Marathon: My personal journey

Happy New Year!!!

I would like to thank each of you for reading my blog this year. I have been fun doing it and your support means the world to me. Today, I ran the last run of 2013. It’s always a reflective one and I wanted to make it special.

My favorite weather condition is snow. I ran in the frigid -5 weather and the treat was the snow. Ice formed around my eye lashes and my iPhone died because of the cold. You are probably thinking “Jim you are absolutely crazy”.

TRUE:).

However, I will tell you that the run was one of my favorites of the year. It was so peaceful and serene. The snow cushioned any impact and I was able to see animal tracks throughout my run. The best part, I earned .75 for the @MichaelJFoxOrg with thanks to @CharityMiles and Timex Iron Man Watches.

It’s amazing work that @CharityMiles does for the runners and charity!

Happy New Year and I look forward to the BEST 2014 EVER!

Jim

Love

In 2013, I realized how much I love running. It was the first year in four years that I did not run a full marathon. I ran this year, but not as much of “racing”. I really missed the discipline and challenge of the full marathon. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

The marathon presents a couple of challenges:

Believe it or not, the opportunities outweigh any challenges! Here are just a few:

*During mile 20-26.2, I have my friends suggest songs and I their songs to think of them and battle through the tough miles. It’s so much fun!!!!

Marathon: We will be getting acquainted again in 2014!

Jim

The Importance of Goal Setting

In business, life and athletics, a set of carefully crafted and measurable goals can set you up for success. Stretch goals are good and you will need other mid range goals to balance out your mix. Just yesterday, I wrote down my personal goals for 2014. I will look at them daily, until I set them in stone for January first. Writing the goals down make them real. I have a set of personal goals and business goals. If you are interested, here are a few of my personal goals in 2014:

Have a great day!

Jim

Over the years, smiles and smiling have been a topic in science, business, personal improvement and athletics. Wait…Athletics? Is it OK to smile during sports? How often do you see an athlete smiling during competition?

Four years ago, I set out to run a challenging half marathon in Dubuque, Iowa. The reason for the challenge…it tracks through the infamous Eagle Point Park. Cut out of the Bluffs, it’s a course that is not for the feint of heart. Interestingly, I was in the sign up line and the runner in front of me complained to the lady taking the sign up forms/checks.

How did she respond? She lit him up verbally. She said “you chose to run this race, I suggest you smile for a change…enjoy it…..other people would go to great lengths to be able to run”.

I must admit, I was on the same track as the runner before me. Sheepishly, I paid my due and signed up. As I walked to my car to get my gear, I thought about the exchange and how I should take the advice.

For me the result was a smile throughout the race and I broke  a personal record. The icing on the cake for me was the fact that my wife and young son cheered me on for the last 1/10^th of a mile. It was a special moment I will never forget. I have the power of smiling to thank and the sign up lady.

Smiling during the run lifted my mood and got me to really enjoy the course mentally. It reminded me of an old hitting coach that preached for us to smile during an at bat. He claimed that it was impossible to blink when smiling big. As a hitter, you could see the ball better when smiling.

Smiling in business is a great thing. Smiling communicates confidence and signals that you are a happy and pleasant person. If you are in sales, this bodes well. People love buying from confident and happy people. Try this sometime. Randomly smile at someone at work. Instinctively, they will smile back.

Imagine the gift you just gave them. Confidence and happiness was just transferred. It may not last long, but if you make it a habit….you will spread it for a long time.

If you are wondering, I am smiling while I hit send. J

Have a great day!

Jim 

This is one of my favorite aspects of running marathons and long distance races. Personally, I have run 3 full marathons and 11 half marathons. In each of these long distance races, I would train according to a plan, then plan the race and plan the recovery. Sounds like a lot of planning.

In distance running, it is mission critical to plan, commit to your plan and be flexible to your plans that change.  In pre-planning, I measure the dates of the race and map out each week. In mapping out each week, I commit myself to this plan and can visualize areas of success and failure.

Failure? Yes, I have to see how the plan can get compromised to visualize a “triage” plan. The “triage” plan keeps me grounded and is the largest measure of a successful race/training season.

Race day is a totally different set of plans. What time to get up, eat before the race, porta-potty location, aid stations, music playlist, do I have the right clothes for the temperature throughout the whole race, do I have enough gels packed, chaffing guard, sunglasses, money, ID, etc.

Post race plans dictate your recovery back to “regular” fitness. For my training plans and race recovery, I follow Hal Higdon’s plans. His plans work on so many levels.  If you want to check out his site, it is www.halhigdon.com or he is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/halhigdon?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

In 2014 I will hit the race circuit hard and may even try a Spring marathon and one in the Fall. If I enter a Spring marathon, training will start in a week or so. Sounds like I need to start planning…..

http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/askhal/2012/6/5/2-marathons-a-year.html

Happy Running!

