PSU Track Alums Head To The Big And Small Screens!

First up, Mike Pfaff's movie Lazarus Rising will be featured at the Action On Film Festival on Sept. 22.  Mike is nominated as the Best Breakout Action Star!

And Ryan McGarry MD will soon have his creation Code Black premeire on CBS for the new season.  I'm hoping to become their Podiatric expert.  Fingers crossed...

Here's the trailer for Ryan's documentary movie (I once got a "C" in a graduate level documentary film class in PSU)!



Here's a preview of the CBS show, which is a comedy-drama, and has one of my favorite actors of all-time in it, Luis Guzman!  Ryan is an Executive Director. Very powerful stuff.

Back To Physics: A Doorway To Another Universe

Stephen Hawking can do just 2 things:

1. Move a couple of eye muscles,  AND
2. Think about things none of the rest of us can fathom.

But somehow he can still make our understanding of the world both bigger and more bizarre.  It turns out that Black Holes may not be the end so much as a new beginning. It's all very interesting and yet headache inducing at the same time.  I think I will stick to the Universe I'm currently occupying, even though I'm pretty much anonymous in it.

Hands Up, Don't Win

Learning the hard way that other people may want the medal more than you.



Molly Huddle should just embrace it and smile.  It won't be going away.  Being the Bill Buckner of American track and field would be something I would find fun.  But I doubt she will ever get to that place.

A Big Man With Intelligence And Humility

And an awful lot of talent!

Blazing Lions

Well, blazer Lions to be accurate.

The awards jackets for Lettermen have certainly changed over the years, even if the Varsity "S" blankets haven't.

Greg Fredericks, circa 1969.

Larry Mangan and Mine, 1978.

Dennis Pollow, 2010.

World Champion!

In an event with more twists and turns than a cheap spy novel, Joe Kovacs bested the world with a toss of 21.93M (71' 11.25") in the Shot Put at the Bird's Nest in Beijing China.  It was one of the most exciting events ever and Joe saved his best for near the end.  And he needed it to top his main rival David Storl, the other Americans, and a surprise bronze medalist in O'Dayne Richards from Jamaica.

Congratulations to Joe.  I'm proud to have met him, tossed a shot (or is it a put?) or two with him at a previous reunion, AND he didn't beat me into a pulp!

1		Joe Kovacs	USA	21.93
2		David Storl	GER	21.74
3		O'Dayne Richards	JAM	21.69	NR
4		Tomas Walsh	NZL	21.58	AR
5		Reese Hoffa	USA	21.00
6		Tomasz Majewski	POL	20.82	SB

The Joe Kovacs Story

Disappointed

Casimir Loxsom found himself in the lead in his heat in the opening round of the World Championships in China.  It wasn't what he wanted or prepared for.  He admits he panicked and his inability to hold on after a slow first lap was the result. He finished sixth in his heat and will not move on to the Semi-Finals.  But he isn't making any excuses or putting blame on anyone else.  His critics will pounce, but I think he'll just redouble his efforts and start fresh for next year's trials.

Photo courtesy of Dick Geiger.

"Disappointed, but I won't walk away with any excuses.  Raced like a kid today but there's hunger and hard work in the near future. #moretocome"

 

Final Submissions Before The World Championships Begin

 Follow the IAAF action on your phone with the Android or iPhone app. iPhone   Android

Two Nittany Lions made the top 25 Pennsylvania athletes to watch in 2015-2016 from the Breitbart News source.  (The right-wing site started by the guy that hilariously hijacked the Anthony Weiner Sexting Press Conference.)

Glen Burkhardt, Penn State, Track/Field, 5,000m Run

Lexi Masterson, Penn State, Track/Field, Pole Vault

My repost of the Old School/New School High School Cross Country season generated both scorn and adulation.  We'll leave the scorn in a basement in Staten Island NY, but report that the award winning Once Upon a Time In the Vest blog is going to repost it to a wider audience.  George Brose identified with numerous items on the list and even provided proof I was correct all along.

Coach Tom Farrell of St. Johns with texting athlete. (Wut R U doin?)

