GOALLLLL!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I am more than excited about today. For those of you soccer fans out there, you probably too can join in on my excitement, as today marked the first kick of the 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa. I just got done watching the host team South Africa play a great match with Mexico which ended in a draw. The World Cup is such a fascinating and infectious event, I believe even if you are not a soccer fan or even a sports fan in general, this single event has the power to draw you in. The game of soccer has such an outpouring of support and emotion attached to it. This one event probably more than the Olympic games has the power to draw nations to United and stand together. Anyways I hope you will try to check out a game or two over the next month it always promises to be good sport. Besides the US Club is playing England tomorrow which is receiving probably more hype than the Chicago Blackhawks.

I recently was keeping up with Bart Yasso on Runner's World.com, Bart is a longtime runner and RW contributor. He has had the privilege and advantage of running all over the world through out his lifetime. Most recently though he checked something off his "to-do" list that he had been eyeing for years. The Comrades Marathon in South Africa. The Comrades is a 56 mile event that delivers exactly what the name says, camaraderie. This is a run that runners all over the world can make reference to. More than Bart finishing the race the part of the story that struck me most was the statement he said "Usually I consider the starting line to be my end result, it's always been about making it to the starting line of a race, but for Comrades it's always been about the actual finish line" I love that statement. I think a lot of runners decide they want to be a runner for the experience of running and not necessarily the experience of the race.

Bart talked about everything that he experienced along the 56 mile stint. He described the smells, the noises, his pains, the screaming support along the way. Being a runner has so many characteristics and personalities to it. Some people run for fun, some run for health, others run to say they accomplished something. For Bart, Comrades was about not only finishing but experiencing everything it had to offer. I can't tell you much about the races I have ran besides my time, and who was there to support me. I look forward to my next race and being able to open my eyes a bit more to really experience what that particular race has to offer.

I want to encourage you to do the same, I know I have discussed goals but goals aside I want to encourage you to observe your surroundings the next time you are out for a jog, see what people you pass, what smells are around. Enjoy what running truly was meant to be.....Leisure!!!

My training today......3.5 Miles on the treadmill and Ab Ripper X core training.

I will be absent for a few days but will catch up when I return......Thanks for reading!!