Seriously, You Want Me?

On Monday, July 12 I am scheduled to the Keynote speaker for the Florida Track Club in Gainesville, FL. Supposedly there will be more than 100 people in attendance.

I have one question for them: Seriously, you want me?

They must have heard that I'm buds with Dean :)

Gone to Pot....ter

Ali and I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Yesterday.

All I can say is, it was BOSS! (And I have to say it, because my pictures are irretrievable, it's not a long story, but it ends with me being a moron, so I'm just not going to tell it!)

Western States Sendoff

Three Florida Ultrarunners are heading to Western States this week, June, Woody and Steve. Woody is the lone WS veteran in the group, having completed the race in 2001. June has been to WS training camp twice, so she knows what she is getting in to, while Steve Wheeler, is not merely a virgin to the Sierra Nevadas, but a 100 mile rookie as well.

That being said, they all have excellent chances to do what I could not do last year, and that is finish within the 30 Hour time limit.

Some of the FU runners, at Becky's suggestion, decided to send the three off with a little BBQ.

Dan the Man, with wife Hazel and Fido. Dan Finished WS in 2001.Woody, Steve and June.June sporting the fresh Ali-Made Don't Quit Bracelet (my bracelet has served me well since I received it on Father's Day 5 years ago today :)
Allen, with world class marathon pacer Davo. Allen he finished in 27 hours last year and is on this years WS program,The speedy Jon Docs, finished with the run and showered before most of us hit the 1/2 way point! 2005 finisher, 21:30, he's fast! It's been said that Jon can hit the light switch and be in bed before it's dark in the room. Jon once did a 24 hour race in 18 hours he so fast!
Steve picking up some useful tips from Ultra running legend, Jim Sullivan, multiple time WS finisher, and the first man to run an Ultra in all 50 states.

Quite the crew, I must say.

Pick My Poison!

I'm trying to decide on my next 100 mile race.

The choices are down to two:

August 28-29 Lean Horse in South Dakota (home of Wall Drug)

November 6-7 Pinhoti EBF Alabama (home of the Talledega Speedway)

Pros and Cons to each.

Pro Lean Horse:

Easier Course

Chase is going

Started by Jim Sullivan

Get to see Wall Drug and Mt. Rushmore

Con Lean Horse:

10 weeks to get in shape and REALLY lose 15 pounds

Chase is going

Course doesn't look too pretty

Weekend after Ali's 16th Birthday, she says she's not doing anything, but I don't know

Pro Pinhoti:

18 weeks to Really get in shape and lose those 15 pounds

Pretty Course

Short travel distance

Con Pinhoti:

It's in EBF Alabama

Harder Course

I Will Attack. . . And You DON'T WANT THAT!

Who's that Gangsta Maintenance Man? That's the AndyMan getting ready for the big show as a Dancing Dad.

8 other round prancing pops and I cut the rug to, "I've got the Power" as we provided a little comic relief as our daughters showed their skills in Dancemakers 2010 Recital. And you can bet we were proud papas, but I was the proudest as the Ali-Girl walked away with the biggest prize of the season. She was awarded a full scholarship for next year at the studio! Because of her dedication, skill, and attitude, she gets to take as many dance classes as she can fit into her busy schedule for $0 tuition!!

Wow! Her mother and I are so blessed to have this wonderful child. We don't know where she got it, but were are so glad she did!!!

That's Where You Stay?

From Top to bottom:

Jon and Becky have a Lake Michigan Pow-WOW

Tracy and Andy with Lake Michigan behind.

The house form the back.

Whitewater Lake from the porch.


The pool w/o pool boy.

Star Andrea, loaded for bear race morn!

Andy's nice legs and Jon's sticks with the Gaiters, complements of Star's mom afoot.

Kettle More Rain!

That's what it should have been called. Kettle and More Rain, because we had rain, and we had MORE RAIN and being out in it made me feel like a more on.

Still it was an epic weekend. I wouldn't trade any of it. Well, maybe I wouldn't have hat the brats for lunch on Friday. And maybe I wouldn't have had the pizza for breakfast on Saturday. And perhaps I wouldn't have not slept on the floor on Friday night. But as for the running decisions, I am happy with them.

