Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Ultrarunning and Life’s Lessons

Growing up is a marathon not a sprint – Protecting sensitive areas of your body.

The advice in this one is a bit, um, personal. Or maybe private is a better word.

In daddy’s long list of lessons learned while doing ultra-marathons and triathlons is this bit of advice –

Lesson: “Tape your nipples with bandaids on long runs.”

Even guys have to think about that sort of thing.

Sensitive areas are, well, um, sensitive.

When you do something repetitively for a very long time, it’s the tender areas that are going to feel it first, feel it the most.

It’s best to protect them beforehand.

This would make sense in the game of life, too.

Perhaps we ought to take a look at what parts of our lives are the most sensitive. Where in my life can I get hurt, or those around me get hurt the easiest? Who in my circle gets hurt more easily than others?

I should take steps ahead of time to protect them for the discomfort, even pain before it comes. Perhaps I can even protect them altogether from that pain.

I want/need to learn early on who and what can be most easily hurt by the ongoings of daily life.

And I need/want to take steps to protect them.

This is a good way for me to show the people around me that I love them and it’s a good way to take care of my own life.

Where’s the bandaids?

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.