Greetings from Siberia

Being from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, I always thought we had the best weather overall. In the summer, it gets hot but not as hot as some places in the country. And, in the winter, it gets cold and snowy but certainly not as cold and snowy in places like New England, that's for sure. Well, this winter has been just a little bit different than most.

As it has been explained to us by numerous weather people, massive amounts of cold air from Canada has made it's way South and the same time that massive amount of precipitation coming from the Gulf of Mexico is making it's way North. And, funny enough, it is meeting in the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC area. Not once. Not twice. But three-four times. So, as the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have been crying they don't have enough snow, well, come and take it fellas because there is plenty more where that came from.

Philadelphia, on average, gets about 20 inches of snow per season. This year, Philadelphia, so far, got 70 inches of snow. So, if you live in the Sierra Nevadas you are probably asking what's the big deal? But, around here, well, we just aren't made for these conditions. Two Saturdays ago, we got hit hard with a storm. Which would have been ok if we weren't hit hard last Wednesday with another storm. Which would have been ok if it just melted!!!!! But, the temperatures haven't gone above freezing that much and it just lingers. (The picture above is my sideyard with a path. I had to create that path to get to my backyard. Else, I would have waded in snow knee-deep. For a 6'3" guy.)

Because of all the snow removal operations I have incurred and the craziness of my recent work schedule, running has almost been non-existent for me in the past few weeks, almost for most of the new year. I had great intentions coming in to 2010 but it faded away a bit. I have done some cross-training with racquetball and swimming but I know my cardio won't be there for the start of the Bucks 5k Spring Series, therefore, I will most likely delay the start of my season until April sometime.

And, on top of that, I may need to be a little choosier in the races I run this year. As most people, money is becoming a bit tight. For the past two years, I have averaged about 14 events per year. But, this year, I may have to re-think doing that many. It will be a hard pill to swallow but the money for the entry fees will be needed elsewhere this year. But, on the other hand, each event will have more meaning.

Around here, there are glimmers of spring coming. Reports that Phillies pitchers and catchers are reporting to Florida. Baseball = warm weather. Temps are starting to climb into the 40's (F) for day time highs. Nights, though still chilly, are not being measured by the wind chill factor. And, March is just around the corner.

In the meantime, just in case, I am teaching my dogs how to pull a sled. What does 'mush' mean anyway?

(Notes: If you have been following the winter Olympics on television or are a big fan of the Olympics in general, check out the blog Nicole's 2010 Games. Nicole is a blogger I regularly read and she happens to live in Vancouver. The blog is her take of the Olympics from a native's point of view. I've really enjoyed reading it over the past few weeks. )

A Hall of Famer

I often kid with people that I peaked, in my professional life, at 21. Since, then it's been downhill. Don't believe me? How many people do you know worked for a coach who would eventually win a NCAA Division 1 basketball title (Rick Pitino) and work with someone who was a few electoral votes shy of being President of the United States (John Kerry)? Well, you can add worked with someone who has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame to that list.

Earlier this month, Jon Miller was selected the recipient of the 2010 Ford C. Frick Award and will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. (click here for the story). And, I worked with Jon when I was first out of college at a radio station called WITS.

At the time, Jon was the Boston Red Sox radio play-by-play announcer along with Ken Coleman. WITS was the flagship station for the Red Sox and even had their studios in the Fenway Park complex. I was the producer/board operator for the Boston Red Sox at the time. What was my job? I was the guy who played the commercials, jingles, top of the hour IDs, and sitting in the studio during the ballgame. It was a fun job, especially for a kid straight out of college.

In 1981, the unthinkable happened. Baseball went on strike. No one could believe baseball would ruin the summer for millions of people. There would be no sitting outside on a summer's night listening to a baseball game on the radio. The people in the Boston area were depressed. So, WITS came up with an idea to give the audience their baseball 'fix'.

While the strike went on, Jon Miller 'broadcasted' Red Sox Strat-o-Matic baseball games. So, Jon would play the simulated game first, write down the results inning-by-inning, and then go into the studio to record the 'game'. My job, in working with Jon, was to set up the studio for him to use and help where I could (like play the commericals). It was a wild and crazy idea but amusing to be part of it. Some people loved it, some hated it but Red Sox nation got it's 'fix' of baseball until the strike was over. Click here to hear Jon Miller describe those times in an NPR interview.

