Unfair treatment!

I have been a USTA (Tennis) official for several years. I have had the privilege of officiating matches, which included many great players, including John McEnroe and Andy Roddick. I once had a 130-mile an hour serves from Roddick that he disagreed with my call. Replay showed
I was right (about a 1/8th an inch…). How did I do that? Training… Lots of it…

Through the years, I have yet to be so accurate; I have made mistakes. There are days I have felt ill but had to officiate anyway, as no sub was available. Did I do well? I will argue I did as well as Randy Moss and Tom Brady if they were playing with a 101-degree fever…

I have to live with those mistakes. Officiating is a different animal. Once, when I was on my way out to officiate a McEnroe match, the head official gave us a motivational speech. He said something I will never forget: " You are expected to be 100% perfect out there, and you are expected to improve on that!" That is how society looks at officials.

Over the years, I have become more hardened to accept that perfection expectation. We have so much press about Ed Hochuli's acknowledgment that he erred on a call late in Sunday's San Diego-Denver game a few weeks ago. He is human; god forbids this from an official.

What irritates me is that we are in a society that constantly looks for an easy person to blame for a loss, failure, or other negative aspect of life. Did the official make a mistake that genuinely cost the San Diego Chargers the game? I argue, not really.

How can I say that? I watched most of that game. If we hold officials to one apparent mistake, we should be banned. We should ban several receivers from ever playing football again for dropping a pass right in their arms. We must ban many defensive players for missing what seemed to be an easy tackle. We need to ban the offensive players who negated a significant gain because they grabbed onto a defensive player and threw them to the ground. But those are just forgiven as issues in a stressful situation by a player who makes $10 million a year. But the official who makes $80,000 a year better not make one little mistake, which means a death sentence.

In baseball, should we ban the outfield who drops an easy-fly ball? What about a hockey player who missed an open net shot? Let's not even discuss the number of botch open lane lay-ups I have seen in Basketball. Hey, we have all seen dunks missed…

But we would never say such a thing. The San Diego Chargers made many more mistakes, which cost them the game… Did the official goof up in that game? Yes, but he is the only one people want to fire, harm, or ridicule. What I find most interesting in all my years of officiating
(Baseball for 9 years before tennis) is that the people who bitch the most have never officiated a high-level game or match. If they did, they would understand that officiating is a high-level stress job, which it takes a sick person to enjoy… I also have seen a significant shortage of officials in all sports… Many great officials have left the profession due to one or two mistakes and significant backlash. If I were Ed Hochuli, I would retire, and the NFL would lose another quality official, but I would still have all those players who goofed up many times throughout the game! But he, as well as I, keep officiating through the name-calling and threats… We must be sick?

That could explain why I want to run 100 miles.

Carry on…

Carlin's Wisdom for staying young

An earlier post made it known that I loved George Carlin's comedy. He was not always funny; he just put serious stuff out there selectively. Here is a favorite piece of his, which ends with a very strong sentence about life.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, or whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love: family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
8. whatever. Your home is your refuge.
9. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
10. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
11. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

Carry on!

I am 46 today..some jokes... Stolen words

You know you're getting on in years when the girls at the office start confiding in you.

Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Middle age is when you have stopped growing at both ends and begun growing in the middle.

You're getting old when you're sitting in a rocker, and you can't get it started.

You find yourself in the middle of the stairway, and you can't remember if you were downstairs going up or upstairs going down.

NOW WORDS FROM MY favorite comedian...

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're under 10, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, and now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

The greatest day of your life is when you turn 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony: YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

Now you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes. It's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You make it to 60. You didn't think you would!! So you become 21, turn 30, push 40, reach 50, and make it to 60. 

You've built up so much speed that you hit 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you hit Wednesday!

You get into your 80s, and every day is a complete cycle: You hit lunch, you hit 4:30 PM, and you reach bedtime. And it doesn't end there. 

Into the 90s, you start going backward; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. 

If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

GEORGE CARLIN

Happy 46th Birthday to me!

Carry on…

Gaiters

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Christmas

Some blog readers noticed I have a Christmas countdown working on my blog... Today is 100 days to Christmas. WOW. What is that all about? Should we not count down to a race? After all, we are athletes.

I do not feel athletic. I have been training so hard that my close friends know I have had a whole lot of trouble sleeping, headaches, and other ills that are common for the human body pushed too hard. My back spasms, which took me out of the 100 this year, were most likely by-products of a lack of stretching and improper overall training. I did a lot of running and biking but less weight, and I did not keep my muscles balanced. That is my opinion. So I decided not to run anymore, or very little this year. Between now and Christmas, only if I have the urge. I am just going to eat well and repair...

I have been working hard, and my body needs repair. The weight issue was that I had pushed so hard that I was so tired that I was always seeking nutrition to replenish all I had expended. This is not just in my exercise world; the job has been at least three times as intense and difficult. So I will focus on eating right, doing yoga, simple weights and other light enjoyable activities. Feel much better already after 9 days. Weight is 3 pounds less than the week before the race. So, I will decide on Christmas to try the Superior 100 in 2009... That is my countdown. Commit then, plan and train smarter, or send my name to the volunteer list. (or offer the service of a pacer?) or both. Isn't that worth a countdown timer?

