It was a good weekend for Sal's runners/duathletes. Eileen and Jan won their age groups at the Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon at Mendon Ponds. The trash talking by Jan on how she was going to beat me on the bike fortunately didn't work as I rode a bit faster. Probably me letting the air out of her bike tires didn't help, but all is fair in love and duathlons. During the first 2 mile run I'm thinking how hard I have to go to get a lead on the ladies. The Bear came out in the last half mile going up the sledding hill. On the bike I tried to keep aero and hoped they didn't pass me. Then during the last 1 mile run I see Eileen! She was only 2 minutes or so behind, then I saw Jan, but I knew I was far enough ahead at that point. Still, I had plenty of motivation to keep pushing. I think I won the ugliest face award while running the last 200 yards downhill to the finish.
My bike leg wasn't as fast as I hoped. What if I had a $2,000 bike (or more) and I still rode the same speed I am on my $800 bike? That would be sad. Maybe it's not all about the bike?
The next day Mike W and Pete (Father Time) Leonard ran the Lilac 10k. Both of them had great races, MW running a 45:19, 8th/47 in age group and Pete 49:52, 6th/19 age group. Mike was top 15% overall and Pete top 25%. Not bad for a couple of old guys.
Sal's
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sports News?
Buffalo Bill defensive lineman Mario Williams is suing his ex-fiancee. Mario wants the engagement ring he purchased for $750,000 returned. To normal people like us, those with regular jobs who support people like Mario by purchasing uniforms, tickets and watching games on television, this sounds like a lot of money for a ring.
However the jewelry ads tell us to spend about two months of your salary on a ring. If you make $48k you should buy a significant other a ring worth $4k or so. (I think I owe Jan a nicer ring).
Mario received a $19 million dollar bonus to sign with the Bills last year. He is due to make $12 million this year in salary and bonuses. Just going on his 2013 salary Mario should have spent $2 million on an engagement ring. He cheated her. No wonder the engagement broke off!
Skier Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods are in a relationship. Something about their recent date was the lead story on a national radio sports program yesterday. I immediately changed the station to music. If I want gossip I'll look at the magazines while checking out my groceries. Maybe Tiger gave Lindsey a ring and wanted it back, I don't know.
In a golf tournament last week Tiger Woods pulled his club out of the bag causing the crowd to gasp (don't ask me to explain why the crowd would gasp, I have no idea). Evidently Tiger's opponent, Sergio Garcia, was in the middle of swinging and the gasping disturbed him, which made his shot go awry. Now course marshals are saying Tiger was told he could pull the club out, or they didn't, depends on which of the 100 marshals you listen to. Tiger won the tournament, Sergio pouted the rest of the day and shot about 8 over par, losing badly. I'm sure intimidating an opponent never happens in other sports and Tiger is a meany.
Orb is running the Preakness next. Orb is a horse, he won the Kentucky Derby on a muddy day. Do not bet on Orb to win the Preakness. This has only happened seven times since 1978. Pick another horse to put your 401k earnings on. I'm going with Goldencents, an 8-1 favorite, the name rhymes nicely with No Sense or Nonsense.
Notre Dame linebacker (now San Diego Charger) Manti Te'o's imaginary girlfriend was ranked the 69th hottest woman in the world by Maxim magazine. Now that is funny.
I promise I'll write about duathlons or running or triathlons in my next post.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Amazing Race
One of our favorite television programs over the past several years has been Amazing Race. This reality show takes 11 or 12 couples on a race around the world. Competitors have to perform challenges in each country, usually at least one of which involves a traditional ceremony, athletic endeavor, puzzle or food.
A team gets eliminated almost every week by finishing last in that leg of the journey pit stop. First prize is $1 million and the winner of each stage gets a free trip, cash or a car.
For many years Jan and I couldn't apply to be selected for the show because one of our daughters worked for Disney. When that was no longer a problem there were health issues. Now we are finally clear and we just sent in our application and video.
The odds of us getting selected to make it to the next stage of tryouts are slim, but there is hope. We believe being over fifty and in better athletic shape than most people our age, and many younger, will be an advantage. However it's hard to tell exactly what the producers want. Filming begins in late October or November, so it really isn't far off.
