Sunday, April 22, 2012

Boston: One year later


   Today, as I am typing this right now it will be one week since the 2012 Boston Marathon. By the time I finish this post it may be a few days later but it comes at a time when about one year ago that I was able to run the race that has been the pinnacle of every runner. I decided not to run again this year. Mainly due to the costs of going there. I'll run it again someday but I have to run another full to get a qualifying time for my age group which is now 3:05:00 which shouldn't be that hard for me.

     So for this Boston I'm sitting here at work looking at the splits of the leaders and my friends and other C-Bus Pacers running over at Boston. Yeah, this is something I shouldn't do at a gov't job but I get quite a bit of work done and there are others around here that don't hardly do S***!! That's our gov't hard at work people. But don't want to be too negative about my job it just causes too much stress and it would effect everything else positive in my life.

  A lot has happened over the last year since I ran Boston. I ended up getting hurt in my hip muscle when I tried to come back too early after Boston and it derailed my summer and fall racing plans, I had to sadly drop out of the Half Marathon at Columbus in October. I guess my body wasn't quite ready to tackle a half. However, I was able to end the year on a good note and represent CRC in Seattle at the USATF Club Cross Country Nationals and continue my streak of running it 6 years in a row and hopefully going for # 7 at the end of this year. Turning 30 becomes a big deal for me as well. I felt that I haven't accomplished anything outside of running, my high school coach suddenly passed away this summer , my sister moved back home due to her job situation but she is working part time and taking law classes to become a parallegal, there have been changes at work which makes it difficult to adjust, for one I would like the opportunity to telework, but I haven't gotten a laptop at work and I don't know when they will give me one.

One of the biggest issues interally I had to deal with the fact that I'm 30 and still single. Nowhere close to finding a woman to call my best friend to spend the rest of my life with and share everything about. Well, I feel as if I'm sharing a little bit of my life to everyone by writing in this blog. But, I try not to get to overboard. I'm not the type of guy that constantly updates my facebook status every hour everyday. That can be obessive. I try not to make a big deal about meeting someone. I know God has someone for me. I just got to trust in him, have an open heart, and stay positive.

  I think staying positive ties into training. A funny thing is our preacher was preaching about "Run to Win" which was the title of the sermon. The verse taken was from 1 Cornithians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

In this passage it is talking about mostly a relationship with Jesus and how when athletes train hard to compete so should we when we want a better relationship with Jesus. A great note in the Sermon was, "Don't stop training, you're in a marathon not a sprint." Life is like that as well. It can get pretty hetic at times but you can't let the bad things or the stuff that depresses you get you down. Things are not easy. I've come a long way since the last year and especially in the past like it mentions my pre-boston article from last year.

You just gotta keep running to get that prize in the end whenever in running it be winning a race, a PR, or just to finish in some cases. Same goes for life. Now a days people except a handout from our government. You have to be humble and hope for the best and try to focus on the reward at the end.

I know my running goals aren't done yet. I'm working on getting my coaching education done in the meantime and I have a goal to run the Columbus Marathon this fall not only to PR but for personal reasons. But I'll get to that when the time comes. Right now the best thing is to keep your head up, don't be discourage, and keep running towards your goal whatever it may be sports related or not.

That's my two cents.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Mo Money Mo Problems

  
 HaHa. Funny In Living Color skit. Speaking of which I'll get to my Jim Carrey vs Adam Sandler blog sooner or later.  But, right now I wanna get into my blog about of course this past weekend's Mega Millions Madness itself, what it ties to living right now and from lessons I've learned from the Bible and how it could maybe help me or you.


