The Marathon Kills....Chicago '07

...but so does sitting on your couch and going to work. i am very sorry for the young man, Chad Schieber, the thirty-five year old from michigan who died in the heat of the chicago marathon on sunday. and, i'm especially sorry for his family and friends.

but, i'm also very happy for chad. so many folks don't follow their dreams; and are frozen in time, unable to act on "what may be." not chad. reports said he trained for six months, in order to complete his first marathon. most folks reading this blog can relate. some of us have trained for "decades" but can easily recall the early years, and finishing that first marathon. it was a treat; and it changed our worlds, and the way we think about our lives, and how we relate to those around us. the friendships we've enjoyed go on forever. we share a common bond, and it is good.

that was the dream chad was following; the one calling from deep inside his soul; life is a precious thing, for sure. the older we get, the more clear it becomes just how important moments in time are. this was chad's moment in time. it is a sad time for his family, for sure. but chad's life should be celebrated. chad set the bar high, and went for it. he challenged himself to a physical goal, that most human beings never even consider.

the media has blown this event out of proportion; and some critics will even challenge the sanity of being out there running in the heat. they're all wrong. they don't hear the music that runners hear. they don't feel the power of movement that we know. and, it's o.k. my friends, stay out there; keep moving and keep the faith.

happy days,
flatfoot freddie

90 Days until TSI's Fattest Butt....

...and the Top-Secret Slug Course is being groomed. everyone knows that january in the middle atlantic is pure h*ll. last year, the temps topped at seventy degrees with sunshine. of course, it's global warming; and the republicans fault (mostly W's). however, this year we're bringing in 17 kilotons of glacial ice from greenland. naturally, it'll be grossly hacked, and chopped into fine pieces; and strewn around the course at opportune points. flatfoot freddie is in close contact with the National Weather Service who assure us there will be dastardly cold and miserable freezing rain / ice on fatt butt day. so don't forget yer parkas. ranger rick ain't real pleased with us right now either. seems someone left their team slug thong, hanging on the handlebars of the park ranger's four wheeler. and, it appeared soiled. this is not good slugs; and what it means is that big bertha; was in the park, against my wishes.



it's ok, it's all good; we're sendin' pokey in with some peanut brittle to appease the rangers. however, there will absolutely, positively be no bushwhackin' and jumpin' fences this year. team slug is "this" close to getting kicked out of the first state...and we just need to be able to hold on another year or two. what i am requesting is that y'all don't run so danged fast; i really enjoyed being out in the forest in the pitch blackness last year. the delaware devil-beasts are out on full moon nights; and while i heard him last year; this year i'm hoping to pop him with a pea shooter...and i don't like to be out their alone; in case i miss. it wouldn't be pretty. the ole DDB has sharp teeth, and bad breath.

hope all are enjoyin' some fine fall training; happy days, the big brown pony...

Why Team Slug is still here???

...and I've been thinking a lot about this lately; particularly when puttin' away brewskies with budds following a long run. Why is TSI still here; and what has held us together all of these years? Then I get to thinking about the current state of ultrarunning; and how it's grown. Kind of like NASCAR; destined to become larger and more popular; and destined to change. Race applications on-line and selling out in a few days, or less. Many hundreds showing up at races; the majority of which we've never met before. And, events / personalities that have outgrown the common "back of the packer."

I'm not sure it's "good or bad" it just is. For better or worse, and as the tide of time passes; the olde days are gone. For many runners; ultrarunning has become a business. And for better or worse; the olde folks are stuck with it. Listen... ain't complainin'...change is inevitable. So what do we do? We can change with it...or Team Slug can hang on. Hang on with all those small clubs / groups of friends who continue to stage low-key events. So we roll on. Start twelve here; and sixteen there. Skim a little pond water, and have a little fun. The olde days were that good. They really were, and they weren't that long ago. At Team Slug, the olde days were this past Saturday; and they were good.

