Around the Horn

W3D1

2011-05-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Did this workout while the kid was taking a tennis lesson.
It went ok. I ran from the country club to the end of orchid and back. Funny how those small elevations turn big when you're running.

Back to the Couch to 5K

2011-05-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Took a year off from running at all.
Now, I'm good and rested.

Started back on the Couch to 5K program a couple weeks ago. The first "workout" was a little tiring but nothing like it was when I began it two years ago.
I've basically cruised through the first two weeks and tonight will begin Week 3.

For anyone who stumbles upon this entry and hasn't a clue what the C25K plan is, Google it. It absolutely works.
Two years ago, I began this program after five or six years of doing pretty much nothing ... and gaining weight the whole time. Nine weeks later, I was running 3-4 miles and feeling good doing it.

Thanks ... giving

2010-11-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, so let's catch up quickly:
I stopped running and I'm not sure why. I know that I feel much, much better when I run. Just haven't been able to make myself go do it lately. Maybe I'll just run in odd-numbered years. We'll see.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving 2010. I believe that's Nov. 25 if you're scoring at home.
Watched the movie "Lean on Me" with April and the girls.

While friends and neighbors are out Black Friday shopping, I'm reclining on the sofa at 1:37 a.m. thinking of all the things I want to say. No idea where this is going but here goes:

1) I really, really want to keep this blog current. Even if its just to keep a journal for myself, it'll be a good exercise.
2) I think Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday. I have really good Thanksgiving memories, though most of them are quite fuzzy. It's definitely the time I felt the most connected with my extended family while growing up.
3) I must lose weight. Trying to drink more water. Guessing exercise would help also.
4) I love watching my kids compete. The past 15 months watching the oldest daughter play tennis has been a load of fun. Watching her improve, watching how much she loves the game and wants to improve. Watching her set goals, then meet or exceed them. Waiting for younger daughter to figure out exactly what she wants to compete in... Anxious to see her grow in the next couple of years and find out which direction her interests will take her.
5) I have an excellent circle of friends. I'm big on loyalty and I have some of the most loyal friends I could ever imagine.
6) I don't miss writing for a living. It's the organizing a sports section that I miss.
7) I think my true calling might have been as an intramurals director. I keep getting credit from people for organizing little tennis tournament and things like that. What people don't realize is that it's actually this weird sickness I have for writing ideas on paper and then seeing them to fruition. I get this rush from organizing athletic events ... and just organizing people.
8) I have a weakness for lists.
9) My relationship with my sisters has never been stronger than it is now. Maybe its maturity or maybe it's the shared grief of losing two parents, I'm not certain. They're both wonderful people, though.
10) I love my wife more today than the day I married her. Honestly.
11) I worry about not living long enough to meet my grandchildren.
12) Searcy is a weird little town. I guess all small towns have their strange little quirks but Searcy seems to have more than most places.

Another one down...

2009-10-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hadn't run since last Saturday and my legs felt it after a while. Also ran up some hills in Belle Meade, which wasn't that much fun. Have a long run (48 minutes, I think) coming up later in the week. That should finish Week 7.

Total miles run to date: 104.3

100 miles

2009-10-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, besides topping the 100-mile mark (since Memorial Day), there was really nothing memorable about today's run. Ran at about 8:30 a.m.... pretty cool out but nice.

That's W7D1 of the OHR.

Total miles run to date: 101.3

Week 6 is over

2009-09-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Took me six days to find the time to run again, but I made the 41-minute run tonight.
That finishes Week 6 of the OHR. I made it quite easily, actually. I even ran the big hill on Argonne at the end of it.
Pretty certain I could have hit an hour tonight.
Nice, cool night to run.
Ran right at 3.6 miles, which gives me...

Total miles run to date: 98.5

W6D2 is behind me

2009-09-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ran 33 minutes tonight. Nice weather for a run. Feet are hurting at the end of the run, though.

Total miles run to date: 94.9

Week 6 begins

2009-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hadn't been able to run in about a week thanks to rain ... lots and lots of rain.
Got in 3.1 miles in just over 30 minutes today, though. Next run is 33 minutes, then 41.

Total miles run to date: 92

Week 5 is done

2009-09-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

What a great night for a run! Finished Week 5 tonight and covered 3.9 miles in 40 minutes, 17 seconds (the exact time it took to listen to nine Eagles songs).
I just realized in my last post that I referred to the ipod as the "walkman".
I'm old.

Total miles run to date: 88.9

W5D2 is done...

2009-09-09T06:50:00.001-07:00

Did the required 32-minute run last night. That leads me to a 38-minute run which will probably occur on Thursday night.
The 32 minutes was tough. Very humid out and the breathing was labored. Walkman was on the fritz when I was ready to run (fixed just after I went out the door) and I hate hearing myself breathe while I run.

Miles run since Memorial Day: 85

W5D1 finished

2009-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Took nearly a week off while trying to get my right foot to stop hurting. It felt a little better on Saturday, so I ran 30 minutes (about 2.5 miles) to finish W4D1 of the OHR. Today is Labor Day, so I'm thinking I might get out and knock out W4D2.

Total miles run to date: 82.

Week 4 ends

2009-08-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

Had to wait until Sunday night to run but managed to finish Week 4 of the OHR with a fairly easy 35-minute run. Have a bruise or something causing pain on right foot.
April did W7D1 of c25k ... said it was the toughest one yet. She's doing great, though!

Oh yeah, 3 more miles tonight, so I'm now at 79.5 since I started.

W4D2 in the bag

2009-08-27T11:22:00.001-07:00

Had a 29-minute run last night for W4D2 of the OHR. It was much tougher than Monday, when I ran for 42 inexplicable minutes.
Hmmm...
Made it fine but it hurt a lot more last night.

Figured up that I've run approximately 76.5 miles since Memorial Day (May 25). If I'd started in Searcy and headed south, I'd be around 5 miles north of Sheridan right now.

Go Addie

2009-08-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Addison began the c25k program last night. Anxious to see how long she keeps it up.
I ran with her last night. Amazing how easy that workout was when it almost killed me 13 weeks ago.

Best run to date

2009-08-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last night was the best run I've ever had.
April needed to finish her Week 6 of the c25k and I was beginning Week 4 of the OHR. For me, that meant another 30-minute run. For April, it was 25 minutes.
So, we ran the 25 minutes together, setting it up where we would end back at home. At about the 21-minute mark, I told her I'd never felt better while running. Everything was clear, my breathing wasn't labored at all and my legs felt great.
Dropped her off at home and went to finish my last 5 minutes on Brittany.
Went until I was at 42:04 and felt like I could have run for an hour, at least.

Here's hoping I have a few more of those nights!

Week 3 over

2009-08-23T18:10:00.001-07:00

Finished Week3 of the OHR last night. Got a headache about halfway thru but was able to finish ok.
April will finish Week 6 of the c25k tomorrow night so we'll get to run that 25 minutes together!

And then there was lightning...

2009-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

I managed to get W3D2 of the OHR finished tonight. Made a quick drive to the grocery for April to pick up lunch stuff since the girls start back to school tomorrow.
Noticed some lightning when I was driving home.
So ... I was pretty careful, but saw a lot more lightning than I was comfortable with during my W3D2 run tonight. I went without the ipod (lightning) and I always dislike being able to hear myself breathing. I guess I'll blame that since I can't really think of any other reason tonight's run wasn't so great.
I'd actually been looking forward all day to tonight's run, so I'm a bit disappointed.
Didn't quite finish the 3.1 mile route, but was very, very close. I stopped at 30:20.

Running is starting to be fun

2009-08-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

I finished W3D1 of the OHR tonight. April knocked out her 20-minute run (W5D3 of the c25k). We ran the 20 minutes together. Looking forward to running some 5Ks together this fall.

Running is starting to get really enjoyable. I'm actually sitting around on running days looking forward to getting out and running. As I've mentioned before, somewhere between the 1.5 and 2.5-mile points, my body is hitting some kind of weird cruise control thing where my breathing isn't labored at all and my legs feel great.
That makes this really fun.

