New Shoes, Same Blog

There's one sure-fire way to get discussions going on a message board or your blog.

Talk about your running shoes. In fact, my very first post on this blog was when I bought a new pair. Huh.

You can conjure up more of a debate about shoes than you can about Obama/Clinton or Red Sox/Yankees (Sox, of course!). When I started running, I went to message boards/blogs and asked about what type of shoes I should buy. I posted my running type, budget, etc. and just got bombarded with responses.

There were three common threads in the discussion:

1. Go to a specialty running store to get fitted properly.
2. Different shoes for different folks. Just because I love my (insert brand), doesn't mean you will. You have to try them on.
   
3. Your shoes suck. Mine are the best.

I'm in the process of buying new shoes. The key word there is "process". I've never just bought a pair, got them out of the box and kept them. I think I may be a bit picky. My local running store, however, are very cool about it and, I think they realize that I'm a "trial runner". The deal we have is that I don't get them dirty and they'll keep exchanging them until I'm happy. That, my friends, is the best type of running store there is.

Different shoes for different folks. I know that. In order to find the best shoe for me, I have to try them on. Does that stop me from reading Runners World reviews or Amazon.com ratings ad nauseum? Absolutely not. I can spend hours on confusing myself with too many opinions about footwear.

No matter what type of shoes I buy, someone hates them. "They hurt my feet." "I returned them that day." "Even my dog won't chew on them." I've noticed that runners are exceptionally passionate about their shoes (once they've found ones they like) and they're not afraid to: a) gush profusely as though they were next of kin. b) tell you how much they don't like allll the other shoes out there. It's a very strange phenomenon. I've been playing golf for the majority of my life. At no point have I ever felt so strongly about the clubs in my bag, my shoes, golf balls, etc. OK, maybe golf balls. I'm not hitting Pro Staffs, Pinnacles, or Rams. You get my point.

So, I bought a new pair yesterday, gave them a spin, and I think I may have found "the shoe". The guys at the store were stunned. It's quite possibly the most comfortable shoe that I've found on the shelf. I'm beating myself up for the fact that I've spent all this time during my very short running career plodding along in my other shoes. It's like running on pillows with traction. My running life is now complete.

And I'm not telling you what I bought.

Proof!

Proof that I didn't get chicked....at least not at mile 4. I have no idea where or when this picture was taken. Kinda creepy if you ask me. Do they just lurk in the bushes?

p.s. - I'm the one on the left.

Runner #986 Reporting for Duty

Here's the rundown:

• 6:15 am - I stopped by Starbucks and the grocery store before heading down to Lincoln. I grabbed a grande coffee and a power bar. I'm not usually a Power Bar guy. Apparently, there are 5000 choices. I choose the one with a pretty wrapper.
  
• 6:30am - On the way down, I tried to get myself in a zone by listening to The Beatles Love album. I highly recommend it!
• 7:15am - Got there pretty early. I'm one of those people that say if registration starts at 7:30a, I'll be there at, well, 7:15a. It's just who I am. I've lived to deal with it.
• 7:20am - Got race bib, packet, and some "goodies". Goodies include: 1 State Farm long sleeve t-shirt, 1 State Farm letter opener, 1 State Farm key chain, 1 State Farm nail file. All stuffed in a HUGE State Farm plastic bag. Nice. Glad I made the trip.
• 7:25am - I have an hour and a half to burn off some nervous energy. I sit in the waiting area and people watch. It's the same for every race. There are those that are taking this wayyyyy too seriously and those that aren't. My personal favorite was the hippy with the Nebraskans For Peace t-shirt. I'm not exaggerating the hippy part . You'll just have to trust me. He was like a cross between Chong and George Carlin. *editor's note - see below
  
• 7:45am - I run into my "coach". In all actuality, she's my department head at work. She just happens to be in the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame for Cross Country. How convenient is that?
  
• 8:00am - The kids 1 mile run starts. While that's going on, I decide to test out the IT band by running around the State Farm campus.
  
• 8:02am - Good! No real pain! I need to stretch out a little more, but I'm good to go! I'm very psyched!
• 8:45am - Run into some more teachers from my school. We talk about what are goals are for the race. I'm hoping for a 1:30:00 time for this run (10 miles).
  
