Gil Can Run!A blog on Running and all the crap that runs through my head while doing it

Sep 5th completely lazy Saturday

No seriously, I did practically nothing today. My mm broke her smartphone yesterday, so he friend had an old phone and we went to Verizon to swap that over. It took forever, then we went to get a new toaster and iron, because I will need to iron clothes for job interviews, and I’m tired of wasting power using the oven to toast things. Then we had to run out to get some seitan and chicken because her boyfriend was coming over for dinner tonight. She was going to make him chicken, I’m not gonna eat chicken, so she made chicken florentine and seitan florentine. It was good, seriously. Vegetable broth, seitan, cream and white wine, it went well. The vegetarian thing is actually much easier than I thought.
There were also martinis and a couple beers and many many snacks. I’m a big fan of brie, seriously, buttery yumminess, and there we cashews and some tortillas and salsa, yeah I ate well today. Wanna fight about it? Some days you just have to indulge, right? Today was one of those days. Tomorrow will be a busy one too. Family picnics and shit like that. I’m not a fan of dealing with two families, the whole divorce thing. That’s one of the reason I haven’t been married yet. I never want to burden kids with having to hurry around, or even worse, pick and choose. It can be brutal, and it’s been over 20 years for me now dealing with this. And Labor Day weekend is always tough, because it’s always mom’s birthday weekend.
So that was my day today, Oh, and got my packet for the New Haven Road Race 20k. While lots of my friends raced the gap in Idaho and got a sack of potatoes. No seriously, I have to run that, and leave enough room in the luggage for the sack of potatoes! Oh the french fries I could make! You know, I know the secret to crispy homemade french fries…I’m not sharing it here, hahaha! If you really want, let me know and you can force me into sharing. But yeah, makes me want to go to Idaho just to run a race. Until next time, have fun, keep running and remember if Gil can run, then so can you!

Sep 4th What a weird day

So it was my last day at Sikorsky. It went by way too fast. I got a little choked up walking out the door. My boss had to walk me out to collect my badge. So even on my last day I had work to do, and it was nice to say goodbye to everyone and take one last trip down the final assembly line.
So I got home, and shaved my beard off, no seriously:

So that happened, and I’m getting lots of positive response on my personal facebook. I figured new chapter, new me. After that, I decided to go out and buy a new bottle of Tito’s (if anyone ever wants to send me vodka, I drink Tito’s) and some lemons. I already had the Noilly Pratt. I decided it was martini time. So that’s where I’m at, one rocks martini deep, and posting this. It’s time to get another martini, go to sleep and wake up and pick up my race packet for Monday tomorrow. Have fun and keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you!

Sep 3rd Not a lot of energy

No, tonight I was tired, it was hot, I got a bit dehydrated, and I just did not have any gas in the tank. It was a great run though that I kept moving. So I am a bit bothered that tomorrow is my last day at my job. time to start figuring things out for real.
But all I could think of tonight, and this is a weird one, was how when I was a kid and my parents sent me to counselling, ostensibly because of my troubles with their divorce (so nice of them to think it was all about them!), how I was talking to the therapist about Timothy Leary, and she thought I was talking about Dennis Leary. Now, Dennis Leary is very entertaining and all but I was talking about Timothy Leary, who was a psychologist. He also promoted the use of LSD, but that’s not what I was interested in. I never really gave a damn about drugs and didn’t think there was much value in them. But, did she not know who he was, or did she not think a kid would know about his ideas?
That’s a common theme in my life, I’m talking about A and people think I mean B. For a long time it made me feel like there was something wrong with me. To be honest, I still kinda do. It’s strange and difficult to explain. I feel stupid, all the time, yet I know I’m not. I am full of doubt and insecurity often, and yet I know I shouldn’t be. It makes things difficult, but hey, we all have our own hurdles in life right? So just need to keep going and do your best with what each new day brings. So have fun, keep running, because is Gil can run, so can you! But stay hydrated!

