Run Like a Girl!

You know that feeling you get when you achieve a BIG goal? Part disbelief, part celebration, part panic because now you need a new goal? Well, I'm still riding high on that feeling after completing my first marathon in Akron, Ohio in 5:21.

I ran in memory of my father, who died on April 18th. The last time I spoke with him was by phone three days earlier, on my 46th birthday. He called to wish me a good day, but in retrospect, I understand he was calling to say, goodbye. At the moment he called, I was standing in the bookstore with a marathon training guide in my hand. We discussed my goal and he offered his enthusiastic support, as always. I couldn't think of a better way to honor his life than to dedicate this moment to him. I ran it just the way he'd want me to: smiled the entire time, greeted and thanked all the supporters along the way, and appreciated my finish no matter how long it took me.

So this one's for you, Dad! Thanks for encouraging me to live life to the fullest, and may this serve as inspiration to others to do the same.

Standing with my 11-year old daughter at the start. After telling her that it would take me at least five hours to finish, she asked, "What are you going to do for five hours?" Ha! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other...

20 miles in. Hurting, but still smiling!

Take Back Your Lunch

How did you spend your last lunch hour? Were you hovered over your desk, scarfing food down in ten minutes? Maybe you skipped it altogether. Any chance, you took a break from work, ate something nutritious and took a short walk? According to author Tony Schwartz, the last option is unlikely. He says we skip lunch to be more productive, but the result is just the opposite.

I've been a fan of Schwartz's work since he wrote The Power of Full Engagement. Now he has a new book called The Way We're Working Isn't Working in which he continues his agenda of teaching readers how our minds and bodies really operate. In short, working harder does not equal better work.

His research supports other current findings about how to optimize brain power (check out Brain Rules by John Medina). Both authors note that our bodies have a natural cycle that makes us tired between 1-3 PM each day. That is so true for me! The remedy? Take a cat nap -and yes - there are companies that actually supply and promote sleeping pods so employees can recharge. Since I'm self-employed, I can take a nap whenever I want, and most days I grab some shut-eye sometime during this window. I don't feel lazy or guilty at all. To me, it's crazy that we have access to amazing details about how our brain functions, and then we ignore all the findings with old habits.

Schwartz tried to start a movement this summer to get people to take back their lunch hour. It was a clever way to promote his book, but it's also a good idea. Be brave! Take a stand. Or, a nap.