Random Summer Notes 2015

Been a while since I've made a random notes post, but I'm bored at work and figured now would be a good time to give an update on the current state of things. Summer is over and we're now into the fall season, (my favorite season)! This gives me a good time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. It's posts like these that are the best to read many years from now.

Work: I'm still at Dow Agro Sciences working as the IT Assets Manager and enjoying it. Just last May I hit my 2 year mark, and have now been employed here for 2 years and 4 months. This surpasses my previous record at Racer Cartage Logistics as my all time longest held job. (Not counting Sportvision which is seasonal).

I enjoy the responsibilities and freedom I have at this company and have no desire of leaving anytime soon. Sometimes it can be super busy while other times it can be super slow, and I enjoy this balance. I also enjoy the freedom to set my hours and be able to arrive late and leave early. With that being said the future is always uncertain, and I'm still always looking for new challenges in my career.

I've just finished a 4th season of baseball Pitch FX and will now have more free time thru the fall/winter. I've been looking for something to fill this void which can provide both a sense of fulfillment yet also an extra financial boost. I've considered something in the fields of informatics, merchandising, produce, and even back to tutoring. I'm not going to force this however, since it's not always easy to balance two jobs.

Health and Fitness: The fitness is as good as ever as I've embarked on an ambitious routine of running and bodybuilding. The body buidling was inspired by my brother Gabriel, and I've set a goal to tone my body for EJ's wedding in California. I'd really like to trim down on my Sundberg potbelly which I've pretty much had since high school. My new strategy is to improve my posture and strengthen my upper body while of course cutting back on my portions. For the past month each day I have done 100 pushups, 200 situps, and numerous armband routines.

I've also been averaging about 4 to 5 runs a week the past month (Monon Trail or Eagle Creek Trail with Cochie). I ran the Baca Bolt 5k a couple weeks ago and finished 3rd place! This is the best I've ever finished in a race. I received a gift card for my accomplishment and with the earnings I bought a new pair of Brooks running shoes at Endurance House in Zionsville. I also found a great new course in Zionsville called the Rail Trail. I'm currently training for the Monumental Half Marathon in November (my fourth time running this race).

The Garden: One of my latest and greatest prides and joys is my garden. It began last year as a new hobby, and this year I hit it with all the more desire. I restructured my back patio in the early spring to push the garden to the side and grow grass in the general area. I created a brick boundary for the patio garden along the fence, and would later add an additional section along my sunroom.

This year in the patio garden I've successfully grown tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, green garlic, jalapenos, green peppers, habaneros, and tomatillos. The grass also came in quite nicely to replace the lava rocks that were there before. I also have grown some plants in my sunroom including some herbs such as basil and thyme. Even some of my seedlings have taken full flight.

This year I added a new section to my garden along the sunroom. I removed all the ivy and tree stumps that were there before to create a fruit garden. This has included blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and grapes. However I've experienced problems with squirrels and birds picking my berries before I can. The grape vine is my greatest pride however as I have built a trellis to support the ever growing vines. I anticipate that these fruit plants will be much more abundant next summer.

The plants have become a great new addition to my lifestyle. I have both indoor and outdoor plants and enjoying caring for them and watching them grow strong. They offer a very positive and lively energy about them. It's especially nice when they can provide some form of fresh produce. It' a new hobby I hope to only improve on. Someday I hope to have a large backyard with a large garden.


Summer Recap: Been a rather eventful summer with some very memorable experiences. For the most part it didn't get super hot which is always a good thing.

