There are only a very few things that MAKE ME MAD, but I thought I'd share them here.
1. People who STEAL! I get upset when I hear of someone's house or car getting broke into. People work hard for their money and with times being like they are, getting ripped off is such a setback. I have had a cell phone stolen from my car a few years back, but other than that, I have been pretty lucky. Last weekend while out marking trails for the Turkey and TATURs race, I had an ice chest stashed over on the west side in a secret place on a abandoned bridge. It was iced down with several bottles of water and Gatorade. Upon getting there--it was gone.
Now I know whoever ganked it knew it was not just abandoned, being all iced down and such. It was also pretty well hidden under a big pile of junk iron supports that some manufacturing plant over there "stored" on this forgotten bridge....that's another story. Some worthless redneck sort with overalls that probably have not seen the laundry in years found him a cooler to put his Keystone beer in while he watched the Nascar race. Now if he could just find another pack of Marlboros somewhere. Hope the idiot finds a bar of soap too.
TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......7!
2. People who MESS WITH MY RACE MARKINGS!! Wednesday night, I met some friends (Mitch, Mikey, and Arena) for an easy run in the rain.
We ran the Ho-Chi trail (lower yellow for you newer trail runners) and along the way, we were tying a few ribbons to pre-mark the T&T course. About halfway down the yellow trail on the GROUND, we found a wad of ribbons that someone had PULLED DOWN from one of the other trails that Dana and I had tirelessly marked. GRRR!!!
Later, we found another ribbon laying on the trail where we had not yet marked. My thoughts were of some idiots running or riding along the muddy sloshy trails thinking they were on Biggest Loser or Survivor and would risk getting voted of by the council if they didn't have enough flags......I was concerned that maybe hundreds of ribbons were vandalized. I sent my trail running peeps northward and checked out a few of the trails that were completely marked, and fortunately all was well. Last year at T&T, I took an early start--very early--to check the course markings. Sure enough, I found a section of trails where there were a lot of markings missing, and a crucial turn where the caution tape had been torn off. Fortunately, it was fixed before the elite runners got off course. This is majorly bad. At the Arkansas Traveller one year, someone removed course markings at a crucial intersection at MILE 98!!!!! Imagine the rage, and the heartbreak of the runners who after running 98 miles were led astray down a long long hill for a mile or more only to find out they were off course due to the devious crimes of someone who has crap for brains.
TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......8.5!!
3. People who LITTER AND DUMP TRASH!!! I hate seeing trash on the side of the road--even if it's on the way to a city dump. Not too keen on city dumps either. Why do people throw stuff out the window while driving. Heaven forbid they toss it on the floor of their car. Next time they hit the drive-thru at McDonald's, why not stop at the drive-by trash can and toss out their trash there!! The ill feelings are multiplied when people litter on the trails. Hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers should know better. I agree that sometimes a GU package might slip out of that little micro-pocket on your running shorts, and a AquaFina bottle might bounce out of your drink cage when going over rocky trails, but when someone throws away QT cups and snickers wrappers, cigarette packages, condom packages, etc. etc....that is completely unacceptable. If you are gonna be on my trails, keep your trash to yourselves. And pick up someone elses along the way to--it's good karma (unless of course, it's something just to unspeakably gross to touch.) But there are worse matters to discuss than that: people who take their pick-em-up trucks and back off into the woods and dump all the nasty crap that's been laying around in their nasty houses on our beautiful trails. On the west side of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, there is a entrance--a dirt road that the natural gas company uses to do maintenance to their huge pipeline that runs through the wilderness area.
People who have no regard for others and no regard for nature think they have found a free dumping ground. They are driving down this road just out of sight from 61st street and unload their trash.
This, friends, is part of the Turkey and TATURs course. People from all over the United States of America who come to run our wonderful race will be treated to this sight....unless I we can manage to get it picked up, or maybe I can alter the course a little to bypass it which would involve cutting about 300 yards of new trail. How would these low life trash dumpers like it if I cleaned out my messy garage and dumped all the junk in their front yard, or along their street. If I ever find out who dumps thrash over there on our mountain--it will be bad for them.
TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......9.95!!!
1. People who STEAL! I get upset when I hear of someone's house or car getting broke into. People work hard for their money and with times being like they are, getting ripped off is such a setback. I have had a cell phone stolen from my car a few years back, but other than that, I have been pretty lucky. Last weekend while out marking trails for the Turkey and TATURs race, I had an ice chest stashed over on the west side in a secret place on a abandoned bridge. It was iced down with several bottles of water and Gatorade. Upon getting there--it was gone.
Now I know whoever ganked it knew it was not just abandoned, being all iced down and such. It was also pretty well hidden under a big pile of junk iron supports that some manufacturing plant over there "stored" on this forgotten bridge....that's another story. Some worthless redneck sort with overalls that probably have not seen the laundry in years found him a cooler to put his Keystone beer in while he watched the Nascar race. Now if he could just find another pack of Marlboros somewhere. Hope the idiot finds a bar of soap too.TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......7!
2. People who MESS WITH MY RACE MARKINGS!! Wednesday night, I met some friends (Mitch, Mikey, and Arena) for an easy run in the rain.
We ran the Ho-Chi trail (lower yellow for you newer trail runners) and along the way, we were tying a few ribbons to pre-mark the T&T course. About halfway down the yellow trail on the GROUND, we found a wad of ribbons that someone had PULLED DOWN from one of the other trails that Dana and I had tirelessly marked. GRRR!!!
Later, we found another ribbon laying on the trail where we had not yet marked. My thoughts were of some idiots running or riding along the muddy sloshy trails thinking they were on Biggest Loser or Survivor and would risk getting voted of by the council if they didn't have enough flags......I was concerned that maybe hundreds of ribbons were vandalized. I sent my trail running peeps northward and checked out a few of the trails that were completely marked, and fortunately all was well. Last year at T&T, I took an early start--very early--to check the course markings. Sure enough, I found a section of trails where there were a lot of markings missing, and a crucial turn where the caution tape had been torn off. Fortunately, it was fixed before the elite runners got off course. This is majorly bad. At the Arkansas Traveller one year, someone removed course markings at a crucial intersection at MILE 98!!!!! Imagine the rage, and the heartbreak of the runners who after running 98 miles were led astray down a long long hill for a mile or more only to find out they were off course due to the devious crimes of someone who has crap for brains.TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......8.5!!
3. People who LITTER AND DUMP TRASH!!! I hate seeing trash on the side of the road--even if it's on the way to a city dump. Not too keen on city dumps either. Why do people throw stuff out the window while driving. Heaven forbid they toss it on the floor of their car. Next time they hit the drive-thru at McDonald's, why not stop at the drive-by trash can and toss out their trash there!! The ill feelings are multiplied when people litter on the trails. Hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers should know better. I agree that sometimes a GU package might slip out of that little micro-pocket on your running shorts, and a AquaFina bottle might bounce out of your drink cage when going over rocky trails, but when someone throws away QT cups and snickers wrappers, cigarette packages, condom packages, etc. etc....that is completely unacceptable. If you are gonna be on my trails, keep your trash to yourselves. And pick up someone elses along the way to--it's good karma (unless of course, it's something just to unspeakably gross to touch.) But there are worse matters to discuss than that: people who take their pick-em-up trucks and back off into the woods and dump all the nasty crap that's been laying around in their nasty houses on our beautiful trails. On the west side of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, there is a entrance--a dirt road that the natural gas company uses to do maintenance to their huge pipeline that runs through the wilderness area.
People who have no regard for others and no regard for nature think they have found a free dumping ground. They are driving down this road just out of sight from 61st street and unload their trash.
This, friends, is part of the Turkey and TATURs course. People from all over the United States of America who come to run our wonderful race will be treated to this sight....unless I we can manage to get it picked up, or maybe I can alter the course a little to bypass it which would involve cutting about 300 yards of new trail. How would these low life trash dumpers like it if I cleaned out my messy garage and dumped all the junk in their front yard, or along their street. If I ever find out who dumps thrash over there on our mountain--it will be bad for them.TZ MAD METER on a scale of 1-10.......9.95!!!
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