I have to tell the small gang; whose line of time, often intersects mine; that I love every one of you. All the folks, who've crossed over to the dark "black t-shirt" side; and ran / participated in one of our "most pitiful of all non-events." Y'all are the real ultrarunners. The ones with the direct philosophical links, back to those who came before. And we will carry on. Rumours of the "Death of Team Slug" are greatly exaggerated. After the Hitman and Flatfoot Freddie; Chief Slug and the All-Nighter, the Troll...and hundreds of other Slugs are gone; our spirit will carry on. And someone will pickup the torch. We carried on for the Flatlanders....and someone, somewhere will carry on for us. God Bless every single one of you tonight and always. Life is Good!!!

happy days, the hitman...

"I trained earnestly for that hardest of all contests, the ultra distance walking races. I was no champion, but what I gained was better than any rewards like cups or medals. I gained health and strength, incidentally and best of all, I gained friends, sound friends, whose company has made life the pleasurable thing it has mostly been."

Australian walker Robert Henderson Crall (1869 to 1947)

TSI announces 2008 Fattest Butt..

The 2008 Fattest Butt will be held at the Central Delaware Slug course on Saturday, January 5, 2008. All Slugs and Potential Slugs are invited to attend. Fat Ass Format, No Aid, Fees; etc. Swamp water and Stale Bread will be provided. Long range forecast predicts extreme levels of snow and freezing rain. Snow shoes, ropes, and crampons will be permitted due to technicality of course. As always, TSI highly advises you not to attend , and, as always; some poor souls will! And, I love them.
First Accepted Entrant to TSI's next non-event is:

Mr. Louis D'Onofrio of New Jersey... congrats my young friend!

As always sending good wishes to all da' slugs and slug wannabees alike...
happy days,
flatfoot freddie.

Team Slug's 18th Fall Birthday Run...

...this year on Saturday, 9/29, the Russell B.Cheney 50K+ was won by Mark
Crisman of Ft.Meade, MD. He successfully defended his title by completing the
course in 4:16:10. First woman was Alisa Springman of Mercersburg, PA who
finished in 4:53:37. Crazy Horse Award winner was Amanda Bundek of Dover, DE in
6:56:06. Special congratulations to Jim Simpson of Huntington Beach, California
who completed his 496th marathon/ultra. Full results; story and pictures, will
be posted to www.teamslug.com by Sunday evening.

Tonight Team Slug sends best wishes to all runners competing in the Delaware
100-mile Run, at this hour, near Newark, DE. Our thoughts and prayers are with
you. God Bless America and God Bless all of our troops, wherever they are
serving this evening. The Hitman.

See ya in the AM....at da' pond....

NON-EVENT Director Lisa says,

All set Sluggo's...ready to rock and roll;
another good crowd expected; remember, the right folks ALWAYS show up!!!
ALWAYS!!!
please be at gate at 745; and be smilin' for Ranger Rick;
this is NOT an EVENT; this is a group of old slug-buds,
goin' for a long trainin' run...JFK is coming!!!

happy days,
pokey :)

Slugs / Potential Slugs...the end is near....

and, three outstanding young americans have come to their senses, just in the nick of time, and will not be attending saturday's HUGE non-event. i congratulate them on their wise choice. if you are one of the majority still planning on attending; i have great news. russell b. cheney can not attend this year due to commitments involving the foreign legion, some unusual tropical plants, and the daughter of an undisclosed u.s. senator....you know what they say; what happens in tijuana, stays in tijuana...but, hey; russell didn't leave us high and dry. he's sending mister jim simpson all the way from california to evaluate our entire operation. pending his approval; team slug will co-op a newly formed, top-secret group currently being recruited by russell himself. (it'll be similar to the Slugs From Hell ); and require superslugdom credentials to be offered admittance. so, let's be on our best behavior. no coconut covered marshmallows, no roasting the delaware flyin' squirrels in front of little children, and i've already notified the governor to not let Big Bertha into the state the entire weekend. it's a small state; we can do it. so friends, i'm excited. pokey slug was out at dawn skimming pond water; and i stopped by the bread outlet to get the several-day old crusty stuff. it's gonna be a jim dandy day. remember, its NOT a race; it's a group of friends meeting to get in a long run. JFK is comin'. y'all be good; and see ya's saturday at da' pond. flatfoot freddie.

dang, the weather is SWEET in delaware today...

