Category: RUNNING STREAK (Page 27 of 34)

The trials and tribulations of running every single day

Retirement is not without Hassles: Under The Weather #945

May 19, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

One thing that doesn’t change when you retire is your susceptibility to colds and flu. When I’m in my preferred state as a homebody, I’m not frequently exposed to the coughs and germs of the office place. However, confined in airplanes is a sure way to catch something awful. I thought that was the case until my wife mentioned that her family had nasty colds back in Indiana where we just returned. Regardless of where it came from, it’s here to ruin a perfectly good day.

I could not complete the “Schnauzerthon” yesterday and this morning I only managed to run a little over a mile on the treadmill. I have a lot of congestion in my lungs and a bit of a cough. Nonetheless, I did keep “The Streak” intact at 3,791 consecutive days. Sometimes, the exercise and fresh air helps me feel better, but today I was too lazy to put on my running gear and settled for the indoor comfort of a controlled environment. I was going to read my book on the iPad, but naturally it was out of juice, and didn’t have my music with me, so the only thing to keep me entertained was watching the mileage, calorie, and distance gauges record my activity. I will do my sit-ups, stretching, and push-ups later in the day, as I slept until nearly 11 o’clock, aided by NyQuil.

We spent the evening last night in a wine cellar with friends, so the combination of cough syrup and alcohol certainly restrained my coughing fits. However, it was also a night of weird dreams and restlessness. I also had a nose full of Vick’s to help me breathe and regular doses of Advil to counter this “Under The Weather” feeling. As a result, my stomach is a bit unsettled this morning, another reason why I chose a shorter run on the treadmill. Sweating out a cold has always been a preferred remedy, so a longer run would have probably helped. I’m just glad to have it out of the way for the day.

Since there was limited phone access in this beautiful wine cellar where we ate and sipped, I was spared having to watch much of the Trailblazers Game 3 loss to the clearly superior Warriors. I’m afraid that when we actually go to Game 4 that it will be the last of the season for Damian Lillard & Company. The Cubs also lost to the Nats yesterday, so it was not a good sports day. As a small concession, Indiana baseball did win the BIG 10 title. The big game, however, is really tonight with the Game of Thrones finale. If I refrain from the Nyquil, maybe I’ll be able to stay awake to watch it?

Retirement is not without Hassles: No Days Off #933

May 7, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

When I ran on the Maui beachfront path this morning, I spotted a woman in a “No Days Off” t-shirt. My first thought was she hardly had the physique to boast any such discipline, but then I realized it was probably a free giveaway from Under Armor. In reality, unfortunately she was built more like Coach Bill Belicheck who is credited for the saying. It was a “cringe-inducing, vaguely anti-labor chant at the Patriots’ victory parade, attended by over one million people who, presumably, had the day off.

I can certainly brag that I’ve now run 3,780 consecutive days without a day off, but unlike the New England Patriots I have nothing to show for it. I am stuck at #202 on the active U.S. streak list as currently listed on the website runeveryday.com. It does automatically updates my days, so I no longer have to keep track. I also earned a certificate after my first year and the right to buy a USRSA t-shirt. Other than this, I can’t really say that “no days off” have “paid off,” since you can’t really measure the health benefits. Also, I never seem to move up on this list of devoted streakers who in some cases never report that they’ve missed a run.

I can’t get internet access to my blog at this luxurious Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel, despite spending an hour with the “Help” desk. I wouldn’t access it as helpful since I could not hear or understand the technician and the problem was never resolved. However, as a side note, they did have big fluffy towels and high thread count bed sheets. We’ve stayed on this lush strip of Wailea beach many times, so there’s little new to write about. From a sports standpoint, the Cubs swept the Cardinals and then blew their 8-game winning streak against the Marlins. It just figures that they would have a let-down against the worst team in the majors. To make matters worse, the Nuggets tied the series against the Trailblazers and regained home court advantage. All that “Maui Magic” has suddenly turned tragic.

