another great training run today....

...deep in the central delawarean forests. pokey was in rare form and continues her climb towards that first ultra finish. weather here was fantastic, almost cool, this morning as we went well over twenty miles; her for the second consecutive saturday. also, checking in this week are several unfortunate souls registered for the rbc 50k+ ; now just forty some days away. i expect to get out all the race info by the first week of september. also, in the next week i'll be posting a list of confirmed victims, err, registrants. i'm looking forward to another fantastic team slug shindig. just like the old days; and we have some of the oldest of the old slugs confirmed. details coming.....

alive and kickin'

all is swell in slugland. rollin through the heat, etc. got a nice group lined up for the rbc 50k. it'll be a fine slugfest. most recently, mark vukovich of va beach has contacted me; and is likely to be attending. he's still a bit peeved over the new years day run; when he lost out on the crazy horse award to my favorite new york slug. but, mark, being an old-tyme slug is returning. and, this time he will accomplish the task, though he will be up against my favorite sluggette (of all time) ms rebecca. and, i'm sorry mark, but dead tie will go to rebecca. we're just too old of friends. also, james checked in and brought me to my senses. tsi cannot field an "official" team. that would go against all we stand for. we will be present; near the back; EARLY that morning. peace out old buddies; and i expect to get the rbc roster posted in the next couple of weeks. da' hitman

...the sixty day countdown is on...

to rbc50k here in our little state. and, we're ready. we've been enjoying some massive heat the past couple of weeks and today the temps in central delaware are supposed to reach the 100 degree range; and it feels like 200 with the humidity. anyway, we're thankful for the warmth of the sun; i'm certain this winter we'll be whining about something else. if you get a chance today click on the frontpage and look through dave bursler's badwater photos. they are inspiring and certain to make you want to get out there and move. today as always i wish you health and good running. see ya soon sluggos. john

it's gettin' hot over here.....

this morning we enjoyed another 4 hour, 20-mile training effort as miz pokey continues to gain steam; this jaunt in all the heat and humidity tiny delaware could muster. and, that's plenty this time of year. so the training goes on as we continue to work towards rbc and jfk; if you get a chance click on link on tsi front page and take a peek at the badwater story from the washington post, and the accompanying pics. in there you will find one mister david bursler, who hails from Bear, DE; and ran to a first place tie at the '06 tsi fattest butt, back on new years day. mr. dave is not only a delawarean but a true gentleman, and lucky for us a friend of da' slugs. no doubt he'll bring back an incredible story from death valley, and i'll definitely share the link with you all. from the first state, john.

running through the heat and into the fall...

....another great week of running as time draws us closer to the fall running season. here in central delaware we're especially excited about the upcoming rbc event; mostly just because i look forward to seeing some old friends, and welcoming some new slugs. we have had some incredible heat this week, and yet this morning had some powerful thunderstorms/rain roll through. it was fantastic and lowered the temp a good fifteen degrees. it shoved my workout into the gym though. i quit running in lightning after the little incident in pensacola, florida in 1999. i still have scars from that. i hope all of you are enjoying your summer running. while rbc is officially closed, if you have a deep down desire to earn your own "slug shirt" shoot me an e-mail and we can work something out. have a great week, john.

chasing buffaloes in delaware.....

pokey and i skipped our long run out in the slug forest; and traded it for a road 20k, actually the 28th annual great buffalo stampede 10k in wyoming, delaware hosted by the downstate delaware striders. we just did it twice. we started in heavy fog with absolutely no fellow competitors and were off flyin through the peach trees of kent county, dodging farm trucks and ymca buses. the ymca guy just about took off my ear. that definitely would have put a cramp in my fall marathon plans. pokey and i are making great strides as we continue working towards the longer fall runs. this morning early we enjoyed narrow lanes and aid station workers that seemed mystified as to what we were doing out at the turnaround so early. it's hard to imagine a couple of slugs could be leadin....no, that couldn't be it; so we just smiled at 'em and kept movin. thats always the key, whatever the distance, and in the heat/humidity this morning we maintained a good pace and even finished strong. if you're looking for a good, fast, hometown 10k, this is it. the folks are friendly, and mercifully allowed our finish to be official. we came in at 2:21:03, much shorter than our normal long run; but still a worthy effort. pokey-slug managed to finagle the "crazy horse award" by finishing dead last. she's my hero. slugs, i hope all is fantastic with your running and your life this beautiful summer day. happy days, john.

baseball in the first state....

