A Matter of Heart

It is almost 5:00 am and as I sit sipping my French Roast with a dash of half and half, the rain is coming down in the darkness that awaits me. I have not had the best of sleep over the past two nights due to the fact that my dad is in the hospital for the second time in less than six months due to his heart. Having an uncle you had a massive heart attack at 51 and my grandpa die of a heart attack at 51 and my dad in his early 60's in the hospital with a heart episode, knowing that he is going to have to make some drastic life changes, is a little unnerving.

As a coach, the number one attribute that I look for in athletes is heart. The number one thing that I hope that my teammates and my two coaches can say about me, is that I had heart. I love this sport and I love to compete. I was never the best, but better than most. If it is raining and cold, so be it. If it is over 100 and I need to wake at 4:30 in the morning to run, so be it. Nothing is more disappointing than when you coach an athlete and they give you a million excuses why they can't practice or compete. I know running is not everyone's cup of tea, and quite honestly, if you don't like this sport, it is really miserable. However, when you fall in love with it, you just can't get enough.

One athlete that I coach, Lupe, is the epitome of "heart." Although Lupe is not my most talented runner and barely made our top five, he never finished a race where he did not cross the line exhausted and spent. On several occasions, Lupe would apologize after a close, hard fought race for not placing higher or running faster. (Never mind that he just ran a pr or passed an opposing team's runner to secure the win.) Each time I would put my arm around his shoulder and tell him, "Lupe, you gave me everything you had out there. No coach could ask for more than that from his athletes."

I believe I developed this whole notion of "heart" from my dad. Throughout his whole adult life he has worked very hard, often 14-16 hours a day as an ag mechanic. My dad is a firm believer if you are going to do something, you should do it right. More importantly, he did it mainly so that my siblings and myself could experience a different type of life than what he has. If there has ever been anyone who encouraged me to stay at this crazy running life, it is my dad. If there was someone who encouraged me to do it right, it was my dad. So even though his physical heart is starting to get a little worn out, I know that his true heart is still just as strong as ever.

I'm going to head out the door now. Today, more than ever I need to run. It is who I am. A runner. It's a matter of the heart.

Return to Kenya

Yesterday morning I went for a 12 mile run with my young training partner Lino at our favorite spot, Rocky Hill. It had been many moons since I had last frolicked these hallowed grounds of the local running and cycling community and I was thrilled to be able to get back to the birthplace of the nickname that was bestowed upon me when I ran in junior college.

During my time running for College of Sequoias, my coach had given me a video to watch called the Super Milers. I remember once particular scene where the great Kenyan runner Kip Keino is running down a hillside in Eldoret, grinning the whole way, and I am thinking, "this looks just like the backside of Rocky Hill!" So the next week when we were at Rocky Hill doing a hard run I remarked to my coach, "I feel like a Kenyan today!" When asked why, I explained how the backside of Rocky Hill looked like the scene with Keino and since we are training in a place like Kenya, well, then, I need to think and run like a Kenyan. At which point, a teammate blurted out, an "Albino Kenyan!"

Over twenty years later Coach Bronzan is still telling that story to his runners and I am still trying to run like a Kenyan. I know I will never set a world record or win an Olympic medal, but what most people don't know about Kenyan runners is that the reason they are so good is because they love what they are doing. I still love dragging my butt out of bed on a cold Saturday morning to drive 20-30 minutes to my favorite local running spot and trying to put one foot in front of the other faster than I did the day before. So today as I head out the door, I feel like a Kenyan! Maybe an Albino one, but a Kenyan none the less. In Swahili, there is a saying, "Mambu Baddu," which means, the best is yet to come. Time and Mother Nature may have slowed down the ol leg turnover, but I firmly believe that each morning when I lace up, the best is yet to come and that if I keep on running, the Albino Kenyan will be one with his "Kenyan Brethren" all over the world.

As always, stay healthy, keep running, and Mambu Baddu!

Top Ten

As I am getting ready to head out the door for day 42 this morning and going through my morning ritual; coffee, check email and messages, more coffee (the original energy drink), I notice I have received a message from my good friend and former team mate Phil. Phil, next to my wife, was my favorite room mate in college and has a very quick wit. Whenever you are with Phil, whether it be running, enjoying a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold dark brown beer, your sides are going to be sore from all the laughing that takes place! So here is my first guest contributor to this humble blog from my good buddy, bringing us the top ten reasons that running is better than sex!

