Wednesday, September 28, 2011

We don't need no stinking shots~!

Yes, FLU season is right around the corner.
Yes, I think that you should get a shot, ESPECIALLY if you are older (than me), a small child (could you read this if you were?) take care of small children (yes, Home Day Care Provider, I am looking at YOU....), take care of older people, work in health care, care about health, etc. etc. etc.
In short, get your Flu shot.
But that's not the immunization I am looking for.
The one I am talking about, at least for me, doesn't exist. Which can be good, and bad... Have you ever gone to a museum, for example (that's those buildings where they keep old stuff for us to look at. Just think, some day (next month?) the iPhone5 will be in one...) and gone home wanting to look up all kinds of things, just to learn MORE about them? Anyone, Anyone? Beuller? Ok, maybe just me. But what about that time you took your wife, her grandfather, and the two youngers to see monster trucks? Didn't you want to run home, sell all of your running/climbing gear, buy a piece of crap truck and fix it up so that it could stomp all over the new school buses parked in a field not too far from your house???? Anyone? No???? WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE????
Fine. Let's keep it more realistic. (and by realistic i mean far-fetched)
In 2010 I went to Boston to watch the Boston Marathon. While there, I was overwhelmed by the support, the engergy, and the determination of the people running as well as the people watching. So in 2011 I went back, this time dragging my wife and youngest son with me. Well, I brought them to the Expo. Once again, I was bit by the energy, etc. The next day I went back down for the race, and then hung out with some people after the race. During that time, I managed to talk myself into running MY first marathon in Philadelphia this coming November with some other people who i hadn't even met. Seems reasonable, right?
I had caught the fever.
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to crew for Sarah Stanley as she ran in the Vermont50, a very tough 50 mile trail Ultra. I like to think that I am in pretty decent shape. HA! I was ever so humbled by the people who ran this race. Just milling around the Expo on Saturday was enough to make me want to curl up in the fetal position, suck my thumb, and rock back and forth take a serious look at my training schedule. So I steeled myself for Sunday, knowing that I was going to see these people in action, and that I would likely get bitten again. I must have some sort of crystal ball or something.
I caught the fever again.
What was the clincher? I gotta say, it was the running of that last 3 miles with Sarah. I was running in the woods, I was running up hills, over mud, through mud. Trees all around, except when it was fields. Bugs, bees, flowers, trees. I won't go into details of the course; I'll let her tell you all that stuff. Heck, I saw less than 10% of it. I WILL share, though, that if you run with someone who has just done 47miles, don't be surprised if they start talking about elephants, monkeys, deer shaped ferns, and waterfalls.
In conclusion, get your FLU shot. As for the other 'disease'...too late for me! I am fully ready to begin the journey to early evening hallucinations!
I have a fever....
What have you gone to see that has infected you?

5 comments:

  1. hey! testing the commentabilty on accountability.
    run like you stole some sh!t from k-mart!

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  2. Leaving comments on your own blog Gene?? Either you are in the last few miles of a 50 miler or getting a little lonely. glad to hear your enthusiasm. I've been going pretty good lately and hope that I can get up to your level. On my way now to get my flu shot!

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  3. while I disagree on the flu shot :), I totally GET the running fever! I miss it so much too! Even though I'm in awful shape right now, I registered for a local 5k next weekend just so I could get my fever/mojo back! Good luck in Philly, I'm so jealous! :)

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  4. hiya, trying to find your email address so i can make sure to keep you in the loop on a philly meet up

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  5. No flu shot for me. I had a pheumonia shot along with me teatnus/whooping shot a few months back and got SO SICK. Last flu shot I got had me down for the count for 2 weeks also. I hear "you wont get sick form the shot" over and over again but I seem to be the excception to the rule. My body can't fight the shot so I play the odds.
    I hope you feel better soon!
    Oh... and I may be in Philly the date of your race... I'll be in contact with you as things for my trip get finalized

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