People Worthy of Post-Apocalyptic Alliance

A couple of months ago, I came across a group of Twitter dads and moms, many of which operate and contribute to DadsRoundTable.com, DadsRT, for short.

As some of you may also know, I've been in "training" for a marathon I'm running in early 2014. It's been great and I'm more psyched (I know, the use of "psyched" shows my age) now than I've ever been, despite a knee injury that has kept me off the road for two weeks now. 

When the injury happened, I immediately began thinking I was going to need surgery, out for months, the race is off, and so on. Turns out, none of those appear to be the case and I'll be running again very soon. 

I didn't know I needed any encouragement until I began receiving it. The DadsRT folks immediately began coming through. Let me share just a few of the tweets I've received, pre- and post-injury:

Those were just a handful. There's even more on the DadsRT Challenge on DailyMile.com.  

I've never met any of them, but we share common ground: we're all parents, plan to be parents, or are close to people who are; we face many of the same challenges; we share the same successes and failures. We come from different backgrounds and have different experiences and beliefs, but provide what we feel and think to others for their betterment, or at least show we're all fighting the same fight, running the same race. Whatever cliche you want to use, we're all doing it together. That's good to know.

Whoever you may be, I strongly recommend you join the DadsRT conversation. Use the following hashtags on twitter and you're there:  #DadsRT, #DadsRT14x14, #DadsRTGeek.

They're good to people to know, at present and in the event of a cataclysm that necessitates the establishment of post-apocalyptic society.

PS - I just finished reading Dan Brown's new book, which can explain my fixation with cataclysm and apocalypse. I'll be over it soon.

Long-Distance Dedication

As some of you may have seen here, about a month ago I decided to train for my first marathon, which will occur in early 2014. Those of you who know me are saying to yourselves, "What is he thinking!?" In short, I've found it's best for me not to think, in most situations.

I'm not a runner. I've ran three 5K races in my life. That's a total of 9.3 competitive miles. The term "competitive" being loosely applicable.  In short, I've ran three races that total significantly less distance than one marathon. In my present training, I'm not even running 26.2 miles per week. 

By some standards I'm young, but not young-young. Forty-five only counts as young-young by my own standard and that of my children, who I have convinced that I am, indeed, a young man. 

At present, I'm not certain I could walk 26.2 miles. By no known standard do I have the physical or mental stamina to finish a marathon. I am, however, going to do it. 

They say after you practice doing something for 30 days it becomes a habit. So, in my estimation, after several months of training a lifestyle change will have occurred; a change that will stand me in good stead for years to come. It will be a change to benefit me and my family. 

Dedication

Dedication not in the sense of commitment to my goal, that's a given, but rather another sense of the word.

As I'm running, I sometimes listen to audiobooks courtesy of my trusty iPhone. More often than not, I enjoy the lack of noise, which allows me to think. I think about running. I think about how to NOT attack the refrigerator like the Tasmanian Devil when I finish. I think about my dreams. I think about why Ken Griffey, Jr. never got a World Series ring. I think about my faith. 

On one occasion, I began thinking about my dad. Some of you know that this September he will have been gone two years. I reflected on the good qualities that I remember, which made him such a good man to many. I though about how, in his later years, he became a Christian.

Then, my thoughts were shifted to my shuffling feet and the goal I've established. My little quest will be something good for me and the family. But, why not more?  I could dedicate this goal to the memory of my father. Boom!  Done. Dedication complete.

That was too easy. Why not more? So, then I though of what dad had been and had endured. He had been poor as a child and hated seeing other people, particularly children, doing without the necessities of life. My father was the victim of a devastating stroke when he was not much older than I am now, which altered his life and began a slow descent of his health. He kept his faith throughout. 

Faith, Children and Action

Here's the true, complete dedication. I've dedicated my training and the ultimate race to my father, but I'm going a little further. In keeping with those things that my father was, I am also using this whole ordeal to help further the cause of an organization that seeks to aid stroke victims. 

