Scooter's Healthy and Active Living Weblog

Grete Waitz and my son and me.

2011-04-23T20:21:00.000-04:00

A Confession

2011-01-21T05:23:00.002-05:00

I have gotten sloppy. I am back in school, but will be finishing that this semester. I want to be thinner and am willing to work at it. I also really dislike the cold and the big dose of snow and ice we've been getting. That makes it hard for me to get outside.
I want to go on the record that I am committing myself to losing 20 pounds by the end of summer. I am just shy of 190, and I want to be under 170, not because that's my goal. It isn't, rather I want to get there so that some other fitness activities don't stress my body as much. I'm also committing myself to be doing three good, substantial workouts weekly on the roads by the end of March.

On Hot Chocolate and Dying

2010-12-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

I've become a fan of McDonald's McCafe Hot Chocolate, so I stopped by my local McD's this AM. I sat down to drink and read, and there was a group of about 6 older men (70ish) who were talking rather loudly. The result was that I read little and laughed a lot.
One guy said that he wasn't planning a viewing when he died, but if he had one, he'd like one of his buddies to slip his cell phone into the casket, go outside and call him during the event.
They were also talking about sales going on now, and one of them mentioned that Joseph A. Bank is appartently offering 70% off, so if any of his buddies needed a suit to be buried in, now might be a good time.
It sounds a bit dark, but these guys were having fun, and it brightened up my morning a bit. I, when I go, would kind of like a New Orleans style jazz procession from the service to my interment.

On Meb and Baldini

2010-11-23T07:16:00.002-05:00

I just read the part of Meb Keflezighi's new book Run to Overcome where the 2004 Olympic Marathon was described. I've got to say that this race was a favorite of mine. I watched it on the back deck of my house with my son, then six cruising in and out.

Near mile 22, Meb and Italy's Stefano Baldini were running together, trying to chase down Brazil's Vanderlei de Lima after having dropped Kenya's Paul Tergat. Meb turns to Baldini and says "Endiamo primo e segundo" (Let's get first and second). As described in the book (p. 129), "His eyes bugged out. He looked absolutely shocked, like he was thinking, Is this black dude in a USA uniform actually speaking Italian to me?"

Shortly thereafter, de Lima was pushed from the course by a deranged spectator. The spectator was pulled away from him by other fans, but de Lima was doubtless slowed and rattled a bit by the incident. He was quickly caught by Baldini and then by Keflezighi.

As the race neared its conclusion, my son was chanting, "Go Meb, Go!" As well as the race turned out, I think my favorite part was when de Lima ran onto the track and "did the airplane" running with his arms outstretched and running a swerving pattern on the track having beaten the odd circumstances that had delayed his arrival. His face reflected pure joy, and I consider it one of the most special moments in sports.

The book, which is an easy read (it was co-written by sportswriter Dick Patrick) provides lots of insights into Meb's success. While I haven't yet finished it, it's clear to me that this book will be a well-loved addition to a runner's library. It will likely be especially valuable to young runners as it contains lots of important distance running lessons presented without being preachy.

Out of the Money

2010-10-04T07:10:00.003-04:00

For the first time in several years, the Boston Red Sox did not qualify for the post-season. They finished the regular season with a record of 89-73 with a winning record of 0.549. That record represented the fifth best in the league, but third in the AL East. Both teams that finished ahead of the Sox made the playoffs.

I had initially planned to write this because I expected the Sox to have finished out of the money, but with a better record than at least one of the teams that made the playoffs, but a slump about 2 weeks back dropped the Sox record a bit.

Still, especially given the injuries they had to deal with, they have nothing to feel badly about with the season's results. A look at each division shows the AL East to have a 0.532 record, while the Central has a 0.493 record, and the West has a 0.481 record. Clearly, the Sox play in the league's best division, and this affects their record. Would they have won either of the other divisions if they played there? Probably, but they don't.

Congratulations to the Rays, Twins, Rangers and Yankees for making the playoffs. I guess I have to root for the Rays, as I can't root for the Yankees, ever! Given their records, I have to believe that an AL East team will be in the World Series, but I'm not sure which one. Time will tell.

Quizzed

2010-09-24T10:39:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I stopped by the office of the paper for which I write. In the course of discussion, the fact that I'm in school chasing a math degree. The publisher, who's a trained engineer, decided to give me the quickie quiz of my mathematical knowledge. He asked, "What's the integral of 1/x?" I pondered for about a second, just to be sure I didn't blurt something stupid, then replied, "Natural log, isn't it?" I was then told that many eople who claim to know math do not know this (or at least can't answer it on the spur of the moment). It's a foundation in Calculus II, so there is really no excuse (except forgetfulness) for math people not knowing this. It's really a good simple test - if you can't answer, you really have no business claiming to be a math head (mathlete?).

A Few Car Images

2010-09-14T12:50:00.002-04:00

A trio of lifted car images:

The Citroen 2CV

A Triumph TR-8

A Triumph TR-6

Just to Yank a Chain

2010-07-23T13:43:00.000-04:00

National Distance Running Hall of Fame Induction

2010-07-12T23:05:00.002-04:00

check out this picture:

From Left: Dick Beardsley, Nina Kuscik, Miki Gorman, Kathrine Switzer, Bill Rodgers, and Larry Rawson

Crossing Paths

2010-07-08T20:16:00.002-04:00

Last week, I went to a park in town and there was a guy riding a big wheel unicycle - the wheel was about 3 feet in diameter. last night, on my way to class, I passed an International tractor. A very rare sight on NJ's suburban roads. Both of these things made me smile, big toothy grins. I like crossing paths with the odd and weird.

Takedown!

2010-06-20T23:03:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I took a fall at a local park. I was running on a trail that parallels a road. I tripped on a mostly buried rock. It took me down hard. I opened up my right elbow and right knee. After making the "nuggh" sound as i hit the ground, I rolled off my back, got up and got back to running while I tried to evaluate my condition. I took looks at the places that hurt, and saw some blood on both places. They pained me into the night, and my knee felt stiff yesterday, but all was fine today - I should be healed in about 10 days. Still, it was a bit frightening.

A New Heart

2010-04-22T23:13:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine is getting a new heart tonight. This has me thinking a bit about mortality. Not in a bad kind of way, just that he is, if all goes well, getting a new lease on life. However, his gain is somebody else's loss. His heart had to come out of someone, and they can't have been too sick - if I understand right, most hearts come from young, healthy people who died suddenly in some tragic way. That person likely has parent, a spouse or significant other, and maybe children. They all suffer a great loss, but others gain by their loss. My driver's license is marked as organ donor. Is yours?

UPDATE: I jumped on Facebook this AM and found out there was an issue with the heart and he's slated to go hame today with his old, beat-up heart. I'm sure the decision was right, but it's an emotional roller coaster.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

2010-03-22T06:57:00.004-04:00

The title is a reference to the theme song of the old Rawhide TV series. The reason for the post was a chance meeting yesterday with a guy who had no legs. I was in a store, and I see this guy in a wheelchair checking out as I went through a nearby line. As I went out, he had headed our before me. I gave him a hand holding his cart while he unladed groceries from it. He was fairly young, I guessing 30ish. We talked a bit about wheelchairs, and he had one of the hand-cranked jobs, I think they call handbikes in the back of his van. He told me he's been called a wimp on occasion by some of the push-rim guys. He also told me that he hopes to compete in the NYC Marathon. Before we parted, I asked if he minded telling me what had happened. He told me he'd lost his legs in the crash of the Staten Island Ferry. I'm always impressed by some of these guys who when life deals them a lousy hand just keep moving forward and do what they can with a good attitude.

On Olympic Medals

2010-02-20T10:00:00.005-05:00

My friend, Vince Hemingson, made a post in his blog about choosing not to see Olympic medals at the Canadian Mint. I've seen the Vancouver medals, and they look to be about the size of CD's or DVD's.
I've had the pleasure of carrying a very old Olympic medal around the world. (I also turned down a chance to meet the Queen of England, but that's a whole other story.) One of the places where I took this medal was to the Expo at the London Marathon in 2008. It was displayed there, along with Dorando's Cup, and one of the events was an Italian press conference. At this press conference, which was organized by the Enzo Ferrari Memorial Marathon was Stefano Baldini, the 2004 Olympic Marathon Champion.
I found myself standing close to Baldini, and he commented, "Mine is much bigger." (Now, aside from all the potential nudge, nudge, wink, wink implications of such a statement, it's true.) The medal I was holding was about the size of a U.S. half-dollar. Olympic medals have grown significantly over time, from the very small size of the early era, to these oversize medals of today.
Those of you who might want to run a marathon in Europe may want to consider the Ferrari Marathon. One of the related things you can do tied to it is to visit the Ferrari Museum, which is located in the start city of Maranello. The finish is in Carpi, where marathon legend Dorando Pietri spent his running life. See more about the Ferrari Marathon here.

Olympiad

2010-02-13T20:47:00.003-05:00

Last night, as the Olympic Games began, I was at my running club's annual banquet. I did not see the torch getting lit (and what I now understand was its malfunction). The Georgian luger who was killed came up briefly in conversation.
After I walked in with my camera, I got tagged with the official photographer designation. One of my personal highlights is the annual hall of fame induction. Because my club is now 75 years old (unless it's 76 or 77, there's some debate), it was also a special year. Likely the biggest name inducted was high jumper Milton Goode, a 1984 Olympian, and the other big name was Curt Clausen, a racewalker who competed in 3 Olympics (1996, 2000, and 2004) and captured a bronze at the world's in the 50km in 1999. Another inductee was a man who'd run the first New York City Marathon (and is still out there banging it out 40 years later!).
I shot a couple of hundred photos, and will post them on the club's blog.

Awaitng The Snow

2010-02-09T16:47:00.002-05:00

The weatherman is saying that we are going to see over a foot of snow tomorrow. I have mixed feelings about this. I still haven't found my x-c ski boots, so don't think I can go out tomorrow. I'm sure my son will be glad to get a day off, and based on the predicted conditions, I think his snow day is pretty much a sure thing.

