podcast « Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

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cycling / football / Friday / memories / podcast — Comments Off
18
Sep 15

When the blacktop sings to you

And, now, scenes from an all-important, utterly inconsequential and I hope never elusive 20-mile bike ride.

I have some history on this road, I realized, as I pedaled down it today. And not just because I’ve made tiny circles with my feet on it before. I’ve raced on it. I have friends that grew up on this road. I re-learned to run on the path that meanders alongside it. I’ve been caught in the rain on this road and failed to outrun hail on this road. I have history on that little ribbon of asphalt, pretty neat.

To be sure, I do spend a lot of my time on this road with this view:

On a different road. Same ride, different light:

What was going on on the other side of the camera at that same moment:

And now, for two podcasts. If you like Arkansas:

And if you prefer your football to be full of Gator bites:

Some other stuff here and there. Mostly, though, that road, and this weekend.

history / I do not know what is happening. / photo / podcast / running / swimming / Thursday — Comments Off
17
Sep 15

Jogging achievement unlocked

I ran 10 miles today, he said nonchalantly.

And, in both of those phrases, I do not know what is happening.

I also swam 3,000 yards. So I’m tired, sure. But it feels great, too. That’s all unexpected, but then I took a rest day, no exercise, earlier this week and at one point I didn’t think one day would do the trick, but by the end of the evening I was ready to get back to it. I wonder how long I can keep all this up. Not long enough.

I found this on campus during my run today:

Miller Wire Works …

was founded on April 1, 1949 by Charles E. Miller and is now into its third generation of family ownership. Originally employing three men, it now operates with 55 highly skilled workers. Present facilities include offices, two manufacturing plants and a machine shop consisting of 78,000 square feet.

They’re still in wire, and they’ve been working in polyurethane since the 1980s. I believe that campus building was built in the late 1960s, but I couldn’t say when the door went in.

Miller is far too common a name to ask Google to scare up anything definitive.

Here’s something to know for sure: I want to be this guy when I grow up. Peaking at ninety:

Richard Dreselly first hiked to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire in 1941. He has since hiked the 6288 foot summit seventeen times. Now at 90, he climbed for what he says will be his last time. Globe photographer John Tlumacki captured his three day arduous journey amid the stunning mountain views.

Here’s the full story that goes with that photo gallery.

And a podcast with my old friend Chadd. He’s talking about what it takes to be an athletic director in college sports.

journalism / links / photo / podcast / Wednesday — Comments Off
16
Sep 15

Things I’ve found and things I’d forgotten I’d found

Today I was eating one of those fruit bowls, the sort you get pre-cut and ready to eat from the produce section. Munching away in the office and I come across this:

That’s one big grape.

Things I’ve also come across recently include the announcement that Esquire has gone completist with their Classic site. Eight decades of content are now online. Here’s some heart-rending media, the boyfriend of murdered TV reporter makes emotional return to anchor chair. Here’s something I wrote earlier this week. It is a review of a documentary. It was not good.

And a podcastI recorded with the editor of The Anniston Star:

football / Friday / podcast / video — Comments Off
4
Sep 15

Very quickly

Because this is the Friday before a three-day weekend. We’re not going to bog down such a thing like a three-day weekend with needless detail. So two quick things, and then off you go.

First, Samford opened their 2015 football season last night and debuted the Chris Hatcher era. The new coach had a big success. Here’s a video package the athletics department put together.

Not a bad start to their campaign.

My colleague Clay Carey and I recorded this podcast this morning. It is a good one, where Carey talks about two related stories from The Washington Post featuring small towns, data journalism and the importance of the in-person experience of journalism.

I’m going to make him a regular guest, I think.

Now, let’s all go have a great weekend.

Auburn / football / I do not know what is happening. / podcast / running / swimming / Thursday — Comments Off
3
Sep 15

Two podcasts and a breakthrough two years coming

Here’s a podcast I did with my old friend Chadd Scott earlier this week. He’s launching GridironNow.com tonight, a site that will cover SEC football like crazy, and he’s asked me to take part. I’m honored. So I’ll be writing occasionally and podcasting regularly, I hope. Here’s our first one, where Chadd previews the Auburn football season:

He’s pretty sold on them. I have some reservations.

If football isn’t your thing, then this podcast that I recorded today with journalist Andre Natta might be more your style. He tells us about a proposal in Denver that will help ease college debts:

Don’t play both of those at once. The awesome noise might be too much for your computer’s sound card.

I created both of the songs in the podcasts, by the way. That leaves me only 48 steps removed from being a true renaissance man.

Also, tonight, I swam 2,700 yards and then got in a nice, easy four-mile run. My last mile was in 8:05. That’s not fast, but fairly respectable for me, I suppose. But, again, I did it after my biggest swim ever and a four mile run. Plus I took 21 seconds off of my last mile yesterday, making this my favorite new game.

Most importantly, in my last few swims it feels like that’s just starting to click, finally. Finally.