So much for my first marathon being a bucket list item. When I ran my first marathon a few weeks ago, it was with the idea that it would be a one-time deal. I wanted to push myself to accomplish something that would be tough both physically and mentally. It was a pretty good test. Those last 5-6 miles definitely test your resolve to push yourself to the limit. I guess I must have enjoyed the satisfaction of crossing that finish line too much or I’m just a glutton for punishment. I’ve decided to run at least one more marathon. Last Wednesday I applied for entry into the Boston Marathon. I received my official acceptance postcard in the mail today from the Boston Athletic Association – the graphic above is a portion of that postcard.
For those who don’t know, the Boston Marathon is the oldest running marathon in the world. It began in 1897 and the next one this coming April 19th, 2010, will be the 114th. You can’t run in the Boston Marathon unless you run another marathon within the last 18 months with a fast enough qualifying time for your age. I was fortunate enough to have run my 1st marathon fast enough to qualify. This marathon will be a tougher test for me. There are a series of hills 16-21 miles into the race and the last hill at mile 20-21 is the highest and is called Heartbreak Hill. Hills at any time are no fun, but hitting a big one this late in the race will definitely push you to the limit. That hill will turn your legs into rubber in a hurry. Hopefully, my legs will be in good enough shape to make it past that obstacle.
I’m really looking forward to the challenge. The race course runs through a total of eight towns, starting in the town of Hopkinton and ending at Copley Square in Boston. I hope that I’m able to enjoy and appreciate the history of this event as I run it. Maybe it will help me to take my mind off the toll it will be taking on my body.
Interesting Boston Marathon facts:
- In terms of on-site media coverage, the Boston Marathon ranks behind only the Super Bowl as the largest single day sporting event in the world. More than 1,100 media members, representing more than 250 outlets, receive credentials annually.
- The legendary John A. Kelley started a record 61 Boston Marathons and finished 58. Kelley, who won the race in 1935 and 1945, first competed in the race in 1928, but it was not until 1933, in his third attempt, that he completed the course, placing 37th in 3:03:56. He last completed the course in 1992 at the age of 84. Kelley lived to be 97 (1907-2004).
- Approximately 500,000 spectators line the 26.2-mile course annually.
- Since its inception, the Boston Marathon has been held on the holiday commemorating Patriots’ Day.
One of my pet peeves is customer service or lack thereof. It bugs me to no end when I have to deal with a rude or indifferent customer service rep. Customer Service is not rocket science. It’s just common sense. Treat people the same way that you’d like to be treated if you were in that situation. It doesn’t sound that hard to me. Granted, there are obnoxious people out there and it can be a true test of your patience to deal with them. In those cases, if they cross the line and become truly belligerent, I would thank them for their past patronage but in a firm manner I would tell them that their business is no longer appreciated nor wanted. And that brings me to my recent encounter.
I recently needed to get a legal document notarized. As I no longer have a local bank account in Michigan, I went to the nearest bank, which happened to be Mercantile Bank on Gezon Blvd. When I went into the bank that morning, it was completely empty. There were no customers at the teller area nor at any of the bank desks. I walked up to one of the ladies in the office area and asked if I could get a document notarized. She asked if I had an account with them and I told her no. She said she couldn’t help me since I had no account with them. I told her I was willing to pay for the service but she still said no. I then told her that I used to have a business account with their bank in the past. This was true. She called a supervisor but the answer was still no. I next went to the Byron Bank branch in Byron Center. I went to the customer reception desk in the main lobby and was greeted by Beth. I told her what I needed and she said she’d be happy to notarize the document for me. We had a pleasant and friendly conversation and she quickly took care of notarizing my document. After returning my document, I thanked her and was on my way in just a matter of minutes. What a difference in customer service. She never even asked me if I banked there. She just asked me what she could do to help me and did it. She was pleasant, friendly and professional. She’s exactly the type of person that you’d want your patrons and potential customers to have first contact with.
Granted, neither bank has my business at this moment so you might say it didn’t hurt Mercantile Bank to refuse me any service. However, I think that’s a shortsighted business view. Should I need to open up a bank account in the future, whom do you think is going to get my business? Also, if someone asks me for a bank recommendation, whom do you think that I’ll recommend? Mercantile Bank could have just notarized my document in almost the same amount of time that it took them to say no and call a supervisor for approval. Instead, they’ve lost a customer for life and they won’t garner any favorable opinions from me in the future. Unfortunately, in today’s business world, more companies seem to be geared towards using the short-term profit business model. They don’t want to look forward very far and invest for the long-term. I think that’s a big mistake and it will take its toll in the long run.