friends, only TWO weeks until rbc...and we have 17 entries! while it is understandable that a Rookie Slug would want to come and get the "World-Famous" black 100% cotton slug shirt; i really can't think of a good reason for anyone returning. however, i'm always glad to see ya's. finalizing plans as of today, the course has been marked every three meters with color-coded ribbons imported from Shanghai. they have those sparkly little gold filaments in them. the course was also completely repaved, and the hills have been moderated to not rise more than a 3% grade at any one spot. splinter-free, hand-carved, mahogany hand rails are now in place; and we stuck a WiFi hotspot out near the campground; for those slugs carryin' laptops. pond water is available during the entire loop (bear off to the left approximately 20 yards); not one slug has every died of thirst at this non-event. pokey slug is reporting the delaware diving squirrels seem to be thriving this autumn, so that may be a concern. please bring rodent whistles if ya have them. if not they'll be available at the starting line for a nominal fee. which reminds me; this run is free (it is NOT an event / it's a handful of friends getting in a long run). first time slug finishers may purchase a slug shirt after finishing for ten u.s. dollars; and veteran slugs may purchase a "trinket" for ten u.s. dollars --- they don't need to finish. they're already slugs. you also will be paying a park entrance fee; 3 to 5 bucks i think. please try to be at the killen's pond gate by 745, and til we get settled in the parking lot; we probably won't start until 830. if you have any questions / concerns please contact me at (302)678-3325.

looking forward to seein' all, happy days, john.

Army Slug coming home for RBC !!!

Hitman-

Count me in! Was able to slip out of Iraq a little
ahead of schedule and will definitely be at RBC.
Celebrated my safe arrival home by running Stumpy's
last weekend running and enjoying every last mile of
it. See you in a couple weeks,

Mark

___________________________________________________

and from pokey

___________________________________________________


Hi John!!!

I took yesterday off from work and got out for a nice 2 hour run at the pond. Rest assured that the man-eating deer are still out and one got a snuffle of this old slug, so all slugs beware, they are waiting for us! The Blind Squirrels were out and about, dropping things from the trees onto the trails. There were lots of turtles out sunning themselves, which serves as a distraction from the ankle grabbing roots. I think the course is almost ready for those brave souls who have entered. The pond water is also almost the correct shade of green for tasting, hopefully it will be there by the 29th.
Hope all is well with you. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone. I got my entry in for Umstead next year for the 50 miler, while Down and Durty Slug Derrick is going to attempt the 100 miler. I am bringing famed RBC RD Lisa as crew for the event. She is looking forward to RDing at RBC and has big plans for outsmarting Ranger Rick.
Have a great weekend... I'll be out at the pond tomorrow morning if you're up for it 302-359-XXXX!

Pokey...

________________________________________________________

Welcome also to Alisa Springman of Mercersburg, PA !!!

God Bless our Troops...

and God Bless America !!!

Message from Brother Russell B. Cheney

John-

Re the 2007 Team Slug RBC 50K: The following might be used in communications with participants / potential participants, but please feel free to use, use part of, or not use any of the following in any way you deem appropriate:


People have asked me of the 230+ marathons / ultras that I’ve done, which is my favorite, or the best, or the toughest, etc. I have never been asked which is the most intimidating. Is that because it is assumed that marathoners have NO FEAR? Speaking for myself, that is certainly not the case.

The Leadville Marathon, with its advertised start at 10,000 feet, 13,000+ foot maximum altitude (at Mosquito Pass, including possible snow scrambling), 12,000’ of elevation gain and 12,000’ of elevation loss, got my attention. There were rumors of running surfaces like rocky riverbeds and like 8” ball-bearings on a 30-degree down-slope: neither rumor individually was true; both taken together were.

Or how about my first marathon? I knew no marathoners at the time. In reading the official runner instructions for the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon it stated in no equivocating terms a number of infractions the runner could commit that would summarily result in the runner’s immediate and public expulsion from the marathon by event officials (this was a televised extravaganza so one’s family could be presumed to be watching), including (but not limited to) lining up outside the runner’s designated starting corral, use of a long list of steroids and other drugs that I had never heard of (testing to be supported by a potentially wide variety of means of extracting bodily fluids for chemical analyses), running other than on the designated specified marathon route, and disregard of any official’s instructions during the event. Almost needles to say, I lined up and stayed in my “designated corral” until I was entirely certain the starting gun had been fired. As it turned out, not only was I the only participant in my “designated corral”, but none of the other 20,000+ participants were even visible – because of a curve five blocks ahead in the road – and no “enforcing” event official was visible. I waited in totally weirdly empty streets.

