#3 Best for Week...

Good morning!  Hope that your Sunday is going well.  I ran an easy 6 mile run this morning to finish up my week at 50.2 miles total for the week.  I can really feel my legs getting stronger.  My goal was to run 200 miles in June and I'm over half way there.  Should be able to reach that goal.

Dad with his three kids

Today is Father's Day and I thought a lot about that on my run today.  To best tell you about my Dad, I'll have to share a story.  Last week I played in a tennis tournament in honor of my friend Luke.  At the start of the match I looked over and sitting in the stands next to Sarah was my Dad.  I was surprised because I knew his office was open on Saturday and he needed to be there.  Yet, there he was sitting on the bleachers watching his 34 year-old son hack away at a tennis ball.  As I thought about that while I was running this morning, it just got me thinking about my Dad.  You see, as a kid growing up my Dad was always in the stands (with my Mom) cheering me on--and for my sister and brother in their sports as well.  When I played baseball he was there.  When I played basketball he was there.  Heck, a few times when I ran the Owensboro 10 Mile Road Race he got on his bike and rode along and cheered for me.  My Dad has always been and continues to be interested in our lives and that is absolutely amazing!  I'm a very lucky guy!

Here are my three best for this week:

1. Father's Day!  Of course, it's great to think about my Dad and about Sarah's Dad.  Both of us are fortunate to have wonderful fathers.
2. Summer Staff:  I tell you what.  We have a ton of projects at work right now--some expected and others a surprise.  We are short-staffed right now.  But...the folks who are remaining and that have stepped up are amazing.  I don't want to single any one individual out on my blog, but I'll talk about what I'm seeing.  We have a grad who graduated and has a job already and could go half-speed, but he instead took on the Upward Bound assignment and is working for HRL as well and is busting his tail.  We have the grad who is coming back for a second year and he just steps up whenever asked without any sort of drama and he's leading our summer resident experience efforts.  We've got the undergrad team that is hole punching documents to remove sensitive information.  We've got the undergraduate team that cleans rooms.  We've got the undergraduate team that answers phones in the Contracts Office and the undergrad team that helps move furniture or work on random Josh projects.  We've got the Corner undergraduate manager who just keeps the place running.  And...of course, we have Kat--who does whatever it takes.  When I think about all of these folks stepping up it makes me smile! 
3. Finally, The Myles First Birthday Photo Montage!  Myles's first birthday is one week from today!  I cannot believe he'll be a year old!  I've been working on a photo show to music and I'm pumped about it.  I cannot wait to release it next week.  This little guy has brought so much joy to our lives and I love him very, very much.

Have a wonderful day.  To you father's out there:  Happy Fathers Day!  To everyone else...happy running to you...

"Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose!"

I love these two.  Lucky guy am I!

It's Saturday morning.  Yeah!  I'm sitting here drinking some coffee with Myles in my lap and I'm ready to blog.  This morning I awoke at 6a and ran 14.25 miles in about 1hr42min.  It rained--the kind of rain where you are soaked to the bone--the entire time.  Ten minutes into the run I was drenched.  By the end of the run I was I was dripping wet, covered in mud/sand/rock (from the TowPath), and just flat nasty.  I loved every second of it--okay--almost every second of it.

Last night Sarah and I watched the series finale of the show Friday Night Lights.  We absolutely love that show and we identify with Coach Taylor and his wife Tammy Taylor (Guidance Counselor/Principal).  One, their relationship banter reminds us of how we sometimes go back and forth.  Two, what they stand for--helping out young students and pushing them to reach their potential--resonates loudly with us both.  The show is outstanding if you love the underdog, believe in the good of young people, and just love watching examples of how you should deal with character and ethical issues in your life. 

