All Greek To Me

That old adage''your body will let you know when it's had enough" rang true last nite when for the second night in a row I found myself sleeping in my recliner by 7.15pm having just eaten dinner,and while on Tuesday I was able to rouse myself to stay awake till 10.45pm last nite was very much a case of Goodnite Vienna as I hit the zzzs by 8pm,I'm sure my body will thank me later. I did at least get my 9 miler in yesterday to stay on course for another 55 mile week and inspite of the rain this evening I took care of my 6 miler to put me at 35 miles w/ Saturdays race to come followed by another Sunday 15 miler. So yes I did get a spot in this years Upenn Invitational on Saturday and hope to improve upon the 15.57.7. I ran last year which set me up for my pr of 15.36.8. and a bronze at Nationals,while 15.36 may or may not be good enough to get on the podium at this years Nationals I know I need to be down in the mid 15.20s to get on the podium at Worlds three weeks earlier,and yes by now you'll have deduced that I'm running the 5,000m at Worlds,more on that decision tomorrow. I ate Gyro sandwiches for dinner last nite, a welcome change of pace,though judging from the rapid speed I feel asleep soon afterwards I feel some bugger may've substituted my Lamb for Turkey such was the rate I began to give the zzzs a pounding,each fortnite I sit and write my meals/groceries list it gets harder and harder to keep things from becoming monotonous so when I saw the Gyro Sandwich Kit in the frozen section I was all over that,emm emm good. Sticking w/ things of a Greek nature next Friday the remark of one of my all time favourite movies "Arthur" hits the screen. I adore the original, in my humble opinion one of Dudley Moore's finest movies,supported ably by Liza Minnelli and Sir John Gielgud so when I learnt of a remark w/ Russell Brand as the lovable Arthur Bach the millionaire drunk I though it high time to check out Mr Brand's other movies,as luck would have it "Get Him To The Greek" came on Cinemax over the weekend. If you haven't yet seen it it's worth checking out although I felt Sean Combs aka P Diddy was the star of the movie in his role of Principle Records head honcho trying to get Aldous Snow to the Greek Theater in LA. Anyways whether it was the 3 hours extra sleep or the 6 miler in the rain this evening my appetite has an edge to it so I'm off to enjoy some Crab,Lobster and Scallops...and the hope I don't crash out b4 8pm again tonite!

Forde For Ireland

Had Trap picked Millwall's David Forde for this evenings friendly vs Uruguay that would've made a nice headline.....alas he stuck w/ Keiran Westwood so we may have to wait till the games w/ Scotland and Northern Ireland in Dublin in May b4 that happens. Last chance to drop the hammer this evening on my 10 miler,tomorrow I begin to lower my mileage and reduce the speed leading upto Saturdays race so I took full advantage of that and dropped a 64 min 10 miler along Cobbs Creek Parkway. Still no official word from Upenn re the Saturday meet,the deadline for entries is tomorrow evening so I'm guessing they'll wait till Thursday b4 seeing which non college athletes they'll invite,let's hope I'm one of them.

The Road To Sacramento Starts Here

Still no official word on Saturdays meet at Penn but if I recall at the same meet last year I didn't hear until either Tuesday or Wednesday so no need to hit the panic button just year,if need be Widener also has a meet and Delaware also has a meet the following Saturday but I'd rather run at Penn,it's w/in walking distance and somewhat of a home track even though I don't get to workout at Franklin Field anymore. Began my week w/ the view of racing on Saturday,brisk 10 miler along Cobbs Creek Parkway,following my 15 miler yesterday I could've been forgiven for easing off the gas a little but still clocked a respectable 65 minute time,there'll be enough time to ease up on the pace as the week winds down to Saturday. It's funny the embers of the indoor season have just gone out and already guys are talking about the outdoor season,Penn,Drake,Club Nationals,Worlds,Masters Nationals,I know it's still March but those meets will be here b4 we know it ergo the need to begin getting ready now.

