Randomly Thinking

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the T-shirt for the ING New York City Marathon. On the front stretch, the leader out of the gate is for a Freeport Pretzels shirt, including one nomination for a vintage "You Can Eat Us, But You Can't Beat Us" model from 1990. There's been some chatter about a version of the Kenyans saying.

Spread the word because voting continues for a while and as they say in Chicago (and Mexico): Vote Early and Vote Often.

Had two workouts earlier this week. A 3-mile run and a 3.6 mile run. Heading to Cullen Park for a quick run before two days off prior to a long run on Saturday.

Rescue Me keeps getting better and better. Tommy now lives in an empty house (in more than one way), he might have an STD, is going to date his brother's ex-wife as a means to revenge, has an uncle in prison, and a soon-to-be ex-wife who still has feelings for him. With a story line like this, it's almost like a daytime soap opera.

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In case you haven't been reading, I was one of the lucky runners selected to compete in the New York City Marathon in November. Missed the sponsor mention. I mean, the ING New York City Marathon. It's November 5 and goes through all five boroughs of the city.

I'm very excited about being selected. 90,000 people entered the lottery and about 20,000 people were selected to compete. They'll be more than 30,000 runners that fall Sunday as there are certain exemptions to guarantee entry.

Here's where you come into the picture. I need some help choosing a T-shirt to wear during the event. I've graduated from two universities, a high school with a unique nickname, lived in four different cities during my professional career, and cheered for a few different sports teams. I'm not sure what shirt to wear.

In my past distance events, I've worn a couple different junk T-shirts. Look, one of the perks of radio and running are the free T-shirts. I also don't like to put my name on my shirt. Everybody does that and Mike is a very common name.

So, I'm asking for your help. Below is a list of options for T-Shirts. Please respond by posting a comment on which shirt I should choose. This vote is non-binding and I reserve the right to veto any winner.

I look forward to your feedback. Here are your options:

A) Freeport Pretzels. Yes, that's my high school and that's the nickname. It would probably be a very unique T-shirt in Brooklyn and The Bronx. I'd have to order a shirt through the Iron-T-Junction.

B) Wisconsin Badgers. I don't think I need to elaborate.

C) Boise State Broncos. I caught a pass on the Smurf Turf during my Idaho tenure. Probably not too many BSU shirts in Queens.

G) Houston Astros. The Clemens factor might lead to a veto on this option. Not sure if New Yorkers respect America's Favorite House Guest anymore. I don't know if I want to be covered in vegetables at the end of the run.

I) Houston Texans. Gotta give the locals some love.

J) University of Houston. I hold a graduate degree from this growing institution. It could be my tribute to Andre Ware.

K) Dallas Cowboys. My legacy NFL team. It could be a lot of fun to run the race with a Cowboys shirt in the heart of Giants country. Or, maybe not.

L) A custom "Gotta Catch The Kenyans" Shirt. I'd have to get this one made, but it could provide some humor.

Please post a comment and let me know which shirt is best.

Results and updates throughout July and August. Winner announced after Labor Day.

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Training Update:

Put in about 10 miles, give or take a standard deviation. I'll put that standard deviation as .2 miles. I ran through the swamps of Cullen Park and into Bear Creek Park. There was some standing water from all the rain throughout the week, but only one spot on the trail was puddled over. No alligators or snakes.

It's June and I slept in ('til 7:45), so I hit the road about 8:30. The heat was a factor because of my late start.

Got to listen to the tape delayed broadcast of the Today show because my headset gets the VHF television stations in the market. I listened to how to measure the max heart rate, apply makeup for women over 40, and I got the news and weather at the top of the hour. I can get the big three networks, in addition to the AM & FM frequencies. I know, I need an MP-3 player. Had one, broke it. Haven't grabbed a new one yet. It's coming soon.

When I run through Bear Creek Park, I run past a golf club with 54 holes, the Farm & Ranch Club, and the very 60s looking picnic shelters. Yep, these bad boys are left over from the space age of Houston. It's one of the few relics left paying respect to our background as the Space City.

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I've done some pretty cool things in my life and career in the media. I've met some high profile people, been in the audience during notable moments, and been a part of some special private events. I've always said I need to make a list of the "celebrities" I've met, interviewed, or helped with projects. I've also always kept a list of my top 5 concerts in the back of my head. More on that in another post.

Because of my job, I've had the opportunity to meet a number of people along the way and be a part of the "private showcase" performances artists put on at radio stations. It's the artist's way of promoting their product, just like Sargento Cheese buys advertising or has a retired school teacher distribute cheese cubes at Kroger on a Saturday.