I wish I had a photo of the 9th grade XC runner with the neck tattoo...

Artists conception.

Hillary Clinton's father did not play football for Penn State on a scholarship, but he did play sparingly for the Nittany Lions. He was a 1934 Letterman. (Of course, my "scholarship" was one pair of New Balance, or were they Brooks, shoes which hurt my feet and I never ran in. So who am I to complain?)

Nationalism seems to be taking hold of the Beer Mile craze.  With Australia and Canada setting recent World Records, can the USA make a comeback?  (Thanks to KKOB for the link.)

"In, You Son of a B..."

It's been a while since we had a Coach Groves post.  And because I have been reposting old posts from years ago, I figured I might as well post one with Coach Groves WHILE tooting my own horn.

Coach golfed with us a few years following his retirement from coaching.  Some years he golfed 2 holes with each foursome. Some years he just dispensed beverages from a cart. I was lucky enough to golf with him and Nick K. and Paul Mundy in 2009.  For some reason Nick filmed this putt.  I have no other video of any other putts that year.  And somehow, Coach almost sank the putt, showing me the exact line I needed to take.

Nittany Lion Schedule In China

 Although my "day jobs" have kept me from scouring the schedule of the World Champs in China thoroughly, I did look up the schedule for the 2 Nittany Lions on the USA squad.  If anyone knows any Lions on other squads, let me know and we can post those also!

8/22 *    Casimir Loxsom     800M Prelims.
8/22*     Joe Kovacs              Shot Put Qualifying  
8/23*     (Joe Kovacs)            Shot Put Finals
8/23*     (Casimir Loxsom)   800M Semi-Finals
8/25*     (Casimir Loxsom)   800M Finals 
*Chinese time

The Live TV and streaming schedule:

IAAF World Championships 2015
Date	Session	Time (ET)	Network
Friday, August 21	Daytime session #1	7:30P – 1A live	Universal Sports
Saturday, August 22	Evening session #1*	3P – 4:30P *taped	NBC
	Evening session #1 (re-air NBC)	7P – 8:30P *taped	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #2	8:30P – 1A live	Universal Sports
Sunday, August 23	Evening session #2	1P – 2:30P *taped	NBC
	Evening session #2 (re-air NBC)	7P – 8:30P *taped	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #3	9:30P – 12M live	Universal Sports
Monday, August 24	Evening session #3	7A – 10A live	Universal Sports
Tuesday, August 25	Evening session #4	7A – 9A live	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #4	9:30P – 12M live	Universal Sports
Wednesday, August 26	Evening session #5	8A – 9:30A live	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #5	9:30P – 12M live	Universal Sports
Thursday, August 27	Evening session #6	7:30A – 9A live	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #6	8:30P – 1A live	Universal Sports
Friday, August 28	Evening session #7	7:30A – 10A live	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #7	7:30P – 12:30A live	Universal Sports
Saturday, August 29	Evening session #8	2:30P – 4P *taped	NBC
	Evening session #8 (re-air NBC)	5P – 6:30P *taped	Universal Sports
	Daytime session #8	7:30P – 10:30P live	Universal Sports
Sunday, August 30	Evening session #9	2P – 3:30P *taped	NBC
	Evening session #9 (re-air NBC)	5P – 6:30P *taped	Universal Sports

 

Another Dog Post To Bring Some Mirth Back To My Day

Thinking of the loss of Spot as per the previous post has got me way down today.  I don't know what's wrong with me.  I figure I'll liven things up a bit with another post about another of my dogs.

We save the fortune cookie whenever I get my weekly Kung Pao chicken (The world's greatest food) entree and bring it home for my Schipperke Cedric.  He loves them and is very careful to burst the wrapper, extract the cookie from the wrapper and eat it, leaving the fortune behind. 

Another Lazy Post: A Reprint Of My Ode To Spot

He was a heck of a dog.  More fight in him than on any NFL team nowadays.  And he loved the home we finally gave him...

I miss the little fellow.  He was a stray that we adopted into our zoo after he had roamed the streets for a number of years.  It took me 2 years until I could pick him up.  He had more fight in his 5 pounds than most football teams do in the NFL.  We have no idea how old he was, but it must have been ancient.  With his age came wisdom beyond his years and species.