Marchin' To The Beat Of My Own Drum

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land,and don't critize what you can't understand Your sons and daughters are beyond your command,your old world is rapidly aging Please get out of the new one if you can't land a hand Oh the times they are a changing The Times They Are A Changing-Bob Dylan While the masses were either at the Cesar Rodney Half Marathon or at the Mid Atlantic C'ships I was out on Cobbs Creek Parkway doing my 15 miler to bring me up to 50 miles for the week. After a few weeks of blips on my weekly mileage it was time to get back up to the 50 mile mark and hopefully stay there as the countdown to Worlds and Nationals is well and truly on. Conditions were thankfully sunny but w/ a mild chill in the air as I set off around 10.35am. It's hard to think that Friday is April 1st,spring and hopefully better weather are right around the corner,ditto for outdoor track season. Fingers crossed my outdoor debut will be Saturday at the Upenn meet,it's not official yet but I'm mentally and physically preparing for it,kicking off w/ a 10 miler tomorrow

Movin' In The Right Direction

So much for March coming in like a lion,going out like a lamb I got up at 9.20am w/ every intention of leaving the house by 10am to be on Temple's track by 11am for my 5x1,000m......till I copped a glance at the temps.....bugger that I waited till 1pm to leave and even then the trusty sign in Fresh Grocers parking lot said 37 degrees,I almost turned back for my thermal hat and gloves,let's hope in a fortnites time when I revisit this repeat it's a tad warmer!!

Mile warm up but precious little in the way of stripping down,fleece,long sleeved dri fit shirt and running tights conditions,sooner or later my paleness will have to be unleashed on the general public but it's looking at later right now,hopefully next Saturday will at least be vest and compression shorts conditions.
So back to the tried and tested 5x1,000m repeats,this was such a bread and butter workout for me last season,it'd have been nice coming into today on the back of 5x10 miles but that didn't pan out,there will however be plenty of time for that after next week.
Was 1.15 per lap too ambitious this early in the year?perhaps but I'd rather set the bar high and bring that time down than look at 1.18s.....fortune it is said favours the brave.

#1,1,000m 1.12-1.17-36-3.05.2.Leave it to me to go out brisk on the opening lap! clearly the memo about not going out at 72 second 400m repeat pace had been misplaced!!!
#2,1,000m 1.15-1.20-36-3.11.7.I'm reasonably convinced a more economic opening 400 on #1 would've negated a 1.20 second lap....and for the first and probably not the last time this say I utter the time honoured"the genie's out of the bottle now"mantra!
#3,1,000m 1.15-1.21-37-3.13.9.Another opening 1.15,that's something to build on,will need to eliminate the 1.20/1.21s over the coming weeks.
#4,1,000m 1.18-1.21-36-3.15.4.How very New Kids On The Block of me to be Hangin Tough,last years post Upenn 5x1,000m #4 ballooned up to 3.27.8 so this year I could more than live w/ a 3.15.4.
#5,1,000m 1.16-1.22-34-3.12.5.To have kept all 5 1,000s at 3.15 or under was pleasing and while there's a ways to go just yet I feel I'm heading in the right direction at last.

The real test will be in 2 weeks time on the back of 5x10 miles to see where my 5x1,000m stack up last year I went:3.11.8-3.16.6-3.14.6-3.27.8-3.13.0 that's what needs improving upon but I feel it's more than doable.
10 miler tomorrow to finish off the week,unless I feel the urge to make it 15 for a 50 mile week....we'll see which way the wind blows in the am....and at what temperature!

Don't Call It A Boycott

Another up tempo 10 miler along Cobbs Creek Parkway this evening as parity seems to be returning to my day to day/week to week life.
For only the 4th or 5th time this year I worked a five day week this week,between race schedules,vet appointments etc I've had a decent amount of time off,which while great has thrown my schedule off a tad,I'm one of those people who likes life in straight lines,while it can be predictable there's something about working Monday to Friday,coming home getting changed going out for my run,showering,making dinner writing my blog,going to bed and w/ the clock ticking down to the entry deadline to Worlds,the outdoor season and the Worlds and Nationals I need to get back on schedule again and now.

