Before Coffee

Hot climate does not equate to being indoors, well, some of the time. We all know it has been super hot this summer, although a little cooler the past two weeks. Heat can impact our choice of recreational activities. Sure, we all know this, but we may need just a little encouragement to brave it outside. It is difficult to acclimate to temperatures above 100 degrees, so I am finally getting out of the chair, away from the computer, in sports shorts and committing to some exercise. Do you shut down when the heat gets unbearable? I do. Yet there is at least one solution. Just get going earlier in the morning. make it number one and forget having a cup of coffee.

Sure, harder said than done I started the motor this morning even before I could see. It worked. No coffee, just some stretching and getting the heck out of the house. After a full month of "rest", I finally started back again by running (I really can't call that running, more of a jog) three miles.

We do have to look out for our health, even in the severest of climates. The gym? That is one answer, and I plan to go there as well, but the outdoors is beckoning all the time, regardless of the temperature. The gym is a good alternate if you can;t take the outdoors. I suppose if you know me, you already knew I would be out there somewhere, but I have not been running for an entire month!

Personally, I am hoping to see more faces on the pathways here. There were some this morning but not nearly as many as there were in June. I came home, showered, had breakfast and yes, I had my coffee! The day just feels better after a run! Try it for one month. Don't put it off and don't abandon it after a week. In one month you too will feel much better for the entire day and you can improve your health as you set out to do this long term.

Country Marathon and Half Marathon in Nashville

Some Tennessee people asked me "what's it like running 13 miles?" Well, for one it is 13.1 miles, and I guarantee 0.1 miles makes a difference! Real living is to put health and stamina into your life. That is what I try to do, that is, take a talent that I have been given and make it something to look forward to and enjoy. So what is there that makes an agonizing run something enjoyable? I guess that is a matter of definition. I can't say I really enjoy the "pain" while on the 13 mile course. Normally, there is no actual pain. It is all simply hard work and sweat. Isn't that what we must do to live? Life is full of hard work and sweat. Some say, "no pain, no gain". Well, I go for that. Running in competition is running for self improvement, not to "beat" someone else, but in retrospect, I always compare myself with others to benchmark my own performance. I never set out to "beat" the time of anyone.

This time around, the race was not local as in my past races. I went to the third largest marathon race in the country - Nashville, Tennessee. They call it the "Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon". And that it is! Music that is. In its 10th year of existence, there was a country band on stage every mile, and added to those, there were private bands of bars along the way, also playing for the runners and spectators. And were there specators and runners!! 31000 runners on the course and no telling how many spectators! The streets were lined with them the entire half marathon, during the time I ran. We were cheered by high and intermediate school cheerleaders (in competition themselves), families and residents along the way. Many wanted to give "high fives", and I accomodated them. It helped push me a little. Some said "almost there" - big lies, yet I tried harder each time to get me quicker to the finish line.

Managing 31000 contestants could not possibly be an easy task. There were 32 corrals each containing about 100 contestants, leaving the start line about 2-3 minutes apart. Some people had to wait an hour to start the race! I was in the sixth corral, determined by my projected time to complete the course. At the start, there was a sudden energy rush, knowing that it had actually started. You are now on the clock I thought. I watched my heartbeat rate and keep it under 170. My doctor says to keep it under 160. I don't tell him that I factor up his limit. Maybe he already knows that, but I think I am pulling the wool over his eyes. So I press the button on my watch to start monitoring the heart. It starts a little high because of the adrenelin, but settles quickly as I pace myself as I had trained on the little hills of The Woodlands.

I looked ahead of me and behind me - a sea of humanity. There was no end to people dressed in shorts and funny looking stuff for as far as I could see. That is where the big question was asked - "What have I got myself into?". Too late to stop! Shortly into the race, I ran up on two guys wearing long stockings and asked them directly "what is the story behind those things?" "We lost a bet with his mom. We have to wear her stockings as a result." Sorry I asked. Thought I might learn something... Now ISG, grind it! Let's get on with the race. One foot ahead of the other. That is what I was told. What I was not told was much more important however. Tennessee has real hills. Now that translates to real pain! Why am I telling you that anyway? I guess to justify the outcome. I have to set expectations here. It would be silly to let you think I was going to be a real athlete, be awarded a prize, be on TV and all that stuff. OK, now that you know I did not win the race, I will be more apt to tell the truth.

