Author: Zombie

Keeping the body going and runzombierun.net

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After waking up with a few extra aches and pains the past few mornings, I realized that I was overdue for a massage!  If you’re not a fan or have never had one, I highly recommend that you get one on a regular basis.  It’ll cut down on sore and tired parts and in my opinion, trips to the doctor’s office.

Calves and feet have been the biggest problems of late and my friend Becky Koskinen (owner of Massage Works) has done wonders over the years keeping me on the road.  I’ve had lower back issues, hip, shoulder…hell, just about everywhere!  From working out, running or just injuries from car accidents in my past, she keeps me up and moving.

Today after leaving her place, my feet felt so much better!  I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow a.m. and was really worried it was going to be a painful one.  I think I’m good to go!  I made Becky promise me today…that she’d keep me in one piece and mobile over the next year so that I can complete this challenge I’ve set for myself.  She agreed and I’m holding her to it.  Thanks Becky!!

The race calendar is up and I’m starting to fill dates.  Just go to runzombierun.net and you can follow all my races throughout the year from the calendar.  Remember that if you want to sponsor me per race or just a one time donation, you can do it through the website as well.  As always…all the monies donated on there go directly to Mobile Meals of Toledo!  I receive nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that people care and want to help me make a difference.  If there are any corporate or small businesses that want to sponsor on a larger scale, feel free to contact me.  We can set your company logo up on the website.  A sponsor page can be added and I would also be happy to add your logo to my running shirt that I’ll be wearing during the races.

All donations are tax-deductible of course as Mobile Meals of Toledo is a non-profit organization.  I’ll keep everyone in the know as time keeps going and look for more things to come on the website!  Video will be added as we get to the races at the beginning of the year.  Everything from quick chats about why I run so much, to why I chose Mobile Meals of Toledo.  There will be video of me running in the races at start, during and/or finish lines.  Of course there may be some kind of silly bloopers as well!  Nothing ever goes smooth in my shoes…lol!

Continue to follow the journey!  It’s only going to get better!

Zombie

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Leaving it all behind

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Today I woke up very tired.  Feet are sore and I’m mentally drained from work.  I did my usual get up, let my dog out and get him fed, then spent a little time under my Packers blanket in the recliner.  Some days you just feel like a war-torn soldier.

I decided it was time, time to get up out of the chair and get my therapy!  I checked the weather…cold, very windy (18 mph with gust over 18 mph).  Dressed in the appropriate gear to handle such weather and off I went!  It was wonderful!  There’s nothing like lacing up and leaving it all behind you!

I have no great words of wisdom today.  I can only tell you that I’m much like many of you.  I struggle…with many things.  I can tell you that if only for a little while there is an escape.  It’s safe and wonderful…the road is home!

Enjoy your day!

Zombie

Sometimes life gets in the way

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While I do enjoy my running and would love nothing more than to be on the road everyday, sometimes life gets in the way!  Demands pull at you from all directions and even though you’d like to ignore many, you can’t.  I try to look at moments like these as small tests or extra rest time.  No…they’re not always restful situations…lol!

Running will always be there and it waits…patiently.  The road knows all of the journeys that I’ve traveled and keeps my secrets.  It will wait once more for my return while I take care of life events.

Don’t beat yourselves up on days like this.  Just smile even more when you return to your running!  I may be busy today but I know that tomorrow…I’ll be back out there!  The message today is simple, be kind to yourself, allow yourself to do other things that are important as well.  Remember what I said…Running will wait and the road will always be there to share your secrets.

Happy Tuesday Everyone and Happy Running!

Zombie

Driven with a purpose

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What is it that makes one get up in the early a.m. hours, prior to any sign of sunshine?  Why would you get out of a nice warm bed on a cold winter’s morning and purposely walk out into the cold morning air? These questions and many others can be answered with a single word…Driven!

When I hit the road or trail to get my run going, this word rattles through my head on a regular basis.  It started at a young age but was mislead.  I became driven for success but thought it would come through things, possessions if you will.  I felt empty when I obtained possessions yet couldn’t understand why.  To share each and every step of my young life would take more than just a blog…lol!  A book perhaps, but I’m betting there’s not a huge market for the life and times of a poor Eastside kid from Toledo.  That being said, once I discovered running…things began to clear up!  You could say that I “Get it” now!