Coach Taylor always tells his players:  "Clear Eyes.  Full Hearts.  Can't Lose!"  I thought a great deal about that phrase on my run this morning and how it applies to my life.  For me, "clear eyes" refers to how you represent yourself to others and to the world.  It's all about being honest, telling the truth, and working hard.  It's about working through the end of your contract, it's about running in the rain, it's about doing the right thing.  I had one of the most powerful conversations with a student yesterday and we talked about how much better it feels to live life with no hidden skeletons and just open.  I know we all get into situations where we have a skeleton--some bigger than others--in the closet.  It always feels better when the skeleton is out.  Again--clear eyes means you can totally focus on your goals because nothing is blocking your vision--which leads to "Full Hearts."  When I think about "full hearts" I think about putting everything you have into what you love. It's running and pushing yourself to reach your potential.  It's caring about something so much that you feel unrivaled elation when everything goes well and you feel profound disappointment when things go wrong.  It's living with emotion and laying it on the line.  In my job at IUPUI in HRL I approach my work this day.  There is not a person who would doubt that I put everything I have into work and the people I lead.  In return, 98.5% of them give me their best everyday.  You cannot beg people to work hard.  But...when you work with a "full heart" approach many of the folks you lead will come right along with you.  Finally, "can't lose."  This is not about an actual win or loss or reaching some professional milestone.  "Can't lose" is about being able to look at your self in the mirror and be very, very proud of how you reached accomplishments--even if you come up a bit short.  We cannot all win the game.  I'm not going to go out and win an Olympic Gold Medal.  But...My goal for the Monumental Marathon on 11/5 is to run a 2:39.  For me, that would be about as well as I think I'm capable of running a marathon.    However, if I put in the miles and train with integrity (clear eyes) and I train hard and push the limit of my physical capabilities (full hearts), then no matter what happens I'll be proud (can't lose).  The same applies to life.  I would rather go all out and try hard for something and come up short, then to settle for the easy path and never really push myself to the limit.  So...my challenge to myself will remain to approach everything I do within the spirit of the phrase:  "Clear eyes.  Full hearts.  Can't Lose."

I hope you have a great day and weekend.  Mine has really gotten off to a good start and I'm happy about that.  Myles and I are getting ready to do some cleaning.  Happy running to you...

Three Best for Last Week...

Good evening.  Hope you are doing well.  It's been a few days since I last posted a blog.  I was out of town last weekend and did not have time to post.  Today, I ran 10.3 miles and continued my streak of running 10 miles to start my Monday (six weeks in a row).  Here are my three best for last week:

1. Playing in Goodfellows Club Luke Woodward Classic:  This is a tennis tournament that is in honor of one of my good friends from high school.  There were a bunch of us who played this past weekend in the tournament and it was a hoot.  We had a great time and had fun playing tennis and then hanging out.  For those who knew Luke, he was a tremendous person and friend.  This tournament was fantastic.  Mind you, I've not played tennis since 1994 and I was awful.  As someone put it, "I saw this really athletic guy out there and thought it was a shame he could not play a lick of tennis."  Ha Ha. 
2. Visiting Owensboro and seeing friends and family.  Sarah, Myles, and I visited Owensboro for the Tennis Tournament and it was nice to see some family that I've not seen a few months.  I had a great time.
3. The Bachelorette being on.  JUST KIDDING.  Seriously, Running 50.3 miles last week.  For the first time in about three  years I ran 50 miles in a week.  It felt good and my legs are really starting to benefit from the increased mileage volume.  I'm trying to run 200 miles in June.  So far, off to a great start.

I hope that you have a great evening and start to your week.  I promise to blog a bit more this week.  Enjoy this picture of Mr. Myles and his new haircut!

His Haircut Costs More Than Mine:  REDONCULOUS!

"When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over"

Good morning.  Hope you are having an outstanding Tuesday thus far.  I'm about to head off for work.  I ran an 11 mile run starting at about 5:30a this morning.  It was a fantastic run in which I encountered the Geese (again), four ducks, a cat, and a Deer!  Therefore, it's only natural that I write this blog entry with my dog, Myles, in my lap.  Ha Ha.  What's amazing about living in Indianapolis is that just 3.5 miles from downtown I can run and see some wildlife you would not normally see in a city.  A Deer?  That made me chuckle.  The Geese were back today and as agressive as ever on this trail I run.  So...I decided to alter my route to another trailhead so I can avoid the crazy geese.  Those things are unreal.

Today was a day that I listened to music while I ran and a song that has struck a chord with me lately is "Good Life" by OneRepublic.  See the video (you have to wait for the commercial):



There is a line in the song that says "when you're happy like a fool, let it take you over," and that line just stuck with me.  As I've talked about a few times on this blog there are times when I'm so happy to be running that I'm actually smiling, laughing out loud, and am down right giddy.  Today, was one of those days.  When I saw the Deer on the gravel path leading up to Broadripple I just started giggling and then laughing.  It was just so unexpected that I could not help but laugh.  After my run I felt moved and just started an impromtu interpretative dance to this song in our parking lot.  I must have looked so strange dancing around the parking lot in my running shorts and blue smurf shoes.  About a football field away I could see a couple people just looking at me like I lost my mind.  But...when you consider the line in this song, "when you're happy like a fool, let it take you over," I think me interpretative dancing in the parking lot or laughing hysterically about seeing a deer on my run in Indianapolis is captured perfectly by that line.  In this life there are times when we feel bad or upset so I think it's important that when you're happy you just run with it.  And...I do.

