Running

The Joy of Running with 36,000 of Your Closest Friends

On April 30, 2010, In Health, by Jeff

Photo Courtesy of NREA

Last weekend I completed my first competitive 1/2 marathon. I ran the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, which is part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll series of marathons held all across the US. My first reaction to the event? “WOOOOOOO!!!” Those were my exact words as I crossed the finish line and that’s what I yelled out multiple times throughout the race. I never viewed running as a social event until now. Running shoulder-to-shoulder with 36,000 other people is quite an experience, one that I won’t soon forget. Despite the fear of looming storms, which caused a few issues for the full-marathoners, the race was nearly flawless.

My previous experiences with competitive races were great, but this was positively amazing! One of the joys of huge events like this is the (more…)

Lessons from Marathon Training

On April 5, 2010, In Goals/Habits, Health, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of shoothead (flickr)

A few weeks ago I outlined my Marathon Training Schedule, which I considered to be a little suicidal. Below I’ve listed the results of the training so far and it has indeed been as difficult as expected. To say the least, each of the runs I’ve completed could be compared to the feeling of being involved in a head-on collision going 90 miles an hour. My body feels like I tried to kill it. However, I have learned a few things so far that are vital to completing any race or other challenging goal you may have in your near future. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

#1 – Breaks are Essential

If you have any desire to complete any large task, especially a marathon, you have to schedule breaks. I use the Jeff Galloway system for my training, (more…)

Running into Transcendence

On April 1, 2010, In Health, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of h.koppdelaney (flickr)

I have never discussed religious beliefs, spirituality, or any theoretical matter on this blog before, so this is a first. Bear with me. I’m entering uncharted territory but this is something I’ve wanted to discuss with you, my readers. It’s a combination of my new fascination with personal development and my recurring trips to church that are keeping spiritual questions floating through my brain on a daily basis. My goal is to open the door with this post to discuss spiritual matters in the future without alienating too much of my fan base. If you would like to throw your two cents into the discussion you can leave a comment below or shoot me an email. Don’t forget that you can always leave an anonymous comment if you’d like.

Lately, I’ve been battling with the idea of transcendence. It’s one of the most theoretical and ambiguous terms I’ve ever tried to wrap my mind around. On Tuesday nights I go to a book group with (more…)

Why Running at 5 AM is Awesome!

On November 12, 2009, In Goals/Habits, Health, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar (Flickr)

Let me just first say that I am a night person. Until a few weeks ago, I would only be awake at 5 a.m. if I was up studying or enjoying a Guinness or two, or twelve. I am more awake at night than any other time of the day, so that is when I would schedule my workouts. A few months ago I was finding it harder and harder to find time to exercise regularly. I love running, but even with my crazy passion to run long distances every weekend, it’s always a constant battle to squeeze short runs into my work week. Despite this dilemma, I recently signed up for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio in May of 2010. This will be my 2^nd marathon and let me just say, I am insanely excited about this race. Not because it’s in Cincinnati, or because I get to miss work to go running, but because it’s an opportunity to focus on a ridiculous goal for the next 6 months. (more…)