Ich bin ein Berliner

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President Kennedy speaks to the people of Berlin

President Kennedy speaks to the people of Berlin.

I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin. And I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished Chancellor who for so many years has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed.

Two thousand years ago, two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was “civis Romanus sum.” Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

(I appreciate my interpreter translating my German.)

There are many people in the world who really don’t understand, or say they don’t, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin.

There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin.

And there are some who say, in Europe and elsewhere, we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin.

And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass’ sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say on behalf of my countrymen who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride, that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope, and the determination of the city of West Berlin.

While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system for all the world to see we take no satisfaction in it; for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.

What is true of this city is true of Germany: Real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people.

You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main. So let me ask you, as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

John F. Kennedy
June 26, 1963
West Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany.

Race Results: Half Marathon

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These are my results for the half marathon races that I’ve taken part in. Until 2013, all of the half marathons I took part in were associated with a marathon race on the same day, so that’s why the names of some of the events may seem odd.

The Mad City Marathon was renamed the Madison Marathon sometime after 2004. I think this was a marketing decision – somehow “Mad City” does not seem family friendly or something. In 2013 the Madison Marathon events were split up – the marathon is held in November, along with a half marathon. In the spring, a half marathon and 10 K race are held. This was due to the weather in May – we had had several very warm Memorial Day weekends, and the marathon was halted a couple of times after the start due to heat. The final straw was in 2012 when the forecast was so hot that the marathon race was canceled two days before the start.

To reduce confusion, the  Madison spring half marathon was rebranded as “Run Madtown” in 2017.

I’ve done the Door County Half Marathon twice. This is the only “destination” race that I have done so far. It’s run completely within Peninsula State Park and is a very challenging course. I was really mentally unprepared for the course when I did it in 2017, but in 2018 I was able to run up Sven’s Bluff and did fairly well until I starting cramping up a little near mile 9. My strategy for the hills was to stick with the 2:20 pace group and they really helped me a lot.

The 2018 Run Madtown Half Marathon was held during a record breaking heat wave. The yellow caution flag was out for at least the last hour I was on the course – it was hot!

The Covid19 pandemic canceled almost all of my races in 2020. I had been planning on doing two or three half marathons, but the spring one was canceled and so was one of the fall half marathons I had planned on. The other fall race was the Bridges and Bluffs half marathon which is held in Ironwood Michigan. They decided to cancel the in person race but have a virtual race to continue to raise money to support the bike path on which the race is held. So I set up a course at home and ran just a little over 13.1 miles on a cool and cloudy  Saturday morning in October. It turned out pretty well, and other than some leg cramps in the last mile I felt pretty good.

The 2021 Madison Half Marathon was held in person, so it was nice to run the course with the other participants. However, it was very windy and we had snow flurries during most of the race!

LocationEventDateTime
MadisonMad City Marathon2003-05-252:09:42
MadisonMad City Marathon2004-05-302:10:05
MadisonMadison Marathon2008-05-25
2:26:10
MadisonMadison Marathon2009-05-242:12:11
MiddletonHaunted Hustle2010-10-302:18:59
MiddletonHaunted Hustle2011-10-292:18:13
MiddletonHaunted Hustle2012-10-132:18:31
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2013-05-262:09:51
Lake MillsTyranena Beer Run2013-11-022:01:38
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2014-05-252:12:44
MadisonMadison Mini Marathon2014-08-162:11:42
Lake MillsTyranena Beer Run2014-11-082:12:18
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2016-05-292:17:35
MadisonMadison Mini Marathon2016-08-202:17:05
EphraimDoor County Half Marathon2017-05-062:21:43
MadisonRun Madtown2017-05-282:15:18
MadisonMadison Mini Marathon2017-08-192:25:09
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2017-11-122:16:16
EphraimDoor County Half Marathon2018-05-052:24:11
MadisonRun Madtown2018-05-272:38:46
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2018-11-112:16:52
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2019-11-102:21:12
VirtualBridges and Bluffs Half Marathon2020-10-032:24:03
VirtualRun Madtown2021-05-292:36:48
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2021-11-142:35:36
MadisonRun Madtown2022-05-292:28:40
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2022-11-132:33:45
MadisonRun Madtown2023-05-282:28:51
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2023-11-122:31:52
MadisonMadison Half Marathon2024-11-102:39:05
MadisonRun Madtown2025-05-252:36:32

Race Results: 20 K

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These are my results for the 20 K races that I’ve taken part in. I’ve only done a few 20 K races, so it was probably overkill to format the results in a table, but I just couldn’t resist.

20 K Race Results

EventDateTime
Lake Monona 20 K2008-05-032:08:32
Lake Monona 20 K2013-05-042:03:28
Lake Monona 20 K2014-05-032:03:50
Lake Monona 20 K2022-05-072:17:20
Lake Monona 20 K2023-05-062:17:34

Fall of Giants

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More about Fall of Giants Just finished reading “Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett. This is the first novel in a trilogy covering five interconnected families in the 20th century. This first installment begins before the First World War and ends with the election of the first Labour government in the UK in 1924. This is a very large canvas to paint on, and coincidence seems to play a large role in some of the events – as of course it must, lest the number of characters grow too large for the reader to manage.

Yes, this sometimes does lapse into melodrama, but overall the author does a good job of keep the separate plot threads interesting and establishing some surprising connections. And yes, there are some historical errors here and there, or perhaps the author just favors one interpretation of events over others, but it is an entertaining read, and does bring the period in question to life.

It’s a fairly long book, and unlike the author’s thrillers, such as “Eye of the Needle”, this work does start slowly, but I do recommend it. Once we meet and get to know all of the principal characters, the pace picks up and it is a good read.

Trial and Temptation

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Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved.

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

James 1:12-18

Boomerang

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More about Boomerang
Just finished reading “Boomerang” by Michael Lewis. He’s written several books on topics related to finance. This is sort of a sequel to “The Big Short” and deals for the most part with how the Great Recession has affected Iceland, Greece, Germany and California. As always, it’s a very entertaining and fast paced read, and Lewis imparts a basic understanding of the financial problems faced by each country. On the down side, his relentless use of national stereotypes does make you wonder if he’s really gotten to the root of the problems – his correlation of the causes of the problems faced by each country with its “national character” seems somewhat superficial. Still, it’s a good read and I recommend it.

Do not worry about tomorrow

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“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:25-34