The 12 Days of Running

Given that it’s “12 Days before Christmas,” I made a list {and checked it twice} of the most popular holiday races to share with friends who are looking for something fun and festive to do with their kids – or their friends who simply act like kids – this holiday season. Plus, I couldn’t let a perfectly good #12-12-12 news hook go to waste.

So, here are my Top 12 Picks for races to run, over the next 12 days, in 12 different cities across the U.S.:

1.  The "Running of the Santas"

Not unlike Madrid’s famous “Running of the Bulls” in Spain, this race has plenty of wild animals running the streets. I would best describe this event as part-5K race, part-Pub crawl in that it begins at a bar and ends at a bar and well, if you’re into that sort of thing, what could be more jolly than that? Originating in Philadelphia, this race has become so popular it has expanded to two other cities (New Orleans and Atlantic City) and in the words of Tiny Tim, may the Lord bless them… each and every one. They're going to need it in the morning.

http://www.runningofthesantas.com/

2.  Re-Invent Yourself in Silicon Valley

For my Northern Cal friends, I’ve chosen a more family-oriented race. I love the downtown partnership that is San Jose/Silicon Valley. After all, where else can you see young upwardly-mobile families mingling with the next Mark Zuckerberg? Grab yourself a hot cocoa and enjoy this family-friendly race which loops around the Downtown Ice rink and provides joy for kids from one to 92.

http://sjdowntown.com/santa-run-silicon-valley/

3.  "Reindeer Run" Santa Monica

If you’re in the L.A. area, this is a fun, festive race set to the backdrop of Santa Monica’s famous pier and ferris wheel.

http://www.active.com/running/santa-monica-ca/reindeer-run-2012

4. Laughing All the Way

If running a race weren’t hard enough as it is, try this on for size: Ri Ra’s Irish Pub in Vermont sponsors a Santa Run that requires all runners to wear a full-size Santa suit (which comes with your paid Registration.)  Have your own stuffed suit? No worries, chubby, you can bring your own and get a discounted Registration.

http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=7619

5. Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Jolly Old Londontown is, well, not so jolly when outdone by us Yankees. So they’ve put together an entire month of Santa Runs in our festive American tradition in case you find yourself across the pond for winter. But I’ve got news for the Brits – we red-blooded Americans don’t like to be outdone, either. Let's not forget that our Seal Team Six knows how to up-stage a fancy Royal Wedding. And we won’t hesitate to shoot down any errant reindeer, either (just ask Sarah Palin). So, all of you lads and lasses in your fancy 8-hours-ahead timezone, let's keep it moving and send Santa our way. We’re waiting for him. Spit-spot.

 http://www.santadash.co.uk/

6.  Run for a Cause

As you know from this blog, one of my favourite things in life is to run a race, and to run it for a good cause. My most recent run for charity was the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K race in San Diego, which benefited Father Joe’s Villages to help feed and house the homeless. Fact: during the holidays, most fun runs donate their proceeds to charity. If you're on the east coast, check out this one in Boston which takes you through historic neighborhoods and is sponsored by the establishment that inspired the TV series “Cheers.”

http://runagainstcancer.org/holiday-5k/

7. "Santa to the Sea"

One of my girlfriends and her husband just ran Oxnard’s “Santa to the Sea” Half Marathon. A half marathon during the holidays? Now that’s impressive!

http://www.santatothesea.com/

8. Jingle Bell Jaunt

I'm not sure if it still exists anymore (read: I couldn't find it anywhere) but the Jingle Bell Jaunt in Long Beach, California has historically been not only a race but an event that marks the official kickoff of the holiday season along Long Beach’s funky “2nd Street.” The memory of my first Christmas in California is a good one, spent hunting and pecking through the sweet little shops with the most unique, thoughtful gifts I ever did see. Whenever I think of Christmas in California, I think of the salty air and this little seaside memory.

http://www.active.com/running/long-beach-ca/jingle-bell-jaunt-2010

9. Santa Runs Tacoma

Beyonce may think that girls run the world, but I think it's Santa. Turns out, he runs Tacoma, too.  For those of you in the Seattle area (and I know there are a few of you here), visit this family-oriented race:

http://www.santarunstacoma.com/

10. Your Treadmill

No list would be complete without mentioning that you can create your own personal “5K a Day” in your own home, your own gym, or your own neighborhood. After all, that’s how this very blog got started. After running the Coronado Bridge 5K one Saturday last year, I mused aloud about "the runner's high" and why couldn't I feel that good every day? And so the idea was born. That’s why this item makes the list here as my perfect “10.” Here, the original post that started it all:

http://5kaday2011.blogspot.com/2011/07/bridge-to-anywhere.html

11. Right down Christmas Tree Lane

While my attention is often focused on Coastal races, we can’t forget about those who live and work in the “bread basket of the world," the Central Valley of California. While you’re running those carbs off this holiday season, check out the Jingle Bell 5K race in Fresno, which takes you right down Christmas Tree Lane in the town square.

