4-9-14

Finally  a nice day (60 deg) and no conflict, so the runners were out at lunch time. We did our favorite 3 mile interval. It's on a highway access road and some reclaimed mine lands behind our plant. Lollypop type route. We walk about the first 3/4 mile to the top of a very steep hill, then run the majority of the rest of the route. Lots of wildlife (turkeys, hawks, deer, snakes etc). And today, first day out this year, the sun and fresh air felt great. Our time was 41:56, about 2 minutes slower than our better times last fall, but not bad considering. We all enjoyed it and felt good. One of us sported a new Garman workout management device, recording damn near everything about it. Check out the link below. I  don't personally think I need the data, but it is pretty interesting.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477192497#.U0bPNEmydxE.email

4-9-14

Yoga for lunch. Consecutive sessions where down dog was restful rather than painful as in all prior attempts. Finally got to the top of my head in the bridge pose. Also was halfway successful in my first try at side crow. Just need a little more  rotational flex to seat it well. Generally enjoying the experience and happy with my progress.

A wonderful tribute

Went to Philly this weekend to a 30th anniversary celebration of our long time friend Charlie Kennedy's swim coach tenure at Suburban Swim Club. My wife grew up swimming with him and I have known him for 35 years. He was a double major Phi Beta Kappa grad of U of Iowa, while swimming. He is an accomplished musician. He says he received a calling to be  swim coach. He has been underpaid and seemingly under-appreciated for all these years. Last night however he was feted by the friends he swam with and several generations of swimmers. The  cool thing was the  unintentional common theme that the 6 or 7 speakers brought out about him. That is that, while he is a great swim coach, swimming is only the vehicle that he uses to help his kids become better people. The final speaker was Brendan Hansen, 3 time Olympic team captain and holder of 7  medals. He credited Charlie with keeping him in swimming when he wanted to quit after failing to make the 2000 team as a high schooler by .02 seconds in 2 different events. Charlie told him that it isn't how you react to success that defines your life, but how you react to failure and disappointment. Brendan says that this thought is the key motivator in his life, as well as his subsequent swimming success. The club named the pool after him and made a nice contribution to his underfunded retirement fund. The coolest thing was that his parents were there to feel the warmth. His Dad, who is an alzheimers sufferer had a lucid night, completely got what was happening and broke down from his joy several times (as most of us did). And when someone said that he must feel really good about it, answered that, oh no, this is about Charlie, not me.

Charlie is the closest thing I know to pure good. Last night  I learned that many others believe that too, and Charlie, as humble a guy as anyone on earth, can't deny it any longer. What a cool night.

4-3-14

Yoga today. Usual struggles with certain stretches and most balance poses. But, for the first time Down Dog felt comfortable and something like a resting position. That's progress, I think.

4-1-14

Yoga for lunch. The positive effects of the class are spreading. We had 7 folks plus the instructor, about all the room can handle. First time in two weeks for me due to my illness, but I felt pretty good. Still have a long way to go on hip and hamstring flexibility and balance. Something to shoot for.

3-31-14

Missed work today to go to a funeral about 2 hours away. Got home at 5pm with the sun out and a comfortable 55 degrees. So, Tate and I ran a 3 mile interval around our neighborhood. Started out with wet feet since the lake's spillway is ripping and our stepping stones were submerged, but that was a minor bother. Ran the downhills and flats, walked most of the uphills, but generally  felt pretty good. ET 42 minutes. And the great finish happened when Tate's best pal Boomer was outside waiting for him. They finished the run with a vigorous wrestling match, definitely earning their biscuits. Setting a goal of getting the time down to 36 minutes by Halloween.