Mixed bag of nutzzzzzz!

One week from today and the adventure begins and surprisingly I see the light at the end of the tunnel - - it's not the headlight of a train.  My trip to-do list is down to about a half page, my last 20-miler was run last Thursday (My God how I hate running laps, especially 80!), packing is about half done, all travel logistics are in place, and my "home stuff" to-do list is, well, almost down to two pages.

I was contacted this last week by the Amazing Running Tours folks that they found a roommate for me while in Madrid.  I was happy to hear that because it'll save me a few euros and it'll be fun to share stories about our running adventures.  My roommate is Jim Collins, and he has an amazing story to tell...I suspect it was meant to be that we'd be roommates...Jim writes in an email to me:

I’m envious of your trip. Traveling to run marathons around the world is a dream of mine, I’m hoping to fulfill by starting with Madrid. I have a little bit of an unusual story. I’ve had five different spinal surgeries to correct for scoliosis in my life, the most recent and most serious were in 2002 and 2004. I’m fused at fourteen levels of my spine and have a good deal of hardware in my back. Over the course of the last three or four years, I slowly started running again. I started out very slowly and gradually worked my way up to longer runs – greater distances and longer times on the road. In September I ran the East Hampton Half Marathon in 1.46:48. At age 46 with 17 screws and two rods in my back, I though it was a pretty good showing and inspired me to go for a full marathon. I ran a couple of marathons in the early nineties when I was in my twenties, so I have that psychic experience. It will mean a lot to me to able to do one now at this point in my life.

I’ve been training a lot, except for this past month when I was in Vancouver. I work for the Associated Press and I was busy non-stop for a month with the Olympics and only got out to the beautiful Stanley Park a few times. I’ve also has some problems with shin splints (ouch!). My back is the least of my concerns!

Anyway, thanks again for writing Wayne. Please feel free to pass along any advice. Best of luck to you in Rome and Paris.

Certainly Jim and I will have lots to talk about.

As you already know, my buddy Bob Bowker is joining me for the Italy and France portions of the trip.  He has worked his way back into marathon shape after having prostate surgery almost exactly one year ago. Bob lives in Arkansas and has been battling training in warmer weather and mad dogs. Check out his latest email to me (which I slightly edited):

I forgot to update you on the dogs on my running route. As I approached (on my  out-going  part of the route) the site of the dog challenge last week, I picked up a rock to defend myself if need be. When I got to the place, the dogs were calm but a man was walking out of the driveway. Thinking that this was my chance to inform so he could do something to control his dogs in the future I told him that last week one of his dogs had grabbed the back of my leg and torn my pants. He said, those are not my dogs. I said "I guess I'll have to call the sheriff so the owner will control the dogs." I proceeded on when a dog (actually it was the one which bit me the last week) but now on the other side of the road came after me. The man said that is my dog and if you throw a rock at it I will knock you aside your f__king head. I stopped running, turned towards him and stared. I was pissed but not intimidated and I wanted him to know it in my nonverbal way. He then said, you let me control my dog (which by that time, by his owners command, had stopped in his tracks) and don't ever throw a rock at it. I said the problem is that you are usually not here when it comes after me, then I turned and proceeded with my run. It would be another hour of running before I got back to his place again and of course I had some anger to deal with which is not something you want on a long run. During that hour the dog owner and another guy passed me twice in a pick up truck which made me wonder what was going on. As I'm approaching the dog site on the way back, I'm determined to protect myself if need be but to not push the rock throwing issue if I can avoid it (I've got too much on my agenda the next few weeks to risk getting injured by some hotheaded redneck). So, as I'm coming up to the site, I can see at least two men in the yard looking at me. The dog owner is sitting on something and in his arms he is holding at least two dogs, one of which is the one in question. Since he is controlling his dogs, I am pleased and prepare to wave at him. Before I can do so, he raises his arm and waves in a friendly manner. My take on the episode is that he had been emotional at the thought of me throwing a rock at his dog (I understand how that could be) and had therefore overreacted. After cooling down a bit, he was much more neighborly and his actions said "I'm sorry and I am controlling my dogs, have a good day." So anyway, what started out ugly and could have gotten uglier, turned out fine. I think that bodes well for our trip!

Laurie Kasinger, director of the Mountain Home Marathon and friend of mine who I think is a neat lady (she's about 50 and has done several marathons and 3 ironmans, most recently this last November) ran the Little Rock Marathon this morning to qualify for 2011 Boston but missed it by 10 minutes. She suffered from the heat she said as I told you I did on my long run this morning.

That's it for today...back to my to-do lists. Arrivederci!