I'm off to the track tomorrow to conduct a 5x1,000m repeat,it was such a huge part of my success last season and right now as I'm rebuilding my confidence after a less than rewarding indoor season it's important to revisit a repeat I'm familiar w/ to gauge where I'm at right now and see what needs to be done to get me ready for Sacramento and Berra in July.

Long b4 the need to crank out a 5x1,000m I'd made up my mind not to compete at the Mid Atlantic Indoor C'ships tomorrow at Delaware,w/ an outdoor race on tap next Saturday and my full quota of indoor races filled there was no need to run one more indoor race period....besides I'm a big lover of banked indoor tracks,Delaware isn't banked so......
I'm sure there are those who'll point out I've sidestepped the Mid Atlantic C'ships since 08 and have been MIA from Mid Atlantic meets also from 08 and there's good reason for that,period much less last years infamous "Possum Gate"surrounding the Penn Relays and the post meet fall out where I was called out by Joel Dubow on Masterstrack Blog and labeled Possum,a move that backfired in biblical proportion in my opinion and while I may've suggested we didn't attend Philly Masters meets I never called for a boycott,my choice not to attend their meets is my prerogative I know several of my teammates will be there tomorrow and I wish them well,for me there are bigger fish to fry.

Ashes To Ashes

My mother said to get things done you better not mess w/ Major Tom
Ashes To Ashes-David Bowie

I picked up Hobbes ashes today,when he died two weeks ago the Cat Hospital offered me the chance to have him cremated,I'd never done that b4,when Calvin died 4 years ago I had the luxury of having a back yard to have him buried in,no such luck this time around so when they offered me the chance to not only have Hobbes cremated but giving me his ashes I took it,a long and dignified life{16 years,8 months,14 days}deserved a dignified end hence his ashes sitting in a nice wooden box in my bedroom.
I've known since last Friday his ashes were ready to be picked up,why I waited till today I don't know,granted the sense of closure may've come sooner but in a surreal way picking up his ashes makes his passing final,since his photo is my screen saver I see him at least twice a day but collecting his ashes was a reminder today that he's gone.....that said I do have"the little girl"to keep me company.

Cranked out another brisk 10 miler along Cobbs Creek Parkway as I get ready for Saturday's return to 5x1,000m repeats,it'll be interesting to see where this years opener stacks up against the same repeat this time last year,w/ a month to go b4 the entry deadline for Worlds now is the time to crank things up a notch.

What Fate Awaits

First and foremost a big thanks for all the positive feedback I got re my 800m race Friday and the issue of if I should go w/ the 800m or 5,000m at Worlds.
W/ two 800m races on tap prior to the entry deadline on April 2nd and April 17th I don't have a lot of time to fine tune things so I'm reverting to last years training schedule,5x10 miles followed by a 5x1,000m repeat,this lead to a 2.02.4. 800m,15.36.8. so if that worked so well last year maybe it could jump start me right now?
If the entry deadline for Worlds was March 24th I'd be leaning towards the 5,000m right now,Saturday and tonites 10 milers along Cobbs Creek Parkway were both in the 64-65 minute range,the acid test will be Sundays 5x1,000m and compare it to this time last years repeats and see where it stacks up.
Of course March wouldn't be March w/out talk of more snow....yeah snow,let's see what tomorrow brings weather wise....please tell me Sundays track workout won't get scuppered due to snow on the track......

Weekend Update.....W/ Dennis Miller

I don't mean to start off on a rant......but....

First and foremost I want to apologize for taking three days to post but getting home at 1.30am Saturday morning having left home at 2pm Friday afternoon to sit around for 5 hours between 5.30pm and 10.30pm to run an 800m in 2 minutes 10 seconds is hard to put a positive spin on so I let the dust settle for a while and subsequently found myself not sitting at the pc till now.

