Run to Win

Doug Flutie is coming back to New England.

I first heard it on the radio last night, and I was trying to think, why? That doesn’t make any sense. If New England had QB problems, they would want a young gun to step up, and not put the ball in the hands of somebody who will be gone in a year.

But that is from a New England point of view. From his point of view, he is coming home. Maybe his role will just be in the classroom for the 2nd string QB. Or maybe he will fill a “fill-in” role if Brady gets hurt. It makes me wonder what kind of deal he got with New England. I imagine it can’t be overly high.

Even though I do not expect to see him anywhere but on the sidelines during the season, at least I will get to see him play a preseason quarter or two. I have not seen him play since he was in Buffalo.

Went to the team workout this evening, and it was one of those chilly (but not cold) days where it is just pouring. You always dread going out for your run, but once you are out there you can not imagine anywhere that you would rather be. At least, I usually can’t.

I had another sopping wet workout a few weeks before the marathon. The only people to show up were 3 other people running the marathon, myself, and my girlfriend. It was much colder then, being 3 or 4 weeks closer to the just past winter and at 7:30 on a Sunday morning instead of at 6 on a weekday evening. The new jackets that we got last year worked like a charm to keep me dry, and I enjoyed the run.

Tonight’s workout was fun, too. It was my first speed work in quite a while. I only ran 5 by a bit less than a quarter mile, but I could certainly feel it on the return trip. That might have been the wind chapping, though.

We finally got around to labeling the four cases of maple wheat and a new bitter that we had laying around. We decided to go with the picture of the statue for the bitter (a new label), and we kept the picture of the goats from last year’s maple wheat. The goats are from the “No Wahala” farm up in Hudson, which is owned by uncle. “No Wahala” is what the Nigerians used to tell him when they were going to take care of something (such as a decapitated corpse floating down the river) and he did not have to worry himself over it. It means “No Trouble”.

I have learned a few things from running marathons.

In Jacksonville, Florida, I learned not to just stop and walk through a water stop after running for 23 miles under 7 minute pace.

In Portland, Maine, I learned that no base and 9 weeks of training just isn”t enough.

In Cleveland, Ohio, I learned that you can run a good marathon on 45 miles a week and nothing but water during a race.

In San Antonio, Texas, I learned that sleep is necessary after a marathon, or you are going to get sick.

In Boston, Massachusetts, I learned that the backs of your legs really can burn pretty bad if you never turn and have the sun at your back for 3 and a half hours. I also learned that no matter how tired you are, you need to eat afterwards.