• 8:50am - The race director announces that iPods can't be used on the course. Even though about 40% of the runners are still wearing iPods, I take mine off and give them to a friend who's not in the race.
• 8:55am - I want my iPod back. What are they going to do? Stop all of us? I frantically search for the guy with my iPod.
• 8:59am - Starting gun goes off. Shit.

MILES 0-1: We run around the campus before heading off onto a trail. I see a lot of runners on the sidelines cheering us on. Am I on the wrong race? Am I doing the 5K?

The trail is crushed limestone. OK. I'm hip to the new surface. Here's the problem: The trail is only about 8 feet wide. Passing is going to be tricky. Especially the 4 ladies that want to talk to one another while on this excursion. It's like they're at the mall. Fannnnntastic. Leg feels good, though. I weave in and out of traffic like I'm Ponch from Chips. 1 mile time: 9:40. Uh oh. OK, race traffic slowed me down.

MILES 1-4: I get into a groove. Unfortunately, so does Nebraskans for Peace guy's old lady. Here's the summary of her diatribe: "It's the government, man!" I admire activism. I really do. I just don't need it while I'm navigating mall runners and horse shit. Oh, did I mention that this trail is both a running trail and a horse trail? Neat.

MILES 4-6: Not much to report here. I have a lot of time to think, since I don't have my goddamn iPod. Thing is, though, I'm just soaking it all in and people watching on the run. My feet start to hurt a little. Weird.

MILES 6-8: Around mile marker 6, runners start coming back on the trail. There's this one guy leading the race who's about 6'8" and is in every race and, more often than not, he leads these things. I call him Thor. He's part of "Team Nebraska", an elite running group. Those guys (and gals) are a lot of fun. They have a serious look on their face, don't encourage other runners when they're done, and look like they've been training with Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. Good times. I should've asked them if they blog about their runs. The guy next to me comments that they have way too much free time. I agree and we make fun of them for the next mile or so. Then, he mentions to me that this will be nice when we turn around because it'll be downhill. Great. I didn't notice I was going uphill until he said that. My knee twinges.

MILES 8-9: My knee/IT band is stiff and sore, but not painful. I'm bored, I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I have no iPod. Have I mentioned that? I'm making a concerted effort to thank all of the volunteers for coming out on this chilly (35-40 degrees) morning. They deserve it!

MILES 9-10: I'm playing with house money now (gambling reference). I've never run this far. Everything is sore, but there's no way in God's green earth I'm stopping now. "What have I learned today?" is now my mantra. Here's what I've learned:

• Finishing the half marathon in May won't be a problem. Finishing in under 2 hours, might be.
• How do people run marathons? I'm going to need to do some serious training if I want to do one in October.
• There's no way I'm hitting my time of 1:30:00. Bummer. At least I'm finishing.
• I may have to look at new shoes.

MILE 10: 1:34:56. Not very impressive, but I had fun. I treated it like a long run and not a race. Later on, I'll get an email about where I ended up in the grand scheme of things. Don't know if I'll care. I'll just motor home and talk to my daughter about her first day of swimming lessons.

*

It's the government, man!
Upon second look, he kind looks like Saddam Hussein when they captured him.
(this very well may be my profile pic from now on)

Mental Checklist

This post is intended for my sanity. Why? I'm a selfish jerk, that's why. That, and I'm finding it's therapeutic to type stuff out than let it fester like a pus-filled zit. Enjoy.

The first race of the year is tomorrow. Am I excited? A little. Am I nervous? Probably more than excited.

I'm not usually a "plan ahead" kind of guy, but I decided to make a checklist for this race. I do that when I travel, too. I'm kinda funny like that. Nevertheless, here's my State Farm 10 Mile Run Checklist*:

• Running gear for potential rain and definite chill? Check
• iPod loaded with the latest Phedippidations and Bill Simmons Report? Check
• Issues to sort out while I'm on my weekly long runs. Check
  
• Class numbers dwindling (45% drop in journalism).
  
• Teaching TV and working in PR?
  
• Potential training/certification for students. Incentive?
• Redesigning class curriculum to fit the numbers.
• How to get kids back into the TV program
  
• Mental fortitude? Hmm
• It's just a long run, not a race
  
• You've rested your IT band/leg for 2 weeks now.
• You have ibuprofen
• Pain is weakness leaving the body
• You will finish this race
• If you can do this, the HM will be a snap
• Don't say "snap"
  
• Don't think about your knee
• Pray that there aren't many hills.

