Six Peeps

March 12, 2008

18:47! Another VICTORY in the books! (speaking of BOOKS…)

(Hey it’s MY blog, I feel like it’s my safe zone for bragging a little… right?)

My day just started off so great today. Every Wednesday is PR day. It’s when I try to set a Personal Record at Washington Park on my run. To summarize my little self-made routine:

M: Lift at the gym, upper body
T: Run with Gary, two laps at Wash Park (about 5.12 miles) Takes me about 44 - 47 minutes, depending on how many times Gary has to “potty”
W: PR day - run one lap, no Gary (Jenny takes him to the dog part on W’s) and I run for a personal record (about 2.6 miles)
R: Run with Gary, two laps at Wash Park
F: Lift at the gym, upper body
S: Run with Gary, two laps at Wash Park
Sun: SPLURGE DAY! PIG OUT!

When I get back from my trip, Tuesday will be utilized by running Green Mountain in Boulder and Thursday is for Mt. Sanitas, also in Boulder. I’ll be getting up at 5AM for this.

ANYWAY all winter long I have been trying as hard as I could to run my Wed PR and break 20 minutes. The closest I got all winter was 20:07. Heartbreaking.

THIS MORNING I decided no more monkey business and I pushed it hard the whole way around. CRUSHED IT! 18:47,1! That’s maintaining a 7 minute mile pace. I was so excited. I now have a new time to beat. I have a feeling this summer is going to be a great summer for trail running.

I love victories like this. I’d rather accumulate a collection of victories like that than become some “fat man in a red BMW” (a’ la 4-hour workweek).

Speaking of books, I am reading the most important book in my life right now… and I HATE reading. I don’t know if it’s on audiobook but the book was a gift so I want to read it. It is changing the way I look at so many things. And it reminds me a lot of my dad. He’s such a frugal guy. Growing up I thought that was so not cool. He’d buy his clothes at the BX (a military SEARS) and instead of going out for fancy dinners like my friends’ families always did, he loved lighting the coals in his $10 smokey joe in the back yard and grilling up a steak. NOW THAT PART, I always loved and I continue to love. He liked flying kites and tossing around a frisbee to spend a Sunday afternoon. Despite making an OK salary as an officer in the USAF, he drove a beat-up Pea Green Rambler with a big hole in the floor and required a tree branch to open the trunk… or his little Fiat Spider. He was proud of those cars. He sold the Rambler for $300 bucks. Most millionaires live this kind of lifestyle, according to this book. They appreciate the simple things in life, they budget and plan. And many Millionaires have an annual income of $80K or even less. But their accumulated net worth is in the millions simply because they don’t care to impress their peers. Now my dad finally stepped up and bought a nice home and I’m learning to respect him so much, and now when I see people out there pimpin’ their stuff, I don’t really have a yearning for that kind of lifestyle anymore. I really just want to live a live where I’ll be able to spend lots of time with my family and enjoy being a dad someday.

Anyway, thanks Mr. Strickland for sending this book. I recommend it to everyone!

March 12, 2008 |