Further, I will also use what I'm doing to assist a local organization that truly exemplifies James 2:26 - "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." This organization has taken that verse to heart and their faith to some of the poorest and most dangerous places in the world, along with medical aide and the necessities of life to families and children. They are truly one of the most clear examples of faith in action I have ever seen.

I'm working out the details of how to accomplish this and bring the most reward to those who need it, but work them out I will. I feel compelled to do it.

An endeavor that shines a light on faith, helps children and victims of stroke is something that my father would enjoy seeing and being a part of. In a way, he will be. 

I'll drop more details as they come to light, and I hope you'll join me along the way.

ALH

Marathon Training Update: Increased Motivation

Really, it isn't so bad. I'm more determined now than at the beginning.

I'm one month into marathon conditioning. Lest you think I'm a "marathoner," or even a "runner," let me be clear that I'm just a 40-something dad trying to get into shape. A dad who has committed himself to running a marathon that is still seven months away.

Here's one of my recent "runs," as an illustration:

1. Alan Hammond ‏@AlanLHammond12 May

   Just completed a 4.26 mi run - Not bad. Not good, obviously. http://rnkpr.com/a2z0m71  #RunKeeper

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   RunKeeper

   
   

   I ran 4.26 miles in 54:08

   I burned 647 calories at an average pace of 12:42 per mi.

   View on web

And, that was my long run for the week. A far cry from 26.2.

It's Good to Have Knees, I Guess

Without them, we'd have a strange gait.

At 25, and even 35, it was so much easier at the beginning of training: Endure a few days of pain, then start measuring progress. Now, the game has changed. On the outside, I don't look my age, according to my mom, wife and children, but I certainly felt it during mile one and after the run posted above. During the run, my knees ached like I had shin splints in them; a brand new kind of pain. Awesome!  Afterwards, I walked like I was 70.  Two days later, on my next run, I felt great. Now, three days later, I still feel good and ready to run again.

I'm making progress, my kids want to run with me, I haven't hurt myself, and I'm changing my lifestyle. I'm finding that those things are combining, as I had hoped, to strengthen my resolve and motivation to complete the marathon goal.

The Round Table

I've posted a couple of articles at DadsRoundTable.com, one of which talks about this goal of mine. I've found the parents involved with DadsRT, on the site, on Twitter and Facebook, to be a great source of support. There's even a challenge at DailyMile.com that a group of DadsRT'ers have started.

I usually run alone and the motivations I've mentioned have been enough to keep me putting one foot in front of the other, but the comments and support from the DadsRT community adds something extra. Something that will be a benefit as the months roll by and the miles get longer. We all need that.

Another Source of Motivation

This will all be well and good for me and my family. Hoo-rah, meet the challenge and all that. That's wonderful, for us.  So, I've been envisioning a way to spread the benefit to others. For now, let me say, I have a plan in the works that will enable this little adventure of mine to benefit others.

I have to consider the feasibility of it, the time required to make it a success, and the impact on the important areas of my life (church, family, work, etc.). If all goes well, in a couple of weeks I will roll out this idea. For now, let me say its well past time for me to make an impact.

As always, wish me luck, say a prayer (please) and follow me to see how I'm continuing to make a fool of myself.

ALH (@AlanLHammond)

If you have any training tips, words of encouragement, or even want to poke fun, I'd love to hear it in the comments!

The Exalted One: A Product Review Five Years Later

It's been to Disney World twice, camping, left in the rain, carried a gas can and a car battery, accompanied me nearly every day and remains as good as the day Ogio sent it to me.

Before kids, when something broke, I just bought another. Since kids, times have changed. When they break things it doesn't matter, they seem to get new stuff, for the most part. Dad, however, makes due with what he has. For instance, my golf clubs are now a decade old. That, good friends, is a tragedy.

In short, from a dad's perspective, when something works even a day longer than expected in today's world of buy-then-toss products, it is a true gem.

Hello, old friend. You look great!

The Exalted One

About five years ago, Ogio, the maker of golf bags, backpacks, travel bags, and other sport bags, sent me some bags for review. Among them was a nice sized gym bag. Until this morning, I hadn't noticed how well it has held up. I guess that's what happens with those hardy souls that quietly go about their work, remaining dedicated to their chosen duties. They go unnoticed.

