Sometimes when you wake up in the night an idea is there that won't let you ignore it. I had one of those last night. I woke at 3:45am with the strong thought that I needed for Sally and I to say our vows at the pre race staging area before the Disney World half in January.
Last January my trip to my happy place was just horrible. I just divorced my wife of 24 years, I was alone for the first time at Disney, I was totally untrained and it was record cold conditions. This time when I toe the starting line I will be in the company of a lady who befriended me and helped me through the hurt and got me moving forward again. It seems so necessary that I share that happiness with the people who helped me through this difficult time.
I have a lot of planning and getting permission from Disney to do this. I need to find an ordained minister who would like something to do for 30 min before we move to the starting area. I have had a year of good luck and have managed to get a house and save the money for the trip and the races but there just isn't anyway to have a real Disney wedding. But this is a celebration of happiness and a new beginning, money can't buy that anyway.
My journey to this Disney World marathon weekend started back in May of 2006. I had been battling with a badly scarred Achilles tendon for a couple of years and I was doing a 5K cross country race. Every step on the uneven grass was torture. When I was limping away from the finish I decided that I wasn't ever going to go through that again. The Panda was born that day. With every step I limped I became stronger and and more determined that Dave the athlete was not going quietly into the night.
I started on a journey that day with a mission to accomplish along the way. I tried to run hurt for a long time because I couldn't imagine being a walker, that would be just unthinkable. I had to prove to myself that a walker was indeed an athlete. Accomplishing that I wanted to be there for others who needed a life time sport to keep them healthy and strong.
About a year into my journey I was on a training walk up a long hill when a little field mouse joined me and ran along with me for a while before turning off into the grass. That day I had the message on the walking site inviting me to get involved with Disney racing. Up until then I had no idea that Disney World had races or that there were people that made them a part of their wellness plan. I'm very honored to be involved with the Disney racing groups.
Thanks for reading and if anyone knows who I need to contact to get permission for a quick saying of vows at the pre race area please let me know. If anyone reading this is a minister and wants to lead us in our vows I would be grateful.
Marrying Panda
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Worry
Most of us use a tremendous amount of mental energy in worry. We worry about everything in our life, our money or lack of it, our relationship, our children and a million other things. We use so much of our mental energy in worry that there is often not enough left for really living.
Often the things we are worrying about are the things that carry over into an argument with our spouse, children or co workers. How dare them not be worrying about the same things we are.
When we carry worry over into our exercise time we can't perform as well as we are capable because you can't have a good workout with negative thoughts. A good way to deal with this is to first recognise it and then tell yourself, "There is nothing I can do about this problem right now so I will not worry about it right now and dwell instead on something positive".
We often make a problem more than it is by letting it become a major concern instead of something that is really insignificant. Many times the fix is easy and quick if we would just do it. For example if your worry is about an issue with another person then it's time to approach that person and put it behind you. Taking a walk with your life partner is a great time to discuss concerns. Extending a hand in friendship is a good way to end old feuds with a co worker or friend. A call to a family member or friend is a great way to say it's time we were part of each other's lives again.
If your worry is over money, worry won't get you any but putting that energy into a liveable solution might. Remember the walk with your spouse or life partner is a good time to discuss solutions.
When you use your energy for living and not spending it in worry you will be a lot happier and a whole lot healthier.
Thanks for reading
rambling Panda
Often the things we are worrying about are the things that carry over into an argument with our spouse, children or co workers. How dare them not be worrying about the same things we are.
When we carry worry over into our exercise time we can't perform as well as we are capable because you can't have a good workout with negative thoughts. A good way to deal with this is to first recognise it and then tell yourself, "There is nothing I can do about this problem right now so I will not worry about it right now and dwell instead on something positive".
We often make a problem more than it is by letting it become a major concern instead of something that is really insignificant. Many times the fix is easy and quick if we would just do it. For example if your worry is about an issue with another person then it's time to approach that person and put it behind you. Taking a walk with your life partner is a great time to discuss concerns. Extending a hand in friendship is a good way to end old feuds with a co worker or friend. A call to a family member or friend is a great way to say it's time we were part of each other's lives again.
If your worry is over money, worry won't get you any but putting that energy into a liveable solution might. Remember the walk with your spouse or life partner is a good time to discuss solutions.
When you use your energy for living and not spending it in worry you will be a lot happier and a whole lot healthier.
Thanks for reading
rambling Panda
Monday, August 23, 2010
Multi Tasking
Maybe it's generation gap but I'm having a hard time with the new trend of "Multi Tasking", or doing several things at once. Doesn't that mean that we compromise the quality of what we do to get more accomplished?
Trying to do to much at one time is a fine way to be stressed out most of the time. We really don't resolve things when we just do them on auto pilot. If something is worth doing it's surely worth giving it our full attention. Especially if it involves others, like our families and friends. I was just to busy to realize my, fill in the blank, was needing my attention.