1. Running in circles for the sake of running in circles is pleasurable most times.
2. Having one good meal and a bed of your own is really all you need most times.
3. Having friends around, even if they steal some of your food, is still worth it.
4. Barking for the sake of barking is pleasurable most times.
5. Always listen to "the big dog".
6. Work is a four-letter word ending with the letter k.  Nap is much easier. And it ends with a pee.
7. All trips to the doctor should end with a treat.
8. Never give up, never give up.
9. People are mostly good, but occasionally not. Trust, but verify.
10. Never eat the tinsel on a Christmas tree.

Cross Country Season Is Here! A Repeat Of An Old Post From 2012 Demonstrating How Old I Am

It never seems that long ago to me.  Cross Country for high school athletes sure has changed from what I remember.

Old School (1970s): Practice right after school.
New School (2012): Practice at 5:30PM, just 1 1/2 hours after they get home from school.

Old School: Practice lasts 1 1/2 hours, team meeting included. Ends on time.
New School: Practice lasts 2 1/2 hours, followed by a team meeting. Never on time.

Old School: Practice at high school, trip home by school bus.
New School:  Practice at numerous variable sites, transportation necessary both to and from.

Old School: Dual Meets twice weekly.
New School: Quad or Quintuple Meets once weekly.

Old School: Tattoos only on a spectating ex-Marine Uncle from out of town.
New School: Neck tattoos on Freshman runners.

Old School: No sunglasses.
New School: Sunglasses on an overcast day as essential running equipment.

Old School: Nike Waffles.
New School: "Barefoot" Shoes.

Old School:  Winner at about 16:00 for boys 18:00 for girls.
New School: Winner at about 16:00 for boys 18:00 for girls.

Old School:  No idea what friends are up to during practice.
New School: Tweets and Facebook updates during practice to know that friends are "chillin".

Old School: Coach is basketball coach and high school math teacher.
New School: Coach is 6-time All-American and stay-at-home-dad.

Old School: 0 assistant coaches.
New School: 6 assistant coaches.

Old School: 1 Newspaper article a year, with many facts wrong.
New School:  Blog with daily updates on minutiae of every runner's life.

Old School: Quarter mile or half mile repeats a staple.
New School: Don't know what a quarter is.

Old School: One runner with a VW van on its last legs takes a few people home.
New School: Each runner over 16 drives their own BMW, Lexus or Mercedes home.

Old School:  Cotton
New School: Lycra

Old School: Stretch
New School: Core

Old School: Fartlek
New School: Lactate-Threshold or Tempo

Now with Bonus Calvin and Hobbes Cartoon:  If  it were written today!

Calvin and Hobbes: New School:

Final Workouts Before World Championships And More Dysfunction

Both Cas Loxsom and Joe Kovacs are finishing up their last-minute preparations for the World Championships.  Joe was featured in a nice spread on FloTrack.

Casimir is being helped in his preparations by multiple (and current!) US 800M Champion Nick Symmonds.  Nick has high praise for his Nittany Lion teammate:

A particularly frustrating part of being left off ‪#‎TeamUSA‬ is not being able to travel/compete with my ‪#‎BeastTC‬ training partner @cazzylox. Cas is the most talented 800m runner I have ever trained with and will go on to do BIG things in this sport. ‪#‎Beijing2015‬ will provide Cas with some much needed international experience before ‪#‎Rio2016‬. Today I will assist him with one final workout before he departs for Asia. Please wish him GOOD LUCK in Beijing!

 And because Coach Mack wasn't there for the last workout before Cas leaves, Nick had to be the coach and try to remember the workout.  Problem solved!

And it turns out that the dysfunctional USATF have admitted that Nick Symmonds was correct all along and athletes ARE allowed to wear their own clothes in their spare time.  This was after he was left off the team.  And no one in power would admit to sending the letter telling every athlete not to bring any clothing without USA or Nike branding.  Chickensh*t, to say the least.  Nick has also decided not to sue, so the dysfunction at USATF will continue, if not accelerate...