Until, one day, when the boss says, "You're doing amazing work!" That's what happened this morning. I stuck my hand in the bag to retrieve my Clif Mojo bar and the epiphany (yes, same sort of "epiphany" that I sarcastically tweeted about this morning) happened. "Dang, brother, you're still working! And, you look great!"

If I could fill my life with zippers that don't break...

The review I wrote for the bag has long passed into the mists of time, so I'm getting no form of benefit for saying any of this. It's just so refreshing to own something that still looks and functions perfectly after years of nearly constant use. I've used it for some unusual things, as described earlier, and my children have stuffed it full of Barbies and toys, a collection of rocks from their grandparents' farm, a dog, and other things I'm sure I don't want to know about. Throughout, it has remained true to it's calling.

Best of all, all of the zippers still work! Until this bag, I had only heard tales of old about mythical zippers that didn't break. I had considered it mere superstition, but secretly hoped I could be transported to a time when such things were said to occur. Until this morning, when I realized I was blessed to be in the presence of a mythical creature.

Thank you Ogio bag. You have made the life of this father a little easier, a little more stable. You are a trusted friend and shall now assume your position as the Exalted One. First among not-so-equals. May your story be told throughout the earth.

Look Out, Walt! I'm Training for Your Marathon

When I say I'm at the beginning of a journey that will lead to completing my first marathon, the word "beginning" is a bit of an understatement.

In the past, I've wondered why on earth anyone would want to do such a thing. I'm now asking myself, "Why do you want to do such a thing?" I'm going to explore my decision here. Really. I've made mention in passing on twitter, but this is the first time I'm sorting through it.
Subconscious Good Feeling

I've always been a guy that works on "feel" and intuition in many areas. Our subconscious minds are fascinating things and I've come to depend on mine for some of my decision-making (which has not always
worked out well).

I picture the subconscious mind as a wheel that spins exponentially faster as it sorts through our memories, feelings, old thoughts, wants, experiences, needs, failures and successes much faster than the conscious mind. When presented with a decision, the subconscious goes to work and in short order downloads it's findings to the conscious mind.

I don't recall the catalyst event, even though it was only a few days ago (which is another reason I rely on my subconscious - my conscious mind has proven itself unreliable), but I quickly came to the decision that I need to complete a marathon. It gave me a good feeling. It felt like something that needed to be done.

What Possible Reason?!

Let's see. The first thing that comes to mind is Competition and Accomplishment. In this instance, those two terms are one in the same. I'm certain I'll never win a marathon, not even my age group. So, where's the competition? Well, It seems like tons more people are running marathons nowadays than just a few years ago, but not many of my male friends have done it. There's your competition factor: Once I ACCOMPLISH the goal, I'll be one up on them. Selfish? Yep.

Marathon Reason #2: My Health

The marathon proper won't do much for my health, the training and diet needed to get there will do wonders.


I've been sporadically active throughout my life. I love to play golf and enjoy the great outdoors. In the last few years, I've ran almost a handful of 5Ks. Every year, however, sees me complete two to three months of good exercise and diet before I get impatient, push too hard, hurt something and then take nine months off.

This time, I have a written plan to follow for physical training and diet. I will follow it! I will not hurt my knees, calf muscles, hamstrings or anything else that tries to wimp out on me. A message to my body: There will be no excuses!

Aside: Now I recall the catalyst. More about that in Reason #4 below.

Good training and diet necessarily lead away from the dangers of fast food and a sedentary life. It should also help reduce the high cholesterol and high blood pressure I inherited from my parents.



I am not in this picture, yet.



Marathon Reason #3: My Children

I passed 40 in the relatively recent past, but neither of my children have reached double digits (D1 is a week shy of 10). On my present track, I'll be lucky to see them enter their third decade. That isn't a pleasant thought.

I want to see them grow and flourish and have their own families. I'm sure they'll want me to be along for the ride, as well, except, of course, during the teenage years.

