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Showing posts from 2008

I Tried.....I Really Did

I wanted to select one picture from the thousands I took this year to designate as 'Best Picture Of The Year'. And I tried to do that....I really did. Unfortunately I couldn't narrow it down to any fewer than 34 pictures. Part of the problem is that there are a lot of different criteria to consider - best subject matter, best memory, best shot technically, etc. Given all of that I figured I'd just share the favorites. If you've got a favorite among these, let me know! Here's a link to the photos in case you have trouble seeing the slideshow.

Favorite Articles/Reading on Leadership

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A friend at work recently asked me to recommend my favorite articles or readings on leadership; after assembling the list I figured I would share it with you. If there are other pieces you'd recommend, let me know via the comments! Leadership Favorites Books Primal Leadership - Daniel Goleman (also here and here ) Five Dysfunctions of A Team – Patrick Lencioni (also here and here ) The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive – Patrick Lencioni (also here and here ) Personal Development/Leadership/Role of an Executive What Makes An Effective Executive – Drucker Managing Oneself – Drucker Managing For Business Effectiveness - Drucker Leading Change – Why Transformation Efforts Fail – Kotter What Makes A Leader? – Goleman Leadership That Gets Results – Goleman What Leaders Really Do – Kotter Discovering Your Authentic Leadership – George Five Minds Of A Manager - Mintzberg Reaching Your Potential – Kaplan What To Ask The Person In The Mirror - Kaplan Ways CEOs L

A Must Read....Cutting For Stone By Abraham Verghese

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One of the fun things about working at a publishing company is the chance to hear about great books from colleagues and to have the chance to read them in advance of the release date. Many people at our company are talking about a book which will be released in early February - Cutting For Stone (also here and here , by Abraham Verghese. I finished the book this morning - in a final 4-hour sitting - and can't recommend it highly enough. I've included a couple of links below where you can get a description of the book, but suffice it to say I found it a big, sprawling, life-affirming novel and a terrific example of the power of great literature. Don't miss this book! From the publisher's web site: Cutting For Stone, by Abraham Verghese An early review from A Guy's Moleskine Notebook . Comments and links at bookbrowse.com . Q & A with the author at Publishers Weekly: Across Continents Publishers Weekly review of the book (at the bottom of the page). Info on the

Some Mystery/Thriller Recommendations

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I've had the chance to read a lot while on vacation and have already finished two mysteries. I've read some really good ones this year so I thought I'd share a list with you. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Envy The Night are at the top of the list. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo , Stieg Larsson Big City, Bad Blood , Sean Chercover Trigger City , Sean Chercover Envy The Night , Michael Koryta Tonight I Said Goodbye , Michael Koryta Sorrow's Anthem , Michael Kroyta The Brass Verdict , Michael Connelly Chasing Darkness , Robert Crais Moscow Rules , Daniel Silva The James Deans , Reed Farrel Coleman The Dawn Patrol , Don Winslow (author of one of my all-time favorites - The Power Of The Dog - very good but very intense and very graphic) Related articles by Zemanta Stephen King Talks Best Books of 2008

No More Excuses

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According to Don't Starve A Cold Of Exercise by Gina Kolata in the New York Times, the little bit of research that has been done to date suggests that one should not skip workouts while sick. The studies which were done don't sound to me like much fun given that the subjects were 'deliberately infected with a rhinovirus' and the researchers 'collected the subjects’ used facial tissues'....

New Yorker: Gladwell on Teachers and Quarterbacks

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My friend Jeff recommended this New Yorker article by Malcolm Gladwell: Annals of Education - Most Likely To Succeed . On reading Most Likely To Succeed, I was reminded of another Gladwell article which I found thought-provoking when I first read it: The New-Boy Network . Both articles speak to the power of conventional wisdom and the downside of reflexively protecting self-interest.... Related articles by Zemanta Review: Stephen Moss on Malcolm Gladwell's live show in London

It's That Time Of Year Again

As the year winds down and we approach the new year, I naturally start to look back at this year to think about what was good and what was less good and to plan goals for next year. Around this time last year I came across an article in the New York Times called Year-End Review, With Yourself from the Shifting Careers blog . I'm planning to revisit the article in the coming days and figured you might find it helpful as well.