And, there is little that compares with the feeling of completing a good run.

Week 2 is complete

2009-08-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Finished Week 2 of the One Hour Runner last night. Great, cool night to run (8:45-9:15 p.m.). Ran 3 miles in 31:03.
On to Week 3!

W2D2 is done...

2009-08-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tough thing about starting the OHR is that the first three weeks are full of 30-minute runs and I'm having trouble remembering which one I'm doing! Had to go back and look at my last post!

I did W2D2 tonight. Went great. I'm finding a little zone somewhere between 1.2 and 1.8 miles where I find that I'm breathing just like I'm at home sitting in a chair and my legs don't really feel tired at all... then, of course, I'm kinda snapped back to reality... but, it just keeps getting easier! And more fun!

Finished somewhere between 3 and 3.1 miles (tough to be real exact) in 33:03. Goal for next run might be 33 min... I've got plenty of time to get that speed thing down...

April finished W4D1 of the c25k today. I think she's starting to get a little excited about it ... still dreading the 20-minute run, though... maybe I'll go do that one with her and then finish my 'other' 10 minutes!"

W2D1 complete

2009-08-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Did yet another 30-minute run. Actually, didn't look at the watch until the end and I was at 33:20. That was for (a slow) 3 miles.
Very humid out but was a good, good run.

Week 1 complete OHR

2009-08-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Finished Week 1 of the OHR tonight. Again, slowed the pace somewhat (about an 11-11:30 mile) but felt very good at the end of the run. Was supposed to run 30 min. Accidentally did 32 minutes.

Slow it down...

2009-08-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

After two very unsuccessful runs during the first week of the One Hour Runner program, I realized I've been trying to run way faster than I'm ready to run.
Went back out last night and intentionally slowed my pace considerably. I was still right at the 10-minute mark after a mile, which I'm fine with. The second mile, which has always been my slowest, was still the slowest, but I felt better than I have ... probably ever ... while running.
I was very close to being "fresh" when I got home. I stopped at the 32-minute mark (2.82 miles) but felt like I could have run 10 more minutes or so...

One Hour Runner program has begun

2009-07-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Finished W1D1 of the One Hour Runner program tonight. Ran 2.83 miles in 30 minutes. The plan right now is to go back to running the exact time I'm supposed to. Hopefully, I'll be covering more distance in said time...

C25K Graduate!

2009-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

OK...I finished the program tonight by running 3.1 miles in 35 minutes ... pretty slow, I know... but, I'm finished!
Next up is probably going to be the One Hour Runner program, which, theoretically, should take me up to 1 hr running straight...
More later...

One more to go

2009-07-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Just finished another 3.1 miles. That gives me a total of 42 or so miles run since beginning this program. Tonight's run was W9D2. I would have normally run this last night but April was in Little Rock for a workshop.
What all this means is that I officially have one more workout in order to finish the Couch to 5K program. I'm anxious to finish it but I'm also a little nervous about exactly what to do next. It looks like I'm going to begin the One Hour Runner program, which means my next three weeks would be 30-minute runs.
I realized tonight before I began that I'd misread my watch on my last run. Since my time was still on there, I was able to tell I ran the 3.1 miles in 33:04 instead of what I thought was 30:33.
Oh well.
I didn't fare as well tonight. I ran the same route in 33:41. Maybe the extra day off had something to do with it or maybe it's that I ate some things this week that I probably shouldn't have. I even drank a couple of Pepsi's ... which I didn't even do very often before I began this. Time to get back to hitting the water ... and only water!
I'm planning to run my final one on Saturday.

Week 9

2009-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 20, 2009 (Week 9, Day 1)

Happy anniversary to me and my beautiful wife! She, by the way, is getting ready to begin Week 2 of the C25K. We've been married 18 years today!

After eating dinner with her, I ran a 3.1-mile route that I'd mapped out earlier in the day. For those playing at home, here's where I ran: Out of the driveway, left on Saxony, right on Brittany, left on Sawmill, left on (new) Cattail, right on Chesapeake, left on Cecil Tedder, right on Country Club Rd, right on Beebe-Capps, right on Sawmill, right on (new) Cattail, right on Chesapeake, right on Normandy, right on Sawmill, right on Brittany, back to Saxony.

The very unofficial goal was to run it in under 30 minutes. I finished in 30:33.

That'll have to do for now...

Week 8 ends

2009-07-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Week 8 is now behind me ... about 2.8 miles behind me!
One of my best runs yet!

The breathing was really, really good. The only tough part was when I checked the watch for the first time and it was a little over 25 minutes (of 28 minutes)...

I made it exactly 2.8 miles but it was quite a bit cooler tonight than it has been. Wednesday night was incredibly humid and I only covered about 2.4 miles.

Monday begins my final week of the C25K program. I've been looking at doing the One Hour Runner next. Running for an hour ... sounds like fun.

April began the C25K program on Tuesday. While I'm running mine on M, W and F, she's doing Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at the gym. She seems to be doing a lot better starting off than I did.
Of course, that's on a treadmill...

Week 8

2009-07-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

W8D1 is now behind me! I didn't look at the watch until it read 28:34. Gotta love listening to old school rap!
The pace wasn't great, but I was actually taking it kinda intentionally slow. Covered 2.63 miles in 28:34, which works out to a 33:38 in a 5K. I could have easily gotten to the 30-minute mark... not sure how much farther, though.
Ran a slightly different route and it was really cool to look at it on Google Earth a minute ago and think "I actually ran all THAT!"
C'mon Wednesday!

and, then...

Just finished W8D2 ... another 28 minutes down!
Covered right at 2.5 miles, which was disappointing since it wasn't as fast as I ran on Monday. I did run another different route, though, which took me a little farther from home. That was kinda cool...

Week 7 is over

2009-07-10T20:19:00.001-07:00

Finished Week 7 on a night when I really didn't want to run.
Once again, though, as soon as I got out there, I was glad I was doing it. I mentioned in my last post that my left calf was hurting. It was actually my left Achilles tendon.
I iced it a while tonight before I ran and it still hurt for about the first half-mile, then seemed to stretch out a little and it wasn't a bother after that.
Now ... looking forward to the 28-minute runs!

Week 7

2009-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Monday, night...
Week 7, Day 1 in the books ... much, much easier than it the same run on Week 6, Day 3.
Feelin' great!

and, on Wednesday night...

Just finished W7D2 about a half hour ago. Left calf was sore from the beginning ... tried to run it out and it never really stopped hurting... finished anyway. Hope it feels better for Friday's run.

Week 6, Day 3

2009-07-04T18:29:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'm updating this a day late because yesterday didn't go so well. I tried a new course close to home, just for a change of scenery. Let's just say it didn't go well.
Several of my latest runs had been poor so I kinda saw this coming. Everything I read says some days you have good runs, some days you don't... it seems like my bad ones got bunched together.
Up until last night, though, I'd at least finished them all, even the bad ones.
I ran out of our subdivision, into a different one, and back into ours last night. When I got back to ours, I was thinking my time had to be up around 20 minutes. When I finally checked the watch, it was at 14-something.
I knew then I was beaten. Or, I guess I decided then that I was beaten.
At the 16:45 mark (still 8:15 to go) I stopped. For the first time since I started the program, I stopped before I was supposed to.
All kinds of thoughts went through my head, the first being something about pain being temporary and quitting lasting forever...
I walked the rest of the way home (in shame). For the rest of the night, I moped around. Late last night, though, I decided this thing wasn't going to beat me. Not at this point. I wasn't going to wait until Monday and repeat the week, blah, blah, blah... I was going right back out the next night and finish it.

