Streak on

Running...

 1.5 miles   Everyday For28Years 

Zach Baker and Kevin Rapp met at The University of South Carolina. In 2008, a couple years after graduation they reunited on a September Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Kevin mentioned he had recently watched an episode of the HBO series, "Hard Knocks", containing a small segment on Jim Garrett. JG had ran at least 1 mile everyday for 28 years. Inspired, Kevin was 5 days into his streak . Zach was not an avid runner; yet dually motivated, asked Kevin if he would like a partner in his peculiar pursuit. Zach has since retired, but Kevin streaks on; over a decade later.                               

Comments: kevin@rappdc.com

Monday
Sep222008

Zach: Day 11 of 10, 220 (Saturday Re-cap)

    Good afternoon to all the sexy people out there!!  I apologize for not keeping you informed of this weekends running activities.  I was out of town watching the cocks lay a smack down on the Wofford Terriers and we were experiencing minor technical difficulties with the site, but this did not stand in the way of the dream.  After a splendid slumber on Friday night I awoke with a vigorous passion burning deep within my loins.  Was this because today is gameday or is it overzealous anticipation for today's run?  Who knows, but whatever it is it cannot be stopped.  I was with Elizabeth Martin on this fine Saturday, and she wanted to run to, but she was experiencing pain in her foot due to gruesome toenail surgery which left her unable to wear a closed toe shoe.  However, she was able to wear her crocs and ride the bicycle.  In light of this fact I opted to accompany her to her gym, Anytime Fitness (a booming new 24 gym franchise), and run on the treadmill. 

    For today's run I sported my Nike running shoes, Nike running shorts, and an old student government t-shirt that I borrowed from Elizabeth.  When we got to the gym I Immediatly banged out 25 push-ups.  McConaughey once said "there is never a bad time to bang out 25 push-ups."  Upon completion of my first set I appoached the treadmill with respect and caution.  Treadmills can be dangerous when boarded with unnecessary haste.  Once atop the moving belt I eased my way into a brisk pace that quickly turned into intense intervals of jogging and sprinting.  I kept this up for approximately 1.62 miles.  That's the good thing about treadmills, you always know how far you ran.  However, compared to running on the surface of planet earth they kinda suck.  After I completed my run I knocked out my last set of 30 push-ups.  We exited the building and began preparing for the days tailgating activities.  Once we got out there we were definately adequately prepared and had our fill of food and cocktail. 

     I actually told a little fib earlier.  We did not lay a smack down on Wofford but instead beat them only 23-13.  They are a bunch of smart upper middle class kids that run a complex offense full of misdirection, trickery, and typical ballyhoo.  This offense is beyond comprehension for many including myself.   I predict that Wofford will go far into the playoffs of their division.    We also didn't get much help from quarterback Chris Smelley who turned the ball over 3 times in the first quarter.  This prompted Coach Spurrier to say in a post game press conference that he might consider starting Stephen Garcia next week vs. UAB.  Garcia is a long haired, self proclaimed Greek God, arrogant, wild, and crazy son of a bitch.  I think he is just what we need to get the offense moving.  He reminds me of my child hood hero, Mr. Steve Tanneyhill.  If he can approach the job with a level of intensity and consistency I believe that we have six more wins in the tank, and it is at this point in the season that I want to make my year ending prediction.  The Cocks will go 8-4 in the regular season and vanquish a formidable Big 10 foe in the 2009 Outback Bowl.

Zach's quote for the Day:   My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.   (-Maximus, "Gladiator" 2000)

Monday
Sep222008

Kevin: Day17/10220

Happy Birthday Scott Baio!

       -  The man has dated a surprising array of Hollywood Babes, including Pamela Anderson, Nicole Eggert, Nicolette Sheridan, Denise Richards, and Heather Locklear. Way to go Baio!!

Today in History:
        -  1975: Sara Jane Moore's assassination attempt on President Ford is foiled by Olver Sipple.


Day 17. It's good to be back to the blog after some weekend mishaps. Happy Bulgarian Independance day! The past few days I have been in such a rush just to get the runs over with that I haven't been able to fully enjoy them. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the runs. When I go on a run I prefer to be free of worries or deadlines. Bottom line, I need to give myself a little more time to get my runs in. I find myself wanting to run longer & longer, this is a good thing, but I need to be careful to not over do it.