• It began as usual with our 10th running of the Indy Mini 
• Then there was my 2nd year with the Dow Soccer Team; We finished 3-4 during the spring season, and 4-4 in the summer season. 
• I also worked my 4th year at Victory Field. This year was different in that there was a game clock operator in there working alongside me. He was a very friendly and funny guy named Chris, which made working the games all the more enjoyable. The Indians also made it to game 5 of the Governers Cup Championship, of which I went to with K-man, yet lost to the Columbus Clippers.
• Gabriel graduated from IUPUI and has moved into a nice apartment complex downtown (9 on the Canal) of which I visited often to swim and grill out
• Barcelona won the champions league and the European Treble
• Lauren and Nate had a good 30th party barbecue
• Then there was EJ's bachelor party in Bloomington, which was a weekend at a cabin with old college friends. This was a very good time!
  
• Went to watch a Cubs game on the roofttops with Ryan Palmer and his roommate Kyle Lindsay. This was a very fun day in good ole Chicago. 
• We celebrated 4th of July in Indy at Philip's place.
• Baby William was born on July 23rd; Philip and Shawnna asked me to be the Godfather; this will be my 3rd godchild
• We had our triathlon in mid July, which was another great turnout and success. Andres came up huge with his YMCA lifeguard connections. We had a total of 23 people participate.
• In early August we had our end of the season soccer party which was a very good time at Adam's house
• In mid August we went on a family trip to Chicago for Peter Bouchard's wedding which was very enjoyable and without question the highlight of the summer. Dad, mom, Andres, Gabriel, and myself packed up in a car for the three day weekend. We arrived early Friday returning to old sites such as Fort Sheridan and Rogers Park. We had lunch in Wrigleyville. Then checked into our downtown Shertaon hotel off the Chicago River. That night we had a good pizza dinner at Gino's, however I was the only one who thought it was tasty. On Saturday we went up to the 94th floor of the Hancock Tower which was an incredible view of the city. Then in the afternoon we went to Peter's wedding which was also a very enjoyable time and a late night of dancing. On Sunday we went to Peter's brunch at a downtown Mexican cantina. We returned that evening. It was a very memorable time and great family bonding. 

Fall Outlook: Just yesterday was the first official day of Fall, yet for me it has been in full swing for the past couple weeks now. The weather has gotten significantly cooler, football season has begun, baseball season has ended (minor leagues), and I am back in full running shape.

• My Detroit Lions are off to a slow start, and could potentially go 0-5 to start things off, yet they'll always be my team no matter the outcome. It's also nice that my neighbor, Josh, is an avid fan just like me.
  
• On the flip side the Chicago Cubs are looking great, one of the third best records in the entire MLB and should easily make the playoffs.
• Manchester United is also looking good and I enjoy watching them on the weekends with my new Comcast sports package.
• The main event this fall will revolve around my trip to Los Angeles, California for EJ's wedding in mid Oct. I'll be there for a total of 4 days; Arriving on a Wednesday night and leaving Saturday night. This has been long in the plans, and will no doubt be the highlight of the year. It will be my sixth time in California, and I hope to make the most of it and enjoy every minute of it. I'll be a groomsman in the wedding, which is a great honor. 
• Another soccer season for team Dow will begin in early Oct.
• I hope to continue running and working out as much as I can, while watching my diet.
• The Monumental Half Marathon will be on Nov 7th
• Also I've been considering purchasing a new vehicle after I return from California. My Night Rider is beginning to show significant wear and tear and I feel it's time has just about come. I'll have to do some serious financial aligning, however would like to replace it with a newer Chevrolet model, such as the Malibu or Impala. We shall see. 

100 Reasons I love to Run

With another fall training season upon me, I thought it was the perfect time to give homage to the sport of running. I've been wanting to make this tribute for some time now, and figured the timing was perfect as I began another fall training series. (Already registered for the Baca Bolt and Monumental and hoping to get another race in run another one as well). The fall is always my favorite season to run.

The concept of running is a funny thing. It's usually perceived in two ways by people; they either hate it or they love it. To many it's a boring and overly strenuous form of exercise. In some regards this is a fair generalization as running is about as simple and repetitive of an exercise as there is. It is also one of the most demanding since the motion is fully generated by the body, without any added support (unlike the water from swimming or the bike in cycling). 