Great Pictures

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I'm a big fan of the Boston Globe's Big Picture series. Check out these three posts on their best pictures of the year as there are some amazing photos. 2008, the year in photographs (part 1 of 3) 2008, the year in photographs (part 2 of 3) 2008, the year in photographs (part 3 of 3) One of my favorite pictures is this one .

Way cool

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Gingerbread House

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In addition to making pepper jelly today, we built the gingerbread house in the picture above. Random House recently published an entire book on gingerbread houses ( The Gingerbread Architect: Recipes and Blueprints for Twelve Classic American Homes ) and in honor of our friend Phyllis we decided our first house would be in the Cape Cod style. The house was a lot of work but also a lot of fun and a great family project.

Pepper Jelly

We love spicy foods in general, and Mrs. Longest Run especially likes pepper jelly. These being the days to stay inside with a hot fire, I'm doing a lot of cooking. One of today's projects was to make pepper jelly. To keep things interesting I made two different recipes. The first, courtesy of the Kraft Corporation, Sure-Jell Hot Pepper Jelly , came out really well (it looks just like the jelly in the recipe picture). I went looking for the Sure-Jell recipe as the blueberry jam I made using Sure-Jell last summer was insanely good (prepared with hand-picked blueberries from Ellsworth Farm in Connecticut). Today's other recipe was courtesy of the website Simply Recipes: Jalapeno Pepper Jelly . I was interested in this recipe as it used the natural pectin in fruits rather than including added pectin. Both came out well and would be worth making again - though I'd definitely shoot to make them spicier next time....

Have Things Gone Too Far?

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I've written in the past about the idea of ambient intimacy ( here and here ), and I certainly value the opportunity to connect with friends via The Longest Run, facebook, etc. The Wall Street Journal covers a new iteration of sharing online in The New Examined Life: Why more people are spilling the statistics of their lives on the Web . Beautiful graph of the smallest details of a guy's life here . Nice tools to do the same for yourself at Daytum and mycrocosm . But perhaps things have gone too far.... bedpost .

From The Atlantic....

I really enjoyed this article by Caitlin Flanagan: What Girls Want , though I did find scary the idea that "living with a teenage girl [is] one of the most unpleasant experiences God metes out to the unsuspecting." Yikes.

A Short Health Update

Came across an article today in the New York Times that's quite timely: The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving . I'm currently enjoying my own medical odyssey - trying to get to the bottom of what's up with my back and leg pain and soreness. After seeing an orthopedist yesterday, my next step is to see a physical therapist who specializes in runners; I'll see him next week for a video analysis (!) of my running gait to check if there's something I'm doing that's causing the problems. No running for now, but I have been cleared to do biking; lots of spin classes in my future! The lack of a clear diagnosis of the cause of the problem is a bit frustrating....but I'm hopeful that connecting with a good doctor will lead to some answers.

More On The Global Economy

If you enjoyed my post a few weeks ago on the global economy, you might also be interested in the Boston Globe's overview of prominent economic blogs: Inside the influential new world of econobloggers and well as the field guide to economics and finance blogs . The article is a solid overview of the econoblog landscape. Two of my personal favorites are The Big Picture and Calculated Risk.

New York Times - Adventures In Parenting

I loved this: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/mom-of-boys/

If you like tilt-shift photography.....

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...like this great shot of Fenway Park (courtesy of B Tal at flickr ) then check out 50 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt-Shift Photography . I haven't had the chance to try this yet myself, but I've found instructions for how to achieve the tilt-shift effect in Photoshop. John Nack's Adobe blog also has some tips .

Books = Gifts

Check out this video - it's a new holiday season campaign from a number of book publishers working together.

Mmmmm - Pumpkin Pie

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I'm a big fan of Cooks Illustrated magazine (the website is a great resource and is definitely worth the cost of subscribing). A recent issue featured a new approach to pumpkin pie, and knowing that Thanksgiving was just around the corner, I prepared the recipe as a trial run for this week. The pie is delicious and I will be making one today for tomorrow's Thanksgiving meal. Here's a story from the New York Times of one cook's experience with the recipe: How to Cook…Something: Pumpkin Pie .