http://laraces.com/race/11313

12.  Ring in the New Year

In closing, there is one race that caught my attention, and that is the Los Angeles New Year’s Half Marathon and 5K, which kicks off at the stroke of midnight. Talk about getting the year off on the right foot. I don’t know about you but I’m inclined to be clinking a champagne glass that night, at that exact hour. However, the opportunity to actually run through downtown L.A. at midnight and not get shot? Sounds just intriguing enough to look into:

http://www.newyearsrace.com/

A Return to Sanity

As the Grateful Dead once said, “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

It would be an understatement to say that the 2012 Election year was arduous and somewhat strange for me, both personally and professionally. It was filled with new jobs, which later became lost jobs (due to California budget cuts), losses of Elections that were important to me, and being there in the final days for many highly-qualified friends who placed their names on the ballot for the first time – only to be crushed to find out that they, too, had lost.  It was a rough year, one which I’m not ashamed to admit I took hard. And I’m not embarrassed to say, as someone who had only lost one or two races in the prior ten years, it took me a full five weeks from Election Day to get over the losses. I am human, after all.

While I don’t often talk Politics on this blog, it’s a fact that my bio states here that I am a "Press Secretary by day, and a Runner by night" (...or morning, or the lunch hour, or whatever 15-minute period I can eek out.)  Honestly, this year it was pretty much wherever I could fit it in along the campaign trail. Sure, I got by just fine. However, after ten years on the road, I was left wanting more. Amid Election results that were wildly un-balanced, it comes as no surprise that I emerged on the other side craving more balance.

Which can only mean one thing: It’s time for a return to sanity.

I spent the weekend retreating –  a word not often looked upon with a great deal of favour in politics, or war, which I believe are nearly one in the same. But the truth is, it is necessary for the body and soul to retreat on occasion. No matter what little white lies we tell ourselves (that 3 ½ hours at night is plenty of sleep in a pinch), the truth is that human beings need proper rest to function. So does the mind. So does the soul.

This past weekend, I retreated to a cliffside beach not only to run, but for meditation and yoga – two things which I have often viewed in terms of being “out there,” politically speaking. But I’m coming around to the feel-good, meditative lifestyle I have shunned for so many years. After all, in my business it’s all about who can hit the hardest, work the longest, shout the loudest. But after this Election, voters sent a message that they’re not into that anymore. In fact, they’re not into much of anything that I’m into. So, it’s time to re-calibrate, re-invent. Time to do things a bit differently.

Does this mean I’m no longer a pitbull? Of course it doesn't. I'm still as feisty as I ever was when I came onto this planet, and I am steeled to my newly-centered core. I am simply choosing to fight with a bit of a different weapon, to channel my energy from a place of calm, instead of the angst we've all grown accustomed to. I’m only a week into it but so far, I like this new feeling – and more importantly, I’m certain my opponents won’t.

To the small group of loyal followers here, I admit that amid the fervor and the noise and the finger-pointing this Election season, my own fingers strayed from this very keyboard and my posts to you. At times, I even strayed from my own tightly-disciplined running regimen. But I pledge to you (and probably even more importantly, to myself) the words of a famous politician, “Read my lips: No new lapses.”  I hereby commit to take more time to enjoy the little things in life, and to make more time for the running which so clears my head and soothes my soul.  A new year is upon us and in the spirit of renewal I, for one, intend to consistently make the best of each and every day life has to offer – no matter how much noise will undoubtedly swirl about.

My new mission is to be a rock, a good friend, and a solid place of quiet refuge for my friends who are still in this fight with me. It’s the best way I can continue to give back to the life that has given me so much.

Namaste.

It's July - Now Let's Go for the Gold!

I could hardly believe my eyes yesterday when I looked at the calendar and it read “July 1.”

A reminder that half the year has passed.

And that my favourite sporting event is just around the corner: The 2012 Summer Olympics officially kick off July 27!

There’s just something magical about the Olympic games, beginning with the Opening Ceremonies. It’s a roll call of the nations, so to speak; a time to showcase the best athletes our nation has to offer.  The world opens up– not just for the Olympians, but for each of us here at home.