Race Report as soon as I get out of the hospital for a blown right knee.

*maybe if I pimp State Farm long enough, I can get free insurance. Kinda like Vanilla and his new shoes.

**Read the latest Open Mic feature at Runner's Lounge on Topher. It's a great read about a kewl guy. I highly recommend it.

It's a Twister!

A lot has gone at work in the past 48 hours. Kinda stressed out about it and still stressed out about the fact that I haven't really run in 2 weeks and I'm about to run a 10 mile race.

Last night I had a dream that I was a storm chaser and I managed to film 4 twisters while on assignment. I wanted to know what that all meant, so I looked it up. Here is what I found:

TORNADOES : Tornadoes can be symbolic of extreme stress in your life and an inability to relax. The skies in dreams generally link to the future and the possibility of change. So if they are disturbed then there is no clear outlook for how things will be. But tornados may symbolise lots of things. They may link to bad things that are about to happen and problems that you are anticipating.

QUESTIONS to help you make associations(pick the one that makes most sense to you)
- What issue yesterday sent your mind into a spin?
- Have you been very stressed recently?
- What crisis are you planning for in the near future?
- Are there many changes in your life right now?

KEY WORDS : Uncertain, unforeseen,changes, weather forecast, stress(write down some quotes that capture your key feelings on issues that have been dominating your mind. Then see if any of these words could appear in those quotes)

KEY PHRASES(Pick a quote which captures your feelings right now. Think especially of the day before the dream) :
- "uncertain about the future"
- "coping with all these changes in my life"
- "I am having to come to terms with the changes in my life"
- "I cannot relax"
- "been told so many things at one time - simply bombarded with too much information"
- "I simply did not expect that"
- "I am starting to feel ill"
- "yesterdays weather forecast"

Sweet.

Miscellaneous, etc., et al

(my daughter is doing better in the brackets than I am)

Gave myself a week off from the road and then, I just couldn't take it anymore. My NCAA brackets the went to crap by the end of Friday, our daughter hadn't taken a nap since 2005, and we were getting some serious cabin fever. I had to get out of the house.

So I did.

And I ran.

And it hurt.

It wasn't as painful as my long run last Sunday, but my IT band was still there reminding me that I may have missed some stretching sessions hither and yond. So, I'm a little...ok, a LOT....concerned about my 10 mile race this Saturday. If there are no hills whatsoever, I should be OK. If not, it could be painful. Hopefully, there are volunteers that will be "at the ready". I'm discouraged and frustrated, so there you have it.

Game Day....Day 2

Brent: Good afternoon everyone, we are coming to you live from America's Heartland for Day 2 of the epic clash of parents and teachers! What can we expect? Apathy! Impatience! Frustration! All here on ABC Sports!

montage of clips of parents snapping at kids, kids looking disinterested, teachers looking even more disinterested, and teachers sneaking into the lounge for snacks all set to some cheesy Rob Thomas song.*

Chevy commercial. this is ourrrr country.

Brent: Welcome back. Let's get right to it. Dan, what can we expect from the teachers today?
Dan: Well, last night was kind of a shocker. Usually, most parents come in during the evening. Today, the conferences run from 2-6. What does that mean? The teachers have to pace themselves and hope that their wireless connection holds up for those crucial 4 hours.
Brent: Sideline reporter Jack Arute is standing by live inside the teacher's lounge. What can you tell us, Jack?
Jack: The administration just came in with 4 coolers filled to the hilt with pop and water. Hydration and caffeination seems to be the plan for today, Brent.
Brent: Thanks, Jack. We'll be keeping an eye on that. Now we turn to the venerable Keith Jackson. Keith, you've covered a lot of these conferences. Any last piece of advice?
Keith: Whooooooa nellie, Brent! That sandwich just doesn't have the mustard today.
Brent: Couldn't have said it better myself, Keith.

Pregame - The best part of day 2 during conferences? The food. Our version of the PTA brings in a boatload of food for teachers. It's very generous of them and we all appreciate it. And it's good stuff, too. This p/t conference menu is pasta, salad, and treats. Yum. The one thing I've learned about teaching? The parents can make/break the kid's education. Involved and supportive parents are a godsend to a teacher. Fortunately, most of my students' parents are pretty supportive.

