5.30.2008

Running on a budget

I forgot to mention that on Memorial Day (observed) when I did my 11 miler, I ran across three pennies in different locations which I stopped and pocketed. Today I found another one. Either some school kids are really loose with their lunch money or we have a generous community that appreciates the cost of marathon race entries and is doing all it can to support us under-sponsored runners.

I did a ladder of repeats Wednesday at the track: 3x400, 2x600 and 1x400. Not much for distance but I'm just playing right now, waiting for Runner Susan to catch up. She has a Chicago training plan which we'll have to monitor. This morning I went out for four miles allegedly at tempo pace.

Went to my third high school graduation yesterday (none of which have been my own). Attended both of my boys' special days and yesterday' Colonial HS graduation. I had media-tending duty after hyping the Honorary Diploma that was being presented posthumously to the family of a former student - who never graduated - because he dropped out to join the Marines and go fight in Vietnam back in 1966. He was KIA and is one of 23 Floridians to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

It was the least we could do to commemorate his service to country by making a big deal of him before an arena packed with 6,000 high school seniors and their families. A full dress Marine Corps honor guard attended to accentuate the recognition. The place was awash with applause when the aged uncle of Cpl. Smedley came up the stairs to represent the family. Gave me goosebumps.

4 comments:

CewTwo said...

David, Great blog! We need to appreciate the military in both good times and bad. Whether or not we agree with the need to be anywhere, our military is one of the major reason's that we have our freedoms.

When our high school grads don't make it to the military, we need to make sure we talk to them about college. Eeither path results in a well rounded individual.

I know that you are headed to Chicago in October. It will be my first Marathon.

Both at the "What's a Few Mile Between Friends" blog (http://runningmates.blogspot.com/) and my own blog (http://why-how-what-where-i-run.blogspot.com/) are tracking runners that are headed to Chicago in one capacity or another.

I'd like to link to your blog, please.

We are also submitting designs for a technical race shirt for the competition and I would like to include your blog's header in the design I am submitting.

Let me know!

Thanks a lot!

Charlie

peter said...

If you run Larry Smedley through the Navy Log at the Navy Memorial here in DC you get a thrilling picture--not of him like in the wiki but of the Medal of Honor instead. I had never seen that before at the log. http://www.lonesailor.org/nl_log.php?search=yes&navy_log_id=781518&lname_search=SMEDLEY&fname_search=LARRY&page=1&firstname=&lastname=smedley

Pretty cool. We appreciate his sacrifice and wish we hadn't lost him.

Unknown said...

I am looking forward to some varying distances at the track as well and a similar marathon date albeit in another state. Sounds like a well deserved and touching ceremony.

21stCenturyMom said...

you've been tagged Mr. Runner guy.