A new year, a new me?

Its been a while, but hopefully I can get myself back up on the horse, so to speak. You haven't missed much, I'm back to running, but not that much- my monthly mileage is still in the double digits. If I even count mileage, let alone log it. As long as I run more than a half hour each time out, I can't complain, but I miss it. There are days- a lot of days- where I feel like a 20 miler would really hit the spot but know it won't happen. I keep busy though, I mean, I've got a full plate with school, although its on a downward spiral now that I only have class for three hours a day. So I'll ramp up slowly, as in running slowly and see how it goes. I mean, I'll be careful and all that, but at the same time, its been six months since I've really ran. I guess I'm day to day. But aren't we all?

In other news, my laptop crashed, and I'm going on five hours of data recovery. F- you genius bar, I don't need you. And you thought macs couldn't get viruses. My goal for this January is to read Once A Runner (again) and Again to Carthage. Updates to follow...

Summer Goals

Now that my summer class is over, I've got to figure out what I'm going to do this summer. Here's my list so far, in no particular order. Feel free to add.
- Read as much Scott Turow as I can find
- Read OAR (again) and Again to Carthage
- Qualify at least 1 athlete for the paralympic team
- Get my 6 pack back
- Start running 300 mile months again
- Figure out what I'm going to do to fulfill my Sigma Chi duties (Philanthropy/ Fundraising/ Sweetheart)
- Learn how to steeplechase
- Look into transferring schools

ready, set, go!

G day minus 45/ miles apart

I've been really busy lately with finals coming up, so the blog is playing fifth wheel behind school, running, work, and Sigma Chi. So for the one person who reads this besides me, sorry mom. I mean its rough. I've got the coffee pot going constantly. Most days I'll do to bed at one or two in the morning and wake up at five thirty or six. Is that what the real world is like? Anyways, enough complaining. I'm not going to go into detail about my running because if I did so it would take forever. Just know that running doesn't hurt at all anymore and because of that I ran my first 55 mile week in probably three months. But, I want to talk about life. I don't even care if anyone reads it, I just want to get some things off my shoulders. K, so here's 19 years of my life in three paragraphs:

Relay For Life Friday night was fun even though it got moved inside because of the weather. That was okay with me because I had to get up early to go to SLP and they ended the thing at midnight or there abouts. Its too bad though because I think the whole event lost something, especially the Luminaria ceremony. And I got my event budget extended for food from $50 to $100 because I went shopping Thursday night and bought Ground Chuck, spices, buns, etc. and obviously with the event being held inside we couldn't grill so we had like no food. So I had to make another food run to get sandwich stuff Friday before the thing started.We grilled out Saturday afternoon and cleaned the house and it was pretty delicious. We have some awesome chefs in the chapter.

Sweetheart was awesome- it was at the St. Paul Athletic club in the room where our charter was signed 20 years ago and it was super classy. I went with a girl who went to Edina and who I've had a crush on for since as long I can remember. I'm just glad I got a date, I was 0 for 5 in asking girls before her and was getting pretty down on myself. It was a great time and it was really interesting. We had a couple of the charter members of Delta Sigma Chi (they started the fraternity before it was chartered, but before the colonies become official Sigma Chi chapters they have to serve something like a probationary period) as well as most of the first Iota Tau pledge class and the Grand Consul (president of the fraternity at- large) who presented the charter speak. We also crowned a new Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, which was pretty cool.
Unfortunately, Andrea missed when we sang the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi to the new sweetheart so I sang it to her during the car ride home. It was as an awesome time though; I'm already looking forward to next year.

Next week is Sigma Chi Derby Days, which is something akin to the Mifflin Street party in Wisconsin at the bigger schools with less drinking. Its basically six philanthropy events on each night of the week where all the proceeds go to a charity. This year its Huntsman Cancer Institute, so that should be a lot of fun. We're doing meal donations this week for Huntsman where students can donate a meal from their plan and some of the proceeds go to Huntsman while the majority go to the St. Thomas administration. Oh whoops, did I really type that? Really, why is ordering T- Shirts so convoluted? Why do they tell us which vendors we can and can't use? We have to get them cleared by Campus Life, Res Life and Public Safety? Why can't we just be students for once? do you hate fun? One more thing, Why must you skim $6.50 off a $8.50 donation? That's criminal. In the real world, thats called embezzlement and you go to jail for it. I should probably stop, lest I risk getting arrested by the secret police or the Gestapo or something...

G- day minus 82/ not running, not racing

I don't have anything to say.

