Last weekend, as part of my first 20,000 days celebration, I ran my second half marathon. In spite of my September post on preparation, I did not prepare to the degree I had planned. So here’s what you do to make sure you have a good time, a good race, and no injury.

1. Set your expectations to match your level of training. If you are running a longer race, but haven’t come close in your long runs, be prepared to walk part of the way. You can run the whole thing with the right level of mental toughness, but your risk of injury increases if you exceed your training by too much.
2. Follow a practical pre-race ritual. This is different for everyone, based in part on your travel to the race location. Some nutrition to start your engine is a good idea, but most runners don’t want to have too much in their stomachs at the start of the race. Get to the race with enough time to register and pick up your number (unless there was pick-up available the day before). Check for the porta-pottys. If you need to use one, chances are they will be busy just before the race, so line up early.
3. Position yourself in a reasonable location at the start. Don’t put other runners in the position of having to run around you in the early running. And don’t put yourself so deep in the pack that you don’t have room to run.
4. The longer the race, the more careful you pace. Don’t start out at your best stride when the race is much longer than your usual run. If you routinely run 5k in 25 minutes, then by all means go out fast and back off a bit if you need to. But if you are an 11-minute miler running a 10k, don’t rush out at a 9 minute pace and expect you will keep it up.
5. Remember the words of my friend John: “To finish is to win”. You trained, you registered, you got to the start. Now get to the finish and don’t worry about your time.
6. Enjoy the rest of your day. If you ran a long race you may want to ice the legs a bit, even in an ice bath. This will reduce the recovery time.
7. Pick another race and set up a new training plan!

I know that I was not happy with my last finish time, but thrilled with the run itself and that I finished without injury. But I know what I need to do to improve and I’ll run my own 13.1 in May with a new goal. Assuming I train enough.

Enjoy your training as much as your racing, and, as always, let’s be careful out there.

Anna at abdpbt is responsible for the effort to Fight Listless Mondays. Find other list links on her blog. Her lists and the others linked there always give you something to think about, and may even make you smile!

When there are special events in your home, work patterns change. In particular, there is more time spent in the kitchen preparing, serving, eating and cleaning. The kitchen is full of opportunities for injury, mostly from heat. And those hazards are not just near the stove and the oven. We carry hot pans across a room, or hot soups or teas are carried. The potential for burns is much higher.

Then there are the knives that find their way into a soapy sink. If someone isn’t careful reaching in, they could easily get cut.

This advice seems a little bit late, right?

This is also the time of year when many of us make promises to do things differently. Eat better, exercise more, save more diligently, and to get things into better order. These kinds of resolutions present changes in our day-to-day workflow. The process of how we go about moving through our daily lives. And while change is good, it is also good to look for any potential hazards related to your new plans.

For example, if you are going to rise early to exercise every morning, make sure you are starting with a glass of water and a light snack. Even a small amount of yogurt or a slice of peanut butter toast can effectively help you get through a workout better. Sounds simple, but it is important.

Also related to exercise – if you haven’t been good about it recently, then ease back in. Take time to warm up, stretch, and cool down to minimize the liklihood of injury.

Plan your food intake. If you plan on eating better, don’t just go to the grocery store and buy only fresh produce and things you think are healthy. If you are not already including them in your diet, then it may take you time to get used to bringing them back, and some could easily spoil before you have a chance to consume them all.

Will you be driving at a different time because you will be heading to the gym before or after work? There may be different traffic patterns at that time of day that will require a change in how you drive. It may require more patience, or you may be driving in darker conditions than you are used to.

And don’t forget – lots of other people make decisions to exercise more, and so there will be more runners on the road. They may not be wearing adequate reflective clothing, so watch out for them!

Whatever changes you are planning, I wish you luck in achieving your new goals.

Thanks, and let’s be careful out there.

But what insurance should you carry? How much and for what incidents? There are all kinds of sites that will help you understand the ins and outs, and why you should or should not have a particular insurance. And they don’t all agree on very much. There are some that will tell you that for life insurance, only choose term insurance. Whole life policies are a bad investment.  That may be true, depending on your particular circumstances, how you are saving, and how much monthly cash you have available for this purpose.

Just as important is to routinely look at your insurance in light of changes to your pay, your lifestyle, the economy, and even your outlook.  Here are some situations where you might want to consider re-evaluating your insurance purchases.

