Author: jeff noel

Lane 8 at Rest.

Yep.  Today is a rest day.

Feeling some pain again.

Working long hours.  Not getting enough sleep.

Life goes on.

It’s so tempting to start thinking, as the countdown dips under 45 days, to let doubt creep in.

Doubt has been on my mind:

1. It’s too expensive
2. It’s too much effort
3. What if I fail
4. What if I embarrass myself
5. What’s the point?
6. Is this just an ego thing?
7. There’s nothing to prove
8. Am I being selfish?
9. Am I in over my head?
10. What if I get hurt?

The list goes on.

Life is like this.  Filled with potential excuses.  The risk and the fear can be unbearable sometimes.

I will continue on. 

But today I will rest.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Happy Father’s Day.

Happy Summer Solstice, too.

Easy three mile run this morning.  Some pain in left heel.

Went to my Podiatrist on Friday morning to discuss options, if it gets worse.

Dr. Curtis Wagner felt this minor pain coming and going is part of the heeling process.

A cortisone shot is always an option.

Went to Florida Hospital Celebration Health for a therapeutic massage.

The therapist and I both felt the squishy feeling in the left heel.  He said it’s probably some type of toxin buildup, that can be flushed away through a variety of methods – massage, hot/cold contrast.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

jeff noel, from Lane 8.

Hey, I noticed a $2.00 poster, entitled “Why Exercise” while I was at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, for a physical therapy session, for Plantar Fasciitis, and had to make this short, jeff noel You Tube video.

I hope I don’t sound sarcastic, because I really don’t want to be.  I was just having a fun moment – one of those moments that really makes me want to ask, “Seriously”?



I exercised today, twice.   Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂

Is Lane 8 the worst lane?

Yes.

Why?

Because that’s where the slowest competitor is placed.

The fastest runners (and swimmers too) are placed in the middle lanes. 

Plus, the runner in Lane 8 can not see any of the other runners.

Why would anyone want Lane 8?

Excellent question. 

In my mind, being in Lane 8 is a tremendous accomplishment.

Seriously?  An accomplishment to be in Lane 8?

Yes.

Lane 8 in the finals, at the 2009 Master’s Track & Field World Championships.

While it’s impossible that I could ever even think of being in the top eight in the world, it sure is fun to put myself to the challenge of chasing a childhood dream – to be an Olympic athlete, and represent the United States amongst the best in the world.

Randy Paush, father, husband, college professor, author, speaker, and pancreatic cancer fighter, left our earth almost a year ago.

His passion for life added fuel onto a fire I already had burning.

Reading his book, The Last Lecture, was the catalyst for writing my blogs, which has significantly enhanced my awareness of what’s important. 

And yet at the same time, it’s that passion that consumes me and actually takes me away from what’s important.

Paradox?

This is the age-old challenge that humans face with a term called balance.

I’m still trying to figure it out.  Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