Of course, Jon has gone on to bigger and better things as he did play-by-play for the Baltimore Orioles, now with the San Francisco Giants, and ESPN's Sunday Night baseball game. I know Jon will never read this but congratulations, Jon. It is well deserved.

(Notes: This past weekend, the Philadelphia area got socked by a major snowstorm. Philadelphia got 28.5 inches. Bucks County (north of Philadelphia where I live) received about 18 inches or so. Well, tomorrow we are expecting another round of snow with the same amount predicted. If it happens, it will be the snowiest winter in the area's history. I guess the little groundhog was right when he saw his shadow. )

Turn It Off

Winter, for me, is usually the time for maintaining (somewhat) my endurance. I don't have any particular races in mind but will try things as they come up. Long story short, I'm very boring in the winter as far as running stories or insights or whatever you want to call these blog entries. So, I turn to subjects that are not necessarily related to running but still on my mind nonetheless. Here goes...

I have my political views like everyone else. Don't necessarily like to talk about them mainly because I don't like political arguments. They get too heated for me, sometimes, and I doubt you will change anyone's mind in dealing in political debate. And, as a card-carrying member of AARP, the slogan we follow is, 'well, it was never like that before in my day...'.

Well, it probably was. I like reading about history, especially about early American history. If you think politicians are nasty today, read up on what Andrew Jackson had to endure in the presidential elections he was involved in. But, I digress.

But, it is hard not to notice the mood of the country and how politics is about making the other party look bad and not about finding ways to help the country. Sticking to your principles is the 'right' thing to do, compromising is a sign of weakness. Or, so it seems.

And, why has it come about like this? I could easily say it's the media. But, I don't believe that to be true, not for a minute. Those shows, strictly delivering news, are not the problem. Those channels that have to deliver 'stuff' 24 hours a day, 7 days a week are to blame. They need to have content. They need to have provacitive hosts/hostesses/topics/opinions to draw people in so their audience numbers can go up and they can charge more to advertisers. Nothing wrong with that. But, I think people can get lull into watching these shows, get mad about the topic, and wind up not thinking it through for themselves.

And, it doesn't matter if it's Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Keith Obermann or Rachel Maddow. They all do it. To get your attention. Not to make you think. But, for you to watch more. And, get angry about how 'stupid' the other side is. Well, no more for me.

The DNA of every American male is wired to flip channels in the course of a night. Jerry Seinfeld had a great line that males don't care what's on, they care what ELSE is on. So, I am guilty as anyone in flipping through the channels. And, stop and watch Glenn, Bill, Keith, Rachel, etc. to see what they have to say. And, get angry. Because I can't believe people don't see the wisdom of 'our' side.

But, I made a New Year's Resolution this year to myself. As I flip through the channels (see above, I'm not STOPPING that. That would be impossible. It's part of my genetic makeup) I will not watch News Opinion shows. Why? Because it's not news. Never was. Never will be. It's noise. Plain and simple. And, listening to noise can scare people. But, if you don't listen to the noise anymore, it won't scare you half as much. You can read the facts and form opinions for yourself. You don't need people yelling at you saying, 'I'm right and they are plain wrong.'

And, something else happens. Your blood pressure goes down. And, you feel better about yourself. And, you are not as stressed as before. And, you begin to see both sides of the argument. And, you can see a way forward for this country, this world if only people would be willing to compromise.

So, I'm turning them off. No more. I will not listen to their opinions because it is purely entertainment. They are there to provoke. They are there to fill dead air. They are there to make money. Pure and simple. Nothing wrong with that. But, they do not have a vested interest in making this country, this world a better place to live. And, they will not tell me how I should think. It's only been a month since I've made this committment to myself. And, already I feel much better for doing so.

Wish It Could Be Different

Short blog this week. Family and work demands are taking priority at the moment.

I've been blogging now for almost three years. (Yikes!) And, it is a way to keep the creative juices flowing and have a bit of fun with it. I don't go into too controversial topics and keep it as light as possible. I don't have a lot of visitors but, hey, the ones I do have I consider friends even if we never met.

But....

Recently, I was getting some anonymous postings in my comments section that had nothing to do with the topic of the day. I didn't think anything of it at the time and thought it was random. However, it was happening more frequently. Nothing offensive, mind you, but just annoying.

