Running – Lead.Learn.Live.

Running. With Marc and Eddy Verbessem.

June 16, 2013 By David Kanigan 35 Comments

5:30 am. 59F. Birds up and singing in all their glory. It’s still. Very still.

I put on my Adidas running shorts. Rachel’s scolding from months back surfaces: “I can see your tan line. They’re too short. Those are Perv Shorts. Embarrassing. Go change.” I growl. Now, each time I put them on, I’m thinking Perv-Man. Words. Killer. What a delicate flower.

“What do you want to do for Father’s Day Dad?“
“I’d like to be left alone for the day.“
“Really?“
“Yes, if you could arrange for me to be sitting alone next to Thoreau, at Walden Pond, listening in on his thoughts, that would be a perfect Sunday.”
“Who? What?”
“Forget it Honey. Forget it.”
“Have to say Dad, you have to stop your incoherent mumbling.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: Aging, Belgium, Eddy Verbessem, Ernest Hemingway, euthanasia, Exercise, Family, Fitness, God, Gratitude, Health, heaven, Henry David Thoreau, inspiration, Inspire, Life, Lifestyle, living, Middle Age, Photography, Quotes, Run, Running, Story, Verbessem, Walden Pond, Wall Street Journal, Weight Loss, Workout

SMWI*: Now if this doesn’t get you off the couch…

June 8, 2013 By David Kanigan 16 Comments

Source: nbcnews.com. May 17, 2013. Excerpts from new research in a study on more than 17,000 men:

Fitness can protect you from cancer — even 20 or more years down the road
Men who were the most fit in middle age were the least likely to die a quarter century later even if they were unlucky enough to get cancer
Men who were the most fit at age 50 back in the 1970s were the least likely to develop lung or colon cancer 20 to 25 years later
Men who did get lung, colon or prostate cancer, the fitter they were in their early 50s, the less likely they were to die of it.
Two things you can’t change are your genes and your age,’ she said. “But you can get more fit.
This important study establishes cardiorespiratory fitness as an independent and strong predictor of cancer risk and prognosis in men
These results indicate that people can reduce their risk of cancer with relatively small lifestyle changes.”
Many studies have shown that exercise lowers the risk of cancer, but this one is one of the first to show it can also reduce the risk of dying from cancer.

Saturday Morning Workout Inspiration: Not Exactly.

June 8, 2013 By David Kanigan 29 Comments

Source: Hungariansoul

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: aerobics, Exercise, Fitness, Funny, gif, Gym, ice cream, laugh, Running, Weight Loss, Workout

SMWI*: Just Do it!

June 1, 2013 By David Kanigan 24 Comments

SMWI*: Saturday Morning Workout Inspiration. Spoof of Nike’s “swoosh” symbol and “Just Do It” exercise ad campaign.
Source: TheMetaPicture

Filed Under: Art, Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: crossfit, Exercise, Fitness, Funny, Gym, Health, healthy-living, Homer, Homer Simpson, Just do it; swoosh, morning workout, Nike, Physical exercise, rum, Running, Sports, Training, true, Weight Loss

SMWI*: Why just run when you can be fabulous

May 25, 2013 By David Kanigan 23 Comments

SMWI*: Saturday Morning Workout Inspiration
Source: TheMeta Picture

Filed Under: Art, Inspire, Life Tagged With: diet, Fitness, Funny, gif, Gym, inspiration source, morning workout, Run, Running, saturday morning, treadmill, walk, Weight Loss, Workout

Work-Out Inspiration: And my excuse would be…what?

May 18, 2013 By David Kanigan 21 Comments

He was born with cystic fibrosis, a chronic progressive disease characterized by a thick, sticky mucous that clogs the lungs. Each day, he takes 50-70 pills. And he hooks himself up to a machine called the vest that shakes his upper body for 1-1.5 hours a day to loosen the mucus from his lungs. All this – - so he can run. He’s run 6 marathons, five of which have been under 4 hours. Why does he do it?

“I do it because I want to prove to myself that I can…I run because one day I might not able to.”

Source: Thank you lybio.net

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: cystic fibrosis, diet, disease, Exercise, Fitness, inspiration, Inspire, lungs, marathon, progressive disease, Run, Running, Steve Bell, Video, weight, Weight Loss, YouTube

Go. Go. Go.

May 15, 2013 By David Kanigan 18 Comments

A bit of hump day inspiration. Time to get after it!

Source: Themetapicture.com

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: Animal, cute, Dog, gif, go, inspiration, jumping, Run, Running

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Silence

May 11, 2013 By David Kanigan 24 Comments

You need to get through the first ~ 4 1/2 minutes to get to the punch line. And then, the punch line pops. And worth the wait. The video is shot in Vancouver and Whistler Mountain. Headphones recommended.

“The world is filled with noise. Make room for silence.”

Silence from ARC’TERYX on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Nature Tagged With: arc teryx, British Columbia, Canada, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Nature, noise, quiet, Run, Running, silence, Video, Vimeo, walk, Walking, whistler mountain, Work

Saturday Morning Work-out Inspiration

April 27, 2013 By David Kanigan 19 Comments

Running shoes worn in the last Boston marathon were used to create this image. Learn more on how this image was created at: Boston Magazine.

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Nature Tagged With: bombing, boston, Boston Marathon, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Health, inspiration, Run, Running, shoes, tragedy, Weight Loss

Running. With Shodo.

