I’m using this post to simply test windows live writer and see if I like using this to write and publish my blog content. So far, this is a great little tool.
I’ll keep working with it to see if it is going to be worthwhile.
Thanks!
Aaron
Tag Archives: blogging
53 and struggling…
Let me start by saying, I love my job. I have been so lucky to find a place that I can really stretch myself and have loads of opportunity to excel. But lately, mainly just the last two weeks, my job has been playing havoc with my training. I’ve been crazy busy and my priority is work and my family, with running coming when it can. I have been able to minimize the impact to pretty much just a reduction in my cross-training, but cross-training is an integral part of the training program I am using, so I’m a little concerned. This week has been really tough, I missed Monday and Tuesday cross-training, and today I missed my speed workout. This is really the first run I’ve missed in a long time. So, here’s the plan:
- Tomorrow – run in the morning, tempo run / swim in the evening
- Friday – run at lunch, speed workout
- Saturday – swim in the morning, before hose testing at the fire department
- Sunday – long run, 20 miles, 9:10 pace
If I can stick to this schedule, I’ll still get in my minimum 5 workouts for the week. That wuld be a good thing after a rough start. We’ll see how it goes.
I had a good long run last Sunday – 18 miles, 2 hours 54 minutes. Not bad, but a little slower than I’d hoped. Really I felt pretty good all the way to the end – kind of exciting! Also, I did something a little different than normal during my run, I listened to almost three hours of Steve Runner’s Phedippidations Pod Cast. I really enjoyed it and will definately listen again and again. Steve has a way of really making the time go by. I’ll write more in another post about my thoughts on his thoughts – thoughts on thoughts.
Here is my route:
Aaron’s 18 Mile Loop
Find more Runs in Woodbury, Minnesota
53 days to the Twin Cities Marathon.
Later…
Aaron
I should be committed… (25 of 30)
Funny thing about time… I started this post a week month ago, with the best of intentions to finish it and get it up. How ironic that a post about being committed to something is also the post that I delay writing the longest and actually last post I started before really breaking my commitment to writing daily. I was doing really well up till this point and then everything fell apart.
Everything has been suffering lately because of my lack of motivation.
- MBA – While I have been keeping up with school lately, I don’t feel like I’ve been giving it my best effort – I’ve just been doing enough to get by.
- Yard work – let’s not even talk about that, I’m sure my neighbors hate me and my weed infested patch of land.
- Running – sporadic at best.
- Fire Department – while I have made progress on the web portal project, other things have suffered – including responding to calls.
- Home Projects – I have a list a mile long and have yet to complete any of them.
- My Blog – clearly (this being my first post in a month) I’m not writing as much as I’d like to
- Complete Running - Possibly my biggest failure. What a great bunch of people and I feel like I have completely let them down over the last few weeks. I was able to get the forum up and running, but haven’t really had much to contribute outside of that.
I did run the TC 1 Mile last week and I feel like I did fairly well. I ran a 6:38, probably the fastest I’ve ever run a mile in my life. I need to find a way to get my motivation back and really build some excitement in what I am doing. I am registered for the Twin Cities Marathon in October, so training for that will begin soon. I need to get things together before my marathon training cycle starts so I can really perform well.
Thanks!
Aaron
Technorati Tags: blogging, family, fitness, health, marathon, running
CompleteRunning.com Article (22 of 30)
After a few months hiatus, I am once again writing for CompleteRunning.com. I really love working with my co-authors at Compete Running – they are such a positive, energentic bunch – they make everything fun and interesting. I honestly count myself very lucky to be part of something so exciting. Complete Running is truly a place for runners of all ages and abilities to come and become part of a large running community. With that, here is a taste of my article over at Complete Running:
There is a new – or at least a totally redesigned – player in the route mapping website space. MapMyRun.com has been online for quite sometime but has just recently released a new and improved beta site. Route mapping sites have become an essential part of my training plan and I think – after a brief review – that this is my new favorite. This site features vastly improved functionality over the old version and other route mapping applications. It features great running specific features that will keep you coming back to the site for more than just mapping a run.
You can read the rest of this article HERE.
Also, lucky for me – and I hope for all of you too – I get to write an article every week. My new feature is the ‘Site of the Week’ – so if YOU have a site you’d like to see featured on Complete Running, please let me know about it.. I’m always looking for new content and interesting websites to visit.
Finally, keep your eyes open for exciting changes at Complete Running! I’ve been lucky enough to have a hand in some of the changes and let me tell you – it’s gonna be great!
Thanks!
Aaron
Great Post…
Take a minute and head over to 26.2 and read the post titled “Praise You in this Storm“.
Have a great day!
Aarpm
Technorati Tags: blogging
‘Odd’ Post of the Day (8 of 30)
In an effort to find something different and interesting to write about, I thought today I’d take an opportunity to fill you in on a series of books I have read and really enjoy by Dean Koontz. This series revolves around the life and adventures (for lack of a better term) of a young man named Odd Thomas. All of the books are narrated by Odd himself as he describes the various problems, predicaments, and terrifying situations his unique abilities put him in. Odd is truly the right name for this boy.
Here are the books:
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| Brother Odd | Forever Odd | Odd Thomas |
You see, Odd can see dead people – I know right now you’re getting flashbacks of The Sixth Sense and in a sense, it’s very similar. In Odd’s words, he calls them ‘the lingering dead’. They are lingering because they are fearful or hesitant to see what they will find on the other side and are not willing to allow their spirit to pass on to the next life. Odd sees a variety of dead people, most notably – Elvis, The King of Rock and Roll. Elvis comes to Odd in a variety of costumes from his various movies and is quite often a needed comic relief in the storyline.
