How to Read 47 Blogs Per Day

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Technology is progressing such that we no longer have to search out information or news:  it comes to us.  Each day we check email, Facebook, our favorite news sites, and maybe some blogs.  Is that accurate?  How do you spend your time online?  How do you get your information?

Would it surprise you that I read 47 blogs per day?  Would you believe that on average I catch up on my news in less than 20 minutes?  This includes 47 blogs and about 150 Twitter updates per day!

How is it possible?

Well if you look over my shoulder as I sit in my office, you’d see that I’m not reading every post or every update.  That’s probably obvious.  But with the help of Google Reader I can look through the titles of every post and even the first few paragraphs to determine if it’s something I should read in its entirety.  We all do this with the paper or our favorite magazines.  The beautiful part of this is that I’m sorting through blogs that interest me and news sources that I’ve chosen to subscribe to.

Here’s how it works:  Go to Google Reader and set up an account.  (If you already have a Gmail or Blogger account you can use the same login and password).  On the left you will see all your subscription.  Now you need to fill them.  Open a separate tab (tell me you’re using Firefox) and go to a blog you’d like to follow.  For example here’s Sorin’s.  When you visit a website or blog that updates their information on a regular basis, they’re assigned an RSS feed and the icon looks like this.  What you need to do is click this button and then “subscribe to RSS” and it will take you to a page where you can “add to Google Homepage” or “add to Google Reader.”  Choose the Reader. 

You’ve just subscribed to your first blog – and a good one at that!!  Start finding some good blogs to follow, then progress to websites and news feeds.  You’ll be surprised what’s out there.  If you need more help I’d be happy to walk through more details with you. 

Remember:  Make the technology work for you.  You don’t need to visit each website or blog, it will come to you!  Are you interested in the Health Section of the NYTimes.com or the Business Section of FoxNews?  You can have these websites come to your Google Reader rather than visit them every day.  You’ll never go back.

Controlling Facebook Noise

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While the number of users and the time spent on Facebook is only increasing, I still hear friends talk about too much noise on Facebook.  

  • “I don’t need to hear what every friend is doing today.”
  • “It’s too much of a distraction.”
  • “I only really want to hear about a handful of friends.”
I coudn’t agree more.  It has been fun to reconnect with old friends.  Certain stories and updates are compelling and I’m pleasantly surprised to have online discussions from people I never thought I’d talk to again.  But as family life gets busier and my hobbies demand more of my quality time, I find myself needing to prioritize how I stay connected on Facebook.
Why Facebook?  I have found that Facebook does everything I want as a communication platform.  I can:
  • update my daily (and hourly) status 
  • import my blog (‘notes’ on Facebook)
  • share news stories
  • see what friends are doing and reading
  • share pictures
This post isn’t about why you should be on Facebook.  It’s about why you should stay on Facebook if you want to have an online presence without all the noise.
The only requirement on your part is the following: being able to honestly determine who’s on your Short List.
Here’s how it works.  Click on HOME which takes you to your news feed.  On the left hand side you’ll see your lists of categories, technically called Lists.  At the bottom click “more.”  Then your whole set of lists is displayed, and now at the bottom you can click CREATE NEW LIST.
A new window will open and first you should give your list a name (Inner Circle, Real Friends, Cool People, Jet Setters).  Then you can click on any of your friends (groups are also listed and available) to add them to this group.  That’s it!  
To make this feature really work, you’ll have to rearrange the list to the top so that Facebook reads it first – one less click when you login.  To do this you’ll have to expand your lists again (click MORE at the bottom).  Now all your lists will have three horizontal lines at the right and you’ll have the ability to drag your new list to the top (you can also arrange any list if you want to prioritize).  
So my newest list (“Inner Circle”) is at the top, and right under that is my NEWS FEED.  Now when I login, my homepage only lists the news of my Inner Circle list.  If I have more time, I can click on NEWS FEED and I get every update from every friend.
Will this help?  Are you able to determine your Short List?  Your Inner Circle? 
I truly wish everyone was on Facebook because I think it’s a very powerful way to keep in touch and share stories.  Don’t ask if you’re on my Short List.  Please feel free to reference this article to friends who are want Facebook to be more efficient.

