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Thursday, July 1st, 2004
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6:31 pm - Almost forgot...
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My AIM screen name is MeccaRunner41 if anybody wants to talk. I think I already posted that on the old LiveJournal but I'll post it here anyway just in case. OK, later.
-Greg
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6:27 pm - What's up guys...
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It's Greg DeLaney from NJ, just checking in again. I hope everyone's training is going well. I just ran a solid week at 35 miles, and I'll try to continue increasing the workload. I might do a Fourth of July roadrace, probably a 5K. I'm also looking forward to the summer time trial. This is a question for mostly the upperclassmen: does Coach have a certain standard you have to run to be invited to camp? Also, what kind of range do the guys usually run for the 2 mile in July?
Aside from running, things are good here. I work during the week at my Dad's office, just filing, answering the phone, that type of stuff. It's kind of boring but it keeps me busy and keeps some money in my pocket. Besides my job, I just train and hang out with high school friends, nothing too exciting. I'm heading out, but I'll talk to you all later, and I'll see everyone in August!
-Greg
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| Saturday, June 26th, 2004
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6:25 pm - In case you wondered,
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| Wednesday, June 23rd, 2004
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9:48 pm
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Hello, hello
This is Steve W. Just thought I´d try to add something to this journal. It seems like this is the place to leave amusing stories for others to read, so here´s one you all hopefully enjoy. As some of you know, I´m currently in Germany, supposedly learing German, but that´s kind of hard to do. Anyhow, last weekend I was in the city, enjoying some ice cream by myself when a local about my own age approaches and asks me a question. Naturally, I did not understand, and indicated that I had no clue what he wanted. He kept pointing at my ice cream, but no way in hell was I going to give it to him. Then I realized all he wanted was some money, so I offered him a euro. He responded by saying he needed two. Two euros? a small price to pay for this beggar to leave me alone. But alas, he did not depart, so I asked him why he needed the money. He said he was hungry and unemployed, but that in fact he already had twenty euros which he then showed me. I felt as though this must be some kind of beggar-mockery, and really didn´t care as long as he left me alone. But no, he didn´t go. Instead he asked if I was a Russian (which I thought I made clear I wasn´t when I told him I spoke English). I then told him that I was an American, and he promptly began questioning me about satellite tv. How much did it cost, how many stations, could I get the Turkish sports channel? I told him I didn´t have any idea. Then he continued by asking even more bizarre questions such as whether or not there was a mcdonald´s near by that was hiring. Don´t ask me why he thought I´d know that, he knew I was a foreigner for sure at this point. I finally got fed up with the nonsense and told him I had to catch a bus somewhere. Seriously, though, what kind of beggar won´t leave after you give him money?
Next installment: adventures in the cathedral
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| Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004
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5:11 pm - Team Activities
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Hey guys,
Thomas J. Rhodes here checking in on this lively exchange. I was wondering whether members of the team who live in the Philadelphia area would be interested in attending ant Phillies Games in the near future. I have yet to sit in the new stadium, and have been itching to do so ever since I got home. I am currently broke, but would be more than willing to spring for some tickets after i get my first paycheck.
-Thomas J.
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3:54 pm - This many people have been to this page (since this entry was posted):
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| Tuesday, June 15th, 2004
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9:05 am - Locked Posts...
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For those that aren't familiar with LiveJournal posting procedures, there is an option called the "Friends only" post. When creating a post, you can select "Friends" for the security level, to ensure that only logged on visitors (yourself when logged on as reddevilxcmen) or friends (like liebalm, andwhat_atoddd, and iamoddd) of the page can view the post. If you ever have anything to say that you feel should not be open to the public, such as a wild night at the Roxbury or an embarrassing encounter at the local strip club (The Oasis), go ahead and use the Friends security option.
That said, log in and check the page again. Out of courtesy to the public, I didn't want my last post to be seen be a certain individual. You'll see in a minute.