And so, tonight, I did.
It rained earlier in the day, cooling things off and because of that, I was able to run earlier, about 7:15 p.m. My legs (from the knees down) were hurting pretty good and my breathing was pretty labored at times, but I didn't feel terrible.
I stayed in the neighborhood, on familiar ground. I think that helped. (And, knowing that if I completely fell out, I would be fairly close to home and easy to spot). Even with a gradual hill all the way into the cul-de-sac, it felt pretty good. As I was running, I kept telling myself that once I made it up the hill, I got to run back down the hill.
Pretty smart, huh?
I tried to think about all kinds of things that didn't involve the fact that I was trying to run for a longer period of time than I had in 25 years. I hit the random button on the ipod and just told myself that, when eight songs are finished, so am I. And, the plan was to not look at the watch until after the seventh song.
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized I should probably check the watch after the sixth song ... just in case.
I'm glad I did because it was on 25:47 when I checked it.
A nice feeling.
So, that concludes Week 6. I'm officially two-thirds the way through the C25K program!

My Running Journal

2009-07-03T14:20:00.001-07:00

I'm not computer-savvy enough (and I don't care enough) to figure out how to make this whole thing retroactive, so I'm just gonna do this the easiest way I know...
On Monday, May 25, 2009, I decided enough was enough. I had to find something to do to get me (back) in shape. I was online and Googled some stuff on 5K runs. I figured if I was going to get out and actually run a little, there had better be a competitive goal somewhere out there. Anyway, I found the "Couch to 5K" running plan. I found it on a site called Cool Runnings. I think I got there from Active.com.
The plan is set up to take a couch potato (me) from the sofa to running a 5K race in just nine weeks. Sounded like a good plan ... it combined jogging with walking, with a lot more walking mixed in to begin ... and onward until eventually, a person is running 30 minutes without stopping.
Impossible, I thought.
I mean, I started getting a little worried when I would walk my youngest daughter upstairs to tuck her in. When it came to prayer time, sometimes I would be out of breath ... just from walking up 13 steps!
That was ridiculous. I knew something had to be done. And this sounded like the plan.
So, here goes. My running journal, backdated and copied word-for-word from some notebook paper I was keeping it on:

May 25, 2009 (Week 1, Day 1)

Began my "running" program today. I'm using a method I found online called "From the couch to 5K". I found the training program last week and decided to wait until a Monday to begin - nothing like a little procrastination! Truthfully, the starting day was picked so that I'd run Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.
I ran early Monday morning, approximately 7 a.m. - it's Memorial Day and I wasn't sure how my body might react to even moderate exercise - didn't want it screwing up a work day.
Surprisingly, my body felt good as far as my breathing went. About four years ago, I ran a mile and had what I now know is called a "side stitch" - it hurt badly enough that I just quit running after that.
My shins, on this day, were another story. They hurt tremendously once I finished the workout. Actually, the "workout" consisted of a "brisk" 5-minute warm up walk, then jogging 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds. I alternated, as the plan said, jogging and walking those times for 20 minutes - a total of 8 minutes jogging and 12 walking.
Came in after the workout and everyone was still asleep. My shins were killing me. I lay in the bedroom floor until the pain finally left.
I took my ipod and stopwatch - listened to Hootie - great running music!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (Week 1, Day 2)

Had to wait until Wednesday night after church to run - approximate start time was 8:30 p.m. Overall, everything felt better and easier than the first workout. My right foot had some pain on the outside of the foot ("outstep?"). Listened to "Rick's Favs" on the ipod. Note to self: Don Williams is NOT too great for running!

Friday, May 29, 2009 (Week 1, Day 3)

The way this workout plan goes is that this week I do the exact same workout three times. I think this was probably the worst respiratorily speaking - kinda weird.
I have a small, gradual hill on my run that really got to me tonight. Started the run at about 7 p.m. - pretty hot outside still. Might have something to do with the pain!
Next week I go to jogging 90 seconds and walking 2 minutes for 20 minutes.

Monday, June 1, 2009 (Week 2, Day 1)

So this was the beginning of Week 2. Wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. Probably need to begin looking for "running only" shoes.
A couple of the running segments were a little tough. A couple seemed real easy. Started workout at 8:30 p.m., which was a pretty good time to run but still a tad humid. Found some 5K races online and began making a very preliminary race schedule. That's pretty good motivation. I'm longing to compete again - even if it's just with myself for now.
I might be running a little faster than I should. Trying to do the "talk test" and know that I couldn't hold a conversation the way I'm running now. Still a tad anxious to get on flatter ground and see how it goes. Thinking I might run at Yancey Park on Wednesday.
Listened to Hootie again during the workout. Maybe some Eagles on Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 (Week 2, Day 2)

Had to wait until after church to run. It rained during the day and I was expecting it to be humid during run. Instead, it was great, even a little cool. I did the 90-second run followed by 2 minutes walking. It seemed much easier than on Monday. It's still a little tough to imagine running 30-35 minutes without walking but I'm going to stick with the plan.
Everything I read says not to go too fast in the program - just follow what it says - even if you feel you can do more.
Slowed my pace a bit tonight and breathing wasn't as labored. Listened to Guns n' Roses and really tried to focus on the music. Started run at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Friday, June 5, 2009 (Week 2, Day 3)

Tonight was my last workout of Week 2. I had a fall yesterday at work on someone's broken step on their deck and the pain made the run less fun than I'd hoped.
I ran at Yancey Park at about 8 p.m. It was still fairly warm out. Kinda interesting to run where people are ... I rarely have passed people running on Brittany. The main purpose, though, was to run somewhere that was level. I really didn't notice a big difference.
Kept a pretty slow pace tonight. There was a toddler-aged little boy looking in the creek with his grandfather. When I jogged by once, he started to race me and was laughing hysterically.
I really wasn't winded at all and my legs felt good, like this was something they normally do.
Monday will be a small test - run 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, repeat ... at least I'll feel like I'm making some progress.
As of Monday morning, a bruise is beginning to show where I fell. Still going to try to continue to run through it unless major breathing problems occur.

Monday, June 8, 2009 (Week 3, Day 1)

First leg of Week 3 ... I waited until about 8:30 p.m. to run. The first set of 3 minutes running went fine - as far as breathing, etc., I felt great. My shins hurt a littel and were pretty sore Tuesday morning. A kid rode his bicycle out in front of me and I had to dodge him. That wasn't fun. (How does a kid who has the ENTIRE ROAD managed to turn right into me?)
So, overall, things went OK. I'm anxious to get to running 10-12 minutes without stopping, but I'm trying to follow the workout routine.
I'm wondering if the old shoes might be causing the shin splints, etc.
On ipod, listened to Novemember Rain, which was long enough to get me through 1/3 of the workout!

It appears the notes I made for Week 3, Day 2 have gone missing. I can't remember anything about it ... except that I did it!

Saturday, June 13, 2009 (Week 3, Day 3)

Arrived in Navarre at about 3 p.m. We got unpacked, etc., and I decided to go do my run on the beach that I'd so been looking forward to.
It wasn't what I expected. In a word, it was horrible. I think skipping Friday (the extra day of rest?) was part of it, but running at the edge of the Gulf just wasn't as romantic as I thought it would be.
I felt like I was off balance the whole time I was running. I never really felt an actual breeze - and I was dodging toddlers most of the way. Also, the ipod batteries died between the townhouse and the ocean, so I had no music.
I labored pretty badly the entire run, which finished Week 3 (jog 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, repeat, etc. for 20 minutes.)

Monday, June 15, 2009 (Week 4, Day 1)

Woke up very, very early (6 or so) and decided to hit the running trail that runs along the main road on the island. Couldn't believe how many people were out running, walking, cycling, etc. that early in the morning. The run itself (run 3 min., walk 90 sec., run 5 min., walk 2:30, run 3 min., walk 90 sec., run 5 min.) was definitely the toughest I've done so far but I made it. My watch quit toward the end of the run...

Thursday, June 18, 2009 (Week 4, Day 2)

Run went a little better today. Covered more distance than I did on Monday. There were still lots of people out early in the morning. These Floridians take their health seriously!
I ran on Thursday because I had planned to run Wednesday night and the College World Series went on forever! Decided I really didn't want to run at midnight!

Friday, June 19, 2009 (Week 4, Day 3)

Running back-to-back days seemed to suit me but I'm not going to make a habit of it - yet, anyway. Everything went smoothly and I'm anxious to get started with Week 5 when we get home.
It's humid at home, but Florida has to be worse, even early in the morning.

