Why are you trying to keep up with the
dog?
My dog Skye is my second favorite
running partner (my wife is, of course, my favorite). She's always is
eager to get out the door and hit a trail. She doesn't care if it's
raining, snowing, hot or cold out there. She just wants to go. She
makes it simple. As I got back into running I couldn't keep up with
her, although she's always magnanimous about it and claims it's her
and not me. She helps keep me motivated and on track.
What made you become a mostly vegetarian
again?
I am a vegetarian, well mostly (to
paraphrase a friend). I have no great social agenda when it comes to
being a vegetarian. I used to believe that if God didn't want us to
eat meat, why did she make it so tasty? I do it by choice for my own
well being and don't force my views on too many people. It's
definitely a way to live more simply and create less impact on the
earth and we all know that is good thing. On the other hand, my
family doesn't embrace my dietary choice and continue to flaunt
delicious taco filling in my face at our regular taco nights. I swear
that stuff talks to me.
Skye is an awesome dog! What kind of
dog is she?
She is self-centered and way too full
of herself. No wait, that's me. She is proudly 100% pound mutt. I had
never gotten a dog from the pound before but when we lost our Golden
Lab to cancer I headed there when we were ready for another animal to
join our life. She was the only dog that didn't bark as my sons and I
walked around the cages. She just put her paws on the chain door and
stretched wagging her tail like a maniac. That was all it took. Of
course, as soon as we got her home she magically discovered the
ability to bark...at everything. I highly recommend going to your
local animal shelter if you are considering getting a pet.
What got you started running again?
I'll be the first to admit that like
thousands of others I was incredibly moved by the book Born To Run by
Christopher McDougall. There is just something visceral and down
right primal about running. It harkens back to what made us who we
are as a people. As one of my favorite quotes from Born To Run says,
“...Just move your legs. Because if you don't think you were born
to run, you're not only denying history. You're denying who you are.”
What made you decide to blog?
I know the state I'm in is not an
uncommon thing. Our country, and especially my home state, is getting
larger and larger due to poor diet and lack of exercise. I figured
that as I progress down this road a chronicle of my journey may prove
helpful to others wishing to make a change in their own situation.
Plus, I'm just a narcissistic SOB.
