June 27 Run Reoprt

There was much concern this morning among the assembled runners on Park Avenue as the clock ticked past 7 a.m. and there was no sight of Jack Gallagher, the glue that keeps our Sunday Morning Running Group's shoes and spirits together. A few vague allusions to a possible conflict gave us enough confidence to start running without him. So at 7:05 the shirtless Danny and Russ took off behind a galloping Luis who escorted guest runner Roger from Needham, Mass. Ed, Carol and Dylan took up the rear positions for today's light turnout.

Danny and Russ busted out somewhere between 8.8 and 8.95 miles this morning at an "easy" pace, one reported. Luis did his typical drive-them-into-the-ground routine with Roger, covering the same distance and then some. Roger is an interesting story, having tried to get on the Biggest Loser show. He used to weigh about 300 pounds at age 47 and decided to get serious about his body and health. He's now an ultra marathoner and is training for New York 2011. He has a web site that is inspiring: www.RFME.org.


Ed told Carol and Dylan another bucket list story. He's taken five flying lessons so far and has successfully taken off and come within 50 vertical feet of landing a plane. Despite Mrs. Ed's shaking head, he's determined to fly a plane by himself some day - but never to own one. Carol, a professional pilot gave him some good advice over the course of our five mile jaunt together.


When Ed turned at Aloma, Dylan and Carol continued on to do the 7-mile route and share stories of the nincompoops who inhabit the Earth we live on. We did cross paths with Cheryl at Mizell and Phelps. She was going some 5-and-dime run route with people who must have been way too slow to keep up with her. We didn't see any of them behind her.


Back on Park Ave, Dylan and Russ delved into an extended conversation on soccer and training. Take-away words of wisdom from Russ: if you don't know how to do something that somebody's telling you to do, don't be shy about ASKing to be shown how it's done. It will be a useful learning experience.


That's all for today. We hope Jack and the rest of you slackers (or unfaithful deserters) who haven't been out with us for awhile, will be back next week. You can do it! Get up and come run with us. That means you and you and you and you. You know who you are.