Lake Michigan was like glass  

Frank Shorter, an Olympic gold medalist marathoner, had a piece in the New York Times Friday with suggestions about how to the authorities could have dealt with the heat a little better in last week's race. His last two items:

Make dropping out palatable. Runners, especially first-timers and those running for charity, should be given the option of getting their money back and perhaps a guaranteed entry at a major marathon in the near future. Race directors could easily cooperate on this. Peer-group and self-imposed pressure to follow through on months of training should be alleviated as much as possible. Fund-raising groups should underwrite a second try for those giving so much of themselves for the benefit of others.

If necessary, turn off the clock.