I took off too fast, trying to hang with Andy and Patrick, the rabbits. Somewhere there was miscommunication, or more probably my GI problems and lack of sleep just made me too slow. The plan was for them to hang with me so I could slow them down at the start, but it didn't work that way. They took off and I hung on and by mile 5 I was already hurting. With 95 to go I dropped back letting them go. Still that darn Patrick came back and found me and I had to pretend to try to keep up for another 2.5 miles. By mile 8 I had convinced him that, no offense, but I needed to be alone.

The alone thing was working better. But due the diet errors and fast start I wasn't doing well. I saw Armando at mile 15 and I told him I was hurting but hanging tough. At this point I picked up Chris a 6'6" novice ultra runner from Chicago by way of the Syracuse Orange Basketball team. He was eager to learn and I found helping him made me feel better.

Gradually I felt better and better. I played leap frog with Adam and Lindsay for the next 30 miles. I was not shocked to see Jon WAY ahead of me. Nor was I surprised that Andy, Patrick and Dave House had built a 5 mile lead on me by the 31.4 mile turn around. There was a nice surprise in that Julie, Andrea, Becky, Tracy, Jim Sullivan, and Rebecca were right behind me. Seeing them was a happy thing. As I came back towards the 100K mark I was running better and better and the early problems seemed behind me.

Then the rain came down. I felt like Pooh in one of his epic blustery storms. People were slipping and sliding all over. Yet, it really didn't bug me much. I was steady. I ran all the down hills passing all those people that actually cared if they slipped off the trail and killed themselves.


I made it to the 100k mark feeling better than I had felt at 5, 10 or 15. I knew that a finish was not a problem and a 25 hour finish was probable. Then I saw Armando and he gave me the scoop on everyone. Adam, Lindsay Julie and Jon were out due to hypothermia. But everyone else was still running. I waited around for my guys to come in for the final 37.1 leg of the race (David House, Patrick and Andy were already out and 6 miles ahead of me) and I had decided that I was going to run back out with Tracy. I decided that I just couldn't let her go out there in the dark, cold, rain alone for 37.1 miles; it wouldn't be right.

After a bit of a wait Andrea came into the 100K point looking very fresh. She picked up Ilene and away they went. In a little while longer the 100K folks came through, Becky, Jim, and Tracy. I relayed my plan to Tracy, and much to my relief, the cold rain had gotten the best of her and we decided that going back to the house and having a beer was the better option than 10 more hours in the rain and mud.

So my race was done at 100K, and finally, I was able to get some sleep.

We all went back the next morning to see Andrea's emotional finish. She finished in 29:22 and change. When she crossed the finish line everyone was balling their eyes out (except me, I had a little tear, but that was from some sediment, I'm too tough for those wussy emotions! :)

My favorite part was right after Andrea finished some fella finished stride for stride with his 12 year old son/pacer, who looked like a miniature version of him. When the dude finished he just collapsed right on his back right on the ground to mild applause. Meanwhile Andrea was truly getting the Star treatment. Big applause, a race volunteer literally washing her feet with clean soapy water and a sponge. She was gingerly placed on a cot in the sun, and then it was decided that she would be happier in the shade, so three volunteers picked up the cot with her in it and carried it to the shade. It must be nice to be a chick sometimes!

I'll add pictures later today or tomorrow, I'll probably find my camera when I unpack, and if I can't find them, no problem, I'll just knick them from Andrea's blog.

Sometimes it not about how you finish or how you run, but just about having a little fun! Thanks all for a fabulous weekend!

Meanwhile behind the Cheddar Curtain

So, about 15 of us are invading Wisconsin, dropping behind the Cheddar curtain if you will.

It will be what it will be. I figure my biggest job isn't running 100 miles, rather it is convincing Star that 76 and thunderstorms is pleasant weather for a run (oh, but it is! No hypothermia in the day and no desire to sleep at night! Now that's pleasant, woulda chopped 4 hours off of my Vermont time without those pesky naps!)

I haven't even started packing yet, but I will in about 12 minutes. Let's see.... poncho (got to bring that, don't want Poncho lefty!) hydration system. two pairs of shoes, two pairs of socks, two headlamps, two handhelds, shucks, I can get everything else at the Big K! K?

Be well, and I'll get back with you on Tuesday next!