Marathon Training with Jeff Galloway

I begun training for my first quarter marathon just two weeks ago. I'm really pumped! After reflecting on the eight 5K races I've done over the years, I decided that it was time for me to move into the next phase. So, I commited to run in the Capital City Half Marathon.

The Capital City Half Marathon consists of several components - 5K, quarter marathon and a half marathon. With distances ranging from 3.1 miles to 13 miles, I'm sure this event will attract a wide variety of runners. From the novice to the advanced runner, we will all have the same goal of crossing the finish line. I consider myself an advanced 5K runner, but a novice beyond that. This will be my very first race that isn't a 5K.

I must admit, I was a bit intimidated at the thought of doing a quarter marathon. Anything with the word "marathon" in it gives me a reason to pause. I've always said that I don't aspire to ever run a full marathon. Maybe a half one day. Right now I've undertaken the daunting task of training for a quarter marathon. My hesitation is definitely valid, considering my injury last year. I sustained a substantial injury to my shin. It was really a very bad case of shin splints. It was so bad, the doctor referred to it as a "borderline stress fracture," and he treated it as such. I ended up in a boot for three weeks in the middle of the summer! I never want to end up like that again. I was afraid I would never be able to run again. After physical therapy and reaching the point of being 100% pain free, I gained the courage to run again.

The physical therapist suggested that I use Jeff Galloway's method of training. He has developed an injury-free training program with a run/walk method. At first, I was opposed to walk breaks. However, since I've been training, I can see the benefits. The walk breaks allow for a short recovery. It's good for the mind and body. The walk breaks can actually help to increase your speed in the long run. With this race, I'm most concerned with staying injury-free and completing the course. I would like to run the entire race, but I will maintain the run/walk method throughout my training to give my body a break.

Jeff Galloway has written several books about his method. I purchased the app for my iPhone. It has been like a personal trainer. I don't have to think about what to do - he tells me when to run, when to walk and how long to go. Within the app, you can share your progress with friends on Facebook. You can follow my training on my Facebook page.

eBay Store Closed

My eBay store, The Quality Corner 1, is now closed.  After much deliberation, I decided to close it last month.  It was not an easy decision, but it is the best course right now. 

I opened the store back in 2008 and it was my pride and joy.  I worked very hard to grow my eBay business.  In 2009, I expanded to selling books and audiobooks worldwide.  In 2010, I became a Power Seller and an eBay Top Rated Seller.  I felt good about my accomplishments at that time.

In 2011, eBay made several changes to the fee structure and seller requirements.  During the entire time I've sold on eBay, they have continued to make policy changes.  However, the most recent changes caused me to reconsider my eBay business.  I decided to keep the store open through the busiest season of the year.  After a slow holiday season, I became discouraged.  After reviewing my profits, I made the final decision to close the store in February.  As the saying goes, "if it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense."

Even though my eBay store is closed, The Quality Corner is still open.  I maintain my relationship with a very large book distributor, therefore, I still have access to over 2 million titles in print and audio.  I will continue to take special requests and ship books directly to my customers.  I have several local customers, including the Columbus City School district.  I am very thankful for my loyal customers and I look forward to continually providing quality products and quality service in the future.

The online segment of my business is continuing to grow.  I am now selling ebooks, music and entertainment on my blog.  You can view my selection here.  Also, I am an affiliate for Barnes & Noble, so I will be promoting their products and passing on savings to my readers.  You can read more about that here.  I intend to focus more on my book review service as well.  To learn more about book promotion through reviews, trailers and press releases, view my website at www.blackbookreview.com.

Life and business is all about change.  I have made a lot of changes in the past few months and I am excited about my new ventures. 

"What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank" by Nathan Englander

Reviewed by William Giraldi
SOURCE:  B&N Review

There's a moment in Raymond Carver's imperishable story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" that might be described as one of unregistered revelation. Two middle-aged couples perch at a kitchen table consuming an anesthetizing amount of gin while trying to converse about the fundamentals of love. Mel McGinnis, a cardiologist and the table's chief discourser, for whom "gin" is literally a middle name, offers a heuristic anecdote: He once administered to an elderly husband and wife, married for eons, who were almost snuffed out in a heinous car wreck. Supine in the same hospital room as his wife, the old man despairs not because of his own injuries but because he can't see his wife through the eye holes in his full-body cast. "Can you imagine?" Mel asks. "I'm telling you, the man's heart was breaking because he couldn't turn his head and see his wife."

Carver's story is less a narrative than Mel's monologue, his inebriated apologia on amore, and one that perhaps would have been better served by the title "How We Talk When We Talk About Love," since the how is Carver's real concern: in circles, platitudes, and tautologies, and always without certainty or complete comprehension, drunk or otherwise. Mel concludes his anecdote by asking, "Do you see what I'm saying?" But of course none of the four does see, least of all Mel himself.

In the title story of Nathan Englander's charismatic new collection, What We Talk About when We Talk About Anne Frank, revelations abound. Two Jewish couples -- one secular and American, the other Hassidic and Israeli -- spend a Sunday afternoon in the former's Florida home downing vodka and sparring over Jewishness. The Israeli husband, Mark, is a convincing example of exactly what we find obnoxious and, worse, outright yawnful about religious zealotry: chauvinism and moral superiority wedded to a fondness for bullshit and the very pressing need to spread it. The narrator oscillates between acceptance of and contempt for this oaken blowhard, though alcohol and marijuana help ease the afternoon. Read more...