WTRC Thanks, Movie Reviews, Book Review

A little over 34 years ago I joined the West Texas Running Club and have been a member ever since. When I joined it I really didn’t know much about it other than they put on a monthly race for a bunch of crazies that preferred to run as a hobby. The first event I ran in I took son Mike(not a Jr.) and we both realized after the first mile of this 5 mile race, that these guys and gals were serious about their running. Since I had never run a road race and the furtherest distance I had even run in a race was 440 yards, when I was a track man in high school and college, the 5 miles looked very long. As we started out I noticed some started out real fast and others did not. As I looked in front of me and saw all the people ahead of me I told myself that they would burn out and I would reel them in. What a dreamer I was, these people were maintaining their distance from both of us. Not only were they maintaining their distance some of them were going out of sight, making me feel like I was dragging an anvil. So, as we crossed the line after 43 minutes we learned that this West Texas Running Club bunch were not only serious but they could put ‘em up and lay ‘em down and had a cardivascular capacity that were much differnt than mine. While I was breathing hard and gasping for every breath these dudes and dudettes were running along effortlessly and making me feel like a real novice, which I was. As the years went by I was able to bring my 5 mile time down a little bit, to something like 35-37 minutes but I still had the hard breathing, and gasping for air feeling as I ran. So, yesterday I entered the 5 mile road race at Buddy Holly park and chugged along at 53 minutes and felt great. Fact is I felt so great I thought I was running it in 37 minutes, funny how the mind can fool you when you least suspect it. As I came across the line there were a few comments about the “ole man finishing” and the useless chatter that goes with “age awareness month,” which is every month the planet exists and something I just made up for this blog. I also had some people who ask me how I felt and how the run was for me, my comment simply put, “I started out slow and tapered off.” That always seems to draw a few grins instead of pity, and we go on to how nice the weather was or is. Actually the weather was good even at 26 degrees and a slight wind, but plenty of sun so I know I got some vitamin D. Then after returning home I got to thinking about this bunch called the West Texas Running Club and started thinking about how great it is to have such a strong organization that has been serving the runners of this area for nearly 40 years. The leadership and organization of this totally volunteer non-proft club is beyond reproach. The club has had such a great succession in leadersip that it seems that no matter who is on the board or whoever is the president, the continuity of quality leadership is always there. As I look at other non-profits I have been involved in, and even served in the leadership of some of them, I feel that the West Texas Running Club sets the perfect example as to how a club of this nature should be. With all volunteers they put on 12 races per year, have great race support, great results, safe venues and great awards. Then they put the icing on the cake with a challenge series and then an annual awards get together. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Even though I have been a member since 1977 I have never served on the board, but I have done volunteer work for them, including race directing one of the annual races. Working side by side with them further illustrates how this club runs like a finely tuned piano. Since it would be hard to name everyone in the club who works so hard for its’ success, I would just say, “way to go WTRC club, keep setting the pace and doing the great job that you do!!! This member really appreciates it.

Movie Reviews: “Tron: Legacy”, ***, Not a bad sci fi flick. I generally have trouble getting into them, but did this one. It is still no more than 3 stars, but worth going to see. As the film opens, video game designer Kevin Flynn(played by Jeff Bridges) has been missing for 20 years, trapped inside the Grid(you will learn what that is when go see the movie). Garrett Hedlund is his son, Sam Flynn, drawn into the Grid and, once there, intent on rescuing the dad he lost when he was 7. Great action and visual affects, but still real plastic looking. Rated PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language.

“Unstoppable”, ** This is not a terrible movie but I just couldn’t muster another star. The only thing that would tempt was the fact that Denzel Washington was the star choo choo veteran train engineer and Chris Pine plays the new rookie engineer. They are paired together this fateful day, when a couple of real bozos that work for the rail road, let a fully loaded freight train get loose and cause havoc through Northern Pennsylvania. Of course there is lots of action and destruction scenes, and of course the two stars prevail. It was a little comical to watch how the film makers developed the “Top Gun” type attitude of freight train engineers relative to the veterans attitude towards the rookie engineers. Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some language.

Book Review: “Marathon FIT to Lead”, ****, This book is not about actually running the marathon but is an excellent analogy using the marathon distance of 26.2 miles compared to life time events. Mike Matte, The Marathon CEO, does a great job of illustrating how the comparison of training and running the marathon has close similarities. Chapter titles such as: The First Step, Visualize Your Success, Prepare, Be Present, The Abyss, Build Your Strengths, are just a few of the 26.2 chapters that await you to read.

For today, SH, EA, and .. :)

greerman