So Mack tried to help with a picture for my blog Wednesday



Unfortunately, you can't see the frozen eyebrows.

This was after a 5.5 mile run on Wednesday late afternoon. I seem to have acclimated to the cold weather. My times were down in the 8:15/mile range.

New snow had fallen on Tuesday. Just a dusting, but enough to slow me down as i couldn't see icy areas under the dusting. Of yes, ice was there and the occasional slide kept my stride a little tighter than normal.

Needless to say, running in shorts may be delayed for a few weeks. Gear for this month looks like; wicking mock turtle, heavy sweatshirt, running pants, heavy long socks, double insulated-gloves, scarf, ski-cap (with a face mask).

Official Marathon training begins Monday, finally, and the forecast is somewhere in the minus(es)---that's F not C for my Canadian friends---6 miles,....piece of cake

Vote for Mike '08, update....

As yet another previously war supporting demon-crat surfaces to announce his/her plans to campaign for president.... i wonder....

....Why...., in a world where named storms crash into the Neatherlands in the winter, ....or a massive tornado rips through Florida in February, ...and oil prices soar to an all-time high again after a year of record oil company profits....

...aren't the leaders of the demon-cratic party rally-ing, around the one politician who has been warning us of the dangers with global warming, and had the guts to call out BushCo on the truth behind Iraq and its costs in lives and the economy, and already won the presidential election once? ...until big money, i mean, oil money, pulled the biggest coup in history

Vote for Mike '08, unless Al Gore decides to run, or i can talk him into being my running mate.... The best VP to never shoot his friend in the face with birdshot...

Thanks for reading

Suburban Bliss

More on the link in a paragraph or two, but first the stats...

Ran 8 miles yesterday. It was cold. I was bundled up in a big hat that had the flap down to cover my face. It SUCKED. I guess compared to last year as a beginner runner running only 1-2 miles the snow was much easier. Now, the snow seems to cause calf strain, hamstring strain, quad strain. I feel like a first time runner all over again. On the one or two occasions when someone actually plowed their sidewalk I could get into my normal stride. But that may have cause more discomfort as I had to adjust again when I reached the 3" two-track for most of my running route.



OK, Suburban Bliss...Fun Guv's favorite blog to stalk. Written by the woman that coined the phrase "Momtini" (and lives in Royal Oak, MI) was on the Today Show on Friday to discuss whether or not it's ok for a mom to have a glass of wine while at a playdate with the kids.

Didja watch it? What'd you think? C'mon go watch it! (The Today show, not the YouTube video)

Now these are the social issues that Vote for Mike '08 is based on:

~since when is being a mom babysitting?
~why is it ok for dad to sit around and watch the game while watching the kids and have a beer or two and moms can't?
~why do we perpetuate a belief that drinking alcohol is taboo & wrong instead of teaching our children about drinking responsibly by having a few drinks in front of them? (this doesn't mean allowing your kids to drink with you in the house, that's a totally different subject)
~why are women so judgemental against each other? (this is why Hillary could never win, she's a woman ~ as far as we know ~ and she'd be catty against other women)
~why does our so called left-wing, liberal media (in this case the Today Show) perpetuate a belief that stay at home moms aren't entitled to the same lunch breaks & afternoon breaks that any other professional is? My point is the Today Show used a professional, working mother who obviously works outside the home and engages in adult conversation as a counterpoint to a work out of the home, full-time professional mommy. The playing field wasn't level ~ instead of apples to apples, they used apples to oranges.
~The Today Show used a public opinion poll on ivillage.com (what a piece of crap that is) to dictate their slant for the piece.
~The Today Show also used a professional speaker to debate a writer on live TV (not really a social issue, but not really fair, a speaker is always aware of their appearance and has experience in presenting their points....a writer (in this case a blogger) has the opportunity to edit and contemplate words before hitting the publish button ~which some bloggers actually do, not so much me) Fun Guv says I have to mention that Melissa (the blogger) did very well on the show considering she was ambushed. We really don't think she's the raging alcoholic they tried to make her out to be...for the record, her husband is a marathon runner, he's run the Detroit Free Press Marathon at least twice, ergo, fitting discussion for a running blog.

OK, so, not the complete platform, but just a general level playing field philosophy that Vote for Mike '08 is based on. Remember it's a grassroots effort, write in only. Spread the word.

More to come....

