Final Thoughts from my 26-Mile Punishment

I purposely waited 10 days to start writing this blog to make sure my emotions were in check before reacting to my Marathon experience. For instance, the people who were in Boston with me after the race that asked if I thought I'd do another marathon in my life got the response of: "my body would rather get hit by a truck right now, so no, I don't see it happening."

Ten days later and the response is more of a "probably not" than a "no effing way." I think the better plan is to do more half marathons, maybe get some better times in those first. It seems more attainable than another full marathon.

For those of you who thought I may never run again after the marathon, you were wrong. I ran 4 miles on Wednesday morning, my first physical activity since the marathon. I'd have to guess my legs aren't fully recovered yet. For you sports fans out there, if Al Michaels was diagnosing me, he'd probably say that I am out with a right ankle, right knee and right hamstring.

Speaking of that knee...all I can tell you about the days immediately following the race is that my legs felt stiffer & less flexible than the days immediately following my ACL surgery 3 years ago. That's how sore I was last week. But hey, at least I got a medal that says "Finisher" on it. Now I can add that to all my other finisher medals.

Here are some other random thoughts about my marathon experience:

-The night before the marathon seemed like an important time to get a lot of sleep. It was the one night that I tried to plan out in detail so I would not be rushing around or stressing. I thought I had the perfect plan when I got done eating dinner in Boston with some friends around 8pm. After getting dropped off at my hotel, I was in my room before 8:30, ready to make a couple phone calls, unpack my stuff and get to bed. Sounds like a good plan huh? It would have been, except I hadn't counted on my toilet overflowing upon first use of it (#1 I swear...I did not clog the damn thing). The biggest problem was that I didn't notice it overflowing when I walked out of the bathroom...I actually didn't know something was up until about 5 minutes later when a wall of water came crashing through my bedroom, ruining any & all chance of me getting a good night's sleep. The housekeeping person was in my room for the next 90 minutes trying to dry the carpet. By the time all was said & done, I got roughly 5 hours of sleep.

-The best part of the course in terms of crowd awesomeness was definitely miles 12 & 13 where all the Wellesley College girls hang out....they are so friggen loud, and they hold up awesome signs asking the runners to make out with them. It feels like you complete these 2 miles in about 45 seconds flat. If the whole course was equivalent to this, I would be the guy complaining about how my world record doesn't officially count.

-In the ongoing battle of BU vs BC, I have the unfortunate task of reporting that the BC fans were 100 times better than the BU crowd. The BC fans were so into it, I kept seeing cops having to hold them back on the sidewalks. They just wanted to be part of the event. The BU fans, for some reason, were almost nonexistent...maybe it had to do with me rolling through there long after their first drinks were consumed that day, but it was a light crowd that was very quiet. Thanks for nothing, school that I (read: my parents) paid way too much for.

-After training for many months for this marathon, I felt like I could run up a large mountain and then run 20 miles after that. What I could not do was run 20 miles and then run up what felt like the equivalent of a large mountain. In reality, Heartbreak Hill isn't that steep or that long, it's just that you've already run 20 miles to get there. It was impossible. Me & 90% of the other idiots running the marathon had to walk up a good chunk of it. I hate you, Heartbreak Hill

-I would say the biggest feeling of accomplishment came when I crossed the finish line. Not because I actually finished, but because I didn't have to immediately plop down into 1 of the 40 wheelchairs that were waiting for me. Small victories.

-A ton of people told me the best part of finishing the marathon would be the beer after. In theory, getting some beers with all my family & friends who made it out to watch me was a fantastic idea. In reality, I drank about 3 sips of a 20 oz beer and was basically sleepwalking my way through conversations. There's a funny story about my first night in Europe when I traveled a couple years ago--at my buddy Werner's apartment, I was so tired from the jet lag and being awake for so long that I passed out for 15 hours that first night. And I basically did sleepwalk, something I never do. I'd contend I was more tired after the marathon.

-I finished the marathon in 4:46:36, about 16 minutes slower than I had hoped for. What could I have done differently to achieve the original goal? Well for one thing, I could have trained like a normal person. Instead I trained as if I was living Charlie Sheen's life, probably not the best way to do it. I also probably should have practiced running some hills after running so many miles first.

-For any man that decides to run a marathon, one piece of advice I'd give would be to find a woman runner with a good-looking ass, especially one who's wearing those workout stretch pants thingys, and just run behind her for as long as you can. It works.

