26.2 debut and more

Due to the incessant urging of one M. Driscoll and his main squeeze K. Gwyther -- wait, too obvious -- let's call them Mark D. and Katie G, I've decided to provide the few of you who still check this thing with one of the sporadic updates this blog has become the posterchild for. Here's a quick rundown of things worth mentioning...

1. Still no answers as to what happened in regard to my race number down at Broad Street and still no word from the cowardly clown who let me know just a few days before that "in spite of myself I'm psyched and am running Broad Street for sure. I can grab your number as I am heading down on Friday night -- I'll be staying at (unnamed name's) place in (unnamed location) Sat I can head to Philly any time so I can get our #s and meet you at the hotel (which one is it?)....That's it from here. You've got my phone too so we'll just coordinate from there. What time do you get to the PHL airport? Does the hotel offer you a shuttle? If not I can zip by andget you." Good thing I didn't take him up on that last offer.

2. Given the unfortunate outcome of the scenario I just described above, I wisely decided to pick up my own number this past weekend at the Vermont City Marathon. A big thanks to everyone who helped me out and supported me on my way 2:28:25, 6th place finish in my debut at 26.2. I sure as hell didn't do this on my own. A big congrats to a lot of guys as well, including Matty Pelletier for his beastly performance, good pals Mark LaRosa, Ryan Carrara and Kevin Reino on tough, gutsy races, John LaRosa on setting a PR and my main man Bergie on a 2:48:42 debut that still has me fired up. I still haven't seen many pictures of the race, but I'll be sure to post some soon as they become available.

3. My days as a resident of Auburn are slowly winding down. Come February of '08 I'll be Mario Fraioli of Worcester, Mass., and I'll be the proud owner of a nifty new Narragansett-style house in the Arboretum Village. Right now said house is nothing more than a 4,399 square foot dirt lot called 5-R, but in nine months time it will house an enclosed structure with two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths and a small yard with an address on Sophia Drive. Exciting times for sure. Stay tuned for mid-winter housewarming party details.

And that'll do it for this month's excitement. At this rate, my next update should fall sometime around July 4, or whenever Drisc and Gwyth get on my case again.

Quote of the day:

I always found a perverse "interest" during a marathon race in monitoring the shutdown of various parts of my body and thus the statement that someone "enjoyed" a marathon, bizarre. A good race may be an accomplishment but not in the same way as a good meal or good sex.
- Another priceless e-mail from Tom Derderian