Category: RUNNING STREAK (Page 10 of 34)

I’ve started another streak…this time with the game Wordle where I’m now 23-0 but remaining humble.  Obviously, I’ve only been playing for less than a month, but supplementing it with Quordle that is much more challenging, having stumped me a couple of times already. The running streak of course continues, but poor Tally got sick on my office rug. I didn’t notice it until after my first couple of preparation stretches when I felt some moist spots on my back. I had laid right in it, so there was a delay getting started this morning. It was a rough way to begin my Sunday, especially after finding out that my nephew’s youngest son had to be air-lifted out of Cancun to Miami for medical reasons. He’s recovering at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital after a couple scary nights in a Mexican facility that required cash in advance for treatment. It was apparently a costly vacation.

I went to a retirement party last night about ten houses down from us. After just one year in this neighborhood, we’ve made lots of friends and gone to many parties where I can drink and walk home. The alcohol messes with my sleep, so it was a restless night. All I  have on my agenda today is more baseball, the Long Beach Indycar race, and The Masters. I’ll be fighting Tally for the chair in my office, where she’s laying right now. Maybe I’ll go outside to watch once it warms up a bit? It was a little chilly in the pool this morning.

I got a call from one of my Portland buddies during the party last night. He was joking that he had an extra ticket for the annual Old Timer’s Baseball dinner. I doubt that I’ll make the 3,000 mile trip but will see my friends in Portland this September before our Alaska cruise. Atlanta Brave’s Hall of Famer, Dale Murphy #3, is the guest speaker in his home town, and I’ve asked them to get me an autographed copy of his book titled Murph. The event is in two weeks, so I’ll be in touch that night. Last time we attended, most of us all nodded off after the speakers droned on. We’re hoping that Dale will be more entertaining. A giant mural of him is on our neighborhood stadium where the Braves host Spring Training every year. Keep them awake Murph!

The decade of the nineties has arrived, as I then approached 40-years of age. One hundred years before it was known as the “Gay 90’s,” a term that is no longer politically correct. (See Post #1890). “The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment,” according to a description in Wikipedia. However, it was the end of my first marriage that lasted for 27-years. In that timeframe, we had lived in Elkhart, IN; Edwardsburg, MI; Union, MI; Ft. Wayne, IN; and Indianapolis. We also bought a condominium on Siesta Key, FL, near where I live now. 

As I look back through the years, it was often a struggle to make ends meet, living above our means. The divorce then cost me the home and condo, as we went our separate ways. As I now live a comfortable retirement life, it all has a happy ending, but everything I worked for fell apart in the 90s. Friendships ended and the only winners were the attorneys. I was running on and off at this time to relieve the stress, but “The Streak” had yet to start. As of this morning, it stands at 4,482 days (13.26 years). I was joined part way through my 3.1 mile route by a neighbor acquaintance who is younger and faster, so I pushed to keep up, or rather he slowed down for my benefit. 

I went to another Braves Spring Training game yesterday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays. A neighbor provided the tickets and drove me to the game on his golf cart. It was actually quite humorous when he ignored the commands of the police directing traffic, but he had forgotten his hearing aids and honestly didn’t hear. I yelled in his ear during the game, while a mentally challenged young man on my other side made fart noises by blowing on his arm and incessantly repeated the same unintelligible words over and over. It made me realize how lucky I was to have raised a healthy son, while admiring the father’s patience along with his willingness to get his child to a game despite the behavior. 

Another month has gone by as the calendar flips over to April. I sent a note to a friend that I hired 32-years ago on April Fool’s Day. It turned out to be a beneficial career move for both of us, as he now nears retirement. A year ago on this day we packed for our move from Portland, Oregon to our new home in Venice Florida, hoping for no pranks along the way. Unfortunately, my wife had to deal with kidney stone surgery in route and our furniture took seven weeks to get here, but we arrived safely and have been happy ever after. As is the tradition, before the day is done, I will also place an annual call to another friend to wish them a Happy April Fool’s Day. 

