Apocalypse Stories - Bill the Dog

Welcome to the Run-Run-Live 4.0 Podcast!  - This podcast celebrates the transformative power of endurance sports.  
This is the next generation follow up to the RunRunLive 2.0 Podcast. 
This show is a thoughtful, interview-based format that explores the connection between running, and endurance sports in general and your physical and mental health. 
All episodes, show note, links and previous show iterations can be found at www.runrunlive.com

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The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-469 – Russ and the Running Life  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4469.mp3] Link    Zero Prostate Cancer 2021 Boston -  MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -  Chris’ other show à  Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-469 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Today’s show almost did not happen.  I’m pretty busy and I didn’t have an interview so I was going to let it slide.  But then I got an email from Russ.  So grabbed him for a conversation.  Russ is a man full of wisdom even if he may not know it.  When I listen to him talking about the things he gets from the podcast, I don’t think I’m telling him anything he doesn’t know already.  I think I’m just helping him uncover what he already knows.  I’m the catalyst to free his innate wisdom, and maybe contextualize it for him by telling a story.  But that catalyst has value, right? I’ll give you my updates for the week.  I actually didn’t do much this week.  I had a business trip for the first time in almost 2 years and let my PT slack a bit. But, I’m getting fat and I don’t like it.  In section one I step up to the rostrum and preach a sermon on how to incorporate running into the span of your life.  In section two I’m going to talk about King Tut, because I can. We’re deep into the early winter here in New England, it’s cold.  It drives the mice into the house looking for heat and warmth.  You can’t blame them.  But there is always that one mouse that ruins it for all the rest.  That one mouse that has to climb up on my counter and take a bite out of an apple and poop.  That mouse goes too far and ruins it for all the other mice.  By the time you see the bite out of the apple, you have more than one mouse.  You’ve probably got ten or more living with you.   By the way what do you call a group of mice?  It is commonly ‘a nest’ of mice but more whimsically you can refer to them as ‘a mischief’ of mice.  Isn’t that great?  A mischief of mice. By the time you see the bite out of the apple you have a mischief of mice. And there may be some sort of moral to that story, I don’t know, but I clear my house of mice every year in November. I did travel this week.  I flew to Dallas for a meeting with the executives of one of my customers. I read a post by Peter Shankman, who by the way we did have oon the podcast back in the day about why travel is so important.  Peter is a very kinetic person and he said travel cures everything.  When you’re bored, depressed, anxious, confused with life – climbing on an airplane and going somewhere cures all that.  It’s the movement.  It’s the feel of the going that lights you up.  And I feel the same way. I think, all though the insides of our heads are quite complex and rich, it is the influence and addition of outside experiential data that feeds the fire.  Without that life becomes stale and cold. Just walking through a major airport and observing the people, the travelers and imagining their stories makes my life richer.   I know we live in interesting times, but we always have, get out of your house and see something. On with the show! About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations)  … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.   Section One – The Life -    … Russ Porter Russ Porter refers to himself as an ‘adult-onset’ athlete, having only started taking running seriously in his late 20s.  Since then, he’s run 12 marathons, an ultra, almost 30 half marathons, and competed in several triathlons, including two half-Ironman races.  If he can do that, maybe anyone can.   When he’s not working out, Russ is the CFO for a professional accounting organization, parent to two college aged children, and husband to a woman who consistently outpaces him in every sport they do together.   A disgraced Knight Templar, Russ was wandering the roads of Connecticut looking for redemption in the dark mornings of the deep winter.  After Jedi training and Buddhist monastic practices disappointed him, he converted to endurance sports as a path to enlightenment.  He’s says he’s not there yet.   Section Two – Tut Ankh Amun -  Outro Ok my friends we have journeyed to the west to the wisdom of the old gods through to the end of episode 4-469 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Anubis, the jackal headed god of the underworld awaits.  I came through my turkey trot on thanksgiving a couple weeks back unscathed.  I ran the whole 5K and the knee was fine.  I’m still doing my PT exercises when I can.  This weekend is the Mill City Relay.  It’s a 5-leg relay race at the end of the fall season that all the local running clubs participate in. My local club, the Squannacook River Runners had been doing it for decades.  