Jan and I are already preparing just in case the call comes. We have travel guide books, foreign language cd's to listen to while driving and are studying maps, airline codes and flags of countries. Jan remembers a bit of French from high school and I know the same for German. I'm going to try and learn a few basic Spanish words and maybe one of us can pick up something in Japanese, Chinese or Russian?
If we don't make the cut for Amazing Race we will be prepped for Jeopardy. Hey, you never know!
A team gets eliminated almost every week by finishing last in that leg of the journey pit stop. First prize is $1 million and the winner of each stage gets a free trip, cash or a car.
For many years Jan and I couldn't apply to be selected for the show because one of our daughters worked for Disney. When that was no longer a problem there were health issues. Now we are finally clear and we just sent in our application and video.
The odds of us getting selected to make it to the next stage of tryouts are slim, but there is hope. We believe being over fifty and in better athletic shape than most people our age, and many younger, will be an advantage. However it's hard to tell exactly what the producers want. Filming begins in late October or November, so it really isn't far off.
Jan and I are already preparing just in case the call comes. We have travel guide books, foreign language cd's to listen to while driving and are studying maps, airline codes and flags of countries. Jan remembers a bit of French from high school and I know the same for German. I'm going to try and learn a few basic Spanish words and maybe one of us can pick up something in Japanese, Chinese or Russian?
If we don't make the cut for Amazing Race we will be prepped for Jeopardy. Hey, you never know!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Lou As A Yankee
The Yankees need players so…
Top Ten Reasons Retired Lou Should Join Yankees:
1. He knows team history better than anyone in the world
2. Lou already owns a Yankee Jersey, except now he uses them for PJ’s.
3. Lou keeps his glove well oiled
4. Lou could arrange for Mike and I to get a great parking spot at home games
5. He would be fun in the dugout, Lou doesn’t remember a joke told to him for more than one day
6. Lou could do more laps around the outfield during warm-ups than anyone else on team
7. He would stay after games to sign autographs without charging
8. Derek Jeter would come to Lou’s house for bookclub
9. Lou would have a limo driver take him from Spencerport to Florida for spring training. If Lou drove he would end up in Geneseo.
10. The post game buffet and free beer!
Lou's Comment:
"Love it. Wouldn’t need #4 – would air lift you guys by chopper right to the pitcher’s mound. #8 would be fun, but I don’t think Derek can speak more than 1 clichéd sentence at a time. "
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Mutt Strut 5k
After three decades of running it's all about picking the right race. Jan, Andrea and I ran the Birmingham, Alabama Mutt Strut 5k on April 20. We picked this race because it started and ended on the UAB campus, where Andrea works, was for a good charity and Andrea loves dogs.
A perfect day for northern runners, with temps in the low 50's and sunny skies, it was humorous to see many Alabama natives dressed in tights and long sleeves longing for their 75+ temperature and high humidity. Andrea promised a flat course with one hill somewhere near the 2 mile mark.
The race began with 400+ runners and 180+ dogs. Where to lineup at the start? Did these people really have control over their dogs? I chose to begin near the front while Andrea and Jan slipped in 15 yards behind me. Within a quarter mile we went up a hill, then it was flat for 3/4 mile. My competition was slowed by potty stops, usually in the middle of the road. Some dogs have no shame. Now I had to avoid poop and chains.
We went up another hill turned the corner, slight down grade, then a steady gentle climb which went on for over a mile. Andrea wouldn't mislead her Dad though, right? I tried to keep an even pace and work hard on the incline but the two mile mark came up and my time was slow, really slow. We turned the corner and guess what? A big hill. It took awhile to climb but we were rewarded with a nice downhill. Being in a strange city I wasn't sure of the finish, which street we would turn on to get there. We took a right and ...a hill! But I also caught a glimpse of the 3 mile mark, and my time for the last mile was really fast. Now I realized the 2 mile marker was off by a minute or so, which made me feel better. We came down the hill and had less than 200 yards to a flat finish.
Andrea still insists the course was flat. She did set a pr so to her it was flat. Jan finished 2nd in her age group and I was 1st (it pays to get old).
A perfect day for northern runners, with temps in the low 50's and sunny skies, it was humorous to see many Alabama natives dressed in tights and long sleeves longing for their 75+ temperature and high humidity. Andrea promised a flat course with one hill somewhere near the 2 mile mark.
