Connecting You to a Healthy Life!

2011: Year In Review

I know, it’s old and played to do a year in review. It’s a cop-out for any real journalist. Well, I’ve got news for you – I’m no journalist. I’m just a hack writer, so you get a hack blog post.When I look back at the year 2011, it doesn’t seem all that remarkable. That’s why I’ve decided to do a year in review. I’m using this as a way to force myself to look back and remember more specifically the things that happened, the things I accomplished, and, ultimately, the things I learned in the last calendar year. I hope that when you finish reading mine, you will make time to do this for yourself. Without further ado, here is what I learned in 2011:

  • Jury duty isn’t nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be
  • I’m not very good at indoor soccer
  • In fact, I suck at indoor soccer
  • If properly motivated (and medicated) it is possible to run a half-marathon on a severely sprained ankle – though you will pay for it for many months following
  • I have many responsibilities in my life, most of which do not appreciate when I give 100% of my focus to the track season
  • I like Tulip Time
  • Turning 30 isn’t so bad, but being 30 is a whole new beast
  • Kaila is the most beautiful princess in the world
  • and she’s a pretty fast barefoot runner, too!
  • I need to “let loose” and leave my routine once in a while to explore the world around me and discover new experiences
  • I love West Michigan and everything it has to offer
  • Sleeping in a car in a field the night before a race may not be the worst idea ever, but it’s not a great one
  • If you drive straight home from that race because of a family gathering and decide that, for the sake of time, you will only “freshen up” instead of full-fledged showering, there will be family pictures taken as soon as you get there
  • Injuries are just a part of running…at least for me
  • Chicago is a great city for a runner
  • I love my job, the company I work for, and the people I work with
  • But most importantly, I learned that I am nothing without the friends and family that surround me and love me on a daily basis

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog over the past number of months. 2012 should be a great year, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you all as it moves along. Happy New Year!

30th December 2011
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Will you take the challenge?

Hello friends,

I just started reading Run the Edge. After reading the introduction, I immediately slowed myself down. Sometimes I can just tell that a book deserves to be savored. This book is one of those. I HIGHLY recommend you click the link and order a copy now.

It’s about running, life, and other things that are supremely important. I’ll give an in-depth review after I’ve finished it, but I’ve already realized one big idea. I love the thrill of a challenge.

Tim Catalano talks about a Summer of Challenges he experienced while coaching a cross country team. He disclaims some of the foolish/dangerous things his runners did, but I love the idea of a group challenging itself.

Isn’t that a big reason we run: the challenge of self-improvement?

Over the next six weeks (or maybe more?), I’m going to issue a couple of challenges. Each week will feature one challenge to be more adventurous and one challenge to make our world a better place. I hope you’ll join me.

If you’re interested, become a fan of Big Daddy Wilkinson on Facebook. Give me a suggestion for new challenges. Let me know how you’re doing on each of my challenges.

If you complete 10 challenges, I’ll find some sort of prize for you (other than that wonderful sense of accomplishment).

So, here’s the first set of challenges (to be completed before Christmas):

Challenge Number One: Run an eggnog mile. No, really, it’ll be fun. Here’s how you do it:

  • Drink a cup of eggnog. I think a Dixie cup will be enough, but a bigger cup is fine if you really like the stuff.
  • Run a quarter mile on the track.
  • Repeat until you’ve completed four eggnogs and four laps.
  • If you “lose your nog,” you need to repeat the lap.

To maximize the fun of this challenge, gather your running buddies and make it a race. The winner gets the rest of the eggnog. Or a plate of Christmas cookies if that’s unappealing.

Challenge Number Two: How many minutes did you eggnog mile take? For each minute, you need to donate one non-perishable to the local food bank.

So, are you up for the challenge?

17th December 2011
Events
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Commitment to Community

“At Gazelle Sports we actively pursue, encourage and celebrate a healthy lifestyle. We strive for retail excellence by providing the world’s best customer care, focusing on a never ending commitment to unmatched product knowledge and creating friendly, positive relationships with customers, vendors and our communities.”                                        -Gazelle Sports’ Mission Statement

So, it’s been a while since my last post – over a month, in fact. That’s not due to a lack of trying; rather, a lack of inspiration. I’ve tried many times to sit down and write something meaningful; something I would enjoy writing and something you would enjoy reading. Nothing.

Last week I had the privilege of attending The Running Event in Austin, Texas as a representative of Gazelle Sports. It is a convention/expo combination for running specialty retailers held annually. It’s a good opportunity to get away, get some tips, and get a good look at some new product. In conjunction with the event, Competitor puts on a dinner for the “50 Best Running Stores in America” in which they recognize, you guessed it, the 50 best running stores in America and Store of the Year. In addition, a few of the vendors have awards to give out; Balega presents the Ubuntu award, Nike presents the Just Do It award, and The North Face presents the Never Stop Exploring award.