Andy
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| Monday, June 14th, 2004
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11:48 pm - Hurdy Gurdy
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Whoa ... this appears to be quite the ghost-town. I have to run with Stan Cooper at 6:30 tomorrow morning, so that is all for now. I'll make a more detailed post in the upcoming days regarding such key topics as the Relay for Life, my job at Target, and the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Andy
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| Friday, August 15th, 2003
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11:15 pm - The OzzCoast Tour
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Andy Elkan here, and I have a few key topics to cover during this post. First, I'd like to comment on this past weekend. Certainly, it will go down as one of the greatest series of nights in the young history of my life. It all started with the commencement of the OzzCoast tour, last Wednesday night, when a one Callie M. Bradley made the 300 mile trek to The Hill. After some standard child abuse at Morning Fun, we prepared for Ozzfest by dying our hair black. Once we arrived in Camden, NJ for the show, we were treated to the music of Disturbed, Marilyn Manson, KoRn, and the man himself, Ozzy Osbourne. Interestingly enough, my hair dye began to dissipate in massive downpour that evening, leaving my face blackened, and causing several concert-goers to say, "Yo man, is that blood?" I sure wish it was.
After Ozzfest, the Trinity of the aforementioned two and a one Thomas J. Rhodes headed down to the mecca of filth, degradation, and lewdness that is Wildwood, NJ. We stayed at the ramshackle Surf Lane in North Wildwood, and enjoyed all the town had to offer, including $0.92 pizza and famous Kohr Bros. ice cream. We even had to conceal young Tom's existence, since we did not register him at the motel, saving $20. After being ripped off by the shady game vendors not once, but twice my friends, we decided to call it a night at the boardwalk, and soon returned to Cherry Hill.
After a run/bike in CH, Tom and I made a memorable trip to an undisclosed establishment (more on this in person). Once we all returned to Willow Grove, we kicked off Tomapalooza with a bang. The three of us, and a one Greg Vogt comprised the small but personal setting. Of course, Tom hosted parties tenfold larger the following nights, but the inaugural night should not be discounted either. Sadly, the long weekend ended seemingly as quickly as it began, and I exchanged emotional farewells with both Callie and Thomas J. However, we rejoiced in the fact that we would reunite in a few short days in Carlisle, PA.
I have attempted to shorten the nature of this post, considering how long-winded the SWOTECT entry was. For more details, you'll just have to wait until we engage in conversation over the culinary mastery of a one Samuel Calambretta. On another note, I'd like to wish a happy 20th birthday to your favorite Leo and mine, a one Thomas J. Rhodes. Now that Tom is entering into his third decade in this land, could it be possible that he will mature beyond his years and enter into an aged persona? Perhaps abandon his juvenile pranks, such as the infamous Wal-Mart parking-lot robbery? Maybe young Tom will conclude his days of disturbing humor. Highly unlikely. Those who know Rom Thodes, T-Bone if you will, understand that the day these events occur is the day he finally seizes his long-reserved seat in the fiery abyss, to aid in the day-to-day operations of the Underworld. Give him another 10 years.
current mood:  hungry
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| Thursday, August 7th, 2003
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10:57 am - not invited :(
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Hello all. Gertrude Thelma Willahickers here. I'm in the process of boiling eggs right now, it's breakfast time. My doctor told me that eggs will help my constipation and my diarrhea.
I've logged a total of 8.5 miles this summer. I walk to the mailbox everyday after that nice postman comes; I try to get there in time to smack his butt, so that usually ends up turning into a tempo walk, heh heh. I didn't do so well on the time trial because I was actually getting a colon cleansing when I was supposed to do the time trial. I may not have run fast, but the bowels sure did! Well kids, you hvae yourselves a nice day.
G.T.
current mood:  irritated
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9:05 am - Disney?
