I learned a valuable and painful lesson during the 2006 Chicago Half Marathon about the importance of training.

In preparation for that half marathon, I followed a standard running plan. I did all the necessary runs in the beginning. Then about a month before the race, my work schedule got extremely busy and I no longer had time for my long runs. I thought I could just wing it at the half marathon because I did most of the runs. In fact, I had even run nine miles during one of my long runs (which seemed like a lot at the time)!

When race day came, I felt great for the first nine miles. But when I hit mile ten, and for the remaining three miles, my legs were in extreme pain and I was really dragging. My body was just not properly prepared for the entire race because I skimped on the training. Luckily, Molly pulled me through by telling me how close we were to the end.

When I finished, I was so miserable that I told myself I’d ran as far as I ever wanted to and I was done running. In fact, I didn’t run again for an entire year. It was a painful lesson to learn, but a valuable one.

Now that I’m preparing for the Disney Marathon in Jan 09, my head is focused on training hard and not skimping. I can’t say that it won’t be painful, but I will be as prepared as possible to enjoy the experience.

You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.
– Frank Shorter

You can tell a lot about a person by what they buy for themselves on their birthday. For example, my dad always buys himself a new instrument (usually of the bluegrass persuasion). He loves to play and waits until his birthday so he can justify getting an instrument that will really sing.

Molly has been getting herself heart rate monitors and various other exercise gear for the past few years. At this point in her life, working out is her passion. And you can tell this is true by what she buys for herself on special occasions.

So, given that my birthday just passed, I’ll bet you’re wondering what I bought myself, and more importantly what it says about me?

I’ll give you some clues:

• I’m a voracious reader (usually tackling about one or two books per week)
• I love technology and high-tech gadgets
• I always have the problem of trying to fit too many books in my bag
• Reading too much on my laptop starts to strain my eyes
• My mom gave me a $100 amazon gift certificate to spend

Have you guessed it yet? Yes, that’s right….I purchased my very own Amazon Kindle!!!

It’s the perfect device for a technology-loving, bookish person like me. And like everyone’s birthday gift, I think it says a lot about me. I’ll let you judge whether what it says is good or bad

Only a couple days ago I celebrated my 32nd birthday, and boldly proclaimed that I’d only lived a third of my life. Today I heard the news that Tony Snow lost his battle with cancer at age 53. It’s a stark reminder that we never know how much time is left. I hope that there is some comfort to Tony’s friends and family that he crammed so much life into those 53 years.

It’s obvious that he loved what he did. You only had to watch one of his spirited debates with reporters during his time as press secretary to see that twinkle in his eyes. When he took over as press secretary from Scott Mcclellan the difference was striking. All of the sudden, it was no longer news to show the white house press briefings which is a sign that he was doing a good job.

Yes, he was a partisan, but he was able to argue conservative ideas so articulately because he truly believed them. He had a great ability to connect with his audience on radio or behind the camera.

He demonstrated what it meant to work a high-profile job and fight cancer with true grace and a positive attitude:

Not everybody will survive cancer, but on the other hand, you have got to realize you’ve got the gift of life, so make the most of it. That is my view, and I’m going to make the most of my time with you.

Farewell Tony Snow and Godspeed!

Today is my birthday, and I’m 32 years old. Assuming good genes and no accidents, I’ve lived about 1/3 of my life.

So far, I’m really happy with where my life has gone. I have wonderful wife and family. In many ways, I feel like we’re closer and communicating better than ever. We belong to a great church where I’ve really grown and met some dear friends. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in a long time through playing lots of tennis and marathon training (15-20 miles/week). Finally, I’ve started my own successful business doing the work I love.

By any metric, I’ve had a great life so far. I don’t know what’s next, but I can look back with satisfaction, and look forward to challenging myself with many new goals and adventures — onward and upward!

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake.

-George Bernard Shaw

This weekend the kids wanted to sleep out in a tent overnight so they could see the stars better. Definitely not something I would’ve thought to do, but that’s what’s great about kids…they get you to look at the world in a different way. It was a crisp cool night and we had a great view of the stars!

There’s something magical about sleeping out under the stars. We often get so caught up in suburbia and all of our creature comforts that we miss the beauty that is all around us every night. In a passage that I’ve long enjoyed from Emerson, he put it this way:

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.

Some things in life we just don’t appreciate, and it takes a transcendentalist author or a child to point us in the right direction.