Notes From The Foot Whisperer - Gearing Up (and Drinking Up) for the Marathon

Are you ready for the Pittsburgh Marathon? Yours Truly has been running and I will be doing the Half for my favorite charity, The Alzheimer’s Association (We call ourselves the AlzStars). It’s easy to be a part of the marathon; either as a runner in the Full, Half, Relay, or 5K. Or you can participate as a observer and cheering fan. Believe me, I couldn’t have made it without the support of all of the people along the course!

And as if I don’t have enough challenges, my daughter gave me a new challenge; I have to drink 97 ounces of water a day this week to hydrate properly for the race! If it were coffee, that’d be easy! But in all seriousness, hydrating is so important as every organ in the body requires water. And when you stress your body in one of these races, the outcomes could be bad if not properly hydrated. My own experience in my second marathon was great!. The reason? Because one of my associates at the expo that year insisted (Nagged!!!) that I drink plenty of fluids days prior to the marathon. And she brought a huge bag of bottled water. At the time, I was annoyed, but cooperated. A big Thank You to Wendy!!! I had absolutely no problems running the marathon. And to the contrary, it was the most enjoyable race I had ever done!

Come pay us a visit at the Expo this year! We are offering some of our new L.A.B. apparel. And I think you’ll love the themes! And if you can’t make it to the expo, stop by the store for great Expo Weekend discounts! Friday and Saturday, take advantage of expo discounts. Anything at the store will be 20% off!!!

Happy Running!!!

~Ed

Notes From The Foot Whisperer - One of the Gifts that Running Gives

I went for a run the other day. It was a beautiful, sunny morning around 50 degrees, with little wind. And I found out it was just the prescription for yours truly! It seems I had a lot on my mind. Some good. And others quite tragic. But I’ve found, through my running, peace, solace, and direction. What a great way to clear the clutter that periodically builds up in one’s head! While out there with the road under my feet, and the blue sky overhead, I was not annoyed by phone calls, the Morning News, or the thought of the day’s responsibilities. Instead I concentrated on the rhythm of my breathing and foot strikes. And I focused on the task at hand: how to say good bye to my sister. Denise was tragically taken from us in an auto-related accident while on vacation. And I had the unenviable task of providing a post-funeral eulogy to friends and family. How do I put into words, the feelings about a person I have known literally my entire life?

I decided to go for a run. It all came together! What a tremendous gift we all share as runners! I will always cherish the time I spent with my siblings. And I will likewise take pleasure in every one of my runs. Both solitary and with others!

Thank you all for that gift!

~Ed