Run Forrest!

So this morning was my first 5k in 4 years. I woke up feeling pretty good, but a little nervous. It's only 3.2 miles...not a big deal. I made some coffee and used vanilla protein powder as my creamer. That was a worse idea than it sounds. I know, it sounds like a great idea. It's not.

The race was to help a family whose father and husband is battling stage IV esophageal cancer. According to the race website, the course was to be "flat and fast", and it was, which I was thankful for.

My goal was to finish the race in 23:30. I run around here at a 24:30 pace and my local route has a couple of killer hills. So I figured a flat course, with people pacing me, should be able to do it in a minute less time. I found what could turn into one of my favorite pastimes...watching people stretch before a race. We all looked ridiculous. It reminded me of Ben Still in the Disney cult classic, Heavyweights; "come here you devil log!"

So I stretched and ran the race. It was complete with cheerleaders and everything, and I even spilled Gatorade down my face halfway through! Well I ran the race in 22:45 which was a big surprise to me, but I am definitely pleased with the results.

I am looking forward to the next race that I run. I don't know when that will be but maybe I can do it in 22:44!

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Help me help Emmett...

So I have signed up for my first 5k race since starting to run and get myself into race shape. I received an email from a friend that told the story of her neighbor and his family as they battle cancer. On April 2, 2011 they will be hosting a 5k for Emmett Stallings to raise money to continue his treatment and support his family as they fight this disease.

Please take a minute and look at his website here and consider giving to help him if you can. As always, prayers may be the best kind of giving you can do, even if that is all!

If you are interested in running the race you can also sign up for that http://teamemmett.com/5k/.

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Run it off...

So I've been dealing with my first "running" injury. For the last 2 weeks I've been hobbled by painful shinsplints. I've been blaming my shoes and have decided that I need to get a new pair, but I've also been evaluating my running form. I think I may be a slight "stomper" and that could be leading to the issues as well.

Well tonight I was tired of and I just needed to run. I've spent a lot of time lately trying to learn to deal with my thoughts and emotions differently than I have in the past. Running is becoming a big part of that. I'm learning to think and process before I react. Reacting has never led me to a good place, so it's time to change.

On top of the shinsplints, I'm also very sore from a leg workout yesterday (and my attempt is not to complain here, but rather set a scene), but my run today was deliberate and slow. Without an iPod. Just an opportunity to think and allow my thoughts to process out.

Running can be sweet therapy!

What is your therapy? What do you do to think more clearly?

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Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are...

I think that clarity is finally coming to me. Slowly, I am rising from the haze of 27 years of being over-marketed and over-sold an image, an idea, a standard that I had to live up to. The image is unattainable. We can't be anybody else, we can only be us.

I saw a stat (admittedly I don't know how accurate it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's close) that 92% of Americans wish they could be somebody else.

Who do you want to be? Maybe it's a celebrity, or an athlete, or a noble character like Christ or King David. I heard a suggestion recently in a book that I am reading that Christ's purpose for being here (outside of Savior of the world and all) was not for us to BE like Him, but rather to FOLLOW Him. Is there a difference?

For me, the desire to be somebody else manifests in a desire to add 20 or 30 pounds of muscle, and to have hair, and to be really smart. I would love to be a great basketball player, and I sometimes daydream to believe that if I would have done this or focused on that, that I could have been a great athlete, but I didn't, and I am who I am.

Goals are not a bad thing. Self improvement is not a bad thing. But as a friend reminds me on a regular basis, "why are you wanting those things?" Is the goal to achieve a status that I perceive in someone else, or is the goal to better provide for my family or obtain something that I like. Could I set a goal to lift weights everyday and gain 30 lbs to fill out my 6'2" frame? Probably, but why, and at what cost?

