Runner Insight

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In January of 2003 I took a 3 week vacation to visit a friend of mine who lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Although I had been as far as Canada and Mexico, this was the first time I had ever ventured that far out of the country. 

Having settled in at my friend’s home in Sao Paulo, after a week she surprised me with a trip to visit the coastal island of Floripia. The trip involved a short flight to the beach resort town. To say that Floripia was beautiful is an understatement.  With expansive, sandy beaches and that kind of distinct blue color only found in the ocean, I was in awe at the grandeur and majesty of the place.

One of my fantasies had always been to run along the beach.  But I hadn’t ever lived even remotely close to an ocean shore, so I had never had the opportunity to indulge in that dream other than in my imagination.

Since my host lived in one of the largest cities in the world, I hadn’t really planned on running while in Brazil. I was tickled with the prospect of going out for a run on Floripia.  And not merely running, but running on a beautiful, deserted sandy beach! 

I always have running gear with me, for who knows when just such an occasion will arise, so I got up early one morning, my mind set on running along the shore.  Having walked the beach the day before, I knew it was about 3 miles which would make for a nice short run. 

I brought along my camera, wanting to get the sunrise over the ocean on film.  Oh boy! I was not disappointed!  I was able to take some of the best pictures I have ever taken.  And with the most perfect backdrop anyone could ask for!  Talk about heaven….

After taking some pictures, I began a slow, but very pleasant run down the shore. The air was salty and warm.  I expanded my chest, taking in lungful after lungful of inspiration, wanting to imprint the entire experience of the run in my mind and body and soul. 

About half way down the beach, I was joined by two dogs.  They were so excited and playful, and content to run along beside me.  Happy for the company, as due to allergies I have no dogs of my own, I found it comforting: a sense of security having these dogs with me.

I could tell I was getting close to the end of the beach.  There were huge boulders stopping me from going any further.  I guess I could have climbed over them. But the thousands of sea spiders sunbathing on the rocks warned me away, and I was quite willing to turn around.  

Before I did though, I wanted to take some pictures of myself with the ocean in the background.  I put the camera’s timer on and made my way to the water.  As I turned to pose for the shot, my tail-wagging, frolicking companions decided they too wanted to be in the picture. And no doubt, they deserved to be….let’s give acknowledgement where it is due.

My two enthusiastic furry friends ran all the way back to the entrance of the beach with me. Then they were gone.  When I turned around, they were nowhere to be seen….

Maybe the dogs belonged to the fishermen who were nearby, casting their nets out to sea, or perhaps they were sent there just for me: to watch over me on my dream run in a foreign and enchanted place.

Wherever they came from, I have always been grateful for their companionship that day. I call them my angel dogs.

How ‘bout it?

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What better time of the year than today to share my thoughts on gratitude with you. And since I like to compile videos, there’s one at the end of this post for you to enjoy too!

Since I received “The Secret” DVD about the Law of Attraction as a Christmas gift in 2006, my awareness of what I have in my life and what I want to have come into my life has become significantly sharpened. 

Honestly, not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks for all the awesome and wonderful things in my life.  And it’s not just the big things like my health and wonderful relationships, but the little things too: like a sunbeam coming in the window, and my cup of Starbucks and the beautiful weather and driving by the love park, and having the opportunity to sleep late.

Someone wise once said “The enlightened give thanks for what other people take for granted.”

I have learned that by being grateful for everything I have in my life right now, even better things are coming…

I really do have it made: we’re living a great life that’s getting even better every day.

…And I am so happy and sincerely grateful for all of you who read my blog.

…And I am so happy and sincerely grateful for all of the positive feedback we’re getting on the stories we’re posting on the website/blog.

…And I am so happy and sincerely grateful that people are enjoying the free eBook I wrote “Gifts For Runners” (that you can download right now by filling in the web form on the side bar or below this post).

…And I am just so happy and sincerely grateful that you’re having a great day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy the video…..I made it for you…

How ‘bout it?

- Vision Runner

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Imagine giving a gift that your runner will use every time they head out the door to go running. If you’re not a runner, you are probably flabbergasted at the thought of having to come up with the inspired gift idea that your runner will treasure for many runs to come. Well, you can now set aside your “flabbergastion” and confusion.  

Yes, it’s true; you can give a cherished gift that will make your runner curious as to the source of your insight, and they’ll wonder how in the world they ever lived without it! But keep them guessing. You don’t have to tell all your secrets.

Being a runner myself for more than 15 years, I can attest to how much a runner can truly appreciate a thoughtful running gift, and you don’t have to sacrifice your self-respect by giving them the ubiquitous box of cordial cherries or resorting to the brightly colored toe socks, or whatever else you happen to walk by in the drugstore in a desperate search for something even slightly appropriate.

