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Running away from a BIG problem

Published on 14/01/09
by Maureen

I love this piece of transcript from The Elephant: http://communities.canada.com/shareit/blogs/theelephant/archive/2008/12/18/blagojevich-speaks-about-jogging.aspx

“BLAGOJEVICH: Just hang loose. Hang loose. Now, can I get a run in, do you think?

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Is this your first run since this whole…

BLAGOJEVICH: No, I’ve been running. I can’t — I’ve had to go to other places because of you guys. But yes, so if I actually leave here, you won’t follow me? I’ll be able to run?

QUESTION: Well, we can’t promise that.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: If we could get a shot? Yes, we’re not as fast as you, anyway.

BLAGOJEVICH: It’s a pretty good pace. As governors go, it’s a pretty good pace.

(CROSSTALK)

BLAGOJEVICH: It’s, like, eight-and-a-half minutes. (INAUDIBLE) six- and-a-half to eight miles, depending upon what (INAUDIBLE)

QUESTION: Has that been helping through this ordeal, to exercise and keep your routine?

BLAGOJEVICH: Well, it’s always a good thing to do. It’s always — it’s a good, healthy thing, and it clears your mind, and hopefully, keeps love in your heart.”

This is when they were interviewing him in front of his Ravenswood Manor house just a few days after he was arrested. Makes you wonder who the fastest governor is and what the run distance was depending on. Does his pace suffer from the stress. And in terms of keeping the love in your heart, I think what he’s feeling is oxygen flow…I love running but I can’t say running makes more loving.

He was also running when the House first voted to impeach him. The second time, after the new legislature had been seated, he wasn’t running. Maybe it was too cold or there aren’t enough good running streets in Springfield.

A few running sites have posted times for him. The Windy Citizen’s In It for the Long Run (http://initforthelongrun.windycitizen.com/) reports him getting slower with age:

1984 Chicago Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Office was NOT able to confirm that Blagojevich ran or finished this race.
1989 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., finishing time 3:03:47.
1997 Chicago Marathon, finishing time 3:22:36.
2005 River to River Relay in Southern Illinois, ran the longest leg of 10.5 miles.

And the Chicago Running Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-560-Chicago-Running-Examiner~y2008m12d18-Governor-Blagojevich-Goes-Jogging—-or-is-it-Running) says he’s a little slower than his alleged 8:30s.

Blagojevich completed the 15K race, which is not on a flat course I might add, in 1:20:54—a 8:42/pace with nary a hair out of place. At the post race awards ceremony he was booed by a few folks

They also have the great video that goes with the story.

Not suprisingly, if you Google “Blagojevich running” you get a lot of hits about him running for office. “Blagojevich jogging” yields better results. Either way, he’s surely moving quickly away from a big problem. I can sympathize. Self-deprecation is hard while you’re running, at least when it comes to things outside of the physical world. Thinking about how much your ass hurts is preferable to thinking about potential impeachment or jail time.

I’m very tempted to run west sometime when I know he might be headed out. You never know what you might run into, and unless he’s running at his 1997 pace or faster, I can keep up.

The run is over. Now what?

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