Everything you buy works better now than it ever did, but that is because the technology got a lot better over the years, but the quality of workmanship hasn't kept up. You can bet the people that were inventing that new technology were giving it their full attention.
My hero Walt Disney's favorite words of advice were, "keep moving forward", but that doesn't mean full speed a head with out giving it your full attention. We have to slow it down a bit and take some of the tasks off our plate so we can properly do the important ones.
When we get a day off we usually have a whole list of stuff we need to get done, then we hurry through each trying to get it all done. We do a lousy job of trimming the grass, saying "I'll get that other part done next week", (just like you said last week), we hurry through each task and don't give any of them the attention that is required because our mind is on the next task.
Maybe if we decreased the amount of things we were trying to all at once then not only would our quality go back up but maybe it would open up jobs for others. Perhaps it's time we were craftsmen and women again instead of machines going full on all the time.
At least when you are not working and doing what the boss demands, try to slow down a bit and do a better job of what you do instead of a faster job. You might even be healthier for it.
Thanks for reading
Rambling Panda
Trying to do to much at one time is a fine way to be stressed out most of the time. We really don't resolve things when we just do them on auto pilot. If something is worth doing it's surely worth giving it our full attention. Especially if it involves others, like our families and friends. I was just to busy to realize my, fill in the blank, was needing my attention.
Everything you buy works better now than it ever did, but that is because the technology got a lot better over the years, but the quality of workmanship hasn't kept up. You can bet the people that were inventing that new technology were giving it their full attention.
My hero Walt Disney's favorite words of advice were, "keep moving forward", but that doesn't mean full speed a head with out giving it your full attention. We have to slow it down a bit and take some of the tasks off our plate so we can properly do the important ones.
When we get a day off we usually have a whole list of stuff we need to get done, then we hurry through each trying to get it all done. We do a lousy job of trimming the grass, saying "I'll get that other part done next week", (just like you said last week), we hurry through each task and don't give any of them the attention that is required because our mind is on the next task.
Maybe if we decreased the amount of things we were trying to all at once then not only would our quality go back up but maybe it would open up jobs for others. Perhaps it's time we were craftsmen and women again instead of machines going full on all the time.
At least when you are not working and doing what the boss demands, try to slow down a bit and do a better job of what you do instead of a faster job. You might even be healthier for it.
Thanks for reading
Rambling Panda
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Taming of the PF Monster
Well it appears that I've beaten back the planter fasciitis that I've been suffering from for about a month. I'm really tickled about healing it so fast since I've known people who have suffered for years from it. That wasn't an option for me since I had to get back to racing shape before the State Games.
I'll start by recounting how I ended up with PF to begin with. I had been steadily improving by doing my walk training every other day and pool running and good stretching on the opposite days. About a month ago I decided to add two extra days of hard race walking workouts to my training plan. This did several bad things: First it violated the golden rule of training; don't increase more than 10 percent each week and never increase distance and speed workouts both in the same week. Also by doing more walk training I was doing less stretching since I didn't do the stretching after a walk like I did after a pool workout. It took about 3 weeks of this to give me a good case of PF.
PF is pain on the bottom of your foot especially around the heel. It's worse in the morning when you first get out of bed and if you try to train on it. It's constant but those are the worse times. Any time you are on your feet or walking it's painful.
Healing it effectively and quickly required a lot of different actions:
Not walking barefoot even in the house, go from bed to well cushioned shoes.
Wearing compression socks (Tight fitting) to bed, this is like wrapping with an ace bandage.
Buying cushioned insoles for all my shoes, work, play and training. The sock liners that come in most athletic shoes are not very cushioned.
Rolling my foot on a tennis ball several times a day for a massage of the injured area.
Stretching everyday, not missing a day, everyday. I found that going to the gym hot whirlpool was good because it keep the muscles warm since I couldn't warm up with training, but a tub at home with hot water works also.
Taking Advil in the morning for the pain and swelling and then Aleve for all day pain relief.
Icing the bottom of my foot with a water bottle that has been in the freezer.
Doing all these things and resting from training for 2 weeks did the trick, I'm back to training but building back up slowly and I'm going back to the every other day walk training schedule with pool work and stretching on the opposite days.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
I'll start by recounting how I ended up with PF to begin with. I had been steadily improving by doing my walk training every other day and pool running and good stretching on the opposite days. About a month ago I decided to add two extra days of hard race walking workouts to my training plan. This did several bad things: First it violated the golden rule of training; don't increase more than 10 percent each week and never increase distance and speed workouts both in the same week. Also by doing more walk training I was doing less stretching since I didn't do the stretching after a walk like I did after a pool workout. It took about 3 weeks of this to give me a good case of PF.