One last thing before I head to work.  The Bachelorette was crazy last night.  That guy, Bently, is a jerk.  That was just wrong.  If you watch the show, then you know what I"m talk

Smurf Shoes...

Good morning!  Hope that you are doing well and enjoying the first Sunday morning in June.  I had a 4.5 mile recovery run this morning and ended a great week of training:  48.5 miles run this week.  This is the third time in four weeks I've run 40 miles or more.  So...here goes.  My race update!

Smurf Shoes, Glove Socks!

First and foremost:  Smurf Shoes.  Last week I went to Bluemile in Broadripple and tried on the new Nike Pegasus running shoes.  They felt great, were light, and well cushioned.  They were also Smurf Blue.  I love them.  I know, can you imagine me wearing blue shoes?  I bet they would sell out of these in Lexington or any town sans Louisville in the great state of Kentucky.  Regardless, I love my smurf shoes.  The race yesterday went pretty well.  First off, it was hot--88 degree and humid hot.  I knew at the start line that I'd have to pace myself well.  In my head the real trade off I was making was try and average around 6 minutes a mile and break 30 minutes or start a bit slower and see what happens.  Gun went off and we started the race.  I felt really good the first mile and hit a 6:09 for the first mile and was in 7th place.  Then....I got carried away.  I picked up my pace and ran a 5:39 second mile and was in a very solid 5th place.  The third mile was run in 6:09 and that was 17:58 for three miles.  Not too bad.   However, my breathing was labored, my legs felt like jelly, and the fourth mile was rough.  I ran a 6:47 4th mile and could feel my 5th place standing in real jeopardy.  The heat kicked my tail on the 5th mile and I was just done.  I struggled to run a 6:59 last mile for a 31:45 time and a 7th place finish.  I did not finish the way I had hoped and probably would have finished 5th had I not pushed the second mile.  Running is funny.  After 100s of races and 23,000 miles of running I can still make a very simple mistake.  The lure of feeling good early in a race sometimes makes you forget that you'll pay if you don't pace right.  Being off on my pacing is typically how my first race of the season goes.  If I waited until I was in perfect shape to race, then I'd never race.  Getting out there and getting after it is much more important than running the perfect race.  To put it in perspective, typically in a five mile race I would run each mile within 10 seconds of each other.  Yesterday, there was a 1:20 difference between my fastest and slowest mile--yes, I have some work to do.  Overall, though, I am proud to have finished 7th out of 295 people.  I ran three miles at my goal marathon pace and I have five months to get ready.  This is a great starting point. 

Before diving in to my #3 best for the week I wanted to write a couple comments about Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel who resigned this week in the face of a NCAA Investigation.  For me, Jim Tressel resigning was inevitable.  Honestly, it's not because his players traded OSU memorabilia and bowl game rings for tattoos and cash.  It's not because the OSU players were driving cars from a local car dealership without paying.  For me, it's that when Jim Tressel was presented with the information last fall he did not do the right thing.  Coach Tressel could have notified his compliance office and the NCAA.  If he had done that, then the players would have been suspended.  But...Jim Tressel would still have a job, would be seen as extraordinarily ethical, and the good name of Ohio State would not have a huge blemish.  Instead, he covered it up and lied about it. Jim Tressel is an influential coach and was charged with the responsibility of coaching and developing young men.  Part of that development has to be development of character.  By not stepping up and telling the truth, Jim Tressel did everyone of those young men a disservice.  Coach Tressel let winning become more important than doing the right thing.   In my line of work--working with college students--I am always talking about doing the right thing even if it's the hard thing to do.  As a society, we don't teach this concept enough.  One of the most influential individuals in my life was my high school cross country coach (as referenced above).  While I will not go into specifics on this blog, I know for a fact that when presented with ethical challenges Coach Rowe always went the hard way and erred on the side of accountability.  I also know that he probably could have had a couple more state titles if he ignored character type issues.  However, for him teaching young men about character was more important than simply winning.  For me, that lesson is one I remember and is far more significant than winning a cross country meet or state title.  Being able to win in running comes and goes.  Having character and always doing what's right stays with you forever.  And that...folks...is why I'm so adamant that Jim Tressel needed to be gone--it's not what the players did but rather that he lied.  Lying is unacceptable and winning can never become more important than character.

Three best for the week:





Spent At End of Race


1. Sarah!  She came to my race last night and brought Myles.  It was not easy because it was hot and humid and there were 100s of people.  Myles is not the easiest to deal with in the heat.  I was very glad to see her at the end of the race and happy she came!
2. Racing!  I enjoyed being able to race.  It was great.  Enough said.
3. HRL Student Staff:  Their work, dedication to attending interviews to help us select RD, and just their commitment to giving their best effort is humbling to me.  Even the undergraduate student staff that have graduated have not checked out.  Their work speaks volumes about their character and it's been needed as I've used some of them more than others.