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So...while I'm not invited to training camp, I am apparently still expected to travel to Disney, regardless of my place on the team. The irony of it all. But anywho, is everyone going to Disney? Do we actually have the option of not going? This is all very surprising news to me. Thoughts?
current mood:  thoughtful
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12:48 am - Tomapalooza
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Greetings ladies and gents,
Its your friend Thomas J. Rhodes here. I am writing this entry to inform you of your opportunity to experience something truly unique. This opportunity of which i speak, is the first annual Tomapalooza Festival of The Arts. Thanks to the foolishness of my parents, I will be left unattended for upwards of 5 days. Rather than be mature about things, I have decided that this is my chance to have dozens of my friends chill in my empty house, relax, and come and go as they please. Any person willing to make the trip to the greater Willow Grove Metropolitan Area is cordially invited to Tomapolooza 2003. Running from Sunday August 10th to the following Friday, Tomapalooza promises to attract huge attention from my friends, family, and possibly my local police force. Whatever the case, a good time is sure to be had by all who attend. Those who wish to stay overnight are encouraged to do so. There are plenty of couches, beds, and empty floor space that can be utilized by the masses. So if you have nothing to do, take a jaunt out to The Grove for Tomapalooza 2003. Lets make this a reality people.
-Thomas J.
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| Tuesday, August 5th, 2003
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4:13 pm - Slightly West of the East Coast Tour
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Greetings everyone, Andy Elkan here once again from NJ. There has been much talk on this LiveJournal as of late regarding the absence of several teammates from camp. While I can't overstate the importance of their presence in two weeks time, I would like to change the pace for a bit and relay my experiences from the Slightly West of the East Coast Tour (SWOTECT) (July 30 – August 3). The sequel to the East Coast Tour of late-May/early June, the SWOTECT took place in North Huntingdon, PA, home of a one Callie M. Bradley. I set out for the PA Turnpike early Wednesday afternoon, sadly without the company of Thomas J. Rhodes, who couldn't finagle his way out his responsibilities at the Larry Der Hagopian Dynasty in the Warminster Parks & Recreation Dept. Fortunately, my superiors, a two Andy Filino and Paul Della Vecchia, are much more supportive of vacation time. In any case, I traversed the great state of Pennsylvania and arrived in Irwin, PA late Wednesday afternoon. Although Callie was still tied up at Keystone State Park (under the wing of a one Denny P. Stebick), we arranged to meet at CD Extreme on the distinguished boulevard that is Rt. 30. Upon arrival, we exchanged pleasantries of the unforced variety and then headed to my temporary home, 11940 Eisenhower St. There I was introduced to Connie L. Bradley, Dale W. Bradley, Jess A. Bradley and young Andrew W. Bradley. My hosts were extremely cordial, and made me feel at home. Jess showed me a thing or two on the drums, while young Andrew overcame his initial shyness and later provided entertainment in the form of impressions of my worrisome grandmother. Mrs. Bradley even cooked us a tasty Mexican dish that evening. One of my favorite memories from that night was watching "Orange County." At one point in the movie John Lithgow says something to the effect of, "Shawn, we are the same height. That is neat." You really need to hear his tone of voice to appreciate the comedic effect. Although Thomas J. could not make it, we still held out hope for his arrival the following day.
Thursday morning I awoke to the sights and sounds of N. Hunterdon, namely the dog Buddy and cats Vernon, Vera, and Lula. However, play-time soon expired and a 10+ mile run loomed ahead. Callie & I set out for the hills of Irwin, the likes of which I have not experienced on the speedways of South Jersey. Each mile, the ups and downs were relentless, and after a solid effort we trudged home in 75:01. In addition to the frequent climbs, we were subject to the stifling humidity. After this difficult excursion, we treated ourselves to a fine lunch at Denny's (no relation to the Keystone big-wig). One of the great surprises of the trip came that afternoon, as we pulled into 11940, who was there to great us but Thomas J.! He informed Callie and me that after much coaxing, Mr. Der Hagopian arranged for some well-deserved time off. What's more, Tom had procured tickets to the following evening's Pittsburgh Pirates game! Turns out, Tom has family in the Pittsburgh area who offered the young runner several tickets to see the Pirates square off against the Rockies. Thursday night though, we all watched Dirty Work and were excited to hear that Tom's return to action is progressing smoothly. We also cooked up a storm, the main course being a Dining Hall knock-off of Chicken Ranch Wrap. We used different seasoning than a one Sam Calambretta utilizes, but for a first attempt, ours were not half bad! Tom insulted my trusted relationship with Sam C., to which I replied that he was living his life in a pool of green jealousy. Perhaps, if young Thomas ever learns the proper way to order, Sam will take a liking to the good chap as he has with yours truly. But until that day, Tom must learn to accept the reality of the situation.
