Derby 50k, November 24th 2007

This year's Derby 50k was yet another fantastic MTC event. This group is so great to run with and they know how to have a good time. Special thanks go out to Mark Long and the MTC and church volunteers. The Uwharrie Running Club was represented by Michael Furr, Rick Johnson, and myself. This was Rick's first ultra. Great job, Rick! The Gut Check award goes out to Michael Furr who ran the event with a case of bronchitis. I should have some pics to post soon...

City of Oaks Marathon - Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, NC was the setting for November 4th's City of Oaks Marathon. Those folks did a superb job with the race. An amazing crowd for this inaugural event! The weather cooperated as well and gave us cool temps at the start and a pleasant morning to finish out the run.

Special thanks to Pam Carpenter for picking up race packets on Saturday for a group us. Pam, Mark, Darrell, and I had a great day of running and fellowship. It was great to get to see so many MTC'ers there. I also had a chance to run a couple of miles with Joey Anderson as he was putting the finishing touches on his training for his BQ attempt this coming weekend in Richmond. Best of luck to Joey this week.

A new day...

Today, November 1st, I'm re-focusing on my training in preparation for the Umstead 100 miler in April. My diet is what needs the most attention. As of late, I've slipped a bit. Time to get things back under control. This will be a challenge I'm sure with the decadent holiday season upon us.

Next up is the City of Oaks marathon this weekend in Raleigh. I expect there will be a strong MTC turnout for this one. I'm looking forward to running this one with such a dedicated group of runners. Thanks to Mark Long for allowing me to tag along in the carpool.

Here's a quote I ran upon recently...I've been thinking about it this week...

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

An applicable quote for running or life in general.