Another four years

Barack Obama has just been re-elected for a second term in the US.  At least he's been given the chance to finish off what he set out to achieve, something that the momentum of the mandate might energise him into doing.  I particularly liked a piece before the election by the [right wing] journalist Charles Moore who wrote that "one of the reasons that Obama has lost his heroic status is that people now see beyond the simple wonderful fact that a black man can be elected president."  He then goes on to quote from Martin Luther King's famous dream speech about the time when his own children would be judged "not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character."  As Moore states, this time has now come for the president.  And as the author John Grisham states in a separate article, "Obama has been too caught up with being a celebrity for four years".  An intriguing time lies ahead, not least with the impending 'fiscal cliff'.

Still on the same continent, it must have been awful for all those foreign runners who were told that the New York City Marathon had been cancelled with less than two days notice.  Whilst on the face of it, it is understandable that a mere sporting event, especially one that requires a great amount of policing, should be relegated in comparison to the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, I can't help feeling that an opportunity was missed for an outpouring of the spirit of the people running the streets; then the race organisers donating vast sums of money to the relief effort.  Just a thought.  My feelings also go out to those who forked out vast sums of money to fly out and stay in NY; my eye was taken in particular to the incredible cost of the entry fee these days at $347 or £220.  In the six years that I organised tours to the marathon on behalf of Chris Brasher's Sweat Shop (picture was from 1979 race), the whole cost of a week in NY, including flights, top notch hotel, tour of the course (with excellent running commentary from DW), entry fee, champagne reception etc., was less than today's entry fee.  I must be getting old.

To continue the tenuous links, I must wish my old chum Sandy Clark - seen here with me in the Cabbage Patch '10' in 1989 - a happy 60th birthday.  The poor guy has sacrificed his life by supporting London Scottish rugby club and following the Scottish national football and rugby teams, to the extent that he has visited every country in Europe wearing his kilt - with very little underneath, as Claudie discovered one frightening night many moons ago, moon being the operative word - he even lost all his money from his sporran once on a train and remembers nothing about it.  The guy is a true legend and will be a friend forever.

As this is a running blog, I ought to report that I'm happy with a couple of decent performances at Stroud and Tewkesbury that will give me confidence going into winter conditioning mode (I even won a few bob).  It's taken a while but I'm gradually getting there.  Just a few Ranelagh 'mobs' to break the training regime through the dark months, otherwise just some good solid week on week training.  Even at my age I'm taking the long term view and being incredibly patient, a basic concept that today's runners and coaches are, it seems, unable to grasp.  All this short termism is decaying our great sport.  What is currently happening on the Cirencester AC coaching front beggars belief, but I need to leave that for another time ...

PS Random stats of the day: Scottish 3rd Division football attendances this weekend:
Annan Athletic v Stirling, 508
Clyde v Montrose, 496
Elgin v Berwick, 790
Rangers v Peterhead. 48,407