Personal Running Records As I Age

When I resumed running in earnest in 2007 after a thirty-year layoff from the activity, I was fifty years old.  In the seven years between then and now there have been two opposing processes at work regarding "personal records", as they pertained to my best running times for particular distances.  Since my earlier running "records" back in the 1970s were mainly about shorter distances like the quarter mile, mile, and two-mile race, those personal marks still stand and haven't been approached in recent years.  But for the distances I have now embraced, such as 5K, 10K, 15K, half-marathon, and full marathon, I have been working on personal record times for them (especially for the longer distances).  And the first of the aforementioned processes, which is the positive effect of my training and increased fitness and endurance, has given me a good sense of progress with those records.  The main event I'm focused on now, which is the 13.1 mile half-marathon, has my personal record time at 1 hour, 50 minutes, 53 seconds...which I ran in early March, 2013 in a race in Tavares, Florida (a few miles north of Orlando) when I was 56.  Since then, due in large part to plantar fasciitis in my right foot (drastically alleviated through more adequate running shoes) and an adverse employment shift change that has upset my sleeping patterns, my general endurance and running fitness had a setback...but in recent months I have been making a comeback.  My endurance is increasing as well as my speed for the longer distances.  But it is now here, as I just turned 58 and am getting no younger, that the second process is starting to kick in: I am aging and, as this happens, new personal records will be harder and harder to come by until, finally...regardless how fit and trained I am for my age, my best times will be a thing of the past and they will gradually decline.  So while personal records are always a good thing to pursue, I need to be realistic and run for other reasons...

Racist Taunts Cause Soccer Stadium Ban in Moscow

Yesterday I was watching a UEFA Champions League soccer game between Manchester City (of England) and Russia's CSKA Moscow team, with it taking place at the latter's stadium.  The game was exciting, although disappointing (Manchester City, after building an early lead, slipped and ended up with a 2-2 draw).  However, the most remarkable thing I observed wasn't the game itself,  but the desolate, empty stadium surrounding it.  It seems that CSKA Moscow has been placed on a three-game stadium ban because of its fans' racist jeers against opposing teams' players.  And this isn't the only Russian soccer club with a problem in this area: two others have recently undergone censure for racist taunting by their fans at players whose great crime in life apparently is that they don't look like them.  I think this is sad...and a bit hypocritical,  For I remember growing up in the Cold War days when the Soviet Union, which was predominantly Russian, would endlessly propagandize against racism in America and how they, themselves, embraced  and welcomed different people from different races and cultures.  What a lot of bunk.  They're just like everyone else in the world...not better, not worse.  Racism is a problem that permeates all societies...and the ones that act as if they don't have a problem with it are probably the ones with the biggest problem...

Attended First University of Florida Football Game in 37 Years

Back in November, 1977, I was looking forward as an on-campus University of Florida student to a quiet Saturday roaming the campus and mulling over a few thoughts I had been considering.  But the day before this Saturday, which happened to feature the Gators football team homecoming game against Utah State, my mother phoned me telling me that the family of a relative she had known in childhood were inviting me to the game with them.  Not wanting to seem ungrateful (to her) or unsociable (to them), I accepted the offer and sat there suffering through what in retrospect was actually a pretty exciting game.  Florida, which had been heavily favored to run up the score over their opponent, had to come from behind in the second half to win a thrilling homecoming contest.  Those were the days...

As this year's UF homecoming game against the Missouri Tigers (a much more viable opponent) approached, Melissa told me that a friend of hers and her husband, who had tickets to a section of the stadium called Touchdown Terrace, weren't going and would we like to go in their place.  Sure, I said, and after decades I found myself back in the old football stadium...only now we were overlooking the northern end-zone...back in 1977, we'd be floating in air, with only the east and west sides existing back then.  We enjoyed the amenities, including a pleasant buffet dinner, and sat down to watch the game unfold.  I predicted it would be a close contest...was I ever wrong!

