Every Day is the Best Day of the Year

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I've told you guys a hundred times, I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes. Even in these days of jaded pessimism, I find it inspiring whenever I get my daily dose of optimism. They are like little Easter eggs of hope that just seem to appear in my email in-basket.

So today is going to be rainy, but that's OK, a run in the rain is better than any day you ever spent piloting a desk or pushing a broom. As long as it's not the kind of rain that chills you to the bone, or is mixed with deadly lightning, there's no reason not to get out and enjoy the day.

I suppose you don't get to be a quotable writer if you have nothing of worth to say. So it is that I differ to Emerson and today's inspirational quote.

Every day is the best day, reminds me of the old Joe Namath quote about not being able to wait until tomorrow because, as he said it, he gets better looking every day.

There are days when we all just want to curl up and read a book or watch TV instead of lacing up our running shoes. There are days when it's easier to say, tomorrow or next week. That's called being human.

While my running ability is questionable at best, I know that my body needs to get out and move. I know that my mind needs the time to ramble and wander, so that I can come back refreshed and ready to tackle the important tasks of the day.

You never know when injury or illness might keep you from running, walking or whatever your chosen form of exercise might be. So you need to make every day the best day of the year. Embrace the little voice that tells you to go out and play in the rain, and shun the devil who sits on your shoulder and tells you it's too wet, or cold, or hot, or whatever.

Every day you can get up and move about is the best day in the year!

To The Victor Go The Spoils

Day 62, Oct.  14, 2012

Today I am 191.6 pounds of rolling thunder.

Or better yet, today I am 191 pounds of sleepy thunder. Or perhaps I'm 191 pounds of over-chocolated thunder.

I'm definitely 191 pounds of lying thunder.

So yesterday I told you all about my day of cross training. And yes, I took advantage of a rainy day to take my workout inside and climb on the stationary bike, which I hadn't done for a long time.

And no, it wasn't a lie that cross training is good for you. Any break from the ordinary routine offers your mind and body a needed change of pace.

But darned if the weather didn't start to break about the time my dinner break rolled around. Those little you-better-go-run gremlins crowded their way into my head, and before I knew it, I was up putting my running shorts and shoes on and heading out the door.

The day had been filled with torrential downpours mixed with steady rains, and thunder had echoed on and off throughout. The temperature had warmed Friday night and remained warm throughout Saturday.

When I finally hit the road it was damp, breezy but comfortable to be outside in shorts and a T-shirt. Funny how fall weather is. The day before I bundled up in tights and sweats and a long-sleeve shirt to make my run. 

While this wasn't quite a traditional brick workout, it was the kind of thing I'd like to do more of. A brick is when you do biking and running (or any two activities) in combination, so that you're stacking your workout. Many triathletes do it to build their training base, and to get used to the transition from one activity to another.

Chocolatey Peanut Pretzel Bars

Mine was much more like running with bricks. I started off just fine, but then the humidity and the fact that I'd eaten too close to my run began to take their toll. So what had so much promise ended up being a sweat fest of the first order.

But I was out on the road after some much-needed rain and that's a big plus. So brick or no brick, I'm declaring it a victory.

And to the victor go the spoils (note brownies in photo). Or at least to those who endure really bad football by their local teams. I might have to run several extra miles today.

So if you see a bloated slow guy out running today, give me a wave.

Run Rained Out? Time To Cross Train

Day 61, Oct. 13, 2012

Today I am 188.8 pounds of rolling thunder.

Today, I am also a cross trainer. No, not a cross dresser, a cross trainer.

The forecast for today was so bad on Friday that the local high school postponed its league cross country meet to avoid having kids out in the rain, lightning and who knows what else Mother Nature will throw at us. 

When I left the house this morning, I saw runners hurriedly scampering about trying to get their workouts in before the big rain that was predicted for the afternoon. Saturday mornings in my neighborhood are always filled with runners, joggers, walkers and people pushing jogger strollers with kids on board.

But today's crew had that look of determination mixed with worry on their various faces. It's that look of wanting to get something completed but not wanting to risk life and limb if the rain suddenly turns to lightning.

I, on the other hand, decided to roll the dice and get my shopping and other chores done before the big rain hit. I had lawns to winterize and groceries to get home.

By the time I started putting on my running shoes I realized the weather was sketchy at best, so I turned to my second best option -- indoor cycling. And while I'd hoped to still sneak in a run later in the day, the bike was my best alternative.

I've had a steady streak of getting out on the roads of late, so a day on the bike wouldn't be so bad. Plus, I took my lung exerciser out on the bike to work my lungs a bit during the ride. I'm glad, however, I was hanging out in the garage because I'm sure my neighbors would get quite a chuckle seeing a man on a stationary bike huffing and puffing through a PVC plastic lung exerciser.

One of the nice things about being back on the bike is the break it gives your joints. Spinning for an hour or so gets your heart rate up without stressing out your knees, hips, ankles and back. 

The other benefit is it's not running. The motion is different, so you're taxing you muscles in a different way. Personally, I enjoy biking, Nordic Tracking and inline skating, although I never seem to cross train nearly as much as I promise myself I will. 

The other benefit is with cycling you can catch up on all those running magazines that have stacked up in the house while you're out on the road. Who knew there was a whole Summer Olympics and I wasn't invited? OK, I did, but you get the picture. Indoor cycle time can be reading time, just don't let your pace slack and be sure to crank up the resistance and switch body positions from sitting to standing.

Just sitting and gliding isn't going to do you any good. You should build up a good sweat on the bike.

Outside, the monsoon rain comes and goes. We're 14 inches of rain behind for the year, so this is a welcome break from the drought. And for me, a welcome time to ride the bike and get off the street for today.

So if you see the world's slowest person out on the road tomorrow, give me a wave.