Yes, it’s been awhile.  I will hopefully get pics from the race added to this at some point.  Pics do exist,  trust me.  Pat and Hal made another trip up for the Shammie Shuffle (I think more so for the post-race nosh at Salt Hill  😉   )  Weather was sunny and cool.  Debated gloves, but threw caution into the literal wind and we’re off!  I think the field was as big as last year and they still need to work on the registration part of things, as race started 15-20 min late.  Also, their finish line routine needs major tweaking.  They stop you in your tracks as soon as you cross and make you wait in line until they record your time.  They aren’t using timing chips yet.  I suggest that they could institute a race fee (they do it by donation now) and include cost of using a basic timing chip.  They already use the services of a clock timing-system.  I can’t imagine the chip/mat system would be much more expensive.  But those are just details.  It’s a great race for a great cause (to fund scholarships for kids in the area to attend summer camps).  My time was a bit slower than last year for various reasons, including slow start b/c of crowding and just general slower-ness on my part.  Good start to the season!

I am in week 5 of half marathon training, 4 weeks away from the Road to the Pogue.  Training is going well, I’m trying to hit hills at least once a week, oftentimes there are more than 1 hill on my route so I get to eat those up.  I am working on my hill technique and mentality about hills (my new mantra is “I eat hills for breakfast”) and it seems to be helping with not tensing up or straining my hammiestrings (sic).

Recently read a very interesting book, Born to Run, that chronicles the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico who live in the Copper Canyons, which are a desolate and dangerous place for bandits, mystics,  drug lords, and native indians.  The book includes the search for the Tarahumara developed their evolutionary style of incredible long distance running.  It also provides a digestible physiology of running and evolution and a history of ultrarunning and culminates in a unique (and dangerous) “race” that was organized by a motley crew of ultrarunners and natives.  It’s worth a gander.

Enjoy the spring…bulbs are popping up all over and it must be spring because our backyard is flooded by the melting and our system is backing up!  Yeah rural living!