I think I ran my first in 1995.  I’ve got a great over-50 team of my running buddies and we’re going to have a blast. I’ve got the short leg, 2.5 miles and I’ll do my best to complete it without hurting myself! So yeah, I traveled this week.  I was actually pretty nervous about it.  Not because of the virus.  More because I haven’t done it in so long would I have lost the habit?  And, no, it was like old times and I fell right back into my routines.  Like I said I had a meeting in Dallas.  Big on-site meeting where all the client execs and our execs were there.  They have a new C-level exec and this was a bit of a coup by our team to get their executive team to visit us.  I’ve been working with this customer for 2 years.  And in that time, we have had a series of challenging projects.  It’s been a battle.  It’s not my role or responsibility to deliver the work or the support, but at the end of the day I end up owning whatever the customer and our company does because I own the relationship. For this meeting, besides all the high-level strategic stuff, they asked for a couple things that were terrifying.    Things like update us on the project status.  What are we going to do about this under-performing partner that you recommended?  What is the “Corrective Action”. And, frankly, I had no answers.  I would just have to go in, tap dance and take the beating.  It put me in a bad spot.  I’m being held accountable for the execution of the Client’s team and our team all of which are out of my control.  What to do?  Just go and say ‘sorry’ and take the lumps?  Then I was reading a book that one of my workmates recommended called .  And as always happened it was the message, I needed to hear, at exactly the right time.  The universe provides.  One of the leaders from the customer in attendance had been kicking our team for 2 years.  They would say things to me in meetings like ‘Can you skip the niceties and get to the real challenges?’  I knew they were going to tear me a new orifice in front of their new boss, in front of my peers and bosses.  But, reading about extreme ownership, I knew what I had to do.  I had to stand up there and say ‘these are the things we’ve done to get better’ but it’s not good enough.  We’ve got to do better.  We as a team have to work together for our mutual mission success.  You’ve got great, hardworking, caring people – we’ve got great, hardworking, caring people – and we’re still not succeeding – so that tells me we either have a process problem or a leadership problem – and I’m going to commit, I’m going to take ownership, right here, right now to work with you to figure it out and get better.  I wrote it all out.  The details of everything we’d accomplished together and the reasons we keep failing and I was prepared.  My teammates were antsy.   The rest of the agenda was great, but this was the dark spot.  My part of the agenda was where the 4 hour meeting would come off the tracks.  What do you think happened?  The meeting ran long with great conversations.  When we got to my part of the agenda everyone was exhausted and ready for dinner.  I put up my slide.  The customer leader who had been kicking me for two years stood up and began presenting for me.  They explained to the new boss all the challenges and how we were going to address them and how we obviously had a process problem and how we should address it, and how they’d been working with this troublesome partner… What did I do?  I shut the hell up and watched the stuff I’d been worried about evaporate with me having to say a word.  Did it matter that I didn’t get to give my powerful, Seal Team inspired speech?  Not at all. Was it a waste of my time to prepare?  No, not at all. Mission accomplished. You do the best you can and the universe will take care of itself.  I’ll see you out there. My Apocalypse show ->     MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -    Rachel ->  Coach Jeff ->

Episode 4-469 – Russ and the Running Life

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-468 – Thomas and the Emerging Athlete  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4468.mp3] Link    Zero Prostate Cancer 2021 Boston -  MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -  Chris’ other show à  Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-468 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Today we’re going to talk to my friend Thomas who is a college cross country runner. If I could name only one benefit from having put out this podcast for the past dozen years it would be, head and shoulders above anything else, the people I meet, and the podcast gives me an excuse to learn about them.  I didn’t meet Thomas through the podcast, but the podcast gives me an opportunity to talk to him.  It’s interesting and enlightening.  I think there’s something to learn here for everyone.  it tells us older athletes that just by showing up we may make an impact on someone. It has some lessons learned for runners just starting out around what the journey could be. It has some things for parents to think about. … In section one I’m going to talk about the magical sport of cross-country.  