What? No Trail Gnomes?!

As part of my service requirement for the Wasatch Front 100, September 6, I had to do 8 hours of trail maintenance.

What? I kind of figured that you know, we ran or biked on the trail enough, and it just got like matted down. No problem.

Turns out that was, er, a, poppycock. I had been misinformed. Here's a big thanks to two organizations that absolutely crank on the trail work:

The SWAMP Club. These guys are tree-mend-us! Lemme tell you on a rainy Saturday at Boyette, 23 people showed up to do 4 hours work (a couple of us stayed for 8 hours.) The Swampers weren't messing around either. They brought in tree trimmers, movers, clippers, and many times they even bring in wood to make bridges. They worked and worked and worked. But hey, I remember a few years ago when the FU runners had a work day at Croom, we worked hard. Yeah, Swampers do maintenance every weekend! They work at Croom, Morris Bridge, Alafia, and Boyette, to name a few.

Check out their schedule and social stuff here: http://www.swampclub.org/

Also, thanks to the Florida Trail Association. These guys do most of our maintenance at Croom. I tried to hook up with them, but while they are great people, they aren't crazy. Seems they perfer to do their work when it's cooler and the threat of lightning isn't omnipresent.

At any rate, next time you find yourself on a trail chances are some wonderful volunteer cleared that sucker for you and kept you from getting lost.

You Give to the world, you give to yourself.

...... Turns out these gnomes were NO help!..................

And That's not on Top of the Mountain!

Yeah, it's gets to be 37 degrees in Florida. In the Mall! Why do they do that? Let me see, the last time I ran in that weather..... Hmmmm, Hmmmm, Hmmm, oh, I don't know, but I'm looking forward to it!
Here's your Leadville weekend forecast:

FriAug 15
Isolated T-Storms
63°37°
30%

63°F
SatAug 16
Isolated T-Storms
63°37°
30%

63°F
SunAug 17
Partly Cloudy
65°40°

Yeah, ok, I'll have to bring jackets, gloves, hats, but I am NOT wearing the tights! I am not a dancer! You will not be able to take one look at me and know my religion.

I wore tights for a race once, only once. I was in good shape, I had been competing in triathlons, I proudly went to a 10K wearing my tights, I even got a compliment from a local hottie. When I got to my buddy's house, his mom was visiting, Steve was wearing tights too. His mom, an old-school soul from Tennessee, said, to us, "What in the hell are you wearing?"

Steve responded, "What mama? A pretty girl even said we looked good in our tights.

Steve's mom didn't miss a beat, "Son, that girl lied to yall."

Nope, haven't worn them since, aint gonna neither! Don't care if we are likely to get snow flurries in the mountains.

................ I don't think so Scooter!..................

My Neighbor Moved, and I miss...

My neighbor, Tom, moved, and I dearly miss his Internet connection!

Man, I had it sweet for the last year or more, free high speed wireless, with a clear connection from right next door. Now, shhhh-ot! No unsecured wireless in sight.

My choices:
1) Only blog at check e-mail at work (economical until I get canned for doing it!)
2) The public library. Good for an hour a day, but they close early and they don't like it if you work on the computer in your underoos!
3) Bite the bullet and PAY for Internet. Ouch!

What you think?

The Leadswell Trail 100

Ok, so I checked the Leadville 100 website today, and finally they had the list of 2008 entrants posted. Now I know what took them so long.



They have 561 entrants! This is an out and back course. It's gonna be a track meet!

Course, from the 40% finish rate, I guess it won't be as bad on the way back.

Also I noticed that of the 1000 (X .561) entrants only 4 of us morons are from Florida. Most runners are from states that end in an olorado.

On the plus side, I checked the weather, an absolutely worthless endeavor 8 days before the race, and the prognosis is..... perfect conditions! Low of 40 degrees and high of 70. Maybe, just maybe.... nah, it'll get hot, maybe not Vermont hot, but Africa hot anyway!

6 Full Days of Work!

WTF? They got me working six full days! Ok, sure, granted that's over two weeks, three days this week, three next, and get this, four the week after that. I must have the hardest job in the world! Professor, don't do it, don't go back, they're gonna make you work.

How do I feel about it?

The song of the week pretty much says it (Hey, I think I taught these cats in the video!)

They got Two a Day Running through Arizona!

A rare picture, Karno with his shirt on.

I know all the best people, and the professor too!

Andy Mathews in Back to School!

You know someone takes too much time off and..... well, they are happy, we want that now would we? I'm telling you if I didn't need to keep myself in nice cars, fancy clothes, beautiful purses, and eat at exotic restaurants, I'd just hang out all day everyday and watch TV. I wouldn't do jack! Er, wait, I was only kidding about the exotic restaurants, I think you know that.

Well, I go back to work in... two hours. Am I ready? Yeah right! That means, er nope, but I best be getting ready.

They do ease us in though, for the first week it's only the teachers, then the apples of our eyes, the students come in and make everything better and more fun. And that lasts until homeroom on the first day. Then I'll be grumpy for 9 1/2 months, but then more vacation. Ah, who am I kidding, I love school, even when the kids are there!

Gotta go, longer letter later!

Tail on the scale: 173 again. Surprising since I haven't had solid food since Sunday (it's the had a tooth yanked diet, and I don't recommend it!)

Dead Sexy!