How about Boston? The country’s oldest marathon, and perhaps the most prestigious. Seemingly all the world’s greatest and fastest runners for the last 100 years had participated. Internationally televised. Noon start. Bussing to the start. Corrals again. Only certified qualifiers permitted entry. Would I be trampled? Would I understand anything said by all the Bostonians speaking like President Kennedy? Rumors of the aggressive pressing crowds screaming and taking over the porta potties.

The race directors of some ultras seem to think the more maniacally intense the race description the more appealing the event for potential participants. The Big Bend National Park 50K in Texas seems to delight in its location which boasts of more species of cacti than any other in the Union (the Horse Crippler, for example, purportedly is capable of putting a 6” needle-sharp spike clean through a horse’s foot or a running shoe), plus scorpions, Gila Monsters, vultures, virtually all desert plants in the area covered with remarkably effective thorns (example: the Cat Claw Bush), unbelievably low humidity, and guaranteed jagged four-wheel-drive roads. Add to that, rumors of banditos, smugglers, illegals, and desperadoes crossing the border for your water, Gatorade and wallet.

One of my favorites: Crown King Scramble 50K: Arizona boasts the most species of rattlesnakes of any state in the US. “No humidity problem” = no humidity. 6,000’ rise start to finish on the topo rumored to be 12,000’ cumulative, accounting for all the intervening assents and descents. Snow, ghastly “sticky” mud, clear skies same-day temperature from start at 35 to finish at 90 degrees: take your pick. Share the four-wheel-drive trail with a rumored fabulous showcase of dust-producing raucous off-road vehicles: Jeeps, SUV’s, ATVs, dirt bikes, motorcycles, and indescribably creative modifieds.

Don’t forget DC’s Heritage Trail 50K: Guaranteed scuttling through drainage pipes, clambering over barrier fencing, dodging frenzied Washington traffic, creative course marking (or not), trail mazes, scrambling in river beds, tracking through playground sand (complete with children), and exploring potential alternative routes. Rumors of prior-year native-DC participants being lost no more than 40 minutes, secret routes to stay on course known by few, course-map in Chinese, course briefing in Greek.


But one of my all-time favorites: the Race Director personally contacts each potential participant and conscientiously attempts to DIScourage their participation, including graphic descriptions of the deep wood’s voracious ankle-wrapping roots and the moving trail-rocks, terrible grades, horrendous bridge crossings, trail co-use dangers, hazardous lack of close aid-stations, possible perilous overcrowding, slippery leaves and pine needles. Rumors persist of strange creatures inhabiting both the pond itself and the surrounding forest (the trail never being more than a few yards from the water and virtually always within the woods, leaving the desperately-fatigued and confused runner appallingly vulnerable), of participants disappearing and later reappearing in ethereal form, of strange vapors rising from the pond at all hours, and deep snow banks.


So I conclude that by far one of the most intimidating endurance runs that I have yet so far attempted has been the last described: the awesome Delaware Team Slug 50K, the magnificent creation of John Harper himself.

I was audacious enough to participate at the last two presentations, and I am so sorry to be unable to participate this year!

Russell B. Cheney

entries pouring in...lotto in '08???

13. Sam Adams (friend of King Slug...apparently from Ohio)
14. Francis Cannon , The First State.
15. Mark Johnson, PA
16. Tom Curtis, PA
17. Alisa Springman, PA
18. Mark Crisman, Iraq
19. Ravi Gooneratne, NJ
20. Peter McLaughlin, DE
21. Joan Messick, USA
22. Brigitte Sheehan, Trail Dawgs

hope all are having a terrific year;
happy days, flatfoot freddie.

2007 RBC50K Information Sheet

All Friends; Slugs and Potential Slugs

Thank you for your interest in TSI's 2007 RBC50K non-event on Saturday, September 29th . This is the 18th consecutive year Team Slug has held a fall ultra. I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of old friends and welcoming a few others into the Slug Kingdom for eternity. As with all Slug events this is a "50 Kilometer Non-Event." That means we won't be qualifying for Boston, and also means do NOT contact Ranger Rick asking for information. I assure you if we have to bushwhack, and climb over electric fences again this year; we'll never finish by dark. I will time the event and count laps with my moon-dial.