WSJ Book Review - Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers

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I enjoyed the Wall Street Journal review of Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers , and was particularly struck by this comment: "Outliers" offers an implicit message for companies as well: There is great competitive advantage for the organization recognizing that the work environment can nurture talent -- and also suppress it. The best companies will not only seek to provide their employees with enrichment but will also have the insight -- and courage -- to identify and recruit exceptional though neglected talent that could flourish under the right conditions. In the end, we aspire to be the graduate-school admissions officer at Iowa who selected John Irving for the creative-writing program -- not the high-school English teacher in New Hampshire who noticed only the poor speller struggling in the back of the classroom. Related articles by Zemanta Malcolm Gladwell's new book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell's New Book: Outliers Off the Shelf: The Sociology of Success

What's Up In The Global Economy

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I had the great fortune while at an Executive Education course at Harvard Business School last week to participate in a case discussion with Professor Rawi Abdelal , an expert in international political economy. We studied a case concerning the U.S. current account deficit and the various causes and effects of the issues now affecting the global economy. It would be hard to put in a nutshell everything that was covered, so I'll just share what I left the room thinking about. First, the fact that the savings rate in the U.S. is zero is extremely unhealthy and Americans need to start saving more (understandably hard to do when incomes are stagnant/falling and unemployment is rising). Second, solving the problems will be incredibly difficult and complex because it is likely to require close coordination of many countries around the world and such coordination is difficult under the best of circumstances; in addition, for Americans to save more, we will need to spend less - which doesn

Seen in Cambridge, MA

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While walking through Cambridge last weekend (on the Sunday before the Presidential Election), a young woman jumped out of a car to tape a sign to a fence. Here's what she had to say..... And here's the house behind the fence....

I'm Planning To Pass Through Here Next Year.....

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Much More Than We Needed To Know....

....but interesting nonetheless: Providing Toilets for 39,000 Runners

Thank you Mrs. Longest Run!

Dear Mrs. Longest Run: there are others who know your pain: For Those Not Running, Training Can Be Just as Taxing .

Science Of Sport On The Chicago Marathon

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Over the weekend I found a cool website called The Science of Sport . There's a lot of great material on the site, run by two guys with Ph.D.'s in Exercise Physiology, on things like hydration, shoes, running form, etc. It wouldn't surprise you to know I found the post Chicago Marathon 2008 - The data do not lie: The actual environmental conditions from the course to be MOST interesting. Related articles by Zemanta Around Town: 2008 Chicago Marathon Chicago Marathon Sends 61 To Hospital, Starter Numbers Down

Say Naromiyocknowhusunkatankshunk Ten Times...Quickly

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Check out this sign from Route 39 between Sherman and Gaylordsville in Connecticut. Anyone surprised the sign is stolen just about as quickly as it's put up?

Love This Album!

Amazon.com Widgets Favorite songs: Way Down Here, Boats, I'm Alive (with Dave Matthews), That Lucky Old Sun (with Willie Nelson).

When Winning Isn't Winning

Check out this story from the San Francisco Chronicle: At Women's Marathon, Fastest Time Didn't Win . There were over 20,000 competitors in Sunday's Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. And 24-year-old Arien O'Connell, a fifth-grade teacher from New York City, ran the fastest time of any of the women. But she didn't win. Something similar happened at the Chicago Marathon on October 12. More details in the article, but the gist is that the person with the 4th fastest time didn't get the prize money for fourth place because he didn't run with the elite runners.

On Food and Food Policy

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A couple of years ago I read (and enjoyed) Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals . The book is a great look into the food chain in the United States and presents a damning indictment of our current farm policy. Last week's New York Times Magazine carried a new article by Pollan in the form of a letter to our next president: Farmer In Chief . The article provides a condensed summary of the issues reviewed in Omnivore's Dilemma and sets out a series of recommended changes. While I don't agree with all of his ideas, it does seem the system we have now is kind of crazy. To wit: After cars, the food system uses more fossil fuel than any other sector of the economy — 19 percent. And while the experts disagree about the exact amount, the way we feed ourselves contributes more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than anything else we do — as much as 37 percent, according to one study. Whenever farmers clear land for crops and till the soil,

Good Article On Economic Policy

A friend of mine at work reminded me of an article which ran in August in the New York Times: Obamanomics . I think it's worth a read regardless of your political persuasion.....

Preventing 'Asynchronous' Communication

In case one is Drunk, and Dangerous, at the Keyboard - Mail Goggles. Hilarious!

