Tiff4Tat

Mickelson Trail Run, Deadwood, S.D. I remember running the Moab Half Marathon in Utah a few years ago. When I came into the last mile, I repeatedly thought, “I can do this. I have trained for this. I have completed 12.1 miles already. One mile is nothing. I know how to finish. I’ve done this before.” With a half mile remaining, I saw my family. They were cheering me on, and my sons wanted to run with me. I waved them toward me, and we finished the race together. Today on my run, as I came into the last mile, I was having similar recurring thoughts: “I can do this. I am in training for this. One mile is nothing. I know how to finish. I’ve done this before.”  In that Moab race, I never asked for my boys to finish the race with me, but they did.  It was simple.  They were just there, running with me. It felt good. It gave me confidence, and it refocused my thinking. It took my mind off the aches and placed it where it needed to be, on finishing stro...

Ben and Charlie Blackmon (Rockies All-Star, 2014). Coors Field, 2013. I am a huge baseball fan. Living within 90 miles of a Major League Baseball team has helped nurture this love. Going to a stadium fills me with nostalgia and a sense of being right where I am supposed to be. Watching a game on television gives me a different perspective, one I do not get watching the game live. I get to hear the background stories and the comparative statistics. I get to re-watch close plays and know instantly if someone is hurt or what records that person might be approaching or breaking. One of the most admirable elements of a professional baseball player is his drive to always be better. A 162-game schedule every year provides multiple opportunities for improvement. Professional baseball players are the best of the best. They have proven themselves at every level of the game, consistently performing in many different areas. Baseball players have to achieve and maintain a respectable b...

Sometimes a person just needs a little encouragement. This idea can be used in many different circumstances, and mine was put into play in regard to fitness. Summer school is wrapping up, so my break is just beginning. To welcome some days off and to rejuvenate my mind and body, I started attending Fit Body Boot Camp, enrolling in a 6-week Slimdown Challenge.  The class is a 30-minute, fat-blasting workout that mixes cardio and strength training with a meal plan and encouragement. It is this place of encouragement where I want to focus. At my boot camp class, I set goals and monitor those goals every day either by tracking my food or my weight or my calories. I know where I am, and I know where I want to go.  I enjoy boot camp because I signed up with my friend, so we get to spend time together chatting and supporting each other. I like my teacher. She is funny and upbeat and welcoming. However, the class is not without its own sets of adversity. At times, I can...