UMTR

The Upper Midwest Trail Runners Association (UMTR) hosted an awards festival, which I had hoped would bring together many people I wanted to see. We may have needed a larger facility if the people I missed could have made it. The weather was perfect, and the awards were outstanding. Don and Bonny deserved them. What would happen to this sport without that close group of workhorses? I’m going to name some, but there are many others with a passion. I can’t thank them enough; I’m sure they feel the same. I’m disappointed I don’t have the urge to run. Maybe it’s running burnout?

I did have the urge to bike. I was short of 50 miles for the weekend with the great weather. If I had known, I would have gone around the block a few times. I hope the Indian summer holds a few more days, but I think that’s a dream. It’s time for colder weather. Thank god I have a great workout room at the office with bikes, an elliptical, weights, and a treadmill. I may stay in and try the “Diane Farmer” training method for a while. I’m still deciding which TV show I prefer.

I hope you’re well. Remember to vote. If you need opinions, check out http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com. These funny elderly ladies have great posts about Sarah Palin and “Maverick my ass.” They’re feisty for their age and make me laugh.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

Scary night with new beginnings

I reside in a secure building with mostly elderly residents, and Halloween is a non-event for us. I only know one person with children. I recall our midnight Halloween runs with friends, where I served as the designated driver due to my non-alcohol consumption. Many runners were intoxicated in their costumes, sometimes wearing birthday suits.

The 1980s were a different world. After marriage, children, divorce, and the departure of my children, I became distant from my friends. Recently, I attempted to contact them. Eddie passed away from prostate cancer, Kevin died under mysterious circumstances, and John succumbed to his war wounds. Scott, my best man, vanished without a trace. Gordy was mentioned in a Google search, but I couldn’t find him. This reflects life’s unpredictable nature, with both joyful and sorrowful endings and new beginnings. 

Lately, I’ve struggled with overtraining, causing fatigue, knee and hip pain, and exhaustion, even after sleeping long hours. Stress at work may be a contributing factor. I’m starting a new plan to regain my fitness and lose the 46 pounds I’ve gained since my 2005-2006 Superior 25K run. I don’t want to regain my pre-race weight, but it’s challenging. Many friends are running Surf the Murph tomorrow, but I’m out due to soreness. It’s also the year-end celebration for the Ultra group. 

Tomorrow’s the day! I’m going to celebrate and then get serious about my fitness goals. I’m aiming to lose 56 pounds (that’s about 1.3 pounds a week) before the Superior 100 next year. I’m still deciding if I’ll race in between. But I’ve got my computer ready for all the nutritional analysis and other stuff, and I’ll be using the same workout patterns I did back in 2006 when I lost a whopping 84 pounds. This time, I don’t have Dana with me, but I’ve got all the knowledge I need to crush it!

Carry on my friends!

Sad, quiet and slow

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy …  It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."

~Jacqueline Gareau, Boston Marathon (Champion in 1980)

The blogosphere has experienced a temporary slowdown. This could be attributed to the inclement weather or the general recovery of individuals after an arduous summer. Priorities have shifted to matters such as employment, family, and personal well-being. I have secured RSVPs for the UMTR Awards Fest, which promises to be an enjoyable event.

I find myself unable to shake off the memory of a particular post that deeply concerns me. It pertains to a fellow runner who is currently facing a challenging period. Despite her good health, her family has been plagued by a history of premature deaths. Karen consistently greets me with a smile whenever we meet for a run or participate in a race. This encounter often prompts me to question the reasons behind such hardships. Whenever I encounter this situation, I am reminded of the untimely passing of my three-year-old nephew, which occurred unexpectedly.

At the funeral, the Pastor said something memorable. He said, “Aaron has left us, and this is a sad time for many. Our perception of life’s length contributes to our sadness.” He explained that God has a plan for each of us. For Aaron, God planned a life of three years. He reminded us that Aaron lived each minute fully. He emphasized that the pain should be there, but not to add to it. Aaron lived his life to the fullest, and the Pastor asked us to do the same.