1. You have established a good emergency fund. Whether or not you are a Dave Ramsey fan, you have tried to save into a rainy day fund. You have likely encountered need for extra cash from time to time. A household emergency fund is for addressing some of the real life things that happen. Your refrigerator fails and you need to buy a new one. You have an accident and have to pay the deductible on your auto insurance. If your emergency fund is getting rich enough, you should consider raising the deductibles on your auto and homeowners policies. You can use the reduction in premiums to increase what you are putting in the fund!
2. A change in any family member’s life status. Sometimes a change means they are no longer covered on your employer-supplied health care plan. My son is only covered until age 23, and only if he remains a full time student in the meantime. We will go off family coverage at that point, but he will have to have his own coverage (or not – but that’s just crazy as he is diabetic).
3. Your cars are getting older. If you carry collision insurance, there comes a time when the cost of the insurance is just not worth it. The insurance company will total the car in a situation like this. Cancel the collision and put the money saved in the new car fund.
4. Age. As my family grows older, I need less life insurance. It’s time to reduce my term coverage as my youngest becomes self-sufficient.
5. Real estate values. Do you have replacement coverage? Does the replacement value automatically escalate each year? Is it enough or are you possibly over-insured? This might be worth looking at.
6. Accumulation of “stuff”. Have you documented the valuables in the house, including jewelry and electronics? Laptops, plasma screen TVs, and high value electronics may all be in the house when the fire hits. Is your coverage good enough?
7. Because you have choices. Why do you think Geico has those creepy eyes looking at you? And when your friendly HR rep reminds you that it is time for annual enrollment, do you look at the new choices or just the bottom line difference for same coverage? Change is hard sometimes, but there may be a value in considering a move from the PPO to the HMO. Of course YMMV.

What other reasons have you had to reconsider your insurance purchase? Please feel free to share you wisdom in the comments.

Thanks, and let’s be careful out there.

Anna at abdpbt is responsible for the effort to Fight Listless Mondays. Find other list links on her blog. Her lists and the others linked there always give you something to think about, and may even make you smile!

1. You have to work up to the distance. No amount of frequent short runs will prepare you, so you need to plan several weeks ahead of time to add at least one long run per week.
2. You need to mix it up with long runs, speed training, and short, comfortable runs. Training doesn’t mean every workout should stretch you to the max. Your legs need their own version of work/life balance.
3. You need to be aware of your nutrition needs. If you are training to the tune of 20-40 miles per week, then you need to be eating more and eating smarter. A good plan includes nutrition consideration.
4. You need to understand the change in your body’s need for rest. Training for these distances is tough, and you need better quality recovery time, which includes more sleep. We’re all different in this respect, but you need to be aware of it and adjust accordingly.
5. A plan keeps you motivated. If you are at race day minus three weeks, then you are starting to get some serious long runs in, the kind that take 2 hours or more depending on the race you are training for. Sticking with the plan will give you more confidence on race day. Which brings me to the last point.
6. Race day should be fun. You get to feel the excitement of the rest of the runners. On many distance runs there will be crowds and music throughout the race cheering you on. As the miles tick by you feel some sense of accomplishment. But, if you did not follow a plan you will likely be unprepared and will have some disappointments. You will walk more than you hoped to. You may develop blisters or pains for the first time because you didn’t do enough distance prep to know your body and your equipment.

A plan will take just a little bit of your time, but will help you enjoy the journey more. You can get a plan for your running at Runner’sWorld.com, look for SmartCoach, and you can generate a plan based on your current ability and planned distance. The plan above is an example for someone planning to run a 5k race. You can learn more about the nutritional and rest aspects by lurking in the Runner’s World forums. There at a ton of generous, knowledgeable people there.

Exercise is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. If you enjoy running for the solitude, you may never enter a race. But racing with others can be a fun social experience as well as a good goal management opportunity. My next race is a half marathon in early October. I am following a training plan that should allow me to finish in the same general time as the last one a did a year ago. The best part of have a plan for me is the motivational aspect. I am on plan and feeling good!

Whatever distance you might run, do it for fun as much as for challenge, and, as always, let’s be careful out there.
Anna at abdpbt is responsible for the effort to Fight Listless Mondays. Find other list links on her blog. Her lists and the others linked there always give you something to think about, and may even make you smile!

My company offers a generous policy, and as a long-term employee I get plenty of time off. Some I use to get things done around the house, some to visit family, but this last week was a combination of working around the house, just taking it easy and reading or watching movies a couple of rainy days, and getting away with my wife of 22 years to celebrate our anniversary.

I used to cash-in some vacation, but now I plan to use it all. Here are the big reasons why.

1. To be my best at work, I need to get work out of my thinking space once in a while.
2. To be my best for my family, I need to dedicate time to them. No work email. No phone calls.
3. To be my best for me, I need to keep my exercise routine, and time off gives me a great opportunity to get to my routine back.
4. Getting completely away from my normal environment is very freeing.
5. It’s great to get paid without even thinking about work!

All things considered, a well-rested and clearer thinking employee is likely to make better decisions regarding his personal safety as well.

Is vacation just time away from work for you? Or do you use it as a way to re-boot and start fresh?

