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Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
Posted on December 18, 2011 by John J Bingham
All good things…
Posted on December 16, 2011 by John J Bingham
Today, December 16, is day 350 of 2011. That means that for the past 350 days I have moved, intentionally, for at least 30 minutes. It started as an idea to move for 100 days. That turned into a plan to invite others to join me. That turned into a phenomenon where 10,000 people signed up on Facebook. That turned into a habit, which, at day 101 turned into an obsession.
Some would say obsession is a bad word. I don’t agree. There are certain people in our lives that we want to be obsessive. I want my dentist to be obsessive. And the guy who works on my motorcycle. I want the pilot and first officer to be obsessive. You get the idea. Being obsessive has gotten a bad rap.
Once I got to the 100 day threshold I think I became obsessive. But not in a way that paralyzed me. In a way, the obsession liberated me. I no longer had to decide if I was going to exercise on any given day. I no longer had to wonder if I was going to find time to move every day. I was liberated from all the doubt. I was going to move every day. That’s all there was to it.
I’ve been honest with my movement. There have only been a couple of times all year where I jumped off the treadmill at 31 minutes. [yes, I always put in an extra minute] Most days I’ve done between 40 minutes and an hour. By my rough calculations I’ve covered about 1,000 miles. That might not be much for an elite marathoner, but, it ain’t too shabby.
In a little over two weeks I will have moved, intentionally, every day for an entire year. At 64 years old I will have done something that I’ve never done before. And, to be even more honest, it’s something that I may never do again. Or so I say today.
In the end it will come down to which emotion surfaces. If I feel satisfied and want to savor that satisfaction then on January 1 I’ll take the day off. If, on the other hand, I feel content, then I may very well just keep going.
You can join in for 2012 by searching for the 100 Days Challenge page on Facebook or by going to http://www.100dayschallenge.org What I can tell you for sure is that it will be one heck of a journey.
Waddle on, friends.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available in print and ebooks versions now. BUY THE BOOK
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Because of runners like John, the wall of intimidation has crumbled, and tens of thousands of Americans are now believing in themselves. John has helped raise self-esteem and self-confidence in people all over the world. Nothing is more important to a person’s well-being.– Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, John "the Penguin" Bingham, Training | Tagged: Bingham, new year resolution, Penguin, running, walking | 1 Comment »
Viva Las Vegas
Posted on November 30, 2011 by John J Bingham
I’m a pretty boring guy. I don’t like parties. I’ve never gambled. I worked for years as a professional musician so I’m not all that interested in going to shows. What I’m saying is that all the things that Las Vegas is famous for are lost on me.
But I cannot WAIT to get there.
This is my last Rock ‘n’ Roll event for 2011. It’s not the last for everyone. Some of the staff will be heading to Miami next week, but not me. The year started in Arizona and wandered through New Orleans, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Providence, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Savannah, and San Antonio. I think that’s all of them. It’s been a fantastic year. By my calculations I’ve seen nearly 250,000 runners and walkers start a marathon or half marathon this year and welcomed nearly that many to the finish line. I’ve seen young people, old people, thin people, NOT thin people, men and women of every possible description. And every one of them looked great.
It’s hard to describe the emotions of being at the start line and watching 30,000 people take off chasing a dream. We’ve had celebrities and politicians on the announcer’s stage with us and they are always shocked when the crowd goes by for what seems like HOURS. Well, it is an hour or so at some events, but no one seems to care.
This year we’ll start in the evening and be rocking well into the night. This has GOT to be wild. And, since I’m NOT a morning person it seems much more civilized to start at 4pm [for the marathon] and 5:30 [for the half] than it does to start at 7am. More than anything it will be different. I don’t know if anyone knows for sure how it’s going to work but we’re all convinced that it will.
Next year I’ll be at 15 or 16 Rock ‘n’ Roll events including the new ones in St. Petersburg, Washington, DC and Portland. I’ll also be back at my anchor events in Nashville and Chicago.
I was at the very first Rock ‘n’ Roll event in San Diego in 1998. I was there a part of the Runner’s World Pacing Team. No one could have predicted that the concept of staging event for the REST of us would become so popular. But it has.
So make your plans now. Find a race near you or one as far away as you can. Find a bunch of friends and plan your own break away weekend. But whatever you do, make SURE to register for Las Vegas 2012. I promise you it will be a weekend that you’ll never forget.
