10K

No matter the distance, when your 60 year old Dad asks if you want to run a race with him you do it. No if's, and's or but's. My Dad is one of my greatest motivators - in life and in running. He knows at exactly the right moment to be encouraging, when to be empathetic and when to really push. We have the same pace and both love to book it when are we are about .2 to .4 miles away from the finish line. Something about seeing the finish, and picking off people as we approach that sends the adrenaline soaring. 

I don't know how many more of these opportunities I'll have so I want to jump on each one. Love you, Dad! Thanks for a great race!

At his surprise 60th Birthday Party 

One of my all time favorites and sums up perfectly how I feel about my Dad

Open

This is the title of the book that I am almost finished reading ... Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi.

Read some of the great reviews here

It's nothing short of amazing and even more amazing is how well written it is. So well written, and captivating. The only reason why I picked it up to read it is cause I wanted to donate it and thought:

Welllll, it's a signed copy that I got when I used work at Genworth. May as well read it before I give it away.

(Andre Agassi used to be a spokesperson for Genworth and played in a few tournaments that Genworth sponsored. When his book came out he sent a box to Genworth all signed - those who wanted one got a signed copy ... or in my case those who happened to walk by at the right time and love free things.)

And I haven't been able to put it down ever since. Surprisingly the book isn't really about tennis, as I expected it would be, but instead it's about getting to know who he is as a person, his emotions, his thoughts, his journey. And that person is a remarkably touching, motivated, giving and kind soul. What touches me the most is how giving of a person Andre is. I don't know why I thought that he wouldn't be, I guess because before this book:

a.) I didn't care for tennis. At. All. (and still don't), and
b.) I didn't know a lick about him - except that he's a tennis player. And was married to Brooke Sheilds. And is married to Steffi Graff.

So, essentially all I knew about him is from what I would read in People magazine. But he's a person that puts everyone else around him first, and I will never tire of reading how much someone loves, honors, appreciates and respects their wife and family. Especially when that person is a male.

And lets get one thing straight. I'm no tennis aficionado. Me liking this book is tantamount to me ASKING to watch golf on TV. Something that would never happen.

So, mostly I'm just blown away by how good it is because I was expecting quite the opposite. Shocker book of the season right here.

Beijing 2008 - My overall thoughts and feelings and yes, issues

I, for one, love the Olympics. Especially the Summer ones. Favorite events include: Swimming, Diving, Rowing, Gym-nice-tics and Track & Field. Another favorite is looking at the incredible bodies these athletes possess. It's amazing to me to have THAT much muscle on one human being. Talk about pushing your body to it's LIMIT. But that's neither here nor there. What I don't like about the Olympics are: the time difference, commercials, and the commentators. OMG. They are awful. They make "pulling an achilles tendon" sound as if the superhumaniod/athlete was a.) a horrible human being, and a let down to the 9 Billion people who are there watching you not to mention the billions of people watching on TV and b.) that they are the worst athlete in their sport EVER. No hope for them what-so-ever. I don't think they like anyone whose name doesn't start with Michael and end in Phelps. Even poor lil Shawn Johnson who did amazing for a 16 year-old sixxxxteeeennnnnn!!! and placed Silver in the women's all around gymnastics final, is asked questions like "How does it feel to come in second, to not win the gold, to pretty much suck at life at 16????" Of course every athlete's goal is to get gold. Duh. But come on BOB COSTAS, a Silver medal, being the SECOND BEST athlete in their sport in the ENTIRE WORLD isn't so bad either. And for the record, BOB, nice toupee.