Made it to a full 5 miles the other night. It was a little cooler so that helped. When I started out I felt tired and actually thought about cutting it short but the longer I ran - and ran through my desire to stop - the more energized I felt. I relaxed as best as I could and paid attention to my legs and hips. I experimented with using relaxation as I ran so that my body felt less strain putting one foot in front of the other and pumping my arms back and forth. Moving my legs forward I relaxed the muscles in my hips and quads as soon as I could while still extending my legs in a reasonably good running stride. I did the same with my arms by relaxing my shoulder and holding my arms as loosely as I could while still maintaining a natural running rhythm. In other words I used as little muscular effort as possible while breathing naturally and deeply. It seemed to make all the difference in the world. I also started with a slower pace.

Actually ran 4.5 miles the other night without stopping once. Woo-hoo. So I am officially patting myself on the back. Yes, that’s an ice cold Corona light (with extra limes) in my hand. I’m a believer in rewarding yourself for a job well done. I felt so good afterwards that Cosmo and I went for a drive to get an accurate measurement of the distance.

I’d been doing just (don’t minimize your efforts!) 2 miles but finally felt energized enough after work that I thought I’d try to go for it. It helped a lot that we had cooler weather and lower humidity too. Still if a 51 year young guy who sits at a desk all day can do it, so can you.

Last Saturday in Tai Chi class my teacher was instructing all of us to relax and pay attention to what we were doing, to allow ourselves to relax and let go. “If you do,” he said, “you will feel the rhythm of Tai Chi.” Sometimes when he talks, I feel as though he’s talking directly to me as though he knows what I’m dealing with in my personal life. “Allow yourself to let go . . . feel the rhythm” Yeah, that’s me.

Didn’t sleep that well last night as I was jarred from a very deep sleep by the airhorn of a weather alarm radio telling me there was a severe thunderstorm watch.  A watch, not a warning. There’s no way I can see to turn off the ‘watch’ alert and only have it go off for the more serious ‘warning’. Because of my interrupted sleep I had to force myself to run when all I really wanted to do was crash on the couch. Running, sometimes it’s magic, sometimes it’s just work and sweat. Still there’s always a sense of accomplishment when I’m done and that’s worth something.

When I got home tonight Cosmo was in her dog bed (leather couch with a blanket and several pillows) fast asleep. She must sleep about 20 hours a day (literally). I should probably hire a nurse to periodically turn and massage her to prevent bed sores. It was 5 o’clock which is the magic hour to our dogs - feeding time. As soon as she heard me she was up with her perky ears and bright eyes look, looking at me with a “It would be soooooo sweet if you would get in the kitchen and rattle my dish with some kibble.” Every day I’m glad they aren’t fed in the morning as they all go nuts with whining and barking. I fed them, let ‘em out and put my running shorts and shoes on.

After work last night I was feeling a little worn down but managed to force myself to run. It’s much nicer to run when I have more energy and actually look forward to it, but I can’t let my mood dictate when to run. Starting out I felt sluggish & wanted to stop and walk but I managed to push through it instead. By the time I was at the half way point I felt much better and it seemed less like a chore.

The day my son had his wisdom teeth out I stayed home with him (doctor’s orders) to make sure he didn’t enjoy the after effects of anesthesia and surgery too much. He collapsed on the couch and flipped channels in between spiting into a large plastic cup and changing the gauze pads that made him look a little like a hamster with a mouth packed full of seeds.

He kept asking me “Why? Why does it have to hurt so much dad?”

What could I say? “I don’t know, it’s just the way things are . . . What the hell are you watching anyway?”

It was hovering around 70 when I got off work so I threw on some shorts, a tee shirt and running shoes and off I went. The wind was very strong (it is Kansas after all) and because I was running west, it was blowing east (of course). It has been several weeks since I last ran or worked the ellipse. I am always surprised when I run after a lay off as I usually pick up right where I was, sometimes I even seem to have more energy than usual. I sit on my butt in an office all day and I had trouble sleeping last night so it was a nice surprise.

“What causes stress?” my Tai Chi teacher asked in class recently. He looked at me and I answered “Thinking.” A true enough answer that he had said himself on many occasions.

Today he said, “Complexity.”

I should have known. He never says what you think he might, even if it’s the same question and answer that he’s said before. He will change it, twist it slightly and look at you like you weren’t paying attention.

Several studies show long term benefits for beating depression with aerobic workouts.