Eastern States and Altered States

Ahh, the Eastern States 20 mile run, an annual E Streeter tradition - gorgeous course, roaring winds, and a great feedbag afterwards.  From Kittery, Maine, down the coast of New Hampshire's beaches to Salisbury, Mass.

This year marked Andrew's inaugural outing for the race, and to celebrate, he participated in a proven pre-race ritual used by Kenyans prior to their Boston Marathon wins

It's all about the commitment.  Or being committed.  Or needing to be committed somewhere.

Another pre-race ritual, Barry's attempt to down one of the Gu energy gels.  Normally, his gag reflex kicks in moments later, providing hilarity to all

Case in point

Finally, out on the course, 'round about mile 5 at Odiorne Point, Andrew looks like he's running the race all by himself

The Brothers Scanlon

A few miles further, and Andrew still has the frame of mind to pose for the cameras.  John would be proud.

Mile 7, and Barry is partaking in one of his usual past-times, shedding clothes

Mile 8, and Tommy can hold his water

Barry was reunited with Skippy, his starting line nemesis

At this point, Andrew exclaimed "I FEEL GREAT!" The mantra would change by mile 16.

Along the course, there are few spectators, and none as loyal as Ann Scanlon, seen here cheering on the masses.  Too bad her husband running past her doesn't realize she's there.

Andrew is just hitting his stride, and getting ready to kick it in for the back half

One of Barry's favorite stretches of the course, through scenic Rye Beach

Taking a page from the Kenyan elitists, Barry perfects his patented chewing-of-his-shirt-collar move.  We think the collar is coated in performance-enhancing drugs or something

Obviously, the Scanlon boys didn't confer about their fashion choices pre-race.  A running fashion faux pas.

One of these buffoons still has enough bravado in him to flex for the cameras.  The other one would likely rip his shirt were he to flex at this point

Here, it was a bridge over troubled waters, but the end was in sight

A man alone with his thoughts.  Of Kenny Chesney and cowboy boots.

A classic state line race.  Who took it?  Does it matter?

Afterwards, back at Casa de Scanlon, their bellies full of soup, salad (complete with crouties and bacon bits, a la General Hospital) and pasta, the runners with their support staff.  We couldn't do it without all of you out there cheering us on! Sadly, our good friend M.J. was unable to join us for this group picture.  She declined the invite to have dinner with a group of people she never met before, but whose cars she spent most of the day riding in.

Just three weeks to the big day, April 15 and the running of the Boston Marathon.  With today's run under our respective belts, the hay is in the barn!

A Fritty Good Day for a Run....or Two

St. Patrick's Day in the Mill City, so naturally, this Patrick had to get his Irish Feet Running, and what better place to do it than at the Patrick Frye Memorial 5K that roams through Lowell's Highlands neighborhood?
The race is in memory of Patrick Frye, whose life was taken way too early, but whose memory lives on in the enormous family that carries on his honor, establishing the race that support a scholarship fund in his name.  It doesn't hurt that Frye, known to his friends as P Fritty, was a member of Clan Durkin, one of Lowell's biggest Irish conglomerates.
Before the start of the race at Mount Pleasant, four of my favorite ladies are all Irish Eyes Smiling

Met up with another Irishman at the starting line, Mike Cassidy, looking a little green under the gills

Two of Josh Simoneau's favorite ladies to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates with

With the starting gun fired, Patrick Frye's mom and Aunt Mary are making lots of noise to get runners started on the right foot

Heather doesn't look too happy with me here, but appearances can be deceiving

Anyone who grew up in the Highlands knows this landmark.  It's like Lowell's Citgo sign

Heading back into the home stretch, it's a good thing we had uber volunteers like Brennan Cassidy to tell us a la izqierda, otherwise, we'd be lost

See?  Here's Heather taking his advice and making her move

Even after stopping to put her nursing skills to the test live-time on the course, Julie and Patrick's brother Michael were able to stay stride for stride coming into the finish gate

Post-race, Heather hasn't even broken a sweat

And we actually got Brady to look at the camera

The Clan Simoneau

Again, congrats to everyone involved with putting the race together, it was a huge success.  P Fritty would be happy to see so many of his peeps getting together on St. Patrick's Day for a great cause!