Lakefront Marathon

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When I finished the Milwaukee Marathon yesterday, I felt two emotions:  first I was proud of my time, and second I was grateful for all my supporters.

Let me start with the latter.  I can say how thankful I was to have so many friends and family out on the course with me.  Yesterday was 48 degrees at the start of the race – and windy.  By the end it wasn’t much warmer.  The breeze sure didn’t go away.  Watching someone (like me) run 26 miles is quite and undertaking – it took me just under four hours, so there’s some committment there.  And still other family members showed up towards the end when I needed encouragement the most.  I wish you all knew the energy I get when I see supporters on the side of the road there cheering me on.  In the challenge of my race you were pushing me to the end – thank you so much.

My other emotion after the race was pride in my training.  This was my second marathon of the season, and it was the first time I had this volume of training under my belt.  While I had the miles to run well, I hadn’t worked on speed like I had hoped.  This time my training called for two 20-mile runs.  Mine went so well that they turned into 21 and 23 mile runs.  So I knew I had a chance at a good time.  Saturday night I wrote here about my goals:

Here’s how I’m looking at tomorrow:

  • 3:55 should be a lock
  • 3:50 is my goal
  • 3:45 is “things went perfect”

The start of the race was very cold – I couldn’t even get myself to take off my long-sleeve, but I ditched the hat at mile 8.  The first 13 miles felt very clunky and I was actually worried that things wouldn’t go well.  I knew from training that around 8-10 I would get into a rhythm, but when that came and went I started thinking this might not be my day.  At mile 13 I was three minutes behind where I wanted to be (1:50), but that just meant there was even less room for error.

And then I started thinking about the Madison Marathon five months earlier.  In that race I started off very strong and just barely held on to the finish.  Would today be the same or did I have more in the tank?

At mile 14-15 I started getting into a nice groove.  What a feeling!  I was blaming the weather and maybe my high ambitions started me too fast at the start.  But here I was feeling smooth and strong.  At mile 18 I was thinking back to my last few long training runs and glad that I had pushed to 21 and 23 miles.  I started to think of when I wanted to push the pace because I knew I had strong legs.

Mile 22 would be a little early to go for it.  Four miles doesn’t seem that far, but at the end of a marathon it’s too much for me.  I figured I had a little more than two good miles left so at mile 23.5 I left Ken who I was running with and increased my pace.

Those last 2.7 miles were very tough.  It’s really hard to push yourself when there’s not that much in the tank.  I knew I’d finish but I didn’t know how fast I could go.  In previous races I would alternate walking and running around mile 21.  That didn’t happen once yesterday!  I had picked up the pace but I was maxed out of muscle in my legs.  I don’t know how many people I passed but I know that no a single person passed me after mile 21.  I’m very proud of that.

I finished Milwaukee Marathon in 3:46, bettering my personal best by 13 minutes.  The training had paid off.  The cheers and support were greatly appreciated.  Who knows what’s next.  Right now I can be thankful and proud as I go into the winter and think of next season.  Katie and I have some thoughts about the future, but right now we’re very excited to focus on family and Katie’s health as she carries our second baby.  And I’m looking forward to cheering her on.

On the Record

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I think goals are very important. And while I don’t have time to get into success, failure, and accountability, let me say this: I have a desire to put myself out on the line and shoot for a lofty goal. I want to be the guy in the game, working hard, performing my best, and seeing if I have what it takes. Like I said, I can’t get into this right now b/c it’s 10 hours before I’m running my marathon and I need to rest.

I think it would be easy to say I want to run faster than my last marathon. That would be under 3:59, and I would honestly be proud of that. I haven’t trained “fast” but I have trained more. So barring major set-backs 3:59 should be a lock. But if I’m honest with myself (and now my readers) I would say that wouldn’t be enough. I’ve trained for back-to-back marathons now and I think that will be a significant increase in training and thus performance.

Here’s how I’m looking at tomorrow:

  • 3:55 should be a lock
  • 3:50 is my goal
  • 3:45 is “things went perfect”

So honesty if I don’t finish before 3:50 I will be disappointed. If it happens did I fail? Yes, I guess I did — but that would be ok. Because so often in life big things happen from failure. We come back stronger and never make that mistake again.

Too much for tonight. I’m really excited about running tomorrow. My strategy is 8:15 miles for the first half, and then 9:15 miles to the finish. You can see my updates on my Twitter Feed.