Two ladies are sitting next to each other on a plane. One is a Yankee and the other, a Southern Belle. The Southern Belle turns to the Yankee and asks, “So where y’all from?”
The Yankee turns her steely gaze to the Southern Belle and replies, “I am from a place where we do not end our sentences with a preposition.”
Silence ensues and the flight continues until a few minutes later when the Southern Belle again turns to the Yankee and asks, “So, where y’all from, bitch?”
A friend of mine sent me the below “Bill of No Rights.” I researched the origin of it and found that a gentleman named Lewis Napper, a fellow programmer and Libertarian, wrote it back in 1993. If anything, it’s more prevalent today than when it was written 16 years ago. I believe Article V was written in reference to when HillaryCare was being pushed onto the American people. Sixteen years later, we have ObamaCare being shoved down our throats. This is definitely worth a read.
Bill of No Rights
We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some commonsense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusional and other liberal, bedwetters.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights.
ARTICLE I
You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone – not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big-screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII
You don’t have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won’t lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you’d like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.
ARTICLE IX
You don’t have the right to a job. All of us sure want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE X
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness -which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
Success! And my first bucket list item bites the dust. I ran the Grand Rapids Marathon yesterday morning. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the outcome. The temperature at race time (8am) was only 29° – a little bit chilly but not too bad since there was no real wind to speak of. I don’t think the temperature got too much above 40° by the end of the race. The fall colors are almost peaking right now and the majority of the race course was along the Grand River and along several local parks. I’m not sure how much time I spent admiring the scenery but it was much better than running the entire course through town. Being my first marathon, I wasn’t quite prepared for the initial portion of the run. I started at the back of the pack and didn’t cross the starting line until over four minutes after the race started. I thought if I started at the back, I would miss all the initial jockeying around trying to get past people. That didn’t work out too well. It took me the better part of 3-4 miles before I got past everyone. I was darting left and right and jumping on and off curbs and medians to avoid and get around people. I’d say I was about six miles into the race before I felt that I had settled into a normal pace. I don’t know if I hit the “wall” during the latter part of the race, but at around 21 miles my leg muscles were starting to tighten up. I was pretty sure that if I stopped at that point, my muscles would start to really cramp up. I think it’s fair to say that the last 5-6 miles of a marathon is more mental than physical – at least for me it was. I went by all of the remaining aid stations without taking anything for those last 6 miles.
I can’t compare this marathon to any others since it was my first, but it seemed to be very well run. The race director, Don Kern, and his entire staff did a fantastic job communicating everything you needed to know. There was plenty of information on the website as well as several informal meetings leading up to the event. There were tons of drinks and goodies all along the route and many enthusiastic well-wishers to keep your spirits up. If you’re going to run a marathon for the first time, I highly recommend this one. The racing shirt and runner’s medal are very good quality and there’s plenty of post-race food and beverages – chili, frozen yogurt, cheese sticks, bagels, Gatorade, beer, etc.
In case you’re wondering, I ran the race in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds. Below are a few names and times of fairly well known people who also ran marathons. I actually had a better time than everyone except President Bush. I’m particularly proud that I whipped Al Gore’s butt by over an hour! Plus, he was 10 years younger at the time. I’ll bet I left a smaller environmental footprint than he did, too!
- George W. Bush in 1993 (3:44:52) at age 47
- Sarah Palin in 2005 (3:59:36) at age 41
- Pittsburgh Steelers’ Lynn Swann in 1993 (4:26) at age 41
- Oprah Winfrey in 1994 (4:29:20) at age 40
- Al Gore in 1997 (4:58:25) at age 49
There is a medical distinction. We’ve all heard about people having guts or balls, but do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definitions are listed below:
GUTS – Arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met
by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: ‘Are you still
cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?’
BALLS – Coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of
perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt
and having the balls to say: ‘You’re next fatty.’
I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions.
Medically speaking, there is no difference in the outcome, since both ultimately result in death.
Fall is in the air. At least if you live in the North, that is. The leaves are starting to change color and the air is brisk and cool. This past summer in Michigan has been awesome. The high temperatures have pretty much stayed between 70°-80°. We only turned on the air conditioning a total of two days. That’s a first. I’m pretty much averse to hot and humid weather, so this has been the most enjoyable summer yet. Having lived in Monterey, California for 10 years really spoiled me, weather-wise. I got used to high temps being 60°-80° year round. Of course, if you’re a beach person who likes to bake in the sun and jump in the lake/ocean, you probably wouldn’t have cared too much for this weather.