I got into the office at about 9:20. I caught up on Satuday's blog entry. Then around 9:45 I shut the door and completed 50 push ups. The last 10 we'rrrrre A STRUGGLE!

I saw no dogs today, what gives???

Weather Week in the District

9/23 - A Sunny Tuesday?: High 76/ Low 59 (20% chance rain)

9/24 - A Partly Cloudy Hump Day?: High 77/ Low 62 (10% chance rain)

9/25 - A cloudy Thursday?: High 67/ Low 64 (10%chance rain)

9/26 - Wet Friday?: High 72/ Low 64 (40% chance rain)

9/27 - Soggy Saturday?: High 74/ Low 64 (40% chance rain)

9/28 - Sloppy Sunday?:  High 76/ Low 64 (30% chance rain)



Monday
Sep222008

Kevin: Day 16/10220 (Sunday Re-cap)

Happy, Happy, Happy Belated birthday to Bill Murray!

September 21st in history:

        1995: The "Hindu Milk Miracle" occurs, in which statues of the Hindu God Ganesh began drinking milk when spoonfuls were placed near their mouths.


Day 16. I woke up around 7 and picked up for about 30 minutes. I was back at 6306 around 8:30. There I ran into Joe who was having a lot of difficulty picking his fantasy line up. I tossed on blue adidas shorts, a blue Bike to the Beach tee, and a white bandanna. Again, this morning I was in a hurry to make it to a football game. I cruised down Wisconsin Avenue at a great clip.


When I was about 100 yards or so away from home I saw a fox at the edge of our yard. It crossed Wisconsin and headed onto Chevy Chase Country Club's golf course. It was exciting. If seeing a random animal that you don't see often doesn't get you excited, you're not human. One time in Kensington, about three years ago, I saw a big old turkey on East Bexhill Street. That was really exciting. It's like, "Hey, what the heck is a turkey doing here? I have never seen a turkey in these parts!!! What is going on???" 

After the excitement of the fox I gathered myself and tossed on some jeans and a Redskins tee. I hopped in the Car and headed to Garfield Street to meet up with the carpool for the game. Once there I hid inside for a second and established 51 push ups.

I saw no dogs on this run.

Monday
Sep222008

Kevin: Day 15/10220 (Saturday Re-cap)

Our log-in access was a bit messed up this weekend. Blogs are new to both Zach and myself, so for the first couple months there will probably be a few mishaps. Sorry friends!!

Happy Belated birthday to Sophia Loren!

This day in history

        -  1633: Galileo is held on trial before the Council for the Doctrine of Faith for teaching that the earth orbits around the sun.

        -  1998: Cal Ripken ends his famous streak for consecutive major league games played at 2, 632.

Day 15. I woke up at around 6 am and scrambled to get a jog in before my pee-wee football game which stated at 9 am in Bowie. I like to get to the games a minimum of an hour before kick-off. I ran at a blitzkrieg pace down Wisconsin turning around at the Exxon by Tommy Joe's. Once I got home I quickly prepared myself and drove to K-town to pick up Timmy Conley. We suffered our first loss to the Forestville Falcons, 19-6. Afterwards I went home and swept mom's porch than proceeded out to Potomac Maryland to participate in the 5th annual Slitherfest.

I left Slitherfest around seven and  headed to a surprise birthday party for our good family friend Keith at Wood's Academy. I stopped home for a second to turn off Spanky's heat lamp. Then headed over to Lydia's for yet another get together. By about 10-11 I was spent . I had given the day all I had. I tried really hard. It was fun. I certainly enjoyed myself and can only hope others enjoyed me too. That's what the weekend's for, right? I hit it the hay hard at around 12:00.

I saw no dogs during the day's jog.