The 10 Reasons Running Could Be Considered Better Than Sex.

10. You’re not breaking a commandment if you do it with your neighbor’s wife.
9. You don’t have to wait for everyone to leave the house to do it alone.
8. You can do it in public and not worry about getting arrested.
7. You don’t have to wear anything besides a pair of shorts to make it safe.
6. You can’t get pregnant doing it.
5. You can do it in a group and not feel weird.
4. You can do it even if your wife has a headache. In fact, it’s recommended.
3. When you get older, you don’t have to take a drug to get yourself up to do it. (Advil is an exception)
2. You don’t have to cuddle with anyone after you’re finished.
1. It’s a good thing to be quick.

I hope you enjoyed the top ten as much as I did! I literally spat out the coffee in my mouth when I read number 9.

As always, stay healthy, keep running and remember at our age, even though running can be better than sex, it is still good to indulge in this cross training activity! Just don't pull anything that would be embarrassing to explain to the doctor!

Come Get Some!

Yesterday I ran with two college guys, Lino and Mikey, for a nice 9 mile run. It was also the NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships yesterday and having competed in this meet exactly 20 years ago I pulled out my favorite piece of memorabilia from that day, a Slippery Rock University t-shirt. Now, you might be wondering what is so special about that, especially since I did not run for Slippery Rock, well, I will tell ya!

Our coach at Sonoma State had competed in several NCAA championship meets and internationally in his days with Athletics West and he had told us that when you compete in a meet of this caliber and internationally athletes would exchange t-shirts and jerseys. Since this was our school's first and only appearance at the NCAA champs for the men, we wanted to have the full experience of competing at this level. So when we got the list of competitors, my teammate Phil and I perused the names and came across Slippery Rock. Phil, being a geology major, stated that this should be the team we exchange shirts with. So on the day of the meet we made it our mission to seek out and find a couple of "Rock" athletes to exchange swag with.

Fortunately while searching for the restroom we ran into two guys from Slippery Rock and started up a conversation that lead to "the exchange." Amazing enough, they were the same size as Phil and I! But the best part was the saying on the back of the shirt, "Come Get Some!" When you run at this level, everyone has a little swagger in their step and sometimes we let it spill over into our apparel. Wishing each other the best and commenting on the virility of the slogan, we headed off to duke it out with each other on the 10k course on a nice chilly late autumn day.

It is hard to believe that twenty years have passed since that day, but here I am after all these years, still sporting the "Come Get Some" while running with college guys. I may not be as fast as I once was, but I still have a little swagger left. To all my Sonoma State teammates, happy 20th Anniversary of the greatest achievement in our little school's cross country team's history and to the two "Rock" runners, here is hoping you are still out there in Pennsylvania tearing it up with the kids on the trails and roads.

As always, keep healthy, keep running and don't forget to have a little swagger in your stride!

p.s.. Streak update: 37 straight days and 60 miles for this past week.

Colder Than a Witch's...

Ugggh! I had been waiting for the cold weather to arrive and when it did, it showed up big time. After prying my manhood from the abyss of my bowels, I made the comment to my wife, "it is colder than a witch's t%#&*!" Now, I am not really all that familiar with the anatomy of those who practice the dark arts, but man, it was stinking cold! Which leads me to wonder, how does one determine the temperature of the mammary glands of a warty old lady? Is that even a question that should be considered? I don't think so! Ok, so where am I going with this? Well, I'm not too sure, but I do know that each morning at 5:00 am it is frigid and within three strides I lose all feeling in my face and the sweat on my forehead is starting to freeze on my eyebrows! But the streak must go on!

Today's run made it 33 days in a row and I am now 1/3 of the way through my 100 day streak! Last week I managed 50 miles and this week I have set a goal of 55-60 miles for the week. As we head deeper into the winter it gets a little harder and harder to drag myself from the comfort of the flannel sheets, down comforter and my wife to slip out the door scantily dressed in lycra blend and cotton garments into the dank and dreary darkness of early morning. However, I know it will be all worth it come July when I finally line up at the World Masters Championships in Sacramento ready to take on the challenge of flying around the track 12 1/2 times! And for this week, it will be worth it to write down in the log, 60 miles!

Until the next time, stay healthy, keep running and keep warm!