Missouri took the opening kickoff and ran it back for a touchdown, giving them a lead they would never relinquish 11 seconds into the game.  Then followed a succession of Florida errors...three interceptions, three fumbles lost, a punt returned by Missouri for a touchdown.  With 5 minutes to go just in the third quarter, the Tigers had built up an insurmountable 42-0 lead.  Florida was able to mount two concluding drives to bring the final score a little closer at 42-13.   It was a pretty humiliating defeat, yet on paper it looked as if (if you disregard the turnovers) Florida easily outplayed Missouri, doubling them up in total yardage and first downs, and with a greater time of possession, third down efficiency...and fewer penalties.

The problem with Florida's performance was that Muschamp attached too much loyalty to Jeff Driskel as the regular starting quarterback and, despite his obvious difficulties in passing accuracy and managing the offense, kept putting him back in there.  I remember a different Gator coach, Steve Spurrier, who was fortunate to have one year, in Terry Dean, the top-ranking passer in the Southeastern Conference.  But because Dean wasn't performing to Spurrier's high standards, he sacked him in mid-season in favor of Danny Wuerffel...who later went to on win the Heisman Trophy and lead his team to the 1996 national championship.  What a difference between Spurrier and the present coach!  After yet another dismal performance by Driskel, I even wonder whether Muschamp will STILL stick with him when they face Georgia in a couple of weeks. Florida's only two scores were both engineered with backup quarterback Treon Harris managing the offense, and he showed confidence and poise.  But regardless who was in there, it was plain to me that Florida's offensive line had a meltdown Saturday night, creating many quarterback sacks, fumbles, and "hurry-ups" (for both Driskel and Harris).  And, dang it, when one of Driskel's passes did hit its target, the receiver was as likely as not to let it slip right through his hands.  Another problem area with the Gators was their slipshod kick and punt return coverage.  But the defense had a pretty good day, considering everything else.  Maybe this game was Muschamp's swan song as head coach, maybe not...but I don't think very many people around here in Gainesville have much confidence in him any more...

In spite of what was happening on the field, though, Melissa and I enjoyed our experience at the stadium...although I wish I had brought a pair of earplugs to mitigate the extreme loudness of the place.  The band, cheerleaders, announcers... you name it, were all great, and they stuck in there with the same spirit even long after the game was a lost cause.  And the fans were pretty revved up as well, almost all standing up in the bleacher sections for almost the entire game and participating in the noisemaking and the "Gator chomp".  Yes, we had a great time.  Hope they resolve this coaching and quarterback mess somehow, but I'm not losing any sleep over it...

San Francisco Will Play Kansas City in 2014 World Series

The 2014 Major League Baseball World Series has been set, and the pairing is unexpected: Kansas City vs. San Francisco, both wild card teams.  However, this isn't the first such matchup: in 2002, Anaheim and San Francisco, both also wild card entries that year,  played their exciting seven-game World Series, with the Angels winning it.  But this year is the first that both wild card teams had to get by that tense (and silly) one-game playoff just to get to the regular divisional playoff series.  And that's quite a feat for even one team!

I have to admit to a little disappointment that Baltimore couldn't at least get a couple of wins in their 4-0 sweep by the Royals for the American League pennant, but am very happy with the National League outcome: I've come to enjoy following the Giants, and beating the pesky St. Louis Cardinals in the process (four games to one) for the pennant was just icing on the cake!  In spite of the lopsided series win-loss totals, though, the games themselves have each been close, exciting contests that have often gone to extra innings to decide.  These types of games really display the value of the team as a whole, with its substitutes and relief pitcher lineup playing significant roles in the late innings (as well as managerial decisions regarding them)...if they hadn't come through as they did for KC and SF, they wouldn't have gotten this far.

So now it's the World Series, and I have my clear favorite: San Francisco.  If the Royals want to win two or three games in the process, I won't begrudge them that concession, though. The first game is slated for this coming Tuesday evening, to be played in Kansas City...

