Two of the commandments in the Book of Dan are directly related to running with someone, i.e. being a 'wingman';  If you say "Let's run this race together" then you must stay with that person no matter how slow." (Next) "Think twice before agreeing to run a race with somebody." What happens if you're are feeling great and your 'wingman', your running partner not so much? Or you're 7 or 8 miles into a Half Marathon and your partner is the fire hydrant and you are the 'Dog'....what happens? Micki and I have a deal, if one of us says, "Go on" 3 times, the 3rd time...go! Speaking for myself, when I have a bad run I don't want to hold someone else back. Don't get me wrong, I love the company, but when I feel like I'm holding someone back...and face it, when the wheels come off the wagon even a barrel of monkeys is not fun to be around, me? I'm kinda grouchy! Shocking, I know. It's different if you commit and you know the person you offered to run with is slower than you; to not stay with them is worse than welshing on a bet. Suck it up and stick it out. If your wingman lets you go and you take off, then no matter how you finish you need to go back out and run your partner in. Bring him home, if you were in Sparta you would be the shield. I know when I have a bad race - and seriously, what's worse than feeling like 'poo' at mile 18 and knowing, Dear Gussie! There's 8.2 miles of this torture left! I'm about as much fun as a love sick porcupine! Please go on! Bottom line: If you're the 'suffering partner', then set your partner free! If you're Dr. Feelgood, then you must have your wingman's blessing to leave, remember, you committed! If you committed and you knew from the 'get go' the other person was slower than yo,u or this was a new distance for them, You cannot go! Like the old TV show, "Branded'...story of the man who ran....Scarlet Letter! Think twice before offering, know the circumstances, then remember them, and stick with them, bring them 'home'! It will be one of the best things you've ever done. If you participate in races long enough, one day someone will be your 'shield', your 'angel...a person that maybe a friend or a total stranger who shows up at a point in the race where you needed someone most, and they brought you home. Their presence, conversation, pace, encouragement...whatever it was, gave you the power to finish. I think I'd rather be that 'angel' than have a PR, but that's just me.

"Races aren't just for those who run fast; fast or slow it is the same finish line!"

A little perspective - most everyone knows by know that Patrick Makau set a new WR (2:03:38) in the men's marathon in Berlin. That's :21 seconds faster than the previous WR - It's also 4:43 per mile average for 26 miles 385 yards!! A 4:43 mile....I can't even do that for ONE mile, much less 26 of 'em! And for you smart alecs out there...yes, I can do that for 1/2 mile, so cool your jets.

While we're at it, my .02, I don't care if a woman is paced by a man or eight tiny reindeer, if they cover the distance, they deserve the record. A 5:13 mile is a 5:13 mile! Heck I'd be happy with a 6:13 pace for the marathon, or a 7:13...okay, okay...an 8:13, right now! Regardless of the 'pacer', it's still 26.2 miles...everytime, thanks to the Queen of England. 

Last week I got a butt whuppin! I ran with Kelly who's training for her first Half-Marathon. She had told me how 'slow' she was running in her training runs, so I'm thinking,  "Okay, I'm still coming back, I can hang with that." We started out ok for the first 90 feet then the next thing I know we're on pace for the state record in the 4 mile loop! As we finished I didn't see anything but her heels aand elbows. I must say she has a wonderfully natural stride natural stride. That (her stride) was the last thing I remember before I went in to Western Supermarket demanding a sausage and biscuit, I think I was delerious. I'm always excited to see someone run so well! After the EMT's got through resuscitating me, I actually felt pretty good about my run as well. Kelly had been shall we say inconsistent in her running heretofore, maybe because of a few nagging pains, so we addressed those and now she's just a few weeks away from her goal of a Half Marathon. The following Sunday I ran with Sara for about 8 miles. I actually remember her first 2 mile run and now? Wow, she was smooth and strong and gracious enough to 'hold back' to save me the embarassment of having to call a cab. It's embarassing when the EMT's know you by name. I thought I was going out to 'play' and I got smoked...twice! You know what, it was FUN!!!

It doesn't always have to be about being fast; sometimes it's about having fun...it's about playing! Listen, if kids (and runner's) want to go out and play, I think it's great. You don't always have to be 'training', sometimes the best 'goal' for a run is to have no 'goal'. Oftentimes to me it's like being a kid again, I'm not going out to run...I'm going out to play! For all those who use to suggest that I go play in the streets...I DO!! And it's fun! I sweat, I gasp, I'm sore, I'm happy, and I'm free! Whether I'm chasing Kelly and Sara down the street or running along with Micki squeezing in some time together or exploring new neighborhoods by myself. I get to play with friends who encourage me, laugh with me (and at me), that wait on me, challenge me and converse with me...I like this world and I wish we could get more kids in it and adults too. As Louis Armstrong said, "It's a wonderful world......oh yeaaah!"

