Shark Bites: No Updates b/c...

There will be no Sharky updates b/c she is being as bad and onery as ever. i have come to the conclusion that she just does not give a crap what i think or want. She doesn't even act like she cares. She is a smart kat...i think (though really wonder sometimes).

Yet, she CONSTANTLY gets up on the kitchen table and counters while i am right there in plain view. Then, she looks at me and says...w/ her eyes of course b/c she cannot actually talk, right? B/c if she could, Woo-hoo we'd all be rich.

Anyway, she looks directly at me (and Jason i know you will appreciate this), and says,"Yeah, i'm up on the table again! What are you going to do about!?"

"Oohh, you think you are going to chase me, huh?"

"Fat chance, fatty! Like you could actually catch me!"

Then blompp down she goes and boom off like a rocket. In an open space no one could catch this kat. i think she could break land speed records. Cheetahs? Nah. They would not have chance against this thoroughbred of a kat. (She does run a little like a thoroughbread. When she runs across my floor and slows down it sounds like a miniature Kentucky, of course, thoroughbred gallopping to a stop.)

Luckily she also constantly forgets i have the all the doors closed so she cannot go running into and out of rooms to lose me. And eventually i always do catch her and put her in the basement. That is her punishment. But it is obviously not working. She has not caught on to my grabbing her rather forcefully by the knap of her neck and throwing her (not literally) in the basement is a punishment. No, she just saunters down the steps and starts getting into stuff in the basement. So it is time to change tactics.

Any suggestions!????

LESS Maxbps - Quick Update

Hello! In the span of one week (March 1st - 7th) i ran my first official 10K AND my first unofficial but independently measured 10 MILES!!!

(Now if i can just put down the Graeter's Double Chocolate Ice Cream and Twix Bars!!!)

Tennis Anyone?

My tennis game has improved rather dramatically lately. And one of the reasons is my new coach. Several of the guys i play doubles w/ have been trying to get me to go to this practice session that they have had w/ a coach at another club for years. So finally i say the heck w/ it and decide to skip one of my group running sessions (for the record i ran the next night by myself...and recorded my first ever 10 Mile run).

So i get to the other club which is due North of Cincinnati and out of the way for just about anything i would normally do. i change and chit-chat w/ the guys while we wait for 7PM to roll around. When it does we head out to the court. Now the guys no i am a big fan of the KY Wildcats and, apparently, so was the coach so i knew we would immediately get along. What i did not know was their coach was a guy that i went to grade school, Jr High, and High School with in Kentucky. He was a year behind me and in my split 6th/5th grade class. And, as it turns out, is a really good tennis coach. In one session he helped take my game to new level. i can now play a seriously good game of tennis at the 4.0 level, maybe even hang at the 4.5 level but i am not even going to consider attempting that jump until or IF i win several leagues and tournaments at the 4.0 level. (The last time i won the 3.5 doubles league/tournament and jumped to 4.0 it was too soon.) Besides, i like to win and i have not been doing nearly enough of that at the 4.0 level...YET.

So...any takers?

March Madness & My Old Kentucky Home

Well my favorite time of the sports calendar is upon us and my Kentucky King of the Wildcats will, once again, make into the Big Dance. New Coach Billy Gillispie has done an outstanding job with this year's team and our seniors (Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford) have really stepped up their games.

i doubt we will go deep in the tournament yet if i were a coach of an opposing team i would not want to play us. We could pull off an upset or two.

As big of a fan of both Kentucky and college basketball as i am, you would have guessed that i have attended some of the tournament games. But last year's game was my first. Jason, Al, and Kevin went with me to watch Kentucky play Villanova. The Kats won. i actually drove to Chicago that morning/afternoon, hung out at a bar waiting for the game...and my friends, watched the game, then turned around and drove home that night. Now that is dedication.

Next year, i am going to start a new annual tradition of attending the SEC tournament in Atlanta. And in 2010 i am going to attend at least one NCAA tournament game...Kentucky game of course.

By the way, for those at all intersted in horses: Kentucky will be hosting the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington from Sept. 25th thru Oct. 10th. This is the first time this event has ever been held outside of Europe though these games are still young having started in 1990. Nevertheless, this is a huge event for the U.S. and Kentucky.

If you are at all interested check out their great web-site: http://www.feigames2010.org/ .
If you go save a day to go to Mammoth Cave National park a few short hours south of Lexington. Mammoth Cave is a remarkable site that should be the 8th natural wonder of the world. MCNP is the United States' second most visited park in the nation (2nd to Niagra Falls).
Here is there website, another really good one: http://www.nps.gov/maca .
And another Mammoth Cave site: http://www.mammothcave.com/ .

My unpaid commercial for the wonderful state of Kentucky has come to an end...for now.
Carpe Diem!

LESS Maxbps: March Update

Hello! Well, i had about a two-to-three week let down on my getting healthier goals in both areas but particularly with my eating habits. And i lost my ipod for about the same time though not concurrently. All told i lost about 4 weeks worth of eating better and running. That's not to say i did not run at all during those four weeks but it was just treading water, if you know what i mean.

The good news is i found my ipod and am back on the running path having run my first 'official' 10k this past Saturday with 11min miles, no less. Then i turned around and ran (ran being a relative term) another 5.15 miles on Sunday after playing in a competitive singles tennis match. So, my exercise routine is coming back and strong. My eating habits...however have not improved enough. It's time for semi-drastic steps like cutting out fast food altogether. And for those wondering, 'fast-food' in my lexicon is described as any food that is handed to you out a window w/o you having to get out of your car.

i will send out, to those interested, a link to my running site on Nikeplus.com with instructions on how you can 'encourage' me, if you so choose, by adding messages directly to that site. For now, i am off fast-food and looking forward to running. i guess the most important thing is that i am feeling better, more fit, and looking forward to running/exercising. (My tennis game is also improving as a direct result of being in better shape.)


Until Next Time ---> Take Care and God Bless!
Your Friend - Brian