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Golden Spoon

One of my runners is a cousin to Ryan Hall, America's reigning distance running phenom. He spent a little time at the Hall compound up in Big Bear over the holidays, and got a little taste of what life is like among the elite. Basically, the cycle goes like this: get up, run, eat, nap, repeat. The afternoon includes a visit to Golden Spoon for a dollop of frozen yogurt, then it's back at it. From reading the training plans of the Kenyans, I know their plan is something similar, only without the Golden Spoon. That's gotta be a tough life, but that's what it takes to make 26 consecutive sub-5:00 miles look effortless.

Running Lion

Like Springsteen fans everywhere, I'm wondering two things right now: what will he play at the Super Bowl halftime show? ("Working on a Dream" is a given. Maybe "Born to Run." Hopefully something either new or obscure); and, whether or not he'll tour in support of the new album, due in stores late next month. The fact that this is the focus of my current workweek points to the fact that this is a holiday week, a time with a decidedly laid back vibe. I don't have any deadlines (wait, I have one. I still owe Babbitt a piece on my trail race), and I'm trying to do simple things like plan my coming year and take my sons to the movies. That, and work off the holiday junk around my waistline.

Instant Classic

The Los Angeles Times is calling yesterday's New York Giants - Carolina Panthers game an "instant classic," which may or may not be true, but it's certainly an oxymoron. When I think of classic, I think of an individual or an event or an album or a movie that has stood the test of time. So with that in mind, I will reserve comment on the Giants-Panthers game. But with this being the holiday season -- a time when classics abound -- I thought it might be relevant to think of a few of my own favorite classics.

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I should start by saying that it'd been an interesting week. The budget for my movie ballooned $900,000 in a matter of hours, though I'm not sure why. The new challenge, of course, is finding that money. SO if any of you have an amount somewhere in that vicinity tucked under a sofa cushion, please to let me know. Zoiks! That one was a shocker. But with principal photography begun as of 6 a.m this morning, failure is not an option. I'll get it done.

Trail Party

Hey All. Just back from Hawaii. As promised, ran the XTERRA World Trail Running Championships on Sunday. Finished 9th in my age-group, despite being untrained and over-carb'ed (I've been eating my stress, which is a nice way to say I look a little thick right now).

Fading Into Anonymity

In watching the Track and Field Olympic Trials this past week, I was constantly struck by the inordinate amount of attention dedicated to the sprint events. Tyson Gay's cramp in the 200 received more air time than the Men's 10,000 meter final, Alyson Felix's desperate desire to qualify in the 200 after failing in the 100 was treated as a national emergency, and NBC just couldn't get enough of those sprint heats, showing every last one of them ad infinitum.