I took a sun break to catch up on Game of Thrones, so I’m ready for the final episode next week. It will feel good to get those characters out of my mind, regardless of how it turns out. No more battles, bastards, betrayals, and beheading. I will undoubtedly have to take the time while we’re in New York City next week to see the much anticipated conclusion. After all, in retirement, I’ll have the day off!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Dread #916

April 22, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

When you do something every day, it’s more than just a habit-it’s a way of life. Running everyday is a way of life for me now, and distinguishes one day from another. On most of those days, life is routine. I get up at 6 a.m. and tend to the dogs. After push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching, they do their business before my 3.1 mile run begins. I put little thought into it and that’s what makes it tolerable. However, the routine changes when my wife’s work week comes to an end and her weekend begins.

While listening to the radio this morning, the morning team was talking about people like me who start their day with a run and get up early to do it. In the cold, dark, and rain, we’re somehow driven to leave our warm beds. At this point, I can’t imagine starting my day any other way. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t frequently dread the task. I just do it! If I think about it too much, it makes it that much harder. This probably makes me a masochist, but somehow fighting through the bad makes the finish line feel that much better! I guess you might call it Grateful Dread.

There’s typically no alarm to wake up to when my wife doesn’t have to go to work. I linger in bed longer on her precious weekends, until I feel guilty about our restless schnauzer puppies with long overdue bladders. The extra hour or hour-and-a-half sleep makes me groggy, and those painful thoughts of exercise are indeed dreadful. It’s even more difficult when we’re not home, and I also have to wait for the troops to join me.

Yesterday, we were in McMinnville and I was up early, concerned about a doggy accident in our fancy anniversary suite. I was out of my comfortable homebody routine and filled with the usual dread about the inevitable run. To make matters worse, I forgot to pack my running shorts, so there was little choice but to wear jeans. I didn’t look like a runner, and therefore didn’t feel like one! My wife accompanied me as we started the “Schnauzerthon” together. For me, it’s a compromise between family time and pounding the pavement. I run with aging Tinker in the stroller, while she walks with energetic Tally on a leash. Pushing the extra 25-pounds in the Air Buggy often makes a 3.1 mile course even tougher on an old man like me. On this occasion it was through the charming neighborhoods near downtown McMinnville in blue jeans on dreadful day 3,766.

Retirement is not without Hassles: One Day At A Time #904

April 11, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I’m on another plane today after running the mile minimum necessary to extend “The Streak” due to all the packing preparations. Our destination is Chicago, so the four hour flight seems like a puddle-jump compared to our recent trip to Thailand. We’ll be gone a week, so the pups will be well cared for by Kimberley. Frankie the cat will be predictably upset so we can expect some revenge shenanigans from her when we return. She’ll probably refuse to eat and use everything but her litter box to get even. Tally will be excited to go on more walks with her energetic play pal and Tinker will think she’s starving, worried about if we’re ever coming back? Both schnauzers clearly noticed the suitcases being packed this morning and transferred to the car. We never tell them “goodbye,” that would only serve to add to their stress levels.

I felt the usual travel stress myself while driving to the airport. “Did I forget anything?” dominates my thoughts. “What could go wrong?” is explored over and over in my mind. The real purpose of this trip is to visit my wife’s 97-year old mother and give her a break from assisted living. Unfortunately, she’s living a life no one would envy. Her visit is in conjunction with my wife’s Chicago business meetings tomorrow. We’ll stick around Chicago for a ballgame and some dinners before we make the drive into Indiana. At least this time we’re not also going to Indianapolis or Elkhart for sister visits, so the driving will be much less hectic. We’ll save that for three months from now when we likely will return.

I’ve not yet committed to my 50th High School Reunion that could be part of that next visit to the Hoosier state. There’s also the 98th birthday to celebrate and my 68th. Thirty more years of living would not be my preference if I couldn’t travel, read, write, or even watch TV. My aging mother-in-law was born in the same year as my parents, who have been gone now for well over four years. She’s been mostly deaf since childhood and is gradually losing her eyesight due to kidney failure. Soon her savings will be depleted on nursing care. With this in mind, twenty more years will be more than enough for me. That’s another 7,300-plus days of daily running on top of today’s 3,756 USRSA streak. Maybe even 10,000 consecutive days is enough – that could happen when I’m only 85! I’d also like to ski when I’m 80, but 70 is first. One day at a time!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Jet Lag #894

