Anchorage Away

Good luck to Summer TNTers, off to Alaska this weekend for the Anchorage Marathon and half marathon.

My sister attempted Anchorage two years ago. She signed up with Team in Training to walk the event. But she had to bail in the middle due to an old leg injury flaring up. Some pals met her in Alaska and they partied for a few days.

So there was that.

San Diego Marathon Snippets

Runners registered for the 2006 San Diego Marathon: 21,159

Number of runners finishing: 17,339



Average time: 5:06:55

Jimmy Freeman won the Team in Training Half-Marathon in 1:25:51. That's a pace of 6 minutes and 33 seconds per mile.

Assistant Coach Mark McQuaid once again performed heroically in taking tons of photos.

And finally Summer 2006 TNT San Gabriel Valley raised over $230,000 in the fight against leukemia and lymphoma.

How 'bout THAT?!

To The Victors

My last practice with TNT San Gabriel Valley Summer Team. Most of the San Diego marathoners showed up with their finisher medals. These were big suckers, heavy, trash can lids.

Both Kates will be back coaching the Winter Team.

And I'll be back along with them for one more go.

Bravo, Team!

From what I gathered, San Gabriel Valley Team in Training acquitted itself well in San Diego. Goals were met, missed and surpassed but all ran and finished their marathons. Meanwhile, I folded roofing tarps and watched the California State High School track finals on TV. But another race awaits me at another time.

A special half-marathon exclusively for Team in Training was included in yesterday's event. With over 500 participants, the race was won by Jimmy Freeman, my coach from last year's winter team. (And current coach of the fall team.) Jimmy covered the 13.1 miles in one hour and 25 minutes, bounding along like a great deer.

Speaking of running, my doctor signed off on "moderate walking." (I like the vagueness as it allows me to experiment.") However no running for at least one more month. At this point, I'd just as soon heal completely. I "moderately walked" for a half-hour today. The inside of my right heel hurt afterwards, telling me I'm extremely gun shy about putting pressure on the foot.

I don't see myself overtraining for a long time.

Finished!

Not as in washed up, but as in completing my horror book outline for "Apple Dan." I'm very excited, much like the time I notched my first 20 mile run. (And only 20 mile run to this point.) Writing the book will be like the marathon.

Three tourists visit a quaint California town, only to discover a terrible secret. Unless they work together to confront the menace, they'll die a ghastly death.

Small scale. More plot than not. But a blast to create.

I'm getting feedback this weekend from selected readers. I'll rewrite next week and turn it in to my agent on Thursday.

Ha!

And good luck again to the San Diego marathoners as they depart on the morrow.

Oddly enough, my book is set in the mountains east of San Diego, in a little town similar to Julian.

Oooooo. Scary, kids!

TNT San Diego Bound

"Let's Go to San Diego 'cause that's where all the kids go." A lyric from a Thrills' song and the destination of TNT San Gabriel Valley this Saturday. There's a send-off dinner tonight in Pasadena. I'm excited for them all, especially my friends from last year's Winter Team. A big "Go Team!" Run PR marathons!

I think I've discovered the jewel of local health clubs. This facility opened last month, is seven minutes from my house, uncrowded in the morning, clean and neat with all brand-new machines.

Plus parking is free and plentiful.

I'm on a temporary pass for the next few weeks trying things out.

In fact I tried the elliptical this very AM. Low setting, low angle, but I still felt the cardio strain.

Well, I've got time.

And the parking is free and plentiful.

Writing, Running, Relationship Notes

Big deadline pressures this week. Expanding a short story I wrote last year to a short novel; maybe 12 chapters; just doing the outline now. Also traveling back and forth to Hollywood for meetings on two different projects at the Jim Hensen Studios. (The Muppet people.)

I have an odd feeling that after so many near-misses this year, one of these projects will pay off big.

A hearty "well-done" to my TNT Teammates. This Saturday marks their final Team training run. Next week they'll tackle the San Diego Marathon.

Still waiting for my leg to stop shedding. If nothing else, this latest injury is teaching me super-sized doses of patience.

And finally, my wife and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary yesterday. My advice to newly weds: learn how to fight. A critical, often overlooked, skill. Proper fighting technique insures that troublesome issues are addressed and most often resolved.

Back soon.

Leg Cast Off!

But the foot continues to mend. The doctor gave me an orthopedic shoe along with a thick elastic bandage. The foot remains tender and I can't stand up very long.

From the shin down to the toes, my right leg is a mass of dead skin. As soon as this clears up, I'm off to aqua run.

But most important of all, I can drive again!

Entertaining Thoughts

Last night my wife and I watched the A&E version of Flight 93. Pretty good for TV. This version took the time to intro key passengers such as Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and Thomas E. Burnett Jr. In contrast, the film reduces passengers and crew to strangers. I found myself more tightly drawn to those characters as they plan and counterattack having only their actions to judge them on. And while I thought the film did a better job of tension, I salute both efforts. If anyone should be honored, it is the passengers and crew of Flight 93.

On a lighter note, this weekend I watched an old Bob Hope comedy, "The Princess and the Pirate." Made in 1944, this movie swung for the fence every moment. Fast-paced with lots of action, in-jokes and Hope wise-cracking to the audience throughout. You could watch it with kids and still have a good time. I was envious. It looked like a lot of fun to make.

My agent is keen to pitch a short horror story of mine as a graphic novel. I would be delighted to write such a thing. I'm waiting for a book synopsis template so I know just how much to write. (Enough to entice an advance, but no more.)

Speaking of which, back to work.

TNT Half-Marathon

They serve who also sit on their ass and hand out Gatorade. San Gabriel Valley Team in Training hosted an invitational half-marathon. Teams from LA locales such as the Westside, Riverside County, San Fernando Valley arrived to run 13.1 miles on our trails around and above the Rose Bowl. A perfect day to stop back and visit the team.

With a bum leg, I manned a water station at the top of a steep, rocky hill just past Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Most runners huffed and puffed their way to the top where I served them Gatorade, water, orange slices, pretzels, salt packets, and banana slices. A number of folk noticed my cast and asked nervously whether I'd broken a bone on the rocky hill they'd just ascended. They were relieved to learn I'd been running on a flat course during a 5K.

Several runners shared stories about bad breaks and sprains suffered on level terrain. Breaking a bone like that should be listed under running natural disasters: like California earthquakes, they go with the terrain.

In any case, it was good to see my Teammates again. I got a little sun and a bit of exercise. Someone asked if I'd travel to San Diego and cheer on the Team. I said I needed to put this marathon behind me and focus ahead on the next one. (Though I'll be following everyone's time online.)

Hopefully, one more week in the cast.

Getting Around with a Leg Cast

Brother, can you spare a ride? Still can't drive. There are only a few friends who live close enough to pick me up and don't work during the day. I must ask for rides with care so as not to burn anyone out. The Dutchman, an old roommate, is a TV camera operator with a late afternoon call time. He's gotten me to the doctor twice and the bank once.

I'd really like a haircut. But I don't want to burn a car trip for one.

This feels similar to house arrest.