On Cape

We have arrived!! Vacation at last!! It's Sunday night, and we've finally settled in at the house in North Eastham, MA. We flew into Boston Friday morning and drove down to the Cape to spend some time with Uncle Chris and Aunt Pam. The picture at left was taken in their kitchen. Hickory Hill is a most hospitable abode, full of all things yummy, including fish chowder and raspberry waffles. We had lunch with Chris at The Landfall in Woods Hole (dessert was, what else, Coffee Obsession). The went back to Chris' office at the USGS, where we got a first hand look at their latest outreach/education activities. Pam made us dinner Friday night and then we all drove into Falmouth for a cultural treat.



Arts abound on Cape, and Chris is a proud member of the Greater Falmouth Mostly All-Male Men's Chorus. The GFMaMMC is presenting a concert this weekend, and we got to see the dress rehearsal at the Wesley United Methodist Church. Our Falmouth Track Club friend, Doris Beatty, is also a member of the group. We stayed for the first hour or so, and then headed out for some ice cream.



Saturday was brisk and rainy. Temperatures in the 50's with rain and wind. After a breakfast of waffles with fresh raspberries, we headed down to Nobska Point to sit by the lighthouse. There's also nothing like a little shopping around Main Street in Falmouth. About noon we headed down Cape and got moved into the house. Grocery shopping, takeout pizza, Ben&Jerry's and a visit to Nauset light at dusk rounded out the day.





Sunday morning dawns chilly, but clear. The weather was spectacular all day. We went to Sunday services at Nauset Baptist Church to worship the Lord and renew friendships there. After lunch we bundled up and headed across the street to the bayside beach (pictured at left). In the late afternoon we hiked around Great Pond, grabbed some dinner at hit Ben&Jerry's again.








It's getting late now, but I'll try to post a couple more times this week. We're supposed to get a good nor'easter tomorrow and Tuesday, then clear skies again later in the week. I think I hear the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory calling....

The Perpetual Click

If music is perpetual, then so are life's enduring friendships. Some friendships are like a trusty metronome, the one that went click, click, click, all those years ago in the solitude of a late-night practice room. Just me, my instrument and that metronome. Turn the dial to 112 beats per minute, and off it goes. Go home for spring break, come back, plug it back in and off it goes, 112 beats per minute. Throw it in the closet for the summer and pull it out in September. Plug it back in and off it goes. Never misses. Always there to keep you on track.

I've discovered that some friendships are like that. It's been almost 24 years since I graduated from Furman University. I made some dear friends during my tenure on campus there. Most of these folks I rarely see, but when I do, the strangest thing happens. We can go 5 or 6 years without seeing each other and then when we meet, it's as if we never parted ways. We see each other and there goes the metronome, click, click, click.

Last week a few of us met in an informal reunion at Furman. The occasion was the Furman University Wind Ensemble concert for the South Carolina Band Directors Association All-State Band clinic. The concert was billed as a tribute to the late Dan A. Ellis, director emeritus of the Furman University Bands. My old roommate, Michael Brown (now of US Army Band fame), composed a piece in memory of Mr. Ellis. In "Symphonic Portrait", Michael took several themes familiar to the Furman family and wove them together in a very moving selection for wind band.

Several of the old gang met for a pre-concert dinner at the Thaicoon in the old University Square. We had a wonderful time at the concert and then closed out the evening with coffee and dessert at Ruby Tuesday's in Cherrydale.

Funny thing about that metronome. As soon as I saw those faces, the clicking began. There was plenty of laughter, smiles, hugs and tears as we shared and created memories late into the night. The Rainbow drive-in is still there, along with Capri's and Pete's (I'll have a jumbo cheese, all onion rings with a chocolate peanut butter banana shake). The aroma of Dan Ellis' pipe has faded from the halls of the Daniel Music Building, but, for a few hours at least, it was 1984 again.

"The years are rolling by me, they are rocking evenly. I am older than I once was, and younger than I'll be but that's not unusual. No, it isn't strange. After changes upon changes, we are more or less the same." -- Paul Simon.

I love you all, and miss you very much. I truly do.

(L-R: Jeff Kuntz, Janet Kuntz, Evans Newell, Cindy Newell, Keith Dover, Michael Brown, Ken Cothran, Johnny Tucker)

Rules To Live By

I'm definitely getting older. My baby's birthday is today. Jessica Ellen Newell is 13 years old!! Happy Birthday, Jessi!! You will always be my favorite red-headed child (inside joke).

A co-worker sent me the following list of rules to live by. I thought they were cute, so I decided to put them here instead of filling the universal in basket with junk mail.

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger 'going' than 'coming'.
19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.
25. It ain't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
26. If you had to identify in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved its full potential, that word would be 'meetings'
27. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance!
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is 'gossip'.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside, we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway
37. Remember to pillage *BEFORE* you burn.

And finally, with apologies to Jimmy Buffett, I note the following: "I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck."

Working Man

Cindy and I have been involved for several years with the youth ministry at our church. One of the big things we try to emphasize as a ministry is putting others first and being servants. Early this morning (after running, of course) we took a group of students to a local middle school to spread mulch around the trees and flower beds. The really exciting part is that now have proof that Evans can actually do manual labor.