Sep 2nd A nice Wednesday night run

OK, it wasn’t that nice, it was hot and humid and a little hard to breathe. But I had a good run. I’m feeling good, even if I am suffering a couple minor aches still. The New Haven Road Race is on Monday. Interesting fact, the NHRR is basically the same age as I am. It’s run every Labor Day and my birthday is always just after Labor Day, so essentially, it’s a week or so older than I am. Generally, that’s pretty cool. So as much as the past two years it’s been horrible conditions to run in, I find myself drawn to the race to run it. This year’s weather report is not looking too great either, but I’m holding out hope.
So my boss took my department out for lunch today to say goodbye to me. It was really nice, a lot of the people I work with in other departments signed a card for me. My boss also got me a Sikorsky mug and a HH-60M Medevac shirt. I’m pretty proud of the HH-60M and glad I got an opportunity to work on that program. You’re wondering what that is I’m sure. It’s basically the best flying ambulance ever created. When you see a “Blackhawk” without a gunners window and a giant red cross on the side, that’s the HH-60M.

Both sides of the shirt and the mug. The mug displays the CH-53K, S-76D, H-60, and H-92

I admitted to my boss he was in my top two favorite bosses. He was really great to work for. In many respects I’m very sad my contract is ending, but I’m also looking forward to a little break and some time to focus on finishing my family’s home, repairing the jeep and some other projects before re-entering the workforce. So the word I’d use it bittersweet.
Meanwhile, September will be a busy running month for me, I have three races, a 20k, a marathon, and a half marathon. Plus my birthday, my mom’s birthday, my niece’s birthday. September is always an interesting month.
So tomorrow night a nice run, and maybe one more after that before Monday’s race, we’ll see. Meanwhile, stay hydrated and have fun and keep running! Remember, if Gil can run then so can you!

Sep 1st Run rabbit run!

Ah, the first day of a brand new month, so much awesome stuff in front of me, so much cool stuff behind as well. It was a hot one out there today. Glad I drank a good sized bottle of water before I ran. I don’t use “bottled” water fyi. I have a dispenser on my fridge and I use reusable metal and plastic drink bottles. Most of them are race swag bottles. But either way, I think plastic bottles of water from a company are a horrible idea for myriad reasons. Firstly, there’s the plastic leftover waste. Secondly, it’s pretty much a scam. Thirdly, knock it off with the flouride crap, seriously, we’re living longer, it is what it is. Fourthly, people like the Nestle CEO trying to claim that water should be commoditized and is not a right of all living beings. Listen, we all have a right, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it however many times I have to, we have a right to food, water, shelter, clothing, no question. That’s it, it is a basic right. Animals have just as much right to it as humans. It’s up to us to keep everything clean, not just for our own well-being, but for every living creature on the planet. We have a responsibility to them, they owe us nothing, we owe them everything.
Yeah, that’s what’s on my mind tonight. They saw a humpback whale in Long Island Sound, off the coast of Milford and that’s awesome. After decades of killing such a unique and important ecosystem, the past few decades of trying to clean up the mess are finally coming to fruition. For a few years we’ve had some tiger sharks and such, but to have a healthy enough system to support something as massive as a humpback whale, that’s impressive!
So yeah, run was a good run, day was a good day, I even got my niece’s birthday and Christmas presents sorted, I can’t share them in case she reads this. Tomorrow, more running and a farewell lunch at work. Can’t wait for my new adventure to start, no matter what it is! Alright everyone, have fun and keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you!

Aug 30th Gil Can Run Episode 13 is finally HERE!

Oh we have so much to talk about, I run out of time! I had a super busy weekend and wanted to share. And a friend of mine had a birthday and she was talking about getting “old” so I share some thoughts. I’m now a godfather as well, so I talk about that. It’s all very cool, also, I managed to get a good run in today! Check it out and make sure to share with your friends.

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Aug 28th Sorry for the lack of new vids and stuff

