I found this Kyle Schwarber bio on iuhoosiers.com from 2014. He wore jersey #10 for the Indiana Hoosiers before switching to #12 for the Cubs, Red Sox, Nats, and currently the Phillies. He might have asked to continue with #10 in Chicago, but the uniform number was retired in honor of Ron Santo back in 2003.
“Selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft (fourth overall) by the Chicago Cubs, the highest draft pick in Indiana baseball history … Two-time First Team All-American and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honoree … In IU history, ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.607), sixth in home runs (40), eighth in hits (238) and tied for eighth in triples (12) and runs (182) … All-Big Ten honors all three years … for career batted .341 in 180 games played.”
2014 – JUNIOR
“Johnny Bench Award Finalist … First Team All-American (Baseball America and Perfect Game), Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger, NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings) … First Team All-Big Ten … Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Big Ten All-Tournament Team … on Big Ten charts, ranked first in slugging percentage (.659), on base percentage (.464), runs scored (66), home runs (14), total bases (153), walks (44) and total plate appearances (280), tied for first in triples (6), second in hits (83), third in batting average (.358), fifth in RBI (48), tied for fifth in doubles (16) and sixth in at bats (232) … In IU single-season history, ranked tied for tenth in runs (66) … Big Ten Player of the Week (March 3) … reached base in all five plate appearances in win at No. 9 Louisville … accounted for eight runs in two-game sweep in Louisville … team-high 23 games with multiple hits, including three contests with career-high four hits … in four NCAA Regional games, recorded 10 hits, seven RBI, one double, one triple and two home runs.”
2013 – SOPHOMORE
” Selected as the best catcher in the country by Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, earning First Team All-America honors from both entities … named a Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper … chosen as the NCBWA’s District V Player of the Year … also picked up First Team honors for both the ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Region and All-Big Ten squads … paired with Sam Travis to become only college teammates to compete for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team over the summer … led the Big Ten with 18 homeruns (3rd nationally), 65 runs (13th), 152 total bases (16th), .647 slugging percentage (19th), .456 OBP and 42 walks … his .366 average, 54 RBI and 86 hits each ranked third in the conference … the 18-homer total is slotted sixth all-time in school history … fielded .989 on the season … earned a spot on both the All-Big Ten Tournament and All-NCAA Bloomington Regional teams … CollegeBaseballInsider.com’s Central Regional Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week on March 11 after destroying Florida for 10 hits, four RBI and four runs scored in a road series victory … racked up seven hits, six runs and four RBI in series sweep at Iowa … blasted a no-doubt homer in the bottom of the 10th vs. Michigan, setting up a walk-off win for IU later in the inning … went on a 10-game postseason hitting streak which included four long-balls, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored and 14 total base knocks … clobbered a pair of cloud-scraping homers in an 8-6 win at Nebraska on the Big Ten Network … whacked homeruns in back-to-back games four different times, including twice in the postseason … Indiana went 46-13 (.780) in games he started and 3-3 (.500) in games an injury held him out of the starting lineup … an Academic All-Big Ten selection.”
2012 – FRESHMAN
“Tabbed as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper … voted All-Big Ten second team catcher … unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman squad … three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree (Mar. 5/Apr. 30/May 21) … ranked in the conference’s top-10 of seven offensive categories: five triples (2nd), 51 runs (t-4th), 47 RBI (t-5th), 118 total bases (t-5th), 15 doubles (t-6th), eight homeruns (t-7th) and a .513 slugging percentage (9th) … threw out 27 attempted base stealers, second-most in the Big Ten … added nine stolen bases, a .300 batting average and .390 on-base percentage … numbers exploded in Big Ten play; hitting .376, slugging .624 and reaching base at a .464 clip during conference action … stroked nine doubles against Big Ten foes, the seventh-most in school history … started all 60 games, 54 behind the dish and six in the corner outfield … second on the team with 21 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI games … batted .364 (24 of 66) with runners in scoring position … drove in four runs three times, including a grand slam at East Tennessee State … scored one or more runs in 12 consecutive games during late April/early May … scored at least once in 35 of 60 games.”
