No running today. Going with some good eating and relaxing. Worry about how I will do on Sunday is starting to creep in of course. No matter how many of these races I run there’s always that apprehension, that worry, during the final few days. Logistically everything is almost in place I just need to actually buy my train ticket and at this point I may spend the extra $20 and get the high speed. Even though it only saves me 30 minutes each way, I hear they’re much nicer trains.
\nSo usually I won’t pay attention to International friendly matches. But given the events of the last week, I was interested to watch England v France, there are also a fair number of United players on each squad, so I’m watching. Congrats to Rooney on his 51st International goal.
\nWhile I don’t support the big money of sport I see the value in it as a vehicle to bring people together. Even though sometimes those people will do some bad things too. There is a great potential in sport to help, to heal, to harmonize society. They did the usual national things before the match. Of course usually the English fans will sing God Save the Queen, then the French fans would sing La Marseillaise. But everyone sung which was a lovely gesture. Given that it was a friendly, not a Euro Qualifier, the match itself wasn’t all that exciting. But Rooney’s goal was a lovely strike plucked out of midair on the cross. Dele Alli scored the first goal for England on a beautiful ball struck outside the 18 yard box and just clipped off the French defender past Hugo Lloris. It’s also neat, but a little weird, to see “Libert\u00e9, \u00e9galit\u00e9, fraternit\u00e9” on the screens outside Wembley Stadium. But I think the important part of this; the French team were under no obligation, as a team or individuals, to play this match. Some had been personally affected, yet they all traveled to London and played.
\nThe downside of today’s International matches, Germany v The Netherlands had to be canceled. According to reports as of right now, there was a concrete threat on the stadium. We will see what it was, but at least everyone is safe and well. While I advocate not giving people who commit violence what they want (violent response, with-holding our own freedoms due to fear), if we know something’s going on, we should definitely avoid it. If it means not playing a football match, that’s alright, you can reschedule those. But this probably won’t be, again it was just a friendly. Both Germany and the Netherlands are already qualified for Euro 2016.
\nSo sport can help, I think it does. It’s also good that we avoided more disaster today. But let’s remember that there are disasters every day on different levels across the world. Whatever happens with any current terrorist organization, those disasters will continue to happen, until we find true brother\/sisterhood in this world, and realy understand what those words mean.
\nSo good job today world. Have fun, keep running, and remember, if Gil can run, then so can you!<\/p>\n