-All joking aside for a second, I really do need to thank every single person who either donated to the Playworks organization or came out to support me on Marathon Monday. And for the people who did both, Thank You X 2. And thanks to everyone who spent time with me in the days leading up to the marathon...I know I was very "specific" about certain things like my schedule and what I would eat, and I appreciate you not telling me to fuck off.

-The marathon blog is over, but I've already found a way to continue with the mildly entertaining blogging. I'd encourage everyone to check out the meh blog, co-authored by me: http://thatssomeh.blogspot.com/

(I'll just warn you that some of the content on that blog is even less suitable for children & old people than my typical blog posts)

55 Songs To Get Me Through 26.2 Miles

Before we get into the final installment of the Marathon Training Blog, Neil would like me to inform you that he’ll be tracking my progress during the race on Monday and will be using Twitter to send people updates. Realistically he’s only going to get 4 updates texted to him by the fancy Marathon technology, but he promises to tweet additional updates throughout the day, even if he’s making stuff up on the fly. You can follow him by going to: http://twitter.com/neilgariepy

And now on to the blog...

I don’t think it’s surprising to tell you that I’m mentally weak, at almost everything in life, but especially athletics. There are countless stories of me walking in the winning run in a softball game, or fouling the best player on the other basketball team with 2 seconds left in the championship game when I was 13 years old. I’m just weak under pressure. Running is no different. I need distractions to keep my mind from convincing me to give up. I could be an Olympic-caliber runner, but if I don’t have music blasting in my ears at all times, I can’t even make it 1 mile without breaking down. Let’s hope for all our sakes that my iPod & headphones don’t shit the bed between now & Marathon Monday.

So now the only question is which songs will I listen to over my 4+ hours of running?

Unlike some other runners, I’m not just going for “music that will pump me up.” That would actually hurt me...if all my music was upbeat, inspiring songs, I’d probably run the first 5 miles at a 6-minute pace & quit shortly after that. Instead, the music on my iPod will represent songs that make me think of someone, and therefore will make me think of good memories with that person, or they will make me think of a specific event/moment in time. And yes, some songs on this list are purely for “pumping me up.”
Without further ado, here is what will be on my playlist for the Boston Marathon:

1). “Thunderstruck” – AC/DC
Dedication: The rafting/camping crew from SF, specifically Tyler Blum.
Reason: For introducing me to possibly the greatest beer drinking game ever. Also might be the simplest beer drinking game: grab beers, throw on “Thunderstruck,” go around in a circle with a different person having to chug beer every time the word “thunder” is said during the song, keep drinking til the next “thunder” is said. At least 3 people will need more than 1 beer for this.

2). “We No Speak Americano” - Yolanda Be Cool
Dedication: San Francisco
Reason: Have been hearing this song over the past year in so many different places in the Bay Area. For some reason have just started associating this with San Francisco, the greatest city not named Boston.

3). “Hells Bells” – AC/DC
Dedication: The ‘01-’05 New England Patriots
Reason: There was a time when us Patriots fans were more excited for their Defense to come onto the field than their Offense. “Hells Bells” seemed to always be blaring over the speakers at Gillette Stadium right before an important Patriots’ defensive stand. Those were the days.

4). “What Would You Do” - City High
Dedication: Julie Bowen
Reason: To my favorite person...what in God’s name caused us to break out into karaoke to this song at a frat party 9 years ago? Definitely not alcohol.

5). “Black” – Pearl Jam
Dedication: My mommy
Reason: Easy. Her favorite color is black. What? You were expecting me to be more creative? I’m just trying to distract myself for 4 hours any way possible here.

6). “All of the Lights” – Kanye West
Dedication: Salt Lake City
Reason: Probably only listened to this song 15 times in 4 days during skiing & car rides on the Xmas trip to Salt Lake City. And thinking of SLC makes me think of the entertainment our friends got by watching Aaron feed me soup (“here comes the airplane”) on the hotel bed during that trip. Good times.

7). “Runaway” – Kanye West
Dedication: Swear words
Reason: They say “assholes” “bitch” “dick” and “douchebag” all in 1 song.

8). “Send Me an Angel” - Real Life (from the movie Rad)
Dedication: Tie--the Ryan kids, Werner
Reason: The movie I will forever associate with my childhood, the one we rented weekly from “Videos, Videos, Videos” and watched with brother #4 (Ed) and sisters #1 & 2 (Al & Care). Cru Jones & Christian (they apparently didn’t give Lori Loughlin’s character a last name) doing the bicycle boogie will live in infamy. And in the case of Werner, I’ll just say that he became so obsessed with this song--and Rad in general--that he spent most of a trip to San Francisco writing down the lyrics & memorizing them.

