I started thinking OMG what if flatfoot freddie posts all I wrote.....???? NOOOOOOOO!!!!! SO I checked.... and was relieved.... I think I better put a label on the emails I am not sure I want to be shared with the entire world wide web :) Thank God for Flatfoot Freddie's quick review and block...
I am a slug.... and my legs will never allow me to be anything but a slug...... nor will my thoughts.... as I hate serious competition.... and all that that implies.... too friggin serious... and if you watch..... people are far too serious about the activity that is supposed to be for "Fun" and I cringe to know I spend money to run while people have no money for food, shelter, and safety..... seriously, I get quite upset and never want to take it too seriouslly, I am always internally battling with these thoughts.... I am pretty much on the boycott of paying to run unless the money will specifically benefit someone less fortunate.
Take care and we will send our new address..... it is a gorgeous house (we lucked out--- banana slugs and Geoducks were all there to make it happen).... you and Mary will have to come visit..... it is in Kingston, just 2 miles from the ferry.. from the house you can see the cascade range, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier! We have an open home to all our friends and when we say you are welcome to visit we mean it!
ED note: no matter what you send; ff will post whatever he wants (whether you wrote it or not :)...p.s. we absolutely WUV debbee, and always will...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I know, I know, I know...
...and the complaints continue to pour in regarding the block "flatfoot freddie" has put on blog comments. and most of the one's that get through, never see the light of day. slugs, it has to be this way; you have no idea who/what we're dealing with here. wrong-way charlie is still being closely watched by the cia/fbi/foreign services, and most everything he writes to tsi could easily be construed a threat to national security. the man has issues. and he's one of the more sane slugs; except for the time he was peeled off the white house (yes, the Real One) fence in his slug shirt (unceremoniously, losing his running shorts in the process)....very, unfortunately true, story... and, i have hundreds of those stories...though not all are absolutely true. but all are exactly as i remember...and i've lots of pics to prove it.
so life and time passes by. i get lots of emails (teamslug@comcast.net) from olde sluggos. most have become very goode at finding something else to do (besides slogging) on slug non-event days. and, i agree with them. i can think of no good reason to come back after you get the shirt. it's a widely known (ultra-world) secret that Team Slug is not really a running club. though we have put on a lot of non-events, and we have a lot of "Unofficial Chapters". rather, we're a philosophy of life. one that says, "slow down, walk a little, be nice, enjoy your days; smile some damn time, it ain't gonna kill ya." and once in a while, someone gets "it." they understand what we're saying, and feel how deeply we believe. maybe TSI would better be described as a CULT. a religion where one understands how incredibly precious each moment is, and one that believes in the goodness of all...particularly fellow Slugs :)
so are we losing dear friends john and debbee??? not really. rather, they'll take their pink flamingos and black Slug gear; load'it into a giant u-haul and point it west. and they'll always remember the slugs. always. and, some day; if they get lucky and get olde... they'll be out on a trail somewhere; creeping, bumbling, and stumbling; barely moving, aching from every joint, a little too fatt ... and realize, dang, da'hitman was right. we are slugs. we are ALL slugs...some us just didn't get their yet.
good luck getting there,
da'hitman
so life and time passes by. i get lots of emails (teamslug@comcast.net) from olde sluggos. most have become very goode at finding something else to do (besides slogging) on slug non-event days. and, i agree with them. i can think of no good reason to come back after you get the shirt. it's a widely known (ultra-world) secret that Team Slug is not really a running club. though we have put on a lot of non-events, and we have a lot of "Unofficial Chapters". rather, we're a philosophy of life. one that says, "slow down, walk a little, be nice, enjoy your days; smile some damn time, it ain't gonna kill ya." and once in a while, someone gets "it." they understand what we're saying, and feel how deeply we believe. maybe TSI would better be described as a CULT. a religion where one understands how incredibly precious each moment is, and one that believes in the goodness of all...particularly fellow Slugs :)
so are we losing dear friends john and debbee??? not really. rather, they'll take their pink flamingos and black Slug gear; load'it into a giant u-haul and point it west. and they'll always remember the slugs. always. and, some day; if they get lucky and get olde... they'll be out on a trail somewhere; creeping, bumbling, and stumbling; barely moving, aching from every joint, a little too fatt ... and realize, dang, da'hitman was right. we are slugs. we are ALL slugs...some us just didn't get their yet.
good luck getting there,
da'hitman
Monday, July 14, 2008
Coded Message for the Emperor...