I’m now Driven with a purpose!  My love for running has brought me to wanting to share my experiences.  To help, to make a difference and hopefully change someone’s life for the better.  Whenever I sit down to type…I hope that at least one person is touched or moved.  If it makes them smile, or put on running shoes for the first time, I’m making a difference.  My purpose is to share what I’ve learned, to guide when someone needs it and to be a good person.

Driven With A Purpose…let’s use that slogan today!  Think about your life and what you do.  How you can make a change for the better.  Take care of yourself and your health for there are those that rely on you and love you!  Remember that you matter!  Find the fire that’s inside and go with it!  Hit the gym, take a walk, go for a run!  This will only turn into better things…I promise you!  You’ll discover something about yourself while moving and you’ll have time alone in your head to think about a great many things.  (I know I have!)  From there, you’ll find your purpose.  It’s my belief that all of us has a common purpose…to help others!

Enjoy your day and keep checking in on me!  There’s more to come!

Stay Driven!

Zombie

Excitement is building!

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Well, I’ve gone and booked flights and signed my sister and myself up to run the A1A Half Marathon in sunny Florida on February 15, 2015!  My older sister lives in the area so it will be a family event…yay!!  My wife is going but is still suffering from a long-standing injury to her shin.  There’s no way I’d ever want to travel without her!  Broken or not…she’s my world!

I’ve been on my computer this morning getting some of the races I’d like to do set up and I’m just full of excitement for this to get underway!  I’ll be meeting later this week with Mobile Meals to finalize a few things and get ready to launch the Run Zombie Run website.  So AWESOME!!

I will share every step of this next year with all of you.  There will be pictures and stories until the cows come home!  Hmmm..when are cows suppose to be home anyway??  There will be some new tech shirts being worked on and hopefully I’ll have extras to get out for sale.  We still have the campaign at https://www.booster.com/mobilemealsoftoledo.  So please stop by there and buy some t-shirts to show support for Mobile Meals!  I need a good fan club as well!!

So much to do and so little time.  Well, I’m off again…I’ll check back later and fill you all in with more information on the races coming in the very near future and how you can find or support me on the journey!

Zombie

Holidays, running and the challenge!

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We’re about to start a line up of Holidays that can cause a few issues.  Over eating, good old stress, of course the lack of sun due to time change and weather!  I say again…”Keep Moving!’  I plan on getting out both today and tomorrow for some nice runs.  Today because the wind is light and work is crazy busy!  I come to work in a better mood and better frame of mind after a nice run.  The plan for Thanksgiving is to get up and run with my sister for our weekly long run.  We have a set goal of no less than 9 miles on our long run day.  Hoping to go 10 miles + tomorrow!  It’s easier to consume a few extra calories when you’ve gone out and burned some 1,000 to 1,500 calories first thing in the morning.

We get through the Thanksgiving hangover only to go right into shopping mode for the Christmas season.  Everyone loves to cook and bake during this season and I won’t lie, I love me some cookies!!  While Christmas is always special and I enjoy seeing family that at times I may only see once a year, I still like to find my time to get some running done.  This year will be even crazier because of this plan I’ve come up with to run 30 races during 2015!

The new website will be going live, I’ll still be working on getting sponsors and blogging of course.  Then there is the matter of setting up the race schedule.  I’ve started a list of some of the local runs coming right into the beginning of the year.  Here are a few that are on my list:  The kick off race will be the Midnight Special 5K.  It’s held on New Year’s Eve and runs through the midnight hour!  I thought that would be kind of cool!  I don’t drink or party, but I do run!  That will be the kick off of the 30 races!  I’m looking into doing the Dave’s 10 Miler on 1/25/15.  I may find time to get one more in January.  Also looking to travel to Florida in February to visit my sister and run the A1A Half Marathon down there!  Sunrise at the beach…yeah…I’m there!  That’s 2/15/15.  I will for sure be running the Black Swamp Festival of races on March 21, 2015.  I fell in love with this race last year because of their “memory mile”.  Runners are given the opportunity to list names of love ones they’ve lost over the years.  The entire last mile of the race is covered with signs showing  the names and a message on them.  I was in tears the whole way in last year…so touching!  I will of course plan for the big one in Toledo, The Glass City Half Marathon on 4/26/15!!  Once the website goes live, I’ll list any and all races on a calendar right on the site for all to check and hopefully follow!  Busy but in a good way!

Don’t forget to be kind to one another through the Holiday Seasons!  It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day!  You never know what they might be going through and you could be the difference…and really, don’t we all want to make a difference?!