So I really don't know why I'm posting this, but I am. Actually, I did run some this week, but not enough. I ran three days for nine miles, actually two days if you want to get technical. My run on Wednesday was at 2:00 in the morning, so I king of ran a double but the two runs had over 12 hours in between them, thus not making it a double. Anyways, doesn't really matter, but that was probably the best run of the three, which is not saying much. I was still hurting, but not as bad as usual. Maybe that was because I took more motrin than usual, I'm not sure, but all three hurt, so I stopped, no use throwing my whole training away with 12 weeks to go.

Last week was ridiculously busy, so I didn't fault myself too much for not running, although maybe I should have. I was signed up for the Human Race 8k on Saturday, and probably could have ran it, probably, but cooler heads prevailed and I didn't. Physically not running the race was fine, I wasn't upset about it, although it would have been an awesome day for running. What really ate at me was that I had spent $20 on race registration and now that would go to waste. That usually wouldn't weigh on my conscience that much, but this week looks to be an expensive one despite getting my tax return- I've got to pay for my Sigma Chi Formal tickets, MLB Gameday Audio Subscription, Running Socks, reload my bus card, and pay for real food since the cafeteria is closed over spring break- so $20 is a big deal right now. I hate spending money. I called my buddy Joe, who I am training for Grandmas with to ask if he could use my race entry. He said he could, especially since he hadn't run a race before. I picked up my entry and gave it to him then, which is probably totally illegal so arrest me if you want. I hung out with the TC Running crew in TC Running mobile-1, which is the RV that TC Running drives around to a couple local races and exhibits shoes. I hung out with them for a while and ran about a mile in the Nike Zoom Streak XC 2's, which were okay, really skinny, and definitely not my cup 'o tea.

I watched the end of the 5k, which was a hell of a race. I wish I stole those flats from the TC van because I really wanted to run the course and run it fast. After the 5k finished, I took the bus to Run 'N' Fun to complete my tour de running stores. Those guys are my boys, they've got my back. I was surprised that I got somebody to help me out because the place was pretty busy. I mean it always is a popular place, but it was packed for a Sunday. So I got a guy to look at me and he looked at my shoes while I lectured him about how I got injured and why and all that. He put me in a pair of Glycerin 8's and they felt amazing. They're way more cushioned than the Adrenaline 8's I'm currently rocking. He said that I could forget the insoles I currently wear because while they do provide cushion, that cushion will wear out after a while and then my feet have to take the beating which probably triggered my injury. He gave me some flak when I explained that I wouldn't buy the shoes, and I always feel bad when I explain I can't afford things, but it happens.

• Congrats to Steve Stenzel over at Steve in a Speedo for finishing second in the 5k today in 17:11
• Congrats to my training partner Joe Cronin who pinch ran the 8k for me in 36:46
• Visit Run 'n' fun at http://www.run-n-fun.com/

Half the calories, all the what?

I'm sure you've seen the Gatorade commercials for the new low calorie sports drink- oh, I'm sorry, the G commercials. Way to go Gatorade legal department. Anyways, who actually buys that? who are they trying to fool? apparently, a lot of people or else they wouldn't have made it. Riddle me this: If Gatorade is marketed as a sports drink, then it is targeted towards athletes. Athletes who, by the very definition of playing sports, expend hundreds of calories that have to be replaced. Which is precisely why they drink sports drink, correct? to replace calories which are tuned into energy. I don't see what the appeal of G2 is, but I guess there must be a market for it, or else it wouldn't sell. Who that market is is beyond me.

Setting 'em up and knocking 'em down

That's pretty much what I feel like right now, I'm just doing things for the sake of doing them- school, work, even running- just seem terribly monotonous right now. I really need to re- prioritize, slow down, and refocus. Running has gone well, and I've been doing it a lot lately; I'm trying to get back consistently to 40mpw seeing that I don't have anything to train for until January 23rd. Sigma Chi seems to be in full swing, I'm opting not to go to the Theta Gama initiation at Drake this weekend, but even still I've got the Christmas party this weekend, and next weekend we've got the initiation of another brother from Iota Tau, as well as a retreat, so It'll be busy. I've got a few final papers in addition to the daily boring homework, which just seems to wear me down. I've been going to bed late and running early, which is never a good combo. Plus, I've got to find a date to the Christmas party and have to worry about all this rediculous crap that doesn't matter. I just need to take a deep breath, take a quick 5 miles to clear my head, and make a list.

Note: College is easy, until the last three weeks

Dear runners on Summit Avenue

If you run significant milage in Nike Shox, you will get injured.

Love,

Burger

Just sayin.

