As Simple As Believing In Yourself

             If you believe you can do something you have a great chance of doing it. If you believe that you can’t do something, most likely you will fail.  It’s a really simple statement and was one I lived by in my training for the 2013 Hyannis Half Marathon February 24th.  The belief was in the fact that I could train for such a race in only 6 weeks.

            After completing the Cape Cod Marathon in October I had gone into a bit of hibernation with my running.  My Achilles tendonitis had made it difficult to walk let alone run.  It was mid-December when I hit my low point.  I had kept trying to run, like continually driving a car that was just flat out broken.  The pain was always excruciating during and after.  With each run the pain in my heel was unbearable to the point that I was spending longer icing and heating my foot than actually running.   

            At my work’s Christmas party I had to dress nicely, not a big deal by any means.  However, wearing the dress shoes caused me great pain walking and even standing.  I spent a good amount of the night sitting at my table wondering what I was doing to myself.  I needed to stop before something really bad happened. So I did.  I quit running and went back to my old elliptical and stationary bike routines at the gym. 

            Weeks went by and my desire to run waned.  I began to enjoy my old routines, it was like I had never been a runner at all.  This was fine until the New Year and resolution time.  I resolved to not only return to running and racing but to do it smarter and eventually better than before.  I would fix hitches in my stride to lessen heel striking and therefore Achilles pain.  Now, on January 1^st I had no plans to race again anytime soon. A week later that changed.  I signed up for the Hyannis Half Marathon and therefore forced myself to start running or else I’d be wasting money.

            I sat at home and plotted out a 6-week training schedule run by run; something I had never done.  On paper it looked feasible.  The only problem was actually running.  This is where believing in myself came into play. I set the bar low as far as pace during my runs, the idea was just to finish it standing up and uninjured.  Time would be the last thing on my agenda. 

            The first few runs were slow and plodding but got the job done of re-breaking the running ice.  Then I decided to venture outside in the cold for a few miles. The race was outside after all, so why not experience the elements?  I did about 4 miles but more than that I felt the exhilaration that came when I initially had begun running at the start.  I loved that feeling and had missed it for so long.  Training for the marathon had become a job, and at times a tedious one.  I had lost why I began running in the first place.  It was that feeling of just me and the road. 

            Rediscovering my actual love of running made the 6 week training schedule seem not only feasible, but easy.  I believed that no matter what aches and pains I got after long runs that as long as I kept working on my stride and giving proper rest time I could make this work.  I also started enjoying running outside in the cold, rain, and snow.  I felt like a real runner.

            However, the main change in myself as a runner now as opposed to a few months ago is appreciation.  I appreciate the privilege of being able to run and treat each run, especially the outdoor ones, as though it might be my last.  It’s sort of the same thing that is said about appreciating people in your life.  If you treat it as if it might be the last time you ever see them than you will never take them for granted.  I lost my ability to run for a while and now appreciate the fact that I can do it again.

            The Hyannis Half is still a few days away, and the forecast is for rain and snow which makes me feel so much better about being ‘crazy’ and training outside.  I will of course save the actual race day for another day, but just the fact that I am ready for it after where I was in mid-December already makes this a victory.  If I can steal a phrase: Believe to Achieve.  That is all you need to do whether it’s something small like running a race, or something larger in life.  I have learned it and am now living by it.  

I truly appreciate scenes like this now.

34 - 2/22/11 - Marshside Storytime

Initial Impressions

34 – 2/22/11 – Marshside Storytime

Snow Chance In Hell: c. 2002/03

Okay so this is a first Initial Impressions to feature Marshside Storytime.  These are pulled from the archives of my nearly 18 years at the Marsh.  They are all hilarious, although some are probably going to make me look like a real asshole.  Whatever, there is a statute of limitations on these actions.  Enjoy.

At the old Marshside we had a large barn located across the small dirt parking lot.  It was here that we had our walk-in fridge, prep area, and a large section of the barn which was filled with paper goods and a lot of random stuff.

                At one point we had a really weak intercom system put in.  It worked at first but not too long after it sounded like when you put your whole mouth over a microphone, it became just a bunch of garbled sounds.  It became more reliable to step out onto our deck and shout or whistle for somebody in the prep area if we needed something to be brought over.

                When it would snow we would take to throwing snowballs at the side of the barn.  Sometimes to get people’s attention, sometimes for fun, sometimes to throw at people.  Hey, we’re only human.

