Quick Trip Away; April 24-26, 2015

Life has been busy.  I need to blog a bit more just to attempt to make heads and tails of it all.

Just finished up a great visit to see my daughter at college and sneak in and see my soon-to-be 90-year-old grandmother for a few hours on Sunday.

I flew into Pittsburgh last Friday and drove all the way to Grottoes, Virginia where my daughter met up with me and we ran the Grand Caverns Signature 5K together.

Great, certified course.  The majority of the course was on a couple of the town's streets, but the last eight-tenths of a mile were on the crushed rock trail in the park where the race started and finished.

We took it real easy in the first mile, but I picked up the pace for Waverly as we hit mile 2.

It was a solid time of 31 minutes, 55 seconds -- about a minute or so off of her best set in late October (after training for the Virginia 10-Miler).

So this was a really good effort on a minimum amount of work the last month or so.

The only mistake that we made is not staying for the awards ceremony as Waverly took first in her age group.  Who knew?

We drove over to Charlottesville where we stayed the evening before doing the Montalto Challenge 5K the next morning at the grounds of Jefferson's Monticello.

We split a pizza at a place called Brix Wood Fired Pizza and then chased it down with some Ben and Jerry's afterward.

The next morning, we were at Monticello by about 6:20 a.m., where we registered, went back to the car and relaxed until we had to get a bus to go down to the start.

There was an 838-foot difference in elevation between the start and the finish.

The first 1.8 miles were winding trails that had mixed surfaces, but primarily asphalt and wooden planks on the many bridges that had been built.

The remaining distances was a series of eight switchbacks that certainly brought me to a halt.  We had covered both of the first two miles in just under 13 minutes each.  She was better prepared as she walks hills every day going to and from class at Liberty.

I performed a good bit of brisk "keep it moving" walking the rest of the way.  We finished in 42:55.68.  Certainly not impressive, but it was more about the shared experience.

We had a pretty good breakfast at a place called The Villa, which was on the University of Virginia campus, before heading back to Lynchburg.

Our original plans included seeing a Gardner-Webb at Liberty baseball game, which had been scheduled for 3 p.m.  However, due to rains moving into the Lynchburg area Saturday afternoon and evening, the game was moved up to 10 a.m.

Waverly switched some things at her dorm room and then we headed to Roanoke.  Primarily just to get away and hang out a little bit.  She worked on a couple of things for school while I took care of things that were needed to do in preparation for completing her Financial Check-In for the 2015-2016 Fall Semester.

Oh, and this was after a trip to Bubblecake Cupcake Shop just off the outskirts of downtown -- and real close to where I had run my half marathon for the state of Virginia.

I had this Caramel chocolate cupcake that was totally sickening sweet.  Waverly had one and then got one to take back for one of best friends who is a resident advisor (R/A).

She had also had some recommendations for dinner as we headed downtown.  The one place was Queso Southwestern Grill, but it was closed for remodeling.  We looked around at a couple of other places, but settled for a place that she and her friend, Taylor, had been to previously called Thelma's.

Waverly went to the restroom while our drinks came and shortly after she sat down she saw a group of four girls from Liberty, one of who was her R/A partner for the upcoming year.

A very pleasant, polite young lady who had recently been injured playing soccer and was still overcoming some of its effects.  I'm real excited for that opportunity that Waverly will get not only for the role itself, but to work with the young woman that we met Saturday evening.

We had plans to run Sunday morning at 5 a.m., but I waved it off in lieu of a little bit more sleep.

Soon we were on the road by 6:30 a.m. to get Waverly back to Blue Ridge Community Church where she is a group leader for one of the second grade girls classes there.

We attended the second service, worshipped God in song and heard an excellent sermon on how our faith is what unlocks God's grace in our lives.

We had one of our traditional Sunday, after church meals at Moe's before taking her back to her dorm and then heading north to Pennsylvania to surprise my grandmother.

It was such a beautiful day to drive, which meant for pretty safe travels.

I ended up taking a little bit of a diversion off of I-81 and I-70 because 1.) it really veers you to the east and then back west and 2.) it is an area where traffic can really slow down.  And there were places on I-81, north of I-64, that did indeed slow down.

I learned of a stretch of road - Highway 522 - that went northwest of Winchester, Virginia, into West Virginia - through Berkley Springs and across the river into Maryland.  I could have gone west on I-68 and then north on 220 out of Cumberland, Maryland, but my gamble that I-70 North to Breezewood would be a pretty easy drive proved to be true.

