Chicago Marathon Route

CHICAGO -- Living in Connecticut gives one an East Coast bias toward the running world.

Think of that famous New Yorker magazine cover depicting the view west from Manhattan, which is shown in great detail, with New Jersey a bit in the background and then a great nothingness stretching behind it to a tiny speck at the horizon labeled California.

We tend to think that way about races, marathons in particular.

There's New York, of course, since it's so close and so many people from the area run it, and Boston, since we're technically part of New England and it's the most storied 26-miler in the country.

But after that, it's all "other" when we think of marathons around the rest of the country.

It's not that way here in Chicago, where this morning the 33rd edition of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be run.

At 45,000 entrants, it's close to New York in size. And for people in the Midwest, it's just as big an entry on a running bucket list as New York is for those of us back east.

It's also a huge draw for elite athletes due to its pancake flat course and generally favorable weather.

Indeed, it's the only domestic race in the recent past that has witnessed world and American records, and regularly turns out impressive quantities of Boston and Olympic Trials qualifying performances.

Those fast times may be hard to come by this year, as an early dose of Indian Summer has descended on the Windy City. On a run along Lakeshore Drive yesterday morning, it was warm and a bit humid, albeit breezy, even at 7 a.m., half an hour before today's start time.

That's somewhat unfortunate, as Chicago has assembled perhaps its deepest and most competitive field in the past several years, with defending champ and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Sammy Wanjiru facing the winners of this year's Boston and London marathons.

The women's field isn't quite as strong. But the focus there may be on Joan Samuelson, celebrating the 25th anniversary of her Chicago run that ended in a winning 2:21:21 clocking that stood as the American record for 18 years.

Samuelson, who made history by winning the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, has only publicly expressed a desire to break three hours. But there have been rumors that her ultimate desire is to run 2:46 and qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials at the age of 53.

There is a small contingent of local runners who made the trip here to run. Hopefully, slogging through the record heat of the past summer will stand them in good stead as they traverse the toasty pavement of Chicago.

Jim Gerweck is Editor-at-Large at Running Times magazine.

ON THE RUN

Sunday

The 13th Annual Susannah's Run, 5K, 9 a.m., Tod's Point, Greenwich

Next Sunday

GREAT TRAIN RACE, 6.816 mi., 8:25 a.m., New Canaan

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Shane Hmiel Seriously Injured

Shane Hmiel, 30, of Pleasant Garden, N.C., USAC’s “Most Improved Driver: of 2009, incurred critical injuries in a single-car accident during qualifying for Saturday night’s “Sumar Classic 100” USAC Silver Crown race at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.
Shane Hmiel was transferred from Terre Haute to Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital where he is listed in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
The United States Auto Club will release updates on Shane’s condition as they become available.
“We are very concerned about Shane and offer our resources and our support to his family during this time of healing,” said USAC President/CEO Kevin Miller.
Internet reports are that Hmiel suffered head injuries and is in an induced coma.

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Sleepwalkers Movie Clip

Watch the 1992 American horror film, Sleepwalkers on TV. Short-lived series about a group of dream researchers who use special sleep-beds to electronically send operatives into people’s dreams, where they can witness first-hand their subjects’ visions and nightmares, and interact with them in an effort to sort them out. They’re available for hire by individuals, as well as wider-ranging problems, such as a medical outbreak in a small town.

Watch the video clip:

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Demetrius Hart Videos

Demetrius Hart:Michigan will land Demetrius Hart? When UCLA made its move? Who leads the crowded race for DeAnthony Arnett?

These and other issues considered by the National Recruiting Analyst Mike Farrell in the mailbox this week.
I keep hearing for Michigan Di Hart, despite the fact that the last article in the Orlando Sentinel and other rumors out of Alabama. I could be wrong, and I think Bama could have landed Hart, if he went after him hard as you ran back to the beginning, but Tide want him as a receiver and Dee wants to be a running back.