Carry on!

Clueless...

In 2007, I knew exactly where I had gone wrong and right when I quit at 77 miles. I knew what needed correction and worked hard on those issues. However, although I trained more and my times were a little faster, I was not confident in my 2008 preparation. I had no clue it would result from packing it in at 24 miles.

The whole week prior was issue after issue. I had back spasms, a tight hip, and other pain I tried to work through. These are not excuses; I thought I was tough enough to work through them, but I was wrong. From the start of the day, I was not doing well. I woke through the night with diarrhea. (Sorry for that detail) I was worried, as I did not know why. I was really congested in the chest. Even though I had plenty of support from fellow runners and crew, I left the motel later than I should have. Felt I rushed through preparation once at Gooseberry. The race start was hard. I was ready to stop but was sore and fatigued as I crossed the start line.

I trogged along (A Phillip term) through the first aid station in about 2 hours and 30 minutes. My back was tight, and I had a few spasms. I continued but slowed to Beaver Bay, still making my planned time. My breathing was tight, and I did my best to comfort my back. I was ready to quit, but my crew and the great station workers convinced me to continue.

By the time I got to Silver Bay, I could no longer climb a hill using my right leg without pain in the back, which can only be described as a knife stab and twisting motion. Now I have never been stabbed so it may not be that bad, or could be worse. I saw Molly Cochran at Silver Bay, and she had just returned from the Hospital from a bee sting. I was almost going to continue with Molly, but I did a test push with my leg, and the back was painful. I knew the right decision was before me.

This is not a spine pain but the lower right. It's like a Sciatic Nerve but lower toward the hip. Is this not all tied to the knee issue? The entire right leg is going bad. The knee, hip, and lower back are sore. It may not look like a few weeks of focus on starching and balanced weight lifting. Does anyone out there have a routine they like for balanced weight lifting for the lower body? But then the upper body also needs it.

I did stop by later aid stations during the race. It was great to see Chris at the 50-mile point. It was about 9 hours, and he looked like he had not been running. At 6-9 AM at Sugarloaf, I saw Julie Berg just after sun-up; she looked solid. Christian came into that station ready to quit. I watched that aid station crew work the magic earlier and revive the runner, and they continued. Christian was sure he wanted to quit. But after about 30 minutes, they had him up and going! I went to Cramer Road and saw Carl. He looked like I did last year. I told him I regretted the past 364 days my decision not to go on, and he had more time than I did and the best crew in the world. I was happy he continued. Many others went through and were so strong. I am anxious to read many posts as this year had some pretty interesting challenges.

Rambling aside, this was a hard race for many this year. Could it be the air? It could be many things, but one final thought, I am wondering if I will try again. I say that with sad thoughts as I want to achieve this once. The next attempt would be a third, and I view my third attempt as my last chance. A personal thing. So, next year, I am committed to one thing concerning Superior. I will work at a station or have lost at least 40 pounds, which I carried this year, and enter. That is the only option.

I feel bad for others in the same position as me. Call it a day, or continue. Phil worked so hard and was going strong when I was with him. Heard Adam had a significant injury. Les and I started with an I will not stop attitude, but something swallowed us both. Molly and the bee attack, ouch.

But life goes on…

Carry on, my friends.

It is here... or close

At the writing of this entry, I had less time before the start of the race than I anticipated finish time. It is just over 34 hours from now. I will be 200 miles from home and 102.6 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail Lutsen, where I hope to be before 38 hours of constant movement ends… I am not as nervous or excited as last year; in fact, I am not confident in my ability to finish. Many challenges will surprise me throughout the race, but I must keep going until told to stop. That is the key, as I see it.

Either way, it has been another interesting year of preparation. Challenges were more than I cared for, and life was ever-changing. Emotions run wild as I overevaluate much of what I am doing and what I desire for the future. No matter what, I can only do my best, and that is what I will do. My next entry will be my success or failure report. Take care and smile!

Carry on…

To much to late?

I am beginning to regret my last hill run. Still, today, I feel exhausted and that walking is a chore. I ran 3 miles Thursday, lifted weights (upper body only) hard Friday, did a 27-mile bike ride Saturday, and walked around the Renaissance Festival Sunday. I will not do anything. I do not have to accept rest from here on out!

I'm getting a little more excited, but nothing compared to last year. The race director should be happy to know that this year, I will have drop bags less than half the weight last year. Last year, I packed one of everything I might want, and the bags were huge. Live and learn. Although, I still will have the bottle of pickle juice! I swear that this is the best for an ultra run for my body, especially in the heat.

Either way, the daily weather format is fun to watch. I expect rain and do not worry about if it might rain. Takes too much energy. A fellow ultra runner did some significant damage to his right hand in a fall. He is unsure if he will run or have the clearance to run the 100. I will be careful, as anything can happen over the next 92 hours before the start of the race.

Carry on!