Runner's Heights: More Saves and Samba

Cumulative mileage: 18 miles

Well, I added only 5 miles to the roster yesterday but it surely felt like 10 miles. It was overcast in the shoreline areas and so I ventured out for a run during noon expecting to beat the heat. But I couldn't be more surprised. The sun had nearly burnt the cloud cover to a sliver and the humidity was higher than usual and as a result, the air felt heavier. To someone running on a hot and humid North Carolina summer day, this may sound like whining, but to my sheltered California disposition, this was grounds for some leaden-footed running. Twice during the puny 5-mile run, I almost gave up because I felt too dehydrated and when I spotted a water foundation about 100 yards away, I felt as a desert-weary Bedouin would feel upon glancing at an oasis. I drank like a fish and proceeded to run the end of my course like a hardy camel that throws caution to the desert wind. I am exaggerating here...no matter, how bad the weather gets in Southern California, it's hardly ever as severe as in many other parts of the world.

There are still ramblings about the U.S. loss in the Women's Soccer to Brazil. The score was 4-0 and as is typical in American sport commentary, the U.S. media is looking for a scapegoat to blame. Very few reports in the American media are talking about how well the Brazilians might have performed and what we might need to learn from their team spirit, but the focus is on Coach Ryan and Briana Scurry, the goalkeeper who, in 1999, deflected the penalty kick that gave the U.S. it's World Cup win over China. Both Coach Ryan and Scurry have stellar credentials and they certainly don't deserve to be inveighed by the other team goalkeeper, Hope Solo. The team spirit of the Brazilians starkly contrasts with the rugged individualism of Solo's comments made to the press blaming Ryan and Scurry for the debacle. A team-oriented sport like soccer hardly needs the self-centered, Tonya Harding types, especially when there's one more tough game in the fray -- against Norway. And we all hope that Scurry goes out shining, because she deserves to be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers in the U.S. soccer history. And the Team USA needs to get some more Samba in the soccer.