April 20, 2013 By David Kanigan 22 Comments

5:25 am. Headline machines spewing darkness: “Curled up on a bloody boat.” (CNN) “A Grim Day for a Small Town. Bodies recovered after blast. (WSJ) ”Raped. Delhi 5 year old in serious condition.” (BBC News) This last one too much for me. I shudder. Evil. Mimi describes her contrasting realities this morning. And I’m in search for a contrast to my mental image reality. I turn away from the gloom.

5:55 am. 47F. Drizzling. I’m out the door. Need a new route. Need a change. A new path. I’m determined to run long. Man looking for accomplishment. Looking for my body to ache. The kind of ache deep in your bones. A soreness that hurts – - the achy hurt – - your body telling you that you pushed it today. That’s it.

19-year old boy shivering under tarp in the boat. Curled up. Lying is his own blood. Chopper circling..spot lights illuminating the darkness. Is his Mother watching? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspire, Life Tagged With: boston, Boston Marathon, Buddhism, Exercise, Fitness, Forsythia, Poem, prose poetry, Running, Shodo Harada, Story, Weight Loss, West Texas, Zen

Running. Besting 100-year Old Men.

April 14, 2013 By David Kanigan 22 Comments

5:50 am. I’m off. 100-year old men running marathons and I’ve been filling the couch. Now there’s inspiration.

45F according to Weather Channel. Walk outside. Feels like 60F. Strip off running jacket. Fat man goin’ to fly.

Feeling HEAVY. Thanks to my enabler friend Lori. She sent a can’t miss recipe after last week’s Spaghetti Bolognese post. Zeke (dog) and I were sniffing around like crack addicts for 10 hours while the bolognese simmered in the slow cooker…with the aroma from the meat sauce oozing into every pore of the house. When the 6pm dinner bell rang, I was at the table with fork, salt shaker, large plate. Salad? NO. Bread? NO. Vegetables? NO. Keep all distractions out of the way. I told Zeke to stand back, I needed room to feed. Four plates later (at least I stopped counting at 4), I was licking my plate…and telling myself, maybe it’s time to stop. Bliss. Peace. 10 years from today, new FDA research will find that eating Spaghetti Bolognese extends life. And you’re going to think back and say that crazy man was right. You read it here first.

Back to the run. So, here we are. The day after. A DIRIGIBLE. LARGE AND BLOATED. On the road again trying to knock out some lbs. 100-year old running man drifting in an out. I’m half his age and can’t get the pistons firing. Wonder if he lied about his age. (That’s not nice. But something seems off. He looks better than 100. Hell, he looks better than I do.)

On February 23, 2013, 101 year-old Fauja Singh finished the Hong Kong 10km (6.25 mile) event in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. (That’s it! I’m going to kick his a** today. I’m sick of being embarrassed by 100 year old men. It’s sad. Really it is.) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Nature, Quotes Tagged With: bolognese, Bolognese sauce, diet, Exercise, Fauja Singh, fit, Fitness, healthy-living, Middle Age, pasta, Run, Running, spaghetti, spaghetti bolognese, Story, walk, Walking, Weight Loss, weight reduction program, Work-out

Work-Out Inspiration: 100 years old. And still running.

April 13, 2013 By David Kanigan 34 Comments

Fauja Singh ran his first marathon at age 89 and became an international sensation.
Records? Fastest to run a marathon (male, over age 90), fastest to run 5,000 meters (male, over age 100), fastest to run 3,000 meters (male, over age 100), and on and on they went.
By his second birthday, Fauja’s parents had cause for concern: He couldn’t walk. His legs were short and spindly, capable of movement but too weak to support his body. He turned 3. No steps yet. Then 4. Still crawling. Children called him danda, Punjabi for “stick.” Family members worried he might be crippled for life, so they consulted village doctors…At age 5, he developed enough strength to hobble. Proper walking didn’t come until around age 10.
His goal? Get into the Guinness Book of World Records for finishing a Marathon at 100 years old. The race: The Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16, 2011. He’d finished in 8 hours, 25 minutes. He waved to the crowd as he walked across the line, then lifted his arms and accepted a medal. There were smiles and handshakes and photos with friends and strangers, then a rambling news conference for Fauja to reflect on his record. Amid the chaos and congratulations, however, Fauja never noticed the absence of one celebrant they’d expected. Guinness. (Guinness would not recognize Fauja Singh for the record. Read why at this link.)

Source: ESPN - The Runner. Hit this link to read the full story. Inspiring.

Epilogue: On February 23, 2013, Fauja Singh finished the Hong Kong 10km (6.25 mile) event in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. (Source: BBC News - Oldest Man Runs His Last Race)

DK Note to Self: Get. Off. The. Couch.

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: ESPN, Exercise, Fauja Singh, Fitness, guinness book of world records, Guinness World Records, Inspirational, marathon, Run, Running, Sports, Work-out

Running. Like a Hippo.

April 6, 2013 By David Kanigan 43 Comments

6 am. I’m off. No slackin’ today.
32F. Feels like 27F according to Weather Channel.
Spring? Laughable.

Snarky Man is on the move.
Black wind breaker. Blue sweat pants. Red shoes. Black Chargers Tuk.
(How do you spell C-L-A-S-H?)

Reach for draw string to synch up sweats. Only find one end. The other end is buried in hole about an inch back. Are you kidding me? Paused for 1 second – - no chance I’m going back to change. Veer way wide of the Man today. He going gangster. Let his sweatpants hang off his a**.

THE MOOD.

It all started yesterday. 3 am.

Morning ritual of stepping on the scale. Followed by Morning Delusion. LED flashing. Flashing. Flashing. (Think 10 pm on Christmas Eve as a Child .)

And then BAM.

Followed by SHOCK.

The scale reports a new 5-year high.

“Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.” — Augustine of Hippo

I don’t know who Mr. Augustine is. But I’m looking like a Hippo. I have one daughter and not two. And her name is Anger.

I get off the scale. Inhale. Exhale.

Technology! Has to be that I jumped on the scale too quickly. It didn’t find its equilibrium. It needs to set itself.

I gently step back on. (Like, if I treat it more kindly, I might get a better outcome.)

Flashing. Flashing. Flashing. Flashing. Flashing.

DAMN IT!

Enough. We enter Day 1 of my new weight reduction program.

And as I reach Post Road on my run this morning, I recall my first day…

Running. In Confessional.

March 30, 2013 By David Kanigan 26 Comments

I’m off. 35F. Feeling good.
It’s the day after Good Friday.
The title of LaDona’s post banging around in my head like a 50 Cent Rap song – - the tricked up Chevy heaving up and down to the beat:

This Place Was Made By God.
This Place Was Made By God.
This Place Was Made By God.

I look around. Trees reflecting on the still waters of the Long Island Sound. Sun’s up in its full magnificence. Sky is a brilliant blue. Who else could have made this?

She goes on. This place was made by God, a priceless sacrament; it is without reproach.
(She’s so d*mn sure.)

And on. The most sacred day in the Christian calendar, and indeed, in Christianity itself. Inspiration for stunning, poignant music across the centuries. Even if you don’t believe, or if you do and God seems far away, the music speaks. And touches. And heals.
(I’m right there with you Sister on the far away part. And right there with you that the music speaks, touches and heals)

Then the mind, faster than a switchback on a BC mountain highway, turns to a conversation with a colleague on Thursday: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Nature, Quotes Tagged With: atheist, Atlantic Ocean, church, Confessional, diet, Divine presence, Easter, Easter Sunday, Exercise, fit, Fitness, God, Good Friday, healthy-living, Middle Age, mortality, Nature, Outdoors, Quotes, Religion, Run, Running, spirit wrestlers, spirituality, Story, walk, Walking, Weight Loss, Work-out

Saturday Morning Work-out Inspiration: 38 Top Tips

March 30, 2013 By David Kanigan 25 Comments

Leo Babauta at Zenhabits asked his one million followers for tips on “how they formed exercise habits and made it stick.” What works for me? (When it works.) Four strategies:

GET YOUR WORK-OUT GEAR TOGETHER. Do it the night before. Make it easy to grab it and go. Save yourself the agony of the rationalizing self-talk: I’ll do it later. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. I’m tired. Let me check my emails and then go. Or worse, Oh, just forgettabout it.
DO IT EARLY. Period. Or it doesn’t get done.
GET STARTED. Take the first step. Walk out the door. Step on treadmill. Put on your shoes. Once engaged, I get propelled by the Zeigarnik Effect, the need to complete the task.
RECORD RESULTS. You are what you measure. I record my weight and my work-out (dates, results) in a spreadsheet on Google Drive. Then, when I look at it and find gaps (e.g., No workouts for days. Shocking Weight Gain.), I find myself shamed into re-firing the engines. This works.

ZenHabits shares “38 Best Methods of Successful Exercisers.” Here are five of my favorites: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Quotes, Inspire, Life Tagged With: Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Health, healthy-living, Leo Babauta, Mental health, Physical exercise, Physical fitness, Run, Running, Weight Loss, workout clothes, zeigarnik effect, zenhabits

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Our Killer

March 16, 2013 By David Kanigan 22 Comments

I share exercise inspirations on Saturday mornings to get me off the couch and out the door. This share by Steve Layman may be the most powerful story and research that I’ve read on this topic. A few excerpts…

The story starts with a Phil Bruno “super-sizing again…He was only a mile from his house, where his wife, Susan, was cooking the usual big Italian dinner for their family of five, but he was hungry now. The urge was automatic…Ten minutes later, with a bag of burgers steaming on the seat beside him, he pulled into a McDonald’s and ordered a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, an apple pie, and a chocolate shake to wash it all down…Phil had always loved food, which was part of the fabric of his tight-knit Sicilian-American family: Grandma and her lasagna were right down the street. But he’d been athletic in his youth, playing high school football and carrying a robust but reasonable 215 pounds on a six-foot-three-inch frame. Then, in his mid-twenties, he’d stopped working out, as many of us do when life starts to chew up our time. Over the years, his regular meals and high-calorie bingeing had turned him into a physical and emotional wreck. His joints ached whenever he used the stairs, his heart hammered, and he was possessed by a strange, burning thirst that no amount of ice water could quench. “I was 47 years old,” he says, “but I felt like I was 80.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: Biking, Cycling, diet, disease, eating, Exercise, fat, fit, Fitness, Food, Gym, Health, heart disease, Middle Age, Outside Magazine, Run, Running, Story, walk, Walking, Work-out

Running. With Galileo.

March 10, 2013 By David Kanigan 29 Comments

Late (LATE) start. Galileo’s Sun is up. I look up and bask in its warmth. I start my run into a cold headwind. Fingertips tingling. My eyes, fill with water. Like mist on cold air over warm waters. This will clear.

Run by the corner of Noroton and Post Roads. Church Corner. Ascension Episcopal. Noroton Presbyterian. Christ Scientist. Churchgoers are filing in. Man cradling baby in a papoose. Families striding briskly, holding hands with their children. Lady holding kerchief in place from wind gusts. Elderly couple shifts right to let me pass. Community. Peace be with you too.

