Ketchup!

Well, well, well, time to "ketchup" (insert groan here) everyone on what's been going on in my little world since my epic adventure at Superior Sawtooth 100.

After taking a couple weeks off to recover from Sawtooth, I started training again and ran in the underground run hosted by Peter Grimes. This year it was called the Black Dog 50, in remembrance of Pete's late dog, Tua. Returning from last year were Mitch, Eric, Joel, and myself. Despite soggy conditions, all had a great time navigating through the "rainforest" and getting chased by cows. Pete treated us all to a wonderful post-run meal of pulled venison (barbeque and peppered varieties). This year's official Garmin-recorded distance was 46.5 miles. In addition, like last year, we made an new ultrarunner out of one of the participants. This year it was a guy named Shawn, who educated us all on the finer points of environmental restoration. To see photos, please check out Joel Button's blog (Button Running - located on the right sidebar).

Since the Black Dog 50, I've been focusing on training and increasing my mileage. This year was kind of a bust as far as consistency goes. With my wife recovering from gall bladder surgery, then getting laid off, things had been a bit stressful and chaotic for a while. That being behind us (for now, although she is still looking for work and is facing a likely partial hysterectomy), I've been able to get back on track. I also recently purchased a Garmin 205 to help with my training. It's been a fabulous tool, as it allows me to try new trails while keeping track of my total mileage. In addition, it has been invaluable in giving me a better idea of what pace I'm running. I must say, I've really enjoyed getting back into the "training rut". I really missed it after having so much time off from due to pre-race tapers and post-race recoveries. Last year I missed out on the Fall training because that was when my wife had become gravely ill due to a failing gall bladder. So, this year I've been relishing the cool autumn air and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Ahhh...........life is good!