Another Run

If you have been reading any of my blog posts or Facebook posts you know that I have been working towards my first marathon in January 2014.  I recently worked back up to the half marathon distance of 13 miles after my bout with my Achilles. I have found that my old body has troubles getting beyond this wall. That distance and time takes its toll. Three weeks ago I made 14 in Morgantown and yesterday was able to squeeze out about that same distance again around my neighborhood. Not sure of the exact distance because my iPhone tracking my distance died in route. I am guessing somewhere between 13 and 14 miles. I also lost seven pounds of water weight during that two and a half hours. 

Last weekend I ran the Race For The Cure, only 3 miles but ran home afterwards, another ten miles. I lost seven pounds then as well. If only that weight stayed off!

I have slightly more than 80 days to build up the rest of the distance. Nearly double what I have been doing. My cardio isn't too bad so I think I can keep up there. It isn't like I am killing it with my time. The part that worries me is my knees and feet. My feet are sore today. Thankfully my legs are not too bad after this run. A little achy which is probably expected. 

I decided to increase my training during the week with a couple of shorter runs. Every other weekend I will do my personal best to get to the marathon distance. The opposite weekend I will try for 10-13 miles. It is all a bit crazy thinking back in June I couldn't run even two miles without being pain. 

This all is a bit of my own stubbornness to accomplish more than I could even expect. My thought of how I can feel young by pushing myself doing something that I would of have difficulty doing when I was in high school, arguably in my best shape due to football. After all who really wants to grow old? 

Within the next month or so I will become a grandpa. Pretty exciting. I have a bald head but if it grows in, it would be grey. These all point to me being an old man. However, I refuse to accept this and plan on being forever young. 

I will keep you posted on my journeys. Please keep me in your prayers and all the encouragement is gratefully appreciated. I need a cheering group if fans. 

Be forever yong my friends. Don't grow old. 

ET This I Believe

Eugene Thompson 

Ok, I officially hate getting old!

Everything used to come naturally, with ease....no problems at all. Remember when you could eat anything you wanted and never gained a pound? Now you have to watch absolutely everything....if not you will gain weight...which will make you buy new clothes....which will make it more difficult to run.....which will make you get fatter.....which makes you depressed....which makes everyone worry about you.....and on and on and on. So I guess I will eat salad tonight!

I know, I know.....it is better than the alternative! I have heard that before. Doesn't mean that I rejoice at being bald. Oh, I do wear it well though. I am thankful that I don't have a lumpy head. But I do miss my brown curly hair. Bet you guys didn't know I ever had hair? How about wearing glasses for everything. I can't see anything these days. I wear my contacts most of the time but can't see anything close.....therefore ready glasses. I have pairs all over the house, office and car just in case. If I go somewhere to eat without them I can't even read the menu. My wife needs to order for me....she orders me salad! If I wear my glasses....I really cannot see far away very clear and I can't see really close so I have to take them off......there are too many rules to my eyesight.

Yes, now there is the teeth thing. I know my dentist way to well. One would when you are always in there getting replacement porcelain for those that seem to fall out. What is the deal with that? Brush all the time, floss all the time, water pic thingy all the time.....all to no avail. At least I don't have to put my teeth in a glass at night. That would be gross.

Medicine for this and medicine for that. I swore I would never take any medicine when I got old.....that was because I was young and didn't realize the enviable was coming. Pills for diabetes, pills for high blood pressure, pills for high cholesterol, pills for going and going and going, shots for diabetes, pills for my heart, yellow pills, pink pills, little blue pills (oh stop it I know what you are thinking).....other than the diabetes all of the others are "just in case" pills. It is still such a pain. I need to find that forever young pill. The one you take and stay about 28 - 33 forever. Yes, I have probably given a little too much thought about this fictional pill. How about the injection that gave Captain America.....I will take one of those! There has to be some sort of herb in the jungles of Africa that I can find.

Okay I officially also hate running......well sort of. Run run run run run run and what does it get me? Back in the circle where I started! I am supposed to me motivated and invigorated but sometimes not so much. First I have to fight off the flu bug which obviously you can't run and sneeze and cough at the same time. Then there is the fact that I hate cold weather.....also I hate early mornings. And when I run and just start feeling pretty good guess what happens? Yep, I hurt my Achilles on the right foot. I wait and wait and stretch until it finally feels better. Ad when I start running again guess what? Yep, now my Achilles for my right foot. You have got to be kidding me! I am about as limber as a piece of "uncooked spaghetti".

And what is the deal with falling asleep at 8:00 at night? Yes I wake up without an alarm clock at 6AM on the dot every morning. If I ever make it to the evening news it is a miracle. New Year's Eve ......that was torturous to stay awake that long. And no we didn't go out.....why not? Because would have fallen asleep I am quite sure of it.

Alas, I complain about getting old but there really isn't anything I can do about it. I might as well just suck it up and enjoy grey in my goatee. I have an excuse now for not mowing the lawn, "Honey I don't think I can because......(insert one - it's too cold, it's too hot, my back hurts, I'm exhausted from work, I'm depressed for work, I think it is going to rain, I just mowed it two weeks ago, I need more gas, I can't pull the starter......I don't want to!)

Getting old......a super hero I am not any more.........but I do drive a Z3!
Live now my friends, because once the day is over it will be gone.

et this I believe
Eugene Thompson

There are Some Things I Don't Understand

TASTIDU for short.  Your right.... I just made that up. That's okay, it's my blog and I can make up stuff if I want.

You know it seems quite ironic how this world works and how we perceive things in life.

• When we are small children we need our parents to help us with so many things that we care not able to do yet.
• When we get older we are stubborn and want to 'do it ourselves' until finally we get help from mom and dad.
• As teens we are invincible.  Nothing can hurt us and we know everything and our parents know nothing.
• As young adults we set out on our own to discover our own paths, often forsaking the wisdom that was shared by our parents own mistakes.
• As a young family you begin to see and feel the struggles that our parents warned us about.
• As we enter midlife the cycle returns back to the beginning and we see more clearly and understand life a bit more.

From a parent's perspective this is such a hard thing to watch and observe.  We want to be there catch them and lift them out of the grime.  But truthfully we cannot.  We cannot because that grime is what allows them to grow, allows them to understand life on their own, allows them to gain strength, allows them to obtain perspective and yes....causes them pain.  It is the burning of the hand on the stove lesson.  If they don't experience the heat, they wont truly understand the pain. As a parent it hurts us more......yep, we heard that from our dads just before he gave us the swat, "This will hurt me more than it does you".  Yeah, right dad! Your the one holding the paddle....what going to hurt you? The kickback on that wooden paddle in your hand? We just don't understand at that young age that the HURT we feel as parents is WATCHING you make mistakes that we couldn't prevent you from learning the hard way.

So what have I learned as I approach the age of 46 with kids (young adults) from 25 to 17? I have learned a lot.  Learned that I probably made huge mistakes as I raised my kids, learned that I never really understood what I needed to do as a DAD.  Never found that 'operational manual' that was needed for each kid as they are ALL different. Learned that each day provides opportunities for you to fail or succeed. After 46 years.....I really still don't understand anything.

The only thing I DO know is I love my kids and pray for them each day. That is the only thing I can do. Be safe my friends.