Where's the Flow

Finally after a week things are leveling off, and yesterday was a short inventory of all the return stuff from the Run last week, and neatly packed away. It just seems like it was ages ago, as most things now, afterwards something that has taken place just a week ago seems like a long time. Nonetheless, sleep loss has been restored,  the hands are not all sore, and finally Boodini and I got in a run. This weekend is Hell's Hills, and hopefully there is something of a running fitness left from a month ago. Who needs excuses, there are none, because life has taken a different path, and it sure isn't the desire to run from coast to coast. It looked like there might have been a 24 hour around Camp Mabry but the organizers might have pulled the registration link, cause you can't. It is just about to crank up the heat and the summer months are quickly approaching. Bagged about 20 sacks full of leaves, and that is just the first round. There will be two more hits before it is said and done. One thing for certain though, I guess I didn't know!

Six Years Into The Wind

We all did it again for ole time sake! Some walked away happy, sad or glad, those are the ones that are still in the club. Once again my idea required a lot of effort to set that dog up, from Thursday to Saturday early morning, I was never alone with a schizophrenic. Boodini supervised my every move, from hauling equipment, food, and water, to putting up tents, marking the course, it was just the two of us. Two happy CSC Team members, who both were responsible for this lame brain idea of putting on a run, scraping a few dollars for the Bad Dogs, and dumping extra work and aggravation on our closest friends. Oh Daddy I should be scared, and with all the yelling as well. With the race on Saturday everyone began to show up, and race after the next race a new set of dogs and faces stood before the start line, and went around in circles until they finished. Finally the last race which had a total of all the others combined began. So did the effort continue with Didi, Misty, Diana, the four tikes, and what a fine show it was. We got the table loaded down with cookies, coffee, chips and then cooked up Mac and  cheese, Sarah grilled up, Will filled up, Didi kept yelling, and Misty was laughing. Before we knew the 3 hr. was over, and for three more the six hour runners  covered the ground. Burgers got done, and awards were passed out, and then we were down to half the field. Shan and Doug made a cameo appearance, we three were the original timing company. The twelve and twenty four tough folks remained and that brought on the night. It began to cool down and it seemed like  it was going to rain, but it never did. Another break, which never happens when we ran this dog in December. The soups in the crock pots worked out good and convenient, so was the lasagne. But like always the early morning hours are always the toughest for those out on the trail. It really takes a mental ambition to continue when your body says enough is enough. Jeff laid it done with 52.You can stop and catnap, or you can just push through, either way for a few hours until dawn, it just plain hurts. We stayed up, packed up a load and fired up the bacon. Misty and I laughed about nothing, played continuous music and I couldn't believe that I didn't deliver the lasagne to Kay's tent door, at least that was what I was chastised for not doing. What the heck? And why the hell didn't I have the animal crackers that she requested? Another unhappy customer, but it's all good in the hood. Finally the 24 hour shindig ended, we scrambled eggs, I took down the tents, cleaned off the tables, loaded all the gear and Boodini in the truck and headed to the casa. Unloaded everything, took a bath, and headed to church. Got back home again, ate a tiny bit, and missed the final clue from Sherlock Holmes on TV cause I fell asleep. I am ready for a hundred miler. Well at least Run Like the Wind got done. Thanks Guys!

St. Paddy's Day Happy Happy!

St. Patrick was actually from Scotland and at an early age of 16 he was enslaved to a Druid high priest and tended his master's sheep. But he learned the Celtic language and the rituals of Druidism. He escaped back to Scotland where he entered religious life and soon discovered he missed Ireland. In a vision he was given a letter which read" The Voice of Ireland", and he could hear the Irish folk appeal to him to come and walk with them. He went back and paid his ransom to his old master, and began preaching the Word. He would use the shamrock as a sign to explain the Trinity. His legacy remains to this day.
Yes it's a fine day indeed, and a Top of the Morning to you! Enjoy Celtic music, enjoy Harp and Guinness, and do a fine jig! Happy Happy Happy! Irish Rules!

