Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Now Then...Where Were We?

First things first...I flat-out aced the cardiac stress test. It was an ordeal, though. It started off with the injection of a nuclear isotope, followed by two laying-motionless sessions of 3-D heart photography (twenty minutes apiece), and there was an exhausting treadmill workout mixed in between. With lengthy breaks after each part of the test, the whole thing ended up taking almost five hours and I was dead meat by the time I staggered back out into the hundred-degree heat. So the blog took a back seat to hypercaffeinating and snagging some rest. But, long story short, I'm fine...I can resume my running and the doctor doesn't need to see me for another six months. So, let's get back after it...

Even though these Presidential debates are quickly reaching "Everybody Loves Raymond"-rerun levels of TV saturation, I somehow totally missed the one from Chicago last night. From the highlights I saw, though, it looked like Obama took a lot of heat from the lesser lights (classic primary strategy...second-tier guys fighting to be The Alternative to The Official Front-Runner) and Hillary got off a great soundbite with her "I'm your girl" line.

Griftdrift has an interesting take on real names/handles/anonymity in the bloggeropolis (prepare for these stupid names for the blogging community to become a running HYH joke...I freaking hate the "sphere" word). My story is pretty similar to Grift's..."Mike-El" is my longtime handle at several message boards that require a short username. I kept it here pretty much out of whatever ridiculously tiny "brand recognition" it might have. Hit my profile and shoot me an e-mail if you're curious about my real name. It's not a state secret...but it's not something I choose to simply offer up out here in the blogghetto (see what I mean?).

You have to figure that the Braves' gameplan going into this big series with the Mets was to somehow find a way to "steal" the first game, then hit 'em with Smoltz and Hudson. Well...so far, so good. And...yeah...Bonds finally hit number 756 last night. Still, the most striking and surreal sight for me from that game was the guy who ended up with the ball being bumrushed out of the park by the cops like he had just shot the President.

If anybody has a foolproof method for getting rid of these tiny, less-than-an-inch-long millipedes, I'd love to hear it. Hell, I'll be your friend for life. They are about to overrun us this summer. I understand that they aren't harmful...but I don't want them in my house.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad you aced the test. Keep up the good work. Didnt realize you were a runner.

Please refer to Barry Bonds and KING Barry Bonds from now on. ....now if we could just find a crown to fit that EXPANDED dome of his (cough cough steroids cough).

Mike-El said...

Yeah...When I'm healthy and in full racing trim, I usually run about 20-25 miles a week. I can't wait to get back into it.

The Big Head Barry thing cracks me up because he was complaining Monday night that his batting helmet was too small. He had donated the 755 helmet to the Hall Of Fame and his new one didn't fit his gigantic melon. Too bad it was a Giants broadcast feed...the one set of announcers in MLB who wouldn't joke about it.

Anonymous said...

You have to be kidding me. Thats too much....

Mike-El said...

Well, to be fair...between a back injury, fatherhood, and a heart attack, I haven't been in full health or racing form for over two years.

I plan on getting started back with about 12 per week (3 miles/4 days) before getting up to 15 or so by adding an easy jog on weekends. I've already been working some light trotting into my walking regiment...I'm primed.

Anonymous said...

No! No! No! Mike I am so sorry i meant you have to be kidding about Bonds.

Your running sounds pretty good- a bit much for me, but i have a foot disability that keeps me in the 10-20 mile range with some PT on the exercise Bike.

Sorry about the confusion.

Mike-El said...

That's hilarious. I guess I'm just so used to hearing "That's too much..." from my worried family when I talk to them about my running. It's incredibly therapeutic for me. I've missed it.

Anonymous said...

Dude,

When I graduated college in 1994 I was going through some really rough times in my personal life. Running was a source of stability for me. I got a stress fracture in my left foot (which is the source of my disability) and I had to stop running. I had dreams about running, running and getting nowhere, running like a track star, running through places from my childhood....it was like I had lost a girlfriend.....I know what it means to miss it. I really do.

You seem awfully young to have had a heart attack. That must have been pretty heavy.

I'm glad you are on the road to recovery.

This guy (Ed) writes a good blog:

http://ethunter1.blogspot.com

and he had a stroke in the middle of a run but finished the run! Ha! Thats hardcore. Of course, he didnt know he was having a stroke!

Later