Opposition Criticism of Presidents Following Pattern

It's become pretty apparent to me, for the past few decades with several U.S. presidents from both major political parties taking their turns living in the White House, that those in opposition, regardless whose party they identify themselves with, follow a similar pattern in expressing that opposition.  So the guy you didn't want got elected, did he? Well, for one, he stole the election because of whatever reason (Florida fiasco in 2000, voter "suppression" laws, the president-elect supposedly wasn't born in the U.S., voter fraud, dirty campaigning...you name it).  Also, he is incompetent and foolish/stupid, while at the same time is a devious, sinister mastermind of such villainy that he has become a dictator.  And this administration, which you didn't vote for, is setting all kinds of records for being the most corrupt in history!  Impeach, impeach, impeach!!! Oh, and whoever is in there, in spite of all the scapegoating on him for every single misfortune that arises anywhere during his term in office, is really only a powerless puppet being manipulated behind the scenes by a shadow power.  And the people who voted him into power are obviously stupid and foolish, allowing him and his party to get their votes by manipulating their emotions on hot-button issues (gay rights, flag-burning, wealth inequality, and so on).  They're only stupid and foolish, though, if they didn't vote for YOUR guy, who obviously has the best interests of everyone at heart...right?

Currently Reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Abraham's The Dragon's Path

I am currently in the process of reading two different books: Leo Tolstoy's late nineteenth century classic Anna Karenina and, much more recently written, Daniel Abraham's initial book in his ongoing fantasy Coin and Dagger series, titled The Dragon's Path.  I am a third of the way done with each book...both are very well written but I'm experiencing different reactions so far to each of them.  In Anna Karenina, I find myself in the unenviable position of being committed to reading a long novel that, at least for myself, contains no characters for whom I feel any sense of empathy.  They're all obnoxious, self-absorbed scoundrels, from what I've read so far! But I'm ready to give Tolstoy the benefit of the doubt and see what he has in store for the rest of the book.  Empathy is no problem at all, though, with Abraham's The Dragon's Path.  My problem here is that the author apparently has set out to recreate the dynamics of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, with the names and locales changed.  There's a Tyrion-like character in it, as well as one resembling Ned Stark...along with another reminding me of his daughter Arya.  And there's a counterpart here to the troublesome Lannister family as well.  But it's fun reading and I'm prepared to see how the author will make his series distinct in character from Martin's...

Soccer: League Teams Play Better Than National Teams

Every few weeks during the international soccer season, the various leagues which are scattered across the continents interrupt their schedules and the top players from each country regroup into their national teams to play in tournaments.  For me, I don't care too much for these "superteams": one, they inspire a spirit of often jingoistic nationalism among fans...two, there is more to a team than just throwing together some star players occasionally.  In soccer, as in other team sports, the players on a team need to get to know each other well, especially when it comes to passing the ball and positioning themselves in order to be in the optimal offensive and defensive locations, depending how the game is going at any particular moment.  For eleven players on the field to be able to work well like this together requires a great deal of practice and game experience, something that simply is unavailable to national teams.  Maybe the only exception to this is every four years during the World Cup, which takes place prior to most of the leagues' regular seasons (although not for the U.S.) and affords more of a continuity to better prepare the players on national teams to raise their level of play.  But to stage these national team tournaments in the middle of the league regular season?  I don't get it...

I was dismayed the other night while watching one of these games, this one pitting the United States against Ecuador.  I missed the early part, during which the U.S. managed to score a goal against their South American opponent. While watching their performance, which was sluggish and uncoordinated, I marveled how they could have managed even that one goal.  Anyway, Ecuador did come back late in the match to tie it 1-1.  But it was obvious on both sides, and especially for the U.S. team, that these players were not comfortable playing with each other...and why not?  Their strongest ties were with their league teams.  I personally doubt that the American national team would have a shot at beating ANY of the English Premier League teams...even those at the bottom of the standings like Burnley or Queens Park Rangers.  I even think they'd probably have their hands full against an MLS team in the United States like Seattle or D.C. United.  No, I don't care for these national teams...just give me league play or tournaments involving intact league teams...

