I got canned from my job for going to Nepal, and since it is pretty cheap to live here (and it is awesome), I haven't set any plans for my return back home.

Bummer about the job, but exciting about spending more time in Nepal.

Keep in touch.

If anyone is planning on Rocky Raccoon and has not signed up... better hurry.  The race is very close to filling for the very first time.  Looks like the registration is running 55-45% centurions and half-centurions so far. 

Oh, and this... (re-print of email I just sent out to our trail running group and a few more... you too, can enjoy the event without running!)

Merry Christmas everyone! It's that time again, you know the one…

Time to step up and volunteer to help out with the DamNation Aid Station at Rocky Raccoon!

The 20th running of the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Run (11th for the 50 Mile) is set for February 4-5 and once again, the North Texas Trail Runners will be hosting the DamNation Aid station.  The 2012 race is almost full, with 750 registered, so it is going to be a wild ride for volunteers! 

Anyway, the DamNation Station will still be visited twice each loop by the runners (five loops for 100 mile runners, three loops for 50 mile runners). If my math holds, we could easily have 5,000 occasions to serve tired, hungry, dehydrated, delusional, emotional, dirty, hypothermic,… runners throughout the event.  That means...(get ready...) WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!  The almost full registration is an indicator that, weather permitting , we will be busier than a cat trying to cover poop on a marble floor! 

So, we need volunteers to man the aid station. Our needs will range from Friday, February 3rd afternoon/evening thru Sunday, February 5th morning. We will be setting up the aid station on Friday afternoon, preparing the drop bags Friday afternoon and Saturday early morning, assisting runners all day on Saturday through about 10AM on Sunday morning, then tearing it all down again. In the past, we have had pretty good success in grouping volunteer shifts into 6-ish hour blocks, Friday 2 pm-8pm (only need 5 or 6 folks, but all who want to come down on Friday and camp are welcome), Saturday from 5 am till noon, Saturday Noon till 6 pm, Saturday 6 pm till midnight, and Sunday midnight till no one's left standing (OK, that one is a little longer than 6 hours). Our greatest need is throughout the day on Saturday, when we can use 15-20 volunteers for each shifts.  If you want to come and camp for the weekend, you are welcome to join us at DamNation for the duration!

We can be flexible on shift work, just email me at lynn.ballard @ pepsico.com (without the spaces) to indicate your interest. Please don't reply to the sender on this email, reply to me directly. I will keep a master schedule and work to accommodate your schedule as best I can. If you can clear enough time on your schedule to work all day or all night, you won't regret it!  This has become one of the most rewarding weekends I experience during the year!  

Thanks in advance! If you are on the fence, email me and we can talk.  Let's let everyone at Rocky know just how awesome the NTTR group is!

I can't think of a better way to spend the weekend on Feb 3-5 other than running the danged thing!

Lynn Ballard
Captain DamNation

Tis full.

 We still have openings for volunteers at DamNation!

I'm out.

My other foot has gone tits-up.

 Dang, sorry to hear this! 

I lost most of December's peak training to pneumonia.  And now the bronchitis part is trying to come back.

Not sure if I'm still in.  Maybe.

Would love to have both of you out at DamNation. I will put you to work, although I expect both of you know plenty enough to add a lot of value. Daytime help, particularly in the morning, will be awesome as we have both the 50 and 100 Milers on the course. SRL, feel better, come running or come hang out with the cool kids...either way we win!

I'll be there to help... but, if I'm needed by my runner on another part of the course, I'll move. I have to deal with her on the drive home, after all.

I'm pretty excited... my first time ever crewing an ultra.

Cranky

Runner

Endless

Waiting

I epitomized that acronym! You've seen it.

It'll be interesting to see how my wife (who has a tendency to let some choice words fly when she gets cranky) reacts to it.

I will be running the RR100 this year.

jlynnbob:  Thanks ahead of time for volunteering your time and effort at DamNation!!!

I'm usually the one asking for "new legs" of the aid station volunteers later in the race...

John