Monday, June 22, 2009 (Week 5, Day 1)

Waited until almost 10 p.m. to run because of a late softball game (coaching my daughter's team). Tonight, the plan said to run 5 minutes, walk 3, run 5, walk 3, run 5, then it changes throughout the week.
Arielle (13-year-old daughter) decided to run with me and it was a huge help. We talked pretty much the entire run. She didn't appear winded at all but she did just finish track!
It was the first time I've run with someone else - seemed like it made the time fly and it was good time spent with her, too.
Wednesday's workout includes a pair of 8-minute runs and I'm actually excited about it. Friday is the real test, though - 20 minutes, no walking!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 (Week 5, Day 2)

Ran at about 9:30 p.m. This was the first 8-5-8 workout and it went pretty well. I'm beginning to believe what people say about running being so mental. I didn't check the watch on the first 8-minute run until it was at 5:40 or so. My first thought was "that's longer than I've run in a long time" ... The first eight minutes were really pretty easy. The five-minute walk seemed a little longer than necessary but who am I to question?
The second 8-minute run was also pretty easy - until about the last 1:30, which was up a decent incline.
I'll be gone most of Friday and won't be back until late so I'm considering doing the 20-minute run on Thursday and then getting a longer rest - until Monday. We'll see.

Thursday, June 25, 2009 (Week 5, Day 3)

Had a late softball game but managed to get in the 20-minute run. Arielle ran with me and we both made it... it was great!
We didn't even check the watch until 16:04. We talked almost the entire run.
It's great to think that a month ago, I was struggling to run 90 seconds without stopping. I'm loving this program! (And now, I get to rest an extra day!)

Monday, June 29, 2009 (Week 6, Day 1)

I was wondering why the program let you run for 20 minutes straight and then backed off for the Week 6, Day 1 workout. Now, I guess I know. The assignment was to run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5. Arielle went with me and I struggled a lot more with this than I did with the 20-minute run.
Still, looking forward to Friday's 25-minute run. First, though, is a 10-3-10 session on Wednesday.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 (Week 6, Day 2)

Wow.
Starting to feel like I've hit a wall. After struggling pretty good with Monday's run, I kinda struggled again on this one. My legs were hurting before the first 10-minute stretch was over. I was really exhausted by the time the second 10-minute run was over. The best I felt during the run was when I started the second running portion. Felt great about the first minute.
I've got the big 25-minute run coming up Friday night. I'm thinking of leaving the neighborhood so I won't worry so much about my distance and can have some new scenery. I think that'll help.
Also, Arielle didn't run with me tonight and I think that made it a little tougher. I listened to some good Hootie, however.
If you're scoring at home, that was workout 17 of 27...

Football stats

2009-04-13T05:09:00.001-07:00

OK, as long promised, my final line for the 2008 football season was 598 wins, 206 losses. That's a percentage of .743.
A tad disappointing.

It is a show of consistency, though. In 2006, I was 612-180 (.772). Last year, I was 490-210 (.700). That was a two-year win percentage of .742.

So, overall after three years, I'm 1700-596. If you're scoring at home (and I know some of you are), that's .740.

Catching up

2009-02-26T06:05:00.001-08:00

OK, it's been a while. Let's catch up.

1) Arielle won the county spelling bee for the second consecutive year (should have been three years, but I'm letting go of all that) a while back, sometime in January, I guess. She'll be competing in the state bee this Saturday. She finished third at state last year.

2) My dad died Feb. 11. That wasn't fun.

3) I'm really enjoying Facebook. Catching up with a ton of friends from high school and college.

4) I'll try to post my final record from college football sometime soon. It's written down, just not with me.

Winner, winner

2008-09-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'm quite certain it's been a long weekend waiting for this result.
I won't keep you waiting.

After extensive research, it's been decided that when most people hear the name "Rick" ... the next word they think of is "James" ...

And, Rick James is your winner.

Click the link above for your viewing pleasure.

You're welcome.

King of Funk

2008-09-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

Rick James edges Rick Moranis, who was in Ghostbusters by the way.

James will meet today's winner in Monday's final.

Today's semifinal matchup:

Ric Flair vs. Rick Dees.

Dees again

2008-09-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

In what appeared to be the toughest bracket, Rick Dees edges Ricky Martin for a spot in the semis.
You see, Martin was a flash. Dees has the staying power.

So, semifinal matchup number one:

Rick James vs. Rick Moranis

Wow

2008-09-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

So, a guy drives from Colorado to Arkansas to kill his ex-wife.

So stupid.

Especially with gas prices so high.

Ric Flair wins

2008-09-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

In something of a surprise, retired wrestler Ric Flair has advanced to the semifinals, knocking off stolen base champ Rickey Henderson.

Our final quarterfinal matchup is a good one,

Ricky Martin vs. Rick Dees.

Moranis on to Final Four

2008-09-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Rick Moranis, he of Ghostbusters (and Little Giants) fame, moves on to the semifinals.

Today's matchup:
Ric Flair vs. Rickey Henderson, who likes to catch foul balls.

May the best "athlete" win.

Big Mac, please

2008-09-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

I read a story this morning where a guy claims to have eaten 23,000 Big Macs since 1972. That means, he's eaten 1.75 per day for 36 years.
Which got me to thinking.
Wilt Chamberlain, in his autobiography published before his death in 1999, claimed to have slept with approximately 20,000 women in his life. That worked out to 1.2 women per day since he was 15.
Keep in mind, Wilt's now dead.
Suddenly, a Big Mac doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

Super Freaky

2008-09-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

Rick James edges Ricky Nelson to advance to the semifinals.

Today's matchup:

Rick Moranis vs. Rick Warren.

Dees is the bee's knees

2008-09-05T06:03:00.001-07:00

I've always been a sports fan, but even I have to believe more people relate to Rick Dees (and the American Top 40) than former NBA great Rick Barry.

So, Dees advances to the quarterfinals.

Speaking of the quarterfinals, they begin today.

Today's matchup:

Ricky Nelson vs. Rick James.

Let's dance.

Preach on

2008-09-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, to me anyway, it appears that Rick Warren is even more popular than Ricky Schroder. That being said, Warren advances and the Silver Spoons boy goes home.

Today's matchup is the final one in this round.

Rick Dees vs. Rick Barry.

Landslide

2008-09-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Ricky Martin wins. Another blowout.

Today's matchup:

Ricky Schroder vs. Rick Warren.

Moranis, easily

2008-09-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ghostbusters wins again.

Today's matchup:

Ricky Martin vs. Ricky Rudd.

Run Rickey Run

2008-08-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Jesse's Girl has spoken and she likes Rickey Henderson better than Rick Springfield.
So, the stolen base champ advances.

Today's matchup:

Rick Moranis vs. Ricky Williams.

Super Freak

2008-08-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Rick James wins. Easily.

Today's matchup:

Rick Springfield vs. Rickey Henderson.

Flair by a hair

2008-08-27T06:06:00.001-07:00

It's tough to beat professional (even retired) wrestlers when it comes to popularity contests. That being said, Ric Flair advances over Rick Pitino.

Today's matchup:
Rick James vs. Ricky Skaggs

Second round continues

2008-08-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

Unless you're very, very young, that one shouldn't have been close. Ricky Nelson is a legend.
And, that being so, he advances to the quarterfinals.

Today's matchup:

Rick Pitino vs. Ric Flair.

May the best Ric(k) win.

Round One Ends

2008-08-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

OK. That was fun. Rick Barry, he of the under-handed free throws, knocks off Chicago writer Rick Telander and that wraps up the first round.

The second round kicks off with a couple of crooners, one dead and one alive. I'll let you decide which is which.

Today's matchup:
Ricky Nelson vs. Ricky Van Shelton

Warren wins

2008-08-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Gotta believe the author of A Purpose Driven Life is more popular than the Texas governor.

Warren wins.

Today's matchup is the final one for the first round:

Rick Telander vs. Rick Barry.

Rickey slides in safely

2008-08-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Easy one ... Henderson advances.