In section two I’m going to talk about the elliptical – that ungainly piece of equipment in the corner of your gym. As for me, I had a bit of a setback in my return to running.  When I glibly tossed in that trail 5-miler a few weeks back I did something to my knee.  I don’t know if that something was the same something I’ve been recovering from for the last year or a new something – but it was noticeably sore.  So – I am not running.  Instead I’m working with Gina and focusing on some basic core, PT, flexibility and balance.  I, purely on a whim, jumped on the elliptical at the gym for my warm up this week and discovered that this may be a piece of equipment I can use to gain fitness while I’m waiting for the knee to sort itself out.  I haven’t put my bike on the trainer yet.  When I say ‘trainer’ I mean this contraption that is basically some rollers that you can mount your bike on and ride in place.  It is in the top 3 of the ‘endurance training Hall of Pain’ workouts.  It is mind numbingly awful.  But you can watch TV.  I did go out and squeeze a bike ride in last weekend with my buddies.  When I left my house for the ride Saturday morning there was ice in the back of my truck.   It was a bit brisk out on the bike trail, but we stopped for coffee to warm up at the halfway point. I am starting to put on a little weight.  But it is what it is.  My daily workout is a combination of foam rolling, stretching and some core or strength.  None of which is super-challenging.  The only challenging part is convincing myself to do it and then not trying to rush through it! I did buy a set of latex bands from Amazon that I use to add resistance to some of the PT exercises, like clamshells.  They are pretty good.  If you want the link, ask me and I can send it.  They are in a little pouch that you can throw into your gym bag and there are 10 different tensions.  I think it was 12 bucks.  My knee is still pretty achy and I’m losing my patience and getting frustrated with it.  I just have to keep reminding myself to take the long view.  Keep showing up!  Good things will happen if you are consistent. Since you all know by now that I am running a fitness project at work, which basically means I’m being an ad hoc fitness coach for all the people in my group.  I have one friend who’s in his mid-40’ who has gotten the Peleton treadmill and has been on it every day for almost a month now.  He’s really inspired.  He’s gone from zero to every day.  When I look at what he’s doing, he can’t even run a mile without walking, but it is transformational for him.  So I’m not going to complain about not being able to do intervals, hill repeats and 50k’s!  I’m going to do my PT and take what the knee gives me.  That’s not about injury or fitness.  That’s about mindset.  Some people look at the sky and see the clouds.  You look at the sky, make note of the clouds and see the blue sky.  It’s the same with thoughts.  The blue sky is your gratitude and peace.  The clouds are the crazy thoughts your brain sends scampering around like demented weasels. Don’t focus on the clouds.  Focus on the blue sky and your days will be sunnier.  You may even manifest some more blue in your skies. On with the show. About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations)  … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.   Section One – Cross-Country -  … Thomas Orcutt Originally from Groton Massachusetts Ive been running since I was about 9 years old I hold the school records at Groton high school in the mile, 2 mile and 5k. Now a Sophomore at Merrimack College running cross country and track I’m looking for an outside shot to qualify for the NCAA championships in the spring season in the 5k.  1 Mile 4:13 3000m 8:12 5000m 14:30 8k 23:48 10k 30:08    Instagram @torcutt25 https://www.strava.com/athletes/torcutt25 Section Two – Elliptical -  Outro Ok my friends we have run over hill and dale through the end of episode 4-468 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Knock the mud off your cleats before you come back in the house, please.   Even though I have not run at all for a couple weeks I’m running the Ayer Fire Dept 5K next week for my turkey trot.  I should be fine.  I’ll just jog it.  It will be good to get out.  Then the week after is the Mill Cities Relay.  I’ve got a good 50+ team of my three old running buddies plus Just Plain Dave who’s driving up for southern Mass.   There’s one short 2.5 mile leg – I’ll take that one and see if I can race a little bit.  I’m really looking forward to it.  It should be a blast. I’m getting to the point where I just want to start running again.  Whatever was / is messed up in my knee should have healed by now and I’m a big believer in active recovery.  I’m going to need some coaching to make sure I ease into it. I’m sure everyone saw that they accepted everyone who qualified for the 2022 Boston Marathon in the spring.  Meaning, you didn’t need to beat your qualifying time to get in.  I’m out of qualification.  I’d need a 3:35 still to get in.  I think I get another 15 minutes in 2023.  Which is a lot.   I might consider getting a charity bib for 2022, just to keep my streak alive.  I ended up raising over $1,500 for my virtual this year.  And they finally sent me the finisher’s box.  