Sharing Some Stats - Chicago Marathon 2008

The final race results for the 2008 Chicago Marathon have finally been posted ( 2008 Searchable Race Results ), so I can now look at some stats on my performance last weekend. A short aside - the race results posted by the New York Road Runners Club (for example, the 2007 New York City marathon results ) are a lot easier to navigate than those posted by active.com. In any case.... There were 31,335 finishers last week, of which 17,669 were males and 2,768 were males between the ages of 40 and 44. My official time was 4:53:48. My overall place among the finishers was 17,669 (57.4%) My overall place among the male finishers was 11,514 (65.2%) My overall place among the male finishers between the ages of 40 and 44 was 1,887 (68.2%) In order to place in the top half of my age/gender group, I would have had to finish about 20 minutes faster than I did. It's possible to get some insight into the impact of the weather on performances by looking back at the stats from the 2006 race, which

The New York Times Recommend Button

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Most of you know I love to read and share articles. While the web has made sharing a lot easier (no more cutting out an article, photocopying, etc.) it's still not a totally seamless process (do I share on The Longest Run? via email? on facebook?). A few weeks ago the New York Times launched a new community feature - called Times People - which enables readers to 'recommend' articles - you can find a recommend button in the box which usually appears on the top right hand side of articles on the web site (with buttons to print, email, save, share, etc.) as well as at the bottom of articles. There's an extensive FAQ on the NYT site - ( see: Times People FAQ ) - which describes the feature in detail as well as how to use it. I'm enjoying the feature so far, though it's far less interesting if others aren't using it as well (few are seeing my recommendations and I'm not seeing recommendations from many others). I'm set up as aweber9 for those of you who&

Common Reflections On A Presidential Candidate

I found it interesting that James Fallows and David Brooks wrote columns more or less simultaneously about Barack Obama's calm demeanor and what it might mean. Both pieces are worth a read. Fallows: OK, I lied, one more thing about debates Brooks: Thinking About Obama If you read the Brooks column be sure to check out the reader comments; here's a link to 8 of the 636 comments which were judged interesting by the editors. You can also filter the comments down to ones that readers recommend.

See This Show!

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I had the chance last week to see a preview performance of a show called Clay at The Duke Theater on 42nd Street; the show is directed by a friend we met many years ago in Chicago. The New York Times theater critic reviewed the show this week and seems to have enjoyed it (see Hip-Hop Coming of Age for Suburban Prince Hal ). The NYT site has an audio slide show which will give you a sense of the look and feel of the show. We loved it and plan to see it again during what is planned to be a short run. I can't recommend it highly enough. The show is about 80 minutes long and tickets aren't expensive....so go see it!

What A Feeling!

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Each finisher receives their medal right after crossing the finish line - it's an incredible feeling!

Before and After, Chicago Marathon Edition

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Before..... .....and after.

More Inspiration

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I found these in my shoes before the race on Sunday....

A Short Update

We're on our way home to New York after a great weekend in Chicago. I'm feeling much better than I felt yesterday after the race, which can only be described as exhaustion and wooziness marked by an upset stomach, deeply sore and tight muscles, and a massive case of hiccups. I also want to say thank you to everyone who sent well wishes and words of encouragement before the race - I'm honored by all of the supportive comments and had them in mind for inspiration during the hardest parts of the race.

NYT On The 2008 Chicago Marathon

Here's the report from the New York Times on this year's Chicago Marathon: Another Hot and Steamy Marathon in Chicago .

Ouch

Well.......we finished. 4:53:51. It was much harder than I ever imagined. Much more later.

Beautiful sunrise = positive energy

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The Final Preparations

It's 5:30AM. Chris and I are up and getting ready for the big day. I had a short but good night of sleep (I woke up at 4AM) but feel rested and ready to go. Latest weather report looks ok. It will be in the low 60's at the start and the mid-70's by the time we finish, with partly cloudy skies and moderate humidity. We leave here in 45 minutes....

Pre-race Preparations

Had a nice time at the Race Expo picking up our race kit, checking out some running products, and meeting Tom Green of Runners' Lounge . You only have to spend 5 minutes at the Expo to get the sense this marathon is a huge event. Here are some pictures: (with an extra link in case you can't see the slideshow)

Funny Sign In A Restroom

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First sign of the marathon in Chicago: The Heat Is On

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Beginning The Journey

It's a beautiful morning in New York City as we start our trip to Chicago. I'm very excited and a little bit nervous. Saw the doctor and physical therapist again yesterday and received a clean bill of health (the x-rays were totally normal, including all the signs of aging one would expect). Given the rest, a steady diet of Tylenol, stretching, and some physical therapy, my leg feels much better. This is the longest stretch I've gone without running (it will be 7 full days by race day) in a very long time