As I sat with my co-workers around the table, none of us knowing what was coming, it hit me. Inspiration.

I’ve worked in a lot of different companies over a short period of time; everything from retail to sales to childcare and back to retail. Never have I been more proud to be associated with the people I work with and for. Never have I been so proud to wear a company’s logo on my shirt. I WANT people to know I work at Gazelle Sports because of what it stands for; in my community, in West Michigan, and in running specialty. We don’t do what we do for awards, but it feels nice to be recognized for doing the things we think are important. Thank you to everyone who keeps Gazelle Sports in business, and thank you to all my co-workers who make this such an amazing place to work.

 

16th December 2011
News, Uncategorized
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Racing

George Sheehan, running philosopher-king, once said the difference between a jogger and a runner is the signature on a race registration form. His point wasn’t that racers run faster than joggers; they don’t always. He was noting the fact that races force us to examine our commitment. They give us the opportunity to push ourselves and measure ourselves. Bill McKibbon, in Long Distance: Testing the Limits of Body and Spirit in a Year of Living Strenuously, trains for 12 months in the attempt to give “one supreme effort.” He says, “I’d never competed, taken on that risk to my body and my ego.”

Most of us don’t. Very few of us have areas where we can compare ourselves to anything in an objective manner. I’m not saying we need to compare ourselves to others necessarily, either. I can’t objectively compare my teaching now to my teaching ten years ago (no matter what the standardized test makers or the politicians say). Sure, I think I’m better now than I was then, but it’s not like racing. Even in racing, the numbers on the clock or the place on the podium don’t tell the whole story. The act of competing against myself, the clock, and the other runners pushes me to another level.

This next level focuses my mind. McKibben talks about being totally focused for the full 57 minutes of his first race. This focus is what leads to the emotional breakthroughs. It is what reaveals our true self. McKibben quotes Emily Jenkin’s book, Tongue First: Adventures in Physical Culture. She writes about her eight years of teaching aerobics saying, “I had not emotional experiences whatsoever. Only a sense of control over my body, which I ultimately believe is illusory.” Racing gives us an opportunity for that emotional experience. Sometimes it is good: We push through the agony of mile two in a 5k. Other times it is negative: we stop and walk up that third hill and get passed by half the field.

The competition of a race allows us to test our limits, to give that supreme effort. Only in a race can we push through the gut-busting pain or choose to ease up. As an English teacher, I know that there can be no growth, no story without conflict. The race introduces that internal conflict.

I’m racing tomorrow, and I hope I commit enough to make it hurt. I also hope I have the mental strength to give that supreme effort.

I’ll let ya know.

8th October 2011
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There is life after 30

“Whatever does not kill him makes him stronger” -Friedrich Nietzsche

In high school, the joke was I’d be in a wheelchair by 30.

In college, the joke was I’d be dead by 30.

I turned 30 just about three months ago, and I am happy to tell you I am still alive (and not in a wheelchair). Any of you who know me know that I don’t lead what you would call a reckless lifestyle. And if you’ve known me for a while, or been through a Good Form Running clinic that I’ve led, you know that my body doesn’t exactly have a history of durability.

I’ve had my run of injuries: anything from concussions to strained muscles to sprained ligaments and almost everything in between. The big joke isn’t that I’ve been injured so much, but more that I’ve spent so little time being healthy. I’ve actually had a pretty good spell over the past couple of years, and Good Form Running has been a big part of that. However, my body does not limit itself to running injuries.

This past winter my brother talked me into joining him on an indoor soccer team. (Sidenote: I’m NOT good at soccer. Something about the coordination of running and kicking and looking around just doesn’t work in my brain. I got cut from middle school soccer both years I tried out. MIDDLE SCHOOL! Everyone makes the middle school soccer team! I guess they just didn’t have room for a doofus who continually tripped over the ball…) Knowing my history, and the fact that I was training for my first half-marathon, I was hesitant. But, he had recently moved back to West Michigan from the Bay area, and I thought this would be a good way to hang out together. Plus, as I mentioned, I had been having pretty good luck lately. (Another sidenote: is it really good luck if I’ve just been avoided anything other than running or cycling? Hindsight is 20/20) So, I decided to go for it. In the first half of the first game, our brother-in-law-to-be sprained his ankle and was out for the season. I started to get nervous.

The season went along, and I had no problems other than being sore in places I had forgotten about. Our last game was a Tuesday night, 5 days before my half-marathon. Things were going well, and this game was for 2nd place in the league (no thanks to my ballhandling). About halfway through the second half I trapped the ball in our end as an opponent was fast approaching. As I tried to decide what to do, he reached me, and did not respect my need for more time. He clearly subscribes to the theory that the quickest way between two points is a straight line, so he attempted to kick the ball through my foot. He was unsuccessful, unless his goal was to get me out of the game. In a very heroic manner, I limped to bench, calling for a sub. Instead of just getting some ice and sitting the rest of the game out (I am, after all, a man), I “walked it off” and came back into the game a mere 3 minutes later. Adrenaline carried me through the rest of the game, and we won. I had a good feeling that it would feel better in just a couple of days. I have LOTS of experience with sprained ankles, and this one didn’t seem so bad.

