Grateful

I have to say that keeping a blog seems a bit pointless at this time.  I have been totally consumed with starting a new business after leaving my job back in February.  I haven’t prioritized writing about my running.  No races scheduled because of the pandemic.  Who could have imagined all that we would have gone through as a society and individually at that point in time?  Yet here I am.  It feels like another lifetime since I walked out the front door of my job and thought I would be able to start earning a living as a consultant pretty easily.  Yet here I am.  Still running.

I am alive.  I am healthy.  I have not lost a single family member or friend to COVID19.  I have started to earn money as a consultant.  I was exposed to the virus but didn’t get it.  I have reconnected with friends and business associates I had not spoken to in years.  I yearn to be able to see them in person.  I am frustrated.  I am scared.  I am worried.  I am happy.  I am sad.  I am hopeful.  And yes, all of these feelings and experiences make me grateful.

I am sure you are wondering how I could be feeling grateful in these times.  Simple.  I choose to be grateful.  My cousin just published a book and shares a quote that explains how I can be grateful.  He says, “Not everything in life is good. The secret is to look for the good in most things.”  Based on this idea, I choose to not dwell on the negative and try to find the silver lining in what life throws my way.  It isn’t always easy.  But with practice, I have found I can find good almost everywhere.  I recommend trying it.  Being grateful is a powerful and empowering thing.  As I intentionally look for things to be grateful for I have found that there is a never ending supply.  That supply includes my friends, running, family, children, and wife.

I am grateful for my friends as they supply me with genuine love and continuous support.  They all motivate me in so many ways and are always there to provide an extra boost of energy when I need it.  My gratitude comes from the realization of the depth of the friendships I have been able to cultivate and maintain.  Even during this time of social isolation, I know they are still there for me.  I hear from them through social media, texts, emails, and calls.   They always seem to intuitively know when I am feeling low and their communication brings me right out of my funk.

I recently read a post that listed 12 reasons to be thankful for running.  I could not have created a better list of reasons to be grateful for running:

1. Running taught me to push my limits.
2. Running has shown me how to pursue a dream relentlessly, no matter how big it might be.
3. Running adapts to different phases of my life.
4. Running allows me to experience nature.
5. Running brings me closer to others.
6. Running helps me solve problems.
7. Running provides a safe outlet for stress and anger.
8. Running has introduced me to new places.
9. Running keeps me in good health.
10. Running makes me stronger.
11. Running promotes acceptance in a world that so desperately needs it.
12. Running provides a safe place of acceptance.

(https://runninforsweets.com/thankful-for-running/#:~:text=Running%20inspires%20me%20to%20head,appreciate%20it%20every%20single%20day)

I am blessed with a family who loves and supports me in so many ways.  I cannot imagine how my life might have turned out without them.  They love and care about me no matter what.  Like most families, we don’t always agree on everything.  But regardless of our differences we always love and support each other.  One of the best things about having a family like mine is that there is rarely a dull moment. With so many unique individuals, the conversations stray all over the place. Yet we all seem to have a similar sense of humor. Whenever we are together, we laugh constantly creating lasting memories in the process.  Each and every day my gratitude and love for them grows stronger.

Someone once said that having children is the most optimistic thing a person can do.  I agree.  I am grateful for my children because they have always helped me to see the world in new ways.  Most importantly, they help me to remember how awe-inspiring the natural world is.  I am also grateful for their giving me hope.  Even in their 20s, they still have a sense that anything is possible.  I have found that living with this attitude makes amazing things happen.  They happen because my children don’t place any limitations on what they believe they can accomplish.  Finally, they have made me a better person by simply and honestly making me aware of my behavior, which makes me want to control it better.

Finally, I am so grateful to have found the perfect partner in life – my wife.  Besides the fact that she is still as beautiful as the day we met; she is one of the most compassionate people I know.  Some think she is tough and measured.  In fact, she feels deeply for others and always puts the needs of others first.  This was proved by how great Mom she is to our children.  She pushes me to excellence never discouraging me from trying something new in my career.  That encouragement allowed me to start my own consulting business.  How many wives would be willing to allow their spouse to leave a high paying job to start their own business especially during a pandemic?

