October 1, 1994:
The shimmering, red-gold ball pushed its way up a notch over the horizon. I was looking across the green grasses and the inland waterways and the south end of Ocean City, New Jersey. The sky was a kaleidoscope of colors all emanating from the big ball inching its way up to the white and gray above. It was sunrise in Marmora. (Sounds like a line from a song!). A new day was beginning and I was ending a promise I made in January while visiting Hahnemann Hospital – I would return to Atlantic City to run a half marathon where in 1992 I had won the award for my age group. The only slight difference was that instead of half a marathon I was running more like a quarter – a 10 K, or 6.2 miles for those non-track buffs. I felt like a kid going back to school after the summer break. Yes it meant a little or more than a little work, but seeing all my old friends, meeting new ones and the challenge of the run, it all had a familiar feel, one you enjoy recalling even when it’s tinged with a bit of fear. The weather made it even more so – the crisp clear air of cool October made the scene even more back-to-school like.
The run was mostly “on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City” (sounds like a line from another song?) Starting in front of the Showboat Casino going north to New Hampshire Avenue, west to Gardiner’s Basin and returning to the Showboat, then south on the Boardwalk to the Tropicana Casino and then north to the finish line at the Showboat. I thought these directions might be helpful to all of you who intend to try to run a 10K in Atlantic City (Maps will be issued on request).
The day was perfect. I ran comfortably and noted Bill Rodgers running in third place with the youngsters in the 5K. They were heading back on New Hampshire to the boardwalk as we headed out. I had attended a clinic on Saturday where he was the guest speaker. For those non-runners, Bill Rodgers was the four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon. He is now 46 and set a world age record in the 5K just a few weeks ago. I was speaking to one of the organizers of the run and clinic, Norman Draper (who has, incidentally, some McSorley’s in his family tree) before he was to introduce Bill. I told him that “I’ve been behind Bill his entire career”, giving him support of course. He, Norm, thought it might be a good intro, but then decided on a more serious one.
My running past came to fore yesterday (10/19) when a front-page article on Dr. Walt McConnell appeared. The article dealt with his attempt in 1989 to reach the top of Mount Everest and his hectic life as an ER physician in Dover, NJ. He spent 11 years in preparation for the climb and 15 months actually on the mountain and its surroundings in immediate preparations. He raised $210,000 to make the attempt. Had he reached the top at 57 years of age (in 1989) he would have been the oldest person to do so. He got within 3000 feet when his headlamp (it was in morning darkness) failed and he got separated from his guides and fellow climber. He returned to his tent with a frostbitten hand and waited for them to return. His fellow climber, Torres, the first Mexican to climb Mount Everest, returned joyously, but also saddened since one of the guides had not -he was presumed to have fallen into one of the many crevices. Walt’s life as an ER physician is just as dramatic with life and death hanging on every diagnosis.
I met Walt in 1972 when I ran my best half marathon over one of the toughest courses around the Caesar Rodney. Caesar is the horseman standing now in the center of Wilmington, Delaware to commemorate his ride of three days to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. His full name was Caesar Augustus Rodney!
The course includes several hills of good dimensions around the city of Wilmington. I had run somewhere around 1 hour 22 minutes and was announced as the winner of the Master’s Award. Then someone said “Say, Walt, aren’t you over 40?” He was. He was Walt McConnell who had just run 1 hour 20 minutes, and of course, the winner of the Master’s Award. We, Walt and I, later met when the Philadelphia Masters R.R. Club & the Central New Jersey R.R. Club had a home and away cross-country meet. We retained the trophy with 2 out of 3 wins. Bill King still has the cup (I think).
It was a relief to see someone we knew in the news for something other than disbarment or an obituary. June had been reminding me of this each time I mentioned I know this or that certain person.
October 26, 1994:
Just received word that my effort in Atlantic City resulted in my finishing second in my age group (60-69). The winner was only 18 seconds ahead of me. I am surprised and, of course, pleased but I also know of a runner over 70 years of age who would and did finish minutes ahead of me, so it’s not an age thing alone – it’s the condition of the runner, etc. (By the way, the maps referred to earlier will only be prepared upon request, so get those letters in early!).
We had guests for the weekend of the 21st through the 24th – Betty & Jerry Hopkins. They are always good company with multiple laughs at every turn. We witnessed the movie “Piano” together. None of us had a clear idea of what it was about – other than a love story and a piano. We were all disappointed. The action was slow. The muteness of the star even added to that. The explicit sex scenes were a surprise in light of its Academy Award nomination and the star winning an Oscar. It was too much psychoanalysis type love affair for us. However, we all enjoyed “Grumpy Old Men”, starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon and Burgess Meredith. Now there was something we could relate to with enthusiasm. Just happened to remind us all of someone or some people we knew or have known over the years.
We find ourselves, June and I, relaxing once again by the sea. It is October and it is beautiful! Cool nights, bright sunshine days, and temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 70s. We walked to dinner Thursday night (10/6) – “Marabella’s” – real Italian cuisine. As we returned home along Ocean Drive (which runs along the inland waterway) we were absorbed by a beautiful sunset. The myriad of color over the bay and the green islands beyond were breathtaking. It was a grand show, overwhelming in its beauty and the aura of power and majesty it exuded as the world turned and the sun moved – another day came to an end. It was good to be alive and enthralled. It made us both once again wish for the ability to paint, so you could hold that moment of beauty and awe forever.
On Friday the bright sun and cool air made it ideal for a walk. June had been talking about seeing how far down Ocean Drive she could walk in an hour, i.e., an hour one way. The day seemed made for such an enterprise. So off we went at a fair pace, not her usual “power walk pace”, south straight towards Stone Harbor. After sixty minutes we had reached 80th Street – Stone Harbor. We returned via Dune Drive. It took us over 2 hours for the entire trip and we covered more than 8 miles. If this keeps up, I’ll have June walking a marathon sooner or later.
The days dwindle down to the precious few before the Nuptials of the year. We hope all of you have properly responded as required or expect a call from your Congressman. We invited Mary to run a 10K with us on November 6th, but she seems preoccupied, or busy, or at least not overly concerned – seems strange, no?
Just a note in closing: I heard a police officer on one of the TV shows say, when talking to a nun, “Sister, I was educated by Jesuits and they taught me ‘How to think’ and I’ve never felt safe since!”
I know how he feels! Cogito ergo terroum.