Aging isn't bad, it just makes you "Half Fast"

Recently, my friends and I were sitting, chatting with a cup of coffee following our morning workout. It took us approximately 50:00 minutes to run the 5 mile loop that we had chosen at the outset. Not bad for some 50 somethings who do this as much for the socialization, as for its' obvious benefits. The converstion drifted between topics, nothing new. We ended up talking about the times recently posted by one of the member's children in the previous night's swim meet; impressive, for them, in their season opener.

Naturally, we began to make some comparisons to the times we had when were, shall we say, more youthful. As a group, we used to run that same 5 mile loop in approximately 40 minutes, give or take the day or conditions. Additionally, instead of 50 minutes, we formerly would run for 60 or 70 minutes. While we are grinding out our 10:00 minute/mile pace, world class marathoners are zipping along at 5:00 minutes/mile. Our swim workouts, which generally would leave us breathless, were quite a bit slower compared to the "kids", usually twice their times. Overall, we were consistently slower, and of course, that comes as no revelation.

Wisdom would dictate our justification, of course. Being older, we were more cautious, thus becoming slower. We clearly didn't want to go "too fast", as that might cause injuries. Heavens, we had had enough of those over the years. And when you get injured at our age, going faster simply doesn't justify the potential loss of training time, compounding our slowness. We unanimously agreed, speed should be reserved for the youth of America.

Have you ever listened to NPR's Kai Ryssdal? Before he reviews the stock market report for the day, before a commercial break, he says, " When we get back, we'll do the numbers". So let's do the numbers. The marathoners and the swimmers are consistently faster than we are; the average for us would be about twice their speed. As a group, we have slowed over the years, but we also have cut down on our workouts, sometimes by at least a half. Granted, this comes as no big surprise. But facts are facts, I am afraid. I'm no mathematician, and the numbers don't lie. I can only conclude with this. Even on a good day, we are at best, "half fast", and that's a fact!

A peace of gratitude

December 7th, 1941, also known as Pearl Harbor day, lives on as a sad reminder of the tragedies of war. Books have been written about it, movies have made about it, but the reality is, war is war. There are no winners, just survivors.

Today, let us remember the fallen; thank and salute those who have served, both past and present. Equally, let us be reminded that we need to seek peace, not only in our world but in our hearts. One must have peace in order to share peace, and I'll take a piece of that!

All "Betz" are off

Have you ever had one of those days where you were losing your mind? Everything in your life was coming unglued and you had trouble even remembering your own name. If you have, then you are not alone, because when this happens, you probably are on system overload.

As a society, we have become accustomed to the concept of multitasking and living life in the fast lane. We complain about the wait in the drive through lane at any number of locales. On the freeway, we see cars changing lanes frequently just to avoid being behind someone who is going too slow; even though they may already be exceeding the posted speed limit. There is an express check-out lane at the grocery store, often times more congested than the regular line. And while all of this is happening, you see people on their cellphones carrying on their "other" business, while not paying attention to the task at hand.

So what happens to the juggler who tosses more balls into the air than he can handle? Simple, the balls start falling to the ground, not one by one, but all at once. Life can be just like this for us too, but it's not the ball we drop. It's the missed deadline, the forgotten birthday or anniversary, or maybe you can't even remember to put on your socks.

Whatever the case may be, we need to stop and smell the roses. Just like the Nationwide commercials say, "Life comes at you fast". Take the scenic route occasionally or cruise in the slow lane, because if you don't, you may find yourself on system overload. When the system crashes you'll have to shut it down , and then all "Betz" are off for getting anything else done!

Time waits for no man, unless you rewind the clock

As the sun sets on another day, I can hear my internal clock winding down telling me that days end is drawing near. My energy is low, my enthusiasm is waning, and it's almost time to call it a day.

For some, the well may run deeper. "Well" for me, the well has run dry. So, when my quill pen is dry, and there is no ink in the ink well, the words of this writer will remain within the confines of my heart and soul until tomorrow.

Therefore, today's blog is about nothing but a thought not yet written. When the sun rises to greet me, I will be refreshed and ready to rewind the clock once more!

Take the "F" out of Fun and you've got Nothin'

Almost everyone knows how to have fun. Heck! When we aren't working or going to school, most of us would rather be having some sort of fun, wouldn't we? Even when we are at our jobs or in school, if we make it fun, it makes it more enjoyable, often times more productive, and it keeps us going back.

So, what happens when you take the "F" out of fun? You are left with "un", and according to the dictionary, it comes from the Greek and is used as a prefix meaning "not". Now that we understand this, how can we apply this to life?

Let's take the the "F" out of fun to see what happens. Instead of being fun, we become "un" or unhappy. This makes it more difficult to face the challenges of the day, and that seems to require even more energy. Energy that, because of the circumstances, noone probably has to spare. What was once a healthy outlook, now becomes unhealthy and that may upset us even more. Coping skills become compromised. Our ability to reason becomes unreasonable, and this then can lead to arguments and more disruption. The cascade effect can be endless. What was once fun is now a total shambles of unrest, and that would be unfair. You may end up with less than you had or maybe even just a whole lot of nothing for your troubles

Well, what should we learn from this little exercise in enlightenment? Just remember, when you next loose your cool, thus becoming uncool, you need to find your "F". Not some 4 letter word that reduces your stock value to nothingness, but the "F" that reverses your "un-ness". The "F" that, if you put it back where it belongs, it'll make you "Fun" again!

A marathon, 26 and a little more.

Anyone who has been running since the 70s or before, certainly would remember Jim Fixx. Some people have credited him with the running craze that appeared to take off during that decade. Unfortunately, he met with an early demise in spite of his commitment to exercise. Running in those days was somewhat of a novelty, but for those of us who knew of its benefit, it only seemed natural to lace up and head off for a jaunt.

I recall my first official road race quite clearly. I was required to register with the Amateur Athletic Association in order to prove my amateur status. What an ordeal. However, after much paperwork, I was able to register for a 10 miler near my hometown. I believe there were 150 entrants in all, but the community support was terrific. That is a far cry from what typically happens today. Registrations are accepted online, via the mail, and no one, and I mean no one, questions your amateur status. You can register almost to race time. However, if you do that, you might not get the T-shirt! Sound familiar?

Naturally, for anyone who has been running for a while, the marathon becomes the defining goal, the ultimate distance race. How can anyone run 26.2 miles? Undeniably, it takes a fair amount of commitment, self sacrifice, and maybe just a little bit of fringe behavior. But once you have completed one, you will always be able to answer yes to that query when someone asks you, "Have you run a marathon?".

So for 26 miles, the thought of completing the race may not appear on your radar, but as you run those final 365 yards, with the crowds cheering and the adrenaline flowing, it will be worth going just a little bit more!

What happens when you smile?

Remember the old television show, Candid Camera? Do you recall how each little vignette ended? They said, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera!" In the end, the individuals, even if they were embarrassed, couldn't help but smile when they were captured on film.

So, what happens when you smile? It releases a number of emotions indeed. Typically, you experience happiness and joy. It just depends on the reason why. Maybe you just heard the news about the birth of a child, the favorable results of a test, or any number of things. Whatever it is, when you display that contagious smile, it conjures a feeling of comfort and happiness from within and conveys a similar message to the recipient. What, if anything, can be bad about that?

In these difficult times, it is not uncommon to feel somewhat down and dejected. We all have expectations and aspirations that sometimes can't be achieved. However, if we maintain our sense of well-being and perspective on things, we hopefully will overcome. Success in this case may not be measured by dollars and cents, but by the priceless smile on our faces. Spread the wealth and share a smile today!