Yet, I am most grateful for her ability to put up with me.  I’ve been a pretty big jerk in so many instances over our 35 years of marriage.  But she is still here with the love and support I need.  I sometimes wonder why she would stay and then I realize that she has a great sense of humor.  I find her irreverence at times so refreshing.  She can make me laugh when I most need it.   We laugh together often and I’m so grateful for that!

It would be easy for us to think of this as the worst time in our life.  But we have been through sorrows, loss, and sadness before.  I choose to be grateful that I am here.  I can remember those bad times of the past and know that I made it through to the other side.   By remembering how difficult life can be and how far I have come provides the contrast I need to find gratefulness.   So yes, here I am.  Going through a very difficult time in our collective lives.  Yet, here I am feeling grateful to be here and going through it because I know I will make it through and be better for it.

Sept 20 – 3.10 miles (27:31, 8:52 pace) – Speed Work
Sept 22 – 3.10 miles (29:40, 9:33 pace) 
Sept 25 – 5.10 miles (47:57, 9:24 pace) 
Sept 26 – 8.10 miles (1:16:23, 9:26 pace) 
Sept 27 – 5.10 miles (46:33, 9:08 pace) 
Sept 29 – 3.10 miles (24:11, 7:48 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 1 – 5.20 miles (54:32, 8:05 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 2 – 5.10 miles (46:38, 9:09 pace) 
Oct 3 – 9.10 miles (1:21:46, 8:59 pace) 
Oct 4 – 5.10 miles (37:14, 9:12 pace) 
Oct 5 – 5.80 miles (58:50, 10:09 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 6 – 3.20 miles (24:50, 7:45 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 8 – 5.10 miles (42:01, 8:14 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 9 – 5.10 miles (46:56, 9:12 pace) 
Oct 10 – 10.10 miles (1:31:34, 9:04 pace) 
Oct 11 – 4.10 miles (37:47, 9:13 pace)
Oct 12 – 4.70 miles (48:37, 10:21 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 13 – 4.10 miles (24:50, 8:37 pace) 
Oct 15 – 5.10 miles (45:12, 8:52 pace) 
Oct 16 – 5.10 miles (46:01, 9:02 pace) 
Oct 17 – 8.10 miles (1:15:27, 9:19 pace) 
Oct 18 – 4.10 miles (36:55, 9:00 pace)
Oct 19 – 6.20 miles (1:04:35, 10:25 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 20 – 3.10 miles (24:18, 7:50 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 22 – 5.10 miles (41:08, 8:04 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 23 – 4.50 miles (40:32, 9:01 pace) 
Oct 24 – 9.10 miles (1:24:21, 9:16 pace) 
Oct 25 – 4.10 miles (36:25, 8:52 pace)
Oct 26 – 5.20 miles (55:57, 10:46 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 27 – 3.10 miles (24:48, 8:00 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 29 – 5.10 miles (41:41, 8:11 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 30 – 4.10 miles (37:41, 9:12 pace) 
Oct 31 – 10.10 miles (1:24:21, 8:59 pace) 
Nov 1 – 4.10 miles (36:25, 9:18 pace)
Nov 2 – 4.80 miles (48:45, 10:10 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 3 – 3.10 miles (24:47, 8:00 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 5 – 5.10 miles (40:39, 7:58 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 6 – 4.10 miles (37:33, 9:10 pace) 
Nov 7 – 8.10 miles (1:19:14, 9:40 pace) 
Nov 8 – 4.10 miles (37:57, 9:15 pace)
Nov 9 – 5.80 miles (1:03:53, 11:01 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 10 – 3.10 miles (24:32, 7:40 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 12 – 5.10 miles (40:39, 7:58 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 13 – 4.30 miles (37:35, 8:44 pace) 
Nov 14 – 9.30 miles (1:27:25, 9:24 pace)
Nov 15 – 4.50 miles (45:10, 10:02 pace)
Nov 16 – 5.50 miles (56:16, 10:14 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 17 – 3.10 miles (23:40, 7:38 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 19 – 5.10 miles (41:33, 8:08 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 20 – 5.10 miles (48:33, 9:31 pace) 
Nov 21 – 10.10 miles (1:35:33, 9:27 pace) 
Nov 22 – 3.10 miles (28:18, 9:08 pace)