Here's the evidence. This is Evans and John offloading a pile of mulch. Jessica is in the yellow shirt way in the background. In the picture at the top of the page, she is in the lower right corner (same yellow shirt).

Evans was allowed to drive the truck. Scary.

We had a great time. The students worked really hard, I'm sure the school appreciates the effort. After we finished (there were several groups in multiple locations), we all gathered at a local park for burgers, hot dogs and Johnny's (our youth minister) freshly-baked cookies!! Yay!!

Sweet Home Alabama (or Roll Tide)

This is likely to be a rather lengthy entry, so sit back, grab a huge cup of coffee and read on. It’s been about a week since the Mercedes Marathon, and we are beginning to feel normal again. We got a sports massage yesterday, and after 5 days of not running, we went out and did 6 miles this morning at an easy pace.

I am truly grateful to God for allowing us to experience a wonderful trip to Birmingham last weekend. We made it!! We achieved the goal of a personal best time of 4:12:24, an awesome experience. Cindy overcame her foot injury, battled her way through some IT Band pain, and cousin Lee brought us home (more on that later). God is truly good. He gave us great weather, protected us from injury on a crowded course (see below), and once again taught us the importance of perseverance in life.

Special thanks to the Mckinney family of Birmingham. Uncle Roddy, Aunt Janice and cousins Lee (wife Lara) and Danny. You guys were awesome!! Best family in Birmingham (inside joke for Lara). Lots of carbs and good company! We really appreciated Roddy and Janice opening their home to us and providing the pre-race nutrition, transportation and a nice, warm bed. John and Jessica really enjoyed the televisions and the pool table in the man-cave.

As for the race itself, here is a mile-by-mile breakdown.

Mile 1 9:17 A good start. A little fast, but the streets are so narrow and crowded, you almost have to run faster just to defend yourself.

Mile 2 10:04 Purposely pulled back a little here, trying to find the right feel. The pack is still really thick at this point.

Mile 3 8:59 Not sure the mile marker was in the correct location here. We didn’t feel like we picked up the pace, but look at the time!

Mile 4 10:41 Ditto

Mile 5 10:04 Finally beginning to settle into some semblance of rhythm.

Mile 6 9:38 The Green Springs Ave hill (Red Mountain, will see it again mile 23). I’ve never seen Cindy get angry during a race until now. It would appear our marathon pace is the same as the pace of the back-of-the-pack half-marathoners and for the second year in a row, we were hemmed in while trying to attack this hill. This was almost full-contact road racing. The race organizers really need to find a way to split the two courses sooner.

Mile 7 9:58 And now an editorial comment… for the love of Johnny Kelly, will some race director PLEASE have enough chutzpah to enforce the “no headphone” rule? Twice in this mile, I almost collided with a slower runner who cut me off while I was trying to pass. The reason for the near-disaster? These other runners were wearing headphones and could not hear me when I approached and called out the standard “on your left” warning. The second incident caused me to stop completely and throw up my hands to warn the other runners behind me.

Mile 8 9:16 Finally!! The half-marathon course goes its own way. We got into a good rhythm here. The pack thinned and we start turning some consistent splits.

Mile 9 9:33 SoHo. Home of Tria market. Best in Birmingham. It is to die for!!

Mile 10 8:21 Saw Roddy and Lee, our official support crew this year, for the first time. Dropped the outer layer of clothing by the light of the silvery moon (inside joke).

Mile 11 9:28 Heading down to the greenway by Lakeshore drive.

Mile 12 9:21 We felt like we’d finally hit a good rhythm here. Running through a nice, quiet neighborhood. The fans that were along the route were very enthusiastic.

Mile 13 9:51 Halfway home. Time to get serious. The course really flattens out at this point. A good time to relax and enjoy the solitude of the greenway.

Mile 14 9:24 Lock it down.

Mile 15 9:35 Easy does it, one step at a time.

Mile 16 9:49 Cindy said that the IT Band on her right leg began hurting her about here. There were a couple of severe uphill sections crossing over bridges that likely worsened the pain.

Mile 17 10:11 Entering Mountain Brook here. There is a big hill on Cahaba Road that acts as the welcome mat. Evans found a vacant port-a-john. Yay!! Time to go wee-wee.

Mile 18 9:26 We saw Roddy and Lee again here, and this time Lee jumped in and ran with us until mile 24. Lee is a former track standout at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He has been fighting some knee pain recently, but plans to join us for the full race next year. Lee was a nice bandit, he didn’t take any assistance from the aid stations. He kept us in stitches for most of the time.

Mile 19 9:45 We passed the Mountain Brook Country Club here. This is funny, on a bright, warm, sunny day there were no golfers on the course. These people must be so rich they just use the course for decoration!! Interesting factoid… land is so scarce in Mountain Brook that we passed several locations where someone bought the lot, demolished the house and rebuilt a custom home on the same location.

Mile 20 9:52 Evans almost hit the wall at this point. His sinuses were draining and making him nauseous. Too close to home to quit though, must keep pushing.