Changing Of The Guard

I recently got a note from Will Rottler that he was moving on to other sports at PSU as Jeff Smith will be our new conduit to the team.  Will was a favorite among the Idiot Officers of our group and will be missed.  He helped cement the "Unofficial Official" (or is it Official Unofficial"?) status of our blog and was a dedicated blog reader and contributor.  I can't thank him enough. 

We are looking forward to a similar relationship with Jeff.  I hope the blog doesn't scare him off!  Remember Jeff, the golf is always optional, but highly recommended.  And the mirth is required.

He Was Like A Train

Our Chief Physicist (Nuclear Engineer!) and European Liaison Brian Boyer has checked in from his bucolic Austrian environs.  He brings us some pics of a train named in honor of one of the greats, Emil Zatopek.    He was named "the greatest runner of all time" by Runners World in 2013! It seems that Dave Felice transferred his love of trains to Brian during their overlapping careers at PSU.  But then again, Brian overlapped most of us during his extended stay in Happy Valley!

 

Emil's widow Dana, Olympic Gold Medalist in the javelin.

Casimir Loxsom Applies Some Finishing Touches For The World Championships

From Flotrack, here's a sprint workout with some very fast 2-lappers! Cas Loxsom, Mark Wieczorek and Nick Symmonds

Watch more videos on Flotrack

Let's Travel Back In Time And Put Our Heads Together

Our good friend and Philly native, Mike Fanelli dug this photo out of his voluminous garage.  His garage is actually a disguised Track and Field Museum!

That's PSU's very own Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier in the 1955 Penn Relays Program.  I think it shows what a real human being looks like when he's in the very best shape and without PEDs. Like the old photos of Jim Thorpe and even the youthful Babe Ruth.

Here's hoping that WADA and the IAAF cleans up our sport so we can get back to that!

Here'a another photo of Rosey from 1972!

The Thing With Two Heads

Updates: Can Common Sense Prevail 2 Times In A Row?

First up is the news that the University of North Carolina Wilmington has reinstated its Track and Field Program in full "for the long term".  Finally, someone recognized that an Athletic Program without Athletics is nothing!  A little common sense goes a long way.

UNCW to Continue Track

And at least one attorney with some real experience in these matters feels that Nick Symmonds has a chance to reverse the stupid and arbitrary meanderings of USATF.  At some point someone will have to use common sense.  Why not USATF?

Athletes rights attorney says USA Track & Field is wrong in the Nick Symmonds case

Cas Loxsom Made The Cover Of Track and Field News! (Sorta)

That's PSU's very own Casimir Loxsom on the left side of the photo behind a bunch of words and the right-sided gun (with gum tattoo) of Nick Symmonds.

And speaking of Nick Symmonds...  He was officially left off the World Championships team early today because he would not sign the agreement to only wear Nike branded equipment for all "official" team functions.  Which was never defined. (Still isn't)  He also didn't sign the form last year and still ran at the Indoor World Championships.  Would pooping count as a team function?  That's when I would make sure to let Nike and USATF know I was wearing the "official" uniform.

Let's analyze who the winners were in this decision:

1. Nick Symmonds                          NO
2. USATF                                        NO
3. IAAF                                           NO
4. Nike                                             NO
5. Brooks                                          NO
6. Other members of  the team         NO
7. Other members of USATF           NO
8. Track and Field Fans                   NO
9. Lawyers                                     YES

More Newsworthy Items

• Bob Timmons has passed away.  An old-school coach who learned to adapt to "modern athletes" mid-way through his career.  He took a gangly 4:21 miler and told him he would be the first ever to break 4 minutes for the mile.  And he did it...
• Here's a more articulate discussion of the current state of our sport's national governing body's self-defeating policies.
• Mathematics and sports can coexist!  (Robby Creese and John Urschel!) And it apparently coexists with fiscal sense and responsibility too.
• Most runners today use almost 1/3 of their time running thinking about how much running sucks.  I think that's because the craze finally allowed 7 and 8 hour marathoners to participate.  Of course it sucks then!
• Running used to be for real weirdos anyway.  We have Arthur Lydiard and New Zealand to thank for the craze in the end.  I blame Vegemite.  (Remember, our own Coach John Lucas started jogging in the early 50's!)
• A better explanation of the recent neutrino "gun" experiment at FermiLab.  And probably Ron Moore will accuse me of not having read it!