Keep talking about my 30races.com to anyone and everyone!  Talk about Mobile Meals of Toledo and the fine work they do!  Keep following and buy a Run Zombie Run T-shirt for a Christmas gift!  It all goes to Mobile Meals of Toledo…nothing for me but happiness knowing they we’re making things better.  https://www.booster.com/mobilemealsoftoledo

Zombie

Help the campaign to fund Mobile Meals

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https://www.booster.com/mobilemealsoftoledo  This is the link to the current campaign for funding Mobile Meals of Toledo.  All the money collected for the sale of these shirts goes directly to that charity…not a dime comes my way!  The only thing I gain out of this is support for my Run Zombie Run challenge of doing 30 races over the next year to celebrate 30 years of running!

So please, spend the money, buy a shirt and they will ship in time to be under your tree for Christmas!

Thanks for all the support!

Zombie

Stress in your life? RUN!!

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Stress…I know, the word we all throw around and carry with us on a daily basis.  Demands at work, at home, with family, traveling, it all has a certain amount of stress involved.  My best advice…Go out and run!!

I have conversations with people and try my best to share the feelings I get after a run.  I use words like Zen, cleansed, happy, centered and numerous others that really fit how I am when I return from my run.  What if you can’t run??  Walk!  Don’t like walking, Bike!  Just move!  Sitting and doing nothing is never going to accomplish anything.  I’ve talked about my off days from running and Oh Lord!  Just taking a day off I get tired, ache and develop an edge to me that makes me a somewhat “no fun” person to be around!

Along with doing these 30 races to celebrate 30 years of running.  I’ve teamed up with Mobile Meals to try to help fund the incredible work that they do at their organization.  I also want to continue to spread the word of what physical fitness can do for each and every one of you!  You’ll hear me speak most times of running because it’s what I love to do.  It doesn’t mean that if you don’t run, you don’t count.  I’m simply sharing my formula for my success.  I’ll try to give at least 30 tips of what I’ve learned during the 30 years along the way.  Some might be silly things but it’ll be fun none the less!

I’ll be off to run now in the big wind!  It’s cold today and the wind is still blowing but I feel a need to hit the pavement!  As I like to say…”The Road is Calling!”  I hope you all have a wonderful day and keep moving!

Zombie

Sometimes Running is the only thing that makes sense.

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I know you’ve all had them.  A day when you just wish you could crawl back under the covers and start the day all over again.  It could be the job you go to each day, family matters, just about anything.  There are those days when I just can’t wrap my brain around some of the insanity that is life.  When this happens to me…I go run!

Sometimes the calm of the road and the time passing with the miles is just what I needed to set things back into their proper order.  I can’t control others, but I can control my running.  I don’t have to have any set course, no predetermined miles, no ipod or GPS.  I just crave the release that comes from going the distance.

Today was a rough day.  I won’t go into all the details, at this time, they really don’t matter.  I’ll rest tonight, God willing, wake up in the morning and hit the pavement!  Because…Sometimes Running is the only thing that makes sense.

Zombie

The Journey is the destination

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This is a common theme in my life and I like to share it often.  “The Journey is the destination.”  Stop for a moment and really take that in.  I think sometimes we’re in such a hurry to finish, we forget to just be, to live in the moment.

I was thinking tonight after returning home from work about 30 years of running.  The minute I said it, images started flashing in my head of all the many things I’ve seen through the years, on roads, on trails and in parks.  It was my own mental drive-in theatre!  What an amazing journey…Thus Far!  I then had the thoughts of how much longer will my body hold up to do this kind of thing, will I be able to complete the challenge I’ve set for myself, will I make a difference.  Right there and then, I stopped myself.  Enjoy the journey Robert!

So many things from my running cross over into other areas of my life.  When taking a trip and driving state to state…I’m thinking…The Journey is the destination and just start recording everything!  From all the many cows that we pass (and I love cows!), to the kinds of cars on the road, the fields, streams, bridges, people we meet at gas stations or diners.  It’s all part of the Journey and should be enjoyed, just like on a run!

Another one of my favorite quotes.  “There will be a day when I can no longer run…Today is not that day!”  I’m still able to get out there and be one with the road and I will treasure it every step of the way.  When the journey comes to an end (the destination).  I’ll know that I gave it my all and enjoyed all life had to offer!  No Regrets!

Zombie