I got the official race long sleeve tech shirt, finisher’s guide – which is a magazine type thing, I got the Sam Adams bottle opener, the unicorn sticker and a medal.  I checked on the medal and, yes, it is a different medal than the one the people who ran the physical race got.  The virtual medal is silver, and the ribbon says virtual.  The in-person medal is gold.    So depending on how you look at it I’ve got 21 Boston marathons under my belt now.  And that would be my 18th in a row.  Tough habit to break. … Ollie the collie is back in training.  We’re doing the “Good Citizen’s” course.  This includes everything we’ve learned so far plus greeting people and other dogs.  I’ve been trying to get out for a walk with him every day on the leash.  He’s still a struggle but he’s getting nicer bit by bit.  He’s such a smart, lovable dog.  Really handsome.  But crazy as a barrel full of monkeys.  Guess what? I booked some business travel this week.  I’m heading to Dallas. I may have two trips to Dallas this month.  How about that?  It’s been almost 2 years.  Crazy.  I’m going have to learn how to travel all over again.  When I walk Ollie out in the woods I find trash.  I find face masks, which are the new cigarette butt.  I find tissues, which I’m not picking up.  I draw the line at used tissues.  But the other two things I find are grocery receipts and candy wrappers.  I get the grocery receipts.  They hand those to you at check out when your hands are full so you stuff them in an available pocket from which they jump when you go for your walk.  I don’t get the candy wrappers.  I’m not talking chocolate bars.  I’m talking about hard candy and Lindt Truffles.  Those little, dense, evil balls of calories.  How does that happen? What’s the scenario where you say, “Hey let’s go for a hike! Hold on I’ll get a pocket full of truffles!” I think it’s people who are watching their step counter and when it hit 10,000 they scarf down a couple truffles as a reward.  It’s ok.  I’ve got your back.  When sugar coma induced weakness hits and you drop those truffle wrappers I’ll be there to pick them up for you.  Because I’m helpful like that. And as you are clutching your next handful of sinful chocolate balls, I’ll see you out there. My Apocalypse show ->     MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -    Rachel ->  Coach Jeff ->

Episode 4-468 – Thomas and the Emerging Athlete

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-467 – Holistic Health with Gina  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4467.mp3] Link    Zero Prostate Cancer 2021 Boston -  MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -  Chris’ other show à  Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-467 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  How are we doing?  In today’s show we are going to talk with a friend of mine Gina who has recently moved from her 9-5 job to being a holistic coach.  She’s working with me as I try to build myself back into this new season of running.  Oh yeah, before I forget, it’s my birthday.  And the supply chain must be really bad because I didn’t’ receive any gifts from you thousands of loyal friends out there… All those expensive gifts must be sitting in a container ship off Long Beach.  Hey, I know exactly where that is.  I’ve run by the Queen Mary a dozen times in the morning and out into that little marina with the break water there.  Nice weather there.  Too much cement and not enough trees for my liking though.  I bought myself a new Kindle Paperwhite.  I had one of the original Kindles and I really liked the form factor.  But it eventually went end of life and those evil bastards at Amazon sent over a software update that killed it.  That was a couple years ago.  It took me this long to recover from my pique.  I got a couple runs in this week. I went for a nice long 5+ miler with Ollie in the trails on Tuesday.  As much as I enjoyed it, I also made my knee mad and it’s been achy since.  I’m running with Ollie in the fully leashed mode now.  I have him on the 6-foot leash and I try to make him run in a heel position beside me. It’s a work in progress. He doesn’t get why I wouldn’t want to just run as fast as I can.  I spend most of the time correcting him.  He doesn’t work with me and it throws me off balance.  Ollie would make a terrible guide dog.  All you’d see would be Ollie sprinting down the road with the severed arm of the Achilles athlete dragging behind him.  So – I’m a work in progress and Ollie is a work in progress and, let’s face it, that’s life, right?  Anyhow Gina has me doing a routine of foam rolling, stretching and core.  I’ve done this routine for the last coupe weeks.  And I do feel a bit of benefit in terms of my form and balance.  Now I’ll try to load in some strengthening as well.  Start slow.  Build a good foundation.  In section one I’ll share another presentation I did to my group about what we learned from experimenting with morning routines.  Apologies for the audio.  In section two I’m going to talk a little about apps.  … I’m not going to bore you with my whining about not being able to run.  Not being able to run bothers me.  It really does.  It feels like a loss.  Why?  Because running is more than running for us.  Running is art.  Running is a creative, spiritual act.  Running is prayer for us.  