So if we go by that if you taste good, are in the right price range and fill you up you are a ‘good’ person. But  if you are out of your price range, leaves a bad taste in your mouth and leaves you wanting more food your a ‘bad’ person?

I know there is a difference between good verses bad people but not much. People do things to seem ‘good’ and while it is generally a good gesture and can help people out I think more often than not its for some motive.

I think it would be easier to be thought of as a ‘bad’ person rather than a ‘good’ one because you wouldn’t really need to worry about other peoples perceptions of you.

Really we are all bad people.  Just some people know what to put on to make them taste good.

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I would like to blog more often but I like to have a decent idea that I can come up with (unless I am rambling about running) and once I get the idea I like to have it written in my head before I type it. So thats why the delay.

About me, nothing much still running and doing a little this and a little of that. My hair is long and it gets in my eyes which bothers me when I run. That’s it.

While I was training for the SA the weather was warm and I was running four times a week (7 –  10 miles each time). Currently it is cooler generally speaking. I may go when it is warm outside but the average temperature for the day is much cooler. The cooler weather affects my muscles making them tighter than usual.

I have found that after four miles or so (or when I break a sweat) my muscles are loose. The key for me to run effectively in the ‘cold’ is to be aware and to stop early on and stretch.

In an effort to get back into race shape for my next race I am going to do shorter runs while stretching before and or after the run.

Early on in December,my goal was to get my weekly runs in addition to a long run of  20 miles. Considering there is only a few days left in December I don’t see it happening. Its okay. I could do 20 miles if I really wanted to but what would that get me? My next race is over a month away and to peak this soon is no good.

I am going to focus on getting back on a running routine this week and then I should be back on track to do what I want to do. I just have to be careful not to push myself too hard and make sure my muscles are loose.

I did 10 miles a week ago so the miles isn’t the problem. I don’t even really have a ‘problem’ its just keeping myself in good condition. So tomorrow I’ll do 4 or 5 miles and Thursday or Friday I’ll go 7 or 10.

Last night I planned to do 15 miles today and I had to make myself to get going today. I probably would have kept laying around if I hadn’t wanted to get out. Anyway, I decide before I left to do ten instead of fifteen. I postponed the 15 to Thursday.

So, I take off on the trail and at various parts of the trail there are small  wooden bridges that are often uneven.  I came across one of these small bridges at the 2-3 mile mark. My foot hit the wood on the bridge causing me to loose balance and eventually do an arm out slide as if I was stealing 2nd base.

At the opposite side of the trail there was a homeless guy just standing. He saw it all. He was like are you ok? I said yes and he asked if I was bleeding and I said no. I stood up for a second dusted the dirt off and while I was dusting it off the guy was like you show me compassion. I don’t think compassion was the word he was looking for but I knew what he meant.

After he said that I had caught my breath and was good to go. Had I not been taking my time to go to the trail I may not have fallen and likely wouldn’t have met the guy. So, I get going and at the 6 or 7 mile mark I stop for maybe a minute of two to stretch then kept going. At the end I was less than a quarter mile from the finish and I passed a friend going the opposite direction. Had I not stopped to stretch I likely wouldn’t have seen my friend.

All in all after my encounter with the bridge and the homeless guy I  knew it would be my next blog entry. It wasn’t until the end that I would know  what I wanted to say: I can attest that everything happens for a reason.

Until Thursday…

I’ll give him this. He has squeaked out wins with less than good performances. But because of his openness of his beliefs he has become a media target. “The Tebow” has become a way to make fun of him. It is when he kneels and prays after doing something good. It has turned into other teams doing it in mockery of him after sacking him for example.

There are a lot of Christian athletes that the media knows of but they don’t put on a show like Tebow does. Matt Hasselbeck QB of the Titans, Colt McCoy QB Browns are just a few of those who claim similar beliefs but they don’t act like Tebow does or get the media attention based on faith that Tebow does.

When he went to the University of Florida he often wore blackout under his eyes where he would have scripture written. It either caused non sports fans but religious people to embrace him or people who were against his antics and they made fun of him.

I am not here to say this is right  but I wish for the sake of religion and peoples beliefs that he wouldn’t be so charismatic about it. I really think what he has been doing is causing more harm than good.

In a country where there are so many people seeking something positive I wish that it seemed positive to me but instead I look at it as a distraction. If you ever watch a game where he is playing, watch it and when he does something good and the cameras are on him watch him.

It may be valid but if so why does he have to be so out there unlike Hasselbeck, etc. I just don’t get it.

Faith is not determined by works and vice versa. It is a case of the heart of the person and no one should be the judge of that. I just don’t like his antics that’s all it distracts us.

Honestly, I don’t see what the idea behind ‘universal healthcare’ is. Currently the United States has medicare/medicaid for those who make under a certian amount or have a disability that significantly impedes employment.

The idea of medicaid and medicare is good but the reality is that it isn’t good at all. Medicare is better than Medicaid but both require you to go to the approved doctors. If you want to see a specialist and they don’t take Medicaid/Medicare you will have to pay out of pocket. Most legitimate doctors don’t accept it because the medical reimbursement is so low.