Millrose Games

2010-01-30T09:22:00.007-05:00

I spent last night at Millrose. My favorite race was the college 4x800. The reason was somewhat personal - don't get me wrong, the race was great, but it was only one of several excellent races. In this race, it took a little while to sort out, but around the midpoint, it looked like it was going to be a two-team race, University of Virginia and New York AC (yes, the organizers played a bit "fast and loose" with qualifications, but I think it proved justified). As the anchors took the batons, it had tightened up, with four teams within about 10 yards of each other. Then, the runner from UVa exploded - he just ran away from the field. The announcer commented that this runner was Robby Andrews, winner of last year's high school mile. Robby just blew away the field. It was really impressive, and it's clear that Robbie is going to be a star (it might be argued that he already is), at least if he stays healthy.
The man sitting in front of me was cheering frantically for Bergen Catholic in the Suburban 4 x 400 (I think) and in one of the turns, Bergen's runner went down and disappeared. He'd gotten tangled up or jostled, and went down, that's a part of the close quarters that indoor racing entails. It's sad when that happens, but sometimes it does.
Oh, and Bernard Lagat won his record-setting eighth Wanamaker Mile, surpassing the record he held jointly with Eamonn Coghlan. Lagat ran away from the field in the "premier" event of the meet. It was unquestionably the glamour event, but the women's mile was probably even more stacked with talent (Sara Hall, Sally Kipyego, Hannah England (who won), etc.), and the was lots of superb racing coming from unknowns and lesser knowns.
Aonther fine race came from the high school girls, with Emily Lipari of Roslyn, NY dueling Cory McGee of Pass Christian, MS. Before the race, I'd told my son to watch Lipari and McGee. I didn't realize that McGee had taken second each of the last 3 years, but she looked bigger and stronger than most in the field (my actual term was "looks like a horse" - and that wasn't an insult), and when it was announced that she'd been brought up from MS, it was clear she wasn't "field filler." The two of them set the race, but Lipari, who I believe is stronger as races get longer, faded late.
A good, intelligent recap of the meet can be found here. Another good recap is here.

A Fun Conversation

2010-01-27T22:49:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, I got called to substitute teach. While having lunch in the teacher's lounge, a librarian struck up some conversation with me. I mentioned that I'm a bit of an authority on 1908 Olympic Gold Medalist Johnny Hayes. I mentioned my favorite "librarian fact," that Melvil Dewey, the Dewey Decimal System guy, was a big proponent of the simplified spelling movement of that era. So, while Dewey was born as Melville Dewey, he wanted to be Melvil Dui, but because the government felt surname changes would cause problems with public records, he died as melvil Dewey. Theodore Roosevelt was also a proponent of simplified spelling.
She left interested in this unusual characteristic of the American most associated with library science. BTW - I asked her about the difference between Dewey Decimal and the Library of Congress cataloging system.

Mention of how he liked to spell his name here. And here. There's a pretty extensive history of spelling reform here.

Finally!

2010-01-20T09:47:00.003-05:00

Hey, I've got no real excuses. Today, I FINALLY got out for some aerobic exercise. It was a calm, cool morning, right around freezing when I started my hour-long walk. I covered just about 4 miles. Not a great deal, but if I'm consistent, my aerobic capacity should rise fairly quickly. The grass was all frosted when I started, but the sun had melted most of it off by ending time.

I have still not purchased a scale, but did but a calendar to serve as my training diary. I am also trying to do calesthenics to build some added muscular strength (and add to my daily calorie burn).

Actual running will begin soon.

Best Shape of My Life

2010-01-09T11:45:00.002-05:00

My last post drew two responses, the first said, in essence, choose to get into the best shape of your life this year, and the second agreed with the concept. My response is "Impossible!" Why? As recently as the spring of 2005, I was running roughly 50 miles per week, and getting a 50 year-old body to that level from a state of poor conditioning takes much longer than a year, even if issues like the need to earn income, care for my son several days a week, and continue my education were not factors.
So, I still stand by my original premise of "getting into reasonable shape" this year. Now, it's time for a few mea culpas. I did not yet get the training log. I did not begin a formal training plan this week. While I have done a few basic and very limited exercises, they lacked the structure and volume to cause soreness, a sign that muscles were overloaded. So, forgive me dear readers, I have sinned by failing to make progress on my resolution during week 1 of 2010. I promise that week 2 will be better.
Still, how will I quantify my progress? I will establish a single goal, to be able to run 5 kilometers at will by the beginning of summer. I will also draw the beginning of summer to be the traditional start of the summer season here in NJ, Memorial Day. If any readers are outside the USA, that's the last Monday in May. As a secondary goal, I want to lose weight, but am currently unable to quantify that, as I don't own, nor have access to a scale. I will purchase on in the next couple of weeks.

Given $&:+

2010-01-01T19:11:00.002-05:00

Shortly after noon today, I headed over to the race in town...I'd forgotten that it was going on. That wasn't the crime, though. One runner I know got on me hard about my lack of conditioning. I need to get a fitness log going and work to keep there from being many empty days. I will get into reasonable shape this year.

Long Time - No Write

2009-11-12T19:53:00.002-05:00

This Fall has been pretty hectic. Im taking a course that I legimately find difficult - differential equations, and I had to move. The result is that things have been pretty crazed. I've had a lot of things I wanted to write about, but many have passed into history.

Here are a few things that have happened: 1) I spent a day assisting another author with a book - this relates to Johnny Hayes, the 1908 Olympic Marathon winner, on whom I've become something of an authority. 2) I gave a talk ont the 1908 Marathon and how it wound up establishing the standard distance of the marathon. 3) I've been asked to sit, as a student representative, on the math department's grade review committee. From what I understand, this does not demand too much time, but is a sign of the respect the professors hold me in, so I'm pleased to be able to do this. 4) If all goes well, I will meet the requirements for my teaching certificate by May, and will be employed as a teacher by September.

That's the quick version of things.

The Nines

2009-09-09T09:12:00.001-04:00

I just got on Google and saw they'd written 09/09/09 09:09:09 on their page. I glanced at the clock - 9:10...well, at least the world didn't end!

What a Blockhead!

2009-09-05T16:05:00.002-04:00

"How do you find running in those shoes?," asked the runner who was passing me.
"Not too bad, but I really feel the big stones," said I.
"Be careful in them, I got a neuroma from running too far here in a bad pair of shoes," he replied.

So began a conversation about my unusual footwear this morning. I was running in boat shoes because I'd driven off thinking my shoes were in the car. It was the second time I'd made that mistake in 2 weeks. What a blockhead!

Last time, I'd headed to the last race of the summer series without them. I racewalked 2 miles in bare feet then. I gathered six blisters, and didn't work out for five days afterwards. What a blockhead!

Got a story of your blockheadedness? Please share, otherwise I'll think you're all perfect!

Fitness Plan - Revised

2009-08-07T22:29:00.003-04:00

I've been struggling to get motivated to get myself back into running shape. It's been hard. I've decided that I will aim for daily activity - to me that means 5 days each week. After picking up my bike on Wednesday, I took it out for a short twenty minute ride on Thursday evening. Today, my son and I went for a walk of about an hour. We're going to run with an area club tomorrow morning. That will be three days in a row.
My hope is to integrate more activity into my day, and to keep it varied. The plan is to gradually build my aerobic condition while I strengthen by legs. Once I am comfortable running, I'll try to do that 3 or 4 days a week, with other activity on the other days.
I hope this will also help motivate me to drop some additional weight - I'm at about 185 lbs., I'd like to get down to about 165 by year end.

Blowout!

2009-07-30T13:00:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday, my son and I went out for a bike ride. The results were not pretty. Perhaps inspired by the Tour de France, I'd decided that we should ride a "tough alpine stage." Near my home there is a large park which covers much of a local ridge. It was that ridge which we were going to tackle.
We started our ride, and i gave him some instruction on shifting gears while we were down on level ground near home. We then rode up to this park. there is about 250 feet of elevation rise which is delivered in about a half mile of riding, so by quick math, that's about 250 feet of rise spread over about a 2500 feet run, or about a 10% grade. The early part of this is steeper, and it was here that the real adventure began.
We were climbing up, and i found myself breathing quite hard. The weather was warm, and I felt that stopping was appropriate. I should know better than to stop activity abruptly, and shortly after stopping, I was feeling a bit light-headed. I sat and had M give me my water bottle. I sprayed myself and took a drink, trying to cool off. My breathing was coming under control, but I was still feeling off. Deciding that judgement was the better part of valor, I swallowed my pride and called my wife to come pick us up. She was unsure if she could fit both bikes in the car.
A few moments later, a guy in a pickup stopped and asked if we were OK. I responded, not really, but help was on the way, and sent him away. A few moments later, another cyclist passed, barreling down the hill. He stopped, turned, checked in on us, and departed when we told him we were OK. My wife arrived a couple of minutes later, and I loaded M's bicycle into the back. I was, by then, feeling well enough to ride home.
I began the downhill ride by shifting to a higher gear. It was then that I suffered the blowout. Unlike the more common versions where a tire fails, I had a catastophic failure of a shift cable. I had never learned to reliably install indexed shift cables, so I had to take my "antique" mountain bike into the shop.

Good-Bye, Teacher Man

2009-07-20T05:16:00.004-04:00

I heard on the news this morning that Frank McCourt has passed away. Mr. McCourt spent most of his career as a teacher in the New York City school system. He achieved fame through his three books; Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man. While I cared little for his middle book, 'Tis, his other two were gems, and I'd urge you to seek them out. Mr. McCourt died of cancer at age 78.

