My new passport arrived in the mail a few weeks before our Caribbean cruise. I needed to renew it as my old one was set to expire right in the middle of our cruise on the day we were in Curacao. I wouldn’t want to get stuck in Curacao now, would I? The new passport was all fresh and pristine. But so was my old … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #6: In Search of Passport Stamps

A day at sea between the ports of Curacao and St. Lucia turned out to be a day of misery for Jill. She had started feeling ill late the prior evening and it only worsened. After I returned from an early morning run of three miles on the gym’s treadmill and doing some various core and resistance exercises, I found Jill feeling terrible in our … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #5: April Fool’s on the Casino

The Stardust Theater is the place to be for evening entertainment on the Norwegian Pearl. On Day Five of our cruise that meant it was time for the ‘Fab Four,’ who were promoted as singing hits of the sixties and seventies. Four young men clad in black suits and ties hit the stage and proceeded to sing some nice four-part harmonies on songs such as … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #4: Fab Four Welcomes a New Member

An informative tour guide or taxi driver can add much to one’s visit to new places. At both Aruba and Curacao this proved to be true. In Aruba Jill and I spent several hours at Palm Beach. Dudley was our taxi driver on the way there while Mel took us back on the return trip. After disembarking in Curacao and getting visitor information, we took … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #3: Tour Guides – Dudley, Mel and Harold

Our family has played cards and board games for as long as I can remember.  I guess I should rephrase that a bit.   My family has always played games and cards, while Jill’s didn’t – but she has picked up the gaming fever over the past several years.   In this spirit we headed to the library and game room on the Norwegian Pearl with a … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #2: Cribbage and Competition

It was day one of our Caribbean cruise and Jill and I decided to start if off right by heading to the Fitness Center. We figured we would get there early around eight o’clock and imagined ourselves on side-by-side treadmills looking through big windows out to the sea as I ran and she walked. We figured wrong. There wasn’t an available treadmill to be found, … Continue reading Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #1: The Jogger’s Track

Whether we are taking a test in school, deciding where to invest our money (if we still have any) or preparing to run a race we need to develop a sound strategy. This may seem basic but it is very important. Even more paramount is to have and understand the many facets underlying our race plan. If our thought process is flawed, then our approach … Continue reading Racing Strategy and Information

Thanksgiving is a time when families come together and are appreciative of the rich bounty of this earth and the bonds they share. Food, drink and laughter are shared as we eat turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries and a smorgasbord of food on a dinner table filled with more than imagined in years gone by. Runners often start the day off by participating in a … Continue reading First Thanks, then Giving

My alarm went off at a ‘dark and early’ 5:15 this morning, I made a cup of coffee, got a few last minute items together and was off for the 50 minute drive to Deland from my Apopka, Florida home. The car’s temperature gauge showed 45 degrees – perfect for a race. The drive was uneventful and soon I was at race headquarters. As I … Continue reading 30th Annual Thanksgiving Deland 10-Mile Road Race

What were you doing 35 years ago on November 4, 1979? I am fairly confident that no one reading this has a clue. But I know what I was doing that day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but thirty-five ago, on a cool November 4th day in our nation’s capital, I ran my fastest marathon of 2:22:34 in placing tenth overall in the … Continue reading My Marathon PR of 2:22:34 – 35 Years Ago Today