Friday rolled around, and Tom joined Callie and me for the start of the run, before opting to finish the day with a bike ride, due to his recovering injury. Callie and I completed a more relaxed 10 miler, even running 5 laps on the famed Norwin HS track. Being accustomed to the decrepit cinder track of Cherry Hill East, where half of lane 1 is weeds and a solitary chair rests trackside for the fan to sit, I was in hog-heaven. Norwin boasts a world-class facility, complete with an 8-lane synthetic track and a grandstand. Callie showed me where she outkicked a one Jessica Steck in high school, and I was hard-pressed to conceal my enjoyment of running at such a fine track. Post-run, we all indulged in some rest & relaxation at the Bradley residence. Callie delighted us with her guitar skill, while I continued to work on my drumming prowess. Several hits we performed included "Stairway to Heaven" and "Chop Suey." Before we knew it, the time came to travel into the metropolis of Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates game. Unfortunately, Tom had one too many chili dogs and became quite sick, to the point that he had to return early to his cousins' house. I had thought the meat looked considerably undercooked, but Tom did not heed my early warnings. Callie and I remained at the game to witness an exciting bottom of the ninth Pirates comeback, when they overcame a 5 run deficit to win 12-11. Since Callie and I eschewed the poisonous meat at the stadium, we had plenty of room to indulge in Kodiaks back in N. Huntingdon after the game (after 8 minute abs with Andy, of course). Similar to the Klondike Bar, the Kodiak offers a similar enhanced vanilla taste underneath a chocolate shell, in addition to a much harsher name. Because I had fallen asleep during the movie the previous night (similar to my haggard actions during the ECT), we watched the film again, and Norm MacDonald delivered a great show, as usual.
I had originally planned to leave the Irwin area Saturday morning, but the trip was so enjoyable that I was invited to stay another day. I accompanied Callie to her lifeguard supervising job at Keystone, where I was introduced to the likes of Josh, Connie, Angela, Ben the Park Ranger, and the deplorable Ashley broad, with whom Callie had words during the afternoon. You see, Ashley is an inconsiderate bastard who believes the world revolves around her. Ashley, I've got news for you, the sun would still rise in the morning were you to mysteriously drop off the face of the earth. Anyhow, Callie & I took three short runs that afternoon during her 30 minute breaks, the last of which was run on the 1.9 mile course mentioned by CB earlier this summer. Finally, the day at Keystone ended after I took a riveting swim across part of the lake. Following the 25 mile drive back to 11940, Callie & I again cooked a chicken preparation, even rivaling the culinary mastery of a one Robert M. Elkan. That night, we decided to pay a long-awaited visit to Michael J. Cherepko, another Norwin graduate. After some engaging conversation at the Cherepko residence, Young Mike showed us some of his favorite Pittsburgh hangouts, including Dom's House of Hoagies, Ice Cream Central, and the Hernandez Entertainment Center (HEC). Incredibly, we bumped into a two Dan Widener and Kenneth DeMoll at the HEC. The two rising sophomores are enjoying quite a summer, and were in the greater Pittsburgh area attending the DeMoll Family Reunion. Kenn notified us that his great-uncle was celebrating his 93rd birthday that weekend. Hang on seven more years and triple-digits will be yours, Poppy!