Total Miles:  351.20 miles
2020 Total Miles:   1,603.80 miles  

Avoid Indifference and Get Engaged

With the pandemic still limiting our ability to socialize and with all road racing becoming virtual, I have really not been overly motivated to blog about running.  I get up each day (except Wednesday) and go out for a run.  I have no real goal in sight as I am not signed up for a race.  I choose not to sign up for the virtual races because they are nothing more than another solo training run.  I still enjoy the sport.  I just miss the community aspects of racing.

As I run my miles, I have a lot of time to think.  The past few weeks, I keep coming back to the thought that the world has gone a little meshugana (crazy).  I feel that the entire human race is choosing sides.  We are forgetting that we are all living on this planet together.  We need to respect each other.  Instead, we are totally indifferent to other's plight.  All that matters is how I feel or how others make me feel.  I feel we have lost all empathy which makes me deeply sad.

Elie Wiesel once said, “The opposite of love is not hate.  It’s indifference.  The opposite of beauty is not ugliness.  It’s indifference.  The opposite of faith is not heresy.  It’s indifference.  The opposite of life is not death. It’s indifference.”  Wiesel’s comment is so accurate.  Today I see indifference to other humans and a general lack of compassion toward those who suffer injustice.  When I hear people put down the protests raging across our country as being terrorist activity or saying that the Black Lives Matters movement is a radical leftist mob looking to sabotage the white, suburban lifestyle, it confirms my fears that we don’t have empathy for our fellow man.   This indifference to the suffering or socioeconomic position of the other is the real issue our global community must confront.

As a Jew, it is hard not to compare the current indifference with the historical instances of indifference that allowed for mass violence and murder in human history, particularly the Holocaust.  We must all understand that history is more than something that happened in the past.  It is a grim reminder of our potential future.  Therefore, I believe that actions are not choices.  We are obligated to not just be fighters but be fully engaged with what is happening around us.  We must understand the dangers that grow with indifference.  Know that indifference comes in many forms.  I choose to not be indifferent to the plight of my fellow human beings.  I choose not to be indifferent to knowledge and science.  I choose to not distance or desensitize myself from the lessons of the past.  By being engaged in this way, I cannot be indifferent.

We are created in God’s image (tzelem Elohim).  If this is true, then lesbians and gays are created in the image of God. Bisexuals, transgender, cisgender, heterosexual, celibate, queer-identifying, single, and married persons are all images of God.  No matter what skin color you have – you are also the image of God.  Based on this truth, I cannot be indifferent to their plight and suffering.  Rather I must champion inclusion.  God asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This is another way God is telling us to be inclusive.  We are obligated to love the stranger.  Here is yet another reason to strive for inclusion.

I believe that we are put on this Earth to build a world on loving kindness, engagement, and inclusion rather than strict rules and exclusion.  How can we do this?  By recognizing the image of God in all people.  If we do this then there is no way to not clearly understand that we are all connected.  If we don’t understand this connection, we lose our compassion and empathy for things that are not directly concerned with our advancement.  John Lennon simplified this truth when we said, “I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together.”  I choose to lean into the concept of connectedness.  Instead of being focused solely on personal gain, I will live my life as part of an interconnected world and try to champion treating every one of whom I come into contact with lovingkindness.

“For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone… We leave you a tradition with a future. The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete. People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed. Never throw out anybody. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. Your ‘good old days’ are still ahead of you, may you have many of them.”