Waddle on, friends.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Because of runners like John, the wall of intimidation has crumbled, and tens of thousands of Americans are now believing in themselves. John has helped raise self-esteem and self-confidence in people all over the world. Nothing is more important to a person’s well-being.– Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, Half Marathon, John "the Penguin" Bingham, Marathon, Penguin, Running, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, Las Vegas, Penguin, rock and roll chicago, running, Travel, walking | Leave a comment »
Veteran’s Day
Posted on November 10, 2011 by John J Bingham
I’m an Army veteran. 5 1/2 years active duty and 6 months of reserve. I’m one of a generation of men who had to register for the draft and – in the year of the draft lottery – put our lives on hold while we waited to see if our number would be called. Men my age remember their draft lottery number. Mine was 165. My number was drawn on December 29, 1970. On January 1, 1971 I would have been clear.
I was one of the very lucky ones. I auditioned for, and was accepted into THE U.S. Army Band [Pershing’s Own] in Washington, DC. My son, on the far left of the photo, is now in the same band. We both went to Fort Leonard Wood for Army Basic Training and we share a common experience that most fathers and sons don’t have.
Last Christmas he went with the Sergeant Major of the Army’s holiday tour to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I was there the morning he got dressed to go. He wasn’t a trumpet player. He was a soldier. He would perform when had to, but when he wasn’t on stage he’d have a weapon on his hip.
As I watched him go I was overwhelmed with fear, and he was going to be gone for 10 days. I can’t imagine what it must be like for the parents, wives, husbands, and loved ones of the men and women who are being deployed. I don’t know how they live their lives knowing that the person that they love is so far away and – in many cases – in harms way.
When one enlists in any of the Armed Forces one swears to support and defend the Constitution. To support and defend. Everyone on active duty and every veteran shares that common experience. We all, at some point, raised our right hand as swore to something without hesitation. It’s what separates us from those who have never served.
This is not a political statement. I’m not for war. Or against war. This is a parental statement. This is a thank you to all who have served and a thank you to all who have loved those who have served.
There have always been warriors among us. There are warriors among us now. Let us take a day to honor them, to celebrate them, and to remember them.
From one vet to all others, thank you.
John
Filed under: Bingham, family, John "the Penguin" Bingham | Tagged: Bingham | 1 Comment »
The Autumn Leaves
Posted on November 1, 2011 by John J Bingham
Johnny Mercer wrote the words, and many of us hear Nat King Cole singing it, but the classic “Autumn Leaves” has been ringing in my head all week here in Northern Virginia. We had the freakish snow last Saturday which gave way to a chilly Sunday and a stunning Monday and Tuesday. By early November most of the leaves have turned at home in the Chicago area. Out here, though, Fall is extended. It seems to wander leisurely from Summer to Winter.
The romantics like to think of Fall as the most beautiful time of year. They wax eloquently about the beauty of the changing leaves, the robust colors, and the harbingers of Winter. I’m not immune from that kind of rhetoric. I get it. I get the beauty. I experienced it. I embrace it.
But I don’t do so as naively as I once did. I know longer embrace the coming of Winter with the same reckless enthusiasm that I di
d when I was younger. Maybe it’s because I have the sense of being in the Fall of my own life that I can’t willingly accept the necessary death and renewal cycle that this season represents. I can’t as easily view the mask of color that hides the truth about what is happening.
What has happened, for me, is that I find myself more deeply engaged in the sights of the season. I stopped and watched a squirrel nibble on a fallen acorn knowing that he’d soon be finding places to bury his winter stash. I stopped and watch a single leaf float aimlessly towards the ground knowing that soon enough the last leaf would fall. I stood and stared at the slow moving Four Mile Run and the reflection of the trees in the water.
I’ve been on this path many times. In the past twenty years I’ve run or cycled much of the W&OD trail. 40 years ago, in my first year in Northern Virginia, and Army buddy and I rode motorcycles on the rough dirt right-of-way of the W&OD railroad. I’ve seen the path change from a forgotten relic that was nearly inaccessible to a fully functioning and active running, walking, cycling thoroughfare. It’s now a place for children and seniors. A path for serious runners and casual hikers. It is treasure for all who choose to use it.
The trees that I rode past in my youthful enthusiasm have stood guard over hundreds of Fall transitions. I have been a part of many of them. This year, as in no other year, I feel connected to them. I feel like they have been patiently waiting for me to notice them. I’m glad they waited.
