History of Shoes

Right to left:
Nike Zoom Vomero 3 - 500+ miles (super fit, "Squishy" bouncy feel)
Nike Zoon Vomero 5 - 400+ miles (a tad too long, same feel as the Vomero 3's, but the fit made them second fiddle)
Saucony  Triumph 9 - 78.2 miles (Fit like a glove, no bounce, but still a soft landing)
Brooks Glycerin 10 - 5.0 miles (Nice fit, feels like there is a spring in the heel)


It's funny the things that make you feel a little nostalgic. I picked up a new pair of running shoes and I figured it was time to officially retire my first pair; It's safe to say that 500 miles was enough, but I had to take one last picture. There are nearly 1,000 miles represented in those shoes; some of those miles have been fun, some have been a lot of work...but every one was totally worth it!! As New Years approaches I wonder what God has in store for me for 2013...I hope it includes lots of miles...and maybe another pair of shoes. To quote the great philosopher Forrest Gump - "You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes." 

Four Forty Two

442...four-forty-two! That is my mile count right now for this year!! That would be approximately 700,000 steps...and would take me from Flagstaff, AZ to Disneyland...not bad for an old chubby guy. So as we look to 2013 (assuming the Mayans are wrong and we live past 12/21/12) what should I shoot for next year? 500...600...or a nice round 750?? All of those seem doable...750 breaks down to less than 16 miles a week...that's not too bad...so do I go for 1,000 miles in a year?? That might be a stretch...21 miles a week is a big commitment. I guess I have a few more days to ponder my running goal for next year. The only running goal I set for this year I accomplished in March - to run a marathon - which might be an indication of why I had 8 total miles in the month of April, so a year long goal might be a good idea. Any thoughts?



As more details emerge from the tragic events of Friday in Newtown Connecticut we continue to offer our prayers for those who lost loved ones in that horrific event. We realize that we should turn to our heavenly Father in these times and pour out our sorrow, confusion and even anger on Him and allow Him to comfort and guide us.

Eddie got run over by a Ford....almost!!

96 days left until the LA Marathon....you know what that means...pass the eggnog...I'll train later!! I decided, this morning as I skipped my morning run, that I really need to start training for the marathon...so of course instead of jumping up, throwing on running clothes and sprinting out of my house for a quick 2 miles before work, I leaned over and picked up the running magazine that was on the floor next to my bed. All day I felt like a slacker...I really should have gotten up...I really should have run....but noooooo! I chose the comfort of my nice warm bed. As the work day was coming to an end I had made up my mind that I would go for a 5 mile run....no...no...6 miles!! I need to tack on at least one guilt mile!! My ankle has had good days and bad days...I spent most of Saturday and about half of Sunday standing, so my ankle has been a little sore today, so the logical solution is of course to rest...maybe go for a bike ride instead of a run....nope...not me! I plan a 6 mile run. And then I even failed to wrap my ankle as a preventative measure before my run, so I will be icing my ankle for the rest of the evening. Things were going well for the first mile and a half and then I got to the City of Downey. I never realized that the City of Downey was so adamantly opposed to sidewalks...and street lights. I realize that we are very spoiled in the LA area with the abundance of sidewalks, but it was surprising to find so few sidewalks in such an affluent area. Oh well...all the weaving and dodging just made the miles go by faster. I was near the 5 mile mark when I saw a bright lime green car (Ford calls it a Fiesta sedan in lime squeeze) approaching at a high rate of speed. The driver was slowing, but my quick mathematical calculations determined that she would not slow down in time to avoid hitting me...so I adjusted my pace until I was certain I would allow her to pass in front of me...then she swerved...RIGHT AT ME! UGH!!! Certainly she sees me...certainly she will stop....certainly....ouch...she hit me! Nothing major...just a little tap on the legs, but with enough force to make my upper body lung forward so now my hands were resting on the middle of her hood. Ok..ok...no harm no foul...but I realized that it was way to close for comfort and I also realized that I had zero identification on me. Had this been worse I would have been in the hospital without a name...and being in the hospital without a name is worse than being in the hospital with one of those gowns that has no back...yep...it's that bad. I usually run with my Road ID (go to roadid.com to check them out...they're great!), but today I just could not find it, so I left for my run with only a house key in my pocket...yep...never doing that again!
Despite the fact that I almost landed in the hospital (that might me a slight exaggeration) I feel like today is the real beginning of marathon training season...yeah...there is a whole season of marathon training! I'm really looking to improve my time from last year...which for most people wouldn't be too hard since it was a pedestrian 6:27:03 (Sorry Paul Ryan, if you run a marathon, you remember your time, even a time as slow as mine!), but for me, I was just happy to finish, and today's run was just one of many runs that will be the foundation for the 26.2 miles I run in March. Running a marathon isn't accomplished the day of the race...it is accomplished in the hundreds of miles training for the race...those 26.2 miles are just a victory lap....a very LONG victory lap!

On another note, seminary is going well...first quarter is done and so I only have 15 quarters to go! Yeah! Home stretch!! I am learning a great deal and have also realized that, just like a marathon, there are going to be high points and low points, but the goal is to keep a steady even pace...so I my average study pace is 10-15 hours of studying a week. This has really cut into...well, everything, so I am really trying to find a balance between work, family, and school...but for now I am taking it one week at a time and looking forward to Christmas break. God will provide!!