My wife recently took a courageous stand and chose to leave her hair wavy, even though she thought I wouldn't like it. It's easier for her, and she likes how it looks, but does my opinion matter? Probably to a certain extent, and in other things that are more important in life, and our marriage, yes, but her hair doesn't. For her she has to reject the all-American sense that I won't love her or accept her if she doesn't conform. I'm proud of her for doing that. I'm proud of her for continuing to quell the lie that her appearance determines my love. What kind of love would that be if it was true? She always gets things quicker than I do.

I love this commercial. It kind of shows what we truly have become as Americans (albeit I don't really care about the product being sold, but you'll get the point).



Everybody is just becoming a clone. We all want to be perfect images of this perception that is being fed to us by the Hollywood machine.

I am choosing to not worry about the bulk muscle and the hair that I am lacking. I was created with a body to run, and I am getting more and more excited about the running that I can do. I am looking forward to running for causes and using my created being for good, and I am truly loving the idea of being authentic; being myself.

Kurt Cobain once said, "Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." Quit wasting your life. I'm going to quit wasting mine.

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Beauty and the Run

So I woke up this morning at 4:30. I had 3 cups of coffee, a few pieces of toast, and made some muffins for my bride to eat once she woke up. I had some quiet time and tried to think about how blessed I truly am.

At 5:30 my dog finally sauntered down the stairs in his normal early morning daze and decided that he needed to answer nature's call. When I opened the door to let him out I was immediately greeted by an absolutely beautiful 60 degree morning! Ahhh...how amazing is life? I decided that it was a perfect morning to finally really stretch my legs and go on a casual long run. You see, up to this point my runs have all been quick and to the point. My goal: run as fast as I can for 2 miles. Today I plotted out a nice 4.1 mile route through an adjacent neighborhood, and as my wife backed out of the drive, I embarked on my journey.

It felt absolutely phenomenal! I would encourage you to get out some today. If it is nice out, get out and walk or run and just take 40 mins to an hour to enjoy the world around you. It felt great not to be rushing or pushing myself to beat my last time. It was just a casual, relaxed adventure through God's beauty.

I'm starting to feel better about my running. It is coming easier. My legs aren't as sore afterwards. Tell me how yours is going. Have you had a chance to participate in activity? Are you deciding to do the small things, on a regular basis, that it will take to step towards a healthy life? I encourage you to, if you haven't already!

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Aspirations.

Okay, people, I have aspirations. One day I want to be an author. I also want to, at some point, become a personal trainer. Today, I want to start a project, and I need your help. I am working on developing an encouragement/developmental program to help people achieve better health and fitness. My goal is not to create a weight loss and diet program, although weight loss will be a component to reaching better overall health. My goal is not to create an exercise or weight training program, although both will also be components of achieving greater levels of health. My goal is to create a baby step, habit-forming program to help people learn how to eat better, understand the importance of the things that we put in our bodies, as well as a slow building process to help people become more aware of their level of daily activity and increasing that to maintain overall health.

I need some volunteers. I need people that are willing to share data with me, as well as give me helpful and critical feedback to better develop the program. I need people that are willing to give this a try and not be afraid of making a commitment to improving themselves one day at a time. I need people who are looking to love themselves, and live their lives. And that is actually what I want to call this...Love Yourself. Live Life.

For your help, I will be getting bumper stickers made, and possibly t-shirts. I just need you to be willing to try it. If you are, please facebook me or email me directly at brad.mehaffey@gmail.com.

You guys rock! Please keep reading my blog and helping to keep encouraging me to improve myself.

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I got a job!!

Okay, I know this has nothing to do with running. And I know that all of you didn't know that I was looking for a new job, but I have been and today I accepted a position with VF Imagewear Inc. here in Nashville. VF Corp is the parent company for Northface, Wrangler, Lee, Jansport, and Nautica, but the division that I will be working for is their industrial workwear division.

I am super excited and looking forward to beginning this new endeavor.

Thank you guys for your prayers and Mindy and I are really excited to begin this new chapter in our lives!

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