While the meet in general was good one{the Frontrunners meet each March is usually well ran and well attended and generally well liked by mostly everyone who shows up to compete}my 800m race left me w/ more questions than answers at the end of my indoor season and also left me considering not only what event to run at Worlds in July but also question what events to run in future indoor Armory meets,standing around for 5 hours from 5.30pm till 10.30pm for the second year in a row did little for my pre race prep and for future meets next year I may just run the first event so as to avoid the hours of waiting around to race,w/ hindsight Friday I may've done better running the mile which went off second following the 60m,I could've been done by 8.30pm at the latest and only waited around for three hours.....!!!!

Unlike last year the heats were seeded by time not age so when the 800s were finally called I was drawn in heat 1 w/ a 2.04 seed time,in fairness I'm sure some of the 800m entrants who had entered had either ran other distances or just given up,I only recognised one of the other runners in heat one Neil Fitzgerald who had originally planned to run the 2 miles but upon seeing he was 40 seconds faster than the next runner opted to jump in the 800m which meant the 800m just got a lot faster!

I got a good reaction to the gun and from the #2 position on the line I was able to squeeze by on the rail going into the first turn and tucked in behind Neil and Michael Brown,80m in and things were going to plan...........

My friend and teammate Nick Berra mentioned in his blog after the last 800m race here on Feb 10th how younger runners tend not to know how to race,it's a mad scramble for the the turn and screech go the brakes as they slow down......

Cue a younger runner overtaking me on the back straight.....and screech went the brakes as he hit the turn.......sonofabitch!!!!any and all momentum I'd gotten in the opening 100m came to a grinding halt,w/ hindsight I should've ran right into the back of him and ran the risk of a DQ,like Nick said these kids go from JV to Olympic Trails in a nano second.

I came through 200m in 31 seconds and 400m in 33 seconds 64 seconds but after that the race got away from me,I missed my 600m split and finished 5th in a woeful 2.10.0.

Granted the 5 hour wait didn't help any but 2.10 Jesus, when I ran 2.06.0 three weeks ago w/ zero speed work but 3 400m repeats and 1 set of hill repeats in between I had some rights to expect at least a 2.04???

Overall my indoor season gets a 6/10 grade,neither of my 400s or 800s were anything to write home about, a pair of 4.33 miles but a 9.08 3,000m and a 15.47 5,000m lead me to wonder if maybe I should forget the 800m at Worlds and focus on the 5,000m?

I have two 800s scheduled in April prior to the entry deadline,if neither of them are Worlds worthy I may switch to the 5,000m......watch this space!

Pale,Paddy,Possum And Proud

Down from the glen came the marching men w/ their shields and their swords
To fight the fight they believed to be right overthrow the overlords
To the town where there was plenty they brought plunder,swords and flame
When they left the town was empty children would never play again
From their graves I heard the fallen above the battle cry
By that bridge near the border there were many more to die
Then onward over the mountain and outward towards the sea
They had come to claim the emerald,w/out it they would not leave

Emerald-Thin Lizzy

Happy St Patrick's Day!
As is my won't it's a quiet nite in,I have a race tomorrow which means the time honoured bowl of Linguine and Clams w/ Texas Toast plus an Irish movie on tap,a toss up between "Ash Wednesday" and "State Of Grace" b4 calling it a nite.
As tomorrow is a race today was a rest day from training,I did knock out an easy 8 miler yesterday and suffered no ill effects from whatever was ailing me on Monday,chalk that one up to"one of those things"

So,what did it mean to me growing up Irish?for starters going to a catholic grade school and high school,being an alter boy,attending mass every Sunday and every holy day of obligation,going to confession every six weeks,not eating meat on Fridays,always giving up something for Lent.

