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Challenge

February 16, 2011 by luau

Getting here just got a lot harder

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So, I guess in our heart of hearts we all knew this was coming. Today, February 16th, the BAA announced that it was revising the registration process for the 2012 Boston Marathon and lowering the qualifying times for the race in 2013.

I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about the BAA’s decision. I do think that there is something poetic about allowing the fastest runners a better shot at getting into the big race. I have a hard time arguing against that. By the same token, I feel for those that have worked for years and years, slowly chipping away at their marathon times to finally squeak in. Although I did not have to wait years and year, I did essentially get in by the skin of my teeth. Last October I qualified for Boston by a mere 1:40. If you go back to look at my race report, you can see the pure joy on my face; the feeling of accomplishment. I knew I was in. I knew where I was going to be when registration opened. That feeling didn’t go away for a very long time.

But what happens now to that runner who does what I did? Sure, he BQ’s, but what does that mean now, really? If he or she has just squeaked by the qualifying times, then in all likelihood, that person is NOT going to get to run Boston.

***A quick rundown of the new procedure from Boston.com***

2012 rolling registration dates

– Day 1 (Sept. 12) – Qualifiers who have met their age and gender qualifying standard (3 hours, 10 minutes for men aged 18-34 and 3 hours, 40 minutes for women 18-34) by a margin of 20 minutes or faster may apply for the marathon.

– Day 3 (Sept. 14) – Qualifiers who have met the standard set for their age/gender by a margin of 10 minutes or faster may apply.

– Day 5 (Sept. 16) – Qualifiers who have met their age/gender qualifying time by a margin of 5 minutes or faster may apply.

– Day 8 (Sept. 19) – Open to all qualifiers to register.

– Day 12 (Sept. 23) – Registration closes for qualified applicants. Registered qualifiers will be notified of their acceptance by Sept. 28.

For 2013, there are new qualifying times

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3:05:00	3:35:00
35-39	3:10:00	3:40:00
40-44	3:15:00	3:45:00
45-49	3:25:00	3:55:00
50-54	3:30:00	4:00:00
55-59	3:40:00	4:10:00
60-64	3:55:00	4:25:00
65-69	4:10:00	4:40:00
70-74	4:25:00	4:55:00
75-79	4:40:00	5:10:00
80+	4:55:00	5:25:00

The rolling registration also applies to 2013 and beyond.

Essentially, the BAA has lowered the qualifying times for 2012 by 10 – 20 minutes and 15 – 25 minutes for 2013 and beyond.

So what does that mean for me? It means that for the next 3 years, I have to run a 3:00 marathon before this September and a 2:55 marathon before September 2012 if I want to have any hope of registering on the first day. If I am going to be optimistic, it means a 3:10 this year and a 3:05 next year if I want to believe there will be space available on the 3rd day of registration. If I am lucky enough to take 5 minutes off of my PR and run what is essentially a 3:15 (3:10 for 2013 and beyond), I’ll have the privilege of being allowed to join the registration fun on the 5th day.

I wonder what is the likelihood of spots still being available on the 5th day.

Not.

Bloody.

Likely.

***

Now, I could sit here and bitch. I could sit here and moan. I could sit here and cry.

Instead, I am going to count my lucky stars and be thankful that I get to run this year, as a qualifier. I am half way through my training program. There are 60 days left between now and April 18th. I am going to stick my plan and shoot for a 3:15. 2012 looks unlikely for me at this point, as I am unlikely to run a 3:10 at Boston, and I don’t think I will be ready to run another marathon until after registration opens. Sure, I am BQ’d for 2012, but based on my time from this past October, I am in the last group that gets the opportunity to register, if there are any spots left. That’s a big “if” even if I do manage a 3:15 this coming April.

So 2012 is likely lost to me, but 2013 is not. Sometime between this coming September and the following one, I will run another marathon. I will have a new challenge. 3:15 may be what the qualifying times are for a man of my age, but because of the rolling registration, they have essentially lowered it to 3:05 starting in 2013.

Fine.

I am up for a challenge. BAA, you want to make me run a 3:05 so I can run your race? Fine. Bring it.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy Boston 2011.

60 days ’til race day!

Why do you run?

