Throughout the Spring and early Summer of 2014, I spent my spare time practicing riding my Honda around the neighborhood. I had a full-face helmet, riding gloves, an armored jacket, heavy jeans and riding boots – having all the right equipment was important to me. I also watched a lot of videos and spent time […]
When I was in my early 40’s, I was probably having what you would call a ‘mid-life’ crisis. Lots of people go through a phase where they’re bored, in a rut, or wanting to try things that hey hadn’t done before. I’ve always loved to try new things – and usually, the faster, the better. […]
I’ve never thought of myself as an athlete, and to look at me, you wouldn’t think so, either. In 2012, I was 51 years old, 80 lbs overweight, depressed and dealing with a ton of personal challenges. By 2014, I went from being a complete couch potato to achieving several goals that would be the envy of […]
This past weekend, I ran in the DC Ragnar Relay. What is a Ragnar Relay? It’s a 200-mile relay with up to 12 runners on a team. Each runner completes a leg from 3-8 miles of varying difficulty….and the run continues through the night for about 36 hours of non-stop craziness. Weather? Doesn’t matter. Fatigue? Get […]
Have you ever been so frustrated (or tired, or upset)….that you just wanted to quit? I know the feeling. I’ve been there lots of times….from jobs that seemed to be going nowhere, to relationships that didn’t seem to work anymore, to goals I’ve been pursuing……that didn’t seem to be worth pursuing as much. Some times, […]
All my life, I’ve had a fear of heights. When I was young, I found it difficult to get on rides at the county fair…and it was almost impossible to get me on a roller coaster. I’d find any excuse possible to avoid any situation where I’d have to look down from a great height […]
This past year, 2014, has been quite something. I did a better job of setting and tracking goals than I have in the past, and looking back at the calendar, it shows. The year was filled with lots of ups and downs….and as if I were to use one word to describe the year, I’d […]
Back in the 1980’s, I was an MP, stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. I was “sort-of” a police officer, running traffic enforcement, responding to alarms and urgent events and breaking up fights at the local Enlisted club. In reality, traffic enforcement usually consisted of being lectured as to why I couldn’t write a ticket […]
Mom was born in 1936, in the waning years of the Great Depression, to two hard working parents of modest means. She was the oldest of several children, and learned a number of lessons growing up, which she later taught me. Mom taught me the value of hard work. When I was growing up, we […]
This past week, I ran in the 39th Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn’t my 39th…..(only my 3rd)….but it was the first marathon I ran since a motorcycle accident in 2004 fractured my spine. At the time, I didn’t know if I would walk again….in fact, that was the last thing I remember the doctor saying […]