I know his good friend and teammate, Hasean Clinton-Dix, committed to Alabama, but as far as suited to his skills in Michigan to pick up. It would be awesome to attack Rich Rodriguez. All my sources still believe the Wolverines to this land.
It will not be a huge class this year for Los Angeles as a room, it seems, for less than 20 as a whole. Coach Rick Neuheisel is focused on several big-time guys, so many of them will wait until the all-star game to make their decision. Personally I think the patient approach is a great strategy for UCLA after discharged from the 0-2 start to win three straight and deliver a national statement on the victory at Texas.

If it ends with a strong, competing for the Pac-10 and beat USC in the season finale, watch. Neuheisel showed how good he can be close to last year and this year my wish list should include Jason Gibson, Devon Blackmon, Stephen McClure, Junior Pomee and may be a surprise, such as Kevin McReynolds or someone on the East Coast.
As Alabama wins game after game, his chances of finishing top class in the country is better. Georgia running back Isaiah Crowe is now heavy Bama meat, according to some sources, like Georgia Bulldogs fall apart and keep the Tide rolling.

I also think, Tide at the edge of Damian Swann and strengthen its position in the Malcolm Mitchell in Georgia, and now. They continue to improve their chances with and Xzavier Ward. They already are clear team to beat in the five-star Keira Kouandjio and may soon become a reality for competing schools within the five-star Tony Curtis Stewart and Grant.

And the number 1 prospect of the country, Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina may be thin, but Bama will be there until the end. With regard to current liabilities, defensive back Hasean Clinton-Dix is the best class so far. He can play corner or safety and is always around the football.

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Facebook Chat Not Showing Up Update

How concerned should be users of the social network Facebook is making it a little too easy for private phone numbers to share?
This has been a hot topic of debate in our office this week after a piece for The Guardian suggesting that the iPhone Facebook application could lead to phone numbers that are uploaded to the site without the user noticing.
The piece, said all that then would take someone's Facebook account to be cut and a lot of private numbers to be exposed. That does not seem particularly worrying, unless you think Facebook is less secure than other services - after all, the same would be true if your Gmail account was cut.
But then my colleague Jonathan Fildes begun to examine their own agenda of Facebook - and found some fairly disturbing. He said:

    . "After reading the Guardian piece, I reviewed my own fate agenda, the document explains how to find, since it is not entirely clear that the role profile still exists - but you can find your own www.facebook. Com / agenda.
  
    "Everything seemed in order. There was no sync contacts from my iPhone, so I only had about 20 numbers there, most of aspirated from friends who had decided to share with me your phone number."
Most but not all?

    "It was a rarity: a prominent technology blogger I knew, but I was not a friend on Facebook and whose contact information was not on my phone.
  
    "I checked his profile, in fact, he chose to share your number with anyone there is no violation of privacy, but, how is the number on my agenda.?
  
    "I talked to Facebook, after a talk with the engineering team, a spokesman suggested that I might have more details contact blogger my Gmail address book and that I could have decided to import my contacts from there.
  
    "I found that he had emailed the blogger and in my address book of e-But I sent him earlier this year for the first time; .. The only time I import my contacts from Gmail's when I started my Facebook account in 2007. "
So how do you think your number is put in the address book?

    "I told Facebook that suggests one of two things: Facebook regularly trawl my Gmail account for new contacts without my consent or that the agenda makes recommendations based on my friends, four of them are friends technology blogger.
  
    "Facebook categorically denied my first theory and pointed to his friend finder, it says." We will not store the password after importing your friends Information We may use email to upload through the importer to help you connect with friends, including the use of this information to generate suggestions for you and your contacts on Facebook. "
  
    "What came out of my second theory:. Number blogger suggested by Facebook on the basis of my connections This seemed likely, Facebook, he said, and sent me a link to explain:" When you import contacts from your email Facebook, mobile instant messaging service or other network, we can use this information to create suggestions of friends for you and your friends. Also show these contacts on your agenda Facebook. "
Therefore, is that the explanation?