We can't control disease, accidents, and the like, but a few things are in our hands. Fitness, physical and mental, is one of the things I can control that will help ensure I'm around for several more decades.

Marathon Reason #4: Travel

I saw a tweet about @runDisney, went to the runDisney website, saw a training program and diet recommendations that I can handle and my subconscious began to whirl. I decided to make the Walt Disney World Marathon my goal. January 12, 2014 here I come!

I love Disney World more than anyone in my family. If you knew my family, you'd understand the full extent of that statement. A weekend of Pirates of the Caribbean, Expedition Everest, Space Mountain, princesses (for the benefit of my daughters), fireworks, and running put me over the top.

By the way, @runDisney has put together a top-notch site and several great races of varying lengths. The whole family can get involved. I am amazed at how well they've put together events and laid things out on the website.

Reason #5: Peer Pressure

I have several twitter friends that are runners. Some are younger than me, some are my age, some are older, much older. If they can do it, so can I. Competition rears its head again.

That's my exploration of my own subconscious. It may disagree with the reasons I've listed, but it isn't telling me anything different at the moment.

I'm sure I'll write, tweet, and generally expound on my journey and how it impacts my kids, wife, family and myself. Let's hope I stay healthy. #TGBTG

Image courtesy mguertin.

Monday Mind Map: Helping My Children Understand Tragedy

In light of today's tragedy in Boston, I didn't get around to posting anything until now, after the children have gone off to bed.

They're young, so it wasn't difficult to keep them away from channels that carry the news, but tomorrow is a new day. They'll hear about it and see what happened somewhere, of that I'm sure. Since my 10-year old is particularly adept at "accidentally" overhearing adult conversations, I thought it wise to think about my response to the questions that will come in the coming days.

Here's what I came up with. It's simple and who knows whether parts of it will be effective. Remember, it's just my thoughts of how to approach the subject with my children.

I'd like to hear your ideas. Really, they could help us all.

A Life Well-Lived

Having lost my own father 16 months ago, I wasn't at all thrilled about the prospect of attending the funeral of a friend's father. I had a lot of respect for the deceased, but I did not want to churn up the memory of losing dad.  Ultimately, I went to the funeral and was greatly blessed for having done so.

Unexpected Blessing

My father, circa 1982. The awkward adolescent
in the photo to his right is me.

Yes. The greatest song ever written, and a favorite of both my father and mother, "Amazing Grace" was sung during the funeral service. The beauty and message in that timeless old song, mingled with the memories of my dad, brought forth the waters, so to speak. I was wishing I hadn't come.

As people began to eulogize about the departed gentleman, I realized I was there for a reason. A Godly man, husband, father, son, brother, visionary, and leader were some of the words used to describe what he had been. Faith, integrity, character, and love were some of the qualities it was professed that he possessed. I know it all to be true from having known the man.

The hole created in me with the passing of my father will never be filled, without question. Hearing the words, witnessing the heartfelt confessions, and seeing the throngs of people that came to pay their last respects to a man that truly lived the qualities that remain dormant in so many of us, however, taught me a much-needed lesson.

Faith and Hard Work

There is no doubt the man for whom we mourned was not born with the fully-developed qualities that he evidenced throughout his adult life, none of us are. His integrity, leadership, character, vision, and love were things that came through his faith in God and much cultivation. Cultivation he had certainly done.

His faith being well-founded, and practiced, and first in his life, undoubtedly led to those dormant qualities with which we are all born being able to grow and flourish. The generations he touched, all of which were represented at his funeral, were enriched by the fact that he had put in the effort.

A Rich and Rewarding Life

I was tempted to say, "We can only hope to make a difference in the lives of so many," but that isn't true. Things like "hope" and "luck" have no meaning here. We merely need to have the type of faith, put in the work, or "sow the seeds," in order for ourselves and others to reap the benefits.

Yes, I was blessed by witnessing the funeral of a great man.  Seeing the life of a man in full went a long way toward repairing the hole left in my life by my father's death and showing me what a life well-lived looks like. It is an attainable goal.

Further Reading:
Losing Dad: How a Man Responds to the Death of His Father at ArtofManliness.com.