Inspiration

This list comes from a friend of mine. Substitute 'Chicago' for 'New York' and take out the part about hills and it's perfect for this weekend's race. My favorite: 'It’s the last mile and knowing you can do it.' DEFINITIONS: What is 26 Miles 385 Yards? It’s more than a race, it’s a state of mind. It’s sore muscles. It’s stiff legs. It’s pasta parties and port-a-potties. It’s a number and four safety pins. It’s love It’s hate It’s glory. It’s 20 miles of hope followed by six miles of truth. It’s cramping muscles and aching legs. It’s sweat on your forehead. It’s tears in your eyes. It’s anguish and agony. It’s elation and ecstasy. It’s blisters and black toenails. It’s aching armpits and tender nipples. It’s knowing better, but not caring. It’s orange slices in the hands of kids. It’s crumpled cups underfoot. It’s smiling volunteers. It’s screaming spectators. It’s uphills and downhills. It’s potholes in the pavement. It’s messages on T-shirts. It’s signs

A Very Short Summary

One very succinct perspective on the causes of the current turmoil in the financial markets (from Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture : ...the proximate cause of the Housing crisis were 1) Ultra-low rates; and 2) Abdication of traditional lending standards, thanks to 3) originators ability to resell mortgages for securitization purposes, and hence, 4) not have to worry about loan defaults. The credit crisis was caused by 1) the above securitized mortgage paper, that was 2) rated triple AAA by Moody's and Standard & Poors, which then 3) Which was then "insured" by credit default swaps (CDS) -- the unreserved for, shadow insurance products 4) whose exemption was made possible by the Commodities Futures Modernization Act. That legislation exempted these derivatives from any supervision or regulation. The lack of reserve requirements is why there is now $62 trillion in CDS, many of which will never pay their counter parties the promised insurance.

All Marathon, All The Time.....

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Here's a cool new interactive map of the marathon course - perfect for spectators trying to plan out where to catch their favorite runners (Mrs. Longest Run, this means you!). My favorite feature is the links to photos of spots along the course - definitely worth checking out. And for the real die-hards, here's a Google Earth file with this year's course.

Runners Lounge 21-Day Challenge

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I'm a big fan of the Runners Lounge website and blog; it's been a great source of information during my training. I recently signed up to participate in a 21-Day test of a self-massage tool called 'The Stick'. I'll pick up the stick at the Marathon Expo in Chicago this weekend and will write about my experiences in a dedicated forum on the Runners Lounge site. Related articles by Zemanta Announcing The Stick 21-Day Challenge Get Ready for Chicago! Carbo-Loading the Chicago Way

Thanks For Your Support!

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I can't express how moved I am by the outpouring of help in response to my request yesterday for doctor/physical therapist recommendations. In spite of a full day of meetings, I was able to see a doctor, have a physical therapy session, and get a set of x-rays yesterday. While I don't yet have the results of the x-rays, it seems that my problem is just a strained muscle rather than something more serious (like a stress fracture). I can now go into the marathon Sunday confident in the knowledge of what's up with my body. For those of you who are interested in the details, I have a strained adductor muscle in my right leg... I do have to say I was surprised to hear how many of you have physical therapists or massage therapists who you swear by - it makes me wonder what I've been missing out on! On a more serious note, the lesson learned is that it makes sense to develop a good relationship with a doctor and/or a therapist who can help you get through the inevitable ache

Does This Make You Feel Better?

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Great post on the financial crisis over at the Calculated Risk blog : The Adjustment Process . Does reading the post make you feel better? I personally find it encouraging and share the perspective that while there's much pain ahead, at least we're on the path toward eliminating an unsustainable situation.

A Million Fans!?!?!?!

