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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
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Happy New Year!!!

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
Sunday, December 29, 2013
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Love

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:
  • 18 weeks of training
  • Blisters and other ailments
  • Time away from your family
  • A physical challenge
  • A severe mental challenge


Believe it or not, the opportunities outweigh any challenges! Here are just a few:
  • You find out more about yourself
  • Better fitness
  • Mental toughness
  • You learn more songs*
  • You lose weight
  • You “feel” great
  • You celebrate with friends and family


*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

Saturday, December 28, 2013
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The Importance of Goal Setting

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:

Read 1 book a month
Lose 20 lbs by June 1st/lose a total of 30 lbs by November 1st
Run a full marathon in Fall 2014
Drink one (1) green tea every day
Blog more
Calico Bean Market 3.0- revise and launch (www.calicobeanmarket.com)

Have a great day!

Jim
Saturday, December 21, 2013
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Smile


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 1/10th 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 
Saturday, December 14, 2013
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Plan to Succeed

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…..



Happy Running!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
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Setbacks, Training and Injuries can be like the game of Chutes and Ladders!

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! 
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
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Relentless

When you think of this term, what comes to mind? Generally speaking, people who are determined or "relentless" find themselves in a successful spot.

Personally, I find this interesting because the state of being relentless is a decision. For example, I can chose to be relentless about many things. I can be relentless about work, running, golf, public speaking, the Iowa Hawkeyes, etc. This is my word of the week that I will apply to my running. I will approach the week with a relentless spirit.

If I make the statement, "I will be relentless until I finish the job". What image does that conjure up for you? Would you doubt my intention to finish? Would you be surprised to see that I finished?

Relentless.
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