Posted in boston marathon | Tagged BAA, boston marathon, Boston Qualifier, qualifier, Qualifying times | 9 Comments »

Ounce

February 14, 2011 by luau

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The other day while driving in the car I heard a commercial. I’m not even sure what it was for because the first sentence set me off. The commercial opened with, and I’m paraphrasing here, that “with the rapid rise in cases of diabetes in this country, it is time we work on coming up with better treatments for this growing population.”

I nodded at first, but then almost immediately yelled “No!” to no one in particular.

Really? That’s the answer?

You see, this is the problem with society today. We always, ALWAYS, treat the symptom instead of focusing on prevention. How much money is going into treating those that become diabetic due to lifestyle? How much of YOUR health insurance premiums are being used to pay for treatment of a preventable diseases?

Now don’t get me wrong. Those with lifestyle induced diabetes need to be treated and I would never, ever attack those that were born with diabetes or those that became diabetic due to health related issues out of their control. There is, however, a rapidly growing population (pun intended) in this country that is putting itself at risk unnecessarily, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

As people and politicians struggle with fixing our health care system, everyone seems to be ignoring one of the oldest sayings in our short history – “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Poor eating habits, lack of exercise and the government’s insistence on subsidizing the corn industry are leading us down a path that will require pounds of cure compared the the ounces of prevention we could be putting in place to(yester)day.

It is too easy and costs too little to eat poorly. I can’t blame the McDonald’s, the Burger Kings or the KFC’s of the world. They are businesses doing what they can to make a profit. They are not in the health business; they are in the money-making business. Until people stop eating what they serve (and I’m guilty once in a while), they will continue to do what they do. Until there is a change in their bottom line, there is no reason to expect them to change what they feed us.

And how do you argue with a parent who has little time and $20 to feed her family of four? For $20 she can buy 4 fast food value meals that are loaded with calories from the McD’s around the corner or she can spend some of that money on transportation to the grocery store and try to piece together a meal with what’s left. I get it. But throwing our hands up in the air and saying we can’t do anything about it is not the answer. Coming up with treatments to deal with the results of eating McDonald’s every night is necessary, but short-sighted and still not the answer. The journal Health Affairs reported last year that overall obesity-related health spending reached $147 billion in the U.S., about double what it was a decade earlier. (Yahoo News). $147 BILLION!!!

That money is coming out of YOUR pocket!

There is no magic bullet, but there are a few simple steps we can take on a local and national level.

At the local level we can insist that our children are physically active for at least 30 – 60 minutes a day. The habits our children learn today are the ones they will default to as adults. Do you want to raise a pre-diabetic, lethargic couch potato or a physically active go getter? There’s also science that show that kids who are active for 30 minutes in the morning BEFORE school starts score higher on tests.

The best way to achieve this is through example. If your kids see you active, they will be active. As much as we like to think children will listen to what we say, they are much more likely to “listen” to what we do. If you don’t have kids, think of your spouse, your love interest, your friends. Science has shown that friends and even friends of friends DO influence each other when it comes to physical activity and behavior. If one person in a group of smokers has the strength to quit, others are likely to follow. It is the same with physical activity. If one person can break the cycle, others will follow.

At the national level we need to convince our government to stop making it so cheap to eat poorly. Subsidizing the corn industry has created a society that eats HFCS’s constantly. It’s in EVERYTHING. And it has practically no positive health benefits. How about subsidizing the farmers who make the healthier foods? Which in turn can help families just scraping by afford more nutritious meals? I don’t want to put the farmers out of business, just re-deploy them.

So, what’s it gonna be? An ounce or a pound? Are you already at a pound? Well, then is it going to be a pound or sixteen of them? The longer we wait, both as individuals and as a society, the harder it’s gonna be, both on our bodies and on our wallets.

Why do you run?

Posted in diet, health | Tagged activity, cure, health, ounces, prevention | 5 Comments »

Competitive

February 8, 2011 by luau

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Last October I ran a marathon with my friend Brendan. We had the same goal, a BQ. We both felt good going into the race. In the end however, he fell off the pace a little bit and missed qualifying for Boston by a mere 33 seconds. A heart breaker. That’s enough to crush a guy, especially after putting in hours upon hours of sweat and pain.