I had the good fortune to spend last evening at a minor league baseball game. the wilmington blue sox were hosting the frederick keys during a hot summer night baseball classic in northern delaware. i'd never been to that stadium before, but have loved the minors all my life. being there is much different than being at a major league game. the fans seem more enthusiastic, more interested and more fun-loving. the promotions may be corny, but they are interesting. one of my favorites last night was when a new car was driven around the field, and fans were allowed to try to throw rubber golf balls into the sunroof. or, when they brought out three large trash cans, and some lucky contestant got to choose one to pick up a prize. interestingly enough, the prizes for every contest seemed to be free tickets to the next home game. baseball is surely a deep reflection of life in this free country. and, at a time when the dollar (and, steroids) has shaken the integrity of the game it is refreshing to be sit and watch the young and old, men and women, spread out in the bleachers enjoying the sport the way it should be played. so today if you're reading this and you want to enjoy a cross-section of american life, go to a game; a minor league game. if you want to get on the field that's easy too. during the month of may the final couple hundred yards of the frederick marathon are run around the outfield grass and finishes at home plate. now that's a marathon :)

i hope your running is going swell this summer season. rbc is now just 78 days away, and we have 18 confirmed entrants. whooo-hooo. that's a big field for us. while "running man" has officially closed all entries, if you really wanna come and run an ole-time, real life ultra, please give me a call. i could squeeze in another or two. take the app seriously, this is not a serious run. it'll be a nice little gang of adventurers chasing yet another wild dream. kind of like the young men on that northern delaware baseball field last night. traveling around the east coast, playing for peanuts, all sharing a dream that their hard work and talent will get them to the next level. keep dreamin' and enjoy every moment of your life. happy days, john.

cool air at 1400 feet in my maryland....

my weekend long run was perfect....out on the catoctin loop; straight up to wolf rock and around the upper perimeter, thurmond overlook, hog rock, cunningham falls, and back to the start. my ole budd, carolina blue, was out with me (in the cool air---low 50's early a.m.) and reminding me to start taking better care of myself. he said, "...the years between 44 and 54 are critical; everything starts to clog up and slow down..." and i'm taking his advice. additionally, the internet has allowed us to communicate immediately and across the miles---and this allows us to find some fellow humans with similar dispositions. that's what we've tried to do at tsi. attract and surround ourselves with positive, kind, loving, and motivated people. accepting anything less is not being fair to yourself. so please today and always be kind to yourself and those around you. i always try to remember, when it's hard to be loving, that each fellow human being is doing the absolute best that they can in that given moment of time. it may not be very good, and it may be hurting you or others, but in that moment they're doing the best that they can. the clear air up there in northern frederick county made for a perfect running day that facilitated a lot of clear thinking. i hope that each of you are happy where you are in your lives. if not, please heed one of my absolute favorite quotes ever spoken by one mister timothy leary, "if you're not happy with your life, just pick up your needle and move to another groove." happy days from the first state, john.

From the ROK: Firing Missles at da' Slugs.....

ok, so North Korea is now launching missles at da' slugs and i know why. he is still pissed because i wouldn't give him a slug-shirt and name him an honorary member during TSI's "Run to the DMZ in 2003" team trot. now he's takin it out on my budd, the animal, and i assure you tsi is takin it seriously. the white house is aware of the situation and is working with japan on settling this issue. in the meantime my bro, d'animal, promises me plans are well underway for the fall run. it'll be in conjunction with the rbc50k, and finishers will receive the original slug-shirt. so shoot all you want crazy man, team slug will not be deterred!!!!!! happy days, da'hitman

The Bird tried to Kill Me; or My Best Run Ever!

ok slug fans, so our (me and pokey's) training has not been particularly hard, or fast. that's true. but what our training has been is steady and regular. and, we all know that steady and regular, combined with refusing to quit, gets ya to the finish line. and, for runners like us, that remains priority number 1. yesterday was our best training day of the year as the time climbed to four hours, and the mileage to over half of the 50K+ course. the humidity was down, but temps were still well into the 80's and with the diving red-winged blackbirds coming literally within inches of us, it made for an unforgettable long morning jaunt. delaware is so unusual, in a good-way of course :) ms. pokey continues to work hard, and remain a positive delight during the long runs. she's coming into rbc, having never run a marathon. and, while i don't normally think that's a good idea, right now i'm beginning to understand that maybe it doesn't matter in what order we approach these long runs. we just need to keep doin it and get ourselves prepared. ms pokey believes in herself, her body and mind so much, that she will finish. no matter what it takes. it reminds me of an old t-shirt lost so long ago, put out by a running company; "all it takes, is all you got." and she's got it, and i'm just along for the ride. it's an exciting year. so many changes and all of them good.

Other news; i received a nice note from the "All-Nighter" as he continues to mount TSI's next attempt at jfk. He's hard at work recruiting some of the "finest slugs dat ever wobbled." We have a chance to not only pick up the Individual Crazy Horse Award, but are the favorites in the Team category as well. Could be a clean sweep!

