I have literally just caught my breath, having lumbered through yesterday's broiling Rock 'N Sole 10k over the Hoan Bridge. So please indulge me by reading and reacting to a few of the random thoughts swirling around in my still sweaty head. Not surprisingly, all I'm thinking about is Summerfest, the Brewers and that race:
Greinke trade will come back to haunt Brewers: I don't fault Brewers GM Doug Melvin for selling the farm (system) to get Zack Greinke, but in retrospect, it might turn out to be a mistake. Granted, he's 7-3 and he's struck out 99 in 74.1 innings pitched. But for all his dominating performances, he appears susceptible to big innings, too, and his 5.45 ERA doesn't completely tell the story. Greinke isn't pitching like an ace, and more importantly, he's the reason that Yuniesky Betancourt is the Brewers' starting shortstop. His .237 average and .255 OBP similarly don't tell the story of the first-pitch popups that kill rallies. I hate to say it, but the Brewers gave up too much for Greinke, and he's no better than the third-best starting pitcher on this team. I've lost faith in him.
Tony Plush is the Brewers' Andre Rison: I feel like I've seen Nyjer Morgan somewhere before. He reminds me when Andre Rison joined the Packers in 1996. A talented lightning rod, Morgan is not just likable but incredibly aggressive. I predict that T-Plush and Shaun Marcum will be the two Brewers who will be instrumental to the Brewers second half push into the playoffs.
Road woes: One final Brewers thought. This is a talented, tight-knit team. But they way they folded against the Yankees and the Red Sox and, well, most teams on the road, makes me think they're not ready for prime time. We can't believe in the Brewers until they believe in themselves.
My evolving impressions of Summerfest: A lot of people told me that they thought this year's Summerfest music lineup was the best in years. To me, I thought it was weaker than usual, which just goes to show, the Big Gig means something different to everyone. One thing we can all agree on, though, the grounds looked the best they ever have. From the new Briggs stage to the new south gate entrance, I was really taken aback this year on how nice Henry Maier Festival Park really is. As I get older, I'm a little less enamored by packed crowds, ambling through the concourse. But I also appreciate everything the festival does for the city, both directly and indirectly. Milwaukee is very, very lucky to have Summerfest.
My two cents on Rock 'N Sole: Everyone else has weighed in on the great water shortage that was the Rock 'N Sole half marathon and 10K, so here's my official take. Personally, I didn't find the lack of water to be all that grueling, and it only cast a small shadow on an otherwise great race and the running accomplishment of my life. It was unnerving, though, to see empty cups strewn about the route with no water in sight. Luckily, I got a little sip from a jug (no cup) at the third mile, but nothing until about mile five, atop the Hoan Bridge. Water was aplenty by the end, but when I really needed it was coming back north up the bridge, between miles three and five. The lack of water and medical personnel was more scary than anything; once I figured I wouldn't be getting anything to drink with half the race to go, I slowed down and began paying attention to how dizzy I was starting to feel.
Oddly, the grade of the climb wasn't as difficult as I expected, and overall, I didn't find the run impossibly hard. When I got that water bottle at mile five, I drank it too quickly, and it gave me a stomach ache, further slowing me down. I'm sure I could've finished two or three minutes faster than I did had I been drinking water, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me.
I'm not even embarrassed by my sloooooow time of 1:19:44. That's mighty pokey, yes, but since I was running injured with a herniated disc pushing on my sciatic nerve, I feel nonetheless victorious and proud that I didn't stop running to walk at any point.
Still, this lapse in planning was inexcusable, and I saw a few people in rough shape. I'm kicking myself for not bringing my own water, too. Shame on me for trusting the race officials, I guess.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