Today's matchup:

Rick Perry vs. Rick Warren.

Get the votes in early.

Both of them.

Skaggs advances

2008-08-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Despite Rick Astley's recent, weird Internet success, it's safe to say Ricky Skaggs is the more popular of the two. So, Skaggs advances.

Today's matchup:

Rickey Henderson vs. Rick Rubin.

Interesting.

Even I got bored...

2008-08-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

with that one.

Ricky Rudd wins in a squeaker.

Today's matchup is much better:

Ricky Skaggs vs. Rick Astley.

Enjoy.

Mild upset

2008-08-12T05:53:00.001-07:00

This one was actually pretty close, but Ricky Williams, more famous for this than for playing football, pulls it out. That's what Rick Majerus gets for going to St. Louis U.

Today's matchup: Ricky Gervais vs. Ricky Rudd.

Okey dokey.

First "upset"

2008-08-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

It was bound to happen. Even though I can't stand big-time wrestling, it's safe to say Ric Flair is more popular than Texas senator Rick Noriega.

Flair wins.

Today's matchup is a very sporty one:
Rick Majerus vs. Ricky Williams.

Yeah, have fun. Stay tuned. We're not too far from Round 2.

Van Shelton wins

2008-08-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

Unless you grew up in El Dorado in the mid to late 1980s, Ricky Van Shelton was a clear winner there.

Today's matchup: Rick Noriega vs. Ric Flair.

Interesting stuff.

La la la

2008-08-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Rick Dees (and the Weekly Top 40) advances.

Today's matchup is a musical one:

Country crooner Ricky Van Shelton vs. old-school rapper Slick Rick (Walters).

Yea, Silver Spoons

2008-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Lil' Ricky Schroder advances.

Today's matchup:
Rick Dees vs. Ricky Proehl

Bad matchup

2008-08-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Every tournament has a few bad first-round games. We just had ours and this one won't be much better.

Oh yeah, Springfield wins easily.

Today's matchup: Rick(y) Schroder vs. Rick Monday.

Those researching the matchups might note that Monday hails from Batesville, where I'll be playing wiffle ball this weekend. Monday, however, is most famous for this.

Also, thanks to all those casting votes. Your opinions are being taken into consideration.

Super Freak advances

2008-07-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Silly goose, you can't stop the Super Freak.

Rick James advances easily.

Today's matchup:

Rick Springfield vs. Rick Hendrick

Start your engines.

And on we go...

2008-07-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Rick Adelman has had a lot of victories on the basketball court.
But he can't do this.

Ricky Martin wins.

Today's matchup: Rick James vs. Rick Mahorn, who apparently pushes down girls.

Hopefully, that won't alter the voting.

No upset

2008-07-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Moranis hangs on, edging Reilly. As just one of my loyal readers pointed out, the guy was in Ghostbusters, for goodness sakes.

Today's matchup:

Ricky Martin vs. Rick Adelman.

Pitino in a blowout

2008-07-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ricki Lake is goofy. Pitino wins.

Today's matchup is a good one that probably shouldn't be taking place in the first round:

Rick Moranis vs. Rick Reilly.

There's an upset brewing.

Nelson wins

2008-07-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Unless you live in St. Louis - and no one should, Ricky Nelson is a runaway winner in Round 1.

Today's matchup: Rick Pitino vs. Ricki Lake.

Discuss among yourselves.

It's a "Rick" Tourney

2008-07-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love tournaments.
I love them so much I'm going to have one here to decide once and for all ... who's the most famous "Rick"... (or Rickey ... or Ricky)
The famous and semi-famous Ricks have been seeded and bracketed. Unfortunately, I'm not tech-savvy enough to actually show you a bracket.
No need to worry, though, I'll keep you updated.

There are 32 participants, with eight Ricks in each of four brackets. Most of the Ricks you'll recognize. No fictional Ricks made the cut, including: Ricky Raccoon, Ricky Bobby, Rikki Tikki Tavi, "Major League" relief pitcher Ricky Vaughn; or other Ricks, including former Cubs catcher Rick Wilkins, current major leaguer Ricky Nolasco, racing dude Ricky Craven, former Red Sox shortstop Rick Burleson or former Cubs pitcher Rick Reuschel.

This should continue for about 31 days, which might be consecutive and might not. The winner of each matchup will be announced either the next day or the next time I get to it.

The first matchup: Ricky Nelson vs. Rick Ankiel.

Discuss among yourselves.

Books

2008-07-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

I'm reading The Shack right now.

Not sure if I care for it or not.

Kinda creepy.

I'm thinking of going private

2008-07-08T13:26:00.001-07:00

After a lot of inner debate and soul-searching, I've decided the thing to do might be to make my blog a private affair.

I don't really have a good reason, except that Elrod is doing it.

I hope this doesn't inconvenience my three loyal readers. The reorganization plan is to have all my readers contact me. After providing a good reason to make the cut, I'll be paring my viewing list down to 3, or possibly 2.

2-7 and done

2008-06-20T08:33:00.001-07:00

The Cloverdale bunch finished the season at 2-7 after thrashing some team from Tuckerman, 27-19, the other night.

Apparently, there is no postseason tournament. If there is, we weren't invited.

I missed the game due to the aforementioned ankle sprain (which is much better, thanks). Here's the rundown on the game, though:

Cloverdale scored 1 in top of the first; Tuckerman comes back with 12 in its half of the first.

Cloverdale then explodes for a franchise-record 14 runs in the second inning. And the rest is history.

Special thanks and MVP consideration to the Downtown (Cloverdale) guys who helped our guys field a team for the final game.

To wrap up the season, we won a game, then lost 7 in a row, then won a game.

I think we were peaking.

A few statistical notes from the season:
1) We were outscored 128-89 on the season (that's 14.2-9.9 averages)
2) We averaged 21 runs in our two wins; we averaged 6.7 runs in games we lost;
3) We held opponents under 10 runs just once (and lost);
4) We were 2-0 when scoring 15 or more runs;
5) We averaged 7.8 runs per game with me in the lineup;
6) We averaged 27 runs per game with me not in the lineup.

Going, going, gone

2008-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Twenty-two years ago ... at approximately 8:30 p.m., I launched a rocket into the parking lot behind the right-field fence at the old Goodwin Field outside El Dorado.

For the record, I hit it off a guy named Richard Davis on an 0-2 count.

Happy Anniversary to me.

73 Places I've Spent the Night

2008-06-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

1) Searcy, AR
2) El Dorado, AR
3) Little Rock, AR
4) N. Little Rock, AR
5) Norphlet, AR
6) Smackover, AR
7) Hope, AR
8) Hot Springs, AR
9) Camden, AR
10) Batesville, AR
11) Bald Knob, AR
12) West Memphis, AR
13) Jonesboro, AR
14) Fayetteville, AR
15) Fort Smith, AR
16) Conway, AR
17) Greenbrier, AR
18) Heber Springs, AR
19) Bryant, AR
20) Mountain Home, AR
21) Newport, AR
22) Eureka Springs, AR
23) Monroe, LA
24) Homer, LA
25) Memphis, TN
26) Nashville, TN
27) Smyrna, TN
28) Murfreesboro, TN
29) Antioch, TN
30) Atlanta, GA
31) Lawrenceville, GA
32) Macon, GA
33) Navarre, FL
34) Sarasota, FL
35) Tampa, FL
36) Tyler, TX
37) Galveston, TX
38) Longview, TX
39) Fort Worth, TX
40) Dallas, TX
41) Phoenix, AZ
42) St. Louis, MO
43) Valparaiso, IN
44) Richmond, IN
45) Lima, OH
46) Springfield, OH
47) Dresden, OH
48) Washington Court House, OH
49) Johnstown, PA
50) Wilmington, N.C.
51) Danville, WV
52) Parkersburg, WV
53) Springfield, IL
54) Johnson City, TN
55) London, KY
56) Morehead, KY
57) Terre Haute, IN
58) Gilbert, AR
59) Bartlesville, OK
60) Broken Arrow, OK
61) Irving, TX
62) Arlington, TX
63) Columbus, OH
64) Hamilton, OH
65) Branson, MO
66) Carthage, MO
67) Wheeling, WV
68) Magnolia, AR
69) Pikeville, KY
70) Edmond, OK
71) Pine Bluff, AR
72) Humboldt, TN
73) Malvern, AR

Six random things

2008-06-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I don't feel like doing all this.

