Friday, January 8, 2010

Winter

(Jan. 8, 2010 … the temperature is 21 degrees and the Winter Storm Warning just ended, but there’s at least 12 inches of new, fresh, fluffy snow here in Chicago) –

By Ross Forman


I’m actually not sure where to start this first column of 2010 – and that’s not a good thing for someone who writes for a living. There are so many subjects to discuss. Let’s see …

* For some insane reason, mainly to write a first-person newspaper story and, of course, forever be able to claim ‘I did it,’ I was going to participate in the annual Polar Bear Plunge into Lake Michigan on Jan. 1. But, when I woke up that Friday morning, I saw the temperature was 3 degrees. I opted against the plunge and, instead, plopped down in front of the TV to watch the NHL’s Winter Classic. I’m thrilled with my decision.

* TNA Wrestling had a record-setting Monday, Jan. 4, with a live, three-hour special on Spike TV. Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair made their TNA debut, and several other stars also appeared, including Scott Hall, Jeff Hardy and Eric Bischoff, among others. And my brother, Edward, was watching. I actually was shocked to know he was watching, and he didn’t flip channels for most of the show, based on the text messages I received from him.

* I get it, Mother Nature … You win! Now let’s go back to normal conditions – if not in Chicago at this time of the year, certainly in Florida. I just returned from Orlando, where it was … cold. You won’t hear me complain next August that it’s too hot and humid; I’ll take that any day over winter. I didn’t even run outside in Orlando this week since I only had shorts and a t-shirt with me, and I didn’t think that’d be enough to keep me warm for 6 miles, as I had planned to run on Jan. 3. Now I’m starting my official training on Saturday, Jan. 9, a few days past when I had planned – and I’ll be doing it indoors on a treadmill at a Bally’s Total Fitness here in Chicago.

* Congratulations to Max Hamrick for running 100 miles for charity. Here’s the link to a great story about Max, if I say so myself: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=349000 … My Illinois High School Hockey column appears every Thursday in the Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/).

* Looks like the Paris Marathon on Sunday, April 11, is going to be replaced on my running calendar due to my commitments to TNA Wrestling and a major TNA pay-per-view (“Lockdown”) on Sunday, April 18. So, as I sat at dinner yesterday, I had a print out of most North American marathons between mid-March and mid-July. With a blue Sharpie pen, I put a dot next to those races that even remotely interested in. The list included marathons in Kenosha, Wisc.; Cincinnati, Ohio;
Providence, R.I.; Newport Beach, Calif.; Reno, Nev.; Boise, Idaho; Cleveland, Ohio; Green Bay, Wisc.; Rockford, Ill.; Spokane, Wash.; Fargo, N.D.; and Calgary, Alb., among others. I narrowed it down to two: the 10th annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 25 and the 39th annual BMO Vancouver Marathon on Sunday, May 2. Now I must decide … what do you think? Let me know. I’ll have my decision here soon, but I’m looking for my passport!

All the best,
Ross.

















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