A good friend of mine refers to me by that title. Whenever I walk past him at church he says "there's goes the runner built like a linebacker." While I'm no Brian Urlacher or Demarcus Ware, or even Ray Lewis, I'm pretty proud to be singled out in that manner. I don't have the guns like these monsters of the gridiron, but at 6'1" and 225 lbs, I'm a pretty big guy to be a runner. I wish I possessed the speed of the Cowboys' Ware or the Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews. Then, I'd really be sight to behold in a 5K race.
Anymore, my pace is closer to 9:00 per mile and if I bear down and push it, I can rack off an 8:30. Just knowing someone associates me with some of the best athletes in the NFL makes me swell with pride--although, my buddy may be referring to my soft mid-section more than my pecs or forearms.
Still, I can hold my head high as I'm running down the street, or walking to my pew at church, knowing somebody thinks I look pretty good for a fat, old man.
Here's wishing everyone good running days ahead as spring is rapidly approaching.
TFR (aka: The Linebacker)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Running Music
There's a great website out there that provides FREE running music downloads to spice up your workouts. The site is called Podrunner (www.podrunner.com ) and you'll find some terrific techno mixes for 5K, 8K, and 10K training. You can also access and download archived music for your iPod or other MP3 devices. I used the interval workout today at the gym and it was great. Each song plays at a specific beat to either speed up or slow down your pace.
In related news, I've decided to ditch my iPod for a cheaper MP3 player. I can't access the iTunes store no matter what I try. After doing a Google search of reasons behind the problems I'm experiencing, I've found myriad forums addressing similar issues with iTunes, specifically getting error messages when trying to access the store. Does Apple want our business or what? Or, are they so filthy rich they don't need my piddly money? At any rate, I surrender and am flying the white flag. San Disk offers some really nice WMA players at a great price. And, the real kicker is something Apple refuses to put in the iPod--an FM tuner. I've wanted that for so long and now I can have it. Thank you Apple for helping me see the error of my ways!
I digress. The point of today's blog is to share Podrunner with you. I hope you'll find it a good source for free workout music. Go check it out.
Happy running!
TFR
In related news, I've decided to ditch my iPod for a cheaper MP3 player. I can't access the iTunes store no matter what I try. After doing a Google search of reasons behind the problems I'm experiencing, I've found myriad forums addressing similar issues with iTunes, specifically getting error messages when trying to access the store. Does Apple want our business or what? Or, are they so filthy rich they don't need my piddly money? At any rate, I surrender and am flying the white flag. San Disk offers some really nice WMA players at a great price. And, the real kicker is something Apple refuses to put in the iPod--an FM tuner. I've wanted that for so long and now I can have it. Thank you Apple for helping me see the error of my ways!
I digress. The point of today's blog is to share Podrunner with you. I hope you'll find it a good source for free workout music. Go check it out.
Happy running!
TFR
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Honoring Connor
Last week, I was contacted by the father of one my former students, Connor Deal. Connor passed away two years ago this month from complications due to pneumonia. He was a vibrant, handsome young man with an incredible smile and passion for life. Connor loved Star Wars and hoped to be a film director when he grew up.
I had the privilege of being Connor's art teacher. He sat just two tables over from my desk and there's rarely a day that passes I don't think about him as I'm going by that table. The tree and commemorative stone set in his memory are located just a few yards from my window. I see them every day and he's always present somewhere in my life.
Perhaps the most important thing I have that keeps him close to my heart is something his mother, Nan, gave me a few days after his funeral. My boss called me into his office that day. He told me Mrs. Deal had been by to say thank you for all the prayers from our staff and had left a gift for me. He left me to be alone in his office and closed the door so I could view it in privacy. I guess he knew what was going to happen when I opened the large, manila envelope setting on his desk. I reached over, took it, and broke the seal. Inside I found a drawing done by Connor and an essay he wrote for his language arts class. The essay was entitled, "My Favorites." I began to read his words, hearing his voice. He discussed his favorite foods, how much he liked Star Wars, and who his friends were. The final lines were all about me, and I paraphrase..."my favorite class is art...and my favorite teacher is Mr. Paxton." I broke down and wept.