This is a ten loop run, 3.1 miles around a pond on a single-track path(same course as Fattest Butt), and certainly would be considered Ultra Entry-Level. The course is flat, though there are some roots to trip over, and with any dumb-luck at all we'll have torrential rain, or some trail flooding. I will supply minimal aid (stale bread and pond water) If you have some particular food/drink stuff you must have to finish, please bring it. If you have spouses or friends available to come along and help at start/finish area it is greatly appreciated. Most of my buds/fellow Delaware Slugs are in Iraq on an extended vacation. All finisher's will receive The Official Team Slug T-Shirt, unless you already have one; then you will receive a TSI trinket.

There are no particular rules. My main request is that if you come to run please plan on finishing. I don't care how long it takes. If it does get dark, we'll abscound from the parking lot, find an alternate entrance, and, i'll bundle up, and go back out with you. We're in no hurry. Second, please don't break 4 hrs. If necessary we can add a lap for folks that are too fast. Please come to have a nice, long run...make a new friend or two.




Finally, we will meet at approximately 0830 hours in the morning, and the non-event will start shortly thereafer, in the Killens Pond Main Parking area. Basically from the North it's Rt 1 South to Dover, and follow directions on map. From the South it's Rt 113 North to Dover, and from the West it's across Bay Bridge, and then right through the Cornfields of Delaware. Can't get here from the East without a Fishing Vessel. A very big one. Any questions please call; my home phone is (302)678-3325 and cell is (302)399-6409.

A Ten US Dollar Cash Donation (to pay for shirt) will be accepted the morning of the non-event. As always, TSI offers a full money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the run. Finally; this run will happen if i'm breathing. No cancellations for weather, etc. I'll see y'all on Saturday morning, September 29th.

Happy Trails

Amanda "Pokey-Slug" Bundek

Non-Event Director

www.teamslug.com

CONFIRMED VICTIMS registered for the 2007 RBC50k

(If you're name is missing; and a FEW PROBABLY ARE; and tsi / big bertha promised you a slot, please contact tsi immediately at; teamslug1@comcast.net. Sometimes big bertha gets to thinkin' about ole john clark, and screws up!)

1. James Moore, MD
2. Rebecca Moore, MD
3. Amanda Bundek, DE
4. Derek Hills, MD
5. Will Kerchner, NY
6. James Simpson, CA
7. Rick Beyer, VA
8. Tony Creszenzo, PA
9. Louis D'Onofrio, NJ
10. A.J. Johnson, NJ
11. Rob Powell, OH
12. Mark Johnson, PA

From James and Rebecca.

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

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.

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!"

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

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

Pres. Bush interrupts TSI training!

Catoctin in the Summer-time!!! Bears, NO; drought, NO; Pres. Bush, YES! With the President headed into Camp David, i was forced to adjust my weekend long hike / run. And, it's all good. Many summers i've been blitzed by the prez's helicopter, Marine Corps One; as the big ole chopper hauled U.S. Citizen Number One; da' president himself into Camp David. I have no reason to believe da' prez is doing it on purpose; but there's no doubt he know's about Team Slug. Particularly after the Houston Marathon in 2006. His old man wanted that shirt bad. Any-who, Cal Ripken is in the Hall of Fame; and I got my long weekend run in; it's ALL GOOD! Slugs; i hope all is swell in your world today. Peace on Earth! flatfoot freddie

on the comeback trail....again :)

"There will be days you don't think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have."
Unknown

i know it's pitiful, but I'm still only walking an hour a day. my goal is to try slogging again come one august. that's next wednesday if your keeping score, and then be ready to deathmarch baltimore by the end of october...sounds reasonable...i spend most of that time in the woods; tomorrow morning will be back at catoctin and take me two or three precious hours; of which i will love every minute. i tell you this because i don't want you to take your daily runs for granted. they are a gift, gliding and breezing through time and space, and for each step you take you should remember just how lucky you are. an injury can quickly set you down; and pull in those reins. so have fun out there; think of me; and hopefully i'll be seeing ya real soon. john.