I ended up my grandparents house at around 6 p.m. and I was able to get a few hot dogs at the temporary Austin's Texas Hot Dogs stand just outside of Delgrosso's Park.

The time there would be short-lived though as I put my head on the pillow around 9:30 p.m., slept until about 1:15 a.m. and then drove to Pittsburgh for a 5:45 a.m. flight.

Nonetheless, I'm looking at getting back home again soon.

Doing Alright; October 9, 2014

There are times as parents, something catches your attention and you go, "Yes, we did OK."

It hit me hard - in a good way -- when I stopped to reflect as I left work last evening that our daughter, who is a 19-year-old college sophomore, is taking her fall break - driving 5 and a half hours - to go see her 89-year-old great grandmother in central Pennsylvania.

Everything else in my world could be going wrong and this is one of those things that would shine brightly over everything else.

I'm truly thankful and couldn't be more proud of the young woman she becomes every single day.

A Father's Visit With His Daughter: The Virginia 10-Miler; September 26-28, 2014

When the online version of the Genworth Virginia 10-Miler Athlete Guide was posted, Waverly was warned:  Don't look at page 18.

There's only four streets in Lynchburg that are parallel and those are in downtown.

There are even fewer that are totally flat.

Rollers were to be expected even aside from Farm Basket Hill.

"Farm Basket Hill is treacherous. It’s exhausting and takes sheer will to climb," said the pre-race article in the Lynchburg (Va.) News & Advance.

This might have been a slight overstatement compared to the two-loop course that I ran just three weeks prior in Bastrop State Park, but the course certainly wasn't flat.

The only thing athletically that Waverly had trained for more diligently was the half marathon she completed in January 2006 at the age of 10.

After spending five weeks on the road traveling with Lift Ministries to four different Christian youth camps in four states this summer, she began her training in late July.

We did a 5K together before she left to head back to the college the first week of August at the Outriggers By The Bay 5K in Kemah and it was just 20 seconds off her best time from earlier in the year.

So that it wasn't me that was trying to put together a plan for Waverly to prepare, I engaged Volte Endurance Training founder Bill Dwyer.

He put together a basic plan that called for running two days back to back each week and then three others run - one long - with a day's rest in between.

And she pursued it as diligently as she had eight years ago.

Her longest run was eight (8) miles -- one that she said she completed in about 85 minutes.

A Liberty Flames singlet that she wears with pride had gotten a bit loose during this time:  the same effect eight years ago when she prepared for her only half marathon to date.

She said it was never "tight" to begin with, but before it would cling a little bit to her tall frame.

I arrived Friday afternoon after a nice drive up Highway 501 from Raleigh-Durham.

I picked Waverly up at her dorm and we went downtown to pickup our packets.  As we were doing so, we saw Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson setting up their table.

I wanted to get a picture of Waverly with Kathrine and when I asked her if we could do so, she told me, "Three minutes."  Of course, not a problem.

What proceeded to take place after that was nothing short of amazing.

When they were in town in 2006 to participate in the RRCA National Convention that was hosted by the Houston Striders, I didn't take part in a lot of the festivities other than speaking on "Blogging" on a panel with MarathonGuide.com's John Elliott.

They were two of the nicest individuals that I've met in a long tie and their incredible recognition factor in the running world was not something that they hung on to every second.

We engaged in a number of topics.  Roger shared that his father was very involved in education and encouraged Waverly greatly after learning that she was studying Elementary Education at Liberty.

We purchased his latest book and video on "Spirit of the Marathon II" and personally addressed it to the two of us.  As a bonus, Kathrine signed the pictue forward of her running what was her longest race ever (I believe that she told us) - an ultra.

I didn't get the opportunity to wait and see RRCA executive director Jean Knaack as Kathrine said that she was at the hotel working on some Roads Scholar activities.

We had a 25-minute or so run to get in.  Nothing hard, but something to just get loosened up for the day to come on Saturday.

As we left from her dorm, crossed the bridge over Highway 460 and around Williams Stadium, I could tell that I would "really" have my work cut out for me.  We ran by both the baseball and the new softball stadium and around a loop that circles the campus.

By the time we made it to University Drive, which includes a long, slow incline back to Williams Stadium (and with the afternoon warmth), we walked the back half of it not to take too much out of either one of us.