April 2, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I just finished one of the worst runs I’ve experienced in a long time. It was likely the combination of lack of sleep, old age, stomach problems, jet lag, back soreness, and stiffness. I was a mile a minute slower than my slowest mile times and wanted to stop before each painful stride. Somehow, I made it through the 5k course and extended my running mission to 3,747 consecutive days, after seriously considering turning around at the half-mile mark and just running the minimum. I guess the thought of running that half-mile back seemed equally daunting, so I just kept chugging along the normal route. Many times after the first mile, I settle into a comfortable pace, but today it was a struggle right up to the last few steps.

My wife and I just returned from Thailand, so she woke up at 2:30 a.m. and eventually gave up trying to get back to sleep. I was up about every hour-and-a-half to go to the restroom. There was a sense of both relief and disappointment when the 6 a.m. alarm finally went off. I felt particularly sorry for my working wife who has a string of meetings today. I might at least get nap later, as even now I’m feeling sluggish and uninspired. To make matters worse, I’ve written all of this once already but my Word Press program crashed, failing to save any of the morning’s ramblings. This is take number two, so I’m just as frustrated with my writing as I was with running.

I looked up the symptoms of jet lag on the Mayo Clinic website. It’s certainly one of the hassles of travel, particularly after crossing multiple time zones. In the case of this trip, we were also dealing with the International Date Line and fourteen hours difference on the clock. It feels like the flu or a really bad hangover! Here are the key issues:

Disturbed sleep — such as insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness
Daytime fatigue
Difficulty concentrating or functioning at your usual level
Stomach problems, constipation or diarrhea
A general feeling of not being well
Mood changes

It also points out that the symptoms escalate when travel is in an easterly direction and through multiple time zones, as was the case with our return trip from Phuket. My wife’s body clock was telling her that it was not 2:30 a.m. but rather 4:30 p.m. the next day. For me, it was hard enough just to deal with the one hour Daylight Savings shift from a few weeks ago. It will take awhile to establish normal sleeping patterns, and consequently my daily running habit will also continue to suffer. It looks like we both have a lot to deal with, as we transition from total relaxation to utter disruption.

My mood changed quickly this morning after realizing that I would have to re-write my thoughts. I’m certainly not as patient as I might be with a good night’s sleep, and every task today will be like climbing a mountain. For example, my wife just called about next week’s trip to Chicago and flight changes I’ll need to make to coordinate with her corporate itinerary. It’s just another hassle to add to my growing list including vet appointments, mail delivery, taxes, budgeting, 401k changes, will preparation, broken eyeglasses, the need for a chiropractor, and dry cleaning issues. I still don’t feel well and stomach problems persist, so I’m not functioning at a usual level, as the Mayo Clinic findings support. My computer continues to drag – just like me. It’s simply jet lag and will be over in a few long days.

Old Sport Shorts: NIT #889

March 26, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Not In Tournament. I keep telling myself this yet here I am in Phuket, Thailand up at 6 a.m. monitoring the Indiana Hoosiers against Wichita State on the internet. As soon as it gets light outside, I will run over to the nearby Renaissance Hotel and actually watch the second half with my cousin. THAIU. A fellow I.U. Alumni, he lives in Thailand part of the year to teach English to Chinese kids. This involves a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection on his computer that apparently has a secondary benefit of tricking ESPN into identifying his location to be within the United States. My computer won’t allow me to watch the game here in Thailand, as I learned from trying to tune-in the previous two I.U. basketball games. Hopefully, the game will remain close at halftime when I arrive there on foot. I’m just waiting for the sun to come up so I don’t have to navigate the narrow road in the dark.

