Sometimes when I run, I am able to forget about fighting with the significant other, the screaming kids, the cat fur on my best dark pants, and the boss/professor that is stressing me. I can breathe deep, feel the sun on my face and occasionally I'll cross another runner's path and I'll enjoy the view for just a moment (I'm old, not dead).
These are just a few of the reasons I run. Yeah, it helps me keep my weight down (I do enjoy food), and running makes me feel a little more alive, but I really enjoy the way it helps me "defrag."
In 1972 (yes, I was a sophomore in high school) The Eagles released a song that had been written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne. In it you can hear the words: "I'm running down the road tryin' to loosen my load..." That describes many of my runs.
When you're stressed do NOT kick the dog, scream at your life partner (or even the person that you barely know), just lace up your sneakers and hit the street. Your sanity will endure one more day.
Be active, be happy
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunny day
Monday was unseasonably warm. Not stifling, but mid 80's. All in all a good day to go for a run or walk. I opted to run. Running is my thing, it need not be yours. Walking is actually a much better choice. It has all of the benefits of running: fresh air; exercise; but none of the impact. Impact is the enemy. Impact will tear up your ankles, your knees and your hips.
When I run (even at my slow pace) I impact all of my landing-foot side's (right side or left side depending on the foot) joints with 2 1/2 times my body weight each time I go from sidewalk to road. That means that when I run off the sidewalk to cross a street, my right foot (or left) makes contact with the road at about 500 pounds of force. That force goes right into my ankle, right up to my knee, and continues to my hip. My back will also feel the force of this pounding. If my shoes are just a little worn out, the impact will be intensified.
I seldom run on the sidewalk, I run on the road, and stay on the road, unless I am in town. Then because of traffic, I use the sidewalk. On a normal foot strike, without launching myself from a sidewalk, I still impact the ground at almost twice my body weight, or at almost 400 pounds of force.
I should be walking. I know its safer for my joints to walk. I enjoy walking, I just happen to enjoy running more.
Be active, be happy
When I run (even at my slow pace) I impact all of my landing-foot side's (right side or left side depending on the foot) joints with 2 1/2 times my body weight each time I go from sidewalk to road. That means that when I run off the sidewalk to cross a street, my right foot (or left) makes contact with the road at about 500 pounds of force. That force goes right into my ankle, right up to my knee, and continues to my hip. My back will also feel the force of this pounding. If my shoes are just a little worn out, the impact will be intensified.
I seldom run on the sidewalk, I run on the road, and stay on the road, unless I am in town. Then because of traffic, I use the sidewalk. On a normal foot strike, without launching myself from a sidewalk, I still impact the ground at almost twice my body weight, or at almost 400 pounds of force.
I should be walking. I know its safer for my joints to walk. I enjoy walking, I just happen to enjoy running more.
Be active, be happy
Monday, September 26, 2011
Weddings
On Saturday I went to a wedding reception. It was a good time. A little food, a little drink and a little dancing.
You walk or run a little, and you find that the walk from a few blocks away to the reception hall isn’t so bad. If you don’t get any exercise, you may find the walk a little daunting. The food was buffet style, and I always eat my veggies. A toast or two later and you find yourself on the dance floor.
I prefer to slow dance because I think that I look a little less like a dork. Eventually though, I find myself on the dance floor trying to cope with a faster tempo. It might be a line dance (Electric Slide), or just a more lively tune from any time in the last 3 or so decades. You try not to flail. Without prejudice, the woman across from you leans in, then she smiles and whispers softly, “you dance like a white man.” You laugh and continue. You are in good enough shape to dance without having a heart attack. You are fit enough to enjoy life. You look around at the guys that are sitting and watching. You see material stretched tight across bellies; you see stomachs that are hiding belts. You know that as bad as you might look, it is still better than them.
Be active, be happy, dance
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Surprise race
Yesterday, I was blogging about working out in the weather. Once I posted, I began watching the news. I watched in time to see the Public Service Bulletin Board (basically the civic events: pancake breakfasts, church picnics, and that sort of thing).
I saw that there was a 5K race in Scranton. The race was a charity event (as many are) to raise money for a K-9 dog for the police department. I admit that I sometines butt heads with the police over their enforcement (or lack there of) of parking laws. However, I do support the police when possible and since I was going to run anyway, I ran their race.