Geez. I found out there were people running with me from all over the world. I am running in a world class race? Yep. $20,000 to the first one who crossed the finish line first. Well, one thing I know for sure - that aint gonna be me! Maybe a Kenyan, maybe an American lady. The ladies were given an 18-minute head start to compensate for the normal capability differences between genders. As it turned out, many women passed me about mile 10, and I started getting a complex. Some 2000 women crossed the finish line before me. As it turned out, the Kenyan outraced everyone. I saw him heading towards the finish line a little after I arrived halfway in the half marathon. There were two Kenyans at that time running and accompanied by a motorcycle in front of them with a camera mounted on the back of it for the media. That made me feel like an athlete? NOT! There was no cameraman in front of me or the 5000 people ahead of me! Just imagine that. Cameras zooming in on the grimace on my face and the panting with my tongue hanging out!

I have to say, I enjoyed the bands along the way. You could probably see me on local TV dancing to the music like some crazy fool. I can't help it. I like to dance! Well, maybe I should confess to mile 9,10,11,12 and 13. I know I did not dance in front of those stages. I don't even remember hearing the bands. I remember the water stands and the fruit and that refreshing water being sprayed by the residents, but music? I remember the hills really well along those miles. Three of them won! I could not run to the top of those steep inclines without walking, especially those in downtown Nashville. I have never walked in a running race before! How embarrassing! Felt like hiding from everyone.

Sadly, there were contestants who did not fare as well as I. One literally did not live to see another day. A 25-year-old soldier competed in the half marathon with me and collapsed after crossing the finish line with a heart attack. This was a very difficult course under challenging conditions. The young man died in the hospital a short time after being carried there by an ambulance. It was the first fatality ever in the history of this 10-year-old event. He crossed the finish line after I did, so I was completely unaware of his family's tragedy until the evening concert. I witnessed one young lady, twenty something, also who had collapsed on the course. An ambulance was summoned. I said a little prayer for her. The temperature was in the 70s, about 15 degrees higher than expected. I felt it and was totally cognizant of that fact throughout the race. Even though I was highly hydrated the day before, the race obviously dehyrated me at a rapid pace. I drank at the water/energy drink stations, consumed fruit where I could, everything I could think of to cool myself and maintain some sort of momentum. Yet I nearly collapsed at the end myself.

I hate to admit this, but when faced with the cameras at the finish line, I went into full stride at full speed so that I would look good on camera. It was the 400 yard dash! Now I imagined what it would be like to be the first contestant to break the ribbon and cross the line. That is pure ego of a dreamer, is it not? Sure, I passed a few people while doing that, but face it. That made no real difference at all and only threatened my health. As it turned out, there was little space to cool off, so I was faced with overcoming the consequences of that little act in very little space. I am going to complain about that. What were these people thinking anyway? I need to jog for 0.1 miles to cool off, but I had to abruptly stop right after the finish line! Even my tongue felt like it was going to cramp. My calves were cramping and thighs wanted to cramp as I searched for a place to stretch out the muscles. This sensation with the tongue was completely new. I immediately started to think my throat could cramp up, and I could lose the critical ability to breathe. Trying to eat was also a risk it seemed, so I tossed the bagle and ate only fruit. I wanted desperately to have a free beer, so I got in the only long line I could find. Turned out to be the exit line to rendezvous with family and friends. After exiting the runner protected area, a contestant could not return. Wish I had asked what line I was in. I just assumed it would be the beer line! Oh well, now I could go home without my free beer, but where was the truck? When I got there at 5am, there were not 1000's of cars in the parking lots and all I could think about then was racing. Geez! But I got lucky. I parked close to the exit and found the truck without any trouble at all. Got in the truck and wham! Immediately one of my calves locked up in a cramp. Dangerous I thought - to drive in this condition. So I took the keys out of the ignition and waited for another 30 minutes (with stretching) until the muscles stopped their insane twitching and cramping.

Was it worth it? It was! I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish and got to enjoy much of the race and the included concert that night. OK, time to brag! Even with all the issues, I still finished in the top 15% of my age group among people accustomed to running on HILLS! Of course we could be extra egotistical and say fame and excellence is just a part of our expectations, but that would be a little white lie. I was pleased at finishing number 33 in my age group of the 220 contestants in that group. I also can say finishing number 5112 of the 31000 runners was also not too bad. Now I can say I did enjoy it and it was worth the while.