Waverly and I went to Vinny's - a local Italian restaraunt that we've been to once before - and then relaxed the remainder of the evening watching Liberty's women's volleyball team defeat Radford in Big South Conference action.

I picked her up at her dorm at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning to be parked and well-prepared for an 8:00 a.m. start.  We walked over to the starting line as I was looking for Jean, but instead we saw Kathrine and Roger as they were going to be race announcing.

I talked to the sound guy and encouraged him by telling him how important it was to do what he did well for people like me to be able to communicate.  When I announce, I'm as only as good as the sound underneath my voice and the timer with a functioning reader mat.

We walked back to the car, sat and talked - while also staying warm as there was a little coolness in the air - until about 7:35 a.m.  As we stood in the port-a-potty line, Waverly pointed out to me a Liberty University professor that was running the race barefoot.

This was her race.  We had talked that if we got separated that she was to go on and not wait for me.

I've been running, but not as diligently as she has.  Her preparation was much better and it showed.  Hills had been kicking my butt the last eight weeks or so - and Saturday would prove to be no different.

We entered the sea of people, which included a larger number of runners who were doing the four-mile race.  (Note to the Lynchburg Road Runners Club, do a separate start please.)

In hometown or small-town races, the rule of thumb is to move up a little further in the queue or corral as there are many participants who are not aware of that piece of running etiquette.

When the gun went off, I gave her a kiss and after about 90 seconds, we had crossed the starting line and were on our way.

I told her as we walked from the car to the start that I had something to share with her after we finished.

It was something that I thought about the night before and when I checked, I was right.  It was 11 years to the day from what was probably my worst day as a parent.

And it was something that could have ruined the day that we were about to embark on.

In 2003, I had started to run.  I carried a lot more weight than what I have on me today, but I ran my first race in January of that year - the old four-miler at the then hp Houston Marathon.

Waverly would run her first race on Memorial Day four months later - the Kids' 1K at the inaugural Race for the Pennant 5K that finished on the field at then-Enron Field.

By September, she would run her first 5K - the Bearkat Bash in Klein.

With that enthusiasm, we had planned a day at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.  And, as we've now done so many times over the last 11 years, there was a race.  Another 5K.

However, somewhere around mile 1, I got the impression that she wasn't trying hard enough.  Yes, me - the new runner myself.

We finished, but I handled myself so inappropriately that we got in the car and headed straight back to Spring.

She actually had finished second in her age group that morning - at the age of 8, but my chilidsh behavior deprived her of that.

Definitely the worst thing that I believe that I've done to her as a parent.

The race starts next to E.C. Glass High School.  It is the 41st running of the event.  And it goes north on Langhorne Road, which is five lanes wide.

We both know (and knew) the dangers of going out too fast.  It wasn't hot, but humidity could be felt in the air.

We ran together and passed the first mile marker in 10:17.13.

Midway through the second mile was the bottom of Farm Basket Hill - and the start of a 122-foot climb to the 2-mile marker.

Waverly got ahead of me as my additional weight didn't do me any favors going up the hill.

I could see her ahead of me and was able to track our separate splits.  She hit mile 2 in 11:05.14 while I came through 26 seconds behind in 11:31.58.

I was immediately worried if she was going to run away from me, but it is something that we had discussed - for her to just keep going.

Now my mission was:  Catch up with her.

I cut 14 seconds into that over the next mile that included some rollers and another 60-foot climb.  She ran it in 11:00.14 while I made it through in 10:46.39.  So the edge was now a 12-second advantage.

With another set of rollers that only netted out to a 10-foot elevation gain, but a relatively flat section approaching the fourth mile, I was only able to make up four seconds as she ran mile 4 in 10:45 while I did so in 10:41.

During this time, though, as the four-mile participants turned off to their finish, I realized that this is what parenting was all about:  her mother and I had trained her to be able to run her own race in life.

As a runner, I was able to watch from behind as she did her best to run the tangents where it was possible as well as keeping her head up and running tall.

I smiled and I got a bit emotional, but one thing was for sure:  I had to catch her.

I did so shortly after we turned into Riverside Park.

The funny thing is, though, that she told me that she knew that I was close because she could hear my foot fall.  :-)

And just before a short, steep 60-foot climb to the mile 5 marker, I caught up with and went by her - charging up the hill.