I've seen Britney, Avril, Michelle Branch, the Backstreet Boys, Diddy, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Matchbox Twenty, Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Kenny Rogers, Rascal Flats, Train, Sheryl Crow, Duran Duran, Beyonce w/Destiny's Child, and many more that don't have headliner status perform in intimate settings.

Today was different. Hank Williams Jr. did a private performance for our country station at lunchtime in a hot and steamy airplane hanger at Hooks Airport, just north of Houston. He arrived on a corporate jet (actual jet at right). It was not his personal jet as the air conditioning was out. He stepped off the plane, grabbed his guitar, and performed for about 30 minutes to a crowd of about 100 people. After his performance, he took group photos with the attendees and signed a few autographs even though his handlers said he wouldn't sign for anyone.

It was a setting for a show I'll never forget with a real American music icon. Whether you think country music is simply for rednecks or understand the cultural significance of Hank Williams Jr. and his family tree, it was a truly unique experience and setting. After all, this is the guy made famous by the adaption of one of his records for a weekly television show. Even though the network that made his "All My Rowdy Friends" record crossover into the mainstream didn't renew the weekly series, his song will still be a part of the broadcast as it migrates to ESPN on September 11.

Training Update:

Dotel route, 29:38, about 8:13 miles mean for 3.6 miles. Off until Saturday.

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Training Update:

Tonight was a non-running evening. I did a 15-mile (actually, a 14.8 mile) bike ride through Cullen Park. It's good to keep the pounding off the legs and still work the cardio. I was actually a little more winded after the ride than a run, but that was more about the different muscles.

Cullen Park is where I do a lot of my running. It's a great 3.3 mile trail that only runs into two streets and one is not a main road. I've been running at Cullen Park since 2001 and have seen almost all of the wildlife known to the area: deer, snakes, birds, ducks. But, so far, no alligators. Not sure if I want to see one of those.

We'll punch out with a little Rod Stewart because, every picture tells a story, don't it?









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Training News:

Ran on Sunday. It was hot. I was slow at the end. It was an out and back loop. At the turn, I was pacing for a course record. At the end, I was far from a record. I won't use the heat as an excuse, but it was 92 with 80-percent humidity. Heat index approaching 100. Hot. But, at least I was working it.

Monday was better. Did a mash-up course of about 4 miles. Mean per mile was about 8:30 with an inaccurate measurement. The course was a combination of the Westfield Terra course and the Dotel course.


News Commentary:

If you missed it, there was some rain in Houston today. Not as bad as Brian Williams made it out to be on NBC. Still an unfortunate event for many in the area. It might not be Hurricane Katrina or the "floods of epic" proportions, as was described on NBC's Nightly News, but if you're house is flooded, it's just as bad as last year's hurricanes because it affects you, not somebody you see on TV.


My biggest comment about today's rain is that flooding is going to happen based on Houston's topography, geography, geology, hydrology, and sociology. Because of the way the city is built and developed, flooding is going to happen when there's ten inches of rain in four hours. There's nothing that can be done by planners, landscape architects, or politicians. There's no way to compensate for natural events like what the area experienced today. Technology has allowed us to control many risks in our world. The intersection of humans and meteorology will usually result in a victory for the natural forces.

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Training Update:

It was a warm and humid morning in Katy as I worked my way through 8 miles. It became a run-walk as the humidity approached 100-percent and the sky began to drizzle. I've been fighting a little cold, so I'll take the 8 miles, especially since my energy level isn't at full capacity.

And, I got done just in time. Here's the current radar from KPRC-TV, a Post-Newsweek Station:

To prove I'm hip, here's an 8-mile picture for you:

Randomly thinking about music:

1, That KT Tunstall record reminds me of Alannah Myles and her tribute to Elvis. But, what do the Black Horse and the Cherry Tree mean to each other?

2, Do you think that Gnarls Barkley has a 10-million dollar gambling tab?

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Well, tonight there was no training. I'm tired. So far in June, I've worked out 11 out of 14 days. This is my third day off and I feel I deserve it.

It's been me, a Miller Lite (click to view the chic fight commerical), and the Astros-Cubs (check final score with Fox Sports UAE - gotta love the internet) with Oswalt v. Greg Maddox. Love to watch Oswalt work, not a big Maddox guy, but you have to respect what he's accomplished.

Astros lead in the bottom of the 9th by one run.

