This week last year was pretty busy, with a lot of racing notes and sports news. More interestingly:

• I made the front page of the local newspaper with a tiny picture pointing to an article inside the paper. The article itself gave me a huge picture, even though the article really had nothing to do with me and only included a few quotes. I will take what I can get, though; it was a great picture!
• I related a story that pointed out how easy it is to make new friends while you are running. Introducing yourself and running a few miles with someone won’t hurt, and you could end up with a new training partner or at least some company for a short while. This was how I met my wife.
• A training schedule is a very important piece of the puzzle that will help you reach your goals. A flexible training schedule is even more important. Recognizing your limitations and working around them can keep you on schedule fitness wise even when the official schedule calls for something else. My strategy worked, and I ran exactly what I wanted in New York City.
• I tend not to take drugs when I can avoid it. I do not trust doctors and except for migraines I usually choose to just wait things out. One of the reasons that I avoid drugs is because it can be easy to overdose on painkillers by accident, especially if you mix drugs and are not aware of how they will interact.
• I ran the Eliot 5k for the first time; this year’s race is in a few hours and this year team competition has returned! Here’s to going under 16 minutes and winning some money this year!
• This week two years ago, I discussed DNA tests that determine what sports you may have better success at than others. I also discussed running through illnesses and a good swiss ball routine.