Race Week

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I am very excited to be at the final training week for the Milwaukee Marathon this Sunday. It is my third marathon, my second this year. I did Madison Marathon for the first time in 2007 and finished in 4:04. Last May I did Madison again and met my goal of going under 4 hours – I finished in 3:59. And now I’ve completed my training for this marathon on the heels of my Madison marathon, so the two consecutive training programs is making me very excited to see “how fast” I can go on Sunday.

Training is so motivational for me. I’ve made many updates on Facebook and Twitter this summer as I’ve processed my runs and the training program. It’s been great to see how much stronger my body has gotten from all the miles I’ve logged. Are you aware of the capabilities of the human body? I’m not saying everyone should run marathons. But what might it be for you? Your first 5K? A run/walk. A brisk bike ride around the lake? What could you train for that would require some time and effort, but you think is possible in 8 weeks of training?

So this week I’m resting and looking back on my first two marathons – how my splits were and what my heart rate was over the course of the run. My friend Tom Moore says that marathons start after mile 20 – and I agree. It’s the last six miles that are really what you train for, especially after your first marathon. In May I basically ran two different runs – my first 18 miles were great and my last 8 went downhill. So I’m starting to develop strategy for having more in the tank at the end.

If you’re interested in following me on Sunday, you can watch my Twitter feed which my sister will be updating.

Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

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In sports it’s called the sophomore slump. A player has a great first (freshman) year and then can’t live up to expectations the next. Donald Miller fully admits that after a very successful experience with Blue Like Jazz, a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks, he went under the radar and did little more than get off the couch. Through a series of events and conversations with his roommate, Miller realized that he wasn’t living a good life; he wasn’t writing a great story. An avid learner and critic, Miller begins studying story in the context of films. Why? Because he’s been approached to adapt his memoir into a screenplay. He’s writing his own feature film, staring himself.

Donald Miller gained a nationwide following with his memoir, Blue Like Jazz, in 2003. His style of writing was refreshingly honest, critical, and insightful. But his cynicism left readers with a void and a sense of a missing component. Should we question so much of the Christian life without pursuing answers? In A Million Miles Donald Miller shows us how he has matured from a critic to an editor. He’s been charged with the task of making his story work. And the story is compelling. The backdrop is a movie – Miller’s life being edited for a screenplay on the big screen. But when two professional movie makers tell Miller that his story lacks some excitement, he’s forced to examine his life and see if there’s a better story to tell.

I was captivated by Miller’s context of examining story and how it translated to his personal life. The characters he encounters and pursues will keep you riveted also. This book will be an enjoyable narrative and a challenging reflection at the same time.

Social Media Revolution

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There are certain things that I really get jazzed about that others could care less about.  Most people hate Favre – I’m still a fan.  Friends and family are still using Hotmail and Yahoo – Gmail is the best.  And U2 is still the best band on the planet.

While I’m aware that my personality leans towards passion and action, I know that not everyone gets as excited as I do about certain things in life.  But some things are worthy of more attention than people give me credit for.  My career choice is to be an exercise professional.  While you may not view it as important as I do, and though you may not talk about it as much as I do, you should still do something about it.  Your health, livelihood, and quality of life depend on it.  And that’s independent from me – it’s just a fact.

In the same way, I don’t see too many of my friends and family getting excited about Social Media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube).  But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect them.  Because if it doesn’t now, it sure will in the future.  Many of my friends have ditched email and now message each other through Facebook.  I’ve been able to keep friends and family informed with my life and being a husband and father through Facebook updates and photo albums that I can share.  You can’t do that with email.  I’ve learned to not only find information from the web but share the relevant stuff publicly with Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.  News and information is so much more personal when it’s shared this way.

As you can see I’m still trying to find my voice on this.  While I may not communicate it as effectively as I’d like, the beauty of computers and the internet is sometimes I don’t have to.  I came across this YouTube video last week from a friend I follow on Twitter.

I’d be very curious to hear your thoughts about Social Media after watching this clip.  It goes fast, so you may want to keep your hand on the pause button.

Giveaway: NOOMA Whirlwind

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I am happy to have another giveaway this week on my blog.  As a supporter of Flannel , which produces the Nooma series, we received two copies of the latest film, Whirlwind.  What a great opportunity to give one away.