...of all the Geoduck Slugs ....
MIT is looking for you! they're sending Rocky Beaver!
PACK FASTER, and head WEST...
over and out,
da' hitman...
MIT is looking for you! they're sending Rocky Beaver!
PACK FASTER, and head WEST...
over and out,
da' hitman...
Friday, July 11, 2008
From the Rise Up Runners...
Many thanks to the Delaware Slugs for their hospitality, enthusiasm, encouragement between laps, and for the lunacy to host a 50K event in the middle of June on the longest day of the year. If you ever get a super secret invitation to join in a Team Slug non-event, give it a go. Some great folks!
First Three Entrants for TSI's 2008 RBC 50K are:
1. Pokey, DE
2. The Grand Poo-bah, MD
3. Jim Simpson, CA
Finishers will receive TSI's 20th Anniversary Beer Stein...
Register Soon; Slots will be limited to the "Whim of Flatfoot Freddie"
Happy Days,
da' Hitman
First Three Entrants for TSI's 2008 RBC 50K are:
1. Pokey, DE
2. The Grand Poo-bah, MD
3. Jim Simpson, CA
Finishers will receive TSI's 20th Anniversary Beer Stein...
Register Soon; Slots will be limited to the "Whim of Flatfoot Freddie"
Happy Days,
da' Hitman
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
I know some of the olde sluggos...
...are shaking their heads and rolling over in their graves. flatfoot freddie advertising a FIVE K on the slug site??? what in da' sam b.haile is goin' on. did da' hitman finally snap??? we all knew it was gonna happen :) listen up, olde and new friends and sluggos, we'd support anything the straubs decide to do. as they say out west, "they's good folkes."
if they wanna booze it up with dozens of delinquents, and some g.brandy on a sunday mornin' in the first state, while carrying plastic pink flamingos through an upscale neighborhood, pizzing off most of the neighbors, and requiring a guest appearance from barney the sheriff...you can bet your sweet arse i'll be there...
anywho, the Empress of the Geoduck Slugs sends along the following pic for all to enjoy...be fer sure, more pics of flamingoes will follow...
happy days,
flatfoot freddie
if they wanna booze it up with dozens of delinquents, and some g.brandy on a sunday mornin' in the first state, while carrying plastic pink flamingos through an upscale neighborhood, pizzing off most of the neighbors, and requiring a guest appearance from barney the sheriff...you can bet your sweet arse i'll be there...
anywho, the Empress of the Geoduck Slugs sends along the following pic for all to enjoy...be fer sure, more pics of flamingoes will follow...
happy days,
flatfoot freddie
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Flocking Flamingo Farewell 5K
Hey all-
As you may or may not know we are moving back to Washington State. We will
leave at the end of July. So to bid farewell for now.... We thought it would
only be appropriate to throw a 5K farewell... The flocking flamingo is ,
well... I will explain that on Sunday.... You must run with a flamingo or in
pink..... Be the flamingo... Be the flamingo...
Here are the details.....
A Flocking Flamingo Farewell 5k and BBQ POTLUCK on Sunday at 11 am... Walk
or run the 5k followed by food and hanging out.....
We will have some burger and hot dogs.... Some drinks
You pick a dish and bring some of your favorites...
We will miss you all!
Run on
Debbee and John Straub
Empress and Emperor of TSI, Geoduck Division
As you may or may not know we are moving back to Washington State. We will
leave at the end of July. So to bid farewell for now.... We thought it would
only be appropriate to throw a 5K farewell... The flocking flamingo is ,
well... I will explain that on Sunday.... You must run with a flamingo or in
pink..... Be the flamingo... Be the flamingo...
Here are the details.....
A Flocking Flamingo Farewell 5k and BBQ POTLUCK on Sunday at 11 am... Walk
or run the 5k followed by food and hanging out.....
We will have some burger and hot dogs.... Some drinks
You pick a dish and bring some of your favorites...
We will miss you all!
Run on
Debbee and John Straub
Empress and Emperor of TSI, Geoduck Division
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Let the madness begin...
Editor's Note: This essay pirated from Michael Valliant's website (The 4-1 Run) without permission. It was definitely Derek's fault.
