Another Recommended Read

An Honorable Run by Matt McCue

If you've read Lear's Running With the Buffaloes you need to read this book.

If you've ever had someone take an interest in you're well being and growth as a person, you need to read this book.

You don't have to be a runner, or an athlete at all, to appreciate this book.

Three Is A Magic Number

I can vividly remember spending Saturday mornings watching cartoons, especially the cartoons on ABC because they had The Superfriends (the others escape me in my old age). I can also remember in between programs they would show School House Rock.

You know, "I'm Just A Bill", "Conjunction Junction", "Unpack Your Adjectives", and one of my personal favorites, "Three Is A Magic Number" [an aside: if you're a fan of these then I highly suggest buying this album if for no other reason than the version of Conjunction Junction by Better Than Ezra and Blind Melon's Three Is A Magic Number]

So why the title and all this talk about educational cartoons from 30 years ago? Well, because three is a magic number. It takes three weeks to form a new habit, or to bring back a habit that you've been missing like an old friend from college you haven't spoken to in months (or maybe years). Three weeks to run consistently so that you can see improvements in fitness. THREE weeks of not missing a single run.

That's right, you read that right: for the last THREE weeks I've completed every training run on my schedule. I had to get up early some days to do it. I had to run on the treadmill some days after coming home from work to do it. I had really long days because of a crazy work schedule combined with my running, but I did it. For THREE weeks in a row.

For the last three weeks I've been kind to running, and now running is starting to be kind to me again. Welcome back old friend.

Two Good Weeks

The last two weeks, well actually the entire month of November, have been pretty damn good.

I finally sat down and planned out a training cycle for the upcoming months and some potential spring races (one definite, other options - more on those later). However, planning is the easy part. Executing the plan is where things tend to go askew.

Not this time though. I've completed every scheduled run and completed it within the parameters/goal for each run. Two weeks down, one to go, because it takes 21 days to make a new habit and I'm almost back into my one-run-a-day habit.

The Band From San Francisco

Finally got my chance to see Metallica last night. I've been a fan, oh, since I was about 15 (and still have all of their early stuff on cassette) but this was the first time I've actually been able to see 'em live.

Was. Not. Disappointed.

Here is the setlist:

Marking the Occassion

A friend in Eugene, OR, did this back in July when our friend Joe passed away. Today would have been his 38th birthday.

Another Great Read

I just finished Jon Krakauer's new book, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.

Highly recommend it. Highly.