  I bet like me you got caught up in the whole Mega Millions Madness that occured this weekend. Me and a couple of co-workers got together and chipped in for tickets. No one from Ohio had the winning numbers only tickets in Kansas, Illinois, and Maryland had them and so far we heard no one come forward to claim the $640 Million Jackpot. Well take away a lot from taxes and your left with half. It's amazing that people spend over 1.2 billion on Lotto Tickets that I wonder really how much of that is going into education and what are we truly spending our money on.
  I've never boughten into the whole lottery thing. It was only 2 bucks I've spent to chip into the lotto tickets but how often do people get lucky and win. Scratch offs are ok when they say you can win up to $100,000 but odds are you'll probably win your money back from buying the ticket itself. Now I can't believe I'm bringing up ProWrestling in all of this but if the Ric Flair Scratch off tickets were sold in Ohio I would defintely buy a few.


   Haha!! Even in commercials Ric Flair is still hitting on women. Well now at least he's hitting on women his own age now.

  Back to the blog. Now there have been horror stories of people winning these lottery jackpots in which people from around their social circle whenever it may be family, friends, or whomever that become they hanger ons of some sort and try to get them to buy things whenever it may be food, clothing or other type of items. Here are some stories going together with some facts.




Yep, apparently the odds so we say are not in our favors to have better or normal lives even after if you would hit the jackpot. I mean even as Christians we all fall short or try to find an easier way to make money or order to pay debt or have that money to afford better things. I just joked that if I would have won I wanted to buy the Columbus Crew so I can make them the "New York Yankees" of Major League Soccer. (I'm sure you would appreciate that DeLeon :)

I mean playing the lottery is fun once in awhile but don't get caught up in it, bad habits can turn it into addiction. Look what happened to Ohio State QB Art Schlichter

He's now back in jail for scheming people out of money. That's another thing. You here stories of professional athletes like Allen Iverson and Terrell Owens(T.O.) who during their heyday or peak in their careers spent a lot of money on their homes, cars, etc and end up not having a whole lot more whenever it be paying taxes or sadly child support towards the end. I wish many of these athletes would spend money when they start out on there professional careers on accountants to help them keep track of their expenses. Yet many of them come from rough lives and when they get this money they don't know how to spend it and usually their old friends hang out with them and become their hanger-ons until the money runs out. Like I said can be mentioned about those who win Mega Millions jackpot.

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

I mean we always dream for a little bit better lives where we can earn more money. I know I do. I wish I could make a little more money at work. In fact work's been the main cause of my stress the last couple of months. Which is why I'm considering possibly taking some more graduate courses, hoping the work more meets as an official this track & field season, and getting a certification license to be a running coach. But, I remember to try to work hard and things will come.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.


I'm always reminded in life that I have a lot more than what many people do not have. I should consider myself very lucky and I would hope everybody else would to. We should be blessed to live in a nation with so much despite the fact that this economy is not what we want it to be. It would also be great to give and volunteer to those who are in need.

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

That passage is deeply true. I feel guilty about not giving enough like I want to but it does give a good feeling in the soul when you do whenever it be your money or time.

We all stress about money but it is wise to know what we are spending it on and to be thankful. The best advice I learned about gambling or when I'm getting into something like March Madness Brackets and Fantasy Football is this, "Don't Gamble if you can't afford to lost it!!"

I'm D-Money and that's my two cents!!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Big Announcement


 Well everyone, today I have a very important announcement that I must share with you. A few days ago I have accepted a job offer in Indianapolis and I'm going to be moving within the next month. I know that I will always call O-HI-O my home but I applied to the USAJOBS for DFAS Indy and I got an offer for a little bit more money and I'm going to take it. I don't where this would take me but I feel this is the best decision for me. I have made a lot of friends here in Columbus in my church and running. I'll appreciate you all making me feel very welcome and you'll hold a special place in my heart! .........................................................................................



Wait, I have one more thing to add below



APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAHAHAHA!!! Now do you really think I would really be that brief if I posted if I were leaving the great state of Ohio!! I would be a little bit more serious than that. I think you all know me better than that. Just to let you know I haven't applied for anything jobs outside of Columbus and I plan to remain here as God would let me for now.

I hope none of you took this serious its a joke. I hope to remain in Columbus for a long time and make this my pernament home. I'll keep the blog going and I hope you keep reading and be willing to take a joke as I would if you joke around with me.

I'm D-Money and that's my Two Cents!!!