I swear my dog has ADHD (Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder). The three-year-old pug rushes from one activity to the next with extreme enthusiasm and frantic intensity often with the annoying goal of getting everyone else to participate. Tucker’s idea of a good time is to wait for when I’m focused on some activity like paying bills or house maintenance and then to start bringing me his toys and pushing them against my leg to play. If I don’t engage, he goes and gets another, and another, and another until the house is a minefield of dog toys. If I do engage, he plays for 30 seconds and then loses interest and wanders off to terrorize his sister or get into some kind of other trouble. He’ll be back in a few minutes to start all over again.
If I could
read his mind, I’m sure it would sound something like….”Play time, I’ll bring
him a toy. Here’s a toy, let’s
play. Not that toy? OK, I’ll get another. Oh, there’s my sister, I’ll go bite her
tail. I need a drink. What’s that outside? Another dog walking by, I’ll bark a warning
to keep moving. Is it food time? Check
the bowl. Hey, there’s a toy. Play time…..
My life
these days seems to be full of distractions and interruptions. There’s likely no more than I was use to in
the past it just seems I’m more responsive to them these days. Part
of it is the concern that if I don’t respond to this issue right now I’ll
forget about it. Definitely an age
thing. My feeble attempts to multitask
only make things worse. And don't even get me started on the impact of the internet and email. The other day I
spent an hour writing two checks not because it took that long to write them
(not that senile yet) but because I kept thinking of issues related to the
bills that I needed to take care of and was afraid I would forget if I didn’t
handle them right now.
Distractions
can be blessing when you are running long distance. Anything to keep the mind focused off how
tired you are, how far you still have to go, or that nagging little pain in
your left hamstring. Some people run
with music as a motivator and distraction while others listen to podcasts or
audio books. I find the crowds during a
race are also good distractions and motivators. In
the past I would often use the time on the road to work on business or family
problems. The challenge these days is
running takes a lot more effort and focus.
Since the transplant I’ve had a problem with a “lazy” left leg (likely
the result of micro-strokes) that makes my stride and balance a bit
awkward. Where in the past I may have
been able to run on autopilot letting my mind wander, these days it takes
constant attention to form and effort. I
really could use some distractions to focus on.
This weekend
(traditionally Boston Marathon weekend) is the start of my Marathon Challenge (the
goal is 26.2 miles over 4 days in under 5 hours total time). It’s a step up from last year’s goal (26.2
miles over 7 days in under 6 hours) although a long way from the last Boston
Marathon I ran 4 years ago. No
complaints though, just could use a few more distractions during the upcoming
miles. Maybe I should take some lessons
from Tucker.
If you think
of it, send along some good vibes over the next few days. I’ll provide an update on the effort when I’m
done. Wish me luck!
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