Received this nice note from James / Rebecca today. As always they bring a smile to my lips, and joy to my heart. James story is now posted at his site listed below. James is right, the RBC is creeping up on us. Hope all are running well.
John,
We've been really enjoying your write up on the Team Slug site. So many kind words from the heart. Let's just enjoy life, what ever it brings. Looking forward to RBC.
There is a Badwater repot I posted, that I would like to share with the Slugs. It's on the VHTRC site and also on my site at www.1morun.com.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the RBC. How many thousand entries have you had to turn down? Might be time for the "Lottery"..
Sluggett said Hello.
Allnighter
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
ole sluggo say, "DNF much better than DNS...."
I've got a few old buddies that have had some dnf's this summer; and i've been thinking about the "real good" possibility that i'll experience that feeling again...and hopefully soon. i remember the old days not worrying about a fifty miler. we were doing thirty every weekend, and lining up for a fifty we were running for time. i always wanted to break nine, but i never did. (closest for this 'ole sluggo was 9:04). anywho, the early years flew by, and i was getting a bit "big-headed" fer my running shorts. i always wondered why runners "quit". in my mind i often thought, "not me, i'd never quit; i'd run through hell with a broken leg if i had to, but i was coming to the finish line." and then i lost my mind; that's right, somehow i imagined i could finish barkley. just don't know what got into me, but, i sent in the app. and gary let me run. no need to go into details, but i assure you it wasn't pretty. best part was gary didn't acknowledge lap "ONE" dropouts in the results. at least that was a blessing. so i had my first DNF at barkley. no shame in that, and others followed. NOW, i'd love to have a DNF at a fifty miler. haile, just standing on that start line would fluff my feathers. i miss the guys, and gals; i really do. so you folks out there dnf'ing are my heroes. always. never quit...TRYING....with a little luck, and if the water don't rise; soon, i'll be back out there with ya. til then, happy days, da' hitman.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
A Stuttering Cat (NUC)
Y'know i never ever forward jokes, but it's been a hard month and for some reason this one made me smile. I borrowed it from myspace. Hope all are running well; and having a great weekend.
P.S. I like cats/animals! no mean mail please :)
A STUTTERING CAT
>
> A teacher is explaining biology to her 4th grade
> students. "Human beings are the only animals that
> stutter".
> A little girl raises her hand. "I had a kitty-cat
> who stuttered", she volunteered.
> The teacher, knowing how precious some of these
> stories could become, asked the girl to describe the
> incident.
> "Well", she began, "I was in the back yard with my
> kitty, and the Rottweiler that lives next door got a
> running start and before we knew it he jumped over
> the fence into our yard!"
> "That must've been scary", said the teacher. "It
> sure was", said the little girl.
> "My kitty raised his back and went 'Fffff,Fffff,
> Fffff'...
> And before he could say F@#k, the Rottweiler ate
> him!"
P.S. I like cats/animals! no mean mail please :)
A STUTTERING CAT
>
> A teacher is explaining biology to her 4th grade
> students. "Human beings are the only animals that
> stutter".
> A little girl raises her hand. "I had a kitty-cat
> who stuttered", she volunteered.
> The teacher, knowing how precious some of these
> stories could become, asked the girl to describe the
> incident.
> "Well", she began, "I was in the back yard with my
> kitty, and the Rottweiler that lives next door got a
> running start and before we knew it he jumped over
> the fence into our yard!"
> "That must've been scary", said the teacher. "It
> sure was", said the little girl.
> "My kitty raised his back and went 'Fffff,Fffff,
> Fffff'...
> And before he could say F@#k, the Rottweiler ate
> him!"
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Need some motivation sluggos....check this out....
....order information follows below.
"The band of 55, shambling along in a procession of Gothic horror, closed their ranks and refused to yield. They now resembled the crew of a shipwreck, rather than trained athletes. Every foot and leg injury, short of fracture, was eased gently Eastward. shins swollen grotesquely, soles blistered like paint exposed to heat, strained tendons and pulled muscles, festering dog bites. The men's skins had now been tanned so dark that Payne, or for that matter Gardner and Cotton, were no longer readily identifiable. A threadbare track suit was aristocratic garb. Many had their clothes hanging in rags. Bandages that would have brought shudders of distress in Crimea were wrapped around the wounds. Rivers, who took a shoe size of 6 1/2 could only continue in size 11. For 45 of these gallant men there was no incentive beyond pride left. Even the eleventh-place man, Harry Abramowitz, was well aware that he was incapable of making up twelve hours on the man in the last position for prize money, John Cronick."