Not sure how the campaign structure will work as '08 was the year I was going to run the Canadian Death Race. Maybe this is just a distraction to avoid actually training for 125K uphill, across rivers, being chased by bears in the middle of the night.

Thanks for reading and for your vote.

"In Cold Blood"

Weird coincidence, but that's the only Capote book i've ever read. What does this have to do with my running blog? Not much, well not anything but it's a good read. Fun Guv and i just watched the movie, Capote.

Which is about the research and the changes that Truman Capote went through while researching and writing this book. i'm not trying to ruin the movie for anyone but it's not a feel good story if you haven't seen it.

Anyway, after my long run two weeks ago i took a little time away from running. Not a long time, but as marathon training starts in a few weeks, i figured it would be a good time to just work and hang with the kids. Scheduling for a family, work and training can be tough as we all know. So a week off, and i feel refreshed and ready to go.

Additionally, figuring into my running time was a recent read "Forever Peace" by Joe Haldeman.

"Forever War" is one of my favorite reads.

The Social Economic factors persued in Forever Peace seem almost prophetic when written 10 years ago. A world at war but not with individual countries, with terror cells. Many questions asked by Julian, the protaginist, are the same questions many people have today with our so called war on terror, conspiracy, etc...

It takes a little of Fiction out of the term Science Fiction.

The book also deals with a Doomsday, end of time, scenario. Which i find amusing as the End of Time clock folks have decided to move the doomsday clock forward two minutes. Mildly amusing as i read the book of fiction and learned that in reality, due to environmental issues and the expanding development of nuclear weapons, we now sit at 11:55 pm.

When i actually read the phrase "Mission Accomplished" in the book, again written 10 years ago.... i had to put it down and laugh....

Which brings me to yesterdays guest post my my bride, the fun guv. Cause she was tired of me not updating she gave a nudge to push me to a brain dump. And i am, cause if you are still reading, i'm getting to a point. ......i hope.

The time spent running has allowed me to spend a lot of time inside my head. So as i look at the democratic candidates for the next presidential election, i wonder....

why bother, they all now hate the war yet are unwilling to do anything to bring the troops home. Somebody please define "Victory" stop throwing the word around like it's a baseball game.

none are willing to take a stand with regards to illegal immigration, i don't believe any americans have lost jobs to unregistered immigrants, americans lose jobs to american companies sending their jobs across borders.

i live in a state with the 2nd highest unemployment 7.1% and growing as pfizer just announced 2500 Michigan jobs going away. Although they posted 12 billion in earnings.... And the unemployment doesn't count the automotive buyouts and the upcomming buyouts in the next 6 months.

i live in the highest foreclosure metropolitan area. Foreclosures tripled in Macomb County last year to 1 in 39 homes in the county, per Detroit Free Press 1/25/2007. Oakland County, 1 in 68, and Wayne (Detroit) 1 in 21.

With foreclosures, property values in Michigan have the largest decrease in the country for 2006.

[[: Property taxes keep going up, again causing more people to miss tax payments due to unemployment, causing more tax liens and more foreclosures, lowering values, :]]

So anyway....i've had it with the liars and cheats and big money and adulterers and the fleecing of the american way of life i have always cherished....

Vote for Mike '08 ( i think "i like mike" was a little old fashioned)

it'll be the biggest write-in in history.

i figure i can't do a worse job than anyone else.... (how's that for an honest campaign slogan?)

Vote for Mike '08

thanks for reading, and for your vote

Sounds like the start of one of those bad jokes....

A white man, a black man, a hispanic and a woman....

Except it's not a joke, it's what the Democratic primary ticket is going to look like.

Fun Guv here, sorry for Mike's prolonged absence. He says he's been really busy at work doing actual work stuff. He also said something about blogging not being what they pay him to do there ~ the nerve! He's been spending his few hours each evening going for a run and then spending some quality time with the kids either playing Uno Attack or Star Wars Legos II on the XBox with the over obsessed Star Wars geek, Jimmy.

I'll sit him down at the computer in the next day or so and make sure he updates. I know he's got a head full of things he wants to blog about ~ look out he may explode.

WARNING: Do not follow up a 12 mile run, in the cold, against the wind, uphill with Tequila.



Anyway, Saturday morning i had a business meeting at a local coffee shop. So afterwards i had a late Christmas Party and we had to drop the kids off at the in-laws.

