Dear Mr. Driver...

Good morning!  Hope that you have had a nice weekend.  Mine has been very productive.  I was able to spend time with Sarah and Myles, I spoke at an IUPUI event to promote IUPUI and Housing to students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, cleaned up our place, and responded to some key emails.  Yeah!

Every now and then, maybe once a month, a driver on the road will honk at me, wave me down, or yell at me for running on the side of the road.  Today, this happened again.  I was running on the road where the old baseball field is located, there was not another vehicle in sight from either direction, and this guy drives past me, points at me, mouths something that I could not hear because he was in a car, and swerves his car like he's going to hit me.  What a JERK!  Seriously, it's Sunday morning, there is no traffic in sight, and this yahoo wants to cause a scene.  So...after he passed me I turned around, smiled the biggest smile possible, and waved like I thought he was just trying to say hello.  Ha!  This sort of behavior is something that I'll never understand, but it happens frequently.  Runners and grumpy drivers just don't always get along.  And...I sort of get it.  If you've never run then you have no idea what it's like and why we prefer the road to sidewalks (road is softer on the knees).  But...as a driver I do find it annoying when people run out in front of you or walk across a busy street--so I get that.  In this situation, though, I was well out of his way and there was no need for the drama.  No need at all. 

This past week was a busy one as I attended our departmental retreat on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the Graduate Student Recruitment Outreach for HESA (Higher Education and Student Affairs) in Bloomington on Thursday and Friday.  It was awesome to interview high quality candidates from all over the United States.  I spoke with candidates from coast to coast.  We will have an extraordinarily difficult time deciding on who to offer our positions.  The HESA Program is going to be loaded with talent and that's great for our department and great for Indiana University's highly rated HESA program.   Now...I'm off to Philadelphia in 10 days to recruit full time Residence Directors.  Recruitment for Housing positions in the Spring is a four month deal from January until May.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post.  I hope you have an outstanding week.  Happy running to you!

Nightmare City...

Myles is ALIVE & WELL!

Good Morning.  I was able to get in a very nice 5 mile run this morning before heading to Bloomington for Outreach Weekend two (where we recruit graduate students for our HRL Program).  Wow, did I need a run to process the absolute hellish nightmare I had.  I woke up crying and upset. 

So...yesterday was the 24 year anniversary of Bob Knight throwing the chair against Purdue.  Just keep that in mind as you read this.

So...I had this dream that I had to take Myles in for a routine vet visit.  For some reason I had to take him to a substitute vet place instead of our vet.  When I went to pick him up they said something went wrong and he was dead.  I was like WHAT!?!  I got real upset and they brought him out. I was freaking OUT.  I vividly recall picking him up, holding him, and taking him to my 4Runner.  I just sat in the parking lot of the vet sobbing and wondering what in the heck I was going to tell Sarah.  Then...I just lost my cool, ran back inside the vet, started screaming at them, picked up a chair, and slammed it repeatedly against the desk until it broke.  As I looked up, it was actually the nasty, horrible woman from Pro Tow (long story about the worst business in America--look up Pro Tow Indy and you can see my review), and she was the one who killed my dog.  I was FURIOUS and just lost my cool again and tossed the broken chair across the room.  I ended up getting back into my car and driving home.  On the way home, to my surprise, Myles just jumped up, got on my lap, and he was ALIVE.  What the heck!?!?  Yes, he was alive.  So...then I went to our real vet with Myles to have him checked out and he was fine.  Wow...What a crazy, crazy dream!  No more starburst before I go to bed.  Where is the real Myles right now you ask?  He's sitting on my lap chewing a bone while I type.  Whew.  I love my pup so much and that dream was WAY TOO DISTURBING.

I'm off to go to work.  Busy day ahead in what has been a very active work week.  I love it.  I cannot lie.  And...in the spirit of being a good sport:  Congrats to Purdue.  It pains me to say it, but you played a nice game.  Happy running to you...

Into The Wind...

Happy Sunday Morning to you!  I just finished up a nice 7.25 mile run.  This week I ran 30.75 miles and really got back on track with my training.  This was probably my best week of training this year.  Now it's time to keep it rolling.

Today the second half of my run was directly into a chilly wind.  Usually, I try to run into the wind first and then with the wind on the way back.  Today, though, the wind was blowing in a way that made that impossible.  As I was running, though, the wind made me think about challenges in life.  I write all the time about challenges in life and how running helps prepare me to tackle challenges.  I also thought, "hey, Josh, how many times can you write about the same thing."  But...it got me thinking a bit.  Being a positive person and believing you can overcoming difficult situations is not something that one can just think about just every now and then.  Rather, it's something that you have to think about every day.  It's got to be an ingrained mentality that you rely upon all the time.  Sure, I could dedicate a blog post once or twice a year, and then and tell some story about how running helps me tackle a challenge.  However, this philosophy is one that I practice daily.  You have to be willing to run into the wind on a daily basis in order to achieve what you really want.  You have to be willing to run into a difficult situation if you ultimately want to experience success.  In my professional, personal, and running life I have gained the most by being willing to tackle the most difficult obstacles because in times of great challenge lie great opportunities.  That's not my line, but I can attest to the fact that it's true.  If you are willing to step up and help at work, at home, or where needed during tough times, then you will really be in a position to seize an opportunity.  For me, running into the wind is just another way that running helps prepare me for real life difficult situations.