Well, it wasn't going away. And, the anonymous postings (bordering on advertising) were continuing to be posted. But, I was resistent in putting up security.

Well, the time has come that, my bit of fun has got to be more secured. And, I hate the fact that I have to do it. And, the fact there are people out there that will do stuff like this. But, that is the reality in this digital world.

The change is not earth shattering. I am reviewing comments before they are posted. Not that big of a deal. But, again, the fact that I feel I have to do this to protect the integrity of the blog bugs me to no end.

I am hoping this doesn't dissuade you from posting comments. I love comments. Wish I can get more. Just another day in cyberspace.

(Notes: Sunday a week ago, I was going to participate in the 8 mile BCRR Winter Series. Except, when I got out of bed, I couldn't walk 8 feet. My back tightened up and I could barely walk. Took me awhile but it's starting to come around again. I went for a four mile walk/run over the weekend and that seemed to have stretched it out a bit. Congrats go out to my dog, Ellie Mae, as she has recently won her championship. It was a big deal in my family.
RIP--Adam Cartwright a/k/a Pernell Roberts. Bonanza was one of mine (and my Dad's) favorite shows.)

The End of an Era

If you look at the pictures below, it's pretty non-descript. In a town that is pretty non-descript. It was built in the 1950's to withstand nuclear attack from the Russians. And, I remember signs posted outside the building saying it was a Fallout Shelter. It will not be missed by the world in general. But the 50 some-odd classes that have graduated from there, it was the center of their world. Yesterday, I found out that, St. John of the Cross in Roslyn, PA, where I went to school from grade 1-8 will be closing its doors this June. And, I will be very sad to see it go.

But, not surprisingly, the world has changed since I was in grade school. Back when I started first grade, we had 40 kids per class and three classes in our grade. And, that was the same for all 8 grades. There were, about 1000 kids in the school, in any particular year. Now? There are about 100+ kids in the entire school.

Back in the 1950/60s, families were moving out of Philadelphia and moving to towns such as Roslyn and the surrounding area. I didn't live in Roslyn and was considered to be 'living in the sticks' because we had a dirt road and the mailbox was up the street from us. I only lived maybe a 1/2 mile away from the school. But, today, the area has changed. Families are moving further away from Philadelphia (and Roslyn) and new schools are being built there. Schools, such as St. John's, have to try to compete with new public schools being built in the area. We are starting to see consolidation of venerable parochial high schools in Philadelphia that were some of the largest in the country. So, closing St. John's comes as no surprise to any of us.

As I grow older, more and more I try to cling to what was familar to me. Though, there is less and less to cling to. The house I grew up in is still there but you would never recognize it anymore. I once showed a picture of how it looks today to my parents and said I was interested in buying it and what did they think? It took them awhile to notice it was the house they raised their kids in. My grandparents' house in western Pennsylvania was torn down and a new house was built. And, now, my old school is being shut down.

Going to school at St. John's, being part of that parish, being from that area, was the last time I ever felt a sense of community in my life. I have tried, and in reality, do have some sense of community with runners in the Doylestown area. But, back then, what parish you belong to was part of your identity. Our school was revered (feared?) in our athletic programs. Even through high school, you were partially identified by what parish you came from. I'm not sure if it's the same today.

I am sad this day has come though not surprised. The pictures below were only from a few years ago. To me, it looks like the same desks, the same clothes closet, the same blackboards, etc. that I used when I went there (and probably were). I'm hoping over the next few months, there will be some reunions and open houses of the old school. I'm hoping that, somehow, it can remain open as part of the community in the future. I keep thinking how many families sent all of their kids to get an education here. But, no longer. Not after this year. The times they are a-changin'.

(When I was a kid, these hallways looked huge. Back then, it was where I went to first, second and third grade.)

(I'm pretty sure this was my fourth grade class. Except for the positioning of the desks (which would have been facing me), it looks much the same as it did then.)

(Notes: I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my buddy, SteveRunner, who is celebrating, probably something like his 85th birthday or thereabouts this Tuesday. I can' t say for certain he is celebrating his 85th birthday but I'm only guessing by his appearance. Geez, life has been tough on this poor guy. Happy Birthday, Steve. See you in Falmouth!!!!)

My introduction to the BCRR Winter Series

It will fun. Seriously, we all have a good time. And what better way to stay in shape over the winter?

