2013 in Review

2013 was a great year in many ways for me. The greatest thing that happened was the birth of my 2nd grandchild, Jonah, on February 27.  My first grandchild, Finley, was born a year earlier on February 16. They are the joys of my life! Jonah is such a sweet baby. He always has a smile and he has stolen my heart.

                                                 Jonah at Christmas 2013

2013 was a great year for running. It started of slowly because I was battling a hamstring strain. It eventually mended and I was injury free the rest of the year. I have a lifetime goal of running in events in all 50 states. I don't have a time deadline. I just want to do it before I depart this earth. I added 8 states to my list giving me 20 states in which I have run in an event. Here are my races from 2013:

1/5      Jackson, MS             Half Marathon
1/6      New Orleans, LA      9k
2/2      Alpharetta, GA            5k
2/23    Roswell, GA                 5k
4/6      Cleveland, TN              5k
4/13    Cleveland, TN              5k
4/20    Cincinnati, OH           5k
5/11     Cumming, GA            10k
5/26    Boston, MA              Half Marathon
6/16    San Francisco, CA Half Marathon
6/22    Fairfield, CT             5k
6/23    Wilmington, DE     5k
7/4      Atlanta, GA                  10k
7/20    Cumming, GA             5k Trail Run
8/10    Duluth, GA                  5k
8/17    Alpharetta, GA            5k
8/31    Pocatello, ID            10k
9/2      Bear Lake, UT         5k
9/7      Alpharetta, GA            5k
11/2    Cleveland, TN              5k
11/9    Savannah, GA             Half Marathon
 

What a year. I will be hard pressed to match 2013. The good thing is that I don't have to. It all comes down to staying healthy and fit. I have very few goals in 2014. One goal is to complete another book I am working on that will guide others to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. I hope to have it finished in the first quarter of the year. The name of the book will be "Transforming the Temple." As far as running events, I would love to run in 5 additional states. That would put me halfway to 50 by age 60. My running routine needs to increase a bit. I ran around 800 miles in 2013 and that needs to be closer to 1,000. Here's to a great 2014 for you and your family. Happy New Year!

7 Tips for a Healthy & Fit 2014

  

1- Make a decision. Make the decision that you will transform your life by the renewing of your mind. The first step to good health and fitness is to change your life. There is nothing about a fad diet or a fitness center membership that does that for you. You have to decide to do it all on your own. Anything else is just putting a band-aid on a problem.

2- Have a plan. When I made my decision 4 years ago, I decided to walk 25 miles a week. I had no intention in becoming a runner. It just happened. Running did not cause me to lose weight. Walking and healthy eating did. You should exercise by doing something fun! Biking, swimming, hiking, walking, lifting weights, running....it doesn't matter. If you don't enjoy it, you will quit.

3- Set a goal. I set a weight goal that I never reached. I wanted to weigh 190 pounds. I have maintained my weight at around 215 for 3 years. My weight, however, is not as important as living a healthy and fit life. My goal of 190 was the catalyst for a weight loss of 110 pounds in 16 months. You need a goal and you need to own it. Make your goal known through social media. It keeps you going. Not reaching the weight goal doesn't make you a failure as long as you have become healthy and fit.

4- Become obsessive. I have driven people crazy with my obsession of running. I have to be obsessed in order to maintain my healthy and fit life. Some people are obsessed about the Georgia Dawgs, I am obsessed about my health. What does it matter if the Dawgs win 10 straight national championships if you can't live to see it? Obsession is good if it's about the right thing, your life.

5- Educate yourself. I can tell you that when I started 4 years ago, I had no clue about healthy living. I have educated myself about what to eat. I am still learning every day. I have learned that we don't eat real food. We eat processed, fake food. Have you ever looked at the back of a Coke can? If the ingredients of your “food” looks more like a chemistry experiment, it's not good for you. Learn about real food and change your eating habits. You will learn to enjoy real food instead of processed junk.

6- Help others. You don't have to be as annoying as me but we have a responsibility to share what we have learned. I wish I had learned earlier in my life. I sure wish my Dad had been educated about good health and fitness. He died at age 53. Let's get with the program and help others learn about the joys of healthy and fit living. I have 2 grandsons. I want to live a long, healthy life and see them grow up.

7- It's a spiritual matter. Uh oh, I had to go there. I grew up in a “Holiness” church that stressed living a clean life....no drinking, no smoking, no “worldly entertainment,” no jewelry, no makeup, no shorts, no pants on women, no short hair on women or long hair on men, no, no no! But, nothing was ever said about being healthy concerning our food. We couldn't do anything but eat. As a result, we became an obese bunch. If God gave you a house to live in for a month, would you leave the place trashed? Then why would you trash this house He has given us? We have a responsibility to honor this temple He has blessed us with. It is not legalism but something we ought to do.