I usually run too early to see churchgoers. Not today. Guilt washes over me. Eric joined his friends in attending a eulogy yesterday. “Weird,” he described it. “Awkward not having been to church in years.” He lights my fuse using less than 10 words. Jung scolds: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Then Robert Fulghum piles on: “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” How quickly this has escalated. Yes, “my” Son – - he’s been watching. And now I’m irritated, here on Galileo’s beautiful Sunday. NO, gentlemen. Not today. You won’t get under my skin today. No sir.

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: I Got My Tight Pants On

March 9, 2013 By David Kanigan 30 Comments

Some clips need no introduction…

I’m bringing sexy back…(Workout inspiration!)

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Music, Uncategorized Tagged With: diet, Exercise, Fitness, Funny, healthy-living, Humor, Jimmy Fallon, jogging, laugh, Middle Age, Run, Running, Video, walk, Weight Loss, Will Ferrell, YouTube

Yep. Same reaction after this weekend’s feeding frenzy…

February 25, 2013 By David Kanigan 46 Comments

…after I stepped on the scale and saw the damage.

Source: Themetapicture.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diet, eating, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, gif, Health, healthy, Joke, laugh, monkey, Running, Scale, Walking, weight, Weight gain

Running. With Shirley MacLaine.

February 23, 2013 By David Kanigan 36 Comments

Late start. (LATE) Aspirational intentions at 5:23 a.m. not converted into action until late morning. Chopping through a mountain of Emails. Tumbling. Reading. Cat videos. (How many of these can I watch?) Find myself in workmanlike mode. Stress notched up a few clicks. And racing again – like mid-day on a workday treadmill at the office.

And then, I come across Terry’s post and Yellow lights are flashing…

I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why
~Alabama, I’m in a hurry

Oddly enough, my immediate concern is not why I am in such a rush on a Saturday morning. But, synchronicity. Why is Country Music around every turn. (Now Country music, this is something to be concerned about. Then the mind goes back to HURRY. What’s the Rush?) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Nature, Quotes Tagged With: diet, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, healthy-living, Johnny Cash, Kootenay River, Middle Age, Nature, Outdoors, reincarnation, Run, Running, Shirley MacLaine, Story, Trumpeter Swan, walk, Walking, Weight Loss, Work-out

Running. With Wolf Pack.

February 17, 2013 By David Kanigan 48 Comments

dog, running, vizsla,rescue,winter, exercise

Here’s my Wolf Pack. Our Zeke on the left. Anya, the neighbor’s dog on the right. Zeke, a pure bred Hungarian bird hunting Vizsla. Anya, a rescue mix with herding in her DNA.

Zeke was acquired five years ago for hundreds (many) of dollars. (The King’s list of demands in dog selection included a sporting/running breed. It didn’t include acquiring someone else’s problems.) Anya was acquired from a shelter with no cash outlay. (*Hold this thought on dog profile differences.)

Trail running (and all running outside) has largely been suspended this winter season. Weekend exercise has taken the form of intermittent stabs on the elliptical machine in the attic…remote control in the right cup holder and water bottle in the left. Air temperature constant at 67F. No snow. No slush. No uneven surfaces. (And No Running Posts. Zero inspiration running on an elliptical.)

Weather warming this weekend. It was time to GET OUTSIDE. So, I prep. Ugg’s on. Strap Garmin on wrist. Grab iPhone. Earphones. Doggie treats. Two Dog leashes. Dog tags. Poop bags. Car keys. And stuff it all into a fanny pack. (Black manly style fanny pack.) Put on down coat. Pull on hat. (38F. Hat not needed but run will be arduous. No need to display thinning/receding and matted hair.) Jam running gloves in pocket. Grab Driver’s license and wallet and head out the door. (With the exception of dry food, ropes, crampons and ice axes, I’d be ready for climb up McKinley. Heavy load for a trail run in snow. Pulse quickens and I haven’t even left the car.) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Dogs, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Middle Age, Music, Run, Running, Story, trails, walk, Walking

Running. Against the Wind.

February 11, 2013 By David Kanigan 27 Comments

Out the door. 6:30am.
Driving to a team meeting in Manhattan.
Freezing rain. Tap tap tapping on hood of car.
Passenger side wiper banging on an ice chunk. Curse. In a hurry. Again.
Fwap. Fwap. Tap. Tap. Fwap. (You could stop and clear it pal. You could. Or you could keep watching and listening to this show. Show plays on.)
I fan through playlist.
Dreary day. Fog. Rain. Icy conditions.
Feels like, looks like, Detroit. I rifle through playlist hunting for Bob Seger.
And, land on “Against the Wind“

Traffic slowing. Yellow caution lights frenetically flashing.
Salt truck scattering its melting magic on I-95.
I turn my attention to the lyrics.

↓ click for audio (Bob Seger – “Against the Wind”)

It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago…
We were young and strong, we were runnin’
Against the Wind

Running. To get on travel teams. To get grades. To get out of high school. To get the girl. (No one would have me!) To get to college. To get to adulthood. To get. To acquire. To, To, To, something else… [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Grow, Lead, Life Tagged With: Bob Seger, Business, busy, Career, hurry, Leadership, Life, Management, Middle Age, Music, rock, Running, rush, Story, Work

We average 9.3 hours a day. And it’s lethal.

January 19, 2013 By David Kanigan 44 Comments

Sitting is the Smoking of our Generation:

I find myself, probably like many of you, spending way too much time in front of my computer.
As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We’re averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping.
Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don’t even question how much we’re doing it. I’ve come to see that sitting is the smoking of our generation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Exercise, fit, Fitness, Gym, HBR, Health, move, Physical exercise, Run, Running, sit, sitting, walk, Walking, Weight Loss, Work-out

I am here on purpose…

January 8, 2013 By David Kanigan 44 Comments

Six days back at work…after a two week vacation.