We’ve reached the 1980s when John Lennon was shot and killed, and the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas was destroyed by fire. I was 29-years old, married for seven years, and with a 5-year old son. I was working at BJ Thompson Advertising in Mishawaka, Indiana on the Burger Chef account that was evolving into Hardee’s. Within a year, I would make a move to Ft. Wayne and back into the radio business with WMEE/WQHK. I remember a recruitment meeting at Doc Pierce’s Saloon with my soon to be boss who rode in on his motorcycle. 

I spent the next four years of my life in Ft. Wayne before moving to Indianapolis in 1985. It’s really all a blur. Time has passed so quickly as I sit here writing 42-years later. I certainly wouldn’t want to go back and live it all again. It was hard work getting to this point of retirement, 5.25 years removed from the day-to-day work grind. Since that time, I’ve tried to write something each day – 1,980 posts over roughly 1,916 days. I’ve also run every day over this period of time, a streak I started 4,381 days ago.

It’s “Matinee Monday,” that might be interrupted with a home warranty inspection. With all our visiting guests, we haven’t seen a movie in six weeks. Our annual passes are about to expire, so we need to get there today and get them renewed. All the weekly traditions of movies, sunset picnics, and tourism have been disrupted with other plans. At least, the monthly Borrego Boyz luncheon is on for tomorrow and the Neighborhood get-together is scheduled for this Saturday. We have one last set of overnight visitors this week and then the calendar is clear until our Singer Island getaway in mid-April. In the meantime, we have two day-trips next week to see family and friends that are vacationing in Florida. Before we know it, we’ll settle back into our customary daily routine. 

Today is another special Tuesday. Last week it was Two-Two-Tuesday while today is Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is in full swing and I’m sure we’ll see some tutus on Bourbon Street today. I’ve already discussed being there for the celebration 50 years ago (See Post #1950). However, in 1965 I was only 14-years old when Ford Motor Company first introduced the Mustang (actually 1964 1/2). Two years later I would take my driver’s license test in a Mustang convertible that my dad bought the year before. For this reason, 1965 will always be memorable for me, and a model of the car sits on my office shelves. 

Many times, I’ve thought about buying a Mustang of my own, but even the 50th anniversary model was not to my liking. In retirement, I don’t feel like I need a new car, so the 2008 Solara will have to do for now. My wife’s 2005 Lexus SC 430 is also a popular ride down here in Florida. She’s had several offers to buy it, but it’s not a good time to buy a new car even though we really need a vehicle that can hold four or more passengers comfortably. We still plan to rent for our three-week drive to Upper Michigan this summer. 

Our house guests want to play pickleball this afternoon, so I’ve reserved a court and plan to buy some equipment later this morning. We took them to Fin’s last night for dinner, a great spot for the sunset unless it’s hidden behind clouds as was unfortunately  the case. We did some whisky tasting afterwards, so I woke up in a bit of a fog. As a result, this morning’s run (day 4,811) was a bit more of a challenge. Also, I stepped on the scale afterwards and found that I had gained a few pounds, so it truly was a Fat Tuesday. 

A huge gator crossed my path this morning on day #4800 of my consecutive running streak. He was big, fat, and prehistoric looking as he slowly ambled by, headed for the pond across the street while stopping traffic. it was one of the largest that I’ve seen since moving here and I took a wide berth around him through the parking lot. At least it provided a distraction from the misery of putting one foot in front of the other. The weather was warm without much wind. It always seems like I’m running into a stiff breeze – never at my back. 

In 1953, Jonas Salk announced his polio vaccine and fortunately it did not become as controversial as Covid is in current times. Mass immunization of  children began in 1954 and the results have been miraculous: “Polio was eliminated from the United States in 1979 and from the Western Hemisphere in 1991.” If only skeptical Americans would get behind these shots, Covid could see a similar fate. Unfortunately, states like Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Louisiana, Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana are under 54% fully vaccinated. Florida is at 65.7%, according to this CDC data tracker. Oregon recorded 68.4%, while the top state is Rhode Island at 80.2%.  

I’m hanging a few pictures and still organizing shelves today in my home office. In these times of retirement, the home office is the only office. There are no corporate alligators or clients with sharp teeth, so I can just wave them by when they cross my path. The cameras were out to record this spectacle on four feet that was nearly 14-feet long with a fat belly. He almost looked too obese to be up for a chase – but beware of any gator crossing. 