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Many submissions and suggestions for content on The Blog With It All!

The Mens Beer Mile World Record was set twice just hours apart.  If you're offended by Beer Miles, tough.  It is apparently a thing now.  Josh Harris from Australia got it started.

  4:56.25

The record was broken just hours later by Canadian Lewis Kent.

4:55.78

The Beer Mile World Classic is in 2 weeks in San Francisco. Both Josh and Lewis will be there.

It's THAT time of year again.  Bear Season!  And Brown Bears are always more dangerous than Black Bears.

Bear Spray may not be a good idea 

Ron Moore's former stomping grounds is back in the news!  (Don't forget to help Ron stomp out Cancer during his 100 Mile Race!)

Pitch and Catch with Quarks

USATF Needs A Bunch Of Us With A Keg Of Beer*

Maybe 5 of us, not even the brainiacs among us (and you know who you are!), with an unlimited keg of beer. could do a much better job of leading America's Track and Field hierarchy.  Hell, we could do it in our spare time without remuneration just like this blog and still do a better job.

Here's the previous post on the debacle involving the Crips and the Bloods, The Hatfield's and McCoy's and the Jets and the Sharks, which ruined America's Indoor Championships for the casual fans like me.  And all of it was enhanced and orchestrated by USATF decision makers.  It took nearly a year to come to a ridiculously easy conclusion. I wonder if they even realize how ridiculous they appear?

The USATF IS Out Of Control

Now they are going to throw Casimir Loxsom's 800M teammate, Nick Symmonds off the World Championships team because he won't wear Nike branded items to breakfast and lunch (and all the rest of the time!)!**

*I am a dues paying member of USATF, as an athlete (ha!) and a coach (ha, ha!). I deserve better than the leadership I am currently paying for.

**Loosely defined as "team functions". Although he would wear the Nike stuff in all competitions and awards ceremonies and interviews etc.

Addendum:  

 
“Right now, the campground is full of trash. And I can’t leave the sport until it’s cleaned up a little bit.”   -Nick Symmonds.

I'm "One Of Those" Treadmill Runners

Or, as Kelly O'Brien puts it, "One of their kind"!  hee hee hee  Thanks for the link, Kelly.

But there was once a time when I actually didn't even count miles done on a treadmill.  Now, almost all of my "miles" are done on a mechanical, spinning, electricity-sucking machine, my beloved Lifefitness 9500HR.  It's much better on my knees and will possibly allow me to keep doing something longer than otherwise.  Next up would be an elliptical machine matching a running stride as much as possible.  Or one of those Alter-G treadmills like PSU Track has just obtained because of the generous contributions from people in or influenced by members of our group.

The most I ever ran on a treadmill at one time was 20 miles at 9:00/mile in the Winter of 1996, getting ready for the Walt Disney World Marathon of 1997.  That was my last ever attempt at a race while actually training and being "in shape".  (I was all set for a 3:30 conquest of the 4 Theme Parks until I cramped up at the 17 mile mark and had to hobble home in just under 4:00.)

This Guy just set the World Record for Treadmill Running with 81.62 miles in 12 hours.  That's 8:48 per mile for 12 hours.  I'm not dismissing that, but that's a record that could have been trounced by many of us back in the day.  Does anyone agree?

He didn't even watch TV!

A Call To The Hall

Velveteen Playboy's Frontman and PSU vertical leaping record holder Paul Souza will be inducted into the Wheaton College Athletics Hall of Fame in October.  Paul led the Division 3 powerhouse to many titles before taking up his music full-time.

Did You Know: Paul was once in a band where Ted Lyon played lead guitar, and both had the best hair in the band!

Ted Lyon, Larry Mangan, me and Bob Gabel at early VP Concert.

Did You Know: Paul's first PSU band had my brother-in-law Steve Black on bass guitar.