                Anyway, there was one time where this one guy Bento was in the prep room doing his thing when we needed him to bring us something.  A few snowballs and shouts brought him to the door.  I told him what we needed and he went to get it.  Of course, I had another snowball left over, it couldn’t go to waste.

                When he came back out I fired the snowball at him but missed.  He was not amused.  I enjoyed it though and decided that the game of the day would be to see how many times I could call to Bento, get him to come out, and then how many times I could hit him with snowballs.

                After a couple of times, and a couple of bad misses by me, he wised up.  I shouted to him and threw a snowball at the barn but Bento would not come out.  I was not to be denied the satisfaction of drilling him with my perfectly round ball of frozen water so I went in the prep room after him.  

                I quietly opened the screen door and the storm door and crept a few steps back to where our tiny prep area was.  There was an unsuspecting Bento chopping lettuce for salads.  Aww, maybe I shouldn’t since he has no idea?  Wrong.

                Being a sport I shouted, “Hey!”  Bento looked up and his eyes got huge behind his giant Drew Carey-like black-rimmed glasses. 

                “No!  No!”  Bento shouted as he pressed himself up against the wall knowing the end was near for him.  He acted as if I was Jason Voorhees and was about to throw an axe at him.  This scene of pure horror from him caught me off guard and I busted out laughing.  There was no way I could control myself.  Still, it was too late to turn back.  I cocked my arm back while still laughing and fired the snowball from about eight-feet away. 

                My aim was sad thanks to my laughter and the snowball sailed to the left knocking a clock off of the wall.  The snow splattered against the wall the clock spun around in the air bouncing off of the shelves on the left side of the prep room.  Bento breathed a sigh of relief and I dashed out of the prep room still laughing.  I think it took a few weeks for him to trust me enough to come outside when I whistled for him.  Ahh, good times. 

Altered to protect the innocent.

33 - 2/17/2011

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

33 – 2/17/2011 – In My Footsteps Trip

         -->   Took a trip to Canton, Sharon, and Foxboro today.  200 total driving miles, $20 in gas.

            The first stop was the 700 foot Great Blue Hill and a foot or so of snow on the entire way up.  Sure, it was in the 50’s today but that did not melt much snow.  The entire hike up the mini-mountain was like the scene in Rocky IV with Stallone running up the mountain.  The view from the observatory at the top of Great Blue Hill was sick, the Boston skyline was visible although melting snow made a bit of fog.

            There was also a small collection of wildlife at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum.  The otter was so cute he was doing laps around the tank, flipping off the walls of the tank and swimming upside down.  The only downside was the pair of deer that spent the whole time licking each other, legs, asses, it was like animal porn.

            My shoes were soaked from the snow pretty quickly, I also ended up getting pretty busted up from the piles of heavily compacted snow.  Taking a few photos of the Canton Viaduct I sunk in the snow and I tell you hitting that packed snow was like smashing my shin on the front step.  It was worth it though, that viaduct is like something out of ancient Rome.

            There was some sort of black box in front of the Canton Town Hall.  I am trying to figure out what the hell it was.  Time capsule?  Sculpture?  Pointless or useless?  Maybe, it had some cool things carved into it though.

            Driving through Sharon, a back street neighborhood, I saw some white trash looking guy in a white-t and boxer shorts walking, blowing his nose all over the snow.  Then I saw him later leaving Walgreens and wanted a photo but he was looking.  Didn’t want snot blown on my windshield by that loser.

            Thought for a moment about hiking up the 300 foot Moose Hill in Sharon, but my ruined hip, knee, and shin told me to forget about it.  I found it odd that while walking through the deep snow it was only my right leg that sunk down in over and over.  What is that?  Does my left side weigh less?

            Went back to Borderland Park in Sharon/Easton.  I was able to skip the $2 fee to get in, it’s called ignoring the toll booth.  There was way too much mud thanks to it getting up near 60 by this time.  I did get to take some crazy shots of the Ames Mansion though.  Some workers in a truck stopped to watch me since I looked drunk stumbling in the snow, only the right leg sinking in of course.  Tried to explain this to an old couple walking by but they ignored me or pretended they were deaf.

            Foxboro started out as a total bust since the historic homes I was looking for were either not where they were supposed to be, or they were being lived in, and had no place for me to park to take a shot.  Can’t just stop in the middle of the road, well, usually.

            Going to Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place more than made up for it.  Ate at Five Guys for the first time and had my mind blown.  Having lunch in the shadow of Gillette was pretty bad ass.  Then I got to get pretty close to the field, some great shots.  I almost got in but the field worker chickened out.  Just needed 2 minutes but no, he was more worried about his precious job.