I was invited to make a submission for the next USRSA (United States Running Streak Association) newsletter, as my running streak hits 13-years. Here’s what I offered:

I’ve officially started my 14th consecutive year of running every day, with year 13 ending in a disappointing fizzle. Five of the last six days I’ve struggled with a back injury that forced me to drop my route to the minimum mile. Of course, I always add an extra tenth in case my GPS is slightly off or stop at 15 minutes if the distance is unmeasurable – just in case!

I’m now back to the normal 5k path that takes me through the neighborhood. I started this habit a few days before the New Year back then to get a jump on my resolution and with a plan to celebrate my 60th birthday with about 1000 straight days (it was actually more like 972). It could have been a stopping point, but instead has continued on to 4,751 and counting. This recent pain could have also been reason to stop – but I didn’t!

At 70 years old, my pace is embarrassingly slow and my balance awkward, but I keep on going. I can’t even tell you how many miles I’ve traveled during this streak but it has to be close to 12,000, nearly half way around the Earth. I’ll also bet that I covered the other half in the years before I discovered streaking. In that prior life, I did a couple marathons and earned hundreds of t-shirts, ribbons, certificates of completion, and cheap medals. I always seemed to finish in the middle of the pack, even on a good day. The Detroit Marathon, Hood to Coast Relay, and several Indy 500 Half-Marathons were my most memorable accomplishments.

 Just recently, I ran my first race in years, the Braves Tomahawk 5k in my hometown of Venice, Florida. Earlier this year I went out of my way to meet the “Raven” in Miami to honor his now 47-year journey. I did not run with him or earn a nickname because I’ve been injured on sand before and prefer mornings to his evening treks on the beach. Also, my 5k daily standard is about all I can handle any more. My goal these days is just stay healthy, not push it, and be satisfied with the daily effort. After all, I will not live long enough to compete with the leaders of the pack. As always, I’m in the middle and not even yet “Well Versed” at 15-years.

This streak started on the streets of Austin, Texas and moved to the hills of Portland, Oregon. Now, I’m on flat, hot, Florida surfaces, but I’ve also lived in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, so I’ve experienced most of the weather extremes. However, back then I had to decide whether to run or not every day, now I’m left with the obvious choice. Running every day was the bridge from my working years into retirement, as I also celebrate 5-years of freedom. My morning routine has continued to be the same throughout this transition and will hopefully continue tomorrow.

Happy New Year,

May the Streak Be With You.

We’re on the very fringe of the nineteenth century, as I continue to put the blog numbers in perspective with history. That year  the U.S. received the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico as a result of the Treaty of Paris. There was also a Great Blizzard where freezing temperatures extended into Southern Florida. Let’s hope that history doesn’t repeat itself, with another pleasant day of temperatures in the seventies. My leg and back injury as a result of Disney World continues to haunt me. Yesterday, was so miserable that I sought out a new chiropractor with mine on vacation. I was determined not to miss today, my 13th consecutive full year of the “Running Streak” that stands at 4,749 days finishing at the very least a mile and a tenth for good measure. I should be proud of this accomplishment, but I also feel silly about pushing the pain of this injury. I somehow managed to complete the course this morning. Five of the last 6 days have been this minimum distance, while tomorrow is another day. Could this be the end? 

We’re quarantining after possible exposure to Covid. Yesterday evening we got word that the folks we had lunch with were at risk and my son’s wife has lost her sense of taste. He tested negative. They were over for Christmas dinner after we got back from Disney, so my wife’s daughter and husband are also in danger. It’s then a long line of contact we’ve all made with others that we’re trying to notify. All of us in the family are vaccinated and boosted but the concern is for those that aren’t or won’t. Covid also cancelled the IU basketball game tonight and many other contests in the midst of Bowl Week. It’s spreading rapidly and ruining everything. We’ve certainly pushed it with family gatherings and travel, but so far we’ve escaped any symptoms.

On a lighter note, tomorrow I will publish the poem that I wrote to preserve our Disney World Christmas memories. It will also be Post #1900 and time to move into the next century of historical events. I sincerely hope that everyone that I’ve been around these past few days is able to escape from the dreaded virus. It seems to be everywhere, so vaccination is the only course of action when exposure is inevitable.