—Sam Levenson

Aug 17 – 6.50 miles (1:09:49, 10:45 pace) – Hill Repeats

Aug 18 – 3.10 miles (24:53, 8:02 pace) – Speed Work
Aug 20 – 5.10 miles (43:29, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 21 – 6.00 miles (58:06, 9:41 pace)
Aug 22 – 9.10 miles (1:27:15, 9:35 pace) 
Aug 23 – 5.10 miles (48:49, 9:35 pace) 
Aug 24 – 6.20 miles (1:05:08, 10:31 pace) – Hill Repeats
Aug 25 – 3.10 miles (24:49, 7:59 pace) – Speed Work
Aug 27 – 5.10 miles (43:08, 8:27 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 28 – 5.10 miles (49:04, 9:37 pace) 
Aug 29 – 10.00 miles (1:37:23, 9:39 pace) 
Aug 30 – 5.10 miles (47:40, 9:21 pace) 
Aug 31 – 5.10 miles (54:47, 10:45 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 1 – 3.10 miles (26:44, 8:47 pace) – Speed Work
Sept 3 – 5.10 miles (43:32, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept 4 – 5.10 miles (52:16, 10:15 pace) 
Sept 5 – 8.10 miles (1:18:30, 9:42 pace) 
Sept 6 – 5.10 miles (49:21, 9:41 pace) 
Sept 7 – 6.10 miles (1:05:33, 10:45 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 8 – 3.10 miles (24:40, 7:57 pace) – Speed Work
Sept 10 – 5.10 miles (41:00, 8:02 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept 11 – 4.10 miles (38:23, 9:22 pace) 
Sept 12 – 9.10 miles (1:20:24, 8:50 pace) 
Sept 13 – 4.20 miles (39:56, 9:31 pace) 
Sept 14 – 5.50 miles (54:32, 9:55 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 15 – 3.10 miles (24:58, 8:03 pace) – Speed Work
Sept 17 – 5.10 miles (40:51, 8:01 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept 18 – 4.10 miles (37:14, 9:05 pace) 
Sept 19 – 10.10 miles (1:32:28, 9:09 pace) 

Total Miles:  160.70 miles
2020 Total Miles:   1,252.60 miles  

Beat the Heat

I live in Arizona where running during the summer and early fall months is difficult due to the heat.  Even if I get up early before the sun rises, it is still 88o or hotter.  Once the sun comes up it heats up pretty quickly making my runs really tough.  Running in the heat takes as much planning as running in very cold weather.  If you live in an area that has high temperatures or humidity, you need to know that during the summer’s heat you cannot expect to match your normal training paces.  However, if you go out and run in the heat consistently for at least two-weeks your body will begin to acclimate.  Once you have acclimated, you just need to understand the effect of heat and humidity on your pace to allow you to be realistic about your training.

A while back, I found two websites that helped me figure out what pace I should strive for during my training runs.  I find that running through the dog days of summer allows me to stay in shape for future races without risking my health.  It also allows me to not beat myself up mentally if I don’t hit a certain pace.  Knowing what a realistic pace should be given the temperatures keeps me sane and healthy.  The first website I visit when planning a training run is http://www.dpcalc.org/.  This website allows me to figure out what the dewpoint is given the ambient temperature and relative humidity.  To be able to figure a target pace, I need to know the dewpoint.  The dew point is the temperature the air needs to be cooled to (at constant pressure) in order to achieve a relative humidity (RH) of 100%.  This is a better measurement than relative humidity in predicting pace.

Once I have the dewpoint, I then go to https://runnersconnect.net/training/tools/temperature-calculator/.  This website has an online calculator that predicts how much the heat will impact my workout times.  I use this calculator to plan my training run paces to account for hot temperatures.  Once I know the pace calculated, I then adjust my goal time for each run before heading out.  I have tested this calculator against my training runs and have found it to be very accurate for me.  But it may not be exactly the same for you because we all respond differently to the heat.  For some reason, my body tolerates heat pretty well.

The general consensus among runners is that on average for every 10-degree increase in air temperature above 55 degrees, there is a 1.5 to 3 percent increase in your per mile pace.  Most runners know what pace they can hit for different distances in ideal weather.  I recommend going out for a 3 to 5 mile run test run.  When you get back check your average pace against the on-line calculator.  You can then compare the predicted pace against what the norm would be given the 1.5 to 3% increase in pace would be given the temperature.  For example, if your normal training pace is 8:00 per mile for a 5 mile run at 55o, at 75o you should be able to hit a pace between 8:07 and 8:14 per mile.  Once you compare this to the calculator, you will know how accurate it will be for you.