All in all, counting the children, there were 36000 runners in this marathon. Running with predominately local Tennessee folks was a privilege and a pleasure. I love country people and these folks were friendly as well as polite on the course. If you get the chance, take up this challenge, meet these people, run this race. You will be liv'n as I am, with great satisfaction of accomplishment among folks who respect you and what you are doing. I once thought it would be impossible for me to do this. My recommendation? Do it! Make a realizable goal and work until you reach it. Then make another goal. Eventually and in not much time at all, you will be able to do the same. Also, do it safely. Make sure the doctor gives you a physical in advance but not far in advance of the extreme exertion dictated by running competitively. Take precautions and monitor your vital signs. I do not receommend listening to music. I recommend listening to your body when under extreme exertion.

Related Links
1. Family Athletics Blog - notebook of keeping fit
2. Newspaper report on death of sargeant
3. Official site of the marathon race

Do What Mom Did - drink coffee!

In this society, we are often over zealous on what and what not to drink or eat. Today, I am remembering my mom (or "mother" as she preferred to be called) and her living habits. She listened but did not change her living habits when a news article came out saying - don't eat this, do drink this, that is bad for your health, etc etc. What she did do was give me a pattern that seems to work out in the long run. She told me when she was 86 years old, when I was telling her I needed to cut down my intake of coffee - "Hey, I am 86 and I drink lots of coffee every day. You like coffee? Drink it. Your body says it is good for you." Keep in mind that my dear wife says - "don't drink so much coffee; it is bad for you." Well, I can go to sleep on several cups, sooooo .... Different strokes for different folks.

Today as I was reading the news, I came across yet another scientific study that says coffee has its possible benefits (isn't it odd that there is such a reluctance to commit to a conclusion?), so that is my motivation for speaking out on this. Give me coffee. I got a cup in my hand right now!

So I am sharing the news with you. Starbucks is a health joint(maybe I should be a bit more politically sensitive - there are other health joints out there). If you want to avoid Dementia - drink coffee. If you want to lower your risk of Parkinson's disease or lower your chances of arterial disease, drink coffee. OK, now I am stretching this a little, yet I have read several articles on the subject this morning and the conclusion is that coffee is perhaps not bad for you and in fact perhaps good. See? I can be non-committal also. Java now, Java tomorrow, Java forever! My pot of java is mine to drink.

You can Google this yourself, but I will give you the New York Times story that started all of this today. "Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk" If you want to see a pretty nice summary of health effects, you might look at this web page - Coffee Science Information Center - summary of findings

Christmas - the thought is all that counts

How many times in our lives are we told "it isn't the gift but the thought behind it that really counts"? Some will argue that gift giving is better left alone if it is not full of personal thought. I guess from my personal point of view, I agree on the most part. However, I could tell you about one of my relatives who gave the same firecracker gift to me every year, and I remember her well for it. So I can attest to the fact that gift giving has its place even if the person giving does not know much about the person to whom it is given to. A relationship between two people is established and sustained, partially through the gift giving process.

Oops, we just introduced another concept to the equation - "process". Sure, gift giving is a process. For example, if you give to impress, that is the beginning of a process to gain something or expect something in return, thereby initiating a process. If you give to signify love, you expect to be loved. If you give to educate, you want feedback on how the education thought you had helped the one you wanted to educate. Some gifts are very simple and low cost such as a Christmas card. You hope to get a card back in return, not just a card to show off on a mantle or Christmas tree, but one that communicates socially, boosting the relationship you have with another person or family. Some gifts are intended to be worn and you want to see the recipient wearing it and enjoying it, and be remembered by your gift. Sometimes, the gift needs immediate feedback. A simple "thank you" will suffice. There are charitable cases where the gift needs no feedback except the fulfillment of helping another human being survive. But after the gift is given, it too goes through a process even when anonymous. But giving without feedback and reward, even if the reward is self gratification, is empty and defeats the purpose of giving. So the thought of the gift is related to the process.

I tried to test this concept on some of my grandchildren. The value of the gift was not going to be very important, but I would maximize its value given the economic outlook. Although a bizarre approach, I wanted to do this in a way that would create a laugh and be remembered, mainly because the two grandchildren are quite intelligent and they both have some attributes in common which I thought I could leverage.

So thinking that the new year could be an economically stressful one, we decided that the gift would be for the parents as well. So even under economic stress, the boys would be able to go to an entertainment facility next summer on a season pass that we gave them.