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Some interesting notes from the race organizer today. Exciting and daunting stuff.... Welcome to race week for the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The race is only days away, and participants from across the country and around the world are waiting in eager anticipation to hit the ground running on the historic streets of Chicago, where more than a million spectators will be standing curbside and cheering them on. And... Question of the Month For our September Question of the Month, we asked: Marathon veterans, what last-minute advice would you offer someone who is preparing to take on the marathon for the first time? “There is only one piece of advice, and it's an essential element to having a good marathon. Quite simply, ENJOY IT! You have to get into the whole event, not just the race. Make the most of the Expo. Get excited about buying new running kit that will proudly tell your friends that you ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon when you get home. Go and check out some of th

Weekly Training Update - 1 Week To Go

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Here's the week 16 training update: Week 16 target mileage: 27 miles Week 16 actual mileage: 24.2 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 612 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 586.1 miles Variance: (25.94) miles Training miles to go: 14* At this point I've got just 5 days to go until the race; it's hard to believe that it's so close after more than 9 months of thinking about it, planning for it, and training for it. Last week's training - the second week of a three week taper - was ok. I didn't feel particularly relaxed or refreshed from the reduced mileage, and while my knees and ankles feel great, the soreness in my groin/thigh got worse. I've talked with a number of people about what to do and the one point on which there is great consensus is that I should not run any further this week. I have to give a particular shout out to Tom at Runner's Lounge , which is a terrific running community on the web. Tom is one of the co-found

Need a recommendation!

Those of you who are regular readers know I've been dealing with a nagging groin injury. I've finally been convinced to get it checked out, though time is admittedly short before this weekend's race. If you have a recommendtion for a PT or sports doctor, please let me know via email or in the comments. No risk at this point that I won't run on Sunday as far as I am concerned.

Well Said!

From James Fallows' blog: Our Capacity For Self-Government : From twelve time zones away, it looks as if the United States is in one of those moments where the capacity to get serious and face big problems is sorely tested. In the short term, a worldwide financial panic and crisis. Just beyond that, the real economic and social problems that come when large numbers of people lose their jobs, their businesses, their investments, their homes, and even larger numbers become fearful about what might happen to them. And then, when we get a minute to think, profound global energy and environmental challenges, security concerns that range from loose nukes to terrorist organizations, plus a couple of ongoing wars and ever-rising medical costs. Just as starters. The United States is still incredibly rich, powerful, and productive. But the current situation is no joke, for America or the world. In these circumstances, and with a presidential election four weeks away, is it conceivable that

Longing For Simpler Times

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I'm guessing there was a time when big marathons weren't quite so corporate.... From the 2008 Chicago Marathon confirmation brochure: Help Nike Inspire Your Favorite Runner Join forces with Nike as they support the marathoners along the course. Nike will feature a cheer station at the 25k (mile 15.5) mark near Ashland & Jackson, as well as a motivational zone near mile 22.5 at 33rd & Wentworth. Both stations will offer cheer supplies and entertainment to help spectators motivate and encourage their favorite runners. The 33rd Street motivational zone will also feature a live video feed of runners, music, an emcee and cheer groups who will work to give runners an extra boost as they enter the final stretch of their marathon. Bank of America Cheer Zones Bank of America is with you every step of the way from start line to finish line. To demonstrate support of your mission, Bank of America will host four Cheer Zones in four different neighborhoods to provide encouragement

While We Are On Politics.....

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Check out the new feature at washingtonpost.com : Political Browser . Perfect for political junkies, it's a view to the stories around the web considered most noteworthy by the staff of the Post (whether those stories are WP stories or not). I discovered Political Browser via the Publishing 2.0 blog - see washingtonpost.com’s Political Browser Uses the News Judgment of Journalists to Filter the Political Web Related articles by Zemanta Washington Post Launching "Political Browser"

Chicago Marathon - Runner Tracking

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If you are interested in tracking me (or any other runner) as I progress through the Chicago Marathon, you can sign up here . Here's what you'll get (according to the official Chicago Marathon website): Spectators can electronically track multiple runners along the race course by receiving real-time updates via e-mail or text message throughout the race. Updates will be received as runners cross the 10K, halfway (13.1 miles) and 30K checkpoints, as well as the finish line.