In November, another friend of mine, Logan, ran a marathon in Georgia, hoping to make his way to Boston in his first marathon. Through 13 miles he was on pace to hit 3:12, a BQ with room to spare, but part way through the second half, the wheels came off the bus and he had to settle for a 3:54 marathon debut. Having had the exact same devastating experience, I could relate.

Over the past 3-4 months, I’ve watched both of these guys transform themselves. They are different, stronger, faster. I recognize their change because I went through it myself after what I perceived were failures as a runner. Sure, I may still have a BQ on both of them, but at this point, I think that they may both be better and faster runners than I am.

***

Running is not necessarily about competition. A lot of people do it simply for the health benefits, both mental and physical. But when you enter a race, or follow friends who are runners, there is always a part of you that is comparing what you are doing to what they are. In a race, the comparison is glaring (you are passing or getting passed, leading or following). On social networks like dailymile, it’s a little more subtle, but it’s still there.

As I’ve watched both Brendan and Logan evolve, I’ve felt the urge to tweak my training, go a little faster, train a little harder. They are in a different category than I am when it comes to mileage (I’ve been doing 40 – 55 miles per week, they are in the 50 – 70 range). The temptation to take it to their level is, well, tempting, BUT I know that although we compare ourselves to each other and each other’s accomplishments, ultimately, we are only racing against one person – ourselves.

Even if your name is Ryan Hall or Kara Goucher, you are still competing with the runner that you want to be.

***

And so, somewhat begrudgingly, I stick with my plan, following the program that is laid before me. I have a goal for Boston 2011, and that personal goal takes precedent over all other running goals. If I start chasing the likes of Brendan and Logan, I am likely to crash and burn.

***

The reason I write this post is for those just getting into this marathon thing. Don’t go comparing yourselves to others. You are racing against you and what you are capable of. Hopefully you have a few road races under your belt. If you do, I would suggest going —>>>HERE<<<— to find out what the numbers say. It is a pretty accurate measure of where you are and what you are capable of. From here, come up with a plan (I’m happy to help) and then stick with it.

***

I am looking forward to seeing how Brendan and Logan do in their Marathons this Spring. I have no doubt that they will not just BQ (like I did, by a mere 1:40), but will smash through to the other side. I’ll see you guys in Hopkington in 2012!

And at that point, it’s ON!!!

***UPDATE 02/19/11*** Today Logan smashed his previous marathon PR by 45 minutes, completing the Myrtle Beach Marathon in a scorching 3:09:19 (exactly 10 minutes faster than my BQ at Smuttynose). A well deserved BQ! I’ll see you in 2012! Congrats Logan! Brendan, you are on the clock!

***UPDATE 02/20/11***Today Brendan ran the Hampton Half-Marathon in a blazing 1:29:34, nearly 4 minutes faster than my fastest half-mary. Now true this does not automatically qualify him for Boston, but it does get him into a race that is even harder to qualify for – New York City, Brother! I also checked the McMillan’ Race Calculator – his half-marathon time puts him at a 3:08:54, 11+ ahead of a BQ. Way to rock it today Brendan!

Posted in boston marathon, log, motivation, training | Tagged competitive, mainerunnah, running, training, una runner | 7 Comments »

Sweat

February 1, 2011 by luau

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We are one month into 2011. How are things going? Have you stuck to your workout goals and resolutions? Are you still eating better?

***

Do you feel like you’re not seeing enough of a change for all of the time you have been putting in?

***

Let me ask you this – when you workout, are you sweating? I don’t mean schvitzing or perspiring. I mean really, REALLY sweating.

I don’t go to the gym a whole lot. I either run outside or on the treadmill in my basement. For strength training I do a lot of home-based workouts (push ups, planks, chin ups, TRX). BUT when I do go to the gym, I am often surprised to find that a lot of people finish their workouts with just the slightest hint of sweat on their brow and seem to be under the impression that they have put in a hardcore cardio workout.

I want to ask these people if they actually value their time? Don’t they want to make the most of the perceived effort they’ve invested? I don’t believe I’m being a workout snob. I just think that maybe these people don’t get what a hard workout really is.

Yes, I know that getting to the point where you are soaked is hard. Yes, I know that a hard workout hurts. But as the saying goes, “No Pain, No Gain”.