2:00pm - Let's conference! Quick observation left over from last night: Parents of new students are always fun. The conversation goes one of two ways:

1. Oh, _________ just loves your class! It's a nice break from his/her other classes.
2. Teaching TV? That must be nice! Watch TV all day and get paid for it?

Takes every fiber of my being not to say something snarky. They pay my salary, they pay my salary.

2:15pm - Lots of moms here (insert joke). So far, I'm flying nicely under the radar. The all-time RazZDoodle record is 50 minutes without a parent when starting these things. Still have 35 more minutes, but I'm feelin' it.

2:30pm - Nothing so far. The tension is palpable. I think the record could be broken, folks. I'm so excited, I may need to get up and get some snacks.

2:45pm - 5 minutes and then I go celebrate.

2:46pm - Damn. And she's a parent of a good kid. Damn damn. Oh well. Snack time.

**Breaking News**
Charlie Gibson: We're sorry to break in, but we've just received word that there are no snacks in the break room. Again, we have a confirmed report that there are no snacks to be found in the break room. Let's go to RazZDoodle. He's on the phone at the school. RazZ, can you hear me? What's the mood right now?
RazZDoodle (chaos in background): The mood? The MOOD? What do you think the F***ING mood is, Chuck? It's mass hysteria here! 4 hours of the bulls**t and I can't find one goddamn Milky Way? Really?
Charlie: Thanks RazZ. We'll keep you posted if there are further developments. Again, there are no snacks in the break room. Good night and God speed.

2:56pm - We're not handling this well.

4:00pm - I can't go on. Need.....nourishment. Must have....Twix mini.

End...of....post.

*as opposed to the classic Rob Thomas songs.

Game Day....Day 1

I'm hoping that this post keeps me from going crazy sitting at my table for 8 hours (4 tonight, 4 tomorrow).

(cue Brent Musberger and the ABC Sports crew. Aerial shot of high school.)
Brent: And we're coming at you live from the heartland of America for tonight's round one matchup of the teachers and the parents! Good evening everyone and Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm Brent Musberger. The teachers come into this matchup with an sense of contractual obligation. Most have done this before and they know how to pace themselves. Remember folks, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Dan Fouts: That's right Brent. You don't want to read your bookmarked blogs online too fast and you have GOT to space out grading papers in between meetings. It's quite a strategy to get through the 8 hours.
Brent: On the other side are the parents. Keith Jackson, what's going through their minds right now.
Keith: Whoa nellie, Brent! The pig's outta the barn and there's gonna be some shovelin' tonight!
Brent: I have no idea what that meant. Let's go down to sideline reporter, Jack Arute for the latest, Jack?
Jack: With us here today is Broadcast Adviser Raz Z. Doodle. Raz, what is going through your mind right now.
Raz: Well, Jack, with my seniors cashing it in, it's time for me to focus on my sophomores and juniors. Most are good kids and the ones that need to come in for a conference won't, so it'll be a lot of blog reading and doing some research on nursing a sore IT band, Jack.
Jack: Inspiring words. Back to you Brent.
Brent: Inspiring, indeed. Anything else to add, Keith?
Keith: Good golly, the horse is buckin' and no one's standing behind her!
Brent: When we come back, we'll have the matchup: Teachers! Parents! Live on ABC Sports!

Pregame - It's St. Paddy's Day and it's 38 degrees and raining. Do you really think there will be that many people?If we're lucky, we'll see some drunk, wet parents. Here's hoping.
5:00pm - I've got my cookie, Diet Pepsi, and Milky Way minis. Let's do some conferencing!!!!
I'm watching parents come through the door, praying that they don't want to talk to me. I can't be bothered. I have so me serious blogging to do.
5:02pm - First conference. I'm a blithering idiot. Mom is looking at me like, "How the hell do you even get up in the morning much less teach my kid?"
5:05pm - I just met a Quaker. No lie.
5:12pm - I'm seeing a lot of parents with stern looks on their faces and even more hang-dog looks on kids. Always a good vibe.
5:30pm - What do you tell the parents of a kid that has a 98% in my class? Not that I'm complaining, but it's a pretty short conversation.
5:38pm - these pithy observations are making me thirsty. I need a break.
6:00pm - aaaaaand we're back! Lots of activity, but the TV teacher ain't gettin' none. That's fine. I need to get some grading done.
8:03pm - Here's a review: I've had 4 parents......total. I got all of my papers graded and I'm IMing someone from across the cafeteria. Ladies and gentlemen, your hard earned tax dollars at work!

