Serving

Friends of ours had a graduation party for their son this past weekend. My wife and I believe that when you have a party of that sort where there are going to be lots relatives and friends coming over, you cannot do it yourself. So we, along with another couple, volunteered to serve them for the day.

This means that we would help set up for the party, get the buffet ready for dinner, watch the food throughout the day to make sure that all of the dishes are full, empty trash and generally do whatever it took to free the hosts up to greet their guests and socialize.

These are special friends and we were happy to do this important (and exhausting) job. And even though we were doing this, we still had time between the four of us to have a good time at the party. Our friends could not find enough words to express their appreciation for what we did.

The Bible says that you should serve others (he who wants to be first should make themselves last, to paraphrase). This weekend once again proved how fulfilling serving can be. Our friends were so thankful for all we did, you could tell it meant the world to them.

I want to be more active in looking for ways to serve others. This doesn't have to be an all day event like it was at the party. Any way of assisting others helps - getting the door for someone carrying something, stopping to help a stranded motorist, checking in on a home bound relative. It doesn't have to be hard, and it is almost always fulfilling.

I ran again (my writing seems to follow the pattern of my running). Same course, same run-walk mix, although I did go about 30 seconds per mile faster than the last run. I am going to try to hold that pace for the next few runs.

--Maddog

Early morning blues

I’m not sure why I like running so much.

I have never experienced what is described as a “runners high”. I don’t ponder life or solve the problems of the world during a run. Most of the time, I just daydream.

Maybe the problem is that I run too early in the morning. I get up at 4:30 AM for my weekday runs (on the weekends, I will run at the more sane hour of 8:00 AM) and am by no means a morning person.

The early hour may also be the appeal for me. I like being out there before the world wakes up. My only companion is the paper delivery person that I see on occasion driving through the neighborhood. Other than that, it is just me and the road. I can’t see enough to be distracted visually. I keep the music on my MP3 player very low, so it is more background noise. I am able to hear the sounds of the world coming to life.

Anyway, I did run again this morning. Same slow pace, same route. I’m planning on trying to stay at this pace for at least a few weeks, until I’m certain that there are no problems (that whole heart thing). I say try, because even this morning I had to hold myself back from trying to beat my time from the last run (I actually did beat the time by a few seconds).

I just need to keep reminding myself – Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

--Maddog

Back on the road again

I made it back on the road again yesterday morning. After a two month layoff, I ran my normal neighborhood circuit.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. A month ago, I was treated for heart disease. This was done after about a month of minor chest, arm and jaw discomfort whenever I ran or climbed the stairs. The final outcome was that I had a stent put into an artery which was 95% blocked. I also was told that I had other arteries with around a 40% blockage. According to my cardiologist, my running days were over.

I have never been a person who was logged huge weekly mileage totals or won race after race. I think of myself as a fairly typical runner who, between the demands of work and a family, would somehow get in between 12 and 18 miles a week. I had a goal to compete in my first marathon this year.

Suddenly everything changed. My cardiologist said I would never complete a marathon and he wasn't thrilled with my running at all. In fact, he didn't seem to want me to do anything - a pretty tough pill to swallow for a 42 year old man who, while not what I would call a super-jock, did enjoy a more active lifestyle then many of my coworkers and friends.

After a few weeks of trying to sort this information out, I visited my family doctor. His instructions were more clear. Live life - within limitations. The marathon was still out, but I could run. I could lift weights (another activity of mine), but should keep the weight lower than I had been doing to avoid stressing my heart.

I was estatic. There were limitations, but I won't be sitting around watching life pass me by.

And so, yesterday I was back on the road. A very slow pace of running mixed in with walk breaks to be sure. And it felt great!!

--Maddog