9). “One” - Metallica
Dedication: Aaron
Reason: He may have been the only 8-year-old in 1989 who would stand in front of the TV nightly and go into headbanger/guitar rocker mode every time this video came on MTV. It was a unique dance that involved a bit of a squatting motion. It became his signature move until he later invented a new basketball shot, called “The Old Man.”

10). “867-5309/Jenny” - Tommy Tutone
Dedication: Colleen
Reason: Legendary karaoke bar scene among our group. Colleen sitting at the bar minding her own business until someone starts singing this song. Energy courses through her body as she starts to rock out. Interestingly enough, she would act like she wasn’t paying attention to the music when they first said “867-5309,” but when they repeat those words...you’ll just have to see for yourself some time.

11). & 12). “Bulls on Parade” & “Vietnow” - Rage Against the Machine
Dedication: Rock the Bells Tour 2007
Reason: Rage reunited for a legendary show in 2007, my first time seeing them. Incredible live performance. I feared for my life only slightly, and feared for my friends’ lives only a lot.

13). “Don’t Stop Believin’” - Journey
Dedication: The BU Crew
Reason: Laugh all you want, but we screamed this song out so many times throughout college. It was on playlists at parties, sung over & over at karaoke nights, and blasted out the car speakers to keep the unlucky driver awake on the 5am car rides home from Foxwoods. Bonus points for this song being associated with the 2004 Red Sox, aka the Greatest Boston Team Ever Assembled (in my opinion).

14). ”Afternoons & Coffee Spoons” - Crash Test Dummies
Dedication: Neil & Aaron
Reason: The Crash Test Dummies didn’t make history on February 19th, 1994, when they appeared on SNL and sang this song (along w/ Mmm Mmm Mmm). No, they actually made history from 2005 - 2007 when that SNL episode set the record for “most consecutive weeks spent on the Gariepy’s DVR.” No words can describe the awkwardness of this event. And sadly it seems like there’s almost no surviving footage of this show, except for a quick shot of the lead singer making the “I may have just shit myself” face, located here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j53VGZnW4fU. People from those reclusive tribes who believe getting photographed will take their spirit away are more comfortable in front of the camera than this lead singer (if you EVER catch an old SNL episode on TV & the TV Guide informs you it’s the Crash Test Dummies’ episode, you sit your ass down and watch...I don’t care if it makes you late to a funeral, you watch).
If I start to feel like quitting during the race, I’ll just throw this on & laugh my way to the finish line.

15). “No Easy Way Out” - Robert Tepper (from Rocky IV)
Dedication: Hatred towards everything Russian.
Reason: Rocky, Lamborghini, Revving the engine, Hallucinations of giant Russian killer, enough said.

16). “Wonderwall” - Oasis
Dedication: Europe trip, especially Lagos
Reason: It seems like Europe is only 14 years behind the U.S. in music trends, as this song was the single most popular song at bars in Europe when I traveled in 2009. It was big in the U.S. in ‘95. Though Jaeger Bombs often wipe out my memory, I could never forget consecutive nights in Lagos standing on a bar & screaming this song at the top of my lungs. Speaking of Jaeger Bombs, what are the chances someone can have this drink waiting for me at the finish line?

17). “We Are the Champions” - Queen
Dedication: 2004 Red Sox
Reason: Whenever I heard this song while growing up, I only thought of 2 scenarios: scoring the winning goal in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (which was out of the picture the moment I was placed on the “JV 2” team as a high school senior), and the Red Sox winning the World Series. It brought me to my happy place. I realize you think this is corny, but I also realize I don’t give a shit what you think.

18). “Dream On” - Aerosmith
Dedication: Sports
Reason: If this video doesn’t give you chills, you’re a robot: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3379432062150187224# (except non-sports fans. You’ll just be mad I wasted 7 minutes of your time)

19). “I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home” - Grand Funk Railroad
Dedication: Dad
Reason: My Dad’s sneaky good taste in music is epitomized by this song that I’m sure I heard more than 90 times in his car when I was younger. He typically had only 1 CD in his car at all times, so variety was hard to come by.

