I just got an e-mail about the movie Spirit of the Marathon. The update is as follows:

Spirit of the Marathon has been submitted to a number of prestigious US and international film festivals, which will be taking place this fall. Initially, we will be exhibiting the film through festivals exclusively, as this is the best way to ensure a wider release later in 2007 and 2008 during the fall through spring marathon season. Our goal is to have this film available theatrically in most major running markets, as well as some smaller markets where we can prove demand to our distributors.

It also says that they have been contacted by runners in all fifty states and more than a dozen countries. Looks like it’s going to be a hit!

Tags: Spirit of the Marathon

Last weekend I went to the Jazz & Rib Fest, and I also saw a concert sponsored by the Dublin Arts Council. In addition, I ordered the book The Roads to Sata by Alan Booth. This week I’ve been working out on the elliptical machines at LifeTime Fitness. Even though I’m not running right now, I have no intention of becoming a couch potato. Since I’m not running right now, I’m burning fewer calories than before, so I’ve had to cut down on the Chipotle burritos that have fuelled my six marathons. However, I still sneak one in now and then—it would just be too much to go cold turkey.

Tags: Jazz & Rib Fest, Dublin Arts Council, Book, Books, The Roads to Sata, Alan Booth, LifeTime Fitness, Chipotle

Well, I’ve decided not to run a fall marathon. If you’ve been reading this blog a while, you know that in the two months leading up to this year’s Boston Marathon, my hip was really bothering me. On the day of the Boston Marathon, it felt completely fine, and I thought I had the problem licked, but shortly after Boston, it started acting up again. Rather than run in pain for the next three months, I’m just going to take myself off of a marathon training schedule and following the rule, “If it hurts, don’t do it.” Hopefully, the time away from marathon training will do my body good.

Two years ago I had a stress fracture and had to cancel my fall marathon plans, and I ended up coming back stronger than ever, so hopefully I can do the same again this time. My hope is to come back healthy and to train over the winter for the 2008 Boston Marathon. I’d love to go back to Boston if the situation permits. Also, if in a month or so it seems that I have the problem taken care of, it’s possible that I would train for and run the Columbus Half Marathon in October. I don’t think it would take me very long to get in shape for a half-marathon—two months is plenty of time.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Boston Marathon, Columbus Half Marathon, running

Over the weekend I saw Michael Moore’s film Sicko. I realize that Michael Moore is a very controversial figure. Some of the criticisms of the film that I’ve heard are that some of his facts are wrong, some of the scenes in the film appear to be staged, and that Michael Moore is being hypocritical making a film about the health-care industry when it appears that he may not take care of himself as well as he should. While some or all of these things may be true, I think it’s still undeniable that there’s something very wrong with parts of the health-care system in the USA and that it’s one of the country’s major social issues.

In addition to seeing Sicko this weekend, I also went to a Sunday jazz concert in Goodale Park, and I started reading the novel Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris.

Tags: Sicko, Book, Books, Then We Came to the End, Joshua Ferris

I’m still working on solutions manuals for mathematics textbooks, and I’m finally working on some topics besides sinusoidal functions. Yesterday I just finished some work on an eleventh-grade solutions manual, and the topics included determining the future value of regular annuities, determining the present value of regular annuities, and creating amortization tables for savings plans and loans. Some of those problems got a little involved. Today I’m working on a much easier topic for a ninth-grade solutions manual—using points to determine the equation of a line. Today’s topic doesn’t require nearly as much thinking, so it’s a nice break for my brain.

Tags: Math, Mathematics

Last night I went to a free Fourth of July concert featuring the Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band. The Village People didn’t play any musical instruments, they didn’t sing very well, and they couldn’t really dance, but on the positive side, they did have some nice synchronized hand gestures, and of course, they had their costumes. They closed with their signature hit, “Y.M.C.A.,” during which their talent for synchronized hand gestures served them mightily.

KC and the Sunshine Band did play musical instruments, they could sing, and they could dance, so they were far ahead of the Village People from the start. They opened with one of their signature hits, “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” during which many members of the band (shook, shook, shook) shook their booties. They also played many other good tunes, such as “That’s the Way (I Like It).” Overall, it was a pretty good concert, especially since it was free.

So there’s my musical review of the Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band. You never know what you’re going to find on this blog.

Tags: Village People, KC and the Sunshine Band