Runner’s diary, Thursday (sort of)

Light day today, walking around New Hope in the sun. Vacation is a nice thing. That’s why the blog has been so light.

I may offer some posts later and tomorrow as I start to look ahead and get back into the swing. We’ll see.

Anyway, no run today — needed recovery time after running 12 miles yesterday in just over two hours. Hard to conceive of another six. Wow.

Seventeen days and counting.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

Runner’s diary, Tuesday

Busy yesterday — out of the office all week — so I didn’t post my progress. Race is now 19 days away.

Monday: Six miles in 57 minutes
Tuesday: Four miles in 39 minutes

Only concern is a sore lower back, but I’ve upped my stretching and will ice later. Cross your fingers friends.

As I wrote last week, I plan to use the LBI Commemorative 18-Mile Run (a fundraiser for the St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach) to raise some money locally, as well.

I’m asking readers to help by sending donations to one of four organizations: the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund, the Deacon’s Food Cupboard in Jamesburg, the Monroe Township Food Pantry and Skeet’s Pantry in Cranbury.

Readers who are interested should make checks out to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund, the Presbyterian Board of Deacons (for the Deacon’s Food Cupboard) at the Jamesburg Presbyterian Church, the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury (for Skeet’s Pantry), or the Friends of the Senior Center (for the Monroe Township Food Pantry). Send them to the South Brunswick Post/The Cranbury Press, P.O. Box 309, Dayton, N.J. 08810, attn: Hank Kalet.

Thanks in advance.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

No surprises from The Wshington Post

No one should be surprised that the Post is critical of the surge, but remains in the president’s corner. Consider that the paper is one of the war’s original supporters.

It’s impossible not to be skeptical that the necessary political deals and improvements in Iraqi security forces will take place. Unless there is progress that justifies withdrawals going well beyond those he announced last night, Mr. Bush is unlikely to achieve the agreement in Washington on Iraq he said he now aims for. Still, there are no easy alternatives to the present policy. In the past we have looked favorably on bipartisan proposals that would change the U.S. mission so as to focus on counterterrorism and training of the Iraqi army, while withdrawing most U.S. combat units. Mr. Bush said he would begin a transition to that reduced posture in December. But according to Gen. Petraeus, Mr. Crocker and the consensus view of U.S. intelligence agencies, if the U.S. counterinsurgency mission were abandoned in the near future, the result would be massive civilian casualties and still-greater turmoil that could spread to neighboring countries.

Mr. Bush’s plan offers, at least, the prospect of extending recent gains against al-Qaeda in Iraq, preventing full-scale sectarian war and allowing Iraqis more time to begin moving toward a new political order. For that reason, it is preferable to a more rapid withdrawal. It’s not necessary to believe the president’s promise that U.S. troops will “return on success” in order to accept the judgment of Mr. Crocker: “Our current course is hard. The alternatives are far worse.”

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.