VA Beach, aka, Redneck Riviera

I figure more people are interested in the race report than my thoughts on VA Beach. So VA Beach comes first.

I have to confess that many of my tastes lean bourgie. I shop at Costco instead of Sam's so I don't feed the Wal-Mart beast. I like Target. I'm not a coffee shop kind of guy but I am a foodie. I prefer local restaurants to chains ("Hey, we're on vacation! Let's go to Applebee's! And Carrabba's tomorrow!").

How does this apply to VA Beach?

• I do not want to buy 5 T-shirts for $10
• I do not care that everything in your store is 50-90% off
• I do not need a T-shirt telling those that see me that I have an attitude, I like Harley's, and I really don't want a shirt with a drawing of a curvy woman with large breasts
  
• I do not want a paperweight full of imported shells to commemorate my visit
• While I appreciate attractive women just like the next guy, I do not want to see your hoochie butt hanging out of your shorts
  
• I think wife beaters are great in the gym or mowing the lawn, but not hanging out with 30,000+ of your closest friends
• I'm happy your store sells beer at 8AM. Really.
• I don't know if I want to go to a "sushi saloon."

Apparently the Florida panhandle is more prominently known as the Redneck Riviera. That being said, I did find several references to VA Beach as the same. It does seem to apply.

Virginia Beach this weekend!

Woohoo! First big race since the last marathon! Suzanne and I are going to Virginia Beach this weekend. I'm running in the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon this Sunday. It should be fun. Hopefully the weather is nice.

There was one other race. Well, 2. I did the Race for the Cure in June but that was one of the hottest days of the summer. I did like 26:30 or something which is pretty good but it was just sweltering. On the 4th of July I did the Carrboro Four on the Fourth, running 4 miles in 32:41 or something like that. There was some great weather and that was probably the best race I've had.

Anyway, race report will be coming after the weekend. I won't be training with TNT this weekend. Saturday is TNT and Sunday is the race - need to rest.

Back to training

That's right, Team in Training and another marathon. This time Kiawah Island in December. My goal is to raise $2500 by then. The links on the right are updated. Expect letters and emails in the coming days.

I started a fairly intense 24 week program for this. I needed something to do between races and there was a lot of time between the last marathon and the start of this season. In other words, I needed something to do in the sweltering heat.

Let me tell you something. I have discovered that I hate summer. Hate it. I used to love the sun being out all the time, and I probably would in Minnesota. But getting up early to go running and the heat and humidity. Blech.

Anyway, TNT is up to 4 miles on Saturday. Yesterday (Sunday) I ran 17.5. This is "recovery week" which is good as you'll find out in the other post today.

control

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold led the Columbine massacre. The church I was attending in Ohio was stunned. Here we were on the border of the Mid West and the North East, far from Colorado, and simply stunned. I think the nation was as well.

I remember vividly the sermon that day. Our preacher taught us that day that "God is in control." Despite the recent tragedy, God is ultimately in control.

I bought it then. I vehemently disagree now.

I have wondered since what God is in control of. Was He in control of the tsunami 2 and a half years ago? Earthquakes? Iraq? Sept. 11th? Katrina? When someone is raped? When a child is abused? When a drunk driver hits a car head on?

How is a family member of a victim of tonight's bridge collapse helped to hear that God is in control? I'm sure you would respond the same way: Then where was He tonight?

In my opinion religion does a service when it offers space for healing, grieving, community, and assistance. But let's face it. Whatever theology or understanding of God or Creator just falls short when tragedy strikes, for then the only thing matters is grieving and healing.

Where that leaves God, I don't know. I've wondered that for a while. I don't have good answers. Then again, Job didn't get any when he wondered these same questions.

I hope this is helpful. I hate watching news coverage of tragedies, but at times it's even more uncomfortable to understand why or how they could have occurred or how they could have been prevented.

long time no post

More posts will be coming in the next few weeks. I'm running a half marathon Labor Day weekend in Virginia Beach, a half marathon in Raleigh in November, and a full marathon on Kiawah Island in South Carolina. The marathon will be through Team in Training again, for which I'm mentoring. You'll be asked for donations.

The bridge tournament was fun. We were eliminated early, but hey, we were there.

Part of this post is because the next post will be a little out of the blue, and the 3* of you that read this regularly deserve an update.

*estimate.

bridge

I'm still trying to use this to post updates. Hopefully some reflection as well. We'll see.

A week ago a group of 4 of us went to Morganton, NC, to a bridge tournament. I play bridge, something I picked up several years ago at NetIQ. The 4 of us qualified to go to a district wide tournament. I'm in "Flight C" which is basically novice and some intermediate.

Two things happened. I got my Life Master - the goal of every novice and intermediate bridge player - which means I'm no longer qualified for Flight C. A fairly big achievement for most bridge players.

Secondly, our team won. We qualify to go the national team bridge tournament, which happens to be in Nashville in July. We will be competing in the national "Flight C" Grand National Team competition at the NABC (North American Bridge Championship) in July.

In the course of 8 days I completed a marathon, won a bridge tournament, and qualified for the national bridge tournament. Doesn't get much better than that.

Did I mention we get a stipend for attending?

proof I finished a marathon

proof