And it’s not like every workout has to be a hard one. In fact, ideally workouts should oscillate between hard and easy to make sure that the body has an opportunity to mend and get stronger while staying loose.

But if it is fast results that you want, you are going to have to sweat; sweat to the point where your shirt is soaked; soaked to the point where you can wring a cupful of stink out of it.

THAT’S when you know you’ve done your job. Quite honestly, there is very little that is more satisfying than hearing the hard smack of your drenched shirt hitting your bathroom floor after a hard workout.

So, if you are struggling to see results in your resolution workouts, I’ll ask you again – are you sweating?

Why do you run?

Posted in training | Tagged exercise, new year's resolution, sweat | 5 Comments »

Hidden

January 27, 2011 by luau

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There is no way around it, I run a lot of miles, at least relative to the general population.

4 to 5 days a week, 40 to 50 miles per week.

There is no question that running is a huge part of why I am in the shape I am in.

***

But I don’t think that is the whole story.

Yes, diet has a lot to do with it, but truth be told, I sincerely believe that it is the work I do away from the road, the treadmill or the dining table that makes an impact on how fit I am.

No, I am not talking about the elliptical, or the core workouts, or the stretching sessions.

I am talking about the hidden mini-workouts that can occur anywhere, for anyone, at anytime.

These workouts don’t make me break a sweat. In fact, I hardly am aware that I am doing them. The only thing they require is that I take an extra 30 – 60 seconds while going about my every day business.

Whether it’s parking a little further away from the grocery store, or walking up to my daughter’s room instead of yelling up to her; whether it’s going up and down stairs with a little extra pop or just taking the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator – these extra steps add up over the course of a day – burning a few more calories here and there. Is it enough to get INto shape? No, BUT, it IS enough to get the blood flowing through your limbs and get them used to the idea of movement. If you think about moving on a regular basis, you are that much closer to actually doing it. The hardest part of getting off the couch is, you guessed it, getting off the couch. Inertia is one of the most powerful laws in the universe. If you are constantly at rest, you will, in all likelihood, stay at rest. That’s physics.

But if you start small and slowly build, you can develop into a fast flying, calorie burning machine.

A long time ago, completely unrelated to running, I felt like I was in a rut and going nowhere. My mother said to me, “look at your feet.” She correctly took my silence on the phone to be confusion. She then continued, “when you are climbing a mountain, if you are constantly looking at the peak, you won’t be able to see your progress very well. You may well feel like you are spinning your wheels. But take a moment and look at your feet. Look at the distance they are covering with every step.”

It was an “a-ha!” moment in my life.

It’s the same with these mini-hidden-workouts – start small…look at the feet, see the progress. Eventually the regular workouts have to and will come. Inertia will make it so.

Why do you run?

Posted in health, training | Tagged exercise, HIdden Workout, workout | 6 Comments »

The Wave

January 24, 2011 by luau

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A week ago Sunday I went for my scheduled long run. According to Mr. Pfitzinger, I was supposed to run 16 miles, 10 of which were supposed to be at marathon pace.

I know. So what, right?

It was cold and we had just come out the back side of a very large snow storm. The roads were (still are) treacherous, the sidewalks non-existent. I contemplated doing this run on the treadmill, but finally decided to drive to a part of the Boston Marathon course that I knew would be relatively clear. The problem with this stretch of course is that it is only about 6 miles long.

I powered through the first five miles, my mind more or less numbed by the cold. However, as I approached the end of the stretch, my legs tiring, I realized that I still had over 10 miles to run. My heart sank, my will ebbed. Very quickly my mind went from somewhat blank to a swirl of self-doubt. Suddenly the lack of sleep from the night before felt very real; my legs were tired, my lungs were tired, my brain was tired. As I rapidly approached the first of the Newton Hills section of the Boston Marathon course, I came very close to stopping.

This section happens to be at Mile 17 of the marathon. I remembered that just as I was about to drop my pace to a walk up the hill. I remembered watching dozens of runners slow to a walk last April right at this point and I thought to myself, “If I couldn’t do it after 6 or 7 miles, no matter how tired I am, how the Hell am I going to do it on race day after 17 miles?”

I growled and forced myself into a quicker pace.

The legs struggled.

The lungs burned.

