Just Another Day in Studville...

Karaoke in the Lion's Den

Here's a little story from my remote training camp at Point Sebago Campground in Maine:

On Thursday, Amy and I were enjoying our new camping ritual of attending happy hour at the Sebago Lounge while all the kids were in day camp.  There was a big crowd that day, maybe 60-plus.  Two DJ's had set up a karaoke machine on the stage and started to cajole people to come up and do a little karaoke.  There were no takers for a while, so they started threatening the crowd by claiming they would start singing their own karaoke songs if someone didn't start things off, and they emphasized that none of us would find such a scenario enjoyable.  Sure enough, they made good on their threat and started singing the old cowboy song, Rawhide.

With a half-a-bottle of Sebago Boathouse Brown Ale and a handful of nacho's in my system I was feeling pretty loose and unusually bold.  I then decided that I didn't want to listen to these clowns sing Rawhide for the rest of happy hour!  So...despite Amy threatening to rip my kidneys out, I strolled up to the stage, filled out the form to indicate the song I'd like to sing and handed it to the DJ.  I looked back at Amy to find that her head was down on the table, buried in her arms.

As I bounced up on stage the DJ started reading the form I filled out and announced, "Yup!  Rawhide does it every time!  OK...it looks like our first singer today will be Mike Keenan from South Glastonbury, Connecticut and he will be singing...oh good Lord!" 

He then re-read the form.  "Great.  It appears that Mike here has decided to touch off a full-blown riot."  He then looked up at me and noticed for the first time that I was wearing a Yankees cap.

"Hi everyone,"  I shouted.  "By a show of hands, how many Yankee fans do we have in the house today?"  Immediately, half the crowd stood up and started yelling at me while flashing thumbs-down signs and other inappropriate hand gestures.  Please note that this was southern Maine, which is a whole lot closer to Boston than it is to the Bronx.

"Not one Yankees fan," I replied.  "Perfect!"  Then, right on cue, the music started and I launched into New York, New York by Frank Sinatra.  It was hard to concentrate on the screen with all the profanity being screamed at me, but I managed to get through the whole song (I noticed, for the first time, that the song is mercifully short).  I then took a long and dramatic bow, which only triggered even louder boo'ing, and then had a hard time finding my seat at the back of the room since Amy was now hiding under the table.

Sure enough, after I left the stage there was a surge of people who were suddenly interested in doing some karaoke.  The next act was a pair of women who shouted, "Sit down, Mike!!!" into the microphone as soon as they got up on stage and then launched into some song about Boston and dirty water.  Well, at least we didn't have to worry about hearing Rawhide again.

Did I mention that I recently started drinking beer?...

30

On August 27th, 2008, 39 year-old Virginia Beach resident, Tommy Neeson, departed from the Ronald McDonald House in Bangor, ME and is running over 2300 miles to the Ronald McDonald House in Miami, FA. He will make stops at various Ronald McDonald Houses along the way. The legs of his journey are from 15 to 40 miles a day.

Four Million Steps, the number of steps taken on this journey, is aimed at raising not only money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, but awareness as well.   Please make a donation here http://www.runnerssociety.com/4millionsteps.html

I know Tommy from my Running Log www.running2win.com and when I first heard about this crazy journey, I knew I had to get in on it somehow. I am not in a position to take a lot of time off and run across the country, but I figured I could at least take one day and run the 30 miles from Springfield to Hartford on Monday September 8^th.

Anytime one is running a point to point course; logistics can be an issue. Luckily this did not appear to be too difficult. In order to arrange for a hassle free end of the run, my wife followed me and we dropped a car off at McDonalds on Brainard Road where my run was scheduled to end, then she drove me up to Springfield MA to the Ronald McDonald House.

When we got there I met Tommy helped him to pack the last of his things in the Jogger Stroller. Oh yeah, he does not have a caravan or support vehicle helping him with this. In true stud fashion he is self-supporting, and pushes his gear all day. His gear includes, books, a laptop, a large Tupperware container, 2 pairs of shoes, clothes, ceramic wear, sunscreen, pizza, a multiple gels, bars and water jugs, an anvil, a safe, and a player piano. At any rate, this is one heavy vehicle.

The local TV Station was there along with another running2win member and after they interviewed Tommy, we where on our way.

We weaved our way through Springfield and hit what I think was RT. 159. And ran out to the CT Border about 7 miles into the run. At that point Mike, the other runner headed back. He later told us he ended up doing 26 miles that day.