Let’s be careful out there!

Anna at abdpbt is responsible for the effort to Fight Listless Mondays. Find other list links on her blog. Her lists are more clever. Lots.

The next race I ran was in 2008.

I didn’t run much in between those two races. I started running again in November, 2007 with a goal of running and walking 1,000 miles in a year. I met that goal and ran a few races, including a half marathon that I finished in 2:18. I hope to run the same race this year with an improved time.

Running has been good for me, but it might have been disastrous if I hadn’t gotten good advice. Here are the tips I believe any new runner should take into account when beginning a running program:

1. Find a local running store (LRS) that will fit you correctly for your gait and pronation.
2. If you haven’t run before or you’ve been away from it for a while, start with brisk walks.
3. As you build endurance, alternate running and walking depending on how you feel. You don’t have to run every step of a planned outing, you can walk.
4. Pay attention to the weather and respond accordingly. If it’s too hot, shorten your run and make sure you stay hydrated. Use sunscreen if needed. If it’s cold, wear the right protective gear.
5. If music or recorded books help get you out there, great. But don’t let the isolation of the ear buds prevent you from knowing what is going on around you.
6. If you must run on a road, run facing traffic.
7. Wear reflective gear or lights if you run pre-dawn or at dusk.
8. Read forums and interact with them. I recommend the Beginner’s Forum at Runnersworld.com. There are many experienced runners there that are eager to help.

Have fun. Stick with it long enough to feel some benefit, and you will enjoy something that to non-runners looks like too much work. And call yourself a runner. It doesn’t matter if you run fast, or alternate running and walking. You are a runner.

And don’t forget the most common advice: Check with your doctor. And as a friend of mine says, ask your doctor if getting off your ass is right for you.

Let be careful out there.
Lists on Monday are influenced by Anna at abdpbt. Her lists are more clever.

In fact, for the second half, you need to be more attentive to your state of mind and your attention level. Fatigue and boredom frequently take over on a long drive, and it is important to recognize when it might be affecting your performance. I have pulled over for a short nap a couple of times over the years, because I just didn’t feel safe continuing on.

Most people know the basics of making sure the car is in a good state of operation before a trip, but what about the operator? When taking a long trip, try and pay attention to how you feel, and utilize a simple strategy like the one outlined below to assure safe driving.

1. Take frequent stops, not just for fill-ups.
2. Keep hydrated – it may lead to more frequent stops for the restroom, but it also helps keep you comfortable.
3. Consider caffeine in limited quantities. Too much can agitate you, which is not a good state for many driving conditions.
4. Have the appropriate planning of driving through cities to know when the bypass is a better option than the highway through town. Enough information is available by Internet that you can identify construction zones and problem areas. Know your options!

I hope you enjoy your summer travel this year, whatever your destination.

Thanks, and let’s be careful out there.

These kinds of peaks also lead to peak frustration, peak exhaustion, and peak tensions. For many of us, the economy and its effect on our personal situation adds even more weight.

When we get the busiest and when work and family demands increase, we find ourselves working through problems almost continuously. And when our minds are on those problems and those demands, we are most susceptible to putting our task work on automatic. We are most susceptible to forgetting about little things that could be important in preventing big injuries.

Don’t let the peaks of summer turn into new lows. Don’t forget the little things we can do to manage the heat, the stress, and the work. Drink water, use sunscreen, and take a break from whatever you are doing from time to time. Thanks, and let’s be careful out there.

When undertaking a potentially hazardous task, if we take the time to get another set of eyes to take a look, we might find a way to do it just a bit safer. We have lots on our minds; family demands, deadlines, difficult challenges at work, our health, our futures.  It’s just too easy to let all of this fill our consciousness. If we get someone to look at the situation, we are asking them to focus with us, just for a minute, and improving the likelihood of a safe outcome.

Never be afraid to ask for help when safety is concerned, it could save you a serious loss. Not to mention that holding hands once in a while, with the right person, can raise the endorphin level.

Thanks, and let’s be careful out there.

Take this one for example: Seventy-five percent of all adult deaths are preventable. I don’t remember exactly where I heard it, but it was likely in a sound bite in the news.  The author was discussing the importance of eating right, exercising, and making routine visits to the doctor. Somehow, he failed to identify that 100% of all adult deaths are inevitable.

What I think he was trying to say is that we have some say in our health, and therefore, to some extent, when we die. Health and Safety are much the same thing. When we perform an unsafe act, we are endangering our wellness. I can eat right, exercise regularly, get routine check ups, and then go bike riding without a helmet. Truly safe behavior takes discipline and attention each and every day. Do you do something that compromises your efforts toward good health? What are you trying to do differently, and what gets in your way?

Thanks, and let’s be careful out there!