Blog | Running With Al Tardy

Coming Home From A Race And Good Times With New Friends

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

New Races And Old Friends

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

These are some photos from a 4.5 mile race a couple weeks ago in East Brookfield, Ma.. It was their 1st annual road race and funds raised by the races are going to different community events.

Part of the fun of going to alot of races is you get to not only meet new people but you start running into people you remember running with in other places. I am pictured with Val. If you have been staying in tune with my blogs, you might remember Val,s picture from a Fitchburg, Ma. race just a couple weeks before this one. She definitely knows about running through pain. The morning of this race she tore something in her foot, taped it up and ran through the pain.

Pictured you see a mom, dad and son. The son, Arleigh, won the race and recently won a cross country state title. When the race and all the awards were finished guess what I saw Arleigh do? The last I saw him he was running out of the school grounds, where the race was held, and was running home. Claire, Arleigh,s mom, has a very accomplished competing back round of her own that I will be writing about after I get all the details. Watch for their picture and her story soon.

The pic with 4 of us includes (l-r) Brad, whom I had a great time talking with during and after the race, myself, Steve, who ran a very memorable race in Worcester that I ran in last year, and Arleigh. Steve has held the 60's age division, Steeple Chase National Title.

John and his daughter, Elizabeth, ran the race together. As a dad that has had the joy of running races with his daughter, I can understand how great it feels.

Then we have pictured the volunteers that put the event together. In the back row you have Karlene, Jen, Tom(main coordinator), and myself. In front of us at the electronic part of keeping everything in order are Lauren and Nicky. They did a great job and I know have set the ground work for future races. GREAT JOB FOLKS

It was a great day and the thunderstorms predicted for that day held off until about an hour after the race. So even Mother Nature was doing her part to help make the race a success.

Coming Up......3 Entries About A Potato Farm !!!!!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Why am I doing a story about a potato farm on my running website? Because it needs to be told. I grew up and still live in a farming area. When some "tech" company reaches their 10th or 20th anniversary they want to shout about it to the world. Well, this potato farm, which is owned and operated by friends of mine hit their 100th anniversary. And, since people from all over this country are now reading the entries I put in this blog section of the website, I'm going to shout about it for them.

One of the hardest working groups of people, that get the least recognition, are the people that feed us. And in this day and age where most your farming is done on farms owned by huge companies, or out of the country, what an amazing accomplishment it is to have one of our local farms succeeding.

How did they celebrate their 100th anniversary? By throwing a party and inviting the whole town and many friends from outside their town. There were bounce houses for the kids along with a petting zoo and food and refreshments for all that came. There was a parade with all sorts of farming machinery and live music all day.

The day was beautiful and the atmosphere was all about friends getting together to celebrate another friend's success. The whole Szawlowski family are as easy going and down to earth as anybody you'll ever come across. They deserve credit, recognition and all that they can get from this life......BECAUSE THEY'VE EARNED IT AND THEY CONTINUE TO EARN IT WITH HARD WORK EVERYDAY. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU

Some "All American Hero's"

Pictured here amongst other people are 3 true "All American Hero's". In the green shirt is Sean "Swaz"(along with Steve and a couple very pretty visitors to the farm). I'm with Chris "Swaz"and driving the cart is one of the 4 Szawlowski brothers that over the last decades worked hard to create a business that has proved itself to be a giant in it's own right.

Why do I call them American Hero's? Because they are up at 3 or 4 o'clock every morning and are hard at work long before most of the rest of us have gotten past hitting the snooze button for the 2nd time. And what are they doing? They are busting their butts, putting in loooonnnngggg hours so you and I can eat. Yeah they have made a good living from what they do...but they have earned it.

I grew up working on local farms. I've worked in the sun on 100 degree days, and been hit in the face by dirt whipped up by wind coming across open fields. They deal with it everyday because that's what they do. And, while you are griping to your friends at work about your boss making you work and extra hour or two, the farmers of this country are into their 12th hour of the day hoping to get finished before sun down.

There were many more members of the Szawlowski family at the celebration. The 3 here were the only 3 I caught on film, but, my hats off to all of them and to all the farmers across this nation. Think of this. Without their hard work, the next time you went to the grocery store it would be empty.

Nice Equipment On that Tractor

Part of the anniversary celebration was a parade down Main Street. Many pieces of farm equipment made up the parade. Here are some of the pictures of the equipment old and new. Although I enjoyed seeing all of them, my favorite was the one with the pretty gal sitting on it....nice spoked wheels don't you think? tractor

More Than Just People

Here are some more shots from the 100th anniversary at the farm. Brendon and Martha, Yosh and Kathy, two very beautiful women that would also like to become house painters, and Joe and Mary Jane. These people are old friends, new friends and a wonderful example of the great people that come from our neck of the woods. Although I know them each in a different way, they all have special places in my heart and I'm proud to call them friends.

DON'T YOU EVER

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

This entry is going to be very short. This picture was taken at the Fitchburg 5k on June 26th and there are 3 more entries about that great race after you read this one. But after you have seen this picture DON'T YOU EVER give me some bulls... excuse as to why you can't come join us.

Reach For The Stars

Meet Valerie. Valerie and I met at the Fitchburg Police Association Community Five. This woman grasped the world of running a few short years ago and has embraced it mightily.

The yellow wind breaker she has on comes from an Easter Island marathon she had run only a couple weeks prior to the day we met.

Valerie has also run marathons in Costa Rica and a marathon in China that included running up the mountain that lead to running up stairs that are part of the Great Wall of China.

Future plans (October) are to run in the 2500th running of the marathon in Athens, Greece.

I am so amazed by the accomplishments of people that have stepped into this elite area of running, that I sometimes forget what I have done or am planning to run.

Valerie has a great heart, mind and spirit for this sport and the desire to use running as a way to see places she may never have dreamed of seeing.

"GO DADDY"

This is a picture I took at the Fitchburg 5k on June 26th that I just had to pass along to you. For the man this little girl was waiting for and cheering on....."THANK YOU" for being a great example for her little heart.

Who Cares How You Did....What About Your Story

June 26th turned out, for me, to be one of those days I always preach to people about. I picked the Fitchburg Police Association Community Five to run that day. Why? Because I had never been to Fitchburg and I like to meet new people.

Why was it a day that I had to listen to my own preaching? Because although it was a beautiful day I had one of my slowest 5k times that I can remember. And, since I preach "who cares how you do...look around for your story for the day and enjoy the people" I decided to do just that.

I met Mark who was the organizer of the race and the day. He did a great job leading to one of the best turn outs they had ever had. The money raised each year goes to a local cause and has raised thousands of dollars to give back to the community.

Mark had also gotten Stacey and Brenna to pour glasses of consolement for me so I could forget about my bad time and refresh myself. "THANK YOU" ladies for the easing of the pain.

I also met Pam and Matt. Matt is a pretty serious competitor in many athletic events. Pam, however, did her first race ever that day. She did great and I hope to see them both at other races so I can track her progress for you to read about.
Cindy #42 has been in my blog from other races. She has only been running a short time and I've seen her take honors in her division. She was there with (l-r) Courtney, Cathy(Cindy's sister), and Claire( Cindy and Cathy's mom). That's right 3 generations and the 4 C's.

You have already read a few entries prior to this one about this race and this day. I hope they show that even a bad day of running is still a good day to have run.

LOOK FOR YOUR STORY IN EVERY DAY