Did You Know: Paul's Indoor PSU high jump record of 7' 4 1/2" in the Ice Palace (Lasch Football Complex now)  is the best ever PSU jump!

NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College Department of Athletics and Recreation is proud to announce the 2015 Wheaton College Athletics Yowell Hall of Fame class of 2015, who will be inducted on October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Wheaton’s Emerson Dining Hall.

 1999 WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD TEAM – Head Coach: Paul Souza

The first-ever national championship team in Wheaton College history, the Lyons scored 43 points to start an historical five-year national championship run in NCAA Division III women’s track and field history. Wheaton went on to win a total of eight titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons from 1999-2003 winning all five indoor NCAA championships during that stretch to become the first Division III team of either gender to capture five straight titles. Deshawnda Williams ’00 won the 400-meter dash crown in 1999 to highlight the championship squad, while the Lyons racked up 10 All-American honors total en route to the first-ever national title in Wheaton College history. Williams led the team with three All-American accolades, while Tenille Johnson ’01and Colleen Myrie ’01 earned two honors, and Amy Swanson ’99, Beth Castagno ’00, and Angela Mullins ’00 claimed one All-America award each.

This May Explain Everything!: A Physics Post

Coach Gondak has pointed out that I have been remiss in Physics content lately.  Remember, I have very little Physics knowledge.  But I enjoy it immensely, despite the 2 B's I received while at Dear Ole State.

Physicists, the kind like Sheldon Cooper at least, not the ones that actually do things like Ron Moore, postulate that our Universe is merely a simulation game being played by an advanced alien race.  There may even be evidence of it if we only knew where to look.  It would be just my luck that the slimy, slobbering bastard in charge of me is a sadistic little creep, wouldn't it?

The Universe Is Fake

Ryan Foster and Kara Foster Obtain New Officer Statuses

The news hit me over the weekend that Ryan Foster was no longer an Assistant Coach for the team.  Turns out that Ryan and Kara Foster are moving to Australia, the land of a thousand dangerous animals!  Ryan has always been a big help to our group and I will really feel sorry to see him go.

Both Ryan and Kara will now have the designation of Southern Hemisphere Outreach Specialists for our group.  This Officer Status comes with all the bells and whistles of even the Founder of our group.  Quarterly royalty checks will be sent via the East India Company's top-of-the-line ships.  Barring piracy and shipwreck, they can expect 10s of dollars per decade, subject to the vagaries of US and Australian taxes.

All kidding aside, I wish them Bon Voyage.  Maybe we can start a Happy Gilmore tee-shot contest at the next Golf Tourney in honor of Ryan?

Dear Alumni and Friends of Penn State Track and Field:

I hope your summer is going well.  It is hard to believe it is August already and another school year is right around the corner.

As I hope you know by now, we recently hired two excellent additions to the coaching staff here at Penn State.  Erin Tucker has joined us from the University of Florida and will be our Associate Head Coach in charge of sprints and hurdles.  Angela Reckart has joined us from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and will work with me in the middle distance/distance aspect of the program.  We are all thrilled Angela and Erin have  joined us.

The reason we were able to hire new coaches is because we have the departure of Ryan and Kara Foster.  After many years of service to the program, both as athletes and coaches, Ryan and Kara have decided to move back to Ryan’s homeland of Australia.  The Foster’s have been instrumental to the program and were a significant help to the program as we made the transition to having a new Head Coach this past fall.

On August 15^th  in the evening we will have a combination going away party for the Foster’s and a welcome party for Erin and Angela.  We hope if you are in the area or local to State College you can join us to say hello and goodbye at the same time.  I will send out details of when and where as we get closer to the event.

Hoping to see you in a few weeks.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.

John Gondak

Storm Clouds Gather Over The Sport

Number 1 Cloud:

 A BBC documentary has doubled down on the allegations against Alberto Salazar and the Oregon Project. A whistleblower at the IAAF released files showing a horrendous volume of cheating in the sport we love.  They allege 1/3 of the Olympic and World Championships medals in endurance events in the past decade are tainted. It gets worse from there...