Since the in-laws live 'bout 12 miles away, i had missed my normal 10 mile weekend run with a business meeting, and the weather was fairly ok, i went out for the run to the in-laws.

This really is the first time i ever ran anywhere. Usually i run a big circle or down and back but Saturday i ran to the in-laws.

They live about 12 miles away to the the west and north of us. Hey, guess where the wind was coming from that day? Yep, in my face the whole way.

Changes in elevation? Sure... up, up and away the entire time. What's a couple hundred feet spanned out over a few miles?

With my Garmin on one arm and MP3 on the other, out i went, in.... freakin' moron....shorts, wicking mock turtle, sweatshirt and ski cap.

Since i was able to stop the timer for stoplights and once to pee. Here's the rough stats:

11.70 miles, 1:32:ish, pace under 8:00 mi. Best mile #2 7:29 mi

Number of times i knocked the frozen sweat off my ski cap: 2
Bloody nipples: 2
Nipples bloody enough to soak thru mock turtle and sweatshirt: 1
Number of times people in gas station asked if i was out running when i stopped to pee: 2
Number of raw, frozen, nearly frostbit peni's from running in January in shorts: 1
Smiles on my face while running: 1, it lasted 11.70 miles

Anyway after thawing out. We went to the party, at which i found my taste for tequila. Since i knew some of the folks from bartending for them a week earlier, they figured give the guy, me, some stiff drinks.

Not a great idea. i think i may have been a little bit weakened from my hard run, cause 4 drinks later....it about 11:00 ish and well things get a little fuzzy.

Details are a little lost, but nights like this remind me of why i have such a great wife. She took great care of her, drink like i weigh 260 when my weight is now 200 lb husband.

So... Lesson for runners today; long runs and tequila....bad. Long runs and beer gooooood

thanks for reading

What can this be other than a reference to me being a Springsteen Fan?



Well it's a lot of things.

It's actually from the show at DTE, Pine Knob, from last summer. As i previously posted, so long ago, it was a great show. This tune ended the, prior to numerous encore, set.

A couple small tidbits for my marchingband alum "Fire UP Chips" friends. The tune should sound a bit familiar, albeit no dirty lyrics. Then, check out the horn section. Wow!!!

Also this tune reminds me of past posts to the blog. So right before the marathon i posted thanks to people who had influenced my decision to run a marathon.

Lo and behold a few weeks ago, i receive an email from.....Marc St Angelo....an old college roommate.

See, Tange and i lived together for a couple years in the late great Tate Hall. Since it's been torn down and is a parking lot. Tange was a runner, and really i feel bad for giving him grief for running so slow in his first marathon, The Freep, in Detroit. He finished under 3 hrs. i could have drove it is less. doh, look i wasn't a runner then, sorry.

Anyway, Tange googled his name and, again, Lo and behold, this blog pops up. So i get an email and Tange, after not running for 15 years, just ran the MCM in the DeeCee and finished about 3:55 ish, good for him. Again reminding me of the time lost with my little poop break.

So once again, my tens of readers out there, i'm finding new reasons to keep looking forward while not completely forgetting the past.

Hopefully, soon i'll get back to posting about running. It's finally getting to feel like winter around here. i had to ditch shorts for Monday nights quick 4 miler, 31:19.

Damn you Garmin!!!! Every run isn't meant to be a PR!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading,

oh and don't you just love the hat that MacKenzie made me to run in, in the cold??? Who wants one???

2007 goals...

As the new year is here, i thought i would put some goals for the new year:

Be a good husband, so far this is a fairly easy one....
Be a good father
Be a good friend
Be committed to my career

live to see 2008, not that anything is a current health problem, but still a good idea for a long term goal.

keep running
cross train a little more, or just any cross train....

finish the Bayshore in a little better time than Chi 06
finish Chicago 07, yep registered for this yesterday, a little better time than the Bayshore

Get home from bartending one night and go running at 2:00 am. Just to feel like an ultra-marathoner for a moment.

Think a lot about running this....click me, then wise up, maybe 2008

Of course, i'd like to set PR's for every race and continue to see my times decrease but mostly i just want to keep enjoying running.

At least start a 5k with the Fun Guv, and finish ahead of her so i can cheer her on at the finish.

start and finish a 5k with the Fun Guv, cause that gets her running another race.

thanks for reading