Christmas would not be Christmas if the children would not open wrapped gifts. Just a piece of paper in an envelope seemed totally inappropriate. So I packaged the tickets in some gift wrapped boxes. To tie the gifts to their Papaw, inside each box contained an ordinary leaf from a tree; the leaf was attached to a handwritten note indicating what kind of tree it represented and in a tone of good humor. The ticket was hidden underneath the leaf in an envelope. I wanted to take this a step further however. So for the eldest, I made up a large box and put trash in it. Yep, I said trash! All recyclable stuff including boxes, paper, plastic bottles, everything I could find to make sure it looked like trash. I made it where the boxes would be challenging to open (work is required for everything one desires to have in life) and the true gift difficult to find in the box (value is recognized relative to other things). I wrapped the boxes with normal Christmas paper and added a stem of Yaupon berries to decorate the box. This was to connect what I love to their gifts. I warned the parents in advance that something strange might happen in the opening of these gifts.

For a moment, I felt a little tenseness among the adults in the room when my grandchild opened the big box. He looked at the contents and said, "trash!". Of course he has a great disposition and understands his papaw and how different my approach may be. We all laughed. Now what? I put a couple of additional envelopes in strategic locations within the box with a written message that indicated he had not opened the true gift yet, so he would go through a search of the box. He opened those envelopes first, because they were most visible when he opened the box. I could feel a sigh of relief when he finally discovered the actual gift, which was hidden under a piece of Styrofoam packaging material in the box. He laughed and appreciated the gift. His brother went through the same process. They both showed everyone in the room the leaves and my blog's business card. Both can now name those two trees by the shape of their leaves. Both boys are outdoorsy, and I want them to learn more about the forest about them. This worked out fine. It will be a Christmas that both kids will always remember. The process? They will remember where the tickets came from next summer when they go to the entertainment facility. The eldest will always remember the trash gift; I have made a place in his life that he will always remember. (He said a "new tradition", but I doubt we will see this again for a long long time). I am reasonably sure I will hear about this again in the future.

So now you see the rest of the story. Gift giving is not just getting the appropriate gift for the child. It is being remembered for the gift, family tradition and the bonding event memory of everyone there, the learning of something new, and finally the inclusion of everyone in the family to make sure all benefit from it. Mission accomplished.

Don't be afraid to be creative; select gifts with purpose and thoughtful knowledge of the recipients. It is the thought that really counts!

Anxiety in the middle of the night

Having lost a loved one very recently, I am realizing there are parts to life one recognizes deep in the mind, which are evasive when all is calm and routine. When life's balance is interrupted by tragedy or unexpected death, or even expected death in the family, the human mind can reel off various triggers as one sleeps. Such a trigger went off this morning, alerting me subconsciously that something was wrong. Then the conscious part of the brain too over and I woke up. Not to forget the incident and in fact share it, I am writing this little entry into the blog.

So what happened? Nothing and that was the problem. For years, I have looked after my 87 year old mom who lives in another city, making sure someone was doing something for her or someone had something planned for her, or I had contacted her and said something to her to please her and make her feel loved.

I woke up in panic mode, thinking I had not done anything for a long time and had let things slip.

She passed away six weeks ago. Lesson? Be there for your parents when they get old. Make sure they are part of your daily routine. They will not be there forever and time moves so quickly! Part of liv'n is dying. We all know that. Also part of liv'n is caring and making sure those who are dying get to enjoy that which remains. We may be less aware of that. Everyone living is dying. We are probably too busy to realize this. There is less urgency in it.

Family Reunion - kernel of love, a bridge

I recently went to a family reunion, one that I organized. For years, I was "too busy" to participate in any Christmas gatherings, reunions or the such. I got almost totally out of touch with the larger family and more focused on my wife's family than mine. It had been five years since my family had it's last reunion, and some members of the family I have not seen since that time. So much water has flowed under the bridge since that reunion. This article is intended to describe that bridge and its relevance to today's family. This picture tells the story. Uncle Russ. Is he loved by his nephews or what?

Unfortunately, the last five years has seen the loss of half of my mothers' siblings. One aunt, one uncle and their spouses have passed away. Other relatives on this side of the family have also passed - some young, some elderly. That water will never pass under that bridge again. I have regrets for not asking them many questions and reminding them that I loved them. I had little interaction with them and missed a great deal of my heritage, yet I knew them as if I lived with them. Why is that, I ask? For one thing the relationships were for many decades. Over those decades, we talked many times about our family and heritage - memories, questions, answers.

The base of our relationships over those years has been the kernel of love. You will find it's heart on that old bridge which passes over a river, cutting through the earth for millenniums. As more water passed under it, the water became deeper, just like the love that bonds the family. Since America began, that river has deepened for many families as their relationships developed and ancestries were preserved. In the last century alone, the importance of the family has become much more pronounced in America. Important questions abound on disease inheritance, national bloodline inheritance, and family history. Sometimes, there is a concentration of ancestors in specific areas of this country or another country. We want to meet some of those people. We want to understand where we came from and be able to pass that information to our children and grand children.