Whirlwind is about the story of Job.  In this installment, Rob Bell challenges us to think outside of our circumstance, particularly ones that aren’t going our way.  Actually it’s when things are really bad that we must remember our place in history, HIStory.

  • Who is the author?  
  • Who is the character?  
  • What is the dialogue?

You’ll love this film.  But to get it, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Post a comment below telling me what your favorite Nooma was and why.  (Comments due Saturday 10pm)
  2. Send an email to me with your address so that I can get it to you if you win. (my first name at uwalumni.com)
  3. Check back on Monday morning to see who wins.
 
 
Flannel is an excellent organization and these films have reached a lot of people.  They’ve created Kingdom-centered stories.  Would you consider supporting their ministry ?  (They did not solicit this plug.)  When you purchase a film, they offer a free viewing to someone who can’t afford to purchase a copy.

Make the comments insightful!  Haven’t seen a Nooma film before?  Tell me why you should win this video.

Tweeting the NFL

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I understand that not everyone is fully buying into the Social Media culture that is forming.  Forming…  it’s established.  It’s just a matter if you want to be a part of it.  Today I read an article talking about tv advertising being still relevant, but social media is taking “center stage”.  I know plenty of my friends who shrugg this off, and that’s fine.  Just remember that I mentioned it here, back on 9/22/09.

One of the most interesting developments for social media has been with Twitter and the NFL.  Players like OchoCinco have advertised their intent to Tweet during games.  The NFL has countered with adjusting their policy on Twitter and social media numerous times now. 

Where does free speech come in?  As an avid listener to sports radio, I’m hearing these stories more and more often.  And they’re asking questions like this.  But what we need to remember is that the NFL is an employer.  These players are not independent contractors.  The NFL shouldn’t have a problem telling players (employees) what policy will be when you’re “on the clock.” 

Now when a player is on their own time…  knock yourself out!  I’m a HUGE fan of behind the scenes action.  That’s what makes Twitter so great.  We’re getting a glimpse into certain celebrities’ lives we’ve never seen before.  And as much as I’d love to hear sideline chats and thoughts from players during the game, during halftime, and before their interviews at their lockers, the NFL needs to stand firm in their social media policy – no Tweeting on our watch.

Benefits of Training

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As I train for my third marathon, I’ve been able to focus less on the miles scheduled for the week and focus more on the structure of the program and it’s purpose.  For those that don’t know, when you’re training to run 26.2 miles, you never actually run that far before the race.  One common training program (Hal Higdon) has you peak at “only” 20 miles.  And that’s three weeks before the race! 

While I understood this concept in 2007 when I first did Madison Marathon, the years have allowed me to familiarize myself with the program, the design, and most importantly my body.  Having gone through the program three times now, I can confidently talk about training for a marathon with any novice runner.

Lately I’ve been reaping the benefits of training.  The human body is designed to be able to run 26.2 miles.  Not everyone can do this because too many of us let our bodies go.  But with proper training, I feel like I could get most people to complete a marathon.  And this is because of the power of training.  Think about training.  It’s not something you figure out over night, in a week, or a month.  People take years to be properly trained on a piece of equipment or proficient at a job.

And training for a run is no different.  My marathon training program for the Lakefront (Milwaukee) Marathon on October 4th included two 20-mile runs.  This is an advanced workout that I was trying for the first time since I’m looking to improve on my run from this spring.  I’m happy to report that the first 20-miler was going so well that I extended it to 21 miles.  Then the second 20-miler was going well (training!) that I extended it to 23.5 miles.  If you haven’t had the feeling of your body getting stronger, you’re missing out.  

So after 17+ weeks of training, I’m tapering.  The program is set up such that your body decreases its workout load for the last two weeks of the training so that you’re ready for maximal effort on race day.  I remember feeling this three days before my first marathon in 2007.  I came home from a short run and told Katie “I’m ready to go.”  I could just feel my body’s strength and even pent-up energy during my taper.  This was because I was used to so much higher mileage, my body was under-performing.  And that would change in three days when I would ask it to run 26.2.


When is the last time you trained for something?  It doesn’t have to be a marathon.  It doesn’t have to be athletic.  But when is the last time you felt yourself noticably get better or stronger in an area?