An Image

2009-07-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

Tour de France

2009-07-17T10:00:00.004-04:00

Today marks the first really serious climbing stage in the Tour de France. It was announced at the start that Levi Leipheimer had broken his wrist in a crash near the end of yesterday's stage. He'll need surgery and has left the race. This means that a key lieutenant of Lance Armstrong's is gone. His Astana team still is likely the strongest in the race, but by a less wide margin. The interesting thing will be watching the intra-team battle between 2007 champion Alberto Contador and Armstrong. Conditions today are lousy - heavy rain, so serious crashes during descents are a real possibility. As I'm writing this, the racers are descending from the first big climb. Both Armstrong and Contador climbed well, and it's not clear if one is stronger than the other. Time will tell.

I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes

2009-07-15T09:14:00.002-04:00

Actually, I really have nothing against them, but I had a pair of experiences recently that were a bit unsettling. The first was a pain in my butt shortly after I got dressed one morning. As I got undressed that night, I noticed an odd looking spot on my underwear. On examination, I realized that it was a spider nest. I dry my clothes on a line in the attic, and apparently this is one possible drawback.
The snake part of this comes from a run with my son. We'd gone to a local park where there are many hills and a lake. We ran down the hill to the lake and were running around the lake. My son went ahead to look for the path back, and suddenly he yelled, "Snake." It appeared to be a fairly large water snake - dark green, about 2 feet long and 2 inches across. It was kind of nice to see, but snakes have that "chill down your spine" effect when you first notice them.

Are You Spanish?

2009-05-09T17:59:00.003-04:00

I was substituting yesterday, and was assigned to cover a music class. There were two hispanic girls in there, and I asked one of them if she'd signed the attendance list. The other chimed in, "She doesn't speak English." So, I addressed to her, "Su nombre en la papel?" She replied, "Si." The other then asked me if I was Spanish. I told her no. I consider that I was even asked to be quite a compliment, since I regard my Spanish as lousy. As I've told people, I am functional, but far from fluent.

A Busy Weekend

2009-04-28T09:04:00.002-04:00

This weekend, I was with my son most of the time. He had a lacrosse game at 2PM on Saturday, and we went to an antique fire truck muster before going over. There was equipment going back to 1840, and as recent as the 1980's, though with the real trucks, the 19-teen's was the oldest. There weren't that many, but many were quite nice. My son got involved in looking at a current heavy rescue truck. I'd seen this truck before, when I covered a wall collapse in a neighboring town about 2 years ago.
I'd given blood that morning, and the weather was hot. I wound up pretty tired.
On Sunday morning, I ran, then got cleaned up, and took my son from Sunday School to a track meet. We had about a dozen kids compete. (I coach a youth team.)There were few shining stars, but lots of solid efforts. A couple of times, I felt a bit light-headed, but otherwise seemed OK. When I weighed at the end of the day, I'd lost about 4.5 lbs., probably mostly water, but dropping that much weight that fast seems wrong. I did wind up as the big loser in the weight loss contest for the two-week period.

Quilt Show

2009-03-26T11:06:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, I took my sister into New York for a quilt show. A quilt made by a friend was being displayed there. I also took some pictures of other quilts I liked, and I've posted a few shots here.

My sister with the quilt dedicated to her.
My son with the "Monster Quilt"

This small quilt was made of hexagonal "squares", the thing that most impressed me about it was the detail, the photo does not do it justice, but in each hex segment, there were several little faceted beads which caught the light (this is the photo's weakness), along with being multi-layered (folded?).
This quilt was just enchanting, combining a trio of island/African dressed women playing basketball, I really liked this one.
Colors of this quilt, made up of a "fish-eye" view of a skyline and a view of the Brooklyn Bridge, were just spectacular.
A docent shows off the level of work put in piecing this quilt on BOTH sides.

A Lesson From Biking

2009-03-19T08:48:00.003-04:00

Natasha Richardson's tragic death reminded me of something I was told when I was doing a lot of biking about 20 years ago. I was told that, unhelmeted, you can die from falling off a bike that's standing still. Ms. Richardson's death, happening on a bunny slpe, falling onto slushy snow show that great impact isn't necessary. I can only hope that her death gets a few more people to wear helmets both on the ski slope and on bikes. Here in NJ, our legislature enacted a law mandating helmet use by everyone under 17 on roads and public areas when biking, roller blading, and skateboarding. Unfortunately, it's widely ignored, even by the cops. I believe that failure to enforce laws breeds disrespect for the law, so the failure to enforce this law has a corrosive effect on society.

Recap of the Last Week

2009-02-28T16:24:00.003-05:00

Last Friday evening, I went out to get some dinner. As I walked into the local pizza place where I often get a meal, I saw that my regular waitress wasn't there and that the tables in the dining room were set up as one very long table. At first, I was unsure of what was going on, but one of the guys said it was OK for me to eat in the dining room. Over the next few minutes, the room got more crowded, then eventually filled up pretty completely. It turned out that the high school swim team was having dinner together after a meet, along with many of their parents. It made for an interesting meal. Twice, I was offered some wine or beer by parents of the group. I declined, as I was going to be driving. Also, one parent saw what I was eating, a plate of linguini putanesca, and commented, "You must really like olives." I don't know if he didn't pick out the anchovies and the capers, two of the other big flavor adders, but I just said that I did. One of these times, especially if I have my son with me, I have to order aglio olio (I hope I spelled that right). We were talking about different sauces a few weeks back, and since he likes butter on spaghetti, it's something of a connection.
I did get a job application in to another school district to substitute, but need to get a couple more submitted. I was asked to get up there early next week to complete paperwork. So, things look good on that front.
Last night, I worked a birthday party, and one girl froze on the wall and wanted to come down. I brought her down and talked to her about how scary I found it the first couple of times I was up on the wall. She seemed to listen and take it in. The thing that made my night was seeing her on the wall later in the party. I guess the talk helped.

Less Driving

2009-02-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

I'm finding that the economic downturn has impacted the amount that I am able to drive for the limo service. Since I have a substitute teacher's certificate, I am going to visit a couple of local school districts and try to get added to their substitute lists. Meantime, I had put on a half pound over the last two weeks. I need to get out more, and get in more - to the gym.

Of Michael Phelps and A-Rod

2009-02-10T10:13:00.003-05:00

A photo of Michael Phelps taking a bong hit was published recently. The leaking of a supposedly secret test result revealed that Alex Rodriguez had used performance enhancing drugs (PED's) in 2003.
Upon publication of the photo, Phelps immediately acknowledged his improper behavior. A-Rod acknowledged his used of the PED's after the test results were leaked. Rodriguez had stated in prior interviews that he'd never used PED's. While there are some similarities, there are some very profound differences.
Marijuana is a banned drug, and may be classed as performance enhancing because it can reduce pain, but its performance enhancing effects, if any, are only in the immediate aftermath of its ingestion.
Steroids are used to build muscle, and have long-term effects on performance due to the added muscle, ability to absorb more training, etc. Simply put, the only reason to take steroids is to increase performance.
Significantly, Phelps might have denied that it was him in the photo. (I don't know if there was anything uniquely recognizable about him in the photo.) He chose instead to acknowledge his misbehavior, and suffer the consequences. I believe he had two endorsement contracts pulled as a result.
A-Rod had lied in the past about his use of steroids. It seems he only came clean when it was clear that the evidence was solid and was out in public. It's not as if A-Rod didn't know about the inherent impropriety of steroid use, even if they were not specifically prohibited by Major League Baseball. He chose to use a drug that had no use aside from enhancing performance, and then chose to lie about it.
As I see it, both made bad choices, but Phelps chose to be a stand-up guy and acknowledge his error immediately, and his bad choice was not made in the interest in giving him a performance edge. A-Rod deceived the public by using drugs specifically to improve his performance and he compounded his crime by lying about it. While neither man's behavior is laudable, Phelps immediately tried to do the right thing, while A-Rod persisted in doing wrong. The really unfortunate thing is that Phelps likely has to face proportionately greater consequences than A-Rod.
(in the interest of full disclosure, I should reveal that I am and have always been a Red Sox fan, though I have great respect for the New York Yankees as a team. Similarly, as a long-time runner, I have great love for the Olympic Games, especially in the traditional summer sports. Still, I think these facts had virtually no impact on this essay.)

Scared $&!+less!

2009-02-03T16:15:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, I found myself having to rehang a climbing rope on the rock wall at my YMCA. In order to do that, I needed to get out a man lift, crank myself up twice (OK, I had help the second time), to a height of about 25 feet. That put my head at 30+ feet up. Then I needed to pass a piece of parachute cord through first a pulley, then an eye.
Having an acrophobe do this may not be the best thing. I'd done this about 8 weeks ago, and got through it OK, but this time, I was really struggling with the height issue. I don't know if it was little tics as the beam on the man-lift rose, its springiness, or what, but on Sunday, it was frightening.
I got the job done, but had to look my fear square in the eyes.

Sore Tomorrow!

2009-01-28T18:36:00.002-05:00

I spent over an hour moving heavy, wet snow today. I AM going to be sore tomorrow. That was my only workout for today, but I think it was enough.
In the morning, I had to go over to my neighbor's house. She's an older lady (80), who isn't really comfortable with technology. Her phone wasn't working, or so she said. In fact, the problem was she'd managed to turn off the ringer, perhaps as she was trying to fix an underlying problem - it seems like when her phone or power line gets spiked, she needs to pull the power plug to reset it.

Dinner and a Show

2009-01-27T06:44:00.002-05:00

On Saturday evening, I went to a chain Mexican restaurant (no, not the one whose initials ar TB) and saw a slightly familiar face there. It was a guy in a running shirt. As it turned out, it was a guy whose name I knew, and we'd likely been introduced several years back, but neither of us remembered the other. We chatted for several minutes while his wife patiently sat by. After this, I ate my dinner and during this, enjoyed a show.
This restaurant has a menu item, the Enchilada Dos Manos (two-handed enchilada), and if you finish it, you get a $5 gift certificate. Three young guys came in. Two ordered the Dos Manos, and began eating. During the time, they were laughing and joking around. Their friend was using a cell phone camera to take pictures. I should say that both of these guys were 20ish, apparently in good shape, and pretty big, probably about 200 lbs each, maybe a bit over. The eventual result was both did manage to finish and get the gift certificates.
While I can't either condone or encourage this kind of overeating, it was fun to watch them going at it.