Spending most if not every summer vacation back home in Ireland,listening to my father play his Irish records in the kitchen on the weekends at the time I'm sure I made a face as I grew up listening to Top 40 radio but the reason I adore the likes of Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys today is I recognise the traditional Irish songs and love the modern versions that Dave King and Ken Casey have meshed from modern day punk and traditional Irish music as they no doubt grew up on Top 40 radio and a house where traditional Irish music ruled the record player/stereo.

I didn't need to go to South Africa to witness apartheid or the deep south of America to witness racist bigotry, my parents told me how jobs and apartments frequently posted positions or rooms that said"Irish Need Not Apply",it wasn't enough the British Army were in Northern Ireland,or that in the great famine the British government turned it's back on a nation that were they neighbours as they starved or that Oliver Cromwell plundered Ireland for the gain of the British crown but I digress.

It's been 24 years since I spent St Patrick's Day in Dublin standing on O Connell Street by the GPO which if you know your Irish history you'll understand the significance,since then I've done very little on a grand scale to celebrate my heritage....next year marks 25 years since Dublin and St Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday.....either New York City and the Parade on 5th Avenue or Boston to see Dropkick Murphys either way should be a blast.

One Country Not Two

And so as I patrol in the valley of the shadow of the tricolour I must fear evil ,for I am a mortal and mortals can only die.
Asking questions,pleading answers from the nameless faceless watchers that stalk the carpeted corridors of Whitehall.
Who orders desecration,mutilation,verbal masturbation in the guarded bureaucratic wombs
Minister,minister care for your children,order them not into damnation to eliminate those who trespass against you
For who's is the kingdom,the power,the glory forever and ever,Amen,halt who goes there?
Death.......approach friend..................
You're just another coffin on it's way down the emerald isle where the children's stony glances mourn your death in a terrorist smile
The bombers arm place fiery gifts on the supermarket shelves,allys sing w/ shrapnel detonate a temporary hell
Forgotten sons
From the dole queue to the regiment a profession in a flash, but remember Monday signings when from door to door you dash
On the news a nation mourns you unknown soldiers count the cost,for a second you'll be famous but labelled posthumous
Forgotten sons,forgotten sons
Peace on earth and mercy mild,Mother Brown has lost her child,just another forgotten son.

Forgotten Sons-Marillion

Originally I was planning to use the Stiff Little Fingers lyrics to"Harp"hence the picture however I realized I'd used them b4 so my back up plan was "Forgotten Sons" by Marillion as it dealt w/ Northern Ireland a subject that was hard to escape from 30 years ago.

W/ unemployment at an all time high a career in the Army seemed like a way out,however you just knew your first "tour of duty" would be in Belfast and suddenly the dole queue didn't seem so bad after all period but if you were like me born in England to Irish parents that was a double whammy,there's just no way could've gone there.

I did visit Northern Ireland for a week in the mid 80s and spent a day in Belfast,it was like any major city on the British mainland....except for the checkpoints on main streets and the fact somebody waved a metal detector wand over you at every store entrance,even outside of Belfast in Armagh the presence of the British Army in uniform and armed w/ their rifles made you realize"we're not in Kansas anymore"

I for one was delighted in 1988 when the Good Friday peace treaty was signed and ended years of sectarian violence that existed between two sides who in truth probably didn't know why they were fighting each other and told to hate one another,my friend Volkan who's a Turk told me he didn't agree w/ his Grandfather and Father who grew up at odds w/ the Greeks,as Volkan said "that's their fight,"I didn't grow up fighting the Greeks or hating them and that's where the new generation of Northern Ireland found themselves,they didn't hate the other side,and didn't know why they hated them other than being told for years to dislike and distrust them.

And yes I know there are those who would like to see a united Ireland but I think that's unlikely,Michael Collins couldn't get it he he was one of the country's favourite sons so for now let's settle for a peaceful Ireland and embrace the peace,long may it continue.