I made it to the top of the hill and cracked a small smile. As I hit the next hill, my GPS chirped that I had run the last mile 12 seconds faster than the previous one.

I smiled.

Energy flowed back into my legs and lungs. As I crested Heartbreak Hill for the second of what would be three times that day, I realized that my second 6 miles had been faster than my first.

Running, and life for that matter, is full of waves. The key is to ride the crests as long as you can and power through the troughs to get to that next wave.

Physical pain is pretty easy to gauge. You know if something is physically wrong with your body and it’s time to quit. It’s the mental part of running that is hard. Judging what you have left in the tank, mentally, is never an easy task. But this I know: if you don’t push past what is comfortable, if you don’t embrace the pain, the burn, you won’t grow, you won’t find out whether you can or cannot.

And you won’t make it to the crest of that next wave.

Why do you run?

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, training | Tagged Heartbreak Hill, running, Wave | 6 Comments »

Buoy

January 20, 2011 by luau

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I stare at the television, hardly paying attention to the cards in my hand. Are we playing Hold ‘Em? Guts? I’m not too sure. The TV is tuned to the Classic Rock Music channel. On the screen is a picture of David Gilmour from the band Pink Floyd. I listen to his music and think, “I could have been musician.”

But I’m not.

I started to think of all the things I wanted to be, but am not. Doctor. Actor. Master of the Universe. Trainer and gym owner. I am none of those things. When the roadblocks of life got in the way, I never pushed back hard enough to achieve those goals. I made the excuse that if I wasn’t pushing, I obviously didn’t want it. Now, at the age of 41, I wonder, “what if?”

I know that the “what if” game is a common one, especially for people my age and older, but it feels like mine goes a little deeper than that. I look back and realize that I let opportunity go by so many times – in college, after college. There were moments where I could have (should have?) zigged, but instead I zagged – more often than not because it was the path of least resistance. Life (my life) is full of opportunities lost, chances not taken, changes not made.

I hope I have been a good son, an adequate husband and a decent father, but I wonder if they could have had better.

I wonder if that is one of the reasons I run like I do.

In running I finally found something that when I got pushed (through injury or bonking), I found a way to push back. I was able to take adversity and knock it on its ass. Still, I can’t help but wonder if running has become a last-ditch effort to validate myself – to convince myself that the boy that I was would be okay with , if not proud of, the man I have become.

No, I will never be an elite runner, I will never qualify for the Olympic trials, I will never get financially rich off of running, but hard work and perseverance has made me a marathoner and a Boston Qualifier. The results have been tangible. In qualifying for Boston, I have, in the eyes of some, made it to the promised land.

As I try to figure out what it is that I will become when I grow up (yes, I know I’m 41), I will hold on to this buoy, training my eyes on the horizon. I hope that the next time opportunity sails close by, I have the wisdom to see it and the courage to hop on board.

Why do you run?

Posted in boston marathon, health, motivation | Tagged running, what if | 6 Comments »

Softer

January 18, 2011 by luau

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This time of year we see a lot of people in the gyms. It’s a combination of all the New Year Resolution-ers and those that don’t want to/can’t take the cold. This past Saturday, while my older daughter attended a skating lesson, I opted to go to the gym next door to put in a few miles on the hamster wheel. The rows of treadmills were almost filled to capacity, occupied by a wide range of runners, encompassing all shapes and sizes – it’s one of the things that I love about running – our diversity.

What caught my attention however, was not the wide variety of runners that day. It was the cacophony of heavy footfalls – a banging away that made me wonder how long before someone’s knee or hip popped. As I hopped on to my station, I saw that there were three runners, again, in a variety of shapes, in the row in front of me who seemed determined to smash their machines to bits. I wondered if they were running out of anger. I resisted the urge to interrupt them and try correct their form.

Among the many things I have learned over the last two years about running, one of the most important is that “how” you run makes a difference in both your performance and enjoyment. A lot of people, whether driven by a New Year’s Resolution or not, will simply hop on the treadmill or go outside and go. The problem is that many of theses runners are running as if they are trying to achieve their resolutions in one angry, hard run. If you go out too hard, too fast, and without paying attention to your form, you are likely to a)hurt yourself and b)give up after only a couple of weeks.