Back to School, Well Sort Of

2009-01-22T10:28:00.002-05:00

My classes this semester are on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm taking two math courses, one is the fourth and final calculus class, the other a statistics class. The calculus class was at 9:30 this morning, and when I got there, the prof had not yet arrived. We waited about 15 minutes, then there was some griping, and a couple of students left. After a few more minutes, we all got up to leave, and as I got to the hall, two students came back, having checked with the department office. The office had called the professor, reached him? (not sure, but think he's male) and found out that he thought winter break ended next week. Pretty lame!

Rock Wall, Quick!

2009-01-21T21:17:00.003-05:00

On Monday morning, I got a phone call, can you come in at eleven and work the rock wall for 2 hours. It was for a girl's group activity, scheduled long before, but accidentally left unstaffed. The girls ranged in age from about six or seven up to high school. Things went well until one girl panicked. She started crying and froze on the wall. It's not really a big deal, but she was being belayed by a fairly inexperienced belayer. I told the belayer to crouch down, but rather than just crouching, with the effect of lifting the girl slightly, unloading her arms and letting her know she was being held by the rope, she played out rope as she sank down, yielding no effect.
Since my climber was down, I was able to walk over and grab the girl by the hips, tell her that I had her and she she was OK, she then let go of the wall and was lowered down. Truly no big deal, but a harder experience than necessary because it was not brought to an end as quickly as possible. It bothers me when problems aren't handled effectively.

Stanley Steamer Photo

2009-01-15T07:05:00.002-05:00

An image of a 1920 Stanley Steamer lifted from the gallery portion of the www.stanleysteamers.com website.

My Current Weight Loss Strategy

2009-01-15T04:54:00.003-05:00

One day this past fall, I was climbing my stairs and felt like my legs were straining. It was this moment that is responsible for the strategy driving my effort to lose weight. I realized that I'd gotten very out of shape. So, I decided to build up my muscles, and to lose some weight.
My plan is two-pronged, and is based on the fact that muscle needs more energy to stay vital that fat. I've begun a weight lifting program and simultaneously started an aerobic exercise program. So, prong one is adding muscle mass to increase my basal metabolism. Prong two is aerobic exercise to burn calories. Paired together, I expect this plan will yield good results, but only time will tell.
I will say this, back in the 1980's, I first got into lifting weights. At that time, I was also doing a fair volume of exercise. Most winters, my weight would grow to about 160 lbs., up from a summer weight of about 140 lbs. The seasonal deviation was a byproduct of less winter activity paired with greater emphasis on lifting. Over a period of about 3 years, my weights for both winter and summer grew by about 5 lbs. as I added muscle. During this period, my ability to gain and lose weight seemed easier than at any other time in my life.
My goal is to get back to a weight of about 160 lbs., which I consider to be my "running weight." I expect this effort to lose about 27 more lbs. will take about a year.

Blistered!

2009-01-13T16:56:00.002-05:00

I got to the gym today and thought I'd forgotten my socks. I looked into my gym bag and didn't see them as I double checked, so I walked my 45 minutes without them. As I neared the end of my first half-hour, I could tell that my foot was blistering. I thought I was the top of the base of the second toe of my right foot. It as actually the middle of that toe, and by the time I was done, it had popped. I also had a hot spot on top of my left big toe.
Meanwhile, in the shower I noticed some irritation on my er, equipment. Without my glasses, I couldn't really inspect it then, but when I returned to my locker, I took a look. Remarkably, it too had apparently blistered, but due to the feet, I hadn't realized.
Finally, the kicker, after my workout, I went back into the gym bag and saw there a pair of workout socks.

186.5!

2009-01-12T10:44:00.003-05:00

I was right that my efforts at the gym and watching my diet were about to pay off. I weighed this morning and my weight was 186.5 lbs, down 2.5 in the last week. I'm pretty sure it's real weight loss, not water weight or any such thing. I just have to be careful not to hurt my shoulder, this patting myself on the back is tough on the shoulder.
Of course, I have no friends on www.running.about.com's forums competing against me, so this is for myself only - if any of you check the about site, see the forums section, and look for the Stan vs. Mike and the new (I hope I have this right) Lorrie vs. Wendy threads.

No Reruns!

2009-01-12T04:23:00.002-05:00

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/us/politics/12obama.html?hp

I'm pleased to see our President-Elect taking a good look at history to try to manage our current economic crisis. After the anti-intellectual bias that I felt "Shrub" Bush displayed during his two terms, it's good to see his successor looking to learn the lessons history has to share. Now, of course, the conditions are not the same, but still, there are many similarities.

Four In A Row

2009-01-11T21:47:00.003-05:00

I was at the gym again on Sunday, and it was my fourth day there in a row. My back, though not a hundred per cent, is much better than it was. On the treadmill next to me was a 60ish woman who was using a program on the treadmill. The problem was she was in over her head. When it would speed up, she wind up running with her ass stuck out, hands clamped to the rail, keeping on the machine only by virtue of her arm strength. Of course, I was no prize myself. I had CNN on the TV in front of me, and there was a high speed chase in Kansas City being shown. I steeped off the left side of the belt, suddenly going off balance, getting out of alignment, etc. I'm sure it would have been a funny scene if I'd fallen off.
Anyway, I'm trying hard to diet. I'm burning about 400 calories each time I'm there. Since I started this the last week of last year, I think I should be coming into the muscles have grown, but no weight has yet been lost phase. It's the point at which so many dieters get discouraged and quit, but not me. I've been through this before, and I know. Now's the time when the hardest work has been done, it time to see the reward come. I'm waiting for that pound or two a week to kick in. I should have weighed yesterday morning, but forgot, hopefully this AM.

3x

2009-01-09T21:17:00.004-05:00

I got to the gym thrice this week. I was struggling a bit with a spasm in my back. I think handling some heavy luggage last weekend irritated it. I seems to be getting better, but I still get a twinge now and then. I lifted only twice, Monday and Friday. On Thursday and Friday, I did 45 minutes of walking, burning about 300 calories each time.

Back To The Gym

2009-01-05T14:47:00.003-05:00

I've got to confess that i only made the gym once last week. I hope to get to at least 3 this week. I did
leg presses today, at 210#, 2 x 10;
leg curls @ 80#, 2 x 10;
Chest press @ 120, 2 x 10;
rows @ 120, 2 x 10;
pull-ups @ 120 (190 - 70 lb assist), 6
Walking - 20 min at 4+, 2.1 mi

I'm pretty fatigued now. I need to get into another math course for spring. Gym was crowded, though not awful today - think the New Year's crowd is mostly daytime workers.

When In Rome

2008-12-26T11:35:00.003-05:00

My block, well, actually two blocks, holds a progressive dinner every holiday season. This year, the final host was an Indian (from India) couple, who had a lovely Christmas tree in their living room. I asked the somewhat impolitic question of whether they celebrated, or if it was a case of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." The host responded that it was a case of "When in Rome..."

Being Jewish, I can understand the urge not to feel like an outcast during the holiday season.

Sore Ass!

2008-12-18T14:03:00.003-05:00

Last night was brutal! No, it really was, but that has little to do with the sore ass. I went to the gym yesterday, it was the first time in many months. I wanted to try to get myself back into shape, but I know the road will be long.

Here's what I did:
Leg press at 190 - 2 x 10
Leg Curl at 60? - 2 x 10
Pull Ups (with 70 assist) - 1 x 5
Walk (treadmill) - 30 min - just over 2 miles

Here's what I learned:
I need to relearn how to pack for the gym - I walked in without shoes (they were in the car), had no towel (had to rent one), and brought no toiletries (scruffy the rest of the day).
I also need to keep away from the locker room around 2:30 - the high school swim team is prepping for practice, were I a pedophile, I might enjoy that, but I wound up feeling uncomfortable and I suspect they were too.

You know who was there? The girl who walks on the treadmill at a BIG incline and holds on the whole time. You know the one, she wants to look like whe's working out really hard, but really isn't. I think there's one of them at your gym, right?

One Angry Mother!

2008-12-17T10:45:00.002-05:00

My son had an incident last week in which he was bullied. It wasn't that big a deal, but it revealed that at his religious school, his class had been left alone for a while. At his age (10), the opportunities for mischief when a group of kids are left alone are many, so along with e-mailing the mother, I sent an e-mail to the principal of the religious school questioning why the kids were left alone. It came out that school's policy is that the kids are never left alone, but that on this day, one teacher needed to leave for a family commitment and the other was unaware of the timing of this.
Anyway, I saw the mother yesterday, and she was pissed! She claimed I should have called her and talked about this with her. Perhaps she's right, but I still would have wanted to get the unattended chidren issue addressed. So, this could not have been properly addressed without involving the school. Anyway, her response was something along the lines of "I'll never help you again."
Still, the mother claimed that seven other children were involved, based on what I heard yesterday, it was two others, but often the number of children involved is subject to some interpretation...Are laughers involved? What about commenters? And so on.
Was I wrong? I don't really think so, though I'll acknowledge that I might have better handled the interpersonal side of things.

Retiring Hardware

2008-12-08T14:41:00.002-05:00

This weekend, for the first time, I found myself having to make the decision to retire a piece of climbing hardware at the YMCA where I work. It's a decision I hate to have to make, but consider it absolutely necessary. It was a caribiner of the screw lock variety. The problem was that when you screwed it down, the screw collar kept spinning. To me that indicated serious internal wear on the threads and since you can't inspect to determine how serious the problem is, it must be retired. I took the 'biner home, but am trying to decide whether to cut it or just use it in "non-life safety" applications.

