Author Archive: chopnchat
Being Good
My sweet friend said to me, “You’re good.” Sometimes I don’t think I am good. Sometimes I think I should be working harder, smarter, longer. Sometimes I think everyone has much more good going on than I do. And that they are braver, more talented, more tenacious. More capable. Sometimes I look in the mirror …
The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race; it’s to test the limits of the human heart. Bill Bowerman, Co-founder of Nike, Inc.
Why do people enter races? Whether 5K , half or full marathon, triathlon-reasons are as diverse as the individuals moving on their particular paths. Recently, I ran a local 5K. Though I might have been curious to see if my time was better than in ’03, my real reason, the one closest to my heart, …
Working it Through…
Work lunches are one of my most favorite things because they challenge me to create sustaining, beautifully simple food that moves me through my day feeling strong and satiated. So today, here’s what we had … and it hit all the comfort places for me. Great lunches have a transformative power! Nothin’ Like a Sandwich: 2 …
Being Called to It…
We define our lives by how we spend our time. The hours, the minutes, the moments in between it all create the life we wake up to and close our eyes to each day. And as the days roll on, one into another, you get deeper into that life. For better or worse. I like to …
Full Moon Running
This is why I run alone in the dark. I have the full moon all to myself. Surrounded by a free form circle of cumulus clouds tonight, it was breathtaking, heart stopping and it pulled me in completely. The blue-black sky, autumn-like breeze and my need for a place to put myself meshed perfectly for …
Black Bean Magic
Bountiful Black Beans… Gather up: 2 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained 1 large garden tomato, diced 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (in oil, drained) 1 cup of corn (frozen -defrost-, or fresh) 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup …
I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I’m not. John Bingham, author and runner
What makes a runner? Talk to some and you discover that it is those who enter 5Ks and half-marathons, 26.2s and do “long distances” who are real runners. Their conversation revolves around all things running. There is a desire to go faster, harder, farther and sometimes (shhh) a disdain for those recreational slowpokes cluttering up …
All About Hills
Hills hurt. My lungs burn and so do my thighs. My heart pounds hard and sometimes I feel like I am sucking mouthfuls of air as the sweat streams off of me. But they are necessary. The world, it turns out, is not flat. And neither is my running life. I was thinking long and …
I Cannot, Should Not, Will Not SIT
With complete transparency, I share that I cannot sit for extended periods of time. Physically, mentally, I can NOT sit. The thing that happens is that my brain turns off, my head is all over the place and whatever it is that I was supposed to be attending to is totally off of my mental …
If You’re Not Building Strength…
…you’re losing strength. I think about a friend of mine, a former college athlete, who continues to play the game on weekends and has added running to the mix during the work week. Strength, conditioning and endurance are being built and maintained. The athletic physique, heart and mindset are ever-present, a testimony to the power …