Once you know the right pace there are a couple of other things you can do to help achieve your training and racing goals.  First, I cannot recommend enough to run as early in the morning as you can.  I know getting up at 5 a.m. is tough.  But the simple truth is that during the summer, the coolest part of the day is before sunrise.  Running after sundown doesn’t really work as all of the heat stored in the ground during the day begins to radiate upward.  The radiant heat makes running even harder.  I have run at night and found that I prefer the mornings as it can still be in the triple digits here in Arizona after sundown.  There is no arguing that running in the early morning is the best time to beat the heat.

Next, what running gear you choose to wear can also help to keep you cool.  Frankly, the fewer clothes the cooler you’ll be.  But if you are running when the sun is out you need to wear sunscreen on all of your exposed body parts to avoid sunburn.  I choose to run in a very lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking fabric. I sweat a lot in the heat so I need the wicking to keep my shirt from sticking to me.  I have found that these fabrics help keep me cool as they disperse the heat.  Finally, I choose to run in light-colored shirts as they are more visible in the dark and after the sun comes up they reflect some of the sun’s incoming radiation which keeps me marginally cooler.

Finally, make sure you are fully hydrated.  Here in Arizona we like to say hydrate or die.  I keep a large 36 oz Nalgene like bottle at hand every day.  I sip on it throughout the day while I work.  I end up refilling it at least three times per day.  I find that this keeps me well hydrated and ready for my morning runs.  I don’t always carry water with me on a run.  But when I am going longer than 5 miles I do.  Because I am a heavy sweater, if I am going for a long run of 7+ miles, I like to carry water with electrolytes to replenish what I am losing on my run.  

The good news is that if you can keep up your training throughout the summer even at reduced paces, you will reap the rewards when the temperatures start to fall.  I find I feel so much faster in the cooler weather after a long summer of hot weather training.  I am a strong believer that as long as you plan your runs and stay safe, there is no reason to fear the heat.  Just do it!  Go outside and run!

Aug 3 – 6.50 miles (1:09:08, 10:38 pace) – Hill Repeats
Aug 4 – 3.10 miles (24:49, 8:01 pace) – Speed Work
Aug 6 – 5.10 miles (41:08, 8:04 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 7 – 6.20 miles (56:14, 9:04 pace) 
Aug 8 – 10.10 miles (1:43:05, 10:12 pace)
Aug 9 – 4.60 miles (44:14, 9:37 pace) 
Aug 10 – 6.10 miles (1:05:55, 10:48 pace) – Hill Repeats
Aug 11 – 3.10 miles (23:53, 7:42 pace) – Speed Work
Aug 13 – 5.10 miles (42:43, 8:23 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 14 – 5.10 miles (47:42, 9:21 pace) 
Aug 15 – 8.10 miles (1:16:44, 9:28 pace) 
Aug 16 – 5.10 miles (47:28, 9:18 pace) 

Total Miles:  68.80 miles
2020 Total Miles:   1,091.90 miles  

Vote in November to Dump Trump

I have really been struggling during this pandemic to get motivated to write about running.  There is so much bad news out there that I feel like writing about my running and training seems trivial.  I am so frustrated with the government in my state and country that my running is my only refuge to pound out my frustrations.  I am not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination.  I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal.  You can read more about my political beliefs in my post dated March 30, 2010.  I didn’t vote for Trump because I didn’t believe he could lead this country.  I didn’t vote for Hillary because she was going to bring much of the same old Democratic legislation and beliefs to the table.  Neither would bring the country together and find a middle ground that is needed to truly effect positive change in our country.  

This time even though I don’t fully support everything Joe Biden stands for; I will be voting for him in November.  I have always found it hard to explain cogently why I dislike Trump so much.  Then a post hit my Facebook page and it is the best explanation of why Trump is a cancer in the White House making our country a laughing stock to the rest of the world that I decided to share it here. 

