Are you still mad as hell?

When I was running tonight, I was thinking a lot about Sept. 11, 2001. Like I often do when I run, I was writing a post in my head, coming up with various thoughts about 9/11, what it means, etc., etc. Then toward the end of my run, I had two very interesting back-to-back songs: Dave Matthews Band's "Everyday" and Garth Brooks' "The River." While I would probably usually slow down for songs like that, I sped up. I was inspired by the words ... and I became fired up like I did seven years ago today.

For those who know me well, know that Sept. 10/11, 2001, was also the beginning of the relationship with my wife. It's a story too long to tell and it's not too many people's business, but in the long run it was a life-changing night. But so was that next morning. At the time I was a copy editor working evenings at a newspaper, so needless to say, I was up late in the morning of Sept. 11 on my first "date." (I guess that word is up for debate.) Around 10 a.m. Sept. 11, a friend of mine called and woke me up and told me the horrible news.

As a copy editor, that night and over the next few days, I saw pictures that never made it in the newspapers or on TV. Looking back, I'm not sure how I made it through all that, other than the fact I was in the beginning of a new relationship, I was only 23 and only nine months into my career.

While you try to make your choice this fall of who will bring the most "change" to Washington, D.C., I will never forget the change that happened seven years ago today.

So, fast forward to my run today. Those songs reminded me that we can never forget what that day did to us as a country and as a world-wide community. I remembered how mad I felt at times that first week and month after 9/11. But I also remembered how mad I still am ... and how mad I am at other things that have or have not happened since then.

I am not going to get into too much, but I hope that 9/11 continues to always be a day of remembrance. A running blog isn't really a place to talk about all this, but if it wasn't for running I would not have reflected as much as I should have.

Random thoughts

As I slowly get back into the swing of things, I can't help but feel like I've fallen behind. In two months, I'm supposed to be running a half marathon. I have this lofty goal of beating my time from last year. It can be done, but right now it's a goal that seems so far away in my mind. Just when I feel like I'm alone, I read other running blogs. It seems these days everyone has an injury or the lack of daylight hours mess things up. Some people are struggling with the issues of eating too much after the holidays and just not feeling right. It seems we're all in this great funk together. The question is, how do we break out of it?

Let's be glad we don't have a prison sentence to serve. Let's complain about how Oprah is going to interview my least favorite runner tomorrow. That's enough to piss me off to get out there running again. My respect for Oprah for running a marathon is now gone.

And here's a question runners might ask themselves over the next few weeks or later this year: If I don't know who to vote for because I'm politically neutral, should I vote for Mike Huckabee just because he's a runner?

Apology not accepted, part II

Dear Marion Jones,
You have disgraced the sport of running, so please, stop trying to apologize. When I watched SportsCenter the other day, I changed the channel when your story came up because I didn't want to hear another sorry speech. Nobody is listening.

Sincerely,
A runner who just uses Advil and Clif Bars as performance enhancers

P.S.: At least you apologized. Maybe some people in baseball could actually try doing that.

Heat concerns

Don't like my whining? I realized yesterday after hearing that someone died in Chicago during the marathon and another person died at the Army 10 Miler that my complaining about the heat is legitimate. It's unfortunate that it takes bad news for people to react, but I sure hope that race organizers everywhere in the U.S. take a lesson in yesterday's awful day in running. (Click here for some good reading from the Chicago Tribune about what happened yesterday.)

After my long post yesterday, I found out about these horrible events and it immediately made me think of what could have been different about my event. There were many of us out there that clearly were struggling. Fortunately, there was plenty of water and lots of shade, but no one who was organizing the event provided a word of caution about the heat, but instead were too worried about whether runners had headphones on. I don't mind having the obvious overstated when it comes to health... but not a word of it yesterday. Even though I was hot and was very smart to just stop and walk, I might have just opted out of the last 10k had someone said, "You don't need to kill yourself out there today." Running and dying don't make sense - you run to get healthy, not to die. Unless it's hot.

I've read some very stupid comments on other people's blogs about hydrating and practicing in heat, etc., etc. I say none of that matters when the heat and humidity are up. Sure, you can better prepare yourself for weather like that, but no one is safe when the mercury rises.

Apology NOT accepted

Every four years, there's nothing better than watching the summer Olympics on TV. There's nothing better than feeling proud of our USA athletes. And the more I run, the more interested I am in who runs what, who holds world records, etc. But all too often now the athletes we come to love have done nothing but disappoint us months or years later when they admit to using "performance-enhancing" drugs.

This week, the running world has been disappointed by the news of Marion Jones admitting to using steroids. She says she's sorry ... but guess what? That apology does nothing for me. She's facing prison time for lying about an association she had with a check-fraud scheme. Jones faces up to six months behind bars, and I hope she gets the max. I'm sorry for being so cruel, but I am sick and tired of athletes ruining what the rest of us are doing. Entries for races across this country are up because of people like Jones -- she made being a track and field star look like fun, and many young athletes aspire to follow in her footsteps. Now it's all for nothing. I really hope people who support her do a Google search for "Marion Jones" and somehow come across my blog. If you're reading this, please try to tell me why she should be immediately forgiven.

Do I wish there was something legal to make recovery easier rather than rest, ice and Advil? Sure. But would I take something from someone who says "this will help, but don't tell anyone"? Hell no. I guess my mom (a regular reader of this blog) raised me better. Like my post yesterday on rude people, it's stories like this that will only make me a better person.