Odetta

2008-12-04T06:01:00.002-05:00

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1863667,00.html
Yesterday, I was went to Time Magazine's website, and there I saw news of the passing of Odetta.
In the days before Brittany, Oprah, or even Cher, there was Odetta, one of the few "one name" personalities of the early 1960's. I knew her as a folk singer, and if I was to say she had a voice, I'd be understating thing by an order of magnitude. She was blessed with a superb instrument. Her loss is a big one for the musical world.

Customer Service?

2008-12-02T15:19:00.003-05:00

I maintain a PO Box for an organization. I checked the box today and found a message note dated 10/20 that box payment is due by 10/31. There was also a note that boxholder privileges have been revoked due to non-payment, the 10-day grace period has expired. I usually check the box about once a month during slow times, and more often during busy times. I dutifully tried to make an online payment today. I set up an account, then tried to make a payment, it failed. I can't link my box to my account. The error message said to call my local post office. So, what do you think I did? Right, I called my post office. Want to know what they said? They told me that the PO Box department closes at 1:00 PM and I should call back tomorrow between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The post office has been touting how easy they are to work with, and how they've been working to improve customer service - here's an example where they're a dismal failure.

You Can Get Anything You Want...

2008-12-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

I think this was the first Thanksgiving since my college days that I didn't listen to Arlo Guthrie sing Alice's Restaurant. I own it, and thought I'd listen to it on my mp3, but found I hadn't loaded it. It's usually played on the local classic rock station at either 11AM or noon, but I wasn't listening at the time. So, I wound up having an Arloless Thanksgiving.
I can't help but think about the differences in the eras of the today versus the time the song was written is worth commenting on. Guthrie wrote and performed the song in the latter stages of the Viet Nam War, an unpopular war being fought overseas to "keep free" a people whose culture most Americans didn't understand. Today, we're at war in two overseas nations, one of which is little supported by the American polulace. Still, one lesson we've learned, that is that even if we don't support the war, now we don't condemn the warriors. American policy is the work of the policy makers in government, not of the soldiers.
It's also worth noting that our other war, in Afghanistan, is a follow-up to a war of occupation fought in the late 1970's and much of the 1980's by the USSR. The Mujahadeen fought a war of attrition against the Russians and eventually outlasted them, not unlike what we did to the British over two centuries ago. It was this war that prompted the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics of 1980.

High Crimes

2008-11-26T17:23:00.004-05:00

I recently finished listening to a book on CD entitled High Crimes by Michael Kodas. The book was an eye-opening view of what Himalayan climbing has become, with the high cost and low training level of the many paying climbers creating situations where many get in over their heads, and guides and sherpas are loathe to put other climbers climbs at risk by mounting a rescue. Also, theft on the mountains is apparently a common occurence.
In my youth, I wound up pretty well steeped in climbing culture, and one point that was always said was that if another climber was in trouble, you did everything you could to mount a rescue. I believe I'd posted a story about the counselors from my camp helping with a rescue. I'm not sure, but think they dropped us kids at the bottom of the mountain with instructions to set up camp and prepare dinner, which we did. They scrambled up the mountain, assisted with a rescue, eventually carrying the victim down the mountain when the rescue squad members proved incapable of the task (they weren't climbers, were doing the best they could, but simply lacked the strength and skills needed).
The book convinced me that if you want to climb in the Himalaya, you should join a large, high cost expedition or better yet, just don't go. As for me, in my youth Everest and its kin were looked on as the prizes only for the very best in the world. I'm perfectly content to leave it that way. I have a knee that's not quite 100% and caused me to give up backpacking a generation ago, so unless I were to undergo surgery, I'm likely incapable of the work to attempt this. Still, the world of guided climbing has set itself up offering Everest and similar mountains as trophies for a lot of climbers of questionable ability.
Whether this is right of wrong, I can't really say, but I will compare it to the world I know, marathoning. Here's the key difference, if you get in trouble when running a marathon, you simply drop out, take a break and gather yourself, perhaps taking a gel to replenish your energy stores, and you live to run another day. In high mountain climbing, there are several things to consider, first, at altitudes approaching 5 miles, most people are unable to sustain life without supplemental oxygen, Second, even with oxygen, the rarified atmosphere means that simply walking can be a hard effort. Now, add difficult terrain, and you can likely understand that mounting a rescue at altitude without a large and very strong team is nearly impossible. Here's how to look at it in running terms - take a major marathon and instead of paying about $100 to run, or perhaps $300 - $500 including all costs, multiply that by several hundred times for a total cost of perhaps $30,000 to $100,000. Now, tell all the pace bunnies at the race that they need to walk away from their commitments and carry a runner around the course on a stretcher...And cancel the marathon for anyone who was planning to run with the pace bunnies. You now get some idea what a rescue does to those on the mountain - is it right?, is it fair? - you tell me.

On Belay?

2008-11-17T07:15:00.002-05:00

One of the more enjoyable tasks I perform is belaying climbers at the local YMCA. This weekend, I found myself doing this at a birthday party. Parties are often the toughest duty because there is constant application of harnesses, a continual need to confirm that they have been properly and safely applied, and the need to provide basic instruction to the many who haven't climbed before.
Still there are dividends. On Saturday, a mother decided that she wanted to climb. For most adults, the climbing is the easy part. The tough part is when you've climbed either to the top of the wall or until you can't climb further, you must commit yourself to the rope. Letting go of the solid, stable wall and dangling on a piece of rope a half inch thick goes against virtually every instinct you've developed thoughout your life. It's that act of letting go of the wall that is, as a climber, the most difficult thing you must do.
It's always nice to see adults challenge their fears, and that's what makes it so nice when adults choose to climb.

A Long Run With My Son

2008-11-09T09:42:00.002-05:00

Matthew and I took a run yesterday morning with one of the local clubs. We had to scramble home afterwards because he had a bass guitar lesson. The result was a run with very little social interaction. We ran a longer route because this club moves their Saturday run's starting point for the winter season. The result was that the run, which would have been about 5 miles was likely closer to six. My son was complaining during much of the return. While I find that an out and back route is a benefit because it makes bailing out on a run early difficult, my son complained that it feels like he's running forever and that without laps like in the local park, he can't measure progress incrementally. It was interesting to hear that different perspective.
I started the run needing to hit the bathroom, but was able to make a quick detour in the park to take care of my need. The run took a lot longer than I realized, after a few minutes of rest, I guessed at the time, and it was over a half-hour off (I guessed less.) We tried to stop for a doughnut on the way home, but the shop was closed, so we got a couple of lousy fast food breakfast sandwiches.

Run For Your Life

2008-11-01T20:55:00.007-04:00

Yesterday evening, I attended a screening of the new documentary Run For Your Life with Gary Corbitt. Gary is the son of Ted Corbitt. Ted ran the marathon as part the 1952 Olympic team, and was also the first president of the New York Road Runners and was the driving force in bringing accurate course measurement to the USA.
Run For Your Life is a very watchable biography of Fred Lebow, the impresario behind the New York City Marathon. It includes interviews with family members, famous runners, NYRR club officers, and the near-mythical Bob Bright. Also, included is some old footage of races from the 1960's and early 1970's.
The movie traces Mr. Lebow's running from his falling in love with the sport as a back-of-the-pack runner, to his position as arguably the most powerful man in the world of running. It traces the New York City Marathon from its earlier existence as the Cherry Tree Marathon to its first few years in Central Park and on to becoming the first "city tour" marathon, with the creation of the five borough route in 1976.
Among those playing big interview roles were Grete Waitz, the Norwegian track star whose nine New York Marathon wins made her a mega-star; Bill "Boston Billy" Rogers, the four-time winner of both New York and Boston; Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run Boston with a number, and one of the early New York winners; Nina Kuscsik, one of the early stars of women's marathoning; Ted Corbitt, whom I'd described above; Vince Chiapetta, another of the founding fathers of the New York Road Runners; and Bob Bright, the driving force behind the early growth of the Chicago Marathon, who'd dropped out of sight several years ago. Mr. Ehrlich revealed that had resorted to simple low-tech detective work, and one Bob Bright whom they'd called proved to be Mr. Bright's son, who passed on the message to his father.
As a documentary, Run For Your Life provides a lot of insight into Fred Lebow, the man, and his impact on the sport. The question I have to ask myself is, "Would a non-runner be willing or able to stay involved in watching this?" This film is very well crafted, and in a post showing discussion, Judd Ehrlich, the producer and director, revealed that he'd spent time working with Ric Burns. My conclusion is that both fans of the sport of running and New Yorkers will love this film, and almost anyone with a broad and open mind will find it both of interest and enjoyable.
Following the movie, Judd Ehrlich (center), the producer/director; Alison Shurman (right), the film's editor, and Gary Corbitt (left) discussed with the audience the making of the documentary, and talked about some of the personalities appearing in the film.

Also in attendance was Joe Perez, born with cerebral palsy, who went on to run the New York City Marathon under Ted Corbitt's tutelage. Gary Corbitt related the basic story, then Mr. Perez added some additional detail.

I asked the three panelists to pose flanking the movie's poster in the theater lobby.
(Mostly written Saturday evening, and completed early Monday morning. Photos added and captioned Monday evening.)

Mid-term Angst

2008-10-25T20:16:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, I took two midterms. The second was in Matrix and Linear Algebra, and it seemed to have gone well. It was the first one, Calculus III, that has me concerned. Of the ten problems, I only managed to work seven of them. When class ended, about half the class was still in the room. I sent an e-mail to the professor asking about this, but have gotten no reply. I had sent two previous e-mails to this prof, and gotten no response to them, but he seemed to have considered them. I'm wondering if there is to be a curve. If not, I may have hit the first real bump in my return to school. Time will tell.

My World Series Prediction

2008-10-22T09:08:00.002-04:00

I'm going out on a limb by picking the Rays to win, though I think it'll likely take six games. There seems to be a magic about this team this year. They play tough, scrappy ball, and they finished the season with the best record in baseball.