A person asked the question, "Why are people so hostile towards President Donald Trump?"

Chris O'Leary responded:

Before you pass my answer off as “Another Liberal Snowflake” consider that

1. I'm an independent centrist who has voted Republican way more often in my life than Democrat, and
2. If you want to call someone who spent the entire decade of his 20’s serving in the Marine Corps a snowflake, I’d be ready to answer the question what did you do with your 20’s?

Why Liberals (And not-so liberals) are against President Trump.

A. He lies. A LOT. Politifact rates 69% of the words he speaks as “Mostly False or worse” Only 17% of the things he says get a “Mostly True” or better rating. That is an absolutely unbelievable number. How he doesn’t speak more truth by mistake is beyond me. To put it in context, Obama’s rating was 26% mostly false or worse, and I had a problem with that. Many of Trump’s former business associates report that he has always been a compulsive liar, but now he’s the President of the United States, and that’s a problem. And this is a man who expects you to believe him when he points at other people and says “They’re lying”

B. He’s an authoritarian populist, not a conservative. He advances regressive social policy while proposing to expand federal spending and federalist authority over states, both of which conservatives are supposed to hate.

C. He pretends at Christianity to court the Religious Right but fails to live anything resembling a Christ-Like Life.

D. His nationalist “America First” message effectively alienates us and removes us from our place as leaders in the international community.

E. His ideas on “Keeping us safe” are all thinly veiled ideas to remove our freedoms, he is, after all, an authoritarian first. They also are simply bad ideas.

F. He couldn’t pass a 3rd-grade civics exam. He doesn't’ know what he’s doing. He doesn't understand how international relations work, he doesn’t understand how the federal state or local governments work, and every time someone tries to “Run it like a business” it’s a spectacular failure. See Colorado Springs’ recent history as an example. The Short, Unhappy Life of a Libertarian Paradise And that was a businessman with a MUCH better business track record than Trump. We are talking about a man who lost money owning a freaking gambling casino.

G. He behaves unethically and always has. As a businessman, he constantly left in his wake unpaid contractors and invoices, litigation, broken promises, whatever he could get away with.

H. He is damaging our relationships with our best international friends while kissing up to nations that do not have our best interests in mind. To his question “Wouldn't’ it be great to have better relations with Russia?” The answer is Yes. But it is RUSSIA who needs to earn that, who must stop doing the things that are damaging to that relationship, or we are simply weaker for it.

I. He has never seen a shortcut he didn't like, and you can’t take shortcuts in government. “Nuclear Option, Remove the Filibuster, I’ll change the Constitution by Executive Order…Don…what happens when you remove the filibuster and the other side retakes the majority in the Senate? Suddenly want that filibuster back? What happens if you manage to change the Constitution by Executive Order and an Anti-2A President wins the next election?

J. He behaves and has always behaved as an unabashed racist. Yes, I’ve seen your favorite meme that claims he was never accused of racism before the Democrats…Absolutely false. Donald Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2019 See the Central Park 5, the lawsuits and fines resulting from his refusal to lease to black tenants, the 1992 lost appeal trying to overturn penalties for removing black dealers from tables, his remarks to the house native American affairs subcommittee in 1993. The man sees and treats racial groups of people as monoliths.

K. He is systematically steamrolling regulations specifically designed to keep a disaster like the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis from happening again.

L. He speaks and acts like a demagogue. He sees the Legislative and Judicial branches of government as inconveniences, blows up at criticism no matter how deserved and actively tries to countermand constitutional processes, not to mention attempts to blackmail and coerce people who are saying negative things about him

M. His choices for top positions, with the exception of Gen. Mattis, who is a gem, have been horrendous. A secretary of Education without a resume that would get her hired as a small-town grammar school principal, A secretary of Energy who didn't know the Department of Energy was responsible for nuclear reserves, an EPA head whose biggest accomplishments to date had been suing the EPA on multiple occasions, an FCC head who while working for Verizon actively lobbied to kill net neutrality, and an Attorney General who thinks pot is “nearly as bad as heroin” and asked Congress for permission to go after legal pot businesses in states where it is legal. (There goes that great Republican States rights rally cry again, right?) *Crickets* An Interim AG after Firing his First AG whose appointment is probably unconstitutional.