20). “Glory Days” - Bruce Springsteen
Dedication: Martha’s Vineyard
Reason: Memory of Dad & Uncle Greg getting a little crazy to this song in the living room of our house in Martha’s Vineyard. I remember they made up only about 70% of the words as they sang. I think that was the same year I discovered there’s no way to “discreetly” smoke a cigar, return home to your parents and hide the smell from them.

21). “House of the Rising Sun” - The Animals
Dedication: Trips home to Boston
Reason: Seems like every time we go back to Boston for a holiday, we organize a night out in Boston with Dad, Uncle Greg, Ed “Mayor of the North End” Ryan, Eamon, Bridget, etc, and some kind of insanity always happens--like Al kissing the guy who runs the sausage cart. But nothing was crazier than being in a bar--The Hong Kong I believe--and seeing your Godfather grab a microphone to belt out this song...it was not a karaoke bar, keep in mind.

22). “Treat Me Like Your Mother” - The Dead Weather
Dedication: Female Singers
Reason: I really never end up liking female singers. Historically there’s almost none I can deal with. It’s not a sexist thing; it’s a good music thing. But this song makes me think there’s hope for the future of female singers in Rock. And I like all things Jack White.

23). & 24). “Elias” & “The General” - Dispatch
Dedication: Brad Strode, Rob Frost & anyone else who knows how to play a guitar
Reason: Rob introduced me to Dispatch freshman year of college, I’ve loved them ever since. Rob & Brad were surprisingly good at playing guitar & often jammed out to these songs...and they weren’t those douchey guys playing the guitar just to impress girls. Nothing those two could do would impress a girl anyway.

25). “Everlong” - Foo Fighters
Dedication: The original STB crew
Reason: The first concert I ever attended was Foo Fighters in Fitchburg. I went there with the first group of high school friends I ever had. It was fun.

26). “Dog Days Are Over” - Florence and the Machine
Dedication: Convenient Lyrics
Reason: Mostly because there’s a line in the song that says, “Run fast for your mother and fast for your father. Run for your children for your sisters and your brothers.” It says “run.” Get it?

27). “Pomp and Pride” - Toots and the Maytals
Dedication: Good moods
Reason: Though this song has an actual title, I’ve always just called it the “happy song,” because you can’t listen to it without getting in a good mood. I guess we’ll put that theory to the toughest test possible on Monday.

28). “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” - Weezer
Dedication: Myself
Reason: Self explanatory

29). “OMG” - Usher
Dedication: Mom, Tahoe trip for Aaron’s Bday
Reason: What do you get when you mix my mom with flip cup? Apparently 15 people singing this song over & over again. To be clear, the most memorable moment of this trip was walking into a room where all the lights were off and 8 girls were swaying back & forth in a circle, singing “Hey There Delilah” by that awful singer...but there was no chance of me putting that song on my iPod.

30). “The Gambler” - Kenny Rogers
Dedication: The High School Crew
Reason: If my memory is accurate, the final song of our Senior Prom wasn’t a slow song where we all danced with our girlfriends. It was The Gambler, and all the guys got in a circle and put 1 hand in the air. Draw whatever conclusions you want, but remember I said we had girlfriends.

31). “All Star” - Smash Mouth
Dedication: The other 2 Musketeers--Julie & Aaron
Reason: There’s still a debate over how many times I threw up in the bathroom of a local bar that the 3 of us used to frequent a few years back. But there’s no debate about this song giving us our most fun night at that bar ever. There might even be photographic evidence somewhere.

32). “Sick of You” - Cake
Dedication: Valentine’s Day Fillmore Show
Reason: Julie & I went to see Cake on Valentine’s Day and they were incredible. Sure it’s debatable on whether I should dedicate a song called “sick of you” to a great memory with my girlfriend, but it is only representative of a great song by a great band, nothing more. (and the whispers begin: “He has a girlfriend?” “Is she blind, deaf, both??”)

33). “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” - Snoop Dogg
Dedication: Neil
Reason: I didn’t wanna bring up the Star Wars theme song again after my Best Man Speech... No, I think I was 10 years old when this song came out & Neil and 1 of the life guards at our country club memorized the lyrics. That was the first time I ever thought Neil was cool. It lasted 3 days until Neil put on his 1-strapped overalls.

34). “Get It Together” - Beastie Boys
Dedication: Aaron & friends
Reason: Car rides to St. Bernard’s sporting events in Aaron’s Jeep usually involved 1 cassette being played over & over, and this was my favorite song on that tape. I believe a bottle of Captain Morgan’s was also involved in these car rides (not until we got to the parking lot of course).