I hope each of you are having the finest running & life days of your entire life. Stay kind and positive, and take care of yourselves. I'm looking forward to the day when we will each/all meet again. happy days, john.

Three Month Countdown...

...until the Russell B. Cheney 50K on September 30th. and, we all know the summer will fly by. We currently have fifteen (15) registered plodders. Normally, I'd cut it off right there. But, after convening with the tsi's most honorable board of directors in last night's executive council meeting, we've decided to go for the record. The very next entry will break that record, and receive a lifetime of harassment from da' slugs. That's right, in the past 17 years, and 44 events the largest number of runners ever registered was 15*. so please if you're determined to run this fall please get the entry in. i really don't expect everyone to show up, so no worries, there'll be plenty of pond-water and day old bread for all. i hope each of you are enjoying your best running and life-year ever. happiest of days, john.
*that's in "official" slug non-events. i realize that some of the "semi-official" slug non-events, including those in the d.c. area, the "peanuts' gallery", and even my personal favorite, brother claude's "slugs from hell", have had many more starters. and, i assure you all, that here at tsi we absolutely love all of our affiliate organizations. in fact, the "gulf coast ufo division" of tsi, headed by the big brown pony is now entering its 10th consecutive year of failing to finish even "one" plodder at their annual convention/beach-plod in Navarre Beach, Florida. now, that is an accomplishment! congrats bbp and keep up the great work.

Another Great Morning Run......

...and one day closer to rbc and jfk. this morning was a fantastic exercise in putting in some long, slow miles; and swatting some gnasty gnats that bite. we were out extra early this morning to beat the stormy rain that's slowly and surely descending into downstate delaware. and we talked and enjoyed peaceful quiet, it was all good, as we experienced the intense and beautiful humidity that completely envelopes you as you move through time in the summer in the mid-atlantic. if you're reading this today, take a minute to click on the WS100 live-link and check on ms. catra's progress. she's been in my thoughts a lot lately, and continues to motivate me towards my personal goals. how much effort does it take to go out into this heat and run three hours...plenty....but my budd in California is out "right now" facing not only the beast of one hundred miles; but then fully intends to turn around and run back. let's face it...the girl's got what it takes, and we love her. so slugfriends enjoy your runs today and this weekend, and keep in mind that it is a privilege to be healthy enough to get out there and do what we do. please be thankful for it. lookin forward to seeing each of you all later this summer and into the fall. happy days, john.

First State Ultrarunning in the News!

Please take a moment to check out the article by Ms Jennifer Goldblatt in today's News Journal . I put a link on the front page for you out-of-staters. Also, Carl Camp, The Sleep Monster himself, has announced that this years Delaware 100 will be held on September 30th. I put the link on TSI's schedule page. That just happens to be the same day as the RBC 50K. So if you're gonna be close by that weekend, and are interested, i'll be leaving the finish line at rbc and heading straight to Newark to help at the 100 mile Aid Station overnight. Shouldn't be so cold this year (read last years story on 2005 race page). Also, this weekend is the Western States 100, starting in Squaw Valley, California. Team Slug wants to wish Ms. Catra the best of luck as she goes for the double. happy days, john

The Great Delaware Spotted Mushroom Hunt

Don't ask about the title. It doesn't matter. Main thing is that me and ms.mandy got out there this morning and put in some miles. And, that's what counts. As RBC draws closer and closer my motivation continues to waiver, it has taken ms. m to get me out there. And, historically that has been the trend. The right person always shows up at the right time. And today was a good one; and now it's back to one day at a time. Just Get OUT and Do It! The heat is on in delaware and i'm thankful for it. Running this morning felt great. Nice and slow and easy and steady. Running and relaxing and being thankful for every breath. That's what it is about. As we inch closer to the Mr. Cheney 50K, and then onto jfk; From the firstest status. da' hitman.

Newsflash! RBC hostage in ND !!!

RBC checks in from North Dakota. Don't ask me what he's doin there; what would anybody be doing there? Runnin marathons of course.....and doing what he does best. Meeting, greeting, and befriending the natives. Wow; under four months til the fall race; time sure is flyin. I'm still working hard to keep the entries down; and have chased off several prospective "real" runners. One look at the pic of me and ole rbc last october, and any sane person would decide they had better things to do, than come and eat watermelon with us. Anyway, i mean it; i'm gonna start training seriously. Just joking, i only wrote that so john clark would spit up some of the suds i'm sure he's sippin in front of the old computer screen. jc ya better show up, or i WILL get out that voodoo doll and use it. i m.e.a.n. it!!! keep runnin sluggos, and keep the faith. see y'all in sept. happy days, john.