The game is starting out in typical I.U. fashion this season with poor shooting and sloppy turnovers. We’ve already fallen behind by 11 and only have 13 points with less than 8 minutes to go in the half. Romeo Langford is not playing again due to an “NBA related injury” so the spotlight is on Juwan Morgan, playing his final game at Assembly Hall. The winner goes on to Madison Square Garden for the Championship round of four. The goal at this point would be to simply stay in range and hope for a better second half, as has often been the case with this team. Inconsistency has been their trademark with long scoring droughts and silly ball handling errors. They are often hard to watch, so going out of my way to do so may be a bad idea. The last time these two teams played was in the actual 2015 NCAA Tournament, so both programs have fallen on hard times. Wichita State won that game 81-76 to advance to the Sweet 16. Hopefully, things turn sour this morning for the Shockers!

I.U. was down by seven points when I made the one-mile-plus run to my cousin’s hotel, extending my running streak to 3,741 consecutive days. They made a run to eventually tie the score but sputtered pathetically in the end to lose by ten 73-63. I knew that when The Shockers hit the 60 mark first that the game was over. They hit eleven 3-pointers and made 18 of 25 free throws. The Hoosiers were a miserable 7-13 from the free throw line and only 33.3% behind the arc. As a result, The Shockers are going to a “Garden Party” and the Hoosiers are going back to class. It used to be that the first sign of spring was that I.U. was still playing basketball and Purdue was not. Instead, the Boilermakers are in the Sweet 16 and will play Tennessee on Thursday (Friday morning at 6:20 a.m. here in Thailand). The good news is that I don’t have to watch I.U. any more this miserable season. As I ran back another mile from my cousin’s hotel to mine along the beach, I also savored the additional good news that I’m in beautiful Phuket, and it’s only a short walk to the pool to drown my basketball sorrows. Besides, baseball season starts tomorrow!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Tropical Rainforest #887

March 25, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The view from our apartment living room window looks like a tropical rainforest, but just on the other side is the Andaman Sea. It appears as if we’re in a tree house, but it’s really the Marriott Vacation Club’s Phuket Beach Club – a club within a club, coupled with a J.W. Marriott luxury hotel. We spent the morning at the pool while attendants delivered fresh towels, cold cloths, ice water, and delicious fruit. In the background were the turquoise ocean waters and colorful sailboats. Even my NCAA Tournament pool predictions were leading the pack. Please, don’t wake me up from this dream!

We arrived in Phuket late yesterday afternoon after a short flight from Bangkok and three days of Buddha sightseeing. I was ready for some relaxation, and the room accommodations made it particularly promising. Fifteen-Hundred square feet of living space including two bedrooms, three T.V.’s, two baths, a private outdoor patio setting, and a full kitchen seemed a bit much for just the two of us. However, we managed to spread-out and utilize every inch. We did have to laugh however at how low the T.V. was hung on the living room wall. It was just a reminder of what a giant I am in this country. At just under six-feet and 190 pounds, I’m taller and wider than your average Thai citizen, and find myself ducking under things more often.

I’m not sure if it’s Sunday or Monday? This is not unusual for a retiree like myself, however, it’s further complicated after crossing The International Date Line. There is a 14-hour difference in time between here and our Portland home, so it’s the middle of the night there and mid-afternoon here. When we got up it was Monday morning but still Sunday back home. The Tuesday night I.U. basketball game against Wichita State will be part of our 7:30 Wednesday breakfast. By the time we figure this out, it will be time to go home where we’ll get the day back that we lost traveling here. This is why my consecutive day running streak is still a day behind, so I will need to run twice on the way back. Does that make sense?

In the meantime, I ran around a swamp befitting a tropical rain-forest this morning on a narrow road where cars drive on the left side as opposed to the right back home. I was always taught to never turn my back to highway traffic because you can’t get out of the way if you don’t see them coming. This means that in order to face them coming at me I need to hug the right side of the road, as opposed to on the left in Portland and everywhere else in the United States. I’m too old for all this change!

