• Fitness,  Parenting,  Self-Care

    Are You There, God? It’s Me, Joe

    The Scholastic catalog came home with Emily a few months ago. She picked a few books to order, which we did. And there it was – a Judy Blume section. How I loved Judy Blume as a kid! I added Super Fudge and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to the list. She asked me why and expressed a strong desire to not get them. I listened but asked her to humor me. I wanted to read them to and with her. It didn’t take me long into Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to feel like I was transformed back into my ten year old self. I know I’m…

  • Fitness,  Parenting

    Why’s Men Say…

    A while back my coach challenged me with thinking about “why” I run. This, I can promise you, many runners do a lot of the time ourselves, even without someone asking. Like when we set an alarm for 4:30 to go running in the summer to get our mileage in before it gets too hot. Or when we dress like the Nanook of the North to go for a run in the winter. Or before we embark on some distance most people wouldn’t normally do. This one is hard to quantify because that number is very variable. For the non-runner, even three miles sounds like a lot. Whereas many distance…

  • Fitness

    Groundhog Day

    We are coming up on Groundhog Day. Other than the tradition of it, I have always found it a bit preposterous.  On February 2, in central Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil “determines” whether there will be six more weeks of winter.  Whether he sees his shadow or not, in reality, most of us have at least 8 weeks of winter left. I’ve always found it to be simply annoying.  Besides, I have my own Groundhog Days. They don’t happen just on February 2. I sometimes feel like Bill Murray.  And it can be on so many fronts. Let’s start with weight. I’ve lost at least 300 pounds. Oh, fear not, those of…

  • Fitness

    Let’s Get Physical

    New year, new you. There is something about flipping that page in the calendar, revealing the new year that gives many of us a new outlook. It’s the ability to begin again, start afresh, become a better version of the prior year’s you. If you are embarking on some sort of resolution, you are probably not alone. Whether it be diet, exercise, quitting a vice, all of the above – hordes of people are starting this year, perhaps even like last year with great ambitions. Some will persist and for some, the novelty will wear off before President’s Day. Some of my blogging this year will be about fitness. A…