I remember being captivated by the 1984 Olympics. My best friend and I re-enacted the gold medal ceremonies, choreographed gymnastics routines from scratch, and even turned my parents' kitchen into a makeshift "Olympic Village" where we cooked meals we thought only Olympic athletes would eat. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the games that year (held in Los Angeles and chaired by California's own Peter Ueberroth) inspired me to move to California some years later. No doubt today there is a little girl somewhere who may be dreaming of London (this year's site for the games).

What I like best about the Olympics is the inspiration to push past our own boundaries. To dig deep. To go the extra mile. To find that inner something, to find “it” within ourselves to cross the finish line. It’s a world in which seconds count, and milli-seconds count even more. In today’s world, too many people put off until tomorrow what they could do today. Olympic finishing times remind me what only people who have been through a tragedy or an Olympic trial know: that every second in life truly does count. It is for this reason I wish the Olympics were held every day.

In fact, the Olympics are like one big, glossy window display of determination. It is an opportunity for athletes to showcase the willpower that has gotten them to the big dance, the big race. Whether the athletes came from poverty, learned to compete shoeless on the continent of Africa, or came back from a career-threatening injury, it is a reminder to me not to complain about the simple things (i.e., that it might be “too hot to run” when in reality, it is only 80 degrees for my jog after work.)

At the end of its two-week run – even after the athletes have returned home and the fanfare has disappeared – the Olympics serve as a reminder to amateur athletes like me that magic can, in fact, happen when you simply put one foot in front of the other, day after day after day...

In the coming weeks, I’ll highlight some of my favourite athletes who will be competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics and will share their stories of determination in hopes that it will inspire.  We've got 25 days 'til the Opening Ceremonies. I hope you’ll join me in training the next 25 days to get in tip-top shape so that we can ring in the start of the Games in golden health!

Elect to Run!

As I stood in the TSA Security Line this morning for my Monday morning flight to our Capitol, I saw a sea of San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon t-shirts draped on runners who participated in the race over the weekend.  Weekend warriors proudly displaying their schwag to mark a great achievement.

It got me thinking this very day before the 2012 Primary Election here in California, it is not unlike the schwag I’ve seen from various campaigns in the 2012 Election Year – t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers and the like. In both Elections and Marathons, you have an array of memorabilia to help promote and commemorate the occasion.

In fact, an Election season in and of itself is not unlike a Marathon. How so? In more ways than you might think.

For starters, how you leave the starting blocks (i.e., declare your candidacy) is absolutely critical. In any race, you don’t want to falter coming off of the starting line because you never have a second chance to make a first impression. Same is true in a campaign. The goal is to send a strong signal to your competitors that you are a strong contender.

Second, in both an election and a marathon, it’s all about “pace.” Sometimes, you’ll have a candidate who wants to give it all away at the beginning of the race, but you have to remind them that it’s about pacing oneself. Just as a marathon is a daunting 26.2 mile experience, a campaign season is often nine months to 18 months, depending upon the race. Save the sprint for when it's needed.

Third, it’s all about the PR. In running, PR stands for your “Personal Record.” In the campaign world, it’s all about the Public Relations. But no matter which race you’re in, it’s all about doing your best – putting your best foot forward, so to speak.  In a marathon or during an election, you can’t fake good PR. It is all about performance, and the final clock doesn’t lie. You’ll either win, or lose. You’ll either beat your personal record, or you won’t. You’ve either got it, or you don’t.

Fourth, seconds matter. Whether you're trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, or working in The War Room or running the social media on a major campaign, every second counts.

Lastly, on both occasions you must “finish strong.”  In Elections, you can use those precious last weeks to solidify your lead and help drive up the score, just as a good Marathon runner can use those last few miles to help shave minutes off of their final time.

So, to all of those Runners out there in 2012 (the literal kind and the proverbial kind running for Office), keep on running. We will see you at the finish line!

Run or Be Run

There are sayings on the street: “Play or Be Played." "Sell or Be Sold.” They’re all about taking control of your own life. Ensuring that you are the master of your own destiny. The bottomline: either sell your game, or you will be sold someone else’s.

When it comes to running --- whether sticking to a running routine, or just plain running my life --- I have coined my own phrase: “Run or Be Run."

In my field, during a busy Election Year it’s easy to put off my running routine and allow the daily schedule to take over my life. We all know how it is. We swear we won't succumb to it. But before we know it, there we are with endless workdays, endless hours on the campaign trail, and a different city on any given week.