Mile 21 9:26 Two runners ahead of us almost missed a turn here and Lee called out to them to turn around. In return for his good deed, he received an embarrassed look of thanks.

Mile 22 9:52 Heading up Red Mountain for the final time. I remember Lee looking around and beginning the mantra, “We Are…. Marshall!!”

Mile 23 10:24 Up the mountain, it’s the biggest hill we’ve ever climbed. For our Cape family, just imagine the hill in front of Woods Hole Country Club at the CCM, stretched out for almost two miles. Just for fun, Lee ran the final 100 meters of it backwards.

Mile 24 9:04 Kicking for home. Lee dropped out here to get his car. Roddy was here and took some good pictures.


Mile 25 9:51 Cindy stopped for about 30 seconds to stretch her IT Band so that we could have a really good kick at the finish.

Mile 26 8:59 Great last mile!! The stretching helped Cindy’s pain. We felt so strong. The adrenaline took over and we felt very relaxed, knowing that, barring disaster, we would get the PR.

Mile 26.2 2:14 The finishing chute was fantastic!! The crowd was incredible. The announcer noticed our FTC singlets and we heard a few “Go Falmouth!” cheers from the crowd. Cindy even started blowing kisses when the announcer said she was “stylin’ and profilin’!!”



After the congratulatory call from the President, we showered, ate, napped, ate, watched the UNC game, ate... get the point? It's not really about the running, it's all about the food. Next race? Cape Cod Marathon, October 2008, inching closer to Boston. Ashleigh came home for the weekend and brought Michael with her. Jessica has another basketball game tonight. Stay tuned.... more news to come!

Basic Rules Of The Long Run

Well, well, well....

We finished our last long training run for the Mercedes Marathon this morning. During any long training run, my mind can wander to strange places and today was no exception. As the miles clicked by, I created my own "Basic Rules Of The Long Run" list of undeniable training truths.

Rule #1 - never trust the weatherman... go outside and look up. The forecast for this morning was breezy with a steady rain, changing over to snow. Actually we never got a drop of precipitation, frozen or otherwise. We spent a good hour last night and this morning obsessing over what to wear, how to layer, how often to change, etc. I knew with rain, wind, snow and temps in the low 30's the waterproof outer gear would be required, but someone please tell me... has there ever been a waterproof jacket that didn't make you sweat like a pig? So... we stashed jackets, dry gloves, dry shirts and hats so that we could change mid-run, but all for naught. Sounds like Cape Cod weather, eh?

Rule #2 - Relax. Sounds a little strange to have to mention this, but when running one must remember to breathe. Breathing is easier when you aren't tense, and it's easier to relax when you have good posture. Things start to get serious at about 12 miles, but I focused on keeping my shoulders back and my head up, eyes fixed at about 30 meters ahead (that's where Cindy usually is, not a bad view, if I may be so bold). Not surprisingly I caught a good second wind.

Rule #3 - That which does not kill me makes me stronger. No pain, no gain. Every race we run, at about this point in the training, we get pretty banged up. A lot of little nagging aches and pains. I've learned to listen to my body and take what it gives me. For example, I've learned that after about 2 hours of running my IT Band on my right leg will begin to complain. Experience has taught me how to deal with it, to relax (see Rule #2) and pay attention to my mechanics. Pain is actually my friend, sending me little warning signals and giving me all kinds of useful information. After all, that's why we call it "training". We're breaking down muscle tissue so that, when it recovers, it will be stronger.

Rule #4 - Rest is good. At about mile 18 this morning, I remember thinking, "Just 2 more miles. Then a hot shower, a hot bowl of cereal and a nap." I love naps. It's funny... when I was a child I fought my parents tooth and nail over having to take a nap. The truth is that they were really smart! The older I get the more I appreciate taking just a little time to snooze. This morning I only got in about 45 minutes, but boy, was it worth it!! I was so refreshed when I woke up.

Rule #5 - Shut up and run. I told this to myself several times today. At mile 8 I thought about how cold my nose was getting. Then I thought, "this is just training, what are you going to do on race day? Just shut up and run." At mile 14 I started to think about how tired I was. Then I thought, "this is just training, what are you going to do on race day at this point? You've barely passed halfway, so shut up and run." At mile 19 I thought about the soreness in my calf muscles. Then I thought, "this is just training, what are you going to do on race day at this point, when you're running faster and you still have more than 10k left? You gonna quit or are you gonna kick? Just shut up and run."

All this sounds a little crazy, I know, but for me, it works. We ran the last mile with a little kick, a little over a minute faster than the overall pace. Like I said earlier, my mind does strange things over the course 20 miles. Cindy has a much simpler method. She sings. Maybe I should try that sometime.

'Twas The Night Before The Last Long Run

Tomorrow is the last long run before the Mercedes Marathon, a 20-miler. I always look forward to these, and this one will be a different sort of a challenge. The weather forecast is calling for..... snow!! Yes, in the sunny south, I think we may be running in a good coating of the fluffy white stuff. It should be a lot of fun, as long as we're careful. The pace will be a little slower as we'll have to watch our step. We'll have to put on the waterproof gear, grin and bear it. I can't wait for the hot shower afterwards!

More after the run...