Once Callie & I returned to N. Hunterdon early Sunday morning, we again did the abdominal-Kodiak routine and scurried off to bed, since I anticipated a long drive and Callie had obligations to Mr. Stebick to fulfill. Around the 9:00 AM mark Sunday morning, Callie received a call from Ned N. Ned with a breakfast proposition in mind. Working on few hours of sleep, CB politely declined the invitation, and soon after the time came for my departure. Callie and I exchanged a fond farewell, but realized that in a matter of days she would travel eastbound in search of the Ozzman and the spectacle of depravation that is Wildwood, NJ.
To break up the monotony of the drive, I stopped in Carlisle to take a run on parts of ½ Marathon to finish out a 71 mile week. After the run, I bumped into a one Frederick Straub in the Kline, and later, Donald J. Nichter. We exchanged hopeful thoughts regarding the upcoming season, and looked forward to training camp in a couple weeks. I left the Kline, and noticed a program for middle-school-aged students taking place in the Lower Quad. Being quite hungry, I immediately recognized the ice-cream bar. I hopped in line with many-a-12-year-old, and tried to remain relaxed as I attempted to embezzle some vanilla and whipped cream. However, the man serving the desserts said, "Are you in this program," to which I replied, "Yes." He called my bluff though, and after much pleading, he finally agreed to donate some food to my famished body. Soon enough, I was out of Carlisle and back on the road to Cherry Hill, NJ.
Only an hour-long standstill (Peace, Love and the PA Turnpike my ass), during which I was subjected to the sight of an obese woman relieving herself in the shrubbery at the 301 mile marker, could put a slight damper on what was an extraordinary long weekend. Tom, I trust your stomach is finally beginning to settle down. Thanks again to the entire Bradley Family for welcoming me into their home. I am excited to return to school in a couple weeks, and I'll talk to you all soon.
Andy
PS - If you actually read this entire post, I extend a proverbial pat on the back.
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| Monday, August 4th, 2003
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10:43 am - no invite
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Wow, while I certainly can't top J-Bar's tale, I do have a bit of an interesting note. Unfortunately, yours truly has not been invited back for pre-season camp. Seems that my failure to turn in my training cards from Scotland, despite a stellar time trial effort, has precluded me from joining the team until classes begin. Oh well, that's the powers-that-be, for you. My apologies for letting this happen...guess there may not be any seniors on the team this year, after all.
current mood:  confused
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| Friday, August 1st, 2003
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12:41 pm - hey everyone
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Whats up everybody,
Kyle astle writing. Thought it might be cool to let you know all how im doing. Looks like everybody is getting into good shape and having a good summer. I've mostly been working as a lifegaurd this summer so I can have money to do stuff during the school year. The hours are long and its pretty boring, but it pays well and all I do is sit there get tan and talk to my friends. I've takin a bunch of trips on my days off. Lets see six flags twice, Newport, NYC, and next weekend Im gonna be going up to falmouth, Mass to hang out up there and run in the falmouth road race. Don't know if im gonna get a number to run in but me and my two friends are jumping in anyway. Other than that I've just been hanging out with friends, going to parties, and enjoying summer. Also been doing alot of running or at least trying to. My achilles has been bothering me alot lately, but i've been batteling through it. Hopefully it'll get better so i can get in some decent mileage. Can't wait to get out to Dickinson, and i'll see everybody soon.