Fly The Flag

His eyes they close and his last breath spoke,he has seen all to be seen
A life once full,now an empty vase wilt the blossoms on his early grave
Walk away me boy,walk away me boy and by morning you'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear and raise what's left of the flag for me
Then the rosary beads count them one,two,three fell apart as they hit the floor
In a garb of black we must pay respect to the colour we're born to mourn.
Walk away me boys,walk away me boys and by morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear and raise what's left of the flag for me

What's Left Of The Flag-Flogging Molly

After yesterdays slog over the closing miles of a routine 10 miler and feeling"dead below the knees"I opted to evoke a rest day,my former coach told me to"listen to what your body is telling you"and what it told me was take a rest day.

I feel a lot better,the real test will be when I run,hopefully tomorrow,at least going down the steps from my room to the kitchen was a lot easier tonite compared to yesterday,the day off probably the right decision

Shamrocks And Shenanigans

Some hearty jigs,the water around me bubblin'off to Hollyhead,fool I could no longer stand it blood began to boil temper
The boys in Liverpool when we safely landed called me an arsehole,what says I, let me shellaillagh fly,some Galway boys saw I was losing poor Erin's isle they began abusing.
Hooray were nigh saw I was a hobblin w/ a loud array they joined me in the fray and soon we cleared the way on the rocky road to Dublin

Rocky Road To Dublin Dropkick Murphys

Ah yes,Irish week kicks off again!! easy 10 mile run post work to get the week off to solid start,did briefly consider a series of 9 milers between today and Wednesday but I may now go w/ back to back 10 milers and take two rest days b4 Fridays race,I could still have another 50 mile week,on the subject of which I've just logged 50 miles in 4 days which is another reason why I may take an extra rest day if I feel sluggish tomorrow.

I'm a little nicked up right now,as Linford Christie once said and I quote"as an athlete you're always injured"so a few aches and pains at 47 aren't enough to set alarm bells ringing but I'm astute enough to listen to what my body is telling me,there's nothing to be gained by racing a meaningless race at the end of the indoor season if it throws a spanner in the works for my outdoor season so I'll tread w/ caution the next day or two

Double Trouble

Fear not dear reader I haven't slid back to old habits,one day one,one day off,truth is after yesterdays 14x400m repeats I was too knackered to even sit at the pc,what the frig I ran 14 miles going around in circles if nothing else I was dizzy!!!

As far as yesterday went it began well enough clocking splits of:72.1,74.8,73.6,71.6,75.3,72.7,75.7.
then the arse fell out of it:77.3,77.4,75.2,80.2,77.0,NT,80.4.
The NT came about as a result of a stop watch malfunction but judging from the times I'd been clocking #13 would not have been anything to write home about.
I don't think upping my workload from 12 to 14 had anything to w/ my second half collapse I think it was just "one of those days"I felt after #7 I had no knee lift or leg turnover,but rather than just throw the towel in I kept grinding away to the end,there's always next week.

As for today it was back to ye olde Sunday 16 miler,although today had a twist.
Thanks to Facebook I hooked up w/ Rich a newcomer to the Greater Philadelphia Track Club who was looking for someone to run 10 miles w/,I mentioned doing the Art Museum Loop as part of my 16 miler and w/ that Rich and I met up at Locust Point to do an easy 10 miles.
It was a nice change of pace to have someone to run w/ as we shot the shit about running,maybe we can do this again next week.

50 miles for the week,back to where I was b4 getting sick and Hobbes dying,short week leading up to Friday's indoor season finale at The Armory,10 miles tomorrow,9 miles Tuesday,9 miles Wednesday b4 a rest day Thursday.....which is St Paddy's Day.....here comes another Irish week on tap....

Stop The Presses...............

Hold the front page.....Forde in second workout in four days sensation,film at eleven!!!!!
Ok so a tad dramatic but never let it be said I don't have the ability to laugh at myself!
An easy 10 miler out and back along Cobbs Creek Parkway this evening,under grey skies,after a brutal winter it's reassuring to know spring is just around the corner.