'There is no secret'- Bruce Denton

I figured I might as well get a post out before Twin Cities even though I don't really have anything to say. I'm getting sick, and I feel like its a take care of myself first- schoolwork later kinda deal. Whatever though, just a runny nose and scratchy throat so that shouldn't impair me that much as far as running goes. The Tigers just beat the Twins, scoring seven unanswered in doing so. They're done, stick a fork in them. Running-- um, I did 6, 6.5-ish on Tuesday in a little over 52 minutes. A solid pace, and I felt so strong doing it, I just felt in control the whole way. I didn't even stop at the midway mark for water that's how confident I felt.

I picked up a flyer for the St. Thomas 'Wellness Center 5k' because it fell upon the one week in October I don't have a race scheduled so I thought it would be cool to race every weekend. Biggest Letdown In America. Ever. Its not even a real 5k, its a four person relay that adds up to 5k. I'm going to get on my soapbox here:

This event is billed as one to build fitness and have fun. Really though? I mean really? Fine, you get the camaraderie of being on a team like that. Its kind of like Ragnar I guess, only 64 times shorter. Again, I guess I'm in shock. I mean I was all pumped for this. I was going to get purple and white racing flats and dominate everyone. Instead, you get to run a .8 mile leg- are you kidding me? Another thing, the flyer had all over it ONE PERSON CAN NOT RUN ALL FOUR LEGS. Now they want to discourage people from running distances? I would expect better, but then, it is a free race. Has society really regressed so far that most people can't even run a single mile? I sure hope not.

I'm off to read The Norman Shield, the official book of Sigma Chi. So far, its been great. The brothers are awesome, the pledges are awesome, I'm just having an all around great time. I can not wait for initiation. I'm going to need a suit though, and $355 bucks- that's going to be a tough one.

I'f you're in the St. Paul area and want to see a minimally- clothed young man run past you, I'm bib #14552 on Sunday, race starts at 7:05, but I'm in the slow coral, so It'll be a while.

Post- op trainwreck

Well, I can say I didn't expect that. I don't remember getting teeth pulled hurting that much, maybe they didn't give me enough Novacane, but that sure hurt a lot.Usually, I really don't mind getting teeth pulled, and recover quickly; but not this time. The surgery itself was painful, but being a distance runner I don't usually complain about pain so I didn't say anything. My doctor called me the day after surgery (yesterday) and said that I "might experience a little more pain than usual" because he had to dig around the bottom teeth a little bit, then crack them in two in order to get them out because they were engraned in my jawbone a little bit.

Plus, when the doctor called in the prescription for Vikadin, Acedominaphin, and some other stuff, it rolled over to the pharmacy's voice mail, so they didn't fill it until three hours after the surgery. It hurt a ton after surgery. I went back in the next day, and they put in the dressings that they do for dry sockets. That helped the pain a lot, but my mom is covinced on giving me round- the- clock Vikadin allthough I probably don't need it all that much now. I'm already taking Monday off work because I still look like a chipmunk, and all I can eat is soup for a week.

You don't need a reason, you need a road

I feel like an attention whore about to do one of these dumb facebook quizzes, but whatever. I'm sitting in the waiting room waiting to get my Wizdom Teeth out so I just don't care right now.

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
On the back of my neck, from brain surgery

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
Running posters. Shannon Rowbury, Kara Goucher, etc.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
Used to grind my teeth, now I dont... at least I think so

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
basically everything

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
No idea, 8pm or so?

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
running

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
running erryday

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
oh god, I don't know, my laptop I guess

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5'8'' or so

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
naw

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
naw

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
no idea

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
creepy people. Like Jason creepy

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
I don't know, doesn't really matter

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING?
I have a couple more years to think about that, I think?

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
Coffee, but I'd rather have tea

17. FAVOURITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Mushrooms prolly. Maybe Canadian Bacon, which is really ham. Damn canucks

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Cinnamon rolls

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
I really dont know

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
yeah, three. They died

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
Man, I have no idea, that's a pretty deep question

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
yep

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
no

24. FAVOURITE CLOTHING BRAND?
Brooks. Does that count?

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
53

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
doesnt really mater

32. FAVOURITE QUOTE?
"Everyone in this town wants to be you, and everyone who wants to be you is still in bed"--Mark Wetmore

33. FAVOURITE PLACE?
St. Paul's pretty cool. I went for a run by the Grand Canyon once. That was sickk

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
no

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
I'm naive

36. MEET ANYONE FAMOUS?
Mauer, Cuddyer, Matt Gabrielson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Tegenkamp, Mark Parrish, probably a couple more

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
no

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
sure

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Waching the tour

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
yeah, a bunch of times

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Nothing. I don't get complements very often

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
yep

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
A garmin

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
damn. I dont know. I've got some time

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I dont think so

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
cocky people. People who wear running shorts who aren't runners. People who say they run, when they really jog a half mile once a week on the treadmill

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKE(D) ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
The comraderie. Plus, it was pretty tough

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
Whatever's cheapest

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
sometimes

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
smoked ham

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
lots

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
no

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
yeah I guess

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
no

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
nope

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
go for a long run

58. WOULD YOU RATHER GAIN 58 POUNDS OR LOSE 58 POUNDS?
If I lost 58 pounds I wouldnt exist

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
I dont remember

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE
quite a few

62. WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
i watched it

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
yeah

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
both?