Later,
Kyle
P.S. you can im at kra7785 or email at kyleastle7@yahoo.com
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| Thursday, July 31st, 2003
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8:37 pm - summer
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Hi everyone, J(eff)Bar(oody) here with the story of my summer so far. I didn't post anything before now because I really didn't have anything worthy of posting, but since last week I've actually had something worthwhile to share. Prior to last Sunday I was having a really uneventful summer, tramping through the woods on an archaeological survey, enjoying the Maine coast, and running (and running, and running...). Then I got a sore throat last Sunday. No big deal I thought, just drink a lot of water and it'll be all better tomorrow. Nope, Monday it was worse. So Monday morning I went to see my dad at the hospital at 6:30am (he is a doctor) to have him look down my throat and see just what the hell was going on. He couldn't find anything to bad and the Strep test was negative. So I went home and skipped running and work to rest. Come Monday night and I could hardly swallow without screaming. Tuesday morning I was in the office at 6:30 am again after not sleeping hardly a wink all night. This time we'd had enough of the psuedo-doctor visits and I got a real appointment with my regular doctor. He looked down my throat and didn't see anything too bad but started me on some antibiotics anyway (also drew blood, I hate that!). I went back home to lie down and try to slurp some Jello. Round about noon my mom gets a call from the doctor telling her that I might have epiglottitus, a dangerous throat infection. So later that afternoon I went back to the hospital to see another doctor (who was also my neighbor; the first doctor was only working the morning) who promptly sent me up to Bangor to have a specialist look at it. Not quite an ambulance emergency but don't stop for gas, he said. So after an hour drive we arrived at the epicenter of Eastern Maine healthcare, EMMC. I went into the specialists office and within 5 minutes of him looking up my nose he looks at me and says "We have a big problem". Turns out I'm gonna die in 6-12 hours if I don't get a tube in my throat because my epiglottus is so infected it is blocking my wind pipe. Within another 15 minutes (5:15pm now) I was in the surgery prep room and under the knife having a trachea tube installed. So to make an already long story shorter, I breathed out my throat for 5 days while I sat in the hospital waiting for my epiglottis to calm down. Today my infection is gone but I still have a nice hole in my throat that is closing slowly. I missed about 10 days of running but I'm back in the saddle and bicycling already.
So that completely changed the makeup of my summer. I didn't get an invitation to training camp probably because I didn't do the time trial last week, but hopefully we can remedy that.
If anyone's near Acadia National park, call me 207 374 5293
j-
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| Tuesday, July 22nd, 2003
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8:04 pm - Racing shoes...(for those of you who don't read the comments)
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At long last, Nike has finally unveiled a new XC shoe for real distance runners: the Nike Zoom Kennedy XC. Worn by Regina Jacobs in her indoor WR 1500 at Boston, it combines the lightweight and breathable upper of the Zoom Kennedy with the sturdy carbon-rubber outsole of the good ol' Nike Zoom XC. In short, it's the best shoe to ever appear on the XC market, in my humble opinion. Man, maybe I should abandon my delusions-of-grandeur about writing for National Geographic and just write shoe descriptions for Nike. Something to ponder...
Cheers,
Todd
current mood: thoughtful
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2:16 pm - Racing shoes...
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Hi,
This is matt liebal with another question. I was curious about what xc spikes I should get. I have had the Nike Zoom XC for about 3 years. I can always switch, but I want a lighter shoe to race in. Those Nike's are pretty heavy.
Anyway, I am getting ready to run the time trial on thursday, and I am a little worried about how trashy the time might be. I have been really sick from pollen for the past week, and I have been attempting to get the mileage to stay at 65-70 if at all possible. I am just drained, and I am hoping my schedule with stay as easy as I just registered for classes. I must go run my 15 miles in order to stay on schedule.