And when you lose your running you lose your prayer – and that’s the loss.  And you can lose it not just by being physically injured.  You can still be capable of physically running and lose the prayer.  Lose the art.  You can lose that art by trying to do to much.  By turning that prayer into an industrial act. And I’m going to give you a gift.  I’m going to stick a short piece written and read by  on a podcast that I listen to sometimes, called  that has some deep and meaningful conversations.  For your long runs it will give you something to think about and I was stunned by this beautiful piece of writing today.  I don’t own any of this and the links are in the show notes.  It’s from an essay called “Oremus,” meaning, in Latin, “Let us pray.” “Prayer, like poetry, like breath, like our own names, has a fundamental rhythm in our bodies. It changes, it adapts, it varies from the canon. It sings, it swears, it is syncopated by the rhythm underneath the rhythm, the love underneath the love, the rhyme underneath the rhyme, the name underneath the name, the welcome underneath the welcome, the prayer beneath the prayer. So let us pick up the stones over which we stumble, friends, and build altars. Let us listen to the sound of breath in our bodies. Let us listen to the sounds of our own voices, of our own names, of our own fears. Let us name the harsh light and soft darkness that surround us. Let’s claw ourselves out from the graves we’ve dug. Let’s lick the earth from our fingers. Let us look up and out and around. The world is big and wide and wild and wonderful and wicked, and our lives are murky, magnificent, malleable, and full of meaning. Oremus. Let us pray.”   On with the show. About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations)  … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.   Section One – Fitness project presentation - … Gina Newton Thanks again Chris for having me!      Gina Newton is a spiritual and holistic lifestyle coach; Gina guides individuals to balance their personal energy.  After spending 20+ years in a high stress profession, Gina started Holistic Healing with Gina Marie which includes personal training specializing in pregnancy and postpartum care, private yoga, Reiki.  Gina works with people to heal in mind & body to feel their best!   Instagram: Facebook:    Section Two – Fitness Apps -    Outro Ok my friends we have holistically strengthened through the ed of episode 4-467 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  How do you feel?  More balanced.  Thanks Gina. Coming up for me is the Ayer Thanksgiving 5K.  Should be fun.  I know I can run 5K – so that won’t be a problem.  The challenge will be to not get swept away in the race vibes and make promises my body can’t deliver on!   Then on December 5th I have put a team in for the Mill Cities Relay.  It will be a hoot.  I’ll take the broken-old-guy short leg and my old running buddies can divvy up the actual racing.  We are in the midst of kickstarting the old Groton Road Race after a 2-year hiatus.  Stay tuned for more on that but it will be in the spring. Speaking of the spring, they have opened early registration for the 2022 Boston Marathon at it’s usual time and place on Patriots Day.  I could register if I was qualified.  But, I’m not. It makes me wonder whether I should keep pushing out this podcast if I’m not really competing anymore.  What’s the benefit to you?  But for now I’ll keep doing it.  Because I know that it helps someone.  It shows up at the right time and says the right thing for someone and that’s my little rock creating ripples in the pond. I will tell you a story.  This week during my Fitness Project office hours I had a bunch of people show up and we talked about what we learned from the morning routines.     I have to tell you I was a little wary of putting myself out there in a work setting.  I set up this challenge for everyone in my group to get up at a fixed time for a week and do something.  I called it 5 at 5 or 5 at 6 or whatever you wanted to do.  Just get up, and do something you hadn’t done before and report back to the team as you are doing it. Everyone listened politely. Some asked clarifying questions. Then Monday Morning came around and I committed to list 5 things I was grateful for each day in the morning for a week. That was my commitment.  I published it out to the team chat.  This was another scary moment.  But, I figured, what’s the worse that can happen?  I’m ready to retire anyhow. Then, an amazing thing started to happen.  One by one people started chiming in with their morning projects.  And we got through the week with a heightened sense of comradery. Mission accomplished I thought.  Then I held my office hours and all these people showed up.  They told me how my project had kick started them into a fitness routine.  They told me what they had learned.  How they had tried to get up earlier and failed but then learned to simplify and take what they could get. They told me about how their new meditation practices had allowed them to carry that calm leadership into their days.  They told me how these projects had opened windows of connectivity to their spouses and children.  I was shocked and humbled.  Before we had this fitness call I was leading another call, earlier in the week.  