Let's do it!

2 Years After the Chicago Marathon

I can't believe it's been 2 years since Tiffany and I completed the Chicago Marathon. I am following several runners on Twitter that are running there this weekend. It will always hold a special place in my heart. I can't explain the emotions that I went through while running the Chicago. I haven't run another full marathon since and don't know if I'll ever do another one. If I do, it would probably be the New York Marathon.

The toughest part of a full marathon, by far, is the training. I am just not sure I want to go through that type of training again. I am enjoying half marathons. I really don't have to train anymore than my regular training to do a half. For example, this past week, I have done runs of 9, 7, 4 and 5 miles. If I can do that, I could do a half this weekend. The full marathon is a different story. Instead of 9 miles, it would have to be 18 miles. That's the point where it becomes work instead of fun!

In the past 2 years, since the Chicago, I have maintained a pretty good run schedule except for going through some injuries. This year, I have run 4 half marathons and have one more to go. I ran them in Jackson, MS, San Francisco, Boston and Pocatello, ID. Tiffany and I do the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Savannah this November. So far, in my quest to run a race in 50 states, I have completed 20 states. Not too bad for 3 years. Maybe by the time I am 80 years old, I will run in Hawaii to complete the goal. It sure has been fun so far!

So, this weekend, I am reflecting on that one and only full marathon, the Chicago. It was a great experience made better by running with Tiffany.

My Running Playlist

When I run by myself or in a race, I run with music. I want to share with you my running playlist. I promise that nobody has this playlist. I love music. I love running. There is not a better time for clearing the mind that when I run and listen to music. My playlist is fairly long...and crazy. Here we go:



More Than a Feeling, Boston

Don't Look Back, Boston

I've Been Searchin' So Long, Chicago

Feelin' Stronger Everyday, Chicago

Beginnings, Chicago

There is Nothing Like, Hillsong United

My Future Decided, Hillsong United

Blessed Redeemer, Leigh Nash

Can't Stop Singing, Seth Condrey

Southtown. P.O.D.

Satellite, P.O.D.

Alive, P.O.D.

God's Great Dance Floor, Passion/Chris Tomlin

Revelation Song, NP/Candi Shelton

Radio, Sixpence None the Richer

Sooner Than Later, Sixpence None the Richer

A Million Parachutes, Sixpence None the Richer

Here and Now, NP Eddie Kirkland

Time, Phil Keaggy

Let the Kingdom Come, White Heart

Bye Bye Babylon, White Heart

Power Tools, White Heart

The Rock that Makes Me Roll, Stryper

Soldiers Under Command, Stryper

Give it Back, Sixpence None the Richer

The Road, Chicago

Things I Can't Do Without for a Run

Here is a list of things I can't do without when I am running.

Desire. This is the first thing and is pretty obvious. If I don't have the desire, I will quit.

Time. Another obvious one. It usually takes me about 2 1/2 hours to drive to the Greenway, run 4-6 miles, drive home and clean up. 

Good weather. I don't do wind and I don't do lightning. I can prepare for reasonable cold weather and on hot days, I try to run in the mornings and wear light clothing. I have also heard to run the AC on high on the way to the run. It takes the body a while to warm up.

A plan. I need to know how long I am going to run before I start. Maybe you have heard that running is mostly mental. It is true. I have to plan my runs and get "psyched" up about it.

Shoes. I highly recommend going to a running store and let the professional help you with shoes and insoles, if needed. Once this happens, you will know what to buy. My favorite shoe brand has been Saucony and Asics so far.

Socks. Believe it or not, socks are important. I wear a non-cotton ankle sock that claims to be ant-blister.

Toe covers. I don't even know if that's what you call them but I have issues with a couple of toes and wear covers on them.

Medical tape for the nips. Yep, that's right. Blistered nips are no fun.

Compression pants. With all the issues I have had with strained calf and hamstring muscles, this really help me.

A cap. Bald headed men have to wear caps. I like wearing caps but if I didn't, I would need suntan lotion.

ID bracelet. I wear a bracelet with some emergency info on it. You never know when you may need it somewhere out on a trail.

Chewing gum. I enjoy gum because it helps keep my mouth from drying out.

Power gels. If I am running 6 miles or more, I take a power gel with me.

Water/sports drink. I take this with me on runs of 9 miles or more. I keep bottles of water in the trunk of my car.

Music. I love listening to music while I run. I put my iPhone in an armband and listen with headphones. I have a running playlist. 

Febreze spray. When I get back to the car, I spray my cap and armband.

I have probably forgotten something but I am amazed at the things I can't do without. 

