Full Report Tomorrow

We are back from the Goat Milk Marathon. I was pleased with my results. 3:40:47. That means I beat my Boston time by 10 minutes on a tougher course in more heat. I now feel vindicated. I met some great folks and have some good photos. Tune in tomorrow for the details.

Until the next time
John Strain

Off to the Races

The Goat Milk Marathon beckons and I am heeding the call. This afternoon, Barbara and I will drive to Vicksburg where we will spend the night. Saturday, I have to get up at 4:00 AM in order to get to Utica, MS for the 6:00 AM start. The temperature is 10 degrees warmer than when I ran the course two weeks ago. At 6:00 AM the temperature will be 70 degrees and by 9:30 AM when I hope to finish, the temperature will be in the mid-80's.

We'll be back in town Saturday evening, so I will post my results. No chip timing for this race.

I purchased an iSight from Apple and have been playing around with it. Eventually, I will set up a webcam and it will be accessible from this blog. I was thinking about having a BearCam or a Squirrel Cam.

Enjoy your weekend folks and don't work too hard in those yards.

Surprise bonus link related to this post

Until the next time
John Strain

The Least

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. -Matthew 25: 40

He was quiet and simple - intellectually slow. After conducting many interviews over the years, I have become pretty good at guessing the extent of a person's abilities. Tommy was in his 20's and by his Medicare number I could tell he had been declared disabled prior to age 18. He was a polite young man and cooperated as best he could with the interview.

Familiar bits of information emerged. He did not know his father, his mother was a drug addict, he was sexually abused as a child by friends of his mother. In the 8th grade, he dropped out of school. He had been attending special education classes, but still struggled with the work. It all piled up on him. Without support from home and having to deal with bullies and the endless teasing, he gave up.

Tommy was different and for that distinction he became a target for teasing, practical jokes, and bullying. He grew up without friends though he wanted them desperately. He wanted to blend in, but he stood out.

We have all had to deal with teasing and bullies. I remember some pretty stressful times, but they were only a few incidents. For Tommy, this was a way of life. I can remember hating the fact that I was different. I wore thick, coke bottle glasses and still had poor vision. I, however, had the ability to make people laugh and turn teasers and bullies into friends.

We all have seen this kid in school. He/she is the one we avoid, laugh at, and shun. They are often treated as though they are diseased. They are excluded from the fun, but even worse, the mondane day to day flow. They move among us, but they are not permitted be with us.

The movie "Radio" is about one such person. The love and perserverence of one man saved Radio, who was different. He was saved, not by any special medication or therapy, but by being loved, respected, and included in the life of the community.

There are different ways to harm people. The active ways are to verbally acost or physically abuse. The passive methods are to exclude and ignore.

The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference.

Society rewards the best and brightest. Fortune and fame grant access to a world with a set of rules different from others. Likewise, those who are mentally challenged and different are ignored. They are stepped on and walked over. Their advocates are also weak and do not wield influence.

Who will remember when it is Tommy's birthday? Who will care when he is sick? Does anyone care if he ever realizes his dream? There are a lot of Tommys out there a kind word or a helping hand means a lot to someone who knows exclusion as normal.

Until the next time
John Strain

A June Gestalt

Hello June. It has been a turn through the calendar since last we met. I have missed your sultry nights and tree frog serenades. Your warm breath encompasses me heavy with smells of loam, magnolia, and jasmine. As a young boy I chased fireflies through your enchanted evenings and dug for fishing worms in your steamy mornings silver with haze. Your color is green and during your watch spring yields to summer. My memories are fond because I was carefree and unhindered by the rigors of schoolwork. My days were free for pursuing quests and adventures in places that now no longer exist. Houses now stand where there were once haunted woods.

Those memories are stored in the precious moments section of my being. They waft out and mingle with your warm breath, and on certain nights and days, their power is strong and I am once again a child chasing adventures. These times make me smile as you allow nostalgia to wash over me like a cleansing tide.

The present is tied to the future and the past. This year is our 49th meeting. I am changing, but you are not and I find comfort in that. Your soothing smells and gentle vistas provide a kind of security that only comes with familiarity. We know each other well and I look forward to another walk with you through your thirty days.

Until the next time
John Strain

No Carbs Today

I am entering the carb-depletion / carb-loading phase of training for the Goat Milk Marathon this Saturday. Today, I am to eat as few carbs as possible. That means a lot of cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, sausage, and bacon.

Then tomorrow, I begin loading carbs. The trick is to eat mostly carbs, not increase the amount of food eaten resulting in weight gain. For events that span more than 90 minutes, this method of fueling the body works well.

I only have two more runs left before the Marathon. Today, in the rain, I have a four miler, then three miles tomorrow.

Check my running log in the sidebar, I have run a total time of 4 days this year now, logging 767 miles. I am on pace for 1800 miles and a total time of about 9 days. I like statistics as do most runners. When I run, I am calculating my pace and other things in my head as I go. It keeps me occupied.

I must go, the rain doesn't seem to be letting up, so I guess I am getting wet this morning.

Have a happy last day of May

Until the next time
John Strain