used to be a lot more shy than I am now, but I still don’t have the ability to walk up to a person I have never met and just start talking unless I need to for some reason.  It usually takes another person to start the conversation but I don’t feel uncomfortable chatting with anyone once I start talking. I just finished the Disney Wine & Dine Half-Marathon on Saturday night and for those unfamiliar, the race started at 10PM and I finished shortly before midnight.  There also was lots of time to wait as there were 11,000 participants, shuttle busses to take runners to the sta...

My busy work season is winding down. I work from February to July to get 2 weeks of work done in August, which brings in more than ¾ of my income for the year. It is both a relief and sudden calmness that I totally enjoy. While I still have work to do, the next month or two is the perfect time for me to recharge my batteries to do it all over again next year. It went a little smoother this year, probably for two main reasons. First I am getting more efficient and gaining experience with every year that goes by. I learn new ideas that make my work life easier. Secondly, I was able to keep working on my running throughout the busy weeks and that relieved most of the stress that I usually take on. I sometimes worry too much about whether or not something was going to go as planned or not. While I had a couple of sleepless nights, most of the time I got good rest despite the long days and volume and importance of the work I accomplished. Exercise will do that for you. It is also football...