But I refuse to believe that fitting in a run during the week is impossible. In fact, it's imperative. I was taught that if you do the small things well, you will succeed in the larger ones. If I can control when I run, then I can control the rest of my day. So, in the face of a busy schedule I vow to make it work. There really is no other choice when it's important to you that you Run your own life.

So this campaign season, I’m making the extra effort by employing a few simple tips.  First, no matter what time I leave the office behind, I’ll try to hit the gym or go for a run -- no matter how tired I am. (I always leave with more energy than when I arrived.) Second, if I have an early flight the next morning, I’ll squeeze in a workout the night before (even if I’ve already gone that day), or I’ll get up super-early (hello, 4a.m.) to ensure I get it in.  Lastly, and this is the most important one, when I’m on the road I’ll check the website for any hotel in which I'm staying to ensure that they have a gym– one that is open 24 hours a day, by the way. (I’m sorry, but a gym that closes at 10pm does not work for a busy campaign operative. I mean, haven’t they seen the West Wing?!?) Oh, and if the hotel doesn't have a gym... well, then they don't have me as a customer. Simple as that.

Whether it’s my morning run or an afternoon power meeting, it is all connected for me. Small steps lead to big success. If I can’t carve out a half hour to run my routine, chances are I won’t feel that confident about running my Life. But if I get in a good run, I can conquer anything.  It’s as simple as that.

Run or Be Run.

A Cause Greater than Oneself

Many of you know whether it’s for the Semper Fi Fund to help wounded warriors, or for local charities, I run races not just for the betterment of my physical self but to benefit a charitable cause.

Such was the case last weekend when I travelled to Phoenix, Arizona to run the 8th Annual Pat’s Run to benefit The Pat Tillman Foundation.

You may remember Pat Tillman. In fact, how could you forget him? He was a star football player from Arizona who gave up a lucrative NFL contract after 9/11 to enlist in the ARMY to serve his country. He was a beacon of hope, the best America had to offer in the face of terrorism and the cowardice that it represents.

I remember what impressed me most about Tillman was that he enlisted in the ARMY as a regular bloke, asking for no special treatment, but quickly worked his way up to become an elite ARMY Ranger. Sadly, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in an unfortunate tragedy. A tragedy which his family did their level best to turn into something positive. And lasting. So when I saw that a memorial race in his honor was still going strong more than a decade after 9/11, I knew I had to check it out.

So did 35,000 other inspired Americans.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got to the starting line. I had expected a few thousand runners, tops. After all, this was a local race, set in the tiny town of Tempe, a college town. But when I approached the race grounds, to my amazement appeared a sea of red t-shirts as far as the eye could see.  And I mean as far as the eye could see. I have witnessed the crowds at the nationally-renowned Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. , a national, critically-acclaimed race that has been around for 30 years. I never expected the Pat Tillman run to rival that legendary race. But it did. And it showed me the power of one person, that one person truly can have an effect on thousands upon thousands of others who will then answer the call to service. Perhaps not in the strong way that Tillman did. But in our own 35,000 small ways.

The Pat Tillman Foundation did a remarkable job honoring the memory of this fallen hero. Every detail was meticulous. From the 100-foot-tall replica of Pat’s football jersey which adorned the side of a building near the starting line, to the exact 4.2 mile course (representing his football number #42), to the music that piped through speakers, which somehow seemed as if it could have come from Pat Tillman’s mp3 player itself. It was as if he was there. The organizers left no stone unturned when it came to matters of the heart.  You felt his presence.

You also felt a palpable sense that Americans still wish to do more, be more, give more, just as Pat gave.  As I ran, I witnessed military men rucksacking the entire race, in full military camo gear and heavy boots, in the 90-degree Arizona heat to honor of their fallen brother. And I noticed several first responders from NYFD’s Brooklyn Engine Company #238 that came out from New York to honor him. It left a lump in my throat as thousands upon thousands of men, women, and children of all ages streamed out of the starting gates and then later streamed into the famous Sun Devil Stadium toward the finish line Tillman.

At the end of the day, the organizers raised funds toward their ultimate goal of $3.9 Million – the amount that Pat Tillman turned down in an NFL contract to join the ARMY. Those funds will now help returning troops and their spouses return to school to better their lives. I encourage you to visit The Pat Tillman Foundation today and give $42 in honor of his NFL number, to benefit the troops.

God Bless America, and may God be blessing Pat Tillman somehwere right now.