Nervous About The Sox

2008-10-14T18:11:00.003-04:00

As the ALDS came to a close, I commented to one of the local crossing guards (another Red Sox fan), that Tampa Bay seemed to be a juggernaut, and that I'd believed they'd be unbeatable in the post-season, but that in the ALDS, I'd seen some signs of weakness. Now, after tying up the series at 1-1 and then spanking the Sox at home last night, it's looking like my initial feeling might be right. I'm a Sox fan from way back, I don't give up hope, but I don't expect much. Only time will tell.

Wearing The Coaching Hat

2008-10-13T08:44:00.003-04:00

Four kids from the group I coach raced yesterday. One boy, the youngest who raced, finished last. He just doesn't seem to "get" racing. At 8, it's really no big deal, but I know his Mom and Dad want to see him having some success. So, it becomes a matter of trying to get him to look at racing as something to aspire to, and modifying his running style to make it a bit more efficient.
The other three kids ran the 3K race. Among them, my son was the first to finish. The two others, both girls, finished right after each other. The one who finished first raced worse than I expected, the one who finished second was in tears. I have a feeling that the one who raced worse than I expected was running with the other to support her. It's my job to try to tease out that piece of information, if that's, in fact, true. The tears of the one in back were due to a severe stitch.
My son raced pretty well, but in analyzing his race, thinks there were a few things he could have improved on.
Now, I have my job cut out for me. We'll have to see what happens.

Around The Bay 30K

2008-10-06T11:26:00.005-04:00

The Around the Bay 30K race (begun in 1894) is believed to be the oldest regularly held race in North America. While in Toronto, I had the chance to see their trophy. It's recycled! It's actually the 1914 Boston Marathon 1st Place trophy, which was repurposed in 1950 as the permanent trophy for the Around the Bay. Here are a few photos:
The 1914 1st Place Boston Marathon Trophy was named the Tommy Thompson Trophy in 1950 and serves as the permanent trophy for the Around the Bay 30K Race in Hamilton, ON. Jimmy Duffy was the winner of this trophy at Boston on Patriot's Day 1914.

I took photos of a couple of panels of the base with the list of winners. I took this one because you'll see that the 1954 winner was Arnie Briggs. Though a fine runner, I was most aware of Briggs as the man who trained Kathrine Switzer for the famous 1967 Boston Marathon. It was at that race that, due to her using initials, rather than her first name, she became the first woman to run Boston with a number.

I took this shot because an internet friend, Orville Atkins won the race in 1961.

A Disorienting Experience

2008-10-02T19:34:00.007-04:00

Having run all my previous marathons in the United States, running my first outside the States, and coping with the change from miles to kilometers was a bit disorienting. The math we are accustomed to doing is different, and the way they give info also differs. I don't know if the availability of clocks is limited, but I am fairly accustomed to seeing a clock at most, if not all, miles. Now, to be fair, I was at times pretty near the maximum time allowed for getting around the course, so some may have been pulled to be relocated or simply shut down. I recall seeing one that had its battery die, so was up but non-operational. Of course, at the pace I was moving, a sundial would have been adequate.
Also, while it's normal to wear a watch, because I was dressed like the Johnny Hayes of 1908, a watch would have looked out of place. (OK, I may have been overplaying the role, I'll admit.) I'd gotten a pace chart, courtesy of Running Room for a 6 hour pace. I fell a bit behind, and had actually intended on a 5:45 finish time, but they didn't have. Regardless, it gave me a pacing of 8:31 per km, which was enough to keep me mostly on track.

Not Just Sore, Marathon Sore!

2008-09-29T08:59:00.003-04:00

That's Carlo Gabbi (sp?) of Italy as Dorando with Dorando's cup, me as Johnny Hayes with Hayes' gold medal, and Michal (rhymes with nickel) Kapral aka "The Joggler" as Tom Longboat. And, yes, I shaved the moustache to be Hayes...otherwise they might have thought I was Dorando.

Me, on the left, Bruce Kidd, the great Canadian runner of the early 1960's and an authority on Tom Longboat, and John Bryant, English author of "The Marathon Makers" at the press conference before the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

I set a new PW for the marathon, adding about 1:31 to my previous worst, but on about 70 days of training, I can't gripe.

Another Stroll

2008-09-21T11:19:00.003-04:00

This time for an hour and 40 minutes, and I used it to test my new white shorts for my marathon as Johnny Hayes next week. They worked fine except the pockets, designed to easily accomodate tennis balls, tend to sit open a bit most of the time, as a result, my arm swing tends to make my thumbs catch occasionally on the pockets. I'll need to pin them shut to avoid this problem.
The other uniform item that I'm unhappy with is my Mizuno Itaden shoes. They're a great shoe for walking, but their bright orange color will be a poor match with the rest of the outfit. I'm thinking about picking up a pair of Adidas Sambas, a fairly inexpensive black soccer flat, to complete the look.

A Long Stroll

2008-09-14T18:59:00.002-04:00

Today, I particpated in the National 40K racewalk. I say "particpated in" because I was not very competitive, nor did I expect to be. I had not done much racewalking this season, and rather expected that bent knees would likely prove my downfall, as had happened in the past. Sure enough, I got my first card on lap one, but was able to improve my form a bit and last until 14K before I got DQ'ed. When I came around at 16K, I saw three cards next to my number, and I took the number off of my chest.
I continued walking until 22K, as part of a test. I needed to "go long."
My plan is to walk the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in two weeks, dressed as Johnny Hayes. I have not gone that far in over two years, and have not run any distance longer than five miles in as long. I'm heavy (up about 30 lbs. from my "competitive weight" and 40 from my "really competitive weight.), and fairly soft.
At Toronto, there will be people marking three of the athletes - local boy Tom Longboat, first finisher at the Olympic Marathon, later disqualified, Dorando Pietri; and gold medalist Johnny Hayes. On display at the expo will be Dorando's cup, Hayes' medal, Longboat's 1907 Boston Marathon victory trophy and Hayes' 3rd place trophy from the same race. You can see a bit about Toronto's celbration here.

A Lesson From My Reading

2008-09-03T09:50:00.002-04:00

I'd bought a belt about a year ago, and it recently delaminated (the layers came unglued). I replaced it, and the same problem happened on its replacement. Then, I thought about something that I'd read, I believe in Kenny Moore's excellent biography of Oregon's legendary track coach, Bill Bowerman (Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Co-founder), in which one of Bowerman's early lessons on shoes was "glue comes undone, sewing stays together," so when I went to replace the belt again, I got a sewn belt. It seems to be holding, even against by tremendous girth and the pressures thus generated.

Sore Legs

2008-09-01T01:28:00.002-04:00

I don't get it. My legs are sore from the five miles I ran yesterday morning. I've run five in the recent past, so soreness shouldn't be happening, but I'm sore. Maybe it was that I was running with two guys who were a bit faster than I am. Anyway, if I'm sore, then I'm progressing.

Going Long

2008-08-26T09:33:00.002-04:00

I walked 8 laps this morning, covering 6.4 miles in an hour and 25 minutes, so I was moving at a 13.28 minute pace...for a guy who could get into the low 10's a few years back, that number looks awful. But I did manage to do a "long" workout. I probably should have gone another lap to get past that 90 minute mark, but I was feeling a bit soft as I finished. I think my knees will be whining a bit tonight and tomorrow.
On Saturday, I'd gone down to an area race with my son. It's an end-of-summer cross-country race that is a shakedown for area racers. My son commented that he could beat a lot of the girls in the high school race. He rarely runs cross, so may be neglecting the time penalty of varied soft surfaces.

A Class Act and Some Idiocy

2008-08-21T18:03:00.002-04:00

LoLo Jones was all over the reports from Beijing when she hit hurdle number nine and had the race pass her by as she struggled to stay on her feet. She didn't whine or complain, just asked, "Why here?" To me, that was a real class act, she moves up a couple of natches in my book.

Now the idiocy - the USA sends two 4x100 teams to the Olympics, how do both the men's and women's teams drop their batons? I coach kids, and the most important thing I try to teach them is "get the stick around." You can run relatively slowly and beat every team that drops the baton. These people are supposed to be our best; how do they make a stupid mistake like this? There is one way to make sure this doesn't happen...practice! Not only that, but after the men dropped, why didn't the women take a lesson from it? To me, it's inexcusable.

A Stroll

2008-08-21T11:33:00.003-04:00

Last night, I walked for about an hour. I had gone to a local park and started walking about 7:15, and got back into the car at 8:23. I'm not sure if I went 6 or 7 laps, given the time, I'd like to think it was 7, but have no certainty, so either 4.8 or 5.6 miles. Being a Wednesday, one of the local running groups gets together there, so one guy I knew did a "WHAT are you doing?" about my walk. I'm just not in shape to run long, with my weight and lack of conditioning. I'd run 3.2 on Monday.

The Running Meatball

2008-08-20T07:54:00.003-04:00

Ten days ago, when I ran the five miles, I'd suffered from the dreaded "chub rub," with my overly meaty thighs chafing to the point of having "polka dot" scabbing the next day. A few days later, I ran in my least favorite pair of running shorts. They're a pair of Nikes, which I purchased a few years back when I realized when headed for an evening race that I'd mispacked my bag. They're too long, nylon taffeta and they hold stink really well - I think it's the lining. I noticed as I wore them that I chafed very minimally, so it struck me that the trend towards longer shorts might also be a function of the trend towards obesity on American society.

Michael Phelps - Not the Greatest Olympic Athlete Ever!