We passed the midway point at 54:14.3.  I wasn't specifically thinking about our overall time, but it gave us a good shot to hit my realistic goal of 1:50 for her.

Bill based his time projection based on a recent 5K time, but when she and I talked about it later she wondered which time he had used.  Her PR is 33:07.

I had sent Bill a text the night before - after running with her (and not completely knowing every mile of the course) - that I thought she would be at 1:47-1:48.

As we prepared to leave Riverside Park and get well into mile 6, Waverly indicated that her left hip had started to hurt.  It was from the heavy camber in the street, even though 1.) it was well-paved and 2.) she tried to run near the center of the lane.

We started to slow a little bit as we made it to mile 6 in 11:15.12 (65:29.46).

Somewhere around here, she saw one of her two roommates, Laura, from the first semester last year that was volunteering with a group from Lynchburg College (where she now goes to school).

On the way out to the Park, we saw numerous members of Liberty University's men tennis team volunteering as course marshals and I would holler "Go Flames!" as I ran by.

There was a little rise to the middle of mile 6 and then a downhill to mile 7.  Not even a net gain I don't believe, but right before mile 7 I was feeling pretty good.

There was a young female adult who was on the shoulder of a young man and I - for some reason - decided to try and jump and "high five" her.  When I came down, I had pulled my right hamstring.  Uh oh.

Just before then Waverly said that she was thinking to herself that the last thing that was needed for me to get hurt.  Oops!

I stretched it out, but by the time we got to the mile 7 marker she had put 16 seconds on me (11:28.75 to 11:44.34).

However, we picked up a drop of some 60-plus feet to mile 8 and I was starting to get a second wind.  She was running steady - but a step or two slower because of her hip - so I did what I've done in many races and that was to run strong ahead of her to give her a target to focus on.

Like I said, I was feeling good.  I noticed that the Liberty's women's volleyball team - who we watched the night before - was out volunteering.

I started to engage with them.  The first two were sisters, Jade and Sirena Vorster from Wellington, Florida.  The older of the two, who I saw first, is 6-4.  The younger of the two by two years is 6-2.  You can't miss them.

I saw freshman Hannah Weidner, a freshman from Shorewood, Minnesota - #5 who played like a machine the night before - and tried to engage, but she didn't catch on (nor get it, according to Waverly) after I passed.

Then there was Rachel Smoltz from Alpharetta, Georgia.  Yes, that Smoltz.

She's the daughter of former Atlanta Braves pitching great John Smoltz.

And as we were working our way towards the bottom of Farm Basket HIll, we saw Caila Stapleton (#2) from Daytona Beach, Florida.  She was completely recognizable with a very short haircut.

I congratulated them all on a great match the night before, but when I saw Stapleton, I motioned and said, "No. 2, right?"  She confirmed.

Waverly said later at breakfast at our favorite place to eat, Market at Main, that it had made her day.  She said something to the effect - to her teammate - that they were out to encourage runners and here she was being encouraged.

As we talked over the weekend, that is how I serve God.  I don't quote a bunch of scripture or say flowery prayers.  I just simply try to encourage other people to live life abundantly.

We made it to mile 9 in 11:53.03 - our slowest of the day as he slugged it out against Farm Basket Hill.

I think I remember seeing 1:41 on my watch and knew that we had been about 90 seconds across the start line.  I wanted to keep it as close to 1:50 as possible, but my wheels were starting to come up as I was beginning to cramp in my calves.

And she was starting to get a second wind.

She probably could have run off and left me by 30 seconds or so in that last mile, but to her credit - and me kind of pleading with her a little bit - we ran it in together as they called both of our names just short of the finish line.

We had made it in 1:51:33.

I was able to return a favor many times that she had done with me by getting her medal and putting it around her neck and giving her a big hug.

We went to our favorite breakfast place in all of Lynchburg - Market at Main - after the race and spent a great time reminiscing of a job well done by her.

We later went a Liberty softball scrimmage against Randolph College in their beautiful new stadium before heading to one of favorite places to eat dinner - The Neighbors Place Restaraunt.

She had some pasta and chicken while I had a nice skirt steak (well done).

Our waitress was really, really good and engaged in conversation a little bit, especially after she learned that we had run the 10-miler earlier in the day.  She said she was out supporting a friend that was doing the 4-mile race.

We talked about marathons and ultras, but Waverly noticed a necklace around the young woman's neck of the continent of Africa and she asked if she had been.