Tension. Decompression. Recharge. Ramp-up. Escalation. Full engagement. Tension.

Full loop restored.

And, cycle time is compressing year over year.

Meetings. Emails. 2013 Planning. Events. Phone calls. Problems. Opportunities. Running. Faster.

In a momentary gap in my schedule…a mental image of this photo flickers by…a photo tripped into during the recharging phase of vacation. Image darts in and out for days. Pulling me back to a time when life was simpler. When picking sweet, juicy Bing cherries and filling the bucket was the task of the day.

I am here on purpose... [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Grow, Inspire, Life, Quotes, Uncategorized Tagged With: be present, childhood, gif, Life, living, melody Beatty, memories, moment, Planning, present, Quote, Running, Story, Stress, Success, Work

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Movies…

January 5, 2013 By David Kanigan 28 Comments

Here’s a three-minute montage of famous movie scenes to inspire you for your Saturday Morning work-out. From Jacki Chan, to Rocky, to Mulan, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and more. (What? No Karate Kid?)

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: basketball, boxing, celebrities, crossfit, diet, Entertainment, Exercise, Fitness, football, Health, healthy-living, inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, movies, Music, Rocky, Running, Sport, Stalone, Swimming, Video, Weight Loss, Work-out, YouTube

T.G.I.F.: Sooooo happy to be running to the weekend…

January 4, 2013 By David Kanigan 27 Comments

Source: black and white gifs

Filed Under: Art, Business, Inspire, Lead, Life, Nature, Quotes Tagged With: Animals, Black and White, Business, Friday, Funny, gif, laugh, Leadership, Mammals, Management, Nature, penguins, Running, T.G.I.F., TGIF, weekend, Work

Saturday Morning Workout Inspiration: Virgin Islands

December 29, 2012 By David Kanigan 22 Comments

Now this has considerable appeal this morning as temperatures dip well below freezing. I’m inspired.

Action Sports St. John from Steve Simonsen on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire Tagged With: Black and White, boating, diet, diving, Exercise, Fitness, gif, Health, inspiration, Inspire, kayaking, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, paddle boarding, Photo, photograph, Run, Running, sailboarding, Saturday, scuba, Sport, Swimming, Training, Travel, vacation, Video, Vimeo, Virgin Islands, walk, Weight Loss, Workout, Yoga, Zen

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Thailand

December 22, 2012 By David Kanigan 13 Comments

Filed Under: Inspire, Life Tagged With: Ads, Advertisements, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Gym, Health, laugh, Run, Running, Thai, Thailand, walk, weight, Weight Loss, Workout

Running. With Newtown.

December 15, 2012 By David Kanigan 37 Comments

Off to a late start today. Could not fire the engines. Or the head. Temperature: Brisk 35F. Not a trace of wind. And gloriously sunny. Sunny but dark.

I skip the hat. Skip the gloves. Skip the extra sweatshirt. I needed cold. Needed to feel alive. Needed a new path. A fresh 5-mile route. Away from the familiar.

9:45 am: I’m heading North. (It’s quiet out. Eerily quiet. I don’t hear birds. Traffic seems to be moving slower. Everyone mourning? Newtown is North. Sandy Hook Elementary School is 39 miles due North. TV images flicker by: Mother holding phone, screaming. Children being marched out of the building. “Close your eyes. Hold your hands.“)

A Sea of Red. Heartwarming and Human.

December 13, 2012 By David Kanigan 30 Comments

2400 Santas participated in the Glasglow Santa Dash run for charity on December 9th.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Inspire, Life Tagged With: Charity, Christmas, Community, Family, fun, fun run, Fund Raiser, give, help, helping others, Human, inspiration, Inspire, Running, Santa Claus, Santa Dash

Running. And Chafing.

December 9, 2012 By David Kanigan 57 Comments

weight loss, diet, exercise, health, eat, craving, running, run, walk, walking, chart

It all started at around 8pm last night. Susan asked: “Do you really need that?“…this in response to my complaining earlier in the day about hitting new record highs for weight gain. And after my 4th trip to the fridge since dinner time. The “that” was a peanut butter (Jiffy Creamy) and blueberry jelly sandwich. Yes, I needed it. Badly. And I didn’t need someone, anyone, scolding me. (Am I a child?) I continued lapping the peanut butter on the bread – jabbing the knife into the jar – spreading on a few extra layers. I don’t lift my head. She continues on from the other side of the room. ”You know, you should read this book on life style changes in what you eat. You can lose weight by just eating healthier. You are not getting enough proteins. This is causing you to crave potato chips, sugars and salty foods.” Blueberry jam dribbles out of the corner of my mouth. I look up. Fat man’s blood pressure building…readying himself for counterpunching. I glance up and glare. She continues: “You know that I’m just trying to help.” I take the last remaining bite and jam dribbles down my shirt…well doesn’t that about capture it. Enough! My turn…trade a boulder for a pebble. ”I don’t need to read a bloody book to tell me that I eat junk and too much of it. And I certainly don’t need you haranguing me about it.” Now, if I had just stopped there. Trade the ocean for a drop of water. ”So tell me. If this book is so good. How’s it working out for you?” Nearing 30 years of marriage you know exactly where the nerve endings are and where to jab. Yep, direct hit. Then regret washes over me. But not enough to apologize. She knows I didn’t really mean it. Right. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life Tagged With: chafing, Chart, diet, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Garmin, GPS, Guilt, guilty, Health, injury, laugh, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, Middle Age, mortality, Psychology, Running, Story, walk, Walking, Weight gain, Weight Loss

Your personal trainer is saying…

December 8, 2012 By David Kanigan 16 Comments

Image Credit: ChristinaQuayer

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Exercise, Fitness, Gym, Health, inspiration, Inspire, Mental health, personal trainer, photograph, Quote, Run, Running, walk, Walking, Weight Loss, Work-out

Still Standing.

