Tag: writing

Switching gears

I just finished my 7’th Flemming Bond novel: Dr. No. So now I’ve read the first 7: Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds are Forever, From Russia with Love, Dr. No and Goldfinger. I’ve also read 4 Dexter Inspector Morse Novels: Last Bus to Woodstalk, Last Seen Wearing, The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn and Service of All the Dead. I’ve also read Run Silent, Run Deep by Beach.

The idea was to jump start my brain and to turn myself into a reader again. With the academic year coming up, my pace of pleasure reading will slow. But I’d like to set a “novel every 2 weeks” pace.

I’ll say more about the books later; let’s just say that I enjoy the character development in the novels and that the Inspector Morse character of the tv series is much more likable than the novel character! But I enjoy Dexter’s writing.

Workout notes:

Saturday: 3 mile walk in West Peoria (16:20 pace) after a deadlift session:
Straight bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225 (hard!)
Wagon wheel with the 60 lb trap bar: 10 x 250, 1 x 300

Sunday: though the weather was perfect, my pace wasn’t. I made 10.2 miles in 2:38:11 (15:06 pace). I did the West Peoria course to Heading, entered Bradley Park, did the spur plus a lower loop (4.2 miles) in 1:06, struggled to a 15:06 mile then puttered around campus to get over 10. I didn’t drink that that was a mild mistake. Endurance is there but I have no speed at all.

1/2 marathon is slated for September 28, provided the USC game is not a night game. I will NOT miss the game. My guess is that it will be a 2 pm kickoff after which I’ll drive to the Quad Cities and spend the night. I won’t make 3:03 (last year) as I have no speed at all. So, 3:15 seems realistic (if dreadfully bad).

The Brutal reality of going pro in sports

A few years ago, I was at a Chiefs game. A pop foul came my way and an age peer (60s) was standing just behind me, to my right. He reached out his hand and snatched the ball out of the air.

I looked at him wide-eyed and said “you must have played.” He got a “happy/sad” look on his face and admitted that, at one time in his life, he was a A league minor league player; he now had an office job related to baseball.

And yes, to play A level minor league baseball, you have to be better than the vast majority of college players, who in turn are better than the vast majority of high school players, who I think are pretty good.

But only about 10 percent of those that I watch at Chiefs games will become a Major League player. Just being excellent won’t get you there.

And that reminds me of these two threads posts:

Here is a 28:00 10000 meter, 1:48 800 meter runner who works at McDonalds to finance his training. Yes, he could run for some college teams and get financial assistance for his education. But his times need to be something like 27:20 or 1:43 to even sniff earning a living through his running.

Then I read this inspiring story of a runner who progressed from a 5:26 mile in 9’th grade to a 4:07 in college (as a senior) to a 3:59.37 three years after college. Only a tiny percentage of all middle distance runners have gone sub 4 for a mile. He IS elite but…well, he needs to be at least 10 seconds faster (a quantum leap at that level) to even sniff a pro contract. He won’t be earning his living as a runner, despite being elite.

And that is what it is like. An average engineer can make a nice living, as can, say, an average accountant. But even an elite athlete can peak out before the “earn your living at it” level.