For years, this is what I've heard from my fellow Blue Dawgs about the Bucks County Roadrunners Winter Series. And, for years, I've been meaning to go over to Tyler Park and run in a few of their events. But, as the series progressed and the weekends went by and my Sundays were taken up by other things that came up, I never had a chance to do it. Until this past Sunday.

When I woke up on Sunday, I began to read an article in the newspaper about how this is the coldest winter in the US in over 25 years. I turned on the TV to watch the morning news and they talked about how this day was the coldest so far this winter. And, now I know why the Dawgs are Blue. Because it was freakin' cold out!!!! My wife asked me, 'is it safe to run in this cold?' I dunno. I assume people from other parts of the world that were colder ran outside as well. I didn't think I was going to be the only one there. Plus, this was a test of whether it was better to run in the extreme cold or extreme heat.

I left my house around 8:00a for a 9:30a race. My car therometer said it was 16 degrees (F) outside. Damn, that's cold. Now, I have to tell you upfront. This race is equivalent to baseball's spring training for me. I was running to keep in shape for the spring. So, anyone (Chief) who happened to have beaten me (Chief) in this 'race' (Chief), doesn't really count. It would be like Detroit Tigers beating the Phillies in March in Florida. Yes, it happened but who remembers those games (Chief)?

I didn't know the layout of the land so wanted to make sure I had plenty of time in case I got lost. I arrived much earlier than expected and was one of the first to sign in. I have to admit, it was the first time I saw an open fire for warmth in a race. And, in truth, it felt good.

Now, on our Wednesday night Blue Dawgs run, we run a fairly hilly course. All through the years, I heard from the Winter Series runners that, these hills on Wednesday night are nothing compared to the Tyler Park. So, I was expecting the worse.

The race on Sunday was a 5.3 miler. And, apparently, needed to be altered a bit to avoid some snow still on the original course. But, not knowing the course at all, I wasn't aware of these changes and how or if it was going to affect me.

The race starts uphill. My old rival, Chief White, (Chief, I wanted to emphasize OLD here but I won't . This is my birthday present to you) and I were running side by side. Chief was saying how out of shape he was. Really? I kept this little nugget of information in the back of my mind. I got to the top of the hill first and didn't think it was that bad. And, in truth, for the first 4 miles or so of the race, didn't find the hills to be too bad at all. And, all this time, Chief and I were running, if not next to each other, certainly within striking distance of each other. Until....

I should have been tipped off when Chief said, 'We're not running Dairy Hill, are we?' But, it hadn't been that bad up to this point? I was in front of Chief going down the hill. Can't say the same going up. I was having problems WALKING up this freakin' hill (tip of my hat to Kelly for the adjective describing hills in general) let alone running up it. Chief just plowed through and got up the hill a lot sooner than I could. He's out of shape?

From that point in the race, it was literally all downhill. Chief was probably 15 seconds in front of me at the top of Dairy Hill. Oh, I could have probably caught up with him and made it into a REAL race. (Cough, cough). But, why humble the guy? I mean his birthday was coming up and it wasn't a REAL race in my eyes anyway. Why spoil his fun?

I did the 5.3 miles in about 49:10. I was pleased with that considering the freakin' cold and the freakin' hills and I hadn't really run a whole lot since my San Francisco race. And, in the end, having a chocolate covered donut (or two) with some hot apple cider did seem to ease the pain in my legs and my shivering body. Some people at work asked me how did I stand the cold? The answer: I didn't think about it and what I was doing. I just did it. Because, if I took the time to think about it, I would have realized that people don't generally do this type of activity in 16 degrees (F) weather.

This Sunday's race is an 8 miler. I am repenting for my sins of over indulgence over the holidays and the fact I gained a little weight. If it's not raining (much rather run in the cold than the rain), I should be out there. Fun? You betcha!!! And, by the way, it is easier to run in the extreme cold than the extreme heat. Harder to start. But, easier to run.

Goals for the Year 2010!

Let's see. First, my home computer blue screened and is knocking on virtual heaven's door. Soon after, joined by the dishwasher. Then car goes in for state inspection and, viola, $800 later passes inspection. Finally, the final day of the year, my father goes into the hospital with pneumonia. Whew!!! As much as I have enjoyed 2009, I was glad to see 2010 arrive as it can only get better from here. Right?