And it wasn’t going great.  I was getting anxious, and I know that you can’t be anxious in these types of calls because it shows and it bleeds into the environment and poisons the room. And I thought to myself, “Wait.  Take a breath.  You are giving them a gift.  You are the gift.  Your knowledge, your leadership, your ownership is a gift.  You have no control over how they receive the gift.  If they choose not to take the gift, or not to appreciate the gift, that’s on them.” And I relaxed.  And, right then and there, in the middle of this call, I reached for a yellow sticky and wrote “I give you my gift” on it to remind me.  This is my message to you.  You are only responsible for the gift.  Whether it is a podcast or a morning routine, you give the gift that you have, without fear.  You give your gift and let others take it.  Watch what happens.  Give a gift of a sincere thank you in every interaction you have today.  Give a gift of sincere praise in every interaction you have today. Those gifts will come back to you thousandfold. And I’ll see you out there. My Apocalypse show ->       MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -    Rachel ->  Coach Jeff ->

Episode 4-467 – Holistic Health with Gina

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-466 – John from Sqoosh  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4466.mp3] Link    Zero Prostate Cancer 2021 Boston -  MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -  Chris’ other show à  Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-466 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  It finally turned to the nice cool fall weather this week.  The leaves are falling.  I’ve done a couple of easy runs out on the trails this week with Ollie.  The knee is ok, but I’m in such poor shape that it’s hard to tell.  Everything hurts so a little extra pain doesn’t really stand out. But I have a plan. Of course I have a plan.  I’m consulting with a friend of mine to start building abase of core strength and balance that I can leverage to come back healthy.  I’ll talk a little bit today about how to treat these seasonal transitions where your body is talking to you.  It’s marathon season.  I watched all the folks running the big events like Boston and Chicago and London. Great job everyone.   People were really emotional at these races after waiting so long to run in person.  I forget how important and impactful getting to Boston can be for people.  People ask me if I ran.  I don’t know how to answer.  I completed the distance.  I did not run the course on the day.  I  ran loops over in my home town of Groton on Sunday morning.  I ran a 30 second run, 30 second walk cadence and ended up with a time of 5:05ish.  So I guess, technically I ran.  My friends came out and joined me for the first lap.  Tim hung in for the second lap.  I did 5 laps of different lengths and sizes.  I’m not a very prescriptive person.  I just show up and run.  I know roughly what distance the loops are from the town hall in Groton.  I was aiming for 5 plus miles each.  That seemed like a good distance at that pace so I could have a refuel every 80-90 minutes.  The weather was cool, but oddly humid.  I carried one of the soft bottles in my vest.  I did not take Ollie.  I ended up coming back from the 4th loop at 23 miles and change, so to keep it simple I just did that last 3 miles as an out and back on the rail trail.  I won’t lie, my legs were not happy with me for the last 10 miles.  That 4th loop ended up being 6ish miles and ran out of water.  But, with the 30-30 cadence I was able to pick up my feet and move each time and did not suffer unduly.  I wasn’t’ really sore the next days either.  I did see others out on the rail trail who were obviously running their own virtual races.  I listened through some podcasts and had a nice long thoughtful outing.  For nutrition I had a handful of dates.  I had water and a change of shirts and hat at my truck.  It worked out without much fuss.  I was pretty beat up at the end. Felt like I had run a marathon.  So – there ya go – for the veteran runner – you can complete a marathon on zero training using a 30-30 run-walk.  Today we talk to John from Squoosh bands.  It’s an interesting interview.  John is really tied in with my friend Kevin over at the Extra Mile Podcast.  In section one we’ll talk about the mindful crux of determining what to do in the later seasons of your running life.  In section two I’m going to do an old-man rant on hustle culture.  I love this fall weather, don’t you?  Of course it’s only fall weather in this hemisphere. We are moving into a stressful period of our lives. These few weeks before the holidays tend to be very busy and can be overwhelming. Remember to be mindful.  Straighten up.  Relax your shoulders and jaw.  Bring your head high like the top of your head is being pulled up into the sky. Take a deep breath.  Fill your whole abdomen, all the way down to your belly.  Hold it for a count of two and feel the peace and energy in your body. Let it out slowly. Feel gratitude for that simple act. On with the show. About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations)  … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.   