Running Scared

There is a movie and a song called "Running Scared." I have not seen the movie nor heard the song. So, anything I say in this blog is not related to either. Of course, I have heard the term "running scared" most of my life. It means to run away from a challenge you may have instead of facing it head on. It means something else to me, however.

This coming weekend, I travel to San Francisco to run in the San Francisco Half Marathon. California will be state #16 in my quest to run in a race in all 50 states. Not all of the races are half marathons but I wanted to run across the Golden Gate Bridge, so I chose this half marathon. This will also be my 5th half marathon. I have completed one full marathon, the Chicago in 2011.

Training for a race can be challenging. Time, weather and injuries can be a factor when it comes to training. So far, I have had time but the weather has been sporadic. Now, the heat and humidity has set in here in Atlanta. A 5 mile run can feel like a half marathon. It is just part of the deal and I can live with it. What I cannot live with, however, are injuries. I have had my share. I have strained both hamstrings, my left calf muscle and my right groin muscle. Of course, most all runners deal with feet problems. We lose nails and we get blisters. Again, it is part of the deal.

So, what do I mean by "running scared?" As the time gets closer and closer to a big race, my training runs are scary. I run scared. A strained muscle a few days before a big race, when you have spent money for the race and travel, is devastating to a runner. It's a little like having car trouble on your way to your vacation. It messes everything up. So, right now, when I am going out to the greenway to run, I am running scared. I hope that running scared does not cause an injury. If you see my running times on Facebook or Twitter, you can see that I have slowed way down. Running scared. But....running!!

 

Happy National Running Day!

I didn't even know there was a National Running Day but I'm glad there is. There is a day for most everything else and certainly there should be for the world's oldest sporting event. The question is being asked "why do you run?" I immediately thought of my blog name. I run for freedom.

I still consider myself a novice even though I have run about 40 races in 15 states including 4 half marathons and 1 full marathon. My first race was a 5k on Thanksgiving of 2009. I have probably run about 4,000 miles since then.  Obviously, I love to run. There have been many challenges of injury but that just comes with it. Athletes have injuries but we never give up. Athletes have challenges but we never give in. No terrorist will ever stop us from running

I run for freedom. I am free from being over-weight. I am free from an unhealthy lifestyle. I feel more free when I am running than anytime in my life. My mind is free to hear spiritually and to refresh mentally. The running course is my sanctuary. Running reboots my competitive spirit even at age 58.

I am so thankful for my daughters who encouraged me to walk and run as I was losing weight 4 years ago. Had I not done a 5k, I may never have known the joys of running like I do now. The t-shirts are cool, the medals are neat and the bibs I have saved are great mementos. But better than all of those things is the feeling of freedom I have when I run. So, on this National Running Day of June 5, 2013, I run for freedom. Let's go on a run!

The Finish Line in Boston

On Sunday, May 26, I completed my 4th half marathon in Boston. When I signed up for this race, I had no idea the significance of the race. Obviously, the Boston Marathon bombings put an emphasis on this memorial to fallen police. Within a day or so, the race sold out even though the prognosticators said that the bombings would hurt the attendance of these events. They were wrong. 11,000 entered in this race, a record for "A Run to Remember" race.

We arrived on Saturday. We had family already there and we went over to the Expo to pick up our packets and look around together. The weather was wet, windy and cold. The next morning was going to be even colder. I bought a jacket and hat to add to what I had prepared for the race. We enjoyed a nice evening in Boston and got to bed early.

Sunday morning was race day. I had run 10 miles 2 times over the previous week and felt ready for the half marathon. It was very cold but I layered up and was fine. In fact, I got warm in a hurry and dumped one of my jackets. It was one I bought at Goodwill for the purpose of dumping along the way. Many races plan for this and the extra clothing gets picked up and donated to shelters. The race begins!

We started at the Seaport and ran through some of the historical parts of Boston, running right by the Old State House. We went across the Longfellow Bridge and down by the Charles River. The highlight of the race was running past all of the police at MIT, getting "high fives" from them. It was their fellow officer, Sean Collier, that was killed by one of the bombers. The race was dedicated to him and some of his family were racing with us. This was very emotional.

We ran to Harvard and made the turn around back to Boston. I was maintaining a pace that I planned for which was about 11:30 per minute. We got back to Boston and ran by Cheers, Boston Commons and back to the Seaport to the finish line. I didn't reach my goal of under 2 1/2 hours but did do my best half marathon time at 2:30:58. Massachusetts is my 15th state in which I have run a race. I am blessed! Next up, San Francisco on Father's Day. Another half marathon that runs across the Golden Gate Bridge!