I once sought a possible family link in Scotland to only discover that the Scottish clan where I may have had roots, consisted of murderers, thieves and robbers. Later I found that I was not related to them. That gave me a sigh of relief. Now I wish I had some connection like that to pre-American ancestors. We do have some photos 100+ years old to help and some information linking us to very early immigrants. Maybe that will lead me to another place on the other side of the ocean. That could give us some real connectivity with the past.

So after putting this reunion together, I am already planning the next one. We will have one at a historical site of the family rather a contemporary site and do it next year! It will be a learning and bonding experience for everyone.

If you would like to share your family reunion experiences and any advice you have to make excellent bonds within the family, please do so in the attached comment section. I would personally love to hear about your thoughts and experiences. I am sure my readers would as well.

My own advice? Listen to the flow of the water. Stand on that bridge and gaze into that water. Don't think it too difficult to see into the water nor that it is not valuable to capture what passes by. You won't be disappointed. Like my aunt said, "I love my family." It is our heritage, our blood, our past. Whatever happens there, it happens. Family is important to our children and our children's children. Embrace and protect your heritage. There may be skeletons in the closet but the reality is there, so do not divorce the family if there are dark kept secrets. Knowing empowers us to have good health and take measures assuming that we inherit the good and bad traits of our ancestors. Computer software is available to document and share knowledge. Old photos can be reproduced easily. Chances are that one family member knows how to use the software and to doctor old photographs and make them available to others.Sometimes we find relative information in newspapers. Other times, in relative's storage boxes.

Car Watch Program : prevent auto theft and burglary - Living Advice in The Woodlands Texas

This program is actually a Texas program. It is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation. The Sheriff department and other law enforcement agencies here cannot stop an automobile without due cause unless the owner provides those agencies with permission to stop the vehicle without cause. This particular provision of state law is to help law enforcement officials catch auto thieves. The Texas Auto Burglary & Theft Prevention Authority registers vehicles through a process known as H.E.A.T. to enable law enforcement officers to suspect the vehicle is stolen between the hours of 1AM and 5AM if the car is on the road during those hours. So if you do not regularly use your vehicle between those hours and wish your car to be more visible as a possible theft, you would use this service. 1-800-CAR-WATCH or register online at H.E.A.T. This process also enables cars to fall under suspicion at the Texas Mexico border, so don't be surprised if they stop you at the border and ask additional questions or proof of ownership if the related decal is displayed on your vehicle. That is a good thing to help protect your property! A quote from the the state website: "A car is stolen in Texas every five and a half minutes. More vehicles are stolen between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. than any other time." Montgomery County participates in state wide efforts to identify and catch car thieves. It is called the Montgomery County Auto Theft Task Force. There has been a big drop in reported stolen vehicles for Texas since 2001, indicating the program is working. Also, Texas has a 74% recovery rate for stolen vehicles compared to 63% nationally. Some cars are more prone to be stolen that others. Lately, the Acura has been one of the more desired vehicles by thieves. ALso to understand that as many as 25% of 4-wheel vehicles on the road in Mexico are stolen. Mexico allows vehicles to cross into their country without being checked. Almost every vehicle that has been stolen is identified as being stolen after crossing using border surveillance equipment by the law enforcement agencies. But that does not mean the car is recoverable. Leaving your keys in your car is a class "C" misdemeanor. You can be fined up to $500 for doing so. Insurance will not pay you for damages to your car if the keys are in it. It is also a felony to operate a car without the owners permission. Keep that in mind when you borrow someone else's car. The old saying, "three strikes and you are out" applies to this. Three felonies and you lose your privileges. A related program is sponsored by this state agency - HLT, or HIDE LOCK TAKE. This program particularly pertains to The Woodlands residents. This program requests that residents help law enforcement officials by hiding your things in the car, locking your the doors to your car, and taking your keys out of the car when you leave it. Burglaries are a constant threat and an auto0moible parked in a driveway of a home is a target for mischief and theft when these precautions are ignored. Other related advice is to not park too close to the auto in front of you. Think "I need space to get out if confronted by a thief or threatened by suspicious persons nearby." Give yourself the option to leave in a bug hurry if you need to do so. While we are at this, the Sheriff's department recommends that people in this county use steering wheel locks. They are a deterrent to thieves.

• Web Link to Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority
• H.E.A.T. Web link