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The Penguin Archives

Category Archives: The Penguin Archives

Apr 06 2012
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Running with the Dolphins: The Sequel

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Bob Dolphin is an amazing man. His wife, Lenore, equally so. Together they represent just about everything that’s good about the running community. They are warm. They are giving. They are accepting. And they are indomitable. A short recap: In March of 2007 I was invited to speak at the dinner before the Yakima River Canyon Marathon. This event is part race, part family reunion, part 12-step meeting. In addition to the regular participants there is always a large gathering of the Marathon Maniacs club, the 50 States Marathon Club, and the 100 Marathons club. You begin to see a…

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Mar 25 2012
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Two For the Road

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There are days when everything comes together. You feel good, the weather’s good, and planets are all aligned. It’s what Frank Shorter calls a “no excuses” day. And when that day happens on a goal race day you just know something special is going to happen. Yesterday, March 24, 2012, was that kind of day for me. It was one that I will remember for the rest of my life. A little recap. In January of 2010 I did something to my sacroiliac joint. It’s a plate joint, not a ball joint and it was out of alignment. 6 months…

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Feb 02 2012
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Groundhog Day

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If you haven’t seen the movie Groundhog Day, I strongly encourage you to see it. I think it’s Bill Murray’s best work. The movie is funny enough on it’s face, but if you look beyond the gags the allegory is really poignant. I don’t think it gives away the plot to suggest that the point is that until you’re willing to take some risks and take action to change your life you’ll be living the same day over-and-over even if the calendar date changes. That was certainly the case for me. There were lots of external changes in my life….

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Jan 27 2012
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100 Chronicles and more

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Another from The Penguin Chronicles archive. How my running life began, and why it’ll never get old. There was a time when becoming a runner was the farthest thing from my mind. Runners were, or so I thought, a lost group of tortured souls with tortured soles, achy muscles, and creaky knees. They were – as best I could tell from the safe distance I kept from all matters requiring movement – either pain addicts or fools. If they were the former they were to be pitied. If they were the latter, they were to be unmercifully mocked. At the…

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Jan 18 2012
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Year of the Dragon

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In the Chinese horoscope, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. [the new year begins January 23] The Dragon symbol is of an intelligent and laborious worker who never puts aside work though sometimes this leads him to excesses. The water Dragon has enough courage to face challenges and easily finds weak points that stand on his way to success. So far, so good. Except that I was born in the Year of the Rat. Which is not all bad since People under the rat sign are usually smart and wealthy and will work for success. They are sanguine and very…

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Jan 02 2012
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A Year of Living Actively

By | The Penguin Archives | 4 Comments

2011 was quite a year. I’ve been a runner, or what I think of as a runner, for 20 years. I’ve run 45 marathons, I’ve done more half marathons and 5 and 10K’s than I can remember, I’ve done duathlons, triathlons, and even a couple of half Ironmans. But what I did in 2011 means more to me than all of that combined. In December of 2010, after the most frustrating athletic year of my life, I decided to move, intentionally, for 30 minutes a day for the first 100 days of 2011. I wasn’t concerned about what I did,…

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Dec 21 2011
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Giving and Getting.

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Before there were “The Penguin Chronicles” a friend and I, Lee Alsbrook, wrote a column called “The Recess Bell” for a local newspaper. This is one of those early columns. December has always been a strange time of year for me. In addition to the holidays, my birthday is in December and so this month has become a watershed in my year and in my life. This was the month that society granted me important permissions. In December I became old enough to drive, old enough to get married, old enough to vote, and old enough to drink. I also…

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Nov 30 2011
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Viva Las Vegas

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I’m a pretty boring guy. I don’t like parties. I’ve never gambled. I worked for years as a professional musician so I’m not all that interested in going to shows. What I’m saying is that all the things that Las Vegas is famous for are lost on me. But I cannot WAIT to get there. This is my last Rock ‘n’ Roll event for 2011. It’s not the last for everyone. Some of the staff will be heading to Miami next week, but not me. The year started in Arizona and wandered through New Orleans, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago,…

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Nov 10 2011
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Veteran’s Day

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I’m an Army veteran. 5 1/2 years active duty and 6 months of reserve. I’m one of a generation of men who had to register for the draft and – in the year of the draft lottery – put our lives on hold while we waited to see if our number would be called. Men my age remember their draft lottery number. Mine was 165. My number was drawn on December 29, 1970. On January 1, 1971 I would have been clear. I was one of the very lucky ones. I auditioned for, and was accepted into THE U.S. Army…

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Nov 01 2011
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The Autumn Leaves

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Johnny Mercer wrote the words, and many of us hear Nat King Cole singing it, but the classic “Autumn Leaves” has been ringing in my head all week here in Northern Virginia. We had the freakish snow last Saturday which gave way to a chilly Sunday and a stunning Monday and Tuesday. By early November most of the leaves have turned at home in the Chicago area. Out here, though, Fall is extended. It seems to wander leisurely from Summer to Winter. The romantics like to think of Fall as the most beautiful time of year. They wax eloquently about…

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