2008-08-14T12:58:00.005-04:00

No disrespect to Mr. Phelps, certainly he is one of the finest swimmers ever, perhaps the finest, but we must examine this fairly. Mr. Phelps, on winning his tenth gold surpassed several athletes tied for the honor with nine, one of whom was Paavo Nurmi (another was Mark Spitz), but it's Nurmi whom I'll use to argue this point.
Swimming is different from running, most significantly because it is raced in multiple strokes and at a great many distances, whereas there is only one way to run. What would Phelps' medal haul look like if he could only race freestyle? Or what would Nurmi's look like if he raced a run, trot, and canter? Simply put, the yardsticks are VERY different.
Nurmi won his 9 golds across three Olympiads, capturing three golds in Amsterdam (1920), five in Paris (1924) and one in ?? (1928), he also won several silvers. None of his medals were earned at distances less than 1500 meters. I will make the claim that running, because it involves impact loading, presents considerably more abuser to the body, and the ability to absorb that abuse and come back for more is more difficult than in swimming, lacking impact loading AND of generally shorter duration than running. (Time, distance as well, but I think time is the right measure here...swimming paces are inherently slower, so measuring by distance would be unfair.)
I would argue that the double double of Lasse Viren and that Emil Zatopek's 1952 distance running triple, golds in the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters, and marathon exceed what Phelps has done, but simply put, the yardsticks are different. (BTW, when checking details, I stumbled on Britain's James Cracknell saying much the same here.)Swimming has all these variants, and I believe more distances as well, so earning a swimming medal may well be easier than earning a running medal. Also, anyone without access to a reasonable body of water (think much of Africa) lacks the opportunity to hone their skills to an Olympian level.

Another Update

2008-08-10T17:55:00.002-04:00

My achilles tendons are a bit tight because yesterday morning, my son and I went back to RVRR's weekly towpath run. We ran just shy of five miles. Once again, we were warmly greeted, and had a nice time, although we did not go to breakfast with them after the run. My son wants to take his running a bit more seriously, and he's been doing a fairly long run at least once a week with either my wife or me.

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-08T15:08:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, my son and I went to one of the local parks to wish "Happy Birthday" to Dixie, who turned 91 yesterday. Dixie has cut back his mileage, now walking just 4-6 miles, six days a week, and he says that it's more often closer to the four, still, that's 24 miles a week from a 91 year-old. I think he got a kick out of seeing my son, who is about to turn ten, thus now more than a tenth of Dixie's age.
Also, today, I turned 49.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2008-08-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

See this post:
http://shoreacnews.blogspot.com/2008/08/100-years-of-marathon-distance.html

29:59 and Happy!

2008-08-04T22:29:00.002-04:00

When I was in reasonable shape, I would have been slightly disappointed to run a 4 mile in that kind of time. Tonight, I ran a 5K in that time and am happy. That's what lack of conditioning will do for you. My son beat me by over 3 minutes, that's mostly the innate conditioning of being 9 years old.
I saw a guy I'd known for years, and his son, who sports a mane of bright orange hair, is now fifteen. I mentioned to him that I remembered his son when he was my son's size.
On Saturday, my son and I ran with one of the area clubs on a canal tow path. He ran about 5K before the lump of raisin bread hardened into concrete in his beely and made running hard. So, we did a mix of running and walking back to the start. We covered about 10K (me, a bit under 6 miles), but it was a good workout. The legs were a bit soft for a day. My wind is the limiting factor.
In tonight's race (and I use that term loosely), I wound up with another guy beside me for most of the last lap. He was pulling me along, and I was doing the "bail out, no don't" routine. I thought back to the lesson I got from Arthur Lydiard, which was "keep fighting, you never know when your competition will break." He didn't, I didn't, but I got my time, and I think he reached a bit deeper than he otherwise would have. The result was a bit anticlimactic, my opponent didn't cross the line, he hadn't signed up for the race, so I got the placing, but there wasn't the need to reach down and struggle to lift the knees to finish better than he did. He was a great runner in his day, so I knew it wouldn't be easy if it came to that, but it didn't.
Anyway, it was my first time this season under 30, so I'm happy.

An Update

2008-08-02T14:36:00.003-04:00

I ran this morning, and I ran yesterday afternoon, and I walked on Wednesday. I am working hard to fight the battle. I did not do much last week, but I had a pretty good excuse, I was in Italy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Marathon that established the standard marathon distance. I will be making a post on that on another site and will link to it from this one once it is up.

A Lucky Accident

2008-07-20T17:54:00.003-04:00

I have several Nalgene bottles, the polycarbonate ones, which I use to brew and drink tea. Over a period of weeks, they build up a crust of bacterial growth stained by tea on the inside of the bottle. After much trial and error, I found that soaking the bottles in a saturated solution of baking soda would soften the crust enough to let it be scrubbed off with a brush.
Several classic discoveries were made by accident: Alexander Fleming discovering penicillin; Alexander Graham Bell finding out his telephone worked; etc. Well, while it's not in the same league, you can add me to the list. Forgetting that I wanted to clean a bottle, I put water on to boil. Realizing that heat often speed chemical reactions, I figured I'd use the error to my potential benefit. I spooned baking soda into the bottle and started pouring in the freshly boiled water. It bubbled a bit, but I figured that was just a case of the baking soda reducing the boiling point of the water. I poured more water in and the boiling increased in vigor, boiling over slightly. Since a liter of boiling water is too hot to work with, I left it to cool for about an hour.
When I returned, I took an old toothbrush and put it into the bottle and began to scrub. WOW! The crust just brushed right off, no elbow grease needed! I got out the bigger brush to get the bottom of the bottle. It came off just a easily! Just a couple of minutes work after an hour of waiting - it was a tremendous time saver. So, if you need to remove something like this, boiling water and baking soda may be worth a try.

Crossing Paths

2008-07-18T09:28:00.004-04:00

En route back from my run yesterday, I ran into a guy I would often race against. He's been racing more in short triathlons. He posed a question to me about long races, specifically, "Did I think doing long races was healthy?" My response was, essentially, they aren't unhealthy, but they can beat you up a lot, and that may be a price you don't choose to pay. It seems clear to me that long races are unhealthy for those with biomechanical issues...well, more exactly, likely to exacerbate your injury/condition, but probably neutral for those who do not have problems...though there are minor health issues, like the sun exposure of your skin during the event, risk of crashes/falls/injuries during an event, etc.
Later in the day, I was walking around town and found a local runner/coach was now managing the local store of a chain of running stores. We talked a bit about some other local runners, etc. It was a nice visit.
I mentioned my recent trip to Utica, and have posted some pictures on the blog attached to my club's website, here and here. You may want to stop by and take a look.

Finest Runner's Forum Ever

2008-07-14T23:13:00.004-04:00

I spent Saturday morning driving up to Utica, NY to attend the Boilermaker Race. I ran the 5K because I am not in shape for a 15K. When I arrived, I went over to the runner's forum. The discussion was superb and quite nuanced. How's this for a panel?
Running writer Roger Robinson, his wife and first woman to run Boston with a number Kathrine Switzer, 1972 Olympic Marathon winner Frank Shorter, four-time Boston and New York winner Bill Rodgers supplemented by a local dietician and a chiropractor.
The thing that made this forum special was the willingness to have ALL the experts answer each question, rather than having a single answer. The result was a nuanced and rich forum that gave deep answers to the questions. I felt it was the best forum I'd ever attended.
One example of the richness of the discussion was Frank Shorter telling the story of being in Florida during the very early days of Gatorade. The take-away message from him was, "if electrolyte drinks taste good, that's likely a sign of your need for electrolytes."

Guilt!

2008-07-08T22:55:00.002-04:00

Last Friday, Independence Day, the local 4-mile race was held. I did not run, as my pasty, fat thighs were not up to the task. One of my friends was there, and we went to lunch in a group after the race. He laid into me about getting out of shape. Guilt is good!
On Saturday, my nine year-old son, perhaps inspired by 16 year-old Jordan Hasay's efforts in the 1500 at the Olympic Trials, announced that he wanted to run in the Olympics. The result was a family run where his goal was an hour. My goal was just to go as long as I reasonably could. I ran then walked for 90 minutes. mOn my return, I ran into one of my racewalking friends.
Tonight, after a couple of days of my calves being knotted badly, I walked about 2.4 miles (3 laps of the park). Early in my walk, I saw some deer in the woods. I started to walk towards them, and one snorted and bolted sending the others on their way. I don't know if the snort is a danger signal. Later in the walk, a bicyclist rode into the park doing a rebel yell. I was closing to the park entry and I think I spooked him a bit. He switched his headlight from flash to steady. Then he made a comment about a ghost (me).

Hybrid Cars

2008-06-30T10:55:00.003-04:00

I've been giving some thought to hybrid cars recently. They are an excellent product, but I have my doubts about the real societal benefits of these vehicles. Here is my argument:
Building a hybrid car requires building a car with two drivelines. Now, I recognize that there is a symbiosis between the two drivelines (i.e. regenerative braking), but the net benefit is small, the greater saving comes from not running the gasoline engine when relatively little power is required (low speed cruising, etc.)
The car requires a generator to recharge the batteries, and both a mechanical and electric drive system. My point, in a nutshell, the car would be relatively more efficient if it were a single system. Yes, the choice would make it a compromise - an electric isn't good for long trips (battery life), but is far more efficient for short trips (and it doesn't lose out by hauling a gasoline engine and all its ancillaries around when driving at low speed in and around the city or suburbs).
Check out Zenn Motor Company or Global Electric Motors or at the other end of the spectrum, Tesla Motors. As you will see, some look a bit more car-like than others.

Olympic Trials

2008-06-28T15:20:00.004-04:00

Well, the Olympic Trials for track are going on, and I can't find 'em on TV. When I was young, ABC would always have them. Now, NBC has 'em and apparently doesn't feel they're worth running live. Meantime, Amy Yoder-Begley ran the race of her life to qualify third in the 10,000 meters, running a 31:33. They guys at Let's Run are kvelling about her (OK, being good white bread, calling it kvelling might be inappropriate...maybe "gushing").
Parker Morse comments on the Indianapolis Star not sending a reporter to cover their hometown athlete on his excellent Flashes of Panic blog. I think met Amy last summer while visiting Dan and Patti Dillon in Connecticut. Here's a shot of her finishing.