I know, I know….it’s not quite that bad…maybe.

To help you out, I’ve written an eBook that you can get for free. It’s called “Gifts For Runners – More Than 50 Unique and Creative Gifts For The Runner In Your Life”  It’s written in an easy to read, relaxed style in a quick downloading .pdf file format.  It’s yours at absolutely no cost, just by clicking on the link above or you can more easily fill in the form just below. There’s also a link in the sidebar under “Pages” if you know someone that wants to download it later.

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In the meantime, here’s an excerpt with my Top 5 Most Appreciated Gifts For Runners….the links are active, and they should all be formatted to open in a new window. So you can click on them to see pictures or get more information or order online and not lose your place on this page…

• Road ID – Most runners don’t carry any sort of ID with them as they head out for their run. Not because they don’t want to, but primarily because it’s inconvenient. You may not have thought about it, but it’s very difficult to carry a wallet or personal ID in the flimsy little bits of wick-away fabric known as running shorts. If it crossed my mind, I might occasionally remember to take a piece of paper with some general contact information on it. After a couple of runs, it would become worn and difficult to read, and I would toss it, and then forget to make a new one.

When I received the Road ID as a gift, I was thrilled to have something so small and light weight, with all my important contact information right on it.      

The Road ID is personal identification gear with your info laser engraved on a tag that’s easy to take with you, easy to read, and it comes in many different styles and colors.  I was given both the wrist band and shoe ID style. The wrist band Velcro’s around my wrist like a sports watch, bracelet-style. The Shoe Id attaches via Velcro to my shoe laces, and it just stays there, until I change out running shoes every few hundred miles. By having both kinds, if I forget to put my wrist band on, I always have the Road ID on my running shoes. They also have an ankle style and shoe pouch style. You can even choose a cool picture or logo to put on the dog tag style (Fixx ID) that will capture your runner’s unique personality. While I hope no one will ever have to use my Road ID for its intended purpose, it’s just a good layer of protection for me and peace of mind for my loved ones.

• Flashers/Blinkers/Safety Lights – I’m a big believer in being as safe as possible. And the primary way for a runner, walker or bicyclist to be safe is to be seen. Again, this was something I had never even considered using until I was given a safety flasher as a gift.

What better way to provide your runner with a bubble of protection than a blinking light that can been seen from half-mile to a mile away? Flashers and blinkers now come in all sorts of sizes and shapes; they are lightweight and the batteries last a long time. They even have flashers that clip right to your running hat! I often wear two or more, one on the brim of my hat, and at least one on my waistband. 

• Running Pocket - Now, I know this probably wouldn’t occur to the average non-runner, but to an avid runner, this is a coveted treasure. I searched high and low, long and hard for just the right clip-on pocket to run with. I knew exactly what I wanted; I just had a hard time finding it.

Most of the pockets I found weren’t really designed for running. They were bulky and bounced around a lot. It wasn’t until I was in Illinois visiting family, that I found exactly what I wanted.      

At the local running store, there it was: the perfect running pocket.  It was made by Amphipod. This handy piece of equipment is great, because it doesn’t bounce around at all, and it’s flat so it hangs comfortably on my running shorts.  The built-in pocket in running shorts is oftentimes too small or there isn’t one at all.  There are certain things I like to carry with me when I’m out running, such as Lifesavers, Chap Stick, my house key, and an extra battery for my mp3 player; not to mention sometimes I want cash or a Starbucks gift card for my caffeine fix on the way home! I can carry gels or energy beans with the pocket, and it’s great to have for races, too. 

• Pedometer - I don’t know any runner who wouldn’t love this gift. I love to chart my running mileage, and if I take a different route, I always want to know how far I have run. Omron makes a good one with a tether on it, the HJ-112 so you don’t have to worry about losing it. And it actually works for longer than two to three months, like so many of them that we’ve tried. We’ve had the Omron HJ-112 for probably a year and a half or two years now, and it’s still working great.

Most pedometers have several different functions on them, from time and date to counting mileage and calories to counting total steps versus aerobic steps to memory functions. Although the Omron HJ-112 doesn’t have a “talking” feature, it’s nice to have one that talks, that way I can just push a button and keep my eyes on the road. 

• Subscription to a Running Magazine – My favorite is Runner’s World, but there are other choices available as well. Just imagine, every month when they get their new copy of Runner’s World they will be thinking of you! And it’s just the thing to keep your enthusiastic runner motivated all year round!

Hopefully that gets you started with some great ideas, and don’t forget to get your copy of the free eBook I wrote for you:  “Gifts For Runners – More Than 50 Unique and Creative Gifts For The Runner In Your Life” .

How ’bout it?

- Vision Runner

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