What are you reading this week?

Good morning and happy Wednesday. What are you reading this week?

Here's my new read. It's been on my shelf for a while and I don't know why. Marcus Luttrell is a hero and I hope everyone reads his story in LONE SURVIVOR then reads his latest, SERVICE: A NAVY SEAL AT WAR.

From the mountains of Afghanistan to urban sniper hides in Iraq, Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell has seen the worst of war at the sharp end of battle. In 2006, the "lone survivor" of Operation Redwing returned to combat as a member of SEAL Team 5 to help take on the most dangerous city in the world: Ramadi, the capital of war-torn Anbar Province. It was there that he took part in what has been called the greatest victory in the history of the U.S. Special Operations forces.

Luttrell's eye-opening narrative also offers powerful new details about his time in Afghanistan and his miraculous rescue. After returning from that star-crossed mission with shattered bones and a broken heart, he thought of the men who had given their lives to save him-and how he would have readily done the same for them. He wondered why he and others, from America's founding to today, had been willing to sacrifice everything-including themselves-for the sake of family, nation, and freedom.

Thanks to a running friend

As I was driving in to work today and making my mother laugh on the phone, a thought struck me. I owe my running obsession; I prefer the word passion, to my friend Tony.

Tony is a runner and has been for many years and an inspiration. If not for Tony encouraging me to sign up for a half marathon in Ireland last year (my favorite spot in the world), I would never have run my first half marathon. I ran my first half marathon last February just to get an idea of what it would be like before I traveled across the ocean to Dingle. I cursed Tony every day for six weeks after the race in February. That’s how long it took me to recuperate and before I could walk without wincing.

By the time I did the run in Ireland six months later, I wasn’t cursing Tony out, but was smiling the entire way and recuperated very quickly (three days). This time I had to thank Tony for getting me to sign up for the Dingle half marathon and proving to myself that I could do it.

Tony has encouraged me every step of the way. He offers advice from his own experience and listens when I tell him something new I’ve learned or when I share my latest running feat. I think he secretly laughs at me because I am like a kid in a candy store, eating up every race I can find and getting so excited when I set a new PR (personal record).

Tony still gets me to sign up for more. He helped push me into signing up for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Don’t you love friends like this?

Honestly, he’s the best and I want to thank Tony for his words of encouragement and his support as my passion for running keeps growing. Thanks for helping me achieve that runner’s high.

It isn’t the speed of a runner that counts, it’s the heart

When it comes to running in a race most runners are there to compete against themselves, not against the other runners. Sure, some are there to win, but the majority are there to beat their best time.

But when it comes to another runner being injured, other runners forget themselves and put their heart into caring. I witnessed this firsthand yesterday morning.

We were about three miles into the race when I noticed three runners on the side. Two of them were helping another runner who wasn’t feeling great. When I saw her tilt and step back as if in a faint, I ran over. The two other runners grabbed her arms and got her to sit down and I handed her my Gatorade. Between us, we got her hydrated and breathing slower. Another runner ran ahead to get medical personnel. Thank goodness that every race has emergency folks on hand for just such occurrences.

The heart of a runner isn’t just about keeping the body going when the legs want to give out. It’s about foregoing your best time because a fellow runner is in trouble and needs you.

This is one reason why I love running!