Waddle on, friends.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Because of runners like John, the wall of intimidation has crumbled, and tens of thousands of Americans are now believing in themselves. John has helped raise self-esteem and self-confidence in people all over the world. Nothing is more important to a person’s well-being.– Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, John "the Penguin" Bingham, motivation, Penguin, Uncategorized, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, fall, Penguin, running, Travel, virginia, walking | 1 Comment »
Woolly Worms
Posted on October 26, 2011 by John J Bingham
In case you don’t recognize the photo, it’s the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth, Pyrrharctia Isabella, also known as woolly worm. I spotted one yesterday on the trail during my walk.
Legend has it that the woolly worm, a tiger moth caterpillar, can portend what weather winter will bring. According to folk wisdom, when the brown bands on fall woolly bears are narrow, it means a harsh winter is coming. The wider the brown band, the milder the winter will be.
I’m no expert, but it looks to me like the brown band is pretty wide which would suggest a milder winter. I live in Chicago so what I consider mild might be awful somewhere else. There may be better ways to predict the winter weather but for now, I’m going with the Woolly Worm Effect.
What this really means is that it’s time to start rotating my running and walking gear. It’s time to dig out the tights – loose fitting, thank you. I’m not interested in going out looking like a kielbasa with glasses. I’ll dig around and find some of my heavier long-sleeved shirts, a light-weight fleece or two, and search for where I put my gloves and stocking caps last spring – when I told myself I would forget where I was putting them.
I’ll also find a couple of my favorite running jackets. I’ll have to sort through about 20 or so that are no LONGER my favorites, but I’ll do it gladly. Even the jackets that never get worn anymore hold memories so I can’t make myself get rid of them. So, they just hang there, unworn but not forgotten.
We’re lucky these days to have such great fabrics. Even in a climate like Chicago there are very few days when the weather makes it impossible for me to get outside. I’m careful to say that if I stay inside it will be by choice, not because I don’t have what I need to be safe outdoors.
More importantly, I’m going to get out as much as I can in the next few weeks. My world is changing every day. Of course, it’s always changing every day but it’s so much more obvious in the fall. I don’t want to miss anything in the fall. I don’t want to have skipped what turns out to be the most beautiful day of the season.
And I’ll take that as a reminder that every day – no matter what time of year it is – it’s important to get out there and live life.
Waddle on, friends.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Because of runners like John, the wall of intimidation has crumbled, and tens of thousands of Americans are now believing in themselves. John has helped raise self-esteem and self-confidence in people all over the world. Nothing is more important to a person’s well-being.– Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, John "the Penguin" Bingham, motivation, Penguin, Running, Training, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, chicago, fall, Penguin, walking, winter | Leave a comment »
There is no finish line. Or is there?
Posted on October 20, 2011 by John J Bingham
This past weekend I was in San Francisco for the NIKE Women’s Marathon, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This was the 8th year of the event and was clearly the best race weekend, ever. The weather was fantastic. The pre-race activities were done well, and race day was as close to perfect as I can imagine. My congratulations to everyone who was involved in the production of the event.
I’m there as National Spokesperson for the Society’s Team in Training program. I’m lucky enough to be able to speak to 6,000 people at the Inspiration Dinner. It’s amazing to look out at that crowd and know that everyone there has the same goal; curing blood cancers. It’s even more amazing to know that the work that this year’s participants, who raised nearly 13 million dollars, and the work of the hundreds of thousands of runners and walkers that came before them, is not only changing lives, but saving lives. They are, we are, making a difference.
One of the real treats for me every year is getting to spend a little time with Joan Benoit Samuelson. In case you’re from another planet, I’ll just tell you that “Joanie” was the gold medalist in the first Women’s Olympic Marathon in 1984. She was also the American Women’s Marathon record holder for nearly 20 years. And, oh by the way, she is the only woman to EVER run a sub-2:50 marathon in each of 5 decades. Dig THAT!
Joan talks about how, for her, there is no finish line, and she encourages others to think the same way. Each finish line, according to Joan, is an opportunity to set a new goal, to raise your personal bar, and to go in search of a new achievement. In the years that I was a professional musician that was certainly true for me. Every performance was just a mile post, a short respite. The morning after even the most satisfying performance I was back in the practice room trying to improve.
But, I’m not sure that it’s true for everyone that there is no finish line. In my work as the Finish Line announcer for the Competitor Group’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series I have seen over a million people cross finish lines. I’ve seen winners cross in World Record time, I’ve seen the final finisher struggle to walk the final few yards, and everything in between. And I think, at least for some of them, there is a finish line. There is a line which, when crossed, brings some part of their lives to a close.
There certainly was for me. Crossing my first finish line changed me from someone who thought about doing things to someone who DID things. I wasn’t just that guy who wanted to run a 5K or marathon, I was the guy who HAD. It wasn’t even that important that everyone else knew that I had. I mattered that I knew.