When I checked in here yesterday, they had me vacating the room on Saturday when our flight is really on Sunday. I thought I had made a booking error, but instead the flight is at 1:14 a.m. on Sunday morning. We’ll need to be at the airport on Saturday night to prepare for our International departure. As a result the Saturday check-out is correct but we’ll have to make arrangements to store our luggage and change clothes prior to our airport departure. With connections in both Seoul, Korea and San Francisco, it will take more than 24 hours to get home, but we’ll still get home on the same day we left. As you can see, this has all the clarity of navigating your way through a tropical rain forest to somehow find the ocean on the other side. This will be our main task over the next week in this Thai tropical paradise known as Phuket.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Wat’s Up Doc #885

March 23, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

If it weren’t for Buddha, there would not be much to see in Thailand. Consequently, the “Buddhathon” continues today in Bangkok, with two more Buddist temples or “wats.” The Thai word “wat” was borrowed from Sanskrit and translates to mean “enclosure.” Yesterday’s tiny Emerald Buddha was housed in Wat Phra Kaew near the Grand Palace. So, Wat’s Up?” for today in this “Land of Smiles” and respectful, friendly prayer bows?

“Buddha dude” (See Post #884) was actually Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha. He was a monk, mendicant, sage, and philosopher on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. Buddha is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the northeastern part of ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C.E. (Before the Common Era). Buddhism is now the world’s fourth largest religion with over 520 million followers. They were all stuck in traffic on the road in front of our hotel this morning, trying to get to work. According to Wikipedia, “at the core of Buddhism is the belief in the Four Noble Truths. Believed to have been conceived by Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, these four truths are The Truth of Suffering, The Truth of the Cause of Suffering, The Truth of the End of Suffering, and The Truth of the Path that Leads to the End of Suffering.” That’s a lot of suffering!

After yesterday’s struggles with running outside, I used the treadmill in the hotel’s fitness to complete my 5k run this morning. It’s day 3,737 of “The Streak.” I was waiting at the door at 6 a.m. for it to be unlocked. Our guided tour this morning is at 8 a.m. There is no point in Bangkok to try and drive yourself to these locations because the traffic is crazy. Scooters weave dangerously throughout the gridlock and drivers frantically honk their horns. We visited three different wats and saw hundreds of Buddhas in varying poses – sitting, standing, and reclining, The largest we’ve seen so far is the giant Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho with Mother of Pearl soles. He’s 46 meters long and covered in gold leaf. We also visited the home of the Golden Buddha, Wat Traimit, and The Marble Temple, Wat Benchamabophit. I was beginning to experience Buddha burnout!

The world’s largest Buddhas are located in Monywa, Myanmar, one standing at 116 meters and the other reclining at a length of 90 meters. Or, you can go to Thimphu, Bhutan for their bronze seated version with 120,000 more Buddhas enshrined inside it; visit the Le Shan China “Giant Buddha;” Proceed to Fo Guang Shan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan to see the biggest Buddha monastery; Travel to look at the Ling Shan “Great Buddha,” in Mashan, China; Inspect The Daibutsu of Kamakura, Japan; Witness Gal Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka; and gaze at “The Laughing Buddha” with the big belly in Vinh Trang Pagoda, Vietnam. These Buddhas from around the world are all more massive than what we saw reclining today at Wat Pho. Also, the 92 meter “Great Buddha of Thailand” situated just north of Bangkok at Wat Muang, as well as the 59.2 meter tall Wat Buraphaphiram in the northeast part of the country are considered “greater” Thai structures. We had to start our “Buddhathon” quest somewhere, but obviously we have a long way to go yet.

“Wat’s Up” for the rest of our Thai adventure? We spent the afternoon at the pool as temperatures neared 100 degrees, so more Temple Tours did not seem appealing. Dinner tonight is at chef David Thompson’s Michelin Star restaurant Nahm. We’ll fly to the beach tomorrow and maybe see the 45 meter high “Great Buddha of Phuket,” and some of the other Thai Wats – that’s Wat’s Up, Doc!

Retirement is not without Hassles: “Irish” for a Cookie #879

March 17, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s another day in the life. I slept well, avoiding alcohol and too many Diet Cokes. It was “Movie Night” so I didn’t go to bed with a full stomach, settling for a bottle of water while we watched Captain Marvel rediscover her identity. Today is St. Patrick’s Day while little is planned. The dogs are of course excited about the potential of a “Schnauzerton,” and keep peeking around the corner of my office door to see if I am ready. I’ve already done with strength and stretching exercises, so we’re all waiting on my wife to start this traditional weekend activity.