My spectator sports tastes are evolving as I age and it'll probably be a topic for discussion in this blog. Used to love, I mean LOVE, the NBA. Today, the '06 Playoffs have helped get me back into the game. Am getting more into IRL, NASCAR, track, and less into the NBA, college basketball, and NHL. I do have World Cup fever and the College World Series is always a fun event - I think it's the clink of the aluminum bats. NFL, MLB, and college football are still the top three.

In an earlier post, I talked about "participatory sports." I also have "spectator" sports memories that rank like my "participatory" sports. We'll discuss that soon.

Otherwise, people are getting on Bill Clinton because he's making money. The guy could cure cancer and there would still be naysayers. The market moved up a little. And, the NHL is crowning a champion. I watched two minutes the other night to say I tuned in. Couldn't tell you a single player on either team, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

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Alright, it's an interesting day with many different topics available for discussion. We'll talk politics, television, training, and maybe a little journalism.

Right now, I'm watching Al Gore on Larry King talk about global warming. He also doesn't think he'll run for president in 2008. The Wired Magazine profile of Gore in the May issue was fantastic. Gore is passionate about politics and issues close to his heart.

In the profile and on Larry King, he comes across as someone who's not bitter about 2000, but as someone who sees a chance to change the world with his notoriety and wealth. He works with a hedge fund that specializes in funding companies that look at sustainable growth in addition to bottom line profits. It's a unique twist for a hedge fund company, especially since the judgment about sustainable growth is subjective and not easily measured with accepted Wall Street metrics.

Staying on politics for a minute, President Bush flew to Baghdad today to meet the Iraqi president. The cynic in me says it's a publicity stunt. The optimist in me thought it was a nice gesture. On the Al Gore note, in a country with large deficits and $2.89/gallon gas, do we need to jet across the planet to Iraq for a five-hour meet 'n' greet? I'm not sure it's an efficient use of resources, but it's better than talking about a gay marriage amendment or flag burning. Too bad those resources weren't spent on our myriad of health care or education problems.

I'm a big CNBC guy. If somebody offered me a job at the network, I'd be there in a minute. But, it hasn't been fun to have it on the last few weeks. My wallet is lighter every time I turn it on. If the stock price is an indication of expected future performance, we're in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, I think we're okay. The turbulence isn't Air Force One heading back from Baghdad. I think it's a correction and a shift of money, especially as interest rates rise and returns on those financial instruments are possibly a little more attractive than equities.

Enough on the politics. Let's talk television. Tonight is Rescue Me. Dennis Leary as Tommy Gavin turned in another strong performance last week by sleeping with a recent college graduate and beating up his brother for sleeping with his wife. In the meantime, one of the firefighters is sleeping with Tommy's bi-polar sister, the Lew is falling into a drunken stupor after losing his life savings, Tommy's father is losing his mind, Tommy's cousin's widow is serving as a part-time nurse for his father, Tommy's cousin's son is sleeping with a 37-year-old teacher, and Tommy's oldest daughter has become a born-again Christian because all the kids at school are doing it.

Wow, sounds like a soap opera to me. Yes, the story lines are wacky, almost as much of a shock factor as vintage Howard Stern programs in the early days. The shock is justified because it's on a cable network and the show needs attention. It needs to be dangerous so viewers make an appointment each week on their DVR. If it's not dangerous and well-written, people have 100s of other choices. But, lost in the shock are the performances by some strong actors and actresses. Dennis Leary is superb as a demented, yet heroic firefighter. Gavin is more comfortable saving a stranger than saving his family. He's torn between old school alpha male breadwinner and the new age softer-side-of-Sears male that shows his emotions and feelings. It's not an easy role, but one that was written by Leary, for Leary.

I'm sure the ratings are weak, but that doesn't matter on cable. Do they have viewers? Can they sell ads? That's all that matters sometimes as the cable networks look for content to own and hang their hat on.

Training Update:
Some thunderstorms in the area, including damage in Northeast Houston. That lowered the temps from a 106-degree reading in my car on the way home. Ran the Westfield Terra route in the neighborhood. The Westfield Terra route is the oldest route I run in the neighborhood and is around 2.8 miles. Recorded a 3:34 half-mile and a fair pace for the rest of the run. Tomorrow night might be a bike ride.

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Quick post for a busy Monday ...

Training: 3.6 miles after 7 p.m. so it was maybe 90 degrees. On the ride home at 6 p.m. - with the sun beating down - the thermometer in my car said 101 degrees. I ran the Dotel route, named after former Astros reliever Octavio Dotel, now on the DL with the Yankees. He wore #29 during his days in Houston and that was my goal time for that route. I've done it twice. In the sales business, it's a stretch goal. Anything under 30:30 is strong. Today was 30:09.

