Make Mine Mike

Those running races in the Olympics were exciting, eh?

Like that Jamaican guy who set the world's record in 100m, even though he started celebrating before crossing the finish line?

Didn't you love the understatement by the American dude who got the bronze and said of his Jamaican rival (aptly named Bolt) -- "the guy can run"?

And that Romanian 38-year-old woman who left her younger competitors eating her dust in the marathon?

Or that cute Jamaican girl with braces who finished first in the woman's 100m?

And hey, it's not the Olympics, but how 'bout the drama surrounding that local American runner? I mean, he'll never set a world's record, but he is determined to accomplish his goal of averaging 4 miles a day. It'd beat his previous yearly bests, of around 3.5/day. The trick, he decided, was not to punish himself by training for a marathon, and then burning out, but doing a steady regimen of exercise -- 5-6 days a week, alternating 8-10 mile runs with shorter ones and other workouts.

He was even building a surplus of miles so he could take time off during his upcoming wedding and honeymoon -- gonna be kickin' it in Kauai. But then all the planning for these upcoming events made him so busy, he was falling behind too early. Oh no -- what's this obsessive human odometer to do? Run a marathon to catch up? Well, he did the 26 miles in the last 4 days, but he's too exhausted to do anything else, like type up the groom's to-do list or track down the right tie for his tux.

Or go running. And now he's fallen behind again.