No matter how heavy you are, others shouldn’t be able to hear, much less feel your footfalls from 20′ away. I know that as runners we like to say we are “hitting the streets” when we run, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Ideally, a runner should glide along as they run.

Obviously, your feet make an impact on the ground with every step, regardless of whether you are walking or running, but you can control the intensity of the impact. By softening you footfalls, you lessen the impact on your knees and hips, decrease the likelihood of injury and may actually increase your base speed and enjoyment.

So, how can you soften your stride?

There are a couple of things you can do. First, if you are new to this running thing, don’t feel compelled to run at other people’s pace. Start slowly, get comfortable. There is absolutely no shame in running a 15:00 mile. Think of all those people who are still sitting on the couch. Once your legs adapt to running, the speed will come. Second, try to land with your feet UNDER you instead of IN FRONT of you. The whole minimalist shoe vs. modern running shoe/mid-foot vs. heel strike is a topic that has been talked into ground and doesn’t need to be re-hashed here (if you want some in depth discussion on the topic hit up my friend Pete at www.runblogger.com). Suffice it to say that if you focus on landing with your feet directly under you, you will be working WITH your forward momentum, allowing you to run softer and eventually faster. Finally, try shortening your stride and increasing your cadence (the number of stride you take per minute). The shorter stride will naturally bring your landing closer to directly under you.

I am convinced that anyone, ANYONE, can become a light-footed runner. It’s not about size, it’s about form.

Do you think about your form when you run? What advice would you give to those trying to soften their steps?

Why do you run?

Posted in health, training | Tagged Form, running | 9 Comments »

Left to Right

January 14, 2011 by luau

Rhetoric – the undue use of exaggeration or display.

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Dear Friends on the Right,

I do not blame you for what happened in Arizona this past weekend.

I do not blame the likes of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Michael Graham and their ilk. The shooter obviously was an unbalanced fellow.

I do not blame the use of targets on maps.

I do not blame the use of the word “reload”.

I do not blame the rhetoric that has become the norm in both politics and talk radio today.

No. I do not blame any of those things.

I hear radio hosts and pundits getting defensive.

The truth is, at this point, we don’t even know what the politics of this disturbed individual are. He may in fact be a far, FAR left liberal who feels that Congresswoman Giffords rode too close to the center.

Everybody needs to tone it down, and take it down a notch. Everybody seems to be taking what everyone else says to extremes.

Why is it that someone can’t be held personally responsible for their actions if they are influenced by others?

The left wants to blame what they perceive as the hateful rhetoric of the right, while the right insists that the left wants to free the shooter of all responsibility by blaming the right. Guess what folks, you’re both wrong…and right.

Jihadists aren’t made by Islam. They are influenced by a militant wing of Islam. But guess what! Every jihadist is personally responsible for the destruction and mayhem they cause. Does that free the radical , militant wing of Islam of any responsibility? Heck no!!!

Now don’t think for a second that I am comparing the Far Right to Militant Islam as equals. That would be doing exactly what those on the far right AND far left have been doing for the last oh so many years.

No.

I say this is to illustrate that Words have power; Words have influence. Jared Loughner may not have been influenced by the rhetoric, but someone out there will be. If we are not careful, Democracy could be headed down a path of ultra-partisanship. Being partisan is NOT bad. Democratic political debate is not the enemy. I would never ask the government to censure speech. I would simply like to see people, politicians and pundits on both side of the aisle use some common sense and some civilized restraint. In the spirit of my conservative friends, self-regulate!

Hateful words have a place in our society. Using them rarely gives them gravity, meaning; but if used constantly, they numb those who hear it, and they become the norm. It’s the same lesson I teach my 9 year old. If you cry all the time, you lessen the power of your tears. Use them rarely and people will pay attention when you do.

Conservative talk show host Jay Severin argues that unless one can be arrested for saying something (like yelling “FIRE” in a crowded movie theater) then one can say anything and it is protected by the First Amendment. He’s right, but he misses the point so many on the left are vainly trying to convey. We can be partisan but still work together. We can start talking TO each other as opposed to AT each other. Some political figures figured that out over the last week…sadly, others did not. To say that one is not responsible for what a crazy person does with one’s words is the exact opposite of personal responsibility – YOU are responsible for the words that come out of YOUR mouth, and words have power.

