what I need is all around me

yesterday's distance: 18 miles

the mid-week mileage: 10 miles

on the iPod" "jimi thing" -- the DMB

The Episcopal Church has a standing joke that if a parish does something twice, it's instantly considered a tradition. As i've been doing my own little ritual for three years now, I guess it officially qualifies. For me, it's a form of discipline; a way to shake loose some of the extra, unneeded things that capitalize our time. It's my way of cutting back, of making a sacrifice. It's becoming easier over the years, but the first time I did it, I can remember wondering exactly how long I would last before I gave in. I was disconnecting my cable television.

I'll be the first to admit that going without cable TV isn't necessarily a life-changing event, but it's big. It's not comparable to the choice Chris McCandless made, giving away everything he owned and simply walking into a more elementary, visceral form of existence, but it does change things. (If you haven't read Into The Wild, chronicling this amazing guy's story, log off right now and go pick up a copy.) Who doesn't watch cable TV, right? It's everywhere.

So, each year around late January, I call the cable company and have them shut it off. They, of course, always try to change my mind with offers and deals, but I stick to my guns. And, then, each year around late July, I call the cable company again and have them turn it back on. They accept me like prodigal son that I am. Just like that, within a matter of minutes, i'm back on the grid.

These dates aren't set by happenstance. It's not as if I randomly choose the months for which not to have cable TV. But rather I know my own limits, and I know there is one thing that I simply can not give up. It's impossible for me. I must have access to it, 24/7, broadcast in HD, from all angles, on multiple channels, with the ability to pause it, record it, and watch it over and over and over again. It's college football.

An SEC football Saturday on a cool, crisp fall weekend is arguably one of the finer things in life. I have so many outstanding memories of Arkansas Razorback football games with friends and family over the years and can't wait for the 2011 season to begin. Starting the morning with ESPN's College Gameday, hosted by Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, the pigskin flies, helmets crash, bands play, and spirits soar as sports fans all over the South revel in the tradition and emotion of their respective teams.

The games start at 11:00 a.m. and don't stop until late in the evening. On any given Saturday, between the various ESPNs and other cable channels, it's possible to watch upwards of 10 games. The highlight of most Saturdays is the CBS 2:30 matchup that is almost always against two SEC teams. It's the premier game of every weekend. Clearly. I've never, in my 37 years, seen a more crisp and detailed picture than watching that particular broadcast each week. They must use double-super secret alien technology or something to film it, because it looks amazing. It's sexy.

As much as I enjoy college football season, and as much as I enjoy watching the games in HD on my ginormous plasma television (thank you Brandon!), I will once again turn off the cable feed after the last of the BCS bowls have been played. It's a luxury that I enjoy, but nothing more than that. What I want is what I've not got, and what I need is all around me.

I need the incredibly fun and always changing job that i'm blessed to get to do each day. I need my close group of friends that never fail to put a smile on my face and an arm around my shoulder. I need my most beautiful family that loves me, without question, more than I can comprehend. I need the best dog a guy could ever ask for, as he so innocently grows older. I need the coolest community of believers that i've ever known. And, of course, I need running.

Our 18 miler this weekend was fantastic. As usual, we started well before the sun came up, in an effort to avoid the heat and humidity as much as possible. Mrs. Murie and I were both sweating and feeling the effects of the late-summer weather, however, within the second mile. I've run in tougher conditions, but the first nine miles of yesterday's run definitely ranked up there. After a quick visit with Cynthia at the turn-around, who had graciously agreed to meet us with gatorade and cold wash cloths, we were blessed with partly cloudy skies for the remainder of the run. My legs felt great as we surged forward, never looking back.

There are four weekends of long runs left before the tapering process begins, and then the 2011 Chicago Marathon. I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be, not only in terms of training but in life as a whole. It makes me so happy to think about the upcoming fall season; with the school year and training runs, but mostly the marathon. Almost everything seems to be perfect.

College football is what I want, but running is what I need. What about you? What do you need?

Run.