So, while I understand Joan’s message, I think that for many of us there is a finish line. And not just one. Some of us have to keep crossing those finish lines to remind us that we can.
Waddle on,
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Read your book, loved it, it was wonderful. It made me laugh, it made me cry. In it I saw glimpses of myself. I may be old and I may be slow, but I am an Athlete, I am a Competitor, I am a Runner! Wow, thanks John, for enabling me to see that! D W, Senior-Onset Athlete
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, Half Marathon, John "the Penguin" Bingham, Marathon, motivation, Penguin, Running, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, Penguin, Team, walking | 7 Comments »
A league of their own | The Penguin Chronicles
Posted on October 14, 2011 by John J Bingham
A league of their own | The Penguin Chronicles.
I’ll be at the Nike Women’s Marathon this weekend with Team in Training. This is my observation about an earlier event.
GO TEAM.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Read your book, loved it, it was wonderful. It made me laugh, it made me cry. In it I saw glimpses of myself. I may be old and I may be slow, but I am an Athlete, I am a Competitor, I am a Runner! Wow, thanks John, for enabling me to see that! D W, Senior-Onset Athlete
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, Half Marathon, John "the Penguin" Bingham, Marathon, motivation, Penguin, Running, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, Penguin, running, Team, walking | Leave a comment »
The Italian Job
Posted on October 12, 2011 by John J Bingham
There’s something magical about Florence, Italy. People have know that for centuries, but even so, being there it’s impossible not to marvel at the beauty, history, and – well – magic of Florence. This photo, which looks a lot like some of the water-color paintings in the Uffizi Gallery, was taken with an iPhone from the balcony of my room at the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi. That’s the Arno river in the foreground. It had been raining and this photo was taken just as the rain stopped.
I’m not saying I’m a great photographer. I’m just saying that in Florence you can just about turn in any direction at any time, take a photo, and you’ll have something you want to keep.
I was in Florence because we were hosting the Marathon di Tuscany. You can go to the Facebook page to see all the photos. It was an amazing trip with about 70 of our closest friends. It wasn’t an easy week of running and walking. But, I think everyone went home weary but happy.
This was not my first trip to Florence. The first time I walked the streets of Florence was over 20 years ago during a very tumultuous time in my life. I think I was so absorbed in the chaos of my own life that I couldn’t see beyond myself to the beauty of Florence. The next time I was there, in 1996, was less chaotic but I still wasn’t open to all the Florence was, and is. In subsequent visits I ran the Florence Marathon a couple of times, got to know some of the local Italian runners, and began to get sense that there was a Florence beyond the art and museums.
Seeing Florence, and more broadly, Tuscany, was like being there for the very first time. I walked streets I had never walked, visited places I had never visited, and experienced the magic of Florence in a whole new way. In part that was by seeing the area through the eyes of the participants in the Marathon di Tuscany. Knowing that they were literally discovering Tuscany with there own two feet made it all the more interesting to me.
I was able to see past the history and even the beauty of Tuscany to what is, to me, more important. I was able to see into the eyes and lives of the people there. I was able to connect with the staff at the hotel, the bus drivers, the servers at the restaurant, the race organizers and local runners. I wasn’t separated from them by culture or geography or politics. I was united with them by common goals and shared values. What we couldn’t understand because of our language barrier was easily overcome by our desire to communicate.
In the end I left Florence this time with more than I had come with. I had found what I had been looking for all those other times. I had found a part of myself that felt like it was home.
Waddle on, friends.
John
An Accidental Athlete is available now. BUY THE BOOK
Here’s the direct link to the Amazon Kindle version
Here’s a link to the Nook version
Review An Accidental Athlete on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
What others are saying: Read your book, loved it, it was wonderful. It made me laugh, it made me cry. In it I saw glimpses of myself. I may be old and I may be slow, but I am an Athlete, I am a Competitor, I am a Runner! Wow, thanks John, for enabling me to see that! D W, Senior-Onset Athlete
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start,No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Order your copy of John’s NEW book An Accidental Athlete today.
Have a question for John? Write him.
Filed under: Bingham, family, Half Marathon, John "the Penguin" Bingham, Marathon, motivation, Penguin, Running, Walking | Tagged: Bingham, Italy, Penguin, Travel, walking | Leave a comment »
Fall Running Gear Guide – ESPN
Posted on October 11, 2011 by John J Bingham
The Penguin Chronicles 
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