Let the madness begin...the start of the Team Slug Booty Rumble 50K around Killens Pond in Delaware. Derek Hills (dual citizenship with Team Slug and the Rise Up Runners) leads the charge wth RUR's Lori Callahan and Mike Valliant in the mix. Photo courtesy of Team Slug.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...this contest will be for ten rounds with each round lasting 3.1 miles of runnable singletrack. The heat will climb to around 88 degrees and the humidity will make it seem worse. If it any time you become unconscious or your corner throws in the towel, you will probably be offered a beer, but you will not have completed the Booty Rumble 50K.
ROUNDS 1 through 5
Bob and weave...the first loop around Killens Pond we get our bearings, learn the course, as first Derek Hills leads the way, then relinquishes the lead after a re-routed trail stymies him. Beautiful course, open trail, some roots, some wooden bridges through muddy spots, running by some cabins, then by a boat ramp and a 1/4 mile of road before looping back to the check-in and aid station.
The Delaware Slugs are great people--ultra runners and ultra running enthusiasts, who have battle scars and stories from various races, and are friendly, gracious, and encouraging on the trail and at the picnic tables.
Pace seems easy, speeding up at times, and finishing each 5K loop in under 30 minutes. 10K in 55 minutes or so. Runners are spread out, but there are still a few of us running around each other. I start thinking greedy and say to Lori, "You know, if we keep this pace, we might finish in under 5 hours..."
Lori is more reasonable (and right), "And if we don't, that's okay too..."
Of the Easton/Rise Up Runner contingency, Derek has moved ahead a bit, and Lori and I zig-zag through the first three loops or so, with her quicker through the aid station, and me catching up to her on the trail. We're in the aid station at the same time after three, and I run four at a good clip to catch up, but wind up catching up to Derek, who says his legs feel like bags of cement. I'm feeling good, so I move on ahead. Turns out Lori had lingered a bit longer at the aid station to adjust gear. Finish loop 4 (20K) in under two hours. As I am leaving the aid station to start loop 5, I see her heading in.
Loop 5, still feeling strong, coming in under 2:30 for 25K. Half-way there. The shoes I am testing for Trail Runner mag have been rubbing funny, so I switch to a more trusty pair of Inov-8s I have at the aid station and my feet feel lighter. Legs feel good, stomach is intact, in the back of my mind, the 5 hour 50K is still whispering.
ROUNDS 6 & 7
Loop 6 is more of the same, though my mind begins to feel like it's in the rinse cycle--lap-happy and on auto-pilot, but still functioning and not screaming at me. Finish 30K in under 3 hours.
Loop 7 has me a little dizzy. Still running, but not strong. Man, it must be getting hot or something! Got some Shot Bloks down, but stomach isn't happy any more. Shuffle in for 35K, fallen off the pace of the previous six loops, but, hey, it's another loop in the books!
ROUND 8
1...2...3...
How'd I end up on the mat? The Killens Pond's Pondside Trail doesn't pack a wallop. It doesn't have a knockout punch. More of a glancing blow. What's going on?
Tank is empty. Stomach is on strike. Legs are not cramping, but the mind/body no longer wants to make them run. So I walk...most of the loop. I expect Lori will be coming by me this loop, and she does. She's fairing a bit better, steady, working with a 10:1 run/walk cadence. She's got momentum and pushes on ahead.
4...5...6...
Dizzier. No desire for food, stomach won't allow any. It's a casual race. Most folks were doing a few loops, or the 25K. 40K is all I've got in me today. It's a fun run...and I am relegated to walking. I'll just walk the rest of this loop and call it a day. Drink some water, chill on the picnic table, wait for my stomach to feel better. Is it really a DNF on a fun run? I'm okay with a DNF...maybe...man it's hot...I'm done. I'll just get around the loop. Pick it up to a shuffle.
I pull in to the aid station and I'm done. No will to keep moving. I sit on the picnic table, grab some ice for the back of my neck and sit down. I drink a little water.
Fella comes over who'd run a few loops. Just ran the Skyline 40 miler the weekend before. Had to powerhike the last section because of stomach issues. Had thrown up for 35 miles at the Massanutten 100-miler before dropping. Didn't want two DNFs in a row, so made himself finish Skyline. Before that had ran well at the Umsted 100, but hadn't been able to get his stomach right since.
"Just two more loops," he says. "You can just walk 'em to bring it home if you have to."
7...8...9...
I'm up. Sitting helped. The ice helped. Water for the last loop has calmed my stomach. I take an S-Cap and drop a NUUN tablet and ice in the water bottle, to make sure cramping doesn't become a factor. At some point while sitting, my legs found there way back. I'm running again leaving the aid station.
