PERSPECTIVE

"It's so humid."

"I hate this cold weather."

"I don't feel like running today."

"Why don't they have more awards in MY age group?"

"Dammit, where's the remote?"

Most of us are guilty of uttering some of those remarks.

I'd like to offer a personal perspective.

A little over a week ago, a brilliant young man, who I had the pleasure to teach, lost his life, for his country, in Afghanistan. He leaves a wife and a grieving mother, father, sister and grandparents, as well as many, many friends. An Army Captain, and a member of the Green Berets, he was an outstanding student, athlete, and he was a hero. He died, in service of the United States, at the age of 29.

Three weeks ago, a friend, who was a father, grandfather, an Army veteran and a person who did not possess an evil bone in his body, was diagnosed with a tumor on his esophagus. Nine days later, he passed away at the age of 58. He stayed in shape by lifting weights and probably had less than 10% body fat. My fondest memory was attending a Dropkick Murphy's concert in Philadelphia, with him, his son, and my wife.

This morning, on Facebook, I read the courageous story of a young woman who, until last year, trained at an eight-minute mile pace. Then, she suffered a stroke. Today she is thankful to be able to log a couple of miles at a 12-minute pace.

Our ability to lace up our running shoes to go out there and do what we love to do is a great gift, which, despite our sense on invincibility, can be taken away in an instant.

On a daily basis, little things may annoy us, but let us never lose perspective.

If you are religious, thank God for this great gift of life, and pray for those he has chosen to take with him.

For us, the living, enjoy and appreciate every single moment. We all, this writer included, should attempt to be more tolerant, and less critical.

Appreciate your great family, friends, and pets.

Enjoy every second of the life with which we have been gifted.

I'm going out for a run.

GREAT SUMMER READING...AND MORE TO COME!

Thanks to all of you who read my blog. The response from my readers over the past few months has been tremendous, and I am truly humbled.

If you like this blog, I think you will love my book, "Running Shorts: A collection of Stories and Advice for Anyone Who Has Ever Laced Up a Pair of Running Shoes." www.runningshortsbook.com.

It is available for a reduced price on my website above. I'll sign a copy and send it to you for $11.00, and I'll pay for the shipping and handling. The book is also available online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and at Lulu.com, where you can buy the ebook.

Running Shorts is a chronicle of my 37-years as a competitive runner. It is about my experiences, many of which are your experiences. I offer advice, humor, and a bit of running history in the book. The stories will make you laugh and the advice will make you a better runner.

The book is a great summer read, and I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

In August I will publish my second book, entitled, "Personal Best." My objective in writing this book is to help my readers achieve their personal best as runners in a physical, mental, and spiritual manner.

More about "Personal Best" in future blogs.

In the meantime, enjoy some great summer running, stay healthy, and read some good books.

                                          Book Signing at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo

SIX SIZZLING REASONS TO LIKE SUMMER WORKOUTS

First, let me begin by saying that I know this blog will produce controversy. Talking about the weather is like offering opinions about religion or politics.

Obviously, these are my personal views, and I fully respect (and expect) contrary opinions.

One more disclaimer.

Races, especially longer distances like the marathon or half marathon are best run in the cooler weather. Ideally, temperatures in the 50s are what we hope for when we run a marathon.

Finally, use your influence to encourage local race directors to conduct all races no later than 9:00 a.m. during the months of June, July, and August, in anticipation of potentially dangerous heat conditions.

And one more 'Finally.' Be sure to stay hydrated, and avoid dangerous mid-day heat whenever possible during the summer months.

Now, on to the reasons why I, for the most part, love summer running workouts.

1. The Winter-I have chosen to live my life in northeastern Pennsylvania, so I  must accept the reality of harsh winters. That, however, doesn't mean I have to like them. Once the colorful fall foliage disappears, we are forced to endure six months of brown and gray colors, biting wind chills, snow, sleet, ice, and the accompanying shoveling that goes with it. Roads become narrowed, drivers become irate at the sight of runners, there is constant danger of falling...well, you get the picture. The colors, the sound of birds, the overall brightness that seems to extend to the workout itself, the beauty of roads, trails and the beach, provide such a contrast from the drab, depressing winter months that one will never hear me complain about the heat.