No this ain't Claude's Big Butt, Team Slug's Fattest Butt, or any current event. But, this was a real, genuine footrace. If interested book ordering information is below. It's a doozy. happy days, john
"The band of 55, shambling along in a procession of Gothic horror, closed their ranks and refused to yield. They now resembled the crew of a shipwreck, rather than trained athletes. Every foot and leg injury, short of fracture, was eased gently Eastward. shins swollen grotesquely, soles blistered like paint exposed to heat, strained tendons and pulled muscles, festering dog bites. The men's skins had now been tanned so dark that Payne, or for that matter Gardner and Cotton, were no longer readily identifiable. A threadbare track suit was aristocratic garb. Many had their clothes hanging in rags. Bandages that would have brought shudders of distress in Crimea were wrapped around the wounds. Rivers, who took a shoe size of 6 1/2 could only continue in size 11. For 45 of these gallant men there was no incentive beyond pride left. Even the eleventh-place man, Harry Abramowitz, was well aware that he was incapable of making up twelve hours on the man in the last position for prize money, John Cronick."
No this ain't Claude's Big Butt, Team Slug's Fattest Butt, or any current event. But, this was a real, genuine footrace. If interested book ordering information is below. It's a doozy. happy days, john
TSI Recommends... C.C.Pyle's Amazing Foot Race
In the Roaring Twenties, endurance fads were all the rage. From dance marathons and flagpole sitting to kissing and kite-flying competitions, it seemed there was nothing that someone wouldn’t attempt. Some wanted fame, fortune or fun, but for those not dressed in tuxedoes or feather boas, living the good life that the Jazz Age afforded, an endurance competition meant a chance to change one’s luck.
And then there were those who made their own luck, like C.C. Pyle, a regular P.T. Barnum in the 1920s, a notorious sports agent who almost single-handedly took football from the amateur hour to the professional leagues. Best known as the promoter of football legend Red Grange, Pyle will soon be a main supporting character (played by Jonathan Pryce) in George Clooney’s film Leatherheads, due in theaters this December.
But even more than his contributions to professional sports, Pyle’s greatest—or most notorious—offering to sports history began April 26, 1927, when he stood before a room full of sportswriters and proposed a foot race across the United States—from Los Angeles to New York. Runners would travel 30 to 50 miles a day, sleeping in towns along the way. The runner with the lowest total time would win $25,000 in prize money, a jaw-dropping dollar figure at the time.
In C.C. PYLE’S AMAZING FOOT RACE (Rodale / July 2007 / Hardcover / $25.95), Geoff Williams tells the tale of what would officially be known as C.C. Pyle’s First Annual International Transcontinental Foot Race, From Los Angeles to New York. In an age of partially paved roads, shoddy shoes, and dubious foot care, sportswriters mockingly dubbed Pyle’s grand scheme the “Bunion Derby.” But it seemed less ludicrous to the 199 runners from all over the world, many of them hapless underdogs, who took their mark on March 4, 1928, for the chance to change their luck…their fortunes…their lives.
The race was grueling in predictable and unpredictable ways, as runners endured harsh weather, crippling ailments, death threats, and startled motorists—but an astonishing 55 participants managed to stagger to the Madison Square Garden finish line 84 days later. This from a field of starters that boasted very few professional runners, and included a postal worker, a cowboy, a streetcar operator, and even a baker. The diverse competitors vying for the prize money included:
· Andy Payne, a 20-year old Oklahoman and part Cherokee who wanted to win over the girl of his dreams and pay off the mortgage on his family’s farm
· Paul “Hardrock” Simpson, a college student from North Carolina who had already survived being hit by a car, enlisting in the army at age 15, and a 500 mile race against a pony
· Mike Kelly, formerly known as Dean Pletcher, a luckless boxer from Indiana, who changed his name before beginning the race that he hoped would change his life
· Ed Gardner, one of four black runners whose encounters with bigotry along the race route made reaching New York a deeply personal quest.