HIGH SCHOOL
“Led the Greater Miami Conference with a .474 batting average, eight homeruns and .643 on-base percentage as a senior … also recorded 28 RBI and 11 stolen bases in his league’s Co-Player-of-the-Year-winning season … four-time team MVP … a second team All-Ohio linebacker selection.”
PERSONAL
“The son of Greg and Donna Schwarber … has a brother, Jamin, and three sisters, Alicia, Kelly and Lindsey … born on March 5, 1993 … majoring in Recreational Sports Management. He was born in Middletown, Ohio and played for Middletown High, same school as I.U basketball’s Butch Carter.”
Jose Altuve has added to his postseason legacy, cracking his 26th playoff HR (a 3-run blast) in the ninth, leading the defending Champion Astros to a 3-2 series margin over the Texas Rangers. This was after Texas had won the first two games. Talk about “clutch” in his quest for “Mr. October” status. (See Post #2418). He moves within 3 of all-time post-season HR leader Manny Ramirez, tarnished by two suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Moments later, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies put one over the right center wall to surpass fellow left-handed sluggers Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle in the post-season Home Run Derby, his 19th from that side of the plate and fourth of in this year’s NLCS, all in the lead-off position, another record. In addition, Kyle ties right-handers Albert Puljos and George Springer, surpassing Carlos Correa and Nelson Cruz, establishing himself as a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate.
Schwarber can it the long ball and the dribbler off the end of the bat that led to the first run in game 5. The question then became can the Phillies hold on to the early lead for once or will the DBacks stage another comeback? It’s an understatement that reliever Craig Kimbrel has been a disappointment as he was for the Cubs and White Sox whenever I watched him pitch. I would doubt he gets another chance in this series if Manager Rob Thomson wants to keep his job.
In the top of the 6th, Kyle Schwarber, wearing uniform #12, hit another bomb, his 5th of the NLCS and 20th overall, tying Derek Jeter. Harper matched it later in the inning, after stealing home in the first and joining Randy Arozarena as the only two players in history to do both in the same postseason game. These are “Mr. October” feats above and beyond Reggie Jackson!
Before this historical moment, I never paid much attention to the #12 jersey that Schwarber wore, unlike my childhood fascination with Sherm Lollar back in the 60s who donned the #10 that I since favored. Both Lollar and Schwarber were catchers, by the way, although Kyle now serves a DH role, and was used by the Cubs as an outfielder. I looked back through some of Schwarbs baseball cards, dating back to the I.U. days (2012-2014 when he hit 40 homers for the Hoosiers and wore #10 like Sherm). His USA Baseball, collegiate national team number was 44 in 2014, the year he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Schwarber may have requested #10 when the Cubbies called him up, but that uniform number was retired in honor of Ron Santo back in 2003.
The Phillies held on to win game five 6-1 and will have two more chances for a World Series spot when they return to Citizens Bank Park. Unlike the previous night when Schwarber’s run-scoring walk should have been the game winner prior to Kimbrel’s blown save, the bullpen did its job. Hopefully, Philly will advance and likely get a second chance against the Astros, allowing Schwarber and Harper more chances to rewrite the record books and ultimately outdo Houston’s esteemed advisor, “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson. There could even be a “Mr. November should this year’s series lasts longer than four games!
I can’t really explain how I ended up with a Florida Blue HMO plan, but it predictably turned into a problem. I say this because I’ve always elected a PPO where I could select my doctors rather than being restricted to the network. When I switched last year from United Healthcare (a PPO) to seemingly coincide with my wife’s coverage and choice of providers, all of my doctors were in the network, and this never failed until recently until it was pointed out that my card clearly stated Premier HMO. I added a supplemental dental plan to match my wife and we went to the same primary care provider, eye doctor, and dentist. However, back in Austin she had some issues with a detached retina, so she began to see a specialist while I continued with the surgeon that preformed my upper eyelid procedure (all covered except about $300 in co-pays). It was a few months ago when I decided to switch to this same ophthalmologist, thinking I had the same coverage.