I've run road races before, though not in a couple of decades, so I had a good idea what to expect. Perhaps you would not. The race was less than a mile from my house, so I walked over. I got there about 40 minutes before the start. I asked if I could still register and with a yes, I paid my $25, got a T-shirt and talked with a few other runners.
Sometimes it is not possible to register on race day, so I really do not recommend waiting. I did not know about this event beforehand, and I was in the area, so I had less to lose by just showing up. Races are social events, not hug and exchange numbers things (usually), but a "Hey didn't I see you at: a park; a race or almost anywhere else".
I run pretty slowly, so I did not win, not even for my age group. Yet I felt like a winner. You always do when you share a race or other physical event with a few hundred or few thousand people. It was a personal record for me. I said that I ran road races before, but this was my first 5K, so as slow as I may have been, it was still my fastest.
Some runners pass you, and you pass others. If you're not out to win, its no big deal. You greet some, and some greet you. Words of encouragement are exchanged. As you near the finish line, you hear cheers and applause. Twenty minutes after the winners crossed the finish line, and still they applaud you. Its a good feeling.
There are bottles of water at the finish line. There are also bananas and bagels and a variety of things. This particular 5K was a walk/run, which means that you did not have to run to participate and there were a number of people walking. After everyone finishes and relaxes a few minutes, awards are given out. Different races have different catagories, but generally they are divided by age groups of roughly 10 years.
When you're ready I recommend trying one. You'll have fun and meet like-minded people.
Be active, be happy
I saw that there was a 5K race in Scranton. The race was a charity event (as many are) to raise money for a K-9 dog for the police department. I admit that I sometines butt heads with the police over their enforcement (or lack there of) of parking laws. However, I do support the police when possible and since I was going to run anyway, I ran their race.
I've run road races before, though not in a couple of decades, so I had a good idea what to expect. Perhaps you would not. The race was less than a mile from my house, so I walked over. I got there about 40 minutes before the start. I asked if I could still register and with a yes, I paid my $25, got a T-shirt and talked with a few other runners.
Sometimes it is not possible to register on race day, so I really do not recommend waiting. I did not know about this event beforehand, and I was in the area, so I had less to lose by just showing up. Races are social events, not hug and exchange numbers things (usually), but a "Hey didn't I see you at: a park; a race or almost anywhere else".
I run pretty slowly, so I did not win, not even for my age group. Yet I felt like a winner. You always do when you share a race or other physical event with a few hundred or few thousand people. It was a personal record for me. I said that I ran road races before, but this was my first 5K, so as slow as I may have been, it was still my fastest.
Some runners pass you, and you pass others. If you're not out to win, its no big deal. You greet some, and some greet you. Words of encouragement are exchanged. As you near the finish line, you hear cheers and applause. Twenty minutes after the winners crossed the finish line, and still they applaud you. Its a good feeling.
There are bottles of water at the finish line. There are also bananas and bagels and a variety of things. This particular 5K was a walk/run, which means that you did not have to run to participate and there were a number of people walking. After everyone finishes and relaxes a few minutes, awards are given out. Different races have different catagories, but generally they are divided by age groups of roughly 10 years.
When you're ready I recommend trying one. You'll have fun and meet like-minded people.
Be active, be happy
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Rainy day
I realize that I am a little more stubborn, or hardcore or just an idiot, but it's a rainy day, and I'm going for a run in a few minutes. Many competitive runners or other athletes have a way of ignoring the weather, but I am hardly competitive at this stage.
None the less, it has always been my thought that if people can die from neglect in bad weather, if they can do things to make themselves in worse shape or more obese, then it seems fair to be able to do things that make you fitter. Which will you be doing today? Are you going to become a little bit of a better you today, or get just a little worse off? You can't really stay the same. The world is not a stagnant thing, and neither is your body. It is continuously building itself up and breaking itself down. It is building muscle or depositing fat.
If you want to be a better you, try to do something everyday. You don't have to run in the rain, or through a tornado, but if its your day to walk, and it's a little cool or wet or sunny, walk anyway. It will not only make you physically stronger, it will make you mentally stronger. It will make you a little more hardcore, a little more forthright, a little tenacious.
Whether you do something outside today, or inside, do something. Walk, run, ride a bike or just stretch. Do something.
Be active, be happy
None the less, it has always been my thought that if people can die from neglect in bad weather, if they can do things to make themselves in worse shape or more obese, then it seems fair to be able to do things that make you fitter. Which will you be doing today? Are you going to become a little bit of a better you today, or get just a little worse off? You can't really stay the same. The world is not a stagnant thing, and neither is your body. It is continuously building itself up and breaking itself down. It is building muscle or depositing fat.