Weekly Training Update - 2 Weeks To Go

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Here's the week 15 training update: Week 15 target mileage: 35 miles Week 15 actual mileage: 28 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 585 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 561.8 miles Variance: (23.15) miles Training miles to go: 41 Last week was ok. I had a great couple of runs in the middle of the week ( including Wednesday's new PR ) but somehow ran out of steam at the end of the week. Torrential rain knocked me off my game Friday morning (I couldn't run my typical 3 mile warmup in Central Park before doing strength training) and the hard session with my trainer Friday left me sore and achy going into Sunday's long-ish run; the run was supposed to be 15 miles but I went out assuming I'd only do 11. Conditions were gross - warm and humid - and it was one of those runs where every step was a chore. I've not gone back yet to look over the full training program, but I have the sense that my good training weeks (such as last week) are oft

Latest Thoughts On The Election

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I've believed for a long time that John McCain would win the election in November, assuming that people would have a hard time voting for Obama given a variety of factors (mostly having to do with apparent lack of experience and race). Please note - I'm not saying that I wanted McCain to win, just that I've felt he would. Given recent events (Sarah Palin's disastrous Katie Couric interview (see Part I and Part II ) and economic turmoil), I'm starting to think it could be impossible for McCain to win. I was therefore interested to see this chart from the intrade prediction market in a Paul Krugman blog post today: Politics of Crisis . I'm not sure I buy his point that Paulson's decision to let Lehman Brothers fail 'may have delivered the White House to Obama', but the fact remains that it's been a tough couple of weeks for the McCain campaign. As context for Krugmans, point, check out the excellent article on Lehman in today's Wall Street Jo

Chicago Marathon Media Information

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A few of you have asked if the race will be televised. Below is some information I recently received. I'll also post details soon on how you can get updates via email on the progress of specific race participants. 2008 Broadcast Information Whether you are in Chicago or across the world, you can catch live action of the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on TV, radio and/or the Web. Check out exclusive coverage from the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s broadcast partners: *All times are Central Universal SportsNBC 5 Chicago NBC 5 News coverage begins at 6 a.m. followed by live on-air and on-line coverage of the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 7 to 11 a.m. The Score Sportsradio 670 AM On race day, The Score Sportsradio 670 AM will bring you all the race action live from 7 to 11 a.m. Prior to race day, Bank of America Chicago Marathon preview shows will air on The Score Sportsradio 670 AM on Saturday, September 27, from 7 to 8 a.m. and Saturday, October 4, from 7 to 8 a.m

Background On The Chicago Marathon

From Runner's World Magazine, A Brief Chat With Carey Pinkowski (director of the race).

Flying To New York Via The Expressway Visual

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From Jeppesen/New York Times 9/26/08 I did a lot of traveling early in my career, flying often between New York City and Chicago. I distinctly remember the sharp left turn described in this New York Times article about pilots and Shea Stadium ( To Pilots, Shea Is Less Ballpark Than Landmark ). Truth be told, the big left turn is a bit scary as it's a sharp turn at low altitude; if you're sitting on the left hand side of the plane and can see the airport, you wonder how the plane will manage to get lined up in time to land.

Preview David Cook's New Single at PopEater

American Idol David Cook's new single - Light On - gets released on iTunes next Tuesday. In the meantime you can check it out on PopEater . Enjoy!

A New Central Park PR

GREAT run in Central Park this morning, aided by perfect conditions - clear skies, light breeze, and cool temperatures (55 degrees). I set a new personal record for the loop - 47 minutes, 20 seconds (7.83 minutes/mile). Fastest mile was 7:36, slowest was 8:09. I was particularly pleased with my pace for the miles which included the two toughest hills (when running counterclockwise) - Cat Hill on the east side and the hill in the northwest corner of the park - both were just slightly above 8 minutes/mile.

More Politics: Foreign Policy

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A couple of years ago we published a book by George Friedman , founder of a private intelligence service called Stratfor . Leading up to Friday night's presidential debate, Stratfor is running a series of articles The first article, The New President and the Global Landscape , was posted yesterday. It's a great overview of the range of issues the next president will face, how they are interrelated, and what options the President will have to address them. Definitely worth a read.

Not Exactly What You Expect To Find In A Sports Column

In his Tuesday Morning Quarterback column on ESPN.com , Gregg Easterbrook writes about the recent financial news. I've included a couple of the relevant passages; you can find more at the column link above. Overall, thoroughly depressing stuff, and I have to say I don't have much (any?) hope that either of the current candidates for president are going to bring fundamental change to this situation. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Last week, TMQ asked why no one was paying attention to the fact that the national debt ceiling was quietly raised by $800 billion during the summer. Well, toss that column: The White House just asked the national debt ceiling be raised another $700 billion, for the proposed financial-sector bailout. If that happens, in 2008 alone, $1.5 trillion will have been added to the national debt: every penny borrowed from your children and their children. Stated in today's dollars, in 1979 the entire national debt was $1.5 trillion. George W. Bush and Congress have i