2. Daylight-I have opined on this blog about the dreadful day in November when we return to Standard Time. Clocks "fall back" and we are plunged into darkness. Workout times are compressed. Night falls before 5:00 p.m., and a general workout depression sets in. During the summer, one can hit the road at 5:30 a.m. or 8:30 p.m. Given the busy schedules most of us are forced to juggle, we appreciate this flexibility of workout time options.

3. Clothing-Winter is way too much work for me. Nailing the exact wardrobe decision is essential. Dress too lightly and you'll be cold. Layer up too much and you'll sweat excessively, and, well, you'll be cold!! It's pretty simple in the summer. Shorts, socks, and shoes for guys. Add a top for women, and you're out the door. Ok, don't forget the sunscreen and sunglasses.

4. Precipitation-We actually ENJOY precipitation in the summer. A cooling rain shower in July feels good. Rain at 40-degrees in February definitely does not feel good. And the rain is never going to freeze in the summer, causing treacherous footing.

5. Shade-Unless you're running on a beach, isn't it great that we can seek out our own personal air conditioning unit? I have specific routes that I choose on sweltering days. It may take me a few minutes to get there, but when I reach the canopy of trees, the temperatures drop ten degrees. It is magnificent.

6. Venues-Forest trails, mountains, the beach. Sure, we travel to these places at other times of the year, but, for the most part, many of us take that summer vacation. It is exciting to run on that secluded beach, or on that isolated mountain trail. When we travel, I love to use my morning run as a scouting mission. When I return, I usually have suggestions for restaurants I've passed during my workout, as well as places I'd like to visit.

Enjoy everything our sport has to offer during the summer months. Sure, your race times may suffer on hot days, so allow for that. Don't worry about accumulating massive amounts of miles, rather, concentrate on quality workouts.

And keep in mind the old adage: "You don't have to shovel the heat!"

SUMMER SPEED

Summer is the ideal time to go to the nearest track for a speed workout. Speed workouts not only build up leg speed, they push our heart rates to the limit, expand lung capacity, and provide us with that psychological edge we need during the latter stages of a race.

No matter what your age, ability level, or speed may be, I have a terrific speed workout that is quick, concise, and easy to do. (It's still painful), but it IS easy to do.

So, let's talk about 300s.

Jog a warmup mile or so, make sure you stretch before you begin the workout.

You are going to run a set of fast 300 meter intervals on the track.

Let's say you run a 5K race at an 8-minute per mile pace. That breaks down to 2-minutes for each 400-meter segment. Since 300 meters is 3/4 of 400-meters, your goal should be to run your 300s in less than 1:30. (That's a lot of math for me, but I think I got it right)

Now, here's the important component. Run that 300 meters, check and clear your watch, and jog the final 100 meters on the track. Do not stop. Restrict walking to a minimum.

Keep in mind, the objective of a speed workout is to NOT allow your heart rate to drop to a resting level. You want to keep it elevated to achieve the maximum benefit.

The number of repetitions is up to you. I would suggest no less than four, and no more than ten. Your last 300 should be as fast or faster than the first.

Jog for a mile as a warm down, and you have completed an excellent summertime workout.

Do your speed workouts in the middle of the week, and allow yourself three days before you race. If I have a race on Sunday, I run my speed workout no later than Wednesday. Weekends should be reserved for long runs or races.

Turn in a few 300s this summer and watch your race times plummet in the Fall.

WEIGHT A FEW MINUTES

We all know and love the benefits we derive from running. Our leg strength and  our cardiovascular fitness are greatly increased. Mentally and psychologically, running enables us to think more clearly, and it is an excellent form of stress release. Running keeps our weight down and melts away fat.

It is sculpts and tones us...from the waist down.

Over the years, I have found that a weight lifting regimen, two or three times a week, goes a long way toward increasing upper body strength, toning muscles from the waist up, and giving one the edge over competitors.

First, let's make one thing perfectly clear. Runners, who also lift weights, will never be mistaken for body builders. But, we don't want to be.

Weight lifting for runners is for the purpose of building upper body strength, not upper body bulk. For that reason, runners should concentrate on low-weight, high-repetition workouts.

Let's start our weight lifting routine with the core. A strong abdomen equals a strong back. Include crunches, or other abdominal  exercises into your training schedule.

 It's easy.

