Memorare

Remember mother of kindness and love. Always patient and calm, always firm but bending. Giving all the best possible under difficult situations. Pause a moment today to recall in the Xmas of July in 1927 you were born to this earth, conceived a family that now has also almost run it's final course. Looking back on all the treasured times of sharing. Today when day began thoughts of you have flowed in a smile. There is no way to know where you have gone. Maybe all the years of the life after that you disciplined to us to know, maybe not. But your presence remains, and you are missed eternally. Hope is to know what your faith has taught, and we will walk and share at our table again. Happy Birthday Mama Mia RIP.

The Feeding

$52500.00, that's 750 runners at $70 entry fee. But actually it goes beyond because 70 is a low base, generally the shorter distance is that or higher, and so forth with the longer distance. Fees escalate as deadlines pass, and it either gets you a shirt or nothing at all. Expenses per runner with shirt, timing chip and finishers medal usually don't figure close to $30 on the high side, depending on your volume and supplier. Then of course there's set up and the "usual ultra fare". You don't really pay anyone, because you have zero labor cost's with your pool of dedicated Volunteers, and that is with a capital "V". surely in your inner circle you give them bling, a sum of cash to keep them close, a shirt or nothing at all. Some races give entirely to charity, others under the guise of such, but actually turn little over, or it goes into the organizations pocket. Yet the runners do and ask for stuff from the RD that greatly prohibits their coffee drinking, as that is obviously all they do. People!
  There is no more expansive buffet pre and post race, and if there is you will pay usually an extra $15. Sometimes you provide your total support aside from water, but still pay at least $70.Things have evolved over the past 12 years. Running is big stuff. You have shoes that give zero drop, unlimited cushion that promise miracle recovery, usually there named after some high profile race like Hardrock, Wasatch, and of course that also gives you the edge. Clothing, nutrition, gadgets of every function all with a price tag that continues to skyrocket. Then the runners get on FaceHook and give their heavily biased opinion endorsing product or races they get free bling from or soap boxing what ultimately works different for everyone, and then there still is the unknown.
  In my lifetime entering 40+ 100 milers and some leaving town with airfare, hotel car rental, entry fee it usually runs $1000. Exactly phenomenal, $30000? Not counting local events, all the stuff from shoes to hydration packs I should be retired by now. But like everything in life it is a passion, and my goodness I must be tied to the mast of the ship while the syrens play ring around my rosy, oh rosy!
I am truly happy for myself and all my friends who share either Race Directing or just paying out the wazoo for entry fees, it is the American way. But I do know one Man and he is tired as hell and doesn't like taking any more! Maybe your that Guy too!

Muleshoe Loses

Figuring Muleshoe to be tougher, it was.Right off it was obvious that rocks and climbs and dips were going to be the norm. For some reason I amped up nutrition before the start, what a mistake. At least it slowed me way down on the initial hand shake with the course. Four loop courses are a mental, but muleshoe wanted to skid the cutoff but failed to convince me it couldn't be beat. Close to half of the starters dropped, maybe the heat, maybe the head, it gets quiet after the 30kers get off the trail as well. This is one way to get in a 37 mile chunk, next month one in the beginning, one at the end. It is a given the next two will be an even larger than life challenge. It will be hotter, hopefully, because hot is our friend. The fox are bigger in the hill country, but they probably eat better than in our little park.

Dog Days of Summer

Boodini in June ran down 76miles, every other day. The Dog can run, wants to, does. As a pacer it is the duty to monitor the course, check the gait, study the progress forward. After all, there is building of a goal.... really? Well, it's all in fun, Donkey Dash, Run for the Rovers, and Boodini's latest 2nd fastest canine at the Dachshund Dash. It requires knowing when to show them, when to fold them. Diet at 8years old now plays a factor, proper minerals and vitamins, hydration, heat stress. July's begun and every other day is every other day, just an experiment in rest and run. No sign of that front leg limp from sometime ago that put training for Boodini at a halt. Keep vigilant, know your body, react to the signs and point in the right direction and keep moving forward.

Everywhere You Want To Be

Many places, many races but it seems to leave with only a few to remember. We began with MAMAS and forged thru Sunmart, Crosstimbers, Palo Duro, Grasslands, Rocky Raccoon, Inks. We ventured beyond to Arkansas,North Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, we chased race after race, but he did more and kept going often. He was 62, my age in a few days. Today, 6 years ago Rick left for Everywhere. Not held to one place or one memory, but traveling all around. Yes there was this or that particular place but that is so past now, and doesn't hold the wind, or the clouds or sky, it certainly doesn't hold him there or anywhere. It flys beyond what we know, because what we feel and know is incomplete. Fare the well!