The race began with 400+ runners and 180+ dogs. Where to lineup at the start? Did these people really have control over their dogs? I chose to begin near the front while Andrea and Jan slipped in 15 yards behind me. Within a quarter mile we went up a hill, then it was flat for 3/4 mile. My competition was slowed by potty stops, usually in the middle of the road. Some dogs have no shame. Now I had to avoid poop and chains.
We went up another hill turned the corner, slight down grade, then a steady gentle climb which went on for over a mile. Andrea wouldn't mislead her Dad though, right? I tried to keep an even pace and work hard on the incline but the two mile mark came up and my time was slow, really slow. We turned the corner and guess what? A big hill. It took awhile to climb but we were rewarded with a nice downhill. Being in a strange city I wasn't sure of the finish, which street we would turn on to get there. We took a right and ...a hill! But I also caught a glimpse of the 3 mile mark, and my time for the last mile was really fast. Now I realized the 2 mile marker was off by a minute or so, which made me feel better. We came down the hill and had less than 200 yards to a flat finish.
Andrea still insists the course was flat. She did set a pr so to her it was flat. Jan finished 2nd in her age group and I was 1st (it pays to get old).
Friday, April 26, 2013
Top 10 Reasons Why Joanne Should Retire, too.
Joanne, one of the Sals executive committee members, should also consider retiring in light of Lou, her husband, recently announcing he intends to depart the world of work. Of course there are ten reasons why this is a good idea (credit Mike W for these):
1. Lou home alone! What if those 2 Christmas bandits break out of jail?
2. Lou and Teddy constant companions. I am thinking there could be some doggies damaged.
3. Lou doing the cooking and cleaning. Holy Board of Health, Batman!
4. If Joanne is not at home who will be around for Lou to not tell things to?
5. They don’t need Joanne’s pension anyways. Lou has a million $ in his 401 and all that bottled water in his trunk.
6. If Lou isn’t supervised he may try to fix something around the house.
7. After a week of retirement there will be a flat screen in every room in the house.
8. Lou might resume his successful professional gambler career.
9. Lou might go out and buy a pit bull or Doberman.
10. Last reason, without Joanne home …pajamas 24/7.
1. Lou home alone! What if those 2 Christmas bandits break out of jail?
2. Lou and Teddy constant companions. I am thinking there could be some doggies damaged.
3. Lou doing the cooking and cleaning. Holy Board of Health, Batman!
4. If Joanne is not at home who will be around for Lou to not tell things to?
5. They don’t need Joanne’s pension anyways. Lou has a million $ in his 401 and all that bottled water in his trunk.
6. If Lou isn’t supervised he may try to fix something around the house.
7. After a week of retirement there will be a flat screen in every room in the house.
8. Lou might resume his successful professional gambler career.
9. Lou might go out and buy a pit bull or Doberman.
10. Last reason, without Joanne home …pajamas 24/7.
Lou A Buffalo Bill?
Sals runner Lou K. has announced his retirement from the real world of work. This change won't take effect for awhile, but we need to have plans in place for Lou's transition to a life of leisure. I see the Buffalo Bills needing Lou to quarterback the team next season. Why? Well, there are ten reasons of course:
1. Lou has the Ryan Fitzpatrick look-alike beard going for him, what Bills fan among us doesn't long for the days of Ryan?
2. Lou will be retired and have plenty of time to travel with the team
3. Lou has his passport and can play the “home” game in Toronto
4. Last year the Bills paid QB Tavaris Jackson over $1 million to not get dressed for games and hold a clipboard. Lou will do this for $500k, a bargain.
5. Lou is a local phenom and will be great for ticket sales
6. He will be a father figure to the Buffalo Jills cheerleaders
7. Lou will get his friends/family a suite and limo rides to all home games (and one in Miami where the sun shines)
8. Lou may not be able to throw a pass like Brett Favre, but he can scramble in the backfield tiring out the fat defensive linemen, then hand the ball to Spiller
9. Lou is great at pumping up bike tires, the same skill can be used for all the footballs during training sessions
10. The Bills haven’t made playoffs in 12 years, do you really think having Lou as QB will ruin their season record?
Lou already commented on these facts, stating; " I can do the 40 in under 9 seconds and am deadly accurate passer to anyone within 6 feet. I will do all this just for #7 , plus free parking".
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