My opinion on these revelations: (These thoughts don't reflect anyone else's opinions.)

I actually would be surprised if only 1/3 of the Olympic and World Championships endurance event medals in the past decade were tainted by the use of PEDs.  I have opined often that nearly all of the upper echelons of the sport are guilty of something.  Some athletes beloved by all of us are undoubtedly involved.  This will not go away, we are headed to a sport-altering event even worse than Cycling had.  It will get very ugly.

Number 2 Cloud:

"No matter how talented they are, no matter how mature they seem, sooner or later they prove they are just kids."   -Coach Groves.

Georgetown, GEORGETOWN!, just effectively scrapped the 2015 Cross Country season (Link fixed.  Thanks to my blog fact-checkers!) because of a scandal involving sexual misconduct and hazing by the Mens Team.  The coach of both XC and Track for the past 8 years (and 8 years as Assistant before that!) has resigned despite being exonerated from any misconduct.

My opinion on these revelations: (only my opinion, again.)

I am pleased to see the Georgetown leaders jumping on this scandal and coming down hard like they have.  But there are many casualties of this who did nothing wrong.  It only takes a few arrogant, self-absorbed and entitled losers to drag down an entire team. I am pleased that despite my extensive inquiries (thanks to everyone from all the various decades of teams who responded) into whether PSU ever had any hazing came up with practically nothing. The only hint of anything amiss was the fact that second-teamers were once discouraged from daring to speak to the members of the travel team.  And apparently, it wasn't really enforced anyway. Let's keep our program clean! 

 Number 3 Cloud: (and possibly a harbinger of doom):

Eminem has admitted to running 17 miles a day to lose weight after his drug addiction and serious subsequent weight gain.

My opinion on these revelations:  (mine only)

Eminem was coming of age just a 1/4 mile from me in 1985 to 1987.  My residency in Warren MI was just on the other side of Eight Mile Road.  The problems of America were on display there better than anywhere else in the Country.  But then again, I don't believe Eminem's assertions of 17 miles/day.  I met very few people there who told the truth.

Summer Running Down The Shore

It was my wife's 22nd finish in a row at the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol 10-Mile Island Run.  Quite a streak.  I only made about half of that, and now just sit around while everyone else suffers through the most miserable run in the world. (I did run my usual 3 miles on a treadmill earlier!)  10 Miles, mostly on the beach, with three soft-sand crossovers to a macadam promenade for about 2 miles out of the ten.  Some years there are leaps over the jetties that vary from steps to cliffs depending on the beach erosion.  They try to time the event so that tides are good to have enough sand for running, especially the last 2 mile stretch to the finish.  This year the tide came in and people were dodging the sunbathers, their kid's deep holes dug into the beach AND knee deep waves.  And they added an extra obstacle this year as the the runners had to scale a sand berm 3 times, created by the sand reclamation dredging project.

Needless to say, i enjoyed sipping my Black Cherry Wishniak as I greeted Fellow Nittany Lions and waited for my wife to finish while sitting on a deck overlooking the festivities.

Penn State has a deep history at the event, with 3 victories in recent years by Tyler McCandless and Kyle Dawson.  I'm pretty sure there have been other notable finishes by Lion runners, but I'm too lazy to look them up right now.  Fill me in if anyone knows more!

Kyle Dawson returned after a one-year lay off from the event to place 2nd overall.  Owen Dawson was there to watch also.  (You know those Middle Distance runners think 10 miles is way too far.  In this case, I agree with him!)  I even got to deliver the reimbursement voted on by the entire Idiot Officer quorum at the last Reunion.  Owen hand-delivered the Golden Putter to the event in time for its presentation to this year's recipient.  He had to rent a car for the trip and didn't even get to stop by for a meal.  It's good to know both Dawsons plan on attending next year's festivities.

Kyle Dawson, 2nd overall

Kyle Dawson, Owen Dawson warming up.  Coincidentally, friend Bill Kehner appeared in the pic upon review in the blue shirt.  This is his 39th or so in-a-row.

Barb Black at the start.  She doesn't yet know about the sand berms...

Kyle Dawson at the half-way mark.