Yesterday’s Boston Marathon was one of the hottest on record, literally. Readings well into the 80’s led the event organizers at the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) to discourage participation by a particular class of athletes who had already registered to run. According to the Boston Herald:

Race organizers pleaded for runners to leave the 26.2-mile course to only the most experienced athletes. Those who have not met a qualifying time should bow out, the BAA said, warning the risk of running is “higher than normal.” “Only the fittest runners should consider participating,” the BAA said in a statement.

Our Goat Raising Community will certainly find some amusement in the notion of official pronouncements of any sort being issued by “the BAA.”

But what if, rather than telling people to stay home, the BAA had bleated that they slow down or even walk? If you had planned to run 26.2 miles, would it feel like a terrible defeat of some sort to walk it instead? Worse than not going at all?

Running is seen as active and worthwhile. Politicians “run” for office, they don’t “walk.” The only one I can think of who actually DID walk for office was the one-term Governor of Illinois, the appropriately named Dan Walker. Walker got a lot of attention in 1971 for walking 1,197 miles across his state to get the Democratic nomination against the formidable opposition of the Daley Machine in Chicago. The next time the Governor’s office was on the ballot, Walker lost in the primary to the Daley-backed candidate. Years later, he was charged with bank fraud and eventually plead guilty, serving 18 months in prison for irregularities that occurred after his time in office.

One could argue that he wound up in a familiar place for Illinois Governors – it just took Walker longer to get there.

But we do seem to have a thing about walking – there’s an assumption that it is the least desirable way to get someplace. Tom Vanderbilt, who has written volumes about our driving habits, just did a series in Slate last week about Walking In America. Surprise! As an activity, it’s just not that popular. In spite of efforts to promote it.

In a study back in 2003, it was determined that Americans averaged 5117 steps per day.

Seems like a lot, but it turns out we walk less than most other people, including those in Switzerland and Japan, two countries with a lot less walking room. Certainly the USA has more than it’s share of flat, wide open spaces where walking should be easy. But we’re just not that into it.

We’ve had several discussions here about walking the Superior Trail and the Appalachian Trail, and even one about the right musical tempo for walking. But what about walking as a way to get to the grocery store?

Is the built environment just too hostile to pedestrians, or is it that we don’t feel we have the time to walk someplace?

What kind of change would make it possible for you to walk more?

Today is the Home Opener for the Minnesota Twins. People who love baseball see this as a special, almost sacred day. At the beginning of a new season, the faithful need not apologize for their championship hopes – all things are still possible.

Although in their first series at Baltimore, the Twins have emerged as champions for a more stark reality, finding new ways to show us their limitations.

But don’t give up just yet. Things can change over the course of a long season. Miracles happen. Talents emerge. And fade. That’s sports. We hear a lot of complaints about the way elite athletes can overdose on self-esteem, but for each of them there is a reckoning not too far down the road. Once they lose a step or swing the bat a half second slower, even the greatest are pushed towards the exits. The pressure to perform and win is merciless. The greatest are exalted and given special status, but humiliation is also part of the package.

And then there are the rest – the vast majority of amateur players who love the game but don’t have what it takes to play professionally. They might dream big league dreams in the early going, but for reasons related to size, speed, and ability, they soon realize that learning to balance a spread sheet or sell insurance or be a radio engineer will ultimately do them more good than continuing to try to hit the curve ball.

A lot of fine athletes have walked this path. One of them was my friend, Tom Keith, who died suddenly and far too early last October of a pulmonary embolism.

Tom had a great career as a ballplayer, starting out in the backyard working on fundamentals. Here he is scooping up a grounder. You can see he’s having a great time with this. Even as an adult he would happily instruct anyone who asked (and many who didn’t) on the proper technique.

At Sibley High School he was a star center fielder. Not very fearsome a presence at the plate, he made up for it on the base paths. In one pivotal game he took four bases, propelling his team into the state tournament.

You can see him here, sliding into third with another steal.

I’m not surprised to learn that Tom was a talented and successful thief. Speed is only part of base stealing. Another crucial factor is the ability to observe the pitcher closely, understand his motion and find an opening. Tom was very, very good at picking up the odd cues and funny quirks of other people. He was an excellent mimic, and could play yourself back to you, capturing your way of speaking, your posture, your words and even the gaps between words.

Timing is everything in base stealing and comedy.

Tom went on to play a season with the University of Minnesota Gophers, but his inability to hit and his less than imposing size made it unlikely that he would ever wear a professional jersey on opening day.

He joined the Marines and later took an engineering job at MPR. The rest, as they say, is history. But he always loved baseball, and this was an important day to him.

What’s your high school sports story?