It was worse than I thought.

The reason I’m telling this tale today is that I have had a rough couple of weeks. Every morning upon waking up, the ankle felt as stiff as it did the day after my half-marathon nearly 6 months ago. I’ve had what I would consider 3 major injuries in my life thus far, and each of them was an ankle sprain that hung around for at least 6 months. The first was caused me to lose my entire senior track season, and highly influenced my decision to not run competitively in college. The second happened about 5 years ago playing soccer with a bunch of 5-year-olds (I told you I’m not good at soccer) and was the impetus behind my gaining 30 pounds in the 52 weeks I could not walk without a limp and, eventually, getting back into running. I still don’t know what path that this injury is taking me on. I know that I am stronger in many ways than I have ever been before, and I know that most days on which I want to run, I am able to warm it up and run without pain. But it’s those first few steps in the morning as I climb down the stairs like a toddler that keep me humble. Perhaps I’ll never know what it’s like to jump out of bed and hit the ground running, but I will continue to do what I need to do to stay active, to grow stronger, to be better.

 

5th September 2011
Training
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Runners’ Book Club, Volume II

The first meeting of the Runners’ Book Club is in the books. We enjoyed Matt Long’s story and felt like it was well told. Long and Hudson, his co-author, did a great job of capturing the voice of a Brooklyn firefighter and the rhythm of the story and the flashbacks was very satisfying. If you haven’t read The Long Run, grab a copy and let me know what you think.

I heard from quite a few of you that you liked this idea but couldn’t make this month’s meeting. Hopefully, more of you can make it out for the next meeting. Let’s plan on October 6 at 7:00. I’ll get back to you on a location soon. I didn’t realize that the final edition of the Street Performers would be downtown Holland last night. Everything worked out okay, but if New Holland is having some sort of Octoberfest or something…

After a little discussion of possible reads, we’ve chosen My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso as the next edition in our Runners’ Book Club.

Get your copy of The Runners' Book Club's second selection.

If you’re not familiar with Yasso, he’s often called the Mayor of Running. He is a special editor at Runner’s World. He’s run thousands of races and competed on every continent. In some of the earlier days of Runner’s World, they would ask him to compete in the craziest races they could find and he would invariably accept the challenge.

This book tells many of the tales that he’s saved up over the years. It’s a very funny and inspirational book. I know you’re going to love it.

26th August 2011
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The Runners’ Book Club

The people have spoken. Last week I asked you to tell me which genre you preferred for our first book club. The majority chose a book about a regular runner.

The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete

What is a regular runner? I decided that meant a runner who did not make a living from the sport. Then I wondered if Bart Yasso qualified. His book, My Life on the Run, is interesting and laugh-out-loud funny in parts. As an editor at Runner’s World he kind of makes his living through the sport, so I decided to save this book for another time.

Next I wondered about An Honorable Run. It is a book about a runner’s career at the University of Colorado. I thought this book was an interesting contrast to the book Running with the Buffaloes. I decided this was closer, but I wasn’t convinced that all runners could connect to this D-1 athlete talking about his hundred mile weeks. Again, this would make a great book club choice, but it’s not quite right for this meeting.

Finally, I landed on The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter’s Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete by Matt Long. Some of you loyal subscribers to Runner’s World will recongnize Long’s story. He was a NYC firefighter, marathoner, and IronMan. As he trained for the Boston Marathon, he was hit by bus. Even though the sub-title characterizes him as an elite athlete, I think he can also fit into our category of “regular runner.” The book describes the accident and Long’s physical, mental, and emotional comeback as he focused on completing the New York City Marathon despite doctors’ cautions that he may never walk again.

I’m excited to read this book (it’s one of the few running books I haven’t read) and even more pumped to discuss it with you. I’m working on bringing a few more copies to the Holland location; try to pick it up soon.

I really recommend buying the book because it’s a lot easier to discuss he book if you can write in the margins and mark interesting sections. Also, the conversation will be much more fluid if everyone has completed the book, so if you’re a slow reader or just have a busy life, it helps to start reading it as soon as possible.

So, grab the book, start reading, jot down a few comments and questions, and get ready for the fun. We’ll meet on Thursday, August 25 at 7:00. New Holland Brewery should be a good place. As we get closer, I’ll ask for some commitments so I can get us a table all together. I can’t wait to see you there.

22nd July 2011
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Which way is your arrow pointed?

“When you’re a competitive runner in training you are constantly in a process of ascending” (Parker 198).