Brent: Well, folks. Day 1 is in the history books. Dan, any observations?
Dan: Brent, the teachers will really need to pace themselves tomorrow. It's a whole different ballgame. The conferences run from 2-6pm, so they really have to keep themselves from getting bored. Watch for the veterans to be making some extended food runs in the snack area.
Brent: Keith?
Keith: Whiskey won't find itself to the back door, Brent.
Brent: I think that sums it up for all of us. Until tomorrow, I'm Brent Musburger!

A Conundrum, If You Will

Went out on my long run yesterday morning. My knee felt tight, but not sore. The first couple of miles it was aggravating, but it wasn't going to stop me. It was at about mile 8 that I started limping/running and, then, it happened: I had to stop.

I haven't stopped on a run since I started running. It was a weird feeling. I walked for about 1/4 mile and then finished out my run. The result? For the rest of the day, I could barely walk up stairs, barely pick up my son, etc. I knew it was my IT band, so I did some research when I got home:

• You could be running on uneven surfaces. Check your shoes to see if there are any wear patterns on the outside. Nope.
• You haven't been stretching. Nope.
• You've gone too fast, too soon. I thought about that one. I've been pretty good about mileage. Only 10% increase every week (if that).
  

I was stumped. Just then, I realized what it was: golf season. I've been walking WITH a bag or I've been walking all over the course analyzing swings, giving rulings, coaching, etc. Think maybe that was it? D'oh!

So here's the conundrum: I have 2 major races in the next 2 months. One is a 10 miler that's in less than 2 weeks (March 29th). Then, the HM is in early May. I have to coach golf. It's in my contract and I love doing it. I have to run these races. I paid money for it, so I'm committed. I also know that I need to rest my knee, stretch it, ice it, and pop the occasional Tylenol to heal.

Can I do the 2 races? How did this not happen last year when I was coaching golf? How long do I stay off the roads?

The thing that sucks is is that the 2 activities that I'm most passionate about are negating any progress in either.

Not a good way to start the week.

Meatless Friday

Observations that I make throughout the week that don't necessarily come to me while I'm running. I have no idea why I'm doing this. Hence, there's no meat to these. Hence hence the title. I think it's a way to keep me from grading the mound of papers I have on my desk. I know...you're saying, "Raz, a post on your blog that has nothing to do with running?" Sad, but true. Here goes:

• 60 year old Billy Crystal signed a one day contract to play for the Yankees. Reason #3452 why I love the Sox. They would never pull that kind of s**t. Shouldn't the Yankees be worrying about starting pitching, team chemistry, etc. versus pitching low and away to the star of the cinematic masterpiece that is My Giant?
• Whoa, whoa, whoa! A high-powered politician payed for sex? Really?
• I tried another coffee shop today. I really did. It was a local shop and everything. They just didn't do it for me.
  
• March Madness starts next week and I need to pick a team to follow. Seeing as though ESPN has their tongue up Duke and UNCs butts, I'll go with Kansas. Of course, I've been wrong 100% of the time in my pools, so BANK ON IT!
• I was reading the other day how golf couldn't be further away from running in the spectrum of fitness. If you're on a cart, I couldn't agree more. If you have to walk and carry, I think you have to give golfers some credit. That's about 6-8 miles of walking. There's a reason that Tiger is built like a brickhouse right now.
• I need to work on my golf game. Not good when the coach can't hit anything from 100 yards in.

Well, the concept of this segment was good, but we'll see if it can get better. Thoughts, opinions, commentary are all appreciated. Hope all have a good weekend!

The Mother of all Posts

There comes a time in a runner/blogger's life that a post comes along with great clarity. A post with such impact, such influence. A post where blogger.com says, "Please RazZDoodle, our servers can't take many more traffic. In fact, the Internet could go down with this post." A post where humor meets insight and insight meets humor at the highest levels. A post where shamens, priests, and Ron L. Hubbard re-think their teachings. A post that is orchestrated...not written.