Friday
Sep192008

Zach: Day 10 of 10,220

   Good afternoon America!  Day 10 complete!  I am in kind of a hurry today.  Gotta get to Columbia tonight so I can wake up, run and start tailgating bright and early for tommorrow's 7:00 game against the mighty terriers of Wofford.  I had alot of errands to run today including getting a planters wart burnt off my foot.  I know it sounds gross, but it had to be done.  I am so thankful that the operation went smoothly.  I was very concerned that it might hinder my ability to run free from pain.  My feet are now my instruments of destiny and I must treat them with the utmost respect.  i told Dr. Vest (the planters wart removal specialist) of my goal, and he said that it is not entirely impossible, and that he is pulling for me.  He also recommended that I begin to take some vitamin supplement that I have written down, but can't remember.  It  is made to lubricate the joints, and since I have 10,210 days left joint lubrication is paramount.

   Before I left the house I banged out 25 perfect push-ups.  I wore a yellow Sam's Corner t-shirt, Nike running shorts, and my headband.  I opted to run wih no Ipod today.  It was gorgeous outside today and I decided to run along Boyle road in North Litchfield.  Prior to my run I ate an entire plate of Mongolian beef from P.F. Changs with my Uncle Tim.  Needless to say, this did not enhance today's running experience, but I easily ran 1.8 miles.  I passed no other runners or pedestrians.  I did however get a head nod from a great looking older caucasion couple who were both decked out in some sort of African tribal garb riding on beach cruisers.  Good for them.  Who cares what you're wearing.  You're on vacation!  When I finished my run I went by the bank and got some change for the restaurant from Cindy, my favorite teller, who happens to be an open supporter of runningfor28years.squarespace.com.  Thanks Cindy!  I then returned to the house to take a shower.  I was about to hop in, but "oh no, I havent completed my second set of pushups."  I immediately hit the floor and complete 25 towel wrapped pushups. 

   Tomorrow's run will likely be an early morning jog around the Rosewood/Shandon area.  Hopefully I will have internet access at some point in the day.  If not, then please don't fear.  Just check back on Sunday for further updates.  I'm off to Columbia to hang out with my pal Chris Stacey.  Go cocks!  Go Chargers!

Zach's quote of the Day:  We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble! (-Dr. Peter Venkman,  Ghostbusters, 1984)

Friday
Sep192008

Kevin: Day 14/10220

Happy Birthday Jim Abbott!

-           During Abbott's final season, he played for the Brewers and ended up batting 21 times. But here's the astounding thing:  He had two singles and drove in three runs. The guy has one hand! Imagine being a major league pitcher and giving up a single to Jim Abbott?

This Day in History:

1900 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid commit their first robbery together.
1988 - Greg Louganis suffers a head injury while qualifying for the Seoul Olympics
1991 - Otzi' the Iceman is discovered by a couple of German tourists.

Day 14: I felt great this morning. Woke up at 5:15 without the help of an alarm clock. I went upstairs grabbed a glass of water and downed a multi-vitamin. I sat on my bed and poked around the web for a bit, checked fantasy, read some Skins articles, then proceeded to the task at hand.

This morning I grabbed some red pants w/ white stripes down the side that I picked up at Walmart circa 2001.  I checked the weather, 59 degrees. Hmmm, kind of cold, so I grabbed an old school ash grey Gonzaga hoodie. A little more traffic on the streets than usual, but still pretty minimal. In front of the new Washington Sports Club I passed Ms. Cappadona out for an early morning walk with one of her friends. She said, "Rapp!" I waived, smiled, and... kept jogging. I mean, I can't be stopped. Not for a family friend. Not for a friendly k-9. This is bigger than me now.

A little further up the road I spotted a pack of about 10-15 joggers by Regal, very exciting. I don't know what it is exactly, but when I see a pack of runners that big, I want to be a part of it. Guess, it's just the dog in me. So I picked up my pace, but right when I was about to catch up they all went down the stairs to the Bethesda metro? weird. There were a lot of restaurant deliveries this morning, likely getting ready for the weekend rush.

When I got home I hit the floor for 30 push ups. I turned Spanky's heat lamp on and got dressed. The dude has scarfed down 10 minnows since Monday, TAKING NO PRISONERS!!!

I hit the road around 7:00 and tuned into the Junkies for an interview with Doug Flutie. Upon arrival at the office I exchanged pleasantries with my co-workers.

         "It's Friday, woo hoo!!!"
         "TGIF BRAH!!"

I then shut the door to my office and did 30 push ups.

I saw no dogs today.