Just Finished Reading Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

I just finished reading science fiction writer Robert Heinlein's 1966 novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.  Its general theme is the struggle of the moon's inhabitants, in the year 2076, for independence against the Earth that has been exploiting them while imposing authoritarian rule.
Originally a penal colony for the Earth's convicts (reminiscent of Australia's original role in the British Empire), the moon's population by 2076 is overwhelmingly "free", i.e. non-criminals who are mainly the inmate/exiles' offspring and descendants.  Due to the high ratio of men to women here, women are not only highly exalted, but a new form of marriage, the "line" marriage, which is comprised of many husbands and wives in one compact, has taken hold.  The chief protagonist is Manuel "Mannie" O'Kelly, who occupies a special niche in that he apparently is the only one on Luna (which is the proper name for the moon) who can communicate with the supercomputer that controls the telecommunications and life-support systems for the inhabitants.  And he has developed a personal, conversational rapport with "Mike", its mutually agreed upon name.  Mannie is apathetic to the growing resistance movement against the Earth's rule over Luna, but the ensuing plot entangles him with rebel characters (the beautiful Wyoming ("Wyoh") and the anarchist Professor Bernardo).  Together, with Mike as the "commander", they form the initial and topmost cell of an intricate resistance network that is well-nigh impossible for the authorities to break through informants and arrests.  Does the revolt succeed? Well, let's just say that Heinlein has obviously invested a great amount of time and thought determining the factors involved in a successful overthrow, and Mannie's group applies them with zeal.  But the main strategic goal in garnering independence from Earth, which is not to conquer the occupying power but rather to convince it that the political and economic cost of maintaining control isn't worth the effort, has a direct application to what had been going on in 1966, when this novel was published: the U.S. effort to subdue the Communists in Vietnam...which was eventually abandoned because of popular opposition at home, not military defeat abroad.

I was impressed by the attention to detail that Heinlein gave to describing society on Luna, a world inhabited almost completely underground (making it more three-dimensional than on Earth) and which has a thriving, functional economy and system of justice and social mores parallel to, but distinct from, that recognized by the "official" Earth government stationed there.  This is one of those books whose significance has not faded with time...Heinlein's ideas matter today as much as then, even though we never did around to establishing ourselves on the moon. Our current president says we don't need to go back because we've "already been there".  Brilliant.

And on a more speculative note, I wonder how much influence, if any, Heinlein's talking, sentient supercomputer Mike had on Arthur C Clarke's computer Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, which came out on the big screen the following year...

Football Suspensions, Due Process

This week in Southeastern Conference football has been marked by two suspensions of star players.  One is Florida's backup quarterback, freshman Treon Harris, who heroically brought his team back from behind in the second half against Tennessee and was possibly slated to take over the starting role.  The other is Georgia's phenomenally talented running back Todd Gurley, whose multitude of long runs had propelled himself into this year's Heisman Trophy discussion.  Harris' trouble came after a woman filed a sexual assault complaint against him, it allegedly happening the Sunday morning following the Tennessee game, and Gurley's after it was revealed that the NCAA was investigating him for violating their rules by selling his own autographs.  In both cases, their colleges immediately suspended him from football...Florida went a step further and banned Harris from campus and classes, only allowing him to take on-line courses.  Just a couple of days ago, though, the woman withdrew the complaint... although her lawyer stated that she might refile it on another day...and Harris was "cleared" of the accusation without ever having been officially charged for the alleged crime.  The University then fully reinstated him, although he will miss tonight's Gator game against LSU.  As for Gurley, he is not accused of anything yet, and what he is being investigated for is no crime but rather an infraction of a private organization's rules.  Yet he will suffer an indefinite suspension unless that investigation results in his exoneration.