Hop to It!

To all of the parents out there who slaved over a hot stove this weekend, boiling eggs, coloring easter eggs, and taking all manner of measures (including flashlights) to hide prizes in the backyard, it is you who embody the true spirit of the Easter Bunny.

Except, in one regard.

He can run like the wind.  Literally.

If you think you run fast with your 6.0 setting on the treadmill, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

The average bunny can run 25mph to 45mph, far outdoing the rest of us weekend warriors.  The standard backyard domesticated bunny runs approximately 25 to 27 miles per hour, whereas the wilder hares out in the wilderness zip around at a stunning 47 miles per hour.

But they’re not just about the speed. Oh no. It turns out that rabbits have evolved over time to avoid becoming easy prey. Their bodies have evolved to perform feats such as the "zigzag" and the agile leap as few other creatures in nature can.

But don’t feel badly. All of this might actually explain why no one (and I mean, no one) has ever seen the Easter Bunny in person.  >”<

Everything I Learned in Life, I Learned as a Runner

Part two in a series: These days, I realize that (almost) everything I learned in life, I learned from being a runner. So, I decided that over the course of the next week, I'd share a few lessons learned along the way....


Brace for the elements

Whether planning your outfit for race day, or planning for life, you have to know what to expect. You wouldn’t set out for a long run without a jacket when it’s pelting rain outside, so why would you meander through life this way?

Get a plan. Get the forecast. Get the 4-1-1 on things. When setting out for a race, I usually study the course a few days or a few weeks before. Sometimes right after I sign up. It’s helpful to know what to expect on race day. It helps with your training. After all, if you don’t know there are four massive hills during your Marathon, how will you know you need to do hill work during your training? It helps you determine how you will pace yourself, to know when to expect massive hills, exposure to the elements, and so forth. The same is true of life. It’s the old adage, how do you know you will get to your end goal if you don't know the path you'll take to get there? Plan it out.


Find a Buddy

As in running, in life it is equally important to find a buddy. Someone who enjoys the sport. Or, someone who will at least go along with you, even if it's just to humour you. I have often boasted that running is the one thing in my life that isn’t a “team sport” – it’s the one thing I can do by myself, to get in a little “me” time, away from the noise of the world. But the truth is, I have spent many a race by myself, and I have to tell you, staying in hotels by myself is something that I am completely over. O-v-e-r.  It is lonely. And isn’t running, at the end of the day, about belonging to a community, even if only a community of runners you may not know? I am thankful for the good girlfriends I've made in the running community and the mates who willingly travel along with me, just because they know it makes me happy.


Finish Strong

In life, as in running, it’s important to finish strong. We all fall down from time to time. But the important thing is that we dust ourselves off and continue toward the finish line.

In my last Marathon, a knee injury nearly kept me from finishing the race. But I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the people who had contributed to the charity I was running for, and I couldn’t let them down. I knew I had to finish. And you know what, it's a funny thing: success breeds more success. As I got closer to the Finish Line, I got stronger. Instead of limping across the finish line like the wounded animal I actually felt like, I finished as respectably as I could.

And thank God for that. Little did I know that the Marine Corps Marathon had hired a webcam company to provide Live streaming coverage of runners crossing the Finish Line, and my friends saw me online. Proof that you never know who's watching you. Just one more reason to finish strong.

Everything I Learned in Life, I Learned as a Runner

The older I get, the more I realize that (almost) everything I learned in life, I learned from being a runner. So, I decided that over the course of the next week, I'd share a few lessons I've learned along the way. 

Pace Yourself

It’s important to dream big and charge hard in life. Believe me, the famous General Patton quote, “Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way” is part of my digital signature. So, you would figure I’d be the last person to say, “Pace yourself.” But in a Marathon, as in life, one has to realize that 26.2 long miles of road lie before you, and it turns out there is such a thing as "all things in due time."

I came to realize this during my last Marathon when I had pain at Mile 14, and I’ve realized it along the way in life when I’ve had other pain (some of it self-inflicted). I've even come to realize it in writing this blog, at times having to pull back on my love of writing in my leisure time, due to starting a new high-profile job (which I recently did.) But that is life. Sometimes in order to sustain long-term success, you have to pace yourself.

Besides, the journey itself can be filled with a lot of interesting scenery along the way... 