None of the dead are able to speak to Odd, but they do interact with him and they are able to understand what he is saying. Quite often, Odd finds himself in the situation of guiding and helping these lingering dead find their way to the other-side by helping them address the issues that are keeping them from moving on. These make for interesting and captivating side stories along with the main plot of each book.
In addition to dead people, Odd can also sense and see beings he calls ‘bodachs’. These are dark spirits that come around anytime there is going to be death and destruction. The more bodachs, the worse the tragedy will be. These spirits drive much of the story line by coming around and driving Odd to try to find out what is going to happen and help avert what ever tragedy is coming. Odd is not your typical hero, but in each of the books, that is what he becomes – whether he likes it or not.
In the end, I love just about any Dean Koontz book (with the exception of The Taking – what was THAT all about?) and these are no exception. They are easy to read and very enjoyable. Go pick up a copy today!
Aaron
Technorati Tags: blogging, Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas, Book Review
What a Day… (7 of 30)
Once again, I didn’t get this posted last night. Yesterday was crazy and by the time I got home last night I couldn’t force myself to open the computer.
Today was a very busy day and I didn’t have time for a workout. Here is a taste of my schedule:
3:30 am: Medical call for the fire department
4:25 am: Second medical for the fire department
6:00 am: On the bus to work
6:30 am: Breakfast – Oatmeal and yogurt. I have this pretty much everyday and it gets me going and gives me good fuel until lunch.
8:30 am: First meeting of the day
10:00 am: Next meeting scheduled for this morning – this one was an hour
11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Project work, time to catch up on paperwork, and lunch
2:00 pm: Another hour long meeting
3:30 pm: Yet another hour long meeting (see a theme?)
4:45 pm: On the bus home
5:20 pm: Home, dinner, hug the boys
6:00 pm: Fire department meeting
10:25 pm: Home from meeting
11:00 pm: In bed
I did twitter some of my day here. Bottom-line, I have too much going on and I need to find some life/work balance. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Aaron
Technorati Tags: blogging
My Plan (2 of 30)
OK, as I stated in my post yesterday, while I have been able to keep up with my running for the most part – I have done so without much of a plan or any goals in mind. I have just been running as long or as short as I feel on any given day. Some days that translates to 2 miles, other days it turns in to 7 miles, most days are right around 3.5 miles. I would guess my weekly milage would average around 12 to 15 miles – obvioulsy some weeks are better than others. Nothing to write home about, but it has prevented me from gaining any weight over the winter. Also, the light running schedule has kept me injury free.
So, with all that, I want ther to be a change. I want to accomplish the following things:
- Run 5 days a week
- Swim 2 days a week
- Log between 20 and 30 miles a week
The 5 days of running will have to be done over the course of the whole week (an early morning run on Sunday), with a swim on Tuesday and Thursday over lunch. The swimming isn’t quite as important, but I’d like to get back in the pool with the Masters at the YMCA in Minneapolis. They are good bunch of guys (and gals) and they make swimming FUN! Plus, it’s great cross-training.
Obviously, I’ll have to build the milage over the next few weeks, I can’t just double my milage overnight.
What are your thoughts? Is this even possible? I’ll post my plan over the next few days, but I love to see your schedule and suggestions for making it all work. I’ve never been busier than right now and I really want to run the Twin Cities Marathon again this year – training has to start NOW!
With that – I’m open to suggestions!
Thanks!
Aaron
A New Leaf… (1 of 30)
Wow, its been a long time since I really sat down to write anything. I haven’t had a real post here in quite sometime and I haven’t written anything for CompleteRunning.com in quite a few weeks either. Things have just been so busy. At least that is what I have been telling myself. Last night I realized however, that it’s not that I have been too busy to write – I do have time. Truly, it’s more that I haven’t really known what to write about nor have I felt really inspired to write anything. And the longer I go without writing the easier it becomes not to write. It’s a vicious cycle.
So, I’m putting a stop to it. I’m going to write. I’m going to write everyday – for 30 days. I’ve been inspired by a couple of blogs I read frequently:
I’m hoping this challenge will help me in a few ways. First and most obviously, I’ll write more and continue to improve my writing skills. This is a good thing and one of the reasons I setup my blog in the first place. Second, one of the more common themes in my writing for the last year has been running or fitness or health or something related to one of those three things. While I have continued to workout quite regularly, I haven’t been tracking my progress as much as I would like, I don’t really have much of a plan, and I have been slacking more often than in the past. I figure by making a commitment to write more, I’ll be more focused on my health also so I have something more concrete and positive to write about. Third, one of my professional development goals is to improve my typing skills. What can help typing skills more than sitting down and typing out a post everyday? Finally, I really would like to get more of my family visiting my site and connecting via the internet. I can’t do that if I never update my blog. I spend so much time on-line, I think it will be a great way to keep in touch and build better, closer relationship with my extended family. My cousin Curt has a great blog that I visit often and I feel like I am able to know him and his life a little better because of it. I also get to read about his upcoming wedding on his other blog. I’d never know about any of this stuff without this connection.
On top of everything, my Dad is on-line regularly and likes to read what I write. What could be better motivation than that?
So there it is.
1 of 30.
Aaron
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Technorati Tags: blogging, family, running, swimming, technology