Josh being a "Poophead"



On a different note I'd like to send a shout out to my wife, Sarah, who put up with some of my nonsense on Friday.  We were playing "Words with Friends" and she was kicking my butt and I was a bad sport.  If you recall a few blog posts back I wrote about being competitive and not liking to compete against my friends and loved ones because I can be a jerk.  It's true.  Sarah and I usually play on the same team in games.  But...we like to play Words with Friends against each other.  So...I say thank you to my wife for forgiving my poor sportspersonship on Friday.  I have a wonderful wife who appreciates the raw, unedited Josh on a daily basis.  I love her for it.  The picture to the side here shows what she had to deal with.  :-)

Have a great week and Happy Running to you!  I have an intense work week so I may only be able to post a short blog on Wednesday or Thursday...

Time Trial Saturday...

Good morning.  Last week I wrote about my running times goals for 2011.  After much internal contemplation, I decided that I had two goals:  Break 5 minutes for the mile and break 17 minutes for the 5K.  Today, I ran a one mile time trial to set a baseline for the mile goal. 

I had no idea what I would be able to run for a mile on the track (4 laps equals a mile).  I've not attempted to run at race pace since September when I ran in The Ripple Effect 4 Mile race in Broadripple.  I felt like I could break six minutes, but had not idea I'd run as well as I did.  I went out and hit 82 seconds for the first quarter mile and then was at 2:49 for the half-mile.  On the third lap, I knew that I could put a mile in the 5:30s if I kept running at the pace I was running.  I finished the third lap and my time was 4:15.  I knew I'd have to break 85 seconds for the last lap to hit under 5:40.  I ended up throwing down a 79 second final lap and hit 5:34 for the mile.  Not too bad.  I would have been happy for a mile in the 5:50s and elated to be in the 5:40s.  So...I'm super duper pumped up to have hit a 5:34.  I just have to shave off 35 seconds over the course of the next 8 months to meet my 10/24/11 goal.

This week was exciting, as IUPUI HRL (Housing & Res Life) was in Bloomington recruiting graduate students to come and join our team.  We interviewed some outstanding candidates and it's very clear that if we can land them on our team that we will be loaded with talent.  We hired our undergraduate student staff this past week and that 40 person team is deep in talent.  Our next big step is to recruit and hire four new members for our Res Life Supervisory Team as we lose three outstanding grads to graduation.

My man Mr. Myles is laying her next to me while I type my post run blog.  This little guy is so cute.  However, when he wakes up at 3a and starts licking my ears and chewing on Sarah's hair, then he's not so cute.  But...we are crazy about our little guy and it's worth being awake at 3:15a even though it's somewhat disruptive to the sleep cycle.  Go Hoosiers today against Northwestern.  Happy running to you...

Mid-Week Check-In

Whew.  Don't blink or you may miss my life going by in a hurry.  That's what I feel like these days as life is action packed with work, running, IU Hoops, and good home life.  The pace is fast and aggressive, and I like it that way.  On my run this morning and then in walking Myles this afternoon I was thinking about where I was two years ago--working in a job that I just was not feeling and where they were just not feeling me.  It was not that it was a bad job, but it was a bad job fit for me.  I'm a Housing and Res Life person, not a HR person...And there is nothing wrong with that.  They wanted procedures and decisions and I wanted to ask how people were doing and have everyone do ice breakers.  It just was not a good fit.  I told one of my Grads, Drew, today that "I get up and live my dream every day."  And it's true, my dream is to influence lives in a positive way, to make a significant difference, and to have fun doing it.  I'm very fortunate to be living the dream I had in mind when I earned my college degree and subsequent Masters Degree.  I'm a lucky guy.

Two years ago I was down and nearly down for the count.  It was about this time that I made some significant moves to change my life's direction, the most significant being my attitude.  See, it was not my boss at the time's fault that I was in the wrong job.  After all, I took the job and she gave me a shot.  I just let being so down about not being in Res Life and Housing change my attitude.  For my life to change in the spring of 2009, I had to first change my attitude.  And...I did.  I scheduled a meeting with Vicky (who eventually became my boss) about getting involved in Housing.  I presented at a campus leadership conference to students.  I volunteered to help with Student Staff Interviews and then to lead some Spring Training sessions.  Then...a job opened, I applied, and earned a spot on the HRL team.  Now...I am so very happy and truly fortunate.  And...it all started with accepting the reality that I, Josh Skillman was responsible for my attitude and for putting myself in a position to get where I wanted.  Good things that you want don't usually just drop out of the sky.  I've spent 13 out of the last 14 years working in Housing (RA, GA, RHD, AC, AD) and I've learned a lot, but the lesson I learned in the one year I did not work in Housing may rank as life's most important:  It's not how you respond when things are going well that defines your character.  Rather, it's how you respond when things are not going your way that truly defines who you are.  I'm thankful for that experience, although at the time I was miserable. 