Livin, Luvin, &Trippin' on da Rocks

I'm finally back out and runnin after fallin off a big rock and twistin my knee on Mt Mitchell. In my defense, the rock was wet. Not that I haven't fallen off a lot of dry ones too; over the years. Ms Pokey was out with me on the top-secret slug-training course as she continues to prep for her first ultra at RBC in Sept. I'm certain she'll be successful as she's one of the strongest, not necessarily fastest (and that is a very good thing), young runners I've met in a while. She is exceptionally patient and determined to finish, and all good endurance runners know that's about 99% of the battle. Today was a bit hot and humid, for May in the Mid-Atlantic, and working up a sweat was easy. We did a fine job of ploddin/sloggin & wobblin for about 12 miles, and hope to work up to 20 within the next 4-6 wks. The forested trail has begun to shrink and the spring foliage is in full green apparel, as even the frogs were out this morning admiring the beautiful season and jumping for joy. Applications continue to filter in for the fall race. Please keep in mind that our policy of selection is now, and always has been, at the whim of the race director. DO NOT SEND $$$$ WITH YOUR APP---you must be accepted. It's OK if you write to Ultrarunning Magazine and tell them and all your friends that TSI is mean and unfair. After all, it's not even a real race and we're certainly not trying to grow. In fact, the Running Man himself has threatened to disband TSI Worldwide if he sees another Slug Shirt on the Today Show. And with John Clark tenatively scheduled to appear; who knows what manner of varmint may come crawlin into the First State with him. We will keep the Official Entrants in the 15-20 range, however, we do encourage bandits. After all Bertha's Beau will probably be armed. Any more than 20 and the event takes on an aura of realness. And, for goodness sakes, we can't have that at TSI. happy days, da "if there's something to trip over i'll find it" hitman.

TSI Race Filling Fast......

OK, OK; i've gotta interrupt my Key West sojourn, because ole' flatfoot freddies telling me TSI is getting a lot of e-mails about the Russell B. Cheney 50K coming up in September. Let me be perfectly clear, friends. This is not a real race, all you're gonna get is some stale bread, pond water, and a black slug shirt; and you must adhere to very stringent RULES. Though they are few---we are very serious about them. First, you must not quit. The only reason you will be allowed to drop is if you are d.e.a.d. OK, so that is our only rule. While i know several folks are already planning on coming thousands of miles; for no particular reason, this madness must stop. Surely you must have something better to do in the fall than come to Delaware. If you can't think of an excuse, then call John Clark directly; he has millions of them. In fact, he has helped me duck Big Butt for the last ten years. But one of these days, my brotha, Mr. Claude's gonna get me. We all know it's coming. Anyway, I hope all of you are having a fantastic running year. I really do. You know how much I luv da' slugs; but if this slug-mania continues I'm afraid Chief Slug will step in and take us back under-ground. from Duvall Street, where they Love Slug's; da' hitman

hitman eatin key lime pie on duvall street

just for da record; and so'se y'all don't get to worried. j-daddy is wit me in ole key west. don't worries ya pretty li'l heads off. i'se take care of em. me and mamma bear. he'd lyk to send his regards but can't seems to lift is head off da street ta talk. don't worries he's happy. seeyalls up northest in da fall. flatfoot freddie.

Big Ole Slug Sightin in Western Carolina

h-man sighting at milepost 148 near aronkatonk, north carolina (called in by ranger rick who observed black slug shirt being shredded by big ole black bear. dat's way out west in da hills. no doubt he's headed up mount mitchell. is so nice to sleep up there and awake abouve da clouds. y'all know how theese works; please help'm git home. i got lotsa stuff do to over heres in keywest. the feesh is bitin; and mamas hungry. gotta run; j-daddy if ya readin this in cherokee library give me a call. big berthas gots important qestiun. yo bro, ole flatfoot.

hitman goes overboard......everyone stay #?@ calm

It's true...da' hitman is chekked out; AND goin' communin' in da woods. surely y'all remember when dis happened in '93. we eventually found him (shoeless in vermont); though da runnin' man is STILL golne. now then, TSI rolls on---and is in good hands wit' me. j-daddy told me his own-self to tell all thanks for all the friendship, kindness and good wishes over the past several months. I assure you he continues to improve. He took a short-notice leavest of abstentia this morning for parts unknown (north or south or westest), but has promised to keep in close touch with da cellular monstular. I'll be handling his personal e-mail and official slug duties while he continues his recovery. he's promised to return all calls, unless it's mr. clark (whom he will be chasin at RBC & JFK). he's also promised to attend some upcoming u.l.t.r.a. events; possibly even slogging through a few. from key west, mister flatfoot-freddie. p.s. i promise to put sum bedder pics on site :)