35). “Young Forever” - Jay-Z
Dedication: My maturity, or lack thereof
Reason: I’m 28 years old, but would gladly choose to go back to college any time and stay there for the rest of my life. Growing up blows.

36). “California Love” - Tupac
Dedication: Massachusetts...joking, California obviously
Reason: My home for the last 5 years--I completely understand why people decide to “move to California for a few years” and then end up staying for 40.

37). “The Way I Am” - Eminem
Dedication: Anger
Reason: An angry song that makes me smile.

38). “Burning Heart” - Rocky IV Soundtrack
Dedication: Ben Sardella
Reason: Likely the only person who would force all his past girlfriends to watch all 4 Rocky movies in 1 sitting.

39). & 40). “No One’s Gonna Love You” & “The Funeral” - Band of Horses
Dedication: Australia
Reason: Favorite music I had on my iPod during my travel through Australia in ‘09. Band of Horses became my family for those months...them & the gangsters from The Wire were my only true companions during that time (that sounds incredibly sad).

41). “I’m in Miami Bitch” - LMFAO
Dedication: Mat Loving
Reason: I don’t even think Mat likes this song, but when I hear it, I inevitably think about this group of Yuppies in SF who can often be found wearing 1-piece spandex fully body suits--not to like a Halloween party or something, just for a normal night out. Mat has been part of this group & I’ve never looked at him the same way since.

42). “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” - Michael Jackson
Dedication: Childhood ridiculousness
Reason: It was between this song & Neil Diamond’s “America.” For the Michael Jackson song, all I remember is the neighborhood kids getting together, putting this song on, and then pushing each other back & forth in a “play-fight” sorta way for the next few minutes. Strange, strange kids.

43). “Crazy Game of Poker” - O.A.R.
Dedication: Cait Moran, the STB girls
Reason: Cait, this is the one and only time I’ll ever admit you were right about something. This song kicks ass, and I’m sure I made fun of you and the girls when you first started listening to it in high school. You’re finally getting your props for this song. Don’t let it get to your head.

**Huge apologies to Eamon Moran as I totally blanked on putting the song I wanted to dedicate to you on this playlist. That song of course would be the “1812 Overture,” your favorite song. This is another one that would have had me laughing all the way to the finish line.

The following songs have no specific dedication. They are simply songs & bands that kick ass. And in the case of Black Keys, Muse, Pearl Jam and Mumford & Sons I could have put every song they’ve ever sang on my playlist and been happy.

44). “Never Gonna Give You Up” - Black Keys

45). “Tighten Up” - Black Keys

46). “Little Lion Man” - Mumford & Sons

47). “White Blank Page” - Mumford & Sons

48). “The Cave” - Mumford & Sons

49). “Knights of Cydonia” - Muse

50). “Uprising” - Muse

51). “Stockholm Syndrome” - Muse

52). “Hysteria” - Muse

53). “Just Breathe” - Pearl Jam

54). “Troublemaker” - Weezer

55). “Paint It Black” - Rolling Stones

These 55 songs should eat up about 4 hours, 10 minutes of my run. And for the final 10-15 minutes I want silence. I want the crowd to do their job and get me to that Finish Line. Don’t let me down, Boston crowd.

The Return of Henry Thunderstorm and His Stupid Questions

As promised, my dear friend Henry Thunderstorm from Runner’s World finally got me to sit still for 30 minutes earlier this week for part 2 of our interview. And once again, he is allowing me to post the unedited transcript of that interview on my blog before it’s published in the magazine.

(I realize the humor of pretending a real publication interviewed me is pretty much nonexistent at this point, but do you realize how insane I’d feel if I simply posted a fake conversation between 2 of my personalities without trying to mask it with something??)

Anyway, here’s the interview:

[Interviewer’s Note: When I entered Ross’s apartment for this story, I noticed a person who was very different than the Ross I interviewed two months ago. He looked like a man who had been chain smoking for weeks without getting a minute of sleep. In fact, I’m sure that was the situation because there were cigarette butts all over the apartment, and he told me he hadn’t slept in weeks. Also, he looked...bloated. Like he’d somehow gained weight over the last 8 weeks of training. He essentially transformed from “Skinny Elvis” to “Fat Elvis” in less than 2 months.]

Henry Thunderstorm: Ross, I’ve gotta be honest, you don’t look well for a guy about to run the Boston Marathon. You actually don’t look well in general.

Ross: No shit.

HT: What’s the problem? And when did you start smoking?