Rules are as follows:
Link to the person who tagged you
Post the rules on your blog
Write six random things about yourself
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.
Keri tagged me. :) http://timandkeri.blogspot.com/

1. Odd numbers freak me out. I don't even like the volume on the stereo to be at an odd number.

2. I'm deathly afraid of snakes. If you want to do some kind of "let's scare Rick with a snake" thing, I will get you back and it will be painful.

3. I hit my one and only actual home run on June 16, 1986. It was cool.

4. I worry about dying young (well, I'm worrying less and less about it as I get older and older).

5. My perfect day has already happened. I mean, besides the wedding and birth of children and all that stuff. My perfect day was in April 1995. Played 18 holes at the beautiful Oxbow Golf & Country Club, then took my wife to see The Eagles. That was a pretty cool day.

6. I can play "Stand By Me" and "Darling Nikki" on the piano.

1-7

2008-06-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Dropped another close one last night. Extra innings, I believe.

Lost to Park Avenue Baptist (I think), the same team that beat us the second game on Tuesday night.

Much like the other night, this one went back and forth most of the game. We came back from deficits of 8-2 and 11-5 to force extra innings. I messed up an ankle and spent the last inning or so listening from the comfy confines of the dirty floor in the dugout.

I'm not positive on the final score, but we're going to call it 12-11.

Quick trip to the ER so they could tell me what I already knew. I did, however, get to watch the first quarter of the Celtics' win over the Lakers from there.

Now, I'm sporting a cute little air cast on my right ankle.

Tough call on last night's MVP candidates. Everyone played well. If I had to pick one, though, it might be Jason Springfield, who made it from Bald Knob to Searcy in something like six minutes (and I'm certain he drove the speed limit).

1-5 ... I mean 1-6

2008-06-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

We dropped what could be called a day-night doubleheader yesterday. I think it was Free Will Baptist who beat us the first game. We jumped to an early lead but couldn't stave off the 10-run rule in what turned out to be the last inning.
We lost, 19-9.

In the nightcap, we lost to a different team. I can't remember who they were right off hand, but we went back and forth until losing 11-9.

Let's just say I contributed mightily in the second loss ... and I didn't do much to help us in the first game, either.

And, so... the losing streak now stands at 6.

And oddly enough, I think we're starting to put it all together.

Last night's MVP candidates (over the two games): John Springfield (probably two of his best games .. had big hit in first inning of first game, then a big hit that was wiped out on appeal in the final inning of the final game; Dean Stanley (was a base-hitting machine pretty much all night ... I think he popped up once and that was the only time I remember him not getting a hit ... and overcame a leg injury to perform admirably on the mound in the second game).

1-4

2008-05-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

The Cloverdale losing streak reached 4 last night but there were some positive signs. We trailed Valley Baptist 9-1 before rallying to pull within 9-6, the final.

We took advantage of some wildness on the part of the Valley Baptist hurler. I figure the less we're forced to actually swing the bats, the better it is for us.

Burt Hollandsworth took the loss in his mound debut.

Next up is a doubleheader next Tuesday. I don't know who we're playing and don't really care.

The Cloverdale Bowl

2008-05-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

It was another 12-2 loss but we should probably be a little prouder of this one.

We battled the very tough Downtown squad last night. Two of Downtown's best players are Cloverdale members, so that was a little awkward.

Anyway, the unbeaten Downtown bunch had us down just 5-2 heading into the fourth inning. We were playing with 9 of our own guys, including three 40-plussers, a junior high kid and a guy we picked up out of the stands minutes before game time.

Turned out, he was our best player.

Anyway, the bottom of the fourth proved to be our undoing as we gave up 7 runs. We thought we'd only given up 6 ... as the scoreboard showed us down 11-2 as we went back in to hit (for lack of a better term).

Sometime while we were batting in the top of the fifth, the scoreboard changed to 12-2. When we failed to score (again) in the top of the fifth, the umpire declared the game over. We all glanced quickly at the scoreboard, knowing we'd only been down 9 runs when we came in.

Then, we noticed it now read "12-2" ...

Dean Stanley, who toiled mightily in his first mound appearance, delivered the line of the night.

"They're even scoring when WE'RE batting."

As for yours truly, I hit two screaming line drives (seriously this time). The first one was snagged by their leaping second baseman, the second one their pitcher speared before it could take off his kneecap. (That wasn't intentional, KB).

The batting average has now dropped back to .333.

On another note, our coach/organizer has seemingly disappeared. He was vacationing back home in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) and hasn't resurfaced. I've checked the Dodgers' transactions and he hasn't been picked up, so I'm wondering where he is.

I need a break.

1-2

2008-05-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

We gave up 10 unanswered runs last night in a 12-2 loss to Faith Assembly.

Nice bunch of guys, though.

Downtown's next.

1-1

2008-05-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

Cloverdale lost to the Revival church last night, 24-8.

The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. At that time, we had 11 guys ready to play. When the Revival church failed to show, we arranged a quick pick-up game against Grandpa's Barbecue (we sorta won, but it doesn't really matter).

Anyway, the league directors stayed on the phones and said they'd rounded up the Revival church team and it could be there to play at 9 p.m.

So, back we came at 9 p.m.; well, 8 of us anyway.

We lost to the Revival church, 24-8. Seems the Revival church has 10 guys sitting in the pews who can consistently hit a softball 300 feet.

It was fun, though.

1-0

2008-05-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

Cloverdale opened the season with a 15-10 victory over Grace Point on Monday night.

I'm old.

Softball season

2008-05-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

begins tonight.

It'll be my first regular softball competition in close to two decades, so that alone should make this interesting.

The first obstacle of the season is seeing if we can get 7 guys to actually show up tonight.

The guy who's responsible for this, Jeremy Beauchamp, bolted on us for a couple weeks. Now, I see he really is a Dodger fan!

I'll try to keep you updated on the progress of the Cloverdale 9 (or 10, 7, 12, you get the idea).

First of all...

2008-04-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning to the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, owners of the second-best record in baseball.

Still say they should have hired Joe Girardi, though.

Wow

2008-04-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is incredibly sad.

We're moo-ving

2008-04-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

Not too far, just a few miles actually.

If you're not busy a week from Saturday, stop by and help.

Seriously.

And bring a truck.

Spelling Season Ends

2008-03-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Arielle finished third in the Arkansas State Spelling Bee on Saturday.

She missed the word "aborigine" in the 11th round (I think that's right), then misspelled "perfidy" in the spell-off to decide second and third place. The kid who finished second got to spell cybernetics, then she drew perfidy.

It's all about what word you draw at that point.

That being said, though, she was very satisfied with her finish, as were we. She studied hard, had fun and, hopefully, she'll want to compete again next year, which would be her final year to compete.

The top two finishers have both been to the national bee before. The winner, Samia Nawaz, also won the state bee last year. The runner-up, Justin Murdock, moved to Conway from Tampa, Fla., where he advanced to the national bee last year.

They're both eighth graders and they're both incredible spellers.

It was a long several months and we're all glad it's over.

If you happen to catch any of the national bee on ESPN this summer, hopefully you'll catch a glimpse of Samia. She seems like a sweet kid and I think she'll represent Arkansas very well.

Side note: Samia attends The Anthony School, a private school in Little Rock. Justin is home-schooled. That means Arielle was the top public school speller in Arkansas this year!

OK, it's something!

On h-o-l-d

2008-03-10T04:26:00.001-07:00

The state spelling bee was postponed because of the winter weather.

It'll now be held March 22 at UALR.

That gives us two more weeks to study.

***

Harding's men's team is heading to Lakeland, Fla., to meet the University of Tampa in the national tournament.

***

Congrats to the Rose Bud Ramblers.