December 1, 2012 By David Kanigan 45 Comments

The Cove, Stamford, CT

The stone walkway may be 2.5 feet at its narrowest point. The shore line is 7-8 feet down from the walkway. It’s narrow, it is a ways down and I’m always wary. I must have been daydreaming. Or better stated, distracted by day-work-worrying.

I’m on my morning run.

My right forearm slams into the end of the steel I-beam guard rail. Here it comes. A car crash in slow motion. A Bruce Lee flick. With much less grace. The I-beam doesn’t move. But it moves me. It spins me around. Full Stop. Drop. Roll. Air explodes out of my chest. I’m gasping for air. More stunned than hurt. I’m down flat on my back for a few seconds, grateful that I didn’t plunge into the mud and frigid waters in the bay. I look around to see if anyone caught the show. No one is yelling “Man Down. Man Down.” We’re clear. Pride intact. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life Tagged With: Aging, be present, diet, endomondo, Exercise, Fall, fit, Fitness, Funny, Garmin, GPS, Guilt, guilty, Health, injury, iPhone, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, Middle Age, Nature, Peace, Psychology, quiet, Running, still mind, Story, walk, Walking, Zen

Run long and fast. At your peril.

December 1, 2012 By David Kanigan 39 Comments

I’m giddy when new research supports my undisciplined behavior. This time, it’s exercise. Here’s a quick snapshot of new research reported in the Wall Street Journal:

Running too fast, too far and for too many years may speed one’s progress toward the finish line of life.
After age 50, pushing too hard is probably not good for one’s heart or longevity.
For a lot of older athletes: Running can take a toll on the heart that essentially eliminates the benefits of exercise.
The benefits of running may come to a hard stop later in life. Runners had a 19% lower death rate than nonrunners but among the runners, those who ran a lot—more than 20 to 25 miles a week—lost that mortality advantage.
There was no mortality benefit for those who ran faster than 8 miles per hour, while those who ran slower reaped significant mortality benefits.
Studies are finding cardiac abnormalities in extreme athletes, including coronary artery calcification of a degree typically found in the utterly sedentary.
Chronic extreme exercise appears to cause excessive ‘wear-and-tear’ on the heart.
If you are running more than 15 miles a week, you are doing it for some reason other than health.

Source: Wall Street Journal: One Running Shoe In the Grave. Image: Crescent Moon

Filed Under: Art, Grow, Life, Quotes Tagged With: diet, Exercise, extreme, Fitness, Health, heart, Middle Age, Research, Run, Running, Wall Street Journal, Weight Loss

Running. With Nature.

November 25, 2012 By David Kanigan 33 Comments

6:15 am. I finish up my blog posts. Finish bantering with Mimi. I pan through the Weather app on my iPhone for a temperature report on my set locations: Miami 61 F/78 F. Sunny. Sydney 67/81. San Diego 54/65. Home: 29 F/41 F. (Brrrrrrr. I shiver. Do I really want to do this? Maybe I should wait until later this afternoon when temps climb. Come on. Who are you kidding? If it doesn’t happen RIGHT NOW, it’s not going to happen pal…you know that.)

6:20 am: I put on sweatpants, sweatshirt and grab baseball cap. (Mind is chattering… should I drape myself in layers…thermal underwear and thermal undershirt…and Tuke/Beanie. Are you kidding? A mere 29°. A Canadian, last time I checked. Man-up.)

6:24 am: Grab headphones, iPhone and Garmin GPS watch. (Notice that I have 1 bar of power left on Garmin and 2 bars on iPhone. Irritated. Irritating. Hundreds of dollars of e-equipment and they can’t hold a charge for more than a few hours. Yep, good one - Gadget Man is blaming battery life. Be grateful. Thanksgiving. Day of Sabbath. And I’m sniping.) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life Tagged With: be present, diet, endomondo, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Garmin, GPS, Guilt, guilty, Health, iPhone, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, Nature, Peace, Psychology, quiet, Running, still mind, Story, walk, Walking, Zen

Excuses. Stack ‘em up.

November 17, 2012 By David Kanigan 37 Comments

#3: My job takes my time and energy. #4: I’m too tired. #14: The weather sucks. #15: I AM NOT MOTIVATED. There we go. They are on the table. My excuses not to exercise (again). Leo Babauta @ Zen Habits wrote a recent post titled 15 Great Excuses Not to Form the Fitness Habit that has lingered with me. He lists 15 excuses that have blocked him from exercise – along with his “excuse blasters.” And of course, I’ve added my commentary… [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diet, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Gym, illustration, inspiration, Leo Babauta, Marc Johns, Middle Age, Motivation, Run, Running, Tired, walk, Walking, Work-out, Zen Habits

Running. With Guilt.

November 10, 2012 By David Kanigan 38 Comments

4:05 am. And STILL, no cable, no phones, no internet.(Morning routine disrupted. Motivation waning. Out of bed. But out of sync. Ranging somewhere between live fish in boat flopping around the deck to full Train derailment.)

4:07 am. Begin surfing internet on iPad. (Wondered what I used to do at 4am in the “old days.” B.I. Before internet. I don’t even remember. Ah, yes. I used to read. Like books. Real Reading has plummeted. Guilt washes over me.)