(cue echo effect)
This post is now:

• Injury = bad
• Stretching = good

Thank you! Remember to tip your waitstaff! You've been great! Good night everybody.

Cutting Back

So I'm watching the gawd awful country performance on American Idol last night. Simon said it best: A cartoonish Dolly Partonesque version of Eight Days a Week. Yikes. Between convulsions, I feel the tendon on the outside of my knee get really tight and really sore. Uh oh.

I had planned a 3.5 mile run this morning, but opted for rest seeing as though I'm going to be walking the golf course today. Needless to say, I'm concerned about my 10 miler and the HM. If I stretch and cut back on miles, I should be OK, right? RIGHT??? Would someone out there justify this for me please?

I Need a Catchy Title for This One

Woo Hoo! 4:40am couldn't come early enough! With golf season starting and me having to be at practice, it looks like I'll have to get used to early morning runs. I went with the iPod today. It's dark and lonely. Here's a synopsis:

• 3 or 3.5? Does it really matter? I'm beating myself up for not getting in a long run this weekend. No real good excuse. Sick kids and a lot of small stuff to get accomplished. Good thing I read in Runner's World that plans are just that: plans. Not set in stone.
• Speaking of RW, I need to call them and ask them why I'm getting issues every other month.
  
• How the hell did this song get on my iPod? I'm calling them "One Night Stand" songs. You know it appealed to you at some point, but you want it to go away, and you're embarrassed to listen to it when it shows up again. We all have them in our iPods. C'mon, you know you do!
• I have to demote a producer. I hate doing that, but she's just not pulling her weight. She's not going to be pleased, but I can't imagine she can't see it coming, either.
• Uh oh. Pain.
• Starts on the outer part of my knee and travels downward.
• Only happens when I go uphill.
• This better not be ITBS. I will run my 10 mile race and my HM this year.
• Still painful. Should I run through it or stop? If I stop, I'm running really late when I get home.
• Run through it.
• Once I level out, my knee is fine. I had better stretch out a lot better than I do.
• Hey! Another runner! He's got a few layers less than I. Now I feel too warm. Damnit, brain!
• Is it my shoes? (Brooks Trance 7) Hope not. Can't justify to my kids that they may not eat or get out of the house, cuz daddy needs a new pair of shoes.
• Golf was good. Should be an interesting team this year. Lots of fresh new faces and we may have to cut a returning starter.
  
• Another runner! She's running my same route. I had better jump on over to the other side of the street so I don't get maced.
  
• OK, I'm not going to stop at my "bail out" point. I can make the last 1/2 mile.
• I need to learn about how to run downhill. I feel like I'm losing control.
• DONE! Knee is OK. No discernible pain. More stretching and some ibuprofen and a lot of praying.

Until next time!

Settle Down, Spaz...

First off, I'm amazed I got up this early. I'm even more amazed I only hit the snooze once. Looks like a 3.5 miler this morning. 15 degrees, no wind, and dark. Luckily for me, I have on black pants, a black wind shirt, black gloves, and a grey hat. At least my shoes are silver. Don't lecture me about the benefits of reflective gear. I happen to like looking like a burglar on the run.

• Cold. Very cold. At least it's better than the 'mill. I was on the TM this Monday and barely got past the Denial Stage. I was running next to another teacher and she gave up after about a mile. I followed after 2 miles.
• I would've run Tuesday or yesterday, but our littlest one has been waking up in the middle of the night screaming. We thought it was teething, but my wife made an appointment for him to rule out an ear infection. Turned out to be 2 ear infections. Nice parenting skills, Raz. Now I know how Kevin Federline feels.
  
