On seeing A-Rod's 3000th hit live, and how it ties in to "The Godfather," running, and my Washington Post column

For once, I took a semi-decent photo!

Today was a great day for me for a variety of reasons. My Washington Post piece on A-Rod was published (and I got really touching notes from friends, relatives, and bosses praising it!), and best-selling business writer Jon Acuff tweeted out to his 257k+ followers something I wrote! And it was capped by me being present for #AROD3K! Yay!



I wrote earlier today that I thought Alex Rodriguez was going to get his 3000th hit tonight. I said: "Alex will have to reach 3000 since I will be in the house, won't he?"And whaddaya know? He did it!



What a game! When A-Rod hit the shot off Justin Verlander, somebody he has had very good success off in the past, the ball just kept on rising and rising and then it was a home run. I am not ashamed to admit that I squealed like a little girl! And then I cried! It was such a joyous moment. I would like to thank Alex read my Washington Post op-ed piece on "The Redemption of A-Rod" and was inspired! (Hey, you never know!)



I just watched the YES Network replay. What I wasn't able to see from the cheap seat I was in is how happy Rodriguez looks. He was actually giggling when he got up to the plate. I don't remember him ever being that relaxed and that confident. As somebody who wears her heart on her sleeve -- you can literally know what kind of mood I am by looking at me, no matter how much I may attempt to hide it --I appreciate that. And when you are in the kind of mood Alex was in tonight, nobody is going to stop you! I also noticed how much his teammates respect and genuinely like him.



Now, before you stop me and say "steroids," I will say this -- I cannot get bent out of shape on the issue anymore. Not when Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa are in the Hall of Fame when they managed PED-using players. Not when Mark McGwire and Manny Ramirez are hitting coaches. Not when Bartolo Colon and Nelson Cruz and Ryan Braun are top players. Not when Andy Pettitte is getting honored in Monument Park.  Etc, etc



And when I hear people say, regarding Rodriguez and PEDs, "Well, such and such was clean," I can't help but think of this "Godfather" scene. Clip and transcript below:









MICHAEL: My father’s no different from any other powerful man. Any man who’s responsible for other people. Like a senator or president.



KAY: You know how naïve you sound? Senators and presidents don’t have men killed. 




MICHAEL: Oh. Who’s being naïve, Kay?




I think I'm going to start saying that when it comes to PEDs -- who's being naive! So, does this make me Michael Corleone? I do say I love the way he rocks that hat!



Anyhow, my article for the Washington Post talks about role models. The way Rodriguez has crawled back out of the hole he dug for himself is really inspiring. I don't get why people want perfection our of role models. For example, somebody in my running club told me about a fellow member who had lost 90 pounds and was now making great times. I don't think it is a coincidence that when I finally met this person and talked to him, I had my best time ever! His story -- and his advice -- resonated with me in a way for my own fitness journey that hearing about a runner who never had a weight problem might not have.