Section One – Seasons -    … John Fournier Re; social media we're on  Instagram: @sQoosh        Twitter: @sQoosh1      Facebook: sQoosh sweatbands    Here's our website:    and also our link on etsy (for custom sweatbands for runners)      Blurb,   sQoosh is the first sweatband designed by and for runners. It’s non constricting, won’t stay saturated, they’re super lightweight, cool & soft. Worn on wrist, fist or palm. Easily zaps sweat out of your eyes/face (wipes runny noses in winter) plus when it fills with moisture- just sQoosh it out.    We’re running an October special too (attach) Free pink ribbon with order.    . Let me know anything else you'd like Plus ... What's a good mailing address and I'll send something up to you (if you have a logo you'd like I can personalize it for you)  -Johnny     John Fournier Owner: sQoosh Products 1410 Holly Dr Amelia Isl Fl 32034 904-624-3251                        Mt 6:33                 Section Two – Hustle Culture -    Outro Ok my friends we have squooshed through the ed of episode 4-466 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Squish. Squoosh.    So – what’s the future hold?  Well, Here’s my current plan.  I’ve signed up for the Thanksgiving 5k.  I’m also outing team in for the Mill cities relay.  I need a couple over 50 men for that team if any of you locals are interested, it’s the first week of December. I’m running, not walk-running, running 2-3 times a week now.  Just easy.  I’m going to go back to the heart chest strap to get a better handle on my HR so I can stay in zone 2 for all this preliminary work.  I’m working with a friend of mine, Gina, on rebuilding my core strength and balance.  I may drop my gym membership, because this is all going to be body-weight and yoga.  The gym served its purpose this summer.  Letting me feel my oats. Get some muscle bulk and testosterone.  By the way ‘feel your oats’ is an American saying.  It refers to how frisky horses get after you feed them.  I am grateful for that interlude.  Now it’s time to transition to something else.  It’s also getting past bike weather up here.  We’ll still keep riding.  We go out until the snow and ice stops us.  I don’t want to put boundaries on what I can do, or still do.  I think your body is strong and amazing and will do far more than you think.  At the same time I want to be smart and not abusive in this new season.  Ollie is doing fine.  I took him to the vet this week for his checkup and shots.  He got a clean bill of health.  I’m practicing running on leash with him.  It’s a struggle some times but I think eventually we’ll come to some sort of agreement, he and I.  I signed him up for the second course of dog-stuff training.  Frankly I think it’s worth it just to get him out of the house.  … As we head into this stressful time of year remember to stay centered.  Remember to be in the now.  Let’s practice, shall we.  Straighten up again.  Smile.  Take in that deep breath, hold it for a second and let it out slowly. You can do anything, You can be anything, You have the power.  You are a good person, You add value to this world, You are loved. You do what is right for you, your family, and your friends with no regrets. … Your life is magical, You are unimaginably powerful Your life is beautiful, fair, rich, abundant, and filled with meaning … Your body is strong.  You have all the strength You need to do the things that You want to do. You are worthy. You are unique. You are loved. And I’ll see you out there. My Apocalypse show ->       MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -    Rachel ->  Coach Jeff ->

Episode 4-466 – John from Sqoosh

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-465 – Murray – Modern Meditation  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4465.mp3] Link    Zero Prostate Cancer 2021 Boston -  MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -  Chris’ other show à  Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-465 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Today we talk with Murray about a bunch of stuff.  He’s written a new book on modern meditations, which impresses me as one of those great books to help you with your morning practices.  This weekend is the Chicago Marathon and Monday is the Boston Marathon.   There are a bunch of people who are running both.  Which is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity.  This being the big collection of races that were postponed from the spring into the fall by Covid. It looks like Chicago is going to be a little warm.  Remember the old rule of thumb says you should run 5 seconds per mile slower for every five degrees over 70.  Like most old rules of thumb this probably more anecdotal than scientific advice. I will be running, well kinda running, my Boston virtual Sunday.  I’m going to Run-walk it using the Galloway method and an 30-30 cadence.  Meaning 30 seconds of running, and 30 seconds of walking.  The knee seems to be responding well.  Hopefully I don’t hurt it with this escapade. If it still feels good I can start ramping my training back up, but one thing at a time. In section one I’ll share what I’ve learned using run-walk to work through my injured knee.  