Anyway, it’s been a while since I last posted a photograph, so here it is. The above photo is Mabry’s Mill. It’s located in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. This southwestern section of Virginia is known for its bluegrass and mountain music. I’ve never been there myself, but this picture sure captures the Fall colors in all of their glory. I’ve seen several pictures of this mill, but this is the best by far. The name of the photographer who took this photo is Jim McConnell. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and has been doing photography as a hobby for almost 10 years. His bio says he loves to photograph flowers, birds, and anything else that will hold still long enough. Thanks for letting me post this picture, Jim. You do great work!
If you’d like to see a higher resolution image of the above photo, click here.
To see a gallery of Jim McConnell’s many excellent photographs, click here.
THE TOP TEN INDICATORS THAT YOUR EMPLOYER HAS CHANGED TO OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE PLAN:
10. Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.
9. Directions to your doctor’s office include “Take a left when you enter the trailer park.”
8. The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.
7. The only proctologist in the plan is “Gus” from Roto-Rooter.
6. The only item listed under Preventative Care Coverage is “an apple a day.”
5. Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.
4. “The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges,” is not a typographical error.
3. The only expense covered 100% is… “Embalming…“
2. Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M’s on them.
AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU’VE JOINED OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE PLAN:
1. Your doctor prescribes Viagra, and they substitute a Popsicle stick and duct tape!!!!!
It’s official. I’m going to enter my first marathon ever. Last Saturday I ran in the 20-mile pre-marathon race in Grand Rapids. The weather was great for running. It was in the high 50’s and low 60’s for the entire run. Earlier in the week they had predicted rain, but it never happened. It was overcast with a slight breeze. For me, that’s ideal. I just hope that the weather cooperates for the actual marathon. Running yesterday gave me a good chance to see what the general course would be like on race day. I wasn’t planning on running with anyone, but I ran into my brother-in-law’s neighbor just prior to the start of the race. We started out together and ended up running the entire race together. I’ve never run with anyone before but it seemed to work out pretty well for me. We talked throughout the race and before I knew it, we were done. I’ve never run 20 miles before, but after finishing the race, I felt great. I burned a total of 2800 calories. After I got home and took a shower, my wife, daughter and I went out to eat. We ate at a new Italian restaurant that just opened near our house. I ordered a Calzone, chicken wings and cheese breadsticks. I think I replaced the entire 2800 calories that I had just burned earlier in the day!
In case you’re wondering, the left-hand picture is what my current running shoes look like with a little over 1100 miles on them. They’ve stayed in remarkably good shape for that many miles. The right-hand picture shows one of the old shoes above one of the brand new ones. The soles have held up really well for that much mileage. The Asics brand has been a good shoe for me. I just switched to the new pair about 2 weeks ago and will have about 80-100 miles on them by race time. Hopefully, I can stay injury free for the next three weeks. The marathon is Sunday, October 18th. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Today marks the 34th anniversary of me picking up my wife-to-be in Michigan. I was living in Montana at the time and I flew into Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 25th, 1975 to bring her back to Great Falls, Montana. That was a long time ago but I still remember it well. After meeting her at the airport, we took her car and drove back to Montana by taking the northern route through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stayed along the northern portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and finally, Montana. It was a three-day trip in all.
To honor that day, I dedicate the following song, Already Home, to her. She knows what it’s all about and that’s all that matters.
Already Home by Hanna and Ashley Perez. The Perez sisters sing mostly Latino songs but this is one of their first in English. By the way, they were actually born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It’s a very nice song and the lyrics are copied below the YouTube video. Enjoy.
Lyrics to Already Home
Packed my bags and kissed your cheek
Turned around so I didn’t see you cry, you cry
Sometimes you just can’t explain
The reasons why you have to say goodbye, goodbye
It took something, it took falling,
It took distance, it took time,
It took a lot of getting lost to realize
I was already home, right where I was supposed to be
You were right in front of me
I was not alone
I was already home, sometimes you’re too close to see
The one thing that you really need has been there all along
It took leaving you to know, I was already home
It took a long, long road to see,
What matters most in life to me was gone, was gone
But I thought I was looking for
Was right here waiting at your door
I was wrong, so wrong
It took tumbling, it took falling,
It took distance, it took time,
It took a lot of getting lost to realize
I was already home, right where I was supposed to be
You were right in front of me
I was not alone
I was already home, sometimes you’re too close to see
The one thing that you really need has been there all along
It took leaving you to know
I was so caught up in the thrill of something different
Something new,
It took a lot of missing you to see the truth
I was already home, right where I was supposed to be
You were right in front of me
I was not alone
I was already home, sometimes you’re too close to see
The one thing that you really need has been there all along
It took leaving you to know
I was already home
I was already home