ROUNDS 9 & 10
For the second five loops walkers, campers, fishing folks have been laughing, shaking their heads seeing me go by again. Must be a sight! My legs are working again and I'm able to run. For less than another 10K now, I know my stomach will cut me some slack. A little trail weary, but passable. I finish loop 9 and tell the good folks at base camp I better do a "cool down" loop.
As I'm leaving the aid station, I see Derek coming in. "Last lap?" he asks. "Last lap." "Alright!"
Loop 10 is like 9--running, not fast, but running most of it. The road around the pond, past the public ramp is a welcome landmark, knowing it's pretty well finished. I find enough foot speed to make myself look like a runner again down the stretch to finish. Some cheers and a whole lotta smiles. 50K (31 miles) finished in 5:48. Lori is in already (and much quicker to recover), clocking in at 5:40, and not five minutes after I sat down, the cheers picked up as Derek came across the proverbial line in 5:52.
RECAP
A little unorthodox for a race report, but I'm not sure what is orthodox about running 31 miles in the middle of June :) Team Slug, Delaware welcomed us with open arms and gave us everything we needed to gitterdun' on a hot day. An exceptional (and exceptionally funny and kooky in a good, ultra running way) group of folks, who know how to have a good time.
They've got a more holistic race report, and a bunch of pictures that sum up the day in images over on the Booty Rumble 50K race page. There's also a quick shout-out of thanks and congratulations to Lori and Derek on our Rise Up Runners blog.
Mentally, the Rumble was one of the more difficult runs I've done, not for the difficulty of the course, but for the ease of stopping at the end of every loop once you get tired! For me, point-to-point, out-and-back, and even a bigger loop, make for an easier race, even with tougher terrain.
Having said that, the experience was great. The people were fantastic. And I've stretched out the soul again to see what's in some of the corners that don't get used until/unless you push yourself past where you are comfortable.
That said, when ultra running and I cross paths, I think I prefer it to be in the spring, fall, or winter. Isn't summer supposed to be for vacations? ;)
Michael Valliant
Let the madness begin...the start of the Team Slug Booty Rumble 50K around Killens Pond in Delaware. Derek Hills (dual citizenship with Team Slug and the Rise Up Runners) leads the charge wth RUR's Lori Callahan and Mike Valliant in the mix. Photo courtesy of Team Slug.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...this contest will be for ten rounds with each round lasting 3.1 miles of runnable singletrack. The heat will climb to around 88 degrees and the humidity will make it seem worse. If it any time you become unconscious or your corner throws in the towel, you will probably be offered a beer, but you will not have completed the Booty Rumble 50K.
ROUNDS 1 through 5
Bob and weave...the first loop around Killens Pond we get our bearings, learn the course, as first Derek Hills leads the way, then relinquishes the lead after a re-routed trail stymies him. Beautiful course, open trail, some roots, some wooden bridges through muddy spots, running by some cabins, then by a boat ramp and a 1/4 mile of road before looping back to the check-in and aid station.
The Delaware Slugs are great people--ultra runners and ultra running enthusiasts, who have battle scars and stories from various races, and are friendly, gracious, and encouraging on the trail and at the picnic tables.
Pace seems easy, speeding up at times, and finishing each 5K loop in under 30 minutes. 10K in 55 minutes or so. Runners are spread out, but there are still a few of us running around each other. I start thinking greedy and say to Lori, "You know, if we keep this pace, we might finish in under 5 hours..."
Lori is more reasonable (and right), "And if we don't, that's okay too..."
Of the Easton/Rise Up Runner contingency, Derek has moved ahead a bit, and Lori and I zig-zag through the first three loops or so, with her quicker through the aid station, and me catching up to her on the trail. We're in the aid station at the same time after three, and I run four at a good clip to catch up, but wind up catching up to Derek, who says his legs feel like bags of cement. I'm feeling good, so I move on ahead. Turns out Lori had lingered a bit longer at the aid station to adjust gear. Finish loop 4 (20K) in under two hours. As I am leaving the aid station to start loop 5, I see her heading in.
Loop 5, still feeling strong, coming in under 2:30 for 25K. Half-way there. The shoes I am testing for Trail Runner mag have been rubbing funny, so I switch to a more trusty pair of Inov-8s I have at the aid station and my feet feel lighter. Legs feel good, stomach is intact, in the back of my mind, the 5 hour 50K is still whispering.