Sexual assault is a very serious matter, as it should be...and it is also a very big "hot button" social issue, which is certain to inflame many people to anger and a spirit of vengeance when they hear of it.  But just being accused of something does not automatically imply guilt, and I had been under the impression that one of the factors making our society here in America more civilized is the concept of "due process", whereby one so accused is presumed innocent until an orderly and rational process of presenting evidence and witnesses, all subject to scrutiny and cross-examination, can determine guilt or innocence.  With the lack of convincing evidence or the withdrawal of the accusation, the accused should not have to suffer under a cloud of suspicion for the alleged crime and should be treated as an innocent person.  Popular opinion should play no role in his or her treatment.  But I believe the University of Florida, influenced by the public relations angle of the case, decided to presume guilt upon Harris with its knee-jerk suspension and ban.  As for Gurley, he is also being treated unfairly right now, regardless whether investigation ultimately bears out his guilt or not.  No, universities are not a part of the judicial system, and the concept of due process, as it has been strictly interpreted by the law, pertains to that judicial system, not independent organizations.  But due process IS now almost universally considered to be an essential element of fairness in our society and needs to be practiced wherever it can...

October Running Mileage Over 100 After Ten Days

My running mileage has spiked drastically over the past few days...in fact, in the first ten days of October, I've run 102 miles.  This may be the most I've ever run in a ten-day period, and that includes my marathon-training period of late 2010-early 2011.  But then I was going on very long, single runs while now, my runs are broken up throughout the day into smaller units.  I'm not sure, but I think this way it is not taking the same toll on my legs and feet as it did before.  Eventually, though, I do want to do some long runs as I'd like to get back into running half-marathon races.  But first things first: I'll see how well this new strategy works for me, at least during the next few days...

Just Finished Reading William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

Recently I read one of William Faulkner's novels, his fifth one, titled As I Lay Dying.  In it Faulkner relates the tale of a rural Mississippi family, the Bundrens, as they deal with the circumstances surrounding the mother, Addie, and her sickness and death...and her wish to be buried many miles away in a town called "Jefferson".  Her husband, Anse, goes along with that wish...but he has his own selfish agendas, one of which is to buy himself some "new teeth" for his rotted mouth, and the other...a shocker which is only revealed at the story's end.  In the process, while the entire family goes on the trek to carry Addie's corpse to the eventual burial site...slowly by a mule-drawn cart...he proceeds to bleed his own children of their own property, money, and health,  with little regard to their sufferings.    In this family are three grown sons (Cash, Darl, Jewel), a young son (Vardaman) and one daughter (teenager Dewey Dell). Each family member has their own story to tell, as well as some of the people surrounding them in the story.  And that's how Faulkner presents this tale...filtered through the perspectives of the various characters involved, without a unifying narrative.  Sometimes this makes the story a little difficult to follow, but eventually it all comes together.  By far the most interesting (and compelling) of these perspectives is that of Vardaman, who as a little boy sees everything going around him with open, innocent eyes and with often hilarious, often sad interpretations.  I found myself looking forward, as I made my way through As I Lay Dying, for the next "Vardaman" section...

As I Lay Dying was adapted to film in 2013 by James Franco, who not only directed it but starred as Darl Bundren.  As it was available on Netflix, I watched it after finishing the book.  Although Franco did a masterful job of adhering to the book's format, plot, and characterizations, those "Vardaman" sections that I had enjoyed so much had been significantly cut, sad to say.  Still, I heartily recommend the movie, as well as the book...although you must understand that this literary/cinematic experience may mess with your emotions a bit.  It did for me...

2014 Baseball Playoffs Reach League Championship Series Stage

Now that the divisional series have all finished in this 2014 Major League Baseball season playoffs, we are left with four surviving teams: Baltimore and Kansas City in the American League...and St. Louis and San Francisco in the National League.  The Royals and Giants, the wild-card one-game winners, have continued their momentum and knocked off teams originally thought to be favorites (Los Angeles Angels and Washington, respectively).  The Orioles and Cardinals (who are coming off impressive series wins against Detroit and the LA Dodgers) are both well-managed teams, both with a strong sense of unity and a strong bullpen...crucial in those later innings after the starting pitcher, no matter how strong he has pitched earlier, begins to tire and becomes vulnerable.  Just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose star-studded lineup could not save them against the Cardinals when their starters (especially Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw) could not depend on relief pitching to help them out when they began to fade in the 6th and 7th innings.  Baltimore and St. Louis, on the other hand, are rock-strong with their relief pitching...and for this reason, I pick them to make it to the World Series.  However, my personal preference is to see Baltimore face off against San Francisco...with the Giants ultimately prevailing.

