Lately I've been intrigued by the idea of a Renaissance Man, which has taken the form of learning new talents. Which has taken the form of reading up on Agriculture and taking Kite Boarding lessons. Not so much Renaissance but give me a break. Thus, this past Friday I put on my best plaid shirt and cleaned up my oft-used axe and visited Arts and Architecture for an Axe Restoration Workshop put on by Nick Zdon of Best Made Co. It was just hot enough inside to activate a brow sweat but considering the topic I found it quite appropriate. Nick went through axe history, various types, qualities and restoration techniques. The group of ten or so even brought in some hand tools of their own. Even better was the respect and passion Nick had for the craftsmanship and art of such a utilitarian hand tool. But thanks to him and BMC I'll be restoring my own axe this summer and hopefully paying a little homage to ye olde lumberjacks while doing so. Alas, if you haven't heard of BMC they've made axes an art form and the outdoors the escape. Everything is impeccably designed from the website to axe handles and blocks. Go buy something. Because when I do buy those 10 acres in southern MN I'm sure I'll need some help clearing the trees.

I may not have finished all my New Year's Resolutions for 2010 but at least I finished a big one, a Marathon. I can't say it's for everyone but with enough determination and time almost anyone can do it, just ask the grandma that passed me or the man with a sign on his back that alerted me "80 year-old Marathoner."

I'm not sure when I'll be doing another, although I do see a few half-marathons/10-milers in my future. The alone time was introspective on the the long weekend runs—over 3 hours of running at times—but I'd definitely need a partner to motivate and join me in the future.

The pyschological reward of completing a challenge that, at the begining, seemed impossible made the journey all the worthwile. I guess that's why I'm on the verge of tears when I watch The Biggest Loser, nothing can compare to seeing the results of a commitment to fitness. What really pulls on the heart is that the individuals are changing emotionally. You can almost see the pity in their eyes change to zeal/passion after every hurdle, physical or mental. And just like running a marathon after a while it's all mental and the conflict becomes internal.

Let's just hope your lucky enough to have friends and family surrounding you with energy when you have none. That's how I did it.

Photo credit: Tony Bombardo

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to run a marathon. I've run 10 milers in the past and am currently training for a Half-Marathon. I not sure if I'm ready but since I spent $100 and registered for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, I'm on my way. So expect to see me in exactly 4 months and one day to be running around the beautiful lakes near Uptown, along the Mississippi river and to the capitol of St. Paul. I'm not looking to set a record pace or be at the top of my age group. In fact, I'm hoping to finish within a fairly reasonable amount of time (sub-9.5 min/mile).

Since training for the halfie and in the past for the 10 miler I've spent some time with my own thoughts. Because I know the amount of running in the next few months I presume it will be a ridiculous amount of time, a number that would drive me crazy. Luckily, there are a few tools that have helped my sanity, training and pleasure while on the run. If you ever starting training for a long distance race or find running a bore then I have a few recommendations. A few of them are listed below:

1. Nike+ - Keep track of pace, time and calories. I upload info to a website and track any improvement. Setup challenges, get training plans or track progress. I'm using the plan they had for the Half & Full Marathons. The best part. It's simplicity: the sensor ($20) fits is in my shoe and connects to my 3GS iPhone and tracks my run. Not too happy that I have to by Nike shoes but it could be worse.
2. iPhone 4 - Not only can I track my runs and record my training but I can also listen to music or gets phone calls. Yes, it's a little more bulky than an iPod nano or a Garmin Forerunner but I own it already and I don't have to spend any more money. Done and done.
3. Motorola S9 - Nothing makes a 70 minute run shorter than having your attention directed toward something else (not fully mind you). My favorite distraction is audio, because I can keep the volume level low enough to hear cars or bikers but in a second revert my attention back to what I'm listening to. With these I can control volume or pause without taking out my iPhone and not have to worry about a wire geting tangled up or slapping me constantly like a mini form or torture. Did I mention it is wireless?
4. Music/Podcasts - While running I listen to one of two things: music or podcasts. If it's not music it's This American Life or The Uncanny X-Cast while running. Not only only are the podcasts free but they are 1-2 hours and completely engaging. If your not a geek I apologize, for me though they seem to make the miles melt away.
5. Minneapolis' Trails - Minnesota may be the best biking city in the US according to Bicycling Magazine but I think the trails also make it one of the best for running. Though running on pavement may not be ideal but running along side it eases the stress on the shins. If not for two trails to the north and south of my abode I'd have had a lot harder time keeping up with the training. The fact I can walk a half mile in either direction and find a trail that goes miles and miles in either direction is perfect. I'd proudly pay more in taxes!

This Wednesday, May 19th, Angela and I will be going to pick up a Greyhound from NLGA. We're not sure who it is but just like Earl Grey, we'll take whomever God blesses upon us.

It hard realizing the same outcome that happened only 3 months ago will happen again—out-living a pet. Saying goodbye to Earl was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I know there was a reason we adopted him. And just like him we want to give another past racer a home to retire in.

Every week I volunteering at Animal Humane Society. You'd think visiting with all the adoptable dogs would have pushed me to take one home after one of my shifts, which it almost did. But all along, I knew that from the time we adopted our first greyhound that the breed was unique and perfectly suited to Angela and I. That isn't to say, I didn't develop a soft spot on a few occasions for an Italian Greyhound, a Chihuahua, a Collie, a few Terriers and on old Husky. Just like the potential adoptees that visit AHS, we needed to find a dog we fit not a dog that fit us (very important).

We only hope to find a companion that we can give a good life to. Because I know if I was born, bred and trained to run since the day I was two I'd be ready to retire!