    "Well, then I sent another email:" .. Just to confirm that his second proposal is incorrect suggestions not on the agenda "
  
    "At this point I was getting more and more confused. Agenda does not make suggestions, but someone who was a friend of four of my friends appeared in my calendar automatically. Therefore, I asked him what was going on?
  
    "The most likely explanation, Facebook, he said, was that" one of four mutual contacts have used the tool in contact with the importer and uploaded contact details for you and [blogger], creating that link.
  
    A "link". "Therefore, it was suggested to me?" No, "Facebook reiterated," we do not feedback. This was a relationship. "
What is the difference between a "suggestion" and a "link"? I'm confused.

    . "I also in this case, there is nothing sinister -. I am very happy to have the number of this particular blog and your profile shows you are happy to share with anyone, but this is just one example we have been. In contact with many more people confused by people who are on the agenda. You could see the phone number of his wife, but it was appended to the profile of someone who did not know.

    "Facebook, says this could be because the algorithms and the system used to match phone numbers may not be working correctly. Or the person who now attached to the phone number of his wife might have gone wrong number or a number without the country code is correct. says it is reviewing the system.
  
    "It could be a technical problem that is easily fixed. But I think what really sets this episode is the current confusion around the issue of what we share and how to share at Facebook."
I agree. Facebook continues to refine its privacy options, and is promising to offer users new ways to manage their data. But which of us do not even know there was a choice of agenda?
And we are clearer about how it works and if we can be confident that our data is passed around by people who can not even know?

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Jenn Sterger Playboy Photo

Jenn Sterger Playboy Pics Wanted After Brett Favre Scandal – Deadspin is reporting that they have received what they consider to be audio and pictures that Brett Favre sent to Jenn Sterger,a Playboy model and a sports reporter who was employed by the New York Jets when Favre was with the team. Reportedly, Favre had a number of messages delivered to Sterger when he was on the team, and from the audio tapes we can deduce that Favre was attempting to get her to come up to his hotel room.

So what are the ramifications of the report? The odds of a civil lawsuit against the Jets and Favre are very low at this point. It is clear that Sterger wanted to keep the incident as hush hush as possible by not addressing it in the media. She has given no indication that she is planning on suing the Jets or Brett Favre.

If she were to bring it to suit, in order to win, she would have to demonstrate that the advances were unwanted, that she had complained to the Jets and that the organization did nothing about it. Deadspin cannot get into legal trouble for publishing the pictures. At this point, it is not even clear if the nude pictures that were sent to Sterger were sent by Favre.

Deadspin could only get into trouble if they had been the ones behind the hoax, or had knowing moved forward with a hoax story. It does not appear to be the case at this time and there is a good chance that the story will fade away.

In related news Jenn Sterger Playboy pics are now on high demand, after the scandal broke.

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Ondrej Pavelec Collapses Videos

Ondrej Pavelec:Atlanta  Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec is awake and alert during rushed to hospital after losing consciousness in the first period of the season opener for his team.
In accordance with the “Thrashers”, Pavelec even ask about the score of the match between the Thrashers and Washington Capitals.
“All tests are normal so far” Pavelec agent Allan Walsh wrote in an email to The Sporting News.
This is a positive turn for what was a scary moment in the Philips Arena. Just
2:25 into the game, Pavelec collapsed on the ice while play was stopped at the opposite end of the rink. Coaches and teammates rushed to his aid and ten minutes later he was carried off the ice on a stretcher.
Reason Pavelec unconscious is still unknown, and he will be kept in hospital overnight for observation.
Pavelec, 23, is expected to fight Chris Mason for a game this season, going 14-18-7 last season with a .906 save percentage. Mason replaced Pavelec vs. Capitals.
During a conversation with the Sporting News last week, Mason said he enjoyed his time getting to know Pavelec. Mason was signed as a free agent this summer.
“He seems like a very good kid,” Mason said. “I’m going to be there to support him.”

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