Thursday
Sep182008

Zach: Day 9 of 10,220

   Today Mr.  Prefontaine made his first appearance on the blog.  I assure you it will not be his last.  Grandma departed in her Chrysler 300C around 9:30 this morning.  It was sad to see her go, but I understand that she is a very busy lady.  I helped Barton through the lunch rush today, which as it turns out wasn't much of a rush at all.  Today is actually the slowest day I have had since I began leasing Sam's Corner.  I guess that with the recent economic downturn that we aren't seeing as many golfers as we usually would this time of year, which is a shame because today is the most beautiful day in recent memory.  Even my good friend Jarrod Mckevlin who doesn't typically appreciate things like weather called to let me know that today would be a good day to toss around the ole pigskin. 

   Since it is starting to get so slow around here I have alot more time to focus on my running.  After I worked through lunch I went upstairs and changed into my Nike shorts, Nike headband, and Nike Air max Moto running shoes.  I did not change shirts as i was already wearing a yellow Sam's Corner t-shirt.  I did 55 push-ups before leaving the house.  Things are starting to get really serious.  I called Kevin on my way to the south end of Pawleys Island.  He is happy and about to attend a 2:00 meeting.  I parked my car at the police station/town hall.  Since I ran so far yesterday I decided to slow things down a bit on today's run.  I began the run south along the marsh.  I passed no other pedestrians, but I did pass alot of cars and several motorcycles.  The fall bike rally is fast approaching.  This is good news.  Guys ridin' on hogs love hotdogs.  They love them. 

   I felt very little fatigue today but was committed to pacing myself.  I have made this run several times now and when I was making the turn from marsh side to ocean side I saw my good friend Mark the stock broker pass by in his Beamer.  I previously told Mark of my new undertaking, and he was skeptical, but not anymore.  The headband says it all.  Turning naysayers into believers everyday.  Since I have made this run before I knew I had gone at least a mile and a half, and since I hadn't seen Mark the stockbroker in a while I decided to hop in the car and do some catching up.  Marks advice:  "Stay away from Lehman Bros."  When I arrived back at the Avenger I turned on the odometer and found that I ran exactly 1.8 miles today.  It was a fairly basic, but enjoyable run.

Zach's quote for the day:    "There comes a point when any reasonable man will swallow his pride and admit he made a mistake. The truth is... I was never a reasonable man."  -Edward Bloom (Big Fish, 2003)

Thursday
Sep182008

Kevin: Day 13/10220

Happy Birthday Rick Pitino!

Historical happenings on September 18th.

- 1793: The first cornerstone of our nation's Capitol Building was laid by George Washington.

- 1970: Jimi Hendrix dies after choking on his own vomit.


Doot! Doot! I'm up at 5:15. It's pitch black in my room besides my cell phone which is ringing and buzzing. I turn on the lamp behind my bed and think about what I will wear for this morning's jog. It is getting increasingly chilly every morning. With this in mind, I elect to go with a white long sleeve Adidas moisture management tee. Since it is going to be dark for my entire jog I throw on some random clothes. Over the long sleeve I toss on my 2008 Bike To The Beach jersey (www.biketothebeach.org) and a pair of Lafayette Lacrosse shorts, #14. I grabbed the shorts July 4th weekend 2005 when a one  A. Forbes left them at the beach, still haven't made the exchange... I toss on a white bandanna, one brown and one blue dress sock, grab my Ipod and am out the door. 


The street is pretty dead. I look up and the moon and stars are still out. About five minutes into my jog as I'm passing "Stromboli" I notice a car in the middle lane on Wisconsin Ave. It is stopped with no lights on and no one inside. I continue my jog and notice a car passing by full of newspapers surely to be delivered soon thereafter. The baristas are all moving and shaking at Starbucks.


On my way back I notice two cop cars with their lights flashing stopped in the road. They are behind the unoccupied car from before. There are three officers all together just sitting there.

          " Ok, so what do you think happened here?"

          " It looks like someone parked their car and got out."

          " I don't know, I think we should ALL just wait this out... for a few hours."

When I get home the house is still quiet. I take my time getting ready and am out the door by 6:30 or so. When I get into work I shut the door to my office and complete 52 push ups. Bring on Day 14...


I saw no dogs today.