Flying Chalk

2008-06-27T10:16:00.003-04:00

I was watching the beginning of the movie Cocktail and saw Tom Cruise sleeping in class. It reminded me of a visit I got my first time in college, from a piece of chalk.
One of the instructors had the practice of flinging the piece of chalk he was writing with at sleeping students. The practice had two benefits, it cut down on sleeping in class and provided a degree of entertainment to those paying attention.
Well, on this day, I was in back of the classroom, and for the the only time during the semester, he missed! The chalk clanged off the edge of the seat beside me, rose onto the back wall of the wall of the room and shattered into grit, a cloud of dust, and the laughter of other students.
I've just once had trouble staying awake so far this go round. I think I managed to hold onto an A this semester, but I think by just a hair.

S&*t, George Carlin Died!

2008-06-23T22:14:00.004-04:00

I have a memory of a grammar school friend, Bob, reciting portions of Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" routine in either fourth or fifth grade. Now, whether kids of that age should know that routine may be debatable, but the routine was funny and wise. I think that may have been the best thing about him, his routines made you think. Oh, and I looked up the seven words, the mildest was the "t" word for breasts, or perhaps the "p" word for urine. Seeing a transcript of the version of the routine that brought him to court, one of the funniest things about it was Carlin's observation that two of the words were compound words, "c%&*sucker" and "mother&%$#er," and his commentary that the former could be acceptable in some cases in either half, but together it was unacceptable. The missing portion of the latter also made the list of seven, and finally the "c" word for a woman's private parts completes the list of seven. (If any of you coun't figure out the terms, you can find a list here.)

Lots of Things to Post (and Too Little Time)

2008-06-18T12:17:00.002-04:00

I've been haunted by something I saw twoo weeks ago. I was at an intersection, about the third car back. There is a left turn arrow in the opposing direction. When that arrow turns off, cars often try to slide through before the traffic in the direction I was travelling gets moving. That day, they just didn't stop. One guy made the turn partway, then a shouting match got underway. His vehicle was an SUV, his wife? was in the passenger seat. She's cursing up a storm at the guy who had to stop for them not yielding. This was bad enough, but the license plate seemed to indicate that he was a firefighter. It seems to me that someone who is involved in rescues from the carnage of car wrecks would be a careful driver. I'm puzzled - does he think his status as a firefighter protects him from harm? From tickets? From his "Bitch-on-wheels" of a wife? I just don't get it.

My Everything Hurts!

2008-06-02T11:59:00.003-04:00

After doing some sprints on Friday evening, I spent yesterday judging a youth track meet. I helped with both the Turbo-Jav and discus. Since I had never thrown a discus before, I used the opportunity at the end of the meet to try to learn a bit more about how to do it. The result today is soreness in my thighs, back, shoulder and arm. It is that kind of good sore, you know, sore, but not too sore, feeling.

I weighed this morning, and the scale showed 188.5.

Best Looking Shoes In the Race!

2008-05-27T09:53:00.003-04:00

As I was leaving yesterday's race, an older man commented that I had the best looking shoes in the race. I'm glad something looked good, because I didn't! I had started training, and a string of unusual time demands, bad weather, and laziness got me away from my plans. The good news was that as little as my training was, it was enough to get me through the 5K distance without walking.
My wife, son and I all ran in the 5K race. We ran with my sister-in-law, her two sons, and her brother. I am sorry to have to report that among our group, I finished last. My gun time put me at a 10:02 per mile, and I'd guess about 10 seconds less if I were to check chip time.
Before the race, I did some work as a volunteer, putting up some flags, filling water cups, moving sand bags (keeping an American flag from blowing down), and clipping chips from the 10K race held earlier. While clipping chips, two runners (both happened to be women) put their foot onto the rail and were twitching with muscle fatigue. I think it means they overdid by quite a bit, but they seemed otherwise OK.
So, the aftermath of the race and goal evaluation put me here: my wife beat me (a goal not met), but I ran every step of the 5K (a goal met). My reaction is that I did OK, but not quite what I should have.

Challenges Of Registration

2008-05-21T09:43:00.002-04:00

I thought I had signed up for a summer course last week, but apparently, I had not. Anyway, as I went to check me schedule on Monday, I found NO courses. So, on checking, I found that I apparently had not registered.
Fortunately, there was space available in the course. I tried to sign up. No Luck! I was on hold because of health services. I went over there to get details, and I must prove that I have been immunized for MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella). They took me off hold to permit registration, but I must address this.
So, once again, I tried to register. I couldn't! Why not? I had taken six credits last semester. I am taking undergraduate courses with the intent of a second B.A., but since I have a degree, I am considered a graduate student. Thus, the twelve credit undergrad limit does not apply. I had to visit the graduate office to have that limit waived.
Ain't bureaucracy fun?

Questionable Behavior

2008-05-06T17:20:00.002-04:00

In my town, there is a market with a difficult parking lot. Space is at a premium, and it's often necessary to wait for a space (though you can often get a space immediately for a quarter in the municipal lot next door - and it's often closer!). Yesterday, as I entered that lot, a car was standing at the end of the lot. I began to move around it in order to take a space. As I started to do this the car first began to roll to the left to block me, then chirped its tires as it accelerated hard for the space that was open directly in front of it. The car appeared to have been waiting for the car one space closer (about 8 feet) to the store to pull out so she cuold take that space. My actions seemed to have prompted her to accept the space directly in front of her in order to "protect her territory". I was then able to pull up and park easily, and the two or three cars behind me were also freed from their entrapment. As I walked from my newly parked car, I overheard women, with small children, I passed talking about how wrong her driving seemed to them. I have needed to work hard not to use expletives in describing this driver, but I think she deserved them.

Fighting The Battle

2008-05-05T11:58:00.002-04:00

This morning, I ran 3 laps of the local park, that's 2.4 miles. Alas, due to the need to visit "the facilities", it was not continuous. Still, it was more than I've run in months. My goal race is now less than 3 weeks away, when I will run a big 5K here in NJ. My goal - beat my wife. (THAT SURE LOOKS BAD IN BLACK AND WHITE!) She ran a 30 flat 5K yesterday, while my son, who seems to be the unbeatable one right now amongst the family ran in the low 26's. If all goes well, I will be in shape to hold off the Mrs., but I doubt that I can turn the 8:40's to be close to my son. Oh well, so be it.

I also ran 1.6 miles last Friday (giving just two runs for the week).

Racing For The Cure

2008-05-04T20:45:00.003-04:00

My wife is a trainer. The gym where she works ran in the local Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. My son, who's nine, joined her team. He ran a solid race, posting a 26:27 (and comfortably beating my wife's 30:00). What I found a bit remarkable was that he was the first finisher from the gym, including a fair number of other trainers. I am quite proud of his performance.

I was not there to see it, having spent the day coaching a very small group of my athletes at a track meet. Since things were well in hand, when a call went out for judges for the Turbo Jav (the form of javelin that kids throw today), I volunteered. Along with getting a bit of sunburn, I had a nice time.

Finally, Running Chick posted a link to a great sportsmanship story. She said it's worth a read, I concur.

It Takes Discipline

2008-04-30T08:13:00.002-04:00

For the last week and a half, I have been getting out an running a very small bit almost every other day. For me, this takes two forms of discipline; first to limit the volume (I'm currently running just about a mile and a half (2.5 km)}, and second, just to get out there, especially when the volumes are so small.
I know I have made progress, having gone from sore legs at 0.8 miles to minimal discomfort at 1.6 miles. Still, I have a way to go. I am planning to run a 5K race on Memorial Day. Thus, in four weeks, I need to double my distance. I know I will not be prepared to race, but I will be ready to complete the distance.

Last week:
Mon 0.8, Wed 0.8, Fri 1.0

This week (so far):
Tue (wimped out on Mon - rain) 1.6

Some Thoughts On The Women's Marathon Trials

2008-04-28T20:19:00.003-04:00

Having watched the women's trials on the internet a bit over a week ago, I was struck by Magdalena Lewy-Boulet's effort. I did not see the early miles, but I understand she ran away from the pack essentially at the starting line. She ran a very nice race, building up a two minute gap before a mid-race pace increase by Deena Kastor reeled her in, finishing in 2:29:35, and looking like she felt pretty comfortable. Lewy-Boulet managed to hold onto second, finishing in 2:30:19, but did seem to be struggling in the later miles. Blake Russell finished third, covering the course in 2:32:40, but also seeming pretty comfortable. Zoila Gomez took the alternate spot by outsprinting Tera Moody to finish in 2:33:53.
Here's my take on the race: Kastor ran the race she wanted to run. Lewy-Boulet did as well, but Kastor's race was the smarter of the two. Lewy-Boulet probably beat up her legs and body a whole lot more than Kastor did.
Because of that, my money is on the following finish for the American team: Kastor, Russell, Lewy-Boulet (assuming all three get to the starting line). Kastor has a real shot at a medal, it will probably take a lucky break for either of the other two to do so.
Of course, an awful lot of us old-timers were rooting for Joan Benoit-Samuelson to post a good race there. She ran 2:49:08 at age 50! (I wish I could come close to that!)
What really intrigues me is whether the big time spread between the men and women will show a benefit to an earlier team slection in the marathon. I had the chance to speak to Ryan Hall, albeit very briefly, following his London Marathon race. He put up a 2:06:17, and he seemed fresh just about 10 hours after his finish. I am confident that he'll contend barring injury or accident.
One other comment - when growing up, the American flag was to be respected. It did not touch the ground. It did not get intentionally dirtied. At both the men's and women's trials, athletes appeared to be given flags and wrapped themselves in them. To me, using the flag as a wrap for a sweaty body is an act of disrespect. I realize times and standards change, and I think giving the athletes a flag is great, just don't encourage them to wrap themselves in it.

Patriot's Day (Boston Marathon Day)

2008-04-21T12:42:00.001-04:00

Today, in Massachusetts and Maine, Patriot's Day is celebrated, which means that the Boston Marathon will be running as I write this. Here's a poem on why Patriot's Day exists.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

Oh, and I ran this morning, for the first time in a long time. Just 0.8 miles, but it's a start. My weight is a bit north of 185, and that must change.