But I ran! I ran so far away! No seriously, if I didn’t stop to talk to my neighbor that first mile, how fast would I have gone? I think that was my fastest mile ever. I was shocked given how much pain my foot has been causing and how slow I’ve been. I had a lot to do, so I knew I had to be fast. This weekend I have to go to New Jersey for my friend’s birthday party type event. Then Sunday is my nephew’s baptism, and I get to be a godfather. On top of all that, I have to run tomorrow morning and put new shocks on the front end of my Jeep.
So busy isn’t the word. But things are settling down, and as soon as I can I have great news, but I can’t share it yet. I thought I would be able to the other day. But I’m stuck in a weird situation.
Alright, so all day long I’ve seen people posting about Michael Vick. It’s been bothering me, listen, I don’t care how long he spent in jail; torturing and killing animals is just as wrong as torturing and killing human beings. If we wouldn’t let a person who tortured and killed a human out of jail, why would we let someone who did the same to not just one dog but to many? He does not deserve to be part of society, forget about making millions playing a game for a living. No, he has not done his time, no he has not made it right. He belongs in jail.
We can’t have equality, we can’t end oppression, until we end it all, until we make all equal, that includes those who can’t speak for themselves. All living beings have a right to live, and we should not be responsible for shortening their lives. “But such and such is natural” you may say. Perhaps, but we have cognitive abilities that allow us to defy the natural order when we so choose. To not choose to live a kind life seems so wrong to me. I don’t hold it against people, they have been trained to think a certain way, and some people truly enjoy the flavor and everything. I just wish they would see it a little more compassionately. As far as someone who murders for sport though, that’s unforgivable in my eyes. Sorry, it has nothing to do with any other aspect of Vick’s life, it’s all about what he did to those dogs and how I feel about the importance of not just my human brothers and sisters’ lives, but the lives of our cousins throughout the animal kingdom.
Anyway, something to think about. I am going to get to sleep, so I can run tomorrow morning. Have fun, keep running and remember, if Gil can run then so can you!

Aug 25th Self-Transcendence, in Marathon Form

Alright, so I was off to a bad start with grabbing the wrong socks and forgetting my EZ Pass at home. It was hot, it was humid, it was brutally awesome. Look, I’m not saying every marathon should have great positive people and a sitar player, but yeah, they should. I was doing alright, but the foot started hurting again, that slowed me down, then the last lap I caught up with some friends, and friends are more important than times. So I ended up finishing over 5 hours again. My watch also died at mile 24. So my time and such is NOT official.
It was great catching up with friends I seldom get to see, and many people from my home club, and just really great people. The after race food was all vegetarian, which was nice for me. The Soy “chicken” salad was awesome! If you’re looking for an August marathon in the New York Metropolitan area next year, Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Marathon I would highly recommend. If I am here next year, I will run it and hope I’m healthier and it’s slightly cooler, nice and flat course, with loads of positivity. I could see myself PRing this course easily.
So the craziest thing did happen this race, I’d never seen it before. The race leader literally passed out on the last lap. I came across the scene as the paramedics were taking care of him. I felt bad. but things happen. So all in all, an exciting an interesting race, with lots of friends and friendly people, definitely in my top 5! Have fun, keep running and remember, if Gil can run, so can you!

Aug 21st Making a decision for November

Since the big news I was hinting at yesterday has to wait, thanks to other people not doing their job, let’s discuss November. Now, last year I ran Brooklyn and Philly in back to back weeks. That’s an option again this year…and honestly, I’m considering it. But either way I have to make a choice, one, or the other, or both. Thanks to a discussion with one of my oldest and dearest friends, who happens to live in Philly, I know I have a place to stay for the weekend, and someone to hang with to go to coffee shops and get massively wired and hyped up. Plus I can make another awesome meal for him and his lady, and we would have a grand old time. The problem I have with Philly is: It’s crazy expensive! I think it’s up to $150 at this point. I know I will have a great time if I sign up for Philly though. I love visiting that city, I know the marathon is absolutely top-notch and I get to see my friend. Decisions, decisions. While I sit here and contemplate, You all have fun and keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you…oh man, this is a tough one…

Aug 20th Today was an easy one

So I originally planned to run further, but my foot was feeling funny and so I decided to cut it short. I’m still on target with distance for the year and for my marathon goals. Tonight was a good run even though my foot hurt still. It was slow, but pretty steady pace. I’ve been trying to work on my pacing, I tend to start out too fast and burn out too quickly. So I’ve been trying for a while to just keep a steady chosen pace. Today I did that pretty well, only had two real outlier times. There won’t be a show again tonight. Sorry guys. It’s been too much with the whole not really having a place to live and everything. I’ve had way too much on my plate. Next week though, that’s a promise, well maybe I can manage something this weekend. I will try. This is the first weekend I don’t have to cram 10 lbs of shit into a 5 lbs bag! But when I do have the next show I will have big news, that I can promise! It’s big news of a personal nature. Let’s just say I should not be technically homeless for much longer. Anyway, when I know more I will share! You guys have a great night, thanks for sticking with me, have fun and keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you!