N. He denies scientific fact. Ever notice that the only people you hear denying climate change are politicians and lobbyists? 99% of actual scientists studying the issue agree that it’s real, man-made, and caused by greenhouse gasses. Ever notice that every big disaster movie starts with a bunch of politicians in a room ignoring a scientist's warning?

O. He does not have the temperament to lead this nation. He is thin-skinned, childish, and a bully, never mind misogynistic, boorish, rude, and incapable of civil discourse.

P. He still does not understand that the words he speaks, or tweets, are the official position of 1/3 of the US government, and so does not govern his words. He still thinks when he speaks it’s good ol’ Donald Trump. It’s not. It’s the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. You have probably spread a meme or two around talking about how no president’s every word has ever been dissected before…YES, THEY ALWAYS HAVE. It’s just that every other president in our lifetime has understood the importance of his words and took great care to govern his speech. Trump blurts out whatever comes to his mind then complains when people talk about what a dumb thing that was to say.

Q. He’s unqualified. If you owned a small business and were looking for someone to manage it, and an unnamed resume came across your desk and you saw 6 bankruptcies, showing a man who had failed to make money running CASINOS, would you hire him? He is a very poor businessman. This is a man it has been estimated would have been worth $10 BILLION more if he’d just taken what his father had given him, invested it in Index Funds, and left it alone.

R. He is President. But he refuses to take a leadership position and to understand that he is everyone’s President. Conservatives complain about liberals chanting “Not my President” while Trump himself behaves as if no one but his supporters’ matter.

S. He’s a blatant hypocrite. He spent 8 years bitching Obama out for his family trips or golfing, or any time he took for himself, and what does he do? He was already on his 20th golf outing in APRIL of his 1st year in office. He constantly rants about respect for the military yet can’t be bothered to attend the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day because of a little rain. (And that excuse about Marine One not being able to fly in the rain is HILARIOUS.)

T. He’s a misogynist. It's not really ok in this day and age to be a misogynist, but it’s not a huge deal if you’re a private citizen. It’s a pretty big deal if you hate half the people you’re elected to lead. The disdain for women seeps out of his …whatever…. and he just can’t hide it.

U. Face it. In any other election “Grab Em’ By the Pussy” would have been the end of that candidate’s chances. Back in the 90’s I used to marvel about how Teflon Bill Clinton was. I no longer do. The fact that he managed to slip by on that is as much a statement about how much people hate Hillary Clinton as it is about what is wrong with politics in this country right now.

V. He has one response to a differing opinion. Attack. A good leader listens to criticism, to different points of view, is capable of self-reflection, tries to guide people to his point of view, and when necessary stands his ground and defends his convictions. Any of that sound like Trump? His default is not to Lead, its’ to attack. Scorched Earth. The Jim Acosta reaction is a good example. There was no defense of his convictions when Acosta was asking him repeated questions about his rhetoric on the caravan. His response was to attack Acosta.

W. He takes credit for everything positive while deflecting blame for everything negative. Look at him with the Stock Market. He’s been bragging about it since day one, and to give credit where credit is due, speculation on coming deregulation early in his presidency did fuel some rapid growth, but to pretend that it’s all him, that we’re not in the 9th year of the longest bull market in history and THEN, when the standard market volatility that deregulation inevitably brings about starts to show up? Yeah. Look at yesterday. Hey! Stock Markets losing because the Democrats won! Do I need to bring out the Stock market chart for the last 10 Years again?

X. He emboldens the worst among us. Counter-protesters are slammed into by a car while countering actual Nazi rally, and the response is there’s fault on “Both Sides” The media is at fault for a nut job sending them and Donald’s favorite targets pipe bombs. The truth is not all Republicans, not all Trump supporters are racist, fascist lunatics. Many are just taken in by the bombastic personality and are living in an information bubble made worse by the fact that they unfollow anyone and ignore any source of information that makes them feel uncomfortable. People on the left do that too. The Biggest problem the right has right now is that the worst of the Right is the loudest and the most in your face, and the actual right, especially the Freaking PRESIDENT needs to be standing up and saying No. Those are not our values.