However just like any exercise the whole purpose is to step out of your comfort zone. And running is the ultimate exercise since it blends cardio with muscle toning. However it takes time to get a feel for the sport. With running there is certainly a beginning stage of adjusting and getting the body into shape which can often take weeks to months depending on the body type. To get to a place where you can actually enjoy the many benefits of running can often take years of training. 

I've been running competitively since my 8th grade year, when I was 14. After I finished track and field in high school I switched over to long distance road races. It did not take me long to realize the many benefits of running. So without further ado here goes my well thought out list,. Next time somebody asks or jokes or doesn't quite understand the reasoning behind it, here's a look at my 100 reasons why I run.

1. To feel good
2. To exercise
3. To get outdoors
4. To listen to music
5. To strengthen my muscles
6. To lose weight
7. To train for races
8. To run with my dog Cochie
9. To run and connect with others
10. To let out stress
11. To reflect on the day
12. To see people
13. To be seen by people
14. To feel free
15. To record data (overall time, splits, calories burnt, etc)
16. To have multiple courses
17. To improve on times, splits, and courses
    
18. To feel strong
19. To meet people
20. To compete with family and friends
21. To talk about with other people
22. To feel proud of my accomplishments
23. To encourage others to partake
24. To release endorphins
25. To achieve the runner's high (transcendence of the body and mind in motion)
26. To feel fast
27. To improve my mood
28. To showoff the gear (represent a shirt)
29. To sleep better
30. To improve my posture
31. To build survival skills
32. To get closer to God
33. To appreciate the weather (hot, warm, rainy, cool, cold, snowy, or freezing)
    
34. To appreciate the surrounding environment (the sky, trees, animals, water, etc)
35. To see hot women
36. To feel better about myself
37. To have a hobby
38. To have something I'm good at
39. To break new personal records
40. To race with other people
41. To enjoy another person's company thru social exercising
42. To feel motivated
43. To motivate others
44. To take on new challenges
45. To set goals
46. To build my confidence
47. To test my will power
48. To have a better diet (such as not drinking pop or eating better to run faster)
    
49. To stay clear of drugs
50. To stay clear of smoking
51. To stay fit
52. To stay lean
53. To stay quick
54. To stay sharp
55. To feel comfortable
56. To feel a sense of routine and familiarity
57. To think of others
58. To think of the past, the present, and the future
59. To sweat
60. To release anger
61. To release sadness
62. To smile
63. To show pride and strength
64. To show humility and pain
65. To be in shape for soccer 
    
66. To be in shape for triathlons
67. To be disciplined
68. To feel inspired
69. To inspire others
70. To enhance the state of peace afterwards
71. To feel aroused
72. To feel grateful
73. To stretch out the legs and the body
74. To feel a sense of belonging 
75. To feel sane
76. To be in control of one's body
77. To be in control of one's mind
78. To push oneself to new limits
79. To discover new feelings 
80. To return to old feelings of nostalgia
    
81. To overcome adversity
82. To hang on at difficult times
83. To coast along at good times
84. To pace at a comfortable level
85. To surge and kick when the time is right
86. To ease off when the pain becomes unbearable
87. To feel strong for others
88. To make others proud
89. To kill time
90. To get away
91. To give off good vibes and energy to others
92. To take on good vibes and energy from others
93. To stay healthy
94. To stay active
95. To strengthen my bones
96. To live longer
97. To breathe better
98. To increase stamina
99. To feel happy
100. To feel alive

This is my personal list, and the many reasons why I choose to run. I think many of these reasons are quite common among runners, however each person has reasons of their own (such as running with their children or for the loss of a loved one).  I've been running for over 10 years now, and I'm sure the list will change as does my life. One things for sure I have no intention whatsoever of hanging up the shoes anytime soon. I hope to be running long into my 60s and 70s.  This list was fairly easy to come up with, which is a true testament to the wonderful hobby of running.