If you want to be a better you, try to do something everyday. You don't have to run in the rain, or through a tornado, but if its your day to walk, and it's a little cool or wet or sunny, walk anyway. It will not only make you physically stronger, it will make you mentally stronger. It will make you a little more hardcore, a little more forthright, a little tenacious.
Whether you do something outside today, or inside, do something. Walk, run, ride a bike or just stretch. Do something.
Be active, be happy
Monday, September 19, 2011
Not a costly investment
Resistance training is using weights or bands to create resistance in muscle contraction. So, does that mean you have to spend a lot of money on equipment? The short answer is no. However, it really depends on what you are trying to do and what your goals are.
If you want to look like you spend 20 plus hours a week at the gym, guess what, you have to spend 20 hours a week at the gym (or close to it, and perhaps you may need more than 20 hours). If you want to look like perhaps you could lose a few pounds ( just a few), but enjoy being active and enjoy every calorie that passes your lips, then you can create your own resistance at low or no cost.
Building muscle mass requires heavy weights for low repetitions. Toning requires lower weights and more repetitions. If you are not a "gym rat" I suggest toning. Toning can be accomplished with things that are around the house. Cans of food weigh a pound or so. A gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds. You can use bricks or cinder blocks. Be imaginative, or just go to the local "big box" store and spend a few bucks.
Using lighter weights does not preclude you from gaining muscle. You WILL gain muscle. Your arms will be more muscular, as will your chest and legs if you put in the work. You will not, however, be "bulky."
Other resistance training includes push-ups and pull-ups. Each additional type of training that you do, will combine with the other types to make you more fit and a happier person. The more that you do, the more that you will be able to do. Try it and you'll see.
Be active, be happy
If you want to look like you spend 20 plus hours a week at the gym, guess what, you have to spend 20 hours a week at the gym (or close to it, and perhaps you may need more than 20 hours). If you want to look like perhaps you could lose a few pounds ( just a few), but enjoy being active and enjoy every calorie that passes your lips, then you can create your own resistance at low or no cost.
Building muscle mass requires heavy weights for low repetitions. Toning requires lower weights and more repetitions. If you are not a "gym rat" I suggest toning. Toning can be accomplished with things that are around the house. Cans of food weigh a pound or so. A gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds. You can use bricks or cinder blocks. Be imaginative, or just go to the local "big box" store and spend a few bucks.
Using lighter weights does not preclude you from gaining muscle. You WILL gain muscle. Your arms will be more muscular, as will your chest and legs if you put in the work. You will not, however, be "bulky."
Other resistance training includes push-ups and pull-ups. Each additional type of training that you do, will combine with the other types to make you more fit and a happier person. The more that you do, the more that you will be able to do. Try it and you'll see.
Be active, be happy
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Enjoying the weather
As a change in seasons approaches, we are losing our chance to enjoy the warmth of summer. Today it was in the 80's, and I had to go for a run. I was compelled. I was drawn to the outdoors. As I ran around Nay Aug Park, I noticed that some of the leaves were already changing colors.
The leaves are changing, as we all are. Are you ready to turn yellow as the leaves do? Yellow, the metaphor for fear. Is the fear of dying from a heart attack stronger than the fear of looking like a fool as you get down on the floor and do your first push-up in years?
How much would your wife or husband or partner laugh in comparison to how much they would appreciate you being fit, or happy, or (shall we say) capable?
Do a push-up, than do another. Or do 3 each day this week, and maybe next week you can do 5. Someone once said that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Take that step. Go for that walk. Do that push-up. Do that crunch, Touch that toe.
A changing of the season. Fall, winter, spring. Are you dying or starting anew?
Be active, be happy
The leaves are changing, as we all are. Are you ready to turn yellow as the leaves do? Yellow, the metaphor for fear. Is the fear of dying from a heart attack stronger than the fear of looking like a fool as you get down on the floor and do your first push-up in years?
How much would your wife or husband or partner laugh in comparison to how much they would appreciate you being fit, or happy, or (shall we say) capable?
Do a push-up, than do another. Or do 3 each day this week, and maybe next week you can do 5. Someone once said that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Take that step. Go for that walk. Do that push-up. Do that crunch, Touch that toe.