Y. He seems to think the Constitution of The United States, the document that IS who we are, the document he took an oath to support and defend is some sort of inconvenience. He demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the Constitution, from believing he can alter the 14th through executive order, to thinking the free exercise clause in the first amendment somehow supersedes the establishment clause (not that he really understands either) or that the free exercise clause only applies to Christians. Or his attacks on freedom of expression and the press. He repeatedly makes it clear that if he’s read them, he does not understand Articles 1–3, and that’s something he really should have before he took the job, because they’re not going away.

Z. I’ll use Z for something I do blame him for, but the rest of us have to carry the blame too. Polarization. This country is more politically polarized than I can remember in my lifetime. Some of you who are a few years older than I may remember how it was in the late ’60s when construction workers in New York were being applauded for beating up hippies, I think it’s pretty close to that right now, but that was before my time. And he is the cause of much of the current level polarization, but also the result. It didn't’ start with Trump. We’ve been going down this road I think since the eruption of the Tea Party in the early years of the Obama Administration. I do hope the tide turns before it gets much worse because the thing that scares me more than anything is what if that keeps going the way it has been? "

So if you do not like what is happening in this country it is time to exercise your right to make a change at the ballot box.  And don’t just vote for the President.  It is really the Senate and Congress who are as much or more to blame for the divisiveness we are seeing across the country.  Vote them out as well.  Let’s get back to civil discourse and try to find a middle ground from which to build this country back to the nation it once was and gain back the respect of the rest of the world.

June 29 – 5.50 miles (55:16, 10:03 pace) – Hill Repeats

June 30 – 3.10 miles (1:02:38, 7:32 pace) – Speed Work

July 2 – 5.10 miles (41:26, 8:08 pace) – Tempo Run

July 3 – 5.10 miles (47:36, 9:20 pace) 

July 4 – 9.10 miles (1:25:04, 9:21 pace) 

July 5 – 5.10 miles (48:45, 9:33 pace) 

July 6 – 5.70 miles (59:04, 10:22 pace) – Hill Repeats

July 7 – 3.10 miles (23:38, 7:37 pace) – Speed Work

July 9 – 5.10 miles (45:16, 8:53 pace) 

July 10 – 5.10 miles (47:11, 9:15 pace) 

July 11 – 8.10 miles (1:15:00, 9:16 pace) 

July 12 – 5.10 miles (47:18, 9:16 pace) 

July 13 – 5.50 miles (58:25, 10:37 pace) – Hill Repeats

July 14 – 3.10 miles (23:31, 7:35 pace) – Speed Work

July 16 – 5.10 miles (41:45, 8:11 pace) – Tempo Run

July 17 – 4.20 miles (39:07, 9:19 pace) 

July 18 – 8.10 miles (1:17:59, 9:38 pace) 

July 19 – 5.10 miles (46:49, 9:11 pace) 

July 20 – 5.80 miles (1:02:02, 10:42 pace) – Hill Repeats

July 21 – 3.10 miles (24:19, 7:51 pace) – Speed Work

July 23 – 5.10 miles (45:27, 8:53 pace) – Tempo Run

July 24 – 5.10 miles (49:16, 9:38 pace)

July 25 – 8.10 miles (1:18:59, 9:45 pace)

July 26 – 3.10 miles (28:40, 9:15 pace)

July 27 – 5.90 miles (1:02:29, 10:36 pace) – Hill Repeats

July 28 – 3.10 miles (24:23, 7:52 pace) – Speed Work

July 30 – 5.10 miles (41:37, 8:10 pace) – Tempo Run

July 31 – 5.10 miles (46:49, 9:11 pace) 

Aug 1 – 8.10 miles (1:19:36, 9:50 pace) 

Aug 2 – 4.10 miles (38:07, 9:18 pace) 

Total Miles:  158.00 miles

2020 Total Miles:   1,023.10 miles