In section two I’m going to dust off an old piece about how to successfully implement change in your life. … It’s still pretty warm up here in New England.   The temps are only going down into the 50’s at night and it’s still raining a lot.  Which means My garden is still kicking along with some odds and ends.  I’ve got one last Swiss Chard that is providing some salad.  Some robust Parsley as well.  A couple green tomatoes – we’ll see if they ripen up before the frost.   I’ve got lots of mint and I’ve been thinking about drying it out for winter use.  I’ve got some Brussel sprouts, but the cabbage worms are in them badly – so I’m not sure if I’ll ever get anything out of them.  My Zinnias are going strong, so is the second crop of raspberries.  I cut the sunflowers and was attempting to dry them in a box but they got all moldy and had to be recycled.  I ended up eating all the apples off the tree.  There were a lot. I was eating like 6 a day.  I did make a pie and a crisp as well.  Towards the end I was sharing them with yellow jackets. These are the local angry bees.  I never realized this but they actually eat into the ripe apples on the tree.  They dig little channels in them.  And finally – Ollie Wollie the Killer Collie graduated from K9 training with his certificate in basic dog stuff.  Which was great.  Yvonne was able to join me for every session so we got a consistency of training.  He’s not perfect, but he’s 87% better.  I can have him on the leash and he behaves.  He waits patiently for the release command before going through the door.  He has his own mat that is his ‘place’ that we can put him on and he’ll stay on it. And I’ve been run-walking with him on leash and he’s pretty good with that.  He really likes to pull though so it’s a constant battle.  It just goes to show you.  Even old dogs can learn new tricks. On with the show! About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations)  … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.   Section One – Run-Walk -  … Murray Du Plessis   Murray Du Plessis has studied and taught meditation for fifteen years and assisted the running of meditation centers in England, Burundi, Namibia, and South Africa. He has an MA in English education and is currently an assistant professor of English at Daegu University. He lives in Gyeongsan, South Korea, and is the author of Modern Meditations: 101 Ways to Slow Down and Connect to Spirit.  Here is the Amazon link to my book:  Modern Meditations: 101 Ways to Slow Down & Connect to Spirit: du Plessis, Murray: 9780738768359: Amazon.com: Books Modern Meditations: 101 Ways to Slow Down & Connect to Spirit [du Plessis, Murray] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Modern Meditations: 101 Ways to Slow Down & Connect to Spirit  Section Two – Life Change -    Outro Ok my friends we have meditated 101 times through the ed of episode 4-465 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Ohmmmm….   I’m still going to the gym.  Twice a week.  I do arms and shoulders one day and chest, back and abs the second. I’m not going down to the pond to swim anymore.  I’ve decided I don’t want to.  I may swim at the gym, but swimming is kind of a high maintenance activity.  Instead, I’ve been run-walking 3 miles or so 3 times a week.   I’m still biking, but not this week because I’m in my taper, kinda.  I’ve been throwing in some yoga to try to loosen up a bit.   When I’m at the gym, after my weight sets, I roll out the mat in this other room where they do the classes.  Usually I have it all to myself.  So I can get into my bare feet and relax into a yoga session without bothering anyone. This Friday night, I was just finishing up my yoga and the kid came in to turn out the lights.  I always forget they close early on Fridays.  If he hadn’t seen me I would have been locked in! I have mixed feelings about the marathon on Monday.  I see the people checking in and taking pictures at the finish line.  I remember that electric feeling of being there after 4-5 months of hard work.  Lean and nervous and ready to go.  I am very far away from that fitness right now.  Like I said.  Mixed feelings.  I do have another race on the calendar.  The Mill Cities Relay is ON for December 5th.  I’m putting in a team of my old running buddies.   If I come out of the Boston virtual healthy I’ll see if I cant start slowly ramping it back up. Train for something in the spring. So that’s it my friends.  Mixed feelings and some ennui this fall racing season.  Now my challenge is to turn those mixed feelings into a spark of hope an get back on the training wagon.  The first time I ran Chicago was in 1998.  I was hoping to go sub 3-hours there after coming off a 3:06 Boston.  It didn’t come to pass because I got called away on a business trip to London that sidelined my training.   I ran ok, crashed a little at the end and missed my qualifying time.  That was 23 years ago. How time flies.  That’s a lesson for all of us.  Appreciate what you’re doing today.  In the blink of an eye it will be a memory.  Take time to breath in the gratitude. Take time to breathe out the love. And I’ll see you out there. My Apocalypse show ->       MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks -    Rachel ->  Coach Jeff ->

Apocalypse Stories - Bill the Dog

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