4:15 am. Still reading and surfing. Mostly surfing. (Mind shifts to AT&T 3g – confident that their gouge meter is running. I’m watching cute cat and dog videos while AT&T is performing alchemy – turning my minutes into cash.)

4:22 am. I hit publish on my work-out inspiration post. I look out the window. Black as coal. Touch window. Feels cold on finger tips. (Shut-er-down. Enough alchemy feed stock for AT&T. Mind shifts to Running in the cold and in the dark. Hmmmmm. I grab my Grandma’s hand-knitted quilt and fall heavily into the couch. Now, there’s inspiration for you.)

7:00 am. Conscience wakes me. I need to exercise NOW or this will never happen. (Mr. Work-Out Inspiration Man needs inspiration.)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life Tagged With: diet, Exercise, fit, Fitness, Funny, Guilt, guilty, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, Psychology, Running, Story, walk, Walking

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration

November 10, 2012 By David Kanigan 28 Comments

Source: Vandalog

Filed Under: Inspire, Life Tagged With: diet, Exercise, fit, inspiration, Jog, jogging, look better, Run, Running, walk, Walking, Work-out

Get Up. Get Out. Don’t Sit.

November 3, 2012 By David Kanigan 23 Comments

“…New research this month finds that the more time someone spends sitting, the shorter and less robust his or her life may be. The findings were sobering: Every single hour of television watched after the age of 25 reduces the viewer’s life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. By comparison, smoking a single cigarette reduces life expectancy by about 11 minutes. Looking more broadly, they concluded that an adult who spends an average of six hours a day watching TV over the course of a lifetime can expect to live 4.8 years fewer than a person who does not watch TV. Those results hold true even for people who exercise regularly. It appears a person who does a lot of exercise but watches six hours of TV every night might have a similar mortality risk as someone who does not exercise and watches no TV…” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Business, Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: Art, Cartoon, diet, don't sit, Exercise, Fitness, fun, Funny, Health, Humor, illustration, inspiration, Inspire, laugh, lifestye, Marc Johns, Psychology, Relax, Run, Running, sedentary, Self-help, sitting, Stress, Success, walk, Walking

Running everywhere but Paris!

October 28, 2012 By David Kanigan 18 Comments

One of my followers had asked why there haven’t been any running posts for weeks. Simple question. Simple answer. Because I haven’t been running. Hurt? No. Ill? No. Bad Weather? Of course not. Pathetically lazy? Yes. So, we’re off this morning to break this 30-day streak of nothing. For those of you that are new to my running regime, it is 10% physical and 90% mental. So, I play word association games to keep it going.

So, what was rolling through my mind during my run…

Summer vacation. How long ago it was. (Caribbean vs. Paris and they take Caribbean. WHERE IS THE COMMON SENSE HERE? The King Loses (Again) - and again and again. Mimi has gone more than 25x. Me. Zero.)

Thanksgiving is coming. Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Pumpkin pie. (I can feel my energy draining. Tryptophan made a leap from my mind into my body. I yawn.)
Stuffing. Glazed carrots. Whipped cream. Apple Pie. (I’m practically walking now.)

Leftovers. Turkey sandwiches. More pie. Heaping scoops of ice cream. (I stop. I need to re-group. What sort of mind discipline plan are you working on here pal? I take a few deep breaths. And, I start running again. Let’s try a different mental path)

Paris. The Louvre. The Eiffel Tower. The Grand Palais. Palais Garnier. Cobblestones. History. (OK, now that’s better. Keep it rollin’)
Quiche. Baguettes. French Onion Soup. Cheese. (OMG. This is going down hill fast. 911. 911. 911.)

Croque Monsieur, Crepes, thin crust butter pastries, Chocolate Croissants, (Free fall now. I have to stop again. I walk for 1/4 mile. My trusty GPS says that I’ve run 2.1 miles. No, that’s a stretch to call it a run. Let’s call is a walk-run. Yes, that’s better. I need a different mind-word game to get me back in gear. What comes to mind? Where in the world have you run and what comes to mind when you think of the city? Here we go…) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Exercise, fit, Fitness, Food, food addictions, Funny, Health, inspiration, laugh, Mental health, Middle Age, Run, Running, Story, thanksgiving, Travel, travel memories, Work-out

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: “Move”

October 20, 2012 By David Kanigan 15 Comments

“Move” was shot in Victoria, British Columbia, my home province.

MOVE – A (very) Short Film About Trail Running from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: British Columbia, Canada, Exercise, fit, Fitness, inspiration, Inspire, mountain, Nature, river, Run, Running, Victoria, Vimeo, walk

Picture is worth…

September 8, 2012 By David Kanigan 15 Comments

Source: Runforfitness via marcdesa

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: athlete, diet, Exercise, Fitness, Health, inspiration, Inspire, Life, Lifestyle, Physical exercise, Run, Running, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, Sport, Weight Loss, Woman, Work-out

Work-Out Inspiration: Muscle Music

September 8, 2012 By David Kanigan 18 Comments

Be sure to stick with this until the end…when you need to press your keyboard keys to play muscle music.

Old Spice Muscle Music from Terry Crews on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: diet, Exercise, Fitness, fun, Funny, gymnastics, Health, Humor, inspiration, Inspire, Life, Lifestyle, Music, old spice, Physical exercise, Run, Running, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, Sport, Video, Vimeo, Weight Loss, Work-out, YouTube

Running…with Jung.