            I found this old school, Paine School, in Foxboro.  Behind it was this weird stone tower with stairs leading up to it.  No sign, no plaque to tell me what it is.  All I know is the railing leading up was wobbly and the stairs were covered with ice, horray.  I ended up with soaked shoes, socks, and the bottom foot of my pants again after blasting my heat to dry them.

            I stopped on the side of the road to shoot an historic home, no harm right?  Then I went to leave and ripped a huge patch thanks to the mud, car covered, yeah, doesn’t make me look too suspicious.

            Song of the Day – Hearts On Fire by John Cafferty.  From Rocky IV, I heard it in my head as I scaled Great Blue Hill, I did not shout ‘Drago!!’ at the top though.  Buy the mp3 here and go train!

            Quote of the Day – “Great view, huh?”  Field worker at Gillette Stadium to me as I drooled clinging to the gates only a hundred feet from the football field.  He would not let me in, said he’d get in trouble.   

            Photos of the Day:

Canton Viaduct

So close to the field at Gillette.

View of Boston from the top of Great Blue Hill.

What the hell is this tower?  Behind Paine School in Foxboro.

29 - 12-20-2010

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

29 – 12/20/2010

1.  First real snow of the season today.  End result?  Slowest day at work that I ever remember, and I started there in 1993.

2.  The only day that came close was in 2002 when it snowed so badly that a couple cross-country skied into the parking lot.  I hooked them up big time.  We did 6 for breakfast that day, today we did 7 for lunch.

3.  I thought I had smelled some bad stuff in my life with rotten fish and shrimp, but nothing prepared me for the smell in between our hot boxes.  No lie it can only be described as stale vomit, like if you puked on a shirt then threw it in a pile and went back to it a week later.  Roll that around in your minds for a bit.

4.  It was so slow that all I could do was ruin things in the kitchen, including putting a hot box in the dishwasher upside down.  That meant that it filled with water and was impossible to remove until I spilled water everywhere.  Jean the dishwasher was not happy.

5.  Who is Jean?  He is two 8-year olds in a man costume who has come here from Haiti to work as a dishwasher.  He squeals like a little girl half the day and likes to sing the bass lines of songs like they are words.  Anybody want to take this guy out?  He needs it.

6.  Today must have been epically slow to warrant its own blog posting, and it was.

7.  It is not easy to shovel a brick walkway with a warped metal shovel.  I can’t tell you how many times I caught the edge of a brick which resulted with the handle jamming me in the stomach.

8.  Oh and I also used almost 3 boxes of regular salt on the walkway before Tim let me know there was rock salt.  Food cost?  Sky high!

9.  The day also began with a pair of strange guys emerging from the dining area as I came in.  My first thought was I am about to get jacked up and robbed.  The truth was that they were there to take photos of the restaurant for the website.  Good thing I didn’t grab a mallet.

10.  Classic move by me as a car pulled into the lot and I didn’t want to talk to them so I turned to run inside and proceeded to slip into a split, really smooth.

11.  Oh and another one was after shoveling snow and salting with no gloves on I was so excited for some peanut butter, don't ask.  Anyway I bring it and and proceed to slam the bucket down on the counter wedging my right pinky between the 5 lb. bucket and the counter.  After that I didn't want that damn peanut butter anymore!

12.  Reminded me today of a classic Marsh moment.  Back in the day we used to whistle across the parking lot for a guy named Bento, looks like Drew Carey if he was Brazilian.  When he came out we would whip snowballs at him.  Eventually he got wise to it and would not come outside.  So I went into the old prep room with a snowball and yelled at him.  He jumped up against the wall yelling “No! No!”  I laughed so hard that I misfired and the snowball hit a clock which went flying off the wall.  Ahh, the best times.

13.  I am thinking of getting a dumbwaiter for my room to sit in since that is how I spend a lot of my time recently at work.  Although I am not complaining since summer means no time to even breathe.

14.  Expecting 4 to 8 inches of snow tonight, possibly more tomorrow and Wednesday.  Could we have a few more epic days before Christmas?  We’ll see.

Quote of the Day:  “Oh, my ass, my ass.”  Jean the dishwasher describing the terrible smell of the sludge on top of the hot boxes as he washed them.

Song of the Day:  Heading for the Light – Traveling Wilburys (buy mp3 here)

Photo of the Day:  

Welcome to the show, and yes that's Jean over there.