The Finish Line

The Finish Line
The Knuckleheads

The Last Day

The Last Day
Our Running Buddies

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Day 95,96,97 &98

Thursday, ran 6 in the morning, got ready for Pre-K graduation. Always a big and busy day. Found my speech from last year updated it a little. The parents got a kick out of it as I told them it was last year speech. They know I am a person of tradition and routine. I have worn the same Halloween costume for the past ten years...a cowboy hat and jeans. The parents and the kids get a kick out of it.

Thursday night play-off game. We won 16-13. It was a struggle but the kids came through. The big game now is Saturday do or die. Got home at 10:00 to pumped up to go to sleep. Luckily no running on Friday.

Friday, another long day with-out a work-out. Father day picnic at the school. I buy hot dogs , root beer and other stuff and have a barbecue. I am the chef. We have moon bounces and face painting etc.. It was a warm day and the party did not get over till after 7:00. Got home around 8:00 and took a shower and went to bed. Saturday another busy day.

Saturday got up at 6:30 went for a 10 mile run. Felt pretty good actually felt great. Average about 9.2 pace. Only needed 1 bottle of water and finished pretty strong. Got home took a shower off to the BIG GAME at 11:00. If we win we play 2 more games and maybe win the championship. Have our 2 best pitcher going. Does not start off well we are down 4-0. But we fight back and take the lead in the third inning. They tie it up in the top of the fourth and we are told the bottom of the 4th is it if we go ahead. Time restrictions. So Freddy leads-off with a single, steals second and comes home on single to center. We start to celebrate but the Ump says he made a mistake there is more time left. We are not happy. So we score 2 more runs and go into the 5th. Where they score 3 runs to tie the game again. Bottom of the 5th my two slowest and least talented kids lead-off. The first one hits a slower roller to 2nd and how he beat it out is beyond me. The next kid is slower then the 1st. But a wild pitch send our kid to 2nd. Now the kid that is up has a total of 6 hits all year. Well he gets a hit to short right. I send our runner home and it was the longest run in history but he was safe and we won 15-14. Well you would thought we won the World Series. But it was great to have two kids who are not that talented win the game. Everybody voted them the MVP's of the game. SMILES Galore. It was GREAT DAY. I sweated more at the game then I did in the morning run.

Sunday...Fathers Day. Went to Church...skipped breakfast...went to a party for on of our priest who was celebrating 45 years as a priest. Came home...went for a 14 mile run. It was warm and humid. It was a horrible run wanted to stop after 3 miles pain every where. Finished the run and was depressed. How I am going to finish 20 + if I am having trouble with 14. I am hoping it is the humidity. But not happy.

Rest of the day spent on the couch watching the US Open. Tiger is something else. Got two nice fathers day cards from Katie and Freddy. Made my day and helped me forget about my run. I am pretty lucky guy.

Day-off tomorrow except I have to get a cap so I will be at the dentist office for 1 1/2 hours OH Boy!!!

4 comments:

Sat Sandhu said...

Wow - sounds like a rollercoater of a week, but mostly on the up.

I dont understand baseball but it sounds like a good match. Your team seem to have come together at just the right time in the season. Good luck.

Don't worry about the tough run on Sunday - at least you didn't give up. And I suspect you were probably dehydrated from Saturday morning run as well as the "big game".

I've started cold showering for a bit after the runs - that really seems to help, especially now that the weather's getting a bit hot. Really cools the legs down and reduces the post-run ache.

George has been a bit quiet lately - he hasn't gone off on a Forest Gump run or something has he?

Yikes - only 70 days to go!!! :(
Take care
Sat

Jo Sandhu said...

hi Fred, seems like we all have issues with our teeth at the moment. Must be all the gnashing of teeth we do whilst running ! Hope it goes well.

Your esteemed leader, George W Bush, is in London at the moment. I saw his monster of a motorcade at lunchtime today - what a palaver. There must have been over 20 vehicles involved. Half the city was blocked off, police everywhere - really interrupted my run round Hyde Park but at least the President got to see me in my sports gear!

Have a great week

Jo

Georgie B said...

Hi Fred, thanks for your call today... as you suspected, my Mom passed away several days ago. We buried her on Monday and I return to Dallas on Wednesday Evening.

What a social maize this has been... family politics, ex wife management, kids protectiveness etc. We all came through quite nicely despite the interesting tangents of the beginning of the grieving process.

Lou Gherig disease is a terrible way to go... so I must admit I / we are relieved that my Mom is in a better place... she suffered way beyond what is necessary to tranisition into " Next ".

As you know, I'm a little non standard in my religious beliefs, struggle with the literalism of organized religion, but I am convinced that there is something there after we die.... things are just too logical and orderly not to have a greater force / being at the helm. I take great solace in the fact that I believe that my Mom and Dad are together again in some way.

Well... if ever there was a reason to continue my training it is in her memory.... nothing hokie, just a bit of additional incentive. Also have incentive to continue to improve my own health so I can prolong my kids exposure to all of this for as long as possible.... I suggest to you that this is an important benefit of what we are doing and even if we have to walk 120 miles, we will have a better physiological structure than when we began this insanity ( which I am enjoying immensely ).

Vision Quest will prolong our lives .... I'm quite convinced of that !

Despite all of my challenges, got in a few quality runs to include a 12 and 15 miler.... also had exposure to some decent hills which was nice. I'll talk to you soon. Don't worry about me, I'm fine and in many ways wiser as a result of all of this.

One final note.... I have had a number of deaths that I have had to manage through over the last 5 years.... I will tell you that the support of Humankind is so extremely important to help navigate.... We had a great turnout to the various events and the connection with folks that played a role in their and my lives was really, really helpful.
I have been through many of the blah, blah, blah leadership seminars that the business world has to offer... but there is no leadership quite like the leadership that we must exhibit to choose to participate in the sadness and melancholy of the burial process.... which arguably is excessive and overly taxing to those the loved one leaves behind, but I'll write that encyclical on another day !

Sat Sandhu said...

Hello George,

We are so sorry and sad to hear of the passing away of your mother. We had no idea your mother was battling Lou Gherig disease (known as Motor Neuron Disease in the UK).

We cannot begin to imagine what you and your family have been going through.

We hope you find some solace and peace in your long runs - I think they help.

Our thought and best wishes are with you and your family.

Sat (& Jo)