I did my last long run in preparation for Las Vegas Sunday. It was a 20 miler and I actually felt decent. I did most of it at a 9 1/2min pace but slowed at the end. There were a few hills, not bad, but since there are actually some inclines in the race I figured I needed some training on them. I am a bit sore this AM but can now focus on proper nutrition and tapering. I listened to an interesting podcast yesterday that stressed the importance of eating some protein and fat along with your cards the morning of the race. Physiologically it makes sense. It helps to regulate digestion and keeps the blood sugar from shooting way up after a predominately carb meal. I think I will have a bagel (carbs) with some peanut butter and honey (fat and protein and some more carbs) before the race. That seems to fit the bill and I will see if it makes a difference. I am also entertaining the idea of doing the Galloway walk/run technique. For those unfamiliar with this, he teaches to doa 30 sec-1 min walk after running about 5-7 minutes. The idea is that your legs recover faster and you are not as fatigued in the last 6 miles. I have seen that is where my times suffer the most. I can keep a 9.5 to 10 pace most of the race , but the last 3-4 miles really slows and kills my times. Maybe this will allow me to stay on pace for those miles. I'll let you know. For more on the Galloway method go to www.jeffgalloway.com . Run long!
I am forever amazed by those courageous people who face extraordinarily difficult situations with a grace and peace. Often in the course of a day, I will come across a patient who tells me a tale of woe that would make a statue cry. Inevitably it will remind me, rather poignantly, of the necessity of daily thankfulness. In this country, we are all blessed beyond imagination as compared to the multitudes around the world, yet somehow we persist in leading the charge of the whine brigade at the least provocation. I think that is why I am in such awe of those, and there are many, who face adversity, be it physical or emotional, with a calm resoluteness that all will be well. Some call it feigned optimism. I call it the blessing of thankfulness.
Jenny was thirty-two when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She forced me to reflect on and examine my own life when she stated that her disease was a “wake up call”. She said that having a life threatening illness compelled her to focus on her priorities and unashamedly establish her short term and long term wants and needs. Her wish was that people would not have to face such adversity to reach this sense of purpose, yet I am afraid that human nature is not our ally in this respect. I, and maybe you, tend to wade through the day oblivious to what really matters: God, family, home, health etc. Jenny understood the power of thankfulness. She appreciated the rising sun, the soft touch of her husband, the smell of her eight-year-old’s hair. She lived for that moment of total thankfulness when she celebrated the countless good things in her life. I know I was touched by her wisdom. I am convinced that happiness comes when we understand and embrace the knowledge that everyday day is a gift. Rich Mullins, a gifted Christian song writer, wrote these words, which apply to anyone, Christian, Jew, or Muslim, who appreciates the temporary nature of today. He said, “Live like you’ll die tomorrow, but knowing you’ll live forever.” He was killed at age forty-two in a freak car wreck, but he lived in a state of thankfulness that took him from the bright lights of the
Giving thanks is a state of mind. It is the attitude of gratitude that we take for granted. If we would take the time to reflect on even the most common miracles in our lives, we couldn’t help but prevent the terminal disease of “hardening of the attitude”.
For a time I have been seeing as a patient a wonderful woman who was a church organist for many years. She was very accomplished and even had a recording made of her favorite songs which she gave to friends and church members. A few years ago she experienced a debilitating stroke that left her unable to play the organ or even walk unassisted. Her speech was also severely affected, and her medical problems became very complicated. Yet in the midst of all she had lost, on each of her visits she would repeat a solitary phrase over and over…”Pray much, no worry!” When I find it hard to be thankful, when I find myself slipping into a massive pity party, I try to remember this glorious lady and think about how thankful I really need to be.
Giving thanks implies action. I realize this may not be a common interpretation, yet when we show gratitude or appreciation for anything it is often in spoken words or deeds. Make a point of expressing thanks for simple things, an opened door, a parking spot, or a cool breeze. If we master that, then appreciating the things that really matter becomes much more commonplace. Every time I take someone to surgery, I give thanks for the God given ability of people to clot their blood. If it wasn’t for this miracle of engineering, no one going under the knife would ever wake up! Physicians, of all people, should daily stand in awe of the miracle that is the human body. Smart docs are thankful for the ability of the body to right the many wrongs we all accrue. I had a patient tell me one time that a good day was one where she didn’t see her name in the obituaries. Truly, any day above ground is better than the alternative! There is so much to be thankful for…if we just pay attention.
Life is full of small and large blessings. Make thankfulness a part of every day and you will see your physical, emotional, and spiritual health soar!