Tommy and I ran taking it pretty easy and just enjoying the day. I helped to push the cart for about 7 miles but was nervous about knocking myself out early. We went along pretty easily between 8:30’s and 9:00 pace. But the sun came out and it started to get warm.

We ended up stopping in Windsor. A lady pulled out 10 bucks and gave it to Tommy at the CVS. Pretty cool. We got some chocolate milk and Tommy ended up soaking his feet in the fountain.

We then ran our way in and through Windsor Locks where the road got tight. Then we were off to the North End of Hartford. Hmmm. Not a bad place to run, and to run fast. We cut over by the Jennings Road exit of 91, and headed into Hartford. It was now pretty darn warm and I was starting to feel it. Gotta say I suffered a bit for the last 2 miles, as I was out of gas. I never thought I would be so happy to see the "Golden Arches". We finished up with a high five and, decided just for kicks to make sure the car was there before going into the restaurant,

Unfortunately it was not there. So we headed into the restaurant. At this point I was pretty darn thirsty, as our water had run out at the end. I was also hungry, however I was not so hungry that I would really eat there. So I went in and talked to the "manager" about the whereabouts of my car and how the heck they managed to tow it. They said they would take care of it. So after being blinded by salt sweat in my eyes and washing up a bit I ordered a large Vanilla Shake, and Tommy bought me an apple pie. In my high school days I used to order this combination and it tasted great. However it froze my stomach and ultimately did not sit well.

The manager then told me that the towing company would not bring back my car and that I would have to pay for the tow. Oh yeah, we also had to walk the half-mile or so to get the car. Hmmm. Lets see, Ronald McDonald charity vehicle, towed by McDonalds. What is wrong with these people? I guess fast food does make one stupid.

At any rate I sent an email to their corporate office and they are speaking to the local McDonalds on Brainard Road.  I have asked that they make a $50 donation to Tommy to make up for their error.

I was pleased to have had this experience and was also touched by the number of people that saw us and offered up money to Tommy in support of his run.

For me it was just one day and one run, for Tommy it was Groundhog Day. Sleeping, eating, and a nice run through Studville.

Having impure thoughts

I might as well confess right now that I have been having some impure thoughts lately. Yes, its true that Mr. Wholesome has been thinking of doing something that he knows he really shouldn't act upon. The fact is that its been on my mind for quite some time and rather amazing that I've held off for so long.  Such restraint! But I'm breaking down. I'm getting weak. I am about to succumb to the temptation. I need to know what it is like.   
Yes, folks I'm talking about wearing my iPod during a run.
I received my iPod Nano as a Christmas gift last year. Would you call this the Seven Month Itch? Anyway, my running buddies predicted I would be using it during runs within a few weeks of getting it. But I have been able to outlast them. I had been an outspoken critic of runners that wore MP3 players. There is the potentially dangerous scenario of being less aware of one's surroundings and traffic when wearing earphones. One of my personal issues has been that it just doesn't seem right to have to rely on some artificial means to get you through a run. I favor the full-body  experience of running. The sights, the sounds, the mental challenge to get through it. That is "pure" running. Adding a MP3 player would likely
alter that experience in a negative way and make it "impure".
But as I've been thinking about my upcoming two week vacation in Florida  I have begun re-considering my ban on wearing the iPod. You see, running down there in Florida, as I have done for a handful of summer vacations, is a totally different experience. It is tough. It is lonely, very flat and rather boring, and the conditions are rough. Historically, my Florida vacations have meant a drop in both mileage quantity and quality. So as I train for the September marathon I can't afford to slip much in my  training this year.
Down there, the sun rises over a hour later than it does here. It's downright depressing to begin runs in the dark during the summer. Then there's the heat and humidity. Temps are usually in the mid to upper 70s with humidity in the mid-90% range at 6:00 am! I return from runs dripping sweat all over. And I can't run as long as I do here because staying hydrated is so challenging. The runs simply deplete me.
Running on the beach is nice in that there might be a bit of a breeze but  it is soooo monotonous.
That's where the iPod idea comes in. If I can rely on it just for the temporary environment of Florida I might make the experience more manageable. My plan is to do fewer road runs and hit the beach for more of my runs. There I can get through the out-and-back beach monotony by  listening to some music and "tuning out" the world for awhile. I hope I can pass the time more easily by doing so. I'll have my sunrises and Jimmy Buffett songs to carry me along. At least I will try using the iPod  and see if it works. Besides, down there nobody is going to recognize me and say "Holy cow! Was he wearing an iPod? Him? I never thought HE would stoop to such levels. My opinion of him has changed." You gotta love the
anonymity of being away on vacation.