Anyway, its screwed up and now the politicians who have no real life knowledge of these programs want to institute a universal healthcare plan. That is just bad.

While the idea is good the reality is it’s not.

If it happens private insurance will still exist and those that don’t have private insurance will be under universal healthcare. You will have to get governmental approval for anything – which may take months. Established doctors will stay with private insurance companies and new doctors trying to gain experience will be left to take care of the others.

I pay out of pocket to see a neurologist. I only see him to get my prescriptions refilled. I am considered a ‘cash’ patient. For my first visit I payed over 300 dollars and follow up visits are around half that. There isn’t anything I can do. I can either pay and get my medicine that helps me or I don’t and not be able to function like I currently do.

I am not trying to say poor me but I just wish it wasn’t like it is.

While the future is unknown I hope someone tries to fix the current situation before implementing a new one.

I have built up to doing the ten mile loop three or four times a week. It took some adjusting but I have realized that when I do the first half a minute or so slower per mile I am able to make the time up on the back half and that is what I have been doing for the past month or so.

Anyway, today. I was a half to 3/4 of a mile away from the half way point and I heard someone on my tail. I thought to myself “I am almost half so let’s do this”

I am used to people wanting to race or float or follow me but typically it is at the beginning or end of the trail not in the middle. I assumed it was some male runner from one of the running groups. I was wrong.

So I tried to shake her and I still heard her so I pushed it more and she was still behind me. If I had to guess my time when this shaking and baking was going on I would say a easy low 7 mile. Anyway when she was trying to catch up to me she said “Oh My Gosh Your A Stud” I just raised my hands and kept the pace up.

There came a point to where there were several walkers coming our way. I had to go left and it slowed me down to where she caught up to me. She thanked me for pushing her on and she soon turned around. I instead kept going.

I went for maybe a quarter of a mile and was like man, go catch her. So I tried. When there was a mile left I passed her. She was going the opposite direction. She waved I waved.

So I didn’t get the chance to say hey. Oh well. It was a good 10 mile run and one of my fastest.

On November 13th I am doing the San Antonio Rock and Roll half marathon and in January I plan to do the 3m half and lastly in February I am hoping to do the Austin full. My goal for the race coming up is between a 1:30:00 and 1:45:00. I currently run it in 1:40 but me and races don’t have the best luck so we will see.

In the meantime I’ll keep doing what I am doing.

Throughout my time having him I have gone through a lot medically and he was always nearby to cheer me up.

Now the tables have turned to an extent. He is okay but he had to have surgery to alleviate an open cyst. The details are unimportant but now he is bandaged up and I am taking care of him.

Money is objective and I would do whatever whenever to keep him safe and healthy. I think the same is true for him although he is incapable of saying anything. I just know.

I don’t know what I would do if I didnt have him around and really don’t like to entertain the thought.

Hopefully many of you will be able to have a dog like Jack. I am glad that I do.

Dystonia is a progressive neuromuscular disorder. Basically my brain sends too strong signals to certain muscles which cause them to act differently. In my case the symptoms progressed slowly. It was only in my right side for many years, began to affect my speech in my junior year of high school and by the time college came around it became more generalized. It hasn’t affected my legs though.

I never really even felt ‘different’ until after college when I was looking for a job and companies wouldn’t give me a chance.

The current prognosis is unsure. Researchers have identified 20 different genetic mutations that may cause dystonia. I do not have the first genetic mutation. As far as treatment I take oral medicine and it ‘helps’ I guess. I can tell a difference when I don’t take it. There is brain surgery called Deep Brain Stimulation. Google it. It’s purpose though is to regulate electronic activity so it will be more ‘normal’

I had it. The incision line where they went in wouldn’t heal and it had to be removed. I however know people who have had it and you can’t tell they have a disability. I don’t know that I would try it again.

Anyway that’s the jest of my story. I just wanted to clarify for those who knew a little and to educate those who didn’t know at all.

The cooler weather is much welcomed but it is taking some adjusting. I had been waking up early to run before it got hot but now I can wait several hours later. I don’t really like waiting longer to get moving but I have no reason to get going early anymore.

This changing of my routine also affects my dystonia. I don’t know if it’s negative or positive but I can notice a difference.

I could always wake up when most people are still asleep and go but it hasn’t happened this week yet. I think I may be noticing my dystonia being different is because I have been running longer and faster with much less effort. Maybe my body is tired.

Who knows. But thankfully we only have to deal with this sort of thing like twice a year.

Earlier this week I went for a run in the evening where usually run…around the lake. Normally I don’t keep exact time but this day I wore my watch and was pleasantly surprised that my back half was five minutes faster than my first half.

I have tried to maintain negative splits while running and so far it’s proved effective. I just hope I am able to keep that strategy when I race. If I am I’ll be in my goal finish time.

Typically I don’t run with a watch. I just make note of when I leave. I can tell when I am going too fast.

Toward the end of August I met the 1,000 mile mark for the year. I’ll probably finish the year with 1,500 or so.

Sure I run a lot but it’s just because I enjoy it. I’m not going to win any big races anytime soon…but I. can’t say I’m not trying.