Still Don't Know the Difference

Today Mark Gimenez's new book "The case against William" I was told was out, and I added it to my kindle library. I made a huge mistake of reading the prologue at lunch. Now I can't wait to get back at reading it. I have read all other seven novels, and he does a fine job. This one if you are a Texas Longhorn fan is about a quarterback for the team. The suspense immediately unfolds. It is nice to have a reading fantasy world to go to now as many are dancing, getting drunk, having sex, using drugs, using facebook profusely, for spring break, and SWSW. Well it's a week in now for Lent, and in spite of the rage, yes, still a rat in the cage. I have no idea what God is thinking right now, he doesn't say much. Since I didn't do a bunch of ashes and sackcloth right now, he probably is less amused. But this deal is just getting started. Honestly it grows very wearisome with reading posts from runners with the promise to shoot to kill, spray, stab all dogs cause the boy who DNF Cactus Rose because of blisters got bit. Now it's big news what everyone plans to do to any dog that looks twice at them running. Ridiculous! There is also now the big discussion about snakes, funny thing is I don't  see anyone packing the heavy weapons for those snakes. Just Dogs! It's a good idea to give up Facebook for good, but then where can you get pissed off by all the stupid thoughts that everyone just rattles off. Then there are the ones who seem to have all the answers to everything, and have done everything that anyone mentions. It's a fine how do you do cousin Charlie. Next week is the race, the one that seems to never get here. There will be plenty of dogs at the race!

Ash Wednesday

So yesterday we got the load on, debauched ourselves, and carried on in all manners of evil on Fat Tuesday.  Well not exactly, but somebody must have had a good worldly time. But now it's Ash Wednesday which for the foot soldier catholic is the " the spring of change" more commonly known as Lent. One huge thing that takes place is participating members give up something, as it is a time of sacrifice. Some give up coffee, so that the rest of us can put up with their grumpiness, or bad moods from lack of their caffeine fix. Others give up chocolate, or Facebook, or a list of other inconveniences. Then when Easter rolls around they go back to sipping coffee, dumping down chocolate, and doing everything again they gave up. What all of this back and forth, off and on accomplishes for the spiritual closeness to God is a real mystery. It would seem that if we were to give up something that makes a difference, it would be something the Maker would like. Does he really give a hoot about coffee, chocolate, social media, etc or would it be better to give something life changing.? Maybe something we would actually do that improves our relationship with The Shepherd. When Moses was around leading the Israelites  God seemed to get quite angry with all the sinning they did. Some scriptures talks of large quantities of folks getting smoot, definitely reducing the surplus population.  So maybe if we want to improve a spiritual life we would give up sin. Stop looking at life from the wrong end of the telescope. Get a hair cut and shave. Get a ticket on the train back to reality. At the end of the day no more sinning might mean being happier, and a lot more charitable to people we don't like.

Fat Tuesday

Boodini is a New Orleans Girl. She loves her food, and likes to let the good times roll. So this Mardi Gras is always a big deal for those of us that hail from the great state of Louisiana. There is wonderful food, plenty of drink, and always a good deal of dancing to be done. Life is a dream when you have such memories of acting crazy, getting the load on, and spanking your momma. So even though things can be trial some, just take five and be alive. You never know when the next Katrina will roll in, and it brought ole Boodini to Texas. She's been tearing it up ever since. How about You?

That Ain't No Fifty Miler!!!

I wasn't up for the 3 and half hour drive to Camp Eagle, and when 10 miles outside of  Johnson City State Patrol shut down the road into Fredricksburg because of a head on collision,  everyone had to turn around and go another way. For a few minutes I thought about going back home, but I called myself a sissy and that changed my mind. I could have done better but I went back down to Bulverde and hit 10 up to Rocksprings. See what I mean, a long ride, it's like 45 miles off 10 after that, eight miles in on a jeep road. But it is worth it. Out in the middle of nowhere, no cell service, get a hostel bed with the rest of your running classmates,  and rest up and walk to the start. I made time on the first loop, cause it was cool, but by ten am there is a lot of open area and the sun began to toast. There are several climbs, and even though Nueces and Bandera are challenging, they wail in comparison to climbs in the mountain races. That's what I kept thinking, Texas hill versus Chinscraper in the Wasatch, Hope Pass up and down at Leadville, devils thumb at Western,  mt. Davis at Angeles Crest, you have no idea what a climb really is. It didn't make it any easier for me though, but it shut down the whining. One third of the runners dropped, and most people's time were slower. But those who go to Nueces know what it takes to get it done, and we do. I had only one goal, that a certain runner would not finish before me. That runner did not and I beat them. I was actually surprised that several runners most of the time ahead of me finished behind as well. That actually means nothing with my sorry ass, but we all finished a tough, warm day of a 50 miler. Now it's back home with the BiPolar Arctic  Vortex, 85 one day and 20 degrees the next, that's what we call living the dream, so you see there is a way to practice positive visualization.