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Another glorious evening to run,I love running in September,I try to cherish these runs and try to treat each one as something special,it's possible through October conditions will still be favourable but you just know that winter is around the corner ergo cherishing the autumnal days of September.

54 mins for my 8 miler in keeping w/ the pace I've been clocking this week,54 on Monday,55 yesterday,tomorrow sees me back on the hills of Belmont Plateau for 6x Parachute,I'll have to check my 08 blog but I have a feeling I didn't do 6x Parachute in 08 so I may be looking at my first set of Parachutes since 07.

It's been a while since I committed a work WTF story to the blog but this one was TOO rich to pass up.
Mid morning I was asked by the ordering clerk if I was missing anything from the O&M delivery first thing, in the morningI'm a stickler for paying attention to detail and making sure packing slips and deliveries match up,so no I wasn't missing anything was my answer.....
Two hours later I was asked the same question by the same person again....and gave the same answer,case closed.....or so I thought!
Three hours later while in the storeroom the former ordering clerk and now second shift supervisor asked me the same question,and I gave him the same answer.......now for the hammer blow as he says"we have a bunch of stuff for University Of Pennsylvania Hospital".........
are you shittin' me???!!!
If it says University Of Pennsylvania Hospital then I'm reasonably sure that's where it belongs,sweet jesus,I've gotta do the working AND the thinking around here,give me a frickin' break!!!!

Easy Does It

After an easy day at work I enjoyed an easy 8 miler and can look forward to putting my feet up eating dinner and watching tv for the evening,all days should be this tranquil!
Big ups to my beloved Spurs getting a 2.2 draw away to Werder Breman in their first Champions League group game,next up the first of three ''Glory Glory" nites of european football at White Hart Lane when we meet dutch champions FC Twente in two weeks time,C'mon You Spurs!

Vamos Rafa

Congrats to Rafa Nadal for his first US Open title yesterday and joining the career slam club of Perry,Budge,Laver,Emerson,Agassi and Federer.
For a "supposed"one trick pony who could only play on clay Nadal has answered his critics in spades,the scary thing at only 24 he's already won 8 Grand Slam titles,Federer has 16 at 29....you do the the math...........

Woke Up This Morning

After spending most of the weekend laid up in bed{not as glamorous as it sounds,it wasn't a Dear Penthouse moment trust me!}I was happy to be not only up and about but also running today.
As I mentioned Friday this week I'm dropping down from 10 milers to 8 milers this week as I begin to taper for next Sundays 5th Avenue Mile and the following Sundays Masters Road Race 5K C'ships in Syracuse.

It struck me tonite we're almost half way through September already as the tell tale signs of fall keep reminding me summer is over,the NFL season kicked off yesterday,the new fall tv season kicks off tonite,I'm starting to notice leaves and tree branches on the ground along Cobbs Creek Parkway and w/ that cooler conditions to train in.

Hopefully the last of the rain that's blighted the men's final of the US Open has fallen and Nadal and Djokovic can finish up tonite even if it means having to dvr the season premier of Gossip Girl,I know it's a guilty pleasure,don't judge me!

It Was All Those Words That Shaped My Dreams

"I used to put the flowers in the dressing room I'm no longer a child I'm all grown up now.
I've set them up seen them knock me down,I've been in the crowd swirling round and round,all as one w/ those songs of freedom saying all the things I could never say.
And I rode w/ fate on a wing and a prayer and there were four in the bed and the little one said
We were running so fast we didn't even know what had hit us,and we were blind to the world and the world was blind to us majority,like the majority.
I had a sea of faces staring up I heard the sound of my beloved in the crowd,she's saying give me a future I want it now I don't want my life to know any bounds
Cause I'm young and I want to run,I don't care where to just as long as I'm w/ you it could be you,or you,or you or you and there were four in the bed and the little one said
We were running so fast we didn't even know what had hit us and we were blind to the world and the world was blind to us majority,like the majority.
I see them rise and I see them fall the broken trust and the promises rust when will another one bite the dust,bite the dust
Oh I see them rise and I see them fall the broken trust and the promises rust when will another one bite the dust,bite the dust
Oh I give everything I've ever had to give I bought the books,the records all the politics it was all those words that shaped my dreams there were times when I felt like a human being
I say hello are you listening now?I say hello I say hello,hello in a lost generation I'm calling out and there were four in the bed and the little one said
We were running so fast we didn't even know what had hit us,and we were blind to the world and the world was blind to us majority,like the majority"

Majority-The Alarm

Of all the bands I've loved over the years{U2,The Cure,Inxs,Oasis,Iron Maiden}there is something about Mike Peters and The Alarm that sets them apart,and it's quite probably lyrical.

Majority is a prime example of that,that line I highlighted in red sums up my devotion of Mike Peters,he has written so many lyrics over the past 23 years that I can identify w/ it's uncanny,I've told Mike that his songs have been the soundtrack to my life and that's why tonite's The Alarm gig at the Blockley Pourhouse is such a big deal,my 15th since I first saw them 27 years ago opening for Big Country.

Prior to the gig I took care of business w/ a 60 min 10 miler,frankly if I'd known I was going to be that close to 60 mins I might've pushed harder to clock 59 mins and make for a 62,61,60,59 week.

Given I'm about to begin my taper this was my last 10 miler until October 18th as next week will see me begin to run 8 milers leading to 6 milers,I'm hoping being on my feet tonite won't hinder my repeats tomorrow to round out the week and my final 50 mile week until my base building mileage begins on October 18th

Run To The Hills

"White man came across the sea,he brought us pain and misery he killed our tribes,he killed our creed he took our game for his own need
We fought him hard,we fought him well out on the plains we gave him hell,but many came too much for cree oh will we ever be set free?

Run To The Hills-Iron Maiden

It's almost two years since my last set of Belmont hill repeats but you wouldn't have known it this evening as I made a welcome return.
Running a section I'd never ran b4 along Dark Road and Nursery Hill I went:3.09.1-2.53.8.-3.01.1.-2.57.7.-2.48.9.
Given I wasn't sure of the exact route I followed Chuck on the first one b4 really going after the next 4,it would've been nice to have gotten #3 under 3.00 but hey.
It'll be interesting next week to go back to a tried and tested repeat 6x Parachute and see where this years repeats stack up w/ when I last did them in 08?

Told You So

I tempted fate at the end of yesterdays blog entry suggesting a 60 min 10 miler this evening after 62 mins on Monday and 61 mins yesterday....tha dah!! 60 mins who da possum!!
B4 we go any further I doubt I'll be going after a 59 min time Friday given it's sandwiched in between hill repeats at Belmont tomorrow and the track on Saturday for 2x150/4x400/decathletes mile.

So yeah a return to Belmont hill repeats tomorrow,they were a staple in 06,07 and 08 but I sat them out last year as I felt they came too early into my recovery from my achilles injury.
W/ access to the track at Temple during the week becoming a crap shoot three weeks of Belmont hill repeats might be a great way to wind down my season beginning tomorrow w/ 5x Dark Road and Nursery Hill