rambling and racing???

well, for me the season ended after AC. now what to do next year??? do i do a lot of races? or do i go into that little 100 in june without doing any races and just train??? i think it worked pretty well for a sorta fast dude in '07. oh, i guess he's pretty fast, heck he just went out in that little ol' race and led from start to finish and looked great doing it... (hal coming into dusty corners looking fresher than any other of the top ten at the time)
when i do races leading up to a 100, i run "with effort" but never really taper for them. they are just part of the weekly training. i have to say it is nice to not having to carry six hours of fluids like you have to in training runs. that is why i like doing races as training runs.

I can't wait for next year..
but not sure if i want to take a different approach next year???

what races will i do next year???

well, the "big dance" of course. it will be nice to toe the line with brother that day. nice to hear reports from the back of how he is doing.

but, do i run waldo again?

or is leadville in the picture? (it is the same day as waldo) i love waldo and i just don't know how long it will be here (10 years???) (there have been 7 years of races, i've ran 5) (mike burke is the only one to run them all. chris thornley and i have ran the second most, at 5). afterall, craig and curt put in tons of work and don't know if they can do more than ten years of being RD's. just look at how many trees they clear each year... over 250 as of late each year. and that is a lot of work for anybody and these guys still find the time to train for their own races...
(those are some pretty fancy arm panties craig)

then a september 100 is always nice. it has seemed to work for me in the past after doing a june 100.

some day i would like to do CCC but that is only a week after waldo. and i am no mike burke or sean montgomery who did them back to back in '06, ouchie mamma.

then there is javalina... (will be on halloween next year) bili has run well there... yea, two times, two wins, not bad i think... (way to go brother!!!)

(jeff, on his way to a second win at javalina. not as fancy arm panties as craig)

do i want to pretend to run fast there???

reflecting back on a funny moment i had at AC... i was at chilao aid station, mile 52.8, and a nice aid station lady noticed i didn't have a pacer... she asked if i wanted one? i kindly said that i didn't want one as i was too slow to torcher someone for the next 15 hours. she then proceeded to call for "bob" to pace me. i said i was fine and i really didn't want to bother anybody. she continued to call for "bob"... thank goodness "bob" had left the aid station. i could just enjoy the rest of the night and not put anybody else through this pain. afterall, i walked every step of the last ten miles. who would want to pace anybody doing that???

so, i look forward to next year. i look forward to watching friends accomplish their goals. and i look forward to taking more pictures of friends at races.

and now, the minnesota vikings won and the oregon ducks won on the same weekend. i think this is only the second time all year. i do miss watching those "purple people eaters" like in years past. anyway, way to go viks!!! now let's just get them out of the dome. play in the elements like football was ment to be played.

so, now it is time to focus on the "big dance". i've known the spits i've wanted to hit for the last 2 1/2 years. i won't be fast but i still have goals. i want to run cal street a little better but i really want to run better from the river on in... i already know where i can make up almost 10 minutes from brown's bar to hwy 49. (i didn't run much of this last time) also want to run better after leaving robinson flat. i just didn't run to millers defeat as well as i should have.

then my next goal is for my pacer to have fun. i want to be "running" when i pick her up. i want her to enjoy the race. she dropped at the river in '07 and said she wants to see the last 22. i said i hope she doesn't see a whole lot with me that day in june... (i want it to be in the dark at that point in the race!!!) i just don't want to do the "death march" the last 38. i want to run a bit those last 38.

(i don't know the course as well as craig, AJW, or brother, but i do try to be a student of the game. i will be doing the memorial day training run again this year...

(ajw at michigan bluff in '07, getting ready to put the hammer down...)
brother crossing the river at mile 78. nobody cheering for him as nikki was just in front of him. i was cheering for him though...

so now, i will just show up to some fat ass runs in january. fun way to see friends the first part of the year.

i am now ready to enjoy great friends and great trails getting ready for the "big dance".

i will leave you with this...

fitness cannot be borrowed, bestowed, or even bought. like honor it must be earned.

see you on the trail...