Running is a funny thing as this particular series of memories continue to bubble up on my runs.  It was two years ago this month that I changed my attitude--thus changing the course of my life.  So...I guess it's probably the time of the year that brings it back.  For those who read my blog, I once again will reiterate what I stated a few weeks back:  My hope for you is that you find something that you love and just cannot wait to get up and go do.  I'm lucky to have found that in work, running, and in my personal life.  I hope you can find that too.  Happy running to you...

Goals Before I Turn The Big 35...

Hello elephant, it's Josh.  Yes, I've been ignoring setting running goals for the year.  I'm not quite for sure why, but I've been ignoring it.  If I know me, and I do since I am me, then it's because once I set a goal I'm hell bent on achieving it.  Over the past few weeks the idea for a goal for this year has been evolving.  Today, I committed to it.



Jack Rabbit 10K in 2007.  Great year of running!



I turn the Big 35 this year.  Ouch, that sounds really adult.  I work with college students every day and I sometimes forget that I'm in the my 30s.  Running, however, reminds me sometimes.  The annoying aches and pains that did not used to be there are now present.  But...I still have a good 10-15 years left where I can really compete and run some amazing times.  Over the past few years I've been focused on half-marathons and full marathons and I've had some good luck with it (2:48 Marathon at Eugene in 2008).  However, I've struggled to run a good half-marathon as I've not been able to crack below 1:19.  I used to run 1:15 halfs and I know I can do it again.  I just think I've been going about it backwards.  I've been building by running a lot of distance.  Maybe, I need to add speed first and then distance. 



So...when I think about wanting to still be able to run a good half and still wanting to feel studly at 35 I think that there is one thing I can do to achieve both.  The Mile and 5K.  So...my goal before I turn 35 is to run a 4:59 or better mile and a 16:59 or better 5K.  It's not that far fetched.  In the summer and fall of 2007 I ran a 4:55 mile on the track and a 16:47 5K on the road.  It's been four years, but I know I can still get back to those times.  The closest I've been to a sub 5 mile is 5:19 both last year and the year before.  The closest I've been to a sub 17 5K is 17:15 last summer.  However, I've not trained to really peak at either in a long time.  So...look out. I am committing to running a sub 5 mile and a sub 17 minute 5K by October 24, 2011--my 35th birthday. 

Once the track clears I will set a baseline in both and report back on the blog.  I'll keep you all up to date on my progress--including my training and how I'm going to attack it--as I go.  Of course, I'll continue to blog about my daily musings, but for those of you who love to read about running and training you'll not be disappointed.  Have a great Sunday morning!  Happy running to you...

Nice Saturday Morning Run...

Good morning.  Quick entry here before I head off to our Group Interview Process this morning.  I had a very nice run this morning.  Yeah, I ran at 6:30a on a Saturday morning.  Sick, I know.  But...I cannot run this afternoon because IU plays at 4p and Group Process ends at 3:30p.  So...If I want to watch my beloved Hoosiers, then I had to run early.

Speaking of my beloved Hoosiers...It's so much fun watching Indiana Basketball again.  I love what Coach Crean is doing in Bloomington and I love the players on this team.  These guys are getting better every game, they are working their tails off, and they are really developing into a nice unit.  Our record will not reflect improvement, but if you watch the team then you know they've gone from having zero shot to win two years ago to having a real shot in every game this season.  We've had the lead or been within 3 points with five minutes to go in 7 games that we've lost.  We are 12-13, but could easily be 19-6 or 18-7.  Heck, if we had just pulled out the MSU and Iowa games we'd be 14-12.  None-the-less, games that we lost by 25 two years ago and 18 last year, we are now in and can win.  I fully expect next year to be very special for this team.  I'd love Verdell Jones and Tom Pritchard to lead this team back to the NCAA Tourney in 2012.  Heck, I'd love for them to do that this season in the Big 10 Tourney.  I digress.  Anyway, these guys love IU like I love IU.  At Indiana, we have a way of doing things:  hard work on the court, attend classes and perform well academically, and represent off the court.  These guys get it and I'm so proud.  I'd rather have a team scratching and clawing to get to .500, than have the Kelvin Sampson team that was very good but a disgrace off the court and in the classroom.  Indiana Basketball can never just be about winning--there's a right way to win, the Bob Knight-Coach K-Roy Williams-Tubby Smith-Coach Crean way.  I love it and I'm so dog gone proud of this team and so fired up to watch them today.

Happy running to you!