I’m sitting in at my living room desk, gear surrounding my feet, a binder of information sitting next to me, and Brad’s U.S. Trail Running Adventure Google Map open behind my blog. In less than two weeks, I’ll leave Muncie behind for the summer and set about my journey to Austin, Texas, where I’ll be […]
5280 feet above sea level. One mile high, according to the football stadium. Everyone warned me that running in Denver was going to be challenging. “Drink lots of water,” I was told. “Expect to run 1-2 minutes slower,” I was told. “Make sure you let me know how you feel after,” one person asked, laughing. […]
In 67 days, I shall line up on the track at Appalachian State University with several hundred runners and begin a grueling 26.2 mile run through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina as part of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon. I’m anxious about this race. We only have 5 1/2 hours to finish as our […]
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” — Steve Prefontaine After 13 weeks of training, I ran The Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee in 3:52:49. It’s the best time I’ve ever run, but 7 minutes, 50 seconds slower than I needed to qualify for the Pike’s Peak Ascent, the […]
My former student – and The Invictus Writer – David Ake finally got me out to the shooting range today. It was a cold, dreary day but that hardly dampened our spirits. He’s an excellent teacher and an honor to his country. (He’s a veteran of the second Gulf War.) Here’s my first attempt to […]
Grades don’t matter. This is what I tell my students ever week throughout the school year. Education is about the process, I tell them as they roll their eyes, not the product. I implore them to focus on squeezing out every bit of knowledge from their assignments. I want them to attack uncertainty without fear […]
If you’ve followed my blog at all, you know that I have a deep and meaningful relationship with Mr. Hank Moody (and Charles Bukowski, the writer the show Californication is based upon). At his highest, Moody is a sharp, witty writer examining the human condition while balancing his on-again/off-again relationship with girlfriend Karen and his […]
The Year of Health ended just a few days ago. If I had to add it up I’d say I came out on the plus side of things last year. On the positive: I quit smoking 48 weeks and nearly 2 days ago. I weighed in the neighborhood of 165. I completed my fastest half-marathon […]
There’s simply too much to explain about this place. But nearly everything of interest that happened to me in Austin – and by that I mean nearly everything I will ever commit to the page in this forum – happened at Antone’s, the best blues bar on the planet. To list all the musicians I […]
Two years ago, I dated a woman with a 16-year old daughter. That was a first for me. I’ve certainly dated single moms before, but never one with a kid who would really remember any interactions we’d have. I fell in love with her immediately, the way in which adults fall in love with children. […]
I’ve been derelict in my writing. I wish I could say that I haven’t been avoiding it, but the reality is I’ve let my life and school get between me and the words. It’s created a weird angst within me, the calling that usually comes before I cut the reigns and find myself roaming the […]