A changing of the season. Fall, winter, spring. Are you dying or starting anew?
Be active, be happy
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Getting around Scranton
Scranton is not a bad town to run around. There are many runners here and I almost always find someone else running or walking while I am out. There is a Boston qualifier marathon here in the fall, and there are other races throughout the year. Many races have a national or even international following.
Yesterday was a big cancer 5K walk/run, the Race For the Cure. There were a few thousand participants. That is "good stuff." The problem that I had, and continue to have with Scranton, is that along the route, and within a couple of blocks of the festivities, were a number of cars parked on the sidewalks. If someone wanted to go to the event from a mile away, they would have to walk in the street to get there. If someone lost a leg because of bone cancer (or any other reason), and was stuck in a wheelchair, they would be denied access just because some ignorant person wanted to park their car on the sidewalk. On top of that, though it IS illegal to park on the sidewalk in Scranton, the police ignored the infraction.
Scranton, has to wake up and start enforcing these laws. It can be a leader in the fitness world, or it could find itself losing what good it has accomplished.
Be active, be happy
Yesterday was a big cancer 5K walk/run, the Race For the Cure. There were a few thousand participants. That is "good stuff." The problem that I had, and continue to have with Scranton, is that along the route, and within a couple of blocks of the festivities, were a number of cars parked on the sidewalks. If someone wanted to go to the event from a mile away, they would have to walk in the street to get there. If someone lost a leg because of bone cancer (or any other reason), and was stuck in a wheelchair, they would be denied access just because some ignorant person wanted to park their car on the sidewalk. On top of that, though it IS illegal to park on the sidewalk in Scranton, the police ignored the infraction.
Scranton, has to wake up and start enforcing these laws. It can be a leader in the fitness world, or it could find itself losing what good it has accomplished.
Be active, be happy
Monday, September 5, 2011
What I'm not
I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. I did play a doctor once or twice when I was otherwise "entertaining," but that is another story for another time. For the record though, I have also played a pizza delivery guy.
So, before you try anything that I might suggest, make sure that you have the approval of a real doctor. You should also NEVER try to do anything that does not feel right to you.
It is Labor Day weekend. In Scranton, that means "La Festa Italiana." Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day in this area, everyone is at least a little Italian on Labor Day weekend.
La Festa Italiana is pretty much a food festival. It is veal and peppers, cannolis and pizza. There is music in the air, and red sauce on your shirt. It is also crowded enough, that a "Jazzi" is hard to operate. So when you go, and I do suggest that you go, be fit enough to walk around. Be fit enough to park two or three blocks away, and weave your way around the vendors.
If you don't walk now, perhaps it is a good time to start. If you never walk anywhere, try walking around the block or so after dinner. It will only take a few minutes. You'll feel better, and you may even get to meet and greet a neighbor.
Now if you're twenty years old, you may be thinking: what good is walking around a block going to do me? But if you're twenty years old and weigh 400 pounds, or are 40, 50 or 60 years old or older, and never exercise, perhaps you should just try it and see.
You don't have to go crazy to make progress and become more fit. Just do one little thing that you haven't done in a while. It could be walking one block, doing one push-up, or throwing a football or baseball back and forth with your kid.
Be active, be happy.
So, before you try anything that I might suggest, make sure that you have the approval of a real doctor. You should also NEVER try to do anything that does not feel right to you.
It is Labor Day weekend. In Scranton, that means "La Festa Italiana." Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day in this area, everyone is at least a little Italian on Labor Day weekend.
La Festa Italiana is pretty much a food festival. It is veal and peppers, cannolis and pizza. There is music in the air, and red sauce on your shirt. It is also crowded enough, that a "Jazzi" is hard to operate. So when you go, and I do suggest that you go, be fit enough to walk around. Be fit enough to park two or three blocks away, and weave your way around the vendors.
If you don't walk now, perhaps it is a good time to start. If you never walk anywhere, try walking around the block or so after dinner. It will only take a few minutes. You'll feel better, and you may even get to meet and greet a neighbor.
Now if you're twenty years old, you may be thinking: what good is walking around a block going to do me? But if you're twenty years old and weigh 400 pounds, or are 40, 50 or 60 years old or older, and never exercise, perhaps you should just try it and see.
You don't have to go crazy to make progress and become more fit. Just do one little thing that you haven't done in a while. It could be walking one block, doing one push-up, or throwing a football or baseball back and forth with your kid.
Be active, be happy.
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