September 3, 2012 By David Kanigan 27 Comments

6:17am: I’m up and out the door. It’s a beautiful morning for running. Wisps of cool air cutting through the early September humidity. Streaks of clouds cover the sunrise. A splash of color on a few trees getting a head start on autumn. It’s September 3rd. And a great day to be alive. (Hello September. Where did the year go? Love, LOVE, the fall season. The pulsating picture above feels like my heart does now. Ba Boom. Ba Boom. Ba Boom. Ba Boom. Keep tickin’ baby. Keep tickin’.)

6:23am: Pace is good. Both jets feel good. No one is out and about. Pesky squirrels are sleeping. Even the birds are quiet. (Yep, it’s just me and my head. And that can get crowded. Managed to contain the food intake yesterday. Miracle. Determined to get this weight down before the hibernation period. As Brenna would say, Thanksgiving is the time of the year “when I feel like I’ve eaten a gallon of mashed potatoes and a gravy-injected turkey and washed it down with six or seven espressos.”)

Work-Out Inspiration: The Relay

September 1, 2012 By David Kanigan 17 Comments

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: archery, Canada, diet, Exercise, Fitness, gymnastics, Health, inspiration, Inspire, Life, Lifestyle, London, Music, Olympic, Olympics, Physical exercise, relay, Run, Running, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, Sport, swim, Video, Weight Loss, Work-out, YouTube

Work-Out Inspiration: Run with Usain Bolt & Tyson Gay

August 25, 2012 By David Kanigan 13 Comments

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: Children, diet, Exercise, Fitness, Health, inspiration, Inspire, Jeremy Wariner, Life, Lifestyle, London, Music, Olympics, Physical exercise, Run, Running, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, Sport, Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, Video, Weight Loss, Work-out, Yohan Blake, YouTube

The Beauty of the Irrational

August 18, 2012 By David Kanigan 32 Comments

Whether you run or not, this video is awe inspiring. It features South African Ultra-Runner Ryan Sandes running the 5-day, 84k Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail in Namibia, Africa. You will find “epic scenery” coupled with inspiring narration by Sandes. It certainly prodded me out the door on my mountain run this morning. Thank you Doobybrain.com via explore-blog for the share.

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: Africa, Children, diet, Exercise, Fish River Canyon, Fitness, Health, inspiration, Inspire, Life, Lifestyle, London, Music, Namibia, Physical exercise, Run, Running, Ryan Sandes, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, South Africa, Sport, Ultra-running, Video, Vimeo, Weight Loss, Work-out, YouTube

Running…Away.

August 13, 2012 By David Kanigan 27 Comments

5:35am: I’m up and out the door. The rest of the gang is sound asleep (Day 3 of vacation. Day 1 of running after a week sabbatical. I needed to rest the jet. Have to say the condition of my knee spooked me. 30 years ago, I could fall from pine trees, slip head long on slimy river rocks fishing with cousins, get chopped on ankle by a nasty Trail Smoke Eater – - and spring back like a slinky. No more. Dark thoughts encroach – - will I heal or will this knee-thing be biting me the rest of the ride?)

5:40am: I find the sign for the Mountain Trail. (There are 3 trails. Walking. Intermediate. Mountain. I’m a Man, right? Mountain it is. ‘Throw caution to the wind.’ Knee be damned.) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Grow, Inspire, Lead, Life, Quotes Tagged With: Aging, British Columbia, diet, Exercise, Family, Fitness, Francis Cabrel, God, Health, Heart failure, hiking, Hill, injury, inspiration, Inspire, Knee, Life, Lifestyle, Mental health, Middle Age, Nevis, Nevis Peak, Oreo, Philosophy, Photo, photograph, Psychology, Quotations, Quote, Research, Run, Running, Story, Stress, Vervet Monkey, weight

Work-Out Inspiration: Greatest is not a gift reserved for a chosen view. You can forget that.

August 11, 2012 By David Kanigan 10 Comments

1 minute of inspiration. ”This is Nathan. He is 12 years old. He’s from London, Ohio. Greatness is not beyond his reach, nor is it for any of us.“

Source: Thank you Psysociety for the share.

Filed Under: Grow, Inspire, Life, Music, Quotes Tagged With: Children, diet, Exercise, Fitness, Health, inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, Music, Physical exercise, push-ups, Run, Running, Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration, Sport, Swimming, Video, Weight Loss, Work-out

Running. With a bad jet.

August 5, 2012 By David Kanigan 24 Comments

6:15am. 77°F and 89% relative humidity. I walk out the door and air is thick and soupy. (Hmmmm. Maybe this sauna will accelerate the decomposition of the Oreo cookie intake yesterday. Count: 16. Yep. Strapped on the feedbag and ravenously wolfed ‘em down. But lets be balanced here. This was spread over lunch and dinner – not so bad when looking at it this way – a modest amount actually. I don’t think this even adds up to a full row.)

0.5 miles: I feel a pinch in my right knee. The pinch advances to bite. I grimace. (D*mn weekend warrior. I slow the pace but don’t stop. “Run through it.” I recall the 2007 NY Times article – ‘We want you to keep moving…injured tissue heals quicker if it’s under stress…moderate exercise aids the healing.’ 5 year old article and its stuck with me.)

1 mile: It’s not going away. Limp-running now. Slow pace further. (So, where’s the d*mn moderate exercise will heal part. Healing can show up anytime now. I’m almost walking know. Sweat is raining down…and tastes a bit creamy. (Oreos?) You would think this humidity would be lubing my knee. Odd, my right shoulder is stiff now. Oh, yea. Re-started my push-up routine yesterday. Man, my entire carriage is coming apart! Another 1/2 mile and we’ll need to call 911. As long as I don’t keel over into all of this Goose dung and avoid rolling into the cove…I should be ok.)

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