 I try to do 300 crunches daily while I watch the news, a sporting event, or a television program. Back in high school, we used to do an exercise called "six inchers." You lie on your back, raise your legs up, approximately six inches off the ground, and hold for 10 seconds. Do a set of ten, and you'll feel the burn in your lower abdomen.

My 20-minute weight lifting workout is conducted three times a week. I do a 3 sets of 15 bench presses, with a two-minute break between sets. I then proceed to 3 sets of 25 reps of curls, followed by 3 sets of 15 rowing exercises. I pick up the bar, holding it at my waist, "row" to my chest, then back to my waist.

Throughout the week, I visit my chin-up bar, where I try to do 10 chin-ups.

That's the routine that works for me. I believe if you put in about a half hour a day, three times a week, upper body weight lifting can supplement and enhance your running.

Plus, it makes you look and feel good.

                                                                My Weight Dungeon

SIX REASONS WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE A RUNNER

Yesterday was National Running Day. I hope everyone was able to get on the roads in celebration.

So, I'm a day late, but for National Running Day, I'd like to offer six reasons why it's great to be a runner.

1. Time Management-The U.S. Army used to run a commercial which talked about the many things soldiers accomplished before 7:00 a.m. That, of course, could apply to many of us. Before the coffee is made, and often before the sun rises, a large number of runners have completed a workout. Runners run during their lunch breaks. While soccer practice is being conducted, while others criticize the coaches or tell whoever is listening how great their kid is, we are squeezing in a run. Over the years, when asked, "How do you find the time to run?" I have responded with, "It's an hour I'd otherwise spend watching television, or otherwise wasting my time. These days, I'm sure it would include wasting time on some electronic device.

2. Weather-While others talk about it, we experience it. We understand and appreciate the feel of a minus twenty wind chill, or ninety by ninety. We also live for those crisp, cool, low humidity days, when we feel as though we could run forever. In a strange way, we ENJOY the challenge of a torrential rain, gale force winds, or blizzard conditions. When we put those workouts in the books, we have earned bragging rights.

3. Getting Older-Runners actually look forward to birthday years that end in zero or five, because it places us into a new age group. We also don't mind class reunions when people ask us how we stay so young. There is no retirement age in our sport.

4. Nature-Just like the weather, runners, for a time, become part of nature. Hurdling a snake who is sunbathing across a trail, a deer staring at you in amazement, a wild turkey, sometimes a bear, can often turn a workout into a nature trek. Running on a beach, a mountain trail, or along a river is the absolute best way to appreciate the beauty of nature that is all around us. Kinda takes us back to our caveman days.

5. Food-It tastes better, we learn what fuels us and what weighs us down, weight gain in not an issue, as we practice moderation in order to run our best.

6. Sexy Time-More energy, a better self-image for both men and women. Drugs like Viagra and Cialas address blood flow. Runners' arteries are like super highways. 'Nuff said!

You could probably list 60 reasons why it's great to be a runner. Maybe it was celebrated yesterday, but, for all of us, EVERYDAY our feet hit the road is National Running Day.

FIVERR

Soon after I published my book, "Running Shorts: A Collection of Stories and Advice for Anyone Who Has Ever Laced Up a Pair of Running Shoes," www.runningshortsbook.com, I traveled throughout the United States and Canada, at various marathon expos, promoting the book, and delivering seminars on a variety of topics.

At most races, my conversations with runners generally focused upon training methods. Based on my relative success over 37 seasons of competing, I was happy to offer a brief synopsis of training tips that have worked for me, as well as ones that haven't.

In addition, as head cross country coach at Penn State Schuylkill campus, I am proud of the fact that one of my runners has placed 9th and 7th place respectively at the USCAA Nationals for the past two years, and at the 2013 race earned All American status.

Now there is a way that I can offer quick, inexpensive training advice, as well as specific schedules to runners from around the world.

It is through a website called Fiverr. www.fiverr.com

Go to Fiverr.com, look for Running Shorts (that's me), and for basic fee of $5.00, I will design a training program to suit your needs. I also offer other Fiverr programs.

Over the past few months, I have designed programs for runners from Australia to Iceland Cyprus to South Korea, and have earned a 100% positive reviews. It doesn't matter if you are a beginning runner or a seasoned one; whether you'd like to run a 5K or a marathon, I'll put together a plan that will get you there.

So check out Fiverr.com, and I'll design a training plan just for you. It'll be the best $5.00 you've ever spent.