Central Park

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Sitting on a bench in Central Park, just off the marathon course. It's a beautiful September morning, almost cool enough to wear a sweater. I just took the train up from Baltimore, and had planned on going for a run as soon as I got to New York. But the hotel didn't have my room ready and I'm too lazy to find a health club to shower and change before my lunch meeting. So today's run will be in the afternoon. In the meantime, I sit here and write.

A couple thoughts: A few years back, I was doing a story on Michael Andretti. I was at the Chicago Speedway, sitting in his team's hospitality tent having lunch, and was a little nonplussed that everyone walking by outside stopped to stare at me. It was odd, is all I can say. Anyway, I kept eating and learned to ignore them. Finally, I realized it wasn't me they were staring at. It was Paul Newman, who had taken a seat behind me. My agent at the time knew him well, and I used that as a means of introduction. I can say that everything you've read about Newman these past couple days is true: a very nice man. Very composed. Very polite. I felt bad for him as he left the tent, because people descended upon him immediately. As the day went on I noticed he was in the habit of always having an exit pathway scoped out, just to escape the public when they got too much.

My cross-country team had a fine week of racing. Solid performances all around in the Thursday dual meet, then three trophies and a whole lot of medals in Saturday's invitational. They're reaping the rewards for several grueling summer months of base training (hills, rattlesnakes, heat, and a week of altitude defined the experience) and I couldn't be more proud.

Another (and decidedly random) thought is that we need to do better with our trains here in America. European trains seem to have fewer bumps to the clickety-clack, if you know what I mean. That train ride this morning was a bruising journey on a seat that was strangely absent of cushioning.

Back to New York. I find it appropriate that I'm here by the marathon course, because news came this morning that Haile Gebrsellasie ran a 2:03:59 marathon yesterday in Berlin. Think about that. It comes down to 4:43 per mile. The man's 35 years old, which should quiet those who think Lance Armstrong and Brett Favre should quietly retire. But since I'm a little on the cynical side, I also have to wonder about what sorts of out-of-competition doping controls are in place for a guy like that. He didn't run Beijing so he could focus on Berlin, but was that because of air pollution or because doping controls? Just wondering.

I think I could run a 4:43 today, only it would be for 1200 meters, not a mile.

Onward.

Nice to see that officials are already beginning Armstrong's doping controls. Word is that he's not going to be allowed to compete in Australia this January, as planned, because he needs at least six months in the doping program before being allowed to compete. This follows news from Tour de France officials that Lance and Astana will be allowed to race there, just so long as there's no doping issues between now and then. The Tour, which once couldn't wait for Lance to go away, needs him desperately right now. Carlos Sastre is not the sort of household name they'd been hoping to have as their defending champion.

Do you sense that Armstrong is going to be peeing into a bottle and giving blood a whole lot in the next ten months?

Alright, I'm out. Have a great Monday.

Keep Pushing...Always.

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