They took my card, not noticing the HMO distinction from my wife’s coverage, and proceeded with my exam that determined an immediate need for cataract surgery and a Prokera treatment. Fortunately, they only needed to polish the surface of my right eye, or the cost might have doubled. This $7,200 procedure was then denied by my insurance. I called this to their attention, with all of us thinking that I was covered, but as it turned out they do not accept the HMO arrangement with Florida Blue. They did agree that it was their fault but there were some out-of-pocket issues and did admit telling them I had the same coverage as my wife, so we ended up compromising at just under $1,200 – money I was not expecting to spend. If I had the PPO, it would have been simply a few co-pays.
I immediately called Blue Cross & Blue Shield to switch my coverage during the open enrollment period. It was a painful hour or more on the phone because, of course, everyone jumps on this limited enrollment timeframe and the computers overload. Information had to be entered multiple times and I was already frustrated with the fact that I had bought this stupid HMO and wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be similar problems with my upcoming heart surgery that will certainly be a bit more than $7,200.
Sorting through this jungle of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and related health financial decisions is a problem for even an educated individual like me. This HMO issue must have been a factor of a quickly softening retirement mind. I can only imagine some of the problems that the less fortunate have to deal with when it comes to medical ills and bills.
This is a post that I hope to continue to expand upon, as Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies becomes the second player to have his own category on my blog, along with Sherm Lollar. Neither of these guys are exactly household names, but they are near and dear to me. I’ve been following Schwarber since his playing days at my alma mater Indiana University. Lollar was a childhood hero. Both played for multiple MLB teams during their respective careers and have won World Series rings, while Schwarbs, as I call him, still has a lot of history to make.
“Mr. October” was the title earned by Reggie Jackson “for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the Athletics and the Yankees. He helped Oakland win five consecutive American League West divisional titles, three straight American League pennants and three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974. He then helped New York win four American League East divisional pennants, three American League pennants and back-to-back World Series titles, in 1977 and 1978. He then assisted the California Angels in their two AL West divisional titles in 1982 and 1986 and served as an advisor to the 2022 World Champion Astros, his 6th title (at Kyle Schwarber’s expense).“
There have been recent references to Kyle Schwarber as the new “Mr. October,” after he tied New York Yankees legends Jackson and Mickey Mantle with 18 post-season home runs following two dingers the other night in Philadelphia, “the most by a left-handed batter in Major League baseball history.” Plus, in his case, there’s more work yet to do with at least two more games yet this month. Plus, Reggie took 77 games and Mickey 65 to reach the 18-mark, while Kyle did it in 60. Schwarber also earned me free Taco Bell food with a rare stolen base in last year’s World Series. (See Post 2186). Kyle is an all-or-nothing hitter with too many strikeouts and a hitting average below the Mendoza level.
Schwarber’s long-ball heroics started eight years ago when he hit a solo homer for the Cubs in his second post-season at bat back in 2015. He also is the sole owner for lead-off dingers with four, after struggling earlier this month in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Jackson hammered three consecutive home runs at Yankee Stadium in the clinching game six of the 1977 World Series. So, the word “clutch” adds immensely to Jackson’s October legend, while Schwarber has been upstaged by his teammate Bryce Harper when it comes to game-winning efforts, so far. This is the downside of serving as a lead-off hitter. Plus, this year’s World Series run for the Phillies could easily extend into next month, so either of these stars could claim “Mr. November.”
Other contenders for “Mr. October” include Manny Ramirez with 29 post-season homers, Jose Altuve (25), Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20), Albert Pujols & George Springer (19), and Carlos Correa & Nelson Cruz (18), while Randy Arozerena totaled ten during the 2022 season alone. Bernie Williams tops everyone with 80 post-season RBIs, all according to Baseball Reference. To Tell the Truth, will the real “Mr. October” please stand up!
To be continued…..
I heard from a generous neighbor yesterday who read my blog about bicycles and offered to let me use one of theirs, since they are often not in town. Today, I’m wondering if anyone has a Lamborghini I can borrow? Sometimes, it’s just a matter of what you ask for in life! I remember one Christmas when family members asked what I wanted in the way of gifts, I casually mentioned a melon baller, of all things. I had made a fruit salad but didn’t have the proper kitchen tools to make it fancy, so it was top of mind. When I went to open presents, I think I got seven of them. Should have asked for a Corvette, I guess!