Run for a Cause Greater than Yourself

Whether a Politician or an avid runner, a person ought to run for a cause greater than oneself. I made a decision last Fall that I wouldn’t run a race unless the race itself benefited a cause, or unless I could raise money for a charity while running. This includes my participation in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. a few months ago (where gracious friends and colleagues contributed more than $900 to aid injured troops) and this includes our participation in the upcoming 8th Annual “Pat’s Run” in Phoenix, Arizona to honor fallen hero and football great, U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman. In this day and age, with so many charities coming online, no matter what city you live in there is always a way to raise money or awareness for a cause. Now that’s what I call going the extra mile. 


The Moment You Turn to Look at your Competition, is the Moment You Lose

I ran track in junior high. Now, don’t go calling me Florence Griffith Joyner or anything (unless you’re referring to my nails), but I could hold my own in a competitive race. I’m just obnoxious that way. I also competed as an adult in the Corporate Challenge, an intramural competition that pits adults against other adults from their workplace. To be sure, it was a scene straight out of Mr. Mom, minus the tricycles. (If only we could settle all of our workplace disputes this way!) But I digress.

No two ways about it, I won practically every contest I ever entered --- with a couple of exceptions. I ran the 440, the 880, and was often the final leg of the 1600 4x4 relay. Normally, that is a position reserved for the person who looks like a gazelle with long, lanky legs (a fascinating creature I have never resembled in my entire life), but for some reason the little scrappy runner (that would be "moi") was entrusted to bring home the baton and make up for whatever lost time had occurred earlier among the team.

Oh, but a few times, I allowed myself to be taken off my game. In one particular case, it was the girl in the lane next to me. I swear to God, I could hear her breathing, I could feel her hot breath on the back of my neck, gaining on me. I became so concerned about my competition that I actually turned my head to the right for a moment to look at my competitor, and you know what? The moment I turned to focus on my competitor, the race was over. Not only had I physically flinched (oh sure, I had messed up my physical pace), but more so because I knew I had mentally flinched. Somewhere, within the deep recesses of my brain, I knew I had given up. I had admitted that someone could possibly be faster than I was.


Don’t Get Tripped Up Running with the Pack

I can remember pleading with my parents in junior high about various topics, but specifically the topic of how unfair life was. One particular complaint surrounded the girls at my school who had a seemingly endless supply of Guess jeans in their closets, when I only had two pairs. (Little did I know at the time that those two pairs had cost more than my parents’ first car.)  But my parents were gracious. My Dad would simply reply with, “Well, some girls don’t have any Guess jeans, did you ever think about that?" Then he would add, "You’ve got to realize there will always be someone who has more than you, and someone who has less than you. Don’t compare yourself to other people.” This has turned out to be some of the best advice.  It is true in life, true in running.

You can’t compare yourself to someone who starts out quickly from the starting block. You never know what their game plan is. Perhaps they start out fast, then fade at the end. You never know. I have often been worried I wasn’t able to keep up with Marathon runners I started a race with, only to pass them up later at Mile 16 when they were huffing and puffing and in obvious pain, as I sailed quietly by.

I can’t say it enough, Stay in your own lane. Focus on your own race. In life, and in running, stop thinking about where someone else is and start focusing on setting your own best personal record (PR).


Over the next week, I'll be sharing more about what I've learned in life from my marathon experiences. I welcome you to share yours! E-mail, post it here, or Tweet it!

New Year's Resolutions

As I sat down to pen my New Year’s resolutions today, I resolved to get to the bottom of a little mystery: Where (and when) did we begin torturing ourselves with New Year's resolutions?

Like so many painful things in life – Pilates exercises, nuns who rap your knuckles with rulers, and gladiators who fight to the death – they originated in Italy. As they say, all roads lead to Rome.

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back to 153 B.C., when Romans began utilizing the occasion of the New Year to look for forgiveness from their enemies.

In fact, it was none other than Julius Caesar who designed a calendar that would more aptly reflect the seasons than previous calendars. He named the first month of his new year after a mythical Roman God named Janus – a mythical “God of beginnings” who had powers to reflect back over the past and also to look into the future. Illustrations of this mythical creature include two faces – one on the back of the head looking backward and one on the front representing the face which always looks forward. Thus began January and the annual tradition of reflecting back over the past year while setting sights on the year ahead.

On New Year’s Day, Romans also began the tradition of giving each other branches from sacred trees for good luck and good fortune. I like to think of this tradition as extending an olive branch to one another, so to speak.

Where fitness and good health is concerned, I think we all ought to extend a proverbial olive branch to ourselves --- in forgiveness for the things we could have done better to honor our bodies last year, and in positive anticipation of the great things that will come in the New Year.

Here’s to good health in 2012!