2008 Boston Marathon

No, I didn't run it. I have yet to qualify. Someday. Maybe. I hope.

An old guy like me needs to run a qualifying marathon at or under 3:20:59. For those keeping score at home, that's 26.2 miles with an average pace of 7:40 per mile.

The fastest I've managed to run a marathon was the St. George marathon back in 2002 when I finished with a 3:35:32 (a 8:14 average pace). I can't knock 34 seconds per mile off my fastest time! At least not with my attitude. And definitely not training like I have been.

Anyways, some good friends and associates of mine went back to Bean Town and ran Boston last Monday, April 21. Most have returned and made a report. Makes me want to go. Makes me want to kick my lazy butt in the butt and put in the effort. And then I get to thinking about the expense. I've got 2 kids that tell me they plan on going out with me, and I know darn well they won't be footing their own bill--that's what dad's are for. And with me having sights to see and former haunts and people to visit while I'm back there, it ain't gonna be no two or three day trip. Try a week. Or more.

One word: pipedream.

The College Bookstore Racket

I really don't like that the college bookstores sell text books at the price they do and buy them back (occasionally) for a fraction of what the students paid for them. I don't like it but I've come to accept it. Begrudgingly. I paid $125 for one book and was informed today that the bookstore isn't buying it back for whatever reason.

Anybody want to buy a college text book? Abnormal Psychology, 6th ed., Ronald J. Comer. I'll make you a really good deal. It's available at Amazon.com for $101.15--I'll let you have it for $90.

Empathy and apathy

Is it possible to have both at the same time concerning the same thing?

What to do?

So I got my mountain bike tuned up yesterday and it's ready to ride. Good times. Accolades to Bike Peddler here in American Fork for doing such good job (so far as I can tell). Now we just need the snow to melt. Don't know how much luck there I'll have--it's supposed to snow again today in the higher elevations although I haven't seen any yet.

But I've been upgrading various components of my old bike for a while now. Next on the list is the front suspension--the fork. Right now I'm riding on a Rockshox Judy TT. It's done well, but I know that there's more to be had from the front end that what I've gotten. So, the question is, where do I go from here? I've not been blessed with an overabundance of cash--the most I feel I might be able to spend is $400 and I'd prefer to spend less. But on what? I don't have disc brakes so it needs to be v-brake compatible. I've been looking at the Rockshox Tora at about $220. I'd really like to go with something like the Fox 32 but there's more cash involved there (upwards of $600). If anyone reading this can point me in the right direction towards a decent and affordable fork, please comment.

Anybody want to come play at my place?

We found these out in the yard this afternoon. I think there's about 10 of em in there.

Lovely critters.

Gives me the willies to tell it true.

HOLY CRAP!!!

Utah Valley Marathon age results.

Click on the Men: 40-44 link.

Who's #2, baby?!

NY Yankees remove buried Red Sox jersey

I found the following news story to be hilarious: NY Yankees remove buried Red Sox jersey. Seriously folks, so what? The most mind blowingly hysterical comments from the article are as follows:

After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the concrete Sunday and pulled it out.

It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete.

"The first thought was, you know, it's never a good thing to be buried in cement when you're in New York," Levine said. "But then we decided, why reward somebody who had really bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing?"

...the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney's office.

Catching up.

Firefly, the TV series, never should have been canceled. I know, it's been 5 years. I'm a bit late getting on this bandwagon.

Hulu.com is trouble.

Spring hasn't sprung yet.

I've got a marathon to run on Saturday. I'm in trouble.