· Arthur Newton, a record-breaking runner who, according to Pyle’s race program, “was passed up for the last two Olympic Games because the 26-mile marathon was too short for him”
· Charles Hart, a 63-year-old Englishman, whose world-record for fastest time over 100 miles had just been broken by rival runner Newton
· Morris Saperstein, the last surviving participant in the Bunion Derby, passing away in February 2005, who for unknown reasons went to his grave without ever mentioning a word to his family about the monumental race
Drawing from the firsthand accounts of those who were there, never-before-published material, and interviews with many living descendents, Williams reveals a cast of characters colorful enough to rival any of today’s reality television contestants. By the end of C.C. PYLE’S AMAZING FOOT RACE, readers, like the runners who crossed the finish line, will be tempted to believe C.C. Pyle’s boast: “I’m the gent that makes dreams come true.”
Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist, whose articles have appeared in publications as diverse as Entertainment Weekly and LIFE. He frequently contributes to Entrepreneur and pens a monthly humor column for the parenting magazine, Babytalk. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Loveland, Ohio.
If you would like to receive a review copy for your newsletter, I would be happy to send one to you.
Beth Tarson
Senior Publicist | Rodale Trade Books
733 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017-3204
(P) 212-808-1684 (F) 212-573-9940
And then there were those who made their own luck, like C.C. Pyle, a regular P.T. Barnum in the 1920s, a notorious sports agent who almost single-handedly took football from the amateur hour to the professional leagues. Best known as the promoter of football legend Red Grange, Pyle will soon be a main supporting character (played by Jonathan Pryce) in George Clooney’s film Leatherheads, due in theaters this December.
But even more than his contributions to professional sports, Pyle’s greatest—or most notorious—offering to sports history began April 26, 1927, when he stood before a room full of sportswriters and proposed a foot race across the United States—from Los Angeles to New York. Runners would travel 30 to 50 miles a day, sleeping in towns along the way. The runner with the lowest total time would win $25,000 in prize money, a jaw-dropping dollar figure at the time.
In C.C. PYLE’S AMAZING FOOT RACE (Rodale / July 2007 / Hardcover / $25.95), Geoff Williams tells the tale of what would officially be known as C.C. Pyle’s First Annual International Transcontinental Foot Race, From Los Angeles to New York. In an age of partially paved roads, shoddy shoes, and dubious foot care, sportswriters mockingly dubbed Pyle’s grand scheme the “Bunion Derby.” But it seemed less ludicrous to the 199 runners from all over the world, many of them hapless underdogs, who took their mark on March 4, 1928, for the chance to change their luck…their fortunes…their lives.
The race was grueling in predictable and unpredictable ways, as runners endured harsh weather, crippling ailments, death threats, and startled motorists—but an astonishing 55 participants managed to stagger to the Madison Square Garden finish line 84 days later. This from a field of starters that boasted very few professional runners, and included a postal worker, a cowboy, a streetcar operator, and even a baker. The diverse competitors vying for the prize money included:
· Andy Payne, a 20-year old Oklahoman and part Cherokee who wanted to win over the girl of his dreams and pay off the mortgage on his family’s farm
· Paul “Hardrock” Simpson, a college student from North Carolina who had already survived being hit by a car, enlisting in the army at age 15, and a 500 mile race against a pony
· Mike Kelly, formerly known as Dean Pletcher, a luckless boxer from Indiana, who changed his name before beginning the race that he hoped would change his life
· Ed Gardner, one of four black runners whose encounters with bigotry along the race route made reaching New York a deeply personal quest.
· Arthur Newton, a record-breaking runner who, according to Pyle’s race program, “was passed up for the last two Olympic Games because the 26-mile marathon was too short for him”
· Charles Hart, a 63-year-old Englishman, whose world-record for fastest time over 100 miles had just been broken by rival runner Newton
· Morris Saperstein, the last surviving participant in the Bunion Derby, passing away in February 2005, who for unknown reasons went to his grave without ever mentioning a word to his family about the monumental race
Drawing from the firsthand accounts of those who were there, never-before-published material, and interviews with many living descendents, Williams reveals a cast of characters colorful enough to rival any of today’s reality television contestants. By the end of C.C. PYLE’S AMAZING FOOT RACE, readers, like the runners who crossed the finish line, will be tempted to believe C.C. Pyle’s boast: “I’m the gent that makes dreams come true.”
Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist, whose articles have appeared in publications as diverse as Entertainment Weekly and LIFE. He frequently contributes to Entrepreneur and pens a monthly humor column for the parenting magazine, Babytalk. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Loveland, Ohio.
If you would like to receive a review copy for your newsletter, I would be happy to send one to you.
Beth Tarson
Senior Publicist | Rodale Trade Books
733 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017-3204
(P) 212-808-1684 (F) 212-573-9940
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