Mrs. Deal did more than leave me a gift. She gave me a treasure...Connor's legacy. That picture and letter are with me at school and I will cherish them forever.
On March 5, at 9:00 am, at Bonham Middle School, runners, walkers, and friends will assemble at Connor's tree to honor him with the first annual Honor Connor 5K Fun Run. When the race is over, we'll all celebrate the morning and the life of a young man who never got to live his dreams, but his memory will live on at Bonham and in the hearts of those who knew him. I will never forget Connor and will always value the brief opportunity I got to be in his presence.
If you're reading this, I hope you'll join us at Bonham this March as we "honor Connor."
Happy running!
TFR
I had the privilege of being Connor's art teacher. He sat just two tables over from my desk and there's rarely a day that passes I don't think about him as I'm going by that table. The tree and commemorative stone set in his memory are located just a few yards from my window. I see them every day and he's always present somewhere in my life.
Perhaps the most important thing I have that keeps him close to my heart is something his mother, Nan, gave me a few days after his funeral. My boss called me into his office that day. He told me Mrs. Deal had been by to say thank you for all the prayers from our staff and had left a gift for me. He left me to be alone in his office and closed the door so I could view it in privacy. I guess he knew what was going to happen when I opened the large, manila envelope setting on his desk. I reached over, took it, and broke the seal. Inside I found a drawing done by Connor and an essay he wrote for his language arts class. The essay was entitled, "My Favorites." I began to read his words, hearing his voice. He discussed his favorite foods, how much he liked Star Wars, and who his friends were. The final lines were all about me, and I paraphrase..."my favorite class is art...and my favorite teacher is Mr. Paxton." I broke down and wept.
Mrs. Deal did more than leave me a gift. She gave me a treasure...Connor's legacy. That picture and letter are with me at school and I will cherish them forever.
On March 5, at 9:00 am, at Bonham Middle School, runners, walkers, and friends will assemble at Connor's tree to honor him with the first annual Honor Connor 5K Fun Run. When the race is over, we'll all celebrate the morning and the life of a young man who never got to live his dreams, but his memory will live on at Bonham and in the hearts of those who knew him. I will never forget Connor and will always value the brief opportunity I got to be in his presence.
If you're reading this, I hope you'll join us at Bonham this March as we "honor Connor."
Happy running!
TFR
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Baby It's Cold Outside
Let's get one thing straight...I HATE winter! Although we haven't experienced a tremendous volume of cold in my area, it's still been cold. And cold weather makes for lousy running. Today has been our warmest day in a week and I finally got to see the real road for a change. I've spent an entire week inside on the fake road and I'm sick of it. My left knee is hurting from pounding on the treadmill.
Ol' Punxsatawney (sp?) Phil predicts an early spring and I'm praying the prognosticating little varmint is right. Running is my sanctuary and I haven't been able to fully enjoy it so far. Maybe, just maybe, our furry, chubby friend from Pennsylvania has nailed it on the head and warmer days are coming soon.
With racing season right around the corner, let's pray for sunny days and good training opportunities. The road is your oyster...go cultivate the pearl.
Happy running!
TFR
Ol' Punxsatawney (sp?) Phil predicts an early spring and I'm praying the prognosticating little varmint is right. Running is my sanctuary and I haven't been able to fully enjoy it so far. Maybe, just maybe, our furry, chubby friend from Pennsylvania has nailed it on the head and warmer days are coming soon.
With racing season right around the corner, let's pray for sunny days and good training opportunities. The road is your oyster...go cultivate the pearl.
Happy running!
TFR
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Fun on the Fake Road
No telling how many times in casual conversations with friends the subject of treadmills pops up. Usually, I'm making some comment about how I'm heading to the gym to run on the treadmill and how I'd much rather be running on the street. Invariably, someone will respond with a retort like "I hate the treadmill," or "treadmills are so boring!" Lots of beginning runners are petrified of treadmills and avoid them at all costs. Like my buddies, I don't always find the "fake road," as I've grown to know it, a place I eagerly anticipate visiting. However, I've discovered a few tips that make those agonizing, but necessary, training runs more exciting and fun.
