Sunday, November 29, 2015

short post with a purpose.

A short post with purpose. Three purposes to be exact. 

1. I have let my blogging slip into a race report-only sort of mold. I never really wanted that, although I do take pride in writing a story of races I run in and direct. When I started blogging, back in 2007, I published a blurb nearly every day. It was sort of like TZ's diary. What did I eat today, what did I think about gas prices, Hey, I got bad service at at a restaurant. I think I have grown a little as a writer, although I certainly won't toot my horn as I know there are far more creative and literary writers, many of whom are good friends. I am gonna try to be a little more prolific, and light hearted. Not every post has to be heavy, long, or have 35 pictures. Saying this is a challenge to myself, and I will feel obligated to follow through.

2. I have a new iMac. Roman, Susan and Jeff Westmoreland, and my youngest son have been preaching the virtues of Apple, saying they are so much better, easier, faster than PCs, and I finally caved. My computer was old--5 years at least, and the router was older than that. I was trying to tinker with the modem to see why it was so slow, and why it finally was not letting me connect to the interweb at all--and somehow spilled my coffee right into the vents in the top of the modem box. Instead of having 4-5 blinking lights, it had one--the one that said yes, there was electricity going to the box. I had Cox Cable come out, and they switched out the modem for me, and my old dinosaur computer seemed to wake up. But I was in a Black Friday sort of mood, and went to Best Buy and brought home a sleek white iMac. I opened the box and was just SURE something was missing. I called to ask my buddy Jeff, who told me all the chips and cards and computer stuff was in the flat-screen monitor. Who knew???
I hooked it up, and it worked--but it worked SO SLOW!V It was like having an iPhone out in BFI with only the edge network for a signal. So I bugged my buddy Jeff again, who agreed to come over to look at it. On a whim, I went back to Best Buy and bought a new speedy wireless router, and a new ethernet cable--took them home and hooked 'em up, and BAZINGA! It worked so super fast!!! So fast, I actually read ALL of Facebook this evening.
I'm still learning how to find my way around on it. The first thing I did was install Google Chrome, which I am used to using. That helped. I uploaded over 100,000 pictures onto a portable drive--which has 1 TB of memory. (Jeff told me that was a LOT of memory.) I can access them from my new computer, but it still has a few hiccups. I'll learn it.
So, I felt compelled to try a blogpost to see how easy (or not) it was gonna be. It's actually not too bad. I actually seem to have fewer fat-finger typos on this keyboard--that's a plus.

3. I am super sick and tired of rain rain rain every day. And these coldish temperatures suck it too. Dana and I have wanted to go to running all weekend, but we couldn't get our warm bums out the door. We have basically ate turkey leftovers all weekend. But Turkey Mountain is gonna see us out there more in the coming months, and hopefully on a day with some sunshine. 
I have some races I'd like to run tin the upcoming months. Ouachita Switchbacks in January is on my radar. I am only capable of doing the fun run (a 25K that is really 18 miles.) And of course I will run the Half and Half in December. I prolly will just do the trail half, but who knows--I might get a wild hair and do the whole thing. I've been asked about doing Run for the Ranch. I am undecided. Ideally, I'd like to do Rocky Raccoon, and maybe another 100 in the summer. I'm just not ready to hang up my 100 mile shoes just yet.


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Lost in a place I visit a lot

This is not the picture, but it looks a lot like this

I visited the town again that comes to me in my slumber—somewhere in Arkansas or Missouri. It’s a near abandoned, or southeast Oklahoma—off any major highways but accessible via poorly maintained all-weather roads, taking a left at a fork, and then another left. It seems like I travel southeast and then northeast to get there. 

A short Main Street is lined with old store fronts—some with antiques, some with new things on shelves so long that they are forgotten collector’s items. I stop at an old diner which mostly serves breakfast and all entries are eggs over easy or scrambled, thick cut bacon, and old toast. A thick rimmed cup of black coffee comes free with breakfast, and only someone desperate for caffeine would drink it.  I have a cup, order breakfast, and eat only the bacon.
Not the place, but  like this. Old brown bricks, boarded up windows


Next door, I browse the antique store. It has creaky wood floors, and elaborate but drooping ceiling tiles that would probably be worth a lot of money to someone who wanted them. Lighting is dim, everything has a gentle collection of dust—it seems to damage the effect to pick up a knick knack and disturb the coating of old age. Somehow I find this store charming, and the old diner as well. I notice an old leather shop, across the street, and the post office and then several boarded up buildings all with upstairs apartments.

