Getting To Know Me

I've been fortunate to learn a lot about the athletes I coach from the period of time when I was in an apprenticeship of sorts; my coach was still here and running the majority of the workouts. I had the time and opportunity to ask many questions of my coach about coaching and training, and I had many opportunities to learn what made many of my fellow athletes tick during the trial of miles...Sunday morning runs of 8-13 miles, followed by hanging out in the parking lot trying to cool off and rehydrate.

There are times a simple questionnaire would do just the same. It's not as fun as learning over the course of miles, but... So for the benefit of the less-experienced athletes I encounter, here are a few slivers of information about me. (You can sing the song from The King & I, if you see fit!) Enjoy!

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not at all. Suzanne asks me to write in a book she's compiling for our grandchildren; block letters look so un-cultured.
FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Anything close to real meat, e.g., corned beef, pastrami, etc.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No kids.
DO YOU USE SARCASM? When good advice and counsel fails.
WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? At least once.
FAVORITE CEREAL? Raisin Bran.
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, They're not tied in the first place.

FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Free! Cold!

FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I am one of the first people to compliment or comment on a friend's hairdo/haircut. Women love it.

LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Unable to prove I'm serious; I used to be a class clown.
WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? A couple of friends from my past, between 1992 and 2002. Christian & Petra in Germany, Laura & Jason in TN. Coach & Pat in OH.
FAVORITE COLOR? Black.
FAVORITE SMELL? Hair that has been recently shampooed. Honorable mention: Swimming pool.
FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Hockey, Triathlon, Cycling, Swimming, Track & Field.
FAVORITE FOOD? Chinese. But most anything is good.
SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. I hate horror flicks.

SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer during the evening, winter during the daytime.

FAVORITE DESSERT? Any, as long as I've had my workout.

WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? Will/Ariel Durant's History of the World, Volume 10(?): Rousseau and Revolution. Also reading David Maraniss' Rome 1960: The Olympics Which Changed Everything.
FAVORITE SOUND(S)? Opening of a beer bottle. Joyous whining of Rubin, my greyhound, when I come home. Ring tone of my cell phone when Suzanne calls.
ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? The Beatles. That's like asking "Bach or Vanilla Ice."
FARTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Dubai, UAE (7865mi); Busan, S. Korea (7330mi).
SPECIAL TALENT? Ask my many admirers. Some would say near-photographic memory.
HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE? We met through Yahoo! First date at Hub Stacy's.
CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? In need of a refill!

CHOOSE FIVE DINNER GUESTS: Paulo Freire (Brazilian educator/social activist), Thomas Jefferson, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Siddartha Gautama (Buddha), Saul (Paul) of Tarsus. Honorable mentions: Bill Bowerman, Percy Cerruty, Henri Desgranges, Steve Prefontaine, Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi.

Any questions you would ask of an athlete which would help you get into their head? Any facts or information you would want your coach to know before they started messing with yours? Let me know.