We found out that she had recently come back from an 11-month adventure called The World Race, which is "is a stretching journey into 11 countries in 11 months to serve "the least of these" while amongst real and raw community. This unique mission trip is a challenging adventure for young adults to abandon worldly possessions and a traditional lifestyle in exchange for an understanding that it's not about you; it's about the Kingdom."

Her name, based on what the credit card receipt suggested, is Jenny House.  And this is her blog from the race -- http://jennyhouse.theworldrace.org/.

Waverly stopped at Cook Out - a regional chain - to get a shake.  I got some ice cream some place else.  Then we went to watch a period of Liberty's Division I women's club hockey team play against a talented 18-U team from Washington, D.C. at 9:30 p.m.

As we were leaving, we saw one of her best friends with her Mom - who was in town for a visit - in the parking lot.

Earlier today, we went to church together at Blue Ridge Baptist Church in Forest, Virginia where Waverly is the leader of the second grade girls Sunday School class for the 8:30 a.m. service.

Then we went to Moe's for lunch.

It is kind of our departure meal.  If I'm leaving, we're eating at Moe's, which is a Mexican food chain kind of in the Freebirds and Chipotle mold.

I had figured that - for various reasons - it was my eighth trip to Lynchburg and I enjoy each and every one, but it was hard leaving.

Almost as hard as it was last year during the fall semester when I visited in October.  I think I teared up 30 miles south that day.

However, I know that this is where she believes that God has led her to be at and is doing what she believes God is her calling her to do -- and I support her and believe that wholeheartedly.

I'm so proud of the young woman that she has become and the leader that she is.

I couldn't be more fortunate of a father - and proud of her.

Besieged; August 28, 2014

This is often how I feel.

I'll have some good spells and then I feel this way, which isn’t always discouraged nor is it overwhelmed.

Nonetheless, the feeling just beats me down.  It causes me to not want to get a good workout in or just sleep.

All of the good things that I have planned to do sometimes get lost in the fog of feeling this way and it is hard many times to fight through.

This week has been that entire way even though I’m going tomorrow to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania.

Yes, it has been a tough 2014 so far.

So you could say that some of it is to be expected, but there are some other issues at play too.

It is hard when you spend the bulk of your time alone.

Yes, there are short-term remedies to that state of being, but when the long-term reality sets back in it is feeling of somebody almost sitting on your chest.

Don’t get me wrong:  I have great friends.

And, yes, there are some that I can – and would like to – spend more time with, but more often than not they have friends or acquaintances that I, from experience, don’t mix well with.

My friends may or may not know about it, but, regardless, I don’t ever want to drag their world down with my uncomfortableness with those individuals.

I’ve so much as to have driven to a race that doesn’t have an entry fee, but refuse to leave the vehicle and eventually leave the grounds because there were people there that I had long lost respect for.

And I didn’t think that I could be around them without it showing.

Needless to say, I've been greatly challenged.  It's hard, but I work through it.

I had written through the paragraph before the last one before a co-worker - at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday - that I don't talk to a lot - just because of job roles, etc. - asked me how I was doing.

I was given the opportunity to let some of the fog dissipate.

I didn't feel weak earlier in the morning expressing to an associate - in my work setting that I was only working with for only the second time - that I was having a rough time in case something didn't come out right.

But through the earlier conversations and a phone call to a very good friend of mine who lives in east Texas and is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, my spirits had lifted as he is such an encouragement in how he is handling all of the challenges that he has faced in the last year and a half.

We both noted that we have great kids.  Me one daughter; him, two.

Then when I got home and checked the mail, there was a document that arrived from the IRS that was actually good news - and a big burden off my heart.

I had called my grandmother to discuss when I would be arriving on Friday and what I had planned for the weekend.

All had turned out well enough to go to the gym to workout before coming back to home to finish getting ready to leave in a few hours.

I know that God put some people in the right place to help me through a rough patch and spell.

Some days are harder than the other, but I keep plugging away.

If you're reading, please keep me in your prayers.  I'm sure that today isn't going to be the last day that I feel the way that I did.  There will be more and once again, I'll need to battle.

However this is a place that I can come, let things go and work them out.

Thanks for listening and in advance for your prayers.

The Daily Walk; July 28, 2014

Yesterday's highlights included ...