Future posts: More on Rescue Me, Jim Cramer's Mad Money show on CNBC, and more.

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The results are in from the 2006 Tejas Triathlon. It was my first individual tri since 1990. I've been a part of relays since then.

Times of the event
Overall: 1:27:06

Breakdowns
1/2 mile Swim: 17 min
Transitition #1: 3 min
11-mile Bike: 40 min
Transitition #2: 1 min
3-mile Run: 27 min

Comments
I had an enjoyable morning even though I didn't train too hard for the event. I was happy with my swim and even passed a few people. The bike was the bike. I'm not really a biker right now. I need a better bike if I want to be competitive. The run is my specialty and I'm alright with my time in that portion of the race. I'd like to have been a little faster, but after a swim and bike, I'll take it. My goal was 1:40 with a supergoal of 1:30, so I beat both of 'em.

The race was better organized than the Madcity Marathon, but Madison had a better course for the run. Here, we ran in front of people's houses in New Territory. I saw one guy grabbing his newpaper from the driveway. Fortunately, he'd take the time to put on some pants.

Some photos from the event later. Now, a stock photo will do.

Now, it's time for a trip to the sushi bar as a post-race meal.

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It's June 10 ... Four days since the last post ... More randomly thinking:

- I won the lottery for the New York City Marathon on November 5 ... I'm pumped for the event and way ahead of a training schedule since I finished the Madison Half-Marathon two weeks ago (May 28) in 90 degree heat.

My time in Madison wasn't great, but I finished without a trip to the ER. I've competed in 8 half-marathons and 3 marathons and never seen a scene like the Madcity Marathon. I've read stories about the Boston Marathon from '04 or '05 when the temps were above 80 and people were dropping like flies. Same in Madison '06. I saw seven people getting help between miles 8 and the 13.1 finish. It was simply too hot for the race and since it was in the 50s and 60s until that week, nobody was used to the heat (as evidenced by the sweaty people on the right).

As for NYC, my training is good. I did 5 miles last night in 90 degree weather at an average of 8:20 per mile. I'll take it. Tomorrow is the Tejas Triathlon -> simple workout, but a fun diversion. It's in New Territory, so not too far from the house. I'll blog about the tri on Sunday.

To say I'm excited about NYC is an understatement. To date, my best participatory sports memory is crossing the finish line of the New Orleans 1/2 Marathon in '05 at the 50-yard line of the Superdome. I was just short of a PR. What makes that cool is the events that had taken place in the Superdome prior to my participatory sports moment. The Jordan shot in '82, the Bears in Super Bowl XX (click the link for the Super Bowl Shuffle on Google Video), Keith Smart and Indiana in '87, Favre in '97, and me finishing the half-marathon in a building that meant soo much to the national sports scene. Today, the Superdome stirs different images in people's minds. And, writing about it will just make me sad. Sad on a number of levels. It's not about the destruction of a building and the loss of life. It's about failure on a number of levels: cultural, governmental, and natural. It's probably a topic for another day.

Now with a finish line in Central Park (photo right), this promises to be the top participatory sports moment of my young life. Over the next few months, they be more about the training and stories about trying to find a hotel. And since I'm going to work with the folks at Katy Fit, they'll be training stories to tell. Once I finish the NYC race, it'll be time to consider LA in March of '07 - think about it, marathons in the four largest cities in America.

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I haven't posted lately and will know get back into the swing of things ... I'll probably give this bad boy a facelift also ... I need to carve some time to fool around with the settings and learn to trackback and get noticed.

Some future topics include:

- The latest season of The Sopranos on HBO ... I really liked it - Jennifer hated it, but she's good with Microsoft Excel, so remember that when your examine her critique ... I thought it was subtle and developed like a novel ... There probably wasn't enough action for today's society ... The last episodes are slated for January 2007 - I'm still making it appointment television ...

- My list of all-time favorite restaurants ... Jennifer and I had this spirited debate the other day in the car ... I'll begin the list ... If I can figure it out, I'll set it up with Google maps or one of those new age web tools ...

- The Astros ...

- Hurricane season and the sadness I feel when I see the stories about Hurricane Rita and Katrina ...

Gotta go watch Rescue Me ... A brave television show - maybe a little out there, but trendsetting ... Dennis Leary pushes the envelope

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