I'll happily take an hours less sleep this Sunday for an hour of more daylight in the evenings,my 10 milers have been easy enough to get in under daylight but the fact that warmer weather is on tap makes me a happy camper.

Track tomorrow,14x400m repeats,looking to build on the last two sets of 12x400m from Feb 13th and 20th

Bastards On Parade

''You may bury me w/ an enemy at Mt Calvary,you can stack me on a pyre and soak me down w/ whiskey.
Roast me to a blackened crisp and throw me in a pile
I couldn't really give a shit I'm going out in style.
You can take my urn to Fenway spread my ashes all about or you can take me down to Wolly Beach and dump the sucker out
Burn me to a rotten crisp and toast me for a while
I couldn't really give a shit,I'm going out in style"
Going Out In Style-Dropkick Murphys

It's seemly getting harder and harder to put in back to back training days of late,I lost two days either side of Dropkick Murphys at The Electric Factory on Wednesday nite.
Wednesday was just one of those days at work and by the time I got home I had a couple of messages from my sister to call her as a can of worms has been opened in the last few days,by the time that phone call had been dealt w/ it was too late to run as I was heading over to The Electric Factory post celebration of Spurs advancing to the Champions League 1/4 finals.
A late nite ensued,it was 12.40am when I got home and when the alarm went off a 4.40am I wasn't feeling it,and returned to sleep....
I was an hour late getting to work{slacker} but stayed an hour late to make up for it{responsible} but coupled w/ the rain and being bollocksed I blew off last nite,tsk tsk,what the frig I went to bed at 9.30pm last nite as I was that knackered.

It's funny the older we get the less we seem to be able to handle,going back 17 years ago when I was only 29 I recall going to see Ned's Atomic Dustbin at the TLA,it was the first gig in a while I'd gone to "stag"as I'd been dating Christine for a while and the mosh pit was off limits,she didn't share my love of the Neds so I figured a chance to relive old glories that nite......
I lasted 6 songs b4 clambering out of the pit for the safety of further away from the stage,at 29 I was feeling old,fast forward 17 years and staying out till close to midnite to see Dropkick,getting home by 12.40am shouldn't be a big deal on a weeknite but for love nor money I could not get out of bed yesterday morning,I may have to start scheduling days off after weekday gigs in future.

Anywho it was worth it,Dropkick rocked,I've been a fan for a while but never saw them live,last year on my trip to Boston for Indoor Nationals I downloaded "Sing Loud,Sing Proud" on my ipod along w/ my Flogging Molly cds and Pogues best of cds,it not only provided the ideal soundtrack to the weekend but inspired me to see both bands and add their cds to my library,I always though "Highway To Hell" "Wherever I May Roam" or "The Last Beat Of My Heart" would be the songs I wanted played at my funeral but Flogging Molly's"If I Ever Leave This World Alive" or Dropkick Murphys"Going Out In Style"have now taken over at the top of that list.
No excuses tonite I hope a 10 miler and track tomorrow for 14x400m b4 a 16 miler on Sunday to round me out to 50 miles and hopefully build momentum moving forward going into spring.

LAH Life After Hobbes

Dave King of Flogging Molly always says how the Irish"don't mourn death we celebrate life" and w/ that in mind I knew today had to be the first day of getting on w/ life in the post Hobbes era.
Having spent the weekend in my room I took yesterday off work to get caught up on all the domestic chores that fell by the wayside,w/ them done today was about going back to work,coming home,training,making dinner,writing my blog,business as usual....the only thing missing is a large orange cat taking up room on the stool at the pc,that cat,he could've had the bed,the recliner....but NO he had to have the stool and yours truly had to squeeze his boney butt on here somehow.....I'm going to miss that.

I was glad to be out running after everything that's happened,after a week long layoff it was time to let out the clutch and burn rubber along Cobbs Creek Parkway and did I ever,64 mins for a 10 miler,it's been a while since I've been sub 67,then again w/ all the angst of Hobbes dying,not having ran for a week and warm enough temps to shed down to long sleeve shirt and 3/4 bottoms went a long way to such a fast time.

