On the Run

I have run quite a few road races in my day, but admittedly, my day came during the Reagan Administration.

Back in the day, I was a decent runner. My career highlight came in late 1985, when at age fifteen, I turned in an eighteen-and-a-half minute 5k at the state cross country meet (six-minute miles isn’t bad). A year prior, just after my fourteenth birthday, I ran a 15k (9.3 miles) in Memphis in one hour and thirteen minutes (eight-minute miles, thank you very much). The 15k was my longest race, and in fact, the longest I ever ran without stopping. My friend, Shawn, and I, did run about eleven miles one memorable day just for fun(?), but with a couple of significant breaks thrown in.

After a twenty year break (or so), I hit the road to run a 5k with my wife for her 40th birthday last spring, but from my perspective, my job that day was cheerleader, not competitor (and I must say, I did look cute in the uniform). That was a good day for several reasons, and I must admit that the 5k-running crowd did bring back some good memories. Still, however, I didn’t get the urge to really run again.

I should probably mention that I have had the running urge at various times in what I called a twenty year break, but none lasted long enough to qualify as anything worth mentioning. Instead, they were more opportunities to feel badly about myself, so let’s just act like those never happened, ‘kay?

So. Something happened to me this summer in the Houston heat, and I decided that I want to run a marathon. I must have been light-headed at the time, but for whatever reason, my interest has remained. Thankfully, climbing stairs and mountains in Malibu for the past couple of years meant that I wasn’t horribly, horribly out of shape (relatively speaking). It didn’t take long for me to be running a mile or two at a decent pace. Now, after returning to Malibu for a few weeks and keeping this running gig up, I am up to three / three-and-a-half miles at a decent pace. That’s a long ways from 26.2, but it is a step in the right direction.

So I’ve placed a few markers for myself on this new little journey of mine, and the first is this very weekend:

* 5K: I am running the Lexus Santa Monica 5000 this Sunday morning, and my goal is to see if I can run it in under twenty-five minutes.

* 10K: I plan to run the Venice-Santa Monica Christmas Run on December 11, and my goal is to see if I can run it in under fifty minutes.

* HALF-MARATHON: I plan to run the Pacific Half-Marathon in Agoura on March 26, 2011, and my goal (unrealistic dream?) is to run it in under two hours.

And then we get to the biggie. The marathon. Since this is kinda the whole point of all the other, this is a rather big decision. My choice is further complicated because, if all goes as planned, I’ll be ready to give this sucker a shot just as I’m completing the bar exam, moving (?), starting a new job (?), and no telling what else. Therefore, I’d better keep this puppy flexible. So, I’ve got a couple on my radar for now, but these are just possibilities.

1) THE CAMARILLO MARATHON: This one is close by, and it is a flat course—both good things. If we stay in California (as we would like to do), and if I am either unemployed or permitted by my new job, then this seems like a logical target marathon for me.

2) THE MAUI MARATHON: This one is not close by, and it is not a flat course—both bad things. Plus, it is completely illogical—but I like that part a lot. Further, it’s in Maui. This is my dream marathon, and dreaming is a really good thing, too.

Check it out on YouTube:

So anyway, I hope to run a marathon about a year from now, and I plan to run a 5k for real this very Sunday morning. I’m kind of excited about this weekend, and hoping my aging, creaky body doesn’t get in the way of what I hope to be a good start to this little journey of mine. Wish me luck, and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Being a 3L

Since arriving home from Houston, my days have been filled with a combination of R.A. training/ responsibilities, participating in new student orientation, and planning for our academic journal. Maybe I’ll get some rest when classes begin Monday (and maybe the Cubs will win the World Series and there will be peace on Earth, too).

The central feeling I’m getting from this week’s busy-ness is that because I am now a 3L I should have learned something about law school by now. The scary thing is that I actually do know something about law school by now, albeit with a strong sense of inadequacy in serving as a source of such knowledge.

Looking back, I can sum up my 1L experience a combination of fear, confusion, and self-doubt. Oh, and it was hard, too. What I’d say about my 2L experience is that it was just as hard, but without all the fear and fear’s associated emotions. What I’m not sure of (yet) is how I’ll characterize the 3L experience.

There is an old law school saying that goes like this:
* As a 1L, they scare you to death.
* As a 2L, they work you to death.
* As a 3L, they bore you to death.

I don’t quibble with the 1L & 2L characterizations, but so far, I’m thinking that I may have mistakenly signed up for two “work you to deaths” at some point along the way. But we’ll see.

In addition to serving as Managing Editor of the Dispute Resolution Law Journal, an R.A. at George Page Residential Complex, the possibility of part-time work at Lanier Law Firm (Los Angeles), co-coordinator of Sack Lunch Saturdays, and not forgetting the most important husband and father roles, I also have five classes to take.

I have signed up for three bar-related courses this semester: Federal Income Taxation (with Popovich), Corporations (with Anderson), and Community Property (with Miller). I don’t really have a pressing interest in any of these subjects, but I do have a pressing interest in passing the bar exam, so that should be motivation enough. I have also signed up for two electives that happen to be taught by a husband and wife who are visiting professors here this semester from Dallas, Texas: Arbitration Practice (with Will Pryor), and Morality & the Law (with Ellen Pryor). Both of these subjects do pique my interest.

