I have a knack for staying just right behind the leading edge of gear, but nevertheless I wanted to share this today. Even though Saucony is already on to the Kinvara 4, I picked up a pair of Kinvara 2′s the other day. At 218 ounces, these things are stupid light, but also offer some better than expected suport and cushioning. I combined these with some speed laces, and I think I’ve found my new race shoes…perfect for T2.
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve looked for a new set of irons. For several years now, I’ve been sticking with my old Cleveland Launchers, but as much as I hate to admit it; I’ve outgrown them. So…I’m going to do it this year. I’m going to go shopping for irons. The brand has gotten me this far, so I think I am going to try to stick with Cleveland, until something just really blows me away. But it’s going to be hard to beat these. The Cleveland 588 TT’s. Holy Shit…are these pretty.
For starters, the lofts are amped up from my old improvement irons. As my game has gotten better over the years though, I’ve stopped needing the auto loft features of the Launchers, and have started needing something more along these lines. The most exciting thing for me though, is the prospect of more shot-shaping abilities. Launchers do not lend themselves to much other than high and straight.
Next step…locate these at a local pro-shop. The weather has finally started to think about cooperating, so I might be able to demo some of these pretty soon. I’ll let ya know.
After fighting off one bout of sleep last night, just in order to finish the Rangers game, (by the way…A.J. Pierzynski is a bad ass), I was struck by a stat thrown up in the post-game, showing the AL West standings. Even after going 4-1 over the last five games, the win last night only put the Rangers up by 1.5 games over the Oakland A’s…leading to my thought for the day: What the HELL do the Rangers have to do to create some space? I mean it’s like the A’s are a damn plague! I can see the very same scenario shaping up as last year…the Rangers lead the division from start to (almost) finish, only to have the Athletics knock them out in the VERY LAST game of the season! Somebody stop this…it’s like watching Roy McAvoy at the US Open. “Somebody tell him he doesn’t have to hit it from there!!”
From Left to Right:
1. I just bought one of these to replace my old worn out Timex Ironman that’s literally been held together with a twist-tie (more on the tapscreen technology later).
2. I used one of these at Ironman 70.3 Texas and continue to use it for training, but…
3. What I really want to give a test run is this.
Garmin has officially been put on notice. The new Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS 2.0 is here, and Holy Shit…is it good-looking. This beauty from Timex has raised the bar when it comes to the GPS watch scene. With the crisp, Hi-Res display, this watch is easier to read than my Global Trainer GPS…and I don’t even own one yet. Everything else is basically the same except for one feature that has been put in place. Hydration and Nutrition alerts. I know that when I get zoned, I find it difficult sometimes to remember to stay hydrated and keep calories coming in. By setting up the alerts to run off of either time or mileage, now that’s taken care of for you.
DC Rainmaker, has already chronicled the Timex Run Trainer GPS 2.0, but I’ll put my name out there as well. I want to put this watch through its paces too; so I’ll be writing Timex a short note. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Pleases do NOT hold your breath.
This has been in the works for quite some time. With all of our busy schedules, the timing just needed to line up. As of today though, I’ll be contributing here and there on the blog over at Wm Lamb and Son.
This morning I have a post up, and think that you might enjoy it. I know that I’ve had some joy over it. Just like the joy I recieve whenever I visit with Margaret and Wm Lamb…truly wonderful people, who I am grateful to know.
Enjoy.
In today’s Friday Faction, we try to put things in perspective. Ever wonder where one of your favorite blogs actually comes from? Didn’t think so…but we’re still going to show you.
As you can see in the map, up in Maryland, Michigan and New York, three great blogs hold down the fort up north. Great Lakes Prep, in Michigan is written by a good friend that loves to spread the word about the Midwest. Over in Maryland, Bowties and Boatshoes is written by a duo of gentlemen that grew up together in Annapolis, and over in New York, Buffalo Dandy is written by an ever-dapper gentleman who has impeccable taste.
Heading down south, you can see that a trio of blogs dominate the south. From the state of Georgia, all of these blogs are of great inspiration to myself. Back Down South is written by a lady that is one of the most dynamic and best photogs that I have ever seen. If you’re looking for timeless style, then Red Clay Soul should be one of your first stopping points, and for tips on any kind of good time (to be had in the south), The Trot Line has all you need to know.
Of course, when you head west on the map, you can clearly see a lone blog out in the middle of nowhere. Not to sure about that one…looks a little suspect.
By now, most of you know of my affinity for working out. Most of the time, heading to a CrossFit gym, or creating my own CrossFit workout at home is my mainstay. There are times though when I need to do some weeks of serious running to try to maintain a good stamina level. But, if you’re anything like me, you think that just running for miles on end can and does get extremely dull. What’s a person to do?
Enter my new favorite tool to help me get through those runs…ZOMBIES, RUN!
This workout program, that is available for the iOS and Android markets, puts a new spin on interval training. With a complete storyline, unusually speedy zombies, and your own music mixed within, Zombies, Run! is a pretty good way to get your heart rate going.