The League Championship Series begin Friday with Baltimore playing Kansas City while St. Louis plays San Francisco, beginning on Saturday.  I expect some exciting, well-played games in these upcoming series...

Upcoming Election Highlights Florida Governor Race

On Tuesday, November 4, the mid-term elections will be held.  Where I'm at, the elections run from the state-wide governor's race to the local county commission, with some local and state taxing and constitutional amendment questions as well.  It would be a good idea not to wait the day before voting to get as much information on the candidates and issues...that is, assuming you're going to make the effort to get out and vote on Election Day (or in the preceding days comprising the early voting period).

The main election for the state of Florida is for governor, with incumbent Republican Rick Scott facing off against his immediate predecessor, now-Democratic Charlie Crist (there's a strong Libertarian Party candidate as well).  The television ad campaign has been full of vile mudslinging and misrepresentation.  Regardless of which side you're supporting, I can't walk away from this campaign thinking that whoever gets elected will have serious image (and, ultimately, leadership) problems to contend with as sitting governor.  As for me, I can handle either's election, although I think Crist would make the better governor for the next four years as he doesn't subscribe to a narrow ideological viewpoint like Scott.  I also think that the accusation that Crist abandoned the Republican Party is absurd when the opposite is in fact the case.  As is the charge that he was responsible for the high unemployment rate during his earlier term in office...when in fact that was part of the nationwide severe recession that arose from the banking crisis that happened at the close of the George W. Bush presidency.  I also am critical of Scott for his unreasonable hostility toward President Obama...whether one likes it or not, in a democracy you campaign and vote for your side, but if the other wins then you respect the office they hold and deal with them in a respectful manner.  It doesn't mean you have to hug the guy (which is something that hounds Crist among his right-wing detractors), but you can at least treat him as if he weren't a usurping enemy of the people.  And the pro-Scott ads trashing Crist's past and present association with our current president?  They seem to have forgotten that Obama carried Florida in both 2008 and 2012...

English Soccer Regular Season Permeated with Tournaments

I had written before about how I was surprised that soccer in England isn't just about the various teams going through the regular season, but that the top teams are also involved in the European soccer championship series, the advancing rounds of which are interspersed between regular season league games.  As it turns out, I was only scratching the surface of the presence of soccer tournaments within the regular season.  For there are two other very prominent championship tournaments ongoing in English soccer, and they involve the English leagues themselves: the Football League Cup and the FA Cup.

In the Football League Cup, all 92 teams within the top-four tiers of English soccer (Premier League, Championship, League 1, and League 2) face off in a series of knockout rounds to produce a final champion.  Although the Premier League teams are obviously the heavy favorites here, there are many instances of a lower-tier club defeating a higher one.  In fact, tier-four Bradford City actually made it all the way to the championship game in 2013!  I thought it was cool that lower-level teams got to play against the "big guys"...that is, until I discovered the FA Cup...

In English soccer, there are many, many levels in the league structure.  In the top ten tiers, there are over 700 teams.  And in the FA Cup tournament every year, each and every one of them has a shot at winning it!  Yes, theoretically, a 10th-tier team could win the whole thing...but it's highly unlikely, as you might imagine.  Still, I'd like to keep up with the FA Cup, as well as the Football League Cup...not to mention that heretofore mentioned UEFA Champions League dealing with the overall European team championship...

Just Finished Reading Brandon Sanderson's The Hero of Ages

I just finished read the supposedly final book in fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy, titled The Hero of Ages.  I say "supposedly" because Sanderson is producing two more trilogies from his "mistborn" theme.  I'll probably get around to reading them, which are works in progress (and projected works) on the author's part.  But for now, at least, I finished another fantasy series...and this one was a winner!