• Crap it's cold.
• I think I may have started this run out too fast. I feel like my dog when he escapes from the house. Too damn excited to be free and just haulin' ass. The only difference is that I don't stop to pee at every mailbox. I save that for temps above freezing.
• Butt-kicker hill. There's always one on every run. The hill where you question why you even run in the first-place. Oh, and perfect! It's into the wind. yeah.
• No iPod today. Do I always sound like an asthmatic water buffalo when I run?
• My miles per minute better be in the 5:00 range. I think I'm going too fast.
• Uh oh. My leg hurts. The outside from my knee down to my ankle. I don't think it's ITBS. That would S-U-C-K if it were! Maybe it's a combination of the cold and lack of proper stretching.
• I'm really bored at work. I love my job. I love the kids, but things are just getting stale. I talked with administration about getting my Apple Certification. Basically, I'd be certified to teach my kids to get certified in the advanced media production suite that Apple provides. Kind of like an AP Video Production class. I think they were receptive to it. Of course, there's a financial obligation, so we'll see.
• I need to update my curricula. Too many talented kids and seemingly too few avenues to grow their talent. Looks like I'll be busy this summer.
• I hope "curricula" is correct. I don't want people in the blogosphere to think I'm a mo-ron.
• Curricula sounds like Bunnicula. What a great book!
• I feel like my 4 year old daughter when she runs. Feet flailing wildly, but going all out just the same.
• I just compared my daughter to my dog. Sadly, it's not the first time.
  
• Is this run over yet? Downhill now.
  
• My index fingers are numb. The hell?
• annnnnndddddd.....done! and 8:56/mile.
• Hmm...maybe I should put on the iPod next time.

*Starbucks Moment - I usually order one of 3 things: Venti Bold coffee, Grande Americano, or a Red Eye (coffee with a shot of espresso). I don't do Starbucks speak. I've said this before, but the longer the drink order, the more high maintenance you are. I could say "Venti bold, no room", but I like the back and forth conversation between me and my barista.

• Me: Venti bold coffee, please.
• Barista: Would you like room for sugar or cream?
• Me: No.
• Barista: Are you sure? Would you like something to eat this morning? We've got some really great coffee cake or you could try a raspberry scone.
  
• Me: Save it for someone else, Spanky. Leave me alone.

It's their service that keeps me coming back for more.

The Bullet Points Run Amok...Part 2

My affination for communicating in bullet points has now seeped into my professional career. The following is an email to my seniors. Senioritis has hit them pretty bad and they're asking for a "late night" which, is essentially an evening where I leave the studio/editing room open for them to work until about 9pm at night:

Based on what I've observed, I don't see any reason to have late night tonight nor on Thursday. Here are my observations from the past few days:

-People going to the Warrior Hut during class
-People not coming in during open periods to edit and/or shoot
-The people that do come in during open periods are either eating, playing on their laptops, etc. when they could be working on their stories.
-People sitting on the couch, during class time, either hanging out or working on other homework
-People not turning in equipment in time.
-People saying that they need late night because they're really behind

If you were me, would you give your students a late night?

It has to end. I need to be able to communicate like a human being and not a Powerpoint with skin.

Let the Sun Shine

Today was absolutely perfect for my long run. The snow hasn't completely melted, so we canceled practice. We told the kids to find a driving range and stay there for about 8 hours. We'll see how that goes. Nevertheless, I took advantage of a rare day off after school:

• Look ma! No hat! No gloves! 48 degrees and barely any wind.
  
• It's nice right now, but later on it may get a little chillier. I didn't take that into account. Usually, it warms up during my run, cuz I run in the morning. Hmm.
• What the heck am I going to write about after this run? Work in progress.
• I could write about the playlist I have going on right now. I'm just not ready to reveal that, though. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. I say it's what type of music they listen to.
• "I like everything, except ___________." - Translation: They don't really like everything.
  
• "I hate corporate radio. Long live the independent label!" - Translation: They don't like corporate radio, but once in awhile they're favorite band crosses over and they punish themselves for still liking the song/artist. Kind of like a music Opus Dei.
  
• "I don't know what I like." Translation - I think Britney Spears is a great artist and I'm excited about her comeback.
  
• Lots of cyclists today. Really? You can't wave back when I wave to you? Is there that much traffic on a completely paved trail? Tool.
• Nice white compression outfit, cyclist dude. Do they have that in a size "hetero"?
• Holy crap, I'm really going to go out there. An out and back route that'll get me to the middle of nowhere. I hope I don't get hurt/lost/attacked by a puma.
• I like the word "puma".
• Running math. If I run a 9 minute mile, it'll take me _____ to finish a half marathon. OK, carry the three. Oooh, squirrel! Crap, now I have to start over. Damn ADHD.
  

*this is where we have to finish the running/rambling diatribe. I had every intention to finish this post right after my run (8.5 miles!), but I slept in on Saturday morning and we hit the road to KC for the weekend. I'll try to take more better notes on the next run.