This weekend is "Oklahoma's Ultimate Challenge"... a 5 mile race that is almost entirely uphill all the way. This is oklahoma's version of "Pikes Peak Accent". The climb is about 2,000 ft in 5 miles. Not bad for Oklahoma. Should be great weekend get out.
After feeling abit under the weather for about a week...including no running for a week. I'm back on the road again. I was at a comfortable 60 miles per week for some time, until the "crud" set me back. But it might've been a good thing though. I really needed a week to relax and rest the ol'bod. Last night was a short 10-1/2 miles at a 9 minute pace. I really wanted to go slower, like 11 min. pace. I guess after a week off, my legs wanted to git going. Tomorrow, I'll make it slooooow pace. It's good to go slow and maintain a steady motion thru-out the whole 10-12 miles.
I hope to make it to Poteau this weekend for nice, slow 5-mile uphill training run. I'm not worry about time, but doing a relaxed hill run.
Happy Trails!

"You will never FIND time for anything. If you want time, you must MAKE it." ~ Charles Bixton

In Nov. 2006, I ran Mother Road 100 miler from Arcadia, OK to Tulsa,OK. In our goody bag was a book... "Running With Payne" by Randy Ellis, a legendary ultra-endurance runner. And just a great guy to be around. Since 2006, I've been putting it off reading this book. Three years later, I finally opened the book and read it cover to cover. What a great book! When I grow up, I want to run coast to coast, like Randy.

A year from now, we'll be doing the 3rd running of Mother Road 100 miler. This is suppose to be the last of 3-part series of Mother Road 100. I'm ready to go!!

www.motherroad100.com

But before the last running of MR100, I would like to run the missed portions of the Mother Road in Oklahoma. Or maybe do them as training runs.

24 The Hard Way

The weekend, near Lake Hefner in OKC, 24 The Hard Way was held. Above is me and Chisholm Deupree, great ultrarunner and 2008 Badwater finisher, co-directed this awesome event.

(Note: The shirt that I was wearing for Badwater mugshots was courtesy of chisholm. The symbol was the one worn by Andy Payne in the First Transcontinental Foot race across America)

I had planned on doing this race. Sometimes life gets in the way. However I was able to see some racers late saturday afternoon. But this race is on my list for next year.

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Here's Randy Ellis finishing strong, and first place male in 6-hr road race. Way to go Randy!

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Below, Rob Philip finishes strong in the 12-hr road race.

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The two guys below, Bill Richardson (left) and Marvin Lee(right), went the distance, 24 hours of running. Bill doing the Double Dirty Dozen, and Marvin doing the road race.

Hats off to these guys!

click this for Badwater 2009 pictures

hit slideshow. Have a great day!

TM Buzzard

I was picking up pink poka-dot ribbons last weekend at Turkey mtn. I wasn't exactly sure about where I was at...just somewhere in the woods... I hear a big thrashing noise in the trees. I look up and see this big ol'bird looking down at me. Just about scared the crap out of me. I thought...welll.. I'm gonna be picked to pieces by a big ol' buzzard... I guess he thought I was shruggling, and on my last leg. But then I picked up on a dead critter smell...that made me feel abit better..knowing that I wasn't on his menu this time.

He was just roosting til I left the area, so he could get back to his feeding.

I covered about 3 or 4 mile stretch sunday afternoon tearing down ribbons...there was a bunch! I think just walking and tearing down markers was harder than running the course.

Happy Trails!

AB

You never know what kind animals you'll run into at Turkey mtn.

Go Cowboys!!!

TATUR's race

Sept. 13th, come and run TATUR's 50K/25K/10K trail run. This is a great trail race. It has everything...rocks, hills, flats, shade, no shade, small creek crossings, great aid stations, and awesome post-race eats. I'm thinking about doing
the 50K. Hope it doesn't rain this year.

Have fun everyone!