But I’ll tell you what piques my interest more than any particular class, more than our journal, more than my responsibilities as an R.A., more than a graduation ceremony next May, and even more than that looming specter of a bar exam next summer. What piques my interest most of all is that sometime this year I will (hopefully) land a job that will launch my life on a post-law school trajectory that will probably serve as Act Three—the final act—of this life I have been given.

That, I find interesting. And exciting. But to tell you the truth, not at all scary. And not at all sad.

I am intrigued to see what is left for me in this life. I have surely enjoyed the ride so far, and I hope to extract all possible joy found in the parts that remain to be lived.

I think I know what being a 3L will mean to me in retrospect now that I think about it, although I’m completely guessing. I think it will be like that really good chapter in that really good book which, though it was enjoyable all by itself, left you unable to put the book down because you couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

I think that is the year that lies ahead of me. And I suspect the experience as a whole will be unforgettable.

Strapped In & Ready

My all-time favorite ride is the Rock ‘N Rollercoaster at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando. The immediate acceleration at the beginning is phenomenal, and the ride is just SO much fun.

I sorta feel like my life is about to take off like that, and I’m hoping that it works out to be equally fun!

I’m technically in charge of our journal’s grading of the write-on competition, which begins the middle of next week. In addition, next weekend’s family schedule is already crazy busy. The following weekend is when I fly out to begin a six-week clerkship, and when I return from that, I’ll immediately be juggling journal stuff, R.A. training, Fall OCI, clerkship applications, and the beginning of 3L classes.

So when will this roller coaster end? Well, don’t think it will be at the end of my 3L year when we all face the dreaded bar examination. And I don’t think it will be after that when an actual career as a lawyer gets underway.

In other words, I think this roller coaster is about to get started, and I’m not sure there will be an end!!!

So.

One little change-a-roo to notify you all about. Since I’m strapped in and ready for the crazy ride ahead, my plan is to start posting just one blog entry a week. Probably on Sundays. Probably a more extensive entry than normal–hopefully a little more of an example of my actual writing abilities, but we’ll see. For my Facebook friends, I’m sure I’ll still post a few status updates and links during the work week, but as for Minutes to Memories, just anticipate one entry a week for the near future. And maybe the far future, too. 🙂

Best I Can Figure, I Can Still Figure the Best

If my math is correct…

* The Pac 10 now has 11 teams.
* The Big 10 now has 12 teams.
* The Big 12 now has 10 teams–and used to be known as the Big 8.

And the SEC is the best conference in the nation!

And In The Next Bout of the Evening

After months of hearing Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman yell at each other on the telly, Californians are now rewarded with months of hearing Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman yell at each other on the telly.

Political campaigns are not one of America’s shining glories.

HERE’S AN L.A. TIMES ARTICLE that briefly summarizes the race to succeed Governor Schwarzenegger.

Talking Baseball

#1: Okay, I give up. Three times to watch the Redbirds this year. Three losses. And two of the three were those all-too-familiar games this season where we have a great pitching performance wasted because we simply can’t score a stinking run. Oh well. Still fun to go to the ballpark. And unbelievable that we somehow remain in first place.

#2: MLB began its draft yesterday, and the Cardinals took the best Razorback player with their first pick. They also took Arizona State’s best pitcher with their second pick, and these two (hopefully future Cardinal legends) will meet this weekend in the NCAA Super Regional to determine who advances to the College World Series. Go Hogs!

#3: But the best show of the night… Well, Hype, I would like you to meet Reality. Very impressive, Mr. Strasburg!!!!

Another Dean to President Starr Article

This time on The Huffington Post.

Go Waves!

Feeling a little guilty here. Haven’t been to a Pepperdine baseball game all year (and it’s been a rough one for the old home team), and then when I show up with Erica and Hillary yesterday, we come through with an impressive 5-0 shutout of #19 University of San Diego. Maybe I’m the good luck charm, and the rough season is all my fault.

Um. Makes me feel sorta bad that I’m not going back this afternoon.

The Man Known as the Silver Fox on KABC

Barry McDonald, one of the best professors in the business, was on KABC (Los Angeles) recently concerning the Elena Kagan nomination. Professor McDonald once clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist, and I had the pleasure of learning both Contracts and Consitutional Law from this amazing scholar.

You can check out the news clip HERE.

One More

Last semester was my first chance to pick my own law school classes. I had three specific classes from three specific professors that I wanted to take, but their finals happened to land on three consecutive days. I figured I could tough it out. And I did. But I told myself I would never do that again.

So this semester I chose a sweet finals schedule. I had one class that didn’t have a final at all, two classes that had research papers instead of finals, and only two classes with a traditional final exam–and those had ten days between them! I was quite proud of myself.

But.

I don’t like this lineup either. Turns out you can have TOO much time in between finals. I have been trying to look at the same material day after day for so long now that I just might go crazy. And maybe I already have.

Thankfully, today is the last day to study for my Ethical Lawyering final. I think I can put up with it for one more day.

I may need a little help. What I could really use is something like forty inspirational speeches or so, as long as they only take up about two minutes of study time. That would help a lot.