"Growing old ain't for sissies." Actually, 'sissy' wasn't the word he used, but still you get the drift. While a lot of my athlete's and running buddies are out running 15 - 20 miles I'm sitting here thrilled that I ran 10 yesterday. Longest run since June 11 and 9 of those 10 were great! The last one was a bit of a 'tester', but for an old goat I was pretty happy. We ran the first 6 miles or so of Rubens race (if Ruben were running it...that's all I'm saying, so there.) and had a ball. The weather was terrific as was the group, as it always is. It (bu 'it' I mean my pace) was slow, but that was by design. It looks bad for a running coach to curl up on the side of the road crying, "I can't do this." In the Miller Lite world it would be 'unmanly'...are those the stupidest commercils EVER? What fool gets some nameless, tasteless beer saying, "I don't care what it taste like? Of course the other fallacy isa saying that Miller Lite has "more taste." More taste than what, pray tell? Gurk! I digress....crying on the side of teh road would be, uh, unmanly.  So I kept it under control, nothing crazy, covered the distance and took a big step towards getting my mojo back. I must confess that I thought I would be further along than I am, however I keep getting reminded by my well meaning friends, "Danny, you're not as young as you once were." Well, yeah, but doesn't being immature count for anything? I'm telling ya, it ain't for sissies!  I know most Auburn fans missed Dabo's post game comments, but one thing he said was quite true. "I told my players they had greatness in them, but you have to make the decision to be great! Combine that with the 3 word prefix, Just for today....Just for today, I will be great. Each day, being 'great' simply means, in it's simplest term, doing the best you can do. Don't worry about tomorrow - run the run you had planned for today. Do todays errands, today...If you're training for 'that' race, do your intervals, hill, short run...whatever, today. Just be great one day at a time and soon enough you'll find it coming pretty natural. Skip the bad food, today. Eat smart, today. One step at a time, one day at a time exercise your best case mindset.....make the decision to be great, today.

I've heard it said that, "The power in any relationship lies with whomever cares least."  It was also noted that 'power' isn't happiness, or love, or passion. Which leads me to a question, what good is 'passion' if you really don't have someone to share it with, or others to inspire them with that passion? When you believe to your very core that something is 'good' or 'right', yet your immediate environment surrounds you with apathy. I wish I had an answer; actually I wish I had a beer. Sort of like Lt. Daniel Caffee (Tom Cruise) A Few Good Men, "Where's my bat, I think better with my bat." Well, I think a lot better with a beer, even 'more better' with several. Several really nice runs this week, the weather does help. I'm not so sure that it's the cooler weather as much as that there's a change. In the winter when we're all tired of freezing our cajones off (figuratively speaking for the female population), when a warm day or 2 comes around we're all just swooning, talking about how great it feels to wear 'short sleeves'.  It is more pleasant, but I think that the 'change', the 'something different' helps push us out the door.  "There is no passion to be found in playing 'small' or in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Nelson Mandela

there's an old saying, "Yesterday is gone, there's nothing you can do to change it. Tomorrow is in the future, there is nothing you can do about it. Today is a gift, that's why it's called 'the present'. I've seen many postings about 9/11, and virtually all are worthy. I remember where I was and being in the financial industry at the time I knew 'of ' some of those killed. I know it was horrible. I can't imagine the terror and often wonder if I could ever have 1/3 the heroism when required. I do know that it reminds me again that all I have is today. I can eat right, work out, be nice and still if someone from the lunatic fringe decides to run me down or blow me up there is not only nothing I can do about it, but it will happen unexpectedly. What then? What regrets might I have? what things did I not do that I wish I had done? Will I move into the after life wishing I had told more people I loved them? Mercedes Lackey once said,  "If only", "quite possibly the two saddest words in the world." Oscar Wilde once said, "One's real life is often the life that one does NOT lead." There's a lot that's meaningful about 9/11, but what we can do is have 'No regrets'....hug your kids, kiss your spouse, kiss them again, longer. Cut off that poisonous relationship, hate that job? Start looking (p.s. rule 1 - never quit a job till you have another lined up...just sayin). Make the call, sign up for that 5K, 10K ,Half, or Marathon, or Tough Mudder or whatever in the hell it is. Don't let someone else take something away from you, ever. And lastly, give flowers to the living. I've said this before, flowers on a grave don't mean squat. IF you have a dear friend or loved one, you don't have to tell them you love them 100 times a day - but if they look nice, tell 'em. If they're smart, tell 'em. It they help you, thank 'em. In the play The Curious Savage, MrsSavage says that's how she knew her husband loved her when he told her, "You have a nice seat" and to "take an umbrella, it's raining. He said because he cared."  'Flowers' don't have to come from the earth, they can be verbal or physical, yes, I'm speaking of 'metaphorical' flowers....Give flowers to the living. Back to running, I'm officially boycotting Chik-Fil-A for 1 month. I ran (literally) by the new 5 Points location and heck I didn't even know they were opening. There the cow was, he saw me coming and when I tried to High 5 (high 'hoof'?) him...wait,cows are girls right? Well this one didn't have any...er...well..okay...anyway stupid cow just pulled his 'hoof' back. I wasn't even sweaty, well not really. I was insulted - had a hamburger for lunch that day too! Ran again yesterday and today and like everyone else reveled in what 40 degrees cooler feels like. The fitness is still coming, I'd been pretty excited till yesterday when I ran up Hollywood from Mt. Brook Village to 280. I made it, non-stop, but my chest swelled up so much me trying to breath and all that, my drawers almost fell off. Nonetheless, it's so much better doing than wishing I was doing.