PF is pain on the bottom of your foot especially around the heel. It's worse in the morning when you first get out of bed and if you try to train on it. It's constant but those are the worse times. Any time you are on your feet or walking it's painful.
Healing it effectively and quickly required a lot of different actions:
Not walking barefoot even in the house, go from bed to well cushioned shoes.
Wearing compression socks (Tight fitting) to bed, this is like wrapping with an ace bandage.
Buying cushioned insoles for all my shoes, work, play and training. The sock liners that come in most athletic shoes are not very cushioned.
Rolling my foot on a tennis ball several times a day for a massage of the injured area.
Stretching everyday, not missing a day, everyday. I found that going to the gym hot whirlpool was good because it keep the muscles warm since I couldn't warm up with training, but a tub at home with hot water works also.
Taking Advil in the morning for the pain and swelling and then Aleve for all day pain relief.
Icing the bottom of my foot with a water bottle that has been in the freezer.
Doing all these things and resting from training for 2 weeks did the trick, I'm back to training but building back up slowly and I'm going back to the every other day walk training schedule with pool work and stretching on the opposite days.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Change Your Life
Have you felt like you have been just going through the motions and not really living? Life just isn't exciting, nothing but same old routine, day after day? Then it's time for a change isn't it?
There is only one way out of the rut and that's to get proactive and take charge of your life. Take your life and shake it up, start doing things that are not part of your day after day routine.
Today is a good day to start. Everyday you put off taking charge is another day of "Oh Hum". If you don't normally exercise then get some sneakers on and go for a walk, better still grab your significant other and take them with you. Are you a shy person, then be naked in the house for a while today. Been a while since you have been to a movie? Then take your lover and see something powerful that stirs your emotions, share a large popcorn.
Start facing your fears. If there are friends and family members you haven't talked to because of something in the past then pick up the phone and call them. Putting long dead differences behind you is cleansing. Have a coworker that you don't talk to because of disagreements in the past, then extend your hand in friendship, get over it and put it behind you.
Go to the beach, go hiking, go exploring a new city, there are lots of adventures that are close to home and inexpensive. Rent a convertiable, go somewhere on a weekend trip. Get out of the house see new places. Have friends over for and grill burgers, play a board game, anything that isn't on the computer.
There are countless ways to change your life. Gather your spouse, family or significant other and have a planning meeting, the subject, "Where would you like to go this weekend". Take charge and shake up your dull life, it will change you forever.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
There is only one way out of the rut and that's to get proactive and take charge of your life. Take your life and shake it up, start doing things that are not part of your day after day routine.
Today is a good day to start. Everyday you put off taking charge is another day of "Oh Hum". If you don't normally exercise then get some sneakers on and go for a walk, better still grab your significant other and take them with you. Are you a shy person, then be naked in the house for a while today. Been a while since you have been to a movie? Then take your lover and see something powerful that stirs your emotions, share a large popcorn.
Start facing your fears. If there are friends and family members you haven't talked to because of something in the past then pick up the phone and call them. Putting long dead differences behind you is cleansing. Have a coworker that you don't talk to because of disagreements in the past, then extend your hand in friendship, get over it and put it behind you.
Go to the beach, go hiking, go exploring a new city, there are lots of adventures that are close to home and inexpensive. Rent a convertiable, go somewhere on a weekend trip. Get out of the house see new places. Have friends over for and grill burgers, play a board game, anything that isn't on the computer.
There are countless ways to change your life. Gather your spouse, family or significant other and have a planning meeting, the subject, "Where would you like to go this weekend". Take charge and shake up your dull life, it will change you forever.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Super Powers
We have been treated to a lot of movies over the last 10 years, based on Comic Book Heroes. We have met Batman, The X Men, The Fantastic Four and a host of others. We all, adults as well as children have day dreamed of having powers and extra ordinary abilities. What if we really did have the ability to do what others only dream of?
We, humans, are an amazing creation. Most of us have no concept of the abilities we already have. We simply can't comprehend how amazing we really are. To start with most people have never tried to see what their minds and bodies are capable of.
A super power is by my definition being able to do something that others find difficult or impossible. Let's start with the power of patience, very often we do something to soon because we just couldn't wait and we settled for less, when if we could have just waited longer we could have had much more.
Will power is indeed a super power. If you can develop it, and you can, you can accomplish amazing things: you can lose weight, stop smoking and other unhealthy habits, you can even keep form embarrassing yourself by keeping your mouth shut when you would really much rather create a scene.
How does one train their since of patience, self control, will power and other powers of our minds? We already know the basics of training our bodies to develop our athletic powers but powers of the mind are more difficult.
To start with you have to want to have more control over your thoughts and actions. You have to want to resist temptations before you can start training your desires. If you want to be more in control then start by controlling your cravings. "I want a snack, but I'm not hungry and it's to late to eat since I'm going to bed soon", ever thought that and then ate a pint of ice cream anyway? Once you give in your at peace and content with your comfort food.
