Too Busy to Train?
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
32 Days Until Bolder Boulder

The event with Robert Reich last night did prove to be my downfall for the day. My weight was back at 214 and I had no motivation to run when I awoke in the morning. I ran anyway but my pace was slower than ever. “Glacial” came to mind as the best descriptor…

I was terribly unmotivated and the fact I was tired didn’t help. I could see how people so easily felt overwhelmed with everything they needed to do in each day. I really couldn’t complain because so much of what I did was by choice. Plus, unlike so many others in the world, I always had a roof over my head and food on the table. I had my daughter and my four dogs as well so I knew I was a lucky guy in many ways.

Still, not performing athletically at the level I should be was disappointing. I thought I would use these facts as motivation to do better but, for the first time, I was questioning whether I still had the ability to whip myself back into shape. I decided that, if I succeeded, I would keep up a routine so I didn’t have the problem again.

I felt better already and started thinking about celebrating my decision and resolve. Now, about that extra bag of Cheetos…

Angela and I ran today but I was slower than usual. The Reich buffet and the short night’s sleep were a deadly combination. I felt good, all things considered, and decided to keep at it.

The day was jam-packed. I watched the complete version of the second Senate show (this one was with Congressman Mark Udall), fielded a detailed and justified critique from COMCAST of the first program with Bob Schaffer from COMCAST, heard from a friend needing a place to live and communicated with her to make sure she was OK, communicated with General David Petraeus about his promotion and nomination to head the U.S. Military’s Central Command (it was a good move for the country no matter who the next President was), and dealt with a wide range of Website access problems as well as took care of my daughter, the dogs, and the house. In other words, it was another typical day for me.

Getting to bed late was a bad idea but it seemed the crises were piling up on each other. I especially was working harder because the Senate series needed a tremendous amount of attention and I was the only one who could address all the challenges we currently faced. I dreamed of Hawaiian beaches but knew none were in my immediate future.