-matt
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| Monday, July 21st, 2003
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3:58 pm - Roots & Wings
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Andy Elkan here from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am here in the Midwest joining my father, Special Agent Robert M. Elkan, at the Northwestern Mutual Annual Meeting. I do not have very much time here in the Cyber Café, so unfortunately, this will have to be a short post. I will fill you all in on the most exciting event of the meeting, the 26th Annual Roots & Wings 5K race. This monumental event took place yesterday morning at 8:00 AM sharp. The slogan "Roots & Wings" refers to the competition between the Roots (those who work at Northwestern's home office in Milwaukee) and the Wings (those from the rest of the country). Obviously, I am proud to say that I'm a Wing. Anyhow, there were roughly 1500-2000 runners in the race yesterday, and I placed 5th. Don't get all excited though, I am by no means a stud and did not run 14 minutes. The main thing to understand here is that 95% of the "runners" are middle-aged, slightly overweight insurance agents (and their families). Regardless of the overall lack of competition, I managed a PR - 16:38. While I had planned on a solid first mile around 5:15 or so, I found myself in the top 3 at the mile in 4:53. The two mile marker was hit in 10:12, and the rest was a long, slow, excruciatingly painful death. Honestly, the last 6 minutes felt like an eternity, and I thought my lungs may have found their way through my ear. Worse yet, I just missed out on the medals and award presentation at the Company Show. Hopefully next year I will hand a one Nathan Swartzendruber what's damn well comin' to him.
Other than the race, things have been fairly normal. For some reason, I can't access my Dickinson e-mail from here, is everyone else's working? That is all, I must vacate the computer as I am getting dirty looks from a one David R. Somethingorother (I can't see his entire nametag). Yeah that's right, I'm wearing credentials right now, which means I'm a bigshot.
current mood: chipper
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10:18 pm - Babysteps
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Yo guys. Thomas J. Rhodes here with an update that will leave you wide eyed, at the edge of your seat, and begging for more......Well maybe not. I have recently read the live journal posting of my friend, colleague, and business associate Andrew B. Elkan. I must say that I'm quite pleased to see him post such an extraordinary time. Remember Andy, even if you missed an award we're still f*cking studs, and dont let anyone tell you otherwise.
Though Andy has made some serious strides in recent weeks. Get it, strides? You see its funny because...oh never mind. Anyway, I have made a few steps in the right direction myself over the last two months. For the entirety of my vacation, I have been pretty dilligent with my biking/lifting regimen. It may be good exercise, but quite frankly it doesnt hold a candle to the sport of running. Sorry coach, but its true. Just in case the freshmen dont know, Im on the bike because of a recurring stress fracture problem. It started at the end of my dream crosscountry season, and came back to haunt me yet again in the spring. I was casted twice for it, and had the second one removed in mid june. Well, last thursday I was cleared for running yet again, and have begun to do a few short runs. My doctor recommended starting at 15 minute jaunts, and rather than ignore his advice I have decided to be smart about it this time. I have had three of these 15 minute runs so far, and i must say that they have been painful, humbling, and quite frustrating. I still own the asses of the old ladies who jog through my local park, but i dont really leave the old biddies choking on the dust like i did in the olden days of forgotten lore. Though the road to recovery is going to be scatterd with obstacles and hurdles, I know that these 15 minute pain sessions will eventually lead to sunday morning runs on the half marathon course. However, much like the maturation period of Robert Elkan, Special Agent's fine wines collection, these end results are set far in the future. On the same page, those results will taste just as sweet as the fruit of the vine when they are aged and ready. It definitly will be frustrating for me to actually "suck" at running for a while, if thats what I have to do to finally beat this stress fracture problem then thats what I'll do.
Sadly, my recovery will more than likely render me unable to run crosscountry for the first half of the season. Coach and I had a meeting before i left for the summer and discussed the perameters of my return. I think I will be joining you all for training camp, but expect me to still be doing more bikeing than running. Hopefully, i will be back in good running shape by the time of the dickinson invite where i may start with the 4k race. Hears hoping.
On a lighter note, work has been fun so far. Im doing a parks and rec job, which Andy could also tell you a lot about. The kids have been great so far, but the other counselors are kinda a bunch of deuchpickles. I dont know what it is about them that irks me so, but none the less I have deemed them unworthy of my time, effort, and ultimately my friendship. I have a few plans for the next couple of weekends, but I eagerly look forward to returning to the hallowed halls of noble dickinsonia. Till then, I bid you all a fond farewell.
-Thomas J. Rhodes
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