1.  Got to see and speak with Bill and Debbie Crawford at North Park Baptist Church this morning who have been home to the States for almost a month as they are missionaries to Dresden, Germany.  They had been unable to make a visit to North Park for 10 years.  Bill gave an excellent, relevant sermon that I'm glad that I was there for.  Debbie also got to meet Waverly for the first time ever.

2.  We also got to see and talk to both Bro. and Mrs. John (and Susan) Gross, the founding pastor of our church, as they were there with Bill and Debbie.  Was in the same youth department at the old North Freeway Baptist Church with Debbie, her brother, Tommy, and numerous others.  It was very important to me when my sister passed away that Bro. Gross, as he was our pastor growing up, lead the memorial service.

3.  I get to see Waverly sing with the worship team one more Sunday after today before she heads back to Liberty University for her sophomore year.  They sang Kari Jobe's "We Are (The Light of the World)" as a praise and worship song as opposed to Waverly singing it as a solo.  However, Waverly led this song and her confidence in who she is as a young woman using her talents for God is probably at its all-time highest.

4.  Attended the 2nd annual HARRA Strategic Meeting with 19 other involed and committed runners at president Joe Carey's house.  Really appreciate Joe opening up his home to host us all.  Great discussion, but the key take-away is how to communicate HARRA's value to the general greater Houston area running community.

Shout-outs to ...

5.  Bill Dwyer as he delivered Waverly's plan to her that she will use to train for the Virginia 10-Miler that we will run together on Saturday, September 27 in Lynchburg, Virginia.

A couple of good reads this morning from ...

6.  Max Lucado
7.  Barry Blanton's Monday Morning Minute

Challenges for today include ...

8.  My sister, Holly, would have been 42 today.  Please keep the families in your prayers when you can.  My parents will be taking the girls to visit my grandmother in central Pennsylvania on Wednesday for a week.  Much is needed for so many.

Holly, A Few Words on Your Birthday; July 28, 2014

I remember we all would laugh at the times when Dad could never remember if your birthday was the 28th or the 29th.

One of the few pictures that we ever got together was the one last year at your birthday party at Pappasito's.

It was probably the only other one that I remember as well -- other than the one as you as a baby sitting in the blue plastic chair and me in a blue-and-white striped tank top at Bill and Leah's.

I, of course, had hair then and you wouldn't catch me in a tank top (or running singlet) today!

Bill and Debbie Crawford were in from Germany yesterday at church and, of course, the "old" North Freeway crew was as faithful as always as the first thing Debbie did - having not seen or talked to her in at least 10 years - was to console me of your loss.

Other than Edwin, my running friend in Lufkin that you never met, the first two to call the morning after you passed were Kirk and Tommy.

I've gone through the words that I shared at your celebration of life service many times.

I wouldn't have taken away anything from what I shared, but I would have referenced that like running a marathon you endured some challenging miles.

Some I knew about then.  Others I didn't.

I learned recently about miles 3 - unbeknownst to our family - and especially the most challenging ones in miles 14-15.  I'm amazed now at how you persevered after the latter.

We'll never know this side of heaven why God chose to call you home, but we'll all keep praying that the load will be lightened from the difficult miles those of us still here endure until it is our time to see you again.

Love you and miss you!

The Daily Walk: July 27, 2014

Yesterday's highlights included ...

1.  The red-headed princess made it home safely after working four Christian summer youth camps in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.  First thing that she wanted to eat getting back in Texas?  Whataburger.  We had a great lunch catching up on a number of items.

2.  Fun and safe trip to Moulton to run a race - the Moulton Jamboree 5K - in my 100th Texas city or town.  Always good to broaden your experiences.

3.  Enjoyed the Astros and Marlins game with Robby Sabban, Jay Lee and Loren Sheffer of Texas Runner and Triathlete.  We didn't solve all of the problems of the running world, but we'll keep working on it.  :-)

Shout-outs to ...

4.  Friends competing in triathlons today from Switzerland to Canada.

5.  The Pittsburgh Passion for bringing another football championship to the Steel City by Winning the International Women's Football League championship over the Houston Energy last night in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

In other news ...

6.  Penn State hired a new athletic director in Sandy Barbour, the former University of California AD.  My concern is that this is more of a move to further appease the NCAA in an effort to - in the eyes of the NCAA - lessen the cited "Penn State football" culture.  Penn State athletics is so much more than the football program.  Anybody has to be better, though, than Dr. Dave Joyner.