It seems to me this might have been a resort town at one time.  It’s near a river much like the Illinois River, but I’ve not seen any campgrounds or canoe rentals. Still, I drive along the road catching glimpses of the steam around a bend and between trees. I pull over to get a better look and find trails, and of course I have to follow. They look as though they have seen little traffic, but still are easy to follow. So I go. Along the shore, over a rockslide of boulders, up a rise and then down a ravine, across a feeder stream, and then a steep climb away from the river. The climb goes on and on—well maybe a half mile of a medium ascent, and then the trail fizzles out.


I visit this place a few times a year. I do not know where it is, but it seems so real. I know an old gray haired lady pours my coffee. The breakfast is cheap—like $3.00. The antiques have round stickers with handwritten prices. It smells musty. The floor creaks. I never see anyone else here—that I remember.  I know this town. I know this river. I don’t know where it is.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Turkey and TATURs, and TZ's Top Ten

A little over a week ago, we had the 10th running of Turkey and TATURs 50K/25K/10K. This race has endured over the years with only a minor change here and there--but this year, we moved the start/finish due to the shelter we had used was dismantled. 
Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#10.THE FIRE-PIT.
This year, we set up shop near a newly built fire-pit. Folks kept their bums warm before the race and cooked s'mores afterward. 


Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#9. COOL TEMPERATURES
It was in the mid 30s at the start, and throughout the day--no one sweated unless they were running hard. The 50K--a smaller field this year, took off at 6:30, and at 7:00 a huge throng of 25K runners toed the line. The 10K--maybe the toughest 10K in the state--started at 7:30.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
Jessi Wiley took over 300 pictures for the race, and gave me permission to post at will. 


TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#8. GREAT FALL COLORS
Leaves in places on the course were in full color. I got out on the course a little and took a few pictures myself.


With a full cover of fallen leaves on several sections of the course, it seemed like trails by braille. Those rocks and roots that were waiting for stubbed toes were completely invisible. A few finishers took home gnarly souvenirs--but I've always said it's not truly a good trail run without a couple of falls.
Picture by Jodee Whitworth
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#7. RELATIVELY FLAT--NOT HERE.
I can't actually say the whole course is relatively flat, because hey--it has LipBuster. There were a few extra short steep climbs that have been in the course since the year it began,and actually I take great delight in letting everyone see a steep hill here and there. 


Picture by Jodee Whitworth
Jodee, who routinely roasts me for creating tough courses, took a few pics of her journey.


Picture by Jodee Whitworth
The Ridge trail--one of the easier parts, and my favorite trail on Turkey.



Picture by Jodee Whitworth
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#6. GREAT AID STATIONS.
Shorty ran the top-of-LipBuster aid station. She had help from Kathryn Ivey and RJ Chiles, who came from Coalgate, OK just to hang out and help. Gotta love that!


Picture by Michelle Bates
The 10K split aid station was manned by Mike Rives, Meego, Michelle Bates, Jbob Jones, and SueAnn Bement. There were an assortment of beverages in addition to water and Gatorade. Near the end of the race, there were more volunteers than there were runners on the course. Wherever Meego is, a party is soon to erupt.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#5. THE CHILI COOK-OFF.
This year, we had a chili cook-off. BONUS!! There was beef chili, turkey chili, vegetarian chili, and a few other variations. 


Picture by Jessi Wiley
Alan Bates aka Yogi cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for several hours. I ate well.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
 A panel of judges critique the seven chili entries.
Picture by Jessi Wiley
I'm not sure Suki was on the panel, but I bet she'd given high marks for all except maybe the veggie chili. But "I" thought the veggie chili was yum.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
First and second place in the chili cook-off was won by my dear wife Dana. I have to say, the beef chili was off the charts. The turkey chili was also good, but the beef was supreme.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#4. PARTY AT THE FINISH LINE.
Ed Lebowski cheered people in. His voice could be heard all over the mountain. The music this year was widely varied--mostly great. Next year--maybe we should have a karaoke contest.


Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#3. A FAST PHOTO-WORTHY FINISH.
Finishers charged across a wooden bridge en-route to the finish. The last 200 yards were downhill, included a wooden bridge, and hundreds of great pictures were taken here.


TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#2. GREAT AWARDS.
Finish in the top 3--you get the Golden Gobbler. 


Picture by Jessi Wiley
Picture by Clint Green
 This year's medals doubled as a bottle opener. 


Picture by Jessi Wiley
TZ's TOP 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT 2015 TURKEY&TATURS
#1. GREAT FRIENDS.
Add it up--good weather, a great course, a spirited run, a run with spirits, good friends, good food. Can't beat it!

 FULL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND HERE.