New Gear, Some Beer and Improving Cheer

Yesterday I arrived home to find a yellow and black sticky note attached to my mailbox, which told me that some brown person had been at my door. Way to blow the surprise UPS delivery person.

My new shoes, shirts and shorts had attempted to appear at my doorstep, but were detoured back to the sorting center when I failed to not take off work and await their arrival. Instead I ignored the protocol of calling first, drove to the UPS facility and made the friendly old guy go hunting for my oh so important package while an ill-tempered crowd formed behind me.

I got a second pair of New Balance 767s, but in a different color -- I got the red and silver pair from Joe's New Balance Outlet -- so as not to confuse myself when I have to decide between my old new Balance 767s and my new New Balance 767s. I'd post a picture, but they are far too fast to be captured in a digital image file. Also, I don't own a digital camera.

I will break in the shirts (OK, just one shirt) and shorts tonight, but I'll save the shoes for a post-Cleveland recovery run.

Mm ... Beer
I tried to give some thought last night to what I will rehydrate with after the race Sunday, but I got distracted by all the rehydrating I was doing during the Cavs game. My stereotypical, gender-induced commitment phobia is wreaking havoc on my decisionmaking skills.

I suppose my choice(s) will be determined by what is available and where I go. Considering that my tastes vary, it may be wise to choose the bar with the best selection of beer. Thankfully, there is a bar near home with 69 flavors on tap. (It may shock you to learn that the bar is called 69 Taps.) Also, there is a new brewpub that just opened in Akron that I have yet to sample.

I intend to tackle one or both of these places.

Or I will get a couple of 12-packs, draw an ice bath (dual purpose!) and drink myself to Blackout Island.

A Good Marathon?
This is the second year in a row I've run the Cleveland Half Marathon. However, I've never considered running the full. Part of the reason why not is that it is early in the year, which means January and February training.

If you'd ever pay attention to me, you'd know that I don't run indoors. And if you know the North Coast, you would know that January and February (and more frequently March) are the brutal months of winter. You would also know that there is no surf.



But another reason is its lack of support in second half of the course. Salty has two good posts on what makes a good race and the state of the Cleveland Marathon (Part 1 and Part 2). The No. 1 thing that makes a good race is the attention it gets, and it doesn't seem like Cleveland cares too much about its marathon. Go chime in on the conversation. Go, lemmings, go!