* Training for the marathon is going very well! I ran 18 miles 2 weeks ago and felt great. I'll run 20 this Saturday, maybe 13-14 next Saturday, and 20 again the following Saturday (also 4-6 mile runs during the weekdays) and then start a 2 week taper, reducing my mileage a little to rest up for the big day on Sunday, December 9th where my friend Wendell and I will not only complete the 26.2 mile marathon, but we will kill it!! I am so pumped. I catch myself daydreaming of that day and how incredible it will feel when I cross that finish line. It is so close I can taste it. I have never worked so hard for something before, and the gratification is indescribable. The last few weeks I've been meeting a friend (head coach of Boswell High School football team) at the track at 5-5:30am. He wants to start upping his mileage so I'm helping him train for his first 10k while he helps me increase my weekly mileage to build a bigger base for the marathon. Some days I get up at 4am and run to the track (3.6miles), run 4-5 miles with him, and then run home. That is a completely new experience...running 11-12 miles before the sun comes up, getting home before anyone else wakes up, reading a magazine until the kids wake up, fix them breakfast, get ready for work, and then go to work at 8:30am already feeling like I've accomplished a lot. Gives me a whole new perspective of work, which has become something I just have to do in between running and living life. Surprisingly, I have really come to love getting up that early. We'll see how long it lasts...
*Football season has been a lot of fun. Tomorrow is our last game - we didn't make the playoffs. It's been a blast though. It has allowed me to "plug in" to football without the commitment of coaching. I've learned a lot, met some good people, and watched a lot of football.
*I think running has made me a more relaxed person, and has given me so much fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment I've never had before. I think this has allowed me to love being at home with my family even more than ever. I love coming home from work and seeing the kids run and jump into my arms. Especially now that I've been having breakfast every morning with them, it's like I get home and think "OK kids, where'd we leave off?" A lot of mornings they just argue at the table, but I'm still glad I'm having breakfast with them. I know one day thaey will be grown and out of the house...I think about that too much probably, but I think it helps me try to take advantage of them being home now. I also feel like I have a deeper love and appreciation for my wife. Lots of times in the past I would think about doing or saying nice things, but I rarely would follow through. Last week I acted on a thought and brought her flowers one morning after a run. I saw a new dry-erase board on the fridge tonight and wrote "Daddy loves Mommy" on it. I don't know what exactly has changed me, but I have to think my increased level of running has something to do with it. I was only running 3 days a week and now it's up to 5-6, and I'm starting the day with it instead of ending the day with it. Endorphins are an incredibly powerful thing! Work is not very enjoyable, but I've become content right now that work is literally just something I do in between running and living life with my family. Maybe it's somewhat of a defeatest mentality, but I'm happy that I don't feel like work has to be my identity.
*I seriously am a very happy person right now, almost feeling like things are just too good to be true. I love my wife, my wife loves me, we have 4 beautiful kids who are happy and love spending time with Jenn and I, I love Saginaw, I'm about to run a marathon, I have a Jeep, we have great friends at our church that we like a lot, I'm playing keyboard in the worship band, the kids are doing well in school, our extended family lives closeby, the list goes on and on...when I stop and think about it, I/we are truly blessed. Life is good. At least for right now, who cares that I'm not happy at work...my whole perspective on that has changed.
So much for a short posting, like you actually thought that would happen! HA! As we head into the holiday season, take time out to stop and appreciate the little things and the reasons for all the celebrations. Celebrate life! I'll end this with a picture of Caleb, our future little quarterback! At just 2 years old, look at the great QB form he has - you're either born with it or you're not...looks like he has it!! :)
