TOO MUCH RUNNING

Thanks to running buddy Craig (RBC) for supplying a picture of how I feel lately trying to chase down some personal goal only I care about.

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM SOCAL

With all my alone time lately (see previous blog), I've had ample opportunity to ponder some big issues:

1. Running with your shirt off on November 7th is awesome. What's more awesome is being so hot during that run that you hose down your head every mile in the free-standing surfers' showers along the strand. Did I mention it's NOVEMBER? I love SoCal.

2. Are leaf-blowers really worth it? Let me get this straight - spend 20 minutes creating noise and burning gas to blow dirt and debris across an invisible "property" line only to have the same dirt and debris get re-scattered after you leave (pun intended). I mean come-on, sweep the shit up. Don't blow it onto someone else's swath of land - especially public land like a street! All it really does is prevent late 30 year-olds from taking mid-afternoon naps.

3. Forget beer goggles. Women who are exercising are immediately more attractive.

4. If I were Obama, I'd put a full sized basketball court just off the oval office and have some kick-ass lunchtime games. Think of the trash talking he could do!

4b. I remember about 15 years ago, ESPN did a segment on Cal Ripken during the middle of his iron-man streak. He had a indoor court at his house and held pick-up games all winter. Can you imagine being the chump who undercuts him during a lay-up and breaks Cal's ankle? No 2131 - streak over. Steve Bartman would have nothing on that guy.

5. Dan Dierdorff is the worst NFL "color man."

6. My daughter and I recently watched a Bon Jovi concert together. She is the same age I was when I sang "You give love . . . A BAD NAME" on the school bus home.

7. The president-elect is younger than all my brothers save 1. You dudes are O-L-D.

8. Why does gay marriage scare so many people? I debated a co-worker at lunch the other day. He's concerned legalized gay marriage will lead to legalized beastiality. Really? Wow.

8b. That was almost as strange as what a friend recently told me. We were debating whether or not being gay is a choice. I posed a theoretical question: "What if your brother came out as gay - he'd still be the same person to you, right?" The answer: "Of course not, it would be like finding out he had a dark secret like murdering somebody." Really? Wow.

8 is enough.

MILEAGE

I had a semi-secret goal to run 2008 miles in the year 2008. I was doing pretty good until I came down with a lame hammy in July. As my running buddy Craig pointed out, "no shit you got hurt, you were trying to run 2,ooo miles" (paraphrased, of course).

Anyway, I was trying to whittle away at the total when the whole "you're going to Iraq" thing came down. My initial reaction was, fuck the 2008 miles now. I won't have time to run and I should relax before I leave. Then, I realized that if I give up on my goal, then I'm allowing this Iraq thing to screw up my life more than it already has.

So, I've recommitted myself to nailing 2008 miles this year. Take a look at these stats then I'll explain my predicament:
DATE ...TOTAL .....PROJECTED MILES
1 Feb .......176 ................ 2008
1 Mar ......309 ................1849
1 Apr .......506 ................2008
1 May ......682 ................2040
1 Jun .......857 .................2044
1 Jul ........990 .................1975
1 Aug .....1136 .................1938
1 Sep .....1280 .................1907
1 Oct .....1446 .................1919
1 Nov ....1602 .................1911

So, here's the problem. I have log 400+ miles the last two months. I have a week of combat training which won't allow me time to run, plus 10-14 days en route to Baghdad without time to run. That leaves me about 40 realistic running days. Do the math - that's 10 miles per run (ON AVERAGE).

This will easily be my biggest running challenge, but I need something like this to keep my mind off what it will be like to leave Tiffany and the kids for 6 months . . .