Words have power – if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have literature, poetry, music. We wouldn’t have dialogue – which is exactly what this Great Nation needs to get back to.

Both sides of the aisle have good, productive ideas. Why can’t one be both pro-Choice AND for the death penalty? or the other way around? Why can’t one be for gay-marriage AND tougher immigration laws? or the other way around? We as a people need to come together and find a way to make this Great Nation even better. Part of what makes it great is that we can speak our minds, but that doesn’t mean we speak whatever comes to mind. We don’t need Thought Police, but we do need a return to Thought. Thoughtful dialogue leads to a better understanding of each other, which can only make us stronger.

Yours Truly,

Luau

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Giffords, letter to the right, Loughner, rhetoric | 5 Comments »

Stumble

January 11, 2011 by luau

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Happy New Year everyone! With the holiday season now at a close, many have wolfed down that last slice of pie, drunk the last glasse of champagne and moved on into resolution mode. Yes, January brings the deluge of New Year’s resolutions that people swear they are going to live by for the following year – eating better, exercising more are probably the most common. Inevitably they falter by the end of the week, the month, the season – at which point they throw in the towel to wait for the next turn of the calendar and start the process yet again.

A word of advice.

Give up.

You heard me.

Give.

Up.

This coming Sunday, forget about your New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, and stuff your face at breakfast or dinner with a huge plate of comfort food. Make sure you wash it down with 2 or 3 alcoholic and/or sugary drinks.

Go ahead.

Do it.

There is no reason to wait until the end of the month or the Winter, or for Summer to stumble and fall off the wagon. That’s right, I am telling you to get off that wagon this Sunday and indulge.

***

Wait a minute there, Luau! Aren’t you a proponent of healthy living? Don’t you advocate regular exercise and eating smart? Aren’t you the one who says anyone, ANYONE can get fit if they want to? What the Frak is going on here?

***

Hmm. I guess I should elaborate a little bit, huh? Notice above I said “breakfast OR dinner”? I did not mean to take the whole day, or weekend or week. I did not mean to give up for good. That would be silly.

No, what I propose is resolving to stumble in your New Year’s Resolutions.

Nobody is perfect, and because of that we can’t do things perfectly all of the time. Eventually we are bound to stumble. This is what happens to so many people who make New Year’s Resolutions every January 1st. The problem is that once they stumble they feel like that’s it. The shame of failing kicks in and overwhelms.

“It’s over!”

“I can’t do it!”

I’ve seen it before. Friends will decide that since they fell off the wagon on Saturday, they might as well carry it on through the entire weekend, the following week or even the rest of the year.

“You know, I ate like crap for breakfast and lunch so I’m just gonna complete the trifecta and eat this whole bucket of mashed potatoes and ice cream.”

A lot of people feel like if they fail the first, or second or third time they try to get healthy, they might as well give up because they can’t stick to it.

***

But what if one “stepped” off the wagon as opposed to “falling” off the wagon? A planned fall, if you will. Then maybe it’s not quite as bad. Then maybe, one would have the will power to step back on to the wagon after a single indulgent meal or a single missed workout as opposed to losing a whole weekend or a week or a month or the rest of the year?

Some people call it the 90/10 plan. The concept is to eat healthfully and exercise regularly 90% of the time and allow yourself to indulge in some guilty pleasures 10% of the time. The idea being that if you allow yourself to eat junk food and be a couch potato in small doses, you are more likely to remain disciplined the rest of the time.

A controlled stumble – think about it. If you are walking down the street and you fall, you are a lot less likely to hurt yourself if you fall in a controlled manner. It is the same with New Year’s Resolutions.

New Year’s Resolutions are fine and dandy. They can kick-start an active lifestyle, but don’t panic if you fall. Even if you fall hard. There is no reason why you can’t get right back up and dust yourself off. But if you have found that you have had trouble in years past with sticking with it through the year, try the controlled stumble, maybe once every week or two.

My bet is that you’ll find a lot more success down the road in achieving your resolution goals. It’s not about luck, it’s about determination and planning.

Have fun this Sunday! I don’t know about you, but I’m plopping myself in front the TV for some NFL playoffs, beer and a bucket of wings!

GO PATS!

Why do you run?