early birthday present for me!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got an early birthday present... Nine months early mind you. This is the best present imaginable right now. I will tell you in a bit.........




I saw my family this last weekend. John (Jeff's twin) had us over for a barbeque. Good tri tip, wonderful salad and some awesome baked beans. Do I get Stephanie's recipe for beans for my next fueling in a 100? Hmmmm, maybe....


Jeff to left on his way to winning Javalina 100 two years ago

Jeff on left, John (his none identical twin in green)















We had a great time visiting. My mom was here from Illinois and that was the reason for the visit.

The kids played on the trampoline 90% of the time. Wow, what a great baby sitter.













Yea, that is "jumpin' jack jeff" hanging out with the kids.

Jeff is doing great. Really fit right now hammering out 100+ mile weeks and hanging out with some pretty awesome runners on Wednesdays doing crazy speed work, yup 5 minute miles x6 just last week.........

Scott Wolfe, a sub 2:30 marathoner, Craig, aka Lord Balls, Thornley, a previous top ten x2 at States, Tom Adkins, just plan ole' fast, Lewis Taylor sporting a new nickname, King, aka King Cool (no more LC, lower case even if you write for the local rag in Eugene). Winner of Way Too Cool!!!! You fricken rock Lewis.
Lewis just after driving down to Lake Tahoe before pacing Dean Karnazes at States last year. No he hasn't had any beers. I just suck at taking pictures.





Anyway, Lewis is in States now because of winning Cool. He will be in the "mix" for sure. It will be fun to watch him in the next few years. He has only been running ultra's for two years and he just fricken smokes every trail he touches.





So there it is, States is only three months away. I will be going down to take a ton of pictures with my new 35mm Digital Canon camera.

I will be routing on Team Sunsweet like no other. Lewis being the newest to receive the dried fruits. Along with runners from the Northwest.

What this whole post was about is my early birthday present....

Jeff was originally going to go without a pacer at States. He asked me at the MLK run (50k fat ass in Eugene) in January if a pacer helps. I said that I thought it is most crucial the last 20 miles of a 100. I just think it is a big help at that jucture in a 100. I ran Rio solo and I think I walked sections maybe 20 steps too long. I was running well but I think I just should have kept the hiking sections shorter.

But this weekend he asked me to pace him from the river to the finish. I was in fricken' tears after he asked me. I have been waiting for this for two years. I just got the best birthday present ever.

You have to understand how proud I am about my brother and I am not talking just about running. Jeff used to drink too much. So much so that when we worked at the mill together that we would stop for beer for him every night on the way home. He drank all my wine I got for my brine for smoking the deer that I got and it was wrank by anybodies standards. He smoked and drank so much that he couldn't make rent several times.

But then one day he decided to go into treatment. 30 days later and he was changed. Hasn't drank a drop sence. Oh, he still smoked for two years but that was it. He then married his High School sweet heart. Then he entered college after the mill closed and he graduated at the TOP of his class with a bachelors degree in teaching. He got a national award in St. Louis for it. He's the smart one in the family.

Met him one day on Pre's trail in Eugene, Oregon for a five mile run. He had to stop after two miles. Still smoking here. But the good thing is he wasn't drinking any more. We ran a 10k in Salem together along with our Dad and had a great time. That was it. He was hooked.

Jeff ran marathons, finally going sub 3 after missing it three times by less than a minute. Then Craig got him hooked on trails. I followed suit. No, I will never do a sub 3. I just loved running the McKenzie River Trail with him. I was hooked. Plus, I am too slow to run marathons any more.





Yup, some falls you see along the McKenzie River Trail.







So, I am glad I picked Kettle 100 to run three weeks before States. Actually I did this on purpose. If not pacing brother I would be happy to pace anybody that asked. I just wanted to be recovered by States. That is why no Bighorn 100 one week before States. I'll leave that one to Jeff Browning, and Olga.

Really, I am on cloud nine right now being able to pace Jeff. I am going to seperate the brother thing and get after him.

I am going to hammer him to get that top ten finish. It will be tough even if everything goes right. And now Lewis gets in and that is another wrench thrown in the picture because he will be in the "mix". That is o.k., we will be rooting for King Cool.

But I figure Bili has to finish in 18:30. Yikes! A little slower course after opening up the section into Millers Defeat, and tons of talent are in this year. I don't care. I'm going to kick his ass all the way to the finish. He may yell at me, cuss at me, I don't care. I am going to ficken hammer him. We are going to drop headlamps all the way to the finish. And they are going to know it. I am not going to let anybody pass us. We are going to get top ten!

I just got the most awesome birthday present even though it is early. Stay tuned for more of my bragging about my brother, I am just so proud of him.

Happy running. I had a great 33 mile run last sunday. Looking forward to about the same this weekend. Whew, another 100 mile week. Only nine more to go.
tom