Tomorrow I'll hit Catherine St hill for a repeat of my hill repeats,I tried hitting Temple's track last Wednesday only to find the track off limits as either Temple or CCP's athletes were using the track which kyboshed that so rather than run that risk again I'll do the hill repeats I did 2 weeks ago.

In Loving Memory

"How do I say goodbye to what we had?

The good times that made us laugh outweigh the bad

I thought we'd get to see forever,but forever's gone away

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday

And I'll take w/ me the memories to be my sunshine after the rain,it's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday"

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday-Boys To Men.

It is w/ heavy heart and much sorrow and sadness I have to report the passing of His Nibs aka Hobbes.

At the grand old age of almost 16 and 3/4 the Orange One has enjoyed his last can of Tuna on this mortal coil,should there be such a thing as kitty cat heaven I would guess Tuna is served on a daily basis,rest assured if it isn't His Lordship will have little difficulty letting it be known he'd like his daily helping of Tuna!!!!

Having been my faithfully companion for just over 16 years it'll take some getting used to not coming home to him,long b4 my annual treks to wherever Nationals are held both indoors or outdoors Hobbes was my welcoming home committee following a marathon or half marathon and was often the only person I had to share the highs and lows of a good day or bad day at the track.

I recall his first mouse,his declaration of all things Tuna and his reaction to a big brother Calvin and then how he reversed roles by becoming big brother himself to Precious these past few months.

It's a shame Hobbes wasn't a few years younger when Precious arrived I think to have witnessed them together for a few years would've been great fun,in the brief time they had their influence on one another was heart warming to watch.

I once had the good fortune to read a fridge magnet that said"Cats are God's children w/ fur" I believe this to be true,in 16 years friends,lovers,loved ones,family have come and gone but Hobbes was always there,pets will love you unconditionally,I know I'm not everyones cup of tea but Hobbes always loved me and all he asked in return was to fed,watered,made a fuss of and have his litter changed,not much to ask for?

As my own mother pointed out "there aren't many humans who've put up w/ me for 16 years" a truism if ever there was one and w/ that I'll sign off,it's time to knuckle down to the day to day things and also get back to training,Hobbes's memory will serve as a driving force for the rest of the season.

Farewell mate,thanks for all the love over the last 16 years

xoxo

Howzat!!!

Tis Yer Man Kevin O' Brien scoring the fastest century ever in the Cricket World Cup,100 runs off of 50 balls on route to his 113 runs that helped Ireland do the unthinkable and defeat England in the Cricket World Cup in Bangalore today.
I realize that Cricket isn't a big deal here in America,but then again neither was Soccer 20 years ago and look at it now.
Also my blog is read worldwide and I know for a fact that it's read in five of the counrties that are playing in the 2011 Cricket World Cup,Ireland,Australia,England,Holland and Canada{I know,Canada,who knew!!??}.
Chances are Ireland won't advance from the group stages of the World Cup but this famous victory will be talked about and drank over for years to come!!!

Hitting The Reset Button

I did say in Friday's blog that I was going to take a few days off to shake whatever it was that was lurking around my lungs.
It was my first sub 50 mile week since the last week of December when I lost three days due to the snow and only clocked 38 miles.
To have kept running over the weekend just to log another 50 plus mile week seemed churlish,a few days off to shake whatever gunk I had on my lungs and begin this week and month firing on all cylinders seemed more prudent.

Although Spring is officially still 19 days away it was a glorious afternoon to run,donned the shades,ditched my hat and gloves and enjoyed an out and back 10 miler along Cobbs Creek Parkway.
I didn't feel any ill effects from my days off or the crud that had been on my lungs,the real test will come tomorrow when I hit the track for 8x800m repeats.
Happy St David's Day to any Welsh readers out there,I know St David kind of gets overlooked in March,time to put some Catatonia on ye olde ipod me thinks