It looks like Spring has finally sprung with a promising weather forecast and blue skies. We’ll start the day in the 40’s for once so those participating in the annual Shamrock Run will not have to struggle with rain and cold. No hats or gloves necessary! It’s been a few years since my last participation, but I’ve religiously continued to get my miles in for the last 3,728 consecutive days. Mostly it’s been on my own, but the “Schnauzerthons” allow the dogs and my wife to join me in completing another day of “streaking.” As I look back, the last organized run that I did was Hood To Coast nearly seventeen months ago. Prior to that, it was a Dick Induki Foundation 5k fun run that my wife’s company helped sponsor. Although I once had aspirations of completing another marathon, I feel that running everyday is enough of a challenge at my age. Training for a marathon could lead to injuries that could halt “The Streak.”

Lately, I’ve been able to feel the weight of the chocolate chip cookie frenzy that I’ve been battling. As a result, there are a few extra pounds on my frame, especially around my waistline. I have managed to continue to stay away from bread, potatoes, pasta, and even movie popcorn, but sweets are my true nemesis in the battle of the bulge. I’m still at least 10 pounds lighter than I was when I was working two years ago, but have lost some self discipline in the past few months. My wife continues to make healthy meals at home, but when we travel I often lose control. The only advantage to being on the road is there aren’t the chocolates and cookies associated with being a homebody with easy access to the cookie jar. I ask her not to buy them, then complain when the cupboards are bare. As the chief shopper, she simply can’t win when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth (or should I say teeth). This is why they call me the Cookie Monster. (See Poem and Post #155).

My DNA shows that my Banister family members were mostly from England, Scotland, and Wales, but 13% were from Ireland and Scotland. My adoption report indicates that the father’s “ancestry was Irish.” That should make today special for me and my Irish blood. I doubt that I will have a green beer, and we will not be having my wife’s traditional corn beef and cabbage for dinner this year, only because ribs and corn was on sale. We do, however, have an assortment of iced St. Patrick’s themed cookies to add to my flabby waistline. There are also chocolate chip cookies left to finish before we head to Thailand. “Irish” for a cookie right now!

Retirement is not without Hassles: Streak Stopper #865

March 6, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

As I was part-way through my run this morning, a car drove up beside me. The driver had a familiar face so I pulled out my ear buds and shook her hand. It had been 49 days since we met in almost the same exact spot, along my usual neighborhood running course. On that day, I began to stagger uncontrollably and eventually stumbled into the street. I thought for a moment that I might have had a stroke. She saw me sitting at the side of the road and offered assistance. I told her that I had not lost consciousness and seemed able to communicate my situation. A few minutes later, she drove me home.

When I saw her this morning, I was immediately grateful for her unselfish actions. I’m sure she was late for work and the last thing she wanted was a total stranger in her car. She was also very insistent that I go to the Emergency Room for some tests. After she carefully escorted me to my front door, my wife took me to the Hospital. I think her name was Amy, but I had no way to contact her and express my thanks until we crossed paths again.

This morning I had that chance, but traffic kept our conversation short. I was able to tell her that the battery of tests proved negative and that dehydration was probably the cause. I’m sure I’ll see her again, since our morning routines seem to occasionally intersect. I run every day at about the same time before my wife leaves for the office. It’s my way of not rubbing-in my retirement, practicing the same discipline that once used to start my work day. It’s now been 3,720 consecutive days, 796 of those since leaving my cubical behind.

As I left Amy behind today and continued along my route, I thought about how fortunate I was to be running this morning. My “Streak” could have ended when she found me alongside the street. Fortunately, I was at about the mile-and-a-half mark when the dizzy spell began. The simple rule of maintaining a running streak is to complete a minimum of a mile every day. I knew I had accomplished that before we headed to the E.R., where running steaks often stop. Mine has continued another 49 days since that little stumble.

There has not been another hiccup in my “Streak” since that day, but every morning I can finish that first mile is both an honor and a blessing. I need that simple accomplishment to get tomorrow and the next day started. “The Streak” is a major part of my personal being, but I know that life is fragile. Either could end at any time, but only the running streak could start anew. I often wonder what my “Streak Stopper” will ultimately be?