Read Once a Runner and Again to Carthge, then go for a run.

This quote is from John L. Parker’s Again to Carthage. Quentin Cassidy says it as he’s looking over his old training logs. He’s ruminating on the rarity of this state.

There aren’t very many parts of my life where I’m constantly ascending. Sure. I try to be a good guy. A good dad. A good teacher. I have my good days when I’m getting better and better, but you can bet that I also have my days where I’m failing.

A marathon training cycle is one of the few places where my arrow is pretty consistently pointing up. This hit me this week when I was running a track interval workout. I ran 3200 meters at 6:35/mile, 2000 meters at 6:15/mile, 1600 meters at 6:00/mile, and 1000 meters at 5:44/mile. Each of these had a mere 2:30 recovery.

I say this not to brag (well, maybe I’m bragging a little bit) but to point out that a month ago I would have puked way before I finished that workout.

This is one of the reasons I love the marathon and the training that goes into it. I’m still pushing the boundaries of what I can do. I can see improvement throughout the course of the training cycle. It’s an area where I can always be chasing excellence.

It gives me hope that I can try to swing my arrow upward in a few more areas of my life. Isn’t that a great thing about athletics? It allows us to find bravery and hope within.

27th May 2011
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Recommended Reading

To say I’m into the running scene would be a little bit of an understatement. I read a lot and follow the industry a little bit obsessively. Today, I decided to compile a list of running blogs and website that I enjoy.

I read Runner’s World “Racing News“  almost everyday. This blog compiles race results and news stories about the elites. By reading this, one could find out that Deena Kastor named her baby Piper Bloom and Scott Jurek is running the Tokyo Marathon.

Mark Remy writes Runner’s World “RW Daily“  most days. He also wrote The Runner’s Rule Book. This blog is decidedly less formal than “Racing News.” Remy blogs about National Pie Day and bizarre tales of running. He often has immature jokes and corny puns. Please don’t go to this blog seeking mature, intellectual running information. Go there for fun. (Mark, if you read this, please know I said this to reduce the angry comments telling you to grow up.)

Nate Jenkins‘ blog at Running Times is part running log that chronicles his workouts and part runner’s philosophy. He does mega-mileage, and shares his thoughts and struggles.
“Run the Edge” by Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano  has “moedutainspiration” as its state goal. That means they want to motivate, educate, entertain, and inspire runners. Goucher and Catalano ran together at Colorado University under Coach Whetmore. They have some deep thoughts on running. They also have a ton of fun and post some hilarious stuff. I look forward to seeing this blog grow.

A former Gazellian, Sloan, also has a new blog called The Sole Search.  Sloan now lives in Maryland and travels extensively. Her posts on running in new places and exploring the country are pretty fun. I know many of the readers of this blog miss her, so check out her posts.

Deena Kastor and Ian and Julia Dobson of Running and Racing with the Elites also have blogs. It is fun to read about the travels and travails of professional runners. I guess it’s my version of People magazine to check out these blogs from time to time.

Click on a few of these links. Be involved in the greater running community. If you wanted to spread the word about our blog, that would be sweet, too.

25th February 2011
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Becoming a Spiritual Runner

What are your goals as a runner? I’m not asking about times and PRs. I’m also not trying to answer the deepest of all running questions, “Why do you run?” I’m more interested in the mindset you bring to running. I’ve recently been reading Running: The Sacred Art by Warren A. Kay. This is a highly meditative tome regarding how to make the daily run a more spiritual experience. The author draws connections between running and many different faiths.

Each chapter asks the runner to reflect on a different spiritual aspect of running. Some runners communicate. They use the running time to pray. Other runners meditate or think about a certain spiritual truth. Still another purpose of running is to experience God. Within the chapter, Kay asks probing questions and recommends journaling about them. At the conclusion of the chapter, Kay provides exercises and a focus for the next run.

I’ll admit, sometimes I carry out the focus during my run, and sometimes I get distracted or zone out. Still, I do often find my runs to be spiritual experiences either inherently or through practice.

I’m curious, though. Do others have luck building more spiritual practices into their runs? Can meditation during a run be forced or is it like that elusive runner’s high that comes only when it will come?

Incorporating Kay’s suggestions and ideas into my runs has added time with God to my day. It was easier to build prayer into my run than some of the other spiritual aspects, though. Experiencing God’s wonder was challenging as I ran through traffic. I felt that exercise would have been more apt on a snowy, wooded trail. I guess that is a lesson in itself. Perhaps I should seek more natural setting for some of my runs.

Sorry this blog post has been somewhat rambling. I do encourage you to use your running time (at least occasionally) to consider the spiritual world around you. Many of you probably do this unconsciously if you go for a run when you are feeling troubled. Next time, approach it purposefully and see how it enriches your run.

11th February 2011
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