I might add this little bit…It’s also a really good way to run yourself to the point of exhaustion if you plug in your earphones and complete a workout (mission) on an all-but-abandoned dirt road, after dark. Seriously, when I finished one the other night, and reached my vehicle (that I had unwisely parked by a dilapidated old farmhouse) I turned on the headlights and scanned the area. Lord knows why, but I did.
Here’s what I want to know though. Have any of you out there given Zombies, Run! a try? I think that this could make for some pretty amusing stories, as well as a good way to keep connected with other “Runners”, as they have a community set up where people can share their times and paces. Zombies…anyone?
“A great writer has said that the struggle of humanity against tyranny is the struggle of memory against forgetting. When we fight terror, we fight tyranny, and so we remember.
We remember the perfect blueness of the sky that Tuesday morning. We remember the children traveling without their mothers when the planes were hijacked. We remember the cruelty of the murderers and the pain and anguish of the murdered. Every one of the innocence who died on September 11 was the most important person on earth to somebody. Every death extinguished a world.
We remember the courage of the rescue workers and the outpouring of friendship and sympathy from nations around the world. We remember how we felt that day; our sadness, the surge of love for our country, our anger and our determination to right this huge wrong. Today the wrong is being righted and justice is being done.
We still have far to go and many dangers lie ahead. Yet, there can be no doubt how this conflict will end. Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make; they saw liberty and thought they saw weakness, and now they see defeat.
In time this war will end, but our remembrance never will. All around this beautiful city are statutes of our heroes, memorials, museums and archives that preserve our national experience, our achievements and our failures, our defeats and our victories. This republic is young, but its memory is long. Now we have inscribed a new memory along side those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning; it’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice and the love that lays down its life for a friend, even a friend whose name it never knew.
We are privileged to have with us today the families of many of the heroes on September 11, including the family of Jeremy Glick of flight 93. His courage and self-sacrifice may have saved the White House. It is right and fitting that it is here we pay our respects.
In time, perhaps, we will mark a memory of September 11 in stone and metal, something we can show children as yet unborn to help them understand what happened on this minute and on this day.
But for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th minute of the eighth hour of the eleventh day. We’ll remember where we were and how we felt. We’ll remember the dead and what we owe them. We will remember what we lost and what we found. And in our time, we will honor the memory of the 11th day by doing our duty as citizens of this great country, freedom’s home and freedom’s defender.
God bless.” George W. Bush – 2001
Just a few items to run back around and make sure they don’t slip through the cracks. Right now we have several things going on that I want to make sure you don’t miss out on. Here we go.
First and foremost, we have the Kickoff to Football Giveaway going on with Olly Oxen. The entry deadline is tomorrow. Get in on this one…some very cool stuff up for grabs!
Enter up to 4 times by doing the following:
• ‘Like’ Olly Oxen on Facebook
• ‘Like’ Panhandle Prep on Facebook
• Share the giveaway on Facebook
• Tweet the following: “I entered the @OllyOxen
Panhandle Prep @RE_ATWOOD ‘Kick Off to Football Give away’. Check it out: http://t.co/M4MMnMoo“
Up next, we are looking for a couple of interns to help out at Panhandle Prep. If you want to make some very good connections with some excellent companies, this is your opportunity to do so. We are looking for some social-media minded folks who have an interest in sports, the outdoors and good looks. There are very few hours involved, so shoot me an email at reatwood@panhandleprep.com with a resume if you’re interested.
Lastly, we have started a team for the Race for the Cure 5k in Amarillo, TX on September 29th. Click on the picture above and it will take you to the Panhandle Prep team page. We’d love for you to run with us (we already have three running so far), but if you can’t make it, please consider making a donation.
Today, I have an update on my project to bring Pennington & Bailes tailgating gear to West Texas A&M University. Knowing this, you might want to stop reading if you’re not a fan. Or…you could do like my friend Nick, over at Great Lakes Prep is doing and start working your tail off to get Butler included in P&B’s list of universities. Okay, maybe not Butler…but you know what I mean.
As of now, we’ve visited with several people on campus at WT, and have started to generate a little buzz. It looks like this project is headed in the right direction. We could actually make this happen, but we need your help. If you happen to be a West Texas A&M fan, and like to tailgate with a little more style than your average A&M Kingsville fan, then we need you to help us generate some interest in this project.
As you can see above, by taking some liberties and performing some really bad artwork, I’ve drawn up what the WTAMU Pennington & Bailes Stadium Pant could look like. I don’t think that’s where we should stop though. Do you? P&B has other clothing that is killer…I personally, would love to see them create one of their signature Coach’s Shirts specifically for those who bleed maroon. Who knows, maybe we could get them to produce the first Pennington & Bailes collegiate cap.
So, if you like what you see from the boys at P&B, and you love nothing more than tailgating outside of Kimbrough Memorial on those crisp fall days, then do something about it. Tweet the link to this post, Share the link on your Facebook page, or just get the word out on the street. If we get enough people interested, believe me, tailgating this fall is going to look a whole lot better.
© 2013 Panhandle Prep
