Western States

There are 2 things on my bucket list.....

#1 - Complete an Ironman
#2 - Complete an Ultra

Three years ago I didn't know much about either of these sort of events. After being around the running community and endurance sports for a minute now, it seems almost inevitable that at some point I will be crossing both of these off my list. Both are years off in the distance, but I can feel the pull already, like a magnet slowly pulling me towards a goal.

I have read several books on both subject, my favorites being Running Through the Wall, and 17 Hours to Glory. This by no means makes me an expert, more of just an informed idiot who reads things and thinks "someday, when the kids are grown, I could train hard enough to do that." Well, when it comes to ultra's, Western States 100 is the big Kahuna. Sort of like Ironman is to triathlon.

Western States took place here in CA over the weekend. It so happens that .....try to follow me here as it gets a bit confusing...the husband of a sister in Palo Alto (named Diane, you've seen her comments here on the blog)...who we met after commenting on each others blogs about our mutual love for Brazen Racing....still with me??......ok, so the husband, Mr. NTL, would be working the aid station at mile 43 of W.S. AND, after a few months of figuring out dates, it so happened that this weekend we were going to be in Palo Alto, Mrs. NTL's congregation, for Brian to give the talk, and some wonderful hospitality by Mr. and Mrs. NTL! While I was excited for our running and theocratic lives to finally intersect, I was also looking forward to hearing about Mr.'s experience, and he did not disappoint! I can't thank him enough for staying awake and hosting hospitality at their home. Not only that, but he is a mean bbq'r, and managed a ton of meat, and a wide variety, mixing his own sauce, and somehow knew to cook it exactly the way I like it, which Brian will tell you, is hard to do! Diane managed to run a 10k before meeting, get to meeting, and then host a house full of people afterwards. These two are just the neatest couple and I can't thank them enough for their effort this weekend.
So back to Mr. NTL....not only is he a great bbq'r, he's an equally great blogger. He races with his camera, so of course he took lots of pictures from this weekend, and does a great job re-capping his experience, and the details of what all goes into an aid station of a 100 mile race.

Please take a few minutes to give it a read. Oh, and when he talks about Sam, Sam is MR. Brazen Racing, the race director, head dude behind Brazen. Imagine the feeling of making it 78 miles and getting pulled because you missed a time cut off.....the agony!!!
Thanks Again, Mr. and Mrs!!
It is not that often we are treated to hospitality and see this on the fridge
: )