This is me, on the right, crossing the finish line:

Running in Boston

On Monday morning, April 15, I enjoyed watching the many tweets of my running friends who were either running in the Boston Marathon or had friends who were. This is the only way I would ever be able to feel like I was a part of it. The Boston Marathon is the "Super Bowl" of races in the US. For those of you who are not aware, like I wasn't a few years ago, not just anybody can run in the Boston Marathon. One must qualify to run in the race. It is so much of a dream for me, it is not even on my bucket list. It is just not a race I am willing to subject my body to the countless hours of training, which includes increasing my speed.

Everything changed with 2 bombs. The Boston Marathon will never be the same. That is what terrorism seeks to do, cause fear. But, we will not stop running. We will not stop entering races. We will not stop living life. In fact, I have this overwhelming desire to run in another marathon. I have only run in one marathon, which is 26.2 miles. I have run 3 half marathons and many 10Ks and 5Ks. But, a marathon is a special race. The marathon itself is not so bad but the months of hard training is rough. All it takes is one strained or pulled muscle to kill the training. There is some luck involved. After I ran the Chicago Marathon, I thought that would be my last. After what happened in Boston, I am reconsidering it. I am drawn to another marathon. Details to come.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Cathy and I are flying to Boston and I am running in the "Run to Remember" Half Marathon there. It means so much more to me now. It really will be a run to remember. Hopefully, by that time, the sick person who sought out to terrorize good people will be caught and on his/her way to their fate. My prayers go out to those who were injured and to the families of those who lost their lives. I can't imagine. I will honor them in a very small way today by wearing a race shirt, as the call has gone out for runners to do so. Today, I remain a runner but I am a Bostonian.

Maintaining my weight loss

For most of my adult life, I weighed around 300 pounds, hitting a peak of 333. I lost weight on many diets through the years, but what always happened? I gained it back. This time, I have maintained the weight loss for 3 years. Why? There is no question that it is because I am involved with a physical activity that I love, which is running. I read last week that being physically fit was the number one reason for maintaining a weight loss. Of course, I totally agree. The key is doing an activity that is fun. If I didn’t enjoy running, I would have quit a long time ago.

Running clears my mind, gives me alone time with God, builds my heart and gives me self-confidence. I believe that a healthy, fit life is God’s best for us. My wish is to see my friends and family become healthy and fit.

If you want to get started and need some help, consider joining my Facebook group called “All My Strength.” You may follow me on Twitter ( @eddierobbins ) as well. If you are young, don’t waste time, start NOW. If you are older, like me, don’t waste any more time, start NOW! What would you like to do that you haven’t done in a long time? Running, hiking, walking, swimming, weight lifting, biking, tennis,? Let’s be healthy and fit, not only for us, but to take care of this body God has loaned us for a season.

I love to run....who knew?

When I was a kid, I hated running. The main reason is that there was no real reason to run unless it was to first base. That was pretty easy. When I was in middle school, my PE teacher was also the high school football coach. He was a pretty mean guy, at least in my mind. Coach Pharo. That's right! We played soccer every day and the team that lost had to run laps. If we lost 4-2, we had to run 2 laps. The problem was, we got the crap beat out of us every day. I ran many laps that year. I hated running!

Now, at age 58, I love to run. There is nothing like going to the Big Creek Greenway in Forsyth County, Georgia on a beautiful day and running several miles. I enjoy listening to music and observing the wild life and beautiful landscape as I run. That does include the occasional snake! It is amazing what a long run does for me mentally. It clears my head. The Greenway is my sanctuary. I believe I am closer to God on a long run than most any other time in my life. I just love to run!

Most of you know my story of being over-weight for most of my life. The frustrating thing about that, looking back, is that I was an athlete inside of a non-athletic body. I loved playing baseball but being over-weight made it tough to compete. I did enjoy playing church league softball, where being over-weight did not keep me from at least having fun. I wonder what my athletic life would have been had I treated my body like a temple? I think I could have been a really good baseball player but evidently didn't care enough. There is no reason to dwell on what could have been at this point. Nothing can be done about it now. I look ahead at what can be with a new body.  Barring injury, the future is bright, even for an old guy like me!

My athletic competitiveness is coming out now that I can run in races. Running is a lot like golf. You really compete against yourself. There are people in my age category that I can never beat but that doesn't matter. I am always looking to improve my personal record. Right now, my PR for a 5k is 26:24 and for a 10k, it is 57:54. I have won several medals but that all depends on who shows up for the race. They are nice but it's the race with myself that counts!

I love running! Injuries happen and that really stinks but it is a part of the deal. Right now, my legs are healthy and am looking forward to racing this year. I have several races on the agenda that I am really excited about. I can't wait to run in Boston in May and across the Golden Gate Bridge in June. I love to run in races in new places. My ultimate goal to run a race in every state. I am at 14 right now. 

I love to run. Who knew?