Have a great week.  Happy running to you.

Race Debut Tonight...

Good morning!  It's Saturday and therefore time for a little blog action.  It's been a great morning thus far.  Slept in today and woke up with Myles sandwiched in between Sarah and I.  I think he was glad to have us both relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere.  He does get a little upset when we leave him.  He's such a demanding fellow.

After two really good months of training (April & May) it's time for my 2011 Race Debut.  Tonight at 7p I'll be running "Outrun The Sun" at Fort Ben here in Indianapolis (Five Mile Race).  It will be a nice test to see where my racing fitness resides at that moment.  I have some idea of what I think I can do, but you never know into you get into it.  There's a huge difference between running day to day miles and racing.  Tonight...will be like a preseason game for a basketball team.  It will be a great measure to see what progress I've made and how much progress I need to make to hit my Monumental Marathon goal (2:39) on November 5.  What you will see from me in the months leading up to the Monumental Marathon will be a series of test races that I can use to measure my fitness.  Today should be a great start.

In running and in life you learn a lot about yourself and others by the way that you finish the race.  One thing I practice daily in my runs is finishing stronger than I start.  A lot of times at the end of runs I actually push the pace harder even though I'm more fatigued because I think your best effort should be at the end and not at the beginning.  I could allow the fatigue to dictate my pace and could just settle and accept what fatigue gives me.  Or...I could look at fatigue and decide I'm not tired and want more.  In running, so many times the time you want to hit is secured in that last half mile--that's where your metal gets tested!  In work, I feel the same way.  When demands get tougher, I typically get stronger.  Or...whenever I've finished a job (at UGA or SSU), I kept taking things head on until the very end.  One simply cannot fade out if they want to leave a lasting positive impact. Mark Richt, UGA Football Coach, talks about "finishing the drill."  I think that this is really important and it's something I try to do.  And...by practicing this daily on my runs it becomes a habit that is ingrained.

Have a great Saturday.  I'm looking forward to this evening and I'll report back tomorrow.  If I can hit around 30 minutes for five miles, then I'll be happy.  We shall see.  Happy running to you...

Happy National Running Day!



This hat says it all

Hola!  Today is Happy National Running Day and I could not allow the day to pass without writing a short blog.  To celebrate, I ran about 10.25 miles this morning.  The MOST interesting part of my run was when I was confronted by two geese who were protecting their young on a path I run.  Let me tell you something...don't try to run past a Goose on a small width trail when they have their babies out there.  It can become real hairy!  Anyway, I turned around, ran a different way to get around them, and tacked on an extra .25 miles. 
In honor of national running day, here are the three things I'm most appreciative of in running:

1. Random Encounters:  Seriously, you have some random encounters while running.  Today, it was geese.  Yesterday, it was two people sleeping under a bridge.  Sometimes, it's wild dogs who chase you.  Other times, it's someone you know honking at you because they see you running.  I love all of the people and wildlife I see while running.  I'd never have some of these random encounters if I did not run.  And...the places I've run.  I've been fortunate to run in many, many places:  New York, Pennsylvania, West Va, Maryland, DC, NC, SC, Florida, GA, Alabama, Texas, TN, KY, IN, Ohio, Ill, Michigan, Colorado, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Missouri, Montreal, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.  Whew. 
2. Peace:  Death Cab for Cutie has a song titled "Where Soul Meets Body."  I'll tell you what...when I'm running I feel like my soul and body are in perfect harmony---like there is nothing in the world my body was meant more to do.  I feel at peace, at home, and like I belong when I'm running on the road, on a trail, or even on a treadmill.  It's a feeling I have no matter where I run and it can really center me when I'm feeling off keel or upset.  Running provides a level of confidence that I'm not quite sure I would have it I was not able to lace up the shoes and pound the pavement.
3. People I have Met:  I have met some OUTSTANDING individuals through running.  It all started with my high school cross country coach and teammates and it's carried on through college, working in colleges, running for Empire Runners, coaching Analy High School Cross Country, working at Bluemile (formerly Running Company), and through this blog.  People are amazing and the Running Community is by and large one of the most friendly and supportive communities that exists.  I'm very fortunate to have met so many runners, joggers, and walkers who are just out there displaying bravery by trying to put one foot in front of the other.

Well, there you have it for National Running Day.  Have a great evening and Happy Running to you...