And just like that *finger snap*! We go from 90+ degrees to a low in the mid-50's! We had scheduled the 'Challenge Run' (a run mixed in with squats,lunges, skips, bear crawls and other creative ideas) rain or shine this morning and now I find out how many people like 'challenges'. It turns out the 'challenge' was to get to the run! It quite literally depended on which way the wind blew; one street might have no trees down while 1 block over the road would be completely blocked. On the 'news' they were showing flooding on the Jemison Trail, so we changed the run's title from the 'Challenge Run' to the 'Catastrophe' Run as we took off running to Jemison to see the flooding, then down Lakeshore to check out the rest of Shades Creek. Alas overnight most of the 'high' waters had either receded or flooded someone's basement because the creek in both locations was kinda normal. There were 6 or 7 of us that ran a little over 4 miles down to the Lakeshore Trail and back. It was wonderful; misty, cool and eerily quiet with the exception of our  conversations and echoing footsteps. Had my final visit (I hope, I hope, I hope) with the ortho as he released me from his care regarding my shoulder. He's a little worried about my declining mental capacity, but that's long been a lost cause. Updates: No, ALDOT has not contacted me ( 2 weeks later and 1 week after they said they would) surprised? Uh, no. E-mail goes off tomorrow copying all concerned, including state representative. By the way, if you live in Rep. Paul DeMarco's or Sen. Slade Blackwell district, their assistance (esp. DeMarco's....Blackwell's office has offered assistance and it's me that hasn't taken them up on it...yet) has been terrific! For my money and vote, these are the guys that care about their constituents, both guys = first class. We'll see if I get a response tomorrow to my e-mails. RUNNERS BOOT CAMP starts tomorrow (5:45 a.m. Mt. Brook soccer fields), gonna be fun. I love Boot Camp! Meeting challenges, performing drills, working abs/core, improve efficiency and some new stuff to increase speed. It starts tomorrow early, so e-mail me if interested. 3 slots left...With all the heat we've had this summer, this is a great time to get out and enjoy the 'best running weather'. It feels wonderful! So it's damp, so what? If you wait for the 'perfect' time to run, you'll almost never run. The joy is in finding the best of each and every run. I can tell you the 1st joy, it's you! You are a joy and a treasure. The 2nd joy is that you are able to run. Even though I wish I hadn't lost a 'step' and some endurance over the last 10 weeks, I'm happy to be out there. Find the joy! Make the best of every situation, we are blessed to be able to run, fast or slow, we can run! And Abracadabra! Every time you run, you are making some real magic!

The days are getting shorter and I know many of you are finishing your runs in daylight, but starting in the dark - Please at lease wear a reflective strip and a flashing light would be even better. They are so small and 'light' that there's no way they can bother you and they might just save your life. I know I'm probably more aware and considerate of runners than most and some mornings when I'm on my way in to run, I'm not completely awake. I've also seen y'all 3 and 4 wide where cars have to go around, if they are awake and aware enough. Last night there was a girl running down the road, with traffic in a neighborhood, with her dog and Ipod. She had no idea I was behind her and with a car coming I couldn't go around. If I had honked she would have wee wee'd all over herself and the dog. What was scary was she never knew I was back there till I drove around her. So, part II  - Turn the damn music down! Better yet, just use 1 ear plug. I know you like your tunes and I'm fine with that, but there's no reason to take them to the hospital or grave with you. 2 things - 1) I've been hit and while it was totally the drivers fault, I was the one laid up, not him. 2) We lost 1 member of the running family last year and that was 1 too many. Please: reflective gear and/or lights and one ear bud, please. Shooting for 10 miles this weekend, oy! If I'd known 'come backs' where gonna be this challenging - challenging my foot...difficult, I would have gone ahead and made application to be the town drunk (no jokes about the village idiot). I figured out one reason why I keep suffering - my High School Reunion. My class and the one before it and after got together for a mega reunion. I didn't go, haven't really kept up with any of them but curiousity did get the best of me and I checked out the pictures OMG!!! I got up from the computer, put on my shorts and went out for a run. There was some serious tonnage on that dance floor! I will never, ever stop running! It was scarier than Hallowe'en.  Got released to do weights finally, thought I'd try to tighten up some of this 'extra' um, 'skin' I've gotten due to lack of exercise. I was able to bench press the bar. Whew, my shoulder did not like the bench press; nonetheless, progress even in inches is still progress.

Lastly - Runner's Boot Camp returns for the final edition in 2011 Wednesday mornings (early) and Sunday afternoons for 4 weeks, 2 sessions a week, total of 8. If interested shoot me an e-mail - sort of a Tough Mudder run - meets Boot Camp (without the yelling) meets PAIN. Lots of core and form work, that's the focus. help you run longer, stronger, with less effort. That's the point...againg - shoot me an e-mail if interested cause we start next Wed.