Hurricane Sandy

As I write this, Hurricane Sandy is headed our way.

Most of the area is shut down tomorrow.  County, state, and federal governments.  Schools.  A few businesses. 

I've already put away all my light objects from outside.  The rest have been secured and now we wait. 

So far just some light rain and a slight breeze.  Nothing major.  That will change over the next 12-24 hours. 

Stay safe everyone!

5k

I finally can cross running in a prepared race off my list of life's accomplishments.

I ran in my first 5k this morning.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  For those that know me well, I'm not much of a runner or really an athlete.  Sure, I play ice hockey and have played sports like soccer, basketball, and baseball.  None of those were at any sort of elite level. 

After a pretty good rain last night, I expected the racing surface to be wet and sloppy.  It was a trail run, not on a track or all pavement.

I decided to be timed, only for my own benefit.  There was really no chance I was going to win my age category, but I wanted to see how I did without having to think about it.  Due to some unexpected circumstances, I arrived at the starting line 10 minutes prior to start.  I had no time to stretch, warm up, or anything. 

The race started promptly at 9:05 AM. I began around mid pack, letting the sure runners take the lead and go forward.  The trail was still fairly wet from the rain, so we had to be careful in spots.  I had decided I was going to be part of the "run/walk team" as I am in no shape to run a complete 5k. 

Around the 3k mark, my legs started to get really heavy.  I had played ice hockey the previous two nights.  Not a very good combination.  I had to slow down and do my best to ignore the now growing pain in my calves and my left foot. 

At the 4k mark, it was pretty obvious I was running on fumes.  My body was just not having it.  I could see several runners way ahead of me, and I was basically by myself, with the next person about 30-45 seconds behind me.  But I could start to see the home stretch, so I forced myself to keep going.  The last 200-300 yards were on pavement.  As soon as I hit pavement, I started to pick up my pace, and had a friend who had already finished running along me as I rounded the last turn and started to sprint as fast as I could.

I hit the finish line with a huge sigh of relief.  I realized my electronic timer was not on my foot, so there wasn't really a way to score me electronically.  Luckily the race timer heard that I didn't have it on, so he recorded my time manually.

My best time at the gym was around 43 minutes.  I was expecting a 46-48 minute finish due to the amount of walking I had been doing.  To my surprise, as I crossed the line, I turned around and looked at the clock.  It read 40 minutes, 30 seconds.  I couldn't believe it.  I had finished the 5k in 40 minutes, 27 seconds according to my own observation.  The official time I was given was 40:36.  Either way, I was very surprised and happy with my time.

I placed 7th out of 8th in my age group, but I didn't really care.  My goal was to finish the race, which I did.  I finished 44th overall.

I don't have the running bug just yet, but that was a lot of fun.  I'm glad I ran. It was for a good cause, and I got good exercise out of it.  The pain, the exhaustion, are only temporary.  The feeling I got when I crossed that finish line was worth it.

Dale Jr

I'll be the first to admit I am not a Dale Jr supporter.  If he decided tomorrow to retire I wouldn't really miss him.

That doesn't mean I'm happy about him sitting out two races for a concussion.

I haven't liked Dale Jr since day one.  I always thought of him as a daddy's boy, only getting top rides and sponsors for his name.  Yes, he worked his way up through the ranks and has succeeded at almost every level.  But there's something about him that just rubbed me the wrong way.

There are several drivers out on the circuit of which I am not a fan.  Gordon, Johnson, Busch, Earnhardt, among others.  I'd be rather happy to see them finish at the back of the field every week, whether it be by accident or mechanical failure.  That doesn't mean I want to see anybody get hurt.  Wishing an injury upon any athlete or celebrity is just plain wrong.

Concussions are the hot topic in sports today.  The NHL and NFL have strict guidelines regarding concussions.  Players that are suspected to have one are pulled from the game and cannot resume playing until cleared by a doctor.  Several careers have been cut short by frequent or severe ones.  Unfortunately it doesn't just affect you on the field, rink, etc.  It affects your daily life.  Some athletes talk about difficulty getting out of bed, constant headaches, not being able to spend time with their children, etc.  Now concussions are rumored to be linked to several suicides that have occurred over the last couple of years.

We all know NASCAR is a dangerous sport.  The drivers know it, and most of the fans know it.  We never expect our favourite driver to get hurt.  Nobody thought Dale Earnhardt lost his life in his crash when it happened.  Same with Neil Bonnett, Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, and others.  But at the speeds they race and the close competition, anything can happen in an instant.

Dale is expected to sit out the next two races.  His fans, his sponsors, and the rest of the NASCAR family want him to make a quick and full recovery. 

Add me to the list of those hoping he makes a full recovery and is back on the track soon.