Using Michael Jordan references is so cliche.  But they work and he’s the greatest, so what are you going to do?  One of MJ’s biggest strengths went unnoticed by the average fan.  In a couple different interviews he talked about how intimately he was in tune with his body.  Of course as a professional athlete you would assume that if your body is making you millions you would obviously take care of it.  But we can think of numerous examples where this just isn’t the case.  And MJ took it to another level.  He knew how lifting weights, cardio training, and time on the court all affected his performance on any given night.  Numerous times he talked about how in tune he was with this body and that his self-awareness (of his Airness) was a key component to his success.

The average athlete like myself has to follow this example.  Your body will tell you things – some will be obvious and some more subtle.  Two days ago I was on a four-mile run that was going really well until mile 3.25.  I felt a tender soreness in my right ankle and I tried to run through it.  I had never felt pain in this area before and it didn’t make sense to me where this was coming from.  Then I thought back to work that day and remembered that I had stepped a little awkwardly over some branches and tweaked something.  I stopped running right away.

Each situation is different.  Other times in similar situations I’ll run through those pains.  But the ankle wasn’t the only part of the equation: over the weekend I had run a fast seven-mile route and now on a fast four-mile run I was having foot problems.  I thought to myself that it’s entirely possible that I’ve over-trained a little and my body can’t take the increased pounding like it used to.  I may be right, I may be wrong; but I’m listening to my body and not taking chances.

Why?  Because this year I’m running for people other than myself.  Specifically I’m running for World Vision and you can join my team! I’m taking this training very seriously.  But whether or not your training for a race or improving your health it is essential that you listen to your body.

I’d like to invite you to join my team. I’m running at least two races this summer and I want to run them with a purpose. You see I’ve already completed half marathons, I’ve even done a few full marathons. I’ve already put myself out there with a challenge that I’ll run a half marathon faster than I’ve ever run before – and I’ll do it this summer.

Now I want to add another challenge to the equation. I want to form a team of supporters who are willing to give their money to a great cause. Joining my team will allow you to do a few things. First, it will allow you to support an organization that you may not otherwise support but needs your dollars all the same. Secondly it will allow you to track my progress this summer as I train with a purpose. I believe lives are changed through the work of many non-profit organizations and if I’m running because my team is supporting those organization with money in response to my training efforts, well then that’s a WIN.

Please consider joining my team. You don’t need to comment, train, or even tell others. Of course the experience will be richer if you do. All I’m asking for is a small donation to join my team.

None of the money donated will go to any of my training costs or cost associated with running this blog. Every dollar will go directly to the the organization.

Which organization? Good question. I don’t know yet. But make a decision next week.

Are you willing to match your weekly spending at Starbucks to join my team? I promise we will create some great stories this summer.

Today, April 6, is World Physical Activity Day.  Unfortunately I don’t think it will do much for the health of this country or our communities.  But that’s why I write here – to challenge you in tangible ways to improve your health.

Raising awareness for increasing people’s levels of physical activity is certainly step one.  Here’s what I’ve observed in my 18+ years focusing on exercise and health: physically active people are stronger in most aspect of life than those who are less physically active.  Don’t push back on this just because it’s a strong and possibly offensive statement.  People who are physically active are physically stronger, have healthier hearts, and I believe they have better perspective in other areas of life.

This isn’t an elitist observation.  I’m not talking about running a marathon or completing an Ironman.  But I can say with 100% confidence that you would benefit from more physical activity.  It’s my goal to find ways to challenge you to be more physically active and to create some community around those efforts.  I’ve consulted with many people over the years in this area and I really enjoy these conversations that often involve serious life change.

Today, on World Physical Activity Day please consider two challenges:

1. take three of the next seven days and add some intentional physical activity to those days
2. engage with this blog, leave a comment, or email it to someone who could benefit