So, this is the time and place that I announce to the world my plans for 2010. Well, here's the problem (and why it has taken me so long to post this, besides the lack of computer. Yes, this is borrowed for the moment.) I don't have goals this year of a fanfare. Not after last year. Looking back on my post for goals in 2009, I was pretty focused on what I was going to do. This year, well, not so much. But, here goes (in no particular order).

I will tri, tri again. I plan on making triathlons part of my schedule for the year going forward. In truth, I enjoyed doing that (and training for that) more than I do marathon training. I'm back in the pool on Friday. And, what I want to achieve is to learn how to breathe from both sides. I want to tackle this lightheadedness I get when getting out of a pool (or lake). I think I was so overwhelmed by information and instruction given to me last year that I didn't have time to think about it. I just did it and hoped for the best. I needed to get in shape for the swim and didn't matter how I did it. Well, I have some time now to try different things. I'm not in a rush at the moment and don't have to do 50 laps on Friday. I want to get more comfortable and breathe better.

I also am planning on getting my own bike in March. I want to thank Mitch from the Blue Dawgs for lending me a bike last year. And, in truth, I have been bitten by the tri bug and am willing to make the (financial) committment to getting something for myself. I also want to thank my wife who, about 10 years ago, bought me a mountain bike that I used for a year before I started running. I tried riding it to use for the tri but, there is a big difference. It was a Christmas present and I hate to not use it but.....

As it stands now, I want to do Lake Lenape again and stretch myself a bit and, maybe, do an Olympic tri. Beyond that, it will be based on how my vacation and everything else falls into place. But, I don't want the tri of last year to be just a one night fling.

Winter running--Last year, at this time, I was coming off an Achillies problem. And, because of that, I was an admitted slug coming back from the injury. This year, I want to run throughout the winter. I am looking forward to the Wednesday runs with the Blue Dawgs. I want to run some of the races in Tyler Park in Bucks County, PA on Sunday mornings and tackle those hills I keep hearing about. I want to run in Ambler, PA at the Frostbite 5 miler in February. And, I am willing to take all the lumps that come with it as I just started running again, as of yesterday, having taken a month off. I am hoping when the Bucks County 5k Spring Series starts up at the end of March, it will not be a warmup but something I can beat Eric and Chief in. :-)

Falmouth?--For the past two years, one of the goals was to beat Steve at Falmouth and to make sure I was prepared to do so. This year? I'm not sure if I will be doing Falmouth. It's not that I don't want to but I might not take two running trips this year and save my running weekend with Steve for the fall. If you are a sports fan, you know how difficult it is for teams to repeat their accomplishments from the previous year if they have won. Well, last year in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, I proved to myself that my previous one victory over Steve wasn't a fluke and I can do it occasionally. So, to be honest, I'm not as 'hungry' this year to beat him. Not that I won't try but the best way to describe it is that it won't be my focus this year.

Same old, same old--Bucks County 5k Spring Series, Broad Street, PDR (Rock n Roll Half is what they are calling it now), etc., etc., etc. Don't plan on doing anything 'wild' this year. No planned races in faraway distance lands. Except in fall. And, even then, I have a feeling it's going to be fairly local. (I have my eye on Freedom's Run in October but that's only a three hour drive from my house). But, I do want to be more competitive this first half of the year than I was last year.

The blog--I almost quit a few times last year. Changes in my life were making things more difficult to post on a weekly basis. And, in truth, life, in general, had me a comin' and a goin'. And, I saw some of my blog comrades fall by the wayside for various reasons. I was sad to see this as did follow the ups and downs of their lives and felt I was losing friends along the way. But, in most cases, they came back in a different form one way or the other and lived to see another day.

Those changes in my life haven't changed. And, I will be a comin' and a goin' more and more this year. But, as the saying goes, 'when a door closes, another opens'. So, yes, my lack of a home computer at the moment is annoying. But, luckily, I was able to save documents and pictures from it. And, I have a new one on the way. With a webcam. And, picture and video editing software. Hmmm? I don't like giving pearls of wisdom on camera so don't expect to see that. But, I can edit 'Places I Run' into one video so I'm not just showing you a 30 second clip of a start/finish of a run, race, walk, whatever. So, my postings maybe more visual than in the past.

That's it. 2010 is starting to look up for me already. We are all in this together. Support and encourage the people that mean the most to you. Hope everyone meets their goals for the new year.