September 2008 Newsletter

Hi All,

Seventeen years ago I ran my first marathon in Frankfurt, Germany. Two weeks before the event I registered for it and assumed I'd be ready. I figured I was already in good shape (I was in the Army after all) and just needed to adjust my diet a little before undertaking 26.2 miles (which basically meant drinking less beer). I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. It was a suffer fest. I find it amazing that I ever considered running another one. And go figure, I ran the same event the following year with just as little preparation. Some folks need to take two punches before they remember to keep their hands up. Now as I watch people finish races of all distances I often see reflections of myself in Frankfurt. So many folks obviously don't put the time and energy into effective training. They desperately wail down the home stretch with a painful grimace and that all-too-familiar limping sprint to the freedom of the finish line. I feel their pain and cringe. Hopefully they, like me, learn the hard way. This month we are happy to feature in our store two ends of the training spectrum. We're bringing you epitome of training in the form of an Olympic athlete (Blake Russell), and the humble beginnings of training for folks less accustomed to an active lifestyle regiment (No Boundaries). Believe it or not, these two share a common denominator: A personal commitment to "doing something". Commitments mean time, and usually a lot of it. They also may require sacrifice. Some commitments cost us a lot while some force us to reevaluate our expenditures. In a nutshell, whether we're running the marathon in Beijing or mustering up the courage to get off the couch, we need a plan and we need someone to cheer for us. We all respond the same to these things. After all, we're only human. I challenge you all to take a second to think about that "thing" on your to-do list that you've refrained from doing. Make a commitment to (finally) do it and you're half-way there. Need a cheerleader? Well, give me a call and I'll hoot and holler for you over the phone.
I promise. After running myself into the ground two times in Frankfurt I decided to train properly. I'm still no expert, but now I can actually enjoy the anonymous crowd's cheers as I lean into the last turn and roll down the home stretch. If you do it right you win, no matter whether you finish in first or last place. Plus, you're not so sore the next day. That's always nice. Apply it to anything. And have a great month. TomSeptember 2008