Once upon a time...

A couple years ago I thought I might not be able to run anymore, took a couple years off, then went to some physical therapy and with a lot of work, made it to the point of running a trail marathon at 3500 ft (starting line) with 2500-ish feet of climb total in 3:36 (was my first marathon) and managed to finish top 10.

Said race also seemed to destroy my calves as I still have pain almost 2 years later. Guess I need to give in and find the time for PT again. I've been icing and stretching a lot lately, but I don't know yet if it's working and yesterday I really hurt my back (plus while I sit here typing I can feel my calves/achilles spasming again).

Nonetheless...there was something special to me about being able to spend that much time on a trail and challenge myself. I keep thinking "if only I can train I can really enjoy the long distance trail thing" since that run was on about 3 months of base.

A little inspiration goes a long way, so I finally bought a photo from the race...(this photo was near the end of the race)

It begins

I've been saying for a long time I sense this country moving toward ever increasing restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Doesn't matter if you're Christian...if you are a believer in freedom of speech and freedom of assembly this is chilling...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522637,00.html

Additionally, I found this speech excerpt from Churchill on Socialism. Aligns exactly with our current political movements (both right and left, though the left seems much more intent on it...)

"No Socialist government conducting the entire life and industry of the country could afford to allow free,sharp,or violently worded expressions of public discontent. They would have to fall back on some sort of Gestapo,no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance.

And this would nip opinion in the bud; it would stop criticism as it reared its head,and it would gather all the power to the supreme party and the party leaders,rising like stately pinnacles above their vast bureaucracies of Civil servants,no longer servants and no longer civil.

And where would the ordinary simple folk - the common people,as they like to call them in America - where would they be,once this mighty organism had got them in its grip?"