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
personality. being down to earth

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
Berger, Tiddly

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
flying for sure.

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW?
baseball, hockey. Ace of Cakes

69.WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
beat them in a roadrace

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
cookie dough

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
yes

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
no

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
sleep

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
not in a cardboard box?

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
no. This is boring

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
Soundside

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
milk

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Mike Sheehan

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
eyes.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
run, read

81. FAVOURITE THING TO HATE?


82. FAVOURITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?
winter

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF CANDY?
I dont eat candy very often

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
yes

85. FAVOURITE HAIR COLOR?
i don't care

86. EYE COLOR?
brown

87. SHOE SIZE?/
7.5, 8 in spikes

88. FAVOURITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
I dont eat fast food

89. FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?
Manny's (classy, huh?)

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
nope

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
yeah

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
no idea

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
used to rock the trumpet back in middle and a little of high school

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
Democrat

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
Whatev

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
relationships

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
gum.

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
naw, for obvious reasons

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Ultra Marathon Man

HP 6, Jacques Lemaire, and still no running, oh my!

So, I took Wednesday off from swimming, because I went to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince showing at 12:30 Wednesday morning. It let out at 3:30 or so, and I had to get up at 6:30 for an eye doctors appointment, and I was wiped. the Harry Potter movie was good, but not great. Way better than Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but not worth the hype it got. It sets up a terrific second movie though; that's defanately worth standing in line for four hours. I don't understand why everyone thinks Emma Watson is so hot. I mean she's cute, but I wouldn't go that far.

Next issue of buisness, Jacques Lemaire is now head coach of the New Jersey Devils, again. He's won a couple cups with them, allthough I was thinking he'd head back to Montreal where he was an assistant and won a bunch of cups. I wish Lemaire was still with us, but I guess new management had to bring in their own guys.

California budget cuts

I was listening to NPR on the way to work this morning because I'm an intellectual kind of guy, and they were talking about California's budget problems. They were saying that California has to lay off so many teachers that there will be 45 students in the average Public High School class. I just saw a guy running past me and it made me sad, this sucks. Anyways, 45 kids in a class? As a political scientist and a future teacher, I can't wrap my head around this one. First, how is one teacher supposed to prepare 45 students to succeed in college? Just think of it from a dicipline perspective; I'm not alone in thinking that's not legistically possible. Second, California's traveling down a slippery slope.
This reminds me of the situation going down in Sub- Saharan Africa. I know it's not exactly the same, but stay with me. Sub-Saharan Africa was facing money problems, so they had to borrow money from the International Monitary Fund. The IMF imposes sanctions on borrowing countries and requires them to open up to globalization and international trade. This is expensive, and so Sub- Saharan Africa had to cut its spending-- which come in the public services sector; healthcare and public education. All of a sudden, citizens have no job skills, turn to lives of crime, the state loses control of all or some of it's territory (because of lack of police funding or what have you) and BOOM! Failed state. Now, that's an extreme, but California better watch itself.

Third, I posted this from my iPhone. I'm so cool.

John Stevens what are you thinking?

This happened a while ago, but I think its worth being skeptical of, so I'll make it quick. On June 10th, my favorite hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers, took a turn for the worst. They signed former Ottawa Seniors fasionista and goalie Ray Emery. He played over in Russia last season BECAUSE HE SUCKS. So why did we ever pay him the one year 1.5 million dollar deal?

The curse of the Trop

Seriously, the Sox just took a crap all over themselves at the Juice Box. Longoria's just slaying us with 6 RBI's and 8 total bases. Combined with an absolute garbage start by Beckett giving up 7 runs in 4.2 innings, even though he struck out 8. I get home today and read that Crawford stole 6 bases off Red Sox pitching. Are we really this bad? my thought is absolutely not... Its the curse of the Juice Box

Kiss Me Thru the Phone- Soulja Boy

I hate this song. Honestly, why is this considered good music? I mean, how far have we fallen as a race for this to be popular? You people disgust me...