Wish you had the POWER to resist those cravings? Wish you had the patience to wait without getting frustrated and bubbling over with stress? Well you can, you just have to want it and start developing your powers.
Practice saying NO to yourself when you have an unhealthy craving or desire. Just as you have to force yourself off the couch to train your body you have to learn to say NO to your cravings. I will not eat late, I will not light another cigarette, I will wait till I'm hungry to eat.....
Think about the things you wish you had the power to change and then get started, tackle one change at a time and each time you don't give in you have increased your power.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
We, humans, are an amazing creation. Most of us have no concept of the abilities we already have. We simply can't comprehend how amazing we really are. To start with most people have never tried to see what their minds and bodies are capable of.
A super power is by my definition being able to do something that others find difficult or impossible. Let's start with the power of patience, very often we do something to soon because we just couldn't wait and we settled for less, when if we could have just waited longer we could have had much more.
Will power is indeed a super power. If you can develop it, and you can, you can accomplish amazing things: you can lose weight, stop smoking and other unhealthy habits, you can even keep form embarrassing yourself by keeping your mouth shut when you would really much rather create a scene.
How does one train their since of patience, self control, will power and other powers of our minds? We already know the basics of training our bodies to develop our athletic powers but powers of the mind are more difficult.
To start with you have to want to have more control over your thoughts and actions. You have to want to resist temptations before you can start training your desires. If you want to be more in control then start by controlling your cravings. "I want a snack, but I'm not hungry and it's to late to eat since I'm going to bed soon", ever thought that and then ate a pint of ice cream anyway? Once you give in your at peace and content with your comfort food.
Wish you had the POWER to resist those cravings? Wish you had the patience to wait without getting frustrated and bubbling over with stress? Well you can, you just have to want it and start developing your powers.
Practice saying NO to yourself when you have an unhealthy craving or desire. Just as you have to force yourself off the couch to train your body you have to learn to say NO to your cravings. I will not eat late, I will not light another cigarette, I will wait till I'm hungry to eat.....
Think about the things you wish you had the power to change and then get started, tackle one change at a time and each time you don't give in you have increased your power.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
Monday, June 28, 2010
"Earn This"
In the movie, Saving Private Ryan, Ryan was told to, "Earn this", by Tom Hanks as he was dying. The squad that was tasked with saving him were all killed, but Ryan lived. At the end of the movie Ryan went to the cemetery where Tom Hank's character was buried and told him how he had tried to live a good life and "Earn", the sacrifice that those men made, that he should live.
We all have that opportunity to earn our place in this world. We must earn the right to have words like; courage, honest, honor and kind, describe us. We adult athletes have the means to show our courage, when we choose to go on, in a long race or training walk/run, when we have nothing left we prove our courage and determination. We can't go out and slay a dragon to prove our courage but we can darn sure go the distance.
To a soldier honor is one of the strongest life goals. You are prepared to give full measure for your country. To live without honor is unthinkable. Most of us don't go to battle each day but we go to work. In this day of bad economy having a job is never a sure thing. I'm a firm believer, however, that a man/woman with honor will find work, because to not work is unthinkable. It may take a little time to think it out but they will keep moving forward.
We all need to remember to respect each other. When we are there for others, then those others are there for us. I'm living proof of that. When I was beaten down by a bitter divorce, the people I needed to help me were there for me. Thank you my friends, I shall never forget your kindness and support.
There is no greater disrespect for another than to lie to them. When we lie we live without honor, we live without honesty and we live without courage. An honest person is one who can be truly at peace. We must all strive to live with and promote honesty both to others and ourselves.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
We all have that opportunity to earn our place in this world. We must earn the right to have words like; courage, honest, honor and kind, describe us. We adult athletes have the means to show our courage, when we choose to go on, in a long race or training walk/run, when we have nothing left we prove our courage and determination. We can't go out and slay a dragon to prove our courage but we can darn sure go the distance.
To a soldier honor is one of the strongest life goals. You are prepared to give full measure for your country. To live without honor is unthinkable. Most of us don't go to battle each day but we go to work. In this day of bad economy having a job is never a sure thing. I'm a firm believer, however, that a man/woman with honor will find work, because to not work is unthinkable. It may take a little time to think it out but they will keep moving forward.
We all need to remember to respect each other. When we are there for others, then those others are there for us. I'm living proof of that. When I was beaten down by a bitter divorce, the people I needed to help me were there for me. Thank you my friends, I shall never forget your kindness and support.
There is no greater disrespect for another than to lie to them. When we lie we live without honor, we live without honesty and we live without courage. An honest person is one who can be truly at peace. We must all strive to live with and promote honesty both to others and ourselves.
Thanks for reading.
Rambling Panda
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