From there, though, there was still a couple of more things to do to check off the St. Patrick's Day list, including meeting up with Andrew for the tail end of his 14 mile run through Worcester, Holden and Paxton, including a breathtaking run past the Holden Reservoir

Even Andrew couldn't figure out what kind of tree this was along the route

Babbling brook, meet babbling idiot

And of course, as always, Andrew came out the victor in the town line sprint

Here's what kept the pep in our step:  the corned beef dinner awaiting us at run's end at Mamma's Paxton home

And finally, me and one of my favorite leprechauns, Zachary, complete with a cup of green milk

All in all, yet another St. Patrick's Day for the books, albeit a tad more sedate than the days of yore.  Great runs, great friends, a great cause and a great feedbag to top it off.  Erin go bragh!

A Short Run on a Long Pier

Last day in Chicago, but we still had a time for a positively frigid early morning run before we had to hustle to the airport to catch our plane back home.  Convinced Donna and Mary-Jo to join me yet again, for the coldest early morning jaunt of the week!

The two of them felt like they needed a session with Bob Newhart, to tell him about this colleague of their's who makes them get up early in the morning to run in freezing temps.  (Sidebar: was the Bob Newhart show set in Chicago?!?)

The pair head for the pier

The place is probably a blast in the summertime, or maybe even later in the day when people are awake!

For anyone who's ever played Left 4 Dead 2, you know what I'm thinking here.  Get me a melee weapon!

The running fools

Another of Chicago's institutions, which surprisingly also isn't open first thing in the morning.  Remember the 1970s Saturday Night Live sketch, cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger?  Stop here for a Coke, no Pepsi!

As far out from the hotel as we could get, at the end of Navy Pier, time to say goodbye to Chicago.

With, of course, some Middlesex branding before we leave

Heading in-bound was without a doubt, the coldest part of the entire week, and the point at which Donna and Mary-Jo began shouting profanities at me.

On the way back in, we got to stop at a place called Streeterville!  Who knew such a place existed?  One of these two stiffs is the official Mayor of Streeterville.  The other one is just an ambassador.

And with that, it's wheels up, and blowing out of the Windy City, back to the usual running routes of Greater Lowell.

Thanks again to my colleagues for an unforgettable experience at the NCMPR conference, and the honor of representing our work and our college on the national stage!

Just got time for one last Chicago Dog!

Hot Dogs, High Places and High Honors!

Heading into the awards dinner at the NCMPR conference, we got a break in the action, with a couple of hours down-time after a morning full of workshop sessions.  We all attended our respective sessions in the first half of the day, and then rendezvoused for our first outing into the Windy City together in the daylight.

Hold onto your hats, it's a wild and windy one!  A few days later, the Chicago River behind my colleagues from Middlesex would be dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.

A few blocks from the hotel, we made it to Portillo's, one of the legendary hot dog restaurants that dot the Chicago downtown.

So of course, it's Chicago Dogs all around, complete with pickles atop them.  But don't put ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago.  They'll shoot you.

Me, I got an Italian beef sandwich, because everybody raved about them.  And they were right.  I even hit it off with the food clerk, with my flirting earning me a jumbo root beer, the likes of which I could never drink.

A block away, we stopped by a place that Mike Cassidy and I visited in June, 1987, while we were travelling cross-country for a month, Ed Debevic's diner.  (I still have a single beer in my refrigerator from that 1987 trek!)

We walked into a group shaking their tail feathers on the counter

So of course, Donna and I had to join in

From there, our group parted ways, with a handful heading for the art museums and me and my running buddies heading to the 103rd floor of the Willis (formerly the Sears) Tower.

Let me tell you, the view is breathtaking, but it AIN'T for anyone remotely spooked by heights.  In Boston, these buildings we're looking down on would be towering skyscrapers.

Dare to Step Out, that's their motto up top, if you have the cookies to step out onto the glass viewing area.  Gulp!  Trust me, when you look down, it's a long, long, long way down.

Finally, with a couple of hours of tourist time in the books, we headed off to the main event of the conference, the Paragon Awards dinner!

Team MCC was one of 1,700 submissions to the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).

Our submission was the book we published last summer, Sully: The Words, Wit, and Wisdom of Paul Sullivan.  The book was a collection of nearly 100 of Paul's columns that he wrote for the Lowell Sun, and it was a labor of love for everyone involved.

We were proud as all hell to represent the college, to honor Paul's memory, and to take home 3rd place in the fund-raising category with our submission!

Super proud to be working with such a talented group of committed individuals, and really proud we were able to take home a win in Paul's memory.

 

We spent a great deal of time talking with our peers from all over the country, and we're really busting our buttons about the team we've put together in the Public Affairs department at MCC.  I'd happily go into battle with any of them.  Or out on a glass ledge.