Some of the workouts I do on the mill are located on Runner's World's web site. Look under the "Training" tab in videos. I've adapted some of them to suit my needs, while others I follow per the Runner's World coach's directions. Here's a couple of examples of what I do at the gym:
Sprints: After a 5-minute light jog (comfortable pace), ramp up the speed to a pace where you can't carry on a conversation. Hold that pace for a minute. Back down your speed to the original pace or you can walk for a minute. Repeat the process. Go a minute and a half and up to two minutes as your fitness level improves, mixing in a minute or two recovery jog or walk. Finish with a cool-down run (comfortable pace) of 5-8 minutes. Typically, I do this workout for about 30-40 minutes total.
Tempo Intervals: Tempos are runs done at a slighter faster pace than a jog, but are slightly slower than a sprint. You can carry on a conversation but it's not as easy as talking during a slow-paced run. After a 8-minute warmup, increase the speed to a slighter quicker pace. Hold that pace for 4 minutes. Slow down to a jog for 4 minutes. Do four sets of 4 tempos runs with 2 minutes of recovery between each set. Cool down with an 8-10 minute slower run. You can always throw some walking in during recovery time if you would like.
Hill Repeats: Hills are a necessary evil when training, especially for longer runs. Begin with a slower pace run of about 5-8 minutes to warm up. Warm ups are critical when doing any training runs. After your warm up, bump the incline to 4% and increase your speed slightly. Hold this for 2 minutes. Move back to zero incline and a slower pace for 2-minutes. Move to 5%, 6%, and 7% grades for 2 minutes each. Make sure you do a 2-minute recovery between each grade. You can always walk during recovery if you need to catch your breath. As your fitness level increases, you can rev up this workout by going longer and trying higher inclines. Always finish with an 8-10 minute cool down run at a comfortable pace.
As I stated earlier, Runner's World offers some terrific how-to training videos. If you're a beginner, don't overdo any of these workouts. Walk more if you need to. The treadmill need not be boring or intimidating. It can be a dynamic way to add spice to your workouts and get you the training you need to finish any race distance.
I hope these help. It's 13 degrees where I live so you know where I'll be running tomorrow!
Happy running!
TFR
Some of the workouts I do on the mill are located on Runner's World's web site. Look under the "Training" tab in videos. I've adapted some of them to suit my needs, while others I follow per the Runner's World coach's directions. Here's a couple of examples of what I do at the gym:
Sprints: After a 5-minute light jog (comfortable pace), ramp up the speed to a pace where you can't carry on a conversation. Hold that pace for a minute. Back down your speed to the original pace or you can walk for a minute. Repeat the process. Go a minute and a half and up to two minutes as your fitness level improves, mixing in a minute or two recovery jog or walk. Finish with a cool-down run (comfortable pace) of 5-8 minutes. Typically, I do this workout for about 30-40 minutes total.
Tempo Intervals: Tempos are runs done at a slighter faster pace than a jog, but are slightly slower than a sprint. You can carry on a conversation but it's not as easy as talking during a slow-paced run. After a 8-minute warmup, increase the speed to a slighter quicker pace. Hold that pace for 4 minutes. Slow down to a jog for 4 minutes. Do four sets of 4 tempos runs with 2 minutes of recovery between each set. Cool down with an 8-10 minute slower run. You can always throw some walking in during recovery time if you would like.
Hill Repeats: Hills are a necessary evil when training, especially for longer runs. Begin with a slower pace run of about 5-8 minutes to warm up. Warm ups are critical when doing any training runs. After your warm up, bump the incline to 4% and increase your speed slightly. Hold this for 2 minutes. Move back to zero incline and a slower pace for 2-minutes. Move to 5%, 6%, and 7% grades for 2 minutes each. Make sure you do a 2-minute recovery between each grade. You can always walk during recovery if you need to catch your breath. As your fitness level increases, you can rev up this workout by going longer and trying higher inclines. Always finish with an 8-10 minute cool down run at a comfortable pace.
As I stated earlier, Runner's World offers some terrific how-to training videos. If you're a beginner, don't overdo any of these workouts. Walk more if you need to. The treadmill need not be boring or intimidating. It can be a dynamic way to add spice to your workouts and get you the training you need to finish any race distance.
I hope these help. It's 13 degrees where I live so you know where I'll be running tomorrow!
Happy running!
TFR
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