Life is a precious gift, and I make sure to cherish every moment with my loved ones. However, I sometimes forget to be fully present and engaged. I pray for everyone who is going through tough times, especially Karen. I’m doing great, but I need to remind myself more often to take care of myself.

Dana once gave me a bumper sticker that said, “The best things in life… are not things.” It showed a happy family surrounded by friends and pets. Whenever I feel a bit down, I remember this, and it makes me feel better. Some of my closest friends know precisely what I mean when I feel silly about something like the Orzo Salad incident. But there are some things in life that we can’t change, no matter how hard we try.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. But I try to remember that the most important things are the ones that matter most. I’m deeply grateful for all the love and support I’ve received from everyone, and I hope that Karen finds the strength to get through this difficult time. I know she has the heart and soul to overcome any challenge that comes her way. I’ll keep her in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope to see her smile again soon. She knows how to live a whole life, regardless of its duration, and I hope she will live a long and healthy life, just like all of us.

Carry on my friends!

Blood boiled

Typically, I maintain a reserved approach to political matters. This is despite my undergraduate degree in Political Science and my current government employment. However, this year, I have discovered a fervent passion, albeit of the incorrect type, and its intensity fluctuates unpredictably.

This year, I prioritized the Vice President over the President. One candidate is older, and the other has a likely successor. I was disappointed with both VP announcements. I love McCain, but Palin ruined my vote for them. Then there’s the bizarre Norm Coleman and Al Franken fiasco, which is even worse.

Subsequently, I observed my esteemed Republican friend, Neil Peterson, respond to the Party’s actions. He voted in favor of the transportation bill to override the veto, but the Republican members of the state responded with childish tantrums and attempted to remove him from office. Consequently, he was unsuccessful in his primary campaign. Neil Peterson has accomplished more during his tenure than any other individual I am aware of. His allegiance lies with Minnesota, not a political party. 

Tonight, I called a Republican volunteer and snapped. I vowed never to vote for them again after the Governor’s two-year-old behavior and his party’s actions. I felt guilty, realizing I wasn’t better off than they were. Now, I’m torn between the President and the local elections. I need clarification, but I’m not alone in my concerns.

I am seeking clarification on whether this emotional distress and confusion are primarily attributed to my significant mileage reduction and irregular exercise regimen. Regardless, decisive action is imperative, and I am uncertain whether I am prepared to make such a choice, nor am I sure if I will be.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

I ran - enjoyed it?

I enjoyed a 5K at a 10-minute-per-mile pace during lunch. I was surprised to find it challenging, but midsection fat affects running. Before work, I used my difficult office elliptical for 34 minutes to cover 2 miles.

I may not run again this week, but the weather forces me to get out. I’m taking long walks along the river bottoms, experiencing the changing colors and exercising simultaneously. It’s perfect weather, and I can look up as I walk, unlike trail runs where I keep my head down.

Hope all are recovering well and ready to enjoy the cool weather.

Carry on!

Unfair

I’ve been a United States Tennis Association official for almost a decade now. I’ve had the opportunity to officiate matches with professional players, including John McEnroe and Andy Roddick. One time, Roddick hit a 130-mile-per-hour service, and he disagreed with my call. The replay showed that I was right (by about a 1/16 inch). How did I do that? Well, I’ve been training a lot, but I’ve also made plenty of mistakes along the way!

Over the years, I haven’t been as accurate as I’d like to be. There have been days when I’ve been feeling under the weather, but I still had to officiate because there was no one else available. Did I do well? I’d say I did as well as Randy Moss or Tom Brady if they were playing with a 101-degree fever!

I have to live with those mistakes, though. Officiating is a whole different ball game. One time, when I was on my way to officiate a McEnroe match, the head official gave us a motivational speech. He said something that I’ll never forget: “You’re expected to be 100% perfect out there, and you’re expected to improve on that!” That’s how society looks at officials.