Honestly, there isn’t much that I “want for” anymore and it’s always been difficult for me to come up with gift ideas. The melon baller was a stretch since I don’t really cook and probably haven’t made a fruit salad since. However, I still like the thrill of unwrapping baseball cards. I’m still waiting on another neighbor that wants my help finding a buyer for a warehouse full of cases of unopened boxes. This would be the ultimate treasure hunt for me, but they have been distracted by more serious issues and haven’t been in their Florida home in some time. Imagine all that stale, flat, bubble gum just sitting there waiting to be chewed.
There’s always something going on in the neighborhood. We enjoyed a night of Music Bingo with local favorite, Mr. Gameshow, at our Islandwalk clubhouse. My wife, of course, knew all the lyrics of all the songs but it didn’t help her win. I needed the tune “Mony, Mony” to be played but it never happened, so I filled lots of squares to no avail. Next up is comedian Dave Dugan from Indianapolis that was popular on the Bob & Tom Show, followed by the annual Hallo-wine party. Friends are coming over tomorrow to drink wine and watch the I.U. vs. Rutgers football game, the battle for the BIG Ten basement. We also have Date Night scheduled for this evening at L’Olive, tickets for “Let’s Murder Marsha” at the Lemon Bay Playhouse next weekend, and a Veteran’s Day musical performance called NAM, written and produced by a talented neighbor to kick-off November. Plenty of good neighbors, so retirement is busy!
I can’t remember the last time I actually rode a bike, probably on a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, over 20-years ago, where we rented them for the day. I can also recall a time, more than 25-years ago, when our travel group to France used bikes to explore the Burgundy wine district. We would navigate from steeple to steeple, stopping to sample wines along the way. Back, even longer ago, when living in Ft. Wayne, there were bike bar rallies for charity that I would join on a Saturday afternoon, weaving our way through town after a few too many.
My wife bought a bike years ago that we moved from place to place, this being the most use it ever got. Portland was too hilly for safe use and here in Florida it (and its rider) became the victim of a minor crash. I hopped on it once and rode it a block to the neighbor’s house to borrow a wrench to adjust the seat. This was just after we had it repaired for Ben and Miranda’s last trip to Portland to see us. As an avid biker, he had used it on their previous visit but found one of the petals to be stripped. It now sits in our garage waiting for my wife’s confidence to be restored.
I rode a bike in college as part of training for the Little 500 but never enjoyed it or the accompanying hemorrhoids. I think it was loaned to me by the Fraternity house team, so I would have to go back to my teenage years for a time when I actually owned a bike. It was a blue Schwinn 3-speed that got little use, except for a few long weekend jaunts and races that a friend of mine, Dave Geiger, organized. They were usually 50 to 100 miles in length on the Indiana backroads, and we were not allowed to use the gear mechanism. I don’t have fond memories of the backbreaking effort of pedaling, so what inspired me to compete in the even more grueling Little 500 is a mystery. It probably had to do with a free trip to Florida for training workouts.
As a child, I found my very first Schwinn bicycle under the Christmas tree. I was so excited that I insisted on sleeping next to it that first night. I rode it everywhere, ringing the bell and enjoying that first sense of freedom. My mom once sent me to the store for a loaf of bread that I unthinkingly stuffed under the seat to secure it from falling off my bike. It was probably the last time she trusted me for an errand, after thoroughly smashing the Wonder out of the bread. I decorated the bike for parades, and “motorized” it by pinning baseball cards to the spokes. In the process, I ruined several now priceless Mickey Mantles, among other stars of the 50s and 60s. Unlike other kids, I never rode my bike to school, probably since there was a busy street to cross, and my parents were overly cautious in protecting me. There were no helmets or knee pads back then, that are standard precautions these days.
That first shiny, new bike was a big step-up from the previous 3-wheeled trike that I rode, plus it naturally had training wheels. I can barely remember my mom and other neighbors helping me eventually balance it on my own. Learning to ride a two-wheeler without help was that first great sense of accomplishment, although I don’t remember at what age that happened. I never was very daring and had no interest in a truly motorized bike, especially after my neighbor, Jim Kreider, lost a leg riding his motorcycle. My tom-boy sister, of course, moved quickly from bicycle to motorcycle. She was much braver than I ever was and fortunately never had a serious accident.