In The Hero of Ages, what had originally, in the first two books, been an uprising of the people, led by "allomantic" (employing ingested metals to attain superhuman abilities) heroes Kelsier and Vin, against the tyrannical Lord Ruler and later against competing lords and their armies, has ultimately come down to a struggle against two entities: Ruin, the force of destruction and decay, and the Presever, who protects human life and is responsible for the mists that permeate the night...and recently, the daytime.  Kelsier had sacrificed his own life for the cause at the end of book #1...or did he? For he seems to reappear in The Hero of Ages.  But is that really Kelsier? This is one of the mysteries that the final book sets out to solve, and there are others as well.  Among these are special, strange entities such as the Steel Inquisitors, the Koloss, and the Kandra.  Another mystery, resolved at the end, is the relationship between the three types of metal-induced supernatural abilities that certain individuals possess: allomancy, ferochemy, and hemalurgy...and how they relate to the conflicting agendas of Ruin and the Preserver, along with the curious presence of the falling ash and the mists.  Sounds a bit complicated, but Sanderson masterfully manages it all and presents it well.  I was very impressed by the ending of Hero of Ages, which brings closure to the trilogy while leaving a future that might be written about in another (and which apparently is).  Mistborn is, to me, definitely a "must-read" in the fantasy genre.  You won't be disappointed!

Today's Florida-Tennessee Game Seen as a Survival Contest By Many

Today's University of Florida football game is an early one, starting at noon in Knoxville against the University of Tennessee.  Both the Gators and Volunteers see this as a pivotal game in their seasons, as they both are proud schools with winning traditions but recent hard times.  This is more a survivor's game than anything, for the loser will most definitely become stamped within their own community as a failure...even if they go on to a winning season and bowl appearance.  Tennessee may be able to withstand a loss better than Florida: so far this year,the Gators actually have won the games they were expected to win and their one loss was to powerhouse Alabama on the road...but try telling that to some of their many unreasonable fans, who expect perfection from them week after week.  Well, that lot will probably never be satisfied with anything the Gators do. Even if they win today's game, they'll find something negative to focus on and crow about, probably culminating in yet another call to sack coach Will Muschamp and bench starting quarterback Jeff Driskel.  But I've seen this scenario play out every season since poor Ron Zook's first season in 2002 to succeed legend Steve Spurrier as head coach.

Maybe my attitude makes me not as much of a Florida fan as others see themselves, but I'm quite happy to have a moderately successful team that challenges for their divisional title...and makes it to their very competitive conference's title game every once and a while.  And in that regard, the Gators are square in the driver's seat. A loss to Tennessee, for me, would surely be a disappointment.  But as Billy Preston once expressed in his old 1973 summertime hit Will It Go Round in Circles, it's O.K. to "let the bad guy win every once in a while"...

Just Finished Reading Ken Follett's Code to Zero

I have just finished reading my first Ken Follett novel, this one titled Code to Zero.  The story, set in the year 1958 just as America is trying to enter the space race against the Soviet Union by launching its first rocket into space, begins in a familiar way (I think I've seen this scenario in old movies): a man wakes up one morning and discovers that he no longer remembers anything about himself and his job, family, or friends.  Also, there seem to be people watching and pursuing him...this can't be good!  Eventually, our hero, whose name is Charles "Luke" Lucas, discovers that he is a top scientist deeply involved in that impending rocket launch.  Apparently, he had discovered something serious about it and was on the way to Washington to talk about it with a friend in the CIA, Anthony Carroll, when his world went blank on him.  Now, as he tries to recover his own memory and orientation with the help of Billie Josephson, an old flame from his past who is an expert in memory, he discovers that people are out to kill him in order to prevent him from carrying something out that he has no idea of.  Sounds a bit to me like the old Gregory Peck movie thrillers Spellbound and Mirage!

