What's Old Is New Again

At the beginning of this decade I was someone who utilized a Franklin (now Franklin Covey) planner to stay organized. I was working outside of Nashville, TN, and trying to keep all the responsibilities that went into my job; including but not limited to football, men's basketball, men's/women's tennis, supervising graduate assistants, and teaching class, so I used the planner.

Then technology took over. I've gone from a PDA, to a smartphone, to an iPhone now. Love it. I was able to shed the bulky paper planner and streamline everything into one place. Or two if you count the iMac at home.

But after much contemplation too many things were still falling through the cracks - I've felt I was behind the eight ball for most of 2009 and always felt like I was playing catch up - I'm going back to organizing at least work stuff (still a large number of sports and teaching responsibilities) with a new, thinner, less bulky version of the Franklin planner. I'll let you know how it pans out...

But, the to me the thing that hits home the most? It's a decade later and I still haven't managed to get organized.

Damn you snow!!!!

Yeah, I'm shaking my fist at the snow/ice on the ground like an old crazy man. It's done it to me again this year. Ever since my run outside last Thursday my right ankle has been sore and after my run on the TM yesterday it was even more swollen and pissed off so I have officially put myself on the three day disabled list. Which means I'm done running for 2009. I'm actually going to follow the advice/treatment regimen I would give one of my athletes suffering from the same condition. So there ya have it. Great way to end 2009. At least I hit my mileage goal before I had to pull the plug.

That's A Wrap

Second week of my spring race training schedule in the books. I didn't do as well this week as I did the first, but then I was derailed a bit by the winter storm that hit the 24th into the 25th. Even I'm not crazy enough to run when there is between .1-.2" of ice on the ground, plus it's been snowing constantly since about 7 pm yesterday so the majority of my miles were inside.

Still managed to hit 27 miles for the week, and more importantly I hit my goal mileage for 2009 this week. So I've got that going for me.

One week left in 2009, here's hoping it will be a good one!

What Makes A Runner?

That's a question I've mulled and pondered for a while now, and a question that T and I have debated on many a run together and finally I think I've come up with a answer that I'm comfortable with...well, maybe I'm taking too much credit. Follow the link below and then come back:

John Bingham's Final Column For Runners World

I think that essay says it succinctly and elegantly.

Being a runner isn't about how many miles you run, PRs, or if you've run a marathon or not (or how long it took you). It's not about how many days a week you run, or how many days in a row - you just have to run, and I'm not criticizing the people those things are important to because being a runner is about making running a healthy part of your life. Yeah, we all have goals: some want to BQ, some want to break 20:00 for a 5k, some want to run a sub 4 hour marathon, some want to run ultras, and some just want to escape into their head on their daily 6 miler and may never sign up for a race. All of those are runners because running is part of who they are.

So you can argue jogger vs runner, real runner vs someone who Gallowalks, but I'm not going to participate in those anymore. I've found my answer: if you've made running a part of you then you're one of us. Welcome to the club and the more the merrier.

Spring 2010 Goal Race

After much contemplation and double and triple checking spring sports schedules a spring goal race has been determined:

The Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City, MI.

This will kill multiple birds with one stone: spring goal race for both T, me, and it will give us the excuse to spend the weekend and explore northern Michigan (something we have yet to do in 3+ years of living here).

Race day is Saturday, May 29, which means there are 24 weeks to train starting yesterday. Let the fun begin!

Hometown Fan

I'm a big fan of the city of Cincinnati. Well, not a big enough fan of it to live there but that's another blog post in and of itself, but it's where I grew up. I've been a Bengals fan ever since the summer that I worked training camp (1992 for those keeping track of how old I am), cheer on the Reds, love Skyline Chili, etc, etc, etc.

But that's where it stops. I am not a fan of the University of Cincinnati, or Xavier University (okay, I can tolerate Xavier doing well) for one reason and one reason only...and here it is for all those people who look at me with that incredulous look when I tell 'em I'm not a fan:

I went to Miami. Miami and sUCks participate in the oldest football rivalry west of the Allegheny mountains and play every year for the Victory Bell. No, Miami hasn't done well in the rivalry recently but we hold the edge 59-48-7 in the series. In my four years on campus we were 2-1-1 in the rivalry and I got to see the bell up close in the football locker room.

I'm a Redskin (not a RedHawk). I would no more cheer on sUCks than I would cheer on that school from Tuscaloosa - War Eagle!!! - or a Red Sox fan would like to see the Yankees do well in a year when the Sox had pitching issues so stop asking if I'm happy that sUCks is in the BCS. As much as it pains me to say this...I hope Florida wins the game.