This morning my son wanted to play Chutes and Ladders right away. We had a great time and he beat me again! Earlier this week a fellow blogger named Amy Glass (+AmyGlass) posted about an injury that will set her back a bit. I know that she will come back from her injury even stronger than before and she will learn many lessons along the way! This reminded me of the parallels to training, injuries and the game we call life.

When training for a long distance race not too long ago, I had a tough time with an easy training run. It was discouraging to me. I talked to a fellow runner and he said “Ah, it like the game Chutes and Ladders…..sometimes you have to go back a number of spaces. “

Not to worry he said, you have to keep the end goal in site and not get discouraged or too far ahead of yourself. This is great advice and it can be applied to the occasional setback or injury.

Sometimes our plans can get compromised or go south. Not to worry, there is always tomorrow or the next phase. Also, I am reminded daily that it is not about winning. I have found that the journey is more fun than the actual result.

Just don’t tell my son that. He loves beating his Dad at Chutes and Ladders! 

Today, I give thanks for the many blessings I have. In particular, I am running in the 41^st annual Turkey Trot in Dubuque, IA. I love this run because you see so many families out running and enjoying each other. This year, I am reflecting on a conversation I had with my Dad before he passed away from cancer. During his cancer treatments, I was training for a big race. One night he asked me how long I was running in the morning. I grumbled a bit and said “10 miles”.

My Dad taught me a lifelong lesson in perspective. He grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and with a serious look he said “I would kill to be able to do that”. Interesting, as I was worn out and not looking forward to it. That next day, I smiled, looked down and thanked God for my ability to run.

There are so many people on the planet that cannot run. They may have a disability, illness, poor health or a number of reasons. I feel bad that they cannot run. I turn this feeling into a positive and run for them. Since that day with my Dad, I have enjoyed every step and wonder what he would be thinking. Running is such a freedom. It’s not always easy, but so rewarding.

One of my running rewards is being able to run for JP. JP is a miracle. He struggles with a disorder that brings seizures. I pray for him and his family. I run every step in his honor. When I get tired, I envision him sending energy and muscles my way. It works. I love his spirit. Today is JP’s race. This is the first one I will run “officially” for JP. I will push myself a little extra. When I cross the finish line, I will smile and look toward the south to salute JP.

I was matched with JP and his mom through the Who I Run 4 organization. They are on Facebook and if you run, you can sign up herehttp://www.whoirun4.com/.  If you run, sign up….you won’t regret it. It will define your runs and give you a different purpose. Enjoy your runs, they are such a privilege. 

It goes without saying that runners are the most positive people on the planet. I know this can be attributed to moving around, getting your endorphin's flowing and generally being healthy. As many of you know, I am one of the most positive people you could ever meet. There are a number of reasons for me being this way and I won’t bore you with that piece. I am here to talk about reminding yourself to “stay positive”.

Yes- even the most positive people need to remind themselves of this from time to time. As a matter of fact, this most often applies to the scenario where things aren't going your way or you have hit a rough patch.

This happened to me in the 2011 Chicago Marathon. I trained for 20 weeks with a goal to finish and finish without cramping. Guess what? I trained great and during the race….I started cramping at mile 14! WOW. This wasn't the plan and if you have ever suffered with cramps….getting them early in the race was not a treat.

Throughout my journey, I reminded myself to press forward with the goal of “finishing”. Stay positive and just finish. Don’t worry about time. Smile. Get through this.

The 2011 Chicago Marathon was a success for me in so many ways. Time wise, it was officially a disaster. I finished 45-50 minutes past the goal time and it hurt a lot. I was so proud of the finish though and didn't worry about the time. I learned that you can finish with pride, work through the direst circumstances, and have fun along the way.  The fun part was the finish! I have been asked many times….how did you do it. I did it with positive thinking and positive self-talk. The marathon is a metaphor for life. The most successful people have a positive outlook and they can “will” their own destinies. Smile- have fun!

 In business, we talk about the term cadence. This often refers to a leader’s pace, reaction and tenor for a certain situation. This element of cadence is extremely important throughout any measure of leadership.  A strong leader with a consistent cadence will maintain control.

Interestingly enough, the term of cadence is applied the same way for running. It’s not easy to address cadence on a treadmill, as the pace is dictated. However, your cadence throughout outdoor runs or races is critical to your success. Race conditions change and race conditions may present interesting challenges for you.

I believe this is why it is good to change up your runs, strategies and incorporate conditions that you may face during a race. In the summer, I try to run in the heat, rain, etc. I do this because you never know what it’s going to be like on race day. When I find a challenging condition during training, I work on practicing my cadence. It’s a fun way to get better!

One of my favorite authors (Jon Gordon) talked about five keys to his week, and I really liked the “Attack the day with enthusiasm”. As a runner, I think this is the most critical element of your training. If possible, it is great to use Monday and Tuesday as a “set the tone” day. 

This is where the enthusiasm comes in. Here is what I do during my runs:

As you set the tone for your week, attack your runs with enthusiasm. Have you ever notices that the most successful people in life are the most enthusiastic? This is not a coincidence- smile, give thanks and make your run a special celebration for your day!