I’ve grown accustomed to accepting perfectionist expectations. Ed Hochuli’s acknowledgment of a call error in a recent game is human, but it shouldn’t happen to an official. What bothers me is society’s tendency to find easy scapegoats for losses. Did the official’s mistake cost the Chargers the game? I doubt it.

How can I say that? I watched most of that game. If we hold officials to one apparent mistake, we should ban them. We should ban several receivers for dropping a pass right in their arms. We should ban many defensive players for missing an easy tackle. We should ban offensive players who negated a significant gain by grabbing onto a defensive player and throwing them to the ground. But those are forgiven as issues in a stressful situation by a player who makes $10 million a year. However, the official who earns $80,000 a year must not make a single mistake, which could mean a death sentence.

In baseball, should we ban outfielders who drop easy-fly balls? Hockey players who miss open net shots? Or the countless botched lay-ups in basketball? Slam dunks missed, too. But we wouldn’t say such a thing. The San Diego Chargers made more mistakes, which ultimately cost them the game. Did the official goof up? Yes, but he’s the only one people want to fire, harm, or ridicule.

Interestingly, the most vocal critics have never officiated a high-level game. If they did, they’d understand officiating is a stressful job that requires dedication.

I’ve seen a shortage of officials in all sports. Many great ones have left due to mistakes and backlash. If I were Ed Hochuli, I’d retire, losing a quality official, but still having the players who made mistakes. But he and I keep officiating through name-calling and threats. Are we sick?

That could explain why I want to run 100 miles.

Carry on my friends!

I am 46 today..some jokes... Stolen words

Some jokes about getting older!

• You know you're getting on in years when the girls at the office start confiding in you.
• Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.
• By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
• Middle age is when you have stopped growing at both ends and begun growing in the middle.
• You're getting old when you're sitting in a rocker, and you can't get it started.
• You find yourself in the middle of the stairway, and you can't remember if you were downstairs going up or upstairs going down.

GEORGE CARLIN'S WISDOM - HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, or whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love: family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
8. whatever. Your home is your refuge.
9. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
10. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
11. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

MORE WORDS FROM MY favorite comedian - George Carlin

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're under 10, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, and now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

The greatest day of your life is when you turn 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony: YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

Now you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes. It's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You make it to 60. You didn't think you would!! So you become 21, turn 30, push 40, reach 50, and make it to 60. 

You've built up so much speed that you hit 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you hit Wednesday!

You get into your 80s, and every day is a complete cycle: You hit lunch, you hit 4:30 PM, and you reach bedtime. And it doesn't end there. 

Into the 90s, you start going backward; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. 

If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

Happy 46th Birthday to me!

Carry on my friends!

Gaiters flagged?

After frustration with REI gaiters at ST 100, I ordered some, but Google keeps tagging the post as inappropriate. The first name of the gaiter manufacturer is what happens when you play in the mud, and the second name is the opposite of boy, that is, girl.

I fell in love with several designs on the website and finally settled on three pairs. I need to learn to make a decision as to why I need three pairs. I consistently mail-order stuff to my office because it’s a sure way to get it instead of waiting outside a door or in a mailbox.

The administrative staff read the return address on the envelope, which read the words listed above. She logged into a tagged site and opened it with caution. Her co-worker told me she acted like it was the plague. She took one of the vibrant gators out of the pouch and walked back to my desk with a funny look, saying, “What are these?”

She held it like a soiled diaper. I asked why she had opened my mail. She and I got along great, so I didn’t care. She said I found it strange that I would order from the first two words listed above as it sounded like a place that sold inappropriate products that shouldn’t be shipped to the office.

I explained the company and the use of the product, but for the day, it was a laugh. I'm glad I have a sense of humor—at least, I think I do.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

PS: She thought they could be "decorative nut cup holders" until she saw there were two in a pack and was confused.