Busy days

2008-03-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

We're still trying to sell our house.

That means keeping it clean and everything put away.

All the time.

If you know of someone looking for a large house in Cloverdale, send them on over.

***

Spelling Bee is six days away. We're doing Italian and Spanish tonight, Challenge words on Tuesday, then reviewing the rest of the week.

Of the regular words, she's correctly spelled 2,181 of 2,187 since the county bee ended.

***

Arielle is keeping us hopping and starting to make us feel our age.

There's softball practice on Monday nights, youth group's Bible study on Tuesday nights (along with Addison's dance classes), church and another softball practice on Wednesday nights, Family Night is Thursday (but occasionally something will slip into this spot), and we all try to eat together somewhere on Friday nights.

***

Addison's first spring soccer game is Saturday. She (we) won't be there, thanks to the spelling bee.

***

Great combined worship service yesterday. Karl had another good lesson and Jeff Woods was outstanding leading singing. We miss the college kids when they're gone, but it's fun to all be together in the auditorium.

***

Addison has been signed up to play softball for the first time this year. Arielle started playing when she was three.

I think six is a much better starting age.

***

Harding retired a basketball player's number the other night. Matt Hall is in his sixth year at HU and is now married and working on a second degree, I believe.

It's been a blast watching him play.

Jeff Montgomery has some good photos of the retirement.

Spelling Bee

2008-02-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Our oldest daughter, Arielle, won the White County Spelling Bee on Feb. 8. After last year's debacle, it was a pretty special happening for her.

She spelled "mariachi" in the championship round.

She now moves on to the Arkansas State Spelling Bee on March 8 in Little Rock.

Since she's the only 12-year-old in the entire world who does not own a cell phone - her words - her mother and I have decided to get her one - if she wins the state bee.

In the county bee, she battled a Harding Academy fifth-grader for several rounds before winning.

Her studying was somewhat less than it was for last year's county bee. About a week before the bee, though, she seemed extremely confident. It did seem, though, that this year's competition, overall, was quite a bit better than the previous year.

Before the county bee, she spelled 566 consecutive words correctly. She's begun studying for the state bee and had a run of 554 consecutive words before she missed one yesterday.

Students are given about 1,000 words to study, not including the "challenge words". I seriously doubt that she's going to miss one of those 1,000. The challenge words, however, might give her some trouble.

If there's another 5th-8th grader in the state who can go head-to-head with her for 1,000 words, though, I'd be surprised.

Oh yeah, it was a little surprising to see three brand new judges at this year's bee. And, the entire bee was recorded.

Final Numbers

2008-01-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

With the BCS Championship Game out of the way, here are my final numbers for the college football season.

Only picking the winners here, not against the spread or anything like that. Last season, I finished 612-180 for a percentage of .772. My goal for this season was .790.

What I didn't know was what a crazy season it would be.

I finished the year at 490-210, which is exactly .700.

If you're scoring at home - and I know most of you are - that makes me 1,102-382 over the past two seasons, a winning percentage of .742.

I'm accepting all challengers for next season.

Donuts

2007-12-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

I've written before about Daddy-Daughter Donut Day. That's where I take my two girls to get donuts on Saturday mornings while the big girl sleeps in.

That's the idea, anyway.

We go to Daylight Donuts here in Searcy. It's owned by Joe & (Miss) Von, two of the sweetest people one could ever meet. Von's greeting, heard over the last several years by pretty much everyone who has walked through their door, is "Have a Blessed Day."

It doesn't sound like much but when you hear it repeated so many times - and it's always heartfelt, it begins to sink in. It should be tough to drive away from their business and go on to have a bad day.

Von's mother passed away a while back. Regulars could tell Von was really struggling with the loss. I'm just hoping she saw a fraction of the love that she consistently shows for others returned to her.

Joe and Von have watched my girls, among many, many others, grow up. It's almost like they're part of the family.

Cubs Win!

2007-12-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

This could be fun.

East End

2007-12-11T07:28:00.001-08:00

I started going to East End Barber Shop here in Searcy for my haircuts back in the fall of 1986. Since then, the price of a haircut at East End has risen an average of 7.5 percent a year. Since those haircuts back in '86 came at a whopping $4 each, that means I'm now paying $10 (including tip).

Though I'd easily be mistaken for a cheapskate, I'm not complaining. I have the best barbering experience in all of Searcy ... and better than any I've ever had.

As I said, I go back a long way with East End. Joe Cunningham, a familiar face to a whole bunch of White Countians and the original owner of East End, was the main man behind the chair through my college days. Not as talkative as a lot of barbers, unless you were a bird hunter, but the man turned into a magician when one walked in and asked for a flattop.

Now, Joe's grandson Chris is my barber. Joe still comes in a day or two each week but Chris is the guy now.

My wife no longer allows flattops, so I get as close to that as possible. My hair is short enough right now that I didn't brush it today and no one can tell.

Chris is speedy. I let it slip a while back that I sometimes track how long it takes from the time I sit in the chair until he accepts my money. I've made it from home back to home in 15 minutes before.

Since Chris now knows about being timed, it's even more of a challenge for him, which means even quicker haircuts for me.

I'm going to try this week to tell about some of the people who aren't really in the limelight but make my life so enjoyable ... and that I'm thankful for.

Playoff time

2007-11-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's time again to throw my 16-team playoff field out there.

Round One:

Clemson at Missouri
Illinois at West Virginia
Tennessee at Ohio State
Arizona State at Georgia
Hawaii at LSU
Boston College at Kansas
Florida at Virginia Tech
USC at Oklahoma

Second Round:

USC at Missouri
Florida at West Virginia
Kansas at Ohio State
LSU at Georgia

Semifinals

Florida at USC
LSU at Ohio State

Championship Game
USC vs. Ohio State

But wait...

2007-11-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

Sweet day...

Looks like Houston is gone.

College football tidbits

2007-11-26T08:47:00.001-08:00

1) It's safe to say Darren McFadden moved up to second in the Heisman race following Friday's performance in the Razorbacks' upset win over then top-ranked LSU.

2) Houston Nutt should still be fired. It's probably likely he bought himself another year with the win over LSU, though. Even still, one doesn't know from one week to the next what he will get from Arkansas' offense. And that shouldn't be the case.

3) Bowl talk? I'd say the Cotton Bowl folks are going to the old standby. It seems every time Arkansas and/or Texas fails to live up to expectations - which is often - one or both gets invited to the Cotton Bowl. Both of them? Even better. (Sarcasm)

4) Tim Tebow wins the Heisman, meaning the SEC finishes 1-2. That's kinda nice.

5) I'll be rooting for Oklahoma on Saturday against Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game. That should set up a West Virginia-Ohio State matchup for the national title. I used to work in West Virginia, where we covered both WVU and the Buckeyes. A game like this would ALMOST make me wish I was still there.

6) Each college football season, I attempt to pick the winners of every Division I game (actually, this is only the second year I've done it, but I'm still young). As a reflection of the wacky season we've seen, I'm running nearly 100 games behind where I was last year.

7) This season has given more firepower to those wanting a college football playoff system ... and those not wanting a playoff. While there are at least eight teams that could legitimately win a playoff, it's been fun - as always - trying to figure out the two teams who should be playing for the national title.

8) The best team in the nation RIGHT NOW? I think it's Southern Cal.

9) Arkansas' win over LSU pretty much knocked the SEC out of the national title picture. I was sad to see that, though I'm certainly glad to see Les Miles not getting a shot at it.

10) I honestly believe Arkansas will be lucky to win 7 games next season.

D-Mac for Heisman?

2007-11-21T08:57:00.001-08:00

Umm... no.

While Darren McFadden has again put up impressive numbers, he's proving that it's tough to be the preseason favorite and win the award.

The good thing is that it really doesn't matter.

McFadden, barring injury, is a good bet to be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and is an even better bet to become a megastar in the league.

He has his head coach, Houston Nutt, to thank for the absence of the Heisman. How much input offensive coordinator David Lee has actually had in play-calling no one really seems to know, so I'm not sure how much blame he should receive.

