Volunteering at Lhotse 200 was fun and I even managed 23 miles on the course. I saw some incredible athletes. The lady who won it just kept going even through some awful chafing. I'm so impressed by the accomplishments I saw.

Other than that it was a quiet Labor Day, cleaned stalls and the water tank but spent most of the day inside as it was brutally hot/humid.

qotd: What is the best effort form an athlete you have seen?

A bit of a routine shift this morning put me a little behind, so I had to squeak out the 2.5 mile loop. I am really trying to get motivated to sign up for a race this fall, but I just can't seem to find anything worth committing to. There is the Loop Garou 20 mile loop I could do, but I don't really want to pay $75.00 to run a 20 mile run. There is a 40 mile, 100K, and 100 mile event there also, but I don't want to commit to train for something like that. I could push it out to late February and run the 50K or 100K at Red Dirt, but that would eat up a lot of time, too. I think I am just going to run and hunt this year. I am just not feeling the race vibe strong enough to sign up, even after watching UTMB.

QOTD: I think the best effort I have seen (or heard about) from an athlete is the Geoff Roes win at the 2010 Western States. It is truly unfortunate that he burned out the way he did, but that particular day will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in the history or that race or any other. For him to have the presence of mind to just hang in there like he did until things started working out was truly amazing and inspirational.

My running has moved down on my list of priorities since the major focus is to get the bond going with our rescue gsp Baker and getting him trained and in shape. Minimum I will get in a few miles per day running and walking with him and the Lady. He is really an amazing fit for our us. It's only our second rescue dog and I was expecting a lot of nervousness and perhaps some issues but the worst thing he does is jump on us on occasion, pull on the leash (and not always) and of course he follows us around everywhere, even if you just get up to get something from the kitchen. He wants to be around one of us all the time, but we left him alone the other day with the Lady and there were no problems.

We did get out earlier for 2 miles, just like yesterday. Walk a mile, dog/jog a mile. He runs fairly well on leash. I'd like to get him out  solo on a dirt rail trail but I am afraid to break the Lady's heart and leave her so she'll be tagging along until we get do a diversion or two.

QOTD: On tv, I'd say Meb Keflezighi's win in NYC and/or Boston or Dez Linden's win at Boston. In person, I can't say I've seen much other than efforts of those coming into aid stations. The one thing unusual about working Gap Creek at MMT100 is you'd see runners twice, once at mile 65 and then again at mile 95. You'd see people at mile 65 looking like it was over but there they were again the next morning still moving along to get a finish.

Almost 7 this morning, with my Tuesday running buddy.  It was slow. things have slowed down so much we're barely above a brisk walking pace, but I'm not going to bail on him (he turns 78 soon and that would be just wrong. Besides, karma). And if I'm honest, I probably would have not run this morning if I were solo. So, I am breaking up my miles today and will go out again with the beer group tonight for another 6.

XT- Lucky Baker! Sounds like a match made in heaven.

qotd: On TV, it's Des Linden at Boston a couple of years ago.  Other than that, not much jumps to mind.

Hey guys, did you miss me?  Back from our trip to Boone, NC.  2 nice trail runs in some warmer than usual weather for Boone, but was fun. In-laws are aging rapidly, so that's sad to see. Fun trip. DS and his GF came along as a surprise and the grandparents were happy to see them.

Today I ran 8 great trail miles. One of my best runs in a long time. I've been feeling pretty crappy at times and it was nice to have a  good day running.  There was a MTB race on Saturday, so my only complaint was that the nice single track that is usually 12-14" wide was pushed into a "V" by all the bike traffic on the wet trail. Some sections I had to be careful not to break an ankle.

Speaking of bad ankles, where's Dreamer been?

Diane - glad you had a good time helping out, and got some mileage.

Warden - yuck. Hope it cools off.

LB - skip the race and run a 20 mile fun run.

Jamie - nice running. Are you trying to ramp up for Blues Cruise? What's DW's race future?

Sandy - how's the calf?

DC - are you still considering a marathon?  Lungs all clear now?

XT - I guess you didn't make Labor Pains. New dog is worth missing that.

Bert Update: (From last Friday)  "I've completed 5 weeks of the radiation treatment with 2.5 weeks planned remaining, so getting closer.  The past week has been extremely difficult and at times scary.  I developed aspiration pneumonia (probably for a while) and was admitted to the ER on Mon to confirm and get on antibiotics.  As of last week, I could no longer ingest anything by mouth without it getting into my lungs and I cough and vomiting violently at times.  So everything has been by stomach tube only, which has it's own issues.  I've lost about 8 lbs in the past week." ... "On the other hand, the big picture is more positive.  The CT scan showed the tumor is shrinking and the radiation oncologist says the progression of tumor shrinkage is right on or ahead of schedule.  I just need to get past these short but very tough challenges in the short term and stay alive for now. "

QOTD:  When I was coaching HS XC, Neely Spence (Olympic marathoner Steve Spence's daughter) ran for Shippensburg HS.  At the State Championship, at a very tough course in Hershey, PA, she ran away with the race and won by over 3 minutes and set a state record. She later went in to finish 3rd in the country.  My last stop on the course was along a hill just after the 2 mile mark and she ran up the steep hill like it was a flat track. To this day, I've never seen anyone run up a hill like she did.  On top of it, she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

 

Sandy - how's the calf?

AT, I hope that it is better now, I'll know tomorrow morning when I run again.

Thanks for the update on Bert-o, if he isn't lurking please let him know that we're all pulling for him through these tough ongoing huddles.  Hope the good news continues.

Welcome back by the way.

 

She's Neeley Spence Gracey now and represented the US at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships, 13th place, 1st for the US team, and first non-African.

Yes, and she has a beautiful 1 year old baby boy.

Funny story.  I was running a 20 miler on a rail trail near Shippensburg when she was in college.  I felt really good and was having a great run. About 1/2 mile before the turn around Neely pulls up to me, out of nowhere, and says "Hey Coach".  We talked for 10-15 seconds and then she blew me away.  I lost sight of her on the way back and I felt so "old". The 10 miles back were nowhere near as fun as the 10 miles out. 

Yup, signed up and have a deposit on a house near the finish line.

Plan A: run really slow.

Plan B: run/walk

Plan C: run the half marathon.

 

I like Plan A or Plan B.