Maybe Training isn’t Such a Good Idea After All?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
31 Days Until Bolder Boulder

It was another day to run around the trail near the YMCA but I was unenthusiastic about it. For whatever reason, I continued to not seem to be gaining any speed or stamina. Of course, my high caloric diet – featuring lots of sugar and processed foods – probably didn’t help. I just couldn’t resist anything which tasted good but I knew it wasn’t helping me become a better runner.

The weather was very nice today. The temperature was above 35°F when we started and seemed to warm quickly. The path was so well-known to us, we could have run it blindfolded yet it was difficult for me to do today. Whatever happened to the concept of “muscle memory?” Why couldn’t I just go on cruise control and do the run?

Instead, I always found the first mile to be exhausting. I was enervated by the time we had gone the length of the route and wanted to crawl back to the YMCA. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. And, being macho, like most guys, I didn’t want to admit what bad shape I was in. I somehow toughed out the last mile and was relieved when we started walking the final 300 yards or so for our “cool down.” I hurried into my car so I could have my heart attack in private.

The day was a whirlwind. I was in contact with the Governor’s staff and they finally formally confirmed Bill Ritter’s next visit to the show on May 12th. The program would be a “live” call-in show – one of only four I would do this year.

I had to deal with negotiating the renewal of our office space lease and got that done. I also followed up on some farm-related property rights issues which had been taking up too much of my time. Next I worked on arranging an interview with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It would be interesting to see if her team members kept their promise to have her join me at the studio the next time she was in town. I had gotten advance notice of her upcoming visit so I figured I needed to move quickly.

Throughout the entire day I noshed and kept returning to the refrigerator after the beginning or end of every mini-crisis which popped up. It wasn’t good having so much food within an easy reach – especially given my total lack of willpower when it came to food.

Most of the workday was spent addressing issues related to the Senate series we were doing with Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall. They were both easy guys with whom one could work and I enjoyed being with each of them. Negotiating taping times, however, often got far too complex and time-consuming. And we already were dealing with a long list of production issues which also took much of my time today as I worked with my producer, Chuck Fiorella, to solve our many problems.

We also were having Website access problems and had to work with our Internet Service Provider who hosted our Websites – CH2MHill Managed Services. They were great folks but often took days to make a change when our previous experiences were measured in hours or even minutes.

I also had a meeting in Denver with a foundation helping fund the U.S. Senate series so I ended up spending three hours driving back to the session, spending time at the meeting, and then driving home. It was time well spent and we covered a lot of ground. While the television show’s content could not be dictated or even influenced by sponsors, I always solicited opinions from anyone interested in making suggestions for the show so it was fun to hear people with different ideas. Everyone knew what we were doing this year but I’m always trying to think ahead, too. Today was no different. I headed back pleased with how everything went and humbled that people wanted to support my work. It was a nice feeling.

Holly and her friend Kirsten stayed at school for Cheerleading tryouts so I went to pick them up at 5:00 pm. The school was having a pasta dinner fundraiser for the track team and I had purchased some tickets so we ate right at Peak to Peak. My sister, Leah, and her son, Joel, joined us so I treated everyone. We noticed the attendance at the event was low so I purchased some of the leftover food so it wouldn’t go to waste (except I knew it would go to my waist) and as a way to give the track team a little more money.

The pasta dinner with meatballs was excellent. I ate and drank to my heart’s (and stomach’s) content. There was Italian bread with butter, a lemonade-like beverage, and salad with dressing to accompany the pasta. I bought three dinners for myself along with the dinners for others. Heck, the track team needed the money. I justified my pigaholicism by concluding I was just “carbo-loading” for tomorrow’s run. Yeah, right. I continued to be amazed at my ability to justify bad eating behavior. It only proved the stomach was mightier than the head – well, at least in the case of my brain.

Afterwards, we took Kirsten home to Superior and then returned to do homework. My role is purely advisory and instructional in nature, of course – this infuriates Holly because she believes we would have more time if I applied myself more diligently to her homework!. I did dome more work, took care of the dogs, and, naturally, munched on some goodies we brought home from the pasta dinner. I patted my now very full tummy and got to sleep by 11:00 pm. Ah, even if my weight and condition were bad, I knew life was good. Urp…