Anyway, neither could figure how to best use the best college football player in the country. Here's a hint: Just hand him the ball. It's worked for nearly 140 years in college football, but apparently these two guys are smarter than everyone who's come before them.

For the record, Florida's Tim Tebow wins the Heisman in a runaway, becoming the first sophomore to ever win it.

100 Things About Me

2007-11-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

Jim Miller, one of the two or three occasional readers here, recently challenged his readers to list 100 things about themselves that others might not know. Not sure where this is going to lead, but here goes:

1) I was born in Searcy, but never lived here (except during college) until 2000.
2) I was born breech (feet first). Breech deliveries account for about 3 percent of all deliveries.
3) I have a birthmark on my right forearm. My aunt once tried for hours to wash it off.
4) I broke my arm during football practice in 7th grade.
5) It's still crooked.
6) My ankles pop (loudly) when I walk, which makes serving in church services, funerals or weddings loads of fun.
7) I've needed surgery on my ankles for a long time and don't want to do it.
8) My left ankle was hurt during a high school basketball practice. I was hit by a pitch on the right ankle during a baseball practice.
9) I love sports.
10) Except soccer.
11) I lived all over Arkansas during my early years, including: Little Rock, North Little Rock, Malvern, Conway, Greenbrier, West Memphis, Jonesboro, Fayetteville and El Dorado. I might have forgotten a couple.
12) We moved to El Dorado when I was in second grade and, after a couple more stops, returned to El Dorado for good.
13) I was baptized at 16.
14) I was married at 23.
15) My mom died of lung cancer two days after my 28th birthday.
16) I'm not a big fan of birthdays and I despise birthday parties.
17) I never had a birthday party growing up (and I didn't want one).
18) Our family always put our Christmas tree up between Halloween and Thanksgiving (and sometimes closer to Halloween).
19) For the first 15 years of my life, I awoke on Christmas morning in the same neighborhood I now live in.
20) Most of my family came to Arkansas from Alabama.
21) I wore a flattop in college ($4 at East End Barber Shop).
22) I rarely spend more than 15 minutes in the barber shop.
23) I try to take my girls to have donuts each Saturday morning.
24) I delivered the eulogy for two of my grandparent's funerals.
25) Another of my grandmothers, my last surviving grandparent, died last year at 103.
26) I'm not sure I want to live to 103.
27) I was a sportswriter for what seemed like a long time (a dozen years or so).
28) I'm now a real estate appraiser.
29) For the first time in my life, I work with a group of Christians.
30) I baptized someone and got wetter than he did.
31) I'm a Chicago Cubs fan.
32) I've only been to Wrigley Field twice, though. The first time was the week AFTER lights were installed.
33) My youngest daughter, Addison, is named after the street Wrigley is on.
34) My oldest daughter, Arielle, loves sports maybe more than I do.
35) She's a better athlete than I was at 12.
36) I was a great student in elementary school, a good student in junior high and a decent student in high school.
37) I wasn't a very good student in college (with the exception of journalism classes).
38) I once worked in the freezers at Yarnell's Ice Cream for $3.40 per hour.
39) I despise cold weather.
40) I am deathly afraid of snakes.
41) I'm extremely afraid of heights, but enjoy flying.
42) I've driven 19 hours straight through on 4 different occasions.
43) I've won 4 Sports Columnist of the Year awards, in two different states.
44) I've had one-on-one interviews with Barry Switzer, Jerry Jones, Brooks Robinson and Karl Malone.
45) I was at Scottie Pippen's last college basketball game (a loss to Harding).
46) My favorite all-time baseball player is Mark Grace. Favorite player who isn't a Cub is Craig Biggio.
47) I became a catcher when a kid quit our Little League team because his mother didn't take him to the new Burger King in town.
48) I'm a big John Grisham fan.
49) I read every Clair Bee "Chip Hilton Sports Series" book while growing up.
50) My wonderful wife found my favorite Chip Hilton book online and bought it for me for Christmas last year.
51) The best book I've ever read was "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck.
52) I've read the entire Warren Commission.
53) I've seen The Eagles in concert twice.
54) I'm a fan of Hootie & The Blowfish and I'm not afraid to admit it.
55) I normally have to fight back tears at baptisms, even if I don't know the person.
56) I coached Little League baseball for two years and was the only coach in the league without a son playing.
57) One of my best players is now in prison.
58) I've never seen a dead body, except at funerals.
59) I ran over my own dog while in high school, then had to go bury her.
60) I've never owned a dog that wasn't a cocker spaniel.
61) I had a cockatiel named Bo when I was in junior high.
62) I enjoy most Elton John songs.
63) For a long, long time, the only song I knew all the words to was, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
64) I have had some of the best, most loyal friends ever.
65) I enjoy organizing things.
66) I play in wiffle ball tournaments.
67) I know weird things about math/batting averages.
68) I was in the "slow" reading group in third grade. The book was fat, red and called, "Never Give Up"...
69) My third-grade teacher's name was Belle Durham. Seriously, it was.
70) I won an award in eighth grade for having the best grades in my class for the school year.
71) My freshman year in college was probably the most fun I've ever had.
72) My family is surrounded by terrific neighbors.
73) We have a wonderful church here.
74) My favorite number is 4.
75) I weighed 150 when I got married 16 years ago. I don't anymore.
76) My favorite food is spaghetti. Catfish is a close second.
77) My sister once bought me a case of Tangy Taffy bars for my birthday.
78) I don't especially care for holidays.
79) Our family lived in West Virginia for three years and Tennessee for four years.
80) The most snow I've ever seen was 24 inches in West Virginia in 1993. The temp got to -24.
81) I was glad to leave West Virginia.
82) Our oldest daughter was born in Ohio, but has never lived there.
83) Our youngest daughter was born in Searcy, but not in the same hospital where I was born.
84) Our daughters are very much the same, yet oh so different.
85) I'm a closet Statler Brothers fan.
86) I once met Bart Starr at a rest area. About 20 years later, I met Paul Hornung in an airport.
87) One of my most prized possessions is a Bob Gibson rookie card. I can't stand the Cardinals, but my grandmother gave it to me.
88) There were times growing up - high school, etc. - when I wasn't very nice to people.
89) I've never attended one of my high school reunions - and don't plan to.
90) I love to grill.
91) I rarely cook, but when I do, it's a vegetable beef soup-type thing.
92) I have a tape of Barry Switzer telling me he'd never coach again. Two weeks later, he accepted the Cowboys' job.
93) I love golf but rarely get to play anymore.
94) I have two older sisters, a ton of in-laws, five nieces and three nephews. I think that's right.
95) I enjoy fantasy sports leagues.
96) I need to spend more time praying.
97) My wife is smarter, better looking and nicer than me.
98) I have more than 120,000 baseball cards.
99) My first car was a 1979 Ford Granada. It used as much oil as gas. And, sometimes the passenger's door would fly open.
100) I've seen the movie Stand By Me at least 30 times.

So there.

I love the 80s...

2007-11-09T07:44:00.001-08:00

1015thepoint.com: Tampa's Home of the 80's Online
Fans of the 80s can thank me later.

Who's the idiot?

2007-11-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here's part of an interview Barry Bonds did with MSNBC recently. Bonds is saying he'll boycott Cooperstown and even, his impending Hall of Fame induction, if the HOF displays the home run record ball with an asterisk.

"I won't go. I won't be part of it," Bonds said in an interview with MSNBC that aired Thursday night. "You can call me, but I won't be there."
The ball Bonds hit for home run No. 756 this season will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall. Fashion designer Marc Ecko bought the ball in an online auction and set up a Web site for fans to vote on its fate. In late September, he announced fans voted to send the ball to Cooperstown with an asterisk.
Of course, the asterisk suggests Bonds' record is tainted by alleged steroid use. The slugger has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Fans brought signs with asterisks to ballparks this season as he neared Hank Aaron's career home run mark.
Bonds has called Ecko "an idiot."
"I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don't think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk," Bonds said. "You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can't do it. There's no such thing as an asterisk in baseball."

And they say current players know nothing about the history of the game!