RG: I’m fuckin’ stressed, bro. You think this is easy? Knowing I’m less than 2 weeks away from doing something I can’t possibly do...

HT: Why do you say that? Training was going so well for you a few weeks ago.

RG: Last week I went for a 4-mile “light” run and nearly collapsed. FOUR MILES! And it was all because of the heat. 75 degrees in San Francisco that day. If it’s this warm in Boston, I’m fucked. I’m totally freaking out right now.

HT: You think maybe it was an isolated incident? One bad run shouldn't ruffle your feathers so badly. Let's talk about your long runs. How have those been going?

RG: Well I got through a 20-mile run two weeks ago.

HT: There you go. Sounds like you're right where you need to be.

RG: Yeah, and I thought the same thing until I realized that on Marathon Monday, I have to do those 20 miles plus another full hour of running after that.

HT: Well was the 20-miler that bad or did you feel OK after?

RG: Once I got past mile 18, I felt like my life was coming closer to its end with every stride. Each of my legs felt like it weighed 200 lbs. So you really wanna know why I’ve been chain smoking & unable to sleep? It’s because I can’t possibly comprehend how I’m actually gonna pull this off. And like the big jackass I am, I’ve been telling everyone I know to be at the finish line to watch me in all my glory. This is gonna end poorly.

HT: People always talk about those last 4-6 miles in a marathon, and how runners are able to get that done because the crowd is urging them on & because of the runner’s high a lot of people experience. Do you buy into that at all?

RG: I’m glad you brought that up. I wanted to address this crock of shit known as a runner’s “high.” People describe this euphoric state that runners get in when they push their bodies further than they ever have. Well, I haven’t experienced a runner’s “high.” I’ve only experienced a runner’s “what the fuck are you thinking trying to run for 3 straight hours,” and a runner’s “why do I feel like I’m gonna vomit when I’m only 3 miles into a 19-mile run.” No euphoria for me, only pain & suffering.

HT: OK, let’s talk about something positive. You had a personal best time in the Kaiser Half Marathon 2 months ago. Under 2 hours. What’s the adjusted goal for the full marathon now?

RG: I’ve been pacing most of my long runs at about 10 minute miles, so in theory I should finish with a time of 4:20. But my marathon speed actually seems like it’ll be a little faster than that. But I also need to factor in the slow downs for water stops and the congestion at the beginning of the race. So 4:20 really seems right. (pause for all the pot smokers out there to process that I just used 4:20 twice in 1 paragraph). I’m gonna officially say my goal is a sub-4:30 marathon.

HT: What do you think your general disposition will be like after you finish?

RG: I’m expecting a meltdown of epic proportions. Imagine the worst tantrum you’d ever see from a 7-year-old girl and multiply that by 10. I’m gonna be the last person you’d ever want to be around at that point. I feel really bad for any family & friends coming to the race who are expecting to see a functioning Ross after I finish.

HT: Jesus, man, you’re just a barrel of fun to be around these days huh? OK, let’s talk fundraising. How’s that going?

RG: Ahh, here’s something I can be positive about. I’m happy to report that I’m at 113% of my target goal.

HT: Wow, that’s great. Anyone in particular you want to thank?

RG: Um, myself, I guess, for continually hassling friends, family & coworkers. No, in all seriousness I want to thank everyone who donated. Most people I’ll be able to thank again after the marathon is complete, but for those of you who donated anonymously, thanks for the help.

HT: And I heard something about a 4-hour gambling binge in Vegas a few weeks ago to try to generate more money for Playworks? How was that?

RG: Foggy.

HT: Did you make any money?

RG: My sober (relatively speaking) friends informed me that I did indeed win money on that Saturday night...something in the range of $250 between basketball bets & Blackjack. So that’s how much I sent to Playworks, just as I promised.

HT: And how was the Vegas trip in general?

RG: It was like the Bizarro Vegas Trip this year. Not only did I actually win money overall, but I also had 1 night where I got 8 hours of sleep. Never happened before.

HT: So what’s the plan going forward? Any more running or blogging until the marathon?

RG: I’m cutting back on the distances of my runs now. I’ll do a few short runs during the week & maybe an 8-miler this weekend. And for blogging, I’ll just hint that I’ve got possibly a 2-part post coming where I go into unnecessary details on my ipod’s Marathon Playlist.

HT: I’m sure it’ll be a waste of internet space.

RG: Fuck you, Henry.

HT: Thanks for the interview, Ross. I never wanna see you again.