I did spend a lot of money on bicycles and titanium parts when my son took an interest in BMX racing. Many hours were spent at the local dirt track cheering him on. As a father, it was probably one of the few times that I took an active interest in his participation, outside of little league baseball. I could at least relate to bicycle racing, unlike swimming, soccer, and rugby that I never took part in as a child. I still enjoy watching the Tour de France every year, but that’s as close I get to a bicycle anymore.
Although I’m not a religious man, I was brought up believing in the Ten Commandments, more specifically the last six. References to “Gods,” “Idols,” “Lord,” “Holy,” and “Sabbath” have very little meaning to me. I’m not sure that there is a God or more than one God that really cares about what day is holy or if they are selfish enough to worry about idols or the misuse of their name. Although, that particular commandment of name misuse kept me from swearing for many years, unfortunately it hasn’t stuck.
The Ten Commandments:
1. You shall have no other gods.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord.
4. Remember the Sabbath, keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet.
Perhaps, all of us have made mistakes in honoring each of these ten rules of life. I certainly have and getting forgiveness, as many believe, will not change what I’ve done. I have to live with these misjudgments, most of them insignificant. However, these last six commandments are all about being selfish and thoughtless at the expense of our fellow humans. I’ve tried to lead a life where I put others first and certainly wouldn’t do anything that I wouldn’t want done to myself. This includes lying, cheating, coveting, taking a life, or dishonoring anyone, especially those that gave me life and raised me. To me, getting along with others is simple, but sadly we live in a world where it’s not.
After a great deal of thought on how I was raised and taught, my life’s MOTTO would really be a simple abbreviation (M.O.T.T.O.):
Make
Ourselves
Thoughtful
Towards
Others
It’s worth trying.
Prior to high school I was part of the Presbyterian Church choir, while the esteemed leader, Mr. Gowdy, was also head of my high school choir, so he encouraged me to join his class. It was a group where I forged my friendships, some of which still exist after 55-years, like Roger Miller and Alan Harper. My prom date for my senior year was a choir member, Leslie Sackett, a relationship that continued into our first year of college and started at Choir Camp.
I was not much of a musician, although I did take both piano and voice lessons, but could never read music and was more of a follower than leader. While others made the exclusive Double Ten touring group, I never tried out because a solo was required, and I was too shy to perform in front of the class. In fact, Mr. Gowdy was very accommodating when I nervously went through the qualifying steps to be in the Concert Choir. I did like to sing, but mostly in the privacy of the shower or car. My voice was also in the process of changing, along with my hormones, from a tenor to baritone, but I was caught awkwardly somewhere between the two ranges. Convinced that I did have a good voice with a bit of a bravado, the group did eventually convince me to reluctantly participate in the state vocal competition, where I was able to earn a couple of silver metals singing an Italian operettic tune called Caro Mio Ben, popularized by Luciano Pavarotti. I was hardly worthy of his rendition but will never forget the effort to emulate his performances. I did not make the Albion College choir, despite continuing with vocal lessons.
I have only done karaoke on a couple of occasions, mostly after a few drinks and considerable coaxing. I could also never remember the words to songs, a skill where my wife continues to amaze everyone. Even with a teleprompter, I was never comfortable with my voice, especially after the problems with my vocal cords in later life. I now sound gravely and weak when I try to join her in song. My favorite sing-alongs in college were “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” by Peter, Paul, and Mary and “Brandy” by Looking Glass. If I had to pick an all-time-favorite, it would have to be the Bill Withers’ rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” I love Grace Slick’s voice, “The Best of Bread,” and live performances by the group Humble Pie with Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott; “Thirty Days in the Hole” has become my theme song. I’ve also become a country music fan, especially the humorous lyrics.
I like to laugh, and have great memories of the song, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who” by Aretha Franklin with good friends Mike Emerson and Doug Clark after a night at the Four Aces Tavern. My wife and I are partial to the song, “Happy Together” by the Turtles after seeing them at the Indiana Roof. A family gift of these lyrics is proudly displayed on not just one but two wall hangings in our house. I also like hearing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” that I never hesitate singing along with at a game, especially the Harry Carey version. I’m sure there are lots of other songs that can easily make my day, but these are a few of my favorites.
