And you are...?

In many meetings that I chair, I have a habit of diving into the subject matter and start discussing and debating the topic at hand. After a few minutes of what the meeting is about, someone will eventually stop me and say, 'don't you think we should introduce ourselves?' So, now that I have a few postings, I guess it would be a good time to introduce myself and tell you why I run. (The Clif Notes version of me is in the 'About Me' section of this blog.)

I was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the suburbs. I always had a love of sports and competition. Growing up, my main sports were baseball and basketball. (I also played schoolyard buck-buck but there were no leagues for that back then.) When I was in seventh grade, my school had tryouts for a team at the Penn Relays. The tryout consisted of running from one end of the schoolyard to the other. Not only did I beat all the other seventh graders but also beat most of the eighth graders. I was hooked on running from then on.

For the next two years, I went on to become a pretty good sprinter from our region, running the 100 and 200. When I went to high school, the coach tried to turn me into a 440 yard and cross country runner because I was tall and lanky. I thought that was crazy. If I couldn't go all out, what was the point of running? So, my high school track career was short-lived.

Fast forward 30 some odd years later. The tech company I was working for set up their business plan for the first half of the year 2000, to fix all the Y2k problems that were forecasted. Boy, we were going to be busy. We wouldn't have enough people to fix these problems. Boy, were they ever wrong and layoffs ensued. Thus, began a 5 year odyssey for me to land another fulltime job.

Unemployment was one of the toughest periods I ever faced. Looking for jobs, making calls, writing letters, going on interviews, having people thinking of you and treating you, not as a person, but as a mere part in their puzzle. It is akin to bending over to get a beating and 'cheerfully' asking for more because you have to.

I began going to an outplacement service to get some life coaching. At the same time, I renewed my friendship with Steve who I used to work with when I lived in Boston (and he began running himself). The service taught me that I should look for outlets for my pent up frustrations. Steve taught me that running was more mental than it really was physical. With this perfect storm of influences surrounding me, I began to venture past the 400 yards that 'limited' me in the past.

In the past five years since, I have run over 60 races, from 5ks to marathons. I'm not particularly good at running distance races. I have no pretenses of ever winning a race or my age group (especially my age group. Geez. Those guys are tough!). I don't train particularly hard year-round, but, focus on specific events. Because of these training methods, I think I have avoided any serious injuries. Besides the fun I have with it, the main reason I run is the mental challenges it presents.

Like unemployment, you have to believe in yourself when running. There will be times when it is really difficult and you want to quit but you have to remember what it will feel like when you have accomplished your goal. I've come to realize the hardest part of running a marathon is not the physical act of running but believing that you CAN run and finish a marathon. You just need to convince yourself that nothing will come in the way between you and the finish line. And, if something does, you will find a way to overcome that obstacle. So it is the same with looking for a job or anything else you have set your sights on.

I silently dedicated my first marathon to those who go through unemployment. I silently dedicate my running to those who have given up hope in their lives. Don't give up, no matter what. You will want to quit. Don't. Persevere. Find within yourself the will to go on. I know it's easier said than done but... YOU CAN DO IT. (Send me an e-mail if it helps. Look in the 'About Me' section)

Today, when I run, it is a reminder to myself of the hard times that I went through and the fact that I never did, or will ever, EVER, give up.

(Note: I ran the Fitness Center 5k in Warrington, PA last Saturday, April 21, 2007. Finally, the Northeast US had good spring weather as temperatures were in the upper 50- low 60's F! One of my goals this year is to beat my 24:43 5k PR. I started strong but the last mile was one long hill and wound up with an approximate 25:20 finish.

I have run (3) 5ks so far this year, all in the 25 minute range. If I could just find a flat 5k course in Central Bucks County! Another subject I intend to discuss is the mental aspect of beating this PR!)