Naturally, I won't give away the resolution to Code to Zero...but this novel does go into the Cold War tension and competition so preeminent in the 1950s between the USA and USSR.  It also examines the fledgling technology used in rocket science (some of the chapter-heading information Follett presents in this regard is a bit esoteric for me), as well as making the claim that our government, as Joseph McCarthy once claimed, was really, truly infested with pro-Soviet spies.  I enjoyed the mainly escapist ride through the book and felt that Follett accomplished his mission in writing it (at least what I think his mission probably was): tell a story in a suspenseful manner about an interesting topic while presenting compelling characters in a way that draws out the reader's empathy or ire.  Nothing fancy, but well written within its own limitations.  So with this book behind me, I'm prepared to seek out some more Follett material...

My September 2014 Running Report

In September, my running mileage rose dramatically, ending the month at 202.3 miles.  This amount was achieved by running multiple times per day.  And I ran on every day of the month.  The longest single run I did in September was 8 miles.  As I end this productive running month, though, my body overall feels a bit sore and I may decide to take a day or two off from running before resuming.  I had been considering entering the Jacksonville Marines Half-Marathon next Saturday, but had decided against it, mainly because it hasn't cooled down enough yet.  Maybe by the end of next month, conditions may become more conducive for me running a half-marathon race  (i.e., more autumn-like weather).  If so, there's one scheduled in Apalachicola on the 27th...

Interesting Potential 2014 World Series Pairings

Now that the 2014 regular season has finished in Major League Baseball, we have the ten teams that have made the playoffs.  In one-game-series on Tuesday and Wednesday for the wild-card teams, Kansas City plays Oakland and Pittsburgh plays San Francisco.  The winners will play further in the divisional playoffs, eventually culminating in the World Series, pitting the American League champion against that from the National League.  Here are the teams this year that made the playoffs:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore Orioles
Detroit Tigers
Los Angeles (Anaheim) Angels
Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington Nationals
St.Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants

This selection of teams offers several tantalizing prospects for potential World Series match-ups:

Baltimore vs. Washington: these two teams are neighbors, just a few miles down the road from each other.  Also, Washington (formerly the Montreal Expos) as a franchise have never been to the World Series, so their appearance would be special regardless of their opponent.

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh: The last two times the Pirates were in the World Series, they won in dramatic fashion, 4 games to 3, in 1971 and 1979...and their opponent each time was the Baltimore Orioles.  No doubt the birds would like a little revenge, however belatedly.

Baltimore vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: this probably wouldn't be that exciting of a Series rematch, but the Orioles did humiliate the Dodgers 4-0 in the 1966 Series.

Detroit vs. St. Louis: in the 1968 World Series, Detroit came from behind to beat the Cardinals; St.Louis handled the Tigers in 2006.  Maybe there's a rivalry here.

Detroit vs. San Francisco: just two years ago, the Giants shut down the Tigers in a World Series sweep...something that I'm sure Detroit would like to do something about this year.

Kansas City vs. St.Louis: the Royals beat the Cardinals in the Missouri Series of 1985, largely on a controversial "safe-at-first" call late in the sixth game...and haven't been back since.  A rematch would definitely be interesting, especially for the revenge-minded Cardinals.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: an all-LA series would be great, especially with such strong representatives of this area in 2014.

Los Angeles Angels vs. San Francisco: the Giants bowed to the Angels in the 2002 World Series...so aside from the north-south state rivalry, there is a payback factor in this potential pairing.

Oakland vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: these two franchises have traded World Series victories in the past, with the Athletics winning in 1974 and the Dodgers prevailing in 1988.  This match-up also has intrastate rivalry connotations.

These are just a few of the possible pairings for this season's World Series. But who do I want to see in it?

Baltimore and Pittsburgh again, but I think it's most likely to be an all-LA Series!

Stacking Up the Running Mileage Saturdays

For each of the past four Saturdays, I have amassed on each day cumulative running totals of more than than 10 miles.  I would typically have a reasonable run of about 5 miles and then make up the rest of the total with numerous, smaller runs spanning the rest of the day.  This month, I have had Saturday running mileage totals of 14, 16, 11, and (yesterday) 14.  My longest run yesterday happened to be 8 miles, which gives me a good amount of confidence when considering to enter upcoming half-marathon events.  I think I'll just continue with this "double-digit running miles" Saturday concept and make it a tradition...