Two minutes a mile faster! Plus, I did it with one eye shut! Soon, I’ll be setting Olympic records, especially once I’m bionic. My eye is healing but still burns. They remove the Prokera membrane on Thursday, so just two more days of being a One-Eyed Jack. Depth perception is a problem, especially trying to drive yesterday. With my wife now teaching school, I’m getting up at 6 a.m. when she does, before the sun comes up. I get a lot done while she gets ready for work including dog duties and mopping the garage floor. We can have dinner on it tonight. I now have a few minutes to write before Chair Yoga class on this busy Tuesday.
My wife has the car today and its Trash Day, so this is why it made sense to clean the garage with no canisters or vehicles to work around. I also swept my office floor and did a few games. Tomorrow, we’ll both sleep in, before two more days of substitute teaching and a quiet weekend. We’ve enjoyed a couple of game nights with the neighbors lately, including Triominos and Mexican Train that we’ve never played before. I guess that old people are into this kind of thing!
My wife is putting together a future travel plan, once Tally has crossed the rainbow bridge, if I don’t get there first. She’s thinking of renting our house for a year and exploring the world. It would probably give us a couple extra thousand a month. We would use a combination of the Marriott Vacation Club, hotel points, and the gracious hospitality of friends and family. It sounds like a lot of work to me, but she still has the travel bug, and this may be an affordable opportunity, especially with the rental fees that people are getting here in Florida. We do have resort accommodations, a pool, golf cart, and proximity to the beach to offer.
I first have several medical issues to deal with before we can take these steps. Hopefully, they won’t interfere with our plans to go to San Francisco, Orlando, and Buenos Aires. We’ve yet to have a game night that has involved playing cards like Euchre or Poker. On my own, I frequently play Solitaire on my phone, while my wife typically plays Bridge on Monday afternoons at our clubhouse. At any rate, life has unfortunately dealt me a bad suit of Hearts, starting with the One-Eyed Jack.
A nineteen-minute mile is about as slow as one can go without falling over. With a bandage over one eye, I did a lot of weaving and stumbling, still fighting off the fog from days of being medicated on Xanax. The last four runs have been at the minimum mile-plus but today I tried to get back to normal. My wife had a substitute teaching gig this morning, so Tally and I dropped her off at the school just down the street. All of us got up by alarm at 6a, leaving retirement luxury behind for a day’s work. Tally is still expecting her golf cart ride to the dog park but had to settle for a poop in the field adjacent to us. I plan to go to the Chiropractor and then pick my wife up at 3:30. She’s tending to a fourth-grade class today, while I will fend for myself at lunchtime.
Maintaining my running streak is getting harder and harder, knowing that it will soon come to an end. I find myself saying, “why not today?” There’s not much point in going on when you know that it’s just a matter of time before the one thing that you find disciplinary pride in doing cannot continue. There is a Retired Streak List that would currently place me at #155. To move up to #154 and qualify for the “Well Versed” category (15+ years) I will need to hang on until the end of this year. It all depends on when they schedule my open-heart surgery.
I’ve made it through illness, hangovers, injuries, marathons, foul weather, work shoes, darkness, high altitude, surgeries, job interference, and travel scheduling. I’ve run on cobblestones, in airports, through dust storms, over uneven sidewalks, bridges, ship decks, sandy beaches, basements, parking garages & lots, hotel hallways, icy streets, steep inclines, creaky treadmills, and wooded pathways in 29 different states and 30 countries. I’ve fought through fog, sleet, snow, rain, high water, traffic, mud, hurricanes, tornados, lightening, extreme heat, nasty insects, and threatening animals to somehow get to the finish line every single day. They will need to knock me out and hold me down to stop this streak, as they plan to do.
Today was #5,402 and not very satisfying at such a slow pace. I never thought I could run this slow, if you can really call it running! Nor, did I ever imagine having heart problems! A walker passed me again this morning without much effort. I used to be fast, believe it or not! Now, I’m just persistent and stubborn, hoping to make it through two miles, down from the 5k standard that even recently was my daily goal. My wife went back to work today, while my job any more is to keep running, especially on a School Day!