ROUNDS 6 & 7
Loop 6 is more of the same, though my mind begins to feel like it's in the rinse cycle--lap-happy and on auto-pilot, but still functioning and not screaming at me. Finish 30K in under 3 hours.
Loop 7 has me a little dizzy. Still running, but not strong. Man, it must be getting hot or something! Got some Shot Bloks down, but stomach isn't happy any more. Shuffle in for 35K, fallen off the pace of the previous six loops, but, hey, it's another loop in the books!
ROUND 8
1...2...3...
How'd I end up on the mat? The Killens Pond's Pondside Trail doesn't pack a wallop. It doesn't have a knockout punch. More of a glancing blow. What's going on?
Tank is empty. Stomach is on strike. Legs are not cramping, but the mind/body no longer wants to make them run. So I walk...most of the loop. I expect Lori will be coming by me this loop, and she does. She's fairing a bit better, steady, working with a 10:1 run/walk cadence. She's got momentum and pushes on ahead.
4...5...6...
Dizzier. No desire for food, stomach won't allow any. It's a casual race. Most folks were doing a few loops, or the 25K. 40K is all I've got in me today. It's a fun run...and I am relegated to walking. I'll just walk the rest of this loop and call it a day. Drink some water, chill on the picnic table, wait for my stomach to feel better. Is it really a DNF on a fun run? I'm okay with a DNF...maybe...man it's hot...I'm done. I'll just get around the loop. Pick it up to a shuffle.
I pull in to the aid station and I'm done. No will to keep moving. I sit on the picnic table, grab some ice for the back of my neck and sit down. I drink a little water.
Fella comes over who'd run a few loops. Just ran the Skyline 40 miler the weekend before. Had to powerhike the last section because of stomach issues. Had thrown up for 35 miles at the Massanutten 100-miler before dropping. Didn't want two DNFs in a row, so made himself finish Skyline. Before that had ran well at the Umsted 100, but hadn't been able to get his stomach right since.
"Just two more loops," he says. "You can just walk 'em to bring it home if you have to."
7...8...9...
I'm up. Sitting helped. The ice helped. Water for the last loop has calmed my stomach. I take an S-Cap and drop a NUUN tablet and ice in the water bottle, to make sure cramping doesn't become a factor. At some point while sitting, my legs found there way back. I'm running again leaving the aid station.
ROUNDS 9 & 10
For the second five loops walkers, campers, fishing folks have been laughing, shaking their heads seeing me go by again. Must be a sight! My legs are working again and I'm able to run. For less than another 10K now, I know my stomach will cut me some slack. A little trail weary, but passable. I finish loop 9 and tell the good folks at base camp I better do a "cool down" loop.
As I'm leaving the aid station, I see Derek coming in. "Last lap?" he asks. "Last lap." "Alright!"
Loop 10 is like 9--running, not fast, but running most of it. The road around the pond, past the public ramp is a welcome landmark, knowing it's pretty well finished. I find enough foot speed to make myself look like a runner again down the stretch to finish. Some cheers and a whole lotta smiles. 50K (31 miles) finished in 5:48. Lori is in already (and much quicker to recover), clocking in at 5:40, and not five minutes after I sat down, the cheers picked up as Derek came across the proverbial line in 5:52.
RECAP
A little unorthodox for a race report, but I'm not sure what is orthodox about running 31 miles in the middle of June :) Team Slug, Delaware welcomed us with open arms and gave us everything we needed to gitterdun' on a hot day. An exceptional (and exceptionally funny and kooky in a good, ultra running way) group of folks, who know how to have a good time.
They've got a more holistic race report, and a bunch of pictures that sum up the day in images over on the Booty Rumble 50K race page. There's also a quick shout-out of thanks and congratulations to Lori and Derek on our Rise Up Runners blog.
Mentally, the Rumble was one of the more difficult runs I've done, not for the difficulty of the course, but for the ease of stopping at the end of every loop once you get tired! For me, point-to-point, out-and-back, and even a bigger loop, make for an easier race, even with tougher terrain.
Having said that, the experience was great. The people were fantastic. And I've stretched out the soul again to see what's in some of the corners that don't get used until/unless you push yourself past where you are comfortable.
That said, when ultra running and I cross paths, I think I prefer it to be in the spring, fall, or winter. Isn't summer supposed to be for vacations? ;)
Michael Valliant
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